"You can sleep in these two rooms." Alosha showed the teens to two large rooms. Inside were rows of single beds lined up against the walls. Although they were not especially fancy, they were a welcome sight to the weary group. "These rooms were used by Arten's followers," she explained, "since they all resided here."
"Kind of like a hotel," Lita commented.
"You should stay here a day or so and gain your strength back." Alosha said.
Kento protested against that. "But, didn't you say that the evil could strike anytime?"
"Yes, but we should still have some time before that occurs."
Serena looked at her gratefully. "Thanks. I think we're all really worn out." She laughed lightly as the black cat in her arms let out a loud yawn, stretching her mouth out wide.
Darien glanced behind them, then nudged Serena. "Especially those two," he said, smiling. He pointed at Whiteblaze, who had two sleepy riders on his back. Yuli lay on his stomach, his head against the back of the tiger's furry neck. His friend Reenie was dozing peacefully on her front too, her arm dangling off to the side. Mia gently lifted Yuli up and handed him to Ryo. Serena took charge of Reenie.
"You better put him to bed. It's way past his bedtime." She glanced around at everyone, and then added, "I think it would be best if the girls took one room and the guys took the other."
"Sounds good to me," Darien said. He looked over at the Ronins questioningly. "You guys mind if I bunk with you?"
"No, that's fine," replied Ryo. It didn't seem that any of his friends had a problem with Darien staying in their room. He shifted his weight slightly to support Yuli better and asked Mia, "What about you? Where are you going to sleep?"
"She can sleep in our room," Raye said. None of them cared, really. Everyone just wanted to get some rest. They all trudged into their separate rooms tiredly. All parties concerned immediately flopped onto a bed and soon they all fell asleep.
Alosha quietly shut both doors and walked through the dark fortress to her own room. She didn't plan to go to sleep right away; she had too much work to do. Perhaps I ask too much of them, she thought wearily. Do I really have the right to involve them in this? Well, it was too late to go back now. They all were very determined to fight the evil. At least, most of them did. That boy with the dark blue hair had seemed hesitant before agreeing to help. It was like he detested the idea. He must be having inner conflicts that needed sorting out. Alosha decided that he if wanted it, she would be there to help him....
Amy awoke from a sound sleep, yawning drowsily. She opened her eyes and was greeted by a dismal, gray sky outside the window next to her bed. Sighing, she sat up and swung her feet over the edge of the bed. She pulled her shoes out from under the bed and leisurely put them on. There was no one in the bedroom with her; everyone else must have already woken up. Amy wasn't usually one to over sleep, but the past few days had been fairly hectic for her. She had been so exhausted that it had been a relief to get some sleep.
Amy hopped off the bed and walked out into the hall, making her way out to where she thought the courtyard was in this place. She couldn't help but be a little worried about what was going to happen. It sounded so dangerous and she didn't want anything bad to happen to her friends. And she had more friends to worry about now. She paused in her steps as she thought of one new friend in particular.
"What you just did was incredible. I owe you my life. Thank you."
"I, uh, hope you won't consider me too forward about this."
"You have done enough for the both of us. It's my turn to fight."
A slight blush colored Amy's cheeks as she remembered how gallant and brave Cye had been when he protected her from that horrible ice woman. Like a knight in shining armor. Well, light-blue armor anyway. She sighed dreamily thinking about it, then abruptly shook herself. She couldn't believe how silly she was being. This was no time to think of boys. This entire world was at stake, and she was thinking of a guy. But a wonderful one at that, she thought. Then she mentally scolded herself. It would never do for her to be acting like this. Besides, that was Lita's department.
She caught the scent of foreign flowers and assumed she was nearing the outside courtyard. Something else reached her senses, the sound of shouts and scuffling. She came out into the open, the brightness of the outside causing her to shield her eyes even though it was a gloomy day. When she could see, her eyes widened in shock as she beheld a startling sight.
Kento threw himself at Cye, attempting to knock the other Ronin down. They were both sporting their sub armors as they fought. Cye leapt out of the way above Kento's head, doing a midair flip as his friend looked up in surprise. "Honestly, Kento. You really shouldn't just stand there and leave yourself open like that," he said, touching down nimbly behind him.
