"Lonely Heart," chapter 22

Title: Lonely Heart (Chapter 22)
Fandom: Ronin Warriors
Characters/Pairing: All five Ronins, Sayoko Mouri, Mia Koji, Professor Koji, the Ancient One, Luna, Anubis, Cale, Dais, the Ancient One, Saberstryke, White Blaze, OCs
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Not mine, anything mentioned here by name isn't mine
Warnings: Violence, mentioning past parental and familial death
Notes: More slice-of-life/remake AU!

Cale’s room was predictably pitch black. Fortunately, Dais could sense him, so it was not difficult to find his futon. “Cale,” Dais whispered, shaking the sleeping lord. “You need to wake up.” Cale grumbled and turned on his side. “Cale!” He shouted now, shaking him more firmly. There was no response.

Dais had tried being nice. Now he would have to be direct. He closed his eyes and entered Cale’s dream. The Warlord of Corruption dreamt of hunting with a pack of wolves on a silent winter night. A pleasant, if a rather pedestrian dream. Dais would need to think of something that could compel Cale to leave such a lovely fantasy.

He conjured twenty Sekhmets on horseback, screaming VENOM in unison as they charged Cale. Sure enough, Cale woke up a few minutes later with a strangled cry.

Cale glared at Dais. “That was unkind even for you.”

“Forgive me,” Dais said as he glared back. “I thought that you might want to know that Talpa has summoned Saranbo to kill the Ronin Warriors.”

Suddenly, Cale was upright. “How could Talpa employ that charlatan?! That imposter! The monster who has delusions of becoming a Warlord, who has no scruples, who…” Cale stopped, frowning. “I’ve answered my question, haven’t I.”

“Indeed, you have.” Dais placed a hand on Cale’s arm. “We can’t bide our time anymore.”

Cale nodded. “I’ll contact… the young man I hope to employ. He needs to know about this.” Dais understood the logic behind this. If Cale had any hope of recruiting Halo to assist him in finding the Jewel of Life, he needed to earn his trust. That involved making sure that Halo and his friends survived.

Still, it seemed unfair that he had to do so much of this alone. He was popular in his territory, but Cale refused to put the wraiths and demons he protected at risk in this gambit. He had Sekhmet, but Sekhmet was unpredictable. As for Dais… he still couldn’t work up the courage to transform again. He didn’t want Talpa to have even a hint of a possibility of controlling him ever again.

Which meant that he was of no use to Cale at all.

“Dais.” Cale’s hands were warm on his shoulder. Dais’s eye had adjusted to the darkness, so he could see Cale smile. “You’ve been invaluable to me. Not only have you helped me persuade Halo, I finally have someone to confide in about my ambitions. Now I ask that you stay here and work with Sasuke to ensure that the people here don’t suffer if my ambitions are not realized.”

He was certain that Cale was trying to make him better. Annoyingly, it was working. “Oh, fine. I’ll do all the boring stuff while you get to be dashing in battle. But if you need help… I may not be comfortable in my Armor anymore, but I still have skills.”

“I know. And thank you.” Slowly, giving Dais the space to pull away if needed, Cale ran his fingers through Dais’s silvery curls, fingertips brushing against his scalp. Dais closed his eye again. How long had it been since someone had touched him this tenderly?

Not since Hiroshi. The first person to show him gentleness, which meant the sting of betrayal had warped his spirit almost beyond repair. Yet now, in the evil Dynasty of all places, he could feel his heart begin to heal. It wasn’t just for Cale, of course. He wanted to help the demons and wraiths (yes, even stuffy Sasuke) who just wanted to live their lives/afterlives. But Cale was a large part of that.

“If you die, I’ll kill you,” he murmured.

Cale chuckled. “I’m immortal. Well, immortal enough.” He kissed Dais’s hand in farewell. “But even if I was in trouble, I have you to help me.”

“My Lord, there has to be another way.”

