Dimensional Lockers.
Co-written by Jou-chan and Cye's Girl
Disclaimers: We do not own Ronin Warriors or Yoroiden Samurai Troopers, but if we did that would be really cool.
Other characters stolen from the great, wonderful movie Remember the Titans are sadly not ours either. Actually, they're real people, but for this story, they've been "anime-ed" so if you've seen the movie, that's what they look/act like in here too.
BUT!!! We do own the two new female characters and the new bad guys, so if you want to borrow them you gotta ask our permission first.
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The normally bustling locker room was still, with papers and forgotten sock littering the floor in a very non-decorative style. Only a few lockers were left open, and lucky for the people who used them, nothing of value was left in them. Except in one empty locker, something small, round, and conspicuously glittery sat in the corner, winking up at any passer-bys that happen to walk through the area.
The quiet of the locker room was soon disturbed, however, by the slamming open of a door and a high pitched wailing, followed by an evil cackle.
"Circe! Cut it out! I didn't mean to, really!!!" Reya screamed, her long, honey-colored strands flying behind her as she ran.
Circe was hot on her heels, swinging her Gom Do Che1 around madly. "When I'm done with you, ALL your hair will be red and not just the bottom!" She threatened.
Reya screamed, and ran around the lockers, slipping on the wet floor.
Circe stopped and watched, amused, as she skidded into a line of lockers.
"Ow… bad…" Reya rubbed her head, sniffling pathetically.
Circe laughed. "Baka! You're such a klutz." She teased.
Reya stuck her tongue out at Circe. "Some friend you are." She muttered indignantly.
Circe rolled her eyes and helped her up. "Come on, if you don't hurry we'll miss the bus, and you are NOT driving me home." She said.
Reya grinned. "Aw, come on… don't you like my driving?" She asked, winking at her friend.
Circe pretended to gag.
Reya laughed. "Well fine, if that's the way you're gonna be…" She began hopping around the locker room, whistling while she poked around.
Circe rolled her eyes, getting her bag out of her locker.
"Hey Circe, let's get some pizza, huh? I'm starving… coach made us run and run and run and run and run…" Reya suggested loudly, peeking into empty lockers and such.
"Sure... our work out was pretty harsh today, too. Not that I couldn't handle it…" Circe replied, looking for her socks in her gym bag.
Reya pumped her fists, dancing around on the bench, when something caught her eye. "Hey, I think some one forgot their earrings or something." She called out, hopping down.
Circe raised an eyebrow, on the other side of the locker room. "Wow." She said, unenthusiastically.
Reya ignored her sarcasm, and crouched down to get a better look into the empty locker. The shiny object twinkled up at her, inviting her to try and touch it. Reya reached down to grab it, and suddenly felt her stomach being pulled down. In fact, it felt as though her whole body was being tugged down through the tiny gym locker! There was a bright light, and in that second, Reya was gone.
Circe blinked, looking up. "Hey Reya, what was that?" She asked, glancing around.
The locker room was empty, besides herself and Reya, unless you counted the dirty clothes and papers that cluttered the floor.
Circe sighed, standing up and slinging her bag over her shoulder. "Reya, what are you doing?" She called out.
No answer.
Circe rolled her eyes, grabbing Reya's bag, and started around the corner. "Reya, if you don't get changed…" Her voice trailed off as she noticed, with a twinge of annoyance, that the tawny haired soccer player was nowhere to be seen. "Oh please… what is this, hide and seek?" Circe muttered, dragging the bag behind her. She paused at an open locker, noticing a shiny object sitting innocently in the corner, blinking up at her. "Hey… isn't that…" She leaned over, trying to get a closer look, when she suddenly felt herself being pulled forward. "What the hell-"
There was another bright flash; the locker room was empty.
+++++++++++++++++++
"Oof…" Reya rubbed her head, squinting. How'd it suddenly get so bright? She glanced around. "Circe?" Her voice trailed off as she realized exactly where she was: in a tree. There was a moment of confused silence before Reya suddenly felt a strong wind, and the branch she was sitting on jumped, as if extra weight had been added to it.
"Oooh, what the hell was that…" Circe moaned, one maroon eye peeking out from under her bangs.
Reya blinked at her. "Circe? How'd you… but… you…"
Circe blinked back. "Where are we?"
The branch gave a loud groan, and the two girls exchanged looks.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
The two landed roughly on the ground, twigs and leaves decorating their sports clothes. Neither one moved for a couple minutes as they tried to decide if they were still alive and working properly.
"Itai… this has not been a good day…" Reya sniffed, and began picking organic objects out of her hair.
"Circe glared at her, throwing her bag at her. "This is your fault, you know. Where the hell are we?!" She yelled.
Reya sighed, slowly - and painfully - climbing to her feet. "I…… have no idea," But looking around, she added, "At least the weather's nice…"
Circe just stared at her.
Reya laughed nervously, scratching her head. "Eheh heh heh… uh, let's try and find someone to help us, kay?" She asked, helping the ebony haired girl to her feet.
Circe cursed silently, slinging her Kendo bag over her shoulder. "This sucks supremely." She muttered, and began walking in no particular direction.
Reya grabbed her soccer stuff and caught up with her. "Let's try and think this through… So… we were in the locker room, talking, and I saw something shiny in one of the empty lockers. I tried to pick it up, and next thing I know it feels like I'm tied to a roller coaster, looping around the track, and I wind up in a tree. Then you suddenly appear." She paused, glancing at Circe. "Any input?"
Circe shrugged. "That sounds about right."
Reya nodded. "Ok… so at least we know how we got here… sort of."
