The Process Begins

Yoko slowly woke up and saw Caralama holding his hand and she looked happy to see that he was awake. Hiei was beside her and he looked relieved to see he awake as well, but he also looked a bit worried. Caralama told him, he thought to himself with a mental smile.

"Hey how you doin fox?" Hiei asked him with a bit of a smirk on his face.

Yoko closed his eyes smiled and said, "Just fine three eyes," Yoko could hear Hiei chuckle at his answer. He also heard Caralama give a slight giggle at the remark. He opened his eyes and saw that Talia was on the other side of the bed with worry in her eyes, "Let me guess she told everyone while I was still asleep," Yoko asked Talia in her mind.

"Yes Kurama she did. Don't blame her it was more forced out because she had suddenly become so weak we were worried about both of you. You had gotten extremely weak for a second there."

"I don't blame Caralama at all. You would have found out eventually," Yoko said to Talia with a weak smile. He might be stronger but he still felt a bit tired. He began to feel something under his hand when he began to move it. He looked down and saw that the diary was under his hand.

"Caralama thought you might want to read some more of it," Talia said to him with a smile on her face. Yoko smiled and looked at her. She looked exactly like Nakada but he would know the difference even if they had the same colour of eyes.

"She's probably right," Yoko closed his eyes for a minute to try and get some rest he was just too tired to do anything just then. He could feel Caralama tighten her hold on his hand and he smiled, "You don't have to worry Caralama it hasn't started yet."

"I know but you seem a lot weaker then you did in your mind and your pendant is fading," Caralama seemed to sound a bit worried.

Yoko squeezed her hand gently and said to her, "Just goes to show how strong and smart my mind is," he could hear Caralama laughing in his mind and outside his body. Yoko began to feel a bit stronger and so he opened his eyes again. Caralama and Hiei were both trying to suppress their giggles, "I guess someone either than Caralama was in my mind huh Hiei?" Hiei looked down at him and Yoko could see that he was definitely caught.

Yoko couldn't help but to smile a bigger smile than before but it soon disappeared and he had his eyes tightly closed as he began to feel a kind of pain in his heart and it seemed to leak out and go through out his body. Caralama instantly had a harder grip on his hand and he felt Hiei take his hand as well. Then he heard a far off voice calling for someone and then he fell unconscious.

Hiei looked at Yoko worried now because he had become unconscious. Talia was calling the other Signs to his side and he held on to Yoko's hand along with Caralama hoping that he was going to be all right. Yoko began to grunt in pain but it looked like he was trying to fight it. The Signs formed a circle around him and held hands and then the began to sing.

There voices were so pure as they sang out and then they began to glow multicolours and the colours seemed to seep into him strengthening him to fight the pain. Then he began to mutter things under his breath and Caralama heightened the volume in her ears and listened to him, "Lies their all lies get them out. Get them out of my heart, destroy them," Caralama gave the message to the other Signs and they understood. They knew what to do but it was like the lies had a mind of their own and started to retreat back the heart. They managed to destroy some of the lies but when the lies entered the heart they couldn't destroy them without killing or hurting Yoko.

That morning Yoko began to wake up and looked around and saw that Caralama was asleep in Hiei's arms who was also asleep. He pressed a hand over his heart that was still hurting. It doesn't hurt as much as it did before. I guess they destroyed some of the lies. There were three upsides though the first one wasn't exactly an upside. Yoko smiled at this and kept on rubbing the spot on his chest that was over his heart. He then noticed that he still had the dairy in his hand and lifted his hand to look at it. He laid his hand down and began to sit up. It wasn't hard now that he had some more energy and he leaned his back against the head bord of the bed. He looked at Caralama and Hiei once more and then looked at the diary and he began to read it. Yoko was past the part when Alfred had come to one of the Signs homes when Hiei started to wake up. He put the diary on the bedside table and looked at him as he opened one of his eyes and then the other. Yoko saw Hiei hold Caralama closer to him as if protecting her or making sure she was still there and then he began to speak, "How are you doing fox?" he whispered

"Just fine three eyes. How about you?" he said with a smile on his face and also in whisper.

