It was an almost amazing concept to Ryo, to be up and actually AWAKE when the sun rose. Though he didn't cherish his sleep like Rowen - no one could cherish their sleep like his fellow Ronin - he still didn't get up with the sun. That was Sage's department and the four GLADLY let him have it.

But he had to admit, he certainly felt energized. Maybe this was how Sage felt every morning. But this rare bout of enthusiasm was mostly attributed to the letter that arrived in the mail two days ago.

He clicked the locks shut on the small travel case he bought a few years back. The suitcase was well used; he bought it strictly for this. After a quick root through his closet and dressers to see if there was anything he thought would be useful, he left empty-handed, a small smile on his face. There were probably things he left up there. Really, he probably didn't even need to bring clothes. With a mused shake of his head, he grabbed the case and left the bedroom.

He set the suitcase near the front door and went to the windows, sticking his fingers through the mini-blinds to peek through.

Where was Cye? He was supposed to be here by now! Ryo let the blinds go back to their original position and crossed the short distance to the kitchen. The wall clock showed it was barely seven. The sun was still low in the sky, barely out of dusk. Cye would still be a few.

He was the second to be picked up. Kento was next, provided they could get him away from his family, and finally - as ALWAYS - Rowen. Ryo sighed and went to the fridge, finding his grocery situation less than encouraging. He pulled out a container of orange juice with a small grimace. He needed to hit the grocery story up, whenever he could get some time away from work and school.

After taking a few swigs for the road, he put the container back and let the door close. He gave a small sigh and went back to the living room, plopping down on a couch. It was tough living alone, even though his apartment wasn't very big. He was used to it most of the time, having no real friends when he was a child. He grew up with only White Blaze for company on those long walks.

After the war, he moved into the city for high school. Walking was fine and all, but that's when he didn't have a choice. Now, he had the money and the means.

He sighed and rested his head on the back of the couch, absently looking at the white ceiling. It wasn't like he was home enough to be considered lonely anyway. His job at the zoo was demanding. Directly after school, he hopped the first city bus there and started right in. Animal maintenance was a dirty job, but at least it was better than some he checked out. At least it was interesting, and he could stay out of the public eye most of the time.

He gave a small grin. The only time he was here was to eat and sleep. Have a place to call home and hold his stuff. And do whatever he wanted...with the exception of the tenants downstairs and across the hall.

He sat up and saw the envelope, the fated letter stuck inside, glaring at him from its solo spot on the coffee table. He spotted that loopy cursive of his friend and idly tapped a finger against his knee. She wrote him a brief hello...and reminder of this weekend. Like he'd FORGET! The day was circled and written DOWN on his calendar in the kitchen! He grinned. She must think his MEMORY was fading.

Dear Ryo,

It's been a while since either of us has written each other. I'm sorry I haven't kept as good a pen pal as we all said we'd be...but I know time gets away from us and we're ALL busy. Boy am I busy! But that can wait until this weekend I suppose.

Which brings up the topic. Since you come up here for more than just seeing me - White Blaze says HI by the way - I'll let you remind the others. That way I save on stamps. I know you'll put those leadership qualities of yours into practice and hustle everyone up here. I'll be sure to have everything ready and waiting for your return. I'm sure you guys have LOTS to tell me.

See you soon-Koji Mia

Yup...they were busy. Sometimes too busy to relax. And that's what these times were partially about...taking time out from their lives and getting away from it all. It was important for Ryo with his schedule, and the others with their families. It was also vowed to stay in contact with Mia whenever possible, and see her once a month. They were allowed one Saturday a month off for teacher work days. It was a regular occurrence, and they were thankful for it.

A honk jolted him back to his thoughts and he bolted off the couch and to the window. With a wide smile, he grabbed the case and hastily locked the door behind him. "Finally." He muttered, taking the stairs two at a time. He couldn't wait to get up there and see White Blaze again. After dropping the case in back, he shut the van door and exchanged a few courtesy hellos. Ryo knew both Cye and Sage were looking forward to this as much as he was.

~*~*~

The bedroom door creaked open just enough to allow a face to peek through. Ears picked up slow, quiet snoring. An evil grin sprouted as the door nearly banged against the wall, a body shooting into the room. With a high-pitched war cry, the body jumped and landed on a curled up, blanket-covered form. Giggles immediately broke out as a moan came from underneath the orange pillow.

