Demons in the Doorway, Monsters Down the Hall
By Ghost of the Dawn

Chapter Two: Fear the Shadows

Everything was dark. So dark. Sage hated the darkness, especially this kind. It wasn't just an absence of light, but an absence of......anything. But something was there, he could feel it. A thick, gluttonous presence was waiting. Black and full of evil--it crept towards him, hungry for his soul.
Sage saw the thing coming for him and he was filled with fear. It was a hulking black mass of dark rage and destruction. Demon red eyes glowed from the thing and burned into his terror stricken ones. Sage tried to cry out for help, tried to move, but his body wouldn't obey. The thing grinned at him, taking morbid pleasure at his helplessness. The putrid cloud had a face now to go with those horrifying eyes. A predatory grin spread across the monster's features.
"NOOO!!!" Sage's mind, soul, and body cried out all at once. His whole being was shaking with fear-- the kind of fear produced from any living thing when it knows it's going to die.
The thing loomed over him, dropping it's thick shadow over the terrified young man like an evil blanket. It paused in its advance and began to slowly take on a more solid form. Sage's violet eyes burned with utmost terror as the evil essence took on a somewhat human form. It was neither male nor female. It's whole body was ripped and tattered, arms hanging on by threads of raw flesh and pieces of wrapped tattered cloth--all of it black.
Tears of panic and terror stung Sage's eyes as the creature eyed him hungrily. Rowen, Ryo, anybody...help me.. His mind pleaded feebly. But there were no ears to hear his plea nor friendly hearts to give assistance.
The evil thing laughed a deep sinister laugh. "No one is around to hear you Sage." Its voice was that of the accumulative of every evil voice ever to have spoken. "You're all mine now."
Sage could feel its breath on his face. He couldn't move, couldn't scream. No, his mind whimpered. No, it can't end like this. The tears streamed faster now.
"Oh, but it can," the thing sneered as it read Sage's thoughts.
It reached up a decaying hand to Sage's face. As much as he tried to pull away, the creature's power held him frozen to the spot. The smell of the creature was overwhelming now. Like decaying flesh. Sage thought he would retch as it suddenly bent down to posses his lips. The repulsion he felt could not be expressed as the thing ravaged his mouth, working deeper down his throat until its whole essence was spilling inside of him.
Sage gagged as the thing poured its whole self down his throat, racing into his stomach and then through his veins. He still could not cry aloud, but the mental screaming inside his head was unbearable. His whole soul cried out in anguish as he felt his mind and spirit being raped of the light within him--of everything good that he held dear. The creature pillaged his entire being from the inside out, greedily sucking his essences dry. The only sound Sage was able to make was a shriek of agony as the darkness swirled around in his body until it had completely consumed him from the inside out. Dark mist swirled up from his skin as the evil dissolved his every being.
An evil, ominous laugh echoed through the shadows as the mist dissipated into the darkness, leaving nothing but the black, twisted skeleton which was all that remained of what used to be Sage Date.

"AAAHHHH!" Sage bolted upright in his bed with a horrified scream. His breath was quick and ragged. His shoulders were heaving on the verge of a sob. His body was soaked with sweat, causing his mussed, blonde hair to stick stubbornly to his forehead.
It took Sage a while to realize what had happened. Slowly his mind recognized the familiarity of his surroundings. Back home, safe in his own room. It was only a dream, or was it? He had never had a dream so intense before. His body ached as if the torture he had gone through was real. This pain was real. His headache and his fear were also real.
Dream or not, Sage was still stricken from what he had experienced. The earliness of the hour wasn't helping things at all. It would still be several hours until sunrise. Sage raked a shaking hand through his damp hair. He hated the night. He looked around at the darkened shadows of his bedroom which seemed to be reaching out for him, intent on pulling him back into his horrible nightmare with the black nothingness. Already, Sage could feel his body yearning for the day. The sun fed his soul, strengthened his spirit and chased away his fears. He wanted to turn on his bedroom light and get rid of the shadows, but the switch was so far away.
Feeling very frightened and helpless, Sage slid back down under his covers and pulled them up close around him. He wanted to go back to sleep, but he kept fearing that the thing would come back to haunt him again. Even if he simply closed his eyes, he could see the monster's sinister smirk on the backs of his eyelids. So instead, he had to keep his eyes open.
But that didn't seem to settle his nerves much either. He tried to look anywhere-- his closet, his ceiling, the dull green glowing of the tiny light on the smoke detector. But his eyes kept reverting back to his slightly open door. His room, with the white walls and greyish carpet stayed fairly light, even during the night. But out in the hall, it was pitch black. So black that it would be possible for someone, anyone, to be standing there and not be seen.
The thought unnerved Sage, but he couldn't bring himself to get up and close the door. All he could do was stare. The house was silent--so absent of noise that it seemed to Sage his ears were making up their own noises to fill in for what was lacking. But no, it was something else. Whispers. Whispers so silent they could only be heard in the utmost stillness. House spirits, Sage surmised. Every house had them. They came out in the dead of the night. It was the only time the place was still enough for them to be heard. They carried on their unearthly conversations with ghostly tongues. Loud enough to be heard in the stillness, but too soft for any real words to be deciphered.
This was another reason Sage hated the night time. The restlessness of these lost souls was sometimes too much for him to handle. He wished they would be silent for just one night. What horrors that went unseen by mortal eyes did they know about? What unspeakable secrets were they discussing only slightly beyond his understanding of their words?
But something else spoke above the relentless whispers. Just outside Sage's door came something even more disturbing. The silent shuffling of a ghostly passing swished swiftly past his doorway. Impatient shiftings and shuffles sounded barely louder than his own breath in the deep darkness of the hallway. Something was out there, it had to be. A restless apparition trapped in this world and doomed to pace darkly down his hallway for all time.
Sage had never been this scared in his life. Not even when standing outside Talpa's very gates, looking straight into the face of death was he this frightened. He had his armor and his friends to help him then. This time, he had himself and a small stretch of darkness separating him from eternal doom. For he, Sage Date, the fearless warrior and bearer of the armor of Halo, had let his imagination run away with him. He pulled the sheets over his head and huddled there for the rest of the night.
And the night continued on. On and on until finally, finally the sun shed its first gentle rays of light over the city's horizon. It was then, and only then that Sage allowed his eyes to close and he, at last, fell asleep.