"You're all talk and no action, buddy," Kento retorted as he turned, not catching Cye's warning. At least not until the green clad Sage, who had stealthily snuck up behind Kento, dropped to the ground and swiftly kicked him out from under his feet. Kento tumbled onto his back rather ungracefully as Sage prepared to land his fist in the fallen boy's gut. But Kento was one step ahead as he suddenly rolled forward, wrapped his arms around Sage's waist and flung him over his head diagonally into the air. Sage, not one to be beaten that easily, twisted his body around like a cat and skillfully sprang off the ground with one hand when he was close enough to it. Then he used the extra leverage to somersault himself right-side up and land on his feet, retaining his dignity after that embarrassing throw. Kento was already back up, ready for more.
Cye tsked quietly, shaking his head. "Can't say I didn't try to warn him."
"Maybe you should worry about yourself, friend!" a voice shouted. Cye was barely able to block the kick that was aimed for his face. Ryo, in his red sub armor, regarded the English boy smugly as he launched a frenzy of punches and kicks at him. "Looks like you're the one who was caught off guard!"
Dodging left and right as blows whizzed around him, Cye let out a light laugh. "It's not wise to be so overconfident. You're more likely to make mistakes that way."
"Who's being overconfident?" Ryo shot back.
Amy was bewildered as to why the Ronins were fighting each other. She almost decided to step in and stop them, then she noticed her friends were all sitting on the grass a few feet away. Alosha, Yuli, Rowen, Darien, the two cats, and Whiteblaze were also present. They all appeared to be watching the fight with great interest. Amy jogged over to where they were, careful to avoid the scuffle.
"They're pretty fast," Lita commented as Amy reached them, impressed.
"Yeah, no kidding." Mina shook her head, astonished.
"Wow, that's awesome!" Reenie exclaimed as Yuli cheered the guys on.
Raye's eyes darted back and forth, following Ryo's movements. "Maybe we should learn this stuff."
Darien mumbled distractedly as he checked his watch, one of the few things that still worked after the dimension cross. "We really don't have enough time to figure how to do that kind of fighting."
Luna nodded in agreement. "I think we should try to improve on what we already know."
"But still, if the Scouts could pick up some of their techniques, it would be a big help." Artemis added. Whiteblaze growled softly as if to confirm that.
"I think that will possible," Alosha said, a mysterious note in her voice. But no one took note of it.
Amy stepped over to Serena and tapped her on the shoulder. "Hey, what's going on?"
Serena tore herself away from the fight long enough to answer, "Team sparring."
"Team sparring?"
"It's our way of practicing," Rowen put in, dressed his dark-blue sub armor. Amy turned to him as he explained. "The guys wanted to get their skills back up to par, so to speak. We pair off into teams and fight each other."
"But, won't you hurt each other?" Amy asked, concerned.
Rowen smiled slightly. "We're a lot tougher than we look. No one gets bashed up too badly in these. Besides, they enjoy it."
Amy was relieved to hear that. "I see." She then looked at Rowen, confused. "Why aren't you fighting?"
He rubbed the back of his head as he glanced over at the four boys. "We're switching off every few minutes so the teams aren't uneven."
Suddenly, Darien yelled over to Rowen. "Time!"
"Excuse me," Rowen said apologetically to Amy as he turned and sprinted over to the other Ronins. "Sage, switch!"
"No problem!" As Kento tried to get in an uppercut with his fist, Sage back-flipped out of the way while Rowen took advantage of his running start and leapt into the air. He landed right in front of Kento in Sage's place and the battle resumed without a pause. Meanwhile, Sage ambled over to the spectator group and flashed a coy smile at Lita. "So, did you miss me?"
She lifted an eyebrow at him as she responded. "You're awfully bold today."
He went and stood next to her so he could watch the spar. Reaching out a hand, he pushed her ponytail off her shoulder. His fingertips briefly brushed against her neck, making her shiver involuntarily. "Well, maybe that's because I know you won't mind," he said, winking at her.
