Welcome to Gaia! ::

Youko woke slowly, murmuring as he blinked and rubbed his eyes. What was happening? Things seemed to be shaking and the pulse of magic was nearly tangible. "Chronos? What happened??"

Kageka lazily opened an eye, wondering what exactly was going on. When she noticed the glowing relic, she got up from the tree she was sleeping against, and motionned a little closer. She had missed the others due to her "dear" guardian, but there was NO WAY she'll miss that one.

Ullue fades into sight near the center of the room, smiling softly. "Be strong, little one. It is nearly time." With a graceful wave of her hand, an image of Youko's shelf appears before everyone's eyes.

The sight of the glowing tendrils of magic surrounding the relic was enough to make the fox sit bolt upright, calling out for Chronos as he did. The Time Deity, however, was apparently finding it much more amusing to simply watch him lose his mind in a fit of giddiness as Youko crawled towards the relic, wringing his hands around his tail. "It's okay, little one..." he whispered, glancing around as if looking for anything that would tell him what to DO.

Where was that damned manual anyway...

The pantheon child watched, a cetain spark of curiousity in her blue eyes, as she leaned back against a tree. She watched the dancing lights with a ratter unusual interest.

Karasu was ustairs when Ullue's vision interrupted her search for Miyu. The little kun-kun had disappeared some time ago, which was normal enough, but she hadn't come back for cookies... which was certainly not normal.

Rasu straightened as she saw the image of youko's shelf, and smiled to herself as she started downstairs.

Youko crept to the relic, reaching out a hand towards the relic and letting it brush against the magic tendrils that swirled around it. He was expecting a shock or jolt of some kind, but was pleasantly surprised when it didn't. "Come on... so many want to meet you..."

Especially me...

Ullue's smile widens as the scene unfolds before the entranced audience, watching the streams of magic swirl wildly about the relic, the light within pulsing, as if trying to escape.

Karasu edges past the people gathered and wanders over to a couch. She waits patiently as she watches Youko and his bouncing relic.

Kageka still watched from her tree, trough her eyes narrowed a little with the incrasing light. This was interesting... she had to admit.

Youko smiled, the runes circling around the relic as he'd seen happen to the others. SOon.. that's what that always meant. Soon. He curled up to wait, hoping that his little ward wouldn't be too frightened... or upset.

Toushin hops over the top of the couch, plopping down next to Rasu. "How is your little girl?" He's aware that a new Ieldi is creeping on but that doesn't mean he can't inquire about the others.

"She's coming around" Rasu says with a wide smile as she gives Toushin a hello hug. "Slowly, but she know's I'm here to help, so it's easier. I'm surprised at how very perceptive the ieldi seem to be, even this early in their new life."

Nervously, YOuko watched and held back his own concerns. What if the poor thing was frightened, like Rasu's had been... or angry at being here...

He was panicking, he knew it, the spirit had always been happy and carefree until now. Still, there was that worry in the back of his mind as he watched the magic flare suddenly, bringing a yelp from him and forcing him to shield his eyes.

The relic's vibrating slows a bit as the light within reaches blinding intensity, the runes circling even faster. A low thrum eminates from the nest as a ring of energy flares out. A second follows, then a third. Suddenly the tree shudders as the relic is enveloped by a searing explosion of light and color....

Kageka had to plain sheild her eyes as the "explosion" happened, damn near half-blinded by it. She managed to somehow repress a pained yelp.

Youko clung to the side of the shelf where he'd nearly been knocked off of it, VERY grateful for the stairs that led up to it and helped keep him up. He crawled back up, gasping for breath as he tried to clear his vision. "Kujaku?" he whispered, half panicking again.

As the light dims, the form of a child resolves against the now dimly glowing relic. Veiled by a sea of flowing, blue-green hair, the little one remained curled up in front of the blasted remains of the nest as the light faded completely.

Upon hearing Youko's worried voice, the little boy sits up, his hair falling away from his face as his emerald gaze reaches his guardian.



He didn't seem frightened... he didn't seem scared at all... more curious than anything as Youko stared in mute shock at the boy. "OH my gods..." he whispered, reaching forward hesitantly. "You're just as beautiful as I imagined you."

That brought a soft smile from the boy, and he shakily crawled forward until he could curl up onto Youko's lap, one hand reaching up to toy with the silver hair as his wings curled around his shoulders.

"Kujaku..." Youko repeated, smiling as he left a soft kiss on the boy's forehead. "Welcome home."

A loud wail came from somewhere high up in the tree, followed by a sigh as Youko wound an arm around Kujaku's waist and lifted him up off hte shelf again. "No, we're going down to the pond so that we can get that gunk out of your hair!"

The blue/green peacock Ieldi was shoving against Youko's shoulder, trying to cling to the shelf instead of being carried down. In his hair were dark streaks that seemed to stain his skin as well... ink from Youko's pen which was exploded all over the shelf. He let out another wail, squirming and trying to get loose.

"Well, if you hadn't tried to chew on the pen and gotten ink everywhere, you wouldn't NEED a bath!" Youko tightened his hold and started down the ladder then, protesting Ieldi in tow.

Fizzle flew up towards the sound slowly. He normally wasn't one to go looking at every noise that occured in this new place but this was a sound he hadn't heard before. Peering over a cluster of leaves he saw Youko struggling with something.

He moved closer and landed on Youko's bristled tail. "Koi?" he called, using the word he had always heard his caretaker Envy use for the fox demon. "Heke saa?"

"hello, there, little one," Youko said, growling as Kujaku yanked hard on one ear in an attempt to get him to let go. "This... is Kujaku. This is Kujaku on his way to get a bath."

Wailing, Kujaku found himself slung over Youko's shoulder, dangling there and beating his hands in tiny fists against the fox's back. This was NOT in the bargain!! Dancing, playing, reading, dancing, preening, dancing, being complimented... THAT was the deal! No one had said ANYTHING about being manhandled down into water that looked too cold to be healthy for ANYONE.

Safrinni awoke before Karma did at the commotion nearby between Youko and Kujaku and immediately shrank low to the shelf, a look of fear in her amber eyes.

