Young Again
Chapter 2
By Wildfire
Rowan groaned as the world slowly came into focus, his eyes blinked trying to wipe the blurriness away from them. He started to move only to let out a hiss of pain; his skin was tender to any touch. He brought his arm up it was bright red as if he'd laid in the sun for far too many hours. His arms shook as he slowly sat up, the room was completely destroyed the furniture literally singed and slightly brown. His eyes immediately sought out for his friends they landed first on Sage. He was laying face down his skin as bright as Rowans'. He slowly crawled over ignoring the burning pain from every time he moved.
"Sage?" His voice cracked, as he gently shook Sage's shoulder. "Sage, wake up." He sat back as Sage let out a small hiss.
The blond slowly sat up his face masked perfectly smooth though Rowan knew he was hurting just as bad as he was. He looked around. "Everyone ok?" He asked his voice deeper than normal.
"I don't know, you're the first one I found." Rowan coughed a little. "We're both burned pretty badly. I hope we have Aloe Vera because we're going to need it."
Sage stood up, managing to do so without so much as a grimace; Rowan wasn't nearly so graceful. His eyes moved around, before landing on Cye than Kento. He nodded his head toward Kento and headed over to Cye himself. He carefully kneaded down. "Cye?" His fingers gently pressed against the side of Cye's neck. The steady pulse beat against his fingers. "Cye?" He gently slapped Cye's cheek. He was as red as both he and Rowan were. He could hear Kento complaining as he slowly got up, but he kept his attention locked on Cye. One thing at a time. "Cye?" He tried again and this time was rewarded with Cye's eyes scrunching up before opening.
"What happened?" He groaned as he sat up, slowly eyes moving around the destroyed room. "Everyone ok?"
Sage shook his head. "I don't know, but I think Ryo's power might have burned us... I don't know where Ryo is…" He said the last part a little slower, eyes scanning the living room again. It was a bad sign Ryo not being there, if he had woken up before them he would have taken care of them, he wouldn't have just left them. Ryo was a martyr through and through but he'd never just leave them.
Cye stood up his eyes sought out Kento and Rowan first, (Rowan was telling Kento to get up) before looking around. "Ryo?" He called out, Rowan and Kento both stopped talking, but there was no reply back. "Ryo?" He called again, silence called back.
Sage swallowed slightly hard, "Alright, split up and search the house he might just be knocked out somewhere. Kento you check the back yard, Cye you do the front, Rowan go upstairs and I'll search this level and the basement." The others headed to their respective places. Rowan paused on the way to the stairs he stared at Sage for a moment. "Go," Sage said softly. "The sooner we find out if he's here or not the sooner we can figure out what the hell just happened."
Rowan tried to offer him a small smile but he didn't manage very well, he hurried up the stairs ignoring the burn. "Ryo?" He asked once at the top he headed for the study first opening the door slowly in case Ryo was behind it. The room was empty; he walked around it, opening the closet looking under the desk. No one was there, and he hurried to the next room –Cye and Kento's- it was empty as well, as was Ryo's and the bathroom. The only room left was his and Sage's, he opened it slowly. He froze in the door way, he had been expecting to open it to an empty room; instead he opened it to someone sitting on his bed, only it wasn't whom he was expecting.
A toddler boy no older than two sat on the bed his legs flung in front of him their orbs laying between them. He had rosy chubby cheeks with black hair and bright blue eyes, he was completely naked. When Rowan entered he turned to look at him, his head tilting to the side slightly before he grinned a toothy smile and clapped his hands. He moved forward his hand clutching the bed spread he flung his tiny legs over the bed and shimmied down. Once on the ground he stood on his tip toes grabbing an orb and ran/toddled quickly over to Rowan-who was still standing perfectly still. The little boy held the blue orb up. "Ou."
Rowan slowly reached forward taking the orb. "Thanks..?" The little boy smiled again before running back to the bed and slowly started working on climbing back up on it, his little knees kept slipping off though and the bed spread was slowly coming off the bed. Rowan came forward picked him up and set him on the bed. The boy just continued to grin, moving so he was sitting with the orbs between his legs again. "Who are you?"
