Hey sry it took me so long 2 get these up. All I can say is family
vacations 2 go look at a big hole n the ground can really take its tole on
ur sanity.
Chapter 1
~6 mo. later~
Ryo sighed as he inspected himself in the mirror. His shoulder length, raven black hair had long since lost the glossy sheen it once had. His hansom face, once sun-kissed and tan, was now the color of parchment and his tiger blue eyes, which had dark circles under them, had lost most of the sparkle they once held. His hand shook slightly as he reached for the glass of water sitting on his bedside table, which he took a large swig from as he swallowed about a dozen different pills.
" RYO! BREAKFAST!"
He took one last look at himself before he began changing out of his pj's into a pair of jeans and a red t-shirt bearing the word 'ELEMENT' in white letters.
"COME ON! HURRY UP AND GET DOWN HERE BEFORE KENTO EATS IT ALL!"
Ryo smiled at this as he slowly made his way down the stairs. Over the last few months, his strength had been leaving him at an alarming rate. He could barely keep up with the guys during their training sessions and was becoming increasingly worried that they were beginning to suspect that something was wrong.
Oh well, he thought, they're going to have to find out sooner or later, hopefully later. It surprised him that he had been able to keep it a secret for this long.
When he reached the kitchen, he found everyone at the table enjoying whatever Cye had made for lunch. Even Rowen was awake, which meant that it was well past noon. Everyone greeted him in some way as he pulled up a chair and joined them at the table.
Cye smiled at him as he walked over from the stove carrying a bowel of soup, which he sat in front of Ryo. " So you finally joined the world of the living I see. We thought we would have 2 go into Operation Get the Hell Out of Bed like we do with Rowen."
Ryo laughed a little," No matter how late I sleep in, I will never be as bad as he is."
Rowen coughed a little, " Hey that was a bit below the belt don'tchya think?"
"Well he's right ya know," Kento said through a mouthful of food." It takes us almost two hours to get your ass outa bed." Everyone mutter softly in agreement.
Even though he wasn't very hungry, Ryo picked up his spoon and began eating Cye's stew. Along with his strength, his appetite had also been decreasing, so much in fact that at each meal he almost had 2 force down a normal amount of Cye's wonderful cooking just to keep the others from suspecting anything.
After emptying half of the bowl's contents, the bearer of Wildfire got up, went to the closet and withdrew his jacket. He returned to the kitchen and told the others that he was going for a drive and would be back in a few hours. Sage had a look of concern on his face when he heard this. "Hey you ok? Is something wrong?"
Oh everything' great, Sage, I'm just dying how 'bout you? "I'm fine. I just want to get some fresh air is all." Ryo hatred lying to his friends and keeping his sickness from them, but the last thing he wanted right now was their pity. He was their leader and he didn't want them to know that he was weakening bit by bit every day.
"Ok. Just be careful." Everyone was silent until they heard Ryo leave, shutting the door behind him. Rowen turned o face the others.
"Something' wrong here, I know it. I just wish he'd tell us what."
Sage sighed and ran his hand through his hair," yeah, I know u mean, but you know how Ryo is. He always places the whole world on his shoulders. He doesn't like to involve us if he can help it in a situation where we could get hurt."
Cye thought for a moment," Guys, I don't think this has anything 2 do with a battle or an enemy per say."
Kento was kind enough to swallow his food before asking," Battle per ay? What the hell do mean by that?"
"Haven't you noticed how exhausted he's seemed lately? Mean, during training he used to run circles around us and now it seems like he's struggling just to keep up."
Rowen nodded in agreement," Yeah now that you mention it he has been looking really pale these past few months. He's also been sleeping almost more then I do and he still seems out of it. What the hell could be going on?"
"I have no idea," Kento replied, " but I say we do a little interrogating when he gets back."
Cye shook his head," Now you know that won't work. Ryo would never willingly admit that he's in trouble or that he needs help."
"Yeah, I know," Kento sighed as he helped himself to another bowl of soup," I just wish that he'd trust us a bit more."
"It's not that he doesn't trust us," Rowen pointed out," he probable just doesn't want to ever see one of us hurt if he could do something to prevent it."
Cye shrugged," Or he doesn't want us to worry about anything, including himself."
"Does Ryo's door have a lock on it?" Sage's question caught the others off guard." Well, does it?"
"I don't' think so." Rowen guessed. "Why? You thinking of doing a little investigating?"