Bad people...bad!! Her mind filled with images of men carrying guns and skinning feathered pelts. What if they'd finally found them?? Her mind, despite its infantile reset, had startlingly mature fears.

Hearing her whimper, Karma awoke with a yawn and blinked hazily at her little girl.

"Whasswrong....?" she asked groggily. Safrinni immediately scrambled close, hugging up against her mummy's chest and burying her face in the foxcoon's shoulder. Karma looked at her, concerned, then keened her ears to the wind, hearing the familiar tone of Youko's frustration and smirked. "Don't worry about that." she whispered.

A pity Frinni was so skittish, she thought with chagrin. Speaking of Youko, it had been days since he'd seen him last...or ANY of her friends for that matter....

Fizzle darted off Youko's shoulder as soon as he saw the struggling Ieldi coming. He hoverd for a moment then followed behind them, moving to cling to the back of Youko's shirt below the struggling Kujaku. "Pelae?"

He squealed as Kujaku's hand came down next to him and coated his side in black. "ISHT!" he cried and tried to rub it off, only making the situation worse. "Yureshe, koi!"

"Morning Karma," Youko muttered, holding one hand on Kujaku as the boy stayed over his shoulder, the long green hair falling downt he fox's back along with the Kun-kun that clung to his shirt. By now, Youko was also covered in ink from Kujaku's struggles, and it lookes as though Fizzle was getting caught in the crossfire.

Kujaku let out a screech as they went by Karma's shelf, tiny hands reaching out as if he could get Karma to pity him and get him away from this TYRANT. Pity me, help me, look at what he's DOING to me, can't this be considered child abuse??

Fizzle whimpered and clung to Youko. He tried to wiggles his ink covered wing but found the drying smear was making it stiff and harder to move. He glanced back up at Kujaku with a miserable expression. "Yureshe...."

"You'll get a bath too, Fizzle, or Envy will KILL me for letting you get that messed up." By the time they reached the side of hte pond, Youko was convinced he didn't have a peacock Ieldi... he had a banshee wearing blue and green feathers. He held onto Kujaku with one hand while he got his shirt, shoes and socks off with the other, then waded into the pond while still wearing his jeans and a Kun-Kun in his hair.

The little Ieldi saw the water getting closer and shrieked, trying to climb up onto Youko's head with Fizzle, his wings flapping madly and trying to take off. It didn't matter to him that he couldn't fly yet, he was damned well going to TRY.

By this point, however, Youko was convinced that they'd alerted the entire tree and everything AROUND the tree that an Ieldi was being murdered. At least that's what it sounded like.

"ENE!" Fizzle lost his grip on Youko's hair as Kujaku scrambled up in panic. Finding no other quick handhold and unable to make his stiff wing work the little kun-kun landed in the cool water with a noisy splash. He broke the surface a moment later, coughing and spitting water. "Y-yureshe...."

Keioh quietly slipped into the first floor of the main building and glanced about looking for others. He had left Itazura at home today much to the fox's annoyance, but Keioh knew the newborn Ieldi might not take well to a 9-tailed fox running about causing mischief.

That was when the wailing caught his ears and he peered outside, trying to spot what was being tortured.

Ooooh.

His eyes settled on the pond and despite the poor boy's protests at the bath, Keioh couldn't help but smile.

It was -cute-

He stood at the window and continued to watch quietly.

"Hang onto me if you need to, Fizzle." Once Youko was about chest-deep in the water, he pulled Kujaku down and held onto him gently, moving his other hand to sluice water over the boy's skin and hair. The ink was stubborn, diluting but not coming off completely just yet. Once it seemed that Kujaku was starting to calm a bit, Youko moved to sit on a side rock with him, using both hands to wash the boy's hair.

Kujaku was frightened when he felt himself lowered into the water, clinging to Youko tightly. Soon, however, he realised that he wasn't expected to swim... Youko was still holding him and keeping him safe. When they'd seated themselves finally, he sat in the water up to his chest, splashing at it while Youko washed the ink from his hair. He grinned to the little Kun-Kun then, splashing Fizzle with a happy squeal.

Fizzle grabbed on to the wet tendrils of Youko's hair and let them pull him through the water. It was cold and the kun-kun was terrified. He'd never been in the water before either and was afraid of going under again. He watched and worked his way closer to Youko, pulling himself from the water, as he watched Kujaku settle down then turn to him.

"Pelae, ok?" he managed before being doused by the splash. "Yureshe!" he whined and tried to push his hair out of his eyes.

This was fun!! Forgetting all about the fight to get down here and the protest he'd put up, Kujaku congratulated himself inwardly on having hte good sense to take a bath after getting doused in ink, his hands splashing hard against the water as Youko ran a comb through his hair, getting the ink out of the thick strands. He liked having his hair brushed and combed. It was a soothing feeling and made him melt. Youko had also wisely started brushing Kujaku's hair before bed, since it seemed to make him sleep better.

For now, however, sleep was the farthest thing from the Ieldi's mind as he kicked his legs under the water and laughed at the way he could make waves with his arms. Unfortunately, this also meant that Youko was getting fully drenched as well, and so was Fizzle.

Fizzle had clamoured his way onto a small rock and rubbed furiously at his arm. This stain wasn't going away and it looked awful. He felt miserable and looked over at Youko. He watched as the fox combed Kujaku's hair and hoped maybe he would help him get this nasty stuff of his body too. He hated the thought of having to wait till Envy came to pick him up before he would be clean again.

At least Kukaju seemed to be happier, if only he wouldn't splash as much Fizzled sighed inwardly, giving up on keeping his hair parted. "Koi!" he called out over the noisy water. "Idme, naante," he pointed towards the comb.

Glancing over at the request, Youko rolled his eyes and just snickered. "Yes, dear." He picked up the little Kun, setting Fizzle on top of Kujaku's head as he took turns between combing KUjaku's hair and Fizzle's. "You two are definately going to get along I think."

