Understanding and Protecting
Yoko woke up when the sun was up and looked beside him (the paralyzing root had worn off.) He had heard every thing last night he had tried to open his eyes but he couldn't move so he had just lay on the bed and heard everything that Caralama and Hiei were talking about. He looked over at Caralama in Hiei's arms and saw that her smile was gone and she was sweating. Her eyes were tightly shut, her breathing was quick and ragged and there were tears in her eyes. Her skin was ghost white and she was clutching to Hiei's waist again. He looked at Hiei and saw that he was asleep holding Caralama close to him but saw that he didn't know what was going on. Yoko got out of the bed and went over to the other side of the bed. He gently tapped Hiei on the shoulder and he woke up. Yoko saw the startle meant in his eyes and he also saw confusion as well. He pointed to Caralama and Hiei looked at her. With worry in his eyes he began to gently tap Caralama's face and whisper, "Caralama, Caralama wake up please wake up. Caralama come on you have to wake up your having a nightmare," but she didn't wake up and Hiei pressed two fingers against her neck and found that her pulse was extremely fast and Caralama was starting to whimper softly. He sat up and held her close to him and began to say the same thing over again.
Yoko had gone to the bathroom and came back with a cold wet cloth. He gave it to Hiei and he began to wipe Caralama's face with it and kept on saying things to her. Yoko sat on the edge of the bed starting to get a bit worried. Then he reached out for Caralama and Hiei reluctantly gave her to him.
"Caralama come on you have to wake up. You're just having a nightmare. You have to wake up come on. If you can defeat Hiei and I with one blow you can get out of this nightmare as well," he said in a low commanding voice and tried to get into her mind but the block was still up. Yoko started to tap her a little harder then Hiei did on her cheek but she still didn't wake up. "Caralama you're stronger than this, you can defeat this nightmare come on wake up please," Caralama began to open her eyes but there was something about them that made the demons worry.
"She still asleep!" Hiei said now even more worried then before. They had done everything to try and wake her up but now her eyes were open but she could still see the nightmare. She also opened her mouth as if trying to breath, "She's suffocating Yoko!"
Yoko saw the pendant around Caralama's neck. It was along shot but he had to do something. He took her hand and enclosed it around the pendant. There was a sudden burst of light and then Caralama's eyes were closed again but they could tell that she wasn't having the nightmare and she was also breathing again.
Yoko passed her back to Hiei and he took her into his arms and held her to his chest. They both began to hear crying and they looked down and saw that Caralama was fully awake as she clung to Hiei.
Yoko took the wet cloth and began to wipe her tears away as Hiei muttered to her, "Its okay now Caralama it was just a dream it wont hurt you. Shh don't worry its gone you're awake now it can't hurt you anymore."
"Your...your wrong Hiei," Caralama said through tears. The demons looked at each other and then looked back at Caralama, "He always returns and he never stops. Sometimes he visits; sometimes he does it to my mother and most of the time he does it to me. Every night for the past nine years my father does this and he doesn't stop not even if I beg him. You can protect me when awake Hiei but he is always waiting for me in my dreams. There are times when he doesn't come but he makes it even worse when he comes back."
Hiei looked at Yoko with worry in his eyes. Yoko looked at him the same way and he said absent mindedly, "Caralama what does he do to you and your mother?" Hiei gave him a glare that would have frightened the bravest man in the world.
"He..." Caralama began to say but Hiei put a finger on her mouth.
"You don't have to tell us Caralama. You don't have to tell us anything if you don't want to." Hiei said looking at Caralama with concern in his eyes.
"He beats and rapes," Caralama let out before she buried her head against Hiei's bare chest. Hiei looked at Caralama as if she had just punched him in the face. He looked at Yoko and he looked the same. He held Caralama closer to him and Yoko stroked her hair.
"I can't believe this Hiei. Her father raped her mother and now it haunts her dreams. Something must happened nine years ago for this to happen," Yoko said as Caralama kept crying silent tears against Hiei's bare chest.
"How could a father do something like this to his own daughter?" Yoko looked at Hiei and saw that his eyes were shadowed as he began to speak again, "How could someone even think of rapping there own child?"
