Consequences of Capture

By Dixxy

Chapter Sixteen: The Truth

The slight clacking sound was the only thing Sage could hear.

His dream city was now a ghost town.

Ever since his first encounter with the strange dream city, Sage found himself periodically visiting it whenever he went to sleep. This was something he had no control over, but he didn't mind it. This place was like a second home to him, and he felt safe here, even if it was just an illusion. The people were still as friendly as ever, and even though he could still not speak with anyone but the strange man who insisted on calling him "Kilon" and refused to answer any of his questions.

But now things were dilapidated and deserted. Window panes were broken as shutters hung by a single hinge, ready to fall to the ground. Doors had been kicked down and in, and Sage could see wrecked tables and chairs inside. The ruby and emerald fountain- a place he'd been particularly fond of- had been reduced to rubble, and the stand with the caramel chicken sliced in half. The debris of a battlefield lay in the streets, ranging from shields to swords of all sizes, making Sage wonder if small children had taken up arms in the battle.

In the distance, he could hear a baby's cry.

Sage turned his head to see the bearded man limping down the street where he'd come from, carrying a bundle in his arms that he was sure had to be a small child. This time pivoting his body the whole way around, Halo began to move towards the man. This time, however, he didn't seem to notice Sage. He was just staring at the baby, appearing to sob bitterly.

As he stood watching, the man fell to his knees, and Sage became aware of a horrible wound on his side- he was bleeding profusely, and that alone would surely kill him. Eyes wide in horror, Halo began to run to where the man was kneeling. "No! Don't die!" he cried, already reaching for the man. "You can't die- HEY!" Before he could proceed further, Sage was stopped by an invisible wall. Even though his pounded and kicked at it, he could proceed no further. The barrier blocked him from reaching the man and the baby despite how much they needed his help.

As Sage continued his struggle to get around the obtrusive wall, he heard the familiar sound of metal rings clanging, and stared in wonderment as the Ancient slowly materialized into existence. Halo was taken aback by this- unless Anubis' hair had been affected by his still unclear resurrection, this was the real Ancient. Am I seeing a vision of the past? Sage wondered, lowering his hands to his sides as he continued to watch the exchange.

The bearded man looked up at the Ancient One, his eyes tearing. "Friend. . . Ancient One. . ." he said. He was shaking uncontrollably, the baby still whimpering in his arms. "You. . . are too late. Trulpa. . . she has destroyed us. Destroyed everything. My Kilon and I are the only ones left."

"There was nothing I could have done," the Ancient One said. "My staff has powers, but they would not have been able to stop the massacre. If anything my presence would have caused more destruction, as this would have enraged the Warladies even more in their campaign. Even if I knew about this sooner, there was nothing I could have done."

"I. . . I understand. . ." he said.

Sage's jaw had dropped in shock. How could the Ancient say that!? The Ancient was so powerful! Surely he could have at least been able to help people escape, even if he didn't fight! And couldn't he have enlisted help from the armors or something!? Even White Blaze or Tiger Lily (this was the name of the Senshi's tiger, something Kento had discovered earlier that week) could have done something!

"There is. . . hope," the bearded man said.

Th Ancient looked at the man and bent his hat down. "Your son."

"Yes, my youngest Kilon," he said. He smiled and laughed weakly before beginning to cough. The baby cried again, and the man tried to hush him. "Everyone I loved. . . my wife. . . my brother. . . they were killed. My eldest Kilons. . . all of them. . . died quickly. Lucia. . . she is gone. . . my Rhiva. But my little one. . .he was. . . unhurt."

The Ancient knelt down next to the man to look at the baby. The baby seemed to calm considerably with the Ancient One's presence. The Ancient was taken aback when he saw something and stared at the bearded man in curiosity. "Is this the hope you believe your son can bring?"

