Me, Myself, and My Haunted Shadow
By Ryoken
"Ne, I think she's waking up!"
"You said that five minutes ago, Kento!"
"No, seriously, I'm sure this time!"
"Maybe someone else should take over..."
"Cye, I'm being serious!"
Footsteps.
"Ne, you're right. She does seem to be more awake. Hey, Riko, Riko wake up."
Still darkness.
"Riko...Riko...Rco...Rco, dear, please, wake up. Please."
"I don't...think she's able to hear us anymore."
"No, she can't be-"
"Mom...Mother, please don't cry..."
"Riko?" Riko suddenly opened her eyes and took a gasp of breath to see the gang hanging worriedly around her. "Are you ok?"
"Kento...?" She said weakly.
"The one and only!" He had that stupid grin on his face again. But she was glad to see it, and him. But she was also starting to get a headache.
"Ow...What happened?" Riko asked, gently rubbing her temples.
"You passed out," Rowen said.
"I...I passed...?" Riko seemed to still be adjusting and unable to think clearly.
"Who were you talking about just now?" Kento said, being nosy.
"Talk...ing...?"
"Yeah, you said 'Mother, please don't cry'." He only appeared to be concerned.
"I...heard my mom...and someone else...They were talking about me, trying to get me to wake up, but the man said that I wasn't able to hear them anymore. She sounded...like she was gonna cry, you know?"
"You gonna be okay?" He asked.
"Yeah...Yes, I think so." Riko didn't make any eye contact. So...that must be...what my mom sounds like...
"You sure?"
"Hai." She nodded and smiled at him. "I'm okay."
The Ronin smiled and, though perhaps it wasn't the best of ideas, decided to leave her. They still had a camping trip to take.
As they piled out of the house and into the van, Riko leaned in the doorway and stared at the ground. She never noticed them waving to her.
"You know, she doesn't look very stable...maybe one of us should've stayed with her?" Rowen suggested, looking back at her.
"Hey Sage, care to enlighten us with your thoughts on the subject?" Cye asked. He'd been quiet the whole time. But now that he had been brought up in the conversation, he didn't have much choice in staying quiet.
"I don't know."
"That's it? She just got into a fight, passed out, and now doesn't seem herself and all you have to say is 'I don't know'?!?!?" Kento argued.
Sage sighed. "How do you even know that she's not herself, Kento? You haven't even known her for a week. Unless, of course, you DO know her and aren't telling us?"
"No, I don't know her! But..."
"I understand what you mean, but even I wouldn't know what to do if even all of us stayed with her. It isn't like there's much we could do for her."
"We could take her to the hospital," he suggested. "Hey, maybe your mom would know what's wrong!"
"I doubt it. She doesn't specialize in 'mental' wounds." Sage pointed out.
"Um, guys? I hate to break up this intriguing conversation, but she's still there," Rowen said.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, she's still leaning in her doorway."
"Wha???" Sure enough, as they realized, Kento had absent-mindedly pulled over to discuss the matter of what to do and she was still in the doorway.
"This is starting to get a little creepy. What's she doing?!" Kento said, looking in the side mirror.
"That's it, lemme out," Rowen ordered. Ryo moved out of his way and Rowen started to walk hastily down the street towards her house. They all watched in anticipation as Rowen went up the front steps.
"Riko? You haven't gone and blacked out on us again, have you?" He said, waving a hand in front of her face. That seemed to do the trick.
"Ah! Oh Rowen, it's you." She said, snapping out of her trance and putting a hand to her chest in fright.
"What were you doing? You've been standing there for five minutes."
"Thinking. Has it really been five minutes?"
"Uh, yeah," Rowen said as though it were a dumb question. He looked into her unidentifiable eyes and realized something. "You never told us what color your eyes are."
"Huh?" Riko was lost in thought again.
"I said, you never told us what color eyes you have."
"Oh..." She remained mute.
"Well, aren't you gonna tell me?"
The rest of the warriors watched Rowen as he talked to her and she finally went inside and closed the door. He jogged back to the car and Ryo let him in.
"Well?" Kento said. Rowen hastily got into his seat and put on his seat belt.
"Her eyes are green, blue and gray."
"What's that got to do with anything!?!" Kento yelled. Sage seemed interested.
