Welcome to Gaia! ::

Raco gave a chuckle at his daughter has he fixed up his hair. He still looked a mess though by the time she was done so he changed his clothing completely back in the tree hollow that was and always would be his home. Finally in a sage green and silver tunic and new, clean, dark pants. Shaking himself out a little he felt better, a slight ache telling him he needed to sleep in the back of his brain. But Youko would harass him if he didn't turn up. "I t'ink I look decent enough." he said looking over himself. He had at least kept his fur in order, that was something that had become too much of a habit to forget to do. "Ready to go?" he asked Raina with his half smile.

~~~~

The Whispers whisked ahead of the group as other, older Anbu had started seen the odd couple, and the whisper spread like wide fire through the camp from one cat to another with a frienzy that had not been seen among them in a long time.
"It Lord Joshua!"
"No that's no possible! He's dead!"
"No, it's him, there's no denying it."
"By the God and Goddess he's returned!" The whispers crept into the main camp setting it into a mental fire.

Youko smiled to himself as the food was laid out over fresh leaves off the trees, fresh killed birds and fish, berries and milk, Cat Mint and sake, and a large number of other things being laid out in a delicate fashion. But when the whispers reached his ears he took them with complete skepticism, even to him the idea seemed too far fetched to be real. "If this is what the stars foretold then so shall it be, otherwise we will find out, who walks these lands with the same face." he whispered under his breath, though there was no one to hear him or listen to his words.


The two fresh recruits halted Asha and Joshua just outside to edge of the encampment, though the sounds of movement were quite apparent. "You'll stay here until you are given clearance to enter." the female spoke holding out her chest, before turning and dragging the other with her. She approached Youko proudly. "We have them at the edge of the camp waiting for your clearance." she said with a grin.

Youko raised and eyebrow at the female. "I told you to bring them here, not make them wait." he scolded. "But hold them off until everyone is here." he said rubbing his chin, Raco still hadn't arrived. If the couple outside the camp was who they were, or at least the one that seemed to be Joshua, then it was best is Raco was here as well. For it was only proper as he was second in command.


Joshua sighed and looked at his sister. "Gotten a little paranoid don't you think?" he asked tilting his head. He was surprised, being who he was he expected to be able to walk right into the camp without a problem, but all the same, safety measures were always a good idea. But they'd been left here unattended to wait. Surely if they had been a threat they wouldn't listen and waltz right into the camp as soon as the foolish escorts where out of sight.

Asharadine only laughed. "They were new. We've never seen her face before, she must be recently accepted here, not only that, because she's new she had no idea who the hell we are. She doesn't know our reputation, well yours at least, I'm supposed to be dead." she snickered handing her hand to her mouth and she cocked her hip to the side and waiting to be led into the encampment. At least Youko had picked a decent enough spot to hide the camp this time.

"Oh for Heaven's sake let them in" Youko called out. Irritated that Liraeal would be so rude as to not wait for Raco. He then turned to look down at Raina with a smile. "I'm not quite sure, he may and he may not be. He is a strange man fully of many strange surprises, each one more odd than the last." he chuckled and sat down on one of the logs looking quite pleased with himself before turning to Ishtar. "I dare watch yourself, if the man at the edge of this camp is indeed Lord Joshua you best be on your best behavior. I may be his friend but I am also his Advisor, he's on royalty from another country." he said sitting proudly on the log. He was anxious, but he saw it odd that Raina seemed to reach as though she knew more than he did. But it would not surprise him, since her birth he sensed something quite powerful in her. Something that could possibly end up being both a gift and curse later in her life.

Raco made his way into the main of the camp having fallen well behind Raina. But once in the opening he stared at the large feast laid out with a raise brow. "Youko, do you not t'ink t'is a bit muc'?" he asked sitting down on Raina's other side and leaning over, propping his elbows on his knees. he wasn't quite as intrigued as everyone else, he just wanted the ordeal over with so he could return to his tree hollow and get a proper night of sleep was about all that he cared for. But he knew manners when Youko conjured up something like this.

