"Rowen, here, lay down... what happened?" Sage exclaimed, moving off of the couch and helping Rowen get there.
Reia recounted the story of the Dynasty attack, still keeping up her damsel in distress form.
"Good God," Ryo muttered, running his fingers through his hair. "I never thought it would start over again..." Soon the guys were all firing questions at Rowen and Reia a mile a minute.
"Why don't we let them rest, get something to eat, and we'll talk about this in the morning?" Mia suggested. "Reia, I suggest you stay here tonight... you can call the family you're staying with and let them know where you are."
"Arigato, Mia-San," Reia said softly, bowing. She went into the kitchen and dialed the Instant Weather Report Number.
"Hi... Mrs. Ayono? Yeah, it's Reia... listen, I got really caught up in studies tonight... I'm staying over with a friend... Yeah, Her name's Mia... OK, thanks, I'll see you later."
"The time is 9:00 PM at the beep," The computerized voice said as she hung up. She figured everyone believed she had talked to someone.
Sage picked up the phone in his room he shared with Rowen, who was zonked out on his bed. "The time is 9:00 PM at the beep," A computerized voice said.
"What the-... so, she didn't call 'home' after all..." Sage muttered to himself. He waited for the click of Reia hanging up before hanging it up himself.
Sage walked over to Rowen's bed and casually threw an extra blanket over him before going to his own bed. ~ What's up with that girl?... I've got a strange feeling about her... I don't know if she can be trusted, ~ He thought just as he drifted off to sleep.
"Cye?" Kento's voice penetrated the darkness.
"Hmm... What is it, Kento?" Cye's voice sounded sleepy.
"What do you think about that girl, Reia?"
"She's nice," Cye replied. He sounded a little irritated.
"No.. I mean, like... do you think she's trustworthy?"
Cye reached over to his night stand and turned the lamp on. "I must admit that she is a little fishy... She's nervous, and her story doesn't make much sense... I don't know why, but I feel like I should trust her anyway. Just a gut feeling I have."
"Well, if you believe in her, Cye, your word's good enough for me," Kento said, rolling over. Soon he was snoring.
~ Now I can't sleep, ~ Cye thought wearily, staring up at the ceiling.
The next morning Reia woke up to the smell of bacon, eggs, and toast. She found a robe folded up on a chair waiting for her, which she put on before going downstairs.
"Oh, you're up," Mia said cheerfully as Reia came down the stairs.
"Hi," She said.
"Cye's serving breakfast in the kitchen."
"Thanks, Mia, for being so nice to me," Reia whispered before going into the kitchen.
"Hey, Reia!" Kento greeted her as cheerfully as Mia had.
"Good morning," She said, waving nervously. Kento was at the table putting away food like there was no tomorrow, Cye was mixing up some batter, probably for pancakes, and Sage was leaning against the wall, looking at a newspaper.
"Help yourself to something... I'm afraid I made too much again," Cye nodded in Reia's direction. His face was flushed from the heat of the grill he was cooking on. Reia realized what an adorable smile he had, too.
"Thank you," She finally croaked out before taking a seat at the table.
"M-Hey, Reia... try the scrambled eggs... they're really good. Cye has some kind of special spice he uses," Kento said with a mouthful of bacon as he handed the plate to her.
~ He's so friendly and boisterous... Just like Xanthe... ~ She felt a sudden pang of longing for her comrades.. and for her mother. ~ I wonder if they're all right... the last thing I saw was Mom falling when I fell into the time vortex... Where did that come from anyway? There had to be a reason for me to be here, in the 20th century, in the presence of the original Ronin Warriors... ~
"What's the matter? Don't you like the eggs?" Cye's voice interrupted her from her melancholy day dream. He had placed a concerned hand on her shoulder.
"I.. I..." She flushed and looked down. "I'm sorry... I just really don't have much of an appetite this morning."
