All right. Yes, it's me again. I'm still getting chapters out of this crazy story.
Thanks to all of those that reviewed me! Answers to what I'm doing are
coming, slowly but surely. I almost know what I'm doing--so bear with me.
^.^;;
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
The Casting of Shadows
By Phoenix Cubed
Chapter 8: School Daze
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
"Shotgun!"
"No way, man, you've had it the last three times. Give it to someone else for a
change."
"But Sage likes me in the front, right buddy?"
"Kento, if you try for the steering wheel one more time, I'll ground you from
shotgun for life."
"Ha!"
"Quiet, Cye."
Rowen sighed and waited out the morning routine. If he had the will power,
he'd get up at five thirty instead of six and go in with Mia. But staying up
late with the books tired his body out, and that half an hour seemed like such
a justification to the daily pre-school fights between Kento and Cye.
"I will not. Don't tell me to be quiet!"
Maybe if he went to bed earlier.
Ryo walked up to Sage's vehicle with his backpack slung over his shoulder.
"Morning Rowen," he yawned as he walked past the bickering duo and hopped
into the front seat. The Ronin leader stretched out and closed his eyes, "wake
me when we get there, huh?"
Strata covered his mouth and coughed, choking on the laughter swelling in his
throat. That was one way to end an argument.
"Enough of this, lets get going." Sage slammed the driver door and
started up the medium sized SUV. A little larger than the standard Japanese
car, it was roomy enough to hold five pushy teenagers and one large white
tiger. The blonde had picked it up somewhere, never giving the specifics. The
others had wondered where he learned to drive in the first place, but Sage only
smiled at his friends, answering that a good warrior was flexible in any
condition.
Whatever that meant.
As they pulled out of the long drive, Ryo tilted his head back and, without
bothering to open his eyes, called to Cye, "do you think we'll get our
Chemistry papers back today?"
Cye made a face, which was lost on her shut-eyed companion, "I don't know
and I don't think I want to. He can keep those awful things for all I care."
"I agree. What's the point of writing essays in Chemistry? We're supposed
to be doing hands on chemical reaction stuff."
Rowen rolled his eyes, "there is no profession without paperwork. You have to
understand what you're doing before you do it."
"No you don't," argued Kento. "Lots of stuff is done where people run around
half-assed."
"And lots of people get the remaining sides of their asses blown apart, too."
"Well, as far as I can tell, we've still got all our cheeks."
"Guys," Sage said painfully, "enough with the butt-talk."
Cye chuckled, "poor Sage, the warrior guided by wisdom and courtesy trapped
in a car with uncouth slobs like Kento."
"Hey!"
"Something wrong, Kento?"
Halo sighed, "the day we have a *normal* conversation in this car..."
The conversations continued throughout the car ride and into the parking lot.
There, the topics changed slightly, with indirect references now dictating the
talks. At school, no one knew who the Ronin Warriors were or what they had
done, and the Ronins were quite content to keep it that way. It wouldn't do for
an accidental slip of the tongue to spill out their secrets in a building where
gossip flew faster than most birds.
Reaching the door, they went their separate ways. Only Ryo and Cye shared
morning classes, and they had to rush to class almost right away due to
Chemistry's early starting time.
Kento walked down to his locker, stopping by the commons area to grab a
snack before class. He glanced idly at the vending machines that stood by the
doorway to the eating area, but they were mostly juice or soda machines;
none of them dispensed pie or buttered toast, which was what he was currently
craving. So the large warrior of justice wandered into the commons and took
his place in Ala Carte line, spotting a well-frosted cinnamon roll with his name
all over it. The line wasn't that long, and he had at least twenty minutes before
his World Geography course began, which gave him plenty of time to savor the
impending sweet taste of the sticky bun.
As he reached the counter, though, Kento reached back and scratched his
shoulder blades. They itched. It a feeling he experienced only when someone
was staring at him. Glancing around, he didn't see anyone in particular that
would be looking at him, and as far as he could tell, there was nothing wildly
misplaced with his outfit that would give people cause to stare. But he still
could not shake the feeling that someone's eyes were intent to follow his every
move.
Soon he was first in line, so he punched his pin number into the computer and
paid for the roll. Grabbing a napkin and a bottle of Apple Snapps, Kento quickly
exited the cafeteria and headed back towards his locker.
The feeling followed him all the way.
Nervous, it took him three tries before he managed to spin his locker
combination correctly. He shoved the rest of the roll into his mouth and
licked his fingers clean of the sweet frosting. It had been a good roll, but
slightly spoiled by the uneasy feeling that was settling in his stomach.
Kento grabbed his books and decided to head to class early, hoping to shake
his phantom pursuer in the stuffy social wing of the high school.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Rowen settled into his seat. There would be a test today in the class he was
currently in: Higher Theory Physics. He had missed class yesterday due to the
Warlords' sudden visit and departure, and in consequence missed the lesson.
But that didn't bother him, and the teacher would give him the small test
anyway; both knew he was more than capable. Mrs. Kantougi absolutely
adored having Rowen in her class, although she was very good at hiding it, and
often gave him assignments far more complicated than the rest of the class's.
Almost everything was done on computers in Kantougi's class, including the
passing out and handing in of assignments. The teacher would dump a
general course assignment in the public access of the computers and then a
more detailed problem in Rowen's own personal files. At first this had annoyed
the bright bearer of Strata, but then Kantougi had been sick for a week, and he
had been stuck doing the regular work. It had been tedious and full of topics
he had studied and mastered long ago. At least with the teacher's individual
assignments, they were relatively interesting and put into creative forms.
"Good morning class, please place all items below your desk and prepare for a
test."
Mrs. Kantougi came into the room carrying a stack of papers and a few other
items. Setting them down, she turned and faced her class. "Please turn to
your monitors and open the assignment file. The document is entitled 'lever.'
Take your time, the hour is yours."
Rowen turned to his computer and did as instructed, but also slipped on a pair
of headphones in order to listen to some music he had previously stored on the
computer database earlier in the year. Satisfied with Mozart, Rowen opened the
lever file. Immediately the familiar screen popped up with questions and
illustrations. About to settle down into his task, Rowen noticed a small message
box blinking in the corner of the window. Curious, he clicked on it, thinking it
a message from the teacher for an additional twist to the assignment. Reading the
message, however, the test became the furthest thoughts from Rowen's mind.
Rowen's eyes widened as the notes that echoed through his headphones
suddenly stopped and were replaced by the awful, screeching laughter of a
stalking hyena. Yips and howls pounded against his eardrums. The message
flickered, expanding across the screen, and Rowen found himself staring at a
very demented version of a Physics quiz. The equations were near meaningless
letters and symbols that he vaguely recognized from long ago, when he lived in
the Phoenix's nest. But Rowen had never learned to read them. No matter, the
diagrams made plain what the text did not. Gruesome geometric figures of
birds and people had been drawn out for his explicit viewing pleasure. Arrows
in the form of knives angled themselves around various parts of the subjects,
indicating the correct ways to severe limbs and crack chest cavities. Here and
there about the page were feathers, some broken, some whole, but none on
the birds themselves.
The howling in his ears became louder, despite Rowen's attempts to adjust the
volume. Why wouldn't they stop laughing? Suddenly, the screen flashed.
Looking over, he was just in time to see the image of a boy with blue hair climb
from the corner of the screen with a bow and arrow in his hands. The arrow
flew from the bow and out of the screen range. There was a loud squawk and
the head of the Lady of Light's most sacred form came tumbling into view. It
landed at the bottom of his quiz with a sickening thud, splattering blood and
thicker things across the screen, covering it completely.
