Karneval: Voyage to Rimhakka

Synopsys & Author's Note: A short little one-shot side story in the VTR universe, set after the end of the original story, but can take place ANYWHERE in the series after the fact, whether or not it takes place during, before, or after Annie's sequel depends on what she wants to do with Nyanperowna during her story. It also holds a small shipping probably nobody ever expected. You can find the original story here: s/10349307/1/Voyage-to-Rimhakka

or here: archiveofourown works /1616108 /chapters /3443285 (minus the spaces)

Side Story: Nai and Nyan-Chan

Yogi slipped up behind Gareki, and gently wrapped his arms around the young raven haired captain's neck. "Plotting our next course?" he asked, looking over Gareki's shoulder at the map sitting on the table.

Gareki nodded, gently squeezing Yogi's arms. "That's right."

Yogi nuzzled the back of Gareki's head. "That looks like a course to Kafka," he noted as he moved to start massaging Gareki's shoulders, "I thought we were headed home to Rimhakka?"

"Karoku and Eleska have had time to settle in as King and Queen now that their honeymoon's over," Gareki commented, nuzzling against Yogi's right hand and lightly kissing it, "I wanted to stop along the way to visit them before we head back. We're not carrying any perishables."

Yogi sighed and smiled one of his beautiful, sweet, angelic smiles. Gareki's blue eyes were simply pleading with him. Yogi gently ruffled a hand through Gareki's hair, it was hard for the Rimhakkan Prince to deny his lover anything when those eyes looked like that. "Alright," he conceded, "We'll go visit them for a while. We're ahead of schedule, anyway." He slid up on the edge of the table, pushing the map aside, pulling out a piece of jerked meat, most likely bovine of some sort and biting into it. "I'll personally answer to my father, if this little detour should delay our arrival." He held out the piece of jerky to offer Gareki some.

Gareki, loving any and all kinds of meat, happily accepted the offered treat, and bit into it. "Thank you, Yogi," he said with a smile.

*~Some Days Later~*

Karoku and Eleska happily granted Gareki, Yogi, and crew an audience within the Kafkan throne room. The room seemed much brighter than Yogi remembered it being the last time he and Gareki had been inside it. Apparently, Eleska had been renovating it. The young queen eagerly invited them to stay overnight, to join them for dinner, and take some time to rest before heading back to Rimhakka. They were family, after all.

Yogi and Gareki graciously accepted the invitation. Eleska ordered sleeping quarters to be arranged for the entire crew by dinner, informing the maids that the two princes were to share a room together, with the two royal guards in a room directly adjacent to them, and the other crewmembers within the same hall, at the very least.

Nai finished his plate before the others and excused himself and Nyanperowna from the table. Karoku and Yogi both nodded their consent. Nai beamed a grateful smile to them. "Come on, Nyan-Chan, let's go play tag out in the courtyard!" he exclaimed excitedly, changing back into his full Niji form and jumping down from his seat. Nyanperowna gave an equally excited 'mew' in response.

Karoku smiled, watching his little Half-Niji duck out of the room, with the yellow kitten tagging along beside him. "It seems Nai's found himself a new playmate," the young blue-haired king noted.

Yogi smiled and nodded. "Gareki agreed to let me bring Nyanperowna onboard the Kuronomei, thinking she'd be good rodent control," he explained, "But, she's been spending more time with Nai than with me as of late."

Karoku chuckled. "The three of us may want to talk in private after dinner," he suggested, with a knowing smile.

"Eh…?" Yogi blinked confused, as he noticed Gareki had the same knowing smile. Clearly, the two brothers knew something he didn't. Of course, with them both being so in tuned to the little Halfling, it shouldn't have come as any surprise. He blinked and nodded. "Alright."

"So," Gareki changed the subject as he stabbed his fork into the baked potato on his plate. "How are you progressing in your recovery?"

Karoku smiled and gave a soft chuckle. "Dr. Azana has received copies of all of my records from Dr. Ryoushi, and he's been assisting me in the old doctor's place. He says at my current rate of progress, I can be out of the wheel chair within the next two or three months. Which is much sooner than Dr. Ryoushi's prediction for the beginning of next year."

"That's wonderful news, Karoku," Yotaka and Gareki both exclaimed.

"But, I'll bet you're going to miss that chair," Gareki teased, "Now that you're a king, you can just order people to push you around wherever you want to go. You'll actually have to get up and walk around for yourself, like normal people."

Eleska put a hand over her mouth, trying to stifle a giggle. Had anyone but Gareki spoken to her husband in such a manner, she would have had them thrown out of the castle on their ear, but this, she could easily tell was nothing more than a younger brother making fun of the older. In fact, it was Tsubaki who spoke up to chastise him for talking to Karoku in such a way.

Karoku merely laughed it off. "No need to scold him, Sis," the blue haired twenty-year-old chuckled, "In a way, he's right. I've been either bedridden, or in a wheel chair for almost three years, now. Dr. Ryoushi's an amazing doctor, but his ability to heal me has been slow due to the resources he had available in Karasuna, and at the time, he was the only doctor we could afford. I'm grateful to him for all he's done, and have made certain he's been paid in full, and with interest. I will miss this chair to some degree, but I'll also be glad to have my independence back. Now that I'm a king, it is something I will need."

Gareki smiled and nodded, contented with his brother's reply. "Fair enough."

After dinner, Gareki, Yogi, and Karoku joined Nai and Nyanperowna out in the courtyard, Gareki being the one to push Karoku's chair for him. "So, what was it you wanted to speak with us about?" Yogi asked.

