As sunset began to settle in, so did a few flurries. Zane still had not arrived, he was most likely still working or on his way, and honestly Kai did not mind. He was actually having a good time talking with Jay and Cole. He was learning a lot about yokai culture, especially in regards to the magical tools that yokai had invented, like the communication crystals. The rabbit was a savant when it came to these trinkets. He showed him the items that he had tinkered together, which often amplified the effects of the original devices. He was rather proficient at inventing, but when the human brought that up, the freckled boy told him that he preferred to be at the library every day.

Soon enough, a knock at the door sounded. Jay hopped over to the entrance and allowed Zane in. The feathered yokai looked happy to see everyone getting along, but Kai had to chuckle.

"What is it?" the falcon asked.

"Nothing," Jay grinned. "You just look like you've been covered in powdered sugar." The half-bird looked at himself, and saw that his large black wings were dusted with snowflakes.

"Oh. Yes, there was a little bit of snow on the flight over here. I should step outside," Zane said sheepishly. The bunny shook his head and ushered his friend into the living area. "I don't want to track snow everywhere."

"Nah, don't worry," the shortest yokai replied. "Kai can help you dry that off." The human began to regret sharing the details of how much time he and Zane had spent together, seeing as Jay was making it clear that they needed to strengthen their bond. Nonetheless, he stood and walked off with his companion beside him.

"There're some towels under the guest bathroom sink," Cole called after them, smirking at Kai's expression of embarrassment. They stepped into the washroom and closed the door.

"I didn't know it was gonna start snowing," the human said, pulling out a towel from the cabinet. "Sorry you had to fly in that."

"It's no trouble," the half-bird told him. Kai handed him the cloth and Zane dried off his hair. It was funny to see his usually immaculate hairstyle so fluffed up. Once he was finished, he hesitated for a little bit and left his wings untouched. "I, um... I have a small favor to ask." The hunter wondered what he could possibly need.

"Shoot," Kai responded, leaning against a wall. He could not recall a time over the short time that he had known him that he looked so anxious and flustered. He fiddled with the absorbent fabric in his hands, refusing to meet his eyes and sporting a fair blush on his light skin.

"I... I cannot easily reach the backs of my wings. If you could remove the snow-"

"Of course," the human laughed. "That's no big deal."

"But that's not all," the bird went on. "Every winged yokai has a different time when they... I... The cold temperatures must have started... It's usually a private thing, or Pixal typically helps me with the tougher spots, but it would be much easier if you assisted me with my preening."

"Preening?" Kai queried. The phrase was utterly lost on him.

"It's minimal, I can guarantee you that," Zane sped through his reply, still avoiding his gaze. "All birds do it to maintain their health, and it's the same for yokai. There are a few old feathers that need to be removed. They will have white on them, possibly fuzzier than the rest... Could you please do it?" The request was so innocent. How could he say no?

"Yeah," he said, taking the towel and letting the falcon take a seat. "Do you think you know where they are?"

"Yes, I can direct you to them," his partner muttered as he opened his wings a little bit more. Kai deftly dried the icy speckles, hoping that the wings were not as sensitive as he thought. He completed the first task, and prompted Zane to tell him where the first feather was. "My right wing, near the base. I can feel one ready to come loose." The hunter searched through the black expanse before him, making sure not to accidentally tug on anything unless he was sure that he had found the old feather. Thankfully the white was easily visible against his dark wings. He softly pulled the old feather away and set it aside.

"Did that hurt?" asked the human. Zane shook his head with a slow breath out.

"It's actually quite relaxing," he said. After a few more feathers, Kai swore the falcon was about to fall asleep. Apparently it was just as soothing as he let on. "Darling- er... Kai, if it isn't too much trouble, could you help me do this every so often?"

"Sure," Kai replied, looking through his wings one last time for any feathers Zane may have forgotten in his drowsy state. "I think you're good to go." The beast did not stir, but gave a low hum in response. The hunter grinned just slightly and moved around his wings to kneel in front of him. He pressed his hand gently against his bicep, urging him to move.

"Don't go fallin' asleep on me," he smirked. Zane's eyes drifted half-open, looking at his partner's outstretched hand. He took it and stood, pressing his lips to Kai's cheek. The human was about to protest, but then remembered their deal.

