SAGE OF THE HALO PART 1

By Usagi
Usagi_Bunny@hotmail.com

Okay here's my lyric wheel entry. It's really weird because I had a headache while I was writing it. Anyway thanks to Eliza for the song.
Crossover: Queen of Swords and Ronin Warriors
Song: The Old Apartment
Disclaimer: I do not own the Q of S or RW/YST. They belong to there respective owners. I also do not own The Old Apartment.
Dedicated to Jo for the great idea of this Lyric Wheel.

~~~~~

Sage woke up slowly. He had a headache the size of Mount Rushmore and he was afraid that opening his eyes would make it worse. Finally, his eyes slowly opened and he felt the warmth of sunlight dance across his face. It was a beautiful morning, there was no mistaking that fact. After a few more minutes of deliberation he slowly sat up.

He looked around the room and was rather shocked at what he saw. The room was small and very neat. After living at Mia's and sharing such a huge room with Rowen, he was surprised to be in such a tiny one. Another surprise was the fact that the floor was . . . well, dirt. Mia's house had wooden floors and carpeting.

The single window had plain, unadorned curtains. In fact, the room looked like one from the TV westerns of the 60's and 70's: one of those rooms used in little houses for sick or injured gun slingers.

Then a thought came into the young man's head. He looked down at his chest and groaned. Then he touched his throbbing head. 'Yup,' he thought, 'I got knocked a hard one.' Slowly he got out of bed and found that the injury was completely in his upper body. He walked slowly to the south wall and looked in the mirror. What Sage saw made him cringe. His beautiful blond hair was completely and totally out of place, and the bandages wrapped around his head and chest where light red--a sign he was still bleeding.

The only door in the room suddenly opened and Sage jumped to a defensive position ready to attack. His blue eyes in total concentration.

"What are you doing awake and out of bed?!" asked the man in front of him in plan English.

"Who are you and what am I doing here?" Sage asked in modern American.

"Dr. Robert Helm; and you were found out in the middle of nowhere, seriously injured--an injury that would have killed any other man in seconds. Senorita Alvarado found you and brought you here to me. Somehow you survived. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to change those bandages before you get an infection."

'Thank goodness my body heals itself even without my armor on now,' thought Sage, but he answered with, "You don't look like a doctor to me." His head was still spinning and this "doctor" dressed in a white collared shirt and brown slacks wasn't helping.

"Really. Well since you look so intent on attacking me, why don't you search me first," replied Dr. Helm.

Sage, realizing he was still at guard, put down his arms and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry; force of habit." He put his hand out in greeting, "I'm Sage Date."

Dr. Helm took his hand, "Nice to meet you young man. Now will you let me change those bandages of yours?"

Sage smiled. 'I like this guy.' Then he returned to the bed and sat down. Dr. Helm quickly changed his bandages.

"So, where exactly am I?" asked Sage.

"Santa Helena, California--a colony of His Majesty, the King of Spain."

Sage stared at Dr. Helm. "But you're English!"

"Yes, and you're American. Small world, isn't it?" Dr. Helm replied frankly.

"But California hasn't been a colony for…" Sage stopped in mid-sentence and grabbed his head and groaned in pain.

Helm looked at Sage worriedly. "What do you mean? California is a colony of the country of Spain."

Sage sighed. "What year is it?"

"The year of our Lord eighteen hundred and nineteen. Now I think you should get some rest." Dr. Helm looked even more worried about Sage then ever.

Sage just shook his head. "I need to think. If you don't mind, I'd like to be alone." In answer, Dr. Helm nodded and left the room.

Sage stood up and started to pace the room. He thought back to how he got here. It had all started about a month ago. That was when Jason Talon had shown up. He clenched his hands so tight they started to bleed slightly. He hated Jason as much as he had hated Talpa. 'No more,' he thought. 'At least Talpa didn't befriend us first.' Jason had come wanting help and friendship. He acted like a great guy, tricking them all--except White Blaze. The tiger wouldn't go near him. 'That should have been a sign, but like idiots we ignored it completely.'

Then, in the middle of the night, he had attacked. Luckily, Kayura and the warlords had shown up just in time to save them. Worst all was the fact that none of the armors worked. Not even the white armor had any affect on him; he seemed invincible. That's when Anubis's ghost had shown up and told the Ronins they had to find their true power before they could ever defeat Talon. And then everything went blank. Well, there was that strange dream that Anubis had sent him, but that was just a bunch of cryptic lines. 'What was it again? Oh yes:

'Broken Hearts and Broken Bones
Sand and Sea and Black of Night
Cards of Queen and Queen of Cards
Are just fading memories
Only memories, fading memories
Will give you the strength you seek.'

"Okay, Sage," he said, "you're going to have to do this like Mia. Solve it one line at a time." He tried desperately to depict the message, but each attempt only seemed to give him a worse headache. Finally feeling the doctor was right, he lay down and fell asleep.

