The War

                  Chapter 1-The Beginning

            He yawned, stretching out his limbs in a cat-like manner as he yawned. His lover giggled behind him.

            "You're just like a kitty!" the boy exclaimed as he continued giggling.

            "It's hard to believe that these two are destined to help save the world." Mia stated as Anubis laughed.

            "Yes, it is hard. But you have to admit, though they act childish, they are very skilled warriors." Mia nodded.

            "It's hard sometimes, to know that all of my boys could be killed." Anubis nodded.

            "I understand. War is a hard thing, especially when a bunch of children are doing the fighting for the lives of millions." Mia nodded.

            "I couldn't bare the thought of losing any of them. Even Sage. He's so much happier now, that he's just fun to be around. He's still a little troublemaker, but still, he was a good boy now. It was then that a boy toting a stuffed whale dashed into the room, hiding behind Mia. Moments later, Kento dashed into the room, dripping with water.

            "Get back here fish boy! You are SO dead!" Cye giggled behind Mia, knowing that Kento couldn't hit him when he was in the safety zone.

            "Ok, what's wrong Kento?" Kento glared at her.

            "I wonder! He shoved me into the lake then ran away!" Cye continued giggling as Ryo and Sage began to laugh as well.

            "He got you good." Ryo stated as Kento glared at him.

            "Don't you start up!" He stated as Sage laughed. Kento glared as Sage who smiled.

            "You didn't tell me that I couldn't start up!" He pointed out as Kento sighed.

            "Don't get all technical on me wolf boy!" Sage shrugged.

            "Well, you didn't." He stated as Rowen dashed into the room.

            "Quick guys, we have to go! They're here…" Ryo took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

            "Come on Sage…" Ryo stated as Sage nodded, grabbing his armor off the table and calling it onto himself. Ryo did the same, as they turned to Rowen.

            "Ok, where are they?" Rowen waited to regain his breath before speaking.

            "Down in the field. But Ryo I really don't know if you should come…" He muttered, as Ryo rolled his eyes.

            "Come on, I'm the leader here!" He stated as Rowen sighed.

            "I still don't think you should come." Ryo ignored him as he turned to Sage.

            "Come on, hurry up everyone. We have to get going before it comes to the house and harms Mia or something."

            "Too late for that…" Rowen muttered as Ryo turned to him on confusion.

            "What do you mean by that Rowen?" Ryo asked as Rowen shook his head.

            "You wanted to come, you'll see." He retorted as Ryo sighed.

            "Ok. Let's go." Nodding the other warriors followed their leader as he led them to the field that Rowen had seen them in. Rowen gulped slightly, not knowing how Ryo would take everything. Finally they reached the field, and immediately Ryo went into shock.

            "Blaze!" He screamed out as he realized that his cat was what Rowen had been talking about.

            "Let Blaze go!" He screeched as he noted that Blaze was imprisoned in a well-crafted bamboo cage. Ryo quickly raised his swords as he prepared to attack.

            "Flare. Up. NOW!" He screamed, but his attack hit nothing as he realized that the demons and Blaze were long gone.

            "Nooo!!!!" He shouted as he fell to his knees, banging his fists on the ground. Not his only father figure! Not his Blaze! How dare any person stoop to the low of capturing a tiger?

            "Ryo?" A soft voice asked as he ignoring his lover, and continued pounding his fists into the ground, tears streaming down his face.

            "Damn it! Why did they have to take Blaze? Why?" He cried out as Sage sighed. Carefully the blonde knelt down next to Ryo, wrapping his arm around their leaders shoulder.

            "We'll get him back Ryo. I don't care if I have to give myself up to see him back. I'll do it." Ryo shook his head.

            "No Sage. We'll go together, and we'll kill the bastard behind this! And then we'll take Blaze back and I'll never let him out of my site again! Kinda like I do with you." Sage smiled. Ryo was over-protective, but Sage did manage to escape his watchful eyes every once on awhile.

            "Come on Ryo, let's go home and try to think of a way to get him back, Ok?" Ryo nodded as he leaned on Sage for support. He was too mentally wiped to even stand on his own.

