The New Edition
Chapter Ten: Bloodbath in Paradise
By: Winter Peacecraft-Yuy
With additional help from: Meilin Rae, Trowa'sgal2004, and MiMeQ
Disclaimer: …we're not even gonna say it…

*~*

Cye shot up off the couch and stared at Kento, "Calm down and breathe, Kento."

"I am calm!" Kento was smiling like the Cheshire cat. "I think I'm in love with her, man! I'm not joking!"

Cye just stared at his friend through hooded eyes. He was tired and all of the information the Kongo warrior was telling him wasn't all registering. The half Japanese, half British man took in a deep breath to try and gather his thoughts. He smiled at his friend.

"I'm glad to hear that you finally found someone right for you, Kento. Congratulations, man. I suspect the date went perfect then, huh?"

Kento sat down on the couch next to his roommate, "You have no idea, dude. After that Balance dude disappeared, I went straight to the movie theater and waited for her. I guess she decided she was going to change, but she still looked gorgeous. I wish she would've stayed in the clothes she wore before, but oh well. Anyways, after the movie, we went to Chinatown and ate with mom and dad. They loved her, man."

Cye smiled and patted his friend on the back, "I'm glad that you finally found someone that truly cares for you, and not the fortune you'll inherit from your family."

The Chinese descendent put his finger on his chin, like he was deep in thought. He snapped with his other hand, "I knew there was something I forgot to tell her. Damn." Kento looked at Cye's expression and smiled, "I was just kidding."

"I thought you were being serious there for a minute," Cye said jokingly as he stood up and stretched his tired muscles. "Well, my friend, I'm going back to--don't give me that look Kento. I've been up practically all day! I need some rest!"

Kento smiled. "Well, I just thought that you would want to spend some time with me up talking. That's all. But if you need to rest, then that's okay by me. I'll just go in my room and talk to the wall or sleep. Maybe I'll get a snack or something."

Cye laughed. "That will be just fine. Go ahead. You know where everything is in the kitchen anyways. You spend more time in there than me, and I cook all of the meals!" Cye smiled and headed into his room, leaving Kento alone with the food.

*~*

Josephine and Rekino looked at Amaya with surprise in their eyes. Rekino had her mouth open and had to practically push it closed. She gulped. "I…I'm sorry. I didn't understand what you just said, Amaya. Could you…repeat that for us?"

Amaya smiled. Before she could open her mouth, Josephine had to put her two cents in the matter. "Yeah, repeat that, 'cause I know that you didn't say that you were in love with…" Josephine shuddered. "Kento."

Amaya looked confused for a moment. She shook her head and returned to her goofy smile. "Of course I said that. I think that I very well may be in love with that sweet man. He was so sweet tonight. I think that he is the one."

Rekino looked at Josephine, and they both laughed.

Josephine stood up and walked over to Amaya. She patted her on the head and took her gently by the arm. "Amaya, I think that you may need to lie down. I know that you probably had a good time. Nobody's saying that you didn't, sweets, but I think that you also need to take a short nap…well, a long nap, and re-think this thing about you saying that…Kento is the one."

Amaya looked even more confused than earlier as she tried to protest. Josephine just shook her head and led Amaya out of Rekino and Hana's apartment and across the hall to the one that they shared. Rekino waved to them as they left her alone in her apartment.

Rekino glanced at the clock on the wall, hoping that it wasn't too late. "This is hopeless," she said to no one in particular when she noticed that it read after two in the morning. "I've got to get some sleep." Rekino reluctantly turned Lord of the Rings off and walked upstairs to her bedroom, but not before swiftly locking the door.

*~*

Hana giggled as Sage tickled her once again. "You know, if you keep tickling me like that, I might tickle you back." Hana looked at Sage with lust in her eyes. She smiled seductively at him. "I think that I'm going to like spending the night here."

Sage smiled. "Last time you looked at me like that, you know what happened. Are you sure that you're ready for another round of that?" He laughed quietly. "The noises you made could've wakened the dead. Are you sure that you want to do that again?"

Hana playfully slapped him. "If you aren't quiet, then the dead will wake up from your voice. And you know who that means?" Hana looked at him inquisitively. When he didn't answer, she answered for him, "Rowen. He'll absolutely die if he had to come in here and see me naked again."