They all smiled mischievously as they headed up the stairs to Ryo's room.
Chapter 1
~6 mo. later~
Ryo sighed as he inspected himself in the mirror. His shoulder length, raven black hair had long since lost the glossy sheen it once had. His hansom face, once sun-kissed and tan, was now the color of parchment and his tiger blue eyes, which had dark circles under them, had lost most of the sparkle they once held. His hand shook slightly as he reached for the glass of water sitting on his bedside table, which he took a large swig from as he swallowed about a dozen different pills.
" RYO! BREAKFAST!"
He took one last look at himself before he began changing out of his pj's into a pair of jeans and a red t-shirt bearing the word 'ELEMENT' in white letters.
"COME ON! HURRY UP AND GET DOWN HERE BEFORE KENTO EATS IT ALL!"
Ryo smiled at this as he slowly made his way down the stairs. Over the last few months, his strength had been leaving him at an alarming rate. He could barely keep up with the guys during their training sessions and was becoming increasingly worried that they were beginning to suspect that something was wrong.
Oh well, he thought, they're going to have to find out sooner or later, hopefully later. It surprised him that he had been able to keep it a secret for this long.
When he reached the kitchen, he found everyone at the table enjoying whatever Cye had made for lunch. Even Rowen was awake, which meant that it was well past noon. Everyone greeted him in some way as he pulled up a chair and joined them at the table.
Cye smiled at him as he walked over from the stove carrying a bowel of soup, which he sat in front of Ryo. " So you finally joined the world of the living I see. We thought we would have 2 go into Operation Get the Hell Out of Bed like we do with Rowen."
Ryo laughed a little," No matter how late I sleep in, I will never be as bad as he is."
Rowen coughed a little, " Hey that was a bit below the belt don'tchya think?"
"Well he's right ya know," Kento said through a mouthful of food." It takes us almost two hours to get your ass outa bed." Everyone mutter softly in agreement.
Even though he wasn't very hungry, Ryo picked up his spoon and began eating Cye's stew. Along with his strength, his appetite had also been decreasing, so much in fact that at each meal he almost had 2 force down a normal amount of Cye's wonderful cooking just to keep the others from suspecting anything.
After emptying half of the bowl's contents, the bearer of Wildfire got up, went to the closet and withdrew his jacket. He returned to the kitchen and told the others that he was going for a drive and would be back in a few hours. Sage had a look of concern on his face when he heard this. "Hey you ok? Is something wrong?"
Oh everything' great, Sage, I'm just dying how 'bout you? "I'm fine. I just want to get some fresh air is all." Ryo hatred lying to his friends and keeping his sickness from them, but the last thing he wanted right now was their pity. He was their leader and he didn't want them to know that he was weakening bit by bit every day.
"Ok. Just be careful." Everyone was silent until they heard Ryo leave, shutting the door behind him. Rowen turned o face the others.
"Something' wrong here, I know it. I just wish he'd tell us what."
Sage sighed and ran his hand through his hair," yeah, I know u mean, but you know how Ryo is. He always places the whole world on his shoulders. He doesn't like to involve us if he can help it in a situation where we could get hurt."
Cye thought for a moment," Guys, I don't think this has anything 2 do with a battle or an enemy per say."
Kento was kind enough to swallow his food before asking," Battle per ay? What the hell do mean by that?"
"Haven't you noticed how exhausted he's seemed lately? Mean, during training he used to run circles around us and now it seems like he's struggling just to keep up."
Rowen nodded in agreement," Yeah now that you mention it he has been looking really pale these past few months. He's also been sleeping almost more then I do and he still seems out of it. What the hell could be going on?"
"I have no idea," Kento replied, " but I say we do a little interrogating when he gets back."
Cye shook his head," Now you know that won't work. Ryo would never willingly admit that he's in trouble or that he needs help."
"Yeah, I know," Kento sighed as he helped himself to another bowl of soup," I just wish that he'd trust us a bit more."
"It's not that he doesn't trust us," Rowen pointed out," he probable just doesn't want to ever see one of us hurt if he could do something to prevent it."
Cye shrugged," Or he doesn't want us to worry about anything, including himself."
"Does Ryo's door have a lock on it?" Sage's question caught the others off guard." Well, does it?"
"I don't' think so." Rowen guessed. "Why? You thinking of doing a little investigating?"
They all smiled mischievously as they headed up the stairs to Ryo's room.