Timeline: before episode 37 [the boys train and prepare for the last battle; Anubis meditates; Badamon possess Kayura who then fights the boys and is about to engage Anubis (who dies in episode 38)]
CHAPTER 10
Last Words
It was well past the time he should have been sleeping and Ryo knew it, but he felt restless and somehow uneasy. Not a sleep inducing combination. He knew, too, that it had little to do with their upcoming battle. It would be their final battle, one way or another. At least, if it were thoughts of the battle that kept him awake, fear of defeat maybe, fear of dying, that he could understand and admit to. But his thoughts centered on something entirely different. Anubis.
With a resigned sigh, Ryo finally decided that he might as well get up and ... he would ... meditate, yeah, that was it, he would meditate. It worked for Sage. It worked for Anubis. It could work for him. Right? He shook his head and took a deep breath. He knew Anubis had just been helping him in that tunnel, washing Sehkmet's poison off, but somehow waking up in those strong arms and looking into wistful green eyes had changed something in him.
Well, it couldn't hurt to have a look at how that was done ... meditation. Yes, that was what he was going to do. Just a look. A quick glance, really. If Anubis was even still there. He had been meditating all day. The staff's refusal to let him strike Kayura had shaken his balance. Meditation was his way of trying to connect with the Ancient, to ask for his guidance and council.
Just checking to see if he got any answers, Ryo told himself. Yeah, that was it. Aw, hell. Who was he kidding? Worried that his intrusion might be frowned upon, Ryo froze on the steps, eyes trained on the man kneeling before the Ancient's staff. Curious eyes gliding over the rich fall of red hair.
"Wildfire." Low voice.
Ryo grimaced. Really, it had only been a glance. A peek, nothing more than a glimpse of that lone figure. He hadn't meant to intrude. He hadn't meant to stare. Or drool, his brain added.
"Enter."
With stiff legs and very ungraceful movements, Ryo trudged up behind Anubis who gestured at the space across from him. Ryo hesitated. He wanted to be close, very close, but not that close and not so easily observed. He would really prefer to stay in the back of the little room, with Anubis' back turned.
"I will fight Kayura."
Ryo gasped, strode past Anubis and let himself sink onto the rough wooden floor across from the former Warlord. "Fight, Kayura? But you stopped Sage from killing her."
Anubis turned tired green eyes on him then. Why did he look so young and vulnerable sitting there like this? Ryo bit his lip, trying to focus his scattering thoughts. He didn't care to remember the scene following that little stunt. He had had his hands full trying to explain to Sage and Rowan that he trusted in Anubis' judgement. Sai had sort of understood. Kento had just promised to break Anubis' neck should he prove a liability. "You said the staff did not let you fight her."
"I will fight her without the staff, if necessary."
Ryo snorted. Even Anubis was no match for that ... witch. "She will kill you."
"I cannot believe that she would do that."
"Anubis, that ... woman is evil. She will seriously kick your ass."
"I was evil once," Anubis wondered. Ryo was adamant about this. It surprised him somewhat. "You ... kicked my ass."
Ryo grimaced, shrugged and smiled a little. It seemed like a lifetime ago now.
"I can feel that there is some connection between her and the Ancient's staff," Anubis continued. "I need to save her from Talpa's evil influence. She is under his spell. I can feel it. If I can fight her and break Talpa's hold on her, the Ancient will protect her."
"Will he protect you?"
"I am not important."
"You are to me." Oops. Ouch. "To us. To the mission. We need you. You are our back-up."
Anubis didn't answer. A wistful smile curved the corner of his lips. He raised a hand, hesitated and then slowly reached out and laid it against Ryo's cheek. He tucked a few errand strands of fine black hair behind an ear.
Ryo just sat there, dumbstruck. Eyes wide and awed, he watched Anubis lean closer until he could brush his lips over Ryo's. It was too short a touch to be considered a kiss. But it was the most sensual thing that had ever happened to Ryo.
"Will the Ancient not protect you?" he asked hoarsely.
"His will ... is not clear to me." Anubis' voice faltered for the first time. There was so much that wasn't clear to him. Most of all, his own heart. Ryo still sat there, quiet, eyes huge and blue. Lips slightly parted. Cheeks flushed. "Go now. "
Ryo raised his chin. He wanted to say something. He needed to know that Anubis knew he was not going to survive this fight with Kayura, that nobody had ever kissed him before. When it struck him: it was so easy a truth, it was preposterous. "You want die."
There was that smile again. Slow, sad, the kind one might bestow on a child. Ryo hated it. Eyes blazing, fists clenched, he struggled to his feet and made to leave. Flee, really.
"I do not wish to die, Wildfire."
"Then don't fight Kayura." Ryo whirled on the former Warlord.
"I need to. I believe it is the Ancient's will."
