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Chapter 10 – Secrets of Herself
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A short trip later…
"Looks like a ghost town…" Nikyia dismounted Red Wing upon entering the city gates. This new city was seemingly empty.
"Yeah…It's–" Miaka was cut off as she felt herself collide with something. Hotohori, Nuriko, and Nikyia looked to see Miaka and some other woman on the ground. Before any of them could move to help Miaka up, she was checking to make sure the woman was…really a woman…
"I'm so sorry…" Nuriko apologized for Miaka while Nikyia smacked her a good one.
"Ow! I just get fooled so much in this world sex-wise…" Miaka whined.
"Well when it's obvious, there's no need!"
"Never know…"
"Miss Shouka!"
A man was running towards them.
"Yes?" the woman turned towards the man.
"You have to come…quickly!"
Shouka excused herself and began to walk away. She was limping slightly. Nikyia smirked.
"Miaka…I believe I have a way for you to make up for what you did…"
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Miaka was stumbling more than usual when she arrived at the house. Shouka wasn't very light it seemed. Nuriko and Nikyia were giggling. Inside, a girl laid on the bed, still.
"She just passed on. I came to find you as soon as I could."
"It's alright now. I'll take care of her."
Shouka kneeled next to the bed and kissed the girl. When she moved away, the girl's eyes fluttered open.
"Mom? Dad?" The girl looked at her parents. Her mother was crying, and the man who came to get them was smiling.
"What's going on here?" Nikyia turned towards a second man.
"For months, we've been plagued by a mysterious illness. We call it the Shakonki illness."
"What's the process of it?"
"It starts out with a painful fever, causes blindness, weakness, and eventually death. Thank goodness we have Miss Shouka to revive our children, but only after they have passed on."
Miaka gasped happily.
"Miss Shouka! You have to come with us!" Miaka practically tackled her.
"W-what?"
"We have someone who's dead that needs to be revived as soon as possible!"
"I see…but I can't leave this town. I have people here who need me."
"I'm sure we can bring him here then," Nikyia grinned. "We'll be back as soon as possible!"
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The sun was setting as the four began their trek back towards the bandits. Nikyia swore that she'd bring Genrou with them next time. They'd be going back their for the next seishi anyway.
"Do you think Miss Shouka could be the next seishi?" Miaka asked Nikyia.
"No. I couldn't sense it."
"I don't remember this place…" Hotohori spoke up. The sun was gone, and the group was in the midst of a graveyard. Nikyia froze.
"There's something not right here…"
"AIII!"
Gray hands were gripping Nuriko's horse and pulling it, and Nuriko, into the ground.
"Nuriko!"
Nuriko managed to jump off the horse before it vanished under the moist dirt. Skeletons began to pop up from the ground like weeds, grumbling and moaning about eating them all. Simultaneously, Hotohori and Miaka's horse and Red Wing began to be pulled into the ground as well. Nikyia fell from Red Wing and landed on the grasping hands. Red Wing dashed away but the hands began to grab at Nikyia. Hotohori was slashing through as many as he could while defending Miaka. Nikyia jumped to her feet but found herself withstrained by underground and above ground skeletons.
"Nikyia!!" Nuriko shouted. He ran at them, but found himself surrounded by the demons as well.
I can't get out…too strong… Nikyia clenched her fists and teeth tightly, eyes closed, struggling against the creatures. Suzaku…father…give me strength….Father save me!
Suddenly, they were gone. The clawing of the skeletons vanished from her skin, as did the feeling of ground beneath her feet. Her eyes opened slowly. The skeletons, Hotohori, Miaka, and Nuriko were staring up at her. Up… the ground was ten feet away from her feet. Flashes of red tinged her peripheral vision. Nikyia had wings.
"REKKA SHINEN!"
A blast of fire disintegrated a group of skeletons nearby Hotohori.
"Genrou!"
On a small plateau stood the red headed bandit.
"I figured you'd run into trouble. Get down!"
The three land-bound dropped to the ground.
"REKKA SHINEN!"
