Title: Lonely Heart (Chapter 21)
Fandom: Ronin Warriors
Characters/Pairing: All five Ronins, Sayoko Mouri, Mia Koji, Professor Koji, the Ancient One, Luna, Anubis
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Not mine, anything mentioned here by name isn't mine
Warnings: Violence, mentioning parental death
Notes: More slice-of-life/remake AU!

“It’s strange,” the monk said. “I have imagined this moment for so long, but now that it has manifested, I have no idea what to say to you.”

Kayura kept her smirk in place, hoping it would mask the unease in her heart. It wasn’t unusual for people to pretend to worship the ground she walked on. She was Talpa’s daughter and true heir; of course they would. But this old man seemed genuinely moved just by her presence. She didn’t know how to react to that. “Well, out with it, old man.” Her tone was that of the confident princess. Cold and untouchable. Unshakable in her loyalty to her father. “Otherwise, you might find a sai in your heart.”

The monk grinned. “You were always spirited.”

“That’s an interesting way to contextualize a threat on your life, but very well.” Kayura smoothed out imaginary folds in her kimono. “Perhaps it would help if I asked who you are and what you want with me.”

“What I want doesn’t matter anymore,” he said. “As for myself, I’m a foolish old man who let his selfish pride get in the way of what mattered.”

Kayura gave him a thoughtful look. “You know, I think I can relate. I made the ‘brilliant’ decision to question my father’s orders and now I’m stuck here.” She shrugged. “But you can’t choose family and believe it or not, I do care what happens to the Dynasty.”

The monk shook his head. “Your choice was not stemmed from your ego. You merely wanted to help those suffering. You may try to cover it with an icy exterior, but I know that you are a truly gentle person.”

Kayura frowned. “I’m not liking where this conversation is going.” She waited for the old man to backtrack or try to convince her to join the rebels. That happened more than she would ever tell her father because there was no point in killing some poor rebel that was foolish enough to appeal to the princess rather than resorting to violence. Just let fate take care of them.

“I understand and I shall leave you soon,” the monk said instead. “But be careful—Talpa is planning to act on one of his schemes. I beg of you to stay safe until then—and once things calm, seek out the Jewel of Life.”

“Wait, what do you…” But the monk was gone.

“Lady Kayura?!” Aya, a cat demon and one of her governesses, dashed up to her. “I was so worried about you! Please, let’s return home.”

Kayura felt like snapping at her to leave her alone, but Aya wasn’t that bad. She was just nervous about messing up and losing the job that supported her and her three brothers. And if the monk was correct, they would both need support in the coming days.

She studied the castle in the distance. It was built to withstand and outlast any attack. The stores would last for ages as well—not to mention there were gaming grounds, orchards, and gardens. It was more like a small village than a castle. It was the perfect place to stay safe if Father really was…

“All right, Aya,” she conceded, taking her governess by the hand. “Let’s head back. I need to work on my math anyways.”

Aya’s face lit up in joy/relief. “Of course! I’ll gather my materials the instant we have returned home.”

It would never truly be home to Kayura. She’d never felt at home in her life, even when she was with Father. But it was a place to wait things out. That was not her preferred style of fighting. But the way the monk had spoken… she suspected that whatever Father was up to, it might cost him his life. She wanted to warn him, but she was not permitted to speak to him. Even if she could, she knew that he would never listen to her.

So, she would wait for Father to die. Then she would take the throne, protect the Dynasty, and if needed, avenge him by killing his murderers. Only if needed, however—her father’s fondness for scorched earth policies would leave her a lot to clean up.

--

“Seems simple to me,” Sayoko said. “I bait Anubis, then kill him. And I don’t want to hear any protests on your end, Cye. You know why this has to happen.”

“I hate it, but I agree,” her bother replied bitterly. “I wish we could stop him more peacefully, but I will not allow him to hurt any of my friends. Or you, which is why I still don’t want you to be the bait.”

“Sure, but if I’m not there, Anubis will realize something is wrong.” She grinned. “I bait kidding around.” She watched her brother and his friends stare at her blankly and she shook her head. “Honestly.”

