Stopping at the end of a bluff next to the plateau her city rested on, her eyes misted upon seeing it. Home never looked more beautiful. Even though their clan was only a few dozen in numbers and the homes weren't anything fancy, there were loved ones and friends living there. A smile graced her face.

'Home...'

Her clan; the mountain tribe. Her father Miran and mother Ko-Ko. As her heart picked up pace, so did her step.

How was it possible to feel this happy, when before, she always thought of the plateau as an abode to harbor herself until the sacrifice. But the sacrifice never truly HAPPENED, so now she could be a normal girl. The thought lightened her step even more, helping her to push past pine trees and brambles of the fall season.

She didn't know what to expect upon returning to the main gates. Part of her mind was just so elated to return inside the outer walls. But that little niggling in the back of her mind told her to be careful. That little...TINY voice in the back of her head.

The happy pleasure rushed through her veins as she hurried up the trails, that smile still on her face. It widened upon seeing the two warriors who threw her off the cliff, standing at the entrance with spears. "Umoh! Yatta!" She called, arms waving in greeting.

Instantly, Umoh's spear pointed in her direction. "HALT! State your business stranger!"

Yatta's voice sounded in the opposite direction, giving a cry that brought other warriors to the opening. They brought drawn bows, aimed at her.

"Umoh? Yata? Kero? Tridor?" Those arms dropped as she quickly paused in visible view of the tribe. Nearly all of the woman and children stood around the top of the outer wall, watching. She looked to everyone with mild confusion. Didn't anyone RECOGNIZE her??

The shaman came out minutes later, aided by guards. Her eyes landed on Miran and she gasped. Tears stung her eyes at finding her mother near him. "Miran! Ko-Ko!" She cried, quickly swiping tears from her cheeks.

Miran paused and peered down. "Bring me more light!" He commanded.

Several young boys ran back for torches.

Accompanied with three of the guards, Miran walked a few feet out of the outer wall's main opening. He continued on when five boys ran up with torches and held them as high as their young arms would go. His aged eyes squinted in the shorter distance. He gasped and quickly shouted a chant in the dialect of Lord of Tenku.

When his hands finished signing, an accusing finger pointed to her. "Begone foul demon! Spirits depart and leave us in peace! Good spirits come to me and banish this mocking form of the daughter of Ko-Ko!" Gasps and murmurs followed. Ko-Ko gave a cry and ran down, halted by two warriors' hands.

"Stardust!!" She shouted, tears streaming down her eyes. Motherly instinct to see and protect her daughter overrode all rules about getting near spirits and saying the dead's name. She struggled against the restraints, to no avail.

"Silence Ko-Ko!" Miran shouted, looking panicked and horrified. His hands repeated the chant, his voice murmuring the prayer. When he finished, his hand rested on her shoulder. The warriors let her go when she stilled. "You know the rules."

Her longing eyes swung to his. "But-"

"SILENCE."

Letting go, he stepped forward, digging into a pouch at his waist. He pulled out a pure white feather and round onyx rock. Holy magic. He walked down alone, for everyone knew not to go near an exorcist ritual.

"But father...it's ME! I'm alive! I went to Tenku's home and SPOKE with him!" She explained, a little confused at his behavior. Didn't Miran trust his own eyes?

"Nonsense! The daughter of Ko-Ko vanished in front of the entire village three nights ago!" Miran denied. The onyx rock in his hand stopped on her forehead.

"This stone will banish the evil spirit before us!" He loudly announced. "Lord of Tenku...help this shaman and quickly absorb the energy of this spirit and let her trouble us no more!"

The rock tapped on her forehead three times; the white feather circling over her raven head. Stardust still remained, much to Miran's confused embarrassment. The rock and feather slowly pulled away. "Eh? You're NOT a haunting spirit?"

She only sighed at his behavior, suddenly finding it utterly silly. Deep blue rose to the warriors behind Miran. "Someone throw down their knife!" She ordered.

"Are you CRAZY?" A bystander shouted. Her eyes tried to search the person out, but was unable. "And let you kill our beloved shaman??"

As if realizing this 'spirit' MUST be an enemy, a few guards inched forward with raised spears.

