CHAPTER 38: Explanations

Waking up was difficult. Tarun had never felt anything like it before, and it alarmed him a little bit, the vagueness, the half-awareness, the horrible, deep exhaustion. At first he could perceive nothing except a sort of dream-like state of memory where flashes of a fight with someone a lot bigger than he kept running across his brain. He knew in a vague sort of way that he was waking up, and thought he might have been asleep for quite a while, but he'd never woken up so slowly before. He hoped it wasn't a sign that something was wrong.

Suddenly, his eyes were open, blinking in a dim room that he couldn't comprehend. It was his room. How could it be his room? A frightening feeling of disorientation overcame him, and Tarun rolled urgently out of bed, staggering once his feet hit the bare wood floor, and grabbing his nightstand to steady himself. He felt shaky and weak, and had to take several moments to catch his balance.

The room was nearly dark, the smallest bit of light coming in through the thin curtains to cast long shadows and gloomy, desolate colors around his room. Biting his lip, Tarun stumbled over to the light switch and turned it on, blinking in the near-painful glare of the overhead light. He squinted until the light-spear stopped poking him behind his eyes, then looked at the door. Were the others here? Surely they'd not left him alone?

For one irrational moment, Tarun was afraid that they had, that there was no one else left, and he was the only one there. Fighting panic, Tarun yanked his door open, creeping out into the dark hallway.

When he heard voices, Tarun almost thought he was hallucinating, and was hesitant to peer into the kitchen, from where the voices came. When he cautiously stepped into the room, he blinked in the warm light of the kitchen and stared dumbly at what he saw.

Everyone was there at the table, eating, and the scene was so typical that another dizzying disorientation came over him, that none of the past two weeks had happened at all. If it weren't for the fact that Yasuo Toshitada was sitting there near them, Tarun might have been fooled into thinking he'd dreamed the whole thing. But then Killian caught sight of him, and his eyes widened, his mouth splitting into a delighted grin. "Tarun!"

Tarun blinked as every one of them either spun in their chair or looked up to see him, and pleased surprise was on every face...except Suisei. Suisei lunged up from his seat, nearly sending the chair crashing backwards, and ran to him, kneeling down and grabbing Tarun into a grateful, relieved hug. Tarun burst into tears without really knowing why, and flung his arms around Suisei. He didn't think he could describe how good it felt for Suisei to hold him—he'd not seen him in so long, and then Tarun had fought with Talpa, and then... Then Tarun wasn't sure what happened.

"Thank God," Suisei murmured, and Tarun thought with amazement that he was crying, too! Had Tarun been that badly hurt? Had they been worried about him?

When Suisei sat back on his heels to look Tarun over, Tarun rubbed his eyes, looking around the room. Everyone was grinning at him, even Amaya, who was not normally a grinner. Tarun looked down at himself, seeing he'd been put in his pajamas, and put a hand on the back of his head. "What happened?" he finally asked.

There were chuckles around the room, sounding wary and tired both. "That's one long story, anklebiter," said Killian, smiling at the indignant look Tarun managed to muster. "Come on, sit down and we'll find something for you to eat. And we'll tell you."

Food! Tarun was suddenly, ferociously ravenous, and he let Suisei lead him to a chair, climbing up to sit in it while Suisei looked through the cupboards. Everyone looked pretty haggard and tired, too, particularly the one that had been prisoners. But there was someone missing, and Tarun's eyes suddenly widened. "Kento and Cye! Where—"

We're here, kid.

Tarun blinked at Kento's mental voice, and he looked around, trying to figure out why Killian was suddenly cackling with his head held tiredly in his hands, or why Rashida looked like she had a headache. Tarun figured that he must look utterly confused.

Nohano spoke up: "Like Killian said, it's a looong story."

Now he really wanted to know! Once Suisei came back and put two peanut butter sandwiches and a glass of water on the table, then sat down in a chair so close it touched Tarun's, the story began.

As he leaned against Suisei and ate his sandwiches, Tarun listened to everything that had gone on from the time they were all separated at the fence. He learned it had been a paralyzing venom of Sekhmet's, and that they'd been ambushed the second they got through the fog, and taken to Talpa. He clenched his fists when Nohano mentioned the days they'd spend being tormented, as had Ryo's Ronin group, then tossed into the purification chamber.

