"Mia, Kento, are you all right?" asked Ryo in concern as he, Sage, Rowen, and Cye came to the police station.
"Yeah," said Kento foully.
"What happened?" asked Cye in concern.
"I ran into Billie at the bar," said Mia. "I began to talk to him when Pril appeared by our table."
"Pril!" exclaimed all but Kento.
Mia nodded, "At first he picked on Billie. It was him that he had the fight with."'
"He sure picks his fights," quipped Ryo, earning a look from Rowen.
"What happened to Billie?"
"Well, Pril recognized me and he started to bully me. Then Billie stood up to him and ended up tossed across bar into some dancers. Then they started fighting. Billie flung him into a table after a struggle and Pril armored up and stabbed him in the arm," said Mia, and noticed Rowen's face turning red with anger. "Billie picked him up and threw him to a lower dance floor and Kento stepped in. He vanished and Billie took off."
"Why didn't you stop him!" exclaimed Rowen. "Billie could be bleeding to death."
"I tried, but he kicked my face," grumbled Kento, who had traces of a bloody nose.
"The important thing now," said Cye quickly, seeing Kento's embarrassment. "Is to find Rowen's friend."
"Do you know where he could be living?" asked Ryo looking at Sage and Rowen.
"He said by the waterside," said Sage. "But I heard there's only warehouses over there."
"He could live in one of them," said Mia softly.
"Live in one of those flee traps?" asked Rowen. "No. He's not a street rat."
"We should find this Sora person," said Sage a moment later. "She apparently helped he get out of the hospital."
"Do you know where she is?" asked Cye in surprise.
"No, but she goes to work tomorrow" said Rowen.
~~~~~~~~
Billie stumbled into her home and went straight to her sink.
"Stupid guy. He shouldn't have gotten into my way," she muttered in pain.
She gazed at the blood knife that had been used against her and then dropped it into the sink. She turned the fosset on, allowing the water to clean out a moment while she took her shirt off. She placed it under the water, watching the blood wash out and then placed it against her wound as she turned the water off.
"Damn," she hissed in pain as the wound began to sting.
She pressed it in harder while she made her way to her medical supply crate.
After an hour of struggling, she made herself a tight bandage around her shoulder that did a number of loops over her chest that had begun to hurt. Then, with a tired sigh she stumbled to her cot and fell asleep. The knife forgotten in the sink.
~~~~~~~~
Sora drove her car to her assigned parking space and was about to get out of her car when Rowen appeared.
"Sora! We need to find Billie. We know you helped him get out of here, and we need to find him."
"He doesn't want to be found," said Sora, recovering from her surprise.
The passenger side door of her car opened and a young man with blonde hair that she recognized as Rowen's friend Sage got in.
"You have no choice. Billie was in a bad fight last night and could be bleeding to death," said Rowen climbing into the back seat of her car.
"What?" asked Sora in shock as she saw a black hair youth also get in.
"We'll explain on the way to his home. Please hurry!" said Rowen urgently as two more guys hopped into her car.
She pulled out of the parking space and began to drive.
~~~~~~~~
Billie had awoken in the morning painfully, her arm throbbing, and needing a fresh bandage. She'd redressed it and taken some pain medication.
"And so begins my continued life as a water rat," she murmured as she walked the sink to throw in the old bandages to wash.
She stopped when she saw the blood stained knife and tentatively pulled it out.
"Hello. I forgot about you. Maybe I should clean you up a bit as a symbol of surviving yet another weird encounter with that guy."
She smiled grimly and turned the water on. A moment later she was scrubbing off the blood with soap and a hard brush.
"Wow. It's pretty fancy under all the blood," she exclaimed as she rinsed off the soap to reveal a pearl handled knife with a blade of silver.
She dried it off carefully and walked to the elevator. She stepped in and pressed the green switch, sending the elevator the signal to rise. When she reached the higher level she walked into a spacious room filled with equipment she'd found and been repairing.
She was about to set it in a case with some other knives she'd collected when she heard her door alarm go off for the warehouse. It was shut off quickly, and Billie grinned, only one other person knew how to turn it off.
"Billie!" shouted Sora's voice, sounding worried.
"Sora!" shouted Billie cheerfully. "I'll be down in a second. I got a new knife yesterday, it's really interesting. It's handle is real pearl and the blade is silver."
She sprinted over to the edge of the higher level and looked down, holding the knife in the air. She looked down with a grin, but it fell away from her face quickly.
"Sora?" she exclaimed in hurt.
"They said you were hurt last night," said Sora, indicating to five shadowy figures in the corner. "They made me bring you."
