"OK, so let me get this straight," Kento said for about the ten thousandth time. "Reia is your daughter?"
"That's right," Kayura and Reia both nodded.
"And... Rowen is her father?" Sage asked.
Kayura nodded.
"How is that possible?!" Ryo burst out, jumping to his feet. "She's our age if she's a day! The only way she could be Rowen's daughter is if she was from... I dunno, the future or something!"
"I AM, Ryo," Reia said, looking down.
It had been about two hours since the unexpected arrival of Kayura. Sehkmet and Dais had arrived as well and now the whole group was gathered in Mia's living room. During the entire exchange between Kayura and the other Ronin Warriors, Rowen and the Warlords remained silent.
"So why is it you know what's going on?" Cye asked Kayura.
"I suppose, to avoid any further confusion... I must tell you the whole story, as much as I know... or think I know... myself," Lady Kayura said. She took a deep breath before beginning.
"It all goes back to before you defeated Talpa. The Warlords and myself were still working for him at the time. Sage, Cye, and Kento were already captured when you met me, as you know," The three mentioned Ronins looked a little uneasy at the mention of their captivity by the Dynasty, but Kayura paid them no mind. "I suppose Talpa and his spirit advisors had been talking about it for some time. Why not have Kayura get pregnant? Would the Ronin Warriors hurt a woman who was carrying one of their children? So after one of my early battles, I was taken by Badamon and some soldiers to be inspected. They found some of Rowen's blood on my clothes. Using a sample of his DNA, they performed some kind of," Her voice choked, "Experiment on me... I never even knew I was with child until after the final defeat of the Dynasty... When Reia was born, I knew, I just knew who her father had to be... even as an infant her resemblance to Rowen was striking."
"So if your story's true, she should still be a baby," Kento pointed out.
"I am from the future," Reia reminded them, then grew quiet after the looks she received,
"I sent Reia into the future, to be raised by my future self," Kayura explained. "I was still worried that the Dynasty was not totally banished from Earth. Sending her away was one of the hardest decisions I ever made."
"But she has the Armor of Strata," Ryo said, trailing off.
"I don't know, how, or why, but eventually the Dynasty will break loose... and you five will suffer defeat," Kayura said, staring directly at Ryo.
"Then it's inevitable?" Cye murmured.
"No," Reia responded then, turning to face Cye. "The Dynasty did not rightfully leave the realm."
"Come again?" Sage asked.
"They had some sort of outside help," Kayura explained. "And we think they time traveled, even. Therefore, if we can help you defeat the Dynasty in this time..."
"There will be peace in my era... and my father might even still be alive," Reia finished for her.
Rowen got up suddenly and walked to the door.
"Where're you off to?" Ryo asked.
"I have to think," Rowen said, practically slamming the door behind him. Kayura and Reia both winced a bit. Soon everyone, even the three Warlords, made some kind of excuse to go somewhere or do something else.
"Still think she can be trusted?" Kento asked, looking squarely at Cye, who remained silent.
"Lady Kayura wouldn't lie to us," Sage said, leaning against the wall. It was late that evening. Reia had gone out for a walk, and Ryo, Sage, Cye, and Kento were discussing the current situation. Rowen was isolated in him room.
"Would she?" Ryo responded.
"What would she have to gain from this? This isn't the Dynasty's kind of trick and you guys bloody well know it," Cye burst out. It was one of the few things he had said to the others since the little meeting had begun.
"Are you OK?" Kento asked. "You've been quieter than usual."
"I don't want to talk about it," Cye said, heading for the door.
"Now where are YOU going?" Sage exclaimed in exasperation.
"Rowen isn't the only one who needs to think," Cye grumbled as he left.
"Man," Ryo sighed, running his hands through his hair. "I'd rather face a thousand Dynasty soldiers than deal with this situation."
"I can't believe I hit on Rowen's daughter," Sage said with a slight shudder. "Too creepy."
"So what if this whole thing is true? What then?" Ryo wondered aloud.
"Got me, buddy... but you know, someone oughtta talk to Rowen," Sage said, opening a can of soda. "He's probably torn apart by this whole thing."
Catching Sage's drift, Ryo looked at his shoes. "I'll talk to him... eventually. Before I go to bed tonight... although I don't think I'll sleep much."
"Me, neither," Sage replied with a huge sigh followed by a deep swig of his soda. "Me, neither."
