Guardian Souls
By: Ghost of the Dawn
Chapter Three: Yesterday's Heros
Misty Falls, Oregon was a forty-five minute drive from the airport and a three hour drive from the ocean. As close as could be, Robyn had explained in one letter, to Japan while still a safe distance away from the water. Everything there was green, wet, and lush with the promise of a warm, rainy spring as most went in this part of the state. Very peaceful and pretty and out of the real big cities. This was the way Robyn had liked it.
The Ronins and company were now in Riverdale--about a twenty minute drive from Misty Falls. This was where Mia had booked their hotel rooms for the night. It was the best she could do on such short notice, trying to find a place to stay in a whole other country. It was the closest hotel she could find that had online reservations, so it would have to do.
There was a definite feeling of restlessness, especially among the boys as the group piled out of their rental car and moved up to their rooms to see what to do next. Mia and Miniko shared a small room; large enough for two people though it could easily fit three if the situation called for it. Being a bit strapped for cash, the five Ronins had to share another room altogether. But it wasn't too bad either with two large beds. Kento and Ryo were instantly arguing over who was going to have to sleep on the floor. Neither really wanted to and wouldn't mind sharing a bed. That left Cye out. The bearer of Torrent was instantly involved with the argument then. He sure wasn't going to take the floor. In the end, a few rounds of rock, paper, scissors left Ryo with the short end of the deal. But it hadn't been the first time he ever slept on the ground and, being the easy sleeper that he was, didn't mind too much.
Amidst all this, Sage was unpacking quietly when he noticed Rowen sitting on the other side of the bed, kind of slumped over and not looking too lively. Sage walked over and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Let's see how this looks," he stated as he started helping Rowen remove his shirt.
The bearer of Strata hardly paid him any mind as he was undressed. Sage raised an eyebrow at this. He assumed Rowen's listlessness was a result of his shoulder wound, but maybe that wasn't entirely correct. It still needed tending to, however, so Sage went right to work removing the bandage. He blinked at what he saw.
"This hasn't healed at all," he stated, catching the other three's attention from their current bickering. "It still looks fresh!"
"That's what Miniko said," Rowen replied flatly, looking at the wall as he said so.
At the mention of Miniko, Sage's jaw visibly tightened. He still wasn't ready to address this situation yet and it kind of unnerved him that Rowen mentioned her so easily as if she had always been around them like that.
"What do you mean by that, Sage?" Kento asked, plopping himself down on the bed to watch.
"The puncture isn't scabbed over one bit," Sage pointed out. "It's not bleeding, but it looks brand new. I've never seen anything like this before."
And that meant a lot coming from the son of a doctor. Ryo stepped up.
"Can you do anything, Sage?" he wondered. "We don't know when something might happen. We all need to be as ready as we can."
Sage nodded and put his palm to Rowen's hurt shoulder. The latter didn't even flinch when he was touched. Perhaps the jet lag was getting to him.
Ryo, Kento, and Cye watched intently as Sage closed his eyes and called up his armor's healing powers. A dull green glow emitted from his hand and radiated steadily. For several minutes, no one moved, not knowing what to expect. After more silence, Cye and Ryo looked at each other. Something didn't feel right. It shouldn't have taken so long. Kento noticed Sage's eyebrow was starting to twitch and his face even began to perspire.
Suddenly, Sage pulled back, breathing heavily. The other ronins looked at him in surprise as he plopped tiredly on the other bed.
"It didn't work," he rasped.
The others looked in astonishment. Rowen's wound was just as it had been. Nothing had changed.
"Woa! What happened?" Kento wanted to know.
Sage ran his hand through his hair in agitation. "I don't know. I couldn't feel it. It's like there's something there blocking my power from reaching it."
"You mean like a kind of spell?" Ryo wondered.
Sage was about to reply that he wasn't sure, but didn't get a chance when there was a knock at the door. Cye moved to open it.
"Hey guys," Mia announced to them. "We talked it over and we thought it would be a good idea if you guys just went on ahead to get Robyn without us. You could spend a bit of time with her and then maybe bring her back here later tonight. We'll explain everything to her then. Sound like a plan?"
The guys had to agree. It wasn't said out loud, but they knew why Mia was doing this. It was because of Miniko. Under the circumstances, it probably wasn't a good idea to introduce Robyn to her right off the bat before they had time to prepare her. The two girls had shared past experiences that weren't all pleasant and it was anyone's guess how Robyn would react to seeing her now. Yes, it was definitely a good idea to let them have some time after being apart so long before explaining what was going on and who was involved.
"Yeah, we'll do that Mia," Cye nodded. "Though Rowen might be staying here with you. He's not--"
"I'm going," came a stubborn voice from inside the room.
Mia peeked past Cye's shoulder to see Rowen putting his shirt back on.
"Dude, you sure?" Kento asked from where he was still sitting cross-legged on the bed. "If there's some kind of voodoo on that then maybe you should think about--"
"I'll be fine." There wasn't any force in Rowen's calm voice, just finality. Sage was standing in front of him now, almost in his way. As if forbidding the patient to leave. But Rowen just stared him down.
"I am going," Rowen told him. Again, not forcefully, but as a fact in a gentle voice. "I want to be there, too."
The two best friends looked each other down and Sage finally nodded. Even at the risk of Rowen's health, he knew it wouldn't be right to deny him this. No, it just wouldn't feel right if all of them didn't go.
"So, this is it then," Kento announced, eyes sparkling in excitement as he jumped to his feet. "This is what we came here for. Let's do it!"
Mia smiled as she felt the eagerness from them. It was like something that was meant to happen and almost too long awaited. It was wise of her to let them have this on their own before they came back to her.
