AUTHOR'S NOTE: Here it is, the second chapter! ^_^ I'm trying to set a one-week time limit on myself, just to make sure I don't go stopping halfway and never write another chapter again (you know, how you'll procrastinate and procrastinate to the point where you completely lose all interest in doing whatever it was you're procrastinating about? Right, that. I'm known for doing that ^^) Many thanks for your reviews and feedback, by the way, minna-san! *snickers at the PMS comment*

Lynn: *looks at Mikagami*
Mikagami: ......... *won't look back*
Lynn: *pokes him* Mi-chaaaaaaaan...aren't you going to say anything?
Mikagami: I'm not talking to you! BAKA! *sulks in a corner*
Lynn: *falls off her chair laughing*

And as for the obvious similarities between both versions...it's because I sorta added in a couple of paragraphs and removed some, eh heh ^^;; I guess the changes aren't very clear now, but believe me, the overall plot has changed drastically. It's just, er...well, since I hadn't even gotten into the plot much yet, I guess it isn't that obvious ^_^;; Thanks for reading the previous version, though! And if you have the time, I'd love to know what you thought of that and this version's differences ^.^

*goes back to trying to get Mikagami to talk to her*

WARNING: Language. Well, nothing so bad you'd want to refrain from (at least, in my opinion ^^) but there is a bit (very small bit!) of swearing in here, so you might want to keep an eye on that ^_^

DISCLAIMER: I kinda forgot to add this to the first chapter (actually, to all my fics o.O) so here it is! I don't own Flame of Recca or it's characters. No profit is being made out of this fic, just fun. Fisurra Shun does belong to me, though. And, uh...so does The Seaview! ^o^;;; Yikes! My second chapter and I've already stuffed an original character in it! o.o;;;

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The Bonds of Time
Chapter 2: Silver Fire
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"Tired, my foot! What a totally lame excuse..."

Recca continued to mutter various other colourful expletives to himself as he walked alongside his companions to The Seaview, not caring even as he attracted several curious stares from the many other inhabitants of the hotel. It wasn't as if his entire world crumbled away to meaningless dust of no consequence whenever Mikagami wasn't around.

Far from it.

Rather, it was the way Mikagami had snapped at him when he made a silly comment that got him into such a sour mood.

'There I go actually worrying about that asshole, and there *he* goes being all snappy about nothing! What the hell's his damn problem, anyway?'

The Flame Caster let out a low growl. It was just so *hard* to understand him! It always had been, so much so that Recca had considered Mikagami's willingness to work with them in the Ura Butou Satsujin a miracle of life.

Yet just when it seemed as if they were finally breaking through the barrier, slipping past that icy facade, that stuck-up attitude and that detached aloofness which the Hyomon Ken master never failed to show every minute of every day, Mikagami just had to snap at him with the coldness that he used during their first meeting by the fountain. It was as if the end of the Ura Butou Satsujin also meant the end of Mikagami's gradually changing demeanour, causing him to revert back to his original icy personality.

Recca was beginning to think that Mikagami's attitude could never change.

"Let me guess...You're wondering which would be better to use to slap Mi-chan around with after we get back. Saiha? Or Nadare?"

Recca turned towards the voice and saw that it was Fuuko who spoke, a humourous glint in her eyes indicating that she was trying to cheer him up from his increasingly infuriated mood.

A grim smile touched his lips faintly as he shook his head, muttering sourly, "Iie...Rather, I was of just trapping him in one of Madoka's barriers -- y'know, to let him 'chill' himself out."

Ouch. Fuuko flinched visibly at that, smacking her forehead and letting out a mournful groan at the stupendously bad pun. Her head moving side to side, as if she were trying to shake the pun out of her memory, she muttered behind her hand, "Stick to fighting, ninja boy; you stink at making jokes!"

"As if you're any better," Recca retorted, feeling his own spirits lift at this light-hearted banter. It was silly, it was meaningless, it was definitely less painful than the techniques she usually used to break him out of his sombre moods -- but it was what usually happened between the two childhood friends when they weren't kicking the crap out of one another.

And it was what made Fuuko, the sole person in the entire group whom he'd known since elementary school, so special to him.

