The Last Amazons
By Dixxy
Chapter Two: Adjusting to a New Life
(Sage)
It seems like I find myself sitting on a lot of roofs. Roofs are places I go to think. Clearings to meditate work too, but something about rooftops are nice. I mean, you're out in the sunlight (or the moonlight, depending on the time of day and time of the month), sometimes you get a nice breeze, and it's an awesome place to watch a sunrise or sunset.
Which is why I'd dragged Cara, Mike, Sue Lee, and Kento onto the roof with me. To watch the sunrise.
"I've never watched a sunrise," said Sue Lee. The nine year old sat anxiously on the roof, looking up into the dark sky. She looked at everyone else. "Have YOU ever seen a sunrise?"
"I have, but it was over four hundred years ago," said Cara, laying sprawled out on the rooftop, her camera by her side. One of Cara's obsessions is photography. The other obsessions are Mike and. . . toasters. Yes, toasters. She thinks they're the greatest invention in the world. Personally, I'm partial to radios and CDs.
Mike was looking up quietly from his seat next to Cara. "I've done this a few times, but I don't do it often," he said. "Sunrises are one of the most beautiful things you can lay eyes on. The colors are absolutely breathtaking."
Kento, who was wearing sunglasses, swimming trunks, and flip flops as well as sipping lemonade, laughed. "He does this all the time. Back in Japan he did this daily." He took a slurp of lemonade and sighed in pleasure, lifting his sunglasses and looking at the glass of yellow juice in mild amazement. "Who'd have thought that concentrate would taste this good?"
"He gets up this early all the time?" asked Sue Lee, turning to Kento.
My friend nodded, removing his sunglasses, folding them up and holding them in his hand. "Yup. Up by five every single morning."
"And you sleep until ten," I said. "The only person I know who's worse than you is Rowen." I cringed at the mention of my old best friend. I missed him and everyone I knew back in Japan. It was going to take a while before I totally accepted our whole "never see our family or friends for the rest of our lives" thing. I don't think I ever will, but because of Trulpa, we have to act like Sage Date, Kento Rei Fuang, and Cye Mouri are all dead, probably lying in some unmarked grave or at the bottom of a lake, and not watching sunrises halfway across this planet.
"Look!" said Cara, pointing out on the horizon that lay just above the tree line. She whipped up her camera and started to take pictures. "Oh, it's so pretty! Sue Lee, look at all the colors! It's amazing! Oh, I forgot how beautiful sunrises were!"
Sure enough, the goldenrod circle began to rise in the east, taking our breaths away. I gasped in awe as the sky became a wash of pinks, purples, oranges, and reds. The sun twinkled and glistened in the sky like a giant topaz jewel and felt as welcoming as a homemade breakfast with all the trimmings. I closed my eyes and relished as the sun's rays began to warm the city of Boston, making me smile.
"Great idea, Sage," said Mike. "This is cool."
"Look at the sky! It's all pretty colors!" said Sue Lee.
Kento laughed. "Dude. And I thought the sun was only capable of sun burns and skin cancer."
"That's our fault for building factories and using too many aerosol cans," I said. "You know, Ozone Layer, Greenhouse Affect, that stuff." I laid myself down on the roof and soaked up the rays. This was bliss. This was a perfect moment.
~
Later that day, Kento and I met Cye and the girls at Quincy Market. We just wanted to spend the day hanging out all around Boston, checking out some of the sights and stuff. When we got to the meeting place (right outside of the WB Studio Store), only Sam, Ria, and Cye were there. That meant that Rona, Sara, and Keisha had yet to show. Cye spotted us and waved us over, Sam smiling shyly at me and Ria yelling out her normal greetings, which typically could be heard from as far away as Illinois.
"Hiya, guys!" said Ria. "What's up?"
"We watched a sunrise this morning," said Kento. "It was pretty."
"Yeah, sunrises are pretty," said Sam, sighing happily as she leaned up against the brick building, hands behind her head. "The birth of a new day."
Cye nodded. "I love watching the sunrise or the sunset over the horizon line of the ocean. The water reflects the suns rays and it just looks so. . . relaxing," he said. He smiled. "THAT'S the way to watch the sun rise or set."
"Kento!"
Kento was nearly knocked over as Keisha rammed into him, throwing her arms around his neck and glomping him from behind so it looked like he was giving her a piggy back ride. Kento looked up at his smiling girlfriend, grinning. Keisha hugged her head, rubbing her cheek to his hair. "Miss me?"
"How could I not?" he said. Keisha laughed and let herself down so the two could hug (properly) and briefly kiss. Ria gagged and the darkest skinned member of our group shot her a look that screamed murder. Wildfire of the Senshi just sent her a pair of thumbs up and grinned. Keisha rolled her eyes.
