Guardian Souls
By: Ghost of the Dawn
Chapter Eight: Diana
Ryo ran back to the room out of breath. It took him a while to find it, but he finally made his way back to the place the other Ronins were. Cye looked up when he came in.
"There you are," he greeted. "We thought you might have gotten lost so Myune said she would go search for you and Shinsetsu since she actually knows her way around the place."
Ryo gave an uncomfortable laugh. "Yeah, I got lost." Among other things. "Sorry guys, I guess I kind of flipped out. It didn't help any, huh?"
"Everything's fine," Sage assured them. He was sitting nearest to Kento and Robyn's bodies. He had his hand floating over Robyn's foot and was acting as if it were a natural thing to do. It seemed, in fact, it might be as no one else has a problem with it. Therefore, Ryo didn't ask.
"They're alright and will keep going for now," Sage continued. "Though I would still like to get Shinsetsu here and ask how long we dare leave them like this. I would say anything longer than an hour more wouldn't be healthy for them–or safe."
Ryo gave a deep sigh as he sat himself down on the floor. He thought about the meeting he had with that strange man in the castle. He said he was the one they were sent here to fight. But if that was the case, then what was he supposed to do? Should he tell the other Ronins about it? Should he tell Shinsetsu? The old man had promised they would know everything in time. Would he be jumping the gun by letting it out? Should he wait until they were ready to explain what was going on?
"Hello, Ryo."
Ryo looked up and blinked at the person sitting next to him.
"Uh, hi...Rowen."
Ryo looked confused at why his blue haired friend looked so offended.
"I feel fine, thanks for asking," Rowen continued in a dry tone.
Ryo blinked at him again.
"Oh good grief!" Cye cut in. "Just because Ryo's not making a fuss over you just getting out of bed..."
"Hey," Rowen defended. "I've been out for almost two days. Ryo's one of the first people I see and I don't even get so much as a 'Hey Rowen, good to see you're up' or a 'How are you feeling Rowen, can I get you anything?"
Cye voiced how ridiculous he thought the complaint was by huffing loudly and turning his back to the conversation.
Rowen turned back over to Ryo who smirked at him. He was going to do something a bit out of character, but oh well.
"Oh Rowen, I'm SO glad you're alive!" Ryo cried, throwing his arms around his friend. "I thought you were gonna die! I was so worried! I don't know what I would have done if something had happened to you! I'm so happy!"
His body was wracked with loud, heavy sobs. Sobs that were fake. Rowen looked up from Ryo's false, crying clutches looking even more insulted than before. Cye snorted at the sight.
"What's the matter, Rowen?" he chided. "Isn't that what you wanted?"
Rowen sighed. "Kinda. I'm just wishing it were a pretty girl, instead."
Ryo instantly stopped and pulled back.
"Sorry, Rowen, can't help you there. I'm always going to have a flat chest."
Next, Rowen did something completely in character for him. He reached out and pressed his palm to Ryo's chest.
"No," he sighed. "Doesn't do a thing for me."
"I found him," Myune called as she walked in with Shinsetsu.
The young men all looked up. Myune's eyes went wide at the sight of the two men kneeling in front of each other with Strata's hand flat on Wildfire's chest.
"What in the world ARE you two doing!"
Robyn felt numb. If she had been standing, she was sure she would have collapsed right then and there. All their work. All the walking and the dangers and the pain. It was all for nothing. The two of them could go no further. This made Robyn mad.
"What the hell?" Kento yelled into the abyss for her. "This is bullshit!"
"No kidding," Robyn agreed. "What are we supposed to do now? How do we keep going?"
"We-we can't..." Kento admitted.
Robyn's heart jumped in her throat. "What? No! We can't give up here! There has to be some way! Put me down!"
Kento did so. Robyn flinched a bit as she tried to put some weight on her right foot. It still felt broken. Sage was sure doing a slow ass job of healing her. Feeling mad and frustrated, Robyn hobbled away from Kento, suddenly feeling the urge to get some distance and clear her head.
"So, what should we do now?" Kento asked.
Robyn didn't answer. She needed to think. There had to be a reason for this. This had to be some kind of test or puzzle or...something.
"We might have to start over, Robyn," Kento continued.
Still, Robyn ignored him. She didn't want to do that. She couldn't. There was no way she could go back there and face them empty handed.
"Robyn, we can't go any furth--"
"I know that! Shut up!" Robyn screamed, covering her ears.
She didn't want to hear his stupid chattering. She didn't want to hear Kento's voice telling her it was hopeless to think they could go on from there. Robyn gave a noise of frustration as she buried her face in her hands and slid to the floor, curling up into a miserable ball.
"Robyn?" Kento asked.
He was surprised at her outburst and even more surprised to see how easily she had crumbled at this new roadblock. The Bearer of Hardrock let out a heavy breath. Sometimes he forgot Robyn was a girl and that girls were more emotional than he was. Robyn had wanted so much for this to succeed. It almost broke his heart to see her breaking down in defeat like this. He walked over and crouched down in front of her.
"Hey, Robyn?" he tried, touching her wrist.
"No!" Robyn cried in her hands, shaking her head and shaking him off. "Don't try to make me feel better about this! I know I screwed up!"
"Robyn, come on," Kento coaxed, trying again to pull her hands away. "It's not so bad. We can always try again."
This time, he managed to slowly pull Robyn's hands away from her eyes. His chest tightened to find there were tears there.
"Why? Why can't I do it?" Robyn sniffed. "If I'm the real priestess, then I'm supposed to be helpful here. I'm supposed to be able to do this for you and the others. But all I do is screw up and I hold everyone back!"
Robyn suddenly threw herself in Kento's arms, clutching the front of his robe and burying her face in his chest.
"I'm sorry!" she sobbed. "I'm sorry I'm so useless to you!"
She squeezed her eyes tight, unable to look at him, but also unable to let go of him as well. She couldn't bear knowing she had let him down. He must have been so frustrated and mad with her. After all, she was the one who had made them push on, even made him carry her, all the way to this dead end when he wanted to start over. Robyn clenched her fists tighter and prayed he wouldn't hate her for this.
Her eyes shot open when a pair of strong arms suddenly pulled her tighter.
"You're not useless," a deep, soothing voice said.
Robyn relaxed slightly in the embrace.
"I am," she insisted. "I came with you all the way out here, but I cannot help you–not in this place or any other place you go. I'm just a burden."
Robyn refused to look at him and, instead, opted to tell her troubles to his chest. So Kento let his cheek rest on the top of her head as he slowly stroked her hair.
"It doesn't matter to me," he said softly. "I don't care what you can or can't do. I just want you with me."
