Title: Lonely Heart (Chapter 2)
Fandom: Ronin Warriors
Characters/Pairing: Cye/Kento, Ryo/Luna, all five Ronins, Mia Koji
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Not mine, anything mentioned here by name isn't mine
Warnings: Canonical familial death, canon-typical violence
Notes: More slice-of-life/remake AU!

Cye was not a fan of crowds. Aside from being loud and obnoxious, emotions tended to run more intensely than most would realize. People were going to weddings, funerals, going home, leaving home, seeing long-lost relatives—if he wasn’t careful, he could lose his sense of self in all the other hearts around him.

He supposed he had no one to blame but himself, however. He could have safely hidden away in the car playing Mario Land on his Game Boy while Sayoko and Mortimer (who was staying in Tokyo for a few weeks) did all the work. But no, Cye had brilliantly decided to act on his New Year’s resolution to be more independent. He had assured both of them that he could pick up Kento and Rowen at the airport and see them home with no assistance aside from the ride home. Which now meant that he was trying his best to ignore the rage/exhaustion from the family behind him and figure out where exactly his friends had disappeared.

Kento had been very clear when they spoke last over the phone. Yeah, don’t worry. We’ll be at baggage claim, eyes peeled for the Japanese-British kid wearing clothes so tacky that everyone around him has passed out. Cye, wanting to be a good friend, had decided on his rainbow cardigan that was more like a blanket with sleeves than a cardigan and his trusty dolphin hat to make sure he stood out even more than usual. People had given him stares, but no one had passed out (yet). Most of the other people on their flight were already gone—Kento and Rowen had agreed to wait for him. But obviously, something had happened. He'd spoken to an employee who said two boys that fit the description Cye gave her had left, but she didn’t know where they were. Which meant he was in for a very long search. It wasn’t like he could magically find them, after all.

Wait. I can magically find them. Well, psychically find them. Maybe.

His father could sense people, even if it was just his family. And after that encounter with Sage when they first met, Cye suspected that this was another ability he had inherited. Usually, his father’s ‘gifts’ were a source of frustration, but if it meant Cye could get out of here? He could deal with that.

The major problem was that he had never done this on purpose before. The closest would have been when he sensed Sage the day they first met. He supposed the best way to do this was to focus on one of them, find a quiet spot, and concentrate until he (hopefully) found them.

Cye snuck into a phone booth. The obvious choice was Kento, someone Cye knew better than himself sometimes. Okay, now he just needed to think about what defined Kento, what made him unique in the universe, and see if he could find that in all this mess.

“Strong,” he said to himself. “Warm. Just.” That was good. Keep it as basic as possible. He took a breath, closed his eyes, and did his best to ignore all the other presences so he could find his Kento. C’mon, dork, where are you? He felt a lot of noise, grey and murky, but slowly, a bright orange thread began to emerge amidst the tapestry of humanity around him.

I’ve been spending too much time with Sage. But, wait…I feel him. He’s at the—

“Those jerks LIED to me!” Crowds parted in shock as an angry teenager wrapped in a rainbow and a dolphin on his head stormed out of the phone booth. “In what universe does ‘oh, we’ll be at baggage claim’ mean ‘the gift shop’?! Why do they even need souvenirs? They live here!” Oh, he was going to make them pay…

--

When he found them, Cye stuffed his hands in his pockets and glowered. “Prepare to die for your betrayal.”

“Oh, hey, Cye! Whaddya think about my cool new wool hat?” The aforementioned hat covered most of Kento’s face. He was sharing a bag of airplane peanuts with Rowen outside the gift shop. Their luggage (and they had a lot for two people) was on the ground. “We missed you, buddy. And sorry about sneaking off to the gift shop.”

Cye growled at Kento. “You’re just saying that because you fear my wrath.”

“We do. However, we had also assumed that we could make it back in time. Apologies, but your surprise is taking longer than we had expected,” Rowen added.

“Well, okay,” Cye said slowly. “I can’t get mad if it was an honest mistake.”

“Exactly, bro,” Kento agreed as he wrapped an arm around Cye’s shoulders. “And even if you were still mad, I am willing to bet serious money that you would forgive me after your surprise.”

“You both keep building that up,” Cye grumbled. “This isn’t going to be one of those things that turn out to be disappointing in the end, is it?”

“Trust me,” Kento assured him. “At the risk of spoiling things, this is something you mentioned right before I left for New York.”

Cye blinked at Kento because there was surely no way that could’ve happened, she was one girl in New York City of all places—

“Sorry for taking so long boys, but the shirts there are all so cute, I had to get three…” She was taller, and her hair was longer, but there was no mistaking that the young lady standing in front of him was Luna. She broke out into a huge grin. “Hello, Cye.”

