Putting on one of his poutier pouts Seishu follows after Enasi, keeping his hands on his lover's hips as he turns to face him. Looking down at the adorable male he accepts the kiss without objection but continues to pout at him. Leaning in he draws Enasi into a longer kiss. Holding him close while administering a breath stealing kiss he convinces his body to calm down a little and be satisfied with just holding his lover for now. Drawing back he settled his head on the red head's shoulder and breaths out a long sigh. “I know, I know. I'm just still not used to waiting to get what I want, y'know? I miss being somewhere where all I need to do is tilt my head and I have a drink, or twist my wrist and, boom the person I want to talk to is there.” He smiles faintly. “I know that's not how you do things here, but it is how it is back home. I don't have to wait for anything. . .And I don't have to be afraid to go outside, or spend most of my time under the influence of some drug or another, or have the shield my eyes half the time. . .” Letting out a whine he buries his face in Enasi's neck. “Your realm is beautiful, and you complete me, but. . . .I miss it Enasi. I miss it. I want it back. . .” A tear manages to find its way out of the distraught guardian and he holds his lover all the tighter.

~*~*~*~*~

Kaila can feel his insides clenching at the idea of putting another faithful person in danger. They had just lost one double agent, the idea of sending another. [i]'And Gin would likely expect it. . . A replacement for the one he found. He's probably, if he has half a brain, ready to tear through those closest to him, looking for another. 'We need something more subtle, more solid. . .Someone who can stay near him, or at least get information out of him and relay it. . .' A new idea begins forming in his mind and he can feel his skin crawling.

'It's the best idea I have however. . .No one's gonna like it. . .But it's our best bet' Pushing off of the tree with a new sense of determination he waves the others away, they feeling a touch of hope as they see him finally coming into focus. Moving through the camp he seeks out his brother. 'It's all for naught if he refuses. . .I mean, Mater Seishu says we need to stay by one another, but if this will work, then I am sure my team can look after him. . .' He finds his twin rolling around with some kids, but Jentou says his goodbyes to them as soon as he spots his troubled brother.

The white clad man wraps himself around his brother, nuzzling him like a large blond cat. Kaila keeps walking, leading them off to the edge of camp where they can have some privacy. He lets out a little grunt as Jentou picks him up and launches them both into the lower branches of one of the huge trees along the edge of camp. Letting himself be settled in his brother's lap he doesn't even scowl as they come to rest on a large branch. Easily sensing his brother's upset, Jentou cuddles him like a large teddy until he's ready to talk.

The brothers sat in the tree in silence for a few moments but Jentou didn’t prod. He did let go however as Kaila straightened up and looked towards the camp. The contemplative expression his brother had made Jentou raise an eyebrow.

“It’s not the best plan… But it’s all we have right now.”

It wasn’t the most convincing start, but Jentou let him continue.

“With Master Seishu away, we need some way to get close to him and figure out his plans, his weaknesses. Anything.” Kaila wrinkled his nose in disgust as he spoke of Gin, his fists clenched and unclenched before he sighed. “I’ve thought of every possible plan and every possible outcome and I refuse to let any more of us die. I refuse to just wait for Lord Seishu. We don’t know how long we will have to wait, and if we can lighten the blow for when he gets here... The plan is for us, us as in you and I, to go towards the castle, close enough to be noticed by Gin or his troops. I’ll give myself up- or pretend to be captured rather. I know they’ll keep me alive for questioning, but I also know I can get information out of Gin. It’s… not that hard to get him to start yapping about himself.”

Finally, Kaila looked his brother in the eye, having been staring out at the forest for most of his explanation. While his brother frowned in protest, Kaila’s was devoid of most emotion. He knew his brother would disapprove of the plan, but he also knew that having him come along would make him more willing to accept it. “I need you there so you can be sure that our link will feed you whatever information I can get. That and to make sure it looks as though we fought before I am taken.”

Jentou continued to hold his frown, moreso because he knew there was no swaying Kaila’s plan. “The others will not like this.” It was the only thing he could think to say while he was set in his path. “But of course I will accompany you. That’s not a question.”

“We can worry about the others after I’ve been take, They’ll be upset but they will understand.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Enasi stared at Seishu, his eyes softening as the guardian spoke. He couldn’t imagine how much pain and suffering he was going through, but he was still braving it out. Enasi sighed and cupped Seishu’s face. “You have been so, so strong baring all of this pain and positive energy and I appreciate it so much. You deserve to go home, you do.. You deserve to be surrounded by your minions and I want to help, trust me I do. You will be able to go home, I swear. Even if I have to go back to the Nightmare Realm and drag Gin off that throne myself- assuming you guy have a throne in your castle.” Enasi gave a sympathetic smile and a weak laugh before leading him out of the bath. He grabbed two towels for them, and then a third to dry Seishu’s hair.

“We could always take a trip to the Human Realm however. As amazing as Crios is, nothing truly beats actual negative energy for you. It wouldn’t be… from the pure source, but it definitely would help.”

Still pouty over the plan, Jentou looks out into the forest himself, his arms snaking out to pull Kaila into a hug like a giant stuffed bear. His brother lets him hold him for now, knowing his dear twin will need time to adjust to the idea of being without him. He lets his energy bleed out, slipping into Jentou and wrapping in close, like an armless hug. This serves both to help the bland man feel closer to his violet haired brother, but also to strengthen their bond so the plan is more likely to work. Kaila doesn't like working off maybes, but it's the best plan they have.

He looks up at his white clad brother begins to murmur. “We should bring your team with. I may not be able to convince myself to let them take you if we go alone. . .And if we hurry, we should be able to catch Gin himself before he gets back to the palace. The agent may still be alive, and we should have extra hands to bring her back. Should she be alive of course. He's been known to like his torture you know. Mean stuff, the most brutal. . .Sadly that actually brings up the chance she's alive, but it also means that you are more likely to not be killed.” He buries his face in purple locks. “And I will feel it. I will be there for you, no matter what, you hear me? You never block me off!” He pulls back, giving Kaila a fierce look that shows he will not accept any answer but an agreement.

