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 6: Understanding the Satisfied Heart

By: Marie Kenobi

"One more surprise of a lifetime this week and I swear, I swear I'll suffer a nervous breakdown. A stroke even! By all that's holy—" Cye was mumbling freely behind his hands now. Kento sat across from him, a myriad of emotions and expressions playing across his nearly ashen features. Rowen stood near the oldest of the Ronins with a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Cye, don't swear," he pleaded quietly. "It's not like you."

"I never meant to startle you, Man. I just thought—"

The sound of the voice started Cye's fretting up all over again. Rowen suppressed the urge to sigh in irritation. He raised his eyes to once more drink in every detail of the newcomer. The black hair, tiger blue eyes, chiseled features...it was almost too much to take standing up.

"Rowen."

"I'm sorry. I know I was staring again. But it's...it's a shock to say the least. We practically knew it was you from the beginning, but...seeing you: Here! With us again! Nothing's been right since you left us...Ryo."

The name found itself being repeated silently on Kento's lips.

Ryo looked down at the white tiger lying near his feet and smiled gently. "I know, Rowen. I'm sorry, you guys," he whispered upon raising his eyes again. His attitude swiftly changed tones as a thought occurred to him. "But if I'm not mistaken, Sage's family called you back to the hospital?"

"Yes." Kento spoke up for the first time since their leader had abruptly appeared in the kitchen with them. He rose to his feet, moving much slower and calmer than he had the last time he'd left the smoothly varnished seat. He addressed his two living comrades in arms. "We should be going. Sage needs us."

The hospital was quiet by the point of night that the three boys arrived back there. Using a stealth talent that had been hard learned from their time of fighting against Talpa, they managed to make it to Sage's room undetected. The blonde's family had long since left with the notion that his friends would not be able to make it back into town again before visitors' hours had ended.

They did not know the 'other side' of Rowen, Kento, and Cye, however. The side that had learned the hard way that sometimes all caution had to be thrown to the wind: rules, fears, and consequences be damned.

Kento paid extra attention to shutting the door and doing so quietly. The last thing he wanted to do was alert a doctor or nurse of their presence. Taking hold of a chair, he tucked it under the doorknob before returning to his friends' sides.

Cye had finally decided that trying to rationalize the situation wasn't worth the headache it was giving him. Now all he was trying to do was keep from staring at Ryo like he was some sort of freak show.

Trying, but failing miserably.

His former leader hoped to soften the shock of his reappearance by smiling in an encouraging, friendly manner whenever the two locked gazes. But for Cye, the smile only served to heighten his distress and set him to trembling from fear and sadness all over again. Ryo recognized the older boy's behavior for what it was and inwardly cringed. He needed to explain a small fact of his curse as a ghost and do so quickly before his friend was forever fearful of him.

"Cye."

The boy in question jerked, making only the smallest amount of eye contact that was required.

"Cye, how do you see me?"

"Wh-what?" he asked, completely caught off guard by the strange question.

"How do I look to you?" The former bearer of Wildfire rephrased his question.

Cye's apprehensive eyes grew wider if it was at all possible. Kento drifted to attention nearby; Rowen looked up from his place beside Sage.

"I-I don't, ah, well, see I'm not sure—"

"Fine," Ryo interrupted when he saw that they weren't getting anywhere and probably wouldn't anytime soon unless something else was done. "Rowen, tell me, when you remember me in your thoughts, what do you think of?"

Blue eyebrows turned together at the odd question. "I think of you playing soccer and of our first meeting."

"And you, Kento? What do you think of?"

"The way you were after you saved us from Talpa at the end of the first war. And how quickly my little sister took to you," he added with a chuckle and a grin.

Ryo smiled softly at the memory before he once more shifted his attention to the bearer of Torrent, an expression of expectance on his face.

Cye swallowed hard one time. "I-I think of you and the day we lost you: how sad and Hellish a day that was."

"And therefore, it's how I look to you." A look of deep intent slid onto Ryo's face as he sorted out the right words to explain to his friends what was going on between he and Cye. "You see me bloody and beaten because that's the only thing you'll allow yourself to think of. Rowen and Kento, however—they choose to remember me from better times and thus that is how I appear to them. It's part of the fun of being a ghost, a spirit," he said sarcastically. "You appear to those who knew you in whatever manner they choose to remember you by. I know it's a lot to ask of you right now, Cye, but if you could try to remember me from better times, I won't come across as being quite so...grotesque." Ryo split a brilliant grin, but it was one that the other teen still saw as being tarnished by blood.

