Gazing Upward
Finding Out The Truth
By: Derrian Star

The afternoon wind picked up, swirling leaves around in the air. Creating delicate patterns of colour and shape. The limbs on trees swayed back and forth dancing with the sky's creation. The crystal blue lake sparkled brightly under the sun's shafts of light. It could be seen through the light tree cover from Mia's porch. Ryo sat on a wooden bench, watching the water, wind playing with his black hair. White Blaze lay at his feet, stretched out, head resting on his large white paws, and his long tail flicking back and forth. Ryo was pondering on how he could explain the past night's incounter with the twins'. How would they except the fact that evil forces plotted against the peace in their world, and that they themselfes might be in part of the plan. With everything that had happened at school and then this.... He was afraid it might prove to much for the delicate girl and her casual brother. "Ohhh..." the boy sighed lying down along the length of the bench, staring up into the white ceiling boards. The tiger raised his great head to make sure his master was not leaving, when he was not the animal lowered his head again and rolled on to his back, imitating. Ryo would have falling asleep, like his pet, if Mia would not have appeared in the doorway calling for him to come in. "Derrian offered to make dinner, and there's a few things I'd like to show you guys before we eat." Ryo got up and followed the girl inside, leaving his sleeping cat on the porch. They went into the computer lab, and Mia sat down at the setup in the middle of the room. She pulled her chair closer and switched on the computer, while Ryo pulled up a chair for himself. After a series of beeps the screen flashed to life. Mia placed in a disk and began typing, explaining to Ryo what she had found. "I went through my Grandfather's files, searching for something on that new Warlord. And I believe I found something completely by accident, but it's in old English, I can't under stand it." She looked at him with her large brown eyes. "Don't you think Sai, or Sage might under stand it." Ryo starred at the computer screen wishing he could read it. "I don't know, but we've got nothing to lose right?" Mia nodded "Where are the twins'?" "Derrian's still cooking and last I saw Adrian he was resting on the couch in the livingroom." the girl anwsered. Ryo stood up, "Kay, good. I'll be right back." he left the room, to find Sage and Sai. He didn't want either of the Stars' present in the room at the time, in case they might be able to read it, and became alarmed. He found Sage first. He was in his room. But seeing him consitrating, eyes closed, sitting cross-legged on his bed. Ryo desided to leave him alone, knowing the blond haired boy did not like to be interupted while meditating. He then went down the hall to the last door on the right, and peered in. The lights were off but he saw Sai sitting on his desk, feeding the several fish he had in a clear, well taken care of tank. While caring on a one sided conversation with the small creatures. Ryo hated to interupted the younger Ronin, seeing his child-like face, bathed in the white of the tank, lite up with love and affection, after he had seemed so lost in himself that day after lunch. "Hey Sai." The boy looked up and pushed the red-brown hair from his eyes, the smile now gone from his face. "Oh hey Ryo." he put the lid back on the fish food and set it down next to the tank. "Mia's got some stuff on the computer, she wants to know if you can translate it for us." Sai hopped down from the desk top, and went to stand in front of his friend. "Well I can try, I guess." They left the room and went back downstairs to the computer room. Mia looked up from the screen as they walked in together. Sai sat down in the chair next to her and Ryo stood behind them, his hand on their chair backs. Sai leaned forward in his chair and peered at the words. Mia scanned his face, hoping to see the signs of recgoniztion of his face, but it remained blank, only his eyes moved at he looked from one line to the next. After a few tense minutes he looked at Mia than back at Ryo. "It explains the legend of the 'Animal Lords'. F-five animal spirits taking on the form of humans. The Lion, Panther, Bear, Wolf, and....." he looked at them "And t-the Raven." "Nighthawk?" Ryo questioned standing straight. "I-I don't know." Sai whispered, starring at the screen once more. Mia looked at the boy. "Sai don't you think you could translate the whole thing for me and type it out." The Warriors of Trust knodded his head. "I'll do it before we eat." "Good." She gave her chair over to Sai and her and Ryo left him alone, to work. "This is getting strange. Where did all of these Warlords come from and why?" "And what do they want?" Ryo added, as they walked into the living room. Adrian was curled up at the end on the couch, blond mane scattered in front of his closed eyes. Ryo looked at the boy, he reminded the leader of Sai, so childlike and innocent, murmering softly in his sleep. Ryo and the others knew Sai hated to be called a child or that he needed protection. But the others couldn't help it they all knew that in truth the armor of Torrent was weaker, being constantly apart from its elemental center. "Ryo?" "Huh? Oh sorry Mia." Ryo had been so lost in his thoughts that him forgot to pay attention to Mia and their conversation. A wonderful smell lingered from the closed kitchen door, making Ryo stomach protest its hunger. "I'm just thinking....about the past. It has been so long. Why has the dynasty waited so long to attack again." They sat down in lounge chairs, and kept their voices down, so not to disturb the older twins rest. "Yes, it is almost as if they were waiting for this time to come. But why?" The door the the kitchen swung open and Derrian came out washing off her hands with a washcloth. She looked around for awhile before she noticed Ryo and Mia sitting in the pourly lite livingroom. "Supper done it you want to tell the others. I'm just going to go and wash up." the girl left them and went to the bathroom. Mia woke Adrian up while Ryo went upstairs to get Sage and Rowen. When he came he found Kento already downstairs, sitting at the table. They all sitted themselves and waited for the rest to come. Sai came in after awhile, having finished typing the legend out. Mia said they would look at it after they ate. Derrian was the last to come in, she had taken the time to put her thick green hair up in a pony tail. So she would be cooler. The girl took one last item out of the microwave and set it on the table before sitting down next to her, still half asleep, brother. They ate in peace, talking about their day at school. Ryo decide he would try to explian the whole 'Dynasty' thing after they ate, when they were going to look at what Sai had found on Mia's computer. Everything was goes fine until Sai uncovered a platter of 'Shrimp and Cream' His breath caught in his throat as he tried to contain him self. But just looking at the poor creatures drowned in the white cocktail sauce made him whimper with pity, as tears blurred his vision. He bolted from the room, knocking over his chair. The others looked up, shocked and the boy ran for the door. Kento popped another chip in his mouth and asked, "What's wrong with him, leaving all this food here?" "What happened?" Derrian questioned, her eyes wide and confused. Rowen went to pick up the chair when he notice what was in the food. "Oh no." Sage looked at his friend, "What is it Ro?" he asked going to stand next to the blue haired boy. "Shrimp." Ryo gasped and Kento began to laugh. Mia set down her fork and looked at the empty chair solomonly. "Oh poor Sai." The twins' looked at each other confused, "What is it? I don't understand" Derrian questioned again, when no one anwsered the first time. "We forgot to tell you about that..." the girl just looked more confusely at Mia. "Sai is kind of attached to his little fishy friends, and practically faints went he sees seafood." Kento explained when he had finished chewing. "Oh." Derrian bite her bottom lip, "Maybe I should go talk to him, and appoligize." she stood up. and left the room, hurriely. Adrian was about to follow her, when Sage stoped him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry about them, it has happened more than once." the older Star took his seat agian, but still he could feel how badly this rested on his twins' shoulder. She really felt bad, even though she had, not known.