~*~*~*~*~

Enasi lets him hold his for a beat before pulling back enough to hold his face in his hands. Seishu lets the tears fall, his sadness creating a small cloud around him he tries to keep in check without suppressing his feelings. He looks down at the beautiful red head and tries to listen to his words. Tries to let those gentle, kind eyes take him away from his sorrow. The sweet man speaks sweet words that wrap around his heart and, the more smart ass side of him, swears he's growing cavities over the sweetness. The more conscious side of him however is touched and follows his lover out of the water with a soft smile, glad to have such an understanding counterpart.

“I am honored by the offer, but while indeed there is a quite lovely and comfortable if intimidating throne, I double you could make it five steps in that room without Gin's nastiness knocking you out cold after how pissed I'm sure he is from losing out on capturing me.” Curiously, he opens his heart up a little, reaching out for the nightmare realm. The pain is too much however and he finds himself laying on hack back beside the pool, unable to take in a breath for several seconds. He can hear the little ones squealing in worry, but it takes all of his concentration to pull back into himself and regain his ability to breath.

Rolling to his side he curls into a little ball, his breathing ragged. “Remind me to not peek next time I get all weepy over going home. . .” he whispers, shivering violently. He doesn't know what happened over there, but something other than the usual upset over him not being there is going on and it makes Seishu feel like a stuffed toy between the teeth of a large angry hellhound.

Kaila had remained silent, letting his and his brother’s energies intertwine. He went over the plan again and again up until Jentou spoke up. The idea alone made Kaila frown up, but he stayed silent for a little longer. The idea of Gin getting his hands on any other nightmares made him growl under his breath, but it soon turned into a sigh. The look he was given was clear as the night sky that Jentou wasn’t taking ‘no’ for an answer. Kaila straightened up, letting his energy dissipate from in between them. He kissed his brother’s forehead in response following it with a very reluctant, “Fine.”

“I’ll need to address them soon. We’re leaving tonight.”

Jentou was a little surprised at how soon Kaila planned for this to happen, but with the stakes at hand and the dangers that followed he quickened his pace as his brother hopped out of the tree they were sitting in.

It didn’t take long for the brothers to find their way back to camp. Most of the nightmares had settled down after the wave of worry previously and were settling in to rest. Filo and Feena collected all of the young ones, both giving a nod to the two as they walked past. Kaila and Jentou returned it before they were both farther off to the side of the camp, signalling for his group to gather. He started to speak as they got closer, but paused and gestured for them to follow him further from listening ears. The last thing he needed was a camp full of panicked nightmares.

“We have a new mission.” He started and watched as they immediately came to attention. Kaila braced himself for the worst of it but continued. “We all know Gin is prone to torture before killing. He is desperate for information about us. We still have the advantage of being in the shadows.” His gaze fell on everyone of them as he carried on, echoing what he told his brother. “We need someone to get close to him. We need to find out his plans, his weaknesses. But I refuse to let any more of the nightmares get hurt.” He could feel Jentou’s grip tightening on his arm but he ignored it. “We’l be heading towards Lord Seishu’s castle- it'd be impossible to actually go in there, but if we hurry, we'll catch up to Gin before he's inside. We’ll feign as though we fought back and then I’ll let myself be captured.” He held his hand up to silence them all until he was finished.

