I was dying, that much was obvious. My arms hadn’t stopped shivering, since well, Im not really sure, and my head’s all foggy. I could barely even remember what had happened. I can see someone else though, they're next to me, trying to get me to wake up. Why? Who is that? My vision isn’t too good right now . . . Come back? Why, where was I? Was I somewhere I shouldn’t be? What had I done now? “Don’t leave me, please!” Such heartache, I wonder who died. Unless, were they talking about . . . me? But why would anyone love . . . me? My vision clears and I could see the one in front of me, tears in their eyes. I blink, my brain finally registering. But why are you here? What HAD happened?! Why are you bleeding?! You collapse, a strangled cry slipping past your lips. Injured, and it’s all my fault. Why couldn’t I do anything right?! “No, don’t leave me! No, please,-”
---------------------------------------------
The water stretched out like sapphire glass, reflecting the clear sky with its illuminating moon and pinprick stars, so far away yet only just out of reach for those who wanted it bad enough. It was beautiful and utterly ethereal, but the figure that walked its length again and again could find no rest, no peace. Robyn McCarthy couldn’t help but realize that the stars would vanish with the sunrise, only to return at sunset, blazing brightly and bringing with them a sense of home. She loved to watch the stars, almost as much as a certain friend of hers did, but for a different reason. Over the years, many people had left her, many without even a second glance. But the stars had always been there, just as they would always be. It was beautiful and utterly ethereal, but the figure that walked its length again and again could find no rest, no peace.
A light breeze stirred up the air, casting a slight chill throughout the area for a minute. The teen shivered, her green eyes turned toward the darkness that grasped the outer ocean. It would have been menacing if she had been alone, or if this had been a year before. As it was, all she felt was a despairing sense of guilt.
It had been a year since Nago had been defeated and her life changed forever. All thanks to five guardian angels sent from Heaven. She owed her life to each and every one of them. Ryo, Cye, Sage, Rowen and-
“Robyn?”
She spun around, “Kento!” She exclaimed, “What are you doing up, its late.” She tucked a few stray crimson pieces of hair behind her ear as she spoke. Why was he up? Surely he hadn’t seen her...?
“Couldn’t sleep.” He explained, stretching his arms above his head. “And you?” He asked, his usual juvenile eyes narrowed in concentration, causing a brief start in Robyn. How could she have forgotten she wasn’t dealing with her naive school friends? These guys had seen more, done more, and not all of them were pleasant or good.
“Same.” She smiled, somewhat shakily truth be told. “It was so beautiful I thought Id take a walk.”
A wide grin lit up the bearer of Hardrock’s face and suddenly he was back to the joyous somewhat childish Kento again., instead of the seasoned warrior. “Mind if I join you?”
~*~
“Really?” Robyn chuckled, her hands in the pockets of her jeans. “I cant believe Sage would do such a thing!”
“Us either.” Kento snickered, “Poor Rowen was out cold for an hour.” He looked down sideways at his female companion and frowned lightly. “Yo, Robyn?”
“Yeah?” She glanced up as she tied off the end of her quickly made braid and let it fall against her back. She stopped when Kento touched her shoulder lightly, “What’s wrong, Ken?” She asked, a puzzled expression crossing her face.
He ran a hand through his hair lightly and sighed, “Do you mind if I ask a question?”
“Well you just did.” She pointed out, “But, sure, of course.” She pulled him down to the sand and they just sat there, watching the ocean as the wind began creating small waves.
“Cye told us your mother tried to kill you.” His lips drew together in a tight line, as if it took all his strength to suppress the urge to destroy something. “My question is- Why?”
She looked at him out of the corner of her eye, “I dunno. She was insane, Kento, that was obvious. One minute she would be fine, asking me to help dry the dishes, then the next I would be underwater. The same when I would take a bath. She would help me with my hair then try and drown me.”
The ronin’s jaw clenched, “What did your father do?”