“Luna!” He grabbed her in the tightest hug he could manage. “I—I can’t believe this! I missed you so much, how long are you going to be here?”

She chuckled, pulling away slightly. “Believe it, buddy. I missed you, too. And I’m not sure how long I’m going to be here, but at least for the rest of the school year. Oh, by the way, I’ll be attending your school.”

Cye laughed as well, breathless and giddy. “This is just getting better and better. Kento, thank you so much for finding Luna!” He hugged her again.

Kento stroked his chin smugly. “Another Christmas has been saved thanks to Kento Rei Fang.”

Rowen also stroked his chin. “It’s January. And now that we’re all together, we probably need to let Ms. Sayoko know that we’re ready to head home.” He picked up his bags. When he walked, it was with a slight but noticeable limp.

Cye pulled away from Luna, placing a hand on Rowen’s back. “Woah, what happened?”

Rowen coughed. “I fell in trash. Sharp trash. I hurt my leg but don’t worry, I’m recovering.”

He was lying. Cye could feel the guilt coming off of him (and Luna, and Kento) in waves. He was also suspecting that the exhaustion he felt from Kento was more than just jet lag. He stalked up to his friend and snatched the hat off, revealing an ugly bruise on the left side of Kento’s face.

“Oh, Kento.” Anger melted away as Cye reached out to him, fingertips hovering over the bruise. He wished there was some way he could absorb the pain into himself so Kento wouldn’t suffer. “What happened?”

“I, um, also fell in trash.” All three of them felt even more guilty now. But there was also an undercurrent of resolution. For whatever reason they were lying, they felt it was a good one, even if they didn’t like it.

So, with that in mind… “Okay,” Cye conceded with a heavy sigh.

Kento blinked. “You believe me? I mean, of course you believe me because it’s the truth—”

Cye covered Kento’s mouth with his hand. “Stop while you’re ahead, genius. Let’s just say I have my doubts,” he told the three of them. “But we all have parts of ourselves that we can’t share with others. Heaven knows there are things I can never share with you guys.” Even if he wanted to. “It’d be hypocritical if I got upset. But Kento.” He took Kento’s face in his hands gingerly. “Be careful. As much as a blockhead like you can be careful, at least. Please. For me if not yourself.”

Kento’s expression softened. “Got it. I’ll do my best.”

“And besides,” Cye continued as he pulled away before things got too heavy, “it’s not like you guys killed someone and left their body at the bottom of the ocean or something.”

Luna mischievously put a finger to her lips. “Don’t say anything,” she told Kento and Rowen. Rowen gulped.

Cye snerked as he linked arms with Luna. Kento (who gallantly was carrying both his and Luna’s things) and Rowen were close behind. “I missed that sense of humor of yours, Luna. “I had to tone things down a lot since befriending Rowen. I love him, but he’s kind of a scaredy-cat.”

“I am not,” Rowen said flatly.

“Get back to me when you can make it through horror movie night,” Cye replied breezily. “Anyways, I think we have time for dinner before we head home. My treat?”

“That sounds good.” Rowen sounded less flat now. “Maybe we should call Ryo and Sage. They may wish to join us.”

“Yeah, man!” Kento shot a fist up in the air. “Luna hasn’t had a chance to meet them yet. This is perfect.”

“Exactly,” Cye agreed. “That is, if you’re up to meeting more people, Luna. If you just want to head home, that’s fine.”

Luna shook her head. “I’m not really in a mood to head to my new apartment just yet. Besides, Kento and Rowen spoke so highly of them, I’m curious to see if they can match that hype.”

“Trust me, they can,” Cye promised. “Okay, I’ll find a phone and call my sister to let her know the plans have changed. Then I’ll call Ryo. He said he and Sage are training at his place, so if my timing is right, we can talk to both of them.”

--

“Okay,” Ryo gasped, collapsing in a sitting position on the ground. Wildfire disappeared, leaving him in his sub-armor. “I think… I think I’m getting to where I need to be. I’m ready to go another round.”

“Ryo, no. You need to take a break!” Mia knelt next to him and handed him a water bottle, which he promptly downed. “Using the Armor of the Wildfire must be exhausting.”

“Oh, not really. I’m getting used to it.”

Mia gave him a mild push. Ryo fell flat on his back.

“Okay,” Ryo said. “Maybe just five minutes.”

Mia laughed but grew serious after a moment. “It’s fine to be vulnerable, Ryo. That’s the whole point of being part of a team.”

“I know. I’m just still getting used to it,” he finally admitted. Ryo held up a hand. “So, I’m going to practice that and ask for help up.” Mia grinned and assisted Ryo back to his feet. “Where did Sage go? The last time I saw him he was running off with his sword screaming about wisdom at the top of his lungs.”

