Ronin Warriors Fan Fiction ❯ Pain, Joy, Life ❯ The Stranger ( Chapter 3 )

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

Warning, I'm not nice to Ryo or any other character, now that I think about it.


Thanks to everyone who's reviewing, I really appreciate it.

Note: I'd like to thank Sanada Mirako for the information about Wicca sent to me.

Also, my everlasting gratitude to my dear beta readers, Valandra and Zorra, without whom I'd be lost.

Just so everyone knows, I don't mean to offend any witches out there, but I know very little about the religion. I'm getting all my information from books and off the Internet. If I have anything wrong, please let me know so I can make the story accurate. Also, no flames if you're intolerant about Wicca. I'm an equal opportunity writer and that includes religions.



Now, onto the story!





PAIN, JOY, LIFE




Chapter 3
The stranger




Ryo-





'I won't cry!' It was a normal, everyday thing to have friends come to your house, but Ryo knew he'd never have that experience, unless, of course, he wanted to be terminally embarrassed. It wasn't worth the look he knew Touma would give him when he saw Ryo's home. When Touma saw that Ryo couldn't take care of his granma properly or that Ryo often spent his nights scrubbing the kitchen floor because sister Jo was to tired. Not that he was ashamed of the shelter, Ryo knew he was very lucky to have a good place to live, but...he just didn't want anyone to know.

'How could I let Touma see how I live? Oh, now wouldn't that be just perfect! Bring Touma back to the shelter and beg a little more food from sister Jo, so Touma can have dinner with me.' Ryo wanted to curl up and die. He'd never felt so miserable in his entire life.

Ryo ran to catch up to Seiji, who'd gone on ahead, after school. It was Tuesday and that meant it was Ryo's day to work at Seiji's home. Seiji never waited around after school, preferring to go straight home and get to work in his family's dojo.

Seiji never wasted time hanging out after school, he had too much to do. Unless it involved hanging around with Xiu, for whom he had all the time in the world. Ryo had been going to this school for about three weeks now and he was amazed at the relationship between Seiji and Xiu. They were completely opposite in personality and temperament, yet they were like two sides to the same coin, inseparable. Right down to Xiu's fooling around and Seiji's always serious expressions.

Ryo was the first to admit that he wasn't the brightest guy on the face of the Earth, but even he could tell that Seiji and Xiu were in love. It didn't bother him at all, Ryo had known lots of people who fancied that kind of relationship. It did bother him that Touma and Shin didn't seem to think anyone knew about it. While they were trying to protect the reputations of their friends, Ryo could see that it was useless.

'Maybe I'm just to used to the streets.' Ryo thought. 'Seiji and Xiu aren't used to hiding such important or dangerous secrets like that. Then again, Touma had said once that both Seiji and Xiu were fighters and well known for their skill, so that made them both a little safer.'

Seiji paused by water fountain in the park, like he always did, and that's where Ryo caught up to him. In silence they walked back to Seiji's house and Ryo tried not to think about how Touma had looked so shocked and hurt when Ryo had refused to let Touma see his home. 'I'll have to...' What? Explain to him? How could he possibly do that?

"Is something wrong, Ryo?"

Ryo looked up at Seiji, who was looking at Ryo from out of the corner of his eye, but shook his head. Seiji, thankfully, was one of those rare people who didn't ask uncomfortable questions. He seemed perfectly content to allow Ryo his silence. Though Seiji was almost a full head taller than Ryo, the blonde didn't intimidate Ryo. Seiji had a kind of peace that surrounded him and gentleness in his eyes. Seiji would hear anyway, soon. Touma was a close friend to Seiji and would no doubt tell Seiji what Ryo had done. That brought on another worrying thought. What if Seiji fired him because he'd been rude to Touma?

"Would you mind a little extra work tonight, Ryo?"

Seiji's sudden question brought Ryo back to reality and he gave Seiji a puzzled look. Extra work?

"I'm having a little party tonight and I need some help setting up. Would you mind?" Seiji looked at Ryo from out of his one visible eye. There was something odd in his tone, but Ryo wasn't sure what it was. Seiji always seemed calm and in control, there was no real difference now. Only...it seemed like Seiji was nervous about something.

