For A Friend

by Eboni

An in depth retelling of Gaiden, and its devasting aftermath. Five ropes of friendship are being tested for their strength and endurance. What would you do for a friend?

2. Episode 2

**Author's Note: Thanks for all of the great reviews, and I'm sorry this next installment has taken so long to get out. I just needed to find the free time to sit down and watch the Gaiden videos again. College can be time consuming lol. Anyways, the end of this Episode strays a bit from the videos because I did not like the ending, it felt incomplete and I wanted more from it. I hope you enjoy what you read and will give me a review or two ;) **

Disclaimer: I wish! (Then I'd be rich, and Gaiden would have ended how I wanted it too).





EPISODE 2

"Where are they?" Mia was biting her nails. She and Yulie sat at a smaller table in Mr. Chin's restaurant waiting for Ryo, Cye, Kento, and Rowen to return. From what they saw on the television, Rowen and Kento had been hurt. Please be ok...she prayed silently, trying to keep a pleasant expression on her face for Yulie. She couldn't let him see how worried she really was.

"The guys are out there kicking butt right, Mia! They're gonna be back here any minute...with Sage! They'll have a great story to tell us!" Yulie was a perpetually happy child, and easy to please. Mia pet his head fondly, and went back to her discrete nail biting.

"Bet they'll be back for dinner," Yulie continued to talk, only stopping when a loud crash from the front of the restaurant was heard. There were screams and the sounds of people fighting. Mr. Chin came rushing towards them just as they were standing, "What's going on?"

"There are some men here dressed as ninjas and they're destroying the restaurant. They're after you two, you have to leave... There's a back..." Mia screamed as a masked ninja leapt into the room landing a hard kick in Mr. Chin's stomach sending him reeling back into the buffet table. Mia grabbed Yulie and pulled him close to her, "Leave us alone!"

"Get away from them!" Mr. Chin was pulling himself up, he stood with a grunt. His chubby body was not made for taking such abuse, but as long as he could stand he was not about to let those ninjas abduct his young guests entrusted to his care by his own nephew. He charged forward again only to be struck brutally in the face, and punched in the chest. He collapsed to the floor, but fought to stand again, until he heard a short yelp. He raised his eyes to see that one of the ninjas held a blade to little Yulie's exposed throat. "Don't get up Mr. Chin...stay down! We'll be ok!" Mia called before she was gagged.

Mr. Chin watched in horror as Mia and Yulie were carried away by the assailants. "I'm sorry..."

The strange girl led them deeper and deeper into the city's underground pipe system. Ryo supported Rowen, frowning when he felt him beginning to falter. "Rowen, come on buddy, stay with me."

"I'm with you..." Rowen grunted back, trying to put more resolve into his steps.

"Under here, and be still," the girl hissed, she ducked under a pipe. Ryo awkwardly followed her movements with Rowen still draped over his shoulder. Voices and the heavy pounding of boots were heard as the police passed. Their flashlight beams pierced the shadows momentarily. They sat huddled for nearly 10 minutes, before the girl spoke again, "I think they're all gone."

Ryo nodded, "Yeah I do too." They stared at each other for a while. "You were ready to kill one of us yesterday, what's making you help us now?"

The girl gave a sheepish grin, "I... Well, I saw you all fighting that green armor out there, and I...well I figured I'd made a mistake. I'm sorry."

"I hope you don't chase everyone you're mistaken about around with sharp objects," Rowen muttered with a groan of pain.

"Let me take a look at that Rowen," Ryo said softly, gazing at his friend's pain filled expression. He was pale and sweating. They had long ago taken off their armors and were now in their street clothes. Rowen moaned, "I think I cracked a rib or two...and my leg hurts really bad."

The girl was already rolling up his pant leg to check the wound, she grimaced at the site of it, "It appears to only be a flesh wound."

"Well it hurts like holy hell," Rowen muttered giving a hiss of pain as the girl wrapped his leg up with a piece of her t-shirt that she had just ripped. "Ow....not so tight!"

The girl cocked an eyebrow, "I know what I'm doing."

Ryo chuckled, he had helped Rowen remove his light weight jacket and was pulling up his shirt, "So Wonder Woman, what do we call you?"

She laughed lightly, "The name's Luna? And what do I call you two, the Tin Men?"

"You could, but we wouldn't like it very much," Ryo said back with a grin. Rowen opened his eyes which had previously been clenched shut in pain to stare at Ryo... He knew he heard it, but would he see it as well? Was Ryo flirting with She-ra? Bah...the glazed look, the dopey smile, definitely flirting, he rolled his eyes.

"I'm Ryo, and this is Rowen," Ryo introduced them both. He frowned at Rowen's midriff, "You got some serious bruising here bro. I don't think you were too far off about those cracked ribs. We need to tape them up."

"Eh..." Rowen growled, "Well while we're waiting...anybody got any pain killer?"

Luna smirked, "Not on me, but we can go back to my place to get some tough guy."

"Is it close?" Rowen asked, his voice cracking a bit.

Luna nodded. "Come on, it'll only take a few minutes to get there from here."

"How do you know these tunnels so well. I mean, stuff like this isn't a usual past time for a girl..."

Luna laughed, "It's not is it? My older brother used to bring me down here when we were younger. He taught me how to find my way to anywhere in the city from the underground. He taught me a lot of things..." her voice caught.

"Was he the one of the ones killed by..."

She nodded, tears beginning to stream from her eyes, "Yes, yes! And that's why I attacked you... that's why I've been following you! I will avenge my brother's death, if it's the last thing I do! I owe him that much! He was all I had! I had no other family but him, and that thing that dresses like one of you, took him away from me!"

"Luna, we're sorry..." Ryo began, he didn't know how to approach her, "We came here to stop it, ok? We're going to get whoever's behind all of this, ok?"

"You didn't do such a good job of it just then."

"I bet we did a better job than you would," Rowen uttered.

"Ro!"

"She's being pissy!" Rowen snapped.

"He's in pain. He's always a bitch when he's in pain, ignore him," Ryo apologized for Rowen profusely. "We weren't sure what we were up against just then. You see.... that armor? It belongs to our friend, and he's been kidnaped by whatever's controlling the armor now. We came here to save him."

"That evil armor is one of yours?"

"It's not evil...it's the wearer and what he chooses to do with the armor that's evil," Ryo said.

Luna listened quietly, before nodding. "I will help you then."

"Oh no..no this is dangerous. You could get hurt, leave this up to us. We appreciate your help now, but..."

"I'm going to help whether you like it or not. I don't know how girls act in Japan, but us American women don't like to sit on the sidelines. I got too much at stake."

"Luna...Shhh!" More footsteps, and voices. It sounded like... "Hey there you two are...YOU!" Kento's bulk dropped from the stairway above and planted itself right in front of Luna, "Alright girlie, I got a score to settle with you. You trashed my uncle's restaurant!"

"Kento!"

"...don't think you're going to get away with it!"

"Kento!"

"And further more..."

"Kento shut up! She saved my and Rowen's behinds a little while ago. Listen, she made a mistake ok? She lost her brother..."

Kento blinked before the meaning of Ryo's words set in. "I hear Kento's loud mouth bellowing, so I must assume that he's found Rowen and Ryo and they are ok. And what do you know, he has!" Cye appeared and traveled down the stairway mocking pleasant surprise. He smirked at Kento's hateful expression, his eyes widened at seeing Luna, "Hello. Are we speaking or fighting this time?"

