**A/N: Hello people! I've actually have the next chapter after this one too. You see what happened was I wrote this big monster chapter that was like over 30 pages long, and then I chopped it in half lol. I don't know if I should post them together or not... Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and let me know if you want the next chapter right away, or if you want to wait for a bit :) (Sorry, I just had my wisdom teeth out, so I'm on happy pills, and I've been really hyper and creative. I should have warned you before, but if this chapter is weird forgive me, blame the drugs). Enjoy, and please review. I really appreciate the feedback!**





Chapter 9



"WUFEI, WHERE ARE MY DAMN KEYS?!!" Quatre's voice boomed throughout the house as he tore through Wufei's room like a tornado. Wufei leapt from bed at the loud intrusion, and fell into an ungraceful heap onto the floor. Again? By Nataku, couldn't there at least have been a day between the next awakening and the last? He scrambled past Quatre who was ransacking his room, and ran to go down the stairs to "Duo-proof" the kitchen, and make sure no more frozen goodies resided in the freezer. Quatre's keys dangled from a chain around his neck.

"Oh dammit, why couldn't they have called earlier... I never would have washed my hair if I'd known..." Duo was growling from behind his and Heero's closed door. The vision of Duo, hair wet from a hot shower made him weak in the knees, and he almost fell down the stairs. He caught the railing and limped down.

After triple checking the kitchen he sat down calmly by the backdoor waiting for the rest of his unorganized, uncouth, posse to appear. Quatre came down first with his long tailed shirt untucked, and no belt, his blond hair rumpled. There was a wild look in his eyes that Wufei didn't like one bit. Trowa followed him, Wufei recognized him by the mad laughter emitting from the direction he was coming from. Trowa looked as he always did, neatly dressed, hair freshly combed, shoes tied. He laughed at Quatre's state of disarray and at his anger of not being able to find his car keys. Duo and Heero came flying down the stairs moments afterward, Duo's long hair free of its confining braid as he ran into the kitchen.

"Wufei!! Give me my keys! NOW!!" Quatre barreled toward him his teeth bared in anger, and Wufei swiftly dodged him, rolling his eyes at Trowa's mad snorts of laughter.

"Heero, I NEED this chocolate! It's going to keep me awake! It's too early for me to go on without sugar!"

"No sugar for you!"

"Dammit Hee-chan let go!"

Heero and Duo came tumbling into the hallway a box of fudge brownies spilling onto the floor, and Duo struggled to get a hold of them, as Heero tried to bat them away from his hands. "EVERYBODY STOP!"

All eyes were on Wufei, "This is ridiculous. I am glad this is the last time I will have to deal with you children. Everybody up, line up, and we will go to the car. Trowa, shut up! Heero..."

Heero growled as he realized while he was staring at Wufei, Duo had once again foiled him, and was stuffing his mouth full of brownies. He was about to scowl when Duo choked, "Oh my gods...oh my gods..." he spat the first brownie back into its wrapper, "Fat free, sugar free!! Who the hell is trying to poison me?!!"

Trowa was hyperventilating he was laughing so hard, while Wufei smirked superiorly, "Didn't like them, Maxwell? I figured since you wanted chocolate so bad, I 'd give you some you're allowed to eat."

"Wuffie, you tried to kill me!"

"Oh I did not, Maxwell, stop being a..." while he was distracted by talking to Duo, he didn't notice Quatre near his hand until his teeth were sunken into the flesh of it. He yelped with pain, releasing the gold keys he held in his fist. They fell with a clink into Quatre's open palm, "Come on or I'll leave the lot of you!"

Trowa, Heero, and Duo, who was still sputtering, were up in a flash, bounding after Quatre to his Mercedes. Wufei was holding his injured hand, it was bleeding. Quatre had not been playing around. Wufei heard the squeal of tires and his eyes widened, "Injustice.." he muttered as he ran into the garage and after the car that was peeling out of the driveway.



"Winner, I insist you slow down, this is a residential area!" Wufei barked from the backseat.

"Shut up Chang, I have to make up for those minutes you wasted when you were holding my keys hostage."

"Ow Heero, you're pulling!" Wufei's dark eyes darted to where Duo sat with his back to Heero, as Heero was trying to finish brushing out his mane of lustrous damp curls and waves. "Sorry, we hit a bump."

"You're making a mess back there, Heero, I just know it. Let me do it."

"No, I'm going to braid your hair!"

"OW!"

Trowa was grinning, "Duo, whatever did you do during the war with all of that? I'm sure you've been snatched out of showers before for missions."

"Ow-ow-ow! I take it you've never seen inside of Deathscythe."

"No."

"He kept hairbands and brushes in there."

Wufei gawked at the long haired brunette, "Are you telling me that while we were blasting off to battle, you were styling your hair?"

"Not always," Duo shrugged, "but hey, it was practical. I can pilot and braid at the same time, it's easy. In fact, there are a lot of things I can do while braiding and never break a sweat. Itai, Heero!"

"Sorry, found a knot."

"Made a knot is more like it."

"Uh-oh," Quatre breathed from the driver's seat. "What uh-oh?" Wufei perked, they all became aware of the flashing red, white, and blue lights behind them. "I told you to slow down Winner! Now we're going to be delayed because you're getting a ticket!"

"Wanna bet on that Chang?" Quatre's blue eyes narrowed, "I hope everyone's buckled in..."