"I'll try," was the soft-spoken, weak response.

Knowing it was all he could hope for at the moment, Ryo chose to be satisfied with the answer and came to the conclusion that it was time they all got down to business.

"Now that that's been settled, we need to finish our earlier conversation that we never really got started on, guys. The other light you saw, the one that tried to dump Rowen and Cye off my balcony, the one that tried to drown Sage, and the one that nearly ran over Kento, belongs to my murderer: Hideyo."

Dawning looks of realization and understanding lit the three living warriors' faces. Of course there had been some form of underlying suspiscion in the backs of their minds, but it wasn't something they had given much consideration to.

"But why is he here?" Rowen spoke up, speaking the question that lay on everyone's mind.

Kento nodded and added, "No offense to you, Buddy, but why are you here?"

Ryo laughed, his figure shimmering lightly as he did so. "No offense taken, Kento.

"My reason for being here is the exact opposite of Hideyo's. He has remained here on this earth in spirit form because he does not feel or think that he fulfilled his destiny in life."

"So he's come back to do it in death?" Kento murmured quietly to no one particular.

The raven-haired teen passed him a brief, confirmatory glance. "Hideyo's destiny—or rather what he believed it to be—was to destroy any remaining member of the Sanada Clan. And while he did that," Ryo added somewhat ruefully, "it grew to the point that that wouldn't be enough to satiate his newly awoken blood-lust. Those who stood against him—those who stood for me—they would become his victims as well. Not only is he here, but I believe the other Hazukis as well." He watched his friends stiffen at this and quickly added, "But I think they're here to do good and set things right. I think they're here to take Hideyo to their ancestors for judgment of all that they have done. And myself? I'm here to ensure Hideyo does not successfully complete his unfinished business."

Standing unexpectedly from his seat, Cye shuffled stiffly over to Ryo. He attempted to touch the other boy's cheek, but his hand simply slid through. Ryo 'wrapped' his translucent hand around Cye's, and while its feel was not tangible, the older of the two could certainly feel the presence of it. "I see you as you were the day we defeated Sekhmet, when you woke me from the resting place of my armor," he said with an experimental smile. "Ryo, your unfinished business is the continued desire to see us safe and protected. Finally, you have earned the potential chance for everlasting peace, but you do not take it for our sakes. It shouldn't be like this Ryo. For all means and purposes, you should still be here with us—alive—but if that cannot be had, then I would see you take your final rest. We all would," he finished, gesturing around the room. "Let us go..."

But Ryo was already shaking his head. "I failed you guys the day I let myself get captured. If I must remain in this form, protecting the four of you until your own time comes to leave this world, then so be it. It's my fault Hideyo is still—"

"There you go again, Ryo."

"Sage! You're awake!"

"Yes, Ro." The blonde laughed softly. "And I have been for quite some time. I swear, Sanada, some things never change, do they? Even in death you still play the guilt-taker."

"Well old habits do die hard," Kento supplied, a mischievious grin on his face.

"It wouldn't be natural if he remained silent as the grave, now would it?" Rowen added, having caught on to the teasing pun.

"Yeah, you always were one to talk us to death when you went on a guilt spree." Cye sniggered behind his hand.

Ryo felt himself relax as the room slowly became comfortable again. "Come on guys, you're killing me here!"

Their brief moment of mirth, however, was broken as the doorknob began to rattle. "Who's in here? Hello? Is someone there? Mr. Date, are you all right?" a female voice asked. It sounded like the nurse who had allowed them in to see Sage earlier.

The five boys cringed and looked to each other, knowing their cover had been blown.

"Uh oh!"

It felt good being home after he'd been stuck in a hospital bed for over a week. The doctors had wanted to keep him longer, especially when they had realized his mother was the acclaimed Dr. Date, but more serious cold cases accompanied by his unexplainably fast recovery time had convinced the doctors to let him go.

Maybe the armor is still good for some things, Sage thought with a smirk. Or the Halo armor was, at least. After all, that's what had already partially healed his broken nose, fully healed his sprained wrist and cuts and bruises, and completely dispelled his bout with pneumonia. The doctors saw it as a superb healing ability. Sage saw it as the least their armor could do for them after all the other torture it had placed them through.

Ryo had routinely drifted amongst the four of them, sometimes in his 'ghost' form, other times in his 'spirit orb' light. The other Ronins had actually been much more receptive of their dead leader than even Ryo would have first guessed. In fact, his presence had become a vital part of their average day again and his visit with them was much looked forward to. Thus, it was with a heavy heart that he sought his friends out the day of Sage's return. He found them in the den, discussing various topics and laughing at past adventures. With the return of their leader, a feeling of safety had fallen like a protective veil over the warriors. It truly felt like old times again.

