Ronins Interrupted
By: Ghost of Dawn
Chapter Two: The Fog Thickens
The TV continued to blare out static as it had been doing all night long. But it also continued to be ignored. The doors connecting the room it was in to the adjacent one were open, but no one was in the other. Sprawled out in front of the impatient TV were two lifeless bodies. One was stretched out on the floor with a blanket tangled up in the long limbs. A smaller body lay face down on the bed with red hair and an arm spilling over the side.
The sunlight tried valiantly to squeeze in through the curtains as the morning dragged on. But the room still remained quite dim. The body on the bed made a small moaning noise as she shifted and rolled over on her side. Robyn yawned and folded her arms under her head. She opened her eyes long enough to gaze at the red numbers on the clock with her vision blurred before closing them again. Something seemingly important tickled at the back of her mind and she blinked tiredly again. What did those numbers mean? She couldn't remember.
Eight thirty-nine. That's what time it was. What a great time to---
"HOLY CRAP!" Robyn exclaimed as she suddenly sat up. "The test starts at nine!" She looked at the clock again. "We've got twenty minutes or they won't let us in! Rowen, wake up!"
Still a bit clumsy with sleep, Robyn attempted to reach Rowen from the bed. She failed miserably and, instead, lost her balance and fell to the floor on top of him. Rowen gave an odd squeak when she hit his stomach and automatically sat up.
"Migrational coconuts have a weight ratio of forty-three beats per second!" Rowen automatically shot out. "Huh?" he then asked as he looked around. He finally noticed the body sprawled out in his lap. "Oh, it's you. Gimmi a few more minutes, huh?" And with that, Rowen fell over and immediately went back to sleep.
"Rowen, wake up! We have to be there in less than twenty minutes!" Robyn shook his shoulders, shoving him back to consciousness for a little while longer. "Quick! We've got to get dressed and go!"
Robyn ran into her room and shut the door as she hurried to change her clothes and get ready. She began brushing her hair as she knocked on the door combining the rooms.
"Hey Rowen, ya decent in there?" she called.
No answer.
"Rowen?"
She opened the door and about had a heart attack with what she found. The Warrior of Strata was still on the floor where she had left him, snoozing away like he had all the time in the world.
"Rowen!" Robyn pounced on him and grabbed his collar, shaking him violently. "Get up you idiot! If you don't make it to that test you can't blame this on me!"
Rowen was roused slightly from the rough treatment. But all he managed to do was put his arms around Robyn, snuggle up next to her, and go back to sleep. Robyn's body stiffened as she was unwillingly pulled closer to him. She looked at the ceiling as if asking the powers that be for help with her situation.
"Man, the things I do for you," Robyn mumbled as she tried to squirm away.
But then she got another idea.
"Rowen," she called sweetly as she put her arms around him as well. "Come on honey, get up."
The blue haired young man seemed to respond better to the gentle prodding and made a half hearted attempt to move as Robyn began pulling him to his feet.
"Come on Rowen," she continued to coax. "I've got a nice warm place you can sleep. Just come with me."
Rowen mumbled something as Robyn managed to get him on his feet and half dragged, half carried him towards the bathroom.
"Cripes, how does Sage deal with this every day?" Robyn mumbled under her breath. "There we go," her voice changed to a soothing tone as she addressed Rowen again. "A nice, soft bed for you."
Rowen was more than willing to climb inside the bath tub as she helped him in. Almost smiling, he curled up again and got ready for a nice, long rest.
After laying him in the tub, Robyn closed the shower curtain and promptly turned the cold water on full blast. High, girlish screaming came as a direct result. Robyn smirked as she heard various body parts banging against the porcelain tub while her victim scrambled to escape his chilly onslaught. Rowen got a little tangled up in the shower curtain before he managed to get the water turned off. Once that was over, he stood with wide, clueless eyes while his dripping wet clothes hung from his body.
"What....who....why..." he panted as he held his arms out away from his body, resembling something close to a drowned rat.
Robyn just returned his questioning look with a stern one.
"You've got ten minutes before it starts," she informed him. "They don't let you in if you're late, remember?"