The female waved a hand hearing Youko's call to let them in. It was a short path that the small group had to follow. Asha looked around at it all in mild surprise, she was used to Youko picking more...glamorous area's to hold camp at but she thought that maybe this time he needed to be a little more low key as the small city didn't quite seem large enough for Youko to truly expand the Anbu unless they were out farther away from the humans like they where here. She stuck close to Joshua's side though, like when she hand been younger and nervous she would cling to his arm for reassurance. The clearing came into view and looked at it in awe, the large expanse of food, and all the cats, so many of them, more than she had ever expected, but still all the friendly faces and there in the middle of it all was Youko, beaming with shock at Joshua, apparently he had not quite seen her just yet.

Joshua patted his sister's hand and smiled as looked around the clearing. "Quite and interesting set up you made this time my friend!" he called out and approached with a laugh.

Youko gave a laugh. "Yes, well didn't want the humans finding us so we had to a go a little more primitive than usual. It's not the Ritz but you learn to like it. Come, come sit with us. And introduce us to your friend." he said with a grin and a wink.

A laugh fell from Joshua and he nearly doubled over. He was stuck where he was until he could breath again. Had it truly been that long since he had remembered Asha's face that she thought her as nothing more than a 'lady friend' but all the same they did think that she was dead but it was almost too much for him to handle.

Asha merely his her scarred face under her veil of silver hair. The last anyone has seen her, her hair had been colored black. She and Joshua had always kept their hair that way. But otehr time the both of them had given up on the glamor and let their hair return to it's natural silver to match their fur.

Joshua had been smiling down at Raina, trying to figure out why she looked oddly familiar, but he didn't get the change to think it over properly when Liraeal stood before him. He stared at her in disbelief, and shock. She looked like hell and she was carrying a litter. Apparently she had not missed him much at all. When she launched herself on him he held his face away taking her shoulders and pulling her off of him. In that split second he spotted Valiant. His amber eyes stuck on her and as he watched her. "V-valiant!" he called pushing passed Liraeal and rushing over to her taking her shoulder and making her look at him. His face broken into a smile. "I was right. I knew I was headed in the right direction!" he said pulling her into a tight hug, fulling the bulge in her abdomen and pulled her back and look. "Val..." he whispered looking down and back up at her, was this his doing?

Asha caught Raina as in her arms as Liraeal jumped on her brother. In the process her hair was strewn away from her face, pale green eyes and the circlet over her forehead revealing the mark on her brow. An old mark, one she had a love and fondness for ever since it had been put there but her love and now, he'd believe for to be a fake for sure, mark or no mark. Her eyes wide with shock as she looked around at the group of cats around her, suddenly feeling cold and scared as a kitten lost in a freezing winter rain.

Youko's jaw physically dropped and hung open, he couldn't believe his eyes, he could understand Joshua laughing, but Asha, alive! He would had stood up be for once even he felt as though if he even so much as tried his legs would give under him. He had been sure she was dead, He had felt her heart stop, seen the blood pour from her body and felt her die! But yet as he looked at her, there was no mistaking that she was indeed Asharadine, alive, badly scarred, but alive all the same.

Raco's eyes grew wide and his mouth hung open. At first glance he never would have believed what he was seeing, nothing more than a girl who looked the same, but the mark, there was no doubt, that was his marking on her brow, just as vivid as the day he had put it there. He stood up and walked over, eye still pleading, tears welling in them as though a damn about burst. He didn't want to blink for the fear that if he did she would be gone again. But finally he had to, but when his eyes opened she was still there, still staring up at him looking as though she were being sentenced to her death. "Asha..." he said in a weak voice, dropping to his knees. "You were dead...'ow?" he whispered.

She lowered her head and looked away ashamed of the scars that covered her body. With anyone else they were battle scars, and she was proud to show them off. Yet, in front of Raco, her love, the only man she had ever loved in her life she felt disgusting.

Raco grabbed her face making her look at him, though at first her eyes didn't make contact she eventually had no choice but to do so. "I don't care, you're 'ere, you're alive...you're alive." he cried pulling her into a hug that could have broken her ribs, tears poured down his cheeks and for the first time in two years he smiled, a true smile and no longer the half smile that meant so little but had been the best he could ever give.