"My. . . my people. . . may die out. . . even if he survives. . ." said the bearded man. He handed the child to the Ancient One, and the child began to cry. "The passing. . . of time. . . will erase us. . . as each new generation begins. But my Kilon. . . my little one. . . I sense that. . . one of your armors. . . has chosen. . . him."

"Yes," the Ancient said. "I can sense the armor's aura within him."

"Please. . . give my Kilon a chance. . ." he said. By this time his breathing was irregular, and he was lying on the ground, clutching the bleeding wound. "I want. . . I want him to find. . . happiness. A. . . a family. For my Kilon. My friend. . . this is my final request. . . give Sage a home."

~

Sage's eyes flew open as he felt a cold sweat drip down the sides of his face. He leaned forward from shock and surprise, very much dismayed to find that he wasn't exactly where he thought he was. And of all the places he could have been, this was perhaps one of the worst to be. "Oh no. . . oh my God. . . oh no!" he cried, spinning his arms and flailing his legs, the sudden motion sending him toppling over the edge of the balcony.

Sage had sleepwalked to the balcony where he'd first encountered the dream city and had been standing on the railing when he awoke. Because of the startling nature of this dream, the process of him waking up and thrown him off balance and sent him over the wrong edge of the castle, where he was rapidly approaching the ground. Sage screamed in terror, his limbs flailing wildly as he tried to grasp hold of anything to stop his fall.

Sage. . . you will not die. . .

Sage could feel tears begin to form around his eyes, as he fell farther and farther, death appearing to be closer and closer. His mind was a panic-stricken mess, mixed with thoughts of his descent and of the strange encounter he'd had in his last dream. He couldn't concentrate on any one thing, and escape from his fall seemed futile.

Until he stopped.

Out of nowhere, Sage realized he had stopped falling in midair. His heart racing, his skin sweating bullets and his body trembling, Sage stared upwards at the stormy Nether World sky in fear. Was he dead? Had he already hit the ground and this was his spirit floating around aimlessly? After all, many of the stories Sage had heard about ghosts involved spirits that were unaware that they had died, or were too shocked to believe they were dead. Could this be his case?

But before long his body seemed to move into an upright position, and he felt. . . mystical. He thoughts began to clear, and he felt at peace. A warm glow enveloped him, bringing warmth to his cold, sweat-soaked skin like a mother's comfort, and he felt at ease. He'd never felt so at ease before in his entire life, and the idea of it felt wonderful.

Without even thinking to make the gesture, Sage threw his arms and head back, arching his spine in the process. Though part of him was confused as to what was happening, a natural instinct inside of him he had never noticed before urged him on, telling him this was what he had to do. Sage believed the instinct, trusting it. This was a part of him, a part of him he had ignored for many years. Now it was time to listen to it.

Sage closed his eyes, and felt his body begin to transform.

In an instant, Sage felt a tickling sensation on his back as two limbs grew from the areas between his shoulder blades and his spine, a crackling sound emerging with them. Sage moaned in slight pleasure- it felt as if these things had been scrunched up inside him his entire life, and they were finally able to stretch after sixteen long years of dormancy. It was an amazing feeling, and it gave him a sense of inner peace.

The limbs grew longer and longer, expanding as the transformation progressed. The instinctive half of Sage was estatic while the logical half was dolefully fascinated. Sage wrapped his arms around his chest, brought his clasped and crossed hands to his neck, and bent his head forward, giving this new part of him more room to grow and move. Oh, how sweet that movement felt!

Finally, the transformation was over the limbs were flapping freely, keeping Sage aloft and away from the ground. As the mood died down, Sage's senses began to return to normal, and he looked up. Still hugging himself, Sage pushed himself towards the sky and back to his friends.

~

"Sage? Yoo-hoo, Earth to Sa-age! You missed breakfast, dude!" Kento called into his room, knocking at the door. He grunted. He could hear movement inside the room, but Sage wasn't coming out. "Dude, this isn't funny! You've been holed up in there all DAY! It's almost lunch time and I'm NOT going let your lunch get cold like your breakfast did! And guess what??? Cye's making the pasta salad with the little pieces of ham and cheese! That's one of your favorite foods!"