"Sage, honey! Time to wake up!"
The quick return back to the world of the waking was a painful one for Sage as his mother yelled to him cheerfully from the doorway. The young man groaned as he rolled over, pulling the sheets over him as a signal he wanted to be left alone. But Mrs. Date was not daunted so easily.
"Come on sunshine, time to get up!" she chirped as she snatched off his covers.
Sage only made a whimpering sound in reply and put his pillow over his head. By the soul of Anubis he needed sleep!
"Sage," his mother continued in a warning tone. But when he didn't reply her expression changed from sternness to concern. It was very seldom she had to come rouse Sage from his bed in the morning. He was usually up with the sun and wide awake--more often than not, even before she could get up herself. She walked over to his bedside to feel his forehead, but since his face was stubbornly covered with a pillow she had to settle with feeling the temperature of his neck instead. "Sage hon, are you feeling alright?"
Hearing the worry in his mother's voice forced Sage to get up. He faked a smile as he pushed the hair away from his face. "Yeah, I'm okay. Just.....had trouble getting to sleep is all."
"Well, okay," his mother replied, not sounding completely convinced. "You're not having any problems at school or anything, are you?"
Sage heaved a tired sigh. Why did she always have to come to the conclusion that something was going wrong at school?
"I'm okay, really. I've just had a lot of stuff on my mind lately."
"You're sure that's all?"
"I'm sure Mom. Now let me get ready for school."
Mrs. Date sighed as she raked a few strands of her own honey colored hair out of her face. It was a gesture that seemed to be passed throughout the Date family. "Alright, I'm going. But you better hurry up. You still have to pick up Rowen."
Sage rubbed his face as his mother left the room. He was so tired and there seemed to be so much to do. And why was he always the one who had to be responsible for Rowen getting to school? Why couldn't that guy get up himself for once?
Taking a deep breath, Sage forced himself to stand up and face the day. He stumbled into the bathroom and inspected himself in the mirror. A young man with dark circles around his eyes and wild, dirty looking blonde hair sticking up every which way glared tiredly back. What did all those crazy high school girls see in the bedraggled thing he saw before him? Sage shook his head in pity for the person in the mirror and then stripped before hopping into the shower.
The water did its job in waking him up for the moment. Ten minutes later Sage could be found in the kitchen cleaned, dressed, and ready to face the day. He was perched on a counter stool idly sipping his tea and skimming through the newspaper for anything of interest.
"Well, there's our sleeping beauty," Sage's father teased as he came in. "Have a rough night?"
"Does it show?" Sage asked weakly.
His father just chuckled. "Let's just say today would be a good day to try covering up both eyes for once. See if you can get to bed early tonight, huh?"
Sage chuckled lightly. "Believe me, I have every intention of that."
Mrs. Date scurried into the room in her doctor's apparel while looking at her watch. "I've got to run now." She hurriedly kissed Sage on the cheek. "See you both tonight." She kissed her husband next and then hurried out the door.
"I'd better go, too," Sage announced as he got out of his seat. He knew he still had to pick up Rowen and that usually took all the extra time he had.
"Okay," his father called over his tea. "Will you be dropping by the dojo tonight?"
"We'll see what kind of homework I've got. See you."
Sage grabbed his bag and stepped calmly out the door. Once outside he took a deep breath and immediately began to feel better. Ah, morning. How he missed the sun's beautiful light. Now that it was shining on him again, he could feel new energy running through his body and reviving his tired spirit. His pace swiftened as his heart was lifted and he merrily made his way through the crowded sidewalks the few blocks over to Rowen's house.
Rowen's parents were divorced and he lived with his mother. She worked as an international journalist for some large company which took up all her time and so it was a very rare occasion to see her at home. Sage knew she was doing her best to support her family, but in years past, Rowen had several times confided in him that he and his mother were drifting further apart.
Sage walked up the familiar steps to the Hashiba's apartment. He paused at the door before opening it and letting himself inside. Because of his upbringing, Sage hated just to walk in like this. But every day he had to. Previous experiences had taught him that if he just sat outside and rang the doorbell no one would ever answer.
"Sage!" Rowen's mother exclaimed when she saw him enter. "How nice to see you!"
Sage smiled and nodded politely. It was very seldom he ever saw Rowen's mother. Her job usually kept her away from home. Especially at this time of day. She was bustling about the place, fixing her hair here and putting on an earing there.
"Is Rowen up yet?" Sage asked.
"Um...I'm not sure. You can go up and check. Just be sure he gets to school on time. I'm late for my flight!" Rowen's mother called as she hurried about. And without another word, she snatched up her briefcase and headed for the door.
Sage sighed. So he was left to do the mother's job now, as always. No doubt she had arrived the night before and she and Rowen had stayed up all night catching up on what each other had missed. That always happened when Mrs. Hashiba came home. And now Rowen would be even harder to wake up than usual.
Sage heavily clunked up the stairs to Rowen's room. The door was left halfway open and he entered without nary a pause. The hardwood floor of Rowen's room was scattered with books, clothes and various other odds and ends. A worn, deep blue rug lay sprawled out in the middle. The room wasn't too dirty, but it wasn't as clean as Sage's was. But then again, not many things were. It wasn't that Sage was a neat freak, he just had a thing for organization.
Slumbering heavily in the bed amidst the white sheets was Rowen. His long legs and arms were tangled in his covers as he snored face up to the ceiling. Sage shook his head. Rowen was the wildest, deepest sleeper he knew. Why couldn't he sleep that way? Sage took a moment to stand over his slumbering friend and watch him jealously. Lucky stiff.
Sage stood for a moment longer before turning on his heel and marching into the bathroom where he filled a cup with water and then returned back to the bedside. Rowen was snoozing as peacefully as ever when Sage unceremoniously poured the contents of the cup into his open mouth. Rowen sputtered as he tried to breath in and sat up hacking and spitting out water.
"Good morning sunshine," Sage grinned casually.
It took a moment of good coughing before Rowen was able to talk. "Geeze Sage! Why don't you just drown me next time!"
Sage shrugged. "Quickest way to wake you up."
Rowen rubbed his face as his surprise was soon replaced with fatigue again. "I wish you would have just let me sleep. Mom came home last night."
"I know, I managed to see the back of her head as she rushed out the door."
"I got to bed at four-thirty this morning," Rowen moaned.