Billie, afraid it was Pril and some of his friends grabbed hold of a silvery pole and slid down ignoring her wounds and ran to Sora, holding the knife in ready to fight with. He pushed Sora behind her in one fluid motion and looked at the shadows.
"If you know what's good for you, you'll leave Sora alone and get out," said Billie firmly, brandishing the knife before herself.
"Billie, it's not what you think," said Sora quickly. "It's Rowen and his friends."
"What?" asked Billie looking back at her in surprise.
The figures moved closer and Billie saw that it was indeed the five young men. She groaned, not wanted to face Rowen again.
"I'm sorry Billie," said Sora softly.
"It's too late for that," said Billie, in a controlled voice.
"Billie, we were concerned," said Rowen walking over to him. "You got stabbed by a Darklord!"
Billie looked at him carefully, "Darklord?"
In answer the back wall of the warehouse exploded, sending shards of metal and other debris over them. Sora and Billie both fell to the floor, but the five young men stayed standing. As debris settled a man in black armor with silver trimmings entered with a number of dark armored men.
"Pril," whispered Billie.
She got to her feet and helped Sora up as the five young men stepped before them, now wearing different colored armors.
"Well, this is an unexpected pleasure," said Pril. "Here I was coming to get the boy and my weapon, and I find the Ronin Warriors with him."
"You're not getting Billie," said Rowen.
Billie blushed and looked down at the knife in her hands.
"You don't really have an option," said Pril fiercely. "Attack!"
The soldiers rushed in the five young men.
"Armor of Wilfire....Dao Jin!"
"Armor of Halo....Dao Chi!"
"Armor of Torrent....Dao Shin!"
"Armor of Hardrock...Dao Gi!"
"Armor of Strata....Dao Inoachi"
Sora and Billie both gasped as armor covered the young men and then as they promptly attacked.
"Lets get to safety," said Billie quickly, grabbing Sora's hand and pulling her towards the door.
She nodded and allowed herself to be lead to the door. Billie swung it open, ignoring the sounds of crashes within her home and was met by Pril's hand. She was yanked forward sharply and Sora screamed.
"Sora run!" shouted Billie.
Sora didn't look back as she ran off and Billie looked into Pril's coal black eyes.
He smiled ferally, "My master wanted you alive, but he didn't mention what condition you were to be in."
He was about to throw her through the air when a body crashed into him and yanked Billie out of his grasp. Billie looked at her rescuer and grinned when she recognized him.
"Hey Rowen."
"Miss me?" he asked good naturally.
Billie shrugged, "Maybe."
She looked back at Pril and saw him rise to his feet and raise something.
"LOOK OUT!" she shouted.
Rowen turned and dodge to the side as a chain sped past. Instantly he was running and then made a leap into the air that took them to the roof.
"What's going on?" asked Billie.
"No time. Where's Sora?"
"She got away. Pril was too busy with me."
"You really need to be careful about who you pick on," said Rowen.
"You're one to talk," retorted Billie, crossing her arms.
"I have armor," said Rowen with a smirk.
"Which will belong to my master," interrupted Pril right before a chain wrapped around both of them?
Rowen winced in pain as they tightened around him and Billie screamed out and dropped the knife. Pril walked over with a nasty smile and picked up the knife as Billie screamed in pain and Rowen struggled.
"You scream like a girl," said Pril cruelly as he pulled Billie's head back by her silver hair.
"You harm him and I swear..."
Pril smacked his fist against Rowen's face, a smiled with satisfaction as the boy moaned.
"Rowen..." moaned Billie, beginning to loose consciousness as she felt things cracking within her.
Suddenly the roof was torn apart from below and the four other Ronin's leaped out.
Billie smirked at Pril, "I think you're going to be in trouble."
Pril back handed her, and she instantly was out cold, a trickle of blood escaping from the nose which had not yet fully healed.
"Super Wave Smasher!" shouted Torrent, sending a heavy stream of water blasting into Pril and blowing him away from the captives.
Halo followed close behind the attack and used his sword to cut the chains off of Rowen and Billie. Rowen landed on his knees and hands and looked over at Sage who held an unconscious Billie. Pril looked at the opposition a moment and then with an angry scowl vanished.
"He's dieing." said Rowen in a panicky voice. "Sage, he's dying."
"Don't worry Rowen," said Sage calmly as he raised his sword.
Rowen didn't look up as Sage placed the sword on Billie's chest.
~~~~~~~~
Sage walked into the room he shared with Rowen and found him asleep with his head on his bed next to the still sleeping Billie. Sage walked over to his own bed and sat down on it. He gazed at his best friend in thought and at Billie who'd captured Rowen's attentions.
