Chapter 6: The past returns

Later that evening ..... Shane picked up a rock from the ground and causally

skipped it over the lake, she had gone into the house only when she had too

since the outbrust this morning. She sighed to herself as her fingers traced

her scar that was hidden by her shirt slevee a scar no one could ever see.

As she waited, she didn't notice Dais walking toward her as he looked on

the grounds for her. Shane shook her head at herself as she looked up to

see the stars was shinning. "Atlest something is good today." She muttered.

"And what is that?" asked Dais, surprising her. Dais ducked a swipe Shane

took at him with her dagger and seeing him backed off. "Sheesh Dais! What

are you trying to do get killed? Don't sneak up on me like that." She ordered

resheathing her dagger.

"Mia was worried about you. She hadn't seen anything of you in a while, and

asked me to check on you." He told her. "Well as you can see I am fine." She

said. "Then why don't you come inside and talk to Mia. She is worried about

you." Dais told her, trying to escort her inside. Shane jerked away from him.

"I'm going to walk for a little while longer." She said.



"Would you object to some company while doing so?" Dais asked, trying to

find out more about this mysterious lady. Shane rolled her eyes at him. "If you

insist I don't think I could stop you from coming with me." She said walking to

the woods. "I meant no disrespect. I just would like to walk with you, that's all."

Dais told her. Shane nodded. "I know. So you coming or not?" She called over

her shoulder. Dais smirked and followed her.

Shane walked almost sliently among the trees as she looked away smiling to herself

knowing one of her *abilities* was kicking in as she saw pretty well in the darkness.

Dais did his best to follow her, despite the fact that he wasn't as skilled in darkness

as Cale was. Shane walked slowly so Dais could keep up with her as she cleared

up thoart uncomfortable about being slient around this man but not knowing what

to say.

"So ..." She started. "So, Shane, why did you come to Japan? Besides wishing

to see Mia?" Dais asked her. "Oh, you know, just to start a new life I guess you

could say." Shane said frocing her voice to sound pleasent but Dais wasn't fooled.

"Something is bothering you. Would you care to let someone know, so they can

offer help?" Dais suggested. "No, I deal with my problems alone. And who said

something was bothering me?" She asked, challaging him.

"I have a knack for reading body langague. And yours tells me that you are hiding

something, something that scares you." He told her right before Shane stopped

and faced him. "I am afraid of nothing." She repiled almost coldly and for a moment

Dais saw himself in her place, he once said the same words and they costed him

dearly.

"What would you say, if I said that I have been in that position before, and it nearly

killed me." Dais quietly told her. "No one can be in the postion I have been in." Dais

almost didn't hear that whispered response before Shane realized what she said and

suddenly started walking again. Dais hurried up to keep up with her. "If only you knew.

If only you knew." He quietly responded, remembering his days serving Talpa and

the Dynasty. Shane said nothing before she suddenly broke into a run.

Dais did his best to keep up with her, but eventually, Shane left him way behind. Dais

then let a wicked smile show up on his face, as he called his armor, using the power

of illusions so he still appeared to be in street colthes as he used the speed that came

with the armor to cacth up to the red haired woman.

Shane kept running, zigging and zagging among the trees, she was sure she out ran Dais

a while back but she kept running as she tried to out run her own demons. Suddenly,

Dais appeared in front of her. "Care to fill me in on what has caused you to run like this?"

He asked her. Shane stopped infornt of him. *How in the world?* She asked herself in

shock and it showed on her face.

Dais just smiled. "You share your secrets with me, and I will share mine with you." He

told her. "No." She said coldly turning on her heels to run again. Dais grabbed her at

the shoulder. "Sometimes, as much as we want to, we can't run from our problems.

Only by sharing them, can we make them disappear." He told her. Shane tossed him

a icily glare. "Dais let go." Dais just shook his head. "You've been running all night

Shane. Perhaps its time to ask for help in sending these demons away." he told her.