Karoku nodded his head toward the two small animals chasing one another around in their game of tag. "About those two," he stated softly. "Nai, come here!" he called, gently.

The tiny Niji slid to a stop in his tracks and turned to look at the blue haired king. The yellow kitten attempted to stop in her own tracks, before running into him, only to find herself stumbling forward and somehow somersaulting over him, landing on the other side of him, in a nearby flowerbed. She sat up, to find a sunflower stuck to one of her horns and started shaking her head, trying to get rid of it. When the flower refused to dislodge, she gave a frustrated mew and started swatting at the petals that had draped themselves in front of her eye. This action ceased, when the tiny Niji approached her and licked her cheek. Nai made a soft, quiet noise and nuzzled her. Nyanperowna returned the nuzzle with an equally soft purr. The little Niji then turned and ran to Karoku, jumping into Karoku's lap.

Karoku chuckled and tickled under the Niji's chin with one hand, gently stroking the top of his head with the other. "You and Nyanperowna are rather fond of each other, aren't you, Nai?" Karoku asked. The tiny Niji let out a few soft noises and nodded.

"I thought so," Gareki stated lightly poking the top of the Niji's head. "Do you think she feels the same way?"

Yogi blinked. "Ok, I'm feeling completely left out of this conversation," he stated. Nyanperowna padded her way over to her owner, looked up at him with a mew and swatted at his pants leg to get his attention. Yogi smiled down at the kitten and scooped her into his arms. "Come here, sweetie," he said, scratching behind her ears.

"My little Nai is in love with your Nyanperowna," Karoku answered.

"Eh…!?" Yogi blinked in surprise.

"I'd been noticing his energies were a little different lately," Gareki chuckled.

Nai changed into his human form, his face a bright red. "No fair making fun of me about it!" the Halfling complained.

"No one's teasing you about it," Karoku assured him, ruffling a hand through the young albino's white hair. "As a matter of fact, if everyone else is in agreement, I might can do something to help you two out," he said with a smile, reaching over tickling under Nyanperowna's chin.

"Are you thinking what I think you're thinking?" Gareki asked. Yogi was clearly still confused, as he listened to the others talk.

Nai's eyes widened, as he realized what the two brothers were talking about. "Ah!? You mean…?"

Karoku chuckled and nodded. "That's right, Nai. Of course, Yogi and Nyanperowna have to agree to it, but I have access to the resources here to do it."

"Before I agree to anything, would you three please tell me what it is I'm agreeing to?" Yogi finally asked.

Gareki chuckled and ruffled a hand through the blonde prince's hair. "A little slow to catch on, eh, beautiful? Just another part of your charm." He smiled and gave Yogi a gentle peck on the cheek. "Karoku's talking about using the same methods he used for Nai, to give Nyanperowna the ability to take on a humanoid form. You have to agree to it, not just because she's your pet, but because it'll take your DNA so that it'll be like she's your daughter, same as it did Nai and Karoku."

"You BOTH have to agree to it, Gareki," Karoku corrected, "As does Nyanperowna, I won't do it if she's not willing as well."

"What, why me?" Gareki asked.

"Because, I'll be using DNA from both of you," Karoku explained. "I've heard that it's possible for Yogi's Cradle Cells to adjust so that he can have kids with whomever he partners with, but…"

Yogi blinked, "Wait, they can what!?" he exclaimed.

"You didn't know?" Gareki asked.

Yogi shook his head. "This is the first I've ever heard anything about it!" the blonde insisted, a bright red blush sweeping across his face. He suddenly realized why Gareki was always so particular about certain things in the bedroom. "No wonder my father didn't seem to care that I had chosen you as my life partner. Who told you?"

"Tsukumo," Gareki answered flatly, "Though, I don't know who told Karoku?"

"I didn't realize you didn't know, or I wouldn't have said anything," Karoku apologized.

"Well," Yogi frowned at Gareki, "I'm glad SOMEONE did, at least."

"How as I supposed to know you didn't already know?" Gareki asked.

Karoku sighed. "The two of you can discuss that issue between yourselves, later. I'm sorry, Yogi, I realize it must come as a shock. But, back to the matter at hand. Gareki, you must agree to it, so that I can use your DNA as well. I used these methods on Nai long before Eleska and I had met, so my DNA was all that I had. Which is why Gareki, being related by blood is the only other person Nai can telepathically communicate with. If I use the DNA from both of you, it'll be as if Nyan-Chan is daughter to you both, it'll prepare you love birds for if and when Yogi actually does have a child." He smiled watching his younger brother and the blonde prince both turn dark red in the face, doing his best not to laugh at them. "She'll have the ability to communicate with both of you, not just one of you, having both of them onboard the Kuronomei and the Kuroi Hitsuji would also allow you to keep in touch with the Royal Families, both here in Kafka, and back in Rimhakka."

Nai turned and looked at Nyanperowna, he began to communicate with her in Niji, and she replied with a series of meows and mews. Nai blinked and smiled. "Nyan-Chan's willing to do it, if they are," he assured them, excitedly.

"What do you need from us to do this?" Yogi asked.

"First off, it will take a few months before the process is complete, she will have to stay here. All I will require of the two of you is a sample of your DNA. It can either be blood or semen, but it must be liquid."

Again the two lovers turned flushed red. "Uh, well…" Yogi stammered.

"Um, uh…" Gareki muttered, rubbing the back of his head, "How about you give us the night to think it over?"

"Fair enough," Karoku nodded with a soft chuckle. "Just… If you two do agree, and decide on the later rather than the former, do me a favor and don't bother telling me how you went about collecting it."

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