Hotohori was mostly ablivious to the landscape around him, he was too caught up in the overwelming pleasure of a silent walk with kirou. His unconscious mind has actually registered the blobs in the distance to be humans, two in fact, but was having a horrible tiem trying to tell his concious mind

When the message finally broke through, it was with major warning bells as they were almost apon the two and Hoto nearly paniced because there seemed to be no chance left to hide

Kirou bit his lip, feeling more and more nervous as they aproched the two people ahead.  Both had strange auras.... the silver clad ones seemed almost unreal, made up of moon energy and something else that Kirou couldn't discribe. The other's was even less comprehencible (but not quite as alarming)

Cole turned away from Astor, feeling like his face was on fire with the amount of blushing he was doing.  He blinked, noticing two people nearby.  "Hello?" he said, following it with the same word in different languages.  Maybe he'd finally found natives...

Astor turned and nearly giggled in deleight. "I would not have though it possible but I am graced even further!"  He put his hand over his heart in a dramtic near swoon.

Kirou hid even further behind Hotohori.

Cole blinked.  "Um... I'm sorry?"

Of course none of the panic that assaulted Hoto was shown on his face and he approcied the two like it had been his intent all along

He bowed his head slightly and stoped far enough away to avoid sword attact and be able to defend against it, giving kirous shoulders a small squeeze beofre bring both arms infront of him for defense

"Greetings strangers"

"Do you live around here?" Cole asked eagerly.

Hoto shook his head sadly,"I'm afraid we are newcomers to this place and You have robbed me of my question for i was about to ask you the same thing. I fear we are both disappointed am i correct?" Hoto oozed with all the charm and politness he could muster, even using his renouned beauty in hopes of winning these two

Cole slumped again.  "Oh well, I guess we're on our own then."  He looked up at Astor.  "We should try to find someone who knows what's going on."

Astor nearly glowed. Pretty in appearance and speach!  "But my Prince, introductions are at first in order, are they not?" he smiled.

He bowed deeply. "I am called Astor Nokomis Silvermoon, and I have been forever graced to make your aquantance."

Cole blinked at him.  'I thought your middle name was Chandrika..."

Astor smiled elatedly.  "It was." He winked.

"Oh..."

"Fear not, my prince," Astor smiled.  "I only wish to find myself the perfect unity of names, there for I test out a new one every time I meet somone new."

"You confuse me," Cole said softly.

Hoto blinked at Astor and then smiled, bowing to the two men,"The pleasure is all ours. I am Hotohori and this Angel besides me in Kirou. I am sorry Sire, but i did not catch your name" he said addressing Cole

Kirou blushed slightly and tried to hide even further behind Hotohori.

Cole blinked.  "Huh?" he said eloquently.

Astor giggled.

Hoto smiled, if this man was a prince he must be incredible new at it an not raised in the noble circle

Hoto addressed him again, " Your name Sire, what might it be?"

Astor giggled agaist the back of his palm.

Cole looked at Astor, then at Hotohori again.  "But who are you...?  Oh!  You're talking to me, aren't you?"  He shook his head a few times.  "I'm not royalty.  My name is Cole."

Hotohori smiled warmly. That was the answer to that little problem.

Now for the bigger one, "Well it seems we are all strangers in a strange land, and if you intend us no harm then we would be honored to travel with you"

Astor bowed deeply. "It would be a pleasure, my lord," he smiled. "I only hope this humble soul can provide what you need."

"Sure," Cole said.  "I guess we all need to find out where we are."

Hotohori sighed,"PLease just call me Hotohori, i am not royalty." here anyway he added mentally, "May i suggest that we see if we can find some more people?"

Cole nodded agreement.

Astor almost pouted. "As you wish," he bowed again.

Hotohori turned his attnetion to Kirou," Kirou, can you tell us were more people are?" he laid a hand on his shoulder but kept him mostly blocked from the others still

Kirou bit his lip and nodded. He closed his eyes and searched out again, trying very hard to ignore the two strange auras near him.

He opened his eyes again and nodded in the direction he had found the energy in. "There's alot more of them..." he said in a very soft voice. He bit his lip again. "Alot of them are very... diffrent..."

Hoto wras him in a warm hug and whispers to him,"Angel, do you mind traveling with these two?"

