This was the most challenging, but also the most fun. Been wanting to do this one forever XD
I do not own Senkaiden Houshin Engi aka Soul Hunter, nor do I own its characters and plots, those belong to Mr. Ryu Fujisaki, I just own this little pairing that I shall forever love.
Happy Birthday Nataku
By Daydreamer9
The crisp chill of autumn was in the air as the trees swayed gently in the wind, evening falling over the land as the birds returned to their nests and the torches were lit outside the walls of the outpost. People were still out mingling, true, but a majority were already inside, the sun setting and just barely visible over the trees, but there was still just enough of the caramel gold light to make out whether or not anyone was coming down the street…
…or over the wall.
Sighing, Governor Li Sei once again wondered how come he got suckered into this and once again the answer came to him: because his wife had given him that puppy dog look and because she also threatened him lack of limbs if he didn't. It wasn't that he wasn't interested in the 'activity' planned today, he honestly wasn't, but seeing as how it'd become a little tedious over time and he saw no actual point of actively celebrating this 'occasion' when the one who was being 'celebrated' would normally care less about it. Yep, to think, the first five years weren't so bad and Inshi had really enjoyed them, but as 'he'd' gotten older, he started to question what the point was and, since Li Sei had no answers, his wife took care of it for him.
"Because it's fun and it's a day where you remember your birth, where people celebrate the first day you came into this world and the first time that they got to meet you."
For awhile, it seemed to have worked…then it dawned on 'him' that no one besides Inshi and Li Sei himself – half of the time being forced, seeing as how the eldest male in the family saw what was coming even before his wife did – ever really came. When he was little, yes, people came out of respect for the governor and his wife…but, well…it wasn't exactly fitting Inshi's description anymore to 'him' and Li Sei had long since accepted that his wife's later attempts would be in vain.
And then he came up with this idea.
"Okay, are the streamers in place?" Taikoubou asked in a low voice from his place at the table, putting on the finishing touches.
Li Sei sighed as he glanced over at the confections the older doushi stood over; despite the fact that 'he', wouldn't necessarily be able to eat it due to complications, Taikoubou and Inshi had both insisted that 'it wouldn't be the same without a cake of some kind'.
"Yes," his wife sang out as she practically danced out of the kitchen with a pitcher of milk and glasses balanced haphazardly as each of her steps contained a bounce that would make everything 'on board' wobble, "oh he'll be so surprised! Especially when I told him that I was going to be going out with his father tonight."
Li Sei rolled his eyes again as he glanced out the window, seeing no sign of the person in question.
"You know, it's not like we have a crowd of people in here," he grumbled, "so technically the whole 'surprise' wouldn't be as exciting…"
Inshi gave her husband an admonishing glare as she placed the platter on the table.
"Oh, behave yourself," she scolded, "it's the thought that counts and I think that this'll be a great party."
Once again, Li Sei had no problem with the celebration value, but he knew the 'person-in-question' just as good as his wife when it came to his habits, so he pretty much had a funny feeling that-
"He's just going to grunt the way he always does, ask what the point of it all is, and simply go along with what you want him to do out of respect," the older man grumbled, "the fact that this time you pretty much lied-"
"Fibbed, dear. Fibbed."
"Whatever," he continued, feeling a small pang of annoyance, "but the bottom line is, like it or not, he's not going to like it."
Inshi gave her husband a childish pout and even went as far as to stick her tongue out at him while Taikoubou looked up at him, emerald eyes flickering with mischief.
"Oh, I wouldn't say that," he chided, setting down his utensils, "in fact, I'd be willing to bet that this year will be different."
Li Sei cocked an eyebrow at the smiling doushi; he was a tricky one, true, but he also was one of the very few friends that Nataku had and this little 'get-together' was all his doing. Li Sei had no real questions regarding what his son had done while he was 'with' him and the other Sennin that he'd heard about through what scant details the redhead had delivered to his mother, who in turn told him. Part of him, at the time, was just glad that he'd gotten out of the house and, more importantly, stopped trying to kill him.
