Suzume said the last of her thanks as the last of the castle people moved away from her. They would stand nearby, wanting to bid the entire group farewell. She saw Haru and a wave of relief swept over her, obviously. She met him part way and unloaded some of the things on him with a look of thanks and apology.

"They wanted to thank us," she explained. "I think there's enough food here to last us a week. And clothes, too. For everyone." She set the rest of the stuff on the ground. "I don't know how we're supposed to carry it all," she said, though she was far from ungrateful. "Oh!" She remembered the snake around her neck.

"He's so still and gentle," she said. "I'd nearly forgotten I had him." She smiled and removed the snake from her shoulders, offering him to Haru. "I suppose you'll want him back then," she chuckled, knowing it had sounded like she'd rather keep him. It was true.

Then she realized something, and being that she wore her emotions on her sleeve, her smiles faded. "Aren't you coming with us, Haru? To see the monk?" She knew it wasn't right of her to ask him to go. Any who traveled with her put themselves in danger, and for all she knew, he had other things to do, places to be, people to meet. Still, she would be sad to see him go if he had to.

Haru did not mind having the stuff unloaded onto him. He was glad to help her, though he was curious to ask about where they would be heading off. He was aware of the tiger's presence now from one of the trees, though he said nothing . She answered him about where they were going, her look sadening a bit as she asked if he would be accompanying them. He smiled, nodding slightly. "That was actually what I wished to speak to you about, though it seems you have spoken it first" he says, "I do not mind accompanying you for awhile if I might be of service to you....I have no desire for the shards, so I will merely help to protect them and you." He did not care if the tiger overherd him or not, speaking his words to the other. He was honest, he himself had no need for the shards, not even if to wish this thing inside of him away...It on the other hand might wish for the opposite.

Hex looked at the female as she spoke, looking like he was about to say some nasty remark before Chi spoke up. "I..I don't think so" he looked down, messing with his fork. Hex looked down at him and rolled his eyes, for once remaining silent as he streatched across the table to get some water to drink for Chi. Chi was a bit thankful he had not spoken, he might have been rough, though he knew when to quit at times....though not always. Chi took the water given to him, taking a small sip.

Suzume smiled again. "Thanks Haru," she said. She wondered if there was ever any way to repay these people who had once been strangers for helping her to piece the Ginzu back together. Haru didn't need the pieces, but would help her, as would Raven and Kitaru, even Hikari, who she didn't know at this time had the best intentions.

She knew how to repay them. By ridding the world of its evil. "I'm so surprised," she finally said, "to be honest. So many different people working together for something good." She seemed in deep thought for a moment. "Even Kitaru. He wasn't as nice at first as he is now you know? At first he wanted the take the pieces that I have of the Ginzuishou, but now even he's changed for the better."

Suzume realized that even though she'd tried to give Haru his companion back, she'd loaded him down with things that would make taking the snake impossible. She realized she was still holding it out in front of her and laughed. "Right," she said, before placing the creature upon her shoulder once again. "He's friendlier than snakes I've heard of," she said giving him a finger pet on the top of his head.

Hikari glanced up and flashed a grateful smile. She hadn't expected anyone to answer her, especially not Chi, but she was happy he did. At least now she knew she wasn't the only one who thought that way. Finishing what was on her plate, she sat back for a second and thought. "It's probably just about time to get going. Personally, I can't wait to be out in the forest again...I never did like castles." She said quietly, remembering how she and her father had always stayed close to the trees.

Haru for the moment said nothing about the tiger. If he was listening and his intentions were not as pure as they seemed or this female hoped, he hoped it sunk in or at least made him think. The snake closed its eyes, flicking its tongue slightly at the pet to its head. Haru smiled a bit as well, a very slight part of it reall. "He will not harm you, nor is he evil...he is a good asset to have, you should hold onto him" he moved past her a bit, to sit the objects he had been handed down for now while they waited for the others to come. Haru was already ready to go, he did not need much to survive, being a trained ninja.

He was raised to live off of the land, as well as use it to his advantage. With his abilities and the demon, it made it a bit easier and a bit trickier at the same time. He looked back at the female, as the snake slid back to coil around her neck like a necklace. It would keep an eye on her, and keep her safe. It would allow him to be there with her in a sense, even if he was not. No one knew of his ability to see through his creations, or even that the snake was one of them at the moment. He was in no hurry to tell them this either. For now, it was his secret.

