Disclaimer: I do not own GA or any of its characters.
Thanks a lot for reviewing:
Maria-Reynne - lol.. King of Heaven is Ruka and Natsume's father.
muzikchic4eva - Thanks :) when it pops into the story, u'll know u were the inspiration :) trust me.
natsumikanluverization697 - sorry it took me a while.
xxFLaMiNG MiLCuTexx - ah... now i get it :) thats okay.. n yeah I kinda did take it from the manga.. but only kinda since the context was completely different.
annereecelle - thanks :)
Crystal Rose - aww thank you :)
Chin-92 - n here i thought i had everyone fooled.. Sigh.. i am sure i'll get over my depression once a few things get settled.
Yuuto Tamano - hopefully this will clear things up.
Author Note: So I am sorry it took me a while to update. The first part of this chapter is the King of Heaven's (who is Ruka and Natsume's dad) rant to Ruka and Hotaru. He is telling them what Mikan and Natsume don't want them to know about why they left heaven.
Its not really anything earth shattering, just something thats more likely to happen between normal parents and their kids. Kinda.
I am not sure when I will update next. Life is killing me and migraines are helping it. *sigh*
Heaven:
Normal POV:
"So father, why the sudden change of heart?" Ruka asked blandly. He had started to wonder about the motives of his father (King of Heaven) after his initial shock at his cooperation had worn off.
"Sudden?" the King mocked. "Do you realize how many years it has been since I last saw you? It has been more than a thousand years since that fool Natsume formed that country, and even longer since he left. You left how much longer before him?" he snapped angrily, making Ruka stare.
"Why are you helping us?" Hotaru asked quietly.
"Because I am tired of this. Tired of my children hating me. Tired of this place and its intrigues. Do you have any idea how miserable eternity is if you spend it with the same people? Ah.. but how would the two of you know? You have found the perfect love. The same way as Natsume has his Mikan." there was a brittle edge to the King's voice.
"Enough of this. Do you wish to know what he is hiding from you or not?" the King snapped before starting the story.
"I asked Natsume to become King in my place a long time ago. All he had to do was kill me, and he could take my place on the throne. He had the gall to refuse me. He said he was happy with the freedom he had and had no intention of binding himself to anything but his wife. Least of all a throne. I told him that if he would not do it, then i would make you king. He laughed in my face. He told me that you were the God of Wind. No one could bind you. So to save you from, and I quote, 'my clutches' he sent you to earth." the King sighed.
"You got caught anyways. By a mere human woman. No offense, Hotaru." the king said to her with an offhanded smile, "I could do naught but laugh at Natsume. You were mine now. You'd come begging when she grew old, and then I would infuriate you until you attacked me. Then I would finally die, and you would be king. But no. You had to be damned noble, and leave rather than give into your anger and attack me." the king said in a frustrated voice. By his looks, he looked like he was in his late thirties, but for the first time, Ruka could see just how old his father was.
"Your brother though was furious when he found out. I thought here was again a chance for me to have my peace, but again that foolish brother of yours found a way to get past me. Instead of killing me, so he would have the power to grant you everything, he destroyed himself to do the same." the king snarled.
"Black wings? Black wings on the most powerful god? It was madness, and yet he did it. He did it so that he could be free. So that you could be free. I wanted to kill him for that particular foolishness, and as if that was not enough, Mikan gave up her wings as well." and now the King leaned back, looking really sad.
"You" he pointed a finger at Ruka, "and your brother, are most distressing, but Mikan.. she is a lovely child. She is as fair, as Natsume is dark, as happy as he is gloomy, and she actually could make me smile. Yet now, because of my two idiotic sons, she was gone from heaven as well. What was i to do? I went to them. I offered to give them both gold wings again. I asked them to come back. No conditions attached. Yet they refused. Your madness had affected them completely, and they wanted to live among humans." the King said sharply, glaring at Ruka.
"You have wondered why they are born again and again as humans? They are born that way because I was so furious that I cursed them to it. They wanted to live among humans, and I made it so that they would have no choice about it. Of course there was a limit to what I could do, because I did not make the curse eternal. So they still look the same and even have the same names." he said his voice cold now.
"Is that why they always find each other?" Ruka asked softly.
The King of Heaven shook his head. "No. They find each other because they want to. They love each other too much to ever stay apart. They just move towards each other, no matter what. The way the Moon moves around the Earth, and the Earth around the Sun." and then the king smiled a small but true smile, "This one time, Natsume was a hunter, and she was the priestess of a temple where all forms of killing were forbidden. It was most amusing to see him trying to convince her family that they could be happy together."
Ruka stared at his father. What had changed him so much? Or maybe, he had just never known his father at all.
"What is so damning about all this that they would not tell me?" Ruka asked, and the King sighed.
"It all started because Natsume refused the throne. He is afraid that to bring him back here, you will take it. He wants your freedom above all else. Not to mention, Mikan keeps telling me that there is something that will happen in a 'few' years that she wants me to see. I could not care less, but her husband is stubborn when it comes to fulfilling her wishes." The King replied dead pan.
"You're just lonely and bored." Hotaru said coolly as she stood up. "Come with us. Believe me, humans are amazing, I've been one, I should know." she smirked, "You'll enjoy the trip."
The King shook his head. "I have.." but Ruka cut him off.
"If Gods cannot manage themselves for a while without their King, then they do not deserve to be called Gods. Come with us father. You truly do need it. Also I am sure that by now, Natsume's life has gotten even more interesting. It'll be fun to watch. It always is." Ruka said with a grin. The King looked from one to another, before he finally nodded.
1 Month Later:
Natsume's POV:
I stared at the man before me. Well not quite. I stared at the God who stood before me, not exactly sure as to what was going on.
"So you wish to join the palace guards?" Tsubasa asked him calmly. Well, of course he was calm. He had no idea who was standing in front of us.
"Yes, the both of us." Ruka said indicating himself and the man next to him. I eyed the man, wondering if he was a God as well. He looked like any other man, in his mid thirties, except for his piercing blue eyes which were a lot like Ruka's, but darker, somewhat like the night sky. Ruka's wife however, was not here.
"My wife would be joining us later." Ruka said as if reading my mind.
Tsubasa nodded. "I don't really know who you are, so I can't really.." he started but I stopped him with a hand on his arm.
"Let them stay." was all I could say, and he gave me a sharp look before nodding.
"Fine." Tsubasa said and clapped his hands and a servant appeared.
"These men are our soldiers from now on. Show them to the barracks. One of them has a wife. When she visits, then he can have a room in the Palace proper." Tsubasa ordered and the man nodded, before motioning for the two men to follow. I let out a relieved breath as soon as they were out of the room.
"Wanna tell me what that was all about?" Tsubasa asked.
"That was the man I met at the Fountain of White." I said coldly.
"You did not meet a man there.. you met..." Tsubasa stopped as understanding dawned.
"Ye Gods!" Tsubasa breathed and I gave him a peeved glare.
"Exactly." I said before leaving the room as well, and following after Ruka. I had to know what the mischievous God was up to now, and who he had brought with him.