"Thank you," the falcon smiled lazily.

"Uh, no problem," Kai mumbled. In his scramble to move away from those last few seconds, his memories fixed on a certain question that had been bugging him. "Hey. I'm sure you've seen how Cole and Jay act around each other... It that, um, normal for mates?" The yokai blinked, eyes now completely open, before formulating his response.

"A relationship between mates is usually rather romantic, yes," Zane told him, discarding the remains of the preening. "But acts of constant physical love does not have to be a part of it. That is just the way they primarily show their appreciation for each other. Why?"

"It's just... I dunno," the human stumbled through his own words. "How long should it take to get to that level?" He bowed his head, trying not to look completely ignorant. It was not his fault, he was not a yokai, but he still felt like he had to know how this process worked. Zane pulled him into a tight embrace, smiling and chuckling.

"Oh, that is adorable!" the winged boy sighed. "Don't think for a second that you have to rush things. They are just more open with their relationship. If you don't want to be like that, we do not have to be. Every bond takes it's own time to settle in, so don't trouble yourself." Kai let the hug linger for a little while longer in order to satisfy the bird's desire for physical attention, then broke away. He was thankful that he could take all the time he needed to get comfortable with his new life and not receive any pressure.

"Good," the hunter huffed, turning to his bonded partner. "We should probably get back out there." Zane grinned and followed him back out into the living area, where Jay and Cole were plastered up against the windows, murmuring to one another. As soon as the other pair entered the room, the rabbit's ears twitched. The freckled boy swiveled his head towards them, a nervous look on his face.

"Zane, I think you'd better come see this," he said, motioning with his hand towards the glass. Kai stepped up right beside the falcon and let out a puff of breath. The snow had definitely picked up, the flakes now huge and blowing nearly sideways in the dusk light. "Cole and I were talking, and we decided that you both should stay here. We don't want you flying in that." The human snuck a look at the partial bear, who's ears were somewhat flattened at the notion of spending an entire night in his vicinity.

"Are you sure?" Zane asked. "I'd hate to be a burden."

"Of course you can stay!" Jay assured him. Cole nodded and stepped away from the window. The bunny looked at his partner, then the taller yokai nodded and walked down the hall. "He'll set up the guest room while I make some dinner for all of us. How's that sound?"

"Sounds great to me," Kai replied immediately. The bird yokai looked like he wanted to protest, so he made sure to interject. Zane was a nice guy and seemed to enjoy being generous, but he was not about to let him freeze his poor wings off getting them both back to Kyoboku. Jay hopped off into the kitchen, leaving the pair to their own devices. "We'll go back to Kyoboku tomorrow. It'd be easier to only make one trip to get to work, wouldn't it?" The falcon considered this, looking uneasy, but he still nodded.

Lloyd sat in the center of the tent, going over the tracking spell they had cast. There was no time limit, as the spell would last as long as the caster wanted it to, so they could take all the time they needed to find Kai. They had packed their weapons, so if they came across any ill-willing yokai they could fight them off. Although, based on their maps, the direction of the linear trail was headed towards the peaceful portion of yokai territory. Their camp setup was actually very close to the edge of the human lands, and they would cross that threshold in the morning.

Nya had taken a moment to step out into the snow, just to watch the massive flakes fall. However, she stepped back in with an expression of hope. She beckoned with her arm, saying, "Come look!"

"What is it?" Lloyd asked, popping out of the shelter. The huntress pointed up to the sky, and through the shrouding white he could see the trail they were following. "Okay, what's so special about that?"

"Now look over there," Nya told him, dragging her finger through the air until it landed on a second beam. "It looks like whatever took Kai flew down somewhere over there. The light looks brighter than the one we've been following. That's gotta be where he is now." The young sage agreed, taking in the pathway that she had shown him.

"We can find him in the morning," he said, ushering Nya into the tent. "It's too cold to chase him down now."

"But what if that yokai flies off somewhere else?" the huntress pointed out. "If we go now, I'm sure we'll reach him by midnight, if my trajectory is good."

