Chapter 6 Birthday plans and pain

"Sage, Isn't Ryo's birthday coming up?" Mia was trying to find away to invite Ryo back earlier than planned. It would be another week and half before it would have been a month since Ryo left. For some reason she couldn't help being worried about him. With the guys all having nightmares and Ryo missing from the group, how could she not worry some?

"I think its Sunday." Sage was catching on to what Mia was trying to do and since he wasn't all for Kento's plan to begin with he was more than happy to help Mia.

"Well I was thinking, we could throw a surprise party for Ryo's birthday. We can invite him back and not tell him it's a party for him…" Mia trailed off. She was busy planning now.

"Well, I think I will let you get to your planning. I am sure you'll come up with something great." Sage got up to leave

"Hey Sage think you could tell the guys for me?" Mia said with her most charming smile.

"I knew it. You were trying to get me to do the hard part weren't you?" Sage knew Mia was trying to get him to do something for her, which was why he had tried to escape before she could tell him what it was.

"Oh come on Sage, it can't be that bad!" Mia was laughing now at Sage's dismayed face

"If that's true then why are you trying to get out of it?" Sage was laughing too.

"Well thanks for your help!" Mia almost ran from the room in a rush to keep Sage from saying he didn't want to do it.

Sage figured that it would be easy to convince Rowen but Cye and Kento he wasn't so sure about, especially Kento. Since Rowen was going to be the easiest he decided to find him first. Maybe if he were lucky Rowen would come with him to help convince the other two. One could always hope.

Rowen was easy to find he was sitting in his room reading. After Ryo left Rowen started avoiding Kento and Cye. He had almost become as reclusive as Ryo had been. Sage knocked on the wall to let Rowen know he was there.

"What's up Sage?"

"Well Mia came up with an idea for us to invite Ryo back sooner."

" Ok what ever it is I'm all for it." With that Rowen picked his book up again.

"What you're not even going to ask what it is?"

"Nope cause I know that the only reason you're telling me now is so that I can help you tell the others. So no I don't want to hear it."

"Oh come on Rowen. You want Ryo back as much as I do."

"Oh don't pull that on me. If you want my help you're going to have to give me something." Sage sighed somehow he knew that was coming.

"Fine. You can have that CD you wanted and I'll give you back that book I stole."

"All right you've got a deal. Now all we have to do is find them"

"That will be easy."

Sage knew that Kento and Cye were at the lake. Even though it was still too cold for a normal person to swim, Cye always started swimming during late winter. The water was still cold but Cye didn't mind. As long as the water wasn't frozen he could be found swimming in it. Kento was being Cye's lifeguard in a way. It was actually Ryo's idea, after last winter when Cye was swimming and dived wrong. If Ryo hadn't walked by when he did Cye would have drowned.

Ryo had been walking through the woods and had just come back. He saw Cye jump and when Cye didn't come up he knew something was wrong. Ryo jumped in the lake to save him, even though the lake was just above freezing temperatures. Afterwards Ryo could barely move he was so weak. He spent a week in bed before he was able to move around the house. After that he made sure that whenever Cye went swimming there was always someone watching.

By now Sage and Rowen had reached the lake. To their surprise Kento and Cye were both sitting on the dock. Cye wasn't swimming; he didn't even look like he had been swimming.

"Sage, Rowen, just who we were getting ready to go find." Yelled a waving Kento

"Yeah. Me and Kento have something we want to discuss with ya'll." Added Cye

"Wow what a coincidence, we do too." Replied Rowen and then hastily added "But you can go first."

Kento looked at Rowen like he was some sort of foreign bug and just shook his head.

"Yeah well, anyway, we were thinking, I know we said that Ryo should stay away for a month but we think he should come back sooner. With all the nightmares and Ryo acting so weird when he left we are kind of worried about him. He could be in trouble or something." Said Kento

"That's…" started Sage

"I know we said a month, but I think I went over board a little when he threw me in the water. Yeah he did attack me, but he was sick. So despite what ever you think I still think that we should invite him back sooner." Said Cye

"That's…" Started Rowen

"I can't believe you two. He has been gone long enough, and even if he hasn't we can just give him a little space. At least then we would know he was ok. I can't believe that you don't want him to come back now." Yelled an irate Kento

"Yeah ya'll should be ashamed of yourselves." Finished Cye

"SHUT UP, if you two would let us finish what we were trying to tell you, this would be so much easier." Rowen stopped to glare at Kento and Cye just to make sure they would shut up. "We came out here to tell you that Mia thought it would be a good idea to throw a surprise party for Ryo's birthday. It's on Sunday. We think Ryo should come back too."

