Wow...well, I have no valid excuse for my lateness other than the fact that...well, it's the summer time. And I was enjoying being lazy =) lol i do apologize, however. I really love writing this story, i just am terribly lazy at posting on time. Ah geez, what a mess. Anyhow - here is Chapter Five! I hope you all do enjoy it - this one is one of my favorites, you'll soon see why =)

A Big Fat Thank You To All My Reviewers Thus Far =)

Talisman Valedictorian

warrior of six blades

Anais.P

XxSinisterLovexX

Cant Get Enough

howl

Questions!

No questions really this time for me, but I do have one for you guys. Im debating if I should up the rating for later chapters. I want this story to be very...deep and real, which of course means some very adult situations could come into play. (And no, im not just talking about sex) But I was wondering if just to be safe, I should switch over. What do you all think? I'd love your input if your willing to answer. Thank you =)

Disclaimer: Soul Calibur Is NOT mine, however the characters Ren and Yun-Bok are...so THERE!

Chapter Five

Family Ties

"For the friendship of two, the patience of one is required."

- Indian Proverb

Molten chocolate and blazing fire collided as Yun-Seong glared deeply into Talim's eyes, searching for any hint of foul play. Even though he doubted she'd ever joke about something as terrible as this, he'd never put anything past her when it came to their twisted rivalry.

And a deep part inside of him was hoping that it was just a prank.

"Are you sure?" Yun-Seong questioned, slightly tightening his grip on her upper arms.

"Yes," she responded without blinking.

"Okay,"

That was all he needed.

He let her go without a moment's hesitation, whirling around to gather his keys off his desk.

"Here," he said tossing the only schoolbook he had to his girlfriend. "Put these away for me, will ya? And if you could, let my teachers know I'll be gone for the rest of the day,"

"Of course, babe," Mina responded, watching the rushed Yun-Seong with worried eyes, "Is everything alright? What's going on?"

"Family emergency," he muttered throwing his cardigan on. He looked over to Talim.

"Ready?"

"Yea,"

"Alright, lets go," He stopped briefly to lean in and peck Mina on the forehead. "I'll call you," She mutely nodded as she watched him hurry over to the small girl and follow her out the door.

"What time did they call?" Yun-Seong asked as soon as they rounded the corner. The two teenagers flew down the steel blue corridor of their high school in urgency, blazing past slow crossing students in their way.

"About fifteen minutes ago. The school would have told me sooner, but they weren't sure how to so called 'break the news' to me,"

"Are you serious?" exclaimed Yun-Seong, his face almost as red as his hair. "This is too important for that sensitivity crap! They just should've told us!"

"I know," Talim responded. "But I guess this could be really really bad…,"

A jolt of pain and loss wracked her heart as the very idea of her Grandfather not being on earth started to sink in.

This couldn't happen.

It just couldn't happen.

They needed him; he was the glue that held everyone together, he was the wisdom that guided their crazy-sporadic souls. How could their family even function without the grace and patience of Ren Kazehime?

Truly, the notion of a world without him shook her to the core.

"We should hurry," she heard the red-head say as if he was reading her mind. He walked in stride with her now, casting a small shadow over the petite girl to his side.

"Right," she replied, then turned to look at him in confusion. "Wait, how are we getting there?"

She was thrown off by their immediate stop at what she later realized was his locker. After putting in the combination and muddling through it for while, he revealed a simple sleek helmet in his grasp. He tossed it to Talim with a tiny smirk.

"How do you think?"

Her brown orbs turned grey with fear as she came eye to eye with the only thing that would be separating her face from the asphalt.

"Oh yeah…," she answered, a chill running down her spine. "You do ride a bike,"

If Grandpa Kazehime had ever wondered if his granddaughter loved him, he'd have no second thoughts after today.

"C'mon! We gotta hurry!" said Yun-Seong impatiently, racing ahead toward the exits.

"Okay…," Talim answered with great uncertainty, her pace behind him steady yet dazed. Try as she might to focus on the situation at hand, she couldn't shake the flash of all the gory crash images forcibly seen at driver's school.

The things she did for her family.

The two teens were able to make it to the hospital in ten minutes flat - despite Talim's panicked hyperventilations. Yun-Seong couldn't believe it! Never in his life had he seen the girl so innocently terrified. The vice grip she had around his waist was so tight he thought she might squeeze his intestines out like toothpaste! If she weren't so adamant in her sincere dislike for him, he would've been questioning it after today. He literally had to detach her body from his before they booked it into the hospital and straight towards the front desk.

"Kazehime, Ren you said?" the desk secretary asked politely. Her features were sweet, soft, and full of a real concern for the lost people that came her way.

"Yes. I believe he was rushed in about a half hour ago," explained an out-of-breath Talim.