"I can understand that, after what you were through last night. Don't worry about it. If you're hungry later you can always eat then," Cye gave her a friendly smile as he took her plate over to the sink. She couldn't help but smile. She felt warm inside, for the first time in a long while. ~ Cye reminds me of Lysithea so much it's almost scary... she's just as soft spoken, and kind... But I think he might actually be cuter... ~
"Hey, look who's joined the land of the living!" Ryo announced as he came into the kitchen, Rowen behind him.
"How you feeling?" Sage asked.
"Need coffee, talk later," Rowen mumbled, waving a hand at Sage.
"Over there," Cye pointed at the coffee pot. Rowen grunted something unintelligible and shuffled in the general direction. Reia had trouble stopping herself from giggling.
"Um, Mia, I was thinking," Ryo started and then stopped, as all heads turned in his direction.
"OH..." Kento suddenly exclaimed loudly. "I'm going to... ah... go for a run," He said, picking up his plate and quickly exiting the room.
"You know, I just remembered that I'm all out of oregano... can't make my spaghetti sauce tonight without it," Cye said absentmindedly, exiting as discreetly as Kento had.
"Come on, Rowen, let's get some fresh air," Sage said, dragging Rowen along. "Join us, Reia?"
"Um... sure," She said, realizing what was going on.
"Mia, I was just wondering if you wanted to catch a movie or something today," Ryo continued, leaning against the counter.
"I can't, Ryo, I'm baby-sitting today," Mia replied as she began to fill the sink with water to do the dishes.
"Man," Ryo sighed. "When do you have to go?"
"Actually, he's coming here," Mia said just as the back door opened and Kento came back inside, carrying a giggling little boy on his shoulders.
"Found this outside," He laughed, putting Yulie on the counter.
"Hi, Ryo!" Yulie cried, waving.
"Hey, little dude, what's up?" Ryo laughed. Yulie almost always put him in a good mood.
"Guess what! I'm gonna stay here all afternoon with you guys 'cause my parents had to go out of town for shopping, and they said it wouldn't be very much fun for me, so Mia offered to baby-sit me. Isn't that cool? I can play with you guys all day now!"
"Hey, you bet, little man!" Kento said, pausing to stuff another piece of toast into his mouth. "Come on, let's go find Cye," He said, lifting Yulie onto his shoulders again.
"Oh boy!" Yulie cried, ducking his head to avoid conking it on the doorframe.
Reia came down the stairs wearing shorts and a green tank top she had borrowed from Mia.
"Hi... Who is this, Kento?" She asked softly, leaning against the wall.
"Oh, Reia, this is Yulie. Mia's baby-sitting him today. Yulie, Reia's a friend of ours who's gonna hang around today," Kento explained to both parties.
"Is she another one of Sage's girlfriends?" Yulie asked Kento, with his inability to whisper all people under the age of twelve suffer from.
"Not yet, but who knows what the future will bring?" Sage's voice came behind her; she jumped and blushed.
"Yikes... gonna get burned if we stay in here too long, Yulie. The sparks are flying," Kento muttered, heading out the front door.
"Sorry 'bout that," Sage said, edging next to Reia. The staircase was just barely wide enough for them to stand side by side, making him very close. "You know how kids are..."
"Y-You didn't have to encourage him," She murmured, avoiding eye contact.
"How can I ever make up my actions to you?" Sage whispered, running a hand down her arm. Her heart skipped a few beats.
"I... I think Mia and Ryo could use some help clearing dishes," She exclaimed, breaking away from the uncomfortable situation and running to the kitchen.
Sage leaned against the banister with a sigh. ~ She's so skittish, ~ He thought to himself. ~ Or am I coming on too strongly? ~
Reia splashed some cold water onto her face when she got to the kitchen.
"What's the matter?" Mia asked. Ryo paused in his drying of a glass.
