FA'E: Nozomi's Diary (Youkochylde is Guardian)

[Youkochylde]

"Fissie..." Nozomi was standing on her toes, hands clinging to the counter as she peered up at Youko and the fishbowl that he was working with. When they'd gotten home, they'd found the gift. And while Youko was a bit saddened that they'd missed Devi, he did understand that the boy had to go. He was dreading the time when Omi would come to him with the same problem... and knew it would happen at some point.

"Yup, fishie," he said, picking up the bowl and motioning for her to follow along with him. "You know... we do have that pond in the backyard. I bet a koi fish would get along well back there." It was little more than a small plastic kiddie pool with a filter at the moment... but Youko had wanted to make a backyard pond for quite some time. When they'd bought the house, it gave him perfect reason. Right now, Yeande's koi fish were in there, as well as a couple others. Pretty soon, the kiddie pool wouldn't be enough for them. That was when he made the decision to finally make the pond once the frost had stopped coming every night. "Let's take the fishie out to meet the other fishies, okay?"

"FISSIE!" Omi grinned, toddling along in front of Youko as they made their way into the backyard. She made a beeline for the pool, stopping next to it and plopping down on the ground to kneel there and put her hand in the water to feel the fish swim by. "Fissie play?"

"Maybe fishie'll play. Don't know." Leaning down, Youko set the bowl in the water and gently poured water and fish into the pool with the others. He moved to sit then, pulling Omi into his lap so that they could watch the brightly coloured koi swimming around.

[Youkochylde]

Omi sat next to the koi 'pond', watching Youko put the finishing touches on the REAL pond that they would be dumping the fish into shortly. The kiddie pool was shallow enough that she could kneel beside it and swish her hands around in the water, feeling the fish swim by. "To-sa..." she called out, not even bothering to look up. "When 'evi see fissie?" She'd been waiting for Devmani to come back, wanting to show the centaur how much she liked his gift, and how well it seemed to be getting along with the others. "'evi see fissie, yesh?"

Youko winced, ears pinning back as he worked on getting the waterfall pump set up and working properly. "Devi will see him soon, Mushiko," he said, laying on his back in the grass and working on figuring out just WHY the water wasn't going up through the pump.

Omi pouted, frowning towards the fox's legs and tail that she could see. "Want 'evi see NOW!" she stated, emphasis on the last word simply because she knew that she could usually get a reaction when she raised her voice.

"Baby, Devi can't come see the fish right now." Youko sighed, figuring that now was as good a time as any to clue the young Fa'e in. "Devi had to go away for a little while. When he comes back, I'll make sure he comes over to see the fishies, okay?"

Devi was... gone? Omi blinked, remembering when he'd told her he had to go away. She didn't think he'd really GO! He was just a kid, he didn't need to be going off on his own like that! She felt her breath quickening, the little Fa'e's hands tightening into fists. She wasn't sad... she was ANGRY... but when you're a toddler with only a limited ability to communicate, anger sadness and fear all come out the same way. Nozomi started to scream at the top of her lungs as a full out temper tantrum came into play.

"OMI! Ow, dammit..." Youko snarled, pulling himself out from the shrubs where the pump was, rubbing the side of his head that had knocked against the metal as Omi's shrieks started. It wasn't often that Omi had her fits like this, but there really was only ONE way to deal with it. "Nozomi Gingitsune," he began, moving to scoop up the screeching, flailing child. "I know you want Devi here now, but this will NOT solve anything. All it will get you is put in your room until you get this out of your system, because I am NOT going to sit here and cater to a screaming fit.

"WANT 'EVI NOW!" she wailed, sandalled feet kicking at Youko's chest and stomach, or anything else she could reach. Dammit, she wanted him back, and if this was what she had to do to get him back, she would do it. So intent was she on her fit that she barely noticed the fact that she was being carried back into the house at arm's length.

As they passed by Raven, the girl looked on curiously, eyeballing the dervish in Youko's grasp. "DEAD BABY WALKING!" she yelled, waving to Omi on the way by. SHE knew what was coming next... solitary confinement. It had been the way Youko had dealt with her and Kendall when they were little, too. The fox had no patience or inclination to deal with temper tantrums. "Later kiddo, see you when you're calm again."

Youko cast a mock glare at his daughter, ears askew as he carried Omi towards her room. "Keep it up, fuzzball, you can join her." Of course, he'd do no such thing. Raven and Kendall had learned REAL quick that tantrums didn't get them anywhere, and had quickly grown out of them as toddlers. Omi still hadn't gotten the idea yet, but she would learn.

Omi stopped for a moment as she felt herself put down, and opened her eyes to see that she was in her crib... wait. This wasn't right! "NO! To-sa, NO!" She stood up immediately, grabbing hold of the side of her crib and rattling it fit to break it as she screamed at the top of her tiny lungs. She was NOT going to be cooped up in here like this! Why didn't he go get Devi?!?