Sage's eyebrows rose. "He what?"

Hana blushed. "Oh, yeah. You didn't know about that. Yeah. I thought that you were the one that had come home, but you weren't home yet. So, I just walked to the kitchen with only a towel. After Rowen and I shared some words, he informed me that my towel had slipped, leaving my breasts fully revealed. Pretty embarrassing. I was mortified."

Sage laughed, but covered his mouth when Hana shot him a death glare. "Sorry." Sage leaned down and kissed Hana gently on the breasts. "There, now it's all better. They aren't embarrassed anymore."

Hana blushed even deeper at the warmth of his lips on her skin. "Sage, if you aren't careful, then you'll be in the same boat as you were just a little while ago. You don't want that, now do you?"

Sage smiled. "Of course I do." He leaned closer to Hana and began kissing her. He felt her let herself go again. Sage climbed on top of her and continued kissing her. He heard her release a small moan, and he smiled mischievously.

*~*

Rowen groaned and lifted the pillow off of his head. He let his arm fall to his side with the pillow and glanced at the clock on his nightstand. He grimaced and groaned a little louder when he saw that it was three twenty-two. "Why in the hell did they have to pick this night to have a fuck fest?" Rowen whispered loudly to the ceiling.

Rowen released his grip on the pillow and brought his hands up to his face, gently massaging his temples. "I have to get rid of one of them, and I would really like for it to be Hana. Now, I just have to think of a plan…"

Rowen got up and walked out of his room to the bathroom. He paced in front of the mirror for a moment before relieving himself and returning to his room. By the sounds coming from Sage's room, they hadn't heard him.

When Rowen had returned to his room, he walked right to the bed and punched one of the pillows, causing feathers to fly all over his room. "Aaah!" Rowen screamed in a subdued voice. "That's just what I fucking needed. I needed feathers all over my damn room. Thank you God. I really appreciate all of the luck that I've been having lately. I mean, I haven't died or been terribly injured. I really do appreciate that." Rowen got down on his knees and looked up at the ceiling. "But could you just help me out a little bit here. I mean, I don't mean to be selfish, but I would really like a little sleep, if you don't mind."

Suddenly, Rowen had a thought. He grabbed his pants and shirt, putting them on quickly and slipped on his socks and shoes. Silently, he crept out of his room. I don't know if that was you, Lord, but I appreciate the thought either way. Rowen walked down the staircase and into the living room. He grabbed his keys and wallet off the stand by the door and put on his coat.

Quietly, the Tenku warrior opened and closed the door, locking it before he left. He descended down the stairs as the cool night air hit his face.

A walk and Krispy Kreme doughnuts was just what he needed.

*~*

Unbeknownst to two, sleeping figures, their past had once again silently crept up on them.

-

"IMOTOCHAN! CAN YOU HEAR ME?! REKINO!" A nine-year-old Ryo screamed out into the flames. He couldn't his sister or his grandparents anywhere. He looked past the flames and saw his eight-year-old little sister. She was standing in the middle of it all, her face full of horror.

"Ryo-niisan!" Rekino screamed. She ran forward just as the flames jumped. She backed away, scared. Tears spilled over in her amethyst eyes and slid down her cheek. "Help me, oniisan!"

Ryo panicked. He had just gotten off the phone with the police and told them his house had burst into flames not five minutes ago. He knew it would be some time before the firemen arrived, so sucking in all the courage he could muster; Ryo leapt forward, intent on saving his sister. He didn't care if he burned alive; all that matter was his sister.

Rekino saw Ryo pushing his way to her. She glanced back at her grandparents, who were dead, and decided that she needed to be strong for Ryo. Trying her best to keep from inhaling too much smoke, Rekino knelt down and semi-crawled towards her brother. Ryo reached out for Rekino and grabbed her hand. He pulled her towards his body and hugged her softly before heading back towards the door.

Above them, the wooden rafters started cracking.

Ryo and Rekino had almost made it to the door when the rafters above them started to give away. The leg of Rekino's pajama bottoms got snagged on a loose piece of wood. She looked up at the ceiling and panicked. Rekino's only thought was Ryo. She let go of his hand and pushed him forward as the ceiling collapsed.

