As the portal closes Kaila lets out a sigh, a hand going over his stomach. Even weak, without being in total control of his energy Enasi had made the minion a little ill. However he has no time to worry about himself. He knows he has to get back to camp, and fast. The longer the others have to fret, the worse off they will all be. 'I hate to imagine how Jentou is reacting to all of this. He's never been known for his self control when it comes to me' Looking over to Tyar he nods and in a flash they are both on the wing. They stay low to the ground, darting between trees and vines and all manner of thing that tries to grab them as they pass. They have to get back, and nothing in this world will stop them. However even as they grow closer and closer to their goal, Kaila can not shake the odd sensation that he can almost feel his guardian's pain somehow. He knows it can't be, but the feeling refuses to go away.

~*~*~*~*~

Jentou wakes early, slipping out from beneath the mass of child bodies like a ghost and with barely a whisper of wings he rises up into the trees beside the others still standing sentry. It takes a moment for them to realize he's there, his energy so like Kaila's and so low at the moment that they simply dismissed the feeling out of hand. When at last Tiski looks around and jumps slightly, her nerved frayed. Without hesitation she snaps softly, “Jentou, don't even think about it!” He doesn't even look at her, his golden locks swaying in the cool breeze. Ran and Lan whip around to look at him, their stance showing they are ready to stop him should he make any moves to race off after his brother. However after a moment they realize he has no intention of doing that. His hands hang limp at his sides, his balance allowing him to stand on those small, swaying branches as if it were solid ground. The others have to hold on, one hand always grasping a branch. As Kaila's twin looks out over the trees towards the palace there is a change in the breeze and everyone knows, something else has happened.

~*~*~*~*~

Hearing Enasi's hiss of pain over his own low yelps and moans Seishu snaps, “Just sit still you idiot. I'll live. . .” His eyes are squeezed shut, his body curled into the fetal position and after a few seconds of hard breathing he throws up. 'Yeah, this is the life. . .' He muses sarcastically, doing a minor amount of shifting so he's not laying in the vomit. He lets out a loud moan moments later when he feels a huge wave of positive energy rushing his way and tries to brace for the impact. However as Crios comes to a stop he cries out, his claws cutting into his palms as ever part of him tries to curl up even more. When he overhears Enasi worrying over him and Rue a bit of his old temper kicks in and he growls out, “Get you head out of your ass Enasi and do recall the fact that you're the one worse off here, or else I will get up right now and. . .” The rest of his word are swallowed by a pained whimper, making him turn his face into the grass to avoid anyone seeing him shed tears.

A faint smile comes to his lips as Rue does as he was told, but as he feels the doctor approach he says sharply, “You can kick me for his injury later. For now, I just need to get off the ground. . .” He hears the footsteps pause and he lets out a sigh. “Didn't even realize you were planning on it, did you?”

Crios feels almost shocked at Seishu's words, thinking there is no way he would ever do such a thing. However as he slowly moves forward again his stomach drops. 'I really wanted to hurt him for what happened to Lord Enasi. . .I did, I wanted to beat him senseless and blame it on him without hearing him out. . .' Kneeling he sighs softly. “Thank you for that. I may take you up on it, depending.”

Seishu chuckles. “Yeah, called it. I can hear it in your vo-” His words are cut off by a hiss as one of the soldiers nearby approaches, not bothering to lower his energy.

Enasi had heard Seishu's empty threats, but Harper darted off before he could say anything. Speaking of the bunny, Enasi could sense the pain in him. It made him pout a little. "I'm alive you know. Seishu's wrong. I'm not worse off considering I'm home. He's the one that's suffering from lack of energy. . ." He hadn't even realized they were already back in the castle until he let his head hang. "We should we decorate. . . You know, after some millennia, it does get a little old."

Rue had easily caught up with the two and listened to Enasi ramble, considering Harper was hellbent on getting him to a safe spot. "We can get decorators later Lord Enasi. Right now we have to make sure you're okay." He spoke softly as if speaking to a child. It made Harper look over at him every now and then. "I'll go get Fuan." They passed by Seishu's used room and a few doors down Harper opened the door to a vacant room. Rue was already gone as Harper set Enasi in bed. The guardian watched as Harper paced back in forth in his own thoughts of how he should've been there for his guardian and how he should've convinced him that it was a bad idea.

"It's not his fault. . . Seishu's. He could've been the one to get hurt, but I saw the arrow first. So it was impulse. He was already hurt, I didn't want him to get worse." Enasi was staring at the ceiling, mainly because Harper had laid him flat. "I wouldn't have let you go. And I wouldn't have changed my mind any less about it. . . He was so happy to see his family. And they were so happy to see him. . . He's been away from it for so long, and has had to suffer through all of our energies. I couldn't imagine how hurt he must've been, seeing as though I have you all with me all the time. But seeing him so happy like that, I could only imagine that sadness." He sighed and closed his eyes. "Just, please don't blame Seishu. It's not his fault."

Harper had finally paused and sighed. The rabbit's ears drooped and he walked over to sit by his guardian. "Lord Enasi, at the moment I just want to make sure you're okay. Sure, now you are, but that's because you're. . .quite drugged. I've seen what Seishu's gone through in pain and I don't want that to happen to you as well." Enasi smiled softly and patted the rabbit's cheek again.

- - - - - - -

The race of energies passing the door made Rasha perk up. Inui felt it as well and immediately jumped up at the familiar feeling. "W- Wait Inui!" Rasha leaped off the bed in his cat form to follow after him, but the nightmare kid was already out the door. "Your energy! It's still spreading around!" He yelled out. Unfortunately, Inui paid him little attention as he ran the few doors downward to the one he was sure it stopped at. Rasha rolled his eyes, assuming that Inui and Rue would simply end up hurting themselves due to their clash of energies. His head tilted as Inui paused at the door. "What's wrong? Were we wrong?" When he got closer he realized the shocked look on the younger minion's face, and then the faint smell of blood made him turn his head. "Lord Enasi!" The cat ran forward and leapt on to the bed, though slowed as he met Harper's gaze.

Inui started to go forward, but he was stopped by Harper. "You're going to end up hurting him if you get close. He's fine, for now. Seishu managed to fix him as best as he could while they were there. Crios is helping Seishu now, but he told me to bring Lord Enasi here immediately. . . And Rue is fine as well. He went to get Fuan." Harper reported to the two wide eyed minions. It was either tell them, or be faced with a million questions. Inui shuffled at the door, visibly relaxing now that he knew Rue and the guardians were okay. In the process of him doing so, he turned right as Rue came racing toward him. The nightmare minion let out a yelp as he collided with the floor, outside the room, and then blushed as he was hugged.

"Rue!? Where have you been! We were so worried!" Inui realized he was still under Rue and he gently pushed him off.

- - - - -

While the minor chaotic activities simmered down, Fuan had rushed in after she heard the news. "Oh heavens! H-How did this happen?!" She hurried to set her things in the proper place. Enasi had been petting Rasha for comfort, though whether it was to comfort Rasha or Enasi was questionable.

"Just an accident was all. No need to panic." He gave a smile before continuing to pet Rasha. Of course the deer woman didn't want to hear such a thing. She began to cut what was left of the shirt off him and slowly began to take the bandages off. Harper winced and scooted somewhat away and Rasha whined at the sight of the large wound. "Sssh you two, Fuan needs her concentration."

Crios automatically worry for his patient and almost as if he's channeling Seishu he growls at the soldier. The large female stops dead and stares at him confused. “Lower your energy and get ready to take him back to the palace. He's too big for me to carry.” At this Seishu growls but a swat from Crios quiets him down. Enjoying that sight far too much the soldier does as she is bidden and waits patiently. Carefully the foxy doctor tries to roll Seishu on to his back, much to the the guardian's discomfort. Spotting Seishu trying almost desperately to look away from the soldier, who spots this too only piquing her interest, Crios swiftly switches sides so he's between her and the soldiers face.

“It's alright now. She can't see you, so stop fussing and let me do my job.” Begrudgingly Seishu uncoils and rolls slowly on to his back, keeping his gaze turned from the doctor as he works. “You're being childish you know. It's not like some tears are. . .What's wrong with your energy?”

Without preamble, and without really caring through the pain whether or not Enasi will kill him for it later Seishu hisses as softly as he can manage, “Enasi and I made love in our world and ever since our energy has changed. My guys aren't bothered by it and neither is Rue, the energy shift at least since you're the first person we've told, unless his drug induced euphoria has done the same as my pain and made him blab. So if you would be so kind, set those thoughts aside for now and proclaim me moveable before I color your pretty white kimono in a not so flattering shade of brown!”

Crios stares for a long minute before the last part of the sentence registers and he automatically runs his fingers over Seishu's wounds, noting a lot more than when he left, and several looking like little bite marks. Once he has them all examined he motions the soldier forward, Seishu having managed to wipe away his tears for now, and together they make their way back to the palace. The doctor looks a little lost as they run, prompting the soldier to ask if he's alright. Crios simply shakes his head and murmur, “Fine. . .” His mind still whirling incessantly over the implications of their encounter in Their World, caught between joy for them, and worry for the realms.

