Disclaimer: I do not, in any way shape or form, own any of the Ronin Warriors or anything having to do with them. I do, however, own my own characters (the girls, Leinto etc...) Now that this is out of the way, here's the story.
The Calling of Destiny: Twisted Realities
:Chapter one:
Two months. That's how much time had past since the battle with Sirous and the Goddess. Two months since everyone's world had been turned completely upside down. Two months since everything had begun.
Little had changed in the girls' lives. They all still hung together, still went to the same school and came home like everyone else ---but in truth, they weren't like everyone else. Not everyone has to fight evil, bear an armor or train with a charge on how to use elemental magic ---but you did if you were a Sanada, Date, Mouri, Rei Faun or Hashiba girl. It was all just part of your normal, everyday routine and life. Something that you excepted and went along with no matter how you really felt on the inside.
Now if you were to see one of these girls, you wouldn't think that your average looking teenage girl could be a mythical armor bearer, but they are. Nobody but themselves and their family knows about it though. They live a totally normal life, or as normal as ones life can be, complete with sports, boys, homework and detentions. You thought high school was bad enough alone, well throw in mythical armor and having to save the world and study for exams all at the same time. Think you could do it?
-
Ryo Sanada gripped the steering wheel as hard as he could with his right hand until his knuckles turned white while his left rubbed at his forehead irritably. His temper was getting close to boiling over as he sat in mid day traffic, somewhat patiently waiting for the long line of cars to start moving again. He floored the accelerator and zoomed around the corner, tires screeching, before the light could turn red on him again. A few cars honked their horns at him, but the ebony haired man ignored them as he drove on. He continued down the street he was on, heading in the direction of his house that sat on the outskirts of the Toyama City limits.
Once he was outside of the city limits, the majority of the traffic and his initial rage had subsided somewhat, Ryo stole an angered glance over at the dark haired girl who sat quietly in the passenger's seat beside him. Today was supposed to have been his day off, but instead of lying around the house doing nothing, he was out bringing his daughter home once again from school.
Twice that week he had been called by the principle of her school. Twice he had been asked to come and get her from school for one reason or another. This time it was for mouthing back to the teacher and being insubordinate. Not a new one to Ryo in any means. He knew his daughter had a tendency to run off at the mouth, but lately she had been doing that a lot more than she usually would have. Making him start to think that maybe there was something else going on that he just wasn't catching onto.
Ryo kept glancing at his daughter as he drove down the road. If the girl knew he was looking at her, she gave no indication of it. Mutely she kept her gaze pointed at the scenery that passed her by, chin rested on her hand while her elbow sat on the arm rest of her seat; eyes diverted to the whirling colors of greens, browns and a few other colors thrown in here or there. She seemed to be almost unperturbed by his angered glances or just in a whole 'nother world all together.
Time flew by and Ryo soon pulled into the dirt driveway that led to his house. Parking his car just in front of the walkway to the porch, he exited the vehicle and slammed the door shut before walking to the house. The girl who remarkably resembled her father, followed after him up the porch steps and to the door to the house. Ryo fumbled with his keys until he had found the right one that unlocked the front door to his house. Quickly and swiftly he inserted the key into the lock and unlocked the door. Turning the doorknob, he gave the door a gentle shove and it swung open. Stepping aside from the door, Ryo motioned with his arms for his daughter to go in first.
With a smirk on her face, she walked into the still house, dropped her shoes by the door and headed for her room upstairs. The girl didn't get too far up the stairs before a not-so-pleased sounding voice came from behind her though. "Not so fast their Rylea," Ryo called after the back of his fleeing daughter.
Silently the girl cussed to herself as she slowly turned around to find her father's piercing gaze and folded arms staring back at her. "Living room now," he commanded and then walked around the wall that divided the front door hallway from the living room, expecting his daughter to follow after him.
Rylea growled her annoyance at him, but obediently followed after the ebony haired man into the living room. Coming into the living room she was met once again by his glaring eyes. "Sit," he simply said, but there was enough commandment within his voice that she immediately did as she had been told.