What a shame that he would have to break that feeling with his bad news.

"Hi guys."

The four boys didn't even startle this time when the black-headed boy suddenly materialized in the center of the room. Various forms of greetings were extended, followed by chortles of laughter.

"What?" Ryo asked, amused by his friends. They seemed to have completely forgotten about Hideyo and the attempts on their lives. The spirit figured it was just a cover-up developed from their time in the war. Sometimes one just had to put the bad aside and let the good in for a while.

"Nothing, nothing," Cye laughed, breaking through his thoughts.

"Oh, sure, Cye. Wave it off." Sage smiled. Sparkles of color filled his cheeks from where he had been laughing. It was a great improvement from the way his friends had first found him just a week ago.

Rowen nudged his best friend gently, mindful that he was still a bit weak. "Of course he'd wave it off. Who wants to relive that?"

"'Relive' what?" Laughing now himself as their humor rubbed off on him, Ryo tried to pry the story out of his companions.

"Oh, nothing," Kento teased. "Just the day Cye ended up with a bowl full of sticky rice and grape juice all over him at school."

"Oh, that!" the former bearer of Wildfire exclaimed as Cye blushed again. He chuckled briefly before sobering, remembering that he was here for more than just a trip down memory lane. "Look fellas, there's something I need to tell you."

Four heads snapped to attention at the seriousness they heard in the speaker's tone.

"Ryo?" one voice questioned softly.

The spirit shimmered faintly like a curtain blowing in the wind. "I've spoken to the other Hazukis," he informed them. "They have a way to take Hideyo off your hands. By doing so they'll complete their unfinished business—preventing him from doing more harm—and they've figured out that with the pull of all of their spirits to their final destination, he'll be forced to follow, being linked to them in life and all."

"So we'll all be home free!" Kento whooped in delight.

Sage was the only one to share the frown that had quietly slipped onto Ryo's face. Slowly, seeing the looks on his two best friends' faces, Rowen caught on. "Oh," he murmured slowly. "Oh...Oh no."

Kento and Cye looked to their companions with confused expressions. They didn't remember what Sage had said about ghosts, what he had told tem of unfinished business. Ryo finally decided to clarify it for them.

"A person exists as a ghost only when he or she possess unfinished business of some sort here on Earth. My business was to protect the four of you from Hideyo's twisted intents..."

"So when he goes, you go," Cye finished, a look of shocked horror across his fair features.

"Yes."

Silence descended upon the five like a heavy shroud of darkness. The Ronins were whole again, if it was fair to truly consider it thus. To lose their fifth member a second time...Rowen rubbed his eyes wearily. It was his voice that finally split the awkward stillness.

"When?" His voice came out sounding much huskier than he would have liked.

"Soon. Today, tonight if possible. But," here he hesitated. "There always runs the chance that something could go terribly wrong, as much for the dead as for the living. That's why I want the four of you to remain in the house until I return."

"Like Hell we will!" someone shouted.

Kento quickly interrupted, a touch of hurt in his voice. "And if you don't? What if you don't return and during our remaining years on this earth we never learn what became of you?"

The other four boys were surprised at the sensitive outburst from the member of their team whom usually posed so strong.

Ryo felt his brow furrow. "Kento, I don't—"

"You're not going without us, Ryo." This time it was the warrior of trust who had spoken up. From across the room, Rowen was nodding encouragement for the statement. Ryo, however, stood firm in his decision.

"I may be dead and may no longer have physical control of this team, but as a Ronin and as your former leader, I command you not to step foot outside this house until I permit it. At least honor my memory by that much. Besides, what could happen?" he added with a touch of sarcastic humor. "I'm already dead."

Slightly unnerved by this grim sense of logic, Rowen decided not to remind the dark-haired boy that just a moment ago he had stated that things could go wrong, for both the living and dead.

Turning to face the warrior deep in thought, Ryo addressed him specifically. "Rowen, you have unconsciously (and perhaps unknowingly) stepped up to the plate to be the new leader of the Ronin Warriors. While I don't know the fate of the Wildfire or Inferno armors (or the Strata armor for that matter since you'll be changing roles soon), I do know that White Blaze has chosen you, which means the Clan of the Ancient looks favorably down upon you. He'll be your charge soon and you his, but for the time being, while I am gone on this last fight, Blaze will guarantee that you all stay here."