“Gin wants information on our whereabouts and how to get us under his rule. What he wants, I have. And with me being Master Seishu’s second, he will surely see that as a victory well won. All the information I can pull out of him will be sent to Jentou.”

~~~~~~~~

Enasi began drying off, glancing over his shoulder every now and again to respond, and of course let Seishu know he was listening. “Hmph. Have a little faith Seishu, I’m tougher than I look.” His laugh was gentle and faded soon after it started. The sudden ‘thump’ on the ground made Enasi whirl around. In one quick motion, his energy wrapped around him, creating loose shorts and he swiftly made his way to Seishu’s side.

Hearing just what happened made the guardian sigh. “Seishu…” His name wasn’t said in exasperation, it was moreso empathy. The guardian was hurting so much and Enasi hated to see him like this. Carefully, he helped the guardian up and wrapped the towel around him. Without much warning, he lifted Seishu off his feet just as he had when he brought him into the bathhouse. “You need a break from my realm and the best I can do for now is get you somewhere that’s- not here.”

Walking out the bathhouse, Enasi gave a low whistle and it didn’t take long for Harper to answer the call. “I need you to do me a favor. Can you collects Finn and Starla and send them to find a place that’s clear enough for us to visit?” Harper saluted, planning to ask what happened this time, but stopped as Enasi continued. “In the meantime, I’m going to let Crios know.” He paused in his tracks for a moment. “Hm, I think Inui should tag along as well… he’s been doing a good job at containing that negative energy, but it is still somewhat new for him.” At this point, it was hard to tell if the guardian was speaking directly to Harper and Seishu or simply expressing his thoughts outloud. Either way, he continued on to Seishu’s vacant room.

Kaila's most trusted have, for the first time in living memory, truly question their leader's wisdoms. Normally they can at least feel somewhat what he is, but the pure acts of self sacrifice have always escaped them for anyone but their master in the midst of battle. But planned self sacrifice? Planning on putting oneself in danger. . . Lan and Ran don't have words but look clearly upset at the idea. Tyar drifts about, eyeless, just a shadow in the air as she thinks. Tiski however is able to find her voice, though it is quiet.

“Are you. . .Sure, this is the correct course of action to take?” There's only the slightest waver in her voice as Kaila's sharp eyes land on hers and she looks to be trying to stand her ground against his focused gaze.

He lets himself watch her for a while, indulging her objection – for an objection it is – with another pass over his plan and his resolve. When the thoughts are past however, and he once more comes to the same conclusion, he gives her only a nod and watches her bite her lip painfully. Reaching out he brushes a finger across her now bleeding lip and whispers for her not to do that before turning once more to address his team. “We will be the only ones going, and we will tell no one. We can not hesitate, and we do not have time for me to handle all the objections I know the camp would have.”

Jentou holds tightly to his brother, the slight scowl on his face clearly showing his objections but he says nothing. He can't. He knows Kaila can not be swayed. He knows it, he feels it, but that doesn't stop him from not wanting it to happen. Despite Kaila clearly wanting to looks strong in front of his team, the white clad man pulls him into a fierce hug before letting him go so they can take off.

The others shared a brief glance with one another as Kaila and Jentou prepared to take off. They all had an understanding that none agreed with the plan, however they all would accept it. By the looks of it, there was no suading the verdict. It was clear Jentou had already tried.

Kaila and Jentou took off into the sky with Tiski following underneath them. It hovered closer to the tops of the trees in order keep watch of any of Gin’s forces should they be ahead or in hiding.

Lan, Ran, and Tiski, kept to the ground as they exited the camp, wanting to be sure that there were no enemies near the camp’s perimeters. When they were far enough out, the other three took to the skies as well.

To what could be considered their fortune, the group had to travel a little ways away from their own camp in order to find Gin and his small band. Tiski waved an airy limb, signalling for the group to slow their pace and then waited for instruction. “Circle them. We can’t let them know which direction we came from.” Kaila’s voice was low, but they all heard him clearly. With swiftness, each of them dived back into the forest, not wanting to be caught mid-flight. “Remember the plan.” His voice was stern and finite. The way he never looked back as his wings retracted left no room for argument. The second in command could feel the faint repression of complaints, but he lead them forward.

They were all aware of what he meant. They were to follow the plan and that’s what they would do no matter how much they didn’t approve of it. Save for Jentou, the rest kept a bit of distance as they followed, staying low and under cover. The closer they got, the more they could hear Gin’s group. They weren’t doing a very good job at being sneaky to begin with so it was easy to pinpoint just where each of them were. Tiski peered through a few bushes before slipping next to Jentou and Kaila. It created a fingered hand to point out there were five in that party, including Gin. Not wanting to risk their cover, it said nothing and floated into the branches above to hide. Kaila simply nodded, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

~*~

Gin has had it. Even with both wings broken and an eye gouged out, this prisoner of theirs is till causing them trouble. She thrashes and kicks, slowing their progress back to the palace. He thought getting a life traitor would be more amusing, but as it is, she mostly just spits and hisses, leaving him more and more furious. He'd had a moment of triumph with this one, but that was hours ago. He scowls fiercely as once more she forces the procession to stop by curling her spine and getting a kick in on one of his minions.

He draws his blade, Seishu's blade, and stalks up to her, pressing the blade hard enough against he blue throat to draw a considerable amount of blood. She spits at him and his eyes glow a sickly yellow. “So, this is what I get for being nice to you traitors!” he snaps at her. “I was going to bring you back, let you live, have a little fun and maybe even a few more of those oh so enjoyable chats with you, but I suppose a traitor is in the end a mindless beast that really should just be put down.”

It's clear from the copious cuts and bruises littering her body that these little chats with Gin are anything but fun, but she doesn't back down. She looks back at him fiercely and spits, “How dare you befoul Master Seishu's blade with that grimy mitt of yours! You're not even holding it right!” That little bit enrages Gin more than anything else and he lets out an unholy sound of fury and draws the blade back, ready to run her through.

~*~

The cry is the perfect cover and without a sound, the team pounces. Tyar wraps around Gin, obscuring his view and stunning him for a moment. Lan and Ran know their part and in a flash the minions holding the captive are down, the two of them removing her from the scene and handing her off Tyar as it's thrown forcibly from around Gin. The formless nightmare is able to scoop her easily up and without looking back, takes off in the opposite direction of their camp.

Meanwhile, Kaila works on taking down the remaining two minions, using all care not to harm them too badly. Unfortunately, this leaves Jentou charging the screaming Gin to watch his brother's back. It happens in a flash. Kaila feels the white hot burn of a blade piercing his brother, but he's unable to turn around for risk of getting them both killed. He manages to knock the second one out just as he feels his twin collide hard with his back and he spins to a gruesome scene. Gin is moving in, Jentou's blood dripping from their beloved master's blade, and as he places a hand on his brother's shoulder he can see the pant leg of his white outfit already stained red.

The wound is straight through the blond's midsection, a painful wound that gushes as it's impossible to stem completely. Kaila impulsivly slaps a hand over the hole in Jentou's back, slaming some healing energy into it, but in a flas the other turns and sends him into shock with a firm kiss. When he pulls back, the smile on his lips says it all. He tries, lord does he try, to object, but Jentou has already knocked the air from his lungs with a hard kick to his midsection that sendfs him flying back into Lan and Ran's arms. Tears in his eyes he screams at them to run before turning on Gin, his entire body beginning to glow with his specialy: blinding light.

~*~*~*~*~

Laying shivering for a time, Seishu does his best to keep himself inside his own mind and not pass out. When he feels hands trying to help him up however he lets himself be lifted and does what he can to help. He manages a small smile when he finds himself in his lover's arms once more and wonders what his underlings would think seeing him like this. Thinking about them hurst too much however and he buries his face in the smaller man's neck for comfort. “That would be great.” he whispers against the still damp skin on front of his lips, holding Enasi a little tighter.

~*~

Still under orders to bathe the little ones scrub furiously, wanting desparately to get to Seishu as fast as they can. Rasha and Rue have to help Inui who seems only capable of staring after his master until they announce he's clean enough and he bolts out of the water. They have to wrestle his outfit on as he tries to race through the palace naked to find the Nightmare Guardian. Once he's dried and dressed they let him go and dress themselves, Rasha hitching a ride on Rue since the fairy is faster. They catch up with Inui right outside Seishu's door and follow behind as he bursts into the room, his red eyes a little frantic at this point.

Seishu had spent most of the trip just trying to get what little comfort he can when the darkness is trying to eat away at him, only coming out of it enough to make a joke about how a good romp could “raise his spirits” as Enasi places him on the bed. Soon enough however, his bed is occupied by smaller bodies that all seem intent on making sure he's okay with the most avid cuddles he could hope for short of bedding them. He pulls out a few laughs as Rasha takes his chest, Inui burying himself in his left shoulder and Rue gazing at him worriedly from his right. He is both uplifted and saddened by the image as it reminds him of home and the little ones there. He tires to enjoy the worry coming off of them however and lets it soothe him for now.

The plan doesn't work however. Even not seeking out his realm, his connection to Kaila is is too strong to filter out his personal devastation. Arching back he lets out a scream, Rue instinctively tackling Rasha off the bed and hitting the wall to give them some distance from potential lashing out. Inui is openly shaken by the scream and starts crying, clinging to Seishu in a vain attempt to stop his pain. The guardian doesn't know what's happening to his beloved second in command, but it's enough to cause tears to flow freely down his cheeks as he sobs to the empty air in grief.

Kaila was left in a pained daze as Lan and Ran looked at each other. ’This was not apart of the plan’ Their thoughts echoed each other. Both of them, on opposites sides, held tighter to Kaila as Jentou yelled at them to run off. The brothers were sure that if they let Kaila go, he wouldn’t listen. Tyar and Tiski had regained their own composure, the former scooping up the injured minion before escaping with the minion.

“We need to lose them before they follow us to camp.” Tyar’s voice reached the brothers’ ears and they immediately shot past them.

“This was not apart of the plan.” Lan whispered to his brother, in need of a confirmation of what just happened. Ran held the utmost concern for the second in command in their arms before shaking his head. He didn’t say a word though. Instead, he lead the way in the escape until Lan fell in step.

Jentou’s flash of light gave them enough cover to disappear into the forest creating a false trail to follow, before taking off to the skies when they were sure no one was behind them. Tiski continued to glance back at their commander, desperately looking for some sort of reaction, but he was too far in shock at the moment. “...We need to land away from the camp. We can’t take him there. Not like this.” Tiski bit her lip, feeling the waves of pain coming off Kaila. She wasn’t sure how to comfort him after what just happened and in the thick of it all, Tiski couldn’t help but think that the plan worked. Sure, Kaila wasn’t the one taken, but with him safe and sound, the camp was less likely to fall in utter panic. Speaking of the camp, she looked ahead where Tyar and the minion had already went. “I’m going to check on the camp. They'll probably have questions. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” Without waiting fr a response, she sped off into the camp.

Kaila was left with the brothers for the time being. Quietly, they landed in the forest a little ways away from the camp. The second was set against a tree and the brothers sat in front of him. Lan and Ran looked at each other, knowing that the bond between family was a strong one. Neither could bare the idea of them being in the same situation.

“He’s tough.”

“Yeah… Jentou knows what he’s doing. You just have to-”

“Have to have a little faith.”

