Shadow within the Darkness
(Day 2)
By: Little Ucchan
White, for as far as the eye can see. Everything surrounding him was white. Sage couldn't even tell if he was standing on solid ground, because there was no floor beneath him and no sky above him. Just an endless void of white. He ventured forward, seeing that he wasn't going to get an answer anytime soon. After what seemed like endless walking, Sage had stopped. He was tiring of this.
"WHERE AM I?!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. He could hear the faint echo of his voice being carried off to who-knows-where. He wished he could follow his echo. He didn't care where he ended up. He just wanted to get out of here. Sage readied himself to yell again when he heard light footsteps approach him from behind. He spun around, seeing no one there. The footsteps had ceased.
A soft giggle grabbed his attention. Sage spun on his heels to see a little girl in the distance. She smiled warmly at him, slightly amused by his jumpy behavior. Sage had let his guard down, seeing that the girl wasn't a threat. From what he could see, the girl was about six years old with chestnut colored hair up to her waist. He couldn't see her eyes because of the brightness of the white void surrounding them both. But he could tell that they were friendly, and innocent.
After giggling again, the girl turned around and started to run. "Wait! Don't go!" he called after her, and began to pursue her. For some reason, Sage couldn't catch up to her, no matter how hard he tried. She was moving further and further away, but Sage didn't give up. He picked up his speed and ran even harder. When he finally seemed to be catching up to her, she was no longer in sight.
Sage looked at his surroundings and gasped. He was no longer trapped within the white void, but his current location failed to please him. He recognized the place on the spot and identified it as the same hilltop where he had found the city. Looking down, Sage saw the city in all of its glory. He knew what was going to happen. He knew, and yet he stepped forward.
Blinding light consumed his vision in less than a second. But as fast as it had appeared, it dissipated, leaving in its wake the burning city. Sage could hear the screams now. Before, he could hardly make out any sounds, but now the cries for help were fresh in his mind. He couldn't block it out.
Sage turned and ran, he didn't know why. Coward! He tried to turn back, but his body was acting on its own accord. He continued to run blindly, covering his ears to block out their screams. His mind told him to go and save those people. His warrior's heart that fights for justice begged him to turn around. But neither his mind nor heart could overcome the force making him run. It was fear. Sage was afraid.
He ran until his legs couldn't support him anymore. Sage fell to his knees, taking in deep breaths as he tried to steady himself. He just wanted to go home. Upon opening his eyes, Sage could feel the color of his face grow pale as his blood ran cold. He was in the middle of the town square! And he could feel the presence of the demon ninjas all around him.
Sage tried to get up but failed miserably, seeing that his legs had already given up on him. The ninjas didn't come out of hiding, but Sage could feel their eyes watching him, watching their prey. He quickly reached into his pocket, but soon found out that his kanji orb was still missing. The ninjas took this opportunity to attack. Sage held up his arm for protection from their onslaught, praying that they would just disappear. His wish was granted. Their attack never came.
Sage blinked hard, trying to adjust to the darkness. It took a few moments for him to realize that he was back in his own room. What had startled him even more was that he was sitting up. He didn't remember getting up. His right arm was raised over his head defensively while his other arm supported the weight of his body. He took note that he was also sitting on his legs. Sage was at the same position he was in his dream. He must have moved without knowing it while he was asleep. Lowering his arm and letting out a sigh, he got up from his bed and proceeded to the kitchen.
He was still a bit shaky as he walked down the stairs, grabbing hold of the railing for support. His vision was blurry even though they had already adjusted to the darkness. It didn't matter. Sage could sense where things were, even if they were inanimate. But he realized that his body was still weak. It couldn't be helped if he tripped over something.
Sage searched the wall for a light switch and came out victorious as he flipped it on. He squinted at the brightness of the room, standing there for a few seconds. Once his eyes were focused again, Sage pulled out a glass from the wall cabinet. Opening the refrigerator, he took out a pitcher and poured the ice water into his glass. Placing the pitcher back and closing the door, Sage sat down at the dinner table.
He quickly drank down half of his glass, relieved to feel the cool liquid slide down his hoarse throat. He set the glass onto the table, staring at the ice cubes for a few seconds before leaning back in his chair. He tried to organize his thoughts, still staring at his half empty glass. Two nightmares in two days. Both taking place at the same spot. Both different, but also the same.