****

"Sai?" Derrian called quietly as she walked into the room Kento shared with Sai. The room was dark all except for the bright light of the fish tank. Derrian remembered what Kento had said, she felt really bad. She had only want to do something nice for them, and she just ended up messing things up in front of the one person she didn't want to. The room was chilly, the patio door was open, but the curtians were closed. They waved around in the strong wind mockingly. Derrian pushed aside the flying curtians and looked out onto the porch, strands of her green hair coming out from their bindings wiping arounds in her face. She pushed them away and saw a lean shadowy figure sitting on a wooden bench. Taking a deep breath she walked up next to Sai and sat on the bench next to him. "Sai? You okay mate?" He nodded, but the look in his face told the girl otherwise. "I'm really sorry about that....I-I didn't know" She looked at him, but his eyes remained locked on something far in the distance. The boy sighed, "It's not your fault." his tear rimmed eyes met Derrian's, "It's my fault. I'm the one of sympathy. I can't help it." he looked away again. Derrian also looked out from the house, watching the sun as it was about to set. "Still I'm sorry, I'll make sure I remember that from now on." She pulled the red ribbon out of her hair, letting it cascade down around her slim shoulders. The wind immeditily caught up the wave of green and curled it around her pale face. Derrian leaned forward and rested her arms and head on the railing. Sai looked at the girl out of the corner of his eye, she seem really concerned. There was a passion in her big blue eyes, deep and endless, one that seemed to draw a person's soul into it. Derrian looked back at him, and he quickly turned away blushing scarlet. "Come on." he said standing up, "It's getting cold, we'd better head in." he helped Derrian to her feet, and they walked back inside together. And went downstairs to re-join the others and finish supper, with out the seafood.

