Memories and Promises
Chapter Eight

"I thought you said that you weren't going to stay up."

Cale looked up from his book and saw Anubis leaning against the doorframe.

"I didn't," he answered as he got up from his seat. "I just got up real
early that's all."

"It had better be." Anubis pushed away from the door and walked to his desk.

"Can't ask you what happened, huh?" Cale looked at his leader's back to see
any
reactions. He couldn't confirm his own suspicions without proof. "Well, if
you must
know, Dais wants to know where you've been. He's been looking for you since
you left
yesterday."

"I don't need to answer to him," was Anubis' controlled answer.

"That's true, but he's also trying to get you kicked out of here or at least
being leader.
He's put some interesting ideas into Master Talpa's head and I think you
better clear them
up."

"I suppose that I should be thankful that you care so much about my welfare,
but I can
handle this."

"Okay. I'm sure that you'll handle this situation with as much fervor as you
did the one
last night."

Anubis quickly turned around and saw Cale smirk before disappearing. His eyes
narrowed at the implied events of last night. Maybe what happened was what he
expected.

"The situation isn't any better even if I did pay her that visit. It's just
made the situation
worse." He turned back to his desk, closed his eyes, and held his head in
his hands.

***

"Get your hands off me!!" she shouted. The hands shook her vigorously and
she opened
her eyes.

Mia saw the Ronins gathered around her bed. Sage was in front of her,
holding her at
arm's length. Her eyes darted from face to face, making sure that this
wasn't the dream.
Her arms held the covers close.

"What happened?" Sage asked.

"Nothing."

"What do you mean nothing?" Cye asked. He sat on the other side of the bed.
"You were
shouting your head off. Sage had to rattle you before you woke up."

"Well, nothing happened really. I just had a bad dream, that's all."

"Are you sure?" asked Rowen.

"Yes," she nodded vigorously. Her eyes kept avoiding theirs and it troubled
the guys,
especially Sage. "It was just a very bad dream."

The guys looked at each other. They've known Mia for some time now and
they've never
known her to dream before much less have a nightmare. They didn't believe
what she
said but they left it alone.

"If that's all, you better stay in bed," Sage said. "You're soaking wet and
you're a little
hot." He got up.

I bet, she thought.

"We'll do everything for you today," Kento said. "Leave everything to us."

"I think that's going to make her feel worse, Kento," Cye playfully said.

"What?"

"Nevermind," Ryo quickly said. "I think we better go. Bye."

Ryo pushed Kento out while Cye and Rowen followed momentarily. Sage looked at
them but stayed behind. He shook his head and smiled a little. At least
they were trying
to cheer her up, right?

"Sage?" He turned around at the sound of the voice. Mia had pulled her legs
up and had
wrapped her arms around them. "Can you stay for awhile?"

"Sure." He sat back down and looked at her. "Anything wrong?"

"No. Nothing wrong. Just wanted some company." She moved a little and
tentatively
rested her head on his shoulder.

He didn't expect that to happen but went with it. If she was sick, he can't
just push her
away. He wrapped an arm around her and notice she didn't have any clothes
under the
covers. Slowly, he pulled the covers up more around her.

Outside, a figure looked into the house on the two people. It saw the woman
settle her
head on the boy's shoulder. It saw the boy move and pull the covers around
her. The
figure's head bowed and narrowed it's blue-green on the blond Ronin.

A nearby branch that the figure was using for support started to creak. It
shattered under
the hand's pressure as the figure disappeared.