The wind whipped Reia's hair around, and the moist air made her skin clammy. She had removed her shoes and was walking barefoot along the edge of the lake, in the surf up to her ankles.
~ God, none of this went the way I wanted it to, ~ She thought sadly. ~ I don't think Rowen... or any of them, for that matter, will ever accept me. ~ She bent down and found a smooth, flat stone, and threw it out onto the water. It skipped three times before sinking.
"You're pretty good at that," An English voice said behind her. She jumped and did a 180 degree twirl.
"Cye!" She half screamed. "You scared me!"
"You're still awful skittish. So that wasn't apart of the whole act you were putting on for us? It was a marvelous show, really it was," Cye said. His tone sounded like he intended the words to be hurtful but he had a smile on his face.
"That's not fair, Cye," She said, turning away. "If you were in a situation like mine how would you have treated it?"
"Probably the same," He replied with a shrug.
After a long silence, Reia said, "Look... I know you guys will probably never believe me... and if you do come to, you'll never accept me. You must know that I never intended to upset you all so much," She turned to walk away, and found Cye keeping pace with her.
"What are you feeling?" Cye asked her at length.
"Pardon?" She exclaimed, surprised by his inquiry.
"I asked what's going on in your head," He said.
"Woah, a guy who wants to discuss feelings?" Reia exclaimed. "You're a member of an endangered species, Cye."
"I'm serious!" Cye exclaimed.
"To tell you the truth, I'm not sure what to think, or feel. I grew up with only my mom around... she never even had a boyfriend, so there's never been any male role model in my life whatsoever."
"I know how you feel," Cye replied.
"People always say that, but they can never know how it feels unless they're in my shoes," Reia answered bitterly.
"I grew up without my dad around, too," Cye murmured.
"Really?" She asked, stopping.
"Yeah... I never knew him... my mom had boyfriends come and go, but she never married anyone. My mom and my sister, they were really good to me. I guess maybe that's why I'm into cooking and stuff, I dunno. A lot of people question my... preferences when they first meet me," Cye admitted with a laugh.
"I think it's very cool that you are a guy and such a great cook at the same time," She said, touching his arm. "I deal with ignorant people just about every day of my life. I know what it's like."
Cye nodded. "I've learned to ignore people like that. They don't know any better."
"But... you know, it's like, one minute, I'm fighting in a battle, the next, I'm laying half naked, dazed and confused, in a parking lot somewhere," Reia said. "It took me almost a month to figure out I was in the 20th Century... I knew my father was Ronin Warrior, and alive... so I figured finding him would be the best thing... and when I saw him... saw all of you yesterday... My insides nearly burst. A mix of happiness, excitement, sadness, fear, all going a million miles per hour in my stomach."
"It's true, isn't it?" Cye whispered.
"Of course it's true, why would I make that up?!" Reia exclaimed, offended.
"I...I don't know what I meant by that..." Cye leaned forward to look at Reia closely. His face was only about a foot away from hers. She felt her pulse quicken. "If it's any consolation to you... I think you really are who you say you are. When I look at you, I see Rowen... and I see Kayura, too."
Her heart leapt into her throat and she could feel tears of relief brimming in her eyes. "Y-You... you really believe me, Cye?"
Cye nodded. Reia felt his cool hand on her hot cheek. She closed her eyes and felt his fingers brush momentarily against her lips and her eyelashes.
"Cye-" She choked out, but he put a finger on her lips to shush her.
"Just listen to that," He said in a low voice. "The water lapping against the rocky sand..."
Cye's heart was actually pounding as hard as Reia's, unbeknownst to both parties. The girl who claimed to be Rowen's daughter from the future stirred something within him that he'd never felt before, although he'd known her less than two days, it felt odd. Like... Destiny?
Rowen stared out the window at the countless stars in the night sky. Confusion and just about every emotion were all swirling around in his gut and in his head. So many questions... First and foremost, is it true? Rowen had a feeling it was, but he was almost hoping it wasn't. Should he accept it, or refuse to, and pretend she doesn't exist? He knew it would be possible to live life and not accept it, although it would torment him anyway, but running away was not a true option. ~ I am a Ronin Warrior. I don't run away from anything, ~ He thought decisively.
But he still didn't want to accept it. He secretly hoped maybe this was all a nightmare.
There was a soft knock at his door.
"Come in," He called after a brief hesitation. Ryo entered and softly closed the door behind him.
"Hey, Rowen," He said, leaning against the wall. "Wanna talk?"