A chorus of "But's" and shouts of "Ryo" and "No fair" erupted through the air. Rowen's cry grew to be largest.

"If White Blaze has chosen me now, he'll do as I say!"

Ryo smiled in sarcastic, knowing humor. "Key word, Ro: 'chose'. In case you never noticed, he's a lot bigger than us; he only listens to so much that any of us have to say. But as I said, for the time being, while I am here, Blaze and I are still partners. Therefore, he works with me...That's why the sooner I leave, the better. The two of you need to bond. We never know what's going to happen in the world of the armors."

At his feet, the white tiger looked briefly at Ryo before he cast a half-lidded gaze in Rowen's direction.

"But Ryo!" the bearer of Strata tried again. 'Leader'? He didn't want to be leader! He'd seen what Ryo went through when he was alive; it was not something he wanted. Second-in-command, maybe...but leader? His pleas fell on deaf ears, however, as Ryo quickly vanished from the room without bothering to respond to the desperate cry.

Kento and Cye both bolted from their seats, with the former making a mad dash for the door. They were both determined to get out. Kento was stopped in his tracks, however, by a fussy, growling tiger. Scowling, Kento waved to the others. "Split up," he said. "The dumb tiger can't block all of us at the same time. We need to help Ryo!"

Rowen and Cye made a beeline for various exits as well until Sage's calm voice split the mad fog of chaos that had settled on them. Still sitting quietly upon the couch, he asked them somberly, "And then what? When you get out and when you find them—if you find them—then what? You'll fight a ghost? In case all of you have forgotten, that's what I did and I lost. Rowen, be the leader Ryo expects you to be. Command your warriors, Rowen; command your team."

Command them to do what? the warrior of wisdom wondered in lost confusion. He could honor Ryo's wish and stay here...He could take Sage's advice to heart and do the reasonable...Or he could be rash and side with Kento and Cye. Either way, he'd make someone proud, and someone not so happy.

Welcome to Leader 101, a familiar voice said sarcastically inside his head, causing him to jump lightly where he stood upon the carpet in the den. I'm sorry to have dumped the responsibility on you, Ro—the gods know I myself had a hard enough time accepting it in the beginning—but you were always my second-in-command. You have a good head on your shoulders. This will be a breeze for you. I know you can do it; you just have to believe in yourself and the others. I know you'll serve the Ronins well.

Ryo...

That was it, Rowen decided. He had his mind made up.

At least for the time being.

"We're staying," he announced to the others with firm resolution. "Like it or not."

"But Ro—" Kento tried.

"Forget it," was the response that cut him off.

Kento plopped back into his chair with a scowl. A soft sigh escaped the oldest of the Ronins as he made his way to the kitchen to find something to take his mind off the matter at hand. White Blaze watched briefly with intent alertness before he ambled over to Rowen's feet and lay down. The blue haired boy collapsed fully on the couch, propped lightly up by Sage's shoulder, and took to aimlessly scratching the large tiger's ears, wondering what the future held in store for them. All of them...

That day at the manor crawled along at a painfully slow pace. All four boys were anxious to have news, although they managed to hide it well enough from one other. They were each consumed in their own deep thoughts that consisted of numerous topics, but no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't shake the misgivings that preyed at their hearts. Throughout the day, odd things had been taking place: Short and painfully sharp blasts of winds had rocked the house; the electricity had flickered; objects had mysteriously fallen off shelves and ended up in spots that were not their own; bright lights had sporadically appeared and disappeared; and periods of intense cold had permeated the house. These were all supernatural events to be sure, considering everything that had happened and was happening, and it was driving them all crazy. Kento felt he was at the breaking point when another light mysteriously turned itself on upstairs. It turned out to be the final straw. Nearly falling from his chair, he made a mad dash for the door. White Blaze, whom had been dozing at Rowen's side, was not near enough to stop the rampaging teen.

But someone else was.

"Kento."

"Ryo!"

Four pairs of eyes swiveled towards the fireplace. White Blaze stretched and yawned lazily, then shuffled tentatively in that direction. Something was wrong with his boy again; he could sense it. A soft guttural sound escaped the thick neck as Ryo knelt beside his partner and spoke in a hushed manner. "Blaze, boy, it's done. Take care of them for me, especially Rowen."

Two large brown eyes blinked slowly in response. So that was that, huh? The tiger let himself slide through the spirit of his closest companion one final time before he left the room. Cye felt a lump of nervousness rise in his throat at the sight, afraid at what was about to come, but at the same time already knowing.

