NEW AND IMPROVED!! READ BELOW!!
*ahem* Yes folks, I spent a good long time going over this fic and reworking a few minor things. Subtle changes, but rather worthy of note. This chapter is mainly the one with the most changes. Most of the other chapters are just spelling changes, such as making the Chinese names of Tamahome's family into the Japanese names, or adding a "n" to Jade. I revised the basic idea of the Children Of The Gods, so I recommend re-reading Chapter 1 before moving on to the last place you stopped at.
TA: To begin, I own no characters that belong to Yuu Watase-san throughout this entire fic. Nikyia, her family, and, to save from spoiling any surprise, her enemy, her sidekick, and another character who shows up in chapter 10. And anyone I may have forgotten at this point. So, enjoy reading!!
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Chapter 1 – In The Beginning
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Can I make it in time? Can I stop whatever that man was talking about?
Sweat rolled off the teen's face as she ran. Returning home after a year of travels, a strange man had warned her of something terrible that was happening in her home that involved her. The girl had no idea what. She just knew it was bad. Now she was running, running as fast as her legs could take her. She passed the entrance to the city without slowing down, and showed no sign of slowing until she reached her home. Everything was as she had feared. The house was ransacked, and signs of a struggle were all around. But no signs of her parents or little brother were anywhere to be seen.
"Mama? Papa? Little Brother?"
No reply answered the call.
"Mama?!"
A stick broke at the door. The girl whirled around. It was the family's neighbor.
"They were taken away this morning KaiKai. A sad welcome home."
KaiKai was the girl's nickname.
"By who? Why?!" KaiKai asked, her red eyes wide in question and worry. Looking at her neighbor reminded her of her differences. Tanned skin, reddish-brown hair pulled back into a ponytail, wide eyes, compared to the looks of the Chinese woman in front of her.
"Neiko's chatter recently was about how you were really a Kutou spy that your parents were taking care of. The gossip went all the way to the emperor. Having no choice but to believe the words of an old gossip, he ordered the arrest of your family…and the execution of you. "
"But…Mama, Papa, Little Brother…what about…?"
"I believe they might be as well. If you choose to save them rather than your own life, you may still have a chance for them. Go KaiKai. And Suzaku give you speed."
KaiKai took off again with renewed speed. That weird man had been right. Thank heavens for their meeting. The five minutes it took for KaiKai to run to the palace of Konan's emperor seemed like an eternity. Naturally, the guards tried to stop her. With the strength of two men, she plowed through them, her goal, the throne room. As the entrance to the room loomed within sight, she slowed. She could hear the voices inside: one male voice speaking, two other voices crying. KaiKai recognized the male voice…
"Papa…"
"Please, your highness, our KaiKai has never done a single wrong here. KaiKai would never be…a…Kutou spy…."
"And where is 'KaiKai?' " a new unfamiliar voice asked.
"KaiKai…is traveling…"
"Papa, when's KaiKai supposed to come back? I miss KaiKai…" Little Brother's voice said.
"Oh Genrou…KaiKai will be home soon…I hope…"
KaiKai bit her lip and pushed open the door.
"KaiKai is home, Mama."
The group looked up at her.
"KaiKai!" Genrou yelled happily. He ran to KaiKai, jumped up, and hugged her around her neck.
"I missed you KaiKai!"
"I missed you too Genrou…" KaiKai said hugging her little brother. Then she placed Genrou on the ground. As she stood up, Genrou's little hand had clasped around her hair tie. It was pulled out. KaiKai's long hair fell around her shoulders in soft layers.
"Genrou!"
Genrou giggled.
"Sorry Big Sister."
With her hair down, it was now quite obvious that KaiKai was a girl, as opposed to before, when her gender could have been questioned.
"You didn't mention that KaiKai was a girl…" the emperor said.
"We've tried to hide that fact, due to circumstances within the city that your highness must be aware of…" KaiKai's mother said.
The emperor nodded.
"I see…KaiKai, are you aware of the fact that you have been accused to being a spy for Kutou?"
KaiKai nodded.
"Yes highness. I am aware of that. Those accusations were drawn from the gabbling of an old gossiper. I have spent this past year exploring the full region of Konan. Ever since I came here, it's mystified me."
"Came here?"
"May I tell him Big Sister? May I please?"
"That is up to Mama and Papa Genrou."
Genrou turned to his parents.
"If you wish Genrou. We may have to change what you say though, if you speak wrong."
