#myrah

Maika 莓香

Backgrounds: Privileged, Wilderness, Military

A native of the Earth Kingdom, Maika was born and raised on Kyoshi Island as a non-bender.

Training: Technology, Weapons

Deemed suitable for the role, she underwent training as a Kiyoshi Warrior for a time, but ultimately preferred dabbling in technology of the likes of exploding slimes. Lacking in willing test subjects, she sometimes tested the potency of various chemical components on herself.

Playbook: Successor

Lenny was getting hungry.

But that seems secondary to his current position, sitting at the window watching the street. At first with anticipation, then concern, all eventually leading him to now. He had thought to go grab food but he didn’t want to leave the window in case his mom came back without him knowing.  Lenny repositioned his numb legs and lays his head down on the window sill. Never letting up his vigilance. She would be back any moment now.

…..

He was getting so hungry

(#)(#)\/(#)(#)

Leonard rested his head in his hand, watching the child on the floor going through a book twice his size, “You know,” he starts, just enough to get the boys attention, “There’s only so many times we can tell Mickey you don’t want to be called Cookie before it becomes your name. So we gotta think of something.” He turns from his inventory, “Ok did you have a name before? Do you remember it?”

The child gave a half shrug before looking at his feet shamefully, “Don’t worry about it kiddo I don’t even remember how to spell my name most days.” He thought for a moment before smiling and setting aside his list for a clean piece of paper, before gesturing to the child to move closer, “I have an idea, is it ok if I pick you up?” he asked. The child nodded holding his hands up to him, allowing Leonard to pick him up and stand hm on the chair with him, “Write down what you can remember about your name.”the child went to do so but Len noticed his long sleeves had become undone, “Hold up.” He said rolling them back up to his elbows. He had been trying to darn the child’s clothing all day and the only clothes he could give him in return was his old long sleeved shirt that fit him better as a ball gown. Still it would work until Leonard darned his clothes or got him somewhat new ones

Sleeves successfully re-rolled Leonard handed him his wooden pencil, the child’s face twisted up for a moment, looking at the paper as though it was something to be studied. With some difficulty he scribbled in large letters on the paper, as though at one point he had known cursive before leaning back indicating he was done. Leonard kept an arm wrapped around to make sure he didn’t accidentally fall off the chair and looks at the child’s poor penmanship, “At least you can write, Danny had to teach Mickey that.” It wasn’t all that legible. The first three letters look like D-o-n. “Don?” He tries, the child looks at him as though by reflex, “I can’t read the rest of it though.” He thought for a moment, “How about Doniel?” he asks. The child gives him an apprehensive look, “Not like Danny, don’t tell him I told you but his first name isn’t Daniel, his real name is  Danchovy.”

The child smiles widely before covering his mouth with both hands to suppress his tiny giggles. A moment later the door opened and Danny stepped inside battling the cold gust to close the door, “Next time we go on a heist this close to the winter months it’s going to be in the Soothing South where they think spring is cold.” Before pausing, looking between the child (whose giggling had doubled when he entered the house) and Leonard (also struggling not to laugh), “What are you two up to?”

“Aw you know, doing inventory is funny.” Leonard winked at the child, “Guess what? We finally got a name for him.”

“Oh?” Danny asks shaking out his coat, “It’s not cookie is it? I can’t take a kid seriously named cookie.”

“Nah, we’re calling him Doniel. Donnie for short, maybe Don, maybe smelly gecko,” he tickled the child’s sides, causing him to giggle and smack his forehead in retaliation with his already unraveling long sleeves

“Huh, that’s almost a normal name. But I think his middle name should be Rebel,” Danny glances in their direction before putting his coat up. Leonard shrugged, “Works for me.” Before smiling back at the newly named Donnie, pausing when he saw his face was paler than usual, “Dan, does he look ok to you?”

“Why are you asking me?”

“Your Dads trained you as a healer, right? Come take a look at him.”

Danny gave a groan, that Leonard mostly knew was for show, and walked on over,“For the record, I took one year of Magic Healing; that does not make me a doctor,”  Danny pulled a chair over and sat in front of them, “Can I see him?”

