"Hel~~~lo, Ma Ha Lo Cafe. This is the one and only Yunster speaking. How may I help you?"

"Yun? Is that really you? Wow, I'm so relieved! You've disappeared for over a week. I was so worried."

"No more need for worries, ma'am, but thanks for askin'. Your concern is always well appreciated. What can I do for you?"

"I'd like to place a delivery order - 3 lbs worth of lychee, 2 cases of tofu and 3 sacks of rice."

"Will do, ma'am. The total comes to $20.04. Have your cash or major credit cards ready. Our delivery service will arrive on your doorstep in 2 minutes or less. Have a nice day."

Shuren gave a small smile as she returned the phone to the receiver. "Yun is so adorable. In 2 minutes or less indeed."

Just then, the doorbell rang. Shuren grabbed the necessary cash from her purse and ran to open the door. Lo and behold, on her porch was none other than Yang carrying the necessary groceries. His rollerblades were slung over his shoulders. He had taken them off prior to answering the doorbell.

"$20.04, please." he said briskly.

Shuren gaped at him with wide eyes. She handed him the money and in return Yang placed her order on the porch.

"Do you need help carrying these?" Yang asked.

"N-no thanks... my daughter can help me."

"Very well." Yang bowed. Donning his rollerblades, he tore off in the blink of an eye. A large gust of air rushed from the place where he vanished.

"A...amazing..." Shuren gaped.

The bell chimed as Yang opened the door to the family grocery. He wiped his sweating brow with his sleeve. He never realized how heartwarming it felt to be home at last. Those nightmares he had the past week or so must have been exaggerated. The people were greeting him just as warmly as they would Yun. Maybe even more so since Yang had been 'kidnapped'.

'I'll never forget the smiles on everyone's faces.' the younger twin mused, smiling slightly himself. 'And of course...' his gaze fell upon his beloved older brother who was tending to customers from behind the counter.

Yun acknowledged his brother's presence with a gesture to his watch. "New record. That Kaihou of yours is really somethin'. Gramps'd be glad t'see ya if he was here."

Yang joined his brother. "How has your training fared during my absense?"

"Peachy-keen okay." Yun grinned with a tip of his hat. He turned to the next customer. "That'll be $2.30..."

Yang watched his older brother suspiciously. He knew what Yun really meant underneath that grin. 'Some things haven't changed.'

"Mannnn~~~~, it's been a long day." Yun stretched his arms, cracking a few stiff joints. "I'm starved. Make some nice dinner, will ya, Yang?"

Yang locked the front door. After a long day's work, home was there to welcome the twins. 'Big brother is acting as if nothing happened...' he sighed. Yun quickly picked up on Yang before another mood swing arised.

"C'mon, cheer up! Stop sulking, otherwise all your little friends will call you Mr. Sulky." Yun called from a few stairs up. "Grandma was sleepin' when you got here but she's probably awake now. Ya wanna see her or ya gonna be Mr. Sulky all night?"

Tsuchin leapt in Yang's arms. The younger brother said nothing, instead following Yun to their grandmother's room. Yun opened the door. Sure enough, Grandmother Lee lay awake in her bed almost as if she was expecting their arrival. She turned her head and smiled at her twin grandsons. Her sickly eyes shone with delight.

"Yang, you've returned."

Yang nodded. He looked at Yun to ask if she was told anything about his disappearance. But instead, the older brother grinned and tipped his hat. "I'll be waitin' outside."

'Big brother...?' Yang wondered just as Yun closed the door.

"Yang...." Grandmother Lee spoke accompanied by loud coughing. She raised a trembling hand. "Please... come here..."

"I'm here, grandmother." said Yang, kneeling by his grandmother's bedside, supporting her hand in his.

"I am glad to see you have returned, Yang."

'What does she mean by that?' Yang wondered. "Yes, I apologise for my absense."