The room was quiet for a few moments as Ryo just stared at the girl who sat before him; it was almost like he was staring her down. China blue eyes silently glared at the shaggy, dark haired girl who could have passed for his twin. The only difference between the two was that her skin tone was darker and her hair was longer. Other than those two things, she was a female version of her father.
Rylea stole a nervous glance over at her father now and caught that seething rage in his china blue eyes. She'd seen that look in his eyes so many times before that she knew automatically what was coming. Knew what she'd be in for before the storm was ever unleashed on her.
"Something you want to tell me?" Ryo asked his daughter while clasping his hands together in front of him. The tone of his voice gave away that he was mad, but was trying to keep it under control.
Rylea hesitated before answering him. She'd caught that tone he had and knew that the wrong reply could cause him to snap on her. "Um... No?" she replied back just as hesitantly, hoping that what she'd said hadn't been the wrong thing.
"No?" he repeated as if making sure he'd heard her right. When she nodded slowly in return he chuckled lightly. Not in amusement, but more like someone who was beyond mad and laughing to keep from hurting someone. "You sure, because it seems to me that you do."
"What would I need to tell you?"
"Oh I don't know, maybe the reason why I've had to pick you up twice this week because you can't seem to follow the rules," Ryo fired back at her as his eyes narrowed into a glare.
Rylea shrugged half-heartedly while folding her arms over her chest. She seemed almost unaffected by her father's glare as she replied, "Bad week, that time of the month, they just rubbed me the wrong way. I don't know, you take your pick, Dad."
"Do you really expect me to believe those half-ass excuses? What kind of an idiot do you take me for, Rylea?" his voice was starting to rise now as his hold on his temper began to slip.
"There's more than one kind?"
"God damnit, Rylea I'm not playing with you!" Ryo shouted at his daughter as his fist came down on the armrest of the couch and then he picked it back up to point an accusing finger out at her as he added, "Now you listen and listen up good child. You'd better get your head out of your ass and straighten up your attitude or you will not like the wrath I bring down on you."
"But-"
"I don't want to hear any of your excuses," Ryo said while waving off her words, cutting her off before she even had a chance. "All I want from you are good grades and not another phone call from your principle. Wakatta? Now get your rebellious ass up to you room and start thinking and contemplating about how you're going to start getting along with your teachers!"
Rylea didn't move. She just sat glaring at her father with the most hatred filled glare she could muster up, already she could feel her own temper starting to flare up. Ryo glared back at his daughter just as threateningly as he said, "Did I stutter? Bedroom now Rylea Marie or I swear on my wife's grave I will carry your ass up there and you won't like it if I have to."
With a growl of protest, Rylea did as she had been told and stormed from the living room. The resounding sound of her door being slammed shut told Ryo that she was there. He sighed as he sat back against the couch, trying to massage away the headache that was beginning. He was sure before the day was over he'd have a full blown migraine. Having to deal with my children is what gives me my migraines, Ryo thought with a wry smirk and then his eyes flicked upon the large white and black striped tiger coming towards him from the kitchen.
White Blaze came in and settled down next to his master's feet, awoken from his midday nap and not too happy about it. With a huff he settled his head back onto his paws as he heard the tv being flicked on and noise filtered into the room. Squeezing his eyes shut and trying to block out the irritating sound, the large house cat tried to fall back into some kind of a sleep.
-
"I'm home!" Rona called cheerily as she entered the seemingly empty house and closed the door behind her. Contrary to her cousin, she had shoulder blade length royal-blue-hair and deep, purple blue eyes. An odd mix of colors yes, but all real.
Rona Hashiba was the genius of her school, following in her father's footsteps. Quiet and subtle, she kept to herself most of the time. Known by some as "teacher's pet", but the blue haired genius didn't seem to mind. Most of the people who called her that were jealous of the fact that getting good grades came naturally to her. Either that, or it was because she made a point of keeping her record clean of any kind of trouble.
Dropping her things by the door now, the young bearer of Strata walked farther into the house. Confused by the fact that her mother hadn't welcomed her home, Rona decided to find out where she was. Deciding to check the kitchen first, where her mother usually was, she walked in there and found a note on the table instead of her mom's smiling face.
