Dasha woke up to her head pounding. It hadn't hurt this bad since her mind had fully developed when she had reached puberty. As she awoke, she realized that someone was holding her hand. Cracking open an eye, she looked to see who it was.
Rowen had pulled up a chair next to her bed. He was currently dozing. He had laid his head on his chest and the lock of hair was resting in his nose. Dasha found it such an adorable sight. He had taken her recovery all upon himself the moment he had been called after the accident. She squeezed his hand.
Rowen came awake in a startled jolt. For a few moments, his warrior's instincts were at full blast and so Dasha didn't make any sudden movements. After a short time, Rowen relaxed and checked on her. She was awake and had an amused look on her face.
Rowen felt a punch to his gut. He found himself falling in love with Dasha. It had started the first time he had met her. When she had been days away from marrying . . . Sage. Rowen looked at the ring on his finger. Sage hadn't been able to marry him fast enough. He had married him the day after his divorce was finalized. He looked into Dasha's eyes to say that he was sorry, but found that Dasha was studying him. He felt himself falling into her eyes. He could see many different emotions swirling around.
Suddenly, he saw an emotion that had him floored. Love. She couldn't possibly be feeling that for him. As if reading his thoughts, Dasha squeezed his hand and nodded. Rowen felt a bolt of happiness shoot right through him. He squeezed her hand back and smiled.
Dasha was released from the hospital the next day. Immediately, she began the process of planning Kris' funeral. Rowen could tell that it was very difficult for her, but he knew that it was her responsibility. On a bright and sunny day a week later, Kristopher Jason Stevenson was buried in his family plot next to his grandparents. Through the entire ceremony, Dasha never cried. Not even when Rowen took her hand. Though, in a way, he could feel all her emotions and how close she was to crying. Gripping Rowen's hand, Dasha was able to draw some strength to be able to make it through the funeral.
Over the next two weeks, the people in the Koji mansion saw two things happen. One, Aimee, and her new husband, Justin Winchester came to Japan to visit, and two, the relationship between Sage and Rowen started to break down. It all started the day after Aimee and Justin arrived from their honeymoon. Kasha and Dasha were out back giving Blaze and Star blaze baths. Both tigers loved having baths and so they were being as cooperative as possible. Aimee was sitting on the grass watching them. Ryo came outside a little while later that afternoon. When he saw what the girls were doing, he grinned. His tiger, White Blaze always hated getting baths. It always ended up that Ryo got the bath and not White Blaze. Suddenly, as if responding to Ryo's thoughts, White Blaze came around the side of the house from the side lawn. He stopped when he saw what the girls were doing. He was about to amble away when he saw Ryo standing there, watching. White Blaze decided to throw his master for a loop. He went over and stood next to Star blaze and allowed Dasha to wash him. Ryo stood there with a look of shock on his face through the entire procedure. After he was dry, White Blaze gave Ryo a look and went inside.
It was about an hour later that day. The girls were outside practicing when they heard two male voices raised in anger. A door slammed in the house and Rowen came out into the backyard fuming. It was obvious that he had once again had a fight with Sage.
'That's the third fight this week.' Dasha sent to her sister.
'I know.' She replied.
Rowen stopped when he saw the girls. They could see the conflicting emotions on his face and in his eyes. Hurt was the most evident. Dasha turned away out of respect. Rowen deserved to express his emotions in peace.
Suddenly, Dasha sensed Rowen come over and stand in front of her. When she looked up into his eyes, all the emotions that she had seen just a little while ago were gone. Now, she could see a form of tenderness directed toward her. It made Dasha feel good for the first time since burying Kris.
Rowen held out his hand.
"Would you like to go for a walk with me?" When she nodded, he smiled. Hand in hand, they walked toward the woods.
Hours later, Rowen and Dasha stood at the beach watching the sunset. It was the perfect way to end a perfect walk. As the sun went down and the sky got dark, Dasha could feel Rowen relax as he came into his element. One by one, the stars seemed to blink into existence. It was such a beautiful sight. Dasha too, could feel herself relaxing and gathering strength from the stars. She and Rowen were the same. They both looked to the sky for their strength. Dasha was enjoying the peacefulness and serenity of the night, when Rowen began to talk.
"I don't know what to do Dasha. Nothing that I do seems to please him anymore. All we ever seem to do now is fight." Dasha took his hand.
"What happened this afternoon Rowen?"
He sighed, "Remember how I sent resumes to colleges and universities in the United States?" she nodded. "Well, I got a response back from the University of California at Berkeley. In September, I start as their Professor of Astronomy."