Robyn's heart jumped at those words. She pulled away so she could see his face.
"Do you mean that?"
"Of course," Kento grinned. "I'll do what ever I have to for us to stay together."
Robyn's blood felt like it was on fire. The heat was spreading to her cheeks, making her face warm and her head light. Together. He had said he wanted her to be with him. He wanted her.
"Oh, Kento," she choked. "I–I do, too."
Robyn closed her eyes. Her heart fluttered with joy as she reached over to kiss him.
"Woah, time out!" Kento exclaimed. Her lips had lightly brushed his before he realized this conversation was taking an unexpected turn. He definitely hadn't seen this coming and quickly grabbed Robyn's shoulders, putting her at arm's distance.
Robyn's eyes popped open. "Huh?" she asked at Kento's face. He looked far more surprised than she did.
"What are you doing?" he blurted.
Robyn stared at him. The realization of what she had done made her face go far redder than it had ever been.
Oh, shit!
She quickly pulled herself out of his grasp and scooted away.
"No...oh no," she groaned. She curled up again, clasping her hands over the top of her head and hiding behind her arms. "I screwed up again! I'm sorry, I misunderstood."
Kento blinked at her a few times before realization set upon him as well as to what just happened.
Holy cow! All that stuff I just said to her, it totally sounded like I...
"Oh geeze!" was all he could think to say.
Kento could have punched himself. He wasn't trying to hit on Robyn or anything. He was just trying to make her feel better. He had totally meant what he said, too, but he didn't mean for her to take it THAT way.
But she did, Kento thought. And she said that she liked me. Woah, awkward!
Now Hardrock's cheeks were a bit flushed. He had no idea she was starting to feel that way about him. And now he was paying for being such a bullheaded, ignorant guy.
"Oh, Robyn," Kento tried, feeling even more awkward now that he was trying to talk to her about it. "What I said...I didn't mean–I just..."
He trailed off, not sure what to really say.
Robyn, for her part was desperately trying to pretend he wasn't there. She was so humiliated. She didn't want to see or hear anything from Kento Rei Faun. So why did they now have to be stuck in this place alone together?
I want to get away! She cried inside. I feel so stupid! I don't want him to look at me! Why do I have to be stuck here? I'm a spirit, damnit! Why can't I just get out of here?
I want to be away from here!
Then, Robyn looked up. Nothing was as it had been. The ravine, the large void, Kento–they were all gone. She stood up and looked about. A lush, green forest grew all around her. A small waterfall splashed into a sparkling pond and the sun was shining.
"Congratulations, Priestess of Hardrock," Anubis said as he walked through the swaying grass towards her. "You made it."
"Where...am I?" Robyn wondered.
"Your destination," the red haired monk explained. "This is the border between life and death. A place where spirits wait to go back into the world of the living, or pass on to the afterlife. You found it when you realized your own spiritual existence."
"Woah, wait," Robyn clarified. "So you mean to say that otherwise, I never would have found it by simply walking?"
"Of course not," Anubis announced. "This is the spirit world, you cannot get anywhere by traveling like you're still in a physical body."
Robyn lowered her head, letting her hair cover her face. Her fists trembled at her sides. One reached up and tapped him lightly on the shoulder. Yes, the ghost was solid in this world.
Anubis looked at her curiously. "Robyn?"
In a blink, Robyn was upon him. The startled Anubis fell flat on his back with Robyn sitting on his chest. She instantly had a hold of his collar and began whipping his head around like it was a rag doll.
"YOU BASTARD! YOU MADE US GO THOUGH ALL OF THAT FOR NOTHING? WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY ANYTHING?"
"YyyoOOoou h-hhad to le–learn it f–OOor yourrrrrs–EEeelf!" Anubis cried as he was being abused.
Robyn was about to yell at him some more when she cried out in pain and jumped off him.
"Sonofa–" she cussed as he grabbed her ankle. She had momentarily forgotten it was still broken.
"Oh, you poor thing," a sweet, gentle voice said. "Let me help you."
Robyn looked up as a beautiful young woman in an equally beautiful gown knelt beside her. She placed her perfect, elegant hands over Robyn's ankle and a light blue light emitted from them. Within seconds the pain was gone.
Robyn blinked at it.
"It's all better," she marveled. "I mean, you couldn't tell that there was anything wrong in the first place, but you fixed it."
"That is my special ability," the beautiful woman said with a smile. "I can see the wounds of the soul and heal them."
Robyn looked at her and then a huge, silly smile plastered itself on her face.
"You–you're her, aren't you?" he gasped.
"I am," she nodded. "Priestess of the West, Guardian of Torrent. I am so pleased to meet you, Lady Hardrock." She bowed deeply. "Thank you for coming all this way to find me. I would not be able to leave this place without your help."
Robyn was euphoric. "I did it," she whispered to herself. "I did it!" She jumped on the taller woman and hugged her. "I found you! I did it!"
"Y-yes, you did!" the Priestess of Torrent replied. She laughed, a bit surprised at Robyn's actions.
"Oh, sorry," Robyn said sheepishly when she remembered her manners. "My name is Robyn. I am, of course, the Priestess of Hardrock."
The Priestess of Torrent pressed her palms together thoughtfully, as if not sure of her next line. "Well, the name I had before I died was Diana. So I guess you can call me that."
"Great!" Robyn grinned. "Nice to meet you, Diana."
"Lady Hardrock." Robyn turned when Anubis addressed her. "Where is your partner?"
Before Robyn could even shrug, Kento appeared beside her.
"Hey, there you are!" Kento announced. "I was wondering where you went. It just took me a bit longer to figure out how to get here." He looked at the other woman standing beside his friend. "Well, I guess we got what we came for. We can go now, right?"
Anubis nodded. "Indeed. This quest is over. It is time to take Lady Torrent back with you to the land of the living."
"How exactly do we do that?" Robyn wondered.
Hey, what's going on over there? How are you two doing?
"It's Sage!" Robyn clapped. "We found her Sage. We're ready to come back now."
Good. Shinsetsu is here. I'll tell him you are ready to go.
"So...this is it, huh?" Kento rolled out. "We're done. What do we do now?"
"The three of you should probably stand close together," Anubis decided. "When your souls are pulled back into your bodies, Lady Torrent's should be pulled with you."
"What about you, Anubis?" Kento asked as Diana moved between the two Hardrocks. "Aren't you coming, too?"
"Does he have to?" Robyn whined. She had already had her fill of the ex-Warlord.
Anubis shook his head. "I have no right to try to claim another body in any physical world. I have lived several mortal lifetimes–most of which were squandered on selfish pursuits. Even my spirit grows tired with the thought of it. I wish to at last rest in peace with my ancestors who wait for me on the other side."
