Despite the Fact You Love Me

Chapter 4

"Sage…" Ryo hissed and looked over at Mrs. Mori, "you're

worrying us. He'll… he'll be… be just fine. He is the invincible Sai of the

Torrent." Ryo led Sage away from the group as Kento kept jabbering with

Mrs. Mori about their adventures and talked about his future. Rowen

listened attentively and helped Kento keep the conversation going. But also

as they prepared for dinner and talked, he knew that there was something

that they didn't know… was going totally wrong.

"Okay Sage, I know I rushed us in here but I need to know

now," Ryo spoke in a firm voice. "What is going on in your mind up there? I

mean… what is cooking you?"

"The house," Sage tried to pass a joke between them. It was

a lame attempt. Sage didn't want Ryo to start worrying about what he was

thinking about. Plus, couldn't he have some privacy with his thoughts?

Ryo backed Sage up against a well-decorated wall. "There is

no time for jokes now. I need to know. Any problems concerning with Sai… I

MUST know." His starlight blue eyes stared right into Sage's purplish

pupils. There was no way to turn away from those eyes.

"Com' on, Ryo. Don't get so rough up. Ever since Sai fought

that incredible superman guy, we have been stressing ourselves on him,"

Sage protested and pushed Ryo's blocking arm away from him. He walked to

the other side of the room, wondering if what he said was true. And he

thought most of all was his worries worth worrying about. That lied as an

unrevealed answer for the Ronin friends.

Was what he said really true? Yes, it was true. Ever since

then the four friends had been protective over Sai and had been keeping

good eye upon Sai as he had done for them. And like they were, their armors

were sending energy to Torrent (talking about the armor here), so the armor

wouldn't have to drain Sai's last resource of energy. His armor had the

ability to heal him, but the armor was at a critical state… a state that

needs time to recover. And time they didn't have. The bearers knew… and so

did the armors sense.

****************

"Huh?" Sai whispered to himself. He was now alert. He was

hearing his friends' voices and his mom's. He couldn't believe it. Man, he

was home at last! Sai wanted to wake up and cry up with joy. Maybe give his

friends a scare! But none of his senses would let him he realized. It was,

as if he were paralyzed by his own self. "Oh gosh, am I dead?" was his

first sarcastic remark. But his sarcasm went away when he found out he was

not. He knew he was still lying there. He knew what they were saying and

could smell the wondrous supper his mom prepared. But he didn't know was

why he couldn't see it… and why he couldn't say anything.

"What's going on…" Sai thought desperately. He felt caved in

again like a caged bird that didn't know whether or not to sing "Where are

the guys? How come I can't do anything?" Sai searched his deeper inner

strength... finding his self again. He then saw a reflection of himself

from a pool of water. Then he saw the cherry blossoms (sakura) falling and

floating onto the water. Paradise? Nah... it was an image his mind created

for him so he would relax and think clearly. His mind knew he needed it...

and needed -- the very most-- to draw every ounce of his mind's powers to

him.

****************

"Okay Ryo… you win," Sage said finally as if he were

surrendering to a policeman. "Only because I think you… too… have the right

to know." Ryo listened carefully as Sage started to explain. "Ever since

our buddy, Sai, gotten into all that commotion with that Skyant and Rowen

thing I cannot help but to worry about him. In fact, I think we are all

really worried about that kid. I never felt this worried in my whole entire

life since the death of one of my closest relatives."

"Yeah… I see what you are saying, Sage. I cannot help but to

think of that myself," Ryo agreed.

"And never I could take my thoughts off of him completely,"

Sage added. "I feel like I'm being forced to think of Sai. And that… that

kind of force… I've never been jerked so hard in my entire life."

"Maybe it's a message," suggested Ryo who sat down on the

carpet with his legs crossed.

"I thought of that myself," Sage cocked his head to the side,

"but I don’t know. This may sound kind of strange… but…" He stopped and

tried to say it again, but his throat felt knotted.

"Look Sage," Ryo chuckled at him, "none of your ideas and

thoughts that wind inside of you haven't been foolish. So try me."

"Haven't you thought that our armors have been strangely…

busy?" Sage asked in a stuttering tone. Silence passed between them. Ryo

didn't know what to say. Sage didn't know what else to add.

****************

As Sai's Ronin Warrior friends and his mother held their

conversations, Sai was singlely fighting to hold on to his life. It was as

if he were at the edge of an unstable cliff and yet if you let go, you will

have no way to return. And on and on you will travel down and never will it

end unless you end you. Sai not only had his limp self to worry about but

his spirit. Each time he passed out, it got harder and even harder for him

to awake. His friends didn't know this and he never told them. And now he

struggles to fight himself awake. Yet the pain… the agony… the torture… the

worry…. the fight… caused him to stop.

"It's no use Sai," Sai thought to himself. "There's no way

to fight yourself awake. Even with the help from the other armors and your

armor that wouldn't be enough." No one knew exactly what kind of painful

state he was in. Under his bandages, his wounds struggled tried to cause as

little pain as possible.

Sai knew he was drifting further away. And he knew his

body was only doing its best and last resolution. The nervous system knew

he couldn't handle anymore pain or stress. But it didn't know when to turn

on the switch again. "You have to do something more. You've got your armor

to get the other armors to help you." Sai's mind was the strongest out of

all the Ronin Warriors. He was able to interact with almost anything

(especially his friends) just using his mind. But his mind's strength was

wearing down and draining.

******************

Sage felt his forehead become warm. It was his kanji…

Wisdom. A sphere- shape lit glow (that came from his orb) flashed at Sage's

chest. Ryo's kanji also lit and so did the orb that was tuck against his

chest. The green and red from the orbs light soon surrounded them both.

Sage and Ryo watch as the power of the orbs caused their feet to move

forward… almost like that time Sai, Kento, Sage, and Rowen made Ryo's feet

move. Sage and Ryo looked at each other and turned to the orbs, seeing them

dash away. The two chased after their "runaway" orbs.