Leonard looked to the child, “Can Danny hold you for a bit?” The child nodded and held his hands out to the purple rat, “Good Man.” Danny says taking the child into his arms, using his thumb and forefinger to hold Donnie’s chin, he tilts his head around, “Take a deep breath.” He said placing a hand in the middle of the child’s back (shell) , “I’ll admit he doesn’t look like his feeling well.” Danny pressed his palm against Don’s forehead and cheek, “Yeah he feels a little warm, we can try getting him to a Healer tomorrow if you want, get him a check up and some vaccinations. Get you looked at too.”

“What? Why me!?” Len demands

“Because as long as I’ve known you I don’t think you’ve ever been to one.” Danny holds the child up in the air turning Donnie to look at him, adding in a child like voice, “And if he keeps refusing to see one I’m going to knock him out drag him there aren’t i?” He asked the giggling kid before depositing him in Len’s arms, “and I’m not kidding.”

Len would have made a  complaint but all he could think to say was ‘bite me’. So instead he sighed, looking down at his young charge again, who was looking at him in concern,“You’d let me know if you weren’t feeling well right?”

The newly named Doniel nods before curling up against him. Though it’s not a satisfying answer he knows it’s the only one he’s going to get. So, he wraps his arm around the child and returns to work.

(#)(#)\/(#)()#

Leonard can’t breath.

He can’t remember when he’s been able to take anything deeper then panicked breaths. But anything he manages to get into his lungs is immediately burnt by icy air. It’s the same ice that dragging against his bare arms and burning into the soles of his bare feet. Like he’s running on nails and not through waist deep snow. The wind itself is so powerful that ti feels like it’s trying to drag him back down the path he came. Like this trying to stop him

If it had just been for himself eh might have stopped. But he glances down at the bundle in his arms, even if its just in his head he swears he can still hear the child’s weak breathing.

He  tries to force another breath, the kinetic magic he could call on a whim weakly waves on him, trying to tell him that it had nothing left. That he had spent most of it just making the journey here, leaving Danny and Mickey far behind.

With a growl he closes his eyes again. He grabs at the waning remains of his powers and pulls it out. The fire, though weak covers him again as he speeds up his running again. Till he can finally see the light ahead, illuminating the sign for ‘witch town’. In the snowstorm there was no one outside, but he sees a glowing  green leaf insignia floating above  a small building that could of easily been a house. He stumbles forward, with one arm cradling his child to his chest the other bangs on the door, he wants to yell but that requires oxygen, something he still doesn’t have.

The front door open and He   fell through the door with the mighty gust of a snow storm, doing a makeshift summersault before landing on his knees,  he hears the gaps of women as he collapses on his side, a warm hand touches his frost bitten arm but he can barely pull away, “Leonard. Leonard it’s Myrah.” His eyes had almost swollen shut from the ice, so he could only take her word for it, “Leonard what happened? Are you alright?”

“I-i-he-he’s burning up, fever-wont-wont wake up” with shaking hands he pulls the blanket away  revealing the sleeping face of a green yokai child, some sort of reptile with flushed cheeks, his breath coming out in a painful wheeze. He’s not sure but he thinks he can hear Myrah give a small gasp, the grip on his arm tightens, “Leonard my wife is here, she’s a healer, can she see him?” The Yokai shakes his head, panting as though this was the first time he had breathed all night, “We can’t help him if we don’t see him. Please.”

Despite everything Len’s feeling, the pain in his body from overextending his kinetic magic, , his skin feeling as though the icy wind had tried to skin him alive, his head feels as though someone is trying to rip his brain in half he still hesitates. But with burning eyes he hands Donnie over to her soft arms, ”B-Be careful with him, please, he-he's just a kid.”  For the first time he sees the other witch in the room, a taller witch with poofy gold and purple hair who hurries with the coughing child into the back where the hospital rooms probably were , “April stay upstairs.” She called to the little witch poking her head out the door, “It's alright.” Leonard wasn’t sure how she could say that, but without Doniel to support  he falls on his hands and knees, gasping as his body burned uncontrollably, as though a pair of hands had reached inside his lungs and squeezed them for all their worth, his vision made up of painful spots.  All of that is secondary to the feeling of having his entire body ripped in like a cruel child and appear doll “You over extended your magic to get here, didn’t you?” Said the  witch in concern, “You poor thing, you’re lucky you didn’t kill yourself.” He doesn’t notice her wave her wand, conjuring a blanket until it falls on him, “W-will he be alright?” Leonard asks, “take- take care of him, please he-he’s everything to me-“

“We will take care of your child, but we must take care of you to.” She says before waving her wand again. Leonard’s body starts to feel as though someone is slowly lowering him into a darkness he can’t fight no matter how hard he tries till it eventually consumes him.