The toddler looked up at him before reaching for the red orb to show Rowan. "Me." He patted his chest, before leaning forward pointing to Rowan's blue orb than patted Rowan's chest. "Ou."
Rowan was sure he'd just swallowed his tongue, he tried to work is mouth to say something but he was pretty sure he was just gapping at the poor child. He reached for the green orb.
"No!" Ryo covered the other orbs with his hands and arms. When Rowan pulled his hand back he sat back again, he pointed to the green orb "'Age…"he pointed to the orange one, "O" he pointed to the light blue one "Ye." He looked back up at Rowan smiling.
Rowan nodded slowly before slowly moving back toward the door. "One…" He swallowed, "One moment, 'kay?" He darted out of the room dashing to the top of the stairs. "GUYS!?"
Sage was the first to get up there. "Did you find him?" Cye and Kento darted up next.
Rowen made a half laugh noise. "Yeah, in our room." He stood there as they all rushed past him into the room. He waited a bit before he followed them in. They all stood there motionless watching the child as he again got down from the bed. Rowan walked past them helping the child down. He smiled at him in response before reaching up to get the orbs, Rowan pushed them forward. He grabbed the green one hurrying over to Sage he held it up. "Age!" Sage took it, eyes huge. The boy ran back and grabbed the orange one going to Kento. "O!" Kento just stood there staring. "O!" He stood on his tiptoes raising his arm as high as possible toward Kento.
"Take your orb Kento…" Rowan said softly.
Kento took the orb, squeaking a thanks.
The little boy giggled "'come!" He ran back to the bed grabbing the blue orb and going to Cye. "Ye!" Cye took it automatically slipping it into his pocket.
"Th-this….. this isn't… I mean… it's not…" Cye swallowed hard. "I mean it's really not…"
"Possible?" Kento finished for him.
Sage moved forward kneeling down and tilting the kids' head up. "It… has to be. No one else could have eyes that shinned like that."
"It feels like him too." Rowan said sitting on his bed. "I mean… like not physically but… just the feeling he gives you. It feels like him, it is him. I don't know how or why or how but it is him."
"How… how would be a good thing to know." Cye said softly his eyes having never left Ryo once.
Sage sighed before shaking his head "I don't know." He started to stand but the child immediately latched onto Sage's shirt. Sage paused before slipping an arm around him and picking him up as he stood. "We don't know." He rephrased "However we have a naked child here now, and we don't have a thing for him."
"I… can go buy clothing." Cye mumbled; his eyes still locked.
"Ma' should have some toys I could take." Kento said, "We'll need diapers too, at least pull ups, and baby food. Well more snacks, he should be old enough to eat our food but we need finger food."
Sage nodded, "Ok, you and Cye go get that stuff. Rowan see if you can't find anything in the computer on what just happened."
"Well you be ok with him?" Kento asked carefully.
Sage nodded. "Yes, I have a younger sister too Kento."
Kento smirked, "She's a year younger than you." He moved over to them looking down at him. "You think he still remembers who he is?"
"He knows us." Rowan said softly fingering his orb. "Beyond that we'll have to wait and see."
Kento nodded before heading out the door, Cye following though his eyes were still locked on Ryo.
"Hey Kento?" Sage called and Kento paused looking back at him. "Get Aloe Vera."
Kento nodded again, "Sure, call me if you have any issues!" He grabbed Cye's shirt and half pulled him from the room.
Sage turned his attention to Rowan. "Any ideas?" He asked softly, adjusting Ryo's weight as he started squirming.
"Well, we have a few key points, the cloud, Ryo demanding our orbs, the burning and of course the child. It's not much to go on. I checked the time we were out for about an hour and a half. You think it matters at all that he handed us the orbs in the order we woke up?" Rowan asked.
"I don't think so, I think he handed them out as he grabbed them." Sage looked to the child in his arms. "You think he's really aware of what just happened?"
Rowan shrugged, "I'm going to go check the computer. Holler if you need anything." He moved past them, eyes turning to the child for a moment before he left the room.
