Title: Lonely Heart (Chapter 3)
Fandom: Ronin Warriors
Characters/Pairing: Cye/Kento, Ryo/Luna, all five Ronins
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Not mine, anything mentioned here by name isn't mine
Warnings: Canonical familial death, canon-typical violence, past bullying
Notes: More slice-of-life/remake AU!

--

“Well, I made it to Tokyo, Billy,” Luna said to the photo of her brother she kept tucked in her dresser mirror. “And Mom was right as usual. I’m supposed to meet with Ms. Sayoko later for some fetch quests involving mystical artifacts.” She gave her reflection a final look over. Her old sweats would suffice for today. “It’s not what I want to do. I want to find who killed you and make them pay. But I’ve accepted that I’m going to have to prove myself capable of the small stuff before they finally let me avenge you.” She pressed her fingertips to his photo. “And I will. I promise. It’s just a matter of time until you can rest in peace.”

But for now, she had other matters to attend to. Cye, Kento, and their friend Ryo would be coming to her apartment in a few minutes to help her with moving in. She bounded into the living room, where boxes were still scattered everywhere. Thank goodness that the guys would be over soon—and thank goodness that they weren’t like most of the guys she knew. Most boys her age were so busy trying to prove to each other that they were tough, that it was obnoxious. She had always assumed Cye was the exception to the rule until she met his friends, who didn’t care about any of that. It was a delightful change.

There was a rapping on her door. “Luna!” Kento sing-songed. “Your buff he-men are here to lift things for you!”

Luna looked through her door’s peephole. Kento was flexing until Cye thwapped him lightly with a dishrag.

Maybe I overestimated Kento… Still, Luna opened the door. “C’mon in, boys. It’s mostly books and kitchen stuff that we need to put away.”

“Like I said last night, leave the kitchen to me,” Cye grabbed a box from Ryo. “I even brought a few things with me to make it seem extra homey.”

Luna inspected the box’s contents. “Some mugs, some rags, and some… seashells?”

Cye was in his element, eying the stove critically. “If a kitchen doesn’t have at least some hints of a nautical theme, is it truly a kitchen? Anyways, I think the shells will look good on this counter. Kento? Could you start passing the coffee around?”

“On it,” Kento assured him as he handed both Luna and Ryo small coffees. “We didn’t know how you two like yours, so help yourself to the sugar and cream in the bag.”

Luna’s Mom forbade coffee, but she was also still in America, so Luna put in a little sugar and a lot of cream before sipping at her drink. “Thanks, you two.”

“No prob!” Kento turned his attention to Cye. “Hey, let me help you with the heavier stuff in there, okay?” Cye nodded before carefully placing a small decorative lighthouse on the kitchen windowsill.

That took care of the kitchen. “Well, Ryo, shall we start putting things away in the living room?”

Ryo blushed (he seemed to do that a lot around her…) and agreed.

--

“Wow, I don’t even understand the title of this book, much less the contents,” Ryo said as he shelved a few more of her mother’s texts. “What exactly does your mother do, Luna?”

“Officially, she’s Ms. Sayoko’s assistant. That involves a lot of different duties, but mostly a lot of engineering stuff.” Including the sub-armor Luna wore, of course.

“Wow.” Ryo opened a new box of books. “So, what’s such a cute girl doing moving to Tokyo in the middle of the school year?”

Luna smirked as she opened up a box of her own. “I’m cute, hunh?” Ryo stammered, and she did her best not to laugh. Ryo was this unique mix of awkward/charming, and she found it adorable. However, she needed to answer his question carefully. “After my brother’s death, I needed a change. And I can do more in Tokyo than back home.”

Ryo gazed at her. “What are you trying to do?”

“Make sense of Billy’s death.” She could tell him that. Not in the mood to unpack right now, she sat on the floor. It had been a little over a year since that cold morning when she’d found his body, but sometimes she still felt like she did when she grabbed his arm but felt no pulse…

She hadn’t noticed, but Ryo was sitting next to her now. “I’m not trying to compare/contrast pain, but my mom died a few years ago. I’ve processed it, but sometimes all I want to do is hurt the people who hurt her.”

