Ronin Warriors Fan Fiction ❯ Requiem of Summer ❯ Chapter Thirteen ( Chapter 13 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Rowen stood at the baggage claim, watching the suitcases and bags of different sizes as they took a ride on the belt, waiting for their owners to claim them. The flight back to Japan wasn’t too pleasant. There were two babies that didn’t stop crying, the turbulence was just awful, and the seats had no cushion to them at all. That’s what he got for flying cheap. He was exhausted and knew that he would crash once he got to the house.

His large black suitcase caught his eye as it came from the loading dock. He took a hold of the top handle and dragged it off the belt, the thing felt heavier than he remembered. After a big yawn, he carried it with him toward the pick-up area.

His spirits rose a bit when he saw his friends standing before him. Kento yelled out to him, his arms flailing all over the place. Sage was trying to avoid getting smacked by a flying arm. Rowen chuckled to himself and waved back.

“Rowen! I missed you, buddy!” Kento yelled as he gave his friend a big hug. “How was the flight?”

Cye noticed the dark bags that hung heavily under his friend’s eyes. “I take it the flight wasn’t that good?” the water warrior asked with a sympathetic smile.

The blue-haired man shook his head with a groan. He explained about the crying children, the horrible turbulence that made him nauseous at one point, and the seats that made his butt numb. He was just happy to have his feet firmly planted on the ground for once.

Ryo smiled at his good friend and patted him on the shoulder. “You’re home now.”

“I am,” Rowen smiled back. “It’s good to be back. Where are Hana and Natsumi? They didn’t want to come?”

Everyone’s facial expressions changed from content to dismal in less than a second. Rowen thought he had gotten the full story on what had transpired while he was in New York, but something else must had happened.

“Let’s get the bags into the car. We will explain on the ride home,” Sage said as he helped Rowen by taking the heavy suitcase from him.

“That’s a good idea. The car seats should be way more comfortable than the plane’s,” Kento said with a wink.

The Warrior of Strata let his friends guide him to the car. Once everything was securely in place, they took off down the road. Cye was the one who explained the reoccurrence of Natsumi’s father and how he tried to bring her back to him. Luckily, Hana was with her to make sure that didn’t happen.

“She said he had this twisted smile on his face, as if he just escaped the mental asylum,” Cye continued. He was sitting between Sage and Rowen in the back, while Ryo was in the passenger seat. Kento was at the wheel. “She said she got nervous because she had no idea what he was capable of.”

“This guy sounds like a major mental case,” Rowen commented with a yawn. The ride back to the house was putting him to sleep. “And she just let him walk away?”

“What else could she do? Natsumi was the one who stood her ground toward him. Hana wasn’t going to use her full power unless it got more serious,” Cye explained. “Plus there were people around. She didn’t want to risk other people seeing her power like the last time she used it in public.” He couldn’t remember everything due to the fact that he was under Natsumi’s spell, but he did remember seeing the rage in Hana’s eyes. She used her power to levitate objects and use them against him.

“Looks like I miss all the fun,” Rowen said with a small chuckle.

 

Kento parked the car in the driveway of the house. “We’re home, kids,” he announced as he got out of the vehicle. After scooting to one side, Rowen got out and gazed at the big house in front of him. Kento wasn’t kidding when he said it was a huge house that his mother had obtained for them. “Let’s go inside so I can show you your room.”

Cye was just about to grab the doorknob when the door flew open.

“Welcome home, Rowen!” Hana shouted as she maneuvered past Cye and gave her friend a big hug. He felt a little slimmer when she wrapped her arms around his waist. “Have you been eating?”

He let out a hearty laugh as he rubbed the back of his head. “When I remember to,” he smiled with a wink. “It’s good to see you, Hana.”

“Likewise,” she smiled. “Oh! Since this is your first day back, I’m going to make us my special beef stew!”

“Sounds good to me,” Rowen said as he rubbed his stomach. He headed into the house and into the living room where he lay his stuff down. The atmosphere within the room was warm and welcoming. “Your mom really outdid herself. This place is amazing!”

“Yep!” Kento said with pride, rubbing under his nose. “Did you expect anything less from Mama?”

