Episode 16 – Diamond in the Rough

As she stared into the distant pitch blackness, Riko wondered if she was eventually going to pass out where she'd been standing for the last half hour. She'd gotten barely six hours, and everyone else was fast asleep. After checking on them again for the umpteenth time, she yawned. At this point, she almost wished something would show up. If nothing else, it'd give her a chance to prove to Junpei once and for all she could take care of herself. But her determination was snuffed when she remembered her dream, and how she ran away from that lone voice like a chicken.

Riko growled lowly in frustration. Ever since her brother first taught her how to fight, she'd vowed she'd never find herself at the end of someone else's fists…again. And she hadn't – at least this far. Yet she couldn't shake the feeling her luck was going to run out soon. At least it didn't have anything to do with Kento. Or…did it? Turning around, Riko fixed her gaze on the young man sleeping just a few feet away. For a moment, she smiled. For all his muscle, he looked so innocent. And even though they'd only just met, he'd already gone out of his way to help her and her family more than once.

As they'd done several times by then, Riko's thoughts turned toward Shion and Shosei, two of her bandmates. While their keyboard player and older sister, Saya, flirted with Junpei, the twin brothers had tried the same with Riko. She liked both boys, yet in all the years she'd known them, never had she felt a connection with either like the one she felt with Kento – whom she'd known for only a day. Only 'cause he saved your life. And yet, why did it feel like there was more to it than that…?

So deep was she in contemplation that Riko flinched sharply when she felt a touch on her shoulder. Despite the dark, she relaxed somewhat when she looked and saw only her sister. Still, she half-hissed, "Geez Tomomi! Don't do that!"

Tomomi shrank back. "Sorry," she whispered regretfully. "It's just…" She paused briefly, as if hesitating. "I saw something, way over there." She pointed beyond Riko, who looked in that direction.

But she only saw the same sight she'd been staring at all night – endless darkness. "Go back to sleep, sis," Riko sighed. "You were probably just dreaming."

Undeterred, Tomomi persisted. "No way. I can tell the difference between a dream and real life, and I'm telling you, this was real!"

Realizing she now sounded genuinely uneasy, Riko, though still skeptical, couldn't be frustrated anymore. "Alright. What do you think you saw?"

"I didn't think I saw it!" Tomomi snapped. "I saw it! There were these two pairs of glowing blue eyes, almost…almost like…blue fire. That's the best way I can put it anyway. And they stared at me." She visibly shuddered. "It felt both hot and cold at the same time. But it was even worse when this happened." She held up two fingers, moved them in a beckoning gesture, and spoke in an almost crone-like voice. "'Come closer dear child, for we have gifts for thee…'"

An imitation though it was, Riko was chilled to the marrow of her bones – and she was not someone who scared easy. But the sights and sounds Tomomi described sounded eerily similar. Could those insidious, laughing voices from her dream have somehow made their way to the real world? Of course not. You're just wound up after the mother of all earthquakes. And yet, much as she wanted to heed her own words, she couldn't be sure. So many things had already happened in the past day alone that seemed too easy to chalk up to mere coincidence.

Eventually, Riko determined there was only one way to settle this. Lifting herself to her feet, she reached out a hand toward her sister. "Okay. If you're right, then I don't wanna leave anything to chance. And if we're gonna be sure, we might as well find out who – or what – is out there."

"Just you and me?" Tomomi asked nervously. "But, what about Junpei and Kento?" Both girls eyed the guys behind them, but Riko's gaze lingered on Kento. Cool as he'd already proven himself to be – at least in her eyes – something in her didn't like the idea of tagging him along.

For his safety then. But even she didn't quite buy that. His muscular form had told her from the very beginning that he was a very physical guy, who could more than likely hold his own against anything that might've been hanging around here. She would've mulled over it further, had she not caught her sister's gaze, and decided they'd waited too long already. "Come on, Tomomi. The guys'll be fine. Besides, you know how Junpei is when someone rudely wakes him."

For the first time that night, Tomomi giggled. "Since when does someone not rudely wake him?" In an attempt to ease her own nerves, Riko chuckled. But both their stares returned to the dark unknown little more than a few yards away; their shared anxiety reemerged while each waited for the other to make the first step.

With a heavy sigh, and a reminder that she wasn't alone – despite being the obvious defender – Riko firmly but gently took hold of her sister's hand. And together, the two sisters departed from their makeshift camp, and into the mouth of the beastly blackness ahead.

Only when they were fully immersed did Riko even breathe again. At first, it didn't feel so harrowing now that they were actually on the move – until the deep, dark cave of Riko's dream almost seemed to rematerialize right in front of her. Only when Tomomi tugged on her hand did she snap out of her near self-induced trance. "I think they came from this way."

Remembering that she was in charge of the situation, Riko replied, "Alright. Let's both look out and hear for anything…weird." She wished she could shake off her unease like a dog could water. "But listen – if things go south, you go back north, and only north. You get me?"

