GeGeGe no Potter
By Witchcat95
Prologue: Fate's Weave
Fate is a strange thing. Some say it has little effect on our lives, others say it controls them. That the gods write it, or that even They bow to it. And every combination and variation in between. But sometimes things happen, things that either Fate did not warn of or did not think would occur. Rare though such events are, they do happen.
And for some of them, Fate laughs. Because she is not set in stone, but woven in cloth. Her works are soft and changeable, easy to break, easy to mend, and beautiful to gaze upon. Fate weaves her designs with only a vague idea in mind for what it will become, based upon the threads laid out before her. And sometimes, to get the finest results, new threads are needed for her cloth. Threads that change what was intended, what was to come, and what will be. And such sudden, unexpected changes are far more welcome than mere mortals will ever realize.
But in this case, the new threads come in the form of an unexpected death. A child of unique standing and status leaving the mortal plane far sooner than he should have, because of something unplanned. And a Judge making a choice he never thought he would, and bending rules he'd never thought he'd want to.
Only one thing is certain for this weave, it will be nothing like what the mortals think it will be.
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~~~Ge~~Ge~~Ge~~no~~Ge~~~
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For the first time in several millennia, King Enma was at a loss for what to do. Normally, with his vast collection of knowledge and wide array of agents, the Underworld King could predict, and prepare, for just about every incident and possible future that Fate could throw at him. He had been ready for every war, every disaster, every up-rising, that had ever come to be. Yes, there had been little hic-ups, bits of information that hadn't quite brought forth the results he'd expected. No one was perfect after all, not even the gods, and things did slip through the cracks on occasion. But he had always been able to adapt, to adjust, and pull of whatever was needed to get the job done.
But not this time. Because this time something completely unexpected had happened. Something even King Enma had thought improbable at best.
GeGeGe no Kitaro, the unknowing spearhead for peace between humans and Yokai, was dead.
Enma stared rather dumbly (even he had to admit) down and the yokai child sitting on the floor before him. The child who was gazing at his own hands uncomprehendingly. That same vacant look the King had seen many times on the faces of spirits who had died without regrets, but hadn't quite grasped the fact that they were actually dead yet. He leaned back in his seat, breathing out a sigh through his nose as he examined the boy.
Kitaro was bruised and bloody, with mud and grime generously smeared over his small frame. Formerly bleeding cuts were scattered over his body, and his clothes were ripped and torn in numerous places. His stripped chanchanko was not present (he'd removed it to blind the Yokai he'd been fighting, if Enma remembered correctly) nor was he wearing his prized geta (which, again he'd had to separate from during the fight) leaving him in only his blue button-up shirt and shorts. But, by far, his worst injury was the large serpentine bite in his side. Staining it with mud, blood, and the strange greenish-yellow saliva (poison) that had caused to child's demise. Kitaro's single eye began to water, and he buried his face in his hands, taking a slow, tremulous breath.
"S-so what now?" he asked. "What's going to happen to me? Now that I'm d-dead?" His breath hitched at the end, trying ever-so-hard not to cry like the child he was (because even with almost 200 years under his belt, among Yokai, Kitaro was still a child).
Usually, King Enma would give a straight forward answer. Kitaro was a mature, intelligent lad, and he could handle the King giving him an honest answer. The boy would prefer it, even. Except that, Enma didn't have an answer for him.
Kitaro had died a good 200 years (possibly more) ahead of schedule. They didn't have place ready for him in Heaven or Hell (not that Enma would ever send the boy there. He didn't deserve that kind of fate). He couldn't try to send the boy's soul back to his body, the creature's venom had done far too much damage to allow that. And he certainly wouldn't let the boy's spirit wander until they could make a place for him, that just wouldn't be right. The King sighed once again, idly stroking his beard as he thought.
That only left one option: Reincarnation. But Kitaro's soul was still too recent, too strong, to jump straight to that. Only part of a new identity would form (if one formed at all), and that could result in the two warring for dominance. Which could potentially damage, or even destroy, both personalities. Even with Kitaro's normally rather placid demeanor. There was a reason he had declared that souls were only reborn after they'd spent a time in either Heaven or Hell. The reconciliation of their pasts allowed them to sleep peacefully and let their new identities form unhindered.
And not only that but, Kitaro was a Yokai child. With how powerful his soul energy was, if he were immediately reborn, he would eventually turn back into a Yokai.
But is that really a bad thing? Allowing this child to, essentially, return to life and be with his father and friends again? He couldn't help asking himself, an idea forming in his head. Kitaro had a great deal of Good Karma just waiting to be used. It would be perfectly reasonable to use some of it to ensure the boy came back as himself, and could return to his father once more. Decision made, Enma took a deep breath and spoke to the room at large.
"GeGeGe no Kitaro, Child of the Graveyard and Last of the Yurei Zoku," He could see the child tensing, like every other soul that ended up before him. It was like an instinct, to prepare for what was to come. Even when it could be good news. An ever-so-small smile tugged at the King's lips. "Your fate is… Reincarnation."
Kitaro's head shot up, his still watery eye wide with surprise as he stared at the Kami.
"W-what-?" The King let out a small chuckled at the startled word, his expression warming slightly.
"Lad, because of the selfless deeds you've preformed throughout your life, simply because they were the right thing to do and not because it was expected of you, you have several hundred-years of Good Karma waiting to be used. So, in light of them, I will allow an immediate reincarnation." Slowly, a dazed smile appeared on the boy's face. A few tears finally slipped from his eye.
