Author's note: For those of you reading this, this is actually a prologue to the story Precious by SarahBeth24 that she is writing for me. You can find that story on , so if you like this please read the actual story. All characters belong to me. XD
The sounds of cicadas echoed through the mountain pass as a family enjoyed the sounds of nature around them. The children, twins, ran around chasing insects of various species as their parents sat on a blanket under a large olive tree. It was late summer, the climate changing for the upcoming fall, and the harvest was soon to start. Herds of dinosaurs and other large reptiles grazed on the vast tall grass fields of the pass before the wind of winter would come and wipe out all vegetation. The twins, one boy and one girl, would sneak up to the herbivores to try to touch their tough skin with scars of their predators. It wouldn't until their strong father would scoop up his fighting children, and placing each one in one of his arm would they eat their lunch.
"Takeo, Shoushi would you two hold still." Their father, Sayron growled at his struggling children who were trying to rip each other apart.
"But he's the one who lost the dragon sprite and hit me for his mistake!" Shoushi yelled grabbing for her brother's black hair.
"Did not, Papa she the one who lost it and she told me that I was a pathetic excuse for a man!" Takeo yelled getting a hold of one of his sister's many micro braids and yanked on it hard. Shoushi let out a banshee like scream and got a hold of her brother's ear, and she gave him the same treatment. No both kids were screaming in pain, and their father growled in annoyance of the ear splitting noises. His wife smiled sweetly, her name was Alloria.
"Sayron, it seems you ability with kids hasn't improved the six years we've had these mini demons. Shoushi, Takeo…" She addressed the kids and they looked at their smiling mother. "Won't you be dears and settle down before having your meal?" The shivered in fear, for behind that smile they could see the shadow demon behind their mother that she had summoned to get them to shut up. The demon hovered behind their mother and smiled at them evilly with sharp shark-like yellow teeth. The children replied with a "Yes mama.". With that she sent the demon back to its home.
"Finally" Sayron placed his now quiet kids on the blanket, then plopping himself next to his wife. The twins began eating their lunch which consisted of a sandwich, some water and a fruit of the children's favorites. Their parents had something similar except they drank some wine instead of water.
"Shoushi, come here so I can fix your hair sweetie." Alloria cooed to her daughter, Shoushi obeyed with a piece of sour apple still in her mouth. The braid that her brother yanked was coming undone with other's that had pieces of grass sticking out of them. Her mother unraveled the mess up micro braid and redid it while humming a spell to take away the yanking pain that would appear when hair had be yanked tight. When the repairing was done, Alloria placed small glass beads at the bottom of each braid that would change colors in the sunlight. "Happy birthday sweet ling, hope you like your present."
"Hey what about me mama, don't I get anything? Why does shi-shi gets everything but I don't?" Takeo whined, he was upset that his baby sister always got mom's attention. Sayron pulled out two packages each tied with a different ribbon.
"Your sister hasn't gotten her birthday present either Takeo you, if you two would have behaved on the way here you both would have gotten your presents earlier. Now here you two are." Sayron passed the present with the blue ribbon to his son and the one with the purple one to his daughter. The children didn't save time to open their presents slowly, they ripped them to shreds to reveal a sword for each child. Takeo's was obviously bigger than Shoushi's, which got the child upset.
"Mama, Takeo has the better one cause his is bigger. Why does daddy make everything I want smaller? Is it because that I'm a girl?" It was Shoushi's turn to whine. Her parents only rolled their eyes at the girl's compliant.
"That's exactly why, it's because girls can't carry big awesome weapons cause they're too weak to hold a stick." Takeo smirked at his baby sister. She growled harshly ready to kill him.
"Now that's not true Takeo. What about your aunt Xenobia can carry a sword twice her size? Plus, Shoushi watch this." Sayron took a hold of the smaller sword and twisted it at the hilt, the sword split in half to form duel swords. "Your sword's names are Bane and Bale. Take good care of them; they will be your protectors in your time of need." Shoushi's eyes widened at her new swords, she admired her father's craft man ship. They glimmered in the sunlight that was able to pass through the eaves of the tree above them,
Hours passed on and the twin's father was training them with their new weapons while their mother walked in the tall grass. She came close to an Iguanodon and began to pet the large reptile. This world, the land of the gods, was a paradise. Those who have died the most gruesome of deaths and were judged before the gods were allowed to live in the world the Gods themselves resided. Animals of the past and of legend roamed this land, thus the herders and the dragon riders that the common folk of this world would tame and live in symbiosis. And they were the most peaceful of people.
But now a war was raging through the lands. The desert, ocean, and plain countries against the forest, air, mountains and hill countries. This war had been raging for over fifty years, thus creating the guardians of the elements and their gods. Sayron was the guardian of fire and metal for he was the best blacksmith and one of the fifteen swordsmen. While Alloria herself was the goddess in training for darkness, when she dies she would become the goddess of that element. Both husband and wife from different countries were brought together from this raging war that they were raising their children in. They were bound by fate, like everyone else.