"Here's the keys," she said as she handed the rental car keys to Cye. "Take what time you need, just try not to be back too late or I'll worry."
Cye smiled back, clutching the keys in his fist. "Thanks Mia. We appreciate this."
She nodded. "I understand. Be safe you guys."
Everyone promised to as they switched off lights and filed out of the room. Mia stayed in the hall, watching them eagerly go before slipping off to her own room. Inside, Miniko was sitting on one of the beds with her knees pulled up to her chest. She watched Mia come inside. The older woman had a kind of melancholy smile on her face as she closed the door behind her.
"Have they gone?" she wondered.
"Yes," Mia looked up at her. "I sent them off. I hope Rowen can handle it. I think he's pushing himself."
Miniko looked at her new friend quizzically as she sat down on her own bed. She was confused about how Mia was acting. She had been trying to analyze the different feelings she was getting from the group the entire trip, but very little seemed to come together. Miniko could now feel Mia's regret and yet, satisfaction at the same time.
"What?" she finally asked. "Is something bothering you Mia? I don't understand that look on your face."
Mia looked up from her thoughts, surprised at the question. But then she smiled thoughtfully as well.
"I guess half the time I don't understand it either. I'm not like any of them at all, I'm really not."
Miniko quietly watched as Mia moved to pull out clothes from her travel bag.
"There's a connection between the five of them, I'm sure you can feel it," Mia went on as Miniko nodded her understanding. "I've learned to accept it over the years I've known them and I always thought it was something unique only to them and no one else could ever be a part of. But now," she paused, a far off look on her face. "Something has changed. I've known them longer than Robyn has, but she has connected with them in a way I could not. I can't explain what it is or why, but I can't say I'm surprised she's involved with this now. It fits so easily. Maybe this was all meant to be."
A silence drifted between the two women. Miniko was left to expound on the feeling that she was getting into something far deeper than she realized.
"I was horrible to her," she then said out of the blue. "Way worse than any of the others. I was so different back then. Always angry. But I've changed. I feel so bad about it. I hope she can forgive me."
Mia smiled at her. "If she can't, there would be no point in her coming here for she obviously hasn't grown."
Twenty minutes down the road, the group of five ronins and one rental car entered the limits of Misty Falls. And a small town it was indeed. Plenty of trees and little houses. No sky scrapers or hardly any large buildings like in the big city. Definitely Robyn's style.
"Okay," Cye announced from the passenger seat as he fished a piece out of piece of paper from his back pocket. "Robyn's apartment is 400 north and 4351 east. It's the Pine View apartment complex."
Sage, who was driving, did so quietly as he listened to Cye's directions and turned where he was told. Not as quiet were the three in the back seat. Ryo and Kento had gotten into a poking match, leaving Rowen squished as close to the window as he could as not to get sucked in.
"Guys," the blue haired young man said. "Can we please hold off on this right now?"
That got their attention. Under normal circumstances Rowen would have been one of the last ones to blow the whistle on any car fight. Usually he was right in the middle of it. He really must have not been feeling well at all. No sooner had the fight stopped, than Sage had pulled into the parking lot of their desired destination and parked the car.
It was a fairly large complex. Pretty nice, too. Not a bad place to live for a college student. Robyn's place was on the third floor, room 306. The door with that number on it was still in one piece, which was always a good sign.
"Man, I can't wait to see the look on Robyn's face when she answers," Kento grinned as Cye rang the bell. "How bad do you think she's going to flip out?"
No one could say. It had been so long since they had met, it was anyone's guess now how much about Robyn would be like it was and what had changed.
Unfortunately, this would not be the time to get that answer. No one came to greet them.
"Hmm...maybe we should have called first?" Ryo wondered.
The others mumbled to themselves. No one ever thought of checking to see if she would actually be home when they set out for Robyn's doormat. What were they supposed to do now?
"No one's home," announced a voice.
All five foreigners looked down the hall to see a young man around their age locking up his place. He was dressed as a pizza delivery boy--most likely headed off to work.
"Everyone's at the game right now."
Cye blinked at the offered information.
"What game is that?
"This has to be the place," Sage announced as he drove them into a crowded parking lot.It took them a while to find a parking spot. There were vehicles everywhere.
Following the instructions left from the pizza boy, the ronins now found themselves on the community college campus. Educational and recreational buildings dotted the few blocks around them, but for now, the large field across the way was their final destination.
"Oh yeah, I forgot it was girl's soccer season over here right now," Ryo noted as he got out of the car.
"Yeah, well don't forget why we're here, Ryo," Kento accused. "I don't want to see you watching girls run around in their uniforms when we're supposed to be looking for Robyn."
Ryo waved it off while Cye looked around worriedly.
"I hope we can find her here. It looks like the whole town showed up to watch the game. The stands are probably packed. Maybe we should just go back to her apartment and wait."
"Come on Cye," Rowen said, forcing a smile. "Let's try it. Where's your sense of adventure?"
That did it. The wounded one was telling him we was whimping out. Cye was in.
"I bet we would have better luck if we split up," Kento announced with a mischievous grin. "The first one to find Robyn wins."
Of all the challenges Kento could have proposed to the group, this one certainly had everyone's agreement. In more ways than one, it seemed, the first one to find Robyn would win. And perhaps, each had been hoping they would be the first to spot her before the competition had even been thought of.
So, as expected, everyone agreed and systematically split up to cover as much ground as they could and then meet somewhere at the opposite end of the field, hopefully with Robyn in their company. Cye was hardly next to the stands when his previous doubts came back to him. Back in Japan, Robyn's fiery red hair was easy to spot in a crowd. So was Sage, for that matter. It was comforting to know how much they stood out when the majority of the citizens in Toyama all had deeper skin and dark hair. Here, it was a colorful nightmare. They were in America now which was, after all, the world's melting pot. People of all sizes, colors, and walks of life dotted the stands and everyone just...fit in with everyone else. That realization momentarily awed Cye into thoughtful silence. But he didn't let it daunt him for long before he continued his search in earnest for his friend.