“We don’t want you to get killed,” Rowen said, distressed. “If we lost you, everything would fall apart.”

“It would,” Ryo agreed reluctantly. “But Sayoko is not a civilian. She’s got years of experience and armor of her own. She’s also held her own in battles.” Sayoko nodded at each point he made.

“Ryo!” Cye grabbed his shoulder. “Not you as well.” Rowen glared at Ryo.

“Cye, I get it. If it was my grandfather, I’d be upset, too. But your sister will not be alone. All five of us will move in the instant she needs help.”

“Yeah.” Luna tousled Cye’s hair. “And my whole thing is to rescue people. If she needs an exit, I’ll be there.”

Mia nodded. “And I could drive both of them out of combat if needed.”

“Cye, I’m always going to be on your side,” Kento promised him. “But this is, unfortunately, the best plan. Just know that I won’t let anyone hurt you or your sister. Or any of you.”

Cye made a displeased sound but didn’t argue. Sayoko, of course, took that as a victory and began gossiping with Mia and Rowen about how to prep her armor for the showdown with Anubis.

Ryo decided to lighten the mood before Cye got angrier (and snarkier). “I believe you, man,” he said to Kento, grinning easily. “We better tell Anubis to watch out, right, Sage?”

Sage blinked at him. “I’m sorry, did you say something?”

“Nothing super important,” Ryo assured him, because he looked upset. “Are you okay?” It wasn’t like Sage to not contribute to battle plans.

“I’m fine. Excuse me.” Sage left Professor Koji’s living room (his mansion had become an unofficial base for them) and all but ran out the door. Mia was about to chase after him, but Ryo stopped her with a gentle hand on her arm.

“I think I might be better at talking to him, for once.” Ryo offered her a weak smile. “I think he’s dealing with some Ronin Warrior stuff.”

“All right,” she conceded unhappily. “Just please make sure that he stays safe.”

“I always do.”

--

“Sage?” It was getting dark, but thankfully Sage was wearing his customary lighter colors, so he wasn’t difficult to find in the woods near the mansion. “You okay, man?” When Sage wouldn’t acknowledge him, Ryo realized he would have to play hardball. “Mia’s worried, dude.”

“I see,” Sage sighed. “Apologies to her and the rest of you. I had a vision that distressed me recently. That’s all.”

“Do you wanna talk about it?”

“No,” he said immediately. “This is one of those things I will have to handle alone. Besides, I… I’m not sure if I could phrase it in a way that you could understand, even if I used my abilities.”

“Well, okay.” He didn’t like it since Sage was still upset but he wasn’t going to push. “But if you change your mind, I’m here. We all are.”

Sage nodded. “I know. And I’ll make sure that it stays that way.”

Ryo wanted to ask what Sage meant by that, but now was not the time to press. Besides, he would do anything to protect his friends as well.

--

“I’m glad you both are back,” Mia said as Ryo and Sage returned. Rowen nodded in agreement.

Ryo patted Sage’s shoulder. “He just needed some air. So, how are the plans coming along?”

Sayoko and Professor Koji were hunched over a bulky laptop. “I make sure I appear to be alone in the middle of nowhere to draw Anubis out,” Sayoko started.

“The woods on my property should suffice,” Professor Koji added. “Just promise me to do as little harm to the trees as possible.”

“We’ll try,” Kento said uneasily, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Once Anubis is there, Luna will give me a rescue, but only if necessary! Otherwise, we’ll provide support for you boys,” Sayoko continued

“One thing to remember about Anubis is that he’s Hardrock-level powerful,” Mia reminded them. “So, we cannot assume that one or even two attacks will stop him. All five of you are going to have to strike and fast.”

Cye glared at the laptop screen, tea in hand. “Of course, all our research suggests that while it will slow him down, it won’t stop him.” He sipped the tea. “So, we’re just going to spam attacks until he dies? Talk about barbaric.”

“That’s what battle is,” Sage snapped. “If you don’t like it, stay home.”

Sayoko stood to her full height; eyes cold. “Hey!” Kento grabbed Sage by his arm. Rowen tried to shake Kento off, but it was no use. “That is my man you’re disrespecting.”

