#so while I see her as Rowen's assistant | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

toarmsrw · 4 years

Text

How I feel a Ronin Warriors Remake could go

Ronin Warriors AKA Yoroiden Samurai Troopers was one of my favorite anime back in the day. I first heard of this series when it was airing on UPN TV 44, the same channel that had aired Sailor Moon when it was being produced by DIC entertainment. Unfortunately, this series aired during times when it’s target range viewers were in school so it didn’t have a particularly long run on US TV. It was only years later that this series would air on the Toonami lineup and gained a greater interest from American anime fans than it had during its first airing.

Currently Samurai Troopers is celebrating its 30th anniversary and it made me wonder, what this series would be like if remade for the more current age. After all, the main TV series was set in 1988 and a lot of things reflected that time period. Now in 2020 things can be updated to match current settings and technology.

I’m familiar with both the Japanese Names and the English Dub names. But I’m going to use English Dub names here as it was the version that introduced me to this series.

As much as I love the original series, I do feel that it is certainly deserving of an updated reboot. The original series did have a number of moments where they were constrained by budget and it showed. Budget cuts, and repeating animation is a common way of cuting corners in animation in varius series, but it is rather obvious when you see the animation cheepen.

There are some things in the anime itself that did bug me because they felt rushed or they came off as unrealistic. I’m not an expert in Japanese culture so please understand if I am approaching these things with a bit of a bias.

One of the things that bothered me is having the five warriors are just open to working together from the start.

For example in the first episode Mia is surprised that all five Ronin have appeared at the same time and then is dismayed that they aren’t united. So she tells the five Ronin they need to work together if they hope to beat the Dynasty, and they all look at one another as though saying “Um…what?”.

The English dub does give the impression that there is at least some familiarity between the five boys. However, in the original version all five of the Ronin are from different parts of Japan and this is the first time any of them have met.

The one thing I’ve always liked in anime is when the main cast is free to grow and understand each other at their own pace.

While having the main warriors joining forces is ideal and an inevitably, having them all partner up from the start is unrealistic. Particularly since the five Ronin do develop an almost familial unity with one another over the course of the series.

An anime with a similar concept to this would be Sailor Moon. Please note I’m not comparing Sailor Moon to this series for bias reasons. Sailor Moon certainly had a larger production budget and more of a story to adapt to as it started out as a manga before it became an anime series. Ronin Warriors is it’s own story and it also has some things it is better at conveying then Sailor Moon did.

I am using Sailor Moon as an example, because these two series do center on the plot of five teenagers drawn together to save the world from an otherworldly evil force.

Sailor Moon as a series was able to introduce the characters gradually.

The series begins with introducing the titular character, Sailor Moon herself. The first handful of episodes follow her, then Sailor Mercury is introduced and she assists in battles for a couple episodes. Then Sailor Mars is brought in and a sizable chunk of the series centers on these three warriors stopping the forces of the Dark Kingdom. Then around half way through the first season Sailor Jupiter is brought in as another member of the group and then finally Sailor Venus.

Other Sailor Soldiers such as the Outer Sailors and the Sailor Star Lights are introduced in the continuing seasons. These groups don’t really involve themselves with Sailor Moon and her companions right away. They do assist in battles at times, but they would also make it clear that they don’t want Sailor Moon and her allies interfering with their goals. Eventually the groups do choose to join forces, but that is only when they have come to the realization that the only way to take on the main foe was to merge groups.

The way this story is set up all five warriors needed to be introduced right away. However, I find having them join forces from the start is a little rushed. Now, granted they had some idea they all knew the fate of the world rested on their backs and they were given the mystical armor to help them save their world, their homes, the people they love.

Each of them also have a story passed through the years about an armor that their family has watched over. Like many things these stories have faded from memory with some of the families or they don’t have anyone to tell them about the amor legend. So they discover their armors through other sources.

For example, Whiteblaze, Ryo’s tiger companion, is is the familiar of the Ancient One and chose Ryo as the one who will bear the Armor of Wildfire. Whiteblaze led the Ancient One to Ryo, so he could be trained in its use.

While each of the Ronin would have unconsciously or unknowingly been trained since childhood to become ready for their armors. It is the armors themselves that do draw them together initially. That wouldn’t stop at least some of them from be reluctant in working together and then have at least a couple episodes where they warm up to if not become downright convinced working together is the only way

Cye and Kento are chummy and open hearted so I can see these two being more open to the idea of working together as a team from the start.

Sage, Ryo, and Rowen on the other hand might be less open to working as a group.

Ryo is not absolutely against working as a team, but he is a loaner, he is also fiercely protective of those around him. He doesn’t want anyone to be hurt for him or because of him, so he has a tendency to place burdens upon himself such as going off to face enemies on his own without his friends. So I feel he would just tell the other Ronin to go home and protect their families, while he would deal with the Dynasty on his own.

Sage is more likely to be the lone wolf. He does have a guarded personality and doesn’t warm up to people all that easily. He wants to rely on himself and his own power rather than depending on others, but has his own doubts and fears that he unconsciously deals with. So when Sage leaves the group he would tell everyone else they would only slow him down and get in his way.

Rowen would be more on the fence regarding allegiances. His guiding virtue is wisdom so he would know or at least see how working together would be beneficial going forward. But much like Ryo he is used to being alone. However, due to his intelligence, Rowen does have problems with socialization. So he wouldn’t say anything in regards to why he doesn’t want to work together with anyone else…he just leaves.

As the series progresses the battles will force the Ronin together. It would start with them merging into groups of two, so Cye and Kento would become one group. Rowen and Sage would also grow to work together and leads to the four of them joining forces before reuniting with Ryo. These encounters will enable them to gradually get to know each other and understand who they are in the battle to save the mortal world and their reasons for fighting in the battles against the Dynasty.

Another thing that bugged me was how the Dynasty depended on divide and conquer as a strategy. Granted the Ronin can be a challenging force when they are together. Still each of the Ronin are also dangerous on their own, particularly since their armors do gain strength and power as they fight.

Three of the Warriors have families with siblings, and both Ryo and Rowen have parental figures who may not be present in their lives but still matter. Heck, Kento alone would have had family affected when the Dynasty captured everybody in the Tokyo area.

One of the Warlords has power over illusion. Have the Ronin given illusions of their loved ones in the Dynasty’s possession. This would be even more poignant when the Ronin have entered the Dynasty’s strong hold. Have the Ronin ready to deal with whatever the Dynasty would throw at them, then suddenly a scream is heard which Sage, Cye, or Kento could recognize as one of their loved ones.

Or Kento’s family for instance, show them among the humans imprisoned in the Dynasty. Kento has a fierce temper, particularly when someone he cares about is being harmed so that could trigger him to act rashly.

I’ve never really liked how the families of the Ronin are only limited to the supplemental materials such as the Audio dramas, Light Novels and such.

Another thing Sailor Moon did well is how it balanced out the home lives of the main cast along with their lives as Sailor Soldiers. We don’t need to see the families of all the characters, but even a simple mention can be used to add to how the main characters relate to each other and feel more well rounded over the course of the series. But they still had to maintain secrecy about their lives as Sailor Soldiers from their loved ones.

What Ronin Warriors was able to achieve is to suggest the families of the five warriors do have some knowledge about the armors. Or at the very least have some familiarity with the story of a legendary armor that has passed down through their line for the past thousand years.

Such as Cye’s mother saying “At last it has come” when he informed her of finding his armor.

Each of the Ronin also have attributes that mark them as chosen or destined to wear the armors since birth. In most cases these attributes aren’t outwardly visible

Ryo-Encountered Whiteblaze at a young age and holds a companionship with the white tiger and was personally trained by the Ancient One himself. It’s not emphasized, but it is possible he has a sensitivity to cold temperatures as he has a strong dislike for flavored ice and lukewarm baths.

Cye: Able to swim to vast depths of water without needing an air tank.

He also has an affinity for sea based creatures. He isn’t able to talk to them or anything like that, but there is an orca and a number of other sea creatures that do recognize him as a friend.

Kento: No displayed or attributed traits aside from being strong and hard headed. Possibly has more physical endurance then his companions.

Rowen: He is physically marked by his armor because of his blue hair. And also he has an IQ of 250.

Sage: Physically marked by his armor because he physically represents his armor element of light.

While each of the Ronin are chosen by their armors or from a force associated with the armors. There is still a test they need to undergo to prove they understand the guiding virtue associated with the armor.

With Sailor Moon there were moments where the family members of the Sailor Soldiers or people they know are affected by the evil forces at play. With the Ronin however, having people know about their armor or their identities as Ronin Warriors does lead to tragic results.

It’s generally an unstated rule among the five warriors to not to involve their loved ones or allow any knowledge of their existence as Ronin Warriors. Since that would only cause needless danger or cause their loved ones to become targeted by the evil forces they are facing.