Four pairs of eyes looked up to catch the mad look reflected in Quatre's eyes from the rear view mirror.... "He looks like he did when under the influence of the Zero system..."

"Hang on! BWHAHAHAHAHA!!" Quatre began to cackle madly, as the others gripped the edges of their seats, knuckles turning white, "AAAAAAAAAAHHH!!"





"How come everyone else's pants fit just fine, but yours Kento?" Cye asked, giggling at the larger boy as he lie on his back on his bed trying to zip his new jeans.

"I don't know...maybe cause I'm a bean pole like the rest of you," Kento grumbled, upset at the prospect of breaking a sweat over something as trivial as trying to zip his pants. "Ow..." he gave up, letting the zipper slide back to its halfway position, "I'll just make it my own new style."

"The 'I need to buy pants in my size' look, went out in the 1980s Kento."

"Yeah, you would know. You wore pants too tight in the ass and thigh that flared at the bottom and went down to the top of your ankles."

"Those were in then," Cye insisted.

"Sure, and so was hot pink spandex."

"It was actually."

"Eh gads, what were we thinking back then... though I do wonder what Duo would look like in spandex...yum."

"You're sick Kento," Cye rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, so?" he gave a wink, and looked up as the door opened to admit Rowen and Sage. "Hey! Your pants fit, no fair!"

Sage frowned down at his apparel then at Kento's, eyes lighting up when he spotted Kento's open fly, "You can pull your shirt down over it."

"You can pull your shirt own over it," Kento mimicked, but did as he'd suggested. "You called them already Cye?" Rowen asked flopping down on Kento's window seat and beckoning for Sage to join him.

"Yes, they are on their way as we speak. I think I woke them up, Quatre sounded fuzzy," he smiled sweetly at the memory, causing Kento to make suggestive noises and growls. "Shut up Kento!"

"Did his morning voice turn you on Cye?"

"No!"

"Why are ya blushing then?"

"Kento I swear I'll...I'll.... do something really terrible to you when I can think of what it is!" Cye shook his fists threateningly, and Kento pantomimed great fear.

"How are you feeling this morning Sage?" Cye changed the subject, but was once again thwarted by Kento, "Dude, how come you didn't ask me that?"

"Why would you want me to ask you how Sage is doing?"

"No! I mean, you didn't ask me how I was feeling!"

"Hmm...perhaps because I don't care, and besides you look fine," the auburn haired boy waved Kento away, then turned to the blond, "You still look pale as a ghost. Did you get anymore sleep last night?"

Sage was studying how the sun's rays spread across the horizon, and touched everything in sight with its warm magic. He placed a hand on the window pane trying to absorb the warmth from outside, but sighing when he realized the windows were cool, and insulated against invading outside temperatures. "I want to go outside."

"Soon, Dreamer..." Rowen said gently stroking his golden hair, then he tore his eyes away from his fairytale prince, and looked to Cye, "We didn't sleep much more last night. We talked, after Dr. Sally left. Neither one of us felt like sleeping."

"Oh but Sage...Dr. Po said you needed more rest, and she hasn't come back with the results of your blood test yet."

"She didn't give me a blood test, did she give the rest of you blood tests?" Kento frowned.

Rowen shook his head, "No, but then they've been screening Dreamer for special reasons ever since we got here. Dr. Sally was concerned when she read in his files about the problems Mia had with him while we were in incubation. Then we told her last night about his original childhood, and how he was always sick, and his Mommy and Daddy put him in girl's clothes...OW! Knew that would get your attention Daydreamer, we're talking about you here!"

"I know," Sage frowned, "Cye, aren't you being discharged today?"

Cye was pulling Kento's hair back into a high ponytail, "Hmm? Oh, why yes, I should be. But I won't be leaving here, until all of you do. I don't trust you alone. Quatre, Duo, and Dr. Po are certain I can stay here, unless there is a national emergency and all of their agents get caught up in a subatomic blast and have to be brought in. Hello, private hospital here, as long as we're paid for we can live here. Not that I'd want to, but we are being funded by the Preventer Agency. Which is why I can't feel positively awful about all the money Quatre, Duo, Heero, and Trowa spend on us...they get an allowance for us, believe it or not. Hmm...though I think they did go a bit over, and Quatre paid for the rest..."

"So you're not leaving today?" Kento surmised from all of the unnecessary information Cye had spouted.

Cye gave Kento a pitying look, "No, I'm not. Unless someone were to tell me, if I stayed I'd have to share a room with you."

"Oh, well you don't have to worry about that, if you say they are.... HEY!"

"The years certainly have not increased Kento's mental speed," Cye commented wryly, dimpling at Kento who was glaring at him. "And the years certainly haven't made you any less of a smart ass!"

"Nope, if anything they have increased my wit."

"Hey Cye, what can I do to convince you that you should go home with your boy toy Quatre today?"

Cye chuckled wickedly, "Perhaps if you discover that he's really secretly in love with me, and just needs a little time to break things off with Trowa before coming to me in the night."

"Great, looks like we're stuck with Cye," Kento groaned, then perked up, "Hey, when does Duo get here?"

"Forget about him Kento, Heero will gut you and eat you for dinner. Hmm, perhaps he'll have Wufei help him, you are pretty big," Rowen eyed Kento's open pants.