"U-uh huh." Even in the barest of available light, Riko could make out her nod. "To be honest," Tomomi added as they continued walking, "I'm hoping we don't find anything at all."

"Me too, but beggars can't be choosers in the end." Yet even as the words passed her lips, she could already feel the foreboding weigh heavily on her shoulders. But she'd made her choice, and for it, was now here, with Tomomi – whom she would defend with her life against any monster or demon, real or imagined.

Kento groaned lowly as he turned over on his opposite side. Notwithstanding the gravel beneath him, something didn't feel right. Only when his eyes flew open did he see – or rather, didn't see – what. Riko! Tomomi! he realized with dread as he scrambled to his feet. They're gone! His head then flew back around when he heard their brother move. But to his brief relief, Junpei remained asleep – and Kento didn't dare wake him. Things between them may have patched up somewhat, but he knew Junpei would blame him for the disappearance of both his sisters. On the other hand, if he found them…

But where can they be?! he half-panicked as he turned again to face the cave-like entrance to the big, black tunnel ahead. He wondered if this might be the work of the Dynasty – or whatever unholy death-dealers now stalked these granite halls – and the heat of anger began pulsing through him. It'd be just like them to go for the girls instead of me! The cowards! But before his hands could form into fists, some unknown force from within restrained him. Get it together, man! I know you feel like you wanna bash something's head open but now is NOT the time! Think!

Wherever that voice came from, it took a while, but Kento heeded it. Almost immediately, his initial scenario didn't add up. Just as he wouldn't let the Dynasty take him or his loved ones without a fight, he knew Riko wouldn't either. After all, she was a Ronin Warrior – even if her powers hadn't awakened yet. But regardless, both Riko and her sister were missing, and he had to find them – fast. But how? Who knows how big this place is? They could be anywhere by now! Such thoughts did not help at all. But even in the midst of the mental chaos, a brilliant idea – if he did say so himself – struck him like a rock to the head.

Last year, when Suzunagi had gifted him and his fellow Ronins with new armors free of Talpa's influence, they'd also been granted new abilities. It'd been awhile since Kento had tried his. But for all he knew, the girls' lives were at stake, and he couldn't think of anything else. With Junpei still asleep, Kento hurried quietly to stand right in front of the tunnel's entryway. He then got down on one knee, and – after summoning every ounce of his hidden power – planted his bare hand onto the ground.

The floor may have been concrete, but Kento knew the material was simply highly-processed earth. With his hand now connected to it, and his eyes closed, he could practically feel his energy channel through the rocky ground like blood coursing through veins. This was his new ability – a sonar-like sense that allowed him to locate almost anyone, even if they were miles away. Where are you…? he asked calmly in his mind, willing the latter to summon the images of both Riko and Tomomi. He was already beginning to fear he'd lost them, when…

There! His energy trail had picked up two human forms! Kento shot to his feet – only to feel somewhat light-headed. But he quickly brushed it off, attributing it to the power he'd just expended. He knew now where both sisters were, and nothing could hold him back any longer from racing down the tunnel.

At first, Kento wondered if he should call out, but thought better of it. The sights and sounds of the place were all too familiar to him, and it was already giving him the creeps. He'd once traveled through a network of abandoned, isolating underground tunnels just like these, five years ago, during the Dynasty's first assault on the human world. Kento and Rowen had been on a scouting mission, when they'd gotten separated – and Talpa revealed the earth-shattering truth of the nine armors to Kento.

Here and now, he couldn't help but wonder if the past would repeat itself in some way. What if he was wrong about Riko? What if she wasn't an ally…but an enemy? No, that's impossible! I saw that kanji character glowing on her forehead! Yet as he ventured deeper and deeper into the concrete caverns, Kento couldn't leave his doubts in the dust.

Meanwhile, in a separate tunnel, Riko had stiffened as though startled, and her sister noticed. "Riko?" Riko shushed Tomomi sharply; she needed to think. It wasn't as if she was scared – or so she kept telling herself. Rather, it was as if an invisible hand had reached out and touched her.

"We aren't alone," she told Tomomi as calmly as she could. "I don't know who's out there; could be anybody. But stick close to me from now on." Tomomi nodded nervously, and remained silent as she nestled into her sister's protective side. From then on, neither dared speak…until it sounded like they were hearing the echoes of footsteps other than their own. They paused, and the sound ceased at the same time. They looked all around, but saw nothing. In any case, they continued on, their nerves pricking their skin like needles.

But there it was again. Both girls froze like does in headlights. "What is that?" Tomomi asked softly. Riko couldn't answer. Nonetheless, whoever was out there, they were not going to snatch her sister away. Unwilling to leave anything to fate, she hastened Tomomi toward a nearby corridor.

"Stay here," she ordered, and the younger girl didn't argue as Riko inched away. It wasn't totally dark, but the shadows created by the very faint light around her set Riko on edge like nothing else. She broke out in a cold sweat, and her mouth felt parched, even when she swallowed. Lifting her fists, she slowly backed away, never letting Tomomi out of her sight even as she continued to scan the area. But had she dared look over her shoulder, she would've seen a human-shaped silhouette also backing away in her direction.