"Speaking," Luna said softly. "I'm sorry."

Cye reached the bottom of the stairs, "Are you two alright?"

Ryo nodded, "Rowen's gonna need some tape for his ribs though... Guys, this is Luna. Luna, this is Cye, and the big one's Kento. Luna says her apartment's nearby and she's got some painkillers."

"And tape, I can fix your friend up," Luna offered.

"Sounds good to me," Rowen said. "What kind of painkillers do you have? Strong ones? Like the ones you take through an IV that knock you out for hours?"

They all shot Rowen looks of amusement, "What?"

"Come on you," Ryo helped Rowen to stand, "we'll get to Luna's place, then head back to Mr. Chin's to check on Mia and Yulie and let them see we're ok."

"Oh yeah Mia and Yulie!" Kento exclaimed, "They probably think we're dead or something! We better hurry!"

Shikaisen chuckled darkly as he viewed the outdoor festivities taking place that day. People lined the streets dancing and participating in the parades dressed in colorful costumes. He hoped they were enjoying themselves, for it would be the last joy they were destined to have. He brought his mind's eye back into the chamber his ghastly form was hoovering in. He gazed at his new captives, the young boy and woman who were friends of the stubborn blond teenager, bound to each other hanging from the ceiling by a single rope. They were still unconscious, they had been unconscious upon arrival. Maybe they could be used to persuade the teen to don the armor of Halo, if not, they would simply serve as bait to the other warriors that were sure to come to save their friends.

"I'm looking forward to seeing the full power of the armor of Halo," Shikaisen spoke pointedly, glaring at his minion, who kept promising to wear the boy down, and get control of his mind, but kept failing to do so.

"Be patient for just a while longer Shikaisen. It shouldn't be long now before I have him under my control. In his weakened condition he won't be able to fight the mind control for much longer, no matter how strong willed he is," the scientist shook his head. "I keep telling him that if he would only put the armor on so the computer can fully analyze the power of it, all of this would stop. No more pain, he'd be free...but he keeps fighting me. I'll break his resolve sooner or later." He sighed and turned a dial on his counsel that caused another electric current to course through the boy's body. The boy's body convulsed against the iron star, and he groaned in pain.

"I've learned something new about the armor just the other day. Watch as I demonstrate..." Shikaisen nodded to his minion who turned the dial on his counsel again running more electricity through the boys body, causing him to cry out again even louder. The armor reacted with a flash, the computer screen went wild showing numbers and configurations, the power levels were off the charts.

The partying people on the streets above that the demon had been monitoring were bombarded with an electrical explosion from the earth. They shrieked as their bodies were charred beyond recognition.

"I cannot wait for the day this wonderful power shall become mine."

Mia woke to the sounds of mens' voices, and a loud scream of pain... The scream...it had almost sounded like... she gazed down and gasped. Oh no... that poor baby. Sage was just below her, his body hanging limply from a metal structure. IV's leaking fluids into his veins snaked in and out of his body, wires and cords were bound and attached by electrodes to his forehead. His hands and feet were chained to the structure, keeping him prisoner. He appeared to be unconscious, except for the loud screams that were being elicited by the jolts of electricity being run through his body at any given time. Those screams let Mia know he was still alive. She felt a smaller body's heat on her back, and knew Yulie was tied up behind her, she prayed he would never look down. Sage screamed again in pure agony, and Mia was momentarily blinded by the flash of light from Halo. She heard cries from more than just Sage then, and looked below to see the spirits of hundreds rising up through the floor boards, and she squealed, waking Yulie.

"Mia...Mia? Where.."

"Oh gods.... Stop this! Leave him alone, stop this!" Mia was yelling. More spirits rose, one actually brushing past her face, and she moaned in fear and repulsion.

Yulie was beginning to cry, "Mia..."

"Shhh...Yulie, Ryo and the others will come to save us..."

"I'm scared Mia... Look at Sage! Is he dead?"

"No, no honey, he's not dead." But he probably wished he was. "He's only sleeping, waiting for Ryo. You should try to do the same, ok? When you wake up, we'll all be on our way home."

The demon below them looked on at the mass congregation of human souls rising into his lair, with a cruel smile of pleasure on his face as he said bellowed, "I cannot wait for the day when all of this wonderful destructive power to be mine."

Kento lashed out in fury striking the wall of his Uncle's ruined restaurant just above the message left by the men who had trashed the place. He had extended his generous hospitality to them, and this was how they repaid him? By leading demons and mercenaries to his establishment, endangering him and his staff! Kento growled in fury, not only had they unintentionally lured the phantom menaces to his Uncle's grounds, but Mia and Yulie had been kidnaped as well! They just couldn't seem to do anything right! "I've had just about enough of these guys! Now they're leaving notes, trying to lure us into traps! Come to Little Tokyo my ass..."

"I tried to help them, but by the time I came it was too late! The men...the ones dressed like ninjas, had already taken them. I could do nothing to help..." Kento's Uncle Chin stood looking shamed, his portly figure slightly slumped, his arm bandaged and in a sling, a purpling bruise partly obscured by a band-aid just above his brow. He spoke with his eyes closed, the shaking quality in his vocal timbre enhancing the sound of sorrow in his voice.

Ryo shook his head stepping forward to place his hands firmly on the much larger man's shoulders, and gave him a friendly squeeze, "Don't feel bad about anything that's happened here. We're the ones who have been on a burden on you, and I'm sorry. Some how we'll make this right." His clear blue eyes were wide with sincerity.

"Hey," Kento had abandoned his former state of rage, and had come to join Ryo standing near his Uncle. He smiled encouragingly at his Uncle Chin, "look at you! You got battle scars from trying to protect our friends! You tried, which is more than what we would have asked you to do. In my book, that makes you pretty damn cool."

"But we all know none of this would have happened," Cye began matter-of-factly, as he frowned down at a broken plate..such a pretty pattern destroyed, "if we had all been working together as a team, and didn't stand divided. Guys, if we want to find Sage, Mia, and Yulie, we're got to put our petty scuffles and quarrels between us aside, and start working together."

Kento nodded, surprising Cye with his agreeableness, "Now's not the time to be proud..." he looked at Ryo pointedly, words of apology in his eyes.

Ryo stared back just as intensely, a slight smile gracing his features, "Yeah, it's not." He sighed deeply, looking at Kento, then at the wall where the message the ninjas had left remained scrawled. "Guys, I know it's a trap, but we have nothing else to go on. We're going to have to do as the message says, but as long as we stick together, we'll be fine. Nothing can stop us, right?"

"Right!"

Ryo held out a hand to Kento, who took it firmly in a shake, then Cye came and added his hand to the pile. They squeezed each others' hands briefly before pulling back, all three pairs of eyes now burning with intensity and fellowship, "We'd better go see about Rowen," Ryo said softly, and Cye and Kento agreed whole-heartedly, it was time to put the team back together...

Rowen sat up in the single bed in his sweats doing sits ups with his legs stretched out in front of him and his hands behind his head. He grunted softly in pain everything he forced his body up into a crunch when his muscles contacted. He ignored the pain and continued to work, he had to get himself back into the best physical condition he could be in. He could smell the battle he was about to be immersed in, and knew he had to recover quickly.