"What does this mean?" Sage said aloud, hoping for someone to give him the answers. No answers came to him, which frustrated him even more. Maybe it doesn't mean anything. It's too early to tell. After that last thought Sage stifled a yawn, his eyes growing heavier by the second.
"I need some sleep," he mumbled to himself. Finishing the last of his drink, Sage rose from the dinner table and placed the glass in the sink. He switched off the lights and made his way to bed.
***
"Hey Sage, are you okay? You've been unusually quiet," Rowen asked him.
"I thought I was always quiet," Sage replied dryly. The second bell had just rung. He and Rowen were heading for their next class, and he wasn't exactly in the best mood. Sage had made another mad dash to school that morning, since he overslept yet again. It was the second time that he slept so soundly after having those dreams. One would think that with so much sleep Sage would have lots of energy to spare, but he only felt exhausted. Those dreams were really getting to him.
"Well I know you keep to yourself sometimes…but not among friends. You hardly said a word all day!" Rowen was clearly upset at his friend's attitude or lack there of. "You're never like this…unless something's bothering you."
With that last sentence, Sage had noticed the worried tone in his friend's voice. Rowen was sincerely concerned for his well being. He is my best friend after all. Still, Sage didn't want to tell him. No, not yet. It's not time. If it happens again I'll tell him. He didn't want to worry Rowen over something that was clearly his problem. Besides, they had finally found peace after the war. He didn't want to ruin it with his concerns.
"Sorry." With that simple apology, Rowen stopped to face his friend. Sage in turn stopped as well.
"I've got a lot on my mind lately. I didn't mean to worry you. Gomen nasai," he apologized again.
"It's okay," Rowen said as they continued walking, feeling a bit relieved and at the same time even more troubled. Sage was still hiding something from him. His curiosity urged him to press on, but he stopped himself before saying anything. If he wants to talk then he'll talk. I won't force him to. "But Sage…"
"Hmm."
"Don't try to tackle things on your own. Remember, we're still a team… and teammates help each other when they need it. If you want to talk, I'm here for you. We all are."
The pair remained silent for a few more minutes, till Sage stopped at the door leading to his chemistry class. He turned to face Rowen and smiled.
"Don't worry Ro. It really is nothing…but it's nice to know that I have friends that I can count on. Thanks." With that, Sage entered his class, leaving Rowen outside. He smiled as he made his way to the classroom across the hall. Before entering, he looked back to the classroom Sage was in. We're all here for you. Don't forget that Halo.
***
Laura walked down the now empty halls of Han'a High. School was over for the day, and she usually waited for the crowd to die down before gathering her things. She proceeded down the long hallway at a slow pace. She wasn't really in a rush. Just taking it in one step at a time. No one tried to talk to her today. And all the guys that she encountered yesterday now seem to be afraid of her. She was really happy.
"I thought I was the only one who waited for the crowd of students to leave before grabbing my stuff." Laura nearly jumped at the sound of that voice. She didn't realize that someone was still in the hall. She let out a low groan, for she recognized the voice immediately.
"What do you want?" Laura asked the boy, not turning around or stopping to greet him. She didn't feel like being nice, especially to him. "I thought I already told you to get lost."
"I don't remember you saying that," Sage replied innocently, falling into step behind her. It was the truth. She didn't really tell him to leave her alone.
How dare he say that! I made it absolutely clear that I didn't want to speak with him! As if hearing her silent curses, Sage started to explain what he meant. Still keeping up to the slow pace she was taking, Sage placed his hands behind his head and relaxed a bit, not exactly concentrating on where he was walking.
"What you did say was that you wouldn't be subdued by my charms and that you despised men, especially pretty boys." Sage had restated exactly what Laura had told him the other day.
Laura was officially pissed at that moment. Is he trying to mock me now?! She then calmed down a notch. She wasn't going to get anywhere with her current attitude. And Sage was acting all calm and cool about the whole thing. It wouldn't be appropriate to scream at him. Sage was right, though. Technically, she never told him to stay away from her. She basically told him to approach at his own risk, which Laura assumed would discourage him enough. I guess this guy isn't such an idiot if he could use my own words to his advantage.
"I guess I didn't say that you couldn't talk to me," Laura spoke, admitting defeat. It was a good thing for Sage that she didn't turn around at that moment or else he would have ended up in the infirmary like the others. Laura would have been really mad if she saw him smiling in triumph. "I'll repeat myself again. What do you want?"
"Well, you interrogated me yesterday, and it would only be fair if I got to know a few things about you," Sage informed her.
"Does it look like I want to be interrogated?"