"I- Thank you, Enma Dai-o." The Kings face became serious once more.
"What happened today was unplanned and, as such, I am making an allowance for you. One that will not only let you to return to life, but to you father as well. BUT, your return will not be immediate. Like all other souls, your memories will be sealed away so you can grow through childhood unhindered by the past, however your seal will only be a temporary one. I will put forth measures to ensure that you return safely, but remember boy, there are some things that are beyond my control. Your Karma may twist things in your favor, but that doesn't mean they will come out perfectly. Do you understand?" Kitaro shakily nodded, still not quite able to grasp that he was being allowed to go back.
Enma gave a pleased nod before standing up, stepping around his desk, and scooping the Yokai child into his hand. The King couldn't help noting that Kitaro still looked ten-years-old, at most. He would mark that (in his own mind) as the point where Kitaro would probably start changing back into a yokai. His other hand began weaving magic over the small form, creating a kind-of glowing bubble, with Kitaro's soul sitting in the middle. The boy's eye-lid began to droop as the King's magic wrapped around him, and the desire to sleep tugged at his senses while his body instinctively began to curl in on itself. But he had something to request of the King first, before he could fall asleep.
"Enma Dai-o?" The King looked down at his slightly slurred call. "Would you please tell my father about this? I-I want him to know, that-that I'm coming back…" Enma let out a small snort, watching the child fight the urge to sleep so he could hear the King's response.
"Of course, there wouldn't be much point in your rebirth if you returned and he never believed that you had truly come back to him. Now would there?" He didn't receive a response, but he hadn't expected one. "Rest now, Boy. Save your energy for your return. You may need it."
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~~~Ge~~Ge~~Ge~~no~~Ge~~~
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True to his word, Enma Dai-o had informed Medama of his son's fate. And had been met with tears of joy and relief, the Yokai truly was a loving father. He hadn't been bothered by that fact that his child would now have a second father, in addition to himself, too happy to know that his child would return. It hadn't come as a surprise to the Ruler that, within a few weeks, nearly everyone who was friends with Kitaro had learned that he was being allowed to reincarnate so soon. Though none of them said it out loud, they were all waiting with baited breath for Kitaro's return, even the trouble making Nezumi Otoko. King Enma had made a secret habit of checking in on the boy's soul about twice a month, to ensure that nothing was going wrong with his rebirth.
It would be in poor taste to not keep watch over a soul that he'd made a special exception for, as that technically made the boy's safety his responsibility.
Things were going well, thus far. His new parents, a British couple called the Potters, had been all but praying for a child of their own. Though for slightly different reasons. The mother, Lily Evans-Potter, was sharp witted, with a keen eye for detail that would make any detective worth their salt proud. But she was being pressured by her husband's mother to bear a child and help continue their family legacy, barely paying heed to the stress it was causing her daughter-in-law. Though how they expected her to safely have a child while they were in the midst a war baffled him. It was only thanks to the strength of Kitaro's soul that nothing had gone wrong yet, though there had been a few close calls during the third month. The King was sure she would be the first to notice when Kitaro's abilities started to awaken.
And the father, James Potter, would do everything in his power to protect his family, and wanted a child to protect and shower with affection. He had promised himself that he would ensure that he and Lily would have a safe and happy family, regardless of the war that raged around them. He had no issue with those who weren't fully human, his close friendship with the Werewolf, Remus Lupin, was evidence of that. They would make good parents, and he was sure they'd have no problem welcoming Kitaro's friends and father into their little family.
They were magical, but that only increased the chances of Kitaro returning safely. If a new identity formed, they could call upon Mind Magics to help ease the two personalities together and prevent them from warring for dominance. And from what he could see, they were an open-minded couple, and would accept their child even if he wasn't or rather, didn't stay, human.
But the Civil War that raged around them worried the Underworld King. He could only hope Kitaro's Karma could keep him safe, while he set up measures to tame said war before it could get too out of hand. He was not able to directly interfere in the affairs of mortals, the Greek gods made excellent examples of why that was a very bad idea, but that didn't mean he couldn't twist things in favor of a peaceful ending. He kept watch over the tremulous months of Lily Potter's pregnancy, and silently monitored the health of both mother and child.
As it was, Enma was watching the day Kitaro would be brought back into the world. Though, in truth, it was the third time he'd checked in that month. He couldn't help his unspoken worry, he wanted to ensure that nothing had gone wrong during the development that he'd missed. As he had said, there were still things beyond his control and unfortunately, developmental issues were among them. He dreaded to think of how it would be if the child came out blind, or deaf, or even mute. Or something more problematic. With Yokai, a handicapped child was far more at risk than a healthy one.
And it also solidified his belief that women were the superior sex. Especially when it came to bringing children into the world. Labor pains were not something he would wish upon another male, unless there was a very good reason.
He smiled slightly as infantine wails filled the air, confirming that there was nothing wrong with the child's lungs, and listened as the nurses went down their lists of health checks for the newborn. It was far more assuring than Enma had expected. All would be well.
~~~OMAKE~~
But, in the next instant, Enma wanted to kick himself for not factoring in one, single thing that he should have put preventive measures in for.
"James! Come meet your new baby girl!"
"Oh, for love of-!"