"Sorry kiddo," Youko said, shaking his head. "You calm down and stop screeching, then we'll talk. Until then, knock yourself out and wail all you want. You'll just do it by yourself." He left the room then, closing the door as he heard Omi start up on a new round of shrieks. He hated doing that... but if he catered to her during a fit like this, it would give her the idea that all she'd need to get her way was to scream.

[Youkochylde]

By the time Omi had cried herself out, the room looked as though a bomb had hit. She couldn't reach anything in the room, but that hadn't stopped her. As soon as she started really letting loose, nearly everything had started flying around on its own. It was a good thing that Youko had learned early on about her 'gifts'... it made it easier to pick out decorations, sticking to plastic and other things that wouldn't break if they fell or were knocked around.

The floor looked like Jonestown, the morning after, with plushies and toys scattered everywhere and taking up every available inch of free space. The bedside lamp was on its side, shade hanging crazily from one corner of the nightstand as were the plush wall decorations that had gone flying. Now Omi was laying on her side in the crib, thumb planted firmly in her mouth as she tried to figure out just how to go about resolving this situation.

Devmani was gone... and she didn't know where. She HAD to do something, but what? As she lay there, she 'reached out' with her abilities, swinging the window open and closed. When that got boring, she started sliding the screen up and down, confusing the hell out of a fat bumblebee that had been inspecting it. That was when the idea hit her...

Pulling herself up, Omi focused on the side of the crib, pushing at it here and there with her hands and her mind, untils he heard the familiar latch give way and the side slid down. She crawled out, hanging on tightly as she grabbed hold of the nightstand and pulled herself onto it. It was a simple matter then to stand up, clinging to the windowsill and looking out.

Her bedroom was on the first floor, and beneath the window was the plush green lawn that Youko had worked so hard on after they'd moved here. It had been brown and yucky, but he'd made sure that he'd tended to it carefully. Now it was a carpet of green, and Omi was pretty sure it would be soft to land on. Crawling out, she sat on the sill for a moment, then grabbed hold and dangled down, trying to reach the grass with her toes. It didn't work... but as she let go and landed in a heap, she realised that it wasn't too bad at all, and she'd managed to get away with only a bit of grass stains on her knees.

Picking herself up, she looked around, wiping at her tear-streaked face. Now that she was out, she could go find Devi! There was just the problem of where to look...

Toddling off, she headed in the direction that she assumed Devi's house was in, using her memory to map out the directions that she remembered.

<center>~* * *~</center>

It had been about a half an hour since Nozomi stopped crying. Youko rubbed at his eyes and finally got to his feet. It was a nightmare when she did this... there was always that part of him that wanted to go and comfort her, but it was exactly the WRONG thing to do. He was expecting the mess he saw when he opened the door... and started to pick up the plushies that littered the area. "Feeling any better, Omi?" he started, glancing towards the crib.

"Omi??" It wasn't the first time that she'd escaped from her crib. It was now just a matter of finding her. Ten minutes later, however, Youko was in a panic and had called for Raven to help him look. It was the foxcoon that had pulled up the now-closed screen and looked outside, then pointed out the footprints in the grass.

It was precisely two seconds later that Youko nearly FLEW out the front door, calling for his daughter as he began frantically to look for the wayward Fa'e.

[Youkochylde]

The RP with Omi and Anen finding Devmani is located here.

[Youkochylde]

RP of Youko getting Omi from Drac's place is located here:

http://www.gaiaonline.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3398933&page=75

towards the bottom of the page.

[Youkochylde]

A Meeting with Astaroth

Feeling refreshed after his conversation with Mordath, Roth teleported into the vicinity of HQ. It was time to see how things were going with his 'ad' for army building spear lessons. He wouldn't put it past someone like that idiot Taka to rip down his sign and say it was too dangerous or that Roth couldn't be trusted. Taka was no doubt trying to plot against him... not that Taka's feeble mind could come up with anything cunning, but simple sabotage wouldn't be beyond him.

Walking up to the building, he checked the messageboard. Still there, excellent. Perhaps sticky tape and thumbtacks were too complex for Taka, heheheh...

Omi preceded Youko into the HQ by a good distance. Once the girl knew where they were heading, and Youko had let go of her hand, she had bolted for the door, leaving him outside talking to a friend who'd passed by. He knew she would be safe inside, and wasn't too concerned.

Omi, however, was ecstatic! This meant she was getting bigger, because he was trusting her more. Well, there was the incident when she'd vanished on him and scared him half to death... but that was for a reason, after all. Once inside, she closed the door behind her and kicked off her shoes, just like she did at home. Then she immediately made for the pile of beanbags in the corner, launching herself into them.

Noting some movement in a corner of the HQ, Roth moved steathily closer to see who it was. Ugh, another brat- oh wait, Taka and Kia's brat. The one who could speak a halfway decent language. He'd done some research after meeting her. The language that had seemed kind of familiar to him had a name - Japanese. And apparently the Japanese had moved out of China. That didn't speak well of their common sense, abandoning his own beloved culture, but it surely meant the Japanese were better than, say, the Egyptians.