(#)(#)\/(#)(#)

None could see him

Sitting at the steps to the temple, he only has the clothes on his back, and a small satchel that holds all the possessions they had recovered from his mother’s body.  They told him she had died a hero, saving their village from a horrible monster. That they would remember her forever, sing her praises.

But what did that matter?

No amount of singing was going to bring her back

A small sob escapes him, unnoticed by the people entering and leaving the temple. Unfortunately seeing a weeping child at its steps is no uncommon sight.  Lenny had thought he had cried himself out already, it’s over again.

On shaky legs, he stands up, taking the satchel with his mother’s belongings and making the trek back home. Not that he notices; lately everything has been in such a fog he barely knows where he’s at anymore. But he’s cognitive enough to walk down the street he used to watch every day for her return. He feels a new wave of grief come over him-

Then the shattering of glass.

Lenny gives a small gasp as he sees a chair go out the window of his house. Too numb to feel scared, he climbed up the porch to see the door open to dark house, where the crashing sound continued. He pushes the door open and peers in. At first he sees nothing, but in the darkness sees the shape of a tall round man tearing through the cabinets with reckless abandon, “H-Hey!” He starts, “What are you-“

White eyes lined with red veins turn to look at him, “What the hell do you want!?” the man demands

The fear starts to come back, but Len takes a deep breath, “Th-this is my home! My mom and I-“ he pauses.

“Your mom?!” The man gives a loud laugh, grabbing a plate from the cabinet and throwing it hard on the ground “so it’s you then, little bastard.” When he turns to look at him, Lenny can see his almost white green skin, rough scales, lips and horns peering out from his balding head, “Don’t you recognize your old man, boy?”

All of a sudden Lenny is five again, watching his mother fighting off a large yokai he doesn’t recognize. He remembers the man grabbing him by the hair and his mother shattering the man’s face with her staff. He remembers crying, shaking, her promising he’d never come back.

Lenny remembered him.

“Y-“ he paused, ‘You’re not welcome here go away!”

“Go away?!” The man laughs, “you have some nerve boy, I’m the only reason you're not in an orphanage right now.”

“I’d rather be in an orphanage then be with you, you fat ass hole!” he shouts, acting braver than he feels. The man’s eyes narrow at him, before his eyes drift to Len’s side, “What is that!?” he demands. It takes Len a moment to realize that he’s referring to his satchel, that he  situates protectively behind himself  as he backs up. But the man is already stomping towards him. ”That’s mine now boy, everything in this dump is mine.” A hand goes to grab him, but Len grabs a broken piece of plate that had been by his foot and slashes the man on the palm.  The man screams in pain, cursing and stumbling back at the wound, ‘You f-ing brat!” He drunkenly shouts. He probably shouts a lot of bad things at him, but Len doesn’t hear it. He’s already out the door and running. Even if he didn’t have kinetic magic, he’d be able to outrun a man who spent his life destroying his privileged body with alcohol and whatever he could get his hands on.

From that day on he outruns everything.

(#)(#)\/(#)(#)

Leonard lets out a giant gasp of air coughing the circulated magic out of his lungs. His body was so heavy it almost drug him back onto the, bed but he grabs the edge of the bed and forces  himself up into a sitting position, scrubbing the back of his hand on his eyes to clear his blurry vision. His chest aches so bad that taking anything deeper then a gasp is unbearable

“Len!” A pair of fins suddenly appear around him hugging him tightly with a familiar face squished against his, “Len we were so worried about you-“

“Th-Thanks buddy,” his vision is still blurry but he can at least see Mickey’s outline vibrating by him, “Wh-where’s the kid, where’s Donnie-“

“He’s in the other room being looked at by the witches.” Ah, so the giant purple blur sitting by his bed was Danny. At least he wasn’t hallucinating.

“Why did you leave him alone in a room with strangers?!” he demands with a bite.