Lita let out a small giggle, her cheeks turning hot. "And what if I do mind? Most girls wouldn't let a guy get away with being so forward. Especially when they've just met."
"True," he acknowledged, his hand still on her shoulder. "But I did save your life before, and I healed your hand. Doesn't that entitle me to certain privileges?"
Giving him a playful shove, she began to walk away. "Behave yourself. You only did that to repay me for saving your life, remember? " But he didn't give her the chance to leave. Moving so fast that she didn't even have time to react, he moved his hand down to her lower back and pushed forward. At the same time, he brought his foot toward the back of her ankles and tripped her. She fell backwards, crying out in surprise.
Sage already had his hand on the small of her back and brought up his other hand, placing it between her shoulder blades. There he held her in a low dip, easily supporting her weight to prevent her from falling. He smiled charmingly, chuckling lightly at the situation. "And I thought I was the one falling for you!" he exclaimed in mock amazement as he leaned over her.
"Why you egotistical, conceited....!" Lita began heatedly. She was absolutely outraged that he had the gall to pull a stunt like that. Her anger mostly stemmed from the embarrassment she felt at being caught off guard by him. She was ready to give Sage the slap she thought he deserved, then his words suddenly registered in her brain. Lita stopped abruptly, trying to grasp the meaning. "Wha...what did you say?" she asked, stammering.
Sage lifted his eyes for a moment. "You know, I've been thinking about what happened when we first met and I've come to a realization. At the time I thought I was obligated to help you as an issue of honor on my part." He then refocused on her with a serious expression and spoke softly. "But recently I've felt there was another reason for my decision, though I only now see it."
Lita's heart was pounding like a drum. He was so handsome right then that she couldn't find her voice. At this angle, she could fully see his entire face and both indigo eyes. Those eyes........ They stared intently at her, intense and piercing. Looking into both of them left her dizzy and dazed. She shook herself and returned his gaze. "And....what was your reason?"
Sage turned off his flirting at that point and was totally earnest with Lita. "I'm looking at it," he said simply. He suddenly swung her back up into a standing position and released her. He turned away as he sensed a familiar redness spreading across his cheeks. Once again, he had the uncomfortable sensation of awkwardness that he had experienced so many times in his life. The truth of the matter was, he was terribly and utterly shy around girls. Oh, he was able to hide it well enough from everyone. If his friends had known this, they would have died of shock. Even bashful Cye had a better handle on this kind of thing than he did. Sage could only deal with it in one way: by adopting a womanizing, closed-off attitude whenever a girl was near him. The end result did get him many dates and more than a few female admirers, but none of them really knew about him because he never let them. And he had never found a girl he'd really connected with. But Lita was an exception. With her it was different. Despite all his unconscious efforts to keep her from getting close, she had been able to penetrate his defense barrier. Sure, she also flirted with him, but he felt that she also understood him in a way no one else ever had. The funny thing was, she didn't even realize the effect she had on him. He mentally cursed at himself for feeling so damn self-conscious.
Lita was speechless as Sage turned away. Lita's dealings with boys had always ended badly for her. They always left her brokenhearted. But none of her former boyfriends had ever been so open and honest to her before. The idea suddenly occurred to her that he seemed so painfully vulnerable at that moment, like a little boy. She felt guilty, knowing it was because of her. At the same time, it made her like him even more. "Sage," she said finally, causing him to glance at her. "Sage, I......
"Time!" Darien yelled, making them both jump slightly in surprise. Sage shook himself and shrugged sheepishly.
"Well, that's my cue." In an instant, he reverted back to his normal, suave self. He gave her a friendly wink as he headed out to the spar. "Catch you later!"
Lita watched him go, an understanding smile on her face. Even though he had concealed it again, she now saw that warm, sensitive side of him that he kept hidden from view. And she was probably one of the few people who knew about it. Lita was glad he trusted her enough to let her witness it. Thank you, dear Sage, she thought affectionately. She then became aware of several pairs of eyes drilling into the back of her head. She whirled around to see all the scouts, Darien, Yuli, Reenie, the two cats, and Whiteblaze staring at her with huge, knowing grins on each of their faces. Lita's eyes sparked angrily as she turned a crimson shade. "Okay, the show's over! Knock it off!" she snapped, irritated. Her demand was met by bursts of laughter.