He'd even learned a few words. Now how did they go...? Moving closer, he tried, "Ohio." Oh wait, wasn't that from a stupid Western language? Ah well, close enough.

Omi blinked. Was that...? She turned, sitting in the beanbags and looking up to the dark-skinned Fa'e that addressed her. She remembered him... he was the one with the... the... the thing she couldn't pronounce right yet.

"Ohayo!" she said, smiling up at him and waving. Then she tried again, remembering what Youko had taught her. "G'mor'in." It was close enough. Moving to stand, she realised that by standing ON the beanbags, she was closer to his height, and could now see him better than she had before. She stared at his eyes, tilting her head to the side slightly. He had eyes the same colour as Youko's! Was he a fox too?

He didn't LOOK like a fox. But that didn't mean much. "Me'suki..." she said, pointing towards his eyes. "Kogane met...suki!"

Roth gave a smug smile as Omi waved and greeted him back. Excellent, he'd been right - or close enough - after all. Hmm, so the br- kid could speak both Japanese and English? Hmm, interesting. Was that an indicator of intelligence or just having English beat into her skull by a guardian?

The rest of the Japanese went over his head though. He was Only Learning, he thought with a brief scowl. He wondered if the kid could understand that. "Wakary-mas-en," he sounded out. "Uh... Nihongo... uh, wakary-mus... um, oh, what was it... skoshi?"

He hoped that was the gist of it. He only spoke a little. Perhaps it would be enough to get the kid on his side. Soon enough, she'd be a child, then a teen... perfect years for encouraging rebellion against her parents. And he doubted either of those imbeciles spoke an Asian language, or were learning.

Notcing Omi trying to stand taller, he crouched down. If she grabbed for his hair though, all bets were off and there would be flame-roasted toddler. "Uh... namae desska?" he asked.

Omi grinned then, clapping her hands. He was very good, for a beginner. He seemed to at least grasp the concept. "Wakkateru!" she chirped happily, sounding out the word a bit carefully herself. This was MUCH easier than speaking English! Pointing to herself she said "Omi desu! No-zo-mi." Pointing back to him then, she watched him curiously. "Kimi wa?"

Hopefully he would understand. She still had FAR more trouble with English, and wasn't sure if anyone understood her half the time.

Oh, now he was meant to say that long phrase, right? For meeting people for the first time... He could only remember the first part. (It was too bad they couldn't just speak Chinese, it would be so much easier.) He made a mental note to study harder and maybe make himself a short list of the important phrases and carry it with him. It was never good to risk looking like a fool.

"Astaroth dess," Roth replied, pointing to himself. He thought for a moment. "Yoh-rosh-koo." He hoped the first half was good enough. There was more, he knew, but it was safer to stick with the part he was sure of.

"As... ta... roff." Omi frowned then, knowing that she hadn't said the last part right. "Roth." That was better! "As...ta...roth." She brought her hands together in front of herself then, bowing slightly to him. "Yoroshiku onegaishimasu." She looked back up to him then, with those green eyes focused intently on the other Fa'e. Even though she stumbled over the larger words, it was mainly because she couldn't get hermouth to say them right.

It was annoying, really. She knew she SHOULD be able to say them without a problem... but the words came out sounding more like 'yorshku ongasma', which was no where NEAR what she meant it to sound like. Oh well. Hopefully he forgave her for mangling it just as much as she did with his attempts.

As Youko came in, he saw Omi speaking to another Fa'e, the one that he remembered Yin describing more than once. He nodded to them, heading towards the kitchen to see if there was anything he could get for Omi to drink and leaving the girl to converse with one of her own 'kind' for a bit. It wasn't that he begrudged her being a Fa'e... he just understood that sometimes she'd want to be around other Fa'e without him hovering.

Omi watched Youko pass through, then looked back to Astaroth and pointed after the fox. "Boku no hogosha..." she said, explaining that this was her Guardian.

Ah, that was the long phrase. Though it sounded like Omi had as much of a problem with it as he did. He smiled a little at the thought. Good, not like a toddler would be complaining about his speech patterns.

Golden eyes flickered from one side to the other to track the progress of the new figure in HQ. They centered back on Omi as she spoke. Roth frowned again, the last word unknown. Boku no he understood though. Heh, it was actually one of the first things he'd looked up, the equivalent of his own wo de. Mine.

"Yours?" he gestured after the fox-male. He considered. "Your guardian, you mean?" Strange, he'd kind of assumed that Omi would live with her fa'e parents, that she wouldn't need a guardian. Hmm, so not even the children of fa'e were immune from that.

And, of course, that meant less contact with her parents than he'd anticipated. Excellent. He wondered what sort of weapon this one might like...