~~~~~~~~~~~

Enasi could feel the sudden energy shift almost as soon as it happened. Instead of putting a barrier around Seishu, he shielded Rue and Rasha, letting the negative energy flow around the room. He shielded himself from most of it, unphased by the minor nicks he does receive. The guardian had already planned to get Crios, but he couldn’t leave Seishu in the state he was in. With one glance at Rue, the fairy was already taking off out the door.

“Rasha, get behind me for a moment.”

The minion had turned into his cat form some time in the process of being knocked off the bed. He flinched at the sound of Seishu’s cries, but scurried behind his guardian, into a protective bubble.

Enasi moved closer, pulling Inui into a sitting position as gently as possible. “Inui. Inui, dear. I need you to focus for me. All that negative energy you’re creating- Focus for me. All that negative energy of yours, I need you to focus and channel that into your guardian okay?” In between sniffles and hiccuping cries, Inui nodded and took Seishu’s hand in his. While Inui shakily shared his energy with the guardian, Enasi rested a hand on Seishu’s forehead. “I know you’re hurting Seishu and I can’t bare to imagine how much you miss your home. As painful as it is, the closest you have to home right now is Inui and I need you to focus on him and relax.”

It didn’t take Crios long to get the news and hurry into Seishu’s room, with fire at his feet. Before he could move too far into the room, he was stopped by a barrier of positive energy. The guardian didn’t look up, but he held a finger up to have the doctor wait. While Crios did obey the command, his tail thrashed back and forth a little impatiently. The fox watched as Enasi wiped Seishu’s tears and kissed his head. He didn’t say anything, and yet the negative energy flowed from one guardian to the other.

Enasi sighed and rested his head on Seishu’s hand for a moment before sitting back up and looking at the doctor. “I need to get him to the human realm.” With a shake of his head, the guardian spoke a bit more frustrated. “I need to get him home.”

“You are doing the best you can sir.” Crios whispered, unsure of what to say.

“And yet it’s not enough.” Enasi ran fingers through his hair and he groaned. “I’m going to take him to the human realm. I’m going to take Inui as well. We’ll stay there for a few days.” At this point, he knew Harper was approaching and could hear everything the guardian was saying. “I should have done this a lot sooner, but I was being selfish. I shouldn’t have them cooped up here where they’re uncomfortable. At least in the human realm there are no overbearing opposing energies to deal with.” As Harper stepped inside, Enasi looked at him. “I don’t plan on taking a whole squadron to watch over us while we’re out there, but I don’t mind you and the siblings checking in or occasionally checking the area. The less positive energy Seishu and Inui have to worry about, the better.”

Harper had straightened to attention towards the seriousness in his guardian’s voice and he nodded quickly. He wasn’t sure if the guardian was done, so he refrained from mentioning the readied portal. Inui at parts looked a little ready to protest, wanting to say that he was okay and comfortable, but he bit his tongue. He knew what Lord Enasi meant. He had to constantly bubble in his energy and be careful around the others ever since the positive barrier around his energy had been lifted.