Rowen cried out and flung the headphones from his ears, shooting up from
his desk and knocking over his chair. The Ronin's eyes were wild and his
breathing was ragged. How was that possible? How had they found him
through a computer, of all things?
"Rowen?"
The voice brought him back to reality. Blinking rapidly, he managed to focus
his eyes on the person in front of him. Mrs. Kantougi was looking at him with
concern from her desk.
"Rowen, is something the matter?"
His pulse beat rapidly as he stared at the woman. That had to be the silliest
question he had ever heard. The teen licked his lips and turned his gaze back
to the screen, now perfectly clear, as if nothing had happened. There was
nothing, not a trace. Empty but for a crimson feather that floated down the
screen, becoming fainter with every inch it fell.
The world began to spin and Rowen groped wildly for a handle. He found the
table and gripped it hard; the teacher repeated her question. "Rowen?"
"Yeah," he said after a moment, "I'm fine. Sorry to interrupt the class."
Mrs. Kantougi was not convinced. "Rowen, if you were still feeling ill, I wish
you would have stayed home today. Why don't you go to the nurse and lay
down for a bit. You can finish the quiz after school."
Swallowing the bile rising in his throat, Rowen nodded and carefully made his
way out of the classroom.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Ryo and Cye were the last to file out of the Chemistry room at the end of the
hour. The essays had been handed back and neither of them had done well.
In fact, their papers could have donated blood; they had so much red ink
dripping from them. Extremely low numbers decorated the page. All through
their paragraphs, letters and sometimes, whole words were circled, while
others were crossed out. It looked like a massacre. And as bad as the two
thought they had done, each felt that no one deserved such cutting grades.
It looked as if the teacher had graded on points of obscure English grammar
instead of fundamental Chemistry requirements.
"Professor, may we speak to you a moment?" Cye approached the aging man
at his desk, Ryo right behind her.
For a brief moment Professor Naiso continued to write before setting down his
pen and looking at his students. "You have a moment."
Cye glanced at Ryo. Ryo cleared his throat. "Sir, we'd like to protest the marks
you gave us."
"Oh?"
"They're unfair, sir," Cye continued. "We worked hard on our essays, and
though we admit they were not the greatest of quality, they don't deserve to be
cut down they were."
Ryo agreed, "More points should have been awarded for at least correct essay
*form.*"
Naiso raised his eyebrow ever so slightly. "You think so, do you?"
The two nodded, "yes, sir."
The teacher looked at the two a moment, before reaching slowly to his face to
remove his glasses. Folding them carefully, he placed them on the corner of
his desk and returned his line of vision to his students. "I see. And do you
know what I think?"
Ryo looked at Cye; he had a bad feeling about this. "What is that, sir?"
"I think that you two have a great deal of nerve coming to me like this, trying to
tell me how to grade my class. Next thing I know, you'll be teaching Chemistry.
Is that it?"
Cye looked startled. "No, sir!"
Naiso affected a sneer. Here was to hoping the Ronin Warriors were
everything the legends made them out to be. "Do you expect me to believe
that? A pathetic, 'no sir?' You're out of line and very wrong. In all my
years of teaching, I have never known a group of youngsters so brash and
impudent as you! Do you conform to nothing; not even an essay format?
Look at those papers; they're disgusting! I want you to take these home
and study them, look them over front to back. A thousand times if you
have to. Just find the mistakes and correct them. All of them! And
don't forget to prepare the biggest yet to come!"
Cye and Ryo were taken aback, "but Professor Naiso--"
"Don't throw 'buts' at me, young lady. And don't try to foot the blame on me,
either. Next thing I know you'll be after me for bad computer programming. I
won't stand for it. And neither should you! Now get out of here, and don't
forget your papers."
Very much like chastened puppies, Ryo and Cye picked up their essays and
scooted out of the teacher's sight. Glaring, he watched them go with
hard eyes until they were out of sight. Then, with a heavy sigh, he
collapsed back into his chair.
"Please, " he whispered, "let them understand."
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Sage walked into his second hour History class, preparing for fifty-five minutes
of lectures and note taking. He had felt something very wrong not twenty
minutes ago, but he had to go to class. So there was no chance for him
to follow up on the awful stirrings within him. Praying for a miracle, he was
about to set his books down when the teacher called him to the front desk.
"Sir?"
"The office called, you're to go to the nurse immediately. I would tell
you not to let it take all hour, but I have a feeling it will anyway. You
may find notes from your classmates for a review tomorrow."
Sage thanked the teacher and then controlled himself just enough to walk
through the door and out of the classroom before practically sprinting to the
nurse's office, slowing down only when he thought someone was watching him.
Reaching the office, he paused a moment to compose himself, and then quietly
slipped through the door.
"Well, Sage, there you are." Nurse Young bustled to him from behind a filing
cabinet. "I was just going to send for you again. Really. Teachers these days
take so long in all the important matters."
"You sent for me?" Sage asked. Nurse Young was an aging, matronly woman who lost
hearing and sight in direct proportion to her weight gain and vocal practice.
Whenever any student came to talk to the nurse, it often took several tries to get
to the point, and several more to keep her on track.
"Yes, yes. Your friend Rowen wasn't feeling good in his first hour. The teacher
sent him up to me. Looks awful, he does. Gave him a couple pills and told him
to lie down. Said before he took 'em he wanted to see you. I tell you, stubborn
child, never does what's best for him--"
"He's awful at such things, yes," Sage interrupted smoothly, "why don't you direct
me to where he is, and I'll see that he takes your good advice."
"Such a good boy you are, you'd make a good patient I'm sure."
Sage smiled winningly at the nurse, "I try to keep out of such occupations,
sorry."
The matronly woman shook her well-padded finger at the boy; "you do that.
Never good to go breaking things at your age. Knew a boy once, fragile
as glass--"
"Who always broke bones to get out of class."
Nurse Young threw her hands in the air, "what a poet you be!"
"I should try it on Rowen sometime. But I do need to see him, if that's
all right, Nurse Young, where is he?"
"Oh, right right. Just through that door to your left, Sage. Make him
swallow those, it'll make him feel better. I'll be in to check on you
two in a bit. Have to finish my filing, you know. So much to do as a nurse."
The woman turned her imposing figure around and continued talking, but Sage
quietly snuck into the appointed door, leaving the nurse to converse with air.
Breathing a short sigh of relief, Sage went further into the room, looking for his
friend. He found Rowen behind the third curtain with his elbows on his knees
and his hands supporting his head, hair locked tight within his fingers.
"Rowen," Sage called softly, causing the boy to lift his head.
"Sage," Rowen answered, "didn't think they'd let y'ea out of class."
Sage studied his friend carefully. He looked awful, and he told him that.
"What happened, Row, you look like you've seen the Talpa's ghost."
"Whoever said school was a place for safety and community never had a
hyena for an enemy."
Sage got the point immediately and grilled his friend for details. "How in the
world did you manage to dream in class?"
"I wasn't dreaming, I was taking a quiz. And--" Rowen dropped his face in his
hands and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "These guys are the sickest bastards
you could imagine, Sage. They had this kid popping out of the corner of my
screen shooting arrows and knocking birds from the sky. Looked just like me.
And the pictures..." Rowen shuddered, pausing for a moment to regain his
composure. "There was even a message, 'how many Ronins does it take to skin
a raptor?'"
Wise Halo was confused, "what's that supposed to mean?"