It was said that childhood friends had a special bond between one another -- such a bond couldn't be more obvious when one considered the often strange and quirky relationship between Recca and Fuuko. It was what drove him and Domon to save her while under Fuujin's control; it was what drove her to assist him in return during the tournament.

'Being grumpy was plain stupid. I'm s'posed to be celebrating now, damn it!' Recca reprimanded himself mentally, resisting the urge to smack himself. Why ever should he let his good mood change just because of a snap from Mikagami?

Yanagi kept quiet, having been just a little bit unsure of how to handle Recca's fuming anger. It wasn't like him to take anything personally, but Mikagami's irate remark seemed to have hit the right spot. A small smile pulled at her lips when she saw her ninja's mood change, his wide grin as he and Fuuko continued exchanging insults on one another's sad abilities at making reasonably funny jokes.

His spirit was obviously starting to lift up.

She was glad that he wasn't doting on Mikagami's decision any longer, although Yanagi herself was slightly curious as to why the latter didn't want to join them. Turning to Kage Houshi, who was walking beside her, she posed her question softly, not wanting to attract Recca's attention. No need to remind him of what had created his bad mood in the first place.

"Kage Houshi-san...Do you know why Mikagami-senpai won't join us?"

Recca's mother seemed to be the most logical person to ask. She was insightful, and her motherly instinct seemed to give her an awareness of the small, but nonetheless important things that most people wouldn't have noticed at all. Yanagi supposed that living for four hundred years *would* increase one's awareness of one's surroundings.

'Besides, she was the last person who saw Mikagami before he left the battle dome, so...' her train of thought was interrupted at Kage Houshi's answer.

"Didn't he just say so, Yanagi-chan? He was tired, and needed rest," she offered in reply, keeping her eyes ahead as they walked.

Yanagi looked slightly doubtful at the answer. Subtly peering into the older woman's face, she tried valiantly to figure out what the latter was hiding, yet the enigmatic smile on her lips gave away nothing. To someone who couldn't hear what was being said, it would look as if Yanagi had simply commented on the nice weather, and Kage Houshi had smiled in agreement.

"...I don't believe that," Yanagi stated, a light frown on her forehead.

"Neither do I."

Both Yanagi and Kagero glanced at Fuuko, who had evidently heard their whispered conversation. Then again, she had always had sharp instincts to begin with. The rest of the group stopped to stare at her.

"What do you mean by that, Fuuko?" Domon asked, curious at the amount of attention Mikagami was getting simply because he didn't want to go out for dinner with them. He really didn't see what the big deal was, though; if the Ensui master didn't want to eat, it was his stomach that suffered, not theirs. So what was the big deal? And who were they to force him?

'Maybe it's because he looks like a walking skeleton.' An image of a super-deformed Mikagami being tied to a chair while everyone else force-fed him flashed through his mind, but Domon immediately cast it aside at Recca's statement.

"Of course you don't believe it! Because it's not true," he said simply, though with a slight bit of sarcasm in his tone, "He probably thinks that, what with the tournament being over, there's no need for an oh-so-superior bishounen swordsman like himself to be hanging around with monkeys like us. That's why he didn't want to come."

He knew that he might have exaggerated slightly, maybe even hit far off the mark with the 'bishounen' part. Whatever could be said about his personality, Mikagami was not vain.

'Still, he's definitely acting superior. Idiot...'

Recca had never liked that sort of attitude, and the thought that one of their own teammates thought himself better than the rest was enough to make his blood boil. He respected Mikagami, to a certain degree, and he expected respect in return.

"That's not true!" a voice piped up from behind.

Everyone turned around in surprise to face Koganei, and the thirteen-year old was treated with an array of confused expressions. Only Fuuko and Kage Houshi seemed to know what was going on.

"Um, well...What I mean is..." a frown creased his forehead as Koganei silently debated whether or not to let out the real reason why Mikagami did not join them. 'Mikagami-niichan wouldn't want them to know if he went so far as to pretend, but...'

Then again, he wasn't even sure if his speculation was correct. "Umm, well..." he winced at that stutter. What happened to his usually quick tongue?