The fire from the fan blasted across the cemetery, destroying the rest of the skeletons. Genrou hopped down from the plateau.
"Thought you guys would like my assistance, seeing none of ya can throw fire."
Genrou soon regretted that as a blast of fire just barely missed his head.
"Who did that?!" he looked up in time to see Nikyia lowering herself to the ground with her wings. As soon as her feet touched the ground, the two red phoenix wings rolled up and vanished under her shirt, leaving only two small holes in the back.
"What the hell are you?" Genrou muttered, giving her a weird look.
"She's Suzaku's daughter!" Miaka exclaimed cheerfully. Genrou's eyes practically popped out of his face.
"Glad you decided to join us Tasuki."
Hotohori, Nuriko, and Miaka stared again.
"But you said Tasuki was the boss!" Miaka accused. Genrou grinned and pulled down his sleeve.
"Idiot. I'm Tasuki." His symbol blared on his arm, just below the wrist. "How she figured out it was me I'm still lost."
"I bet Suzaku told you!" Miaka looked at Nikyia hopefully.
"Not specifically. He just said Arafae would be pleased with him and I guessed."
You be quiet… Arafae soared down from a branch on a nearby tree. Let's just go back to the city and find the next seishi.
Nikyia gave her idea to the others, and naturally, they agreed. It wasn't a long walk back to the city, thankfully, and their horses were there waiting for them, minus Nuriko's. Red Wing was nuzzling the horse Hotohori had been using, Chichiri's original one. Arafae landed on Red Wing and whacked her nose.
You stop getting all lovey-dovey with peacock bang's horse, you.
"Jealous Arafae?" Nikyia smirked.
What?! No way!
"Yeah, right. I bet you've got a nice girlhawk back home just waiting for you."
Impertinent child…
"C'mon Nikyia! We're going to Miss Shouka's house!"
"Coming."
Something moved in the corner of Nikyia's eye. Her head jerked around in time to see a door opening to a nearby house. A young woman, about mid-thirties, stepped out of the door. For a moment, her eyes met with Nikyia's.
"Nikyia?" the woman whispered. Her voice was soft, almost as if she was nervous.
"Do I know you?" Nikyia's eyes narrowed as the woman began to near her. Her hair was a soft blonde color and her eyes held a familiar sparkle in them. She stopped right in front of Nikyia. The woman was just slightly taller than her. She rested a hand on Nikyia's shoulder.
"Nikyia…my baby…you've finally come home…"
Nikyia suddenly felt her heart stop beating for a moment. All she could do was stare, wide-eyed, at the woman.
"M-mom?"
Nikyia was oblivious of Miaka, Nuriko, Tasuki, and Hotohori looking between her and the woman.
"Your father told me you were coming…I've…been waiting for so long…" Nikyia found herself wrapped in her mother's arms.
"Mother? I…I never thought…"
"He wanted you to be surprised…that your real mother was here. Come inside. I want to look at you better."
"A-alright…hold on…" Nikyia moved her mother's arms from her shoulders and walked over to her friends. Her legs were shaking with each step.
"Nikyia?" Miaka whispered.
"You all go on to Shouka's house. I need to stay here for a while."
Hotohori smiled.
"Alright. We'll keep an eye out for the next seishi."
"You're officially weird," Tasuki smirked before turning to go with the others. Nikyia watched until they were well on their way before turning back.
"Inside, right?"
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Inside…
"You look just like your father…Come here Arafae," Nikyia's mother smiled, taking a seat.
"I'm told that…" Nikyia said, watching as Arafae flew over to her mother and settled on a perch beside the chair.
"So tell me, how are things going on the search for the seishi?"
"We've got two more to find. Don't know how Seiryuu is doing."
"Don't worry about that bully. He's all talk. I heard about how you shot him with an arrow. I wish I could have seen it. He must have been fuming."
"He was…Suzaku this is odd. I'm so confused now…"
"About your past?" her mother smiled. "I'll explain everything. Would you like some tea?"
"No thanks. I want to hear everything first."