Kento looked a bit disappointed while Diana looked downright forlorn. Robyn could have cared less.
"Thank you, Anubis," Diana bowed. "You have been a good friend to me. I wish you would come. You were the only companionship I had while waiting here. I will miss you. You know after this, our souls shall never meet again."
Robyn blinked. How was that so? Surely everyone would meet in the spirit realm again, no matter when they died. So what did Diana mean by that and why did that Anubis guy suddenly look so sad?
"I know," Anubis said, regret clearly written on his face. "But I will not pass on until all that was meant to be done here is finished. If you ever need to call on me, you may do so through the power of Lady Hardrock and I will guide you as best I can."
Robyn looked over at him. Great. If anyone wanted to talk to this guy, they would have to do it through her? She wasn't looking forward to that at all. Anubis saw her expression and raised an eyebrow, surprising her with a smirk. Robyn smiled back in spite of herself. Maybe he was okay after all.
"Well, here it is," Kento announced. They could start feeling a slight pull now. Their spirits were being prepared to return to the side of the living. "See you on the flip side, Anubis."
The red haired monk waved. "Good luck," he said in almost a lonely voice.
Kento let out a deep breath and looked past Diana to Robyn. He could feel the pull growing stronger. It wouldn't be long now.
"Hey, Robyn?"
She turned and looked at him.
"About...what happened earlier..."
Robyn blinked at him blankly. She seemed to have no idea what he was talking about.
"What happened earlier?"
Kento's eyes went wide in surprise. How dare she act like it never happened!
"What do you mean 'what happened'?" he demanded.
That was all he could get out before he felt a tight grip on his spirit and it was snapped out of limbo and into something solid.
The other four Ronins were gathered tightly around the circle on the floor. They weren't allowed to go inside the design drawn in the floor until Shinsetsu was finished. In the middle were Kento and Robyn's bodies, still lifeless as the symbol started to glow. This worried them a bit. Even Sage. He had no idea what was going on. Something like this was never needed for any kind of astral projection he had heard of.
The symbol grew brighter and brighter with a scorching, white light. Then, it began to shrink. The circular beam of light began to dim and retreat to the center until it was nothing but a glowing ball. It was about the size of a bowling ball and it hovered over Shinsetsu's open palm.
While no one knew what the heck it was, the blind old man looked very pleased with it. He lowered his head to address the two bodies still lying on the floor.
"You two have done well," he told them. "Now, awaken."
Instantly, Kento's eyes popped open and he sat up. He groaned as he rubbed his stiff neck.
"Man, it's good to be back," he quipped.
"Alright, Kento!" Ryo cheered as he and the others ran to greet him. "How was it?"
Kento thought about it.
"Weird." Was all he could think to say.
"Robyn? Robyn, wake up!"
Everyone looked over to Cye who was cradling Robyn's still lifeless body in his arms. The Bearer of Torrent shot an accusing look at the old mage.
"Where is she?" he demanded. "Why isn't she waking up?"
"Oh man," Kento spoke first. "I could feel it as we were coming back. All of us were doing fine, then it was as if something grabbed her and held her back."
Before anyone could ask what he meant by that, Robyn's body sprang to life. Her eyes flew open wide as she sucked in a deep breath like she had been holding it all day.
"Robyn, thank goodness," Cye sighed. "You worried us for a bit."
Robyn sat up, touching her face in bewilderment. She looked at the familiar faces gathered around her. "Did I make it back?"
"Sure did," Kento grinned. "We did it!"
She smiled at him and then gasped. The Ronins became alarmed again as Robyn's face suddenly drained of all color and she clutched herself. Her body started shaking considerably.
"Robyn," Cye worried, afraid to even touch her. "What's wrong?"
By now, her trembling lips were turning blue.
"C-cold..." she rasped in a breathless voice. "It's s-so cold..."
She didn't know what was happening. It felt as if icy talons had ripped their way into her body and torn out the very core of her, leaving even the deepest part of her void from any warmth. It was a sickening embrace, one of a presence that was now a part of her.
"I've got this, guys."
Robyn hardly heard the voice before Ryo sat himself behind her and wrapped his bright red cape and his arms around her. Robyn's body was now without any strength to either fight or comply as she was pulled tightly against his chest.
The other four Ronins looked on helplessly as Robyn leaned limply against him. Sage looked over at Kento.
"What about you?" Halo asked. "Do you feel okay?"
Kento shrugged as he scratched his nose. "Fine, I guess. A little tired maybe, but nothing else."
"Hmm, such a strange side affect," Shinsetsu thought out loud as he stroked his beard with his free hand. "My apologies Lady Hardrock. It is probably because of the spell to bring back Lady Torrent's spirit with you. I had never done it before. With your powers as a guardian, you probably took the full drain of the spell to shield Lord Hardrock."
"Really?" Kento wondered. "Sorry Robyn."
"It–it's okay," Robyn said through chattering teeth. Though in truth, she disagreed with the old man's theory. Her lack of warmth felt as though it was caused by something sneaking inside her, not by something draining her.
In the meantime, Rowen sat himself carefully down next to the two on the floor. He tipped his head and leaned over so he could get a better look at Robyn's face. She smiled weakly at him.
"Hey, you're awake."
"Just in time," he smiled back.
"So Shinsetsu," Kento said, eyeing the old man's glowing orb. "Is that the Priestess' soul then?"
"Correct, Lord Hardrock," Shinsetsu replied. "I think you're starting to understand the way of things."
"Nice," Kento replied, proud of himself.
"I will now take her to perform the ceremony which will give her soul a temporary body. Lord Torrent, you may want to come. With the two of you sharing armor powers it may make it easier to stabilize her in this world."
Cye took a hesitant step forward. His actions were automatic; being used to doing what he was told. But inside, he was still nervous about this. Now, he was going to meet some strange woman–and a dead one at that–that was supposed to be tied to him. How could he be comfortable with that?
"I'll come with you," Kento offered, putting a friendly hand on Cye's shoulder.
His best friend looked to him gratefully.
"I think...I'm going to take Robyn to her room," Ryo announced.
The young red head already looked like she was dozing off. Ryo wrapped his cape around her and picked her up. He exited the room after Shinsetsu and Kento and Cye. The three went one way down the hall and Ryo departed the other. He carried Robyn to the room that was specifically made for the Priestess of Hardrock and went inside.