Luna did not like how he phrased that. “Someone killed her?”

“Yes. To be more precise, they were trying to kill me, and…” Ryo huffed, pushing his thick black hair out of his eyes. “I’m sorry. I’m making this about me.”

“No, it’s fine. Billy… Billy was killed, too. They never found his killer, and it is so frustrating.” Frustrating enough that she was investigating why he died herself. “And everyone acts like you’ll get over it, and find peace, but I never have.” She glanced at Ryo. They were discussing an incredibly heavy topic. He wasn’t happy, but he was stable. That was impressive. And enviable. “Have you ever found peace?”

“No,” Ryo said without missing a beat. “I imagine that’s the same for everyone who deals with loss. I remind myself that my mother would want me to keep going and that my grandfather would worry if I lost myself to grief. And I have my purpose.”

Luna smiled. “So do I. It’s something no one else can do.”

“You don’t say.” He placed a hand on her arm, and she was startled by how warm his touch was. “But don’t forget that we’re all here for you. Um, especially me.”

--

They were done with the living room, so Luna was putting away some clothes in her bedroom when Cye meandered in. “You were right to claim the kitchen, Cye. It looks amazing,” Luna told him. “I took a Polaroid and plan to enclose it in my next letter to my Mom.”

“Always trust in domestic god Cye Mouri,” Cye yawned. He gave her bed a hopeful look. “Do you mind if I rest for a bit?”

“Of course not. Are you okay?” A wave of guilt washed over her. Cye’s health was delicate, and she’d let him spend all day helping put away heavy kitchen appliances.

“It’s not a spell,” he assured her as he plopped down on the mattress. “It’s the last bits of jet lag and staying up late last night finding all the right things for your kitchen.”

Luna frowned as she put away her favorite dress. “I’d forgotten how perceptive you are.”

Cye was staring at the ceiling. “Yeah. Perceptive. Let’s go with that.” He shifted, face lighting up as he grabbed the old stuffed orange cat on the bed. “You still have Mister Whiskers?”

“Of course! He goes everywhere with me.”

“Excellent. He is now my pillow,” Cye declared, tucking the cat under his head.

“Mister Whiskers is just glad to help.” She put away her school uniforms and turned her attention to her comic book collection. “Anyways, how are things with your boyfriend?”

Cye bolted upright. “My what?!”

Luna blinked. Why was he acting so surprised? “Your boyfriend, Kento. Remember him? Loud, dark hair, funny, cute in a Wolverine kind of way?”

“Oh, Kento.” Cye collapsed on the bed again. “We’re not together—and yes, I know we act like it, and yes, I’d like to be with him, and yes I am abundantly aware that he is interested in me.” He hid his face in the cat’s felt. “But it’s complicated, and I don’t feel like talking about it.”

“Well, okay,” Luna said with a frown. She wasn’t surprised. For such a helpful guy, Cye was terrible at addressing his own needs and desires. Not in the perfect movie hero way who just needs to learn the power of friendship or whatever. In the ‘I’ll ignore my health and help up until I almost pass out and give you a heart attack’ way. “Just promise me that you’ll talk to Kento at some point, okay? I know this stuff is scary for you, but I think that if you take the risk, you’ll be rewarded.”

Cye made a sound that made her doubt that he agreed with her, but he promised.

“Good.” Deciding to change the subject, Luna said, “Hey, remember when you left New York when we were kids?”

“How could I forget? I cried myself sick.”

Luna nodded. “The only way that I could get you to calm down was to tell you that you were going to make exactly four new friends when you moved to Japan.”

He shifted so he could smile at her. “You were so specific in the number, it stayed in my mind.”

“And I was even more specific than that. I told you that you’d make a best friend. Someone funny and tough, like me, and would stay by your side no matter what. One of your friends would be smart and help you with your homework. Another one would know how to use a cool weapon like a sword to protect you. The last one would be so warm-hearted that you’d want to protect them.”

“I remember,” Cye said dreamily. “It took some time, but your prediction came true.”

“Exactly,” Luna smirked. “When have I ever been wrong about this stuff?”

