Shadow within the Darkness
(Day 4)
By: Little Ucchan
He raced down the burning desolate streets trying to get to his destination as fast as possible, the sooner the better. Once he did, he would be able to finish where he had left off. Then Sage could say goodbye to his dream forever.
Nearing the center of the city, Sage could feel the presence of the demon ninjas. There were still six and located at the same spots they were earlier. Good. Maybe now I can anticipate their moves. Sage had noticed that everything was the same as it was the other day. Only the girl he saw wasn't there. He realized that only when he was reluctant to continue, did the dreams take a different twist. The good thing about starting the dream at the beginning was that he could correct any mistakes that he made before. Sage wouldn't get trapped like yesterday. He was determined to get through this.
Sage followed the same battle pattern as the day before. He waited till the ninja that had matched his speed had thrust forward with his blade. Instead of jumping back, Sage barely moved, allowing the blade to slightly graze the front of his shirt. The ninja was still moving forward. Sage used his enemy's momentum to his advantage and quickly kneed him in the stomach. He reeled backwards, dropping his katana. Sage picked up the handle of the sword, swerving around to face the rest of his adversaries. He was going to end this here and now.
The rest of them stopped, stunned by the boy's renewed valor. Sage held the blade up defiantly, as if daring any of them to come any closer. He was a master swordsman. It showed just by the way he handled the sword, and the other ninjas were hesitant to follow up on his challenge.
Charging forward, one of the ninjas had broken the silence raising his own sword above his head. Sage deflected the blade immediately as the other ninjas joined the battle. He made quick work of them. He was right to assume that their skills matched that of the Dynasty Soldiers. They were easy to beat once he had a sword in hand. Sage looked down to examine the fallen warriors. He was also right about them not being human. Each one of them glowed brightly before vanishing from sight.
Still holding the katana in his hand, Sage surveyed the area. He didn't know where to go from here. The dream had always pointed him in the direction of the city, but now that he was here what else was he suppose to do?
As if answering his silent question, an explosion rang out from behind. Sage automatically looked up to see smoke coming out of a huge structure. It was a castle, similar to the ones that existed in Medieval Europe. Rowen had shown him a picture once not too long ago. It was the only place that wasn't burned to the ground. But from the looks of it the castle had been under attack, and still is. There! That's where I'm supposed to go. Sage ran forward, only to be greeted by a blinding light, then darkness.
He stared absently at the ceiling patterns of his room. He didn't know how he had managed to wake up. Nothing happened in the dream that would jolt him into consciousness.
Placing the palms of his hands over his face, Sage let out a sigh and brushed back his blonde hair away from his forehead. His skin was hot, but other than that he was fine. He wasn't gasping for air or shivering from the cold chill he often felt in his body. He was normal. That was a first. The dream that Sage kept on having usually left him pretty shaken up.
But why was he okay now? Maybe it was because nothing happened, nothing that would force him to wake up. Maybe that's why I'm so calm. But why did the dream cut off like that? It was like it didn't want me to continue. He needed to figure this dream out. But how could he?
"If you want to talk, I'm here for you."
He smiled as the memory came back to him. Sitting up from his bed, Sage grabbed the phone from his nightstand and dialed the familiar number. I wonder if he'll be so eager to help me after a 4 a.m. wake up call.
***
Rowen gazed at his watch for the eighth time, hoping that his brain would finally register and be able to tell him the time. The numbers still seemed a bit fuzzy. He leaned his face closer to his watch, seeing that the hour hand was almost at seven.
"Seven," he whined. He wasn't even supposed to be out of bed by that time. Rowen let his head fall onto the picnic table, his arms laying lifelessly around him. Sage had better have a good reason for calling me out here this early in the morning.
He was woken up earlier that day by the incessant ringing of the telephone. Rowen had ignored it, of course, and continued to sleep. When the ringing didn't cease, he had thrown various objects at the source of the disturbance, hoping to effectively silence it. Even though Rowen was an archer and had perfect aim, he had missed the phone each time due to the fact that he was still groggy.
When that didn't work, Rowen buried his head beneath his mountain of covers in order to drown out the ringing. The caller was still persistent and didn't hang up. Seeing that there was no way for him to get any sleep without answering the phone, Rowen rose from his bed, dragging the blankets with him.