When Tarun's group had invaded the valley, and the warlords had been set on them, Nohano said Anubis came in to see them, telling them they had to join Kikoutei, and that Tarun was channeling it. "He got us our armor, too," said Killian. "That's when Nohano, Suisei, and Demetrius went out and gave you a hand with the warlords."

"Yeah," said Nohano, his eyes narrowing, and a smile, humorless smile played across his mouth. "There was nothing as satisfying as kicking Kale's ass after what he did to me. Shuang too, that prick."

Tarun's own fists had clenched of their own accord in a silent, savage cheer. He'd seen only small parts of Nohano's battles; fighting Talpa had taken all of Tarun's concentration and focus.

Fighting Talpa... Tarun felt suddenly astonished as he realized the enormity of what he had done, and he slumped back in his seat. "I fought Talpa!" he said faintly. Most everyone chuckled, and Tarun figured he probably did look pretty funny—but it wasn't funny! It was...it was—it was unbelievable!

Kento's voice came through again, startling Tarun, because he still didn't know where he was hiding. You sure as hell did, kiddo! he crowed, his mental voice gleeful. And you kicked his ass, too!

Tarun stared blankly, then turned to look at Suisei. "I did?"

Suisei smiled, hugging him. "You did, Taru-chan. You definitely did. I can't even say how proud I am of you and your courage. You fought him down, Tarun—I don't know where he went, or what happened, but he lost that battle. He lost it."

Several of the others congratulated him then, including others in the mind link he didn't even recognize, but this time Tarun barely heard them. He felt shaky and numb with wonder at what he'd done—and succeeded at! He laughed, amazed, sitting back in his chair once more.

He didn't say anything for a moment or two as he took another bite of his sandwich. (He was absolutely starving.) When he looked back up, most of his friends were grinning at him. "I don't...remember Talpa going away," he finally said.

Suisei shook his head. "You wouldn't. Do you remember letting loose that attack on him? The special one, through the katana?"

Tarun's eyes widened in sudden remembrance. "Oh yeah!" he exclaimed. How could he have forgotten that? It was the weirdest thing he'd ever done, or felt! But after that...

"You dropped," said Demetrius. "You collapsed right after that, but that attack defeated Talpa. You were unconscious for..."

"About two days," said Killian. "We were pretty worried about you."

Two days? He'd slept for two days? How could anyone sleep that long? No wonder he couldn't wake up so easily, he probably forgot how! "Wow..." he said shakily.

Pretty weird, huh? said one of the mind-link voices, laughing a little. It was one Tarun did not know. And it gets weirder.

"Weirder?" said Tarun, raising his brows. "Weirder than it is now?" He looked around, not knowing if he wanted to know more, then frowned. "Where's Kento and the others, anyway?"

Kento's mind-link voice laughed, sounding wryly amused. Rowen said it got weirder...

So the final part of the story was told, of Anubis's fight with Badamon, helped by Rashida, Killian, and Yasuo. Killian described what it was like to fight them, and about Yasuo's cool chain attack.

Yasuo chuckled. "Anubis-san was quite surprised," he said ruefully. "The last time that attack was used from that armor, he still wore it, and served Talpa."

Tarun felt a little chill, shivering, remembering his own realization that Anubis had once been one of the bad guys. He huddled next to Suisei, who put an arm around him. Tarun still couldn't believe how good it felt to be back with Suisei; he had missed him horrible, and had worried for so long, and he'd almost forgotten what an incredible comfort he was. He was suddenly grateful that Yasuo had come to Tarun that day at the orphanage, and taken him to be put in Suisei's care.

He brought his attention back to the conversation, realizing his question still hadn't been answered. "But the other guys—!"

"We're coming to it," said Killian with a laugh.

"When Badamon was destroyed," said Rashida, "his work began to come undone. The worlds began splitting apart, and the Ronin, the original Ronin, were still solid, and in this realm. "Yasuo realized that if they were caught here or the Nether Realm when the world split it would be bad for them. We've talked about it some today, and he thinks that they might be trapped here as ghosts, or perhaps even destroyed completely. Everything that makes them who they are, and everything they ever were. Gone."

Tarun suddenly felt sick. To be trapped forever as ghosts was bad enough but to be wiped away completely—it was such an abomination that he could hardly think of it, much less try to describe it. He suddenly wished Kento and Cye were right there, so he could hug them, and make sure that they were okay. Catching Tarun's burst of worry, Kento came through the link again. I'm all right, kiddo, he said. Thanks for worrying about me. But we're all okay.