“Just one time: you forgot the friend that was willing to cross an ocean to be with me again.” It was about this point that he slipped into sleep.

She’d had other reasons to come to Japan, of course, but knowing that Cye would be there had helped cement her resolve. Luna smiled to herself. “Who wouldn’t want to cross an ocean for you, Cye?”

--

Kento waved goodbye to Ryo, who needed to leave early so he could prep for something he was doing with Sage tomorrow. “Hey, Luna. Do you need me to do anything else?” If she didn’t, then it was probably time to take Cye home. School was starting again Monday, and he was not ready.

Luna shook her head. “I think I’m good. Cye was resting in my room, but he was more tired than he realized, and resting became napping before he knew it.”

“Got it,” Kento said as he waved a hand. “Don’t worry. I’ll awaken Prince Cye from his slumber.”

--

The thing was, Cye did look like a prince under a spell, so beautiful and ethereal that Kento couldn’t muster the courage to leave the doorframe.

He was so thick-headed. What had he even been thinking? There was no way this could work. Cye was gentle and innocent and liked baking and knitting and lived in a world very different than Kento’s. Sure, Cye had assured him that the judo matches didn’t make him sick. Except Cye had also mentioned one judo match had been so violent he’d thrown up. If Cye… if Cye ever saw who he really was, he’d never want to talk to him again, and Kento wouldn’t blame him.

None of them would want to talk to him again.

“… Kento?” Cye was sitting up, rubbing his eyes. “What’s wrong?”

Kento frowned. “How did you know I was upset?”

“Because you look like you want to cry.” He smiled a little. “I’m perceptive like that.” The smile faded. “We need to talk.”

Here it was. Cye could look into his soul, he saw all the bitterness and hate and petty jealousies, and—

“It’s nothing bad, I promise!” Cye grabbed his hands. “Hopefully, it’ll make us both happy.” He took a deep breath. “About that time we visited the aquarium and I hugged you. You, um, may have thought at first, I was going in for a kiss.”

“Yeah,” Kento admitted.

“That’s because I was.”

“Oh.”

“I know. I got scared, but not because I don’t want to be with you, far from it. It’s just… I mentioned before I was in a bad place before I moved to Tokyo. That was an oversimplification. The students at my old school were obsessed with competition and conformity. The teachers were even more so. One of the students ‘encouraged’ me to stop playing the piano because that’s something guys aren’t supposed to like. I found myself giving up my knitting, baking, ikebana—everything that makes me me—in the hopes that they’d stop hating me and things would calm down enough so I wouldn’t break down sobbing every day. It didn’t work, of course, but I was too rundown to think of anything else.”

“Oh, Cye.” Kento took Cye’s face in his hands. “I’m sorry. If I’d been there…”

“You would’ve saved me, I know,” Cye finished for him. “The worst of it is over. But it shook me so bad, I’m still getting back on my feet. I care for you, Kento, so much. It’s just that going from trying to remember who I am to being in an official relationship is a little scary.”

“I understand, but I hate all those punks who did this to you. I want to kill them.” Kento flinched. That had been a foolish thing to say, even if it was the truth.

But Cye gave him a knowing grin. “While I can’t condone murdering people, that is awfully sweet of you to say. And just keep listening. I’m not saying that I can’t be loved until I learn to love myself or some nonsense like that. That would make no sense since I know that my family and friends love me even when I’m at peak self-loathing. Also, I’ll be frank.” He squeezed Kento’s hands with a hint of possessiveness. Kento was okay with that. “I’m not pure enough to let you go when there’s a chance this could work. So, this is what I propose. We just admit that we like each other already. We keep going out. But give my brain some time to get used to calling you my boyfriend. Is… is that okay?”

“That’s perfect,” Kento breathed. “I don’t care what we call what we have. I just want to be with you.”

Cye’s eyes were bright. “You romantic dork.” He kissed Kento’s cheek. “So, um, wanna go out with me tomorrow?”

He’d have to get everything school-related done late at night and probably the next morning, but it would be worth it. “Yes. Yes, I do.”