"No…but I only have one question." This bit of information had surprised Laura. One question? He only has one question? What could he possibly want to know? Seeing that she didn't protest against him asking, Sage continued.
"Tell me, why do you hate guys so much?"
"That's my personal business."
"I figured as much."
"Then why did you bother asking?"
"I wanted to see if you would tell me."
"And what reason would I have for telling you such a thing?"
"I think I deserve an explanation as to why you shot me down like that."
"And I thought that I gave you an explanation." Sage paused for a moment. She did give him a reason, but it wasn't a very good one. Besides, this was not the answer that he was looking for. There was something more to it.
"You did, but what about the three guys you sent to the infirmary? Why do you hate them?"
"If you were in my position, you would hate them too. They were perverted jackasses. It's not my fault that they got hurt." The excuse Laura gave him was also legitimate, but it left out one thing.
"Well fine, but not all of the male population of Han'a High is categorized as either perverts or pretty boys. So why are you so cold to the everyone else?"
"Why would you care?"
"Why wouldn't I? You're being very rude to everyone and they don't deserve that type of treatment, regardless if you have a reason or not. They didn't do anything to you." Laura stopped, forcing Sage to stop as well. He lowered his hands from his head, waiting for her to speak.
"And what right do you have to question my actions like that?" There was a slight pause. Sage didn't know how to respond just yet.
"Well?" Laura asked again.
"I'm just saying that you shouldn't be so cruel to other people. I know you have your reasons for being distant with everyone, but you don't have to go so far as to tell off anyone that comes near you. The least you could do is be polite." Laura didn't say anything, as if waiting for him to say more. "Besides, what's wrong with guys telling you that you're beautiful? Most girls would have enjoyed the compliment."
"I'm not like most girls," Laura declared, not at all moved by his little speech, and continued to walk to her locker. A bit annoyed by the fact that he didn't get even the slightest reaction from her, Sage continued to follow her. He was beginning to wonder if this girl was devoid of any type of emotion. Throughout the entire conversation, she had maintained her cool attitude. She didn't even swing at him, let alone cuss him out. And if she did feel any emotions, she failed to show it. She's worse than me! Time to change tactics.
"Oh that's right. You're the tomboy type."
"TOMBOY!?" Laura blurted out. That statement sure got an immediate response. She wasn't surprised that he had heard of that little nickname, but no one has ever called her that while she was in hearing range. She lowered her voice, resuming her calm posture. She wasn't about to give Sage the benefit of the doubt that he had truly managed to get to her. "And where did you here this?"
"It's been going around," he replied, a slight grin played across his lips. So she can feel emotions. I was beginning to think that she wasn't able to.
"I didn't really expect you to be the type to believe in petty rumors."
"Well I didn't at first, but now I think the title suits you." That struck a nerve. Sage backed up into a defensive position when Laura stopped yet again. He let out a sigh when she didn't move to strike him. Instead, she continued towards her locker, which was taking her a very long time to reach. Sage proceeded to follow her.
"Why are you following me?"
"You didn't answer my question."
"I told you it's my own business."
"If you'd just answer my question I would leave you alone."
"Do you take great pride in pestering me like this? What's the matter? Can't get over the fact that a girl turned you down?" Sage had been caught off guard. Laura had somehow turned the conversation around. He wasn't in control now.
"That's not it," he finally said, not knowing how to answer her. To tell you the truth, Sage wasn't over the fact that she had turned him down like that. Not yet at least. But he would very, very soon.
"Then what?"
"Look, I don't know what happened in your past that made you feel so bitter towards men…" he began, trying to get the conversation back in his control, not noticing that Laura had already stopped at her locker. She froze upon hearing his last sentence as he continued to advance towards her. How does he know that it has something to do with my past? Sage was really starting to piss her off. She didn't know that Sage was also mad at her. He was upset that she had accused him of pestering her because he couldn't handle being dumped. The statement was partly true but still, he couldn't believe she had the nerve to say that to him. Sage still had a firm grip on his temper, but it was slowly slipping. He would be able to continue the conversation without raising his voice, but it couldn't be helped if his words came out cold and bitter.
"Actually I don't see how it's possible for you to hate guys since you act like one yourself."
*THONK*
Sage wasn't given time to react as Laura's locker door swung open, slamming straight into his face. He clutched his head with his hand and, with the other, unsteadily grabbed for the wall of lockers behind him. Sage shook his head several times, trying to drive out the dizziness. His face was still buried in his hand.
