LOST STARS By: Alithiel

Disclaimer: Yay! *cheers* Here's the next chapter! Sorry it has been so long since the last update, but I haven't been too cheerful, and I have to be to write a good story. Thanx to Sting, Teefa85, RenaChan, Dark One, and Kyaa-Kyaff for reviewing! I love you guys. Anyway, while I did NOT receive Rowen under my tree in a bow this Christmas (or anyone else for that matter), I did receive the rights to my girls and the bad guys. Hence, they are mine and Rowen, sadly is not.R&R!

Have fun!

Alithiel

Chapter 7: Aftermath

Ryo allowed his subarmor dissolve into red mist as he surveyed the front lawn. Covered in piles of ashes from the strange light attack that had wiped the bugs away, it looked like very similar to what the shed had looked like after Kento had gotten ahold of some genuine Chinese fireworks. Which is to say a royal mess. Sage and Rowen were discussing what had happened, while Kento and Cye were attempting to clean up and succeeding only in making a bigger mess. He sighed, glancing again at the word AMARANTH written in the dust.

"Ryo?! RYO!"

Lorelai's voice traveled around the side of the house. The guys all looked at each other in panic.

"DAMN! Here they come!" Cye gasped. He was covered in soot from head to toe.

"Get rid of the word, Ryo!" Rowen hissed as the footsteps got louder.

Ryo scrubbed the word out with the toe of his boot just before the girls came flying around the corner.

Lorelai ran to Ryo and clasped her cousin in a hard hug. "Hey! I was looking all over for you." Her eyes widened theatrically as she and her friends saw the mess. "What happened here?"

"Well, um.I.uh." Ryo glanced at his friends in panic, his eyes pleading for them to make up an excuse and FAST! Sage cleared his throat.

"Well, Kento was taking the ash bucket from the house down to the firepit when a bird startled him." He explained smoothly. "You know how clumsy he is."

"WHAT DID YOU SAY!?!" Kento yelled, balling up his fist. Without even waiting for an answer, he shoved Sage over into the pile of ashes. The stuff stuck to his blonde friend's hair and Ryo couldn't help but laugh to himself.it was about time he learned that hairspray can be a hazard.

Phoebe looked around. "I don't see a bucket anywhere."

Jade shrugged noncommittally, flipping a strand of dark hair out of her eyes. 'Don't sweat it."

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Lavaza bowed before the ire of his master. Iveinstrand glared at his insectile underling.

"So.you mean to tell me that the Quadrille is currently living in the same house as the RONIN WARRIORS?!" He roared, slamming a hand on the arm of his throne. His dark eyes flashed angrily. Lavaza kept his eyes on the floor, where an image of a stranded boat drifted for a moment before being replaced by the picture of a melted Popsicle.

"And to think I trusted you with such an important mission.No matter.it will soon be remedied!" Iveinstrand snapped his fingers.

"NOOOOO!!!" The wretched creature screamed. Flames appeared from the floor, wrapping around him, penetrating his skin, and burning him from the inside.

Iveinstrand watched n satisfaction as his weakest flunky disintegrated into a formless pile of ash. The remains were absorbed into the floor, and outside the grand hall a new table appeared. He laughed.

"Waste not want not."

He sat a moment, thinking.

"I can use this to my advantage."

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Ryo carefully watched his cousin out of the corner of his eye. Lorelai's face was locked in concentration as she glared across the table at Sage.

"Got any.fives?" She asked.

Sage shrugged. "Go fish."

He thought he heard her mumble 'Liar' as she reached for another card. The three of them, including Rowen, Phoebe, and Mia, were locked in a go-fish tournament. Jade and Kento were cooking supper, and Cye and Celesta were having their swimming lesson.

Ryo sighed. The events of the day had left him very tired.and nervous. How was it possible tat yet ANOTHER enemy could be thrown at them? And who were those strange woman fighters?

"Yo, RYO!" Sage hollered. "DO YOU HAVE AN ACE??"

He absently slid the card across to him. Sage laid down his pair triumphantly. "Ha! I win!"

Rowen threw his cards down in genuine exasperation. "You're psychic cheating or something! There's no way in HELL you could win so often!"

Phoebe glanced across the table at him, receiving a wink from Sage. "Either way." She said, standing and stretching. "I'm done. I think I'll go take a nap."

Sage watched her as she climbed the stairs, then stood and followed her.

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"Good!" Cye called encouragement from the dock. "One more!"

Celesta didn't even stop her stroke. Cye had set up two buoys in the water, some distance apart, and was having the girl swim back and forth between them. This had become the main focus of her lessons. Cye, noticing she was nearly done leapt off the dock and swam toward her.

"Did I do better?" Celesta asked, swiping her golden bangs out of her face and treading water.

"Yes, you did! You've done very well." He replied with a smile.

"Yes!" She lifted her hands from the water, clapping for herself. Of course, she stopped treading water.

"Yipe!'

Cye grabbed her around the waist, pulling her up again, kicking to keep them both afloat. "How many times have I told you?" He said in mock exasperation, shaking his head. "Just because your hands stop, doesn't mean your legs stop too!"

When there was no answer, he looked up. Celesta's face was inches from his. Her golden eyes were wide as she gazed at him. He found her couldn't tear himself away from her eyes. They were filled with tiny, spinning lights, like stars.

Disregard that! His hormones yelled. Just kiss her already! You know you want to!

Yeah, ok.just an inch more.

Her arms had just come up to encircle his neck when a voice called from the shore. "Cye! Celesta! Dinner!"

Cye was so startled that he stopped kicking his legs, sending them both under. They came up sputtering.

"Cye! We'd better go!" Celesta said with a laugh, starting the swim toward shore. He swam after her, thinking he hoped they would get to finish what had almost started.

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Celesta smiled to herself as she climbed out to shore.

For a moment.she had been close enough to see the ocean in Cye's eyes.

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Sage knocked on the door to the girl's room. "Can I come in?"

A muffled voice replied. "Yes!"

He opened the door, entering the room the girls shared. It was cleaner than he expected. Phoebe was seated on the windowsill, looking out over the woods, crimson eyes unreadable.

"Are you coming down for dinner?"

She shrugged. "I'm not very hungry."

Sage shut his lavender eyes. His third eye opened, and he closely looked at Phoebe. She was cloaked in violet and red light, the color of blood.

"So.what kind of blood disease do you have?" He asked.

"What?!" Her head snapped up.

"I can see the red in your aura. That means illness."

She hung her head, the silver of her hair hiding her face. "I'm a severe hemophiliac."

"Bleeding disease?"

Phoebe nodded. "My disease is so bad that I sometimes sweat blood.it's horrible."

Sage leaned against the doorjamb. "That's how you met the other girls, right?"

"Yes, it is."

He smiled at her gently. "It's hard for you?"

"It runs in my family.all the women have the disease. The kids at school used to ask me if I drink blood, since I required so many transfusions. I eventually earned the name Vampire Girl."

"Dumb kids." Sage frowned.

Phoebe laughed. "Yeah, they were." She rose from the window, approaching the tall boy. She laid a hand on his cheek.

'Thank you for listening, Pretty Boy."

He grinned wickedly. "You can suck my blood anytime, Vampire Girl."

She cocked an eyebrow as she swept past him. "Nah. You'd enjoy it too much."

"YOU BET!" He yelled at her retreating back.

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All right, sorry it's so short, but I don't feel to well! Anyway, the next chapter should be up soon, so please be patient with Sessha and her slow posts, de gozaru yo. I promise it'll be soon.

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