The woods were showing to be calm, the noon sun's rays barely peeking through the dense treetops. The weather was fair, a gentle breeze flowing in from the north.
Cham gave out a caterwahling groan, following Jessie, who was chopping through the jungle-like forest with her crystal spear. Boredly, the natural catgirl seized a vine and swung up, sitting upon the branch of a tree.
Ian leaned against the balcony from his room, hoping to spot Jess coming. He was indeed worried about her, but he needed to haste his duty to the Nightmare Realm. He slowly released a sigh, pacing back into their room, taking his cloak in a tight grip.
Striding through the bedroom chambers, Jin caught him on his rapid movement out. "Bro...what's wrong?" Jin inquired.
"Nothing; I'm late," Ian snapped, trying to get past his brother, only to be pulled back again.
"Where's Jessie? Dragoon is curious about how she read the book and if-" Ian cut him off with a sharp glare, handing him the book.
"Tell him she was pleased with it. She just can't come around at the moment," he swallowed. "I'm really late....Coseta will be angry when I return to the Nightmare Realm late."
Jin gave a slow nod. "Okay...that's fine." The leatherbound book felt odd in his strong hands. Ian strode away, closing the door abruptly behind. Jin began his slow ascent up the stairs, being met by the Chrono sister, Cleo.
"Jin!" she laughed, jumping up and squeezing him in a tight embrace.
"Ack! Cleo, you're choking me!" he gave a wheezing chuckle.
She released him to breathe, a giggle slurring her speech. "How are you?"
He stretched a bit and grinned. "I'm doing as good as can be," he smiled, "except Ian's off to the Nightmare Realm," -he frowned- "and Jessie could be in another dimension."
"That's no good," she hesitated, making an inquiring eye to Dragoon's book. "Why do you have Dragoon's book?"
He held up a hand, shaking his head. "Long story," he muttered.
"Hey, Jessie!" she yelled, spotting a large white round object ahead. "You should come take a look!"
Jessie pole-vaulted with her spear, grabbing high hold of a vine. "I-Is that a spaceship?" she gasped, realizing what it was. "I've seen one of these things before, I just don't recall where!"
"Let's investigate....it looks deserted," Cham suggested, her curious emerald eyes twinkling. Hopping down from the tree, they conducted swift dashes through the forest to the massive moss-infested, plated pod.
Cham reached it first, straining her ear against it to hear any movement. Nothing. Jessie toyed with a keypanel by the door, hoping she could contemplate a way inside.
From hidden within the forest, Jessie was struck by a large object in the back of the head, making her lurch forward against the ship with a throbbing pain, her vision blurring. She groaned and cursed, glancing over at Cham Cham, who was pinned down by a small person, clad in an oversized crimson jacket, khaki pants, a large sword in her tiny hands. Long semi-spiked tresses of black and gold fell down her back.
The girl glared at Jessie, then to the cathead-like floating object close to her. "Diana P return!" the girl held out her hand, the kitty ball returning closely behind her. Jessie caught a glimpse of a long brown-furred tail under the gril's coat and a thick metal headband across her forehead, encrusted with a bluegreen jewel, the band identical to the large necklace half-hidden under her jacket.
Jessie pushed herself from the side of the ship, holding up her hands in surrender. "I won't hurt you," she said nervously, "What's your name?"
"Will your fierce friend attack me?" the girl demanded, her sword still aimed at Cham's neck. Cham trembled by the sudden scare of her attack.
"She won't," Jessie licked her lips, taking a gentle bow. "My name is Jessica Chrono. We were just passing by, finding your pod a bit curious."
She saw the girl's dark blue eyes widen, upon hearing her name. She slowly stepped down from her perch upon Cham, taking a bow. "I am Mirai no Panron-chan Burori," she said. "Are you of any relation to Jin Chrono? He's a commoner where I come from."
Jessie laughed, "Sister-in-law," Jess slowly dropped into ease, finding the little girl a little less frightening.