“He-“Mickey’s blurry form recoils from him for a moment, “the witches wanted to examine him alone-“

“Damn it Mickey can’t you do anything right?!” He throws the blankets off his body, the clothes he had been wearing before had been removed, it almost felt like he was wearing some sort of short robe now his feet wrapped in rolls of bandages

The purple form of Danny stood up grabbing his arm, “Aren’t you listening you dumb bastard!!?” He asks, “he’s fine-“

Len grabbed the hand squeezing his bicep, if he hadn’t been in such a weakened state, he could have pried his hand off no problem. “You don’t know that because you’re not with him you heartless-“

“Heartless!!?” Danny almost sounds like he’s trying not to laugh, “You kidding me right now!? We’re in here right now because you almost died you dumb fu-“

“Who the hell cares about me-“

A hand strikes him hard across the face, enough to interrupt him, blinking in shock as his face throbbed in pain. Its only then his vision starts to clear up enough he can see Danny’s face, enraged, twisted as though he wanted more then to throttle him within an inch of his life.  All of which is terrifying in itself, but more so when Len sees the tears biting the corners of his friend's eyes.

“Who the hell cares about you?”  Danny starts quietly, his hand releases his arm and grabs him by the front, giving him a hard shake, “We care about you- you stupid asshole!” He shouts. For a moment Len hopes that there’s no other patients in today, they probably wouldn’t get a lot rest with this shouting. “I care about you. Mickey cares about you. That kid cares about you. You think it’s ok to kill yourself?!” he demands, “To overexert your magic so much your heart shuts down?!?” He shakes him again bringing his face an inch from his, the tears that Danny had been keeping back finally pouring out from the corners of his furious eyes, “I don’t give you permission to die, you ingrate!” He finally lets Len go and stomps away several feet, hands on his waist with his back to him, as though he’s physically trying to keep from shaking him more.

“I-“ Len looks at Mickey, his gentle friend who had done little more than tremble during Danny’s shouting. He reaches over taking his shaking fin in his, “I’m sorry Mickey, I-I’m really sorry I said that. You’re not useless. You’re the sweetest guy in the world.” He reaches and gently rubs his friend scalp, which does its job of helping Mickey smile, even if it’s a weak one. “Did I really-“

“Your heart stopped man. The doctor says it happens when anyone uses too much of their magic at once. We-” Mickey voice trembles, giving Len the impression he had spent some portion of the night crying. “We were scared. I was scared. You were my first family, Len.” His eyes fill with tears ,”I-I don’t want to lose you.”

Len, without hesitation, swings his legs over to the side of the bed Mickey had been standing at and wraps his arms around him. The eel immediately sinks into his hug and buries his face into his shoulder, “I know buddy,” he whispers to his softly weeping form, ‘I love you too brother.” Mickey shudders twisting around in a way that Len wonders if he’s trying to get free but he feels Mikey wrap a fin around him to keep him in place and turns to Danny. “Danny,” he says softly.

Danny turns to look at them, his eyes still swimming in tears but seems to get what Mickey is asking, ”What no, when we formed this group, we said no group hugs, remember?! I’m not-“ But his voice cracks, forcing himself to look at the lanterns as though hoping the light would keep the tears at bay, but they explode explosively, “Ok FINE!” He throws his hands in the air, “but this is IT.” He stomped forward, wrapping his arms around the two and squeezing them tightly. Len could feel his aching lungs protesting the tight three-way hug, “Guys- can’t breathe-“

“Don’t care,” Mickey lowered his head on Lens shoulder, “that’s your punishment for being mean to me.”

Len couldn’t help but laugh, “Ok ok fine fair enough.” He could feel Danny’s hands grip the back of his neck and the back of Mickey’s jacket tighter, as though for a moment he was scared they would slip away.

Big softy.

Eventually, after they heard people try to enter the room see them hugging, and exit, they broke the hug. Only then did the one eyed witch from before poke her head back in, “It's good to see you're awake Leonard” before pausing on the big red mark on his cheek, “Um-“

Danny shrugged, ”Don’t worry about it, lady, I have one year of magic healing under my belt I know what I’m doing.”

“I’m-sure you do.” But she shook her head as though she didn’t want to understand what he was trying to say and looked to Leonard, “I know we haven’t met yet but I am Healer Amaranth, I’ve been taking care of you and Doniel since you  arrived last night. Your son is doing alright. His fever broke and he’s resting now.”

Len lets out a sigh of relief, “ok good. What did he have?”

“It’s difficult to explain.” Amaranth moved closer, lowering a clipboard to show him the outline of a child  with a wave of her hand it starts glittering,” You see most children start exhibiting their magical gift by the time they’re four. It comes out naturally and its usually very safe. Some children even experience their first gift before their first birthday.”