"I...." Kirou faltered. He took a deep breath. "I'm just... paranoid..." he said finaly.  "Just-- just stay with me?" he said, eyes pleading.

Hoto looked at him in shock,"OF course Angel!! I would NEVER dream of leaving you!"

He held Kirous gaze for a good while to let him knwo he ment every word

Kirou gave a releived smile and hugged the man.

Hoto returned the hug earnestly, "Angel, can you tell me whats different about the people down there? are they bad people?"

Kirou hesitated a moment. "I-- I don't know..." he amited. "They're just... very diffrent...." He bit his lip. "I don't know if they're even human..."

Hoto blinked down at Kirou, he didn't know what he was expecting but them not being human was not on that list. He  turned back tothe others," I think we should proceed in that direction cautiously" he said waving in the direction Kirou had indicated.

Cole nodded, noting their discomfort.  "I can go ahead if you like.  I'm used to dealing with things that aren't human."

Astor smiled. "Ah, my valiant prince," he beamed. "Allow me to escort you?" He offered Cole his arm with a wink.

Cole blinked at Astor.  "I can walk on my own," he protested.  "But if you really want to...."

Astor smiled. "The wishes of my prince far exceed that of this humble soul," he placed a hand over his heart. "If you wish, I would be happy just to bask at your side."

Cole looked at Astor, then at Hotohori.  "He confuses me," he confessed.

Astor giggled agaist the back of his hand.

Hotohori could not help but laugh at Astor antics,"My dear Astor you tongue is more silver then mine but i must say that my beauty far exceeds yous. I have only found one man to rival my beauty" at this indicated Kirou with a grin

Kirou blushed brightly and smiled, ducking his head.

Cole looked back and forth between the three of them.  "But Astor's very pretty," he protested.  He looked at Astor.  "You don't mind me saying that, do you?"

Astor giggled happily. "Ah, if only this humble soul could shine to be but a fraction of your beauty, it would outshine the sun itself." He smiled as if at a private joke before turning to Cole with a purer smile. "Of course not, my prince. The praise you grace this humble soul with fills my well of happiness to it's brim."

"OK," Cole said with a nodded, looking at Hotohori.  "Did you understand that?"

Hotohori laughed, "Yes and i will explain on the way, for if we do not start walking, i fear we will never get were we are going"

"Right!  Sorry."  Cole turned and started walking in the direction Hotohori had indicated.

Astor walked at Cole's side, moving aside brances and other things to clear the path.

Hotohori brought up the rear of this little troup and now that they were with others, decided the silence was unsettling" Kirou, warn us when were near?"

he then turned to the others,"So tell me about the worlds you are from, i suppect they are quite different then ours, just from your way of dress"

Kirou nodded, contiuning to walk very close to Hotohori, staying in the man's aura and shadow.

Cole shrugged.  "I live in a castle with the god of shadows.  There's some science stuff and some magic stuff, but all in all it's a pretty standard dimention."

Hoto blinked, "The god of shadows? like An'ei?"

"Who?"

Astor smiled at Cole. "I fear my humble relm has not these gods, but it sounds similar to where this heart calls home," he said, putting a hand over his chest.

Kirou, growing more alarmed by the moment, moved slightyl closer to Hotohori.

Hoto waved his hand in a never mind sign to Cole as he listened to Astor

"So what is the place like that you call home?"

Cole shrugged.  "Gods are everywhere.  You just have to know where to look."

"Currently, I dewell with my siblings,  Ravija Apolline Yoko, Hoshi Vyoma Tenkou,  and Damek Keb-Bardo Delano in the ever-blooming gardens tended by my dear Aunt Donna, whom the Earth loves as much as the Sun, Moon and Stars." He smiled, stiffling a giggle.

Cole blinked.  "Do you always talk like this?"

Astor smiled at Cole. "This is my normal speach pattern, yes." He smiled.

Hoto sighed, it seemed this group would be one that never told the whole whole truth, just pasts of it, " Kirou and I are from a land called Konan." Hoto paused, " Does anyone else find it odd that we are all from different lands but can understand each other?"

Cole shrugged.  "There are a lot of worlds that speak the same language.  Actually, we all speak a bit different."

