The hunter stepped into Wu's study, helping the old man set up his tea. He had been having weird dreams lately that he could not describe, as they were merely flashes of colors and inorganic shapes. He wanted to do some soul-searching, and the village elder knew exactly what to do.

"Take a seat," Wu said, gesturing to the cushion in front of him. Kai sat down, trying to look as respectful as possible. Nobody just asked to have the elders look into their mind and body, it was a taxing experience. "You want me to see into your spirit? Very well." The hunter was shocked, but did not say anything, happy that the old master was helping him without a lecture.

He felt his nerves tingle as Wu tapped into his soul, surprised when the process was over in less than a minute. His friend had told him that he had asked for the same thing, and they sat in silence for nearly a half-hour.

"There is not much to be said," the old man told him as he stroked his beard. "Birds are your ally tonight."

"What?" he puzzled aloud, but quickly shut his mouth. He thought, and could only draw the conclusion that he would have a better chance at hunting that evening. "Thank you, sir." He walked out of the monastery and trekked back to his shared home with his sister. She was not home, so it was simple for him to grab his coat, tent, food supplies, bow, and quiver. If he was going to have a successful hunt at this time in the winter, he wanted to be prepared just in case he ended up needing to set up a temporary shelter in the woods.

When he slid on the thick, black jacket over his red outfit he had to adjust the long, wing-like sleeves that helped him camouflage himself against the dark rocks and trees of the winter landscape. His father had picked out the feathers and fur at a market when he was born, taking them from a yokai who was giving them away. When he was old enough to become a hunter for Jamonikai Village, he donned the coat and took to the woods, quickly growing into the warm garment as years went by. Soon, his father and mother passed away, leaving him to keep wearing the coat as a token of remembrance.

He walked through the streets, making his way towards the forest. He saw Lloyd stepping out of the town hall, and waved to him. The young man wished him a good hunt and went on his way. Kai finally made it to the edge of the woods, then walked in.

Hours passed, and soon the moon glowed off of the snow as Kai hauled his catches back to his tent. There were a few mice, a rabbit, and even an elk that had already fallen and hurt itself, he just put it out of its misery. He was aiming his bow and arrow at a certain white rabbit that was hopping around in the powder, not doing anything in particular other than gleefully bounding across the white expanse.

He just needed the darn thing to stop moving. Finally, with that thought, the bunny ceased its hopping, ears poised and tail wiggling with its back turned to him. Kai smirked and drew the string slowly, hoping the noise did not startle the small creature. He waited. He breathed. He readied himself, and-

Scree!

The sound of an airborne falcon startled him, and he prematurely let go of the weapon, cursing as the arrowhead flew off and hit a bush somewhere. The rabbit panicked and fled, running straight forward because it did not know where the projectile had come from. Kai quickly pulled out another arrow from the quiver and shot, missing the critter with a groan.

Whatever, he thought. I still have that other stuff. He trudged back the hundred or so feet until he reached his tent again, which was out in the open and thankfully visible in the soft moonlight.

Suddenly, a large shadow washed over him, far too quick to be a cloud. He looked around and saw nothing of interest, but his heart still pounded. He heard a whooshing noise, and started walking faster. Another whip of wind had him scrambling for his bow.

Thwump! There was a great rush of sound and wind.

In front of him a giant bird descended, throwing up snow that misted over its massive wingspan. Kai heard it scream one more time, obviously a bird of prey. Yokai were not meant to hunt in these woods, they had their own territory, so why was one so close to the village? He had no time to think, because the beast charged at him. A rush of adrenaline proved too much for him, and he fell backwards into the snow with a gasp for breath as everything went black.

There was a soft sound of wind as he felt his hearing return. Under his back was a very soft, almost hammock-like mattress of sorts. Had someone saved him from that monster? Kai blinked, and saw a wooden ceiling. He turned to his left, and saw a window, although his vision was too blurry to make anything else out. He blearily sat up, a fur blanket falling off of his shoulders. He still had his feathered coat on.

"Hello?" he called out, looking around as he blinked away sleep. The room began to take shape. An oak armoire was situated against one wall, and other pieces of furniture made of the same wood decorated the space. He appeared to be in some sort of cabin, entirely made of the identical wood as the furnishings. His bed, however, was a collection of tender sticks and soft materials that were all woven intricately together. "Is anyone there?"