She chuckled humorlessly, “My father? He would act as if nothing had happened. Even when he saw her trying to drown me in the sink he walked off, leaving me there.” A tear dripped unheeded down her cheek. No matter how many times she repressed the memories, they came back.
Kento’s fist tightened until blood began to drizzle down his palm. What a horrible life for a child! A schizo for a mother and a pushover for a father. It was a wonder Robyn hadn’t cracked over the years. Of course Cye had helped. He was startled out of his thoughts by a sob.
“I...thought I had done something wrong.” She whispered, tears steaming down her face. All of a sudden she was enveloped in a hug, her face pressed against Kento’s sleeveless t-shirt.
“You didn’t do anything wrong, Robyn.” He whispered softly as she cried. It was ten minutes later before Robyn moved away, rubbing her face. “Sorry, there was something in my eye.” She muttered, a red hue gracing her face.
A smile forced its way through the darkness and the bearer of Hardrock got an idea.
“Hey, Robyn, feel up for a swim?”
She paled, “I don't think that's a good idea, Kento.”
He shook his head, “We will only be in the water for a minute or two, then we’ll be out. I just want to show you something.” He assured her.
“I...don’t like water.” She muttered, staring at the inky depths. “You can’t tell me you forgot the boating incident, Ken.” She hugged her knees to her chest and shivered.
“No, I haven’t.” It was one of the scariest things I have ever been through. “But I’ll be with you. Please, Robyn? For me.”
~*~
“I cant believe Im out here.” Robyn muttered, twisting her braid into a knot at the base of her neck. Kento chuckled at her and stretched again, hands over his head. “Remind me again why I am going swimming in the dark ocean in the middle of the night?” She asked, mouth turned down into a frown.
“Because I asked you to.” The bearer of Hardrock smiled and held out his hand. “Shall we?”
Robyn smiled and stood next to the taller ronin. However that was where her courage failed her. “Where are we going, exactly?” She asked worriedly, the sea sure looked menacing. She took a small step back but Kento was ready and he easily grabbed her and dived into the water, pulling the distressed redhead with him into the unknown.
“KENTO!”
~*~
Ryo Sanada yawned, his hands rubbing tiredly at his eyes. Sunlight streamed through the windows, striking him full upon the face. He frowned, wondering if it were too late to change rooms with Rowen. Cye should be down soon anyway, with him and Sage. It wouldn’t take too much time to just relocate his things...Naw, that wasn’t right. He had wanted the room facing the beach, and he got it.
Swinging his legs over the side, he fixed his black sweats he had collapsed into bed last night wearing, seeing as they had gotten twisted while he slept. Stretching his tired muscles, the leader of the ronins ran a hand through his ebony hair, the ends curling up just past his ears.
Throwing a red shirt on he made his way into the kitchen, “Hey Robyn, what’s for breakfa-”
Stopping mid sentence the teen frowned, the kitchen was cold, the dishes from their hurried meal last night still sitting in the sink. It was actually rather late, so why did the room look like no one had even stepped foot in it?
“Kento?” Ryo made his way to his teammate’s room, knocking lightly. No answer. An odd feeling crept through his senses, and before he knew what he was doing, he turned the handle. There was no one in the room, the bed hadn’t even been slept in.
Ba-bump. His heart thudded painfully as he almost ran to Robyn’s room on the other side of the cabin they had rented. Colliding with the hard wood he flung the door open. Please be here, Robyn. Please!
The room was in the same condition as Kento’s.
Where WERE they? And why did he suddenly feel so cold?
~*~
The atmosphere in the light blue Honda was tense. Rowen had been teasing Cye for the past hour and a half, and the only reason why he wasn’t doing it now was because he had just got his butt royally chewed out by Sage after Cye had nearly sent their car spinning over the median while trying to attack the blue haired teen in the back.