"It shows," Sage said sympathetically.
Rowen looked up at his friend and gazed on his face for the first time. "So what's your excuse?"
Sage tiredly ran his fingers through his hair, momentarily revealing his right eye before the thick, blonde lock fell back into place. He knew there was no use hiding it from his friend. Even when this tired, Rowen noticed everything. He sat down heavily on the bed next to his blue haired companion and sighed.
"Couldn't go to sleep last night. I had this horrible dream. I can't really explain it, only that it was like nothing I've ever had before. There was something.....something about this dream that was so real." He paused and added in a lower voice. "So evil."
He turned to Rowen to check his reaction but he was already back asleep.
"Rowen, WAKE UP!" Sage hissed as he threw a pillow annoyedly at Rowen, hitting him hard enough to wake him up again.
Rowen snorted and blinked hazily as he was shoved back into awareness. "Huh?"
"Some friend you are! Did you even hear a word I said??"
"Of course I did,"Rowen insisted. "I heard the one thing...about....that other thing."
Sage was about to tell Rowen off but the only thing that came out was a deep, heavy sigh. The blonde haired youth crawled fully onto the bed and flopped down along the length of it. Rowen sat up and looked at the back of Sage's head curiously.
"Um...Sage?"
"Wake me in a few hours, will you?" Sage's voice came slightly muffled from the pillow his face was buried in. "I'm tired."
Rowen yawned again and gave his friend a tired smile before letting himself drop back onto his own pillow. "Fine by me."
It wasn't long before both were sleeping peacefully away as the morning sun shined gently in on them through the window.

There it was faithfully again, same time every morning. The sound of Kento's beastly machine as it screamed up the road and pulled loudly into the parking lot. Ryo grinned, one could set their watch by that sound. He approached the rag tag thing like he had done the day before as Cye once again got out of the passenger seat. But this time, Kento had one extra person to take to school.
Robyn had been silent for the whole ride. She seemed so talkative the other day, Kento wondered if it was something he had done. She had just sat and stared the whole ride to school. Cye had done the most talking-- whining and carrying on so much about Kento's "short cut" yesterday that he had kept to the main streets just to shut him up.
Now a very relieved Cye was climbing out of the passenger door as Kento killed the engine. He was about to get out himself when Robyn suddenly grabbed his sleeve to get his attention.
"Cye can cook," she informed Kento in awe as if the whole concept were utterly unreal to her. "Did you know Cye could cook? I didn't know Cye could cook."
Kento chuckled. "Yeah, I knew he could cook." He was about to get out of the vehicle again when Robyn once more tugged at his sleeve.
"Cye can cook good. He can cook really good. I didn't know he could cook good."
Kento patted her shoulder. "Well, we learn something new every day." Robyn gave a blank nod while Kento was finally able to get out. Robyn shook herself out of her trance and got out of the passenger side and stood next to Cye, squinting in the early sunlight.
"Hey guys," Ryo grinned as he approached them.
"Ryo," Cye greeted. "You're here early again."
"Yeah, Gram pulled the clock thing on me two days in a row."
Cye laughed. "That sounds like her."
"Yeah," Ryo grumbled. "Always one step ahead of me. One day I'm going to get her in her own game."
Cye just laughed again. "We'll just see about that. We all know your grandmother is as tricky as they come."
Ryo nodded grimly. She was a sneaky one alright. Almost too sneaky even for the bearer of Wildfire at times. Ryo's gaze fell on the small figure behind Cye. Robyn didn't seem to be paying much attention to the boys. She had her worn, beaten bag hanging over one shoulder as she gazed around at the school. Ryo walked over to her.
"So, coming to first hour with me?"
"Actually, no," she replied as she turned to look at him. "The reason I was in there with the principal yesterday morning is because they were trying to stick me in that chemistry class when I had already taken it last year. So I had to go and prove to the dumb shmucks that I already knew the material, etcetera, etcetera. And so now I've got me a whole new lovely schedule to memorize. How nice for Robyn." She gave Ryo a crooked smile. "Sorry Pyro-Boy."
Ryo shrugged. "That's okay."
"Hey, we've still got seventh hour." Robyn elbowed him playfully. "Lucky us, right?"
Ryo laughed, remembering how boring that class had been the day before. "Right, sooo lucky."
"Hey, anyone seen Sage and Rowen yet?" Kento asked as he looked around. "They're usually here by now."
Ryo shrugged. "Well, I heard Rowen's mom would be coming back last night. So you can guess what happened."
Cye and Kento nodded in understanding.
"What?" Robyn asked curiously. "What happened?"
"Family night," the three of them replied dully.
Robyn just shrugged. Whatever. Maybe she'll find out what they were meaning eventually.
"And there is the bell," Cye commented as it rang.
Kento looked in the direction Sage and Rowen usually came to school. But he saw neither. "Looks like I'm heading to first hour alone today," he said to himself as they all packed off for the school.

First and second hour passed like the norm for Robyn as she searched for her new classes and tried to get used once again to her newer schedule. It was third hour now and she was currently walking across the street to the college extension adjacent to the high school. She wasn't looking forward to attending these higher classes. It was her senior year, dangit! She wanted to goof off! But taking the classes now was saving her and Cye's family money since, while attending at the high school, she didn't have to pay tuition.
"Hey Robyn, wait up."
Robyn paused as a strange voice called her name and she looked behind her. A tall, lanky boy with blue hair hanging wildly over crystalline blue eyes jogged up to her.
"Hi," he greeted as he caught up. "Thanks for waiting."
"No problem," Robyn said as they started walking again.
"So, where ya headed?" Rowen wanted to know.
"Trig, whoopie." Robyn twirled her finger sarcastically.
Rowen chuckled. "Don't like it, huh?"
"Not really. Hate math. But for some reason, I'm in the advanced class. Go fig. But this class is really going to suck extra because I have to work over time to catch up with everybody else."
"Hey, I'm going to that class, too. I'll be glad to help you if you need it."
"Thanks." Robyn paused for a moment. "You know, this is kind of embarrassing for me. I don't have a clue what your name is."
Rowen laughed. "Sorry about that. I'm Rowen Hashiba. I'm one of Cye's friends."
"Rowen! Right! I should have remembered that. I'm so horrible with names. Okay, Rowen, Rowen, Rowen, Rowen. Blue hair. Got it."