~~~~~

LATER THAT EVENING

Sage woke up hearing voices speaking Spanish outside his door. One he recognized as Dr. Helm's; the other was unknown to him.

"How is our young miracle worker this evening?" asked the stranger.

"He woke up this afternoon but is asleep again. Now if you'll excuse me, I really have to get this done," replied Dr. Helm.

"I am in charge of this pueblo and you will do as I command!" the Spaniard barked.

"Funny, I don't believe you commanded me to do anything," the doctor said sharply.

"I want to see the young man!"

"He's had more then enough excitement for one day, Colonel. It is in his best interest that you let him sleep!" The doctor was very close to a rage, Sage could tell. He didn't like this man the doctor called 'Colonel.'

"Very well," replied the colonel, "but I want to be notified the moment he awakes again. Is that clear, Dr. Helm?"

"Crystal. Now please leave me to my work!"

Sage got out of bed and walked to the door. He waited several minutes after hearing (what he believed to be) the front door shut before coming out.

Dr. Helm looked at him in surprise.

"I heard your conversation. I don't think I like that guy, whoever he is."

"His name is Colonel Luis Montoya. He is the military rule in this pueblo," replied Dr. Helm.

"I guess it's true what they say: 'Military justice is to justice what military music is to music.'" Sage had a slight grin on his face.

Helm chuckled. "Yes, that does apply here." His face became serious. "You know you're only postponing the inevitable."

Sage nodded; then his stomach growled loudly and he grinned a pseudo-evil grin. "But you see, I hate interviews on an empty stomach."

"You should be hungry: You haven't eaten in two weeks."

"I think I could eat as much as Kento." As soon as the name left Sage's mouth, his cheery expression disappeared, leaving in its place a forlorn frown.

Robert knew better then to ask who Kento was. In time the young man would open up and tell him everything. But for now . . .

The front door swung open and the two looked over to see a beautiful young woman come waltzing in. She appeared surprised to see Sage but covered it with a brimming smile. "I see your young visitor is finally awake."

"Thank you for stating the obvious, Senorita Alvarado. Now, may I ask why you're here?" the doctor queried in an annoyed tone of voice.

"Forgive me," she replied. "I would like to invite both of you to my hacienda for dinner, Dr. Helm, if you would please introduce me to this handsome young gentleman."

"Forgive me as well, senorita. It seems I've also forgotten my manners. Señor Sage Date, I'd like you to meet Senorita Maria Theresa Alvarado."Senorita Alvarado held out her hand and Sage kissed it. He was very glad at this point that Spanish was his third language. He could speak both English and Japanese with no problems and Spanish with only a little. This was a great accomplishment for someone his age.

"It's a pleasure senorita," Sage said, smiling.

"I guess that means we accept your invitation to dinner, Senorita. We will be there in half an hour," Robert said, also smiling.

"I was hoping to bring you right away." Senorita Alvarado frowned slightly.

The doctor bowed perfunctorily. "My apologies, but neither of us are properly dressed for such an occasion."

Sage, realizing that he was wearing little more than a pair of jeans and some bandages, blushed slightly.

"Of course," replied the senorita. "Half an hour, then."

Maria left and Sage frowned, "I don't have any other clothes."

"That is where you're wrong. Tessa's duenna made you some suitable clothes while you were unconscious."

"Oh, great! So now I get to walk around looking like a penguin."

"Better that than a boy in a coma," replied the doctor with a soft smile. "Oh, by the way, I think this is yours. Tessa found it clenched in your hand when she first came across you in the desert." He handed Sage a small round orb that was a beautiful green color. Inside was the Japanese symbol for wisdom.

"Thanks," Sage replied. "So where's this penguin suit of mine?"

TBC with the next lyric wheel.

THE OLD APARTMENT
Words and Music by Steven Page and Ed Robertson

Broke into the old apartment
This is where we used to live
Broken hearts and broken bones
This is where we used to live
Why did you paint the walls?
Why did you clean the floor?
Why did you plaster over the hole I punched in the door?

This is where we used to live
Why did you keep the mousetrap?
Why did you keep the dishrack?
These things used to be mine I guess they still are, I want them back.

Broke into the old apartment
Forty-two stairs from the street
Crooked landing, crooked landlord
Narrow laneway filled with crooks

This is where we used to live
Why did they pave the lawn?
Why did they change th locks?
Why did I have to break it, I only came here to talk.
This is where we used to live

How is the neighbor downstairs
How is her temper this year?
I turned up your TV and stomped on the floor just for fun.

I know we don't love here anymore
We bought an old house on the Danforth
She loves me and her body keeps me warm
I'm happy there
But this is where we used to live

Broke into the old apartment
Tore the phone out of the wall
Only memories, fading memories
Blending into dull tableaux
I want them back