Chi had finished what he desired of his food as well, standing. Hex streatched, feeling refreshed and energetic for now. He was planning on having some fun with the others, since he was stuck with them due to Chi's deal. He glanced at the female, as Chi moved over to her. He lightly leaned over, offering her his hand to help her up and a small smile. Hex shook his head.*Idiot, do you really think this is a good idea? Snuggling up to the enemy?* he asked through their link. Being a part of him, their minds were separate and yet the same, giving them a sort of telepathic bond. Just like when Hex was inside of him, he could hear what he was thinking, and vice versa.

*Does it have to be like that?* Chi asked, looking down a bit as he waited for the other to make her move. *You really think any of them except maybe this bimbo gives a damn about you?* *Don't call her that!* Chi thought loudly. Hex laughed out loud a bit *aw, Chi boy has a girlfriend~* "She's not my girlfriend!" Chi shouted, clenching his hands. He froze, realizing he had said that out loud. His hands snapped over his mouth, as Hex bursted into laughter. Turning, Chi ran from the room, his eyes closing tightly as he did. Tears formed in them, as Hex's laughter followed his every step.

Raven had been on his way back to the dining hall, when the shout was heard about someone not being someone else's girlfriend. He tilted his head a bit, as moments later. the door was thrown open, and the boy from before ran out. The large black mass on his back laughing histerically. What...had he missed? He wondered what was going on, the other seemed horrified and upset. "Hey" he called, though it seemed to do little effect, the other was soon out of sight heading towards the courtyard. He sighed a bit, turning to look at the door to the dining hall a bit.

Had something big happened? One way to find out, he stepped to the door, peeking around it a bit, noticing the fox girl inside. Was she the 'she' that had been ment as to not being someone's girlfriend? He did not know, though he was unsure if he should bluntly ask. He needed to play this carefully, since it seemed to have just blown up. He gave a light knock, before stepping inside of the room and slowly walking over. "Is everything alright?" he asked her, picking his words out carefully. He would not force her, if she did not wish to speak about it.

Chi ran, and ran, and ran. Hex laughing all the way, as he bursted through the doors into the courtyard. He knew the others were out here, even that jerk of a tiger. He could smell their blood, even with tears clouding his eyes. He ran across the space, untill he found what he was looking for. Suzume. He grabbed onto the back of her shirt, moving behind her and hiding his face in her back as he cried. Hex leaned back in a way that would have normally broken a normal back in laughter, though being a demon and a mass of blood, he had no spine to break. He found this all priceless, and Chi could feel it.

He felt embarassed, his body shaking as it all replayed through his mind again and again. He felt so stupid! How could he have said something like that in front of her! She was going to hate him now, he would never be able to show his face to her again. Hex laughing at him was not helping either, it made him feel horrible. This was all his fault! This was all Hex's fault. He wished he wasn't there! Hex froze, his laughter stopping. He looked down at Chi. "You don't mean that" he said. "Yes I do!" Chi spoke, though it was muffled by his face being hidden. Hex glared, "well I don't wanna be here anyway!" with that he pulled back inside Chi, falling silent in the other's head.

Haru was a bit caught off guard to turn around to the other male coming out and grabbing onto Suzume. He seemed to be crying, the black man like thing sticking out of him laughing. He felt a bit bad, which made him pause. He felt something? Even if it was more of a glimor. Seemed his emotions were not fully gone when around these people. He herd the black mass stop laughing, then the two exchanged words. Where had that come from? Before anything could be said, the black thing was vanishing into the boy, who hid his face in the female's back. That had been...interesting.

Hikari smiled and reached up to take Chi's hand, letting him pull her up. "Thank you." She said, but he didn't seem to be listening. Was Hex talking to him? Hikari couldn't tell. It only became apparent when Chi burst out that she was not his girlfriend. Hikari blinked, wondering where that had come from, as Chi ran crying from the room. And now Hikari was crying, staring after him with no idea what had happened. It was then that the bird man walked in, and asked if everything was okay. The fox girl shook her head slowly. "No. Nothing is alright. No one trusts anyone else except Suzume-chan, and Chi-kun is the first real friend I ever had, but Hex makes it so difficult, and now Chi-kun is upset and I don't know what happened or how to fix it, and for some reason my stupid feelings are hurt because Chi-kun said I wasn't his girlfriend, even though I'm not so I don't know why that would hurt my feelings at all except that maybe I'm just a stupid naive girl, and now Chi-kun and I are linked by blood and I don't know how that will effect either of us..." She babbled on, sobbing as she did. She didn't know why, but this avian seemed incredibly easy to talk to, and she found herself spilling her thoughts to him despite not knowing him.