Laura watched him stumble uneasily against the lockers, trying so hard to suppress a grin. Well, he had asked for it. How dare he refer to her as a guy! That was just uncalled for!
"Oh, I'm sorry. Did I hit you?" Laura asked, already knowing the answer to that one. Sage had let out a low groan in reply. This really wasn't his day.
***
Ryo Sanada had watched the entire exchange between the two from the staircase near Laura's locker. He didn't pick up the beginning of the conversation, but he had certainly picked up the end. He obviously didn't miss Sage's last statement, or how Laura had taken that opportunity to knock the boy senseless with one swift movement of her locker door. He didn't know what hit him.
Ryo didn't know whether to laugh or feel sorry for his friend, obviously going for the former of the two. His smile had turned into a full-fledged grin as he thought about Sage's predicament. The Flirt King of Han'a High had been taken down by a girl.
Ryo had to admit that he was impressed with the girl's skill. She was fast, making sure that he had no chance to react to her sudden movement. She had caught Sage completely off guard, which was a hard thing to do. Ryo had come to the conclusion that she had studied some form of martial arts. He had barely noticed himself what she was doing till it had already happened.
Ryo didn't have time to analyze the situation any further as Sage slid down the locker a bit. Was he going to pass out? It was possible. The sound of the collision was pretty loud. It even echoed through the hall!
Ryo was at his side in seconds when he noticed Sage slide down even further. He quickly hoisted Sage's free arm over his shoulder and grabbed him around the waist for support. Sage had leaned forward, putting most of his weight on Ryo. He still held his head in his hand.
"Hey Sage, you alright?" Ryo didn't get a chance to examine his injuries just yet, but he assumed that it must be bad if Sage could barely stand.
"You'll take care of him, won't you?" Laura asked from behind him. Ryo had completely forgotten that she was still there. He turned his head to look at her. Laura had already packed her things and was ready to leave. She didn't seem at all worried about Sage's almost comatose state. Actually, she seemed quite happy. Must have relieved all that anger with that last swing.
"Yeah, sure thing," was Ryo's response. She seemed quite surprised that Ryo didn't yell at her. She did hit his friend after all. Seeing her expression, Ryo took advantage of Sage's current condition and spoke up.
"Don't worry about it. I saw what happened…and to tell you the truth I think your actions were justified." She smiled sweetly back at him, hiding the fact that she was laughing inside.
"Just don't tell him that." Laura took note that his friend wasn't so bad. She had to admit, there were some decent guys out there. They were just so hard to find.
"Don't worry, he can't hear us." With that, she made her way towards the stairs. After a few steps down, she looked back at Sage and Ryo. Shooting a hand into the air, Laura waved back at them.
"Ja ne!"
***
Ryo waited till she disappeared down the stairs before checking back on Sage. He still had his face covered.
"Sage! C'mon, snap out of it!" Ryo commanded, shaking him a little.
"Ugh. Ryo?" His voice was barely audible.
"You okay?" Ryo asked again.
"I think so," he replied, pulling his hand away from his head.
"Can you walk?" Seeing this as a stupid question, Sage tried to prove to Ryo that he was fine. He straightened his posture and stopped leaning on Ryo for support. Sage glanced in the direction of the stairs. His vision was a bit hazy and the hallway seemed to be spinning. His senses told him that he didn't recover from that hit just yet, but Sage ignored all of this and took a step forward. Good thing Ryo was there to catch him when he fell.
"Whoa, easy there. Don't rush." Ryo had a firm grasp on him, placing Sage's left arm around his neck for a second time. Ryo's other arm was wrapped tightly around Sage's waist in order to steady him. He didn't quite understand why Sage was so out of it. He only took a shot at the head. But then again, maybe he's still in shock. I'm pretty sure he never had a locker slam into him before, and with such force too!
"Ryo?" Sage asked while looking up at him. "Stop moving will ya."
"Sage, I'm not moving." Ryo had no clue what the hell Sage was taking about.
"There's so many of you," Sage said dizzily. Now Ryo knew exactly what was going on. He was delusional. That hit on the head must have been harder than he had first thought. Man, Laura must have been really angry with him.
"That's it. Your going to the infirmary." Ryo had decided that this was the best thing to do. He had to make sure that there was nothing else wrong with Sage, since that hit he took clearly knocked all of his senses loose. Sage didn't mind. He just wanted the room to stop spinning and all the Ryos to disappear. One was enough to deal with.