Ryurei woke up in Tenpou's private quarters, the silk blankets wrapped around her, but no Field Marshal in sight. He had just left, she could sense it, and she knew that there was no time to lose. Getting dressed as quickly as she could, she donned her gown of chain mail that her mother had given her. Dragons were soldiers, and all soldiers had their own armor. Luckily, Tenpou rarely did any housekeeping, and did not notice that she hid it there.
She looked at the dagger that Tenpou had given her, and strapped it to the leather belt on her thigh as well. It could come into use if the time called for it. Summoning her katana into her hand, she quickly strapped it into the chain-belt around her slim waist. If she ran fast enough, she would be able to get into the morning assembly before it was too late.
Kenren Taisho was disgusted. Nataku Taishi's armies did nothing to stop Gyumaoh, and they received credit for the whole campaign. There was not a scratch on them, with only the child carrying the most injuries… Had they no self-pride, or was it the fact that they had too much of it? Nevertheless, there was something that bugged him. Something was approaching the main hall, two, actually. One of them was Goku, but he was too far away, already hidden in the crowd of people, and the other, was one that he had seen from afar, and known by all.
"This is a formal military meeting, Ryurei-hime!" the Guards outside the main hall could be heard saying, and a woman that fought back.
"I am Ryurei, Dragon-Princess of the Western Oceans, hence, naturally a soldier as the two of you are!" came the reply. Wait, Ryurei-hime was the Goddess of Flowers, she had nothing to do at all with the military, accept that her brother was the commander of the Western Army, Kenren's commanding officer, as well as Tenpou Gensui's. It seemed like even two soldiers could not overpower a Goddess in pure rage.
Opening the doors to the hall herself, Ryurei stood up straight and walked forwards, stopping beside Nataku. Kneeling towards the Jade Emperor, she prostrated herself and said, "Forgive me for my intrusion, Your Majesty,"
Li Touten, who was closest to her interrupted her before she could explain further. "You, Ryurei-hime, have no authority to be here!" he shouted at her, but Ryurei paid no heed to him. "What does a mere Flower-Goddess knows about war?"
"She is now part of the Western Army," Gojun said, bowing to the Jade Emperor first before speaking. "I have just approved her application, and that might explain why she arrived late this morning." After that, he pulled his sister aside, and growled at her, "What do you think you are doing? You could have gotten yourself killed?"
If his voice had been menacing, Ryurei's was no worse than his. "I am here to protect what I have come to love," she told him bluntly, twisting her arm away from his grip. The Dragon-King had never seen such a fierce light in her sapphire eyes before. "And neither you nor Tenpou can stop me." That girl, what was she talking about? What information had she received?
The Jade Emperor cleared his throat, saying, "The Court welcomes Ryurei-hime into the Western Army, and may you not neglect your duties as the Flower Goddess as well." A stoic round of applause rang through the hall, before business went as usual. Once again, Nataku was the center of attention, having just returned from subduing Gyumaoh, and sealing his entire family for all eternity. "And the Court congratulates your victory, Nataku Taishi," the Emperor continued. "You have ended a nightmare that could have lasted for a hundred years in the Realms below. Many owe you their lives."
Nataku did not listen to those words. Instead, his gold eyes were turned towards Ryurei. Ryurei-nee, as he had called her, like the other children, was always there for him, and she would always be smiling, even if he played the dirtiest tricks on others, he would never do the same onto her… But that morning, Ryurei seemed different, her silk gowns, they were gone, and the flowers in her hair… She had changed, somehow, and it scared him a little.
His thoughts were scattered by a familiar cry of his name. "Nataku, Nataku!" it was the boy his age that he had made friends with the other day, the one with the same eyes as he had. Despite the reactions of the crowd, the kid came up to him and grabbed him by the shoulders, "Nataku, they're joking right? You won't kill me, 'cause we're friends, right?"
At that moment in time, Nataku did not know what to do. His father had told him to kill the kid once before, and he did not know if Li Touten would command him to do the same again. That other boy was his friend, he could never kill his friend! He was the only one he had, apart from Ryurei… "Kill him, here and now," Li Touten said coldly.
Ryurei already had her hand on the handle of her katana, but Kenren Taisho held her by the wrist, stopping her. "Be careful, hime-sama," he whispered to her. He has heard of the fiery temper of the Goddess of Flowers, and most of all, her prowess with the sword that could match that of her famous brother's. But at that moment and time when Li Touten passed his order to kill Goku, that flare of Ki from her was so strong that it was unheard of.
