Flash_Guardian gets halfway up his tree, only to be stopped by a sporadic barrage of pine cones. "Ow ... ow ..." he says flatly, putting an arm up in his defense. Then one final pine cone catches him in the eye before he can react. "OW!" he says, rubbing his eye, still getting hit. He quickly decides not to bother Kodora. "Sheesh! Nice to see you, too," he says, hopping down out of the tree to the ground below, tumbling as he lands and rolling back up to his feet. He dusts himself off and continues on his path to town. "Somebody holds a grudge ..." he muttered under his breath. Maybe he could get in some clothes shopping at a nearby shop ...

little_half-breed_kodora She sighed in relief. finanly someone left her alone. she stayed silent and layed back down on the branch, looking up at the stars, her nails digging around her nec, stil ltrying ot get the damned thing off, which had cause her to have scratch wounds on her neck where the collar was " stupid piece of dumb sh*t" she half yelled

Maniacal_Jester watches the young Flash underneath him, stealthily poised up in the higher reaches of a tree, his narrow fingers curled about the branch which he is squatting upon. He narrows his gaze at the man, a devilish smile playing upon his face. "So he is here too," whispers the jester in an intrigued voice. Flash finally leaves earshot, and he shrugs. Tonight his fancy lay elsewhere. He had just finished wreaking havoc elsewhere, and had decided to come see how his pet was doing. He stands, throws his arms lightly to one side as he leans in the same direction, then with a "Zing!" he becomes a blur, moving along the branch of his tree, zooming down the trunk, zipping along the ground in a winding path to avoid trees and shrubs, then quickly whooshes up the trunk of the tree that Kodora is in, stopping abruptly on the branch above her and looking down at her, eyes closed and all grin.

little_half-breed_kodora She noticed the orange man, if it was even a man, is he question that remained. None the less, she had had enough of him and grew rather irritable. Quickly, she stood up on the branch, and as soon as she was upright , she pushed off the branch. Her seed was rather amazing, and she skillfully dodged the branches as she made her way, tree to tree.

Shara silently wanders into the area, each of her foot steps silenct and well placed. The purple haired woman stalked through the forest's undergrowth to avoid being seen by prying eyes... for whatever reasons. She snuck through the shrubs and and brush until she got to the main area where the majority of the area's population was at. She crouched low and peeked out, her odd colored eyes switching between each individual... inspecting each carefully... especially the flying clown.

Maniacal_Jester cackles gleefully, clapping his hands in delight before springing off his own branch after Kodora. "Time to walk the Kitty!" he exclaims in utter glee, springing from branch to branch after her, somehow able to match her impressive speed, but not her maneuverability, being slightly larger and more prone to be hindered by small gaps between branches. None-the-less, he manages to keep up a goodly pace, and if she stops or slows he will catch her.

Shara slowly quirks a brow at the insane flying clown. She wasn't quite used to those sorts of sights.

little_half-breed_kodora That last comment had managed to reach her ears, and just as soon as she started off, she stopped. She turned around and rushed towards the jestere. If she were quick enough, and he were slow enoug, she would connect her left hand with his gut, and dig her claws in .But only if she were quick enough to catch him by suprize.

Maniacal_Jester is in midair when the attack comes ... the claw slices through his gut cleanly, catching the jester by surprise ... he emits a small cry of shock, but is still smiling and no blood seems to come from the wound. Surprisingly, the jester is thrown back from the attack, not having nearly as much body mass as his small frame would seem to indicate, slamming into a nearby tree roughly. He quickly brings his hands to his guts to cover the wound, his mouth forming an 'o' and staring at Kodora, his eyes still twinkling.

Maniacal_Jester is amazed that he found footing on a branch so quickly after that happened ...

little_half-breed_kodora she growls: " I suggest you don't EVER come after me, AGAIN!" she snaps angrilly at him. Then quickly, she begins to dart through the trees, hopeing to have left him in such a state of shock as to make a good getaway

Shara sighs. Oh well.

