AN:// sorry this is so long in coming! Besides general time issues, I've been having trouble just sitting down and really writing something. To put it simply, I've had the attention span of a five year old drinking Surge. But, now I'm getting back to the fun! And this story is finally getting to where I wanted it to be! Please enjoy.

The sun was a bright line of golden pink on the horizon as the two weary men trudged through the last few feet of newly fallen snow. Finally, they had reached their destination, and stopped in front of the large house that stood, proudly, in the sprawling woods. They both stood together for a moment, looking up at the place that, for a short time, had been home. For all that had changed in the last few years it still looked as it had, waiting eleven years past for its occupants to come home. It had been their safe haven in a time of turmoil back then. For years now it had stood empty of its exuberant occupants, only visited at times for upkeep from what the two standing before it could tell. It was like a picture out of a long hidden memory.

" We should go in before we freeze." Ryo finally took the first step foreward toward the door.

" Too late there m-man." Kento shivered out. He began to follow quickly, kicking at the snow that had piled up in front of the walk during the night. Casting a glance upwards toward the clearing sky, his eyes landed on a second floor window, and to his surprise a light flickered on. No one should have been in the house, he had made sure of that before he came. His hand flew up, grabbing his friends shoulder just before he moved out of reach, and pulling him back to stand beside him.

" Kento? What's wrong?" Ryo looked worridly at the man but Kento only pointed up. Following Kentos gaze upward toward the house he hoped it was not another vision. " Someones in the house." His eyes narrowed.

" Could Mia be back from Eroupe?" Kento asked, though there was a skeptical tone in his voice. Mia had gone to live with reletives in Eroupe shortly after they had left.

" I don't know. Let's play it safe though."

Together the two of them approached the door, an air of apprehension wafting around them with every breath. Ryo reached out slowly toward the door knob, and was surpirsed when it swung opened easily. He stood for a moment in the door way, staring at the entrance hall as memories struggled their way their way to the surface of his mind, back from where he had locked them so many years ago. Things he had forgotten and was beginning to forget suddenly came foreward, and he let them wash over him, pushing down the ones at the end only. Those he was fighting to not remember, not yet. His eyes could hardly make out what stood before him in the dark night, but his mind knew exactly where everything was. Taking a breath he stepped inside and stood a moment letting his eyes adjust a bit more to the dimmer light. Kento followed, taking their bags and laying them by the closet.

" Ready?" He asked as he came to stand beside Ryo.

" Yeah, and look," Ryo pointed to the table next to the door, " the dust has been disturbed here. I guess that rules out ghosts." His voice held a joking manner to it, but the man next to him heard what was underneath.

" You know it won't be him Ryo." Kentos whisper was soft. He began to wonder when he had become the resonable one.

Ryo didn't acknowledge him with more than a swift side glance. Then his attention was focused on the house again.

His feet seemed to be moving of their own will, taking him down the entrance hall while his mind listend to the echos of voices and memories that the very walls reverberated. Though his ears strained, they could not pick up the sound of anything but his footsteps and those of his friend behind him, muted on the dust that covered the wooden floors like a thick rug. A hand on his shoulder brought him out of his daze, and suddenly he was at the base of the stairs.

The staircase was as dark as the rest of the house, iluminated only by the light that poured out of one of the rooms on the second floor. His eyes remained locked with that light, fixating on the doorway in anticipation for what would come when he reached it. All his senses were piqued. Andreline beginning to run rampant through his body and making him aware of every little thing around him. His fingers glided along the banister, leaving a trail of cherry wood uncovered in the dust. The slightly heavier footsteps behind him mere whispers even to him as they acsended the stairs, and unconsciously skipping the fith step down, it had always squeaked. Within a time that seemed impossibly long they had reached the next floor.The two men met eyes for a moment, nodding breifly. And then they were moving silently across the floor toward the door together, letting old instincts take over and guide them.

Nothing moved within the room as they approached quietly, not even a flicker of the lamp that shone unsually bright in the dark night. Creeping up to one side of the open doorway, Ryo pressed himself up against the wall. He could feel Kento's shoulder against his, barely touching, but a solid comfort. For long seconds they stood frozen there, listening for any sign of what was facing them when they turned that corner. Ryo's ears strained for any sound from anywhere in the house. He had just about had enough, ready to just burst into the room and face this head on, when a quiet noise barely pricked his hearing. His tensed mucsles were ready for anything, but he held himself steady. Quickly reaching out a hand to hold his impulsive friend back, Ryo quirked his head and listened.

Someone was humming.

Ryos eyes widened as the humming took on a familiar tune, touching the corners of his exiled memories. Not wasting any more time, Ryo broke from the wall and lunged through the doorway. His eyes instantly landed on the person as they jumped, startled, from the rocking chair they had been resting in. The person stopped just as a scream was about to leave their lips, recognition lighting their eyes. Ryo couldn't surpress the smile that grew on his face.

" Mia!"

Suddenly Kento was in front of him, hugging the woman tightly in his arms. Ryo took a moment to look her over, still in shock at who it was that was in front of him, but the woman in Kentos arms was none other than Mia Koji. Her brown hair was shorter, bouncing just below her shoulders, but still the same shining brown. Catching her eyes, he could see they still shone brightly with warmth, and now were sparkling with happiness. To his incredible surprise, Mia Koji had returned home.

