A Story Fact: Alright. Here's chapter 3! Thanks once again for the reviews. Please keep giving me them? Thanks!

The Lost Mystics and the Dream Bearer

Chapter 3: Upon Awakening

By: The Mysterious One

The air was warm like any other day of summer, but it would soon grow cold, and before long the leaves of the trees would change colors, signaling the coming of the coldest season of the year, winter. This was why today and the few days that would follow had to be enjoyed. For fall would bring winter, and the joys of nature's warmth would soon vanish. This was the cause of worry for Mia Koiji.

"What am I going to do about this hole?" She asked, motioning towards the gap in the wall with a sweep of her hand.

"I don't know," Sage answered, "But you're going to have to fix it as soon as possible. Fall's on it's way."

"I guess I'll have to call some carpenters."

"Looks that way," Sage said, "I know I'm not too good with building houses and that sort of thing. I don't know if any of the others are."

"Sage," Mia looked at the blonde, "You don't have to think about that."

"Why not?"

"It's my house."

"Yeah, but we're the ones who are staying here."

"It's not like you guys weren't invited." Mia said.

"I know," Sage nodded. "It's just that I feel like it is my responsibility to do something in return. I think the others do too."

Mia smiled as she shook her head, "Don't worry, saving the world is a big enough responsibility. What's a house worth to that?"

Sage shrugged in defeat, "Okay. You win."

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As the two talked about the house, Yulie had walked upstairs, seeing that the conversation wasn't of any interest to him. He entered the room that belonged to Ryo and came up to the side of the black haired boy's bed. He looked down at him.

"How long are you going to be out Ryo?" He asked, even though he knew that he wasn't going to get a reply from the unconscious ronin.

Yulie stood there watching his silent idol for a few minutes, then walked over to the window and stared out it at the surrounding forage.

The silence soon broke when two recognizable forms broke out of the woods and continued towards the house. His eyes gleamed with identification as he announced, "Kento and Whiteblaze are back!" to the Ryo who lay on his bed, still motionless except for his breathing.

Yulie turned and clambered down the stairs, "Hey!" he said interrupting the conversation going on between the two down stairs. But he didn't have to explain what he was about to say for Kento and Whiteblaze were already inside the house.

After the small quantity of time following the instant they both met each other, they had reached the mansion. Which was a big surprise to Sage. The amount of time used by the blue haired boy to search outside was what surprised the blonde when he saw Kento and the tiger walking next to him.

"You're back already?" He inquired.

"Yeah," Kento stated simply, answering the surprised blonde's question, "I got hungry. I'm going into the kitchen, see ya'lls latta!" He disappeared into the named room with a gesture of his hand over his shoulder that silently said goodbye.

"Figures," Sage said, shaking his head in disbelief at the boy's constant hunger.

Mia just smiled.

Yulie looked up when he heard a thud coming from up above, "Ryo," he said running back upstairs.

Huh? What about hi- Sage cast aside his question and followed the little boy up the stairs, knowing that he'd find out when he got up there.

Kento poked his head out of the kitchen and watched them all clamber up the stairs, "What's going on?" He asked.

He frowned, but it looked almost like a pout, when no one answered his question, "Guess I'll just have to find out for myself!"

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The seemingly ceaseless darkness that had caressed him for such a long time finally opened up to endless miles of snow, which stretched out in front as far as the black haired boy could see. He held his hands over his squinting eyes to protect them from the glare of the sun against the dazzling whiteness of the cold desert. How did I get here?

The boy stepped forward, trying to figure out where he was by walking onwards with his mind full of uncertainty. Wasn't I at Mia's just a minute ago?

He walked and walked, on and on for what seemed like hours. In the loss of time his vision had become distorted, and he knew from his tired body that he wouldn't be able to go on any longer, but he pressed forwards anyway. Call it human ambition or human will to live if you must, either way it was this that kept him from falling to the ground and freezing in the strange and unknown land.

Once more, time passed, only more slowly, or seemed to. The boy's body grew with additional weariness, he knew it wouldn't be long before he collapsed to the ground exhausted, unable to go on any longer.