"Hmm…Ahh yes, here he is! Oh my…it looks like he's just left the O.R.-,"

"The O.R. ?" Talim exclaimed, her hand instantly flying over her erratically beating heart. "Under what circumstances?"

Yun-Seong watched on in confusion, mumbling something or other about what an O.R. was.

After a few more clicks here and there the kind secretary answered. "It looks like they had to do emergency surgery on his appendix and his gull bladder…"

"Oh my goodness…" said Talim, covering her mouth in shock. It was the word surgery that triggered Yun-Seong to fully jump into the conversation.

"Surgery? How serious?" He demanded, throwing his hands on the counter.

"Serious enough where he's in the ICU," the secretary sadly replied. She pointed in the direction a little behind them. "It's right down that hallway there. At the end, you make a left,"

Yun-Seong nodded to her gratefully. "Thank you," He turned to look down at the visibly shaken Talim, "C'mon, she said he's this way,"

She gazed up at him with watery yet determined eyes. "Right," And with that the two teens went jogging down the corridors.

"How awful was it that we were almost brothers?"

"God awful, that's what,"

"Man talk about a close call!"

"Hehe…I think we've had enough close calls in our lifetime, wouldn't you say?"

The two war-torn men chuckled amiably with each other as they sat on a wooden balcony, watching the old Japanese sunset. They were young, only around the respective ages of 19 and 20. Yet their features and movements were aged from battle and experience during their time in Pearl Harbor. A shortened experience compared to others but an experience faced nonetheless. Both men were wrapped in bandages on top of bandages. Their eyes were sunken in from strain and puffy from exhaustion. Their joints painfully throbbed non-stop and both were in the early stages of a migraine. In spite of all their issues however, the two were in high spirits and enjoying the best part of what their injuries represented:

That they had made it.

That they were here.

That they were alive.

"You know Ren," one of the men started, brushing a hand on top of his buzzed head. "The ladies aren't gonna like this...," He pulled a small strand of red between his fingers and kneaded it thoughtfully. "It's so…,"

"Ginger?" The young Ren, a man with soft features and a kind smile, sassily responded to his comrade. He snickered as the fire-top shot him a look.

"Very funny, smart-ass," he said giving him the finger. "What I mean to say is that it's so…short…,"

"Well Yun-Bok, that's part of being an army man. You knew that when we got into this,"

"Doesn't make it any easier to be without it," His face was truly saddened as he stared up into the clouds, grasping for locks that were no longer there.

Ren narrowed his eyes and shook his head at the sulking man.

"You are so vain sometimes it amazes me…"

"Whatever, girly boy! I know you're not talking. You're just jealous that I'm devastatingly handsome and manly…," Then throwing an arm around Ren's shoulders he pulled him into the crook of his arm, poked his cheek, and added. "And you got stuck being devastatingly pretty and beautiful! Awwww!"

Ren wrestled furiously within his hold. "ARGH! I am not pretty and beautiful, you cocky smelly bastard!" he yelled viscously, trying to unscrew his head from Yun-Bok's headlock. "Dammit, I hate that bullcrap and you know it!"

As mad as Ren was, it was only because he knew what his friend was saying...was absolutely true. With his wide innocent brown eyes, small facial features, and gentle tenor voice it was hard to not say that Ren Kazehime's appearance was more…feminine than other guys. His slight height of 5'5 didn't help the situation any as well as the tuff of soft black hair that used to frame his face. He was, and had always been, the prime definition of cute…a fact of life he deeply resented. Joining the army, and the American one at that, was his first step into "affirming his masculinity"…or so he called it.

Ren punched the laughing idiot in his bad arm for good measure, hurting his own injured hand in the process. "Stop cackling, you stupid hen!"

"Alright, alright – I quit! I quit!" Yun-Bok said rubbing his arm in pain, but smiling at him nonetheless. "…That hurt you little shit,"

"Good!" The stubborn man spat back. "Serves you right,"

"Ahhh lighten up, Renny-boy! You know I'm just fucking with ya!" the fire-top said ruffling his friend's hair.

Ren smacked his hand away fervently. "Yeah, Yeah…,"

A few moments of comfortable silence passed between the two as they stared into the coming sunset; in awe of the beauty that was Kyoto, Japan. It was so achingly familiar to the beautiful sunsets of home back in the Philippines. Ren couldn't help but feel a sting of homesickness as he thought of the place he had lived his entire life up until one year ago.

Back then, when he was 18, it was all he had ever known and all he had ever expected to know. That time seemed so far away now…so much had changed around him. So much had changed within him. He was a different person now, a man. A man who couldn't wait to go back and show his family and friends exactly what kind he was now…or was he?

"Hey Yun," Ren began, staring off into space.

"Yeah?"

"…Do you ever think about...you know-,"

"Women? All the time!" Yun-Bok interjected beaming.