Dasha threw her arms around him. She was so happy for him.
"Congratulations!" She said.
"Thanks. I only wish that Sage had been that happy for me. He told me that there was no way that he was going to leave Japan to move to California and that I might as well take the job that the University of Tokyo has been offering me."
"I don't believe him." Dasha said. "I never thought that Sage could be that mean and cruel."
"I know what you mean. Then, to make matters worse, Sage informs me that he's going to Sendai for a week or so because his family has sent for him."
Rowen shook his head. "I think the stars are trying to tell me that Sage and I don't belong together anymore. There are too many things that are pulling us apart."
Dasha laid her hand on Rowen's shoulder. "Just give it time. Maybe things will work out for the best in the end after all." Rowen nodded and the two of them headed back up to the house.
A week passed with no sign of Sage. A week turned into two which quickly turned into three. Finally, a month after Sage left, Rowen received a package in the mail. Both Kasha and Dasha were out taking their tigers for a walk in the woods, so they didn't hear about it until they returned. When they got back, they found Mia, Ryo, Kento, and Sai sitting at the kitchen table. They all had stunned looks on their faces.
"What happened?" Kasha asked. Ryo picked up a packet of papers from the middle of the table and handed them to Kasha.
"The Date family lawyers are having Rowen's marriage to Sage annulled."
Dasha felt a look of shock cover her face. She knew that the Date's wanted Sage to return to fulfill his duties as heir, but she never imagined they'd go so far as to have Sage's marriage annulled. Even when she had been married to Sage as Kristy, they had always treated her as if she didn't belong there, but they had never shown the level of disgust that warranted having a marriage annulled. Maybe the fact that she had brought them a grandchild . . . oh well, that was water under the bridge.
Just as Dasha was about to leave, Ryo gripped her arm.
"Will you go and talk to him? He's in his bedroom." Dasha nodded.
"I'll try."
The first thing that Dasha noticed when she let herself into Rowen's room was that it was dark. She went to switch on the light when Rowen's voice stopped her. "No. Please leave it off. I like the dark."
"Okay." She said. "Where are you?"
"At the window." As Dasha's eyes accustomed themselves to the darkness of the room, she could see Rowen sitting on the windowsill looking up at the stars. When she reached the window, he took her hand.
"Would you sit with me on the roof?" Dasha nodded and followed him. When they got up to the roof, Dasha sat next to Rowen and looked up at the stars.
"Why would Sage let his family do this to us?" He blurted out. "I mean, his family has always been adamant about him returning home and taking a wife of their choosing. But he's always told them that he already had a partner. What changed this time?"
"His family has always been very forceful when it comes to getting their own way." Dasha said from personal experience. "Maybe they finally wore Sage down to where he'd agree to do it just so they'd stop."
"I guess they've finally won. They've taken Sage away from me. I hope they're happy." He said miserably. Dasha put her arm around Rowen's shoulders and pulled him against her. He laid his head on her shoulder and cried.
When all of his tears had dried, Rowen looked at Dasha. She could feel something flaring between them. It was something very powerful. Dasha closed her eyes as Rowen's face got closer and closer. Finally, his lips touched hers. She felt something pool in the pit of her stomach. She had known that this moment was coming ever since she had woken up in the hospital with Rowen at her bedside. When they broke apart, Dasha felt a closer connection with Rowen then she had ever had with anyone besides her sister.
The months seemed to fly by and before anyone knew it, it was August. Rowen was getting packed to move and Dasha had offered to help. She was clearing out his dresser drawers and setting them on the bed next to him so he could put them in his suitcase.
Suddenly, Dasha ran across Rowen's old wedding ring. The annulment had gone through almost immediately. Dasha had always wondered what Rowen had done with his wedding ring. Now she knew. He had put it in a safe spot where nothing would ever happen to it. Rowen had finished packing his clothes into his suitcase and now he came over to see what Dasha was looking at. When he saw what she was holding, he stopped. Dasha sensed Rowen's reaction and put the ring away. She knew that it hurt to be reminded of what had been so cruelly ripped from him. Sometimes, when Dasha caught him off guard, she could see the pain and hurt in his eyes. Dasha made herself a vow to do all she could to take those feelings from his eyes.
A few days before Rowen left, he invited Dasha to go on a walk down to the lake with him right before sunset. They made small talk as they walked down the driveway and onto the sand. Dasha took off her sandals and walked barefoot. It felt so good to feel the sand between her toes. The sun was setting on the water and the sky was beautiful shades of pink, purple, and red. Finally, the sun gracefully sank below the horizon.