"Hiei we don't know if he really did rape Caralama," Yoko said to him a calm voice but also a bit worried. He reached out for Caralama and Hiei hesitantly gave her to him. Caralama stopped crying now but she clung to Yoko. Hiei got up from the bed and went over to the door silently. Caralama looked at the door and just before Hiei got to the door she unlocked it. He went out the door closed it behind him and kept on walking.
"What is he going to do Yoko?" Caralama asked in a calm voice.
"I'm not sure Caralama. You gave us both quite a scare when you had that nightmare. We tried to wake you up but we couldn't. Then you opened your eyes but you were still asleep and you weren't breathing. Though he might only be going to get soem new clothes on," he looked down at Caralama and stroked her hair.
"I heard your voices but he wouldn't let me leave. I tried to call out to you but he had held my throat so I couldn't say anything. I almost couldn't breath and I began to suffocate. That's when my eyes must have opened. Then I felt my hand close around my pendant and then he backed away. But he is angry now. He wont let me get away with it because I had actually gotten away from him and this is the first time without my family." Caralama had said all of this with out crying but she still clung to him and was trembling.
Yoko felt something he had never felt before as she clung to him and he held her close. It felt like something was burning in his chest. He felt angry for some reason at Caralama's father and he didn't know why. He ignored the feeling for now and began to stroke Caralama's hair and occasionally rubbed behind her ears and held her close to him. Caralama felt so safe in his arms but not as safe as she had felt with when she was in Hiei's. She slowly began to detach herself from Yoko. He let her go and looked at her for a while. Her face was pink and a bit puffy and her crying and her hair was a bit messed up but it was her eyes that worried him the most. Her eyes looked like as if she felt like she would never be safe again.
"I'm sorry that I had paralyzed you last night. That's the reason why you couldn't open you eyes. I knew that you were awake and aware of what was happening,"
He looked at her and saw that she was worried what he would say, "You didn't trust me Caralama I understand that. I probably would have done the same thing if I was in your place," Yoko put a small smile on his face and stroked Caralama's face with is hand.
Caralama tensed up instantly when he stroked her face but she slowly relaxed, "That doesn't change the fact Yoko." Caralama was beginning to tremble but her eyes were out of tears and she was just to weak to cry.
"What fact Caralama? You were trying to protect yourself and heal us at the same time. Hiei and I should be the ones apologizing. We stole and kidnapped you from your uncle's and didn't make very much of a good impression," Yoko saw that Caralama was about to start crying again and it looked like she was going to break into a thousand pieces if she did.
"Yoko I have to go," Caralama saw the confusion in his eyes, "I sent the witch doctor to my family and if he doesn't know where we are my family is still going to find this place. They can track me and I really don't wont to see anyone get hurt."
Yoko instantly pulled Caralama to him and cradled her in his arms as she began to cry. He lowered his head to her and laid his cheek on the top of hers. The witch doctor doesn't know where we are so she doesn't have to worry about that. But her family can track her? "Caralama are you saying that your family could be on it's way here right now?"
"No Yoko they still don't know where I am because I have kept my mind shut out to everyone. But them being my family they will find me. I will know when they are at least twenty miles away. They're nowhere near here so they couldn't have found me yet. But I still have to get out of here before they do!"
"They wont find you Caralama!" Caralama and Yoko turned around and saw Hiei at the door fully clothed with another white bandana over his third eye, "They wont find you Caralama unless you want to be found," he walked up to the bed and sat on the side of it looking straight at them, "Do you want to be found Caralama?" he looked into Caralama's eyes and saw that she was startled by his question.
"I don't know anymore Hiei. At first yes I would have done anything to leave. But now I...I just don't know what to think anymore." Caralama clung to what was left of Yoko's top and looked at all the things that she didn't clean up the other night. The fire was no longer going in the middle of the room but the healing candles were still lit and the pot was still there. She waved her hand and everything was gone.
The demons looked all over the room and then back at Caralama. Her body was partly lying on the bed but it was partly leaning against Yoko with her head against his chest and her hands were clutching to the scorched robe. He began to gently move some of her hair on her face and then held her close.
