Ronin Warriors Fan Fiction ❯ Christmas Eve: The Past Returns ❯ Part 4 ( Chapter 4 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Christmas Eve: The Past Returns
By Firestar
Part 4


Disclaimer: Ronin Warriors doesn't belong to me, but this story does.
************

Ryo stared at Rowen in shock. "Wh-what d-did you s-say?", he stuttered in disbelief.

"I love you, Ryo, I have for a long time. I just couldn't admit it. Not to you, and not to myself."

Ryo's mind raced frantically. He just couldn't take it in. Couldn't comprehend what Rowen had said
so passionately.


Rowen watched as a mix of emotions played across Ryo's face. There was confusion, self-doubt, disbelief,
shame, but the ones Rowen had dreaded most, disgust and hate, were blessedly absent. He reached out
tentatively to caress Ryo's tear stained face and Ryo didn't pull away.


Ryo closed his eyes as he felt Rowen's gentle touch, reveling in the feeling, but then his eyes flew
open. "No! You can't love me. You can't, Rowen." Ryo could barely get the words out past the ache
in his chest. But he had to. Rowen deserved better than him. Far better.


Rowen smiled sadly at Ryo's outburst. He understood it for what it was. Rowen leaned forward
until his face was just inches from Ryo and stared into his eyes. "I do love you, Ryo. Never doubt
that." He pulled Ryo to him gently, closing the tiny gap between them and their lips met softly,
delicately. Slowly, careful not to startle Ryo, he intensified the kiss, basking in the fulfillment
of one of his most cherished dreams.


Hesitantly, Ryo responded to Rowen's passion, fresh tears coming to his eyes. But this time,
they were tears ofjoy. Despite everything, Rowen did love him. And then, finally, he allowed
the tiniest spark of hope to flicker to life. Maybe, just maybe, everything would turn out all
right after all.



Birds chirped cheerily outside the bedroom window, announcing morning. Rowen awoke slowly, not wanting
to open his eyes.
Rowen begged
whatever gods might exist. Finally, he opened his eyes, and a huge grin spread over his face. The
gods did love him.

Ryo lay curled on his side next to Rowen, his cast covered arm and leg sticking out at awkward
angles. His face, for once, had an open, peaceful expression.

Rowen's smile faded away slowly, but not with unhappiness. Instead, a look of pure contentment and
elation replaced the grin. He finally had what he wanted most.

Ryo stirred then, starting to awaken. His eyes were still tightly shut and he wrinkled his nose adorably,
looking years younger than he actually was.

Suddenly, his eyes flew open and he shot up in bed. "Rowen!"

"Shh, love, I'm right here." Rowen chuckled at Ryo's frantic expression. "You didn't think I'd leave
ya, did you?"

As soon as Ryo saw Rowen was still with him, he relaxed, and the first genuine smile he'd had in over
two weeks lit his face. "I wan't sure, but I'm glad you stayed," he said softly.

Rowen's expression turned serious. Things had gotten better, but they were still not well. Ryo still
had some serious problems. It would take him a long time to learn to trust again, but Rowen had the
patience, and the will.

Choosing his words carefully, Rowen knew he would ruin the peacefullness of the morning, but hopefully
it would be worth it. "Ryo, tell me what happened to you on Christmas Eve."

Ryo's face drained of color. "I can't," he said once again, but Rowen was not going to be denied.

"Don't you trust me Ryo?" He felt terrible for guilting Ryo into talking, but it had to come out.

"Of course I trust you, but-"

"But what?"

Ryo's mouth opened, words refused to come out. Rowen gathered Ryo into his arms. "Ryo, tell me what
happened." His voice was filled with steel this time. He wasn't going to let up. Not
when he was this close.

Closing his eyes to try and shut out the pain, "Rowen, please..."

"Tell me," Rowen commanded once more.

Ryo took an agonized breath, and finally gave in. "He came back."

Rowen wanted to ask who, but he didn't dare speak now.

"He was supposed to be dead," Ryo continued, "but he still came back," and then Rowen could only
listen in horror.


-----------------10 years earlier------------------------------

A young boy skipped happily between his parents, holding both their hands. His mother looked lovingly
down at her black haired, blue eyed son. He was their pride and joy, always filled with mischief and
laughter. His smile could brighten both of his parents' darkest moods in an instant.

The happy family was walking eagerly towards the city. A big festival was being held that day and
Ryo had proclaimed brightly that he wanted to see EVERYTHING, especially the animals that had been
brought in as a side show. His father had laughed and assured him that he would get to see anything
he wanted.

