It had been a year and a half since the Ronin Warriors had defeated Zetsumei. The city of Tokyo had yet again rebuilt their city, most of it had recovered easily from the attack from the Nether Realm but there were still reminders of the siege throughout the city.
Monuments were built to honor those that perished and a plaque outside the entrance of the Imperial Palace commemorated the location that the battle had been won.
The government of Japan and other nearby countries knew the truth of who saved their city and their world once again. Even if all they knew that it was a group of ancient warriors, whose actual identities were unknown. However, to most around the world it was the hard work and ingenuity of the Japanese military and government that got most of the praise.
Mia, who was blinded during the war with Zetsumei, worked as a liaison for the government to help them prepare in case a large attack similar to the Nether World would to happen for a third time in the future. Riska worked alongside her as an "expert" in ancient myths and wars.
It took some work but Mia was able to get Riska proper papers and documents so that she could move among the mortal world normally again. She worked hard on learning of the events she had missed while trapped in the spirit world, and even learned the new technologies. She was starting to get better with computers than Rowen and Mia were. Still, it was clear she was uncomfortable in the city or when she was in a large cluster of people. Rowen made sure he or the other Ronins took her away to the quiet mansion Mia owned once in a while to get her away.
Meanwhile, the Ronins lived once again in relative peace. They would no longer deny their responsibility as the Ronin Warriors and trained often. Their skills with their new armors had grown and they were able to harness the power it offered better than their previous armors now. It was still a relief for them that the armors no longer made them feel as if they darkened every time they wore them.
The group of five men and one woman did however have a new burden to bear since Zetsumei's defeat. They had defeated Lady Yuri the gatekeeper to the realms, after she had been ensnared and twisted by Zetsumei's ways and betrayed her oath to protect the pathways to the other realms by allowing Zetsumei to use them as he wished. As a result, there was no longer a gatekeeper to keep the realms from invading one another and causing chaos among them. So, it now fell onto the Ronins to protect the gateways until another gatekeeper could be found.
Lady Kayura, a longtime friend and last of the Ancients, had been on a mission ever since trying to find a new gatekeeper. None of the Ronins had heard from her since she had told them of their newest burden shortly after defeating Zetsumei.
So, the Ronins fell into a routine of around the clock protection of the gateways. They had set up a gateway for them to use in the mountains near Mia's home, each taking shifts two at a time.
Luckily, they had all finally graduated from their undergraduate programs and the jobs or graduate programs they had gotten were flexible enough that no one noticed when they would go away for a day or two every week. Rowen was in a graduate program for physics, Ryo in a program for mythological and historical studies, Cye was in the Marine Biology program, and Sage was working full time at a local dojo with a man that was once one of his biggest rivals in kendo.
As for Kento, his family now knew that he had inherited the legendary armor and position as a Ronin Warrior that had been passed on through his family for generations. So, the Ronins were free to use the Descendants of the Dragon Restaurant, also known as Kento's family's restaurant, as a place to meet up whenever they deemed it necessary. Plus, it was easier for Kento who was now an official part owner.
"So, are you sure you're ok with trading me your Thursday shift for my Saturday shift?" Cye was asking Sage as Riska and Rowen joined the other Ronins at a large table near the back of the restaurant. The kodama had followed them, like usual, and now moved ahead of them to join the group. No one else saw as the small orb of light settled itself to hover on top of the table the Ronins were at.
Sage nodded, "really, it is not a problem. I'm not required to be at jujutsu evaluations. In fact, you're saving me from relative boredom."
"Because sitting in a state of limbo for twenty-four hours is so much better." Kento remarked.
Cye and Sage gave Kento a dry look who only shrugged in response.
"It's still better than hearing you tell us about your newest recipe and how you'll have all of Tokyo wanting it." Rowen commented as he joined them.
"I don't mind." Ryo piped in quickly then looked over at Rowen and Riska, "good morning." He greeted.