"Sanuuk!" Fizzle purred and leaned back each time the large comb pulled through all of his hair. Several times as it caught in gathered clumps of ink he had to grab on to Kujaku's hair to stay on the Ieldi's head. "Iktet, pelae..." he whispered after one particularly strong pull.

"Sorry," he whispered, smiling and watching the two. Youko began to sing softly, keeping his voice low as he continued to clean the ink from Kujaku and the little Kun. It was relaxing now that Kujaku had stopped fighting, and Youko settled in to just enjoy the afternoon with a swim after he was finished.

Kujaku had finally begun to get an idea of just what was so fascinating about the headphones and MP3 player that Youko had left for him. Granted, he remembered dancing around near it when he was still a spirit... but having the headphones on your HEAD was so much more fun! Youko had wrapped a strip of fabric around his waist as a belt, and the player was hooked to it as he daned around the shelf.

It had been over a week, and Youko STILL couldn't get him to wear clothes. It wasn't for lack of trying, it was just that Kujaku hadn't seen any he wanted yet. The t-shirts and jeans were good fora human, but he was NOT going to dress like that. He liked the sash Youko had made, and kept arranging it so that it lay more pleasingly against his hip. Only when he was finally satisfied did he leave it alone. For a few minutes, anyway.

Now, however, he was moving around the shelf, dancing to the music and humming along with it. His hair had been pulled back away from his face in a ponytail by Youko, and he had to admit that it was a bit better. But he still liked it DOWN, and tended to yank the tie out just as quickly.

"Kujaku! Breakfast!"

The Ieldi turned, still jitterbugging his way across the platform as he held up one hand in a gesture he'd seen Youko use before. "Nnnnn..."

"Don't you 'no' me, c'mon. You have to eat, then you can go play some more." Youko reached over, snagging the MP3 player and disconnecting it from the headphones. This immediately resulted in a glare from the tiny Ieldi, and Youko just shook his head. "Tough. Come eat, then I'll give it back." It wasn't as though he was forcing the boy to eat anything gross. It was a light breakfast, made of fruits and berries that Chronos had told himt he Ieldi preferred before. A bit of fish was there as well, to give him a taste of it and see if he liked it... as well as some small pieces of cheese.

Glaring at Youko, Kujaku stalked over and sat down with a thump next to the blanket that the food had been arranged on. He grudgingly picked up a piece of fruit and munched on it... then reached for another. This was good! The player was forgotten for the moment as he ate, giving the fish only a taste before pushing it aside and sticking with the berries and fruit.

Smiling, Youko leaned against the tree and just watched him. He was happy that Kujaku seemed to have a mind of his own, but it was still unnerving at times to see him being stubborn and willful. He was discovering everything for the first time, it seemed... Youko just hoped that once things calmed down, he'd stop with his bullheaded streak.

There was a wet trail along the worn planks that made up the platform the HQ was sitting on. Tiny footprints were evenly spaced, growing steadily less visible as the feet in question dried and didn't leave markings as easily. The wettest part was right next to the pond, where the path came up and wound around towards the small house that Karasu and Imriel shared. The footprints continued up and around, traipsing past the house itself and up onto the platform where the larger HQ building sat peacefully in the early morning light.

The source of the footprints came into view, stalking up along the path with a scowl on his young face. Kujaku was soaking wet, wings flapping themselves madly to shake off the dampness. His hair was pulled back into the ponytail that he abhorred, mainly to keep his hair out of his face while he practiced... because that's exactly what he was doing.

Practicing.

Practicing flying, to be exact. He stopped on the platform near the back of the HQ building, then took a deep breath and looked towards the edge. There was almost a two story drop into the water below, but Kujaku had gotten over that particular fear quickly enough. Taking a running start, he focused on the edge and moved as fast as his little legs could carry him. On the very edge, he let his foot hit the wood and launched himself upward, arms stretched out in front of himself while his wings extended and tried to catch the air. They beat once, then again, then in a continuous pattern as he tried to find the air current. All too soon, however, he plummetted to the water, curling into a ball at the last moment and disappearing beneath the surface.

Sure enough, a few moments later, he appeared at the path again, following his previous steps up onto the platform again. There was SOMETHING he wasn't doing right, and he was dead set on figuring it out. He'd just continue until he got it right.

Inhaling deeply, Kujaku stood at the edge of the shelf he called home, looking down into the faint mist between here and the pond FAR blow. By the gods, it was high up here... did he trust himself or his wings to do this? A sudden gust of wind brought a yelp from him, the Ieldi sitting down hard on the platform to keep from falling off. Graceful... he thought softly, frowning to himself.

It was a good thing Youko wasn't here... he'd likely have had an anneurism by now just THINKING about Kujaku taking a nosedive off the edge of the platform. But wasn't it Youko himself who had put the idea in Kujaku's head to begin with? It couldn't have been more than a week or so ago that the fox had mentioned that it was only a matter of time. Well... that time was now.

Steeling himself, Kujaku pulled himself up to stand again, toes curled around the edge of the shelf as his arms extended to the sides. He wasn't just trying to pull this off... he had to make it look GOOD. People might be watching. He closed his eyes for a moment, then leaned forward, opening them just at the point of no return, when his momentum and weight were enough to pull him over the edge. He kept his eyes on his goal, the pond below as it rushed up to meet him. The teal Ieldi's wings spread out from his back, catching the air and slowing him... but it was only a moment or two before he realised it wasn't enough! His wings weren't quite strong enough to handle such a fall yet, and Kujaku let out a piercing shriek as he started to panic, arms and legs flailing in the air.

That shriek pricked up a pair of fox ears as Youko climbed the steps from the ground onto the platform around the pond. That was...

"KUJAKU!" The bag in his hands hit the ground, scattering its contents everywhere as Youko saw the peacock Ieldi hit the water, sending a splash high enough to wet the planks where he was running. He didn't think, he only reacted, diving into the pool and swimming quickly to where he'd seen the boy fall. It only took him a moment to find the limp form, dragging Kujaku back to the surface and climbing out with him. "Kujaku! Oh gods, say something, Rasu'll KILL me if you're hurt..." Cradling the boy in his arms, Youko leaned forward and pressed one furred ear against the pale green chest. His heart was still beating... and he was breathing. That much was good!