"Nya." The boy opened the entrance wider, gesturing inside with insistence. "It's too cold. The snow will just make it harder to look where we're going, anyway." The girl in front of him opened her mouth to argue, but then let her posture sag a little as she resigned. She knew that he was right, but was so worried for the safety of her brother that she felt the need to contend with him. They slipped back inside and warmed themselves in their sleeping bags.

Sleep came easy for Lloyd, as it always did. Being the prodigy of the sages meant that you would have some sort of prophetic dream every night. His nighttime visions were usually nothing but a few well known landmarks and colorful shapes. He was not yet in tune with his divination skills, as he was still a novice. Eventually he would learn to better himself as he got older, but for now he had to stick with whatever scraps of information he got.

Throughout the night, he kept waking up to make sure that Nya was still there. She had a tendency to be a little head strong when she was concerned for her fellow villagers. Although she typically ended up completing her task, she would often have cuts and other various injuries from her endeavors. For instance, she went out in the middle of the night to find a lost child, and had to face three wolves on her own. She came back with nasty gashes, but she had the little boy tucked in her arms. He was thankful that the first lights of morning came without her leaving.

They ate their breakfast quickly and packed their items, making sure that they had everything they needed before heading out. The snow had stopped, and the aftermath glistened under the pink rays of dawn. After a while of walking, they felt suddenly uneasy. Lloyd took out his compendium and flipped through the pages.

"The barrier between the yokai and human territories," he said, swallowing his fear. "Do you think we're ready?"

"It doesn't matter if we're ready or not," Nya replied, stepping bravely forward. "Kai's out there, and that's all that matters right now." The sage in training nodded his agreement, continuing to trudge through the now unknown territory. They moved in silence, save for the soft crunches that they made as they indented the white expanse. Lloyd looked up into the sky, staring at the trail they were chasing. The closer point was only a few miles away now, and it was definitely easier to make out without the falling snow to block his view.

Wait... Something's different, he thought to himself. Upon closer inspection, the beam of red light appeared to form a v-shape, although it was very thin. His pulse leapt at the realization.

"Nya," he barely spoke. The huntress seemed to hear him, though. She turned her head and raised her brows. "The yokai already left." Nya froze, face flashing between anger and terror. She gazed over at their destination point, and saw the shape as well.

"We have to get there faster," she said, steeling her expression with decisiveness. "That could be it's den, or whoever is there now probably knows where it went." Her pace doubled, and Lloyd had to lengthen his strides to keep up with her speed.

Jay hummed as he put away dishes, a little tune that he had picked up from Cole when he was singing absentmindedly. Zane and Kai had left earlier than they had expected because Pixal had called the falcon for an anomaly that she needed help with, but they still had some time to have a hearty breakfast. Of course, the meal was cooked by the rabbit.

Footsteps approached him, and his ears pivoted towards the noise. He knew his mate was standing behind him, though he could only somewhat tell the distance between them.

"I put the guest room sheets in the laundry," Cole told him. The partial bunny opened another cabinet, placing a serving dish inside.

"Thanks," he replied curtly before returning to the chipper tune. The bear did not move from the spot he was standing in, most likely watching him as he sorted silverware to the rhythm. Jay knew he had a tendency to just stare at the freckled rabbit, and he, in reply, would often make his actions more accentuated. Today, however, he decided to just continue humming the song while occasionally waggling his fluffy tail flirtatiously in off beat increments. His long ears picked up on his soul partner's deep breath in. The taller yokai crossed the room in what sounded like two steps before he felt his strong arms wrap around his upper torso. "Can I help you, Mr. Brookstone?"

"That all depends, Mr. Walker," the bear smirked. "What are your plans for the day? Anything... important that you can shift around?" Jay felt his sharp claws graze just barely over his upper arms, a feather-light touch that sent a shock through his system. He laughed nervously and set the whisk inside the holder for cooking utensils.

"Well, I have to finish these dishes, then I need to go into town to pick up the book I'm reading to the children this weekend, and Skylor said that she needs some help moving into her new restaurant," the smaller boy listed off. "Oh, and I do recall a certain someone who promised his friend he would visit and catch up with him this afternoon."

"Karlof can wait," Cole mumbled, shifting their combined weight from side to side. "I wanna spend some time with you."