Going around the back of the stands, Sage avoided the gazes of yet another group of ogling girls. He could hear them laughing as he quickened his pace. Inside, he burned as he felt his cheeks grow hot. How frustrating. No matter what country he was in, he was still treated like some kind of department store window decoration put on for everyone to stare at. He had been heading towards the concession stands, figuring Robyn might be around there if she was still the junk food addict she used to be. Though it was hard to look for her while he was dodging lustful stares from others. Maybe, he thought begrudgingly, he would just get lucky and Robyn would happen to find him instead of the other way around. Everyone else seemed to notice him, why couldn't she?
Rowen was on the opposite side of the field from Cye. He climbed up through the crowded stands and started walking across the top, looking down. Man, this was like finding a needle in a haystack. He couldn't even figure out the colors of the home team or what side the fans would be sitting on. He didn't know anything about this school. This made it hard to even formulate which section of this huge property would be the most probable to look in. What a disappointment. This search was getting discouraging. Too many people were jumping up and down and waving to really get a good look at anything and there were more redheads in the stands than Rowen ever thought existed. It seemed rather pointless now.
Rowen looked up at the scoreboard. The teams were tied and the game was almost over. Oh well. They still knew where Robyn lived. If they couldn't find her before most of the crowds had left, the could still go back to her apartment. Rowen sighed as he continued his search. He really didn't feel well. His head was kind of light and fuzzy. Maybe if he had been better, he might have noticed the lively redhead running around on the grass in soccer uniform. She was running down the field with the ball and the crowds were going crazy. She then kicked the ball to one of her teammates who head-butted it into the goal, winning the game.
"Alright, Tiasha!" Robyn whooped, giving her dark skinned teammate a high five.
"Couldn't have done it without 'chu, girl!" Tiasha shot back.
Milliseconds later, the rest of the team of screaming girls descended upon them. They had won their first home game. Robyn couldn't believe it, she had helped do it. Everyone was screaming and cheering and jumping around and she was right in the middle of it. Some of the fans ran out on the field and began congratulating their friends. Robyn was beaming as everyone told her how great her play was. She couldn't have been happier.
As soon as the crowds started to die down, Robyn managed to slip back to the benches and grab her towel and her water bottle. She had been on the field almost the entire last half of the game and was quite run out and sweaty. She gulped down the cool liquid and then placed the container against her hot forehead. Never had she recalled feeling quite this satisfied. She had played hard and she had done her best. She couldn't have asked for anything more. This was all she ever wanted. Or was it?
For some reason, Robyn suddenly felt compelled to look over and it made her drop everything and forget all that had happened that entire day. Maybe all that had happened in her entire life. He just stood there among all the other people, like he had just appeared out of nowhere. No one had even noticed or realized what awesome presence was standing in their midst. Only Robyn saw; and she suddenly screamed in delight, catching some attention in the process.
But Robyn didn't care. She just ran. Ran past the odd looks; past everything else. Right towards him.
"RYO!" she practically screamed in his ear as she flung herself at him.
Ryo had to take a step back to catch himself as he caught her. Robyn clung to his neck tight as she shook her head back and forth and gushed over him.
"Ryo! You're here! I can't believe it's you! I can't believe it! I'm so glad you're here! I never would have thought in a million years!"
Ryo laughed and hugged her back. "Me, too," he grinned into her hair and held her tight. He had never really hugged her before. Not like this. So this was how it felt to have her safe and secure in his arms.
"I saw your play," Ryo continued as they pulled away. "That was awesome!"
"You saw it?" Robyn repeated, getting even more excited than before, if it was possible. Even though they had let go of each other, Robyn still had both Ryo's hands firmly in hers and was almost dancing in front of him now in complete rapture that he had seen her in her moment of triumph.
"Ryo, I can't believe you saw it! Oh my gosh! That's so cool! I'm so glad you were able to see me play!"
"Ryo!" Another voice interrupted. "I thought I told you not to ogle the soccer babes while we had a job to do."
Robyn spun around, eyes wide at that familiar voice. Her heart was thudding in her chest almost too hard for her to breathe. As if one wasn't enough. She could have lived with one. If only one of them had been there, she would have been happy. Now this. This was almost too good to be true.
"Kento!" Her voice came out as hardly a squeak. Her racing heart had nearly left her breathless with hardly a sound to make. How could such a miracle have happened?
Kento laughed as she threw herself in his direction, throwing her arms around his neck as well. He caught her in one arm and Robyn squealed with delight as he spun her around in a circle before finally letting her feet touch the ground again. But even then, Robyn hardly felt down to earth. It was as if she were floating. This was all too good to be true.
"How are you here?" she wondered, still hugging Kento's neck tight. "This is so amazing."
"Yeah, well don't be done being amazed just yet. We're not the only ones who came," Kento grinned.
Robyn pulled away and looked at him with eyes the size of watermelons.
"Are you serious?" she rasped. "You're ALL here?"
Kento grinned wide as he nodded. "Yup. We all split up trying to find you. We're supposed to meet up at the other end of the field."
Robyn clapped with glee. "Let's go find them then!"
Happy to oblige, Kento grabbed Robyn by the hand and started off for the rendezvous point. As she was being pulled away, Robyn managed to grab onto Ryo's hand with her free one and the three of them made a tightly bound chain as they journeyed to meet the others.
Robyn couldn't believe this was happening. Not only was she hand in hand with two of her dearest friends she never thought she'd see again, but the others were here as well looking for her. She had to find them fast. Her heart was racing out of control and would surely burst if she didn't see them soon.
