Chapter Five
"Demons in the Doorway, Monsters Down the Hall"
By Ghost of the Dawn

Chapter Five - Magic Beneath the Moon

"I'm still not sure I want you to go, Robyn," Mrs. Mouri repeated for the fourth time as she paced and fussed about Robyn's room. Robyn, for her part, just ignored the older woman's fretting as she continued to pack her travel bag for the weekend. They had all been looking forward to this trip to the beach house ever since Kento had announced it three days ago. And Robyn for one was not going to miss it no matter what Cye's mother said.
Cye had already finished packing his things and they were waiting by the front door for when Kento dropped by to pick the two up for school. He could hear his mother berating Robyn for ignoring her. The sandy-haired young man shook his head. Sometimes his mother fretted over the silliest things.
"Relax, Mom," Cye said as he walked into Robyn's room. "We're just going for the weekend. And we'll all be there to take care of Robyn if anything happens. And it isn't like she's going to be the only girl there. Mia's coming, too. You know she's very responsible."
"Yeah," Robyn decided to join in then. "So it's not like I'm going to get gang-raped or anything."
Both Cye and his mother's eyes went wide at Robyn's comment. Robyn zipped up her travel bag while Mrs. Mouri turned and walked out of the room. The wide-eyed expression on her face never wavered.
"That girl is the bluntest person I have ever met," she mumbled to herself. Cye, who had heard what she said, chuckled.
"That got her to leave me alone," Robyn snickered.
Cye gave her a tolerant look as he came in to lean against her bed post. "Really, Robyn, some of the things that pop out of your mouth - I just don't know about."
Robyn slung her stuffed bag over her shoulder and shrugged with a smile. "Hey, whatever works," she defended as she slipped past him and out down the hall.
The doorbell sounded soon after and Cye could then hear Kento's voice resound through the house as Robyn let him in. "Hey, Cye, let's get going, you slacker!"
Cye rolled his eyes as he headed for the door.