~*~*~*~*~

Rue was not so easily dissuaded, quickly crawling back on to Inui and burying his face in the nightmare minion's neck and just letting all of his stress out in a good cry. Inui's eyes go a little wide, realizing he's somehow taking something away from the sobbing fairy, and with what little skills he's learned around Seishu does his best to begin lcoking the energies up tight as to not hurt anyone. Somehow, knowing his own guardian is somewhere nearby helps Inui relax and stop pouring out the negative energy. “Hush hush Rue, it's okay. . .” He murmurs softly, slowly shifting so he's propped up against the wall rather than flat on his back. His cheeks are a brilliant scarlet at the contact, but he refuses to let that stop him from being a good friend.

~*~*~*~*~

The dream and minion calm down the best they can, pouring all the positive energy they can muster into helping Faun who, with a look, thanks them. She's never worked solo on such a wound before, and definitely not on their guardian. Rasha sniffs gently, sneezing at the scent of negative energy still lingering, and quickly Fuan pulls out some fresh blood to run through his system to purge the dark energy. As soon as it's in place she begins working directly with the wound, apologizing every few seconds as she's forced to press and tug at the wound, helping the edges to come together.

~*~*~*~*~

Seishu let out an indignant yelp as the soldier dumps him on his bed and with a death glare Crios scares the woman from the room. “Wow Doc, it's not as good as mine, but that was impressive. . .” he says softly, looking at Crios with half a smile. He'd spotted Inui and Rue down the hall but as they didn't notice him he doesn't feel so bad that he’s got no welcome back party as he's sure Enasi has. “After all, this isn't my realm, I didn't really expect one. . .My one minion here has his arms full at the moment, and I wouldn't dream of pulling him away from that. .. He looks so adorable with Rue. . .Cute little couple. . .I wonder how Rasha and Kaila are going to swing it, because it's obvious they have the hots for one another. And all over me too'[/i] He giggles, just nor realizing that his babble has gone quite mushy.

Looking at his arm he realizes why. In all the other pain he didn't even notice the needle being jabbed into his arm. “Ow, Doc, some warning next time. I was about to start humming 'Tiptoe through the tulips' in there, which is scary enough when I know I'm on the drugs. I was gonna start freaking out if it was coming on without them. . .”

Crios openly rolls his eyes at this and sighs softly. “So, you got in a little scrap with some small nightmares of something?” He decides to focus on the wounds for now and not what's really worrying him. Seishu looks at him in confusion making him roll his eyes again. “The little bite marks, well, everywhere.”

Seishu looks down at them, and after a second he laughs. Crios looks hard at him. “No, no these are attack makes, silly Doc. My little fanged babies were just really happy to see me.” He smiles warmly, the expression softening the foxy doctor's hard glare. “My little ones are wild, untamed, and overly expressive. Combine that with a naturally violent nature and the spells out love through clawing and biting. These are minor, don't worry, they'll fade soon. . .” He presses gently on his shoulder wound. “The reason these linger is. . .Because of very different factors involved. . .” Crios does not press him for information, knowing full well that trying to drag information out of the male, even when drugged, is a lost cause.

Enasi kept his eyes closed as Fuan worked. It made her a little more nervous, and Rasha whined softly before gently pawing the guardian's cheek. "I'm as wide awake as I'll ever be dear. I'm just listening and taking in the energy." Rasha snuggled close to Lord Enasi as he would Seishu, and kept quiet. The quiet became a gentle purr as Enasi began to pet him. The guardian hummed and turned his head towards Harper who was sitting quietly, still berating himself for doing such a bad job as second command. "Come. Closer~" The rabbit gave a curious look but obeyed and leaned in over Rasha. Enasi kissed his furry cheek and smiled. "Do you mind going to see how Seishu is? He didn't look so good. . . Actually, all of you go and say hello to Seishu. See if he's alright. He had to go through a lot to drag me back here."

Enasi smiled, but occasionally whined as Fuan would press on his wound. "No need to apologize. You're doing your-" He sucked in a breath, before heaving a sigh. "Your job." There was a bit of reluctance, especially from Harper, but he managed to get them all out. The three younger ones now had their attention set on making sure if the Nightmare Guardian was alright.

When they left, Fuan finally spoke up in her timid voice. "Why did you send them all away?" Enasi sighed and closed his eyes again. He winced a little more, but finally did speak.

"They are all worried way too much. . . I'm sure Seishu could siphon that energy from them. He needs it, and so do they. Besides, you seem awful nervous with them around." Enasi flashed a smile and Fuan blushed lightly, focusing on her work. "Wah! I should've asked them to get Cho. . . I wanted food."

"Uhm, considering you have a hole in your stomach at the moment, I'd recommend only soups at the moment. For precautionary reasons, of course, sir." He sighed, but nodded in compliance. He fell silent, for once not feeling as loopy as he had been before, only meaning that the drugs he had been given were finally starting to die down. That or he really just wasn't paying attention. But, besides his occasional sounds of pain, he stayed relatively quiet with his eyes closed.

Fuan did occasionally nudge or call him, panicking a little when she thought she had hurt him too bad, but he would always peek one of his colored eyes at her and smile gently for reassurance.

- - - - - - - - -

"Master Seishu!" Inui and Rasha exclaimed in happy unison. Rasha jumped on the bed, eager as usual to show affection to the guardian. Unlike the cat, Inui gave a timid glance at Crios and waited until the fox doctor nodded, allowing him to hurry to Seishu as well. When it was his turn to hug on the guardian, he tried to share some of the negative energy he had. Rue lingered off to the side, letting Inui and Rasha happily greet him.

A little guilty for not following Seishu's orders, he held his arm as though it were broken and shuffled his feet. "I tried to stay, but Lord Enasi insisted that we come see you. N-Not that I didn't want to of course! I just. . . Because you told me to watch him and all. . ." His feet continued to shuffle on the ground as he waited.

"So. . ." Harper looked over at Crios who was setting his things to the side. "How is he doctor?"

“Oh, Powers. . .” Seishu mutters, looking to the door as he feels familiar energy heading towards him. 'Oh, well, this will either go really well, or very badly. . .' Hoping for the best, something he's not use to doing, Seishu take a slow breath as the door flies open and an over excited set of critters come rushing in. Without hesitation Rasha flies through the air, landing all four paws on his chest and nuzzling under his chin with his furry little head. The fur becomes hair however as Rasha slips into his human form to cling to the male's chest. Seishu chuckles, hugging him back the best he can while Crios remains busy with one of his arms.

Rasha purrs and whines and with a soft sigh Seishu extracts every last bit of negative energy he can before the tailed creature is replaced with the much more timid but no less enthusiastic dark haired minion. Rasha perches on the edge of the bed watching as Seishu regains his other arm just in time to take Inui into a full hug and temper that ever growing pit of darkness inside the little red eyed beauty. Everyone in the room lets out a small breath as the level of negative energy pounding into them from the little guy drops to a small blip. He begins pouring out all of his worries and thoughts he had while Seishu was gone, and how worried he's been over everyone, including Rue.

The fairy hears this an flinches before apologizing to Seishu about not being able to stay with Enasi. Motioning the little guy over the Nightmare Guardian smiles gently, toughing his cheek and drawing out all the negative he can find before murmuring, “Go on now. You've seen me, and I'm fine. If he wants to argue, he can take it up with me when he can actually drag his ass over here.” Rue giggles lightly, brushing a hand over Inui's shoulder before racing out of the room to deliver the message. Inui blushes deeply before burying his face in Seishu's shoulder.

“That was my job while you were gone My Lord Seishu!” Rasha says brightly and the guardian chuckles.

“I am sure you did a more than satisfactory job, thank you Rasha.” The dream glows happily, laying down next to Inui and cuddling him from behind. However once Harper speaks up it is clear to the guardian that this position will not be able to be maintained for long.

Crios nods slowly. “He is alright. He has a new set of wounds he assures me will heal more quickly than the ones he arrived with, and were apparently inflicted by loving. . .babies. . .” Inui chuckles and on a whim bites down on Seishu's shoulder. The guardian chuckles at the shocked look on the minion's face as he slowly lets go with his teeth, a confused look on his face.

“It's a natural act you never had the option to use before. What you are feeling is normal.” he murmurs, watching as Inui clings on to his guardian even closer, a rush of bonding feelings tumbling through him. Crios rolls his eyes, muttering something about nightmare denizens being weird. The doctor finishes packing up his stuff, leaving things he'll need later on a rolling tray and looks to the obviously still upset rabbit man. I takes only a simple glance from Crios for the little ones to realize they have to leave and with one last group hug they follow the foxy doctor out. Seishu watches them go with half a smile. Taking the seat normally used by his guardian Harper rolls it over next to the bed, taking a seat slowly, and propping his head up on his paws.

He doesn't even need to ask, the both of them knowing what is laying heavily on the second's mind. Without preamble Seishu starts from the moment they arrived in his realm, not leaving anything out, filling in all the little tidbits he can of life on the other side of the veil. Harper for his part listens silently, looking every now and again like he may want to say something, but he manages to keep himself quite through the entire tale. His continence tightens as he reaches the point involving the injuring of his guardian and he is unable to look at Seishu from there until the end when they return to the dream realm.