Maniacal_Jester purses his lips, giving Kodora a sidelong glance as she retreats. Then, with carefully choreographed movements, he spreads apart the fingers on his hands and slowly raises them away from the wound and up to the sides of his face cheerfully. The wound is gone, leaving no trace of Kodora's claws whatsoever. He scrunches his face up into an expression of utter delight, his head bobbing up and down madly as he giggles like a little schoolgirl. He then traces his finger through the tree next to him. A hole appears in the trunk where he moves his finger, and he swan dives into it. A similar hole appears in a tree next to Kodora, and the jester dives out of it, compacting his lanky form into a ball and rolling out on the branch before her before jumping to a standing position, top hat and cane in hand. He strikes a cheezy pose, saying "Tada!"

little_half-breed_kodora she stumbled back and, apon her own feet, landing on her back atop a large branch. her ears were low againsst her head, tensed, her eyes flickering a hellish red. "GO AWAY!! LEAVE ME ALONE!!" she began to scream at the top of her lungs.

Shara slowly creeps out of the bushes and behind some trees. Still as silent as a fox.

Maniacal_Jester notes that a similar hole appears in a tree next to Shara. Out of the hole comes a pint-sized version of the jester, but with pixie wings. The tiny pixie-jester flits over to Shara, tapping her on the shoulder to get her attention. "Excuse me, miss?" it says politely, with a mischievous look on its face. "Your hair is green." And sure enough, if she looks, her hair has most certainly become a rather bright and cheery shade of green. ((The color will fade after you or Jester leaves the room.))

Shara 's hand would snap out for the little pint sized jester and attempt to grab a hold of the little floating pest. "Is it now?" The girl doesn't bother to look at the moment, her attention is now trained on the little man.

Maniacal_Jester walks up to Kodora, the top hat and cane disappearing in a puff of vinegar, his narrow form looming over her, his hands wringing themselves, a deranged look in his eyes not unlike that of a complete lunatic. "Yesssss ..." he says, his form darkening as if he were stepping into some non-existent shadow. "There's the piece in hiding ... it wants to get out and run away ... it seeks escape, just as you wish to escape from me ..."

Maniacal_Jester notes that the little pixie jester is grabbed quite readily, his arms and wings quickly getting pinned to his sides in surprise. He quickly pulls his hands back up to his face, thumbs to his temples and fingers out. He sticks out his tongue and closes his eyes, giving her a raspberry accompanied by a "Nyah!" sound, then promptly bursts into flames, turning quickly to a similarly shaped piece of charcoal which crumbles in her hand. The holes in the trees have all disappeared.

Maniacal_Jester also notes that the flames do not burn Shara at all.

Shara grunts softly and allows the charcoal to seep through her hands. The stealthy girl then slinked out the room as quielty and unnoticed as she arrived.

little_half-breed_kodora she was pinned between the tree and the mad man. she stayed silent, her viens instead of being filled iwith range, soon become that of fear. she stays silent, her ears pinning down at the sides, not behind.. she wanted to tell him off. to do anythign to get away, but somehow she was too frightend to move.

Maniacal_Jester kneels next to Kodora, grinning mischievously down at her. "Isn't that what you want?" he says, staring into her eyes, his piercing gaze reaching down deep into a side of her that perhaps she would deny, a more primordial side, a side that was more prone to evil and darkness. "Freedom?" he says, offering her a bony hand.

little_half-breed_kodora she wanted to stnad up and get as far awa yfrom here as possible, yet something, deep inside of her, that, she herself was unaware of, kept her from moving. her body trembled, he rvoice giving out soft whimpers. she didn't move nor say a word, she didn't run. yet she didn't take his hand.

Maniacal_Jester 's grin seems to grow ever wider as he witnesses Kodora's indecision. "I knew I liked you from the moment that I saw you," he tells her quietly, withdrawing his hand and crouching low next to her. His head turns up and to one side. "You remind me of something that isn't sure whether it wants to be one thing or not ..." he babbles, before looking back at her. "And that's why I like you. Does that make sense at all?"