An eyebrow was raised at the girl's choice of pronoun, but Roth didn't mind. Yin was his first ally and she'd been quite a tomboy at the time. Astaroth preferred his female acquaintences to be less girly than some (like this one's mother). "Hmph, good to know you don't take after your mother," he gave Omi a fanged grin. "Weird that those two would produce something intelligent... Do you think perhaps your mother was unfaithful?"

Not that he expected Omi to understand, of course. Actually it was quite nice to be able to do all this polite insulting of others without anyone realising.

"Un... fey... ful..." Omi blinked, mulling over the word in her mind. She wasn't quite sure what it meant, and therefore answered the only way she could. She shrugged softly. "Unno?" She understood the first things he'd spoken though, easily enough. Nodding, she pointed at Youko again. "Mine. To-sa." Youko had taught her to call him 'To-san' instead of 'daddy', not wanting to confuse the girl the first time she met Taka.

"To-sa teach fings..." she began, that word coming to her mind again. "Thpear... To-sa say Omi too ittle. Asked him 'bout it." Astaroth didn't have the spear with him this time, so she couldn't point to it to explain what she was trying to say. "He say teach fings like that when Omi bigger. Not thpear... somefin' else." Now she was stuck on THAT word, and she couldn't for the life of her remember what it was. "Wa..ka..." she started, frowning faintly. She looked around then, trying to find something that would work.

The toy box! She remembered seeing something similar there before. Running over to it, she nearly disappeared inside, pulling out a plastic pirate's sword. "Ike dis," she said, holding it up. "Ittle... den big when Omi bigger."

Omi had wanted to learn the spear? Puffing up his chest, Roth felt a surge of victory and pride flow through him. He was corrupting her already! This was a brillant plan of his, if he did say so himself.

"A sword," he used the English word as he didn't know the Japanese for it. Interesting. "I used to have a sword, when I was little," he told Omi, thinking as he spoke. He still the sword, too... but it would be kept for sentimental reasons. Practice swords, though, and early 'learning' models - they were still around in the house somewhere. Perhaps he should sneak one out for her?

Until then, though, he reached forward and tried to adjust Omi's grip on the sword. "Hold like this," he advised. Being careful of a toddler's fragile arms, he moved the weapon gently, encouraging her to move her arms to follow and learn the patterns. "Thrust... or stab," he moved the sword forward. Then gently sideways. "Slash."

Heh, practice for spear lessons and yet further work on subverting this one to the dark side.

Omi let the smile slip, her attention completely on her hands as Astaroth rearranged them. She tightened her grip a bit, then let it relax when she felt him do the same, then planted her feet so that she wouldn't fall over when he helped her swing it in a slow arc. "Frust..." she repeated, waiting until he'd stopped his motions and tried to repeat them. It was a feeble effort... but it WAS the first time she'd ever tried. "Sash..." she said then, slowly moving the plastic sword in a sweep in front of her.

"Ike dat?" she asked then, looking up at him with a grin. Maybe she could get Youko to let her take this one home... or get her one of her own.

Youko, however, had just come out of the kitchen and was staring at the two. Gods, she was too little to be learning this just yet! "Omi, honey, what are you doing?" he asked, padding towards the pair. He knew full well what she was doing... and hadn't planned on THESE particular lessons for quite some time.

"I do!" she said gleefully, concentrating again to show Youko the 'frust' and 'sash' moves that she was going to likely be working on with anything even resembling a sword. "See?"

Youko looked at Roth dubiously... but he at least seemed to know what he was doing. "No real ones for a while, right?" he asked, one ear pricked up while the other stayed flat in his hair.

Astaroth nodded as Omi tried the moves on her own. "Like that," he nodded. "Ji-oh-zu," he praised her in Japanese.

Hearing footsteps from behind, Roth turned to face a slightly sceptical looking guardian. Ooops. Expecting a concerned fit much like the one Kali had thrown when he and Silver had stolen her weapons to fight, he was relieved by the fox-man's calmer reaction. Of course, this was just a fake sword... for now...

"She seems to have a natural talent," Roth remarked to Youko neutrally, not sure if praising the man's 'daughter' would improve the situation or not. "Doesn't seem like she takes after either of her fa'e parents."

Nodding, Youko relaxed a bit. "She does..." he admitted, watching the girl with a bit of pride. Well, if she was interested, the best thing to do would be to let her learn safely while she was still young enough to grasp the concepts quickly. "Just so long as it's not live steel until she's older. She's a telekinetic and tends to throw things around when she's ticked off. The last thing I need is holes in the wall from a sword that was within reach of her abilities."

Omi lowered the sword a bit, looking up at the two as they spoke. To-sa didn't look happy... but if he didn't let her do this she was going to scream. It only took a moment for her to catch up with the words and realise that he WAS going to let her, as long as they were careful. "Sankyuu, to-sa!"