"Mama says it's time to get up Kento!"

Kento slowly rolled over, arms moving from under the blanket. Gripping the forearms of his youngest sibling, he gave her a sleepy, speculative look. "Anyone ever tell you, you're too chipper in the morning Chun Fa?" He nearly growled.

Chun Fa just grinned. A chubby finger poked the vicinity of Kento's chest under the blanket. "Mama says it's time to get up." She leaned over him, her small form spread over his.

Kento grinned at how cute his sister was. "Well I can't very well do that with you SITTING on me Chun Fa." He kidded. In one fluid moment, not seemingly possible for one of his size, he sat up and took Chun Fa with. She gave a surprised yelp that turned into a squeal when he grabbed her and pinned her against the side of his body with an arm. The youngest Rei Faun burst into a fit of giggles as Kento stood, toting the small form as easily as he would his schoolbooks. "Did ma say what she was making for breakfast?" Kento asked, casting a look downward. Exuberant, laughing eyes met his and he grinned

Immediately, eggs and sausage hit his nose as he descended to the kitchen. His mouth watered and his steps quickened tenfold. Before Chun Fa could say anything, he burst into the room. "Morning ma. What's for breakfast?" He took in the full table with wide, happy eyes and inhaled.

Mama Rei Faun, as many called her, turned from the stove and put hands on her hips. "Kento, put your sister DOWN please." She ordered, trying not to smile. She knew the burly Rei Faun wouldn't do anything to hurt his baby sister.

Kento quickly complied, turning full attention to the set table. Not everyone was assembled, but everyone's places were already set. The round table was topped with plates full of bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, pancakes, and toast. Jugs of milk, orange juice, and coffee se in the center, squeezed together as tightly as they'd go. A traditional western breakfast.

No one could EVER accuse Kento of going hungry. This as enough to feed a small army! An evil grin sprouted as he sat at his place and started dishing up good-sized portions of each plate. If Rinfi, Yun, and Mei Ryu didn't get down soon, HE would be the army.

Halfway through his second short stack, second helping of eggs, and fourth glass of orange juice, his ride showed up. Blue brows shot up over his glass as Ryo, Cye, and Sage casually strolled in. "Is it eight ALREADY?" He wondered, eyes going to the clock above the sink.

Cye grinned and snatched a pancake off the pile, tearing small strips off. "Like you'd notice ANYTHING over a forty degree angle." He kidded, watching Kento's eating habits speed up.

Kento grinned and waved an arm over the pile of food left over since his arrival. "What?? Do you expect all of ma's great cooking to go to waste?"

"He DOES have a point." Ryo mused, going for a second piece of sausage.

"Only because you don't have anything in your fridge." Sage joked, coping Cye in spite of himself. "If you honestly expect to be allowed to bring anything with, there's no fridge in the van. So don't ASK."

Mama Rei Faun walked into the kitchen, smiling when she eyed the three. "Why, good MORNING boys." She greeted.

The three smiled back and nodded. Immediately taking in their appearance, the stocky mother walked to the cupboard and grabbed three plates. She held them out to Ryo, Cye, and Sage with a motherly look. "Have a seat and I'll get you some utensils."

"That's not really NECESSARY Rei Faun-san." Cye politely negated, touched by the gesture.

Sage nodded, trying to hide the amusement in his eyes. Mama, as she insisted everyone call her, pulled this every time they came over. "We're just here to pick up the human garbage disposal and head out for Rowen's."

Ma blinked, barely remembering that this weekend they were heading out. "Well, I'm sure your little friend - Mia was it? - can wait an extra hour while you two get something to eat." She handed a plate to Ryo and poked his stomach. "Especially YOU Sanada-san. Did you EAT this morning?"

Ryo sheepishly grinned and ducked his head. Kento's mother knew about his shopping habits...since Kento probably told her. "I had some orange juice this morning. That'll hold me until we get there."

The elderly woman tsked and pulled a chair out. "Sit mister."

Clearly embarrassed at all the motherly attention, and not used to such, Ryo did as ordered and almost happily reached for the eggs. The Rei Faun cooking was NOT to be ignored. Satisfied, Ma gave the other two a look. Both Cye and Sage sighed, knowing they weren't getting out of this, and sat next to Ryo.

