New Life, New Secrets, New Destiny
Chapter 8
"Hey you guys, where are the warlords and Kayura? They're not in there room," Rowen asks as he enters the dining room where the four Ronins, Yuli, and Kyoto sit at the table eating lunch.
"They left early this morning to do some more meditating," Kento replies as he takes another bite of his sandwich.
"Is that all they do?" Yuli asks.
"They really think they know who's behind this, so they think they can discover who by meditating," Sage comments as he takes another sandwich from the platter in the middle.
"That's enough about this whole enemy thing. Now on to more important manners. So Ryo, how are you holding up with Mia? The big day should be soon, right?" Cye says as he looks at Ryo, giving him a sly smile.
"Yeah. The doctor said that I should be on alert and that Mia should be in bed since she still may be sick," Ryo states as he takes a drink.
"There's no way I'm going to stay in bed all the time," Mia says, leaning against the wall for support. They all get up from their seats and look at the pregnant woman.
"Mia, what are you doing here? You should be in bed," Ryo says, heading towards her.
"But I don't feel sick anymore and I need to get out of that bed. And we're really, really hungry," she says walking over to the table.
"As long as you're up to it." Ryo directs her to the seat he had taken and puts some more food on the plate.
---
"What is it now?" Talpa asks on his throne as Anubis has one knee on the ground a few yards in front, bowing his head down.
"Talpa, I think the perfect opportunity to strike the Ronin Warriors is now."
"Why would you say that?"
"Wildfire's wife is about to give birth anytime soon. During this time, they will be preoccupied with her and protecting her and the child. Plus I sense something bad is going to happen to her."
"I see your point. GO ahead then. But if you lose this time, forget about trying another time," he says as he squeezes his hands on his armrests, cracking them.
---
"Mia, I really think that you should sit down," Ryo insists as he follows Mia who's heading towards the open front door.
"Ryo, I'm fine really. Ow." She grabs her stomach for a second and leans forward, taking a few deep breaths.
"Mia! What's wrong?" Ryo asks as he goes next to Mia, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and the other on her stomach.
"Nothing. IT just kicked. Now, I'm going outside for some air with the others."
"Well then, come on Mia. Hurry up!" Kento screams running around the yard with a ball in his hand.
"You can't hurry her up Kento," Sage says as he chases Kento..
"I'm coming." She walks out the door, but suddenly stops. She widens her eyes and puts her hand over her stomach again. "Ryo?"
"What Mia?" Ryo asks heading outside behind Mia.
"I think my water just broke."
"What? Are you joking?" Ryo says running out next to her, grabbing her arm and waist.
"I am so not joking. I think the baby is going to be coming soon."
"Oh man. Sage! Rowen! Someone! Get the car keys and Mia's bag! Mia's going into labor!" Ryo screams, making everyone outside halt their game outside, then runs inside to tell the others.
"No way. Right now?" Rowen inquires as he comes down the stairs with Cye and Yuli behind him.
"Yes right now Rowen. Now will someone please just get the stuff so we can leave," Ryo screams as he runs back outside.
"I'll get the keys!" Cye hollers running up the stairs.
"I'll get Mia's bag!" Rowen runs up the stairs and Yuli comes on down.
"You guys go ahead and I'll make sure to tell everyone where you guys are," Sage says helping Mia.
"Good." Sage gives Mia to Ryo as they start to walk towards the jeep.
"Sage, make sure you definitely tell Kyoto," Mia commands, looking at him.
"Alright. WE can go now! We got everything." Cye runs ahead and opens the back door for Mia to get in.
---
"Sage, where is everyone?" Kayura asks as she and the three ex-warlords plus Kyoto enter the house, seeing Sage sitting nervously on the couch.
"They left for the hospital a while ago. I told them that I would wait here to tell you guys."
"So Mia's gonna have the baby soon?" Cale asks.
"Of course. That's why she's at the hospital," Dais states.
"We should get going then," Kyoto says.
---
"I can't believe this is going to happen Mia. We're going to be parents," Ryo says holding Mia's hand in his and kissing her forehead.
"I know. I can't believe it either. Uh, another contraction." She grabs at her enlarged belly and tries to muffle her scream into a whimper. He lets her squeeze his hand while he brushes her hair out of her face.
"Mia, Ryo, can we come in? The others have come," Yuli asks poking his head in. Ryo looks at Mia, who nods in approval while keeping in another scream.
"Of course." Everyone enters the room, one behind the other. They all gather around the bed and smile.
"Hey Mia. How's everything?" Rowen asks.
"Good. There doesn't seem to be anything wrong so far," she answers breathing heavily.
"IS it a boy or a girl?" Yuli asks.
"We don't know yet. Not until it's born," Ryo answers.
"Hello there everyone." Everyone looks at the door and sees a tall man with a white coat enter.
