"Miss Kana!" Chiriko's voice carried to the girl. Kana glanced over to see Chichiri and Chiriko making their way toward her. She smiled.
"Konichiwa Chichiri, Chiriko-chan."
"Would you mind helping me out no da? Chiriko is practically wetting his pants wanting to know something no da," Chichiri stated calmly. Kana nodded.
"What is it Chiriko?" Kana knelt to look the boy in the eye.
"I wanna know everything about the legend of the Baishakunin! The textbooks never say much, and I thought you–"
"Whoa, whoa! Slow down there Chiriko!" Kana laughed. "You want to know my family legend?"
"Yeah…wait…family legend?" Kana nodded.
"The legend of the Baishakunin is long. Why don't we sit down before I tell you?"
~~~~~~~~~
Once situated…
"Alright, we're sitting! Now tell me!"
"Antsy aren't you, little one? Calm down, and I'll tell you both," Kana said as Chichiri took a seat with the two.
"Don't mind me no da. Chiriko's a bit more interested no da."
The child genius was practically bouncing.
"Alright. Here goes." Kana took a deep breath. "A long time ago, when China was brand new, there was a war. A young woman had been engaged to a man whom she loved deeply. The war called him away though, and the man was killed. After this devastating wound to her heart, the woman had to watch as her married friends became widows. Each death left a wound deeper and deeper into her heart until not a day went by without her pitiful sobs being heard. For weeks this went on until a wandering mage came to hear her cries. He came to her and asked what she wanted more than anything in the world. With tears still flowing in her eyes, she wished to help every lonely person find love. The mage agreed to grant her this power, but there were two conditions she had to agree upon. The first was that her daughters would be given the same ability through blood. Of course, she agreed. Now, every blessing must come with a curse, or so this mage believed. The second condition was a secret, the curse he would grant to her with the blessing. Her mind blinded with tears, the woman agreed. Immediately, her tears stopped flowing. The mage left, and days later the woman made her first match. Slowly, word spread about this woman. People began to come from everywhere to see her, and her name became lost until she was only known as Baishakunin. The woman was 25 when she gained the ability, hence the reason most Baishakunin are 25 when they discover their powers. The unspoken curse though, was later discovered by the woman. She found that she could not fall in love herself. She completely forgot what the emotion felt like, and soon hid her face from the world with a cloak…the one I wore when I first came. It's an heirloom passed down from one Baishakunin to the next. They say the woman wove her spirit into it when she made it. It gives the illusion of an older woman when worn, the original Baishakunin herself. How it's lasted so long, I'll never be able to say."
"Wait…" Chichiri butt in. "You said that the mage made her agree to pass the ability on to her daughters no da. But if she couldn't fall in love…"
"No one knows how it happens, but eventually the Baishakunin does have a child, often at age 30. Usually it's every third child that is the next Baishakunin, the great grand-daughter of the last one."
"So can the curse be broken?" Chichiri seemed more interested than Chiriko now. Kana shrugged.
"If a way was ever known, it's been long forgotten by now. I've made some guesses… sometimes …sometimes I think that I may be the one to do it. I'm…different from the others."
"Different?" Chiriko asked. Kana nodded.
"Also a long story."
"We've got plenty of time no da. It's nice to get to know you no da."
"Yeah! C'mon tell!"
"Well…"
"Please?"
Kana closed her eyes.
"Tell me if I begin to bore you. Most Baishakunin are born from a direct female descendent of the original Baishakunin. Something happened, and my father was the direct descendent. My mother died giving birth to me, which is a mark of a Baishakunin. That's why father named me what he did…"
"What is it?"
Kana closed her eyes.
"Ukiyo Kanashii."
"Sorrowful life?" Chiriko's voice turned quiet. A sigh escaped Kana's lips.
"Yes. That's why I prefer just being called Kana. The full name is painful."
"What happened to your father?" Chiriko asked.
"Father? Last I knew he was a monk. He left me with my uncle at a young age, and came by to visit now and then. My uncle was a bachelor, and my first match. I was 13 when I made it. Like always, word spread, and I found myself in the possession of the heirlooms of a Baishakunin."
"Aside from the cloak, what else was inherited no da?" Chichiri asked.
"This jewelry. They're said to protect the Baishakunin when she's in trouble. Haven't worked for me yet. Don't know when they ever have," Kana said with a smile. "They were gifts to the original Baishakunin from her love before he left for the war."
For a moment, there was silence, which was broken by Chiriko.
"That is…so….amazing! I have to go write it down right now!" He jumped to his feet and tripped over his clothing. "Dammit!" Kana blinked at the profanity from the young boy.
"Too much time around Tasuki no da," Chichiri said, helping Chiriko to his feet.
"Gomen nasai!" Chiriko dashed off to his writing things.
"Active little one…" Kana smiled. "And inquisitive."
"Well, he was the one to pass the exams at such a young age no da."
"His seishi ability?"
"Hai no da."
"It's easy to tell with friends such as those he has now, he'll grow to be a fine young man."
Chichiri laughed.
"Unless Tasuki gets to him too much!"
"All of you will influence him somehow. I'm sure of it. Now…if you'll excuse me…I believe Miaka wished to talk with me today. Do you know where I could find her?"
"Either with Tamahome or in the kitchen no da. More likely with Tamahome."
"Thank you." With a quick smile, Kana climbed to her feet and ran out the door.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Soooo, whatcha think of the legend? Interesting, eh? Okay! Time to start matching them up!! Wanna get matched with your favorite character? Remember, the available ones are Tasuki, Chichiri, Nuriko, and Mitsukake. Leave a review mentioning you wanna be paired with XXXXX (IE, your guy) and I'll pick one at random. Good luck^_~ Oh, and again, I own Kana only.
