Family Affair

Chapter 2 ~ Revealing the Past

“Dad....” Kibo said with a slightly worried tone. “What is Mom doing?”

Yoh opened his eyes with a yawn, then blinked and looked up at his daughter. He blushed slightly, then sat up. “Sleeping, of course.”

“Why is Mom wearing that?” she rephrased while pointing at the white nightgown.

Yoh blinked, then looked down with a smile. “I don’t know. He came in last night and put it on. Certainly not what I was expecting,” he laughed.

Kibo sighed while closing her eyes. “Dad? Doesn’t it feel weird when you and Mom are together? I mean... you’re both guys.”

Yoh looked up. “It feels like the most natural thing in the world to me,” he replied sternly. “Kibo, are you embarrassed by us?”

“In a word, yes,” she replied cooly. “The way people look at me when I say he’s my mom... and the simple fact that I highly doubt he is my mom.”

“Kibo!” Yoh said angrily as he stood up. “Manta is your mother! You’re just too young to understand how, yet!”

“What’s to understand?! One of you isn’t my parent, and I doubt that he’s my parent!” she said angrily.

Yoh looked angrily at his daughter. “Kibo, how can you say such a thing?!”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “Simple. He’s a midget, he’s mental, and he hides in a closet when he’s scared.” She yelped in surprise when Yoh’s hand connected with her face, then looked up angrily. “What was that for?!”

“Kibo, I let you get away with a lot of things, but don’t ever speak of your mother in such a way!”

“Quit calling him my mother!” she yelled. “If he is a guy, he can’t be a mother!”

Yoh glared at her for a moment, then closed his eyes. “Kibo, go and eat breakfast. You’re long overdue for a little talk,” he said quietly.

“And what the hell is that supposed to mean?!”

Yoh looked up. “Don’t ever use that language.”

“Why, because it’ll hurt Manta’s feelings?” she demanded.

“Even if Manta wasn’t like this, it would still not be tolerated.” He watched as Kibo walked out with frustration, then said, “And don’t bother taking off. I’ll have people keeping an eye on you.”

“Ugh!”

“Yoh-dono,” Amidamaru said as he appeared. “You shouldn’t...”

Yoh shook his head. “I don’t like to, Amidamaru, but she needs to understand Manta.”

“Um... Yoh-dono,” Amidamaru said concernedly.

“No, Amidamaru.. She needs to... Hmm?” He looked to the futon and saw Manta was sitting starstaring at the blanket sadly. “Oh...Manta-chan,” he said gently as he knelt down and stroked Manta’s hair carefully. “Manta, she’s just having a bad day.”

Slowly the blonde shook his head, then pulled the blanket over his head.

“Manta...” Yoh looked at his beloved quietly, then sighed and gently lift Manta. “Hey, it’s time for a check up,” he said with a slight smile. “Maybe that’ll cheer you up,” he suggested. Over the past years, Faust had done a weekly k upk up on Manta, which always ended with a small session of necromancy to strengthen Manta’s better memories over his darker ones.

Manta shook his head again, refusing to take the blanket off his head.

Yoh sighed. “He was doing so well,” Yoh said quietly to Amidamaru.

Amidamaru looked quietly at his friend, then sighed. “He should have a checkup, nonetheless. I’ll make sure Kibo doesn’t decide to forget about the discussion.”

Faust sighed while rubbing his sinuses.

“Well?” Yoh asked, taking a small glance of Manta, who had fallen back to sleep and now rest on Faust\'s bed.

“What exactly happened, Yoh-kun?” he asked as he looked up.

Yoh was silent.

“Yoh-kun, whatever happened, it just sent Manta back to step one. Now if you tell me, we might have a get-out-of-jail-free card. If you don’t, we lose three months of recovery at the least.”

Yoh sighed. “Kibo was angry... Manta heard her say she doesn’t believe he is her mother, and that she didn’t want him to be called her mother.”

Faust groaned. “Why were you two arguing in front of him?”

“Well she started it!” Yoh said childishly.

“Yoh, you’re too old to be acting like that!” Faust said angrily as he looked up. “Perhaps you’ve gotten used to Manta’s condition, but I for one want to see him completely recovered! If you are not going to be helpful, I strongly suggest you allow him and I to return to Izumo.”

“Sorry,” Yoh said whilekingking down, then a thought crossed his mind. “Manta chose that nightgown himself,” he said as he looked up. “I never even knew he had it.”