"Forget it, Kaoru-kun. I'll tell them," Fuuko said sympathetically, seeing how troubled Koganei was at the moment. The younger teen nodded, and everyone turned their attention to the Fuujin master, who in turn fixed Domon, Yanagi and Ganko with A Look.

"I'm sure we all know what happened during our fight with Uruha Kurenai...What we found out?"

All three, however, were clueless.

Recca was confused, "Found out?"

Fuuko ignored him and pressed on, "During Mi-chan's fight...Remember?"

As soon as she mentioned 'fight', Yanagi understood immediately. She nodded, her usually cheerful face looking slightly downcast. Ganko seemed to have understood at that moment as well, choosing to stand aside and leave Fuuko to deal with the clueless Domon and confused Recca.

"Remember what?" Recca asked again.

Domon didn't seem to get it, and Fuuko was starting to get frustrated. 'Did his stomach eat his damn brain out of hunger or something?! Come on, Domon! You were there!'

"His fight with *Kai*, the guy with the huge sword! Remember?!"

After several minutes of tense silence, the light of understanding seemed to dawn on the larger teen, and his face became solemn, darker, his earlier hunger disappeared for the moment.

Recca was still confused, "Who's Kai?...The guy with the hood, was that it?"

At last, Fuuko came to Recca, and patted him gently on the head.

"Don't worry, Oh Clueless One. It's not your fault this time that you don't know what's going on." Then, placing that same hand on his shoulder, she began explaining everything that Recca had missed when he left to go after Koku as she steered him in the direction of the restaurant.

***

As they rounded the bend that would lead them to the intended restaurant, Fuuko had finished relating Mikagami's entire battle to Recca, including what he had found out from Uruha Kurenai member, Kai. Throughout the entire monologue, Recca had asked so many questions along the way that Fuuko had to gag him with one of Koganei's handkerchiefs.

By the end though, the Flame Caster was deep in thought.

"I'll leave it up to you to figure out why Mi-chan doesn't want to join us, but I think it's pretty obvious, ne?" Fuuko concluded, a grim smile on her face.

He let out a sigh, muttering sheepishly, "Okay...So I was wrong..."

'It must've been...devastating for him when he found out...' Recca frowned slightly, finally realizing that all this time, Mikagami had only wanted to be alone to think things over. And Recca had oh-so-brilliantly thought that he was just being an asshole.

"So...Does this mean that dinner's off?" Kondo asked, his nasal voice breaking through the otherwise sombre silence, and Ganko hit him on the head.

"Baka! This is serious!"

"...How insensitive..." Kondo whimpered, which only fueled Ganko irritation.

"You want me to be sensitive to your stomach?!" she countered.

Recca scratched his head as he wondered out loud, ignoring the two, "Well, it's true that the mood's gone downhill ever since we found out. So...If you guys want to cancel, maybe have a celebration some other time or something...fine with me."

Even Domon, who had originally been looking forward to ordering the most expensive dish he could find and leaving the bill for Hanabishi to settle, didn't protest. He wasn't as tactless as Kondo, although his stomach's incessant rumbling spoke for itself. Fuuko threw him a disapproving look, to which he answered with an embarrassed grin.

Kage Houshi however, thought differently.

"Minna-san. If Mikagami-kun wanted us to feel bad for him and order take out from some vending machine or other like we usually did, I'm sure he would've told us the reason he decided to stay back in the first place. But he didn't; he's not that cruel," she smiled, an impish glint in her eyes at the unintentional snickers her statement earned.

"Instead, he'd rather stay back and leave us to celebrate a well-earned victory...and like I said before, we should respect his wishes, shouldn't we?"

Recca considered his mother's words, before nodding slowly, "Yeah...You're right, 'kaasan."

He turned to the others, all of whom were looking at him expectedly. 'So, I'm now in charge of deciding our dinner too, eh? Cool.'

"I know we all feel kinda bad for celebrating after what we heard 'bout Mikagami...or at least, after what I heard about Mikagami. The rest of ya seemed to have known about it way beforehand," he gave the group a mock-insulted look before continuing.

