[[ Kiko- C H A N and Sno - C H A N ]] - Private 1x1

[Sno Magicka]

Ｓ ｎｏ ✦ Ｔ ｏｋｅｔｓｕ ✦ Ｒ ａｙｎｅ ✦ Ａ ｌｅｋｓａｎｄｅｒ
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As soon as she was on her father's shoulder, Rayne did her best to remain still, but still couldn't stop a large smile as she reached her small hands around Jirou's head. "Nice to meet you too silly head!" she cooed in a sing song voice, hugging her father's cranium as she rested her head against the top of his hair. Toketsu couldn't help but smile at the interaction, only to roll his eyes when Jirou mussed his hair. Jeebus, past and present both, though the younger Mercury man had started to get use to it, shooing his father's hand away and fixing the mess on his head. The look of curiosity in Jirou's eyes didn't go unnoticed by his son, however, and Toketsu almost wondered if his past father would figure it out right off the bat.

Thankfully, Yori started talking to pull the attention away, though it only switched Toketu from a slight bit of worry to a flash of pain. As usual, the boy kept his face straight, but Yori, since Sno had started loosing her memory, was on Mercury every chance he could get to be at his boyfriend's side. He knew of Toketsu's pain, even without cues from the tear he had given the red head. More than once in the last month, as they laid in bed for sleep, Toketsu's pain grew to a level where a few tears would leak out. It honestly was terrible having the person who raised you for the full 19 years of your life not even recognize you, but thankfully, the Mercury Prince knew he still had those who loved him, and were working to get his mother's memory back just as hard as he was. It had been a collaboration between him and his father, to try the idea of bringing her past to the present in hopes to jog his mother's memory.

Sno's brow had immediately creased at the idea of loosing her memory in the future. For someone who was completely the brains of any operation, it was as effective as killing her off in a way; aka, something someone would, in fact, do to overturn Mercury's rule. Looking to Toketsu, she smiled briefly, her own reassurance that she'd do everything to help fix herself in the future ( an odd thought, but odd thoughts were normal when time traveling children were concerned ) before Jirou spoke the words that were forming on the tip of her tongue.

Toketsu had remained quite as Yori explained, though remained close to the other man out of instinct between their sets of parents. It did sound a bit out there, even more so hearing it from Yori, but something needed to work, and like mentioned, they were running out of options. Just as the Mars Prince finished though, Toketsu looked at Sno, who obviously was rearing to ask questions, ones he knew were coming. "Father and I have tried everything that could be the next best thing to bringing the past to the present. Nothing has worked," he reassured.

Aleks had listened quietly to the back and forth, simply nodding his head before a thought struck. "How long will it take, do you guys know? With the wedding coming up and all..." he started, just to see Toketsu shake his head. "We came now simply to warn you guys. We were hoping to take off the day after the wedding, give the newlyweds their honeymoon while we head to the future."

Sno nodded at this before her own questions arose. "Is Hikara doing alright? And how old are both of you?" Toketsu's gaze flickered over to Yori briefly before turning back to Sno. The twins weren't known in this time, and this group only knew of Hikara, something they aimed to keep known, and only that. "The entire Saturn group is fine, though they are restrained to Saturn due to a virus that is needing the royal family's attention. As for Yori and I, he is 21, and I am 19." Sno couldn't help but reach a hand out, gently touching Toketsu's face before smiling fondly. "I still have images of my little thirteen year old...it's wonderful to see you, you both, growing up to be such fine young men," she said wistfully. Toketsu gave a small half smile. "Thank you Mom."

Just then, Sno felt her arm touched, looking over to Jirou to find Rayne had thoroughly fallen asleep on top of his head. A warm smile crossed the ice senshi's features before she turned back to the boys. "Your rooms from the last time you were here should be still made," she said quietly, just as a low murmur came from the sleeping beast on her boyfriend's head. "I...wannasslep...with daddy..." a big yawn before her last words and thoroughly passing out, "...anmommy..." Sno reached her hand up then, gently petting the young female's ebony locks before nodding to Toketsu. "We'll take her," the woman said gently, Toketsu just nodding before everyone dispersed to go to their separate rooms. There would be plenty of time to talk in the morning, but for now, sleep was on everyone's mind.

Making their way up to their room, Sno couldn't help but smile at Jirou's attempts to walk as carefully as possible, as to not jostle the small child perched on his head. Once they were both ready for bed, the Mercury coupled snuggled in, leaving just enough room for the smaller figure between them to snuggle against them. Rayne had automatically snuggled her back in against Sno, but her small hand had managed to find Jirou's much larger one, the sight bringing a small, thoughtful smile to Sno's face, only to have a flash of pain cross her features when another mumble came from Rayne. "Don't...forget me mommy...I love you..." Looking to Jirou for a second, she brought her face to rest against the smaller female's darker hair. "I won't," she whispered in return.

Toketsu had managed to remember where his old room had been after walking Yori to his. The other had managed to sneak a small kiss, though Toketsu quickly confirmed everyone else were in their rooms by their energy signatures and returned it without hesitation. Before the other could instigate anything though, he cut any attempts off with a hug before heading to the other side of the second floor to his room. Walking in, he smiled at the sheets Sno and Jirou had bought him last time he was here, wasting no time in stripping down to his boxers, folding his clothes up and setting them aside, before crawling in under the thin sheet.

Of course, not more than a half hour into the young man trying to fall asleep, he heard his door open slightly, only to feel the bed dip behind him before warm hands encircled him and body touched his back. "You..." he yawned for a moment before continuing, "shouldn't be...in here..." he murmured. Even with that though, he automatically felt himself scooching back, allow more of their skin to contact and his head to fit perfectly beneath Yori's chin. It wasn't as though the man was going to deny he had hoped Yori would, well, be Yori and join him. After seeing his mother, one that remembered him and recognized him even though she hadn't seen him for 6 years, made the man feel that sadness for the mother of his time well up again. Just as the first few tears came down from his eyes, he turned in place, resting his forehead against the others chest before his hands came to rest on the others stomach.

Morning came quickly enough, and Toketsu managed to get Yori back to his own room before the house began to wake up officially. Waking once he felt others energies moving around, the white haired boy simply slipped on a pair of sweats that had been placed in his room, likely his mother's doing, before slipping down to the kitchen. Greeted by the smells of waffles, a small smile turned up his face at the sight of Sno making breakfast, Kiko's sad attempt at helping her, and Rayne sitting over Jirou's shoulder's once more ( the girl practically live there in his time, and had recently been denied shoulder time when Jirou's attention went to his wife ), her small hand reaching over and mussing Aleks' hair as she cooed about him being 'Silly Uncle Aleks'. It was an image the boy sorely missed seeing.

His thoughts were brought back to the present when a warm hand touched his lower back, the white haired boy turning and smiling to Yori before the pair took their seats. Sno managed to turn around then, gasping. "Toketsu, your chest!" The Mercury son's brow furrowed for a second as he looked down, thinking his necklace he'd received from Yori had been noticed, then realized his scar, though not as visible as when he first got it, was out in broad daylight from the Mars madman. Looking back up, he shook his head briefly. "I'll explain later Mom, it's alright," he said reassuringly. Sno gave him one last look before turning back to her almost burning waffle, pulling it out and putting it one a plate when Kiko's job of placing toppings on came into play.