The families of the Ronin themselves aren’t completely required, after all the five Ronin do become a family of brothers themselves. And at its core, the entire story of the Ronin Warriors is a romantic story centered on a brotherhood forged by blood, sweat,and tears in the battle to save humanity. The trueborn families of each of the Ronin, would just be an extension of that bond they share with each other.

I’ve always seen each of the five warriors as wounded in various ways. Some have known personal loss, but there are those among them who have experienced pain, loneliness, isolation, self-doubts, and other things such as that.

In the Message OVA in particular, brings a lot of this into view as the five warriors do have internal monologues about their experiences as Ronin Warriors and how that has affected them personally.

Cye in particular during his monologue talks about how he personally didn’t want to fight, but he still took up arms in the war against Dynasty anyway because he felt there was like there was little choice in the matter. He also questions whether he even deserved the power of his armor to begin with.

“In order to avoid pain, suffering, and fear human bearings aspire to collect all the power that they can, then they cling to it no matter what. I was no different, I felt exactly the same way. I never wanted to fight though, I thought my destiny followed a different course. Could I have resisted this power? Could I have denied it? Even if someone had realized the truth, we still wouldn’t have had any other options. It was fight or die, none of us had any regrets for what we did…in staying alive. But that didn’t change the fact that *I* didn’t want to fight!”

The armors they each possess were forged from evil, but were created to be a force for good. As such the armors themselves are neither good or evil, but both. It was the heart and soul of their bearers that determined what choices they made in using the armors they were given.

While they all have seen the negative side of humanity and what it can do if left unchecked. They are also able to know that there is still enough human goodness to believe it was worth saving. And while they still fought and were motivated by their own own personal desires to protect those nearest and dearest to them. The companionship they forge in the fires of war is what heals the wounds each of them carry. Even then there is resistance and pain in being healed, but it is part of becoming the people they know they are because of it. While other hidden wounds are exposed because of the battles faced.

With Ronin Warriors and their families, Ryo and Rowen are the only children of their respective family and their respective parental figures aren’t around all that often.

Ryo’s father is a photojournalist and is always away on assignment but he does send money to cover Ryo’s living expenses.

Rowen’s parents divorced when he was twelve but even before then both of them were more married to their careers then they were as a family. The times they were home their minds would still be work oriented.

However, having two Ronin with workaholic parents just feels boring. Having Ryo being an orphan could translate into why he is so protective of his companions and why they mean so much to him. Because Ryo regards the other Ronin, Mia, and Yuli as a surrogate family to him, and he would gladly fight and give his life to protect them for that reason. He nearly dies just trying to get Sage and Rowen back after the five of them are seperated. And during the war when all the Ronin with the exception of Ryo are absorbed by Talpa, he is devastated knowing each of them are gone. In the Japanese version he says “You fools, how dare you die for me.” This is later expanded upon when the four of them are able to use their Spirits to take hold of Talpa’s armor and tell him to strike the demon emperor down while they have him restrained. And Ryo refuses to do it because doing so meant killing his friends as well.

Rowen has a detached, mature demeanor that is underscored by the fact he is the youngest member of the Ronin. He’s often viewed and treated like an adult by people around him when he really is just a kid. Since he is so used to living for his own convenience, he has trouble really understanding what actually means to have friends or even what having a present family is like. So that could be something that could be explored with his character in how he relates to the other Ronin.

He generally gets along with all the Ronin, but will at times (often unintentionally) say or do something that might have annoyed or exasperated reactions. For example in the Tenkuden CD Drama, there is a part where Yuli asks Rowen for assistance on a problem in his math homework. Rowen looks at the problem and says “That’s easy, you must have skipped the day they were teaching it.” Yuli then goes and asks Cye for assistance who is able to help him figure out the answer. After Yuli runs off to continue his homework. Cye turns to Rowen and chidingly says “Just because you find something simple, doesn’t mean it’s the same for others.”

Rowen’s father is someone who wouldn’t really be included as a character. I’ve always had the impression that he generally isn’t really all that present even on the occasions he does return home to the apartment he shares with his son.

Rowen’s mother on the other hand could work as an occasional character. However she comes across as a bit too much to handle. She’s friendly and well-meaning but has boisterous energy that is difficult to really take in all at once. The five Ronin and Mia first meet her in the Tenkuden CD Drama after Rowen receives a voice mail call from her telling him he will be arriving at Narita International on Such and Such date. And every one automatically is like “Great Idea, let’s all go meet Rowen’s mother”.

As much as he does care about both his parental figures, I did get the impression he is embarrassed by his mother as well.

For example, the first act of Tenkuden actually does involve Rowen waiting with Sage at the airport terminal for Rowen’s mother to arrive. After they encounter her, Rowen’s mother runs off to go make a phone call. Sage then remarks “Okay, that IS different” to which Rowen sighs and says “You got it.” Funnily enough, every time I had heard that exchange in the past I’ve always visualized Rowen holding up a sign that says “Shoot Me” afterward.

So if Rowen’s mother appears at all it would be a humorous one-shot episode where the armors aren’t really needed. There can be some dramatic moments as well though. Since TenkuDen is also the moment where Rowen learns his armor has the ability to fly. There is also a moment at the end of the CD where Rowen’s mother pulls her son aside and alludes that she saw him in his armor hovering outside of the window of the airplane she was traveling in. But she assumes the whole thing was just a dream.

When it comes to Kento, Sage, and Cye they are the eldest, middle, and youngest siblings of each of their respective families. So the familial dynamic of the Ronin will be something they can easily adapt to, but still, give them a different dynamic that can challenge and affect them.

Cye is the youngest child in his family, but he is the oldest of the five Ronin. So this puts him in a sort of older sibling role in some ways. He doesn’t need to adapt too much, particularly since Mia already plays an older sister role with the five Ronin. And his older sister Sayoko had more or less served a parental role of sorts in his late father’s absence. He’s also the only Ronin who is actually living away from his family, as he has an apartment in Tokyo where he lives alone while he is attending high school. In one of the Cassette Dramas Rowen has a habit of visiting Mia’s grandfather’s mansion so he could read the books there. Unfortunately when he does this he loses all track of time and frequently misses the last train back to Kansai. So he has to end up couch surfing over at Cye’s apartment much to the Torrent Armor bearers irritation.

Cye’s family is more likely to be included as part of a dramatic storyline.

For instance, Cye’s mother has heart disease and is frequently in ill health, but she still runs her family and her family’s pottery business until her daughter Sayoko can take over.

Sayoko is ten years older then Cye and has also been an influential figure in Cye’s life. She helps look after their mother and their families pottery shop.

Ryuusuke Shizuka is Sayoko’s fiance and works at the Hagi Marine Research Institute. After meeting Cye he chooses to marry into Cye’s family. Sayoko and Ryuusuke are supposedly married by the final OVA of this series..

One of the cassette dramas has Cye returning to Hagi after learning his mother had fallen ill. Kento accompanies him on the trip, however the only reason he’s going is because he mistakenly thought Hagiyaki was a kind of food. It’s this Drama where Cye is introduced to his sister’s finance.

Kento is the oldest child in his family, and so he is well used to playing the older brother role among his siblings. As the second youngest member of the Ronin he has the freedom to be a younger brother. Still when it comes to his companions, the protective brother instinct will still be a present part of his personality over all.

Kento is also the most inclusive of the Ronin and does consider his friends to be like his family.

I can see Kento’s family being used in heart warming slice-of-life plots. Kento just feels like one of those people you meet in life who just adopts you into their family. As much as he would make disparaging comments about the number of people in his household, in all honesty he wouldn’t have it any other way.

During the Tsuki CD Drama, following their final battle with Saranbo. Kento realizes they are near Yokohama and starts inviting his friends to his family’s restaurant only to be shot down and scolded for being too carefree. After Kento storms off he has a monologue where he states about how much he loves the town of Yokohama and his family and he the reason he fights is all for them. That’s why he wanted his friends to meet his family, to show his companions they are just like family to him.

That is something I can certainly see happening in an updated version of this series. With Ryo and Rowen, Kento would want to include them so they can at least know what a loving family was like. Knowing Cye and Sage are away from their respective homes. I can see Kento making an effort to make them feel there is something like a family there for them.

Cye might welcome the idea since he understands Kento is wanting to include them as part of his family.

Sage might not be so open about it. Not because he doesn’t understand Kento’s reasoning for it. He however would firmly point out that their family lives and their lives as Ronin should be two different things. Kento would be upset it’s only later on that he would realize Sage’s reasoning.

During the times when they are not involved with fighting the Dynasty. I can see Kento dropping by Cye’s apartment with take out now and again. This would later extend to Ryo when he starts living in the city.