*****

The day seemed to pass by so slowly for the six teens. Each eagerly watched the clock as the end came near and the last bell finally sounded, signaling their release. Kento ran out of the school whooping up a storm. He had Cye's smaller body tucked under one arm as he jumped down the stairs towards the usual meeting place. Ryo and Robyn were already there and laughing as Cye insulted Kento and tried to worm his way out of the Warrior of Strength's steel grip.
"Pay no attention," Kento advised the two. "He made fun of me in the hall so now he's carry on luggage for the rest of the trip."
"Just because I'm not some muscle bound ox who can lift three times my own weight..." Cye mumbled to himself as he hung there pathetically like a rag doll.
Rowen walked up with Sage and bent over so that his face was more at the same angle as Cye's. "Well look at you," the blue haired boy grinned. Cye's face darkened a shade and he growled.
"Come on, Kento," Robyn said as she tugged on his arm. "Let Cye go, we're all supposed to be having fun here."
"Oh all right," Kento relented as he set Cye down gently on the pavement. "But I hope you learned your lesson, bud."
Cye stayed crouched as he straightened his shirt and then gave Kento a mischievous look. "I'll show you what lesson I learned."
The bearer of Torrent was instantly on top his larger companion. Robyn's eyes went wide in surprise as Cye managed to take Kento down and the two proceeded to wrestle in the grass nearby. The rest hardly regarded the play fight as Robyn stared on.
"Woa, Cye's tougher than he looks! Did you see what he just did to Kento?"
"Mmmhmm," Ryo replied dully as he checked through his bag to make sure he had brought everything. "Come on, guys, remember we still have to pick up Mia, too. Don't want to get to the cabin too late."
Rowen and Sage nodded and picked up their things as well. "Come on you two," Sage called. "There will be plenty of time for that when we get there."
"Oh, okay," Kento relented. Both boys let go of each other, brushed the dirt from their pants, and headed for Kento's jeep with the rest of the group.
All of the gang's travel gear was already packed tightly in the back of Kento's jeep. While the packing in of the teens themselves proved to be quite a tight fit as well. Ryo lucked out in being the first one to snag the front seat while the other four all had to squish in the back. Robyn didn't say anything, but she purposefully planted herself between Rowen and Cye so they couldn't find an excuse to fight with each other on the way to Mia's house.
Mia lived almost a fifteen minute drive away from the city. It was a beautiful two-story cabin - far too big for merely one person to live in. But Mia seemed to enjoy staying in the large house by herself and stepped out to greet her friends with a smile as they drove up. Ryo was the first to return the greeting as he easily slipped out of the front seat.
"Hi, Mia, are you ready to go?" he asked.
"Sure are," Mia replied with a grin. "You guys just load your things into the van and we'll be on our way."
"Will do!" Kento said as he moved for the back of his jeep to retrieve everyone's luggage.
Just then, the remaining teens in the back seat suddenly decided they all wanted out at the same time. Mia and Ryo's attention turned to the noises created by the four strugglers.
"Yo! Lemme out!"
"Quit pushing!"
"Rowen! Get your elbow out of my face!"
"There is another door to get out of, you know!"
"Well, if you're so smart, Sage, then why don't you use it!?"
"I would if it wasn't ON THE OTHER SIDE!! YAH!"
Sage, who was the one originally closest to the door, decided he had enough of the pushing and used all the strength he had in him to shove the other three back. There was a dull thunk as Cye's back collided with the opposite side. Then Sage calmly strode out unmolested, straightened his clothes, and joined Kento in gathering up the luggage and relocating it to the back of Mia's van. The remaining three then easily spilled out with Sage no longer blocking their exit.
Mia shook her head as she watched the display. She never would have guessed her legendary Ronin Warriors could be this childish when she had first met them. In fact, they weren't when she had first met them. It seemed that while Mia got to understand their personalities a little bit during the battle, it was only after Talpa's death did she truly see what kind of people these five young men really were.
Destined warriors or not, they were still teenagers - and quite goofy ones at that. Was it so wrong that they wanted to have fun now that the Evil Dynasty had been vanquished? Certainly not! They deserved to live normal teenage lives like everyone else. But Mia had also begun to notice a subtle restlessness building within the group. They seemed to hunger for confrontation as they continued to insist on bickering amongst themselves. Even if it was all done in good nature it was still there. Was this the way they really were? Or was the fighting nature of their armors, long since been out of use, now influencing their personalities? And with all Robyn's childish antics, she wasn't helping the situation one bit.
But things started to settle down as everyone loaded their belongings into the greyish blue van. The large vehicle wasn't really Mia's. She had traded her jeep for it from a neighbor. It was the only possible way all of them would be able to make the trip using only one car. And as luck would have it, the seating arrangement couldn't have been better if Mia had planned it herself. Sage was the first to call shotgun while Rowen and Kento sat in the middle seats. In the back went Ryo and Cye with Robyn in between them.
The crew all cheered together as Mia started up the van and they proceeded to the main road to start their journey. Forty-five minutes down the road was spent with Kento explaining what the place was like and what they were going to do there. This was followed by idle chatter about school and home as Mia asked the boys what they had been up to lately and visa versa. The talking died down for a while so Robyn decided to start up a sing-a-long in which all the boys in the back joined in with loud voices to the tune of whatever silly song popped in their head. From her place in the driver's seat, Mia was smiling as she listened to the out of tune chorus.
