The Eighth Warriors
by: Kami and Tsuki
Chapter 3: Families
The year since Seishin had come to live with Tokaki and Subaru had passed uneventfully. With her naturual abilities she had excelled in martial arts and Tokaki had felt that was all he could teach her. He had decided to take her to Konan with him and see if her relatives still lived in Jozen.
"I wrote ahead to your Aunt. She does still live in Jozen and she's willing to take you."
"Honto!?" Seishin was overjoyed that she could see her family again. Tokaki smiled.
"We'll be leaving soon so get packed." After a tearful goodbye from Subaru and Tatara Seishin got on the horse next to Tokaki and they began their journey to Konan-koku.
* * *
Seishin hugged Tokaki one last time as her Aunt Yuri and cousin Dokun (who turned out to be 2 years younger then her but very smart)stood watching.
"I'll see ya again, Jo-chan!"
"You're welcome to stay a few days if you'd like." Ou Yuri offered the old Byakko seishi.
"Ah, Thank You." Tokaki said sidling up to Yuri and hitting her rear. "That's really nice of you."
"Umyes." Yuri blushed edging away with her son. Seishin sweatdropped. Old habits died hard.
"Come on Seishin-chan. I'll show you to your room." Dokun took Seishin's hand and led her into their house, followed by Yuri and Tokaki.
* * *
Seishin jogged to the market for some food Aunt Yuri had asked for. On the way there she saw a few of the village boys punching another boy in the stomach. He was a few years older then Seishin and as soon as she got close enough she saw what they were picking on him for. "Ogre" glowed brightly on his forehead.
"Leave him alone!" Seishin shouted running over to them.
"What are you gonna do to us?" they sneered at her.
She aimed a punch at who appeared to be the leader, he fell on the ground and being the gutless little boys they were they ran home crying for their mommies with their tails in between their legs (lovely analogy ^-^).
"Are you okay?" Seishin asked as she helped the boy up.
"Yeah! That was cool!!" the boy exclaimed as he got back on his feet.
"I'm Seishin. Who are you?" she asked the boy.
"I'm Sou Kishuku." the boy replied. "I can't believe I had to be saved by a girl." He mumbled
"Maybe you could go train with Tokaki?" Seishin suggested seeing as how she thought boys should know how to fight.
"I'll ask my dad about it! Come on!" he grabbed Seishin's hand and dragged her to his house.
Kishuku ran in and kissed his mother on the cheek, and thr 6 year old she was holding. "Who's your friend, Kishuku?" she asked smiling at Seishin.
"This is Seishin! She said I should go train with Tokaki"
"Who?" Kishuku's dad asked.
"Byakko Shichiseishi, Tokaki!" Seishin said proudly.
Kishuku's father beamed. "A Byakko seishi? Kishuku does need to learn how to fight since he will need to protect Suzaku no miko as a Suzaku no Shichiseishi." Chuei and Shunkei walked in hugging Kishuku and going over to little Gyokuran whom their mother was holding.
"Could you bring hin over, Seishin-san." Seishin nodded and 15 minutes later she returned dragging a confused Tokaki behind her.
"What's this all about Seishin-chan?" he asked.
"Ah, you must be the Seishi-sama." Tokaki nodded when Kishuku's father addressed him.
"I would like you to train our son, the future Suzaku no Shichiseishi Tamahome."
"Suzaku Seishi?" Tokaki grinned. "Let's see what ya got?" Kishuku did a few simple kicks and punches and Tokaki nodded. "That's good, but I think that you will need my help in order to protect Suzaku's miko."
"So you'll train me?" Tokaki nodded.
"I'll return at the end of the week. Come on Seishin." Kishuku's face fell.
"I really want to go train, but what about my family?" he asked
sadly. "Gyokuran's so young, and 'Kaasan is expecting soon."
"Don't worry" Kishiku's father reassured.
"Really?"
"Yes, honey."
Seishin said goodbye to Kishuku's family as she and Tokaki left to go back to Yuri's house.
At the end of the week, as Tokaki promised, they returned to to get Kishuku. Seishin spent the rest of the day with the Sou family helping out with the work in the fields. She returned to Jozen late in the night passing out on her bed in the room her and Dokun shared.
* * *
"One hundered oneOne hundered two" Eikou grinned as she counted all of the money she had accumulated while she was on Mt. Taikyoku.. She had quite a small fortune now. She sighed leaning back on her bed. Training on Mt. Taikyoku wasn't as hard as she thought it would be, Taiitsu-kun focused more on mental and energy attacks with her then she did on the physical contact ones. She enjoyed her life with her new "family" but it was times like this when she was alone that she really missed her old life in Tenryo with Hikaru, Seishin, Kotoku, and Shunkaku. She smiled as she fingered the pendant Shunkaku had left for her. A silver dragon wrapped around a blue sphere the size of a marble.
"I wonder what Shun-chan is doing right now" she murmered quietly. "Heh. I wonder if Shun-chan is even ALIVE." She squelched that evil little thought and rolled onto her stomach, set on thinking of more important things. Like, for example, Chichiri. She giggled. Back in Tenryo the only boys she could stand were Shunkaku and Kotoku. And now here she was, 10 years old, and giggling over a 19 year old MONK. She was acting EXACTLY like those silly girls back in Tenryo who would swoon just because a guy they liked SPOKE to them. It was true, though, that her heart did beat a little faster when Chichiri was around. She rolled over on her back and looked up at the ceiling. Where were all her old friends anyway?
* * *
A month later
Seishin wandered the market place aimlessly bored out of her mind. She was ten years old, and unlike other ten year olds who found joy in playing with dolls, Seishin wanted to explore. A few men were talking by a fruit stand, about a subject that particularly intrigued her.
"Yeah, On Mt. Taikyoku. It's said to be owned by the Creator, Taiitsu-kun."
"I heard that only the pure of heart can train there." Another
man said.
"Is this true?" she asked walking up to them. The men were
surprised, to say the least, that such a young girl would be asking them about a legendary mountain.
"Er, ya, it's just a rumor I heard." The first man said
"Where can I find it." The man shrugged
"I heard it's in the middle of the four countries--"
"Thanks!" Seishin said running home.
"--But it was just a rumor" The men shrugged and returned to their conversation.
Seishin had told her aunt Yuri and cousin Dokun about her idea and they had said it was ok. Dokun had even lent her a few dozen books to read. Now all that was left was telling Kishuku's family. They had become her psuedo-family and she felt that she should let them know.
"I've decided to go and train." She announced that evening at dinner. Kishuku's mother smiled as she held Gyokuran and her new-born baby girl, Yuiren. Kishuku's father agreed that she should and she said goodbye to her "siblings" that night, excitement filling her for her new adventure.
Well, that seemed short. -_-;;; Thanks to everyone who reviewed last time!!! I REALLY appreciate it! I love hearing what people think.
Comments? E-mail Kami at kasa_no_miko@mailcity.com |or| Tsuki-chan at Duo87@gundamwing.org