Of the Ronin, I see him learning his family was affected by the Dynasty because Yokohama is in the Tokyo area. He is the only one of the five who would have had immediate loved ones in the vicinity of the Dynasty’s first attack . Which would make the battle to stop the Dynasty all the more personal for him.

Sage is the middle child of his family, but both of his siblings are his sisters. His older sister Yayoi and his younger sister Satsuki. He cares about both of them and would defend them to his last breath, though Yayoi does have a bit of a contentious past with him as she is the reason he is uncomfortable around women.

Sage’s family is a family I can see included dramatic storylines, but wholesome ones as well.

When it comes to Sage’s family there is a lot you could work with. I will start with Sage’s sisters since I’ve seen a number of interpretations regarding them. In fanfics Yayoi often ranges between being an entitled sister up to just being an evil abusive witch. I have been guilty of this view myself.

Thinking back on it, I wonder if fans were blowing her relationship with Sage out of proportion.

Yayoi is five years older than Sage. From the basic description of her she is in essence a female version of her younger brother as she does talk in the same formal manner he does, and is also a talented kendo fighter. She is a medical student and is attending college during the TV series.

The worst thing she’s known to have done to tease her brother is to use him as a dress up doll when they had been younger. She also still possesses a picture of him with ribbons in his hair.

This is largely just kid stuff, still some actions as innocent as they may seem can have a negative affect. In this case, Sage is uncomfortable talking to or being around girls as a result.

Women also tend to hold power in Sage’s family, meaning the female members of his family do hold sway in the decisions and actions of the Date House. Because of this they are highly respected. The only male who is an exception to this would be Sage’s Grandfather who is the current head of the family. Yayoi was likely able to get away with tormenting her brother the way she has, because she knew if he retaliated in any way he would be the one who would be punished.

In later years, Yayoi may have realized what she actually was doing, but by then the damage had already been done. So while the picture she still has of him with ribbons could be something she could threaten her brother with. It’s also just as possible that perhaps the reason Yayoi keeps the photo, is to remind herself of what she has done to hurt her younger brother in the past.

She seems to have some moments where she does make an attempt establishing a better relationship with him. Such as when Sage was beginning elementary the light color of his eyes made him appear cold and intimidating, because of this his schoolmates would often cry when they saw him. It was Yayoi who suggested he cover one of them with his hair so schoolmates wouldn’t be so scared of him.

Also In the Yoroi Guiden novel, the day Sage received his armor he had been forced into a match against another Kendo practitioner known as Shingo Kazamatsuri. During the match Shingo attempts to cheat by throwing sand or something into Sage’s eyes. Due to one eye being covered by his hair, only his visible eye had affected. Angered that his opponent would resort to cheating, Sage goes into a blind rage and attacks Shingo, rendering him unconscious. While her brother is being punished for his actions, Yayoi tends to Shingo’s injuries. Which made her one of the first people to learn what had taken place. She then tells Shingo that he was fortunate he didn’t lose a limb after making her brother that mad.

I can see Yayoi gaining friendship with Mia, and through that she and Sage could begin to heal the rift that exists between them.

Satsuki is younger than Sage by two years. She is the only member of Sage’s immediate family who doesn’t have any interest in the family Dojo and the only one who speaks casually. I see Sage in some ways being somewhat envious of his younger sister, because she possesses a freedom he isn’t able to have within their family. But he also values that she is able to have such freedom as well.

I’ve seen her placed with Rowen or Kento as possible romantic interests. Personally, I just see Satsuki just viewing the other Ronin as additional brothers. She knows her brother doesn’t have many friends and wouldn’t want to become a catalyst in causing him to lose his companions. Hints at romantic interest could be there, but at best she would just be a sister figure.

Sage’s family life on the other hand is where things take on a more dramatic turn. As I’ve stated before that each of the Ronin have attributes that mark them as chosen by their armors. Sage and Rowen are the only ones who have physical attributes that mark their connection to their armor.

Anyone who is familiar with anime and manga lore would know hair color has specific meaning. Blond or yellow hair often has a variety of meanings, but the most widespread meaning is a person who is special in some manner. Often in most anime the characters would have a variety of hair color tones that no one bats an eye, despite the fact it might look a little strange aesthetically.

The only time a character’s hair color is brought up as peculiar is if the story itself wants it to be something that is meant to be seen as questionable.

Sage’s family is one of the Ronin families that is well versed in the legend of the Ronin Armor that is passed through their family. It’s never emphasized in the series, but from the sound of things in supplemental materials such as the novels, Sage is the only one in his family with his hair and eye color. This means that yes Sage was meant to physically represent the element of his armor. That would also lead to problems that Sage would have had to face growing up.

In Japanese Culture, one of the worst scarlet letters you can possess is to stand out. Sage is from a traditional family so being born representing his armors element would have raised a lot of eyebrows. I’ve seen numerous dramatic fanfictions where Sage is picked on because of his implausible hair color. I’ve also seen the word Konketsu applied to him as well in some of these fics. Konketsu means mixed-blood but it can be used as a slur that means half-breed.

In a more modernized incarnation this traditionalist might not be used quite as often. So you can sum it up as anime logic.

While the legend of the Halo Armor is well known in the Date family, only a small fraction would believe the legend to be more than just a story. While an even smaller fraction would recognize that Sage was born connected to the Halo Armor. Namely Sage’s grandparents and possibly his mother.

The circumstances of Sage’s mother being chosen to provide a male heir to the Date Clan are unknown. It’s often speculated that Grandfather Date only had daughters, if there had been a boy born to their family he either died before he could prove himself as an heir. Or he was expelled from the Date Estate for some reason. Which in turn would put the burden of producing an heir on the shoulders of his sister or one of them.

Sage’s mother could be the oldest daughter, or she was deemed the one who was more likely to produce a suitable male heir.

Whatever the case may be, the Ronin are the first real friends that he’s ever had. And it’s likely that his upbringing didn’t really allow for friendships to exist in his life.

With Sage’s character bio for the original series it is stated that his grandfather was largely responsible for Sage’s upbringing. Some bios state that he was given over to his grandfather because his parents had trouble disciplining him.

Personally to me it always felt there was more to this. Grandfather Date likely would have recognized from the moment Sage was born that he was destined to bear the Halo Armor. So he would have naturally taken it upon himself to prepare Sage for when the armor would deem him worthy of it. As well as to groom Sage for the day he would inherit their families Dojo and become the next head of the Date Clan. While he would have told Sage and also Sage’s sisters of the family legend, he would continue to let Sage believe the rigorous training he is given is all associated with being his grandfather’s successor.

While Kento is actually the wealthiest of the five Ronin, neither Kento nor Sage’s home’s are described. The best that’s given is that his family live on the outskirts of Sendai and that the Dojo is a part of it, or at least an area of the family estate that can be visited without invitation.

Wanting to ensure his grandson was raised in a way *he* deemed fit, Grandfather Date would insist that Sage come live with him at the main house. I can imagine he was around the ages of 4-6 when this occurred. Sage’s grandfather is described as being unusually strict. Sage was also rather rambunctious at that age, so he may have believed that he must have done something bad so he was being taken away from his family as punishment.

Sage is still able to see his parents and sisters, but he would live under his grandfather’s roof at the Date Estate. Grandfather Date according to the brief description of him is said to be the walking precept of Date House, he was also a soldier in his youth he raises Sage to be the same.

The time Grandfather Date was a soldier is rather unclear, some bios he was a soldier during the Meiji Era which means he was around Sage’s age during the early 1900’s since that era ran from 1868-1912. Since this series is set in the late eighties, it is possible that he may have been in the tail end of that time period. Though I have seen bios that have said he was a soldier during the Edo Period, which would be physically impossible since that time period ended just as the Meiji era started. Logically if he was in a war at all, it would more likely be WWII.

Since Sage’s family is descended from Date Mesamune, a more logical conclusion was that Grandfather Date was trained to be like a soldier from the Edo period and raised Sage to follow those same disapplines. So this would be a bit of a reverse of what Rowen’s life is like. Where Rowen is a child who is seen and treated as an adult, Sage is a child who has his life framed with the expectation that he will act like an adult.

Perhaps Sage viewed his home life under his grandfather’s teaching as a gilded cage. Everything he needs is provided for, however there is always the sense that everything he says and does is watched and has to meet a certain expectation. If he does something that is met with disapproval it can result in a harsh punishment. The same expectations he would be expected to follow at home would also apply to his school life.

With School aside from meeting his Grandfather’s rigorous criteria, which would make it difficult for him to make friends with his schoolmates. All this of course translates into the self doubts and fears he shows at times during the war with the Dynasty.