Dasha turned to look at Rowen. She was so happy that she had been able to share the sunset with him. One by one, the stars started shining as the sky got dark.
"Make a wish Dasha." Rowen said quietly into her ear as a shooting star streaked above them and he put his arms around her. She leaned back against him.
'I wish that Rowen will be able to find someone that will be able to bring light back into his life and be able to love him for who he is.' Dasha thought. At the same time, Rowen thought to himself.
'I hope I have enough courage to ask Dasha to marry me.' Rowen thought. He had woken up the other morning and known that he wanted Dasha in his life 'til death do them part. Dasha had brought such happiness and light to his life with the simple things that she had done for him. Just yesterday, Rowen had bought the perfect ring for Dasha. It was a beautiful sapphire stone as dark as the sky after sunset. It was now sitting in his pants pocket. After the star disappeared from their sight, Dasha and Rowen turned to each other. They both began to talk at once.
"Dasha, I . . ." Rowen began.
"Rowen, I . . . " Dasha began. They stopped and stared at the ground. Finally Dasha spoke. "Rowen, have you ever wanted to give yourself to someone totally and without reservation?" Rowen nodded.
"Every time I'm with you," Dasha continued. "I feel like I've found a part of myself that I never knew I was missing. I never knew that was possible with for a twin like me, because Kasha has always been my other half. I guess it's different when a person's in love." Rowen felt his heart swell with that last statement. In the silence that followed, Rowen made his move. He pulled the ring out of his pocket and got down on one knee. He held the ring between his index finger and his thumb.
"Dasha D'Artai, will you marry me?"
Dasha wasted no time to think it over. She nodded. "Yes."
Dasha and Rowen walked back to the house holding hands half an hour later. Mia, who was washing dishes at the sink, noticed that something had changed between the two of them. When they reached the backdoor, Dasha let go of Rowen's hand and opened the door. On the way up, they had decided to act like nothing had changed. They didn't want to tell anyone about their engagement just yet.
"Did you have a good walk?" Mia asked when they walked in.
"Yeah, we did." Rowen replied.
The door to the kitchen opened and Kento came in. He immediately went over to the refrigerator and pulled open the door. "Is there anything to eat in here? I'm hungry."
Mia sighed." You ate not more than an hour ago."
"But I'm hungry." Kento whined.
Dasha and Rowen took this as their clue to leave. As they reached the bottom of the stairs, Sai was coming down. Rowen grinned as Sai went into the kitchen to deal with his whining husband. When they couldn't hear anything else come from the kitchen, Rowen and Dasha escaped to the safety of his bedroom.
The day that Rowen left was a dark, dreary, and overcast day. Ryo, Mia, Sai, Kento, Kasha, and Dasha stood and watched as Rowen as he loaded his luggage into the taxi. When he was done, he came over to the guys. Ryo had tears in his eyes as he pulled Rowen into a bear hug. It really tore him up inside to see Rowen leave. They had all had some good times together and would always have the memories. Rowen pulled away from Ryo to hug Mia. He breathed in her scent to remember her by.
"We're going to miss you, Rowen." She told him.
"I'll never forget you Mia." He told her. Letting her go, he turned to Sai. Sai had tears streaming down his cheeks. Rowen pulled him into his arms.
"Goodbye, love." Sai whispered into Rowen's ear. He pulled away, kissed Rowen softly on the mouth, and then ran into the house. Kento pulled Rowen into a quick hug and then went to check on his sobbing husband.
Kasha hugged him and kissed him on the cheek whispering "Good luck." She started to walk away but then turned to see what kind of farewell her sister would give Rowen. For the past few weeks, Kasha had suspected that there was something going on between Dasha and Rowen. If there was, Kasha was surprised that Dasha hadn't come to her. She had always told her everything.
Rowen took Dasha's hand and looked at his ring on her finger. The first time he had seen that ring; he had known instantly that it was the perfect one. Rowen looked up into Dasha's eyes. They were clear with no sign of tears. The two of them had decided on the night they had become engaged, that Dasha would go with him. She would tell the guys that she was going to visit her brothers, and then instead of going to Texas, she would fly to California to be with Rowen. She hated lying to Mia, the guys and Kasha, but she had to follow her heart. That was what she had been taught while growing up. She and Rowen really loved each other and they wanted to spend the rest of their lives together. Dasha hoped that when everyone found out, they would find it in their hearts to forgive them. Three days later, Dasha arrived at Rowen's new home in California. As she got out of the cab, Rowen came up behind her and swept her up in his arms. Two hours later, a justice of the peace announced that Rowen Hashiba and Dehleyr D'Artai were husband and wife.
