A few days later Jin got up early to grab an apple outside in the Makai forest to eat and then work on his wind powers since being a Shinobi he would have to be perfecting his skills just in case. It was a job, even though it slightly crumbled at the end of the Dark Tournament, he could not escape. Grabbing an apple that grew from a nearby tree within the house's perimeters, Jin couldn't help but hear Akina somewhere nearby causing him to look beyond the tree to spy her there out in the clearing near the house working on lifting herself off the ground. Growling a bit disapprovingly, he bit out of the apple he retrieved before coming closer to his disobedient daughter. "Akina," Jin began in a scolding tone, "I thought I told you not to come out here all alone!"
Akina looked at her father sadly before flopping down upon her rear to look up at her towering father. "I was trying to fly and nobody can teach me…I've been grounded long enough, daddy, I want to fly!"
Finishing off his apple, he tossed the leftovers onto the dirty ground before bending down to pick up his daughter into his arms. He had tried to help his daughter lift off the ground before but she continued to fall over and over again and it made Aeka really furious at Jin's carelessness. Over time, Jin stopped trying to let Akina use her wings with him there since he was worried she couldn't handle the falls over and over. It tore him up inside that she continued to cry every time she fell face first into the dirt below her, and it was probably that visualization and not Aeka's angry eye that got to him first. "Akina, I have told you that it will come to you in due time. Just give it awhile. Being that you are half human, it may take awhile for your body to get used to your demonic energy and powers."
Akina merely nodded before looking up disappointedly at the sky above her. She wanted to fly up in the sky and be free for at least a moment but it was impossible when her two different wings wouldn't work in unison to pick her up off the floor—one needing just to flap while the other needed air to glide upon.
Jin looked up at the sky with her for a moment before putting her down and then kneeling himself. "Come on, Akina—get on." When his daughter didn't budge, he continued, "Get on my back and I will let you see what it's like to fly."
Akina was quick to work her way up to her father's back and grip onto his neck best she could. Resting her chin upon his right shoulder, she got a bit giddy inside. "Alright, I am ready, daddy."
"Are you hanging on good and tight?" He asked before getting to his feet.
"Yes, daddy," Akina answered with a giggle.
"Alright then, here we go!" Gathering the wind about him quickly, Jin flew straight from the sky above them. His arms out at his sides and his legs tightly pressed together, the wind master got as far up as he could just above the clouds where his daughter could see the world below her. His red shaggy hair blew about the wild wind that kept him up causing Akina to squint a few times since it was attacking her face at times. "Are you looking, Akina?" He asked loudly over the roaring wind.
Akina opened her eyes to look down at the land below them that passed by rather quickly thanks to her father's speed when he was in the air. "Daddy, we are up so high!" She calls back with a smile upon her face. "It looks so pretty up here! But—what would happen if I fall?"
"You know I would never let you fall, Akina," Jin assured, looking over at his daughter. "Now hold on tight, Akina—let me show you what I can really do!"
Doing as her father asked, Jin nosedived quickly through the clouds before shooting back up through them to let her feel the clouds pass right through them. Turning his body to the left, he went down in the opposite direction before straightening back up to nosedive down towards the forests below at a quick pace. Getting through the canopy just fine, Jin found his way to a river not too far away and started to fly just above it so Akina could look below the water and watch the fish swim about in either direction. Looking into the water below her, she couldn't help but giggle at some of the fishes that jumped out to greet them on their way down the river.
Seeing that the river was starting to come to an end, Jin continued on his way regardless as the raging waterfall up ahead started to roar louder the closer they came. Going over, Jin kept his front close to the falling water before he felt they were too close to where the falls ended causing him to pull back up and head for the skies once more. Getting back up to the clear blue sky, he looked over at his daughter who was enjoying the time she had with her father since this was the first time since she was born that she got to see the world from that high up. Knowing she wanted to be able to fly on her own, Jin was willing to take a chance as he swallowed hard and thought of what to tell her. "Akina, I want you to unfold your wings, raise them both high up in the air and then let go of me, ok?" Jin called to her once more over the wind.
Akina looked at her father frighteningly wondering why he would want her to do that. "But—but, daddy—we are so high up, I could fall!"
"Akina, I will be here if you fall and I promise I will catch you no matter what," Jin reassured continuing straight on ahead. "I want you to raise your wings so the wind can take them both and you can try to fly. Are you ready?"
Being so young, she was still fearful of what would happen if the wind wasn't there for her and she would end up falling. But she remembered that her father was the wind at the moment and if anything, he would never let her be hurt. Her grip tightening upon her father a moment, she showed signs of refusal to let go until Akina finally opened her wings and released her father's neck once the wind swooped her up.
Jin quickly stopped to turn around and check on how his daughter was doing. The wind did indeed catch both wings and she was struggling to stay up no matter how many times her wings flapped. Seeing this caused Jin to come closer to his struggling daughter and hold onto her hands so as to let the child know he was there for her. "Steady your flapping, Akina. If you flap them too much, you will end up exhausting yourself. Just flap whenever you feel you are falling off course, and the wings will keep you up as will the wind."
