Yousei no Kuni

by Yuuki-hiro

One - The Thing with Fathers

"Weeeeeeeee~!"

The huge splashes of water landed on a resting butterfly, startling it, causing it to leave its perch to flutter into the warm rays of Sun.

"Ha ha ha… Ahhhh~!" Kyo screamed as Die surfaced from the depths to claim his pudgy legs, pulling the young elf off of the rock and into the cool pond waters.

Bubbles burped as the two pixie elf-lings sank into the clear waters, only to surface seconds later,

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! The water's freezing!!!!" Kyo wailed as he sucked in a lung-full of air.

"Oh, little brat, you complain too much!" Die smiled, ducked his chin into then out of the water to spurt a mouthful of water……INTO Kyo's face!

"Yewww! Yuck! Boy are you gonna get it from me now!" Kyo growled as he lurched himself towards his big brother.

The leaves rustled against the wind as she carried the splitter-spattering and happy laughter through the forest….

-----

J huffed as he marched into the hollow tree stump. His face was as angry as the worst of winter storms. Coming to a complete stop in the middle of the dark hollow, he reached out to yank on a vine that hung from the wooden ceiling. J became a blur as the ground suddenly swallowed him up.

Inoran was busy dishing out the last batch of his crispy wheat cookies when J made his appearance.

"Hi honey, welcome home." Inoran smiled, talking but not looking at J as he stuck his face out for a kiss. But it never came.

"J?" Inoran queried, turning his head around to see J grab for a buttercup of wheat-brew from the snow box and gulping it down with a fiery that could only be the result of one thing….

-----

"Coast clear?" Die whispered, standing close behind his short brother as the petite blonde surveyed the surroundings of the tree stump from behind a rock.

"Yeap, doesn't seem like anyone-AAAAHHH!" Die blinked as Kyo disappeared.

"Welcome back son!" Die groaned as he reluctantly came out from behind the rock to face his father. J had a very grim look on his face as he held up an equally grim-looking Kyo by the collar, dangling his younger son in mid-air.

"Hi Dad…. Mh, you're unusually back from work early, aren't you?" Die laughed nervously as he tried to make small talk.

"Save it young elf and get your mischievous butt back home NOW!" J growled as he turned around and stomped angrily towards the tree stump, still carrying Kyo in the air like a rag doll.

"Yessir…." Die sighed as he followed his tall blonde elf of a father and disappeared into the hollow……..

-----

Big fat tears fell from the two elf-lings as they held their spanked bottoms in pain.

"Do what you did today ever again and I'll make doubly sure you'll get three times more what you got this time. Clear?"

Both elf-lings nodded their little elf heads eagerly, clearly catching the malice in their father's voice.

"Now go wash up and have your supper. And it's straight to bed for you two, get it?"

Kyo bawled in response, then turned and ran for his room. Die managed to utter a sobbingly "Yes" as he gave a small bow before following suit.

J's sight followed his two sons as they disappeared into their room. Then the façade came down as he hunched his shoulders, his head hung low in defeat.

Comforting arms wrapped themselves around the sad elf giant. The hug was more then welcomed by J, who all but wither in Inoran's embrace.

A tear or two fell from J's eyes as he sniffed back a sob. Taking a deep breath, he straightened himself up and looked down into the understanding eyes of his beloved.

"I'm okay, you go see how the boys are doing, kay?"