By Akuma-chan
Miya moaned and opened her eyes. She found herself laying on one of the living room couches, Ryo, Kayura, and Sei hovering over her. She struggled to sit up and was grateful for Ryo's supporting arm. "Wha . . . what happened? The last thing I remember, I . . . I saw Cale come flying out of the woods and tackle Dais . . . then that girl . . . "
"She had a magic jewel," Sei said. "She took over your mind." Miya frowned. She started to shift around to get up and winced, pressing a hand to her stomach.
"Ow . . . "
"You can blame Sage for that one," Kayura said dryly. "When you attacked Ryo, he knocked the wind out of you. Apparently he also forgot the bruises metal leaves on flesh."
"When I . . . " Miya looked horrified. "Oh, Ryo, I'm so sorry!" she wailed, looking anxiously up at Ryo. Ryo patted her shoulder gently.
"Hey, it's not your fault, Miya. It was Talpa. Again." He looked grim. "One more thing he's gonna pay for. If it weren't for Kayura's Staff--"
"When the final reckoning comes," Kayura added, her eyes flinty. "I think he's gonna find it's all more than he can afford." Sei nodded her agreement.
Miya managed to get up. She swayed a bit, but remained on her feet. "Well, thank you, Kayura, for reversing the spell . . . excuse me. I need some aspirin."
"We're out, Miya. I've got some Advil in my room, though," Sei offered. Miya smiled wanly.
"Thank you, Sei." She sighed. "Would you mind cooking dinner for me again? I have the feeling I'm going to be at my computer a long, long time tonight."
"Sure, no problem . . . why?"
"I want to go through Grandfather's data again. With that stupid code of his, I never understood more than a fraction of it. I'm going to see if I can break his code again," Miya replied, heading for the door.
Rowen stalked out of the study, his face furious. Sei gulped and stayed out of his way. She watched with trepidation as Ryo stopped him. "Yo, Rowen, what's up? Why're you so pissed, man?"
Rowen closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. Finally, he ground out between clenched teeth, "Let's put it this way, Ryo--I want to throw the damned computer out the window. Miya, on the other hand, has much more exotic plans!"
"Um . . . I guess that means no luck with the code?" Ryo gulped. Rowen clenched his fists and pushed past Ryo.
"Yes, Ryo, that is what it means! Excuse me, I am going outside!" Rowen stalked down through the kitchen, shoving Cale out of his way with an angry glare. He vanished into the forest, muttering to himself.
Cale felt as if he'd been slapped. Ryo laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. Cale jumped a little; he hadn't known Ryo was there. "It's not you," the teenager explained softly. "He's frustrated; he and Miya couldn't break Dr. Koji's code." Then he called out, "Sage! If you see Ro, tell him we'll feed his dinner to Kento if he's late!"
"Where'd he go?" Sage called back from somewhere down by the lake.
"Out for a walk," Ryo responded.
"Ah. I'll tell him," Sage promised.
Cale went upstairs, sighing to himself. <I don't belong here,> he thought. He curled up on his bed and stared at his kanji orb for a long moment. He sighed again. <But . . . where else do I have to go?>
It had nearly been a disaster. Rowen had almost been captured, nearly killed. If it hadn't been for White Blaze, he probably would be dead. They all tried to eat dinner as if it were any other night, but it was far too quiet. There was none of Kento's usual loud clamoring for more, none of Sei's attempts to shut Kento up . . . no joking, no teasing. Nothing but silence.
Cale dropped his fork and stood. "Excuse me," he muttered as he hurried out of the room. His food was barely touched. Kento silently scraped it onto his own plate. For once, Sei let it pass.
"He doesn't think . . . we blame him . . . does he?" Ryo asked, looking at Kayura. Kayura sighed and glanced at the doorway.
"I'm afraid that doesn't matter, Ryo. He blames himself." She pushed her own food around a bit, then set her fork down. "You can have mine, too, Kento. I'm--not very hungry tonight."
"Uh . . . no thanks," Kento replied. The wince suggested Sei had pinched him under the table. Kayura attempted a smile.
Miya cleared her throat. "I think it's starting to rain. Would anyone like some hot cocoa?" she asked with false brightness. It had been raining for half an hour. There was a clamor of agreement, equally hearty. And equally forced.
"I'll help, Miya," Sei volunteered, "while the boys gather up the dishes."
"What!?" "Huh!?" "Who volunteered us!?" "Does Kayura have to help?" were the replies. Sei stood up and folded her arms, a mulish set on her pretty face. Miya and Kayura matched her actions. Cowed, the boys started to gather up the dishes.
