That's Just the Way Things Are

by Nic Jean aka Fate

When one Ronin falls victim to disease, the guys find themselves on a mysterious path through the unknown.

5. Tearing

"That…was…good!"

"I totally agree with Ken, bro!"

"Thank you," Cye said, blushing a little at the comments of Rip and Kento. He'd made dinner and more than three quarters of it had been eaten by the two.

After settling the still sleeping Zephyr in a love seat in the den of Rip's suite, making sure she was comfortable, Sage had gone off looking for a place to nap. When Ryo had whistled from the balcony, White Blaze had bounded up there and was now sleeping on the hearth of a fireplace in the den.

Ryo surveyed the now cleared table with a groan. "Great! Now we have two bottomless pits!"

Both Kento and Rip turned to him with insulted looks. "Hey!" they protested. "We are not!"

"Would you two stop that, please?" Dice requested. "It's really starting to creep me out a bit."

"Me, too," Ryo added.

Rip and Kento exchanged a conspiratorial glance. "Okay," they said in unison. "If it bothers you that much."

Cye rolled his eyes. No one knew exactly how they were doing it, but everyone agreed on one thing…

"SHUT UP!!!" he and Ryo shouted.

The troublesome twosome were about to say something more. But Dice had a look of panic on her face. "Quiet! All of you!" she chided. "Zee's sleeping in the next room, remember?"

Kento and Rip looked sheepish. "Ooops," they said.

* * * * *

Mia gazed up at the night sky. She couldn't see the stars for all the lights of the nightlife in the city. She so wanted to see them. Not being able to reminded her of how much she wanted to be back at her own home where she could see the stars. She sighed in desolation and leaned on her elbows on the balcony railing. She decided not to look at the starless sky and lowered her gaze to the hotel swimming pool below, watching the water ripple as someone went for a midnight swim. She sighed again.

Rowen would have been upset that he couldn't see the stars if he were here. Don't think about that, she scolded herself. You'll make yourself miserable. She sighed a third time. Yeah, right. As if I'm not already. She sighed once more, and this time a single teardrop rolled down her cheek. It trembled on her chin for a moment, before falling three stories to the waters of the pool below.

"Hey, why the long face?" a concerned voice asked from behind her.

She jumped at the sound and the accompanying feel of a hand on her shoulder, before realizing that the voice belonged to Danji. "I don't know," she sniffled and wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand. "I just feel so…so…"

"Sshhh," he said and pulled her into a comforting hug. "Don't cry, now. Tears can wash the eyes for the present but come tomorrow they leave them red and hurting. And tears can't wash your problems away. You can cry until you can't see the world anymore but the world is still there and there's always someone to hold you and wipe the tears. Then, the problems will go away."

Mia looked up at him with a look of slight surprise. She sniffled again, trying hard not to cry and finding it more than a little difficult. "That was pretty. Did you make it up just now?"

He chuckled. "Yeah. Though, that wasn't exactly the reaction I wanted." He brushed a few tears off her cheek. "Smile, now. Chin up, little rose. Big girls don't cry." He smiled at her. "I dare you to cry. No, I take that back. I double dare you."

She couldn't help laughing. "Stop it," she giggled and gave him a playful swipe on the arm.

He smiled in earnest, now. "That's better, little rose. Now, care to share?"

She turned back to looking at the pool. "Have you ever felt like the world, your life, was just coming apart at the seams and no matter how many stitches you put in the rips, there's always a bigger one in need of repair? I feel like that, right now." The tears were threatening to brim again.

"Oh, no you don't," he chided in a silly tone. "I will not have crying in my presence, young lady. If you must cry, go away. Shoo, now. Shoo!"

"There you go making me laugh again!" she gasped between giggles. She tried to swipe at him again but he caught her wrist. "Hey!"

"Now, now, little rose. Behave yourself."

"You behave!" she laughed. Suddenly, she found she couldn't take it anymore. "Ooooh, why bother?!" she burst out.

To his extreme surprise, Danji found himself being kissed. Mia had just darted up on her tiptoes and kissed him right on the lips. It was quick, practically a peck, but it was enough to leave him speechless. "Uh…um…" he blundered, helplessly searching for something, anything, to say.

She giggled again. "And I thought you could never run out of witty remarks," she jested. She reached up and around his head and gave a gentle tug to his ponytail.

"Hey!" he protested. "Well, in that case…"

Now, it was Mia's turn to be surprised as Danji returned the kiss, but this one was much longer.

* * * * *

Sage was startled from sleep by a sudden orchestra of whistles and shouts.

"Oh, yeah! Go, girl!" Rip.

"Go for it, man!" Kento.

"Oooo, Mia's got it goin' on!" Cye! What raucous event would Cye want to be involved in?

"Yeah, but check out Doc!" Ryo. Still calling Kajtim by Rowen's nickname for him.

"I must admit…this is rather entertaining!" Zee?!

That did it. Sage jumped out of the immense leather armchair in a back room of Rip's suite and ran to see what all the fuss was about.

The others were gathered around the closed glass doors that opened onto the balcony, giggling, laughing, and issuing whoops of encouragement. Zephyr was still in the love seat he'd left her in but was now awake. He perched on the arm of the love seat as she raised her eyes to meet his, a smile on her face. "What's going on?" Sage asked, though he had a pretty good idea.

Kento turned and before Zephyr could answer, he said, "Check it out, dude."

Sage looked through the glass and his eyes must have bugged out a mile or so because Zephyr looked at him and laughed. "Come now, Sage. You would not be jealous, now, would you?" she asked and managed to catch his eyes, though he did his best not to meet hers.

"Umm…uh…n-n-no," he stammered, finding himself helpless in her gaze for the second time since they'd met. He had the feeling that she knew how he felt, too.

"Now then, are you two gonna start, too?" Cye asked with a laugh.

Zephyr released him from her gaze and he let his breath out audibly. Then he realized what Cye had said. "Hey! What're you talking about, Brit?!"

"Nothing, Sage," Cye said, doing his best to keep a poker face. "Nothing."

* * * * *

"Pssst! Hey, kid! You awake? C'mon! I don't know how much time we've got. Wake. Up!"

Rowen gave a half-hearted groan and said, "Wha'? Can' I sleep in jist once, Mia?" He hadn't been asleep in the first place but he'd been close enough that he wasn't quite sure where he was.

"Hmph. Hate to break it to ya, kid, but I'm not Mia. Now, get up and come over here where I can see you."

Sitting up, Rowen gave a disgusted sigh. He had been avoiding admitting it even to himself but now he'd have to tell whomever that was griping at him the truth. In a last effort to avoid it and get this guy off his back, he said, "I can't." He had to deliberately pronounce the t—thanks to his accent—in order to make the statement clear.

"Why not? They didn't chain you up. I would've heard it."

"Cuz my legs've been burnt ta a crisp, I can't feel 'em, an' I'm practically a cripple! Okay?!" he spat, fighting back tears of defeat.

The familiar voice was silent for a while. Slowly, it asked, "What happened, kid? Who did it?" it hissed contemptuously.