He takes his time, processing it all. He is highly disturbed at the happening with Enasi of course, but other aspects have him quite out of sorts and he would not be afraid to admit, terrified. 'If that whole bit with that Jentou is any indication, Seishu is going to be in hell for quite a long time after all of this. We have no idea how many he's going to have to “reform” and that may very well. . .But that is an issue for another day. . .' Looking back up he looks at Seishu with a stony expression free of judgment, for now. 'Both he and Lord Enasi insist that Seishu is not at fault here, and in truth I have to agree, but then why? Why am I feeling so strange. I. . .I don't even think I am angry at him, I just. . .'

He blinks. His arms drop slowly as he stands, making his way even closer to the guardian. Without waiting for Harper to ask Seishu smiles and reaches out a hand to his chest. The extraction takes an enormous weight off of the general but before Seishu can pull back his hand Harper takes hold of it, looking at it like it's some alien thing he does not recognize. Before the bunny has the chance to say anything however Seishu murmurs, “Yeah, That thing you think I left off? That little niggle in the back of your brain? I can't really tell you, though I told Doc to keep him from refusing to move me until I explained myself. I think it's Enasi's place to tell you why you feel so funny right now. I can however promise it's not a bad thing.” Spike comes skittering out from under Seishu's pillow and stars running across his hair playfully as Harper steps back, waiting for someone to return before he heads out to talk to his guardian.

Enasi didn't bother to look, but he knew his ball of energy was rushing to the door. Fuan tensed at the sudden intrusion, but quickly relaxed. "That's all I can do for now." She whispered. Fuan had cleaned out most if not all the negative energy in him, gave him much needed blood, and securely bandaged him. She nodded after checking the bandages again. The guardian opened his eyes and gestured for her to come closer. When she did, she blushed as he hugged her.

"Thank you. You did a wonderful job. I'm all numb and such, but not in pain! That's good." Fuan smiled and then turned to clean up the mess of her tools in a sink behind her. "Now, I thought you were suppose to be with Seishu." He looked over at Rue who had climbed on the side of the bed and faced Enasi. For a moment, he simply examined him. Compared to the first time he had seen him with the injury, the life seemed to be coming back to him. Enasi still looked a bit weak, but the light in his eyes returned which was better than nothing.

Rue grinned and shook his head. "Seishu said to come back. I saw him and he was fine." With a giggle he adds. "Seishu also said that if you wanted to argue, you could take it up with him. . .when you could drag your butt up there." A smile crept on his lips and he hugged Rue as he got comfortable laying next to him. "So, I'm going to stick by you until you're all better!"

Enasi smiled and kissed Rue's head. "What if I need something? Or someone? Like Cho! You should definitely relay the message. Soup would be nice. And his joyous energy. He's just full of it." He laughed softly. "Don't worry, Crios will be here soon. You're not leaving me stranded. Once you come back, I'll tell you all about your new talent!" Rue beamed and saluted before darting off.

Crios' hair ruffled in the wind as Rue past by,but he continued to the room. He heaved a sigh to see that Enasi was awake and seemingly fine. "Good job Fuan. I knew I could trust you." She smiled over her shoulder and nodded. The fox doctor walked over and stared at Enasi for a moment before flicking his head.

"Wah! Criooos! That's not nice!" Enasi pouted and rubbed his forehead before squeaking when he was hugged.

"That was really, really foolish sir. You could've been killed." Crios sighed and pulled away from the guardian before sitting down and leaning against the bed.

"But I wasn't! I'm here. And Fuan fixed me up. So it's okay Crios. And you didn't have to hit me!" He pouted again before smiling and patting Crios' arm. Still a bit drug induced, Enasi blinked and looked towards the door. "Oh no, I hope Rue tells Cho to get something special for Seishu too. . ." It didn't take much for the guardian to begin humming quietly as he waited. He did pause to wave goodbye as Fuan left.

- - - - -

Inui and Rasha waited patiently until Harper pushed the door open in order for them to run back in to keep Seishu company.

Arriving at the palace kitchens in a rush of wind and positive energy Rue surveys the scene and smiles wide as he realizes that Cho is on the ball as always. The cook is racing about the room, shouting his orders, not putting up with any lollygagging and his hands are like lightning as he stirs here, whips there, and slides through the kitchen almost like smoke. Rue calls out to the man and almost jumps out of his skin when Cho appears suddenly right in front of him an instant later. As soon as he can speak again, swallowing down his heart back to where it belongs, Rue smiles up at the cook with a glowing grin. “Lord Enasi asks for something to eat in the soup department on account of it being what's best for him right now!”

Cho ruffles Rue's hair. “On it! Wait right here and you can help me carry stuff! I have some stuff in the oven for out guest as well.” Rue wiggles happily, nodding vigorously and watches as once more Cho is off doing his thing like only he can do.

~*~*~*~*~

Harper watches the little one rush past, closing the door gently after them, the image of them piling atop the Nightmare Guardian the last thing he sees of them before it closes. He walks slowly down the hallway, knowing very well exactly what he wants to do right this very second, but as he looks up at the sound of Faun leaving their guardian's room he can not bring himself to go to Enasi's side just yet. Instead he moves towards the sound of rapidly approaching feet and waylays the siblings before they rush right in to beat Seishu senseless. Despite all the effort put into keeping the masses from finding out just what happened t their beloved guardian,t he siblings know full well it had to do with Seishu and they are not interested in the fact right now.

~*~*~*~*~

Inui and Rasha crawl right up to the amused guardian and snuggle up against him, letting out small sighs and he cuddles them right back. Rasha snuggle in close before pausing, Inui and him share a look and they both prop themselves up,t he question on the tip of their lips before Seishu interrupts them. “Yes, my energy has changed, no it is not a bad thing, and I'm sorry but until Enasi says so I can't tell you. Now get back down here and snuggle with me while I cry a bit.” Rasha is about to tease him, saying he'd never cry, but as he looks down at the guardian his smile fades and he buries his face in the male's shoulder.

There are so many things he has to cry for that Seishu doesn't know where to start, but as the tears begin to build up in the corners of his eyes he reaches up and gently pulls Inui down against his chest, running his fingers through the smaller male's hair over and and over, taking what little comfort he can in the one touch of home he has on hand. “It's okay Master Seishu. It's alright. We’re here. We won't leave, I promise. . .” The little red eyed gem murmurs softly, rubbing Seishu chest soothingly, running his fingers over little nips and bite marks he can see through the cuts in the fabric.

~*~*~*~*~

With an almighty crash of bodies Jentou launches himself into his brother as soon as he's close enough and those around let out small nervous laughs at the sight of their leader buried under the pile of white fabric. They are all still too on edge from the events from the night before to truly enjoy the sight, having moved camp deep into the woods as ordered. Lan and Ran stand at the ready behind Tiski who lets Jentou do his thing for a minute before offering Kaila a hand up. Kaila himself revels in the feeling of his brother showing him so much affection and slowly rubs his back, prompting him to sit up slowly so the two of them can regain their feet.

Once up Jentou clings to his brother, listening vaguely as Kaila fills in what happened to his team before turning to address the camp. “Master Seishu had to return to safety after retrieving a dream minion who had somehow managed to break into our world on accident!” His raises his voice so they can all hear but it doesn't sound like yelling despite the volume. A low murmur goes through the group before they fall silent a gain to listen, the only ones not silent the children who have begin to cry. Jentou hears the sound and detaches from his brother, recalling his job as a baby protector. As he speaks again Kaila keeps his voice strong, and steady.

“We were successful, and Master Seishu was magnificent as always. His kindness is beyond measure and we can all stand confident that he will one day return to his rightful place. He was torn about leaving us so suddenly, but believe me when I say that he weeps to be away from us and is fighting every day to be able to return. He has faith in us, and we will not disappoint him!” The cheer goes up around the camp, dying down after a few minutes for him to add on, “Also, I am positive that we will be able to return to the safety of the swamp soon, but I will send out some scouts before we make the move. Make yourselves ready for the move.” With a cry they all agree and begin working.

Harper grabbed Starla by her collar and Finn by his arm. "Slow down you two. You need to calm down before you go do something you regret." He pulled them both away from Seishu's door and in front of him. "Your anger is misguided. I was upset too until I learned what happened."

"Calm down? You expect us to calm down when Lord Enasi was hurt!? We trusted Seishu to take care of him and now Lord Enasi is injured! It's bad too. Don't you dare lie and say it isn't because it had enough impact to cause our garden to wilt!" Starla fumed and yanked away from Harper, only for him to grab her again. Although Finn was upset, Starla held most of the anger between them. Finn on the other hand, held most of their worry and concern for their own guardian. Harper narrowed his eyes a little towards how hostile Starla was being.

"Your conduct as a dream minion is utterly terrible at the moment. You need to relax. And even if you are upset, your first priority is to your own guardian. As any would know, you would make sure your own is okay before you go about interrogating others." Harper's look made Starla pause and look away with a frown. Finn looked nervous, but he did look at Starla.

