Summary – It's been just two and a half months since Ryo Sanada's untimely death, and as the other Ronins are trying to return to normal lives, they are interrupted by two unearthly beings who are not yet ready to be forgotten and set aside.

Disclaimer I do not own Ronin Warriors and their related universe. I am simply borrowing them from Sunrise Inc. to fulfill my desire to write. Chances are, any names that you don't recognize belong to me.

Unfinished Business
Chapter 2: I Ain't Afraid of No Ghost

By: Marie Kenobi

Rowen did not wake up that night until a little after 1:00 AM, whether because his body had taken that time to rest or it stemmed from something else, no one was sure. Sage had eventually fallen asleep in a chair next to his best friend. When Rowen finally did stir, the blonde jerked back to awareness. Barely allowing his eyes time to focus, he centered in on the boy beside him, and leaned forward. With more enthusiasm than originally intended, he whispered fiercely, "What the heck happened over there!" "Geez, Sage, keep it down! You'll wake up Cye and Kento—"

"It's a little late for that. Are you okay, Bro?" Kento appeared through the bathroom door. Cye followed close at his heels, rubbing drunkenly at his eyes.

Rowen nodded briskly, trying to dispel both his fears and theirs. "Yeah," he drawled out slowly.

"And?" Sage and Cye chorused together.

"It's nothing."

Kento raised an eyebrow. "Really?" he asked, not sounding the least bit convinced. "And I'm Talpa in disguise," was the muttered follow-up to no one in particular.

The bearer of Strata wasn't sure how to respond to that. Or if he even should at all. "Uhh, " was the only semi-intelligible thing that he could find to slip past his tied-tongue.

"Something obviously happened, Rowen. Why don't you just tell us?" Sage prodded.

He sighed, knowing he couldn't keep this from them. "I was looking for White Blaze and was heading to the kitchen for something to drink when I felt something; it was...odd to say the least. Something I've never experienced before. I can't explain what it was, but it was strongest in Ryo's room. I found that his bedroom door just happened to be open so I stepped in and, well, to make a long story short, I found White Blaze in there, behaving like he hasn't since Ryo, uh," he paused momentarily, looking down at his hands, then quickly stumbled through the rest of his explanation. "It was freezing cold in his room, almost like there was a wind blowing through, even though I checked the balcony doors and they were shut. I got goose bumps for crying out loud! When I went up to Ryo's mirror, it revealed the reflection of a red light hovering over the bed. There was even a dip in the mattress right in front of Blaze. It was just like someone was sitting there...And then, the red light moved and hovered around me—"

"And?" Kento asked excitedly.

"It touched me. It felt like there was someone breathing on my neck! That's all I really remember," he finished lamely, looking to Sage to see if there was anything to add.

You fainted you know.

Yeah, I figured as much. I was sort of trying to keep that out of the retelling, though...

Kento's sudden exclamation of disbelief shot through the two friends' mental conversation. "Sure Rowen. A light, touching you. Whatever, Bud. I really think you bumped your head."

Rowen narrowed his eyes and looked at Kento oddly. Why didn't he believe him? Why would he make something up like this? What could he possibly hope to gain from it?

"Kento, I don't think—"

"Yeah, I know he wouldn't." The heaviest of the four boys bowed his head as he interrupted Sage. He turned to Rowen, a look of apology smeared along his tired features. "I may not like the sound of it—and I may not entirely believe you yet—but...I know you wouldn't just make up any random thing. Hey Ro, no hard feelings?"

"No hard feelings. None at all."

"Good," Kento said.

"Good," Rowen echoed. "Why don't we get some sleep? I think we could all use it." He mock-punched Kento in the shoulder, then watched as Cye and the other boy waved goodnight and headed back to their rooms.

The wheels in Rowen's head were turning at full-speed as he crawled into his warm bed. Looks like I have some investigating to do, he thought, as sleep finally overtook him.

It was safe to presume that when Sage awoke the next morning and dragged himself from his bed, he was a little more than simply surprised to find Rowen absent and his bed neatly made. With a frown he stumbled out of their room and down the hall, checking first Cye and Kento's room. Seeing that both were still asleep, he quietly shut the door and continued on to the bathroom and finally Mia's study.