"Not particularly," Rowen replied, turning over on his bed and reaching for a book on his night stand. Ryo was suddenly at his side. He tore the book out of his hand and threw it on the floor.
"Tough," Ryo muttered.
"Hey!" Rowen yelled.
Seeing his friend's hurt expression, Ryo softened a little. "I'm sorry... if you really aren't ready to talk, I'll just go."
"No, it's all right," Rowen said, placing his book back on the night stand. "I'll talk with you."
"How you feeling?" Ryo asked, sitting on Sage's bed across from Rowen.
"All right, I guess," Rowen replied.
Ryo raised and eyebrow and stared at Rowen. "Rowen?"
He sighed and looked away from his friend. "I don't know what to think, Ryo... how would you feel if this happened to you?"
"How on earth should I know?!" Ryo exclaimed. "This is that last thing I expected to happen!"
"My point exactly!" Rowen explained. "I... I'm just so dazed and confused... What if it's ture, Ryo? What if Reia is my daughter?!"
"I don't know, Rowen... I'm sorry I can't give you any answers... you must have a million questions."
"Got that right," Rowen grumbled. "It's so bizarre... yesterday afternoon, in the park, I was looking at the other people. I wondered if I'd ever be married, or even have a steady girlfriend. Ryo, I even wondered if I'd have kids someday!"
"We've all thought about stuff like that, Rowen-"
"No, I mean... isn't it weird? I've felt strange, like something big was gonna happen, for almost a month now! It just kept getting stronger, day after day!" Rowen interrupted Ryo. "And I have a feeling what Reia says is true..."
"We have no proof yet," Ryo reminded him. "I'm sure you and Reia can easily have DNA testing done."
"We'll have to," Rowen sighed. "We have to have proof. But Ryo... God... I'm scared," He admitted, hanging his head in his hands. "What will I do if I really am her father? I can't just brush her off... but it's too late for me to try and..." He trailed off.
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Ryo said, placing a comforting hand on Rowen's shoulder.
He left Rowen's room then. Closing the door behind him. ~ Rowen's such a good guy, ~ He thought to himself. ~ I know he constantly feels the burden of responsibility, and he burns to do what's right... but how in the world do we figure out what's right in this situation? ~
"It's so tranquil," Reia murmured. "I don't think there's much land left as pure as this in my time..." She uncomfortably broke from Cye's gaze to skip another rock on the water.
"That's basically what it's like now," Cye said sadly. "It's a real shame."
"Xanthe would love to see this lake," Reia said wistfully.
"Who's that?" Cye asked, trying to mask his concern. "Your boyfriend?"
"Who, Xanthe?" Reia chuckled. "No, he's not my boyfriend. He's one of my comrades in the future."
"Which armor does he wear?" Cye asked, skipping a rock of his own on the smooth water.
"Hardrock. Some of his personality traits remind me of Kento... he's really outgoing, but the similarities kind of end there..." She took a deep breath and tried to stop the quiver in her voice. "Cye, I really miss my friends..."
"I wish I could help," Cye said softly, putting his hands on her shoulders.
"I'm sorry," She said, wiping away a stray tear. "I'm being silly."
"There's nothing wrong with homesickness," Cye assured her with a smile.
They had nearly walked around the whole lake at this point. Reia wandered along the edge, where it had grown rather rocky. The bank had grown to be about five feet above the water. "The edge is a little slippery," Cye cautioned her.
"Don't worry, I'll be careful," She assured him. "I'm a regular cat-" No sooner had the word "cat" passed her lips, the a wet rock shifted under her foot. She was too surprised to even utter an expletive before plunging into the cold water. When she surfaced she had plenty of breath for them, however.
"Here, give me your hand," Cye said, leaning over the edge of the rock.
"I can get out by myself," She muttered, treading water. "Just as soon as I find a good foothold." She tried to lift herself out and fell back in.
"Come on! Jeez, you're as stubborn as Rowen is!" Cye was on his stomach, hanging his hand over the edge. Reia finally conceded, and used the rocks to get herself high enough so she could grab Cye's hand. He brought his other one down and grabbed her other one. After a strenuous bit of pulling, he had hoisted her up high enough that she could drag herself over the side.
"Man," Cye groaned, flopping onto his back as Reia fell onto her stomach over him.
"I'm sorry," She said, lifting herself up on her arms and looking down at him. "You got all wet and dirty helping me out because I did something dumb."