Rona
Had a doctor's appointment to go to. I'll be back before it's time for dinner. If your father calls, tell him where I am.
Love,
Mom
"Well, that answers my question as to where she is," the blue haired teen said aloud before replacing the note where she'd found it.
Her eyes then came to rest on the blinking red light of the answering machine beside her on the kitchen counter. Blinking lights meant messages and messages meant someone had called. Curious as to who had called, Rona hit the playback button on the answering machine and a computer sounding voice began talking.
"Monday, 3:45 p.m., message one," it sounded off before a beeping sound came and an all too familiar voice started in replace of the computerized one.
"Hey Rons, it's Keish. Did you hear yet? Lea got sent home again today! Man, she went off on Ms. Kamanchi. It was really something to see. Anyway, could you call her for me and see what's up? I would, but who knows what kind of a mood Uncle Ryo's in. I figured you'd get somewhere if you called. Ok? Call me later girl! Ja ne!"
"End of messages."
Rona sighed as the message Keish had left her ended. It didn't surprise her, what Keish had told her. Her cousin Rylea was always getting in trouble for one reason or another. Sometimes even bringing her along when the girl felt she needed an accomplice in crime. Picking up the phone from its cradle, Rona dialed the all too familiar number of her cousin's house now and pressed the receiver to her ear as it rang. Walking into the front from, the girl got comfortable on the couch while she waited for her cousin to answer it.
-
"Order up!"
"Yeah, yeah, I got it," Keish droned while taking the plate of food that had just come up and walked it over to the table in the corner. The man who had ordered it smiled and mumbled a thank you to the ash-blue haired waitress. Automatically Keish returned the gesture before walking back to the pick up window.
Behind the window stood her petite, auburn haired friend Kami, busily helping the cooks out. Beads of sweat dotted the girl's forehead as her brows furrowed in concentration. Busily the girl worked in fluid movements to prepare food for the awaiting customers. Other cooks wearing the white Chef's uniform ran back and forth behind her, just as busy preparing meals as she was, shouting out orders and ingredients they needed for them.
"Hey Kami," called Keish, startling the poor girl out of her thoughts. A broad grin settled over her face at her actions. Unlike her petite friend, Keish was stocky and tall. Ash-blue hair that was usually held up in a ponytail hung behind her and a gold band around her forehead kept her bangs out of her face. Deep blue eyes and a never ending appetite completed the girl known as Keish Rei Faun.
A subtle glare settled across the young water Roninette's features at the smile on her friend's face as she said, "What Keish?"
The girl she had spoken to only smiled more while replying, "That order almost done?"
Her question only infuriated the auburn haired girl more. With all the strength she could find she replied without screaming, "It would be if you'd stop pestering me and let me finish it."
"Alright, alright," Keish replied with a pleased grin spread happily across her face. "I know when I'm not wanted."
"Apparently you don't," mumbled the young cook as she wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her arm and then tried to go back to the order she had been cooking. Steam rose up from the large stove in front of her as the girl placed food on it to be cooked. Keish only grinned more now as she watched.
"Hey now, less talk and more work girls."
Keish's blue eyes darted over in the direction the voice had come from, smiling when she found her Dad's grinning face coming towards her now. "That's what I was trying to tell Kami here," she told him and pointed innocently at the sandy haired girl behind the pick up window.
Kento laughed heartily at his niece Kami as the petite girl raised a spatula threatenly in his daughter's direction as her face twisted into a look of rage. "Uh oh," he said in-between his chuckling. "I know that look Keish. Cye used to do the same thing to me before he ran me out of the kitchen."
"And I still have to do it today," came Cye's sweet, accented voice as he came up behind Kento with a smirk on his handsome face. Kento glanced behind him and a smirk slid over his face at who he found there.
"Hai, so I've seen," Keish snickered at the memory of her Uncle Cye chasing her father from the kitchen with his all-mighty-spatula held high, occasionally hitting her father on the head as he was run from the kitchen.
"And I'm about to do the same thing to Keish if she doesn't stop bothering me," Kami threatened with her own all-mighty-kitchen-utensil raised dangerously in the air, her fingers clenching and unclenching around it ---her eyes focused intently on Keish.