Goku, being a child, did not know what trouble he was going to be in. Immediately, he punched Li Touten, causing the older God to fall down behind Nataku, who glared at him coldly. "My father is the reason that I live," Nataku told Goku, "I do not care who you are, but I will kill those he commands me too."
The broadsword he so often used was soon summoned into his hand, and in seconds, Nataku was ready to kill Goku. "If you harm a hair on his head, I will kill you!" Ryurei shouted, wrapping Nataku in vines that sprouted from the pristine marble floors. No one could stop her now. She turned to Goku and told him to run, while Kenren came up behind her. By then, not even her words could shake Nataku from the trance that he was in. There was no other way. Soon, spikes came out from the vines that encircled his tiny form, and Ryurei shouted, "Any wrong move, Li Touten, and your son dies!"
"And why would you do so much to protect a heretic child, Ryurei-hime?" Li Touten asked, getting up with the help of some of his supporters. "What do you have to gain?"
Ryurei's sapphire eyes began to glow in blue light, and soon, Goku was caged in yet another kind of vine, one that could not be cut with mere weapons, Kenren protecting him from its exterior. "He is born of the energies of the Earth and the Heavens, I beg Your Majesty, and all of you, to see that this child is a blessing to us, not some heretic that you deem to be unclean! What has he done to you that you deem him as one? Nothing!"
She was speaking to the Jade Emperor, she was speaking to the other Gods that were present, but not Li Touten. Never before has she displayed such a show of power, and never before has she shown such defiance, to even challenge the Toushin Taishi over a heretical child. At that moment, Li Touten knew that she was not a person to be underestimated. Nataku struggled to move, and with his power, he broke the vines that held him, and once again summoned his broadsword into his hands.
"Yes, Nataku, kill them all, even Ryurei-hime!" Li Touten said, sending his son running towards the Dragon-Princess who successfully parried the attack with the blade of her katana. Noises of surprise could be heard then and there. No one could ever match Nataku Taishi in terms of skill, and not even one dared to fight the Toushin Taishi!
"Nataku, look into yourself!" Ryurei pleaded the child. "This is not what you want!" But once again, her words fell upon deaf ears, the young War-God leapt high into the air for an aerial assault, but Ryurei was able to parry once again, causing him to somersault backwards. After the both of them had recovered from the previous strike, many more ensued, and there was no marginal winner at all… Gojun watched the duel intently, and knew that not one of them could be proclaimed as to having the upper hand. Ryurei… even he had not known that his sister held that kind of power.
Nataku looked coldly into Ryurei's eyes. "Whatever my father wants is what I want!" he replied, sending a blast of light from his sword, and directed it towards her. To his own astonishment, Ryurei caught the ball of energy with her bare hands and reflected it to a nearby pillar, creating a perfectly circular hole as a result.
Kenren Taisho looked on with wonder. Ryurei had either deceived them all, or she had been carefully hidden. With that amount of power, she would naturally be a leader of one of Heaven's Armies. Nataku started to chant, and when his spell had ended, the floor started to shatter into large chunks, all flying towards Ryurei. She would be a goner if she did not find a way to escape that.
"On Mani Hatsu Mei Un!" Ryurei shouted, and a great void appeared before her, as black as the night's shadows, sucking in every trace of debris that Nataku had created. Utter nothingness, this was the power of the Muten-Kyou! Even Ryurei herself did not know what happened… Something within her snapped, and she felt strange warmth surrounding her. All her life, she had not known that she had the same powers as the Tenchi Kaigen Kyoumon…
It was only then did Li Touten knew what he was up against. There had been rumors, that Ryurei, the Dragon-Princess had been something called the Key of Life. She had the ability to create life, other than the Tenchi Kaigen Kyoumon, and was hence assigned to be the Goddess of Flowers. With what she had just revealed, being the Key of Life also meant that she could use the powers of the Source of Life, which were, essentially, each of the five Tenchi Kaigen Kyoumon… That was why she had such great power.
Yes, her powers would prove beneficial to his plans. He would need her, the flower of the Gods… With her, he would be unstoppable! "Your plans have gone far enough," Li Touten was interrupted by a sharp pain. It was Tenpo Gensui, holding a bundle of very familiar files in one hand. With the other, he had thrust katana right through him, narrowly missing his vital organs. "Ryurei is mine to protect, this is what you deserve for even thinking of using her…"
Before the Jade Emperor could order his soldiers to surround him, Tenpou threw the files that his feet before sliding Li Touten off his weapon and cleaning off the blood with the fallen God's own blood. Immediately, the files were gathered and presented to the Jade Emperor.