“Kento, I can take care of myself,” Cye informed him frigidly. Once Kento let go of Sage (with only minimal grumbling), Cye continued. “Sage, I am extremely aware of the consequences of battle. And I will strike Anubis down if it means I can keep any of you safe. However, I will not pretend that it’s some noble mission or whatever. It’s still murder. It’s still wrong.”

Sage glared at Cye. “What do you propose we do, then?”

Cye took another sip of tea. “I know there’s more to him than what Talpa warped him into. If possible, I could try healing his heart. Then we’d have another ally.”

“No,” Luna said. “We all know how much doing that takes out of you.”

“It does, but it’s not as bad as it used to be,” Cye assured her. “Being around the other Warriors gives me strength.” He almost smiled at Sage. “Even when they’re annoying me.”

That seemed to soften Sage’s heart as he glanced at Cye, expression oddly vulnerable. “Do you really think you could heal Anubis?”

“Yes. I’d need the longest nap ever afterward, but I think I can do it.”

Sayoko sat down again, frowning deeply. “I think you can do it, too. But keep in mind that Anubis will most likely refuse.”

“I know. All I ask is that if he does request my assistance, no one stops me from helping him.”

“Okay,” Sayoko finally agreed. “But don’t do that thing where you run off to do your own thing because you think that it’s best for everyone, okay?”

“Me?” Cye held up his hands in a display of helplessness, his eyes innocent and pure. “I’m the Ronin Warrior of Trust. I just want to cook and clean for people and hang out with dolphins! I’m so pure-hearted and kind, I could never do anything sneaky or evil like that.”

Kento (among everyone else) gave him a look. “You said that you were going to take out my heart and put in Mothra’s heart to make me Kento of Moth-rock.”

“Because I knew that becoming Moth-rock would make you so happy,” Cye said in a sugared tone. “But snarkiness aside, thanks everyone. I know my plan is a longshot, but it makes me feel a little better about what we’re doing.”

“And on that note,” Professor Koji said as he slapped his knees and stood up, “Let’s have dinner. Cye, you’re talented in the kitchen, but you have a difficult battle ahead of you. You all do. Let this old man help you out for a change.”

“Grandfather, please.” Mia rolled her eye as she followed him into the kitchen. “If you weren’t for you, I wouldn’t know anything about computers or demons.”

“I just taught you the basics. Everything after that was all you.”

The rest of them filed into the kitchen, except Sage and Cye, who noticed that his friend was still. “Hey,” Cye said softly. “Sorry about being a brat earlier.”

“I was the brat,” Sage confessed.

“You’re just stressed. We all are.” He held Sage’s hand. “Do you want me to heal you?”

“No,” Sage said quickly. Cye could not know what he had seen in his vision, ever. “But thank you.”

“Okay.” Cye’s tone was wary. “But don’t forget that we’re all here for you if you change your mind.”

“I know.” He actually smiled. “Ryo said the same thing when he spoke to me.”

Cye smiled back. “Good. If we keep saying it, maybe it will stick one day.”

--

Sage had driven back to his apartment after dinner. Rowen went to spend the night with him, which was an unspoken relief for everyone. They weren’t loud about it, but they were calming influences for each other. Sayoko and the Kojis were busy with something tech-related, which meant that only Luna and the rest of the boys were there to greet her mother when she appeared.

“Let me guess,” Mom said as she hung up her coat. “Sayoko’s already working?”

“Yep,” Luna gave her mother a plate of the vegetarian lasagna they’d had for dinner.

“After I eat, I’ll tell her what will and will not work.” Mom began wolfing down her serving.

“And that’s why you deserve a raise. Hey, guys,” Luna said as Ryo, Cye, and Kento meandered into the room.

“Cye!” Mom put down her plate to grab Cye in a tight hug. “You’ve gotten so tall!”

“Yes, I have. I’ve also become more powerful.” Cye hugged her back. “Once we deal with Talpa, I think I’ll look into this world domination thing myself. Heaven knows I could do better than most of the people currently in charge.”

“I can’t argue with you there.” Mom pulled away to hug Ryo now. “I trust you’re treating my daughter well.”