Akina listened to her father and tried steadying her flapping wings when she felt her body slipping from where she was in the skies as her father suggested. "Am I doing this right, daddy?" Akina asked continuing to flap her wings at the right moment.
"Yes, Rosy, just like that," Jin encouraged gradually letting go of her hands like a baby trying to learn to walk. "Keep doing it. I will be right here in case you fall." Keeping his child like blue eyes upon his daughter, he watched closely as she continued on her way through the sky right by him once he shifted to the left of her. "There you go, Akina, you're doing it!"
Akina continued to flap her little wings best she could even if it was difficult given their petite size. "I'm flying, daddy!" Akina praised looking down at the world below her before shifting over to her father. "I am finally flying, daddy!"
"I knew you would," Jin called over to her staying right there beside her. "It may be a bit hard to take off without my help, but I assure you, sweetie that in due time, your wind powers will develop." Allowing Akina to enjoy her moment without his help, he eventually reached over to help her back into his arms where she could settle her little wings once he saw fatigue written all over her face. "There…you can rest yourself in my arms," Jin whispered to just between the two of them.
Closing her eyes for a moment, Akina nuzzled up against her father with a smile once her wings folded behind her body. The wind massaging her cherry colored hair, Akina felt right at home with her father there in the sky. "It feels so nice up here, daddy."
"Aye," Jin grinned while his crimson hair waved about the fingers of the wind and the straps of his outfit beating roughly against the breeze. "You were born to be up here, Akina," the wind master replied over the wind letting her watch the trees get bigger and bigger as they got closer to the ground. "When you were first brought into this world, I took you up here when your mother was sleeping and it is here you will remain for all eternity. I will always be the wind under your wings to take you higher even in death so you shouldn't have to ever worry about falling."
"I know you will, daddy," Akina replied in return. Grabbing onto his cheeks, she kissed him on his left with a smile she exchanged from her father's.
The two getting lower to the ground, Jin brought his feet forward to catch himself on the ground. But where he landed was nowhere near the house, it was within the demonic market place. Keeping his daughter within his embrace, Jin walked about the market place looking for something to get his daughter to show he loved her while Akina stayed put exhaustedly within her father's strong arms. It was exceptionally busy today and Jin's ears were forced to shrink back down to the normal human look due to the noise annoying his heightened hearing.
"Oh, Jin!" A demon called to the wind master from one of the market stands.
Jin's attention shifted swiftly to the demon that called out to him and he couldn't help but smile widely with his ears pointing and wiggling once more. "Hiroshi!" Jin called back in excitement before walking over to the stand that was littered with sorted alcohols. It was here that Jin got most of his—well—gin. The demon was a lower class male with tied back slick black hair. Hiroshi's face was narrow like that of a horse and he had horns that curled about his pointed ears. He looked honestly to Jin like a goat demon and he would at times tease him about that.
"What brings you here? I thought you bought some liquor not too long ago. Did it run out already?" Hiroshi asked leaning forward to speak with just the wind master at the moment.
"No, no," Jin assured with a toothy grin, "I came here to look for something for my daughter, Akina." Here, Jin showered off the now sleeping child that Hiroshi hadn't seen ever since she was born.
The liquor seller leaned forward on his hands to take a gander at the sleeping child over his stand, a smile creeping across his narrow face. "Aah, she looks just like ya," Hiroshi complimented. "I haven't seen her since she was born four years ago and I am already amazed at how fast she has grown. But something for your daughter, eh?" Twirling his finger around the long black beard that hung upon his chin, in thought, the demon eventually snapped his fingers as soon as the idea struck him. "I think I have just the thing for you."
Jin watched as Hiroshi disappeared behind his stand to dig through his belongings hoping the man wasn't going to give him alcohol for he wanted something meaningful. Waiting for awhile and many grumblings that the seller said to himself, eventually Hiroshi resurfaced with a necklace within his hands catching Jin's attention. Looking at the bright orange square, he could make out the design of a fire red bird making the necklace seeming to blaze with life every time the sun caught it. "What is that?"
"This here is a Phoenix Pendant. Being a man of the air, I assume you know what a phoenix is, eh?" Hiroshi asked with his arms crossed upon the bar top.
"Of course," Jin answered dangling the necklace before him. "They are mythical birds that represent rebirth and fly on wings of fire."
"Good. Then give Akina that and I am sure it will mean the world to her being that it came from her father," Hiroshi finished, eyeing the wind master.
"Thank you, Hiroshi—what should I give you for it?" Jin asked fixing to dig into his pocket to get out his money.
Hiroshi raised his hand to stop Jin from looking any further for his money. "Don't worry about it. Consider it a late 'congrats' present for the birth of your daughter."
"Thank you, Hiroshi," Jin repeated happily before putting the necklace around his daughter's neck. Letting the big object hang from around her neck, Jin assured himself mentally that Akina would grow into her new jewelry. "One day you will be able to fly high just like these mythical birds, but until then, I will let you keep this until that day." Kissing her upon her cherry colored bangs, he rocked his sleeping daughter before taking flight once more to head back home.