"Nataku Taishi was an experiment, create with the blood of Gods, Humans and Youkai," Tenpou proclaimed. "I have enough proof and evidence of Li Touten's deeds to sentence him to imprisonment for ten eternities." However, this was all a rouse. Li Touten had created the need for a Toushin Taishi, with the deal that he had made with the Youkai in the Lower Realms, and the Jade Emperor already knew that it was coming. With the relative peace going in the Lower Realms, the Youkai and Human alike needed the Gods less and less, and gave fewer prayers. There had been a common understanding between the feeble Emperor and the power hungry Li Touten…
The Jade Emperor had no other choice. "Guards, imprison Li Touten immediately!" he ordered, "And as for those who had fought against the Toushin Taishi, Ryurei of the Western Oceans and Kenren Taisho, you are forgiven, for you have done so in self defense and that of an innocent child." With a snap of her fingers, Goku was released and the child immediately came up to her.
"Ryurei-nee, I was so scared…" Goku said, clinging to her. Ryurei smiled and petted his head, and told Kenren to take care of him for a little while longer. Holding her hand over Nataku's head, she started to chant words that came into her mind as naturally as breathing, gold light emitting from her hands. Slowly, Nataku's golden eyes became alive again, and the dark, bloodthirsty look on his face was gone.
Nataku looked at her and started to shed tears. "Ryurei-nee, did… I almost kill you?" he asked, pulling at the detached sleeves of her chain-mail gown. "I'm sorry!" he apologized, already crying. By then, Goku also ran towards Ryurei, the two children sobbing together. One out of fear, the other, out of guilt… This was not what any child deserved, even if they were heretics.
Ryurei smiled at them, and said, "Do not worry, Ryurei-nee is fine." The blue light that threatened death to all who challenged her was gone from her sapphire eyes, their soft gaze returned. "I will take care of you both," she told them, hugging them tightly. "There is no need to be afraid." With that, she felt a sudden darkness around her, something that took her unawares… Releasing her hold over the children, her eyelids started to feel heavy, and she started to stagger backwards…
"Ryurei-nee!" the boys shouted as her body touched the floor, and Tenpou was the first one that got to her. They looked at the black-haired man as he checked Ryurei's pulse, only daring to breathe when he told them that she had just used too much of her power.
Carrying Ryurei in his arms, Tenpou silently left the main hall, followed closely by Kenren and Gojun. The boys, Goku and Nataku went with them as well. Things were definitely going to change in Heaven. There was no doubt about it.
What happened? Why was she having such a big headache? Ryurei asked herself when she felt the greatest headache ever in her life throbbing in her head. She found herself to be in a room filled with light, sunlight for that matter… It had to be sometime around noon. How long had she slept for?
"Finally, the princess has found it convenient to wake up," a male voice interrupted her thoughts. Shooting her sapphire eyes open, Ryurei looked around her and found herself to be back in her room, with none other than Konzen Douji sitting next to her bedside. "You've been sleeping for three days, ahou, do you have any idea why?"
Of course Ryurei knew. She had used her powers against Nataku, and not only that, she did not even know where those powers had come from, as if they were inside her all along. She remembered the void that had been created by the Muten-Kyou's powers, and using the Uten-Kyou's life-giving properties to snap Nataku out of his trance-like state. "What am I, Konzen?" she asked her childhood friend. Everything that she was, everything that she had done… she had questioned these things for a long, long time now. It seemed that everything had been empty, a figment of her imagination, as though they were not real to begin with.
"Who knows?" Konzen replied, leaning back on one of her bed-posts. He was looking towards the Sun's rays, shining into the room. Thanks to her, Goku was saved from Nataku, and Heaven, from Li Touten's clutches. All his life, he had chosen to turn a blind eye to everything, and now, when his eyes were opened, it seemed that everyone's actions all led to this one day. He was grateful that Ryurei visited him the other day, just before Tenpou came to tell him of Li Touten's intentions. If it were not for them, he would not have research every single one of the villain's movements, and he would not be compelled to discover the many laboratories hidden beneath the basements of the Imperial Palace.