Rue quietly fluttered to Rasha, unsure of what to say. As much as he wanted to go with them and be by their sides, he knew that it was best for Lord Seishu’s health to get better. He was also aware of every time Inui had to refrain from accidentally hurting a minion, or vice versa. Giving him the freedom to stretch out freely would be good as well. Without thinking, the fairy quietly willed some of his own energy into his guardian, seeing the stress building in his expression as he stood.

Enasi’s eyes softened a little at the act and he patted Rue’s head. “Thank you.” He sighed and relaxed a little more. “Whenever you’re ready doctor.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~

“You idiots!” Gin growled out and the minions not out cold scrambled to detain Jentou. “...Useless.” He spat out towards the ones that were. Fortunately for them, Gin was too preoccupied with his new minion to enlist any sort of punishment on them. Instead, his sharp nails lifted Jentou’s face, piercing his cheek to draw blood before chuckling. “Jentou… I see you’ve come crawling back. Realized what side would be better for you in the long run?”

Things are happening around him, but all Seishu can focus on is the pain. Something, he doesn't know what, can't know what, but something horrible has happened, and there's nothing he can do about it. 'Kaila. . . .Kaila, it's you, I know it's you, what. . .What is happening, why. . .Why. . . .' He cries, not caring who sees him. His eyes are pressed closed as he sobs, indulging for the first time in just letting himself be upset. Someone he loves is in pain, possibly dying for all he can tell, and all he can do is suffer at a distance, unable to help. He can feel a hand in his own and his first instinct is to push the owner away. The outpouring of energy, the warm, soothing energy however, keeps him from being able to repel whoever it is.

A warm hand cups his cheek and he can feel someone wiping his tears away. The press of lips on his forehead draws a shuddering breath from him and he's finally able to begin the thinking thing again. His eyes creep open, his vision blurry as he tries to take in everything going on around him. He sees those lovely red eyes looking down at him, filled with tears of their own as Inui burrows himself against the hand clasped between his own. He sees that his other hand is occupied as well and he lets out a faint sigh, a small part of his mind annoyed, but mostly just tired. Inui presses closer and he lets out a faint sound to try and calm the boy.

His ears finally tune in to what Enasi is talking about and he can feel his insides flip-flop. Going back to the human realm isn't ideal, but he knows that he will be able to recover faster there. He shudder, feeling outright sick as he thinks about going back to the realm he was kidnapped to so soon, but keeps his thoughts to himself. He watches Crios rush up to the bed and gives the foxy doctor a strained smile, looking away quickly as he realizes he's feeling too weak to even pretend to be okay.

Crios goes to work, trying to figure out if there's anything that he can do to help, probing here and there to try and find any tears in his injuries or fresh ones. In his pain, Seishu had indeed managed to open a few wounds and he goes to work patching them up immediately. The doctor's presence, while tempered by the injections of Rue's blood, is still like flames across his wounds, but the burn is definitely less than it was before. Looking up at his counterpart Seishu murmurs softly, “Something's happened. Something bad. I. . .I don't know what. While we're on earth, please, send someone out to find out what happened. . .I don't know how, just. . .Kaila. Something happened. . .I can still feel it now. Something, some pain, it's eating at him, draining him. . .”

~*~*~*~*~

He can feel it, as if it had happened to him. The burn of the blade. The ache of the wound. Not just in the flesh, but in the soul. True, it's never been proven whether or not their kind has souls, but Kaila has no doubt in this moment that his has been rent. Those under him are right to be cautious about letting him go, every fiber of him demanding he rescue his beloved brother, but at the same time he feels no strength to do so. He knows what has happened, he knows why, and he knows that it is better this way, but nothing short of Master Seishu would be able to convince him in this moment that leaving Jentou behind was the right choice.

Inside, the fire burns. The pain, the hatred, the sorrow. It burns brighter in the minion than it ever had before, and for the first time he begins to truly feel what it's like to lose oneself to the black pit of negativity they have forever been warned against. It clamps down around his mind and heart, dragging him down, pulling him away from reality. He doesn't even notice as they begin flying, nor when they land, his eyes seeing nothing but the darkness surrounding his being.

His ears however have not been completely dulled. He hears the voices of his underlings, the voices of the two younger men who may understand his pain more than anyone else.

'Have faith. . . . .'

The thought rings through his mind, cutting through the fog of pain and giving him a place to take a stand against the madness. For it is truly a madness trying to drag him down and keep him from helping his people. The draw on the being of every minion and nightmare when dark thoughts and feeling start to overtake is pure insanity. His eyes clear a little as he looks to the twin faces in front of him. Their worried expressions. Their tough demeanor. He can feel them here, with him, and he takes strength from that.

The pain does not fade, the sorrow does not vanish, but as he begins taking slow, steady breaths, he can feel his limbs once more, and that's a start.

~*~*~*~*~

The soft smile he's adopted since Master Seishu reset his mind is gone now. The slightly playful and pouty minion who's made a nuisance around the faithful's camp with high jinks and rowdy fun is nowhere do be seen. In place of that softness, that sweetness, is the part of Jentou that truly made him someone to fear. Hard cool eyes survey the furious face in front of him, the pain of the pricks on his chin and cheeks not even worth note. He doesn't struggle. It's not worth the effort, and when addressed, he doesn't reply. Gin isn't worth it. He does, however, let his lips slide into a smirk. The expression infuriates Gin who screams at him again before breaking his nose with a hard blow to the face and ordering the still conscious minions to leave the others and just take Jentou.

“Let the wild take them.” he hisses, turning on his heel and leading the way. The minions look to one another for an instant before complying. The white clad figure goes limp, letting them drag him along while he closes his eyes and focuses on making sure he doesn't bleed out.

The siblings could see Kaila’s eyes, along with the rest of himself, clearing up. It was obvious that he isn’t all there, but the brothers were patient. Lan and Ran both shared the same understanding of pain that Kaila felt and knew that he would need time. It was quiet for a long while, both glancing from Kaila to the camp a ways ahead.