"But I think that we also *deserve* to celebrate because, no matter what, we still won the tournament! Under the circumstances, isn't that a good enough reason to have ourselves a good time? 'Cause really, I don't think we'll be going anywhere further than that ramen shop the second we get home..."

Domon backed the mother and son up, "That's right! No matter what, we all should celebrate, because we *won*!" He couldn't hold back a grin, as parts of his victorious fight with Noroi flashed through his mind.

And Kondo just couldn't resist remarking, "Yeah, right...You just want to have your dinner, that's all."

This resulted in another one of the Domon/Kondo fights, which the rest of the group conveniently ignored. Koganei nodded in agreement, his guilt for leaving his 'niichan' alone slowly dissipating as he listened to Recca and the others' reasoning. They weren't doing anything wrong, just having dinner and a little fun after a long, gruesome and very painful seven days.

Right?

Recca grinned, "Alright, it's decided! We're gonna go in, we're gonna have fun, and *no* long faces unless you want me to slam your freakin' long jaw in for you! Clear?"

Fuuko rolled her eyes, "Like crystal."

With that problem resolved, Team Hokage trooped happily through the double doors and into The Seaview, ready for a good meal in payment for all those days suffering through dry pastries and salty snack foods. Surprisingly, they had managed to find a table near the entrance within moments of their arrival.

"That's weird..." Ganko mused, that fact not having been missed by her, "I thought this was supposed to be a famous restaurant...How'd we manage to get a table so easily?"

Domon was confused as well, but tried to look smart and explained, "Anou...Um, I guess...we were lucky today?"

"Who cares why? I wanna eat!" Koganei announced, and tried to wave a waiter over. Unfortunately, his hand was barely noticeable amongst the other, much taller hands, and was promptly ignored. The Kougan Anki master was beginning to wonder whether he should just stand on his chair and shout out some expletives in order to get the waiters' attention. He knew some amazingly colourful ones, even at his age, and was tempted to use it, now more than ever.

Before he could act on it though, Fuuko noticed someone coming over to their table, squeezing his slight frame between many tables and chairs. Immediately recognizing the soft brown hair and warm, coffee-dark eyes at once, she waved him over. "Over here, Saicho-san! By the entrance!"

Saicho from Team Ku, gave a friendly wave in return, and continued to make his way through the crowded restaurant. As he reached Team Hokage's table, he was greeted with a chorus of friendly greetings from the others.

"Nice to see everyone again," he replied in return, his pleasant demeanour and open friendliness still as charming as ever. "Out for a victory celebration, minna-san?"

"Hai!" Yanagi smiled, before handing the menu over to him, "What do you recommend, Saicho-san? Everything looks so expensive, I'm almost hesitant to order anything but plain water..."

"Ara, don't forget the winners get discounts," Saicho reminded with a wink, although with his other eye being covered by his long bangs, it looked as if he had both eyes close. Flipping open the menu, he proceeded to skim over it briefly before lifting his eyes to look over the top, running them over the group as he searched for a certain someone before reverting them to the menu in hand.

"If I may ask, where is Mikagami-san?" he questioned, eyes still politely skimming the numerous dishes the restaurant offered, although none actually registered in his mind. He was more interested in finding out where Mikagami was.

Yanagi blinked, surprised by the sudden change of topics. They were talking about food just seconds ago. Nevertheless, she answered, "He wasn't feeling too well, and decided to stay back and rest."

Saicho nodded, not questioning further. After all, he had also been there to witness Mikagami's fight. He knew what happened.

"What're you doing here, Saicho?" Recca asked. He had always thought that Saicho and his teammates had left for home right after the tournament ended. That's what they'd been told, anyway.

Saicho shrugged in response, "We were about to leave actually, after your battle with Kurei. But then Daikoku saw this restaurant and immediately wanted to try it out. There..." he pointed behind him, to the table at the other end of the room. "There they are."

The other members of Team Ku were sitting around a round table. Recca waved at them, trying to get their attention, but they were too busy eating to notice him. Then he turned a baffled glance to Saicho, "*Daikoku* wanted to try out a restaurant?!"

