Ronin Warriors Fan Fiction ❯ Saving Grace ❯ A Deathly Decision ( Chapter 3 )

Arigatou to everyone who has reviewed this fic so far. There is definitely more chapters forthcoming soon. I am glad you all seem to be enjoying it so far. Let me know what you think. ^_^

Chapter 3:

Flashback:

~ A gentle breeze blows in through the open window, ruffling pages of paper on an oak desk. A young girl sits idly at the desk, staring off into space. A strand of her auburn colored hair whips by her face, momentarily blocking her vision. Absently, she reaches up and brushes the strand away. A stack of ungraded papers lies by her elbow, untouched. A red pen dangles from her fingers as she bites her lip, lost in thought. A door bangs down the hall, bringing her head up and around to see what caused the sudden disturbance. Seeing nothing, she glances over at the black and white wall clock to check the time.

She sighed softly when she realized what time it was. It was only eleven in the morning, but her unease wouldn't go away. She glanced back down at the paper she had absently picked up. It belonged to one of her more promising students, except she just couldn't concentrate on the piece. It kept bringing up unwanted memories, memories that caused an unconscious shiver to run through her.

"Dr. Koji?"

Mia whipped her head up, startled. Realizing who it was, she gave her visitor a tremulous smile. "Nicole, sorry. I didn't hear you come in."

Nicole nodded and perched on the edge of her teacher's desk. "If you don't mind me asking, are you alright?"

Mia unconsciously nodded her head. "Yes, yes. I'm just fine . . . "

The short dark haired girl eyed her critically and said softly, "liar."

Mia pursed her lips and was about to deny the claim when she felt Nicole put a hand on her own.

"Why don't you tell me what is bothering you? Is it Ryo? I haven't seen him in here for a while."

Mia turned away. "Yes and no. We shouldn't be talking about this."

Nicole sighed, her aquamarine eyes resigned and worried. "I know. It's just that the other students and I are getting worried about you. You have been distracted and sometimes even snappish. We want to help."

Mia smiled sadly. "Thank you, but I am fine. It's another I am worried about."

"I see. Well, have you tried talking with them?"

Mia nodded. "Yes, and it hasn't helped. I just don't know what else to do."

Nicole smiled at her teacher. "You'll figure it out. Just be there for them. That's all you can do till they want to talk to you."

Mia blinked. 'Just be there for them. That's it!!' She stood hastily and grabbed her briefcase, shoving the ungraded papers inside. "I'm sorry Nicole, but I have to go. I think I am needed elsewhere."

Nicole simply nodded as Mia ran out of the room at top speed, and in her haste, the paper she had initially been holding fluttered to the ground. Bending to pick it up, Nicole frowned, even more puzzled than before. "Why would Dr. Koji be so upset over my paper on ancient temples and ruins? And what does it have to do with Ryo?" Shaking her head, she went to place it in her backpack when she noticed Ryo's name scribbled in an almost sad fashion in the far-right hand corner. Shaking her head, she prayed that whatever was plaguing her teacher would work itself out soon.

Mia ran down the halls of the school. She had to hurry. Coming around a corner at breakneck speed, she slid to a stop just outside the main office door. Slipping inside, she called out loudly, "Sarah? Are you here?"

A waspish looking lady appeared out of thin air wearing a permanent scowl attached to her owl like face. A pair of black wire rimmed glasses hung on a chain around her thin neck, often entangling with the gold cross she wore. Her flaming red hair appeared out of place on her thin body, but Mia shook off the feeling of ridiculousness she got every time she saw Sarah. "Dr. Koji. What may I do for you?"

Mia smiled at the older woman. "Hey Sarah. I just wanted to let you know that I won't be in for a few days if then. I have some personal issues to wade through."

The slightly stooped woman froze watching her. "You . . . leave? You never leave, let alone for personal reasons."

"True, however, this is an emergency."

Sarah narrowed her green eyes. "He must be very important to you to have you this upset."

Mia smiled sadly. "He is and I just pray I am not too late."

Sarah nodded. "Go. I will find a replacement for your classes. Take the next two weeks off. You deserve it and you need it. I can see how haggard you have been becoming."

Mia did a quick intake of breath, not really expecting it but very grateful anyway. "Thank you. I appreciate it, Sarah. I will get you those papers I am grading as soon as I can."

Sarah nodded and with a slight wave, said "go on now. Hurry up. You mustn't disappoint your beau."

"Oh, he's not . . . "

Sarah simply smiled and Mia, in her press for time, decided to let the matter drop. Smiling once more, she bolted out the door; her stride eating up the pavement beneath her feet as she headed desperately for her jeep. Her keys jangled musically in her hand as she pulled them out of her black jacket pocket. It had been a gift from Ryo so long ago . . . Shaking the errant thought away, she realized she had reached her destination.

The cherry red jeep with the white trim seemed to welcome her as she hastily slid beneath the wheel, turning the ignition on. The motor jumped to life, purring softly. Mia twisted the jeep out of her parking place and into the morning's heavy flow of traffic. Not really caring about the law or proprietary, Mia slammed her foot down to the floor. The need she had felt all morning was growing. She glanced at the clock on her dashboard and nearly screamed as the digits read 11:58 A.M. He would be up soon and she had a bad feeling, a very bad feeling.

She was just getting on the freeway when she heard a loud crackling noise followed by a rolling crash. Wincing, she looked up at the suddenly darkened sky. The soft white fluffy clouds from earlier that morning were gone and in their place were dark grey threatening ones. "Just great. A storm." She eyed the rain clouds critically. "Maybe I can outrun them." Pressing harder on the accelerator, she began to weave in and out of traffic on the two lane highway. It wouldn't be long now before she reached her turnoff.