"It was my pleasure," Cye laughed. He reached up and brushed a strand of hair out of Reia's eyes. His hand then remained on her face. "I could not leave someone as pretty as you floundering around in the lake."
Reia blushed and Cye could feel the heat rise in her cheek. "Do you really think I'm pretty?" She asked, dazed.
"Yes," He replied, his hand traveling from her face to the back of her neck, then to her back, pushing her gently downwards. She slowly bent her arms and lowered herself over Cye. He put his other arm around her and their lips met in a tender kiss. Reia could feel his heart pounding against her chest, and he could probably feel hers as well.
~ What am I doing?! ~ She thought suddenly as her eyes snapped open.
"No," She exclaimed, pulling herself away and sitting up.
"What's the matter?" Cye asked, getting up as well.
"I'm sorry, Cye, it's just that I just met you, and... and this can't work, it CAN'T!" Reia burst out, turning and running down the beach.
"Reia!" He called after her, but she ignored him. She ran the whole way back to Mia's house, not stopping until she was in the bathroom with the door locked. She tore her clothes from her body and turned the shower on full blast, not caring that the water was cold. After her initial freak out ended, she turned the water to a warmer degree, slumped to the floor of the shower, trying not to just burst into tears. She could barely feel the water hitting her skin.
Kento was sitting on the couch with a bag of pork rinds watching a late night talk show on TV when Cye returned home. "What happened to YOU?" Kento exclaimed, looking Cye up and down in shock. He was wet and looked like he had been laying in wet sand.
"Long story," Cye replied with a sigh of sorrow. He dejectedly walked to the couch and flopped down next to Kento. "Does this have anything to do with Reia?" Kento asked, passing the bag to Cye, who waved it away with his hand.
"What makes you say that?" Cye asked.
"Well, she came running in like the hounds of hell her after and made a bee line for the shower. She looked kinda freaked. And her clothes were in a similar state."
Cye took a deep breath, knowing he couldn't hide much from Kento, his best friend. He told him about his entire encounter with Reia at the lake shore.
"Wow," Was the only thing Kento could come up with to say. "So one minute you guys were making out and the next she was runnin' away?!"
"We were not making out," Cye answered indignantly. "But that is about what happened."
Kento shrugged. "What can I say? Some chicks get weird sometimes."
"That's right," Kayura and Reia both nodded.
"And... Rowen is her father?" Sage asked.
Kayura nodded.
"How is that possible?!" Ryo burst out, jumping to his feet. "She's our age if she's a day! The only way she could be Rowen's daughter is if she was from... I dunno, the future or something!"
"I AM, Ryo," Reia said, looking down.
It had been about two hours since the unexpected arrival of Kayura. Sehkmet and Dais had arrived as well and now the whole group was gathered in Mia's living room. During the entire exchange between Kayura and the other Ronin Warriors, Rowen and the Warlords remained silent.
"So why is it you know what's going on?" Cye asked Kayura.
"I suppose, to avoid any further confusion... I must tell you the whole story, as much as I know... or think I know... myself," Lady Kayura said. She took a deep breath before beginning.
"It all goes back to before you defeated Talpa. The Warlords and myself were still working for him at the time. Sage, Cye, and Kento were already captured when you met me, as you know," The three mentioned Ronins looked a little uneasy at the mention of their captivity by the Dynasty, but Kayura paid them no mind. "I suppose Talpa and his spirit advisors had been talking about it for some time. Why not have Kayura get pregnant? Would the Ronin Warriors hurt a woman who was carrying one of their children? So after one of my early battles, I was taken by Badamon and some soldiers to be inspected. They found some of Rowen's blood on my clothes. Using a sample of his DNA, they performed some kind of," Her voice choked, "Experiment on me... I never even knew I was with child until after the final defeat of the Dynasty... When Reia was born, I knew, I just knew who her father had to be... even as an infant her resemblance to Rowen was striking."
"So if your story's true, she should still be a baby," Kento pointed out.
"I am from the future," Reia reminded them, then grew quiet after the looks she received,
"I sent Reia into the future, to be raised by my future self," Kayura explained. "I was still worried that the Dynasty was not totally banished from Earth. Sending her away was one of the hardest decisions I ever made."
"But she has the Armor of Strata," Ryo said, trailing off.
"I don't know, how, or why, but eventually the Dynasty will break loose... and you five will suffer defeat," Kayura said, staring directly at Ryo.
"Then it's inevitable?" Cye murmured.