Ren sighed. "No, you idiot…I'm being serious here,"

Yun cocked an eyebrow. "Who said I wasn't being serious?"

Ren ignored him and continued. "As I was saying, do you ever think about...living stateside?"

The rambunctious redhead's eyes widened. "As in America?"

"Well, y-yeah…," Ren stuttered, suddenly feeling unsure of himself. "I mean, I know it's not exactly Japanese friendly at the moment, even though it shouldn't matter because neither one of us are Japanese. But that'll pass. America is a place of growth and opportunity. And I don't know, sometimes when I think about my future, my career…my family… I can't help but think that maybe it'd be best to go out there when it comes to those things,"

Yun-Bok stared openly in awe at his friend. "…Where did all this come from?"

The thoughtful man's vision fell down to his fidgeting hands. "I've been thinking about all I missed out on because I was raised in a small village from the Philippines. I have no shame or regrets about my home, I'll love it like no other place in this world til the day I die. However…," His fists clenched in silent determination. "There are things I can do in America that I can't do back at home. Places I can reach that aren't even within range in my village. Not only that…but I want a better life for my future children. I don't want for their childhoods to be as rough and hard-working as mine was. I want them to enjoy being kids and nothing more,"

Yun-Bok nodded slowly as he allowed for the young man's words to sink in. "I think that makes sense, Ren. What man wouldn't want the best for not only themselves, but for the people closest to them? What you're asking for is something that anyone would be able to understand,"

"Even if I'm separating myself from the only blood relations my children could possibly ever know…?" Ren debated, wincing at the idea of his own parents not being in the lives of their grandchildren. "Not to mention the sole tie to their heritage?"

"That's what letters, phone calls, and transportation are for," He said turning to his clearly distressed friend and patting him on the back. "If you do go to America, your heading towards the evolutionary super sphere of the world – I'm more than positive by the time you settle down and have a family…there will be a way to contact them, and an easy way at that,"

"Everything will be fine Renny," Yun-Bok said, turning to meet his friend eye to eye. "Do what your gut is telling you to, it may be the best decision you ever made. And if not, don't worry. Things always tend work themselves out in the end,"

It was strange for Ren to hear such thoughtful advice coming from his usually nonsensical friend. He was Mr. Shoot first, ask later. The guy who would follow his heart to the ends of the earth before even considering to follow his head. Yet here he was, siding with him on the difficult yet logical choice of moving stateside and away from everything he had ever known.

"Sometimes the bumpy road is the better road. What's life without a little conflict and scenery?" The redhead finished with a signature smirk.

Ren glared at Yun-Bok long and hard, letting the words of wisdom roll over in his head, debating just exactly how honest and true they were. Then out of thin air, and with a lot of animosity, he admitted. "You're my best friend,"

Yun-Bok stared at the delicate looking man as if he had grown a second head. "Come again!"

"You talk a lot of crap. You're loud, abrasive, and perverted. You're language is absolutely atrocious. And the day you actually pick up a book will be the end of the world as we know it…,"

"No, Tell me how you really feel…," Yun-Bok sarcastically muttered, leaning into his palms.

"But you are, and will always be my best friend," said Ren, a subtle yet sufficing smile gracing his delicate features. "And there isn't anyone else I'd rather be beat up and stuck in Japan with other than you,"

"…You really mean that Ren?" Yun-Bok muttered, in awe of what his ears were hearing.

Ren shook his head, in more disbelief of his own words than Yun was. "I suppose I do,"

A moment of silence passed before the growing snickering of the fire-top filled the entire area. He grabbed his stomach as he cackled in full out laughter. Ren sighed, mentally whipping himself for the can of worms he had just opened. Yeah, he was definitely going to regret saying that.

"Hahahahaha! I always knew you were really a girl! Ahahahahah!"

Sometimes Ren's good nature made him despise his own self. He dragged his hand down his face in frustration. "Yun-Bok Hong, I swear to every deity I know that I seriously despise you,"

Slowly, the falling sun of Japan and the hearty laugh of his friend started to fade to the present. Hazy streaks of white, white, and more white filled his vision, becoming increasingly clearer as the seconds rolled by. A steady beeping could be heard from his right, and subtle sniffling and the shuffling of bodies came from his left.

Familiar…Ren thought hazily, struggling to fully open his eyes.

His throat tasted like sand and asphalt as he attempted to swallow. His limbs felt like one hundred pound weights as he dared to move. His body was shivering yet covered in sticky sweat. Yes, this was very familiar. The last time his body had hurt like this was years – no – decades ago. No wonder he had dreamt of such memories of the past, his body was trying to tell him something. He was injured. Injured seriously enough to land him in the one place he refused to go to even back in his army days.

