Ronin Warriors

The Ugly Duckling~ Chapter 4: Rowan, The Spy

By ~*Angel*~

                Finally, chapter 4 is out! I worked on this sucker for such a long time…okay, I didn't really, I just took a long time to start working on it. I'm such a procrastinator. But I don't want to lose all my readers so I have to update…^_^ Some good news appeared though…I was searching through my archives and I found a fanfic that I had written a long time ago after I had seen this movie "While You Were Asleep" starring Bill Pullman and Sandra Bullock. I'm going to upload it as soon as I rewrite some of the parts…Next, I have a few fanfic ideas roaring in my head and I'll probably reveal them in the next chapter…They're going to be Ronin Warriors because I've gotten tired of some of the other series and writing about Ronin Warriors is fun. ^_^ Alright, I've spoken enough…see ya!

Disclaimer: BITE ME.

                Sai checked his watch as he shoved his books and book bag into the locker before him. "Darn it, I hope I'm not going to be late…" He muttered. I don't think I even set a time to meet her…He looked towards the lunchroom where he usually met Rowan, Sage, Kento, and Ryo for lunch. Today, however, he would have to skip it. "I should probably tell them," Shutting his locker, he waited a few moments for his friends to show up. When they didn't, he gave a frustrated sigh and quickly left through the corridor doors.

~*~*~

                "Sai?" Kento questionably muttered as he watched the retreating figure.

                "Where's Sai going?" Ryo asked as he looked out the window.

                "I don't know…He didn't say anything about leaving," Kento responded as he turned back around to walk to the cafeteria. "You think he might be going to meet that Meiala girl?"

                "It's a possibility," A familiar voice spoke up from behind them. Rowan's face clearly expressed he thought it to be the truth. "It's more then a possibility…I mean did you seen him bulldozing through all those people just to get to his car? The boy hasn't even straightened out his tie before rushing out to the parking lot."

                "Speaking of ties, this damn things are irritable," Sage muttered coming up from behind Rowan. He tugged at his uncomfortably. "I don't know why we wear these trap devices," He looked up at the other three and cleared his throat. "Even if Sai is going to meet Meiala, if that's who the girl we met today is, then what's it to us?"

                "We're his friends, we should know this sort of stuff," Ryo said as he glanced out the window again. "But you know, he'll probably tell us sooner or later…"

                "Don't you think that if he hasn't told us by now, he probably never will? I mean come on…Sai trusts us with everything, he would've told us the moment he met this girl," Kento objected.

                "Maybe he thinks he's told us but in truth, he hasn't?" Sage suggested calmly as they walked toward the cafeteria. Seeing the look on his comrades' faces, he sweatdropped. "Or maybe not…"

                "I'm going to follow him," Rowan said as he turned swiftly and went out the door that Sai had gone through.

                "Rowan!" Sage called narrowing his eyebrows.

                Rowan didn't answer.

                "That boy is set on his destination…Speaking of destination, lets go find a place to sit down. I'm so hungry," Kento complained as they walked through the lunch doors. "I hope I have enough to eat…"

                Ryo and Sage looked at each and chuckled. Kento always had enough to eat.

~*~*~

                Rowan sat down at the café across the road from McDonald's. From here, he could see the same brown-red hair color belonging to that of the girl they had met during gym today and the auburn-red head of Sai's. Sai was sitting across from her and they were laughing gaily about something she had just said. What is she to Sai? And if she's his girlfriend, wouldn't he have told us? Or maybe Sage was right…Sai tends to be forgetful so maybe he THINKS he told us but in reality, he hasn't? Dammit, I'm gonna…I'm gonna…"I gonna find out who she is!" He punched his fist up into the air, ignoring the stares of people nearby.

~*~*~

                "So how's Uncle Koji doing? Wait…should I be calling him Grandpa Koji?" Sai questioned more to himself rather then Mia.

