Mako looked at the mansion gate that were closed in front of her, her head turned to the left, then to the right and tugged on her pink cardie sleeves to relieve her worries and nerves.
'Can i go in' she thought to herself. Nobody was around and no sound could be heard, just the rustle of the leaves above her, but the screech of racing wheel's of some sort of cart whirled into ear shot and also the screaming of bickering children, Genta and Chiaki was still at it as they were racing down the street.
Mako laughed at them seeing them together, they hadn't changed a bit. She now realized how terribly she had missed them.
They finally noticed Mako and waved at her, her appearance stopped the duo fighting as she waved back, "MAKO-CHAN" Genta yelled and hugged her like a snake on a prey (but in a more friendly and delightful way), and Chaiki, after Genta released his grasp on Mako, jumped in to his own hug.
"I see you 2 are still as energetic as usual" she said cheerfully and smiled again at them as they did the same back, but then the atmosphere was broken again as they heard Ryunosoke's voice continue endlessly and they turned around to see 2 more figures approach from the other end of the street.
Kotoha was walking briskly towards them as Ryunosoke was asking question after question but Kotoha saw the unforgettable trio in front and ran behind the older sister figure for protection.
"Ryunosoke, whats wrong with you" Chiaki asked his comrade who looked up at them and smiled, "i was just getting to grasp with how she is, its been too long, years and years since we last met up" he said innocently, "no, it was last summer" Kotoha said over Mako's shoulder.
"We've only just come back and you are already scaring her" Mako laughed at him and Genta walked up to Ryunosoke, "don't worry" he smiled a cheeky grin and jumped on the blue's torso, wrapping his legs around his waist, "i've missed you too".
Ryunosoke fell to the floor out of surprise and ended with him on top causing everyone to laugh. Oh how they missed each other and how much have they missed their lord had suppressed all their expectations.
Kotoha looked at the wall and gate surrounding the mansion, and sighed softly. "Do you think that the Lord missed us?" she questioned everyone, "even a bit and how much do you think has changed while we were away" everyone looked at the gate as well, Mako walked to Kotoha and placed her hands on her shoulders.
The gate seemed larger now and more intimidating as they looked intently at it. It had been so long since they walked through those gates.
"Well, we wont know until we go back in, will we now?" Genta said getting off the squirming blue ranger and walking towards his cart.
He dragged it in front of the gate and pushed it open with much strain to open up to the courtyard.
The sun opened up and shone through the cracks in the door and blinded them slightly but they carried on into the light.
"LORD, LORD".
"TAKE-CHAN".
"LORD-SAMA".
"TAKERU".
"TAKERU".
They shouted through the mansion at their returns, with high expectations and hope.
"LORD, LORD" came a yell off Gii as he knocked on the door of his room and peered into it, surprised to see the room darkened and sad, Takeru was still lying on the bed and he smiled at his lord.
He pulled the door behind him slowly before Takeru stirred and awoke at his appearance.
He sat up to the smile of an excited Gii who had joined him on the floor, "why did you wake me, Gii" he whined his childish whine when he confirmed it wasn't someone who would make fun or judge this character of him but Gii laughed quietly, "please excuse my rudeness, oh are you alright today" he asked with worry.
"Its ok" he joined in the laughing but his was softer and gentler, "it was just that dream again, when they returned".
"well, lord" he started and stood up, " that dream has come true", he hoped to make his day with the news.
Takeru stopped his movements out of surprise and shock, "what" he exclaimed, "really, your not joking with me now" but Gii turned around and looked at him, "now why would i joke about something that is cause for celebration, you can see them again before..." he didn't continue.
Takeru now saw his seriousness and stood up and ran to the door, "before i die, right?".
"sire" Gii called after him, he was already down the hall and looked around to look at the head that popped out of the door, "you must see them off ccourse but" he pointed at his body, "your in your PJ's".
he looked down and a shade of red flushed his face in embarrassment, "oh that might be a good idea to change, isnt it" and ran back into his room.
Gii followed him back in the room and closed the door behind him as Takeru was now rushing for a change of clothes, "cant waste time, cant waste time" he rushed his words.
he took off his shirt to reveal his chest, a 4 pack and a very muscular upper body which was always hidden under his usual cotton tops, but a seriousness came to both takeru's and Gii's face, "does it still hurt" Gii asked Takeru and Takeru felt his chest above his heart with his hand, "it still does but i try and forget it" he said and clenched his fist but carried on getting dressed.
Gii looked away from him and remembered what happened at the remembrance, a gedoshu which they hadn't seen for a while and a situation they had never thought of.
"Hello friends" the Time Gedoshu said over the priest's prayer as he appeared out of nowhere, "did ya miss me?".