"A raptor is a term for a bird of prey. Check your references, how many birds
do we know?"
Sage was quiet for a moment. "I wonder what's been happening that they've
stepped it up a level like this. They've never attacked us in school before."
"Sage, they've never attacked us period. We don't even know who we're really
dealing with here."
Steely violet eyes glittered, "oh, I think we know, all right."
Rowen looked up, his own dark blues sparkling with interest. "What're you
thinkin', Sage?"
"Remember Friday when we were racing to Vila's? What did Ryo call
him...Jamten and his little friends?"
Rowen nodded, "rather hard to forget them. You were having such a wonderful
staring contest with that kid in the back."
"Fillip. He's in my English class. He's also got enough stored up ability
to level Tokyo."
"So? There's a whole flock of kids in this school that have enough potential
energy to be an Empath or somethin'."
"Yes, but that's *combined* and *dormant*. He was *using* his."
Rowen's eyes widened, "what?"
"Think back to that conversation we had at the dojo when we were originally
discussing the problems. I said that seven of the twenty students were missing
auras, right?"
"Right."
"Well, neither Phillip or any of the five that hang around him have one.
Couple that with the way they treat us, and the timing of your nightmares
with their arrival. It doesn't look good for them, but it sure makes a
lot of sense for us."
"It does, doesn't it? After all, it can't be a mistake for that many kids
hanging out together to have the same drab personality. Which they don't."
Rowen thought about his for a moment, rubbing his chin as he contemplated.
"I think we're on to something here, Sage. We should take this up with the
others at lunch."
"That's a good idea. And do you know what else is a good idea?"
"What?"
"You taking the pills Nurse Young gave you. I promised her I'd shove them
down your throat if I had to."
Rowen groaned, "aw, Sage."
Sage chuckled a bit, "just take the things, Row, they're harmless."
"They put me to sleep, and you know what happens when I sleep. Can you
imagine me lying here and all of a sudden, pop goes the Ronin, screaming
bloody murder? They'd cart me off to Arkham."
"Then just take one and pretend you're asleep. I'll stay here in case anything
*does* happen."
"Thanks a lot, buddy." Rowen smiled at his friend; "you're a pal."
"Anytime, consider it payback for the countless times we keep saving each
other's--"
"Asses?" Rowen offered brightly.
Sage put his own head in his hands, "Rowen, go to sleep!"
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
There was a new substitute teacher for Professor Faug today. He had been
gone for the predicted week and longer. The twins, who Ryo now knew as
Kaori and Melanie, had a seemingly permanent smug look plastered to their
pretty faces. Everyday he witnessed them waltz through the door, hips
swinging and eyelashes fluttering, and take total control of the class. The
substitutes, most of them long retired or poorly trained, had no idea what to
do with the scheming duo. But today, it seemed like things were ready to
change.
The man came in with authority spilling from him like water. Built like a tank,
his face clearly stated he would brook no misbehavior. Massive feet beat out a
steady cadence as he marched to the front desk and set his briefcase down.
He paused for a moment as he looked down at the chair behind the desk. The
students watched him in quiet wonder as he slowly raised an eyebrow to it.
It was like a toothpick to a redwood tree in comparison to the man. There
were a few muffled giggles as he reached down and, with one hand, lifted
the object and carried it to the corner, setting it down carefully with his
thumb and index finger as if it would break should he squeeze any harder.
The man looked at the class and proceeded to give the students the same look he
had given the chair.
The giggling stopped.
Turning to the whiteboard, he picked up a fat marker and began to write
something at his chest level. The door opened and the twins entered.
Laughing and carrying on, they seemed oblivious to the awed silence that hung
in the room. One of them, presumably Kaori, flicked her eyes to the teacher
before turning to her sister and winking. They whispered to each other and
laughed some more. Walking to their desks, they were about to say something
when the teacher turned around and looked at them. The twins stopped cold in
their tracks, and as Ryo watched, an emotion flickered swiftly across their
faces. If Ryo didn't believe it possible, he would have called it recognition,
or possibly, astonishment.
"You two are late." The teacher stated, his voice deep and rumbling.
"Names?"
Melanie attempted a bit of her usual games. "Wouldn't you like to guess?"
She asked him, something ringing in her voice that Ryo did not quite catch.
"If you're going to be delinquent, I won't deal with it, young lady. State your
names or I'll send you to the principal."
Kaori looked at her sister before turning to the teacher. "Kaori and Melanie
Emeritz ... sir."
He grunted and ran his finger down the attendance list. Taking a pencil, he
jotted something down. "This is your first tardy under me. Twice more and
you'll report for detention. Understand?"
"Yes." The two intoned.
The man nodded, "good. No more of this nonsense then." He turned to the
class. "My name is Mr. Ironton. I will be your substitute until Professor
Faug returns from his leave of absence. I understand that there have
been many problems in this class lately and very little learning. Let me tell
you now that I intend for that to end. This school is a learning
institution and it shall be used that manner. I have one rule, and it's
extremely simple. Mess with me and I'll mess you up. Any questions?"
Silence.
Ironton nodded, "very well then. Let us begin. Please turn in your books to
page one hundred and thirty seven. We'll start with section twelve."
Ryo was astounded. He hadn't been attending actual school for very long,
but experience told him that teachers did not normally take over a class
in such a way. Especially substitute teachers. And as he flipped through the
pages, one tiger-eye keeping itself on Mr. Ironton, he decided that teachers
simply weren't like Ironton period. The man conducted himself as if training
army troops. He belonged in the barracks, not the classroom. Ryo couldn't
believe the way he had handled the terrible twins, or the way the two had
reacted to him.
Wildfire shook his head. First Chemistry, now Government. This day was
becoming odder and odder. He couldn't wait for lunch to tell the others.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
"I saw him too, Ryo! The dude was built like a tank!" Kento gestured wildly
as he and Ryo made their way through the school lunch lines. Ryo had finished
his tale and Kento had reacted, excited and able to relate. "A very big tank!"
"I know, Kento, and he acted like one too. Just bulldozed right through every
subject. We got more done in that class than ever."
Kento reached over and grabbed a few pieces of chicken before heaping some
mash potatoes on to his plate. "I'll bet he straightened those girls right out."
Ryo put some cherry Jell-O on his plate and grinned. "Like a well starched
shirt. I'm sure Cye'll be happy 'bout that."
Kento flinched and darted his eyes about, looking for the girl. "Keep it down,
man, she'll rip your throat out for that."
"Still in the doghouse, huh?"
"Oh yeah." Kento looked at the desert section. "Hey, Ryo?"
"What?"
"Anybody looking?"
"No, why?"
Quickly reaching over, Kento grabbed one of the plastic daisies that
the lunch ladies used to decorate the stainless steel, and very much
asthetically bland, lunch counter, tucking it away behind his plate.
"Kento!" Ryo hissed at his friend.
"Ssh, emergency weapon. Just in case."
Ryo shook his head; "I'll never get you two."
The big teen winked at him, "get a girl, get us, buddy."
Wildfire rolled his eyes, "let's go, Romeo."
Checking out of the lunch line, they made their way to the usual table, mindful
to detour around certain people. Neither of them felt like another food crusade.
The others were already there when they sat down and said their hellos. Cye had
a bowl of potato chowder half-gone and a small plate of salad yet to be touched.
Sage had some type of oriental dish swirling about his plate and Rowen was
picking at a bowl of rice. Ryo noted that Rowen also looked tired and worn
out, butdecided not to ask quite yet.