The latter chuckled. Evidently, he wasn't too surprised by Recca's reaction. "Hai...He considers himself a gourmet, of sorts," he explained, "A lot of begging was involved, and finally Shihan Dai allowed us to have a dinner here."

Kondo interrupted, "That would explained his...large physique, no?"

He got hit on the head again by Ganko, who immediately apologized for her toy's rudeness. Saicho blinked numbly for a moment, never seeing a stuffed toy talk before. Hokage certainly had very strange members, no doubt about that.

'Still, that's what makes them so endearing, ne?' He had to grin at that.

"Hey!" Fuuko exclaimed when she saw the rest of the Ku group, "I see Fujimaru's there, too!"

Domon immediately dropped the little tidbits they'd been supplied with, turning his head in the Ku's direction, "He is? Where?!"

Saicho looked a tad worried at their reaction simply to Fujimaru's name. "Are you...still angry with us after what Fujimaru did to you?"

Not that he could blame her, of course. Still, Fujimaru had certainly learned his lesson after being humiliated in front of an entire audience when Fuuko beat the crap out of him. The same couldn't be said about his perversions, but it would be a shame if Fuuko still wanted to tear his brains out just when he was starting to humble himself.

Fuuko shook her head. "No, I was never angry at all of you. It's not like it was your fault or anything, right? Just Fujimaru...But, I guess we'll have to forgive and forget some time..."

Saicho was about to say something, when suddenly he noticed through the corners of his eyes that someone else was coming their way, from the entrance. The stranger was wearing a long, thick coat over what appeared to be a simple shirt and slacks. Despite his bulky attire, he seemed to have no trouble navigating himself between the numerous tables and chairs, not even bumping into one of the waiters as he nimbly sidestepped anyone who obstructed his path.

The stranger stopped at their table, beside him, and the chatter stopped abruptly.

At this close a distance, Saicho was able to see that the stranger's entire attire wasn't quite as simple as it looked. Made out of very expensive material, the coat was of good quality and the accompanying shirt and slacks didn't look very cheap either. But it wasn't that big a surprise. He knew that many wealthy people had been invited by Mori Kouran to view the tournament. What was surprising was that this stranger was actually here, in this restaurant, where most rich folks wouldn't be caught dead in.

As the stranger lifted his head, the young martial artist had the chance to view his profile.

He had a sharp nose, pale lips accentuated by a pair of angular cheekbones, and long, ebony-black hair that reached just slightly below his shoulders, brought into a small ponytail that rested at the nape of his neck. He was tall, as tall as Domon...maybe even taller, but his build was slender, like that of an acrobat's. He looked quite young as well, around his late twenties. Saicho figured that, with a little bit of scruffiness added to his features and the right kind of clothes, he could probably pass off a teenager rather well.

All in all, his features, while not half-bad, weren't extraordinary either. He was a person one could pass by in the street without even knowing it, unless one looked at his eyes.

They were a smoky black, the colour of a cloud-covered sky at the peak of midnight, seemingly smothering the silver flames that burned within them. He didn't know why, but something about this stranger, something about those eyes, seemed to demand respect from anyone around him. His stance, his aura...

It all seemed to reek of untold power. He almost had to resist the urge to bow before this stranger.

'Do the others feel the same?'

The thought entered his head, and Saicho's gaze averted from the stranger to the members of Team Hokage, searching for any signs that they had felt the aura radiated by this man with the peculiar eyes.

They didn't seem to have the same feeling that he did. 'Don't they feel anything?! This man...he doesn't look like a fighter, yet he emits the atmosphere of one so clearly...'

The silence was broken by the stranger, as he came to stop just behind Recca, "Would you happen to be...Team Hokage from the Ura Butou Satsujin?"

The Flame Caster nodded, slightly surprised at the stranger stopping by their table. He couldn't remember ever seeing him before. "Yeah, we're Team Hokage..." His mind, however, was concerned with another question. What does he want with us?

"May we help you...sir?" Kage Houshi interrupted, seeing as her son was too confused to continue. She silently wondered at the strange feeling that was suddenly growing within her; a feeling of familiarity, the sort that happens when one sees someone after spending such a long time apart, so much so that one barely even remembers what that person looked like, sounded like, felt like...