FIVE YEARS LATER
Mia grabbed the mail out of the mailbox and leafed through it as she walked to back to the jeep. A letter halfway down had Mia stopping in her tracks. The return address was Sendai, Japan. Throwing all the other mail on the seat, Mia opened the letter.
'Dear Yagyu Nasuti,' it began. 'I hope I have been forgiven for my actions against Rowen and the rest of you from five years ago. I was given no say in my family's decision. I was told when I arrived, that my family was tired of waiting for me to assume my duties as heir, and so they took it upon themselves. I did not discover what they had done until it was too late to do anything about it. Even in fits of rage, I would never do anything like that to hurt Rowen. You must believe me.
My wife, Akina, died just this past month from breast cancer. I have already informed my family that I am leaving Sendai. The main purpose of this letter is to receive your permission, and permission of the others, to return to the mansion. If they do not want me to return, I will understand. I hope to be able to see you and the others again. Respectfully yours, Date Seiji.'
Mia jumped into the jeep. This was a letter that she had to show the others. She just hoped that they were home. She found Ryo playing Nintendo in the den. When he saw her face, he put down his controller and went to her.
"What is it?" he asked. She shook her head.
"Where's Sai and Kento?" just as she asked, she heard their voices from the kitchen. Motioning for Ryo to follow her, Mia made her way to the kitchen. She found Sai at the stove and Kento trying to sample a bite. When they saw Mia, they stopped.
"You guys should read a letter we got in the mail today." Without a word, she handed it to Sai. He, Kento, and Ryo bent their heads together to read it. When they were done, nobody said anything. Finally, Ryo spoke.
"I give my permission." Quickly, Sai and Kento nodded in agreement. Mia sat at the kitchen table and composed a letter to Rowen. When she was done, she wrote a letter to Kehleyr. She would have written a letter to Dehleyr, but she hadn't been heard from in more than five years. Finally, she wrote an acceptance letter to Sage.
Dasha rubbed her abdomen. Just last month, she and Rowen had learned that she didn't have the flu at all. After five years of trying, Dasha was pregnant. She was now three month's pregnant. Rowen was so excited at the fact that he was going to be a father at last. Dasha turned her attention back to the finals she was grading. She had also gotten a job at Berkeley. She was a professor of Japanese Ancient myths and legends. She had gotten the idea to teach the class after listening to Rowen talk to Mia about the number of Japanese descent students that went to Berkeley. The back door opened and Rowen came in. When Dasha stood up to kiss him, the room started tilting at different angles and Dasha had to grab the table for support. Rowen was at her side in a flash. He held her until the dizziness stopped and then helped her back onto her chair. He set his hand on the slight curve of her stomach.
"The baby giving you a hard time?" he asked.
Dasha nodded. "A little."
Rowen smiled and went over to the counter. He picked up the mail and handed it to Dasha. She flipped through the letters until she found a letter addressed to Rowen with the return address of Toyama, Japan. Losing all interest in all the other mail, Dasha opened the letter to see what Mia had written.
'Dear Rowen,' it began. 'I'm sorry that I haven't written any earlier then this, but I've never been able to find the right words to say. Along with this letter, you will find a photocopied version of a letter I received a few days ago. If you choose not to respond to it, I understand. There are many things that still remain unspoken between the two of you. I hope you might give him a chance to explain. Love, Mia.' Dasha opened the other sheet of paper and began to read. When she was finished, she sat on the chair and thought. Sage wanted to come home. He had finally told his parents to butt out of his life. It was about time. But the damage had already been done and it wouldn't be easy to repair. It still appeared even now, five years later. When Rowen thought that no one was around, a multitude of emotions crossed his face. The most prominent one that always appeared was sadness. Sadness that the armor had entered his life, sadness that people had been hurt during the war, and sadness that the Date family had succeeded in driving a wedge between him and Sage. Their friendship might never be the same. Rowen came over to Dasha when he saw her looking at him. He saw two sheets of paper in her hand and knew that whatever she had read on those pages had shaken her up. He took them out of her hand and read them himself. Immediately, he wished he hadn't. He didn't want to have to face Sage again. The way he had just left when his family had ordered him to assume his duties had just about killed him. He had never gotten a chance to talk to Sage and ask him why. Suddenly, events that had happened five years ago felt like they had happened yesterday. Dasha came over to stand next to him. He put his arms around her and pulled her close. The past five years being married to her had been the best years of Rowen's life. And he couldn't forget the fact that in six or so months, he would be a father.