They quickly reached the meeting place, but no one else was there yet. With nothing else to do, the three stood there and waited as patiently as they could. Which, for Robyn, wasn't all that patient. She was still between Ryo and Kento, holding one of their hands in each of hers and was now swinging them back and forth as she hummed. All kinds of excitement was flowing through her. She could hardly contain herself. When would the others hurry up and be there?
Kento was chuckling at Robyn's actions. It was good to see her again and he enjoyed holding her hand in his. It just felt better somehow; her finally being there with them again. Any worries or fatigue he had earlier melted away in her presence. He could have stood there holding her hand all day, but it was not meant to be.
"Here they come," Ryo announced, pointing them out.
Robyn looked, eyes sparkling. Ryo was the one who first had to let go as she raised her hand to wave.
"Rowen! Sage!" she called to the two young men walking towards them.
It was then Kento finally had to let go, too as Robyn jogged off to meet the duo. Her greeting wasn't quite as forceful as when she first saw Ryo -- luckily for Rowen and his wounds. Still, she ran up to them and, with a happy cry, threw her arms around them both at once.
"I'm so glad to see you guys again!" she cried. "I missed you!"
Sage, for his part, still wasn't too used to physical displays of affection and just stood there, letting himself be embraced. Rowen grinned and rested a hand on the top of Robyn's head which he had always been able to do easily with their height difference.
"I'm sure you missed me most of all, huh?" Rowen implied with his old high school humor.
But, unlike what used to be, he didn't get a snappy retort from his red-haired friend. In fact, she hardly said anything at all as she moved further over to Rowen's side and buried her face in his chest. Her shoulders started to shake as she clung to him. Robyn couldn't understand it; she was so happy. Why did she suddenly feel like crying?
"Hey, are you okay?" Rowen asked, sounding a little worried.
Robyn looked up at both of them. They were taller than she remembered and she was smiling. She almost felt like crying, but not yet. She could hold it in. This was a happy time.
"Yeah, I'm great!" Robyn assured the two as she hugged them both again. "I'm so great!"
"That's good to hear," came a new voice.
Robyn instantly spun around. Right in front of her, hardly an arms length away he stood. Just the site of him hardly left a breath in her chest and she almost fell more than stepped over to reach him.
"CYE!"
Though not as tall as Rowen or Sage, Cye still wasn't as short as Ryo or Kento and Robyn could hardly reach his neck in her bewildered, overjoyed condition. She wrapped her arms tightly around his upper torso and buried her face in his chest. The strong arms wrapping around her and pulling her close were silent testimony that this was indeed real and not just another meeting she would often dream about. They were all here. Safe, sound, and with her again. It was nothing short of a miracle.
"Hey, Robyn," Cye's quiet, soothing voice greeted in her ear. "We're here."
That was what did it. She could have held it if not for that. On those words, a flood of emotions ran through her. She looked up at Cye, smiling brightly, and her eyes started to water.
"I know," she sniffed as Cye wiped a tear away with his thumb.
The others watched on, basking in the tenderness of the moment. This felt right. They were all together now. Everything was going to be okay.
"Hey you guys," a deep, yet still very feminine voice shattered it all.
Everyone stopped to see a shapely, blonde young woman standing in their midst. She had light blue eyes and tanned skin. And she didn't look too impressed as she stood among them, one hand on her hip.
"Are you making her cry?"
The four of the Ronins stared at her blankly. Kento, who as standing the closest to her, was already checking her out. Robyn pulled away and laughed a little, wiping her eyes.
"Yeah," she admitted. "But it's all good. I wouldn't have it any other way."
The blonde now looked confused at it all.
"Okay then. Mind filling me in, Robyn?"
There were still tears in her eyes, but she was beaming.
"These are...well, my family. They are...Wow! I just can't believe they're here!"
The blonde woman's attitude quickly changed as her eyes went wide. She looked over the group again in a new light; as if suddenly realizing their greatness.
"This is them?" she asked incredulously. "Your guys from Japan? You didn't tell me they were coming."
"I didn't know! Guys, this is Natalia. She's my roomie, friend, and ride home."
"But not necessarily in that order," the one now established as Natalia retorted. "It's nice to finally meet you guys." She paused and quickly sidled over to Robyn, whispering in her ear. "They can speak English, right?"
"For the most part," Cye replied for her. "I don't know about Kento, though. He has a hard enough time speaking Japanese."
"HEY!" Kento was quick to defend. "I speak it well enough. Try having Chinese as your first language and see how well you do."
"So how did you guys know to find me out here anyway?" Robyn wondered. As magic as it felt to her, they couldn't have just appeared out of thin air.
"We went to your place first but no one was in," Kento answered. "Some pizza kid sent us out here to find you. But no one told us you'd be playing. Soccer Boy over here was the only one who was looking in the right spot."
Ryo laughed as Kento threw a thumb at him. "I actually wasn't expecting to even see you on the field. You're better than last I saw you. We should have a game sometime Robyn."
"I'll hold you up to that," Robyn agreed. "But do you guys want to go back to my place for now? I gotta get cleaned up and changed. Do you guys need a ride or...?"
"We've got a rental car," Cye stated. "And I think we pretty much know the way now. We'll meet you back at your place."
"Oh," Robyn suddenly looked disappointed. Of course they would have to split up again. But she didn't want to part with them so soon. Even just for a little bit. "You guys promise you'll be there, right? No disappearing on me?"
Kento gave her a noogie. "We'll be there. No worries."
Robyn laughed and fought him off. "Okay, if you don't I'll come looking for you. See you guys there." She waved them off, still obviously not wanting to see them go. "Come on Nat, let's hurry!" she insisted, grabbing her roommate's arm. "We're parked clear on the other side."
