The hospital sure was bustling with excitement today. The vigor, the youth, the hustle! It was enough to make any man forget the pain he was in. But Might Guy was not just any man.

He had volunteered for this mission to help someone else. Tto lead a team with a high combination of talents to do so. But all that didn't do them much good in the end. He was supposed to lead them, to protect them no matter what and when it came down to it he couldn't do that.
He lay in the hospital now because of his decisions. His right arm was in a sling, his ribs broken along with his right leg, not to mention other cuts, bruises and bandages. But he didn't care about any of that. The staff busied themselves all around him, but he wasn't concerned with himself.

"Hey!" he reached out and stopped one of the attendants with his free arm, shocking every one to a great deal that there was still such strength in him "Sakura!" he shouted "How is she? What's happened?! Tell me!" he demanded. He calmed down when they said she was better than him, which was what he was hoping for and he was grateful when he heard it. Sub-zero burns from the ice she was encased in, but she should recover soon enough. Faster than him at least.

"But you need to rest yourself." they advised cautiously.

"I don't need to rest." he grunted trying to pick himself up.

"But the pain-"

"Pain?" he asked "What pain?!" he boasted "I've had worse pain than this!" he made a move to pick himself up, but found himself struck by a sudden sharp sensation throughout his body, and was very much immobilized by such a painful feeling "Can't think of any right now but..." he trailed off and laid back down as everything calmed down around him. Once he was stable where he was, most of them left the room. But he wouldn't be left alone for long.

Once the staff had left the room, the door opened and Guy could hear footsteps approaching him. Two figures approached his bed and stopped to stand on each side. Looking up to his right, he instantly recognized his visitor.

"Ah!" Guy let out "So there you are Kakashi!" Guy grinned upon seeing his eternal rival standing gloomily over him "I knew I'd find you here." he said never loosing his enthusiasm "Hiding out in the infirmary eh? You really hurt or are you faking it?" The only eye Kakashi revealed rolled upon Guy's outlandish statements, as if he was tired of him already. "All that hiding didn't do you much good though, since I found you all the same!" he continued to ramble and he moved around only to stop short and winced a bit from the doing so just like before. "But since I ended up like this, why don't we chock up a point for both of us?" he grunted cheerfully as he set himself back down.

"As you say." Kakashi said placidly. A few moments of silence passed between the two of them before he turned to the more serious matter "What happened out there Guy?" Kakashi asked, his voice hushed and quiet. Filled with concern, but deadly serious at the same time as he looked down to him "Who did this to you?"

But Guy wasn't worried about himself "Sakura!" he exclaimed "Have you-"

"Yes." he nodded, and Guy went silent stiffening in the bed. He had seen her before coming here, and he got more than what he needed. A name. Rukia Kuchiki. "You did all you could." Kakashi assured him.

"I should have done more." Guy tensed up as he starred stoically up at the ceiling. When he heard Sakura had gone missing, he turned back and ordered Shino to link up with the others. His terrible plan had come undone already he had thought at the time. When he finally found her, she was encased in ice by a black robed sword wielding assailant. He opened the sixth gate which was far too much for her attacker to handle. It was over for her as soon as Guy arrived. But there was even more than just that. "Kakashi." Guy looked up to him "I must tell you something." his voice like Kakashi's was now different as well. It was almost like he was pleading to him.

"Guy. You don't have to say anything." Kakashi shook his head.

"I mean to." he insisted "I'm sorry."

Kakashi took a deep breath and released it "I know." his voice seeped through the mask "It's not your fault." Kakashi consoled him, but he knew Guy would never live it down, nor would he since it was for him that they followed "You two got back here that's all that matters." he reassured him. But there was better news now "And we have whose responsible for this. We're going there after this to find out all we can." A sudden burst of energy came through Guy when Kakashi said that and he was back to his boastful old self.

"Oh really?!" he shouted so loud that Kakashi was nearly forced back by his outburst alone "Well, just leave it to some one like you Kakashi to get a one up on a guy when he's down like this!" he let out a hearty laugh, but Kakashi didn't join him. He just starred on perplexed. One could almost forget the condition he was in as his regular moxie returned in full force "Must have been quite a struggle with than one eh?" he winked at Kakashi who only raised an eyebrow at him curiously. A few moments of silence passed. "So you caught that cat?" he asked simply and innocently, smiling cheerily up at Kakashi.