"We don't have to go, you know." Dasha said softly into his ear.
Rowen sighed. "I know. But I want to go."
"What should I do Rowen?" she asked.
He pulled back to look at her. "What do you mean?" he asked her.
Well, when we go, I won't be able to touch you or be with you. Unless, that is, we tell everyone that we're married."
Rowen thought about it while looking at Dasha's wedding ring.
"You're right." He said at last. "But what will you do if you have another one of your dizzy spells while we're there?"
"That's simple. I'll just hold onto something until you can get to my side."
Two days later, they were in Japan. When they got to the Tokyo airport, Rowen gave Dasha a little plain silver ring to make up for the fact that she couldn't wear her wedding ring while they were in Japan. Respectively, Rowen took off his wedding ring, put it on a chain, and put it around Dasha's neck. He took her hand, they were ready.
Mia made sure that all the food was almost ready. She and Sai had been cooking just about all day. Both Rowen and Kehleyr were arriving in just a little while. She had tried sending a letter to Dehleyr, but had never received any response. Oh well, two out of three wasn't bad. Mia could hear Sai and Kento in the shower together. Life around the house had become so routine, that it would be nice to have it stirred up some. Mia heard the shower shut off and a few minutes later, Sai came back into the kitchen with Kento in tow.
Suddenly, Mia heard a car in the driveway. "They're here!" she exclaimed.
Dasha and Rowen got out of the cab and looked around. Even after being away for five years, the house still looked the same. Mia ran outside and hugged Rowen just as another car pulled up. Kasha got out of this one. She threw her arms around her sister.
"Where have you been?" Kasha demanded.
Before Dasha could formulate a reply, Mia came over and threw her arms around both of them. Dasha knew she would be answering that question before long. Looking over at Rowen, Dasha could see he had his arms wrapped around Ryo, Sai, and Kento. Dasha could sense that the links that Rowen shared with Ryo, Sai, and Kento had been restored but the one he had with Sage wouldn't be that easily fixed. Four parts of a five-part circle had been reunited but the circle would not be whole with out Sage.
Mia, Kasha, and Dasha turned to go inside just as a green Pontiac grand am came up the driveway. They turned around. They wanted to see this reunion. The grand am stopped and Sage got out. With a little cry, Sai went over and hugged Sage. Ryo and Kento quickly followed. Rowen was hesitant. He stood back and watched as the others hugged Sage. Dasha quietly sent Rowen some of her strength. Rowen came to a decision and quickly joined in the hug. Mia felt tears fun down her cheeks. After almost six years of being separated, the ronin warriors were together again. They crowded around each other and Dasha could sense that in the safety of the circle, tears of happiness and completeness were being shed.
A few hours later, Mia, Kasha and Dasha were inside talking and the guys were outside. Dasha had just gotten up to get something to drink, when she had the worst dizzy spell ever. She clung to the table in helplessness while Mia and Kasha asked her what was wrong. Meanwhile, outside, the guys were talking about what they had been doing the past five years when all of a sudden, Rowen got up without a word and bolted for the house. They other guys looked at each other and then followed him. They tracked him down in the kitchen just in time to see him supporting Dasha and seating her down in her chair.
"Are you all right?" He asked.
"Yeah. It was just the plane ride that set it off. I'm all right now. "
"You sure?"
"Positive. Now get out of here."
Giving Dasha a last look of worry, Rowen followed the guys outside.
"What was that all about?" Kasha asked.
"Nothing." Dasha said. "I ran into Rowen at the airport in Tokyo. When I told him about the dizzy spells that I've been having lately, he offered to help me through them. That's all."
"Have you been to a doctor?" Mia asked.
"Yeah. The doctor says that I've got an ear infection and that's what's throwing off my balance. The doctor says it'll most likely go away on its own." Dasha could sense that Mia was satisfied with that answer, but she knew that she wouldn't be able to keep the truth from her sister for long.
The question popped up again as the girls were settling down for bed. Dasha had just come out of the bathroom and settled in her bed.
"What's going on with you and Rowen?" Kasha asked.
"Nothing." Dasha said. "I thought we covered this topic this afternoon?"
"I didn't believe that story. I want the truth."