"He's right you know. . . We should check on Lord Enasi. I'm sure he'd love a few flowers from you." Finn rested a hand on her shoulder and she sighed. Their sibling bond some how taming the wild one of the two.

"Of course. . ." She heaved a sigh and relaxed some. Finn took her hand and lead her to Lord Enasi's room. Harper rubbed his paw against his forehead and then continued walking, letting his feet take him wherever. . .

Where ever turned out to be towards the smell of food. One ear raised a little to focus a bit more and he realized Cho and Rue were coming towards him. "Oh, wonderful bunny! Here you go~!" Cho was as chipper as ever as he pushed a cart behind Rue. Harper perked up a little at the food he was given. With one of his favorite dishes given to him, Harper decided to once again make a U- turn, this time following the chef and fairy. "Here's our stop!" Cho turned the cart towards Seishu's room and followed as Rue opened the door. Harper decided to stay in the hall and enjoy his snack. "How are you feeling dear Night Guardian? Hmph, pretty quiet here. Now where is everyone?" The chef looked genuinely confused, unaware that their guardian had been hurt. The chef would have never dreamed of thinking of something so bad!

Rue gave Rasha and Inui a large plate of snacks to share, before giving Seishu a specially made dish. "Cho says this should fill you right up and give you energy." Ever since Cho had made the meat for Seishu, he had been trying to make a dish with negative energy. It wasn't a lot as of now, but Cho still managed some. He truly tried to become the best chef of both realms- even if he didn't admit it out loud. "And that's what I was trying to tell you Cho. They are in Lord Enasi's room."

"Now why would they be there? No one gathers in his room? What is this sudden change for? Oh, and what do you think of the dish?" Poor chef didn't even consider that Rue meant medical room.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A small uncomfortable whine came from Enasi, making Crios lean forward to start checking him. "What's wrong? Where does it hurt the most?" Enasi pointed towards the door, just as Starla and Finn opened the door. Even Crios could feel the emotions pouring off of them. The fox doctor stood and stopped them at the door. "You two will need to get your energy in check. You're irritating Lord Enasi's injuries."

"Not really irritating. . . But you two are sooo not happy. It makes me sad. You should share that energy with Seishu though! He needs it." Enasi repeated that a couple of times today on his count. Though his count might have had doubled numbers and miscounts, still, it should have helped Seishu a little. "Oh, and as I've told everyone else. Hm, I think I've told everyone else. Oh, I hope so. . . Well, like I've told everyone else, my injury was a clumsy accident. Seishu had nothing to do with it, and I'm sure he feels really bad as it is. Could you not make him feel worse please? And Crios can I sit up? I don't like staring at the ceiling. . ."

"Not just yet sir. Let your injury heal a little more. I wouldn't want you to shift the wrong way and hurt yourself."

Starla and Finn stopped at the door with guilt ridden faces. They didn't mean to hurt the guardian, but it was probably best to keep their distance. Starla would've only gotten more upset and Finn would have worried more so if they saw the injury up close. As Enasi spoke to them, their guilt bloomed and sharing their negative energy with Seishu started to sound like a better deal. "We apologize Lord Enasi. We- We'll return once we settle ourselves. Forgive us, we have just been extremely worried." Finn of course was their spokesman and Enasi sighed.

"Aw, you poor things! I'm sorry for making you worry so much. But I'm fine now. Fuan has done wonders and Crios is probably going to stare at me and freak out every time I move." He playfully stuck his tongue out as Crios rolled his eyes playfully. "I'll be here, you two just scurry along. Oh, and bring some pretty things to decorate the room! It's so dull in her. . . And dark. Why is it so dark? Open the curtains please?" Crios nodded and did such before sitting and curiously watching the drug induced Enasi quietly.

Rasha whines and presses closer to Seishu while Inui takes a deep breath and purrs at the feelings coming from right outside the door. Even with Enasi's barrier up the young siblings tempest of negativity seeps through like a fine mist. After a few seconds however both little ones are up, standing beside the bed, ready to defend Seishu should he need defending. Thankfully the guardian has finished crying and carefully wipes his cheeks dry with the back of his hand before sitting up with a soft smile. “It's alright little ones, I think Hops has it all under control out there.” He chuckles as Spike joins the line, skittering to the end of the bed so he can see the door past the other two.

Not ready to actually fight them about it, and seeing as there is a rather sharp voice now cutting through the wood of the door with every word, Seishu repositions the pillows so that he can recline comfortably in an only slightly vertical position. He waits patiently for Enasi's second to do his job, even if he is ready to defend himself at a moment's notice. It isn't until the energy fades and the noises cease completely that the two relax and climb back up to lay with Seishu. Rasha turns into his feline form and settles on the guardian's chest while Inui settles on his side beside the white haired male, resting his head gently on Seishu's chest.

Seishu pets them both, enjoying the quite, however as things are always changing around the dream realm, he is not at all surprised when mere minutes later the little carrot top bustles his way into the room bearing food and drink for the lot of them. His comments confuse Seishu a bit and he glances at Harper. Rolling his eyes a moment later as he realizes Harper has done nothing to explain himself properly he sighs softly, taking a few bites and smiling softly at the chef. “It is quite good, but if you would please, head three doors down and see to Enasi. I think he is in need of some good cheer and some sustenance to aid his recovery.”

The siblings stop in the doorway as they hear this, small touches of guilt running through them to add to their already growing well of it after hurting their guardian. Cho stops for a moment too, not really willing to believe his ears. However after the moment passes he removes Finn and Starla's dishes from the cart, setting them on a table carefully, before he and Rue leave the room quickly, and without a word. Harper moves to follow, stopping just outside the door. Still holding his treat in one hand, utensil in the other, he gives the plant siblings a long hard look, then silently follows in the chef's footsteps towards his guardian's room.

Inui and Rasha sit on the edge of the bed between the doorway and Seishu, nibbling at their own dishes slowly while keeping an eye on the other two as they enter. They do not bother to tone down their negative emotions, after all, that ss why they were sent here. The tricky feline has to stop eating at the feeling of them, striking him like a tidal wave, however after only a few seconds Seishu calls out, "Lil Lokitt, if you don't mind, you're blocking my shadow.” Even though he is very serious about protecting Seishu right now Rasha has to smile at the altered turn of phrase, glancing back at Seishu so he can see it.

Seeing that he is completely serious however he lets out a little whine before setting his plate on the bed and vanishing into a corner to watch the scene play out. “There, now that everything's set, let me have it! C'mon, don't hold anything back, I can take it!” Very softly he adds, “Gem, might wanna plug your ears.” Inui complies just in time as a moment later Starla all but explodes at Seishu. At first her screaming is rather incoherent, a simple expression of rage laced with accusations of lies and betrayal. She pours every last little thought she had from the moment they noticed the garden begin to wilt to this very moment and by the time she is done Seishu is feeling quite refreshed.

When she is done screaming Finn starts, in a quieter voice pouring out all of his worry and ache along with his shame for hurting Lord Enasi and his fear about how the lord's recovery is going to go, and if they will be able to help. By the time he is done Starla gains her second wind and finally snaps out something Seishu can actually respond to. “How could you let something happen to Lord Enasi?! I thought you cared about him, you promised to protect him!”

She almost swallows her tongue a moment later as Seishu's eyes seem to light on fire and a deep growl fills the room. Inui shivers delightedly at the sound, flushing a moment later as he realizes just how he responded to Seishu's anger at the siblings. Rasha on the other hand purrs openly, covering his paws and subsequently his lower half in the process. Finn stands behind his sister, holding her arms supportively. He does not feel the weight she does as Seishu's attention is directed specifically towards her, and not him. In a low, hard voice he hisses, “I did what was best for both our realms, calculating risk and preserving life. It was Enasi's own fool decision to be all noble and take the bolt for me and if I had it to do over again I would rather take it in the chest than have to see and feel what I did.”

Starla shivers. With her rage mostly sapped away by Seishu she once more comes to realize that she is talking to someone as strong as her Lord and one who is more than willing at the moment to give her a sound whipping for her impertinence. Not quite done venting himself Seishu shifts and stands, causing both siblings to cower slightly. “I held him in my arms as the life slipped from his body, felt his blood pouring down my own, felt every ragged breath as my terror mounted, feeling as if it may very well be his last, and with every instant I spent not knowing if he would make it to the next one alive I was in a hell you can not even begin to imagine.”

Moving slowly he walks over to them as he speaks, their fear keeping them rooted to the spot. “So before you come in here, spouting out accusations like you are The Powers themselves passing out judgment you may want to get your facts straight and maybe, for once in your pathetic lives don't let that screwed up moral center in your heart make everyone who does not fall into your neat little box labeled 'Good' into a demon just so you don't have to blame the one you love for being a fuck-up!” His use of a vulgarity right there at the end, snapped out with such ferocity they are both quite sure they are about to be flayed alive, sends a shot of terror through them that created in an instant the perfect icing on the cake.