Raven crossed the room, the girl seeming to be more then distraught. He pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her and allowing her to cry and tell him what she wished. He listened without a word or interruption, letting her get it out. So the other's name who had run out of here was Chi? And the other thing Hex? He could not be sure, though it was a tad helpful. He gently stroked her head and her hair, lifting her face, before retrieving a cloth napkin for her to wipe her eyes. "It seems you care about this boy very much, perhaps a little jealous of Suzume as well" he said, "it is nothing to be ashamed of, or upset over...natural feelings of wanting acceptance and for others to be happy are a part of life."

He gave her a warm smile, "you are connected to him hmm? Then should that not make you happy? You share a bond with this boy that it seems the others do not, if you are friends then should you not try and talk to him? I am sure this can be worked out in time, though it may take a little work" he strokes her cheek. "He seemed worked up when he ran from here, it is easy to see he cares about you as well, perhaps he is just frightened or worried now after such an outburst" he thought back to seeing the other run from the room. "If it bothers you what he said, speak to him, friendship and those you care about are to precious to lose over something that can be resolved simply" he released her a bit, taking her hand. "Come, the others and I am sure this boy, are waiting. We will go together, you can talk to him when you are ready" he smiled once more, "I will be by your side the entire time if you need me."

Kitaru had been thinking, half listening to Suzume's conversation down below, but mostly thinking. Still, thinking seemed to be getting him no where. His mind chased itself round and round in circles until he felt like throwing himself from that tree branch. He did jump slightly when Chi suddenly burst out of the castle in a frenzy of emotion, Kitaru's position on that tree branch changed. From sitting comfortably, to a crouch. Fingers gripping that branch tightly, and he looked very ready to spring from it and to the ground in less than a moment's notice. He was very alert now, wary even.

A growl left him at the way Chi clung to the back of Suzume's clothing and hid his face, and though he wanted to jump down there and shout at the boy until he let go of Suzume, Kitaru remained on the tree branch. Slowly though, he crept further out, on hands and feet, that tail poised for balance. He stopped just before the branch thinned too much to support his weight, and crouched there. Cat like eyes watching intently at the scene below him. Body tense, ears straight up and pointed towards them, to try and hear everything being said.

It was that possessive jealousy that had made him want to jump down and scream at Chi or maybe even hit him. It was because of that jealousy that Kitaru remained on the tree branch. He was trying to stamp it into nonexistance, but so far it wasn't working. He was a demon, and humans were cruel. Even if Suzume was kind, and saw the good in everyone, even in him. He shouldn't be jealous of the attention others gave her. He shouldn't! Kitaru needed to find a solution to this problem. Perhaps, if would be best to wish Suzume away with all the other humans, once he got the Maboroshi. At least then she couldn't distract him like this.

Though how was he supposed to deal with such emotions until he got his hands on the Maboroshi? Perhaps Raven could prove a better distraction? He shook that head furiously, wondering where that thought had come from...Though it wasn't much of a wonder. Hand lifted, and fingers moved to brush against his lips lightly. What had that meant? His tail twitched slightly, that hand lowering and he shook his head again. Something inside of him was telling him that he didn't really want to get rid of Suzume at all.

He inhaled deeply, still trying to calm that possessive jealousy that made him want to act violent, it took a few deep breathes until he felt he finally had it under control. Kitaru consider jumping down, but again thought better of it. He didn't trust himself, he knew he would do something violent or just start yelling. Even though he wasn't overly fond of Chi, the boy looked upset enough already. Kitaru chewed his bottom lip, his body poised, still uncertain. Wanting to jump down, but restraining himself.

She smiled still. "I'll take good of care of him then," Suzume said to Haru. She was facing the ninja with her back to the castle and was unaware of Chi's approaching until he had his face buried in her kimono. "Oh!" she exclaimed at the surprise. When she turned her head to try and see him, she was more or less met with Hex who'd said Chi didn't mean something that he had said.

Chi said that he did, and Hex retreaded. Suzume blinked owlishly for a moment. Was Chi crying? What had happened? She moved so that Chi was no longer at her back, but in front of her and wrapped her arms around him. She never thought twice about it. It was instinct. The part of Suzume that cared for others and valued them above herself. She wanted to comfort him, at least.