Dasha sighed. She knew her sister wouldn't stop until she knew the truth. "Do you promise not to tell anyone? And if you do, you'll have to sacrifice your armor?"
Kasha nodded. "I promise."
Dasha took a deep breath.
"The truth is, that Rowen and I are married. And the reason I've been having dizzy spells is the fact that I'm almost three and a half months pregnant."
Kasha stared at her sister for a minute or two. It explained why Rowen had been so protective of Dasha earlier. With a grin plastered on her face, Kasha threw herself into her sister's arms.
Dasha and Rowen stayed for three months visiting with the guys. They had to leave in early August to get ready for the fall semester at UC Berkeley. For Dasha, it had been so good to connect with her sister again. Over the last few months of her pregnancy, Dasha stomach had grown very big. After Halloween, Dasha had her substitute take over. Dasha stayed at home and took it easy. She didn't want anything to happen to the baby. She got the nursery ready for the baby. Neither she or Rowen had wanted to know the sex, so they painted the room in colors of blue and yellow.
On Thanksgiving Day, Dasha gave birth to a 7 lb, 7 oz baby boy. He was named Andrew Rowen Hashiba. The poor kid had his father's hair. It was naturally blue. The moment that Rowen had seen his son's hair, he had held his hand over his eyes, shook his head, and laughed himself into a boneless mass. When Dasha had first gotten pregnant, they both had known that there could be a chance that their child could end up with Rowen's hair. That was exactly what had happened. When Dasha and Rowen came home from the hospital with Andrew the next day, they found a surprise in their dooryard. Mia and the other guys had decided to come and visit Rowen. When the car had pulled into the driveway, the guys had been barely able to wait for Rowen to park the car.
Kento pulled Rowen into a bear hug the moment he got out of the car. Rowen hugged him back but quickly pulled away to get to Dasha who was still sitting in the car. She gave a grimace of pain as Rowen helped her to stand. She started to reach for the back door of the car but Rowen stopped her.
"No, I'll get him. You just go in and lay down. I'll come inside in a moment." Dasha nodded and walked gingerly inside. The guys were about to say something when Rowen opened the car door and reached into the backseat. He pulled out a sleeping newborn in a car seat. "Guys," He said quietly. "I'd like to introduce you to my son, Andrew!"
Rowen watched, as the chins of all the guys and Mia seemed to have a contest of which could drop further. Ryo was the overall winner. Rowen placed his finger across his lips quieting the guys and then had them follow him as he went inside and placed Andrew in the bassinet in the bedroom. Dasha had been dozing off, her wedding ring sparkling in the sunlight. But when she heard Rowen, she opened her eyes and looked at him. He kissed her on the forehead and went back to the guys in the living room. When Rowen got back to the living room, Ryo exploded.
"Why didn't you guys tell us you were married when you came to Japan in May?" He demanded.
Rowen looked calmly at him.
"We didn't want anyone to know. It's our lives."
There was silence until Sage spoke. "How long have you guys been married?"
"It was six years in August." A voice said behind them. The guys turned around to see Dasha standing in the hall. She had an amused look on her face, which quickly turned to a grimace of pain when she took a step forward. Kento came over, picked her up, and set her on the couch as if she were a feather.
"Thanks, Kento." She said and everyone settled down around her. She and Rowen spent the afternoon answering all the questions that the guys had.
Mia and the guys stayed with Rowen and Dasha for about a month until she was back on her feet. Dasha promised to keep in contact to tell them how Andrew was growing. She gave them all pictures to put in their wallets. Dasha and Rowen made plans to go to Japan during their break during the two semesters. Now that they were all together again, they didn't want that to change. For Rowen, it was like coming home. It reminded him of what it had been like when all of them had lived there. Even Yuli was there. Andrew took to him just like Aimee had.
On the day before Christmas, Dasha and Kasha went for a walk. It was the first time the whole vacation that they'd gotten the chance to talk alone. Suddenly, they heard what sounded like chimes in the breeze as Kayura appeared in front of the girls. She looked like she hadn't gotten any sleep in a long time and that she would collapse at any moment.
"Kayura... wha-?" Kasha began before Kayura spoke. "Halo, Starfire, we need your help. An evil force has attacked us in the nether realm. Anubis and the others are fighting, but it's not enough."
"Why don't you ask-?" Dasha started.
"The ronins?" Kayura asked. "The legend that also told of Talpa's return, also speaks of this battle. It foretells that if the ronin warriors fight in this battle, they will not all live to see the end of it. But the legend also makes reference to two warriors alive during Talpa's first attack, and alive now, who will be able to stop him, and the evil threatening our world. My instincts tell me that those two warriors are the two of you. "
Dasha and Kasha looked at each other. A chance to fight again was too big to pass up. A quick mental chat and the girls had an answer. "We'll do it!"