Puzzled and strange looks overtook every one in the room as everything went oddly quiet. Kakashi least of all shared Guy's enthusiasm.

"What?" he let out cluelessly.

"The black cat!" Guy shouted "The one who did this to me! It was ferocious! Black as night with bright shining golden eyes like two mighty suns!" Kakashi looked over Guy to share a blank look at the other person standing over him on the other side.

Neither one of them was impressed.

"Just get some rest Guy." Kakashi said quietly dismissing him, but all Guy heard was skepticism.

"What!? You don't believe me?! Well I'll show you Kakashi! I'll-" he picked himself up only to practically fall out of the hospital bed. Or he would have if Kakashi wasn't there to catch him and put him back in place. "Thanks. That's much better" Guy said rolling back on the bed, forgetting his recent outburst.

As Kakashi loomed over Guy's right side, a very different sight was on his left. A taller being with a more angular shadow. Turning over Guy got a better look at the other person- if it could even be called that.

"What is this?" he let out upon seeing him, though he only glared back down at him "I must say I like the look very much!" he winked towards the perpetual scowl and crossed arms "But I'm not surprised to see you here either my friend. You're looking a little under the weather." he said noticing the green skin and pink blotches on his arm.

"I always look like this." his deep voice responded indifferently to Guy's statement.

Shocked Guy's eyes bugged open and head darted from him to Kakashi, moving back and forth between the two of them looking over him before finally settling on his old rival.

"Kakashi! Are you replacing me?!" he asked, his voice cracking as he did.

His new companion then turned to look up at Kakashi "Are you ready to go?" he asked ignoring the green beast of prey beneath him.

"Yeah." Kakashi answered with a small shrug and putting his hands in his pockets "Looks like it was a waste of time to come here." he said as they both turned away from Guy and headed towards the door.

"Me?! A waste of time?!" Guy called to their backs as they walked away.

"You just get some rest Guy." Kakashi repeated calmly with a wave before putting the hand back into his pocket.

"And sit the rest of this out?! I think not! I'll be up and joining you soon enough!" he bellowed sitting himself up yet again, whether it was good for him or not.

"Meow." a small cat squeaked from Guy's bedside.

"AH!" he shrieked out loud before jumping out of his bed, but there was no one to help him up this time. The other two stopped at the door to look back at the spectacle. Cowering by his bedside Guy had gathered the courage to look up. Peering up at the bed, he saw a small cat make itself quite comfortable in his place on the bed. His eyes flashed as he glared at it "Back to finish me off eh?" he said to it with determination. The cat started licking it's paws on his bed, ignoring him like every one else.

"Tora." Kakashi said aloud recognizing the cat from one of his teams first missions, but that didn't seem to calm Guy at all.

Kakashi looked to Piccolo and then to Guy's overzealous, but clearly frightened form. He seemed to be eyeing this cat with intense skepticism and caution.
Kakashi looked back to Piccolo and nodded to him. Being closer to it Piccolo continued out the door and Kakashi followed him. Guy's two guests then left him, closing the door behind them, but his outbursts could still be heard through the walls. The two now walked side by side. Piccolo walked stiffly as Kakashi tucked his hands in his pockets, looking more relaxed and casual. Though both had a lot on their minds.

"Is he always like that?" Piccolo asked as they walked down the hallway, Piccolo turning many heads as he did. Others tried to duck under his shoulder protruding guards. "With all that optimism?"

"More often than not." Kakashi answered as they walked "Hope you don't find it too disconcerting."

"Actually, it's kind of refreshing." Piccolo said with a small remnant of a smile.

"Hm?" Kakashi perked up behind his mask "Remind you of someone you know?"

"As a matter of fact, yes"

"You thinking about Goku?" Kakashi asked. Once he mentioned his name, they both came to a stop by a nearby window, and he perched himself beside it.

"It seems like you are." Piccolo said looking to him as he rested on the wall as casually as he would a tree. "What's on your mind?" he asked.

Kakashi pondered a few moments as he watched some birds perched on a tree recounting the events that brought them here.