Suzume held Chi tenderly. Like a mother might hold a distraught child, as she would have with anyone in the same situation. "It'll be okay Chi," she said. Though she didn't know what had happened, she was still very confident that her own words were true. Something caught her eye and she looked to the nearby trees to see Kitaru crouching on a branch. Did he have something to do with this?

She frowned at him. Kitaru was too mean to Chi, it must have been his fault. She returned her attention to Chi giving him a little squeeze. She wanted to say something, anything that would reassure him. But she didn't want him to feel like she felt sorry for him or anything. She knew he didn't like that. Besides, she didn't feel sorry for him. She only cared for him, like all of her friends, and while he was hurting, she was hurting.

She wanted to tell him that he was safe here, that she would help him through whatever he was going through... things she thought he needed to hear, but that might make him feel worse at the moment. So she said nothing. She just held him there. Sometimes that was reassurance enough. She wondered where Hikari was. She thought her and Chi had grown fond of each other. Perhaps Hikari could help to make Chi feel better.

(so short x.x sorry)

Haru remained silent a bit, comforting in these situations was not really his best suit. He had no right to really. "I will give you two a moment.." with that he stepped aside, moving away to the tree where the foolish tiger sat. He leaned against the trunk, crossing his arms. He glanced up at the other for a moment, though he said nothing to him. He had been discovered by the female, who seemed to want to help but not know what to do about the upset male either. What had happened? It hadn't been the tiger this time, he had been spying for awhile before the other came out. So who?

Chi rubbed his eyes a bit. "These tears....I don't know what to do with them" he says swallowing. He was not used to crying, he hadn't in awhile. It was considered weak were he came from, now here he was crying. He could feel Hex, though the other had cut himself off from Chi now. He was upset and now fighting with the other. Over calling the female fox demon not his girlfriend. He slowly stopped crying, wiping his eyes on his sleeve. He sniffed a bit, looking up at the woman before him. His eyes sad and a tad puffy from crying, his hair hanging in his face. He wraps his arms around her in a hug, not wanting to let go of her at all.

Kitaru's entire body twitched, as if he were about to jump but stopped himself suddenly from that motion. It happened when Suzume turned around and wrapped her arms around Chi. It was so hard, keeping himself up here, it seemed to go against his very confrontational and brash nature. That possessive jealousy was only getting worse the more time he spent doing nothing about it as well. It was so hard. Those ears twitched, but mostly stayed pointed towards Suzume and Chi. His eyes had narrowed, and when Haru moved, he watched the other approach his tree and lean against it.

The other male seemed at a loss for what to do, when that gaze returned to Suzume, she was looking at him. Frowning at him, and that look seemed almost accusatory. He growled softly. What was she accusing him of? Did she just assume he had made Chi upset, or was it something else? His tail twitched lightly, and his whole body twitched again, sharp fingernails digging into the bark of the tree branch. As if that would keep him from leaping down and acting like...well like himself.

He shifted on that branch, backing up slightly, and then he leaped off of it lightly. Kitaru landed in a crouch not to far away from Haru, his eyes still on Suzume. That body tense, it was even harder now, on the ground to keep from going over there. He had to though. Didn't he? Why? Because he was a demon and she was human, so who she got close to or physical with shouldn't even matter to him, or affect his mental state at all. But it did. Somehow it did. Slowly he stood, turning his back to the others and moving closer to Haru.

Once there, he sat down at Haru's feet, with his back against the other's legs. A sour look on Kitaru's face, and his arms crossed across his chest. His tail had lightly half curled around one of Haru's ankles. Of course if Haru moved, his tail would slip free, he wasn't trying to contain the other or trip him. Though that might be amusing. That sour look still on his face, he tilted his head up to look at Haru. "You don't think he'll hurt her? Shouldn't I go stop that...that...cuddling? I don't like it at all...If he hurts her..I'll rip him apart. And. And he shouldn't even be touching her!" He had started to growl softly. It was probably clear, just by looking at Kitaru's face that he was torn and putting in a lot of effort to not go rip Suzume and Chi apart.

He probably should have put that same effort into not confronting Haru earlier over nothing. His arms uncrossed from his chest, and his hands moved to grip at the ground and grass and soil on either side of him. As if holding to the earth would keep him from bolting over there. Kitaru looked as if he might jump up at any moment and go confront the two.