“I’m right here,” Sage proclaimed from the top of Ryo’s roof. Sage was in his sub-armor now as well, which meant he was done training. He leaped effortlessly to the ground. As usual, Ryo was startled/impressed by Sage’s actions. “By the way, your phone is ringing.”

“Geez,” Ryo meant to get up, but his body refused to move. Mia, however, dashed to the kitchen, promising him that she’d get it in time.

Mia grabbed the phone on its third ring. “Sanada residence!”

“You don’t sound like Ryo,” a voice with a British accent replied. “Who is this?” The voice took on a wicked tone. “Are you his girlfriend?”

“Mia, and no. I work with Ryo and Sage on some projects and just happened to grab the phone first.”

“Oh, that Mia! It’s nice to properly meet you!”

Mia frowned. “What do you mean? Have we met before?”

“Um, no, Sage just mentioned you a few times, he says you’re wonderful!” The voice said much too quickly to reassure Mia, but if this was one of Ryo’s friends, she wasn’t too worried. “I’m Cye. And my friends Rowen and Kento are here, too. Say hi, guys.” Kento and Rowen both quickly said hello before Cye assumed control of the conversation again. “And my friend, Luna! Here, I'll put her on the phone. Luna, say hi, too.”

“Um, it’s Mia, right?” Luna said. “I’m Luna.”

“Yes, it is.” Mia waved to Ryo and Sage as they entered the cottage. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Luna.”

“Well, I wouldn’t call this meeting,” Luna replied. “But Cye’s yelling at me to ask you if you and the guys want to grab some dinner.”

“That sounds perfect!” Ryo and Sage would finally have to take a break. “Let me let Ryo and Sage know.” She turned her attention to the boys. “Cye and his friends are inviting us to dinner. Although Sage, I should warn you that at least one girl will be there.” Ryo nodded. Sage turned beet red but also nodded. “We’re all in.”

“Cool. Are burgers okay?”

“I’ll check. Ryo, Sage? Are you two in the mood for burgers?”

Ryo ran a hand through his hair, making sure to speak so they could hear him over the phone. “I guess, but we eat burgers an awful lot. I was kinda hoping to hit a sushi bar or get some chicken or something—”

“How dare you, Ryo,” Kento was yelling so loud over the phone, Mia had to take it from her ear. Both Ryo and Sage could hear him clearly. “How dare you suggest such a thing. The burger is the purest form of food in the universe.”

“I am in full agreement with Kento.” Now Rowen was snarling over the phone. “A properly prepared burger has meat, bread, cheese, and vegetables. It is everything that humanity needs, and more. It is the pinnacle in food preparation.”

“Give me that, you two!” Luna was talking again. “Sorry. We’ll get some sushi next time, but it’s looking like it’s burgers for dinner.”

“Okay, we will see you then.” Mia hung up the phone. “Your friends seem nice. Some of them are startingly invested in burgers, but still nice. I can’t wait to finally meet them.” Ryo and Sage both spoke so highly of Kento, Cye, and Rowen that she felt like she knew them already. And while she had only spoken to Luna for a few minutes, she seemed like a good person as well. “Sage, are you okay with burgers?”

“The answer is yes. I yearn for burgers as much as Kento and Rowen. Perhaps even more,” Sage admitted. “However, I request that you, um, cover for me. You two know how I am around girls.”

Ryo shrugged. “Okay, but if Luna is Cye’s friend, that almost guarantees that she’s cool. I’m sure that even you will be able to talk to her.”

Sage glared at him. “You don’t understand.”

“Yeah, I don’t.” After spending the past few weeks training with him and Mia, Sage’s glares were not nearly as intimidating as they used to be. “You have two sisters. I would think you’d be more comfortable talking to girls than most guys as a result.”

“It’s not the same.”

“Well, what about Mia? You talk to her without any problems.”

“I’ve known Mia for almost a year. Mia, please tell Ryo about how shy I was around you at first.”

“Oh, boy, was he ever,” Mia agreed with a chuckle. “It was kind of cute, to be honest. Sorry, Sage,” she said as he blushed. “So, I told him to focus on the mission instead of me. That’s when he got comfortable enough to stab things in front of me.”

Sage sighed. “No one understands me.”

“Maybe not, but we love you,” Mia assured him with a pat on his left arm.

“Don’t worry, man. I’ll do all the talking. You just enjoy those burgers,” Ryo promised, patting Sage on his right arm.

Sage strode out to the porch, gazing up at the darkening sky. “Burgers. My one balm in this horrid world.”

--

Don’t cry.

If you cry, I’ll cry too, and then we’ll never get home because we’ll both be bawling. Don’t worry, I can patch up any hurt. There, see? Good as new. Let’s go home before the storm gets worse.

Luna’s voice was soft. “Cye? You were talking in your sleep.”

