A New World

Chapter 11 - Appointment

A week after the events of the rally, Hayato and Rouge found time to meet at the recently opened coffee shop, Zion's Reach, to discuss what he's found out concerning his dreams and recount the events that unfolded the previous week.

He also used the opportunity to make it up to Rouge for forgetting his levi-shoes on their trip to Mori forest. In their half hour together she had already managed to go through several pastries and sampled various flavors of iced tea. He knew she wouldn't let the opportunity go to waste and made sure to prepare himself for it, although it didn't make it any less painful to watch his bill grow.

The coffee shop itself was less of a shop and more of a large restaurant-style bakery offering not only baked goods but an assortment of wholesome meals for those bringing in their families. The main floor of the shop housed the restaurant while the second level offered a quiet sit-down space which was popular among students and young adults.

They chose the coffee shop as their meeting spot out of simple curiosity but found it to be a hidden treasure in their neighborhood. The elegant art and decor set the initial tone while soft music played in the background adding a light-hearted but classy ambience to the establishment. The source of its popularity was well evident.

"So-" Rouge said, as she took a sip of her iced tea. "-Blake wants you to meet him at his office to talk more about your dreams? He also believes he can help you find the answers to them?"

Blake had exchanged numbers with Hayato on the day of the rally and given him the address to his office in hopes of further discussing things at a later time. To Grace, her son was finally listening to her and expanding his understanding about what she believed to be the true nature of the world, but he knew his dad would have had an opposite reaction. Hayato was going to seek answers from Blake, the very person he was told to be cautious of.

"Ya, that's where we're headed after this. His office is in Newan." Hayato said, showing Rouge a 3-D projection of the location from his phone.

"And how's your mom trying to get involved in this...this new dragon movement or whatever they're calling it? Doesn't sound like a good idea in my opinion."

"I've told her the same thing, but she's more excited about this than I first thought. Blake assigned her and her two friends Ephret and Joyce to oversee things here in Oumachi. As we speak they're together formulating plans for various events and rallies they could do here." Hayato took a bite out of his donut, pausing to gather his thoughts before breaking the silence. "I'm not sure how far she's going to go with this but I need dad's help to talk to her. What about your parents?"

"They haven't heard anything about this. I don't believe this movement has gained traction in Oumachi yet. Aside from that, I didn't know it even existed until you texted me about it. There are people that have their complaints, but other than that this is a first for me too."

For the most part, the movement itself was largely unknown. It was a drop in the pond in terms of things the everyday person even bothered to pay attention to as they went about their lives. However, things were slowly changing. The two had no way of knowing yet but this movement and those who headed it considered themselves to be revolutionaries as they attempted to turn the world upside down. How far they would actually get to realize those goals however was yet to be seen.

"You know, I was thinking about the gap of time your dad told you about," Rouge said as she swirled the ice cubes in her drink, carefully gathering her thoughts. "This might sound really simple but I think I know how many years that gap is."

Hayato had already filled Rouge in on the details he's been able to gather thus far regarding his dreams. However, the past week didn't offer any new leads. Although his dad gave him the book to look through, he needed more guidance as to where to search for the answers to his questions. Otherwise, it was all a wild goose chase. Knowing this, he was surprised Rouge already had an idea of her own given the fact she had less to work with.