“I know, mine  came out when I was learning how to walk.” Len nodded, “Gave my poor mom a run for her money.”

“Has he recently discovered his powers?”

“Uh yeah, he had a little...” Len wasn’t sure how to describe a child making a furniture tornado in their base was called, “...Incident.”

“Most children show their magical ability before the age of four, but trauma can stunt that for years. Which can cause fevers like the one you saw. His body wasn’t used to his magic being used and it retaliated in response. We normally call this something along the lines of ‘magic flu’. It can be quite dangerous because most of the time the child’s parents don’t realize whats going on before its almost too late. “ Well at least he hadn’t been entirely stupid. “If you want, I can bring him in here so you can rest together.”

Leonard sighed with relief, “yeah that would be great.” He pauses finally thinking about what she said “Uh hold up he’s not my kid!” He called after her. She looked back at him, giving him a sneaky smile with a flip of her hair “Isn’t he though?” And left the room.

“Uhhhh.” He finally allowed himself to relax back on the bed, giving his friends a sheepish smile, “Why the hell do they think I’m his dad?”

“Because I told them you were.” Danny said unapologetically.

“What?! Why?!”

“Because you are, dingus. Even you aren’t that stupid.”

Ok, extra embarrassing. Len puffed up his cheeks for a moment, “I’m not his Dad, I just said he could stay with us after the winters up. But I’m not-“

“Wake up and smell the parenthood idiot.” Danny was not pulling any of his punches today. ”If it were just me and Mickey taking care of him, he probably would have turned into a  feral gecko and eaten us alive in our sleep.“

“I-No.” again, Len hoped there was no one else in the room with them, “he gets so pissed at me when I tell him what to do, last time I sent him to time-out he bit me.”

“Yeah I used to bite my dads all the time. You were the one who made him feel safe, kept Mickey from calling him Cookie, made sure he eats real food. You’re the one he goes to when he’s scared or hurt.“

Danny pauses, sighing as though trying to think of how to phrase his next statement. “I’ve seen how that kid looks at you Len, and I’ve also seen how you look at him. I bet it's how your mom used to look at you. And how my Dads used to look at me.”

Len wanted to argue, as was his nature. But before he could say anything else, Amaranth entered the room again, the pushing a small bed into the room with Donnie sitting up on it, looking around  in confusion till he saw the Mud Dogs and face lit up. Leonard immediately reached over and took him into his arms, wincing at his aching chest, “how many times are you going to scare me you mean little gecko?” He asks the boy snuggling his face into neck. Before noticing a little bandage on his arm and legs and looking at Danny worriedly who just smiled, “don’t worry about it just a few vaccinations to get him started.”

“Now  we do want to keep Doniel here for observation to make sure he doesn’t get sick again. I am, however, concerned about you.” Amaranth pointed her wand at Len, “Your friend tells me you have not been to a healer since you were twelve.”

“I-“ Leonard glares at Danny out of the corner of his eye, handing Donnie to him“I mean that’s a little exaggeration-“

“Is he wrong?” She asks crossing her arms

“Well not technically, but you know I’m actually really healthy and we should be more worried about-“ he said as he started to climb out of bed before he can defend himself, Amaranth waves her hand. His limbs suddenly stiffen up and pin to his side. Making him completely immobile save for his head that he twists around in panic, ‘Hey what the hell-“

“Don’t worry about it Len.” Danny says with a wicked grin, “they’re  going to catch you up on some vaccinations and run some tests to make sure you aren’t secretly dying from ‘dumb ass’ disease.’ “

(#)(#)\/(#)(#)

“You know, considering you had such a brave example you should have been a better patient.” Said Amaranth scribbling on her clipboard as Leonard rubbed his tail from what felt like the fifth shot he’s had in that area in two hours

, “Donnie was very brave.” He said defensively

“I wasn’t talking to Doniel.” Amaranth said, giving him a look. The child sitting on the exam table giggled  as the witch smiled at him,”  You were very brave little one.” She taps her finger just above his beak and a gold star appears on his forehead, “I would give one to you.” Amaranth says looking at Leonard, “But other then my lactose intolerant patient who refuses to stop turning himself into cheese, you have been my most difficult patient this season”

Len opens his mouth to defend himself,  but can only give a most mature pout. He reaches down and gathers Donnie back into his arms, ticking at his sides to distract  himself with the child’s giggles.

