Part 18
Saturday came and the four boys arrived at Ryo's house and met his grandmother.
"Wonderful!" she exclaimed after they'd been introduced. "I'm glad Ryo has four nice young boys to show him the ropes, as it were. I was getting worried that he was too much of a loner, his only friend being that old tiger of his."
"Gramma," Ryo whined, embarrassed. "Whiteblaze is a great friend!"
Grandma Sanada patted his cheek. "I know Ryo. I love that old beast as much as you do. Now you boys get on outside. It's much too nice to be stuck indoors. If you need anything, just holler."
Ryo kissed her cheek. "Thanks Gramma. C'mon guys." Ryo led them out to a clearing about a quarter mile from the house.
"Your grandmother sure is nice," Cye said.
"Nicer than my grandfather," Sage mumbled.
"Is it just the two of you?" Cye asked.
"Yeah. What do you guys want to do first? Do you know your armor names? Maybe we should do that first. Kento?"
Kento had gotten all excited and jittery at the mention of armor names. "You bet!" he exclaimed. "I had my dream the other night. It was cool, I got this little kid to give back some money he stole. Anyway, check this out."
Kento pulled out his yoroi and stepped back from the group. "Armor of Hardrock!" Kento jumped and landed, now clad in orange and white sub-armor. "Pretty cool, huh?" he said, standing straight. "Armor of Hardrock. Probably has to do with rocks and earthy stuff, right?'
Sage quietly shook his head. Kento may have been kind of a doofus, but he did have enthusiasm. But Sage hoped no one else told his dream. He sure didn't want to tell his.
Cye laughed. "I wouldn't doubt it Kento. It sure does suit you though."
"Yeah, I agree," Ryo said, grinning. "Cye, why don't you go next?"
"Okay." Cye hesitated as he pulled his yoroi out of his pocket. "Do I have to say my dream?"
"Have to?" Ryo frowned. "Not if you don't want to." Sage and Rowen exchanged a glance.
Cye took a deep breath. "Armor of Torrent!" Cye landed in his light blue and white sub-armor.
"Awesome!" Kento said. "Torrent, that's water and stuff, right? That's totally perfect for you!"
Cye grinned. "Yeah, I thought so."
"Great," Ryo said turning to Sage and Rowen. "Which of you wants to go next?"
Sage waited for Rowen, but Rowen seemed bound and determined to wait him out so Sage stepped back. "Armor of Halo!" Sage appeared in green and white sub-armor.
No enthusiastic cheers followed. Only silent looks of confusion mixed with determination came. Sage waited.
"Um, what does 'Halo' mean?" Kento finally asked.
Sage glared at him. "How am I supposed to know?" he snapped.
"Uh, okay." Ryo stepped forward to head off a fight. "Ro, why don't you go ahead."
Rowen reluctantly took out his yoroi and called his sub-armor. "Armor of Strata!" Rowen straightened in his dark blue and white sub-armor to find three expressions similar to what Sage had gotten and one suspicious look. Probably wondering why we both have blue, Rowen thought. Poof.
"Well, that's cool," Kento said. Sage gave him a sidelong glance, almost daring him to ask a dumb question. "I mean, um, it matches your hair. And stuff." Kento shut up.
Rowen glanced up at the lock of hair that always fell in his face. "Yeah."
Kento kicked at some dirt during the uncomfortable silence that followed.
Ryo took the reigns again. "Right, so, okay, um, why don't we start like this." He pointed to Sage. "Sage since you know some stuff, you and Rowen can go off that way and do.whatever. I'll take Cye and go that way," he pointed behind himself. "Kento, you can come with us, or something."
*
"This is stupid," Rowen said sliding down next to a tree. "I hate this." He and Sage had walked for about five minutes in silence away from the group.
Sage sat across from him. "Yeah I know," he agreed. "But think of it this way. Ryo knows about as much as we do. It's not really his fault that this is so unorganized."
"Yeah well, how come you and are the only ones whose armor doesn't make any sense?" Rowen had an urge to be pouty and whiney and he meant to fulfill it.
"I've been thinking about that," Sage said, understanding but ignoring Rowen's whiney tone. "Ryo's element is obviously fire, Kento's earth, and Cye's water."