Youko was about to call out for help when he heard something else as well. A soft chuckle. Looking to Kujaku's face, he could tell the boy was still VERY dazed, his eyes not focusing as he recovered from his fall. "Again..." came the faint whisper, the first word the child ieldi had ever spoken. Youko's eyes went wide then as he realised that Kujaku was going to be fine, if not shakey for a bit, and he clung to the small form in a hug.

"Not again," he whispered in return, nuzzling the damp hair. "Not until you get better at flying. I can't take another scare like that..."

Still, it was a very relieved fox who scooped up the contents of the bag with one arm, carrying it up to the platform as he cradled Kujaku in the other. Only when the boy was settled and laying in the bed Youko had made for him did the kitsune finally relax himself, making a mental note to keep a VERY close eye on Kujaku from now on.

Youko had gone down to the Phoenix Nest for something to drink and food to bring back up to the shelf. Kujaku, however, had stayed on the shelf itself, curling up with his arms wrapped around his knees. He stared at the small mirror that hung against the branch, his eyes continually drawn to the bandage that covered his cheek. He'd tried taking it off once to get rid of the offensive material, but the wound that it covered had only made him cry.

He was supposed to be beautiful! Youko had told him so many times just how pretty he was, and the peacock Ieldi had thrived on the praise. Now who would think he was pretty? No one...

Sniffling softly, Kujaku brought his hair around, letting it fall over the right side of his face to hide the gauze patch there. The wound was healing nicely, and Youko had tried to get him to leave it off so that it could heal the rest of the way, but Kujaku had refused. He didn't WANT to see the marring wound that was likely going to scar his appearance for the rest of his life. It wasn't FAIR. He reached, turning the mirror so that it faced the wood, not wanting to even see his own reflection at the moment.

"Ignoring it won't make it go away," came the soft, but matter-of-fact words from above him. Looking up, Kujaku could see the dark-skinned Oculai Loom sliding down a strand of silk towards him. He tried to look away, but it was difficult once the spider had landed on his hair and crawled to his shoulder. "But... perhaps we can come up with a way to hide it that will satisfy you?"

At that, the emerald eyes flicked to the spider, Kujaku snuffling faintly and rubbing his nose. "How?" he asked, a bit hopefully. The Loom had always been there, as long as Kujaku could remember. Kujaku still slept curled in the soft, silken blanket that had been made for him after his rebirth, and nearly idolized the small spider for his ability to make beauty out of thin air.

The sentiment was not lost on the Loom at all, who inwardly preened each time he was able to astound the boy. "If you can't get rid of it... perhaps we can hide it instead. Watch."

~* * *~

"Kujaku! I'm back!" Youko managed to make it up to the shelf with only one hand, the other arm wrapped around a bag that contained Kujaku's lunch and a container of juice. The boy HAD to eat, no matter what his face looked like, and Youko was convinced he would starve before going out in public with a 'ruined face', as the boy had called it. Kujaku was sitting in front of the mirror still, his back to Youko as the kitsune sighed. "We'll think of something, pretty one," he whispered, wishing there was SOMETHING he could do.

"We already have." Fir'Ethal's voice came from the Ieldi's shoulder as Kujaku turned around and smiled at Youko.

The fox was stunned, his breath drawn in sharply as he saw what the pair had been up to in his absense. "Kujaku, that looks wonderful!"

The gauze had been removed, laying aside neatly where it had been folded. The wound, however, was the least of Youko's focus as he saw the silken veil that covered the lower half of Kujaku's face. The silver threads glistened, sparkling slightly with the dark green gemstones that Fir'Ethal had produced from his own hoarde of 'shineys'. They set off the boy's eyes and hair perfectly, the veil also doing the remarkable job of hiding the nasty scar that was forming on Kujaku's cheek. Even if it could be seen, it would hardly be the centre of attention with that veil on.

At the praise, Kujaku grinned from ear to ear and flung himself at Youko, hugging him tightly. "Fir'Ethal made it for me... he said it would let people see how pretty I was without staring at the mark."

Overjoyed with the Ieldi's newfound happiness, Youko hugged him tightly, running his fingers through the teal hair and smiling to Fir'Ethal. 'Thank you', he mouthed silently, glad that someone had finally been able to help. Youko had been at a loss of what to do, but this seemed to do the job perfectly. A closer look revealed the silk cords that curved behind Kujaku's ears and the clips that fastened into the long hair to hold the veil in place. There would be little danger of it coming off unless Kujaku REALLY made a mess of things. Youko was even willing to bet that flying in a stiff breeze wouldn't dislodge it.

Kujaku curled into the hug, nearly purring with contentment. He brought his arms gently around the spider, pulling him into the embrace as well, and laughing when it elicited a muttered protest from the haughty little Loom. Using all eight legs, Fir'Ethal wormed his way loose and moved to perch on the Ieldi's head once more. "Don't go getting too happy... you still owe me for this."

Youko frowned at the comment, but Kujaku only grinned and nodded to the Loom. It would be easy enough to fulfill the 'bargain'. Fir'Ethal had simply wanted Kujaku's hair... the long strands that broke free when it was brushed and were left behind in the brush itself. The boy wasn't entirely certain what the Loom wanted them FOR, but it was an easy enough task, considering all the help he'd been. "I know," he said, still nearly vibrating in excitement. Now he'd be able to go see the others again and they wouldn't laugh at him or send him away for being ugly.

Inwardly, Youko was concerned about the vain streak running through the small Ieldi. But surely he would grow out of it...

...right?

A tiny pink creature flitted down toward the pond, eyes wide as she nervously glanced around. Aimi had been told to find Youkochylde, and Trio had gotten her cooperation by bribing her with a trip to visit Fizzle. Now, the little Kun-kun settled near the water, noticing a pretty green Ieldi and someone she recognized, eventually, as being around whenever she saw Suri... That must be Youkochylde. Chittering, she darted back up toward Kikuei's shelf, catching sight of Trio as she and Kikuei made their slow way down. The bright boy was sullen, following Trio without touching her while the blonde frowned and led him toward the ground. "Find him, Aimi?" she asked, and was rewarded with a nod and another string of more or less incomprehensible chatter. She let Aimi alight in her palm, following the kun's pointed directions toward the pond while Kikuei padded silently behind her.