"You're welcome, Mushiko," he said, unable to really keep himself from smiling as he looked down at her. "But the lessons will have to continue another time. We have to get going. And no, we can't take the sword with us, that belongs here. I'll get you one of your own to practice with if you like." That way, if it got broken, it was HERS, and didn't belong to someone else. As Omi darted off to put the sword away, Youko looked back to Astaroth. "Yin told me of you. If she trusts you, then so do I." He reached out then, offering the young Fa'e his hand.

One eyebrow raised at the mention of telekinesis. Roth wasn't about to admit that he wasn't sure what that was, exactly, so he just nodded seriously as if he found it as mildly worrying as Youko did. More research when he got home, obviously.

"Most Asian warriors learn with wooden blades," he nodded in reply to Youko. Not quite agreement, not quite disagreement. Roth liked to leave himself a bit of room to manouvre in.

Looking down at Omi, he offered some of the few Japanese words he had left to try that day. "Ja neh, chibi."

The offered hand was a bit of a surprise. Not many older people - guandians with young ones, especially - trusted Roth at all. Roth wouldn't say that they were entirely wrong in their choice either. But it was a change, so Roth took the proffered hand.

Youko shook his hand, then moved to scoop up Omi. "I'll keep that in mind," he said, nodding softly. "You ready to go, kiddo?"

Omi clapped her hands, immensely pleased with this visit to HQ. "Ja ne," she said, then carefully pronounced the boy's name. "As... taroff." She'd get it eventually. She waved to him from over Youko's shoulder as he carried her towards the door.

"Take care, Astaroth," he said, giving the Fa'e a wave of his hand as well. "I'll bring Omi back soon!"

With that, they were gone, with only a gleeful laugh from the toddler Fa'e as they started home.

[Youkochylde]

By the time Youko had gotten home, Omi was fast asleep in his arms and her head was a dead weight against his shoulder. Smiling softly, the fox stepped into the house, pulling off the toddler's shoes and setting them by the door where the rest were kept. Padding through the livingroom, he brought a finger to his lips when Raven started to jump up and greet them.

The foxcoon girl just grinned, leaning against the back of the couch as she watched the pair go by. Yeande peered over the back of the couch as well, smirking softly. "Another passout?" she asked softly, tucking her hair back behind one ear as Youko nodded and continued on by. She turned to Raven then, nudging the girl with one foot as she settled her book in one hand. "It's about your bedtime as well," she reminded, stopping the ensuing whine by pointing to Omi. "You wake her up and you'll be the one to deal with her the rest of the night."

Sighing, Raven stuck out her tongue at the Ijiuo, then moved to hug Youko quickly before vanishing down the stairs to her own room.

Once he was in Omi's room, Youko was faced with the rather amusing (to watch) task of undressing a toddler, changing a diaper, getting her dressed in pyjamas... all without waking her up. There was a moment when he froze in place, listening to Omi whine softly as she curled into a ball and prevented him from getting her nightshirt on... but it passed a moment later, and he managed to get her dressed somehow.

Laying her in the crib, he leaned against the rail for just a moment, watching the Fa'e sleep. It seemed like just yesterday that he'd watched her be born, this little tiny bundle of lungs and wings that had come into his life and upended it in much the same manner that the twins had with their own birth. Like the twins, Omi was also growing fast, and part of the kitsune just wished they'd stay smaller longer.

Soon, he'd be faced with teen woes from Raven and Kendall, and Omi was already progressing as well. She was very nearly potty trained already, the Fa'es instinctive neat streak working to his advantage on that one. Having Yeande around again was a big help... she tended to keep things in order when he couldn't... but even she was a sore reminder of just how much things change. He could remember when she was a 'newborn' as well, and Youko felt his ears droop slightly. How long before they outgrew him and went off on their own paths?

He shook that thought out of his head then, reaching into the crib to smooth back Omi's hair gently. "Sleep well, Mushiko," he whispered, turning away before she woke up or one of the others came in and caught him crying. Shutting the door behind him and moving off to his own room for a bit of solitude, Youko never noticed that the room he'd left behind was completely dark.

[Youkochylde]

Dark... it always began in the dark.

Omi whimpered in her sleep, one fist coming to her mouth as she sucked on her fingers... it was a stress reaction that she'd never quite grown out of yet, and it happened in response any time she felt unnerved. Even asleep, it happened.

Omi looked down at her feet, bare toes padding against the rock beneath. The pants she wore seemed tattered, and a look at her hands revealed that the familiar purple marks were gone. Almost immediately, Omi tensed up, glancing around in confusion. It wasn't confusion for long, however, and she froze in place. Another nightmare. She knew this place... she saw it a lot when she closed her eyes.

RUN!

Listening to the incessant urging in her mind, the little girl fled, not even really knowing where she was heading. Everything always happened all the same... she'd run, something chased her, and she'd wake up scared out of her mind. She could feel herself starting to cry, even as she ran. She HATED this... hated the dark, and whatever was hiding there to try and catch her. "To-sa..." she whispered, barely able to do more than squeak as fear closed her throat.