She fought another sigh, but spread her hands in a gesture of peace. "EVERYONE knows that spirits of the dead cannot BLEED. If I prove you wrong, will you believe my words?"

Miran searched Stardust's eyes. There was an edge to the voice he'd never heard before. His eyes thoughtfully narrowed, but he turned and looked to Umoh, nodding.

"I will handle the knife to keep this unknown from enchanting our eyes."

She heaved a sigh and scratched her head with a look that said she was losing her patience. "REALLY father..." She muttered, shaking her head.

Umoh withdrew a knife from his belt and with calculating eyes, tossed it into the air. It wedged in the hard dirt a foot from Miran's toes.

After pulling the knife from the ground, Miran gave Stardust a hard look. "I don't know WHAT to believe." He hissed. "But all I know is...my daughter would NEVER be this disrespectful! Hold out your arm...palm down."

She did as instructed, a bit of hurt flashing in her eyes. Disrespectful...was she REALLY?? Or...did Tenku just open her EYES??

Quickly, the blade swiped over her forearm, drawing her to the situation. She winced and clenched her hand against the burning. She watched the blood gather and threaten to fall over before quickly raising her arm to the crowd. The trickle tickled the hairs on her arm as it slowly went to her elbow. The proof to everyone she WAS still alive.

Shocked murmurings and gasps followed her movement. After solemnly looking to the crowd, deep blue met her father's shocked eyes. "Do you finally believe that I'm who I SAY I am?" She asked, bringing her mouth to the three inch cut.

"It...CAN'T be you!" Miran breathed. His attention was drawn to Ko-Ko stopping at his side.

Mother and daughter evenly stared at each other for what seemed eternity. Brown to dark blue. Stardust's arm slowly lowered from her mouth, the blood gathering at the injured skin once again. As if in a trance, Ko-Ko-'s hand reached up and cupped her daughter's chin, slowly turning it either way. As if looking for confirmation.

After a few seconds of looking at both sides, the hand dropped. Stardust looked at her mother with wondering eyes, finding tears. But...of JOY?

"I'm relieved to see you're alright Starry." Ko-Ko whispered, giving her daughter's childhood name.

Her eyes watered with a smile. "Momma..." The two embraced tightly, connecting two souls of women.

The moment was broken by an old woman's voice, screaming amongst bystanders. "WITCH!! This is a child of the underworld!"

The two broke apart and looked to the throng in shock. Witches were feared most, even over a god's wrath. "Lord of Tenku sent her back because she lost faith during the sacrifice! It TAINTED her and turned her evil!"

"My daughter is NOT a WITCH!" Ko-Ko harshly defended.

"LIES! Already she has tainted the wife of Miran by touching her! She must not be allowed to touch our beloved shaman!"

Everything seemed to speed up after that. A few of the villagers quickly ran down and yanked Ko-Ko from her. Umoh and Yatta, only two years her senior...people she knew her whole life, pointed their spears inches from her.

She gave them an open, largely shocked look. It turned horrified upon finding fear and shock in their eyes. They were serious...

Her arm quickly rose upon instinct after a rock harshly landed on her shoulder. Another struck the cut, forcing her to grit her teeth to keep from crying out.

As she was drug back to the village, Ko-Ko struggled against the hands on her arms. "STARDUST!" She cried, worry and horror in her voice. She feared for her only child as another rock hit her leg, another to her stomach. She was appalled that the people she lived with, and called family, accused her daughter of witchcraft!

"Mother!" She cried back, taking an involuntary step backwards. Both arms protectively curled around her head as a rock, what FELT like the size of her fist, sharply collided with her elbow.

They were coming faster, with more strength. Her arms peeked open and met those of her father's as Umoh and Yatta drug him from the line of fire. "Father! Tell them to STOP!" She was forced to cover her face as another rock hurled for it. Her eyes squeezed shut, but she couldn't get rid of that look in his eyes. Shock. Disbelief... As if he couldn't believe she was a witch, even though the believing CONVICTION was in his eyes. "Please... STOP everyone!"