There was the sound of splashing in the pond, and high pitched laughter as Kujaku darted tot he side, hair splaying wildly in the water. He was avoiding a splash by Youko and giving back his own as the two of them relaxed in the water after a day of flying practice.

Hating to interrupt their fun, Trio nonetheless glanced back at Kikuei, offering the quiet boy a soft smile before calling out, "Um, Youko? Got a minute?" She moved toward the pond, while Kikuei dropped into the grass, reaching out with one hand to play with the feel of it. He wasn't particularly good at staying grumpy - already, the emotion was fading away in favor of curiosity since Trio was moving away. And having never been off of his shelf before, he was learning that things were vastly different here on the ground.

"Hey there, Trio!" Youko called as he caught sight of his friend. Waving, he got to his feet, jumping to the side a bit as he got soaked yet again. He snickered softly, then moved to Trio, looking concerned. "What's wrong hon? You look troubled."

The little teal Ieldi, however, frowned softly. Well damn. This wasn't any fun alone. His eyes moved to a brighter patch of colour then and the veiled youth slid partway beneath the water, sneaking up on Kikuei. If it were possible, one could almost hear Jaws music playing...

Kikuei didn't notice Kujaku - apparently, he couldn't hear the nonexistent mood music - and he curled up, flopping onto his stomach as he continued to toy with the grass, fascinated by the feel. It TICKLED!

A moment later, boy and grass were beset upon by a tidal wave of immense, catastriophic proportions!! At least, that's how Kujaku viewed it as he let out a whoop and sent the wave at the other Ieldi. Youko thought this was a fun game, EVERYONE should play!

The water was enough to at least half-drench Kikuei, who yelped and turned sharply. Eyes wide, he stared at Kujaku, dripping wet. "What...?" he asked slowly, trying to figure out why he'd just been splashed.

Grinning, Kujaku jumped up, the peacock Ieldi's face half hidden by the veil that he still refused to take off. The rest of him, however, was covered by his hair as it clung to his skin. "Your turn!"

Kikuei tensed, then started to relax as he realized that he wasn't required to trust this new boy. "What'd I do?" he asked, the thought of a game - ANY game - perking him up. It'd been far too long since he'd gotten to play with someone else.

"C'mon in and try to get me!" Kujaku let a light splash aim towards the boy again before he dove off, wings folded closely against his back while he swam.

Kikuei smiled, wading into the water with ungainly strides as he moved to join in the fun. Whatever dark mood he'd been in upon arriving was gone, and he celebrated the loss by pausing for a moment before grinning and trying a belly-flop into the water, the resultant wave washing over Kujaku. "There!" he said, rising from the water as his hair clung to his head, streaming paths of water down over his cheeks and shoulders.

Laughing, Kujaku tried to shield against the wave, and only wound up getting tossed back a foot and a half by it. Still, he thought this was GREAT fun and immediately dove back towards Kikuei, chasing after him.

Kujaku swam forward until he was almost to Kikuei, then pulled himself up to perch on a rock, aiming to jump at the other Ieldi. "HAH! I gotc---YYAAAAGH!" One foot slid one way while his weight pitched forward, and the youth was dumped headfirst into the water with a splash that didn't so much go OUT as it did UP.

Kikuei blinked, staring for a moment as the spray barely hit him. He waited for Kujaku to surface, peering down into the turbulent water as his hands tried to clear a path to see, the same way they did with the bead curtains euphoric had gotten for him.

There was no motion at first, and suddenly Kikuei felt something brush against the inside of his knees. A moment later, Kujaku surfaced, splashing him from behind and giggling.

Kikuei fell a bit, floating for a moment in the water as he stared at Kujaku curiously before starting to giggle as well. "This's fun!" he declared needlessly, voice happy.

Kujaku settled in the water up to his shoulders, the veil clinging to his face for a moment until he let out a harsh breath and managed to get most of the water out of it. "It is! I like it down here, but I'm usually the only one here. Who're you?" he asked, almost as an afterthought.

Kikuei followed suit after a moment, leaning forward to peer curiously at the veil. It was pretty, though he had to wonder how the boy kept it from getting in the way. "Kikuei. This is my first time down here. I'm normally up on my shelf, but it's been lonely without euphoric around. I have some toys though, so I can make games for myself, at least," he chattered for a moment, before seeming to realize himself and stopping with a final, "Who're you, then?"

"I'm Kujaku," the boy replied, then pointed over at the pair of kitsune on the shore. "That's Youko, he stays with me up on our shelf at the top of the tree." He looked back to Kikuei then, as if that were all the explanation needed. "You make games? What kind of games?"

Kikuei looked momentarily sad, glancing at Youko before shaking it off. "Well, it depends on what's available. I bet we could make something with the water and the rock, right?" he offered, using one hand to make little waves that moved away from the two toward the shore.

One brow lifted curiously. "Make what from it? Other than waves, I mean..." Kujaku moved to peer over Kikuei's shoulder, his hair fanning out in the water around him as he watched curiously.

Kikuei tilted his head to one side, then moved to scramble up the rock, treading carefully once atop it. "Well, we can make really BIG waves, for one," he declared, launching himself off of the rock with a loud cry.

Yelping, Kujaku dove back, grinning from ear to hear as he saw the other Ieldi aiming striaght for the water. "Yeah... we could!!" He swam to the rock then, climbing up onto it carefully.

Kikuei slogged out of the way, his eyes bright as he grinned cheerfully. He bounced in the water, feeling it slow and cushion him in a way he'd never felt on land, and dipped his head back long enough to slick his hair against his scalp before shaking it wildly. The wet strands clumped and stuck to his face, but he didn't seem to notice.