He had burst out in anger when he found out that it was Sage. He knew that Rowen hated being woken up in the morning and yet he calls at this ungodly hour. Rowen had stopped yelling when he heard the seriousness in his friend's tone. He realized that what Sage had to say must be important if he had to call him this early. He had taken up on Rowen's offer to talk, and so they were to meet at the picnic tables outside of the cafeteria before school starts.
And so Rowen now sat at the designated meeting place, waiting for Sage to show up. He did want to know what was bothering his friend for the past week, but he wasn't expecting to sacrifice his sleep over it.
Raising his head a little at the sound of distant voices, Rowen tried to decipher who the speakers were. His vision was still blurry, but he could hear the voices clearly now. One of them was Ryo, but the other voice he did not recognize. Rowen could only tell that it was female.
Rowen opened his mouth, about to call out to Ryo, but instead he stretched out his arms and let out a huge bear-like yawn. This somehow had gotten Ryo's attention.
"Hey! Rowen!" Rowen replied to Ryo's call with a weak wave. He was still in a sleepy daze as Ryo and the girl made their way to the picnic table. "What are you doing out here so early?"
"I was asking myself that same question." It wasn't exactly a lie. Rowen really didn't know the exact reason as to why he had to be at school this early. Sage didn't exactly go into detail during their phone conversation. Even if he did, it's not like Rowen would have understood him at that time of day.
"Who's your friend?" Rowen decided to change the topic. He didn't really want to explain the situation to Ryo. He would only end up worrying him.
"Oh right. Rowen, this is Laura Kinoku. Laura, this is 'boy genius' Rowen Hashiba," he introduced in an all too joyous tone. Rowen shot him an annoyed glare at the title Ryo used.
"Did you have to add that name to my introduction?" He didn't question Ryo any further when the name of the girl finally sank into his brain. Laura…Kinoku? The girl that showed Sage up at the cafeteria? Rowen had heard a great deal about her through Sage. He knew about every confrontation that the two shared, but he never really knew how she looked like till now. So this is the girl that has been driving Sage crazy.
"What's wrong with it?" Ryo asked nonchalantly, as if he didn't know that Rowen didn't like the name.
"Yeah, there's nothing wrong with being smart. Ryo's just complimenting you," Laura pitched in, then added, "In his own way, I presume." Rowen couldn't believe that this was the same girl. From all the stories that he's been hearing (especially the one's from his best friend) Rowen had thought that she would be cruel. Maybe it was Ryo's influence.
After staring at him for a second longer, Laura spoke again, "It's Rowen, right?" He nodded in agreement. "Ryo's been telling me that you're interested in Japanese history."
Jumping at the opportunity to talk about one of his favorite subjects (besides astronomy), Rowen answered her with enthusiasm, "Yeah I am, especially the Tokugawa and Edo periods."
"Those are my favorites too!"
"You like Japanese history as well?"
"Yeah. They're just as interesting as China's history, although I prefer Japan overall."
"You know about Chinese history?!" Rowen was a bit surprised. He wanted to learn about it because of the similarities between China and Japan. But it was hard to find accurate information on it, since the books in Japan weren't exactly in great depth. He had asked Kento before, but that was a bad thing to do.
Laura nodded, "I did live in China and attended school there for 4 years. I think I should know about its background."
"Can you tell me about it?"
"I would like to hear it too," Ryo agreed.
"I don't think I have time to tell you everything I know. Besides, aren't you waiting for someone?" Laura assumed. Rowen then remembered that he was sitting out here for a reason. He had almost forgot. He gave her a small nod to answer her question. "Maybe another time, Rowen."
"Right, another time then."
"We'll see you in class okay," Ryo said as he and Laura prepared to leave.
"Sure thing."
"It was nice meeting you Rowen!" Laura cried while in the process of walking.
"Same here!" He waved goodbye and watched as the both of them entered the school building.
Now fully awake, Rowen returned to his quiet thoughts. What could this be all about? He tried to figure out the reason behind this sudden meeting. Thinking back to the conversation that he just had with Ryo and Laura, he mused. Does it have to do with Laura? It was something that had been bothering Sage for the past few days of school. Rowen couldn't imagine him having girl problems. She seemed okay to Rowen, so why did they fight all the time. He didn't understand. Oh well, I'll find out soon enough.
