Chapter Two:

A/N: This chapter, and the ones following after it the credit largely goes to Sifirela. Who was kind enough to allow me to introduce these characters in a roleplay we did. The ideas contained within these next several chapters are her ideas just mixed with a little bit of my own. Thanks Siffy!

Vivid-blue eyes kept flickering over to the passenger in his car, before he returned them to the road in front of him. It wasn't a long drive to the vets from Cye's apartment, but the moment the vehicle had started moving, Elayne had fallen asleep. Ryo inwardly cringed, he knew Sage and Kento were going to be upset to see her in such a state...They all were. Universe had always been a collected, well-trained warrior...She had very rarely let that mask slip, and the times it had occurred were few and far in-between. Elayne was human, the only shield she had ever hid behind was that of sarcasm and supposed 'detached emotion'...Now that she was fully awake, the part of her that was human had to reconcile the thousands of years of emotion Universe had never dealt with...It had been too much.
Ryo understood it now, the dramatic outbursts the months before, at completely random times, had been nothing more than warning signs that Universe was close to a complete breakdown. Her "running away" had been the result of total and complete failure on her part to deal with the emotional strain. The Ronin of Wildfire just hoped they'd be able to get her through this...Because he had a feeling this would not be so easily taken care of. Of course, the issue would take the backseat when certain problems came to light.
Wildfire's bearer let out a sigh and then a yelp when he turned his head to gaze once more at his passenger, and her eyes snapped open to glare at him. "What?!"
"Stop poking me," Elayne ordered in a sleepy growl.
Ryo blinked at her in confusion, "But I didn't do anything!"
"Mhm," she grumbled out, shifting in her seat and closing her eyes.
The Ronin Leader sighed through his nose and rolled his eyes...He had a feeling it was going to be one of those days. He parked the car, and was prepared to remark that he'd be back, only to find that she was sound asleep. Ryo have a slight shake of his head at the sleeping figure, before unbuckling his seat belt, and getting out of the car, gently shutting the door behind him.

An hour later, a fuming Wildfire Ronin was walking back to the car. White Blaze's 'vet' was a friend of Ryo's father, one that understood the reason for the tiger, and the need to keep people from finding out about the exotic pet. The Ronin Leader had noted the tiger was acting rather mopey lately, and took it as a sign that the majestic cat was ill...Any inquiries as to the tiger's health had been rebuffed with gruff, 'i'm fine's. And Ryo would go through any lengths for his tiger companion, but geez this much medication?
"Tiger costs a fortune," Ryo said in complaint, halting with the huge bag he carried when he heard a snorted laugh.
"No more than it costs to keep you alive, I'm sure," Elayne teased, sprawled out on the hood of his car, quite content to be there it seemed. Actually, she was enjoying the priceless look on his face. "You know, it's actually cheaper. Yaku and Kouken have never found it worthwhile to get into unnecessary trouble."
"Mhm, I'm sure," Ryo commented in a drawl, as he popped open the trunk and placed the bag inside, slamming it down. He opened the driver's side door, and then climbed in, slamming it shut.
"You going to ask me to get off the car, or do you think I'm your new hood ornament?" the young woman queried with a quirked eyebrow. The slight nap, and the work Wildfire's bearer had done had put her at ease...That was enough to get a grin on Ryo's face.
"Hmm," he seemed to think her statement over, starting up the car, "Definitely, a new hood ornament."
"I am not taking my clothes off," she curtly told him, eye twitching as she had caught the thought.
Instead of being embarrassed, Ryo gave a pout, "Aw, man. And here I was hoping-" He didn't finish as he laughed at the evil glare she was sending him for it. He was relieved, she was acting like herself, even though he had only done what could be considered 'minor work' she was in a better mood than what she had been.
"Not moving till you tell me too."