Like a pair of vipers his hands snap out and grab the siblings. As soon as the hands land they both let out small screams of pure, unadulterated terror, but after a moment the screams fade into sobs as with deadly efficiency Seishu drains out every last little bit of negative energy he can find. He is left feeling rather aroused himself at such a perfectly prepared meal however he ignores it completely. His hands slip down, snaking around the sibling's backs and with practiced ease he pulls them in close. With a hiccuping sob Finn buries his face against Seishu's chest, pressing his fists up under his chin as he let the tears simply pour out. Starla on the other hand reaches her left arm around Seishu's back and clings to him tightly while her other hand comes up and grips on to Seishu's bloody, tattered clothing while she cries into the guardian's shoulder.

Cho, for the first time in awhile and for a flash of a second, looked saddened by the news. It wasn't so much of a sadness, but more of hurt confusion. Regardless, the chef turned his cart around, with Rue leading the way. The fairy decided not to explain anything to Cho. He didn't know how the chef would react, and he was kind of nervous to know how the male would react. Harper distanced himself for awhile, Crios swatted Enasi and wanted to hurt Seishu at first, and the siblings were fuming with anger. Rue never saw Cho anything less than happy, and he wasn't so sure if he wanted to find out the result.

As they entered the room, Crios was quietly listening to a story the guardian was rambling on about. It had something to do with the trip and how much Seishu's minions adored him, to something totally off topic dealing with him seeing a group of humans once and how they were having a sleepover. "Oh my, you got hurt." Cho's voice was soft, as he didn't want to interrupt the conversation. Rue quietly flew back to Enasi's side and sat with him. For only brief moments did Cho feel worry and sadness. Right after, he gave a relieved sigh and smiled brightly. "Well, of course you're okay! You have the best doctor and staff ever aiding you. Why wouldn't you be okay." This made Enasi laugh and wave to Cho.

"Hellooo Cho! You finally made it!" The chef nodded and grabbed the bowl made especially for Enasi.

"And I also got your message for soup!" He waited as Rue and Crios slowly helped Enasi sit up against some of the pillows. It took a few moments, seeing that Enasi had to find a comfortable spot without hurting himself, not to mention trying not to hurt himself in the process. The chef waited patiently before handing the bowl to Enasi and giving Crios and Rue their own food. "Hard workers also deserve food too!" Crios smiled and scooted back to eat quietly.

"Oh, wonderful as always Cho. Thank you." Enasi looked over at Rue who had already begun eating. The fairy giggled and put a thumbs up indicating his food was great too. Eyes went to Crios and he stopped mid bite.

"Hm? Oh, thank you." Instead of the smile he gave Enasi and Rue, he pouted at Crios. The doctor looked confused at first before blushing lightly and rolling his eyes. "No need to be such a baby." He stood and walked over to Cho, giving him a light kiss making the chef grin again.

"Awww!" Enasi giggled and Crios' cheeks flared up. Cho grinned and counted to make sure all the food had been given out. Looking back at Cho, he noticed a hidden questioning gaze when the chef looked at him. As he explained to everyone else, he explained to Cho. "It was my own fault. A silly accident that could have been avoided. . . Well, maybe. If there is anyone to blame, that would be me- Oh! Rue! I was going to tell you about your powers!"

Cho nodded, content that he knew the basics of what happened. Though he was fine simply because his guardian was okay. Rue laughed softly and pointed to the bowl in Enasi's hands. "Maybe you should eat first. And then you can tell me?" Enasi smiled and nodded. There was a slight pause as he prepared to eat again. The negative energy a few doors down was quite noticeable for him, but he merely sighed knowing that Seishu could handle it.

× × × × × × × × × × × ×

Harper stayed back, just in case either party got out of hand. Towards their screaming, the rabbit's ears laid down so he didn't hurt his own eardrums. He glanced over to make sure Rasha was okay before nodding silently and figuring it was high time to see his own guardian. Everything was okay in Seishu's room. Inui and Rasha waited patiently before trying to coax Seishu back into bed. Starla and Finn continued crying, feeling rather relieved by it. He didn't want to interrupt, so he quietly slipped away.

He walked in to hear Enasi explaining to Rue about how he managed to get to the Nightmare Realm. "So, you traveled sooo fast that you moved through dimensions. We have our collectors, but they create portals only to the human realm. You are a realm jumper or interdimensional traveller. Whatever it is titled. I think Seishu knows the proper title. Anyway, it's reaallly rare for anyone to have that calling. It's really dangerous too. You know, with the whole opposing realms and all. But I don't know, maybe you'll be able to use yours. Just don't go doing that thing any time you want! It's dangerous!"

Rue beamed at the idea of being rare and special. The fairy nodded vigorously and grinned. "I won't! I promise!" Enasi smiled and patted his head before finishing his soup. He gave a small wave to Harper and handed Cho his bowl.

"You should go visit Inui and Rasha. They've missed you a lot. Don't worry you won't be gone too long for Seishu to get upset." Rue debated the idea and nodded before flying off. When Rue was out, Enasi stretched his arms forward to avoid hurting himself anymore. "So Harper bunny, what do you want to ask? You seem much more relaxed. Still questions though. I'm not that loopy." He giggled and Harper leaned against the wall.

"Well. . . Seishu was telling me what happened. . . But he wouldn't tell me why your energies are so different." This made Enasi flare up immediately and cough. Harper's ears raised a bit before he stood straight.

"Well, I- we. . ." He coughed and glanced over at Crios before poking his fingers together. "Well in Our World. . . We kind of. . . together- um. . ." Cho giggled and Crios couldn't help but smirk.

"Our oh so innocent guardian isn't so innocent anymore." Enasi continued to blush and he pouted at Crios and Cho who laughed.

"Well. . . Um, yeah. Kind of. Wait! I am innocent!"

Seishu continues comforting the siblings, finally feeling that little thing they were missing clocking into place. That little bit of what he recognizes as the break from the mold. 'It's like their free will was always tied up in the realm, their free thinking minds kept them from moving past what The Powers meant them to be. It means they accept the fact that Enasi and I are not gods, we are fallible, and there is no such thing as a world with only two sides. . .' He sighs gently, patting Starla's head while stroking Finn's hair. 'It also makes sense now why I've always had more control over my realm than Enasi has over his. As children I do my best to convince the little ones that, while the dream denizens are our energies, that they are not evil or anything like that. Neither are we. Nightmares are not evil, so we should not act evil, or even cruel'

He smiles softly at them, realizing that all that staunch belief in them being “The good guys” being ripped away from them like that may leave them a little at a loss for a while. Chuckling softly he lets Rasha and Inui guide his back to the bed, however he keeps hold of the sibling's hands so they have to follow him over. Once seated he sighs, a faint ripple running across his skin. “Thanks for the meal Tweedle, Dee. I was feeling a little drained after that portal I made, and you guys were quite the delicious dish.” They both scowl at him, still teary eyed, but after a moment the both lean in and give him a big hug.

He lets out a “you're squishing me” noise the the two of them just laugh and squeeze harder. Finally he bats them away, listening to all four of them giggle at the sight of him gasping for breath. 'Now, go one, go see him. Let him fill you with that sickly sweet fluff he's so well known for. Off with you!” He barks out the words like orders and swats them both on the backside as they turn to go. Starla glowers at him while Finn just turns odd colors and hurries her out. As they pass Rue they share a look that makes the fairy shine brightly before fluttering into the room and pouncing on Seishu. He freezes however when he notices a hard look from the guardian. After only a moment's hesitation however he hugs Seishu tight and kisses his cheek before turning to point on Inui.

The small surprised yelp from the dark haired minion makes Rasha giggle and Seishu sighs. Letting Rasha help him get back mostly horizontal he waits for Rue to finish ravishing Inui before calling out, “Let me guess, he keeps ordering you away?”

Rue nods, pouncing on the now humanoid Rasha. “Yeah, he seems to be taking us all in waves.” Rasha and Rue wrestle around at the foot of the bed a bit while the raven haired male makes his way up to lay beside his guardian. He giggles at the sight and snuggles in close to Seishu so he's not drawn into the play fight.

~*~*~*~*~

The siblings once more come to a halt outside a room after overhearing something choice and groundbreaking. Once they can move again Starla walks in and with wide eyes, and no hesitation says, “You two boffed in your sleep?” Cho falls to the ground at this point, his giggles overcoming him and while Harper is still in a bit of a shocked state, Finn is shaking his head with his hand on his face.

Crios chokes and glares at the minion but turns his attention on to his guardian a moment later, his gaze soft. “Lord Enasi. . .Are you sure you're alright after. . .I mean, it changed something big about you. It's clear you still accept positive energy, and I can feel it coming off you as well, but this change. . .” He lets out a sift sigh. “Was it made out of love?” They all know how the two feel about one another, but Crios will be damned if they did the do without Seishu admitting how he feels.

Enasi's flush deepened as Starla appeared and gave her two cents. "St-Starla!?" He exclaimed in a practically squeaky manner, only to focus on Crios as he looked at him. "I'm perfectly fine, energywise that is. I mean, I still have this hole. . . Anyhow, I'm perfectly fine." He shrugged before looking up at Crios and then Harper. "Made out of love?" Enasi echoed before looking down at his palms and recalling the whole scene. "Well. . .when he finally managed to speak he told me 'I don't know whether to kill you or make love to you, but I do know I love you and I'm never letting you go. The Powers be damned!'" The blush rose again and Enasi ran fingers through his hair. "And. . .well, after a bit the. . .latter happened." Cho seemed to find it all too amusing and was giggling away, making Enasi just a tad bit more flushed.