Again, all on account of that doushi who was with them now.
And another thing; he wasn't necessarily blind to the changes that the boy had went through; he was bit more talkative – emphasis on 'a bit' – and wasn't as hotheaded as he was before, which was good, if not a little creepy to him now that his only son no longer wanted to argue or kill him as much anymore. Of course, he did tend to still ignore him and the like, but now at least he was doing chores, so Li Sei didn't have that many objections. And all on account of this Taikoubou…
Nataku had been a totally different story since the day that he-
A blur of red against the yellowing sky caught his eye and suddenly yanked him out of thought, making him almost tumble over as he – reluctantly – realized that it was show time.
"He's coming," he said, eying the approaching blur; it was true that Li Sei wasn't one-hundred percent fond of his son, being born in such a way he was and considering being a Paopei Human meant that he was a natural born Sennin even before he was 'brought back', Li Sei's previous experience with Sennin made him guarded against the boy, his own child. But it was also true that, despite all of this, he couldn't ignore the fact that the boy was a part of his life and, whether he'd get used to it or not, a part of his family. "Though I still say that this will end badly."
But his little prediction fell on deaf ears as his wife gave an excited squeal, almost tipping over the pitcher of milk, and Taikoubou straightened up, smiling as he quickly rushed over to the lamp.
"Okay, everyone," he said, in a hushed tone, "no noise."
With this warning and a mischievous grin, he turned the light down in the lamp while Inshi practically tackled her husband into a corner, smiling to the brim with excitement as her husband rolled his eyes, silently hoping and praying that his son didn't accidentally blow them up. The telltale sound of small rockets zoomed by the window and around the house until it ended by the front door. There were no footsteps, seeing as how the person in questions didn't necessarily walk, but the door opened regardless and, in the pale golden light just barely coming through the pre-drawn window, they could make out a certain silhouette of the young Paopei Human.
"Taikoubou?" he called out, normally monotone voice lined with confusion, "I'm back."
No one answered, though through the shadows that twilight was bringing, Li Sei saw that Taikoubou was sneaking closer to where the redhead was currently standing, looking around him.
"Are you here?" he called out again, "I couldn't find what you wanted." By now, the younger boy was starting to get a little bit annoyed. "Taikoubou, if you're playing another one of your jokes…"
And just when Li Sei thought that it was time to duck for cover with one of his son's well-known, if not rare, temper tantrums obviously on the way, candle light illuminated the room…a rainbow streamer, lantern-filled, lotus-accented room with a confetti-strewn dining table in the center. Realizing their cue, parents and friend announced the special occasion with a bang…
"SURPRISE!!" Taikoubou and Inshi cried out, grinning happily while Li Sei gave out a lower, somewhat softer, "Surprise…"
The redhead in front of them blinked, looked around the colorfully-decorated room, blinked again, and then looked over at the trio of people clustered in the room.
"Mother?" he asked, a little perplexed, "I thought that you and father were going out."
Inshi laughed a little nervously while Li Sei rolled his eyes skyward.
"Oh, well, I'm sorry sweetie, but in order for the surprise party to be a success, you had to think that we were all out of the house…" she explained, sweat-dropping.
Nataku still looked a little bit confused – and now borderline miffed – but that was when a certain dark-haired doushi strolled up behind him to make it to his right hand side, an arm going around his shoulders to distract him. It worked and Nataku jolted a little, turning to where the hand was on his shoulder to the doushi that it belonged to, who was currently grinning from ear to ear.
"Like our little surprise?" he asked, motioning to the table, "sorry I couldn't get the guys; Youzen was busy and I still can't find where Tenka and Raishinshi are situated." He then shrugged, the hint of sadness in his eyes being replaced by a hopeful glimmer. "But there's always next years' planning, this year was sorta spur of the moment, but the good news is that Youzen supplied the streamers." And then he waved a hand over to Li Sei, who suddenly looked a little nervous. "And it was your Dad's idea to add in the lotus; figured it'd that, in a way, there are other people here for you."
