Title: Lonely Heart (Chapter 18)
Fandom: Ronin Warriors
Characters/Pairing: Cye/Kento, Cale/Dais, Sage Date, Rowen Hashiba, Mia Koji, Professor Koji, Sayoko Mouri
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Not mine, anything mentioned here by name isn't mine
Warnings: Mentions canonical (and canonical adjacent?) familial death
Notes: More slice-of-life/remake AU!

--

Cye had expected this argument. If gentle-hearted Ryo was mad enough to yell at him after Cye’s attempt to keep Anubis from his friends had gone awry, there was no chance that Sayoko was going to let this slide.

“Okay, let me make sure I have this straight,” Sayoko said as she paced around Professor Koji’s living room. “You agreed to speak to our father’s murderer. Alone.”

He took several deep breaths. Acting like a spoiled brat wasn’t going to solve anything. “Yes. He said that if I went with him, he wouldn’t harm my friends. Mia was there. Not to mention Professor Koji was in the house. I couldn’t let them get hurt.”

She strode to the window, rapping her knuckles on the glass. “I get it. I do.” She sighed heavily. “But Ryo and Sage were there as well. And we were on the way.”

“Believe me, I was quite aware that Sage and Ryo were willing to fight Anubis.” He couldn’t quite swallow down the lump in his throat. “Even lay down their lives. I could not permit that to happen.”

“But it would be fine if you died, is that it?”

“I.” Cye clasped his hands. “That’s not what I said.” He wasn’t sure what else he could say. He had expected his sister to blow up at him, scold him, not… whatever this was.

“Listen to me… Torrent.” With that name, Cye realized that this conversation wasn’t about an older sister chastising her baby brother. This was about a mystical war veteran imparting advice to someone who only had a few battles to his name. “I get that you wanted to protect everyone. But if Anubis had betrayed you and killed you, then you would have left your friends alone to face that monster. The whole point of forming this team is so that no one meets the fate our father did.” She cleared her throat. “That’s, um, something Professor Koji mentioned you said when I spoke to him.”

So, Sayoko and Professor Koji had a civil conversation. Maybe there was a silver lining to this day after all. “Despite my actions, I still believe that.” Still, he had demonstrated a case of empty rhetoric, or however Rowen would phrase it. “Although now that I think about it, going on my own has sort of defined my tenure as Torrent.” He had refused to let anyone accompany him when he sought out memories of his father, which had led to Dais nearly stealing his soul. He had won his duel with Dais only out of luck and help from his father’s spirit. And then he had confronted his father’s murderer alone. “I guess when you’re the one left behind while everyone else saves the world, you get used to not having to worry about what others think.” He flinched because he had not meant to phrase it that harshly.

But Sayoko merely nodded. “Well, you’re not anymore.” Then she ruffled his hair, which was a relief. While he wanted to be respected, he also wanted his sister to be his sister. “So, unless you want us to keep yelling at you after every battle, you need to start realizing that.”

“Okay.” Unfortunately, the conversation was not over yet. “Um, did Ryo tell you about how I tried to reach out to Anubis?” He steeled himself because even if she was starting to see him as a peer these days, there was no way she could not be angry about that.

Sure enough… “Yes, and I’m still mad about it!” She stuffed her hands in her suit pockets. “Cye, I get it. I would love to find a peaceful solution to this as well—especially since it seems like there are demons and wraiths in the Dynasty who feel the same way. But you know what Anubis is capable of.”

“I do. But I also know that the Anubis we met was warped by Talpa. I didn’t have enough time to get a full reading of his memory, but it felt like it was similar to what Dais did to me.” If the others hadn’t been there, he suspected that his fate would have been similar. “I promise that I won’t run off my own to heal him, but if he approaches me and he is sincere, I will do what I can to help him. You can hate me for that. You would have every right. But vengeance isn’t always killing the person who took something from you. Sometimes it’s helping them back to a state where they would never willingly harm anyone again.” The words had been pouring out of him at that point and Cye had to take a breath. He had no idea how Sayoko would react to that.

She smiled, almost. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Even when you’re on a vengeance quest, you’re gentle about it.”

“Maybe, but rest assured that I will not allow what happened to our father happen to anyone else.” He frowned as he pushed a stubborn lock of hair behind his ear, mentally preparing for what he had to say next. “I promise to not fight any more battles on my own, on one condition.”

Now Sayoko was frowning. “I don’t like conditions, Cye. You know that.”