"You seem to be lost in thought dear cousin; if you stand there too long a wyren might swoop from the sky and decapitate you in one swipe." Alloria sighed to see her cousin Nagareboshi, the goddess of light.
"You have come to torment me haven't you boshi." Alloria griped walking away from the large reptile to stand next to her cousin. The two were polar opposites. Alloria had hair of deep amethyst mixed with dark sapphire, eyes of amethyst and olive tan skin. While Nagareboshi had hair of obsidian, eyes of amber, and nearly snow white skin. Yet they were related through blood.
"I haven't come to torment you, but merely to warn you of your future. Or have you not gone to the oracle of Delphi that resides in this world?" Nagareboshi asked walking along with her cousin next to her. They were a beautiful pair when kind to each other, but were also demons of power when anger. Like any goddess.
"Yes I have visited the oracle, and I know what is to come." Alloria sighed in ran a hand in her hair. "The only thing that I worry about is my daughter and her future. I mean I am going to be proud of son because he is going to inherit grandfather's position."
"What? A harvest god?" Nagareboshi asked giving her a weir look.
"No, not grandfather Kemple. Grandfather Lucifer."
"He's going to be the lord of Hell? That's quite an inheritance if you ask me, that makes me wish that I had children before I became a full fledged goddess of light."
"You see, living the mortal life a bit longer has its benefits, like family. And the amazing thought that you created something so wonderful with only the bodies of yourself and your lover." Alloria smiled, thinking about the day the twins were born, it was painful and she didn't know about the second child till the pain of labor came back after Takeo was born. He was silent till his little sister was out, as if he was waiting for her.
"What of Shoushi? What is her fate?" Nagareboshi asked her relative. A solemn look traced over Alloria's face, one of sadness.
"It was for told that she was to die at the age of nineteen, and a death most horrible but yet honorable. Then I was told that you were to help her to her true life." Nagareboshi stared at her cousin. She was the one who governed the souls of light, and Shoushi was a mixed soul with bits of each element. Something someone else would deal with.
"You know that if she is reborn in another world and if she is to die a horrible death, your daughter will suffer nightmares of her past life at times of her fear. During thunder and rain storms, it is things like this that I can't prevent but only pray that she will be helped." The two women pondered in silence as they walked back to the tree. Alloria reached into her dress pocket and fished out a hair ornament that would hold hair from the back of her head. It carried the tribal design of a wyren with the four element and their respective colors swirling around it.
"I wished for Shoushi to become a dragon rider, but since her death in this world will come fast, I want this to be given to her when she begins to gather her memories of this world. This will allow her and who ever she pleases to see the creatures of this world that resides in the soul society." Alloria gave the hair ornament to Nagareboshi.
"The soul society, that's pretty neat. I thought that no one was aloud there by the decree of Hades? None the less, I will arrange for a fawn to take her to a home that will suit your daughter and a wyren that will allow her to be its rider will give her the hair ornament for when the time comes." Nagareboshi told her cousin. Even though they weren't the best of friends, the two of them loved each other. With a small wave, the light goddess disappeared in a flash of light. Alloria sighed and sat down, leaning on the trunk of the tree for support. Her peace was ruined when a blood curdling scream came from her daughter.
Shoushi had strayed from her father and her brother as they hammered at each other. She sheathed both bane and bale in their hilt the rest on her back. Smiling the black haired girl skipped through the field without a care in the world, today she was six and she had a beautiful sword to prove it. She was happiest girl in this world. Her blue highlights that were naturally grown glimmered in the sunlight like sparkling sapphires that one would find guarded by the most menacing ice dragon. Shoushi was just living it up that day, and the bugs flew around her head to make some sort of halo around her neck since they were attracted to her prism beads.
Wandering pretty far so that her father and brother were two moving blobs in the distance marked her farthest she has even been in this pass by the desert side. The white dunes amazed the small girl as the stretched over the horizon. Of course the girl was told to never come this close to the sands of the west, but she couldn't help the fact that her curiosity and her love of angering people with being annoying compelled her to inch closer.
Before her foot hit the white sand, a pair of bird legs appeared in front of the. The talons were the size of Shoushi's arm and were black with emptiness. Shoushi looked up the animal to see that it was a thunder bird or war bird. Its large eyes fixed on the girl through a mask the covered its face to protect it from harsh sandstorms. The bird scared the girl slightly, but what terrified her was the person who sat atop of the bird. The man was a western raider, a slave trader, he carried a long spear and a net in his hands.