Rowen grinned down at the energetic young girl. "And you're Robyn, am I right?"
"Yup."
"Got a last name to go with that Robyn?"
Robyn stopped in mid stride and a thoughtful look covered her features. "Ohhhh...last name, last name. Um...I think McCarthy is what's printed on all the rolls."
"You mean you're not sure what it is?"
"Well, I've lived with several different families throughout my lifetime if that's any indication for you."
"Oh," Rowen looked down, feeling uncomfortable for asking. "I'm sorry."
Robyn laughed lightly. "Don't be. It's not your fault. I just had to adjust more than the average kid. No biggie."
Rowen smiled again as they reached the college and he opened the door for her. She had a certain spark about her he found intriguing. He had a feeling he was going to like this new spirit in their lives.

Sage stumbled through the door of his fourth hour class. He was still feeling quite groggy, sleeping in always did that to him. Cye and Kento were already in their seats, the latter giving Sage a stern glare as he took the seat in front of Cye.
"And where were you this morning?" Kento demanded. "I was stuck in that stupid class all by myself. Next time you sluff our first hour, DON'T DO IT WITHOUT ME!"
"Kento, hush," Cye admonished when he noticed the teacher glaring in their direction.
Sage, not feeling up to the challenge of arguing with the warrior of strength, decided he best just keep his mouth shut. So instead, the blonde young man folded his arms as the usual look of practiced tolerance covered his face.
At that moment, a young girl with reddish hair decided to come inspect the door and then poke her head into the room.
"Robyn!" both Cye and Kento greeted at the same time when they saw her.
She waved at them timidly before taking a few self-conscious steps into the room.
"Am I in the right class?" she asked in a hushed tone as if she would get in trouble if she got caught with them.
"It is if you're here for ancient Japanese history," Kento grinned.
"Oh good." Robyn slung her heavy backpack off her shoulder and let it drag tiredly on the floor as she continued into the room.
Sage took a moment from meditating to watch her with his visible violet eye as she journeyed across the room. Her gate was slow and her shoulders were slumped. She didn't seem to notice his eyes on her as she made like she was going to take the seat next to him and in front of Kento. But suddenly, a raven haired girl slipped quickly into the spot Robyn was meaning to go. It was Miniko. The snobbish girl who had threatened Robyn yesterday, now gave her a dark glare before starting off a conversation with Sage who looked less than thrilled with her presence.
But Robyn merely ignored her. She could care less who Miniko wanted to bother as long as it wasn't her. So Robyn continued trudging up the isle, still dragging her bag behind her, and took the seat behind Cye. She sat down with a loud sigh and let her forehead drop none too gently on the desk. It stayed there for a minute before she lifted her face again and grabbed Cye's shoulders from behind.
"Cye! I'm so hungry! I can't wait ?til lunch!" she whined as she shook his shoulders and then dropped her face pitifully back onto the desk.
Cye chuckled. "Sounds like someone else I know." He raised an eye brow at Kento.
"Hey!" Kento defended. "I don't sound like THAT!"
Robyn just moaned and rolled her head to the side. "I'll never make it."
Cye turned around in his seat so he could see her better, or at least the back of her head since her face was pressed against her desk top.
"Didn't you eat breakfast?"
"Mmm....breakfast," Robyn mumbled as she remembered Cye's cooking from that morning. Right now she was ready to sell her soul for another one of Cye's homemade pancakes.
Cye was about to inform her she had eaten at least ten of them but the voice of their teacher cut him off and he quickly moved to face forward. The history teacher was a rather crusty looking old man. Robyn didn't even have the slightest idea what his name was. But he looked to her like he had been teaching waaayyy to long.
"Alright class, we'll start off by reading aloud from chapter two. Here we'll discuss the ancient mumble mumble of the blah blah blah...."
Robyn wasn't listening. The insistent growls of her stomach were too loud to be ignored.
"I'm still sooooo hungry!" Robyn whined quietly. "Oh wait!" She hurriedly pulled out her bag and started digging through it. "Eureka!" She pulled out a Snickers bar and greedily unwrapped her prize. But she only got one good bite out of it before it was taken away by the teacher. Robyn sat and stared at her open, empty hand and then buried her head in her arms and whimpered pitifully. Kento, from his vantage point, was trying very hard not to laugh by now.
"Ms. McCarthy."
"Present," Robyn called as he lifted her head again. The class snickered.
"I'm not calling roll, I want you to read where we left off."
"Oh," Robyn muttered under her breath. "Crap."
She stared blankly at her empty desk. Why did the teacher have to pick on her to read out of the book? Book! She didn't even have a book. This teacher expected way too much. She wasn't about to do it. So instead, she folded her arms indignantly.
"We're waiting Ms. McCarthy," the teacher warned.
Robyn's rebellious stance faltered instantly under the teacher's expectant stare. Everyone was looking at her now, she could feel eyes boring into her from every direction. Sage with his indifferent stare, the heartless jerk. There was Miniko, looking as smug as could be at Robyn's discomfort. Kento was staring, too. Was that pity she saw in his eyes? The only one who wasn't looking was Cye. All Robyn could see was his back as he buried his nose deep in his book and refused to turn around. So you're going to pretend I don't exist now Cye? Thanks a bunch.
"Ms. McCarthy!" The teacher was right in her face now. "Are you going to cooperate in class or am I going to have to send you out?"
Robyn flinched under his accusing tone. "I uh, that is I.....um, book...you see and..."
"Hey, come on teach, lay off her. It's her first day!"
Robyn looked at Kento in surprise. She hardly knew this boy and already he was coming at her rescue. My hero, she thought lamely.
The teacher now turned his wrath on Kento. "Mr. Faun, would you like to join Ms. McCarthy out in the hall?"
Kento gave him a funny look. "That's kind of a stupid question."
The history teacher's face turned a bright red in his anger. "Both of you out! NOW!" He pointed to the door as if they were not sure which way they were supposed to leave the room.
Robyn glared icily at the teacher as she stood and started out the door. Definitely retirement time for you, ya crusty old fart. Robyn gave him a mental raspberry before slinking out the door after Kento, still dragging her backpack on the floor. The two continued on silently down the hall for a moment.
"Thanks for sticking up for me," Robyn finally spoke up. "I'm sorry you got in trouble. I should have said something, I'm just too stupid, I guess."