“Yes, ma’am!” Ryo all but shouted. “We’re very happy together.”

“Good. Speaking of together…” Mom glared at Kento like he was a difficult math equation.

Kento gulped. “Is something wrong, Mrs. Watson?”

“Oh, nothing. I’m just trying to discern if you’re good enough for Cye, that’s all.”

“He’s more than good enough for me, Mrs. Watson,” Cye huffed. “You’re almost bad as Mum.”

“Can you blame me?” Mom returned her attention to her food, finishing it off with a speed that rivaled Kento’s. “I’m heading to the library now to help the others. Let me know if you kids need anything.”

Luna made sure to smile and wave. Her attempt at cheerfulness fooled Mom, but unfortunately, she was friends with a psychic. “Luna,” Cye murmured. “Please tell me what’s wrong.”

“Yeah.” Ryo ran a hand through his hair. “I’m not as perceptive as Cye, but even I can tell when you’re unhappy.” Kento was silent, but nodded grimly.

“I’m not unhappy,” she clarified. “It’s just all this talk about vengeance has gotten me thinking.”

“I see,” Ryo nodded as he cleared a spot on the couch for her. “Don’t worry, Luna. We’ll find who killed your brother.”

“Yeah.” Kento made a fist and hit the palm of his left hand. “And we’ll help you take care of the creep, too.”

“… You already know who the aforementioned creep is though, don’t you?” Cye took a seat in an armchair, fingers steepled in thought. “Or at least, you suspect it.”

She didn’t want to speak this out loud since Ryo had bonded with the guy, but she couldn’t shake her feelings. With a thankful smile in Ryo’s direction, Luna sat down. “Ryo, do you remember when we met Saberstryke? He acted weird when he was around me. Almost like he was guilty about something.”

Ryo paled. “You don’t think…”

“I don’t think he would have intentionally hurt Billy. But he knows something.”

“Well, let’s talk to him.” Ryo took out a familiar-looking stone in his jeans pocket. “We can get answers right now.”

“We can’t waste a resource like that. Besides, let’s be real, we’re just gonna get that weird girl with the ice powers, and I don’t think she’s going to know what happened.”

“… Okay. But if we need to call her in the next battle, I’m going to ask her some questions after we deal with Anubis.”

Luna nodded. “I’ll be asking them with you.”

--

They had agreed that they would put their plan into motion in twenty-four hours.

The location was the heart of the woods, far removed from the mansion and civilization in general. Ryo and White Blaze had shooed away any animals, while Rowen convinced the birds to find a new spot for the night. They had all pointedly ignored Luna calling them Disney princes.

Those among them who were more technically-minded had done their work admirably. Sayoko had assured her brother several times over that while her armor wasn’t as powerful as the mystical suits it was based on, she could hold her own. Mia was parked nearby, hidden but sabre by her side just in case. Mrs. Watson and Professor Koji were thankfully safe at home. Mrs. Watson was ready to call the reserves (whoever they were) if Sayoko needed help. Everyone was in position. All they had to do was sit tight and hope that Anubis would take the bait.

Cye watched his sister stretch in the clearing, saying something about how she was all alone at night. He hated this. He hated lying underbrush waiting for the man who had killed their father to try to kill his sister. It reminded him of that night…

Luna and Kento couldn’t talk right now since that would give them away. But Kento took his hand and Luna rubbed his back. He did his best to smile… but that quickly faded when he felt Anubis’s presence.

He nodded at Luna. “Boss,” she whispered into her comm. “He’s on his way.”

Anubis landed on a sturdy tree branch, sickle in hand. “Your life is forfeit to the Dynasty. Surrender or I will torture you until you comply.”

“Oh no, I was spotted by Anubis the Ogre,” Sayoko said flatly. “Whatever will I do?”

Anubis must have realized that she wasn’t going to surrender since he threw a chain at her. Sayoko grabbed it and pulled him down. He managed to avoid landing face-first in the dirt, but it was hardly a graceful landing. He struggled upright, only to find himself in a tug-of-war with what should have been an easy victim.

