Familiar Stranger: CH 8

Chapter 8: Traveller

 

Time passes by unnoticed whenever she's working, tinkering away on her equipment, or spent going through age old documents. Familiar voices talking a steady presence in the background, making her feel at home. The two brothers stuck in their little competition, again; occasionally joined by a third voice, clearly amused by their antics.

Ryuga mixes in well with the rest of them once the initial apprehension dissolves, almost as if he had always been here. Toma almost immediately warms up to him from the first day, Jinga took longer to get used to him. Whatever it was in between the two of them - looks like they have gotten over it.

(And maybe a bit more. She knows when she sees it. The little touches, the way Jinga looks at him, and the way Ryuga silently reciprocates.)

They work seamlessly together in battle, knowing each other's move without even saying anything.

 

"He won't admit it but he really hates losing." Toma rather loudly whispers to Ryuga.

"Really, I expected you to be a bit more of an adult, considering your age."

"-Shut up!" She can hear his embarrassment from miles away.

 

The place somehow feels brighter. Ryuga's presence is a positive influence to all of them, without them realising it. It'll be great if he could stay, but she knows eventually they would have to part ways.

Her mind drifts back to several nights ago; what Ryuga had told her then shocked her. It was obvious from the start that he was not from this area, but he couldn't have come from that far away -..

 

 

 

It was a quiet night, marked only by the occasional rustling of leaves in the wind. She was just working at her desk when Ryuga suddenly approaches her. From how he looks, she knows there's something troubling him.

"- I've been thinking about it, and I think at least I should tell you."

"What is it? If it's a problem then maybe I could help you with it."

"It is a problem, though I'm not sure if you can do anything about it..-" He paused, words stuck at the tip of his tongue.

"-Actually, I'm not from here."

"..Yes, you have told us that when we first met-"

"-No, no it's not like that. I mean, I'm not from this...world, time - I don't know!"

What?

"Wait, so you're saying that you came from a different world or timeline? How is that even possible?"

"That's the problem. I don't know how I got here in the first place and I don't know how to go back, or if I can go back. Not even Zaruba knows what had happened." His distress is so obvious it hurts to look.

But, a possible case of time travel slash world hopping? Never had she come across such things. In theories, it may be possible. In reality? The risk is astronomical. Only lunatics would dare to challenge it.

"I..see..Honestly, I've never stumbled upon anything pertaining that, but I'll do whatever I can to help you. However, I can't promise you anything."

"-It's okay, I understand. I'm sorry I can't be of any help, I'm no good at this kind of things." He looks like a sad, lost puppy. The image is vivid enough she had to blink several times to clear it.

"You don't have to apologise, it's not your fault."

"..Thanks, though. You're a good person. If Rian's here, I think she'll like you too. You two are kinda similar, in some way."

He slowly breaks into a soft, fond smile when he speaks of his partner. He must've misses her so much, being separated for a long time.

 

 

 

Wherever he came from, there are people who need him. And it's wrong to keep him away from his family.

A farewell is inevitable. Silently, she worries about Jinga, who have grown somewhat attached to him.

Can he accept that, when the time comes?