"Hey guys, what's up?" Kento greeted his friends with a cheery grin before
plunging into his meal.
Sage exchanged a look with Ryo; "at least he's learned to greet people when
he sits down."
"Definitely a plus." Ryo agreed, twirling some spaghetti onto his fork. "So,
did anyone today have a *normal* morning?"
"Nope."
"Sorry."
"Not a chance."
Ryo looked to Rowen, whose face was precariously close to falling into his rice.
"Row! Hey, man, wake up."
"Hm?" Rowen started a bit and lifted his face a second before it found the rice
bowl. He focused his bleary eyes on the offending dish and glared at it before
looking at Ryo. "What?"
The Ronin leader looked to the blonde next to him, "what happened to him?"
"Its a long story, but the end of it involves drowsy medicine."
"I see. Well, since I doubt Rowen can tell me, do you want to fill me in?"
"Rowen was attacked through his computer while taking a Physics quiz this morning.
The program he was using became temporarily overwritten and he saw some unsettling
images. It startled him enough that the teacher had to send him to the nurse.
Young had him take some pills to make him feel better, but they have a side effect,
and now Rowen's trying to wake up again."
"I'll be fine in a few minutes," the archer slurred, "just give me a moment."
Kento paused in his eating, "and I thought my morning was bad."
"What happened?"
"I don't know really," Kento replied, slurping up a noodle. "But I couldn't shake
the feeling that I was being watched, it was really annoying. Kept wanting to
turn around and slug someone, but you can't do that in school, I guess."
Sage made a sympathetic noise, "not normally, Kento. What was wrong with
your morning, Cye?"
The girl snorted, "Both Ryo and I, you mean. We got our Chemistry essays
back; they were awful. We went up to Naiso to protest about the grades he
gave us, and he went off! Kept telling us there were horrible mistakes and that
we needed to 'diligently study' our papers and correct them."
"And then the one yet to come," Ryo added.
"Right." Cye nodded, "it was a complete over-reaction. We tried to reason with
him some, but he told us that we were too brash and needed to take more
responsibility. It was maddening."
The sole female Ronin was fuming, proportionally upset with the overreacting
professor. She closed her lids and quietly breathed, counting in her mind to a
number that would miraculously calm her. Opening her sea-green irises, she
came to focus on a white daisy not an inch from her nose. Surprised, she
followed daisy's line of sight until she settled on Kento's kind and concerned
face.
"I'll trade y'ea Cye. You give me your frown and I'll give you my daisy."
The smile came unbidden and reached all the way to her eyes as the bearer of
Torrent accepted the flower. "Thank you, Kento," she said softly, tucking the
gift in her cinnamon locks.
Sage clapped his friend on the back. "Well done Kento! You do have a soft
side!"
"Yes," he growled, "and if word gets out, you're all dead. Got it?"
Ryo chuckled, "sure, man. Whatever you say."
The five continued to eat, talking quietly amongst themselves as they further
compared their mornings. By the time the bell rang, their food was long
forgotten and Rowen was feeling some semblance of normalcy. Still slightly
groggy, however, Kento offered to escort him to his class, as he was going
in the same direction Rowen's was located.
Sage eyed the mountainous pile of books located beside Rowen's right elbow.
"Take him up on the offer, Rowen. I don't need any aura readings to see your
problems."
"Very funny, Sage," Rowen mumbled. "Thanks, though, Kento."
"No problem, Row. It'll give me a change of pace. Carry someone else's
books besides Cye's."
"But Kento, dear, " Cye bantered, "I thought you *enjoyed* carrying my books.
After all, you steal them from me everyday."
"Ooh. Busted."
Kento hastily gathered his things and began herding Rowen to the door, "can't
hear you. See you after school!"
In high spirits, the friends parted ways.
Kento breathed a sigh of relief and walked at a slower pace beside Rowen.
"That was close."
"Aw, Kento, you're a true softy at heart."
"Keep it down, will y'ea? Someone'll hear you."
There came a short, high giggle from their left. "Someone like me?"
Whipping about, Kento was just in time to see one of the evil twins wink at him
and disappear around the corner. Hardrock growled and took after the girl, his
anger getting the best of him.
"Kento, no!" Rowen chased after his friend, catching him just before the hefty
warrior tackled the escaping girl. It took all his strength to hold back the
Mighty Hardrock, though in truth, he would have been more than happy to let
him go and let Justice deal his hand.
But instead he ended up exerting a week's worth of energy shoving his friend's
head into an empty locker bank, trying to settle the warrior spirit within the
youth. "Kento, cool it. She's not worth it. None of those vultures are worth it.
If you let every jab they give out stick to you, you'll end up shaming a
porcupine! Remember, Ronins play by Ronin rules."
Every hair on his ashen head trembled with barely suppressed rage.
Hardrock's muscles quivered and tensed, begging for release. "They sat
behind Cye in History the other day. Spent most the hour shooting spitballs at
her. She'll take it," he growled and turned his fierce eyes on Rowen, "but I
won't."
At once Strata felt sympathy for his temperamental friend. In the halls, Kento
was known as a policer. You didn't mess with him or the rules when he was on
watch. In the classroom, however, teachers took over the authority, but very
few exerted it. It frustrated him to no end, especially when it was someone he
knew that was involved. But put injustice and Cye or any of the other Ronins in
the equation, and watch the fur fly.
"I know, Kento." Rowen tugged playfully at the bandana Kento wore about his
head, "neither would I. But you've still got to learn to keep your cool.
Flying off the back swing like that is gonna get you in trouble one day, no
matter how hard you head is. Now come on, we've got to get to class."
Kento blew out a quick breath from his nose, "leave it to you Rowen, to talk
about sense. All right, I'm fine. Let me up."
Rowen heaved his weight off his friend and bent over to pick up his fallen
books; Kento joining him a moment later. It had taken what energy Rowen had
gained since waking from the medicine the nurse had given him, but Rowen felt
satisfied. It wasn't often one could talk down Kento of Hardrock.
Kento waited patiently for his friend, knowing what it had cost Rowen to do
what he had done. Then, as the archer stood, Kento took his books and began
to stroll down the now empty hall, whistling a nameless tune.
Not five steps later, he stopped dead in his tracks. Cool electricity prickled up
his spine as he felt the nerve-wracking feeling of being watched return. The
eyes were on him and intently watching. Slowly, the teen turned around to face
his stalker. What he saw was not who he expected.
Her pale blonde hair was still ragged and unkempt. A fresh bruise marred her
cheek and prevented her left eye from fully opening. The girl's tongue darted
out of her mouth to deliver moisture to her cracked lips as a bony hand reached
up to wipe away the dirt from her smudged cheek. Kento stood, gaping at the
person in front of him, not sure he wanted to believe what he saw. And
as he ignored her unwashed clothes that barely clothed her limp, scraped limbs
and tattered green sneakers, he could not help but stare into her watery blue
eyes as they commanded his attention like the waving of a white flag in a battle.
She said not a word, but the plea was as loud as if she had screamed it
from the highest mountain.
Snapping out of his reverie, Kento turned his head and called for his comrade
in arms. "Rowen! Look!"
Cobalt eyes turned swiftly around, "what?"
Kento shifted his books hurriedly and pointed behind him. "The girl, its her!"
Rowen looked confused at Kento. "What girl?"
"That--" Annoyed, Kento turned around to gesture at the object of
attention, "girl..." he stopped and stared at the hall behind him. But
it was empty--the girl had vanished.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
And now a word from our sponsor (that's your cue to press that little button
down there that says "review"). ^.^;; Please?