“The plan worked.” Lan said in soft reassurance.

“It’s… It’s true. As you said, Gin needs information. Who else better to grab if not you?” Ran continued. “He thinks he has Jentou as leverage against you. But what he doesn’t realize is… we have the upperhand.”

Lan began to look more determined as he agreed with his brother. “Just as you could feed him information, he can do the same. You both are so strong. Just as we were sure you wouldn’t break, we’re just as sure about Jentou.” He gave a firm nod, trying to get Kaila to see the light at the end of the tunnel. “We’re going to turn this around for the better. We will make things right. For our Guardian. And for everyone here. But we can’t do that without you.”

Slowly but surely the second in command was responding. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, letting out a deep and shaky sigh. While he didn’t want to believe it at first, he knew the brothers were right. They had to use this opportunity before things got out of hand. He knew Jentou would have felt exactly the same if the roles had been reversed. Without him though, things may have gone a little differently in the camp as well…

Kaila slowly stood to his feet and nodded. “Right… You two are right.” He started off to camp, fixing his demeanor along the way. Lan and Ran followed behind him in silence. There wasn’t much they could do until Jentou gave word, so for now continuing to keep the camp safe and calm was best.

~~~~

For a moment, Enasi could only stared at Seishu sympathetically. He hated to see him so hurt. It pained him, both figuratively and literally at times. The only reason he was sure he couldn’t feel the pain Seishu was in now was because he was surrounded by his denizens. He was home.

Almost at a whisper, the guardian responded with, “Yes. Of course.” He didn’t even need to glance Harper’s way for the bunny to dart out the door. Hearing the door open and close made Enasi sit in his usual seat, mainly to prevent himself from pacing. He watched Crios’ meticulous inspections, comforted to know how hard the doctor was working just to keep the Nightmare Guardian alive. He couldn’t thank the doctor enough, but he’d find a way to make it up to him when it was all over.

Realizing Enasi had yet to release the bubble around Rasha, he did so with a soft snap. Both Rasha and Rue quietly scooted their way to their guardian. Rasha hopped into Enasi’s lap, nuzzling and purring in both reassurance and also to make sure he was okay. It earned him a soft smile and some quiet scratches. Rue on the other hand was quieter with his approach, unlike his usual nature. The fairy didn’t say a word. Instead, he simply rested his head on Enasi’s shoulder and watched Crios work as well, smiling gently when he got a pat on the head.

“Besides the older injuries, Seishu’s fine- well,” He caught himself and clarified. “He isn’t getting worse than before. Some of his wounds have opened but it’s nothing too serious. You’re free to take him.” Crios bowed and stepped to the side, shuffling some of his supplies together. At this point, he was more prepared with “to-go travel kits” with the record of injury they had going back and forth.

“Thank you Crios.” Enasi stood, setting Rasha the chair and walking over to Inui and Seishu. “Can’t guarantee how long we’ll stay, but I can promise that things will be a little better.” He gave a soft smile before offering to carry Seishu once more or let him stand on his own.

~~~~

Harper darted off to the gardens, spotting both siblings tending to it. “Finn. Starla. You’re needed.” The seriousness in his voice made them quicken their pace out of the garden and hurry after the rabbit. “Lord Enasi is taking Night out to the Human Realm and I need you to double check to make sure the area is clear. But I also need you to find out what’s going on in the Nightmare Realm.” He slowed his pace to continue debriefing them, “Lord Seishu’s connection with Kaila… well, I’m not sure what happened, but by the looks of it, it wasn’t good.” He frowned a little. “I’m not sure how long Lord Enasi intends but expect a few trips there to make sure things are clear. However he is avid that Seishu and Inui are around as little positive energy as possible.”

Both siblings gave a firm nod as they approached the portal. “We’ll do what we can.” Finn reassured.

“This is important.” His tone made both of them stiffen slightly. “Starla do not put your foot in your mouth. Now’s not the time for you being snide with the nightmares.”

“Yes- Yes sir.” Starla nodded before both of them were jumping through.