The two were far from close to the Land of Mist when they stopped suddenly. Piccolo was facing back to the Land of Fire. And it was Piccolo who alerted him to the sounds of a fierce battle happening behind them; his ears queuing him in on all of the details. Kakashi wasn't sure of what to make if it, but when Piccolo heard Sakura and Guy the two of them had a choice to make. To head on towards the other villages to find Piccolo's friends. Or to turn back towards Kakashi's who were in danger and closer to them. They both came to the same answer.

Not wanting to be tracked or flanked the two made their way back quickly, beginning to trail a group sent to find them. The battle scars left on the land were fiercer than the ones he or Piccolo left, and when they finally tracked them all the back to the village they found out the costs of the battle to be none other than Sakura and Guy themselves. Furthermore upon their return Kakashi heard from his own sources that a group of strange travelers making their way through the Land of Lightning, heading for their borders. Perhaps they were already here. All of this brought Kakashi to a conclusion of his own as he thought of the broader picture.

"The Great Toad Sage.." he began before another brief introspective pause "I think that's who he was talking about when he foretold his prophecy."

"Goku was the first one who was told about it among us." Piccolo reminded him. "But what about the swordsman?"

"They've only just come into the equation as far as I'm concerned." Kakashi told all of these recent developments with Guy and Sakura "So I'm not certain just yet..." he paused "... but Goku." he eventually said coming back to him "That's who I think Naruto is destined to fight." he paused again "But why?" he looked to Piccolo.

"We have to stop it." Piccolo insisted stepping closer "I can see no reason to fight."

"Nor I." he agreed tilting his head up "Not against each other at least. But how do you fight fate?" Neither seemed to have an answer for that.

"Do you think we should tell Naruto?" Piccolo eventually asked breaking the silence. "To try to keep him away from all this?". As soon as he finished asking that a furious pounding of footsteps coming from around the corner caught Kakashi's attention.

"That may not be necessary." he said aloud as he looked past Piccolo and down the hall towards the source of the sound as it grew louder and was heading their way. 'But it may be harder than you think.' he said to himself.

Naruto wandered through each of the hallways of the hospital; eagerly trying to find each and every member from their recent adventure. The dreadful engagement he set them up for.

'How could I let this happen?! It should have been me!' he screamed internally, guilt ridden by all that had happened. Anger and grief were etched into his face as he stampeded by. He ran down the hallways, with people practically diving out of his way as he came charging through or cutting corners. That was until a calm voice stopped him dead in his tracks.

"Your always in a rush aren't you Naruto?" a calm voice chided him. Naruto stopped and his eyes widened in shock.

That voice? Could it be!?

He stopped in the middle of the hallways and turned around only to see the culprit for all his recent endeavors.

"Kakashi-sensei!" he exclaimed, turning around to both greet and interrogate him "Where have you been? What have you been up to? Do you know what we've been through to find you?!"

"Yes, I know." Kakashi answered. "And I thought I told you not follow me." he scolded and Naruto faltered, and didn't press him further. Kakashi looked at how stifled he became over that "But no matter now" he said easing up "perhaps it was for the best" he said getting his attention "Between Guy and Tsunade I've been told everything. And I've seen it for myself."

Naruto stiffened "Then you know about-"

"Yes.. Sakura" Kakashi answered cutting him off. "Let's go see her." he said pushing himself off of the wall and began walking off. In truth he had already seen her, and she reacted to Piccolo as everyone else had. But she warmed to him none the less.

Naruto nodded eagerly and was prepared to follow his teacher, but realized somebody already was.

"Ah!" he screamed out when he saw himself standing beneath the towering green figure in the white cape "What is that?" The green being before him merely rolled his eyes before continuing to stare down Naruto.

"Oh him?" Kakashi said looking back casually. He'd gotten used to it at this point "Believe it or not he's on our side." he said "But let's try to keep it that way alright." he said to his cowering student, who continued to shrink in the giant's shadow. Piccolo for him part remained as he was, standing over Naruto. His eyes lingered on him studying the boy he heard so much about.

"So this is him?" Piccolo asked Kakashi, but kept his eyes down on Naruto. Growing a little bolder Naruto stood back up and looked to his mentor.

"Yeah." Kakashi nodded "That's him." With his teachers validation Naruto looked back to Piccolo.

Piccolo looked Naruto over as he stood beneath him. 'The nine tailed fox.' he thought 'What a distinct energy, even different from Kakashi's. It seems almost like a bottomless pit.' he mused to himself as he studied Naruto. 'I can see why King Kai would be apprehensive and Goku eager to fight him. But seeing him now..' he trailed off.