And with that, she left his room and shut the door behind her. A minute later, she could hear the shower going from the other room while she did her hair. Rowen was probably trying to warm up before he got dressed. Robyn allowed herself a small smirk as she remembered how he had looked earlier. She should have brought a camera with her.
The shower was turned off, as was the TV (Robyn had forgotten to do that earlier in her panic.) It wasn't long after before the two students could be seen racing towards the college building where the test was being held.
"Wow, we're a whole two minutes early!" Robyn exclaimed when they got inside. "So this is the best we can do without our mommies here to make sure we wake up on time."
"Our mommies?" Rowen repeated. "You mean Cye and Sage?"
Robyn laughed. "That's them. Makes you wonder how long we'd survive on our own."
"Hopefully we'll never find out," Rowen confided. "I'm packing Sage up in my suitcase when I go off to college."
"Good luck," Robyn snorted.
They entered the large testing room which was set up almost like an auditorium. There were rows upon rows of desks from almost ceiling to floor. And each already had a student sitting in it--most of them talking with those around them while they waited for the test to start.
"Looks like we're going to have to split up," Robyn stated, noting how just about all of the desks were already full.
"Okay, catch you after the test," Rowen called as he went one way and she went the other.
The tall young man found a desk near the front and sat down. A large envelope and a pencil were already there, waiting to be used as soon as the word was given. Rowen tapped his new pencil idly as he took a look around his surroundings. He blinked when he recognized the girl sitting behind him. She seemed focused on the closed test on her desk.
"Hey, Ami," Rowen called to her.
The blue haired girl looked up and blinked in surprise as she was brought out of her thoughts.
"It's Ami, isn't it?" Rowen checked, unsure of her name from the way she reacted.
"Um, yeah. That's right."
She looked and sounded so surprised to see him. Rowen wondered why.
"I didn't see you anywhere. I wasn't beginning to think you weren't coming," Ami confided in him.
"Yeah, I kinda slept in late this morning. Forgot to set the alarm. I just barely got here."
"Well, you definitely cut it close. Did you...spend a lot of time preparing for the test yesterday?"
"Not as much as I could have," Rowen admitted. "But I pretty much have it all down. The only thing I needed to brush up on was current events. But I caught Letterman and the Daily Show last night so I think I'm good. Did you know the satellite at our hotel can pick up American stations? It's pretty cool."
All Ami could do was stare in disbelief as an aged man stepped up to the podium at the center of the room and announced for everyone to be quiet and start the test. Rowen turned around and opened his packet right away, as if more than happy to take it. Or more than happy to flunk it, Ami thought.
The exams usually took on the average of three hours for the students to complete. If it took them any more than four hours they had to quit and hand in their tests as they were. Robyn finished hers in two hours.
Silently, she was glad how the seating arrangement went. If Rowen ever saw her leaving the competition that early, it could have distracted him from his test. In fact, she knew it would distract him and that was the last thing she wanted. Still, he probably wasn't going to be too happy once he found out she hurried through the thing. She was only doing this for his sake. As long as his full concentration remained on the test now, she didn't care what he had to say to her later.
Robyn walked alone back to the cafe' she and Rowen ate in the night before. She gazed in surprise at the fog all around her. She hadn't remembered the sky being over cast at all that morning when they were running for the test building. It had come up quick and seemed to be getting thicker by the second. Robyn wondered if it would hinder their ride back to Toyama at all as she entered the cafe.
Once inside, she sat down quietly at a small table built for only two people and ordered herself something to eat. She and Rowen had to skip out on breakfast because of the test that morning. Needless to say, Robyn was practically starving by that time. She eagerly dug in to a stack of pancakes and a fruit plate when it was brought to her. Delicious!
While Robyn was busy chowing down, a small group of three talkative girls came in and sat down at their usual booth. Robyn hardly noticed them as she was absorbed in a magazine she had while she ate.
"So where is Rei?" Serena wanted to know from where she was sitting. "She should be here to support Ami when that test thingie is over."
"She called me this morning," Mina explained. "She said she wasn't feeling good and she didn't get a lot of sleep last night. I'm not sure exactly what the problem is, but she didn't sound that great on the phone."