"Hello doctor. Are you here to check on Mia?"
"Yes I am." He moves his way towards Mia, looking at the machines and then checking her pulse. "How far are the contractions?"
"About two or three minutes," Mia answers.
"Alright, but I would like to run a few tests."
"And that's probably our cue to leave. We'll see you three when everything's done, right?" Sage says patting Mia's hand as the others start to leave the room.
"Sure," Mia answers, but as they all leave, a sudden dark feeling comes over Mia. "Lady Mia, are you okay?" Kyoto looks before he leaves.
"Huh? Yeah, I'm just excited." She shakes her head and gives them a quick smile, before wincing in pain.
---
"When is this thing going to be over? We've been waiting here forever," Kento says as he jumps up from his seat, stretching and trying to stay awake.
"Can't you be patient Kento? A baby just doesn't pop out in a few seconds," Rowen comments as he flips a page of his book. Suddenly, a loud scream is heard coming from the direction of Mia's room.
"But it will be born in a few minutes," Kayura says smirking, waiting in anticipation.
---
"Isn't this kid out yet!" Mia screams bringing her head off the pillow, only to bring it back down to take a rest.
"It will soon. You just need to be a bit more patient," the doctor says from the opposite end of Mia.
"Come on Mia. Everything's going to be okay," Ryo says trying to comfort Mia, wiping her forehead with a cloth.
"Don't come on Mia me. You're not the one having a child," Mia scolds Ryo as she squeezes his hand even harder.
"Alright. Just a few more pushes Lady Mia. Now push," the doctor commands. Mia takes a deep breath and pushes, giving out a small squeak in the process.
"You're doing a great job Mia. Just keep it up." She continues her pushes and after a few more, takes a break leaning on her pillow ready to go to sleep.
"Just one more push," the doctor says showing his head to Mia.
"I can't. I'm too tired. I don't want to push anymore." She rocks her head back and forth, wanting to go to sleep.
"Mia, just one more and then everything will be over. You've been worse. You've been through many life threatening battles and have died so many times. This should be nothing." Ryo says.
"Alright Lady Mia. Push now." Mia takes one more deep breath and pushes will whatever she has left. Soon after, crying is heard as Mia collapses her head on the pillow, trying to catch her breath. "Congratulations. It's a healthy baby girl," the doctor says giving the baby to the nurse waiting with a pink blanket.
"It's a girl?" Mia asks.
"Yeah. You did a great job Mia. You can just relax now." Ryo kisses her on her forehead again and gives her hand a reassuring squeeze.
"Would you like to hold her?" the nurse asks heading towards the parents.
"Could I?" Mia asks. "My premonition said I would have a boy. Maybe it isn't real at all?" The nurse comes over as Ryo helps Mia sit up. She gives Mia the newborn and Mia gently takes her into her arms.
"She's beautiful," Ryo states, touching his daughter's hair, showing a few hints of black hair.
"Do you want to hold her? I'm really tired," Mia says as she moves the newborn towards Ryo.
"Sure." He takes it carefully, rocking her gently. "Do you think I can show the others quickly?" he asks the doctor.
"Of course Lord Ryo."
---
"Hey you guys," Ryo says, entering the waiting room where the rest have been waiting. He carries a small bundle in a pink blanket.
"Ryo. Is that the newest addition to the family?" Cye asks as he and the rests excluding three ex-warlords come up to look at the baby.
"Is it a boy or a girl?" Yuli asks.
"What's his or her name?" Sage asks.
"It's a girl and Mia and I haven't come up with a name yet, but we wanted to show you guys." He pulls away the blanket to show the newest addition to the clan.
"She's so cute." The baby yawns and opens her eyes just enough to see the colors of her eyes.
"Her eyes are just like Mia's. And it looks like she will have your hair Ryo," Kyoto comments.
"Can I hold her?" Yuli asks, jumping up and down in excitement.
"Sure Yuli." Suddenly, a bunch of nurses come running by in a blur of white uniforms. Ryo grabs one of them by the wrist. "What's going on?"
"I'm so sorry Lord Ryo, but Lady Mia has stopped breathing," the nurse says softly, bowing her head in respect.
"What! Can I see her?"
"Once we can get her stabilized, you can. But can I please take the baby back so we can check on her?"
"Of course." Ryo lets go of the nurse's wrist and she takes the baby from Yuli, walking away.
---
"Can I see her now?" Ryo asks as he waits by Mia's door. The doctor approaches him with a disappointed look on his face.
"Sure." The doctor moves out of the way to show Mia hooked up to tubes and machines, including one put down her throat, surrounded by nurses.
"How did this happen?" he asks the doctor as he makes his way toward Ryo.
"I think that her body was still weak from being so sick and giving birth overexhausted it to a dangerous level."