"I'm what?" Naruto asked looking up.

"All the trouble I've gotten into." Piccolo answered, but Naruto only raised an eyebrow to that.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" he asked a little less frightened and now disgruntled. Piccolo's eyes turned back towards Naruto, but he didn't seem as frightened of him as he was before.

"Piccolo." he said. The confidence Naruto released now turned into confusion.

"Eh sorry I don't play any-"

"My name." he snapped.

"Ohh Piccolo.." Naruto let out finally piecing it together "well that kind of a weird name." he said aloud. Piccolo let out a grumble "Well anyone who knows Kakashi- sensei is a friend of mine!" he proclaimed. Piccolo managed a small smile at his outburst, one reminiscent of how he thought of Guy before. Kakashi, who was watching all of this from the sidelines, was both amused and pleased by what was going on.

"Too much optimism?" Kakashi spoke up calling over Naruto, and to Piccolo.

"Not at all." Piccolo answered with his smile widening before turning back to Naruto. He reached out his arm and placed it on his shoulder "Don't worry about anything that's happened today, alright." Naruto looked to the hand placed on his shoulder that covered it entirely "We'll fix all this. Together." he said and added a nod as extra assurance. Hearing the sincerity in his voice Naruto grew brighter as he looked up to him.

Naruto grinned "Yeah. I know we will!" He was quickly becoming more comfortable around Piccolo, despite his strange name and the fact that his skin made him squeamish. "Say, you wanna be apart of my special team?!" he asked gaining his enthusiasm "We need some more members! And I bet you'd make a great bodyguard!"

"I'm already part of a team." Piccolo told which seemed to dampened Naruto's spirit "But I suppose my talents could always be used elsewhere." he shot him a small smile.

"Alright!" he exclaimed before looking him over "So where do you know Kakashi sensei from?" he asked curiously.

Kakashi and Piccolo eyes darted from each other and then back to him. The question was for Piccolo, but it was Kakashi who answered.

"We're old sparring partners." Kakashi told.

"Oh" Naruto let out as if confused "Neat!" Naruto followed up in a much more energetic fashion, and then turned to Piccolo "Well then, when this is all over do you think you could train wit-"

"Naruto" his teacher quickly cut him off "Were kind of in a rush." he smiled reassuringly under his mask.

"Rush? Where to?" The two exchanged a similar set of strange looks.

"...Nowhere in particular." he answered.

"Well then why do you-"

"See ya later." he waved as the two walked off "Keep an eye on Sakura for me, alright."

Resolved to that Naruto left them. Luckily he hadn't asked where they were during all the commotion. But once Piccolo not only sensed, but heard a conflict they hurried back as fast as they could. Piccolo turned to Kakashi as they walked through the hallway.

"Old sparring partners?" Piccolo quoted with some disdain.

"What?" Kakashi shrugged "It's not a lie." he said before they continued on their way.

"You think he knows?" he asked, though he didn't mean of his own origins.

"Probably." The two of them left the hospital out the back exit. They maneuvered through the rest of the village through back alleys and less crowded streets to get to their destination. "I didn't say it before" he said, and Piccolo turned to eye him strangely. There was a hint of appreciation in his voice and could be seen hidden behind the mask "But thank you for letting us turn around to find them." If it wasn't for Piccolo's ears, they may very well still be heading towards another hidden village and who knows where they'd be now "I'm sure it wasn't an easy call to turn away from finding your own friends, lost as they may be." The two started out as foes, but came together for a shared purpose. Trust that was building between then along this journey seemed cemented by this point, to both sides.

"It was the right call." Piccolo said reflecting on the recent developments. "You don't have to thank me. And I didn't abandon them." he asserted "We'll find them at the end of this."

"Of course we will" Kakashi agreed. He then took in a deep breath and released it "Well.." he sighed and then paused "perhaps we're closer to finding this out now huh?" he suggested, given recent developments, Once they returned to the Leaf Village they knew it would do no good to head out to the Cloud or Mist again. Guy and Sakura may have been defeated, but so was someone else. And that was where they were heading now. To find out the answers that plagued both of them. And hopefully it may lead but them to Piccolo's friends. But the mention of that only made Piccolo grumble and he said nothing else, but Kakashi could tell something was stirring in his mind. Some terrible question he was wondering himself. Kakashi assumed it was about the whereabouts of his friends. Finally they came before a dark closed off building and he reached for the knob.