Ryo crossed his arms over his chest, raised his chin stubbornly and pressed his lips together. "You said his will wasn't clear to you."
"Ryo, I once had a purpose in life. I felt I had a duty to fulfil. Under Talpa's influence, that duty became warped and evil and not until the Ancient freed me from this dark service did I realize I had lost my true self." Anubis stood and approached the young Ronin. He saw grief and betrayal in Ryo's eyes, and his heart ached. "He saved more than just my life, Ryo. He saved my soul and my heart. He gave me a second chance to be human again. And there is only one way I can ever repay that debt. I will do whatever it takes to fulfil my promise to the Ancient. I will see that his will is done."
With a careful thumb, Anubis skimmed Ryo's clenched jaw. He hesitated for a heartbeat, torn between need and duty. His hand traveled into Ryo's hair on its own accord, fingering the inky strands, pulling them over Ryo's shoulder, straightening them on his back.
Ryo didn't move, but his eyes widened at the touch. Anubis chose to loose himself in those blue orbs. He bridged the small distance between them, his hands on Ryo's shoulders sliding down to his elbows in a gesture almost caressing. He dipped his head and brushed his lips against that tight, displeased mouth. His touch lingered this time. Soft lips pressed against wounded heat until that mouth softened. Lips parted ever so slightly and a young, flushed face tipped up in a gesture Anubis recognized instantly.
This was a kiss by any definition, Ryo's frazzled mind managed to bring to his attention. Blindly grabbing Anubis' shoulders and shifting his weight to rise on his toes, he welcomed those lips again. They smiled at him, brushed his mouth with slick wetness and warm breath and parted for him. Ryo's eyes closed. This was much better than anything his sleep-deprived mind had conjured up for him. Anubis hadn't been quite so warm against him. His taste certainly hadn't been this ... real.
Ryo's hand clawed at the crimson spilling over Anubis' shoulders. His heart beat so fast in his throat, he wasn't able to breathe.
Anubis took a half step back, pulling Ryo's hands out of his hair. "Go now."
But Ryo just stood there, breathing fast and hard. Fingers curling into fists again. He opened his mouth to protest, when a slender finger laid itself over his bruised lips. Another finger brushed at a tear that collected in his long lashes. "Don't shed tears for me, Ronin," Anubis whispered, his breath a soft touch on Ryo's cheek. "I might just be human now, but I am still a warrior," he continued and laid his hands on Ryo's face again, whose eyes were filled with stubborn moisture. Anubis smiled, "And what could be more glorious than to die in battle?"
CHAPTER 10
Last Words
It was well past the time he should have been sleeping and Ryo knew it, but he felt restless and somehow uneasy. Not a sleep inducing combination. He knew, too, that it had little to do with their upcoming battle. It would be their final battle, one way or another. At least, if it were thoughts of the battle that kept him awake, fear of defeat maybe, fear of dying, that he could understand and admit to. But his thoughts centered on something entirely different. Anubis.
With a resigned sigh, Ryo finally decided that he might as well get up and ... he would ... meditate, yeah, that was it, he would meditate. It worked for Sage. It worked for Anubis. It could work for him. Right? He shook his head and took a deep breath. He knew Anubis had just been helping him in that tunnel, washing Sehkmet's poison off, but somehow waking up in those strong arms and looking into wistful green eyes had changed something in him.
Well, it couldn't hurt to have a look at how that was done ... meditation. Yes, that was what he was going to do. Just a look. A quick glance, really. If Anubis was even still there. He had been meditating all day. The staff's refusal to let him strike Kayura had shaken his balance. Meditation was his way of trying to connect with the Ancient, to ask for his guidance and council.
Just checking to see if he got any answers, Ryo told himself. Yeah, that was it. Aw, hell. Who was he kidding? Worried that his intrusion might be frowned upon, Ryo froze on the steps, eyes trained on the man kneeling before the Ancient's staff. Curious eyes gliding over the rich fall of red hair.
"Wildfire." Low voice.
Ryo grimaced. Really, it had only been a glance. A peek, nothing more than a glimpse of that lone figure. He hadn't meant to intrude. He hadn't meant to stare. Or drool, his brain added.
"Enter."
With stiff legs and very ungraceful movements, Ryo trudged up behind Anubis who gestured at the space across from him. Ryo hesitated. He wanted to be close, very close, but not that close and not so easily observed. He would really prefer to stay in the back of the little room, with Anubis' back turned.
"I will fight Kayura."
Ryo gasped, strode past Anubis and let himself sink onto the rough wooden floor across from the former Warlord. "Fight, Kayura? But you stopped Sage from killing her."
Anubis turned tired green eyes on him then. Why did he look so young and vulnerable sitting there like this? Ryo bit his lip, trying to focus his scattering thoughts. He didn't care to remember the scene following that little stunt. He had had his hands full trying to explain to Sage and Rowan that he trusted in Anubis' judgement. Sai had sort of understood. Kento had just promised to break Anubis' neck should he prove a liability. "You said the staff did not let you fight her."
