Part 12: Maybe Tomorrow

 

 

It had been two months since they’d rescued Uli.  There had been no change in his condition.  The best doctors and specialists in the world were baffled by the strange poison in Uli’s body.  They, of course, wanted to keep him under observation at a special facility.  By that point, Mia knew they couldn’t do anything for him and were more interesting in studying and testing him than anything else.  There had been disagreements and not-too-subtle attempts at persuasion to get Uli’s parents to leave him there, but after Astarte “insisted” Uli be allowed to go home, the medical professionals quickly backed off.

 

It was Kento’s birthday and he’d done something his friends thought totally unexpected.  He’d invited all the Ronins, Sentinels, and even the Warlords to a local art gallery to see an exhibit by an up-and-coming artist.  He’d been pretty vague about the details.  Zoe had swung by his apartment to see if he was ready.  No one answered when she knocked so she opened the door.  Kento sat in a chair staring out the window.

 

“Kento!  Let’s go!  You’re going to be late for your own art show.  Kento?  What’s wrong?”

 

“Do…do you think the guys will like my stuff?  Really?”

 

“If they have any taste.  You’re sculptures are fantastic!  You know I wouldn’t say that if it weren’t true—not even to make you feel better.  I know this is a big step for you.  You want the guys to take you seriously for once and you’re worried they’ll laugh at you.  We all tease each other a lot, but they wouldn’t make fun of something that obviously means so much to you.  The Warlords on the other hand…I’m not even sure why you invited them.  They’ll probably rip you to shreds.”

 

“Well, I invited them so I’d get a lot of different perspectives.  Think it’ll work?”

 

“I’m sure it will be…interesting.”  Zoe changed her voice and started talking in a phony, high-society accent.  “And if it turns out that all our associates are Philistines when it comes to fine art, then we shall have to rely on the sophisticated tastes of the various art gallery owners and dealers who have displayed and purchased your work.  Surely they know something of art.”

 

Kento laughed.  He couldn’t help it.  Zoe had the power to cheer him up at any time.  Kento had been extremely grateful for that these past two months.  “Hey look at the time!  We’re going to be late!”  He grabbed her hands and practically dragged her out the door.

 

He stopped.  “Zoe.  Go on ahead to the car.  I’ll be there in a sec.  I just forgot something.”  Kento turned around and ran back into the apartment, heading for the bedroom.  There it sat on his night table.  Gingerly he picked up the small velvet box and slipped it into his pocket with a grin.   

 

Everyone was standing outside the gallery waiting for them.  The guys were all staring at a banner that read, “The Hanaku Gallery Proudly Presents the Sculptures of Kento Rei Faun.”

 

Sage shook his head in confusion.  “Is this some kind of joke?”

 

“Yeah.  Come on.  Kento?  Sculptures?”  Sai was thinking it was another one of Kento and Zoe’s practical jokes.

 

Zane lowered his voice.  “I don’t care if you think this is the biggest joke in the world.  It’s not.  This is important to Kento.  He’s been keeping this secret because he was afraid you’d laugh at him.  I swear if any of you make fun of him about this, it’ll take you weeks to thaw out of the block of ice I freeze you in.”

 

Sage turned to him, smiling.  “You don’t need to threaten us.  We’ve known Kento longer than you have and we know when he’s being serious and when he’s goofing around.  He’s pretty bad about hiding his feelings.”

 

Rowen agreed.  “When he walks up the steps we’ll know how important this is to him by the look on his face.  And we’ll back him up whether we understand it all or not.”

 

Zane was a little embarrassed.  “Sorry.  I didn’t mean…”

 

Ryo laughed.  “Hey.  You’re just looking out for a friend.  Don’t worry about it.”

 

Kento and Zoe walked up the steps to the front door.  “Ummm.  Hi guys.”  Zoe squeezed his hand for support.  “I have something I want to show you.”

 

The others followed him into the building, exchanging glances behind Kento’s back.  This was very important to him. 

 

Astarte and Gilgamesh were immediately entranced by a large sculpture of a warrior on horseback.  It somewhat resembled Gilgamesh.  “This is incredible!  It reminds me of the statues my artisans built in my honor when I was king of Uruk.”

 

Astarte circled it slowly, taking it all in.  “It does have that epic, stately air to it.  It is very good.  And the model for the sculpture is obviously a warrior to be reckoned with.”  She glanced over at Gilgamesh on the other side of the statue.  He grinned back.

 

Gilgamesh turned to Kento.  “You made this?”

 

“Um, yes.”

 

Gilgamesh slapped him on the back heartily, almost knocking him over.  “A true artisan’s work.  You have been blessed with skilled hands and eyes.  This rivals anything my best sculptors could have created.  And I had them imported from all over the known world.”

 

Kento stopped slouching, a goofy grin spreading across his face.  He turned to see the others all wandering through the gallery with amazement.  They were talking excitedly, smiling and whistling appreciatively.  Zoe winked at him with a “see-what-did-I tell-you” look.

 

The Ronins and Sentinels started milling around Kento asking him a thousand questions.  He held up his hands.  “Whoa, guys!  Wait!”

 

Mia frowned.  “Why did you keep this a secret?  They’re wonderful.”

 

Kento looked at Zoe.  She nodded her head encouragingly.  “Well…I…wasn’t sure if you’d like them.”