He stepped out into a kitchen of sorts, and crossed to a window, looking to see if his rescuer was somewhere in the yard. His stomach hit the floor when he saw the scenery outside. The trees were reaching up at least two or three miles high, with large treehouses attached to most of them. Winged creatures flitted to and fro in the morning sunlight. He knew this place, it was on every map that he had ever learned. The legendary Kyoboku Forest. He was deep into yokai territory now.

Kai anxiously turned and yelped when someone was standing only a foot away from him, tea cups in his hands. He was shocked to see the large black wings that had terrified him into fainting sprouting from his back. He had kind, bright blue eyes, however, and hair so pale blond it looked white.

"Hello," the half-bird greeted him. "I am glad to see that you are awake. Care to take a seat? We have much to discuss."

"Uh... sure," Kai mumbled, taking one of the cups and sitting opposite the hybrid. "So, why am I here?"

"Oh!" the falcon perked up. "I'm so sorry, I saw you fall asleep and thought it best to bring you back to my home. Is it not to your liking?"

"No, it's great," the hunter said, putting out his hand. "I'm just really glad I'm not dead right now." The yokai chuckled and took a sip before leaning against his propped up arm.

"I don't believe we know each other's names," he said in a more dulcet tone. "I am Zane Julien." The human held out his palm, and the half-animal shook it.

"Kai Smith," he replied, unable to find it in himself to smile. His abdomen was sparkling with worry for his own safety. Zane seemed to take notice, because he stood and leaned over the table, his nose hardly three inches away from his.

"There is nothing to be afraid of," he assured him. "I am nervous as well. After all, you only go through this once in a lifetime." Kai was unbelievably confused, not knowing where to start with his questions. He took another look at the boy in front of him, seeing his eyelids drop a little as he stared fondly at him. Was he... flirting? The hunter scooted back in his chair and sat up, immediately beginning to pace and trying to calm his breathing down.

He found that the room was suddenly warmer, and he turned to the newly concerned yokai. Kai cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Can I take off my jacket?" he asked, trying to meet Zane's gaze. The white-haired boy gave him a patient smile before looking at the floor in what looked like bashfulness.

"I suppose," he shrugged in return. "Whatever that means." Kai shucked the heaviest layer he had on before setting it on the chair back. He jumped back when the young bird-man dropped his tea cup, hearing it clink harshly against the table. It did not shatter, but it was still a loud sound that seemed to startle both of them.

"You... you are not a..." Zane trailed off. "I... you're a human."

"Yeah?" Kai squeaked, hoping that the bewilderment in his eyes did not turn to rage. They were so high off the ground that he could easily throw him off the tree and kill him. He shook the thought off, however, when he saw Zane slump in sadness and shame, pressing fingers to his temples. "Not to be rude, but... How'd you not figure out I was human?"

"It was those feathers," the half-human muttered. "In the light of the moon, I thought that you were a yokai too, just with your wings wrapped around you for protection." Zane stopped, running a hand through his neatly kept hair, immediately disheveling it. He seemed utterly downtrodden, so completely different than how he had just been. Even though it was against Kai's better judgement, he sat back down and pressed a hand to his shoulder.

"Hey, it's okay," he told him softly. "I don't care about that. I thought you were going to kill me, but you're not half bad, Zane." The attempt seemed to work a tad, as the bird smiled again, feebly.

"Still, I must apologize," Zane sighed. "Princess Harumi sent for me yesterday evening, and told me that I would find the person who I would forge a bond with last night, if they would have me. Proper ritual states that the receiver of the call either accepts the terms of the bond, flies away if they are unavailable or have no interest, or show submission to the second yokai. I just assumed... Perhaps I was wrong."

"I don't think so," Kai grinned wide, a little more genuine now that he was opening up to him. "I like you. Whatever this ritual is, I'll do it if you still want me to." Zane lit up and took hold of the hand that he had placed on his arm.

"I knew it the second you woke up!" he happily chirped. "I had my doubts, but I have found a good human that is not fearful or hateful towards yokai!" His wings fluttered just slightly, and Kai laughed nervously. The hateful thing was true, but the fear not so much. The winged boy turned his head to a window, looking at the shadows that it cast on the floor.

"Oh, it is almost midday!" Zane gasped, gripping his hand tighter for a moment before swiveling back towards the human. "Tell me, are you afraid of heights?" Kai thought for a moment, never remembering any time that he had been scared of the steep mountains that he had crossed. Then again, he had never been in the sky before.

"No?" he replied, unsure of himself.