"I feel the need to have to ask." Piccolo said stopping Kakashi before the door "Will he get the same treatment I had?". Piccolo's voice was gruff and inquisitive. Kakashi's one eye was quite receptive to that question and it took him a few moments to form an answer. So this is what was on his mind.

"I don't know yet." he said gravely "Somewhere in all this, there's got to be foul play of some kind." he eventually retorted. "Wouldn't you agree?" he asked looking up at Piccolo, but he never received an answer. The Namekian didn't seem convinced, but said nothing either way about it. "Shall we than?" Kakashi asked opening the door waiting for him to go inside of it.

Soul Society

Nanao had made it sound urgent when she came to him in his office. Captain Ukitake had requested 'Lil Shiro's' presence at his barracks immediately, but considering she was the one delivering the message it was likely Shunsui would be there as well, not that it was such a surprising development. Naturally he grumbled at his nickname being used so brazenly. Toshiro thought this strange considering that they were the ones left in charge of the Senkaimon. He had assumed they likely wanted to discuss his most recent mission in more detail before it was passed off to the Head Captain.

Entering the confines of the Thirteenth Division was nothing new to him, but these sounds were. He heard laughter and giggling. Not of the seated officers, but of young children. He ignored it, thinking it had nothing to do with him or the reason he was here.

How wrong he would be.

He ventured further into the barracks, expecting to find the two senior captains together as they often were. And given their demeanors and temperaments were likely lounging by the pond in the courtyard. Following the long hallway down and coming to the open door leading to it Toshiro found the two captains sitting out by the Koi pond, just as he expected. Only they weren't alone. There were four figures there. The two captains of course though they were separate from each other. And each one had by their side, not each other, but two small children. The source of the sounds Toshiro had heard since he entered.

Sitting over the pond was Jushiro, whose reflection showed his calm and tranquil demeanor. Beside him A young black haired boy in an orange gi had his head buried on the Seretei communication, specifically the story Jushiro himself had written meant to entertain small children. The tips of his protruding hair poked up above the magazine.

"I refuse that!" the small black haired boy proclaimed behind the pages mimicking the main characters catch phrase much to the amusement of Jushiro. Toshiro could not see the boys face since it was buried in the pages, but Toshiro recognized that voice and it alarmed him instantly.

He snapped his head to see Shunsui laid out on his side using his arm to prop his head up, as his pink and white robes hung off of him. Another boy with hair to match Shunsui's outer coat sat with him fiddling with both his swords in his hands. There was nothing to hide his identity from Toshiro, and he was doing the same thing with Shunsui's swords that he was doing with Hyorinmaru when he first laid eyes on him in the Leaf Village.

"Where is your mama? Your papa?" Shunsui asked as Trunks twirled both his swords before the captain.

"My mom's back home, probably working on her lab or some stuff." Trunks answered holding both of Shunsui's swords up now, one in each hand. Shunsui nodded with feigned interest beneath his hat "And my dad's out there somewhere. I mean, I'm not sure where yet. We were looking for him before this weird old guy showed up. But then we lost him and that kid stopped us."

"Stopped ya?" Shunsui asked from under his hat "Well, maybe he was just trying to make friends?" he rationalized calmly as he took a sip from his cup as his head dipped back under his hat.

"No I don't think so." Trunks responded "He's just a-" he stopped short when he noticed Toshiro standing right there in the doorway staring right at him "Right Here!" he jumped up and was ready to blast him away with ki blasts. As he was powering up Toshiro snapped his sword from its sheath and held it up for another fight.

"Whoa, whoa easy" Shunsui said putting a hand over Trunk's shoulder as he elevated in the air and Shunsui stood up to hold him in place "What's the need for a fight? We can resolve this peacefully." he said soothing Trunks in his grip.

"But he's-" Trunks refuted and was cut off.

"Now, now" Shunsui waved his hands "He knows what he did was wrong, and he's sorry for it." he scolded before he turned to look over to Toshiro "It's that right?" he called over to him.

"What?!" Toshiro shouted.

"Not so loud." Goten called out as he knelt by the side of the pond with Jushiro "You'll disturb the fish." he said as he touched the top of the water, disturbing the fish even more.