Rowen grinned at his friend as he took a seat on the leather sofa, sighing as he sank a bit into the cushion. “I’m guessing Natsumi is in her room?”

All eyes were now on Hana who just stood there, hands clasped in front of her. “Yeah. She hasn’t really been talking and she only comes out for food and to use the bathroom. Ryo had a hard time getting to her at first. I think she’s better toward you, yes?” She looked at her fire friend for an answer.

Ryo sighed. “She just needs time. She doesn’t want to seek help because she doesn’t want anyone to know.”

“It’s not healthy,” Sage spoke up with his arms crossed over his chest. “She needs to see a professional if she ever wants to get better.”

Hana looked at Sage with a solemn look in her eyes. Leave it to Sage not to beat around the bush. “We all know, Sage, but we can’t force her if she doesn’t want to.” Her eyes then turned toward the Bearer of Strata. “I guess they told you what happened?”

Rowen merely nodded. “They said he appeared again and that you were about to defend her at all cost.”

“Natsumi had to stop me before I did something that I would have regretted. Even though I have been training to control my power when I’m angry, I still haven’t completely mastered it. If it wasn’t for her, I would have made the same mistake like I did the last time,” Hana said through clenched teeth. “My blood was boiling when I heard him say those awful things. My mind went blank and my power was taking over.”

Cye placed a hand on her small shoulder, smiling. “Then we just have to work harder.”

Hana smiled back at him, feeling somewhat better. “Why don’t I get dinner ready? I’m sure Rowen would like to rest in the meantime.” She smiled as she saw her friend start to nod off on the couch. Jetlag was going to be tough for a few days.

Rowen didn’t object to that suggestion. Exhaustion was weighing on his shoulders as he rose from his seat on the sofa. After grabbing his bags, he followed Kento up to the room he was going to be staying in. The first thing he noticed was Sage’s duffel bag on one of the twin beds. It was just like the old days back at Mia’s. A sense of nostalgia filled him as he set his suitcase on the other bed. He took out the bear that Huan had given him and set it on the top of the dresser. A smile broke out across his lips as he remembered the big smile she gave him, the kiss that she planted on his cheek just before he kissed her fully on the lips. His fingers grazed his lips in thought.

“What’s with the bear?” Kento asked as he took it from its resting place on the dresser. “Never pictured you carrying around a stuffed toy.”

“I-It was a gift,” Rowen said with his cheeks cherry-red. He took the bear back and placed it where it belonged. Kento grinned from ear to ear as he noticed his friend’s rosy cheeks. Rowen looked at his friend with a raised brow. “What are you looking at now?”

Hardrock chuckled and playfully punched him in the arm. “Your cheeks have some color, buddy. Who’s the lucky girl?”

Immediately his hands flew to his colored cheeks, as if that would hide them from his nosy friend. “S-She’s just… a friend,” he stammered. “She gave me the bear because she said it looked like me.”

After looking at the bear long and hard, he looked back to his comrade. That stuffed bear looked nothing like him. He shrugged and smiled. “I don’t see it, but good for you.”

“We are only friends,” Rowen stated, annoyed. He was about to say something else but stopped when the image of their first kiss came into view in his mind. The scene replayed as if it was on repeat. “Just friends, okay?” His eyelids were starting to feel heavy again and the bed seemed to be calling out to him. “I’m going to go take a nap. We’ll talk later.”

“You got it,” Kento grinned and left his friend alone.

Rowen plopped himself on the semi-hard mattress, looking up at the white ceiling. It was good to be home and with his friends. He didn’t really notice the toll it put on him from being away months at a time, until now. He closed his eyes with a sigh and succumbed to the sleep he very much needed.

 

Hana walked the halls of the school one last time that semester. She sighed in relief knowing that she had passed all her classes. Never again will she take another spring course. The time span was a lot shorter and it felt like they crammed everything into one session. It was very annoying, especially when she had multiple papers to write that were all due on the same day. It was a miracle that she passed the way she did: all A’s except for her math class, in which she scored a B-. At least now she could relax and focus more on training her powers.

She walked out into the sunshine and down the small path that led to the parking lot. A smile graced her features when she saw a tall woman standing in front of a red jeep. She was wearing a blue jumper and her long brown hair was half up and half down. The older woman turned her head toward Hana and smiled.