Maniacal_Jester looks out over the Keep, and sees that all is still ... where is everyone?

little_half-breed_kodora she inched awa yfrom him, only to find her backside pressed up against the tree trunk. her breath short and quick, like a rabbit in a trap. she doesn't make a sound, other tha her whimpers. " well i hate you" she mutters under her breath

Maniacal_Jester gasps, his eyes twinkling. He clasps his hands, standing up into a full-body swoon, gazing affectionately down at the girl ... then almost instantly snaps into a bored expression, looking aside with a finger at his mouth. "I know," he states in probably the most bland and boring voice she has ever heard him make.

Maniacal_Jester looks back at the girl, his finger playing thoughtfully with his upper lip. "Tell me ..." he asks the girl plaintively. "Are you hungry?"

little_half-breed_kodora she bent her kneese up to her chest, wraping her left arm around one, her head resting on her knee cap. her face turned away from him watchign the trees blowing in the wind. she didn't answer him, but the growling of her stomach would d ot he talking for her.

Maniacal_Jester notices the growling of the girl's stomach, that tell-tale grin spreading back over his face, accompanied by an expression of wicked delight. "Good!" he squeaks, clapping his hands. At the sound, the branch underneath her breaks, dumping her out into the open air. Each branch that she tries to land on also breaks on her way down, giving her nothing to spring off of. Amidst her falling, she can hear the sounds of some other creature below her ...

-Net- walks in sniffong

-Net- spots Kodora,and runs to her"hiya"

little_half-breed_kodora she was falling to the ground, trying desperatly to grab onto t anything, but each branch kept snapping off "GOD D*MN I'M NOT THAT HEAVY" she ylled out in frustration and desperation

-Net- blinks"kodora,you okay" he whimperd

Maniacal_Jester notes that there does appear to be a soft bush directly underneath Kodora to cushion her fall.

Maniacal_Jester cackles madly somewhere above in the trees, leaning back with his hands at his belly, his manaical laughter piercing the silence of the woods around him.

little_half-breed_kodora and land in the bush she did, he had failed to mechon that it had thorns. she shrieked out in pain as the pierced through her skin. tears running down her cheeks. :she looked ove rto net " run.." she said wquietly. " run" she said again, wishing that net will listen to her

-Net- blinks then runs to her"why........"

little_half-breed_kodora she started batting at ne,t trying to get him to get away " just go. run net get away" she whispered softly to him

-Net- shakes his head"no...im not leaving you" he blinked seeing how she didnt care much for him

Maniacal_Jester jumps down to a lower branch just above the pair, gazing down at the situation delightedly. "Fuhuhu!" He laughs, playing with the tips of his fingers. "The plot thickens ..." A low, gutteral growl is heard by Kodora and Net, coming from behind some bushes to her left. Out of the foliage she spies a pair of glowing eyes, eyes that are soon found to be atop the head of a repugnant, brutal, and ugly rodent-like creature, complete with a rat's teeth, whiskers, beady red eyes, vicious claws, and a long scabby tail much like that of a rat's, but with a barbed tip. It gnashes its teeth viciously at Kodora, appearing very vicious and also hungry. The jester in the trees sits cross-legged on the branch above to watch the encounter in amusement.

-Net- blinks then whimpers abit,but stays

-Net- whimpers,and tries to punch the rat

little_half-breed_kodora she sighed heaviily. she did care about him. thats why she wwanted him to get away, before he got himself int o trouble. " GOD DAMN HIM" she yells out. and grabbing net she jumps out of the bush and high int oanother tree holding net tightly and safely in her arms " i'm so not in the mood for this" she said

-Net- blinks abit confused at whats happnig,then nods"well uhhh what now"

Maniacal_Jester - The demon rat attempts to bite Net's hand, but its target is quickly whisked up into the trees. It snarls angrily, then scampers quickly over to the tree that Kodora is in and begins to use its powerful claws to climb up towards them, slothfully but steadily.

-Net- whimpers,and crys at his bit hand,he licks his hand for a sec,but quicly forgets about it

little_half-breed_kodora she growls : " how the hell am i supposed ot do this. i gottah hold teh runt, and i only got one arm"she said tierdly "net. run as far as you can. get awa yfrom here ok. i'll dea lwth the rat. you just forget about me and get yourself to safty"

-Net- he shakes his head"no...