"She told you?"
"Yes, she did. Can we go?"
"No, we can not go! What's wrong with her!?" Kento said.
"Kento, just drive already," Cye said to him, noticing something about Rowen's voice.
"Grrrrr, why is it that nobody ever tells me anything!!!!!!!" He said grumpily as he started the car.
Riko sat on the couch and began to realize that she hadn't had a thing to eat. Remembering that she still had the money from yesterday, she went out to go downtown and find a nice restaurant. Having no mode of transportation, she grabbed her favorite black sweater, one gray dragon on the front, another huge red one on the back, and set off for a walk to the city.
She passed a dark alley where she felt she was being watched and she shivered. But that was something she was all too familiar with. Out of habit, she started to hurry her pace, but the feeling followed suite. Across the upcoming street she saw a resutoran, she didn't pay any attention to the sign, and ran to the end of the sidewalk, safely across the street, almost being run over twice in the process, and opened the door. The feeling weakened as she noted that the person must have felt defeat, and then was gone. As Riko looked around, she found that it was a Hanten, and thought how few these must be in a Japanese city. It was extremely empty, with only a few customers, though the place seemed nice enough. A woman with familiar looking dark blue hair walked up to her, an also familiar smile on her face. She reminded her of someone...
"Konichiwa, dear. Go ahead and choose where you'd like to sit. You're lucky you came in at this particular time, we're not as busy today," she said. Riko choose a booth near the window and the woman gave her a menu.
"Arigato," Riko said softly with a smile of her own. The woman seemed to look at her strangely as she caught a glimpse of her eyes.
"Sumimasen, but what's your name, dear?" Riko deemed her trustworthy, considering how familiar she seemed.
"Riko."
"I knew it!!" She exclaimed. Riko jumped in her seat. This onna knew her?! "You're the girl my boy Kento has been telling me about, aren't you!?" Riko nodded slowly. "I knew it once I saw those beautiful eyes of yours. Kento's told me all about you." Riko was getting nervous and started to blush profusely from embarrassment as she sat down across from her. "Oh, how rude of me! I'm Kento's mother."
"Oh!" Now it all made sense. That hair and that smile, who else could it be? What a coincidence, Riko thought.
"It's nice to finally meet you, Riko. Did Kento tell you about this place?"
"No, actually I just saw it and it looked nice enough so here I am," she said with a weak laugh.
"Well, I'm glad you came. What'll you have?"
"Eeto, I'll have an order of show mien, kudasai," she said with a different smile.
"And so polite too! I'll be right back," She said, getting up and turning on her heel. Although Riko did like this woman, she really wanted to be by herself think. She looked around outside and saw a little boy on a skateboard and a red-haired young onna chasing after him.
"Ahh, that's Mia and Yulie, some more of Kento's friends. You'll meet them soon enough I imagine," Rei-Faun-San said. "It'll be ready in a bit." As she sat down, Riko noticed how tired she looked. She must work a lot. "Speaking of friends, has Ryo told you about his, er, pet?" Riko shook her head. "Well, if you're ever in his neighborhood, keep an eye out for him. He may be friendly, but he'll push you over if he's too excited," she said with a laugh.
"I will, but what is it? So I know what to look for," she added.
"Don't worry, you'll know when you see him. Ah, what would be your food," she said as they heard a DING from the kitchen. "I don't usually use a timer, but I wanted to chat with you."
Riko looked out the window again and saw Mia and Yulie again, crossing the street. Speak of the devils, she thought. As she was watching, Re-Faun-San had brought her food and saw that the two were coming as well. Well, speak of the devils, eh? Would you like me to introduce you to them?"
"Iie, no thank you. Perhaps another day," she replied, praising herself for knowing what Rei-Faun-San was going to say.
"Ok then," she said as she waved to Mia through the window. Mia waved back, as well as Yulie. She left to go to the door and speak with them as they walked in and Riko returned to look out the window as she calmly ate her food. It was the best she'd ever had.
She stared at the people and cars that passed by and closed her eyes, losing herself in her thoughts. They all take for granted the freedom they have. They don't even know they HAVE this freedom, she thought. Then she smiled as she quoted what a wise person had once said. "But no, I do not hate them". Her spirits lifted at that thought and she finished her meal.