With the Ronin Warriors, Sage would likely find himself in a bit of a conundrum. As he has actual friends for the first time in his life and not only that people he comes to see as brothers. While being raised by his grandfather and following his directive, he’s always presented himself as the persona his grandfather had expected him to have. The one thing he has never really been permitted to be is himself, and that could lead into the issues he has in events such as the Korinden CD drama.

Mia and Yuli would largely be the same, as they are in the series. Just a pair of civilians who are friends with the Ronin and understand the battles they go through. Mia would continue her grandfather’s research on the armors and assist where she can. Mostly she would be a big sister figure to the Ronin and help them figure out. In the Message OVA she does become a delegate at the United Nations. While the other Delegates are wondering about the strange things that are going on and wondering about how they were dealt with in previous events. Mia stands up and says she believes she may know what they are looking for.

To be honest, this often bugged me. I mean I like the idea of the Ronin being needed in other parts of the world aside from Japan. Still at that point, the Ronin Armors as they were originally had all been destroyed. Mia would have recognized what was going on was connected to the power of the Armors. Still telling a group of bureaucrats, a bunch of suits that believed in facts, science, and other such tangible information that everything that was going on hinged on a group of teenagers with mystical armor. I’m sorry, the only thing they will believe is that the person telling them this is insane.

All this is stuff that was demonstrated in the series and OVA so there isn’t just headcanon.

In the second episode of the series, the Japanese Self-Defence Force is deployed against Talpa’s castle in the first war, and all their efforts prove useless. The first episode also shows electronics, vehicles, and other man-made creations lose power due to the forces of Mystical energy coming from the Dynasty.

And even if they could be convinced that the Ronin Armors were real. Talpa’s Armor was the corporeal embodiment of all human evil. Figures in places of power and authority would be anything but happy in knowing that five suits of armor are capable of wielding weapons-grade levels of mystical power even exist. And they would be even less then happy knowing these said suits of armor were given to people who are essentially children.

While the Ronin themselves know they are fighting for the good of the Mortal Realm, authority figures would argue they are just children playing with power they couldn’t possibly understand. While other people would fear hate them on the grounds that if they can use their armors for good, what was to stop them from using them for evil.

This is seen during the series where Rowen breaks Anubus’s helmet and is stunned to find that instead of a netherworld demon, Anubus was actually a human. Later on Kento is approached by Dais and told that he would become corrupted by his own armor in time. In the Dub, Kento is told that the five armors in the past had been worn by men who have used their power for their own selfish desires. In the Japanese version, Kento is told the armors were sought by people who wanted their power for themselves.

During the Guiden OVA, Sage is believed to have become evil and is killing innocent people in New York. In the Japanese Version, Kento makes a comment about how the name of the Samurai Troopers is tarnished because one of them decided to go rogue. Which causes Rowen to look at Kento with a horrified expression.

Later on when Rowen and Kento are confronting Sage about his actions, they find it’s not their friend but actually his armor. While the Ronin themselves don’t use their ultimate attacks because of all the civilians around them, the Police and National Guard are still brought in to try and arrest the Ronin because of the public disturbance their battle is causing.

During Legend of the Inferno Armor, Cye is the first of the Ronin to notice the power of their Armors starting to corrupt, Each of the Ronin also eventually notice their armor becoming corrupted.

In the Message OVA Rowen does say that the armors were just as much of a curse as they were a gift. And the Ronin do comment on and fear the eventuality of losing themselves to their armors.

Worse yet, people in places of authority would use any excuse they could think of to imprison the five Ronin. They would have their armors taken to be studied and weaponized if possible. If they can’t do that, they would force the Ronin to agree to use their armors as a superweapon against the people they want. And if they can’t do that, have them executed.

Again in the Guiden OVA, Sage is abducted and tortured for days by a Scientist working for Shikaisen so his Armor could be studied for his own personal interests. Shikaisen also used Sage’s armor to slaughter hundreds of innocent people

All of this would lead to Talpa reforming himself and starting the cycle of the Ronin armors once again.

In the Guiden OVA, after Shikaisen merges with the Scientists computer, he does become a figure that resembles Talpa.

Message OVA,The Ronin all get this sense that their battles against the Dynasty are repeating itself. Rowen comes across a play written in the Edo Period depicting their fights against the Dynasty and sends it to Ryo.

Since the Ronin are destined to be Warriors until the day they die, The Ronin are just best off as being guardian figures who watch the humans and protect humans from afar. Mia can open her mansion to allow the Ronin to live there as permanent house guests, or just give them the house so they all can live there at their leisure.

The new armors they recieve at the end of the Message OVA aren’t tainted with Talpa’s evil since Suzunagi’s mother she placed love in the corner of them. So they don’t act as a becon that attracts beings of evil from the Netherworld Given this the Ronin themselves could spread the teachings of the Ancient One by creating a new Legend of the Ronin Armor.

It could start with Sage talking to his grandfather about expanding their families Dojo. Or at the very least telling his Grandfather he will not inherit the Dojo as it stands, but instead will recreate it. So instead of teaching Kendo alone it will include Archery, Swordfighting, Kungfu, meditation, and other forms of martial and spiritual arts. The other Ronin would be brought in as instructors to lead these various class all the while instilling the Anicent Ones teachings about not giving into the sinister urges of man kind. And when needed the Ronin would don their armors and face the forces from the neather world who seek to destroy the peace they have created.

Eventually the time will come where they feel they have played their role in protecting the world, and hand the Dojo over to Yuli or at least someone they know would look after things and carry on the legend of the five armors.

Once they have their affairs in order, they could make the choice to enter the Netherworld. This will be a tragic choice as a year in the Netherworld is a hundred years in the human world. So the Ronin would be making the choice to leave their families and loved ones behind. But they do this knowing that when they are needed they will return, and in time choose worthy successors to bear their armors.

Yuli in an updated version would be a somewhat tragic case following the first war. During the series Yuli seems to stay with the Ronin and Mia indefinitely and is able to travel to distant countries at a moments notice. He sees all the Ronin as adoptive brothers, though he idolizes Ryo the most out of all of them. A large part of the first war with the Dynasty is that Yuli’s parents were abducted by the Dynasty. However the series never shows him with his parents again.

He should be shown meeting up with his parents again after the first war just so viewers have that closure. Then somewhere in the interim episodes between the first and second war something should happen to his parents so he loses them, it can be left up for interpretation if his parents are permanently lost. Yuli would then start to live with the Ronin and Mia until arrangements can be made for him; he will eventually be taken in by the families of one of the Ronin.

Of the three Ronin I see Kento’s family being the only one that would work. Kento has siblings roughly around Yuli’s age, and also Yuli himself would want to be near his adoptive big brothers.

In the Message OVA, Yuli is shown as a thirteen year old having won his jr. high’s Kendo tournament. Sage teaches elementary school aged kids at his families Dojo, so I can certainly see Sage privately teaching Yuli at some point.

#ronin warriors #update-samurai-troopers #Samurai-troopers #rw2020 #Ronin-armors #armor legend samurai troopers #samurai troopers #Ryo sanada #Sage Date #Rowen hashiba #cye mouri #fan-speculation

21 notes · View notes

itwasalwaysjustred · 4 years

Text

prompt #012 - tooth and nail

light WoL/G’raha but can be read as platonic; a battle for an unexpected item in the streets of Revenant’s Toll; 938 words

content warnings: spoilers for 5.3 if you know what you’re looking for

There’s a kind of low, simmering tension in the air of Revenant’s Toll that morning, like an expectation that something big is about to happen. It’s enough to make even the most seasoned of adventurer’s hair stand on end, battle-honed instincts warning of what is to come. To the causal onlooker, everything seemed normal, like it was just another day living on the edges of the civilized world.

But to the people who knew? Oh, honey, there was a storm coming.

Though this was hardly his first rodeo, Nhagi’li can’t help but be drawn in by the city’s undertow of emotion, all eagerness and thrashing tail. Perched up on the dining balcony of Rowen’s establishment, he watches the vendors set up their stalls below with a keen eye. Beside him, G’raha — a novice in this sort of endeavour — is a ball of nervous energy, seemingly barely resisting the urge to wring his hands. For a Miqo’te who had survived as the enigmatic leader of a city for several hundreds of years, he certainly has a lot of tells. Nhagi’li likes to think that they’re emerging because he’s comfortable now, or at least more comfortable behind himself.

He gently bumps their shoulders together, making G’raha flinch, but bringing him out of his own head. “You remember the plan?”

At this, the Seeker nods emphatically and gives Nhagi’li a thumbs up. “I won’t let you down!” In truth, he looks like he might be a little ill. Nhagi’li wishes he could say something to reassure him, but he doesn't have the words. What they’re about to embark on may not be as world-threatening as the arrival of a new primal or the rise of another Ascian, but victory would still be just as difficult to achieve. Even Nhagi’li himself had only been successful a handful of times. He was hoping to double the odds by enlisting G’raha, the Seeker eager to assist him in any way since he was cleared for duty by Krile.

