Chapter 51

Blanket disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Star Wars.

AUTHORS NOTE:

Special shout out to mundanebeast for inspiring the opening of the chapter (and J.R.R. Tolkien).

Last time:

A former Demon Country Priestess turned deceased pop idol was on the hunt. "Where is that Naruto? He owes me and I intend to collect!"

Poor, poor Naruto….of all the things to come back and bite him in the ass….

Planet Nardil

Shion stood valiantly before a massive black dragon. "Naruto-kun belongs to me. Leave before I tear you apart and let the forest animals feed on the scraps of your remains priestess!" it said with its angry pearl colored eyes flashing.

"Never!" declared Shion. "I've waited 10,000 years to get laid and I. Am. Pissed!" She charged forward brandishing her sword to smite the foul beast and landed blow after blow on its snout and head while she nimbly dodged its lashing, whip like tail and clawed feet which attempted to crush her again and again. Using her superb agility, Shion narrowly dodged its snapping jaws that would have surely killed her in a single blow. Her luck ran out though; in a flash of the dragon's talons she lost her sword and was left only with her trusty bow.

"I have you now priestess. You should have run while you still could but now it's too late! You stand no chance with just a bow against my armored might." roared the dragon triumphantly as it rose up to its full height on its hind legs.

Shion smiled grimly. She'd foreseen the monster had a single scale missing near its heart. Now the dragon had exposed its weakness just as she predicted. Firing her mighty bow into the tiny gap it the creature's armor the arrow stuck true and-

The dragon said in an obviously annoyed female voice. "What the hell are you trying to do, acupuncture? Give me a break!" it said as it plucked the tiny arrow out.

"Whaaat?" The Demon Country priestess stared dumbfounded and frozen to the spot. After that the dragon shrugged and then stepped on the hapless priestess squashing her like a grape in a wine barrel….

….

Shion woke up in a cold sweat….'It was that same dream….or was it a prediction? Why would I be fighting a dragon? Come to think of it; I don't even know how to use a sword or bow….have I been reading too many fantasy novels?' (It was her hobby after all).

She'd tried to catch Naruto several times during the week but the young man's Kage duties always had him out somewhere doing something. Three days ago she decided she'd try to find his quarters so she could have her way with him and got lost. Ever since then she'd had recurring nightmares about fighting the pearl eyed dragon….and failing on an epic scale every time (this time being the worst yet).

Finally deciding to find his quarters by asking directly at the source, she went to the Kage's office where Naruto should be and found one of his assistants at the desk. "Hello. Matsuri was it…?"

Matsuri looked up from her paperwork and smiled brightly. "Priestess Shion, I'm sorry but Lord Naruto just left." she said apologetically. "I think he might have gone to lunch. He told me he's been meaning to see you but so much is going on…."

Shion frowned. "Do you think he's at his home? I've been waiting to see him for a week now." she said in a disappointed tone.

Taking pity on the priestess Matsuri said, "Well, it's possible….hey Yukata! Are you busy or is the data entry caught up?"

Yukata poked her head around the corner. "I'm free Matsuri. What do you need?"

"Can you please take Lady Shion by Lord Naruto's quarters? I think he's on lunch and they keep missing each other." asked Matsuri.

Yukata saw the pleading look in Shion's eyes and said, "Well, it would be good to stretch my legs a bit. I'll escort you over there and you can see if he's home."

Shion smiled gratefully. "Thank you! I am in your debt."

Yukata soon was leading Shion through the maze-like halls of the compound talking about Naruto. "So Lord Naruto saved you from a demon when he was just thirteen? He must have been saving people his whole life!"

Shion nodded giggling. "Naruto was always a hero in my book. I'll always be grateful to him."

"Well, here we are!" said Yukata. "I have to get back to work so have a nice visit." Yukata vanished back down the hallway.

Shion stared at the door that had a neat little plaque on it that said 'Uzumaki' on it. Smiling and tamping down her excitement (Naruto might not even be home) she knocked on the door. She heard some shuffling and heard a child's(?) voice say, "Coming!"