"Care to join in?" Mia asked Sage as she started to sing also to the songs she knew.
Sage only gave her a sideways smile and shook his head. But as he turned to watch out the window, Mia could have sworn she saw him mouthing the words as well.
The sun was starting to set as the group finally reached their destination. Just as Kento had explained it - a quaint little log beach house by the water front. The lawn had long since been reduced to wild weeds from its lack of use but it was still quite a sight to see. Cye, who had started to nod off in his seat, was the last one to see it.
"Hey, Cye, wake up," Robyn said as she elbowed him in the ribs. "We're here."
"Huh?" a droopy Cye asked.
"Yo, dude," Kento said from the seat in front. "Take a look at that."
He gestured to the large, sandy beach spreading out for miles as the waves lapped at the shore. Cye was transfixed as he stared out the window. The bearer of Torrent was starting to get pretty antsy when Mia finally stopped the van.
"So when's dinner?" Kento instantly asked. "I'm starved!"
"Mia," Cye pleaded as politely as he could. He kept taking nervous glances from her to the sea shore as he spoke. "Would you mind getting dinner ready without me? I need to - I mean, I..."
Mia smiled all too knowingly at him. "Not at all Cye, it's fine."
There was a chorus of protests as Cye, who was the farthest from the door, scrambled over everyone in his haste to get out. The second his feet touched ground he was off like a rocket towards the shore, hopping down the sand as he struggled to remove his shoes and socks as he went. His shirt was next to go but he still had his pants on as he dove face first into the frothy surf.
The other boys hardly cared as they all stepped out and stretched from their long ride. Robyn was the only one who watched where Cye had disappeared into the ocean with a puzzled look on her face. "I'll never understand that kid and water," she stated.
Kento just grinned. "He'll be back soon enough. Let's help Mia get the food in so we can eat."
Robyn fully agreed with that suggestion and soon everything was packed into the cabin Within no time, Mia had delicious smells wafting in from the kitchen while the rest of them set about removing furniture covers, dusting things off, and placing clean sheets on all the beds. Dinner was just about ready when a damp Cye stepped inside, shoes dangling in his hands and his shirt draped over his shoulder.
"Feel better?" Ryo greeted when Cye walked through the door.
"Much," he grinned. "I'm going to the bathroom now to change."
"And you can clean it while you're at it," Rowen added as he thrust a pail full of cleaning supplies at him. "We've done everything else."
Cye merely shrugged in compliance. He was in an incredibly good mood at the moment and not even Rowen could do anything to mess that up.
Mia's dinner was delicious and everyone helped clean up afterwards. It was dark now, with the sun's last light barely touching the horizon. The air was crisp and clear and warm. Mia and Cye were finishing up in the kitchen while Ryo, Rowen, and Kento vouched for playing around near the shore closest to the porch light. As Robyn stepped out on the porch she noticed Sage sitting on the steps. He had a book in his hand while bugs flittered around the light bulb above him. A pair of thin rimmed glasses were perched on his sharp nose as he read.
"Hey," Robyn greeted quietly as she sat down on the same step he was.
"Hn," was the only sound Sage made to acknowledge her presence.
Robyn hugged her knees as she watched the three boys toss around Ryo's glow-in-the-dark frisbee on the darkened sandy beach. But her gaze eventually drifted over to the young man sitting next to her. It took a while for Sage to realize he was being watched before he slowly lowered his book and gave her a questioning look.
"I didn't know you wore glasses," Robyn stated simply.
Sage laid the book in his lap as he adjusted the glasses on his nose. "Only when I read, and sometimes when I watch TV," he explained. Robyn nodded, though she didn't stop looking at him. "What?" Sage wanted to know.
"May I?" Robyn asked, motioning to the glasses.
When Sage voiced no objection Robyn reached out and slowly removed the glasses from his face. With them on, both of Sage's eyes could be seen but as they were removed, the thick yellow hair fell back down in place over his right eye. Robyn studied the breakable object in her hands before putting them on herself and gazing around the place as if they would somehow magically allow her to see the world as Sage saw it.
"Do you always wear your hair that way?" Robyn wondered as her gaze once again settled on the Warrior of Light.
"Why?" Sage asked defensively. "What's wrong with it?"
"Nothing. It's just that you really shouldn't hide your eyes like that."
"And why is that?" Sage asked levelly.
"Well, because your eyes are so beautiful."
Sage raised an eyebrow at her. "Is that a come-on?"
Robyn bristled at the cold treatment and stood up, looking down on him with her hands on her hips. "Well, where I come from it's called a compliment."
"Hey, everyone!" Cye called. The tantalizing aroma of warm popcorn floated out as he poked his head through the door. "We got the VCR hooked up. It's movie time!"
"All right!" Ryo yelled from the beach. The three boys wasted no time in dropping their game and running inside.
"I smell popcorn!" Kento declared as he stepped through the door.
"Did anyone bring any headache medicine?" Rowen's voice asked.
Robyn was about to follow when Sage made a sound similar to clearing his throat and put a hand on her shoulder to stop her. He then deftly removed his glasses from her face and placed them on his own. Robyn gave him a crooked grin as she walked inside and Sage followed soon after.