Cye’s fingers clutched the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles were white and his eyes narrowed while he tried to force his breathing back into his normal rhythm. Sage sat next to him, arms crossed and lips pursed. The beach was coming into view and Rowen sent a pray skyward. He hadn’t really thought he had been bothering Cye that bad, just a few jokes and taunts to keep the mood light. Now it was anything but.
The sooner they got to the cabin the better. For many reasons. They wished only to hook up with the others and maybe fix the tension between the three ronins. Robyn could do it better than any of them and Cye unconsciously pressed just a little harder on the gas. If only they knew the danger two of their number were in. If they did, there was no doubt the small vehicle would be flying.
As it was, they were blissfully oblivious to it all.
~*~
Red hair lay sprawled over harsh, cold stone. Pale skin lacerated and bruised, bathing suit torn and ripped. Weak, uneven breathing and shaking limbs. Consciousness slowly rising to the surface.
Drip-Drip-Drip-Drip.
Robyn’s eyes fluttered open, dull green eyes darting around the pitch black darkness. Her heart lurched, where was she?! She shivered, her teeth rattling as she slowly sat up, the water she had been laying in was ice cold and her whole body felt numb.
“K-Kento?”
Drip-Drip-Drip-Drip.
“Ken?”
No answer. The air was closing in around her, stifling. Too much, it was too much!
“KENTO!” She crawled forward, arms outstretched, trying to feel along the ground. Where was he? What had happened? She couldn't seem to remember. Her head was throbbing, sharp daggers stabbing over and over. She raised her hand, fingertips gently touching her temple. They came away sticky with blood. She must have hit her head somehow. Crap.
Drip-Drip-Drip-Drip.
Robyn took a deep breath and started forward again- only to freeze when her hand ran into something warmer than water. “K-Ken?” She whispered, voice shaking.
No answer.
Her hand moved on its own, sliding through that thick liquid until she touched a very cold shoulder. She screamed, the sound echoing eerily as she jumped backwards. He was dead! DEAD! As she scrambled backwards, her hand slipped in Kento’s blood and she landed rather heavily against a sharp outcropping she couldn’t see in the dark. Pain lanced through her and she moaned, curling around her side, tears falling down her face. What was she to do now? Her only hope was...was...
“Kento...”
~*~
“Get OUT of my way!”
Ryo started, jumping so much he fell out of the tree he was perched in, hands scrabbling at the branch, tearing at his hands. He hung there, wincing, wondering how these things always seem to happen to him. All of a sudden the world swam and he clutched tighter to his lifeline, dangling high above the ground. What...? What was going on...? Black dots began to pepper his vision and he closed his eyes, shivering. “R-Rowen....Cye...Sa-age...” He whispered, just as everything went black.
“Calm down, Cye!” Sage shouted, his tone alone causing the other two to stop bickering and stare at him. Cye was half out of the car, Rowen in front of him, having been trying to keep the British teen in his seat without actually touching him.
Needless to say, Cye was about ready to rip the taller ronin a new one and it was all Sage could do to keep a fight from breaking out.
“We DO NOT need you two acting like children on our ONLY vacation! Or have you forgotten the reason why we’re all here in the first place?!”
Rowen winced, he hadn’t. Pitching together all their money, the five ronins plus Robyn had rented a cottage on the beach to try and give themselves a little time to be themselves and try to get rid of the remaining fear and anxiety from the Nago incident a year before.
Cye was staring at his hands, horrified. Had it only been a year? A year since they had fought an evil threatening to destroy everything they knew? A year since he had nearly lost his life? A year since he had been forced to see Robyn’s face screwed up with pain? A year...
“-ye.” Someone was shaking him. “Cye!”
He gasped, eyes boring straight into Sage’s, those violet orbs a storm to be reckoned with. “Cye,” The warrior of light said softy, “Snap out of it. Its over, all right? OVER.”