A few moments later a little red haired girl with big gold eyes answered the door. "Hello, can I help you?" she asked in a quiet voice.

Shion looked at the little girl puzzled for a moment and then asked, "Is this Lord Naruto's quarters?"

The redhead nodded. "Yes, I'm his daughter Uzumaki Sheena. Are you a friend of Daddy's?"

'DADDY?!' Shion's eyes were as big as saucers. "You say Naruto is your Daddy?" she tried to ask without panicking.

"Yep, Daddy's my hero!" chirped Sheena happily.

A woman's voice carried over from inside the apartment. "Sheena-chan, do we have a guest?"

"Yes Mommy, she says she's a friend of Daddy's." replied Sheena.

"Show her in please, I'll be right there." said Hinata from the kitchen.

"Please come in, Miss…?" asked the little girl as she opened the door and invited the priestess in.

"I'm Shion, the priestess of Demon Country." she answered as Sheena led her in to sit at the couch.

Hinata came out dressed in her lavender off duty kimono and bowed gracefully while saying, "Welcome to our home, I'm Uzumaki-Hyūga Hinata. You are a friend of Naruto-kun's?"

When Hinata rose from her bow, Shion saw her face….and her eyes. 'IT'S THE PEARL EYED DRAGON!' thought Shion terrified. "Y-you're Naruto's wife?" asked the priestess praying it wasn't true.

"Yes, I am his wife. Naruto-kun and I are to be formally married in fifteen days!" said Hinata with a dreamy tone in her voice and a slight blush. "Forgive me, I'm just very excited. We've been engaged so long and we're finally tying the knot. Who might you be?"

Shion knew to tread carefully. Her dreams showed her this was in fact a dragon in human form and that this seemingly kind woman would squash her like a roach and without any mercy whatsoever. She smiled weakly. "I'm Shion, I met Naruto and he saved my life when he was on a mission back on Edo."

Hinata's eyes sparked in recognition. "Oh! You're the priestess from Demon Country Naruto-kun told me about, yes?"

"Yes, we were barely into our teens then." said Shion.

"Naruto-kun said you are a great seer and was very eager for you to join us if you could. I'm pleased you accepted the invitation to join the Ninja Clan. I heard that you had a run-in with ROOT from the reports. I'm so glad we were able to rescue you." said Hinata in a friendly tone.

"So you are a ninja like Naruto?" asked Shion.

Hinata nodded and smiled. "Yes, Naruto-kun and I were classmates at the Academy. We grew up together there. I've loved him since we were just children. So tell me how you met Naruto-kun."

Soon, Shion reluctantly told Hinata and Sheena of her and Naruto's battle with the demon Mōryō and how he taught her she could defy her predictions of death. She carefully left out any mention of asking Naruto to have a child with her.

"That definitely sounds like my Naruto-kun." spoke Hinata contentedly. "He can bring out the good in people even when they don't realize they have it themselves." Nodding to herself, Hinata invited Shion to come to dinner that evening and they could all visit together about things.

At that point, Shion foresaw any attempts at seducing Naruto into giving her some action would result in her untimely demise at the hands of his pearl eyed kunoichi wife. Shion didn't stand a chance in hell….It didn't help that Hinata was a beautiful and elegant woman as well. The fact they already had a child pretty much sealed the deal. 'Oh well, I'll have to write Naruto off as a loss….' she thought depressed.

"Are you okay Lady Shion?" asked Sheena in a concerned tone. She could feel the depression coming off the priestess through the force….and Shion was very strong in the force.

Shion nodded. "Well, I'll just set up an appointment with Naruto at the Kage's office later. I'm sure you're quite busy with wedding preparations and all."

After a little more small talk, Shion bid them farewell and decided that she'd need to look for a husband elsewhere. Naruto was simply out of her reach. She was sad about it but she would survive. For now the young priestess just wanted to be alone to cry in privacy….

At the landing pad with the Misfire….

