Eternity Knot

Chapter One

By Sakata Ri Houjun

AN: This question has been brought to my attention and I apologise for neglecting to mention this in the previous chapter. Yes, this is ultimately a Tas/Chi story, so don't flame me for what you might read or if you felt that what I have written is misleading. I did not mean to offend anyone. I'm a big beliver of Tas/Chi romance, but yes, I'd like to see a Chi/Kouran fic, maybe I'll put that on my list of fics to do for the future.

While I'm talking here, I'll take this oppurtunity to mention that I haven't really been near a computer much in the past month so most of my current works are due for a new chapter. Be patient with me on that.

I'd also like to thank all of you who reviewed this fic so quickly, never thought I would get suck a reaction. But keep me updated on what you think of this idea. I've been sitting on it for so long and had been afraid that it's rather stupid. If you let me know what you think, I might actually finish this.

Content: Six years later...

*****************

Kouran smoothed back the wild tangle of lavender hair in front of her as the child squirmed again. She sighed. "Katsumi*, please stop moving around so much or else I'll never get your hair done."

The child held still for a moment. "Gomen ne, Mother. Father will be home soon and I'm so excited."

Kouran smiled at her daughter's enthusiasm. "I know how you must feel. I get excited too, but you want to look you best for him, right?"

"Hai!" Katsumi almost jumped up, but Kouran held her down.

"Onegai, be still." She ran a comb through the undone braid and sighed again. Their child had been a bundle of energy from the very beginning, but a constant source of smiles and laughter.

Houjun had put his skills as a scholar to good use and hired himself out as a tutor*. This meant that he had to travel and sometimes spend months away from his home and family. But over the past six years, Kouran had been happy because her husband always returned and she had Katsumi to keep her busy. Not only that, but their dear friend, Hikou, often visited with his family as well.

With a final twist, Katsumi's wild mane of hair had been tamed for the moment. The child was so rambunctious that she often pulled out the braids her mother painstakingly wove, but Kouran knew she'd leave the arrangement alone for Houjun's return.

Katsumi would do anything to please her father and there wasn't anything he wouldn't do for his daughter. The two were close and Kouran didn't envy the time they spent together because he was away so much. Often, Katsumi would beg her father to show off his powers for her amusement. And over the past few years, he had managed to fine-tuned some of his skills.

In fact, he developed some of his powers during crises caused by their daughter*. Not too long ago, Katsumi had run off after a cat and Houjun somehow sensed that she was asleep, curled up near a lake. When they searched, sure enough, there was their daughter just as Houjun had foreseen.

Katsumi got to her feet and began twirling in a circle, her skirts billowing out around her legs like a billowing rainbow of color. "Do you think Father will like my hair?"

Of course he will. But you better settle down before it becomes undone."

"Hai!" The child had stopped spinning and plopped down onto the ground with a wide grin.

No sooner had Kouran begun to enjoy the moment of peace when a man's voice, carried by the wind, was heard singing. Kouran recognized the song and the voice. So did Katsumi.

"Yatta! Father's home! Father's home!" She jumped up and ran for the door. Kouran stood and started to say something, but then smiled as Katsumi ran outside. It would be futile to contain her excitement and certainly she had reason enough to act that way.

Kouran walked outside just in time to see Houjun sweep their daughter up into his arms and swing her in a circle. Kouran's smile got wider when her husband then locked eyes with her. He walked up to his wife, still carrying Katsumi, and gently kissed Kouran.

"How have my two ladies been doing?"

"We missed you, Father!" Katsumi hugged Houjun's neck tightly.

"So I see."

"Welcome back, koi." Kouran ran a hand through her husband's hair, brushing his soft, blue bangs from his eyes. Both father and daughter gazed at Kouran with twin sets of warm brown eyes, the only physical trait Katsumi seemed to have gotten from Houjun. He leaned his head into her touch, his smile softening.

"I missed you both so much."

"And we missed you too, Father." Katsumi gave her father a small kiss on his cheek and he blushed.

"Have you been a good girl, Katsumi?" He looked his daughter in the eye.

"Hai!" she cried but then Kouran cleared her throat. "Well, sort of." Katsumi corrected herself after glancing at her mother.

"She's been terrorizing Hikou's children again."

"Katsumi?" Houjun's smile slipped as his daughter avoided his gaze.

"They get scared so easy. It's not my fault."

Houjun clicked his tongue; familiar with what sort of antics his daughter was prone to. "They're also younger than you. Show then how grown-up you are next time instead of popping out of unusual places." Katsumi pouted prettily and Houjun couldn't help but laugh.

"So, Hikou came to visit while I was away?" he asked Kouran.