[shigatsusan]

Ⓚⓘⓚⓞ ◦ ʝȋʀɸϑ ◦ ΥѲЯΊ

xxxxThe group listened quietly as Yori went on to explain their predicament. Kiko wasn’t quite sure how she felt about all of this, most likely because it still hadn’t fully sunk in yet that Yori and Toketsu were both here in the first place. Not only that, but they were suggesting bringing them along with them back to their time, to help an older version of her best friend regain her memory…It made even less sense the more she tried to understand it, so she left it at that and decided they would do whatever possible to try and solve this problem. Jirou, who remained relatively quiet after his first question, was watching his son during the explanation, coming to the same conclusion as Kiko rather quickly at seeing how upset it made him. The boy didn’t wear much by the way of emotions, a curse he could say he passed along, but Jirou was good at reading his own and in turn, his son’s. He couldn’t imagine what he would have felt if Sno woke up one morning to not recall a single word he’d ever said to her.

xxxxYori knew very well the date of his Aunt’s wedding, he’d seen pictures of it plenty of times when he had been younger, and told the story of his Aunt’s ‘surprise’ announcement at the end of their honeymoon more times than he could count on his hands. While the situation in their time was dire, the technology Sno had given them to make it back in the first place was advanced enough to make up for any lapses in time. They would enjoy the wedding, something Yori was excited to see with his own eyes, and hopefully use the extra time to come up with some sort of plan once they got back. This, of course, had been something his boyfriend pointed out, while the son of Mars was more concerned with getting his fill of a party. "Well, you know we’ll do whatever we can. Though…I have no idea what we’d be able to do. It’s worth a shot, at least." his mother was the next one to speak, which he wasn’t surprised about. She had said something very similar when their group had been deciding on whether bringing their younger selves to their time was a good idea. Kiko had rubbed a temple before shrugging and dismissing away something invisible with her hand, ‘What’ve we got to lose?’ The answer was quite a lot, actually, and that had been the point.

xxxxHearing her son was 21, Kiko couldn’t help a soft grin, placing hands on the boy’s broad shoulders, "I’m getting you a drink first thing." Yori’s smile looked like one she’d seen so many times on Alek’s face, a mixture of mischief and excitement, and he nodded. Her hands clenched a bit over Yori’s shoulders after a few moments , brows furrowing in moderate surprise, "Holy s**t what have I been feeding you?"

xxxxJirou’s sentiments matched Sno’s, unable to help but glance over his son again and fully take in how much he had grown since the last time he’d seen him. It was funny, technically he hadn’t even been born yet, and yet Jirou felt like he was growing up so fast. He’d almost forgotten about Rayne up on his shoulders, she was so light and seemed to know exactly where and how to sit so she could slumber peacefully while leaning on top of his head. He didn’t have to say a word, Sno spoke up for him when she cooed in her sleep to stay with them. How could he say no to that?

xxxxAfter a bit more time with his parents catching up, Yori followed Toketsu upstairs, trying to remain as innocent as possible. Once he was certain they were alone, he made sure to kiss him goodnight before sauntering back to his room. It was hard to control himself, it had been so long since he had to. Everyone in his time knew, even his people, and needless to say the support was unbelievable. He tossed and turned in his own bed for less than a minute before he gave up and crept back over to his lover’s room and into his bed. "I know." he whispered in reply, strong arms circling around a cool waist. Ever since his mother had been losing her memory, a night hadn’t gone by where Toketsu slept alone. Yori made sure of that. After a few quiet minutes, he felt the other’s body tense and shake before turning and pressing closer against him. His arms held more securely on instinct, and he kissed at Toketsu’s hairline, waiting until he finally managed to drift off to sleep before letting himself do the same.

xxxxHe hated getting up the next morning but knew he had to, and luckily Yori slipped out of Toketsu’s bed before the others started heading out of their rooms. He even had time to head back to his room and slip on a wife beater overtop his boxers (red with little black hearts all over them) before meeting the others downstairs for breakfast. Reaching out to touch Toketsu’s lower back was reflex, his way of announcing his presence, and he didn’t think anything of it. He also didn’t think anything of the necklace now openly hung out in the open around his neck. When Sno pointed out the scars over Toketsu’s chest, Yori’s gaze glazed over a moment and a hand at his side clenched. It was only for a second, almost unnoticeable; the memory of such an event hurt him to think about, so he didn’t. Instead, he took a seat beside Toketsu and waited for a plate of waffles.

xxxxBless his mother, she really was trying. But her skills in the kitchen were slim and none if it didn’t involve a pre-frozen dinner. The stacks of waffles set in front of both him and Toketsu didn’t look all that bad, but they were oddly shaped and parts of it still stuck to the waffle iron. They had touched up each dish with fresh fruit and powdered sugar though, which was nice. Strawberries for him, blueberries for Toketsu. He sat there and stared at his plate with a smile, though didn’t move to reach for a fork. Before he could try and verbally vomit some excuse as to why he couldn’t eat without hurting his mother’s feelings or causing a scene, Toketsu slyly switched their plates while the woman was happily conversing with Sno over coffee. Yori had found out at a very young age he was deathly allergic to strawberries, after sharing a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with Toketsu when they were probably still toddlers. He steered clear of them ever since, and it never came up again. The fact Toketsu remembered something like that after all this time had him pausing, turning to openly stare in adoration at the boy. In that moment he decided he didn’t care much about shocking their parents, almost forgot they were even in the room, and he reached out a hand to move the boy’s face by his chin so as to plant a kiss firmly on his lips.

xxxx"How are the waffles, boooooooh. Um," Kiko, who had been distracted with trying to not burn the next stack and ignore Aleks’ quips about her cooking while simultaneously talking with Sno, finally turned back to her son, only to find him locked in a passionate kiss with Toketsu, who didn’t appear to mind the action at all aside from a fierce blush over fair skin.

[Sno Magicka]

Ｓ ｎｏ ✦ Ｔ ｏｋｅｔｓｕ ✦ Ｒ ａｙｎｅ ✦ Ａ ｌｅｋｓａｎｄｅｒ
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Watching everyone interacting around the room had brought a smile to the Mercury son's face, though it didn't stop him from noticing the food once it was placed down. Like his mother, and even his father, he was known for his brain and his incredible memory, so remembering his once best friend now boyfriend was allergic to something at a deathly level was a non-occurrence for him. Toketsu also knew that Kiko would probably make some snide comment or get hurt at her son rejecting the food she had worked at cooking, so in a moment of timed watching, Toketsu's hand slip across the table next to him, grabbing Yori's plate and switching it with his own. The white haired boy wasn't picky about what he ate anyway, and would rather have a peaceful morning than one that involved dragging Keiko from her apartment ( as Toketsu remember where she'd be at this point in time ) and ask her to heal his boyfriend.

It was quick and quiet, causing no one to notice, though the man did watch the other out of the corner of his eye. He saw the look in the others eyes only a moment before his chin was turned and his warm lips pressed against his own. Like every other time Yori kissed him, the rest of the world never seemed quite as important as it had a moment ago, causing Toketsu to eagerly reply by returning the pressure and bringing his hand up to touch the others cheek.

Sno had been looking back about the same time as Kiko, reassured her best friend was not going to burn the next waffle, and almost dropped her mug in shock. Well, that wasn't quite what she had been expecting. It was probably more surprising than finding out she had a second child, or that she had completely lost her memory in the future. After all, the last time the boys had been here, they'd been healthy best friends, rivals that fought with everything they had and played tricks on each other or stuck their tongues out at each other. Well, at least the tongue thing was still there, though not in quite the same context. For a moment, Sno caught Kiko's gaze, her way of saying 'You're seeing what I'm seeing, right?'

When the kiss ended, Toketsu pulled back and smiled, his blush still apparent as he let out a small huff of air. How Yori managed to take his breath away with every kiss was beyond him, but the other seemed to- Just then did Toketsu turn to face the room, one full of people staring very blatantly at the red heads sign of affection for him. Oh, yeah, they didn't know. It ranged from mild surprise in his father ( at least what he knew to read as such ), to a coy eyebrow up from Aleks, to Rayne wondering why in the heck everyone was looking at her brother and Uncle Yoyo that way. So what, they were being eeewy? "Icky," was what came from the toddler, breaking the slightly stunned and curious silence as she crossed her arms and scrunched her nose up.