The gears in his mind finally started to spin and he realized who the voice belonged to: Dais. Still fighting the tears, he said, "It wasn' his fault, Dais. Some soldiers tricked 'im. He didn' mean to."

"Who?!" Dais hissed again.

"Ryo! Ryo, okay? It was an accident. He was tricked. A total mistake. He was tricked," Rowen insisted. The tears finally escaped and he allowed himself one sob before he bit his lip and clenched his eyes shut. He started rocking back and forth, silent tears falling from his eyes into the darkness.

"Hey, kid, chill. I won't do anything. Sorry. It's okay. It's alright," Dais tried to soothe the Ronin of Strata. He knew he wasn't doing a very good job but he wasn't used to this.

Rowen remained silent. Then, Dais heard some scraping sounds and an occasional grunt of effort. Realizing what the Ronin was doing, he said quickly, "No! You don't need to try to move. I understand if you don't want to. I don't really need to be able to see you."

"Shut up, Dais. I'm doin' this fa myself, not you," came Strata's angry voice.

Kayura's right. Kid's a fighter every inch of the way. Dais moved over to the door of his cell and looked through the grate and across the corridor diagonally. A few seconds later, two subarmored hands death-gripped the bars and pulled a dirty, pale face, topped in blue hair that looked like Medusa herself had styled it, slowly up into view through the grate of the cell door Dais was looking at.

"Ey, there, Spidey. I'd say nice ta see ya, 'cept it's not."

Kid never did accept the fact that we changed, Dais thought with a shake of the head. Even Wildfire became friends with Anubis. He decided to ignore the Ronin's hostility. "So how'd you get here, kid?"

Rowen snarled, "Ya brought me, he'ah. 'Memb'ah? Or are ya old enough ta have Alzheimer's disease?"

Dais knew he'd been used by one of those…things…that whatever had happened hadn't been his fault. But he felt a pang of sincere guilt at the Ronin's statement. "Man, I'm sorry, Star-kid. I didn't have any control over it. That thing possessed me."

To the Warlord's surprise, Rowen broke into one of those lopsided grins only he could manage. "S'okay, Spidey. I already knew ya were possessed. I was jist foolin' with yer head. But don' think that means I'm not gonna be on my toes 'round ya. I've had one too many unpleasant experiences in yer presence."

Dais stared in surprise. "Uh…okay." Never did like that accent of his. It's a tad intimidating.

"Ey, I thought ya were chained up. How'dja get out?"

Now it was the Warlord's turn to grin. "I've been around a long time. Around 440 years in fact. If I hadn't learned something in that time about escaping chains, I'd be a sorry excuse for a Warlord."

"Oh. Well, why haven't ya broken outta he'ah? Ya got yer arm'ah, right?"

"I've tried. Seems that these cells are made from something resistant to magic, mystical armor included."

"Great."

"Alright, enough of the pleasantries. Time to get serious, kid."

"Ey, no protest here. I'm usually the one who has to be serious with the guys. Welllll, me an' Sage, that is." He was starting to feel a little depressed again. And alone.

"Right. Now, I really think it may be essential—perhaps vital—that we get out of here very soon."

"I agree."

"Good. First, we need a plan; though, planning's usually Cale and Kayura's job. But since they're not in this particular cell nor aware of the fact that you're here too, they can't make a plan."

"What?! They're here, too?!"

"Unfortunately, yes."

"How? Wha' happened? How were ya captured?"

Yep. Kayura's definitely right about this one. In nearly every respect. First, kid's a dead man sleeper. Second, he's a real fighter, a warrior, heart and soul. And now, he's just as inquisitive as she said. Guess all her studying up on their lives was pretty accurate.

"Yo, Spidey. Ya awake?" the Ronin snickered.

If only you knew, kid. According to Cale, I'm just as heavy a sleeper as you. Dais fought off a disgusted sigh. "Of course. We were ambushed in our sleep, if you must know. Kayura and Sekhmet put up one hell of a fight when they woke up but by then they'd already been injected with the drug, as were Cale and myself, and we were unable to help them. So here we are."

"But where're the others?"

"I was taken from the cell we shared this morning to be used in your…uh…"

"Never mind."

"Back to getting out of here…"

* * * * *

"Shut up, Kento," Mia warned in a low ominous voice.

"Why, Mia? Aren't ya proud of your little adventure?" his all too innocent voice questioned.

"It's none of your business," she growled.

She was sitting in the kitchen with a glass of tea. Rip and Kento had come to tease her about her…uh…kiss with Danji. Dice was sitting on the counter with a disappointed scowl on her face as she looked at Kento. Everyone else was in the den watching a movie Rip had rented. Danji had gone downstairs to go for a walk in the hotel's garden.

"Oh, Mia, don't be such a drag! Perhaps Ken's just curious. I know I am." Rip smirked like a mirror image of Kento.

"Please, guys, leave her alone," pleaded Dice.

"Why?" both asked.

Dice couldn't look at them both. So, she turned her gaze to Kento. "Please? You don't have to be so rude, do you? Can't you just leave her alone? Pleeease?"

Kento tried to turn away but he couldn't ignore those sweet, innocent, fawn-like eyes. He started to rub the back of his head and open and close his mouth soundlessly. Finally he sighed and let his shoulders sag. "Okay, Dicey. I'll leave her alone."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

"Pinkie swear?" She held up her little finger and continued to look him in the eye.

He grinned and hooked his little finger with hers. "Pinkie swear."

She smiled and gave him a big hug. "Thanks, Kento."

"Sure."

Rip scrunched up her face and frowned. "But, Ken! We were havin' fun!" she protested.

Kento gave her a wry grin. "Sorry, Rip. I can't break a promise. I pinkie-swore."

Rip threw up her hands and stomped out of the room. "You're hopeless! If she can con ya like that…jeez!"

Mia was laughing herself to death. She had to put her tea down so it wouldn't spill. This was very funny. Big old Kento giving up teasing her because of a pinkie-swear with his elemental sister. "Oh, wow. This is too good!"

Dice whispered something in Kento's ear. He turned to Mia and, with true remorse in his voice, said, "I'm sorry for being rude about you and Doc, Mia. I won't ever do it ever again."

Mia tried to keep a straight face but after a few seconds, she fell out of her chair and hit the floor laughing her head off. She had to gasp out the words between laughter. "S'okay, Kento. I'm sure…you…won't do it again. Go on now. Go watch…the movie or something."

He looked to Dice as if asking permission. She ruffled his hair and said, "Go on, bro. And don't listen to Rip. She doesn't know what she's talking about. Okay?"

"Thanks, sis," he said and kissed her on the cheek. He looked at Mia again. "I really am sorry, Mia. I just kinda got caught up in it."

Mia was still on the floor, hugging herself with hysterical laughter. "It's…okay! Just go on, now! Before…before I die of air deprivation!" she gasped.

He smiled wryly and left the room.