The peacock Ieldi wasn't wearing a stitch on him, save for the veil as he curled back to gain momentum and sprang into the air, wings spreading wide to take him just that BIT higher before he cannonballed into the water below.

Kikuei cheered wildly, peppering Kujaku with more water as the boy finally surfaced. After a moment, he left off, eyes wide. "That was GREAT!"

Kujaku laughed, nodding softly. "Wanna see something cool?"

"Sure," Kikuei nodded, wading over to him.

"Watch this..." Kujaku swam towards the shore of the pond, climbing onto the wooden ramps that led here and there into the tree. He vanished around one corner, not noticing the facepalm by his guardian as he did so. When Kujaku reappeared again, he was nearly two stories above, calling down to Kikuei. "Ready??" He disppeared back once more then, only to be seen about ten seconds later, making a flying leap off the platform, wings extended fully before he curled into a ball and hit the water with a splash that nearly soaked the two guardians on shore.

Kikuei's eyes were as round as saucers, mirroring Trio's shocked expression on land but with a decidedly manic gleam. "Teach me to do that," he demanded, almost pouncing Kujaku in glee. "I wanna try that!!!" He was almost vibrating, immediately moving away from Kujaku to head toward the shore.

Grinning, Kujaku took the boy's hand, leaing him up along th e platforms. "It's fun... you get water up your nose the first few times til you get used to it. That's how I taught myself how to fly, because I knew I'd just wind up hitting the water and wouldn't get hurt!"

Youko reached out lightly, Resting a hand on Trio's shoulder. "Trust me, it'll give you a heart attack the first few times... but it wasn't until he tried that from our SHELF that he got hurt."

Trio's hands were clenched at her sides, and clearly the only thing holding her in place was a rather remarkable strength of will... which was visibly crumbling away as she continued to think about just what she would do if he did get hurt.

"You can fly?" Kikuei asked curiously, following Kujaku with no apparent reluctance. If anything, the idea of a new game - even one with potential dangers such as this - held complete fascination for him. "Is it fun?" The words were out of his mouth before he ever stopped to consider how he was really feeling - the odd tug that thought of flight sent through his stomach.

Nodding, Kujaku smiled. "I'm still learning, but I can keep myself in the air if I have to." His expression darkened then, one hand almost unknowlingly coming up beneath one side of the veil as he turned away and walked towards the Phoenix Nest tavern, where his 'jumping spot' was. "I just can't carry anything with me when I do, or I fall." He shook off the mood quickly enough, pointing towards the end of the 'patio' of the inn. "There! Just get a good running start and you'll be fine. Do you want to take a look down at the water before you jump the first time?"

"Any reason I should?" Kikuei asked, moving to position himself where Kujaku pointed. "I run, jump, and spread my wings, right?"

"Yup," he replied, nodding. "There's no rocks or anythign to worry about. Just have to remember to take a breath before you hit." Kujaku grinned, standing near the inn. "This is a good spot to get a start from. Just remember to FOLD YOUR WINGS in before you land. I forgot the first time, and couldn't move my wing for an hour...."

Kikuei nodded, getting himself ready before flashing a bright, happy grin at Kujaku. "Jump, spread wings, take a breath, fold wings. Got it," he said, bouncing on the balls of his feet for a moment before launching himself forward with an excited cry.

On land below, Trio winced, taking a step forward.

Kujaku ran to the edge of the platform to watch his newfound friend dive for the first time. He let out an encouraging yell, wings flapping against his back as he jumped up and down, cheering him on.

A pair of arms wound around Trio's waist from behind, Youko holding her close and resting his chin on her shoulder. "He'll be alright... they can't get hurt from the water from that distance, and we're both right here in case something goes wrong. I learned real quick that I couldn't stop Kujaku from doing this... but I COULD watch him to make sure he didn't get hurt."

Kikuei leapt from the platform, spreading his wings and taking a breath before realizing just how far the water really was. His eyes widened, and he gulped, losing track of what he was supposed to do next and flailing about as he fell toward the water fast. At the last moment, he started to fold his wings back in, hitting the water with them halfway in and having totally forgotten about holding his breath. He panicked as the water clogged his nose, making it to the surface and spluttering and coughing.

Trio was on the move as soon as she saw Kikuei hit, twisting free of Youko's hold with worry etched in her features. The kun-kun lingering in her ear took to flight, hiding in the shadows of the leaves as Trio, fully dressed, waded into the water.

Youko moved as well, as Kujaku knelt down on the platform and called down. "You okay?? You look like you forgot to take a breath. S'okay, just snort the water out your nose, s'what I did."

Kikuei coughed and hacked, one hand clapped to his nose as he flexed his wings tentatively and winced a bit. He was too busy taking stock of himself to notice Trio approach, and as she reached out to him, he finally saw her. Almost immediately, he jumped back, not managing to get nearly as far while fighting the water. "I'm fine," he bit out at her, sounding a bit like his nose was stuffy, and his wings folded in completely, protectively.

Unaware of the confrontation going on below, Kujaku waved, shouting to the macaw Ieldi. "That was GREAT!! Breathe out your nose really hard and you'll be okay. Next time, hold your breath!"

Trio left her arms outstretched, not wanting to push Kikuei too far too fast. Her thanks was Kikuei taking Kujaku's advice... directly at her. He dove under the water as soon as his nose was clear, moving away while Trio sighed, dropping her arms and glancing back at Youko in dejection.

Youko frowned, glancing to the Ieldi with his ears lowered slightly. He waded into the water towards her, taking her hand and narrowing his eyes slightly as the boy resurfaced. "You could have NO ONE to worry about you, you know..."

Kujaku had never seen Youko angry before and stayed where he was, on all fours with his hands clinging to the edge of the platform as he watched the kitsune lead Trio back to shore. What the heck was going on down there?

Kikuei bristled at Youko, eyes dark and hair plastered to his head. Sullen anger reflected back at the kitsune, along with a faint uncertainty lingering deep within. He said nothing, though.

Trio trudged to shore, shaking her hair for a moment before gathering the hem of her shirt and wringing it out while she glanced at Youko. "It's okay," she said quietly, summoning a smile that looked almost perfectly genuine. "Next time, he'll probably remember to hold his breath, and pretty soon, he'll be as good as Kujaku at this."