He groaned, trying to pull himself out of the dream (memory?). “Sorry.” He stretched as much as he could in the cramped bus seat. “Guess jet lag is still getting the worse of me.” He, Sayoko, and Mortimer had returned from the UK yesterday and the time difference was still very much a thing for him. That was probably another reason he should have at least brought Mortimer along, but he was almost fifteen. He needed to start doing things for himself. His sister and his butler wouldn’t always be there to save him, whether they realized it or not.

Luna nodded. “How was London, by the way?”

“Cold. Wet. I think I saw Mum only long enough to wish her a belated Happy Christmas before she was off to doctor’s appointments again. I got to play with my neighbor’s dog, though, so I am calling it a success.” He didn’t want to make her sad, but he also needed to say this. “I’m sorry I wasn’t able to make it to Billy’s funeral last year.”

Luna poked him. “You were sick. And besides, I… I don’t think I could have handled visitors during that time. I could barely handle being in the same room as my mother back then. I know you’re the type to overthink stuff, but it’s gonna be okay.” Her expression grew concerned. “Speaking of sickness, just how much have you recovered? Because I know poor health runs in your family, and—”

“I’m much better,” he assured her. “I still get tired, but the spells aren’t nearly as bad as they used to be.” Luna knew as much as Kento. She knew that he was prone to exhaustion and queasiness, especially if there was negative energy around. Neither of them asked more than he was willing to give, and he was thankful for that. “I used to hope I’d grow out of it, but I think that I’ll just have to settle for it being manageable.”

He could deal with it being manageable. He wasn’t expecting to magically get better. That just wasn’t how the human body and mind worked. If it did, all his wishing that his mother would be healthy again (not to mention wishing that his abilities would disappear) when he was a little kid would have come true at this point. But if he could manage the side effects of his abilities? Then maybe he could…

It was something he had been thinking about for a while. He had never been comfortable with what he could do, but he had also stopped Kento from killing that punk a few months ago. He had also realized just how much grief and rage Kento locked up within himself because that wasn’t what the happy-go-lucky heir to Fang Restaurants was supposed to feel, ever, and ease some of it. He’d been able to find his friends in a crowded airport without any trouble. Sage was proof that he wasn’t alone.

And then there was whatever he had experienced while dozing on the bus. He’d dreamt about his father, which was not strange. He had more nightmares about his father dying than he could count. But this time, there was no dying. Instead, Cye had been his father in the dream. That was new. And weird. What was even weirder was that he remembered that his father was doing something that involved their shared healing abilities, but it was something Cye had never done. He wished he could recall more, but his memory of the dream was becoming murkier by the moment. Yet he was sure that if he could just figure out what his father did and how to do it himself… then he could protect Kento and Rowen from whatever had attacked them.

Maybe Sayoko was right, at least to an extent. He wouldn’t call these abilities a gift, but they had their uses. And if he could protect his friends? Protect Kento? He wouldn’t regret having them ever again.

He'd see Sage later at dinner. It was time to ask some questions.

--

“Luckily, I have Ryo and Sage’s orders memorized. I hope Mia doesn’t mind a plain burger,” Cye said as he grabbed the tray of burgers, fries, and shakes. “Kento, be a dear and fill up the soda cups. Luna and I will try to find a booth that will seat seven people.”

“I’ll help Kento,” Rowen said. The second Cye and Luna were out of earshot, he turned his attention to Kento. “You will need to talk to him about what happened at some point.”

“I know,” Kento said, trying to remember who liked to drink what. “But he’s so happy right now.”

“Exactly. You found his childhood friend. That’s an objectively dashing act. Oh, no ice in my drink, please. The soda is already cold, and the ice waters it down. But back to my point. It is clear that Cye feels the same way.”

“I thought you said that all you could do was speculate and that I needed more evidence or something,” Kento grumbled.

“I did. Then we came home and you made him happier than I’ve ever seen him in my life. Then he looked like he was about to cry when he saw your bruise. Based off of that evidence, I am now positive that he feels the same way. Now is the ideal time to confess.”

“It’s not about confessing.” Rowen frowned since Kento didn’t usually sound this mature. “If he feels the same way, fantastic. If he doesn’t, he’s still my best friend. It’s just…”

“It’s just,” Rowen prompted.

“Cye told me some things about his past when we were hanging out last time. Really bad stuff.” Kento willed himself not to smash the fragile paper cup in his hand. “He’s so gentle, and he didn’t deserve any of that garbage that happened to him. But it happened, and it almost broke him. The only reason it didn’t is that he’s way stronger than he looks.” Stronger than Kento. “But you’re right. He’s happier than any of us have ever seen him right now, and I want him to enjoy that. I don’t want to make tonight about me.”

“That is rather noble of you. Frustrating, but noble,” Rowen murmured. “You still need to talk to him.”

“I know. And I will. But for right now, I need to try to get to the booth without spilling these sodas.”