“now  you two off to your room, dinner will be by shortly then we can continue your vaccinations.”

“Jesus lady.” Len grumbles to himself but Amaranth points at the door with a mischievous smile following him out of the exam room. Len had been allowed to walk around alone at some points, but apparently when you try to escape twelve times you’re not longer ‘trusted’ to roam ‘freely’

Honesty breaking out of jail had been easier then breaking out of here

Amaranth marches them to their shared hospital  room and closes the door after them. Only then does Len turn his head an stick his tongue at the door before plopping back on the bed. “Danny and Mickey should be back soon.’ He tells the silent child sitting on his stomach now playing with his face.  Before he can think of a game, or try to escape again, he hears Mickey from outside his door, “We’re back! Can we see them?”

“In a bit,” came Amaranth ‘a grown man shouldn’t try to bite his Healer’ Sunflower,” you were the ones who filled out their forms correct?”

“Yeah why?” Asked Danny

“Well I’m not surprised that you left Doniel’s family history blank given what you told me, but you also left Leonard’s blank.”

“Oh.” The tone shift in Danny is enough to make Len’s stomach twist. He looks to Donnie who looks at him confusingly, “ um, Len lost his mom when he was a kid and his dad was never part of his life so he doesn’t really know it.”

“I see.” Len could almost cringe at the Healers change of tone. That sympathy he so hated, “I apologize, I didn’t know.”

“He doesn’t like people knowing, just don’t tell him I told you.”

“I suppose that’s fair.”  Len can hear her writing something down,’ On  a separate note, Doniel’s leg brace is almost here, would you two like to see it?”

“Eh why not.” He can imagine Danny shrugging, “maybe we’ll find some ice cream to bring Donnie for being a good patient.” With that he can hear the footsteps leaving. But Don continues to stare at him, “Kid don’t ask.” He says draping his forearm over his eyes. He feels Don’s little hands pull on his arm, trying to get it away from his eyes, “No.” he says again in a firmer tone,

The child released his arm, despite himself Len peeked out from behind it to see Donnie still looking at him, his eyes are still burning in curiosity but it’s obvious hes trying to be good and not pull on him again, Len can’t help but sigh, “Its not a big deal Kiddo. My dad was a drunk who was determined to make everyone miserable around him. And my mom.” He paused again.

When was the last time he actually talked about his mother?

Not since he met Danny and Mickey

With another sigh, he takes Don’s small hands into his own, using his thumbs to tickle his palm, “My mom was the best. From the day she was born she was in a arranged marriage with my old miserable man and forced to marry him as soon as she was old enough. She endured so much shit because of him. Pain, sadness. She used to think she deserved it. That that was all her life was meant to be.” He closes his eyes, “Then one day, she finds out that I’m on the way. She said that it gave her the courage to leave. She left her family, the money everything she had and traveled across the kingdom to give us a fighting chance. Became a mercenary, became the best mom in the world and a hero to so many people. Mine too.” He can’t help but smile, “I try to think of what she would of done when I take care of you. When she,” he pauses, “when she died, I wasn’t sure what my life was going to be. But I knew it was going to be mine.” Len wasn’t used to the child staying this still for this long. Even when he and Danny regaled tales of their heists together Donnie would climb all over Mickey as though he was as squishy mountain, he can’t help but chuckle, bringing his and up to cup Don’s face, using his thumb to caress his cheek, “I guess if all that shit got me to you then it was worth it right?” He asks. He doesn’t expect answer, but the door opens and Danny and Mickey come to join them with some sugar free ice cream they had found in the Healers fridge (whether or not they had asked to use it, Len didn’t know)

But somehow, the child who has never spoken a word seems even more quiet

(#)(#)\/(#)(#)

The witches had to send Danny and Mickey off when night came, but they were able to find an inn nearby to sleep in. Which Len would have almost preferred since it meant he wouldn’t have had to deal with witches poking at him and checking him every five minutes to make sure his heart wasn’t going to stop again. And injecting him with who knows what, Atleast with Donnie woke there he had someone to entertain with tickles and climbing all over him as though he were a tree and not a very very tired Yokai  But after two more days of tests and donating fluids (a lot of fluids) Myra and Amaranth tell him he and Donnie can both leave the next day.