Harper watched for a moment before returning to the room. “The portal and the, uh, camp is all set up.” His ear twitched slightly. “Camp, shelter, whatever you prefer to call it.” He started to ask just how long his guardian planned to reside in the human realm, but quieted down. He knew it was important for both nightmares and decided against questioning it.

~~~~~

The nightmare camp was relatively the same as the group had left it. There were excited murmurs and chatter to know that they had rescued another of the many who had been captured by Gin and his forces. Nurses immediately began to do what they could to help the injured minion.

It didn’t take too long for curious eyes to notice that one was missing from the party. Specifically, the one that was never too far from the second in command. It wasn’t until one was bold enough to step forward and ask Kaila himself. Tiski and Tyar had eventually made their way near Lan and Ran, giving subtle looks amongst themselves- save for Tyar of course who floated around the small group. They watched as Kaila stood a little straighter, carrying a visage of calmness as he looked around at the camp.

“Jentou is currently on an important and very dangerous mission… The tides of this battle are going to change soon. And it’s going to be for the better.” His matter of fact tone sent almost a wave of excitement through the crowd. They started to murmur about what was happening next and how change would be made. All of them quieted down as Kaila raised a hand. “So, I need all of you to continue to have faith in both us and our Guardian.”

Their arrival back at camp is met with a lot of curious voices and faces. Kaila looks around at all the interested, worried faces around him and as if channeling his Guardian a bit he gives them a calming smile and tells them all softly that everything's going to be alright, and how his brother is doing something important for all of them. 'And it will be. . . Jentou is strong. He's always been strong. Even when he got lost under Gin's hand before, he was a strong individual. It took Master Seishu's power itself to re-write his mind, so I know that Jentou will stay strong and keep to the plan. . .' Walking around a bit, he reassures several nightmares and minions as he moves to the spot Jentou had marked off as “his” with several furs and skins. The fight and the shock of losing his brother has left him worn, but he knows he can't sleep just yet. So instead, he simply settles on the furs in a seated position and closes his eyes to try and regain balance in his mind and heart. 'If I let me feelings sway too much, I will fall into despair. I may be our Master's right hand, but I, like any of us, am not greater than what I was born to be. I can fall into despair and be lost just as badly as any other minion around me. . .'

~*~*~*~*~

“Thank you.” Seishu murmurs, falling silent a moment later to let Crios do his work. 'I have to get better. I need to stop being so selfish, and focus on recovery. I can deal with my own wants later. I have to. . . I have to let myself recover. I need to get back to them. I need to see them. . .' Breathing slowly, the nightmare Guardian hisses slightly at the little pains against his wounds, but otherwise shows no response to what's happening around him. Inui clings in close when he can, pouring everything he can manage into his Guardian while trying to keep his own feelings from falling too low. Seishu warned him that feeling too badly could be fatal, and the last thing he wants is to lose out on this new life being presented to him with more happiness than he's ever known.

When it's at last time for them to get up and go, Seishu contemplates trying to move around on his own, using the slight distance from Enasi to keep him focused, but as he looks up at the red head he knows that doing so would only cause more hurt than help, for the both of them. Reaching up, he lets the Dram Guardian help him to his feet, and leans heavily against the other man as he leads his way to the portal waiting to take them to their new “base”. He can feel a numbness in his feet as he shuffles along and forces his focus into staying upright as they approach that sickening swirl of light and colors that will take them to the human realm.

Looking over his shoulder, he gives those who are staying behind a calm, 'Don't worry, be happy!' smile before giving Enasi a nod and doing his best to hold down his stomach as they pass through the vomit inducing mass. They arrive on the other side in what Seishu has to say far too much time, but he looks first to check on Inui before dealing with his own ill feeling. The minion looks a bit green, but as soon as he notices Seishu looking, he stands up a little straighter and looks ready to endure through the feeling. Seishu gives him an approving smile, then looks to the “base” they will call home for however long it takes for him to recover.

~*~*~*~*~

Those left behind watch as the Guardians leave them. They know it needs to happen, but they can all feel the emptiness of not having their Guardian in the realm. After a minute, Harper barks out softly that they should get to work with what they know Enasi would want of them, and slowly they peel away from the spot and hurry to their individual duties. Harper himself begins a sweep of the realm, needing to once again see every corner, paying close attention to the barrier between the realms so he can feel peace of mind that the land is safe.

Crios returns to his patients, his own changes from treating the Nightmare Guardian earning him a few odd shifts, but his caring smile and gentle hands soon put them at peace. He knows that having Seishu around has changed so much about the realm, but over all, those living within it's boarders have noticed nothing. All the subtle but crucial shifts in their Guardian, in those running the palace, they are all still so removed from the every day minion or dream he's not surprised that those laying wounded under his care feel less than pure peace under his altered eye.

Drifting through the clouds high above the sunlit lands below, Rue drifts back and forth, his mind rather blank. He knows that he needs to do something, to get busy helping out where he can, but in these moments, he has no idea what “help” he can provide. He misses Inui already, and Seishu's pained face passes behind his eyes every minute or so. He's been so close to them, been so involved in helping them personally, that he almost can't recall what it was he did before they came into his life. For now, he lets the clouds take him, their white fluffy surfaces providing pure backdrops for his longing thoughts.

Enasi waited for both nightmare guardian and minion to gather themselves a little before adjusting his hold on one and taking the hand of the other. After the portal disappeared completely, they were able to see their surroundings more clearly. For miles it looked like empty fields, with animals grazing here and there. The sun was setting off to the side and in front of them, an old farmhouse that looked a little worse for wear rested. Behind it, there was a barn and some pens, indicating that the place was still active- just worn with age.

“Ah, wait here.” Enasi spoke finally, sitting Seishu down on the rocking chair on the porch and gestured for Inui to sit in the chair next to him. He was well aware that his minions checked the area, but he wanted to be sure things were safe and that they couldn’t be seen. The last thing he wanted was a repeat of what happened before. With each step away from the portal and into the farmhouse, he subconsciously began to lower his own energy, keeping true to his word that Seishu would have as little positive energy to hinder his healing. With as much energy he had in reserves, it didn’t phase him either way.

With a small sigh, Enasi phased through the door with ease. At first, he peeked his head in, immediately spotting three children walking past. He hesitated at first, but when he realized they didn’t notice him, he relaxed and walked completely through. Stepping inside, it was obvious that this home was a generational heirloom, to say the least. Enasi’s knowledge of the human realm was somewhat limited as he kept to his own home most of the time, but even he could tell that the inside of the building was… dated. The walls were covered in floral pastel wallpaper and the furniture itself- besides not matching the color scheme (or lack of one), looked as though it stopped being comfortable ages ago. He walked further inside, spotting more people as he further. In counting, he spotted three children and their parents, but when he wandered up the steps he noticed grandparents prepping for bed as well.