Cham slowly sat up and waved. "I'm Cham Cham Tig'erre Le'Purrde," she squeaked, then gave a sudden chuckle. "Do you have any simpler way of saying your name, Mirai no..." Cham became a loss of trying to remember the young girl's name.
"Panron, I guess," she smiled politely, helping up Cham. Her tail swayed slowly behind her as she sheathed her sword on her back. "Do any of you have nicknames?" Panron asked, tilting her head. "They sometimes call me Pancake," she chuckled.
Jessie shrugged. "They call me Jess or Jessie," she smiled, the ample wind whistling through the trees, catching her long burgandy hair. "How old are you, Panron?"
Panron blinked and shook her head. "It depends on how you look at it. Right now, in this timeline, I'm negative nine years old, but I'm really six," she explained, "I come from the future."
"Wow! How?" Cham bounced, curiousness completely taking her over.
Panron pointed to the pod. "That's my time and space machine. My mama and Mrs. Valentine helped design it and put it together. I had to come to the future to save my dad from a bunch of bad things. See, he was going to be attacked three years from now by an angry mob of powerful enemies until his final demise. Mama also wanted me to train under his power so that I could help protect the people of my timeline," Panron looked down, her small face growing almost burdoned with sadness, "But I don't think I want to go back...It wasn't so nice home as it is here. My mom and dad are both here, and...and..." Panron hesitated, sitting down on a log shakily.
Jessie strode over to Panron, sitting beside her. Cham stood from her place, taking a slow and cautious pace to the young girl. They sat to each side of her, Jessie lying a hand upon her back.
"Panron...things will go alright. You've found your parents, correct?" Cham Cham inquired.
"Yes...but I've also found something else," she took out a large medallion from her pocket, the carved design of a bird on it. "The Phoenix time medallion enables me to turn into an older version of myself."
"Well...isn't that a good thing?" Jessie tilted her head slightly, studying the medallion.
"I found love here...I couldn't leave him," Panron whispered, "I want to stay here, but I know mama misses me!"
Cham and Jessie looked at each other, sensing Panron had a real relationship at her age. "Who is your boyfriend, dear little Panron?" Jessie asked soothingly.
"Mirai no Trunks..." Panron whispered, her tone hoarse. "I met him when my father was training him. He used to be the biggest and annoying troublemaker. I joined in on my dad's training and finally..." she shrugged, "We got together."
"Ah...I see..." Cham grinned. "Have you done anything...sexual...with him?" she arched an eyebrow.
Jessie glared hard and evilly at Cham, smacking her in the back of the head. "That's a personal question! She's too young to answer that!"
Panron shook her head, "No..it's alright, I can answer that," she bowed her head sullenly, "I have."
Cham and Jessie's mouths dropped. "Your parents don't know, do they!?" Jessie blurted, her alarm becoming quite boisterous.
Panron shook her head, "Well...since you're married, how old are you, Jess?"
Jessie pursed her lips. "I know I wasn't messing with Ian when I was six!"
"Yeah," Panron grinned slyly, "But how old were you when you lost your virginity?"
"I was twelve," grinned Cham, her tail swaying.
"These are personal questions! Cham, you don't count because your specie normally get married and mate when you're eleven or twelve!" boomed Jessie, standing up. "You were with David!"
"Oh, come on, Jess...tell us!" Cham grinned. "We've told you ours...time to tell us yours."
"Good lord...Why am I talking about this with a six-year-old and a seventeen-year-old?" Jessie threw up her arms, turning away from them, mumbling, "I was fourteen."
"With who?"
"None of your business! I'm married to him, so that's what matters!"
"Mrroww! Hissss!" teased Cham.
"Quit your insolence, Cham! You're older than I am!" Jessie laughed.
Many subjects aroused from their strange talk, whether perverse or clean, they walked through the forest to a small town. They had finally made it to the Warrior Realm.