"Hey, no problem," Kento grinned. "Any friend of Cye's is a friend of mine. Besides," he added with a wink. "Us stupid kids have to stick together."
Robyn laughed. It felt good to know that someone else was on her side. And she needed all the support she could get as the principal's office loomed before them.
"Your parents going to be mad about this?" Robyn asked Kento quietly.
"Eh, my mom will have her little fit and my dad will give me that stern look. But I'll live. You?"
"I honestly don't have a clue." She reached up and opened the door.
The principal looked up as the two slunk inside his office. He was a tall, lanky man with a firm jaw and greying hair. He raised an eye brow at the two troublemakers as they closed the door behind them.
"And just what happened this time Mr. Faun?" he asked. Kento had been here to visit before and they knew each other well.
Kento laughed sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck. He knew he'd have to play his cards right if he was going to get out of this one with minimal consequences.
"Well you see Mr. Yamada, uh, I was..."
"It was my fault," Robyn interrupted. She started talking with a small voice and fidgeting with her hands. "I-- I didn't mean to make him mad. I didn't do anything, he just started yelling at me and stuff. And everyone was just looking. Kento was the only one who would stand up for me. He's my only friend in the world! Why is everyone so mean?"
Kento watched Robyn's sob story with wide eyes. Wow, she's good! I even feel sorry for her and I was there!
The principal, however, did not look too convinced. "You can turn off the water works now, Ms. McCarthy. I already know you're not the poor victim you're pretending to be."
"Rats," Robyn cursed, instantly switching back to her usual state.
"But I also know what kind of man Mr. Kuroda can be," the principal went on. "I know that sometimes he can be a...."
"A total pant load," Robyn finished. Kento choked back a laugh.
"Well, yes, that's one way of putting it. I'm going to let you two off this time. But just try to play by his rules for now. I don't want to see either of you back in here any time soon."
"Yes sir!" the two chorused enthusiastically as they stood.
The principal nodded that they could leave and Kento and Robyn eagerly did so.
"Wow, your principal is soooo cool!" Robyn grinned as they started down the hall. "I wish mine was like that. All the principal's I've had were total tight wads."
"Yeah, he's pretty easy going," Kento agreed. "So what should we do now? I don't really want to go back to class."
"Me neither." Robyn smiled as an idea hit her. "I'm up for an early lunch, how about you?"
Kento grinned from ear to ear. "Robyn, you're speaking my language. Let's go!"

The bell rang for lunchtime and the crowds of students filed into the cafeteria or outside as they saw fit. Sage and Cye walked out of the school together, lunch bags in hand. None of the Ronins hardly ever ate the cafeteria food if they could help it. Not after of summer of eating Cye and Mia's wonderful cooking.

"I wonder what happened to Robyn and Kento," Cye was saying. "I hope they didn't get into too much trouble. I really should have said something back there. I feel so bad about it."
"I wouldn't worry too much Cye," Sage replied calmly. "Look, they're right over there."
Cye turned his gaze to where Sage was pointing. Robyn and Kento were seated beneath the large tree amidst the grassy field where they usually gathered to eat lunch. The two were just finishing up the remainder of their meals when Cye and Sage approached. Their arrival was hardly noticed as Robyn was caught up in a story Kento was telling in an animated fashion.
"And my little brother and I-- we were just playing around," the warrior of strength was relating. "We didn't mean to, but the ball bounced up and it hit my great grandma's urn and knocked it off the mantle. KERPLOP! It fell open and all this black dust went everywhere. All over my mom's new carpet."
Robyn laughed out loud and waved to Cye as he took a seat next to her. Sage was content to lean against the tree trunk for the moment.
"Did you get in really bad trouble?" Robyn asked with interest.
"Oh yeah. We're not supposed to be playing ball in the house in the first place. And I thought my mom was going to blow her top, you should have seen my dad when he got home. He was so mad. He sent us out in the yard to ?go find a stick'."
Robyn was laughing again and beside her, Cye was chuckling. He loved this story.
"So we go out there," Kento continued. "And we're like, hunting for all these sticks and hitting each other with them to find the one that would hurt the least. We were out there for at least a half an hour, hitting each other with sticks. Both of us were covered with bruises and bawling by the time we got back. We handed my father this teensy little twig and waited for our beating. That was when my parents decided we had already been punished enough."
Robyn, who had been laughing through the whole story, now burst into a fresh set of hysterical giggles. She was laughing so hard she could hardly sit up straight any more. Even Sage was fighting to keep his composture at the mental image Kento's story provided.
"Oh, poor Ken!" Robyn laughed. "You poor little kids! That's the funniest thing I've ever heard!"
She could hardly control herself now as she rolled on the grass as if she hadn't laughed in the longest time. Ryo and Rowen could hear her as they walked together towards the tree. The young red head was almost too weak to get up as they approached. She was laying on her side, clutching her aching ribs as her laughter slowly subsided. Ryo grinned as he stood over her. She had a great laugh. The kind that just made you want to laugh right along whenever you heard it.
"And who's been torturing this poor girl here?" Ryo wanted to know.
Robyn fought to pull herself back into a sitting position. Her sides were aching from the laugh attack and she favored them as she tried to regain her composture. But a new wave of giggles flowed through her as the memory came back fresh in her mind. She clutched her sides again.
"Oh...my sides....hurt so bad!" she cried weakly through her fits.
"Good grief Robyn!" Cye exclaimed. "Get a grip on yourself, will you?"
"Okay, okay," Robyn pulled herself up and, with much effort, composed herself though she was still smiling big.
"So Robyn," Rowen said as he sat down, worming his way between her and Cye. The brown haired boy gave him a strange look but sided over to give him space. "Think you've still managed to remember my name?"
"Uh, sure I did, um...Roland."
Rowen laughed and shook his head. "Close, but not quite?"
"Roger? Robby? Richard?"
Rowen shook his head to all of them. Ryo, who was still standing over them, was laughing.
"What then?" Robyn asked in an exasperated tone, but not before smacking Ryo in the shin. Though it didn't hurt much, Ryo still made a sound of protest to the mistreatment of his leg and retreated to stand over by Sage where it was safer.
"I'm Rowen, remember?" Rowen grinned.
"Rowen?!" Robyn scrunched up her nose like she had never heard it before. "What kind of name is that?"
