|
|
Ronin Warriors 1/2: Part 1
A fusion/x-over/Sage-torture fic by Ami-chan
It was a rather subdued bunch of Troopers that got out of the car, followed by a puzzled Mia. As the creaking doors slammed shut, Sage glanced uneasily at Rowen, who was in turn eyeing the rapidly forming storm clouds above in the sky. Dark thunderheads were quickly obscuring the warm afternoon sunshine, the air covered with that smeary film that indicated torrential downpours ahead.
"Rain?" Sage kept his voice low enough that Mia wouldn't pick up on it, but the others would. Sai and Kento immediately scanned the now overcast heavens, then looked quickly at Rowen; who appeared pensive. The archer nodded shortly.
"We got some time, though," he added as he moved to open the trunk of the jeep. "Enough t' talk a bit more."
"Right." Sai raised his voice so Mia, who was unloading what she could and waiting for them, could hear. "Hey, Mia? Why don't you go inside? We have to discuss something, but we'll be there in a few minutes."
"Okay, I'll get lunch started in the meantime. And Ryo awake and out of bed; he's still shaky but he missed you guys."
Kento chuckled a little. "Bet he did. Got some neat stuff for him."
"Among other things," Sai muttered as Mia dragged her stuff into the house. "Ken, you just had to push me in, didn't you."
"I'm sorry already! It was just a joke; since you're the waterboy and all—"
"What did you call me?" Sai inquired dangerously, eyes flashing.
"Guys, guys, chill! We don't have time for this!" Rowen's upraised hand stopped the two from tearing each other apart. "We gotta decide how to tell Mia and Ryo, remembah?"
Sai exhaled heavily, anger draining out of him. "You're right, Ro. Sorry, love, it's just that, well, you know . . ."
"Unfortunately, all too well."
"Lucky thing Ryo wasn't there; we have our hands full enough as is."
"I wonder how he's doing, anyway," Sage mused thoughtfully. "It's not often he's that sick—"
A sudden phlegmatic explosion interrupted him, as coughing could be heard through an upstairs window. Sage allowed a ghost of a smile to grace his features. "Guess that answers my question."
Rowen pulled their respective duffels out of the car and passed them out with well-practiced ease. "I repeat: how are we goin' to tell Mia and Ryo? We already made one lady faint, we don't need Mia passed out on tha floor, Ryo'd kill us!"
"After he picked his jaw up off the floor in question, you—"
*CRACK*
*BOOM*
"—mean," Sage finished weakly. The clouds had finally decided to stop pussyfooting around and dump their decidedly wet load right on top of the four Ronins' heads, effectively drenching all of them with chilly water.
"Rowen, I thought you said we had more time!"
There was a screech of indignation, as the archer bolted for the door. The rest of them followed.
"Forget the luggage, Kento!" Sage added. "They're waterproof, we're not, and we need hot water, NOW!"
==========
Ryo coughed miserably as he picked his way down the stairs. It had been a perfectly beastly week. Sick, sorely missing his friends, and bored absolutely out of his mind, the ebony-haired teen had proceeded to drive Mia out of her mind with unintentionally annoying actions. Ryo wasn't exactly the best of patients, surpassed only by Rowen in surly attitude and general unpleasantness when bedridden. The hellish period when Strata had fallen victim to the flu was dubbed "The Nurse's Nightmare" by the others, most of the time Sai being that unfortunate nurse. It was amazing at how much the gentle boy would willingly take for and from his friends, just to keep them feeling content and happy.
Ryo sighed. It wasn't a fair thought, he knew, but of course the others would have to go to China just as he got sick.
Due to Kento's connections, all of them had gotten invited to go along as he toured the country of his ancestry. Unfortunately, what had started out with Ryo as a simple chest cold had quickly escalated into bronchitis, leaving Wildfire feeling utterly miserable as he saw his friends off on their trip. Being confined to bed for the duration of their absence, then left alone in the house while Mia went to pick up the guys, was enough to give anyone a bad case of cabin fever. Not even White Blaze had wanted to stay near his master in such conditions, fleeing for the outdoors as soon as he heard the first thunderous fit of coughing that issued from the blanket-covered form on the bed.
"Finally." Easing himself onto the couch, Ryo groped for the well-worn afghan and pulled it over his weary and perfectly willing body. The word had double meaning for him as he glimpsed fleeting sunlight flashing off blonde, blue, auburn, and smoky ash hair outside through the window. From the kitchen, Mia heard the chance comment and smiled.
"Missed them, did you?"
"I'm surprised that you can actually say that; it's all I've been talking about for the past week."
An amused chuckle. "I should know, Ryo." The sounds of food preparation stopped as Mia looked contemplatively at the lean form sprawled out on the couch. "I thought that phone call helped."
"It did, believe me." About three days after they'd left, Ryo had been able to speak with his friends briefly through conventional means, China being a little too far away for their psychic link to extend. Though I wonder why Sage sounded so weird . . . Ryo thought to himself. Must have been the distance.
A sudden ungodly flash of lightning made the lights flicker, as the almost melodic peal of thunder heralded its drumbeat accompaniment on the window. Rain was suddenly pouring in literal buckets, separate drops indiscernible in the turbulent deluge.
"Wow, look at it!" Ryo tried to peer through the rain-blurred windows at the stormy world outside. "It's really coming down; Sai must be happy."
"And it was so sunny a couple minutes ago," Mia added as she puttered around. "The others are still outside; maybe I should—
That was as far as she got before the lights went out and front door slammed open, to admit a sheet of rain blown in by the howling wind, and a thoroughly waterlogged blonde.
From his reclining state, Ryo flipped straight off the couch to land behind it, one hand already on his kanji sphere. The slim figure immediately shut the door on a menagerie of various other shapes visible just beyond the opening and whirled around, hands up in a placating gesture.
"Calm down, Ryo, it's me, Sage."
"Sage?" Ryo blinked dizzy eyes—shouldn't have moved so fast, Wildfire! he berated himself—and took a closer look at the person. The meager gray light filtering through watery rippled windows showed that distinct hairstyle and pale skin, with the glittering violet eye he'd recognize anywhere. The rest of Sage's body was hidden in shadow, but Ryo didn't need to see any more to guess that the blonde was soaked.
"Geez, Sage, you scared the crap outta me!" When Ryo was startled, Ryo tended to be pissed, and Ryo also tended to show it. "Where're the others? And what's wrong with your voice?" Indeed, Halo's voice seemed rather . . . higher, for some reason. It still had the same rich tones, but it was nowhere near as deep as it should have been.
Sage coughed lightly, but before he could say anything, the lights came back on.
Ryo stared, Mia gasped, and Sage blushed furiously.
No way, it's not possible, who'd have thought that SAGE would . . .
Ryo shook his head, trying to convince himself that the vision in front of him was just a feverish hallucination, that Dais was up to his usual tricks, anything other than the explanation his mind was providing to rationalize the scene instead.
Because while the hair, face, and eyes were almost exactly the same, the wet clothes plastered to Sage's body showed unmistakably that the supposed "he" was a "she."
~owari Part 1~
Notes: *snigger* Told ya. *looks thoughtful* Why is it that in every cursed- Ronin fic, the one who always ends up with the Nyannichuan curse is either Sage or Seiji? Though I do know of one exception; I think Sai got it.
Well, just like any other 'characters get cursed' fic, I guess. Still have to introduce the other curses, so keep your hat on and all arms, legs, and occasional tentacle inside the vehicle . . . *smirk*