"Rowen slow down, you're going to hurt yourself. Don't push so hard," Luna scolded him as she stood by the front door holding it slightly ajar. Cye sat on the love seat just beside the door also watching Rowen in concern, saying nothing, but ready to spring into action if his friend should call out in pain.

"Oh don't worry about me. I may not be as big and strong as Kento, but I heal pretty fast, I'll be ok."

Luna smiled at him warmly, "Oh don't say that. I think you're every bit as strong as Kento, maybe not bulk wise...but you know." She shrugged, "All the same, I'm going out to get more medical supplies. See you later." She slipped out of the door, her long braid flowing behind her, she tuck her head back in after a second and gave a final wave before disappearing completely.

After the front door has closed Cye spoke up for the first time, "Rowen... as soon as you're better, we're going to go and rescue Sage, Mia, and Yulie, but not a second sooner. So please don't push yourself too hard, and end up encumbering your recovery."

Rowen rolled his eyes, "Cye..."

"Rowen," Cye said testily, looking at him sternly. Rowan laughed, letting his hands fall to his side and lying back in bed, "Better Momma Cye?"

"Much."

Ryo stood alone on the bridge watching the sun set, letting the moderate wind ruffle his hair. He had told the others he was going on a walk, he just hadn't said how far. Cye would probably have a kidney if he knew where he was, but he had to think, and he didn't want any of them to just happen upon him. So much had happened. It seemed there was always so much happening in his life, he could scarcely remember a time when everything was calm. But he supposed it was good, his life as a warrior, was better than any life he'd had as just an orphan. At least now he had duty and purpose, and friends... He took a deep breath of the fresh cool air, and let it out loudly, after his grandmother and grandfather had passed on, he thought he'd never care about another living soul...other than White Blaze. Now he had 6 other people he cared about more than himself, 6 people he'd readily die for, and it seemed he was always being given the chance to make good on his word. The Fates liked to play cruel games with him, take away one family, give him another, but place the new one in such a position that Ryo could never be too sure just how long he was going to have that one as well. Something in the back of his mind spoke to him, told him he shouldn't let himself care so much, it urged him to back away, to slowly shut himself off from his new family. It didn't want to be hurt again, it didn't want to face that kind of loss again... Dealing with the first was enough, and it seemed this new family was doomed.

He shook his head, quieting the voice. The voice that had comforted him years ago when he lived in various group homes, instructing him not to care. There was no need for the cool voice now, for Ryo had a made a decision. If his new family was doomed, then so was he. He'd die before he let any of them get seriously injured while he was around... if they died, then so would he.

He looked to the sky raising his hand in a fist as he spoke his words with grim determination, "Sage, Mia, Yulie, I'll save you, I swear."

He lowered his fist, bringing it to his side and brought his head down, as he felt the beginnings of a tear, he wouldn't cry... They'd been through worse. He briefly recalled the time, Sage, Kento, and Cye had been held captive by the Dynasty. He remembered seeing them in chains....

The dream of Sage invaded his thoughts then... was where Sage was worse than that? He had been locked in a nightmare, half asleep, half awake, and he had no Cye or Kento to talk to, to keep him sane and hopeful. Did he know that Ryo had heard him, that they were coming for him? The only thing he had gotten from Sage was confusion, fear, exhaustion, and pain. If he had sensed Ryo was with him for that brief moment he didn't let on to it.

"Ryo!" he jumped at the voice, and turned. Luna was running towards him. What was she doing way out here? "Luna?"

"What are you doing here?" She asked him in a breathless rush, she stopped across from him leaning on the opposite rail of the bridge.

Ryo couldn't help but notice how the her silky brown hair fell into her face just touching her eyes, of the way her long hair plaited up into a loose braid rested against her shoulders, falling down to touch her waist. Her skin glowed with the healthy flush running had brought to it, and her eyes shone as she gazed at him with a warm smile on her sweet face.

He shook his head, this girl was helping them, that was all. His friends were in danger, it was inappropriate for him to be admiring Luna in that way. She had also lost a brother, she was still in mourning. Shame on you Ryo for trying to take advantage of her, he scolded himself. Then he gazed at her again, once again feeling the sweeping sensation of attraction, he cleared his throat, "Just thinking. I had to get away for a bit. Um... thank you for taking such good care of Rowen. You're a strange girl, you know that? I guess that's why you've taken to us so well. Anyone else would have turned us over to the FBI by now, and we'd be in a lab as test subjects."

Luna blushed bringing a hand behind her neck in a gesture of shy modesty, she lowered her eyes demurely, "What can I say? I am rather eccentric, but taking care of Rowen, and taking you guys in feels...right. I feel horrible about all the things I've said about you, you know, accusing you of things. I'm kind of embarrassed."

Ryo gave a light laugh, "You shouldn't be."

They stood staring at each other in silence, it seemed they both wanted to speak to one another, and they were inwardly debating over who should go first. Ryo could feel the heat rising to his cheeks...was he blushing as much as she was? He hoped not, if Kento were here he'd never hear the end of it.

"Will you be leaving soon Ryo? Or do you think you'll stick around for a little longer?" Luna asked suddenly, her eyes strange...was that longing he saw in them?

"We have to help our friends," Ryo said turning away from her to look back across the water. When he actually thought about it, with her standing there, he really wouldn't mind staying...after he'd helped Sage and the others. Maybe his family would gain a new member... He sat on the railing pondering that, as he heard her footsteps moving toward him, "Let me go with you. I know my way around Little Tokyo, I cam be of help to you."

He hopped down from his sitting position onto the floor of the bridge to meet her as she came to him, her eyes were grave, "I know you guys were planning on leaving in the night without telling me!"

"Luna, I know you want revenge for your brother...and maybe you think helping us will give you just that...but it's just too dangerous. I mean, you're just a girl..." a small boned, pretty, little girl...he thought with a sigh, that didn't need to mixed up with the likes of him.

"That's not fair! I just can't sit around and do nothing while I know you are off fighting the monster that destroyed my family! You brought Mia and Yulie with you on your journey from Tokyo to help out, and if they were here you'd bring them with you to Little Tokyo, so why not me?"

"I did not choose to bring Mia and Yulie along with us here...in fact, I wanted to come alone, they ALL followed me. And if Mia and Yulie were still here with us now...I'd...I'd be asking you to look after them, while Rowen, Kento, Cye, and I went after Sage. It's just not safe for someone who isn't a warrior. We don't know what we're going to be walking into when we get there... you could get hurt."

"But...You trust me right? You left me with Rowen, you'd leave me with Mia and Yulie... That means you think of me now, as part of your team, right?" She moved closer to him putting her arms around him and leaning her head into his chest.

Ryo stood rigid, inhaling her sweet scent, and getting lost in the glossiness of her almond brown hair, her arms around him send fire through his skin... and hesitantly he returned her embrace, her head rose, her eyes gazing upon his face... She had won him over...and he sighed, bowing his head a bit, and she once again relaxed her face into his chest.

"Perfect... Love the new edition to the team Ryo," Kento groaned in annoyance, rolling his eyes at Luna, who had once again scolded him over something he had said.

"Just who do you think got you here, you big lug?" Luna snapped, restraining herself from striking him.

"You two sound like siblings," Cye chuckled.

"Whatever, I would never want HER as a sister. I got enough already, and thank to the Lord above, none of them act like her!" Kento puffed out his chest walking in front of the group, as they strolled the devastated streets of Little Tokyo.

