Far From Emotionless (Raven and Xeno)

"Oh shut up." He said in reply to her joke. He received plenty of jokes about him being gay in his class. He didn't need any more from his sister. In truth, he wished he could rib himself of the ears and the tail. To be normal, if even just for one day. He laid back down on the couch and sighed.

"Sorry," Emi mumbled, sweat-dropping.
"But ah...I happen to know someone who likes you. A girl, don't worry," she said quickly.
"Interested?"
Emi had a friend. Her name was Maia. Maia liked Akihiko. Emi put two and two together, and had decided to try and set them up.
Her neko ears were twitching, a sign that she was plotting something.

"Whatever you want." He said, not looking at his sister. Not seeing her schemeing face. Unaware of what she planed to do. He was more focused right now on staying awake. "I think I'm gonna take a cat nap." He laughed adn closed his eyes.

"Ok," Emi mumbled.
She smiled.

Emi picked up one of the family photo album and walked to her room, planning on 'borrowing' a baby picture of Akihiko to show to Maia.

As she paged through it, she realised something strange.
Of all Akihiko's newborn pictures, Lantin wasn't in a single one of them. They only had Raven, who, in the picture, looked kind of sad, and almost lonely.
"Weird," she commented, flipping through the book.
Thing with the pictures continued on weirdly. Lantin seemed to be invisible in most of Akihiko's baby pictures for a while- in fact, he wasn't in any of them until she reached the section for when Akihiko was eight months old.
"....this is kinda weird," Emi mumbled.
She didn't think mug of it, and continued flipping through the book.
Eventually, she got tired, so she set the book aside and laid down on her bed to sleep for a while.

Akihiko remained asleep. He rolled on his side and curled into a ball on the couch. His his dream he could see a strange figure in a mask, but he didn't know who he was.

Emi slept soundly, dreaming about chasing a giant salmon.
Her tail twitched, and she purred in her sleep, having caught the giant salmon.

after about an hour, Akihiko wke up with a yawn. Now he felt better, though it would probably be harder to sleep later. He got up and stretched and saw his dad walking into the kitchen. "Dinner time yet." He said to Lantin. 'Not yet, Still have to make it. Care to help your old man.' Akihiko nodded and followed him into the kitchen

Raven walked into the kitchen as well.

"Whatcha doing?" she asked. The fur on her ears was ruffled, and her hair was tangled, a, a sign that she had been napping as well.

Emi was still asleep.

"Umm mom, dad, can you sit down. I need to ask you both something." He said and sat at the kitchen table. Lantin looked over at Raven and sat down next to Akihiko.

"Uhh...sure," raven said, sitting next to Lantin.

Aihiko took a deep breath and sighed, gathering his words and thoughts. "Mom, dad. I...."He paused, thinking of the best way to ask this. "Am I not your biological son?" He finally asked, and now started to worry, unsire he wanted to know the answer, now that the question was put out. Lantin looked to Raven. He thought that she was to be the one who would tell him anyway

Raven was silent, and the tension was high.
She thought carefully of what she would say.

"Yes you are, hon. I gave birth to you."
Hopefully he wouldn't ask about his father.

"Then who's my father. My real father. I know that its not Dad." He said in a demanding voice. He wanted a straight answer. He was old enough to atleast be owed that much. He didn't like his mom dancing around it. "My baby pictures, dad is there in the beginning. Its just you." He said to his mother. "So who's my real father."

Raven's fists clenched, her moods swinging rapidly.
She had hoped it wouldn't come to this. She hadn't told anyone about Akihiko's father, not even Lantin. Even Lantin only knew it was an 'unpleasant encounter'. She hadnt told him she'd actually been raped.

Ravens voice lowered so that only Akihiko could hear.
Her eyes were dark.
"Why do you care," she hissed. "He isn't here, why does it matter?"

Ahikiko got up at threw the chair across the room, his eyes as dark as his mother's. "Fine, bitch. If you won't tell me, I'lll find out myself." He said and left the room. He got his sickls and headed out of the house, slamming the door closed hard behind him.

"Let him go." Lantin said before Raven could do anything. He sighed and watched his son storm out.

"Well good luck finding him!" raven screamed after Akihiko.
She put her head in her hands, tears coming out.

Emi came up from behind her, having been awoken by all the noise.

"Whts going on?" she asked, rubbing her eyes sleepily.

Lantin put his arm over Raven's shoulder and pulled her close against him, letting her cry on his shoulder. "Shhh. It will be fine. He'll be back when he finds what he's looking for." HE whispered to his wife.

"Then...he's not...coming back," raven sobbed.
She hung her head.
"You see..." she couldn't believe she had to say this.
"Akihiko's looking for a man in Iwagakure. A ninja. But...you see...remember when I said Akihiko was fathered in an unpleasant encounter with someone I shouldn't have been with...." she paused again, gathering her breath.
"I lied. I....you see...I-I was...r-raped." her speed of talking rapidly increased. "He wasnt an employed ninja, he was a rogue. He wore this demented mask, with a twisted s-smile...."
Raven got choked up, no longer able to speak.
Emi had run back to her room as soon as she heard what they were saying. She didn't believe it. She couldn't.
Raven tensed, her ears flattened against her skull.

"It's ok. I know. I've known for a long time now." Lantin whispered to his crying wife. He held her tight against him. He knew that Akihiko was the child of rape, but he always thought of him as his son. "Come now. No more tears. He'll be back by the morning." He gently lifted her to her feet. He walked with her to Emi's room. He knocked on the door and opened it and led Raven to Emi's bed and turn to his daughter. "Emi, we have to tell you something important about your brother."

Emi blinked, clutching her pillow.
"W-what..." Emi mumbled.
Raven looked at Lantin. She didn't want to say it.
"Please Lantin... can you.." she whispered, unable to finish her sentence.

Sure dear." He said and turned to Emi. He sat down and stroked her hair. "Emi, you are my and ravens child. He are related by blood to both of us. Akihiko, is also related to your mother. However, I'm not his biological father. Uour mother was attacked by a rounin in another village. She was raped and Akihiko was the result of that." Lantin paused and waited to see how Emi would respond.

Emi blinked and then...fainted.
She wouldn't wake up until morningtime; and then, shed probably think it was just a dream.

"Well..you told her...." raven whispered.
She hugged Lantin tightly, then sighed.
She wondered when Akihiko would come home, if he came home at all.

Akihiko left the village adn wandred the desert sands till it was too dark to see. The star and the moon were bright, but Akihiko was hopelessly lost. That was until a soft blue light started to glow infront og him. In a tired daze, he began to follow the light, until he came to a small oasis. There were a few trees and a large, clear pond. Two stones stuck up from the ground next to the pond. Not an animal could be seen

Lantin Gently lifted Raven to her feet and took her to there room. He helped her get undressed and into her nightgown and into bed. He laid down next to her, hugging her tight. "He will be back. I promise."

"I think you're right," Raven whispered, hugging him back. She let go, then lay on her back and looked up at the ceiling.
Soon she was asleep, her ears and tail twitching because of her dream.

Aihiko curled up next to the pool and fell asleep. While he slept, he had a strange dream about two peoplehe had never met. Little did he know, these were the spirts of Lantins parent. 'Its good to see you again Aihiko.' His grandmother whispered to him. 'We know why you search, but if you love your mother and father then you already know that your quest is pointless. You already know your father. The one who raised you from the beginning with your mother. He loves you like his own. So sleep now and return in the morning.'