Dice waited silently while Mia finished her laughing fit. Finally, Mia picked herself up off the floor and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Hey, thanks, Dice. A few more seconds and I might have hurt one of them."

"Think nothing of it. Uh…was it…is it…um…"

Mia smiled. "It's fine. I didn't want to say anything to them because they were being so rude. But yes…it was nice."

"Do you like him?"

"What?"

"Do you like him?"

"Umm…I think so."

"You know…I'm his best friend. Nobody knows more about Danj than me. We've known each other since we were little kids. If you need to know anything, I can help you."

"Thanks. I guess it's okay to tell you. I…uh…I've kinda had a crush on him since I met him during Rowen's first hospitalization. He's just…he's so…well—"

"Sweet? Funny? Smart? Cute?"

Mia just smiled and nodded.

"Rowen was hospitalized for the first time a little over two years ago, right?"

Mia found herself feeling sad at this question. Oh, gods. Don't cry, Mia. Remember what Danji said. Big girls don't cry. But the tears started up anyway.

Dice jumped off the counter and quickly pulled Mia into a warm embrace. "It's okay, Mia. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring it up. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Sshhh. Let it out. It's okay."

"They're just boys," Mia cried. "They don't deserve this. They should be able to live their lives without having to worry about fighting and always looking over their shoulder. Why? Why do they have to suffer so much? It's not fair! It's just not fair!"

"I know," Dice soothed. "I know. But they have to. It's their destiny." She held Mia away and looked her in the eye. "And it's Rowen's destiny to keep living and fight and finish this thing and start living a real life. He'll be fine, Mia. We'll get him back and he'll be fine. You'll see. Don't worry. You'll see."

"It'll never be okay! Everything's so messed up! We can't even take a single breath without having to worry about there being some evil out there waiting for us to make a mistake. I just want everything to be somewhere close to normal. Is that such a bad thing? Is it too much to ask? Why?! Why, why, why?!"

"I don't know," Dice admitted. "I do know that you have to be strong, Mia. They need you right now. All of them look strong on the outside but inside, they need someone to be their touchstone. I've worked with kids since I was fourteen. Nearly all of them try to look tough but they all eventually break down. Then, all you can do is be strong for them. Be the shoulder for them to cry on. Be the one to stand up to the monsters under the bed for them. That's what you need to do for the guys, Mia. Try. Okay?"

Mia wiped the tears away again. "Okay." She made a weak smile and said, "Well, I should go see if anyone needs anything." She left the kitchen.

Dice picked up some glasses and dishes and started putting them in a dishwasher, another little convenience Rip's suite provided. Suddenly, Mia ducked her head back in the kitchen. "Hey, Dice?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks."

Dice just smiled. Mia left again and the earth elemental started up the dishwasher. She knew that the nearby people's lives were falling apart. She knew she was part of those lives now, and her life was in the balance too as a result. But somehow…she couldn't have been happier to be anywhere else with anyone else at that moment. So she smiled, gathered some snacks, and went through the kitchen door to join her friends.

* * * * *

Kayura bolted up, throwing her raggedy blanket across the cell and unsettling Sekhmet and Cale from the shelf-bed. She was in a defensive stance and looking around her with an alarmed expression.

"Hey, Kayura, what's the big idea?" Cale asked as he got off the floor and dusted himself off.

"Something's wrong."

"Like what?" Sekhmet asked.

"Sshh. Listen."

They all stood silently in the dark, listening and waiting. Slowly, they became aware of a commotion somewhere in another corridor, the sounds drifting to them on the stiff air of the prison.

Another sound reached Kayura, but not her comrades. It was a sound like ringing metal on metal. Her staff. It was somewhere nearby!

"Wonder what's goin' on," Sekhmet thought aloud.

Cale shrugged and went to the barred window of the door, looking up and down the hall. "Don't know. Probably someone getting beat up again."

"Probably."

Kayura sat down on the shelf-bed and remained quiet, listening carefully to the faint noises. Cale and Sekhmet started arguing about something but she paid no heed. Gradually, the sounds she listened to so intently faded away.

"Oh well," she said as if surrendering.

She settled back on the shelf-bed to rest without bothering trying to halt the others' bickering. It didn't matter anymore.

* * * * *

"Hey, Mia, have you seen my jacket?" Cye called from the front door where he was searching for the missing article of clothing. He and Rip were going swimming and he wanted his jacket for when he got out.

"No!"

"Rip?"

"Nuh-uh!"

"Danji?"

"Nope!"

"Zee?"

"Sorry but I have not seen it since last night!"

"Sage?"

"Me either!"

"Kento?"

"Can't help you, bud!"

"Ryo?"

"Haven't seen it!"

"Thanks anyway! Oh, man. Where is it?" Cye muttered and decided to check another room. He was looking in the back bathroom when it happened.

He gasped and clutched his head, falling to his knees. The pain passed quickly and wasn't very strong but his hand flew to his forehead anyway. He knew what had caused the incident and hastily ran to find Mia or Sage, the search for his jacket forgotten.

He found Mia in the dining room with Dice and Ryo, playing a board game that Ryo didn't seem to want to play. He ran over to Mia and cried, "Look!" He held up his bangs to make sure she could see what he was showing her.

She gasped and asked, "What happened? Why's it glowing?"

The Trust kanji's glow faded away. He felt it leave and let his bangs down. "I don't know, Mia. It just started up and it hurt."

Ryo and Dice were standing beside them now. "Maybe it was reacting to something," Ryo suggested.

"Rowen?" Mia wondered.

"Maybe." Ryo went to the door of the dining room and called into the den, "Hey, Sage, bring Zee in here! The rest of you get in here, too."

No sooner had that been said than he cried out and leaned heavily against the wall, hands not to his head but clutching and rubbing his chest. A red glow shone from his brow as the Virtue kanji flared brightly. He slowly sank to the floor, groaning.

Mia was at his side and trying to soothe him. "It'll be over soon, Ryo. It can't last long."

A loud thud came from the den and another one came from the bedroom Cye had shared with Kento the night before. Then, Cye moaned and promptly collapsed in a heap in the middle of the kitchen floor.

Zephyr's melodic voice echoed through the suite. "Sage!" she exclaimed in alarm.

Then Danji's voice came from Kento and Cye's room. "Kento! Hey, somebody get back here!"

"Uh…umm…" Mia looked from the door to Ryo to Cye and back again. "Uh…"

Dice solved her problem. "I'll go see about Kento and Danji. Sage is with Zee and she can take care of him. You stay with Ryo and Cye." Then, she ran off to check on Kento and Danji. As she opened the door, White Blaze skidded in, slipping over the polished wooden floor, instantly coming to Ryo.

"Oh, Ryo. Does it hurt?" Mia asked concernedly.

He looked at her like she'd just said the world was flat. "Hell, yes! Of course it hurts, dammit!"

Grrrrrr, White Blaze growled. He was lying with his head against Ryo's ear, purring away in an effort to calm his friend.

"Sorry! Just calm down!" Mia cried.

"I'll calm down when I'm damn ready to calm down!"