"Order up!" one of the other male cooks in the kitchen shouted before trays of food were slid onto the pick up window.
"Alright, alright," Keish mumbled while grabbing the order and leaving to take the trays of food to the awaiting people. "I'm out of here."
"Thank goodness," Kami replied in relief as she went back to the food she had been cooking. The two men laughed at how much their daughter's acted like themselves before heading off to attend to business. Stopping at some of the tables to talk to a few customers here or there, getting feed back on how the food was and what not before they left.
-
"I don't understand."
"What's not to understand?" Hojo shot back at his sister from where he sat on the loveseat with arms crossed over his chest and a frown now covering his handsome features. His sister and himself had come home that day to news they hadn't expected even in one of their wildest dreams. "They don't love each other anymore so they're splitting Heather. Get it?"
Heather Date still couldn't seem to come to terms with it. Divorce? Why now? Why would her parents get a divorce now? Why now when she was fifteen and her brother about to turn eight-teen? If they had wanted to split, then why didn't they do it years ago? Confusion melted across her face as light blue eyes came to rest on her parents who now sat as far away from each other as they could, questions flying through her mind a mile a minute. Tucking her soft, golden blond hair behind her ear, Heather finally said, "Why now? If you two have felt like this for a while now then why not split years ago?"
Understanding lavender-violet eyes looked back at her. Her father looked to be almost sympathetic with her. "We didn't want to put you through unneeded stress, so we both decided to hold off on going through with it," Sage's soft, but deep voice replied to her. He could feel all the emotions swimming around his daughter and it hurt him to know that she was hurting. Sometimes having the ability of empathy wasn't all that great and this was one of those very few times that Sage Date wished that he didn't have it.
"Well how considerate of you both," Hojo retorted angrily. He didn't care how nicely they tried to put it, divorce was divorce to him. His parents were separating and the blond was moving out, so it really didn't matter much to him. His sister was whom Hojo was more concerned about.
Brushing at the blond strands of hair that seemed to hang over his left eye, Hojo laid light lavender-violet eyes on his sister now, reading the emotions clearly that were stamped across her face in big bold letters. He felt sorry for her more than he did for his parents whose marriage was now officially over. He ignored his mother's blue eyed gaze completely that was now rested on him. He didn't want to hear anything she had to say. By the look on her face and the fact that she had very little to say, Hojo had pretty much come to the conclusion that his father was the one who wanted the divorce and his mother was still very much in love with his father.
"Hojo, hunny, I understand any anger you may have towards us for this," Hannah Date nervously started as she tucked some of her sandy blond hair behind her ears and then went to twisting the wedding ring on her finger. She never once looked at her son while she talked. "But... We felt it was better than us fighting constantly in front of you two."
Hojo almost laughed out loud at what his mother had said, but suppressed the need to. His parents had argued and fought in front and or, in earshot of his sister and himself all the time growing up. Them fighting was nothing new to either of them. That wasn't the real reason why they were getting divorced. Oh no, his father had just finally gotten tired of listening to his mother's nagging, bitching, and just basic complaining all the time. That was why he was leaving her. Not that Hojo didn't love his mom, but if he were his father he'd have left her a long time ago.
"Who will we be living with?" Heather broke the silence that had fallen over them with the one question that had been weighing heavily on her.
Hannah looked over at Sage, but the blond man didn't even so much as glance in her direction. His gaze was settled on his daughter as he replied, "You'll be living with your mom, sweet heart."
"What about Hojo?"
Hojo snorted in mirth as he said, "I'll be living in an apartment with Kayto and Tye, Heather."
"Hojo," Sage's warning voice said his name and the young man knew on instinct to be quiet.
"But," Heather started as unsure eyes looked up at her Dad. "Am I still going to be able to see you?"
"Baby is that what's been worrying you all this time?" Sage gently prodded out and when Heather nodded he smiled reassuringly while bringing her into his embrace. "Sweet heart, baby, you'll always be able to see me. Just because I won't be living here anymore doesn't mean you won't get to see me on the weekends and you know you're always welcome to visit me at my home or work anytime you want. Ok?"