"N-Nothing... nothing at all," She gasped. "I... I just thought you'd need some help." ~ Why did Sage's advances scare me so much? ~ She wondered. ~ He is pretty cute, after all... ~ She looked over at Mia and Ryo washing dishes, looking almost like a married couple. ~ Then again, all of the guys around here aren't bad looking... Kento even has a certain charm. ~ An image flashed into her mind of the smile Cye gave her at the breakfast table. ~ THAT was the most adorable smile I've ever seen, ~ She almost shouted inside herself, and, unknowingly, sighed.
"Look at that silly grin," Mia whispered to Ryo, just loudly enough for Reia to hear. "I've seen it before..."
Ryo looked over at a now embarrassed and flushed Reia, trying not to laugh. "Sage does that to women."
~ Oh my God, ~ She groaned inside. "I don't know what you're talking about!" She protested. They didn't believe her; they simply laughed and returned to their previous task.
She went back out into the living room when that chore was done to find Rowen and Sage in there, seemingly waiting for her.
"It's twenty questions time," Rowen said, opening the door. "Let's go outside."
~ Oh no! ~ Reia cried inwardly.
"First of all, we want the truth about where you're staying," Sage said as soon as they were on the porch.
"What do you mean?" Reia asked, heart pounding.
"We know you're not really staying with some family," Sage answered. "So where are you staying? Are you even an exchange student?"
"I... I..." Reia stammered, searching for an answer. "What makes you question me at all?!" She suddenly burst out.
"Reia, enough with the act... we know you're not an exchange student... so level with us," Rowen sighed.
~ God, Rowen, how I wish I could tell you, ~ She thought, staring at him sadly.
"I can't tell you the WHOLE truth yet," She whispered.
"You can't?" Sage asked, his voice implying maybe he didn't hear her right.
Suddenly the air grew still, and Reia could feel a strange, familiar energy. Her scalp prickled and Sage and Rowen tensed up. The energy of one of the Armors.
There was a bright flash of light and a glowing orb appeared in the middle of the deck. A figure materialized on the porch, a man's figure. Reia's heart nearly stopped when she recognized him. Wild, dark blue hair, a scar on one side of his face. Cayle.
Her eye's grew wide and she could only manage a strangled cry of surprise. Rowen and Sage shot each other worried glances.
"Y-Y-you... you just..." She stammered, pointing at Cayle.
"Reia, look, we can explain," Rowen started, putting his hands on her shoulders. She snapped at that point, not even hearing him. There was no more time to hide, or pretend. She refused to play damsel in distress in front of a Dark Warlord.
"Murderer!!!" She screamed, lunging at him. "I came into the past to stop you and your wicked comrades!..."
"What the-" Cayle exclaimed as he dodged her attack. "What are you raving about, girl?!"
"I'm here to send you back to the hell you came from!!!" She screamed, attacking again. A blue energy was building up around her.
"R-Reia?..." Sage stammered.
"I cannot hide it any longer... I will destroy you, Dark Warlord of Corruption, and then you friends!"
Rowen and Sage both did a double take. Ryo came out of the house just then.
"What's all the yelling?... Woah, Cayle! Reia?!"
"...For me, my future, my parents, and my friends, vile Dynasty slime..."
"Don't follow us, we're lost, too," Rowen muttered as equally puzzled Yulie, Kento, and Cye approached.
"Reia, stop trying to fight him!" Cye shouted.
"You don't have to protect me, Cye of Torrent!" She shouted.
"What?" He exclaimed, stopping.
"...DAO INOCHI!!!" Reia screamed, transforming into the dark blue and white body armor.
"No way!" Rowen shouted. "That's MY armor!!!"
Momentarily distracted by Rowen's outburst, Reia paused long enough for Kento to tackle her.
"OWW! Kento!" She screamed. "Get off me! He's evil, why don't you fight him?!?"
"I think you have a few questions to answer first!" Kento hissed and he pressed his weight down on her back, pulling on her arm.
"Madam," Cayle said, leaning forward to meet Reia eye to eye. "I'm afraid you are mistaken. I no longer bear the name Warlord of Corruption... My Armor is the Armor of Obedience."