Definitely, said Cye, and the strangest feeling, like a mental hug, came through the link. Tarun liked it, and thought vaguely he'd have to figure out how Cye did it.

"But how?" Tarun asked.

"Well, we're possessed," said Nohano, laughing a little. "Rashida figured it out. We had the armor on, and were linked to the armor. We could shelter them. Her armor let her know, and we just sorta called them to us. The armor called to them too. And...well they sorta dissipated I guess."

"It was frightening," said Demetrius somberly. "I could only remember the Nether Spirit." By the look on Killian's face, he was, too. "But Kento is nothing like a Nether Spirit."

Thanks, said Kento ruefully, and everyone laughed.

"It's true, though," said Killian. "It's nothing like being possessed by one of those bastards."

"How will they get back to the Spirit Realm?" asked Tarun, cocking his head and running a hand through his hair. He noted belatedly that he was clean and someone had combed his hair while he was asleep.

Anubis's gonna bring us back, said the one called Rowen. Yasuo said he armored up earlier and contacted him.

We hope, said another voice, sounding like he wasn't at all sure.

"So—so who are the other ones?" He knew their names, though he couldn't recall them just then, but he had never actually met anyone but Cye and Kento.

Well, I'm Ryo, said one of the unfamiliar voices, and Tarun realized that he had a mind-feel similar to Nohano's.

Sage, said the cynical voice. Or Seiji if you like.

"Seh-gee...I kinda like that one!"

Not as cool as "Kento" though, boasted Kento, making Tarun laugh.

A snort came from Ryo. Up until you tell him your Japanese name is something English-speaking people wear on their foot." All of Ryo's group and half of Nohano's laughed at that, and Tarun did too, when he learned Kento's Japanese name.

Well, I'm Rowen, said the last voice. I'm the sane one.

As sane as we get, anyway, said Sage dryly, but he sounded amused all the same.

Silence fell, then, and Tarun just sat and looked at everyone. It was all almost too much to take in! And the most difficult thing to realize was that everyone was okay, more or less, and were safe now. He kept looking at everyone, confirming it, Suisei most of all. Tarun had never spoken of it, but he'd been afraid too many times that the next time he saw Suisei, that Suisei would be dead.

"The guys from No Quarter are okay, too," said Nohano, his voice quiet. "Couple of them got caught in one of the slave squads. But it was better than being put in the towers."

Tarun shivered again, and this time couldn't stop for a few moments at the sudden reminder. The towers. The ones Talpa imprisoned people in, the towers of pain that took years to turn people into Nether Spirits. The towers that fueled Talpa's realm. "I-I'm glad," he finally said.

"Yeah," said Nohano. "Me too. It's gonna take a while for the to get over it though. For everyone...even us."

Yeah. It was going to take a while—for a lot of people.

The sudden sounds of strange chimes made Tarun jump, spinning around as the eyes of his friends flicked up to look at something behind him. Tarun's eyes got very wide at the sight of Anubis standing there, smiling, and Tarun laughed. "Those are creepy!" he finally exclaimed, pointing at the metal rings atop Anubis's staff.

Anubis raised an eyebrow, the smile still playing on his lips. "Oh?"

"Yeah! When you first came up to me and I saw you and heard those, it was all creepy. And then you were kinda creepy too, so I was all creeped out."

Everyone at the table laughed, then, and even Anubis chuckled, but not Tarun—they were creepy! "Strange that you find them so," said Anubis. "To me they are soothing."

"I like them as well," said Demetrius. Most everyone nodded, but Tarun didn't mind. He was a bit different from most people in the way he thought, anyway.

"I'm glad you came here!" said Tarun with a grin.

Anubis smiled again, nodding in acknowledgement. "Thank you. I am glad as well. I came to see how you all fare after your battles."

"Pretty good, actually," said Suisei. "As well as can be expected, anyway." Tarun looked up at him, frowning a little at the look on Suisei's face. 'As well as can be expected' was about as good a description as any. After what they'd all gone through, they were all probably going to need psychiatrists!

So Tarun, ask him what happened to ol' empty-helm, said Kento. I'm not sure if I can link to Anubis from here.

Tarun blinked. What happened to who?

Kento chuckled. Talpa. That mask of his doesn't have anything behind it, you know. Least not that we've ever seen.

Tarun giggled a little before looking back up at Anubis. "Kento wants to know what happened to ol' empty helm."