The more shapely blonde stayed quiet until they both got into her small, blue green car and shut the doors. Then she started to chuckle as she got out her keys.
"What?" Robyn demanded.
"What do you mean, 'what'?" Natalia retorted. "You've never looked twice at any guy since I've known you. I was starting to wonder what your preferences were. But now I see what you've been hiding. No wonder you weren't interested in anyone around here! You had five hotties waiting for you to choose from. Heck, I'd take them all at once!"
"Uh, let's tone the hormones down a bit, shall we?" Robyn replied, not amused. "These guys are off limits to you. I know how you are with men and I'm not allowing you to have a chance of breaking any of their hearts. Besides, aren't you already currently attached to a Mr. Soon-To-Be-Heartbroken?"
"Me?" Natalia replied innocently as she started the car. "I'm hurt that you think such a thing of me. And I do love Doug with all my heart, but it doesn't hurt to look, does it? I may be attached, but I'm not dead."
"As you say," Robyn grinned. The two of them always gave each other a hard time. But in all truthfulness, Robyn had found a good friend in the mischievous blonde.
"So, what brings them all the way out here without any warning?" Natalia then wondered.
Robyn stopped and blinked. "I...don't know," she admitted. "But they've got to have more of a reason than just feeling like it. Especially with all five of them here. They'll probably tell me when we get a chance to talk."
The two girls beat the Ronins back to their apartment and Robyn led the way up to the third floor and opened the door. Inside was the humble layout of a college student's home. There were a few odds and ends lying around, but the place was still fairly clean. It was furnished as well with a table in the tiny eating area and even two small couches facing each other.
"Feel free to have a seat and make yourself at home, guys," Robyn suggested as she moved off down the hall to sling her soccer gear into her room.
Kento followed, wanting to have a look at the rest of the place and Robyn gave him a brief tour of the hall. Nataila had already made herself scarce, minding her own business in her bedroom for a while. The rest of the ronins took a seat on the couches as it was offered and welcomed the soft cushion and the time to rest.
Cye let his head loll back as he let out a heavy sigh. These past two days had been emotionally as well as physically exhausting. It felt good to allow himself a little rest. He opened his eyes when something light landed in his lap and immediately stiffened when he saw what it was.
Sage, who was sitting next to him, had his eyes closed as well, but opened them when he heard agitated squeaks from his friend. When he saw what was going on, he was not all that impressed with what had Cye so uptight.
"G--get this off me!" he squeaked, wide eyed.
"Oh, there's my baby," Robyn said as she whisked back into the room. She immediately gathered up the large black and white cat that was sitting on Cye's lap and looking at him expectantly. "He was waiting for Mommy to get home, weren't you," she continued to coo as she scratched the cat's ears.
"Why am I not surprised you have a cat?" Ryo laughed as he got up to pet Robyn's cat. Kento immediately snatched up Ryo's spot on the couch when he did.
"This is Bro, he's the man of the house," Robyn introduced. "And he loves every second of it, don't you baby?" As an afterthought she added "Can I get you guys anything to drink? We don't have much at the moment but I can get some ice water."
Everyone voiced that they could go for some and Robyn handed her cat over to Ryo before moving off to the kitchen area which was in plain view of the living room.
"And wash your hands," Cye instructed. "I don't want any cat hair in that water."
Kento snorted and kicked at his picky friend. Cye just kicked right back and they all settled down as they were handed their drinks.
When Robyn offered a glass to Rowen, he hardly noticed it. She practically had to put it in his hand for him to get him to take it. Worried, she leaned closer to inspect him.
"Rowen, are you feeling okay? You look kind of pale."
There was a pause as the Ronins all looked at one another, wondering what to tell her at the moment. Robyn was already feeling the temperature of his forehead instead of waiting for an answer.
"I...think I got a bit of travel sickness," Rowen lied, hating every word of it. His instincts told him that now was not the time to bring this up yet.
"Oh, poor thing," Robyn sympathized. She moved behind the couch and felt his forehead one more time for good measure. "You're welcome to rest here for a while. You look like you could use a nap."
She ran her fingers through his thick bangs and ruffled them a little. Rowen closed his eyes. This was the first thing in the past few days that actually felt kind of good. Even just having her presence with him soothed his aches somehow.
"Hey Robyn," Natalia poked her head out of the hall. "Aren't you forgetting something?"
Robyn looked up and blinked and her roommate.
"Take your time," Natalia probed as she pointed to her watch.
"Oh crap!" Robyn breathed. "I have to work tonight!"
Her roommate shook her head and muttered something under her breath that wasn't in English.
"What was that?" Robyn demanded. "I don't understand your crazy moon language, okay?"
"Excuse me, Robyn. It's called Spanish. Just because you're SO fluent in Japanese, it doesn't mean there's any other languages out there."
"Hey," Robyn replied with mock attitude. " I don't go around speaking it to you. When I have trash to talk, I do it to your face."
"Whatever," Natalia huffed with a grin as she wondered off. The two obviously fought like this often.
Robyn ignored the last comment as something else began to bother her.
"Oh you guys, this sucks! I have to go to work in, like, a half an hour and I don't get off until midnight. I wonder if I can get someone to cover my shift for me. Hold on, I have to shower and make some phone calls okay? I'll see what I can do."
And with that, she had disappeared into her room and all went quiet. There was a distant sound of Robyn talking on the phone behind her closed door, but none could hear what she was saying. The five Ronins sat and looked at each other, unsure of what to do. Somewhere down the hall, water began running. Robyn was probably showering.