All of a sudden, she felt it – a touch at her back! Tomomi screamed, and Riko jolted with a yelp. But rather than flee, she chose to fight. She spun around and threw a punch, but hit only the air. At once, she sensed the stranger's attempt to do the same to her, and jumped back just in time. As she and her attacker kept up their struggle in a blur of action and fury, it became clear that they were putting in the same amount of effort. When a pair of rough hands grabbed her by the wrist and shoulder, Riko knew she had to put in more.

With a growl, she bit down on the hand holding her shoulder, causing her opponent – whom she now knew to be male – to shout in pain, and slacken his hold on her wrist. Before he knew it, she'd slammed him against a wall of solid-rock, her arms wrapped firmly and tightly around his windpipe. "Who are you?!" she snarled menacingly. "Talk or I'll break your neck!" The man audibly gagged, but he managed to get three words out. "…Riko…?!" Cough. "…It's…me…!"

His voice was strained, but Riko's eyes went wide with horror as she recognized it. Instantaneously, she released her hold on him, allowing the young man to drop to the hard floor, gasping harshly for air as he lifted his hands to soothe his throat. "Geez! Now that's what I call getting a grip!" Meanwhile, Riko stood her ground for a moment, wondering if this was just a trick. But the noises of Kento's suffering – suffering she'd inflicted – sounded too human to be anything else.

And that was when the full gravity of what'd happened and what she'd done hit her. She knelt down and helped Kento regain his feet, her hold still firm but much more gentle now, even as her tone was wracked with guilt. "Man, Kento, I am so sorry!"

She tensed for a second, expecting anger. But instead, Kento shook his head at her. "No… No, it was my bad." His voice still sounded hoarse, but not as much as before. Even more surprising was the awkward smile he gave her. "Hey, at least you didn't go for the jugular!"

Riko tried to smile back, but she wasn't in the mood. Even if he wasn't the enemy she'd first took him to be, she still had to know. "Kento, what are you doing here?"

Now Kento frowned. "No offense but, I think I should be asking you that," he retorted, sounding frustrated yet also…hurt? "I thought we agreed to stick together. How do you think I felt when you practically vanished into thin air? How do you think the whole thing would've looked to your brother?"

Riko gasped lightly, and she briefly felt like an idiot now that she really thought about it. "He's not awake is he?"

"Nah," Kento replied. "At least, he wasn't when I left. But I got a feeling we're not gonna get away with this for much longer."

"Y-yeah," Riko agreed awkwardly. "You're right. We should be getting back." She then spotted her sister, and felt even more disconcerted at her previous thoughtlessness – another blunder to add to her growing list. "Tomomi, you okay?" she asked as she approached.

Fortunately, the younger girl didn't appear hurt, just shaken. "Yeah, I'm fine," she replied softly, as if she too felt bad about how things turned out. "I'm sorry."

Filled with pity, Riko couldn't help but smile. "What're you talking about? None of this is your fault. Come on; you look tired." Despite the encouragement, Tomomi didn't smile back; only nodded, and then followed Riko and Kento as they began their return trip down the tunnel.

Yet not long after they entered, much as she would've liked to know how they were going to get back, there was one question that burned even brighter in Riko's mind. "Hey, how did you find us?" she asked her companion. "We lost our way a long time ago."

Even in the little light afforded them, Riko could still see the whites of Kento's wide eyes. She could also sense his hesitation. "Well…I guess you could…say I have a sixth sense?"

Riko tilted her head to the side. Not exactly an original explanation – and perhaps not a completely honest one either. But as with all the other things she didn't know about him, she figured this was as good an answer as she'd get. "And if you don't mind me asking," Kento then said, "where'd you learn to fight like that?" He half-laughed. "I thought I'd seen it all yesterday but, apparently not."

Suddenly, Riko halted, just as she had earlier when she sensed his presence. "Say what?" Her heart started pounding nervously – as if it knew before she did where this was going.

"You know," Kento replied as though stating the obvious, "that robber from yesterday – the one you tackled after he stole that other guy's wallet? I saw it all!" He sounded amazed. Yet Riko, despite not knowing why, felt weirdly unnerved now that she knew Kento had already seen what she was capable of – and that was before the earthquake landed them all in this abyss.

At first, she chalked it up to good old-fashioned embarrassment. But back then, she hadn't cared who watched. Why was she now caring this much all of a sudden? "Hey, Riko?" Kento then got her attention. "You alright?"

"Huh? Oh, i-it's nothing, don't worry about it." And now she knew she'd been staring off into space. Riko could only wonder how much more awkward things could get between them. But she didn't even get to enjoy that luxury for long.

Before she knew it, they were back at the campsite – and there was Junpei, wide awake and leaning against a column with his arms crossed, until he saw his sisters. Wanting to get this over with, Riko raised a flimsy hand in greeting. "Hey bruh."

