Part Twenty-six: Kidnapped
Ryan is soon tucked in upstairs and Ani returns to the living room looking absolutely flabbergasted. "What the hell?" he mutters more to himself then anyone, "Why hadn't I figured out that something wasn't right?"
"If he erased your memories, then there really isn't a reason to blame you for not knowing about him," Yoko points out.
"Still, that shouldn't have been an easy task. I am psychic."
"Well, obviously he knew that and took it into account. You can't blame yourself for this, Ani," Karasu tells him, "That will definitely serve no useful purpose here." The smaller demon glares at him. "I mean it, Ani. You aren't to blame."
"I still wish I knew how this happened!" he snaps.
"Of course you do, but don't get yourself all upset over it," Kuwabara cuts in, "Yoko and Karasu are right, it's not your fault."
"I don't know that!"
Kuwabara sighs. He can understand Ani's irritation at the situation because honestly, he is still flabbergasted that the smaller demon had a son with Sakyo. 'Why do I think that rape was somehow involved,' the carrot-top thinks to himself, 'Maybe it's best that Ani DOESN'T remember.'
Oto is quietly sitting on the couch in just as much shock. How the hell did Sakyo manage to pull this off without any of them knowing? Well, actually it wouldn't have been that hard because he spent most of the time training and hadn't seen much of his brother except for that episode with Tarukane but in all honesty, he wasn't paying much attention to the state his brother was in. 'He must have been about three months along since that was six months before the tournament…how much DID I ignore my brother?' he wonders. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Kuwabara pull the smaller demon into his arms. Ani rests his head on his shoulder and closes his eyes. 'At least Kuwabara seems to be taking this well.' Had the carrot-top reacted badly to the news even though Oto could understand his reasons, he still would have ended up smacked around the room.
A few hours later, Ryan creeps back into the room. "Hello, little man,"
Ani says from the armrest on the couch. The child's golden eyes light up and he walks over, a bit wobbly. Ani reaches down and pulls him up onto his lap. "Enjoy your rest?"
"Mmmhmm," Ryan answers. Ani smiles. The child was just too cute!
He gently ruffles the child's hair. "Why didn' you come sooner?" Ryan asks suddenly, "Didn't you want me?"
"It's complicated, sweetheart. Of course I want you!"
"Then why didn' you come get me?"
Ani doesn't know how to answer him. He has no idea how one told a young child that they had their memories modified. "A bad person made him forget about you," Kuwabara says softly, "Had he known, he would have immediately come and gotten you."
Ryan looks at Kuwabara. "A bad man?"
"Your father. He wasn't nice. He made your mommy forget that he had a little boy. It's not his fault."
Ryan hugs Ani tightly. "I's sorry. I didn' know."
"It's alright. You're here now and that's all that matters," Ani whispers cradling the smaller body to his. Ryan snuggles into his lap and rests his head on his shoulder. Ani closes his eyes wishing he knew what had happened between him and Sakyo that resulted in the sweet child he was currently cradling.
Night falls all too soon and the house goes silent and dark. Once the moon is hidden behind dark clouds does a shadowy figure creep onto the property. It is not long before another joins the first. Both make their way to the house and silently leap to the third story balcony. Peering in, they find their targets nestled together on the bed. Years of being thieves should have alerted them to the danger almost immediately but both are too exhausted from taking care of their children and never even notice when they are separated and taken from the room. The cloaked figures vanish with their targets into the night.
Karasu is woken up by incessant wailing. Groggily, the violet-eyed demon stumbles out of his door and to the room right next to his. Usually, Kurama or Kuronue got up and dealt with the three children. Karasu finds it odd that they haven't this morning. When he enters and finds the room empty of the two thieves, he gets worried especially when he notices the opened window. He first feeds Amarlie, Tiara, and Velaris before bringing them down the hall. He goes to Oto's room first and rouses the burly demon. "Oto, we have a problem," he says shaking him. Oto's brown eyes blink open and he looks up at him.
"What is it?" the demon asks groggily.
"Kuronue and Yoko are gone and the window is open," Karasu answers. That definitely gets Oto up. He heads out the door and Karasu follows. They stop in the doorway of the room Karasu had been in only moments before.
"Great. It must have been that damned fox-demon. Well, there isn't anything we can do at the moment other than watch these three. We don't even know where to start looking for them."
"I'll take care of them," Karasu says almost before he can stop himself. Oto looks at him with a raised eyebrow and Karasu can't hide the blush.
"Uh huh," is all he says before shuffling back to his room. Karasu knows that he's given him permission and carries the bassinet back to his room. The three babies are back asleep. 'If you hurt either of them, bastard, I will kill you,' Karasu thinks venomously, 'I will NOT let anyone hurt them!' When he realizes that he thought of Kuronue in the same regards he held Kurama, it startles him. 'Great, why don'tI fall for BOTH of them?' He sighs and just hopes that both of them are all okay because he's not sure if he'll be able to handle it if either of them is hurt.