"I don't need your stamp of approval Kento...as if it'd be worth anything if I had it!" Luna retorted with a snort walking beside Ryo. She tried to meet his eyes, but he was scanning the ruins of the town, "Look at this... They're not even trying to hide what they're doing anymore."

Left over tatters of what must have been a festival, and trash of all colors, and piles of debris littered the cracked desolate streets. The sky was an unearthly orange tint, that made him shiver. It reminded him of the Dynasty, and the horror Tulpa had unleashed upon his homeland.

Shikaisen chuckled darkly to himself as he watched the four boys and a girl traveling the streets through his viewing pool... the only warm blooded bodies in the area. "I didn't know there were four other armors. Come quickly my Ronnins, so I can master all 5 of the armors. The power I'd have then, I'd be invincible."

From above him, Yulie cried out, "Leave them alone!" Shikaisen gave a curt nod and the chains were tightened around his captives' waists painfully, and they were hoisted up a bit higher in the air. They both gave grunts of pain.

He smirked, then turned his attention back to the boy, his golden one that hung strapped to the metal star. Each day of pain, misery, and sensory starvation he grew paler and weaker, the effects of many psychogenic drugs altering his perception of reality, the white noise being played into his ears cutting him off from any outside stimuli. His resolve was slowly dwindling and being broken down more and more. "I'll give you one more chance Halo... Move the armor yourself!"

His words laced with venom flashed through the boy's mind, slicing into his nightmares like a dull blade. The boy beared his teeth, his startling grey eyes actually opening to take him the living chaos swirling about him. In his muddled mind he saw monsters and spirits... he heard the snapping and snarling of beasts....but through his insanity he gazed up...and high in the air, near the ceiling of fangs that dripped blood...he saw Mia and Yulie... Mia and Yulie? Why were they here? What had they done to get into Hell? Was it him? Did he drag them here? "It's not fair..." he found his voice slowly.

"Don't do it Sage!" Yulie cried out, but it was lost on the blond's deaf ears...he couldn't hear their voices, he could only hear in his mind the grunting of devilish phantasms, and the howling of night time creatures too gruesome to appear during the day. He shut his eyes back tight, he no longer wished to see what was going on around him... Go away please...leave me alone. He tried to retreat back into his former darkness, in his private shadows nothing could touch him.

"The computer is attempting to analyze your power Halo," Shikaisen continued to speak, as if the boy had never cried out to him. His eyes fell on the green armor of Halo that sat in a side stance diagonal from its owner, surrounded in a diamond formation by dark warriors. The computer sat just in front of the armor ciphering away at the odd components of the Ronnin armor. The figures were just not logical as again and again its algorhythm was thrown a curve by a new startling discovery in the properties of the mystical armor. The simple explanation of "It's magic," was beginning to take on a logical appeal, and it the computer could think for itself, it just might have printed out that solution for them demons and scientist.

Another electric current was sent through the bearer of Halo, trying to force a reaction from the armor. The boy yelled out in agony as his body was once again flooded with electricity... he had long ago given up trying to mask his pain, no one cared how honorable he was there....

Ryo, Cye, Kento, and Rowen stood in a circle each extending a hand with their yaroi resting on the palm. Each yaroi glowed its own distinctive color flashing its individual kanji. They stood just outside a worship temple on the stone pathway surrounded by square slabs of stone with Japanese lettering carved into them. "The yaroi react the strongest here...I think they are just below us..."

Ironic that the demon's base would be at a temple. Luna had been standing back from the Ronnins, but now she moved forward into their private circle to gaze at their yaroi in awe, she reached as if wanting to touch one. They all pulled back clutching their yaroi in their now closed fists, Kento gave half smirk at Luna, "These were given to the 5 of us to uphold. Only we can handle them."

Luna was about to make a remake about the haughtiness of Kento's tone, when Ryo jerked around suddenly as if he'd heard something. There was a low audible groaning and scraping as large rectangular slabs of stone making up the ground beneath them began to slid open. A faint mist of dust rose after the parting, and before it could clear ninjas with katanas resting against their thighs emerged, leaping into the air to surround the Ronnins and Luna. They broke into a run, "These are the guys who took Mia and Yulie!" Ryo yelled. Without being instructed the Ronnins transformed almost simultaneously into their sub armors, and flew into battle mode.

Luna ducked behind the stone statues to watch the battle, she yelled praise to Ryo. She heard a noise before her, and whirled to see a ninja advancing on her. Her eyes grew large and he prepared to spring on her, but then suddenly he fell to the ground unconscious. Kento stood behind the ninja a cocky grin on his face, and he gazed up at Luna expectantly, just knowing she would have to give him some sort of praise...but found that her back was already to him, and she was hollering encouragement at Ryo again.

His face fell, girls...

After the ninjas had been defeated, they ran inside the gates of the temple, halting before the large entrance, and Ryo called out, "Where are you?" to the demon. "Come out! We're not going anywhere until you do!"

The papery doors to th temple opened, and two phantom flames from the long candle sticks rose and burned, a strange red mist swirled from the blackness within the temple and floated out to embrace the Ronnins and Luna.

"You're the demon from the other day," Ryo said plainly, gazing at the wisps of red smoke with narrowed eyes. Luna stood behind the Ronnins unsheathing her short blade, her eyes burning with passion. She hadn't expected to be meeting with the thing that had slain her brother in cold blood so soon, and she had to fight to keep herself from rushing forward to attack. "Be prepared," she hissed to the haunting smoke...she was going to destroy it at all costs.

The demon laughed, showing his disfigured face, "Don't be so rash...or you'll never see your friends again..." His spirit form began to shrink inside as if being pulled by an invisible force backward, and the Ronnins and Luna rushed into the temple after the retreating form, hollering for it to wait.

Shikaisen laughed wickedly as he watched the Ronnins and the girl following after the trail he'd left. He floated by a rope which he pulled when they had stepped on a certain spot on the wooden floor. The pulley creaked as the floor slowly began to tilt downwards, and the Ronnins and the girl let out startled yelps. They vanished beneath the floor as he stood over them watching.

They fell a short ways landing in an underground body of water, a small waterfall behind them supplying the body with fresh water. They were in a cave of some sort. Kento was the last to bob to the surface, gasping for air. He looked around wildly as the others had, and heard the scream from above, "Guys!"

All four heads looked above them to see Mia and Yulie dangling from the ceiling in chains. They were ready to spring from the water and rip them free, when a voice from the wooden platform just above them spoke, "Welcome young ones. I've been studying your armor for a few weeks now..."

All eyes rose to greet the thin gray haired man in the long white lab coat and khaki pants..then their eyes fell behind him to the computer...and to, "Sage..." Ryo murmured. Their blond friend hung limply from a large metal star, his lifeless limbs held firmly in place by metal restraints. They stared in horror at the wires and cords, and bags of fluid that streamed in and out of his body...he showed no signs of being alive...but through the dull link of their armors they could feel Sage's vague life force.

"So you notice your little friend here? He's been most uncooperative in helping me understand your wonderful armor, and what it does. I've learned as much as I can from him forcefully, and if you 4 will willingly help me, I'll let him live. I don't think he can take much more..." he laughed cruelly, then turned to his computer counsel pressing a button, upon a fight of stairs leading away up and away from the platform two large mechanic eyes separated by an open door suddenly shifted to focus on the 5 young men in the pool, and released an electric shock down into it. The Ronnins screamed as the voltage coursed through their bodies, shaking them brutally.