Heather nodded mutely as her father hugged her. She just couldn't get used to it, the idea of her father not being in the same home as her. Having to visit him at another home and actually having two different homes instead of one, she couldn't comprehend it all just yet. The pretty blond was still stuck on when they had said they were getting a divorce. Divorce. The word rang in her ears, shattering any kind of safety and security she had come to know. Destroyed her life, the life she had known, the world she had lived in. She squeezed her eyes shut now, trying to just shut everything around her out as she held onto her father; wishing that none of this was happening to he now.
-
"Yeah, he's throwing a big fit over something that's really not all that big a deal," Rylea said into the cordless phone she held against her head. Rona was on the other end, as usual, and the two girls were now discussing Rylea's sentence from the safety of her room. "I don't know what his problem is."
Silence followed her statement while she listened to her cousin speak on the other end. Frowning at whatever the other girl was saying, the dark haired girl then reached out and stroked the large feline lying before her. The tiger stretched at her touch and began to purr. White Blaze's actions brought a brief smile to the girl's face before a frown twisted across her features once again.
"Ya know, it sounds to me like you're taking his side Rons and you're kinda not supposed to be," sardonically she said into the phone to the blue haired girl on the other end.
Once again silence followed as Rylea listened to the girl on the phone, occasionally rolling her eyes at whatever was being said to her.
White Blaze cracked one chocolate brown eye open at his mistress. He didn't see what all the commotion was about, but whatever it was had the dark haired girl he knew to be Rylea angry and that caught his attention.
"Whatever Rona, ok, whatever. I've got to go to the bathroom so I guess I'll call you whenever I get the chance to. Alright?" a few seconds of silence followed her words before she finished with, "Bye." Growling in annoyance at whatever her cousin had said to her, Rylea tossed the phone she was holding carelessly and left her room, leaving a thoroughly confused White Blaze behind.
A sigh escaped the ebony haired man, as the laptop he was working on once again wasn't doing what he wanted it to. Annoyed tiger blue eyes flicked up to the upstairs balcony as he heard a door open and then watched his daughter walk from her room to the bathroom, three doors down. Ryo half considered asking his daughter, the techno-genius, to aid him with his computer problems, but then remembered that he was supposed to be mad at her.
The bathroom door opened again and Rylea flicked off the light before heading back on her way to her room. No longer was she wearing the blue and white uniform of her school, but gray sweats and a wife beater. Forgetting the fact that he was supposed to be mad at her Ryo called out to her, "Lea?"
The dark haired girl he'd spoken to jumped, startled by his voice. Regaining her composure now, she peered over the banister of the balcony and replied rather coldly, "What? I didn't think I'd done anything in the last three hours that would make you mad."
Ryo smirked humorously at her comment. Leave it to his daughter to be sarcastic even when she knew she was in trouble. "No, you haven't," he said in his usual cheerful voice, smiling kindly up to his daughter.
Rylea raised one dark eyebrow suspiciously at her father. Only a few hours ago he'd been yelling at her and now he sounded like everything was fine. The girl now had a sinking feeling that she knew what he was up to. "Ok," she drawled out while crossing her arms over her chest. "What do you want?"
"Aren't I usually the one saying that to you?" he asked back as a sly grin slipped across his face now and he then added, "Actually I do need you to do something for me. This laptop isn't doing anything I want it to. You think you could make it work for me?"
An amused laugh came as his reply. Settling her laughter down to simple chuckling, Rylea flicked at the wild bangs that hung in her eyes and replied with, "Hai, I know I can, but I'm currently supposed to be confined to my room. Maybe if that was lifted I could see what I could do."
A smirk curled around Ryo's lips at his daughter's subtle request. Now he had to rethink how important using his laptop was. Chuckling finally with a smile he said, "Alright, I revoke the confinement, but only if you can get this computer to work."
"Consider it done," came the confident reply from Rylea as the girl walked down the stairs and over to her father who sat with a laptop open in front of him on the couch. A few clicks, lots of typing and a couple bangs later and the laptop was functional again. "There ya go," she said with a proud smile before bouncing into the kitchen to get something to drink.