Toketsu vividly remembered telling their parents in their time, and even though these sets of parents, ones that had not gone through the experiences his had, had basically the same facial expressions. "Heh," he started, his blush remaining simply because, for the second time, Yori had chosen to reveal their relationship quite bluntly. "Well, if it isn't obvious, yes, Yori and I are together," he said quickly, confirming the thoughts he was certain were buzzing in everyone's heads.

By then, Sno was smiling, her look of stunned shock having disappeared once she realized that, well, it was her son, and obviously, he was happy. He had changed a lot since she had seen him as a thirteen year old, so this was just one of those changes, right? Not one she had been expecting, though not even Sno Mizuno could plan or expect everything that could happen. Aleks was simply rocking on the back legs of his chair a bit, smiling broadly at the boys, Yori in particular. Being from the planet of Love, he knew, probably more than anyone in the room, love was a grand thing, something that came in many shapes and form, including, in this case, a best friend that just happened to be of the male gender. "How long?" he asked inquisitively.

Toketsu just smiled a bit, glancing over to his boyfriend before answering. "We got together at Kiko and Keiko's birthday party one year, a bit after I turned 16, so, 3 years next month?" he said, his nature to explain things coming forth as usual. The thought that he had, in fact, been with this wonderful man, for almost three years now, had another faint smile coming over his face, causing him to give into to reaching over and kissing the man next to him a second time. "Ew ew ew ew! Stop it Toki!" Rayne quickly exclaimed, wriggling to the point where she almost fell off Jirou's shoulders, only being steadied by the man's quick reflexes stopping her plummet into his plate of waffles. The Mercury son pulled away then, but not before leaving a small kiss on the tip of his boyfriend's nose.

[shigatsusan]

Ⓚⓘⓚⓞ ◦ ʝȋʀɸϑ ◦ ΥѲЯΊ

xxxxHis mind was so wrapped up in what he was currently doing, it wasn’t until his mother spoke up did Yori actually get pulled from his blissful thoughts. The first time he’d told their parents, it had been straight and to the point. Somehow he’d managed to outdo the first confession in shock value, considering when he looked back at everyone else, they were all staring with their own reactions. He too caught the similarities in how they were responding like their older selves, but held back a snicker because Jirou was watching him intensely for a few moments. Yea, he remembered this. The Knight’s protective instinct was unmatchable, and he was watching Yori now with a sizing up sort of look, eyes resting on the pendant hanging around his shoulders again. It made sense to him now, Jirou thought. How his son had found a bond so strong to exchange his tear so quickly was surprising, but not too unheard of. It was just a little jarring.

xxxxJirou didn’t look as if he were going to encase Yori in a block of ice, and that combined with his parent’s smile and Toketu’s added token of affection put the mars son in a far more relaxed mood rather quickly. Just like the first time, the ones he loved were open and accepting of them. He shouldn’t have been surprised. He nodded in agreement, his smile widening on his face, "Yea. Almost three years." he knew repeating it wasn’t necessary, but he couldn’t help himself. Saying it out loud was surreal. Had it really been that long? He didn’t pay much attention to time anymore, only concerned himself with the time between visits to see Toketsu. The second kiss he saw coming, and Yori leaned into it just enough to add more pressure. After the kiss on the nose, he leaned forward a little to bump his forehead gently against Toketsu’s before turning toward his mother. She was standing beside Sno in conversation, an excited look on her face, "You do know this means we’ll be actual family cause of them? Ha-hah! You can never get rid of me now." she joked with a chuckle. The idea really did excite her, though. Sno and herself had always been like family, but knowing their future children would find love in each other was pretty exciting.

xxxxBreakfast finished up pretty uneventfully after that. Rayne kept up on Jirou’s shoulder’s, tempted to even eat her waffles up there, but the Knight was not about to fish crumbs from his hair. He sat her on his lap instead while she ate, not only to keep her better balanced, but to make sure she ate her fill. She was a growing girl, after all. With everyone’s breakfast done, Kiko conveniently left the kitchen before any clean up happened, but luckily Keiko and Kesiom had arrived sometime around then too. After a quick explanation and greetings, dishes were a small concern. The elder Hino was a little upset to not see her own daughter with the other boys. As nice as it was to see them, she had thought about Hikara quite often…But hearing she was taking care of things on their home planet in her time made her understand. Not only that, but she was her daughter right? It was only a matter of time before she’d be here with her permanently.

xxxxA few hours later, everyone had settled down, enough for Keiko to happily suggest a girls afternoon out. Kiko immediately protested of course, she’d wanted to train with her son to see how much better he’d gotten, but Keiko understood that Jirou and Aleks probably wanted that same bonding time as well, and it was hard to have a good match with your mother doting on you all the time. The fire senshi, of course, didn’t get the hint, and was still protesting having to leave even twenty minutes later, when she was all but forced into the car by her sister and Sno. Even Rayne, who was convinced to leave Jirou’s shoulders with the idea of dress shopping and ice cream, was playfully swatting at Kiko from Sno’s back.

xxxxJirou, who stood in the hallway waving to the group along with the other men still left behind, turning back toward Aleks with a brow raised one theyw ere gone, "I will never understand how you do it." he said simply, but after a second one of the corners of his mouth turned up ever so slightly. He was trying at a joke. Yori snickered behind his father, not used to seeing a lighter side of Jirou. He was king now, had a family of his own he watched out for like a hawk. This younger version made him not as nervous.

[Sno Magicka]

Ｓ ｎｏ ✦ Ｔ ｏｋｅｔｓｕ ✦ Ｒ ａｙｎｅ ✦ Ａ ｌｅｋｓａｎｄｅｒ ✦ Ｋ ｅｓｉｏｍ
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It was true, being that Toketsu was completely his father's son when it came to displaying emotions and reactions. Still, every single time he kissed Yori, there was no stopping the white haired boy from smiling afterward. Add on the others little forehead tap, a common but significant sign of affection from his boyfriend, and the man all but was a grinning fool it seemed. Grinning fool for him wasn't what it was for most, but Yori knew his emotional displays and that was all that mattered.

Sno had been watching the two with a small grin on her face until she saw Kiko turn toward her from the corner of her vision. Just as she began talking, she rolled her eyes, hip bumping her best friend once she had finished talking. "Pah, even if our sons weren't as smitten as they are, why would I ever get rid of my Kiko? You're so cuuuuute~" she cooed, pinching the others cheek only to get her hand smacked away. Beyond that, once Sno was done supervising Kiko's waffle creating and they were all sitting down, the woman couldn't help but watch warmly as Rayne and Jirou interacted with each other. The toddler was definitely a Daddy's girl, but even then, she offered Sno a bite of her food here and there, something the woman happily accepted, only to return a few moments later. While she had never really pondered how she would do as a mother, having her two year old daughter here was, well, wonderful, and the thought of having a larger than anticpated family with Jirou made that warm-hearted smile fall over her face again.

As soon as cleanup came around, it was no surprise when the Hino's of the room disappeared, though Yori not for long as Toketsu dragged him back in to help with the dishes. The longer one waited with syrup, after all, the harder it was to deal with later. Still, a knock at the door at the group stopping what they were doing, heading out to the sight of Keiko and Kesiom having stopped over.

The moment that Kesiom had seen Yori and Toketsu walk in from the kitchen, his expression had started out with surprise only to go right into wondering where the third person of that group was. In all honesty, as the wedding had been approaching closer and closer, thoughts of his daughter had been popping into his head more frequently. Hearing that she wasn't along brought a small frown to his face, something that managed to be erased with a quick tightening of Keiko's hand in his own. The man knew she had to be thinking the same as he had, and just gave her a small smile in response.

Once the women were being gathered up to leave, Kesiom not finding surprise in the Mizuno's youngest addition ( he honestly saw Sno as a mother to more than one child out of the group ), he was quick to give Keiko a kiss and a 'good luck' in regards to dragging her sister around for the rest of the day. Sno had managed to take on the shoulder duty for Rayne, and couldn't help but playfully giggle along with her daughter who wanted nothing more than to get dresses and sweets it seemed. Good to know her daughter was girly at least, considering dressing up was something both mother and daughter seemed to enjoy.