Mia and Yulie cried out from above, watching their heroes be tortured, there was only so much they could take. Seeing Sage was enough... they struggled against their bindings in protest... They're only children, Mia kept thinking, they're only children...

"Yulie... start kicking your legs," she whispered to the boy, "when I say go, kick them starting out going my direction as hard as you can, ok?"

"Ok Mia," Yulie said grimly, not asking questions. He tried to make himself deaf to the screams of his heroes...he learned he could do it. Hours before he'd been able to lock out Sage's screams and cries of dementia.

"Go..." the two began to kick in unison as hard as they could and then harder still, and they began to pendulum back and forth. "Keep kicking!" Mia instructed feeling elation as they moved further and further to the side with each kick, and to her great surprise and joy, lower.

The lunatic smiled down at the Ronnins pleasantly unaware of what was happening above his head, as the Ronnins continued to writhe and curse, "When you pass out, and rouse again later beautiful dreams will await you."

Luna clutched to the stone wall. She had not fallen into the pool with the other, she had stabbed her knife into the stone wall and stopped her rapid decent abruptly. She may have dislocated a shoulder, but she was now in a position to help her news friends. She looked in shock at the slumped figure on the platform strapped to a metal constellation. He looked dead... She frowned as she realized it was Ryo's friend, the one they had come to New York for. She hadn't been expecting to find one that looked like him. He was blond and fair skinned, Ryo and his friends were from the East, this one had the look of a Westerner. She heard the loud hiss of electricity and directed her gaze downward when she heard the screams from below. She watched helplessly for a bit as Ryo and the others were electrocuted, and cursed silently.

Mia and Yulie swung lower and lower, back and forth with vigorously until finally they were level with the platform, "Yulie as hard you possibly can this time!" Mia yelled, and felt the little boy give a strong kick along with her own that sent the two of them barreling into the mad scientist, knocking him away from the counsel his finger falling from the button he held down. The electric current stopped.

"Good going guys!" Kento shouted. They leapt from the water shaking off their pain momentarily from the shocks, and onto the platform were more ninjas were released and standing ready to fight them.

Luna had worked her way to the stone bridge that would take her to the platform. She watched the Ronnins fight with admiration, they were unstoppable.

Rowen broke away from the fight sending the last ninja in his way sprawling to the ground, and made a mad dash to Sage... Carefully he approached his friend, releasing the cords that kept the star in its suspended position, and bringing it to the floor softly. He began to undo the restraints, and gently he removed the IV's that had not been inserted with care. The pale skin at the injection sites were purple and red with mistreatment. He removed the headphones from his friends ears, and brushed back his sweaty blond hair. He was ready to lift him, and carry him to a quieter place, away from the fighting, when Sage's grey eyes opened a crack to spy him.

"Sage?" he asked softly. His eyes were misty and confused, but they rested on Rowen focusing slightly, "Ro...Rowen..."

"Yeah, Sage, it's me."

"I...I knew you'd come..."

"Of course I came! The others are here too," Rowen informed him, lifting him out of the mess of wires, "Do you think you can stand?"

From the center of the platform Mia stood at computer that was analyzing the armor of Halo, trying to delete the files it had made and shut it down. The mad scientist screamed at her stop, that he had almost made a break through.

"Quick Mia, tell me how to get the armor out of all that junk," Ryo said to her, as he restrained the scientist. The man wasn't very strong, his bones felt as if they'd break in Ryo's grip. He looked to the armor of Halo that entangled in a jungle of wires.

"No need, the dear doctor made the mistake of operating the computer where I could see what he was doing. I can get it out easily from here," she tapped in a few codes.

"Ooh...smooth move Doctor," Ryo purred with a smirk, as the scientist turned his head to see Mia at his computer working it a deftly as he did... "What a bitch..." he muttered, much to Ryo's surprise and amusement.

"Idiot!" roared a voice from above.... the door way that separated the eyes.... Shikaisen stood them, the odd orange tint that had polluted the skies above, behind him.

Kento looked up as he threw down yet another ninja and made a fist, "Oh so you're here again! Why don't you come down here and fight us!"

Shikaisen gave a humorless laugh, "Up until now you're fought demons and spirits with no minds of their own, no internal locus of control. Are you ready to see how you'll fair against an intelligent demon like me, who's mastered everything there is to know?"

"You bastard..you foul nasty disgusting...." images and thoughts flooded his mind flushing out all means to form coherent sentences and actions. Monsters lurked at every corner, demons circled him, but above them all he saw Shikaisen, recognized that voice...the one that had taunted him, had corrupted and polluted him into something his family wouldn't recognize...and he couldn't let him get away with it, "I'll destroy you!" he screamed mercilessly... he heard the screams of thousands, millions, in his mind...death..he could smell it. He had pulled himself up on his shaky legs, using a hand to support himself along the rocky wall. All he could see was Shikaisen grinning at him maddeningly, and spitting insults and curses at him...telling him he was a disappointment to his family...to his friends... He scarcely heard Rowen call out to him, "Sage stop! You're not up to fighting!"

He called upon his armor, fearing that it might not come to him because of how dirty he had become...how he'd failed it, and let it be used... The armor came to him as it always had, and he tensed as he felt the transformation occur. He was wrapped in the metal of his Ronnin armor..never in his life had he felt so unclean...and it was all Shikaisen's fault!

"You idiot, I know all about your armor," Shikaisen hissed at the boy before him who trembled with rage. He pulled out a sword of his own and brought it across his body, and stood still as the boy charged toward him with a yell, his own long sword drawn. His eyes were glazed and unfocused, and Shikaisen wondered what he saw.

He battled with a fury that delighted Shikaisen as they traded blows.

"Sage!" Ryo called out in horror, they had just gotten him back.

Shikaisen made slashing motions with his sword forming an invisible triangle with his movements, and stood back as dark energy blazed from the invisible symbol striking the bearer of Halo directly in the chest, knocking him backward. He chuckled as the boy's friends screamed his name. He then spread his arms expanding the dark energy field catching the other Ronnin Warriors in his geometric spell. Now all of them were suspended in mid air on his cruel stars of punishment, held up by his dark magic instead of cords and wires.

The scientist had knocked Mia aside and was now back at his computer overriding her shut down commands, he smirked at her, "You really didn't think you could win this, did you?" he asked her.

"Now I will know the secrets of all of your armors," Shikaisen boomed from below the crucified warriors.

The scientist watched as the computer's eye that sat upon the stairway began to scan each individual armor. Each armors make up confusing the computer more, the scientist frowned, "If I input Halo's data here..maybe the computer can learn from it, and use it to help clear up the uncertain data."

As the scientist puzzled over his new found predicament and tentative solution, he did not notice Yulie slowly climbing onto the platform. He didn't know what exactly he could do to help, but he would try anything. He knew Mia was watching him making his way up to her, but he didn't know that he had another audience as well.

Shikaisen eyed the youth scrambling onto the platform and flew at him quickly extracting his blade. He was going to take off the boy's head, Mia screamed when she saw the demon rushing at Yulie, who had just pulled himself up, and sat on his knees in terror. Shikaisen had almost reached him when there was a battle cry from above. A girl with long brown hair streaming behind her in a braid had hurled herself from the top of the staircase. Mia gasped as she recognized her as the girl that had threatened Rowen in the restaurant. She plummeted down toward Shikaisen her short blade meeting his long one, she roared, "This is for my brother!" Her eyes were fixed with hatred upon Shikaisen, her face set in determination.