With a happy smile, as if she weren't setting them back precious minutes, she went to the sink. "Eat up boys, I don't want any leftovers."

In the silence that followed, Kento was trying not to laugh. He was fighting to keep from choking on the bacon in his mouth. A quiet, ongoing snicker took possession and earned him two playful glares. Sage wasn't going to bother taking the bait. "You guys are PUSHOVERS." Kento joked, outwardly laughing.

Ryo glared. "Just finish so we can leave Kento." He mumbled, a blush on his cheeks.

Rinfi, one of the late arrivals to the table, just sipped her orange juice. "Weaklings." She muttered through an evil grin, having seen the entire show.

~*~*~

It took an extra half an hour, due to Kento's mother, to get over to Rowen's. The group was SUPPOSED to be on the road by nine, but with Rowen that might not happen. Ryo, and a few others, wanted to be there before noon. It was a little frustrating.

"Come on guys...HUSTLE." Ryo ordered, basically barging into the house. He and the others were given keys to come over whenever the other wanted. They were close enough and trusted the other completely to give copies away and know they'd be kept safe. The three followed, not wanting to aggravate Ryo's mood. He was like this EVERY time they went to go see Mia and White Blaze. Everyone was pretty much used to it by now.

They walked straight past the kitchen and marched up the stairs. Ryo's mood only accented the fact that they were late. The four hastily entered without knocking, calling for Rowen to get up. The voices quickly died, save Ryo's. "ARGH!" Seconds later, Ryo ran back down the steps, with the three on his heels.

"Ryo, calm DOWN." Sage evenly ordered.

"Where IS he??"

"Don't worry Ryo, we'll FIND him. How far could he've gone?" Kento placated.

"To the KITCHEN, you idiots."

The four blinked wide eyes and turned as one, looking past the open arch. Rowen sat at the table with cereal and a lowered paper as his companions.

"He's UP..." Cye breathed, still blinking.

"It's a MIRACLE..." Sage muttered, giving a wry grin.

"Very FUNNY." Rowen retorted, giving his friend a dry look.

"Are you ready to GO?" Ryo skeptically asked.

Rowen smirked. "I finished packing last night."

A few rolled their eyes. "Why does that not SURPRISE me?" Cye wryly asked. After a brief pause, his hand went to Ryo's shoulder. "Well we found him Ryo, so sit down before you set something on FIRE."

Ryo indignantly sniffed, but plopped down in the nearest chair and ignored Rowen's humorous look. "I just wanna see White Blaze."

"So do we Cye," Kento added, "AND Mia. But those two won't kill us if we're a little later than our normal." Ryo shot him a dry look and Kento grinned. "White Blaze will just MAIM you."

Rowen chuckled and got up, grabbing his bowl. "If you want Ryo, I'll go grab my bag and we can go." He walked past Ryo and quickly patted a shoulder. True to his word, minutes later, the five were piled in the van, Cye pulling from the driveway. The only mishap occurred when Kento requested a quick stop at a gas station for snacks. Cye solved that by ignoring his good friend and speeding out of the city.

~*~*~

The morning sun was beautiful to behold with all the trees peeking over the light. Birds chirped in the early morning. The modern world was just a speck in her mind. If she strained her hearing, both she and her companion could hear quiet honking of cars and business of Tokyo. She often went into the city for supplies, but not very often. This was where she belonged and she enjoyed it here. This was where all her memories were, and she wasn't going to abandon them.

Steam from the green tea in her hands trailed in front of her face. She absently held it under her nose, breathing in the fragrance and inhaling the warmth to her skin. The morning was brisk - as all were - but to be highly enjoyed. When she wasn't at the computer, she tried to be outside as much as possible, for her friend needed companionship as much as she did. Holing herself up in a room all day was the worst way to go stir crazy and ignore him.

She knew he missed Ryo as she did. She missed them all. She almost felt like an old maid, living out here by herself with just a single cat to keep her company. But that was ridiculous...she had a job, as if she needed it, and was only twenty. Plenty of time to feel leagues ahead of her current age.

Her foot slowly kicked off the wood porch and gently rocked her, adding to the serene feeling. She was content, if not a little hungry for someone that could talk BACK. White Blaze was a good companion, but she didn't speak tiger. Ryo was the one who understood his friend better than they did, but that's because the two spent years together.