About the only upside to sleeping in a healing house is that it's always covered in a warming spell to keep the patients warm, but when Leonard wakes up the next morning to a breeze, he knows something’s wrong. Those fears are validated when he looks  and sees the bed by him is empty, ‘Donnie?!” He starts, climbing out of bed and snatching his shirt from the bed side, he looks under the beds hoping toto see the child playing a game with himself (or a game of hide and seek). But when he feels the breeze again, he runs out of the patient ward to the office to see the front door open.

He runs back long enough to grab his boots and cloak, even with the thick bandages on his feet he’s still able to pull them on and run out the door. He can feel the weight of his miniaturized hooked staff in his pocket as he runs along

Despite the cold, the world is starting to melt around them at the end of winter and beginning of spring, there’s still enough snow on the ground that he can see a small boot bring and a half print from where he was limping along. A part of him wonders if he should go back and wake the healer witches but knows there probably isn’t enough time to waste. “Donnie!” He shouts, he puts his hands around his mouth to shout again. Len knows that the child won’t be able to go through the forest with his bad leg. If he were to come this way he would have to stay on the stone path to make any sort of distance.  He knows it’s a fool's quest, but he goes anyway.

But when a loud scream of terror reaches him it spurs him forward and into a clearing, drowned by melted snow and mud.

The ground has already begun to shake underneath his feet as he breaks into a clearing, the large boulders scattered around start to magnetize towards one another by some invisible force. Connecting and growing till it has a shape all itself of a large beast with swollen hands and a large head that, though it lacked any eyes, swung around to set its sights back on its prey

Or more accurately, on the child crouched in terror, stuck between a large rock wall and a painful death

Len doesn’t hesitate, “Get the hell away from my kid!” He shouts. he pulls the familiar purple handle out of his pocket and it immediately takes shape of his hook staff. The monster swings its boulder head around, the grounding of stones from its jaws is almost resembling that of a roar, not breaking stride Leonard charges forward. As the creature swung its head around to bite him, Leonard lunged under it, sliding underneath the monster’s belly through the mud and kicking hard on the monster’s joints  of the rock monsters back leg to dislodge it from the rest of his body. He barely has time to roll away and jump to his feet before the monster's hind quarters collapse beneath him and it swings around to shriek at him again.  The Yokai can see Donnie out of the corner of his eye in the same place he had fallen. He tries. A new instinct he’s had since finding Don urges him to move closer, keeping his eye on get to the child’s side but Leonard knows better then to take eyes off the rock monster. “Donnie get over here,” he commands. But the child doesn’t even seem to so much as look at him. Instead turning his head away as though trying to do everything he could to ignore him-

Another roar tells him that the monster is on them again. Without hesitation With little option, Leonard runs for the child, snatching him up in his arms in time to feel the ground by their feet explode. The two roll before Len ends up on all fours and the child underneath him. Before he can get up a weight appears at his back, tearing into his cloak and skin as he struggles to keep the extra weight from crushing him and the child he’s desperately trying to protect.  Donnie is looking up at him in terror, but also with a look he doesn’t recognize.

He Leonard pushes the child out from underneath him, causing him to roll away till he’s at a safe distance, and twists free from under the monster's claw, swinging his staff around and knocking the monster hard in the head, hard enough to dislodge it from its neck and send it flying. The remains of the rock monster trembles before crumbling into a useless pile of nothing. Len can only lay there for a moment, gasping for air, trying to ignore his stinging bleeding back before he realizes Donnie isn’t by his side but catches a glimpse of him walking away again, ”Don stop-“ Leonard moves up to his knees, wanting to stand up but his back hurts so bad he’s afraid he’ll pass out again. “Donnie-“  He takes a breath, straining himself. “Doniel get back here now,” he commands. That’s enough for the child to stop walking shoulders hunching slightly as though he knows he’s in trouble. “Wh-why the hell did you leave?!” Leonard asks, “Do you know how scared I was when I woke up and you weren’t there?! Huh?!” The child flinches at his voice, it’s enough to make him regret his tone, forcing himself to take a deep breath. He was angry, he knew he was angry, he wasn’t about to take that out on-

“You got hu’t.”

Its such a small weak voice that Len’s unsure if he even hears it at first. But Donnie looks up at him with tear filled eyes and then back to the ground, “Don-“

“You keep getting hu’t” the soft spoken child started again, “The tree branch, I b’oked the house, I b’oked you.”