Genrou nodded.
"Well, it was two years ago that we woke up to something falling against our door, your highness. Papa went to check and found a girl…umm…"
"Unconscious Genrou."
"Right. Anyway, she was asleep for a day. Then she woke up. Mama tried to talk to her, but she didn't understand. Finally Mama was able to talk with her with their hands. The girl signed that she didn't understand our language. Mama and Papa spent the next year teaching the girl how to talk like we do. We learned during the year that her name was Nikyia, that she was 14, and that she was not from anywhere around us."
KaiKai, Nikyia, interrupted there.
"I am from another world your highness. Another time. And I did not know how to get back. For the first year, Mama and Papa…
"And me!"
"Yes, and you Genrou, taught me about your culture, your language, everything. After that year, I became tired of just learning by watching them. I wanted to see everything for myself. I packed for a long trip and began to travel around Konan on foot, and alone. Because I was alone, I changed my appearance and dress to that of a boy, which, where I come from, truthfully, highness, is common apparel for girl."
Nikyia smiled. If only they knew what it was really like where she came from. America. The emperor, or what they could see of him, nodded.
"I understand. You may return to your home. I'm…sorry about this misunderstanding."
"Thank you your highness…" Papa said, backing out. Nikyia was following him and Mama with Genrou beside her.
She felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned and found herself face to face with the emperor.
"If I may have a word alone with you…" he asked, smiling at her. Nikyia tried to smile, tried not to stare. She'd never been so close to the young emperor before. He couldn't have been much older than her.
"Y…Yes your highness. Genrou, go with Mama and Papa. I'll be along soon."
Genrou stared at her for a second, then ran to catch up with Mama. When they were all gone, Nikyia turned back to the emperor.
"Your highness, you wished a word?"
He was back in his throne. Nikyia approached it cautiously. The emperor laughed.
"I won't bite, although my advisors might wish me to. Have you ever heard of The Universe of the Four Gods?" he asked.
The Universe….That's the book Mother told me about…what was the legend?… she thought.
"Well…yes and no. Perhaps you should explain it to me, your highness…"
"The Universe of the Four Gods was a scroll given to the emperors of the four regions of our land. Each region has their own god. Ours is Suzaku, I'm sure you know. Each scroll tells that a girl from another world would come one day, and she would be the chosen priestess..."
At that point, Nikyia began to chuckle.
"You find something funny?"
"Yes your highness. I know what you are thinking, that I am the priestess of Suzaku. Allow me to assure you, I am not any priestess. I am just an unlucky girl that came here by pure chance. I say again, your highness. I am not the priestess of Suzaku."
The emperor sighed.
"Well, if you ever discover different, or the real priestess, please, my doors are opens to you."
With that, Nikyia guessed she was dismissed. She bowed and quickly walked out of the throne room and through the palace to the outside. She smiled at the busy streets of the market. Slowly she strode through them, taking in the excitement, the old city air, everything. She was finally back. A glimpse of blue hair, something like a peacock tail, poked above the crowd by a food stall.
"Hm?" Nikyia pushed her way through the crowd to the stall. She grinned. "It is you."
It was the same man from the day before, the one who had warned her. He smiled at her with his odd cat-like face.
"And it is you, no da. I see you got here okay no da. Figure out what the problem was?"
"Yeah…thanks. I think I got here just in time, if not sooner. I'm Nikyia, by the way, but my family calls me KaiKai." Nikyia held out her hand.
The man shook it.
"You can call me Chichiri, no da."
"Actually I didn't know."
That was the way the guy, Chichiri talked. He always said no da, which translated to ya know, at the end of sentences. Annoying, but funny.
"Would you like to come to dinner with my family? Mama and Genrou love guests."
"Well…"
"It's the least I can do to thank you…for yesterday, and the warning."
"Alright, if you insist no da. Better make sure I don't get near the fire, eh?"
Nikyia laughed, remembering how he had accidentally forgot to tend to a cooking fish and it caught fire.
"Mama and I cook the meals, Papa brings home money, and Genrou catches the food. You might want to give him some fishing tips. He's not very good, but he loves it so much. If he had the chance he'd spend the whole day out by our river fishing."
Nikyia led Chichiri through the market and towards the edge of town, where the crowd thinned. Genrou was chasing a chicken around the yard.
"Genrou, is that how you go about catching fish too? No wonder you never catch anything!" Nikyia told him, laughing. Genrou looked up from his chasing.