Ryo shook his head, of course he wouldn't mind. If he stayed longer, that would mean more money. Maybe, he could finally afford to buy a properly fitting uniform. Maybe, it would help take his mind off Touma.





Seiji-





Sei ji knew there was something bothering Ryo. He was very good at reading people and Ryo was distracted by something. They walked together and Seiji wondered if Ryo had heard about him and Xiu.

It worried him occasionally that someone would find out he was infatuated with his best friend, but Ryo didn't seem like the kind of person who'd hold that against him like that. It must be something else.

'He was talking to Touma after school,' Seiji thought, remembering that he'd seen the two talking at the school's gate. 'I'll ask Touma when I see him again.'



Later-




"The dojo is yours." Grandfather told Seiji after he'd dismissed his last class of the evening.

"Thank you, grandfather." Seiji waited for the dojo to empty of students, and for his grandfather to leave, before he did anything. He'd always disliked doing things in front of crowds, and now he wanted a little privacy. Not that he was ashamed of his skill, he was just shy. In fact, Seiji was quite proud of his talent and he worked very hard to be the best.

When the dojo was empty, Seiji went to the weapons wall, an ornate display of all the weapons grandfather taught, and choose his favorite. The no-datchi (long sword) was what grandfather had trained Seiji to use, ever since Seiji's earliest memories, fostering Seiji's love of the immense weapon. The no-datchi, though a fine weapon, didn't feel right in Seiji's hand. It was as if it were...off. Like something was missing. However, grandfather never bought anything but quality from the finest metal smiths in Japan, so Seiji knew the sword was perfect. There must be something wrong with him and therefore he kept practicing.

As he swung the sword in graceful arches, Seiji thought about the boy toiling away in the garden just outside. He wouldn't go so far as to call Ryo a friend, yet, but Shin certainly liked him and Shin was a very good judge of character. If he said someone was honest, they were honest, there was no question.

Still, Seiji had known people who'd turned out to be less that ideal friends once they found out about his faith. That was nothing, though, compared to the few who'd managed to find out about his relationship with Xiu. So far, Seiji hadn't trusted anyone with that information but Touma and Shin, his two closest friends besides Xiu. Ryo didn't seem like he'd be the type to just turn on a person, but Seiji didn't want to take chances. It wasn't worth the pain of letting someone get close and then have them look at you in disgust. No, the only people Seiji could trust were Touma, Shin, and Xiu. Ryo would have to prove himself.

Seiji hadn't realized how long he'd been doing his workout or how lost in his thoughts he was until he noticed Ryo standing in the doorway, watching him. Seiji didn't stop, though. He knew he was damned good with his sword, so it didn't bother him to have someone watch. He'd been in enough competitions, after all, even though they were nerve-wracking events with so many eyes on him.

When he had finished, Seiji lowered the no-datchi and turned to look at Ryo. Ryo was dressed in the ugly sweat suit he'd been wearing the first day he'd come to school, and looked like he was breathing a bit hard from the work.

Ryo had diligently come to work every Tuesday and Friday afternoon to clean and help out around the house, and he was indeed a hard worker, just as he'd said he was. Even now, Ryo was dirty and slightly sweaty from setting up the bonfire and cleaning up the winter mess from the garden. Nothing was growing, now, but it was still hard work setting up for Candelmas.

"Did you like the show? My work out, I mean?" Seiji asked softly, not moving from his spot in the center of the dojo floor. All right, so maybe he was a little vain.

Ryo nodded and smiled shyly before licking his lips, a sign, Seiji had noticed, that signaled he was about to speak. "I u-u-use kat-t-tanas.

"Really?" Seiji blinked in surprise. Somehow, he wouldn't have thought of Ryo as a swordsman. Ryo was to skinny, for one thing, he looked far to weak to lift even the lightest of katanas. There was no possible way Ryo could lift Seiji's no-datchi. "Where did you learn that?"