It was quiet in the main room, despite how many people were in there. Each of the five warriors were mulling over their situation. What were they to do now? Of course Robyn would have a job out here to pay her expenses. No one really thought about that until now. In fact, no one really gave much thought about anything except finding her. It had failed to be foreseen that things would be this hectic in Robyn's life and they may not get to spend that much time with her. And when that was the case, when would they be able to talk to her? And what exactly should they say if they end up with only a small amount of time to say it in?
"Okay guys," Robyn sang as she came back in.
All heads shot up to look at her. She was already out and half dressed again with a towel wrapped around her head. How long had they been sitting in stillness?
"This is the best I could do," Robyn continued. "I have to go to work in about ten minutes. But I go someone to cover my shift around nine. It's almost six right now. So while I'm gone, Nat is going to play hostess."
From somewhere down the hall came a "Hey! When were you planning on telling me?"
More than a few heads shot in that direction.
"She'll do it," Robyn assured them. "But be warned, she's kind of a flirt. Think of her almost like a female Rowen--only hot."
"Yeah she is," Kento agreed
"Hey," Strata protested..
"Now," Robyn continued. "She'll take you guys out to eat somewhere and then take you to my work when my shift is almost over and we'll go from there. Sound good?"
The Ronins looked at her blankly. Though they were kind of hungry, none of them thought about bringing anything that would pay for American food.
"That's very kind of you Robyn, but we don't--" Sage started to say.
Robyn quickly cut him off.
"Uh, uh. It's on me guys, really. Don't worry about it."
And before any further arguments could rise, she had run off back down the hall. She was gone for several more minutes--during which they could hear a muffled conversation between Robyn and her roommate.
"So, when we gonna do this, guys?" Kento voiced what everyone was wondering. "Mia's going to worry if we're gone too long and we can't spend a whole week out here. We have to tell her!"
"We will," Cye promised. "Tonight. I'm just worried how she's going to handle it."
"She'll just have to deal with it," Sage put in matter of factly.
Cye frowned at him. That wasn't very sensitive to say. It was actually kind of rude.
"Really Sage, do you have to--"
"Think about it, Cye," Halo interrupted. "What has Robyn been doing her entire life? She has handled everything life has thrown at her until now. I think she'll be okay."
Cye was taken off guard from that. As usual, Sage had been the voice of reason.
"Sorry guys," Robyn called as she came back in. "You came out all this way to see me, and I make you spend most of the time by yourselves."
The Ronins, however, didn't hear much of the apology. They were too befuddled by the sight standing before them. Robyn was fully dressed now in a while dress shirt, red vest and black skirt which she wore with nylons and black high heels. Her hair was done up and a few strands hung around her lightly touched-up face.
"What?" Robyn wanted to know. She had never seen such an expression on their faces.
Kento was the first to speak as he stood and gave a whistle.
"Hey Robyn, nice outfit!"
Robyn smirked when she got what was going on.
"It's what I have to wear to my job, so don't get too used to it."
Still, it was hard. This wasn't the same girl standing before them now. In one year, she had matured and grown more than the five young men ever imagined she would. She had filled out more as most females do when they get older. Though she was still nowhere near as endowed as that blonde roommate of hers, it still couldn't be ignored. She looked so healthy now; so alive. Hardly a testimony to the fact that she lived like most poor college students--on ramen noodles and Taco Bell.
The sound of a car horn outside broke the moment.
"Oh, that's Danny. He's going to give me a ride. NAAAAT!"
"What?" The blonde asked as she showed herself into the main room.
"Here," Robyn said as she pushed some cash into her hand. "I want you to take these guys out to eat before you bring them down. Don't let them offer to pay for anything, I'm buying. In the meantime, just let them hang out." She walked over to Rowen and hugged him around the neck from behind. "This one needs to be babied a bit so make sure he gets some rest."
Natalia gave a funny smile in which Robyn gave a warning glare in retort.
Robyn then ran over to where Sage and Cye were sitting and looped an arm around both their shoulders. "Have fun guys. Don't forget to wear your seatbelts," she warned in a quieter voice. "See you later!"
With hardly a chance to get in another word, Robyn was out the door. A thud of someone tripping was heard soon after, along with a "I'm okay!"
Kento grinned. "Yup, that's our Robyn."
After that was a stretch of silence.
"So..." Natalia started as she looked over the five strangers she had been left alone with. "I didn't get your names."
The five of them sweat dropped. Robyn had forgot to even introduce them.
Natalia, this new roommate of Robyn's, turned out to be not so good at getting names. Especially five ones that she wasn't used to hearing and all at once. But by the time they were ready to go get dinner, she had them down pretty good. And Robyn, the Ronins soon found out, was not kidding about the seatbelt thing. Natalia drove a very small, light car which breaked quite tightly. And boy, did she use them a lot. Anyone not wearing their seatbelts would have no longer been in their seats. But somehow, they all made it to their destination.
"Huh, what's a Chuck-O-Rama?" Kento wondered as he got out of the car and read the sign.
"An all you can eat restaurant," Natalia explained.
"Sweet!" Kento and Ryo agreed together.
It turned out to be fun. All they had to do was pay at the door and then each was free to roam around the different tables and get whatever they felt like. Perfect for a group with different tastes in food.
As they all sat down to eat, Natalia watched them quietly. She tried to remember what Robyn had told her about them and compare it to what she saw now. The one called Cye had been asked what he had been up to lately and was now talking about his work on the open sea. Natalia remembered that being mentioned about him--that Cye liked the water. He also had a terribly cute accent, she thought. He could be someone she could go for. Sitting next to him was Ryo, the one with the dark hair and the amazing blue eyes. It was so rare to see that kind of combination. Quite attractive, but he seemed a bit on the young side. Natalia usually liked the older men.