After a quick while he gave her to Hiei and he gladly took her, "You should change my friend. I will take care of Caralama," Yoko looked at him and gave a slight nod and he to be out the door, "Caralama you can stay here if you want. But if you want to leave you can."
Caralama looked up at him in confusion, "Don't you want me here Hiei?"
Hiei couldn't believe what she was saying. Of course he wanted her here. He wanted her to be with him all the time and he wanted to protect her in any way he could. Then he noticed it. Caralama was acting different now. Not the way she was acting when she was angry with them for stealing her and the charms at her uncles. She was acting like a lost child that had never been loved before or never new how to be loved.
Caralama looked down now as if she was being punished for something and she began to let go of his waist. But Hiei held on tight to her and put his head on top of hers, "Of course I want you to stay here Caralama. I just don't want you to feel like I'm forcing you to stay," Hiei brought Caralama's face up and saw tears in her eyes but he still felt her letting go of his waist, "Caralama please stay," Caralama instantly stopped trying to get away from him and looked at Hiei right in the eyes.
"Do you really want me here Hiei? After all that I have done?" Caralama looked him with hopeful eyes.
"Hey we all got off to a rocky start right? So why don't the three of us start over again? You, me, and Yoko can all try to start over." Hiei saw Caralama's eyes light up instantly and her arms were around him tightly again.
"Yes I would love that very much," she whispered. Yoko had stepped into the bedroom and had seen the smile on Caralama's face as she laid her head on Hiei's chest and he looked at Hiei and saw that he had a smile on his face as well as he laid his head on top of Caralama's head.
"Did I miss anything?" Caralama unwrapped her arms from Hiei's waist looked at Yoko with a huge smile on her face. Instantly he noticed as well that Caralama had looked like a child but now she looked like her old self again except not angry.
"No Yoko its just that I might be staying here a bit longer," Caralama looked at Hiei and saw that he had a huge smile on his face. She looked back at Yoko saw that he had a smile on his face as well.
"I guess it's your turn to change Caralama," said Hiei still with a smile on his face.
"There's something I have to tell you about that part. Signs can get changed in a very different way," She got off the bed and walked a little bit away from the bed. She turned around and stuck her arms out and then there was flash of light. Yoko and Hiei had to cover their eyes and when the light was gone they looked at Caralama and saw that she had changed into different clothes. She was wearing a yellow sleeveless T-shirt and tight stretch able blue jeans. Her hair was also up in a neat ponytail.
Yoko and Hiei were so stunned that Caralama's laughter was the only thing that had brought them back to the present, "Hehe that is how hehe haha Signs mostly get dressed hehehe" she said trying to stop herself form laughing. The demons were soon trying to suppress their giggles as well but it was to no avail. They all ended up laughing so hard that tears were appearing from their eyes and they had to hold their stomachs to stop them from hurting.
After everyone was done laughing they had something to eat. Caralama wasn't afraid of them any more but she was still a bit shy around them. She noticed that Hiei and Yoko were almost like brothers. She still hadn't let down her mind block because the Signs could find her instantly but that didn't seem to bother them at all.
"Caralama," Caralama looked up at Hiei and Yoko and saw that it was Hiei who had spoken.
"Yes?" she answered with a smile on her face.
"You said something about the Signs. What are they?" he asked
Caralama thought it over a bit and said, "Hiei I'm not sure if I'm allowed to tell you. There are certain things I can get away with but some things maybe like talking about the Signs might get me into big trouble."
"It's all right we just want to know what you were talking about." Yplp said with a smile on his face.
"I'll just tell you this much, there are two kinds of Signs. The "Light Signs" or just "Signs" that have great power and protect the good and fight evil. The "Dark Signs" are always out to destroy anything that is good. Those who were evil once and turned to good the Dark Signs either try to make them bad again or mark them as a traitor. Once you are marked as a traitor you want to stay far away from them. There are some Dark Signs though who will stop at nothing to try to turn you back to bad or hunt you down and..........well you really don't want to know what they will do to you not many creatures have lived to survive that and if they did they wouldn't say what happened. The Signs usually protect or take in those kinds though." Caralama stopped a bit and looked down at what she was eating (they were still having breakfast,) "Coming to think of it I'm probably causing you even more danger than you think by just being here," Caralama got up and went to the door but Hiei was there before she could get through it.