"Keisha, you make me sick." We all turned to see Rona and Sara walking over. Sara had made the comment.
"So, what's on the agenda for today?" asked the Hispanic Strata of the Senshi. Rona stopped before us, her hands on her hips and her head slightly tilted to the side.
"Any ideas?" asked Sam. "We never really discussed what we were doing today."
"Well, well, well, if it isn't Ria Carmichael and her gang of losers. Did you just induct three more goons, or are those boys gonna be bait for Sam's next feeding?" (Author's Note: Get ready for an extremely unwanted guest star!)
My head turned to see a tall, red haired girl with deep green eyes, though she looked nothing like Ria. Just by looking at her in the way she wore mini skirt and halter top and the way she wore her make up that she was definitely a "popular" kid. You know, the ones who are always mean to the "nerds" and "freaks".
"Who's this bimbo?" asked Kento.
"And what whore house did she crawl out of?" said Cye.
Ria sighed heavily. "This is Sheila McConner. She goes to school with us, though it would be so much more pleasant if she went to school in Alaska," the Senshi of Fire said bitterly. She turned to the other redhead. "What do you want, Sheila? Modest clothing? Good taste? Or would you rather have someone try to fix that ugly mug you call a face?"
Sheila rolled her eyes. "I happen to be much more attractive than you, Carmichael. If you knew what good taste was then you'd be in something other than that ridiculous get up," she said.
I looked over at Ria. Ria was wearing red high tops, a pair of denim shorts, and a red T-shirt. "What's wrong with what Ria's wearing?" asked Rona, scratching her head. "Looks fine to me."
Sheila laughed. "It's so, unfashionable."
"What, because she didn't buy it from some designer store?" asked Sara.
"You should talk. You and those dorky trench coats and boots you wear all the time make you look like a pint sized secret agent," said Sheila. She looked me up and down, then followed suit with Kento and Cye. "So, who are these fine young men, anyways? They seem too good-looking to be hanging out with the likes of you losers. Why don't you three come with me? I have two friends who'd love to help me show you all a good time, if you know what I mean."
I went wide eyed and suddenly felt a loss for words. Cye's cheeks turned an interesting shade of red. I wasn't sure if he was really angry or really embarrassed. Kento just placed one of his fists on his hips and stared Sheila down. "I'm Kento, that's Cye, and this is Sage. Now, just to let you know, I'm currently in a loving relationship with Keisha, so no, I don't want a 'good time' from you. Second, Cye and Sage, I'm very sure, aren't looking for a 'good time', either. And if you have nothing better to do that pick fun at Ria for actually wearing clothes and trying to get you and your friends laid with men you hardly know, then I won't waste my time with you since you're just going to be another two-dollar-slut someday. So you might as well just pick a street corner and start offering grown men quickies for fifty bucks a pop and get the hell out of here." Kento nodded as Sheila's jaw dropped like someone had dropped a five pound weight on her tongue. He (very eloquently, I must say) brushed her away with the flick of his hand, gently grabbed Keisha and made one of the coolest Public Displays of Affection I have ever seen. Keisha seemed a bit surprised, but seemed to enjoy it.
Sheila, not being able to take that someone had talked her down, walked away in disbelief, causing the UNOCCUPIED (cough, cough) Senshi to cheer wildly and hoot insults at her. In fact, a few people we didn't know cheered in, some chanting some very nasty insults, some that even I wouldn't repeat because they're so bad.
Cye looked at Sheila with his eyes wide and his bottom lip pouted out a little bit. "Somehow, I get the strangest feeling that I knew her in another life," he said.
"What makes you say that?" asked Sara.
The youngest of the Ronin Warriors shrugged. "I don't know, I feel like if things were different, then I'd know her from somewhere else, it's giving me the creeps because I know it would be something bad." (Author's Note: Looks like the EoI universe just won't leave him alone. . .)
Ria shrugged. "Well, this is this life, you're going to end up with Sara, and you have no reason to be afraid of her."
Cye (wisely) ignored Ria. "So, now what?"
"All in favor of tracking down Sheila, getting some paint filled water balloons and flinging them at her and her friends say 'charge'!" said Ria, throwing a fist high into the air.
The group remained silent. Ria pouted, weakly said charge, and said she was going to the joke shop to buy the biggest pack of water balloons she could find, mumbling something about the lack of team work.
The rest of us stared at her in shock and stupor. "How's about the rest of us just check out a movie and go out to lunch after that?" Kento suggested.
Sara clapped her hands and jumped up and down. "Movie, movie, movie!!!!!"
"She's beginning to act like her mother," said Rona. "That's our cue to bring her to the latest slasher fic before she starts wearing headbands, aprons, and flowered house dresses."
Sara's mouth dropped as if she were starting to tell us off, and the rest of us nodded and started off towards the movie theatre, (literally) dragging Sara in tow.