Grandmother Lee shook her head. "I mean you have returned. The hatred which once bound your heart has lifted... I can sense it. It brings me great joy to see you happy... "

Yang held back some tears. "Grandmother..."

"I am feeling a little sleepy. I must take a rest." she choked in between words. "But before I close my eyes ... *cough* I want to see your gentle smile..."

That Yang did with no wasted words. It had been awhile since he genuinely smiled. No heavy feelings were present to make this smile forced. If only one had a camera to capture the priceless moment, an elipse of time which Grandmother Lee truly appreciated.

"Thank you... And remember... Yun will always be there to protect you..." She then closed her eyes and rested.

Yang stood. He quietly left the room. Yun was standing just outside, arms folded, leaning against the wall.

"Gran had a special place in her heart just for you. Remember that." the older brother spoke. He quickly covered up his seriousness with a grin and a thumbs-up sign.

'... Big brother...' Yang looked back somewhat apologetically. Sometimes Yun could be so insensetive and sometimes he could be so...

Suddenly, loud, violent coughing sounded from Grandmother Lee's room. She held her mouth, coughing violently as her felt herself being literally eaten away. The twins burst into the room.

"Yang! You take care of gran. I'll get the doctor."

"But big brother...!"

Too late. The moment those words escaped Yang's mouth, Yun already donned his skateboard and flew out the door. Yang supported his grandmother with his hands. "Hold on, grandmother." But as he surveyed his grandmother's condition, he noticed a dart embedded in her left arm. Swiftly, he pulled the projectile out and placed it in his pocket. He looked around for any invaders but saw no one.

'Who could have done such a thing?' Yang wondered, but was interrupted by more violent coughing. "Please, hang on, grandmother. You'll be fine soon enough..."

Yun raced down the streets as fast as his skateboard could go. The sun was setting which meant it was near closing time for the doctor's. But this was a matter of life or death. Yun was even ready to yank the doctor out of his office and drag him home.

But that didn't quite appear to be an option as two lone figures - one the shape of a medium-height man and the other a large giant - stood directly in Yun's way. The older twin dragon tried to wheel around them but the larger man grabbed Yun's arm.

"Damn you, let me go!" Yun cried.

"Not just yet, Yun Lee." growled a familiar voice.

"Look, I don't have time for..." Yun stopped in midsentence as he saw the face of the man with average height. "Hey... you're...! ... Do I know you?"

The man face faulted. "ARGH! It's Te Lon, you dolt!"

"Whaddya want?" Yun wrenched his arm away. "I'm in a hurry."

And before any more words were wasted, Yun blitzed off into the sunset. Te Lon smirked triumphantly and folded his arms.

"Try all you want, Yun Lee, but your grandmother isn't going to survive that poison dart for much longer."

This scene looked familiar.

Yang sat patiently outside his grandmother's room. He spent the tense moments watching Yun impatiently pace the floor. Yes, Yang remembered this scene quite well. This was when their grandmother first went to the emergency ward. Now this time, they were waiting right in their own home.

Yun's incoherent muttering filled the air. Yang sighed and reached into his pocket. His hand came upon an object he received earlier. "Big brother, look at this."

Yun stopped pacing long enough for Yang to place the dart in his hand.

"This was in grandmother's shoulder when she spasmed." the younger brother said quietly.

Yun narrowed his eyes. "Damn, this is a poison dart. Who the hell would do such a thing...?"

Just then, the door opened. The doctor came out. This was the same doctor who treated Grandmother Lee that fated time. Upon his exit, Yun and Yang stood at attention. But this time, Yun kept his cool.

"How is she, doctor?"

The doctor removed his mask. He looked down to the side and exhaled. "Boys, you have to realize that your grandmother is old. She doesn't have too long to live. Trying to keep her well is trying to stall the inevitable. All living creatures must die."

"Then..."

"However, her time has not yet arrived." the doctor smiled. "Apparently, she was struck by a poison dart but a certain antitoxin in her blood stream immediately dispelled the poison, along with the illness which once ailed her. The medicine you gave her worked wonders."