Cye scowled at the mention of Wufei's name, "What was that for?"

"Nothing," Cye shrugged. He gazed at Rowen and Sage, smiling at the way Sage was looking longingly out the window, and Rowen was looking longingly at him wanting to give him whatever he wanted. "Does anyone know where Ryo is this morning? I checked in his room, and he wasn't there."

Rowen's back tensed, "I personally don't care where Ryo is this morning."

"He's in the common room with the big screen television," Sage said. He began fumbling with the window, "What are you doing?"

"Opening the window," Sage said simply. "They feel like they haven't been opened in ages."

"Move aside, Blondie, let me do it," Kento puffed out his chest and walked with his shoulders very square trying to give off an illusion of masculinity. "Don't break a nail, Macho Man," Sage said laconically, and let Kento push by him to attempt to open the window. He grunted, his face turning red at the exertion.

"Hmm... looks like Macho Man's skipped a few work out sessions," Rowen voiced, and Sage nodded, "Perhaps we should wait until the infamous Heero gets here, bet he could open the window for me."

"Anything Heero can do, I can do better!" Kento all but roared as the window pane creaked loudly and began to raise with a groan. "I...have...the...POWER!"

"The 80's are dead He-man," Cye complained, he watched the dust fall from the sill as Kento continued to push the pane upward. "There ya go, Blondie."

"Thank you," the blond was already perched on the sill leaning partially out of the window, testing the distance from the window to the large oak tree branch stretching toward him like a beckoning hand. It looked to be within reachable distance easy, as he was bringing his feet up onto the sill, ready to swing his legs out to touch the branch. Kento grabbed him under the arms, "Whoa, what are you doing?"

"Going outside, I was just going to sit right there," he pointed to a spot near the heart of the tree that curved in like the back of a chair. "The tree looks sturdy enough, and you can call me back in when our guests arrive."

Cye frowned at his pale skin, "You'd burn like one of Kento's cooking projects."

"There's plenty of shade where I plan to go, besides the Warrior of Light doesn't get sunburns... Now let go Kento, unless you're coming out too."

Kento grunted, "I'm not going out there, with my luck that branch would snap out from under me."

"Suit yourself, let go," Sage tugged himself free, and proceeded to climb out of the window. Cye crowded beside Rowen and Kento to apprehensively watch their Warrior of Light balance himself on the thick branch just below them and walk to the trunk of the tree to take his seat. He aws still as graceful as ever, centuries of sleep hadn't damaged his cerebellum. "Looks like 200 years hasn't made him any less stubborn either."

"Look at him out there," Rowen had been ignoring Cye and Kento's idle chatter. "Look at how the sunlight hits him, and how the element of shade only makes him seem brighter."

"He's beautiful," Cye admitted, "and impossible."

"Eh, all that long hair makes him look like a girl," Kento made a face, "a pretty girl, albeit, but a girl nonetheless."

"You're just jealous," Cye teased. He turned from the window, "I suppose someone should go after Ryo this morning, and since I don't trust Rowen to be civil, I will."

"Aw, you're just hoping to run into Quatre in the hallway," Kento gave Cye a light shove.

"So what if I am," Cye grinned, and waved before stepping out of the room.

"I hope Cye doesn't get Ryo to come in here, I just may try to kill him again," Rowen growled, sitting back on the window sill. Kento sat beside him, "Dude, what he did last night was really uncool, man, but he's our friend, our leader. You can't keep a grudge against him, he's going to apologize, he's going to do the right thing."

"Sure he is," Rowen muttered, narrowing his eyes. "But you know what, I don't really care. I don't really want his apology. I just want him to stop trying to come between Sage and I. I know he's our leader, and I will follow him when the times comes...but lets get this straight, as of last night he and I are no longer friends."

"Ro..."

"No, friends don't do that to each other. He showed that he doesn't care about me," the blue haired teen shrugged.

"Well, what he did was pretty tactless," Kento said, "but you know how Ryo gets. Sometimes he doesn't think, and he gets all caught up in his emotions, and can do some pretty stupid things. He loves you man, you have to know that. He'd take bullets for you... he's saved your life, you've saved his...you're brothers, we're brothers."

"Well, who said brothers have to like each other. Yeah, I admit I know that he'd throw himself in front of a bus for me, and I'd do it for him...but there's no friendship there, not anymore. Brothers cheat, lie, and steal from each other, friends don't."

"Ok, now I'm getting confused... You don't like Ryo anymore, he's not your friend, but you love him because he's your brother. And since brothers aren't friends, they don't have to like each other?"

"You got it," Rowen patted Kento's back. "That's exactly what I said."

"That sounds so twisted."

"It is, and so is he...but gods help me, I can't kill him," Rowen grumbled, "or let anyone else do it either..unless he lays another hand on my Dreamer. Then all bets are off, animal instincts will kick in."

"Are you gonna tell Ryo all that?" Kento asked. "I really think you two should talk."

"I don't really feel like speaking to him right now, if he wants to talk to me, he knows where to find me. I mean, I did nothing wrong here. If anyone should come crawling to someone..."

"I didn't say you should go crawling to him..."

"You know what I mean! But if anyone should come wanting to clear the air, it should be him. There would be no air to clear if he could keep his grubby paws to his damn self!"