"Big sister!" Nikyia was quickly crushed up in a hug around the waist. That was as far up as the seven year old boy could reach without jumping. Mama and Papa quickly joined him in a quick reunion.
"It's so nice to have you home KaiKai."
"It's been so quiet without you, KaiKai."
"What took you so long Big Sister? What'd the emperor want? Huh? Huh?"
"How was your trip?"
"How'd you get back at such a good time, huh? Huh? C'mon Big Sister tell me!"
"Oh Genrou, patience! I brought a guest…"
Finally, the family noticed Chichiri. Chichiri smiled. It was obvious that Nikyia was the odd one in the family. Genrou, like his parents, had black hair and eyes while everything about Nikyia was red: hair, eyes, even clothes.
"Mama, Papa, Genrou, this is Chichiri. We…met the other day on the road. He warned me that something bad was happening. That's how I got home at such a good time."
"Oh, what a nice young man. Would you like to stay for dinner?"
"That's what I was invited here for no da. You have a kind daughter no da."
"Yes, we know…" Papa said. Nikyia leaned over to him and whispered, "Papa, he says that at the end of basically everything. Please just ignore it."
"I see…"
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During dinner…
"So…what's it like being a traveling monk, huh Chichiri, huh, huh?"
"Oh Genrou, stop being such a bug…"
"He's not being a bug no da. Bugs are a lot smaller than he is. And I don't mind no da. It's enjoyable traveling, and magic can be fun, but a burden no da."
"What do you do when you're bored, huh? Huh, huh?"
"Genrou…"
"I'm just wondering…"
"I like to fish no da. Your sister tells me that you fish no da. I thought you might like some tips no da. Just some tricks to better catches no da."
Genrou's mouth dropped open as he stared at Chichiri with a mix of admiration and astonishment. Then he turned to Nikyia.
"Can he be my big brother, KaiKai?"
Seeing that he was asking Nikyia, everyone understood what Genrou meant. Papa gave his usual hearty laugh, Mama giggled a bit, and Chichiri and Nikyia turned slightly red.
"G…Genrou…." Mama said, still giggling.
"What? It was an innocent question. I like Chichiri. Couldja, Big Sister? Huh, huh?"
"Well…I…I'm not making any promises Genrou."
"Aw, please KaiKai? Pleeeeease?"
"Well, that was a nice meal, don't you think? Chichiri, if you wish to stay here for the night you can. We have an extra room. KaiKai, would you help me clean up?"
"Yes Mama."
Relieved, Nikyia got up and headed straight for the kitchen. Genrou and Chichiri headed out back to fish and Papa headed for his room.
"You know, KaiKai, Genrou has a point. You're fifteen now. It's time you began looking for someone to marry. While you were away we have had a few young men come…"
"Mama, Sixteen. And I'm not interested in boys. Back at home I never was and I don't plan on being."
"KaiKai…"
"Mama, please. Nikyia. Not KaiKai. I'm not a child anymore."
Mama sighed.
"We've only known each other for a year, but I'm already treating you like you were my daughter. You had good parents, wherever you came from. You'll find a nice young man some day and want to settle down. For now…keep an open mind. Tomorrow I'd like you to go down to the market. We need some items for dinner…"
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Outside the room…
"I toldja Mama would say that."
"Yeah, I suppose you did, Genrou no da. Let's go see if we can get any fish out of that river, no da."
"Okay Chichiri! And I still want you to be my big brother, whether or not you marry KaiKai…"
"We'll see, Genrou..."
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Next day…
"Is that all you need Mama?"
"Yes that should be it. You shouldn't go alone to the market though. We still have all those men who aren't as kind as that Chichiri boy. Papa is already gone…where are Genrou and Chichiri? Fishing again?"
At this, Genrou ran into the room holding a large bunch of fish.
"Mama! Mama! Look at what I caught! Chichiri helped me catch them!"
Chichiri walked in behind him, grinning like usual.
"That's great Genrou," Mama said, taking the line of fish. "We'll have a nice supper tonight as soon as Kai…Nikyia gets the spices and things. Genrou…no, you're too young to go still."
"KaiKai can take me to the market! She can keep me safe!"
"No Genrou, I want someone with Kai…Nikyia to keep her safe."
"I'll go no da. I was planning on setting out anyway no da."
"Oh, Chichiri, you are such a nice young man. If you wouldn't mind, it shouldn't take too long. I just need someone with her. She's too young and pretty to go alone."
