Truths Unknown 5

There were thought burdened figures, sitting in the library.

"Do you think Rowen's going to talk to us, soon," Yuli asked.

"No.  Rowen…Rowen blames himself for her condition," Sage told him.

"Is she getting any better, Sage," Dais asked.  Sage only shook his head.

"A lot of us blame ourselves for this," Sekhmet sighed.

"We failed to do our job right, again," Kale added.

"NO!  This is not any of your faults.  Everyone was just in the wrong places at the wrong time," Mia stood in front of them and mouthed.

"It was also an accident," Sage sighed.

"Well, it wasn't like they were SPARING, Sage," Kento yelled at him.

"Sage is right, Kento.  A lot of accidents can happen because of misunderstandings," Ryo said.  "Or you don't remember the last few months?"  Everyone nodded in agreement.

"I guess you're right.  But, has anyone seen Cye?"

"He's second to Rowen in blaming himself for this," Sekhmet said as he sat on the floor.

Dais walked over to the other side of the room and picked up the book that Kayura was studying, "Last night, around this time of morning, she came to me and told me about some of her flashbacks.  Then, as dawn was breaking, Cye asked me about the very same dreams.  It seemed that Cye was the most loyal and trustworthy of her man guards.  Having to see all of that and then failing now, must be so hard for him to cope with."

Kale raised an eyebrow, "Is that why she is so nice to him?"

"She's just gotta make it.  I don't want her to leave us like Anubius did," Yuli said as he rubbed his eyes.  "I hope that Sage can help her feel better."

"I'll do my best," Sage confirmed, then left.  Yuli then slid off the chair as Mia beckoned to him and she escorted him back to bed.

"Should we look for him," Kento asked.

"It looks like White Blaze is looking already," Ryo said as he noticed that the white tiger was gone.

"He left after Sekhmet talked about Cye blaming himself," Dais told them.

Kento pointed at Dais, "You spook me out, man."

"Me, too," Kale added.  "Let's go.  All of this worrying makes me want to raid the pantry.  Then, there will be a lot of practicing to do."

"That sounds good."

"Want to come along, Sekhmet," Kale asked.  "Sekhmet?  Sekhmet.  Sekhmet, don't tell me that you fell asleep in meditative position?"  Sekhmet lets out a momentary snore.  Kale starts to walk out, followed by the others, "I don't get it?  He is the only one of us to fall asleep.  We have a crisis and he sleeps for hours?"  As the sound in the hallway starts to die down, Dais takes out the yoroi orb of Cruelty and places it besides the book.  He stares at the both of them, for a moment, then starts to mediate.

"Should I blame myself, White Blaze," Cye asked as they watched the sun come up from over the horizon.  "She could die because I couldn't stop Twilight, myself.  But, most of all…when she wakes up….  When she wakes up, do you think she'll forgive me for letting her down?"  White Blaze nudged him.  Cye looked a bit cross at the beast, "Some friend you are."  He heard laughter from behind him.

"He said that everything will be all right.  Then, forgotten."

"Ryo," Cye said as his friend sat besides him.

"Remind me that you are never to translate for this tiger, Cye."

"Ok.  You are never to translate for this tiger, Cye."  The both of them let out a small laugh, which ended with Cye sighing.  "I hope for the love of God that the tiger's right.  Or, at least that your translation's accurate."

"Did you know that he gets his own TV show after predicting the weather correctly at least seventy percent of the time?"

"Really," Cye asked as he followed Ryo and White Blaze towards the kitchen.

Sage and Rowen stayed at Kayura's side for the rest of the night, while the others came by to visit, when not eating, sleeping, or studying various books.  Sage sat as still as a cat at Kayura's bedside, watching.  Rowen only watched the sky from Kayura's window.  It looked like he was desperately looking for a falling star to wish upon.  After an hour or two, he curled his knees to his chest, held them tight with his hands, and sunk his face into the gape between them.

"Rowen," Sage thought with no other words coming to mind, at that moment.  He did not know whether it was best to sit with him or leave him alone.  He could imagine his friend taking that position many times during his life.  As many times as Rowen ran away from getting close to others because he knew no one would ever want to get close to him.  Sage wondered how it must be like to have loneliness in his heart his whole life.  But, so far, it only seems that one other person, besides Rowen that he knew of, knows how it feels to be in that type of pain.  Next, Sage found himself besides his friend.  Rowen only peered up, from his position to see Sage looking back at him with a look of calm upon his face, his violet eyes burning.  Not like fire, but more like when dry leaves chase one another in a strong fall breeze.  Rowen never knew why other people found Sage's eyes intimidating.  He liked how Sage's eyes seemed to see all of a person.  Sage always looked at Rowen in a way that no one else had before him and Rowen always looked at Sage like any one normal person would look at another normal person.