"Riko! Tomomi!" Junpei caught up to them before they could even think to move toward him. "You're not hurt are you? Either of you?"

"Oh, we thought we'd break a few limbs for fun – yes, we're fine, Junpei," Riko replied sarcastically, though that was more out of annoyance that he didn't extend the same courtesy to Kento. Then again, why was she surprised?

"Speaking of which," Junpei went on, his relief now replaced with baffled confusion, "what happened to you? Where've you been, I mean? Do you know how freaked out I was?"

Riko could hear the genuine hurt in his demands, and she felt a bit of it too. For all her brother's confrontational tendencies, she did sometimes forget he had emotions other than that. Still, she'd grown weary of shame. "No, I didn't, and I'm sorry. But if I do tell you what happened, will you promise not to give us all a hard time?"

Junpei crossed his arms again and stood straight, his unblinking, impenetrable eyes focused solely on his sister. "Maybe." Not ideal, but better than the alternative.

"Alright," Riko sighed. "First off, if you wanna wail on somebody, wail on me. It was my idea for me and Tomomi to leave in the first place. She said she saw a sort of creeper in the dark or something. I didn't wanna wake you or Kento but I also didn't want us to get ambushed, so we went to check it out."

"Hey, wait up," Kento interrupted, taking Riko slightly aback with his new eagerness. "Tomomi, what did you see exactly?"

Riko was about to say her sister didn't have to answer if she didn't want to, but she nevertheless seemed glad to, if in a glum sort of way. "I don't really know, to be honest. All I saw were a pair of glowing, neon-blue eyes just staring at me. Then I heard an echoing voice, or maybe two, trying to call me over. I was too creeped out though." She finished with a shudder. Immediately after, Kento stared at Riko in dismay – as if he'd expected Riko to tell him about this right away. In any case, Riko had to wonder why he was so interested.

"That's it?" Junpei asked, bringing her back to the present. She watched as her brother ran a hand down his tired face. "Seriously Riko? You went to all this trouble just for that?"

Though her passion from earlier had dimmed somewhat from weariness, Riko still had enough to tell him off. "What was I supposed to do, Junpei? Huh? You tell me. And for that matter, where were you? Kento at least got off his butt and then got it handed to him trying to find us!"

Junpei gave a perplexed frown. "What are you talking about?" Turning to Kento, he asked more firmly, "What'd you do?"

Back to stroking his still sore throat, Kento nodded toward Riko. "What she said!" He laughed somewhat, or at least as much as he was able to. When Junpei didn't appear impressed, he spoke more seriously. "Uh…we, kinda ran into each other – or backed into each other, if we're gonna get technical. We didn't recognize each other at first and, we fought."

Before Junpei could react as she knew he would, Riko spoke up. "For the record, I threw the first punch. I started it, and finished it."

"Yeah you did!" Kento heartily agreed, confusing her once more as to why. "Seriously, dude, your sister has a killer choke-hold! Literally, almost."

Riko sighed her relief. "Thank almighty goodness!" Wanting to end this on a note she saw fit, she declared, "Look, whatever happened, right now the point is we're all back together, and in one piece." Kento coughed slightly, reminding her of his predicament. "Well, mostly."

That was when she heard a soft sniffle, and she was struck with concern when she saw Tomomi on the verge of tears. "I'm sorry," she said, trying to pull herself together. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have said anything!"

As she did earlier, Riko went to stand in front of her, and placed her hands on her sister's shoulders, earning her attention. "What'd I say, Tomomi? It's not your fault." Turning her gaze to her brother, she added, "It's nobody's fault. Right, Junpei?"

She almost dared him to say otherwise. But ultimately, it ended up being one of those rare instances in which he saw things her way. "Right," he reluctantly agreed. "And since we're all up and alert, and no one has come to find us yet, I say we pack up and move on." Kento and Tomomi groaned in unison, while Riko simply rolled her eyes. But she had a feeling it would come to this. Even if she and Tomomi didn't find what they were looking for, that didn't mean there wasn't somebody out there, with less than decent intentions.

But then her gaze rested on Kento. So little about him made sense, yet she couldn't help being drawn to him. She still had yet to learn why he wanted to know all the details of this case. More importantly though, she started to wonder if it was safe for them to be near each other at all. On the one hand, her admiration for him had grown all the more. But on the other, would she have gone so far as to break his neck had she not recognized him in time…? Would he want to be around the girl who'd outfought him?

After scaling and then leaping down a particularly big pile of rubble, Kento once again felt his head go for a swim. But just as he did earlier, he ignored it, and turned his focus back to helping Riko down, while Junpei did the same for Tomomi. He held his arms out, and Riko promptly jumped into them. The rough impact caused him to stagger back a couple steps. He righted himself in time, but Riko hadn't missed anything. "Hey man, you sure you're okay? You're kinda pale." She then rested a hand on his cheek, and Kento couldn't deny how nice it felt…

He heard someone clear his throat, and both he and Riko turned to see Junpei, his eyebrow raised in suspicion. Realizing he was still holding onto Riko, Kento was a bit too quick to let her go. Yet already he was missing her arms around his neck – much better than when she had him by the neck anyway. "Wait, where's my purse?!" Tomomi suddenly asked, her head turning this way and that.

