Chapter Twenty: Kento's Recollection

It was four years ago that Cye left. A little more, actually, but it had still been four years. I missed him. It hurt to know that my best friend had walked out on me and the others. He'd missed so much. Yuli was growing up. We all graduated from high school and were boarding at Mia's place for college.

I stared at the old picture. It had been taken the week before he left. It was at the beach. Him, Sage, and I were huddled together, Sage and I holding Cye up from under his knees. A kind old woman had taken the picture. We were all laughing and having fun that day. It made me miss him terribly.

"You okay?"

I looked up. Sage. Since Cye had left, Sage had moved into our old room. He said that "us younger Ronins gotta stick together" when he did. He also wanted to help me with dealing with Cye's leaving.

Don't get me wrong, we were all affected one way or another. Ryo went into some kind of a fury against Cye and mostly referred to him as the Traitor. Rowen was searching all over the place looking for him in his car. He came at late, late hours empty handed without any trace of him. He did that for a month before he gave up. Mia wanted to call the police, but all five of us are legally independent. No one can hold us down because of that, so filing him as a runaway was useless. Plus, the phone call a week later stopped us from filing a missing persons report. Still, she did track the morgue regularly. Sage got quiet and tried to comfort me. Yuli, he was just, confused. He didn't understand it anymore than we did.

As for me, I mellowed out, quieted down a LOT, and tried to not loose it. Sage helped a lot. We'd gotten somewhat close, and that felt good. He wasn't my best friend or anything- he and Rowen were still two peas in a pod- but he and Ryo tried to pick me up. Cye and I knew each other WAY longer than anyone else. We'd been friends since we were twelve. I'd saved him from a gang trying to steal his money. He was a small kid. An easy target, so to speak.

"Yeah, I guess I'm okay," I finally responded. "I just miss him. I feel, I feel like he misses me, too. Like he wants to come home. But, I got the feeling-"

"He's afraid?" said Sage. I nodded. "I got the same feelings too. I know the three of us hate bringing it up, but I think that one time we were captured brought the three of us closer together. Rowen and Ryo, they never will understand what we went through unless they go through it, God forbid."

I nodded. "Maybe. But, it's more than fear. There's something holding him back. But, I can't tell what."

Sage nodded. "Same here. And we both know that. I fished the old tape out of the garbage. And I made sure Cye's message was still there. He's no traitor. No way."

"Hello? It's me, Cye. I, I'm sorry I left you guys a few nights ago, but, something happened. It's not necessarily bad, and it's not necessarily good, either, but I need to handle this on my own. Besides, I'm a bit embarrassed to even consider returning. Until I can gather up the courage to talk to you guys, I guess, I guess this is good-bye. I really am sorry, I just can't- I don't know, but, things are just so, complicated. I'm afraid to come home. Kento, Ryo, Rowen, Sage, Mia, Yuli, White Blaze, please, please just remember I'll try to come back some day. Today just isn't that day." Those words stuck in my head. I didn't think there was any way in the world they'd ever get OUT of my head. Maybe when Cye came back, then they might leave my head. Maybe. . .

"You kept that?"

"Yes. Ryo's completely turned against him, and Rowen might join him soon enough. Mia even thinks he abandoned his destiny. Yuli, you, and I are the only ones who might still be on his side if he does come back," said Sage.

Yuli walked in. "Hey," he said. "I heard you guys talking, and, I agree with you. Mia, Ro, and Ryo, they all don't have faith in him. But he must have left for a really good reason."

Sage cocked an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"Yeah," said Yuli. "You guys are Ronin Warriors. You all accepted your destinies. None of you would ever turn your back on the Mortal World. Cye told me that once, before he left. So I think something else happened. It wasn't a murder since they would've found him by now, and Cye wouldn't get himself killed. I don't see him as a run away, either."

"Neither do I. We agreed we'd do the Ronin things together," I said.

"So why would he leave for something little?" said Yuli.

"You're right, you know," I said. "You're-"

"VINE WHIP EVOLUTION!!!"
"What the heck was that!?" I yelled. "Yuli, stay in here!" Sage and I darted up off my bed and went out the door, our armor orbes in hand.

"Could it be the Dynasty!?" I said. "But they're defeated! Aren't they!?"
"Obviously not," said Sage as we reached the door. Mia was in the living room. "Get yourself and Yuli out of here!" Mia just nodded as we got outside.

Ryo and Rowen were already staring down the strange, green and pink armored person standing before us. They held a great saber in their hands. Their helmet looked like an upside-down flower without any piece of the stem. From looking at the chest plate it looked like we were dealing with a female. Her shoulder pads with curved and the entire piece looked like it had intricate floral carvings on it.

"Who are you!?" asked Ryo.

"I am Kioko of the Flora, servant of the Evil Dynasty. And Master Talpa would like to have a chat with the seven Ronin Warriors," she said.

"Seven?" asked Rowen. "Last time I checked there were four present, and one missing. What do you mean seven?"

The strange woman blinked. "So, Chrono and Icefire haven't awoken yet? Very well then. Four will have to do."

"Yeah right!" said Ryo. "Armor of the Wildfire, Tao JIN!"

"Armor of the Strata, Tao INOCHI!"

"Armor of the Halo, Tao CHI!"

"Armor of the Hardrock, Tao GI!"

In a flash we all stood in subarmor. Kioko laughed. "Pathetic. And if you say that your armors will be more impressive, I won't see it anytime soon."

"Huh?" asked Ryo, but before anyone else could make a comment, a LOT of vines shot up from the ground, entangling us. "Hey! What kind of a trick is this!?"

Kioko laughed. "Hmm, you're now property of the Dynasty. I guess Sehkment WILL have to search and locate the last three."

"Cye," I said softly. Then I went back to trying to rip the vines free, Every time one broke, it was replaced by two more. Breathing was becoming a challenge. Sage sent me a look that begged me to not struggle.

Struggling was useless. Our battle for freedom was over.

For now. . .

"Cye, you've got to come back and get us out," I said softly.

"RYO! ROWEN! KENTO! SAGE!"

"MIA! RUN!" yelled Ryo. I could feel Mia and Yuli begin to run. "WHITE BLAZE! GO WITH THEM!"
"FIND CYE!!" yelled Rowen. "HE'S OUR ONLY CHANCE! YOU HAVE TO FIND CYE!"
"Cye, hmm? That the Ronin of Torrent?" asked Kioko. "I'll deal with the civilians later. But for now, you're all mine."

I looked up. Cye, you ARE our only hope. You have to bust us out. Please, don't fail us.

Don't fail me. . .