Rowen just shook his head and started to dig out his lunch. Ryo and Sage finally sat down among their comrades in the grass and everyone started eating. Everyone, except those who were already finished. Kento, who had polished off his meal only a minute before, was now eye balling Cye's food hungrily.
"Hey Cye, are you--"
"Yes," Cye replied automatically as he held his lunch at a safe distance.
Kento sighed and slumped his shoulders in disappointment. Robyn was sitting next to him against the tree trunk as she fished through her bag.
"Here." She tossed him a zip lock bag full of pretzels. Kento heartily dug in while Robyn found the pen she had been looking for.
"Hey Ken, how do you spell his name?" She motioned with her head in Rowen's direction.
Kento, engrossed in his pretzels, hardly looked up as he spelled Rowen's name for her.
"Why do you ask?" he then questioned.
"No reason." Robyn capped her pen and returned it to her bag.
"So Robyn," Ryo spoke up. "What do you think of Toyama so far?"
Her eyes suddenly went very round at the mention of it. "Oh my gosh, this place is huge! You should have seen me when I first got here, I thought I was going to get so lost no one was ever going to see me again! Go ask Cye's mom, I made her take me to school because I just knew I'd get lost on the subway, and then I didn't want to get out of the car. I was all a very sad day for Robyn."
"So you're not used to the big cities?" Rowen asked next.
"Not as much as you might think. I'm more of a small town girl."
"Oh really..." Cye raised an eye brow at her.
"Yes, really Cye," Robyn replied curtly with a hit of annoyance in her voice. "Thanks for asking."
The two stared each other down for a moment as if sizing each other up or one trying to get information from the other. But neither seemed to give away anything. Robyn was the first to look away.
"Hey, we should all go out his weekend and show Robyn the town!" Kento exclaimed. "We'll par-tay all night long! What do ya say?"
"Sounds fun to me," Robyn grinned.
"I'm in," Ryo agreed.
"What about you...." Robyn paused to glance at her palm. "Rowen?"
Rowen was chewing on his lunch thoughtfully. "Well, I guess I could find the time to--" He was cut off as Cye suddenly reached out and grabbed Robyn's hand and pulled it back towards his face.
"What the--Robyn, you wrote his name on your hand?"
Rowen, who was in between them, had time to glance at Robyn's open palm to see his name scrawled upon it in smeared black ink.
"Well, I had to make sure I'd remember it," Robyn defended as she took back her hand.
Rowen laughed and shook his head. "Am I really that forgettable?"
Robyn gave him her best cutesy pout. "Aww Rowen, I'm sorry." She paused as realization hit her. "Hey, I got it! Rowen Rowen Rowen Rowen! Woo hoo!"
Kento looked up from his munching to scrutinize her. "You sure do get happy over the littlest things."
"Yeah, simple pleasures for simple minds," Ryo chided.
Robyn's expression turned to one of exaggerated surprise as she made a sound of complete indignance to Ryo's remark. She picked up the closest thing to her, which happened to be Rowen's pencil, and flung it at him. But unfortunately, her aim was way off and she ended up pegging the only one insisting on minding his own business-- Sage.
This time it was Sage's turn to make a noise of indignance as the pencil beaned him in the head and remained stuck in his thick hair. Robyn's eyes got wide and she gasped as if her puppy just got ran over by a beer truck.
"Oh my gosh!" she cried as she scrambled to her feet. "Sage I am so, so sorry." She tripped over Kento, stepping on his leg and earning a few comments about her intelligence for it.
Ryo was stumbling around and laughing at the situation he had caused while Sage fished Rowen's pencil from his air and frowned at it. Robyn clambered madly over to him and landed on the grass at his feet.
"Sage, are okay? I didn't mean to hit YOU!" She emphasized that last word as she smacked Ryo's shin again when he got within her reach. Ryo cried out in protest, this time it did hurt. "I'm really very, very sorry Sage."
Sage finally looked up at her, straight into her eyes. Robyn almost gasped in spite of herself. Just one eye, that single violet iris pierced her right through. It was so intense Robyn felt as if she was being stared at through to her very soul. She was thrust deeper and deeper until she caught a momentary glance at the grey violet storm which raged inside the blonde youth. Robyn breathed out slowly as she collected herself back to reality.
"Sage! Hi!" The shrill, girlish voice caused everyone to look in the direction it came from. A girl with short blonde hair and too much makeup skipped up towards them with her shorter, brunette companion in tow.
Robyn watched blankly as the two skittered energetically towards them. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Sage grimaced outwardly as he stood and tried to leave. But the two girls swarmed in too fast and cornered him against the wide tree trunk. Before he could even get a word out, the blonde girl started talking up a storm about this and that. She was talking so fast Sage could hardly tell what she was saying, like she had anything of importance to tell him anyway.
"AndIwuzlikenoway!!!!!!AndItotallycouldn'tbelieveit!!!!Couldyou?Noway!!!!:D!!" the girl continued to buzz in her high pitched voice. " Like, did ya catch all that?"
All Sage could do was smile stiffly and nod, still pressed as close as he possibly could to the tree trunk.
Must get away!!!! Sage thought urgently. Chattering.....giving big....headache.. .head...will explode....
"Hey chatterbox," Robyn suddenly spoke up. The girl stopped talking and looked at her as if surprised someone else of the same sex even existed. "Could you release your prey now? You're scaring the poor kid to death."
The girl turned and gave her such a look as if Robyn was unfit to lick the dirt off her cheep, tacky boots. "Excuse me?"
"Here, let me put it in terms you can understand." Robyn's expression instantly went to a ditzy perkiness and she tossed her head as she spit out all her sentences in on quick series in the same fashion as the girl before her. "You'reliketotallygivingmethebiggestheadacheandIcan'tstantyousowhydon'tyoutakeoffokay? Like, did you catch all that?"
The blonde girl gasped at the insult and turned to Sage to demand retribution for such an outrage. But Sage had already pulled his disappearing act and was no where to be found. She looked at the other boys sitting around the tree. They didn't even bother looking up at her. Her brunette companion tugged at her arm.
"Come on, let's go. We don't need to hang around with these loosers."
Robyn gave the girls dirty looks as they retreated back to the school. Cye was trying not to die from embarrassment.
"Wow! She's a regular spitfire!" Rowen commented.