Kento frowned, but had to nod, Ryo had dug his own grave. He looked out the window again and gasped when he didn't see Sage, "Aw shit, where did Blondie go?"

"Huh?" Rowen's head jerked to the window, "Sage? Hey Dreamer, what... oh would you just look at that! Sage, get your little ass back up here now!"

Down on the ground below Sage was sitting cross legged beneath the tree. He looked up, beaming at Rowen and Kento and waved. "I would volunteer to climb out after him, but with my luck, I'd fall," Kento said.

"I'd get wood chips up my ass," Rowen glanced at the tree.

"I say we let him stay down there, and get it from Mama Cye when he comes back and sees where he is."

"Sounds like a plan."

"Oh my gods, Quat, I didn't know you were so cool!" Duo was cheering with his arms around Quatre's neck as they jogged through the hospital entrance. Heero chased after them still holding Duo's brush while Trowa giggled. Wufei followed behind the entourage looking behind him warily for the police force that had been on their tails. Quatre had just managed to lose them when he'd driven through that park. Wufei had never been so afraid in his life, and that was saying a lot.

They took the elevator to the second floor, "Give it up Heero! Just give me my brush, I would have been finished by now!"

"Just let me try it one more time!"

"You're just knotting it up! It's not that hard to make a braid!"

"I know it isn't, which is why I know I can do it!"

"Trowa, make him stop!" Duo ducked behind Trowa, who rolled his eyes affectionately and played bodyguard to Duo as Heero tried to bypass him. The doors to the elevator slid open, "Stop playing around and get out of my way!" Quatre rumbled pushing at Heero, and stepping off the elevator. Duo ran off after him, his hair still an unbound unruly mass of waves.

"Hey guys," a female voice called to them, and they turned to see Sally coming around a corner.

"Sal?" Duo questioned. "Whoa, what, they got you working triple shifts? It's like you're always here, woman!"

"Yes it is, but fortunately after I make this last round, I'm off," Sally stopped in front of Duo, and stared at his hair, "New look?" She grabbed a handful of caramel brown hair pulling her fingers through it, "Nice... What do you use to make it so fine?"

"Nothing," Duo said cheerfully, "it's all natural."

"You're kidding," Sally remarked sampling more of the virgin hair. "You could make a lot of money if you cut some of this off and made wigs."

"No way!" Duo snatched his hair back. "I will never, ever, cut it!"

"Even when it drags the floor?"

"I'll get a thicker hairband and start tucking it under," Duo said airily.

Sally shook her head, with a laugh, "You are too much, Duo. When you go in to see your Sage, tell him that Dr. Simmons will be in with him in an hour or two to go over the lab results of his blood work."

Duo's eyebrows raised and his forehead puckered, "Blood work? You guys did some more? I thought..."

"When you see him, you'll understand," Sally said softly, patting his arm, "How's your back?"

"Great, I've been getting the best service at home," he winked. "But about this diet you got me on.."

"It sticks," she patted his belly, "until next week when I check your levels again. If it looks better, I'll start adding some things back into your diet."

Duo pouted unhappily and sighed, as Sally chortled at him, then she looked behind him with a very amused look in her eyes, "It would seem you and I have been talking for too long, for your friends have abandoned you."

"Huh?" Duo whirled around to find he was alone, "Why those no good... Hey, I'll see you later Sal. Um..what might we be expecting to show up in that blood work, by the way? I know you'd been paying some special attention to him before, but you didn't seem too worried."

"Until they told me something new last night," Sally rubbed her temples tiredly, "so I got a new sample. Sometimes we have to stop being lazy and look at more than just cholesterol and blood sugar, at otherwise healthy seeming kids. We were more concerned with making sure their organs were functioning correctly...oh I need some sleep. I'll see you later Duo, take care of yourself."

Duo waved as Sally walked by, then went on to find his buddies.



"Ryo, there you are!" Cye placed his hands on the back of the couch just above Ryo's head. Ryo didn't jump, he'd seen the boy when he entered, he just hadn't acknowledged him. "Everyone's looking for you."

"I doubt Rowen's looking for me," Ryo said softly, knowing Rowen he was still hallucinating about strangling him.

"Well...no, he's not, but Kento, Sage, and I..."

"Sage wants to know where I am? Oh please tell me he's not too horrified about the kiss I gave him last night, or the fight with Rowen."

"He hasn't really said much about it, other than assuring Rowen he didn't kiss you back. I don't really think it bothered him at all, he knows how you feel about him, has known for even longer than you have. He just doesn't reciprocate those feelings Ryo. He loves you as a friend, a brother...I can feel him, and I feel you," Cye sat down beside him. "Ryo, please leave them alone."

"You and Kento sound like broken records," Ryo groaned rubbing his face roughly, "I suppose you're here to get me to apologize to Rowen?"

"No," Cye shook his head, "I feel that Rowen could care less about your apology. You've killed something in him, Ryo, and he doesn't care what you have to say to him anymore. And Sage, well you know as well as I do you never have to tell him anything, but he'd appreciate it if you apologized for violating him."

"I didn't violate him..."

"You kissed him without permission, and he didn't kiss you back, meaning he didn't appreciate it much."

Ryo leaned his head into his hands, "That's why I'm sure he hates me, that they both hate me."

"They don't hate you," Cye said. "Rowen's just really hurt, and Sage... he's more concerned with other things. The reason why I'm here now is because Quatre and the others are coming, and they'd probably like to see you."