Asha wrapped her arms around Raco's neck. "I look terrible, I'm covered in scars and it's been so long. I figured you would have moved on!" she sobbed into his shoulder. She felt the little girl hug onto her and ask 'daddy' what was wrong. In that instant her entire body froze over again, her pale eyes wide. Had the girl just called Raco 'Daddy'? She pulled back away from Raco looking at him. "Daddy?" she asked, her face full of hurt and confusion. Had Raco found another since she had been thought dead and now had a family?

Raco grabbed Asha's arms looking at her. "Asha, you 'ave to listen to me. Yes, Raina....s'e is my daughter. But I can explain." he said pleading with her. "Raina dear...go to your brot'er and make sure 'e stay away from t'e sake." he said nodding at her, as if to tell her everything was okay and just to do as he was telling her. "Please Asha, come wit' me and I will explain everyt'ing." he said shaking her lightly, he wanted nothing more than for her to believe him and to hear him out. Surely she could not hold it against him, or at least he hoped not. It had never been intentional, but all the same he did love his daughter, he cared for Valiant, but he would never in his life love Valiant the way he love Asharadine. he would die alone before he took another mate other than Asharadine.

Asha hung her head a little, not sure if she wanted to hear the story, wanted to know the truth of what had happened since her 'death'. She knew at some point she had died, she had seen the light that led to Summerland, but she had never gotten the chance to enter. She'd spent the better part of the last two years searching out the Anbu in order to find Raco, and along the way had found her brother. Fate was playing a strange game with her and she didn't know what to make of it anymore. In the beginning she thought it to be another chance, a new start and now...she wasn't so sure about that.

Joshua watched her run away, he looked back at Youko, amber eyes pleading at his friend. But Youko would be of no help to him at the moment for he was still partially frozen in shock at the entire ordeal. Josh clenched his jaw and straightened his back. He took one look at Liraeal and heaved a deep breath. "I am sorry Liraeal, but my heart belongs to Valiant, nothing will change that!" he said before dashing off after Valiant. he was faster, more fit and older, more agile and he was still running off of his adrenaline surge from early in the day. "VALIANT!" he called out, he was not going to let her slip away again, he lost her once before and had been foolish enough not to follow her then, he was not going to play the fool twice.

Youko mouthed wordlessly and snatched the bottle of sake out of Ishtar's claws and downed the bottle, and slammed it down on the ground and stood up. A foolish move for even more experienced Sake drinkers than Youko if there were any. He gripped the tree behind him and shook himself and he made his way over the Liraeal as quickly as he could and took her by the shoulder. "Come Love, you need to sit and have something to drink. Come now..." he said steering her away back towards the food with a hiccup.

Asha tore herself away from Raco's grasp, though she was no empathic she still had a stronger sense than most did, she could feel the pain from the little girl that was her lover's daughter. Asha wrapped her arms around Raina and pulled her into her lap and pet her hair. "Raina..." she cooed at the little girl, trying to get her to look up. her heart tore a little, she was normally one who kept her distance from children, she liked them but never let herself get around them, she was more afraid of them, but she couldn't help herself. Her and Raco had never had any luck in having a litter and here he had a daughter that her mother whoever she was seemed to be no where at all. "Raco, if you want to talk so badly we'll talk later." she hissed lightly at him, it wasn't in complete angry but mild frustration rather and the need to calm the little girl before pressing on to other matters.

Raco mouthed silently at Asha surprised at her reaction, never in his life or her had she ever hissed at him even in the slightest. But at the sight of Raina on her lap he broke and merely nodded at her. He moved in calling Raina's name quietly, telling her to calm down that everything was going to be okay in his heavy accented voice. He was oblivious by this point to the other Anbu who know sat around and stood in shock. Many had become motionless as though froze in time and a few had started to sneak food from the banquet that was laid out. "Raina, come now, everyt'ing will be alrig't..." he whispered to the little girl.