Toshiro's shoulder fell a bit at that statement before he tensed up again. Didn't he remember anything? Trunks sure did as he glared towards him.

"Come on Shiro." Jushiro called to him "No need for that. Put it away." he said calmly. Shunsui nodded as well as he kept his hands on Trunks. Toshiro's eyes darted from one boy to the next. Trunks seemed ready to go again while Goten seemed aloof, but Toshiro knew he'd join in when he had to. He grumbled his frustration and then looked to see Shunsui and Jushiro. Toshiro remembered the last time he dueled a captain in another division's barracks. At the recommendation of his fellow captains, he begrudgingly sheathed his sword. But he was far from pleased about the developments. If they had a good reason for not only releasing these two, but bringing him here, he would find out.

"What are they doing out here?" he gritted his teeth as he walked into the courtyard "I left them in the charge of Captain Soi fon and the detention unit for a reason."

"I know." Shunsui answered crossing his arms as Trunks lowered back to the ground "And it was hard to get them out. You know women," he shrugged and his coat bobbed and swayed with the rise and fall of his shoulders "their maternal instincts kick in and all." Shunsui waved his hand in the air easily dismissing the Captain of the Stealth force. Toshiro was certain that things went down quite differently. But regardless of what did happen the two captains did manage to get the two boys out. Toshiro knew if something was wrong in the ninja world these two would have, indirectly or otherwise some part in it. That's what he was there to figure out after all. "Now listen." Shunsui said lowering down to him "Toshiro." Shunsui called out "I have a mission for you."

"I already had a mission." Toshiro asserted "To find out what discrepancies were in that world."

"And you brought back these two?" Shunsui asked looking down to Trunks before both of their eyes shifted to Goten "Why their harmless." he shrugged "A new assignment stands before you now" he continued. It was not the place of a captain to give orders to another captain, but nonetheless he Captain of Squad Ten listened intently, even though he wouldn't like where this would go considering he didn't like how it started "Just as it was passed on to us, we will now pass it on to you." he pointed to him "You are in charge of the Senkaimon until you are relieved by us, or should you relieve it to some one else."

"Well then I relieve it to you two now." Toshiro grumbled with crossed arms. He had no time to pick up on the tardiness of his fellow captains. He had enough of that with Tsunade already and this is where it got him. All of his progress undone by these two. And for what?

"Ah!" Shunsui waved his finger "That's not how it works. If we're in charge of the Senkaimon, who is going to watch after our two honored guests here?"

Toshiro grinded his teeth so hard he thought they would shatter "I had left them in the care of Captain Soi fon for a reas-"

"A prison!" Jushiro exclaimed "For children. Toshiro I am shocked!" he gasped. Toshiro's anger was building as Trunks stuck his tongue out to him from beside Shunsui. Goten from beside Jushiro fell back laughing at him, which only caused the vein in Toshiro's head to bulge out even more.

"Then it's decided!" Shunsui announced coming back up "And since your in charge of the Senkaimon, there's something we need you to do." Toshiro raised an eyebrow.

"What could that possibly be?" Now it seems they were arriving to the point. Shunsui turned over to Jushiro who still sat by the pond. Toshiro followed his gaze and turned as well. Looking at them Jushiro then turned his attention down to Goten sitting beside him.

"Bring Ichigo here." Jushiro said before rubbing Goten's head affectionately "He knows this one's older brother."

"Ichigo?" Toshiro repeated, surprised. His tense demeanor had changed. Last time he saw Ichigo was before he left to go the ninja world. But if Ichigo was in the other world assigned to them and he knew Gotens brother, that confirmed Toshiro's suspicion about Goten and Trunk's origin. And now why Jushiro and Shunsui wanted them released. Despite all that, Toshiro thought they had the wrong person "The last time I saw him he was-"

"He was. You're very right." Shunsui said brining getting Toshiro's attention again "But he's been moving around since you last saw him. And he brought back company just as you did, though they received better treatment. No small part by us."

Toshiro surprised turned more into confusion "What do you mean?" he asked "Regardless of what he did how do you possibly expect me to find him not?" he asked.

"Well that's alright" Shunsui answered "because we know where he is." he said with a sly smile across his bearded face.

Next Time: Another side story; elsewhere more heroes collide across time, and a river runs through it.