Was it really? It that were true, then why did he still hear Robyn’s screams in his dreams at night? Why did he constantly wake up in a cold sweat, having to actually get out of bed and walk down the hallway to the redhead’s room and touch her cheek lightly to reassure himself he wasn’t still dreaming and when he woke he would realize that his dreams were a reality and Robyn was-
“CYE!” It was Rowen this time, eyes narrowed. “Stop acting like this!” He slapped the smaller ronin across the face, “Its not like we weren’t affected by Nago! Wake up and stop moping around like you're the center of the universe! It isn't like you! You care about everyone, you're THERE for everyone! You‘re not selfish like this!”
Cye lifted a hand and touched his cheek with his fingertips, eyes wide and mouth agape. Sage was off to the side, an eyebrow raised. Note, however, he was far enough away that if it was to come to a fight, he was safe.
“I-I...”
“You’re not a child, Cye!” The blue-haired ronin continued, “You are a Ronin Warrior. Start acting like it!”
“I’m...Selfish?” Sea green eyes turned to pin Rowen in their steel gaze. “Selfish...?! I WAKE UP EVERY NIGHT HEARING HIS LAUGHTER IN MY HEAD, HEARING ROBYN SCREAM FOR HELP, FOR IT TO STOP! I DIED AND FOUGHT HEAVEN AND HELL TO GET BACK TO HELP YOU! AND YOU DARE CALL ME SELFISH?!” His fist moved, the knuckles connecting with Rowen’s jaw and sending him flying. “I LIVE WITH THE FEAR AND THE TERROR DAILY, AND IM NOT RONIN ENOUGH FOR YOU?! I WAS SUFFERING EVERY SECOND, BUT YOU DIDN’T NOTICE, DID YOU?! NO ONE NOTICED!! MY SO CALLED ‘FRIENDS’ DIDN’T NOTICE!! YOU THINK YOU KNOW ME, ROWEN?! DO YOU?! YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHO I REALLY AM!! EITHER OF YOU!!”
Silence greeted the sandy haired youth’s screaming ramble, broken only by his harsh and ragged breathing. Snarling and spinning on his heel, the teen made his way outside, thinking after a nice, long swim he would be able to face his comrades again. What he had said and done was inexcusable, but...It was all true, wasn’t it?
However he wasn't going to get his leisure time. There were bigger and more pressing matters at hand. Such as the crumpled and motionless raven haired man lying on the concrete patio, eyes opened to thin slits and staring at nothing.
“RYO?!” The warrior of Torrent rushed forward, falling to his knees and pulling Ryo into his arms, the latter's head falling back to dangle limply. Tears began to streak down Cye's face as he sobbed. Rowen and Sage fell to their knees just behind their leader, the blonde cautiously reaching out to press his fingers against Ryo's neck. His pulse was weak, fluttering, and fading fast, his body shivering, pale, and cold.
Even as Sage called on his powers, even as Cye and Rowen tried to help, Ryo stopped breathing.
The blonde paled and he sucked in a gasp. "No...No, it cant be..."
"Ryo? Ryo?! RYO!" The warrior of torrent was hyperventilating, what was going on?! "RYO!!"
"Cye! Quit it!"
"NO! HE CANT BE DEAD!" Cye screamed, tears zigzagging down his face, "HE CANT BE BECAUSE WE'D FEEL IT! HE JUST CANT BE!"
Rowen, his arms around the smaller ronin, was trying to keep him from crowding Sage, who was bent over the teen, trying to get his heart to beat. The blonde was trying everything he could think of, even calling on his armor to try and access what the problem was, but... The search was coming up empty. All he felt was a stabbing pain in his side and a severe headache he assumed came from calling too much on Halo. There wasn’t a mark on Ryo except for the small bump on his head, and the odd gash across his arm that wanted to bleed no matter what Sage did to it.
"Cye- STOP IT! Sage is trying! We cant do anything else but wait! I SAID STOP IT!" The tallest of the ronins cried, pinning Cye to the ground, a hand on each of the British teen's wrists. "FREAKING OUT WONT BRING HIM BACK!" A tear slipped down Rowen's cheek, "It...wont..."