*****

It was still early in the morning as a sleepy eyed Robyn walked tiredly into the kitchen. She was wearing her pajamas which consisted of plaid shorts and a T-shirt as she sat down at the table with a yawn. Her hair was pulled up into a messy braid from that night's slumber but at that point, Robyn didn't care how she looked. "
Morning," Cye sang cheerily from the stove where he was cooking breakfast. He was always an early riser, even despite the fact that the gang had been up late the previous night watching movies and snacking out. "You're up unusually early, Robyn."
"That's because I couldn't sleep with you rattling all those pots and pans down here," Robyn mumbled.
"Sorry," Cye apologized happily. "Hope you're ready for some breakfast."
Robyn gave him a tired smile. "Aren't I always?"
Ryo and Sage came down together next. Both were dressed in sneakers, shorts and T-shirts. "We're going out running, be back later for breakfast," Ryo called as he and Sage headed out the door. Robyn waved them off tiredly before resting her chin on her palm and slowly closing her eyes.
"Robyn, how do you want your eggs?" Cye turned around when he didn't get an answer. "Robyn? Robyn?"
"Huh, what?" Robyn asked as she snapped awake.
"Eggs," Cye repeated.
"Uh, scrambled, thanks," she replied before once again slumping her head tiredly where she sat.
"Here you go," Cye said, setting a full steaming plate in front of her nose.
Robyn appeared to lack her usual fervor for food when it was early in the morning. She mumbled her thanks to Cye and tiredly picked up her fork, slowly nibbling on her eggs with eyes half closed.
There was the sound of thumping feet as Kento lazily descended the stairs. He yawned and scratched himself idly as he lumbered in wearing nothing but a pair of dark greyish blue sweat pants.
"Hey guys," he greeted in a drowsy voice. He paused to gaze out the large picture window. "Man, look at that sky. Today's going to be great."
Robyn looked up, but it wasn't what laid outside the window that caught her eye. It was the muscular, shirtless young man that grabbed her attention first. That was enough to shock her awake and she started choking on her breakfast as a result. Cye, who was surprised at her reaction, patted his coughing friend on the back while giving Kento a dirty look. Kento, for his part, just smirked at Cye and moved towards the stove to see what was for breakfast.
"You okay, Robyn?" Cye asked as she managed to finally clear her air passage.
"Yeah," Robyn mumbled as she finished coughing. "Just... was startled, that's all."
Cye started in on his own breakfast but kept an eye on Kento who was still by the stove admiring the view out the window. The Warrior of Strength grabbed a piece of bacon as he idly leaned against the counter to eat it. Robyn kept watching him, hardly paying attention to her food while Cye drummed his fingers on the table in annoyance. He knew that Kento was doing this on purpose and there wasn't much he could do about it.
"So, what are we going to do today Robyn?" he asked, trying to draw her attention somewhere else. All he got was a mumbled, inaudible reply from her as she put her fork in her mouth in almost a daze.
"Robyn, are you listening?" The response remained next to nil. "Robyn? Robyn! What do I have to do to get you to listen to me?!" Cye asked in frustration.
Robyn finally turned to him and smiled. "Sorry Cye, but unless you're willing to take your shirt off for me, Kento's got my attention for the duration of the show."
"Oh, for crying out loud," Cye exclaimed. "Kento! Go get dressed!"
"Oh, all right," Kento said reluctantly as he went off to find a shirt.
"There," Cye stated. "Now will you-"
Robyn was quick to cut him off as she leaned out farther to catch one last glimpse of Kento before he disappeared out of the room. She grinned to herself after he was gone. "Mmmm, niiiiice."
Cye glared at Robyn's goofy grin and let her daydream as he went back to moodily chewing on his breakfast. Mia and Rowen came down seconds later. The former was bright eyed and bushy tailed, dressed and ready for the day. On the other hand, Rowen was still in a sweater and sweat pants with disheveled hair and an expression that said he may have risen but he was refusing to shine that morning.
"Well, good morning sunshine," Cye announced. "I didn't expect to see you up for another couple of hours."
Rowen gave him a dirty look and reached blindly for the coffee maker to pour himself a cup. "Stupid sun shone right in my window," Rowen grouched as he sipped the dark liquid.
Mia ignored his bad mood and continued smiling sweetly as she helped herself to breakfast and sat down with the rest of them.
"So Robyn," Mia began, trying to start some friendly conversation. "How did you sleep last night?"
"You're not going to get an answer," Cye replied as Robyn seemed to be oblivious to everything around her. "She's too busy daydreaming about Kento."
Both Mia and Rowen raised an eyebrow at that statement. "He came down here with his shirt off," Cye continued to explain as he rose and took his empty dishes to the sink.
"It was good," Robyn informed Mia with a grin. "If only all guys were like that."
"Well, I happen to know that all of the guys here look pretty good without their shirts," Mia responded quietly with a knowing smile.
"Really? Even..." Robyn jerked a thumb in Rowen's direction. "Stick Boy?" Mia nodded.
"Rowen!" Robyn grinned as she turned in her chair. Rowen gazed up from his coffee mug to give her a questioning look. "Come on Rowen, take off that shirt. Let's see how you compare to Kento!"
Rowen gave a grunt of disapproval before picking up his coffee and walking out of the room.
"Party pooper."