--

The next day, Ryo was in his kendo gear, trying to find his way through the sprawling halls of the Mouri Foundation’s Tokyo branch. The building hadn’t looked this big on the outside…

“There you are,” Sage said as he pulled Ryo into an empty room. His mask was already on. “Why did it take you so long to prepare?”

“Sorry, I thought I saw someone.” He thought he saw Luna—and had gotten lost because he tried to chase her down—but in retrospect, that didn’t make sense. Luna was the daughter of an employee, not an employee herself.

“Stop thinking about your girlfriend,” Sage told him sternly. “We are here to spar with Cye’s sister.”

Ryo’s face felt like it was on fire as he donned his mask. “Luna’s not my girlfriend! Wait. How did you know that I was thinking about her?”

“I’ve passively observed several romance movies with my sisters, so I understand how love works. Once you fall in love with a girl, you think about her all the time until you get married.”

Ryo frowned. “I don’t think romance works that way in real life.”

“Oh, you kids with your romance movies and debates about how it actually works in the real world,” Sayoko said as she sauntered into the room, clad in a hakama. “It’s really cute.” Ryo frowned. Sayoko was talking like the middle-aged parent Cye teased her about being, but her body language contrasted violently against that persona. Her motions were quick, with no energy wasted. Like someone who was trained to fight.

Like Ryo and Sage.

“Anyways, thanks, boys. I know it’s a little weird for your friend’s sister to ask for a match, but it’s harder to find someone to spar with you than one might think! Cye hates fighting. Mortimer is busy caring for my mother among his other duties. And frankly, it’s clear that you two are stronger than anyone else I could seek out.”

“Exactly,” Sage agreed. “It only makes sense that you seek out the strongest opponents.”

Sayoko nodded. “So, thanks for indulging an old lady who likes to fight.”

Ryo frowned. “Ms. Sayoko, you’re only in your twenties. And I can’t help but feel like there’s something else going on here.”

Sayoko gave him a shark’s grin. “Maybe there is. Only one way to find out, right?”

… Okay, he was not liking this at all, but he’d promised her a match, and even if he wanted to leave, Sage wouldn’t until he proved himself. “Fine. But I will have questions after this.” Sayoko nodded. “So, any ground rules?” Because it was clear that this was not going to be a typical sparring session.

“No killing or permanent injuries, of course. If one of us says to yield, yield. Aside from that,” Sayoko stated as she got ready to fight, “have at it, boys. I want this to be as real a fight as possible.”

Sage attacked first, because of course he did. Sayoko’s movements were as fluid as her brother’s as she dodged. Unlike her brother, she mixed her dodges with aggressive strikes to the head. Sage did his best to block, but a few made it through.

It was at this point Ryo attacked, landing a strong blow against Sayoko’s side. She turned her attention to Ryo, landing a throw—but he’d seen enough of her style to know that if he fought fast, leaving no openings, he could beat her. The only problem with that was that he was now on the ground, and while his injuries weren’t life-threatening, they made getting up difficult. Sage, however, was close enough to charge her again.

Ryo tensed: a lot of what happened next would depend on what Sage did. Sage attacked relentlessly, gaining the upper hand, and it looked like Ryo was going to get an opening to try his strategy. Then, without warning, Sayoko threw Sage across the room. Sage didn’t move, almost like he was—

No! Ryo was back on his feet, his wooden sword pressed against Sayoko’s throat. “Yield,” he seethed.

“Okay.” Sayoko’s tone was even as she held her hands up. “I yield. Are you two okay?”

“Yes,” Sage managed. “Just give me a moment.”

“Please, allow me,” a fancy-looking old man said as he entered the room. He knelt next to Sage, helping him up.

“Thanks, Mortimer,” Sayoko said gratefully. “What about you, Ryo? Do we need to call the doctor?”

“I’m fine. And no, it’s just bumps and bruises.” He took off his mask. “I should apologize. When you attacked Sage, I got angrier than I should have.” Thank goodness Cye wasn’t here. Even if it was a wooden sword, even if it was ‘only’ sparring, he had no idea how he would have explained what had just happened.

