People Join The Band
That morning Nakada woke up to find her head on Yoko's chest and she smiled as she listened to his heartbeat that was getting easier to listen to with everything he did. She closed her eyes listening to it and then she heard another noise. She opened her eyes and turned her head around to look at the crib and could hear sucking noises. My hearing sure had increased in this form. She thought, "Are you two hungry?" she whispered and made a move to get up but Yoko's grip hardened.
"And where do you think your going Kitty?" he asked with his eyes still closed but a smile tugging at his lips and she saw it plainly.
"I was going to get some milk for the twins so they won't start crying and hurt your ears in the process," she answered and ending it with reaching her hand up and gently scratching behind one of his ears. Yoko let out a purr as she did this and she smiled, "You are to easy you know," she said with a smile.
Yoko opened one eye and looked at her, "The fact that my arms are wrapped around you are scratching my ear in a very desirable way does make it look easy doesn't it?" he asked.
"Well do you want to stop?" she asked with a smile looking at Yoko with one arm under his back and her other hand on his chest.
He tightened his hold around her shoulders, "Not really," he said looking at her.
The teen smiled and laughed a little as she started working on his ears again and he let out a little purr, digging his face into Nakada's shoulder.
Nakada's ears perked up when she heard the twins start to complain a little, "Yoko, I think you should let me go to the twins right now, before they start…" too late.
Yoko's ears buried in his hair and he pressed his hands over them as Nakada quickly went over to the twins and wrapped a blanket around them to give them some privacy. She held them close and they stopped as they started to eat, "I warned you," Nakada smiled as she felt Yoko place his hands on her shoulders, but didn't look at the view no matter how much he wanted to. He knew that Nakada was probably embarrassed enough as it was feeding the twins alone, let alone with him there.
He looked at the back of her head and smiled as well, "I'm just glad they doesn't scream as loud as you do," and they both laughed a little. Then Yoko saw Nakada's ears, "Um Nakada?" she turned her head away from her children to look at him and saw that he was slightly blushing, "Is it all right if I um," he pointed at her ears and she smiled.
"As long as you don't scratch to hard or pull," she turned her head back to the children while still blushing a little he started to gently scratch behind one of her ears. She closed her eyes, purring but still had a good grip on the twins as they continued to feed, "So this how you felt," she said smiling and he smiled as well.
"Yeah, I guess. You seem to be enjoying it at least," he said smiling, "You have a little bit more control then I did when someone first started scratching my ears. Though that would usually be my…mother," Nakada looked at him when he stopped.
"Did something happen to your mother?" she asked and she saw a saddened look in his eyes, "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," she said quickly.
"She was taken by a demon hunter one day along with my father while I was outside sleeping in a tree. I had had a huge argument with them. I didn't hear mother or father screaming at me to get away until it as to late. The demon hunter found me, but before he could stuff me into a bag, I bit him. My parents yelled at me to run away and…I did. Not looking back and not stopping until I was out of breath. I was about seven then when it happened. I went back to the cottage we lived in and found it empty and ransacked. The demon hunter took my parents and the way he damaged my home he should have just destroyed it. I never saw either of my parents after that. To stay alive I began to get into the habit of stealing things. Eventually it got out of hand and I began to steal bigger stuff and learnt how to wield plants and I made a band of thieves," Nakada stared at Yoko who was looking down at the ground, "I swore to myself that if the demon hunter isn't dead now then I would kill him myself after I found out what he did with my parents."
Nakada looked at Dianna and Calan who seemed sadder then usual while they finished up. The tiger teen burped her and put them in their crib. After that, she put on her top clothes (that she had taken off before) and went over to Yoko, wrapping her arms around him, "Don't worry Yoko I'm sure you'll find them some day," she laid Yoko's head on her shoulder and laid her head on his, stroking his hair and rubbing his ear at times.
"You know you're the first one I ever told that to," he said leaning against her, "Thank you for not laughing."
She looked at him wide eyed, "Why would I laugh at that Yoko?"
He looked at her and smiled, "I keep on forgetting that you're a human and not a demon," she stared at him and smiled while holding him close, "But thank you just the same," he said leaning against her again.
"No problem," she said as she continued to stroke his mane. Yoko smiled and then started rubbing his hand, "You all right Yoko?" she asked a little worried.
"I'm fine, it's just the ring is starting to hurt my finger a little," he said looking at his finger and his eyes widened as Nakada began to change twin's diaper. The skin around the ring on his finger was a little green, "Nakada?"
"Hmm?"
"Is it possible for rings to make the skin around your finger green?" he asked touching the skin and seeing that the green wouldn't come off.