Ryo lunged forward out the door and landed on his knees. He got up quickly and turned around to see his little sister reaching down to unhook her pajama's from a piece of wood. Just as she had finished, the ceiling collapsed. Ryo watched in horror as the wooden rafters came crashing down on his little sister.

-

"REKINO!" Ryo shot straight up in bed, beads of sweat all over his body. His body shook with small tremors as he sobbed lightly. How many times did he have to dream about the death of this family? How many times did he have to see his sister die? How many for fucking times did he have to relive that moment?

Mia awoke with a start when Ryo had screamed. She sat up quickly, the sheet slid down her body exposing her bare breasts. She touched Ryo's back lightly and he jumped.

"Honey?"

The Rekka warrior collapsed into Mia's chest, letting his tears fall freely now. Mia wrapped her arms around Ryo tightly as she let him cry it all out. She had done this for many years before hand, and was use to Ryo's frequent dreams about Rekino. If only he knew the truth.

Ryo held onto Mia's small body. He shook violently and, for some reason, couldn't stop his tears. The dream was so different this time. So much more vivid.

"Why? Why did she have to push me out of the way, Mia?" Ryo's voice wasn't more than a whisper.

Mia stroked Ryo's back gently and said the only thing she could, "I don't know."

"If she were alive now, I could handle anything. I don't know how I've gone all these years without her, Mia. I can't…I can't take it anymore. I wish I had been the one to die in the fire instead of her."

"Ryo! Don't say that!" Mia pulled away and brought his face up to hers, looking deeply into his tiger blue eyes. "Don't ever say that. I know you miss your sister, but that doesn't give you any reason to wish for death. I don't know what I would do if you weren't here."

Ryo, fearing Mia would start crying, enveloped her tightly, "I've toyed with death so many times, Mia. It just seems so unfair that she had to die instead of me. I was supposed to take care of her; instead, she made sure I lived. Why?"

The brunette frowned and just let Ryo hold her as he cried softly. Oh Ryo, I'm so sorry. If only I could tell you that she was alive and right under your nose. Mia couldn't help but realize that keeping Rekino's secret with each passing day was harder. She had been so tempted at that moment, and so many before, to tell Ryo that his sister was alive; however, Rekino was her friend, and she had promised to keep the secret.

Mia held Ryo's body close to her's until he fell back to sleep.

*~*

Rekino slowly opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling. Her shaggy black hair spilled around her body as she sat up and brought a hand to her head, closing her eyes tightly.

"I could've lived without those nasty memories," Rekino swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up. She walked into the bathroom and turned on the sink, splashing her face with cool water. She looked in the mirror at her reflection and screamed when she thought she saw Ryo.

Get a hold of yourself, Rekino. He's not here. He doesn't know you exist. It's just how you want it-all alone without your brother.

Rekino looked in the mirror one more time and sighed. She looked so much like her brother. She thought aloud as she walked back to her room, "Maybe if I have plastic surgery done, I won't have to worry about it anymore."

"But that won't cure the guilt your heart carries."

Rekino hated that her body had a mind of its own and choose to ignore herself as she lay back down and tried to go to sleep. After about fifteen minutes of tossing and turning, so decided that sleep wasn't what her body wanted to do. Her stomach let out a horrifying growl.

"Food…" Rekino whispered and got out of bed. She looked down at red and white stripped flannel pajama bottoms and her vulgar, black t-shirt that read: "It ain't gonna lick itself", and decided that she didn't need to change clothes. She slipped on her sandals, grabbed her checkbook and cell phone, brushed her hair and pulled it up in a bun, and walked out of the house, locking the door behind her.

She was suddenly in the mood for some ice cream.

*~*

Rowen walked out of the twenty-four hour Krispy Kreme shop feeling much better than he had before. Doughnuts had always seemed to make him feel better, especially Krispy Kreme.

Crossing the parking lot of the Krispy Kreme, he stepped over a concrete brick and into the parking lot of Baskin Robin's. It would take him almost an hour to walk home, but he didn't care. He enjoyed the night.