            "Come to bed love. I know you're worried about Blaze, but he's a strong cat and I'm sure he's fine." Ryo nodded as he crawled into the bed and curled up to Sage. The blonde smiled as he pulled Ryo practically on top of him. Even after being separated from his family for months, he still was used to having warmth of a body on or nearly on him. He had slept with the pups practically on top of him, and Ryo had slept lying on Blaze, so together they had developed the perfect sleeping pattern between them.

            "Sleep Ryo. Rid yourself of the human worries and fall into the land of the sleeping." Sage stated as Ryo nodded.

            "I like that idea…" He stated groggily as he fell into a light sleep atop his lover.

                        ~*~*~*~

            Sage snuck out of Ryo's view, as always, as he practiced his skills and strengths against that of a stump. Yet, the last thing he expected was Blaze to calmly come out before him.

            "Blaze! You escaped! You're all right! Ryo's going to be so happy!" Sage cried out as he reached out to wrap his arms around the tiger's neck, and instead sharp teeth clamped down on his arm. He bit his lip to keep from screaming out in pain.

            "Blaze!" He cried out in pain as the tiger growled at him, realizing his arm. Sage clung onto his one weak spot, breathing harshly in pain. The arm he had nearly lost a few months prior was now throbbing in pain, blood pouring down his wounds. Blaze slowly walked away as a rustling in the bushes forced Sage to turn his attention to something else. In the forest stood a man dressed in a kimono, Blaze standing at his side.

            "Blaze, how could you do this to Ryo?" The tiger said nothing as Sage shook his head. He was starting to feel faint… and dizzy. Gasping, he stepped back and failed to catch himself with his back foot as he fell onto his rear.

            "Do you like my pet?" The man asked as Sage looked up, the man's features blurring in his vision.

            "He's Ryo's. Not yours. And Blaze is not a pet. He's more human then someone who would stoop to the low of taking a cat to get to the Ronins." Sage stated as finally the blood loss overtook him and he fell to the ground in a haze of black.

                        ~*~*~*~

            Sage moaned as he came to, his eyes opening slowly as pain rushed into his arm. He yelped in pain as his eyes shot open and realization dawned on him.

            "Sage! What happened?" Ryo asked as Sage shook his soar head.

            "I was attacked…"

            "I know! But by what?" Sage took a deep breath. He wasn't sure if telling Ryo was the best idea in the world.

            "Umm… Ryo, there's this man who I don't know, I suppose that he can control animals… but he sent Blaze after me. Blaze attacked me, and eventually I fainted from blood loss." Ryo's eyes widened in horror.

            "No…" He murmured as Sage shook his head.

            "I'm sorry love." Sage stated, wincing as he sat up. What fond memories this brought back. He sighed. Not another totaled arm…

            "Ryo, it's just a spell or something like that. I'm sure this is all a mistake, and we'll go there, and we'll kick his ass, and we'll get Blaze back, and everything will be all right. I swear it will." Ryo nodded as he sat at the end of the bed, again trying not to cry. Never in his life had he truly been separated from Blaze, and now to have his "father" being taken and to have him attack the one other person that Ryo loved more then life, well he really didn't think he could handle it at the moment.

            "Come on Ryo, don't have a mental breakdown on me. We really need you to be strong. You are our leader after all, and I don't know if I can fight for a bit. I mean, I need both hands for my sword…" Ryo sighed. The last thing he needed was for his healer to get hurt.

            "It's ok Sage. I'll be all right, really. I just want to find that guy and strangle his scrawny little neck so that I can laugh at him and get Blaze back." Sage nodded.

            "I understand Ryo. Come on, it's late." Ryo glanced over at the clock, and sure enough it was past 12. He's never get how Sage could know the time to such a wide extent, and not be able to read the clock. Ahh, one of lives mysteries. Smiling softly, Ryo nodded and complied, as he crawled into the bed alongside his boyfriend. Sage smiled and used his free arm to pull Ryo close to him. Ryo smiled. Gods he felt so loved when he was around the blonde.

            "My Sagey…" Ryo murmured sleepily as Sage smiled and graced the boy's forehead with a gentle kiss.

            "Yes, I am yours Ryo. And don't you ever forget it." And with those final, soft words, the duo fell asleep even under the undesirable conditions of their current life.

                                    To be continued….