"Oh no," Riko replied dejectedly. "I…think you dropped it, sis." She then pointed at the murky underground river next to them. And sure enough, they all spotted Tomomi's purse floating down it, already too far away to get back.

"Well, there go our meager supplies," Junpei added glumly. Immediately after, Tomomi let out a despairing groan that echoed from the stone walls. "Hey, cut it out," her brother then cut in. "We still have our phones." But Kento knew it for the cold comfort it was. All their phones were now dead.

"Bro, give her a break, will ya?" Riko snapped at Junpei. She then walked over to the younger girl, who hastily embraced her older sister.

"Riko, I'm tired," she half-mewled. "I wanna get outta here. I wanna see Mom and Dad." Riko was already hugging her back, and tenderly stroking her head.

"I know, sis," she replied, weary yet compassionate. "I do too. But…we gotta keep going, 'kay? That's what they'd want us to do. And in the end, it'll all be worth it." Tomomi made the barest noise of acknowledgement, and Riko turned her face up to look at her. "You gonna be okay?"

"Yeah," Tomomi nodded. "I just…wanna be alone right now." With a sigh, she let go of Riko, but Riko didn't object – only giving her one last head-rub.

"Alright. Hang in there, girl." Tomomi then turned away, and Kento was surprised to see Junpei wrap an arm around her. Then again, he himself would do the same for any of his own brothers and sisters.

As they walked on, Kento noticed that Riko's violet eyes no longer sparkled. Every now and then he heard a huff of effort from her. Of course, they were all tired from hours – he'd lost count of how many – of trekking through the endless dark maze of dirt and concrete. But for Kento, it felt so disheartening seeing the pumped-up girl he'd met now look so downtrodden. Still, if there was one thing he knew about being a Ronin Warrior, it was that you never leave another behind. Luckily, she seemed to get that too, if her seemingly endless patience with her sister was any indication. Not to mention her willingness to utterly pound somebody – preferably not him – who threatened her or her loved ones.

With that thought, Kento remembered that she'd never answered his question from earlier, about how she'd learned to do that. But before he could ask it again, Riko sighed heavily and wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. "Is it me, or is it starting to feel like the Brinstar underground levels in Super Metroid?"

Kento was so caught off guard by her comment, he couldn't help but smile. "So you like retro music and retro games? Not that that isn't cool, 'cause it totally is!"

She smirked at him and pointed at herself with her thumb. "You, sir, are looking at the queen of hipsters right here! At least, that's what Tomomi likes to call me."

Happy she'd gotten some of her spark back, Kento returned her chuckle. "That was really cool, what you did back there, and even all the stuff before that. You really love your family, don't you?"

Riko's own smile faltered somewhat. "Well, yeah, of course I do. I mean, why wouldn't I? Yeah we break out the battle-axes every now and then but, what family doesn't? Doesn't mean we don't love each other. If anything, it kinda shows how much we do care."

Kento's tone also grew more thoughtful. "Can't argue with that." At the same time, he recalled what'd happened just two years prior. After Ryo and Sage were kidnapped by Mukala, he and Cye argued about the latter's reluctance to be a Ronin Warrior, and even came to blows. Cye then fled, leaving Kento and Rowen, along with Mia and Yuli, to go and find their comrades without him. And yet, he did come through when they all needed him most. And with everything he'd seen Riko do, Kento believed in her more and more.

But that unanswered question remained. So he decided he might as well be out with it. "You know, you never did tell me earlier – how you learned to fight like that, I mean. I don't think I've met another girl who can own it that hard. Well…maybe I have but, that's another story."

To his disappointment, he received from her the same reaction as before – hesitant and unwilling. "I take that as a compliment, but…I'd honestly rather not say. It's not exactly something I'm eager to tell just anybody." Right then, she looked directly at him, her eyes now almost penetrating. "While we're at it though, there's more than one thing you're keeping secret from me." Kento could only stare at her. He'd already known she was on to him, but he still hadn't had the chance to get her alone. Only then could he explain everything. "Look Kento, I really like you. And I really appreciate everything you've done. But if you're not gonna tell me what's going on with you, why should I do the same?"

That was a good point, but Kento was loathe to admit it. "What do you want then? My whole life story?" he asked in the heat of frustration. "I'm not a terrorist, Riko."

"Wha–? When did I ever say that?!" Riko demanded, her voice rising. "All I'm asking for is a little transparency. You still haven't told me your surname for Pete's sake!"

"Maybe I have a good reason!" Kento snapped back. "Maybe I have a better reason to ask you where you got that choke-hold from! How do I know you're not a terrorist?!"

"Hey, what's going on?!" Junpei's voice then rang out, causing both Kento and Riko to shut their mouths. But before either could answer, a rumbling noise sounded, followed by a slight crackling echo. More anxiously, Junpei asked, "Okay, seriously, what's going on?"