The girls saw relief cross Kayura's face as they gave her their response. "I will contact you when we need you." She said as she disappeared
It was a week later on New Years Eve that the girls got the summons from the Nether Realm. They were upstairs in their bedroom with Mia watching the countdown on TV, eating popcorn and painting their nails. The countdown was down to five minutes. It was 11:55. Mia had gone downstairs to get some more sodas and popcorn, when they heard Kayura in their minds. 'Halo, Starfire, come help us.' Kasha and Dasha quickly stood up to leave as Mia came back into the room.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"Nothing." Kasha said. "We just want to go outside and get some fresh air."
"Okay." Mia said. "Don't stay outside too long. You don't want to miss the big moment."
"We'll be back in time Mia. Don't worry." Dasha said. With that, Mia went downstairs to the den to be with the guys as the girls and their tigers slipped out the back. They made sure that they got a safe distance away from the house before doing anything. After donning their armors, Kehleyr contacted Kayura.
"We're ready Kayura." She said. Moments later, they disappeared. Out of the shadows of the forest, White Blaze appeared. He had been sensing thing coming from the Nether Realm lately and he was glad that it would soon be taken care of. He was especially glad that his cubs didn't have to fight again. They had fought so hard the first time and had sacrificed so much. They had earned their rest. White Blaze turned toward the house, but even at this distance, he could hear Mia and the guys celebrating the New Year. Changing his mind, he went back into the peaceful and quiet forest.
When Kehleyr and Dehleyr rematerialized, they saw they were in the throne room of the castle. They could see the warlords looking a little worse for wear. Kayura was sitting on the throne and Anubis was standing next to her. Both he and the other warlords were wearing their armors. All of them looked ready to fight, but once they saw who it was, they relaxed. "I am glad you made it here. I was unsure if you would be able to hear me over the party that the ronins were having." Kayura said.
"We heard you perfectly." Dehleyr told her.
Suddenly, an alarm rang through the castle. Kayura and the warlords jumped up. In the fire, Kehleyr and Dehleyr could see the demon they were about to face.
"His name is Ara." Anubis said.
Kehleyr nodded once. "Let's go and destroy that demon before he has a chance of taking over our world." With that, Kehleyr and Dehleyr's part in the battle began.
SIX MONTHS LATER
Rowen didn't understand how his life was turning out. His wife, Dasha and her sister, Kasha, had disappeared six months earlier on New Years Eve. With Dasha's disappearance, it had been left to Rowen to raise their eight-month-old son, Andrew. Sage stuck his head in the doorway to Rowen's bedroom. He was looking out the window with Andrew in his arms. Rowen had turned out to be such a good father, but it had taken Dasha disappearing to realize that. Sage rapped quietly on the doorframe. "Rowen?" he said quietly.
Rowen turned around and put his finger to his lips. He motioned to Andrew who was asleep in his arms. He went over and set him down in his crib.
"What's up Sage?" he asked.
"Dinner's ready and Mia would like it if we could all have dinner together."
"Okay, I'll be right down."
For a few moments, Rowen looked at his son and made a silent plea to Dasha to come home soon.
Meanwhile, in the Nether Realm, Dehleyr was fighting against soldiers of Ara. She never thought this war would have lasted six weeks, much less six months. She couldn't believe how tired she was. She hadn't gotten a decent night sleep since the war had begun six months earlier. Dehleyr swore and brought her swords up in time to block an attack from a soldier. The force of the blow went up through her arm to her shoulder and she almost dropped her sword. Fortunately, Anubis was there to help her.
"Thanks" she panted. Anubis nodded and moved a little ways away and continued destroying soldiers. This particular battle had started three days earlier and there seemed to be no end in sight. But as soon as she thought that, all the soldiers mysteriously were destroyed. The mystery was explained when she saw Dais reappear from his attack. Dehleyr stripped down her body armor and wished herself to her chambers in the castle for some much needed sleep.
SIX MONTHS LATER
Mia scrolled down the screen of her computer. She was trying to find anything that would explain the disappearance of the girls. It was a year today. As Mia was on the computer, from outside, the guys heard a giant explosion. When they looked up into the sky, they saw a bright light and what looked to be a sure-kill come flying out of the sky and land ten feet away from them. It was only then that the guys started to think that maybe Kayura and the warlords might have known what had happened to Kehleyr and Dehleyr. Suddenly, all the guys and Mia were transported to the Nether Realm. When they regained their bearings, they saw two very extremely tired people. Kayura was sitting on the throne and Anubis was standing next to her. He was using the staff to hold himself up.