"Oh," Ryo kept his face in his hands, "but if it will make Rowen and Sage uncomfortable..."

"Look, Kento's talking to Rowen as we speak, and I sense that he's not going to try to kill you. Sage, as I said, has other things on his mind."

Ryo frowned, "Yeah, you do keep saying that. Other things like what, Cye? Is it something serious that I should know about?"

"Yes, Ryo, it is. Last night, he told us our destiny. Turns out, while we were all sleeping, Sage was not. He's been in communication with the Ancients, and he confirmed our suspicions about the armors, and how the ones that care for us now, are the next in line to be the bearers."

"We were right?" Ryo breathed.

"Yeah."

"Shit."

"That's what Rowen kept saying, but that's not all."

"What else?"

"Our last battle, the one we never fought, with the enemy we've never seen?"

Ryo raised his head to stare at Cye intensely, "Yes?"

"It's started, it's here; it's always been here. And guess what, it has no shape of its own. It can come at us as a country, a single person, who knows."

"And how do we know when and what to go after?"

"Sage says we're waiting for a sign, but until then...he suggests we live, have fun. This is it, Ryo, this battle means either the end or the beginning."

"This is gonna be bad then, really, really bad... worse than Tulpa."

Cye nodded, "Worse than Tulpa, though this time we have help."

"Who?"

"Our five benefactors Ryo," Cye smiled, "They have valuable hook ups to all of the information we're going to need, all of the weapons we may need."

"And what do we do if they want to become directly involved in our battle, if they want to fight?"

"I think they're supposed to Ryo, I think we're all supposed to. This is going to be a war. If this thing surfaces as a country, an army, everyone's going to fight."

Ryo fought to stifle his rage. He wanted to kick over the large television and throw the chair he was sitting in across the room. "And...we're supposed to just live, right? There's a war about to happen that could mean the end of the world....and we're supposed to go to the mall and sip sodas?"

"What else can we do Ryo? We're as ready as we're going to be..."

"We can warn the people, try to get them ready."

"Who would believe us. People only believe in what they can see."

"We can tell these Preventer people, show them our armor. They'll have to believe us."

"Ryo..."

"We can't just sit on our asses waiting for a sign Cye! I mean what if the sign is like a nuclear bomb that kills off half a continent? We can't let that happen!"

"We can't stop it either, we can't predict it. What's the use of making ourselves sick sitting around waiting for it? I'm with Sage, I want to live again, enjoy myself, for who knows if I'll ever get a chance like this again. We're destined to fight this battle, but we're not destined to win, or live... I don't want to die again, Ryo, without having a little fun first. I want to see what this place has to offer, I want to meet more people, I want to see Quatre's home. I will not spend what might be my last days, weeks, whatever, on Earth preparing for a battle I know nothing about. If we don't know how the enemy is going to come at us, how can we prepare?"

Ryo snarled then, and kicked over the table in front of him scattering magazines all over the floor. The two people who were in the common room with them, already gazing at them warily, flew from the room like bats out of hell. "Ryo, please calm down..." The red haze tainting Ryo's thoughts was burning through Cye's mind like a blazing forest fire.

"Why?" Ryo growled kicking the table again.

"You're hurting me..." Cye pleaded holding his head, "please..."

Ryo paused in his maiming of the table, and whirled to look at the red head. He frowned at his pallor, and the light sheen of sweat coating his face. Guilt flooded him, busting him in the gut like a upper cut. "Oh Cye... I'm...I'm so stupid, I forgot. I lost it." He knelt in front of his friend, putting his arms around him and letting him rest his head on his shoulder. "Forgive me?"

They sat quietly for a few minutes, Ryo waiting for the tremors in Cye's body to calm. He rocked him back and forth slowly, relaxing his body and gentling his thoughts, hoping some of his docile tranquility would flow into Cye, and cool his mind. Cye's body tremors subsided, "Thank you."

"I shouldn't have gotten so out of control in the first place," Ryo whispered, he let the smaller boy go, and ruffled his hair. "You ok?"

Cye nodded, still looking a bit peaked.

"You want me to talk to Sage, and make it ok with Rowen?" Ryo asked, not really wanting an answer, "Ok, consider it done. We've got more important things to worry about than petty love triangles. We want to live right, and have fun before we die again... I won't ruin what they have a chance at having, even for a short while, and I'll tell them that."

Cye frowned, "Ryo..."

"I'm bitter yes, but I'll get over it," Ryo shrugged, "I have to."

"You're lying, you can't..."

"I will do what I have to, I don't care how much it hurts," Ryo said as he gritted his teeth. "Now come on, we're going to wherever Rowen and Sage are at, so I can tell them I'm sorry for being an asswipe."

Cye was quiet, but held out a hand for Ryo to help him up, "You ok, you sure?" Ryo asked the boy again as he wobbled a bit.

"I'm fine."

"Good, lets go."



Time to give up.

*You can't! You love him, fight for it!*

It's not about me anymore.

*Well then make it about him, he needs you to save him.*

He wants Rowen, he loves Rowen.

*You're dooming him; you're condemning him!*

I'm sealing his fate with the one he loves.

*But what if that person is you?*

Hmm..just a minute ago you were certain it was me, what makes you begin saying 'what if?'