". . . Kento. . . I don't know if I can come out. . ."

Getting irritated with the exchange going on between his friends, Cye left the kitchenette area and stomped over towards Sage's door. "Sage, this isn't funny! You need to eat whether you like it or not! If something's bothering you please tell us! We're your friends, after all!"
"No, I think this is serious."

"Okay Sage, I'm going to give you a choice. Either you open up the door right now or else Cye and I are barging in. It's your choice. You either open the door yourself or guarantee Dash free access to your underwear, and you know what he did to my socks last week!" Kento said. Dash, who was chewing on one of the aforementioned socks nearby, picked up his head at the mention of his name and barked at Kento. Hardrock looked down at the dog and shook his head. "Um, not quite, Dash."

Dash didn't seem to understand this. He dropped the sock, pushed himself up, and bounced over to Kento's leg, head-butting him affectionately. Kento rolled his eyes and picked up the puppy, giving him a tummy rub and a scratch behind the ear before putting him down in time to see Sage was opening his bedroom door.

His room was uncharacteristically dark.

". . . this isn't like you, Sage," Cye said as he boldly stepped into the room, his hands on his hips. "Usually your room is well let even at bedtime. Did Cara or Cale come by and play with the lights or something? Because if they did Trulpa will yell at them- the Warlords and Warladies aren't allowed in our quarters because she can't trust them alone with us." This was true. After Kento had nearly been raped by the Warlords, Trulpa had made it very clear to Kayura, the Warladies, the Warlords, and the three captives that under no circumstances were the groups to mix without her being present.

"No. . . it's not that," Sage said.

Kento stepped in, followed by Dash, who was trying to chew on the bottom of Hardrock's hamakas. "Can we please turn the light on? The dog has decided I'm his personal chew toy and I don't want to step on him cause I can't see a damn thing in here. So Sage? LET THERE BE LIGHT!!!"

Quietly, the lights went on, and Cye and Kento nearly went into shock.

Sage was only dressed in his hamakas, a rare site to see. Despite the fact they were all men and the society they were used to said I was all right for a man to run around shirtless in private company or special circumstances in public, Sage was very modest and usually only allowed visitors when he was fully dressed. However, considering the circumstances, his friends could see why.

Cye stared and pointed. "Bloody 'ell! You've got wings!"

This was true. Protruding from Sage's back were two yellow structures that seemed two hold several "panes" of green, glossy skin that were slowly beating with each breath he took. They looked similar to the wings one might find on a dragon, only they were on the sleek, lanky form of Sage Date instead of a large flying lizard.

"Sage. . . what's going on?" Kento asked as calmly as he could.

Trembling, Sage fell to his knees and began to cry hysterically. "I'm so sorry I didn't say anything earlier but I don't know what's going on and I'm sorry and I'm really scared and I'm sorry and I. . . I. . ." Sage said no more as he continued to hyperventilate. Feeling sorry for their friend, Cye and Kento knelt down to where Sage was, each taking a side. Dash, who still didn't seem to understand what was going on, whimpered and slowly crawled to where Sage was, gently laying his head in the boy's lap.

"Sage. . . calm down, please," Cye said softly.

Halo sniffled and wiped away a few of his tears. "I. . . I know the truth now," he said.

"The truth?" asked Kento. "What truth?"

"Kento. . . do you remember when I said that I had some family problems a few months ago?" Sage asked. "When. . . when I tried to kill myself?" Kento nodded calmly, placing a hand on Sage's shoulder. "The family problem was. . . I was. . . I'm not. . . I didn't know who I was."

". . . who you were?" asked Kento.

"You were adopted," said Cye, his eyes wide.