Once there, Ryo allowed himself a heavy sigh. Everyone had chalked Robyn's condition up to simply being drained from her ordeal. But Ryo wasn't so sure that was the case. Robyn had said she was cold, but that wasn't the whole thing. The second Ryo's body came in contact with hers, he could feel it sucking the warmth right out of him like a drowning man sucks up air. He actually had to turn to his armor powers for extra heat. If not, he might have ended up just like her. So it was a good thing he had gotten to her first for Ryo was sure if it had been any of the others, they definitely would have.
Ryo, of course, didn't mention any of this to anyone. Mostly because he just wasn't sure what to say. Maybe what was happening to Robyn was natural. He didn't want to alarm anyone if it was. And now, he could definitely feel Robyn's pull on his armor less and less as she settled back into her natural body temperature. Ryo was relieved. Robyn seemed to be okay now–just tired. So now there was no need to mention this to anyone.
Still, Ryo couldn't help but wonder if he should just leave Robyn alone right now. In truth, he really didn't even want to let her go, let alone leave the room. After looking around and giving a shrug, Ryo decided to do what he felt like and stepped right up on Robyn's bed. Then, he sat himself down with Robyn resting against his chest like she had been earlier.
Robyn's body still felt a bit chilled, so he wrapped them both up in a blanket and rested his chin on the top of her head, settling in to let his armor finish the job of warming up his friend. All was quiet inside. Almost peaceful. For the first time, Ryo was starting to feel like he could sit back for a moment and actually think about things without something going on.
Then there was a knock on the door.
"Come in," Ryo called. So much for that. Oh well.
The door opened a bit slower than a person normally would. When Ryo saw who it was, he could easily see why. It was Rowen in the doorway. He looked a bit winded from walking all the way down there and then hefting open the heavy door. He clutched his arm on the side of the injured shoulder, cradling it a bit.
"What's up, Rowen?" Ryo asked, concerned as to why his wounded friend dragged himself all the way down there alone.
To this question, Rowen instantly tried to look like he just happed to pass by.
"Oh, nothing much," he said as he looked around. "I just..." He paused in his reply, wondering what he could say to make it sound like he wasn't purposefully tailing them. He had wanted to see Robyn and he was a bit worried about her. He also had to admit that he felt a tiny pang of jealousy when Ryo carried her out. For some reason, he couldn't stand the thought of him taking care of her alone like that.
"I just don't know what to do with myself right now," Rowen finally said.
Ryo smiled knowingly at him. He could understand that just after waking up, Rowen was probably feeling a bit left behind.
"You can come sit here," Ryo offered.
Rowen gratefully walked over to the bed and lowered himself with a heavy breath. Ryo shook his head at him. Rowen's face was still pale and he looked tired. He really should have stayed in bed.
Rowen saw Ryo's expression and ignored it.
"How's Robyn?"
"Fine," Ryo replied, looking down at the girl in his arms. "She's almost back to normal. She's just sleeping right now."
Rowen looked down at her as well. He seemed to want to say something, but never did.
"I'm just going to stay with her a little longer," Ryo continued. "It's not like I have anything else to do, anyway."
"Then I'll stay, too," Rowen insisted. He tugged at a corner of the blanket and pulled it out until it was now wrapped around all three of them; scooting in tight next to Ryo to fit them all in there.
Wildfire grinned at him. Rowen rarely acted like this. He was a bit of the stand-offish type; not one to be too into casual physical contact with friends. He was almost as bad as Sage, he just didn't act as much. This was most likely due to the fact that his parents weren't too involved in his life. They never hugged him or anything similar. They were so concerned with treating him like an adult, they forgot to treat him like their son.
Kento and Ryo were the physical ones. So was Cye. None of them had a problem with patting each other's shoulder or the like. It was a favorite trick of Kento to grab one or two of them in a headlock at a time and to wrestle them all. But that was Kento's family–a close-knit place where everyone practically smothered everyone else.
Rowen was different. While Sage seemed merely a bit uncomfortable with public displays of friendship, Rowen was downright uninterested in such things. He just didn't want to even bother for some reason. Sure, he and Sage were more often than not together, but they always seemed just simply by each other and not as buddy-buddy as they really were. The fact that a certain rumor was spread around their Freshman year about Rowen's sexual preferences and why he was always with Sage didn't help.
Ryo almost snorted at remembering it. That had been an interesting year. While Sage was merely insulted at the notion, Rowen was downright bothered. He had stopped doing anything with Sage for three months straight; all for the sake a public reputation. It wasn't until Kento had accused him of being a homophobe that Rowen began to realize how stupid he was being. Still, he had insisted Sage get himself some kind of girlfriend soon. To this, the blonde just replied he wasn't going to get one until after high school just to spite him. Much to the despair of the female student body.
But, such as it was with Rowen. At least on normal days. However, Ryo also remembered another time. One which no one else knew of. A very hard time for Rowen and himself. It was when the other Ronins had been captured and the two of them plus White Blaze had ventured into the depths of the Dynasty all alone.
For two young boys hardly in their teens, it was a frightening experience. Neither of them knew where to go or how they were going to rescue their friends. Or if they would be able to rescue anyone at all; even themselves. Back then, all they had were each other to keep one another safe. They depended on each other for their lives.
Ryo recalled with a bit of a chill those harsh, hard times. They had wandered the large world for days, hiding in gutters and caves, sleeping where they could, trying to find a way into Talpa's castle. The nights there were bitter cold and they had to huddle together for warmth–one always watching while the other slept.
It was very strange to think about. In the beginning, they had been strangers. Ryo and Rowen's first meeting was because of Talpa. Ryo had been the last one the Ronins had found. He was the one they knew the least. Yet, they stayed by his side and even looked to him for guidance. Within only a few months, he found himself terrified, sleeping next to Rowen in the middle of the Dynasty and trusting the Bearer of Strata with his life while he slumbered. Such a profound friendship in such a sort time.
Rowen's head lolled onto Ryo's shoulder, breaking him of reminiscing about the past. Rowen had tried to sleep, acting as if he were man enough to hold himself up. But the second he dozed off, he had fallen over to be propped up by Wildfire's pondering form.
Again, Ryo smiled at him. To see how much his comrades in arms–his friends– trusted him made him happy and sad at the same time. He had a hard time putting into words why, but inside, he understood. As his mind began to wander off once more, he also let himself drift off to sleep.
It had been about a half an hour, but Cye still wasn't used to it. For the upteenth time that afternoon, he wondered what he was doing, talking to a very coherent ball of energy. And why he was enjoying the conversation.
"So, you and Lord Hardrock have known each other since you were young? That's really cute," the glowing orb said.
Cye felt his cheeks grow warm. Then he felt stupid. Why was he getting flustered over a comment from a glowing ball? Sure, it had a woman's voice, but that was the only thing feminine–or human– about it.
"It is really rare for the armor bearers to know each other until their called upon," the orb continued.