“N-No kid.” He wants to take a moment to marvel at the fact the child is finally speaking. instead he plants his staff in the ground and rises up on one knee, holding out his hand. “Donnie can you come here please?” he asks. With small timid steps, the child does as he’s told, reaching out and putting his small one into Leonard’s. “You haven’t broken me Donnie,” he says softly, “I was just trying to protect you. I can’t help it; Danny says I have a complex.” He tries to smile at the child but Donnie refuses to look at him. “You can leave if you want. If that’s truly what you want.” Even saying that makes his chest hurt, “But I told you before you don’t have to. We like having you around, you make life a little more interesting.”

“But I hu’t’e’d-“

Len takes a breath, “Yes, I got hurt. I’ll probably get hurt tomorrow. But if it’s protecting someone I care about then I can deal with it. Don I-” He pauses unsure of how to say this. “I want to keep protecting you Don. I want to look after you and help you grow up into the strong intelligent young man I can see you becoming. Even if it means you get pissed when I make you do things you don’t want to do and be the bad guy. I mean I’m not perfect and I might make mistakes but I want to be your-“

Before he can finish his thought, Donnie throws his arms around his neck with enough force to send Len over, he had to bring up his hand to keep from falling and for a moment he isn’t sure what to say, until a tiny emotion filled voice reaches him from the tiny child with his face in his shoulder.

Tears began to burn in Lens eyes as he struggles not to let them flow down his face  Leonard wraps his arms around the small boy. It feels ridicules to ask, but he can’t help himself  “Can I be your Dad?” When the small child nods eagerly into his shoulder its almost enough to break him altogether. Instead he focuses on the moment. Not the years that will come with arguments, anger, struggles, groundings the dreaded puberty that will make Leonard worry he’ll gray too early. But there will also be patience, and understanding, and a bond that comes from a small mismatched family

This is a moment he will never regret for the rest of his life.

(#)(#)\/(#)(#)

“Sounds like you have a fine son there.”

Len lets out a weak laugh that turns into a cough. He’s unsure if his recent cough comes from his body’s response to pain, or from the damp dungeons that are now his home. His wrists are chained to the walls barely giving him any room to wiggle his fingers to prevent them from becoming numb. In the days since he’s arrived, he hasn’t seen his neighbor. But he always gets the impression that his neighbor has been there longer than anyone. “He is. Best kid in the world,” he says with a smirk. “Love him more than anything else.”

“Even more then his hair gel!” Mickey calls from the next cell over, and a few cells away Danny laughs loudly. Len chuckles, Mickey’s jokes had seemed empty and pointless outside, but in this dungeon, they helped keep him sane.

From the end of the halfway, the dreaded sound of high heels clack on the stone floor. Causing the entire dungeon to fall silent. Waiting in anticipation as most prisoners silently beg to whoever they believe in that Big Mama is not there for them today.

Of course, Leonard already knows who she’s here for. Even before his jail cell opens. ”Oh, Lenny-poo you're awake. I was afraid after last time you wouldn’t be able to see again.”

Len gives a half shrug, the best he can with his wrists chained, “What can I say. Can’t resist seeing a pretty lady. Or guy. I’m not picky.”

Big Mama lets out a girlish laugh, loud enough that Len can swear he can hear another prisoner whimpering from the opposite direction - that’s the affect Big Mama’s laugh has down here. Her presence is the only thing colder than the chains binding them. “Now, Lenny Wenny, I do hate to keep repeating myself but I shall do it again. Because I’m a wonderful patient mother.” She crouches down, careful not to cause any grime or blood to touch her gown. “Where is the Twilight Thief?”

Same question as last time, the same question that will come again tomorrow, in the face of such pain, many would snap or rather end their lives. But Len gives a soft chuckle that fills out into a full-blown laugh. “Ah lady, how would I know? And to be honest even if I did know, I’d never tell you.” He grins wickedly, “Got it Bitch Mama?”

Like last time, Big Mama doesn’t laugh. Instead she raises her hand, pointing her well-manicured fingers into the center of Len’s forehead. He can already see her summoning her dark pink magic up her arm and inching towards his head. But as he thinks about the child he raised, the man that child’s become. He can only smile.

He’s the luckiest guy in the world.