"If the ring is made out of fake gold or silver but that takes a while I think. I had a fake silver necklace once and it turned my neck green a little after awhile. Why?" she turned around after she was done changing Dianna's diaper and saw his finger, "Yoko…"
"Don't think anything Nakada," he said interrupting her and looking at her straight in the face. He wrapped an arm around her and held her close; "I'll talk to that vixen about this." He held her close and she leaned against him hearing his heartbeat in his chest.
A few minutes later after they had calmed down there was a knock at the door of the hut. Yoko looked at Nakada, "I'll get that you can take care of the twins for a while," she nodded and he went to get the door.
When he opened it he saw the vixen smiling at him, "So have you changed your mind?"
Yoko glared at her, "If you had asked us last night instead of threatening me with this ring," he said showing her the ring and the small amount of green skin around it, "I might still have said no but I would have thought it over like I had done last night. I was thinking of bringing all the people that wanted to come with us and wouldn't give us a hard time. That does include you since you're the one who gave me the idea."
"But?" she asked a little worried.
He looked at her, "The but is you didn't ask me and you did give me the ring and it has poisoned me if what you are saying is true."
"All you have to do to stop the poison is take it off. Once the ring is off the poison will pour out of the finger that holds the ring and that is it. But only I can take it off your finger."
Yoko looked at her not pleased at all, "So what you are saying that if I let you and some other people join our band to get through the forest then you will take the ring off my finger and the poison will come out?"
She nodded, "But you also have to protect me as well since if I die then your chances of living are none."
He sighed not liking the deal at. He looked at his little family, still sitting in the bed and Nakada was looking at him while the twins reached for her hair. If he didn't have them he would have just let the poison take him, but he did and he had promised to his children that he would try to be a good father. He couldn't be a good father if he was dead because of his own pride. He looked at the vixen again, "Fine, but you had better keep your end of the promise. I'm suspecting you won't take the ring off now are you?"
"No I don't exactly trust you Yoko, only when we have gone as far as I have which is quite far is when I will take the ring off your finger. But the poison would have only traveled up to your elbow by then."
He nodded and turned around, "Better pack up what you need, we leave in four hours."
During that day Yoko made the announcement that he would take anyone in the village that wanted to leave if they didn't slow them down. There was a big commotion and they found out that twenty other people wanted to leave as well. To the disappointment of both Nakada and Yoko neither Conner nor his parents were there. But Conner's three friends and their family were. So the next day they all got ready and packed to continue the journey. This time Jennah volunteered to carry Calan and Dianna. When they started walking, the vixen (whose name turned out to be Emerald) was up front with Yoko beside her. After two hours of walking, she stopped all together and looked at the path in front of them.
"Why did you stop?" Yoko asked and she glared at him.
"Maybe your little tiger girlfriend can figure that out," she growled.
Before there was an argument, Nakada stepped forward and crouched to the ground with Rebekah beside her, "Well?" she asked, "Is there anything wrong with it?"
She reached her hand out and pressed it to the ground and it sank. She quickly pulled her hand back and the imprint that it had made was gone, "It seems to be some kind of quick sand," she said.
"So are we going to have to levitate the people over to the other side?" Rebekah asked, looking at the new added team members.
"First we are going to have to figure out how far it goes," April said stepping in and looking ahead, "My guess, it stops were it gets rough again over there about twenty sixty feet away."
"You right," Emerald said and jumped in to a tree.
"No wait! It's not safe!" called Nakada but it was to late. A vine came from the ground like quicksand and grabbed her ankle. She gave a squeal and was pulled under. Lindsey reached out and grabbed her hand flying in the air her wings occasionally flapping to keep her in the air and to try and pull Emerald out.
"Please don't let go," Emerald begged holding on tight to Lindsey a tear sliding from her eye. Then another vine came out and grabbed Lindsey's ankle, trying to pull her and the female kitsune both down. Another vine came at them and wrapped around Lindsey's waste, this vine came from the trees and she saw Yoko holding the other end of the vine trying to pull her up high into the treetops. Kyle, Lacey, Sophie and Kuronue flew over to help and began to pull Emerald up trying to avoid the vines starting to come at them as well. April, Jennah, Rebekah and Nakada were on the shore, their claws looking longer directed at the vines. When they had a good view of the vines they flexed their hands and their claws shot from their fingers cutting the vines.
Everyone flew into the trees at the shock of the sudden slack and Yoko almost fell out of the tree. When they were back on the shore Emerald said that had never happened before, it had always been safe to go through the trees. Yoko nodded and looked back at the ground, "So how are we going to cross it?"