"R-Ro?" Cye gasped, catching the taller warrior when he began to sway. They huddled on the ground, two ronins lost and confused without their leader.
Sage bit his lip in frustration. "Come on Ryo, you cant do this. You cant leave us alone like this...We cant find Robyn or Kento...Cye and Rowen are at each others throats all the time...Please, Ryo...We need you!" We need you... Sage called on the rest of his powers, and bent over his leader one more time...
~*~
"R-Robyn?" The voice was soft at first, barely more than a mere whisper. As the events of the past hours began to surface, the voice began to strengthen, becoming louder, harsher. "Robyn!" Kento tried to sit up, but a searing pain in his side decided against said motion, and the warrior coughed, blood flecking his lips. "Robyn!" He moaned weakly. This was all his fault, if he hadn’t pressured her into diving with him to the cave, they would never have set off the cave-in...and she wouldn’t be with him here...Hurt...Dead...?
"Oh god, Robyn...Don’t be dead. Please...Don’t be dead...!" And the warrior of hardrock grit his teeth against the pain and slowly began to search through the pitch black cave, the water level rising fast.
~*~
Sage's last ditch effort was well met. Ryo moaned in pain, his pale blue eyes flickering open slowly. "Robyn..."
"Ryo!" Nothing stopped Cye from reaching his leader this time. "Ryo- Oh my god..."
"Robyn." He repeated, louder this time, "Kento....A cave in water.."
Rowen and Sage exchanged confused glances, but Cye's face paled so bad it could have made paper look black. "The cave?"
Before anyone could ask, the youngest ronin was off like a shot across the beach and through the water, arching into the deeper waters with a fluid dive. Robyn...Please, please be all right...Please!
~*~
Someone was shaking her. A voice was crying her name. Who was it? Why? What was going on? "Don’t leave me, Robyn!"
If you could see inside my heart
then you'd understand
Id never meant to hurt you
Baby Im not that kind of man
Kento's face was torn up, blood dripping from a gash across his forehead, his left eye clenched shut. Tears fell in a near steady stream down his face. "Why wont you wake up, Robyn? Why?!" The strongest of the ronin warriors clutched the limp body to his chest, his face pressed to her blood matted hair, sobbing. "Please...Robyn...Please...I have something I need to tell you..."
"Are you afraid of anything, Kento?" Robyn asked one day, legs dangling over the armrest of the couch she was lying on.
Kento raised an eyebrow, "Of course not. Im Kento of Hardrock!"
"Im afraid, of getting old...Getting old and getting trapped, unable to help those I care about when they most need me." She whispered softly, "I don’t ever want that to happen, Ken. But...I am more afraid of being useless, or always having to be rescued.." He had comforted her, held her, talked to her. The subject wasn’t brought up again, and she never got an answer.
"Robyn...this was my fear. You, injured, possibly dying....Without ever knowing that I...That I love you."
I might not say Im sorry
Yeah, I might talk rough sometimes
and I might forget the little things
or keep you hanging on the line
Cye's lungs were burning. He knew he would either have to go back up for air or call on his armor. If he had been thinking straight, he would have already done so, but right now, all of his thoughts were turned to the girl he loved. I...I never got to tell her....
In a world that don't know Romeo and Juliet
Boy meets girl and promises we can't forget
We are cast from Eden's gate with no regrets
Into the fire we cry
There's the cave, its so close now. The entrance is caved in, the rocks piled so high it would have been impossible to move from the inside. Swimming over to the rocks, Cye called upon his powers, focusing all of his strength on the one obstacle separating him from Robyn and Kento. "SUPER WAVE SMASHER!" With the release of the rocks, water flooded the cave, quickly overtaking Kento, who still held the unconscious Robyn in his arms. He cried out in shock, holding her as close as he could, his lips over hers, trying to keep the water from flooding their lungs. Turning at the last second, Kento put his unprotected back to the rapidly flying debris, his eyes clenched tightly against the pain.