Sage nodded. "Yes. My. . . the Dates found me one night at the front door in a basket with a blanket and. . . this," he said. Sage pointed to a gold chain around his neck that carried a small charm shaped like a pair of wings identical to the ones he now had. "They called the police and everything, but no one knew who I was. . . so they adopted me." He closed his eyes. "That's what Trulpa was harassing me about. She said I'd been abandoned- which I thought I was at the time- because my real parents didn't love me. That I wasn't good enough for them. She said no one would care what became of me and that's what drove me to try what I did." Sage touched his shoulder and looked at the pale skin. "She chose the fourteenth because that's the day I was raised to believe was my birthday- I really don't have one. It's just a rough estimate the authorities gave everyone during the investigation so they could check hospital birth records."

"Oh Sage," said Kento. "I wish I knew that earlier. . ."

"I don't like talking about," said Sage. He sniffled. "That's also why I haven't talked to my family. I found out I was adopted right before I left for the war. My 'grandfather' had asked me to help him find something in his office when I stumbled across some of the paperwork. I didn't get a good enough look at it to know what it was, but I knew something was suspicious when he snatched them away from me. At any rate, that was the night I had planned to leave anyways, but I wanted to know what he was hiding from me. He told me the truth, and my 'father' and my 'mother' overheard. They started to yell at my 'grandfather', and I got mad at them because they didn't tell me the truth. We got into a huge fight and I haven't really spoken to them since."

"That's why you only wrote them that little note," said Cye.

"Yes," he said. He sighed. "I kinda regret that now, but I'm still mad at them for lying to me about it." He looked up at the ceiling. "Since I found out, I've been trying to figure out who or what I am. Rowen knows I was adopted, but he didn't say anything- he might've said something now that he thinks I'm dead, but I'd imagine there was probably an investigation he could've mentioned it if he thought it was a factor."

"Rowen knew?" Cye said incredulously.

"Before the fighting even started," he said. Sage laughed. "That's why I was such an ass at times. I was trying to find myself and fight a war at the same time. I know that sounds selfish of me to have done that but I had no choice- I couldn't ignore it no matter how much I tried to."

"And. . . what does this have to do with the wings?" Kento asked.

Sage looked over his shoulder, raised one of his wings slightly higher, and batted it back down. He rolled the matching shoulder back, turning his neck the other way. "For the past few weeks I was having these dreams about this. . . city, I guess. . . and there were lots of people with wings. They spoke a language I didn't understand, except for this one man who kept calling me 'Kilon'. This morning I had another one, but the city was deserted except for that man and a baby. The Ancient was there, too, and they started talking about how the man's people were going to die out and how the baby was the only hope. I. . . that baby was me!"

Cye's eyes widened. "That was Crystal Falls. . . the last city of the Flitteree. In your dreams you were visiting the city, and you saw what must've been the events leading to you being placed on the doorstep of your family. I bet the Ancient One put you there so you could grow up with a normal family, right?"

Sage nodded. "That's what I think happened," he said. He smiled. "The last thing I heard was my father. . . or at least, the man I THINK was my real father. . . say that he wanted 'Sage' to have a normal life." He bent his head down. "That. . . that made me feel special. I have the name my REAL father gave me. Sage. I thought that was just something the Dates decided to call me when they took me in. . . but they must've found a note or something with me."

"So how did you suddenly get the wings?" Kento asked.

Sage sighed. "Well, I woke up from my dream standing on a balcony and I fell off on the wrong side. I kept falling and falling, but then I stopped and my wings- and my necklace- appeared. I think my wings appeared from natural instinct, but I don't know where this came from," he said, clutching the tiny gold piece. "I thought I'd lost it when Trulpa kidnapped us- I looked for it, but I couldn't find it. I'm happy to have it back and all, but I don't know how it suddenly got around my neck like this. At any rate, I flew back to my room and locked myself up in here because I have another problem."

Cye cocked his head to one side. "And what would that be?"

"I. . . have no idea how I'm going to keep this a secret."