Ryo's face fell and darkened and Seiji wished he hadn't asked.

"M-mom." Ryo looked for a minute like he might either cry or lash out at whatever was in arms reach. Then, he sighed and all the fight drained out of him. It was like Ryo knew getting angry wouldn't help this particular problem.

Seiji dismissed the idea of asking about Ryo's mom, it was obviously something he didn't want to talk about and Seiji knew that feeling all to well. Instead, he changed the subject. "Class is finished, you can start cleaning whenever." He turned and hung the no-datchi on the wall with the other weapons in the displayed collection while Ryo went to get out the mop and broom in the hall closet.




Seiji sat on the steps just outside the dojo to cool down. It wasn't as cold today as it usually was, but the cool air felt so nice and refreshing right now. From here, he could also watch Ryo while he cooled off. Ryo, for his own part, paid Seiji no attention at all. He simply worked and pretended that Seiji wasn't watching him. About an hour later, a heavily sweating Ryo paused while he was scrubbing the floor and sat up. Sitting back on his knees, Ryo pulled off his dirty gray sweatshirt and Seiji almost gasped at the condition Ryo was in.

"He is a hard worker."

Seiji didn't have to turn to look at his grandfather who was now standing next to him. He'd heard the man walk up behind him several minutes ago.

"Yes," Seiji answered. "But, I didn't realize he was so thin." It disturbed him to no end that he hadn't noticed it before. That must be why Ryo wore all the baggy clothes. 'I should have seen it!'

Ryo threw his sweat shirt aside and continued his work, still ignoring his audience. Where or not he was embarrassed or just didn't care about how he looked, Seiji didn't know. Seiji could clearly see Ryo's ribs and his arms were painfully thin. From the back, Ryo's spine stood out horribly, like a knotted rope under his skin. He must were all the baggy clothes to hide how thin he was. How could Ryo find strength to do anything?

"Have you asked him why he wants to work so hard?" Grandfather asked Seiji.

Seiji shook his head. "I presumed that he wanted to make a little extra money. It must be more than that."

Grandfather just took it all in as they watched Ryo start to wash the windows in the dojo. "It seems as if he needs this job very badly. Perhaps there is another way you can help him." Grandfather suggested before he left.

Seiji thought about this while Ryo worked like a dog and couldn't think of anything he could do. Grandfather Date didn't approve of Seiji's religion and really didn't understand it. Did grandfather really think Seiji could just wave a magic wand and make everything all better? There was no magic that could cure so simply, especially when Ryo was so badly off.

Then again, maybe something more mundane was in order. Often, the simplest things were most effective. With that though, Seiji went into the house to brew up some of his special tea and brought it out to Ryo along with a snack.





"Why don't you stay a while, Ryo? I'm having a party tonight with Xiu, Shin, and Touma. Will you join us?" Seiji stopped Ryo just outside the dojo as Ryo was wiping the sweat off his face and the back of his neck with his sweatshirt. 'What on Earth made me say that?!' Seiji never invited anyone over but his closest friends.

Ryo looked away, pulling his sweatshirt back over his head. He looked doubtful and then shook his head and motioned with his hand toward the door, trying to say that he had to go. "G-g-granma waiting. Gotta go h-h-home."

"You know, I was thinking, perhaps it is just lack of practice that makes your stutter so bad." Seiji persisted, trying to be polite with the sensitive subject, unwilling to let Ryo just walk away. "I know that others must tease you about it and that it why you don't speak. You can speak to me freely and I won't laugh. None of us tease Shin and you know what a hard time he has talking."

Ryo looked at him with hope growing in his eyes. Seiji could see him considering the offer, weighing the offer in his mind, before nodding. Seiji let himself have a small smile. "Then you must speak to me, Ryo."

Ryo licked his lips and concentrated. "T-thanks." It came out pitifully slowly, but at least it wasn't as bad as usual. Ryo smiled shyly at his new friend, looking pleased with how well he'd done.

"No problem. Tell me, why do you want to work for us? This is a hard job, I know." Seiji gave him a cup of tea, from the teapot he'd brought outside. "It's good for you, drink up."