Sage raced toward the other Ronins and shouted. "Cye, switch!" Cye obliged him and dodged out of the way of Ryo's kick to allow the other room to move in. Ryo eyed him craftily as he took a swing at Sage, speaking in a seemingly innocent manner. "I'm sorry, did we interrupt something important back there?"
"Shut up, Ryo," Sage said curtly, startling his leader. Ryo interpreted it as a sign that Sage didn't feel like talking, and dropped the subject.
Rowen ducked under Kento's fist as it shot at him, then jumped up as the other boy tried to kick him off his feet. His strategy was simple: Kento was definitely stronger than he was, but Rowen had speed on his side. He would keep avoiding the attacks until he could find a good opening. Despite the fact that it had been a while, Kento still had quite a bit of skill and had also improved. But Rowen's movements were all mechanical in nature, and he wasn't fighting anywhere near as well as he really could. He was only fighting for the sake of appearance. Otherwise, he just didn't care. He felt as though he had lost his aim to fight. There's no point, he thought dully. There's just no point. There's no meaning to any of it anymore. But he knew that wasn't true. It couldn't be, not after everything that had happened. But, then what was the purpose? What was the reason? He was going to go insane if he didn't figure this out. Maybe I already am crazy. Dammit! What the hell is the matter with me?
Rowen was so distracted that before he knew what had happened, Kento lashed out with a powerful kick that caught him in the stomach. Its impact sent Rowen through the air and crashed him relatively hard against a tree trunk. He cried out sharply as the air was knocked out of him and sank to his knees, clutching his mid-section as he breathed painfully. "Rowen!" Kento shouted in horror, not meaning to put that much force behind his kick. He raced over to Rowen and knelt next to him, putting a hand on his friend's back and patting it gently as if it would somehow help. "You okay, man?" The other Ronins stopped their combat and also came over.
Rowen staggered to his feet, shaking off Kento's hand. He felt like he had just been smacked by the business end of a two-by-four. "Yeah," he answered, finally able to take a breath without wincing.
"Whew, that's good " Kento said, scrutinizing him carefully. "What happened? You're usually faster than me. It seemed like you were moving slower than normal."
Rowen flushed in embarrassment and anger, feeling very incompetent and stupid. "It's nothing. I just got careless, that's all."
Kento looked skeptical at that. "Careless? Rowen, that was more than careless. You literally let me hit you. Are you sure you're okay?"
"Yes," Rowen repeated, glowering.
"But...." Kento began, when the blue-haired boy suddenly exploded.
"I said I was fine! What part of that don't you get?! I don't need you carrying on like my mother, so just get off my back!" Rowen shoved Kento out of the way and stalked off into the fortress, leaving him bewildered and stunned.
"Hey, wait a sec!" Ryo was shocked at Rowen's behavior. The other people watching were alarmed as well.
Kento was hurt by his outburst. After all, he was just worried about Rowen. Then his eyes narrowed as he yelled at Rowen's back. "Fine, you jerk! See if I care!" He stomped off by himself, with Cye at his heels trying to console him.
"Rowen?" Serena called out worriedly to him as he disappeared inside the building, but he paid her no heed. Each person in the group exchanged glances, but no one noticed Alosha slip away from them and follow after Rowen......
Rowen kicked at the stone wall as he walked, feeling satisfied as he made a large crack in it with his foot. Then he reprimanded himself for doing it. This wasn't his property to take his frustrations out on. But it did make him feel better, somewhat. I shouldn't have snapped at Kento, he thought guiltily. Rowen had just been really stressed out then. He knew Kento was only worried about him, but for some reason Hardrock's concern had annoyed the hell out of him. He sighed heavily, hanging his head miserably. He was supposed to be the smart one of the group, yet he couldn't figure out what was wrong with himself.