"Why did you bring us up here and why do you look like you're going to collapse?" Ryo demanded.
"We just got done with a battle. That is why we look ready to collapse. And the reason we brought you here is so you can take them home."
'Who home?' Ryo was about to ask when there was a giant explosion somewhere in the Nether Realm.
"Dais!" Kayura called.
"Yes, Lady Kayura?" He asked appearing.
"Go find out what that was and report back."
"Yes, milady." He said and disappeared.
Rowen looked at Dasha lying sleeping in the bed. After being gone for a year, she was finally home. When Kayura had brought them all to the Nether Realm, Rowen and the guys had learned that Dasha and Kasha had been helping Kayura, Anubis, and the other warlords to fight a rogue warlord who wanted to rule everything. They had learned that if the five of them had fought, some of them wouldn't have made it home. When Dais had returned, he had said that the explosion had been an explosive being set off safely and that Dehleyr would be in to see them momentarily. Rowen took himself back.
Dehleyr was beyond tired. She was ready to drop. She hadn't slept in about two weeks. But they had done it, the war was over. They had defeated Ara. She could now go home to Rowen and Andrew. A picture formed in her mind of both Rowen and Andrew. She missed them so much. She felt so bad that about not telling Rowen what she was going to do before she left. But, oh well, Dehleyr knew he'd understand. When she walked into the throne room with her sister at her side, she thought she saw some movement in the shadows of the throne room. For a moment, she felt like attacking, but she curbed the impulse and ignored it. She walked up the runner to where Kayura and Anubis were. Rowen stared at Dasha. She looked awful. She looked as if she hadn't slept in at least a week and he couldn't even tell what color her body armor had been. It was so dirty. Dasha stopped in front of Kayura and bowed. "Lady Kayura, the Nether Realm is secure. There is no sign of Ara."
"Thank you Halo, Starfire. Again, we thank-you for giving up a year of your lives to help us fight our battle."
"No, thank you for letting us fight." Kehleyr said coming up next to her sister. "A year is easier to handle than a whole lifetime as it would have been if the guys had fought. That would have been a sacrifice that we would have not been willing to make."
Kayura nodded. "I understand." she looked at Kehleyr and Dehleyr. "I now release you to the earth realm and to the lives that you put on hold so you could help us. We are forever in your debt."
Kayura raised her hand and motioned to someone in the corner of the throne room. Dasha turned to see Rowen, Mia, and the other guys step forward. Rowen went over to Dasha and enveloped her into his arms. After a year apart, Rowen had his wife back and he was not going to let her out of his sight again. Dasha laid her head on Rowen's shoulder. She had been dreaming of this for a year.
"I'm so tired." She told him. Rowen picked her up and held her in his arms."Well then go to sleep my love, I have you." he whispered in her ear. Laying her head against his chest, Dasha closed her eyes and went to sleep. Moments later, there was a flash of light and the guys, Mia, Kehleyr, and Dehleyr were gone.
Two weeks later, Dasha woke up. Looking around, she could see was in her bedroom at Mia's house. Rowen was sitting on a chair at her bedside, sleeping. He was holding her hand. 'Man, talk about deja vu.' she thought to herself. She gently squeezed his hand. Rowen came awake startled and almost fell out of his chair. When he calmed down, he checked on Dasha. She was awake and watching him with a silly grin on her face. He felt a case of deja vu. That was exactly how Dasha had woken him up in the hospital after her car crash.
Looking down at his left hand, Rowen saw the wedding band that Dasha had given him. He looked back up into her eyes. She had a knowing look. Rowen squeezed her hand.
"I love you." He said.
"And I love you." She replied.
A few hours later, Kasha woke up. Both she and Dasha had a long way to go before they were one hundred percent again but they were on the road to recovery. Late that night, Rowen were and Dasha were sitting on the roof gazing up at the stars. Dasha could feel them giving her strength.
"I'm sorry that we didn't tell you guys what we were doing, but I didn't want you guys to get hurt."
"I understand. " Rowen said. "But next time, please tell me. I was so worried about you because I didn't know where you were."
"I promise." Dasha said. As Rowen laid her down on the roof and started to kiss her, a star shot over them, sealing their promise.
THE END