Everyone else laughed, and Anubis strode forward so that he was in the kitchen proper. "I do not know for certain," he said softly. "But I do know that your battle with him, little one, weakened him greatly. As when last the Ronin fought Talpa...when Ryo and the others fought him...he has been defeated. For how long I cannot say." He smiled at Tarun who suddenly felt his face grow hot. "Well done, Tarun. You fought your battle as a true warrior."

Tarun felt an involuntary grin spread on his face, his cheeks growing yet hotter, and the most remarkable, pleased feeling coming over him. He was proud, yes, but realizing just what he had done...and how many people it had helped...it took time to fully grasp! "It was scary as heck! It was the scariest thing in the world—it was fun!"

Nohano groaned and put a hand to his forehead, and Killian sighed, shaking his head. But Kento only laughed. You're all right, kid!

No wonder they get along so well, said Sage, his mental tone rueful.

"What was that word you yelled?" asked Xander. "When you did that powerful...sun attack or whatever it was."

Word? Tarun thought back to the fight, trying to remember if he had yelled a word, and it finally came to him, swimming slowly from his sunconscious. His mouth split in a grin. "It was in Kannada," he said. "Paraakaashthe; it means..." he blinked, obviously unsure of how to translate. After a moment's mental conversation with Suisei, he finally said, "Zenith! It means 'zenith'. Like the sun zenith."

"Of course," said Xander with a laugh. "Course it would be...what else would a daytime Ronin have for a battle cry? That's like an uber-day, when the sun's highest."

"Anubis," said Nohano suddenly. "I have a question—about the armor. You said that when the armor splits from us, not all our power is taken. How can that be? I felt it split from my own spirit!"

"Yes," said Anubis. "The Ronin armor is called to those who can bear it. Anyone can wear the armor if they know how to don it. But only certain people can bond with it, can bind their spirit to the spirit of the armor. People who have the powers of their element already within them." At Nohano's blank, astonished look, Anubis chuckled. "Have you never wondered why you can tolerate, even thrive in temperatures that leave most people exhausted? Or why you have never feared fire, nor been burned?"

Nohano blinked. "Uh...well no I guess I didn't," he finally said, laughing in sudden amazement. "It...well I never noticed these powers before. I mean I kinda did, but..."

"No," said Anubis. "Most of them lay dormant. When you bind with your armor, it is the catalyst to awaken your abilities. Once they are awake, they are awake. They do not sleep again once the armor is gone. This is why you were able to join Kikoutei, even when you did not have your armor, and why the Ronin you all shelter within your spirits can even now use their abilities in spirit."

"And why I could heal," said Rashida softly, astonished realization in her voice. "I should have known!"

"That explains a whole lot, actually," said Suisei with a quiet laugh. "And Tarun, and Amaya and Xan, it works the same way?"

"I believe so. The only way to know for sure is to try."

"I know I don't have my speed," grumbled Tarun, "or I'd win kabaddi a lot more!"

Okay, said Rowen, So someone ask how we're gettin' home, willya?

At Rowen's request, there was a general lot confusion as four of them tried to ask the question at once, and then all said at the same time "Go ahead," so that nothing intelligible got out for several seconds. Finally they all laughed, and Killian spoke up, "Er, Rowen wants to know how they're getting home."

"Ah," said Anubis quietly. "The other thing I came to speak of. Kaos, the Ancient, and I have prepared the ritual needed to bring them back into the Spirit Realm. I did not want to simply pull them away from you, and thought you would want to say goodbye."

No one said anything, and Tarun suddenly felt like he wanted to cry. He slumped back in his seat, biting his lip. I don't want you to go, Kento...

Kento's mental voice sighed, and then came the peculiar "hug" sensation he'd felt earlier from Cye. I gotta, short stuff. I sure can't stay in Demetrius's body. For one, that's just...weird. And not really fair to either of us.

Tarun scowled, not wanting Kento to be reasonable. He was right, and he made sense, but Tarun didn't want to be reasonable or to make sense, either.

He's right, came Cye's voice, gentler and more calm as always. We have to go, Tarun. But it will not be the last you see of us.

Tarun frowned a little, distracted for a moment from his impending tears. "It won't?"

Cye chuckled. No. I'd miss you, kiddo, very much if I were to just leave. Anubis can appear on this plane. We should be able to, too.

Yeah! said Kento, a grin-feel in his voice. If Anubis can do it, it should be a snap.