She cast a look over the swing, smiling when brown eyes greeted her back. Though she couldn't speak to White Blaze, she was able to almost fully comprehend his thoughts by looking into those wise eyes. Spending two full years with him, then that time during the war, she was able to read him as easily as he could sense her emotions.

"You eager they're coming?" She quietly asked. He gave a small nod and put his head on his paws with a sigh. Her grin widened. He reminded her of a poor dog waiting for his master to come home from a long car trip that he got left behind on. He ALWAYS had that look though. "So am I." She agreed, casting eyes back to the sunrise.

She passed time like that, sitting in the swing with White Blaze below, the two looking to the sun and facing the drive. They were waiting for the five to show up, to recall happy times...and for White Blaze to jump Ryo and lick him silly. She resisted the urge to laugh, but a wide smile popped up as she imagined it. It was easy...White Blaze did it all the time! He missed his beloved master and good friend. She could relate.

The sun was over the trees by the time the van was heard. Spending an hour, or possibly two, in the quiet of gentle wind, birds' songs, and crickets, it was easy to pick up the hum. She kept rocking, waiting for it to stop on the long drive. Rushing down to meet them could wait until they grabbed their bags. She'd let White Blaze do that childish act for her. She'd watch with relish and laugh as the others did.

She cast another look down, finding his head up and ears perked forward. He knew they were coming, most likely before she did. Her look shifted to the cotton pajamas she still wore, but didn't feel like getting out of. They were modest and comfortable, she could change when they all arrived. If she still felt like doing so.

As the van came into close enough distance that she could see Cye's head from the windshield, she stopped rocking and leaned forward to set the nearly empty teacup on the railing. Gradually, she stood and walked to the beam next to the steps, crossing her arms and waiting. White Blaze stood as well and stopped next to her, tail wagging behind him.

When the van stopped about twenty feet from the porch, an arm lifted to wave them hello. Her heart swelled, bringing tears to her eyes. It was SO good to see them all again! The stories she hoped they could tell of their time away! There was much to catch up on, the work she was doing, the improvements she intended on making to the place, the things she saw in Tokyo. She hoped there was much they could tell her over lunch.

As the van door slid open, she felt that tail slap against her legs. Seconds later, it hit with the same intensity. She widely grinned and cast White Blaze an amused look. He was antsy to see Ryo again, and it seemed the raven-haired youth was taking his time in getting his bag.

As soon as the five exited with their things, White Blaze was off in a blur. She giggled and wished there was a camera present. Since Ryo wasn't visible yet, she jumped the steps to follow and get in on the action.

It didn't take long for her to catch up, and join in on the laughter. White Blaze did as she imagined...ran to Ryo, knocked him and his things down, and licked his face. Ryo endured it with a wide grin, and she knew he missed his friend as much as White Blaze missed him. She let the two get reacquainted and turned to Cye. "Welcome back Cye." She greeted, hugging him.

"It's good to be back Mia." Cye agreed, squeezing her. He let Mia go and picked his bag up, dropped when White Blaze shot past and made him lose his grip.

Mia grinned when their eyes met and ran to Kento, the next closest. He lifted her off the ground in a bear hug and she laughed. "Hey Hardrock." She kidded, giving him a small slug in the arm when he set her down.

"How's life in the wild been treating you Mia?" He kidded, grinning that infectious grin of his.

"I'll tell you when we confer notes." Mia joked, getting a laugh. She shooed him and Cye to the house now that introductions were done with. Her gaze pinned Sage and she almost shyly walked over, giving him a light hug...which he thankfully returned.

In the beginning, she had a crush on Sage, though she was three years older. It receded the longer they fought in the war, and turned to respect for his personality and way of life. There were times when he was timid to return her hug, but thankfully, she broke him of that habit. "Hello Sage." Mia whispered. Darn, she was still attracted to him. But...the heart does not forget its affections that easily.

When Sage pulled away, a hand cupped her cheek as he locked eyes. "Are you crying Mia?" He quietly asked, brow furrowed a little.

She looked away with a small blush and quickly blinked. "I'm just so happy to see you all again." She confessed, sheepishly grinning. She took a deep breath to calm down and met his eyes. "It's a little boring here without you five tearing the place up."