Joshua finally caught up to Valiant in the clearing, his amber eyes were fierce, but he could understand her, at least for the most part. Yes, once upon a time he had been in love with Liraeal, but there's relationship had gone no where at all. But even when he had first met Valiant he was drawn to her and though he had never seen anyone more beautiful in his life. As though his entire life had been leading up to the moment they met, making it the pinnacle of his purpose in life was to meet her and love her until the day he died. "Valiant. How the hell could you ever compare yourself as the lesser of the two of you?" he asked, his eyes softening as he moved to stand in front of her down on one knee and took her hands, holding them tightly. "I don't care that you have a child already, it doesn't matter to me that you adopted another, I couldn't care less if you had slept with fifty other men after me and I was nothing more that another strike on the board. But I am in love with you Valiant. Since the moment you left me I have been looking for you and I found you! You told me that if it was meant to be then fate would bring us back together and here I am, asking you, begging you to take me. I know, I just know you're holding my litter. I want to be here, in their life, in your life. I didn't come all this way to be turned down." he pleaded with her, shaking her hands. "Valiant, I love you, not Liraeal. Nothing you say or do will make me change my mind." he said in a tone that said it was final that his words and mind were set in stone and never to be changed.

Youko rubbed his face. he hissed and ambled back over to his spot and grabbed some food and started to scarf it down, then snatched Ishtar's new bottle from his paws once again, draining about half the bottle before shoving it back at him. "Ishtar, never, never get a woman pregnant. You'll hate yourself for the rest of your life. Especially is the woman is a PSYCHOTIC WHORE!" he yelled out before returning to his food angrily.

Youko glared at Ishtar, yes, he did care very much about Raina, but the sake and anger and shock had dulled out everything else and he was a bitter old man by comparison. His vain tendencies flaring back up in him as he merely sulked like a child over being slapped. He'd make her pay for that one, yes he would. Youko was never one to cross and when on finally did pick at the last nerve that he had, hidden deep in the recesses of his mind then hell was to break loose and pour out upon anyone who crossed his path. He merely gave a low hiss and continued with his meal. He'd eventually cool down later that night after a lot of drinking and ranting up in his tree that was in the middle of the encampment. The morning would bring him hell and he'd be gone from the sight of everyone for a few days before he would finally slink back out in a foul mood and wanting food and water.

The mixed female cuddled and rocked Raina before maneuvering her to allow herself to stand up, though Raco tried to help her she gave him the cold shoulder, something she knew was killing him when all he wanted to done was have some sort of physical contact with her. She'd always dreamed of a warn and happy welcome, where Raco would take her in his arms and they would live happily ever after but her dream had been shattered into a million pieces. Her brother was being turned away Liraeal had finally lost her mind, Youko was in a hissy fit as though a child, Raco had a daughter with another woman and she felt as though she didn't belong anymore. In the back of her mind she wished that she had just died and gotten it over with, some welcome this was. "Raco, where is it that you sleep so we can get her away from her where she won't be so bothered?" she asked looking at him, her eyes held a hardness that showed her mild displeasure in the situation, but a softness that said once they were away from everyone then maybe they could talk in proper. She had never been the type of cat to enjoy too much company, the few select people she had loved to be close with, but never large groups or events because they made her skittish.

Raco nodded and headed off wordlessly toward his tree. He hung his head the entire way, he felt at though he had betrayed Asha, but all the same he was sure she was dead when they had left her at the shrine, there was no doubt, she had lost so much blood, torn to shreds, there was no color left in her and even Youko had said her heart had stopped. What else was he to think? Yet here she stood before him now, holding his daughter that in truth never should have been conceived but all the same he loved her as though he had been meant to be made all along. He'd never take back having his daughter, but it still hurt him, knowing how long he and Asharadine had tried to have children with no luck at all. It had to hurt Asha so dearly knowing they had tried and here he'd had a child with someone else, regardless of her being a alive or dead. She would surely blame their inability to have children on herself as she always seemed to do with things, blaming herself rather than others. He stopped in front of the tree and pointed up at the hollow. "T'ere, I wanted to keep myself away from t'e ot'ers like I always 'ave. it's quite nice inside...I'm sure you will like it." he said hanging his head, but looked up at Asha pitifully, as though trying to say he was sorry wordlessly, begging for forgiveness.