"We freeze it," Nakada said standing up.
"How are we going to freeze it?" Condor asked walking up and she turned her head and smiled.
"Like this," she stretched her hands out in front of her and the temperature began to lower. Suddenly the ground became solid and ice, "Just be careful and be quick," Nakada said going over to some demons, "I'm just new at this so I don't know how long it is going to last."
Just when the last youkai slipped across the ice disappeared, the ground was back to normal. Emerald said that the forest had changed from the last time she entered, "The traps seems to have stayed," Yoko said looking at the quick sand ground, "It just seems that they are a lot more dangerous now." Theo walked over to Emerald to see if she was hurt at all.
Theo was a rather handsome raccoon youkai with short grey hair with some brown here and there and a young face that almost always had a smile on it. He was tall and well built with a fluffy tail sticking out of his tailbone and cute little raccoon ears coming out of the top of his head. He also had the traditional black mask imprinted on his face and had peach coloured skin.
"Here my lady," he said gently rubbing some kind of cream onto her ankle and she blushed, "This should help you walk along the way."
"Thank you Theo," Emerald smiled and the demon couldn't help but to blushed.
Nakada walked up to Yoko with her back to the vixen and the raccoon, "I think I see two little love birds," Yoko smiled as he looked at them, Theo gently helping Emerald up.
He smiled, "Yes I see what you mean. They do look rather perfect for each other even though they are two different kinds of animal demon.." They both smiled and everyone began their trip again.
During that day Nakada walked beside Yoko like she always did, only this time she trailed a bit with some thinking. Then she suddenly took Yoko's hand and pulled him back just in time before a huge tree with mouths came up moving all around.
Yoko smiled, "It's just a Death Tree, I can easily tell it to let us pass," but Nakada held his hand and shook her head.
"This isn't a normal Death Tree Yoko," she said as he looked at her. She turned her head towards it and a mouth of the Death Tree moved over towards her and started growling, "We have to do something before it lets us pass."
"Do what?" Yoko asked looking at her and at the Death Tree that was too close for comfort to the teen's face.
The Death Tree growled again, "One of us is going to have to dance with it," the Death Tree growled, "Sorry, I mean the Death Tree will pick who will dance with it and if it likes it, it will let us pass."
"That is ridicules," Yoko said getting angry but before he could say anything the tree growled and spat its acidic saliva towards Yoko's face. He shielded his face with his hands but there was no pain on his arms. He looked in front of him and saw Nakada floating in front of him shielding her face with her arms. He turned her around and looked at her arms and saw that there were no burnt marks on them. He looked at her face in surprise, "How…?"
She smiled, "Any kind of poison or acid that is made by or has plants won't hurt me at all," he sighed and looked at the plant with an angry face, "Yoko," he looked at her, "The death tree chose the girls and I," he looked at her worried as they went out in front of the tree, "Don't worry, at least we get to pick the song."
The wind picked up and the song "Roses are Red" by Aqua began to play and the girls began to move along with the branches in ways that all of the male youkai and ningens began to forget how to breath and some even started having nose bleeds. Yoko and Kuronue, though, were both having hard time breathing and their eyes and mouths were open as they began to see how ningens in Ningenkai danced. Dianna and Calan looked at Yoko who were holding them and smiled thinking how silly he looked. They took some of his hair into their hands and started pulling it along with the beat and the fox didn't notice at all. His eyes were glued onto their mother as she bent her back and touched the ground behind her as a branch swiped over her.
The girls jumped, did twirls, bent their backs, and were all over the place. When it was the end of the song the girls each struck a pose and the male youkai and ningens that were having nose bleeds were almost unconscious from lack of blood and the ones who weren't breathing were unconscious or suffocating. Yoko and Kuronue just stood there taking in a few breaths at a time not moving with their mouths and eyes still wide open.
The girls bowed with the Death Tree and it moved aside for the crew and team to pass. They turned around and looked at the youkai and ningens. D.J. and Kyle were the only ones not affected. They laughed and went over to everyone else to get them breathing or stop their nosebleeds.
Nakada went to Yoko and Jennah went to Kuronue to try and get them out of their trances. Jennah went over to Kuronue and kissed him on the lips wrapping her arms around his neck and he instantly got out of his trance while Nakada said something into Yoko's ear and he was out of his. When he was out of his trance, he realized what the twins had been doing to his hair and had a rather painful headache. Nakada shook her head as she held her twins and looked at them, "You two live to torture your father don't you?"
All they did was laugh as they leaned against her chest and yawned.