Thanks to all of those that reviewed me! Answers to what I'm doing are
coming, slowly but surely. I almost know what I'm doing--so bear with me.
^.^;;
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
The Casting of Shadows
By Phoenix Cubed
Chapter 8: School Daze
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
"Shotgun!"
"No way, man, you've had it the last three times. Give it to someone else for a
change."
"But Sage likes me in the front, right buddy?"
"Kento, if you try for the steering wheel one more time, I'll ground you from
shotgun for life."
"Ha!"
"Quiet, Cye."
Rowen sighed and waited out the morning routine. If he had the will power,
he'd get up at five thirty instead of six and go in with Mia. But staying up
late with the books tired his body out, and that half an hour seemed like such
a justification to the daily pre-school fights between Kento and Cye.
"I will not. Don't tell me to be quiet!"
Maybe if he went to bed earlier.
Ryo walked up to Sage's vehicle with his backpack slung over his shoulder.
"Morning Rowen," he yawned as he walked past the bickering duo and hopped
into the front seat. The Ronin leader stretched out and closed his eyes, "wake
me when we get there, huh?"
Strata covered his mouth and coughed, choking on the laughter swelling in his
throat. That was one way to end an argument.
"Enough of this, lets get going." Sage slammed the driver door and
started up the medium sized SUV. A little larger than the standard Japanese
car, it was roomy enough to hold five pushy teenagers and one large white
tiger. The blonde had picked it up somewhere, never giving the specifics. The
others had wondered where he learned to drive in the first place, but Sage only
smiled at his friends, answering that a good warrior was flexible in any
condition.
Whatever that meant.
As they pulled out of the long drive, Ryo tilted his head back and, without
bothering to open his eyes, called to Cye, "do you think we'll get our
Chemistry papers back today?"
Cye made a face, which was lost on her shut-eyed companion, "I don't know
and I don't think I want to. He can keep those awful things for all I care."
"I agree. What's the point of writing essays in Chemistry? We're supposed
to be doing hands on chemical reaction stuff."
Rowen rolled his eyes, "there is no profession without paperwork. You have to
understand what you're doing before you do it."
"No you don't," argued Kento. "Lots of stuff is done where people run around
half-assed."
"And lots of people get the remaining sides of their asses blown apart, too."
"Well, as far as I can tell, we've still got all our cheeks."
"Guys," Sage said painfully, "enough with the butt-talk."
Cye chuckled, "poor Sage, the warrior guided by wisdom and courtesy trapped
in a car with uncouth slobs like Kento."
"Hey!"
"Something wrong, Kento?"
Halo sighed, "the day we have a *normal* conversation in this car..."
The conversations continued throughout the car ride and into the parking lot.
There, the topics changed slightly, with indirect references now dictating the
talks. At school, no one knew who the Ronin Warriors were or what they had
done, and the Ronins were quite content to keep it that way. It wouldn't do for
an accidental slip of the tongue to spill out their secrets in a building where
gossip flew faster than most birds.
Reaching the door, they went their separate ways. Only Ryo and Cye shared
morning classes, and they had to rush to class almost right away due to
Chemistry's early starting time.
Kento walked down to his locker, stopping by the commons area to grab a
snack before class. He glanced idly at the vending machines that stood by the
doorway to the eating area, but they were mostly juice or soda machines;
none of them dispensed pie or buttered toast, which was what he was currently
craving. So the large warrior of justice wandered into the commons and took
his place in Ala Carte line, spotting a well-frosted cinnamon roll with his name
all over it. The line wasn't that long, and he had at least twenty minutes before
his World Geography course began, which gave him plenty of time to savor the
impending sweet taste of the sticky bun.
As he reached the counter, though, Kento reached back and scratched his
shoulder blades. They itched. It a feeling he experienced only when someone
was staring at him. Glancing around, he didn't see anyone in particular that
would be looking at him, and as far as he could tell, there was nothing wildly
misplaced with his outfit that would give people cause to stare. But he still
could not shake the feeling that someone's eyes were intent to follow his every
move.
Soon he was first in line, so he punched his pin number into the computer and
paid for the roll. Grabbing a napkin and a bottle of Apple Snapps, Kento quickly
exited the cafeteria and headed back towards his locker.
The feeling followed him all the way.
Nervous, it took him three tries before he managed to spin his locker
combination correctly. He shoved the rest of the roll into his mouth and
licked his fingers clean of the sweet frosting. It had been a good roll, but
slightly spoiled by the uneasy feeling that was settling in his stomach.
Kento grabbed his books and decided to head to class early, hoping to shake
his phantom pursuer in the stuffy social wing of the high school.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Rowen settled into his seat. There would be a test today in the class he was
currently in: Higher Theory Physics. He had missed class yesterday due to the
Warlords' sudden visit and departure, and in consequence missed the lesson.
But that didn't bother him, and the teacher would give him the small test
anyway; both knew he was more than capable. Mrs. Kantougi absolutely
adored having Rowen in her class, although she was very good at hiding it, and
often gave him assignments far more complicated than the rest of the class's.
Almost everything was done on computers in Kantougi's class, including the
passing out and handing in of assignments. The teacher would dump a
general course assignment in the public access of the computers and then a
more detailed problem in Rowen's own personal files. At first this had annoyed
the bright bearer of Strata, but then Kantougi had been sick for a week, and he
had been stuck doing the regular work. It had been tedious and full of topics
he had studied and mastered long ago. At least with the teacher's individual
assignments, they were relatively interesting and put into creative forms.
"Good morning class, please place all items below your desk and prepare for a
test."
Mrs. Kantougi came into the room carrying a stack of papers and a few other
items. Setting them down, she turned and faced her class. "Please turn to
your monitors and open the assignment file. The document is entitled 'lever.'
Take your time, the hour is yours."
Rowen turned to his computer and did as instructed, but also slipped on a pair
of headphones in order to listen to some music he had previously stored on the
computer database earlier in the year. Satisfied with Mozart, Rowen opened the
lever file. Immediately the familiar screen popped up with questions and
illustrations. About to settle down into his task, Rowen noticed a small message
box blinking in the corner of the window. Curious, he clicked on it, thinking it
a message from the teacher for an additional twist to the assignment. Reading the
message, however, the test became the furthest thoughts from Rowen's mind.
Rowen's eyes widened as the notes that echoed through his headphones
suddenly stopped and were replaced by the awful, screeching laughter of a
stalking hyena. Yips and howls pounded against his eardrums. The message
flickered, expanding across the screen, and Rowen found himself staring at a
very demented version of a Physics quiz. The equations were near meaningless
letters and symbols that he vaguely recognized from long ago, when he lived in
the Phoenix's nest. But Rowen had never learned to read them. No matter, the
diagrams made plain what the text did not. Gruesome geometric figures of
birds and people had been drawn out for his explicit viewing pleasure. Arrows
in the form of knives angled themselves around various parts of the subjects,
indicating the correct ways to severe limbs and crack chest cavities. Here and
there about the page were feathers, some broken, some whole, but none on
the birds themselves.
The howling in his ears became louder, despite Rowen's attempts to adjust the
volume. Why wouldn't they stop laughing? Suddenly, the screen flashed.
Looking over, he was just in time to see the image of a boy with blue hair climb
from the corner of the screen with a bow and arrow in his hands. The arrow
flew from the bow and out of the screen range. There was a loud squawk and
the head of the Lady of Light's most sacred form came tumbling into view. It
landed at the bottom of his quiz with a sickening thud, splattering blood and
thicker things across the screen, covering it completely.