Rowen looked off to the side when he heard a strange noise and, since he wasn't looking where he was going, bumped right into someone. The contact startled him as he jumped back and stared down at the unfortunate stranger, who was trying her damndest to shake the ice cream out of her top.

The blue haired genius glanced at the girl. She was short, probably only about five foot five inches. She had long, shaggy black hair that stopped at her ankles. He couldn't see her eyes or her face, but knew she looked familiar. That was a girl from his Western Civilization class.

"Why can't you watch where you're going?" The girl screamed. She reached down into her top, trying to scoop out her ice cream.

Rowen smiled, "I'm sorry."

"Damn right you're sorry. This shit is cold," Her voice rang through the air. She lifted her head and Rowen's breath caught in his throat. Her eyes were beautiful, but he was brought out of his stupor by her sudden realization.

"Oh…my GOD!"

*~*

Rekino stared up at the blue haired man, anger sketched all over her face. She had been minding her own business, her peach ice cream cone in her hand, when he bumped into her. Sadly enough, the ball of her ice cream had gone down her shirt, and planted itself between her breasts. After fishing out the chilly remains, she planned on seeing the person who she was about to kill, but froze. It was him again, the Balance.

"Why can't you just leave me alone?!" Rekino screamed angrily. Her amethyst eyes bore into his ice blue ones. At his stunned silence, she stomped her foot. "I mean, you were so much more articulate the last time you pulled this shit!"

"Look, ma'am, I think you've mistaken me for someone else."

His thick accent reached Rekino's ears. She rolled her eyes, "Yeah, sure, whatever you say."

"I'm sorry for what happened. Look, let me buy you another ice cream. How about it?"

Rekino laughed madly and threw her arms up in the air, "You're pulling the same bullshit again! Why don't you pull it out of your ass like you did last time?"

The man's eyes widened as he stared at the girl, "Ummm…I don't remember pulling anything out of my ass, ma'am."

Rekino ignored the man's comment, "And while you're at it, why don't you go ahead and change, huh? Go on. Change back into yourself, Rowen! Or should I say, GOD?!"

Rowen took a step back from the girl. Not only did she know his name, but she was also confusing him beyond belief. He looked around as people passing by were staring at them intently. He forced a smile to his face as he looked down at the girl.

"Look, I really don't know what you're talking about," He turned around to leave, intent on not drawing any more attention to himself and the girl.

Rekino frowned and went after him, hitting his back softly, "Change back! You did it last time! CHANGE BACK!" She kept hitting his shoulder blades, and her force grew rapidly just like her impatience.

"Ma'am," Rowen said and turned around, grabbing her wrists to stop her assault on his back, "you have me confused with someone else. I'm really sorry about the ice cream, but please, stop screaming."

"Listen asshole," Rekino broke his hold on her wrist and pointed at him, "Why should I listen to you? Last time you pulled this shit you changed back using your mist and your Godlike powers!"

"Uhhh…"

"But I guess that isn't enough, huh? You want to bug the 'ice cream whore' again? That is what you called me, right?"

"Uhhh…"

Rekino snorted as she flipped her hair over her shoulder, "Stop acting like this is embarrassing you! You didn't have any problem with it before. You just simply…" She looked around, the realization finally dawning on her. A couple was staring at them; a man passed them, walking his dog. She finished her sentence slowly, "stopped…time…"

"Uhhh…"

"Oh God," The raven whispered. This was the REAL Rowen and NOT the Balance playing his little games. It was not a trick, or a figment of her imagination. She laughed morbidly and flung her arms out. "Great. Just fucking great."

"Uhhh…"

Blushing, Rekino turned to the person she been assaulting, "Look, I'm-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…"

Although he questioned her sanity after the scene she just caused, Rowen just couldn't seem to be mad at her. He gave his best easy-going smile, "It's not a problem."

"Yes it is," Rekino hid her face, knowing it was the same dark red as her pants. "I thought you were someone else."

The blue haired genius laughed, "Kinda hard to believe. Not many people in Japan look like me. But I must know, your shirt. It is referring to ice cream, right?"

Rekino laughed hysterically and turned around to walk away from Rowen, not that things could get any worse... "Hana was right. I do need a vacation," She murmured under her breath.

