Chapter Five

Busted

Over the next couple of days Rena hasn't been out of sight of the boys, including her cousin. Her family flipped when the boys brought Rena home from the restaurant with a cut on her forehead. Rowen and Kento constantly fussed about her and were the main 'caregivers', as she calls them. On top of that Sage kept shooting her 'You need to tell them' glares. Just like he was doing now in their algebra class.

Ryo watched as Sage poked Rena in the ribs. She shot him a glare before turning back to her book. Sage poked her again. - What? -

"You can't keep running from this," Sage whispered to her. Ryo tried to listen in but couldn't hear. Rena shot him another glare.

The bell rang and the students began to file out of the classroom. Sage and Ryo followed Rena. She was trying to loose them in the sea of students. "She's fast."

"Yeah," Sage said as he locked his eyes onto Rena. She wasn't going to get away that easy. Rena looked behind her. The boys were still close. Rena narrowed her eyebrows and quicken her pace. She was pulling away from them but collided into a solid force.

Rena stumbled back. A strong hand shot out and grabbed her wrist. "You ok, Re?"

Rena blinked up at Kento. Luck her. She had to run right smack dab into that mountain of a teenager. Kento smiled at her. "What's your hurry?"

"Rena!" Sage called.

Rena sighed. This just wasn't her day.

"What's up?" Kento asked.

"She tried to give us the slip," Ryo replied. Kento frowned at Rena.

"Rena? Did you really?"

Rena shrugged. She knew Kento wouldn't make such a big deal about it. He was the easy one. Rowen however.

"Rena!" Speak of the devil. Rena's spirit dropped. She was defiantly trapped now. She loved the boys. She really did. But they were really getting on her nerves watching over her every second. "What's going on?"

"Rena was trying to give us the slip," Sage repeat Ryo. Rowen looked at Rena.

"Rena, you know you need to be with at least one of us," Rena looked at his sad blue eyes and sighed.

- Rowen, I know you all are worried about me. But you can't keep doing this. I love you all. But back off! I'm sick of you treating me like a child! I don't need a babysitter! I need friends! - Rena angrily signed. - Now, I have a free period and I'm spending it in the library. ALONE! -

With that Rena stomped off leaving the boys a bit stunned. A minute later, Cye strolled up to his slacked jawed friends. "What's up, guys? Where's Rena?"

"She went off to the library," Ryo was the first to come to his senses.

"And no one went with her?" Cye asked calmly.

"She didn't want us too," Sage said. "She, kinda, told us off."

"Kinda?" Kento raised an eyebrow at him.

"I'm not surprised," Cye shifted his bag on his shoulder.

"What do you mean?" Kento asked.

"You guys have been smothering her ever since the accident happened," Cye continued. "I'm surprised she didn't tell you off sooner."

"But she..." Rowen started.

"She is just fine, Rowen. You the worst out of us all. We're in school. Not many street thugs here to attack her," Cye pointed out. The ronins exchanged a few glances. Cye was right. They were acting like mother hens. "I'm sure she's upset right now. Kento, Rowen, you two should go check on her. Just don't smother her."

"Right," Kento and Rowen nodded then left their friends to go find their girl friend. They hurried off into the library and found her standing alone in the fantasy section. Rena just stood there with a blank expression on her face until they stood right beside her. She turned to face them with tears glistening in her eyes. She mouthed a silent "I'm sorry."

Rowen looked at Kento before walking up to her and wrapping his arms around her. Rena hid her face in his chest. "It's ok, sweetie. We're sorry too."

"Yeah," Kento walked up to the and put his arms around both of them. "We were just worried about you."

"We're going to back off a bit," Rowen stroked her hair. "But we would feel better if someone was with you outside of safe places, like school and home. Is that ok?"

Rena nodded. The three released each other. The boys smiled then turned to leave. Rena reached out and grabbed their shirts. They looked back at her. She stepped closer to them and kissed them on the cheek. - Thanks. -

Rena watched them go before finding her a seat to do some homework. She was completely unaware a Sage admirer watching her. Mina was keeping an eye on her ever since she entered into the library. But she wasn't the only one keeping an eye on Rena. The shadow figure was back and slipping around the shadows in the library. It sensed Mina's dislike of Rena and made its was over to the brooding girl. Mina continued her glare at Rena as the shadows began to creep up her legs and completely encase her in it.