"Oh" said an embarrassed Cye

"Well on with the party plans." Yelled a now very happy Kento

Sage took a moment to marvel at how easily Kento could jump from one thing to the next, before turning to argue with Rowen about the validity of the deal they had made…

Ryo POV

Ryo sat up slowly. He was getting his birthday present later today. The bat had already been found and was sitting up against the wall. His birthday present was going to be early. His so-called parents had forgotten the exact date of his birthday. They remembered that it was sometime this week. They decided Friday was as good a day as any.

At this point though Ryo no longer felt the blows when they landed. He had discovered a way to block pain. For some reason, he felt that he had known this trick for a long time and had actually rediscovered it. He thought that maybe he had known how, since before his mother died. He could just barely remember her teaching him…

"IT HURTS! MAKE IT STOP!" a small boy of four or five was screaming

"Shhh Ryo it will be ok." A young woman was holding Ryo, whose arm was bent in at an odd angle. "Don't cry." Still the young Ryo cried and whimpered for his mom to help. "Ryo I want you to listen to me, I am going to teach you something but you have to stop crying first." she said it softly so that Ryo would have to quiet down in order to hear what she was saying.

Her trick worked, Ryo stopped crying and was now only hiccupping.

"Ok Ryo. Remember the trance that the elder was working on teaching you?" at Ryo's small nod she continued, "I want you to try and do that now. Do you think you can do it for mommy?" Ryo nodded and closed his eyes. Ryo's small body went limp in her arms "Good boy, I knew you could do it." The woman placed her hand on Ryo's head. She closed her eyes and her hand began to glow. When she finished, Ryo opened his eyes. "Do you think you can remember what I just showed you how to do?" Ryo sleepily nodded his head.

"It doesn't hurt anymore. Thank you mommy" Ryo was slowly drifting to sleep but before he was totally asleep he thought he heard the elder and his mom talking.

"You showed him the pain control technique and he learned it? And at such a young age too. He shouldn't have been able to." It was the elder's gruff voice

"Yes I know, but I knew he could do it. I sense great power in him."

"Well, we have always known that Ryo is special. He learns quickly and has already surpassed many of the children twice his age. When his powers finally manifest he will be quite strong. He may even become stronger than me." Then there was laughter. Ryo fell asleep.

Ryo was startled out of his memories by a sound upstairs, his father's footsteps. For a moment a wave of fear passed over him but he quickly suppressed it. He needed his mind to be clear. Tonight was going to be the biggest test on his control. He was going to try and convince them to untie his hands before they threw him back down the stairs and leave the door unlocked. He had already thought about getting them to forget about his birthday present but he wasn't sure he could do that. If he couldn't then he would still be stuck in the basement with his hands tied behind his back. At least this way he could try and escape.

"Ryo it's time for your present." It was Lydia calling him in a singsong voice. Ryo felt an old fear rising inside him. It was the fear of a little boy who still remembered. Ryo worked to block it. He needed to concentrate.

It took him a few tries to stand up and almost all his energy to climb the stairs without falling.

"Took you long enough boy. I was thinking I was going to have to come down there and get you." Togoro was standing in front of him with the bat. "You know what to do." Ryo moved to stand directly in front of Togoro. "Happy Birthday son." Togoro swung the bat

Ryo barely felt the bat hitting him. He was busy. He was reaching out trying to touch Lydia's mind. When he did he almost recoiled in pain. Her mind was so full of evil, but he tried again and this time he was prepared. Her thoughts began filling his mind.

That's it hit him harder. I wish that boy would just die. He looks just like his stupid mother. Everyone thought she was special and Ryo's just like her.

They didn't overwhelm him this time. He was prepared for them and accepted them. He didn't fight them like he had when he was with the Ronins. He knew now that wasn't the way to do it. Now her mind was blank and was ready to accept his suggestion.

Tonight when you lock me up you want to leave my hands untied. You feel sorry for me and leave my hands untied.

He knew that tonight she would forget to tie his hands. He hadn't thought it was going to be this easy but it was still taking a lot out of him. He was beginning to feel the bat again. He only had another five hits to go before he would be thrown back in the basement. He had to hurry and find Togoro's mind. He didn't recoil at the evil he found there. He was already expecting it.

If he had never been born my wife would still be alive. We would never have left the city in the first place. Gifted my ass. DIE BOY.

Ryo accepted the thoughts again. He could feel himself weakening. The pain was getting worse.

Leave the door unlocked. I am not strong enough to do anything. Leave the door unlocked.

Ryo heard his father finish the countdown and he felt Lydia pulling him roughly to his feet. He didn't remember falling to his knees. He felt Togoro pull him towards the basement and felt himself falling. Before he hit the ground he had one thought "She left my hands untied." Then there was blackness.