*You're a fool.*

I am not.

*You're a damn fool.*

Shut up!

*I won't, I won't until you have what you want.*

You don't know what I want!

*I know what you want better than you do.*

I want what I can't have!

*Only because you're too cowardly to go for it.*

I'm no coward, I am a leader. I do what is best for my team.

*Coward.*

I am not!

*Prove it then.*

Leave me alone.

*You don't want me to.*

Yes I do, leave me alone! I'm sick of you.

*Loser.*

Please just go away.

*I'll go away for now, but I'll be back. You need me.*

No, I don't.

*Just wait... you need me.*

"Hey guys," Kento opened the door for Quatre, Trowa, Heero, and Wufei, frowning at the lack of, "Where's the shrimp with the hair?"

Trowa and Wufei snorted, as Heero blinked, looking around as if he'd misplaced something, and Quatre scowled, "He was taking too long running his mouth in the hallway so we left him." The scowl left his face as he scanned the room, seeing no one but Kento in front of him, and Rowen leaning partially out of the open window. "Where's Sage? I thought he would be in here with you."

"He'll be in, in a minute," Kento cracked a smile, and they all turned as they heard the soft ruffling of leaves. Rowen was leaning back, his hand attached to another as he led something back inside. A tall willowy blond Adonis of a boy stood on the sill for a moment, the sunlight giving him a god-like glow, before stepping down to stand beside Rowen to look the part of a classic Grecian statue. "Quatre, Trowa, Heero, Wufei, this is Blondie, otherwise known as Sage, and Sage, this is Quatre, Trowa, Heero, and Wufei."

Quatre was the first to step forward and shake Sage's hand, followed by Trowa, Heero, and Wufei. "It's very nice to finally meet you," Sage said politely.

"We can say the same about you," Quatre said enthusiastically. "Well seeing as you woke up last night, you probably have already heard the story quite a few times."

Sage smiled, and Rowen ruffled his hair, "He didn't need anyone to tell him the story, Dreamer here already knew."

"Already knew what? The story?" Quatre looked puzzled. "How so?" Sage glanced at Rowen, about to speak when the door slammed open and Duo blew in. "I can't believe you guys left me! I could have been kidnaped, mobbed...raped!"

Quatre covered his face with his hands, Trowa patted Heero's shoulder as he looked heavenward, and Wufei hid a grin. Kento beamed as Duo closed the door and drew closer, "Hey Duo my man, thought you weren't coming!"

"You thought wrong! What are you, crazy? Of course I came, though certain people assisted in my current delay..."

"You were running your mouth!" Quatre stated flatly, studying his nails. Duo blew a raspberry at him, and marched to the window where Sage stood with Rowen, "Damn you're beautiful! What's your secret?" Sage blinked, and Rowen chuckled, "Me."

"Ooh la la!" Duo cooed, shaking Sage's hand, "I'm Duo. Hey, did you already get the story, cause if you haven't I'd love to tell it! I came up with this brand new presentation, and it's really captivating."As Duo chatted amiably, Kento had to sit down when he got a good look at the cascade of chestnut waves and curls spilling down Duo's back. He watched the long haired pixie's fine profile as he spoke animatedly to a stunned Sage. The light played off his features, and accented the hints of strawberry and gold blended into his chocolate waterfall of loose ringlets. He unconsciously reached toward the mass, longing to touch it, feel its texture. If he didn't stop his descent into honey scented bliss, he was going to crash, and worse yet, have to explain himself to Heero. He shook himself as he caught a glimpse of the solemn brown haired Japanese teen. He didn't look too tough, but Kento bet he was packing heat. "...and who the hell beat you up Rowen? Making enemies already? You hardly seem the type."

Rowen stared at the long haired boy, trying to figure out how it was possible for someone to talk so much without pausing once to take a breath, or losing their train of thought. "Ryo and I had a little disagreement last night."

Quatre looked alarmed, "Everything's ok now isn't it? Where are Ryo and Cye come to think of it?"

"Cye went to get Ryo," Kento said, not being able to resist grabbing a handful of Duo's hair and wrapping it around his wrist. Duo let out a squeak of surprise, "I'm tired of everyone petting my head and pulling my hair! Heero, give me my damn brush so I can braid my hair back, now!"

"I am going to braid your hair, I told you. Come and sit down, and I can finish what I started," Heero magically extracted a brush from somewhere, and he waved Duo toward him with it.

"NO!" Duo jumped behind Kento, forgetting that he had his hair bound around his wrist, and tangled himself in it, "Eep! Mutiny!"

"Stop moving around," Kento insisted as he tried to unwind them from the mess Duo had created by running around him.

"Oh would you just look at that knot! Heero, what have you been doing, certainly not brushing…" Quatre surged forward to help Kento and Duo's struggling forms. Duo's hair had become a tightly knotted rope around the both of them.

"It was your driving!" Heero said, sounding rather defensive.

"Heero, it looks like you were making 'cats in a cradle,' in there!" Trowa leaned in to see the problem.

"Help, I'm being smothered by my own hair…which smells really good, by the way…"

Trowa, Heero, Wufei, and Quatre rolled their eyes while the others chuckled, "It does smell good," Kento agreed.

"Stop sniffing my hair, you pervert!" Duo shouted in a theatrical voice.

"But it smells like honey," Kento pretended to whine.