"Jealous?" Haru mused slightly, not moving as the other came down and sat against him. He was not afraid of him, nor threatened. As the other seemed so torn between what to do, it was slightly ammusing. "Not everyone is out to get her or you with every move they make" he says, his eyes on the other two. A light breeze flowed through the courtyard, causing him to close his eyes and enjoy it for a moment. "You can not constantly threaten people who come within five feet of her, or tear her away from everyone she talks to and touches. All you will succeed in doing is driving her away, and yourself insane such as earlier" he looked down at him.

"Your temper is going to be the death of you if you are not careful..." he lightly brushes a few strands of hair from his eyes. "You accomplish much more when approaching people and situations calmly. Think before you act...though in your case that might not help" he says simply. The other seemed prone to agressive thoughts and thinking everyone was evil, possibly just like him. He nudged him lightly with his foot, though not to knock him over or anything. "Why do you not merely go over and ASK what is wrong instead of assuming. Understand the situation and obtain the facts before you jump to conclusions...you are not always right" he closed his eyes again, relaxing against the tree and enjoying the breeze.

Suzume pulled Chi away from her. She gave him a friendly, reassuring smile, then took her own sleeve to wipe his tears away. "You know what?" she said, "I'll always be here to do that for you, as long as you stick around anyway. It's okay to cry Chi." Hikari would be there for him too, though Suzume didn't want to make a promise on her behalf like that. She pushed his hair out of his face now.

"My aunt told me once that tears weren't a sign of weakness, but that they were a sign that one had tried too hard for too long to be strong." She shrugged with another smile. "Plus, sometimes it just feels good to cry. You feel better when you're done. Maybe its your body's natural way of cleansing itself of the sadness and the fear that you would otherwise hide."

Suzume didn't mean Chi exactly, but just people in general. She laughed now and took Chi's hand. "We have some time before the others are supposed to be here. Lets walk; I always walk when I need to think and clear my head." Though Suzume was naive, she wasn't stupid, and she wasn't immune to feelings and sadness. She knew those things, too.

She tugged him towards the exit of the castle walls telling the castle people they would be right back. Once outside the walls with the doors closed behind them, Suzume would release his hand, giving him the option of leaving if he'd rather have done that than walk with her. But she really wanted Chi to talk to her, open up to her even, though she wouldn't push it. She was glad that Hex wasn't around. It was hard for her to be around Chi with Hex around.

Suzume still had her pack over her shoulder with her katana inside as well as the single piece of the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou, though she'd left the gifts from the villiagers in the courtyard for now. The snake was rested around her neck as was the amulet that Raven had trusted her with, and her partly pulled back hair flitted in the light breeze of the slowly warming morning.

There was a path leading away from the castle towards the bottom of the mountain and two other paths leading away from each other towards other parts of the mountain. Suzume didn't have a path in mind. If Chi wanted to walk with her, she would give him the space to choose where he wanted to go and she would follow him.

Chi let himself be led outside of the gates, her words on his mind, though right now they made little sense or difference to him. When she let go of his hand, it remained where it was in the air for the moment and looked at it then her. Many times had this happened, people letting go of him, leaving, vanishing. His eyes started to blur a bit with tears again and he closed them tightly. He wouldn't cry. He wouldn't cry. He rubbed his eyes a bit.

He opened his eyes, to see her sitting there. He did not know what to do now. He was so used to being led and having everything chosen for him most of the time by Hex. Having the power to choose, to make his own desicion about what to do and where to go was an odd feeling. All he wanted to do was hold onto her, taking her hand into his once more. Even though he was seventeen, close to being an adult, he was a bit of a child at heart. He had never had a childhood really. He had much of a life at all. Sighing a bit, he held onto her arm and her hand a bit, just needing the comfort of someone there.

Suzume squeezed Chi's hand when he grabbed onto hers again. He was a sweet boy. It kind of upset her the way Kitaru talked to him. Chi seemed so innocent. Though he may not have been, Suzume would believe what she wanted to believe. She began to walk down the path towards the bottom of the mountain, not because she planned on getting to the bottom, just to walk and not spend forever trying to choose a path.

If she'd ever had a sibling, she figured this is what it would feel like to bond with them and be there for them. Suzume didn't want to push Chi into talking about anything if he didn't want to. But she was awfully curious about him. She just walked for a couple of minutes in silence, letting Chi calm down and enjoy the peace and quiet and nature like she was.

Finally, when she thought he may be feeling better, she spoke again. "How did you and Hex become, you know, one? You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. I'm just really curious. I've never met anyone like any of the people in our group before a couple of days ago. You're all so, different from me, and from each other." She realized she'd begun to ramble and brought herself back to the question.

