Shattered Mirrors
Chapter 1


The party went better than Mia could've ever have imagined. It was nothing much, she just decided a small celebration was in order for this special occasion. It wasn't everyday a Demon King like Talpa was destroyed though the Ronins didn't want her to go to all the trouble of putting a party together in one day but in the end she got her way and they all came. She still couldn't believe that Dais, Cale, Sekhmet and Lady Kayura came though.
Mia looked around the room, Dais was entertaining Yuli and Kento with illusions and telling them how he did it. Sekhmet and Sage were having an inept discussion about swords, a subject that they were both amazingly passionate about. Kayura was flirting with Ryo and Rowen shamelessly. When she last saw Cye he was in the kitchen finishing the dessert he insisted on making while Cale and White Blaze seem to be having a staring contest. It was amazing how they had quickly put the past away. Of course the beer and wine might've helped that.
No one was missing from this party but one. Mia stepped out into the night and looked up into the star studded sky. "I wonder if you are up there? I wonder what star you have become looking down at us, Anubis?" she asked, "You knew this was going to happen, didn't you and for that I hate you!"
Mia leaned against the rail, while putting her elbows on the rail and her face in her hands. She had kept up a positive attitude throughout the rest of the battle and the baseball game and then the party but she couldn't do it anymore. At last Mia Koji couldn't take it anymore and she broke down crying. "I hate you, Anubis, I truly hate you. After everything that happened between us and the love we shared you just went off to battle and killed yourself. You really know how to make a girl feel good. You didn't even think twice about it, did you? You made me love you and then you killed yourself and I know you knew it was going to happen. I was just a game to you, wasn't I? A last conquest for the hero, damn you, damn you Anubis! I hope you rot in hell..." she cried out then broke into sobs. She knew what she was saying was nonsense. He did love her; he told her so but then why did she feel so abused so cheated?

After what felt like a lifetime she calmed herself down. Luckily everyone was too drunk or too into their conversions to notice her tears. It was going to be tough to nurse ten people and one white tiger with hang overs tomorrow. Mia sighed as she looked down at the ground. "I'm sorry Anubis," she whispered, "we were both cheated and I'm just being selfish. I just miss you so much..."
"Mia?" Ryo asked as he stepped out onto the porch, "who are you talking to?"
"Anubis," Mia smiled, "I didn't get a chance to say good bye to him."
"None of us did," he said as he put his arm around her, "come on back inside Cye's mystery dessert is ready."
"Oh really?"
"Yep," he winked, "he had some trouble with Kento and Yuli who both got really drunk and tried to sabotage it. I've never seen Cye so mad in his life. He's funny when he's angry I'll tell you that right now."
"Where are Kento and Yuli?"
"Yuli fell asleep, now Cale and White Blaze are staring at him instead of each other. I think Kento passed out and Sage put him in his room."
"Poor Cye," Mia smiled.
Ryo gave her a side glance, "You've been crying, haven't you?"
"Yes, it's just very sad that's all."
"You... you really... cared about him... didn't you?"
Mia was surprised by Ryo's stammering. "Yes, he was a good man."
"Mia, I gotta know something."
"Yes, Ryo?"
"Did you love him?"
Mia turned around and faced Ryo, "What?"
"Did you love him, Mia?"
Mia looked into Ryo's deep baby blue eyes and she whispered, "Yes, Ryo, I did love him. He'll always have a place in my heart..."
"He didn't love you, Mia. Only one man can truly love you and I'm that man. I'll take care of you and love you always. I should've known better than to leave the two of you together. I should've seen that he would use you. It's all my fault that you're hurting right now and I'm forever sorry."
"Ryo, he didn't use me. We just ran out of time..."
"If he loved you he wouldn't have killed himself like that... at least he would've said good bye..."
"He did what he had to do and I'm very proud of him. He died for honor to repay the
Ancient for all that he did for him. In a way I understand..."
"And in a way you hate him for it. It's human nature, Mia, it's ok to hate him."
"I don't hate him..."
"How can you not?" Ryo asked as Mia tried to break free of Ryo's arm. Ryo put his hands on her shoulders and pulled her close. With her emotionally off guard he embraced her and swamped her with his own passion. He touched her face with his hand and brought her face close to his, just as their lips were going to touch. "GET YOUR DAMNED HANDS OFF MY WOMAN! HOW DARE YOU TAKE ADVANTAGE OF HER WHILE SHE WAS GRIEVING? YOU SELFISH SONOVABITCH!"
"What in the hell?" Ryo said releasing Mia.
"A...Anubis?" Mia asked.
The other turned around to see someone standing in the shadows in the corner. He was clad in nothing but a white cloth which he wrapped around him like a toga. He was seething with anger and his eyes gleamed in the star light. "Step out where I can see you," Ryo ordered.
"If you cannot sense who I am, Ronin, then you are as bad as I originally thought you were," he answered.
"But how...?" Mia asked her eyes tearing up.
"You really thought I'd leave you without reasoning with you or saying good bye? I knew I'd be back. Did you really think that little of me?"
Mia ran over to him and held me tightly nearly taking Anubis's breath away. "I thought it was all in the heat of the moment, you are very passionate after all. Anyway, I know that you felt honor bound to do it and had no reason to talk to me about it."
He held her and planted a kiss in her hair. Anubis thought quietly a moment then finally said, "I was cold to you and I am sorry for it. My warrior instinct took over and I must've hurt you terribly. I'll make sure it never happens again, I swear."
Ryo looked Anubis straight in the eyes, the trademark Wildfire rage pulsed through Ryo as if it were his life's blood. Anubis had a empty look of emotional and physical exhaustion that seemed to come from no where. Mia felt Anubis start to weaken in her arms. "I'm really tired, I think I'll go to bed but first I'll get you a place to sleep," Mia said lying for she wanted to save Anubis from admitting that he was weak. To do that Anubis would lose face.
"Thank you," he said.
"The place is packed," Ryo hissed.
"I'm sure that Kento can share a room with Yuli. It's not that they're going to matter being hung over anyway."
Ryo stomped back into the house, slamming the door behind him. Anubis turned his full attention back to Mia. "I have missed you so, m'love," he whispered.
"You... you heard me rant and rave, didn't you?"
"Yes," Anubis said with stark simplicity.
"I didn't mean it, you know that. I was just..."
He put his finger on her lips gently to silence her. "I understand, Mia, please say no more."
"But..."
"But nothing," he said, "it's over now. We'll pretend that it never happened."
"It's not fair to you..."
"Please," he said tartly, "you wanted to sleep so I don't want to keep you awake. Your lack of faith in my return is not important now..."
"Anubis..."
"I was born the chosen one and I cannot truly die until the mission I was born with is complete," he said crypticly.
Mia said nothing. Whatever he was trying to hint to her was over her head. She had never read anything about a mission he was born for. Though now was not the time to ask. Mia broke away from him and looked into the house. "It seems everyone is too drunk to notice you," she said.
"Well then shall we go inside?"