Cale stared out at the gray rain with unseeing eyes. He sat curled up in the window seat in the living room, lost in thought. <I almost cost him his life . . . > he thought. <All because of a stupid mistake!> He fell back into his memory.
<Only he wasn't predictable this time,> Cale thought bitterly. <I overestimated my skills, and nearly cost Rowen his life because of it.>
He jumped slightly at a light touch on his shoulder. "Would you like some hot cocoa?" Kayura asked gently. Cale nodded silently. Kayura smiled compassionately and headed for the kitchen. Cale heard her say something laughingly as she entered, probably to Sei.
Cale returned his attention to the weather. <I'm all alone here,> he thought. <I don't belong!> He started suddenly as he saw motion in the rain. <Huh? What's that?> For a brief instant, he saw the shape . . . of Dais' armor.
Before he even realized it, Cale was on his feet and slipping silently out the front door. He walked out into the obscuring downpour, his hair quickly becoming plastered to his face. "Where are you, Dais?" he asked calmly.
"Right here," Dais replied. Cale turned to his left and saw Dais. He was no longer in his armor; he was in his sub-armor. Sehkmet was with him. "We're not here to fight."
"I know," Cale replied. "So why are you here? Have you come to your senses--are you going to leave Talpa's influence?"
"We don't belong here, with them," Sehkmet replied, gesturing at the house. "Kayura is young enough to adjust, but us . . . we're over four hundred years old. We can't return here."
"We miss you, Cale," Dais added. "You're our brother, by sword and by shared blood. It isn't the same, fighting without you."
Cale shook his head. "Forget it," he replied over his shoulder as he turned to go back inside. "I'm not joining Talpa again."
"If you change your mind . . . " Sehkmet started. He stopped, his shoulders slumping, and shook his head. "You won't."
"But if you do . . . if you do change your mind, Brother, come to the old meeting place after dark. We'll be there to welcome you," Dais said softly. Cale seemed not to hear him as he slipped back inside.
"Well done, my Warlords," Talpa's youthful voice said from the shadows. "He'll be with us soon."
It was very late. Cale sighed and sat up, hearing the clock chime two. He stared out at the cloudy, drizzling sky. <Dammit . . . why did you two have to bring up old memories? Why couldn't you let it lie?> he thought. <Four hundred years . . . we've been brothers of the type forged in battle for that long? It hardly seems like it, but . . . no, it's just another mind game of Talpa's. They don't really care--Talpa just wants my armor.>
The clouds broke briefly, letting the waning moon shine its light unevenly across the trees and the lake. For an instant, it was overlaid by an ancient battlefield in Cale's mind. He shook his head fiercely. <I can't believe I'm really considering it. Yet . . . the Ronins don't understand me. They do.> Cale sighed unhappily.
<Perhaps . . . perhaps if I do join them, I can persuade them to return. Perhaps . . . > Cale made up his mind. He rose and dressed silently, the dark not bothering him a bit. He wrote a brief note in the old style, using a brush and rice paper, rather than one of the innumerable ball-point pens lying around. Then he drew out his kanji orb, summoned his sub-armor, and slipped out the window.
It was a miserable night, but Cale paid no attention to it as he slipped through the shadows. Deep down, he knew he was deluding himself, but he could no longer stand the loneliness. So he forged onward, ignoring his conscience. In perhaps fifteen minutes, he was at the small, empty old shrine they had used as a meeting place as far back as their first battle under Talpa's command.
Dais and Sehkmet were waiting. Cale stopped and looked at them, unable to say a word. He knew they hadn't been lying when they'd said they missed him; he could see it in their eyes. It was something he didn't think Talpa would be able to see. "Welcome back," Sehkmet murmured softly.
"Yes, Cale, my Warlord of Corruption, welcome back," Talpa echoed, stepping out of the shrine. <One more to go . . . > he thought to himself with a small chuckle.
Spring's Death Teaser:
"Kayura! Kayura!" Rowen half-screamed, tears streaming down his face. He cradled Kayura in his arms, his hand unconsciously creeping up to touch the blood oozing from her deep chest wound.
"R . . . Rowen . . . " Kayura whispered, looking up at him with a glazed, shocked look on her face. "Rowen, I think . . . I'm dying . . . "
"No . . . Kayura, no!" Kayura's eyes slid shut, and the Oni armor flowed away in a stream of golden sparkles. "Nooooooooo!!!!!"