He couldn't understand why Billie wasn't waking up. He'd healed him of the wounds he'd received, but still Billie had remained in his coma-like sleep for three days. He frowned as he thought more about those nights. Every night Billie would begin to thrash and say strange things in conversations to invisible people.
Rowen stirred and then sat up. He looked at Billie's sleeping form and sighed, seeing he was still asleep.
"Why won't you wake up."
"Perhaps he doesn't want to," said Sage, suddenly.
"What?" asked Rowen looking back at him in shock.
"He may not want to wake up," said Sage.
"He has too!" exclaimed Rowen and looked at Billie's still form.
He's looked at Billie a number of times, each time breathtaking by the girlish features Billie possessed. Sage was silent a moment and cleared his throat as a new idea struck him.
"There is something else we can try," he said hesitantly.
Rowen looked at his best friend hopefully.
"What?"
"We can enter her mind and coax her back," said Sage. "But it's only a theory. I don't even know if it can work."
"Anything is worth a try," said Rowen.
Sage nodded silent and walked over to Billie's still form. He placed his hand on Billie's forehead and had Rowen do the same.
"Close your eyes and place yourself in a state of meditation," instructed Sage, and proceeded to guide him through the process.
~~~~~~~
Sage and Rowen stood in a hospital room, a young girl lay in bed, blonde hair trailing over the pillow. She opened her eyes as a doctor and a man and woman entered.
"We have the best doctors on staff for the operation," said the doctor. "They should have no problem removing the infected breasts."
The woman looked heart broken and she walked to her daughter's side.
"I wish you'd reconsider. The radiation treatment would be so much better that just cutting off your breasts."
The girl's eyes focussed on her mother, "No Mom. I would rather not under go radiation treatments. I've explained it to you already."
The woman looked crushed and looked to her husband.
"She's made her decision" said the father.
"She looks familiar," said Rowen softly walking closer to the girl.
Sage followed and looked closer at the girl's face.
"She has eyes just like Billie," said Rowen in surprise.
"Maybe it's his sister," suggested Sage.
Things changed and time had evidently passed. Now the blonde haired girl was walking on an empty soccer field.
"Why did I even accept coming here," mumbled the girl. "The girl's just see me as a freak."
She began to kick a soccer field around the field and Sage and Rowen watched, impressed. A small group of teenage guys with silver hair walked onto the field and stopped to watch her play.
"Hey, you're good," commented a boy coming up to her.
"Thanks," said the girl blushing.
"Want to join us in a game?" asked the boy.
"Sure!" said the girl brightly.
"Oh, my name's Stephen."
"Willamina." said the girl.Once again things changed around the two observes, as if they were seeing memories instead of dreams. Now they were in a locker room. The blonde haired girl was there again, with the young men before her.
"We need you to help us. Please," pleased Stephen. "You're good!"
"But.."
"No one will no the difference."
"But I don't now how to act like you guys!" exclaimed Willamina in exasperation.
There were a number of grins.
"We'll teach you."
"What's going on now?" asked Rowen, confused.
Sage has a suspicion and didn't comment.
"All right."
She was instantly swamped by young men.
"All right. We have ten days to get you acting like a guy! First the hair."
They dragged her into the shower room and they watched as her hair was cut incredibly short and then as a package of hair dye was brought out.
"Willie, this is your induction to our group. Do you accept the silver hair?"
Willamina nodded, "Yes."
"All right guys, do your magic," instructed Stephen.Sage wasn't surprised as the scene changed again and Rowen didn't look as shocked. There was no Willamina around this time. Rowen and Sage looked around a moment, trying to figure out what was going on.
There were in a large house where a familiar couple stood talking anxiously. They stopped as the front door opened. The mother promptly shrieked in shock as a young man walked in with silvery hair.
"Willamina what have you done!" exclaimed the father. "We had reports from the school that you'd done something disgraceful, but this!"
Willamina was dressed a pair of slacks and a shirt and stood in a guyish posture.
"It's Billie!" exclaimed Rowen in shock.
"It was her," said Sage in confirmation.
They stood and watched as a large fight erupted and ended with Billie being sent to collect as many belongings as she could carry. The followed Billie up to her room where she shut the door and began to pack.
"Now even my parents hate me," she cried as she packed cloths, and some other things into to very large suite cases on wheels.
"This must be what disturbs her every night," said Sage.
Rowen didn't answer, but kept pained filled eyes on Billie as she gathered as many things as possible.
She finished packing and walked down the stairs, lugging the large cases behind her.
"Willamina, you are no longer our child," said the father sternly. "You have dishonored us, and yourself by your behavior."
Billie's soft blue eyes seemed to change colors and became the more familiar hazel eyes as hurt filled them.