Ryo shrugged. "B-better job than ot-thers." He took a sip of the tea, but scowled at the taste and gave Seiji a funny look.

"It won't kill you. Drink up. Now, what other jobs?"

Ryo set the teacup back down on it's tray and looked away from Seiji. He really didn't want to answer that, it seemed. Seiji knew Ryo was hiding something. Ryo wasn't a very good liar and he'd been hiding something since he'd first started coming to school. At first, Seiji had thought it was because Ryo couldn't read. Xiu had told him what Touma had said about Ryo not being able to read.

Seiji saw the pained look in Ryo's eyes before changing the subject, saying, "I'll see you at school tomorrow. The invitation is always open, if you decide to come. Bring your grandmother, also."

Ryo liked his lips, thinking, and then shook his head, no. "S-s-she doesn't l-" Ryo paused and took a deep breath before continuing. "Like v-" Another pause before continuing, "Visiting." Ryo was starting to sound strained, he really didn't want to talk and Seiji could see the signs that Ryo was starting to get angry. There was a tightness that formed around Ryo's eyes when he was getting angry and a tick in his forehead.

Seiji nodded and decided that he'd pushed his luck with Ryo enough for one day and that it would be best to drop the subject now, before Ryo exploded. "Here's your pay." He handed Ryo a handful of yen. "If your grandmother feels like visiting for a hot meal, tell her that you are both welcome."




Touma-





It was a bad night. No, perhaps bad was a bit of an understatement.

Touma curled into a ball on the floor, with his arms wrapped around his head to protect it.

Thump!

Slam!

Touma had been like this forever, it seemed, just cowering on the floor. He knew he was shaking, but just couldn't seem to stop. Another kick connected with Touma's back and he bit back a grunt of pain.

"Little Shit!" The curse shot through Touma more surely than any arrow ever could. "Just like your God damned mother!"

It went on like this with occasional cursing and Touma had been spit on more than once. Touma's world was spinning violently and he forced his mind blank. A vast black nothingness where no words or blows could hurt him was his own private spot, where no one could touch him. Touma lost himself in the void of his own mind, finding comfort in the silence and in the coolness he imagined against his skin.

Sometimes, Touma wished he could lose himself here. No one would ever touch him again...

"I'm sorry." The voice, filled with sorrow, broke through Touma's mind and dragging him back to reality. His dad's large hand started petting Touma's hair and Touma curled himself up tighter, not quite willing to leave his protective void. It was hard to tell what dad was going to do when he was in this condition. Touma didn't even know what had brought on this attack...no...dad was just angry. This wasn't an attack, dad wasn't the enemy. He was just angry sometimes.

Touma let himself drift out of his void and back into the apartment he lived with his dad. Pain washed over him when Touma left the void and he almost wished he didn't have to leave it. Reality wasn't the most pleasant of things, to Touma.

"I'm sorry." Touma's dad whispered softly again. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you, Touma. Oh, God, I didn't mean it." He dissolved into sobs, all the while petting Touma's hair like he was some wounded animal. In the end, Touma slowly peeked out of the shelter of his arms and sighed. His dad looked so pitiful in this condition, unshaven and sallow skinned from days spend without sunlight.

"It's OK, dad. I'm not hurt." Touma spoke softly, in a voice he knew from experience would calm his dad. "I'll be OK." This was why Touma couldn't lose himself in the void. His dad needed him. Who'd take care of him if Touma weren't here?

Touma's dad blinked at Touma and swayed slightly. "I don't want to hurt you, Touma. You know I love you, you're my son. I never wanted to hurt you."

"I know, dad." Touma slowly sat up, careful of his back and he felt something warm running down the side of his face. Touma put a hand to his face and hissed in pain when he touched the large cut. Shit!

'Shin's going to raise Hell when he sees this.' Shin was notorious for that sort of thing. God help anyone who crosses that boy's path when it involved a friend.

Touma's dad was crying, now, and Touma felt like his heart was going to break. "Go to bed, dad. I'll clean up out here." Yeah, dad needed to rest. Rest would make him feel better in the morning.

