Of Brothers

SparrowKai snuck out the back door, clutching the containers of protoblood to his chest under the new clothes the people of the house had given him. He did not see the black figure following him into the woods. In the darkness of the night he slipped silently through the trees, till he found the small make shift shelter he had built days before. He looked around and slipped into it.

Mus stood by the tree wondering just what was going on. He did not trust this SparrowKai, and him sneaking out at 3 in the morning just reaffirmed his suspicions that something was up. He snuck close to the shelter, silent as the shadow he looked like, listening to the sounds coming from within. He did not like the looks he had been giving Arania. Yes, he did realize that she had been kind to the strange Kai, but he had no right to look at her that way.

"BRO!!!" The excited voice echoed through the shelter as Sparrow was embraced by the bouncing figure of another Kai.

The shelter was filled with broken crayons and scraps of paper. More paper hung on the walls, colorful drawings decorating the small room. Sparrow smiled, making his little brother sit, refilling him with much needed protoblood. This was the real reason he was so low when the beautiful blue angel found him. He had bled himself as much as he could to keep his brother full enough to survive. That was why he was walking through the woods, trying to find more for them both, so they would not die out here. He smiled as he watched the theta plop down and start scribbling on another piece of paper, drawing out a stick figure of a lion on the paper.

Yes, they knew of the lions, but managed to avoid them, thankful for their current preference to mating to actually worrying about anything out this far. Sparrow was in a quandary. He wanted to believe the ladies of that house were kind and gentle, especially with such a beauty as the one who rescued him, but so was she. He avoided thinking long on her, and started sharply as he heard a voice coming from the entrance.

"So this is what you were hiding." MusiKai took in the view before him, the theta looking up and smiling with childish innocence at the newcomer.

"HI!!!" He greeted enthusiastically, "Me dumbkai...who you?"

Sparrow quickly stood between Mus and his brother, defensive, but not really sure what he could do against an obviously formidable Kai such as this, especially unarmed as he was. But he was determined to at least buy his brother time to run should it become necessary.

"He's my brother. He's harmless. Leave him alone." Sparrow growled, and Mus's face softened. He recognized the desperation in his eyes, Mus had been there himself.

"Look, I have been where you are. I've had to run from my past as you have. Bring your brother and come back into the house. I will explain more on our way. I promise you, no harm will come to either of you."

Mus stepped back into the trees and waited, mentally kicking himself, knowing in the end he'd regret this, but offering a small smile of support as Sparrow and "DumbKai" emerged from the shelter, burdened with the pictures and crayons. He helped carry the precious belongings in, telling Sparrow the stories behind the other Kais in Haven, and his own. Sparrow took it all in and decided that they would be okay there.

They walked into the mansion and called Arania and Angel down into the media room, and Sparrow told his story.

"We belonged to a beautiful mistress, and at first, we were happy, but she grew to be cruel. Calling my brother DumbKai because of how he is." He was careful to keep his voice low, as DumbKai was coloring nearby. "I was beaten regularly, for his misbehaviors and my own, real or imagined. So I took him and we ran away."

Arania nodded and gently patted his hand, drawing a dark frown from MusiKai.

"You and your brother are welcome here, no different from before. However, your brother is deserving of a better name than that. From now on we will call him BlueKai. Since that seems to be his favorite color." Chuckling Arania nodded at his drawings, watching as he got up and bounced to her, hugging her.

"OOOOH!! I likie....BwueKai.....thankies pretty lady." He smooched her cheek and handed her a pretty drawing of a blue flower before returning to his art.

Angel spoke up."Sparrow, why don't you take BlueKai and get settled into your rooms."

He nodded and Angel turned to Arania and they whispered together, watching BlueKai drawing and coloring. Neither of them noticed the look he was giving Ari, but Mus did.

(Ketana's contribution)

The lioness came in on the tale end of Sparrow's story. "You were beaten regularly?" She whispered then growled. "If ever I run into her she will know my anger well," looking down at BlueKai.

"Helloooo sweet one," laying down on the floor with him to admire his artwork.

"HI! I'm DumbKai...no no BlooKai now..pretty ladeee."

Ketana's heart contracted at seeing the innocence radiating out from those soft green eyes of the theta.

"I'm Ketana the Lioness your friend BlueKai. Have you met my lion Pye and his lionesses yet?" Walking him to his new room with his brother and the others.

"Wions......i saw...." BlueKai frowned, tongue sticking out of the side of his mouth trying to remember, the grinned. "Big boy wion, and some giwl wions......they was weslling, and making funny noises."

Arania and the others in the room stifled giggles at the innocence to what the wrestling truly was