Without realizing it, he found that he had made his way back to the bedrooms. Heading into the boys' room, he decided that maybe if he took a break, he would be able to sort out his conflicts. He stretched out on one of the beds, yawning. He wasn't planning to sleep, but a nap did seem rather inviting to him. He rolled on his side and rested his head on his arm. Finding he could barely keep his eyes open, Rowen was soon fast asleep.
Alosha peered in through the door, checking to see if he was awake or not. When she was sure he wasn't, she cautiously stepped into the room and tiptoed up to the bed. She smiled as he breathed silently. He looked very innocent when he was asleep, his lock of blue hair falling across his face. He wrinkled his nose slightly as that loose strand tickled it, causing Alosha to stifle a giggle. Calming herself, she placed a hand on his forehead and began chanting quietly. She and Rowen both began to glow in a soft, golden light.
Where am I? Rowen looked around, confused. Wasn't I just in bed? Well, he sure wasn't now. He stood on what appeared to be a large cloud. It was solid enough to hold him, at least. Its vapors hung slightly around his waist, swirling whenever he moved. The only other thing that was visible was a brilliant, blue sky. It was fathomless as he gazed at it in awe. Rowen wondered if he should be on his guard. After all, this was a little bit like the time when he first met Lady Kayura. But somehow, he didn't feel like he was in danger. It was so quiet and calm that Rowen actually wondered if this was heaven. That was silly of course, because he knew full well he wasn't dead.
"Hello, Rowen," a light, silvery voice said, startling him a little. He spun around, not aware that anyone was here with him. His eyes widened in astonishment at that sight of the person in front of him. She was, for lack of a better word, incredibly beautiful. Her green eyes sparkled at him and her chestnut-brown hair fell down past her shoulders. She wore a light purple cloak that fastened around her neck. Her outfit was what appeared to be a white blouse and white pants.
Rowen blinked a few times and shook himself to gather his senses. "Who...who are you?"
She laughed softly, her expression partially amused and mischievous. "Don't you recognize me?"
He studied her face, puzzled. She did seem very familiar to him. Those eyes in particular caught his interest. Though she appeared to be his age, her eyes were vast and intelligent. If fact, they reminded him a lot of..... Rowen gasped in amazement as he made the realization. "Alosha?"
Smiling delightedly as he spoke, she nodded. "You seem surprised."
"Well, yes," he stammered, totally baffled at her sudden growth spurt. "How.....?"
"I suppose I do look different. This is how I was before I took Arten's place. My spirit is as it was then, it's just my body that has changed. The essence remains the same, but it cycles through many forms. That is how it is with all things."
"Uh, okay." That did make sense to him. Still, he never would have imagined that the little child who had brought them here would be such a lovely young lady. She looked at him expectantly, as if she was waiting for the questions he was getting ready to ask. "Where are we?"
"A dream," she said.
Rowen was even further mystified. "I'm dreaming?"
Alosha nodded, looking up at the sky. "This is essentially your mind we're in. These surroundings are merely representations of your thoughts and wishes."
"Oh." This was all very weird, but he had to admit, this type of place did suit him. Of course, this was his head. Why shouldn't he feel at home? But the fact that Alosha was in his dream confused him. "Why are you here?"
"Well," she replied, turning to him, "I'm here because you seem troubled."
"Huh?"
She peered at his face, apparently trying to decide how she should word her explanation. "You appear to be less eager than your friends to battle against the invading evil. I thought that rather than ask you outright, you would prefer to talk where we wouldn't be disturbed." Alosha then got to the point. "The idea of fighting seems to bother you. Why are you so hesitant to do so?"
Rowen was amazed at the perception she possessed. Clearly, she was very wise. And more important, she seemed willing to listen to him and not judge. Why not, he thought. What could it hurt? The need to tell someone else of his troubles was becoming unbearable. "I used to believe that I fought for the sake of defeating evil. That seemed to be a good enough reason at that time. But now I feel that alone doesn't give me a purpose anymore." Rowen looked at her with a helpless expression. "It's lost all meaning for me. How can I fight if I don't know what I'm fighting for?"