He can only hope he hasn’t tossed G’raha to the wolves.

Below them, the stalls are all in place, the scent of the item they’re after wafts up, as delicious as he remembered it. The food stall only makes a limited supply of the Papanasi, rich, donut-like desserts topped with preserves and sour cream. They’ve become somewhat of a hot item around these parts, especially when compared to the usual bland food the locals have become accustomed to, and the difficulty in acquiring all the ingredients to produce them make it so the stall can only produce a limited number. The result is, once a week, there is a knockout, throw down, battle royale for these tasty treats, where only the sturdiest and most cunning emerge the victors. This week’s battle is about to start, and Nhagi’li says a quick prayer to the Twelve for his success.

“Get ready…” Nhagi’li whispers, and beside him G’raha tenses like a live wire.

The bell rings, signalling the opening of the market, and the two Miqo’te leap from the balcony, almost in sync. It’s already chaos; people from all over, seemingly uninterested in the goings on, come bursting from the woodwork, all making a beeline towards the stall. He loses G’raha in the pushing and shoving of all the people, but he had warned the Seeker about that possibility. As much as he doesn’t want to leave his friend to totally fend for himself here, the only way either of them is going to get their hands on one of these desserts is if each of them fights with their own strength. He has to trust that G’raha will make it out in one piece. Steeling his resolve, he pushes and shoves his way to the front, shoving his gil towards the haggard looking saleswoman behind the counter and then—

Success!

Clutching his bagged dessert and without looking back, Nhagi’li retreats to their assigned meeting spot, guarding his treasure as fiercely as a mother guards her babe. It’s only when the dust finally settles that he sees G’raha again, the now very rumpled and dirty looking Seeker sheepishly making his way over. Judging by his empty hands, and the look of utter defeat on his face, he did not secure himself a Papanasi.

When he finally sits next to him, Nhagi’li settles in snuggly beside his friend, chirping softly and nuzzling into his scuffed cheek. Though G’raha accepts the affection, his ears are still pressed flat against his head, clearly unhappy about the results of their shared venture. This, Nhagi’li decides immediately, simply will not do, and without hesitation he breaks his secured prize into halves.

“Here. You more than earned it,” he insists, pushing the half of the bun towards G’raha despite his protests. Finally, with a huff, the Seeker takes his portion and settles in to nibble on it, looking incredibly put out all the while. Nhagi’li lets him be, knowing it’s only his pride that’s been wounded, and confident that the taste of their shared treat will be enough to improve G’raha’s mood. Sure enough, the Seeker has only had one good mouthful before he pauses, ears wiggling and eyes widening. He swallows his bite, and then takes another, letting the taste blossom properly on his tongue.

“... It’s really good.”

Nhagi’li grins as he licks the remaining syrup off his fingers. “Told you so.”

G’raha’s disappointment is long gone, and Nhagi’li is pleased to see new determination in its place. “Next time. I’ll get one next time,” he promises, and Nhagi’li gently bunts his head against the Seeker’s in pleased acceptance of his words.

#ffxivwrite2020

2 notes · View notes

ruination-fangs · 5 years

Text

Jude Stage 8: With His Feelings in His Heart

* from Asteria’s fourth chapter, “Recollections of Eden”

[<- stage 7]

Scene 1

Leia is impressed by Jude's fighting, and how even though he doesn't remember anything, his body does. Jude wants to stop, but the moment he lets his guard down, Leia attacks.

Leia: I guess that's it, huh... Seems all you remember is what your body knows. You may have forgotten the rest, but my mom's hardcore training can't be erased! Jude: Your mom's training... Leia: It's kind of nostalgic somehow, doing this again... Haah!

She continues to strike at Jude, musing about how they used to spar all the time as kids. Jude moves the same way now as he did then; Leia predicts that after his next move, he'll leave an opening, but Jude dodges her attack. He's even more confused than she is about why he understands what she’s going to do.

Jude: It's as if I've seen it before... in my head... No, but that's... Leia as a kid...? It's the same patterns... Urgh...!?

His vision blurs. Seeing that Jude seems to be remembering something, Leia attacks again, but this time Jude doesn't manage to dodge.

Leia: Huh... In the old days, you would easily have seen through that. Was it all a coincidence after all...? Jude: Have I... faced these attacks before...? Urk...!

Everything spins again. Leia tells him if he still doesn't remember, he should accept his defeat and go back to the village, but he blocks her next attack - and then several more in a row.

Jude: How did I...? I've never seen that attack before, but my body just... Leia: Jude...! Then how about this!?

As Jude's vision swims, he continues to counter, confused about why he knows all Leia's moves. It's like her attack patterns have been etched into his mind, and he reads them perfectly.

Jude: That's right... We've fought like this countless times, ever since we were kids... I understand. I know what you're going to do next... No, I remember... There was that time we were cleaning, and you used that move with the broom... Leia: Jude!? Y-Yeah, that's right! And then we got yelled at for playing with the brooms! Jude: You were always the one to start goofing off. You were always getting scolded... but I was always right there with you, so... Leia: Yeah. You've always looked after me... Jude, you really do remember... Jude: Still, we never learned... Skipping out on our punishments... Sparring sessions... Until we were experts at dodging... Urgh! What is going on...?! We were kids... and Master Sonia... Aaaaah!

Leia: ...Jude? Jude: Right... That's right... But then, what have I been doing...? Leia: Jude, do you... Jude: Hey, Leia. I... Leia: Dropped your guard!

Leia attacks unexpectedly, but Jude dodges again. He remembers everything now, and he shows Leia one of the forms they learned from her mom to prove it.

Jude: We were neighbors when we were kids. Your mom introduced martial arts to us. We sparred like this over and over again... day in and day out, hundreds, maybe thousands of times. Leia: Then you should recognize this! Haah! *Smack smack... bam bam!* Jude: It's nostalgic, doing these moves again... Even though the training was brutal. Leia: Yeah, Mom worked us to the bone every day. We'd end up covered in scrapes and bruises. Jude: But it made us so much stronger...! Leia: I always beat you, though. Jude: Not this time, you won't!

Leia informs him that she hasn't changed her mind just because he's gotten his memories back. She's not really sure what's going on with the world right now, but she knows criminals only cause trouble to others, so she refuses to go back to the village. Jude insists that he's not giving up either; if she has any doubts at all about what she's doing, he'll make sure he doesn't lose.

He continues to block all her attacks. Leia starts to think that maybe he's right and she does have doubts - but that's all the more reason for her to win and convince herself of her decision. Jude recognizes the stance she takes right before using Soulstoke Celebration. He can hardly move afterwards, but he refuses to lose, and Leia is stunned that he gets back up. He hits her with one final attack.

Jude: ...I'm sorry, Leia. I can't afford to pull any punches against you... Leia: Jude... I'm so glad you've remembered...

Leia falls to the ground, unconscious. As Jude is preparing to take her back to the village, one of the guards wakes up and tries to threaten him, but he can't move. Jude tells him to rest for a while. The other guard informs Jude that he's a fugitive now, and promises that the White Lions will find them if they try to escape.

Jude: ...Right, that is a problem. Leia had them thoroughly fooled, after all. Guard 2: What...? Jude: Pretending to be a criminal herself, in order to lure out the real criminal... Everyone thought we were accomplices, when she was just using herself as bait and getting captured by the White Lions to lure me in. I'm gonna need a new strategy to get myself out of this! Guard 2: So that's what happened... I thought something was off. This was all the Rolando Family's plan, then... Jude: Yep. But it's not going to work. I'll have to retreat. And I'm taking Leia as a hostage, so I can get my revenge later. Guard 1: Stop...! I can't let you do that, even to a criminal... Wait, no, she's not a criminal, is she...? Guard 2: She's assisted us greatly... We have to help her! Dammit... I can't... get up...!

Jude makes his exit before the guards can get back on their feet.

Scene 2

Back in Rikka Village, things are a little tense. Jude doesn't expect Leia to forgive him, as he knows what he did was contrary to what Leia had decided for herself, but he still feels it was the right thing to do. Even so, Ludger thinks they're probably going to put a warrant out for him now.

Magilou seems to find it funny, though Leia doesn't think it's any laughing matter. She asks what Jude plans to do next. Jude also expects he'll be on the wanted list by the next morning, so he intends to leave before then. He wants to look for everyone - Milla, Elize, even Sorey and Stahn might be in the same predicament that they were. He doesn't know what he'll do if they've lost their memories too, but he has to go see.

Leia points out that if they're living peaceful lives, they might be happier to be left alone. Jude agrees that since they don't know what's going on right now, they'll have to be careful about how they approach the matter.