"You spend time with me everyday," Jay muttered back, wearing a shy smile. "We live together."

"Well, I wanna spend more time with you." His voice was hardly louder than a whisper. The soothing press of a kiss on his temple nearly began to lull him to sleep. He was being held in such a protective, warm way, and it was certainly early enough to help him drift off. However, Jay knew that he needed to get some things done, and pulled away. Cole whined and tried to keep the shorter yokai in his arms, but the half-bunny just turned around and gingerly took his hand.

"If you want, you can come with me today," he grinned. His mate grumbled and made one last attempt to scoop him up with his free arm, but the freckled boy was too quick for him. "I promise we can do whatever you want when you get home, but I need to get moving." He attempted to pacify the partial bear's disappointment with a light peck, and Cole swiftly followed up on the gesture with a series of little kisses wherever he could reach.

"We have some time before you need to leave," the taller beast pointed out. Jay pressed a finger just lightly into the tip of his nose.

"Errands first, cuddling second," he told the bear. His black-haired companion pouted but obeyed, standing idly by while the half-bunny put the last few dishes in their cupboards. "Y'know what'd really help me?" Jay turned and shot his partner a smile. In response, Cole raised a brow.

"If you could find that little picnic basket- the woven one -that'd be great," said the rabbit. "I'll make some snacks for you and Karlof."

"I can also cook if you want," Cole replied, taking a step closer. Jay gave him a look of mock-horror.

"It's been at least a year since you last saw him, and you wanna kill him?" he gasped. The partial beast folded his arms and growled, causing the smaller yokai to laugh. "Oh, it's okay you big grump." He kissed him once on the cheek and patted his shoulder, although the half-bear did not budge.

"Picnic basket?" he asked, trying to send him on his way, yet he continued to receive a cold stare. "You know I didn't mean it... Right?" Still, Cole did not stir.

"Oh, I really didn't mean it!" Jay tried to assure him. "Don't worry about it, I was just joking! Cole?" The only thing that moved were his eyes, which flickered in the bunny's direction as he moved around, trying to apologize profusely. In a split second, the rabbit yelped as he was snatched off the ground.

"Of course I know you were joking!" Cole laughed. He held Jay up in front of him, smiling devilishly at his partially visible fear. "Y'know, you're really cute when you worry." The rabbit blushed and squirmed, trying to escape the tight hold.

"Lemme go!" he squeaked, attempting in vain to wriggle free. "Cole, we have to go get my book!"

"Gotta pay for that joke, hun bun," he chuckled, strength never fading. "What should be your price?" Although the freckled yokai was not the strongest, he certainly had some resilience. He continued to struggle against the vice that kept him aloft, but made no progress.

"How about a kiss?" Cole finally suggested. "A nice, long kiss." The bunny made one last attempt to break free, then sighed and resigned.

"Okay," he muttered. He leaned forward and let their lips connect in a slow movement. It was obvious that the bear wanted to draw it out, so he let him. When they parted, Cole gave him a wink. "Satisfied?"

"For now," his partner grinned. "I'll go get that basket." The taller yokai walked off with a spring in his step and a cocky smile. Jay watched him leave for a moment, then turned back to the pantry. He sighed happily, knowing that he was the luckiest guy in the world, and grabbed a few ingredients. Living with the bear was sometimes a tiresome task, considering the black-haired boy thoroughly enjoyed teasing and scaring the daylights out of him- it was exceptionally easy because of his skittish rabbit tendencies -but he was still thankful. Whenever Jay felt like he needed a break, Cole would be right next to him, ready to pick up whatever task the half-bunny had undertaken.

In the winter, as it was now, the bear was often more sluggish and tired, prone to crave a nap every once in a while. The smaller boy always tried his best to assure him that it was okay to sleep when he needed it. His mate usually tried to continue his work, however, drifting off until he was dozing at his desk. On those days, Jay would bring Cole a blanket so he could stay warm. Moments like those were the ones he cherished the most, mostly silent yet affectionate gestures that marked a long, happy relationship.

A few knocks at the front door stunned him out of his tender thoughts. He set down the food he had in his hands and stepped into the entryway. He opened the door with a friendly expression, wondering who that could possibly be on the other side.