"Do you like him? I mean, are you happy to have him or would you prefer him gone? It just seems like he treats you pretty poorly. What is his purpose?" She was rambling off questions again. When she realized she was digging pretty deep, she just stopped talking. She didn't want to upset him and if he wanted her to shut up, she didn't want to force him to say so. She reached up without even realizing she'd done it to stroke the snake around her neck.

Even as the footsteps of the human female were heard making their way toward the exit of his room, Niya hadn't turned his head over to look at her for even one last time before she would leave the room. The last words that had been given to him were that of meeting the rest of the group in the courtyard when they were already to get going. Obviously enough, even though he had not responded to that, he was well aware of what she had said. Slowly enough, the blind male had helped himself up to his feet as he stood by the window for only a moment to try and let his body regain it's energy since he had only just recently eaten breakfast. Once standing up to his feet, at the very moment his body was fully straightened out he had immediately began to feel wobbly within his ankles for another second or two.

Allowing himself to lean against the wall next to the window before he fell to the floor again, Niya stayed resting against the wall for another moment or so as he finally was able to walk normally once again. A low relieved sigh escaped from his lips as he tested out his arms and hands by clenching them slightly to see if he was still in any pain whatsoever. Thankfully enough, he wasn't in any pain at all, his body had regained much energy to the point that it felt as though he had never even gone through that battle with the large male from yesterday. It was time to move on once again.

Ripping off a piece of cloth from the white blanket that had been given to him by the servants when Niya was put into bed rest for his coughing. He wrapped it around his eyes once more before making his way over toward the exit of the room. Making sure to pick up his blade before he had left, the blind male had holstered the sheath and blade itself behind him before stepping out of the room. The sounds of footsteps from the other servants still wandering the halls was easily noticed but had to do of no importance to Niya. Rather, he simply made his way down the right hallway only to remain silent to each and everyone of the servants that had even tried to speak to him. Rather then even stopping to allow them to finish speaking with him, the blind male would always just walk pass each of them.

It had only taken him a matter of minutes to finally reach an exit to the interior of the large castle. With the door sliding open, the sounds of the birds chirping and sunlight shining against his body had become much more clear to him. This was no doubt the courtyard, he was expected wait here for the rest of the group to approach so that they would all be able to begin their travels together. Since Niya had agreed to join the group after speaking with Suzume, he would wait for the rest of them group before continuing on anywhere. However, it didn't mean he had to wait exactly there in that one spot. Rather, the blind male had decided to make his way over toward the exit of the courtyard that would lead them all into the same direction anyway. Dropping himself to the floor, Niya had crossed his legs and simply began to listen to the peaceful sounds of the birds chirping, wind blowing and the warm sunshine pressing against his skin.

Chi stared down at the ground as they walked in silence for a little while. He takes a small breath, closing his eyes just a bit. When the woman started asking questions, he listened to them, taking them all in. There were so many of them. She seemed very interested in Hex, in their relationship and them in general. He takes a bit of a breath, looking at her. His eyes still a bit sad, looking away after a moment. "I....he....we..." he didn't know where to begin, all of her questions were beginning to make his head spin. He swallows a little bit, the memories floating back to him a little bit. "Well...I was really little....I was crying all alone" he says, thinking back a bit. "In the forest, cause momma was angry with me for not killing the little bunny at practice.....I didn't want to kill it....to hurt it....it was so small and fluffy...So she called me worthless and told me to get out of her sight, until I was able to kill it" he says honestly. He had nothing to hide, though no one had ever showed much intrest in him or his history growing up at all. "I was really upset..." he paused for a moment, looking up at her.

((Hey, Wolfie knows that story! lol))

Hikari shook her head. "Oh, no, I'm not jealous of Suzume-chan! She's my friend, too. What I meant was that she's the only one of us who can trust anyone else." She said, to clarify. She couldn't imagine having any negative feelings towards Suzume. Then the avian was taking her hand, talking to her, and for some reason she blushed. He mentioned that since she had a special bond with Chi, she should be able to talk to him. She nodded. "What you're saying...makes a lot of sense. You seem to have a way of calming people. Oh! I'm sorry, I've been so rude. My name is Hikari." She said, sniffling as he led her outside. "May I ask...sorry, you seem so familiar. My father used to tell me a story sometimes about a peaceful race of avians. I can't remember what they were called, but he told how they acted and how there was a battle...could you be...are you, perhaps, one of those people?" She asked, trying to calm her nerves and collect herself before they met up with the others.