Youko moved to sit on the wooden planks, pulling her towards him and winding an arm around her gently. "He'll learn that you're here for HIS sake..."

Kujaku sighed then, deciding now was as good a time as any to break the tension. With what could be a war cry, he launched off of th e platform with a running start, arms spread wide as if he could just glide across the sky. He tucked up then, landing in the middle of the pond with a splash.

Kikuei and Trio both watched the peacock for a long, silent moment. As the splash sounded, Kikuei cheered, his anger forgotten in the light of Kujaku's impressive display. He jumped and bounced, grinning wildly.

Trio leaned against Youko, nodding quietly. "He's been alone for a while now. He's not gonna accept me just because I happen to show up." She shrugged. "At least he's making a friend."

"He'll accept you soon enough... it'll just take time. I don't even want to think about how many months it took me to get Kujaku's spirit to trust me."

Coming up for air, Kujaku grinned, swimming towards Kikuei and floating near him. "Just takes practice... and it's a safe way to learn to fly."

Kikuei nodded, flexing his wings again. "If I remember to fold them in, it is," he grumbled, before offering Kujaku a grin. "At least I started to. The water pushed them in before I could get too hurt. My nose hurts more."

"You'll remember. It was your first time." Kujaku grinned then, tilting his head to the side. "Wish you'd taken a look at the water from up there first?" He was the first to admit that he'd looked the same after his first time... nose red and full of water, green feathers everywhere, and a bruised pride.

If Kikuei had any pride bruised, it didn't show. He considered, poking his nose carefully before laughing. "Nah. I still would'a lost it. But it was fun! Or it will be, when I learn how."

Nodding, Kujaku grinned, bouncing on his toes in the water. "It is... it's great, and fun and you should SEE the looks on people's faces when they see you do it for the first time. They FREAK."

Kikuei crawled up onto the rock, draping on his stomach on the sunwarmed stone as he watched Kujaku. "Sounds good to me." He closed his eyes, a content look on his face. "Do you have more games on your shelf, like me?"

Tilting his head, Kujaku shrugged. "I have the music player that Youko gave me... and some books... and my stuff that decorates the shelf. I like coming down here though, and playing in the water... or sitting down by the grass and letting my toes wiggle in it."

"Music?" Kikuei perked again, eyes opening to fix on Kujaku.

Nodding, the boy grinned, pushing himself up onto the rock and leaning against his hands. "Yup! It's got lotsa music on it, and when I get bored with what's on th ere, Youko takes it home and brings it back with all new music on it."

The thought made Kikuei frown slightly in confusion. "Can you play on it?" he asked, pushing himself up so that he was propped on his arms, looking up at Kujaku.

"no, you listen to the music on it... I think Youko said something about stuff that you can MAKE music on, but he hasn't brought anything yet. HEY! Maybe that lady knows what can let you make music and bring it!" Kujaku looked towards the shore then, grinning.

Kikuei glanced over, then draped again, staring down at the water. "euphoric brought bead curtains and rocks that made pretty music."

"Is that her name?" Kujaku's tail swished in the water behind him lazily as he lay across the rock.

"No. euphoric's my friend," Kikuei said quietly, reaching out to trace a pattern in the water and watching the slight ripples move outward. "Dunno who she is. She came to the shelf today and said she was here to watch over me. I haven't seen euphoric in a while."

"Well, have you asked her?" Kujaku looked at him, propping his chin up on his hand as he kicked his legs against the surface of the water. "I mean, if she's here to watch over you, then she can be your friend too."

"I don't want another friend," Kikuei said sharply, splashing the surface of the water abruptly. "She's just gonna disappear, too." He sighed, rolling off of the rock into the water. "I can find music makers myself." He paused, then looked up at Kujaku. "Bet we could do it together, too," he offered, smiling again quietly.

Kujaku was still frowning, however, and he just watched the boy silently. "But... does that mean I can't be your friend either?"

Kikuei blinked, utterly confused. "Of course not," he said, looking at Kujaku oddly. "Why would you think that?"

"Because you just said that you didn't want another friend," the peacock Ieldi answered quietly.

"But you're different," Kikuei said calmly, head tilting. "You're not like them." He waved toward the shore.

"So?" The boy was confused, and not sure whether it was because of Kikuei's troubled nature concerning the woman, or if it was because of the way h e seemed to dismiss them. "She was worried about you... and she seems really nice. Youko likes her, and he doesn't like mean people..."

Kikuei frowned, shaking his head. "euphoric was nice, too. But she's not around anymore." He shrugged, splashing a bit. "I don't even know HER. She just came to the shelf today and told me she was gonna watch over me."

Kujaku watched him curiously, tilting his head to the side. "Did you know Euphoric the first day she showed up?"

Kikuei frowned, tilting his head. "No. We got to know each other," he said slowly, eyes narrowed as he peered at Kujaku.

Nodding, Kujaku looked back towards the two on shore, smiling. "That's the way it was for Youko and I. I was scared at first, and didn't trust him. I think maybe I was remembering what happened before... and thought he was just someone that would hurt me again. He was new to me, and I had no reason to trust him. But I do now."

Kikuei leaned back against the rock, watching the two curled up together quietly. "I'm not gonna just like her because she happens to show up, though." He frowned. "Why should I?"

"Not expecting you to like her right off the start..." Kujaku began, moving to sit next to Kikuei. "But is there any reason why you can't at least give her a chance? Has she been mean to you or hurt you? Has she given you any reason to not at least give her that chance?"

Kikuei's frown deepened considerably, and he glanced at Kujaku. "I just didn't want her around..."

"Well, she's around," the boy said, looking to him with a sigh. "Like it or not. And if Euphoric asked her to watch over you, she's not gonna leave just because you don't want her to stay. So you can either be miserable for the near future, or you can maybe at least TRY to get to know her a little bit."