Once they reached the city, Ryo's eyes widened with awe. There were so many wonders surrounding the
seven year old that he hardly knew which to look at first. Then he heard a great roar that had to
come from some kind of wild animal. That decided him. "Let's go see the animals, daddy!" he cried,
tugging his parents in the direction of the roar.

Together they strolled among the cages, Ryo exclaiming at first this animal, and then running
over to the next.

When Ryo had finally visited each of the beasts at least twice, his mother gently took hold of his
hand. "Ryo, honey, would you like something to eat now?" Ryo glanced around at all the booths crowding
the streets and one in particular caught his eye. A smile almost split his face. "Can we get
ice cream, mommy?"

His mother smiled down at him, "Of course we can Ryo, as long as you promise to eat something else
first." The happy child nodded in agreement.

Ryo's father walked over to the nearest stand and got in line while his mother took him to a picnic
table to wait.

He squirmed in his seat, full of energy like any other seven year old. But suddenly he quieted. A strange
feeling washed over him, chilling the youngster to the bone. "Mommy," he tugged on her blouse,
"something's wrong."

His mother glanced down at her son, puzzled. She started to speak, but then a sharp crack split the
air and suddenly the world was full of the screams of hundreds of terrified people.

A tall, filthy man stood in the middle of the festival square. In his hands was a gun and he was shooting
wildly into the crowd. Ryo's mother pushed her son to the ground, covering his small body with her own.
His father started to rush over to them, determined to protect his beloved family, but a look of suprise
crossed his face and he dropped first to his knees, and then fell prone on the ground. A bright crimson
stain spread across the middle of his back.

Ryo's mother screamed in anguish as she watched her husband fall. Ryo's young eyes watched in horror
as his mother pushed him into a small opening between two booths. "Ryo, stay here," she ordered her terrified
son, and then she got to her feet and ran to her fallen love. She knelt down beside his body as
Ryo watched, trying desperately to staunch the flow of the blood. More shots rang out throught the air,
and suddenly his mother screamed, clutching her hands to her chest. To Ryo's eyes she seemed to
fall forward in slow motion, sprawling across her fallen husband, her eyes staring blankly at the
ground.

Sirens sounded from a distance and finally, but far too late, police officers arrived. Once more
gunfire sounded and Ryo watched the gunman fall jerkily to the ground as he was hit with round after
round of bullets.

Silence reigned then. Fallen bodies littered the ground, painting it bright red with blood. Ambulances
and more officials arrived moments later and began to walk among the injured and dead, trying to save
who they could. For a long time the young boy huddled in the tiny space his mother had left him in, staring
blankly at his dead parents. It was only when a police officer walked over to their bodies and started
to cover them with a sheet that he stirred, and then a long, anguished cry, of an orphaned child rang out
over the grim square.


-----------1 year later---------------------

Ryo sat silently, staring out the orphanage window. He had been here for several months now. It
wasn't all that bad. There were other kids to play with and the adults in charge were nice to him.

He turned around when he heard someone come quietly into the room. Two someones, actually. The
head administrator was talking quietly with a strange man. He was well built, and even young Ryo
could see that his powerful frame held a lot of strength. His face was cold, though, and something
told Ryo that he should stay far away from this stranger.

The strange man glanced Ryo's way only once, and his piercing gaze sent shivers racing up the young
boys spine. That gaze promised nothing but pain, and Ryo once again felt a strange premonition that
something terrible was about to happen.


A week later it was announced that the head administrator would be retiring, and a Mr. Sares would be
taking his place. It didn't really matter to the children. He was just another adult. He was also
the same cold stranger that Ryo had seen the week before.


* Ryo looked up at Rowen bitterly, not really seeing him. He was still lost in his past. Rowen thought
his heart was going to break upon the agony he saw in Ryo's face, but still, he did not interrupt. This
had to be played out to its end.*


Ryo lay in his bed, his small body shaking beneath the blankets. He and the other children were fearfully
awaiting the resumption of their nightmares.

The first time it had happened had been merely a day after Sares had moved into his new office at the
orphanage. Late that night, he had walked into the children's dormitory and grabbed a child out of her
bed. She was one of the older children, being 12, and Sares had hit her across the face, ordering
her to remain silent. She had obeyed tearfully, and he made her leave the room with him. None of the
children ever saw her again.

Every night it happened about the same way, and every night a new child was picked. Sometimes the children
returned the next morning, but they never talked about what happened and seemed broken shadows of themselves.

Ryo was one of the few remaining children who had not been selected, and that was why he was so afraid. Sares
had not ever taken the same child twice.