****

Everyone sat in the livingroom after dinner, Ryo and Mia on the couch, Kento lounging in the lay-z-boy, Sai next to him sitting in the window sill. Sage and Rowen were sitting together on the coffee table, White Blaze was underneath it purring loudly. And the twins' sat side by side on the floor in front of the T.V. All was quiet except for the rumble in the large cat's thoat, and the constant ticking of the old Grandfather Clock. Mia held in her hand what Sai had type about the Animal Lords, she had printed it out and was now looking it over, a frown on her face. Ryo knew he was the one who was elected to explain everthing, so he started from the night before's inccident, taking a deep breath. "There is something you two need to know." He gazed at both Adrian and Derrian in turn. "Last night's events are not something that just happened and can be forgoten. Adrian you may not remember too much, since you were still under the effects of the potion, but Derrian that battle was just a small part of a string of wars that has been going on for hundreds of years. But only since last year has it really effected the lifes in Japan." He stopped to allow Mia to explain the history from her Grandfather's files. "Five hundred years ago, an evil force attacked the world. A man named Talpa, ruler of another dimension, sought to rule both his and this world. He wore a mystical armor that drew on the powers of the elements. But he was stopped by an ancient, who was more powerful than him. The ancient knowing that he could not destroy the armor, broke it into nine separate armors. Fire, Air, Water, Earth, and Spirit those five were given to Ryo, Rowen, Sai, Kento, and Sage. The Ronin Warriors. The other four were re-captured by Talpa and he gave then to four Warlords, who did his bidding." "The guys were able to defeat Talpa by combinding the powers of their armors to form a stronger one. But now it seems Talpa is back and he has some new helpers. The Man from last night, the one who wore the black armor. Was Nighthawk of the Raven. I found some info on him on my computer and Sai was able to translate it." "Nighthawk is a warrior from the 'Animal Lords' there are five warriors and each one posseses the power of a certain animal. The Lords are supposily looking for a way to bring the land back to the animals and it seems they may have joined forces with Talpa." She stopped and looked for a reaction. Both of the twins' had gone slightly paler, not knowning if what they had just heard was true. But then again they had been attacked by a man in armor and the Ronins' were able to call upon armors of their own. Derrian spoke out first, her voice quivering slightly. "Nighthawk, he said s-something about completing his masters' task. To bring me and Adrian to him, b-but why? We had not even known anything about this until now." her twin knodded "We don't know what Talpa might have planned." Sai anwsered quietly "Or why he is intrested in you two." "But we do know that you both might be in danger and were wondering if you'd like to stay here for awhile, just until we figure out if the Dynasty is really after you." Mia finished, not meeting the gaze of the twins'. The two looked at each other, as if looking into a mirror, and exchanged silent words. Before giving their anwser. "I would feel better if we stayed here, for more Der's stake than my own. If it is not too much of a burden for you all that is." Mia knodded her head. Her house was plenty big for all of them and with Kento around the refrigirator was always full, until he got to it. "But we'll have to go back to our house and get what we need." the younger Star added, she stood up with the help of her brother. They would leave as soon as Mia was ready, seening that their car was still at their house from yesterday. The white headlights flashed on as soon as the engine of the red Jeep started. A dark dog like shadow shifted in the bushes. As the vehicle pulled out of the driveway the light flash over the bushes, barely reveiling the features on a large grey wolf.

****

"And remember boys', it's the annual 'Moon Ball Dance' tommorow night. The young men must ask out the young ladies for this. The dance will be held at the West Ballroom from 7 to 1 o'clock a.m. Dress formally since this will be the last dance of the year." The P.A. system clicked off, and the students began filling out of their homerooms, and heading for their next class. Sai and Kento were heading to science together, the class was located on the second floor next to the weight room. They stoped at their lockers first then headed upstairs. "So," Kento started as they got to the top of the stairs "Are you going to ask a girl to the dance?" He looked at his friends pale smiling face. Sai looked at him with almost a panicy look, "Uh...hmm..maybe, I don't know" He nervously pushed his hair out of his eyes. Kento laughed at his friend awkwardness, "Well I'm believe there is a young girl just waiting out there for me to ask her." he smilied a big stupid grin. They arrived at their room, the teacher was not there yet, and there were only a few students sitting in their desks. "Hey maybe you should ask Derrian to go!" Kento commented as they walked in the room, nugging the younger Ronin with his elbow. Sai's head snapped up. "Huh!" Kento snickered, "You heard me." Sai shooked his head frantically, but his blush gave him away. "You like her, don't you!" Sai bite his bottom lip, turning reddier by the second. "I don't know." he mubbled. Kento slapped him on the back, with a proud gleam in his eye. "Your finalley starting to- Whoa!" A pretty red-headed girl walked past them, flipping her cute curls. "Hold that thought Sai. The master has some magic to do." the large boy trotted away after the girl, smiling merrily. Sai shook his head at his friend but was glad he had left. Looking around the room to make sure that no one had heard their conversation, Sai quickly took his seat and became as small as possible. Hoping no one would talk to him. Even if someone did, Sai probably would only be able to reply in a mass of nonsense.