Sage smiled and looked to the large estate. "Well if I know Kento and Cye, you give them until dinner to start back up their old routine." He kidded,.

She groaned and put a hand to her forehead. "Oh no...I forgot about that!" She gave a dramatic sigh, but couldn't help a grin. At least the yelling would be better than deathly quiet. And they were only here until Sunday night... She left Sage to make his way to the house and turned her attention around when a hand tapped her shoulder from behind.

"And where's MY hug?" Rowen asked, mock hurt in his voice. He gave Mia those puppy dog eyes she couldn't resist and she laughed, hugging him.

"Don't worry, I didn't forget YOU Rowen." She kidded, giving him a squeeze.

"But what about ME?" Came a whiny voice from the ground. Both youths pulled away to find White Blaze nuzzling Ryo's chin, even though both hands were already scratching the body still over his. "I'd like a little HELP here!" Ryo kidded, a smile on his face.

Something told Mia that if they walked inside and joined the others, Ryo and White Blaze wouldn't REALLY mind. But she decided to humor her friend and stopped next to the pair. Hands on hips, she made her voice serious, but couldn't hide the amusement in her eyes. She was trying hard not to break into another fit of laughter at this touching, TOTALLY adorable scene.

"White Blaze..." She admonished. The tiger immediately stopped and looked at her with those happy eyes of his. They switched to wondering as he blinked, apparently confused that this behavior was wrong. "Get OFF Ryo before you crush his ribcage, PLEASE?" Her lips pressed together to quell a smile and White Blaze's eyes held understanding that she was only kidding before he stepped off and butted her legs. She knew he was just happy the five were back.

Ryo huffed and put a hand to his chest, sitting up. "Man, what have you been FEEDING him Mia?" He quipped, giving her an odd look.

Mia only grinned and patted the tiger's head. "Nothing more than what you INSTRUCTED me Ryo. If he's gaining weight, that's probably due to the deer he brings home every so often."

"Deer?!" Ryo echoed, eyes widening. Feminine laughter quickly proved she was only kidding and his eyes playfully narrowed through a smirk. "Thank god you were only kidding."

Mia's grin turned to an evil smirk. "Who says I WAS?" She asked, stopping next to him and extending a hand. Ryo took it with a wide-eyed look to White Blaze. He met Mia's eyes and raised a brow, demanding an answer. "You'll never know, WILL you?" She asked, throwing her arms out. His eyes rolled at her playful nature and hugged her. Crushed by his tiger, and now bear hugged by his elder friend...it didn't get any better than this!

~*~*~

Lunch was memorable...as always. There was never a dull moment for the Koji estate, and every time they visited more memories embedded themselves in the walls. Whether it be the many humorous ones of Cye chasing Kento from the kitchen at any mealtime, or the friendship ties during the war.

Those were the reason Mia stayed. Whenever the quiet became too oppressive, she would close her eyes and pick up a happy memory at random. Their antics and voices would fill the room and she would open those blue eyes...THANKFUL for the quiet.

Blowing on her tea, a quiet, comfortable silence in the sun room, she sat with Sage, both having something to drink after lunch. Ryo took off with White Blaze after the dishes were stacked in the sink, heading into the forest. Cye took off for Yamanaka Lake a city block length into the woods, dragging Kento with. As always, Rowen was napping in preparation for tonight.

A wisp of a smile came to her face. They were going to stay up late and tell campfire stories on the beach. Cye was responsible for finding a place where his element wouldn't put the fire out, and Ryo was in charge of finding the best wood and make sure the fire didn't go out. She resisted the urge to chuckle. No doubt, it'd be another glorious bonfire.

They shared so many stories. To them it didn't seem like much, but to her, it was a wealth of information. Besides asking for one of the dishes she and Cye finagled together, everyone held a busier month than her. Of course she had stories to tell about work, but those seemed trivial in comparison.

Mia stole a subtle peek at her companion over the teacup. Still...with as much as they so happily relayed to her, Mia KNEW there was something the five weren't telling.

~*~*~

Ryo ran through the forest in a blur of red and white - just running - and let the air hit his face. He felt more comfortable and freer than he had all month. Course that was mostly due to the Wildfire armor on his body. Just before he rocketed it outside with his trusty tiger, he grabbed the orb and donned it. It was time to reminisce with his friend before spending the rest of his time with the others.