Everyone looked in his direction and straight away recognized the twisting spine and clockwork time face and walked back towards where Takeru sat calm on his raised perch.
"You finally come to our time" Gii said as Takeru stood, hatred showing through his shaking and menacing look but was pushed down against his wishes back onto his chair by Gii.
"What do you want now" Takeru spat venomously but was answered by the Time Gedoshu, "see i knew you were going to say that".
"How many times have you come here" Gii asked but Time just laughed, "oh a couple of times but i just want to keep seeing your reaction, its priceless every time i repeat".
"Whats your purpose?" Takeru asked, "first you come 13 years ago to kill my brother then arrive again, for what purpose i ask again?" he was now fuming.
"Well glad you asked", he made his way froward.
He was not a scary Gedoshu and not strong at all, but what he could do was the scariest, more scary then Dokaku in one of his fits, he just had to jump back in time and change your future.
He continued to walk forward as the barricade of guards started to disperse away out of fear, but Takeru and Gii understood why they fled, "well lets just say i went back again to the time of his death and i must spread some light on that situation. I've seen the future of him as the lord and must say you were the one, as expected, i should have killed. Dokaku would have had it so much easier if it were that way" a smile grew on his lips and he leaned in close so their faces were close enough to hear their own breaths.
"You didn't" Gii asked, now realizing what he was implying, "ha, yes i killed you" he cackled with laughter but couldn't contain himself.
"But i'm still alive" Takeru now said with his status as lord securely set to his speech, "well not for long, it will only take time and until it catches up with you just consider every last moment you have as a blessing from kind old me" he lent away again and started to walk out of the crowd who now was looking at takeru. "You will experience strange problems with your body, if that's internal pain or other things is up to the time you have left".
Takeru was speechless, unable to fight back as a sudden pain spread to his heart. he tried to fight it but it burned his skin on top. smoke began to appear from the burn and to escape it, he pulled his clothes away and looked at the timer setting on his skin.
"See ya again" he turned to face Takeru as he started to disappear into a crack in the floor, "just for the fun of it, might redo this again and maybe kill you again" his laugh echoed through the crowed room and as it finally become quiet, people now worried about their own lives ran to the door leaving Takeru and a worried Gii to supervise the pain tortured lord.
Gii looked at Takeru but he refused to see him back and turned to the small shrine in much difficulty. Takeru bowed down with his hands spread wide on the floor infront and bowed his head. Before Gii could do the same, Takeru was up on his feet and retreated to the door, quickly.
Gii remember after that, there were times where he had fevers and cold sweats and the pain from his chest from the timer became worse, but latly he was used to it. the symptons becoming more frequent now as it was 5 days since their encounter and had 2 days to go.
There was a strained groan from the other side of the room as Takeru collapsed on the floor with his closet by his bed was shook by the fallen lord and many items fell and shattered on the floor.
Gii ran to his side and went to touch him but was stopped by the deteriorating of his body under his touch.
"Be careful old man, he wont last if you keep touching him to much", Time had appeared in the room and giggled.
Gii was now fuming, but felt a hand touch his clenched fist, "is it time for me to die yet?" he asked, "not yet" Gii said now worried and starting to ask for a change of heart of Gedoshu, "he has to see his retainers, they waited so long to see each other again".
"Oh is that true?" he faked his sympathy and laughed at it after, "im a gedoshu, the only one left" he said, "so you think i survived by being kind".
"Well go back to save your kind then but let me warn you, we will always win".
"Well that is true, i had tried it before, but always ended with the same result, dead". But that's because they were too loud and open with what they had planed, that's how i survived and its better on my own anyway".
Takeru managed to say, "you gave up your kind for survival".
"Lord, please relax, your in pain" Gii tried to calm him but time ran to him, pushing Gii away and flung Takeru across the room, "don't question my decision, Dokaku would have done the same, left us, I've already seen it".
Takeru landed on the paper walled door and fell out into the courtyard, away from the raised building with a thud and breathed out slowly and strained. Another rush of pain made him looked at another patch of his skin start to fall apart and fade away but looked up to his room.
Time yelled to him, "and no, you wont die, well not yet. You will just lose consciousness, i suspect" with a disappeared time and a Gii rushing to his side, he let his words sink in. Gii tried to get his lost attention but sound was not there anymore. His mouth moved exaggerating his words as his vision went fuzzy, going in and out of clearness, black and white and lights zoomed round him.
All he could mumble was "please don't tell the others, they needn't know about this in their new lifestyles", he pleaded as he held onto the hand keeping him awake but soon blacked out with his last thought making him almost cry, 'i just missed you, missed my chance of our family'