                Mia giggled. "I doubt he'd really care…but Grandpa Koji has a certain ring to it, doesn't it? And he is doing fine…the nice couple, the Koishi's, dropped him off so he's resting at the house right now…It's got a nasty swell…" She frowned. "Darned racket…I shouldn't have trusted such an ancient thing to not break after such a long period of time."

                Sai took a large bite out of his hamburger. Suddenly, he had a prickly feeling at the back of his neck; turning his head, he surveyed the surroundings. Inside the McDonald's building, one could clearly see that they were busy. Across the street at the Coco Café, he saw waitresses and waiters scurrying around serving the orders of all their customers. Shrugging the prickly feeling off, he turned back to Mia and met her concerned gaze.

                "Is everything alright?" She asked, delicately sipping her milkshake.

                Sai shook his head and grinned. "I've still got an hour left, how about I take you shopping?"

                "You wouldn't mind?" Mia asked, her eyes growing wide.

                "Of course not!" Sai grinned.

                Mia laughed. "A male liking shopping…I'm writing that down,"

                Sai thwapped her lightly, grinning. "Stop laughing or I won't take you. Besides, I'm only taking you to show you around town!"

                "Yeah yeah…" Mia grinned lopsidedly.

                A mischievous glint shimmered in Sai's blue-green eyes. "Mia…I warned you…" Grabbing her before she even had a chance to think about the comment, he put her in a headlock and rubbed his fist vigorously on top of her shiny brown-red head. "Noogie!"

                "SAI!" She squealed.

~*~*~

                Rowan almost quit this mission when Sai turned his way and looked at him. Considering Sai's reaction, or lack of, Sai didn't seem to have seen Rowan. It was a good thing that waiter came along when she did and blocked him from anybody that happened to be looking at him during that time. "Noogie?" He whispered to himself as he watched Meiala and Sai engage in a friendly struggle. Quickly following the retreating couple, he wondered why he was doing this in the first place.

                To find out who she is, duh.

                Yeah…but why am I so interested? Sai's been out with a bunch of girls before…Why does she seem so special? To Sai I mean…

                Yeah yeah…just be careful or you're in big trouble…

                Alright alright…jeez…

                Rowan blushed as the realization hit him. He was talking to himself. Not that it was bad…but it wasn't exactly normal. That wasn't so bad. "ARGH! Where the heck are they?" He swiveled his head looking in all directions before finding the couple again.

                "Sir…are you alright?" A man asked him, eyes widened.

                "Yeah yeah…" he muttered as he stalked off his eyes set on the two people he had come to investigate.

~*~*~

                "Sai and Rowan should be back by now…"

                "Well, there's Sai's car!" Kento pointed out as the familiar car rolled in.

                "Alright, if he asks where Rowan was, we tell him that Rowan is doing some extra credit project,"

                "Sounds like Ro,"

                "Hey guys!" Sai's excited expression greeted their table. "How was your lunch? You know, I meant to tell you guys I was going out but I was running late so gomen nasai,"

                "S'alright, we were just worried…where'd you go?" Sage asked as he sipped his drink.

                "More to the point…WHO'D you go with?" Kento asked bluntly.

                Sage and Ryo elbowed Kento, hard.

                Kento's face turned a faint shade of red before he gulped. "Okay okay…forget my question…" He wheezed clutching his sides.

                Sai looked suspiciously at them. "I went out with Meiala, you know that girl we met today? Anyways, I invited her to McDonald's and took her shopping—why are you guys looking at me like that? And Kento…is there something wrong with you? Your face is turning a lovely shade of purple," He commented dryly.

                Kento grimaced as he felt two bony elbows poking his ribs. "I'm alright…just a stomach ache,"

                "What did I tell you about eating too fast? Jeez…" Sai shook his head. Looking around, he noticed that they were missing a member of their little group. "Where's Ro?"

                "Doing extra credit," Sage replied as he finished off his drink.

                "Didn't he just do extra credit two days ago?" Sai asked confused.

                "And he's doing it again…" Ryo chirped his voice changing from a deep husky sound to a high squeaky sound.

                "You know, you guys are acting weird…"

                "How so?" Sage asked crossing his arms back and laying back.