“Here, I’ll help.” Rowen grabbed two drinks. “Now let’s go feast upon the pinnacle of food preparation, buddy.”

--

“At last,” Sage said as he pulled into a parking spot. “I hope they just went ahead and ordered. I’m starved.”

“Oh, with the two bottomless pits around?” Ryo got out of the backseat and stretched. “I’m sure Cye had no choice.”

“You two keep dropping these bits of lore about your friends. As a researcher, I’m dying to know everything,” Mia said as she bounded from her seat. “C’mon, boys, Sage isn’t the only one starving.”

Ryo chucked, held open the door for his friends, stepped inside… and the most beautiful girl in the world was talking to Cye.

“Oh, you three must be Cye’s friends!” She waved them down. “I’m Luna.”

Be cool, Sanada, if you mess this up, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life. Ryo offered what he hoped was an easy grin. “I’m Ryo.”

Her smile was so pretty, Ryo could feel his heart melt. “It’s nice to finally have a face to put with what Cye and his friend have told me.”

“Thanks, I think your face is nice, too! Um. I mean. I mean!” Ryo hid his face in his hands. “This is not going the way I wanted…”

“I’m Sage Date,” Sage smirked as he placed a hand on Ryo’s shoulder, guiding him to a seat while Cye and Kento started screaming about wanting to know when the wedding would take place. Rowen was quiet as he limped over to them, but he was smirking. “He’s here to help me talk to you since I’m shy around girls.” Then Sage frowned at Rowen. “Why are you limping?” After a moment, he stole Kento’s hat. “And why is your face more messed up than usual?”

“We’re going with that they fell in some garbage,” Cye said for them. “Which I’m buying as much as you, but if they don’t want to share, it’s not our place to press.”

Meanwhile, Luna was doing her best to console Ryo. “Hey, don’t worry about awkwardness,” Luna assured him. “I mean, I’m friends with a guy with a dolphin on his head.” Cye scoffed. “Also, being told that I have a nice face is quite the ego boost. Thanks.”

Ryo cleared his throat, still mortified but not as much as he had been a few moments ago. “Thanks to you as well.” He looked around. “Where did Mia go?”

“Right here,” Mia said as she joined him. She closed her eyes in thought. “Sage and Ryo have told me a lot about you. Let me put my researching skills to the test and see if I can guess who all of you are.” She opened her eyes, glancing at Luna. “When I came in, I overheard you talking and recognized your voice, so you’re Luna.” She pointed at Cye. “Gentle expression and looking like a rainbow threw up on him? You’re Cye Mouri.” She turned her attention to Rowen. “You are eating, reading, and yawning at the same time, so you must be Rowen Hashiba. I’m Mia Koji, and I’m ready to eat.” Mia plopped down next to Kento, grabbing a burger.

“Hey, I was gonna eat that!” Kento yelled.

Mia finished her bite. “And now you’re not.”

Kento sighed dramatically. “Well, okay. But only because you’re cool. And there are still some burgers left.”

She smiled at Kento. “Big appetite and an engaging personality? You’re definitely Kento Rei Fang. Sage told me all about you.”

“Oh,” Kento replied, pleased with the praise. “He thinks I’m engaging, hunh?”

Sage rolled his eyes. “Mia misheard. I said ‘enraging,’ not ‘engaging,’”

Mia whispered to Kento, “Don’t listen to him. He admires your bluntness and courage.”

“Oh. My. God,” Kento whispered back. “I will never let him live this down.”

“Ugh.” Sage sat down next to Luna. “I’m sorry, Luna. Could you please pass some of the ketchup packets?”

She handed him a handful. “Sure. Are… are you sure that Ryo isn’t the one shy around girls? Because you’re being fairly friendly, and I don’t think he’s recovered from earlier.” She watched as Ryo glumly picked at his meal.

“Usually, it would be the other way around, yes.” Sage put more ketchup than should have been humanly possibly on his burger bun. “However, you’ve been rather… I believe the word is ‘cool’? Yes, cool. I’m quite comfortable talking to you, which is a relief since I suspect you’re now part of our friend group.” He smiled at her slightly. “That is if you can deal with our rowdier moments.”

“I think I can manage. And guys, be nice to Ryo. We all have our shy moments.”

Ryo finally looked up at her again, blushing. “I appreciate it. And you.”

“No worries. Although if you wanna thank me, I could use help moving in tomorrow. My mom is still in New York, so it’s just me trying to get all our stuff set up.”

“Sure, of course!” Ryo said eagerly.

“You can count on Kento and me,” Cye offered. “Just leave anything kitchen-related to me, okay?”

“Unfortunately, you cannot count on me.” Rowen was on his second shake. “I have kyudo practice. However, I can start getting my notes ready so that you’re caught up on classes.”