"No," Reia responded then, turning to face Cye. "The Dynasty did not rightfully leave the realm."
"Come again?" Sage asked.
"They had some sort of outside help," Kayura explained. "And we think they time traveled, even. Therefore, if we can help you defeat the Dynasty in this time..."
"There will be peace in my era... and my father might even still be alive," Reia finished for her.
Rowen got up suddenly and walked to the door.
"Where're you off to?" Ryo asked.
"I have to think," Rowen said, practically slamming the door behind him. Kayura and Reia both winced a bit. Soon everyone, even the three Warlords, made some kind of excuse to go somewhere or do something else.
"Still think she can be trusted?" Kento asked, looking squarely at Cye, who remained silent.
"Lady Kayura wouldn't lie to us," Sage said, leaning against the wall. It was late that evening. Reia had gone out for a walk, and Ryo, Sage, Cye, and Kento were discussing the current situation. Rowen was isolated in him room.
"Would she?" Ryo responded.
"What would she have to gain from this? This isn't the Dynasty's kind of trick and you guys bloody well know it," Cye burst out. It was one of the few things he had said to the others since the little meeting had begun.
"Are you OK?" Kento asked. "You've been quieter than usual."
"I don't want to talk about it," Cye said, heading for the door.
"Now where are YOU going?" Sage exclaimed in exasperation.
"Rowen isn't the only one who needs to think," Cye grumbled as he left.
"Man," Ryo sighed, running his hands through his hair. "I'd rather face a thousand Dynasty soldiers than deal with this situation."
"I can't believe I hit on Rowen's daughter," Sage said with a slight shudder. "Too creepy."
"So what if this whole thing is true? What then?" Ryo wondered aloud.
"Got me, buddy... but you know, someone oughtta talk to Rowen," Sage said, opening a can of soda. "He's probably torn apart by this whole thing."
Catching Sage's drift, Ryo looked at his shoes. "I'll talk to him... eventually. Before I go to bed tonight... although I don't think I'll sleep much."
"Me, neither," Sage replied with a huge sigh followed by a deep swig of his soda. "Me, neither."
The wind whipped Reia's hair around, and the moist air made her skin clammy. She had removed her shoes and was walking barefoot along the edge of the lake, in the surf up to her ankles.
~ God, none of this went the way I wanted it to, ~ She thought sadly. ~ I don't think Rowen... or any of them, for that matter, will ever accept me. ~ She bent down and found a smooth, flat stone, and threw it out onto the water. It skipped three times before sinking.
"You're pretty good at that," An English voice said behind her. She jumped and did a 180 degree twirl.
"Cye!" She half screamed. "You scared me!"
"You're still awful skittish. So that wasn't apart of the whole act you were putting on for us? It was a marvelous show, really it was," Cye said. His tone sounded like he intended the words to be hurtful but he had a smile on his face.
"That's not fair, Cye," She said, turning away. "If you were in a situation like mine how would you have treated it?"
"Probably the same," He replied with a shrug.
After a long silence, Reia said, "Look... I know you guys will probably never believe me... and if you do come to, you'll never accept me. You must know that I never intended to upset you all so much," She turned to walk away, and found Cye keeping pace with her.
"What are you feeling?" Cye asked her at length.
"Pardon?" She exclaimed, surprised by his inquiry.
"I asked what's going on in your head," He said.
"Woah, a guy who wants to discuss feelings?" Reia exclaimed. "You're a member of an endangered species, Cye."
"I'm serious!" Cye exclaimed.
"To tell you the truth, I'm not sure what to think, or feel. I grew up with only my mom around... she never even had a boyfriend, so there's never been any male role model in my life whatsoever."
"I know how you feel," Cye replied.
"People always say that, but they can never know how it feels unless they're in my shoes," Reia answered bitterly.
"I grew up without my dad around, too," Cye murmured.
"Really?" She asked, stopping.
"Yeah... I never knew him... my mom had boyfriends come and go, but she never married anyone. My mom and my sister, they were really good to me. I guess maybe that's why I'm into cooking and stuff, I dunno. A lot of people question my... preferences when they first meet me," Cye admitted with a laugh.
"I think it's very cool that you are a guy and such a great cook at the same time," She said, touching his arm. "I deal with ignorant people just about every day of my life. I know what it's like."
Cye nodded. "I've learned to ignore people like that. They don't know any better."