***
Sage suppressed a yawn as best as he could so not to draw attention to himself. It wouldn't be in his best interest to make any noise, since the classroom had fallen into a heavy silence. It was independent study in preparation for the next exam. Sage just concluded that his teacher didn't feel like teaching today.
He scanned the room, hoping to find something interesting to occupy his time. That something, or someone, was sitting two seats in front of him in the next row. How the hell is she in my geometry class?! Sage gave a look of disgust when he realized that he and Laura were in the same room. After a few more moments of staring, he noticed that she was actually studying. What the hell is she studying? He didn't know that there was something to study. It was geometry, either you knew it or not.
Thinking for a bit longer, Sage's face lit up at the thought of something. He grinned diabolically, as he quietly ripped out a piece of paper from the bottom of his notebook and started writing.
Laura was working on some practice problems. Geometry wasn't exactly her strong suit, with all its proofs and theorems. She was grateful for the silence. It gave her time to think. However, she didn't get enough time to do so as a small crumpled piece of paper bounced off of her shoulder and onto her desk. She looked at it curiously. A note? Picking it up, Laura opened it slowly. She read it to herself.
How can you study for geometry? There's hardly anything to look over.
Laura turned around to identify the sender. Sage stared at her equally, a smug look on his face. She quickly turned back, realizing what he intended. Laura remembered earlier today when she had locked eyes with Sage while traveling down the hallway. He flashed a dangerously cold stare at her, which she returned right back at him without hesitation. She didn't know what he was thinking. She only knew that he hated her. Laura now knew why he had looked at her that way. Sage wanted to get even, and successfully annoying her would be the best way to get revenge.
She didn't respond to the note and continued to write. Seeing that she wasn't going to answer, Sage wrote another note and chucked it at her. She didn't move to acknowledge him this time. Still smiling to himself, he crushed the next note and threw it in Laura's direction. She nearly jumped when the last note flew by her ear and onto her notebook. Laura spun around in her chair to confront Sage, who had a nonchalant look on his face.
"Will you stop that?!" she hissed in a low whisper.
"Ms. Kinoku. Do you have something to say?" Mr. Teri asked.
"No Sensei," she replied meekly, properly sitting back in her chair. The other students resumed their studies, as did Mr. Teri, but Laura didn't feel like studying anymore. Slightly turning her head to the side, she caught a glimpse of Sage. He was looking a bit too pleased with himself. She felt the anger rise within her, but then decided to play his little game. Let's just see how well he can keep his temper under control.
Sage was quietly tapping the back of his pencil onto his notebook, trying to figure out what else to write to Laura. He was about to write something when a piece of paper landed on his desk. He looked up to see Laura staring back at him. Turning his attention back to the note on his desk, Sage opened it.
You didn't have to throw so many notes at me you know! What's up with you today? Are you bored?
Ripping off another sheet of paper, Sage wrote back to her.
Actually I am.
So you decide to bug me?
Yup. ^_^
That little smiley face at the end annoyed her. Sage was really taking great pleasure in bothering her. What can I write to annoy him? Sage answered that question for her by sending her another note.
Back to my original question, what were you studying?
What do you think Einstein?!
I was only asking.
Stop playing innocent. I know what you're up to buddy! Don't even try to deny it!
Fine then, I won't. I really don't see why you hate me so much. You're the one who started the whole thing anyway. I wasn't doing anything.
Yeah right pretty boy!
So, you admit that I'm pretty, huh?
Laura glared at the tiny sheet of paper. He managed to do it again. Sage used her own words against her. This was the second time. Fine then, two can play.
Sage grinned at Laura's uneasiness when reading the last note. He had gotten her that time. He wondered how long he could keep this up though. Sage could feel her bitter tone emanating from her written words. She was mad, but in a controlled way. So was he, but more annoyed then upset at the way that she was addressing him. Does she even know how to be polite?
The next note hit him squarely on the forehead. Sage jerked his head up, about to shoot a dangerous look towards Laura when he noticed her facial expression. She was…smiling. Sage didn't like that smile at all. She was up to something. Unraveling the note, Sage read it to himself. His face welled up with anger.
Yeah, I think you're pretty. Pretty STUPID!!! ^.^ Wasn't expecting that one, ne?