"I will fight her without the staff, if necessary."
Ryo snorted. Even Anubis was no match for that ... witch. "She will kill you."
"I cannot believe that she would do that."
"Anubis, that ... woman is evil. She will seriously kick your ass."
"I was evil once," Anubis wondered. Ryo was adamant about this. It surprised him somewhat. "You ... kicked my ass."
Ryo grimaced, shrugged and smiled a little. It seemed like a lifetime ago now.
"I can feel that there is some connection between her and the Ancient's staff," Anubis continued. "I need to save her from Talpa's evil influence. She is under his spell. I can feel it. If I can fight her and break Talpa's hold on her, the Ancient will protect her."
"Will he protect you?"
"I am not important."
"You are to me." Oops. Ouch. "To us. To the mission. We need you. You are our back-up."
Anubis didn't answer. A wistful smile curved the corner of his lips. He raised a hand, hesitated and then slowly reached out and laid it against Ryo's cheek. He tucked a few errand strands of fine black hair behind an ear.
Ryo just sat there, dumbstruck. Eyes wide and awed, he watched Anubis lean closer until he could brush his lips over Ryo's. It was too short a touch to be considered a kiss. But it was the most sensual thing that had ever happened to Ryo.
"Will the Ancient not protect you?" he asked hoarsely.
"His will ... is not clear to me." Anubis' voice faltered for the first time. There was so much that wasn't clear to him. Most of all, his own heart. Ryo still sat there, quiet, eyes huge and blue. Lips slightly parted. Cheeks flushed. "Go now. "
Ryo raised his chin. He wanted to say something. He needed to know that Anubis knew he was not going to survive this fight with Kayura, that nobody had ever kissed him before. When it struck him: it was so easy a truth, it was preposterous. "You want die."
There was that smile again. Slow, sad, the kind one might bestow on a child. Ryo hated it. Eyes blazing, fists clenched, he struggled to his feet and made to leave. Flee, really.
"I do not wish to die, Wildfire."
"Then don't fight Kayura." Ryo whirled on the former Warlord.
"I need to. I believe it is the Ancient's will."
Ryo crossed his arms over his chest, raised his chin stubbornly and pressed his lips together. "You said his will wasn't clear to you."
"Ryo, I once had a purpose in life. I felt I had a duty to fulfil. Under Talpa's influence, that duty became warped and evil and not until the Ancient freed me from this dark service did I realize I had lost my true self." Anubis stood and approached the young Ronin. He saw grief and betrayal in Ryo's eyes, and his heart ached. "He saved more than just my life, Ryo. He saved my soul and my heart. He gave me a second chance to be human again. And there is only one way I can ever repay that debt. I will do whatever it takes to fulfil my promise to the Ancient. I will see that his will is done."
With a careful thumb, Anubis skimmed Ryo's clenched jaw. He hesitated for a heartbeat, torn between need and duty. His hand traveled into Ryo's hair on its own accord, fingering the inky strands, pulling them over Ryo's shoulder, straightening them on his back.
Ryo didn't move, but his eyes widened at the touch. Anubis chose to loose himself in those blue orbs. He bridged the small distance between them, his hands on Ryo's shoulders sliding down to his elbows in a gesture almost caressing. He dipped his head and brushed his lips against that tight, displeased mouth. His touch lingered this time. Soft lips pressed against wounded heat until that mouth softened. Lips parted ever so slightly and a young, flushed face tipped up in a gesture Anubis recognized instantly.
This was a kiss by any definition, Ryo's frazzled mind managed to bring to his attention. Blindly grabbing Anubis' shoulders and shifting his weight to rise on his toes, he welcomed those lips again. They smiled at him, brushed his mouth with slick wetness and warm breath and parted for him. Ryo's eyes closed. This was much better than anything his sleep-deprived mind had conjured up for him. Anubis hadn't been quite so warm against him. His taste certainly hadn't been this ... real.
Ryo's hand clawed at the crimson spilling over Anubis' shoulders. His heart beat so fast in his throat, he wasn't able to breathe.
Anubis took a half step back, pulling Ryo's hands out of his hair. "Go now."
But Ryo just stood there, breathing fast and hard. Fingers curling into fists again. He opened his mouth to protest, when a slender finger laid itself over his bruised lips. Another finger brushed at a tear that collected in his long lashes. "Don't shed tears for me, Ronin," Anubis whispered, his breath a soft touch on Ryo's cheek. "I might just be human now, but I am still a warrior," he continued and laid his hands on Ryo's face again, whose eyes were filled with stubborn moisture. Anubis smiled, "And what could be more glorious than to die in battle?"