Once the females were gone, Aleks raised an eyebrow at Jirou's comment, rolling his eyes as he heard Yori's snicker behind him. "Quite happily actually, though I think I could ask you the same thing," he said briefly before turning toward his son. How Jirou managed to listen to Sno go on and on and on about nothing was beyond the Venus man. Clapping his hand on Yori's shoulder, he turned the boy toward the back door. "Outside," he said quickly, obviously implying what was about to happen as the group made their way to the back of the house.

Once in the backyard, Toketsu cut Aleks off before he could even say anything. "Don't think that you'll be getting a repeat of the last time we were here. Yori, no matter how ridiculous I think he's being, refuses to train one on one with me any longer," he said, crossing his arms and giving Yori 'a look'. Kesiom, having been updated on the boys relationship status, understood where the red head was coming from none the less. While he and Keiko did train together, it was mostly in regards to honing their magical skills, no weaponry fighting even though they both trained in that area on their own. The thought of hurting his fiance after their less than glamorous past pained the man to even think about.

Aleks simply looked at Yori, raising a brow before walking into the center of the backyard. After all, having Kiko, the hard a** fighter and equally hard a** trainer for a girlfriend, the thought of accidentally nicking the woman in training was practically a nonevent. Brushing his finger over the ring he wore on his thumb, his transformation was quick to overcome him, his right hand raising to his back to draw out the Nigotsoru. "Fine, then I'm your opponent." he said matter of factually. "And not just for the swordplay either." While he figured he would come to regret it later, considering he had no magic to fight back with, he still wanted to see the full extent of his son's powers.

Toketsu had been about to say someone else should've taken the fight with Yori, knowing that Aleks did, in fact, not have the ability to literally fight fire with fire. In the time since they had last been here, both boys had worked hard in their lacking areas, being Yori's control over his element and Toketsu's swordplay. Still, both father and son there were stubborn men, and instead he just backed up to step onto the porch again with his father and Kesiom. Looking over, Aleks grinned his goofy grin at the other men before the battle could start. "So, when my son decimates me, you'll keep my soul from fluttering off, right Kesiom?"

The Saturn Prince simply scoffed at this, but rolled his eyes and nodded anyway. He didn't doubt the boys had gotten stronger since they had last been here, but the thought of Yori going far enough to kill his father was obviously not in the cards. Toketsu smiled then, as it was, at the technically younger man next to him. Kesiom was the shortest, and by far the youngest, of the three Kings in their group, though, in all honesty, it had kinda geared Aleks and Jirou to keep a eye on the younger man of the three like a pair of older brothers when the future rolled about. "So, how's the whole Saturn Prince thing working out for you?" Toketsu asked, Kesiom's head looking at the taller, white haired boy. "Better," he said with a smile. It was then that Kesiom was glad he only had a daughter that had seemed to not inherit his lack of height, at least in comparison to the other two men. If Keiko and him had a son instead, he was afraid the boy would've felt midget like around Toketsu and Yori.

[shigatsusan]

ʝȋʀɸϑ ◦ ΥѲЯΊ

xxxxYori was smiling pretty happily as Aleks clapped a hand to his shoulder and started leading their group out to the large backyard. He was over the moon to show his skills to his father; well a younger version of his father. This Aleks hadn’t been training with him almost every day for most of his life, which made it all the more exciting. Once they were outside, Yori sent Toketsu a look right back as he started to explain the predicament they’d been having for the last three years. "I’m not raising my sword to you Toki, ever." he said simply, plainly, because the Mercury son had heard this a thousand times before. He’d try and ask every now and then to see if Yori’s mind had changed on the matter, and his reply would be the same every time. Eventually, Toketsu just stopped asking, and they’d instead take to watching each other train and give pointers.

xxxxJirou watched this small exchange with a very faint smile on his face. Even though Toketsu in his time wasn’t born yet, the Knight wouldn’t deny he had certainly grown attached to the kid. He’d even taken a barbed whip to the back and almost died to protect him; there was a bond there that he would always have, and knowing Yori regarded his son with a deep sense of care as well pleased him. He wouldn’t have to worry about protecting him all the time in the future (even though he would), Yori had his back too.

xxxxHeading out into the plush grass of the backyard, Yori glanced back over to his father and nodded after a second of thinking about the proposition. While he didn’t really want to hurt his dad either, the family regarded training the same in the future as they did now. Don’t bother doing it if you don’t give it your all; Aleks never took it easy on him when they had their matches, and he wasn’t expecting it to be any different now. "Alright." he smiled, deciding he could summon the Pyrotiem now considering his mother was out shopping and not in much of a need for it. A small flurry of white flames and he was transformed as well, in royal Mars armor with the Hino’s family crest on the breast-plate. The sword appeared a moment later in one of his hands, and his smile turned into a smirk, "But just remember Dad, you asked for it."

xxxxWithout warning, he crouched low and darted sideways, fast enough to look like a red-ish blur. Aleks was probably the only one able to keep up with the motion, the boy had inherited his speed from him after all. He swung his sword in a wide arch as he rounded his father, sending a jet of white hot flames in his general direction. His form behind the spray flickered for a second and then vanished, as if an illusion, only to have the redhead appear right beside Aleks, sending powerful punch his way.

[Sno Magicka]

Ｓ ｎｏ ✦ Ｔ ｏｋｅｔｓｕ ✦ Ｒ ａｙｎｅ ✦ Ａ ｌｅｋｓａｎｄｅｒ ✦ Ｋ ｅｓｉｏｍ
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

Aleks was certain he should have seen what was coming to him, what he had asked for before he actually made the request. Sure, he'd been training lately and picked up a few new stints based on his agility, but then again, Yori had to know them. Hell, his son probably new a whole slew of tricks and trades his future self knew but his present self had yet to know. And knowing Yori, he'd use them on his present self, because like mother...and father, like son. Aleks would do it to himself, so why not his son to himself? Kiko would merrily use future tricks on him in a heart beat, laugh about it, then perhaps worry if she managed to actually severely injure the man.

Still, those thoughts were only a brief second, and it was all it took for the red head in front of him to disappear from Aleks' line of sight. Immediately the golden haired mans' head snapped to watch his sons' movements, but dear god was he fast, definitely faster than he himself was in this time. Well, crap. Still, this wasn't about to become an overbearing obstacle, and Aleks took to predicting more than trying to follow the others movements. It had been a younger Yori then, but he had trained with his son before the Mars invasion and knew a lot of the others fighting style and how he liked to go about things. With luck, they would at least be similar to this Yori's fighting style, and Aleks wouldn't be completely out-sparred.

A small well of pride rose in Toketsu at watching Yori transform. Even though they never trained against each other, seeing his boyfriend in the fiery guard of his home planet, strong and resilient, and may he add incredibly good looking, always caught the younger males' attention. Often Toketsu would get distracted in training simply because he caught himself staring openly at the man he loved, only to get chided by said man before they continued on to whatever exercise was next. Add in the sword that was burning brightly in the others hand, and Toketsu was probably the most proud boyfriend in existence.

Like before, Aleks was actually expecting the first move, the wave of fire coming toward him. Last time, he had worked to move fast enough the the air around him managed to deflect the fire. In result, he spun rapidly, only realizing exactly how much more powerful his son's fire magic was when it was nearly unavoidable. Immediately stopping his movement, he pushed himself upward, the flames just singeing his cape. Of course, as soon as he landed and managed to put the small flame out, a fist colliding with his side was quick to throw him off balance. He was thrown to the side, only barely managing to catch his lost balance in time so that he didn't tumble to the ground in an embarrassing heap.

