Wedding Bells
Chapter 16

 

Everybody was in the living room, waiting for a long explanation. Cale and Kayura retired for the night since it was a big day tomorrow. Anubis took Mia to bed since they've already heard the story before. Dais and Sekhmet stayed up to help pull away anybody that got too close, namely two blue-haired people that had already clashed before.

"Where should you guys start?" Ryo asked.

In a monotone, Royda told the same story she had told Mia and Anubis about a month ago in another world. She told how each girl came to the Ancient not just for guidance but also to fulfill a destiny. They each demonstrated their in-born powers minus Kishin. The girl wasn't there and they didn't explain anything about her face. Royda explained about the circumstances that led to the acquiring of their armors and the original and modified purposes of the Ancient's Warriors. She ended the story with the day Anubis turned to the Dynasty and Nasuti's death. Four hundred year later, here they were.

"That's some story," Sage said. He looked at Royda, still in her armor. She seemed to be a lot more comfortable in it than any of the others.

"It's our story. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go look for Kishin." She got up and left.

"Nobody's going to stop her, is there?" Kento asked.

"With her armor on and her in a pissy mood, you're welcomed to try." Reva thought for a second. "On second thought, don't try it. I'll go after her."

"You?!" Cye and the two other girls said in unison.

"What? Are you crazy?" Kala added.

"I don't know. We'll find out later, won't we?" She headed for the door.

"You've got one strange girlfriend Cye," Kento told him.

***

"You...you noticed?" Kishin stammered out as she reached a hand up to her face.

"Of course I noticed," Rowen answered. "I didn't say anything since I figure that was what Reva and Kala were yelling at me for. They didn't want me to see that. But you did."

"No I didn't!" she quickly answered.

"Yes you did! You didn't even pull away from me. What happened to it?"

"You really want to know?" He nodded. "Okay, but I'm warning you, you don't tell this to anyone." He nodded again.

***

1575. Mt. Dojo, Japan.

"All five of you will compete in the tournament tomorrow," the Ancient told us. We were all barely 13 years old and he was putting us on the spot. "You must all try to use your skills and not rely on your powers. Those can fade but your mind must always be sharp. You will compete with the weapon of your choice. Choose well my granddaughters."

I stayed up all night just because I was so excited. I practiced up and down the hall with my sword and I knew Royda watched me. If everything had gone like planned, the two of us would have met in the end. She was an excellent swordswoman, still is, and would have beaten me in the end. I think she was thinking of throwing the match just to let me win.

Anyway, morning came and all of us were ready. Royda and I would compete in the kendo bracket while the others picked theirs. You would have competed with Mira in the kyudo bracket and Cye would have been with Reva in the staff bracket. Kala picked a kusarigama and nobody messed with her. She easily won that bracket without any hassle. Everybody was winning their brackets and it looked like Royda and I would be meeting in the final. But somebody had other plans.

We used to use real swords in kendo and that was dangerous enough so Grandfather dulled the blades as well as the tips of it to minimize injuries. However, there was one person that didn't follow those rules. She was a last minute replacement and nobody knew who she was. She had her eyes on Royda all the time, even in practice. Everything she did tried to annoy Royda but she wouldn't bite. You have to understand that Royda was a lot worse about being indifferent back then than now. The girl was getting mad and I just happened to be the one last obstacle for that match with her.

"Why don't you just forfeit so I can go battle that other girl?" she told me.

"Why don't you just fight and less talk? I'm not going to make this easy for you."

We fought and it was a long one. Neither one of us wanted to give an inch. I just found out before my match that Royda was thinking of throwing her next match so I could win. My pride for the better of me. I wanted to get to the final already and show that I could beat her without any favors from anybody. My concentration slipped but I was able to recover. That one time was the only thing she needed.

I was paying more attention on what I was going to do the next fight than that one. She saw an opening and suddenly I find that I couldn't see out of my right eye. I dropped my sword and dropped to my hands and knees. I could see the little pool of blood then my vision blurred and I blacked out. When I woke up, I heard about how Royda beat the girl and chased her outside the walls. I was so embarrassed by how I acted and what I thought about Royda that I couldn't face her for a long time after that.