"Yeah, and she's also in trouble," Kento observed. "Those were Min's friends. They're like cockroaches, you cross their path once and they keep coming back."
Robyn didn't seem to be listening as she gazed ruefully around the school grounds for a familiar blonde head but found none. "Well Robyn, there's your major screw up for the day," she told herself. "A really decent guy totally hates you now, what next?"
"Sage doesn't hate you Robyn," Ryo assured her. "He just wanted to get away from those other girls. You'll see."
Robyn sighed and then glared at the black haired boy. "This is all your fault you know."
"Me?? You're the one who hit him!"
"Yeah, well you're the one who provoked me in the first place. You--"
BRRRRRRIIIIIIIIINNNNNNGGGGG!!!!!
The bell sounded the end off lunch, but not the end of the argument.
"Well I hope you're satisfied Ryo Sanada! You're now qualified as the biggest jerk in the world."
"I'm not satisfied until I do this!"
"Ryo, what---Ahhhaha! Ryo, don't! Stop! That--that tickles!"
Cye stood up tiredly, ignoring the two teens which were now having a tickle torture session and started off for the school. Kento was quick to follow as Rowen got up more slowly. The blue haired boy paused as he passed Robyn and Ryo still wrestling on the ground.
"Get a room you two," he informed them.
Ryo and Robyn paused and looked at one another. With a collective "EWW!" they scrambled away from each other and ran to grab their stuff and join their comrades as they continued back to school.

The last bell rang for the day. The students of Han ?A High School slowly flooded out the front doors. Among them was Kento, Cye, Sage, and Rowen. They stood outside at their usual place by the front doors as they waited for the rest of their group before departing their separate ways. This they always did, no matter what. It was one of the small ways the group seemed to stay loyal to each other.
"Hey, has anyone seen Ryo?" Cye asked. "He's usually out here by now."
"Doesn't he have seventh hour with Robyn?" Kento asked with a grin. "Maybe they got...sidetracked."
Cye punched his friend in the arm for the innuendo.
"What?!"
"There they are," Sage said as he gazed over at the basketball courts.
The group traveled over to where Robyn and Ryo were engrossed in a game of one on one. Robyn had the ball and it was all she could do just to keep it. Ryo seemed to be everywhere at once, blocking her way no matter where she turned. Robyn was getting frustrated now and, with an angry cry, flung the worn basketball in the direction of the hoop. The ball bounced off the banker, swirled around the hoop's rim, and then slowly tipped through the net. Both players stared at it in shock.
"I don't believe it! I don't believe it!" Ryo cried.
"Woo hoo! Point for me! Oh yeah!" Robyn cheered and started to do a funny little victory dance. "Who's the best? Robyn is! That's right!"
Ryo gave her a smug smirk after he recovered from his shock. "Don't get too cocky, that was only one point."
"Ah, maybe," Robyn corrected. "But I am more proud of my one point than you are of your twelve."
"Twelve?" Rowen called as the rest of them approached. "School just barely got out. How did you play a game so fast?"
Ryo and Robyn's faces instantly turned guilty at the question.
Robyn wasn't about to say anything, but Ryo could never lie to his teammates.
"Um..we didn't actually go to class," he admitted.
"Robyn!" Cye exclaimed. "You sluffed on your second day of school!? What were you thinking?! What if you got caught!?"
"Sorry mommy," Robyn retorted. "I was not aware I needed your permission."
Cye's brows furrowed in anger at her chiding. But there was also a bit of hurt in his eyes. Robyn went off to fetch her bag, a hint of annoyance remained in her stride. Ryo looked at Cye and shrugged apologetically. The sluffing wasn't exactly all his idea, but he was still sorry for the trouble it had caused.
"I don't see what you're so angry about," Robyn continued as she came back. "It's not like anything happened."
Cye sighed. "Can we just go now?"
Robyn shrugged. "Sure, whatever." She tromped past the group and led the way to the parking lot.
Cye started darkly after her with his hands in his pockets while Kento hesitantly brought up the rear. The remaining three ronins watched them go.
"What is it with those two?" Rowen wondered. "For long lost friends, they certainly seem to be ragging on each other a lot."
"I hope it's not because of something I did," Ryo said quietly.
"Don't even start Ryo," Sage warned. "This is definitely no fault of yours. Come on Rowen, let's go."
Sage and Rowen started off towards the subway station, leaving Ryo alone with his thoughts. Soon after, the roar of Kento's jeep filled the air as it sputtered to life and screamed down the street.
The dark haired boy sighed deeply as he watched all his friends travel off to their own destinations. With hands shoved deep in his pockets, he turned on his heels and headed down the sidewalk to his own house. The traffic was noisy as Ryo followed the familiar path he took each day. But the usual honking of horns and screeching of engines hardly reached his ears as his outward awareness was hindered by the deep thoughts swirling around inside him.
He didn't mean to be a burden on anyone. He was sure the harsh feelings going on between Robyn and Cye were his fault. Why didn't he ever think things through? And Sage's words had hit harder than he had probably meant to. Ryo didn't mean to make everyone mad at him. Why was he always like this? It was his job, wasn't it? He had to take responsibilities for the team.
What team? Ryo thought.With Talpa gone are we, the Ronin Warriors, through? Are my responsibilities to the others over now? Could I really give up those responsibilities if I wanted to?
Ryo shook his head. He knew no matter what happened to the Ronin Warriors, his four teammates would always be looking to him for some sort of guidance....wouldn't they? No matter how old they got, how far they drifted apart, they would always know he would be there for them, right? There would always be need of advice, guidance, and friendship from good old Ryo Sanada, wouldn't there?
Ryo was so busy letting his thoughts wander unleashed that he hardly noticed that he was already in the house as he seated himself on one of the stools around the counter. A cloudy expression settled on the teen's face as worry after worry flooded through his troubled mind. He didn't even notice his own grandmother as she bustled in with a sack of groceries in her arms.
Grandma Sanada was a thin woman, a few inches shorter than her grandson. Several wrinkles acquired over the many years crisscrossed the once sharp features of her face and her once raven hair now sported a silver hue. But her sharp, intelligent eyes always glowed with a youthful exuberance that betrayed her age. She set down the bag of groceries and hurried about getting everything put away, but she paused when she noticed the familiar frown on her grandson's face and she frowned in return.
"And what great calamity rests on your world wary shoulders today, my little worry wort?" she asked.