Hiei smiled and wiped away a stray hair that had landed on Caralama's face, "I'm doing just fine," Hiei looked at Yoko with a worried look.

"Hiei I'm fine you don't have to worry right now," he had another smile on his face as he looked at Hiei. But he saw that Hiei didn't believe him in the slightest. Yoko sighed and his smile disappeared as he looked around the room. They were in the infirmary that he and Nakada had been working on. She did a good job on this I wonder why she couldn't have done this with magic in the first place?

"Caralama told me that Nakada didn't usually like taking the easy way out. She said that she was not helpless and that there were some things she could do and didn't have to use magic to do them," Yoko looked at Hiei and smiled a bit.

"Are you going to stay in my head forever?" Hiei didn't smile at this little joke and Yoko then saw that Hiei was probably going to be in his head a lot more for the next year, "Well if you are then stay away from the barriers okay?" he asked as his smile disappeared once again.

Hiei just gave a slight nod and Caralama began to wake up, "What's everyone talking about?" she asked as she yawned and wiped her eyes to make herself wake up and then she saw Yoko and a smile appeared on her face, "How are you feeling Yoko?"

He smiled and said, "I'm doing just fine. What about you? You where pretty weak before I woke up."

Caralama just smiled got up from her set and jumped backwards into the air and did many back flips and landed gracefully on the floor not that far from them, "Really? You really wouldn't know that now would you?" The demons were both chuckling and so was Caralama when Jennah came into the room.

"Yoko! Your awake how do you feel? By the look of things you seem to be doing really well!" Jennah walked fast towards him and sat in a chair beside him. There was silence for a while and Jennah had a big grin on her face. Then she began to talk, "Do you think you're well enough to see a certain whale?" Yoko was a bit taken back from the question; "We can easily turn you into a well a mer-fox-man?" Jennah was giggling at this and so were Caralama and Hiei. Well Hiei was more chuclking then giggling.

Soon Yoko was chuckling as well and said, "Only if everyone thinks I can I guess I would be able to see him," he said a bit serious.

Jennah put a hand to his head and began to glow violet as she touched him on the side of his temple. He began to feel stronger and when she took her hand away from his head Yoko was no longer weak, "I think you should be able to see him now."

A little while later Yoko was a mer-fox-man swimming with the little killer whale (Kota) and having a good time. He hid behind a rook and looked at Kota who was trying to find him. He ducked and pressed his back to the rock as Kota turned his head at his direction. Yoko had never felt this happy in a while as a small school of fish swam by him. Yoko had found out when he had turned into this form he could understand what the fish and other sea creatures were saying. Yoko reached out and touched one of the fish as it swam close to him. This was what he had dreamt when he would look out the window of his room. He smiled and he turned his head to look for Kota. Kota was nowhere to be found as he looked around and then he heard someone singing behind him and then, "FOUND YOU!" Yoko was so surprised he jumped out of his hiding place and looked behind him. Kota was there looking mighty pleased with him self that he had found the fox, "I found you Yoko! I found you!"

"Yes you did Kota," Yoko said trying his hardest to suppress his laughter, "I told you I would try to see you again but you beat me to that," Yoko said with a smile. Kota swam up to him and nudged beside him.

"I have to go up for air can you come with me?" Kota asked.

Yoko took the whales dorsal fin and said, "Lead the way," (little thing Kota is as big as a grown up whale becauhe had come another world. So imagine hpw big parents are!) Kota was instantly swimming at high speeds to the surface of the sea. Yoko let go when he could see the surface and Kota jumped out of the water and dived in again. Yoko swam up to the surface and sense he still had lungs he took a breath as well. Kota appeared beside him and blew water from his blowhole at the fox. Yoko held his arms in front of his face to protect him from the spraying water, "Hey!" he said as Kota surfaced again but didn't blow water from his blowhole. The whale giggled at him and Yoko swam backwards a bit and then he did a backward summersault and splashed the baby whale with the water he had collected in his tail.