Rowen couldn't help himself; he stared at the girl's retreating form, and then ran to catch up with her. He tapped her shoulder lightly as she turned around, eyes were a mixture of remorse and embarrassment.

"Haven't you had enough of me already? Some crazy girl claiming you to be God and yelling stupid things at you. I said I'm sorry, now please let me go home before I attack some other innocent man."

"Actually," Rowen started, "I don't think you're crazy at all. You were just confused. And just for the record," he said in a staged whisper, "I'm not as innocent as I seem."

Rekino couldn't suppress the laugh that escaped at his over-acted 'confession', "If you say so."

"I was wondering, were you referring to Hana Rai-Utano?" Rowen asked, gazing down at her.

Rekino nodded. She had a strange feeling that her answer would lead to trouble, still, she dived right in. "Yep. She's my roommate. Do you know her or something?"

Rowen smirked, "You could say that."

The raved cocked her head to the side and wondered when did Rowen have encounter with the blonde bombshell?

*~*

Sage awoke groggily and looked around the room. Heat. Something warm and soft beside him, that's what brought him to consciousness. Hana was asleep, curled up at his side like a little kitten. He smiled as he rubbed the sleep out of his silver/gray eyes and sat up, the sudden motion causing Hana's arm to fall off his chest. He froze for a moment from fear of waking her, but when she only sighed a contented sigh Sage relaxed once more. He leaned over and, in the darkness, fished out his boxers from the pile of clothes on the floor. Once found, he slipped them on and quietly got up and walked out of the room and headed for the kitchen but something made him stop in front of Rowen's door.

That's odd. Sage thought. Rowen never leaves his door open when he's asleep. The Korin warrior peeked his head in the door. He stared into the darkness and frowned. A quick flip of the light switch on the wall let him know that Rowen wasn't curled up in the middle of the bed like he usually was at this time of night. The sheets were, however, matted together on the bed and feathers surrounded the room.

Panic set in the blonde's mind quickly. Rowen being gone at this hour of the morning was highly unusual. Sage swore under his breath, since he and Hana had been "busy" , it was quite possible that the Ronin Warrior had not been able to sense his friend having been in possible danger.

Sage just stood in Rowen's doorway, thinking of what could've happened to his friend. He closed his eyes as his mind searched for some trace of the master of the armor of air. Peace was all he found, Rowen was not in danger. He's fine. Sage thought to himself as he continued down the hall to the kitchen. He is a light sleeper, and I guess we were making a lot of noise.

Sage had to smile to himself. Hana. And the more he pondered the thought, the more it made sense. Rowen was a light sleeper, and the tiniest of noises would usually prevent him from sleeping. Since he and Hana were extracting several rounds of noises, Rowen probably decided to leave the apartment for some fresh air, maybe he went to a college friend's house to crash on the couch.

"Is everything okay?"

Sage jumped and turned around to see Hana behind him, wrapped in his dark green sheet. Her skin let of a radiant glow in the pale light spilling from Rowen's open bedroom door. She was flesh and blood but, swearing to all that was Holy, Sage could have sworn she was his very own guardian angel.

"Yeah, everything's fine. I got up to get some water and decided to check on Rowen--"

Although Sage's obviously sincere worry over his friend was endearing, Hana laughed softly. "Are you suddenly his father now, Sage? He's a grown man. I'm sure he can get himself to bed without your help."

Sage grinned playfully at her; he knew she was right. Still, all that had happened in the past between the Ronin Warriors, he simply couldn't suppress the worry that always seized him when one of the five would slip away without his notice. "I'm protective over him, that's all. But he's not in his room, which says a lot. Sleep, in his mind, is precious. He needs every minute of it."

"Sounds like Rekino," Hana said. "If that girl has nothing to do for the rest of the day, she goes to sleep. I think she has a sleeping disorder, but she always acts like she doesn't get enough sleep."

Tell me about it, Sage didn't voice his opinion on Hana's hot-tempered roommate. Instead, he laughed as he baited her. "Maybe we should introduce them sometime. I think they would get along quite nicely."