Rowen cried out and flung the headphones from his ears, shooting up from
his desk and knocking over his chair. The Ronin's eyes were wild and his
breathing was ragged. How was that possible? How had they found him
through a computer, of all things?
"Rowen?"
The voice brought him back to reality. Blinking rapidly, he managed to focus
his eyes on the person in front of him. Mrs. Kantougi was looking at him with
concern from her desk.
"Rowen, is something the matter?"
His pulse beat rapidly as he stared at the woman. That had to be the silliest
question he had ever heard. The teen licked his lips and turned his gaze back
to the screen, now perfectly clear, as if nothing had happened. There was
nothing, not a trace. Empty but for a crimson feather that floated down the
screen, becoming fainter with every inch it fell.
The world began to spin and Rowen groped wildly for a handle. He found the
table and gripped it hard; the teacher repeated her question. "Rowen?"
"Yeah," he said after a moment, "I'm fine. Sorry to interrupt the class."
Mrs. Kantougi was not convinced. "Rowen, if you were still feeling ill, I wish
you would have stayed home today. Why don't you go to the nurse and lay
down for a bit. You can finish the quiz after school."
Swallowing the bile rising in his throat, Rowen nodded and carefully made his
way out of the classroom.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Ryo and Cye were the last to file out of the Chemistry room at the end of the
hour. The essays had been handed back and neither of them had done well.
In fact, their papers could have donated blood; they had so much red ink
dripping from them. Extremely low numbers decorated the page. All through
their paragraphs, letters and sometimes, whole words were circled, while
others were crossed out. It looked like a massacre. And as bad as the two
thought they had done, each felt that no one deserved such cutting grades.
It looked as if the teacher had graded on points of obscure English grammar
instead of fundamental Chemistry requirements.
"Professor, may we speak to you a moment?" Cye approached the aging man
at his desk, Ryo right behind her.
For a brief moment Professor Naiso continued to write before setting down his
pen and looking at his students. "You have a moment."
Cye glanced at Ryo. Ryo cleared his throat. "Sir, we'd like to protest the marks
you gave us."
"Oh?"
"They're unfair, sir," Cye continued. "We worked hard on our essays, and
though we admit they were not the greatest of quality, they don't deserve to be
cut down they were."
Ryo agreed, "More points should have been awarded for at least correct essay
*form.*"
Naiso raised his eyebrow ever so slightly. "You think so, do you?"
The two nodded, "yes, sir."
The teacher looked at the two a moment, before reaching slowly to his face to
remove his glasses. Folding them carefully, he placed them on the corner of
his desk and returned his line of vision to his students. "I see. And do you
know what I think?"
Ryo looked at Cye; he had a bad feeling about this. "What is that, sir?"
"I think that you two have a great deal of nerve coming to me like this, trying to
tell me how to grade my class. Next thing I know, you'll be teaching Chemistry.
Is that it?"
Cye looked startled. "No, sir!"
Naiso affected a sneer. Here was to hoping the Ronin Warriors were
everything the legends made them out to be. "Do you expect me to believe
that? A pathetic, 'no sir?' You're out of line and very wrong. In all my
years of teaching, I have never known a group of youngsters so brash and
impudent as you! Do you conform to nothing; not even an essay format?
Look at those papers; they're disgusting! I want you to take these home
and study them, look them over front to back. A thousand times if you
have to. Just find the mistakes and correct them. All of them! And
don't forget to prepare the biggest yet to come!"
Cye and Ryo were taken aback, "but Professor Naiso--"
"Don't throw 'buts' at me, young lady. And don't try to foot the blame on me,
either. Next thing I know you'll be after me for bad computer programming. I
won't stand for it. And neither should you! Now get out of here, and don't
forget your papers."
Very much like chastened puppies, Ryo and Cye picked up their essays and
scooted out of the teacher's sight. Glaring, he watched them go with
hard eyes until they were out of sight. Then, with a heavy sigh, he
collapsed back into his chair.
"Please, " he whispered, "let them understand."
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Sage walked into his second hour History class, preparing for fifty-five minutes
of lectures and note taking. He had felt something very wrong not twenty
minutes ago, but he had to go to class. So there was no chance for him
to follow up on the awful stirrings within him. Praying for a miracle, he was
about to set his books down when the teacher called him to the front desk.
"Sir?"
"The office called, you're to go to the nurse immediately. I would tell
you not to let it take all hour, but I have a feeling it will anyway. You
may find notes from your classmates for a review tomorrow."
Sage thanked the teacher and then controlled himself just enough to walk
through the door and out of the classroom before practically sprinting to the
nurse's office, slowing down only when he thought someone was watching him.
Reaching the office, he paused a moment to compose himself, and then quietly
slipped through the door.
"Well, Sage, there you are." Nurse Young bustled to him from behind a filing
cabinet. "I was just going to send for you again. Really. Teachers these days
take so long in all the important matters."
"You sent for me?" Sage asked. Nurse Young was an aging, matronly woman who lost
hearing and sight in direct proportion to her weight gain and vocal practice.
Whenever any student came to talk to the nurse, it often took several tries to get
to the point, and several more to keep her on track.
"Yes, yes. Your friend Rowen wasn't feeling good in his first hour. The teacher
sent him up to me. Looks awful, he does. Gave him a couple pills and told him
to lie down. Said before he took 'em he wanted to see you. I tell you, stubborn
child, never does what's best for him--"
"He's awful at such things, yes," Sage interrupted smoothly, "why don't you direct
me to where he is, and I'll see that he takes your good advice."
"Such a good boy you are, you'd make a good patient I'm sure."
Sage smiled winningly at the nurse, "I try to keep out of such occupations,
sorry."
The matronly woman shook her well-padded finger at the boy; "you do that.
Never good to go breaking things at your age. Knew a boy once, fragile
as glass--"
"Who always broke bones to get out of class."
Nurse Young threw her hands in the air, "what a poet you be!"
"I should try it on Rowen sometime. But I do need to see him, if that's
all right, Nurse Young, where is he?"
"Oh, right right. Just through that door to your left, Sage. Make him
swallow those, it'll make him feel better. I'll be in to check on you
two in a bit. Have to finish my filing, you know. So much to do as a nurse."
The woman turned her imposing figure around and continued talking, but Sage
quietly snuck into the appointed door, leaving the nurse to converse with air.
Breathing a short sigh of relief, Sage went further into the room, looking for his
friend. He found Rowen behind the third curtain with his elbows on his knees
and his hands supporting his head, hair locked tight within his fingers.
"Rowen," Sage called softly, causing the boy to lift his head.
"Sage," Rowen answered, "didn't think they'd let y'ea out of class."
Sage studied his friend carefully. He looked awful, and he told him that.
"What happened, Row, you look like you've seen the Talpa's ghost."
"Whoever said school was a place for safety and community never had a
hyena for an enemy."
Sage got the point immediately and grilled his friend for details. "How in the
world did you manage to dream in class?"
"I wasn't dreaming, I was taking a quiz. And--" Rowen dropped his face in his
hands and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "These guys are the sickest bastards
you could imagine, Sage. They had this kid popping out of the corner of my
screen shooting arrows and knocking birds from the sky. Looked just like me.
And the pictures..." Rowen shuddered, pausing for a moment to regain his
composure. "There was even a message, 'how many Ronins does it take to skin
a raptor?'"