Maniacal_Jester - The rat climbs steadily upward ... it is almost to their branch ...

[little_half-breed_kodora] " net. you have to. if you don't, i can;t fight and that means that were dinner"

little_half-breed_kodora she jumps up higher, then dashes into a tree "net. you have to. i can't fight if your here"

-Net- jumps ota her arms,but refuses to leave))

[little_half-breed_kodora] " nmet yuou have to run. aslong as your here. i have to keep you safe. and that means i can't kill it" she was ready to yell. but she couldn't" net. please. just do this for me,. get out ofthe forest"

Maniacal_Jester - The creature keeps climbing after them, stopping just underneath Kodora's branch. It then swings its barbed tail up at Kodora. If it misses, the tail will proceed to cleave through the branch where it strikes.

-Net- shakes his head"i can fend for myself" jumps of the branch

Maniacal_Jester cackles with glee at Kodora's predicament. "Oh, this is wonderful!" he says, snapping his fingers. A small bag of popcorn appears in his hand, and he gleefully begins to munch as he watches.

[little_half-breed_kodora] "not agians tthis thinng you can't .NET. PLEASE GO" she was yelling. not in anger at net, but to get him out of here. that damn jester . that stupid rat" nwet. please. you have to get out of here:"

-Pacer- walks in,he smells out net,and cracks his neck"Yay,fun" he reaches otut to punche net

-Net- whimpers,as his face,was smashed by the punch,leaving him to fly back,into a tree

-Net- sits there whoozy X_X

-Pacer- smiles"follow me runt...."

Maniacal_Jester glares at the newcomer. "Ah ah ah," he says, wagging a finger at Pacer. "Wait your turn," he says sternly. His eyes glow briefly, and suddenly there is another of the ugly demonic rats on the branch in front of Pacer, glaring angrily and chasing after Pacer as he leaves.

Maniacal_Jester watches disappointedly as Kodora runs after Net and Pacer. "OH!" he scoffs angrily. "That little brat, spoiling all my fun!" He scowls, throws his bag of popcorn aside, and chases after them all, flying feet first through the air.

* * *

[-Net-] walks in,holding his head

-Pacer- smiles as he tries to lands 4 more punches

little_half-breed_kodora she growls, getting between them she kicks pacer in the balls " I HAVE TOLD YO UTO LEAVE US ALONE"

-Pacer- catches her foot"hiya,pet" pats her haed"ill be done in abit"

-Pacer- he jumps over her,and tries to kick net

-Net- whimpers,as his the foot pounds in his chest,he holds his chsest coughing blood

little_half-breed_kodora she picks up net in her arms " PACER LEAVE HIM ALONE HE'S JUST A KID. YOUR A COWARD FOR PICKING ON A KID"

Maniacal_Jester floats in from the side, feet first, then tilts forward, landing his feet squarely on the ground in front of the quarrelling trio. He has his arms folded and does not look amused at what has happened. "How rude," he says in his sickeningly singsongy voice.

-Pacer- laughs"no im just finshes unfinshed buissnes,now pet if you dont minute"

-Net- whimpers,he was whozzy X_X

[-Pacer-] sighs"so crowed all the sudden" looks at Net"follow me,or youi know what will happen" snaps his fingers"ohh,and no friends this time"

Maniacal_Jester glares in horrible anger at Pacer. "Pet? PET? PET?!!!" THunder crackles around the strangely dressed man, and a dark cloud looms overheard as the jester's head swells to ten times its size. The jester booms in a powerful voice at Pacer, a voice that shakes the tower near them, "SHE IS NOT YOUR PET, SHE IS MINE!! HOW DARE YOU!!"

little_half-breed_kodora she cling to net: " NWET. STOP DONT' GO"

Maniacal_Jester is indignant.

little_half-breed_kodora she continues to hold net: " net. please. yoru saf wth me. dont' ohg. he'll kill you ,. i dont' want you dead"

Maniacal_Jester hrmphs and follows.