“Don’t apologize. If anything, I should thank you. I haven’t had a fight that exciting in ages! And Ryo,” she continued as she patted his shoulder, “Never apologize for wanting to protect your friends. That’s an admirable quality.”

“Thanks. But I still have some questions.”

“And I’m here to answer. Mortimer, could you please get some bottled water and snacks after you attend to Sage?” After Mortimer nodded, Sayoko returned her gaze to Ryo. “Go ahead.”

“Why did you ask Sage and me to fight in the first place? And please, don’t give me that bull about how you wanted strong opponents. You’re rich; you can go wherever you want and pay the world’s strongest athletes to spar if you wanted a challenge.”

“I could,” Sayoko admitted. “But this wasn’t just about fighting. This was about me trying to give you two a message.”

Sage frowned, taking off his mask as he strode over next to him. “What do you mean?”

“I mean as the head of the Mouri Foundation, I am in charge of protecting people from all sorts of threats, including ones that… you may have thought only existed in movies. It’s also my job to scout possible allies… and to let them know that they can rely on my Foundation if needed.”

“Ryo and I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Sayoko gazed at Sage levelly. “You wanna know something about psychics? They’re terrible liars.”

Sage gasped out loud. Which, for someone so composed even when jumping off buildings head-first, was the equivalent of fainting in shock.

“Don’t worry, Sage, your secret is safe with me.” Sayoko patted his arm. “I pride myself on my trustworthiness. Not to mention even if I did turn out to have a fiendish side, Cye would never forgive me if I hurt you.”

“How did you know?” Ryo asked. As tense as this conversation was, he was curious.

“I work in investigating supernatural occurrences. I’ve worked with psychics and empaths in the past; you learn to recognize the signs. This guy,” she said as he pointed to Sage, “was able to keep guessing what I’d do, so I had to get a little wild and try something he wouldn’t expect.” She grimaced. “Sorry about throwing you so hard.”

“That does explain some things,” Sage admitted. “Forgive my directness, but I won’t trust you unless you let me read you.”

Sayoko nodded. “Please, feel free.” She was silent for a few moments as Sage closed his eyes, deep in thought. “What have you learned?”

“You’re very guarded, but you’re telling the truth. You only want to help us.” He relaxed slightly. “Thank you. I think.”

“Don’t even mention it, Sage! Oh, hi, Mortimer!” Sayoko waved her butler down. “Boys, please help yourselves. If you don’t like the energy bars we have, we can raid the fridge in the company kitchen, or even go out to eat. And hey, how about I give you a ride home?”

“That’s very kind of you,” Ryo replied. “But this is more than enough. And we have a ride already.” He prayed to whoever was listening that Sage wouldn’t say that he was the one driving. Sayoko was back in Mama Bear mode, and he was not in the mood for a lecture.

“Well, okay,” Sayoko relented. She gave both of them quick hugs. “We have got to do this again, okay? This was fun. Listen, I need to talk to Mortimer, but I meant what I said. If you guys need anything, I am here to help.” She paused mid-step. “Just one thing—”

“Don’t tell Cye, since you worry about his physical and emotional health,” Sage supplied.

Sayoko grinned. “You are good.”

Sage actually grinned back. “I am psychic, after all.”

“Wow,” Ryo said as she and her butler disappeared. “I have no idea what to think about her. One second, she’s like a shark who’s smelled blood in the water. The next, she’s our Mama Bear Sayoko again.”

Sage nodded. “I think that might be a Mouri family trait, frankly.” He sighed gently. “This is going to make things later this week interesting.”

“What do you mean?”

“Nothing. Let’s finish our snacks and go home. School starts tomorrow, and I am not as prepared as I would like to be.”

Ryo began gathering their gear. “She never stated it outright, but she knows that we’re Ronin Warriors, doesn’t she?”

“Yes, but we can trust her to keep our secret. However,” Sage continued thoughtfully, “she definitely has a personal stake in what we’re doing. She might be helpful, but I’d be careful relying on her too much as an ally, even if we are friends with her brother. At least for now.”

--

“Were you able to satisfy your curiosity, Ms. Sayoko?”