Wise Halo was confused, "what's that supposed to mean?"
"A raptor is a term for a bird of prey. Check your references, how many birds
do we know?"
Sage was quiet for a moment. "I wonder what's been happening that they've
stepped it up a level like this. They've never attacked us in school before."
"Sage, they've never attacked us period. We don't even know who we're really
dealing with here."
Steely violet eyes glittered, "oh, I think we know, all right."
Rowen looked up, his own dark blues sparkling with interest. "What're you
thinkin', Sage?"
"Remember Friday when we were racing to Vila's? What did Ryo call
him...Jamten and his little friends?"
Rowen nodded, "rather hard to forget them. You were having such a wonderful
staring contest with that kid in the back."
"Fillip. He's in my English class. He's also got enough stored up ability
to level Tokyo."
"So? There's a whole flock of kids in this school that have enough potential
energy to be an Empath or somethin'."
"Yes, but that's *combined* and *dormant*. He was *using* his."
Rowen's eyes widened, "what?"
"Think back to that conversation we had at the dojo when we were originally
discussing the problems. I said that seven of the twenty students were missing
auras, right?"
"Right."
"Well, neither Phillip or any of the five that hang around him have one.
Couple that with the way they treat us, and the timing of your nightmares
with their arrival. It doesn't look good for them, but it sure makes a
lot of sense for us."
"It does, doesn't it? After all, it can't be a mistake for that many kids
hanging out together to have the same drab personality. Which they don't."
Rowen thought about his for a moment, rubbing his chin as he contemplated.
"I think we're on to something here, Sage. We should take this up with the
others at lunch."
"That's a good idea. And do you know what else is a good idea?"
"What?"
"You taking the pills Nurse Young gave you. I promised her I'd shove them
down your throat if I had to."
Rowen groaned, "aw, Sage."
Sage chuckled a bit, "just take the things, Row, they're harmless."
"They put me to sleep, and you know what happens when I sleep. Can you
imagine me lying here and all of a sudden, pop goes the Ronin, screaming
bloody murder? They'd cart me off to Arkham."
"Then just take one and pretend you're asleep. I'll stay here in case anything
*does* happen."
"Thanks a lot, buddy." Rowen smiled at his friend; "you're a pal."
"Anytime, consider it payback for the countless times we keep saving each
other's--"
"Asses?" Rowen offered brightly.
Sage put his own head in his hands, "Rowen, go to sleep!"
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
There was a new substitute teacher for Professor Faug today. He had been
gone for the predicted week and longer. The twins, who Ryo now knew as
Kaori and Melanie, had a seemingly permanent smug look plastered to their
pretty faces. Everyday he witnessed them waltz through the door, hips
swinging and eyelashes fluttering, and take total control of the class. The
substitutes, most of them long retired or poorly trained, had no idea what to
do with the scheming duo. But today, it seemed like things were ready to
change.
The man came in with authority spilling from him like water. Built like a tank,
his face clearly stated he would brook no misbehavior. Massive feet beat out a
steady cadence as he marched to the front desk and set his briefcase down.
He paused for a moment as he looked down at the chair behind the desk. The
students watched him in quiet wonder as he slowly raised an eyebrow to it.
It was like a toothpick to a redwood tree in comparison to the man. There
were a few muffled giggles as he reached down and, with one hand, lifted
the object and carried it to the corner, setting it down carefully with his
thumb and index finger as if it would break should he squeeze any harder.
The man looked at the class and proceeded to give the students the same look he
had given the chair.
The giggling stopped.
Turning to the whiteboard, he picked up a fat marker and began to write
something at his chest level. The door opened and the twins entered.
Laughing and carrying on, they seemed oblivious to the awed silence that hung
in the room. One of them, presumably Kaori, flicked her eyes to the teacher
before turning to her sister and winking. They whispered to each other and
laughed some more. Walking to their desks, they were about to say something
when the teacher turned around and looked at them. The twins stopped cold in
their tracks, and as Ryo watched, an emotion flickered swiftly across their
faces. If Ryo didn't believe it possible, he would have called it recognition,
or possibly, astonishment.
"You two are late." The teacher stated, his voice deep and rumbling.
"Names?"
Melanie attempted a bit of her usual games. "Wouldn't you like to guess?"
She asked him, something ringing in her voice that Ryo did not quite catch.
"If you're going to be delinquent, I won't deal with it, young lady. State your
names or I'll send you to the principal."
Kaori looked at her sister before turning to the teacher. "Kaori and Melanie
Emeritz ... sir."
He grunted and ran his finger down the attendance list. Taking a pencil, he
jotted something down. "This is your first tardy under me. Twice more and
you'll report for detention. Understand?"
"Yes." The two intoned.
The man nodded, "good. No more of this nonsense then." He turned to the
class. "My name is Mr. Ironton. I will be your substitute until Professor
Faug returns from his leave of absence. I understand that there have
been many problems in this class lately and very little learning. Let me tell
you now that I intend for that to end. This school is a learning
institution and it shall be used that manner. I have one rule, and it's
extremely simple. Mess with me and I'll mess you up. Any questions?"
Silence.
Ironton nodded, "very well then. Let us begin. Please turn in your books to
page one hundred and thirty seven. We'll start with section twelve."
Ryo was astounded. He hadn't been attending actual school for very long,
but experience told him that teachers did not normally take over a class
in such a way. Especially substitute teachers. And as he flipped through the
pages, one tiger-eye keeping itself on Mr. Ironton, he decided that teachers
simply weren't like Ironton period. The man conducted himself as if training
army troops. He belonged in the barracks, not the classroom. Ryo couldn't
believe the way he had handled the terrible twins, or the way the two had
reacted to him.
Wildfire shook his head. First Chemistry, now Government. This day was
becoming odder and odder. He couldn't wait for lunch to tell the others.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
"I saw him too, Ryo! The dude was built like a tank!" Kento gestured wildly
as he and Ryo made their way through the school lunch lines. Ryo had finished
his tale and Kento had reacted, excited and able to relate. "A very big tank!"
"I know, Kento, and he acted like one too. Just bulldozed right through every
subject. We got more done in that class than ever."
Kento reached over and grabbed a few pieces of chicken before heaping some
mash potatoes on to his plate. "I'll bet he straightened those girls right out."
Ryo put some cherry Jell-O on his plate and grinned. "Like a well starched
shirt. I'm sure Cye'll be happy 'bout that."
Kento flinched and darted his eyes about, looking for the girl. "Keep it down,
man, she'll rip your throat out for that."
"Still in the doghouse, huh?"
"Oh yeah." Kento looked at the desert section. "Hey, Ryo?"
"What?"
"Anybody looking?"
"No, why?"
Quickly reaching over, Kento grabbed one of the plastic daisies that
the lunch ladies used to decorate the stainless steel, and very much
asthetically bland, lunch counter, tucking it away behind his plate.
"Kento!" Ryo hissed at his friend.
"Ssh, emergency weapon. Just in case."
Ryo shook his head; "I'll never get you two."
The big teen winked at him, "get a girl, get us, buddy."
Wildfire rolled his eyes, "let's go, Romeo."
Checking out of the lunch line, they made their way to the usual table, mindful
to detour around certain people. Neither of them felt like another food crusade.
The others were already there when they sat down and said their hellos. Cye had
a bowl of potato chowder half-gone and a small plate of salad yet to be touched.
Sage had some type of oriental dish swirling about his plate and Rowen was
picking at a bowl of rice. Ryo noted that Rowen also looked tired and worn
out, butdecided not to ask quite yet.