As she felt claws trace against the backs of her legs, however, she let out a shriek and put on an extra burst of speed. There was light up ahead! If she could just make it...

A scream tried to leave her lips as she sat bolt upright in the crib, her breath catching in her throat. Nozomi could feel her mouth opening, her lungs forcing out air as hard as they could... but no sound emerged, other than a raspy gasp of a cry.

Something was wrong with her voice!! No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't make any noise... To-sa would never hear her! She'd be stuck in here forever... in the dark... alone. The little Fa'e could feel herself shaking, tears streaming down her cheeks.

It never occurred to her that something was wrong here... she was too intent on her own fear to notice the slight changes in the room. It wasn't until she felt herself trembling from near exhaustion that she started to look around, and Nozomi felt her muscles freezing up once more. Everything was in black and white... even with the muted light from the window, she could usually see some semblance of colour. The bright blankets on her bed lay there in an array of grey tones, the now dark lanterns above her bed seeming to have had their colour leeched away as well.

This wasn't the way things were supposed to be.

Omi didn't like this... not one little bit. Reaching up, she grabbed hold of the side of the crib, hauling herself out and landing on the floor soundlessly. She blinked at the quiet, looking at her feet and stomping one on the floor again.

No sound...

Stifling a whimper, Nozomi moved out of the room, pushing the door open easily and heading into the hallway. The disconcerting greyscale that had taken over her room seemed to be out here as well, she noticed. What was going on here? "To-sa?" she tried to call, but again, no sound emerged. Now she was starting to get frightened again...

She knew she wasn't supposed to go on the stairs... but To-sa's room was up there and she HAD to get to him! Darting across the hall, she headed for the bottom of the staircase, then paused as she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. What was it? Was it one of the monsters from her nightmares? Was it the 'something under the bed' that Raven had told her about??

She turned slowly, not really wanting to see, but unable to stop herself from finding out what had startled her. One foot stayed just in front of the other, Nozomi ready to flee if whatever she saw had scales, claws, fangs or anything else that just shouldn't BE on something that wouldn't hurt her.

All she saw however... was herself. The large full-length mirror that hung on the wall reflected her image back at her, a bleak, shaded grey version of the girl she knew she was. Somehow, this worried her even more than anything else. Dark teal hair was now almost black... pale skin seemed white.

She looked... dead.

That was a shock to discover, and the moment the thought crossed her mind, Omi shuddered uncontrollably. It's not me, she thought to herself, bringing up one hand to press against the cool glass of the mirror. Purple skin was now muted grey, and she frowned softly. Something was wrong here. VERY wrong. Why couldn't she figure out what it was?

"Ah! What a fair and lovely youth!"

The voice shocked Omi into looking up, and it was less than an instant before she wished she hadn't. There, in the mirror, was a pair of gleaming eyes... the irises a bright red that stood out all the more with only greyscale around them. Dark, ink black hair pooled around those eyes, seemingly alive as a woman's form came into view.

Once, she may have been beautiful. If one looked, her youthful features might be discerned... the curve of her body, the fair skin and soft face. Now, however, she was something out of one's worst horrors. Sickly flesh gave way to visible muscle and bone, the claw-like fingers each tipped with a cracked and broken nail. The stench of decay permeated everything around her, dark ichor oozing from rotting skin. Where the black hair may once have been silken to the touch, it now appeared tangled and matted, the soft smile and sweet breath replaced by shattered teeth and the overwhelming scent of death.

"You belong with me..."

Spider-like hands reached out from the mirror then, grabbing hold of the girl's wrists in a grip that couldn't be broken. In that instant, the spell over Omi seemed to be broken, an ear-piercing scream coming from her throat. She tried to struggle and pull away, but when she kicked against the glass, she felt her feet slide through as if through a liquid barrier.

Nozomi watched her body being pulled into the mirror, and continued to scream until she thought her voice would break. She could feel her limbs growing numb as they vanished... and once her chest started to be sucked in as well, even her lungs stopped responding.

A moment later, the hall was quiet once more, the mirror shimmering until it was the flawless reflective surface it had always been.

[Youkochylde]

Youko woke early. Having the twins had assured that his internal alarm clock went off before they woke so that he could get properly caffeinated first... and once Omi arrived, it was a good thing. Looking at the clock, he saw that it was about 6am. Right on time!

Crawling out of bed, he pulled on a pair of sleep pants and staggered out into the hall, then down the stairs. The television was on already... a sure sign that Raven was awake. Once he was down the stairs, he poked his head into the livingroom and saw the familiar grey hair leaning against the back of the couch. "Mornin'," he mumbled, scratching behind one ear as he headed into the kitchen.

"Morning, dad!"