The blonde one, Sage, was almost too pretty to be a guy. Not the type Natalia usually went for. She also liked her men a bit more masculine than that. With Rowen, his hair intrigued her. It was such an off, odd shade, it almost looked blue in a certain light. And Kento; he looked a bit different than the other five. Natalia recalled earlier that he said Chinese was his first language, so she assumed he was a different ethnicity than the others. They were all quite interesting.
As Cye kept talking, Rowen, who was quiet most of the time, made some snide comment about Cye spending too much time with dolphins and needing to find a real girlfriend. That instantly got him bristling a bit and a comical argument proceeded after.
Natalia grinned to herself. She had been worried this would be a bit awkward without Robyn present. Not that she wasn't used to being around several men; but she wasn't sure how it would be with five of them from another country. Her worrying turned out to be for nothing. She somehow felt right at home with them. Robyn was right. There was something about them that just made you feel at ease and safe in their presence.
"What?" Kento wondered.
Natalia sat up. She hadn't realized she was probably staring with a funny smile on her face. The thought of it made her want to laugh. She was definitely in a good mood that night.
"Nothing. I was just thinking about some of the things that Robyn has told me about you guys. She talked about you often."
"All good things, I hope," Ryo grinned.
Natalia laughed. "Yes, many. In fact, you are ALL she would talk about from Japan. I used to think she was some kind of man-hater. She never gave any of the guys around here a second look. She is totally infatuated with the five of you. I can see that now."
It went quiet for a moment. The five Ronins looked at each other, taken quite aback at the comment that, perhaps, each was aware of in their hearts, but it had never been said out loud. Natalia chuckled to herself at their expressions. They were clueless; all six of them.
When dinner was finished, it was about that time to meet up with Robyn at her work. Once again piling into the car that was bragged to be able to "stop on a dime", the group headed off to a small diner in the middle of town. It was a cute place--more like a dine and dance than just a regular restaurant. The atmosphere was darkened with colored lights flashing this way and that. There were couples grooving to the latest hits on the dance floor while other parties sat and ate at tables scattered about. And though there were similar places back in Japan, the five foreigners still weren't sure what they were supposed to do when they stepped inside.
Natalia grabbed Kento's arm to get his attention and pointed.
"This way, we'll get some seats over there by the--ooh." Her words were sent to a halt when she realized what she was feeling. Oh, this boy had some muscle on him. She couldn't help but test it a bit more.
Kento, of course, was grinning stupidly at this, but Sage was far from impressed.
"That booth over there?" he asked, getting the woman's attention.
"Uh..oh yeah! Right there," Natalia tried to get her thoughts on track. Boys were so distracting! "We'll have better light. Robyn will just show up when her shift is done."
Everyone headed to said table. Cye did not like the look too happy about Kento's smug expression.
"Get over it," he mumbled to him in Japanese.
"Hey, I can't help it if the chicks dig the bod!" Kento replied in the same language.
Cye made it a note not to sit next to him.
Almost instantly, a waitress came up and asked if they wanted to order. After their meal, only a few of them asked for some water. Natalia informed the waitress they were simply waiting for Robyn to get off her shift. Obviously, this girl knew the kind of person Robyn was. Natalia found it very amusing at her confused expression over the five young men waiting with her.
"Hey guys!" Robyn called as she came up to them a few minutes later.
"Yo Robby!" a guy her age called as he walked by. "Great game today!"
"Yeah Rob," his friend agreed. "Way to go!"
"Thanks!" Robyn replied. "Scoot over Rowen, I need to sit."
Kento gave her a lop-sided grin. "Is that what they call you around here?
"Oh yeah," Robyn confirmed as she sat. "Rob, Robby, Robert. The only one who calls me by my real name is Nat."
"And you're the only one who won't call me Talia," the blonde replied, looking a bit annoyed.
Robyn ignored that remark as she stretched and let out a tired sigh. "Oh man! After that game and this, my feet are killing me. Did you bring my shoes, Nat?"
The darker sinned woman paused in her glaring. She had forgotten something and Robyn could instantly tell.
"Oh, thanks a lot," the redhead frowned. "Honestly, what good are you to me?"
"Hey, I baby-sat you're little harem, here," Natalia shot back. "Is that not good enough for you?"
Any argument Robyn had was forgotten with that statement.
"Say what?"
"It's true!" Natalia insisted. "Though personally I think you're being totally selfish. How about giving one up?" She glanced slyly at Cye who was in the process of drinking his water. "I think guys with accents are so hot. It makes me just want to jump on them and make out."
Thus said, Cye promptly choked on his drink and proceeded to try to cough it out of his lungs. Robyn broke into a fit of laughter. It was at this time, Natalia noticed something happen. Each one of these young men almost seemed to stop existing in their normal lives to hear that sound. If only she knew. That was probably the most truly joyful sound any of them had ever heard from her. The blonde smiled to herself. She was right; these five were connected somehow.
"Sorry Nat, I don't think so," Robyn finally replied. "These guys are mine and I'm not sharing."
"Well!" Natalia replied, feigning indignance. "I guess I'll just go home then."
"You guys don't mind walking, do you?" Robyn asked the group. "It's not that far. It will be fun. Thought it would have been BETTER if I didn't have to go in heels, NATTIE."
"Whine, whine," her roommate shot back as she sauntered off. "See you at home."
Robyn frowned at the table top.
"I could carry you if you'd like," Kento offered.
Robyn snorted. "In this skirt? Oh, I don't think so. Let's just get going; I'm fine."
As everyone got up, the Ronins shot a meaningful look to each other. This was their chance. It was their only opportunity to finally talk to her and tell her what was going on. This would be their chance to persuade her to come with them. They needed to tell her carefully.