Obediently, as if he were the child, Touma's dad stood up shakily and staggered across the small apartment to his bedroom, still muttering that he'd never wanted to hurt his son, and closed the door behind him.

Touma sat on the floor, utterly still, while he listened to the muffled sounds of his dad crying. Touma sat there on the floor, not wanting to move because of the pain shooting though the side of his head. He was quiet until the crying in the other room slowed and then stopped and Touma knew his dad was sleeping.

A nearby chair was need to haul himself to his feet and Touma had to lean against a wall until the world stopped spinning and he was able to stand without the danger of falling down. After limping to the bathroom, Touma started washing his face. He didn't know how bad it was until he looked up into the mirror that hung over the sink.

Shit. Double shit.

Touma's face had been busted up pretty good, even his eye was bleeding, dying the white part of his left eye bright red. His blue hair was all ready matted with drying blood that had run down the side of his face. Fighting back tears, Touma finished washing his face, cleaned his hair, and washed up any little cuts he found. After that was done, Touma checked all his teeth and was happy to find that none of them had been loosened this time. He would have a nasty scar if that cut of his cheek didn't heal well, though.

He cleaned up the mess his dad had made and then Touma locked the door of the apartment on his way out. He needed to get out for a while, to find some food, if nothing else. Touma ended up wandering the city with his face lowered, wondering what he should do. Shin's family would put him up for a night, but he really didn't want to take advantage of Shin or his moms. They, like Xiu's family, were really too good to him. Touma couldn't count the number of times he'd run to one family or the other, begging for a place to sleep for the night. He hated doing it, but he knew he wouldn't be turned away.

Tonight was different. Touma didn't want to see friendly, sympathetic faces. He didn't want anyone's moms giving him pitying looks. Touma kept walking, going in circles and passing the same stores several times. He had no idea where he was going, he just didn't want to be home.

'I could go to Seiji's party. He never ends them before midnight, anyway, so everyone will still be there.' Touma thought. They would welcome him and Shin would still be there with soft words and his inborn kindness. He'd also be swearing vengeance on whoever had done this to Touma, but Touma didn't want his dad to get in trouble and he knew if Shin got angry enough, he was going to call the police on Touma's dad. Shin was the greatest friend Touma could ask for, but he was also harsh and vindictive when it came to protecting those he cared about. It had been hard enough to keep Shin from calling the cops before this, but Touma didn't think Shin would keep quiet if he saw Touma like this.

Seiji could probably make the pain go away with a few gentle touches or one of those vile smelling pastes he made. It might be worth it to face Shin's fury to let Seiji take the pain away. Touma paused, mulling over this thought, when he happened to look into a store window, reminding him of what he looked like. He saw his face again and knew he wouldn't be going to Seiji. His friends had seen him pretty bad, but never this bad.

Touma kept walking for the longest time until he was just to bloody tired to move anymore. His leg was killing him and he though that maybe he'd lost to much blood from his head wound as he started feeling dizzy, so he sat on a curb to rest.

"Hey, kid."

Touma looked up to see a handsome, well-dressed man in a sharp looking blue suit smiling down at him.

"You look like you've had a rough night."

"You wouldn't believe it." Touma muttered, putting a hand to the side of his still aching skull. Part of his mind was screaming at him that meeting strangers on the streets at this time of night was a very bad idea, but everything seemed kind of cloudy at the moment.

"Now, who would want to mess up a good looking face like yours?"

Touma scowled. He might not to thinking quite straight at the moment, but even he could hear smooth undertones in the man's voice. Touma looked away in the hopes that the man would go away. No such luck would be granted to him this night.

"Come on, kid." The man sat beside him on the curb and gave Touma a friendly smile. "You can tell me."

"I'd rather not." Touma said as coldly as he could.

"Do you have a place to stay?"

"What?" Touma finally looked at the man, confused about the question.

The man sighed, almost sadly. "I've seen this a thousand times. Tell me, was it your dad who beat you or your mom's boyfriend? Maybe your boyfriend?"