The baby whale giggled a bit and tuned over flapping its side fins and lifting its tail up while was still on his back. Then he righted himself and dove under the water. Yoko searched for it and then the baby whale appeared under him and lifted him up. Yoko was so surprised all he could do was lay on the whale. Yoko hadn't noticed that the colour of his tail was the same colour as his hair. He slide off the baby whale gently and looked at his arms. They had the same side fins Nakada had and his hands were also webbed. Yoko looked at the whale with bewilderment on his face.

"What's wrong Yoko? You okay?" Kota asked him in a worried voice.

Yoko looked at the whale again and smiled, "I'm fine Kota I just never realized what I looked like," he looked at the water and he could make out his reflection in the water. Even his fox ears were a bit webbed they didn't have any fur on them anymore. He touched his fox ears and found they were covered in scales and not fur. He gently touched his neck and he could feel his gills on them. He looked at his torso and saw he had scales in some places there as well.

"Don't worry Yoko you'll get used to it. I don't care what you look like as long as you're okay," Kota swam up to Yoko and nuzzeled up to him trying to make him feel better. Yoko smiled and stroked along the whales dorsal fin, "Come on Yoko its almost time for me to go hold on tight."

Yoko held on tight and out of habit took a breath of air as Kota dived under the water and swam down to the Signs home. When they were almost there his chest began to hurt. Yoko pressed a hand to it and tightly closed his eyes, "Yoko are you all right?" Kota asked slowing down a bit. The sea knew all the secrets and Kota had heard that there was something happening to Yoko.

"Don't slow down Kota you have to hurry to the Signs home," Yoko's voice was strained as he tried to speak. Kota instantly swam faster then he had ever swam before sending out an echo sound to the Signs. When Kota had gotten to the home the Signs were already there and Yoko was barely awake. The Signs took Yoko and laid him on the sea floor and they formed the same circle around and tried to destroy the lies that were leaking from his heart to all over his body. The lies had spread through most of his body and so the Signs destroyed more of the lies before they had traveled back to his heart.

When the Signs were done Yoko was still awake and he began to look around. Kota swam up to him and nudged him. He smiled and stroked Kota gently on his head thanking him with his mind. Kota began to sing a worried song as Yoko sat up. Kota swam behind him and helped hin to get into an standing up position. Caralama and Hiei were instantly seen swimming toward the scene as fast as they could. Caralama was instantly embracing Yoko tightly around the waist and Yoko could taste some salt in the water. The sea that they were had no salt in it and was so clear so Yoko new Caralama was crying but her tears did not show in the water. The Signs left for awhile so there was only Caralama, Hiei, Kota and him. Yoko held Caralama close trying to comfort her.

"That was an idiotic move there Yoko what you did," Yoko looked at Hiei knowing what he was talking about, "Caralama was worried sick. You could have been seriously injured or killed!"

"I know that Hiei but Kota had to go get some air and he asked if I wanted to come and I said yes. What else was I supposed to do?"Yoko asked a bit upset now. He looked at Hiei and there was anger on his face, "I guess next time I'll stay here while Kota goes to get some air then, just don't blame Kota," Yoko looked down at Caralama and saw that she was still crying. "Actually why don't you take him up for some air right now. He's been under water for some time now," he asked as he stroked Caralama's hair trying to calm her down. Hiei just looked at Yoko and then gestured to Kota to go with him to the surface and get some air.

When they were alone Yoko lead Caralama to a rock and sat down on it. Caralama was still holding on to his waist in an iron grip, "Caralama its all right I'm all right please stop crying hush. I won't do that again I promise," Yoko kept on trying to calm Caralama down but she would not loosen her hold and she just kept on crying. Yoko started to stroke the back of her ears and hum the same tune he had hummed to her when they were still prisoners to the Dark Signs. Caralama started to stop crying as she listened to him hum the melody. She slowly released her grip around his waist and listened to him hum. He laid her across his lap as and pressed her head to his chest over his heart and kept on humming. Soon she was completely calm and was leaning against him but her hands were clenched into fists against his chest trying to stay close to him. Yoko looked down at her and lowered his head so it was on top on hers and continued to hum as he held her close and protectively.