He's thinking of heading to Reisvale first. That's where Mikleo is supposed to be from, and Rowen was with him. The first thing he wants to ascertain is whether they've lost their memories, or are just playing along.

Now that she thinks about it, Leia finds their "roles" a little strange, with Mikleo a nobleman and Estelle her subordinate.

Jude: Yeah, really. But everyone here accepts that as perfectly normal... Leia: No one would believe us if we suddenly started saying Estelle is a princess... even though we remember it clear as day. Jude: Right. We probably shouldn't mention it. I want everyone to get their memories back, but it could be dangerous to go about it the wrong way.

Ludger hesitantly interrupts to ask if Jude has become a criminal like Leia. He doesn't understand what happened, or why Jude brought Leia back. If this was a case of one criminal setting another free, he has a duty to report them. Alarmed, Jude reminds him that the "criminals" are just people who've regained their memories, but Ludger can't be sure that's true; all he knows is they've been talking about crazy things no one else understands. He apologizes, because he knows they're both good people and he wants to believe them, but if it comes to choosing between Lazarus and the claims of wanted fugitives, the choice is clear.

Jude suggests that there might be a way for Ludger to confirm that the memory bit is real. He remembers Ludger from before he lost his memories - that Ludger used to live with Elle, and his older brother Julius, and a cat named Rollo. Ludger thinks, but none of it sounds familiar to him, and he's concerned Jude is lying. Leia reminds Jude that he was the same way; it seems words alone won't make people remember.

Jude wonders if there's some action, then, that would jog a person's memory, like what happened to him. Then he remembers Ludger saying he feels like he's made some promise to cook for someone, and tells him it probably was something he said to Elle. Maybe Elle feels the same way. Ludger also once said he gets a funny feeling when he looks at families together - that would be because deep down, he remembers living with Elle and Julius.

Ludger still isn't sure, but Jude pleads with him to just trust him for now. Elle should be in Reisvale, which is where he's going anyway, so Ludger should come and see for himself. If at that point he still wants to turn Jude in, it won't be too late; Jude promises he won't run or hide. Ludger knows turning the criminals in to the White Lions is the right thing to do, but he gets the sense he might regret it if he does that, so he agrees to come. However, he's not saying he believes Jude and Leia yet, and if he meets with Elle and can't confirm anything, he will report them both. Jude accepts that deal.

Then Ludger asks Magilou if she'll agree not to report them for now. Magilou agrees surprisingly easily, since it seems they can prove or disprove Jude's claims readily enough. Leia asks what she knows about it, and Magilou admits that she's been investigating the criminals herself.

Magilou: There must be some hidden meaning to the "nonsense" the criminals talk about, right? Something we civilians don't know. So I thought, if I checked out these restricted zones... Leia: You were in the restricted zone?! So that stuff about a trespasser... Magilou: And what's a wanted criminal going to do, report me? Leia: Ugh... Don't remind me. Magilou: But that's exactly the problem! That the Rolando Family's leader should turn out to be a criminal herself... I joined thinking that if this is an organization worthy of Roar's attention, maybe I could get some information on the restricted zones or the criminals... But if the leader is a lawbreaker, the whole ship is sunk. All that effort, totally wasted! ...But thanks to Jude's quick thinking, the fact that Leia is now a criminal is our little secret, yeah?

In conclusion, Magilou has no problem protecting Leia if there's some benefit to it. They can always report Jude later. For now, she'd rather they all cooperate in her little investigation.

Leia is fine with that, but Ludger wants to know why she's looking into the criminals in the first place. Magilou's reasoning is simple: Lazarus doesn't want civilians interacting with these people. If she can figure out where they're coming from and why they're appearing, and come up with some preventative measures, there might be a sizable reward.

Ludger: If you're trying to please Lady Lazarus, doesn't it kind of defeat the purpose to break her laws and sneak into the restricted zone? Magilou: You gotta break a few eggs to make an omelette, right? We can only do this if we play by our own rules.

Jude wonders what would drive Magilou to do that, and Magilou admits that the Menagerie's last performance was a total flop. She has a debt that's going to be very difficult to repay, hence her interest in receiving a reward. Ludger sympathizes.

Magilou: Don't get me wrong now, I'm not saying I'm on your side. But if that's what it takes to keep observing you, I'll keep your little secret. Jude: Well, that's good enough. We'll need your cooperation for Leia to go back to the Family. Leia: ...H-Hey, Jude. What if instead of going back, I go with-

At that moment the door bursts open and Estelle and Suzu rush in, having heard that Leia is back.

Suzu: Jude, why didn't you tell us right away!? Jude: S-Sorry... Magilou: Because they're too busy sharing secrets they don't want you to hear... Jude: Magilou, don't tell them that! Estelle: We figured something was going on. If you say it's a secret, we won't force you to tell us. But Leia, please, don't shut us out and leave again! Leia: I-I'm sorry, you guys. But I think I'm going to be leaving again anyway... Jude: Leia... Sorry, but you can't come with us. Leia: What!? Why!? Jude: Because I saw what happened to Estelle and Suzu when they read your letter. You're an indispensable part of the Rolando Family, and this village. Estelle: He's right. If it's ever too much of a burden on you, I can always help out more. But we need you as our leader, Leia. Suzu: I agree. Leia: You guys, too? You really think...? Both: Of course!

Leia promises not to run off again, but Suzu picks up on the fact that she’s speaking only for herself. Leia explains that Jude has something to take care of, so he and Ludger are going on a little trip. She asks Jude about Meredy and the others, and he assures her he'll let her know as soon as possible if anything happens.

Suzu: In that case, how about we lend you a sylphjay? Jude: Sylphjay...? Like, the bird? Suzu: We use them as messenger birds. They make it easy to get in touch with distant people quickly. Ludger: Distant people... That's right, I need to let the dining hall know I'll be gone a while longer... Jude: Can I send a message, too? I should let them know I won't be there to deliver the milk... Suzu: Then let's do it now.

Jude and Ludger write their letters, and Suzu sends the bird off, telling them it should be in Carmina by morning. They're trained, so they can fly all night.

With that arranged, Jude and Ludger prepare to set out, though Estelle is surprised they're leaving so soon. Before they leave, Jude asks Leia about the father they had in custody, but Leia tells him not to worry about it.

Suzu: ...What are you talking about? Jude: Oh, uh, it's nothing. I'll leave it to you, Leia. Ludger: Let's go, Jude. Jude: Right. First stop, Reisvale.

#tales of asteria #jude mathis #leia rolando #ludger will kresnik #magilou (tob)#estelle sidos heurassein #suzu fujibayashi #asteria spoilers #translations #idk if i'm going to do any of raven's scenario #i haven't been reading it #we'll see......

2 notes · View notes

kohakuhime · 7 years

Text

The Reluctant Guardian, ch. 15

*throws confetti* And here’s the next update! Since I am working next weekend I was not certain about working or even getting the next update up, so here it is! Thanks for reading~!

Disclaimer: this takes place post canon, and this refers to events that take place in an alternate verse. Michael belongs to @mpuzzlegirl; Rowen, Sylvie, and the twins belong to me; Yumi Mutou, who is referenced, belongs to @wizqevelynart; and YGO and its associated characters belong to Kazuki Takahashi

In the aftermath of Dartz’s anger, Rowen found himself unable to sleep at all that night. Too many scenarios, too many things to worry over, too many thoughts were running through his mind. What had happened? What caused Dartz to get so visibly angry? Were his grandparents all right? Dartz had made it clear he would not tell them anything about what was happening until he calmed, so his mind kept jumping to the worst case scenarios.

Dartz himself had not come out from the study once since he had returned, not even for dinner, and he had ignored any knocks at the door. It only left a tense, uneasy feeling in the wake of his anger, and after they had cleaned up the mess left behind by Dartz’s outburst they’d gone to bed. Not one of them had been able to dispel their fears and doubts.

It was why the moment he heard a noise downstairs Rowen was out of the sleeping bag, down the hall, and down the stairs before he had even registered his feet moving. The sun had not even come out yet, so Rowen half-hoped he had been quiet enough not to wake anyone. With no clocks, it was hard to gauge what time it was.

He didn’t find Dartz downstairs, or even Michael. Instead he found Claire working over the stove, quietly stirring something in a pot and seemingly lost in her own world. It seemed she had been unable to sleep as well. “Claire?”

The younger girl jumped and turned to face him, green eyes wide and startled. There was something too brittle and fragile about the expression on her face. “Ro, geez. We need to get you a bell too, it looks like,” she said with a rueful grin. The smile did not reach into her eyes and her hand reached up to wipe them. “Stupid bangs gettin’ into my face all the time…”

Rowen did not immediately comment on the tears, uncertain how to approach the subject. Claire would deny it anyways. Instead, he dipped his head at the stove. “Making something?”