She nodded thoughtfully at his words. "Perhaps it's not so much the issue of knowing what you're fighting for, but of knowing what is worth fighting for. I want peace for my world and will do whatever it takes for it. Because I know that even if the evil returns somehow, the happiness of this world is worth fighting for again and again. Those peaceful times, whether they last years or only days, are what make life worth living." She paused and glanced at Rowen. "Tell me, what do you believe is worth fighting for?"
He was taken back a bit by her question, but thought for a moment. "Well, my planet for one." He mentally counted each one off as he spoke. "The innocent people living there. My family. The peace of the world. My friends......" It was at that instant that enlightenment hit him like a lightning bolt. His teammates! They were the ones who always put themselves in danger and they fought to protect each other, and him. The other Ronins were his comrades. No, more than that. They were his brothers and he was linked to them by the bonds of friendship. He'd do anything for them and he knew they would do the same. Rowen's eyes clouded slightly with joyful tears as he finally found his answer. "That's it! My friends are worth fighting for!"
"Then you should fight for them, because they are most important to you. Do you see now, Rowen?"
"Yeah," he affirmed, feeling as though a great burden had been lifted from his shoulders. He took Alosha's hand gratefully. "Thank you."
She smiled gently, glad that Rowen was back on the path he believed in. "I have done nothing but help you find the meaning in your battles. This triumph is yours."
Rowen breathed a contented sigh, once again at peace with himself. An idea suddenly occurred to him, and it made his eyes widen in excitement at the prospect of it actually working. "Alosha, if this is my mind, does that mean I can control things in this dream?"
Alosha tilted her head slightly to one side, confused by his question. "Yes, you can."
At that, Rowen closed his eyes and concentrated. The sky abruptly faded to black and Alosha gasped in delight as one by one, points of light appeared. They each silently exploded, showering thousands of sparks across the heavens. Soon the night was ablaze with twinkling stars. "Amazing!" she exclaimed.
Rowen opened his eyes and grinned, pleased with his handiwork. "I wasn't sure it would work."
Alosha smiled at him, her green eyes filled with admiration. "You must have a beautiful soul to be able to create this." She focused her gaze upward, not noticing Rowen's startled expression.
The starlight shimmered in her hair and illuminated her face. Her angelic beauty was incredible, making his heart pound like a jack-hammer. He abruptly realized that her delicate hand was still clasped in his. Rowen didn't dare let go of her, for the fear that she would notice his grip. Then suddenly, he felt her give his hand a squeeze. She didn't mind the hold he had on her. He flushed a bit, despite his efforts not to. "Um, Alosha?"
"Yes?"
He fumbled awkwardly for his words. "Do you think that, um, maybe we could talk like this again? In....in my dreams?"
Alosha looked at him in surprise, then turned her face away as she blushed. "Well, I...I think it would be rather inconvenient if you had to fall asleep every time you wanted to talk."
"Oh." Rowen could hardly hide his disappointment. "That's okay, I understand if you don't...."
"No, no!" she said quickly. "It's not that. I just think that there may be a better way."
"Huh? How?"
She responded by stepping in front of him and placing her hands on either side of his head. He barely had time to be confused as she closed her eyes and spoke odd, unknown words. Rowen felt a strange pressure build up in his mind, a calming sensation washing over him. Alosha then let him go and he looked at her in wonder. His thoughts were on a sudden overload, racing through his head.
It's all right, Rowen. You don't have to worry. Alosha's voice echoed in his mind, startling him.
What....what just happened? He stared at her, bewildered.
I have connected our thoughts. Now whenever you want to talk, just reach out with your mind and join it to mine.
Really? Rowen rather liked this amazing experience. You mean telepathically?
She nodded and put a finger to her mouth. Yes, but no one else can know. Agreed?
"Agreed," Rowen replied, breaking the link and speaking normally. Although it was a neat feeling, this mind talk stuff would take some getting used to. Suddenly feeling bold, he again took her hand and gently kissed it. He lifted his eyes and released her, smiling graciously. "Alosha, I . . . " Rowen stopped as an intense blast of dizziness hit him. He lost his balance and fell to his knees. He could faintly hear Alosha's worried voice, then he was only aware of a dim spot of light in his vision that kept growing brighter and brighter . . .