"If that's so, than I don't need family. My friends taught me what I need to know to survive. Which is a lot more than you two have ever taught me?"
"Willamina.." whispered the mother sadly.
"I'm not Willamina anymore. I'm Billie. Plain Billie, disowned from the oh so famous ambassadors from America," said Billie bitterly.
The father frowned, "Get out of the house and never return. I don't want to see your face ever again."
Billie's eyes firmed, "I wouldn't come back alive."
She left the house with her belongings, taking a car with her and not looking back.Scenes changed to Billie's warehouse, much barer at that point with only a few things within it. Billie came stumbling in and walked over to her sink, bleeding from a slash to the chest with another guy following.
"Billie, you've really got to learn to fight," said the unknown person.
Billie winced as he began to gently clean the cut.
"Can you teach me?" she asked.
The young man looked up in surprise, "Teach you?"
"Yeah," said Billie. "I was going to have to learn some time."
Sage felt something familiar about the young man in question and moved closer, Rowen watching.
"Raiu." he said in surprise, recognizing one of his grandfather's old students.
"It will take a lot of work, time, and patience," said Raiu.
"I have all the time in the world, and patience," said Billie. "And I'm not afraid of working if it will prepare me."
Raiu nodded, "All right. We'll start tomorrow."
Billie smiled, "Thanks Raiu, You're a good friend."Scenes changed to a graveyard were a group of people listened to a man speak over a coffin. Among the people were Sage and his Grandfather. Billie stood off under a tree, hesitantly watching.
"Raiu was killed in a car accident. Killed by a drunk driver," informed Sage.
"Man." said Rowen, simply, looking towards Billie's sad form.
The ceremony ended and Sage was seen leaving quickly. Billie stood watching till only Sage's grandfather remained. She walked to the casket slowly, and silently, but the grandfather heard her and turned.
"Were you also a friend of my student's?" he asked her.
Billie looked mildly surprised and nodded, "He was teaching me and was a true friend."
"You are Billie?" asked the old man.
Billie nodded, "Yes."
"Are you still interested in learning?" he asked her.
Billie looked at him with unreadable eyes and then nodded slowly, "I think Raiu would have wanted me to continue."
"I shall train you," said the man.
"How come you never met Billie?" asked Rowen.
"Raiu while we were fighting Talpa. A few hours later I was unable to even go back to Mia's house," replied Sage, referring to his capture.
Billie half smiled and then turned back to the casket, revealing a white lily. She gazed at it a moment and then laid it down.
"Raiu, the one true friend I've ever had, and will never had again," she murmured.
The grandfather half smiled at Billie and then led her off.Scenes suddenly began to fly past hyper speed. From scrounging, to fights at bars, to working small jobs for money, to training sessions with Mr. Date. Things slowed as she wound up in the hospital again, next to Rowen.
They watched her reactions and understood her more.
"One thing is for sure. You were right about her hiding things."Things moved forward to her stabbing and the long trip home. To cleaning herself up and then to the last encounter where Rowen and she were trapped in chains. But this scenario ended differently.
Billie broke out of her chains as the knife cut into Rowen. She screamed out Rowen's name and looked at Pril with angry eyes.
"You'll pay!" she hissed before she pounced.
A moment later a bloody pulp was all that remained as she sat before Rowen, holding his dead body.
"Why do I loose everyone I love!?" she screamed."Billie!" said Rowen softly walking over to her.
She looked back in surprise.
"Rowen?"
"Billie, you're asleep and dreaming. You need to wake up," said Rowen.
"Dreaming? I don't understand," said Billie in confusion as everything went black around them.
"You've been in a coma for a number of days," said Sage walking up behind Rowen. "We came to wake you up."
Billie clutched her head, "I don't understand. Everything is moving so fast."
Rowen placed a hand on her "You've been through a lot Billie. Come back to me and I'll give you a wonderful life."
Billie looked at him with tearful eyes, "But I'm a girl."
"All the better," said Rowen truthfully. "I go for girls. When I kissed you in the hospital, I think my heart knew what you really were."
Billie's eyes watered, but she didn't cry.
"I want you Billie. Not a guy, not a fancy girl. I want Billie," said Rowen gently.
Sage watched as Billie smiled softly.
"Will you wake up and join us?" asked Rowen softly.
She nodded, "Yes."
~~~~~~~~
Rowen and Sage opened their eyes and looked down at Billie. Her eyes began to flutter and two hazel eyes emerged from the dark veil of lashes.
"Rowen?"
Rowen's face broke into a smile and he stooped down to her face and kissed her. Her eyes widened a moment and then filled with joy. Sage moved from the room quietly and shut the door, leaving them to talk. He needed to tell Mia that she'd be having a new boarder.