“Thanks for picking me up, Mia,” Hana said with the smile still on her face. “You have no idea how much I was looking forward to this.”

“It’s been a while. I don’t get to see you guys very often anymore,” Mia responded sadly. “I miss you guys. It’s something that needs to change.”

Ever since they got the new house, it did seem like they saw Mia a lot less. Maybe it was because of school, work, and the fact that they didn’t have to bother her for somewhere to stay. As being a minority in the group, Hana did miss her ‘girl time’ with the older woman. Today was going to be a carefree day, just the two of them.

The two women got into the red jeep and buckled themselves in. The jeep roared to life. “Did you ask Natsumi if she wanted to come?” Mia asked as she pulled out of her parking spot.

“I did,” Hana replied. “She said not this time, but maybe next time we meet.” The dark-haired woman looked out of the passenger window. Natsumi did emerge out of her room earlier that day. It seemed like she was doing better; she even smiled at one of Kento’s lame jokes. But even though she was out and about, Hana knew she wasn’t ready to step foot out into the world again, at least not yet. She could still sense the fear that still latched onto her timid friend.

“Where are we going?” Mia asked, snapping Hana out of her stupor. “You said you wanted to go to a sandwich parlor?”

She turned her head and looked at Mia. “Yeah. It’s somewhere that I used to go to when I was younger. The food there is amazing and the coffee isn’t too bad, either.”

“Just tell me where to go,” Mia smiled.

They headed toward the city limits of Tokyo. Mia told Hana that she got hired at the university where her grandfather used to work. She taught a class on ancient artifacts a few days a week. The older woman smiled a little, realizing that this was the first time she had mentioned her late grandfather to Hana. She went on to tell her friend about him, from his days as a professor to that final night.

The image of him standing there, completely under some spirit’s control, came into view. All she could see was the whites of his eyes, almost as if he rose from the dead, the fear that ran through her when he attacked her, choking her with his own two hands. Her heart broke when he told her that it was too late for him, that the poison was already coursing through his veins. The last thing he did was give her and Ryo a clue on where to find the other Ronin Warriors that were scattered around Japan.

Her eyes stung with tears as she drove down the street. Hana glanced at her; her heart ached hearing the story. It made her mad that evil was responsible for the sorrows and the heartache of people. She knew of it all too well because she was the reason for her family’s demise, even though the others said differently. Hana also knew what it was like to be taken over, not having control of your own body, being a prisoner in your mind.

 

She looked out of the passenger window and pointed to a small shop that was coming up. It had a light blue awning and a small sign that displayed the specials of the day. Mia parallel parked a few feet away from the shop. Hana could feel her stomach rumble with hunger as if it knew that food was nearby. The delicious aroma of soup teased their nostrils when they entered the shop. As they stood in line, Hana looked around the place.

She used to come here to escape from her family, back in the days where she was known as a rebel and a troublemaker. She would just sit at a table and look out the window at all the bustling people. The shop changed a bit since then; light blue and white were the new colors. The tables were now white and round, along with the chairs. It had a simple theme, but it was charming.

Excitement filled her entire being when she found out that they still had their turkey sandwich special. It had turkey, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and a special type of tangy dressing. Her mouth started watering just thinking about it. The two women sat down and talked about other things that were happening. Hana told Mia about what was going on with Natsumi and how her father looked like a total psychopath. Mia looked at her with a solemn expression as the younger woman went on.

“I see,” she said softly. Mia had no idea that Natsumi was going through such an ordeal. No wonder she didn’t want to come out with them. “What about you, Hana? How is your training going?”

Hana took a sip of her tea. How was her training going? She knew she had a long way to go, but was she making any progress? “I guess… its going okay. Kento has been helping me with a new technique. I can merge with him, but only for a little bit. It’s very energy consuming and it leave us both drained. Shijisha was able to do it and I want to be able to do it as well.”

“What about controlling your power? Are you able to get it under control?” Mia remembered that was one of the things Hana had to get under her belt. She watched as her friend stared at her drink, already knowing the answer to her question. “In any case, I’m sure you’ll master it.” Hana smiled and nodded.