"We'll have to see how she's doing when Ami gets out," Lita suggested. "My guess is that she's worked herself sick again. All that stress isn't good. She just needs some rest and some cheering up."
"Fine by me," Serena agreed. "But first, let's get something to eat!"
Her two friends sweat dropped.
"Didn't you just have breakfast?" Lita asked.
"Yeah, but that was almost a whole hour ago," Serena explained as she rubbed the back of her neck. "I need some food."
The other two sighed, but they were far used to Serena's impulsive eating habits.
"Hey, look at that girl over there," Mina stated before Serena had time to order anything. "Isn't she the same one from last night?"
"Yeah, she is," Lita confirmed. "What's she doing here? Shouldn't she be taking that test with the others?"
"Maybe she's finished already," Mina offered.
"Maybe she's not smart enough to take it," Serena smirked.
"Look who's talking," Mina mumbled, causing Serena to fall out of her chair. Her gaze returned back to Robyn. "Look, she's all by herself. Maybe we should invite her to come join us."
"Are you crazy?" Serena screeched. "Do you remember when she saw us last night? She must think we're insane! Maybe we should get out of here before she thinks we're stalking her or something. Right Lita? LITA!" Serena squeaked out the name when she saw her friend walk right up to the table and sit down across from the red haired girl with her magazine.
Robyn's attention was suddenly lost from the article in front of her. She had the feeling she was being watched. She lowered her magazine and was a bit surprised to see a tall, brunette girl about her age with a pony tail sitting across from her.
"Hi," Lita chirped pleasantly.
".....hi," Robyn replied, unsure of what this stranger wanted.
"My friends and I saw you over here by yourself and I was just wondering if you would like to sit with us."
Robyn looked across the place to see the two blonde girls crouched guiltily in their booth. They waved weakly when Robyn gazed their way.
"So how about it?" Lita pressed.
"Well, I've got all this stuff on the table already," Robyn said, motioning to her breakfast which practically took up the whole table.
"Not a problem," Lita assured her, not about to give up. She grabbed the two large plates of pancakes and fruit and started off. "Come on."
Robyn took in a deep breath, grabbed her magazine and followed. Serena eyed the plates hungrily as Lita set them down and resumed her seat next to the drooling blonde. Robyn came over and sat on the other side of the booth next to Mina.
"Hi," Mina said cheerfully.
Robyn looked at her strangely and raised an eye brow. "Hey, haven't I seen you guys somewhere before?"
The group froze.
"Oh yeah. You were the guys following us around and hiding behind that bench last night," Robyn exclaimed at her realization. "That's where I saw you from."
The group sweat dropped at being discovered.
"You know," Robyn went on as if it were the norm. "It's nice and all that you have a thing for Rowen or whatever, but you might not want to follow him around all the time. It gives him an ego and makes him hard to deal with."
The group still sweat dropped.
"So you're not mad?" Serena probed. "And you don't think we're weird?"
"Nah! I've seen worse, trust me. By the way, I'm Robyn."
"Lita."
"Mina."
"I'm Serena," she said, eying the fruit plate in front of her. "You're not going to eat all that by yourself, are you?"
Robyn gave a protective look to the one eye-balling her food. "Maybe. I guess you can have some, but I call dibs on the strawberries."
"Fine by me," Serena grinned as she dug into the banana and orange slices.
"So what are you doing here if you didn't take the test?" Lita asked to start a conversation. "Did you come to support.....your boyfriend?"
Robyn laughed right out. "No, I took the test. I just did it a bit faster than most. And Rowen is definitely not my boyfriend."
"Really?" Mina asked, now getting into the discussion.
"Nope. That would be just what I need, another deadbeat boyfriend," Robyn snorted sarcastically.
"So he's up for grabs?" Mina asked again.
"As far as I know. Though you might change your mind about him when you actually meet him. He's kind of--Hey! Back off! Those are MY pancakes!"
Serena looked up guiltily from where she was attempting to steal one.
"But I'm STARVING," she whined without any apology.