*****

The weather was beautiful. The sky was clear and there was a cool breeze in the air - perfect sailing weather. The five Ronin boys all realized this during mid-afternoon when the weather was the hottest. With each dressed in only their swim trunks, they went to the shed and dragged the two dusty skimmers residing there towards the water. They weren't really sailboats, more like long flat rafts with sails attached and each could hold only two or three people. After about an hour spent on maintenance to make sure the boats were in proper order, they were ready to go.
"Ready to set sail guys?" Rowen called from where he, Cye, and Sage had boarded one boat. Ryo and Kento were in the other.
"Yeah," Ryo chorused enthusiastically. "Let's go!"
"Hey, hold on," Kento insisted. "Look who finally decided to come and join us."
He pointed to the cabin when a thin red-haired girl stepped out onto the porch. Earlier that morning after breakfast, Robyn had lazily pronounced it to be "Pajama Day" and insisted on spending her morning on the couch with a cup of hot chocolate in one hand and a notebook in the other. Despite many different invitations to get up and do something that day, Robyn insisted that her current project was more important and maybe she'd get up and get dressed later. She had been quiet for the rest of the morning, staring at her notebook with a concentrated expression and writing a few lines down every now and then.
The boys were beginning to believe that she was never going to go out. They were all surprised to see her standing out there on the porch - finally ready for the day. Robyn had on a yellow swimsuit under torn Levi shorts. Her hair was pulled back into a french braid even though stray strands had already gotten loose and were being teased by the breeze.
"Wow, will wonders never cease," Ryo joked. "Let's see if she wants to go sailing with us."
"I don't know Ryo," Cye countered. "Robyn kind of has this thing about-"
"Hey, Robyn!" Kento cut him off before Cye could ever finish.
The girl turned when she heard her name called and smiled as she walked down the beach to them. "Hey guys, what's up?"
"Want to come sailing with us?" Rowen invited.
Robyn looked at Cye as she thought the proposition over. His face told her she didn't have to go if she didn't want to. "Sure," Robyn shrugged.
Cye was surprised by her answer but reluctantly let it pass. He could make sure Robyn stayed safe out on the ocean. Unfortunately, the boat he was in was already full.
"Um, Sage, do you think you could go with Kento and Ryo and let Robyn ride with us?"
"Don't worry about it, Cye," Robyn quickly waved it off. "I can go with these guys." She hopped onto the other floater and grinned. "I get to hang out with my good bud Kento!"
"Yeah, that's right!" Kento grinned as he playfully looped his arm around her neck.
"Okay," Cye relented. He took his place on his own boat but he still wasn't looking too comfortable about the idea.
"All right, guys," Rowen whooped. "Let's head out!"
There was a chorus of whistles and hollers as Sage untied the first boat. He nudged it out and then jumped onboard with Rowen and Cye. "Sit down you two so we can get going," Ryo ordered with a smile as he pushed off the second boat. Kento and Robyn obediently found places to sit as the two boats floated out into the open sea.
A warm breeze flowed above the water and filled the sails. The skimmers clipped along at a brisk pace. Sage smiled as the wind whipped through his thick hair. He breathed in the salty sea scent as he sat cross legged in his spot. Next to him Cye leaned back on his elbows, one leg dangling in the water. Rowen was manning the sails; doing what he could to keep the boat racing along at a good pace. The small boat suddenly surged up as it hit a rather large wave. Sage was broken from his serene trance when he had to grab hold of the side before he fell off and into the water.
"Gotta keep on your toes out here, Sage," Cye laughed.
"Oh yeah?" Sage replied with a wicked grin. "Let's see how you like it."
He advanced on his water loving friend. Cye tried to scoot away while still keeping his balance but Sage got a hold of his leg. The two proceeded to try and wrestle each other off the boat.
"Hey, cool it, you guys, before you tip us all ov - AH!" Rowen's warning was cut short as the boat tipped and all three of them were poured into the ocean. When the teens surfaced, they could instantly hear the laughter from the others. "Good going, you guys," Rowen grouched as he hauled his sopping wet self back onto the boat.
Sage and Cye just looked at each other. They exchanged evil looks and then promptly lifted their side, spilling Rowen into the sea again. The two conspirators laughed and exchanged high fives while a sputtering Rowen broke the surface once more.
Across the way, Kento was about to fall off himself from laughing so hard. "Did you see that?" he called.
"Heh, yeah," Ryo chuckled. "Aren't you glad you came with us instead, Robyn?"
Robyn grinned, trying to hide the uneasy feeling slowly gnawing at the pit of her stomach. She was determined to have fun and not let her fear of the water get the best of her - even though she started to clutch the side of the board even harder.
"No kidding," Robyn chuckled. "They sure didn't last long, did they?"
"Yeah," Kento agreed. "Hey, who taught you guys how to steer a sail anyway?"
"Oh, it's their turn now," Rowen said lowly as Cye and Sage climbed back onto the floating object. "Come on guys, let's let them."
Sage showed his agreement by taking the sails and steering their boat for the one with the dry passengers. Rowen took point, eager to be the first one to lay siege on their target. "Uh oh Ryo, look who's coming for us," Kento pointed out.
"So, that's how they want to play it, huh?" Ryo asked to no one in particular. "We'll see if they can catch us." He tugged on the ropes so the sails would catch the full force of the wind.
"Ramming speed!" Rowen hollered as his boat was quickly closing the gap between them with Sage at the helm.
"Oh, shoot," Robyn muttered to herself. She had now decided going sailing was a bad idea as the others continued to catch up no matter what they did. She scooted to the back of the boat and braced herself as they got close enough for Rowen to reach them.
Kento seemed to sense her anxiety and turned to her. "Don't worry, Robyn, I'll take him out." A weak smile was all Robyn could manage before they were attacked.
"YAAAH!" Rowen hollered as he stood and jumped from his boat to the other.
He was immediately challenged by Kento and the two proceeded to try and wrestle each other into the water. Robyn just clenched her teeth and made a small whining sound as the boat rocked and bounced from the battle.
All of a sudden, it seemed as if a large wave came out of nowhere and snatched away Robyn's grip on the side. Instantly she lost her balance and fell into the water with a startled cry.
The two boys stopped fighting at her splash.
"You should have held on better than that, Robyn," Kento laughed. Rowen chuckled as they waited for her to surface. The smiles quickly vanished when she didn't. "Robyn?" Kento asked the water. "ROBYN!!" Kento felt like his veins were on fire as extreme panic caused his heart to jump. "Ryo! She's not coming up!"
In the blink of an eye the black haired youth was in the water.
"Oh, man," Rowen fretted as he hopped back onto his own boat. "Sage, pull around to the other side."
The blonde warrior instantly complied. He tugged on the ropes, changing the angle of the sail and the direction of the boat. As they maneuvered around, Cye continued to watch the waters with growing anxiety. He thought he would die of fear when Ryo emerged emptyhanded.
The bearer of Wildfire sputtered and gazed around at the water frantically. "Where is she?" he cried.
Cye was instantly on his feet and he dove into the water. The boat cradled from his take off, but no one ever noticed. All eyes were riveted on the deep blue abyss. Ryo continued treading water, his heart feeling like it would explode from anticipation.
"Come on, Cye," he muttered.
Suddenly, the surface was broken as two heads emerged. For all first appearances, Robyn seemed to be fine physically as she was kicking and thrashing in the water. As soon as the air reached her lungs again she started screaming bloody murder to the world. It was all poor Cye could do just to hold on to her flailing body.
"Ryo, help me get her *gasp* to the boat," he called as he spit out sea water.
The two warriors struggled to haul the thrashing girl onto the boat. Kento did his best to help hold her when they got her out of the water. Robyn appeared to have lost all sense of reality as she continued to scream at them and struggle wildly.
"What the heck is wrong with her?" Kento demanded.
Cye climbed aboard and grabbed her shoulders. "Robyn! Robyn, listen to me! Robyn!"
He shook her roughly and Robyn suddenly stopped screaming as she snapped out of her trance. She looked around with wide eyes, mouth agape, as if seeing them all for the first time. She worked her mouth up and down in confusion as she gazed around her.
Kento was leaning over the sail and staring warily at her as if she were suddenly going to jump up and bite him. Ryo's face was full of worry as he floated in the water and clung to the edge next to her. Across the way, Sage and Rowen shared the same look of bewilderment. Robyn's eyes returned to Cye's; surprisingly the calmest of the group. But his face still showed that of great concern.
"Robyn," he said again softly. Robyn tried to speak but no words formed on her tongue. She shook her head as tears stung her eyes and she flung herself into Cye's arms. Cye put his arms around her and held her tight against him. He could feel her body wracking from her silent sobs as tears began to wet his already damp skin. He slowly stroked her hair and whispered that everything would be okay.
"I think we should head in now," Ryo finally spoke up. The others seemed to agree. "Kento, can you handle the sails?"
"Huh?" Kento was brought in from his own trance. "Uh, yeah, Ryo, no sweat."
Ryo nodded and swam over to Rowen and Sage. Kento pulled on the ropes controlling the sail and steered them back for shore. Robyn continued to shudder and hold tight to Cye. No one spoke a word the entire ride back.