Rena continued with her homework and bobbed her head to a song that was stuck in her mind while rubbing her choker necklace. She didn't sense the shadow figure at all or the fact that Mina was walking up behind her, under the control of that very figure. Mina was a few feet behind her when Rena felt something was wrong. Rena's finger lingered over her choker for a few seconds before she placed her hand on the book she had. With a quick move, Rena grabbed the book, whipped around and tossed the book at Mina.

Mina, using the shadow's power, easily grabbed the book. Rena's eyes widened as Mina was glowing just like the two thugs. Rena mentally cursed. Why hadn't she sensed this thing in the library? Mina flung the book back at Rena. She easily deflected it with her own powers. Rena turned to run but the figure wrapped shadow's around Rena's ankles that continued to wrap up to her shoulders.

Rena looked around the room. Everyone was frozen, somehow, in the magic this thing was using. She could see through the glass in the door to the library that it had effected anyone outside the library. Hope came to her eyes. The boys would sense she was in trouble and come running. "No, they won't."

Rena looked, wide eyed, at Mina. It spoke! Through Mina's voice, but still. It's never done that before. "I know what you are thinking. Those boys of yours ain't going to save you this time. My power has grow. I can now hide my presence from you and keep them from feeling that you are in danger."

Rena glared at the thing. Her eyes asking an unspoken question. "I know what you are thinking. You want to know why I am after you, right? It's very simple. You have been kissed by magic. You have been chosen to save the magic world from being destroyed. If you get pulled into that world then I might not be able to stop you. Lucky for me, I got the change to come into this world when you dragged that boy with you into your little fantasy world. I must say, that boy was pretty impressive with that magic armor of his. I'll have to take his powers next."

Rena's eyes burned with anger at that threat. The heck if she was going to let this thing hurt Sage. Rena's power began to build up. It squeezed her harder to prevent her from powering up. "Now, now, there will be none of that. Beside, you don't have enough experience with those powers of your to defeat me."

Rena let out a silent cry as this power shocked through her body. She opened one eye to see this thing laughing. She felt so stupid. She had to tell the guys to back off and leave her alone. Now they had no idea she was in trouble. She closed her eyes again as tears threatened to fall. Rowen, Kento, Sage, guys, I'm so sorry.

Sage let out a slight groan as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"You ok, Sage?" Ryo asked.

"Yeah," Sage nodded. "I think I'm getting a headache."

Ryo and Sage turned back to their notebooks. All of them had a little free time before their next class. Ryo and Sage decided to study for an up coming test of theirs, while Cye and Kento headed off to find a snack and Rowen went to talk to a fellow student that he was tutoring. Rowen and Kento reported to them after talking to Rena before going their separate ways again.

Sage rubbed his forehead. This pound in his head was starting to really get annoying. It came out of no where. Usually he could feel them coming on and get something for it. Ryo looked at his friend. "You sure you're ok?"

"Yeah. I'm fine. It's just...," Sage started then let out a scream as the pain really hit him. "Ah!"

"Sage, what is it?" Ryo asked with a bit of panic in his voice.

"My head, hurts so much," Sage squeaked.

"You stupid idiot!"

"What?" Sage asked when an unfamiliar voice started talking to him. "What? Why are you calling me an idiot?"

"Huh? I didn't say anything," Ryo raised an eyebrow at Sage. "I think you should go to the nurse."

"No. I'm...Ah!" Sage screamed again. "Yeah. Maybe I should."

Ryo nodded then help Sage to his feet.

"You stupid moron! Don't go to the nurse! Go to Rena!"

"What? Rena?" Sage asked.

"Huh?"

"You said go to Rena," Sage looked at Ryo.

"No. I didn't," Ryo replied with a confused looked on his face.

"But, didn't you...," Sage looked at Ryo.

"I'll explain it later! Just get your rear ends to Rena, RIGHT NOW! She's in trouble!"

"Rena's in trouble!" Sage shouted.

"What? What do you mean? Rena's in the library. There's...,"

"Trust me, Ryo," Sage said as he bolted down the hall. "She's in trouble!"

Ryo didn't question as he followed Sage. As they ran down the hall, Cye and Kento came into view. They were happily chatting until Sage flew pass them. Kento about dropped his chips. "Hey! Slow down! Where's the fire, Sage?"

"Hey!" Ryo called as he joined them. "Rena's in trouble!"

"What?" Cye and Kento asked.

"But I haven't sensed anything," Kento said.

"What's going on, Ryo?" Cye asked.

"I don't know. Sage's head started hurting then he started saying that Rena was in trouble," Ryo reported. "Either way, something's not right."

"Let's go then!" Kento turned and headed after Sage.