“And then some.” Sayoko had changed from her hakama to a faded black sweater and jeans. She booted up her computer, leaning back in her chair as it warmed up. “I suspected Sage and Ryo were part of all this since I met them. I have no psychic talent,” she said as she tapped the side of her head, “But I lived and trained with a Ronin Warrior for a good part of my life. Both of them carry themselves in the same way my father did. And after studying all the legends I could get my hands on, I know that Halo is linked to psychic ability, and Wildfire is all about burning passion. So, I’d say we were lucky enough to meet Sage of the Halo and Ryo of the Wildfire today.” The instant her desktop appeared, Sayoko opened her program and began typing furiously. “And once I awaken my Armor, I’ll join them as Sayoko of the Torrent.”

Mortimer frowned deeply. “Ms. Sayoko, I must remind you that you have been searching for the Torrent since your father’s death—”

“And the latest findings have been promising. It looks like the Armor was in Japan after all.” She grinned, still typing. “It’s just a matter of time.”

“It’s not just that and you know it,” Mortimer pressed. “The person who chooses the Torrent cannot just be a fighter. They have to be a healer as well.”

“… I know. That’s why I’m going to graduate from medical school.”

Mortimer scoffed. “Not with those grades, you’re not.”

“What do you want me to do?” Sayoko bolted out of her chair, confronting Mortimer. “You want me to just let the Torrent fall into the hands of the Dynasty?! I may not be a healer, but I have the will—”

“No one doubts the will of Sayoko Mouri.” Mortimer’s voice was gentler now. “… But the will of Cye Mouri shouldn’t be doubted, either.”

Sayoko stormed back to her computer. “We are not having this conversation.”

“Master Cye has psychic and empathic abilities. He can heal hearts. It’s only a matter of time until he can do everything your father could do.”

“My brother is frail. Sickly. Too soft-hearted for combat.” Her fingers flew as she kept typing. “He needs me to protect him.”

Mortimer grabbed the chair, swiveling it so she had to look at him. “He’s recovered from all the horrors he’s had to endure. That’s not frailty; that’s resiliency. Not to mention you’ve made sure that he’s trained in aikido, the spear, and the yari. The boy can bloody well take care of himself.”

Sayoko pushed him away with all her strength. “No, he can’t!” Mortimer staggered backward, giving her an escape. She paced the room wildly. “Mortimer, how can you even say that?! You remember what happened when Dad died and—” Her rage began to turn to sorrow. She stopped walking, pressing her palms against her eyes. “I can’t let that happen again. I have to become the Torrent. I can’t let Cye get killed like Dad was.”

Carefully, Mortimer placed a hand on her shoulder. “Oh, Sayoko. I hate the idea of Cye awakening the Armor of the Torrent as much as you do. I grieved for your father as much as I would my own brother. But it was Shin of the Torrent’s choice to wear the Armor, just like it was his choice to save his son. If… if your brother is awakening the Armor, like I suspect he is, it will be his choice.”

Sayoko wiped at her eyes. “How can he awaken the Armor? He doesn’t even know it exists.”

Mortimer smiled faintly, old memories coming back. “Oh, he’s like his father. He knows everything, even if he doesn’t know that he knows.”

Sayoko gave Mortimer a look. “That’s weird.”

Mortimer was still smiling. “That’s life with a psychic, as you are aware, Ms. Sayoko.”

“I just want to protect my brother.”

“That is a noble aspiration. But perhaps some perspective would be helpful here. The Armor of the Torrent is all about healing and trust. Master Cye is a gentle soul who sees the good in everyone. He absorbs the pain of others without even a thought about the personal cost. I’m sure that he’s awakening the Armor, if only subconsciously, so he can keep everyone safe. You are more pragmatic. More aggressive. A builder and an engineer. These are not personality traits that mesh with the Armor of the Torrent, but they are still necessary if humanity is to drive back the Nether Realm.”

Sayoko eyed Mortimer warily. “So, what do you want me to do?”