Slamming his fist into his desk, Sage rose from his seat immediately grabbing the attention of the entire class. His one visible eye flaring with anger, he couldn't stop himself from yelling at Laura.
"I can't believe how rude you are! Don't you have any manners at all?!"
"You're one to talk!!" Laura screamed, jumping to her feet. "Just who the hell started this you jerk!!"
"TOMBOY!!"
"BAKA!!"
***
Both teenagers winced when hearing the classroom door slam shut, the force of the impact vibrated through the walls as it echoed down the hallway. The tall blonde leaned heavily against the wall, hoping that he could just pass right through it and leave this place. This whole week had been one major nightmare for him, and each day it got even worse.
Looking at his female companion out of the corner of his eyes, he couldn't help but feel pure animosity for this girl. He knew that she also felt the same way towards him. Upon feeling the presence of watchful eyes on her, Laura turned her head to face him giving him a deadly stare. Sage quickly averted his gaze. He didn't want to start another quarrel just yet.
Laura faced the opposite direction from him, not wanting to see Sage anymore. She wanted to be anywhere but here. Laura would rather be back in China than stand here with him for the next fifteen minutes. It was pure torture!
Shifting the weight of the bucket she held, Laura could feel her anger rising again. She wasn't able to let loose all of her fury during class, since Mr. Teri had stopped them. He had sent them out into the hall, and they both had to stand there, each carrying a water bucket as punishment. It wasn't her fault. Why did she have to be blamed for it as well? She was out here because of him.
"This is all your fault you know." Her quiet words had startled Sage. He wasn't expecting her to talk so soon. That would be wishful thinking.
"And how is this my fault?" he asked, trying to keep his voice down so Mr. Teri wouldn't notice that they were talking.
"Think about it." There was a slight pause before Laura continued. "Why did you have to yell like that anyway? We could have avoided all of this if you had just kept quiet."
"And how was I suppose to do that with you literally throwing insults at me?"
"You were doing the same thing to me, only I was able to keep my cool."
"Yeah right. You were in no better shape than I was. If I had just waited a few more seconds you would have been the one screaming."
"Just keep thinking that Sage, if it makes you feel any better. Why don't you just admit defeat? I got you this time." Laura cried, turning her body to face Sage. He mimicked her movement at the sound of that last phrase.
"No you didn't."
"Yes I did."
"No you didn't"
"Yes I did."
"Did not."
"Did too."
"Did not!"
"Did too!"
"DID NOT!"
"DID TOO!!"
"Ahem!" Both students turned to the classroom door where Mr. Teri was standing, not looking very pleased. Once he got Sage and Laura's full attention, he held out two empty water buckets and directed both of them to the faucet.
***
Sage strained under the weight of the two buckets that he was carrying. He could usually take this type of punishment, but lack of sleep had weakened him. Plus it had been too long. Mr. Teri had extended the time to half an hour.
"Must you always get the last word in an argument?" Sage started.
"Are you saying that this is my fault?" Laura glared at him, ready to throw both water buckets at him if necessary.
"Not exactly."
"You kept raising your voice."
"Only because you kept counteracting."
"Well, what was I suppose to do? Agree with your every word? Submit to your every whim? Is that what you wanted?!"
"No, but a little courtesy would have been nice."
"How could I be courteous to you, with your devil's tongue?"
"Hey, I wasn't always like that."
"Oh really? Name one."
"The first day we met. I was being polite."
"True, but I knew what you were getting at."
"C'mon now! You can't assume that all guys that talk to you want to flirt."
"But you were! Admit it! That's what you were thinking about!" His reaction to her statement had clearly given away the answer. Laura watched in delight as Sage flushed in embarrassment.
"I was not!" he stammered.
"You were. You WERE thinking about flirting!" She gave a wide smile when Sage turned an even darker shade of red. He couldn't believe that this girl was getting the best of him again! Sage couldn't think straight. His mind raced desperately to find a way to change the subject.
"No way! Like anyone would want to flirt with a tomboy like you!" he cried out.
"What did you say?! I dare you to say that again!!" Laura screamed.
"Gladly…tom…boy!!"
"That's it Sage! YOU'RE DEAD!!!" Laura had already set one of her water buckets down and was holding the other one in a very threatening "splashing position." Seeing this, Sage quickly jumped to the side at Laura's thrust. She dropped the now empty bucket and reached for the next one, determined to get Sage this time.