"Okay, okay! Point taken!"

Dice passed the den, quickly noting that Sage was lying on the floor with a bright green Wisdom kanji glowing from his forehead and Zephyr was cradling his head and looking satisfied with his condition but very worried. When she entered Cye and Kento's room, she stopped and laughed.

Kento and Danji had been arm-wrestling on the floor. Somehow, when Kento's orange Justice kanji had reacted, he'd ended up lying across Danji's back. Danji was looking extremely uncomfortable and apparently somewhat crushed.

Dice crouched before her best friend and asked between giggles, "What happened, Danj?"

"Well, Kento's forehead started glowing which apparently surprised him and he stood up and then he collapsed on me. Now…I can't breeeathe!"

"Oh, sorry." Dice stood and went around to Kento's head. "Hey, Kento, can you get off Danji, please?"

"Mmmm."

"Guess not." She got behind Danji, straddling his legs, and slipped her arms under Kento. "Here goes," she said and with a grunt quickly lifted Kento up and off of Danji as if she were lifting a couple books.

As soon as he was on his feet, Danji turned around and looked at Dice with a look of surprise.

"What?" she asked.

"Uh, nothing, Dice."

"Okay. I think we better take Kento to the den." With that, she carried Kento out of the room, headed for the den.

Danji stared after her for a moment before hurrying to catch up. "Hey, Dice?"

"Yes?"

"You work out, right?"

"Yes."

"How much?"

* * * * *

"Leave him alone!"

"Why? Are you, a pathetic human, going to make me?" Lumen laughed. This was highly entertaining. One sickly, useless human sticking up for another. How absolutely pitiful!

"Leave him alone! Damn you!" Dais continued to bang against the door and shake the bars of the window, furious with the thing. He knew it was the one that had possessed him the day before. But his fury was fueled by another motive. The screams.

Lumen had showed up half an hour ago with some strange claw-like black metal gauntlet. He'd gone into Strata's cell and the Ronin had put up a fight that was startling considering his condition, but then at least a dozen guards had started helping the thing to subdue him, and within a few minutes Strata was shackled up. Then, Lumen had simply plunged the claw into Strata's chest. That's when the screams had started.

Dais wasn't sure exactly what was going on in the cell across the corridor, but he knew he didn't like it. He could see Strata chained against the wall and the thing called Lumen with his gauntleted hand sunk in the Ronin's chest. There was no blood but the Ronin had his head thrown back and he was screaming like the world was coming to an end. The whole cell and most of the corridor were brightly lit with stunning deep blue light from the Ronin's Life kanji.

Even as Dais continued to throw himself at his cell door, fully armored, he was shocked to see Strata's dark blue and white subarmor suddenly flickering. Lumen grinned and chuckled and twisted his hand again. Strata's subarmor was suddenly gone, leaving him in his street clothes, and the Life kanji had vanished, throwing the prison into darkness again. He screamed once more, the loudest, most blood-curdling one yet, and a little blood trickled from the corner of his mouth before he looked at Lumen in shock. Then, the Warrior's eyes closed and he hung limply from the chains.

"NOOOO!!!" Dais screamed and battered the cell door with renewed rage.

Lumen walked out of the cell and came to a stop before Dais's window. He held up his gauntleted hand and Dais stared in disbelief. There, in the claw's clutch, was a crystal-like, deep blue ball. A kanji could be seen within its depths.

"No…" Dais breathed in shock. He was looking at Strata's armor in kanji ball form. The thing before him had ripped the armor away from the Ronin. Dais could only stare and pray that he was dreaming, that this was merely a nightmare.

"Oh, yes," Lumen said smugly. "This is none other than the kanji orb of the Strata armor. I just tore it out of that human's soul. A most satisfying and pleasurable experience."

"You bastard! You son of a bitch!" Dais screamed and spat in the thing's face.

Lumen just wiped it away and smiled. "Now, I can be rid of that wretched wind elemental. See, without his armor, that human can be killed. And, as soon as he's dead, that damned elemental will be gone."

Dais had to let that sink in. Elemental? Oh, gods. He's talking about the elementals. The Ronins' elementals. But why does he want to get rid of the wind one in particular? Oh, why didn't I pay more attention to Kayura's rambling about all those legends? "You're sick," he told Lumen.

"I know. I love it. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some business to take care of. Then, I'll be back to get rid of your friend and then," he waved his gauntlet in Dais's face, "I'll take care of you." With that, he walked away into the darkness.

Dais stared after him until he was gone and he could no longer hear the sounds of feet on stone. Then, he looked to Strata's cell. It had been left open, as if the things knew he was no threat. The Ronin still hung from the chains.

With the armor gone, Dais saw the Ronin's legs clearly, for his night vision was inferior only to Cale's. They were burnt horribly, as if he'd been dipped in the fires of hell. Dais swallowed hard and looked away from them and to Strata's face. Without his armor, the Ronin might die before Lumen had a chance to kill him.

"Hey, kid, don't you give up yet. You've got a battle to win. They're gonna kill off the wind elemental. Do you know them? Well, if you die, whoever it is dies. That elemental won't even have a chance to defend itself if you don't survive. Besides, I'm sure you wanna kick some ass, right? Just hang in there, kid."

Dais had had enough. As the old mortal saying went, "This just got personal."

* * * * *

"What do we do now?" Rip asked.

"How should I know?" Mia said and frowned.

"Here's Kento," Dice said as she and Danji joined the others in the den.

Mia looked up and stared. "Oh, wow."

"What?" Dice asked. She honestly had no idea what the problem was.

"You picked up Kento!"

"So?"

"No one can do that!"

"Oh…"

Mia regained her coherent senses. "Oh, just put him on that sofa."

" 'Kay." Dice deposited Kento carefully and looked around. Ryo was on the sofa across from Kento's, White Blaze curled up at his head as a pillow. Sage was in Zephyr's love seat, his head in her lap. Cye was nowhere to be seen.

"Where's Cye?" she asked.

"Still in the dining room. We were gonna bring him in here but every time we tried to move him, he'd cry out. We figured he's better off not bein' moved," Rip said.

"I'll go stay with him," Dice volunteered and headed for the dining room.

Danji went to Ryo first because he was the only conscious victim of the enigmatic ailment he, Cye, Sage, and Kento had suffered and because the Ronin was groaning and had his arms wrapped around his chest. "Ryo, let me see," Danji commanded, taking on his doctor's no-nonsense tone.

Ryo reluctantly allowed Danji to pull his black t-shirt up and over his head. Danji took one look at Ryo's chest and shouted, "Dice, get back in here!"

"Coming!" When she got there, Dice stared at Ryo. "Oh, gods."

"Rip?"

"Yeah, Doc?"

"Is there a first aid kit in this place?"

"Yeah."

"Go get it."

Rip ran off to get the kit. Ryo looked at Danji with a confused expression, "What?" Then he looked down at his chest and had to swallow hard. There was a small wound in the center of his chest, and blood was pouring out. No wonder my shirt felt wet.