It was only time that would tell when it would happen. This moment had come faster than he had anticipated. He thought that his body could continue on longer than it had, even though he knew that it would give out some time, he hadn't expected it to be now.

The boy's body gave out, and he fell to his knees, then face forward into the cold snow. He stayed in this position for a few minutes, unable to command any part of his sore body to move. He thought that he would never be able to get back up again, but he was wrong.

"Ryo…"

At the sound of a soft silvery female voice he felt something warm flow through his entire body. When he felt the gentle touch on his shoulder he found the strength to look up to see who it was that said his name.

"It's you," he said in a husky voice.

A strange wave of peace flowed through him as he looked upon the girl's smiling face. "Yes, 'tis me," she answered, giving such a small nod that it looked as if her silver locks of hair were blowing in the wind that was not there. After she spoke, her voice echoed in the soft wind that had suddenly appeared, blowing the snow upwards in a dizzy display of sparkling white.

The blue sky suddenly turned white with the snow as it blew skywards, and the girl's hair shortened and grew darker. "Ryo! Ryo!" The girl's voice changed, sounding less like the chimes that it had resembled.

"Yulie?" Ryo asked weakly when he recognized the boy who was kneeling down in front of him.

"You're awake," Mia beamed.

"Where am I?"

"At my place, don't you remember?"

Ryo rubbed his head as he spoke, "Uh…yeah. I think so. What happened?"

"A lot," Sage said. "Why don't we get you up to speed?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

He wasn't able to enjoy the beauty of the day with all of the thoughts that were running through his head. Of course he didn't even think of looking at how the sun's rays came down through the tree's leaves, allowing specks of light and dark dancing shadows to appear on the ground below.

Instead the blue haired boy glanced upwards at the sky in wonderment, ignoring anything but his thoughts, How long have I been out here?

Of course he couldn't tell, the trees where hiding the sun from his sight, but he had a feeling it was a long time. But time has a way of being slower or faster than you believe it to be. Rowen mused.

He stopped walking and frowned, How am I going to find that dog like creature? I can't even find any trails to follow.

Rowen heaved a sigh, I hate not knowing anything. Not knowing what's going on, not knowing where whatever it was that you are looking for is, or anything like that. Oi… He continued to walk, knowing that the only thing he could do was to go on, inwardly or perhaps vainly hoping that he'd run into the mutated creature.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Confusion and pain ruled Kasteina's thoughts, So is this what pain feels like? It envelopes your entire body and leaves you to deal with it whether you want to or not?…What is this other feeling? My entire body, it's shaking. Certainly it's not for the same reason as last night? No…it's different. How? I don't understand these feelings! How can I understand them!

She couldn't understand why she her body was reacting the way it was. All she could do was respond in a way that seemed natural. She drew as close as she could to her savior for comfort, resting her head and one of her hands against his bare chest.

Cye looked down at her when he felt her touch. He could see pain and fear within her grayish blue eyes, but these emotions seemed to fade away as she slowly closed her eyes and let the beat of his heart lull her to sleep.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Nica, which Card was it that you used that it has failed you?"

"The Brother of the Wood," he answered.

"You know how weak that one is. If any one of the lost mystics had been provoked by it, you knew that they could easily destroy it, did you not?"

"Yes."

"Next time you pick a Card, choose one that is powerful, one that won't be destroyed by one measly attack of a mystic."

"As you say Master," Nica said, bending at the waist to bow.

He turned, but paused, "You still haven't told me what you've chosen to do with Yollani."

"Ah yes…Leave her be for now."

"But Master-"

"You've already failed me, don't give me any of your opinions. I haven't decided yet what I am going to do with the girl."

Nica frowned as he bit back his words and bowed once more before disappearing into thin air, saying, "'tis your will Master."

"The child who slept has awakened," a voice in the darkness said.

"Why is it that you're so interested in that young human boy Julow? You've been watching him for the last few years."