"I don't even want to know," Cye's voice cut across the room, and everyone turned, even Duo and Kento, to see him entering the room with Ryo behind him, and closing the door.

"Ow-ow-ow! You're pulling again, and I… can't…see!"

"Aw, shut your belly-aching, I can see just fine. It's just Cye and Ryo," Kento waved at the pair, "Everything cool guys?"

Ryo nodded, his blue eyes large as he gazed at Rowen warily. "Uh, Rowen…I'm uh, really sorry about last night. I was wrong, and I hurt you. If you could forgive me…"

Rowen was shaking his head, he remained silent, his face stony, and Ryo's face fell. "Sage, I was out of line, I never should have…"

"It's ok, Ryo. I know how you feel. I'm only sorry some of those feeling cannot be reciprocated," Sage's gaze was steady, his steely eyes boring through Ryo as if they were taking an MRI of the inner workings of his brain.

"What are they talking about? I want to SEE!" Duo complained.

"Just be still Duo, I'm working as fast as I can. The only quicker alternative is scissors," Quatre threatened, as he concentrated on untangling the thick mass wrapped around Duo's face and neck, and around Kento's torso.

"Quatre if you cut my hair I swear I'll kill you!"

"That's not a very good threat when you can't see, or move unrestricted…"

"Alright then smarty-pants, Heero will kill you then!"

"Only if you let me finish brushing your hair, and braid it."

"Dammit Hee-chan, you're the reason why I'm in this mess, the least you can avenge the death of my hair!"

"Sage, I take it you've become acquainted with everyone?" Cye asked, walking toward the bio-hazard to further investigate. "Why Duo, you've worn your hair down!"

"Not by choice!" Duo grumped unhappily.

"What have you done Kento? Look at this knot…and this one!"

"I didn't do all of that!"

"It's all Heero's fault, he insisted on doing my hair this morning after I got out of the shower. Now it's drying without being straightened and it's going to be a mess all day, and Quatre's threatening to cut it off!"

"Quatre!" Cye exclaimed incredulously looking at the pint-sized blond who gazed back with the wide innocent eyes of an angel. "He was giving me lip."

"Oh, then by all means…"

"Heero…" Duo moaned.

"I won't do anything until you say I can finish what I started."

"Mangling my pride and joy? Geez…death by asphyxiation, severing, or mangling… What wonderful options I have."

"Stop squirming around, I think I've almost…"

"OUCH!

"…got it," Quatre began to walk Duo's vision obstructed form around Kento's bulk to unwind them.

"FREE AT LAST, FREE AT LAST!" Duo cheered, skipping around Kento, then stopping when they were face to face. "Did you get off on me practically suckling your breasts there, Kenny boy? I felt something pretty solid poke into my stomach…"

"Oh my gods," Kento blushed furiously, he'd hoped he hadn't felt it. The fact that his pants were unzipped didn't help matters either.

Duo cackled maliciously, clapping his hands together, "My what a big strong boy you have there."

Rowen laughed ghoulishly, "The fact that he popped that boner while his pants were unzipped made it a lot easier for Little Ken."

"Your pants are unzipped?" Trowa questioned, his face a mask of stoicism.

"Uh yeah," Kento rubbed the back of his head, mussing his hair. "Ya see…I uh, couldn't exactly zip the pants up all the way…"

"Oh no…" Duo moaned, falling onto Cye's empty bed, his hair a cottony mountain of tangled fluff on his back.

"Why doesn't everyone have a seat?" Cye suggested, gesturing to the chair, and the bed. He pushed Duo over gently to make room for himself on the bed, then began running his hand over the nearly dry curls. "Why don't you let me brush it through for you? We can dampen it again in the bathroom."

"I am brushing and braiding his hair," Heero repeated like a broken record. "Save me Cye…" Duo moaned.

"Yes, they are always this strange, Sage," Wufei spoke from the chair he'd taken. He'd been watching the blond observing his new environment with much interest. Sage's grey eyes darted to him, and Wufei shivered at the power behind his stare. His eyes were more intense than Heero's, and he hadn't thought that was possible.

"Stop staring at people Blondie, you're gonna give someone a stroke with those icicles of yours," Kento said flopping down in a chair beside the bed, and Sage in turn glanced at him instead. "Yeesh, what did I do?" He crumpled under the eyes of steel, and lowered his head in silence.

"Alright, I knew there was a reason we wanted you to wake up!" Rowen patted Sage on the back, and left his hand just beneath his shoulder blades. "Oh, is that the only reason why?"

"Hmm…let's see… Yeah, that pretty much sums it up for…ow!" He grunted as he received a spear hand thrust in the gut. "Oh fine, I wanted to do this too," he grabbed Sage at the nape of his neck and tickled making the blond giggle. "Note to everyone in the room, this is the only place he's ticklish, and tickles must be initiated in upward strokes. Warning, he hits…and he usually aims below the belt."

"You have to hit your attacker where it hurts, and since that is where you tend to do most of your thinking…"

Rowen grinned demonically, "So you know my dirty secret?"

"It was a secret? From who?"

"From Little Ken."

"Good idea, he's a blabber mouth says Little C."

"You talked to Little C?"

Duo raised his head from the pillow it was buried in and looked to the pair on the window seat, as everyone else was staring at them, quiet mirth in their eyes. "Are you guys discussing Kento and Cye's sex organs?"