Tarun giggled, especially when Ryo said, I'm telling him you said that once we get back.

Kento snorted. Figures.

Tarun bit his lip, his smile fading. I'll still miss you, though...

Yeah, said Kento. Me too, kid. But think of it this way: you'll be up here with us someday. Might take a long time, but even death's never goodbye for good.

Yeah...that was true! Death wasn't goodbye for good! Had he not been talking and interacting with dead people for a whole week, or more? He laughed a little, not feeling quite so bad about the whole thing anymore. And if they really could come and visit...and maybe Tarun could figure out a way to visit them!

Now, then, Anubis? asked Sage, and Rashida repeated the question.

Anubis nodded. "Yes," he said. "When you are ready."

There was silence for a moment, and then Ryo's voice. I guess now's as good a time as ever, Anubis.

Anubis nodded, straightening up and taking a step away from the table. "Very well. I will take my leave now, then. Long lives to all of you...and I expect we'll meet again." He smiled at the group before he faded gently out, leaving nothing but empty space where he had stood.

I hope this isn't gonna hurt, grumbled Rowen.

No kidding, said Ryo. I've had about enough of that.

Thanks for all your help, guys, said Nohano quickly, as if afraid he wouldn't get it all out in time before Ryo and the others were taken. I'm sorry you all had to go through what you did...

We'd do it again in a second, if it meant defeating Talpa, said Ryo fiercely, the thought echoed by all four of the others. And to help you all out, too.

Yeah, said Kento. After all, you guys came after us, we'd sure do the same. We're all Ronin.

"And friends, too," said Tarun with a grin.

That too, half pint, said Kento. Tarun sighed and rolled his eyes. He was going to have to start thinking of nicknames to retaliate with when someone called him short!

The whole group fell into a sort of companionable silence, and Tarun wondered how long it was going to take to get Kento back home. He still didn't want Kento to leave, but knew well what it felt like to be stuck someplace that was not home, and how bad it felt.

As if his thought had provoked it, a sudden glow around the table made Tarun yelp in startlement, and Xander curse mildly. Nohano, Killian, Suisei, Rashida, and Demetrius were glowing the colors of their armors, and Tarun blinked, creeping from his chair and taking a step back...just in case anything too weird happened.

Tarun had expected that he would see the Ronin Warriors' forms leaving their host bodies, or something like that, but the entire thing was kind of disappointing. The five of them glowed for about a minute, the expressions on their face uncertain and anticipatory, and then the glow faded...along with all traces of the original Ronin Warriors' mental presence. Killian bit his lip, and sadness came over Demetrius's face. Tarun knew how they felt—he felt their absence already, and he hadn't even been connected to closely to them.

"We will see them again," said Yasuo quietly. "I have no doubt."

"And we can contact them through our armors until then," said Demetrius, winking one of his ice-blue eyes at Tarun. "I will pass any messages you will want to Kento."

Tarun laughed, grinning in delight; he had forgotten about that! He had forgotten the others can contact their predecessors! "Okay," he said. "Thanks."

"In the meantime," said Suisei, standing up. "We all should get a little more rest. We can get up for supper, and perhaps see if there's a store open. We'll need to replace everything in the fridge, I think."

"Oh, man," uttered Xander. "You're right. That stuff's been in there over a week with no power...maaaan..."

Tarun grimaced. "Ew, gross—hey maybe I can take some of it for science class."

Everyone laughed, and Killian said, "Forget science class, mate, we could probably sell the whole lot to a biological laboratory." Which of course made everyone laugh even more.

"Come on, kiddo," said Suisei, putting an arm around Tarun's shoulders. "I think you could use a nap."

While normally Tarun would have protested strongly, he couldn't protest today; he was exhausted to his bones, and that was not usual. He didn't like it much, either, and if sleeping was the fastest way to get rid of it, then sleep he would—he couldn't believe he was still tired! That just wasn't normal. "Will you stay with me?"

"I'd planned on it, kiddo." Good. The idea of sleeping alone again made Tarun shiver a little; he'd not forgotten the sudden panic on waking that he was alone, and that everyone had left him there, and he didn't care to repeat the experience.

Tarun's bed was big enough for the both of them to share; Tarun was small, and Suisei was skinny. He nearly hung off the ends, but it was comfortable enough. Tarun hardly had time to say goodnight once his head hit the pillow before sleep rushed in to claim him.