The crackling returned, and more loudly. Kento himself was already feeling the ground beginning to shake. Oh no! Not again! But he quickly realized that, rather than an earthquake, the rocky floor was threatening to collapse underneath him – underneath all of them! "Everyone move! Move!" He shoved Riko forward, and immediately followed behind her. But he didn't get very far when the floor beneath him turned to liquid, and then disappeared entirely. Yet before he could go down with it, Kento jumped and shot his arms in front of him.

The next thing he knew, he was hanging above a gigantic, gaping hole in the ground, with nothing to grab onto. When his eyes locked with Riko's though, all his concern was focused solely on her. "Go Riko! Go!"

Riko had stopped dead in her tracks when she looked over her shoulder and saw Kento about to go over the edge. And now he was telling her to just leave him? Fat chance! After checking to make sure her brother and sister were still racing away from the danger, Riko spun around, broke into a hard sprint, and then literally dove for Kento's slipping hand. "Gotcha!" she cried out. "Come on, Kento!" With every ounce of strength she had left, she grit her teeth hard as she hauled him up.

"Thanks," Kento breathed out when he stood next to her. Suddenly, they both heard the same crackling sound again, and felt dust falling around them. Looking up, Kento's eyes widened in horror. "Oh man, now it's the ceiling! Hurry!" Without pausing, he pulled Riko toward him, and shot full speed ahead. And while her heart was beating adrenaline as much as she was sure Kento's was, it wasn't lost on Riko that he was holding her against him for the first time in living memory.

But that didn't mean she let him simply tow her. Riko hotfooted it just as fast, and even more so when she heard the ceiling of the cavern really start to cave in. "We're not gonna make it!"

"Oh yes we are!" Kento retorted. "Hang on, Riko!" Before she could ask him why, Kento leaped, still clutching Riko to his side. Both of them landed on hard gravel, letting out pained grunts at the impact. Barely a couple feet behind, the stone ceiling finally crumbled and fell into a massive heap in a series of sounds that banged on their eardrums like a fist on a door.

When all was at last silent, Kento's hold on Riko loosened. For a minute, all she could do was lie on her back, trying to catch her breath. "Geez," she rasped. "What just happened?"

"No idea," Kento huffed. "But man, that was a heck of a ride, huh?" Whether it was her genuinely finding that funny, or simply trying to cope with the recent chaos, Riko couldn't help but laugh along with him.

When she fully regained feeling in her limbs, she flipped onto her front and pushed herself up from the ground. "It was like someone tried to bomb the place, if you ask me."

"I hope not," Kento replied as he rose up beside her. But the moment he was at full height, Riko noticed that he seemed to be swaying back and forth. Her alarm increased all the more when she saw the dizzy look on his face.

"Woah, woah!" Riko grabbed his arm just in time. In an attempt to prove her growing suspicions, she held her hand in front of him. "How many fingers am I holding up, Kento?"

"Three-and-a-half," Kento replied sarcastically. "Riko, I'm okay. Just a little winded from back there, that's all." But Riko wasn't buying it. It was just like earlier when he'd helped her down the hill of rocks, only worse. She knew for sure now something was wrong with him.

And it didn't take long for her to come up with a reason why. "Dude, have you eaten at all since yesterday? I don't think I've seen you take any of the food."

"Of course I have!" Kento insisted. "Just because you didn't see me eat any doesn't mean I haven't." Regardless, Riko was more impatient than ever to find a way out. The last thing she wanted was for Kento to starve, even if it was for everyone's sake.

"Come on, man," she said, returning his favor and holding him against her this time. "We gotta find Junpei and Tomomi. Hopefully they got away in time." Yet even as she tried to keep her thoughts on the rest of the party, her skin tingled slightly at touching his again.

Luckily, it wasn't long before she heard Tomomi's greeting. "Kento, Riko! There you are!" She hurried to rejoin them while Riko and Kento shared a sigh of relief. "Hey, what's wrong with Kento?"

Unwilling to let him deny it, Riko replied first. "I don't know. Glad to see you okay, sis. But what about Junpei? Where's he?" Tomomi pointed behind her.

"He's just up ahead! You gotta see what we found!" Her excitement proved contagious, and Riko and Kento didn't hesitate to follow her.

Had she been the melodramatic type, Riko would've wept upon seeing Junpei's silhouette against a shaft of light brighter than any she'd seen in forever. She did have to shut her eyes and blink several times in order to readjust. But that did nothing to quell her eagerness to head toward it like a moth to a flame – unless they'd all in fact died just now and were heading for the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. Only when she felt a cool breeze of fresh, non-stale air was she reassured otherwise.

Tomomi called out Junpei's name, and when he turned, he looked happier than Riko had seen in quite a while. "Oh good, you all made it! I think we've found our ticket out of here!"

"It'd better be," Kento half-grumbled. "If anybody out there tries to kill us, I'll pound them into dust first!" Riko almost burst out laughing – then again, he did have a good point.