Rowen came out of his position and rested his head against Sage's shoulder, "I'm sorry."  Sage looked down at him and saw that Rowen's focus was now on Kayura.  "I wish you'd wake up," Rowen said as he got up and walked over.  "I need to know if you're ok.  I should have never left you last night.  I should have never said 'no'."   Kayura remained motionless.  "I should have held you.  I should have done anything, but to tell you no, then leave you.  So please don't leave me?  Don't leave me, Kayura.  I didn't mean to hurt you.  It's just that I don't know how I could protect you and love you all at the same time.  When I saw you dieing, I couldn't let go.  You tried to be brave and then I saw you cry.  And, it hurt me so much to see you in pain….  Kayura, my heart was breaking!  It was breaking because you were dieing and I couldn't do anything to help or protect you….  I'm still hurting right now, so please wake up.  Wake up, wake up, wake up!  Wake up!"  His eyes welded up with tears and reached to shake her, but drew back and gasped as his eyes started to widen in horror, as he saw blood on his own fingers, "SAGE!!!"  Sage rushed over and saw that the bed sheets were quickly staining and that Kayura's wound had reopened.  "NOOOOOO!!!  Dear, God, no!  Don't take her away from me!!  KAYURA!!!"

"Don't give up on us, Kayura," Sage said as he was healing her while Rowen held her close.

"Don't you leave me, you can't leave me.  You CAN'T leave me!  I need you too much for you to leave me, you can't leave me.  Kayura…!  KAYURA!  Kayura," he started to cry as he slumped to the floor.  Sage let out a sigh of relief, after getting the wound closed.  The only sound in the room was Rowen, crying.

Sage touched his shoulder, "Rowen-."

"NOOO!  If she dies, then I don't want to live anymore!  Kayura was the only person who loved me and I turned her away.  I deserve to die."

"So, you're telling me that I don't love you, Rowen?  And, that YOUR life is more important to hers, than me or your friends?  That I wouldn't be as miserable as you are now, let alone worse, because you'll leave all of us just for her?!"

Rowen's eyes narrowed, "I don't have any friends."

Sage looked at his friend in shock and hurt.  "Don't you SAY that-."

"LEAVE ME ALONE!  You just don't understand.  I've wanted to kill myself for a very long time.  The thought of doing it has been less since I've been with you and the rest of the guys.  But, I WOULD kill myself because I KNOW I couldn't live without her."

A weak whisper sounded, "No!  Rowen."  They both looked down and witnessed Kayura opening her eyes.  "Where am I?"

"Kayura," Rowen whispered in disbelief.

"You're in your room, Kayura," Sage smiled at her.  Next, he got up decided to leave.

"Sage?  Sage-," Kayura yelled, but Sage only waved his hand as he left the room.

"What did you have to say to him, that you can't say to me?"

"I wanted him to thank him for healing me, even though he could have let me, die."

"Why you say that?"

"Well.  Out of the five of you Ronins, he hated me the most."

"But, that was while you were under Badamon's control.  Everything's ok between all of us, now."

"Is it?"  She looked at him in a sorrowful fashion.  "But, most of all, I didn't want to be alone with you," she said as she struggled to sit up.  "OW!"  Rowen caught Kayura before she was to fall back in bed.  He tilted her head up and looked into her sad eyes.

"Too bad…because I want to."  After saying that, he kissed her.  "I'm sorry that I've hurt you, Kayura.  I held back because I felt that I couldn't love you and protect you at the same time.  But, I want to know.  Do you still want to be with me?"

"Yes, Rowen.  I've always wanted to be with you," she smiled at him and he slightly moved his own lips, trying to mirror her expression of simple joy.

Epilogue:

Almost two years has past, since the Ronin Warriors had their troubles with the warrior called Twilight and now it is time for another vacation.  The five teens are at an airport terminal, in New York, putting down the last of their bags.

"I'm sorry about Luna, Ryo," Kento said as he patted his friend on the back.

"It shouldn't have happened.  Not to her or her brother," asked Ryo.

Rowen laughed, "It's not our fault, Ryo.  All we have left to say is that her soul is reunited with her brother's now.  Now, let's go home."  A young man with long white hair passed by them.

Cye held his shoulders as he shivered, "Guys?  It's freezing in here."

"Yeah.  But, it's summer.  Maybe the air conditioner is broken," Ryo guessed.

Sage was the only one to turn his head to look at the man.  He groaned in pain as he felt awful things going through his mind.  The man felt like death itself, then Sage saw the man while they stood in black spacelessness.  The armor of Twilight appeared between the two of them and she looked between the two.  As the white haired one held out his hand, she started to walk towards him.  "NO! "

"You want something of her, but I'll get to her before you do," an English accent answered.

"NO!  Come back-!"

"SAGE!  Sage, you ok," Ryo asked as he shook his friend.

"Uh, ….  Just a slight headache, I'm fine."

"Well, hurry or we're leaving you here."

Sage only starred back briefly at the man, as he thought, "But, who was he?  And, WHAT did he want with her?"  Finally, he started to follow Ryo.