(only the part of the mom wanting him to kill a bunny should be familiar. The rest is origional and new.)

"I am something like that" he chuckled, looking at the female for a moment. "There is no harm in wishing to be the same or different as someone else..in certain ways. We all have things we like about ourselves, as well as things we would like to change" he looked up at the sky as they stepped out into the courtyard. The sun on him felt good, closing his eyes, he enjoyed the feeling of it on him. He then looked off towards the gates, noticing the tiger and Haru were against a tree. The male and the woman had just stepped outside of the gates and they were closed behind them. "Ah, I see...seems we are a bit late, though I am sure they will return soon enough.

It will allow you to get your thoughts and feelings in order, decide what you wish to say when they return" he smiles warmly at the female, attemting to keep thoughs about confronting the tiger man out of his head. He doubted he wanted to see him for the moment, or that he wished for him to say anything about what had happened before. It would be better if he kept his distance for now, let the other come to him when he was ready. He would not rush or push him, he was merely here for help and guidance as he could. He would stay close enough though if needed, for their agreement still stood. The other had not dissmissed him, so here he would remain.

Hikari reflected on the avian's words as they reached the courtyard. When she saw that Chi wasn't there, her heart ached a little. Had he run away for good? But Raven said something about them coming back, and she realized that he must be walking with Suzume. That relieved her a little, so she approached the others and stood there, awkwardly. "Hey..." She said, going to stand next to Haru. She was still curious about him, having sense early on that there was some manner of fox demon within him. She wanted to ask, but she just wasn't sure what to say without sounding rude. Hikari hated to be intrusive, but her curiosity wouldn't let the matter rest. So she decided to simply strike up a conversation. Perhaps they could be friends, too. "So...do you draw often, or just when you need to? I mean...that is, um...well, I saw your snake, and I thought it was really good..." She trailed off, aware that she sounded like an idiot. Chi-kun, where are you...? She thought.

Kitaru flinched slightly when Haru mentioned him being jealous. He was ready to deny it up and down, even though he was jealous. He let the other speak, frowning deeply. [B]"Someone might hurt her, the closer they are, the easier it would be."[/b He spoke the words quietly, shaking his head slightly. Of course his explosive temper would be the death of him one day, maybe. He fought hard to stay alive his whole live, so maybe not. When Haru said he should go over and ask them, Kitaru blinked. "Why would they tell me anything anyway?" Asking questions. Pfft. That was dumb.

His ears twitched, and then Suzume and Chi were leaving. Those eyes widened slightly, and he was on his feet in moments. What if Chi and Hex were leading her off somewhere to off her and take her shards? He was growling, a low menacing noise in his throat and those eyes were narrowed. Kitaru hadn't even noticed when Raven and Hikari entered the courtyard, he barely even noticed it when Hikari came over and started talking to Haru. Those ears twitched, that tail moving in agitation behind him.

Kitaru's body was tense, and he was getting angry again. Were Suzume and Chi trying to leave everyone behind? Kitaru didn't care if the others got left behind, but they certainly weren't leaving him behind..and Raven. The tiger blinked, eyes jumping to Raven for a moment, and then Hikari when her words finally registered in his ears, though she hadn't spoken to him. Finally he wondered why he was hesitating so long.

He was still growling and finally he began to move. Unless stopped, Kitaru would make his way towards the gates that had closed behind Suzume and Chi. Certain that either Chi was leading her into a trap, or that Suzume was leaving them all behind. So much for her kindness, and that thought seemed to make him more angry than the fact that Chi might be trying to do something bad to her.

Haru glanced at the female as she stepped over. She seemed to find this awkward and not sure of herself at all. So she had noticed a bit of the snake hmm? Though he doubted she really knew completly what it was or how it came to be. "I create whenever I feel the desire" he says, glancing in the tiger's direction. He sighed, "excuse me for one moment." He went over, blocking the other's path "not everyone is a liar or evil, simply ask without this attitude of yours and you might get your answer. As for rushing off like this, you can not follow her everywhere either. She needs her space, as well as they seem to desire to be alone. That is not for you to interfere with or decide for her. Spying or charging after them would make things very bad for you" he says, not letting him pass. His eyes on his, he was not going to let the other go rushing off to make a fool of himself again. "They will return, you need to be patient" he says slowly.