“Ume, there is no other way when Saranbo is involved.” Saberstryke placed on his helmet. “If I don’t stop him, he and Talpa will destroy both realms. You two need to stay here and safeguard those under our protection.”

Haru pretended to be absorbed in feeding Black Blaze as Ume and Lord Saberstryke argued. As much as he agreed with Ume’s position, he didn’t see the point in fighting their lord’s decision. They had to do something, and he and Ume were not nearly as powerful as she liked to think.

“At least let me go with you—” Ume snarled in frustration as Saberstryke and Black Blaze both vanished.

“Hey.” Haru tried to sound as comforting as possible. “Look at it this way. If things get bad, the Ronin Warriors will get involved. And then they’ll probably ask for our help. Then we can make things easier for him by keeping those boys alive.”

“I guess,” she grumbled, running a hand through her short purple hair. “I understand that he’s more powerful than all of us combined, but I don’t like that he always fights alone. If something happened to him—”

“He’s not alone.” Haru placed a hand on Ume’s shoulder. “He has Black Blaze. Now c’mon. I’m starting to get weirded out listening to you worry instead of screaming about friendship and justice.” Let’s train just in case we are needed.”

Ume did her best to smile. “All right.”

A lonely old man watched as a white tiger ran to his human, swifter than the wind. He was glad that White Blaze would remain to watch over Ryo and the others.

He just hoped that they would forgive him for what he had to do.

Thankfully, they had already decided that Cye would try to heal Anubis’s heart if he asked. All that they needed to do now was prepare.

Even if Anubis had surrendered, even if he had begged for Cye to heal him, he was still a threat. They didn’t have anything to bind him (Kento wasn’t sure if there was anything that could bind a Warlord), but he had agreed to put away his Armor while Sayoko and Ryo kept a close watch on him. He’d been aware that their enemies were humans for some time. Dais had tried to brainwash him while in his Rajura guise, after all. But seeing Anubis in such a vulnerable state was… unnerving. When Armored, Anubis looked every bit the monster who stole Cye and Sayoko’s father from them. Now, he looked like he was only a little older than Cye.

Speaking of Cye… in theory, he was preparing himself for healing Anubis. But Kento had been guarding him (because there was very much a chance someone from the Dynasty would follow up when they realized that Anubis hadn’t returned with Torrent’s corpse) for roughly an hour now and all he was doing was pacing around the same patch of forest. Cye would probably yell at him for barging in, but he couldn’t stand seeing the one he loved hurt anymore.

“Hey.” They were both in their sub-armor, so Kento held out his arms for a hug. He relaxed when Cye offered him a smile and hugged him tightly. He buried his face in Cye’s shoulder, trying his hardest to pretend that everything was normal and they had just decided to go for a hike. At night. In Armor. With a Warlord sobbing for redemption currently under watch.

Cye pulled away just enough so he could look at Kento properly. “Do you think I can heal him?”

“Of course,” he said without any doubt. “The only question is if you want to heal him.”

Cye pulled away fully this time, staring at the underbrush. “What I want to do is hide in my bedroom and never leave it again. I… I’m going to have to see my father die again. From his perspective. Not to mention anyone else he’s killed. I don’t know if my heart can take it, Kento.”

“Cye—”

Cye pressed his palm against Kento’s mouth. “I know that your offer to do all the fighting still stands, and I thank you.” His eyes were bright but his voice was steady. “But fighting isn’t what’s needed right now. I need to make sure what happened to Dad never happens to anyone else. And there really is a good person buried in there somewhere. I owe it to the man that Anubis used to be to try and free him of his curse.”