That was all the response he was bound to get. Cartoons were on, and that meant Raven's full attention was elsewhere. Starting up the coffeepot, he knew he had a few minutes before that blessed brew would be accessible, so went in to see what damage his daughters had wrought during his sleep. The surprise came when Raven was revealed to be the only one there. Normally, Omi woke when she heard Raven puttering around, and the two would wind up planted somewhere, conspiring to wreck the place. "Where's Omi?" he asked, looking around the couch as if making sure that he hadn't just missed her.

"She's not awake yet," Raven replied, the soggy bowl of Frosted Flakes forgotten in her lap in lieu of the cat-and-mouse games on the television.

Not awake? Youko blinked, looking towards Omi's bedroom door. Still closed. "That's odd. Normally she's up when you are." After seeing Ravne shrug, he just sighed and headed towards the bedroom, pushing the door open. "Rise and shine!" he called, walking across the room and pulling open the blinds. Normally, this would at least rouse the toddler. This time, however, there wasn't even so much as a rustle from the crib.

He moved to stand beside it, watching Omi sleep. "Come on, little one. Get up." He reached down, brushing his fingers through the girl's hair.

Omi was laying sprawled in the crib, thumb dangling from her lips in sleep. Youko smiled, remembering his own musings from the night before when he watched her like this.

Exactly like this.

The thought crossed his mind and he frowned, realising that Omi hadn't moved at ALL during the night. Normally, she'd wind up in a ball at one corner, at least. "Omi?" One hand reached out, resting on her chest for a moment as he lightly wiggled it. "Omi, baby, wake up..." The kitsune was growing edgey now. This wasn't normal... No way in HELL was this normal.

Okay, calm down. She's just sleeping deeply. Youko kept repeating that as his mind started to head into that downward spiral of panic that choked every parent alive when something was wrong with their child. He very nearly shook her to wake her, then some sane part of his mind started screaming about shaken-baby-syndrome and he stopped with his hand in mid-air. Instead of that approach, he scooped the toddler up, whining softly when he felt her limp in his arms.

She looked as though she was just asleep. Nozomi's eyes were closed peacefully and her chest rose and fell with the rhythmic breaths that one had when they were dozing. That was about the extent of the normalcy, however, the girl's body hanging in his arms as if she were a rag doll instead of a living being. After a few more failed attempts to rouse her, he knew he had a serious problem on his hands.

Padding out into the livingroom, he turned to Raven. "Honey, go to your mother's."

"But I..."

"NOW!" Youko snapped back, growling softly.

Raven's eyes went wide at the sudden reaction and she didn't even bother going to get dressed. Nightgown and all, she bolted out the back door, racing across the yard in bare feet towards Karma's place.

The kitsune was shaking so badly, he was certain he was going to drop Omi. Setting her on the couch, he tried to calm himself, taking deep breaths. Raven was scared... Karma would likely be pissed at him... but he didn't want his daughter to be here if something truly bad happened with Omi.

Or if her father actually snapped from this.

He looked down at the comatose toddler, chewing at his lower lip until he tasted blood. He had to do something... but what? Racing to the phone, he flipped through the book of numbers that was there. Karma was as new to the Fa'e as he was, she wouldn't be able to tell him if this was 'normal' or not. Same with Trio. Envy would be able to comfort him, but at the same time, Youko didn't want comforting. He wanted answers. The whine returned as he nearly tore the pages in his haste. Finally, his eyes settled on a name and number that just might help.

Picking up the phone, he made two failed attempts at dialing before he managed to get the right sequence finally and waited for someone to pick up the other line. When it was finally answered, he spun towards the livingroom, watching Omi worriedly as he spoke.

"Hello, Drac? I need help..."

[Draconayzia]

Drac had literally thrown Devi on her back and ran full out to Youko's when she'd gotten the call. Devi's arms were snug around her neck as he held on. He knew something was wrong. Even the look of shock on his mum's face when she'd found him awake had been tinged with worry about someone else.

It was Omi, it had to be if they were running this way. His mother never put him down as she just reached forward and rapted on the door frame. "Youko? Open up, it's Drac and Devi."

[Youkochylde]

Youko was pacing by the time Drac arrived, chewing on one clawed finger anxiously. Each time he passed by the couch, he looked down at the little girl 'sleeping' there, a fluffy green blanket resting over her. It had been an afterthought... a cold part of his mind thought that she didn't need it in her condition, but it made him feel better if he could just convince himself she was sleeping.

The knock on the door broke him out of his reverie and he nearly flew across the house, yanking the door open. "Drac," he whimpered, looking like hell warmed over as he nearly pulled her into the house. "Something's wrong with her, she won't wake up no matter what I do. She didn't even look like she moved last night at all, and she always tosses and turns..."

He took her into the livingroom where Omi was laying, then curled up to kneel beside the couch, his fingers running through the girl's hair. "What's wrong with her? Do you know?"