* * *

-Net- whimpers as he moves in,sniiffing about for pacer

-Pacer- smiles,as he reaches out to punch net hard in the temple,trying to nail a kill

little_half-breed_kodora she continues to hold net in her arms, hiding from pacer.

-Pacer- growls"no friends i said" smiles"now you know will happen" he laughs,and walks out the exit

[little_half-breed_kodora] " pacer/ leave him alone" :she gaurds net from pacer. taking the blows herself.

Maniacal_Jester pops noisily into existence behind Pacer ... just before he leaves. He glares suddenly

* * *

Maniacal_Jester pops noisily into existence behind Pacer. "Excuse me?" he calls in a politely sinister voice.

-Pacer- walks in,then blinks"your excused" he walks away

Maniacal_Jester whooshes through the air, a blur of orange and blue, halting just in front of the leaving Pacer. "Am I?" he says, arms folded, with one eye glancing down at the cat demon. "Well you aren't. I need you to tell me for what reason you have spoiled my fun."

-Pacer- blinks,then moves faster darting back"cuase i like to have fun,with them"

Maniacal_Jester hrmphs, mimicking Pacers movements exactly so as to stay in his way. "Well I saw them first, and I say that you can't have them. Besides, Kodora is my pet, not yours," he says in his lilting voice, eying the boy crossly.

-Pacer- laughs"i knew her first,and she was my pet fisrt"

Maniacal_Jester bends over, leaning his face dangerously close to Pacer, placing a rather large and inspecting eye in his face. "Ohhh reeeally?!" he says in a high pitched voice. "Prove it."

little_half-breed_kodora she growled angrilly heading right towards pacer " listen here you sick, demented, little warped coaward. it's not nice tio pick on little children. and then having kill one, so you won't have to let the other still be your sslave. you let her go before i hurt you bad" she growled lowly, her eyes a blood red, her voice, a hellish echo to it

Maniacal_Jester looks back to Kodora, glad to see that someone was on his side ...

Maniacal_Jester watches as the boy runs away yet again. He sighs long and languidly, slumping over as if suddenly thoroughly exhausted. "Some people never learn," he says musically, his hands dangling low and touching the ground, the bells on the end of his hat jingling merrily.

Maniacal_Jester has a notion that something bad is happening somewhere else, and decides to go see if he is right. He snaps his fingers, and he disappears in a flash of ... feathers?

Daza walked into the hall and sat on a couch near the fire place, only looking at the ground, Agrela's demise was to much for him to bare. The world for him now was nothing, everything he had hoped for, everything he wished, gone. "I wish I had never been born!" he said, tears starting to crawl down his face. "Agrela, Why? Why did you die?" He said, more tears going down his face. "It should have been me. I should have died, not you."

-Net- walks to Daza"whats a matter"

Daza wiped tears off his face and looked up at Net "My friend, the one I was gaurding....... Has been slayed."

-Net- whimpers"i know how it feels"

Daza looked down at the ground "First Ghobi, now him....... Am I supposed to suffer my whole life?"

* * *

-Net- sighs,then blinks"well im sorry"

Maniacal_Jester appears suddenly beside Net in burst of chocolate syrup. He quickly looks back and forth between Net and his companion curiously.

Daza smiled slightly. "It's not your fault, it's the one who slayed him who should pay!" he snapped.

-Net- nods,then whimpers darting back,from Jester

little_half-breed_kodora she comes in " net.. it's ok.. i'm her" she says in a calm, hmotherly voice. yet it trembles witjh each word " net it's ok. your safe for now.. i promise to help yo uand yoru sister"

Maniacal_Jester watches the small raccoon child shy away from him and sighs, proceeding to sit cross-legged exactly where he stands, surveying the scene in apathy. "My, what tangled webs we weave," he says, beginning to pluck invisible strands from the air and work them around each other in a tangle that quickly becomes visible as a hazy, translucent, and horrible attempt at a cat's cradle. He eyes his work of art precociously.

