GE 67 (God's Era 67)
"Hiro…Take her…t-take her and go."
Heavy panting and damped air filled the rocky cave.
The man took his newborn daughter into his arms that was handed to him from the woman.
"Wh-what about you?" Hiro, the man, frowned. The beads of anxiety sweat rolled from his forehead. The worried creases on his forehead deepened when the woman didn't respond right away as she breathed heavily. "Aphrodite."
The heavenly beautiful woman looked up at the man from her position on the stone bed. She felt tired, extremely exhausted, but she summoned enough strength to give the man that made their daughter possible an assuring smile. "Go." She said softly. "You must save her. Protect her. Care for her. And love her. Think of me as you look at her, and she will bring you happiness in your life." She quiveringly lifted her arm toward the man beside the stone bed.
Hiro took it and let tears moistened his face. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry." He kissed her knuckle desperately and lovingly. "You wouldn't have died if it wasn't for me."
"No." She closed her eyes, feeling her life slipping away every second. "If I didn't meet you, I wouldn't have experienced this happiness, and I feel no regret. But please, there is no time. Go." She held his gaze with her opened eyes.
Outside the cave, an army of Zeus led by Ares surrounded the cave mouth.
Hiro heard the shouts of war cry outside and he stood up quickly. "I will love her as you asked me to." He promised and placed a swift kiss on her dampened forehead.
Aphrodite nodded weakly and tears fell from her tired eyes.
With a last squeeze of their adjoining hands, Hiro let go and fled in the opposite direction of the cave mouth. He needed to get out and away.
Ares shouted warnings, and upon receiving no answer, he entered the cave. Not too far in, he spotted Aphrodite lying on the stone bed quietly with her tearful eyes opened in the solemnest altitude of a mother losing a child.
Ares approached her with a serious face. His eyes wandered from her face to her flat belly, and he immediately frowned. "Where is the child?"
Aphrodite turned to look at Ares and smiled. "You will never find her."
Enraged, Ares shouted to the men behind him. "Find the human and the half-breed child at all cost."
The men immediately dismissed on order.
Ares came closer to Aphrodite. "Why must you do this?" He asked solemnly.
Aphrodite gently answered. "I love Hiro."
"He is a human." Ares spat angrily as he curled up his fists. "You are a Goddess. You knew Gods are never to be with humans."
"Death doesn't scare me, Ares. Even if death promises for falling in love with a human."
"Not just falling in love. A child you had with him."
"I have no regret. You have come to kill, then let it be. I have nothing else to say."
Closing his eyes in bottomless sadness, Ares raised his spear and pierced it through Aphrodite's heart.
HE 7 (Human's era)
60 years had passed since Kame was born. And now, Hiro was laying on his death bead telling his daughter about her mother for the first time in her life.
"You must keep this secret even if it costs you your life."
"Yes, Father."
At his last minute of life, Kame promised her father to pass on the story of her mother Aphrodite, to every of her future descendants along with the secret.
Because of the failed search for the child of Aphrodite, Zeus sent Ares down to earth to continue searching for the child as a mortal.
Like the Aphrodite lineage, the Ares lineage was consequently passed down with only one object of existence: to find and exterminate Aphrodite' descendent.
TE 32 (Tezu Era)
For many generations, the line of Aphrodites was secure and safe.
Ayumi, of the Aphrodites lineage, married the Prince of the Fujiwara Kingdom and became Queen.
"Ayumi-sama! The palace is under attack!" Fujiwara's council of 9 men ran into the Queen's chamber haphazardly. She just gave birth to her third child.
She had sent her 2 older children away with a trustworthy advisor from her court ahead of time. From the moment her second child was born, she knew he was the one. Because of the Aphrodite blood flowing through his veins, Ayumi sent Syusuke away first with Yumiko, to whom she had revealed the secret blood line.
"Where is the King?" Ayumi inquired tiredly.
"His Majesty is currently fighting the war at front. Some enemies have infiltrated the palace already, my Queen. We must leave with the young prince."
"I afraid I can't go with you." Ayumi looked solemnly at her newborn child. She really had no energy left after giving birth to flee. She rubbed the child's supple cheeks and nose lovingly, pouring her tears down her face. "My child. Poor my child. You are fated to grow up without a mother."
"Your Highness." A council member said softly. "We don't have much time left."
Ayumi nodded in comprehension and lifted the child in her arms toward the council. "Kajimoto-san. I'm leaving Yuuta in your hands. Please protect him and reunite him with Yumiko and Syusuke."
The eldest of the council went forward and received the child. They bowed to the Queen. "We promise you Your Highness. Please rest assured that we will raise him up well."
The Queen nodded in satisfaction. "Thank you all."
The council left. As soon as they reached the hill outside the Kingdom, the Queen's chamber was on fire and the rebels successfully took over the Fujiwara Kingdom.
Leon, descendent of Ares, had successfully overthrown the Fujiwara throne. He sat on the throne as he remembered his late father's word.
"Out there somewhere, you must find the child with the rose birthmark engraved behind the neck. You must kill the child, only then can you become an immortal and replace my name in the Kingdom of Heaven. There is a secret that can greatly help you in your search."
"What is it, Father?"
"The blood of Aphrodite can be passed onto a male, giving him the ability to reproduce like a female."
A cynical smirk appeared on his face. He waited for the immortal transformation, but it didn't come to him. "So the child escaped."
A men in black cloak appeared. "Master, everyone is exhilarated as you wanted."
Leon nodded. "Very well, but the one that needs to die is yet dead." The search was still on.
TE 48
48 years ago, Tezuka Kunikazu had won the battle of royalty over Alabaster Kingdom. Today, his son, Tezuka Kuniharu was the King ruling over the Kingdom in peace with his wife, Queen Ayana.
Prince Tezuka Kunimitsu, the only beloved son of the King and Queen turned 22 on Autumn of this year.
Autumn was a beautiful season clearly because of the on-going colorful falling leaves. Not just because Autumn was the month in which Tezuka was born in, but Tezuka truly loved the cool breeze and auburn autumn skies.
Tezuka liked to leave the safety of his home in the palace. Due to some insecure circumstances, the King and Queen were constantly against the idea of Tezuka wandering off to no where at random times. Tezuka obediently nodded quietly when his parents gave him that lecture, but no promises were ensured.
"Tezuka-sama. We really need to get back, or your parents will suspect." Oishi Syuuchiro, the young prince's closest bodyguard said in an anxious voice.
Like usual, Tezuka shook his head in defeat and nodded. "It's no fun being watched everywhere I go. Its disturbing."
Oishi glanced at the forlorn look on his charge's face. "You are the only heir to the throne. If something happens to you, the Kingdom will be in great chaos. You must understand."
Tezuka sighed. "I know."
They walked in silence through the secret path back to the palace.
Tezuka climbed in through the window to his room to prevent suspicion from the guards that stood in front of his door. He quickly changed into his royalty clothes and left the room to get something to eat.
AN: For Kyubeihime.