All the Labor Force droids were gathered together by Doc and they were visiting with Naruto who had come down to see them. "This is great, Doc. I always knew you were awesome but bringing back five new ships and five of your friends is great!" said Naruto patting Doc on the side affectionately. The Labor Force droids arrived yesterday and Naruto finally had time to go and meet them all. I'm Uzumaki Naruto, the Kage of the Ninja Clan. Welcome to Nardil. What are your names?"

"I'm Jesse of the 128th Labor Battalion, my ship is the Coldfire."

"Call me Phil, 150th Labor Battalion. I maintain the Hellfire."

"I'm Zee-Kay-Eee, call me Zeke. I'm from the 161st. The Rainfire is my ship. I also have a fellow Labor Force droid in a deactivated state designated Tee-En-Why aboard. I'm unaware of whether he's repairable or not."

"I'm from the Scylla, call me Rex, 144th Labor Battalion."

"My designation is Jay-Kay-Eee, call me Jake. I'm from the Charybidis and I'm also from the 144th"

Naruto smiled widely. "Quite a crew you have here Doc. I hope you guys decide to stay with us and help the cause. Do you want to get refitted like Doc did? I'm sure you all could use upgrades and new weapons. We'll have to look T-N-Y over and hopefully the poor guy can be repaired. Doc, if we provided the parts would you be able to get him running again?"

"It's possible Naruto but leaving it to the repair technicians would be best. Refitting the others should come first anyway. We don't know if T-N-Y has a stable core like all of us so we'll need to be careful with him. The last thing we want is a psychotic droid attacking all of us." replied Doc.

"Are you fitting us with restraining bolts?" asked Jesse in a worried tone. "We all had ours removed. If you're our owner now then you'll probably want to install them."

"Why would I?" asked Naruto.

"You want us to obey you don't you?" asked Phil.

"I want you guys to join my people because you want to, not because you are forced to." said Naruto. "I heard about those restraining bolts and they seem like some sort of slavery collar to me. If you join up your registry will be updated like Doc's and your identities as Labor Force droids will be hidden as 'Utility droids' so the Republic won't come after you. You'll also be registered as belonging to the Ninja Clan but that's all legal stuff. As far as I'm concerned you guys are free to do what you want. If you're sick of running your ships and want a different job just let me know and we'll figure something out."

"Wow, you were right Doc." said Rex a little awed.

"Right about what?" asked Naruto.

Jake explained, "Well, Doc told us you treated him and Daca as equals even though we're droids. We were very skeptical about the idea. Most humans aren't like that at all."

"The Ninja Clan believes all people have souls weather they're made of metal or flesh." replied Naruto. "It just make sense, -ttebayo."

"It's really that simple?" asked Jesse.

Naruto looked at them all. "On the world I was born on we were very primitive technologically. We didn't have droids or spaceships. To us, droids are just another unique group of people with their own personalities and beliefs. It really is that simple. You're just over thinking all this Jesse. I can't say the other branches of the Shamshir clan feel this way but we Ninjas do. I mean, my daughter Sheena-chan calls Doc 'Uncle Doc' because he's part of the family. What could be simpler than that?"

With the exception of Doc, all the Labor Force droids were shocked.

"Well, I'm up for getting an overhaul." said Rex. "I've got a bad gyrostabilizer and the backup one is going. That's why my left side is so dented up."

Naruto turned to Doc. "A gyro what?"

Doc chuckled. "It's like his sense of balance is shot and he keeps falling on his left side Naruto."

"Damn. That's not good. I'll call the techs and see if they can't see you right away." said Naruto to Rex as he grabbed his communicator.

Elsewhere….

The red-haired, browned eyed master puppeteer Sasori was terrified. He'd managed to work up the courage to ask Haruno Sakura on a date and after she'd thought about it for a moment she said 'yes' with a big smile to his amazement. Now for the hard part….

Sakura sighed happily; romance was in the air and she had a date tonight with someone she never thought she'd date in a million years. She didn't know why but the shy and very human Sasori seemed so far removed from the person he was last lifetime. It really surprised her that he asked her out but he seemed so lonely that part of her just wanted to be close to him and hug him.