“You haven’t even heard what it is!” Okay, he sounded meaner than he meant to there. He took a breath and tried again. “Sayoko, I didn’t leave with Anubis just to protect the others. I went to assess how much of a threat he is to us now as opposed to twelve years ago. There is humanity left in him, but it’s buried under centuries of cruelty. He’s every bit as dangerous as he was back then.” Maybe even more. He shuddered as he remembered Anubis’s jubilant smile as Ryo attacked him. “Promise me that if you have to choose between your life and killing Anubis, you’ll choose your life.”

“Cye.” His usually direct sister wasn’t looking him in the eye. “You know that I can’t—”

“I know that survival isn’t guaranteed in our line of work. That’s not what I’m asking. I just want you to prioritize yourself for once in your life.” He grabbed her hands. “Promise me.”

“… Okay.” She gave him a surly look. “But that goes for you. No more running off with Warlords for the greater good or whatever, got it?”

“Got it,” he agreed with a nod. He glanced at the door, and then in a whisper, he added, “So, when are we going to tell Rowen and Kento that we know that they’re spying on us?” They really should have known better than to eavesdrop on a psychic, but sometimes concern/curiosity overrode logic, even in Rowen’s case.

Sayoko shrugged. “Boys? You can come in if you want.”

Rowen stepped inside, looking sheepish, with Kento close on his heels. “Apologies. And in retrospect, there was no way you couldn’t have discovered that we were eavesdropping. It’s just—”

“You two were worried. We know,” Cye assured them. “But it’s been resolved, so don’t worry.” When he and Kento (understandably) frowned at Cye, he added, “Well, as much as you can when demons are trying to kill us and everyone else in the world.” He took a moment to assess the situation. Despite expectations, Kento felt worried but stable. There was a sense of purpose in his spirit, but nothing that worried Cye. Rowen on the other hand…

Cye grabbed Rowen in a tight hug. Even now, it was easy to forget that their bookish friend felt just as much as the rest of them. “And now that you know that I’m okay,” he said to Rowen, “go check on Sage like you want.”

Rowen didn’t look at him. “I… I don’t know. I think he’s avoiding me.”

“Only one way to know that for sure.” Sayoko clapped Rowen on the back. “C’mon. Let’s go find him and talk to him.”

Rowen looked unsure, but he still followed her. “What if he is avoiding me, though?”

“Well, too bad for him! Mia said he did some psychic eye glow-y stuff today. At the very least, we need to make sure that he’s handling that okay.” Cye watched as they left, shutting the door behind them… and he could finally crash, he realized with relief as he collapsed on the couch.

His eyes were closed, but he could hear Kento mutter something that Cye was certain would have gotten him scolded if Mrs. Fang was in the room. He could also feel the couch cushion dip as Kento sat next to him. “Okay, Cye. Do you need me to help you out or leave you alone to rest or what?”

“Just stick around for a little longer,” he murmured, letting his thoughts drift. Kento was here. He was safe. “As long as you’re here, I’m fine.”

“I dunno.” The guilt in Kento’s tone was enough for Cye to put off the nap for now and look at his boyfriend. He was rubbing the back of his neck, staring down at his scuffed sneakers. If it weren’t for the shame in his expression, it would have been adorable. “You seem to be doing okay without me. This is the second fight now that you did all the heavy lifting and I didn’t do a blasted thing.”

“Yeah, I’m doing so okay that I nearly fainted a few seconds ago.” He held out an arm. Kento took the hint and sat closer to Cye. It took some arranging, but soon Cye found himself secure in Kento’s embrace. “I’ve felt fear before. Every person has. But being alone with Anubis… it was like every nightmare I’ve had about Dad dying became real.” He was thankful that he was too exhausted to cry. “But at some point, we’ll have to face him again and that terrifies me. He’s already killed one Ronin Warrior; he could kill any of you.” The guilt and grief were making his heart hurt. All the fighting was. Even with his friends supporting him, he still had his limits. “And I don’t know if I’m strong enough to protect all of you.”

“You don’t have to.” Cye was about to berate Kento for joking in such a serious moment, but… he felt sincere. “I know you’re really smart and tough, but fighting makes you sick. I’m the exact opposite. Sometimes I only feel alive when I’m in the middle of battle, so it makes sense that I handle the demons and Warlords so you don’t have to do this to yourself. Please, let me do this for you.”

“Kento, I have a duty to—”

“I don’t care about that,” he whispered fiercely, holding Cye tight. “Not when it comes to you. You don’t have to fight anymore, Cye. I’ll protect you.”