Cringing a little, though managing to smile at the same time, the blonde haired man gazed at the red head who at an equally cocky smile on his face. "Faster, and much stronger. Expected, though lets see if you surpass." With that, Aleks took off, ignoring the throbbing from his side as he raced in a circle around the other, only deviating from the path to suddenly move in a perfect duelist lunge with the Nigotsoru. There was no intention to hold back this time, the bladed end of his weapon making the path toward the red head.

[[ Kinda crap, but it's here after so long! ]]

[shigatsusan]

ʝȋʀɸϑ ◦ ΥѲЯΊ

xxxxYori did have a slight advantage going into this fight, and he knew it; he had the privilege to train with a much older, slightly wiser Aleks in his time. Still, that didn’t mean he was about to underestimate his old man just because he was a couple years younger. He’d gotten so good simply because his father was better, that’s how it usually went. For once, having the opportunity to possibly best his father was something Yori was not about to pass up.

xxxxThe hit connecting had him grinning from ear to ear, a look he appeared to have gotten right from his mother. He knew it wasn’t the strongest punch he could throw and Aleks wasn’t going to be terribly injured from the blow, but it was enough to knock him back. Not for long, he noticed quickly. White flames rise closer to his body as he brought the sword up in an attempt to shield himself while his father began circling him with speed only he could keep up with. The lunge still surprised him, he shifted barely in time to catch the tip of Alek’s weapon with the side of his own, knocking the two together in a loud clang! and effectively pushing the lunge away. It was still a rather close call, closer than he would have liked…

xxxxJirou had taken the few moments before the spar between father and son began to shift closer to his own. Once the fight began, his eyes were having trouble keeping up. The Knight didn’t use the term much but if he would consider anyone a best friend, it would be Aleks. They sparred frequently, whenever their respected better halves were preoccupied, and he knew of the man’s speed. But it still humbled him to witness, especially in his offspring, and also reminded him Aleks hadn't truly been using his full speed when they fought. Now he could hardly keep track. It was like seeing Toketsu’s spar before, and how easily he had manipulated and controlled his ice magic. As much as he wanted to dislike Yori on principle for dating his son, he couldn’t help but look on like a proud father, too. The little redhead was getting to him, perhaps Toketsu was on to something.

xxxxYori only took a second to try and decide what he wanted to do next. Once his father’s weapon had been safely pushed out of range, it left the man toward his back. Not a good spot. Hands clenched around the hilt of his sword as he turned around in a powerful spin, heaving the burning blade along with him over his shoulder in an all out slash. The ferocity of his attack should have surprised Jirou watching from the sidelines, but then again…he knew the kids parents. In a rare display of visible emotion, a brow raises slightly and he glances down at Toketsu, "I can see why he refuses to spar with you."

[Sno Magicka]

Ｓ ｎｏ ✦ Ｔ ｏｋｅｔｓｕ ✦ Ｒ ａｙｎｅ ✦ Ａ ｌｅｋｓａｎｄｅｒ ✦ Ｋ ｅｓｉｏｍ
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

A grin hit Aleks face as he made the lunge, mostly because he was surprised that he had almost nicked his son. Considering the fact that his future son was faster and more skilled than his present self, it was something one would place as a feat. Sadly, that smile was quickly wiped clean off his face, Aleks going from believing he had a solid advantage with Yori's back to him, to a wide look of surprise as a searing blade came rushing down toward him with a strength behind it the blonde haired man was not looking forward to experiencing. Exerting as much speed he could into his muscles, he dashed out of the way, but not before the blade managed to singe his sleeve, the man having to pat it out once he was safely out range, only to jump as the ground shook and a large crashing noise came from his side.

Toketsu had immediately felt a sense of calm wash over him as his father had come closer, knowing even that simple action meant he was taking the news of his son's relationship choice with ease and a calm mind. That, and having his father nearby in his already troubling parental time was always a comfort, no matter whether it was his present or past father. This one just had more time to spend with him at the time being, considering future Jirou was working himself to the point of exhaustion on a daily basis to bring his wife back to her original sanity and state of mind.

At his fathers comment though, the side of Toketsu's mouth curve up, a small snicker escaping his mouth. "He is amazing, his swordplay is unparalleled, but it isn't the only reason we can't spar. If I went all into a match, I would easily critically injure Yori, and probably instantly kill any full blooded Mars resident. I can only train in private on Mercury in result...even you and Mom get uncomfortable if you walk in on my training. Believe it or not, you actually caught a cold one week because you wanted to see my full power." The white haired boy looked over to his father, son almost matching his father's height. "And yet, you were proud that I managed to give you a cold," he finished, his smirk becoming a full smile before the loud crashing noise caught his attention.

Turning back to the battlefield, Aleks had just managed to dodge the Pyrotiem swinging forcefully down toward him, but that didn't mean Yori could just stop his assault mid air. Instead, the backyard got the brunt of the blow, an explosion, put lightly, sending grass and dirt out from the point of impact in fiery chunks, the ground rumbling for a few seconds. Aleks just let out a couple, slightly nervous, laughs of air. "By the power of Mars what has your mother been feeding you?" Yori just straightened up, giving his father that typical cocky grin and a shrug of his shoulders before he was off again in a blur of speed.

Aleks moved in accordance with his son, managing to keep an eye on him and expecting another power play on the others behalf. In a surprise move though, the red head began using more precise, smaller movements, all meant to fool Aleks before one blow suddenly landed its mark. The Venus man had been doing an amazing job at dodging the fiery Katana over and over, thinking he was learning Yori's attack pattern, when the sword had suddenly deviated unexpectedly. A strangled gasp emitted from Aleks' throat, his breath catching as looked down to the sword that was directly through his mid section. "Good...one..." he sputtered out.

Immediately, Kesiom's eyes widened at the blow, knowing between having a sword through the midsection and the flames on said weapon, the wound would likely be something not remedied by anyone in their immediate group. Pulling his communicator out, he had begun dialing for Keiko, knowing she'd be their best shot, but Toketsu's hand was quick to stop him. Looking up the Saturn prince gave off a look of confusion just as Toketsu smiled briefly. "Yori isn't done showing off."

The Mercury son had immediately seen it starting as soon as the sword made the contact Yori had apparently been expected to have blocked. The pyrotiem had disappeared a few seconds after Aleks' words, the Mars sons' eyes already hazing over in the tell tale white to show he was transforming. Without another word, Toketsu walked over behind his boyfriend, knowing what was going to happen once the man he loved was finished and simply held his hands at the others sides in preparation.

[shigatsusan]

ʝȋʀɸϑ ◦ ΥѲЯΊ

xxxxJirou listened quietly as his son went on to explain the talents Yori had, as well as his own. He imaged the scenario in his head for a brief moment; he was a Mercury child through and through, but not one of the select few who could control water well enough to produce ice. He was more of an ocean, where as his son and the woman he loved were the energy that flowed through it. A soft, almost unnoticeable grin tugged at the corners of his mouth, and arms crossed in front of his chest as he eased his gaze back toward the battle field, "Hnn." not much to say on the matter you’d think, but the small sound accompanied by the look on his face was enough; he was indeed proud.

xxxxJust when he thought he’d made contact, Yori was pleasantly surprised when his father moved away just in time to avoid a critical blow. He hadn’t really wanted to take his arm off, but hey…they had said all out. His father looked just as pleased (once he put himself out) which only fuel the Mars son more. Whatever his mother was feeding him must have been doing him well, because he had been so close that time he could feel it.

xxxxHe took a second to glance sidelong at Toketsu on the sidelines with his father, happy to see the boy was still watching with an ever encouraging eye. A thought came to mind, a tactic his better half had come up with during the many times he had to sit on the sidelines during swordplay. ‘Sharper dashes. You get the lunging from your mother. Stop thinking with your brawn, and start with your brain.’ His body flicked, and he began moving in short bursts, only stopping long enough to be seen, and then moving again to throw off the eye. Lost in his need to prove himself to a man he hadn’t had the chance to yet, he didn’t notice his father’s eyes weren’t keeping up as well as they should be, and by the time he understood he couldn’t block in time, it was already too late.