"Oh!" he yelped, skittering backwards when the head of a spear greeted him. There were two humans in front of him, both holding battle stances and a scowl.

"Don't move, don't say a word," the young woman growled, stepping closer to him with the sharp blade inching towards his face. Jay's heart raced with fear, and he had a gut feeling that if he attempted to scream for Cole's aid he was going to get seriously hurt. The blond boy who was with her sprang forward and dropped his bag, taking out a thick rope and swiftly approaching him. He felt cemented to the spot, paralyzed in shock and terror as his wrists were bound. The girl pulled her weapon back and made him kneel. "Kai Smith was here earlier. Where is he?" The yokai breathed rapidly, trying to form any semblance of thought. He barely heard her over the rush of blood pounding in his ears. The spear wielder aimed the sharp edge at his face again.

"I'm not gonna ask you again," she hissed. "Where is Kai?" His throat was tight, and he hiccuped, unable to think straight.

"They... Th-They left... Hours a-ago, I dunno... Forest?" he tried to reply, barely choking out a whisper.

"Nya, you're scaring him," the human boy pointed out, pressing softly on the arm that held her weapon. The girl, who he now knew was named Nya, only shook her associate off.

"What do you mean, they?" she asked Jay, ignoring the blond completely and adjusting her grip on the staff. "Who's they? Who took Kai?" Jay tried to protect his face with his hands, forgetting that his arms were tied behind his back.

"I... I... I'm sorry," he hardly uttered.

"Lloyd, are there any spells in that book that'll make him talk?" Nya said to her companion. The boy fumbled through the pages of the book he was carrying, looking for something.

"This one'll work, I think," he muttered. "I haven't translated the whole thing though, so I don't know what it'll do." He started chanting something, reading from the tome. After a few verses the rabbit began to feel a sensation in his lungs, as if he was slowly losing breath. He gasped, trying to take in more air. Unable to stop himself, he slumped forward, laying down on his chest and turning his face so that his cheek was pressed to the floor.

"N-No!" he pressed out, finally finding a resolve in his words. "Zane took him back home, I promise... Just stop, I can..."

"Jay, is someone here-" Cole's voice stopped when he saw the scene before him. Jay struggled to breathe, unable to come up with a coherent response. The bear looked mortified, staring at his mate with terror-stricken eyes.

"Cole..." he wheezed, tears beginning to fall from his eyes on their own. The taller yokai's gaze then fell on his attackers, irises dilating into black pits of hatred that he had only seen once or twice before. His fangs were in plain sight, glinting with his threatening snarl.

"There's another one?" Nya wondered aloud, turning her spear's blade towards him. Jay watched him turn his entire body towards the boy, who had stopped mumbling the mantra but was still holding the spell book open. Cole was on him in a flash, claws digging into his arm with a roar as he sent the compendium across the floor. With the enchantment broken, he took deep, gulping breaths, thankful that he was able to breathe properly again. He sat up, watching as Lloyd cried out in pain as he was shoved to the floor. The bear's jaws were only a few inches away from his neck when the human girl's spear came down and slammed back up into his throat, dragging the yokai off of him. Cole did not appear deterred in the slightest, throwing his weight back to crash against Nya. She doubled back, losing her footing but keeping a tight grip on her weapon. However, the way she had slipped caused the wooden staff to come up right in front of the bear's face. He snapped open his jaws and crunched the spear in half. The girl hit the floor with a thud, dropping the two pieces of her weapon in her winded, delirious state.

"Nya!" Lloyd cried as he scrambled for the book. Cole leapt over to him and swept his legs out from under him. The young man fell down, face-first, grunting at the impact. The bear took this opportunity to pierce his claws into Lloyd's shoulder, hoisting him up with one hand like he had done to Kai the day before, but this time drawing shouts of pain from his prey instead of holding him by his collar.

"Why are you here?" the yokai barked. The boy wriggled, shouting as another fresh wave of pain coursed through him, by the looks of it. "Answer me!" The human was nothing more than a doll in his strong grip, so he slammed the poor soul into the floorboards before raising him again.

"Stop!" the blond choked, dazed and bleeding. "We just wanna- agh! We just wanna find Kai!"