Hiei was soon there with Kota and Caralama was still listening to Yoko hum. Kota saw his pod and told Hiei it was time for him to go. He nodded and swam towards Yoko having some more things he wanted to talk to him about. When he got there though he heard humming and saw Caralama laid across Yoko's lap listening to him. He watched as Yoko continued to hold Caralama close as if trying to protect her. He looks just like her father and he is acting like it to. I wonder if there is a chance that he might be? Hmm, "Is she all right Yoko?" Hiei was a bit worried when he saw the look on Caralama's face.

The humming continued a bit longer and then it stopped, "As far as I can tell Hiei she is fine but a bit in shock. I should never have gone up to the surface you were right," Hiei began to taste some more salt in the water as Yoko brought Caralama's head closer to his chest and started humming again laying his chin on her head.

Hiei watched Yoko do this and thought that he if he didn't know better Yoko was Caralama's real father. Hiei sighed and swam over to Yoko and sat beside him on the rock. Hiei looked into Caralama's eyes and it looked like she didn't see anything. He gently touched Caralama's face and she went stiff but she relaxed and closed her eyes. Hiei was worried now and he began to taste more salt in the water and he looked toward Yoko and gently went into his mind. Of all the times I could have went through that it had to be when I thought I could leave the Signs home for a few minutes. A few minutes later I have what ever you call it and Caralama goes into shock! I am so stupid! How could I've been so selfish! Hiei began to taste more salt in the water and touched Yoko's shoulder. Yoko instantly pulled away from it and gently handed Caralama over to him. Talia was there a few minutes later and they went to the door. She took Caralama away from Hiei as the water began to drain away from the little room. The demons both closed their eyes and after the flash and they were both covered with towels and they had there legs again. While the demons were getting dressed Hiei looked over to the stall Yoko was in.

"Hey fox man how are you doing?" there was no answer from the stall for a long while.

Then Hiei heard a sigh and then he heard Yoko say, "How do you think I feel? I'll give you three guesses," Hiei was definitely taken back from this and looked back at the stall. A few moments later Hiei and Yoko were both dressed and were walking down the hall. They both went to the infirmary to check on Caralama.

She was still asleep and in one of the medical beds. They both walked up to Caralama and sat on both sides of the bed. Hiei looked over at Yoko and saw that his face was almost an emotionless one as he leaned back into the chair and looked at Caralama. Hiei went into his mind again to see what he was thinking but his mind was just blank. He looked at Caralama in the bed asleep and he sighed, "Yoko," he looked up at Hiei and he continued, "Yoko you really do act like a father to her you know," he looked at him and saw that he had that blank stare on his face that looked exactly like Caralama'swhen she was trying to hide her emotions. Except Yoko wasn't trying to hide his emotions right then. He either didn't know what to feel or wasn't feeling anything.

"No I don't," he said in a clam voice but it was a bit rough. Hiei was surprised by what he had said as Yoko looked back at Caralama, "I did this to her. I did something without thinking of the consequences that would come from it," he took hold of Caralama's hand and then let go of it. He closed his eyes, lowered his head so no one could see the eyes and then Hiei saw a single tear fall from his cheek, "I do not act like a father should at all," Yoko got up and started to walk to the other side of the room out if view from Hiei.

Your wrong Yoko, Hiei thought to himself, You are acting exactly the way a father should. Hiei turned to Caralama and took her hand. Alfred hadn't bothered Hiei in a long time but he didn't want to get his hopes up that Alfred was gone forever. He leaned forward and gently kissed Caralama on the lips, "Caralama are you the only one who can get through to him?" Hiei looked to where Yoko had gone and saw that he was sitting in a chair and was reading Nakada's diary, "No Nakada can get through to him to. Even if it is through pages and past words." Hiei gently leaned back into the chair while still holding Caralama's hand and fell asleep.