Raven sighed, watching from afar as the tiger man went to run off after the woman once more. His jealousy and crush it seemed was beginning to turn into tad more of an obsession. The more he allowed it, the more it would drive him insane. He slowly stepped over, he overheard part of their conversation. "She has my Shinzō-seki, if she is in need of assistance, she will call" he says, before stepping away over towards the pond. He had a few thoughts of his own to think over, as well as giving the other the space he seemed to require at the moment. He closed his eyes, taking a bit of a breath. His talon hand reached up, gently pressing a claw at the center of his faceplate. He took a deeper breath, allowing himself to relax a bit.

Haru listened to Raven, nodding slightly, though he still needed to aquire his name. "She also hase Hebi with her...she will be fine and able to contact us if we are needed. As for Chi he is merely upset, he will not harm her and you must stop with this thinking of everyone out to get her or again you will destroy any chance you have of anything with her" he says.

Hikari bit her lip and frowned. Why was it that every time she tried to talk to someone, they walked away? And it seemed like the tiger demon was almost always the reason that that happened. She shook her head, clearing those thoughts from her mind. She couldn't allow herself to think that way about someone she barely knew. Where are those two...? She thought to herself, looking around. She glanced at her palm where she had cut it the night before, and was surprised to find that there was a scar. Hikari always healed well, so scars were almost impossible on her. Was it Chi's blood that had made it permanent? Or had it been a deeper cut than she'd realized? Either way, that scar wasn't going away. "A permanent reminder..." She muttered.

Quite soon he found his path blocked by Haru and he snarled lightly, ears twitching and body tense. "She might be leaving us!" He had shouted those words, he hadn't meant to, but they burst from his lips so suddenly. Then more quietly he added. "...or he might hurt her." Uncertainty filled him, he didn't know she was leaving them, he didn't know if Chi was hurting her, but those were the only things that came to his mind. The idea that the two might want to speak privately with one another wasn't even a possibility or the fact that Chi or Suzume might need space also wasn't a likely possibility in Kitaru's mind.

When Raven came over, he looked at the avian, almost pleading with his eyes to let him go. Though Raven sided with Haru on the matter, saying that Suzume would be able to call if she needed help. Kitaru was frowning deeply when Haru mentioned the snake. "What can a tiny snake do to defend her?" Kitaru demanded, blinking slightly and glancing in Raven's direction when the avian moved away from them. His heart ached mostly at the thought that Suzume was abandoning them, abandoning him there.

It was clear that the others wouldn't allow him to go after her though. Why not? Why did he need to be patient? She was either abandoning them, or dying. It seemed so clear cut in his mind. He glanced towards Raven again, feeling rather torn. He wanted to push past Haru and chase after Suzume, but he also wanted to go be by the avian's side. He couldn't do both. Abruptly he turned from Haru, not caring how the other might respond to his words. Kitaru made his way towards Raven and sat down on the ground against the other's legs.

A sour look on his face. His body trembling from the force of emotions coursing through him. His tail swished and twitched wildly with agitation.

Haru sighed a bit, shaking his head slightly as the other yelled and continued to think and assume the worst. He had a lot of learning to do. He allowed the other to go though, turning to slowly walk back over to the female who had spoken to him moments befoe. "Forgive me" he says, meaning about leaving her. He sighed, leaning against the tree, before lowering himself to slowly sit down on the ground. He closed his eyes a bit, allowing his mind to run through all of the information it had been gathering. This was turning into quite the odd group the more he spent time with them indeed. He lightly reaches up to adjust his headband a bit, as he waited for the female to say something to him or maybe she would say nothing at all? He did not wish to force her, and she did seem to have a lot on her mind as well. He would let her speak when she was ready.

Raven felt the weight against his legs, opening his eyes to look down at the other male. So, he had decided to remain for now, at least that was something. He did not move, allowing the other to lean against him for support. He watched his tail, his taloned hand lightly leaning down to caress it out of sight of the others within the yard. "It is alright to like her...to care about her" he says quietly. He looks out over the water of one of the ponds nearby, taking a breath. He fell silent, his words hanging in the air and within his mind. Foolish....He closed his eyes once more, wondering if he was once again doing the right thing. Was he wasting his time here? They had not even begun and he was doubting himself a bit. He cleared his mind, focusing on the simple sounds of nature around him. No, this was right, this was where he should be. The gem needed to be kept out of the wrong hands and he was working towards a goal bigger then merely himself. He opened his eyes, a slight smile forming on his lips. He had the strength of his people and ancestors with him. He would not give up before he had begun.