Ryo heard the challenge in her voice and smirked, "Fine by me." He started to pull out of the parking space, just exceedingly slow.
Elayne didn't budge an inch, "You realize you'll get a ticket, right?"
"Eh, whatever," Ryo commented with a wave of his hand in dismissal, as he put the car into drive and inched forward.
"Nii-chan ruined you," she informed him, abruptly rolling off the hood, and disappearing from his line of sight.
The Wildfire Ronin slammed on the brakes, "Elayne!?"
"Hmm?" she queried, now sitting in her seat, having teleported there.
"Don't do that!" Ryo spluttered out, and she burst out laughing unable to help herself.
The Wildfire Ronin's minimal anger at the act dissipated knowing she'd only meant to pull one over on him, and nothing more. It was good to hear her laugh it helped put his mind further at ease. He reached out and grasped her hand in his, and he gave a chuckle when she grinned and placed her other hand overtop.
"I'm fine Ryo," she assured him, squeezing his hand for further reassurance, "I had to go, just for a bit. It was too much for me to handle."
"I understand that, we all do," Wildfire's bearer assured, and inwardly he frowned...It felt like he was being watched. He cast a glance in the rear-view mirror, but there was no car behind him. He cast a side-ways glance at her, and continued, "But you had us worried, none of us knew what to do. It's different this time, for all of us." He then grinned, "And, nothing changes the fact that Seiji and Shuu have been going ballistic."
Elayne let out a low moan, "It was bad without the memories now it's worse! They remember they've been babying me for millennia. I dread going back, because I'm never going to get any peace from either of them now."
"Pretty much," Ryo sniggered, laughing when she swatted at him.

The young woman leaned back into her seat with a huff, "Ya laugh it up." A scowl framed her features when she got poked again. She opened her mouth prepared to give Ryo what for, and stopped. She had noticed that both his hands were on the steering wheel, and that he kept shooting nervous glances at his rear-view mirror.
"Uh, Ryo?" Elayne queried, instinct had kicked in, and she had picked up on something...Turned around, and looked.
Wildfire's bearer put a little more pressure on the gas pedal, but could not shake the feeling that he was being watched, "Mm?"
"Speeding up isn't going to help you any," she remarked in amusement, "You have yourself a stowaway."
"Huh?" Ryo blinked as he stopped at the light, and glanced back at the seats.
A little boy around the age of seven let out a squeak and ducked back behind Elayne's chair when he caught Ryo staring at him.
The young woman chuckled, saying in a soft voice to the brownish-black haired child, "He's not going to eat you Addy."

"He's looking at me like he is," Adrian responded sounding quite sure of himself.
"He always looks like that," Elayne said, trying a different tactic...It didn't work.
"Nu uh!" Adrian shook his head, saying confidently, "He normally looks like Nunkie Naaza gave him special food."
Elayne laughed at that, and shook her head she gave up, "All right, Addy. Just stop hiding on the floor, sit in the seat and buckle in. You're going to get your Uncle in trouble."
The Wildfire Ronin gave Elayne a baffled look, as he stuttered, "U-uncle?" He did not have any siblings!
"Yah, Nunkie Ry-Ry!" Adrian grinned as he went and did as Elayne had asked.
"Kid, you two are delusional," the Ronin Leader snorted out, prepared to make further comment, but shut-up at Elayne's look. Oddly enough, it reminded him of the one Mia gave him the time he asked Yuli about the point of watering dead flowers. "That is uh," he fumbled, "Delusional as in shocked...Ah..."
Adrian and Elayne weren't listening to him by that point.

The child leaned forward and gently tugged at her sleeve, "Nee-san, do you think its safe to let Uncle Ryo drive?"
"Oh, Adrian sweetie, I've saved him from demons, I can save him from his own driving," Elayne whispered back, saying to Ryo, "There's nothing wrong with him." She sat back in her seat, "You are his Uncle...In the future anyway."
'He's from Rini's time?' the Ronin of Wildfire mentally queried, 'Do you think he came alone?'
'I don't know, but I wouldn't think so. I'll ask, just a little bit at a time. I don't want to overload him,' she answered. Then started off with a very simple question, "Addy, sweetheart, did you come all this way by yourself?"
"Iya and Ian came with me...I lost them downtown. We were trying to find our way to the safe place but...I saw this cool submarine figurine!"

After twenty minutes, and Adrian proceeding to talk about everything he had seen (and describing it in full detail), the boy finally came close to wrapping up his explanation.

"And then, I noticed Uncle Ryo's car and slipped in it," he seemed to brighten, "Oh! Oh! You know what else I saw, Nee-san?"

"What Addy?" she queried, her patience and calm manner was showing through right now, as the little boy rambled on without bothering to pause for breath.

However, Ryo was not weathering it as well. Part of it had to do with his general confusion, the rest with how badly the child was chattering on. All the sentences were running together.

'Does he not breathe?' the Wildfire Ronin asked, half in shock, half in complaint as his one eye was slightly twitching.