Reaching over, she idly flipped on the radio, hoping for a soothing song. However, nothing could soothe the powerful feeling of dread she was sporting. Spying her turnoff, she began to slow down. It was not enough as she still took the turn at a rapid pace, causing the jeep to skid on the soft shoulder. Holding her breath, her eyes wide with panic, Mia waited to hear the crunch of metal on metal. When it didn't come, she realized the jeep had stalled mere inches away from the guardrail. Releasing her breath, she turned the ignition over once more, causing the jeep to sputter back to life. She slowly eased back out on the road, her heart still in overdrive. But she was safe.

Mia shook her head in disgust at herself. "Pull yourself together, Koji. You don't want to wreck. Not now, not when you know Rowen needs you. He's been acting even more downcast the last few days. He may try something." She looked up at the heavens just as the sky was ripped in half by a jagged bolt of lightening. "Please God, if he has done anything, let me get to him in time. Please."

Another clap of thunder was the answer to her fervent plea; shivering at the sound she began to speed once more down the fairly deserted street to her home. A wailing noise pulled her up short and she swore profusely. She was almost there. Glancing down, she saw that the nose of the speedometer was buried at ninety miles an hour.

Cursing her bad luck, she looked in the rear view mirror to see an unmarked police car pull into view; she never let off the gas. Instead she cut down a side street and emerged on the road that ran parallel to the lake on her property. Spying the wooded trail that Ryo had made for his and Sage's motorbikes, she jerked the wheel sharply to the right and crashed into the overgrowth, abruptly losing the policeman in a sea of greenery. The trail was just big enough for the jeep to scrape through unscathed. A minute later she winced as she heard a loud crash.

The policeman had obviously tried to follow her in. Only the car he had been driving was wider than the jeep and had gotten stuck between the narrow trees lining the path. Slowing down, she hoped that the man chasing her was alright. However, she had other things to worry about at the moment. Her eyes frantically scanned for the exit, breathing a sigh of relief when she reached it. Turning the jeep to the left somewhat, she finally slipped back out onto the main road to pull up in front of her manor. Slamming the breaks on, she skidded to an ungraceful stop. Unfastening her seatbelt, she pushed the jeep's door open and ran into the manor, screaming Rowen's name.

There was no answer to her frantic call. Her heart in her throat, she ascended the stairs to the second floor and went immediately into her bedroom. Mia had a feeling that she would need her skeleton key to the manor if she was to save Rowen. Spying it glittering in the vanity's mirror, she rushed over, grabbing the key off the well-worn table.

All of the guys had their own copies of the skeleton key in case they ever needed it, and now looked like it was going to be one of those rare times when it was needed. She had gotten multiple copies of the skeleton key made after Ryo had accidentally locked White Blaze in his bedroom. The poor tiger had not been happy with the situation and Ryo's door had the marks to prove it.

Mia smiled absently at the memory. Ryo always did have the unfortunate habit of locking doors after he left a room, including the bedroom. Now, Ryo's habit may just save Rowen's life, if he was doing what she thought he was doing. Sprinting down the hall, she headed toward the archer's room. Throwing the door open wide, she bit down on the fear she was feeling. He wasn't there. The room was dark as a tomb and she hated herself for thinking of that analogy.

"Check the bathroom. The bathroom," a soft ghostly voice whispered past her sensitive ears, and she hurried down the hall to find the bathroom door locked. "Rowen?!" she called out, suddenly nervous. When the blue-haired boy didn't answer, she swallowed hard and inserted the skeleton key into the lock. It twisted easily in her hand, and slowly she pushed open the heavy oak door, afraid of what she was going to find.

Rowen looked up at the sudden intrusion. His pain filled blue eyes took in Mia's terror-stricken face. "Mia . . . " he said shakily as he tried to stand using the porcelain sink to balance himself. His hands, slick with his life blood, made his grip on the hard surface loose at best and nonexistent at worse. He fell, hitting his head on the hard corner of the sink. Gasping, he tried to keep things from spinning, but everything was moving out of focus.

"Oh Rowen." Mia hastily grabbed several towels from the linen closet and knelt beside the barely conscious archer. She pressed hard on his wrists to staunch the flow of blood that was continually pouring out of the slash marks. Spying the knife Rowen had obviously used lying nearby; she viciously threw it out the doorway, embedding it deeply in the bannister rail.

"Mia . . . 'mm sorry," he said faintly.

"Shhhh. Don't talk. I'm the one who should be sorry. I should have seen this coming. Rowen, you got to fight this."

Rowen blinked his eyes up at the figure valiantly trying to stop the blood flow. His pupils dilated and he shook his tired head, trying to keep her form in sight. It was a battle he was losing. "Mia . . . not . . . not . . . your fault. Itz dark, cold." He trembled slightly on the white tiles. He was clad only in a pair of loose grey sweat pants and a short sleeved green t-shirt that hung off of his gaunt frame. The shirt obviously belonged to Sage.

Mia scared, moved behind him and wrapped her arms around the archer, keeping up the pressure on his wrists. She could feel him fading and fast. As a last ditch resort, she kissed him soundly on the lips.

Rowen jerked slightly at the contact, his eyes wide. "Mia?" he asked weakly.

She smiled tightly down at the boy in her arms. "There, now you can't die on me. I need you here with me."

Rowen tried to shake his head; it felt so heavy. "Go. 'm not . . . worth . . . it." His face contorted up in pain, his eyes sliding closed, as he gasped for breath.

"Rowen? ROWEN!!"

The boy didn't answer and Mia almost panicked before she remembered that he was counting on her. Pulling his wrists together, she pressed down as hard as she could with one hand, her other was busy reaching for her cell phone. Pulling it out of her jacket pocket, she flipped it open and dialed 911.

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