Touma flushed, but didn't answer. He didn't know if he was more embarrassed that the man suggested he was gay or that the man had known someone was beating him. He chose to keep quiet and wished he could find the strength to stand up, but everything seemed so hard. Just breathing hurt and Touma wondered if maybe his dad had hurt his lungs.

"Don't be embarrassed, kid." The man said, seeing his blush. "Like I said, I've seen it all before. Lots of young people getting thrown onto the streets because some bastard doesn't treat them right. What did you do, burn dinner? Maybe you forgot to take out the garbage? Some other stupid reason, no doubt."

Touma didn't like this man, but he seemed to make so much sense. The man spoke softly in smooth tones, but he was sitting entirely to close for comfort's sake. "I didn't to anything. It's not your business, anyway. Look, I just want to be alone." Touma finally managed to push himself to his feet and started to walk away, even though it still hurt so damned much.

Unfortunately, the man was right beside him quickly. "I understand, but this is a dangerous part of town at this time of night, especially. I can give you a place to spend the night and you can leave in the morning. I have some other people staying with me who are in the same situation that you're in."

"I don't want anything. I just want to go home." Touma insisted.

"Of course you do." The man moved, shifting himself so he stood in Touma's path. His attitude grew more forceful instantly. "I'm sure at home another round of pain is waiting for you."

Touma started backing away, truly frightened. "That's not true." But Touma sounded weak, even to himself. "Dad didn't mean it..."

"Then what did he mean? Was it just a love tap gone wrong?" The stranger shook his head, pityingly. "You don't have to stay there, you know. I can make sure your dad never hurts you again. I'll make sure you stay safe and you'll have a place to live and plenty of food to eat." The offer was tempting, but Touma didn't like the way this guy was looking at him.

Touma had kept backing away from the man while the stranger was talking and moving towards Touma until Touma backed into a brick wall and froze. There was nowhere else for him to run and the man kept coming closer until they were practically nose to nose.

The man reached out a hand and brushed aside a lock of blue hair that kept falling in Touma's eyes. "You'd be very pretty once we let these injuries heal, a very pretty blue bird, and put a little meat on your bones. There are lots of people who would pay good money for you, kid."

Touma's mind blanked with horror for a split second and the man leaned in closer.

"Just think about it. I won't let anyone hurt you, you'll never have to go back to the bastard who did this to you, you'll be warm and fed. I'll even give you something to make you feel very, very good." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small plastic envelope filled with white powder.

Hurt and confused as he was, Touma had never been accused of being stupid. "Oh, shit!" He cried and tried to make a break for it when the man caught his arm. "Get the Hell away from me!" He said, trying to break free, but the stranger was far stronger than he looked and didn't let go.

The man smiled sweetly. "Now, that's no way to act to someone who's trying to help you. I can make all your problems go away." Again, he backed Touma into the brick wall and pinned him there with his own body.

Touma felt sick to his stomach and he started to cry, he was just so fucking scared! 'Don't let him touch me!' Touma prayed to any god or goddess who would listen. 'Please, don't let him touch me!'

"No need to cry." The man's smile melted into a smirk. With one hand on Touma's chest, the man used one gloved hand to wipe away a tear on Touma's cheek. "I'll take care of you from now on."






To be continued...


Lil' Demoness: You can't leave us hanging like that! What's going to happen to poor little Touma?

Evil Little god of Writing: I can guess! I can guess! Oh...ran away from home, abused, starving, weak, defenseless, and he meets his first pimp. I just KNOW what's going to happen. I'll help with the next chapter, I promise.

Cousin D: You THINK you know what's going to happen.

Evil Little god of Writing: What do you mean? Awwww, I wanna see rape! You're not giving into Lil' Demoness' sappy ways, are you?

Lil' Demoness: Is it true? Will you let me have Touma? ElgoW has all the fun lately. It's all pain and torture and I never get anything more than a few lines here and there. I deserve a little more!

Cousin D: You don't think I'm going to tell that where all the readers can see this, do you? Come into the other room and I'll tell all...