Consequences of Capture
By Dixxy
Epilogue
Call you up in the middle of the night
Like a firefly without a light
You were there like a blowtorch burning
I was a key that could use a little turning
I can hear them. Sage didn't like the sounds of the troops mobilizing. Even though he wasn't sure on the exact geographic location of the apartment, he knew it was close enough to Trulpa's army to hear them moving out. The clanking of metal was in perfect unison, several commands being yelled out by Warladies and officers alike.
Sage pulled his blanket more closely around himself, hugging one of his pillows in fear. He didn't like this sudden feeling of being afraid. No matter how many times he'd been dragged up and down the rocky road to and from Hell over the past several months, this was terrifying.
Even with all of the troops he had seen during his battles with Talpa, this was scarier. Talpa's troops were wild, out-spoken, and high-strung. None the less, they were also very disorganized and easy to take down. They were foolish warriors and didn't stand a chance against any of the Ronin Warriors.
Trulpa's forces worked together like clockwork.
So tired that I couldn't even sleep
So many secrets I couldn't keep
Promised myself I wouldn't weep
One more promise I couldn't keep
Good GOD MY HEAD! Kento had his pillow crammed over his head, trying to suppress the throbbing headache he was enduring. He whimpered, trying to get rid of the horrible pounding his powers were giving him. He shuddered, cold, unhappy, and feeling very miserable as the army began to move.
As he tried to sleep and forget about what was going on around him, images of screaming people and vicious battles ran through his head. Undoubtedly the Senshi were the people in the familiar Ronin armors, trying to ward off Tin Heads and Warladies with all they had. Occasionally he could see Anubis coming to the defense of a small girl with purple eyes who was clinging to his robes in terror.
None of this is even happening yet, so why do I have to live with it now?! Can't I sleep? How can I survive the next. . . oh man, how long is this all gonna last!. . . without getting any sleep? I'll be of no use to anyone, and I'll be vulnerable again! Please, make this stop!
Kento's plea wasn't answered.
It seems no one can help me now
I'm in too deep there's no way out
This time I have really led myself astray
"Shh. . . it's okay, Dash. It's all right," Cye whispered, trying to comfort the trembling puppy his arms were wrapped around. Cye was sitting up in bed, holding Dash close to him a he tried to coax the beast back to sleep. Dash continued to whimper, nuzzling his head into Cye's shoulder.
Resting his back against the headboard, Cye listened as the sounds of the troops got louder and louder. It sounded like they were passing their apartment, probably mocking them in a way. They knew there was little they could do in the coming weeks to help the Senshi. All they had the power to do was try and escape. And keep poor Dash calm and under control.
Dash licked Cye's shoulder, and the boy rubbed the puppy behind his ears. His mind was racing back and fourth between two people who would be out on the battlefield. One was his partner in arms- someone whom he shared a common bond with, yet had never met. But somehow, Cye felt that if they met, a bond WOULD form.
The other. . . was Anubis.
Runaway train never going back
Wrong way on a one way track
Seems like I should be getting somewhere
Somehow I'm neither here nor there
"Please don't let my friends die. . ."
"Please don't let Trulpa win. . ."
"Please let the Senshi be all right. . ."
Can you help me remember how to smile
Make it somehow all seem worthwhile
How on earth did I get so jaded
Life's mystery seems so faded
At perhaps the same instant, all three boys were up and out of their beds, on their way to the living room of their tiny prison. Sage only stopped to quickly brush his hair, Kento a drink of water, and Cye a blanket to wrap the still frightened Dash in. It was then that they proceeded into the living quarters, and all three arrived at the same time.
An eerie silence fell onto the room, and they really saw each other.
I can go where no one else can go
I know what no one else knows
Here I am just drownin' in the rain
With a ticket for a runaway train
"We've all changed, haven't we?" Sage said. Sage, who had already been the tallest Ronin, had shot up several inches since their kidnapping. His features seemed to sharpen, but still retained the elfin beauty that drew young women to like a firefly to light. His eyes still shimmered, but the shimmer had changed from a care-free youthful sparkle to the mature glint of oncoming adulthood.
"We're never going to be the same again, are we?" Kento said. Though Kento was never "fat", per se, some excess weight he had around his face and body had hardened into muscle, slimming and shaping his form at the same time. Now he wasn't like the boyish and good-natured young man he'd once been, but rather an aged reflection of this.
"It's too late for us to go back to what we were," Cye finished. Though Cye still looked much younger than his companions, he'd gotten a little taller and his face had gotten slightly more angular. His eyes had lost their softness and naïve innocence, replaced by the reluctant knowledge that comes with age, time, and maturity.
The boys were no longer boys. They were young men.
Everything is cut and dry, day and night, earth and sky
Somehow I just don't believe it
"I don't want to do this anymore," said Kento. His gray blue eyes began to swell with tears. "I don't want to have to fight for my life. I don't want to be tortured and tormented by crazy demons. I just want to go back to playing in my parent's backyard and playing catch with my little brothers."
Small streams of tears flowed down the cheeks of the last Flitteree. He clenched his eyes shut and turned his head to his shoulder. "I want to know what my real family was like. I don't want them to be dead! I want to know who they were and what they were like! I don't want to be alone in the world like this!"
"Why do we have to give up our innocence!?" Cye demanded, now fully crying. "Why do we have to arm ourselves as children!? Why should we sacrifice time we should be spending with friends and family to fight a war like this and end up loosing everything!? EVERYTHING!?"
