Prophetshipping (Ishizu x Esper Roba)

(some years before Battle City. Roba's younger siblings are not quite as helpful as they are during Battle City because they're younger.)

The museum had been a bad idea. Roba couldn't keep track of his siblings, and some people were starting to give them dirty looks.

"Sh!" Roba said to the baby on his back. "The museum is not a playground! Ryori, don't climb on the dinosaur skeleton! Kyouto, those are not meant to be touched!"

After a little bit more scolding, his two younger brothers sheepishly returned to him. Roba sighed. The museum was free, and he thought it might be something nice to do on a Sunday afternoon, instead of playing Candy Land over and over. He had thought wrong.

No sooner had his brothers returned to him than Sojuro started crying. Roba pulled the baby in front of him and rocked him, trying to get him to quiet down, but his cries only grew louder. Inevitably, an angry woman stalked over to him.

"Can't you keep that child quiet? You are disturbing the other patrons!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Roba said, still bouncing Sojuro.

"You shouldn't bring small children with you to places like this if they can't keep quiet!" the woman said. "Don't make me call the museum staff!"

"Please, I didn't mean to bother anyone, I'll just leave…"

"Hey, don't be mean to our big brother! He's doing the best he can!" Ryori said.

"You shouldn't talk back to your elders!" the woman said.

"Boys," Roba said warningly.

"Well, you shouldn't act like you deserve to be talked back to!" Kyouto said.

"Boys!" Roba said.

The woman's eyes narrowed with anger. Her mouth open again, when a soft voice interrupted her.

"Is there a problem here?"

Esper Roba looked up with surprise to see the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

She was tall and slender, her soft, gentle curves accentuated by the long, canvas colored dress she wore. Long black hair fell silkily down her back, the front strands held in place with gleaming golden bands. Coffee brown eyes looked out from a softly curved, tanned face. Her hands were folded gently before her, and her gaze was gentle but firm. But what caught Roba's eyes the most was the golden eye that she wore around her neck…

It took the woman a moment to recover herself.

"These boys were being disruptive," she finally managed.

"Oh? How so?"

"They were loud, and raucous!" the woman said.

"Is that so? And how has that made your experience unenjoyable?"

The woman didn't seem to have an answer for this. Her mouth opened and closed several times. Then she shook her head and stalked away. Even Roba's brothers were speechless, except for Sojuro, who was still crying. The foreign woman looked down at them. She smiled gently. A soft hand touched Sojuro's forehead.

"There, there," she said.

Like magic, Sojuro stopped crying. Roba stared at the woman in awe.

"W-who are you?" he said. Then he realized how impolite that sounded and corrected himself. "I'm sorry. Thank you, for that."

She shook her head, still smiling.

"It's fine. I saw you were having trouble with your brothers, and I thought you were being unfairly prosecuted for your efforts to hold your family together. That is all."

"T-thank you all the same."

The woman nodded again.

"I hope you are enjoying the history," she said. "There is magic in these old places, you know. You just have to look close enough to see it."

Roba could only nod dumbly. She smiled again.

"Have a nice day, Roba-san," she said, and with a flick of her canvas dress, she disappeared down a hallway.

Roba's mouth hung open. His brothers were all quiet for a moment. Then Ryori piped up.

"Nii-san…how did she know your name?"

Roba shook his head slowly.

"I don't know…" he said. "She must be…psychic."

A/N: And I have given Roba an excuse to become interested in psychic powers, which will come into play for him later. :D Next is Prongshipping (Priest Set x Haga).