"Oh, Ryo," Mia whispered.

"I'm okay, Mia. Don't worry. I've got two doctors here and one of them is a healer. I'll be fine," he told her, trying to convince himself of the same.

Rip returned with the first aid kit. Danji was all seriousness. "Dice, do you have your kit?"

"Never leave home without it." She ran for the bedroom she and Mia had shared the night before, returning quickly with a bulging handbag and dumping its contents on the coffee table between Ryo and Kento's sofas. She selected a hypodermic and a bottle, filling the syringe with a clear liquid. A few seconds later, once they'd managed to convince White Blaze that they weren't going to harm Ryo with the needle, and managing to get past the Ronin's movements of protest, Ryo was out cold.

"How long will it last?" Danji asked.

"Forty-five minutes," Dice informed him.

"Okay," Danji said. "Let's do this."

For the next half hour, he and Dice worked on Ryo. Mia watched at first, too shocked to look away. Then she started thinking. If this happened to Ryo, what about the others? She quickly went to Kento. She tugged his shirt up but found no wound. Good. She went to Sage, who was being watched very carefully by Zephyr, sitting with his head in her lap. Mia pulled Sage's shirt up. No wound. So far, so great.

She was about to sit down again when she remembered Cye. She ran for the dining room. When she entered, she found Rip sitting on the floor at his side. She was still in her swimsuit. The water elemental's eyes were closed, and she was rocking back and forth, jaw clenched. Mia noticed that there was water dripping from Rip's hair, forming a puddle on the floor, when her hair had the appearance of being completely dry.

"Rip?"

The girl seemed not to hear Mia.

"Rip?"

Rip rocked faster and faster.

"Rip!" Mia grabbed the teen's shoulders and shook her. Rip's eyes snapped open and she screamed. She didn't stop screaming. Her voice was filled with pain and anger but no fear. And the screams were so impossibly high-pitched that Mia had to cover her ears and back away. Her ears hurt and her head felt like it was splitting. She dropped to her knees, grimacing. A crystal glass on the table, filled with water, shattered.

Then the screams stopped. Mia opened one eye and then opened the other and scrambled across the floor towards Cye and his elemental sister. Dice had tackled Rip and clamped her hand over her mouth. Mia thanked Dice.

"No problem. She got the attention of half the hotel and no one's very happy."

Mia could hear Danji telling someone that nothing was wrong, that the TV had gone haywire for a moment and that's where the sounds came from. Mia looked at Rip and gasped.

Rip's uncovered eye was staring right into Mia's. The sharp crystal blue color from earlier that morning had changed to the gray-blue color of a storm at sea and the colors swirled like something out of a movie, as if there actually was a growing storm cloud in her eye. Like the end of the world.

"What?" Dice asked.

Mia finally looked away from Rip. "What?"

"You said 'like the end of the world.'"

"It's nothing. I didn't mean to say it aloud."

Rip seemed to wake up. She pulled herself out of Dice's grip and crawled to Cye. Then, she collapsed at his side, one hand on his chest.

Mia remembered why she'd come in here. She didn't see a wound on Cye and breathed a sigh of relief. She looked to Dice. "How's Ryo?"

"Still unconscious. He'll wake up in about five minutes. We got him all sewed up and the wound was no more than a gash; it didn't go near any vital organs. He'll be fine."

"What happened to him?" a tired voice asked. Cye was awake but hadn't made any moves beyond opening his eyes. "What happened to me for that matter?"

"Never mind that. Do you hurt anywhere, Cye?" Dice asked.

"No, but I did before. Rip stopped that, though." He lifted a hand and held Rip's.

"How did you hurt?"

"From Rowen. I felt what he was feeling. I felt like every bit of my body was sore and I couldn't feel my legs. But the worst part was inside."

"Inside?" Mia asked.

"Yeah. I felt like someone was reaching inside me and ripping something away from me…a part of my soul. And then I wasn't feeling with Rowen anymore. It was like that part of my soul had been torn off and the moment it was completely gone, I couldn't feel with Rowen anymore. I can't feel him now. It's like our link has been totally severed. And even though I wasn't feeling with Rowen, I kept feeling all that pain. I thought I was dying. But Rip came in and soaked it up."

Cye sat up slowly. Then he pulled Rip into his arms and stood. "She soaked every bit of it up. She could've killed herself." He looked at Dice. "Now, what happened to Ryo?"

"A wound showed up in his chest."

"From Rowen," Cye said. "From when that part of his soul got ripped away. Where is he?"

"In the den, with the others."

Cye walked to the den, carrying Rip carefully. After setting her down in an armchair, he looked at Ryo. There was a line of stitches in Wildfire's chest. Just as Cye was about to touch him, Ryo groaned and sat up. "Oh, man. What hit me? Kento or a semi?"

"Ha. Ha," Kento said dryly, also waking up.

"I thought it was funny," Sage said, awake as well. His eyes were still closed and Zephyr was still keeping her intense, attentive gaze locked on him.

"Shut up, Blondie!"

"No problem. I don't feel much like talking right now, anyway."

Cye stared in surprise, as did Ryo. Usually, Sage would have been at Kento's throat for calling him that. "You okay, Sage?"

"No."

The other three Ronins and Mia, Danji, and Dice looked at each other. This was very unlike Sage. "Care to enlighten us, please?" Dice asked quietly, ever the shy and gentle one.

"Sure. Rowen's giving me a migraine—mostly likely, his—and confusing the hell outta me."

At these words, Zephyr had her hands on Sage's forehead and over his heart in an instant. His eyes shot open in surprise. "Hey! Zee!" He tried to get away but she pressed him back down.

"Do not move," she ordered. "I was only trying to reach Rowen by channeling through you."

"No wonder I felt so weird," he muttered.

"Why can't you do it yourself?" Mia asked Zephyr, bewildered.

"I have tried. I have been cut off from him, somehow."

"You're connected to him through his armor, right?" Cye asked.

"Partially. He and I are, like the rest of you and your elemental sisters, bonded by soul also."

"Well, I know how that partial connection through the armor was cut off."

"How is that?"

"…His armor's been ripped away from him," Cye told them all forlornly. He'd only just figured that out.

"WHAT?!!!"

"I thought so," Sage said and moaned, hands flying to his head. "Stop it, Ro. You're making my head hurt." His eyes were closed again and he didn't seem to realize he'd spoken aloud.

Zephyr immediately started trying to channel through him again. While Sage was groaning and speaking to Rowen aloud and Zephyr was trying to channel, Kento asked, "Hey, if Rowen doesn't have his armor, how come he's still bothering Sage? Wouldn't losing his armor break his link with us?"

"I'm sorry," Ryo said. "I thought you were Kento but Kento doesn't think so you can't be him."

The Ronin of Hardrock lunged at his unofficial leader but stopped mid-leap. A stunned look passed over his face and he gulped. "I don't think I like this," he said.

"Like what?"

Kento pointed down at his legs. He was slowly turning to gray-black rock from the tip of his toes up. "Uh-oh," said Hardrock, just before he turned into a statue.