"That's what we've been told," Cye replied.
"Yeah, all five of us have been together since we were about fifteen," Kento offered.
He was standing on the opposite side of the floating ball of light while Cye sat in front of it. As the conversation had preceded from introductions to other topics, Cye was becoming more and more annoyed with Kento's awful manners. While Cye was trying to act as normal and polite to the ball called Diana as possible, Kento would not stop staring, assessing the thing from all angles, or trying to poke it.
"Oh, for goodness' sakes," Cye finally blirted. "Would you stop that Kento? It's rude!"
"I'm sorry," Kento defended. "Forgive me for being curious. I'm just trying to figure out how she's talking to us without a mouth! I'm dying to know, Diana, can you even SEE us?"
While Cye looked a bit mortified at Kento's bluntness, a sound similar to light laughter came from the glowing ball.
"I can," Diana's spirit confirmed. "But not the way normal people do. I can see you by your spiritual energy–which is how you're seeing me as well."
"So, we look like glowing balls to you, too?" Kento pondered.
"Kento..." Cye whined, wishing he would just shut up. Why did he have to be so nosy about stuff like that?
"It's okay, I really don't mind," Diana's light, feminine voice told him. "You actually appear to me as light, too, but it a more human shaped form. But it's kind of strange. Those with less power, I can see better, such as those working in the castle. You two, however, your spirit light is so bright, it drowns out your forms. That light, of course, comes from the sacred mantles. It makes you all easy to find, Lord Hardrock."
"Cool!" Kento exclaimed. "You know, I think I'm getting the hang of this stuff."
Cye just sighed loudly.
"Lord and Lady Torrent, Lord Hardrock," Shinsetsu called. "I am now ready to proceed with the final stages of the spell where we will use spiritual energy to create a temporary physical body for Lady Torrent. I must now ask my Lords to leave the room as when she enters her body, she will not be clothed and it is unseemly for a Priestess to be seen this way by men."
Shinsetsu motioned to a woman standing behind him. It was Caska, the one who had showed them around the castle the previous day. She had some light blue robes in her arms, patiently awaiting the arrival of the new priestess.
Cye nodded as he got up, but Kento just put his hands on his hips.
"Oh, I see," he said with a cocked eyebrow. "You're saying we're perverts."
"Oh, come on!" Cye insisted, pulling on his arm.
As they were about to leave, someone else came bursting into the door.
"Grandpa, he's gone! What happened?"
Cye and Kento stared at the almost panicked little girl standing it the doorway. It was none other than Queen Laelia herself.
"What do you mean, child?" the elder questioned, wondering what was causing her to be so frantic.
"Lord Strata is missing! What happened to him?"
"Rowen?" Cye asked. "He woke up about two hours ago."
"Yeah," Kento put in. "I last saw him in that weird room with all the writing. That was a while ago. But I'm sure he's hobbling around here some place."
"He should be in bed!" Queen Laelia shouted at them as if it were completely their fault. "What is he doing trying to move around with that injury?"
"Can we be of some help, your Highness?" Mia asked from the hall as she and Miniko came up to them.
"She's looking for Rowen," Cye explained. "Can you help her, Mia? I think I should stay here until the Torrent Priestess is..."
"Solid?" Kento helped. "I'll stay, too. You guys should probably start looking back down that way."
"Yes," Mia agreed. "Come, your Majesty, don't worry about it. Perhaps Ro–I mean, Lord Strata decided to rest in his own chambers instead. He could be there sleeping safely right now."
"Good luck with that," Kento huffed. "Even after his head surgery, Rowen's mom was yelling at him for getting out of bed after a few days. He's just one of those type of guys that can't sit still."
"Sounds like someone else I know," Cye glared.
Kento just looked away, as if not catching the drift.
Mia glared a bit herself. Neither of the Ronins were being that helpful at the moment.
"Come." She held out a friendly hand to the young queen. "We'll go find him together."
Even though it had happened a while ago, Sage was still sore about it. Kento and Cye had left the room first, obviously with the most pressing of matters. Then, Ryo had volunteered to leave with Robyn. That just left him with Rowen and Myune. Or so he thought.
In a few moments, Rowen was also off, not really saying where he was going, but Sage had an inkling. He gave a dark look in the direction his friend had gone. Rowen was so predictable sometimes. Sage made a mental note to go get him later and then make him get some rest. He was sure without his scolding, Rowen wouldn't by himself.
But now Sage was left alone with his Guardian–just like earlier that day. And, for some reason, now it was even more uncomfortable. She just kept sitting there, looking at him expectantly. What did she want from him?
Sage didn't really care what she was wanting or expecting. He just knew what he liked and what he didn't. Right now, he didn't like being in that room alone with Myune, so he stood up. However, when he did, so did she.
When he left, she followed, staying a few paces behind him as he journeyed down several different halls. It was becoming annoying, but Sage wasn't sure what to say. He didn't know the protocol in this place and Myune did. Was she just doing what she was supposed to do as a Priestess? Or was she just being creepy? He couldn't say for sure and he was unsure about yelling at her for trailing him if she was just doing what she was raised to do.
Finally, he couldn't take it any more. Sage stopped suddenly in his tracks and turned around to face her.
"What?" he demanded. "Why do you keep following me around?"
Myune looked surprised and then a bit sheepish.
"I'm sorry," she said in a small voice. "I...I wish to continue our conversation from earlier. I just wasn't sure what to say."
To this, Sage softened his expression a bit.
"I'm sorry if I seem so pushy," Myune continued. "You see, I've known about the armor bearers since I was little and ever since then, I have been waiting to meet you. But now that you're here, I'm not sure what to do."
"That makes two of us," Sage admitted with a small smile.
Myune felt rewarded by that. She somehow had an inkling that this young man didn't smile at much.
"Would you...like to spar sometime?" she then asked.
Sage's face lit up. He had seen a bit of this woman's fighting technique back in his world when they first met. He had to admit, he was quite curious to see what she was capable of. To get to experience it first hand and, also, to get some exercise around this frustrating place sounded like fun.
"Yes, I think I would like to," Sage said politely, sounding less enthusiastic than he really was. That was how he always did things. "In fact, we could try some right now, unless there's something else to do."
"No, that sounds fine," Myune agreed, her face lighting up also. "You haven't even been out of the castle yet, have you? We can do it on the training grounds outside. Come see."
For a moment, the older woman looked about as young as her queen as she led Sage down a few corridors to a large window. Once there, she pointed out the training grounds a few stories below them. This made Sage a bit more eager, too. The grounds were large and open; out in the sun and fresh air. Sage was suddenly overcome with a feeling of claustrophobia and badly wanted to get out there.
