Chapter 11
"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?" Rowen yelled at Loren.
"I was thinking either I engage the three nutcases or watch them destroy the house and every other living thing until I came out," Loren shot back angrily.
Rowen didn't answer.
"By the way," Loren asked, "how did you know that I was in trouble?"
"Halo warned me," Sage said.
"Don't ever do that again," Rowen said, cutting Sage off.
"Chill, Rowen," Loren said.
"Rowen's right," Ryo said, "please don't scare us like that."
"It couldn't be helped," Loren said in a matter of fact tone.
"Please warn us if something like this should happen again." Kento asked.
Loren was getting angry, "I need to depend on myself," she snapped, "You five aren't always going to be around."
"Yes, but you need trust us," Cye said.
"Are you five still afraid of losing me like you lost Anubis?" Loren demanded in an angry tone.
"Yes," Ryo admitted.
Loren lost all control, "I AM NOT ANUBIS!" she yelled, "I DO NOT WANT TO BE TREATED LIKE I'M GOING DIE. HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I TOLD YOU FIVE THAT I AM NOT ANUBIS, AND I WILL NEVER BE ANUBIS. ALL I ASK IS THAT YOU TREAT ME LIKE A NORMAL PERSON!"
Loren stormed out of the living room into the training area in the house, put on boxing gloves, and punched the punching bag. As her anger died down, Loren stopped punching the bag, took off her boxing gloves, and began to practice her martial arts. The movements and rhythm of the various disciplines helped clam her and clear her mind. She probably shouldn't have lost control and yelled, but she was tired of people treating her like she was going to die. She wasn't Anubis, she would never be him, but everyone seemed to tell her that her personality was exactly like his. The other eight armor bearers thought the Kami had given Anubis back to them through her. Why couldn't they realize that she was a totally different person? True, they had many of the same attitudes, they had a similar personality, and Loren's face was just a feminine version of Anubis' face, but Loren was different from Anubis. Loren had dirty-blond hair while Anubis had reddish-brown hair. Loren had the same haircut as Anubis, but she wore her hair in a ponytail, while Anubis pushed a small amount of his hair in front of his ears and didn't bind his hair back. Loren had straight eyebrows that were light brown, while Anubis' eyebrows were split at the ends and were the same color as his hair, and Loren had lighter skin than Anubis did. Anubis had never sung at a club before and preferred to play the bamboo flute. Loren couldn't play a musical instrument, but preferred to sing at clubs.
Loren stopped her practice and thought about their similarities. Loren and Anubis loved spring, and the Sakura was their favorite flower. Both enjoyed reading, calligraphy, the cultural arts, and mythology. They both hated re-fried beans, cheap shots, and dishonorable tactics. Both could make friends in a snap if put into the right social setting, both had the maturity of adults at 15 years old, even if it was for different reasons, and they both enjoyed gardening. Loren also knew that if Anubis had been born in this century, he would probably enjoy doing research in libraries and would write books about ancient cultures.
Loren laughed silently at the last difference between her and Anubis: Anubis was Japanese and Korean. He lived in a very different culture that stressed, in his case, loyalty to one's lord. Loren was an American born in the 20th Century. She bowed down to no man, but that didn't mean that she wasn't loyal to those she cared about.
As her virtue glowed on her forehead, Loren realized something, maybe she wasn't Anubis, but she did care about her five friends. Maybe they couldn't change the past, but they could have a better future. Maybe she was the one to help the other eight bearers move on from Anubis' death and into happiness.
Loren walked back upstairs to living room. The Ronins were sitting together in a semi-circle when she walked in. "I'm sorry I lost my temper," Loren said, "but I cannot be treated like I'm someone different."
"We don't want you to die," Rowen spoke in a serious manner.
"I know I remind you five of Anubis," Loren replied, "but I will never be him. I know we have many similarities, but I am someone else."
The five Ronins looked at the floor.
"Maybe I can't bring him back," Loren said, "but maybe I can help you five move on with your lives."
"How do intend to do that?" Cye asked.
"Well," Loren smiled, "we can always go to the clubs on Friday nights when I'm performing. I can also practice with you five, if it will make you feel better about how well I can defend myself."
Everyone smiled at that suggestions.
"How does that sound?" Loren asked.
"Great," all five spoke in unison.
"Good," Loren smiled, "I'll see you Sunday morning for practice."
'Thanks for warning the others,' Loren told her armor when they got to her room.
'I didn't warn them,' Cruelty responded.
'What do you mean? You didn't warn Halo,' Loren asked.
'No,' Cruelty replied.
'Then who did?' Loren asked.
'I don't know,' Cruelty said truthfully.