Circe suddenly stopped. "Hear that?" She asked, licking her lips.
Reya blinked. "Uh…"
"Music… talking… people, hence… civilization!" Circe grabbed Reya's arm and began running towards the sounds.
Reya stumbled after her, whining. "Owwww, Circe, itai!! Slow down… ooh, my poor legs…"
Circe came to a sudden stop, and laughed. "Yes! PEOPLE!!!"
Reya, panting, nodded. "Yeah…"
Circe cleared her throat and approached an older lady walking her dog. "Excuse me, but can you tell us where we are?" She asked, trying to be polite.
The woman blinked, and said something Circe could have sworn was in gibberish.
"What'd she say?" Reya asked quietly, tilting her head.
Circe tried again, only to get the same result.
The lady frowned, muttering something, and walked away.
Circe slapped her forehead. "Oi! This is so typical!" She cried, frustrated.
Reya bit her lip. "Uh, let's try some one else… maybe she's just a tourist…" She suggested hopefully.
Circe nodded, and stopped a different person, this time of the male gender. "Can you tell us where the hell we are, please?" She asked.
The man just stared at her.
Circe closed her eyes. "This is not happening." She got an idea, and grabbed Reya, pulling her forward. "Speak Spanish… maybe he'll understand!" She cried.
Reya blinked, confused. "But… he doesn't look Spanish…"
Circe balled her fist, beginning to lose it. "Well neither do you!" She cried.
"Ok, ok!" Reya cleared her throat, and smiled serenely. "Uh, senor, hola."
The guy blinked.
"Keep going!" Circe hissed.
"Um… como estas? Donde es, por favor?" Reya continued.
The man shook his head, touching his ear, as if signaling he couldn't understand what they were saying.
Reya sighed. "Uh, thanks anyway."
Circe groaned loudly. "What the hell is going on here?!"
Trying to comfort her unstable friend, Reya patted her on the shoulder, while looking around. She spotted a corner café, and remembered how hungry she was. "Hey Circe, let's stop in there… I'm still really hungry, and some one in there might be able to help us." She suggested.
Circe sighed, and nodded. "Yeah." She also couldn't argue with her stomach, so the two made their way over to the café and the delicious smelling aromas it produced.
Once inside, Reya looked around for any signs or employees, though there were none to be found.
"There's a table right over there. Let's just go sit down." Circe gestured, a bit annoyed.
Reya blinked. "We can't just go over there… we have to make sure-"
Circe rolled her eyes, pulling Reya over to the table. "Come on Reya. What are they gonna do? Yell at us in Swahilian?" She asked.
Reya slid in across from Circe and sighed. "I can't believe this." She muttered, covering her face.
Circe brushed her bangs out of her eyes, smirking slightly. "Pass me one of those menu things." She said, setting her bag next to her.
Reya did so, keeping one for herself, and opened it up. And blinked. She glanced back up at Circe, who was glaring at the menu, her eyes glittering with malice. "Uh… let's just pick something, alright?" Reya suggested.
Circe abruptly closed the menu. "Fine! Sounds great!" She cried.
Just then, a sandy haired waiter came up to the table and smiled, and said something they couldn't even begin to understand.
Reya rubbed her temples, sighing. This was not her day.
Circe just stared at him. "Riiight. Ok, waiter boy, this is what I want." She yanked Reya's menu out of her hands and shoved it in the waiter's face, pointing. "That… get me that!"
The waiter blinked, taking a step back, and said something to Circe.
Circe held her hands up, lost. "Huh? I don't speak gibberish, little man! Just get me my food!"
The waiter said something else, something in a tone that Circe didn't quite like. She grabbed him by his shirt, glaring bloody murder. "OK, listen here, idiot, I want food and I want it now!! Do you understand me?? You comprend pas?!?!"
The waiter's lip trembled, and his body went limp as he fell to the floor in a faint.
Reya blinked.
Circe went into hysterics. "Pathetic! Absolutely pathetic!" She climbed onto the table, amid the stares and whispers of the other diners. "Doesn't ANYONE understand me?!?!"
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Kento buried his face in his hands, tears running down his cheeks he was laughing so hard.
Cye covered his mouth, stifling his laughter as he watched the scene before him.
Rowen could no longer breathe by the time the waiter fainted. "Oh… my… god… funny… can't… breathe…"
Sage, the normally calm Ronin, couldn't even keep a straight face.
As he watched the maitre d' hotel try and persuade the ebony haired girl off the table, Ryo decided it was time for them to help. "Guys… as a Ronin Warrior, it is my duty to go over there and help that poor man before he suffers the same fate as that waiter." He announced.
The others just erupted in laughter.
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Circe screamed at the manager, as he turned red in the face. "Idiot!! Just bring me my god damn food!!"
Reya bit her lip, trying to get Circe to calm down. "Circe, please… just… please…" She looked around, noticing the strange looks they were getting and shook her head. "Oh my god… this… ok, the floor can open up ANY time now."
Ryo cleared his throat putting his hand on the manager's shoulder. "Hey, I'll take it from here, ok?" He said.
The manager threw his hands up. "Just get her off of the table and out of my restaurant!" He cried.
Ryo nodded, smiling, then turned to the girl, who was looking at him strangely. "Look babe, let's start by getting you off that table, ok?"
Circe blinked, and jumped off the table, staring at this new guy. "You did not… just call me… babe."
Reya blinked, her mouth hanging open. "He… understood… I…" She stumbled out of the booth, and glomped onto him. "THANK YOU!!! YOU UNDERSTAND!!! OH THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!" She cried.
Circe stared at Reya. "Reya! You… you traitor! You!" She cried unbelievably.