"Alright. Arafae, you keep quiet while I'm telling her."
Spoilsport.
Nikyia's mother began.
"When I was seventeen, many men were after my hand in marriage, but my oddest suitor was a strange young man who never told me his name. However, he was the one I loved most. I was startled to find out that he was really the god Suzaku."
"I can only imagine," Nikyia listened intently.
"Your father had to get back to being a god up in heaven, so he left, but not before telling me that he truly loved me, and that I would be the one to give him a child. Sure enough, nine months later, you came. Only three days after, though, your father came back. He told me that there was a problem, that Seiryuu was hunting for you, and he had to take you to another world. I protested, but he told me it was for your own safety. You were gone the next day. Your father still came to see me, whenever he could. Then, four years ago, imagine my surprise when he told me you were back. I couldn't wait to see you. You're all grown up now. So beautiful. I'm sure the young men love you."
Hah!
"Shut it bird!"
Arafae was flying around the room seconds later, his tail feathers on fire.
"What was that about?" Nikyia's mother inquired.
"Nothing…"
Nikyia has a lover!
"I think roast chicken would be lovely for dinner…" Nikyia glared at the hawk. Arafae shut up.
"Really? One of your father's chosen I hope. That young brown haired man that was with you earlier?"
"N-no. That's Hotohori. He's our emperor. Chichiri's back home in his place."
"Ah. The mage."
Nikyia blinked.
"How…?"
Her mother laughed.
"Your father told me their names and powers, just not what they looked like. Don't worry, he approves of your choice."
"I know."
He has peacock bangs.
"You know, it can't be good for Arafae to undergo such heat…" both women watched the flaming bird soar around the room.
"Blasted thing deserves it…"
"Well…" there was an awkward silence for a moment. "Nikyia, stay here tonight. Tomorrow, you can join your friends. I want to know everything that's happened to you since you came here."
"That's fine for me…"
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The next day came all too quickly as Nikyia and her mother talked the night away, about her travels, Chichiri, the seishi, Suzaku, anything at all. The sun was just about to rise when Nikyia finally fell asleep at the table.
"Nikyia…Nikyia dear, wake up."
Nikyia's eyes fluttered open slowly. Her mother was bent over her, softly shaking her.
"I'm up, I'm up…"
"Nuriko's here. He came to get you. He says something's wrong with Miaka."
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"What's the problem?" Nikyia asked, sitting herself down at the table in front of Nuriko.
"Miaka's sick. She's gotten the Shakonki disease. Already she's losing her eyesight. We've found a healer just outside the village. Dirty old man refuses to heal her. She's at Shouka's house now. I came to get you."
"Alright." Nikyia sighed and turned to her mother. "I'm sorry, Mom. I need to be with Miaka now."
"I understand." Nikyia's mother smiled at her. "After you leave, don't bother with coming back. I'll be joining your father in his realm once the door closes."
Nikyia paused.
"What do you mean?" A look of worry shot across your face.
"It's nothing for you to worry about darling. Your father and I have planned this for a long time, since you arrived here four years ago. I would see you once in life then forever in immortality."
"So you're just going to die as soon as I leave?"
"Basically, but no body. You go now. Miaka needs you. I'll see you soon darling!"
"C'mon, Nikyia," Nuriko tugged Nikyia's arm, pulling her to the floor.
"Nuriko, I can walk…"
Nuriko looked down at the girl.
"Um…sorry."
Nikyia picked herself up from the floor.
"Bye…Mom…" Casting one last look back, Nikyia followed Nuriko out the door and waited for Arafae to land on her shoulder before closing it behind her. She paused for a moment without moving her hand from the door, then pushed it open quickly. The house was empty, except for a few vanishing sparkles of red floating through the air.
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TA: Raise yer hand if you saw that coming! looks at raised hands You've read this before! Hands down! one hands stays up I know I haven't done the disclaimer yet! I own Nikyia, her late family, Jaden, Arafae, and NOW her MOTHER! =D Whoo. Yes, you'll see her later. Few more chapters.