Josh stepped in front of Valiant his amber eyes narrowed. "Have you lost your mind?" he hissed at Liraeal. "It's done Liraeal, it has been done for a long time. I do not see where you find it in yourself to talk, you say you loved me and look at you. Look at my sister. You just can't handle that I don't love you." he growled reaching for his own Rapier, he didn't draw it though. It wouldn't be right to do so, but if he absolutely had to he would, woman or not. "I'm in Love with Valiant. You threw away your chance to be with me. As long as I was around you did little more than fawn over me, never once did you ever try to make a true relationship with me. You lost your chance, I found love, true love that I've come too far to give up now. Even if Valiant turns me away I will never take you back." he held himself high. "I am no perfect man, and will never claim or assume myself to be. I am imperfect, for for Valiant sake and the same of my kits, I would gladly give my life for them to make sure that they are happy. Did you not recognize my crest around her neck? Ever wonder why I never gave it to you, you never earned such a thing from me. But with that crest I gave Valiant my heart, even if that meant fate may never have brought us back together again, then I would have died a lonely man, never having touched another woman again." he snarled. His tail lashed behind him in fury. He didn't know if Valiant would accept him or deny him yet, but he silently prayed that she would take him, he had not traveled all this way to be turned down because of Liraeal.

Asha steadied herself and jumped into the hollow, she was used to much higher jumps but it was a fair bit more difficult with the little girl in her arms. Inside the hollow and set Raina down and looked around. It was as though she had been there before in a dream, lined with blankets that smelled of Raco, his usual trinkets about the hollow and there on the wall hanging on a protruding piece of wood dangled a necklace she knew all to well but had believed to be long lost. She reached for it, touching the charm with her fingertips, not daring to pick it up. It was hard for her to believe that it was hanging right above where it looked like Raco slept, as though it were some sort of lucky charm that watched over him as he lie there every night. She looked over her shoulder as Raco appeared in the opening. "You kept it...I thought I'd lost it..." she said sadly, turning her eyes away a little. And here she had though Raco would have long forgotten her and moved on. How could she have ever thought such a terrible thing?

Raco gave a sad smile and settled himself next to Asha pulled her against him. "I couldn't leave it. I couldn't take you, so I 'ad to 'ave somet'ing of yours and t'is was the one t'ing t'at meant t'e most to me. You always wore it and never took it off. It meant so muc' to you, so w'en you...well w'en we 'ad to leave you be'ind I took it. I wore it for t'e longest time. B't w'en we came 'ere I took it off and set it up t'ere. I've gotten into a fair share of fig't 'ere and I did not want anyt'ing to 'appen to it." he said taking it off the wall and clipping it back around her neck. "You are back and it is yours again, just as it should be." he said nuzzling his head into her hair, smiling again. His blue eye opened up and winked at Raina, he knew this would be strange for his daughter, seeing him with another woman, but she had never really seen him and her mother together, never like Asha and her were now, cuddled together, purring loudly and happy, truly immersed in a love that more often than not seemed too good to be true.

Joshua scowled as Liraeal left, a bitter woman she always had been if things did not favor in her manner. At least that was how he had remembered her. "Valiant..." he said relaxing finally, he hoped she would calm down and speak with him without anger. Not that he didn't have a small amount of it boiling within him, but all the same, fate had brought them back together and then she had turned him away when he'd done nothing more than search her out as soon as she had left him behind. Yes ash he sister had scolded him over and over again he should have just gone with her, only to find himself back home with the Anbu. But all the same, if he had gone with her, he probably never would have found his sister and she may have never found her way back to Raco without him, though all the same she might have. Fate was a fickle mistress that played strange games with the lives of many. "I'm sorry...I just...Valiant, please don't turn me away. I've come too far and waited too long already for you to change your mind, please." he pleaded with her, ready to drop to his knees again.

Youko merely ignored Ishtar, finished the mouthful of food he had and stalked off. He didn't say a work of where he was going or when he would be back. He didn't head for his stash of Sake which he had skillfully relocated since Valiant's finding of it, and he wasn't headed for his tree where he often went to sleep off the drink and food. He headed out of the camp and well into the deeper forest of East Ikebokuro here he could be left alone to scowl like a scolded child and sleep of the drink and frustration in peace.