The girls ended up ordering more food and they ate it together as they chatted. In that small amount of time, Robyn managed to learn a few things about these strangers who had invited her over. Lita loved to cook and Mina was a cat person--much like herself. Serena obviously had a big appetite and she also had a boyfriend who was out of town. When the food was gone and the plates cleared off, the conversation was still going. Robyn was having fun talking with these girls. It was definitely a lot different than the usual conversations she had with the Ronins. It was a pleasant change.
"Oh my gosh!" Mina suddenly exclaimed in a hushed voice. She had glanced behind her and then suddenly turned back around, hand covering her mouth.
"What?" Serena wanted to know.
Mina looked like she had just stumbled upon the find of the century. "Don't look now, but four of the cutest guys on Earth just walked through the door."
Thoroughly interested, Lita looked up. Her back wasn't to the front door like Mina and Robyn's were. She could clearly see anyone who came into the cafe.
"Babe city!" the brunette agreed, her eyes going twice as wide.
"Don't sit there and gawk at them!" Mina hissed, causing Lita to break her trance.
"Wow," Serena agreed. "What a bunch of hunks!" She shook herself. "But my Darien is still way cuter!"
"Would you shut up about Darien!" Mina demanded. She stole another quick glance at the young men behind her. "Oh wow, check out the blonde one," she whispered to Lita. "Isn't he to die for?"
"Yeah....." Lita said, off in her dream world again.
"Quit staring at them!" Mina demanded. There was a pause as all the girls stared at the table top. "What are they doing now?" Mina then wanted to know.
Lita glanced up. "They're just standing there, like they're looking for something. I wonder if they're lost."
"I want to see them," Robyn announced.
"No, don't look," Mina ordered. "They'll think we're just a bunch of flakes if they catch us staring at them."
Robyn glanced back anyway.
"THOSE guys?" she asked dubiously, one eyebrow quirked.
Mina nodded and sighed heavily. "Wouldn't it be great if they came over and talked to us?"
"Yeah, like that will happen," Serena mumbled.
"Dream on Mina," Lita agreed.
"I'll talk to them," Robyn offered.
"You'll what?" Mina shot out.
"I'll go bring them over here."
"No wait! Don't!" Lita cried, her cheeks flushed at the thought. "You don't have to do that!"
"Sure I do, just wait a second."
"She's crazy!" Mina announced.
The three girls watched with wide eyes as Robyn strolled calmly up to the group of young men loitering by the front door. None of them seemed to have noticed her as of yet. She was about to approach the closest one, the blonde, when she tripped. The three girls at the booth moaned as Robyn collided into the handsome stranger, knocking him forward.
"Oh no! She's dead!" Mina cried.
"Poor girl," Lita sympathized. "How's she going to live through that?"
The blonde young man turned around and glared at his attacker. But Robyn didn't seem phased at all.
"Oh my gosh Sage! I am so sorry!" She tried to look seriously apologetic, but a smile was breaking through. "Did you see that? Someone pushed me, I swear!"
Sage smirked at her, indicating that he didn't buy that story. It was an old joke Robyn had used on them before.
"There you are!" Kento announced as he grabbed Robyn in a headlock. "We were wondering if we came to the right place. Where were you hiding?"
Lita, Mina, and Serena's eyes all collectively bugged out of their heads.
"She KNOWS them!?" Serena squeaked.
"We must have sounded like total idiots to her," Mina cried.
Robyn laughed as if she had heard them. "Oh, I was just sitting with those girls hiding in that booth over there. Come on in and sit down. Rowen still isn't done yet so we've got to wait for him anyway."
The three embarrassed girls all stared at their table as Robyn grabbed Kento's arm and started pulling him to their booth. The other three young men followed behind them. The booth the girls were at was a small one and could have never held all of them so Robyn led her friends to the one right beside it. The guys took a seat as Robyn continued standing between the two parties.
"You didn't tell us you knew them!" Serena grabbed her arm and hissed at her.
Robyn shrugged. "Guys, here's the girls I was sitting with. They've got a friend doing the test, too. Rowen knows her I think. Anyway, this is Mina, Lita, and.....Serena? Right? And these are my friends. That's Ryo, Sage, Kento over there, and that's Cye."