"But... you know, it's like, one minute, I'm fighting in a battle, the next, I'm laying half naked, dazed and confused, in a parking lot somewhere," Reia said. "It took me almost a month to figure out I was in the 20th Century... I knew my father was Ronin Warrior, and alive... so I figured finding him would be the best thing... and when I saw him... saw all of you yesterday... My insides nearly burst. A mix of happiness, excitement, sadness, fear, all going a million miles per hour in my stomach."
"It's true, isn't it?" Cye whispered.
"Of course it's true, why would I make that up?!" Reia exclaimed, offended.
"I...I don't know what I meant by that..." Cye leaned forward to look at Reia closely. His face was only about a foot away from hers. She felt her pulse quicken. "If it's any consolation to you... I think you really are who you say you are. When I look at you, I see Rowen... and I see Kayura, too."
Her heart leapt into her throat and she could feel tears of relief brimming in her eyes. "Y-You... you really believe me, Cye?"
Cye nodded. Reia felt his cool hand on her hot cheek. She closed her eyes and felt his fingers brush momentarily against her lips and her eyelashes.
"Cye-" She choked out, but he put a finger on her lips to shush her.
"Just listen to that," He said in a low voice. "The water lapping against the rocky sand..."
Cye's heart was actually pounding as hard as Reia's, unbeknownst to both parties. The girl who claimed to be Rowen's daughter from the future stirred something within him that he'd never felt before, although he'd known her less than two days, it felt odd. Like... Destiny?
Rowen stared out the window at the countless stars in the night sky. Confusion and just about every emotion were all swirling around in his gut and in his head. So many questions... First and foremost, is it true? Rowen had a feeling it was, but he was almost hoping it wasn't. Should he accept it, or refuse to, and pretend she doesn't exist? He knew it would be possible to live life and not accept it, although it would torment him anyway, but running away was not a true option. ~ I am a Ronin Warrior. I don't run away from anything, ~ He thought decisively.
But he still didn't want to accept it. He secretly hoped maybe this was all a nightmare.
There was a soft knock at his door.
"Come in," He called after a brief hesitation. Ryo entered and softly closed the door behind him.
"Hey, Rowen," He said, leaning against the wall. "Wanna talk?"
"Not particularly," Rowen replied, turning over on his bed and reaching for a book on his night stand. Ryo was suddenly at his side. He tore the book out of his hand and threw it on the floor.
"Tough," Ryo muttered.
"Hey!" Rowen yelled.
Seeing his friend's hurt expression, Ryo softened a little. "I'm sorry... if you really aren't ready to talk, I'll just go."
"No, it's all right," Rowen said, placing his book back on the night stand. "I'll talk with you."
"How you feeling?" Ryo asked, sitting on Sage's bed across from Rowen.
"All right, I guess," Rowen replied.
Ryo raised and eyebrow and stared at Rowen. "Rowen?"
He sighed and looked away from his friend. "I don't know what to think, Ryo... how would you feel if this happened to you?"
"How on earth should I know?!" Ryo exclaimed. "This is that last thing I expected to happen!"
"My point exactly!" Rowen explained. "I... I'm just so dazed and confused... What if it's ture, Ryo? What if Reia is my daughter?!"
"I don't know, Rowen... I'm sorry I can't give you any answers... you must have a million questions."
"Got that right," Rowen grumbled. "It's so bizarre... yesterday afternoon, in the park, I was looking at the other people. I wondered if I'd ever be married, or even have a steady girlfriend. Ryo, I even wondered if I'd have kids someday!"
"We've all thought about stuff like that, Rowen-"
"No, I mean... isn't it weird? I've felt strange, like something big was gonna happen, for almost a month now! It just kept getting stronger, day after day!" Rowen interrupted Ryo. "And I have a feeling what Reia says is true..."
"We have no proof yet," Ryo reminded him. "I'm sure you and Reia can easily have DNA testing done."
"We'll have to," Rowen sighed. "We have to have proof. But Ryo... God... I'm scared," He admitted, hanging his head in his hands. "What will I do if I really am her father? I can't just brush her off... but it's too late for me to try and..." He trailed off.
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Ryo said, placing a comforting hand on Rowen's shoulder.
He left Rowen's room then. Closing the door behind him. ~ Rowen's such a good guy, ~ He thought to himself. ~ I know he constantly feels the burden of responsibility, and he burns to do what's right... but how in the world do we figure out what's right in this situation? ~
"It's so tranquil," Reia murmured. "I don't think there's much land left as pure as this in my time..." She uncomfortably broke from Cye's gaze to skip another rock on the water.