Sage was going to use his own buckets as defense when he spotted a third figure in the hallway with them. Laura stopped too, nearly dropping the bucket of water she held. Mr. Teri was once again standing out of the classroom door, his arms crossed, his face stern, and his entire body dripping wet with water.
Laura swallowed hard, knowing that Mr. Teri had stepped out of the classroom at the wrong time and that she was responsible for getting her sensei wet. She was really going to get it now. Glancing at Sage, she could see that he wasn't doing too well either. His skin looked awfully pale. It looked like he was still in shock.
Mr. Teri tapped his foot lightly on the floor, his patience for these two teenagers waning. Aw hell! In two more seconds it was gone. "DETENTION FOR THE BOTH OF YOU!!"
***
Sweeping the mop head across the classroom floor, Laura worked as fast as she could. It was difficult to do so since her arms were sore from carrying those buckets. It wasn't enough for Mr. Teri to give her and Sage detention, he had to make them stand outside with the buckets till the bell rang!
Stopping her labor to take a break, Laura glanced in Sage's direction. He was only a few feet away, scrubbing the desktops with a dishtowel and a spray bottle with some cleaning solution. She would have felt a whole lot better if Mr. Teri had made them serve detention on separate days. Laura didn't understand why he had to place both of them in the same room. It wasn't the smartest of all things to do.
Seeing Sage work there gave Laura the sudden urge to want to smack him, hard. She was stuck here because of him and he didn't even apologize. And he's calling me rude. As if! Suddenly a little light bulb clicked at the back of her mind, causing her to grin mischievously. Maybe there was a way to pay him back after all.
Sage moved onto the next desk, getting closer to the area where Laura was working. He was already done with the majority of the room. The only area left was where Laura was. She was sure taking her sweet time cleaning. Sage just wished that she would move. He didn't want to be anywhere near her anymore. Whenever she was around, disaster seemed to strike. He really should have listened to his friends' warnings.
Walking over to the desk next to Laura, Sage paid no attention to her whatsoever. Laura scrubbed the floor even harder, trying to suppress the urge to kill him. All the while she had a smug look on her face. I wonder if his head still hurts from yesterday? We'll soon find out. A devilish smile played across her lips as she advanced towards Sage, unnoticed to him.
Sage focused more on his work, concentrating on anything other than the wretched girl next to him. The faster he got done with his work, the sooner he could leave. That was the only positive thought in Sage's mind right now. All his other thoughts were pretty negative, since they had to do with Laura. Sage wisely stayed quiet when he heard Laura move to pass by him. Otherwise, he would have started another argument. Sage had soon regretted staying quiet. If he had just spoken up, he would have prevented the event from happening in the first place. What had come across him next left Sage utterly confused, in dire pain, and extremely cold and wet.
He fell forward on impact, slumped slightly over the desk he was cleaning. Sage grabbed hold of the side of the desk to steady himself. Squeezing his eyes shut, he felt the pain surge through his mind, dulling his senses. The only thing he could feel, besides the pain, was the cold water that had dampened his hair and neck.
After recovering from shock, Sage swerved around to face the offender. Laura had her back to him with the mop slung over her shoulder, dripping with water. She looked at the enraged Ronin nonchalantly, shrugged indifferently, and muttered an apology, which wasn't the least bit sincere. Letting out a low growl Sage grabbed for the spray bottle, adjusting it so that the liquid would come out in strong blasts.
Replaying the precious scene over and over in her mind, Laura smiled happily, placing the bucket of water on the floor and preparing to rinse out her mop. Laura crouched down, positioning the mop head over the bucket. She stared at it for a few more seconds, praising it silently for serving its purpose, which was knocking Sage upside the head when she turned.
Caught completely off guard because of her mind wandering, Laura lost her balance and fell backwards when the sharp blasts of water came in contact with her skin. Her back was soaked and so was her arm. She still couldn't comprehend what had just happened. Then only one word came into mind. Sage! Blinking in realization, Laura couldn't believe that Sage had nailed her with his spray bottle. From her current position, Laura glared up at him in fury only to receive a small shrug and a mumbled apology. Sage then returned to his work on the desks, leaving Laura sitting there in anger.