"Good morning, Ryo." Riska greeted in return. She took her usual seat at the table beside the bearer of the Wildfire armor.
"Morning, Ryo." Rowen nodded before sitting on the opposite side of Riska.
"It's about time you two love birds get here." Kento replied, "Cye was just about to tell Sage how thankful he is in trading another shift with him, again."
Cye glared as his best friend but then smiled, "I can't help it. You know that most of my lab schedule isn't set until the week before due to weather."
Kento shrugged as he made himself comfortable sitting between Ryo and Cye. Sage sat between Cye and Rowen.
"How's Mia?" Ryo asked Sage from across the table.
"Nothing new yet." Sage sighed. He and Mia were still dating despite all that occurred during the battle with Zetsumei. It was because of his decision to save Mia from the Nether spirit that possessed her that she was now blind. "All the optometrists in the city say her eyes are damaged beyond repair." Sage's face fell as guilt filled his expression, "she says it's fine, that she's getting used to it, but… I can't…" Sage trailed off.
Rowen gave his friend a pat on the back. He saw the kodama glide up his arm as if wanting to pat Sage on the back as well.
"It's alright man," Cye said soothingly, "if we can't find a way to give her sight back we'll help her. All of us will."
The Ronins nodded in unison. Ever since a year and half ago the Ronins had grown closer than they had even been before. They were more than brothers in arms they were brothers in every sense of the word as family now, even Riska found she was at home among them. It was a comfort that she never really knew before.
"Thanks." Sage nodded and went quiet.
"Let's begin with what we got together for." Riska finally announced when enough time had passed in silence. She looked to Ryo to begin.
"Right." Ryo sat up a little straighter in his seat. "As you know, Cye and I were on the last shift watching the gateways. It was going as normal with only one disturbance of creatures from another world trying to pass through. We were able to turn them away easily and led them back to where they came from. However, it was shortly after that we noticed a few… irregularities in the realm stream."
The realm stream is what the Ronins referred to the ever moving channel between realms. With the help of what was Lady Yuri's staff they no longer risked getting lost for all of eternity in the channels that held time and space together. It was the area that they took up residence while they were on their shifts. They could easily move from portal to portal there in case of disturbances.
"What kind of irregularities?" Rowen asked leaning forward in his seat.
"Well, it seemed like the stream was… slowing down." Cye said carefully as he tried to grasp at how to explain what he and Ryo had seen. "There was a set of portals that were getting close to each other, like how close they were when we had gone from this world to the spirit realm." He looked at Riska who nodded in understanding.
"Did anyone or anything try to pass between the portals?" Sage asked.
Cye and Ryo shook their heads at the same time.
"Nothing. Just one minute everything is fine, then the next the stream slowed down as the set of portals moved close to each other before moving away again the stream went back to normal." Ryo explained.
Cye shivered, "it felt odd. As if they were looking towards each other."
"As if someone were in the other portal looking into the others." Riska stated finishing Cye's thought.
Cye nodded, "exactly."
"Do you know what it means, Riska?" Kento asked as he leaned his chin on his fist.
Riska thought about it for a moment then shook her head. Even though she had the most experience with the realm stream, not even she knew everything about it. Only what she needed to know to travel from the spirit realm.
"Were the portals familiar?" Rowen asked as Riska stayed silent in thought.
"No." Cye reflected. They were able to recognize the worlds that some of the realms went to and were recording them so that they could reference them when necessary. "They weren't any of the ones we have written down."
Sage and Rowen nodded as if on the same wavelength. They were all quiet as they tried to think of how to solve this new mystery of theirs. Rowen and Riska both looked up as the kodama went over to Kento and began to dance in front of his face.
When Rowen cracked a smile Kento noticed and immediately sat back in his chair. "That thing is in front of me, isn't it?"
"It's not a thing, it's a spirit." Riska sighed explaining for what felt like the thousandth time.
"It's creepy and it's even weirder that only you two can see it." Kento pointed out.
"I saw it once." Sage told him dryly.