She stepped into view, her dark orange hair was tied back into several braids, her russet eyes regarded the man who stood in front of her before she spoke, "I don't know."

Her well formed lips smiled gently as she continued to speak in her voice that had the hint of a british accent, "He's always held my interest. The first time I went to earth I saw him. He was out in one of the wildlife reserves on the island that the humans call Japan. He's captured my eye. If you want to describe my fascination in him, I guess you can call it an enchantment."

"Enchantment? Would this fascination be some part of the emotion that they call love?"

"Me? Love him?" Julow laughed as she placed a hand a few inches in front of her mouth, gently tilting her head backwards, closing her eyes, "Why that's foolery!" She opened her eyes and pulled her head up again so that she could look at the man, "No. It's nothing like that."

"Then what would you call it? Just an interest in the life of a human?"

"I guess," Julow said.

"What would you do if he had to die?"

"What do you mean?"

"It might come to that, you do realize this?"

"…" Julow's lips became a straight line, "Perhaps."

"Perhaps?"

"Yes, why would it come to that? Why would we have to kill him?"

"He might get in our way when we try to take the life of the dream bearer."

"I don't know what I'd do."

"Your fascination in this boy had better not get in the way of our plans."

Julow silently stared at him then spoke once more, "It depends on what happens. It also depends on whether you have the right human or not."

The man looked at her questioningly, "What do you mean?"

"I'm just saying that you might have the wrong boy. If you find that the one you're chasing after isn't the one, then you have to figure out which one it is. There are a lot of humans in this world. If this one is the wrong one, then we will take forever to find the right one."

"You're right, but you do realize that one of the lost mystics, the one who awakens the others may I remind you, has already come around. She," a smile played on the man's lips, "Will lead us to the others."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Yulie and Whiteblaze came back from their play, followed by an auburn haired boy who was holding onto a girl wrapped up in his shirt.

"It's Cye," Sage said, "And he has the girl with him."

A few seconds later found the group of four standing outside watching the others come towards them.

"Where did you find her?" Ryo asked, his eyes widening in recognition as he stared at the girl in Cye's arms. She's the one that I saw before I blacked out! I know she's the one!…Wait…I did see her, but the others said that she actually appeared after I was out…That means…I had a vision?

"Later," Cye said breathlessly, indicating that he was too tired to talk at the moment.

"Here, I'll take her," Mia offered. She took the girl from Cye's arms and brought her inside the house, everyone else trailing behind her.

Cye watched Mia walk up the stairs and into her room, closing the door behind her. He turned and took a seat at the long table in the dining room. The breakfast plates had already been cleared by Mia, Sage, and Yulie when they were cleaning-up the house as best as they could from the mess left by the invasion of the mutated wolf.

The auburn haired boy sighed as he rested his arms on the table and placed the side of his head on top of them so that he could still see Sage, who was standing near the hole in the wall.

Sage looked at the opening, running his hand over the edges, his facial expression becoming serious as he spoke, "That thing sure did a number on this wall."

"Yeah, it sure did," Ryo said.

Cye's body was telling him that it didn't want to talk, but his mind was reeling with way too many thoughts for him to sit there and stay silent. "I wonder where it came from?"

"I don't know," Sage frowned when he saw something black amongst the boards in the hole, "What's this?" He narrowed his eyes upon closer inspection of the strange substance.

"What's what?" Kento asked.

Cye lifted his head off of his arms and sitting up straight, his eyes shown with curiosity.

"There's some kind of black liquid among these boards," Sage answered. He brought his fingers up over the bizarre matter to touch it and took his hand away to get a better look at it. He took a sniff of it to see if he could recognize it from it's smell, but he couldn't. The blonde's frown grew when he felt a small tingle in his fingers before the black liquid evaporated into the air in the form of smoke.

The others watched this, their faces shown with a combination of surprise, wonderment, and confusion.

Cye's suddenly didn't feel tired any longer, "What was that?"

"I don't know," Sage answered, "But I have a feeling it wasn't here before. In fact, I'm sure of it."