Back on their way through the forest Nakada was still holding the twins in the pouch, both of them sleeping. The tiger look a like teen was again trailing behind Yoko but he noticed it this time. He went into her mind and asked, "Why are you trailing? Usually its me who has to keep up with you."
She looked at him and smiled, "Just thinking that's all," she said calmly.
"Just thinking?" he asked with a smile and she smiled as well.
"Actually, I was wondering why I wouldn't stop shivering this morning. It wasn't that cold and no one was being hurt so, it is kind of weird."
Yoko looked at her and smiled, "Maybe you felt someone walk over your grave. Just don't worry about it okay?"
She thought for a while and looked at him with a smile, "Okay."
After a long day they finally made it to a clearing and set up camp. Yoko and Nakada were in their tent taking care and playing with the twins when they heard Falser yell, "HEY WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE KID!" they ran out of their tents and saw Conner sitting on the ground looking scared.
"Conner?" Nakada spoke up and he looked at her. When he saw her he ran over to her and started hugging her legs and crying, "Conner what's wrong?" she kneeled down to him along with Yoko. Nakada lifted Conner's head a little and saw that his face was bruised along with his arms.
She looked up at Falser along with Yoko but he put his hands up in defence, "I didn't touch the boy! He was in my bag the whole time."
Yoko looked at Conner, "Conner aren't you supposed to be with your parents right now?"
The black haired boy nodded as he clung to Nakada around the neck but didn't say anything. She held him gently and he winced a little while holding onto her as well. She looked at him, "Conner can I please lift your shirt up?" she asked and he nodded slowly raising his arms, wincing at times and Nakada pulled his shirt off. Everyone gasped at the bruises that were all over the child's body and Nakada held him close trying not to hurt him and he held her close as well.
Yoko gently touched the boy's back and he looked at him, "Conner who did this to you?" he asked.
A few tears came from Conner's eyes, "I-I got them while I was in his bag," Conner said pointing to the black fox demon.
He shook his head, "He couldn't have. There are some solid things in there but it was mostly soft."
Nakada looked at the boy, "Conner did your parents do this to you?" she asked. Conner looked around as if asking for help and then he slowly nodded and started crying into her shoulder. She held him close and looked at Yoko, "That was why I couldn't stop shivering this morning…he was the one in danger."
Yoko looked at Conner and moved his hand that was still on his back up and down; "Why don't we take him into our tent and you can try to heal him?" she looked at him and nodded.
"Conner why don't you come into the tent with me and I will try to heal your bruises?" Conner looked up at her and nodded but he wouldn't let go of her neck so she picked him up as gently as she could. But before she went into the tent she looked at Yoko who was walking over to Jennah, "Yoko," he looked at her, "I want to talk to you and you do know that we do have to talk."
"Later I have something to do," he said.
"No Yoko," he looked at her surprised, "Now, before you do anything irrational."
He looked at her and nodded as he walked with her into their tent. In there Yoko sat in the corner watching over the twins he had left in their separate cribs while Nakada saw to the little boy's bruises. She found that there was barely any spot on his body that didn't have a bruise and there were rarely any bruises that weren't bad. To take care of the bruises, she applied a cool cream onto the. When she was done she made a little bed of furs on the floor right beside hers and Yoko's. When Conner was asleep Nakada looked at Yoko and he looked right back, "We are not giving Conner back to those people," she said simply and he nodded. She looked at Conner and stroked his short black hair as he slept, "But I will go back to the village tomorrow to tell them that we are keeping Conner and what his parents did to him."
"Why don't you let me go?" Yoko asked looking at her.
She looked at him, "Because Yoko, I know what you want to do to them. I know what you think you would be doing was right but Yoko, it wouldn't be."
"Then why don't we just not go? Everyone would know he went with us."
"Yoko they would think he went wondering into the woods again and you know that." The fox looked at her disapprovingly as he held a sleeping Calan, "Yoko please," Nakada asked tired, "I am really not up for an argument and if you continue this I will get angry with you and you wont be able to hear the end of it. You won't be able to hear at all."
Yoko smiled and stood up walking over to her after he had put Calan down in his crib and wrapped his arm around her, "Then I won't push it. You can go to the village tomorrow tell them about Conner and his parents. But then you come straight back and we'll continue the trip."
Nakada smiled as she leaned against him, wrapping one arm around the back of his waist and placed her other hand on his chest as she closed her eyes, exhausted. "That sounds good, and Conner can be adopted by a demon or human family that will treat him well."
Yoko looked at her, "Okay I have two things to say about that, but I don't know what to say first," she looked at him and he started, "I thought you said the village was peaceful, but Conner was getting beaten by his parents."