****

The school day went amazinly fast. There was little trouble expect for Adrian almost got in a fight. He overheard two guys making wise cracks about his sister. But luckly Rowen was there to break it up, and keep his friend from being suspended. They were all walking home, next to a large stone wall. Kento tried to show of by walking on top of it, but he only managed to fall face first in a pile of rose bushes. "Ow!!!! OH help! Get me out of here!" he complained, thrashing around. Ryo and Sage were able to grab his wrists and haul Kento out. He was covered in thorns and leaves. "Ouch!" he yelped as Sai pulled one out "Hey cut it out!" They continued walking hearing a series of 'ouches' ever couple steps. Adrian laughed and lept up on the the wall, he remained perfectly balanced and followed them walking on the skinney ledge, hands behind his back. "Show off." Kento muttered, yanking out another thorn. Kento had, had a good day up until then. He had even gotten a date for the dance. The curly red haired girl he had met while going to science. He found out her name was Anna and he had asked that very same day after school. He claimed she was wildly in love with him. Sage was explaining to Rowen how he had finalley picked out his date from the long line of girls. "Yeah it was a pretty hard choice, but I stuck with Nesha Clamets." he seemed quite proud of himself. Isn't that the dark brown haired girl you ignored a couple days. ago?" Rowen asked teasing his friend. Sage flipped his hair out of his eye, and the slight breeze held it out of his face. "Yeah, but I wanted to show her that there was no hard feeling. She was quite pleased, I might add." Rowen smiled croakedly, looking up into the sky. He had not asked anyone yet, but he planned to ask someone tonite. He just hoped no one had already asked her. Her name was Akane, she is in his Histroy and they are pretty good friends. So Rowen figured they would have a fun time. "Who you going ask Ryo?" Rowen questioned the dark haired boy, even through he pretty muched knew the answer. Ryo placed his hands behind his head, "I don't know. I was hoping Mia would like to go since her school is coming." Rowen was right. The talking quieted as a set of three bikers came speeding down the sidewalk ahead of them. The cyclists began to slow their speed as they saw the seven pedesterings. Getting out of the way the Ronins' moved out into the street, and Derrian move closer to the wall, staying with her twin who remained on the top of the stone wall. Adrian squinted his eyes against the bright sun, trying to see if he recognized the three, but he couldn't make out their shadowed faces. He looked down at his sister and shrugged his shoulders, getting back a disturbed look from the girl. The bikers were almost to them and both of them had a bad feeling in their stomachs. The three came as one, hooting and laughing. The first biker that made it to them, rode right through the group on the street. He stuck his foot out and caught Sai in the knees. The young boy fell to the ground with a cry of pain. Kento lept to his friend's side. Standing between him and the laughing cyclist, yelling angerly at the boy on the small 'Mongoose' bike. The second boy stood straight up, balancing on the petals, and rode right between Derrian and the wall, forcing the girl to jump out of the way. The biker gave a whoop and caught ahold of Adrian's foot, causing the boy to loose his footing and tumble ove r to the other side of the ledge, out of view of the others, with a startled yelp. Then there was a loud crash on the other side, but Derrian didn't notice. The third biker came to a screeching halt directly in front of her. The young man's deep brown eyes peered out from under jet black bangs, reguarding her with intrest. "Hey there baby." the man said, still sitting quite relaxon his small red bike. The girl's eyes narrowed with disgust. She had been having way too much of this lately. Why couldn't these guys grow up and show some respect. Derrian looked out into the street, and saw Ryo, Rowen, and Sage trying to keep Kento from starting a fight with the second blond biker. "I'm not your baby, mate." she tried to put venom behind her words, but was having little luck. The man's face took on a saddened appearence and he pretended to brush a tear away. "Oh, now you've hurt my feelings." His partners laughed. "I was only trying to be a hero in your eyes sweet cheeks. Getting rid of these big mean baddies for ya." He smiled sweetly, glancing at the Ronin's. Derrian grinned back, but not with the same sweetness. "I'm quite able to take care of myself, thank you." She walk past the biker, just wanting to get away from there. But she was brought to an abrupt hault. The guy slid an arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him. "Uhh come up baby, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. Let me make it up to you." he caressed her cheek, looking deeply into her eyes. A forgiving frown on his face. Derrian tried to push the guys hands away, but he proved to be much stronger than her. "Get your hands off of me you big jerk!" she cried struggling when he caught up her wrists with his free hand. "Let her go Tony." Ryo called. Him and the others walked over, gathereing around the two. Kento held up Tony squirming friend from the shirt collar, smiling seeming pleased with himself, he tossed the guy down next to the bike leader. Adrian slowly climbed up from the other side of the stone wall. He appeared not to be hurt from the fall, just anger registered on his face as he lept down to the ground, throwing a devlish grin at the biker who was still sitting next to the wall. The older twin joined the group, and crossed his arms over his chest, flames flashing in his green eyes. Tony sneered and pushed the girl away. She stumbled and fell into Sai's arms, who kept her from falling. She was pushed back behind his form to keep safe. But want she really wanted was revenge. Ryo put his hands on his hips. "Your outnumbered Tony, so I suggest you take your buddies and leave." The lead biker scowled at the group. Then motioned with his head, to his friends. They mounted their bikes and slowly rode away, hooten and haulering. Tony turned around, loooking back and said, "I'll be back for ya love. To take you away to our castle in the sky." He laughed as the three disappeared over a hill. "Jerks!" Kento yelled, after the vanished figures, shaking his fist in the air. Derrian drew in a shaky breath. "Why?" she asked "Why do they do that? I'm not some prize that can be won!" her anger grew along with her voice. Stamping her sandeled foot down, she spun around and ran in the direction of Mia's house. "Derrian!" Adrian called after his twin. Yet he didn't run after her. ~Just leave me alone....please. I need some time to think.~ Her thoughts were red in his mind as her anger burned threw him like fire, causing him to feel her pain and hurt. "How can people be so cruel?" Sai asked humbly, looking down at his hands. They were bloody from havin been scraped on the road, and full of dirt. Kento looked at his friend and shrugged his broad shoulders, not knowing the answer.