Ino had helped her pick out a nice green dress kimono with a pattern similar to pink sakura petals on it. She looked at herself in the mirror and decided everything was just right. Sakura was to meet Sasori for dinner at a small place that had fabulous desserts. She knew it was Ino's influence but had to give Sasori credit for asking to find out what she liked. Unlike her one-sided affections for Sasuke and later Naruto-kun she knew this was a mutual thing and it made her feel warm inside. Seeing it was time to go she slipped on her sandals and went out to meet Sasori.

Sasori nervously waited outside the restaurant for Sakura. He'd reserved a table outside so they could enjoy the weather as they ate. He'd never been on a date and his initial approach had been all wrong. Initially he was forming a strategic battle plan on how to 'have a successful date' but Inoichi was very patient with him and explained that having fun with your date shouldn't be like a game of shogi (or a campaign in a war) and it wasn't like planning a mission. He explained to Sasori that he should date Sakura because it made him feel good inside and wanted to share that feeling with her.

At first the idea was so foreign to him (not having strategic goals) that it was difficult but Inoichi suggested several ideas that helped him out. He remembered how much his parents loved each other and realized he wanted to experience that feeling too. That was what inspired Sasori to actually ask Sakura out in the first place. He was brought out of his thoughts when he heard his name being called and turned around to see Sakura….he was amazed how she looked so soft and feminine and said "….Wow…."

Sakura giggled at his response and spun around once so he could admire her before she linked arms with him and said, "You look very handsome tonight Sasori. Shall we eat? Our reservation is in a few minutes." Tearing his gaze away from her green eyes he nodded and the two quietly entered the little restaurant on what both of them secretly hoped would be the first of many, many dates….

Planet Pristiq

Lord Ameer Isis was standing before the small council of advisors he had on Pristiq as he introduced his bride-to-be Lady Celia Fireveil to them all. The council was a bit dumbfounded. It was hard not to be suspicious of the woman but at the same time they'd been led to believe this was purely a political marriage to assure blood ties between the two clans. They were feeling so sorry for Ameer that he had to sacrifice so much for the sake of the clan for peace….Now, meeting Lady Celia they realized that both she and Ameer were totally head over heels in love with each other and Ameer couldn't be happier.

Frankly, it was obvious to them that like Ameer, Celia was very seasoned in political and diplomatic maneuvers and the two seemed to work perfectly in tandem. If it wasn't for the fact she was a Fireveil they would have been celebrating that Ameer found his perfect mate and an ideal matriarch for the Isis Clan. Most of them were much older than Ameer and remembered the beginnings of his first marriage. He was nowhere near as happy then and now his future wife seemed to be just as joyful as he was.

Bearing this in mind, the council made arrangements to have Celia speak to the Isis clan in its entirety. As a result, the Isis clan as a whole was confused as the council was. Here they had a dynamic and beautiful woman that could do exactly what their clan had always done: handle the diplomatic affairs of Shamshirs. It was obvious the exotic, mocha skinned woman had captivated their clan head but likewise she was just as in love with him. You could see when they were out and about that from every touch and interaction that the two simply basked in each other's presence….but she was still a Fireveil….

After the first couple of weeks the council confronted Ameer with the question of just what exactly was going on. When they found out the Celia and Ameer had fallen in love with one another and their marriage was an inclusion in the treaty that the couple themselves forced through (just using the treaty as a pretext) the council's initial reaction was shock. Then, the eldest and most respected member of the council started chuckling and eventually burst into laughter. She said Ameer's parents would be proud of him for pulling off such a devious deception and to have found a wife who was his equal partner in this political move made the future look bright for the Isis clan.

When the rest of the council realized what she was saying they all were forced to agree that Lady Celia was just what the Isis clan needed and she was welcomed into the clan unconditionally. It seemed that the first of the rift between the Fireveil and the Shamshir clans was starting to heal….