Sitting behind the library's computer was a messy tangle of blue hair. Sage walked up to the untidy mass and peered over its owner's shoulders to the computer screen that flashed pictures and captions of eerie shapes and blurred lights. Spirit orbs, he realized, having watched enough television to recognize them. "So Rowen, you really believe you saw a ghost last night?"

Rowen didn't bother to look at Sage, but spoke as he typed in the word 'aura' and clicked enter. "I'm sure of it, Sage. What else could it have been?"

"I don't know, I really don't; I wasn't there to see it after all."

Ah, but I was, the teen's attitude seemed to say. Rowen nodded absently, not really focused on anything but the computer. He pointed to the screen. "I was thinking: This says an aura is not only present with the living, but also the deceased. Psychics can often see the auras of dead people if they're strong. That wouldn't explain why I saw what I did last night, but," Rowen paused and spun around to face his friend. "Sage, you've mentioned seeing all of our auras before. It's one of the things that identified us and brought the Ronin Warriors together. Perhaps you can still see Ryo's?" The look of hope on the younger boy was not lost on Sage.

"Ryo!" he exclaimed, "what makes you think that was him?" It seemed like such an absurd idea! Why would Ryo be haunting the manor?

"Instinct, feeling...I pledged my life to him numerous times, Sage, I think I'd be able to sense him whether I'm psychic or not. Besides! The aura, the-the spirit orb was red!"

Sage looked at Rowen with an expression of complete disbelief. "You don't know that that was an aura. It could have been an illusion—"

"An illusion? Created by whom! Dais? Seriously Sage." The archer paused to look deep into his friend's one visible eye. "You don't believe me, do you?"

"Well, you've got to admit it's a bit far-fetched. I'm not saying I doubt what you think you saw—"

"But you do!" Rowen retaliated. He felt a soft sigh slip past his lips. "Listen, whether you believe me or not, I'm going to get to the bottom of this. And when I do..." Pushing off with his feet, he swiveled the chair to face forward again and began typing in another topic for the computer to search for.

Sage sighed and shook his head. He squeezed Rowen's shoulders before turning towards the door. "Be careful, Ro. Ghosts tend to be lingering spirits with unfinished business. And often more than not, that business isn't good. Don't forget, the guys and I are here if you need us."

Rowen gave a curt nod and grunted softly, barely able to comprehend the blonde's words as his mind worked over the information that was presented to him. He would prove it to them; they would see the truth soon enough. They weren't alone...

It was unusually quiet that morning at breakfast. Rowen, whose head remained steadfastly buried behind a pile of papers he had printed, somehow managed to wolf his food down before Kento. Without a word to the others, he leapt from his chair and ungracefully tripped over his own feet, his vision having been obscured by the stack of parchments he held so eagerly before his eyes.

Without slowing his own frenzied pace at which he stuffed food into the gaping black hole that was his mouth, Kento lent an offering hand to Rowen, who accepted and pulled himself up. He absent-mindedly dusted off the few grains of dirt on his jeans, then darted back upstairs.

The two remaining boys whom were not eating like a half-starved animal sat quietly a moment, contemplating what had just happened. With exaggerated care, Sage slowly turned back around and calmly laid his palms on the table beside his plate. "Great meal Cye! I couldn't have asked for better! We're still going into town later to pick up some movies, right? Maybe get you a girl in the process, eh?"

With movements that were much stiffer than normal for the water-loving boy, Cye pulled his attention from the stairway Rowen had just raced up and unsuccessfully attempted to wipe the mass confusion from his face. "Uh, y-yeah Sage, s-sure." Inside his mouth, he could feel his tongue clumsily stumbling over the words as he tried to make sense of what was going on.

The blonde responded with a cheesy, very unlike Sage grin that would have scared even its owner had a mirror been present. "Great!" he exclaimed, sounding very much like the animated Tony the Tiger, the mascot for an imported American cereal that Yuli was quite fond of.

Cye cocked his head to the side and felt as his right eye involuntarily twitched. Slowly, his forehead sank until it was just skimming the top of his oatmeal. Silence reigned over the nearly empty kitchen, save for the scraping of Sage's chair as he stood to his feet and the rude slurping of Kento as he finished his second helping, completely oblivious to the conversation that had just taken place.