"Yes."

"That's what I thought we were doing," Rowen shrugged with a nod, a conspiratorial look was passed between he and Sage.

"You know, Sage is only this bold when he's around Rowen. Such a bad influence he is! Sage is usually so polite," Cye gave a dejected sigh, then smiled softly at the two still jesting with one another. "It's good to see him relax every once in a while. Bring me a glass of water and that brush Heero, you've made a big mess here."

"I am…"

"Yes, yes I know. I'll let you try to braid it, but you're never going to be able to get out all of these tangles on your own, as inexperienced as you seem to be with a brush." Cye was trying to work out the worst of the tangles with his hands, and was grateful for Quatre and Trowa's extra hands. Heero grunted, but complied, marching to the bathroom.

"Very obedient that Heero," Kento said watching him walk past, "I need to get me one of them."

"Thought Little Ken liked Duo?"

"Little Ken's very fickle."

"And he likes to kiss and tell," Rowen said matter-of-factly.

"He does not!"

"SO SAGE.." Quatre broke into the somewhat vulgar argument, "how has everything been since you woke up? You feeling ok? Did you like your room, do your clothes fit alright?"

Sage blinked, "My room was very nice, thank you for taking the time to decorate it for me in the fashion that I might have picked for myself if I'd been able. The clothes you've provided are more than comfortable….and the clothes you've provided for Rowen are…"

"Sexy beyond belief," Rowen supplied.

"Yes, I believe that would suffix."

"Could they be any more disgusting?" Kento groaned, then rubbed his belly as it rumbled beneath his fingers. "Dude, I'm hungry! This liquid diet ain't gonna work for me, man! I gotta have some meat!"

"You'll be sick to your stomach," Cye told him, thanking Heero for the glass of water and the brush. He dipped the brush into the glass and starting from the bottom he began to stroke.

"I'll be sick and full," Kento beamed heartily, "so…If no one minds, I'm going down to the cafeteria to get something REAL to eat. See you guys later!"

"Sit!" Cye barked, and all at once Kento's legs collapsed under him and he fell back into the chair he had been sitting in bonelessly. "You're so mean Cye! What did I ever do to you?"

"You want a list?"

"Screw you smart ass," Kento sneered and gave him the finger.

"And you know where you can stick that right?" Cye asked without even looking up.

Ryo sat back beside the silent Wufei. He knew the boy harbored no affection for him, but he felt like an outsider among his own friends and their new acquaintances, and was much more comfortable sitting with a fellow outsider. He wondered how Wufei would feel about being labeled an outsider. The aloof way he sat watching his comrades mingle led Ryo to believe he wasn't too far off in his categorization of him.

They watched the other 8 boys conversing as if they were old classmates at a reunion, laughing and poking fun. Cye was even teaching Heero how to braid, and the boy sat, his face serious as a heart attack hanging on Cye's every word. Cye braided the long hair, then undid it and let Heero try it.

It was almost sickening watching how well his friends fit into the new society, without missing him. Not even once had they glanced back at him, or wondered where he was and why he wasn't with them laughing. Perhaps he should just take the initiative, and join in on the fun without being invited. It wasn't exactly a VIP party, but it sure felt like it. Had it been 200 years ago, in his first life, Ryo would have thrown up his hands, "What the hell?" and joined in on the fun, but here, right then… it was different. His friends were all the same, everything about them was just like before (well, except for the hair, nothing's perfect), but he was different; he was different on the inside. Where he was usually happy and energetic, he felt angry and full of nervous tension. He felt like he had right before the first fall of the Dynasty when he'd thought all was lost. The only thing that had kept him going was the memory of Sage sacrificing himself, for him. Sage carried him, and protected him, and in the end fought and let evil take him in exchange for Ryo's temporary refuge. That's when Ryo understood what love was and how it felt. Before then, he'd always thought he held an attraction to Mia, she certainly flirted with him enough, and he was sure he liked it. But what he felt in that moment Sage had vanished, that was something he knew he'd never feel again for another soul, living or dead.

Damn he wished he hadn't thought of that. It only reminded him of something else he couldn't have.

*And why can't you?*

Because he belongs to Rowen.

*He belongs to no one, but himself.*

True.

*And he can be with whomever he chooses.*

I know this, and he chooses Rowen.

*For now, you don't know if they'll last. They don't even know. They said they were giving it a "try."*

Look at them!

*Soon others will be saying that about you and Sage.*

Leave me alone, I'm already miserable enough.

*Who's making you miserable?*

No one, it's the situation I'm in.

*But you are with your…friends…aren't you? You shouldn't be miserable in the company of family. Perhaps it is all the new faces?*

It's not just that.

*It's your friends too, isn't?*

I've made such a mess of things, they don't want anything to do with me. They haven't said a word to me in over an hour.

*Not very good friends, are they?*

They are good friends.

*Real friends wouldn't contribute to you being miserable, would they? They don't want anything to do with you, remember?*

No! That was just something I said… I didn't mean it.

*Are you sure about that?*

Leave me alone.

*I see.*

You don't see anything.

*Soon you'll see too.*

Go away.

*Next time I come back, it will be because you asked me to.*

Never.





**A/N: Did you like?? Did you hate?? Let me know!! If I get a lot of reviews I'll put up Chapter 10 tomorrow!**