                "Well Kento there looks like he's constipated, Ryo sounds like a pre-pubescent teen going through puberty…and Sage…you're acting more of a Casanova then ever," Sai commented nodding his head in agreement.

                Silence empowered the four.

                Suddenly, all they did was laugh which got stares from groups all over the cafeteria.

~*~*~

                "All my life, I've lived in this town and I get myself LOST in a damn shopping mall," Rowan muttered to himself. He had somehow gotten himself trapped in the Women's department. Just as long as he didn't—

                "Great." Rowan groaned as turned back around. He had found himself in the under garment section of the store…of ALL the places, he had gotten stuck here. While following Sai and Meiala, he had somehow gotten the girl's shiny reddish-brown top mixed up with another girl's head. Quickly running, he could feel himself becoming more and more frustrated. Grabbing a tuft of his blue hair and pulling it, he swore. "Dammit, if I don't get out of here I'm gonna-,"

                "Hi," A kind voice chirped from behind him. Turning around, he looked at the owner of the voice.

                "My name is Mia Koji," She said holding out a hand towards him.

Kaze ni midareta kami o. Yasashiku naderu

Anata no hitomi miru no ga kowai

Hiza no furue ga douka   Osamaru made wa

Nukumori no naka amaesasete ite

                Rowan could only stare.

                Mia could feel his stare on her. Blushing, she scratched her head and laughed awkwardly. "I know you must think I'm weird to come up to you like this but you seemed frustrated and lost. I only wanted to see if I could help…well, do you?" She questioned. Then giggled as she stole a look at a tuft of his hair standing straight up.

                Rowan shook his head and felt the blood rising to his cheeks. Brushing  his hand through his hair and smoothing it down, he grinned crookedly. "H-hi…My name's Rowan," He offered his hand.

                Mia grinned back and shook it. "Hi,"

Yume ja nai, yume ja nai no Aa Mou

      Kuchibiru de kawaru no   Ima made no futari ga

      Hanasanai, hanasanaide   Aa   Mou

      Kokorogoto daki shime   ...te ite

Next on Ronin Warriors…

Sage: There's something wrong with Rowan…he looks miserable and he blushes whenever we start talking about Meiala…I think something happened between them.

Kento: Plus, I'm mad he won't tell us anything  about Sai and that Meiala girl. What was he doing the whole time? Lollying around?

Ryo: He almost looks lovesick.

Kento: Rowan? Lovesick?! Ryo, there must be something wrong with you. That boy has hormones only for books.

Ryo: Back off! I think I know when a guy is in love!

Kento: Uh-huh…this coming from a guy who has his own altar to the soccer god and never paid attentions to a girl. Yeah. I'm SURE you know what you're talking about.

Ryo: There is no such thing as a soccer god and even if there is, my ROOM is not an ALTAR! It just might have more soccer things then normal people do.

Kento: Is too! And you ARE definitely not normal.

Ryo: Is not! Yes I am!

Sai: Will you two please stop bickering? I'm worried about Rowan…if anything, he looks feverish. I think with it being almost mid-term week, he's been studying too hard and he's stressing himself out. Maybe we should take him out to the ski resort this weekend.

Kento: Great idea! I'm up for it! Babe galore!

Ryo: Is that all you can think of?

Kento: Nope…I think of many other things such as…

Sage: ::sigh:: Next on Ronin Warriors: The Ugly Duckling~ Chapter 5: Rowan's Sickness

Rowan: WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME??

^_^ Well, I hope you all enjoyed that small chapter. The song you heard at the end is "Moment" from Marmalade Boy sung by Kouda Mariko. If you've heard it, it fits the ending almost perfectly…Also, will you guys check my website for updates? I've decided to quit Geocities and get my own domain name. Enough of that…you guys will read all about it at my website.  This was a REALLY short chapter. Since I'm kind of sick, inspiration wasn't really flowing when I wrote this so I'm rather sorry if it's a bit dry. The next chapter is being written as we speak…ja ne! Thanks for the reviews!

~Angel