His elemental sister was in a panic, extremely concerned. "What's happening?!" Dice asked, close to hysterical.

Suddenly, with a resounding crack, the stone Kento crumbled away, leaving the normal (well, as close to normal as he'll get) Kento behind. With a huge yawn, he fell back on the couch. "That," he said, "was weird."

"Actually, I believe it was perfectly normal in your case," said Zephyr. Both she and Sage were sitting up in her love seat, breathing hard from her efforts of channeling. Sage was holding his head in his hands, massaging his temples. Both looked exhausted and somewhat the worse for wear.

"Yeah right," Kento moaned, swatting at Dice's hands. Dice was trying to look him over for any wounds or such, but he insisted he didn't need it.

"Well, please, just hold still to humor me," she said, gaining his reluctant cooperation.

"Ow! Dice, that hurts!"

"Oh, I'm sorry! I'm done, I guess."

"Good. Thanks." He smiled at her and looked at the others. "No one answered my question. And now that I've turned into a big rock, Sage is getting Ro's migraine, Cye's feeling what Ro's feeling, and Ryo got that cut in his chest from Rowen's armor getting ripped away, I really wanna know how it's all happening."

"Maybe our link goes beyond the armor," Cye suggested.

"I believe it does. Yet, there is another factor."

"Which is?" Ryo asked impatiently.

"Each of you had mystic talents before the armors came into your possession."

"Well, duh!" Kento said. "Sage has always been kinda psychic."

"She said each of us, Kento," Cye corrected. "Not just Sage."

"Yeah, like Cye's an empath," Sage said, still massaging his forehead.

"What?!" Cye exclaimed in disbelief.

Sage sighed. "Please don't shout. I've got Rowen's migraine full swing. And don't act like it's such a shock. You've had your ability for almost a year, now. Probably longer."

"But it didn't start till yesterday!" Cye protested.

Zephyr shook her head. "Empathic abilities, and other mystical talents, do not simply 'start'. One has them from birth."

"Besides, I've sensed your ability for almost a year," Sage added. "Are you going to deny both that and Zee's knowledge and experience? After all—how long have you been around, Zee?"

"Let us simply say that I have existed far longer than most spirits and very likely will be about far longer than any of you."

"Oh, alright! Fine! I'm a bleeding empath, then, but that doesn't mean I like it. And I did not know about it till yesterday," Cye said firmly, his accent enhanced by his emotion.

"Hey, Zee, if you're so…uh…if you've been around so long and you know so much about this stuff, what about me and Ryo?" Kento asked. "Why'd he get beat up along with Rowen? And why'd I go stone-man?"

"Ryo's abilities are apparently a spiritual to physical channeling reaction," she informed him. "Ryo's wound was physical but it was caused by a spiritual injury to Rowen. Your own experience was what some people refer to as "stoning," though I do not know what its cause or effect is. There have been such occurrences in the past; however, I do not recall having witnessed one in my period of existence."

"Oh…okay. So how do we keep it from happening again?"

The only answer Zephyr could provide was a gesture she'd picked up from observing the others. She shrugged.

"Oh, that's great. So, you're telling me that every time Rowen gets hurt, Ry'll get hurt, too? And we don't even know what my stoning thing's all about at all? Wonderful, just fantastic," Kento said sarcastically. He was more than a little stressed out. He was also very worried about Rowen. After all, if what had happened to Ryo was any indication of what Rowen was going through, Strata wasn't having any sort of good time.

"I don't think it'll happen every time. It hasn't happened before," Mia pointed out. "Maybe it only happened this time because it was important that we know what was happening to Rowen."

"Good point," said Danji.

"Thank you." Mia blushed slightly.

"Oooo, guys, there going at it, again!" Ryo teased.

"Shut up, Ryo!" Mia threw a pillow and knocked Ryo out of his chair. He shut up and started to get up. He was using the arm of the armchair Cye had set Rip in to support himself and consequently saw her lying in the chair, still unconscious.

"What happened to her?" he demanded. "She was fine before you knocked me out to sew me up. What happened?"

Cye answered calmly, "I had an overload with my empathy thing and she soaked it all up to keep it from killing me."

Ryo looked a little angry. "Is she okay?"

"She is fine," Zephyr assured him. "As the water elemental, her soul dilutes and weakens such things as the empathic data she 'soaked up', or absorbed. Most likely, the use of her power for the first time simply shocked her physical body and brain into coma-state to help her recuperate. No doubt, she will probably awaken within a few hours."

"She'd better."

Mia watched Ryo's reaction over Rip's condition with a small, secret smile, careful not to let the others see her grin.

"I…am…sooo…tired," Sage yawned, blinking and starting to lean backwards.

"Wait just a second, Sage," Danji said. "You never told us what you meant when you said that Rowen was confusing you."

Sage yawned again and blinked owlishly. Then he seemed to snap awake. "Oh yeah. He wasn't exactly talking to me. You know how Cye said Rowen's armor was torn from him? Well, it apparently caused Rowen enough mental anguish that he sorta…uh…snapped."

"Whadda you mean?" Mia asked.

"He snapped. He lost it. It was too much for him. He was screaming mentally and was totally out of it, really messed up. He kept saying something about a spider and purple eyes and blackness and a snake and a dog and an ogre, kinda just babbling. I tried to figure it out but he wasn't himself."

"So, you mean," said Kento, looking really worried, "that even if we get Rowen back, he's going to be crazy?" He hoped the others didn't notice the way his voice trembled. He was really scared for his longtime buddy, now.

"I don't know," Sage admitted, yawning again. He was couldn't stay awake much longer, as much as he wanted to.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Zee's grim face. When she'd been attempting to channel through him to reach Rowen, he'd been very aware of her inner feelings of desperation and slight panic. He glanced at her, quickly taking stock of the look in her eyes, careful not to actually meet them. From what he saw, he could tell she was very tired and worried for her soul-brother, but there was also a glint of silent fury and, almost invisible to any one, he was aware of a hint of fear.

Slowly, cautiously, he slid his hand across the cushion of the love seat and grasped her own slender hand in his. He wasn't surprised that she didn't seem startled; he knew she was extremely intuitive and hard to surprise. It did surprise him when she squeezed his hand. He hadn't really expected her to react at all, and that action indicated that he was accurate in his analysis of the emotions in her eyes. Zephyr needed reassurance right now and he'd offered it in a subtle manner that allowed support without any one else being the wiser.

Sage's eyelids were becoming weighted down beneath the press of sleep and he couldn't help but yawn yet again. To his surprise, Zee yawned in perfect synchronization with his own yawn. Everyone looked at them.

"You two tired?" Mia asked with a grin.

"No," both replied. Another pair of yawns belied their statement.

"Yeah, uh-huh. Sure," Mia said sarcastically. She crossed her arms and gave the two her best I'm-in-charge, stern look. "Go to bed. Zee, you can use my bed. You need to get some more sleep."

"That will not be necessary, Mia. I do not require rest at present."

"The same goes for me, Mia," Sage added.