But she could honestly say that she had never met this young man before.

The stranger stared at her, an unknown flicker seeming to enter his eyes before he blinked them away, causing them to disappear instantly. He smiled, an affable lift of the lips, before bowing slightly out of politeness, "Maa...Gomen nasai. I should have introduced myself first. How rude of me...I am Fisurra Shun. Mori-sama invited me over to view the tournament."

It took Recca and the others a few moments to realize that he was talking about Mori Kouran, Kurei's stepfather and organizer of the Ura Butou Satsujin.

'So he's friends with that good-for-nothing bastard?' He couldn't help it; Recca immediately swallowed a huge gulp of water, nearly emptying the entire glass.

It was in vain however, for he could still feel that touch of distaste in his mouth, that bitter feeling that arose whenever dealing with anything to do with Kouran. Fisurra's association with the underworld boss did not put him in good light with the Flame Caster, that's for sure. A quick glance at his friends showed that they were thinking along the same line.

What was said next however, did surprise him quite tremendously.

"I must thank you, Team Hokage, for winning the tournament...I was certain that you would, actually. When I saw your statistics, I felt that familiar gut instinct telling me that you had potential. And when you managed to beat the famous Team Ku, I could tell that the Goddess of Victory was smiling upon you," Fisurra said, with that same smooth smile on his face.

Kage Houshi felt her a chill travel down her spine, turning her hands cold and her lips dry as she looked into those eyes, which seemed to focus on her alone even though its owner was addressing the entire group. She frantically searched through her mind for any memory that could match those strangely familiar silver orbs, but came up with naught.

"...We're glad to have proven your instinct right, Fisurra-san," she replied as calmly as she could, feeling the need to say something -- anything! -- to cover up the unnerving feeling she was experiencing.

He chuckled in return, eyes twinkling in amusement, "And for that, you have my gratitude. I have become quite a few times richer because of your victory."

Fuuko stammered a surprised 'You're welcome', while Recca was too shocked to say anything. Someone had actually bet on a group of high school teens, and from the looks of it, it sounded as if he really was assured of a win!

Fisurra's smoky eyes wandered over the group, and he asked lightly, "I see that one of your members is missing...The one that uses a sword. Mikagami, was it?"

Yanagi nodded, "Hai, Mikagami-senpai decided not to come."

"I see..." he mused aloud, before cocking his head to one side in curiousity, "But why not? Shouldn't he be celebrating alongside the rest of you?"

"It's none of your business what Mikagami-niichan wants to do," Koganei answered curtly from the other end of the table. He had his arms folded tightly in front of him, and Recca was almost certain that there was more than a slight bit of hostility in his voice as he stared at Fisurra, his disdain for the older man painfully obvious.

Yanagi's gaze swerved back to Koganei in surprise, but the teen refused to say anything else, ignoring Fisurra's presence in favour of picking at his plate of salted peanuts.

"Ah...touche," Fisurra replied, still keeping that same amused coolness in his tone. If he noticed Koganei's hostility, he gave no indication of it. "Yes, you are quite right, Koganei-san. It isn't any of my concern."

He took a step back, signifying that he was leaving, before giving them a small bow, "And it seems that I am intruding on your celebration, so I shall leave. Arigatou once again, Team Hokage, for making me a richer man."

Turning his eyes on Kage Houshi for a moment, this time openly looking at her and her alone, he nodded his head and said, "Good day, Kagero-san. My congratulations on your son's victory. I am certain that you must be proud, ne?"

"Why...Why, yes. Yes, I am proud of Recca and his friends' achievements..." Kage Houshi stammered a shocked reply. How in the world did he know about her relationship with Recca? To everyone outside their little group, she was simply an advisor of sort; someone who just happened to know a lot about the weapons used by their opponents.

Nothing more.

Fisurra nodded again, this time to the rest of the group, and left, disappearing into the restaurant's large crowd. Kage Houshi was too preoccupied to notice his departure, her thoughts swirling in a mass of confusion.

'But more importantly...he said my name.

'Kagero.

'How...did he know that?'

~tbc~