White Blaze ambled out of Ryo's room and down the stairs just as Rowen suddenly roared up them, barely missing the large tiger. If he could have spoken his mind, he would have told the young human what he thought of nearly being run over. But even that small brush with disaster was not overly enough to upset his current mood. The events from the previous night had put him in a rather cheerful disposition. True, the cause for his merry attitude had not stayed long, but the promise had been made that he would come again. And in fact, he did, slipping back into the room when the other occupants of the house had drifted off to slumber. White Blaze didn't know when he would see him again, but it was something he looked forward to with great anticipation. Only, he hoped that the next time it happened, Rowen wouldn't be there to scream at the slightest little thing and thus strip him of his joy a second time.

Now, as he trudged into the kitchen, he felt the sudden urge to run just for the heck of it, something he hadn't done in awhile. Something he had done with Ryo the day before his capture, as a matter of fact.

One consistent barrage of 'meows' and a few whacks from his tail later, Kento, whom was stretched out on the floor with feet in the air as he watched Saturday morning anime, finally decided that watching the TV wasn't worth it if he couldn't hear it for one loud, overly obnoxious, and overgrown house cat. The gluttonous youth scrambled quickly to his feet and, with a grunt, practically pushed the mystical tiger out the kitchen door before hurrying back to his entertainment.

The tiger's lips curled up in the form of a half-smile. It was mission accomplished as he tore across the dull winter grass in Mia's backyard at a dead run, flying up and down the hills and occasionally prancing carefree through the thin ice that had accumulated along the edges of the pond's blistering cold water.

It was nearly an hour later when he finally plopped onto the ground, his massive chest rising and falling as his lungs took in the cool, much needed air. White Blaze glanced up towards the sky, noticing the ominous clouds that hung there, threatening to spill over with sleet or snow at any time. He let a deep breath out slowly and closed his eyes. The desire to be back in his own home was battling with his loyalty to the four boys inside the house just ahead. But the war was over: Talpa had been destroyed and the Ancient defeated in battle against his greatest foe. Not to mention, his youngest charge, the bearer of Wildfire, had also passed from this world, and with him had gone the need for constant surveillance and protection.

Hadn't it?

True, Ryo probably wouldn't want him to leave the remaining Ronins, but White Blaze, for the most part, could find nothing but sorrow and lingering memories in this place.

The arrival of a strange, new smell presenting itself to his advanced senses drove the tiger to his feet in one quick movement. He shook himself, before allowing the wind to rake his fur forward. Roving eyes surveyed the house and its surroundings. Nothing looked out of place...

Ah, but wait, what was that there? Cocking his head to the side, White Blaze allowed his ears and nose to do the looking. This method quickly allowed him to pinpoint the general direction of the scent, and with the stench came also the murmurs of a strange, previously undetected sound. Something, although he wasn't quite sure what, had the distinct smell of rotting flesh, and instead of the wind whispering gently through the trees, he heard a voice, dark and malevolent like, as it wound its way among the branches.

As quickly as it came, the voice disappeared and White Blaze shuddered slightly in an attempt to rid himself of its lingering affects. Whatever it had been, it was gone, but the smell of rotting flesh continued to assault his strong senses. Wanting to get away, he ran quickly to the manor's door and clawed at it until a very perturbed Kento decided to admit him again.

"Dumb cat," the teen muttered none too softly before retreating back to the living room. He plopped down roughly in a beanbag chair set before his game console. Within minutes he had returned to his world of starfighters and skilled users of both the Dark and Light side of the Force.

Outside, shrouded in a cloak of dark green light, an amorphous shape drifted towards the house and through the open bedroom window of one certain Torrent, and one specific Hardrock.

Cye shivered, momentarily hugging himself before thinking to check the latch on the double windows that brought light into his and Kento's room. Just as he made it to the glass, however, an unexpected gust of wind pummeled the clear portals from the outside and blew the windows open completely, scattering the papers upon his desk in the process. "Talpa spit," was his muttered curse as he bent to clean the mess up.