Mortimer scoffed. “I want to you do what I keep telling you to do. Quit medical school and transfer to an engineering program. Take that armor you’ve been building ‘just in case’ you couldn’t awaken the Torrent in time, refine it, and use it.” He gave her a sharp grin. “Just like I plan to protect you and Master Cye in this fight as well, even if I have no magic abilities. Of course, all of this would require letting Master Cye know what’s going on.”

“Yes, it would,” Sayoko murmured as she studied her program for that same armor Mortimer was talking about. It wasn’t magical. It wasn’t especially powerful. But it could take hits. It could provide cover for a Ronin Warrior to land an attack that would win the fight. “And I will. Once this armor is made, when I know I can truly protect him, I will.”

That meant Cye had only a few months of a normal life left.

--

When Sayoko entered her apartment, she was greeted by piano music. “There’s a sound I haven’t heard in ages,” she remarked as she strode into the spare room. It was mostly filled with documents from work, but she had brought Cye’s piano with them when they moved in the hopes that once they were away from that horrible school, his love of music would return. It had collected dust until today. “What brought this on?”

“Shh. I’m trying to remember how this goes.” After a moment, Cye resumed playing. “I was talking to Kento about how I used to love playing the piano. I guess that inspired me to try it again.”

“I remember when Mum and I used to have to bribe you with ice cream to get you to take a break,” Sayoko mused. “That is, until that Inoue creep convinced you that ‘real men’ or whatever don’t play the piano.”

“Funny you should mention Inoue,” Cye said, eyes closed in concentration as he reached the end of the tune. “I ran into him again back in December.”

“What did you do?”

“I beat him up.”

“Good for you.” Sayoko sat next to him on the piano bench. “Although I was under the impression that you avoid fighting whenever you can.”

“I do. And I did try using my words first. Unfortunately for him, Inoue hasn’t changed a bit. Still obsessed with trying to move upwards socially, and still so sure that the only way to do that is to crush anyone weaker than he is. He wouldn’t stop until he was satisfied that he’d bested me, or I stopped him. It’s a little sad, to be honest. But I never want my existence to be defined by others again, so I stopped him.” He stared down at his hands. “Besides, Kento was there, and you know how he is. I didn’t want him to get in a fight or hurt because I didn’t at least try to defend myself. I mean, if I had messed up while defending myself and he saved me then, that’s fine. But I want to be able to protect those I care about as well.”

Sayoko rested a hand on her brother’s back. “And you did. You’re stronger than you think, Cye.” She let out a small huff of breath. “You’re stronger than I think.”

Cye gazed up at her innocently. “… Strong enough to rent that movie about the serial killer ghost that murders a bunch of teenagers to watch with my friends next week?”

“Talk to Mum about that, not me!” Sheesh. She didn’t know why he was asking her; even if she said no, he was just going to beg Professor Hashiba or Mr. Fang to rent it for him. And they, being soft-hearted, would agree.

“I will if I can ever get a hold of her,” Cye grumbled. He stood up. “I’ll make dinner now.”

Sayoko took his arm and gently pulled him back onto the bench. “I’ll order in. I can tell when you want to play.”

Cye smiled at her. “Thanks, Sayoko.”

“Anything for my precious little angel of a brother,” she replied as she kissed his cheek before leaving, laughing as he complained about being treated like a baby at the top of his lungs.

The music had begun again once Sayoko headed to her room. After ordering some ramen, she was reviewing her notes for the day when the phone rang. “You’ve reached Sayoko… hi, Rowen, how are you?”

“I’m well. I’m merely calling you to remind you—”

“Of your kyudo match at the end of the month. Don’t worry, my brother and I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Have you been giving your dad his daily reminders?”

“Yes. I’ve reminded my mother as well.” Rowen’s exhale sounded too much like a sigh for Sayoko’s liking. “For what good it’ll do me.”

“Keep at it,” Sayoko insisted. “If you want something, you have to fight for it.”

“I know. It’s just frustrating. Sometimes I think it’d be easier just to accept that they will never be invested in my life as much as I would like.”

“No more doubts! Your parents will go to the competition because you’re not going to let them forget. And they are going to be so proud of you when you kick everyone’s butt.” Sayoko grinned. “Just like I will be.”