"Hai. He and his wife came by to see you, but you had just left." Kouran moved her hands in a helpless gesture. "They're doing fine now, especially since the youngest got over his illness."

"That's a relief." Houjun pulled his daughter's hands from around his neck and set her on the ground. "I don't know about you two, but I'm starving."

"Mother made some dinner for you and I got to help!" Katsumi tugged on his hand, leading him into the house.

"You did? Well then, I'll need to reward you." Katsumi turned around at his words and grinned as he gave her a wink.

"You learned a new trick? Oh Father, show me!"

Houjun laughed as Kouran latched herself onto his free arm. "After dinner, I'll show you what I learned." He faced his wife and kissed her softly before Katsumi resumed her tugging.

"I'm so glad to be home."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Kouran?"

"Hai?"

"Do you still dream?" Houjun leaned his head back against the wall and watched his wife's confused expression.

"Dream?"

"Like you said you did after the flood?"

The lavender-haired woman glanced down at her hands. Six years had passed since she last saw the figure of fire. Not nearly long enough to completely forget the lonely look in the golden eyes. "Why do you ask? I thought you didn't place much value in dreams."

Houjun sighed. "I did until I had a dream of my own."

Kouran looked up sharply. Could her husband have dreamed about the phantom as well? Did he see the longing and was planning on leaving her?

"I was informed by a mystical deity, the very creator herself, that I am needed." He closed his eyes sadly.

Kouran breathed a sigh of relief even as her heart skipped a beat. He was still leaving all the same.

"When will you go?"

"In the morning."

A silence stretched between the couple as a question hung in the air. She was afraid to ask and he didn't know how to answer. Finally, Kouran broke the silence, voicing her concern.

"Will you at least say goodbye to Katsumi?"

Houjun winced upon hearing his daughter's name. His pride and joy, the ultimate expression of the happiness he had experienced in the past six years despite the loss of all else, his hope for a new life...a normal life.

"I can't. You know she will never let me go." He opened his eyes, the weight of his destiny hitting Kouran hard.

She nodded. "Perhaps it's better that you didn't. I'll think up some excuse for her."

The cerulean-haired man opened his mouth to protest, to insist that she not lie but gave up. Katsumi wouldn't understand the burden he was being forced to shoulder. She was too young to know what responsibilities he had been destined for. Houjun closed his mouth and scowled.

"Damn this mark!"

Kouran rushed to embrace her husband. "Don't curse your fate. If you hadn't been born with that symbol, then you wouldn't have had the power to save me. You wouldn't have me or our daughter here to love."

Houjun realized that his wife was right and brought up his arms to return the embrace. "Gomen nasai, koi."

"Daijobu." She pulled away and reached beneath her clothing to pull out the necklace she wore. She ducked her head to untie the string and let the thin cord fall with a whisper of sound into her cupped palm.

Houjun watched his wife with mild curiosity as she then took a hold of one of his hands and placed the necklace into it. He felt the metal, warm from lying against her skin, and he looked up to meet her eyes.

"This will bring you luck, Koi," she explained simply.

Slowly, Houjun opened his hand and stared at the necklace. It was the gift he gave her on the long-ago day he had first proposed. He had been saving money almost religiously, as his family wasn't wealthy, in order to buy the delicate charm, a knot that looped endlessly. It was a symbol used by monks to illustrate that journeys were made to begin and end with love*.

His eyes misted over at the gesture, comprehending the new meaning this tiny silver charm had taken. "Kouran..." he breathed.

"I want you to have it. The one who you are to serve is the god of love... And fire, she thought idly as the image of the phantom came again. She knew that when he left, she would never see the man she loved again. But this way, when he found his destiny and the figure from her dreams, he would never forget her.

But what would happen to Katsumi? Their daughter would of course be taken to Hikou's home until Houjun returned. He would then lead a long, happy life with their child and Kouran would watch over them both from heaven. It broke her heart and made her happy all at once.

Houjun nodded once. "Arigatou. I will never take it off." With those words, he clasped the necklace around his neck, the charm immediately lost among the folds of his tunic and forgotten as he then pulled Kouran to him. For tonight, he wanted to forget his destiny and pretend, just as he had done for the past six years, that he was normal.

********************

Some side notes:

*Katsumi is a combination of two words meaning 'bright' and 'energy'. And she will act just like the Chichiri we are all familiar with since Houjun is too reserved.

*Houjun is a tutor because I couldn't think of anything else he could be.

*In the Shouryuu Den, Houjun (before he became Chichiri) mastered his powers by saving Nyan Nyan during his journey, that's why I gave him an overly excitable daughter.

*The charm Kouran gives Houjun is one that I wear too, an eternity knot used by Buddhist monks (thus the title).