"No, if that were TRUE, would I be a Ronin Warrior?!" Reia shot back. "You're hurting me, Kento!"
"It has to be a trick, guys," Kento snarled.
"I agree, a trick," Rowen echoed. "What game are you playing with us?!" He yelled at Reia.
"It's not a game," She whispered, tears rolling down her face.
"Get off of her, Kento! Maybe she could answer our questions better if she could breath!" Ryo exclaimed.
White Blaze came out of the house just then, yawning after a long afternoon nap. He looked at Reia and Cayle and the hairs on his back prickled. He stepped towards her, growling lowly.
"No, White Blaze," She whispered. "You know me..."
He sniffed Reia, let out a puzzled sound, sniffed her again, and then laid her head in her lap, letting out a gutteral tiger purr.
"You're so young, White Blaze," She whispered. "It's good to see a familiar face."
"Um, excuse me," Rowen said, tapping on her shoulder. "JUST WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON??? WHY ARE YOU IN MY ARMOR?!"
There was another burst of light and a woman materialized. Lady Kayura.
"Kayura!" Ryo exclaimed.
"Did Cayle give you my message? I have a terrible feeling something dreadful is about to happen..." Kayura trailed off as her eyes set on Reia. Both women uttered a stifled gasp.
"R-Reia... Is it really you?!..." Kayura mumbled, stepping forward.
"That does it, I quit," Sage groaned, hanging his head.
"This is like the Twilight Zone," Cye muttered.
"Mother!" Reia cried, rushing to Kayura's outstretched arms and embracing her. "Y-you... My God, how young you are!"
"Hey! Since when did you have a daughter?!" Ryo cried.
"Rowen..." Kayura whispered, looking over at him. "This is Reia... our daughter."
A wave of shock rang throughout the entire group. Rowen felt his legs give underneath him as he collapsed onto the porch.
"We'll have a lot of explaining to do when he comes to," Kayura muttered.
Reia recounted the story of the Dynasty attack, still keeping up her damsel in distress form.
"Good God," Ryo muttered, running his fingers through his hair. "I never thought it would start over again..." Soon the guys were all firing questions at Rowen and Reia a mile a minute.
"Why don't we let them rest, get something to eat, and we'll talk about this in the morning?" Mia suggested. "Reia, I suggest you stay here tonight... you can call the family you're staying with and let them know where you are."
"Arigato, Mia-San," Reia said softly, bowing. She went into the kitchen and dialed the Instant Weather Report Number.
"Hi... Mrs. Ayono? Yeah, it's Reia... listen, I got really caught up in studies tonight... I'm staying over with a friend... Yeah, Her name's Mia... OK, thanks, I'll see you later."
"The time is 9:00 PM at the beep," The computerized voice said as she hung up. She figured everyone believed she had talked to someone.
Sage picked up the phone in his room he shared with Rowen, who was zonked out on his bed. "The time is 9:00 PM at the beep," A computerized voice said.
"What the-... so, she didn't call 'home' after all..." Sage muttered to himself. He waited for the click of Reia hanging up before hanging it up himself.
Sage walked over to Rowen's bed and casually threw an extra blanket over him before going to his own bed. ~ What's up with that girl?... I've got a strange feeling about her... I don't know if she can be trusted, ~ He thought just as he drifted off to sleep.
"Cye?" Kento's voice penetrated the darkness.
"Hmm... What is it, Kento?" Cye's voice sounded sleepy.
"What do you think about that girl, Reia?"
"She's nice," Cye replied. He sounded a little irritated.
"No.. I mean, like... do you think she's trustworthy?"
Cye reached over to his night stand and turned the lamp on. "I must admit that she is a little fishy... She's nervous, and her story doesn't make much sense... I don't know why, but I feel like I should trust her anyway. Just a gut feeling I have."