Yang placed a hand on his brother's shoulder. "It's all thanks to you. Your idea to get money from the underground tournaments saved her life."

Yun grinned. "If only gramps was here t'see this..."

His grin was quickly dispelled as he saw a glint flash from outside his grandmother's window. Quickly, he blitzed out the house. Yang followed close behind.

"What's wrong, brother?"

Yun held his arm across to halt and silence his younger brother. Yang's gaze trailed across Yun's outstretched arm to the other, where the older pointed to a familiar female figure standing on a nearby tree.

"Well, Yun Lee, how clever of you to find me." she smirked.

"Ri Jeshu Lon." Yang spoke.

Ri polished her fingernails along her pants - traditional Geki Gumi ninja attire. (Looks similar to Ibuki's garb.) "Tch, what a shame. I almost had your old lady too. Looks like that poison I embued in her wasn't strong enough to kill her. Ah well, I'll get my revenge next time."

"Come and say that to my face, bitch." Yun's voice was dangerously low.

Ri hopped down from the tree. With hands behind her back, she leaned over to Yun, tete a tete. "I said I - didn't - kill - her - properly. Next - time - I - will."

Yun's shaking fist snapped open but only for a brief second as he grabbed Ri by the collar and single-handedly raised her in the air. "Mess with my family once in front of me, shame on me. Mess with my family twice in front of me, shame on you."

Channelling his anger into power, as he had seen Makoto do many times, he stepped wide sideways for momentum and flipped backwards, hurling Ri as far into the air as possible. The ninja girl regained her balancing in midair. But Yun was already in midair to meet her with a rising side kick once, and twice - one less than the finisher of a Tenshin Senkyuutai. He snagged her in a noose so when they landed, she was bound in his arms.

"Don't think you can get away with this!" Ri snapped.

"I'll give you one last chance." said Yun. "If you've got a problem with us stealin' your money, then work at our grocery. We're always lookin' for part-time help. You've got a huge family. We'll gladly hire y'all."

"Forget it."

Ri struggled to stamp on Yun's feet, or kick him in the nuts or something, until his grip bound her legs too. "Do what you will with her, Yang."

The omnious shadow of the younger brother approached ever so slowly. With each nearing step, the level of danger in the air increased. Ri's eyes grew wide as Yang cocked a knifehand with the sound effect of a rifle loading.

"Raishin Mahhaken."

Ri wasn't going to be walking for a few days.

"Yang, you're such a wonderful cook. I remember the first time I had to prod you into boiling water. Now you cook well enough to open your own restaurant."

"Thank you, grandmother."

Yang had to admit he appreciated the extra help around the kitchen. Now that his grandmother was well, she was able to cook and take care of the house.

"I heard you have hired some new employees for the grocery."

"Yes, grandmother. Twenty, in fact, although one is recovering from... minor injuries."

Grandmother Lee nodded. "Ah, lunch is almost ready. Where is Yun?"

"He is at the grocery." Yang looked at the ceiling worriedly. 'He said he was going to give the Lon Clan an introductory speech. I have a bad feeling...'

"Remember - be nice to everyone. The customer is always right."

"Yeah, yeah."

"What was that?"

"Ah! Yes, Yun, sir!"

"That's better." Yun paced the floor in a millitary fashion with an occasional playful tread. "One last thing. This is my grocery. As long as you're on these grounds, I am your boss. You will follow my orders. No ands, ifs, or buts. Or else. Got that?"

"Or else what?" Te Lon grinned.

Yun grinned back. "YOU-HOU!"

*wham* *bam* *POW*

"Waaahhhh!!!" Te Lon went soaring into the air with a *ping*.

Yun cracked his knuckles. "You don't listen to me, you follow your brother. Got that?"

"Yes, Yun, sir!"

Yang exited the house just in time to see Te Lon blasting off again. 'I knew it...'