“Thank you, Ms. Sayoko.” Rowen sounded better, which was a relief. “I hope Cye appreciates having you for his sister.”

“He does. Well, most of the time. I hope he appreciates having you for his friend! I’ll talk to you soon, Rowen, okay?” She smiled to herself as she hung up. Rowen was such a good kid. She worried about his sleeping habits, but she couldn’t blame him for staying up late at night learning about computers and robots and everything else related to engineering. She used to do the same thing when she was his age when Mum and Cye were both sleeping soundly and she had a few hours to herself and could study what she wanted.

She pulled some old papers out of a drawer. It was an acceptance letter from the school with the fantastic engineering program. Mortimer had been furious when she opted for medical school; ranting about how she was wasting her real talent. She’d ignored him then because her destiny seemed so obvious at the time. She would learn to heal, awaken the Armor, and devote her life to protecting her family. But it seemed that destiny had other ideas for her and her brother.

“No more doubts,” she said as she made her plans.

--

“No more doubts,” Cye said a few days later, pointing to the bush in the crowded park. “Get out of there. You are messing up your clothes by hiding in that bush, Sage.”

“Excellent work, Cye,” Sage said as he brushed himself off. A few kids gave him odd stares but dismissed it as teenagers being strange as usual. “Now you realize why I dressed casually.”

“If you call a mint green button-up silk shirt and beige slacks with a matching jacket casual, sure.” Cye poked Sage. “So, how did I do, Professor Date?”

“Quite well. You managed to locate me even in a heavily populated space. Speaking of the population, how are your shields holding up?”

“Better than I thought they would.” What Sage had proposed had been eyebrow-raising (imagine this, say that to yourself, and so on), but they had worked. “Usually, I’d be dead on my feet surrounded by all these people for so long. But look at me now! I’m actually hanging out with my pal in the busiest park in Tokyo!” Cye grabbed his arm. “C’mon, let’s get some sodas to celebrate.”

Sage pulled away. “No. You’re going home to meditate and rest. You’ve had a busy day and need to make sure you don’t exhaust yourself.”

“Ugh, you sound like Sayoko!” Cye folded his arms across his chest.

“Is that so bad?”

“Yes, if it means I don’t get to do what I want!”

Sage couldn’t help it. He had to laugh. When Cye frowned at him, he explained, “I’m sorry. It’s just you’re usually so selfless. I guess even you have your brattier moments.”

Cye relaxed. “I guess I’m just complex like that. Tell you what: we get sodas, we drink them quietly, and then I go home to meditate and rest.”

“Acceptable.” The park was packed, but they managed to find a bench where there weren’t many people. They sat in companionable silence until Cye cleared his throat.

“So, um, you might be interested in this since I know you were at least a little worried about how things are going with Kento. I did speak to him, and we’re dating. Sort of! Not officially! It’s complicated.”

“I see. Are you happy with him?”

Cye ducked his head, grinning. “Yeah.”

“Then complications don’t matter. As long as you two are happy, who cares what anyone else thinks.”

“I know.” Cye finished his can of soda, tossing it into a recycling bin. “Sage, thanks again. After everything you’ve taught me, I can protect my friends and family for a change.” He sighed and stretched. “Thank goodness Sayoko doesn’t know I’m doing this. I don’t want to her worry over me.” He waved goodbye to Sage and headed home.

Sage waited until Cye was out of earshot (and too far away to pick up on his mood) before he allowed himself to grumble. “Let’s review the situation. Cye wants me to help him strengthen his psychic abilities so he can protect his sister, but I can never tell her because that would upset her. Meanwhile, Ms. Sayoko wants to be my ally so she can protect her brother, but I can never tell him because that would upset him.” He closed his eyes as a cool winter breeze hit his face. “And I thought my family had difficulty communicating.”

--

Final Notes: I know a lot of this chapter has the "Meanwhile, at the Hall of Justice..." problem, and I'm sorry. I really wanted to get everything established now so I can focus on the Rowen-centric stuff in the next two chapters. (Also, my job is going to get pretty busy starting next week, so there was another reason to get all the exposition done ASAP.)