Ryo looked up, noticing her for the first time. "Huh? Oh, just the usual, I guess." He returned his gaze back to the counter top and traced small patterns on the shiny surface with his finger.
"The usual?" his grandmother chided. "Evil spirit sucking demons come to take over our world again, eh?"
Most of the humor in the statement was lost on Ryo. His grandmother, of course, was only joking. Only if she knew how true that statement once was......
"Well, don't just sit there and let it fester inside you boy!" she continued. "Let it out! Let's hear what horrible fate awaited my Ryo this time."
Ryo gave his grandmother a nonappreciative smirk. She always had a flare for words and making things sound bigger than they were. She got it from all that writing she used to do when she was younger. And even now, nobody could tell a story like Grandma Sanada.
"It was nothing big," Ryo reluctantly muttered. "There were just a few bad feelings between some friends and I....."
"You blame yourself for what happened," Grandma Sanada nodded knowingly. "You're just like your grandfather was. That man always thought all the world's problems best rested on his shoulders and literally worried himself right into the grave. He had that same worry wrinkle you're starting to develop. Right there."
Ryo touched the spot on his brow his grandmother had pointed out. He could feel the muscles bunched up beneath his fingers from the day's stress.
"But Grandpa was a good man," Ryo argued gently.
"He was," she agreed. "And he took good care of our family. But that doesn't mean you need to follow in his footsteps Ryo. Sometimes one needs to stop fretting over what was done or what's coming and just take a moment to enjoy life the way it is. To trouble one's self over so much is not good. It sucks the years right out of you Ryo, I've seen it happen. Promise me you won't let the same thing happen to you."
"Okay Grandma." Ryo's voice was soft, but so was the smile on his face. "I'll remember that."
"Good," his grandmother paused to wipe away a tear. "Look what you've done, now you've brought me down. What should we do to lighten the mood now? I know, a young couple just moved in across the street. Go take that tiger of yours and give them a nice scare."
"Grandma," Ryo said in a voice one usually reserved when trying to tolerate little children's behavior. It was a tone Ryo reserved only for her. But then he added "That was the reason the family before them moved out in the first place."
Grandma Sanada laughed heartily. Ryo always loved that laugh. It was a sound that always came from the heart-- a sound that always reminded him that he was home.
"Well here then," she slung a bowl of ice cream in his direction. "Maybe this will make you feel better. And don't give any to White Blaze this time, that fat tabby could stand to loose some weight."
Ryo nodded and gladly dug in. The simple magic of just being home was instantly lifting his spirits. And no matter how bleak the day was or whatever went wrong, he could always come back to the place where he knew everything would be okay.

Ryo Sanada was not the only one intent on enjoying a good home and good ice cream. On the other side of town, Cye Mouri popped his head into the kitchen when he heard a small crash. At first he couldn't see anything as to what caused the noise, but soon a hand popped up from the other side of the counter and slung a spoon and a slightly battered carton of ice cream on top of it. Robyn's bright head of hair showed up next as she pulled herself to her feet.
"What happened?" Cye asked as he came further in. "You okay?"
"Yeah," Robyn grumbled. "I just tripped."
"Over what?" Cye wondered. The floor was practically spotless.
"Myself, okay?" Robyn moodily kicked off her shoes, flinging them with her feet where they rolled somewhere underneath the table. With a grumpy sigh she leaned her elbows on the counter and proceeded to eat the ice cream right out of the carton.
"We have bowls, you know," Cye informed her.
"So?" Robyn continued to glare at her tooty fruity. "This is good enough for me, thank you."
There was a moments pause before Cye spoke again. "Whatever happened to that shy, sweet little girl I used to know?"
Robyn swallowed her ice cream and stared at her bent reflection on the back of the spoon. "She got a personality, I suppose."
"Yeah, but when did you start acting like...this?"
Robyn turned her eyes from the ice cream to stare him down. "It's called an attitude Cye, I earned it back in the states. It's what's kept me going this far, got it?"
She waved her hand in a motion of dismissal, but lightning quick, Cye reached out and snatched it in mid air.
His words started out sharply and then softened. "Well you don't need to use it here."
Robyn stared him in the face, her green eyes searching his for something-- she wasn't sure what. Cye's hand remained on hers, holding it aloof but keeping his grip gentle as he continued to look her in the face. Robyn found herself getting lost in those eyes of his. Deep pools of green kissed with a glint of grey, like the sea after a storm. Eyes that had once burned with anger and courage in the face of demons now were gentle and pleading.
"Okay Cye," Robyn relented, her voice barely a whisper. "Okay."

Sage shuffled softly into his room wearing his silky, royal blue pajamas. It was only ten thirty and already the Date household was settling down for the night. Neither of Sage's parents were night people and both had to get up early for work anyway. That habit seemed to run in their blood. Except for Sage's older sister Yayoi who was the black sheep of the family. She didn't live at home any more but Sage recalled that she always stayed up late and slept in. He had always joked that she belonged in Rowen's family.
The house was quiet as Sage finished preparing for the night. Sage, like mostly everybody else, had his own routine at bed time. But tonight he was doing something differently. Padding carefully to the doorway with bear feet, Sage peeked cautiously down the dark hallway before creaking his door closed. Next he went to his large closet and checked it thoroughly before shutting that door as well. A quick glance beneath the bed was called for next, just to be safe.
After all that was done, Sage moved to his dresser drawer and pulled out a large candle and a set of matches. He was well aware how silly and childish he was acting right now. But if all this preparation bought him a good night sleep, it would be worth it. After lighting the candle, Sage once again ventured to the other side of the room and flipped off the light.
The room was instantly bathed in the gentle, golden glow of the candle. Sage smiled as he looked around his room. He no longer felt threatened or scared now. Here he could be safe. There was a sudden creak from somewhere behind his door and Sage booked it for his bed. He dove under the protective sheets and pulled them up over his head. After a moment of cowering under them, he slowly peeked out.
His room was as silent and unthreatening as before. Soft shadows hung in the corners and danced gently as the candle flame flickered. Everything was quiet and at peace. Sage allowed himself a deep breath as he took a moment to relax his tense muscles. What was he so afraid of?
A sudden breeze came out of no where and snuffed the candle out. Now back under his sheets, Sage allowed himself a small whimper. It was going to be a long night.