"Why?" Cole demanded. The small sage started to sob uncontrollably, trying to wrench his arm out of the shredding hold.

"Hey!" Nya's voice suddenly rang out above the chaos. Cole had forgotten to keep an eye on her. Jay was suddenly yanked back to his feet, the half of the spear with the blade on it hovering near his throat. He felt a new feeling of panic in his gut, watching as the bear let go of Lloyd's body without even looking at the blond. His black eyes were now fixed firmly on Nya and the rabbit who she held against her. "Listen up! My brother was kidnapped and brought here, but now he's gone, and you are gonna tell me where he is! Otherwise, your precious little bunny is gonna get hurt!"

"Jay!" Cole called out in fear, reaching out to him and taking a step forward. In response to his movement, Nya pressed the metal threateningly against Jay's throat. The bear growled, seething rage practically radiating from him. "I'm gonna give you ten seconds to drop my mate."

"Oh, so this is your husband?" the girl said, tipping her head backwards. "Then you should definitely tell me where my brother is. You wouldn't wanna lose him, would you?"

"No, but I'm not about to let you take Kai away, either," Cole snarled in response. "I may not like him, but Zane would never forgive me if I let you get to him. Your countdown starts now. Ten. Nine." Nya did not budge, and Jay was left to look at his options. He could not shift to his fauna form under this much stress, so he could not free himself that way.

"Eight." If he struggled, the blade would just sink into his neck.

"Seven." He could not let anybody die here, human or otherwise.

"Six." He had to do something.

"Five." But what? What could he do?

"Four." Nya shifted a little bit in place, as if second guessing her actions.

"Three." Jay rolled his shoulder, finding that he could move it freely without detection.

"Two." He looked over at Cole, who was readying a stance in front of them.

"One!" he shouted before launching forward. Jay used his shoulder hand to push the wooden rod out of Nya's hand, then jumped in front of her. Cole's feet skidded, and he lost his balance for a moment as he slammed to a halt. His face was hardly two inches from the rabbit yokai's. "Jay, get out of the way!"

"No!" he protested. "You listen!" He looked back at Nya, who's gaze was flickering between the pair in front of her and the half-spear that was now on the floor. Jay kicked it and sent it sliding into the kitchen.

"And you listen!" he snapped towards her and Lloyd. "She said that Kai was kidnapped! She said that he's her brother! Obviously there's a side to the story we're not getting here! Now, you shouldn't have come into our home and tied me up!" He turned his face to both humans, who were staring at him with a surprised expression.

"You certainly shouldn't have tried to kill Cole!" Jay went on. "But I'm willing to look past that. If you can calmly tell us why you wanna find Kai, we'll let you go."

"As if!" Cole shouted. "Brother or not she still almost killed you!" He shot a glance at Nya, hatred gleaming in his dark stare.

"I guess it runs in the family," the bear growled low. The shorter yokai tried to move his hands so he could pull his attention back to him and calm him down, but his wrists were still bound. Instead, he pressed his face forward into the nape of Cole's neck, nuzzling him and pressing as much of his body into him as he could. His presence would hopefully satiate him a little bit, and thankfully it seemed to work just a little. He felt him relax under the touch before he was gathered in his arms. "Jay, we can't just let them leave. What if she's lying?"

"She'll tell us," he assured him, a little muffled. "We'll sit them down and take away their weapons, and I'm sure that you're enough of a threat to make them tell the truth. Okay?" Jay felt his mate's chest stop heaving with every breath, and listened as his ever-present growl dulled to a rumble before it disappeared. He pulled back and looked up into his eyes, seeing that they were back to normal. Cole looked over his features once more, then sighed, giving in.

"Okay," he mumbled, letting him move freely. The bear stepped into the kitchen and grabbed the blade, using the sharp edge to cut Jay free. The rabbit attempted to hide the chafe marks, knowing that they would probably set the taller yokai off again, but Cole still saw them. He took one of his hands and examined the red band on his skin, hurt flashing across his face as he softly intertwined their fingers. "Does it hurt?"

"It doesn't matter," Jay replied, letting go of his partner and walking over to the boy. "Stay here, I'll go get you some bandages."