Ryo blinked, and hesitantly patted the tawny haired girl on the back. "Uh… yeah, you're welcome, I guess…" He glanced over at the guys. "A little help here would be nice…"
Kento waved over at him, the other guys unable to speak they were laughing so hard. "Oh, you're doin' just fine… really…"
Reya gave the black haired boy a huge kiss on the cheek, much to his surprise, before turning to Circe. "Circe! You don't understand! He comprehends… he knows…"
Circe cut her off, shaking her head. "No, I understand PERFECTLY well! You… he called me babe! You are fraternizing with the enemy!!"
Reya smacked her a couple times, trying to bring the dark haired one back to reality. Or at least as close as possible. "Circe! Wake up! Who cares if he called you babe! He understands what we're saying! Communication! Yes!" She cried, and then hugged him again.
Circe blinked. "…… Oh yeah."
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For the Ronins, and especially for Ryo, it was a long drive home. Reya insisted on sitting next to Ryo, continuously thanking him over and over again for understanding them. Circe, on the other hand, insisted on sitting as far away from him as possible. There was still that little matter of the word 'babe' that she could clearly remember. Il est le pauvre.
"Uh… really, it's no problem… Just lending a helping hand, ok?" Ryo said, trying to pry Reya off his arm.
"Yeah, no problem at all…" Circe muttered, glaring out the window.
Sage smirked slightly, glancing back over his shoulder at him.
Cye kept glancing over to Kento, who could not, for the life of him, stop grinning at Ryo's predicament. "So… where did you girls say you were from?"
Reya bit her lip, letting go of Ryo, and scratched her nose. "Uh… this may sound really strange, but… We kind of fell through a locker."
There was a moment of silence in the small jeep.
"You fell through a… locker, did you say?" Rowen asked, glancing in the rear-view mirror.
Reya smiled and nodded. "Yeah."
Circe groaned silently, looking out the window.
Ryo blinked. "Oh… how did you manage that?" He asked, bewildered.
Reya shrugged. "I wish I knew. One minute we're there in the locker room, and I'm trying to pick up this small, shiny thing, and the next thing I know, I'm in a tree."
"Don't forget the light." Circe added, her arms crossed, bored out of her mind.
"Light?" Kento repeated.
"Oh yeah. Well, like I said, I saw this shiny object in a locker and I thought some one might have left their earrings or something, so I went to pick it up. Suddenly there was a bright flash and I felt like I was being pulled downward into the locker, and then all of a sudden I'm sitting in this tree. Circe appeared not a minute later and we crashed to the ground." Reya explained.
"That's strange. What color was the light?" Rowen asked, not taking his eyes off the road.
"White. It looked white, anyway. It was really bright. Blinding, I guess." Reya replied.
"What I'd like to know is why can't anyone else understand us?" Circe spoke up, glancing in the rear-view mirror back at Reya and the others.
Reya frowned. "That's right. We couldn't talk to anyone. It all sounded like gibberish, as I'm sure you've already found out." She agreed.
Ryo shrugged. "I've got no clue. I was just talking normally to both you guys and the restaurant manager. But you guys couldn't understand him either." He stated.
"That's true." Reya murmured.
The rest of the car ride was pretty quiet until the jeep pulled into the driveway. Rowen parked the car, and then cut the ignition. "We're here." He announced.
Circe threw the door open and quickly climbed off of Sage and out of the car. "I HATE riding shotgun!" She muttered.
Sage rolled his eyes, smoothing out his pants. "It's not my favorite past time, either." He muttered.
Circe eyed him balefully for a moment before looking away.
Reya climbed out of the jeep, gazing at the huge house before them. "Wow… you guys live here?" She asked, amazed.
"Uh, not by ourselves." Cye said, standing next to her.
"Um, guys, let me go talk to Mia for a sec… why don't you show the girls around the yard and that…" Ryo suggested uneasily.
"Sure. Come on, we'll show you where we work out." Kento said, hooking his arm around Reya's. He glanced back at the others. "Come on, guys!"
Cye rolled his eyes, smiling, following after them.
Circe glared after them, shaking her head slightly. "Morons." She muttered, and went back and sat against the jeep, looking through her bag for her book.
Rowen glanced after them, then decided to stay and try and converse with the black-haired witch. Sitting down next to her, he leaned over slightly to read the title.
Circe glanced at him, raising an eyebrow. "Can I… help you?"
Rowen smiled. "Just looking at the book. Is it any good?" He asked curiously.
Circe stared at him, as if trying to determine whether or not he was being sincere. "Yeah, it's not bad." She muttered.
Rowen nodded slightly, glancing at Sage, who had wandered over on Circe's other side, leaning against the jeep. "Do you mind us asking what's in the bag?" He inquired politely.
"Go ahead." Circe murmured, turning the page in her paperback.
Sage rolled his eyes, his arms crossed.
"Uh… so what's in the bag?" Rowen asked.
"My Kendo equipment." She answered lightly.
Rowen noticed a spark of interest in Sage and smiled slightly. "Really? So you're on a Kendo team?" He assumed.
She nodded. "Yup."
"Hey, that's cool. Sage is the captain of our Kendo team at school." Rowen stated.
Circe smirked slightly, though her eyes never left the page she was reading. "I could tell. He has very muscular thighs." She murmured.
Rowen chuckled, glancing at Sage, who had immediately looked away. "Well then..."
"Hey guys, coast is clear!" Ryo announced, coming out onto the balcony above them.
Circe looked up at him. "What's that supposed to mean?" She asked quietly, to no one in particular.
Rowen smiled, and helped her up. "You'll find out."