*****

"So what's the deal with this girl?" Sage demanded.
The sun was setting now. The group of the five boys were gathered on the porch, the events of earlier that day still on their minds. They were now dried and dressed in regular clothes and Robyn was still in the room she had gone to when they reached the shore. Ryo, Rowen, and Kento were sitting calmly in various places on the porch. Cye was standing, leaning his elbows on the railing while Sage was pacing back and forth when he had voiced his question.
"Well?" Sage asked again when no one answered. He turned and looked expectantly at Cye, who had refused to meet his gaze. "What happened out there Cye? What was that?"
"Some kind of flashback, I suppose," Cye mumbled humbly.
"Flashback! Flashback!?" Sage's voice rose with his anger. "What kind of flashback? The last thing we need is to have to take care of some psychopath!"
Cye stood up straight and clenched his fists as he finally raised his deep green eyes to meet Sage's stormy purple ones. "Be careful Sage," Cye warned in a more dangerous tone than anyone had ever heard him use. "You don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh, I don't, huh?" Sage retorted, ignoring Cye's threat. "Well then, how about you enlighten us all, hmm?"
Cye glared daggers at him. He allowed himself a few breaths to calm himself as the others watched him expectantly.
"Robyn has... a fear of water," Cye explained slowly. He tried to keep his voice calm but it was obvious to anyone this was a hard thing for him to say. "You see, when Robyn was little her... mother tried to um, she tried to kill her several times by holding her head underwater." The group was stunned into silence by that revelation. But none so much as Sage himself. When Cye looked up at the blonde young man his anger was rekindled. "And thank you so much for bringing that up, Sage," Cye spat before stalking off the porch and away from all of them.
There were several moments more of startled silence before Kento spoke up. "Wow, guys, do you really think that's true, what Cye said?"
"I don't see why he would have any reason to lie to us," Rowen replied softly. "Especially about something like that."
"Well then, I'm sure it's an easy bet to who feels like a big jerk now," Kento said as all eyes moved on Sage.
The blonde young man only closed his eyes and sighed.

*****

The gang of weekenders continued to be blessed with ideal weather as they sat around a campfire that night under a clear sky full of bright stars. When Ryo and Rowen had started the fire there had been question if they could manage to get everyone together again after what had happened earlier that day. But Rowen managed to drag Sage into the circle and Robyn came out obediently the second she was asked. Though she never said a word, she wrapped herself in a blanket and took a seat on a large fat log. And when Cye saw she was there he went down and sat by her.
The conversation around the fire that night stayed pretty low and calm. Ryo, Rowen, Kento and Mia were the only ones who did any talking that night. Sage sat next to Rowen, content to just listen to the others talk. Across the fire from him Cye poked the ashes with a stick while Robyn snuggled into her blanket and kept her gaze to the ground.
Sage tried his best to look disinterested but he couldn't help but watch her across the flickering flames. The fire cast shadows across her features, making her face look hollow and empty. Sage narrowed his eyes as he thought about what Cye said earlier. He had to admit, if it was the truth it was a horrible one. But Cye, of course, would never make up something that serious. But it still made Sage wonder.
He sat up straighter as an idea hit him. What he decided to do he didn't do often, but he was going to try it tonight. Sage moved his legs in a more comfortable position, then closed his eyes as he calmed his body with practiced confidence. His grandfather had taught him how to do this but it took years of discipline and training before he could actually master it.
Sage breathed deep, reaching inward and outward to a higher plane of consciousness very few mortals ever experienced. He focused his inner powers until he could see the world around him without eyes but by sensing the light from the auras surrounding him.
Sage slowly opened his eyes. They had changed from a greyish purple to a deep violet. Sage looked around him, seeing not with just his eyes but with an finely tuned sixth sense as well. As a result of this practice, he could clearly see the auras surrounding each object. The grasses and bushes glowed a deep patient hue while the auras of the people in the vicinity shone far brighter.
Sage had since grown accustomed to his friend's shining auras. Ryo's burning red, Kento's flaming orange, and Rowen's shining deep blue. Mia's aura glowed a healthy white thought it wasn't as bright as the others. Sage turned his gaze to the remaining two. Cye's light blue aura was so bright it practically drowned out that of the other person sitting next to him. Sage had to concentrate extra hard to try and block out the light so he could clearly see what he had set out to find.
One could tell a lot by looking at a person's aura, Sage had learned. A person's mood, health, personality, and background were reflected in the kind of life energy a spirit gave out. Often children who had been victims of abuse came out with very dull, dirty-looking auras and that was what Sage expected to see when he studied Robyn's.
The light around her glowed a light greyish color. Not too bad. It was like that of a soiled aura working to cleanse itself again. But as Sage looked closer, he noticed something he had never experienced before. The edges of her aura were... torn? Sage wasn't sure what it meant but that's what it looked like. It almost appeared to have been shredded by the claws of some animal. It just looked so tattered and battered. Sage didn't have a clue of what to make of it.
At the same time Sage also noticed that Cye's aura was reaching out to hers. It seemed to almost caress the shredded edges lightly, slowly giving it strength and repairing it little by little. This action Sage understood, but he still wanted to know more. Going to the next step his grandfather taught him, he closed his eyes again and focused on the girl across the campfire. He reached out to her soul, seeking to probe her subconscious to find the answers to his questions.
Robyn's head quickly shot up and she looked around with wide eyes. Sage withdrew himself with equal swiftness and everything went back to normal. Robyn glanced all around her and even over to the dark shadows at her back. Sage pretended not to notice as the dirt by his feet suddenly became very interesting. But inside, his mind was going a hundred miles per hour. She had sensed him. Sage didn't know how but she had. A subconscious probe of that amount could have never been noticed by a normal person. So then how did she know?
Could it be possible she had a keen sixth sense as well? No. Sage dismissed that notion right away. If she did he would have been able to sense it in her aura. So then how could she feel his presence? Fortunately, whatever power she possessed wasn't that strong. She apparently had not been able to tell who it was. But... was that fear he saw in her eyes?
Sage watched passively as Robyn looked warily around her one last time before settling back down into her blanket. Someone had to have probed her mind before. That was the only explanation Sage could think of. It was the only way she would have been able to recognize what it was.
His thoughts were ended abruptly as Robyn suddenly got up and excused herself to go to bed. Cye had instantly offered to walk her in but Robyn would have none of that. She gathered her blanket around her shoulders and patted Cye's shoulder before heading off for the cabin. A few of the other members of the group mumbled their good nights as she left.
The conversations grew even quieter after that. Sage and Cye looked at each other across the flames before the former went back to staring at the fire deep in thought.