Kento began to speak, but then growled in frustration when he realized that he’d been so caught up in concern and love for his boyfriend, that he’d forgotten about Cye muzzling him. Gently, he took Cye’s hand away, holding it in his own. “It’s not fair. It’s bad enough that I can’t keep you from battle.” His eyes were stinging. If he kept talking about this, he would start crying, but he had to let it out. “You shouldn’t have to risk your very soul just to stop the Dynasty.” If Kento died fighting, he was at peace with that. He would go serving a noble cause, which was far better than what he had been up to before he met Rowen and Cye that summer. But Cye… he deserved to be safe and loved. Protected. He didn’t need to take on all the pain and grief of someone who’d probably spent centuries killing people. “It’s not right. It’s not just.” Now he was crying, but he didn’t care. “I want to save you from this.”

“As a wise woman once said, life doesn’t care about what we want,” Cye whispered tenderly, wiping Kento’s tears away. “But I have an idea.”

“Whatever it is, I’ll do it,” he said immediately. He’d do anything to keep Cye safe.

“You can’t help me with what I have to do. No one can. However, you have been a godsend the times I’ve needed to recover in the past. Even just talking to you has helped. If you’re there to make things lighter for me, I think I can endure it.”

“Okay.” He couldn’t protect Cye from everything, but he could be there for him when he recovered. At least he could do that. “I’ll stay with you, no matter what.”

Sayoko would not call the scenarios she had imagined ever since her father’s death revenge fantasies, but rather battle plans. She would find Anubis, battle him, then kill him. Then he could never come back and kill anyone else in her family. As she had become more skilled and familiar with the Armor’s lore her scenarios had inevitably become more detailed. As a result, their plans to subdue the Warlord of Cruelty had formed easily.

And now, here he was. Their prisoner. No Armor. Vulnerable as any other human being. All it would take was a hammer to the head. Or she could use the knife her brother led lent to her ‘just in case’ (because despite his soft heart, he had a spine of steel like the other Warriors) and slit his throat.

“Why haven’t you exacted your vengeance?” Anubis asked, voice soft. Apparently, Sayoko wasn’t the only one wondering why she hadn’t acted.

There was no other option except to tell him the truth. “The only reason you’re still alive is that my brother willed it.” After years in the business world and/or battle, she knew how to present an imposing image even if she felt anything but imposing at that moment.

Anubis closed his eyes. “I understand. And… I’m sorry for what I did to your father.”

“If you’re sorry, then prove Cye right and become a better person,” Ryo said sternly, looking much older than he truly was. “We’ve all done things we regret. What matters now is what you do now.”

Anubis looked up at Ryo warily. “Wildfire, please spare me such lies. My entire existence is rooted in my past. There’s no way I could build a future from soil soaked in blood. You are a Warrior, but you’re not a murderer like me.”

“Maybe not to your extent, but I’ve killed before,” Ryo said, shocking them both. “Demons that come to our realm looking for victims are stopped by my family before most people realize they’re even here. If I hadn’t killed them, they would have killed me, or my grandfather, or someone like my mother. But it didn’t make it easier as I watched the light fade from their eyes.”

“Ryo,” Sayoko said slowly, “when exactly did you become a Ronin Warrior?”

“My twelfth birthday. My grandfather had been betrayed, was trapped in a fire, and needed help. I was young and my aunt was screaming at me to run and hide, but virtue demanded that I help my family. Thankfully, Wildfire agreed with my decision.”

She let out a weary sigh. “Destiny is a pain.”

Ryo nodded, then returned his attention to Anubis. “That’s why I can say that you’ve been granted a rare chance to start over. Cye lost everything that night but still sees you as someone who deserves to live. Trust him.”

“Hey.” Luna hugged Cye quickly, then fist bumped Kento. “Anubis has been quiet, although I’d be quiet too if I had three Ronin Warriors and the daughter of the guy I killed staring me down.” She gave Cye a concerned look. “If you’ve changed your mind, I’ll support you.”

“I haven’t but I appreciate your support.” Cye was in his full Armor, but took the helmet off and handed it to Luna. “You’re putting off investigating Saberstyke to help us out. I don’t if I can ever thank you for that enough.”

“Thank me by not dying and helping me out later!” Luna punched his shoulder lightly. “C’mon. If you’re going to do this, let’s get it done with.”