"Lady and Lord Halo."
The pair turned as the young queen of Falnan trotted up to them. Behind her was Mia and Miniko. "Have you two seen Lord Strata anywhere?"
Sage looked at the young girl in confusion. Why was she searching for that knucklehead so urgently?
"Her Highness was worried when she found his bed empty. We just want to make sure he's getting the rest he needs," Mia explained.
Sage nodded, now understanding. "I think he followed Ryo back to Robyn's bed chambers. She was wiped out after retrieving the Torrent Priestess. After that, I have no idea where he went. He might still be there, for all I know."
The little queen looked a bit worried about that.
"Why would he be there?" she asked, almost to herself.
"Come on," Mia offered in a kindly manner. "We'll check and see if Robyn at least knows where he is."
She moved to lead the girl forward, then stopped.
"Um...I'm afraid I'm not sure where that is. I'm still a bit confused in this place."
"I will lead," Myune offered. She threw an apologetic look to Sage. They would have to postpone their match until at least the queen was satisfied in her search.
Sage nodded, not minding too much. He was by far the most patient of the five Ronins. He could wait as long as needed. So, he too opted to join in the search.
Myune led the group of five down to the hall made specifically for the four Priestess' bed chambers. Once arriving at Robyn's room, she knocked on the door.
"Come in," came a muffled voice.
Myune creaked the door open slowly, not sure of what she would find there. For all they knew, there were a maximum of three people in there and a minimum of one. And what they had been doing in there was beyond her.
The first thing she saw upon opening the door was the large bed with two young warriors sleeping soundly, leaning against each other.
"Oh, that is so adorable," Mia whispered with a small laugh. It was very seldom she saw any of the Ronins not running around, fighting, making noise, or bothering each other. Or all of the above.
Over at the window sat Robyn. Even though it had obviously been her voice giving permission to enter, she seemed not to notice when they came in. Instead, her gaze was cast outward towards the scenery beyond the castle.
"Lady Hardrock?" Myune called.
Robyn swung her head, landing an icy, dangerous gaze on the Priestess of Halo. Myune froze in her tracks. That look, she had seen it before. Or, at least she thought she had. Robyn blinked at her, the gaze in her eyes leaving as suddenly as it had come.
"Hello," Robyn said with a bit uncertainty. "What's going on?" She seemed a bit taken aback that so many would show up at her door.
Queen Laelia stepped forward, a determined look on her face. Robyn blinked at her as the young girl stomped into the room and right up to her bed and the two sleeping warriors.
"Lord Strata shouldn't be here," she announced to Robyn if it was all her fault. "He should be in his room resting." She tugged lightly on Rowen's sleeve. "Lord Strata?"
Robyn furrowed her brows at the little girl. Her tugs seemed to have no affect on the deep sleeper of Strata.
"Um...he is already resting, your Highness," Robyn offered.
"Not here!" Laelia barked back.
Robyn frowned. She knew what the girl really meant was "Not here with you".
"So, you're going to wake him up so he can go rest," she said smugly.
Laelia pursed her lips. Looking more like a little child than she had so far. In fact, she almost looked on the verge of throwing a tantrum. It didn't help the situation that Rowen was refusing to wake up.
"Lord Strata!" she urged.
Robyn smiled in amusement. She would never get him to wake up like that.
"Here, your Majesty, let me help you."
Robyn leaned over so her mouth was right in Rowen's ear.
"Hey Rowen!" she yelled as she flicked his ear.
Rowen awoke with a start, flinching to the side, trying to get away from the attack. This move also shoved Ryo off the opposite side of the bed. He landed on the floor with a surprise squeak, his feet still up on the mattress.
From her place, Mia shook her head. It was such a cute scene. Only Robyn could bring calamity so quickly to such serenity.
"What'd you do that for?" Rowen whined.
Ryo was blinking at them from the floor, his large blue eyes wider than normal.
"You have more pressing matters Lord Strata," Robyn said, putting emphasis on his title.
Rowen took his turn to blink. There were several people he knew standing the doorway and a little girl he did not know standing at his bedside. What did all this mean?
Robyn offered him no help. She was busy helping Ryo up instead; grabbing his arm and pulling him back on the bed.
Rowen looked down at the little girl who was pouting at him. She was kind of cute in her little fancy dress and her hair done up. She was looking at him expectantly as if he were supposed to know what she wanted. But, of course, he didn't so he had to ask.
"Hi there," he said to the little girl. "And who are you?"
Laelia clenched her fists. "I am Her Majesty, Queen Laelia of Falnan and YOU'RE supposed to be in bed taking care of yourself!"
Rowen's face went to one of surprised panic. Though still not fully sure what was going on, he quickly surmised he was in some sort of trouble with someone who could punish him quite well.
Next to him, Ryo was sitting with Robyn between them. The young redhead sighed as Rowen tried to formulate some sort of response/excuse.
"Oh he's just fine," Robyn insisted. "Yelling at him isn't going to make Rowen do anything; believe me."
"Lord Strata," Laelia corrected.
Rowen blinked at the girl who was supposedly the queen of an entire country. Robyn rolled her eyes. This just made the queen madder.
"You WILL address the armor bearers by their correct titles," she informed the older girl. "You are a priestess–a rank lower than the Lords. You must learn your place, Priestess of Hardrock. That means showing proper respect for your superiors. And, in the future, you will refrain from doing such shameful things as inviting the armor bearers or any other men back to your room."
Now this got Ryo's attention. That was his fault, not Robyn's. She didn't ask him to stay, he did by himself and without Robyn's consent. He made a motion to voice this, but the look he got from Robyn persuaded him to keep his mouth shut. She knew what he was thinking. That was enough for her.
"Woah," Rowen cut in, not liking where the conversation was going. "It's okay. I don't mind. She's always called us by our first names. You're welcome to call me Rowen, too, Your Highness."
Laelia actually blushed for a moment, but then put it aside.
"No, it's not the way!" she argued.
"It's alright," Robyn relented. "Here, we gotta do what they say." She patted his arm. "Why don't you let S–Lord Halo or someone show you your room and you can go rest there?"
Rowen blinked at her, dropping the other shoe. "But I WAS just resting!"
The air quickly tensed. Laelia frowned again and all that were present began to worry it would start all over.
"Your Majesty!"
All eyes turned to the young servant girl who just came in. "Lords and Ladies," the girl continued as she bowed. "The banquet for tonight is almost ready to begin. You must prepare yourselves. Also, the Honored One has informed me that the Priestess of Torrent will be able to attend. So everyone will be there."
Queen Laelia stared hard at her servant for a while, then let out a deep breath.