In last minute desperation, her arms threw from her face in a defenseless gesture, her pleading eyes looking to everyone huddled just inside the outer wall. Afraid.

"It's ME! STARDUST! I am NOT a witch!"

A rock flew, higher than some, and struck her chin. With a cry of pain, she toppled backwards. More, sharp, jagged stones fell and hit her body as she curled in fetal position to protect herself. Cries of pain and frustration were muffled behind the safety of her arms. Her body burned as the skin broke from being repeatedly struck; but no more than the betrayed tears in her eyes.

'Run.' A voice suddenly, calmly announced.

It was her voice, the voice of safety and reason. Tears touched her arms as she choppily got to her feet and painstakingly ran back to the pine forest. A final rock struck her on the back of her once well-braided hair, almost knocking her unconscious. But she stumbled on, determined to stay alive rather than be stoned to death.

As she limped into the darkness, tears falling and a hand clutching a deeply bruised arm, a loud cheer met her ears. She instinctually stopped and turned, biting her lip. It was the sound of a people that thought they did the right thing... Harshly swallowing past the lump in her throat and pain in her heart, anguished eyes looked to the retreating torches.

Then she was alone. No loving mother or wise father. No home or place to call her own. No small tribe who once respected and loved her. As she respected and loved THEM. All gone...except the ornate, blood-splattered clothes on her back and her name. More tears fell as defeat weighed her down. Her head drooped, teeth clenching from a shiver at the cold night air that bumped her skin and annoyed her injuries. Her entire body hurt, but was overshadowed by a quick amount of anger that made her want to hurt something. She'd done NOTHING to them...yet they still judged her and cast her out.

All on their BELIEFS.

Her shoulders slumped, getting a small grimace. No. She couldn't blame someone for something she so recently believed. Dull, sad eyes looked to the dark village, save for a few torches at the front gate. They were still cautious. She knew she couldn't stay in this forest. By morning, all the men would search this place to flush her from here for good. With a downcast head, empty tears falling, she turned and trudged away from a life she once knew.

~*~*~

She didn't travel but to the edge of one of the mountains when she was forced to stop. The dull, throbbing pain was too much. Amidst shelter of pine trees in the dark, she slumped to the ground and pulled her legs up for warmth. In the quiet, her muffled sobs split the air. Anguished, heart-wrenching sobs.

The cries of defeat.

At length, her tear-streaked face looked to the night sky through a break in the canopy. "What do I do...NOW?" She choked out.

Tears fell down the sides of her face as she rested a physically and emotionally tired head against the prickly bark. She was tired, and hungry, and thirsty. Her heart was bleeding with no end in sight. There was nothing LEFT for her. Her eyes dropped to the ground.

"It's a SHAME what happened to you..."

Her head wildly jerked around, not failing to notice the echo in her head.

"But a pretty thing such as yourself shouldn't cry."

Hands quickly scrubbed her face dry, knowing she was in a Lord's presence Whether or not that name was TRUE, she was going to call them that until she gained answers. "Who's there?? Tenku??"

"No...I am what your tribe would call Lord of Kongo."

She dumbly blinked, the hand scrubbing her eyes stilling. "Kongo?" She breathed.

She quickly stood and nearly fell over from the forgotten pain and numbness from her position. A hand went to the tree she was leaning against for support.

"Careful!" A hand gently grabbed her upper arm, getting a strangled cry upon touching one of the many bruises and cuts. "Sorry. You're really cut up..."

During the VERY slowly lessening pain, she squinted an eye open through tightly closed eyes and clenched teeth. Who she saw in the close distance was someone around her age. And Tenku's...if he HAD an age... The face near hers wasn't as streamlined as Tenku's, but his eyes were a deep color. Dark, shaggy hair was pushed up by an indistinguishable-colored bandana. From what she could see, he was handsome.

"Thank you..." She mumbled, gingerly helped to the ground. "Why are you HERE?" Despite the pain in her body, she resumed her previous stance and looked at Kongo as he sat cross-legged on the ground.

"Why are YOU here??" He countered, holding her gaze in the dark. She didn't answer, just blinked in confusion. "I MEAN...I know your tribe's customs and not only do I know your problem this night, I ALSO know you should've been killed almost four days ago."