Hoto " Cole, you seem to know a great deal about traveling between worlds, how did you gain such knowledge? Is this a comman thing where you come from?"

"Not really.  But I do it a lot.  It's happened since I was young.  Well, younger at least."
 

Suki ran threw the kitchen with the ball in her arms.

"Where are you going, Suki?" her mother asked.

"'Gonna play ball!" the three year old told her mommy.

"Alright, just stay in the front yard where I can see you, ok?"

The Asian child ran outside with the ball in her arms, her long black hair flowing behind her as she ran. She stood  on the driveway of their house and bounced the ball high into the air. She raised her arms to catch it, but missed and the ball rolled down the driveway into the street.

Suki chased her ball into the street.

Suddenly, there was a loud shrieking sound as a car slammed on its brakes to avoid hitting the child. It honked its horn, loudly.

Suki froze, letting the ball roll across the street. She stared at the oncoming car, frightened. Just as it looked like the car was about to hit her, she closed her eyes tightly, covering them with her hands and vanished.

Then there was silence. Suki peeked out between her fingers, almost afraid of what she'd find. What she saw though, surprised her. She was in a kitchen, and it wasn't her kitchen where her mommy was. It was somewhere else. There was a man talking to a little girl about her size, and another girl, sitting at the table drinking something from a class container. She couldn't read the words.

Suki removed her hands from her eyes carefully, taking in everything in the room. "Mommy?" the three year old almost cried.

Kristen stared at the little girl that popped out of nowhere.

She noticed her when she whimpered mommy.  I looked like the poor child was about to burst into tears.

Kristen walked over to her carying an unopened bottle of Snapple with her.  The purpple smiley's floated behind her near her left shoulder, so the little girl didn't notice them right off.

"Hello." she said softly to the girl.  "My name is Kristen.  My friends call me Kris-Chan or Pain in the a..."  she broke off flustered when she felt someone twap her.  She blinked looking around but only the smiley's were in twapping range.

"Anyhow." She murmered, shaking her head.  "You can call me Kris- Chan.  Would you like some Snapple?" she asked cutely showing the girl.  "This always makes us feel better when we feel down."  The purple smiley's glowed in agreement.

"... .. ... ...... .. ..... ..?"  The smiley's chirped.

The smiley's and I would like to know your name.  Their names are Larry, Moe, and Curly, after their mentors.

Suki blinked, looking at the girl called Krischan and the weird smiley's floating near her. She looked at the drink in the girl's hand. "No want!" she replied, pushing it away from her. "Want Mommy...." she answered, wanting to cry again, but held back for the moment.

Kristen put the drink down without blinking.  She kneeled in front of the girl and gently patted her arm.  "It's okay.  Maybe if you want her bad enough, she'll pop up also." she said gently

Suki looked up at the girl before her. "Pop up? Like in books?"

Kristen chuckled.  "Not quite.  Like how you got here.  You popped out of nowhere.  One minuite you weren't there and the next... there you were!"  She smiled down at the girl gently.  "This place is... different.  If you say a wish, it ~might~ come true.  Hasn't failed me yet.  I ~really~ wanted a mint Snapple and they had a whole shelf full in the fridge!"  she told the child expressively.

Suki whimpered. "Mommy no no where I am! How she pop here?" she said, shaking her head.

"Did you know how to get here?" she asked gently, hesitantly stroking the girls hair in comfort.  "She'll come the same way you did.  Not ~exactly~ the same way, but she'll come just as you did.  Say your wish out loud and say how badly you want it too come true." she smiled encouragingly at the child.

Suki's lip trembled as she listened. "But.. don't know how I got here! Car was comeing... and covered eyes like this.." she demonstrated, placing her hands over her eyes. "Then, opened hands, and here!"

"It sounds like your life was saved, little one.  Maybe whatever brought you here will bring your mommy.  At least try.  Say out loud how much you want your mommy here and how it will make you happy."  she continued.  She had a mental image of opening up the fridge and finding the girls mother there.  She almost smirked.

".. I try.." Suki said, in a small voice. "MOMMY! WANT MOMMY HERE!!" she called out, her voice slightly echoing in the room. She looked around expectedly. Nothing happened.

Kristen frowned.  Damn.  "What's your name, little one?"

"Suki," the child answered.