“You really would.” Cye could feel the conviction in Kento’s heart. Tenderly, he brought Kento’s hands to his lips. He would never have to fight or look at his father’s murderer again. He could hide from the world and this wonderful person would keep any dangers far away from him. A year ago, he would have eagerly accepted, but now… well, the sentiment was enough. “Thanks. But someone has to keep you four from getting killed.” He hated fighting, but he would not allow any of them to suffer when he could ease pain. “I may not be strong, but I’ll figure something out to make up for that. Besides, it’s not like this was forced on me. I chose this.”

Kento’s brow furrowed in concern. “It kind of was forced on you, though. Your sister was injured and Dais was attacking.”

Cye shook his head. “I meant before that. I used to have dreams about this monk telling me I had already chosen my fate. I never understood what that meant, but now that I’m Torrent, I suspect he meant when I kept you from killing that jerk back in October. All I cared about at that moment was helping you.” So much could have gone wrong. He could have been discovered. He could have been stolen away from the seemingly countless creeps that thought they could ‘persuade’ a psychic to make them money for their schemes. He had known that and he had still healed Kento without a second thought… just like how he had called upon the Armor of Torrent to heal his sister. “How about instead we protect each other?” After all, even if Kento was absurdly strong, he remembered what Mrs. Fang had told him about how much Kento hated fighting. It wasn’t fair for Kento to take on the burden alone.

Kento made a disagreeable sound but nodded. “Okay.”

“Okay,” Cye repeated. He must have gotten his second wind at that point since he found himself shifting so he could take Kento’s face in his hands. “Also, I keep choosing to do this because I love you.” He kissed Kento gently. “Don’t get me wrong, saving the world is all well and good, but… what I truly want is to protect you and the others.”

Kento didn’t say anything, but he kissed Cye back with everything he had, so Cye was willing to wager he had won their first argument as a couple. “C’mon, caveman. I’ll make you a late-night snack.”

--

Meditation eluded Sage, so rumination would have to suffice. He had always known he was a strong psychic, but the events of the last battle had… surprised him. He had done things even his grandfather could not and his grandfather was the strongest person he knew. He wondered what else he could do. Perhaps if he was stronger, Cye would not have felt the need to allow his father’s murderer to take him hostage to protect them.

And he would get stronger, he swore to himself as he studied his visage in the window’s reflection. There was no other choice. This wasn’t just the stray demon or would-be warlord sneaking into the mortal realm anymore. This was an attack on those he loved. He… he wasn’t sure if they understood that. He wasn’t adept at expressing his feelings. However, he could act. He could do whatever it took to protect them from the Dynasty.

Professor Koji’s presence snapped him out of his thoughts. He drew himself to his full height and wished his hair wasn’t so unruly. “Good evening, sir.”

“Sage.” The professor gave him a pointed look. “You just finished a long fight and it’s just me. You can relax a little.”

Sage shook his head. “The fights are only going to get longer and I respect you too much to be so informal in your presence.”

Professor Koji hmm-ed thoughtfully as he handed Sage a mug of coffee. “You are the politest person I’ve met in my life. I don’t think you could be rude if you tried.” He watched as Sage took a sip. “Thank you for protecting my granddaughter. I know she’s smart and capable, but so was Shin.” He was silent for a moment. “As well as my son and daughter-in-law.”

“Don’t worry, sir. I’ll always protect her.”

“I appreciate that, especially since I won’t always be here for her. But what about you, Sage?”

“Sir?”

“You’ve been fighting demons since you were twelve.” He sighed heavily. “I never should have permitted you to keep fighting, but you insisted and the demons kept appearing. That alone is exhausting enough to shatter one soul if they are not careful. You also pushed yourself to your psychic limits in the last battle.” He held up a hand when Sage opened his mouth to speak. “Yes, Sage, I know. You’re a Ronin Warrior with a sacred duty to protect humanity from the Dynasty. But that doesn’t mean much if you fall in battle or lose your way.”

He didn’t want to agree, but… “I understand, sir. I just.” He frowned. “I’m not sure what else I can offer people. I can fight, but that’s about it.” He wasn’t passionate or funny or smart or gentle. All he could offer anyone was his sword.

“I’ve seen Ryo and Mia open up around you. And while I’ve only known Shin’s son for a little while, it’s clear that he thinks the world of you.” Professor Koji patted his shoulder. “You’re a warm-hearted young man who helps others, no matter what. For your real friends, that’s more than enough.”

Sage’s chest felt tight and his eyes stung, but he still managed to thank the professor for his kind words.

“All I did was tell you the truth, Sage. But it looks like one of your friends is here to talk to you.” He grimaced. “Along with Sayoko. I suppose I need to speak with her myself. Wish me luck?”