"Have you seen anybody out there, Junpei?" she asked her brother, still holding onto Kento whatever he might've thought. "I'd rather not walk into a line of fire."

"No, I think it's okay," Junpei replied. "I heard heavy equipment out there. They could be digging to find survivors, but they might not wait forever. We gotta hurry before we miss them!"

By now, other voices, though faint, were echoing from outside the cavern. Riko turned to Kento. "Think you can move on your own now?"

"What?" Kento asked as if half-dazed. "Oh, oh, yeah. Sure, thanks." He seemed almost reluctant to leave her side, but Riko ignored it as she and Tomomi followed him and Junpei to the end of the tunnel.

Gradually, the light grew brighter, leaving Riko to wonder what time of day it was, and just how long they'd been trapped underground. All of a sudden, two blinding lights flashed into view, causing her to gasp and shut her eyes tight. "Keep moving, they're just searchlights," she heard Junpei say, and she obeyed, keeping her eyes closed.

Soon however, one of the lights turned off. Riko re-opened her eyes a bit and raised a hand in front of her face. From what she could see, she and the others stood at the bottom of a rocky pit tens of feet deep. The sky above appeared dark, yet also had traces of pink and orange clouds. It must've been late evening. She also saw at least half a dozen human-shaped shadows at the rim of the giant hole. Suddenly, Riko heard movement next to her. Tomomi was bent over, her hands on her knees as she cried out in weary gratitude, "Thank you!"

Riko too sighed. If her sister was this at ease, they had to have finally made it out. Junpei then stepped forward and called, "We need help! Is there anyone up there who can help us?"

They were still a way's off, but Riko could hear well enough the voice of one of the rescue-workers. "How many of you are there? Four?"

"Yeah," Junpei called again, "just the four of us! We've been stuck down here since the earthquake – we aren't sure for how long though!"

"Well the earthquake happened yesterday afternoon, sir!" a different voice – a woman's – replied. "And now it's a quarter to six! You've been down there for almost thirty hours!"

Thirty hours?! Riko thought as she, Kento, Junpei, and Tomomi all exchanged stunned faces. Her hand, having gotten tired, fell to her side again. And in the exposing sight, she could now truly see just how dirty, exhausted, and leaner they all looked – especially Kento. Riko was so worried for him that she too decided to speak. "Are any of you up there paramedics? We've had barely any food or water, and this guy right here's had it pretty bad!"

"Miss, just stay where you are – all of you!" another man called back. "We're gonna get you outta there soon as we can!" But for Riko, "soon" couldn't come soon enough. In fact, she herself was now truly starting to feel the effects of thirst and hunger. Her stomach felt hollow, and her throat was sore with dryness. And judging by the worn-out looks on their faces, it seemed her brother and sister felt pretty much the same.

After what felt like forever – though it couldn't have been more than five minutes – four cables were lowered, and Riko was relieved they wouldn't have to ascend by themselves when four people in black suits came down. She didn't like being separated from the others, but she didn't argue as she was harnessed to one of the men. "Hang on." She half-rolled her eyes; she didn't need to be told that. Although, as she wrapped her arms around him, she found that the strength in her arms had drained considerably. By the time they made it out of the pit, her limbs were beginning to feel like jello.

Whether it was fatigue or all the lights around her that she still had to get used to, Riko had to ask, "Where are you taking us?" At the same time, she tried to spot Junpei, Tomomi, or Kento. In her distraction, Riko didn't hear fully the man's response, except for the word "hospital." Her eyes widened. She'd figured as much once they'd gotten out of the cavern, but that did nothing to ease her nerves.

Even so, the next thing she knew, she was lying on her back again – this time on a gurney – and being loaded into a big van that she quickly recognized as an ambulance. The jostling made her head hurt, and Riko groaned loudly, but she didn't have the strength left to resist. Yet even in the blur of activity, she realized Kento was also lying on a gurney beside her – and looking about as annoyed as she felt. Still, she greeted him in the only way she could. "Hey, big guy."

His blue eyes went round with surprise. But then he smirked. "Don't you start that again." She giggled, glad he was at least back to his normal self. By now though, Riko was fading fast, and she knew it. Little by little, she grew more and more oblivious to everything having to do with the outside world, until finally, she closed her eyes.

"Ugh!" Tomomi huffed indignantly. "Glad that's over!" She sat on and then fell back onto the hospital bed, sighing her discontent. "I thought it'd never end!"

"What?" Riko asked, wanting to lighten the mood. "The tunnels or the treatments?" After half a night spent being tested by the hospital staff – or at least those who could be spared since it was rather packed – they'd all gotten permission to meet again in Kento's room. Despite it being as cold and sterile as the rest of the building, Riko felt a bit warmer now that she was with her siblings – and Kento – again.

"All of it!" Tomomi exclaimed, dramatically throwing up her arms. "I'm never doing anything like this again!" While they all very much agreed, Riko, Kento, and even Junpei couldn't help but chuckle.