"Good," said the yokai, leading him by the hand towards the front door. He opened it and they both stepped out on the porch. "We must get to the Jade Palace at once. Please remember to hold on to me tightly." Kai could not get a word in before the falcon scooped him up into a bridal style hold, spreading his wings and leaping off the side of the giant treehouse. He yelped and gripped onto his shoulders, petrified that the boy would not be able to fly with his weight. However, a good twenty seconds later he re-opened his eyes and found that Zane was easily carrying him.

"How are you doing this?" he asked above the slight rush of wind. The half-bird smiled warmly and continued to look ahead.

"I work as an archaeologist with my friend Pixal. We study ancient yokai artifacts brought back from all over Ninjago as a part of the Society of Knowledge. It's a good-paying job, interesting, but most of all: requires some heavy lifting. We have to fly these stone carvings and metal sculptures somehow, and it is almost always by wingpower alone. You are not as heavy as you look." Kai bit back a question as to what he meant by that, considering that he seemed blissfully unaware of a lot of things, this morning.

He took a look around, seeing flying beasts of all forms, even a few dragons, going to and from other treehouses and other structures built into the ginormous forest. Most of these creatures were human hybrids like Zane, and it was breathtaking to see so many types of wings. He tried to count all of the colors and species, but realized that there was not enough time in the world to even start.

"Don't panic," Zane muttered to him. "I am about to descend. Try not to squirm." The hunter felt his guts protest as they fell in height, but soon the great wings of the hybrid beat strongly against the wind resistance, and they were on the ground. Kai was still facing backwards, but he was able to turn around completely when he was set on the ground. He gasped at the giant structure, made of jade stone, gold trimmings, and cream marble. It was so large that it had to be supported by four trees. Spires broke into the sky, their glass shimmering in the bright sunshine.

"Who are you?" asked a nearby guard, his partner remaining silent but adjusting the grip on his spear. Zane stepped forward with a small grin.

"I am Zane Julien, and I have come to complete my bonding ritual with my partner, Kai Smith," he informed the duo. They gave him a nod, but glared at the red-clad huntsman.

"That's a human," the first guard growled. The falcon seemed to understand the issue, but still stepped forward to continue the conversation.

"I assure you that he is completely harmless, and unarmed. I made sure to get rid of his bow and quiver back near the human territory," he stated. The guards warily eyed Kai one more time, their pupils boring into him. Although they let them both pass, the human stayed close to his new acquaintance.

The throne room was immaculate, with jade columns bordering a red and white carpet that led up to a golden throne adorned with many of the same green stones. Atop this great chair was a woman, who had the tail feathers and wings of an albino peacock. She smiled at Zane, standing and meeting the pair halfway.

"You were successful!" she grinned, looking at Kai. Her smile was still there, but faded, less authentic. "You are a human, yes?"

"I have no idea what is going on right now," he said, somewhat answering her question. "He just flew me away from the forest I was in, and I had a ton of game that I had to get back to the village!" The girl put up her hand.

"Zane, I must speak with your partner privately," she said, ushering him off to the side of the large hall where thankfully there was no echo. "I am princess Harumi of the Kyoboku Forest. And you are?"

"Kai Smith," he replied. "Look, this is all some big misunderstanding-"

"No, you just don't understand," she said plainly. "I will enlighten you to your situation, if you would like. I will even shorten the more important details, since we don't have much time to waste." Kai nodded rapidly, thanking the heavens that he was finally getting some closure. Everything was moving so fast that he could hardly keep up with all the new information, much less figure out why he was even there to begin with. Harumi pressed a hand to his chest, and much like with Wu the previous day, she hummed and looked into his soul. Her palm glowed, and he felt that tingling sensation again.

"Ah, this is a rare situation indeed," the princess murmured. "But nonetheless, your vital link is correct."

"What does that-"

"You have been chosen by the divine spirits. Your souls align perfectly," she began. "This ritual is a very sacred process that happens only once in a yokai's lifetime, and can never be repealed. The cultural gap is insanely wide, but you will still form a bond with Zane through your soul. You will be able to experience a little bit of everything Zane experiences once it is complete. Now that you and Zane have been matched, the wedding reception will be held tomorrow, and you need to be fitted and choose everything you want for the party."

"Um, wedding?" Kai hissed, angry that all of this was being decided for him. "I am going to become the husband of a... a yokai?" Harumi giggled at his confusion, and her tail feathers ruffled.