He wasn’t sure why the professor would need luck since they all shared the goal of fighting demons, but very well. “Good luck, sir.”

“Hey there, Sage.” Rowen did his best to grin at his friend. “I just wanted to check in on you.” And that was all he said. However, Sage had known Rowen long enough to understand that he expressed himself through his body language. It was one of the reasons he’d been so awestruck by his archery when they were still getting to know each other. All the passion and emotion he kept bottled up in every other aspect of his life came churning to the surface when he drew his bow. And right now? His shoulders were tense, his eyes were shadowed, and he was drumming his fingers on the wall. By Rowen standards, this was him begging and screaming for Sage to tell him what was wrong.

And as Rowen’s friend, he understood that like it or not, he needed to open up. For Rowen’s sake if not his own. “My services are currently not needed here, so I’ll be driving home soon. If your parents don’t mind, you’re more than welcome to spend the night at my place so we could discuss strategy now that it appears that Anubis shall be a recurring threat.”

Rowen’s face lit up. “Of course. I’m sure they’ll say yes. We would just need to stop by my place so I can get my things.”

--

Sayoko peered at the computer program. “And Mia coded all of this herself?”

Professor Koji nodded. “She did.”

“Hmm. Maybe I should hire her.” He didn’t rise to her bait, which was a little distressing. Getting into a fight would have been less stressful than this awkward attempt at civility. But she had made a promise to Cye, so she would have to do her best. “But I can tell that she loves you too much to leave your side.”

“We are close,” Professor Koji agreed. “For a long time, all we had was each other. Just like how you and Cye only had each other when you both moved to Tokyo.” Sayoko didn’t like admitting that she had something in common with Masaharu Koji, but it was true. “Speaking of, where is he? I haven’t seen him since the battle ended.”

Sayoko kept her gaze fixed on Mia’s program. “I believe he went off into the kitchen with his boyfriend.”

“His boyfriend? I don’t remember any of the lads introducing themselves as such.”

Sayoko smirked. “Remember Kento? The loud kid that wouldn’t leave Cye’s side the second we arrived here?”

“Oh, him. Well, I’m glad. It took ages for Shin to work up the nerve to even speak to Cynthia.”

“I know. Mum’s told me the stories.” She had also told the stories about the adventures Dad had with the brilliant Professor Koji, someone that Sayoko had always admired and appreciated… until the day he suggested that she and Cye abandon their mother to live with him. At least, that was how it had seemed back then. Now? Well, she would have still refused. Their family had already endured one upheaval; another would have not helped. However, she wouldn’t have burned her bridges in the process. Time (not to mention having to leave their mother after all when she brought Cye with her to Tokyo) had brought a little objectivity to her recollection of the past. She had disagreed with his decision then. She still did, but he had meant no evil. It was time to stop pretending that he had.

“Prof, listen.” She ran a hand through her hair. Cye was the one who wanted to mend fences; why wasn’t he here to do the talking and diplomacy stuff? He was better at it. “Ever since Cye learned that our families had a falling out, he’s made it his mission to remedy that. Mia’s quieter about it, but I can tell she feels the same way. I… I’m willing to put the past behind me if you are.”

“That’s fantastic!” Mia squeaked; voice muffled by the closet door.

“Oops.” Ryo’s voice was also muffled by the closet door.

“Mia! Ryo!” Professor Koji gave both of them a stern look as they guiltily shuffled out the door. Ryo stood in front of Mia protectively. “It was my fault, sir.”

“No,” Mia insisted. “I wanted to know if you two made up, and—”

“No worries, I am very well that both of you are at fault.” He was about to lecture them further, but Sayoko placed a hand on his arm.

“Hey, Prof. If they had meant any harm, I would have let you know when I was first aware they were eavesdropping in the first place.” Sayoko ran a home and security business that also fought demons. One learned to pick up on certain things. “Besides, I’m sure you’re just as excited as they are that we’re working together again.”

--

“Okay, baby,” Tomoko said as she kissed her son goodbye on the cheek. “Try not to do the thing where you wander around the apartment at night. Sage isn’t used to that, and you don’t wanna scare your friend on your little sleepover.”

“Right.” Rowen tossed his duffel bag in the car, then hugged her and his father. “I’ll see you both tomorrow.”

“Fret not,” Sage assured Tomoko from his car. “I’ll make sure Rowen is returned to you safely tomorrow morning.”

“Yeah, I know.” Tomoko popped her gum, then leaned over so she could get a better look at Sage. “What about you, though? You look pale, even by Sage standards.”