*****

It was late. All the occupants of the cabin were sleeping - save one as it slipped like a shadow in the darkness. The figure tiptoed into one room where three different bodies were sleeping soundly on cots. It stopped by one bed in particular and poked at the sleeping body. "Huh?" Cye asked sleepily as he was nudged awake.
"Shhh," Robyn was quick to quiet him.
"Robyn," Cye whispered as he sat up. "What are you doing up?"
The girl just grinned with child-like excitement. "There's a full moon out tonight."
"But-"
"Come on, Cye," she tugged on his arm imploringly. "Just once more for old time's sake. Please?"
Cye looked at her doubtfully. But he just couldn't say no when he saw the hopefulness in her eyes. Giving a heavy sigh, he finally rolled out of bed.
Minutes later the soft light of the full moon found two figures walking along the beach. "I remember how we used to do this as kids," Cye recalled. "It was always so hard to sleep with a full moon out when you were little."
"It still is sometimes," Robyn added thoughtfully. "And we would sneak out of our houses and go on crazy hunts." She laughed. "Remember how we used to believe there were fairies living in the woods on the other side of the fence? And the only way to see them was to catch them by surprise during one of their midnight parties when they danced by moonlight. At least, that's what your sister always told us."
"Yeah, Sayoko always got a thrill from telling those stories," Cye chuckled. "But we didn't care. We were always looking for magic beneath a full moon."
Robyn smiled sadly. "Everything was so simple then. Stories like that were easy to believe in. They gave me something to hope for. But they don't help anymore."
Cye noticed the tone of regret in her voice but nudged her playfully. "Don't tell me you don't believe anymore. You were always getting after me for doubting. I remember you said the magic exists only because we believe."
"I did, did I?" Robyn mumbled as she shook her head. "Well, contrary to what I said then, I stopped believing in fairy tales a long time ago. Besides, sometimes the real world is far more strange than any story you could come up with."
Cye just smiled. He couldn't argue with that. If only she knew just how weird his life was. Magical armors and evil demons from nether realms - she'd never buy it. The two continued on quietly. Robyn kept her head down, watching the footprints she made in the warm sand. Cye kept his eyes on the foaming sea. Looking at the water made a familiar pang nag at his conscience.
"Robyn," he finally spoke as he grabbed her wrist to stop her. She stopped and looked at him questioningly. Cye gently pulled her down so they were sitting side by side in the sand. "Can we talk about what happened this afternoon?"
Robyn instantly hid her head in her face when he asked this. "Oh man, I still can't believe I did that. I'm so embarrassed!" She lifted her head slightly to look at Cye again. "All those guys must think I'm totally looney now.
"Well, more or less," Cye admitted with a weak smile. "Do you want to tell me what happened out there? I know you don't like deep water but this..."
He trailed off, waiting for Robyn to fill in the rest. She, for her part, remained quiet as she watched the water lap at the shore.
"I'm really not sure what happened myself," Robyn admitted quietly. "I've never done that before - ever." She paused to gaze at the foamy sea. "I don't know how to explain it, but something happened out there today. It was almost as if I was snatched right off that boat. And then I just kept sinking. It literally felt like these hands were pulling me under. I could feel myself being pulled deeper and deeper and I couldn't get away. It was like a nightmare all over again and I just... snapped." She paused from her story look into Cye's eyes. "I thought I was going to die."
Cye was silent. He wasn't sure why, but the way she had described her ordeal took an icy hold on his heart and sent shivers up his spine. But he managed a warm smile and put a hand on her arm. "You don't need to worry anymore. You're with me now and I won't let anything happen to you. I promise."
Robyn put her hand on his, smiling. If only he knew how much that meant to her. Cye squeezed her shoulder in reassurance before moving his gaze out towards the sea. Robyn leaned her head lightly on his arm as they both watched the mystical tides dancing beneath the soft light of the full moon.