Mia put one hand on her hip and pointed the other in the direction of the bedrooms. "Go to bed. Now," she ordered, adding quickly, "No buts."

Sage scowled and headed for his and Danji's room, muttering under his breath about overly motherly, bossy women. Kento was going to carry Zephyr but Dice beat him to it. "You should stay and talk some more," she said and headed for her and Mia's room with Zephyr in her arms, the wind elemental still protesting.

Before a conversation could begin though, Danji quickly called everyone's attention to the television. "We should check the news for any mention of our little adventures yesterday," he explained, using the remote to turn on the TV and locate a news program.

At first, there was nothing but the usual reports over upcoming or past events, public announcements, and weather updates. Then the anchorman turned to the camera and said, "And now we'll check in with Shoda Kurosawa reporting from the Hogo Heart Hospital. Kurosawa, I understand that the crowds have grown in the past hour."

Everyone sat on the edge of their seats, their attention fixed on the TV set. The camera provided an overhead view of the hospital, shot from a helicopter, showing the large crowd outside and the police keeping curious people away from the entrances. Then, it switched to inside the building, training on a young man who was apparently the reporter.

"Yes, Mori, since the incident yesterday around noon many people have come here either in curiosity or concern for patients they know staying here," the reporter said. "Despite the efforts of police and security officials, very little has been discovered involving the incident.

"Here's some footage we just obtained from security officials from the security cameras of Hogo Heart Hospital."

A black-and-white video began showing on the screen, viewing a hallway close to a side entrance and a desk. Abruptly, one of the glass doors slammed open and a familiar figure bolted through it and past the desk.

"As you can see, an adult male, Siberian tiger entered the building and ran down the corridor at a speed which we've been told is slightly faster than the species is normally capable of. Notice that the tiger didn't seem to have any concern or interest in the people present but appeared to have a specific objective."

White Blaze was out of the camera's range and the video switched to another camera's view.

"The tiger then burst through the door of a room used for check-ups. If you look closely," the reporter said and the image magnified, "you can see that the animal had something in his mouth. From the look of it, we believe it may have been a bottle, probably a medication of some sort."

The anchorman asked, "Kurosawa, was there any one in the room when the tiger entered?"

The black-and-white video stopped and the reporter's face was being shown again. "Well, Mori, we've managed to find out that the particular room the tiger entered was being used. From what we've learned, we know that the room was in a destructive state before the tiger showed up. Though the reasons for the state of the room are currently unknown, we have a picture taken by a nurse."

The image of the room after Rowen's whirlwind showed on the screen.

"The doctors in attendance in this room were: Dr. Sona Luanne, Dr. Kajtim Danji, and Dr. Bonan Marv. Nurse Esaki Michiko was also in the room but has been unavailable for questioning, along with Drs. Bonan and Sona. Though their names are known, we are not able to release the identities of the patient and friends in the room at this moment."

"Where are those people, now?" the anchorman inquired.

"They, along with Dr. Kajtim and the tiger," the reporter answered, "have simply vanished. Police have refused to comment on where the tiger came from, though it is believed that a citizen most likely kept it as a pet and it escaped. Searching for the missing patient, Kajtim, and the friends of the patient has been going on since the incident but has turned up nothing. One nurse and another station's reporter were taken to the police station for private discussions and have been unavailable for comment. They apparently witnessed something concerning the involved parties."

The anchorman said, "One more question, Kurosawa. Lots of people are concerned for the well being of friends and family staying in the hospital. What can we say to reassure them?"

"We have been assured that no one was harmed during the commotion, patients are perfectly safe, and security and safety precautions have been intensified. Security and police have asked that we vacate the premises so that patients are not further disturbed. So, we'll do our best to keep you up to date on any new developments. This has been Shoda Kurosawa reporting from Hogo Heart Hospital, downtown. Back to you, Mori."

"Thank you, Kurosawa. And we'll check in with Kurosawa later," the anchorman said. He faced the camera and shuffled some papers in his hands. "In other news today, there is still little known about the strange noises that came from the Town Central Park or the unidentified debris found spread across the grounds. Officials believe some people may have used the Park for illegal camping and had a campfire, which got out of control. A fairly large area of the Park has been devastated by fire but grounds-keepers hope to restore that area's plant life by next year. Town Central Park officials have closed off the area until further notice.

"And now, an update of weather with—"

Danji switched off the TV. "Well, that was..."

"Not used to being on the news, eh, Doc?" Ryo asked.

"No," Danji confessed. "But, it's not like you've been hounded by the media before."

"Actually, I have. Remember the incident with a boy and a tiger downtown around three years ago? That was White Blaze and me. If they weren't so dumb, the media and the police might've figured that out by now."

"I guess so."

A groan came from the armchair in which Rip was lying. Everyone looked to her quickly. Ryo and Cye jumped to the side of the chair. The water elemental didn't open her eyes but rolled over and off the chair onto her knees on the floor. She rose and, without ever opening her eyes, staggered across the room towards the kitchen. "I nee' s'm asp'in," she mumbled.

Ryo looked at Cye. "I'll go help her," he said. Casting a glance at the swinging kitchen door, he added, "And make sure she doesn't walk into a wall." He followed after Cye's elemental sister.

Everyone smiled and the room slowly fell into silence. Barely a minute had passed when a phone rang, startling the quiet group.

"I got it!" Rip yelled. She burst in the room and made a beeline for the phone on the coffee table. "Hello?" she answered it in English.

"Hi, Marina. How are you, dear?" the voice on the other end asked in her native language.

Rip quickly switched to Hawaiian. "For the last time, Ma, please don't call me that. I prefer Rip. And I am not a dear. And I'm fine. How 'bout you? How're Pop and Tar?"

"Oh, we're doing okay. Your father seems to have realized how bad off he and Tar are without you when someone needs help with the surfing equipment. Tar just wants you to come home in time for the competition. I think he actually misses you, too."

"That'd be a first. How's Ikaika doin'?"

"Much better. His mother allowed him to go down to the beach yesterday but he can't surf just yet. That cut on his face did scar, unfortunately."

Rip growled at this comment. "If I ever see that mainlander, ever again—"

"Marina, sweetheart, I'm sure that the tourist is very sorry for causing that accident and it was merely an accident. Besides, you probably won't see him again for the rest of your life," her mother reasoned.

"Yeah, yeah. Tell Ik hi for me then. And tell Keiki thanks for the Japanese lessons; they're comin' in real handy. Uh, can I talk to Pop?"

"Sure, Hon, let me go get him. Love you! Bye!" Rip could hear the sound of the phone being set down and then muffled shouting. The phone was picked up again quickly.

"Hey, there, kid! How do you like Japan?" her father's familiar voice asked in Spanish.

"I'm cool," she replied in the same language. "Heard you and Tar're havin' trouble in the shop."

"Nonsense! We're doing fine. Your mother doesn't know what she's talking about," he insisted. "Is the hotel okay? Did you have any problems with the manager? Does the room suit you?"