Daza stood up finally walked over to the window and stared mindlessly out of it, thinking of his two lost friends, his family, his other self.

little_half-breed_kodora she sat on the ground, under a table of the hall. trembling, crying, fearing for her friends life.

Maniacal_Jester watches Daza make his way to the window. A small smirk crosses his face as an he gets an idea. He stuffs his conjured tangle of translucent threads into his mouth, swallows it, then stands and proceeds to mimic Daza's walk over to the same window (or one that's nearby, if not enough room), also mimicking his posture while gazing out with a pouting look.

Daza let some tears fall down his face, though continued to stare outside. "Ghobi, Agrela, My family.......... All gone...... Am I never supposed to be happy? Is this what get for being different?"

-Net- pads in,blood spurting all over the place"well that didnt go to well,he fell strait to the ground" lyeing in his own blood

little_half-breed_kodora she saw net and ran to him. picking up his body" she took off her kimono and wraped it around him to help keep the blood in " : " net.. im'm sorry" :she said sadly " i'm so sorry"

Maniacal_Jester instead turns his attention to Net as he wanders back into the room, looking like s--t.

Daza snapped out of his little mindless trance and looked over to Net, not saying anything, only looking deluded.

-Net- coughs more of his blood"its,not your f-f-f-ault,but my sister,is safe" he began to feel light headed

Maniacal_Jester watches Net slowly begin to faint from blood loss on the floor, rubbing his chin with his hand, trying to decide if he will do anything or not.

little_half-breed_kodora she held his body tihgtly, whimpering " come on. we have to get you healed up again" :she sighed sadly and picked him up, holding him in both her arms , though her right arm is bllleding becuase she movied it out of place

-Net- coughs,abvit more,then kinda sits there,not moving bearly breahting

* * *

little_half-breed_kodora she rushes into the pug. holding the small raccoon in her hands , covered in blood "..Anyone?... please...." :she whimpered, her voice trembling and scareD" Anyone, please Ineed help"

-Net- stays there,not moving

Maniacal_Jester descends slowly from the ceiling gracefully and elegantly, looking much like a ballet dancer suspended by a harness and cables, waving his arms from side to side as if swimming through the air, gradually drifting down to where Kodora is holding the small raccoon child Net, who is bleeding to death.

-Net- stays motionless,starting to not breath

Andarthiel shrugs and contnues slowly sipping the drink((The one he's been sucking down for the lastt ten years))

little_half-breed_kodora she whimperes and begins to yell out " PLEASE... anyone.. i neelp HELP" [can't use all caps but yo uget the idea]

Maniacal_Jester finally lands gently next to Kodora and Net. He leans over close to the pair, slowly drifting his arms toward the pair, still smirking, but less malevolently than perhaps before. He gently brushes both of their chests with the backs of his hands, and for a moment they feel their hearts skip a beat.

-Net- stays moitonless

Andarthiel turns to little_half-breed_kodora and walks over to her. "What is it that you need help with little one?" once agian his heavenly nature takes over.

little_half-breed_kodora she gaspss , her eyes losing their sparkle for a moment. she didn't even realize it was jster. but her heart. felt different for aomment, like it didn't beat at all"

-Net- his eyes fell heavy,he would give Kodora a last nuzzle"good bvbye" he fell lifless

Maniacal_Jester needs to edit his last post. He shrugs. "Well, they aren't exactly ... 'tied' ... but I did give him a bit of your life energy ..." He sighs. "It's complicated, I suppose," he says, shrugging and not sure how to explain it in terms the pair would understand.

Maniacal_Jester decides that he's done enough damage around here, and decides to call it a night. He yawns, reaching up into the air above him to grab a cord that was not there previously. He pulls it down in front of him, and a wide sort of shade seems to roll down out of the air, guided all the way to the floor by his gently pulling hand, hiding Jester completely from view. A second later, the shade springs up off the floor with a snap, rolling up quickly to reveal empty space behind it, spinning quickly and flapping noisily in a roll at its top, the cord flying wildly around in circles for a moment longer before the whole things dissappears in a puff of smoke.