Alone
Diana's POV...
Oh God... That's my alarm already... I hate mornings.
It's a month after we made up with the Ronins. Between then and now the Dynasty has done precisely... nothing. Either they're just too scared of us or they're planning something. Personnally I'd plump for the latter. There's no way an evil Emperor is going to be scared of a bunch of teenagers. Slightly wary, maybe, but not scared.
Al's up already. She's always been a really early riser. Which is a good thing seeing as she always gets breakfast.
I actually manage to make it into the kitchen in time to get something to eat before leaving for the bus. This is unusual. I must be coming down with something.
We get off the bus at school and head to various classes. Al and I have Maths. First thing in the mornings. Groan. Picture me slowly disappearing into a sinkpool of despair.
When we come out at break, we get a little bit of a shock. There's a bloody great castle hanging over Toyama. Great. Just peachy.
Me and Al head towards the others, who've grouped round the Ronins. When we get near them, Kaz turns towards us and smiles insipidly.
« So glad you could join us. We're not interrupting anything, are we? »
I hate her. I just hate her.
« Shut up, Kaz. » Ryelle says, obviously seeing that I'm about to explode. « So, you guys are used to this, what do we do? »
Ryo rolls his eyes. « Thanks Ryelle. I have no idea. We can't get across to the Dynasty without help from the Ancient, so unless he turns up, all we can do is sit tight and wait for Kayura and the Warlords to show up. »
« Great plan, guys. » It would seem I was wrong when I said Sephy liked them.
School gets cancelled for the day, due to a general incapacity on the teachers' part to take lessons with a castle hanging upside down in the sky. How very feeble of them. We girls start off down the road to our flat, when we get called back by the Ronins.
« What the hell do you think you're doing? We might need to fight and we're much stronger together. You'd better come back to the mansion. » Sage tells us, obviously expecting to be obeyed to the letter. Al just gives me a look that says 'I told you so...'. I hate it when she's right.
Ryelle just looks straight back at him. « We're more than capable of dealing with the Dynasty on our own, and I would naturally assume that you would be able to do the same. » YEAH! Go Ryelle!
Sage stares at her, and Rowen takes up the conversation. « More than capable, since we've done it twice before. You, however, have only fought them once. You're completely untested. We've beaten Talpa twice now. » Arrogant git.
Sephy snorts. « You call what you did beating him? All you did was push his invasion back a few months each time. And you managed to get three members of your team captured and tortured. You call that beating him? » Oooh, ouch.
Gaia takes up after her. « And who told you we were untested? We've fought beings ten times as powerful as Talpa and come out of it without a scratch. » She's exaggerating a bit there, but never mind. She ended up with a broken leg and Cassie was in hospital for a month. Kaz actually died, but got promptly sent back to us to finish her 'task'. Personnally, I'd have preferred that the gods just keep her there, but they probably can't stand her either.
« Oh really? » Kento's joined in now. « Ten times as powerful as Talpa isn't possible. At least, not for you to beat them. You're exaggerating. » Rumbled...
Clio fixes him with that really unnerving gaze of hers. I swear it's really creepy. « Oh really? Tell me, when was the last time you fought a god? » Good girl Clio...
That's really put them in a corner.
Ryo cuts in calmly. « Well of course if you want to fight against us and condemn the entire world to die, that's your choice, of course... » Oh, now, that was low.
Al bursts. « We don't necessarily want to fight you, but I think I speak for everyone when I say that I would appreciate not to be given orders. » Phew... We haven't lost... Yet.
Cye decides to stck his oar in. « You asked what we should do. I believe Sage has told you. You're free to do what you want, but what he told you would probably be the best course of action. » At this rate I'm going to leave sooner than Cassie foresaw.
Cassie smiles slightly. « Look, this is stupid. We really shouldn't argue... » Cass, shut up! We're almost winning here!
Kaz grins insipidly. « Yeah, she's right. We'll come back with you. » Bitch.
I'm really furious now. « Speak for yourself, Kasmira. » And I turn and leave.
Al's definitely followed me. I don't know about the others. When she catches up with me, I turn and grin. « That was fun. »
She smiles back weakly. « Not really. All the others have gone with the Ronins. It's just us who haven't. » Oh dear.
« What did Ryelle look like when you left? »
« Ready to explode. I can't believe Kaz did that. And Cassie... »
« Yeah, well. Why did the others go? »
« Why do you think? The quartet always follows Ryelle and she decided to go along with what Cassie said. We're in very deep trouble. »
« Trouble doesn't even begin to describe... Why on earth did Ryelle go with Kaz? She hates her almost as much as we do. »
« No idea. » Alyssa's looking downright mournful now. « Probably because she doesn't want to argue with a team-mate in front of the Ronins. Plus she believes what Cassie said about us fighting with them. »
We get back to our apartment and walk in. Almost immediately we get a twinge from this kind of sixth sense thing we all have, which tells us when there's a problem nearby. The others are in trouble. They're fighting the Dynasty. Without us.
I turn to Al. She's felt it too, I can tell by her face. « Well? What do we do? »
« We'll go down, but keep out of sight and only intervene if it's absolutely necessary. » I nod, and we transform.
So it's just the two of us. Alone. Without any of the others to save our butts if we get into trouble. Bummer...
These chapters are just walking out at the moment.
Carline