Ryo shook his head at his energetic daughter before going back to the pie graphs and whatnots that came with his job. It may have been a day off from the office, but he still had to stay on top of things. Glancing over in her direction briefly when she reappeared in the room he said, "I guess it's a good thing I have a techno-genius as a daughter, otherwise I'd never get anything done."
"Yeah no kidding," the girl spoken to replied between gulps of the Mountain Dew she now held. "Because we all know Rye isn't gifted with technology."
A chuckle came from the ebony haired man on the couch at her reply. "Yeah so I learned," he said and then looked over at her and a frown settled over his face while he pointed to the pop bottle in her hand. "Lea, what did I tell you about drinking so much pop?"
"Dad, chill, it's my first one today," came the, a little more than annoyed, reply from Rylea.
"It had better be."
"It is," the Roninette of Wildfire told him as she glanced up at the clock that hung on the wall over the huge entertainment center. Noting the time, she then quickly beat a hasty retreat back to her room and shut the door behind her. Minutes passed before the girl reappeared in faded jeans and a red tank. Both her necklaces that she never took off, her mother's pendant and fire pendant, jingled against her chest as she came down the stairs and headed to get her shoes from the door.
Ryo, who had been watching her, now sat back against the couch with arms folded behind his head with an almost amused smile on his face. "Going somewhere, Lea?" he called out to her with a certain cheeriness to his voice.
The said girl came back into the front room, carrying her Nikes that had yet to be put on. She cocked her head at her father as if in questioning. "Um, yeah, I have um... Something that I need to do," she stuttered out and gave him a bright smile.
"Oh really?" Ryo replied with one dark eyebrow raised in inquiry at her. "And that something would be?"
"Um, I have to go and talk with my gymnastics coach about an upcoming thing."
"Oh really? And just what is this 'thing'?" he prodded on further, getting a hint that she was making up an excuse just so that she could leave. His smile now began to grow more at the nervousness that seemed to settle over her all of a sudden at his persistent questioning.
"Ummm..."
Chuckling, Ryo told her, "Ah huh, just as I thought. Lea you're grounded until further stated which means no leaving the house."
"But Dad, I need to go. I have something that I need to talk with my coach about, but I can't tell you. Please?" she pleaded with him, laying the full effect of her devastatingly blue eyes on him as a last resort to get her way. "Pretty please? I promise I will be good."
He sighed and closed his eyes while laying one hand over them as if in an attempt to block her out. Ryo knew he never could tell his daughter no when she laid the "blue eye effect" on him. "I know I'm going to regret this later," he mumbled to himself before looking back at her with a smirk. "Alright, you can go, but you have to be back here before dinner."
"Dinner? Dad dinner for us is either eat out or order in. The pizza boy knows all of us by first name for Christ sake," Rylea replied sardonically to his request and then suggested, "Why can't I just meet you guys at the restaurant or something?"
"Fine," he said, caving in finally to her pleads. "Meet your brother and I at Little Tokyo at six and don't be late or I'll never let you out of the house again. Wakatta?"
"Hai," she replied with a firm nod of her head and kissed him on the cheek. "I will be there. Arigato Otousan, you're the best." With a smile in his direction she waltzed out the door and was gone. Leaving Ryo shaking his head in dismay at her.
"Oy," he sighed to himself while once again going back to the work he had set out to do. His tiger padded down the stairs now, coming over to sit at his master's feet as the black haired man worked on his laptop. Shaking his head, Ryo mused aloud to himself, "What am I going to do with her?"
-
The wind blew lightly, rustling the hair of the dingy blond haired male as he leaned against the rot iron fence that outlined the park behind him. Children's laughing and happy squeals as they played floated to his ears from the playground equipment behind him. Lazily he cast his blue eyes to the sky, having to shield them from the sun over head as its rays beat down upon him. The boy stuck his hands down into the pockets of his jeans as the breeze once again rustled his black muscle shirt and blew his wild hair into his eyes. He sighed and brushed the hair back away from his face.