"…The hospital…"

In an instant, two shaky blobs of red and green came into his sight. The smaller blur of emerald came close to him and gathered his small hands into her own tiny ones. It took a bit of time, but eventually the soft chocolate eyes and curling green tresses of his youngest granddaughter came into focus. Her face was oddly calm but her eyes betrayed the storm of emotions raging inside of her. Somehow she managed to give him a demure smile, though it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Hi there," she greeted softly, stroking his palms.

"Hello, Sunshine," he weakly responded, squeezing her hand. His vocal chords sounded as if they had been dragged through gravel and thrown into a wood chipper.

"How are you feeling?"

"Old," he lifted his eyes to spot the flaming red blur standing not too far behind Talim. "But alive,"

Talim giggled lightly, a giant weight lifting off her shoulders at the sight of her grandfather awake and already cracking jokes. "I can take old and alive,"

"How long have I been under?" Ren directed to Yun-Seong. The young man's eyes flickered with something unreadable before answering him. "About 15 hours. It's around 3 in the morning now,"

The elder man's eyes narrowed in worry. "Oh my…that is quite some time," His vision dashed between the two teens. "And you two are still here? You need to be in bed, there's school tomorrow morning. Don't sit here and fuss around about silly old me," He shifted his arms underneath him in an attempt to sit up, but immediately stopped when a shock of pain tore through his side.

Talim grabbed his shoulders to steady him before he could get too far. "Hey, hey, hey…relax, lay back," She eased him back down. "Don't worry, both of us already called the school and told them we wouldn't be in tomorrow," When he shot her a look of disapproval she quickly added. "AND we already went home, did our homework, and came back,"

He turned his eyes onto Yun-Seong suspiciously. Talim stifled a laugh. "Yes, him too. He did it all, I already checked,"

"Scout's Honor," Yun-Seong amended, raising his right hand into the air.

"Hmm," Ren said, sideling back into his clean white sheets. "I suppose if you've done your school work, then you may stay,"

"Already planned on it old man," Yun-Seong said with a grin. He came to sit on the edge of his bed, throwing a hand onto Talim's shoulder and shifting her a bit forward from the sheer force. "You can't get away from us that easily,"

"That hurt, you Goliath!" Talim hissed at him, rubbing her back while glaring daggers at the offender.

He stuck his tongue out at her childishly. "Besides, we've been here all day. Too late to kick us out now!"

"I suppose that is true," Ren said, smiling at the teens. "Besides, I need to talk to you two anyway,"

"We can talk later, Grandpa," Talim chided, adjusting the pillows behind him. "You just woke up, and yes you are talking…but you're still fresh out of surgery. You need your rest,"

"Ah, so it was surgery," He grazed his hand over his sore mid-section. "There isn't anything in the world that leaves a biting sting quite like surgery,"

"We don't know the details of exactly what happened, but apparently it started with a stroke. And things went down hill from there…" Yun-Seong answered in a somber tone. His eyes wandered over Ren worriedly, taking in the scars and bandages that seemed to encase his frail body. He winced at the thought of him actually lying on the operating table. "Things could've gone really bad Grandpa K…"

He smiled warmly at the concerned young man, a spitting image of his fierce best friend during their fighting days, and took his free hand in his. "But they did not, I'm okay. I survived. Both of you can relax now,"

"I know," They responded in unison.

"Good," said Ren, his eyes scanning the rest of the room quietly. "Where are your parents? Your sisters?"

"They all left about an hour ago," answered Talim. "The whole lot of them had stayed here all day. We all did. But, much to their chagrin we had to shoo them away. Customers were still scheduled to come in late this evening, so Alana and Li left first to greet them, then Mom and Dad followed not too long after,"

"It worked in our favor though," added Yun-Seong. "We got to stay here tonight and be their 'eyes and ears'. It was for the better honestly, we didn't plan on leaving anytime soon,"

"Well then," Ren began with a deep sigh. "That settles it. We do need to talk. Now. While you two's guardians are away,"

Talim and Yun-Seong exchanged confused expressions before turning to look at their Grandfather.

"You mean as in secret?" Yun-Seong asked bewildered.

"Yes," Ren nodded.

"What's such a secret that Mom, Dad, AND our sisters can't even know about it?" Talim questioned with wide curious eyes.

Another dramatic sigh escaped Ren's lips as he separated his hands from his grandchildren's and folded them into his lap. His thick brows furrowed in concentration as he contemplated on how to explain the…interesting factors of their domestic backgrounds.

"I want to talk to you two about the history between our families –between Kazehime and Hong. I want to talk to you about the ties that both bind us and destroy us.

He raised an even finger to his stunned young granddaughter. "It is time for you to learn of your very great-grandmother…," He then scrolled his finger onto the his adopted grandson. "and for you to learn of your very great-grandfather,"

Thanks for Reading! Please Review, Id love to hear what you think =)