When she had finished and tried to pay Rei-Faun-San, she refused. "Today's on the house. It's always so refreshing to meet such nice and polite people, especially if they're friends of my son."
"Rei-Faun-San, you drive a hard bargain," She said.
"I insist. You just come back again some time, I'd like to talk to you some more," she said kindly. Riko promised she would as she bowed in respect and left.
"Who was that?" Mia asked as Rei-Faun-San came to the table.
"That was one of Kento's new friends. So polite."
"Well, why didn't you introduce us?" Mia teased. Yulie didn't pay any attention.
"To be honest, I don't exactly know much about her," she said.
"Ah, I understand," and, to Yulie's delight, they placed their orders.
Riko started to walk around aimlessly towards downtown, wishing to "see the sights", and she began to also wish that someone was with her that knew their way around. For someone who was good at remembering their way around, she was confused about where she was. Finally, she came upon a large bridge that was next to two huge whirlpools. Something seemed to draw her to those whirlpools and she began to walk across the bridge. As she reached a place where she could clearly see them, she stared in awe as she became energetic, almost ready to jump into the whirlpools herself. But she knew she'd perish in the power of that churning water.
"Tourists," someone said from behind her. She looked behind her, but saw no one and she guessed it had to be someone in a car. The traffic was awful. Riko shrugged and returned to staring at the whirlpools.
"Why don't you take a closer look, mesuinu!!" A familiar voice said from behind. Riko turned to just barely see Deana's face before she was pushed off the bridge with a scream.
Shimatta!!! How is it that I keep getting into these things!? Guess I should've stayed home today!!! Riko thought as she hung onto the piece of iron for dear life with one hand. The wind and the recent momentum flung her body around like a doll, making it difficult to hang on. She was about to lose her grip on the beam when a strong hand grabbed her wrist and said "Gotcha!!!" What!? No way!! I thought they were going camping?!?! She thought as the all-too familiar voice from above began to slowly pull her up.
Riko laughed a little. "We've gotta stop meeting like this. This is the second time you guys have saved my lousy ass." The person above her returned the laugh.
"You're just lucky we got stuck in traffic," Cye said from above her. Kento finally got Riko to the point where she could go over the railing and back to safety.
Why is it that they're always around right when I need it most? She joked in her thoughts. "Thanks, Kento." He didn't answer in words as he suddenly lugged her over his shoulder. "Waaaaaaah!! Hey!!! Put me down!! Leggo!! Cye!! Help!! What the heck is he doing?!!?" But he could only shrug as his best friend walked over to the van.
"Kento, what are you-oof!!!" Ryo started to say as Kento tossed her into the van into Ryo.
"What the heck are you doing???" Sage asked from the back.
"Why, isn't it obvious?! He can't stand to be away from her for so long!!" Rowen teased, remembering the odd rumor he'd heard before leaving school.
"That's not it." He said calmly. "If she'd gonna get into trouble, she's gotta do it with us around."
"You wouldn't...Kento, you're not bringing me with you on your camping trip, are you??" Riko said, realizing what he meant.
"Kento, you can't!! She doesn't even have any equipment!" Cye argued.
"Sure I can! She can have my stuff," he argued back.
"Kento, if you don't let me outta here, I'll have to report this to your mother!!" Riko threatened.
"But you don't know-"
"Oh yes I do!! I just met her his afternoon, you know. And I also met Mia AND Yulie. I could tell them too." Although that part was a lie.
Kento's eye widened at the thought of what Mia would do to him if she found out. "Fine." He sighed. He stopped the car and she got out as fast as possible. Ryo shut the door and she waved to them in a (hopefully) last goodbye.
"I'm starting to believe Rowen was right, Kento," Ryo said.
"I don't have no stinkin' crush on her, okay?!!?" He yelled.
"Okay, okay, don't have to be so loud about it," Cye said, rubbing his ear.
"Gomen, Cye."
"But really, why did you go and do that?" Cye whispered as he turned on the music to cover for him.
"I dunno...Something just came over me...Like I wanted to protect her from something," Kento said, trying to recall what had come over him himself.
"Think it was the armor?" He asked.
"Could be, Cye."
"Hey, what are you two talking about?!!?" Rowen asked. "I can't hear you from back here!"