Sage sighed a bit and sat down on his bed; he set Ryo down on his lap. The child immediately turned to look at him. Sage gave him a small half smile. "You're a cute child, shouldn't be surprised with how you look as an adult."
Ryo smiled up at him. "Ou ov me," he giggled taking Sage's hand; he frowned pointing to the bright red skin. "un? Me un?"
Sage paused looking at his hand. "Burnt? It's red because I got burned. You seem to be the only one not burnt. Something I'm very grateful for, as a child with a burn would be difficult to deal with. Kento will be enough of a pain."
Ryo blinked "O? O un?"
Sage paused before shrugging a bit. "Sure…" He didn't have a clue on what Ryo had just said; in fact he hadn't really understood a word since the child started talking.
"HUH!" Ryo started squirming, dramatically and grabbed himself "Pouty!"
Sage quickly stood up, he understood that. He took him to the bathroom and set him on the toilet. Ryo held himself up with his arms, his butt slightly sunk into the toilet as he peed. Sage couldn't help but smile at the image of Ryo going to the bathroom like that.
When he finished Sage helped clean him up and wash his hands. Ryo hurried back to the toilet looking in at it. "Pee! Me pee!" He pointed to it; Sage gently pulled Ryo's hand away and flushed it.
"Yes, you peed." Sage picked him up heading out of the room.
"Me pee pouty!" Ryo laughed, and Sage chuckled a bit himself.
"Yes, you did. This is a very exciting thing for you, isn't it?" Sage headed down stairs setting the boy down in the family room, opening the blinds up.
Ryo leaned on his hands before he slowly stood up toddling a bit as he did, he giggled once he had his balance. He followed Sage around the room as he opened the blinds. When Sage finished he turned to look back down at Ryo who was grinning up at him.
Sage kneeled in front of him. "You are a very happy child, not nearly as moody as you use to be, or will be."
"Me oody!" He giggled. "Ou oody! Oddy Age!"
Sage raised an eye brow at him. "I think we should find that tiger of yours. He should entertain you for a while." He picked him up. "Haven't seen him all day. You know where he is?" Ryo pointed outside, "He's outside? You sure?" Ryo nodded smiling. Sage went to the back door and opened it whistling for the large tiger. He waited a moment before doing it again. "He never likes to come unless you're the one whistling. Can you whistle? Pucker your lips and blow?"
Ryo did so and end up just spitting, Sage smiled. "You know besides the fact that you're a child and we have no idea why… I'm enjoying your company."
"Ou ov me!" The little boy giggled again. "Azzze! Azz!" He yelled as loud as his little lungs could.
He heard a familiar roar before the said tiger darted through the trees before skidding to a halt in front of the door, its ears back as it peered up at Ryo. Ryo laughs "Azz!" Sage moved to the side so the tiger could enter, the tiger did slowly and Sage shut the door.
"Come on boy." Sage headed back to the family room.
"Ome oy!" Ryo repeated, watching the tiger follow them, its ears still flat against its head.
Sage set Ryo down and White Blaze slowly approached him. The tiger slowly sniffed the little boy before Ryo reached forward and grabbed Blaze's ear pulling it.
"Ryo gentle touch, don't pull." Sage said kneeling down and taking Ryo's hand and guiding it so he gently pet the tiger's head. Ryo laughed as White Blaze laid down. He pulled free of Sage and crawled over to White Blaze's back and leaned against it. White Blaze rolled onto his side laying his head down. Ryo laughed lying himself over the furry chest. He stayed there for a bit letting White Blaze's chest raise him up and down as he breathed. Ryo's eyes started growing heavy, and little yawns escaped from his mouth, and eventually he fell fast asleep.
Sage smiled and sat down, he looked back at Ryo. "Well it's almost ten so I think you won your bet." He said softly to the sleeping boy before turning the TV on. He didn't really watch it his mind was far from anything that was happening on the TV. He wanted to know why Ryo was digressed to that of a child; a very cute child yes, but a child none the less.