"I couldn't go into everyone's mind," she said in self-defence but he heard her heartbeat go up.
He sighed and looked at her, "Nakada, I thought we promised to be honest with each other," he said moving his hand up and down her arm. She looked at him and looked down, "You spoke with that tiger youkai didn't you?"
She winced as she nodded, "Yes, Reado knows this place better then anyone, and if I need help or one of the team members do or we need some information he will come. But I don't trust you around him."
Yoko winced this time when he remembered his threat to kill Reado, "Nakada," he looked at her not sure what to say. He sighed and smiled, "What did he think of your transformation?"
She laughed a little and held Yoko close, "Do I detect a little bit of jealousy in that voice of yours Yoko?" she looked at him and his eyes were closed and a half smile appeared on his lips as he sweat dropped. She smiled and thought, "Well he wouldn't stop staring at my tail."
Yoko chuckled a little and stared at her tail as well, "Well, you wont stop moving, it even when you're asleep and a tiger is a part of the cat family."
"Are you saying he wanted to play with my tail?" she asked looking at Yoko.
"Well it is such a kawaii tail," he said taking a hold of it and stroking it a little.
Nakada smiled as she felt his hand that was holding her lower and then he stroked her tail. She looked at him, "And what was the other thing you wanted to talk about?" she asked looking at him wanting to get away from the subject of her tail.
He look at her and resumed his hold around her shoulders and looked at Conner as he slept, "I was thinking that…I know we are still trying to get the hang with the twins but, Conner acts like well…you know…" Yoko started to hesitate a little as he looked down at the ground and secretly, Conner was awake listening to the whole conversation hoping Yoko was saying what he wanted him to say.
Nakada looked at Yoko, "I think I do," she said turning his face to her so she could look at his eyes, "You want to adopt Conner don't you?"
Yoko looked at her, "Well he isn't too bad, and he was my age when my parents were taken away from me so I kind of know what it feels like. Nakada he could be of some help with Dianna and Calan and be a great big brother to them."
Nakada looked at him and sighed, "You know what? It is usually me who wants to do something like this…"
"Then you want to do it?" Yoko asked looking at her hopefully and Conner held his breath hopping she would.
She sighed and smiled, "How is it you sucker me into things like this? I just turned sixteen and I feel like I am older then I really am."
"Again does that mean you still want to do this?" he asked.
She laughed a little and nodded, "Only if he wants to be adopted by us."
With that Conner jumped out of his bed and ran over to them hugging them tightly, "Thank you!" he said and they smiled holding him close. He looked up and looked at them, "But please don't let anyone hurt my parents!" he begged.
Yoko looked at him surprised but Nakada answered, "Don't worry, I won't let anyone hurt your parents."
That night while everyone was asleep Conner was having a nightmare. Yoko's ears moved to Conner's direction and he felt Nakada shiver in his arms. He opened his eyes a little and looked behind her and saw Conner tangled in the furs and moving around as if afraid of something, "Nakada," he said and she woke up, "Conner is having a nightmare."
She instantly sat up and looked behind her at Conner. She got up and went over to him holding him close along with Yoko trying to untangle him from the furs, "Conner? Conner honey wake up please," Nakada spoke to him gently.
Conner wouldn't wake up and Yoko looked at her, "Nakada why don't you try singing to him?" she looked at him, "It could hurt."
She held Conner close and thought.
Friar a jaca
Friar a jaca
Dour ma vous
Dour ma vous
Sona mona tena
Sona mona tena
Ding dang dong
Ding dang dong
Friar a jaca
Friar a jaca
Dour ma vous
Dour ma vous
Sona mona tena
Sona mona tena
Ding dang dong
Ding dang dong
(I'm not sure if it is supposed to be a lullaby and I'm not sure if I spelled the words right, but my mother sang this to me to get me to sleep and I have a little teddy bear that sings this song…well has the melody for it.)
Conner calmed down and slowly opened his eyes seeing Yoko and Nakada, tears came down his face as he stood up and held them close. They did the same thing, "Don't worry Conner," Yoko said holding him close. Conner looked at him, "You are going to be all right."
Nakada nodded as she continued to hold Conner, "Yoko and I are not going to let anything bad happen to you."
Conner smiled a little and held them both by wrapping his small arms around their necks, but then he looked up and asked hesitantly, "Can…can I sleep with you two tonight?" he looked up at them and they seemed a little surprised. They looked at each other and then at him smiling as they nodded. The three of them got up and went to the bed with Conner in between both of them and fell asleep.