"Everything's fine. I like it here. Uh, Pop, I—"

"I told you you'd like Japan! It's great isn't it? Have you had a chance to see the sights? And you didn't wanna go to Japan!"

"Pop, CHILL!!!"

"Sorry, Rip."

"S'okay. I still think you shoulda lemme go straight to Australia. I'm really worried 'bout Roar."

"I'm sure she's fine, babe. Any friend of yours has gotta be tough," he laughed.

"Shut up, Pop. You don't understand. Roar's got a rough life. She's got five younger siblings to care of all by herself, she lives in a shack, sleeps on a dirt floor, and works three jobs, all of which are in dirty taverns full of drunken bums. She always manages to find time to email me from the library every day and I haven't heard from her in three weeks.

"Last I heard from her, she said two of her sibs were sick and the way she wrote that letter wasn't like her. I'm real worried, Pop, and I wanna go make sure she's okay. Not take care of international business for you! You coulda done it yourself, or had Tar go!"

"Uh, didn't know you felt that way, Rip…I guess I could arrange for you to go on to Australia and send Tar in your place. What time do you want me to book your flight for?"

"No, wait! I can't leave yet!"

"Whadda you mean, babe? Is something wrong?"

Rip glanced around the room at the bewildered faces of her guests. "Uh, Pop, could ya hold for a sec? And switch to, uh, Japanese?"

"Why?"

"Just do it. I'll explain in a sec. 'Kay?"

"Oh, alright."

Rip hit the intercom button and set the phone in its cradle. Speaking in Japanese, she said, "Okay, Pop, I've got somethin' to tell ya, and I don't want you to say anything until I say you can. Capish?"

"Caposh, kid. Try me."

"Alright. I kinda went surfing. I know ya told me not to, but the waves were just totally awesome yesterday and I couldn't help it. Besides, my life does not revolve 'round takin' care of business. Anyway, I was at the beach and some rookie tried to run a pipe and he wiped me. He busted up my shoulder real bad—but it's fine now—so I hitched a ride to the hospital and while I was there I sorta met these people. One of 'em…I dunno. He's kinda familiar somehow and, well…I wanna stay with him. Don't say anything! I don't mean as in boyfriend. I mean as in a…um…brother."

"So?"

"Sooo…uh, Cye, c'mere. Say 'hi'." She shoved her soul-brother to the phone.

"Umm…hello, Mr. Kahanamoku. I'm Cye Mouri. I, uh, I'm sorry for any inconvenience we may have caused you."

"We? There's more than one of you there? Rip, how many people are in there?"

"Lessee. One, two, three, ummmm…countin' Cye and me, nine."

"Nine?! How long've they been there?!" Rip's father shouted.

"Since yesterday evenin'. Why? If you're worried 'bout the money, I threatened the maître d'. No worries."

"Who are they?"

"Cye's friends. They needed a place to stay and I kinda volunteered."

"Okay, but who are they? What're their names?"

"Uh, guys, tell him who ya are."

The group gathered about the phone. Mia started it off. "Hello, sir. Thanks for allowing us to stay here. We've been having trouble and we couldn't go home. I'm Mia Koji."

"Trouble? Rip!" roared Mr. Kahanamoku.

"Keep going, guys," his daughter whispered. "Ignore him."

Danji nodded and said, "Hi, sir. You're daughter's really kind and helpful. I'm Dr. Danji Kajtim."

"I'm Ryo Sanada," Ryo said. "I hate to say that I'm sorta the cause of the 'trouble' and I apologize for it."

"Rip! Who's that boy? What does he mean 'he's the cause of the trouble'?"

"Hi, Mr. Kahanamoku! I'm Kento Rei Fuan and currently believe Rip is one of the greatest people on Earth!" Kento told the man enthusiastically.

"Rip!"

Dice was hanging back, shyly. Rip got a grip on her arm and yanked her up to the phone. "Pop, this is Dice. She's a very shy, sweet girl and you shouldn't yell cuz you're spookin' her and she's a friend. Shut up!"

Silence.

" 'Kay, Dice. Say 'hi'."

"Umm…hello, sir," said Dice in a very quiet voice. "I'm really very sorry for all this. Rip has been very nice to us and we appreciate it to no end. I'm Gaea Salem, but please call me Dice. I'm really, very sorry."

"Uh, that's okay, um, Dice. I'm sorry for yelling before. Now, dear, I think you should move away from the phone for a moment. 'Kay?"

After Dice had slid all the way across the room, silence reigned for a few seconds. Then, it was demolished.

"RIIIIIP!!!"

Rip just rolled her eyes and said, "What?"

"Why didn't you call me last night and just tell me you were gonna need extra money? Oh, and tell that nice young lady 'sorry' for me."

Rip rolled her eyes again and repeated her father's apology for Dice. "Anything else?" she asked.

"Yeah, why don't ya just take 'em with ya to Australia?"

Rip looked at the phone suspiciously. "Who are you and what've you done with my father?" she asked with sarcasm.

"Nothin'," the man laughed. Apparently, this was an inside joke. "Now, when do ya want me to book the flight for? Oh, and ya said there were nine of ya. Who're the other two?"

"Well, there's a guy named Sage Date and a girl called Zephyr."

"Zephyr who?"

"Just Zephyr."

"Oookay. I've got the names written down. Now, explain the trouble."

"Oh, that reminds me. We're gonna need to take a large, exotic animal with us."

"…Huh?"

"Well, Ryo's got this pet. Its name is White Blaze. When they were at the hospital, Blaze kinda came lookin' for Ryo and upset people by accident. So, now the media's lookin' all over the place for them without mercy and you know how that is."

"Oh, yeah. Do I ever! Every time we go to a competition with you. So what kinda animal is this?"

"An adult male Siberian tiger."

"A tiger."

"Uh-huh. He's real sweet and, Pop, he is the coolest, most beautiful animal I've ever seen, 'sides Sue."

"Alright. Boy, am I gonna have a time settin' this one up!"

" 'Kay, is that everything?"

"No."

"What else, then?" she asked exasperatedly.

"You haven't told me what time ya want the flight for!"

Rip rolled her eyes, picked up the phone, punched the intercom button off again and left the room with the phone to her ear, discussing the times available in Spanish.

Five minutes later, she rejoined the others in the den, setting the phone in its cradle. " 'Kay, guys. We're goin' to Australia! Oh, yeah. And Pop's fixed it so you can go home and get some stuff but you won't be able to stay there long."

Kento looked at her with a grin, glanced around at the suite, and said, "Hey, Rip?"

"Yeah?"

"You're rich, right?"

"How'd you ever guess?" she said with disgust. "I don't like the wealth. My family and I live like everyone else back home. Small house, one car, and we don't get snobby."

"I understand."

"How could you?"

"My family's really rich, too."

"Oh."

"So," Kento looked at everyone. "Let's go! I'm goin' to Austral~ia, goin' to Austral~ia, goin' to Austral~ia! Hey, hey, hey!"

Two words became a universal thought in the room.

"SHUT UP!!!"