Three hours later Mia sat up in bed thinking. She really had hurt Anubis very badly something she promised never to do. Someone, probably a female, had hurt him so bad he was afraid to trust her or his desire for her.
She remembered the first time they made love. He was so sweet and sensual but he was holding something back. Anubis fell asleep after their lovemaking while she was too emotional to. She stayed awake for about an hour when he started to talk in his sleep and started to cry. She woke him up but he refused to talk about it.
They didn't talk for about two days but when they found the Jewel of Life Anubis started to talk to her again.
Mia curled up into a ball and stared at the ground. "Now what?" she asked herself, "I have Anubis back, though I really pissed him off, I have a house full of drunken Ronins and Warlords. This isn't going the way I planned it."
Mia then decided to take matters into her own hands and go check on Anubis. She carefully slipped down the hallway and found his door open and found no one inside. "Where'd he go?" Mia asked herself as she headed back to her room, "maybe he went back down stairs because he was hungry. He must remember where everything is. If he's awake I should leave him alone."
When she entered her room and closed the door she felt something. She turned her light on and was shocked.
Anubis was in her room, he was laying in her bed.
"Looks like we had the same idea," he whispered.
"I was worried about you and wanted to know if you were all right."
"Same here," he sighed, "I shouldn't have snapped at you earlier. I left a lot of important things in the dark to you. I guess I never thought I'd have to or maybe I figured that you already knew. Either way it wasn't fair to you."
Mia quickly walked over to the bed and knelt down taking Anubis's hand. "Don't worry about it, Anubis, really it's all right."
"You are too good to me," he smiled wistfully, "what did a warrior like me ever do to deserve you?"
"Don't say that," she said kissing his hand, "you are a great man."
"It is you who made me so great without you I might've fallen back within the Dynasty. I had many moments of weakness. . ."
"You are a man and not prefect!" Mia exclaimed.
"Hai," he said as he pulled her on the bed, "I am a man and you are my woman."

"Nefear, how dare you impersonate me! I am the true Anubis and I swear I will come back to life and I will get you for this. This time twin brother I will kill you with my bare hands," Anubis screamed from the next life.