xxxxThe blade had tasted blood before, but never like this. The way the hilt felt in his hands as it pierced Aleks’ chest made him sick to his stomach. As soon as his brain could register what his hands had done, the blade vanished and he was holding his father firmly by the shoulders, "Dad, holy sh- Dad I’m sorry. Just hold on ok? It’ll be fine. I promise."

xxxxJirou was hearing and watching this all from the sidelines; his first instinct was to rush forward and try to help in any way possible, but the ease in his son’s body language made him stay put. If Toketsu really loved the other so much, why was he acting so calm? Eyes continued to watch the duo on the battlefield as Yori eased himself and Aleks to a kneeling position. Something in his was changing, and a white light starting glowing from his body. What…was going on? He’d seen Keiko heal before, but this was nothing like that.

xxxxBeing as gentle as possible, Yori laid his father on his back and placed a hand firmly over the open wound. He closed his eyes, and he took in a long, even breath, holding it as long as the human lungs could allow. When he finally breathed out, it came like a punch, and his eyes burst open to reveal a blinding white glow. Two vertical lines descended from his eyes, hitting the cheekbone before jutting out into an intricate set of patterns and shapes, spreading across his face and down his neck, disappearing under his armor only to reappear along his forearms. He was shining like a beacon, the lights seeming to pool at his hands. A vague shape of a bird formed along the backs of his hands, and suddenly, as if drained from a single point, the light seeped out of his body and into the one below his hands. The wound instantly vanished; there was no healing tingle, there was no soreness afterward. It was just gone. The light spread through Aleks body until it ended at where the wound had been, before it went out like a light faster than it began. Yori’s body, which had gone rigid during the transfer, immediately fell limp, out cold.

[Sno Magicka]

Ｓ ｎｏ ✦ Ｔ ｏｋｅｔｓｕ ✦ Ｒ ａｙｎｅ ✦ Ａ ｌｅｋｓａｎｄｅｒ ✦ Ｋ ｅｓｉｏｍ
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

Well, Aleks was damn sure as hell Yori was right when he said everything was fine. While there was minimal outward blood, considering the sword that had stuck him and made the injury had also managed to cauterize the wound at the same time, the man had enough experience to know he had terrible internal bleeding. All the Venus man could do was feebly nod, hoping that the remedy would in fact be something like calling Keiko back to the house to get this taken care of. When Toketsu stopped said call from happening, Aleks' fear kicked in, wondering if something was amiss with the children, considering it seemed they were going to let him die right then and there. Which was odd, considering he knew Kiko wasn't pregnant and Yori wouldn't be born in result. Why would his son not want to exist? Guess he was just leaving his hope up in the air then for some miracle to happen.

Seemingly, he was right. Aleks winced as he was laid down, the pain pulsating through his entire mid section, just as any pain was forgotten as he watched his sons' transformation. It seemed an awful lot like what Keiko did when she healed, at least with the glowing white light, but interspersed, there was hints of gold, like tinsel among the white brilliance. Then those patterns, and the fact that it was his son of all people performing the healing. Memory serving, the blonde haired man was pretty certain Yori had not been able to heal at all last time the children had come to their time.

Toketsu managed himself down with the other two, simply stationing himself behind Yori and readying himself for his small task at the end. The healing was always something that dazzled Toketsu, seeing such an amazing talent in his already ridiculously talented boyfriend was consistently something that blew him away. The white haired boy was certain Yori was already going to be a legend in history, one of the greatest Pyrotiem wielders to exist, then add on being a healer of legends already, and Toketsu was fairly certain he was combust if he were to be any more proud of the other. A faint smile fell over the Mercury son's face as the wound literally ceased to exist, as though it had never happened, his arms reaching forward and latching around Yori's waist to stop him from falling forward once his body went limp.

When he did go slack, Toketsu gently brought the other back against his chest, letting that mop of red hair rest against his shoulder. "Proud of you," Toketsu breathed out, gently kissing Yori's forehead. After all, the two hadn't figured out if there were any consequences to Yori's new powers. Every time he used them, he simply passed out after, waking up a few hours to a few days later depending on how strenuous the healing was. A bit of soreness later, and it was as though the healings were nothing in the end. Still, the peril of something going wrong had never stopped Yori from healing when something went awry.

Aleks had immediately reached his hand down to where the wound had once been once Yori had passed out, even going as far as letting his transformation fall away and lifting his shirt to inspect. Nope, no scar, no little wound, no...nothing. It's like he hadn't just been impaled by a fiery sword that probably should have left a lot of after hell for him to deal with. With it confirmed he was not going to need any further assistance, his worry immediately kicked in, the other two men from the sidelines having come over to the three. "Question one," Aleks started, lifting a finger to emphasize. "Is he alright, and question two, what just happened?" he finished, holding a second finger up.

Toketsu just smiled, looking down at Yori's slumbering face for a moment before nodding and looking up to Aleks. "He'll be fine, just needs a little rest. With a healing like that, I'd say probably a few hours before he comes to, then a few more hours of soreness before he's back to normal. As for what it was, it was the Pheonix." Kesiom raised a brow at this. "The Pheonix? Really?" Toketsu nodded, though Aleks just looked confused as heck. "Feel like explaining anyone?" Toketsu just nodded to Kesiom, wanting to see how much the Saturn man knew about it.

"I've been going with Keiko to train with Aphrodite, and a good chunk of their training is research and reading. We ran across the Phoenix, a prophecized healer that was predicted to come from either the Mars lineage or the Venus lineage." Toketsu nodded in agreement this time. "Correct. I was poisoned lethally a few years ago, to the point where not even Hikara, Keiko, Aphrodite, and you, Aleks, could save me, nor could any solution be made by my mother. I had actually died, but Kesiom had managed to trap my soul. I'd assume Yori's emotions, his agony and despair, woke the Phoenix up, and he actually managed to completely heal the poison out of me and bring my soul back into my body. He was passed out for two days after that, but that's when he first healed. I owe Yori my life," Toketsu explained, slowly shifting Yori so that he was cradling the other against his chest as he stood from the ground. The white haired boy knew the red head would insist no such 'owing' was necessary, and in result had never brought it up with his boyfriend. Still, it was something always lingering in the back of his mind.

Making sure the other was comfortably in his arms, he nodded his head toward the house. "I'll lay him down," he said quickly, the others nodding their agreement before opening doors for him to get inside with his precious cargo. Just as they reached the stairs, however, the front door opened, the women filing their way back in. Kiko was fussing about how they were finally home, while Keiko and Sno were fussing right back saying they had barely been gone when Rayne suddenly squeaked. "Uncle Yoyo!" she yelped, her voice showing obvious worry even for a two year old. Sno's attention was taken from her impatient best friend then, looking toward her son carrying Yori, an obviously passed out Yori, in his arms. "What hap-" she started, her worry matching her daughters, only to be cut off by a ten times more worried Kiko rushing forward.