People passed him by on their way down the bustling streets of Toyama. Some held cell phones pressed against their ears as they chatted to some unknown person on the other end. Others hurried down the sidewalk, waving an arm in the air to stop the bus that had just pulled up to the curb from leaving without them. None of them even gave the young man leaning against the fence a second glance; none even cared who he was. To them he was just another teenager, just another face in the crowd, just one more person in the world. None of them knew who or more like what, he really was and wouldn't believe it even if they were told.
People, mortals, like the ones who passed him by, lived a life totally oblivious to anything outside of what they knew ---totally unaware of the demons and other various creatures that lived amongst them.
The young man's musings brought a smirk to his face as he watched the people passing him by. His smirk melted into a grin as he caught sight of a shaggy, dark haired girl approaching him from across the street. He chuckled while straightening his posture and took his hands from his pockets when she was within hearing distance of him. "I almost thought you weren't going to show," he said to her, his eyes showing how glad he was that she'd come as they eyed her.
"Did you now?" the dark haired girl replied with a light teasing air amongst her voice and a grin spread happily across her face.
"Yeah," he retorted in a husky voice while a cheeky grin appeared on his face and his arms wrapped themselves around the waist of the girl standing in front of him without warning. He smiled more at the startled shriek she let out as he pulled her close against himself now.
"Tadin," she chortled out and smacked him playfully on the chest, a smile still spread over her features. "Don't do that."
The boy she had spoken to only smiled more at her actions while a slight chuckle escaped him. Gently he caressed her cheek with his knuckles as he replied, "Don't do what?." He smiled more at the raised eyebrow he got from her in return and added, "So what kept you, Lea? Or did you just not want to come and see me?"
"No, no, nothing like that," the girl known as Rylea replied with a shake of her head and sighed as her eyes dropped to the ground below her. "I got sent home again today and let's just say my Dad had a fit about it. I had to lie to him and use the 'blue eye effect' on him to be able to get out of the house."
Tadin smirked down at the girl he held close to him. He'd only known her for almost three months now, but knew enough to know that staying out of trouble wasn't exactly an easy thing for her. Gently he brushed her wild bangs from her face and a light smile came to his lips when her bright blue eyes looked up at him once again. Silently he just stared back into her china blue eyes, feeling himself starting to become lost in them just like he had the first time he'd meet her.
"So you lied to the old man just to be able to come and see me?" he finally spoke to her as his smile widened. "If I didn't know any better I'd say you liked me."
"Well aren't you a regular Sherlock Holmes," sardonically the dark haired girl replied while pushing herself from his hold and folded her arms stubbornly over her chest.
A chuckle came from the dingy blond haired man at her remark, finding her sarcastic and, at times, rude comments funny. "Well I can't say yes or no to that because I don't even know who he is," Tadin replied.
China blue eyes blinked up at him in stunned disbelief, "You don't know who Sherlock Holmes is?" Tadin shook his head no and Rylea laughed aloud.
"What's so funny about that?" he asked her, confused by why she found that to be so funny.
"Never mind," came the still chuckling voice of Rylea as she regained control of her laughter. "Some things just strike me as funny."
"Is that so," Tadin replied with a grin and before Rylea could get away from him the blond had scooped her up in his arms, throwing her over his shoulder and swung her around. Ignoring her protests and pleadings for him to stop, along with laughter occasionally, the young man continued to swing her around until he was sure she was too dizzy to see straight. Laughing, he stopped and took her down from his shoulder.
"Whoa," the dark haired girl said as she stumbled and had to grab a hold of Tadin to steady herself as her whole world spun before her eyes. Laughter from the young man who she held onto brought a smug smile to her face as she slapped the arm she clung to and snapped, "Shut up! It's not funny."
"I know," he chortled out and then took a hold of her shoulders to steady her as she tried to walk again. "You okay?"
"Hai, I'm fine... Just make my world stop spinning," Rylea replied while holding one hand firmly over her eyes and the other clamped tightly onto the man's arm, afraid that if she let go she'd fall.
The smile faded from the young man's face as he took a hold of her right hand and slid his other securely around her waist. "Come on," he said to her while gently leading her forward. "Why don't we sit down."
"That sounds like a good idea to me."