"IS she going to be okay?" He kneels down next to her bed and takes her hand in his.
"We don't really know. We'll see how she does the next couple of hours."
"Come on Mia. You can get out of this." He brings her hand up to his lips, kissing it
softly.
---
"I couldn't have planned things out better. With Wildfire grieving over his nearly dead wife, he won't be able to battle," Anubis says, floating over the city and looking through the window into Mia's room.
---
"Hey Ryo, we got you something to eat. You really should eat. Mia wouldn't want to see you all sick looking when she wakes up," Rowen says walking in with a takeout tray.
"And it took everything we had to stop Kento from eating it," Cye jokes.
"Thanks," Ryo answers, not taking his eyes off of Mia's body.
"Everything is going to be fine Ryo. Mia's a fighter. She won't die so easily." Sage puts his hand on Ryo's shoulder, hoping to get through to him.
"I hope you're right Sage." Suddenly, the building shakes violently, but quickly stops.
"What was that?" Sage asks out loud.
"I don't know, but I have a bad feeling about it," Kento says.
"WE should check it out," Rowen says, heading towards the door with the others.
"Hey Ryo, are you coming?" Cye asks. HE watches as Ryo doesn't respond to his question. As he goes towards him, Rowen holds him back.
"Leave him alone. I don't think he's up to fighting."
---
"What's going on out here?" Kento asks as he sees the other five looking up into the sky.
"Look for yourself." Dais points. They look up to see a giant grey stork beating its wings, letting off huge gusts of air destroying the area.
"Hey bird brain. Why don't you stop and come fight?" Cale challenges.
"Whatever you want!" The stork changes into a warrior with grey armor, grey wings from his back, but still having the face of a bird.
"Armor of Halo, Torrent, Hardrock, Strata, Cruelty, Corruption, Venom, Illusion!" As soon as they transform, the warrior flies down to strike the others.
---
"Where am I?" Mia asks, opening her eyes to a black space. She looks around, sitting, hoping to find something.
"You are in the spirit world."
"The spirit world? That must mean I'm dead. My visions are coming true."
"You're not dead yet Mia. I brought you here because I feel your being is not at ease." The angel of light appears in front of Mia, giving off the only light there is.
"Alright, what's your name?" Mia asks standing up.
"You can call me Iria if you wish."
"Alright Iria, then can you tell me what's going on outside? I feel something dark," she says putting her hand over the place where her spirit orb would be.
"The enemy is attacking. But there is one problem."
"Problem?"
"Wildfire isn't out with the others. He refuses to leave your side."
"Then is there someway we can help the others, so at least everyone won't die when I do?" she pleads as her voice gets higher.
"There's always a way. You just need to think of it."
"I wish that I could give them some of the armor's energy."
---
"This isn't working you guys. He has the advantage being in the air," Kayura says dodging another one of the stork's wind attack.
"There has to be something we can do."
"Dais, try using your webs again," Cale commands.
"I would, but he can fly over them."
"If we could stun him for a while then," Rowen thinks out loud.
"I may have a way," Kyoto says, waiting in the back.
"Then what are you waiting for? Go for it," Kento comments.
"Alright" Kyoto puts both hands on his staff and holds it out vertically arms length away. He closes and starts to concentrate, his power showing and flapping his cloak like the wind. "Lady Mia of the Heavens, please let the winds carry this message to your ears wherever you may be. We are in much trouble and I am afraid that the Ronin warriors will not be able to hold out much longer against this evil demon. I beg you, lend us your energy, your power of your armor, for this battle so that we can continue your mission on for you."
---
"I beg you, lend us your energy, your power of your armor, for this battle so that we can continue your mission on for you."
"That was Kyoto's voice. The others need my armor, but Ryo has it now and he can't do anything about it," Mia says, looking at the angel for guidance.
"He does not have it completely Mia. It is your armor and will never be anyone else's. You can still control what happens to it and who can use its power."
"If that's true, then I can still give my power to others, especially those who I'm connected with. Kyoto, I give you the power of my armor. Use it to defeat that demon and help save the others," she says closing her eyes and forming her hands into the praying position.
---
As Ryo continues to mourn, the orb around his neck starts to glow, breaking him out of his stupor. "What's going on? The orb is glowing." Suddenly, he stops hearing the beeps from the heart monitor. "Mia! Hey, someone get in her quick!"
---
"Leave things to me and get ready Dais," Kyoto instructs Dais as the others continue to fight.
"Right." The winds suddenly start to gain up and a bright golden glow surrounds Kyoto. In a matter of seconds, his usual staff transforms into Mia's staff and his robes into Mia's armor.
"Where did that armor come from?" the stork asks from above.
"From the one who should be destroying you." Kyoto opens the armor's wings and starts to chase the stork around. He then sends a giant blast from the staff towards the enemy, unbalancing him.