This seemed to surprise the redhead a little as he glanced at all of the potted, pinkish-white flowers before his gaze settled on the table…and he noticed what was there. In addition to three glasses of milk, there were also three small, hand-sized cakes with yellow frosting dotted with pink splotches…that looked unmistakably like lotus petals. In the center of each was a candle, all three lined up side-by-side. He knew why there were just three, seeing as how he couldn't eat anything derived from plants or meat in any way for rather apparent reasons, but he soon realized what was happening…but he didn't quite know what to make of it all.
"I know how you feel about birthdays, honey," Inshi said, gently, motioning Li Sei to light the candles, "but everybody has them. And even if they're not very elaborate, they still mean something to many people."
Nataku stared at her for a while, not really knowing what to say; he didn't want to say anything cold to his mother of all people…
"Besides, it was Taikoubou's idea," Li Sei threw in while doing is assigned job, hoping to get attention off his wife.
It worked as Nataku's expression became a very good visual aid for the phrase, 'I should have known', and he turned to the grinning doushi behind him.
"Well, this is the first of your birthdays I've been present for, and I thought that I'd do something special before I fell into pace with the 'standard' Li traditions," Taikoubou said in his defense, before flashing an honest smile as he reached into his short cloak, "plus…it gave me a very good excuse to get you this."
This being said, he pulled out a small parcel that had been bulging in its hiding place, but was nonetheless safe. He handed it to the red-haired Paopei Human, who in turn stared at it for a few seconds, a little bit surprised that Taikoubou actually bought him something. Usually his mother would do that, not that he expected her to, but still…
"Sweetie," he heard her say behind him, almost admonishingly, "go ahead and take it."
Oh…he still hadn't…
Taking the small, crudely wrapped package from the other boy, Nataku stared at it for a few seconds before finally unwrapping it. The brown wrapping came undone, the string fell away…and Nataku's eyes widened a bit at what was inside. A silky black wall scroll sat in his hands, the paper falling away almost like a cocoon to a butterfly, making it known to him that there was more to it than simple color. Slowly unrolling the scroll, he was taken aback by what was on the cloth: a pinkish-white, open lotus flower. And on either side were words sewn on in white, almost flawlessly…
Life comes in all forms. Sometimes we celebrate it once a year…and sometimes we do it everyday.
Nataku really didn't know how to respond as he continuously read over it again and again, eyes trained on the letters and the words that they formed as he just barely heard Taikoubou beside him.
"When I saw it, I immediately thought of you," he said, almost sagely, "it seemed to represent you, somehow. And I figured, since you don't like parties, one big cake wouldn't be necessary." The cheer in his voice was back in a flash. "All you have to do now is blow out the candles and make a wish!"
Almost absently, Nataku glanced behind him at the cakes with their candles now lit with his parents both regarding him on either side, his mother smiling, his father actually surprised that his son wasn't being his usual grumpy self (and he once again chalked it up to this mysterious doushi, Taikoubou). Glancing back at a smiling Taikoubou, who gave him a good-natured wink, the younger doushi floated over to the table, holding the scroll close to protect it from the candle flame as he drew closer. Taking a deep breath and keeping in mind what Taikoubou told him, blew outwards, the sharp exhale of breath extinguishing the three points of light.
"Happy Birthday, Nataku."
Yup, yup, yuppers! Now, I don't REALLY know when his birthday is, but I just took a random guess and decided to give him the same birthday month as me. He could be a Virgo, a late Leo, or an early Libra for all we know XD But yeah, extra long for extra specialness, but it also came close to not coming out at all the recent crap that's been happening with me, but hopefully it's still in the traditional birthday spirit. Hope that you all enjoy it while I come up with October's possibly yummy chapter! Till then!
