Ryo moaned. So much catching up to do! Shin smiled in sympathy and set a cup of strong coffee before him. Ryo murmured his thanks and looked disdainfully at his mountain of catch-up work.

I can help you.

Ryo jumped a little, and looked around. Who had said that? A voice flitted through his mind.

I can help you.

Why? How? Who are you?

I can help you.

What?

"I can help you, Ryo. You look confused."

Ryo started, and looked up at Toma, before smiling in relief.

"Yeah…thanks."

Toma sat down and Kage watched, amused at Ryo's relief. It was fun to make Ryo panic. Now, he just had to wait…

Toma glowered across the table at Shu, who scowled back. Seiji ignored them, and Shin and Ryo sat there, bewildered. Shin made halting attempts at conversation, but Ryo became quickly annoyed at the silence and anger that was in the air.

"What's going on?"

Toma glared. "Someone raided The Stash and THEN stole my homework to copy it."

Shu snarled. "He blames me!"

"I found everything in your room!"

"And I told you I don't know how it got there! I don't sleepwalk."

"There's evidence! You're guilty."

Shu stood quickly, every line of his body vibrating fury. "I don't need to steal your homework OR your food. I do things on my own, and your taste in candy sucks." Shu turned, grabbed his bag, opened the door, and slammed it behind him. Toma made a cynical remark, put his dishes in the sink, then walked upstairs to get his stuff together. Seiji left silently, and Shin and Ryo looked at each other.

"This isn't good."

Kage sighed happily. Things were going well. He'd read more of Ryo's history and nap, before causing more trouble. Three days seemed long enough. He was impatient; he wanted to fight them. But playing mind games with them was fun. He knew the benefits of caution, and so sank contentedly into the recesses of Ryo's mind.

Tempers slowly began to cool, and Ryo was oddly relieved. The sense of the Other within himself was quiet, so he began to relax. When he saw Yuu again, he felt Him stir, but aside from that, he felt nothing.

Of course, the peace didn't last long.

The warrior's attacks began again, leaving the Ronins frustrated.

"I had hoped he'd be gone for good." Seiji sighed.

Shin shook his head slowly. "It was too good to last."

Shu grinned maniacally. He wanted to fight him again. He'd been training, so he was certain he could kick some bad guy ass.

Ryo shifted uneasily. He had nor forgotten their last encounter.

"You okay, Ryo?"

Ryo looked at Shin, and nodded slightly. "I'm fine."

Toma regarded Ryo skeptically, but shrugged.

"We have to stop him."

"This time, we're looking for him together."

The Ronins found that they didn't have to look far, hard, or long. He was lounging in front of the school gates, shadows dancing around him. They gasped and he laughing, making Kage moan and Ryo breathless. He looked around and saw the warrior's presence affected the others, though not as strongly.

"They're not dead. Not yet."

Shu snarled, but it was a weak sound that died in the ears, unlike the warrior's voice. The warrior made eye contact with Ryo, and he felt himself falling. As he fell, he felt the Other surge upward, and wrapped Ryo in darkness.

"Ryo?"

"Ryo? What's wrong?"

Kage opened his eyes and shook his head, feeling sleepy and insubstantial. He fell to his knees, unable to stand.

'Damn. He's stronger than I thought. Even when he isn't conscious, he fights.'

"Ryo!" Shin knelt down beside him, then glared at the warrior.

"What did you do to him?"

The warrior shrugged and smiled.

"Do you want to fight here? School will be starting soon. Do you want to risk so many lives? I don't mind."

Shu wavered, Seiji glared, wary, and Shin stood in front of Kage protectively.

"Get out of here."

The warrior raised his eyebrows at Shin's command. "Oh? Why?"

Shin shifted into a fighting stance. "Now."

The warrior looked into Shin's eyes, and he paled and began to shake but resolutely stayed standing. The warrior smiled affectionately at him, making him swallow hard. Somehow it was more cruel than kind. The warrior let Shin go, and he fell to his knees, breathing hard. The warrior looked at Kage, his eyes unreadable.

"The brighter the flame, the darker the shadow. Remember that, my firebug."

The warrior turned towards the school and disappeared, and the bright, unbearable blue eyes of Kage faded to the ice of Ryo's.

"I have a nasty headache," Ryo murmured. Shin gave him a sympathetic smile.

"Same here."

They helped each other stand, and watched as the whispering, confused masses walked past them, and when they opened the door, they screamed. Ryo shivered.

"He lied."

"What?"

"He lied!"

Ryo sprinted to the front of the crowd and gave a strangled cry. The people who had been in the school when they were talking with the warrior lay on the floor, lifeless. Ryo leaned against the wall, appalled.

"Before it didn't affect us directly. They were nameless, faceless people. Even when he attacked us, it was only us. These are…people we know. People we liked. He's…he's…"

Deadly. Dangerous. Cruel. But so beautiful. So intoxicating…

Ryo nodded absently, agreeing. He knew the guys were talking, but felt the Other within him, felt his knew things, and had a power of his own. He could almost attach a name…

"Kage…" he breathed, his eyes wide.

"What?"

Ryo shook his head quickly, decisively. "Nothing. Nevermind. Ah…what's going to be done now…about…this…?"