Welcome to Gaia! ::

A small speck appeared on the horison, glittering against the bright blue sky. As it approached, the form of Hikaro appeared, the sun glinting off his golden feathers and hair. Curled protectively in his arms was the small stony Hououza, Klonoa, the bringer of peace. Asher had been left in Haku's care, but Hikaro had to go, he had to return with Klonoa.

As they approached the house, Hikaro tilted back his wings, slowing their decent. There were trees everywhere, which would make for a very tricky landing. Banking slightly, he swung down around a tall pine, barely missing the prickly foliage as he dropped even further, needing to curl his wings to avoid hitting any of the branches.

The landing wasn't as graceful as he could have managed, but was by no means rough, either; just a little...awkward. Hikaro let Klonoa down to the ground, staring up at the purple building.

Hikaro stood motionless when Klonoa asked him to stay. There was a rolling foul energy about this house that made the normally unphased Hououza uneasy. The golden phoenix's eyes crossed to the door when Mirabelle made her grand enterance.

Klonoa's light body had flown by him faster than he had the oppurtunity to catch the boy, and Hikaro watched in horror as he bounced off the tree trunk and fell, gored by Mirabelle's very words.

"Who in Daddy's name are you?" She crowed, spitting acidic words his way, "A frickin golden phoenix, my brother's knight in golden armor? You're one screwy bird you freak." She spat, and Hikaro shook his head. Was that supposed to be an insult? Ignoring the fact she self censored her expletives, it still was pretty lame. He'd had mocked her if the situation hadn't been so serious. Weren't devil spawn supposed to attract flies? Her black skin made her look like a corpse, so they wouldn't have a hard time finding her.

Still, Klonoa made it to his feet and tackled Mirabelle, proving he wasn't as weak as the girl had made a point of mentioning. She slapped him and like a light he went out, Mirabelle recoiling and retreating to a perch on the very tree Hikaro had to avoid when landing.

Hikaro glared up at her and picked up Klonoa's bleeding form, his pure energy swaddling Klonoa, reviving him.
The young Hououza was malleable, like clay, something Hikaro was very familiar with, as his father was a master sculptor. Pressing two fingers to the gash wounds on his face and running them along the wound, they sealed with only a line to prove they had once existed.

"Klonoa," Hikaro asked quietly, "What can I do to help?" He'd never tried to fight a demonic little girl before.

Hikaro stopped speaking. He'd tried to convince Klonoa of the opposite before, but it seemed everything he'd said had passed by unnoticed, like a small seed of a wildflower on the wind. It became pointless to repeat himself over and over again. Fine, Klonoa may not believe him, but he'd be damned if he'd listen when he told him to leave. Because if he stayed, he might die, but if Klonoa were right, and Mirabelle brought upon anihhilation of the world, he'd die anyway. So, he'd have to ask, which is the better way to go? If he were going down, he'd go down fighting.

The adult Hououza leaned over Klonoa's reclining body, spreading out his magnificent golden plumage to shade the child in his arms. There it was again, his essence, like tendrils of light, it sought the wounds on Klonoa's body, mended them, fortified him. Hikaro fought to forge a barrior of sunlight to Protect him from the fires of Mirabelle's clutches.

Klonoa was not going to die today, Hikaro wouldn't let him.

Hikaro's nose crinkled as Klonoa continued to protest his assistance, the marble phoenix resisting his energy and making his task difficult. He wanted to shout at Klonoa, if only it would make him listen. Klonoa was a child, and shouldn't get down on himself for that.

"Every script can be rewritten." He said quietly, during one of the many pauses in Klonoa's speach. Whether or not he wanted to be, Hikaro was just as involved in this as Klonoa was, and his leaving would not change anything.

"You said once... just a few minutes ago... you told me you thought I could stop her... do you still say that now? Do you still want to help me?"
Klonoa asked, the light returning just a little to his eyes, as though he were only now finally accepting Hikaro's word for what it was. A promise, an oath, the truth, if nothing else.

"More so now than ever before, I will be beside you. Even after we have fallen, I will rise again with you until we defeat her. And if fate has decided I will never walk the good earth again after today, then I will still remain where I can see you, wherever you may go. I swear it." Hikaro said, folding back his shield of golden feathers to let Klonoa look up to the sky above them, the light filtering down in dappled patterns through the trees.
He'd die to keep his word.

((*chuckles quietly as he's glomped upon.* I try. It's unfortunate what's going to happen to Zaner. It's too bad she isn't a phoenix, because when Phoenix of legend are slain, they revert into eggs gathering energy until the are reborn once again.))

A smile crossed Hikaro's lips when Klonoa's words echoed his own. That was the confidence Klonoa needed, there were the words he needed to chant to regain the stregnth in his heart the evil spawned she-devil robbed of him, as she had robbed his innocence and childhood. But now was Klonoa's chance to reclaim what was taken. Hikaro lifted Klonoa in his arms, standing tall, and gingerly setting Klonoa once again on his feet.

Hikaro stepped into place, slightly behind and to the side of his friend, his ally. Like a guardian he stood, yellow eyes watchful. Somewhere during their talk Mirabelle had abandoned her perch on the tree, and could be anywhere planning an attack. The woods still shivered with the malicious energy, she tainted this place.

((Did I mention I have a petshop? XD
Although we don't sell female pets. *shrugs*

I was wondering about what might happen to Zaner if you bought one of my pets, because they're codependant on their owner for the duration of their lives. So if she made a pact with death that he could take her when all of her pets were capable of fending for themselves, what would he do with one who would ALWAYS rely on Zaner for survival? Anyway, i'm just musing.))

Hikaro blinked, he hadn't noticed she had left completely. Her energy was so strong still it felt as though she were still around. He folded his arms, looking down to the violet hououza with honey colored eyes.
Was he jesting? If he'd stay, that is. Hikaro wouldn't dare leave until he was sure Klonoa was safe, and had the feeling that would never happen while Mirabelle was still loose.

The taller hououza followed Klonoa to the door, a faint smile on his lips.
"If I wasn't going to leave before, I certainly am not now." He said, folding his wings into a less imposing smaller area behind him. He reached out and gently mussed Klonoa's hair.
"I'm curious to learn what ideas your sister may have."

((What's scary about the artwork? *Is curious so he can improve his shop* Or is it just because you don't like rabbits in general?))

The entire situation seemed surreal, like nothing at all had happened. It was almost as though there wasn't a hell spawn girl trying to annihilate everything, and Klonoa and he were just spending an easy afternoon together. Klonoa was just laughing away, the tension melting like ice cream on a skillet.

"Your new house is very big." He commented idly, smiling that Klonoa thought of him as a big brother.