 

After their meal, the two of them took a stroll around the area. They didn’t wander too far from where the jeep was parked. Mia wanted to check out some stores, one of them being an antique shop that just opened up. Hana was checking out some weird-looking copper statue that was displayed outside of the shop.

“Hana?”

Hana turned her head to the left and felt her mouth go dry. It felt as if she forgot how to breathe when she saw the person who mentioned her name.

Standing at about 4’11” was an adolescent girl who had to be in her early teens. She had medium-length dark-brown hair but with the same cobalt-blue eyes Hana had. The dark-haired woman wanted to speak, but the words got caught in her throat. She knew exactly who the girl was.

“Are you Hana Suzuki?” the girl asked again. Hana could tell the girl was nervous by the way her fingers moved about at her sides, a characteristic she knew too well.

“A… Aika?” Hana choked. She could feel the tears well up in her eyes and down her cheeks uncontrollably. Her chest felt heavy as she tried not to sob in public. After all this time, her little sister was alive and well. “I… I thought you died…”

Aika took a deep breath through her nose to calm her nerves. “I was at a friend’s house that night…”

She remembered getting a phone call from her grandmother to tell her to come to her house. That night she cried into her grandmother’s shoulder, thinking everyone had perished, including Hana. Then her aunt contacted her and told her the reason behind the fire, that it was all Hana’s doing and that she had to stay away from her. She was hidden during the wake and the funeral, knowing that Hana was going to be present. All this time she was told to fear her older sister, and she was afraid, but something in her heart wanted to know truth. Aika knew that her aunt hated Hana for what she was and tried to take what she was told with a grain of salt.

“What are you… doing here?” Hana asked softly as she wiped the tears from her eyes. “Where are you staying?”

“Auntie Jun took me in after grandma passed away,” Aika replied. “Uncle Taka got promoted to a new position that required us to move to the city.”

“Grandma… died…” Sadness filled Hana’s heart knowing that the last of her grandparents had left this world. Then suddenly, a wave of hot anger presented itself as she thought about her aunt. She could taste the bile that had risen from her throat. Of course it was all her aunt’s doing, the reason why she never found out that her only sister was alive. She did it on purpose to punish her.

“Who is this?”

Hana snapped out of her stupor when she realized that Mia was done shopping.

“This is Aika, my little sister,” Hana introduced after taking much needed air into her lungs.

“Really? What a surprise!” Mia eyed Hana, as if she were trying to communicate telepathically. Her friend had told her that her family had perished under Akui’s attack. She didn’t want to mention that in front of the young girl. “My name is Mia Koji. It’s nice to meet you, Aika.”

“Nice to meet you,” Aika replied with a small smile. Her eyes fell to the ground, avoiding Hana’s gaze. Awkward silence filled the small area as both siblings stood in front of each other, one looking at the ground and the other looking as if she was going to pass out at any given moment.

Hana wanted so desperately to bring her sister into her arms, to say how sorry she was for all the trouble she had caused, but she couldn’t. She could see that Aika was nervous already. Whenever her fingers started to fiddle, that meant she was nervous about something.

Mia’s eyes darted around the area, trying to see what could break the ice between the two sisters. Her eyes stopped at a small ice cream place that was located on the corner on the other side of the street. The older woman cleared her throat. “Hey. Why don’t we get some ice cream and have a seat somewhere?”

Hana swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. “What do you say? Let’s get something sweet?”

Aika nodded in agreement. Sighing with relief, Mia led the three of them across the street. Thankfully the place wasn’t too crowded and there were plenty of vacant tables. The teen chose the table that was in a corner. Hana glanced at her sister before joining Mia on the short line for the register.

“She’s afraid of me,” Hana whispered glumly as she moved her eyes to her left. The young girl was looking down at her hands that were resting on her lap. “I don’t know what to do, Mia. I wasn’t a good sister to her in the past.”

Mia had a sincere smile on her lips as she placed a hand on her friend’s shoulder. “She’s here, isn’t she? And she’s alive and well. I’m sure she’s just nervous because it’s been so long. Just ask her what she has been up to. Start out small.”