Anubis respected Wildfire as a Warrior. And now, he supposed, they shared a bond as men who had done things that haunted them. Still, Wildfire had protected his family and innocents. Once Anubis could have claimed the same. But slowly (he wasn’t quite sure when or even why) battle became more about personal glory than supporting his family. His bloodlust had only grown when Talpa whisked him away to the Dynasty, rising to a feverish peak… until he killed Shin of the Torrent. Someone who had only wanted to save his son. Even his hopes for salvation through dueling Shin’s son had been corrupted by his lust for battle. How could he ever hope to redeem himself?

“Hi, Anubis.” The moon cast a silvery gleam on Torrent’s Armor, making him look otherworldly. He did his best to smile as he sat down. “You look how I feel. Let’s do something about that, shall we?” He took Anubis’s hands and placed them over his heart. “Tell me everything.”

Kento watched as Cye did his work. It was different than the times he’d healed Kento. No talking, no gentle smiles even as he grew more tired. Cye was still during it all—it reminded Kento of when Sage was meditating more than anything else. Still, Anubis was mumbling something and seemed to relax as he kept talking, so he supposed it was working.

White Blazed butted against his hip. Kento grinned and scritched the tiger’s ears. It didn’t make the problem go away, but he did take comfort in this wonderful tiger. He waved goodbye as White Blaze went to comfort Luna and Ryo.

Luna was sitting on a rock about a meter away, her gaze fixed on Cye’s helmet that she still held in her hands. Ryo’s arm was around her shoulders in a display of comfort, but his expression was every bit as concerned. White Blaze rubbed against their legs, then settled down for a nap. Kento wanted to cheer them up, but he didn’t know what to say.

“He’s going to be okay, Kento,” Sage assured him, standing next to him.

“I hope you’re right.” He almost wished that Anubis was still evil. Then he could just blast him back to the Dynasty and Cye wouldn’t have to put himself at risk. “If anything happens to Cye—”

“Nothing will happen to him.” Sage put a hand on Kento’s shoulder. “Because the second things go poorly, you and I will save him.” His gaze softened. “Apologies for nearly resorting to fisticuffs with you in the past. I allowed my sensibilities to get the better of me.”

“What? Oh, yeah, when we almost fought. Don’t even worry about it, man. We’re the hotheads of the team; it was gonna happen at some point.”

“True, but we’re also fighting demons and wraiths. We should vent our frustrations in battle rather than on our allies.”

“I am in full agreement with you there, dude!” Kento punched Sage lightly on the arm. “Hey, let’s be battle bros.”

Sage gave him a quizzical look but then smiled. “Very well. I accept your offer, brother of battle.”

“Fascinating,” Rowen said as he approached them. “The nuances of friendships never cease to amaze me.”

“Ugh. If you and Sage are gonna talk all fancy tonight, I’m gonna take a nap until Cye’s done.” Kento frowned. “How’s Sayoko holding up?”

Rowen shrugged. “Poorly, but trying to distract herself through action. She and Mia are prepping the car so they can transport Cye to safety as soon as his task is complete.”

“That makes sense,” Luna whispered, gaze still fixed on Cye’s helmet. “Now all we have to do is figure out what to do with Anubis.”

“That would be a good idea,” Ryo admitted. “He seems sincere in wanting to change, but we can’t just assume he’ll want to help us stop Talpa.”

Suddenly, White Blaze perked up, gaze fixed on Cye.

Kento followed the gaze. Cye was crying but still working. Anubis let out a gasp of horror/relief, staggering upright. “I… I’ve done so many terrible things.”

“Yes, you have.” Cye sounded like he’d been drugged, but he still managed to smile up at Anubis. “I won’t feed you any rubbish about how you can always start over, but your life is your own again. It.. would be nice if you would help us fight Talpa. That way, you can make sure no other young person is warped like you were.”