The girls laughed nervously and waved. The boys glanced at them and nodded.
"So what's to eat here?" Kento announced. "I'm starving!"
Robyn went to sit back with the girls while Kento ordered food. He dove in eagerly while Ryo would try to steal pieces for himself when he could. Cye eyed them both and then got up.
"Mind if I join you?" he asked the girls. More specifically, Robyn. "Kento's grossing me out."
"Sure," Robyn grinned, scooting over to make room for him.
Cye sat down and nodded his hellos to all the girls again. Mina couldn't help but blush slightly. He had beautiful green eyes. His accent was quite cute as well.
It was about this time that two blue haired teens--a guy and a girl--walked into the cafe. The young man walked purposefully up to the first table.
"Robyn, I can't believe you," he berated.
Robyn immediately sank into her chair and silently pleaded for Cye to save her.
"You threw the test, didn't you?" Rowen demanded. "I can't believe you did that! You just threw away your chance to go to any college here you wanted."
Robyn shot him a look. "Who said I wanted to go to college in Japan anyway?"
That statement took away all the indignation he had Rowen was left feeling a bit helpless.
"Robyn," he floundered.
The young girl shook her head. "Go sit down with the guys, you can yell at me later."
Looking beat, Rowen trudged off. Ami almost felt sorry for him. But Rowen instantly perked up when he saw what was at the next table.
"Hey, is that funnel cake?"
"Back off Rowen," Kento growled. "This is mine."
"Come on Kento," Rowen pleaded, taking a seat next to Sage. "Gimmi some. I haven't eaten any breakfast."
"Well I haven't eaten since breakfast," Kento countered. "Get your own!"
"That fog sure has gotten thick lately," Ami commented while Rowen and Kento continued to fight at the next table. She was now sitting beside Lita. "Are you going back home today?"
"Well, we were planning on it," Cye replied as he looked out the window. "But it does look pretty bad. Maybe we should wait until it clears up."
"Or maybe we should get on the road before it gets worse," Robyn added, sounding worried.
"At any rate, we probably should go," Cye decided as he stood. "It was nice meeting all of you."
The girls smiled and nodded. The Ronins at the next table caught the hint and started to get up as well.
"Come on Rowen, let's go," Ryo said.
"But I'm still hungry," the bearer of Strata whined.
"Come on Rowen, we'll order you something to eat when we get to the hotel," Robyn assured him.
He reluctantly followed her and the remaining girls kept their eyes on the group until they were all out the door.
Rei looked up when a smiling face with pigtails poked into the room. The dark haired girl was sitting cross legged on a pillow, sipping tea at the small table in front of her when her friends stopped over.
"Hiya Rei," Serena sang as she walked in. "Just thought we'd stop by and see how you were feeling." The rest of the girls shuffled in and joined their friend around the table.
"Thanks for coming guys," Rei smiled at them. "I'm feeling better. I just had a rough night."
Mina noticed the hand holding Rei's tea cup was bandaged and she gasped at the discovery.
"Rei! What happened to your hand? Are you okay?"
"It's fine," Rei assured them. "It got a little burned but it's okay. I'm glad you guys stopped by." She put down her tea cup and her face suddenly grew serious. "I had some sort of vision last night, and I don't think it's anything good."
The other four girls around the table suddenly sobered up.
"Is it the Negaverse?" Lita asked.
"What did you see?" Mina joined in.
"I don't know," Rei shook her head. "I can't really describe what I saw, but I have a feeling something is coming and we all need to stay alert."
The others all nodded and promised they would all stay aware and ready for whatever may come.
On a grass covered hill over looking Tokyo, Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune stood ready. They gazed on as, from their vantage point, the entire city seemed to be swallowed by an incredibly dense fog such as had never been seen before. It moved almost like a living creature as the city seemed to disappear right before their eyes.
And there the fog sat, like a great beast smothering its prey. It seemed almost to dare those on the outside to defy it. Undaunted, the two soldiers stood ready. The battle was about to begin.