"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?" Rowen yelled at Loren.
"I was thinking either I engage the three nutcases or watch them destroy the house and every other living thing until I came out," Loren shot back angrily.
Rowen didn't answer.
"By the way," Loren asked, "how did you know that I was in trouble?"
"Halo warned me," Sage said.
"Don't ever do that again," Rowen said, cutting Sage off.
"Chill, Rowen," Loren said.
"Rowen's right," Ryo said, "please don't scare us like that."
"It couldn't be helped," Loren said in a matter of fact tone.
"Please warn us if something like this should happen again." Kento asked.
Loren was getting angry, "I need to depend on myself," she snapped, "You five aren't always going to be around."
"Yes, but you need trust us," Cye said.
"Are you five still afraid of losing me like you lost Anubis?" Loren demanded in an angry tone.
"Yes," Ryo admitted.
Loren lost all control, "I AM NOT ANUBIS!" she yelled, "I DO NOT WANT TO BE TREATED LIKE I'M GOING DIE. HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I TOLD YOU FIVE THAT I AM NOT ANUBIS, AND I WILL NEVER BE ANUBIS. ALL I ASK IS THAT YOU TREAT ME LIKE A NORMAL PERSON!"
Loren stormed out of the living room into the training area in the house, put on boxing gloves, and punched the punching bag. As her anger died down, Loren stopped punching the bag, took off her boxing gloves, and began to practice her martial arts. The movements and rhythm of the various disciplines helped clam her and clear her mind. She probably shouldn't have lost control and yelled, but she was tired of people treating her like she was going to die. She wasn't Anubis, she would never be him, but everyone seemed to tell her that her personality was exactly like his. The other eight armor bearers thought the Kami had given Anubis back to them through her. Why couldn't they realize that she was a totally different person? True, they had many of the same attitudes, they had a similar personality, and Loren's face was just a feminine version of Anubis' face, but Loren was different from Anubis. Loren had dirty-blond hair while Anubis had reddish-brown hair. Loren had the same haircut as Anubis, but she wore her hair in a ponytail, while Anubis pushed a small amount of his hair in front of his ears and didn't bind his hair back. Loren had straight eyebrows that were light brown, while Anubis' eyebrows were split at the ends and were the same color as his hair, and Loren had lighter skin than Anubis did. Anubis had never sung at a club before and preferred to play the bamboo flute. Loren couldn't play a musical instrument, but preferred to sing at clubs.
Loren stopped her practice and thought about their similarities. Loren and Anubis loved spring, and the Sakura was their favorite flower. Both enjoyed reading, calligraphy, the cultural arts, and mythology. They both hated re-fried beans, cheap shots, and dishonorable tactics. Both could make friends in a snap if put into the right social setting, both had the maturity of adults at 15 years old, even if it was for different reasons, and they both enjoyed gardening. Loren also knew that if Anubis had been born in this century, he would probably enjoy doing research in libraries and would write books about ancient cultures.
Loren laughed silently at the last difference between her and Anubis: Anubis was Japanese and Korean. He lived in a very different culture that stressed, in his case, loyalty to one's lord. Loren was an American born in the 20th Century. She bowed down to no man, but that didn't mean that she wasn't loyal to those she cared about.
As her virtue glowed on her forehead, Loren realized something, maybe she wasn't Anubis, but she did care about her five friends. Maybe they couldn't change the past, but they could have a better future. Maybe she was the one to help the other eight bearers move on from Anubis' death and into happiness.
Loren walked back upstairs to living room. The Ronins were sitting together in a semi-circle when she walked in. "I'm sorry I lost my temper," Loren said, "but I cannot be treated like I'm someone different."
"We don't want you to die," Rowen spoke in a serious manner.
"I know I remind you five of Anubis," Loren replied, "but I will never be him. I know we have many similarities, but I am someone else."
The five Ronins looked at the floor.
"Maybe I can't bring him back," Loren said, "but maybe I can help you five move on with your lives."
"How do intend to do that?" Cye asked.
"Well," Loren smiled, "we can always go to the clubs on Friday nights when I'm performing. I can also practice with you five, if it will make you feel better about how well I can defend myself."
Everyone smiled at that suggestions.
"How does that sound?" Loren asked.
"Great," all five spoke in unison.
"Good," Loren smiled, "I'll see you Sunday morning for practice."
'Thanks for warning the others,' Loren told her armor when they got to her room.
'I didn't warn them,' Cruelty responded.
'What do you mean? You didn't warn Halo,' Loren asked.
'No,' Cruelty replied.
'Then who did?' Loren asked.
'I don't know,' Cruelty said truthfully.