Kikuei looked at Kujaku uncomfortably for a while, then nodded slowly, not offering up his own thoughts on the matter. He wasn't quite ready to decide, either way. "When I find some music makers, you can come to my shelf," he offered instead.

"Okay!" Kujaku grinned, taking the subject change eagerly. "And if Youko finds me any, then I'll let you know and you can come up and see me, okay?"

Kikuei nodded, relaxing a bit as Kujaku didn't push the matter. Eyes still slightly wounded, he shifted, shaking out his hair again. "Games too?" he asked, wanting to pursue happier thoughts.

"Sure! I'll bet we can find stuff to make games out of easily around here... the tree's FULL of stuff." Rolling onto his back on the rock, Kujaku grinned up at the sky, wings, arms and legs spread against the stone as if the boy didn't care WHO saw him like this. "Maybe after you learn to fly we can go flying sometime, too?"

"Sounds good to me!" Kikuei nodded. Kujaku's excitement bolstered his own, and he glanced up, laughing. "But if we go flying, you put something on!"

Blinking, Kujaku stared at him in confusion. "Why?"

"Why not?" Kikuei asked.

"Because I'm comfortable like this," he answered, grinning as his tail fanned out beside him, the feathers drying slowly.

Kikuei peered at the tail, reaching out to brush his fingers lightly over one feather. "You just like shocking people," he declared goodnaturedly.

The feather twitched slightly, but the boy gave no indication of being bothered by the touch. He grinned at Kikuei then, pillowing his head on his arms. "Yup. It's fun, and it keeps people on their toes."

Kikuei laughed, smiling at Kujaku. "Sounds like a good game," he offered, reaching out to ruffle Kujaku's hair. "But how come you wear this?" As his hand moved away from the peacock's hair, he moved to finger the edge of the veil.

Flinching slightly, Kujaku reached up, taking hold of the edge and keeping a grasp on it so that it couldn't be lifted. "B-because I like it," he said, quietly at first, then with a resurgence of his normal good-naturedness. "Fir'Ethal made it for me, he's a spider... but you can't call him a spider or he gets mad, he says he's a Loom Oculai. He makes lots of pretty things."

Kikuei blinked at the flinch, his hand drawing back to curl against his stomach for a moment before he offered quietly, "Sorry..."

Fidgeting with the veil, Kujaku smiled. "It's okay... I just don't want anyone to see my face." The smile faded as he looked down, catching sight of the glistening gems near the bridge of his nose where the silvered material rested. "It's ugly... and I don't like it."

Kikuei looked completely confused by the words. "How come you think it's ugly?" he asked, not offering judgement either way. As far as he could see, Kujaku wasn't ugly - if anything, the peacock was a heck of a lot prettier than the macaw. But if Kujaku said he was ugly... well, he must have a reason. He'd certainly talked sense before.

Curling up a bit, Kujaku let his tail drape over himself almost protectively. "I went with some others... to the place where we were before. Before we were brought here. Something happened there, and the ground opened up... we fell down into a hole and the gods fought with each other. I saw some statues, and they broke... and the pieces flew everywhere." Sighing faintly, he let his fingers slide beneath the veil to touch at the hidden scar that was forming on his face. "One of them hit me... and it ruined my face."

Kikuei leaned a bit closer curiously, eyes somewhat sympathetic. "How come something like that ruined your face? It looks awfully pretty where I am."

"It was... and then it got ruined." Kujaku let the veil settle again, curling his arms around his knees. "Fir'Ethal made me the veil so that I could go out and around again. I didn't want to before, I didn't want anyone seeing me like that. But now it's okay, because no one has to see it."

"It does to me..." Kujaku sighed, looking up towards hte sky again. "Looks like it's almost time for dinner... Youko's not gonna let me stay out here much longer."

"Maybe whatever it is will go away," Kikuei offered softly, then reached out, catching Kujaku's hand and tugging him back into the water. "Let's go jump again, before you have to go up!" That'd get both their minds off of how they felt, he was certain.

He didn't respond to the comment, but did move to get up along with Kikuei, the smile returning. "Wanna try once more off the top?"

"Absolutely," Kikuei nodded, eyes alight. "Bet this time, I'll remember to hold my breath!"

"Bet you will, too..." Kujaku laughed, darting off up to the platform as fast as his legs could carry him. "Race you!!"

Kikuei laughed, darting after Kujaku as fast as he could manage.

Trio, watching from where she sat with Youko, murmured quietly, "I hope they'll get the chance to play a lot. It looks like Kujaku's good for Kikuei..."

"Maybe he'll make your boy come around as well," Youko said, curling around her gently and resting his chin on her shoulder again as they watched them. "He's nervous... and reacting with anger to it instead of admitting that he's probably scared and hurt. Just give him time, hon."

"I'm doing my best," Trio nodded, sighing and leaning back against him. "I didn't exactly expect to be welcomed with opened arms, but I'd kinda hoped, y'know?"

"I know." The kitsune smiled, wriggling his nose a bit when one of Trio's magically produced fox ears flicked against the tip. "You're too good a person for him to stay away from for too long. Maybe Kujaku can give us a bit of an idea what Kikuei likes, and you could bring him things to occupy himself?"

She visibly perked at that idea, twisting to hug Youko. "That'd be fantastic! If Kujaku's willing, I could definitely use the help in making sure that Kikuei's got some new things to enjoy. He seems pretty solidly bored of all the old ones." She pulled back, grinning at Youko happily for several moments before curling up with him again. "See, this is why I come to you. You come up with good ideas." She paused, then chuckled. "That, and you're my best friend."

Snickering softly, Youko glanced up just in time to see both boys take flying swan-dives off of the upper platform. Wincing, his ears flattened against his head and he chuckled gently. "Remember that when one of them winds up misjudging and landing in a bellyflop from that distance."

She tensed again, though not nearly as badly as before. "No kidding," she muttered softly, grateful that Kikuei didn't even bother to extend his wings this time, choosing instead to focus on breathing and calm and deal with the wings later.

"He'll learn," Youko whispered softly, content to just watch the boys for now. Curling near Trio, he let his arms wind around her, the fox certain that things would work themselves out in their own due time.