"Fine," she relinquished. "All of you are dismissed to prepare for tonight's dinner. Servants will come to help you get ready."
So much for sparing, Sage thought. He hadn't even done anything. He had passed up a perfectly good opportunity for nothing. Oh well.
Those closest to the door were already departing. Ryo was making his way out as well.
"How about you?" Robyn asked Rowen. "Feeling up to going?"
Rowen glanced from Robyn to the queen, looking nervous. "I'll do whatever doesn't get me yelled at."
Robyn made a noise through her teeth. "Fine. Then you're coming. Now I need you to leave so I can get ready, too." She herded Rowen off her bed and started guiding him to the door with Laelia in the lead. "Why don't you have Her Highness show you to your room, Lord Strata."
"Huh?" Rowen asked as he was pushed out the door.
"I think she likes you," Robyn then whispered in his ear.
"WHAT?"
But it was too late. Robyn's door shut in his face and Rowen was suddenly left alone with a doting, royal girl almost half his age. He was already starting to not like this world he had woken up in.
Cye breathed out heavily as he let the servants dress him. It felt so weird. He was a grown man; he could do it himself. He was back in his room now because of the servant girl who had visited Kento and himself while they were waiting on the Priestess of Torrent. The servant had informed them there was to be a dinner that night for everyone and they needed to get ready. For, apparently, the fancy robes he was wearing before were not fancy enough to eat in. Thus, he sighed. Why was everything in this world such a hassle?
The servants left when their task was done. Cye lingered in front of the full sized mirror, looking at himself dressed in such oddities. He idly wondered if he was supposed to leave no or wait until he was called upon. There was so much protocol, it seemed he and his friends were always breaking it.
A knock at his door caused Cye to answer. He opened it, expecting one of the servants. Instead, a beautiful woman stood before his eyes. Cye stared. He had never seen such a sight in his life. She had deep, dark eyes and pale, smooth skin. He long, dark bluish hair was thick and cascaded almost to the floor. Her grown, though several layers thick, seemed to float softly, as did she. For a moment, Cye thought he had caught a glimpse of an angel.
"Lord Torrent," the woman spoke. "It is so nice to finally speak with you physically face to face."
Cye's mouth went a bit dry. "Are you–"
The woman bowed deep and graciously. "I am," she said with a sweet voice. "Servant of the Sun God, Priestess of the West, Guardian of Torrent. You may call me Diana, My Lord."
Miniko sat next to Mia in the banquet hall, feeling stupid. After getting ready for the dinner, she had met up with the older woman and they had arrived together. Shinsetsu, who had attended before them, informed her it was proper custom for the armor pairings to always arrive together. Of which, Robyn and Kento then entered the room together, as they were supposed to. Miniko flinched at this. Robyn had been right and she had looked stupid! That was a first.
"It's alright, My Lady," Shinsetsu then said. "This is a small, exclusive dinner. Think of it as a practice for now."
"Okay, sorry," Miniko said sheepishly.
Mia patted her back. "Don't worry, we're all still learning."
This was when Ryo paraded in, freely without any priestess to worry about, and sat himself happily next to Robyn. The redhead, in turn, gave him an accusing look, one which referred back to the previous incident in her room. Though Ryo was a bit naive sometimes, he had a keen sense of knowing when he was in trouble. This was one of those times. Feeling the glare, he scooted his chair away from her a bit and slouched guiltily in his seat.
Kento watched, amusement clearly on his face. He thought only Mia was capable of doing that to Ryo. It must be a woman thing, he decided.
Next to arrive, was Sage and, a few paces behind him, Myune. Though he usually had a stoic expression on his face, the Bearer of Halo was having trouble hiding the fact that he was a little frustrated. Myune had been trailing him since his room. When he realized this, he had slowed his pace for her; to which she slowed as well, always staying a few feet behind. Finding that wasn't working, Sage had sped up his pace instead–to which his new shadow sped up as well. Sage was all but running by the time he reached the dining hall. He took a chair with a loud sigh, just thankful to sit. Myune sat next to him.
Not far behind was Rowen; and he was laughing. Mostly likely, he had experienced the whole thing. Sage glared at his former best friend while Rowen happily greeted everyone and took his proper seat next to Miniko.
"Where's Cye?" Robyn wondered. "Shinsetsu's here, that means the Torrent Priestess is around here somewhere, too, right?"
Kento shrugged. "Heck if I know whe--"
Robyn looked at Kento who was now staring at the door. She followed his gaze and her eyes went wide as well. In fact, most eyes were on the door as Cye walked in. At his side was the most beautiful woman any of the eyes witnessing the sight had ever seen. She seemed to practically float next to the Bearer of Torrent who, for his turn, just looked bewildered.
Robyn chuckled. "Cye looks a little lost, don't you think?" she whispered to Kento.
"I'm not surprised," Kento whispered back. "I doubt a woman that beautiful has ever walked
the same side of the street as Cye, let alone given him the time of day." Robyn giggled to herself again. They were leaning close together. Too close. Kento suddenly remembered the incident back in the spirit world –how they almost kissed-- and he quickly pulled away from her. Robyn didn't seem to notice.
The loud pounding of a staff quieted them all down as the queen was announced. In walked Queen Laelia. At her left was a tall man in his early twenties dressed in armor and fine silks.
Miniko gasped when she saw him.
"Mia," she whispered, her face going flushed. "That's the guy we met yesterday! Remember? When I tripped?"
"It is," Mia giggled. "He's still quite cute, isn't he?"
All Miniko could do was nod. Her face felt on fire. All her high school life, she never thought she'd see a man who caught her attention more than the gorgeous Sage Date. But now this man had entered into her life twice and he was breathtaking. Sage? Sage who?
The young queen walked up to the head of the table where her highly decorated chair was waiting for her. She stood at the head and eyed all who was sitting there, looking less than impressed.
"Well, we still have some things to work on, don't we?" she said dryly and took her seat.
The handsome man accompanying her took the chair at her right.
"Lady Torrent," the queen continued. "It is so nice to finally have you with us."
"Thank you, your Majesty," Diana bowed her head humbly. "I am happy to be of any assistance to you and Falnan."
Laelia nodded. "I would like to introduce all of you Darris, my Captain of the Guard. I'm sure you will all get to know him soon. You'll be working with him a lot."
Captain Darris stood and bowed low to all those sitting at the table. "Lord and Ladies, it is an honor. Please call on me whenever you have need."
He looked up, his gaze locking right with Miniko's. Recognition was clear on his face. He remembered her, too.
Miniko was sure her face was bright red. She would certainly love to call on that man for any of her needs.
Kento fiddled in his chair in the small span of silence that followed.