I'd die for you
I'd cry for you
I'd do anything
I'd lie for you
You know it's true
Baby I'd die for you
I'd die for you
I'd cry for you
If it came right down to me and you
You know it's true, Baby I'd die for you
Sage and Rowen supported Ryo between them as they stood on the beach, concern evident on their faces. What was taking Cye so long? Were Robyn and Kento all right? What had happened? Ryo had suggested that Kento must be hurt, and his own wounds were merely a reflection to what was happening to their comrade. They could only hope he was right and the two were only injured and not dead. His eyes sharper than the others, Rowen let out a cry, pointing to where two figures were making their way out of the water, another figure in their arms.
I might not be a savior
And I'll never be a king
I might not send you roses
Or buy you diamond rings
"CYE! KENTO!" Sage ran toward them, his heart thudding painfully when he saw the way Robyn lay in Kento's arms, her head lying on his chest, red hair matted with blood, face pale. Both the warrior of Hardrock and the youth were the worse for wear, scratches marring every inch of their bare skin. Kento had a gash running across his forehead and down over his left eye, sealing it shut. His back was scarred from the rocks flying from Cye's attack, and his side was discolored, the evidence of at least one broken rib.
But if I could see inside you
Maybe I'd know just who we are
'Cause our love is like a hunger
Without it we would starve
Robyn woke several minutes before sunset, her wounds healed, the blood washed from her hair. She was dressed in clean clothes and had been tucked into her bed, the heavy blankets pulled to her chin. Blinking in stunned surprise, she quietly made her way to the door and pushed it open. Crashed on the couch was Sage, and she gave him a small kiss on his cheek before moving to the other couch where Rowen lay, a book lying across his stomach. She gently picked it up and set it on the table, making sure to save his page before moving to Ryo's room, where the raven-haired youth lay in bed, his head bandaged. She ruffled his thick mane of hair fondly, and that was when she heard their voices that drifted to her from outside on the beach.
"I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t shown up when you did, Cye." Kento was sitting in a chair, his wounds healed, including the gash across his eye. "I just DIDN’T know what to do..."
Cye reached over and gave his best friend a hug, "Im just glad you two are all right. If you had died...I would have had to bring you back and kill you again." He earned a soft chuckle for that one.
"Cye? K-Kento?" Robyn whispered softly, her voice making both of the warriors spin around in shock, their eyes wide at the tears cascading down her face, emerald eyes swimming with those unshed.
"Robyn-" Cye was cut off when the redhead tackled him and Kento, her arms around them both.
In a world that don't know Romeo and Juliet
Boy meets girl and promises we can't forget
We are cast from Eden's gate with no regrets
Into the fire we cry
"Thank you..." She sobbed, "I don’t deserve you, either of you...I don’t! But...You're always there, always helping me...And I cant do a thing...I hate being useless! I do nothing but cause trouble-" Se stopped when Kento gentle put his finger over her mouth.
"Listen to me, Robyn. You are not useless, or a burden. I would put my life on the line daily if I could keep you safe. You understand?"
Cye cupped her face softly, "Its going to be all right Robyn, I promise you."
I'd die for you
I'd cry for you
I'd do anything
I'd lie for you
You know it's true
Baby I'd die for you
I'd die for you
I'd cry for you
If it came right down to me and you
You know it's true, Baby I'd die for you
Robyn, her arms around both Cye and Kento, sat in the sand, watching as the sunrise topped the horizon and hit the water, casting rainbows dancing across the waves. The vacation may have been a wreck, but it had achieved what it was intended to do, chase away the fears of Nago and bring them all closer together. Robyn tilted her head back and watched the stars fade, but she knew without a doubt they wold be there tonight, just as they would always be there. Just like the two men at her side.
~Owari~
Robyn- copyright of Ghostofthedawn
I'd die for you- copyright of Bon Jovi