"Nanimonai, Rowen," Kento said quickly. "Nanimonai..."
Riko walked cautiously back to the other side of the bridge, making sure she didn't run into Deana again. How had she found her here? Was it just one of her look-a-like friends, or was it the real her? Was it even who she thought it had been? She pulled herself from her thoughts so she could focus on what was important. Knowing that she might possibly be followed by Deana or one of her friends so that they could do whatever they wanted to her when she fell asleep at home, Riko used what "skills" she knew to keep her in hiding and took back alleys and such to get home. Strangely, she knew exactly where to go as she recognized the Rei-Faun Restaurant from earlier. She took a short glance, but didn't see Rei-Faun-San inside. Hurrying now, she went down the same street and ran into the house as quickly as she could as she unlocked the front door.
She relocked the door, and then went to make sure all the windows were locked too. But when she came to her own window, it was wide open again. As Riko stood the top of the stairs to the attic, she began to feel dread swell up in her again. It took all of her courage to look out the window to see if it was possible to climb up. To her relief, below her window was a complete wall, with no pipes or any footholds to climb up with. But then she started to worry again. Was there...was there a burglar in the house? Riko had checked all the rooms with windows, but that didn't mean the burglar, if there was one, wasn't hiding. Quickly, Riko checked all around her room and locked herself in. The least she could do was protect herself if she couldn't protect the belongings. Feeling a little better, Riko laid on the floor to see if she could hear anyone walking around. She still wasn't very relieved when nothing came. Why do these things keep happening to me? First I fight with Deana, then I don't remember how I got home, I go out to eat only to feel I'm being followed, I get pushed off a bridge, Kento tries to kidnap me, and now this! What a day! She thought, sighing. After reviewing her day, she felt she was tired, but she was too afraid to go to sleep. Suddenly, she heard a knock on the front door. She could faintly make out the words the person said: "Hello? Is anybody home? I have some packages for a Sara-kun." Shimatta! Why did my stuff have to come right now?! Riko sighed again. There were two options: one, she could just stay there was wait for him to leave the stuff on the porch, but Deana might find the stuff, recognize the name, and steal it all or ruin it, or two, she could go down there and get it and hope that either there was no thief or that she didn't get killed by him. She didn't want all her precious memories to get stolen and put in Deana's damn room or broken so she decided to go down there. Hurrying, Riko opened the door a crack and it was the real guy. She also noticed there was no one else around, or so she hoped.
"Are you Sara-kun?" he asked nicely.
"Desu Sara-kun." She said, trying her best to smile.
"I have your things right here, Miss. My apologies for it being late," he said with a small bow.
"Nanimo desu."
"Just sign here." Riko signed it and he signaled for two other men to bring in the packages which held her things. They were in about five large boxes, and Riko showed them where to put them. After a few minutes, their jobs were done and she thanked them. Riko locked the front door again and ran up to her room. She shut the door and searched her room. When she found nothing, she locked the door and smiled. Well, at least this would give her something to keep her mind off of the days events.
She opened the first box and took out some of her more sentimentally valuable items: a few books and her large jewelry box. Riko had no jewelry that was incredibly valuable or worthy of stealing and selling. It was all "sentimental" things. She placed the books and box on the large dresser near her bed.
The next box she opened said "fragile" all over it and she opened it to find her plants inside. She first took out her favorite, Dittany of Crete, and made sure it was okay. It was one of the more rare plants that she owned. It was just as she had last seen it and she placed it on her shelf with the other books. She made sure her other plants were all right, but didn't take them out. There was no real place to put them yet.
The next one she opened was very large and also had the word "Fragile" on it. She smiled as if it were Christmas and opened it to find all of her dragons inside. Not real ones, of course, merely posters in frames, little statuettes made of glass, plastic and some other substances she didn't know, stuffed toys, paper ones, a dragon snow globe, lamp, and a plate that had a dragon sculpted on it.
She would place them all later once she setup what was in the next box: her computer and her new computer desk. Her parents had agreed to buy her a new one since the older one had been glued together along with screws and the like and it would have been difficult to put together again. The new one was about the same size, but Riko was good at putting things together. She wouldn't put the desk together now, of course; it was a two-person job. Maybe when Justine got home they could put it together; or if not, maybe one of the guys would help out when they got back from the trip. Riko didn't take anything out of that box.