Shikaisen flipped his wrist a bit, knocking the blade from her hand, as she let out a startled gasp. He landed upon a stone above the platform not striking at Yulie standing in a modified back stance his sword in a down blocking position.

Luna tumbled at increasing speed as Ryo watched in horror...there was nothing to break her fall.

The scientist had climbed to the rafters to add his master leaving his precious computer behind. He pulled a gun from his lab jacket and fired a shot at the tumbling Luna, just as Yulie grabbed onto the legs of his khaki pants giving them a hard tug, making his that shot go awry. Mia stood just beside him watching the girls rapid decent with dread.

"LUNA!!" Ryo cried desperately fighting the constraints of the upside down metal triangle that held him.

Mia ran quickly to the abandoned computer counsel quickly finding the codes that would release Ryo and the others. The metal bindings broke, and the Ronnins tumbled to the ground. Ryo landed hard on his feet, his knees bending to help absorb some of the shock, then he ran to Luna. She lie sprawled near the bottom of the staircase..there was no blood. He knelt beside her, "Luna?" his voice shook. He knew she shouldn't have come. He knew she was going to get hurt. "Hold on, Luna, hold on. We'll get you out of here, and take you to a hospital and you'll be just fine." He lifted her gently bringing her body to rest against his chest, her head found a niche on his shoulder, he stroked her soft brown hair and rocked her slow. Her voice tickled in his ear, "Ryo..." she whispered. He pulled her head off his shoulder, her body slightly away from him so he could see her face... her forehead was beaded with sweat, her eyes wet with tears, she gazed at him softly, lovingly, and gave a smile, "Ryo.." she whispered again.

"Yes?"

Her lips moved soundlessly, as she tried to choke out her final words to him to no avail...she took her last breath and let out a timid sigh, her head falling to one side. He'd lost her.

He stared at her limp body, eyes wide in shock...he held her body rigidly as he felt the death shudder in her limbs. "Luna?" he shook her finally. "Wake up?" he pleaded. He shut his eyes and brought her body that was already turning cold to his chest as he cried out her name one last time the anguish in his voice heart breaking, "LUNA!!!"

The other Ronnins stared at their leader sorrowfully, until Shikaisen's mocking voice said, "Well it seems you have no intention of cooperating with me, so I'll just have to kill you all. The loss of human life means nothing to me. Humans are weak, and will never amount to anything in the physical world. I am immortal, and have seen many lifetimes, and will see many more to come. Can you say that for yourselves? No, you are meaningless, and will die for a cause that will go unknown and will be unimportant in the future you will never be able to see. You are but mere toys in my play room, and I tire of you."

"Bullshit!" Kento huffed, "You're just mad cause you we beat you! We'll never help you in learning to use our armors, because you can't! They only work for us... and if you kill us, you'll never know the full extent of what they can do! They'll disappear like they never existed. Whether we live or die, you lost, and you're pissed."

Every eye in the room was focused on Shikaisen, even Ryo's teary ones had lifted from Luna's body. He set her down gently and rose in a flash, and called upon his arm, "ARMOR OF WILDFIRE!" signaling the others to call on their armors as well.

Shikaisen watched the amazing transformations before drawing his sword, "So you think you can escape in your armors? You think you stand a chance against me?"

He traded glancing blows with Ryo's twin blades. Ryo was shoved back and he joined his katanas at the pommels holding them vertical, calling on his sure kill, "FLARE UP NOW!!"

Shikaisen was knocked back in the red blaze of fury unleashed by Ryo, Ryo stared in revulsion as the demon's ghastly flesh seemed to melt before his very eyes, leaving him even more disfigured.

"You have won nothing!" Shikaisen rasped, floating higher in the air over the Ronnins, his horrible face frightening.

The scientist began to laugh hysterically, "It's the power of magic and science combined! He's unstoppable!" He roared with laughter, spittle flying from his mouth. Mia and Yulie embraced on another in terror, the computer screen before them flashed. Mia squinted at the new readings on the screen her mouth drawing in shock, "This is..."

Suddenly the entire room seemed to shake with energy, the air before them shimmered and misted with ancient dark magic. Shikaisen's image flickered and it seemed more spirits roused to join him, "The computer's memorized our armors..." Sage said in a small voice... "He's calling on that power..." The metal of his armor clanked as he trembled...so many voices, so much haze... too much power.

Kento stared at his friend in concern, angering when he realized he was trembling, Sage never trembled...he stepped forward, he'd had enough, it was time to leave this place, "IRON ROCK CRUSHER!!" He hollered attempting to release his attack.

The eye of the computer focused on him analyzing his stance and reading upon what he was doing...it sent a shock from its eye equivalent to Kento's sure kill, blasting him backward, separating him from his iron staff.

The other Ronnins gasped.

Cye, stepped in front of Kento's fallen form ready to try his attack, "No!" Rowen hollered, "It knows our behavior patterns....It knows our attacks..."

"It...it wouldn't know Inferno..." Sage said shaking his head.... he couldn't sense if it had any knowledge of the white armor... It had never seen it. He stared before him through his blurry vision at the thunderstorm of demons...all mouths laughing at him, all eyes staring... He heard the laughter, the voices... please don't take him back to the forest....

"Good thinking!" Rowen shouted, "Ryo..."

Ryo was already in position, he only need the others to give him their power. The armors began to glow, a sphere of power encompassing each warrior as they surrendered their power to Ryo. Ryo stood still as the powers of his friends was invoked into his armor. He felt the burning heat as the armor of inferno was summoned. His red armor of Wildfire was changing.... His energy levels rose as the mystical white armor of Inferno encased him, he drew the swords of Furber from their sheaths and wiped them in a slashing motion before bring them together in an X, screaming, "FLARE UP NOW!"

The fiery white blast was blinding, the power shook Ryo but he held onto the double swords firmly, he wielded the great fire from the swords with what seemed like astonishing ease and poise.

The blast destroyed Shikaisen leaving nothing of his behind.

Ryo dropped to the ground after it was over, sending away his armor, and weeping for Luna.

Mia worked at the computer deleting all files of Shikaisen and the armors. The scientist wept at the loss of his dark master.

"Ry..." Cye was beginning but out of the corner of his eye....

"Shit..Sage..." Rowen caught the blond as he sank to the ground. Cye knelt beside the fallen blond as Rowen adjusted him so that his head could be in his lap. Cye dispensed of his sub armor, as did Rowen, so they could handle Sage gently. Cye used a forefinger to pull back one of the blond's fluttering eyelids, he gazed at the dilated pupils, before letting go, "Sedative overdose.." Rowen murmured, fingers at Sage's neck taking his pulse, "Irregular..."

"He's burning up," Cye was moaning, "We've got to get him out of here, and to a hospital."

"We've got to get him out of his sub armor first..." Rowen mumbled.

Kento joined their huddle, "He ok?"

"No," Cye said, he closed his eyes trying to tempt Sage mentally into waking up for a bit to dispense of his sub armor.

"Guys...?" Mia called to them, she was on the staircase sitting beside Luna's body, "We have a body here. What do we do?"

Ryo raised his head, he had been sobbing. He swallowed hard, "We call the police.... That scientist there, we tie him up, and we give the police this location. Once they hear him talk, they'll know he's crazy, and figure that he....he killed her."