Harper cleared his throat, still surprised, but in a more stable position to speak. Even still, he was unsure of what to say. "Um, wow. Well. . . You aren't hurt, and that's what matters." Crios gave a look of interest considering Harper managed not to explode. Enasi smiled and nodded before adding on, with his attention to Crios.

"If anything is wrong, it's that I'm still laying here." The doctor rolled his eyes and started to speak, until Starla spoke up. She leaned against the foot of the bed.

"You can't really expect to be up and moving after a hit like that? You must really be loopy or just really crazy." Finn's eyes widened for a brief moment and he lightly nudged her. Their moment of eye contact, explained to Starla how rude that was. "Oh, well I meant in respectfully of course. I'm just saying, you're probably going to be in bed for sometime. I mean, even Night is in better shape than you- and he's stuck in our realm." Finn really didn't understand how his sister could ramble so much, but here she was doing just that. "And why the hell would you do something so insane anyway!? I can think of almost ten different scenarios to have prevented you from getting injured. Some even include Seishu not getting injured too!" Finn, meanwhile seemed to be giving everyone apologetic looks for Starla's behavior. It was something he did quite often. . .

Cho smiled and collected the empty plates after everyone had been finished. "Well I say it doesn't matter his reason! Besides, it was obviously in the name of love!" He walked over and gently hugged his guardian, sharing more of his abundant positive energy before waving to the rest of them and walking out. He made a stop by Seishu's room in order to collect the plates he left and giggle and tell the guardian how cute of a couple they were.

Rue on the other hand had managed to escape Rasha's hold, and after a bit more play fighting, Rue sat and explained his newfound abilities to Inui and Rasha. The two minions seemed quite amazed by such a talent. They didn't even know such a thing existed either.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"You don't think this will hurt either realm do you? . . . What about Balance?" Harper finally managed to ask after a moment of Starla's babbling. This question silenced the room with all eyes going to the guardian. Enasi sighed softly and looked down.

"Well, we've thought about it. Our realms will have to come to terms with it on their own. We all know that our realms have been in this system for many, many years so breaking a habit will be tough. We will make it work, he says. Seishu also came up with a wonderful idea when I brought up our millennium wars. A tournament in the nether realm. . . Like the Greeks. But those are details to be sorted out later. We still have healing to worry about and Gin to get rid of." He nodded and looked over at Harper who was now in thought.

"If you believe it will work, I'll try to help with some ideas- after you're healed." Enasi grinned, thankful to have such an amazing second in command.

"Oh, right! We apologize Lord Enasi. For earlier. We could've hurt you and we were being inconsiderate." The two siblings bowed and then looked up at Enasi in hopes of being forgiven.

"It's okay. I understand you two were upset, but next time be careful please." They both smiled and nodded.

"Oh, and also," Starla brought her hands together and created a few flowers. One batch was blue and gold, while the other was red and white. Finn found vases for the two and set them by the windows. "I believe you asked for flowers." Enasi grinned and clasped his hands together.

"They're lovely, thank you." He sighed and stretched his arms out. "You know, you guys don't have to stay in here. . . It's not like I'll be going anywhere. And there's not much to do besides stare at me, which I'd prefer you not do. . . You all have jobs you know." He laughed softly and smiled. "I'm tough. I'll be fine."

"Oh, right. Starla, we are going to the human realm today. We should be getting ready." Finn pulled her sleeve gently. Both of them bow and say their goodbyes before hurrying off to do their job. Harper and Crios were still with Enasi, both giving him curious looks.

"Why are you pushing us away? I thought you loved the company of your minions." Crios spoke, organizing materials for later. Enasi gave a soft sigh and shrugged, causing Harper to raise an eyebrow.

"I don't know, I mean. . . I do but. . . I don't like it when you all are so worried over me. You shouldn't have to. . . Besides, I'm not going to do anything remotely interesting while I'm trapped here. . ."

Seishu is in deep contemplation when Cho walks in, his fingers running idly through Inui's hair. At the comment the little ones look at the chef funny but Seishu simply looks at him, still lost in thought. 'If he really is pushing them away, a very not him thing to do, I feel the need to do. . .Something. . . .' Cho notices the look in the guardian's eyes and decides to stick around for an actual response. He listens to Rue's explanation happily, clapping lightly at the end as if it is the most wonderful thing he's ever heard. Rue blushes happily then looks over to the white haired male as he at last decides to speak.

“I have a theory about Enasi I would like to put to the test.” He glances at Cho. “From that comment I assume Enasi has told you we. . .?” As his vice trails off Cho nods happily. Seishu smirks. “Well then, I'll tell you guys too.” The little ones look up at him, very interested. “He and I made love in Our World. We are official now, and nothing is going to get in the way of us staying together.” Rue cheers, the shock quickly wearing off from Rasha and he cheers as well, purring loudly. Inui simply gives Seishu a tight squeeze before giggling lightly at the image he imagines of Enasi's face when he had to admit that aloud. Once the noises quiet down he continues. “Well, after that, I am sure you've all noticed the change in energy?” Nods go around the room. “Hm. I'm not sure about Enasi, but I know that afterward, it put me a little on edge. It's something completely new that we don't know how to deal with, and even knowing that we can doesn't help.”

Che shrugs. “Knowing Lord Enasi, he may simply be worried that it will mess us up or something. Subconsciously of course. . .”

With a nod Seishu shifts, moving to stand. Immediately the little ones are up and surrounding the side of the bed. He chuckles at this and uses them to help him stand. “I'm fine, I'm fine. I just, gotta do this. . .” Rasha takes a spot at his side, Inui at the other, and Rue smiles and flutters in front of the three. Cho trails behind, leaving the dishes in Seishu's room to be picked up later, a faint smile on his lips. He can't wait to see how this plays out. Seishu carefully seals up all of his negative energy, letting the new energy flow more freely, and in relatively good time they make it to Enasi's room. Finn and Starla, Who had been half way down the hall in the other direction when Seishu had exited his room, had made a U-turn and now follow the group curiously as Seishu slips into Enasi's room unaided.

Crios looks ready to leave, though his is caught mid way between sitting and standing when the Nightmare Guardian arrives, and Harper simply steps away from the bed and waits to see what happens. Without hesitation Seishu slips over to Enasi's bed and climbs in. He is careful not to jostle the other too much as he slips an arm beneath Enasi's head and snuggles up against his side. With a cheeking grin he says, once settled, “Well, I can't wait to see the next excuse you try to use to deflect the caring worried stares of those who love you.” As if to illustrate his point he to pulls a worried loving gaze, even going so far as to kiss his cheek and run his fingers across the other guardian's brow gently.

"If anything Crios, I think I'm just sending you all off to do your jobs instead of sitting inside and doing. . .well nothing." It didn't seem like either doctor or second in command believed him, so he merely let them do as they pleased. The two were a stubborn duo. Just as Enasi thought they'd go and accomplish something other than staring at him, Seishu appeared along with everyone else, quite literally. "Oh you came to visit, how nice. And you seem to be feeling much better, that's wonderful." He scooted as best as he could so he was on one side of the bed and Seishu was on the other. The guardian was more than happy to cuddle with Seishu, but paused when Seishu revealed his sneaky goals.

Even when not around, Seishu still was a perceptive fox. Enasi didn't answer right away, instead he watched as the familiar trio took places in order to cuddle up with either guardian. "I'm not making excuses for anything." When he finally did start speaking, he looked down at the sheets, idly petting and gently scratching Rasha. The cat purred and purred happily. "There's no excuses, I just don't want everyone wasting their time here when they have work they could be doing. I'm just going to be sitting here until I'm better. Not much else I really can do."

"You may have to go through physical therapy. Depending on how you recover." Crios added as he looked at a chart with him. Cho smiled and shuffled his way to Crios' side. The siblings found a small bench to share and Harper leaned against a wall as usual. Enasi looked at them all, including the ones on the bed.

"Oh dear, this must be irony. Physical therapy, all of you staring me down, hm." He glanced over at Seishu, looking into his cute worried eyes. The guardian got comfortable by his counterpart, finally stopping his continuous petting to Rasha's dismay. Rue and Inui giggled at the idea.

"Don't forget also being hurt in the same area." Harper mentioned, giving his own addition to the irony. He watched as the two cuddled up and subconsciously softened. His ears lowered a little as he relaxed a bit more. 'They really do love each other. . . Even though I've heard them time and time again, it was hard to believe. I admittedly had my doubts about Night. . . But seeing them like this. . . I've seen Lord Enasi express many happy emotions, but I don't think he's ever actual expressed love like this.' Harper's own internal monologue was interrupted when Rue spoke.

"Does this mean we'll get to see Lord Enasi and Mister Seishu swim again?" Rue looked thrilled about the idea. "I mean, of course Mister Seishu can make sure he doesn't accidentally hurt himself and all. We wouldn't want a repeat of last time. . ."