“What’s wrong?” Sayoko’s voice was deathly calm as she didn’t budge. “You usually laugh when you try to kill people weaker than you.”

“I…” Anubis faltered, for a moment. That was enough for Sayoko to gain momentum and send him flying into a tree. Sayoko brought out her hammer while barking a command into her comm. Luna and Cye took out their knives and struck Anubis in the shoulders and knees. Not enough to pierce his flesh, but enough to hinder his movement. That gave Sayoko time to land a devastating blow to the head. If he hadn’t had his helmet on, Cye did not doubt that she would have killed him at that moment.

Instead, he was sent flying again, this time into Sage, and his blade charged with thunderbolts. Ryo’s fire-based magic struck next. Anubis was shaking and shuddering but somehow managed to stand. “I serve Talpa,” he managed, barely.

“Yeah, I’m aware of that” Sayoko said as she hit him again, this time in the side. He fell again with a cry. “And you know what? If it was just me you hurt, I wouldn’t care so much. I might even be able to forgive you. You’re a creep, but you’re a creep who was just doing his job.” She grabbed him by his collar. “But do you have any idea how many lives you ruined that night?”

“I—is—is Wildfire here?”

Sayoko didn’t hear him as she punched him in the face, then sent him crashing into yet another tree. “My mother got so sick we thought she was going to die. We still do.” She stomped down on his chest and he coughed up blood. “My father’s best friend is still broken-hearted over it. And as for Cye… do you have any idea what it’s like for an empath to feel someone die?!”

Cye’s grip tightened around his trident. It had been terrible. Years and years of nightmares. Forgetting had been the only way to cope.

“Wildfire—” Anubis looked around, wild-eyed. Rowen promptly shot three arrows into his back. Kento (after a concerned glance at Cye) ran out and struck Anubis with his staff. He fell to his knees but was still alive. However, he seemed unconcerned with even defending himself, much less fighting Sayoko and the others. “We were… he’s a valiant warrior, he can give me a glorious battle, he can help me redeem myself—”

… He had been right.

“Sayoko!” Cye was supposed to wait for Kento to pull back so he could strike, but this was too important. “Wait! We can reach him!”

Sayoko froze, and for a moment he could feel her about to say she would not wait… but then she took in Anubis’s broken form and stopped. “You get one minute, Cye.”

One minute was all he needed. Cye ran out, Luna close behind him just in case. He knelt before the ogre. “Anubis, there’s still good in you. Talpa warped your spirit. I know this because a similar situation happened to me, but thanks to my friends I was able to break free from it. Please let me do the same for you.”

“Torrent,” Anubis whispered. “I didn’t kill you. You survived.”

Cye shook his head. “I’m his son, remember? But I have the same powers. It… it must have been hard, realizing that you killed an opponent that you respected when he was at his weakest.”

“Yes.” Anubis ducked his head, and Cye could have sworn that he heard a sob.

“And when Talpa celebrated it, you realized that he was not a master worth following, but what choice did you have? All you could do was hide from it all, but that didn’t help, either.” Anubis nodded numbly.

Cye took Anubis’s hands into his own. “I can’t make the guilt and shame disappear. That’s going to be with you forever. But I can ease the pain so you’ll have the strength to break away and truly redeem yourself if you’ll let me.”

“… Yes. Please.”

“Gladly,” Cye murmured. “When I’m done with you, you’ll never hurt anyone ever again.”

--

Final Notes: PLOT TWIST, Cye was also Batman all along, he’s just more about helping people realize their mistakes than punching them. ;P

I have been struggling with this series for a bit, but since I managed to finish this chapter in one day (!), I’m hoping that means my writer’s block is gone. The fact that we’re now in the endgame (and I have a better idea of how it’s going to go) helps. Also, don’t worry, this will have a happy ending since I’m soft-hearted. It just might be a while, whoops.

There is a line more or less stolen for [spoiler] scene in the Golden Wildfire route in Fire Emblem: Three Hopes, much to Cye and Rowen’s delight. If you’ve played the full route, you probably know what I mean.

You know, I don’t think I’ve ever described Sayoko’s armor. Um. Imagine Xanatos’s armor from Gargoyles, but black instead of red.