"Well, if you believe in her, Cye, your word's good enough for me," Kento said, rolling over. Soon he was snoring.
~ Now I can't sleep, ~ Cye thought wearily, staring up at the ceiling.
The next morning Reia woke up to the smell of bacon, eggs, and toast. She found a robe folded up on a chair waiting for her, which she put on before going downstairs.
"Oh, you're up," Mia said cheerfully as Reia came down the stairs.
"Hi," She said.
"Cye's serving breakfast in the kitchen."
"Thanks, Mia, for being so nice to me," Reia whispered before going into the kitchen.
"Hey, Reia!" Kento greeted her as cheerfully as Mia had.
"Good morning," She said, waving nervously. Kento was at the table putting away food like there was no tomorrow, Cye was mixing up some batter, probably for pancakes, and Sage was leaning against the wall, looking at a newspaper.
"Help yourself to something... I'm afraid I made too much again," Cye nodded in Reia's direction. His face was flushed from the heat of the grill he was cooking on. Reia realized what an adorable smile he had, too.
"Thank you," She finally croaked out before taking a seat at the table.
"M-Hey, Reia... try the scrambled eggs... they're really good. Cye has some kind of special spice he uses," Kento said with a mouthful of bacon as he handed the plate to her.
~ He's so friendly and boisterous... Just like Xanthe... ~ She felt a sudden pang of longing for her comrades.. and for her mother. ~ I wonder if they're all right... the last thing I saw was Mom falling when I fell into the time vortex... Where did that come from anyway? There had to be a reason for me to be here, in the 20th century, in the presence of the original Ronin Warriors... ~
"What's the matter? Don't you like the eggs?" Cye's voice interrupted her from her melancholy day dream. He had placed a concerned hand on her shoulder.
"I.. I..." She flushed and looked down. "I'm sorry... I just really don't have much of an appetite this morning."
"I can understand that, after what you were through last night. Don't worry about it. If you're hungry later you can always eat then," Cye gave her a friendly smile as he took her plate over to the sink. She couldn't help but smile. She felt warm inside, for the first time in a long while. ~ Cye reminds me of Lysithea so much it's almost scary... she's just as soft spoken, and kind... But I think he might actually be cuter... ~
"Hey, look who's joined the land of the living!" Ryo announced as he came into the kitchen, Rowen behind him.
"How you feeling?" Sage asked.
"Need coffee, talk later," Rowen mumbled, waving a hand at Sage.
"Over there," Cye pointed at the coffee pot. Rowen grunted something unintelligible and shuffled in the general direction. Reia had trouble stopping herself from giggling.
"Um, Mia, I was thinking," Ryo started and then stopped, as all heads turned in his direction.
"OH..." Kento suddenly exclaimed loudly. "I'm going to... ah... go for a run," He said, picking up his plate and quickly exiting the room.
"You know, I just remembered that I'm all out of oregano... can't make my spaghetti sauce tonight without it," Cye said absentmindedly, exiting as discreetly as Kento had.
"Come on, Rowen, let's get some fresh air," Sage said, dragging Rowen along. "Join us, Reia?"
"Um... sure," She said, realizing what was going on.
"Mia, I was just wondering if you wanted to catch a movie or something today," Ryo continued, leaning against the counter.
"I can't, Ryo, I'm baby-sitting today," Mia replied as she began to fill the sink with water to do the dishes.
"Man," Ryo sighed. "When do you have to go?"
"Actually, he's coming here," Mia said just as the back door opened and Kento came back inside, carrying a giggling little boy on his shoulders.
"Found this outside," He laughed, putting Yulie on the counter.
"Hi, Ryo!" Yulie cried, waving.
"Hey, little dude, what's up?" Ryo laughed. Yulie almost always put him in a good mood.
"Guess what! I'm gonna stay here all afternoon with you guys 'cause my parents had to go out of town for shopping, and they said it wouldn't be very much fun for me, so Mia offered to baby-sit me. Isn't that cool? I can play with you guys all day now!"