“I don’t know if I can,” Anubis breathed. “Talpa controlled me through the Armor, if I ever donned it again—”

“Ah. I see.” Cye was struggling to stay upright. “Then don’t do that. But I know… I know you’ll find some way to help stop him.”

Anubis looked as if he was going to speak again but then stilled. He ran off into the forest.

And if it weren’t for Cye fainting right after that, Armor fading into cherry blossoms, Kento would have run after him and beat him up for leaving the person who had saved his soul in such a state.

Kento gathered Cye in his arms. He was cold to the touch. Kento found a pulse but it was weak. Cye had been drained from healing before but this… this was going to kill him if they couldn’t pull him out of it. Luna was beside him. The guys and White Blaze circled them protectively.

“Cye,” he whispered. “Whatever you saw, they’re just bad memories.”

“They feel real,” Cye sobbed against him. He hated that Cye was crying, but it was a sign that he was alive. That he hadn’t given in.

“I know.” Luna stroked Cye’s hair. “It doesn’t help that you feel things more strongly than anyone else I know. But you’re stronger than the despair, Cye.”

Cye stirred enough to look at her, sniffling. “But I saw—I felt—”

“Listen to Luna,” Ryo insisted. “Listen to Kento. They’re real, too.”

“Please keep fighting, Cye.” Rowen had his bow ready in case of any unpleasant surprises, which meant he couldn’t wipe away his tears. “I like that we’re brothers now. I don’t want to lose that.” White Blaze went to Cye, licking his hand.

“Cye,” Sage said. “What was your goal?”

“To stop Anubis from hurting.” He was still crying, but his voice was a little steadier now.

“You succeeded. Now your new goal is to survive this so no one is sad.”

Cye almost laughed. “That’s an odd way to phrase ‘please don’t die,’ but I’ll do my best.” He relaxed against Kento. “God, Kento. It wasn’t just the violence. There was so much regret, so much self-hate.” He closed his eyes. “No wonder Talpa was able to control him for so long.” He shuddered. “Sorry for not being able to convince Anubis to join us, Ryo.”

“Dude, that is not a concern right now. Let’s get you home.”

“Home.” Cye didn’t resist as Kento scooped him up in his arms. “Mia’s house really does feel like home. It’s big enough for all of us, and the Kojis are wonderful.” His voice grew softer as he drifted into sleep. “The lake is beautiful and the kitchen is amazing and I can feel pieces of my father’s spirit when I’m there…”

Kento wasn’t sure how much of that was real or Cye being exhausted, but at least he was focused on something other than all the death he’d just felt. “Okay, babe. Next stop is the Koji mansion.”

“Hey.” Luna felt bold enough to kiss Ryo on the cheek when she greeted him. “Sayoko, Rowen, and Kento are sticking with Cye. Mia’s about to drive them home. She grinned a little. “I think White Blaze is going to follow them. Mom’s going to help Professor Koji get everything settled before she heads back to headquarters to record her data from the last fight.”

“That’s in character for her.” Ryo rested a hand on the left side of her face. “Do you wanna go with them?”

Luna leaned into his touch. “Yes, but I’m more helpful if I go with you and Sage to find Anubis.” If he didn’t want to help them fight, fine. But they couldn’t leave him alone to get kidnapped by Talpa again.

Ryo managed a smile. “Thanks.” Then an idea hit him. “Luna, listen. I know you want to find Saberstryke, which is why I want to run this by you first.” He explained his plan.

She smiled and nodded. “Perfect.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.” Her smile became a smirk. “Things are getting so weird, I’m sure we’ll run into Saberstryke soon no matter what. I’ll get my answers then. I’d rather our friends have that extra bit of protection right now.”

“I don’t wish to sound rude, but my brother needs me,” Rowen said to Ryo.

“I know. That’s why I’m giving you this.” Ryo pressed the stone into Rowen’s hand. “Remember that adventure I told you about that Luna and I had with Saberstryke? Ume gave us a way to reach her. I have this feeling you’ll need it more than we will.”