“Ma always made the best hot chocolate,” said Claire in a far too quiet voice, so much so that Rowen nearly missed it. “She always made it when we couldn’t sleep. Made the world seem less scary when you had a stomach full of hot cocoa and your ma holdin’ you.”

“…Oh.” His heart went out to his younger cousin, the all too familiar twist of grief in his stomach. “Yeah.”

“I got one out of two—that’s not much, but hey, hot cocoa’s good for when you’re unhappy, right?” Claire returned her attention to the stove, angrily swiping at her face. “The steam’s agitatin’ my eyes,” she said with a shaky laugh. “Crap, they won’t stop watering. Crap. Crap.”

Rowen heard the fragile note in her voice and crossed the room, turning the stove off and moving the pot away as Claire suddenly sagged in place with a sob. “Oh, Claire…”

Rowen held her up as she buried her face in his shirt, gasping as her arms suddenly wrapped around him in a crushing hug. He carefully lowered himself and Claire to the floor as her sobs grew in volume, rubbing her back in slow, soothing circles.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, it’s stupid, I’m sorry,” came Claire’s muffled wail from his chest. “I’m s-scared, I don’t know if Auntie M-Mai or Uncle Joey are okay, and i-it’s because of me a-and Sora they’re in trouble! I just want to go h-home, a-and have my own things, and my own family back s-so we don’t have to be he-he-here—Rowen I want Ma and Dad back!”

Rowen’s lips pressed together until they were a thin line on his face, his own eyes starting to water at the sound of his cousin’s heart-wrenching sobs. He gently shushed and soothed to stop the start of Claire’s hyperventilating. It was hard not to break down himself and he looked up to the ceiling, taking a shaky breath, and then back down to the younger teenager in his arms. “It’s not stupid, Claire,” he said gently, his own voice thick. He swallowed and cleared his throat. “None of it is stupid. This whole situation sucks, and I’m so sorry you’re stuck in it. What happened isn’t your fault, okay? Your parents wouldn’t blame you, and neither would your aunt and uncle.”

Claire’s sobs turned into a keening wail, one of them nearly deafening Rowen before her grip tightened.

Sora and Claire both hid their pain with smiles and laughter, and they made it so easy to think there was nothing wrong with them. Even in the whirlwind of being brought here, even with all the terrible things that had happened, Sora and Claire had still managed smiles on their faces. It was so easy to believe the illusion that they were untouchable—and they’d all fallen for it.

Rowen also felt another pang as another one of Claire’s comments registered. The twins had literally been left with nothing of their own or their parents. It had all burned in the fire. At least he, his sister, and Michael still had physical items that belonged to their parents. Claire and Sora did not even have so much as a photo from their old home, let alone their own clothing save the ones they’d worn the day of the fire. They’d had to rely on charity from their remaining family and friends, but nothing would fully replace what had been lost.

There was the sound of a door opening, and then soft footsteps. Rowen looked up to find Dartz peering around the corner of the kitchen. For once his hair was not brushed out and held back, but loose and flowing; he was wearing a light blue tunic and matching pants, and he was barefoot. He did not understand why the change in clothing was such a jarring sight until he realized that they were pajamas. Dartz must have been sleeping and had no doubt been drawn by the sounds of Claire’s crying.

He didn’t know what expression was on his own face, but it was enough to make Dartz’s eyes shift away to Claire. “Is she all right?” Dartz asked quietly.

“She’s homesick, Dartz,” Rowen said, and he wasn’t sure if that was anger or grief in his voice. “She’s homesick and stressed and miserable, and it’s been a bad night. That’s all.”

Dartz’s expression flickered, assessing them for a long moment. His gaze shifted from them at a point above them. “I can see there’s the start of traditional hot chocolate on the stove,” he said after a beat of silence. “The floor is hard and cold, and you are in the way of the stove. Perhaps you could sit on the sofa while I finish this?”

Rowen didn’t protest, instead carefully scooping Claire into his arms before standing. Dartz made a strange motion that he checked halfway through; belatedly, Rowen realized the man had been trying to offer assistance. Dartz did not reach forward again, though his eyes followed them as he passed.

Claire’s sobs had decreased in volume, but she was still heaving and whimpering as Rowen left the kitchen and sat down on the sofa. There was a spot beneath his collarbone that was completely soaked through and Rowen dutifully ignored it. He’d worry about it later, when Claire was not so distressed and upset.

There was the sound of bare feet padding over tile, but Dartz was still in the kitchen. Rowen looked over to spot Michael and Sora both hurrying over, Sora in the lead. “Claire?” he asked, worry in his features. Claire’s sobs began again in earnest at the sound of her brother’s voice.

Sora sat down next to her, gently tapping her shoulder twice, and when she looked up at Sora soundlessly reached for his twin. Rowen did not move as Claire twisted in his arms and lunged for her brother, although he winced when her elbow dug into his ribs as she shifted over. Sora yelped as the full weight of his distraught sister slumped against him. His eyes found Rowen’s, something lost and vulnerable in his gaze before he turned his attention to his sister.

“Claire? Hey, Claire, c’mon,” he tried, his voice petering off into a soft murmur as he held her.

“What happened?” Michael asked, taking in the distress from both Rowen and Claire.

“She’s had a bad night,” Dartz said quietly, echoing what Rowen had said earlier. All of them looked up to watch as the man left the kitchen. Rowen was certain there had not been enough in the pot to make hot cocoa for more than one person, yet there were four steaming mugs on the tray. Not one of them made a move toward the tray, nor did Dartz encourage them to take one as he set it down on the coffee table. “The situation is not an ideal one and I have contributed to this.”

He paused, studying the small group, and then spoke. “I should go ahead and assure you that those who remain of your immediate families are safe,” he said then, his voice firm. Claire let out a shaky exhale but did not turn. “However…”

He seemed to hesitate, and Rowen felt something clench. “Just say it, Dartz,” he said, tired and worn. He started feeling distant, far away—just as he had That Night. “Who was it?”

“…Our mutual enemy has struck. Although they live, Yugi Mutou and Seto Kaiba have been taken, as have their families.”

Rowen heard it, but it took a few seconds before the sensation of being sucker-punched reached him.

Yumi.

Michael visibly paled, gold eyes wide with fear and features going slack. Sora stared blankly, and it was hard to gauge what Claire’s emotions were on the matter as she had not turned around; the small hopeless sob was answer enough. Rowen had suspected as much, but to hear it and have it confirmed…

“How?” Rowen’s voice was faint. “Taken where?”

“I do not know the answer to either question. This enemy has been clever about what he’s doing and it’s proving difficult to find him.”

“We need to go back,” Michael said sharply. His fists were gripping his pants tightly, his eyes narrowed and filled with trapped fury. “Dartz, we need to go home. We need to do—something, anything, other than just sit here and wait! Those are our families!” he added, and his voice cracked from distress.

“You cannot—“

“I can!” Michael’s voice pitched and Sora jumped. “It would be more than what you’re doing! You know who’s doing this, and yet you won’t tell anyone!”

“I am in no position to tell anyone anything,” Dartz said. His tone elevated, but not to the point of yelling. “At this point involving anyone outside of me would have them end up the same as Yugi Mutou and Seto Kaiba.”

“Then figure out a way!” Michael snarled, and Rowen spotted the tears glittering in Michael’s eyes. “We already lost our parents, Dartz—don’t make us stand by and lose everyone else we love too!”

There was the barest of flinches from Dartz. Sora’s arms tightened defensively around his sister, and there came another sob from Claire. Something close to a knife started twisting in Rowen’s chest before it dulled.

Dartz rose to his feet, everything in his aura and posture exuding exhaustion. “If I could return you to your families, I would. There is no place you can go that your enemy wouldn’t find you. If he is capable of taking Seto Kaiba and making him vanish with barely anyone knowing where he is, he can easily take you.”

“Barely anyone?” Rowen latched onto that part of Dartz’s sentence in an effort to ground himself. “Then someone knows about Mister Mutou and Mister Kaiba?”

“A news article was online recently, and I am certain your remaining family is working to find the one responsible and to help them,” Dartz said quietly. “I’m doing what I can to find them as well.”

He turned. “I will resume that search momentarily,” he said, starting towards his room. “I felt you should know what happened before I left.”

Rowen looked at the distraught features of his cousins, and for a moment he did not want to ask the question burning in the back of his mind. “Dartz, that wasn’t what made you angry last night, was it?” he said at last.

The other man stilled, back still facing Rowen. “It is one of the issues at hand.”

“But not the one that upset you.” Rowen carefully rose to his feet, taking care not to jostle Claire or Michael. “Something else happened.”

Dartz did not answer and kept going, moving for the study. Rowen followed after him. “Dartz!”