"It's so obvious it's disgusting."
"I think our elements are just less concrete, more abstract."
"Abstract," Rowen repeated.
"Think about it," Sage said. "What are the basic elements?"
Rowen sighed. "Land, fire, water, air -- " Rowen looked up. "Air."
"And 'Strata' may well refer to the stratosphere," Sage pointed out.
Rowen smiled slowly. "Yeah. Yeah, I think I like that," he said. "But what about yours?" he asked. "What does 'Halo' mean?"
"The fifth element," Sage said. "Spirit."
"Ah." Rowen gave a nod of understanding. "It fits you."
"I don't think that's a coincidence either," Sage said. "Ryo did say that the armors chose us."
"Which means whatever happens, it's going to be important," Rowen said.
"Right." Sage stood up and offered Rowen a hand. "Which means we need to get to work."
*
"Man, what is up with those two?" Kento kicked a rock as he walked beside Cye and Ryo. "If they don't lighten up pretty soon, there's gonna be a problem."
"In more ways than one," Ryo agreed. "There's no way we can pull off what we're supposed to do if there's all this infighting."
"But Ryo, we don't even know what it is we're supposed to do," Cye said.
"All the more reason for the arguing to stop," Ryo answered. "We need everyone in on this together. I know you guys understand, but I guess I'll have to explain it to them." Ryo stopped in a small clearing. "They're not the most approachable people I've ever met in my life," Ryo said with no small degree of frustration.
Cye rolled his eyes. "You can say that again."
"I can't speak for Sage," Kento said slowly. "But I know Rowen. He needs to feel comfortable around everyone before he starts to open up."
Ryo frowned. "How long does that take?"
Kento shrugged. "Depends. I think with me and him it took a few months." He scowled. "Didn't seem to take nearly that long with Sage," he mumbled and shook it off. "Anyway, maybe if you get him by himself and just try talking to him like normal, that may work."
"Hmm." Ryo didn't seem to keen on the idea.
"Good luck," Cye said. Ryo looked at him curiously. "You're gonna need it."
Back to A Legend is Reborn
Saturday came and the four boys arrived at Ryo's house and met his grandmother.
"Wonderful!" she exclaimed after they'd been introduced. "I'm glad Ryo has four nice young boys to show him the ropes, as it were. I was getting worried that he was too much of a loner, his only friend being that old tiger of his."
"Gramma," Ryo whined, embarrassed. "Whiteblaze is a great friend!"
Grandma Sanada patted his cheek. "I know Ryo. I love that old beast as much as you do. Now you boys get on outside. It's much too nice to be stuck indoors. If you need anything, just holler."
Ryo kissed her cheek. "Thanks Gramma. C'mon guys." Ryo led them out to a clearing about a quarter mile from the house.
"Your grandmother sure is nice," Cye said.
"Nicer than my grandfather," Sage mumbled.
"Is it just the two of you?" Cye asked.
"Yeah. What do you guys want to do first? Do you know your armor names? Maybe we should do that first. Kento?"
Kento had gotten all excited and jittery at the mention of armor names. "You bet!" he exclaimed. "I had my dream the other night. It was cool, I got this little kid to give back some money he stole. Anyway, check this out."
Kento pulled out his yoroi and stepped back from the group. "Armor of Hardrock!" Kento jumped and landed, now clad in orange and white sub-armor. "Pretty cool, huh?" he said, standing straight. "Armor of Hardrock. Probably has to do with rocks and earthy stuff, right?'
Sage quietly shook his head. Kento may have been kind of a doofus, but he did have enthusiasm. But Sage hoped no one else told his dream. He sure didn't want to tell his.
Cye laughed. "I wouldn't doubt it Kento. It sure does suit you though."
"Yeah, I agree," Ryo said, grinning. "Cye, why don't you go next?"
"Okay." Cye hesitated as he pulled his yoroi out of his pocket. "Do I have to say my dream?"
"Have to?" Ryo frowned. "Not if you don't want to." Sage and Rowen exchanged a glance.
Cye took a deep breath. "Armor of Torrent!" Cye landed in his light blue and white sub-armor.
