The Time Key

Bad Parents

Shiro trailed Yukio most of the night.

His son had ducked into an Internet cafe. Set up as a command center, the Knights of the True Cross planned their defence. Shiro gave Yukio plenty of space, hanging close to the wall. He pretended to listen to the higher-up discussing strategy, keeping one eye trained on the young exorcist. Yukio sat at the only available computer, pulling up the file Lightning had given him. Shiro jerked back in shock at its contents. His section 13 mugshot materialized on the screen, complete with descriptions of every terrible experiment.

If Yukio learned the truth about the evil True Cross is capable of, it would crush him. Lightning was right, this information would push Yukio over the edge. Yet, Lewin passed on the intel to him. Why?

"Hey, can I use that computer?" Shiro asked. "I gotta send something to head office."

"Uh, yeah." Yukio quickly pulled out the flash drive, not recognizing the older man.

Shiro sighed with relief as the computer went black. How much of that file had he seen? Hopefully, nothing. The horrific origins of True Cross were too much for a teenager to bear.

Yukio packed up his things and stormed off into the snowy winter night. Shiro shadowed the boy as he wandered the abandoned streets for hours. It was certain Yukio was troubled and had no one to ease his mind. Shiro realized his son was becoming increasingly agitated as the time wore on.

Yukio eventually headed back toward True Cross Academy Town, landing at the steps of Shemihaza's cottage. He went inside and quietly shut the door.

1 hour later.

Shiro lay in a snowbank, watching the cottage with binoculars. His intense training as the Palladin pushed away his discomfort; the ice and the cold didn't bother him. At least Yukio had found a warm place for the night.

Suddenly, he heard the scream of a young girl.

Yukio bolted from the house, racing away as if he had committed a crime.

Seconds later, a blonde followed him outside, tripping in her sandals. She fell headlong into the snow, crying uncontrollably.

"Yuki!!! Wait!!!" She wailed forlornly. "You aren't well! You need help!!"

Shiro raced to the young girl's side and helped her from the ground.

"Are you alright?" He dusted the snow from her kimono, and immediately, he recognized that the young girl was Shiemi. The child that Yukio used to tutor, only she was now an attractive young woman. Did Yukio have a girlfriend?

"Yes, I'm fine." She whimpered. "Who are you?"

"I'm a friend of Yukio's." The older man answered. "I'm keeping an eye on him."

"Did Sir Pheles send you?"

"Yes, he did..." Shiro lied

"Then you need to hurry and go after him!" She grabbed the lapels of his jacket earnestly. "Yuki is so sad, angry and confused. I think he's going to hurt himself!! Please find him!! You need to tell Rin!"

"Rin?" Shiro questioned. "Where is he!?"

"I don't know, but he worries about Yuki!" The girl wept brokenly into his jacket. "Rin loves him so much!"

"It's okay, honey, I'll find him." Shiro brushed away her tears with his gloved hand. "Is there anything else you can remember?"

"His eyes!" She trembled with fear. "When Yukio got angry, and his eyes were glowing BLUE!!!"