It didn't take him long to gather all the papers, but no sooner had he laid them down and turned his back than another unexpected blast of wind blew in and once again scattered the loose leafs around the room. "Oh, for Pete's sake! What in bloody hell—"

"Cye? Are you okay in there?" Sage, who just happened to be walking past the closed door from which Cye's voice had originated behind, stopped to ask with concern.

"Yeah, just dandy. Just bloody dandy!"

The younger boy raised an eyebrow but decided not to pursue it. "All right then, if you say so. I'm going out to meditate a while; I should be back before lunch. If not, save me something would you?"

"Sure," came the agitated response.

Sage crossed his arms and leaned against the door, softly pressing his ear to the wood in the process. "I think after lunch would be a good time to head into town." He paused when he heard the sound of paper being balled up rather aggressively and a quick string of humorous 'curse' words that were unique only to Cye. Usually the blonde knew better: knew better than to push the other boy too much when he was angry. It was always best to let him steam some before he was ever approached about what had caused him to lose his cool. But there were just too many odd things happening for him to drop the matter so easily this time. "Are you positive you're all right? We don't have to go today—"

"Yes, I'm positive. I'm bloody fine!" The British sounding accent roared through the door, startling Sage so much that he swiftly backed away, his arms flailing out to the sides.

"Well, uh, if you say so. All right, Bud, I'll see you in a little bit." Feeling slightly apprehensive about his good health surviving should he chose to remain at the door side any longer, the bearer of Halo made a hasty retreat.

Cye waited until he was sure Sage had left before opening the door a crack. His red face showed just how flustered he was. The papers had scattered a third time while talking to Sage and he had finally lost it, balling a piece up and throwing it at the first random object he'd seen, which had been, unfortunately, his beloved fish tank. After snatching the balled up paper from a curious fish's gaze, he'd decided that he had had enough of his room and now found himself in his current situation. Where to now? he wondered.

From downstairs he heard Kento's loud mouth proclaim that he was going outside to gather more firewood from the storage shed. With no obvious sign of Rowen being nearby, Cye opted for some quiet time alone in front of the television set downstairs. As he was passing Ryo's room, however, an odd chill overtook him, making him feel that someone had just raked cold ice cubes along his spine. Could this be what Rowen was referring to? he wondered silently.

Cye stopped when his hand involuntarily grasped the doorknob to Ryo's room. Nervous laughter rang through his mind. Maybe I'll finally see this 'ghost' Ro's been obsessing over...

But when the door was pushed open and he stepped inside, the teen couldn't deny the rising feeling of panic that stealthily crept up from the back of his mind.

Get a hold of yourself! Cye berated himself. You've been in Ryo's room dozens of times! Besides, when have YOU ever been worried about ghosts?

Since THAT DAY: The day he died, a tiny voice in the back of his mind whispered sweetly.

Cye frowned as he finished walking all the way into the dark room, a small slit of sunshine being the only light that presented itself as it tried to conquer the clouds outside and slip past the curtains. Everything was just as he remembered it from the last time he had ventured into the room. When was that day? Oh, the day after his death...He and the other three remaining Ronins had come looking for clean clothes to dress the deceased boy in, as well as mementos of the life he had once lived. A soccer ball, some pictures. A few copies of the drawings he had been known to create from time to time.

Had it really been over two months ago? It seemed like just yesterday. But then again, the empty spot resting in the bearer of Torrent's heart made him feel as if his brethren in arms had been gone for years decades even.

Mustering up his nerve, Cye walked over to the bed that had belonged to the leader of the Ronin Warriors at one time and lingered around it for a moment before, with great trepidation, sitting down. It was—bouncy—he realized after a moment. More so than his or Kento's, but that could probably be attributed to the fact that their beds were often put into use as trampolines by Kento and Yuli. And, occasionally, he had to admit, himself. The two roommates had this thing for pillow fights...

Still feeling apprehensive, Cye gingerly laid down on the bed, letting his feet dangle over the side and rubbing his temples at the sudden onslaught of memories. There were some things he had always wondered about, especially since the fifth Ronin's death. Like, how many times had Ryo lay immobile in this very bed, tortured by injuries and pain that no person ever should have felt. How many times had he awoken in a cold sweat, images of nightmares still preying on his weary mind as he wondered whether or not the scenes revealed there would eventually come to truth? Cye's heart wrenched with the next, horrid thought. How many times had Ryo awoken trembling, fearing that he was alone in the world and that Talpa was only waiting for the right time to spring up and destroy him? The gods only knew how many times that very scenario had yanked him from his dreams. Only, for Cye, there had been Kento to talk to. Ryo always bunked alone.