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Reya shifted uncomfortably on the couch, glancing around at everyone. They had been introduced to their 'host', Mia, and the smaller boy, Yuli, and Ryo's cat… which could hardly be called a cat… Whiteblaze. But now… it was completely and utterly silent.
"Uh… this is gonna take some getting used to, I guess…" Ryo said, apprehensively.
Cye stood up, stretching out his arms. "Well… I'm assuming you girls haven't had anything to eat yet, so why don't I fix you something?" He offered.
Reya smiled, her eyes lighting up at the mention of food. "Oh, thank you very much. Let me help you, it's the least I could do." She said.
Cye smiled. "Sure." The two headed into the kitchen.
Yuli giggled as Whiteblaze rolled over, purring as he got his belly scratched.
Mia got up slowly biting her lip. The way she saw it, they would just have to make the best of it. Even if she couldn't understand them, she had to be a good host. "Well… uh, why don't you guys show them around the house, while I go fix up the guest room." She said, and smiled as amicably as possible.
Circe raised an eyebrow, glancing at the others.
Ryo grinned. "Yeah, that's a great idea." He agreed.
Mia smiled and headed for the stairs.
Cye and Reya returned from the kitchen, carrying a tray of sandwiches from which Reya was happily eating. "Hey Circe, try the turkey. It's really good." She said nodding.
Circe gave her patent Circe-look, and rolled her eyes. "Whatever." She murmured, grabbing a sandwich.
"Hey, after you girls are done, me and Sage are gonna show you around the house." Rowen said, with a glance at Sage.
Sage nodded. "Yeah. Then you can get settled in." He agreed.
Kento grinned, patting Reya on the back. He would have done the same to Circe, but he wasn't exactly in his best 'I am Indiana Jones, I laugh at death' kind of mood. "That's right. You girls just make yourselves at home. Our stuff is your stuff."
"Figuratively speaking." Sage murmured.
Ignoring him, Ryo nodded, smiling. "Don't worry. We'll try and get you guys back to your homes as soon as we can. You've got our word on that." He assured them.
The others nodded. The girls had their words on that, as men and as Ronins.
Reya smiled. "Thanks guys. If there's anyway we can make this up…"
Cye cut her off, shaking his head. "Hey, don't worry about it. It's our pleasure."
Circe kept quiet, chewing thoughtfully.
++++++++++++++++++
"And last, but hardly least, this is our room… notice the tasteful colors and decorations and the over all feel that we've strived so hard to create." Rowen sighed, putting a hand to his chest. "In all sincerity, I think I speak for everyone when I say THIS is the best room in the house."
Sage rolled his eyes.
A loud cough, with very appropriate timing, was heard down the hall.
The girls exchanged looks. "Ok." Reya nodded, smiling slightly.
Rowen stuck his head out the door, giving the hall's occupants a look. "I HEARD that."
Circe began wandering around, checking everything out.
"So… where is our room going to be?" Reya asked, looking at Sage curiously.
"Mia is straightening it up. It's right across the hall, actually." He replied, pointing with his thumb.
Reya nodded. "Oh…"
"What's this?" Circe asked, getting their attention. In her hand, something the girls found oddly familiar for no particular reason, was a small round object that twinkled a deep blue.
Rowen gulped, glancing at the others. "Uh… that's… my lucky marble."
Sage smacked his forehead, thankfully unnoticed by Reya.
"…Lucky marble…" Circe repeated, dubious.
Rowen laughed nervously. "…Uh… heh, yeah…"
Reya blinked a couple times, mouthing the words 'lucky marble' to herself.
Sage cleared his throat. "We all have one… in our favorite colors. They were… a gift from Yuli." He said quickly, with a thankful look from Rowen.
Reya smiled, nodding. "Oh, that's so cute." She said.
Circe raised an eyebrow, dropping the marble back on the table. "Yeah… cute."
Just then, Mia came in, and said something to Rowen, who nodded. "Hey girls, your room is ready."
As the two left, Sage gave Rowen a look, knocking him upside the head. "Real smooth, man… Lucky marble." He shook his head, and followed the girls.
Rowen held his hands up. "What? What'd I do?"
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And so ends the first chapter! We hope that you guys all enjoyed reading this, and if you don't review it we'll hunt you down. Or, we won't post the next chapter until we get five reviews. One or the other. Take your pick. And now, notes:
Jou-chan: Okay guys, a couple things. This isn't the first fic I've written, but it's the first I've posted, so I'm kind of new at this whole thing. If something is wrong, or the layout bothers you or anything slightly related to something I've just said, PLEASE let me know.
Also, the term Gom Do Che is one of probably a bazillion names for a particular weapon; a bamboo sword/ pieces of bamboo kept together by wrappings.
The phrase "Il est le pauvre", translated roughly, means, "He is the poor one." Basically its saying, Poor Ryo. You poor sucker. The poor thing. You get the general idea, ne?
And as always, comments about the story itself are very, very welcome. What do you guys think is gonna happen? What do you want to happen? Would you like somebody to die? Or would you like one of the characters to wear a purple frilly thing? I really don't care what you say, just review!! REVIEW!!!!!
Cye's Girl: I hope you guys all liked that. Make sure to review. I KNOW you all will… As for my other story, *Lady Ronins* if you haven't noticed… I don't update that often. Sorry! PLEASE DON'T KILL ME! I'm in the middle of rewriting it because I thought it sucked, and couldn't stand it. So, hopefully I'll have that up soon as well as the next chapter to this story, because you guys are going to be good readers and review!
That's it, guys! Don't forget to REVIEW, damnit!!