"Mama!" Nikyia was turning red again.
"Well it's true Big Sister. You are pretty, like Suzaku!"
"Enough with the Suzaku stuff, Genrou. I don't know what he looks like, but I am pretty sure I don't look like him…"
"You never know, KaiKai."
"Mama!"
At the market…
"I'm terribly sorry if Genrou gave you any trouble."
"Oh, he wasn't a problem at all no da. He's a nice kid no da."
Nikyia nodded.
"It's weird. He usually doesn't take to strangers as well as he took to you. Basically the only people he's taken to upon meeting is you and me."
"He told me yesterday about how they found you no da. Where're you from?"
"You've never heard of it, I'm sure. Let's just say that its far away and I don't plan on going back anytime soon."
"But don't you think your family misses you no da?"
Nikyia looked down at her feet.
"Most likely…if I had any."
"What?"
Nikyia sighed.
"My family died when I was young, I was adopted there, but they too were killed when I was just a bit younger than Genrou. From then I grew up on the streets of my home city, fighting for survival and the fear of everyone else. If you aren't feared where I come from, you're a target for anyone. I was fourteen when I got hit over the head in a fight and wound up here. When I woke up, I was lying in a bed and a young boy, Genrou, was watching me. He called something and Mama came in. At the time I didn't understand a bit of this language, but slowly, Mama, Papa, and Genrou taught me everything they, and I, know. Basically I'm a native now. They adopted me as a daughter and Genrou's big sister. They're my family now. I never want to go back to where I came from."
Chichiri was silent for a second.
"Oh."
They continued on in silence in the market. Nikyia gathered what Mama had told her to. It was at the far end of the market that Nikyia froze.
"Nikyia?"
"Something's wrong…something is terribly wrong…"
As she said this, Nikyia went pale.
Oh no….
She dropped her basket and ran. She ran straight for where they had come from, home.
"Nikyia!"
Chichiri took off after her. If something was going on and Nikyia ran into it, she might not be able to handle it. Nikyia got to the house far ahead of him. Inside the house, Genrou was being held high above the ground in the grip of a man in black clothes.
"KAIKAI!" Genrou yelled as the man threw him at a wall. Genrou's small body hit it with a loud crack. Then his limp body fell to the ground.
"Genrou!!"
The man turned to Nikyia, a long knife in his hand. The knife was bloody, and behind the man Nikyia glanced the body of Papa.
"No…"
In a rage, she charged him. By the time Chichiri got to the door, all he saw was Genrou, Papa, and the man in the black clothes, dead, his own knife embedded in his chest. Nikyia was over by Genrou, a slightly bleeding slash on her cheek, and one on her arm.
"Kai…Kai?" Genrou asked quietly as Nikyia held him carefully.
"Hey Little Brother. How do you feel?"
"I hurt KaiKai…he killed Mama and Papa. Suzaku already took them. He's waiting for me…Are you alright?" Genrou asked, touching Nikyia's bleeding cheek. "They were here for you…no da." Genrou smiled at the use of Chichiri's term. "You do look a lot like Suzaku. He's waiting for me."
"No…Genrou…" small tears slid down Nikyia's face. "Genrou, you…you're going to be fine. You're not going to die…"
"Stop pretending that this isn't real, KaiKai. This isn't one of the games we played."
"So this is what it takes for a little bug to grow up…" Nikyia said, trying to smile. "From a caterpillar to a butterfly."
"KaiKai, can you do me a favor…or two?"
"Sure Little Brother."
"In my room, in my dresser is a necklace for you. I took a long time saving things to make it for when you got home. I didn't get a chance to give it to you yesterday."
"I can do that."
"And can…can you promise me something?"
"What?"
"Please make Chichiri my big brother, KaiKai. Please."
Nikyia was stunned by this request.
"Genrou…I…"
"Please?"
What am I supposed to say? He's still to young to understand matters of love…but he's dying. It's his last request…oh Suzaku, why give ME this choice to make?
"I promise I'll try…" Nikyia said quietly, hugging Genrou.
"I love you…KaiKai…"
With this, Genrou was gone. Tears began to fall faster down Nikyia's face and mixed with the still falling blood from the slash on her cheek. A choked sob escaped from her throat as she clung tightly to the still warm body of her little brother. A stick cracked at the door. Nikyia turned, but no one was there, not the neighbor, and not Chichiri. They were both gone. Slowly she walked over and closed the door. The girl turned back to the dead assassin. The knife handle stuck out of his black clothes, dabbled red with blood. That knife, the one with the ivory handle. It was Papa's. Killed with his own tool. She remembered when he had made it, intending for Genrou to use it when he was older. Papa was…had been a weapons master. Placing her foot on the dead man's chest and her hand around the ivory handle, she pulled out the bloody weapon. She wiped the blood off on the coat of the dead man and placed it by her belt.