“Hmm?” Faust looked over.

“And last night, we... we kinda made out. Like, he actually returned my kisses and let me touch him a little.”

“Really?” Faust asked.

Yoh nodded. “I kinda went a little far for him, but he did seem to enjoy it before that.”

Faust’s expression brightened up. “Really? Well... Perhaps that is the get-out-of-jail-free card.”

Yoh cocked an eyebrow. “You lost to Ryu at Monopoly again, didn’t you?”

Faust sighed while a sweat-droplet formed, then he let his head droop. “Damn that get-out-of-jail-free card.”

“Here is your juice,” Ryu said as he brought the glass to Kibo, who sat at the table quietly.

“Thanks,” she replied quietly.

“Kibo? Is everything alright?” Ryu asked as he sat next to her. “I haven’t seen you smile even once today.”

“So?” she replied angrily. “Manta goes for weeks without smiling!”

“Uh oh,” Ryu said quietly. “Kibo... That’s a complicated matter.”

She crossed her arms stubbornly. “Oh yeah? What, did somebody screw him ‘till he couldn’t talk any more?” she asked sarcastically.

“You might say that,” Ryu said gravely.

“Way-da-go, Kid,” Tokagero said irritably as he appeared next to Ryu, who\'s expression saddened a bit.

“Hm?” She looked up at the bandit. “What do you mean?”

“Kibo, please come with me,” Yoh said before Tokagero could go on.

“Whatever,” she replied while rolling her eyes, then stood up and followed him.

They soon sat alone in one of the upstairs rooms, facing each other.

“Kibo,” Yoh said quietly, “Manta really is your mother. You were conceived when Shizuka cast a spell.”

The girl blinked. “Spell?” She frowned some. “So I was an accident?”

“That’s the funny thing,” Yoh said with a giggle. “I did a check on the spell, and it only works if the stronger of a couple wants a child. The night Manta and I... uh... did naughty things, I made a secret wish that we could have a child, thereby completing the spell. So you weren’t an accident.”

“Then how did he give birth to me?” she asked with annoyance.

“Ah. Shizuka cast a spell that temporarily changed him to female.” He frowned some. “Which brings us to the next matter. Kibo, you mustn’t disrespect your mother. He\'s gone through a lot more than even I want to think about.”

“Hmph. Such as?”

Yoh looked quietly at her. “You’ve never seen his scars.”

“What scars?”

Yoh sighed. “When he was young, his real father used to beat him. Before we met, he used to try to kill himself. If you check his stomach, you will find the exact scar that marks your body. Care to know why?”

“Fine,” she muttered.

“Mansumi hired a hitman to kill both of you. That scar is from the knife that was used.

Kibo looked up quietly, then crossed her arms stubbornly.

“Kibo... Manta tries so hard for you. Why do you resent him so?”

She looked up angrily. “He’s a whiny baby! If he were normal, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad, but how am I supposed to think of him as a mother OR a father when he goes crying to Faust like some kid who’s candy got stolen?!”

Yoh frowned, and then stood up and walked over to the window. “Kibo, do I need to get into detail?”

“Go right ahead, and it better be a good excuse.”

Yoh closed his eyes. “Manta was only two years older than you are now when he entered a world he had always been protected from. When you go to a private school, you don’t learn a lot of street smarts...” He looked over. “Manta was raped when he was thirteen, and he didn’t even know what was happening to him. His own friend sold him out, and then his violator made him to never feel pleasure again. He doesn’t even know two other people have had him.”

Kibo looked up. “Huh? Then how do you know?”

“Because... Tao Ren was the one who told me. He’s the one who took Manta to him.” Yoh sighed quietly. “When Manta and I finally started dating, Ren and Anna began blackmailing him... It ultimately built up into a severe soul injury.” He looked back. “Manta tries his hardest for you, Kibo. Please don’t be so hard on him. You know well enough soul injuries affect people in different forms.”

Kibo looked at him silently, then looked away with a small sigh. “I’m sorry,” she said quietly.

“Ne. Kibo, the next time you feel embarrassed about your mother, you remember that he can’t help it. He absolutely loves you, and you have to try and understand that.”

Slowly Kibo nodded, her expression saddened. “Yeah, Dad...” she said quietly, then stood up and walked out of the room.