Co-written by Jou-chan and Cye's Girl
Disclaimers: We do not own Ronin Warriors or Yoroiden Samurai Troopers, but if we did that would be really cool.
Other characters stolen from the great, wonderful movie Remember the Titans are sadly not ours either. Actually, they're real people, but for this story, they've been "anime-ed" so if you've seen the movie, that's what they look/act like in here too.
BUT!!! We do own the two new female characters and the new bad guys, so if you want to borrow them you gotta ask our permission first.
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The normally bustling locker room was still, with papers and forgotten sock littering the floor in a very non-decorative style. Only a few lockers were left open, and lucky for the people who used them, nothing of value was left in them. Except in one empty locker, something small, round, and conspicuously glittery sat in the corner, winking up at any passer-bys that happen to walk through the area.
The quiet of the locker room was soon disturbed, however, by the slamming open of a door and a high pitched wailing, followed by an evil cackle.
"Circe! Cut it out! I didn't mean to, really!!!" Reya screamed, her long, honey-colored strands flying behind her as she ran.
Circe was hot on her heels, swinging her Gom Do Che1 around madly. "When I'm done with you, ALL your hair will be red and not just the bottom!" She threatened.
Reya screamed, and ran around the lockers, slipping on the wet floor.
Circe stopped and watched, amused, as she skidded into a line of lockers.
"Ow… bad…" Reya rubbed her head, sniffling pathetically.
Circe laughed. "Baka! You're such a klutz." She teased.
Reya stuck her tongue out at Circe. "Some friend you are." She muttered indignantly.
Circe rolled her eyes and helped her up. "Come on, if you don't hurry we'll miss the bus, and you are NOT driving me home." She said.
Reya grinned. "Aw, come on… don't you like my driving?" She asked, winking at her friend.
Circe pretended to gag.
Reya laughed. "Well fine, if that's the way you're gonna be…" She began hopping around the locker room, whistling while she poked around.
Circe rolled her eyes, getting her bag out of her locker.
"Hey Circe, let's get some pizza, huh? I'm starving… coach made us run and run and run and run and run…" Reya suggested loudly, peeking into empty lockers and such.
"Sure... our work out was pretty harsh today, too. Not that I couldn't handle it…" Circe replied, looking for her socks in her gym bag.
Reya pumped her fists, dancing around on the bench, when something caught her eye. "Hey, I think some one forgot their earrings or something." She called out, hopping down.
Circe raised an eyebrow, on the other side of the locker room. "Wow." She said, unenthusiastically.
Reya ignored her sarcasm, and crouched down to get a better look into the empty locker. The shiny object twinkled up at her, inviting her to try and touch it. Reya reached down to grab it, and suddenly felt her stomach being pulled down. In fact, it felt as though her whole body was being tugged down through the tiny gym locker! There was a bright light, and in that second, Reya was gone.
Circe blinked, looking up. "Hey Reya, what was that?" She asked, glancing around.
The locker room was empty, besides herself and Reya, unless you counted the dirty clothes and papers that cluttered the floor.
Circe sighed, standing up and slinging her bag over her shoulder. "Reya, what are you doing?" She called out.
No answer.
Circe rolled her eyes, grabbing Reya's bag, and started around the corner. "Reya, if you don't get changed…" Her voice trailed off as she noticed, with a twinge of annoyance, that the tawny haired soccer player was nowhere to be seen. "Oh please… what is this, hide and seek?" Circe muttered, dragging the bag behind her. She paused at an open locker, noticing a shiny object sitting innocently in the corner, blinking up at her. "Hey… isn't that…" She leaned over, trying to get a closer look, when she suddenly felt herself being pulled forward. "What the hell-"
There was another bright flash; the locker room was empty.
+++++++++++++++++++
"Oof…" Reya rubbed her head, squinting. How'd it suddenly get so bright? She glanced around. "Circe?" Her voice trailed off as she realized exactly where she was: in a tree. There was a moment of confused silence before Reya suddenly felt a strong wind, and the branch she was sitting on jumped, as if extra weight had been added to it.
"Oooh, what the hell was that…" Circe moaned, one maroon eye peeking out from under her bangs.
Reya blinked at her. "Circe? How'd you… but… you…"
Circe blinked back. "Where are we?"
The branch gave a loud groan, and the two girls exchanged looks.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
The two landed roughly on the ground, twigs and leaves decorating their sports clothes. Neither one moved for a couple minutes as they tried to decide if they were still alive and working properly.
"Itai… this has not been a good day…" Reya sniffed, and began picking organic objects out of her hair.
"Circe glared at her, throwing her bag at her. "This is your fault, you know. Where the hell are we?!" She yelled.
Reya sighed, slowly - and painfully - climbing to her feet. "I…… have no idea," But looking around, she added, "At least the weather's nice…"
Circe just stared at her.
Reya laughed nervously, scratching her head. "Eheh heh heh… uh, let's try and find someone to help us, kay?" She asked, helping the ebony haired girl to her feet.
Circe cursed silently, slinging her Kendo bag over her shoulder. "This sucks supremely." She muttered, and began walking in no particular direction.
Reya grabbed her soccer stuff and caught up with her. "Let's try and think this through… So… we were in the locker room, talking, and I saw something shiny in one of the empty lockers. I tried to pick it up, and next thing I know it feels like I'm tied to a roller coaster, looping around the track, and I wind up in a tree. Then you suddenly appear." She paused, glancing at Circe. "Any input?"
Circe shrugged. "That sounds about right."
Reya nodded. "Ok… so at least we know how we got here… sort of."
Circe suddenly stopped. "Hear that?" She asked, licking her lips.