Her gaze dropped to her drawn knees. "Tenku saved me..." She quietly answered.

Kongo sighed. "Or threw you into WORSE." A hand scratched the back of his head in frustration. "Did Tenku...talk to you?"

She sullenly nodded. "And sent me back. Only to be exiled for something I'm NOT."

"Then we'll have to DO something about that then." He answered, standing.

She looked up with wide eyes to his darkened face when he extended a hand.

He heaved another sigh, partially at HER. "Look. If Tenku told you ANYTHING, it's that we RARELY get involved unless necessary. Especially with PEOPLE. The human mind is a tricky thing and that's why we usually don't show our powers or appear to others. Tenku didn't know the unbalance he created by saving you. Although he DID the right thing...this is the result."

His hand suddenly dropped, his vision shooting upwards. "Did you HEAR me, Tenku??"

"Yea, yea. I HEARD your pretty little speech." Came that echoing voice. She shivered as the cold wind blew her disheveled braids. "And I saw what HAPPENED. So did Korin and Rekka. They were there as well. Their attention was tuned in as soon as my name was mentioned."

"Then why didn't you DO something??" Kongo retorted, extending his hand again. She took it and carefully stood, wrapping her arms around her torso for warmth. "I mean...you were the one that STARTED it all."

There was a large gust of wind that quickly died down, leaving Tenku's human form in its place. In the dark, she could make out that same, odd, white outfit from their first meeting.

"You need to calm down. The only reason you're this riled up is due to your kanji."

Kongo's lips pursed in a comical way as he nearly bristled. "And you're telling me what you saw DOESN'T aggravate you about Gaia??" He shot out, arms smugly crossing...knowing he was right. Though Kongo and Gaia were often mistaken for the same thing, Tenku housed his mother in the universe. Kongo was the body for her conscious, but Tenku gave her a place to belong.

"Tampering with Gaia like they keep doing is only going to hurt us ALL."

"You think I don't KNOW that? But who are WE to judge? The five of us have seen lands and times humans NEVER have. Even if humans kill each other off, life will still go on." Tenku explained.

Kongo watched with no small bought of irritation as Tenku walked to the nearest tree and leaned against it, crossing his arms almost nonchalantly. "And make Gaia SUFFER. Is THAT what you WANT??"

Tenku sighed and the wind blew around them. "You KNOW that all of us are protective of Gaia in our own way. I don't like seeing her maturation slow any more than YOU. But overreacting like this isn't going to solve our problem any FASTER."

"Not to mention...you're letting the poor girl...FREEZE to death." A new voice announced.

Both elements turned human looked to the canopy and gave a confused blink.

"Korin??" Kongo asked, scratching his head in confusion.

"What're YOU doing here??" Tenku asked his opposite.

How was KORIN able to speak NOW?? It was pitch black outside! The sun didn't come up for a little yet! Korin shouldn't have any POWER!

"The...stars. But...still can't talk well...with you three...hiding from the light..."

Nodding, Kongo silently waved Stardust to follow him, a disarming smile on his face. His eyes briefly roamed her form in trepidation as she valiantly tried to hide a limp.

He turned and kept in step as he walked backwards. "You're still in pain. Need some help?"

The hand holding a throbbing arm quickly shifted as she crossed her arms to throw the elemental off and only appear cold. Even though she WAS, the cold helped numb her skin to the pain...though the goosebumps on her body weren't helping!

"I'll manage." She sheepishly mumbled. "Thank you for offering though." She gave a small, polite bow.

Kongo gave her a strange look, but shrugged and turned around.

Both Kongo and Stardust stopped outside the canopy to find a barrage of stars shining amongst a quarter moon. "Better?" Kongo asked.

Tenku held back and leaned against a tree trunk. Though he wouldn't be able to hear Korin as well as the others, it was the price he paid. His power was space; infinite nothing and comforting dark. One would dim their power by being in either light or dark. Though the stars were in space, the dark blanket extinguished much of their light. It allowed JUST enough for the opposites to converse in their elemental form.

"It's enough until dawn." Korin answered.