Mia nodded, Yulie ran past the body hurrying to the older boys, "What's wrong with Sage?" he yelled running to the cluster of warriors clad in their street clothes. Ryo dispensed of his sub armor and came over. "We need to get him to a hospital....but.."

"Ok..." Cye breathed. Sage stirred lightly, his sub armor vanishing leaving him in his street clothes. They gasped at the sight of him in the wrinkled plain clothes of a dark green dress shirt and black slacks. His body had wasted away, he was so thin it looked as if one strong gust of wind would blow him away. Cye pulled out of his mind slowly, resting tender fingers on Sage's brow, "It's a mess in there..."

"Lets get him out of here," Ryo spoke gruffly. He looked to Luna's lifeless form, then back to his unconscious friend's, "I can't lose another friend today."

Mia had been the one to call the police from a payphone in the hospital, while Ryo, Rowen, Cye, Kento, and Yulie sat in the lobby of the emergency room waiting for a doctor to come out and speak with them. "His fingernails were blue," Kento kept muttering, and Cye patted his shoulder, but offered no words of comfort that were usually typical of him.

Rowen chewed his nails staring out of the window at the dark sky. Ryo sat with his head in his hands. He couldn't cry anymore, he'd expelled all his tears in that underground lab, but he could think. He thought about the last thing he'd said to her, the last thing she'd said to him...her last word had been his name, she'd wanted to tell him something. How could he have let her die? She shouldn't have been there! Why didn't he tell her no? If he had, she'd still be alive, angry with him, but alive. He could have returned to Manhattan and brought her roses to make it up to her.

"Ryo she saved me," Yulie tugged at his sweatshirt. "That nice girl with the long hair saved me. If she hadn't of stopped Shikaisen, I would have been dead. She died saving me."

Ryo raised his head to stare at the little boy beside him sadly, Yulie was pale and shaken, but he was ok over all. All he'd needed was a little food and water, the kid was amazing. All the things he had seen and lived through hadn't changed him a bit. "She did save you, huh?"

Luna had died a hero, and her brother's death was avenged. It was all she ever said she wanted...but in her eyes... What would it have been like if the both of them had met under normal circumstances? Maybe he could have come to America with Sage, a trip to see his family, and he could have stumbled upon her. They'd go out on a few dates, and they'd write each other, and maybe she'd come to visit...

Yulie hugged him tight, and burrowed his head in his shoulder, "Will Sage be all right?" he asked. Ryo sighed, gathering the small boy into his lap and rubbing his back, "Sage is a fighter Yulie, I'm sure he'll be fine."

"You weren't in there with us Ryo. He said a lot of things, he was half-crazy, but he said he wanted to die. What if he meant it, and.."

Ryo shook his head, "No...no Sage would never say and mean anything like that. You said it yourself, he was half-crazy. There were too many drugs in his body, and they were doing bad things to his mind."

Yulie asked no more questions, taking comfort in Ryo's warmth, and fell asleep after a few minutes of Ryo's gentle rocking.

Sage would be ok.. The gods wouldn't take two people from him on the same day, would they? What kind of reward would that be for a warrior that fought for the greater good, fought for them....? He had turned his head away when the orderlies had taken Sage from them and laid him on a gurney. He ignored the way oxygen was immediately strapped to his face, and how they strapped his limbs down because his bodily tremors were so violent. They pushed him away speaking words of haste in English, only Cye, Rowen, and Mia understood, and they had ushered Kento, Ryo, and Yulie away to the waiting room.

Mia had sat down and filled out all the personal information about Sage. She had their complete medical records memorized for emergencies, and once again Ryo was grateful to the woman. She'd taken him in, given him a home, she housed his friends, let them rule her house, treated their wounds and nursed them when they were ill. He found on numerous occasion he housed strange affection for the older woman, not sisterly like the feelings of the others...but different. It could almost compare to what he had felt for Luna. The only thing was with Luna it could have happened, with Mia..well, what would she want with an orphaned 16 year old without a dollar to his name? He was a little brother to her, like all the others were, no one special.

Mia came to join them then, sitting beside Ryo and Yulie, "The police are on there way." She patted Ryo's knee, then ran a motherly hand through Yulie's dark hair, "How long has he been asleep?"

"Not for very long," Ryo said softly. "He's worried about Sage.. Mia, what did the doctors say to you?"

Mia's eyes misted before she blinked, and answered, "Rowen was right, it's a sedative overdose. They asked a lot about how it happened. I made up a story, I told them it had been a suicide attempt, so naturally when Sage wakes up he's going to have to talk to a therapist."

"When he wakes up? So...they think he's going to alright then?"

"We got him here just in time," Mia said with a small smile. "They said he'd have gone into convulsions we may have lost him."

Ryo nodded, letting out a breath of relief, "So how long until he wakes up?"

"Give it a day," Mia said. "Then we'll be able to speak to him, find ut what exactly happen, have him call his parents and let them know he's ok."

"Good... and when will they release him?"

"They want to see what state he'll be in when he wakes up, but they don't think any longer than a week. I don't know if he'll be up to a long flight back home though," Mia said running a hand through her long hair, "we may have to wait on that. The poor baby... They told me as soon as they finish flushing the drugs from his system they'll let me in to sit with him. I don't want him to wake up alone." She covered her face with her hands, "What they did to him...it was so terrible Ryo, and I couldn't help him. I just hung there listening to him scream and cry, and say all sorts of mad things. I was so sure he'd gone insane."

Ryo stiffened with anger....he'd killed the demon, he'd blown him into the next realm, and he wouldn't be coming back to harm his friend anymore, or to kill anyone else.

"It was just so hard...and then to think that it was Sage down there. I don't think I've ever heard him scream, or cry..or sound anything less than perfectly calm."

Ryo recalled the nightmare he'd had about Sage, "What do you think he'll be like when he wakes up?"

Mia gazed at him and gave a shrug.

A woman in a doctor's coat came toward them holding a clipboard, "The guardian of Sage Date?"

"That's me," Mia stood.

"May I speak with you privately."

"Yes." Mia followed the doctor out of the lobby to the back doors Sage had been taken through.

"Oh no..." Kento moaned, "Why would she take her away like that? You don't think it's bad news do you?"

"He's alive," Cye whispered softly, "and he feels a bit stronger."

Rowen looked to Cye, "You still look so worried."

Cye massaged his temples, it hurt to use his empathic abilities in a hospital. It was hard to tap into Sage's mind to feel him, while trying to block out everyone else. There was just too much pain, grief, and suffering in this place. And Sage's mind...he couldn't actually read it, but his emotions were in turmoil, there was so much going on under his skin that doctors would never know about, "His mind is such a mess," he murmured, "He doesn't know what to feel, and he's still so scared."

"Scared? But we're here now...he knows we rescued him!"

"He's confused," Cye said.

"It's just the drugs, when they wear off he'll be fine, he'll be good old eerily calm Sage again," Kento shrugged, he nodded at his own words, comforting himself.

Rowen frowned, "He's not eerily calm."

Kento shot Rowen a look, "He's just...always in control, Rowen. It kinda weirds me out sometimes."

"He's not always in control," Rowen muttered, "He just knows how to hide what's bothering him, well. He wasn't raised in house where people laugh easy and express what they feel freely, so he doesn't feel comfortable doing it. He's not weird like you think, and it hurts him that you think he is. He tells me things."

