Chapter Ten: The Creation Order
The woman nodded, smiling proudly.
"In the middle of all those lines is the Creation Kingdom. Any from the other kingdoms can make a Creation, but only humans ever felt the passion to make one. I do not say that to put down the other kingdoms, but that is the way things are. Now, each kingdom has an element and a sense that's directly linked to their representative." She took Haru by the hand and started walking around the star. The black-haired woman pointed at the cat toy.
"The Cat Kingdom's representative is linked with plant life and hearing. That means that he is probably born of something grown, and he can control other plant life, if he concentrates hard enough, and he understands what they try to tell him. Hearing means that he can more easily hear what the heart wants to say, if one cannot express it correctly."
'Yep, that's Baron.'
"The Dog Kingdom's representative is linked with the earth and smelling. She can manipulate most rocks and soils to her liking, if she wishes, and she can more easily sniff the truth out of a lie, as well as find out what people on the other side of the hill are having for lunch. She can also hear what the earth tries to say. The Reptile Kingdom is linked with water and taste, and can do the same things with them that the other representatives can do with theirs. If she wanted to, she could make a tidal wave or draw moisture closer to anywhere she wants."
Haru got a little ahead of her grandmother and pointed to the next toy in line.
"Birds get air, right?"
The woman nodded with a smile.
"And?"
Haru thought hard, seeing a subtle pattern in how senses and elements were being matched up.
"Sight?"
The woman beamed, and hugged the brunette proudly. They moved to the last toy.
"Can you make a guess as to what the humans have?"
Haru looked at the toy, trying to finish out the puzzle.
'Five senses…' "Humans have touch, and…"
Her ancestor nodded encouragingly, hoping that she would get it right. Haru looked at the other toys, running the elements through her head.
'Plants, earth, water, air…'
"Fire," she whispered, somehow knowing that it was the right answer. Her grandmother embraced her warmly and kissed her cheek.
"That's right. The Creation Kingdom is in the middle. That Kingdom represents life and mind, but those areas of expertise can only be accessed if all five Creations are present. Do you know why I'm telling you all of this?"
The brunette looked at her ancestor carefully. She shook her head, making the woman sigh.
"With how well you knew the order, I guess I can't get too disappointed about having to show you this." The woman smiled prettily, and wrapped one arm around her own waist. She extended the other hand towards her granddaughter lovingly as light began to glow from within her, making Haru cover her eyes in order to protect them.
The light faded, so the brunette lowered her arms. She stared in amazement as her mouth dropped open a little. For where her grandmother was standing, there was now an exquisite marble statue. Experimentally, Haru brushed her fingers against the ones extended to her. Cool marble soaked in her warmth, the pale color of the stone being somewhere between a light gray and a light blue. She looked into the eyes, which had previously been as dark as night.
"You're Pygmalion's bride!"
The marble began to glow, making her shut her eyes again as her ancestor resumed her state of flesh.
"That's right. In life, I was the Human Creation, whose duty was to be in the order at the time of need. But I had been made with love, from a wonderful man that was frustrated with not finding the right girl. I fell for him, and agreed to be his wife. But doing so ensured my death."
Haru's heart began to beat faster.
"But… if you're my grandma, several generations removed…then…"
The woman looked at her sadly.
"I hope you're not scared of eternity, like I was."
Haru started breathing harshly, now a little scared.
"But, how can I be a Creation? I had a childhood, I change, I grow."
The Creation sighed, and took her descendant's hands.
"Child, I know this must be difficult for you to take in, but you need to listen; there is an old evil on this planet. Each Creation born knows what signs to look for in the stars, for them to gather, at a special place, in order to defeat this evil. A time that is nearly at hand."
Haru looked down at her feet.
"At this point, you only have the potential to become a Creation. Do you have any unique abilities, something that no one else seems to have?"
"Well, I can talk to cats."
"You can talk to dogs too, and all the other members of the other kingdoms. I'm betting that your mother hasn't really let you be around animals, or any fire, for that matter."
Haru jerked, remembering the whispers she would hear whenever an open flame was present, and how drawn she always was to it.
"She said that she just doesn't like animals or fire."
"She was under orders to. Is there a man, outside the family, that seems to have everyone under his thumb, except maybe you?"
"Sure, Paul. But I'm not going through what he wants from me."
"Good. Because he's the evil you and all the other Creations need to fight against. I should know; he killed my husband in order to have me, but in doing so killed me as well, since my life was linked with my husband's."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Muta growled irritably.
"Just how long is she going to keep Haru?!"
Lilu patted his ear comfortingly.
"As long as she needs to. Don't worry; the girl's ancestor knows about the rush we're in."
Nefertia was staring off into space dumbly, her mouth still open in shock. Toto was shaking his head, a light smile on his beak.
"I guess this explains how she knew Lilu was a Creation. But how could we have missed this?"
Baron was leaning against the altar, lost in his own thoughts. The brunette had been dominating his mind ever since they met, and he had somehow known that she was special. He knew that her being a possible Creation fledgling had nothing to do with the way his heart pounded when he heard her voice.
'This means… that, if I wanted to… we might have a chance for a relationship! That is, if she accepts the responsibility. But it would be a pretty big sacrifice on her part.' His soul was in turmoil, realizing all that she would have to give up for him, if she was even willing to do it. But, oh, how he was now praying that she would accept her birthright. The centuries they could spend…
Together.
The boy Haru had been with began to move around, groaning terribly.