-Ring-Doh: Part 38-

Kyoko stared at the cargo ships in the distance. It wouldn't be much longer before the ships would stop. Winter would be here but before that happen the last of the ships would leave the bay returning home long before winter appeared. To travel during winter was dangerous and the waters here were some of the roughest during the winter months. Her mind started making a list, before shaking her head again. The numbers didn't add up, something was wrong, what felt right in her head was far too much even if she included the gentlemen staying overnight every night. This wasn't the first time small little things popped into her head as if normal but had no place in her life and she couldn't understand where they came from. The urges she sometimes felt to simply bow her head and listen and obey, the way she would pull back from forms of affection as if it was uncommon but she could not recall a single time when she had ever been punished. Then there was this desire deep down inside of her whenever she heard the bells toll at night, to wander the night, to head to the cliff's edge that was nowhere near where she lived. There wasn't a fear that everyone claimed but there was a desire to go, to walk and then there was a voice telling her she was not allowed too or be punished.

There was something else off in her mind that she couldn't place, as if she had come down to the docks often. There was this feeling that she was missing someone in her life, someone who showered her with warmth and love like her parents. A person she knew was not around much but still important. As she stared out at the ships and further still outwards; her mind began to shape an older woman with short raven hair with one brilliant blue eye, the other hidden under an eyepatch while she dressed in clothes for a man. Kyoko held her head as she tried to hold onto the image of the woman trying to bring her further into focus but the effort was causing pain in her chest and her head to spin.

"Kyoko?"

Kyoko eyes shot upwards looking towards a long raven-hair woman with the same brilliant blue eyes as the female captain she had seen. Slowly her fingers released the bag she was holding. A small part of her wanting to run towards the woman before her, to embrace her but just as strong of an urge was the feeling to flee to never look back again. She didn't even feel an arm wrapped around, turning her away from the woman's eyes and into an embraced "Choko!" Kyoko closed her eyes, as she felt her heart slowly find ease and comfort again at her name, at her cousin's voice.

Chiori eyes narrowed as she stared at Kanae even as the young woman returned it she could see it already the way she was going to storm towards her but there was a shift towards Kiyora who held his fan in front of his face as if debating something before taken Kanae's arm in his own and stirring her away from the two. Slowly Chiori pulled Kyoko away from her chest pushing the girl's hair out of her face. "Are you alright Choko?"

Kyoko stopped Chiori hands, "Something is wrong..." her eyes darted back towards the direction seeking out the woman. 'Why did I?' It wasn't the first time she had been called Kyoko, then that was only by Lord Fuwa. A moment of fear shivered down her spine as she thought that the young woman might be someone who worked for Lord Fuwa and that he had sent her.

Chiori clicked her tongue against her teeth. The thought that Kyoko might be remembering on her own, was not something that was even supposed to happen. 'How is this happening?' Her eyes darted towards the sea, waiting for an answer. Yet there was nothing, which didn't sit well with her either. Slowly she turned taken hold of Kyoko's hand before looking down towards the ground.

"Oh no! The eggs!" Kyoko said dropping to her knees at the cracked eggs dripping out of the bag.

Chiori couldn't help but smile some as she looked at the girl on her knees glaring at the eggs as if they had done it on purpose. It was a rather childish look, a look that wasn't full of true worry, though she still had tears in her eyes "It's alright, we can get more."

"But they broke."

"Yes... they do that when you drop them," Chiori said rolling her eyes as she crossed her hands in front of her chest.

"They shouldn't break without permission." Kyoko said with a pout as she picked herself off the ground, "they should behave like the butter!" she said stomping her foot slightly as she tossed the rest of the broken egg goo onto the ground before cleaning her hands on her skirts.

"Whatever, you ready?"

Kyoko nodded her head slightly. Though didn't follow after Chiori right away instead of looking back behind her. Searching once more or the black haired woman she had seen. Someone she didn't know and yet every part of her was saying she did.

Chiori found herself following behind her. "This isn't right, something's gone wrong..."

"Chiori?" Chiori jumped slightly at the sound of Kyoko's voice.

"It's nothing, don't worry about it Choko, come on."

Kiyora could tell that Kanae was trying to remove his arm hold from her own. He kept his fan shut as he moved them through the crowds putting as much distance between them as he could. It bothered him some that he hadn't picked up her energy force but perhaps that would change when he finally did cross over. Not that he was planning on doing that anytime soon but perhaps before he became an old man. He wasn't sure he could pull off being a grandmother and grandfather's went bald and he was not about to lose his hair.