Without realizing it, the Warrior of Trust had brought himself to tears.

"This is stupid," he murmured after a moment of grief. Ryo wouldn't want him crying over his lost life. He would want Cye to be happy for him for finally finding peace. Peace? Hah! No such thing exists for those that wear and have worn the armors. With an angry flick of his wrist, the tears were gone and the boy with auburn hair returned to a sitting position to take one final look around the room. It didn't take him long to feel the change that had gradually come along while he was reminiscing.

Whereas it had been cold in Ryo's room earlier, it was freezing now. Cye felt as though he had been plunged armorless into a freezing river. An eerie feeling not in the least bit comforting permeated his thoughts like a knife. Something wasn't right here. But as the old saying goes, curiosity killed the cat...and Cye was most definitely curious.

In the next instant, Cye found himself standing outside on the balcony. His breath came in with a rush. He had forgotten just how breathtaking the view from Ryo's balcony was, despite the fact that they were in the middle of winter. The view was calming and peaceful, two of the main reasons for why this room had been given to the leader of the Ronin Warriors.

After another quick look around, Cye decided this would be much more relaxing than anything he might hope to find on TV and, laying his elbows on the railing, leaned his back up against the wood and raised his head to the sky. Sea-green eyes slowly closed in contentment. He remained like this for a few minutes, basking in the peace and quiet, until suddenly and without any form of warning whatsoever, his feet were yanked out from under him. The teen was sent tumbling backwards over the balcony railing.

No sound escaped from his lips until his right hand managed to loosely grasp the wooden structure now overhead. Even then it was only a small gasp. With his eyes squeezed shut, he dangled briefly, and then dared to raise his eyelids and look down below. The ground suddenly seemed very far away, much further than he ever recalled it having been before. Of course, before now there had always been something between him and the ground. Up above, an unseen force managed to pry his fingers off the railing, leaving him struggling to grab hold of a banister before he fell too far.

What now? he pondered when his grip grew firm again. He was too shocked to think of any logical reasons for how he had ended up in this predicament to begin with. The only sensible thing that he could bring to mind to take him safely to the ground was the one thing he had vowed to give up the day Ryo died:

His armor.

After double-checking that he would be secure with just one hand instead of two, he reached into his pocket with the other and pulled out the shining, light blue orb that he never went without, even after Talpa's defeat.

Almost immediately it was slapped out of his hand by the same unseen force that had placed him where he was to begin with.

Cye watched it fall with a look of pained realization that, once again, he was stuck in a situation he was not particularly happy with. Another thought came to him to call for help via the open balcony doors, but by some miracle, at the same time he opened his mouth, Rowen came screeching onto the platform, his kanji of 'Life' shining brightly below the blue locks.

"Cye," he began. But just as quickly as it had happened with the other boy, Rowen was hurled with great force over the protection of the balcony's railing. There was a moment of silence as he scrambled for the handrail, missed, and instead slammed into the side, latching onto Cye's dangling feet at the same time.

The latter let loose a loud, "Oof!" and grit his teeth as the extra weight pulled him down along the length of the banister he clung to so desperately. Splinters that had emerged from the wood during the many times the house had come under attack imbedded themselves into his hand. One particularly large portion of wood found its mark in the fleshy space between his thumb and index finger, making him howl as he lost his grip with that hand.

"Hey, uh, Cye?" Rowen asked hoarsely after he had finally regained the breath that had been knocked out of him. He unconsciously shifted his weight to the side that was most supported by the older boy's remaining handhold.

"Yeah?" Cye replied, casting another look at the ground below them and grunting as more weight was pinned on his one arm.

"What the heck just happened!" Rowen exploded.

"I don't know! How am I supposed to know!" The bearer of Torrent felt a certain amount of desperation slip into his words. How had this happened? He was just as confused as the one holding on to him. "I was fine one moment and then bang! Here I am! And stop complaining, will you? I'm the only thing keeping you from becoming a pancake on that concrete down there!" he added, referring to the walkway below them.