"Web of Deception!" Surprisingly, the stork gets tangled in the web and Kyoto gets out of the way.
"Alright, everyone together!" The whole group of warriors gather in a group, ready for the final attack.
---
"How is she?" Ryo asks as he watches the doctor and nurse check the machines.
"She's not doing so well. Her body seems to failing slowly," he comments, writing a few things down on his chart.
"Isn't there anything I can do?"
"I think the best thing you could do is call the others and tell them to come by to say their farewells. I'm sorry there's nothing else we can do." He closes his chart book and gives Ryo a small bow of respect.
"Thank you for everything." Ryo stands up and follows the doctor out with his eyes. He starts his walk out the door just as the others come in.
"Hey Ryo, we just destroyed a demon. How are things here?" Kento asks coming in chipper with the others only to meet with a tired, sullen looking face, the spark once in his eyes now on more.
"Mia's not doing so great and the doctor thinks that the best thing to do would be for everyone to…" he stops his sentence midspeech as he lowers his head and shoulders start to tremble.
"You don't have to say anymore. We totally understand buddy," Rowen says.
"She doesn't deserve this. She was the purest person there was and a true hero," Sage says as everyone heads towards the bed.
"Lady Mia, it was a pleasure to meet you in person. I just want to tell you not to worry and that we will continue your work," Kyoto says, bowing his head.
"Mia, sorry we didn't know you for very long. We're also sorry for attacking you those first battles. You really have become a great ally and we will do whatever we can do keep your memory alive. May the ancients guide your spirit," Kayura says.
"Mia, I can't believe you're the first one to leave. Who's going to cook for us when Cye doesn't feel like cooking? I don't mean to be rude or anything, but I guess I'm really going to miss you. You were a like a mom to us a lot, taking us in and feeding us. And thank you so much for saving our butt," Kento says, a tear starting to come out.
"Kento's right. You have been like a mom to all of us. If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't' be found after Talpa separated all of us. You really have saved us without your armor. Thank you too for letting me use the kitchen and for not getting mad all the times I messed it up."
"You've been family to us Mia. But you've also been a great friend. Whenever I needed to talk to someone, you were always there for me and I remember some of the great conversations we would have at night about silly things sometimes. Those were the best."
"I don't know how to say this exactly Mia, but saying that I'm going to miss you doesn't express what we're all going to feel if you leave us. No matter what, we've always been able to have fun and if you ever thought that you were a burden on us during the battles, don't. Nothing will be able to replace the place in our hearts where you were."
"We'll leave you two alone now. Tell us when…you know," Sage says. The rest soon leave, Kento starting to ball out in tears. Ryo nods his head and returns to Mia's side.
---
"Guys. I'm going to miss you so much. Nothing will ever be the same again," Mia says, buckling to her knees in exhaustion and from hearing the guy's speeches. "I wish I could be with you guys again."
"What makes you think you can't?"
"What do you mean? I'm dying. The doctor said that I was dying and I'm so very tired."
"So what if the doctor says you're dying. You're different than normal people Mia."
"But my dream said…my dream. It said I would have a boy, but I didn't. That means that everything may not happen," she suddenly realizes, looking ahead at the angel.
"You are in control of your own destiny Lady Mia. I think you know what to do now."
"Yes I do."
"Good. And say hello to Naomi for me."
"Naomi?" she asks before everything goes white.
---
"Mia, please. Give me a sign or something," Ryo pleas, bringing her hand to his heart. Suddenly, he feels her hand squeeze his. He opens his eyes just as the hand relaxes.
"Quick someone! Get over here!"
"What is it Lord Ryo?" the doctor asks as he comes running in with a nurse behind him.
"Mia just squeezed my hand. Doesn't that show something?"
"It's hard to tell. IT could just be a last impulse of energy before her body gives out."
"I can't believe that." The doctor, nurse and Ryo all wait to look for anymore signs-good or bad. In an instant, Mia's eyes pop open as she starts to gag, trying to breathe on her own though the tube down her throat wasn't helping.
"Mia calm down for a second." Soon after, the tube is removed and Mia closes her eyes, concentrating on her breathing as her heart rate seems to be a bit stronger, but not enough for her to be moving around. She opens her eyes once more, looking straight at Ryo.
"Ryo, why do you look so sad?" She gives a small giggle.
"Mia, don't ever scare me like that again." He takes her hand and brings it up to his face once again.
"I'll try, but I can't promise anything." She takes her other and puts it on top of his. "Ryo, she came to me," her tone becoming more serious.
"Who came to you?"
"The angel. And she even told me her name. It's Iria and she told me about the fight and Naomi."
"Naomi?"
"She told me our daughter's name was Naomi. Is that an okay name for you?"
"Naomi is a great name."