Chapter Eleven

Hoshi found work more boring with each passing day. Good thing that summer was coming, and hopefully any of the madness that had previously had happened would generate then. She couldn't be grading finals and running for her life or dealing with monsters. She remembered Rowen laughing when she told him this, he only smiled and said she had her priorities straight. She laid her head against the table with a large thunk and gently chuckled to herself, all of this was insane There was a knock on the door, and she mumbled, "come in!"

The door opened and Cye peered in and she looked up as he came in. Some reason they thought of "guarding" her from whatever that was going on while Mia looked into other matters. Not that Mia had uncovered anything in her grandfather's files, but alas she was happy for the company. She wished it was Rowen most of the time, but he was the only one as busy as she was. She craved his touch and had one date in the last few weeks, in fact it had been almost a month since she had seen the wolf. She didn't mind spending time with his friends, they were putting out an effort to befriend her. Everyone but Sage, and he only came by when everyone else was busy. Most of the time, he spent it silently irritable. Kento and Ryo made her laugh, both of them were hilarious although Ryo was more sensitive. Last night Kento had been over, and she decided to go out to eat with him, which was a huge mistake. The boy could eat someone broke if she had let him. Ryo on the other hand would let her order take out, and would play some sort of video game while she worked on her papers. She enjoyed Cye's company though, not as much as Rowen of course, but she considered him to be a good friend. However, he refused to let her eat anything "bad", and although she felt healthier, she missed the pizza from her favorite place. She had a feeling today was going to be one of those days.

Cye smiled brightly, "wow, you've been procrastinating on grading!"

"I need to hire a grad student," she laughed as she looked at him from between the stacks of papers. "You want a part time job? You boys need to do something useful if your gonna spend this much time with me!"

"No," he chuckled, he almost seemed overwhelmed at the thought.

"So um...yeah...it's another great night spent in my office," she grumbled and Cye laughed. "You want to order pizza, I'll pay?" She hoped he would, she wanted pizza so bad.

"Oh no, I brought food," he said as he pulled off his back pack. He opened it up and pulled out two bento boxes that were still steaming. Hoshi felt her mouth drool. Okay, maybe she liked Cye because he could cook better than either her or Rowen.

She grinned, she was okay with hot food instead of pizza, "can you be me and Rowen's waifu?"

He just rolled his yes, "miss professor, you can't grade papers on junk food alone."

"Geez, are you sure?" She had been doing it for years.

She heard the door open, and Leea barged in, she was looking down at a book and didn't notice Cye, "dude, this new book that has to be on next semester's list of read's is bull."

Leea looked up at the two starring at her. She frowned at Hoshi, "This is not Rowen."

Hoshi replied putting on a big smile, "no, but you wanted to meet one of his friends right?"

"Leea Lucus," She said to the guy. She seemed unphased by him, although he was handsome, she looked at him suspiciously. Leea wasn't the most trusting of men, which was ironic, because she spent most of her time trying to set her up with them.

"Cye Mouri," he replied, he held up a part of the the bento box. "Would you care for some?"

"Not right now," she replied shortly as she slammed the book on top of Hoshi's papers. "What is the Dean thinking?"

"That he's the Dean and he knows what best," Hoshi answered as Cye began to eat.

"I'm not thrilled that we have to read some contemporary literature from the US about misinformed bondage," she growled and she saw Cye blush. "Yes, its 50 shades of gray."

Hoshi giggled at the guy, "don't go tainting the boy now."

"Okay, I've been meaning to ask," Leea said seriously. "Who are all these guys?"

"Friends of Rowen's," Hoshi replied as she fumbled for a reason why they would always be around. As open minded as Leea was, she didn't think she would believe the real truth that Mia carried around with her. She had thought of telling her when the event first happened, but she realized that maybe even that would be too much for her friend. "He wants to get to know them as well, they're like brothers, they've known each other a long time."

Cye nodded in agreement, and Lee snatched a hot dog from the box, "well, at least one of them cooks. Usually, I have to make sure you eat right."

"Oh, she's like Rowen then," Cye laughed at Leea's comment. "Everything is more important than food, I really think you two must be destined."

Hoshi rolled her eyes and then said to the other professor, "Ruby is mad at me again."

"She doesn't enjoy her A's," snorted Leea.