The two of them had known one another since childhood, their gold hair resembling the rays of the Sun… Once upon a time, they were trapped to the same fate, one out of choice, the other, out of perceived powerlessness. Now, the two of them had broken the hold over themselves, and used their bare hands to shape a future that they desired for themselves. "How is Goku and Nataku?" she asked him, sitting up now, not one bit embarrassed that Konzen would see her in only a thin yukata. With Kanzeon Bosatsu as his aunt, he would have seen even more.
"They're fine. Tenpou finally got them to sleep last night. They were so worried that you'd die or something if they weren't here," Konzen answered in his usual tone of voice. Deep down, Ryurei knew that he cared deeply for Goku; he just didn't want to expose his softer side so willingly in front of others. "Thank you, for saving him…"
Ryurei chuckled. "I knew that you cared for him, ahou," she replied. "Ahou", it had been their nickname for one another. When they were children, they hated each other, like all childhood friends, who began to be civil only as they grew older. Even until now, there would not be a day when they would not get into an argument with much difficulty. "Everyone does, and I'll make sure that they do the same with Nataku, too." All the Toushin Taishi ever wanted was the chance to be a child, and for his father to truly love him. Now that it was evident that the latter was utterly impossible, the least she could do was to make sure that Nataku was happy.
A smile actually broke through Konzen's face. "You'd better," he told her, before Goku and Nataku barged into the room, calling her as loudly as possible.
"Ryurei-nee, Ryurei-nee!" they shouted, looking everywhere for her. When they spotted her, Nataku and Goku quickly got her off the bed and would have led her away if she had not stopped them with the show of her Blue Glowy Eyes of Death, a term which Goku coined much later.
"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what is going on," she told them sternly, still feeling a little bit lethargic. However, even that tone of voice did not deter them. Within seconds, they began rambling about waiting for days for her to wake up, that Gojun would not allow them to see her and that Tenpou and Gojun were fighting. Wait a minute, did they say that Tenpou and Gojun were fighting?
Nataku nodded his head with all urgency. "Tastu-nii attacked Tenpou Gensui with no reason, and Tenpou had to defend himself!" he said, pulling at the sleeves of her yukata. "Come on, we have to go now before someone gets hurt!"
Without another word, Ryurei kicked all three of them out and began to change. Minutes later, she was already in decent clothes and was running to the courtyard of her home that she shared with Gojun, where he and Tenpou were still dueling. Summoning her katana, she jumped between them and quickly separated them. "What do you think you're doing?" she demanded, glaring at the both of them.
"As you can see, I'm trying to defend your honor," Gojun growled, brandishing his broadsword at the Field Marshal, even baring his fangs. "If I find out that you have done anything at all to her, Tenpou Gensui, I will kill you!"
Tenpou did not look as if he would back down easily. "You do not have the authority to dictate whatever we decide to do!" he exclaimed, leaping into the air for an attack, only to be pushed back by Ryurei, Gojun as well.
"I am sick of the two of you fighting like children!" she shouted, wrapping them in the same spiked, poisonous wines that Nataku had encountered three days earlier. "One wrong move, and you will be paralyzed for the rest of your lives, and if the worse comes, I'll only take care of the both of you for the rest of your lives!"
Kenren Taisho, who was watching every single exchange, was astounded. Never before had he seen both Gods from the Western Army suffer such hostility from a woman before. Ryurei was one Goddess that he knew he would not cross at all. "Erm, hime-sama, the two of them look extremely uncomfortable, don't you think?" he asked her sheepishly. Both Gojun and Tenpou were his commanding officers, and he was sure as Hell that they would not forgive him if he had not tried to save them.
Ryurei stopped in her tracks and turned to look at Gojun and Tenpou. "Well, I guess you are right, Kenren Taisho," she said, and raised her hand. Seconds later, the apparent look of relief on Tenpou and Gojun's faces were turned into sheer agony. She had made the hold of the vines even tighter. Flipping her golden hair, she quickly ushered Goku and Nataku along with her and brought them to get some ice-cream.
Sundown, Ryurei was sitting on the branches of the many sakura trees that lined the countless gardens, sipping wine by herself. She had come to a great personal breakthrough, and no amount of words could describe what she had felt… The thrill of facing sudden death, and making it out alive, the looks on both Goku and Nataku… This was the true taste of freedom, and she swore never to give it up.