****

By the time Derrian made it to Mia's house she was breathing with whizzing gasps, hand on her chest hoping to calm the flutter of her heart. After her parents died, and her and Adrian had been placed in the shelter home, the supervisors always wanted them to go to the doctor, believing they might have asthma. But Derrian refused to go and Adrian would not leave his twin. And now with the fact that she was crying didn't help. She almost feared she might pass out. But after awhile of breathing in with deep rythem, than labored task of taking in air soon subsided to a pulsing side-ache, which she ignored. Slowly making her way up the drive way she glanced longenly at the front door of the large house, but instead of going to it, she walked past the building and headed for the wooden area. She wanted to find a place that was quiet, so she had time the calmed down and think. She pushed through the thick under brush, which snagged at her clothing and skin, and came up to the lake. The water sat like a smooth sheet of glass in its bed. The sun's reflection remained undesturbed at the opposite edge. Glowing a brilliant red. Derrian brushed her hand absently acrossed her eyes, sniffing. This day could be going no worse. What with all the taunts and jokes that she had tried to push to the back of her mind for the last couple days, ever since they first got here. And all the boys, treating her as if she was a game, trying to she who would be the first to win her affection. Then the girls getting angry at her for stealing their play toys. And then the recent bike incendent just pushed her off the edge. She knelt down, and sat back on her heels, spreading her skirt around herself. In the shade of the trees, well away from the water. ~Why do they hate us so?~ she thought, knowing that Adrian had, had his share of insults. Was it because they were foreign to this country or did they just find it fun to pick on the new kids. The girl sat alone, thinking about the past. About how much she missed her old school, old home, and old friends.

To Be Continued....

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Hey this is the author speaking, I know it has been awhile since I have added chapters to my stories, but it is kind of hard to get free time. Summer college and everything. So I hope you'll bare with me mates. This chapter was originally about twice as long and still growing but it seems that the text program could not allow that much so I split it into two different (maybe even three) sections. This chapter has very little action besides from the biker incident, I wanted to get more into the school life of the characters. But the next chapter will have more action (battles gallor!) so until then..... Moon, Shade, and Shadow,
Derrian Star 1