“I see.” Rowen smiled in return. “Thanks.”

“Mia, go faster,” Sayoko insisted. “There’s no one else on the road.”

“Sayoko, leave her alone.” Cye’s voice was muffled against Kento’s shoulder.

Sayoko bristled. “You need to rest, Cye.”

“Both of you stop.” Mia’s eyes were fixed on the road. “I’m going as fast as I dare this late at night. And Cye, you do need to rest.” She smirked at Sayoko. “Don’t worry. Like everyone else who’s spent over ten minutes with Sayoko, I’ve developed a thick skin.”

Sayoko grumbled but didn’t push it. “Sorry,” she said. “It’s just—”

“He’s all you have left, I know. I feel the same way about my grandfather…” She stopped when she noticed Rowen was quieter than usual. Not to mention White Blaze was trying to get her attention. “What’s wrong?”

“As Sayoko would say, jobbers are pursuing us.” Mia’s blood ran cold when she saw half a dozen Dynasty soldiers chasing them. Normally, that would be no threat to the Ronin Warriors. But Cye was exhausted and they were all crammed into a car that even the weakest soldier could chase and destroy easily.

“Mia. Sayoko.” Rowen gazed at them levelly. “I’m about to open the car door. My sub-armor will protect my body. As for my head, I’ll transform the second I’m out and have to hope my helmet appears in time.”

Sayoko craned her neck, giving Rowen a sharp look. “Bad idea.”

“I agree.” Mia frowned even as she officially began speeding. The soldiers kept their pace. Soon, they would overtake them. “You’ll be alone.”

“Not quite. White Blaze will help and I have another ally to call on.” Rowen’s hand was already on the car door when he felt someone squeeze his free hand. He glanced over his shoulder. Cye, still pressed against Kento, gazed at Rowen silently.

“I’ll be back soon, big brother,” Rowen promised.

Rowen wanted to yell in fright as he flew out of a speeding car, but that would not be productive. Somehow, he managed to call upon Strata, cherry blossoms and lightning merging into his Armor that thankfully protected him from the asphalt. He managed to roll and found himself in a crouching position, White Blaze by his side. The soldiers were a few meters away, giving him just enough time to use the stone.

An instant later, Ume (and Haru) appeared. “Rowen. Why did you call us?” Ume blinked at him in surprise. Then she noticed the soldiers. “Ah, that’s why.”

“I’m so glad all of you are safe.” Professor Koji hugged Mia and even placed a hand on Sayoko’s shoulder for a moment. “I have some pajamas and clean clothes ready for Cye.”

“I’m fine,” Cye mumbled as Kento strode into the living room.

“Oh, shush. There are dirt stains on your school uniform. Kento, if you’ll follow me, I’ll take you to a guest room. We have more than one guest room, so you can all rest if needed.”

“Thank you, sir,” Kento said as he and Sayoko headed upstairs. “But I don’t need rest.” He needed to make sure that Cye was okay, and if the others hadn’t returned by the time Cye had recovered, he would need to look for them.

“Rowen’s okay. So are the others.” Cye smiled up at Kento sleepily. “I can feel it.”

“That’s a relief.” Sayoko glanced down at her brother. “How much help will you need getting ready for bed?”

Kento had expected Cye to grumble about her being overprotective, but instead, he only sighed. “I can change into sleeping clothes on my own.” He looked up at Kento again, but there was no smile this time. “I know it’s a lot to ask, but could you stay with me while I sleep? You ground me and I don’t want to deal with any more nightmares than necessary.”

“I was gonna do that no matter what.” He let Cye down so Professor Koji could hand him the pajamas. Cye disappeared to change. Once he was gone, Kento plopped down on the floor. “Okay, I am officially dead. But I think I understand you better now, Sayoko.” If Cye had been even half as ill as he was right now growing up, no wonder she was so obsessed with keeping him safe.