She didn't stay sitting for long, however. Picking up the bucket by the handle, Laura tested its contents by placing her index finger in the water. She smiled, delighted that it was still cold. Let's see if he likes this surprise. She crept over to Sage, relieved that his back was facing her. He didn't see her coming.
Sage felt a whole lot better once he was able to pay Laura back. He seemed content with himself. At least they were now even. Taking a break, Sage leaned against the desk with the palm of his hands. After this, he could go home.
Sage clenched his teeth and inhaled deeply as he felt a cold chill wash over him. He couldn't help but shiver as the water was poured over his head. He felt it travel over his shoulders and down his back and chest. His hair was dripping wet as he sputtered out some water that had managed to get into his mouth. Sage felt the steady stream of water decrease as the bucket was emptied. He could only stand there paralyzed, not able to utter a single word.
Delighted by the reaction she received, Laura pulled the bucket away from the top of Sage's head. She hesitated, seeing that he wasn't moving. Still in shock, ne? Well, time to snap him out of it. Laura quickly placed the bucket over his head and slapped it hard. Laura could here the slight ringing of the bucket, but for Sage it seemed like he was standing next to a six-foot gong when it sounded. He could feel the vibrations bouncing off the metal surface, invading his mind. The ringing drowned out everything.
Grabbing the rim of the bucket, Sage lifted it so he could at least see. Looking to his right, he saw Laura standing there, mop in hand. He glared at her with hate-filled eyes. She didn't care, but was equally as mad as him. She clutched her mop with both of her hands, just waiting to lash out at him if he dared to try anything. Ignoring the warning, Sage seized his spray bottle and started firing. World War III had officially broken out in Mr. Teri's classroom.
***
"Sage what the hell happened to you?!" Yayoi's scream echoed through the house. Sage had walked in at 7 in the evening shivering from the frigid iciness that consumed his body. His clothes had dried on his walk back from school, but the cold chill had still refused to leave him.
"You know better than to walk around with those wet clothes! What if you catch pneumonia?!"
"Oneesan, please," Sage finally spoke, trying to calm down his sister. He already had a headache from the walk home, and his sister was making it worse.
"You're lucky that Okaasan and Ojiisama are out back in the dojo teaching. They would have had a fit to see you like this. Why were you late coming home anyway?" Yayoi questioned, ignoring her brother's plea. Sage opened his mouth to explain but was cut off.
"Oh never mind. Go take a hot bath and meet Ojiisama in the back room of the dojo. He's really upset with you for skipping practice."
Relieved that his sister had finally stopped scolding him, Sage made his way upstairs to his room, dreading the confrontation he will have with his grandfather. Ojiisama will definitely not like the fact that his grandson had gotten himself detention for a week. He'll be furious when he finds out, especially with the reason why he got detention in the first place.
Sage slid out of his wet clothes and sank into the welcoming tub of steaming hot water. A sigh escaped his lips as the water heated his frigid body. This feels great! Grabbing a nearby face towel, Sage submerged it in water. He leaned his head against the back of the tub and placed the towel over his forehead. His mind free from worry, Sage soaked for a few more minutes before thinking about his grandfather.
He played back the event that had happened before he had gotten home. Poor Mr. Teri. He had reached the classroom five minutes after Laura and Sage had declared war on each other. When he had entered the classroom, Mr. Teri had almost suffered from a heart attack. Desks were pushed aside, chairs overturned, and papers scattered everywhere. And in the epicenter of it all stood Laura and Sage. Laura held her mop in an offensive position with the mop head facing Sage. On the other hand, Sage had his spray bottle aimed right at Laura. Both were at a stalemate.
Sage had never seen his sensei so mad before. Mr. Teri had screamed at the both of them, giving them detention for the next week. He also had Laura and Sage clean up the mess they made before they were allowed to return home.
He could already imagine what his grandfather would do to him. Most likely Ojiisama would intensify his training, which would mean that Sage would be too sore to move. He groaned aloud and sank even deeper into the water. And it's all because of that girl. Sage narrowed his eyes in hatred at the thought of Laura, and the fact that Mr. Teri would have them serve detention at the same time, in the same room! At the rate that they were going, Sage wouldn't be surprised if he ended up serving detention for the rest of his life in Han'a High.