Kanzeon Bosatsu had told her everything that had happened during the three days she had been unconscious. Under pressure of his own misdeeds and out of shame, the Jade Emperor abdicated, and now, Heaven was under the rule of a Council elected by the Courts themselves, comprising of the commanders of the four Armies, Kazeon Bosatsu herself, and several more high-ranking officials. It was only a temporary measure, of course, and soon, a solution would have to come up. And, just a few moments before she woke up, Tenpou had gone to Gojun asking for permission to marry her.
"I have never seen such a great amount of courage," the Goddess of Mercy told her, "Judging by how you handled them, I'd say that you would outmatch Gojun and Tenpou if you really want to continue with a military career."
"Mind if I join you?" Kenren Taisho asked Ryurei, climbing up the tree with some Sake and a deck of cards. "Sorry for my late introduction, but I'm Kenren Taisho, Tenpou Gensui's immediate subordinate." Ryurei smiled, and offered an introduction of her own. She had known him from afar, usually, it was Gojun telling her how big of a headache he was, stirring trouble with his blatant affairs here and there. "A lovely woman like you does not deserve to drink alone, especially if she's going to get married."
Chuckling, Ryurei said, "I have no intention to marry a man who dares to raise a weapon against my brother." There was a hint of mischief in her words, and Kenren knew that she was joking. "For four hundred years has that idiot courted me, and not one moment where we could have been together in the open, who knew that it took the threat of political crises in the Court that would lead us here… Tenpou sent you here, did he not?"
Kenren gulped. If there was any woman he would not dare to touch, it would be Ryurei. She was more vicious than Gojun was, Flower-Goddess or not. "Well, he's not only my superior, hime-sama, but he's my friend as well… Don't you think that such a punishment is a bit too cruel? Trapped in deadly wines, paralyzed for all eternity if he moves…"
"Are you talking about Onii-sama or Tenpou?" she asked him lying down on the branch, looking at the sakura blossoms above her. Kenren's answer was simple. Both of them, naturally… "You drive a hard bargain, Kenren Taisho. I would demand something in exchange for their well-being."
"Name it, hime-sama, and I shall do whatever it takes to pay you back," Kenren replied. He had been calling her hime-sama ever since he tried to stop her from acting rashly in the assembly, and the name stuck. She already noticed it too. He would never forget the words that she whispered into his ear, and with that, she snapped her fingers, and he could already sense that Gojun and Tenpou were free, too exhausted and rigid to continue their duel.
About a year later, Heaven was all abuzz with activity. There has never been a wedding ever since anyone could remember, and this time, it was that of Tenpou Gensui's and Ryurei-hime's, the most powerful military alliance ever. Ever since the crisis concerning Li Touten had been averted, not only Nataku kept his job as the Toushin Taishi, Son Goku and Ryurei also received similar titles and responsibilities. Together, they formed the Central Army which served directly under the Council, leading a force 100000 strong. However, with relative peace in the World below, and in Heaven, it was just all for show, as the military should have been. Nevertheless, the wedding was celebrated with great pomp and elegance.
A special platform was erected, where all of Heaven could see the proceedings. Before Kanzeon Bosatsu and Gojun, Ryurei and Tenpou bowed to one another after exchanging their wedding gifts to one another. Tenpou's gift to her was naturally, the dagger that he had created out of his own Ki, while she had given him a rose, the only one in existence that was grey in color, one that was immortal, just as they were. Both decked in red wedding attire, all that attended the ceremony cheered well-wishes and congratulations to the bride and groom.
"It's good to see Ryurei-nee and Ten-chan so happy," Goku commented when the two of them were ushered into their new home after several rounds of drinking, where Ryurei had out drank them all without even a hint of red on her face.
Nataku, who was standing beside him nodded enthusiastically. "But Ken Nii-chan was the one who made it all happen," he added, nudging Kenren with his elbow. "What did Ryurei-nee tell you to do?"
Konzen was also curious. He had never believed it when Tenpou came up to tell him that he had fallen in love with Ryurei centuries ago without wondering if there was some sort of conspiracy on Ryurei's part. There was no possibility that a man like him could have fallen in love with a rough, almost alcoholic, notorious gambler like Ryurei, much less marry her. "Yes, do tell."
Kenren just chuckled. "Heh. It's a secret, she'll kill me if I told you." The secret was safe with him, of course. But if the reader is curious, this authoress would be glad to :
Make sure that all of us remain in the light, in the rising sun's, and that of the full moon's.
HAN: So, how was it? Which did you all like better, this one, or Golden Dreams? So, finally Ryurei's tales end here, and I really, really have to study for my A Level's finals. So, until next time, have fun!