*****

As a result of his late night walk, Cye wasn't up at his usual time to make breakfast. But surprisingly, Robyn was. However, she wasn't too keen on cooking so she decided cold cereal suited her just fine. Kento was awake about the same time she was and both settled down at the table with their breakfast - still fully clad in their rumpled sleepwear. Mia was the next one to wake and quietly went into the kitchen into make herself some coffee and toast. By the time Ryo came down, Robyn had finished up her cereal and was now slurping down the last of her sugar-flavored milk from the rim of the bowl.
"Here, let me help you with that, Robyn," Ryo offered pleasantly as he lifted her bowl higher, causing milk to dribble down the sides of her face.
Robyn sputtered in surprise and tried to swat him away. "RYO!" she protested as she stood, holding her sticky bowl away from her. Milk was dripping down her face and onto her clothes.
Ryo just laughed, so did Kento. "Well at least you have a reason to change out of your pj's today," the Warrior of Strength offered.
"Funny," Robyn replied sarcastically. She marched to the kitchen and tried to clean herself off the best she could. The playful smirk remained on Ryo's face as he poured himself some cereal and watched as Robyn paraded indignantly out of the room. The look on the young girl's face was not one of appreciation.
But as she reached the stairs she stopped to smile slightly to herself. After the incident at sea the other day, Robyn wasn't sure how she was going to be treated or if they even wanted to be friends with her any more. But Ryo's little obnoxious action served as a clever reminder that she was stuck with them no matter what she did. That was a promise worth more than gold to her and she continued up the stairs.

*****

"Heads up!" Ryo's voice called from above as his newly packed travel bag was tossed down the staircase.
Mia paused in her stride as the bag landed at her feet. She glanced at her watch. "We need to get on the road within a half an hour," she called up to whoever happened to be on the second floor.
"Will do," Kento's voice called out. "Ready, set, GO!" Suddenly there was a rumbling sound from above as two heavy-looking sleeping bags slid loudly down the carpeted stairs.
"Ha! I won!" Rowen announced triumphantly as he poked his head out of the first bag.
"No way, man!" Kento argued from the second. "I won!"
"ROBYN!" both called at the same time.
"Sorry, guys, I couldn't see it," Robyn apologized as she came down the stairs.
"What?!" Kento protested.
"Heh, Ryo probably had his shirt off up there and Robyn got distracted," Rowen joked.
"Hey, give me a break!" Robyn demanded.
"Speaking of which," Kento said as he climbed out of the sleeping bag. "You don't even like guys, from what I hear."
"What?" Robyn asked in confusion.
"Chun Fa told me you said you were a lesbian - am I right?"
Robyn snorted at her own forgotten joke. "And do you believe her?"
"I don't know," Kento said warily. "I always thought there was something weird about you..."
"Robyn's not gay!" Cye suddenly protested from where he had been listening in the doorway.
Robyn smirked playfully at him. "And how would you know, Cye?"
"Yeah Cye," Rowen chimed in. "Did you guys do something last night to prove otherwise?" Cye's face instantly paled while Robyn broke up laughing.
"See, I bet she is," Kento insisted. "You'd think she'd take advantage of having the five of us out here alone."
"Oh, yeahm Kento," Robyn said sarcastically, suddenly changing sides to her argument. "And while you guys weren't looking I was putting the moves on Mia."
Cye made a face from the mental picture that provided. Rowen looked like he was picturing the same thing, but a look of intrigue was plastered on his face.
"I bet you were," Kento challenged as he folded his arms and stood up to the smaller girl. "Can you prove you're not?"
"Can you prove I am?" Robyn challenged right back.
"Fine," Kento announced. "I challenge you to go on a date with me and we'll see which way the door swings."
"Fine!" Robyn agreed defiantly.
"Fine!"
Both glared the other down one more time before turning on their heels, each tromping off in opposite directions. Mia was standing in the doorway Robyn was heading for. She had heard the whole thing. Robyn stopped next to her, a look of realization suddenly making itself known on her face. "Why do I feel like I've just been suckered?" she asked no one in particular.
The same thing happened to Kento as he reached the other doorway where Sage was standing. "Why do I feel like I've just been duped?" he wondered.
The two walked off their separate ways and the rest of the group was left in a confused silence. There was a bit of rumbling as Ryo bounded down the stairs. He paused when he noticed all his friends standing around with odd looks on their faces. "What?" he wanted to know.
No one really had an answer for him.

*****

Roughly twenty minutes later, everything was packed into the van and Rowen had called shotgun. Everyone piled slowly into the vehicle, saying their last good-byes to the seaside cabin.
"Later, old friend," Kento mumbled as he brushed a hand along the wood railing on the porch. Some of the greatest memories of his childhood resided in that cabin. His family used to come here every summer when he was little. But that tradition was long forgotten and they would be coming there no more. The cabin would soon be sold and that chapter of his life would be put to rest forever. What a bummer.
"Yo Kento, Cye's stealing your window seat!" Robyn tattled from where she stood next to the car. One could instantly hear Cye's voice from inside yelling at her for being such a narc.
"We'll see about that," Kento announced before he charged for the van and jumped inside. More yelling from various parties came as a result.
Robyn laughed at the trouble she caused before she climbed in as well. Mia and Rowen were already seat belted in up front and Sage was the last one to stoop inside. Robyn gave the blonde young man a small smile as she scooted over to make room for him. Sage returned it with a similar one of his own. Robyn wasn't sure, but that smile seemed to reach up to his eyes. A sincere one - could it be? One could never be sure as Sage closed the door behind him and they all set off for home.