"Oh bullshit," The blonde woman tugged at the blanket and walked back into Sage's room. "I'm just as protective over Rekino as you are Rowen, and I'll tell you something, it would never work. Rekino knows damn well that Rowen is a good friend of Ryo's, as you are! She would rather die than risk her identity being found out." Hana's tone had changed from sweet to angry as she spoke.

Sage looked startled, he hadn't meant to get her angry. He walked back into his room and wrapped his arms around Hana from behind, "Babe, I didn't mean--"

"Look Sage," Hana turned around in his arms; her eyes were soft with concern for her friend. "I didn't mean to sound like a bitch, but…Rekino's life is hard, and she doesn't need distractions like a boyfriend, especially a boyfriend who's best friends with her brother, who thinks she's dead and buried. Sage, her happiness is more important to me than my own. She's already edgy about you and I seeing one another, and I would rather not give her another reason to feel that she has to look over her shoulder all the time."

Sage kissed her. It was a kiss of understanding and total belief in her judgment. Hana practically melted in his arms as he lowered her down to the bed with a hungry look in his eyes. She knew he would not press the issue. Still, she thought as Sage began exciting her body in numerous ways, it was a good suggestion. Rekino needs a good man in her life.

Then all thoughts of her best friend stopped as her mind focused on the pleasure her good man readily gave.

*~*

Rowen awoke with a slight crick in his neck.  He stared a ceiling that was not his own. Where am I? He thought as the last reminisce of sleep-induced fog lifted from his brain.  Then, he remembered. Rekino. She was Hana's roommate and also, quite possibly, the most amazing woman he had ever met in his life.

He sat up and listened intently to the sounds in the apartment. The heat pumps quite hum while it heated the rooms. Another slight hum from the motor of the refrigerator, the tick of the clock, a delicate drop of water from a leaky faucet nearby, but no sound of Rekino.

She must still be asleep, he thought silently as he made his way to the bathroom from his cramped bed on the couch. That settles it then, I'm going to use the bathroom and quietly let myself out. I'll leave her a note to thank her for the use of the couch. It may not have been the most comfortable in the world, but at least it was quiet.

He went over last night's strange events in his mind as he washed his hands. Who would've ever thought that a brisk walk to get doughnuts would end up like this?  He couldn't help the grin that spread across his face. It was a strange night indeed.

He supposed that he should've been a little ashamed at his brazen acceptance when she asked him to stay at her apartment, but by that time they didn't seem to have secrets from each other. Rekino quite readily admitted that the rather vocal woman in Sage's life was, in fact, her roommate, Hana.

Their short walk back to Rekino's apartment was filled with laughs and a few little secrets about their respective roommates. Rekino had first seemed a little uncomfortable at Rowen's offer to walk her home, but in the end, she accepted. She had seemed a little evasive in her answers about her own past, and at the time, Rowen was so delirious from exhaustion it didn't seem odd at all. But now, in the morning light, the story she told of her childhood just didn't hold water. Still, he was interested in her.  Very interested.

He had tried to believe he was imagining the look of pure sexual appreciation in Rekino's eyes when she brought him a blanket to use. Rowen had already removed his shoes and shirt when she came back into the living room. He thought he had seen a curious wonder in her eyes as she focused on his bare torso. But then, he thought, she might have been wondering where I got all of these scars. Rekino seemed the type that would rather hold her tongue than to hurt someone's feelings by showing her disgust.

Rowen returned to the couch and sat down to put on his shoes and shirt. In the back of his mind, as his had been all night, even in his sleep, he couldn't shake the feeling that Rekino was hiding something from him. Something that, he felt, he should already know about her.

Once fully dressed, Rowen stood and stretched as he tried to shake the uneasy thoughts he had about Rekino's past. He found a pen and pad on the kitchen counter and tried to decide what would constitute a respectable thank you for allowing him to stay. It was then he heard a soft sound from down the hall.

Rowen crept quietly to the door he had seen Rekino disappeared into a few hours before. The door was slightly ajar, and Rowen could see her sleeping form.  Her realized what the sound was and smiled. She had sighed in her sleep.

Rowen went back to the kitchen and scribbled a note of thanks to her and let himself out.

He caught a cab, went home, took a shower, and settled into his own room in the now peacefully quiet apartment for a nap. He was smiling as he drifted off to sleep.