The last two boxes contained just most of her clothes, shoes, and a few other things she wanted to take along: some other figurines of unicorns and cats and pictures and other essentials that couldn't be re-bought.
Riko had finished placing some of the larger dragon items on the shelves when she heard a car outside and someone with keys unlock the door and come in.
"Sara, I'm home. Are you here?" Riko was relieved to hear Justine's voice and not be alone. She unlocked the door and hurried down stairs where she gave her a big hug. "Well this is certainly a different attitude than this morning." She smiled.
"Eeto, Justine?" Riko whispered.
"Nani?" She whispered back.
"I think someone's in the house. My window was open when I got back from a restaurant," Riko lied. She didn't want to worry Justine with what had happened on the bridge.
"I see." Justine looked very serious, but calm too. "Follow me to the kitchen, I've got something in there for just such an emergency." She did as she was ordered to do, and Justine took out a revolver from a drawer. Justine took Riko's hand and together they searched the entire house only to find that everything was where it was left and there was no one in the house except for them. Relieved now, the two of them headed for the kitchen and Justine put the gun away. "Well, no burglar. Where were you all that time?"
"In my room, putting my things away. They came while you were gone."
"Oh goodie! Now I get to see your stuff!" Justine exclaimed. She acts like a teenager, but I'm glad she does, Riko thought. She raced Justine up the stairs and when they got there, Justine was in awe. "Wow, look at all this dragon stuff!" She said, going over to the poster of a map with dragons all over it. "I've never seen so much of it in one place before!"
"Yeah. Hey, Justine, could you help me put my computer desk together? It's a two-person job," Riko asked.
"I'd love to! Sides, even with all the stuff I have, I don't have a computer." She said.
"Don't expect much out of it. It gets moody," Riko laughed.
"Oh?"
"Yeah, I've got to get it fixed someday when I get the money," she said.
"I see. Well, what do we need?"
"Well, some glue and a screwdriver," Riko replied, looking at the directions.
"Okay, be right back," Justine said as she took her time going the stairs.
As the two worked together, the time seemed to slip away as they got to know each other better. It was one in the morning when they were finished with it and the computer. Justine didn't seem to be the handywoman-type like Riko was.
"We should get to bed, it's late," Justine said, looking at her watch.
"Yeah, I'm game."
"See you in the morning then, Riko."
"Jaa ne," Riko said as she almost fell instantly asleep when she climbed into bed.
"Grr...Light, you baka!!!" Kento yelled as he tried to light the fire.
"Hurting the log's feelings won't get you anywhere, Kento," Rowen taunted as he came back to camp.
"Urusei!"
Rowen shrugged and cringed as a drop of water hit his head.
"NOOOOOOO, now I'll never get this thing to light!!" Kento cried as more drops fell from the sky.
"Ne, I know! Let the pyro try," Rowen said.
"Good idea! If he can't get it to light, nobody can," Kento said as Rowen went to fetch Ryo.
No one, huh? A certain someone thought. He grinned slightly as he summoned a thunderbolt from the sky to hit the logs and ignite the fire. The three Ronins were confused when they saw the fire lit as they came back. That was his small deed of fun for the day.
"Hey, Sage, I thought we weren't going to be using our armors for this weekend?" The Britt behind him said.
"What can I say, Cye? I can't help it if I enjoy proving certain people wrong," Sage said with a sly grin. Cye only returned the grin and shook his head as he went to prepare dinner in the rain.
************************************************************************Words that were used:
Ne- Okay/Hey
Hai- Yes
Resutoran-restaurant
Hanten-Chinese restaurant
Konichiwa-Hello/welcome
Arigato-thank you
Sumimasen- excuse me/pardon me
Onna-woman
Eeto-Um/uh
-San - suffix used to express Mr./Mrs./etc
Iie-no
Masuinu-bitch
Shimatta-damn it!
Gomen-I'm sorry
Nanimonai- nothing
-Kun -suffix used for young adults or younger people
Desu-I am
Nanimo desu-It's nothing
Nani-what
Jaa ne-See you
Baka-idiot/stupid
Urusei-shut up/noisy