"Cye, go get Rowen," Ryo ordered. "If Kento didn't sense her in trouble then neither did he."

"Right," Cye nodded then went off to find their blue haired friend.

Sage was, of course, the first to get to the library. He stopped in his tracks when he saw the door to the library was leaking shadows. "What the?"

"What's going on?" Ryo asked when he and Kento saw Sage frozen at the door. Ryo noticed that other students didn't seem to notice the weird shadows inside the library. That is, until two girls walked into it. "Wait! Don't go in there!"

"Look!" Kento cried as the two girls instantly froze when they walked into the library.

"What in the world is going on?" Ryo asked.

"Doesn't matter. We have to get in there," Sage said then bolted in.

"Wait! We don't know if that stuff will stop us!" Ryo called but Sage was already in the library. It didn't stop him. Kento and Ryo exchanged looks before running in. "Kento, lock the door."

"Right," Kento reached back to shut and lock the door. Next he pulled down the shade, no need to freak out the other students if they had to use their armors. They looked around the room at the frozen students and librarian. "What's going on?"

"I don't know, Kento," Ryo replied looking around. The three continued into the library and soon found Rena and Mina. "Rena!"

"What's going on? How did Mina get magic powers?" Kento asked.

"It's not hers, Kento," Sage said without thinking.

"What do you mean by that?" Kento and Ryo asked.

"It doesn't matter. You three are not going to live long enough to find out the answer," Mina said. She held out her left hand and shadows shot out at them. They dodged it easily. Rena turned her head to see them dodging the attack.

"Hold on, Rena!" Sage yelled. "We'll get you out of here!"

"Yeah! But how do we fight shadows?" Kento asked as his punches just kept going right through the attacking shadows.

"Call your sub armor!" Ryo ordered and they did without hesitation.

"What? You all have them?" Mina demanded. "How is this? What are you humans?"

"We are Ronin Warriors! We were chosen to protect this world from evil like you!" Ryo replied.

"And we're your worst nightmare! You picked the wrong girl to attack! Now. LET. RENA. GO!" Kento threaten. He charged at Mina. She easily jumped away from him, freeing Rena.

"Rena!" Sage leaped and grabbed her. Rena gasped for air. Kento continued to try and land a punch on Mina. But the shadow controlling her was just too fast.

"Hold still and fight like a man!" Kento growled.

"If you haven't noticed, blockhead, I'm controlling a girl!" Mina snickered.

"I don't care if your controlling the President of the United States! You're not going to get away with hurting Rena!"

"We'll see about that," Mina smirked then started throwing books at the students.

"Kento, stop making that thing mad!" Ryo ordered. Even though the students couldn't tell what was going on, it didn't mean that they couldn't be hurt. One of the students, that got hit, started bleeding. Ryo started to deflect the books but there was too many students in the library. "Sage! We've got to get them to safety! Get them under the tables!"

"Right!" Sage nodded. "You stay here, Rena."

Rena nodded as Sage helped her duck under a table. Rena watched as Ryo and Sage got the students to safety and Kento continued his useless assault on Mina. Just then Cye and Rowen busted into the library.

"What in the world?" Rowen asked as he summoned his sub armor.

"Sorry, nothing to see here," Cye said as he pushed students, who were trying to see what the commotion in the library was, back out the door. He had to block the door with a couple of desks so they couldn't get in. He summoned his sub armor to give him more power to hold it.

"Rena, are you alright?" Rowen kneeled down at the table she was hiding under.

- Yes. But you need to help them. -

"Don't worry. Everything is going to be just fine," Rowen nodded. He turned his attention back to Kento.

"This is getting really annoying," Mina said with boredom in her voice. "I'll leave you, for now."

The shadow threw Mina away from itself and disappeared. A stunned Kento grabbed the fainted girl. "Come back here!"

No reply.

Kento grumbled but laid Mina down on the floor. "What now?"

"We get out of here," Cye said. He was pushing against the desks. There was no way he could hold out the students much longer.

"Let's go," Ryo said as he opened a window for them to leave through. Rowen picked up Rena then followed his teammates out the window. Cye made sure that they were all out before leaping for the window himself. He made it out with a second to spare before the students fell into the room.

"Whoa!"

"What's going on?"

"What happened in here?" The students asked as they looked at the mess the library was in. The librarian bumped her head on her desk that Ryo had put her under. She rubbed her head then noticed the mess.

"W-What?"