"The spirits are never wrong. Everything has been decided, but it's up to you to accept it," she said before walking back to the falcon-boy. "Ladies, we need fittings and preparations." Handmaidens stepped out from little nooks in the walls, dressed in the same regal colors as Harumi. They led the two out of the throne room in opposite directions.

"Hey, wait!" Kai called back, although he could not get away with almost ten assistants holding his sleeves as he walked. "This has to be a mistake! Wait, Harumi!"

The birds led him into a large room filled with mirrors and fabric. They stood him up on a pedestal and took his measurements, despite all his protesting. Finally, they started to put together a lavish suit made of white and gold material. Their hands were practically blurs as they worked, and each time they made him try on the suit they would fix a little error.

He looked in the mirror at himself. He could at least gather that white was the universal color of marriage and purity, but the metallic trim mystified him. Kai took note of the billowing sleeves and high collar that came up like a half-dish around his lower head, reaching as high as his earlobes. The outfit looked otherworldly and it fit him perfectly. It made him feel rather princely as he turned to allow the seamstresses to change things.

"Done," one of them said, and the room cleared, except for her and him. She circled him, taking in each minute detail, much to his discomfort. "You are the most stubborn boy I have ever seen walk in here. Perhaps it is because you are human, but I am still interested in how hard you will fall." Kai's throat tightened, fear washing over his mind at those words. What did she mean? What could she mean?

"You may change back into your clothes. Set the suit on the pedestal and I will return for it once you have gone to help set up the decorations," she instructed. Kai did as he was told, then exited through the only door he could see. He was relieved to see Zane already there, so he would not have to wait around with anyone else he did not care to meet.

"Ready?" the yokai asked, and he gave him a weary thumbs up.

They spent the day looking at various themes and options for the ceremony. For the most part, Zane was the one who chose what they would have. Although Kai did not particularly care, he realized that this was a very special ritual for a yokai, so when asked for his opinion he gave it honestly. What they ended up with scenery-wise was a spectacular display of whites and dusty rose colors along with gold accents. Kai was happy with what they had done so far.

The grand ballroom that they set everything up in was just below the throne room, and Princess Harumi would occasionally check on the proceedings. He would try to sway her decision to have them forge a bond, but was entirely unsuccessful each time.

"Princess, I'm being serious," he hissed. "I'm a human, with a human sister and human friends. I need to get back home."

"Oh, I didn't know you had a sister!" she smiled wide, running her hands over a tablecloth with intricate, ornate patterns sewn into it. "What's her name?"

"It's Nya," Kai replied, growing more agitated. "That doesn't matter, I have to get back to Jamonikai Village!" A split second later, Zane came around the side of a column and sidled up to him.

"I wanted to know your thoughts on buttercream icing," the winged boy beamed. "I was thinking that the cake could match the decor." Kai spotted his hidden enthusiasm in the way he rocked on his heels with his hands behind his back. Zane was passionate about this setup, and he at least wanted to be supportive.

"That sounds wonderful," he sighed with a ghost of a smile. The partial falcon's expression brightened as he turned around and made his way back over to the planning staff. When he was out of earshot, he returned to his previous conversation. "Is there any way you could call this off and find him someone else? He's a nice guy, but I don't think I'll be able to stay here forever. I have a family back home."

"Kai." The peacock stopped in her tracks, spinning her body to face him. "This is your home. You have never seen it, it will take a while to get used to it, but you are where you rightfully belong. Your soul is where it desires to be. Even if I could change it, I wouldn't, because you are going to be so happy with your new life. Just trust him." With that, she walked off again, setting her sights on the exit.

The hunter knitted his brows and looked around the room, taking in the wonderful atmosphere. Zane was helping out in any way he could, flitting around the different teams and assisting with their work. Kai cursed whatever deity put him in this situation, knowing just how terrible he would feel if he suddenly left the yokai alone.

The wings of the yokai he was gazing at spread and fluffed up. Zane had caught him staring. The human flinched and waved, trying to cover up the situation. He was nervous, and became even more tense when the white-haired boy flew over to him, landing softly in front of him.

"Is there something you need?" he asked. The huntsman looked around for a way out of the conversation, but he was cornered.

"I guess I'm just a little antsy," Kai finally told him, and there was some honesty behind the statement.

"So am I," Zane replied. "I have been meaning to ask: What is forging a bond like in the human territories? I wish to make this as comfortable as possible for you." He did not know how to explain that to the bird yokai.

"Well, I mean... we don't call it 'forging a bond', first of all," he started. "We call it 'marriage'."

"Marriage." The blue-eyed boy let the word sit on his tongue for a while before Kai continued.