With a grin, he vaulted into the air and skipped across the trees, letting White Blaze take the ground. The air may've been Rowen's domain, but never would he tire of the exhilaration. He missed being able to do this. The ability to take such chances and knowing you wouldn't get hurt with mystical armor to protect you was a comfort.

Each left their orbs at the Koji estate, knowing they'd be taken care of, also not wanting to take the chance of losing them in the city. The five rested in a symbolic-colored box in the nightstand drawers of their rooms, waiting to be used again.

The second his skin touched the orb, he felt it pulsate with life and almost knew it sensed what he intended to do. It was eager to be worn and used...no matter what the objective by the wearer. It missed being in action, and Ryo missed being able to wear it. Though it was created from evil and was a neutral power, as they were well aware of, the bearer made the final decision. If it was donned for exercising, or a little romp through the woods, that was fine by the armor. It had no hate or like.

Having gotten through the forest with the armor's agility and speed in his favor, Ryo leapt from the last branch and somersaulted into the air before landing in front of a ridge. He inhaled the purity of nature and closed his eyes with a smile. Oh to live at the Koji estate with Mia and only wear the armor for things like this...

THIS was where he belonged, not out in the city amidst all those people, noise, traffic, and pollution. A small frown possessed his face as he kneeled and looked to the long drop below. He absently stared until White Blaze sat next to him, gaining his attention. He gave a smile to his friend and pat on the head, ignoring those questioning, wondering eyes.

Out here at the edge of Tokyo, surrounded by friends and past, - which coincided together - it was so easy to forget all about Toyama and everything that lived there. Life, work, school - the PEOPLE in that school...

He sat back and leaned against White Blaze when the tiger lay down and looked around. His head rested against the shaggy coat, staring at the sky. He'd mostly forgotten about Epiphany and her problems with the visit at hand. Had ever since he got the letter from Mia. It was easy to let everything slip his mind by thinking of coming back here. Now that he remembered and was in enough quiet to let him sort things out, he needed to get some things figured.

Really, when it all boiled down to the main topic, he didn't know how to act around Epiphany. The girl was still so silent, but there was now a little more of a story behind her silence. It wasn't just a snobbish act, she was hiding inside herself for a REASON. What he didn't know...but he didn't know if he should pry.

Sure he'd be her friend, seeing that there was no reason to feel animosity, but he didn't want to get all tangled up. As far as he knew from the assumptions about her, she moved around quite a bit. What was the point in getting to know someone who was just leaving in a few months? Was it even WORTH being a somewhat devoted friend?

Ryo sat up with a mildly confused, torn head. Drawing up his legs, letting arms rest on his knees, he absently stared at the valley, eyes thoughtful. So what did he do NOW? He knew with Cye's kanji, he was more apt to be befriended with Epiphany. But the others, including himself, judged her on past instances and how she treated them now. He knew Cye was the most apt to put everything aside and trust her, with Kento second, Rowen third, and Sage DEFINITELY last. Kento was, after all, the first person that bothered to extend his hand... Too bad it got burnt on first contact.

Ryo smiled upon remembering Rowen's recap of what happened in the library. Of course, when Rowen started 'picking on' Epiphany, the others immediately demanded to know why. Mostly why he even BOTHERED. Then Kento and Rowen told everyone what happened, especially Rowen's initial outburst to the girl, and Cye nearly bit his head off.

He smirked. The whole argument between those two was funny, even if his ears DID start to ache after a while.

Where he stood wasn't definite yet. Ryo knew a lot of the indignation and bad emotions melted as they spent the day together that time. Now it just raised all sorts of questions he couldn't answer without asking, and the amazement of her protectiveness toward her little sister. He sure never pictured someone of her quiet nature slugging someone! But from the way her hand looked afterward, she didn't get much practice.

The biggest mystery was Sage. Ryo had no clue what Sage felt when it came to the Hispanic girl. It was clear Sage wasn't going to budge from this cool, aloof bridge he placed between them. Ryo knew the others were as inquisitive about this as HE was. He wondered if things would melt between the two when he asked Sage to wrap Epiphany's hand. He didn't know...he just didn't know. But he did know if Sage ever changed his ways, he wouldn't forget the beginning misgivings anytime SOON.