With eyes closed, Ryo took a moment to gather his inner strength, thoughts, and emotions before standing tall again. "I—" he paused to clear his throat and shake off the weak voice that had emerged from him. His translucent form shimmered badly, catching the other four boys' attentions. "Hideyo and the Hazukis are gone. They—They finished their business. They're now wherever they were supposed to be all along. And I," one glowing hand raked slowly through his mop of black hair. "It's time I got going, too."

There, he'd said it. No beating around the bush: there wasn't time for that. He'd gotten it out; the hard part was done.

Or so he thought—

"Ryo, no!" Rowen rushed toward the form whose light and solidity wavered again. He'd given the whole leader thing a good going over while Ryo was away. Unfortunately, after a few hours thought, it only sounded worse than before. "I can't do this," he whispered for his former leader's ears only.

"But you can. Don't be a wuss, Rowen."

Rowen jerked to a stiffer, taller position than he was already in. The bearer of Strata knew a challenge and a jest when he heard one. This was both. And he had never been one to turn down either of the two.

The guys will take care of you, and you will take care of them, just like we've always done. I'll always be around if you need me. Just say the word.

These last two sentences were projected via mental link amongst all four living warriors instead of just Rowen. With horror they abruptly saw that Ryo's feet were no longer visible. Sage lurched forward as though to embrace him. He had an idea of what was happening, and somewhere in the back of his mind thought that perhaps he could prevent it from occurring.

"Ryo, you—"

"I'm being called away from this place: your world." He grinned slightly, a touch of humor gracing his bright red lips. "Dad says I'm only making things more depressing by staying so long. See?" he added when an unnoticed tear formed in one of the boy's eyes. "I'm no longer a ghost. My angel wings are calling, guys. And the light..." An odd expression that the four remaining warriors could not quite identify appeared in Ryo's eyes. They watched in apprehension as his body from the torso down disappeared completely from sight. Ryo attempted to smile comfortingly at their concerned faces, but it did not come across as convincingly as he would have hoped. What was left of his ghostly form began to waver harshly.

"Don't hurry your lives." His eyes caught Sage's, remembering the thoughts that had passed through the blonde's head just a week ago. He smiled as he teased the warrior of Halo about something he'd said the day he nearly died. "Live your lives to the fullest...unlike I was able to. The world still has so much to offer you. I've seen glimpses of your futures: death will probably come sooner than you'd like once you've really discovered all that the world has to offer, and we'll be together in due time."

A moment of uncomfortable silence passed amongst the five until Sage finally stepped forward. He placed one hand lightly in the air above Ryo's shimmering shoulder. "Until then," he said softly, having finally come to terms with the depressing situation and unconsciously giving the others the encouragement they needed to do the same. "Remember that we'll never forget you...Ryo...Wildfire..."

"Yeah," Kento added, steeling his face into a calm reserve. "Friends for life, Bro."

Cye and Rowen nodded with determination. "Brothers for eternity."

A sad smile found itself onto Ryo's nearly transparent face. In his heart, he knew they would understand. It would take time, but they would forget the pain of his leaving and eventually get on with their lives as though nothing of the sort had happened.

And he—Well, he would finally know what it was like to have a heart satisfied by finished business. No more fighting, no more pain...

A more strengthened smile found itself forming on his lips. He could clearly remember the day he died and the message he had been unable to get across to them. Now, before it was too late once again, he had to tell them. "Rowen, Sage, Cye, Kento: You guys are still the most important thing in the world to me."

The four remaining warriors lurched forward, barely restraining themselves as the glowing light that was their friend finally disappeared into nothing. They didn't know when they would see each other again, when they would be able to lift all five voices to the sky in companionable laughter again, yet there was a certain feeling of calm and completion that settled on the room's occupants, no doubt a last gift from Ryo Sanada.

From somewhere, a warm breeze ruffled their hair, and with a new understanding, the four boys came to realize that their friend, brother, leader, and fellow warrior-in-arms, had finally achieved peace.

"Until then..."

END

Well, we've come to the end. It's been a long ride, sometimes enjoyable, sometimes frustrating, but I hope that through it all, everyone has found the story to be to their liking. I want to thank my beta reader, my best friend, Hana Teric for going back over each chapter and letting me know what worked and what didn't. And most importantly, I want to thank my readers and reviewers, especially those that have stuck with me since the very beginning (you rock Firestorm! ). You guys are the best; you keep writers like myself writing. So until next time, I'm signing out.

--Marie K.

7/28/2004