The two hung there for a moment in silence, with Rowen attempting not to move, but occasionally squirming in his fight to maintain his grip on the slick fabric of Cye's wind pants. This was done much to the chagrin of the latter and caused him to grimace with an occasional grunt. Rowen may be the second smallest person in this house when it comes to weight, but by no means does that make him an easy burden to bear!

Abruptly, Rowen snapped to attention. Even that small movement sent them to swinging again. "I know Cye, I'll just use my armor!"

Blasted armor...If the Ancient One wasn't already dead— "No, Rowen!"

"What?"

"You can't use it!"

"But why?" the younger Ronin practically whined.

"Because I've already tried it and, as you can obviously see, it was nothing but a bad idea."

"Oh."

Quite unexpected (but very much welcomed), Sage came tearing out of the woods with the green kanji of 'Wisdom' shining brightly upon his forehead. Kento appeared around a corner of the house at much the same time, his kanji also making an appearance as he slid to a stop directly below them and cast an arm full of wood down. "Mind telling me what you two are doing up there!" he barked.

Sage nodded as he came to a halt beside Kento. "I second that!"

"We decided we'd 'hang out' for awhile," Rowen muttered sarcastically. The two warriors with blue armor cast a mutual glance between them, then turned lightly to look down at their two friends.

"How are WE supposed to BLOODY KNOW!" they roared together.

Sage and Kento took a small, mutual step back. If that wasn't a scary thing to hear...

You've got to keep Cye away from Rowen, Kento. It won't do to have them both speaking like Brits.

Yeah, yeah, I see that.

Distracted by their mental conversation, the two boys on the ground did not feel the wind that suddenly swept up around them. It was the same wind that had already shown itself to Cye and Rowen and it now caused the older of the two to completely loose his desperate, fragile hold. Just as Cye's fingers lost their grip of the banister, however, a small red light appeared and wrapped around his hand. Something cold brushed against the lightly tanned skin, sending shivers up the spine of the boy it belonged to. Both boys' screams, accompanied by their friends' shouts of denial, cut through the quiet atmosphere.

Rowen closed his eyes, preparing for the shock of hitting cold, hard concrete; but it never came. Instead, the sound of a mighty grunt reached his ears, and when he finally dared to open his eyes, he found himself held up by two strong arms. "K-Kento?"

The bigger boy placed him on his feet and swiftly covered his face with his hands. When he had pulled his emotions back under control, he let into the Ronin of Strata with a fervor born of fear. "Geez man! You scared me half to death! Don't do that anymore!" he bellowed, as though it had been Rowen's choice to dangle freely from a balcony three stories up. "Are you okay?"

Rowen smiled and nodded, wavering slightly on his shaky knees. Remembering he hadn't been alone in his fall, he spun quickly in search of his companion. "Cye?" he inquired with worry.

"I'm fine, Rowen. You?"

Rowen turned to see Sage gently set their auburn haired friend on the ground.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine."

Cye looked back at the balcony, an involuntary shudder consuming his body for a brief moment. "When I first lost my grip of the rail, a gentle red light encircled my hand, and I felt something cold on it. Something cold but nearly tangible, like someone was trying to prevent us from falling."

"How strange." The boy with blue hair furrowed his brow. "Right before my eyes closed, I saw a dark green light." He looked to Sage and Kento, wondering if they too had seen these things. But the former wasn't looking at them. Instead, his gaze rested on the balcony.

When someone finally did speak, it was Sage and he did so quietly, as though he were afraid to break the stillness that had settled around them. "Guys, I think we have ghosts."

Rowen, Kento, and Cye sent each other surprised looks. Had they heard right? Had Sage just agreed to what Rowen had feared all along?

One head amongst the three contemplative ones jerked to attention quickly. "Wait a second," Kento murmured. "You said that wrong. You meant 'we have a ghost.' Ghost with one 's': singular. As in, "Oh, look, it's a ghost." He punctuated each word of this last sentence with a jerk of his hands. "Right...Sage?"

The boy in question only met his eyes briefly before he turned and walked back to the house.

COMPLETELY REVISED 7/16/2004