Slowly, almost hesitantly, he moved forward as Kento released the young woman. As she turned her attention back to him though, he couldn't fight the huge smile that lit up his face, and for once, reached his eyes.

" Hello Mia."

" Ryo."

And suddenly he was folding his arms around her tightly, and squeezing watery eyes shut. She hugged back with even more enthusiasm, crying freely by this time, the shock having worn off into happiness. Pulling back reluctantly, Ryo met her eyes again, and was surprised to see a question suddenly in their depths. It was one he had a feeling he would have as hard a time answering as he did eleven years ago.

" Ryo, duck!"

Kentos sudden warning and a growl from behind gave him only enough time to swing around before he was knocked to the ground by something heavy. Instincts kicking in once again, Ryo fought against the thing weighing him down, even as large paws pinned him to the floor. Vaugely he wondered where Kento was, when a large wet thing dragged across his cheek. His fighting ceased at once. The wet thing draged up his nose, this time he could hear the growl/pur that the thing on top of him let out as he licked him. Then he heard the laughing.

" Wh..White Blaze?!" He stuttered out as the wet tongue swiped at his other cheek and a cold nose nuzzled him. This time it was him laughing. Throwing his arms around the great white neck of his old friend as he happily hugged him. " Okay, okay buddy. Come on, I've gotta get up!"

Pushing White Blaze out of the way Ryo stood again to face to grinning faces. Kento smiled devishly at him and cleared his throat.

" So okay, it was a tiger, not a duck. Big difference!" The man laughed again, pointing at the mussed mess of Ryos hair.

Ryo shook his head at the other man while trying to tame his normally rowdy mane. His gaze drifted around the room then, and suddenly the happy feeling began to deflate, leaving in it's wake an emptiness in him. Ryo flinched at the wave of dissapointment. It hadn't been what he was hoping for, but not less of a happy reunion. It just wasn't the one he had been hoping for. A cold disappointment burned an icy front into the pit of his stomach.

A soft butting to his leg drew his attention back to what he did have. Turning back to the people at hand he was met with two concerned gazes, one of which held an empathy that echoed through them both. His hopefulness had rubbed off a little it seemed.

" Ryo?" Mia reached toward him, laying a gentle hand on his arm. Warmth spread through him again.

" I'm fine Mia, just..." He traile off uncertainly.

" Oh." Mia half-smiled in understanding.

For a moment they stood there together, no one knowing what to say.

" Why don't you guys settle in. I'll make us some dinner. Then, we can talk." Mia smiled welcomingly at the two of them, then pushed them out the door.

Ryo waited until Mia had retreated down to the kitchen before turning to follow Kento down the hall to their old rooms, White Blaze at his side. His eyes narrowed in concern as Kento slowed in front of the doorway to his room, the one he had shared with Rowen. Unbidden his memories flashed to the surface, and he could see his friend standing in the same place, shaking his head with tears in his eyes, head down. The cracks were still visible where his hands had dug into the door frame. He hadn't been able to step foot in the room then, but now he reached out and grasped the doorknob, stepping inside before he could think better of it. Ryo followed only to the door. Watching his friend set his stuff down he nodded at him and moved on down the hall to his own room.

The easiest part was over. Now, to take that final step.

" Tell me why we didn't take the train again?" The brunette questioned as he stumbled, not for the first time, over the protruding root of a tree.

" Because it wasn't moving, remember?" Sage kept on walking without a falter, keeping his gaze straight ahead. He was trying very hard to not run into any trees at the moment.

" Oh, right. And the rental car?" Cye tripped again, nearly going down this time.

"Broken down...Cye?" Sage finally cast his gaze over to his unsteady companion and berated himself instantly. " Cye, your dead on you feet."

" No, no. I fine Sage. C'on, the city shouldn't be far now.."

Sage reached out instinctively as the man went down on one knee, exhausted. Mentally he kicked himself throughly for driving him on this hard. Even he himself was tired to the point of dulled senses, and Cye was ready to pass out. Gently leaning his hald-asleep old friend against the solid strength of one of the old trees, Sage pulled a blanket out of his own pack to lay over the man. Then he steeled himself to keep awake through the remainder of the night, though he could already see the pink of a new dawn just beggining to break through the trees.

His thoughts turned toward the spectral vision beside the train. As before with the voice at his families home he was fighting off the logical side he had carefully cultivated since he had broken almost all ties with his past as a warrior. His rational side told him he had too little sleep, and to much of that suspicious tasting tea the dinning car had been serving. He chose to listen to his heart. That part of him knew what that was. He could still feel the old, familier stirrings in his spirit that were leading him every step he took, albeit not without a fight from him til now. It just hurt to much to dwell in the mistakes of the past, so he ignored that they had even happened. It took Cye nearly smacking him upside the head, and his thoughts of insanity, to make him realize he needed to stop running. Yes, it was time to chase their ghost. Though it appeared to him that their ghost was leading them. Sage yawned, and stubbornly away turned him thoughts away from that direction.

His eyes were drooping now, and he couldn't surppress the yawns that forced their way from his mouth. Day was dawning quickly now, lighting the area into a snow covered wonderland. The ground was glittering in the morning light, while the first golden rays lit the wings of a blue bird as it flew above their heads. For a moment he was stunned by the beauty of the scene that surrounded him, bringinning back a little of his lost alertness, but it wa short lived. The last thing he remembered before he fell into the beckoning of sleep was that he had always loved this time of day.