As for Celia herself, she thought Pristiq was very much a paradise world like Velusia. Having grown up in the dark Rakata Temple she thought the vast seas and unspoiled, sparkling beaches of Pristiq were wonderful. Best of all though, this was the home she and the man she loved would raise their children in. Celia and Ameer were already planning a family and they couldn't wait to be married….

Planet Nardil

Gaara was looking over the events calendar while Naruto was out inspecting the new ships and droids. He wondered if it wasn't mating season or something. Shikamaru and Temari were getting married in a week, Naruto and Hinata were getting married the following week and Anko and Iruka the week after that. Also, the Shamshir-Fireveil Peace Treaty would be signed next month and Lord Ameer and Lady Celia were to be married as well (fortunately Gaara didn't have to attend that one). Not being much of a social butterfly Gaara wondered how he got roped into attending all these weddings.

Rumor had it that Hanabi Hyūga was going to marry Konohamaru Sarutobi soon as well as Hiashi and Rahu plans and the list went on….Gaara was dreading the subsequent population explosion that might result from all these unions. He was going to be an Uncle soon regardless….The final bit of icing on the cake was Gaara's Mother Karura was very eager to see him get a girlfriend and settle down. Oh, the humanity….

The East Wing of the Shamshir compound was finally refurbished and ALL of the ninja clan and everything they owned was going to be moved there. That was going to be a major task. He and Naruto were busting their tails to get the arrangements done and move people in an orderly fashion. They delegated a lot of that to a committee formed for just that purpose with Yugito at the head of it. All the while they had to keep doling out missions. On top of that, Naruto was going to have to get the new ships ready for refit and assign crews until the Shamshir-Fireveil Treaty took effect and the ships were properly refitted at the Saphris shipyards and mixed crews were assigned. Naruto was trying to get some of the other Shamshir branches to help out in that respect but Lady Damasca had been so impressed with the small fleet of ships the Ninja Clan gathered in such a short time that she was more than happy to delegate the whole project to them.

Maybe being second in command was a gig Gaara could push off on someone else. Naruto's Father Minato seemed like a good choice….

Elsewhere….

Yamanaka Ino was sitting over tea with the newly arrived Domini Kirova. After discussing the matter with her father Inoichi, they decided that they should teach Domini the Yamanaka family techniques. It wasn't a decision they took lightly as the jutsus involved were closely guarded clan secrets but since there were only two of them left and needed more people, they decided to trust the girl.

Domini was currently learning the leaf exercise as well as leaf spinning. Since her chakra was unlocked really late in life by ninja standards (most opened theirs in the ninja academy while they were children, Domini was seventeen), Domini was having some trouble mastering the basics but Ino and Inoichi were doing their best to encourage the brunette to succeed.

The other thing Domini was doing was studying psychology since understanding the human thought process was a vital part of the Yamanaka jutsus. Not all of them were psychologists but entering someone's mind was something you didn't do without being aware of the dangers to both the subject and yourself. More than one Yamanaka ended up damaged beyond help because they entered part of someone's psyche that they shouldn't have.

For her part, Domini was both excited and thrilled that her special talents were at last being put to use. Rather than being told it was a waste of time she was being encouraged to learn to use her abilities in new and innovative ways. She was on cloud nine about things right now.

But Ino and Domini were discussing an entirely different subject right now. Domini dropped a bomb on Ino when she suddenly said out of the blue, "Ino, I think your Dad is really hot. Is he dating anyone right now? I mean, if he is I don't want to interfere but if he's not…." she said leaving the subject hanging in the air.

Ino choked on her tea and had a coughing fit as a result. The very idea of Domini getting with her Daddy shocked the living hell out of her. Regaining her breath, Ino said, "Domini, Daddy is your primary sensei! What are you thinking?"

Domini smiled dreamily. "Oh yes! I can only think of the special lessons he could teach me after class….a forbidden student-teacher relationship would be sooo steamy. Why he could-"

"Okay!" said Ino crossing her arms in an 'x' pattern to ward off further conversation. "I am not talking about you having a relationship with Daddy. I don't want to know the pornographic details racing through you head right now. He's my Father! I don't want to picture or talk about him in those kinds of situations. End of discussion."