"For you, Papa. You always wanted me to carry a knife or sword. Which better one than your own?"
Mama was nowhere to be found, but a trail of blood led out towards the swift river.
Mama must have been the first to go. Papa heard everything inside and attacked the murderer only to get himself killed. Genrou...He was easily defeated. That must have been what happened.
Finally, she headed towards Genrou's room. Right where he had said it was was the necklace. Nikyia gazed at it, her tears ceasing to flow. She had no more. The necklace was beautiful, made of small dried flowers and tiny shells, it was very delicate for something made by a seven year old. Carefully, Nikyia put it on and looked in a mirror. At sixteen she was still growing into her looks: tall, lanky, but still pretty all the same. Not attractive, not gorgeous, just pretty, and very red from her tears. As she stood there, someone knocked. Reluctantly, she went and peered out the door.
"Is this the Okonosama residence?" a man dressed very finely asked.
"Who wants to know?" Nikyia replied rudely. She couldn't take any chances.
"His royal highness the emperor of Konan wishes the presence of a Okonosama KaiKai. Would you know of her?"
"I am she…but this isn't very good timing…" she said, glancing back into the house, "But who am I to speak against the emperor?" Quickly she opened the door and stepped out. She could see the caravan the man had come in. It was definitely the emperor's. As she closed the door behind her, the man went pale.
"What…what happened in there?!" he demanded. Nikyia bit her lip.
"They were murdered, not ten minutes ago that man in black murdered them. In my anger I killed him as he killed my father…"
The man's face regained its color and softened a bit.
"I'm terribly sorry about your loss. However, we cannot keep the emperor waiting."
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Later, at the palace…
"You…wished to see me again your highness?" Nikyia asked, facing the emperor for the second time in two days.
"Yes KaiKai. I have been thinking over our conversation from yesterday. Has anything shown since then that you…?"
"No your highness. I'm still only a servant of you, only so much different since when you last saw me."
"Then, have you noticed, since your arrival, a red mark anywhere? A symbol?"
"I'm afraid I don't understand you, your highness."
"One of Suzaku's constellations. There are seven. Seven people in Konan bear one of the constellations somewhere on them. I am one, with the name of Hotohori."
"Not that I am aware of your highness."
The emperor slowly nodded at this.
"Then there is one other possibility…"
"And that is, highness?"
"There is an old legend, one that is not included in the scroll of the Universe of the Four Gods. The legend says that somewhere, anywhere that people exist, four children are born every hundred years, when the priestess is to come. These children are the sons of each the four gods. I was thinking of this since I first saw you yesterday. You may know that Suzaku is a red bird in his creature form, just as Seiryuu is a blue dragon, Genbu is a green turtle and snake, and Byakko is a white tiger. With your red hair, red eyes, I believed that you may be the daughter of Suzaku. You would, though, be the first daughter of a god in history."
Nikyia paled as he said this. What was it that Genrou had said? "You do look a lot like Suzaku. He's waiting for me." The familiar words echoed through her mind.
C…Could that have been what Genrou meant? Did he know something about me that I didn't, or was it child innocence?
"Genrou, do you know something about me that I don't?" Nikyia whispered.
"KaiKai?" The emperor's words brought Nikyia back into reality.
"KaiKai, do you think that there is the possibility that you are the daughter of Suzaku?"
Nikyia gazed at him with her red eyes.
"Your highness, that is…a possibility."
The way she said this startled her, and the emperor as well.
"Wonderful! Then if that is at least a possibility, I would be honored to have you stay here at the palace with me. If you are Suzaku's daughter, I would not want to anger him by sending you home again. However, would your family…?"
"They are dead your highness. Murdered by a Kutou spy I believe."
The emperor was silent.
"I'm terribly sorry about your loss, KaiKai. Feel free to make your home within these walls. I will give your family a proper burial…for now though…" the emperor clapped. A servant came.
"Take Lady KaiKai to her room. Make sure she is comfortable."
"Thank you your highness…and one more thing…"
"Yes?"
"Please, call me Nikyia.