 

Ryo practically burst.  “Not like them?  Man, are you crazy?  Who wouldn’t like them?”

 

“My dad always said…my dad wanted me to be a lawyer.  It’s kind of a family tradition.  I didn’t have a talent for it—you guys know I’m not the smartest person in the world.  I just wanted to make things.  He and mom were always telling me how stupid I was and…how stupid my sculptures were.  I didn’t want…”  His voice trailed off with a hint of embarrassment.

 

Trace hadn’t known Kento for long, but this was the most he’d ever heard him say about his family.  Judging from the looks on everyone’s faces, he hadn’t talked about this kind of stuff with the Ronins much, either.  “Well I’m glad you didn’t listen to your parents.”

 

Jack shook his head in agreement.  “Yeah, you would’ve been wasted as a lawyer.  Too many of them in the world anyway.  Nobody likes them, either.  Everybody likes artists—even the jerky ones.  If your parents couldn’t figure that out, they’re the stupid ones and it’s their loss.”

 

Anubis closed his eyes with a sigh.  Nice sentiment, Jack, but a little tactless.

 

One of the gallery personnel approached them.  “I’m looking for a Mia Koji?”

 

“That would be me.”

 

“You have a telephone call.”

 

“I’ll be right back, guys.”

 

As his friends walked around admiring his work, Kento felt like his head would explode with the praise.  He and Zoe leaned against a wall to watch the others when they heard the Warlords around the corner.

 

Dais walked around a group study that was obviously the Ronins battling several evil, armored warriors that also looks suspiciously familiar.  “Rough, amateurish.  I’ve seen better.”

 

Kayura gave him an exasperated sigh.  “Be nice, Dais.”

 

“Well, it’s true.  I have seen better.”

 

Sekhmet sniffed.  “Are these evil warriors supposed to be us?  How pathetic!  They don’t look menacing at all.  Obviously, Hardrock hasn’t learned how to do faces yet.”

 

Oshay laughed at Sekhmet’s scowl.  “You’re terrible, Uncle.  I think it’s magnificent!  Very powerful.  But you’re right that it doesn’t look like you.  You look much tougher than that.”

 

Sekhmet snorted derisively--which just made Oshay laugh all the more.

 

Kale shook his head in disdain.  “And look at the proportions!  He’s made the Ronins look like muscled gods and the villains look like scrawny boys.  Apparently, Kento of Hardrock has a faulty memory, bad eyesight, and a warped imagination.  This is a waste of time.”  Kale turned and stalked out of the room.

 

Kento turned to Zoe, who tried desperately to stifle a giggle.  But it burst out into full-blown laughter.  It was infectious.  Kento couldn’t help it.  He started laughing, too.  Well, at least the Warlords would keep him humble.  No way Kento would get a swelled head after their glowing praise.  But his friends had liked his work.  They hadn’t thought it was silly or stupid.  That was all that mattered.

 

Kale stood on the steps outside the gallery looking up at the dark clouds rumbling overhead.  It had been sprinkling on and off all day, but now the sky opened up and let loose with a torrential downpour.  Good.  It fit his mood today.  Actually it had fit his mood every day lately.  For some reason Kale hadn’t been able to shake the clouds of darkness and gloom that hung over him.  Sometimes being around the others just made him more irritable.  Kale felt like something was missing, like he didn’t have everything he needed to live a normal life again.  Could any of them have normal lives again?  He thought of Anubis and his friendships with the Ronins and Sentinels.  He thought of Dais who seemed to be getting cozy with Kayura lately.  And then there was Sekhmet.  He had discovered a distant relative who practically had him wrapped around her finger.  In a few months Sekhmet would probably be willing to do anything Oshay asked of him.  He did not need something like that.  The others were becoming soft and vulnerable—something Kale would never let happen to him.  He walked slowly away from the gallery.  Let it rain!  Let the storm rage!  He would make his way as he always had.  Alone.  

 

Back inside the gallery, everyone was alarmed at the sight of Mia running towards them. 

Her face was flushed and it looked like she’d been crying.  “GUYS!  That was Uli’s mom on the phone!  He woke up and spoke.  He woke up!  He’s going to be ok!”  Everyone started talking excitedly.  Astarte frowned.  She had put him into magical stasis.  He shouldn’t have been able to wake up on his own.  She said nothing to spoil everyone’s jubilation, but she would examine him carefully when they went to see him.  And knowing Mia, that would be almost immediately.  She only hoped Mia would not let her heart blind her when it came to Uli’s condition.

 

Kento swung Zoe around as if she weighed nothing, whooping and laughing.  “Zoe, I dreaded today!  I really thought it was going to be a rotten day.  But it’s the best day in the world!  There’s only one more thing that could possibly make it any better.”  He pulled her away from the others back towards the wall.  Kento reached into his pocket, reassured at the feel of that little velvet box.  He was sweating like crazy.  What if she said no?  What if it wasn’t the right time?  With a shaky hand he held out the box and dropped to one knee.  “Zoe…I want…would you…that is if you…”

 

Zoe grabbed him in a fierce hug, knocking him over.  “Yes, yes, YES!”  They started kissing passionately.  Just then, out of the corners of their eyes, they noticed that everyone in the gallery was staring at them.

 

Mia smiled at them knowingly.  “Is there something you want to tell us?”