"Dais." She hissed. "Let go before I make you let go." "If you try, you will be in for

a surprise." He told her confidently. "As you wish." She said garbing his arm as she

used her strenght to flip him over her. But Dais just landed on his feet. "Care to try

something else?" he said, taunting her, hoping to get her to open up to him. Shane

only glared at him. "No." She hissed defensively.

"Then how about telling me where a little thing like you learned a martial arts technique

like that?" Dais asked, hoping to be able to crack some of the mystery around

her. "How about I not." She said turning to walk away from him. Dais grabbed her

and turned her around. "Sooner or later, you're going to learn that you need to talk

and trust people. I know from experience, what its like to either manipulate people

to do your will, or to keep them at arms length away for fear of being hurt by them.

Believe me, neither one is good for ones health." He told her.

Shane tried to break his grip on her arms. "Dais let go!" "Not until you tell me what

is bothering you! Something is eating you up inside and I would like to know what!"

Dais practically roared at her, getting frustrated at her unwillingness to talk to him.

Shane kicked him as hard as she could in the knee, yelping some cause it felt like she

kicked metal as she almost lost her footing.

"NOW, will you talk to me?" He asked, holding tightly to her right arm to make sure

she kept her balance and that she didn't make a run for it. Shane said nothing, she

wouldn't even look as he as she kept slient. "You remember I told you that I

recognized what you are going through? What if I told you a little bit of what I went

through that was similar to you?" He offered, offering information he knew no other

mortal outside of the Ronin group knew.

Shane was going to answer but suddenly she stiffened realizing they wasn't alone.

Reaching out with her sense beyond the five normal ones she cursed as she knew

they wasn't alone and wrose the presence was a dark one, dangerous. "Shit." Dais

looked around, trying to figure out what had gotten Shane so worried.

"Dais, we need to get to the house. Now." Shane ordered, her voice soft and low

but collected and calm. Dais looked at her for a few moments but then nodded,

regonizing the command in her voice, who ever Shane was she was a warrior in spirit.

"I will do something that will give us some time. Just trust me on this." He told her, as

he created an illusion that they were not there.

*There is again.* She thought feeling the same magic she felt when she and he was

attacked at the training ground. "Come on we better get while the getting in good."

She said. Dais nodded, and walked back with her to the Koji manor house, both

being watching carefully.

At the house Shane got more worried, the presence seemed to be only watching

them which meant who or what ever it was, Mia and the others was in danger.

"Mia we got .." Shane started to say as she walked into the living room but then

stopped dead in her tracks when she saw a young man alittle older then her in the

living room with Mia and the other. The forest green eyed, black hair young man

grinned with a smile that showed all teeth. "Well I seem to have found you again."

He said smugly.

What happened next no one expected as Shane tackled the man, both rolled into

the hall way before they climbed to their feet. Shane shouted something in Spanish

but none of the other Ronins or the Seasonals regonized her words, but the rage on

her face was clear as glass. The man repiled in Spanish with another grin and Mia

saw a look of terror come over Shane's face as she glanced at her and the others.

A look of protective rage flashed over Shane's face as she garbed the man by the

collar of the shirt and hissed something at him before she threw him out the door

and slammed it shut, locking it qiuckly and crused under her breath in English,

Spanish and Japanese as she placed her forhead aganist the door.

It took a few moments for anyone was over the shock of what just happened as

Shane slowly regain her composure. "Shane?" Mia asked and the red haired woman

looked up but her storm blue eyes was shadowed and she looked many years

older suddenly. "I am sorry Mia, I thought I would be out of here before they

found me again. But it seems I have only endangered you again." She whispered.

"They?" Anubis asked and Shane shook her head. "Ask no more, the less you

know the better off your chances of staying alone." She said as she brushed

some strands of hair from her face. "I will get my things and leave Mia, I will

not endanger you and your any longer." Shane said solemly and with that walked

upstair, leaving behind some stunned Ronins. Uncertain looks was exchanged

among the group as Mia looked up the stairs. *Shane, is what has been haunting

you come back? Has your past returned?* She wondered.