“I suppose,” Hana said with a heavy sigh. “I’m not good at small talk and I don’t want to lose her again.” The dark-haired woman made her way to the table and took a seat across from her sister.

After ordering the three desserts, Mia waited patiently on the side. She looked up to see the two girls talking to each other, every once in a while averting their gazes. Mia felt bad that Hana was still struggling with her past. Her friend always showed a strong demeanor when she was with other people, but she could see the pain behind those eyes of hers. Of course, the guys saw it, too. Her vulnerability was at its best when Cye was under Natsumi’s control months ago.

The server called for her, holding out a tray of cups filled with ice cream of different flavors. After thanking the young man, Mia headed over to join her friends.

Hana thanked Mia for getting the ice cream for them, grateful that her friend was with her. Who knew what would have happened if she were alone. She took a bite out of her frozen strawberry treat, enjoying the cold against her dry throat. The older woman turned to Aika and asked her questions about herself.

The teen’s cheeks turned a light pink as she spoke in almost a whisper. She was in her final year of middle school and was in the middle of looking at different high schools. Her main focus was looking at schools that had a good music department, for she played multiple instruments. A smile formed on her lips as she told the older woman about learning how to play the trumpet. It was difficult because the lips had to be a certain way, but that wasn’t going to stop her from trying.

A serene smile was displayed on Hana’s face as she listened carefully to what her sister was saying. She was happy knowing that her love for music was still there and that she wanted to follow in their late mother’s footsteps.

“She told me when she was younger that she wanted to play every instrument known the man, right?” Hana asked as she took another spoonful of strawberry ice cream in her mouth.

Aika looked at her older sister with semi-wide eyes. She was shocked that Hana remembered that. Her sister was so busy getting into trouble back in the day, which she thought she wasn’t heard. Hana always seemed to disregard her. “Yeah… it’s still kinda true, I guess.”

“Good. Don’t give that up,” Hana encouraged. Mia smiled at the progress that was being made. Hana reached into her black shoulder bag and pulled out a pen. She took one of the white napkins and jotted information down. After looking at the napkin nervously, she handed it to Aika. “That’s my address. If you… ever want to hang out… that’s where I am.”

The girl’s cobalt-blue eyes scanned the writing. She was uneasy and, yet, happy at the same time. Her heart swelled just knowing that her big sister wanted to be with her. However, the uncertainty that she felt when the words of her aunt ringed in her head, made her nervous. She didn’t want to believe that Hana was responsible for everything.

“Thank you. I’ll keep that in mind,” Aika said softly. She glanced at her pink watch that rested on her left wrist. “I have to go. I need to be home at a certain time. I will talk to you later. It was nice meeting you, Mia. And thanks for the ice cream.”

“Same here, and don’t mention it,” Mia smiled warmly.

Hana got up from her seat. Hesitant at first, she wrapped her arms around her sister’s small frame. Aika stood where she was for a moment, unsure of what to do, but then wrapped her arms around Hana’s waist.

“Please… don’t be a stranger. I missed you so much,” Hana whispered as the tears returned, running down her cheeks. Her hug tightened as she wished she didn’t have to let her go. “I love you, Aika.”

Those three little words echoed in Aika’s head. It had been so long since she heard those words from her. “S-Same here…”

Hana could hear the uncertainty in the younger girl’s voice and it hurt a lot. It felt like a single nail was driven into her already damaged beating heart. Reluctantly, she pried her arms free from Aika and wiped the tears from her eyes. Aika waved at the two of them before making her exit. Hana took in a shaky breath and silently sobbed into the palms of her hands. After directing them back to their table, Mia handed her crying friend some tissues from her bag.

“T-Thank you…” Hana choked back a sob as she took one of the white Kleenex and blew her nose. “I…didn’t mean to… start crying.”

The brunette shook her head in understanding. A sincere smile graced her pink lips as she placed a hand on top of Hana’s. “No need to apologize. I could tell that you were having a hard time. Your sister, too, seemed to be battling herself internally. But she didn’t dismiss the invitation. She kept the napkin that you gave her. I think she’ll come around.”

Looking down at the crumpled tissue in her hand, Hana nodded. “I hope you’re right, Mia. I don’t want to lose her again.”