~*~ 17 years later ~*~
The dewdrops on the grass leaves slowly coated the bare feet of a young woman as she ran through a large meadow near a small village. A ragged apron covered her short-skirted legs and a ripped top lay upon her upper body. Even though her clothes were obviously worn to their limit, a bright smile graced her face as she came closer to the village and saw an old man with a long, white beard waiting outside a small hut for her, a sun-hat upon his head. "Time for dinner, Aiko!" he shouted at her as she came closer to the small cottage. The young woman ran into the cottage and pulled some cracked bowls and some bitten-down chopsticks from an old cupboard and set them onto a small table with only three legs and a stool for the fourth. She took the small pot of rice off the rusted stove and scooped some out into the bowls with her hand after she wrapped it in a burnt rag. "Ok, it's set, papa," she said to the old man as he slowly hobbled into the hut on his stick that she had found for him in a forest near the village. "I hear that the Konan empire has found the Suzako no Miko and they are keeping her in the kingdom," he said to start up a conversation with his daughter. He looked up with kindly, yet worn, blue eyes under a mop of shaggy white hair. "I know, papa. I think I shall go to the kingdom and let them know about me," Aiko replied. The old man shook his head at her as he swallowed a small bite of rice. "No, Aiko. That's not wise; Suzako chose to remove your powers and your destiny from you, so you should not become involved with something that you are truly not." Aiko slammed her palms on the table as she dropped her chopsticks. "Don't tell me that papa! I know Suzako stole my true chance at a decent life, but it doesn't mean I can't take a jump at getting it!" She stood suddenly and went over to the worn bed, still covered with dried up blood from her mother's death, "I have a feeling mama would have wanted me to do this." She picked up one of the red sheets and wrapped it around her arms like a shawl and began to walk towards the door. "I'm going, papa, I shall see you when my destiny permits so, good-bye," she said softly as she walked out the door and towards the Konan kingdom. "Aiko, wait!" her father shouted after her, but she wouldn't stop and he tried to get up, but fell over without his crutch. Aiko heard him fall, but she couldn't look back, it would just stop her from what she had been meaning to do all her life, but she let tears escape from her eyes as she continued on down the cobbled road and out of her home town.
~*~Konan Empire/Kingdom - 5 days later~*~
Hotohori sat upon his throne, a hand to his head as he was discussing some battling business with Miaka, Tamahome, Tasuki, Nuriko, and Chichiri. Mitsukake and Chiriko had gone away for a week, needing some time for themselves. Suddenly, the main doors were pushed open and a couple of guards came in, dragging a struggling woman in a bloodied cloak across the marble floor-way, towards the throne. Miaka gasped in horror and Tamahome clutched her close. "What is the meaning of this?!" Hotohori shouted at them as they stopped at the bottom of the stairway. The woman continued to struggle, and the other seishi just stared down at her with a strange disgust, but yet it wasn't quite disgust. "We brought her here because she keeps saying she has personal business with the Suzako no Miko and her seishi, and she wouldn't leave after we kept trying to send her away, your majesty," one of the guards stated. "Leave her with us and everyone except Miaka and the seishi leave this room!" Hotohori shouted his orders and then glared down at the woman that was now on her hands and knees after being thrown down by the two guards. Once everyone had abandoned the room and the last set of doors had been closed, Hotohori ordered the woman to stand. As she did so, he looked her over and saw all the rags covering her body, the bruises upon her arms, and the cuts across her legs. She looked up at him with cold, yet scared, lavender eyes, her long emerald hair pulling out from under the blood-covered sheet. "What business do you speak of?"
The dewdrops on the grass leaves slowly coated the bare feet of a young woman as she ran through a large meadow near a small village. A ragged apron covered her short-skirted legs and a ripped top lay upon her upper body. Even though her clothes were obviously worn to their limit, a bright smile graced her face as she came closer to the village and saw an old man with a long, white beard waiting outside a small hut for her, a sun-hat upon his head. "Time for dinner, Aiko!" he shouted at her as she came closer to the small cottage. The young woman ran into the cottage and pulled some cracked bowls and some bitten-down chopsticks from an old cupboard and set them onto a small table with only three legs and a stool for the fourth. She took the small pot of rice off the rusted stove and scooped some out into the bowls with her hand after she wrapped it in a burnt rag. "Ok, it's set, papa," she said to the old man as he slowly hobbled into the hut on his stick that she had found for him in a forest near the village. "I hear that the Konan empire has found the Suzako no Miko and they are keeping her in the kingdom," he said to start up a conversation with his daughter. He looked up with kindly, yet worn, blue eyes under a mop of shaggy white hair. "I know, papa. I think I shall go to the kingdom and let them know about me," Aiko replied. The old man shook his head at her as he swallowed a small bite of rice. "No, Aiko. That's not wise; Suzako chose to remove your powers and your destiny from you, so you should not become involved with something that you are truly not." Aiko slammed her palms on the table as she dropped her chopsticks. "Don't tell me that papa! I know Suzako stole my true chance at a decent life, but it doesn't mean I can't take a jump at getting it!" She stood suddenly and went over to the worn bed, still covered with dried up blood from her mother's death, "I have a feeling mama would have wanted me to do this." She picked up one of the red sheets and wrapped it around her arms like a shawl and began to walk towards the door. "I'm going, papa, I shall see you when my destiny permits so, good-bye," she said softly as she walked out the door and towards the Konan kingdom. "Aiko, wait!" her father shouted after her, but she wouldn't stop and he tried to get up, but fell over without his crutch. Aiko heard him fall, but she couldn't look back, it would just stop her from what she had been meaning to do all her life, but she let tears escape from her eyes as she continued on down the cobbled road and out of her home town.
~*~Konan Empire/Kingdom - 5 days later~*~
Hotohori sat upon his throne, a hand to his head as he was discussing some battling business with Miaka, Tamahome, Tasuki, Nuriko, and Chichiri. Mitsukake and Chiriko had gone away for a week, needing some time for themselves. Suddenly, the main doors were pushed open and a couple of guards came in, dragging a struggling woman in a bloodied cloak across the marble floor-way, towards the throne. Miaka gasped in horror and Tamahome clutched her close. "What is the meaning of this?!" Hotohori shouted at them as they stopped at the bottom of the stairway. The woman continued to struggle, and the other seishi just stared down at her with a strange disgust, but yet it wasn't quite disgust. "We brought her here because she keeps saying she has personal business with the Suzako no Miko and her seishi, and she wouldn't leave after we kept trying to send her away, your majesty," one of the guards stated. "Leave her with us and everyone except Miaka and the seishi leave this room!" Hotohori shouted his orders and then glared down at the woman that was now on her hands and knees after being thrown down by the two guards. Once everyone had abandoned the room and the last set of doors had been closed, Hotohori ordered the woman to stand. As she did so, he looked her over and saw all the rags covering her body, the bruises upon her arms, and the cuts across her legs. She looked up at him with cold, yet scared, lavender eyes, her long emerald hair pulling out from under the blood-covered sheet. "What business do you speak of?"