A/N: Easter weekend is this Friday! Yosh! The rating on this story may go up. There might be some dark stuff later on. I also might have to put this story on hold for a week or two. School has been a royal pain-in-the-butt lately.

A scene coming up is from Tenkuden with a few changes I imagine that most people here haven't heard it before.

Disclaimer: If I owned Ronin Warriors, there would have been a lot more fan-service.

A Fine Line Between Love and Hate
KiahWMConnie
Chapter Five: Memories of Mother


Rowen plopped down on his bed. He managed to get through the rest of the day without having to deal with Rhonda. Nearly a week had gone by and he hadn't seen his father. A sudden thought came to his mind.

Mom was coming pretty soon.

He didn't know why, but the thought of his mother coming made Rowen nervous. He still hadn't told his father.

'I wonder how he would react.' He thought. He laughed at the last time his mother came to visit.

FLASHBACK

Rowen and Sage were standing around the airport, talking casually. A sudden voice rang out from the opposite end of the airport.

"ROWEN-KUUUUUNN!"

Sage gawked, "T-that's her!"

"I told you already, she is very different."

"You're right. She doesn't look like a mother."

"I'm sorry!" His mother yelled when she got to them, "Some trouble happened and the plane was delayed!"

"I understand," Rowen sheepishly smiled.

"It's so rare!" she yelled, "Rowen came and welcomed me in the airport!"

"I'm just…around."

"Hmm," she cried, "But I'm SO GLAD! Oh…" she paused when she saw a handsome young blond.

"It's nice to meet you," Sage greeted, wide-eyed.

"The same for me," she replied.

"This is my mother, Kasan," Rowen said to Sage, "And this is my friend."

"I'm Sage Date," Sage finished for him.

"GYAAA! It's unbelievable!" she clapped her hands together.

"Um, yes?" Sage asked, almost afraid.

"Because, you are so much more awesome than what I heard from Rowen!"

Sage paused for a moment, "…Thank you." He then turned to Rowen, "What did you say about me?" he asked, almost threatening-like.

"Date-kun, you are flirted by the ladies, yes?"

"…Yes."

"I'm so glad Rowen's friend is so handsome!" Kasan gushed.

"Um, Mother? I won't feel bad if my friend is praised, but…"

"That's right!" Kasan cut her son off, "I want to say hello to the others that are taking care of you."

"Everyone else is waiting in the lobby," Sage informed her.

"I'm glad! I can't wait to see them."

"It's okay," Rowen tried to calm her down, "I'm not a child, and you don't need to say hello to anyone for me."

"What are you talking about? I WANT to meet them. It's unfair that only you have the chance."

"By the way," Rowen tried to change the subject, "How are New York and Los Angeles?"

"It's busy, but it's wonderful," she replied, "Japanese people would never have such power. It's important that people have an international sense from now on. Wait for me here. I have to make a phone call down there!" She happily ran off.

Sage almost whispered, "I see…she IS different."

"You got it."

END FLASHBACK

Rowen continued to laugh. He loved his mother. Even though he was always so mature and cold-seeming around her, he did love her. She was his mom, afterall. He missed talking with her. She was gone a lot when she was still married, but since the divorce, years went by without words being exchanged between them.

A door slam was heard by Rowen.

'Dad must be home,' he thought.

"Dad?" he called out, "You home?"

"Ya...I'm going to bed." was a faint reply.

Rowen sighed. Typical. Oh, well, his father probably deserved a good rest. He decided not to bother him.

Rowen lied back down to rest. His mind wandered to school: the upcoming science project and other homework. He wondered what is was about and who his partner would be. Would he end up with another brainy person or some ding-dong ditz? There was too much stress in this.

A funny thought crossed Rowen's mind. He imagined being paired up with a certain pink-haired know-it-all. Rowen laughed again.

What was it about that Rhonda girl? She was so rude and...well, cold. Rowen noticed it the first time he saw her a few weeks ago. He noticed later, however, that she was a completely different person around Maria. From afar, she was much more friendly and personable. He just didn't get it.

She seemed so hypocritical(sp?), and Rowen hated hypocrites.

He grabbed his pillow and crushed it on his face and moaned into it. Too much stress indeed...


Rowen once again found himself at his desk in Chemistry.

"Okay class, I've got everything about the project sorted out," Mr. Kantu began, "The reason for this project is because of a program passed through the school recently. Once a year, one class is given the assignment of a pshycological experiment. Guess which class was selected this year?

"In this experiment, you will be given a pretend spouse, as I have explained before. You will be required to spend at least five hours a day together. Every day, you will write a small report of what has happened over the last day. This project will last about three weeks. Now, for the couples."

Everyone zoned into the names being called, anxious to know who they would be paired with.

"Mr. Takeda and Miss Nikashe," he called them out, "Mr. Yoshitika and Miss Saigo, Mr. Morureyu and Miss Ruhea, Mr. Dosuchi and Miss Mukugurabu..." he went on and on with the list. There was a twinkle of evil laughter in his eye when he came to the last two names.

"Mr. Hashiba and Miss Maxwell."


A/N: Oh, come on...like you didn't see that one coming. Ooo, a cliffy! Hehe, I'm so evil. I will try to get back to this story ASAP! And yes, you will get to meet his mother(or at least my version of her) later on in the story. Please review!

P.S. If you think the fights in this are bad so far, just you wait...the earth will shake.