"So can we eat now or what?" he whispered to Robyn. All the food just sitting on the table was tempting him.
"Please, everyone, enjoy the feast," Shinsetsu announced.
Whether it was because the old man heard him or not, Kento was not sure. Nor did he care. Running around in the spirit all day without meals left him famished.
Everyone else freely began to help themselves to all the food that was provided. After a while, Ryo finally got up the courage to clear his throat.
"Your Highness," he said, a bit timid. "We are all very grateful for the hospitality you have shown us, but what now?"
Everyone stopped and stared at him. It was a very good question. But it was also a very bold question.
"What do you mean, Lord Wildfire?" Shinsetsu asked.
Ryo slumped a bit more before all the eyes looking at him. He was never good in front of audiences. "Well, the only thing you've told us we had to do was get the Priestess of Torrent. We have now done that. You haven't said anything else as to what you want from us. We still don't even know why we were brought here in the first place."
All eyes were now on the blind old man as he stroked his beard.
"Indeed," Shinsetsu admitted. "It is true that we have purposefully withheld information from all of you. But you must forgive us. Though we all love and honor the power of the mantles you bear, we also know of it's great power. The last time the armors were used in this world, it was disastrous for all its people."
Ryo furrowed his brow, his attitude turning to one of determination. "It was because of Talpa, wasn't it?"
The other Ronins' eyes went wide at the mention of the name.
"It was," The old man nodded. "In truth, if there were any other way besides calling on the armors again, we would have taken it. But it is no use, we needed to call upon the ancient traditions–the binding spell of the Priestesses and the armors. Only their combined power is enough to save our world from destruction."
"Another 'save the world' type thing, huh?" Kento quipped.
Rowen scratched his head. "So, you're bringing in a force that nearly destroyed your world to fight another force with the power to destroy your world?"
"Yes. As I said before, if there was another way, we would have taken it. Because of this, we are being as careful as possible not to have another repeat of our history. This is why we have only given out information as needed and have taken our time with this process. But I assure, my Lords and Ladies, we do not intend to keep anything from you. All I ask is that you please be patient with us as we try to teach and instruct you of what it is we wish from you."
Myune nodded. It was obvious she knew nearly as much as Shinsetsu did. Other parties weren't sure whether this was comforting to them or not.
"Well then," Sage took his turn to speak. "Taking it one step at a time–what should we do now?"
"Next," the old man announced. "Will be the Sealing Ceremony. It is a sacred ordinance in where the Priestesses are properly sealed to their respective armors, thus unifying their powers."
"What powers?" Robyn snorted under her breath.
"However, we must wait five days more. The ceremony can only be performed during a specific time when the stars are aligned correctly. In the meantime, I think it best you take time to get to know each other and this world. All our resources will be at your disposal and will help you learn about our history."
Everyone took a while to chew over that large piece of information. Robyn was moodily chewing on her turkey drumstick.
"I hate to sound like a broken record here," she suddenly spoke up. "But once again, I am worried about my friend who was supposedly kidnaped in my place. Is there anything that can be done about that?"
"What?" Captain Darris spoke up. Robyn was very surprised to have such immediate attention. "What do you mean? What happened?"
"Back in my world, my place was attacked," Robyn explained. "These guys in black broke into my apartment and took my roommate." She could almost kiss this man. Not only was he very good looking, but he was the first person who seemed interested in her problem and willing to help.
"These same guys had attacked us before," Kento offered. "And they tried to pick a fight again afterwards, too. That's where we met Lady Halo."
Myune nodded.
"Strange," the captain said, furrowing his brow in thought. "Why would someone completely unrelated to the armor be..." He trailed off for a while and then looked at Robyn again. "What did this friend of yours look like?"
Robyn blinked. "What she looks like? Well, she's blonde–medium length hair. She's always tanning so her skin's kind of dark...kind of thin."
"And super hot," Rowen had to put in.
Robyn stared at him.
"Well she is!" Strata insisted. Kento was nodding in absolute agreement.
"If I knew there were girls like that in America, I would have switched schools."
Robyn huffed. "I don't see how any of this is helpful for finding her."
"Well..." Captain Darris began. "The original Priestesses were said to be the more beautiful in all the world without any comparisons."
Robyn then stared at the captain as his point hit her hard.
"Are you saying she got kidnaped in my place because she's PRETTIER than me?"
The room went dead silent.
"It–It's just a theory," the captain coughed.
"I never thought of it that way," Shinsetsu said as he stroked his beard some more. "In a way, it's a valid argument."
Robyn sighed and slumped in her chair. Her fondness for the captain was quickly fading. Ryo patted her head in an effort to consol her. He was won with a death glare from her.
Captain Darris coughed again. "I will send this out to my information network and we'll get scouts out about the countryside. I'll try to find out anything I can about this, My Lady."
Robyn managed a weak smile to him and whispered a "thank you".
Kento looked down at his disheartened friend. He could almost feel her emotions. Badly he wanted to make her feel better somehow. He raised an arm to give her one of his friendly hugs he often gave when she was feeling down. This time, however, he paused and thought back. He couldn't let what happened in the spirit world happen again. He couldn't afford to give the wrong impression again after what he had said to her there.
So, instead he lowered his arm again and averted his gaze.
Robyn sighed. It had been a long day–a long dinner– and she was SO ready for bed. As she tiredly trudged to her room, a voice called out behind her. Robyn turned and her eyes went wide as she saw who was trying to catch up.
"Robyn, please wait," Miniko called as she tried to hurry in her heavy robes. "I want to talk to you."
"To me?" Robyn squeaked, flattening herself against the door like some trapped animal.
Miniko's expression fell at Robyn's reaction.
"Robyn, I'm really sorry. I know there's no excuse for it. It was horrible and unforgivable how I treated you. But I want to change. I have changed." She bowed deep to further show her how much she meant it. "Please forgive me. I want to be your friend. I know it might take a while for you to accept me, but I want to help you. Please believe that from here on out, I will always be on your side."
Robyn stared at the top of Miniko's bowing head. Never in a thousand years would she even dreamed of having such a conversation with this woman.
"Uh..." was this all she could think to say. "...okay..."
Miniko's head popped up. "Really?"
Robyn sucked in a deep breath. "Everyone has the right to change. I'll try, too. Maybe someday...we can be friends."
Miniko nodded. She understood that this will take time.
"Very well," she accepted. "Good night Robyn. Tomorrow's another day."
Robyn turned to her door and opened it, stepping into her room. She muttered some kind of good night as she closed it behind her. She couldn't recall the last time she was this tired.
Yes, tomorrow was another day. Another full day of this nightmare world.