Tears slid silently down her cheeks and she looked up into her lovers face, she smiled and he cried, feeling sorrow, sadness…. And fulfillment, she drifted off into darkness and felt a gentle warmth envelope her entirely. She opened her eyes sleepily and sat up, rubbing them with the backs of her hands, she stood up and opened the window; the birds were chirping and the sun's rays hot. That dream again….. But what does it mean? She thought to herself, just then her snake familiar, Takashi, opened the door and smiled, she turned around and her gentle smile brightened the room as to make it look like it was glowing.
"Chikage-sama, Tomoe-dono and the human land god is here to see you, please wear this and if there is anything you need help with, do not hesitate to call me, Chikage-sama." Takashi said, Chikage sighed smiling and held out her hand to him.
"Come here Takashi, close the door, and help me get dressed, or did you forget I am blind? Also, my arm is hurting a bit." Chikage said and Takashi obediently closed the door, picked up her Kimono and placed it on the table next to her.
Her name was Chikage Mizukage, meaning "Blood shadow Water Shadow", mostly she was called Chikage, but occasionally some of her friends called her Mizukage, she has knee-length white/silver hair, she had Bright red eyes, but now they are a faint red. Since she went blind in an accident when she was in appearance 16 but really 500, 371 years after she became the God of Love and Beauty, like Aphrodite of Greek myths, at the age of 400, it was at the God Gathering event held by the God of Wealth. A couple gods got into a fight while Chikage was just enjoying sake with the God of Wealth when she heard the noises next door, she went to investigate and tried to break up the fight, one of the gods attacked her and hit her in her eyes, knocking her unconscious and causing her to go blind. Takashi slipped her sleeping robes off and she stood there moving according to her falcons caws, Takashi put her under robe on her, tied her hair up so it wasn't in the way and reached for her kimono. Chikage held out her arm and her hawk, Silverwings was its name, and he landed on it, she smiled and he rubbed against her cheek lovingly, Takashi unfolded her kimono and Silverwings took off to be with his mate, Bluewings since she was a hawk with blue wings, and his unborn offspring. Chikage put her arms slightly behind her and to her side, like she was going to put a coat on, and Takashi slipped the kimono over her and once everything was in place, he tied her sash on her, then took her hair down and fishtailed it and Chikage brushed it onto her right shoulder and it hung beautifully on the right side. She fixated small flowers where the hair tie was, she held out her hand like her arm was resting on a table slightly forward on her and at her side, Takashi took it softly and lead her to the receiving room of her castle, she sat down gracefully on her chair and the doors opened. The doorkeepers, Harue and Maemi, knelt by the doors honestly and obediently, loyally and content, two beings came in, Tomoe the wild fox familiar, and his Land God, Nanami Hanazono, Chikage stood up and she smiled sweetly as they knelt down before her respectfully.
"Nanami-chan, Tomoe-kun, I, Chikage Mizukage, welcome you to my palace. Come closer Nanami-chan, Tomoe-kun, let me get a good image of you, these eyes cannot see but they can see through others." Chikage held out her hand and the two got up and came closer to her as she asked.
Tomoe stopped Nanami and went up the stairs to Chikage's side, stood beside her and allowed her to touch his hand. In that gesture, she travelled inside of Tomoe and through his eyes, she saw Nanami, she came back to her own body and let go of his hand softly, he guided her down the stairs and to Nanami, Chikage raised her hand and touched Nanami's cheek lightly. She smiled gently and whispered that she was so beautiful and that her eternal wish about her one love will come true, and that as she grew older, her beauty will increase happily, as long as she acknowledged her true feelings about her love for that person. Chikage saw into the heart of Nanami, she saw everything, who she loved, who she liked, and who made her heart race that she was really in love with, her thoughts, her desires, everything she saw, memories, dreams, flashbacks, nightmares, and also when she inherited Mikage's mark of being the Land God. She withdrew her hand elegantly and Nanami gasped when she saw Chikage's eyes, Tomoe looked away sadly, remembering the day when she became blind, Chikage sighed silently and suddenly started falling backwards, her eyes half closed.
"Chikage-sama!" Takashi yelled as he ran forward, catching her and Chikage's eyes fluttered, she smiled sadly at Takashi.
"I'm sorry Takashi, I just felt faint for a moment, that's all, it's fine." Chikage said as she got back onto her feet but Takashi held onto her, worried that she would faint again like before.
"I'm deeply sorry Nanami-sama, Tomoe-sama, Chikage's eternal powers use up a lot of her energy, if you will please put up with it, I will keep you company until she is able to get up again." Takashi said and Tomoe agreed, Takashi helped Chikage to her room and went back to keep the two guests company.
Chikage sighed and smiled, she stared out the window without seeing, she went over to the table, took the bottle off it, struggled opening it, then took out an orange pill, popped it into her mouth and drank some tea that was beside it. Her energy returned and her powers were functioning again, she closed her eyes and stretched her mind out, found Takashi, then told him to come. Takashi, come guide me now, I took my medicine and I am feeling better now. With that order Chikage gave him, he opened the door quietly, took her hand gently and led her back out, she apologized again, Chikage and Takashi led them to the tea room, sat down at the table and waited patiently for Takashi to make and bring the tea.
"Tomoe-kun… it's been quite a long time, the last time I saw you… was at the God Gathering before Mikage left, 21 years ago, when you were with Mikage-san, drinking wine with me and my previous familiars, Aoki and Nori. You really have… changed, haven't you?" Chikage said sadly and she also smiled sadly at Tomoe and he returned her feelings with happiness.