Bought a ticket for a runaway train
Like a madman laughin' at the rain
Little out of touch, little insane
Just easier than dealing with the pain
The boys fell to their knees, Dash crawling out of Cye's arms to nuzzle his favorite master as the young men began to cry. They wept for their lost childhood, forever gone with the past. They cried for their families and friends that they would never see again and whom would never see them again.
But they cried for their innocence the most.
They cried for a time when they didn't know what things like war and torture and rape were. They cried for a time when they didn't know what it was like to experience real pain and suffering at the hands of their cruel captor. They cried for days when their biggest worries were simple things like grades and sports and their families. They cried for the things that had taken for granted, like laying on their beds and listening to the radio, or playing video games with younger siblings.
Before long, the three young men were fast asleep on the floor of the living room, lying close to each other for comfort in the impending time of uncertainty. None of them knew what was to be coming or how long it was going to last. They weren't even sure if their escape plans would work (and one felt any escape was futile for him). Together, they did know one thing:
It wasn't going to be good.
Runaway train never comin' back
Runaway train tearin' up the track
Runaway train burnin' up my veins
Runaway but it always seems the same
~
Finally got the end of this one! Now I just need to get into RSL and Dragonia, right?
Oops! In chapter seventeen, Cye mentioned the Child of Destiny without ever hearing it before. The mistake has since been fixed. Lena Ban Obsidian caught that one.
Song credit goes to Soul Asylum for the song "Runaway Train"
Harry: Neither did I. I wasn't sure how I was going to handle some of the families, though I have some better ideas now. I'm also taking a little bit of a different path than most people usually do with SOME aspects of ONE of the families, but I won't say which one (where Cye's mom is dead, that leaves the Dates and Rei Fuangs). Yes, and there are some things that will occur as a result of this. No, Cye's mom won't come back to life like Anubis did- Anubis gets explained sometime during either RSL or another story. No thank you on the group, Harry, but thank you for asking anyways.
Bunch-o-Nuts: Wow, I'm glad you're into it! This is the last part, and all the new stuff will be in Dragonia or RSL.
Lena: LENA-CHAN!!!!! Yeah, you certainly did have some catching up to do, but I'm glad to see you were excited to be caught up. Yes. The first CoC was (as I've said many times before in different wordings) "Once apon a time Cye, Sage, and Kento were kidnapped by Trulpa. It sucked." This version is : "Once apon a time Cye, Sage, and Kento were kidnapped by Trulpa. They were beaten, tortured, degraded, and made several Looney Tunes characters think 'Wow, that must have hurt'. It REALLY sucked." Bringing stuff in later? Yes indeed. I threw in little bits and pieces that have the potential to be addressed later. Some things I can't ignore, such as Cye's bracelet, but other things that stand as small plot devices could amount to something bigger later. For people who aren't Lena that are reading this, this is NOT limited to just this story- Lena knows a BIG one I have planned for MUCH later (there's an 80% chance it would HAVE to come AFTER the Ronins reunite). Lena, you should know what I'm talking about- e-mail me directly if you are unsure but please don't leave it here!!! I just really like the idea of Sage with wings. With the way a lot of artists (Japanese published doujinishi, Internet fan, and official alike) and writers portray him, I can't help but think of him as a elf or fairy- later on he gets the nickname "Fairy Boy" or something like that. The bracelet? You'll see. Cye is NOT the one who gets it off, and you'll see what happens. Anubis comes a little later in RSL (the first couple of chapters are being biting, snapping bitches right now). Yes, yes, I know you caught that :P. Though Kento and Sage certainly have their share of "special moments" (Kento had less of them, but by far he had one of the more traumatizing "special moments"), I agree. A lot of the story did focus in on Cye and his reactions, as it is a major player in this whole series. And have fun with your RP!
Narijima: I'm glad you liked that scene! There's a little more to that scene that gets explained later on in RSL, but none the less, most of the key factors were there. That one conversation will likely lead to another fascinating conversation later on between Cye and Anubis about their special situation. Glad you like the rest of it, too.
Triple C: Sorry, but that is easier to type that your full pen name. Oh, well, you've read them now so calm down! I didn't get a TON of review notices from FF.Net, but who am I to complain? 99% of the people here (give or take a percent) use this service for FREE. Sure a lot of people pay for the premium package but let's face it- the vast majority of us are not paying that cash. Yes I am mean to Cye! And in the Chrono Cross section I'm pretty mean to Glenn (and Dario and Norris and Karsh), too! Oi, if I ever write Magic Knight Rayearth fanfics poor Ferio would need to make sure his life insurance is paid up! Yeah, at this point Cye probably has some idea that there may be more to his whole "being born because Mum got drunk one night and doesn't know who know who my Daddy is" thing, but he's still unsure. Where did you get the thing about Anubis? I read though a few things but didn't find where you got that idea from. Ah, Cye's leash – you'll see. I still haven't finished that book, and I've have it since it was first released to the general public. Yes, as mangled as the little mutt is, he is pretty cute. He eats socks and begs for food from Sage. Gotta love it. Cye was in England, but he wasn't there for very long. Recall that Ryo could sense his friends all over Japan. That is a small country. Even when they went into the Nether Realm, they weren't all that far from Talpa's castle. So no, they probably didn't sense Cye in the Mortal Realm.
One last note for everyone: RSL v2.0 is being a real pain to write, as is Dragonia. Please be patient with me! I've had a lot going on these past few weeks and I need a chance to recover from all that!
~Dixxy