“I’m fine.”

“You don’t appear fine,” Genichirou mused thoughtfully. “Would you rather spend the night here?”

“He’s fine,” Rowen assured them for Sage. That was a relief—after living on his own for so long, Sage was unused to parental concern. “But we’ll call if anything changes, I promise.”

Sage offered Rowen a silent thank you as he began driving. It was good to know that he could rely on his friend.

--

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but we can rely on Sekhmet,” Cale said as he poured Dais, and then himself some sake. He felt like celebrating tonight, even if it was a quiet one. Even now, one had to be careful what they said when they lived in the Nether Realm.

“You don’t say.” Dais sipped his drink. “Do you want me to scan him, to be safe?”

“… Yes,” Cale managed, surprised that Dais offered his assistance. Or offered anything at all, really. The past few weeks had been expectedly difficult as Dais recovered from both Anubis’s attacks and all the lies he’d been fed over the centuries from both that Hiroshi ghoul and Talpa. For a long time, he had done almost nothing but sleep. Poor Sasuke would have to beg him to eat. Finally, Dais grumbled something about wraiths who wouldn’t shut up and began to finish his meals for a change. After that, sometimes Cale would spot him walking outside his quarters—always in disguise since Anubis was still hunting him. But he would only talk as much as necessary. It was frustrating being shut out, especially after coming to see Dais as the closest thing he had to a confidant when they were both still serving Talpa.

But Dais was safe and recovering. He would take that outcome over conversations any day—still, his spirit soared at what Dais proposed, and not just because it would make his schemes easier to implement. “He’s coming over this evening. You can scan him then.” He smirked. “Just try not to scare him too much.”

In the past, Dais would have made a snide comment about Sekhmet’s emotional frailty. Instead, he merely gazed at what was left of his sake. “I wonder what happened in his life that made Sekhmet, well, Sekhmet.”

“I wonder why you’re even contemplating that.” Cale finished his drink. “What happened to the Dais with all his grand schemes for the future?”

“They blew up in his face and he’s only alive because his friend showed him pity,” Dais replied without missing a beat. “I’ve also had the chance to do some thinking since I abandoned my Armor.” He frowned thoughtfully. “It’s strange. I’m at my weakest right now, but my head had never been clearer. It’s given me the chance to reevaluate my life. Not to mention my relationships.”

Cale knew this move was bold, but he couldn’t help himself. “Is that why you called me your friend?”

“Perhaps.” Now Dais was smirking, but there was no cruelty in it. After a moment, he held out a pale hand. Cale eagerly accepted it. Hiroshi was a fool for betraying this man, but his loss was Cale’s gain. “I haven’t made any final decisions yet. However, I want to make sure that you don’t get yourself killed in following your ambitions.” Now there was just an edge of wickedness in his expression. “When Sekhmet enters, what if I make him think Hardrock is here to kill him?”

Cale burst out laughing. “You are terrible! Oh, I wish you could, but we need to stay on his good side.” He squeezed Dais’s hand. He would gladly take whatever Dais offered him.

--

“This is good, Sage,” Rowen said between bites of macaroni and cheese. “Where did you learn to cook?”

“I didn’t. Cye felt so bad about punching me when he was brainwashed that he insisted on making me apology dinners. Somehow, that has evolved to him making me a few meals every week now.” Sage kept insisting that he didn’t need to, but Cye would just keep putting cartons of food into the nearly empty fridge every Sunday.

“I think it’s good that Cye shows that he cares for you.” Rowen returned to his food, although Sage noticed his eagerness to finish the meal had diminished.

“You show me that you care too, Rowen. You just do so in your own way.”

Rowen laughed bitterly. “Yeah. It’s just that it doesn’t help.”

“It does. I just. It’s hard for me to explain things, sometimes.” So, he would have to find another way to explain why he was the way he was to Rowen. He wasn’t especially experienced in sharing thoughts or images. He’d learned to do so from his grandfather and had done so sometimes with Cye when the situation warranted it. He knew he could do this without hurting Rowen, especially after the last battle. However, he wasn’t sure if Rowen would be comfortable with it. “Maybe it would be easier if I showed you why instead of telling you why.” He held out a hand across the table. “But only if you’re comfortable with that—”

Rowen grabbed his hand before Sage could finish. And despite the heaviness of the past few weeks, Sage smiled as he began his work.

--

Final Notes: Sorry that this took me way longer than usual to post. Real life and illness (nothing bd but enough to kill my ability to concentrate on fic writing) got in the way. Hopefully, I’ll get back to a normal schedule soon, but we will see.