Luna gave him a confused look. “Thanks, but aren’t you a grade below me?”

Rowen shrugged. “It’ll be a good way to relax after practice.”

“Trust him, Luna.” Cye patted her on the shoulder. “He knows more about the material than my teachers do.”

“I wish Sage and I could help,” Mia said guiltily. “But we have a thing to do all day tomorrow. But hey, Luna, how about you and I go shopping later this week?” She grinned. “I remember moving to Japan was an experience for me and I want to make sure it’s a good one for you, okay?”

Luna rested her chin in her hand. “Oh, where are you from, then?”

“My grandfather is from Japan. My dad was, too. My Mom was from France. I was born in Vancouver.”

“Oh, really?” Cye asked. “I lived in Vancouver for—NO, KENTO, THAT’S MY BURGER!” Cye held the aforementioned burger as high up as he could, but that didn’t stop Kento from trying to grab it.

“Oh, come on, man! All the plane had was peanuts and something they pretended was chicken! I haven’t had a real meal since New York!”

“You’ve had three burgers already and a large shake! I’ve only had one burger so far!”

Kento looked like he was about to cry. “You know I have a scarily high metabolism.”

“Ugh, fine. On one condition: you give me your soul.”

Sage sighed. “Kento, don’t sell your soul for a burger—”

“I, Kento Rei Fang, hereby sell my soul to Cye Mouri for that burger.”

Luna nudged Cye. “Make him also say that you’re cool and awesome.”

“Oh, good idea! You also have to say that I’m cool and awesome, Kento.”

“And the owner of my soul, Cye Mouri, is cool and awesome.” Cye smirked, and gave Kento the burger. Kento promptly wolfed it down.

“You just did that. You sold your soul to Cye for a burger.” Sage leaned back in his seat. “Why are you so weird?”

“What are you talking about? Cye’s evil to me and then feeds me all the time. That, death, and taxes are the three constants in the universe.” He downed what was left of his soda. “’Sides, let’s be real, Cye has had my soul in his possession for a long time already—”

Suddenly, both of them stilled. Cye looked away; face flushed. Kento starred at the burger wrapper, eyes dark. Rowen frowned at Kento, but like everyone else, he had the sense to not mention what had happened.

“So, um, Luna,” Mia began. “I just realized I don’t know much about you. Any interests you want to share with the group?”

Luna tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Yellow’s my favorite color. I’m a blue belt, and I like comic books. I used to draw a lot, but kind of lost interest. I’m hoping to get back into it again soon.”

“We have an art club,” Ryo volunteered. “They’re always looking for members.”

“Cool. I’ll look into that if you’re willing to help me.” Ryo blushed again but agreed. “Oh, and I love doll collecting. I even brought my old Pixie Bunnie collection with me.”

“Pixie Bunnie?!” Mia squealed. “I loved Pixie Bunnie! My favorite was Anna, the smart one.”

“She was so cool! I liked Mitzy, the athletic extroverted one. I wish they’d bring the show back so bad!”

“Wait.” Cye frowned. “Was this the show with the girls in the ball gowns that fought evil, and that guy with the three-piece suit always saved them that you kept making me watch?”

“Yes. And if you had any taste and had paid attention instead of knitting or playing Game Boy while the show was on, you would remember that Derrick would always get kidnapped or whatever right after that and Bunnie would save his butt.” Luna grabbed Mia’s hand. “I have some VHS tapes of the show. Girls’ night next week?”

Mia squeezed Luna’s hand. “Girls’ night next week.”

--

After finishing his meal and washing his hands, Sage retired to his Jaguar to warm up his car for Mia and Ryo. He had just put his leather driving gloves back on when an elderly gentleman dressed in a back suit knocked on the door.

Sage rolled down the window. “May I help you, sir?”

The gentleman bowed deeply. “Good evening, Mr. Date. My name is Mortimer, a faithful servant of the Mouri family. This evening I am here to retrieve Master Cye and his friends… among other duties.”

Sage remembered that Ryo had mentioned Cye having a butler in some of their conversations. “Oh. Well, they’re still in the restaurant. If you wish, I can let him know that you’re here.”

“I appreciate your offer, but please, there’s no need. In fact, currently I wish to address you and Mr. Sanada.”

Sage glared and hoped it was intimidating. “Why.”

Mortimer didn’t even blink. “My employer, Ms. Sayoko Mouri, wishes to speak with both of you privately. Is this Saturday at noon possible?”

That was the day after tomorrow. “Yes. Both Ryo and I are free that day.” Sage frowned. He trusted Sayoko, but this didn’t seem like her style. She would ask them directly, wouldn’t she? “I’d like to know why.”

“She was wondering if you and Mr. Sanada would like to spar. It’s been ages since Ms. Mouri has had a decent challenge, and she knows that you two are accomplished fighters.”