Crios put the chart down and chuckled lightly. "Just because they have similar injuries doesn't mean they'll have similar results to everything. For example, we don't have to inject Lord Enasi as much as we do Night. Lord Enasi doesn't get angry like Night does and he isn't as reckless- unless the Nightmare Realm has influenced him to be, which I hope not." He teased lightly and patted Enasi's leg.

Enasi puffed up his cheeks and crossed his arms. "I wasn't being reckless. I was helping and. . .it backfired. Backfired a lot. But enough of that! I'm fine. I promise."

The Nightmare Guardian watches as his lover freezes under his adoring gaze and not so subtle implications when it comes to his current activities regarding his underlings. 'I can't say I'm sorry for putting you on the spot, as I think you look quite adorable like this, but I will say I hope you're not hiding for the reasons I think you're hiding' He pets Enasi's hair gently, keeping his eyes trained on the red head's face to catch any little change in the other guardian's expression. A half smile comes to his lips when Inui curls up beside him, doing his best to direct any energy seeping out of him into his guardian. With a faint sigh he erects a barrier around the little red eyed one to keep him from leaking to the detriment of those around him.

Rue smiles at him from the other side of Enasi and with Rasha curling up between them it's quite cozy on the bed now. It takes a little while for his counterpart to settle, but Seishu is patient. Once he begins moving again the long haired male shifts ever so slightly to accommodate the shorter man, finally able to snuggle in comfortably. He listens to the talk around him for a while, letting his head settle on Enasi's shoulder as he listens to his voice, and to the voices of those around them. 'The little ones seem almost purely happy, with only touches of worry, but that's specifically for the injury and not “us”. Harper isn't speaking, but I can feel it, he's settling too. That's good. I know my own second will be overjoyed for me, in his own quiet way. It's good we don't have to worry on that front'

Turning his head ever so slightly he catches sight of everyone settling in and he smiles a little wider. 'Cho is always happy, and seems to accept anything as long as it's “good” and I am sure this qualifies, and he can talk Crios in if he has any doubts. . .' His gaze shifts over to the other two, the final additions to their little group. 'I'm not quite sure on Finn, but Starla would be voicing her objections if she had any. I am sure they know, that look on their faces. . .' The two look at the scene on the bed knowingly, Finn with a faint bashful tint to his cheeks. With a sigh he looks down to Enasi's chest, a hand coming up to start drawing little designs on it while he waits for everything to be said that needs to be.

Rasha spots the movement and stares at it for a moment. After a few seconds however he shifts and reaches up to bat at the moving finger, like any other feline fascinated by a moving object. Seishu chuckles at this and switches to wiggling his finger over the little dream. Rasha flops on his back to bat at the finger, mewling happily. This continues on until Seishu hears something that makes him speak up. Shifting so he can look up at Enasi his eyes narrow slightly. “You are not 'fine' in any sense of the word Enasi.” The hand that had been playing with the kitty drops down to settle on the covers and he uses the leverage to shift a little more. Those around the room become a little more serious at this, Harper's ears perking up a little.

He blinks slowly, giving the other a gentle kiss before explaining himself. “You're falling into your old habit of trying to hide from your underlings again. You're hurt, and you knows that bothers them, so you're sending them away. You've made a huge change, without consulting any of them and you don't know how it will effect them, so you are likewise trying to put them at a distance.” Rasha purrs supportivly, slipping up a bit so he settled on his guardian's lap while Rue snuggles in closer to the red head. He smiles softly and runs his fingers through his counterpart's hair once again. “I don't think either thing merits such avoidance, and I actually think the latter would make said actions quite counterproductive.” Rue looks very confused at this bit nods in his own innocently trusting way.

As he finished, Seishu felt the need to say what was on everyone else's mind. In fact, he decided to speak out- just as he always did. Enasi looked away for a moment. He wasn't going to deny that he was right. . .but that didn't mean he was going to admit he was right either. Sometimes he really didn't like how unnecessarily perceptive Seishu could be. Despite being kissed, he huffed, yet refrained from crossing his arms and frowning up like a child. "Well, for one, I am still alive. And I've been all patched up. I consider that fine." Enasi gave a small smile and tapped Seishu's nose. "Optimism dear Seishu. You should try it some time." He looked down at Rue who smiled up at him and then at Rasha who inched himself near his hand to be pet again. He could feel the eyes all staring at him. Each minion clearly relieved that Seishu said something so they wouldn't have to. But, it wouldn't be enough for the guardian to point it out, Enasi would have to fix it. . .

With a rather neutral expression, he continued. "And furthermore, I am not pushing them-" He paused, finally taking the time to look at the rest of the staring eyes. "I am not pushing you all away. I just. . .think you all have much better things to do than worry about me. I can't go anywhere, and I surely don't plan to do much so there's no reason. . .to sit around in here." As he spoke, he fumbled over how to say such without sounding as if he was actually pushing them away. He didn't think he was repeating the same things he used to. At least he was talking about it. "And also," This time his gaze went over to Seishu shortly.

"I do believe, that as a guardian I can make changes without needing to consult my underlings." To this, Harper's ear twitched and he crossed his arms a little tighter, a movement that Enasi caught. "Of course I don't do such a thing, but I still don't have to." He corrected and then hugged Rue a little, in comfort. "It's a big change, yes. But there are many other things going on at the moment that need to be touched on first before minor things are dealt with." Before he could continue his spiel Crios sat up with a rather serious look. Cho had been resting an arm on his shoulder, but quietly moved it, sensing it was probably important and best not to interrupt.

"Lord Enasi, as a guardian, as an injured guardian and as the head of the medical staff it is my job to make sure you are back to your full health as soon as possible. Consequently, just as you don't want your realm rising into a panic, I and Harper agree, and therefore we have to be the ones to aid you. If another of the staff, whether they were mine or even Cho's, they would panic to see you in such a state. Gossip goes around fast. And if everyone in the realm knew of your condition they'd go into chaos. And they'd obviously blame Night for it. So, no matter how much you don't want us to worry, I will at least be here until you are healed 100%." On his face, his expression held more to than what he said, as if that hadn't been all, but he kept quiet, figuring Harper could sum up the rest.

In which, Harper did decide to speak. "As your second in command," The rabbit made it clear to mention his status given to him by the guardian. "I deserve to know the plans that you come up with. I have to be the one to make contingencies and make sure you are thoroughly protected. Even you know many of the dreams here won't simply settle their feuds with the Nightmare Realm simply because you have. . .come together with Night. Especially not the ones who have lived through generations of the simple order of things. We may be the realm of positivity, but we still have our own small troubles- that I deal with properly. If you don't let me know about these things then I can't possibly help keep the peace that you want here. And as your second, of course I'm going to worry about you being injured. I may be a decent general, but I am in no position to be a fill in guardian. And I pray to the Powers that that will never, ever happen."

Oh how Enasi disliked being lectured. He didn't like being scolded like a child- even though he wasn't being scolded. He wasn't sure how it made him feel, but he didn't like the feeling. Enasi knew they were right, despite how much he tried to convince them that all would be fine. Instead of responding, Enasi looked down and pet the cat in his lap. Rue stared at Enasi's clouded expression and hugged him a little tighter, careful to avoid hurting him. "It's okay. . ." Rue whispered softly and gave a bright smile. Enasi returned the smile with a much softer one before patting his head.

"Alright. . . Do what you want I suppose. . . Since I can't convince you all otherwise. . ."

A small ripple of upset runs through all present as Enasi basically pouts like a stubborn child and figuratively just throws his hands up in the air in defeat without really getting the point. Seishu has never ending patience when it comes to the little ones in his realm, but for childish adults he has none, even if he's in love with him. He exhales long and slow through his nose, and Rue recognizes the tumblers falling into place behind the guardian’s eyes. 'He's not mad, but he's gonna do something, and I don't think we should be around for it, because when these two start up, things get way too real way too fast sooo' Carefully the fairy reaches around and scoops up Rasha, quickly scooting back off the bed. He motions with his head for Inui to join him as he circles around the bed.

Inui, who does not recognize Seishu's moods all that well just yet looks confused for a moment before slipping off the bed. For his part Seishu is simply staring at his counterpart, his expression mostly unreadable. Very softly he whispers, “Everyone, scat. Doc, leave a sedative.” They almost look like nightmare denizens as with very little hesitation they all do as they are told. Harper is the last to leave, making sure to catch his guardian's eye and trying to convey just a little bit at least how upset he is that it has come to this before closing the door behind them.

With a slow exhale Seishu finally drops his gaze from Enasi's face. “I am not trying to pick on you, and I'm not trying to treat you like a child. You are no fool, though you are foolish sometimes, and right now just happens to be one of these times.” Looking back up his expression has changed. No longer is it nearly unreadable, his worry, confusion, and hurt is clear upon his face. However instead of stating what he wishes to speak about he whispers softly, “Here or in Our World, your choice. They are waiting, so do not think on it too long.”