"That's basically what it's like now," Cye said sadly. "It's a real shame."
"Xanthe would love to see this lake," Reia said wistfully.
"Who's that?" Cye asked, trying to mask his concern. "Your boyfriend?"
"Who, Xanthe?" Reia chuckled. "No, he's not my boyfriend. He's one of my comrades in the future."
"Which armor does he wear?" Cye asked, skipping a rock of his own on the smooth water.
"Hardrock. Some of his personality traits remind me of Kento... he's really outgoing, but the similarities kind of end there..." She took a deep breath and tried to stop the quiver in her voice. "Cye, I really miss my friends..."
"I wish I could help," Cye said softly, putting his hands on her shoulders.
"I'm sorry," She said, wiping away a stray tear. "I'm being silly."
"There's nothing wrong with homesickness," Cye assured her with a smile.
They had nearly walked around the whole lake at this point. Reia wandered along the edge, where it had grown rather rocky. The bank had grown to be about five feet above the water. "The edge is a little slippery," Cye cautioned her.
"Don't worry, I'll be careful," She assured him. "I'm a regular cat-" No sooner had the word "cat" passed her lips, the a wet rock shifted under her foot. She was too surprised to even utter an expletive before plunging into the cold water. When she surfaced she had plenty of breath for them, however.
"Here, give me your hand," Cye said, leaning over the edge of the rock.
"I can get out by myself," She muttered, treading water. "Just as soon as I find a good foothold." She tried to lift herself out and fell back in.
"Come on! Jeez, you're as stubborn as Rowen is!" Cye was on his stomach, hanging his hand over the edge. Reia finally conceded, and used the rocks to get herself high enough so she could grab Cye's hand. He brought his other one down and grabbed her other one. After a strenuous bit of pulling, he had hoisted her up high enough that she could drag herself over the side.
"Man," Cye groaned, flopping onto his back as Reia fell onto her stomach over him.
"I'm sorry," She said, lifting herself up on her arms and looking down at him. "You got all wet and dirty helping me out because I did something dumb."
"It was my pleasure," Cye laughed. He reached up and brushed a strand of hair out of Reia's eyes. His hand then remained on her face. "I could not leave someone as pretty as you floundering around in the lake."
Reia blushed and Cye could feel the heat rise in her cheek. "Do you really think I'm pretty?" She asked, dazed.
"Yes," He replied, his hand traveling from her face to the back of her neck, then to her back, pushing her gently downwards. She slowly bent her arms and lowered herself over Cye. He put his other arm around her and their lips met in a tender kiss. Reia could feel his heart pounding against her chest, and he could probably feel hers as well.
~ What am I doing?! ~ She thought suddenly as her eyes snapped open.
"No," She exclaimed, pulling herself away and sitting up.
"What's the matter?" Cye asked, getting up as well.
"I'm sorry, Cye, it's just that I just met you, and... and this can't work, it CAN'T!" Reia burst out, turning and running down the beach.
"Reia!" He called after her, but she ignored him. She ran the whole way back to Mia's house, not stopping until she was in the bathroom with the door locked. She tore her clothes from her body and turned the shower on full blast, not caring that the water was cold. After her initial freak out ended, she turned the water to a warmer degree, slumped to the floor of the shower, trying not to just burst into tears. She could barely feel the water hitting her skin.
Kento was sitting on the couch with a bag of pork rinds watching a late night talk show on TV when Cye returned home. "What happened to YOU?" Kento exclaimed, looking Cye up and down in shock. He was wet and looked like he had been laying in wet sand.
"Long story," Cye replied with a sigh of sorrow. He dejectedly walked to the couch and flopped down next to Kento. "Does this have anything to do with Reia?" Kento asked, passing the bag to Cye, who waved it away with his hand.
"What makes you say that?" Cye asked.
"Well, she came running in like the hounds of hell her after and made a bee line for the shower. She looked kinda freaked. And her clothes were in a similar state."
Cye took a deep breath, knowing he couldn't hide much from Kento, his best friend. He told him about his entire encounter with Reia at the lake shore.
"Wow," Was the only thing Kento could come up with to say. "So one minute you guys were making out and the next she was runnin' away?!"
"We were not making out," Cye answered indignantly. "But that is about what happened."
Kento shrugged. "What can I say? Some chicks get weird sometimes."