"Hey, you bet, little man!" Kento said, pausing to stuff another piece of toast into his mouth. "Come on, let's go find Cye," He said, lifting Yulie onto his shoulders again.
"Oh boy!" Yulie cried, ducking his head to avoid conking it on the doorframe.
Reia came down the stairs wearing shorts and a green tank top she had borrowed from Mia.
"Hi... Who is this, Kento?" She asked softly, leaning against the wall.
"Oh, Reia, this is Yulie. Mia's baby-sitting him today. Yulie, Reia's a friend of ours who's gonna hang around today," Kento explained to both parties.
"Is she another one of Sage's girlfriends?" Yulie asked Kento, with his inability to whisper all people under the age of twelve suffer from.
"Not yet, but who knows what the future will bring?" Sage's voice came behind her; she jumped and blushed.
"Yikes... gonna get burned if we stay in here too long, Yulie. The sparks are flying," Kento muttered, heading out the front door.
"Sorry 'bout that," Sage said, edging next to Reia. The staircase was just barely wide enough for them to stand side by side, making him very close. "You know how kids are..."
"Y-You didn't have to encourage him," She murmured, avoiding eye contact.
"How can I ever make up my actions to you?" Sage whispered, running a hand down her arm. Her heart skipped a few beats.
"I... I think Mia and Ryo could use some help clearing dishes," She exclaimed, breaking away from the uncomfortable situation and running to the kitchen.
Sage leaned against the banister with a sigh. ~ She's so skittish, ~ He thought to himself. ~ Or am I coming on too strongly? ~
Reia splashed some cold water onto her face when she got to the kitchen.
"What's the matter?" Mia asked. Ryo paused in his drying of a glass.
"N-Nothing... nothing at all," She gasped. "I... I just thought you'd need some help." ~ Why did Sage's advances scare me so much? ~ She wondered. ~ He is pretty cute, after all... ~ She looked over at Mia and Ryo washing dishes, looking almost like a married couple. ~ Then again, all of the guys around here aren't bad looking... Kento even has a certain charm. ~ An image flashed into her mind of the smile Cye gave her at the breakfast table. ~ THAT was the most adorable smile I've ever seen, ~ She almost shouted inside herself, and, unknowingly, sighed.
"Look at that silly grin," Mia whispered to Ryo, just loudly enough for Reia to hear. "I've seen it before..."
Ryo looked over at a now embarrassed and flushed Reia, trying not to laugh. "Sage does that to women."
~ Oh my God, ~ She groaned inside. "I don't know what you're talking about!" She protested. They didn't believe her; they simply laughed and returned to their previous task.
She went back out into the living room when that chore was done to find Rowen and Sage in there, seemingly waiting for her.
"It's twenty questions time," Rowen said, opening the door. "Let's go outside."
~ Oh no! ~ Reia cried inwardly.
"First of all, we want the truth about where you're staying," Sage said as soon as they were on the porch.
"What do you mean?" Reia asked, heart pounding.
"We know you're not really staying with some family," Sage answered. "So where are you staying? Are you even an exchange student?"
"I... I..." Reia stammered, searching for an answer. "What makes you question me at all?!" She suddenly burst out.
"Reia, enough with the act... we know you're not an exchange student... so level with us," Rowen sighed.
~ God, Rowen, how I wish I could tell you, ~ She thought, staring at him sadly.
"I can't tell you the WHOLE truth yet," She whispered.
"You can't?" Sage asked, his voice implying maybe he didn't hear her right.
Suddenly the air grew still, and Reia could feel a strange, familiar energy. Her scalp prickled and Sage and Rowen tensed up. The energy of one of the Armors.
There was a bright flash of light and a glowing orb appeared in the middle of the deck. A figure materialized on the porch, a man's figure. Reia's heart nearly stopped when she recognized him. Wild, dark blue hair, a scar on one side of his face. Cayle.
