Disclaimer: I don't own the series the Ronin Warriors. I don't own episode four the "Search Begins". They belong to Sunrise, Nagoya TV and Sony Msic entertainment.

Only this oneshort which I set in episode four belongs to me.

This story is just for fun and to practice my writing.

Grieving

The stars were shining up there in the sky. The night was a little chilly. Like most spring nights usually were.

The highway that used to be full of people and cars that came and went; now it seemed like empty room. Only three people were there. Those three people were Ryo of the Wildfire, Mia Koji and Ully Yamano, and along with them there was White Blaze Ryo's Himalayan white tiger.

After watching the sunset they hoped in the jeep and went on with their trip for a few more hours until it got dark, and decided to camp for the night, and resume their way to the pinnacles in the early morning.

Now they were sleeping placidly in their respective sleeping bags around the campfire on breakdown lane. Well, at least three of them were.

The lady of the group was wide awake sitting up, still inside her bag. Her heart was beating fast. _it was just … a dream_ the young woman whispered out loud. Then she got out of the inside of the bag and sat on top of it pulling her knees up to her chest, and wrap her arms around her legs. Sighing, she rested her face on top of them, as tears silently fell from her face.

She couldn't get the image of her grandfather dying in her arms out of her mind. His moribund face will be haunting her forever.

Her grandfather, her mentor was gone. He was the only family she had left. Her sea-green yes started to fill with tears again. She wanted nothing more than to yell and scream and punch something.

She took a deep breath. She wanted the tears to go away and buried her pain, but it wasn't working.

Ryo woke up, alarmed. He heard something, thinking it was the Dynasty, the warrior of virtue scanned the place for potential threats. But everything was quiet no one but they were there, but still he was listen a very soft sound. He looked at his right. Ully was sleeping peacefully cuddled up against white Blaze, and then he looked at his left, and he found the source of the sound. It was Mia who was sobbing quietly.

_ hey Mia, are you ok? _ He asked concerned as he sat down next to her. He was still in his sub armor. The young man looked at her tearful ayes and mentally kicked himself "dumb question man". Ryo felt awful about all this. Wildfire wished he hadn't had to fight with doctor Koji. He wished He had arrived earlier to save the old man from Sekhmet, the Warlord of Venom.

Mia looked away from Ryo, and sighted then looked back at the black haired boy and gave him a fake smile trying to make him believe she was alright._ I'm fine Ryo. I'm sorry if I woke you.

Ryo did not believe her. The young man sat next to her on her sleeping bag.

_ you know the Dynasty and the Ronin was his life's work_ Mia started _The poem where the locations where the other Ronin are, is a poem that he used to tell me when I was a little girl. I loved to hear it. _her voice cracked at the sweet memory._ I didn't know it was the key to the armor's locations

Mia continued talking. She told Ryo about her grandfather and Grandmother. Then she told him about her childhood in Paris France and, her parents and their premature dead.

Ryo listened to her silently. He didn't know what to do to make her feel better. He never really went through the lost a beloved one, let alone in such horrible way. He lost his mother, but he was a baby when she died. You can long for what you don't have, but you cannot miss what you never had.

He wrapped his arms around her, and held her there tightly. Normally Mia wouldn't like just a familiar gesture from someone whom she virtually just met, but at that point she didn't care.

_It's ok _he mumbled into Mia's shoulder as she trembled, and let the tears flow freely.

For a while they sat together arms around one another until she realized herself from his embrace.

_Thank you Ryo and I'm sorry you had to see me like this_ Mia lamented as she scrubbed her face to wipe her tears away her face _I'm all right now.

_Hey! Don't worry about ok? Your grandfather just died. You needed to grief. I would have being worried if you didn't _ Then he got up and went where the food and drink that they took from Ully's house before headed for the university that afternoon.

_take this and drink that down. _He instructed kindly, giving her the bottle and pressing an aspirin into her hand. She obeyed. Ryo stood like a sentinel, watching her and making sure drink everything.

_Mia listen to me _ He said tenderly to his new friend _ I'm right here, ok? _she nodded with her head. _I'm going to lie down, but I'm right here. If you need anything, just call me.

Mia smiled nodding softly, sadly in the starry night, and let out the breath she hadn't known she was holding.

_Good night Ryo, and thank you again. Sleep tight tomorrow we have a long trip ahead of us. _He looked at her_ I promised I will go to sleep Wildfire_ she promised with a small smile. He nodded. And finally, he got up, and went to sleep.

Mia lay down on her back after letting go her sorrows; she started feeling sleepy and closed her eyes. In minutes she was asleep.

Next morning Mia was the first one to wake up; she got up and took the bottle of orange juice and some cartons of milk out of her bag and cookies with some. Then she made fire, she observed how Ryo made it the previous night so she decided to try, it was not bad for a first time.

_Hey no bad for a first time! _Ryo congratulated her. _Are you feeling better, Mia? _ he put a hand on her shoulder.

_Yes I'm ok, Thank you so much for listening _She smiled sweetly at him. _ok Breakfast is ready! _Ully and White Blaze came running to Mia when they heard breakfast was ready.

_Well I know, it is not much, but I hope you like it. _The reddish-brown haired woman said. She gave each one of the two boys a mug of warm milk.

_Roar! _White Blaze, irked at being excluded, gives a fine in-your-face reminder and startled his three human companions.

_of course, I didn't forget about you, big kitty. _Mia gave him some food as she dropped a kiss on the tiger's head. _ Here you are White Blaze_ then the white tiger licked her face as to say thank you for his breakfast.

_not call him big kitty, Mia, you'll spoil him_ the black haired Ronin said to Mia pretending to be stern.

_I knew you were going to say that_ She laughed.

She really felt a little better. She was not going get over her grandfather's death in a minute, no one would, but she will be ok. Something told her she was going to be fine. She was not alone. She has her new friends and she would not let them down.

_Mia, can I take some picture before leaving? _Ully asked enthusiastically. He was fascinated with the Polaroid camera that belonged to Dr Koji.

Mia thought about it for a moment. They really should be going, but Mia didn't have the heart to tell him "no". The kid had already gone through a lot, he deserved a little fun. Ully took several photos. One to the beach, then one to Mia and Ryo, Ryo and white Blaze, then one to the three of them together, then Ryo took one of Mia and Ully and White Blaze.

An hour later, Mia, Ryo and Ully were driving away to the Pinnacles with White Blaze running behind them.

Unknown to the little group Sekhmet was following them closely.

The end

Technical stuff:

This story is set after episode 4 "The Search Begins"

I don't know if Mia's parents are dead really but on the Ronin warriors web sites it's said very little about her family.

The Ronin web sites do say Ryo's mother died when he was very little.