"That makes you my fiancé," he pushed out. "Y'know, it's someone that you're linked to before you get married... I guess I'm just kinda worried about doing something like this when I'm so young. I mean... I don't even know you." Zane chuckled, barely loud enough for him to hear. He put his hands on Kai's shoulders.

"Well, that's what forging a bond is all about, silly!" he beamed. "We're about to dive into this strange world together, and we will learn about each other every single step along the way."

"But that's not how it works," Kai nearly growled, indignation starting to bubble up again. The falcon let go, fingers just barely drifting above his arms. He looked shocked yet sadly understanding, and it tore his heart in two. "No, wait... I didn't mean it like that. Sorry, it's just that I wanna... I'd rather not... It's difficult to put everything together. I'm human, you're not. You're used to this, and I'm definitely not." There was a pause, and the melancholy in the half-bird seemed to dissipate just slightly for a moment before returning in his features.

"I don't mind," Zane murmured, brows drawn upwards as he bit his lip in irresolution. "I don't mind that at all." He looked so unsure of himself, and it was rather depressing seeing him so undecided after all the cheeriness he had shown towards tomorrow's reception. Kai thought that perhaps this was his chance to tell him how much he did mind, but then took a moment to reflect. This guy seemed caring enough to be around, and had been nothing but friendly towards him since he had woken up. The hunter was sure that they would become good friends with time, but he was not one to just jump into anything romantic, if that was what this entailed. It was all too sudden.

"I... I dunno what I'm doing," the human admitted. "Do you think that I can do this? I mean, Harumi said that this is something that can't be broken. What if you change your mind?"

"That is... not possible," said the hybrid. "Soul bonds are only approved if the match is destined to be. We can never be separated. I do not wish to be impolite, however I need you to go through with this. It will make things so much easier if you just accept that we are fated to be together. We will certainly develop feelings later on. The truth is that I am panicking as well, as all yokai do. You are not alone. So... please, Kai. Will you forge this bond with me?" The reasoning was solid, and it did not seem like he had much of a choice. There were no visible stairs that led down the trees, at least that he had seen, so how would he get home even if he did escape?

"Okay," he whispered, hiding his lower face with the back of his hand. He felt queasy, frightened that he would never see his old village again and so unsure about the whole situation. "Okay." Zane smiled weakly and patted his shoulder before turning back to the preparations.

It was late at night, possibly early in the morning since Kai could not see the wall clock. He could not get a wink of sleep, although his new housemate was dozing peacefully in the other room. Too many thoughts were swimming through the hunter's mind. He slipped out of his bed and crept through the treehouse, then out to the porch. The lights of the many sky-high cottages looked like comforting candlelight in the distance. It reminded him of how Jamonikai looked like from a distance, up on top of the hill that he and Nya had played on when they were kids.

He thought of his sister, and how worried she must have been. She was tough yet tender, and although she appeared cross with him when he stepped out of line he knew that she was deeply concerned for him. Now, he had just disappeared without a trace. He had left the tent, his game, and unfortunately his bow and arrows. What would she think if she ever saw his footprints just... end? He had been lifted off of the ground and flown to the Kyoboku Forest, so she would have nothing to go on. She would never find him.

Kai felt like he would be sick at any moment. Raw sorrow coursed through him, a devastating feeling that he had only felt one other time: when his parents had died, he was unable to cheer himself up for weeks. Now, when he realized just how lost he was, did he experience those sensations once more. Normally he would have refused to cry, but he was unable to stop the tears from flowing. How else was he supposed to react when he was being separated from everything he had known and loved? He now lived up in the clouds for heaven's sake! What was he going to do all day? He did not have wings, he had no way to fly around, so he was practically grounded for life. He sobbed, burying his face in his hands. He never got the chance to say goodbye to anybody in the village.

There was nothing that could calm him down. His breathing hiccuped as he attempted to stop crying, but to no avail. Was this a mistake? He could have begged and pleaded to return home without sparing Zane's feelings on the matter. It would have hurt to see him so broken, as even the slightest hint of doubt made the falcon yokai doubt himself, but for the moment he could not care less. Half of him deeply regretted these thoughts, but the other half was so homesick that he could barely function.

Then, a spark of hope went off inside him. Perhaps he could convince the boy to take him back to visit his home, even if it was just once. Although Harumi had said that this was his home now, and the yokai outnumbered him thousands to one, he would risk anything to apologize to Nya and say farewell one last time.