Reya blinked. "Uh…"
"Music… talking… people, hence… civilization!" Circe grabbed Reya's arm and began running towards the sounds.
Reya stumbled after her, whining. "Owwww, Circe, itai!! Slow down… ooh, my poor legs…"
Circe came to a sudden stop, and laughed. "Yes! PEOPLE!!!"
Reya, panting, nodded. "Yeah…"
Circe cleared her throat and approached an older lady walking her dog. "Excuse me, but can you tell us where we are?" She asked, trying to be polite.
The woman blinked, and said something Circe could have sworn was in gibberish.
"What'd she say?" Reya asked quietly, tilting her head.
Circe tried again, only to get the same result.
The lady frowned, muttering something, and walked away.
Circe slapped her forehead. "Oi! This is so typical!" She cried, frustrated.
Reya bit her lip. "Uh, let's try some one else… maybe she's just a tourist…" She suggested hopefully.
Circe nodded, and stopped a different person, this time of the male gender. "Can you tell us where the hell we are, please?" She asked.
The man just stared at her.
Circe closed her eyes. "This is not happening." She got an idea, and grabbed Reya, pulling her forward. "Speak Spanish… maybe he'll understand!" She cried.
Reya blinked, confused. "But… he doesn't look Spanish…"
Circe balled her fist, beginning to lose it. "Well neither do you!" She cried.
"Ok, ok!" Reya cleared her throat, and smiled serenely. "Uh, senor, hola."
The guy blinked.
"Keep going!" Circe hissed.
"Um… como estas? Donde es, por favor?" Reya continued.
The man shook his head, touching his ear, as if signaling he couldn't understand what they were saying.
Reya sighed. "Uh, thanks anyway."
Circe groaned loudly. "What the hell is going on here?!"
Trying to comfort her unstable friend, Reya patted her on the shoulder, while looking around. She spotted a corner café, and remembered how hungry she was. "Hey Circe, let's stop in there… I'm still really hungry, and some one in there might be able to help us." She suggested.
Circe sighed, and nodded. "Yeah." She also couldn't argue with her stomach, so the two made their way over to the café and the delicious smelling aromas it produced.
Once inside, Reya looked around for any signs or employees, though there were none to be found.
"There's a table right over there. Let's just go sit down." Circe gestured, a bit annoyed.
Reya blinked. "We can't just go over there… we have to make sure-"
Circe rolled her eyes, pulling Reya over to the table. "Come on Reya. What are they gonna do? Yell at us in Swahilian?" She asked.
Reya slid in across from Circe and sighed. "I can't believe this." She muttered, covering her face.
Circe brushed her bangs out of her eyes, smirking slightly. "Pass me one of those menu things." She said, setting her bag next to her.
Reya did so, keeping one for herself, and opened it up. And blinked. She glanced back up at Circe, who was glaring at the menu, her eyes glittering with malice. "Uh… let's just pick something, alright?" Reya suggested.
Circe abruptly closed the menu. "Fine! Sounds great!" She cried.
Just then, a sandy haired waiter came up to the table and smiled, and said something they couldn't even begin to understand.
Reya rubbed her temples, sighing. This was not her day.
Circe just stared at him. "Riiight. Ok, waiter boy, this is what I want." She yanked Reya's menu out of her hands and shoved it in the waiter's face, pointing. "That… get me that!"
The waiter blinked, taking a step back, and said something to Circe.
Circe held her hands up, lost. "Huh? I don't speak gibberish, little man! Just get me my food!"
The waiter said something else, something in a tone that Circe didn't quite like. She grabbed him by his shirt, glaring bloody murder. "OK, listen here, idiot, I want food and I want it now!! Do you understand me?? You comprend pas?!?!"
The waiter's lip trembled, and his body went limp as he fell to the floor in a faint.
Reya blinked.
Circe went into hysterics. "Pathetic! Absolutely pathetic!" She climbed onto the table, amid the stares and whispers of the other diners. "Doesn't ANYONE understand me?!?!"
++++++++++++++++
Kento buried his face in his hands, tears running down his cheeks he was laughing so hard.
Cye covered his mouth, stifling his laughter as he watched the scene before him.
Rowen could no longer breathe by the time the waiter fainted. "Oh… my… god… funny… can't… breathe…"
Sage, the normally calm Ronin, couldn't even keep a straight face.
As he watched the maitre d' hotel try and persuade the ebony haired girl off the table, Ryo decided it was time for them to help. "Guys… as a Ronin Warrior, it is my duty to go over there and help that poor man before he suffers the same fate as that waiter." He announced.
The others just erupted in laughter.
+++++++++++++++++
Circe screamed at the manager, as he turned red in the face. "Idiot!! Just bring me my god damn food!!"
Reya bit her lip, trying to get Circe to calm down. "Circe, please… just… please…" She looked around, noticing the strange looks they were getting and shook her head. "Oh my god… this… ok, the floor can open up ANY time now."
Ryo cleared his throat putting his hand on the manager's shoulder. "Hey, I'll take it from here, ok?" He said.
The manager threw his hands up. "Just get her off of the table and out of my restaurant!" He cried.
Ryo nodded, smiling, then turned to the girl, who was looking at him strangely. "Look babe, let's start by getting you off that table, ok?"
Circe blinked, and jumped off the table, staring at this new guy. "You did not… just call me… babe."
Reya blinked, her mouth hanging open. "He… understood… I…" She stumbled out of the booth, and glomped onto him. "THANK YOU!!! YOU UNDERSTAND!!! OH THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!" She cried.
Circe stared at Reya. "Reya! You… you traitor! You!" She cried unbelievably.