"Caralama what are you saying?" he said and then he saw that her eyes were shadowed and a single tear fell down her face.
"I'm saying Hiei that you being evil the Dark Signs think of you as allies. But doing this doing what your doing to me now I'm with out you knowing it getting you into trouble with them," Yoko was instantly at her side and Hiei had lifted her head. They both saw that Caralama had some sort of blank stare on her face that let no emotion show or be let in.
"Listen Caralama if anything we don't care. Unless they have it written some where that we are supposed to be with them until we die you aren't doing anything bad to us." Yoko was the one who had said this and Hiei nodded. But Caralama still had that darn blank stare on her face.
Then Hiei cupped her face in one hand and gently moved his thumb back and forth on Caralama's cheek until there was a small glint in her eyes, "Please Caralama you doubt my and Yoko's abilities. You caught us off guard when you were angry but that won't happen with these Dark Signs," almost immediately Caralama started to silently cry.
"Oh Hiei if only that were true. Why do you think I wear this pendant around my neck? The Dark Signs are more powerful then me. The only ones who can defeat them are the adult Signs and when they do, do battle both sides almost die. You are nowhere near strong enough to weaken even one of them, even if you and Yoko worked together. They would just think of something to do to you. Painful torture, slow death, anything that would satisfy their need for pain. And when they have decided what to they want to do with you they'll just wave their hand and it will instantly be done. And there will be nothing you can do about it," Caralama's tears were falling down like a silent river and she didn't except any of the comfort that the demons provided.
Yoko walked up behind her as Hiei went to get something and he wrapped his arms around her. At first Caralama still didn't except the comfort but she slowly started to stop crying. Yoko laid his head on top of hers and kept on saying things to her. Caralama felt so safe in his arms that her hands moved by themselves to his arms around her and she leaned back against him.
Caralama began to think to herself If I didn't know my who my father was a would think that Yoko was my father. If only that were so. Caralama was beginning to become aware of what she was doing and she started to move away from him and laid her arms back down to her sides. She knew that her real father wouldn't want her to think such a thing let alone be comforted by another man.
Hiei had come back and saw that Caralama was still not excepting any comfort, "She was Hiei but she must have thought about something and refused the comfort again." Hiei looked at Caralama. She looked like she was in a different world but maybe this would help them.
"Caralama," She didn't make a single move to show she had heard him but he went on, "I don't know what to do about the Dark Signs but can the Signs track you if this whole hide out and maybe a bit of the forest is cloaked by a charm so you wouldn't have to keep on blocking us out of your mind?" Hiei and Yoko looked at Caralama for a while and then she looked at Hiei.
"Maybe not, but it would have to be a power kind of spell or charm to do that. The Signs like I said before are very powerful. I might be able to sense them twenty miles away but they can since me anywhere in the world. That is if I don't put up my most strongest mind block. They can even sense specific kinds of powers and follow them as well," Caralama stopped finally and looked back down again with that same emotionless stare.
"Well I think I have something that can help," Hiei saw Caralama jerk her head back up so fast that Yoko was hit in the mouth. They both said ow as they rubbed what was hurt. Yoko smiled a bit as he covered his move and Caralama gave a quick smile while she rubbed her head but it was gone in an instant as she looked at Hiei. He also had a small smirk and he spoke with it on and showed them the charm, "This Caralama can mimic anything over any kind of place if you give it your strongest mind block it will mimic it all around the hide out and some of the forest," Hiei watched as Caralama took the charm into her hands. The charm was so small it could fit into the palm of her hand and it was a bit jagged.