~*~*~*~*~

In the hall the group mills about a bit before Cho heads back to the kitchen, only making a pit stop at Seishu's room to grab up the rest of the dishes. Starla tags along to help, telling Finn that she'll head to the garden and see what she can do with it. Finn agrees to meet her there. Crios heads off to go check on his patients while Rasha, Rue, and Inui take up the vigil with Harper, all three sitting close together against the wall opposite the room holding their guardians. Looking up at the rabbit man, his arms crossed as he leans against the wall, Inui whispers, “Do you think it'll be okay?” Harper glances down, his eyes sharp. Despite all of his misgivings Harper is sure things will turn out. He trusts his guardian, and Lord Enasi would never do anything to irreparably damage the realm or thing beings in it so as the general manages to pulls a smile and nod at the little faces now all turned up at him his is completely sincere in his confidence.

It didn't take his power to feel just how upset everyone had gotten in the matter of seconds. If anything, Enasi believed they should have been happy he would have stopped trying to get them to relax. But of course, he was wrong. He looked off to the side towards a vase full of flowers that Starla gave him. Those in particular were a deep red and a brilliant white color. They really were beautiful together. As each of them slipped out of the room, Enasi slowly sunk a little lower in his large and comfortable bed. It was not nearly as large as his bed in his room, but it was still comfortable enough to aid the patients. The look Harper gave him made him feel guilty, but Enasi was pretty sure he was feeling guilty as soon as they all were upset. 'Maybe I should stick to being quiet. That should solve a lot of things, eh?' The Dream Guardian had managed, without hurting himself, to scoot low enough to stare at the ceiling, but not too low where he was laying flat.

When Seishu began speaking, he involuntarily flinched towards the hurt Seishu's expression. As a guardian of dreams he wasn't suppose to cause others to hurt. He was to do the exact opposite. Reveling in his own thoughts, he almost missed Seishu's question. Breaking his silent vow, Enasi glanced over at Seishu. "As much as I like you, I don't think I should trust you with Crios' sedatives. . . No reason you can't just tell me here." His eyes trailed to the door. "And I'm sure Harper can hear, so there's no reason for anything to be repeated."

Enasi pulled one of the extra pillows over his stomach and hugged it before looking into Seishu's eyes, for once not just giving him short glances. In spite of the situation and his guilty feelings, he even gave a somewhat unreadable response. "Alright Night, tell me of my foolishness this time. It seems to have become more often lately. . . And I have to learn some way." Enasi hugged the pillow in front of him a little more and looked down at his lap, awaiting the talk they were going to have.

- - - - - - - -

On the other side of the door, Harper's ears twitched a little when he heard Enasi's comment. However, that didn't make him move from his spot. "Do you think he was upset?" Inui questioned quietly. Rue shook his head and continued to hold Rasha in his arms.

"He wasn't." Rue had been around Seishu longer than Inui had, so he opted to simply trust the fairy's intuition and wait alongside them quietly.

Looking down at the now near horizontal Enasi, Seishu lets out a long sigh. Another stab of hurt runs though his body as his lover mentions not trusting him with sedatives. 'I spent hours with needles full of various positive healing energy agents, working hard with something I've never use before, to keep you insides from spilling on to your outsides, and you “can't trust me” with a simple sedative!?' He holds back his growl however, breathing slow and letting Enasi get out what he wants to say before saying anything himself.

“Well, we could always start with the fact that you're pouting and acting like this outpouring is some sort of attack, but,” He carefully tugs at the pillow until it's far enough out of the way to settle his arm over the wound beneath it, “that's not what the bother is, and we can deal with that later.” He huffs lightly, scooting himself down a little ways so he's looking into Enasi's eyes, one arm settles on the other side of the smaller male while the other keeps him from smushing the red head. Gazing deep into his lover's eyes Seishu adopts a stern look before it suddenly becomes playful and he leans in to kiss Enasi. Leaning back after the brief smooch he says quietly, “This world, is your world, and you run it your way.”

The hand pressed against the mattress on the guardian's other side comes up to run though those scarlet locks before sliding down to brush over and over Enasi's cheek. “When I was stranded here, you had at least one person with me, constantly, and let all those who are friendly come see me whenever they like, even going so far as letting your head chef and doctor serve me exclusively, visiting whenever they thought it best.” His hand slides down his lover's body until once more his hand rest ever so gently atop the stomach wound.

“And yet, here you are, severely wounded, and all you can do is shoo them away? And when it becomes too much, you just throw up your hands as if it is some kind of burden that they want to come see if you're okay. To stay by your side and support you while you are weak? Beyond that you say things to imply they are not doing their jobs to your satisfaction because they are taking time to see you, or that you don't need to consult them?” Seishu shakes his head sadly. “Beyond anything else I have seen Enasi, this is not you. Has. . .” his voice seems to leave him for a moment, ripples of his still unmanageable negativity making him short of breath as he thinks about what he's about to say. After a moment however he is able to murmur, “Has our coming together really affected you so badly?” Seishu is terrified of the answer to that question, but as he adds on another question he prays that the latter one will be answered yes. “Or do you simply fear the change will hurt them, without giving it a chance?”

~*~*~*~*~

Harper's brows furrow more deeply as he hears the Nightmare Guardian speak, the final set of questions lighting his own curiosity on the matter. However after only a few moments he finds his resolve again and opts to wait and listen instead of letting his fantasies fly.

~*~*~*~*~

Waving good-bye to Cho, Starla heads towards the garden, a faint spring in her step. 'I can't help but trust things will turn out. I bet, by tonight, the garden will be in full health again! And if not I'll. . .I'll go deck Lord Enasi for being silly!' She knows she would never actually do it, but being able to think it without guilt is somehow quite liberating. She understands it now, partially at least. She understands what it is her and her brother were missing. “Actually, I don't know if Finn. . .” She shrugs. “I'll just have to ask now, won't I?” With that in mind she half skips her way down the hall to meet up with said brother.

Upon waiting to hear what he did wrong, he had a moment of deja vu as he remembered that this was not the first time Seishu planned to 'set him straight'. And with that thought, as Seishu began, he brought his hands to his face in an exasperated manner before returning them back to the pillow. 'Man I'm such a fool. . . And somehow I still manage to mess things up- well, apparently that's nothing new. . .' He nearly missed a whole chunk of what Seishu had been talking about before he realized he was drifting off into his own mind. "I know it's not some attack." He mumbled and decided not to protest the pouting thing considering he was pouting like a child. This also caused him to fix his face and pout less.

The guardian returned the light kiss before sighing softly. "You've told me that several times before- and yet here we are again." Enasi gave a small empty smile and shrug before looking back down. The only reason he looked back up was because his counterpart began to caress his cheek. "Well, I mean it was a necessity at first because, you know, I couldn't have you dying or anything. . .But after, I let Rue go because he seemed to like you and he wasn't going to listen. And then, you got attacked- well, almost. Precautionary measures- then, yeah, I was being nice. It's something that's pretty normal for me you know. Kindness and all." As he explained, he moved his hands from the pillow and messed with strands of Seishu's hair before tucking them behind his ear.

He fell silent again, trying to think of what to say- or at least how he was feeling. However he wasn't sure about either of those things at the moment, which was starting to become more often than not. But the more Seishu spoke, the more Enasi came to realize why he was feeling so jumbled and so. . . Not right. It was besides the fact that he burdened himself with all the problems of his world- or at least used to seeing as he was now learning to 'share his problems'. When Seishu brought up his questions, with obvious sadness in his voice, Enasi once again brought his hands to his face and heaved a sigh. "No, no, no. You're fine. We're fine. I mean- I hope we're fine. We are fine, right? . ." There was a moment's pause as Enasi deterred his mind from wandering off.

"Ever since you've gotten here- no, ever since I was a guardian I've been. . . I don't know, I guess so worried and fearful about messing everything up that I've been doing just that. . ." Enasi stared at the ceiling before closing his eyes. "When I was given guardianship and going through how things were supposed to work and how things worked before I was a guardian, everything seemed. . .well perfect. It's not as easy as it looks keeping every single creature 'positive'. Positive happy, positive content, positive calm and all that follows in that. . . And the last guardian, the first guardian was apparently pro-war. Hence why we're here. I didn't want that to happen a second time. So I carefully made a system. A system that worked and was agreeable for all. Was. Or maybe if never really worked and I was just too full of high hopes." Enasi paused again and frowned a little before putting the pillow that was over his wound, over his face.

He wasn't sure the idea of sharing had been a good or bad thing anymore. Muffled through the pillow, Enasi spoke. "I have no idea what else to say about it. . . No nothing is wrong with you. The problem is me and I'm not doing such a good job. Sorry for screwing so much stuff up. . . I'll fix it. . .eventually." The sound of his voice got softer and sadder, though tears never actually formed.

~*~*~*~

Outside the door, Rue watched Harper's expression go from attentive to softening. His ears lowered a little and he crossed his arms. As curious as Rue was, he decided to stay quiet and wait for the right time to speak about it. In the meantime, he and Inui played with and petted Rasha while they waited.

~*~*~*~

Finn was resting on his stomach in the garden, watching a few closed flowers. "Now don't be like that. It's blooming time for you all. I need you to do just that. . . Please?" He slumped into the dirt and sighed. Rolling on his back, Finn stared at the sky trying to figure out what the problem could be. He had also been waiting for Starla. Hopefully she had some piece of the puzzle.