Cye couldn't help but ask, "why would she be mad about that?"

"Hoshi here is known as the no A teacher, only B's , that was until she met Rowen. Now her policies have flown out the window with her brain," Leea giggled and Hoshi shot her a look. It was true, she was being a little less firm than before, but she the slackers still like her.

"Ruby is infatuated with the idea of the nether realm," Hoshi mumbled as she held up her recent paper. "She's mini Mia."

"Oh," Cye laughed.

Leea nodded, "she pretty much is."

Cye smiled, "how did you meet Mia, Leea."

"Oh, I used to be her grandfather's assistant as a grad student, he was a sweet man," she smiled, and flicked her long silver hair out of the way. "A bit wonky, but nice. Always telling me that poem he told Mia as a child. He helped me get tenure too."

Cye asked seriously, Hoshi could see the look on his face, "so you know of his research?"

"Yeah," she grinned as she felt she could make the old man proud. "Torch of spirit sought through five, drinking strength from immortal fire, darkest prison sheds the light, churning beneath a swirl of salt, burning within a throne of rock, floating among the eyes of the ages, unmired in the stream of the sky."

Cye looked down at his food thinking of his friends, "interesting."

"...Five will break the seal of the black and white sun and the void will open. Power must replace power. One who is tainted will be healed by tears. The one who has forsaken the power, will return by hands scarred but wise. But before the light can be found the smallest one will perish."

Cye paused, he tried to act unalarmed but Hoshi had learned enough from Mia that wasn't the poem. She had only heard up to the "stream of the sky".

Cye asked, "I haven't heard that part from Mia."

"She wouldn't know it," Leea said. "He always said putting all your knowledge with one person was like putting all the eggs in one basket. It was the only thing he left with me before he passed away. Anyways, I thought I would let you know that Ruby is going to be storming in here later today. She's on a rampage, even professor Wariko can't seem to calm her down. Geez louise, who knew the girl who was your mini me could hold so much unbridled rage?"

"I thought she was Mia's mini me?"

"More like your shadow then I guess."

She slipped out and Cye looked at her, "I think Mia needs to know this."

"You want to stop by there later, I would like to see white blaze," Hoshi smiled, the tiger was super nice to her. "Would her grandfather really do that?"

"I don't know, but what if this helps with everything that has been going on," he said as she started to pick at the food he made.

"Do you think Raleigh will appear again? She said she failed as a yojimbo, I know what happens to those who fail such duties," she asked sadly. She seemed to really care about the warrior who had been harmed by the nether realm.

"She said she had a debt to repay you, right," Cye smiled as he pushed the food closer. He was insisting she eat. "She'll return to owe you that debt."

She smiled at him, "what is your virtue anyways, I never asked?"

"Trust," he smiled brightly.

"Soo corny," she giggled as she finally started to eat. "So tell me what sage has against me?"

"Against you? He's just...well...he's a little harsh," Cye paused, "battle does that. I'm afraid we're all a little colder, older, and hopefully wiser. I don't think he's upset that Rowen is dating you, he just doesn't want you to be hurt because of well because of who we are."

"He could express that concern, and drop the attitude."

"That's our Sage though," Cye said softly.

Hoshi smiled as she finished the small meal. "Be prepared, Ruby will be in in four...three... two...one..."

The door slammed open and the small little college student stamped her way in. she shoved Cye over and slammed her hands on the desk, making the giant stacks of paper fall everywhere. "you're doing it just to irritate me now."

"So what if I am?"

"You pompous..." She paused then noticed Cye, "wait...a minute...is this the rumored boyfriend?"

"No, he's just a friend visiting, and you know about Rowen?"

"Of course, half the department is talking about how your twitterpated," she growled softly. "I had only hoped that it was only a rumor..."

Hoshi snorted, as the the little black haired girl steamed. Cye was chuckling, "you girls are all so hot headed!"

Ruby shot a look at him, "there's more than meets the eye. I may look small, but I can whoop you if I wanted too.."

Hoshi stood and put an arm around Ruby's shoulders, thinking she had a way to calm the girl down, "Where is my polite little Ruby gone too?"

"The same place you teaching ethics went," she answered, she really was mad. Last thing she wanted was her student beating her boyfriend's best friend up.

"How bout I make it up to you?"

"How so?"

"Have you met Mia Koji yet?"