"This is a very powerful charm Hiei but it wont be strong enough to hold my strongest mind block," Caralama saw the disappointment in his eyes but she gave slight smile, "That is not after I say a certain spell so it can hold it," Caralama instantly saw a glint in Hiei's eyes. She blew on the stone and murmured a few words. Shhe disappeared and when she reappeared she had a smile on her face. Hiei went into her mind and saw that it was open. "Never ever say that I don't know how to cast a spell or use a charm. I even cast spell around the barrier that is so simple and so weak that the Signs or Dark Signs won't be able to find this place or me. It will be like a brush of wind. No magical or normal eye can see this place and will go right through it. We are completely safe for now," there was smile on the demons faces now.
"But what about the demons who know that this place is here?" Hiei asked in concerned voice, "Or what if the Dark or Light Signs say the right spell and the we are seen?"
"That's the beauty of it Hiei. The only way for the spell to stop working is if I want it to. You were right! I can be found only if I want to be found. And the spell only lets the people that were in the barrier at the time it was spoken see it and bump into it." Caralama looked so happy that they all had to smile with her. They had only seen her this happy when they were so stunned at how she changed her clothes and made her hair neat.
Caralama, Hiei and Yoko were outside climbing trees and having a good time after they had eaten. Caralama called the two demons to go to her because she wanted to show them something. When they gotten to her, beautiful plants surrounded her.
Caralama put one finger to her cheek and winked at them. She went over to a plant that was barely alive. She looked at it as Yoko and Hiei came over. She kneeled to it and then she touched it. All at once the plant turned into a beautiful tree with ripe oranges on its branches. The tree seemed to shake its branches and three ripe oranges fell into their hands.
"I have many nick names and I hope you can guess one of them," she said as she peeled the orange.
"Mother nature's daughter" Hiei said as he finished peeling the orange. He saw the smile on Caralama's face to show that he had guessed right.
Yoko saw as Caralama picked out the seeds of her orange and walked over a bit to a clearing. She waved her hand and small holes opened up in the ground. She blew the seeds in her hand and each one found a little hole to snuggle into. She waved her hand again and the earth closed over the seeds.
The some leaves in the wind began to dance around Caralama and her hair was suddenly undone. She began to twirl about doing strange movements as if she was dancing along with the wind or she was the wind.
Caralama stopped suddenly and looked at Yoko, "Wind dancer," was all he said and Caralama smiled showing that he was right. Hiei went over to her and smiled as he took her hand. Yoko laid his back against the trunk of a tree as he watched two dancers dancing in the wind. Their music was nature and the beat was their own as they twirled and danced. He swore that they were flying in the air instead of dancing on the ground.
The time flew so fast that they hadn't realized that the sun had set and the crickets were chirping. Caralama was suddenly clinging to Hiei as if she was afraid of something or she was hit. Yoko ran over to them when he saw that something was wrong when she stopped dancing and Hiei was holding her close.
"What's wrong Hiei?" he asked when he had gotten to them.
"He's calling to me he wants me to sleep. It nighttime and he is becoming impatient," was all Caralama said. She suddenly began to shiver uncontrollably as she snuggled into Hiei's arms as if trying to get warm.
"We should hurry back to the hideout Hiei. We might be able to help her out more there. We have to get her warmed up," Yoko watched as Hiei picked her up in a bridal way and started to run for the hide out with Yoko right behind them.
When they got to the bedroom they covered Caralama with the covers on the bed while she still clung to Hiei. He was sitting in the bed beside Caralama and held her close. Caralama was holding on tight to Hiei's waist as if someone was trying to pull her away. (In other words Hiei was sitting in the bed under the covers with Caralama sitting beside him under the covers as well holding him tight.) Yoko was sitting on the bedside and kept pushing back the hairs that got into her face. Hiei could feel Caralama's hold slacken. She was becoming to tired to fight back the urge to go to sleep. He held her close and kept saying things that didn't make any since.
Caralama had stopped shivering but she could feel her father trying to get her to sleep and to bring her to him. Before she went to sleep she begged, "Please go into my mind and keep him away from me," then she was asleep.
Thanks for the reviews so far and I know that Hiei and maybe Yoko is acting more like an OC but I couldn't help it. I don't have Yu Yu Hakusho here when I first made this story so I didn't know how they acted. Anyway thank you for the two reviews and I will try to load the whole story in soon but I have school and home work. R&R !