Kento whistled as he looked at Sage's wings. "Yeah. I don't think a big sweater is gonna hide THOSE puppies- they're freaking HUGE!" Sage frowned, his wings seeming to frown with him. "They're nice wings. . . I guess. . . but Trulpa is going to freak out if she sees them!"

"Well. . . there's probably a way to get rid of them," said Cye.

Sage gave Cye an icy glare. "We are NOT cutting them OFF!"

"I didn't say that!" said Cye, folding his arms over his chest as he began to explain his reasoning. "Let's put it this way, shall we? Sage was born a Flitteree, but didn't know it until now. From the time he was born to right now, he probably had those wings. . . in his back or something, I guess. Maybe there's a way you can retract them when you don't want them to be seen, and bring them out when you need them?"

Kento cleared his throat, then looked his best friend clear in the eyes. ". . . Cye? After we figure out how to hide Sage's wings and get the hell out of this damn Dynasty, remind me to check myself into the hospital." Cye and Sage looked at their friend in confusion. "Dude, I want a catscan. RIGHT NOW!!!"

~

I eliminated the role of Celeste from this fic- Celeste was the winner of a fic contest I had several years ago in which the prize was a role in one of my stories. Originally, Celeste was a survivor of the last stand of the Flitteree. She found baby Sage and was able to keep him and herself hidden from the Dynasty soldiers. Once the coast was clear, she escaped to the Mortal Realm and left him with the Dates.

Though I've just decided to be a royal bitch to Cye, I decided to cut Sage some slack. Granted he has a plethora of new problems to work out, but he must have some peace of mind now knowing the truth behind his "abandonment" and his origins, as awful as they are. Sides, now he knows who to go to for revenge.

This chapter was written very quickly! It just came out like nothing else.

Crystal Cat Chan: Well, she nearly made Sage commit suicide near his "birthday". Though I haven't figured out where to work it in, Cye's wearing shirts with longer sleeves. Well, yeah, it was less painful for Cye in a way, but none the less that was no picnic either. You see, Dash was a cute little innocent puppy here. In the original version, Dash was a full grown Gruff chasing him, Sue Lee, and Sara across town barking and howling. No he won't, but we know who gets the focus next Christmas for them, right? Well, I'm still working out the bugs in it, but I have a few ideas. See, that's the nice thing about the way I write- I write as I get ideas about 80% of the time, so I don't run too high of a risk of revealing spoilers. Oh, you were the first to review this chapter so don't fret.

Sakura123: Yes, sucks to be Cye, but do you really think I'd leave him like that? Yeah. Gruffs are bipedal. Er, kinda- tripedal if you count the butt. Actually, three legged structures are supposed to be superior to four legged ones because it's impossible for them to wobble no matter how uneven the legs are provided all three touch the ground.

Harry: Yeah, but who's to stay Dash stays with him if/when Kento and Sage escape? I'M WORKING ON THE GIRLS, I SWEAR! See, I was a little stuck on Rona's chapter, but I'm getting closer and closer to the finished product (I'm not working on it now cause I wanna get this out).

Firestorm: Who doesn't love Cye torture? (Cye: *raises hand* I don't like Cye torture. I like "send-Cye-on-an-all-expenses-paid-trip-to-the-Bahamas" instead!). Thanks!

Bunch-o-nuts: I understand- it takes either a really hard class or some other damn powerful force to get me to stop caring about grades. I like getting good grades. They are more fun than bad ones. Please don't mention summer- that makes me very sad.

Zammy: I dunno. No, seriously, I dunno- so much has changed from the original that I don't know what's going to happen next. But this is part of a series currently under heavy revision called The Age of Legends, which focuses on powers that the Ronins have outside of their armors (you've already read about Kento's divination, Cye's parentage, and now Sage's race). There are several more "roles" in the Age of Legends you have yet to read about- Ryo and Rowen, those of the five Senshi, and a few other players such as Anubis and other characters who either haven't shown up or haven't shown their true colors yet.

~Dixxy