“Ah, a full house. I s’pose that’s helpful. Thank you Harper.”

Soon, he returned to Seishu and Inui, giving them both nods. “It’s safe. Nothing out of the ordinary, and there’s plenty of people so it’ll be easier for you to… space out the nightmares I suppose.” He gave a small shrug before helping Seishu up and nudging Inui forward. “It’s not… ideal.” Enasi said as they walked through the door so the other two could see where they would be. “But… it’ll work.” It was obvious even Enasi wasn’t too fond of the decorum or the building itself, honestly so used to his own home, but he didn’t let it sway him. “There’s seven people here so there’s plenty of room. The children from what I hear are going to bed soon. So are their grandparents.” His grip loosened on the nightmare guardian and he gave a gentle pet to Inui’s cheek. “I think after Seishu gains a little bit more energy you’ll be safer to tag along to see how nightmares work. After all, I don’t think you’ve ever gotten the chance to see- or really explore the human realm.” He gave a gentle smile and kissed Inui’s head. “For now, if you’d like, we can wait or we can check around this place to see what else is around here?”

“Ah, yes, the old man chair. . .” Seishu mumbles, mock grumpy in his tone as he settles comfortably on the wooden surface. He wraps an arm around Inui as the minion settles next to him and smile softly as Enasi vanishes from view. “Now, Inui, there's some things we need to talk about.” Bright red eyes turn to look up at him as Seishu begins slowly rocking the chair. The creek of it travels about the area, immediately turning the place from peaceful, to a little creepy. “You're a good kid, and I know you were raised with only kindness inside you, but as a nightmare minion, you're going to have to learn that being nice, isn't always being kind.” he watches Inui's head cock curiously, but it's his balled hands that give away that he is upset but his Guardian's words.

“We've not had a lot of time to talk about it, but I think it's time you learn what nightmares are really for.” He keeps his face kind as he pulls Inui in close and begins going through how fear, disgust, terror, and tears can do more healing for people than leaving them to their own devices. Inui asks about dreams, and can't they do the same thing? He explains how dreams are used differently, and how it's the wrong tool for the job when it comes to deep seated issues. Inui still looks rather nervous and not completely convinced when Enasi reappears and Seishu lets it go for now, knowing they have a lot of work to do and he can spend however long training this new addition to his team as he needs.

Wrapping his arm around the other Guardian's shoulder, Seishu nods, letting himself feel out the house a bit himself as they move inside. His lips curl into a smile as Enasi expresses. . . Less than enthusiastic inflections when talking about their new temporary home, and Seishu takes care to give the place an appraising look without approval or disapproval. He honestly has a thing for old tastes, but he's not going to start this all off with teasing Enasi about his tastes. His eyes flash when he says that there are children heading to bed and with a squeeze, he uses a bit of his remaining energy to float to the back of the house to find the young, sleeping minds. More easy to manipulate than adults, and not as fragile as the elderly, he feels it's a good place to start.

~*~

Inui stays behind with Enasi and nods, then shrugs, unsure of what he wants to do. The parents can be hear din the kitchen still, and he gives a nervous look in the direction of the voices. “I've never. . . Heard a lot, about humans. . .” he murmurs softly. “I never thought I would come here, since I was so. . . Weird. . . So, I never learned. . . About them.” He looks up at Enasi curiously, clearly wanting to know more about the subject of “humans”.

~*~

~“Oh, how cute. . . . She totally has a crush on her. . . .” Silently cursing his luck at running into adolescent romance right off the bat, Seishu watches a kind of warped version of a school setting where it looks like some of the students are random animals, but the focus of the dream is a rather adorable girl with a pony tail. Her focus, is on a slightly taller girl with braids, and it's clear this dream is pure saccharine in nature. He lets himself watch the cuteness for a while, a faint longing growing inside, before turning the dram on it's head and having the girl's crush kidnapped. The sorrow, upset, and tears begin to slowly fill Seishu's waning reserves and he carefully begins weaving the right stuff into the dream to move things along for the girl now thrashing in her bed.~

For a brief moment, Enasi watched Seishu float off, half making sure that the guardian didn’t stumble in the process. And when he was out of view, Enasi exhaled and leaned against the wall, letting his eyes close for a minute. It didn’t last long however, because soon Inui was speaking again. Enasi’s attention went down to the little one before gazing around the room. “Ah, you’re not weird, dear. You’re special. And a nightmare minion. And it’s nothing to be ashamed of.” He returned Inui’s sheepish look with a smile before straightening up and stretching his arms above his head. “Let’s teach you about the ways of the world, shall we?” With hand outstretched, Enasi began to take steps towards the adults in the kitchen, only to pause when he noticed Inui hesitating. “Hm? Oh, no worries Inui. So long as the bonds of the guardians are strong, they won’t be able to see us. And humans are weak creatures. They couldn’t hurt us if they tried.” He led them into the kitchen where the adults, both parents Enasi could assume, were cleaning up what was left of their dinner.

“Humans, well,” Enasi let go of Inui’s hand and walked between and around the two as they talked and cleaned. “Some of of the dream minions mimic the way they look because they’re fond of it. Seishu and I have similar looks because, well, we were created to bring balance between the seen and unseen. Though, we can change if we wanna.” He stepped to the side as the woman danced over to her husband, laughing away. Enasi couldn’t help but smile a little. “They do similar things we do really. Eat, sleep, play, work, and grow old- except humans grow old a lot faster than we do. But they enjoy what they have.” Enasi playfully mimicked the woman’s playful twirl while she moved around to put away dishes before eventually stepping back at Inui’s side. “When humans sleep, they usually dream. We got the luckier end of the bargain as dreams are usually seen as what my realm does but,” While Enasi spoke, his arms were crossed and he continued watching the two clean and dance. His voice didn’t hold any bias or malice. He simply explained. “Nightmares are dreams too. The act of dreaming is something we all know, it’s just what it makes you feel is where the realms come in.” He waved a hand in front of his face. “But that’s a lesson for some other day. You asked me about the humans.” He rested his head in one hand.

“I prefer being home really, so I’m probably not as knowledgeable about the ways of human life- at least as thoroughly as I should. Or as thoroughly as the ones that come to collect may. My knowledge of humans is simply, they mimic the lifestyle we have- almost- except they grow and adapt much slower than we do. And when they dream we take what’s positive and what’s lost… and what’s positively lost and bring it home. Other times, we give it back in return when there’s too little positive dreams around.” Enasi gave a small sigh. “It’d be much easier to show you through their eyes, but I don’t want to expose you to something so full of opposing energy that it hurts you.” He gently ruffled Inui’s hair and gestured them back into the living room to take a seat. “I wish I could say I’ve never met such complex yet such simple beings but,” He gave a soft laugh that eased some of his stress from before. “I’ve met Seishu and he’s as confusing as it gets.”