Not wasting anytime, Shoushi bolted back to her father as fast as her small legs would carry her. The giant bird let loose a loud sqauk and took off after the girl. Luckily the bird was loaded down and was slow enough for her to stay ahead of it. But her hopes were crushed when a whoosh was heard and the net the raider had captured the little girl. Shoushi yelped as she tumbled a few good yards before coming to a stop. The raider stopped his bird and slid off, her grabbed a part of the capture net and carelessly threw her onto the bird back like a sack of potatoes. Not knowing what to do Shoushi let out a blood curdling scream that echoed through the pass. The raider just punched the girl to get her to shut up, when she didn't he raised his hand higher for a more powerful attack but he froze. Shoushi watched as the man froze and blood shot from his neck. As the man fell, his head fell from his shoulders and rolled under the bird before it was squashed under its foot.
Sayron stood behind the body with his sword covered in the blood of the dead man. Takeo came up from behind him and grabbed a part of the net to drag his little sister to the ground. After a few seconds of fumbling the girl was free, her father dropped down and hugged his daughter heartily with her brother. But the reunion was lost for her father made a pained noise as blood dripped from his mouth. His grip loosened and the children saw why, he had a large spear sticking out of his back.
"G-g-go to y-your mother. QUICK!" He stuttered as he yelled at them to go. He even pushed them in the direction to safety. Takeo had to drag his crying sister from their father before they truly began running. Sayron watched his children run off as he stood to his feet with his sword drawn, he turned and yanked the spear from his body and threw it at the owner. The projectile hit it's mark at the heart of thunder bird, causing it to collapse and die and throwing his master off. Tens of warriors materialized from the desert, surrounding the swords man, ready for the kill. Muttering a few words, Sayron's sword burst into flame as he charged at the oncoming army ready to die to protect his family.
Shoushi and Takeo ran to their mother as she ran to them, they met up finally and embraced. Both children were shivering fear and sadly it only intensified when a man's yell in pain echo through the pass. It was their father's dying yell. Their mother held them close and whispered in a strange but ancient tongue. Soon two demon servants of Alloria appeared from the shadows and bowed to their respective master. Standing up with each child in each arm, she faced them. Both creatures were a sickly gray color, tall, and extremely skinny that one could see their bones under their skin. One had the legs of a goat along with a tail and a mask to cover their face that had four oval holes in it, he also had two sets of ram horns atop of his head. He took Shoushi from Alloria, and Shoushi shivered as his wet matted hair touched her face. The other that was more reptilian, with the bottom half of a lizard and the top half man except for his crocodilian head; he took Takeo.
"Good bye my babies, live your lives the way you want to." Alloria spoke, kissing both of her children on their forehead. Tears welled up in her eyes, she knew what was too come. She shook off her sadness and looked at her servants. "Take them to the crystalline forest and leave them with their grandmother Thiea. After that you are free from my service." Both demons nodded as their bat wings grew from their backs. They leaped in the air carrying off the twins, Shoushi began to scream and cry for her mother, but soon they were high in the sky that she couldn't even see her as a dot. Shoushi continued to sob, but in the chest of her carrier. He didn't look down at his master's daughter but he held her closer to him with his claw-like fingers with his talons scrapping against her shoulder softly.
Alloria was soon surrounded by the raiders from the west, all spears pointed at her body. The raiders only laughed at the fact that this woman was trying to be tough and fight them.
"Kill her." Was the simple order given to them, and as one man obeyed and threw his spear at her a surge of darkness enveloped the woman and sent all of them men flying in different directions. Screams of pain were soon changed to screams and yells of fear as Alloria summoned a high arch demon seventy five feet tall. Belrog was the name of the creature. The demon's skin was coal black, he had the skull of a bull with the horns of a ram. In each hand there was a sword and a whip of fire. With great force, Belrog swung his weapons, slaying and burning the enemies of his master. But soon a gust of wind knocked the sword out of the arch demon's had. The wind had come from a boomer bird that one of the raiders had summoned, and soon the creatures conducted battle with each other, knocking each other into mountains. Causing rubble to fall and crush the army.
Left and right Alloria slew the raiders with a rapier in one hand her staff in the other. The thirst of vengeance screamed through her veins as blood splattered onto her tan skin. Hearing a large screeching noise, everyone looked up at the two creatures fight. The boomer bird sent a bolt of lightning at Belrog as he sent a stream of darkness and fire at the bird. Both attacks collided and caused a huge explosion, rocks of two destroyed mountains crushed anyone unlucky to be caught. As the last rock fell to make the rock wall to protect the forest country from invasion, Alloria whispered a prayer of good tidings to her children before she herself was killed by a raider.
Belrog slew the giant bird and turned to his master, when he saw her crumpled form the arch demon gently picked up his dead master in his giant claws. Throwing his head back, Belrog roared to the skies before taking flight to them. As he reached a certain height before a pillar of black darkness took a hold of them both. When the pillar dissipated both demon and Alloria were gone. For Alloria had gone and joined her place as goddess of darkness.
The sprits for their parents would now rest, for when night fell, the twins were sleeping soundly with their saddened grandmother. Only when Shoushi's real life began was the goddesses of darkness and light had their attention turned to the soul society.