“Oh, okay.” That made sense. He was one of the best swordsmen in the nation, after all. If Ryo wasn’t equally matched, then he was a very close second.

“Excellent. Ms. Mouri and I thank you.” Mortimer bowed again. “Good evening.” He stepped into a black Porsche that stuck out like a sore thumb amongst the more average cars. But Sage supposed he wasn’t blending into the background either.

A few minutes later, Cye opened the door and sat next to Sage.

Sage gave Cye a wary look. “I am not opposed to driving you home, but don’t you have a butler for that?”

“I do, but that’s not why I’m here.”

“Are you going to challenge me to combat?”

“What? No!” Cye glanced at him; expression boggled. “Why would you even ask that?”

“No reason,” Sage said quickly. “So, why are you here then?”

“… Do you remember when you said I could come to you with questions about anything strange happening?”

He thought about it every day. “I do.”

Cye sighed, taking off that weird dolphin hat. “I think I’m ready to ask some questions. But before you say anything, I need to establish some boundaries. If my Mum or Sayoko knew I was talking to anyone about this, they’d panic.”

Sage nodded. “Are they uncomfortable about your psychic abilities?” If he was going to help Cye, they couldn’t dance around the term anymore.

“No, it’s the exact opposite. My father could do what I can do and probably more, and they both loved him more than anything. Me, on the other hand? I’ve never been comfortable with my abilities. They’ve always left me exhausted and miserable. Between that and some unpleasant experiences in my youth, we all agreed I should keep what I can do a secret.”

“I see. Could you describe what you can do? Once I have an idea of that, we can go from there.”

Cye nodded. “I’ve been able to sense feelings as long as I can remember. If I’m around too much negative energy, I get sick or even pass out. Recently, I’ve been able to detect where people are. Not nearly as well as you seem to be able to, but it’s something I can do now. And I’m not sure how I do it, but… if someone is in emotional pain, I can draw their pain into my own heart. I’m not sure how else to explain it. It eases their grief, but then I have to process that on my own. I’m not very good at it, but I’ve done it before. Quite recently, in fact.”

“I see. At the risk of sounding blunt, what do you want me to do about it?”

Cye rolled his eyes. “Sage, sounding blunt? Perish the thought. But, Sage, seriously. You’re a strong psychic, right?”

“Yes, I am.”

“I want you to help me get stronger. Some things have happened recently to our friends, and I want to be able to help protect them in any way I can.”

“You mean how Kento and Rowen were obviously in a battle but were hoping we’d believe that ‘we fell in garbage’ nonsense?” Sage paused. “Well, I’d believe it for Kento maybe. And Rowen, if he was really into whatever he was reading… hmm. Maybe it wasn’t such a bad excuse after all.”

Cye almost laughed. “That does sound in-character for them, unfortunately.” Then his expression darkened. “Sage, I’m not much of a fighter. But I can heal and I can find people and sense when people are lying. That has to count for something. And I have this feeling that whoever attacked them isn’t done.”

“Like a premonition?”

“I wouldn’t go that far, but it’s a feeling I can’t shake. If someone… if someone is trying to hurt my friends, I have to be able to do something.”

Sage had always had difficulty understanding other people. Other people had always had difficulty understanding Sage. No one ever seemed to be on the same wavelength as him. But wanting to protect others with whatever skills you had? That he understood and admired. “Of course. We can get started next week as soon as you have a free afternoon. I’m not as good a teacher as my grandfather, but I’m sure I can help you.”

Cye broke out into a huge smile. “Really? Thanks! Oh, but don’t forget—”

“Don’t tell Mama Bear Sayoko. I know.” Sage took out a notepad and pen from the glove compartment. “I just need to know a few things. First, what exactly are you hoping to learn?”

“How to make heads explode! Just kidding. Honestly, whatever you think would help me help all of you guys. And it’d be nice if I didn’t get so tired using my abilities and being in crowds all the time.”

“Got it,” Sage said as he wrote that all down. “What exercises do you do to keep your shields up?”

Cye glanced at him. “Like blocking stuff out? I guess nothing super formal. I hum a tune if feelings get too loud, or try to leave if the energy’s too negative.” He shrugged. “I don’t know. It always passes, so I just deal with it.”

“… Got it,” Sage said as he scribbled down No wonder he always looks so sickly! They would definitely work on shielding. And the meditation exercises Sage did to keep his sense of self after using his more strenuous abilities. Once Cye could do that, then they could move on to more advanced exercises. They probably also needed to schedule a visit with Grandfather Date in the summer. He would know more of what to do concerning Cye’s empathic abilities. “Don’t worry, Cye. If anyone tries to hurt our friends, we’ll be ready.”