“Thanks. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned about my baby brother since we moved to Tokyo, it’s that he’s stronger than he looks.”

“Yeah.” Cye was the strongest person he knew. It was just he threw so much of himself into helping others that he made himself sick. Kento wasn’t especially smart or witty, but he could protect Cye while he recovered.

“Hey.” Cye poked his head out the door. “If no one else minds, I’m going to sleep now.”

“Sleep well,” Professor Koji said. “I’ll bring some food up in a moment.”

“For the last time, stay down,” Rowen snarled as he shot an arrow at the remaining soldier. It landed where his heart would have been if he was human. The soldier fell and faded into red mist.

“That was pretty intense,” Haru said, gasping for breath. “Was it just me or did these soldiers seem almost desperate?”

“Our lord was right,” Ume said grimly. “Talpa is planning something.”

“Hmm.” Rowen stroked his chin. He had met these two under less-than-ideal circumstances, but Ume and Haru had proven their mettle. He not only trusted them, but he also wanted to make sure that they would be safe. While they were accomplished fighters, they wouldn’t have tried to steal Strata in the first place unless they needed more power. “Ume? You have ice powers. I was wondering if you could freeze something for me.”

Ume gave him a sideways glance. “Um, sure. What do you have in mind?”

Her eyes grew wide as he conjured up one golden arrow. “I can’t give you Strata, but this is the next best thing. Consider it thanks for helping me. And please don’t refuse. If things are as bad as you say they are, you’ll need it.”

Ume nodded. “You are unfortunately correct. Okay. Put it on the ground so that I don’t have to worry about accidentally freezing your hands off.” Rowen did as she instructed. A moment later, the arrow was encased in ice. Usually, Rowen’s arrows disappeared not long after his will to create them faded (this could involve defeating an enemy, taking off his Armor, or losing consciousness). Freezing it would ensure that this arrow would last.

Ume picked up the frozen arrow reverently. “Thank you, Rowen of the Strata.”

Haru nodded. “Same. But we should get going. Good luck with keeping your friends alive.”

Rowen watched as they vanished. “Good luck to you as well.”

White Blaze nuzzled his hand. Rowen hopped on his back and they fled to the mansion together.

Professor Koji had said that Kento could grab any of the beds or futons in the house and bring it into the guest room so he could sleep as well, but that seemed rude. Not to mention all the noise would keep Cye up. Instead, he opted for the chair in the corner. Cye was buried under the blankets, fast asleep. It was weird, though. Even after an exhausting battle and nearly losing his soul to despair, Cye still looked as beautiful and ethereal as that day he found him catching a nap when they helped Luna move in.

Cye made a distressed sound in his sleep. Kento was immediately by his side, kneeling by the bed as he took Cye’s hand in his own. “Hey. I’m here. I’ll always be here.”

Cye’s eyes fluttered open as Kento freed him from his nightmare. He smiled at Kento weakly. “My knight.”

“My prince,” he whispered fiercely. He doubted Cye would remember this (and that would be a good thing because otherwise, Cye would yet again whine about how he was not spoiled or aristocratic), but he meant it. “Now please, sleep.” Without so much of a word of protest, Cye slipped back into slumber.

He would protect Cye, no matter what.

Anubis wasn’t sure how long he’d been following… the person? The sound? Regardless, he knew in his heart that whoever was beckoning him would show him how he could make up for his past misdeeds. Perhaps even help the others.

… He hoped Torrent was all right.

“Welcome, Anubis,” a mysterious monk said as he approached him. “You may call me the Ancient One. We have much work to do.”

Final Notes: Battle Bros was inspired by the Yuri/Balthus support in Three Houses. (Although Kento is actually Caspar and Sage is actually Felix.) Also, quick heads up: work is going to be busy next week. I will try to have the next chapter up by around Friday or Saturday, but it may be a little late, sorry. That said, we are officially in the end game for this series, so it's all mapped out in my head. I just have to actually type it all, whoops.