"Oh you guys, I'm so sorry you had to wait like that, I just couldn't get away from work," Robyn apologized. She was dancing around all of them with her shoes in her hands and a skip in her step. Day has almost turned into night and there was a beautiful orange ribbon on the edge of the horizon. Nothing could spoil this moment. It still felt like a dream.
"Hey, it's no problem. We realized you've got a real life with responsibilities," Ryo replied. "I guess it was a little rude of us to just drop by like that."
"Not at all!" Robyn assured them. "I'm just so glad you guys came. I've wanted to show you what I've been doing here. I love this place! Everything is great!"
"Like this place a lot, huh?" Kento grinned.
"Oh yeah," Robyn agreed, doing a little twirl as she walked. She could see the moon now, it was so beautiful. "I love this school and the people down here. Sometimes I swear this little town was built just for me. It fits me perfect." She turned around and starting walking backwards, facing Kento as they went. "I'm so happy here."
The other Ronins looked at each other. This was not going well. Despite what Ryo said earlier, none of them really gave much thought to what Robyn was doing over in this other country without them. Her happiness had not been considered a factor and now they were regretting it. How arrogant of them to assume that she had nothing better to do than to wait until she was called back to them when they had use for her. Where were they supposed to go from here?
"Here's our little park," Robyn pointed out as they rounded the corner. "It's fun to play night games in and I still love the swings."
Cye smiled. She always did since she was little.
Robyn started off towards it, taking a far lead. This gave the Ronins in the back of the group some time to quickly discuss the plan of action.
"We need to do this now," Cye insisted. "This is it. We should tell her now or just forget about it."
Rowen nodded. "Ryo can do it. She never gets mad at him."
"You guys! You always make me do everything!" Ryo protested. He was used to being the hero, not the bad guy.
"But it's true," Kento agreed. "Robyn never yells at you, Ryo. You're like her favorite or something."
"I am not! She just--I mean I..." Ryo tried to argue, but it was all in vain against the stubborn faces of his comrades. "Fine," he relented and started over to her. For it may have still remained to be seen who Robyn's real "favorite" was, it went without saying that Robyn did have a lot of respect for Ryo and the Ronins were all counting on that in this moment.
"Ah, so you got to be the spokesman, huh?" Robyn smiled as Ryo came up to her.
She was now sitting at the swings, taking note of how the others remained a bit back while Ryo approached. Robyn had been waiting for this, too. Now she was finally going to hear what was going on. Her boys were so funny that way. Everything was such a drama for them when it came to confronting her. She had long decided to just let them be and play along.
"Yeah, I was out voted," Ryo answered sheepishly as he took the swing beside hers.
Robyn smiled at him for a while, but that soon disappeared when she saw how serious his expression was. Almost to the point of being grim.
"Is everyone okay back there?" Robyn asked, starting to get worried. "Did something happen? You didn't come out here to tell me that someone--"
"No, no, everything's fine," Ryo insisted before Robyn could panic. "I promise. Everyone's okay back home."
But Robyn still looked worried.
"Then what is it?"
Ryo sighed heavily. This was so hard. And he wasn't doing a good job of it. Robyn was already starting to worry and she hadn't even heard the real reason.
"Robyn," he began. "I--we have a situation. It has to do with our armors. Something is happening."
Robyn gripped the chains on her swing tight. This she was not expecting.
"Do you guys have to go fight?"
Ryo furrowed his brow.
"I really don't know. None of us quite know what's going on, but we think it may involve all of us. We've come to get you. We want you to come with us."
"With you?" Robyn wondered. "As in now? And back to Japan?"
"Yes. You can pack and stay with us tonight and then tomorrow we'll catch a flight to--"
"Wait a minute here!" Robyn suddenly jumped from her swing. "I can't just pack up and leave like that! I have tests next week. How long will I be gone?"
Ryo felt his chest tighten. This conversation was turning in a bad way. He had screwed up. What was he supposed to say now?
"We really don't know. But it would be best if you came with us."
"It would be BEST?" Robyn exclaimed. "How can you come out here and tell me what's best! I have responsibilities, Ryo! I have a job! I have school! I have a LIFE! I can't just leave it all behind to play around with you guys whenever you feel it's best!"
Robyn took a few steps back. She could feel it coming; she was going to cry. Dammit! She was going to cry in front of them. She didn't want that to happen. That time was over; she didn't want to be like that any more. She didn't want them to feel bad. She didn't want their pity.
"Robyn," Ryo tried again. He stood up, pleading with his eyes. His chest hurt worse now. This wasn't the way it was supposed to be. "I understand. It's hard, I know."
"How could you know?" Robyn screamed back. "How could ANY of you know? None of you know what it's like to float around, not having any place to call home. I've searched for it my entire life and I've finally found it. I belong here. I'm happy here. You can't take that away from me. How can you come all the way out here just to make me leave?"
The drama was at its peak now and everyone was paying attention. The other Ronins took it as their cue to come closer when Robyn started to yell. But even five heros didn't seem to be enough to save this night from being a disaster.
"Robyn, it's not like that," Cye tried. "We don't want you to loose all this, but we need your help."
"So, you just wanted something from me," Robyn clarified. "You would never come just to see me, it's because I have something you need."
There it was. The five young men were told outright the error of their thinking. They were so used to just doing as told, they automatically assumed others would think the same way. But it wasn't the same for this.
"I want you to go," Robyn told them evenly. "All of you. I want to you to get back in your car and I don't want to talk about it any more."
And that was that. Robyn left the five warriors there, in the park, alone with the lampposts. She ran off into the darkness to the home she cherished above all others she had been given. Time, as it is said, changes all things. Now the Ronins felt the full reality of it, and were lost. Nothing would be as it was ever again.