[shigatsusan]

Ⓚⓘⓚⓞ ◦ ʝȋʀɸϑ ◦ ΥѲЯΊ

xxxxHonestly, if Jirou hadn’t seen the display with his own two eyes, he wouldn’t have believed it happened. He’d seen Keiko heal numerous times, even remembered Aphrodite and that…monstrosity of an old fart that was Kuzia. None of the healing they did was like this. The light was so bright at one point, he looked away to save his pupils. When everything settled, his son was cradling the other in his arms, who looked entirely wiped out.

xxxxHe approached as Kesiom did, curious like the others but silent as always. Aleks usually spoke for him, their thoughts were relatively the same in these situations. As his son began to explain Yori’s talent, and how it had saved his life before…His quiet nature came in handy for once, for he wasn’t sure what he would have said to the boy had he been awake. He couldn’t fathom the thought of losing someone he loved, and despite not being born yet in his time, Toketsu would always be his son. He decided not to think about the event, because, if Toketsu was right, and his calculations on linear timelines was right, this would eventually come to pass. The Knight just hoped he’d be ready for it.

xxxxThe walk back in was quiet, Jirou standing close-by his son just to make sure he could carry Yori on his own. He was more than capable, but Yori was…a grown boy. Far larger than when he’d first appeared in the park. The quiet was immediately decimated as soon as the girls returned. Keiko and Sno were in good spirits, and Raeyn was happy to be there, and Kiko was just thrilled to be home. His daughter, ever inquisitive like her mother, was the first to point out Yori’s limp body in Toketsu’s grasp, and Kiko’s annoyance quickly turned to rage.

xxxxShe was very predictable when pissed; that didn’t make her any easier to deal with, but the signs were always the same. Her face went blank, her lips would stiffen, and then she would charge like a bull. She crossed the space between the door and the men as if she had been granted Aleks’ speed. "What the [********] did you do to MY SON?!" her eyes were darting from all of them, and Jirou, who was by no means a p***y cat, felt the need to stare down at his feet like he were being scolded by his mother.

xxxxLuckily, she picked out Aleks out of all of them. She pointed a finger and crept closer to him, noting the sweat and disheveled look, "Did you seriously go all out on him? He might be 21 but that’s just…are you ins-"

xxxx"If I may," he found his voice again, and his deep tone broke through Kiko’s rant to stop her dead in her tracks. The look of death she shot Jirou made it obvious that whatever he had to say better be important. "They were sparring, and Yori critically injured Aleks. He…preformed some sort of healing ritual, ‘The Phoenix’, to mend the wound. His fatigue is a direct result." he spoke pretty calmly considering there was a pissed fire senshi staring at him, but eventually Kiko got the point, and she backed off considerably. She mumbled a Sorry to Aleks, more glad now to know he was ok. She was curious now, too.

xxxxKeiko spoke before her twin could say a word; she’d come up closer to the scene when Kiko charged, just in case she needed to pull her off of anyone. "A phoenix? Are…you certain?" Kiko’s gaze fell on her sister then, eyebrows raising. What the hell was she going on about? "It’s…the origin of all healing, practically. It’s told many different ways, some even believe it’s a myth, but…the original mother of healing could combine her soul and magic to create pure light. It could even reverse death. Venus and Mars have both argued in history over who was the home to this mother, considering both have the ability to harness light energy. It’s very rare to find someone who can do this. He is, quite possibly, a direct descendant of the first healer."

xxxxIt made sense to Kiko on some levels. It meant her son could heal, could heal really well. But she was still a tad confused, "Why can’t you do that then, Keiko? You’re his Aunt, you’re the daughter of Sailor ******** Mars. You’re the best healer I know."

xxxxHer sister chuckled lightly, humbled by Kiko’s belief in her, "Healing magic is different from your elemental magic. Usually, when you call on your sword or your fire, it comes from your heart. When healing, it’s your soul. It’s like…little pieces of ourselves we learn to control and manipulate. Being able to use both of these simultaneously…it’s something you can’t be taught. You just have to know how to do it."

[Sno Magicka]

Ｓ ｎｏ ✦ Ｔ ｏｋｅｔｓｕ ✦ Ｒ ａｙｎｅ ✦ Ａ ｌｅｋｓａｎｄｅｒ ✦ Ｋ ｅｓｉｏｍ
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

Toketsu had immediately looked up from looking down at Yori at the sound of Raeyn's voice. Promptly, the person in his arms caught said person's mother's attention, and like a bull stampeding she came at the group of men. Thankfully, for Toketsu, he had been expecting such a reaction. Yori was a strong young man, far more than capable of taking care of himself, but that had never stopped Kiko from constantly fawning over him and worrying unnecessarily, no matter how much she disagreed on the 'necessity' part. In a mother's eyes, there was never such a thing as being overprotective of ones offspring. Toketsu knew that, considering Sno did just the same for him, but not in such a brazen manner. Instead of yelling and pointing fingers, she'd check pulses and temperatures.

As Aleks received the brunt of Kiko's fury, making even him step back a few, small paces as she came forward, Sno had done exactly had Toketsu thought, approaching him and Yori. As her hand reached to gently touch his forehead, Toketsu shook his head briefly as her fingers checked his pulse. "He'll be fine Mom, I promise," he muttered calmly, Sno looking up to catch his eyes before nodding briefly.

Much to the Venus King's relief, Jirou stepped in to explain the situation, stopping the imminent pain Aleks was assuming he was to experience. The man watched the taller male from the corner of his vision, mostly keeping his attention to his girlfriend, relief washing over him once she stood down. A simple shrug and a smile was his response to her mumbled sorry; after all, how could one be mad at something like that? It was their son after-all, and even with her brash nature, everyone knew Kiko had that soft spot for her child through the last appearance he had made in their time. A small kiss to Kiko's forehead was his only visible form of an 'apology accepted' before Keiko's smarts started to show on the subject.

Sno would be the first to admit that what Keiko was saying was something she actually hadn't heard of. Something she didn't know...might as well as well keep piling on the surprised for the blue haired woman. None the less, the group listened intently, Toketsu smiling at the knowledge the more docile twin had already came up with. The white haired young man simply nodded his head. "It's true, everything Keiko said, though we'll admit we're still not completely sure of the lineage that connects Yori to the mother healer. Even with all my research, there's too many blank spots in the family tree of Mars to put a tried and true connection in there. Same thing with Alex's tree. I had thought it more probable to come from his side of the family considering he has the healing prowess that Kiko doesn't, but again, too many untraceable holes to fill for the time being. All that can be said," he stopped for a moment to glance fondly at the restful face that was propped up against his shoulder, "is that Yori is a person of legend, as if he already wasn't amazing enough."

The sincerity and love in her son's voice made a small smirk of a smile appear on Sno's face. For some reason, she still had a hard time swallowing that him and Yori were together, but little things like this just cemented the idea in her 'cavernous mind' as Kiko put it. Only a couple of things were said beyond, Toketsu nodding his head at Kiko before motioning toward the hallway. "Come, I know you'll want to be with him," he said calmly. It wasn't a guess by his tone, it was something he knew about Kiko, past or present for him. Her son was out cold, she'd want to be there when his eyes opened again, just as he himself would be.


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Just like the many times it happened in the future, Yori woke without a hitch, a little sore, but fine as usual. Alex also realized that the cold that had been lingering with him for a while every since he walked in on Jirou and Sno training together was gone, a realization that actually spurred a bit of laughing and smiles from the two future boys. Yori was a healer, a legendary one at that, what else could his father expect? Beyond that, a few more days passed, and sooner than later the entire group was transporting their way up to Mars for the planned wedding.

The night that they arrived was the planned rehearsal dinner and mini, combined bachelor and bachelorette parties. The next day was the wedding itself, followed by the coronation of the new king and queen the day after that. It was a packed few days, but obviously a very important set in everyone's lives and history in general. A new queen aided by her newlywed king was about to take over the throne of Mars, a gesture that would help lead the planet to a faster and more organized revival and future strength to be rivaled by only the Queen's sister taking the throne much later on.

Still, that didn't mean nerves weren't to be expected.

Everyone had settled into their rooms, the future boys now taking a room together openly considering their relationship was well known in the present. Both men received a scolding from their respective parents about trust and the such, which only resulted in both men smiling and holding back snickers at the stupid amount of resemblance these parents gave off to their own, present parents. None the less, as the time for the rehearsal dinner rolled around, all were gathered in the main hall. All except Kesiom.

Out in the gardens of the castle, the black haired man sat quietly on the edge of a fountain Amy had long ago given Rei, one that barely survived the attacks on the planet and was one of the things that quickly been cleaned and restored to working order. The water gently trickling down into the pool below it was calming him as much as it could, but it was that noise and that noise only that Kesiom had sought out. The talk of planning, decorations, and worst of all the coronation had frayed the young man's nerves to the point that he just needed to get out of the castle. Sure, he loved Keiko, so much he knew he wouldn't be where he was and wouldn't be anything in the future without her, but the idea of ruling all of Mars, even just as her 'lackey' as Kiko had said one night (she thought he couldn't hear her he presumed, or perhaps thought he could, he wasn't sure), put him almost over the edge, for sure at least on it.