Kento frowned, looking surprised to be told that Sage wasn't always perfectly in control of himself, and that he, Kento, could hurt him, "Well..." he didn't know what to say, "He can tell me things too, you know. I can't help what I infer from people's behavior. I'm not a mind reader like him and Cye."

"I'm not a mind reader!" Cye snapped.

"You know what I meant," Kento groaned looking for some help from Ryo. Ryo gave him an apologetic smile that read, "You're on your own."

"Look, fine I'm sorry. Is that better? Now can we just go back to worrying about Sage? At least that keeps you two from trying to bite my head off."

"And keeps your big trap shut," Rowen grumbled under his breath, ignoring the dark look Kento gave him.

Mia returned after 30 minutes, and all 4 boys looked to her, "He's awake."

"Can we see him?" Rowen had sprang from his seat like a pouncing lion cub and grabbed her hands, "Is he asking for us? For me?"

Mia blinked rapidly, trying to calm herself at Rowen's reaction. He'd startled her, "He's...not really feeling well. I don't know if he'd want you to see him, but he's been admitted into a regular room, so you can go visit him."

"Not feeling well?" Cye questioned.

"What room?" Rowen demanded.

"Three-thirteen," Mia said, "But he's..." Rowen, Cye, and Kento blew out the room. Ryo was standing slowly so he could set Yulie gently on the chair he'd been occupying, "But he's what Mia?"

Mia looked to Ryo, "He's not quite himself, and he's not much company."

Ryo nodded, "That's fine, we'll be his company." He jogged out of the room to catch up with his party.

They knocked before entering, and fought over who should go in first. Rowen finally won, by stepping on Cye's foot, and putting an elbow in Kento's ribs. He opened the door, beaming brightly at the blond who sat propped up on two pillows staring palely at him, "Hey Sage! How you feeling buddy?!" He walked to the bed immediately, pulling up a chair, sitting down, and taking one of Sage's hands between his own.

"Hey Sage..." Cye greeted him with a smile entering and coming to the bed as well, but opting to stand. Ry and Kento filed into the room, "Hey..."

All four hoovered near the bed waiting for their pale friend to speak. Sage's dull grey eyes landed on each of them drinking that person in, and then roving on to the next. Finally he gazed down into his lap, staring at the hand Rowen had not taken, and watched it clench and unclench the fabric of the stiff hospital blanket. "Hi," he said softly, so softly they almost missed it.

"You feel ok, huh?" Rowen persisted, rubbing the sweaty hand.

Sage shook his head.

"What's wrong? We could get a nurse in here," Cye said placing a hand on his friend's forehead, "You've still got a bit of a fever."

"It's ok, I don't need anything."

"But you said..."

"I'm just a little nauseous, and my head hurts. I'm supposed to feel this way."

"You sure?" Ryo asked from the foot of the bed. He peered at the blond wishing he'd look up and meet their eyes.

Sage nodded again. Cye began to stroke the blond hair back off of Sage's forehead, he was hiding behind the mass like a curtain. "Sage, you want to look at us? We're not that grotesque," Cye said softly to him.

Sage moved his head away from Cye, letting his hair fall back into his face, and took his hand back from Rowen. "You guys don't have to stay here with me. You could find a hotel and get some rest."

Kento blinked looking hurt, as did Ryo. Rowen sighed and let his now empty hands rest on the bed frame. Cye frowned, "Sage, is that what you would like? For us to leave you?"

Rowen leaned forward, "Hey... Sage, I wanna stay in here with you, but if you'd rather I leave..."

"I.... It's..."

"Take your time," Cye said gently.

"I don't know," the blond finally admitted. "I don't feel well, and I'm confused. Do whatever you like, but don't stay for me. I'm nothing to worry about."

Kento rolled his eyes, as Rowen chuckled, and Ryo shook his head, "Dude, do you know how out of our minds we've been about you this past week, and now you're trying to sit here and tell us you're nothing to worry about?" Kento began drumming on the edge of the bed, "Of course you're something to worry about, and we ain't leaving this place without you between us buddy boy."

Cye smirked, "Kento you're such an eloquent speaker."

Kento beamed before he realized Cye was poking fun at him, and glared. Ryo and Rowen laughed, and Rowen reached to take Sage's hand again, "We want to stay with you, until it's time to take you home, ok?"

Sage nodded slightly, still never raising his head. Rowen frowned, Sage never liked to speak without making eye contact. It was how he let a person know he was listening, and how he judged if a person was being honest without using his abilities. Why wouldn't he meet their eyes? He wanted to place his hand under his chin and lift his eyes to him, but he didn't want to risk upsetting the blond. He was too fragile.

"Mia's talking things over with your doctor Sage... she says we may be able to get you out of here in a few days," Cye chatted amiably, he pulled up a chair on the other side of the bed. "You're parents think you're visiting relatives you know? I didn't know you have relatives in New York..."

"New Jersey," Sage corrected him.

"Oh...what are they like?" Cye questioned, leaning in to hear Sage's answer. Ryo smiled at Cye's technique, he was trying to get Sage to loosen up a bit and talk with them by pretending that trivial things such as the weather and distant relatives were the most important things in the world to talk about. He studied his friend, so thin, and pale, and Ryo bet if he were to suddenly run at him and holler "Boo!' he'd jump.

Ryo was going to have to do a much better job protecting his family. After this day no one in his family would go anywhere without his knowledge. He took a chair near the window away from the others as they sat around Sage's bed trying to coax him out of his shell. He watched them grimly, these were his brothers, as was Yulie, and Mia was his sister...he had no more room for anyone else in his life. Maybe the Fates had been trying to tell him that when he'd thought about letting Luna in...it was his fault for trying to upset the balance. Well he would never make that mistake again

The very next morning Ryo set off alone, taking a taxi to the bridge where he'd had his first intimate conversation with Luna...the one where he'd decided to let her tag along with them to Little Tokyo. That place was were he first felt as if she was more than just a peculiar girl that was helping them out, this was where she became Luna, the potential love interest. He stepped out of the taxi, asking the driver to wait 10 minutes for him. In his hand he felt a rosea ribbon tied to the stem that matched the ribbon she wore in her hair. He walked to the site on the bridge where they'd shared their first embrace, and stood squeezing the rose in his hand. Then he walked to the side of the bridge peering out at the lovely blue waters... a cool breeze blew against his wet face, as his tears flowed. It seemed he did have more tears to spare after all. He said a silent prayer, and heartfelt quiet goodbye to Luna, someone he'd never get to finish knowing, someone he could have loved, someone who could have become part of his world for good...then he tossed the rose into the waters below. He watched as it floated for a bit being caught in a current and carried further along across the waters before it slowly began to sink. He hadn't the heart to see it totally submerge, and he turned away from it, "Goodbye Luna," he breathed, and walked back towards the waiting taxi, slipping inside and closing the door.

**Author's Note: See I told you it would be different. I hope you liked it. The video moved too fast for me in the end I would have liked to see a few extra scenes in there to show how they dealt with Sage's return. And also some of the subtitles near the end especially when Shikaisen spoke were hard to understand and to put into words, so I fudged he he he. This story is not over yet...and if you'll bear with me, I'll put up the rest as it is written, very soon. These next updates shouldn't take so long since I don't have to watch anymore videos to write them. Please review me, tell me what you think :) **