Ryo blinked, and hesitantly patted the tawny haired girl on the back. "Uh… yeah, you're welcome, I guess…" He glanced over at the guys. "A little help here would be nice…"
Kento waved over at him, the other guys unable to speak they were laughing so hard. "Oh, you're doin' just fine… really…"
Reya gave the black haired boy a huge kiss on the cheek, much to his surprise, before turning to Circe. "Circe! You don't understand! He comprehends… he knows…"
Circe cut her off, shaking her head. "No, I understand PERFECTLY well! You… he called me babe! You are fraternizing with the enemy!!"
Reya smacked her a couple times, trying to bring the dark haired one back to reality. Or at least as close as possible. "Circe! Wake up! Who cares if he called you babe! He understands what we're saying! Communication! Yes!" She cried, and then hugged him again.
Circe blinked. "…… Oh yeah."
++++++++++++++++++
For the Ronins, and especially for Ryo, it was a long drive home. Reya insisted on sitting next to Ryo, continuously thanking him over and over again for understanding them. Circe, on the other hand, insisted on sitting as far away from him as possible. There was still that little matter of the word 'babe' that she could clearly remember. Il est le pauvre.
"Uh… really, it's no problem… Just lending a helping hand, ok?" Ryo said, trying to pry Reya off his arm.
"Yeah, no problem at all…" Circe muttered, glaring out the window.
Sage smirked slightly, glancing back over his shoulder at him.
Cye kept glancing over to Kento, who could not, for the life of him, stop grinning at Ryo's predicament. "So… where did you girls say you were from?"
Reya bit her lip, letting go of Ryo, and scratched her nose. "Uh… this may sound really strange, but… We kind of fell through a locker."
There was a moment of silence in the small jeep.
"You fell through a… locker, did you say?" Rowen asked, glancing in the rear-view mirror.
Reya smiled and nodded. "Yeah."
Circe groaned silently, looking out the window.
Ryo blinked. "Oh… how did you manage that?" He asked, bewildered.
Reya shrugged. "I wish I knew. One minute we're there in the locker room, and I'm trying to pick up this small, shiny thing, and the next thing I know, I'm in a tree."
"Don't forget the light." Circe added, her arms crossed, bored out of her mind.
"Light?" Kento repeated.
"Oh yeah. Well, like I said, I saw this shiny object in a locker and I thought some one might have left their earrings or something, so I went to pick it up. Suddenly there was a bright flash and I felt like I was being pulled downward into the locker, and then all of a sudden I'm sitting in this tree. Circe appeared not a minute later and we crashed to the ground." Reya explained.
"That's strange. What color was the light?" Rowen asked, not taking his eyes off the road.
"White. It looked white, anyway. It was really bright. Blinding, I guess." Reya replied.
"What I'd like to know is why can't anyone else understand us?" Circe spoke up, glancing in the rear-view mirror back at Reya and the others.
Reya frowned. "That's right. We couldn't talk to anyone. It all sounded like gibberish, as I'm sure you've already found out." She agreed.
Ryo shrugged. "I've got no clue. I was just talking normally to both you guys and the restaurant manager. But you guys couldn't understand him either." He stated.
"That's true." Reya murmured.
The rest of the car ride was pretty quiet until the jeep pulled into the driveway. Rowen parked the car, and then cut the ignition. "We're here." He announced.
Circe threw the door open and quickly climbed off of Sage and out of the car. "I HATE riding shotgun!" She muttered.
Sage rolled his eyes, smoothing out his pants. "It's not my favorite past time, either." He muttered.
Circe eyed him balefully for a moment before looking away.
Reya climbed out of the jeep, gazing at the huge house before them. "Wow… you guys live here?" She asked, amazed.
"Uh, not by ourselves." Cye said, standing next to her.
"Um, guys, let me go talk to Mia for a sec… why don't you show the girls around the yard and that…" Ryo suggested uneasily.
"Sure. Come on, we'll show you where we work out." Kento said, hooking his arm around Reya's. He glanced back at the others. "Come on, guys!"
Cye rolled his eyes, smiling, following after them.
Circe glared after them, shaking her head slightly. "Morons." She muttered, and went back and sat against the jeep, looking through her bag for her book.
Rowen glanced after them, then decided to stay and try and converse with the black-haired witch. Sitting down next to her, he leaned over slightly to read the title.
Circe glanced at him, raising an eyebrow. "Can I… help you?"
Rowen smiled. "Just looking at the book. Is it any good?" He asked curiously.
Circe stared at him, as if trying to determine whether or not he was being sincere. "Yeah, it's not bad." She muttered.
Rowen nodded slightly, glancing at Sage, who had wandered over on Circe's other side, leaning against the jeep. "Do you mind us asking what's in the bag?" He inquired politely.
"Go ahead." Circe murmured, turning the page in her paperback.
Sage rolled his eyes, his arms crossed.
"Uh… so what's in the bag?" Rowen asked.
"My Kendo equipment." She answered lightly.
Rowen noticed a spark of interest in Sage and smiled slightly. "Really? So you're on a Kendo team?" He assumed.
She nodded. "Yup."
"Hey, that's cool. Sage is the captain of our Kendo team at school." Rowen stated.
Circe smirked slightly, though her eyes never left the page she was reading. "I could tell. He has very muscular thighs." She murmured.
Rowen chuckled, glancing at Sage, who had immediately looked away. "Well then..."
"Hey guys, coast is clear!" Ryo announced, coming out onto the balcony above them.
Circe looked up at him. "What's that supposed to mean?" She asked quietly, to no one in particular.
Rowen smiled, and helped her up. "You'll find out."