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Touya appeared to be on edge months later and he seemed to spend most of his time staring at the front door or beyond the house. It was really beginning to worry Aeka when it came to his behavior since she had never seen him do this before. It was as though he stayed planted near the door just to threaten anything that could be lurking beyond the house.
Catching him in the act one night, she confronted him nervously. Placing her hand upon his shoulder to get his attention, she cocked her thin white brow at him. Touya, what are you doing? You've been like this for awhile now. Why don't you go to bed? It's really late.
The ice Shinobi looked over his shoulder at Aeka's worried face and hand signals but did nothing at the moment but turn to look back out at the area around them. "I will in a little while," he answered quietly not wishing to startle her.
But, you've been like this ever since you got back from the market place five months ago, Aeka thought to herself wishing Touya would tell her what was wrong.
Jin walked out of the training dojo that was next to the house pulling his top training shirt off since it was drenched in sweat. Rubbing his forehead with the back of his arm, he noticed Touya once again standing there looking on edge and Aeka right beside him. Turning his attention out at the woods surrounding them and creaking with life, he couldn't help but frown a bit himself since he himself could sense it. Seeing the worry in Aeka's face, Jin threw his top shirt over his shoulder before bothering to make himself known, "Hey, Aeka."
Seeing her husband coming towards her, Aeka shifted her sea green eyes over at the wind master hoping he would talk to Touya and make him go to bed and stop staying up worrying over whatever it was that was worrying him. Jin, Aeka began, will you please talk some sense into your—.
Not letting her finish, Jin grabbed onto her wrist and helped her into the house away from the alert ice demon. "Come on, Aeka, let's leave Touya alone. I have some drinks I've been meaning to down when I bought them so I think now would be a good time more than any."
Suzuka came in from out of the woods where he went to practice at his own term seeing the rattled Touya still watching the wooded area before him. He said nothing to Touya as he made his way inside the house since he felt it was none of his business about what had a hold on him. Getting to the refrigerator, he grabbed bottled water before being confronted by Jin causing him to lift an eyebrow at him a bit irritated. "What?"
"Would you mind doing us a big favor and watch over Akina for us?" Jin asked with a sly grin.
Suzuka was none too keen on the idea since he was never good with children and he was still working on putting together new items and not in the mood to baby-sit.
"Come on, she's already asleep so you won't have to do anything, I promise," Jin swore with his innocent navy eyes.
Sighing, Suzuka took a sip of his water before wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Alright, fine. I will watch over her for you."
The narcissistic demon waited outside of Jin's bedroom for him to resurface with his sleeping little daughter. Holding her with just one arm, the wind master handed her over to Suzuka so he and Aeka could be alone for a little while. "Here, she shouldn't be any trouble. Even if she wakes up, she will go right back to sleep in no time so don't worry about her causing a fuss—unless she has a nightmare that is."
"And what if she has a nightmare?" Suzuka pried, lifting his brow at Jin.
"Just read to her or tell her its okay! Honestly, Suzuka, it's not as hard as you make it out to be," Jin growled wanting to believe he was leaving his daughter in capable hands.
Suzuka took Akina into his arms careful not to rouse her since he didn't want to play twenty questions with her. "You owe me for this one, Jin," Suzuka muttered before heading into the far back of the hallway where his bedroom was located on the right.
Making sure everything was okay Jin zipped back into his bedroom before locking the door behind him so Aeka and he could be alone. He could see the worried look upon his wife and frowned slightly prior to attempting to perk back up and make her do the same. "Don't worry about, Touya. You know him and his stubborn arse," Jin teased with a grin once his hands made their way to her shoulders. "Just try to loosen up a little bit."
Aeka sighed a bit before looking into Jin's wide eyes knowing he was just trying to make her forget her worries surrounding the ice master's behavior lately. I know I should…I am just worried about him is all…
"Yeah," Jin whispered swinging her arms a bit with his own before reaching for a bag he got out and put on top the bed. "Hey, I got Suzuka to take Akina for us so we can have some fun."
When Aeka wondered what he meant by fun, she looked over at the bag to see Jin pull out a couple of beer bottles and wine since Aeka could only handle some beer depending and wine was more her thing. Oh jeez, Aeka signed with a playful roll of her eyes. Alright then, Jin, give me some of that red wine if you got any.
"You've got it," Jin grinned grabbing the bottle of red wine he managed to snag from Hiroshi not too long ago. Hunting through the bag, he pulled out two strong Shochus for himself since that was always his favorite drink if anything. "Well, bottoms up," the wind master grinned before letting the bottles clank together in a cheers.
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Touya could hear the bed swaying and knocking against the wall as he finally made his way back inside the house. Smelling the stench of alcohol from Jin and Aeka's bedroom, the ice master couldn't help but swing his head back and gag since he was never big on such things. "Well, at least I know who will be fighting over the toilet come tomorrow," Touya joked lightly to himself before heading to his room right next door. Closing his door behind him silently, he couldn't help but sigh to himself before looking out his window at the woods that were his only scenery. I'm worried—worried for Jin and myself…Walking over to the open window Touya closed it for the night before slinking back to his bed to get some sleep for the night figuring he would be fine since the sexual fun next door was almost over.