"Awesome!" Kento said. "Torrent, that's water and stuff, right? That's totally perfect for you!"
Cye grinned. "Yeah, I thought so."
"Great," Ryo said turning to Sage and Rowen. "Which of you wants to go next?"
Sage waited for Rowen, but Rowen seemed bound and determined to wait him out so Sage stepped back. "Armor of Halo!" Sage appeared in green and white sub-armor.
No enthusiastic cheers followed. Only silent looks of confusion mixed with determination came. Sage waited.
"Um, what does 'Halo' mean?" Kento finally asked.
Sage glared at him. "How am I supposed to know?" he snapped.
"Uh, okay." Ryo stepped forward to head off a fight. "Ro, why don't you go ahead."
Rowen reluctantly took out his yoroi and called his sub-armor. "Armor of Strata!" Rowen straightened in his dark blue and white sub-armor to find three expressions similar to what Sage had gotten and one suspicious look. Probably wondering why we both have blue, Rowen thought. Poof.
"Well, that's cool," Kento said. Sage gave him a sidelong glance, almost daring him to ask a dumb question. "I mean, um, it matches your hair. And stuff." Kento shut up.
Rowen glanced up at the lock of hair that always fell in his face. "Yeah."
Kento kicked at some dirt during the uncomfortable silence that followed.
Ryo took the reigns again. "Right, so, okay, um, why don't we start like this." He pointed to Sage. "Sage since you know some stuff, you and Rowen can go off that way and do.whatever. I'll take Cye and go that way," he pointed behind himself. "Kento, you can come with us, or something."
*
"This is stupid," Rowen said sliding down next to a tree. "I hate this." He and Sage had walked for about five minutes in silence away from the group.
Sage sat across from him. "Yeah I know," he agreed. "But think of it this way. Ryo knows about as much as we do. It's not really his fault that this is so unorganized."
"Yeah well, how come you and are the only ones whose armor doesn't make any sense?" Rowen had an urge to be pouty and whiney and he meant to fulfill it.
"I've been thinking about that," Sage said, understanding but ignoring Rowen's whiney tone. "Ryo's element is obviously fire, Kento's earth, and Cye's water."
"It's so obvious it's disgusting."
"I think our elements are just less concrete, more abstract."
"Abstract," Rowen repeated.
"Think about it," Sage said. "What are the basic elements?"
Rowen sighed. "Land, fire, water, air -- " Rowen looked up. "Air."
"And 'Strata' may well refer to the stratosphere," Sage pointed out.
Rowen smiled slowly. "Yeah. Yeah, I think I like that," he said. "But what about yours?" he asked. "What does 'Halo' mean?"
"The fifth element," Sage said. "Spirit."
"Ah." Rowen gave a nod of understanding. "It fits you."
"I don't think that's a coincidence either," Sage said. "Ryo did say that the armors chose us."
"Which means whatever happens, it's going to be important," Rowen said.
"Right." Sage stood up and offered Rowen a hand. "Which means we need to get to work."
*
"Man, what is up with those two?" Kento kicked a rock as he walked beside Cye and Ryo. "If they don't lighten up pretty soon, there's gonna be a problem."
"In more ways than one," Ryo agreed. "There's no way we can pull off what we're supposed to do if there's all this infighting."
"But Ryo, we don't even know what it is we're supposed to do," Cye said.
"All the more reason for the arguing to stop," Ryo answered. "We need everyone in on this together. I know you guys understand, but I guess I'll have to explain it to them." Ryo stopped in a small clearing. "They're not the most approachable people I've ever met in my life," Ryo said with no small degree of frustration.
Cye rolled his eyes. "You can say that again."
"I can't speak for Sage," Kento said slowly. "But I know Rowen. He needs to feel comfortable around everyone before he starts to open up."
Ryo frowned. "How long does that take?"
Kento shrugged. "Depends. I think with me and him it took a few months." He scowled. "Didn't seem to take nearly that long with Sage," he mumbled and shook it off. "Anyway, maybe if you get him by himself and just try talking to him like normal, that may work."
"Hmm." Ryo didn't seem to keen on the idea.
"Good luck," Cye said. Ryo looked at him curiously. "You're gonna need it."
Back to A Legend is Reborn