Her eye's grew wide and she could only manage a strangled cry of surprise. Rowen and Sage shot each other worried glances.
"Y-Y-you... you just..." She stammered, pointing at Cayle.
"Reia, look, we can explain," Rowen started, putting his hands on her shoulders. She snapped at that point, not even hearing him. There was no more time to hide, or pretend. She refused to play damsel in distress in front of a Dark Warlord.
"Murderer!!!" She screamed, lunging at him. "I came into the past to stop you and your wicked comrades!..."
"What the-" Cayle exclaimed as he dodged her attack. "What are you raving about, girl?!"
"I'm here to send you back to the hell you came from!!!" She screamed, attacking again. A blue energy was building up around her.
"R-Reia?..." Sage stammered.
"I cannot hide it any longer... I will destroy you, Dark Warlord of Corruption, and then you friends!"
Rowen and Sage both did a double take. Ryo came out of the house just then.
"What's all the yelling?... Woah, Cayle! Reia?!"
"...For me, my future, my parents, and my friends, vile Dynasty slime..."
"Don't follow us, we're lost, too," Rowen muttered as equally puzzled Yulie, Kento, and Cye approached.
"Reia, stop trying to fight him!" Cye shouted.
"You don't have to protect me, Cye of Torrent!" She shouted.
"What?" He exclaimed, stopping.
"...DAO INOCHI!!!" Reia screamed, transforming into the dark blue and white body armor.
"No way!" Rowen shouted. "That's MY armor!!!"
Momentarily distracted by Rowen's outburst, Reia paused long enough for Kento to tackle her.
"OWW! Kento!" She screamed. "Get off me! He's evil, why don't you fight him?!?"
"I think you have a few questions to answer first!" Kento hissed and he pressed his weight down on her back, pulling on her arm.
"Madam," Cayle said, leaning forward to meet Reia eye to eye. "I'm afraid you are mistaken. I no longer bear the name Warlord of Corruption... My Armor is the Armor of Obedience."
"No, if that were TRUE, would I be a Ronin Warrior?!" Reia shot back. "You're hurting me, Kento!"
"It has to be a trick, guys," Kento snarled.
"I agree, a trick," Rowen echoed. "What game are you playing with us?!" He yelled at Reia.
"It's not a game," She whispered, tears rolling down her face.
"Get off of her, Kento! Maybe she could answer our questions better if she could breath!" Ryo exclaimed.
White Blaze came out of the house just then, yawning after a long afternoon nap. He looked at Reia and Cayle and the hairs on his back prickled. He stepped towards her, growling lowly.
"No, White Blaze," She whispered. "You know me..."
He sniffed Reia, let out a puzzled sound, sniffed her again, and then laid her head in her lap, letting out a gutteral tiger purr.
"You're so young, White Blaze," She whispered. "It's good to see a familiar face."
"Um, excuse me," Rowen said, tapping on her shoulder. "JUST WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON??? WHY ARE YOU IN MY ARMOR?!"
There was another burst of light and a woman materialized. Lady Kayura.
"Kayura!" Ryo exclaimed.
"Did Cayle give you my message? I have a terrible feeling something dreadful is about to happen..." Kayura trailed off as her eyes set on Reia. Both women uttered a stifled gasp.
"R-Reia... Is it really you?!..." Kayura mumbled, stepping forward.
"That does it, I quit," Sage groaned, hanging his head.
"This is like the Twilight Zone," Cye muttered.
"Mother!" Reia cried, rushing to Kayura's outstretched arms and embracing her. "Y-you... My God, how young you are!"
"Hey! Since when did you have a daughter?!" Ryo cried.
"Rowen..." Kayura whispered, looking over at him. "This is Reia... our daughter."
A wave of shock rang throughout the entire group. Rowen felt his legs give underneath him as he collapsed onto the porch.
"We'll have a lot of explaining to do when he comes to," Kayura muttered.