Elayne inwardly laughed at this, lacing her fingers with Ryo's, 'I'm surprised he even knows me; with the difference between Neo and myself. I'm fearful to ask why they're here. I know I have too…Just put up with it a little longer okay?'

'It's not that much of a big deal,' Ryo admitted, a small grin on his face at the contact. Well, at least she wanted something to do with him after everything that had occurred. 'But, does he have to talk about fish so much? It's like dealing with an energizer-mouthed Cye!'

'You know what they say,' Elayne casually remarked, 'Apple don't fall far from the tree.'

'He's CYE'S KID?!' He mentally screeched, and nearly drove off the side of the road.

The young woman quickly reached out and pulled the steering wheel more towards her side, causing the car to straighten out as she impatiently stated, 'Ryo, if you're going to have outbursts like that. Pull over, and we'll switch, so I can drive. Without getting us all killed.'

'Sorry,' came the meek reply. 'I just wasn't expecting that.' Though, really he most likely should have anticipated it. The boy's eyes were the same exact color as Cye's, and while his face shape was different his skin tone was identical.

Adrian had fallen silent, eyes starting to droop as he had told his older sister everything that had been on his mind. Yet, when the car jerked like it did, he snapped back into wakefulness…And remembered.

Once more the little boy timidly reached out and tugged at Elayne's sleeve to catch her attention, "Nee-san, Aunt Tei wanted me to give this to you; if we could find you."

Adrian seemed to hesitate a moment, before he withdrew a small folded up slip of paper from his pocket and handed it to her. The child then leaned back in his seat, solemn-faced.

Elayne's heart was pounding in her ears, and she nervously swallowed, a lump having formed in her throat. She was afraid to open it, all too aware of the system Neo had set up with the children's caretaker. But, there was no choice.

It seemed like an eternity before she managed the courage to open the note…And immediately shut her eyes upon seeing the symbol. Tears fell from her eyes when she reopened them, but this momentary 'human weakness' she shoved aside casting a glance at the boy in the backseat.

"It's going to be okay, Addy," Elayne assured, offering the child a kind smile, before saying with conviction, "I'll fix this."

"I know you will," the little boy murmured, giving a nod as he let his gaze slide to the window. A few moments later, he was again asleep.

Elayne took her gaze off of him and returned them to the front, trying her best to get a handle on her now askew emotions. She was upset and angry…Very angry.

Ryo cast a bewildered glance at her having caught the mental tirade…She was currently using every swearword known to mankind, and probably half-a-dozen that had been forgotten over the centuries.

"What's wrong?" he asked, further alarmed in seeing the sunken look her face now held.

The Ronin Leader had halted the car at the Estate entrance, waiting on the wrought iron gates to open so he could drive the car through. He kept his eyes on her the entire time, waiting for some sort of response. The young woman said nothing, merely handed him the note too beside herself to speak.

Ryo frowned as he opened it to read, the black-brushed symbol obnoxiously stood out against the white backdrop of the paper. Yet, he did not understand what he was looking at, only that it filled him with dread. 'Death?'

She gave a nod, 'It's something Neo set up, I'll explain it better later…But, whoever made it here is all that did. The others are dead.'

Ryo's eyes went wide as the slip of paper fell from his grasp, 'How?'

'I don't know, but it's something I know we'll find out about shortly,' she murmured in response, dreading finding out what had gone so terribly wrong.

The gates finally opened and Ryo drove through them, finding a decent place to park on the pad. As the Estate was, more or less, an apartment/commercial property there was plenty of parking available. While there was a semi-paved road leading back to the mansion, those with vehicles tended to leave them here simply because it resulted in less pranks done to the modes of transportation.

He got out of the car, watching as she retrieved the note and slipped it into her pocket before following suit. She then gently tapped on the glass of the window, causing the little boy to wake up.

Adrian blinked, yawned, unbuckled his seat-belt and got out of the car, "Where are we?"
"Safe place," Elayne answered with a small smile, "Come on, Addy. I'll give you a piggy back ride."

"Yay!" the boy happily chirped now completely awake as he clambered onto the young woman's back.

Ryo gave a light shake of his head, as he got the bag of medications out of the trunk. He could do nothing more than follow behind them. The questions circled around his mind as he walked along. What had happened in the future to lead to this? Exactly, how many of them had made it back into this time?

…And who's kids were they?