"Oh, come on Ino! At least tell me if he's dating someone." pleaded the brunette.

Ino sighed. "I don't think he's seeing anyone but I don't know if he's gotten over losing Mom. He's shown no interest in dating to my knowledge but then again it's a subject we really don't discuss. Besides, he's old enough to be your Dad mentally. Did it ever occur to you that your maturity levels are totally different? You also have to take into account that Daddy and all of us ninjas will be lucky if we live to be one hundred. With you being a descendant of the Shamshir line you'll live twice that long."

"True love knows no boundaries." said Domini. "That is an old family proverb. We are so long lived that we have to accept we may become a widow or widower in the prime of our lives. Most of us choose to be happy with our children and grandchildren though there are a select few that remarry. Look at Lord Mordred Shamshir, our founder. He remarried after his first wife was killed and raised an entire second family that I'm descended of. I really like your Dad. He's really smart and really handsome."

"I guess I can accept that you are attracted to Daddy." said Ino somberly. "Still, be aware that Mom was the love of his life. I don't want to see him hurt; I also don't want to see you hurt for that matter. If somehow you and Daddy do get together please don't share the details with me. I really, really don't want to know."

"Thanks, Ino!" replied Domini happily.

Planet ?

The High Priestess sat in the meditative position as she had for many years. Sitting alone on her dais at the top of a flight of white stone stairs, she opened her ancient eyes. They were entirely white and enabled her to see things the others could not. Causing the veins to bulge around her eyes she looked through the walls around her saw one of the younger priestesses coming to her. The girl was a mere nine years old. The elder raised her emaciated arm and beckoned the child forward. The younger priestess came forward and kneeled and bowed her head to her respected elder that they all held in great reverence. The girl had the white eyes too but they were still untrained. She also bore the horns of the royal line like the High Priestess. Someday she was foretold to be the High Priestess herself but that knowledge was kept from her. She would work her way up and earn her position just as others had before her….

As the young priestess kneeled she heard her revered elder speak for the first time in her life. The girl's white eyes widened in shock when she heard the ancient, cracking voice of the High Priestess. "Look up here child and tell me of which line you are descended."

Looking up, the girls simply said with a trembling voice, "The line I am descended of is yours My Lady."

"Sit at the base of my dais so I may see your face up close." said the elder.

The young girl moved up the Twenty Stairs of Reverence as quickly as she could without breaking the proper decorum. She kneeled in front of the High Priestess awaiting her words, her forehead touching the ground. If the Elder told her to kill herself she would obey without hesitation and without asking why.

The High Priestess said, "Rise and sit child. Look directly into my eyes and focus."

The young priestess did as she was instructed and suddenly felt her beautiful white eyes burning as if they'd been stabbed. The girl wanted to cry out but bit her tongue to stifle her pain. Tears freely streamed down her face. She wanted to look away from the piercing stare that penetrated into her very soul.

"Do not look away!" said the ancient commanding voice. Then the elder said quietly, "You are almost there child."

Suddenly the veins around the girl's white eyes bulged and her vision changed. She could see everything around her! She could see through everything as if it were translucent! It was as if she had been blind before and was seeing for the first time….

The High Priestess said to her, "Do you see now child?"

The girl was too shocked to contain her excitement. "Yes! Yes Oh Reverend One! I can see for the first time in my life!"

The Elder let out a laugh; it was a scratchy, hoarse sound to the girl. "Just as I was child; the white eye's true vision is a wonder is it not?"

The girl did her best to control herself and bowed her head again. "Forgive my impropriety; I am eternally grateful for this wondrous gift you have bestowed upon me."

"To not be amazed would not be human." said the High Priestess sagaciously. "Every priestess who has attained the white eyes has reacted the same way."

The girl looked up. "Even you, Oh Reverend One?"