[Draconayzia]

Drac understood. Devi had been asleep for days, unmoving from the spot where she'd laid him. "I don't know Youko, but wearing a hole in your floor itsn't going to help. Lets go get some food and drink in you and we can think over what can be done, alright?" Her voice was calm and steady as she gently guided him towards the kitchen. If Omi did wake and saw him pacing about it would likely freak her out.

Devi walked over to Omi, and pet her hair back. It was her turn now he wagered. Carefully gathering her up he sat on the couch and just held her lightly. He let her head rest against his chest so she could hear his heartbeat, something that had always calmed him down and made him feel safe. Tucking the blanket around her he rubbed her back and just waited patiently.

[Youkochylde]

Youko didn't WANT to go into the kitchen... but did anyway. It was something about having a vixen for a mother that had instilled the survival instinct in him that told him NEVER to argue with a female fox.

It was just safer that way.

"I don't know what happened," he said, murmuring faintly. He hadn't even changed out of his sleep pants yet, and didn't seem to notice or care. "I put her to bed last night, she'd passed out on her own. She was fine when I put her down, protested it even though she was asleep, like she always does. She settled quickly enough, and it was completely normal. I got up this morning and Raven said she was still asleep..." The gold gaze lowered then, Youko catching hold of the counter top and tightening his hold until his knuckles went white. "I couldn't wake her up. Nothing I did, I even tried getting an ice cube and putting it on her foot. Nothing, no response at all. I don't know what to do."

The object of his worry was still unresponsive, laying against Devi's chest. It took perhaps a moment, but it seemed that her breathing and heartbeat slowly came to match his own. Even her eyes beneath the closed lids were still, giving no indication of anything she was truly seeing...

[Youkochylde]

It was cold... that was the first thing Omi noticed when she opened her eyes again. Cold.. and DARK. Whimpering softly, she curled up, wrapping her arms around her legs and glancing around to try and figure out just where she was. Everything smelled musty here... like it had fallen into disuse and decay some years before. "H'lo?" she called out, wincing when she heard her own voice echo back at her. "I w-wanna go home..." she whispered, closing her eyes tightly once more and burying her face against her knees. She was terrified... and didn't think she even had the nerve to run. It was one thing to race away from monsters in your dreams.... Omi wasn't even sure she was dreaming anymore.

"Welcome home," came the silken voice. It was the same voice that had called to her from the mirror. THAT made Omi cry out softly in fear.. she didn't want to see that woman ever again. "It's been far too long, aruji."

Green eyes flicked open in shock. Why had the woman said THAT? That was a big mistake, however, and Omi found herself riveted in place by the sight of those lifeless eyes. She froze immediately, unable to even scream anymore... and her fear seemed to make the woman purr.

"Regretting your actions yet?" she asked, broken nails scratching lightly across Nozomi's cheek as the woman caressed her skin almost lovingly. "I've been waiting for you to come back."

Shaking her head quickly, Omi cringed from the touch, tears starting to well in her eyes once more. "Go 'way," she whispered, voice cracking as she tried unsuccessfully to keep it steady. "Don't know you... go 'way... lemme alone!" She closed her eyes tightly once more then, trying to will the apparition to leave. If she could just wake up... or something. What if she wasn't asleep? What if this wasn't a nightmare??

Fractured laughter reached her ears then and she felt a tug on her hair that made her let out a yip of pain when her head was forced up to look at the woman. "You know me, Izanagi..." she whispered, close enough that Omi could feel the sickly breath hitting her skin. "You'll remember... and then you'll never leave ME alone again!"

By now, Nozomi was crying again, and the woman pushed her away in disgust. "You'll remember eventually. Even if I have to keep you locked away in here for the rest of that little girl's life." With that, she was gone, vanished into the darkness as if she'd never been there.

Omi knew better, however. It was just her and the darkness now, and she wasn't even sure what was going on. Curling into a ball, she just trembled, wishing more than anything that none of this was happening.

[Draconayzia]

Drac sighed, gently forcing him to sit in a chair while she routed out some simple food and something with a bit of alcohol for him to drink. True it was early, but then again he was stressed like few people would ever understand. "Look, if she's anything like Devi, then this is part of her growing. Devi's slept for days before. He's told me that sometimes the dreams are good, and he was able to learn things about himself. Other times he'd wake in a panic and tell me about someone shooting an arrow right into his side where that scar is. There's really nothing either of us can do to stop it. We can only wait and be there for them when they wake." She placed a bagel in front of him and some orange juice, putting a shot of vodka beside the glass for him to add as wanted.

Devi hugged her a little closer, moving to place her little hand over the pendant she'd given him. His hand closed lightly around her's and he started rocking slowly back and forth.

He started to think of the things she liked to do. Running arund, bouncing lightly on his back through the branches. She was so funny when she got the cute look on her face that got him into so much trouble. He'd have to take her to see the ocean by his house soon. Maybe he'd let her ride on his back so they could kick up some surf. He sighed softly, resting his chin on top of her head hoping she'd wake soon.