Rowen awoke with a start, bolting upright in his bed. He looked around, confused until he remembered where he was. He half-expected to see Alosha in the room with him, but he was alone. It must have just been a dream after all, he thought. But he still recalled the revelation he had achieved about what he was now fighting for. He smiled lightheartedly, no longer having that feeling of hopelessness. But he realized he had something he had to do. He quickly bounded out of the bedroom and raced back to the courtyard.
He ran outside and skidded to a halt, taking in his surroundings. His friends were sparring again, with the same audience watching.
Serena caught sight and called out to him happily. "Rowen!"
He gave her a cheerful wave, and sprinted to the group. "Hey, Serena."
She stood up and peered at him, concerned. "Are you okay?"
Taking a deep breath, he looked at the people around him as if seeing them for the first time. "I feel better than I have for a while now," he said truthfully. He then glanced over at the Ronins who had finally noticed his return. Kento glared at him for a moment before turning his back on him. Rowen understood why. "I'm sorry, Serena, but I need to take care of something." He quickly sprinted over to the four boys.
"Hey Rowen, everything all right?" Ryo asked.
Rowen headed past his leader, giving him a reassuring nod. "Don't worry." He walked over to Kento and waited patiently for his presence to be acknowledged.
"Well, look who's back," Kento said sourly, not bothering to look at the archer.
Rowen sighed, speaking to the teen's back. "Kento, I apologize for what I said. I was being a jerk, and I'm sorry for that. I didn't mean to throw your concern for me in your face."
Kento lifted his head slightly at that, though he didn't buy it. And he was still sore. "Hmph. Yeah, right. Why should I believe you?"
"Because," Rowen said, stepping up and placing a hand on Kento's shoulder, "you are one of the best friends I have ever had." He turned to his teammates and smiled. "All of you mean more to me than anything else in the world. Kento, please, I don't want our friendship to suffer because of me. I'm not asking you to forgive me right now, but I need to know." He swallowed hard, a lump developing in his throat. "Are we still friends?" Silence followed his question and Rowen lowered his head. Maybe Kento really did hate him now. Then suddenly he was lifted off the ground and enveloped in a choking hold. He let out a squeak as his breath was squeezed out of him. Raising his eyes, he saw Kento with tears running down his face as he hugged Rowen.
"I was afraid you were mad at me!" Kento bawled loudly, causing the other Ronins to gain huge sweatdrops on the side of their faces. Rowen managed to pull his arm out of the crushing grip and feebly patted Kento's back.
"Uh, okay, Kento. You can let go now, preferably before I suffocate." Rowen had to force the words because he had no air to speak with. Thankfully, Kento let him go before he passed out. Rowen chuckled as Kento sniffed, wiping his nose on his arm. "Actually, I'm just glad you're not angry at me anymore."
Kento grinned, shaking his head. "No way! I never stay mad at my friends."
"Great," Rowen said, relieved. "Now, I believe I'm interrupting your practice. I'll wait my turn." He went back to where the Scouts, Darien, Whiteblaze, Yuli, and the two cats were and sat on the grass. He flopped onto his back and looked up at the gray sky. Even though it was a depressing sight, Rowen's heart was light and glad. He only had one regret as he laid there. Too bad that dream wasn't real, he thought.
You shouldn't be so quick to doubt, Rowen. Alosha's voice sounded teasingly in his mind. Rowen sat up abruptly, looking around. He finally met a little child's wise green eyes. She stood a few feet away and looked over at him with a small smile. Don't worry. I didn't forget. And what was even more amazing, it wasn't a child's voice. It was the same voice that the older Alosha had.
After getting over his surprise, Rowen returned her smile. He remembered how beautiful she had been in his dream. He suddenly realized that he cared very much about her. However inside he was sad. As long as she was a child, he couldn't think of Alosha that way. It wouldn't be right. But he was just happy to still be able to talk to her. But he hid the thoughts from her as he silently sent his response back to her. I'm glad........
Hi! Sorry for the long wait on this chapter. I had so much stuff to do. But luckily, I'll have more time to write. See ya next time!
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