"Hey guys, what's up?" Kento greeted his friends with a cheery grin before
plunging into his meal.
Sage exchanged a look with Ryo; "at least he's learned to greet people when
he sits down."
"Definitely a plus." Ryo agreed, twirling some spaghetti onto his fork. "So,
did anyone today have a *normal* morning?"
"Nope."
"Sorry."
"Not a chance."
Ryo looked to Rowen, whose face was precariously close to falling into his rice.
"Row! Hey, man, wake up."
"Hm?" Rowen started a bit and lifted his face a second before it found the rice
bowl. He focused his bleary eyes on the offending dish and glared at it before
looking at Ryo. "What?"
The Ronin leader looked to the blonde next to him, "what happened to him?"
"Its a long story, but the end of it involves drowsy medicine."
"I see. Well, since I doubt Rowen can tell me, do you want to fill me in?"
"Rowen was attacked through his computer while taking a Physics quiz this morning.
The program he was using became temporarily overwritten and he saw some unsettling
images. It startled him enough that the teacher had to send him to the nurse.
Young had him take some pills to make him feel better, but they have a side effect,
and now Rowen's trying to wake up again."
"I'll be fine in a few minutes," the archer slurred, "just give me a moment."
Kento paused in his eating, "and I thought my morning was bad."
"What happened?"
"I don't know really," Kento replied, slurping up a noodle. "But I couldn't shake
the feeling that I was being watched, it was really annoying. Kept wanting to
turn around and slug someone, but you can't do that in school, I guess."
Sage made a sympathetic noise, "not normally, Kento. What was wrong with
your morning, Cye?"
The girl snorted, "Both Ryo and I, you mean. We got our Chemistry essays
back; they were awful. We went up to Naiso to protest about the grades he
gave us, and he went off! Kept telling us there were horrible mistakes and that
we needed to 'diligently study' our papers and correct them."
"And then the one yet to come," Ryo added.
"Right." Cye nodded, "it was a complete over-reaction. We tried to reason with
him some, but he told us that we were too brash and needed to take more
responsibility. It was maddening."
The sole female Ronin was fuming, proportionally upset with the overreacting
professor. She closed her lids and quietly breathed, counting in her mind to a
number that would miraculously calm her. Opening her sea-green irises, she
came to focus on a white daisy not an inch from her nose. Surprised, she
followed daisy's line of sight until she settled on Kento's kind and concerned
face.
"I'll trade y'ea Cye. You give me your frown and I'll give you my daisy."
The smile came unbidden and reached all the way to her eyes as the bearer of
Torrent accepted the flower. "Thank you, Kento," she said softly, tucking the
gift in her cinnamon locks.
Sage clapped his friend on the back. "Well done Kento! You do have a soft
side!"
"Yes," he growled, "and if word gets out, you're all dead. Got it?"
Ryo chuckled, "sure, man. Whatever you say."
The five continued to eat, talking quietly amongst themselves as they further
compared their mornings. By the time the bell rang, their food was long
forgotten and Rowen was feeling some semblance of normalcy. Still slightly
groggy, however, Kento offered to escort him to his class, as he was going
in the same direction Rowen's was located.
Sage eyed the mountainous pile of books located beside Rowen's right elbow.
"Take him up on the offer, Rowen. I don't need any aura readings to see your
problems."
"Very funny, Sage," Rowen mumbled. "Thanks, though, Kento."
"No problem, Row. It'll give me a change of pace. Carry someone else's
books besides Cye's."
"But Kento, dear, " Cye bantered, "I thought you *enjoyed* carrying my books.
After all, you steal them from me everyday."
"Ooh. Busted."
Kento hastily gathered his things and began herding Rowen to the door, "can't
hear you. See you after school!"
In high spirits, the friends parted ways.
Kento breathed a sigh of relief and walked at a slower pace beside Rowen.
"That was close."
"Aw, Kento, you're a true softy at heart."
"Keep it down, will y'ea? Someone'll hear you."
There came a short, high giggle from their left. "Someone like me?"
Whipping about, Kento was just in time to see one of the evil twins wink at him
and disappear around the corner. Hardrock growled and took after the girl, his
anger getting the best of him.
"Kento, no!" Rowen chased after his friend, catching him just before the hefty
warrior tackled the escaping girl. It took all his strength to hold back the
Mighty Hardrock, though in truth, he would have been more than happy to let
him go and let Justice deal his hand.
But instead he ended up exerting a week's worth of energy shoving his friend's
head into an empty locker bank, trying to settle the warrior spirit within the
youth. "Kento, cool it. She's not worth it. None of those vultures are worth it.
If you let every jab they give out stick to you, you'll end up shaming a
porcupine! Remember, Ronins play by Ronin rules."
Every hair on his ashen head trembled with barely suppressed rage.
Hardrock's muscles quivered and tensed, begging for release. "They sat
behind Cye in History the other day. Spent most the hour shooting spitballs at
her. She'll take it," he growled and turned his fierce eyes on Rowen, "but I
won't."
At once Strata felt sympathy for his temperamental friend. In the halls, Kento
was known as a policer. You didn't mess with him or the rules when he was on
watch. In the classroom, however, teachers took over the authority, but very
few exerted it. It frustrated him to no end, especially when it was someone he
knew that was involved. But put injustice and Cye or any of the other Ronins in
the equation, and watch the fur fly.
"I know, Kento." Rowen tugged playfully at the bandana Kento wore about his
head, "neither would I. But you've still got to learn to keep your cool.
Flying off the back swing like that is gonna get you in trouble one day, no
matter how hard you head is. Now come on, we've got to get to class."
Kento blew out a quick breath from his nose, "leave it to you Rowen, to talk
about sense. All right, I'm fine. Let me up."
Rowen heaved his weight off his friend and bent over to pick up his fallen
books; Kento joining him a moment later. It had taken what energy Rowen had
gained since waking from the medicine the nurse had given him, but Rowen felt
satisfied. It wasn't often one could talk down Kento of Hardrock.
Kento waited patiently for his friend, knowing what it had cost Rowen to do
what he had done. Then, as the archer stood, Kento took his books and began
to stroll down the now empty hall, whistling a nameless tune.
Not five steps later, he stopped dead in his tracks. Cool electricity prickled up
his spine as he felt the nerve-wracking feeling of being watched return. The
eyes were on him and intently watching. Slowly, the teen turned around to face
his stalker. What he saw was not who he expected.
Her pale blonde hair was still ragged and unkempt. A fresh bruise marred her
cheek and prevented her left eye from fully opening. The girl's tongue darted
out of her mouth to deliver moisture to her cracked lips as a bony hand reached
up to wipe away the dirt from her smudged cheek. Kento stood, gaping at the
person in front of him, not sure he wanted to believe what he saw. And
as he ignored her unwashed clothes that barely clothed her limp, scraped limbs
and tattered green sneakers, he could not help but stare into her watery blue
eyes as they commanded his attention like the waving of a white flag in a battle.
She said not a word, but the plea was as loud as if she had screamed it
from the highest mountain.
Snapping out of his reverie, Kento turned his head and called for his comrade
in arms. "Rowen! Look!"
Cobalt eyes turned swiftly around, "what?"
Kento shifted his books hurriedly and pointed behind him. "The girl, its her!"
Rowen looked confused at Kento. "What girl?"
"That--" Annoyed, Kento turned around to gesture at the object of
attention, "girl..." he stopped and stared at the hall behind him. But
it was empty--the girl had vanished.
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