"Where the hell are you taking me? That was Kyoko!"

He finally stopped looking at Kanae carefully. He could lie he knew he could and he could make it believable but that wouldn't stop her from looking. No the moment that Kanae eyes had fallen upon Kyoko she had called out to her, though even she wasn't fully sure by the sound of it that it had been Kyoko. So the lie would hold he sighed heavily as he unfolded his fan some allowing the edges to fall against his lips ever so slightly before nodding his head, "Yes. That was Kyoko." He felt Kanae jerk from him and he knew that she was attempting to go back to her, "She doesn't remember you, Miss Kanae." Kanae's arm went limp in his for a moment.

"She looked... right at me though. I saw it in her eyes. She remembered me, a small part of her did."

The plea in her voice was heartbreaking and he slowly released her arm from his own reaching out and touching the side of her cheek. No longer bothering using to use his fan as he spoke with her. "Yes, I believe so but would you risk destroying her mind?"

Kanae covered her mouth with a hand shaking her head. He knew that the chance of her openly crying was not likely but that didn't make it any less painful. For both of them, they were important and he would never understand why Tlaloc thought it would be for Kyoko's best if Kanae was no longer a part of her life. Had she not been one of the very few people who truly cared about her, wanted her to be happy? In many ways, he wondered if Tlaloc did not blame Kanae entrance into Kyoko's life for Hiou being swayed away from the path he was born to walk. Though he never said anything, the look that Reino and Mirkou gave the boy sometimes, said that they had both had been hoping for it more than the rest of them. Perhaps it was the long years of a war between the two Gods.

Kanae cleared her throat causing him to look at her, "Who was that with her?"

Kiyora took a step back truly looking her over. The look in her eyes said that she would not be leaving him without an answer. Slowly he cast his eyes skyward before as he opened his fan. "At the moment she is Choko's cousin." His eyes slowly moved towards her own before he flashed a smile behind his fan. Perhaps that was the real reason why Chiori was the required one to make this work. Kanae's hold in Kyoko's heart was such a strong force that they could not remove that feeling truly and so someone had to take the place of Kanae in her heart. Though Chiori of all people was rather an odd choice, he was far more loveable. His smile widens as he looked over Kanae once more, 'Ah, that's right Kanae and Chiori do have some things in common, distance but warmth. Perhaps that was the true key.'

"At the moment?" Kiyora said nothing towards her question, he could easily point her out to be one of the Maidens of Ring-Doh but Chiori was one of those who slipped in unnoticed and it would simply be easier to keep her that way. He turned on his heal and began to walk back through the crowd. Hearing the small growl behind and knowing that Kanae was following him, "Kyoko didn't look well and why are you calling her Choko?"

Kiyora tapped his fan against his chin as he closed his eyes, stopping only enough to let someone pass without bumping into them. 'No she really didn't look well did she?' His voice barely above a whisper, "Why?"

"Because I want to know of course?"

His eyes turned towards Kanae it took him a moment to realize he had asked why out loud before a small smile played across his features. "Yes... but why?" Kanae mouth hung open for a moment as he reached over his fan pushing it gently back up before snapping open once again covering his own face. "Are you not going to tell me?"

Kanae narrowed her eyes as she placed a hand against her hip, "It's not that, it's just that I can't believe how stupid you are." Kiyora eyes widen at that comment, he had been called many things in his life, stupid was indeed included but not since he was a young boy and even then it was normally a question not so much a statement. Kanae shook her head, "You see this weak and helpless girl that needs protection. What you are not seeing is she's been so busy all this time trying to make everyone around her happy that she neglects herself. I don't think she's honestly ever done anything for herself that wasn't honestly for someone else." Kanae's looked grimly at him, "I'm sure if you just tell her what to do she would do it. There isn't a reason for these tests, just ask her."

Kiyora looked sadly down at her, "If it was only that simple. I'm afraid however there is more to it than simply asking. The choice needs to be made without asking, without telling." He lowered his fan as he looked at her more carefully. "You must not seek her out, you must uphold the understanding of the laws that were created in this."

Kanae ran a hand through her hair as she looked back behind her, "I don't understand why I can't be there for her even if she doesn't remember me."

"You upset the careful balance in play." He wrapped an arm around hers again and moved along. 'Though you shouldn't be able to upset that balance at all, unless we were mistaken... no... he would never make such an error.'

"And if she comes to me?" Kanae asked pulling her arm free from his own.

"We will cross that bridge when and if it happens."

A/N: Next week you will learn what Yashiro finds!