"That doesn't mean it still doesn't give me the heebie-jeebies." Kento argued with a pout.
Sage rolled his eyes, "whose shift is it today?" he asked trying to get back on track.
"Mine and Kento's." Riska volunteered when Kento refused to reply.
"You'll have to let us know if the same thing happens to you." Ryo told them ignoring Kento sticking his tongue out at Rowen who was still smiling as if he were laughing. "Maybe if you see you'll recognize the portals." He offered Riska. She nodded, but felt unsure.
"There's not much we can do otherwise." Sage said thoughtfully as he sat back again. "We can't ask Lady Kayura or anyone else. We'll just have to hope that it means nothing."
"Hopefully." Cye and Kento muttered at the same time.
"I'm going to do some more research." Ryo announced, "Since Riska will be in the stream it will be hard for her to do it. So, I'll go to Mia's office at the university and ask if she has found anything else from ancient texts."
"Don't forget that you promised Yulie you'd practice with him." Kento reminded Ryo. They took turns teaching Yulie how to fight and defend himself. Ever since he had been abducted by Matlal and nearly died from the disease the Nether warlord had cursed him with he wanted to learn to fight and defend himself. He didn't want to be the weak little kid that the Ronins had to protect anymore.
"Right." Ryo rubbed his face with his hands, it was clear he wanted to look into research first.
"I'll go." Sage offered. "I'll practice with him."
Ryo and Kento gave Sage a skeptical look, "I thought you didn't want him to learn to kill off any demons." Kento remarked.
Sage sighed, "What's the point in going against it? You two have already started to teach him."
Ryo looked at his friend and nodded, he was thankful for the help even if he didn't agree with it.
"I'll help you with the research." Rowen told Ryo.
"Sorry guys." Cye sighed, "I have to go to my lectures."
"It's alright, Cye. We'll let you know if anything comes up." Riska promised him.
"It's settled." Ryo said finalizing their conversation, "Rowen and I will go research more about the gateways with Mia, Sage will practice with Yulie, Cye will go to class, and Kento and Riska will go on their shift. We'll meet back up here tomorrow?"
Everyone agreed to the arrangement.
As everyone got up to leave Rowen took Riska's hand and gently led her to a more secluded part of the restaurant. They got close to one another and embraced each other. Riska was just short enough for Rowen to rest is chin in her head as he held her close.
"You sure you're going to be alright?" Rowen asked her in a whisper.
Riska nodded into his chest as she felt the muscles in his back through his shirt. "Don't worry, I rarely dream when I'm in the stream."
"Are you sure?" Rowen told her pulling away to look her in the eye.
Riska smiled and leaned up to graze her lips ever so softly against Rowen's. He made a sound of protest and gave her a proper kiss. When they broke apart Riska was smiling devilishly.
"I promise, I'll be fine. You can't chase away all of my nightmares." She told him.
"I can always try." Rowen said resting his forehead on hers. "I love you, Riska of Souls."
"And I love you Rowen of Strata."
An hour later Kento and Riska got into Mia's jeep and headed for the mountains.
Rowen, Sage, and Ryo watched them drive away. Cye had to get to class before he'd be late and not allowed to attend for the day.
"How are her nightmares?" Ryo asked once they could no longer see the jeep in traffic. Rowen told his brothers that Riska hadn't been sleeping the last few weeks as a result of the terror she experienced when she did close her eyes.
"I think they're getting worse." Rowen sighed, his shoulder slumped. He looked down at the ground and saw that the kodama was making figure eights around his legs. It always seemed a little more active and antsy when Riska went to go on her shift. "My guess is that she only got to sleep maybe two hours last night."
Sage shifted, "has she told you anything else about them?"
Rowen shook his head, "only that they're the same. They always have Hariel in them and he's calling to her..."
The three Ronins looked back up towards the direction of the mountains. They hoped that the newest member of their group would get better soon and that it really wasn't a sign of what to come.