After all, he was only 18. He had spent most of his life consumed by darkness and knowing nothing of his heritage, of his birth parents. Nothing of normalcy had been his, and he only knew of killing and surviving until his fate encounter with the one he now loved and her companions befell him. It was obviously the best thing that had ever happened to him. He had died and been reborn anew, to his new destiny, rightful powers, and a heritage that was most unexpected. He already was a prince, and now was becoming King to a planet that was not the one he'd rule for a majority of his life in the future. It was a lot to take in, and in his nervous confusion, began to really doubt himself. What if he was actually meant to have stayed in the darkness? Should Keiko have found love with someone else, someone who actually had a past, with actual life experiences, who had knowledge of basic things any human should know? Bringing his knees up to his chest, Kesiom placed his forehead against the top of his knees, breathing out deeply. His mind was running, and thoughts of returning to a group that would likely soon be looking for him was not one of them.

[shigatsusan]

Ⓚⓘⓚⓞ ◦ ʝȋʀɸϑ ◦ ΥѲЯΊ

xxxxKeiko had been studying extensively with Aphrodite any free chance she got, and the lore on the mother of healing and her powers was vast. The only trouble was discerning between what was just a myth told to young children to help them sleep, and what was actual fact. Yori, her sister’s son, was the fact their time had been looking for. If she weren’t so used to her family, this group in general constantly exceeding her expectations, she would have been floored at the discovery.

xxxxThe younger twin had her own surprise over the whole thing though she was lingering more in the pride phase. Whatever, or however this happened, her son was, as Toketsu put it, a person of legend. Screw the fact she herself was considered to be the same, Yori was something special. She’d always known this, but now everyone else in the world would too. If he were awake in that moment she probably would have lifted him up into a crushing hug (he might have been taller than his father but Kiko was no waif; she could probably crush a rib if she tried hard enough.)

xxxxShe also noted the emotion in Toketsu’s voice when he spoke despite not being able to pinpoint what it was. Emotions weren’t her specialty, but from what she remember of his last visit, the Mercury prince had adopted most of his father’s silence. Now, he was talking more frequently when the subject surrounded her son, and with a much lighter tone. He must have really loved Yori…it would take a bit of time to sink in, but knowing this made her want to hug Toketsu, too. She didn’t of course, instead followed the boy down the hall and into one of the spare rooms.

--

xxxxTo say Keiko was a bundle of nerves would have been a drastic understatement. She hid it well the days leading up to their departure for her home planet, instead focusing on Yori’s recovery at first and then picking his brain for as much information about his transformation as possible. As soon as they set off for the real dead, however, it became very apparent in the older twin’s high pitched responses and easily startled nature. She knew she loved Kesiom, more than she had loved anything before in her life, and she knew this was just another step in deepening their relationship. But this went far beyond just getting married; there was to be a huige, official ceremony in front of the entire kingdom and on top of that, she was expected to take over her mother’s job the day after. Even knowing it was going to be a part time thing, it still rattled her enough to seek more and more coffee-dates with Sno leading up the official rehearsal dinner.

xxxxRegardless of how nervous she’d been feeling, as soon as the rehearsal dinner was to start and she realized Kesiom was nowhere to be found, she felt incredibly selfish. Of course she was nervous, but it must not compare in the slightest to what he was trying to process. Now that she thought about it, he hadn’t been talking much since the boys arrived. She just chalked it up to him thinking. She couldn’t shake the thought that something was wrong. She knew Kesiom better than anyone, and yet she wasn’t sure what she could do.

xxxxWhich was why she asked the boys as politely as possible to go search for him, and see what was up. She didn’t demand they bring him to the great hall, or pry his brain. Instead, she just wanted to figure out if he was alright. The dinner could wait. Jirou saw no harm in this plan, and split up from the other men to search the grounds for the missing groom. For one reason or another, his first thought was to head to the gardens. He’d never even been here before and yet felt that would be the first place he himself would go. Not like him and Kesiom were horribly alike, it just seemed like a good place to start. Sure enough, just over a few neatly trimmed hedges, he saw a mop of black hair.

xxxxHe approached like he usually did, quiet and unimposing, leaning up against the fountain beside Kesiom. Obviously the other noticed he was there, but Jirou didn’t say anything at first. He didn’t know what to say, to be honest. He had no idea what the other was thinking or if he could help in any way. Maybe he was just taking a stroll and lost track of time, though the Knight seriously doubted this. It was still a possibility. Finally, after about a minute of silence, he crossed his long arms over his chest and sighed, "I have never judged you, Kesiom. Not since I saw you give your life for us…I will not start now." he was staring ahead, not at the man beside him but talking loud enough for him to hear over the fountain behind them, "If you would like to talk, I will listen."

[Sno Magicka]

Ｓ ｎｏ ✦ Ｔ ｏｋｅｔｓｕ ✦ Ｒ ａｙｎｅ ✦ Ａ ｌｅｋｓａｎｄｅｒ ✦ Ｋ ｅｓｉｏｍ
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

Even with his head spinning like a merry-go-round, Kesiom's training wasn't something that just disappeared with the first troublesome semi-breakdown he had. While he was just as pro at sensing energies as Kiko was, which obviously was barely anything, his powers gave him the ability to sense nearby life forces. There was plenty of smaller ones, namely a rabbit a few hedges over, and a colony of ants beneath the fountain, but when a human life force started to come toward him, Kesiom almost became anxious. Part of him wanted someone to find him, but at the same time, that also likely meant explaining why he was all by himself out in the gardens.

Without even looking up, the shadow that was cast on the ground in front of him let him know who had found him, because even with where the suns were in the sky, no one except the tallest of their group cast that long of a shadow. Kesiom stayed just as silent as the other black haired man that stood near him, almost jumping when Jirou began talking. Grinding his forehead against the tips of his knees for a second, he took a deep breath to collect his thoughts before even trying to speak.

Cocking his head slightly to the side, just enough to make eye contact with Jirou, his face was a mixture of worry and anxiety. "It's hard to believe anyone wouldn't judge me after everything I did...all the people I killed, all the evil in my past...but..." he moved his eyes down to the ground briefly before they met the blue ones above him once more, "you've never lied in the past, I have no reason to doubt what you say." Another deep breath, and the man loosened his posture, letting his legs hang over the edge of the fountain and resting back on his palms. "I guess...I don't know. I love Keiko...so much it hurts sometimes. But, what if this is really all wrong? What if I really should have just stayed in the darkness, died as the evil being I was, let her beauty be found by someone more knowledgeable, with a less tainted past, one that could actually contribute to ruling next to her? Some part of me feels like I'm just going to hold her back...she can do, and will do, amazing things for this planet, I know it in my heart. I...I don't want to get in the way of that."

Bringing his hands forward, he rested his elbows on his legs, running his hands through his hair before crossing his arms on his lap. Shaking his head a little, he watched the other man out of the corner of his vision. "She's just an angel, and I just feel like her shadow, locking her down to the ground when she was meant to fly." Letting out a small exasperated laugh, he spoke in an even more disbelieving tone, if it were possible. "How come people like me are born into a undeserving heritage like what I have, when a man as steady and smart as you have to fight through the politics of royalty as a knight to achieve what they're destined to have?" Of course he meant Jirou's struggles with Sno, something Kesiom still found amazing about the older man, that he fought so hard within himself and those rejecting him to stay with the woman he loved. It didn't really cross Kesiom's mind that while building Jirou up there, he had been discrediting himself. It was all that was in his head at the time being as it was anyway, saying it out loud didn't make much of a difference for the Saturn man.