+++++++++++++++++
Reya shifted uncomfortably on the couch, glancing around at everyone. They had been introduced to their 'host', Mia, and the smaller boy, Yuli, and Ryo's cat… which could hardly be called a cat… Whiteblaze. But now… it was completely and utterly silent.
"Uh… this is gonna take some getting used to, I guess…" Ryo said, apprehensively.
Cye stood up, stretching out his arms. "Well… I'm assuming you girls haven't had anything to eat yet, so why don't I fix you something?" He offered.
Reya smiled, her eyes lighting up at the mention of food. "Oh, thank you very much. Let me help you, it's the least I could do." She said.
Cye smiled. "Sure." The two headed into the kitchen.
Yuli giggled as Whiteblaze rolled over, purring as he got his belly scratched.
Mia got up slowly biting her lip. The way she saw it, they would just have to make the best of it. Even if she couldn't understand them, she had to be a good host. "Well… uh, why don't you guys show them around the house, while I go fix up the guest room." She said, and smiled as amicably as possible.
Circe raised an eyebrow, glancing at the others.
Ryo grinned. "Yeah, that's a great idea." He agreed.
Mia smiled and headed for the stairs.
Cye and Reya returned from the kitchen, carrying a tray of sandwiches from which Reya was happily eating. "Hey Circe, try the turkey. It's really good." She said nodding.
Circe gave her patent Circe-look, and rolled her eyes. "Whatever." She murmured, grabbing a sandwich.
"Hey, after you girls are done, me and Sage are gonna show you around the house." Rowen said, with a glance at Sage.
Sage nodded. "Yeah. Then you can get settled in." He agreed.
Kento grinned, patting Reya on the back. He would have done the same to Circe, but he wasn't exactly in his best 'I am Indiana Jones, I laugh at death' kind of mood. "That's right. You girls just make yourselves at home. Our stuff is your stuff."
"Figuratively speaking." Sage murmured.
Ignoring him, Ryo nodded, smiling. "Don't worry. We'll try and get you guys back to your homes as soon as we can. You've got our word on that." He assured them.
The others nodded. The girls had their words on that, as men and as Ronins.
Reya smiled. "Thanks guys. If there's anyway we can make this up…"
Cye cut her off, shaking his head. "Hey, don't worry about it. It's our pleasure."
Circe kept quiet, chewing thoughtfully.
++++++++++++++++++
"And last, but hardly least, this is our room… notice the tasteful colors and decorations and the over all feel that we've strived so hard to create." Rowen sighed, putting a hand to his chest. "In all sincerity, I think I speak for everyone when I say THIS is the best room in the house."
Sage rolled his eyes.
A loud cough, with very appropriate timing, was heard down the hall.
The girls exchanged looks. "Ok." Reya nodded, smiling slightly.
Rowen stuck his head out the door, giving the hall's occupants a look. "I HEARD that."
Circe began wandering around, checking everything out.
"So… where is our room going to be?" Reya asked, looking at Sage curiously.
"Mia is straightening it up. It's right across the hall, actually." He replied, pointing with his thumb.
Reya nodded. "Oh…"
"What's this?" Circe asked, getting their attention. In her hand, something the girls found oddly familiar for no particular reason, was a small round object that twinkled a deep blue.
Rowen gulped, glancing at the others. "Uh… that's… my lucky marble."
Sage smacked his forehead, thankfully unnoticed by Reya.
"…Lucky marble…" Circe repeated, dubious.
Rowen laughed nervously. "…Uh… heh, yeah…"
Reya blinked a couple times, mouthing the words 'lucky marble' to herself.
Sage cleared his throat. "We all have one… in our favorite colors. They were… a gift from Yuli." He said quickly, with a thankful look from Rowen.
Reya smiled, nodding. "Oh, that's so cute." She said.
Circe raised an eyebrow, dropping the marble back on the table. "Yeah… cute."
Just then, Mia came in, and said something to Rowen, who nodded. "Hey girls, your room is ready."
As the two left, Sage gave Rowen a look, knocking him upside the head. "Real smooth, man… Lucky marble." He shook his head, and followed the girls.
Rowen held his hands up. "What? What'd I do?"
++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++++
And so ends the first chapter! We hope that you guys all enjoyed reading this, and if you don't review it we'll hunt you down. Or, we won't post the next chapter until we get five reviews. One or the other. Take your pick. And now, notes:
Jou-chan: Okay guys, a couple things. This isn't the first fic I've written, but it's the first I've posted, so I'm kind of new at this whole thing. If something is wrong, or the layout bothers you or anything slightly related to something I've just said, PLEASE let me know.
Also, the term Gom Do Che is one of probably a bazillion names for a particular weapon; a bamboo sword/ pieces of bamboo kept together by wrappings.
The phrase "Il est le pauvre", translated roughly, means, "He is the poor one." Basically its saying, Poor Ryo. You poor sucker. The poor thing. You get the general idea, ne?
And as always, comments about the story itself are very, very welcome. What do you guys think is gonna happen? What do you want to happen? Would you like somebody to die? Or would you like one of the characters to wear a purple frilly thing? I really don't care what you say, just review!! REVIEW!!!!!
Cye's Girl: I hope you guys all liked that. Make sure to review. I KNOW you all will… As for my other story, *Lady Ronins* if you haven't noticed… I don't update that often. Sorry! PLEASE DON'T KILL ME! I'm in the middle of rewriting it because I thought it sucked, and couldn't stand it. So, hopefully I'll have that up soon as well as the next chapter to this story, because you guys are going to be good readers and review!
That's it, guys! Don't forget to REVIEW, damnit!!