“Thanks.” Cye pulled him into a hug, which wasn’t usually Sage’s thing, but it wasn’t too bad. “And at the risk of sounding selfish, I’m glad that I can finally trust one of my friends with this.”

Sage awkwardly patted Cye on the back. “Then I suppose that I am selfish as well.” Aside from his grandfather, no one else in Sage’s family could do what he did. And school had been year after year of his classmates terrified of the glowering kid that could predict what they would do before they did it. It was… pleasant, knowing that someone was like him.

And he supposed that meant that he owed it to Cye to mention this. “Um, listen. Cye. I’m not good at relationships. That’s one of the few things I cannot predict, which explains my awkwardness about these things. But if you don’t feel the same way Kento does, maybe you should let him down gently—”

“No. I care for him as much as he cares for me,” Cye said, watching Kento talk with everyone from the car. As always, Kento was the bright center of the group. “It’s just complicated. Very, very complicated.”

“I see. I respect your assessment, especially since this is your romantic life and not mine. However, I will remind you that when it comes to Kento, things are rarely complicated.”

“Touché.” Cye put his hat back on. “I’m going to let everyone know that we need to head out. See you at school, Sage!”

Sage watched as Kento ran up to Cye. They laughed, and did the extended high five/fist bump/thumbs up they did sometimes. Then Cye grabbed Kento by his arm and dragged his friend to Mortimer’s car, Luna and Rowen close behind them.

Sage relaxed. They’d be fine. Although he’d be even more relaxed when they finally got together. All this melodrama was too much to bear sometimes, and he wasn’t even directly involved.

--

“You agreed that we would duel Cye’s sister?!”

“I didn’t agree to that,” Sage said for what felt like the umpteenth time. “I said we would spar with her. Why wouldn’t we? We’re skilled. I’ve seen how she carries herself; she’s skilled as well. And she’s an aikido expert. Don’t tell me you’re not at least a little interested.”

“Well, yeah,” Ryo admitted. “But I’m sure there’s a rule somewhere that you shouldn’t spar with the siblings of your friends.”

“Rubbish. I spar with my sisters and my friends all the time. Siblings of friends are just the next step. Which reminds me, I need to ask Luna if she’s willing to spar soon. The only one I haven’t had the privilege of fighting with is Cye, but we all know how he feels about fighting.”

Ryo gazed out the backseat window, lost in thought. “Interestingly enough, I have sparred with Cye. I had to bribe him with almost all the tomatoes from my garden, and it was just one match, but it was enough to get an idea of how he fights. It was weird. He was every bit as careful and gentle as you would expect. I almost felt like I was back in my old martial arts classes with my sensei when I was a kid—but then he threw me. Three times. For someone that keeps saying that he doesn’t like to fight, he is very good at it.” It was also unsettling that Cye, someone who seemed so innocent and trusting, had lulled him into a sense of complacency. He remembered how they all joked that Cye was part merfolk, but it had fit at that moment. Merfolk were pretty and playful but could drag you to the bottom of the ocean if they desired. “Hey, Mia. You’re quiet.”

Mia’s eyes were closed. “I was just thinking that it’s strange that she invited the two awakened Ronin Warriors. Although considering where the Mouri household is located, that shouldn’t be surprising.”

Sage glanced at Mia. “What do you mean?”

“The barrier between our world and the Dynasty is weaker at certain points. One of those points is actually in New York, which is most likely why Kento and Rowen were attacked. The other is on the coast near where the Mouris live.”

Now Sage was frowning. “Why do you know where the Mouris live?”

“Oh, Cye’s mother was being interviewed in a magazine I read recently and… but right, it wasn’t a sword or car, so you never would have heard about it.” Sage glared at her. Mia smiled at him. “Do you two think that Cye’s sister might know about your identities? I know that’s not likely, but it just seems like it’s too much of a coincidence.”

“Well, I guess that just gives us more reason to visit her at her company,” said Ryo. “Then we can get a better idea of what she knows, and what she wants.” He’d be lying if he said he was cool with this. But… he trusted Cye, which meant that he trusted Sayoko. And if she wanted to test them for whatever reason, he would be ready.

--

Final Notes:

Kento: Cye reminds me of merfolk because he's beautiful and ethereal and aquatic life worships him.
Ryo: Cye reminds me of merfolk because he could totally kill me.

I don't want to spoil too much about the Mouris, but I feel like I should probably talk a little about them since they carry a lot of weight in this story for characters that have yet to appear. So: Cye's mother is Cynthia Mouri. She's British, and a doctor. I imagine her looking like Cogtia from Pokemon Legends Arceus. Personality-wise, she's basically Kate Pulaski from TNG. Cye's father is Shin Mouri, who ran the Foundation before his death. He was Japanese and VERY athletic and extroverted. Basically, he was Aquaman from Batman: Brave and the Bold. -_-