The older man turned and Rowen recoiled at the fierce burning gold eyes directed at him. “Now is not the time for that,” Dartz said, his voice a semblance of calm. “Let me tell you in my own time.”

Rowen had no choice but to reluctantly concede the point. Whatever this was, Dartz was clearly not in a position to discuss it. He’d settle for something else instead, then. “That wasn’t what I was going to ask,” he said, not quite meeting Dartz’s eyes.

He felt rather than saw Dartz’s skeptical expression. “Oh?”

Rowen looked up at that. He kept his voice low as he spoke. “Dartz, we’ve got nothing to do and nothing to distract us from this situation. Claire’s broken down because of it, Michael’s about to snap, and Sora and Sylvie aren’t far behind. Unless you want them completely folding, they need something to keep them busy and board games aren’t going to work. We can only do so much before doubt and fear sets in.”

Dartz looked beyond Rowen for a moment, eyes on the remaining teenagers on the couch. “I will see what I can do to help,” he said at last. “Now go—you’re needed.”

The door closed in front of Rowen and a spike of helplessness flew through his thoughts as he stared at the door. He shut his eyes, trying his hardest not to cry. He suddenly felt overwhelmed, as if he had been stretched too far and spread too thin.

“Ro?”

He turned over to where Sora was staring at him, his helpless gaze traveling between his twin, Michael, and Rowen. “Ro, what do we do?” he asked, and his voice carried a wobble to it that had not been there before.

Rowen did not have an answer, not immediately. His mind had gone blank as his eyes went from a newly sobbing Claire, Sora’s overbright eyes, and Michael’s bowed head and trembling body. There had to be some way, something he could do…

I want to go home… I want my own things…I want Ma and Dad!

“Hold on,” he heard himself say, and he found himself moving up the stairs. “I’ll be right back.”

He had it, didn’t he? Had he left it in the bag? He couldn’t remember, but years ago Mama had used to leave it in their emergency pack, something to keep them calm when they had been younger—

He stepped back into his room, briefly checking on the still-sleeping Sylvie before starting to rifle through the pack. Was it in here…?

“Yes!” he muttered, triumphantly lifting out the small and thin album. He picked through the book, lifting out three photos, and moved back out of the room and down the stairs. Three pairs of tear-filled eyes turned toward him as he came back to them.

“Dartz left.” Michael’s voice was hollow but thick.

“Let him go,” Rowen said firmly, and his younger cousin looked up at him with confusion. He held out the book as he stepped over Michael’s legs. “Sora, Claire, scoot over a smidge.”

The twins complied and Rowen sat down. “Mama had a book that had all kinds of pictures in it. Pets, people, places, that kind of thing,” he began, taking a moment to catch his breath from coming down the stairs. “She made it herself and put it in our pack when we were little. Called it her alphabet book. I forgot to take it out.”

He held out two of the photos to the twins, and in his other hand was one for Michael. “These were under her entry for family,” he said quietly. “I didn’t have any others, but…”

Uncle Valon was underneath an umbrella on a rainy day, grinning at the camera with a far too familiar lopsided smile; Aunt Serenity was outside beneath an oak tree, looking over her shoulder with a warm smile; and Aunt Carmon and Uncle Alister sat in front of a Christmas tree, her warm smile complimenting the small but genuine one on her partner’s.

Sora and Claire both sucked in an identical breath, their hands flashing together for the photos of their mom and dad. Michael reached out for the one in Rowen’s hand, taking it almost reverently.

Michael stared at the photo of his parents, fingers resting very lightly on their faces, and Rowen saw his eyes fill with tears. “Thanks. I didn’t get a chance to get a photo to carry with me. I couldn’t stomach going home to get one, y’see,” he said, his voice thick. The first of the tears started to fall. “I lost my phone and it had all my favorite pictures of my parents and their last message to me. I didn’t even get to see the movie with them in it—I don’t even know if I’ll ever get to now.”

“That’ll be the first thing we do when we get home, Mikey,” said Sora stoutly, his voice shaking. “Swear it. We’ll watch that movie the minute we get back.”

Claire didn’t say anything, eyes locked on her mother’s photo before her gaze switched to the one of her father.

Rowen had avoided looking at too many pictures of his family since That Night. The reverent and watery smiles being directed at the photos, however, were worth the familiar sting that came with acknowledging his family’s passing.

“Do you have any of your parents?” Michael asked, wiping his eyes. “You’ve got ours, I just wondered if you…”

“Yeah,” Rowen replied after a moment of silence. “Sylvie’s got it right now. She keeps it under her pillow. She won’t sleep without it, same way she won’t go to bed without Filly.”

“You mind if we look at it later?” Sora asked quietly. “Aunt Mai didn’t have any pictures of Aunt Ells or Uncle Raph, not readily available anyways.”

“Sure,” Rowen replied with a sad smile. “Once Sylvie wakes up.”

He watched his cousins look over the photos, his heart squeezing in his chest. He’d do what he could for his family, and in the end he could only hope it was enough.

+++++++++++++++++++

It had been long before the sun had come up when they had first gotten up, so it was inevitable that they dozed off; they had at least had the cups of hot chocolate that Dartz had left out, and it had sped up their journey to sleep. Claire, who had been up possibly longer than any of them, was the first; Michael had still been awake when Rowen finally dozed off.

What woke him up, however, was a tentative hand shaking his shoulder. “Rowen?”

Rowen blinked awake, blearily rubbing his eyes. There were weights on either side of him, and a cursory glance showed the twins sprawled out in a tangle of limbs on one side and Michael curled on the other side of him. His gaze focused on Sylvie, who was standing in front of him. “Oh, hey,” he said, stifling a yawn. “Sorry, there was an emergency. Everything okay?”

Sylvie nodded, then turned and pointed. “Did you get a TV?”

Rowen blinked several times, not sure he heard Sylvie right. “What?”

He followed the direction his younger sister was pointing, and then sat up straight. The movement jostled his younger cousins and Michael started awake with a small yelp. “Row’n?”

Rowen pointed mutely to the older modeled television, looking between it and Michael questioningly. “I’m an awful morning person. Is that real?”

Michael rubbed his eyes and slowly rose, padding over to the television. He gave it a wary poke, and then for added measure an experimental shove. The sound of the television moving over the wooden floor startled them both and then the shorter boy nodded.

“Uh, yeah. It’s real.” Michael also sounded like he was not fully convinced it was there.

“Does it work?” Sora said with interest, the last of the sleep leaving his eyes as he stared at the television. Claire stirred and sat up, disentangling herself from her sibling before yelping and rolling off the couch and onto the floor.

Rowen stood up, stretching a long moment before he walked to the television and flipped the on switch. He was somewhat disappointed to see it didn’t work. It clearly had not been there before, though, and none of them had certainly brought it back. He turned and noticed the large box of what looked to be spare parts sitting next to the television. He quirked an eyebrow at it, slowly understanding what he was looking at.

“There’s a note!” Claire said. She had padded over to the other side, where a folded piece of paper had been taped. She pulled it free and opened the note. “’The device does not work. I have left you a box of spare parts to use to fix the television, as well as the accompanying DVD player. I believe two of you tinker quite a bit—try to fix it if you can, there is a reward if you do’,” she read, and Rowen could already see the gleam in her eyes at the challenge in the note. It matched her brother’s, certainly.

“It won’t work anyways because of the wards, though,” Michael said, watching as the twins almost instantly dove into the box of spare parts. They were already talking animatedly, their conversation already overlapping as they studied the DVD player.

“Maybe Dartz will fix that?” Rowen suggested, curious in spite of himself. “I wonder if they can get cable or satellite going on that thing. It would be a good way to find out what’s happening in Domino.”

“Maybe not,” said Michael with a frown. “I don’t see any cable or satellite hookups around here in spite of how modern it looks. The twins would have to fashion an antenna of some kind to receive cable signals, and those may not even get in because of Dartz’s so-called wards. Still, though, the fact he’s left us a DVD player means he’s thinking we can watch movies.”

“Does that mean there are movies?” Sylvie looked hopeful. “I have Bambi upstairs in my bag.”

“Her favorite movie right now,” Rowen murmured, looking amused. “I didn’t think she’d like it enough to put it in her emergency pack.”

“Well, little fey,” said Michael, reaching over to ruffle her hair. “We’re going to see if we can get things running. There’s a chance we can watch a movie later.”

“Yo! Ro, Mikey! We need another set of eyes! Lookin’ for a capacitor and a light tube in here!” Sora called, voice muffled by the box his head was currently buried in.

Rowen rolled back imaginary sleeves, starting to grin. “Aye, captain. Lead the way.”

Previous | Master Post | Next

#kohaku writes #au: reluctant guardian #oc: rowen knighton #oc: sylvie knighton #oc: the twins #other's oc: michael #dartz

6 notes · View notes