The Elder laughed again. "Yes, even me my child. I remember sitting before the dais as the High Priestess then instructed me as I will now instruct you." The High Priestess sat there and instructed her descendant in the powers of the white eye; how to turn them on, how to turn them off and to rest them regularly after she exercised them.

The young priestess hung on her reverend elder's every word as she went through the exercises to show the High Priestess she understood them properly. It took a few tries and she apologized profusely when she made a mistake but her elder was benevolent and patient with her. The young priestess expressed her thankfulness for the elder lavishing such attention upon her.

After the young priestess proved she could do the white eye exercises on her own, the High Priestess stopped her and said. "I wish to impart a story to you that you will impart to the next when the time is right."

"How will I know when the time is right Reverend One?" asked the younger.

"You will know child. That is all I will say on the matter of passing the story on. Before I begin, what is your birth-given name child?"

The young priestess was shocked at the question. Would the High Priestess actually use her name when speaking? Such an honor was unheard of! "My birth-given name is Izanami, Oh Reverend One."

"Izanami; the same name as mine and many of the Royal Lineage before me. It suits you well, little one."

"Thank you, My Lady." said Izanami with tears of emotion in her eyes.

The High Priestess nodded. "I have two things to impart to you. One is the story I will now tell and the other is a vision I've had recently that you must hear the story to understand."

Izanami sat with rapt attention and listened. Seeing she had the girl's undivided concentration, the High Priestess began. "Many millennia ago those of the Royal Lineage held the title of Princess or if they were the supreme leader, Queen. Each one of them bore the white eyes and horns that a so rare now. In this time period a Princess of unprecedented power was born. She was the eldest and heir to the throne. She was so powerful in fact that the white eyes could not contain her power. It was said she grew a third eye in the middle of her forehead that was very different." Izanami wanted to gasp in awe of the concept.

The elder continued. "Her Mother, who was a powerful Queen, feared her daughter's immense power without reason. Eventually the Queen passed over her eldest daughter and chose her younger daughter to be Queen after her. The younger daughter was weak but as she rose to prominence, fearing her elder sister might wrest the throne from her, the younger sister exiled the older into space."

Izanami felt bitter at the injustice of it all but continued to listen carefully as the elder proceeded with the tale. "The younger Princess, now Queen never saw her sister again. The Queen who exiled her loving sister was named Tsuki and she is the one every High Priestess has been descended of to this day. However, it was said that a curse was put upon Tsuki by the gods for what she had done to her elder sister and made it so the white eyes and horns of the Royal Lineage would not always be passed on and would become weaker with the passing of time. We are still under that curse to this day."

"Is there no way to appease the gods Oh Reverend One?" asked Izanami.

The High Priestess answered with, "Thousands of generations of priestesses have asked the same question and none have found the answer Izanami."

She continued. "Let me tell you the other part of the story. The exiled elder sister was thought to have died in space but hundreds of years later her progeny were discovered on a distant world. It was said she became unto a goddess herself and all those descended of her were blessed with amazing powers, including the white eye in some families. Unlike our own abilities they remained strong and vital until a cataclysm happened that destroyed them."

"Then in the end all our cousins died out." said Izanami sadly.

"So we thought." said the elder. "Recently her descendants have been appearing here and there though we do not know why or how. I had a vision that some of these distant cousins of ours will come here soon and you, my child, will be the first to meet them. They will bear the white eyes and their vision will far exceed even my own. They will wield unbelievable power. I believe that somehow, if we can reconcile with these descendants of the elder sister that the curse may be lifted from our people. That is why I sent for you today; to tell you what my visions told me. I can only pray that these cousins will forgive us for the actions of our ancestor."

The young priestess finally asked, "Reverend One, do we know the name of the elder sister so I may address our cousins properly?"

"Her name was Kaguya, my child."

POSTSCRIPT:

And done. I know, I know. Tolkien is probably spinning in his grave. Anyway, finally a new story arc begins! I've wanted to launch this next arc for some time and I suspect that's why I was having issues with writer's block the last couple of chapters. Blue out. 8/31/14