Tadin led her into the park where the children played and helped her sit down on the bench before taking a seat beside her. He watched as Rylea rubbed at her eyes some before then focusing them out on the laughing and playing children before her. A smile spread over her face, which in turn brought a smile to Tadin's face to see her smiling. Chuckling lightly, he rested his arm around her shoulders and looked out at the kids playing as well.
"I wish," the dark haired girl started in something just a little above a whisper as her eyes took on a sad glimmer. "I wish I could be like them. Just be happy and carefree. Not have to worry about what evil force is going to try and take over this world, just... Be happy."
Tadin was silent for a moment. He wasn't sure what to say to her or what he should say. The girl beside him sighed heavily as if a great burden weighed on her and looked down at the green grass below the wooden bench she sat on. Silence fell over the two before Rylea broke it with, "It's not fair you know? It's not fair that I had to lose someone close to me just to become something that I don't even want to be."
A lump formed in Tadin's throat at her words, knowing what she was talking about all too well. Comforting her and also trying to cheer her up at the same time, the blond replied with, "Yeah, but if it had never happened then I would never have met your sarcastic self."
His comment earned a chuckle from the girl beside him and he continued on, "Lea, I know it must be hard on you and I won't even begin to try and tell you I understand because I don't. All I can tell you, is that everything happens for a reason. If you hadn't been chosen then someone else would have and instead of being able to keep it in check, you'd be battling someone who's in your same position. Someone who doesn't care or doesn't have the will power to keep it under control. You were given this burden for a reason."
"I know," she replied with detest and glanced back up to look out at the playground once again. "I just wish at times that I hadn't been that person. That someone else would have this burden and not me."
"Yeah, well," the blond started as a smile spread across his face and he pulled her in close to him. "I couldn't pick a better girl to be an ancient Goddess. You've got the whole look pulled off great."
Laughing at what he'd said, Rylea smiled and looked up at him to say, "Yeah? So you like your girls to be half Goddess half Roninette?"
"I don't like just any girls. I like you, Rylea," he murmured to her before leaning in to capture her lips with his in a sweet kiss.
Chuckling, the bright eyed girl leaned back from his kiss and smiled impishly up at the blond boy who looked more than confused at her actions. "So..." she drawled out now as a smirk slid over her face. "You don't like the Goddess Rylea?"
"Hm, well she is one hot babe," Tadin replied to her question with a grin all of his own as he played into her little game.
"Oh really?" Rylea said with one dark eyebrow raised in amusement and then added. "Then I guess you like the Roninette Rylea as well?"
"Of course. I like ass-kicking girls in red armor who talk trash to their enemies," laughing at the face she made he added seriously. "But to be all honest with you, I like Rylea Sanada more than either of those two. Now she's the girl of my dreams."
"Yeah? Well I guess I'll have to tell her you said that," Rylea replied with a broad smile up at her blond haired boyfriend. Her smile faltered a bit as her blue eyes once again dropped to the ground below her as she said, "How are things in the demon realm?"
"Let's not talk about that right now," came Tadin's quick reply as he pulled the girl more into his embrace, wrapping his arms tightly around her with a smile. "I'd like to keep you in a good mood if you don't mind and every time we talk about the happenings in the demon world you get all raging bull on me. I know you have this "famous Sanada temper" and all, but you can get really scary when you get mad."
The boy's words brought a slight chuckle from the girl in his arms. She knew he was right. Every time they did discuss anything that had to do with demons or the demon realm, she did go off on a rampage somewhat. "Yeah you're right," she finally admitted with a sigh. "Ok so demon talk is out of the question, then what do you want to talk about?"
"Who said I wanted to talk about anything?" Tadin whispered in her ear before tipping her head up to meet his own. Softly he kissed her, ending any conversation they would have had as the kids laughed and played around them. Becoming wrapped up in the emotions and girl he held in his arms and the short amount of time they had to spend together.
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A/N: Ok, well, I'm back and brought with me the third story in this series. Hopefully this wasn't too dull for anyone, but I had to start it out someway. I would like to thank LG for not only reviewing this, but for also helping me with a character that will show up later in this story. Thanks big time girl! More chaps to come when I feel like it.