They told me that the tip of the girl's blade was what caught me. Good thing I moved fast enough to avoid the whole sword. The tip ran from the bottom of my right eye all the way down to my chin. With the scar, somehow the cut had done something to my eye, too. My green eye turned a little to the blue side and it was noticeable. It hurt for a couple of days and everybody thought that there wouldn't be any scar. The scar stayed and also that feeling of humility on my part.

***

"That girl," Rowen started as she finished her story, "it was Tyra, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, I was one of her first victims and I think the major reason why Royda hates her."

There was a silence between them and this time it was ackward. He still didn't understand why she would tell that story to him nor why she showed that only to him. He looked at her and found her looked up at the sky.

"That's the only reason why you cover it up then? Because it's a scar on your face?"

"No, there's more to it than that." She got up and rubbed her arms. "Everything that happened that day was my first and biggest mistake. All this under my hair is just a reminder." She gave a nervous laugh. "One time I was thinking of just killing myself so I didn't have to see my face. Of course, Royda was there to stop me and talk some sense into me. My biggest disappointment was when I thought I knew somebody. I thought he understood everything I went through but guess what he did? He advertised me as some freak with two eye colors. I was desperate for a time and I went along with him. Again, Royda was there to save my butt."

He watched her talk about her experiences. A lot of emotions passed over her face with each memory. A dazed look would be in her eye when she mentioned Royda's name. Again that same question bugged him, why tell her story to him?

"Why are you telling me all this?" She turned to him with a confused look for a second then it turned cheerful.

"I've talked your ear off, haven't I? I do that sometimes."

"We'll you've practically told me your life story so why not go on?"

"I don't think so." A bright smile was on her face that barely reached her eyes. "If you didn't get it by now, you probably don't feel the same way. You better convince Kayura not to marry Cale but the ceremony tomorrow or you'll feel miserable. I know I will." She ran away before he could stop her. Before he could get up and follow her, two figures approached him.

"Let me do the talking, okay?" Reva told Royda before turning to Rowen. "Where is she?"

"If you're talking about Kishin, she just left." Reva was about to follow when she noticed that Royda wasn't following.

"What do you think you're doing?" Reva hissed at Royda. "He said she left."

"I know that. I want to know why she left."

"Then go look for her while I talk to him."

"I thought you were going to look for her."

"Not when you're looking at him like you're going to kill him. Go on. I can take care of this."

***

That was pretty stupid, she thought. Why did I tell him that? Thought you'd find somebody that would finally understand you outside of Royda, didn't you Kishin? You should have just saved your breath. He's too hung over Kayura to even notice you.

"Talking to yourself again." Royda came up behind her.

"Can you leave me alone right now?"

"I seem to recall saying the same things to you a while back and you didn't listen. Why should I?"

"Fine. Stay but don't expect me to talk."

"That's fine with me." Royda stood next to her sitting form and looked out to the horizon. "You told him your story, didn't you?" No answer. "He didn't answer because he thinks that he's in love with my sister, right?" Kishin looked up at her in amazement.

"You're good. I thought you were distracted enough to not notice that."

"I didn't at first but I saw him leave. He had a hurt look on his face and you had maternity written all over yours when you went after him."

"Okay then." She got up from her seat. "Just tell me it was a stupid crush and then I'll go on."

"But it wasn't."

"What?"

"He understands you Kishin. He doesn't know that yet but he will. Let him find out on his own. Just be there to catch him when he does."

"Are you sure about this? The last time I trusted somebody enough to tell that story, they laughed at me."

"Did he?"

"Well, no..."

"Then you have nothing to worry about." Royda put an arm over Kishin's shoulder. "He knows, and deep down, he feels the same. If he doesn't, I'll have to talk to him, okay?"

"Okay." They turned to go back. "Why are you always doing this for me?"

"It's the big sister in me."