The ronins jumped upon the roof of the school building. That was the best bet to hide for the moment. Ryo and Cye looked down to the ground before walking over to the other. Rowen and Sage were kneeling down with Rena while Kento was just standing there.

"So, what happened?" Rowen asked.

"Not sure really. Sage just got a headache then said Rena was in trouble," Ryo reported. All eyes turned to him. He froze. Uh oh.

"Wait a minute," Kento suddenly said. "Rena, you don't seem curious about why we are all in armor."

Now all eyes were on her. Double, Uh oh. Neither Rena or Sage could bring themselves to look at their friends. Instead they just exchange guilt looks.

"Rena?" Rowen looked at her. "What's going on?"

Rena shrunk down.

"Sage?" Ryo said in an accusing tone. Sage also shrunk down.

"I think the time has come to spill," Sage said to Rena. She nodded. "I kinda told her about them."

"You told her about our armors?" Kento exploded and grabbed Sage by the front of his sub armor. "How stupid can you be? Do you realize how much danger she is in now?"

Rena leaped up and forced her way in between the two. - No! Don't blame him! This was mine fault! It was an accident! He teleported into my fantasy world by accident! -

"Teleported?" Cye asked.

"Fantasy world?" Ryo raised an eyebrow. "This is going to be a long story, isn't it?"

Rena looked down at the ground and nodded. She glanced over to Sage. He nodded then began to explain everything to them.

"Whoa!" Was all Kento could say. The others had to let it all sink in.

- I'm sorry. This is my fault, so don't blame Sage. I made him promise not to tell any of you. -

"I can understand you wanting to keep this a secret...But...," Cye started.

"If you were in danger you should have told us," Ryo finished.

- I know. But I honestly didn't think that..that thing was any danger. I've never seen it before. -

"You've never encountered it before?" Cye asked rubbing his chin.

- That's right. -

"Did it say anything to you about why it was after you?" Kento asked.

- Yes. It said something about me having been kissed by magic. That I have been chosen to save the magic world from being destroyed. It also said that if I get pulled into that world then it might not be able to stop me. And somehow, when Sage got teleported to my fantasy world it was able to come into this world. Then it said that it was going to go after Sage's armor next. -

Rena looked at Sage, worry written all over her face. He smiled and placed an arm around her shoulders. "It's ok. Don't worry about me."

"Sage can handle himself," Ryo said in more of a thought than a reply to Rena. "But what about you, Rena? How much practice have you had with these powers of yours?"

- Well...none. -

"What?" They all but Rowen, who was still kneeling down on the ground with his hair casting shadows over his eyes, yelled.

- Yeah. I never really needed to use them. He said I didn't have too. At least, not yet. -

The ronins went quiet.

"I have another question," Cye broke the silence. "When are you suppose to go to this magic world?"

- I don't know. He said that he'd come and get me when the time was right. -

"I wonder if Mia knows anything about this," Ryo said.

"Why would she know anything about it?" Sage asked.

"I don't know," Ryo scratched his head. "I guess I'm more hoping that she does. Even though we have our armors, this kind of magic is a bit out of our league."

"Well, that's true," Cye crossed his arms.

"So? Where do we go from here?" Kento asked.

"We should defiantly go talk to Mia," Ryo answered. "That way we can keep a close eye on Rena and come up with a plan. It's not safe anymore to just leave her at her own house."

"But it's only Wednesday. How are we going to keep an eye on her until Friday? I'm not sure if her guardians will let her have a sleepover with any of us guys at our houses," Sage pointed out.

"Maybe not us," Cye said, referring to himself, Ryo and Sage. "But maybe Kento or Rowen."

Rena twitched at the sound of Rowen's name. She just realized he hasn't said a word the whole time they were on the roof. She took a quick glance at him. He was very unhappy with her and Sage. Everyone could sense that at this point. Ryo leaned in closer to his teammates and whispered. "Maybe Rowen isn't a good idea right now. Kento? Can you...?"

"I'm a bit teed off at her myself, but, I'll talk to ma," Kento nodded then shot Rena and Sage a glare. Rena sighed and looked down. She really blew it. Sage just gave her a comforting squeeze, he was use to being hounded by Kento. She smiled at him. At least she wasn't alone in the dog house.

Notes: Weeeeeeee! That's it for chapter five! Hope you like! I really wanted to get this chapter written sooner, but I had to write an art history paper for my class . ugh! art history really stinks! It's so boring. But, I finally got that done and was able to do this chapter. So? What ya think? Think Rena is going to patch things up with Kento and Rowen? Find out in the next chapter! See ya then!