"Hey, at least we've all had something to eat," Kento quipped. "I'll be the first to admit hospital food isn't the best, but it's food nonetheless!" Now Riko laughed. He did seem much better now that he'd eaten – they all did.

Junpei, however, frowned. "I just wish they were able to locate Mom and Dad." His sisters turned their hopeful gazes on him, but he appeared reluctant to tell them. "I asked one of the nurses to look up their names. She said she couldn't find them." While Tomomi hung her head, Riko put hers in her hands, before running them down her face. She'd told herself not to get her hopes up about this. Still, she couldn't help feeling the weight of grieved disappointment. "Look," Junpei went on, "they must at least still be alive. If they were…not…I'm sure somebody here would've known and told us."

Tomomi made a small noise of sadness, and Riko gave her brother an unimpressed stare. "Thank you, Junpei. That's very helpful." She then walked over to sit by her sister, while Junpei appeared cross and muttered to himself. She couldn't hear what he said, but she had a pretty good idea, and quickly decided to remedy the situation. "Seriously, bro, thanks."

"You know," Kento then spoke up, "I might be able to help. I mean, I can't guarantee results but…I may have some resources." Before Riko could ask what he meant, a knock sounded on the door, and Kento stood up to answer it.

Outside stood a nurse, and she promptly addressed him. "Kento Rei Fan?" Upon hearing his surname, Riko had to do a double-take to see if she heard right. Kento, wide-eyed with sudden anxiety, simply nodded. "You have two visitors. Should I let them in?"

Whoever those people were, they must've been standing right outside, and were more than likely familiar to him, judging by his reaction. Even so, his nerves remained. "Y-yeah, sure. Thanks."

The nurse simply nodded and departed. In then walked an older man who bore a remarkable resemblance to Kento. Barely a second after, an older woman practically flew into the room and threw her arms around him. "Kento! Thank heavens you're alive and well!" She then kissed him again and again, and Riko knew she had to be his mother.

"Mom!" Kento complained. "Cut it out, please! There's people here!" The woman stopped in an instant and turned her head. Once she saw he was right, she quickly composed herself.

The older man next to her only smiled and chuckled. "Sorry about that; we're Kento's parents. I'm Chan Run, and this is my wife–"

Riko shot her hand forward to interrupt him. "Wait, wait, sorry." She then turned her attention fully on their son. "Kento. Is that really your surname? Rei Fan?"

Kento glanced left and right, trying to avoid her gaze, but then finally replied, "Yeah. Why?" As if Riko didn't already know. The Rei Fans were one of if not the wealthiest family in Yokohama, maybe even the whole country. They ran a prosperous restaurant in Yokohama's Chinatown, and Riko herself had gone there several times. The thought that she'd spent the last couple days with their son in a place too dank for even a hobo mortified her…

And yet, from the moment she'd first met Kento, she would never have even guessed his lavish origins. Is that why he didn't tell me? Realizing then that she was being rude, Riko didn't answer Kento, but instead addressed his parents. "Now I'm sorry," she chuckled, a little embarrassed. "I'm Riko Isono. This is my brother, Junpei, and my sister, Tomomi. Kento was with us when we got trapped underground. But…you probably already know that."

"Oh yes!" Kento's mother replied. "It must've been very difficult for all of you, but, thank you for bringing Kento back to us." Even if I nearly broke your son's neck, Riko thought, but stayed silent. "If there's anything we can do for you in return–"

"You could give us a place to stay," Tomomi now cut in with a suggestion. When her siblings stared daggers at her, she merely shrugged her shoulders. "What? I mean, the hospital's nice but, it doesn't look like we'll be going home any time soon."

Almost immediately, everyone in the room began putting their two-cents in. Junpei insisted that it was too much trouble, that they could find a hotel instead – while Kento's parents insisted otherwise, that there was no safer place in Yokohama than under their roof. For her part, as stunned as she was to learn who he really was, Riko didn't like the thought of parting from Kento. She couldn't explain it, but they'd gone through too much in the past two days just to get separated so fast. And the fact that he hadn't objected along with Junpei so far told her he wouldn't mind her and her family staying with his either.

"Wait a minute!" she raised her voice, calling everyone to her attention. "Junpei, until we learn about Mom and Dad, we don't have anywhere else to go. Besides, we have no money for a hotel. If Kento and his family are offering their home to us, I say we take it." Tomomi cheered, while Junpei huffed in annoyance. And Riko caught Kento giving her the barest smile.

"Then it's settled!" Mr. Rei Fan looked and sounded delighted. "It's been awhile since we had honored guests! And don't worry about the expenses; we've got that all covered!" Riko grinned now that she could see where Kento got his good nature from. Yet right now, Kento himself was unusually quiet. And Riko quickly figured out why. Now that she knew his surname, maybe there was a chance she'd learn other secrets he was keeping from her. Normally, she wasn't the nosy type. But given how important he'd come to be to her, she could only hope that, whatever she learned, it wouldn't permanently damage her perception of him.

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