Tenku gave an almost absent nod and crossed his arms, eyes closed to listen. Tenku knew what Korin was saying. Dawn or dusk was THE closest hour when light and dark existed together, allowing both elementals to converse to the height of their power.

"So...what do you intend to do NOW...Tenku?"

Tenku looked to the stars on the horizon and raised a human brow. "What're you implying?" Those dark blue eyes narrowed a little. "I don't intend on doing ANYTHING. YOU know that."

"But you ALREADY did something!" Kongo shot out, pointing an accusing finger at Tenku. "You STARTED this whole mess by interfering and saving this girl in the FIRST place. And now that you started the rock rolling, you don't want to stop it or change its course."

"I certainly don't want to be...responsible in picking the...pieces up." Korin added. "Use your kanji...and help us think of a...SOLUTION."

Tenku sighed and rested his head as far forward as it'd go.

Stardust watched him from her shivering position under the stars. His chosen figure was reed-like in appearance, even if those odd, baggy garments throw the eye off. When his eyes opened under blue sky hair, her attention quickly she away to avoid further embarrassment.

Deep blue found Lord of Kongo in the near identical position, save for the lord of land and rock was in a seemingly favored cross-legged position. She eyed this new form, intrigued as the style of clothes. The bandana turned out to be yellow with a little help from the stars as luminescence. A medium blue, baggy sleeved shirt adorned his torso. Odd, thick red ribbons were tied at his shoulders in an almost feminine way. But she knew those twin ropes had to stand for SOMETHING... White, grossly baggy pants adorned the pair; feet bare. As with Tenku, white bandages wrapped up nearly to their collarbones. How odd that those strips served as an inner shirt, even if the other one Kongo and Tenku wore were tied with sashes at the waist. There was still a slit down the chest, giving away little...but an easy eye distraction on their attractive build.

She fought a blush, even if it warmed her a tad.

It seemed the moon changed position, but still all was quiet. She hadn't moved from the spot, even if her body was still pained, and she was both hungry and thirsty. Exhaustion was starting to creep up, dragging her lids down. But she didn't move, as though a spell was woven the second her human-form companions stopped moving.

After the moon seemed to shift even further, Tenku's frustrated sigh blue the cold night wind around her. "This is hopeless." He answered.

Kongo looked up from his perch on the ground. "I can't think of anything either." He quietly agreed. Kongo also sighed, a hand going through his hair. His deep eyes looked to the stars. "The sun will rise before too much longer..."

"Then my brothers...return to your true forms and let's all think of something in the meantime. The only one unknowledgeable is Suiko."

"I'll tell him." Kongo answered. The earth suddenly rose up and surrounded his form. The ground fell back with gravity guiding it. When the split second occurrence stopped, the ground was smooth.

Kongo turned back to his original form.

She watched with no small amount of awe. Wide eyes blinked. One would think her a little less frazzled after her brief time with Tenku. But Tenku was simply surrounded by swirling mist winds and vanished when the mists parted. Such a thing as watching a man being engulfed by earth was QUITE shocking.

She gave a sudden yawn, quickly yanking both head and eyes up before she fell. A quick step was taken to be sure of that.

"Brother...before you leave...is there something you can do for the poor girl?"

Tenku looked to the horizon with another sigh. The wind blew, making her shiver and goosebump. She fought a wince at the brief return of dull pain. "You and your kanji." He mumbled.

"There's nothing wrong with courtesy." Korin almost amusingly defended.

Tenku gave a brief smile before donning a more serious look. "Kongo...I need your help."

Within seconds, as if having never left, a tall mound of dirt popped up and fell to the ground, leaving a clean and standing Kongo in its place. "Did you need something important brother? I was talking to Suiko."

"Can you make a tall, bowl-shaped structure for Stardust to stay in for tonight? Make the walls tall enough to keep most of the wind out. I'll not stop my powers just for a few hours."

"Easy." Kongo replied. "Stand a few more paces over." He gently ordered.

After she moved, Kongo's hand rose into the air, bringing up four dirt walls. She gave a surprised cry as her dress whipped around. Clutching her arms tighter, she tried to maintain balance.

Her gaze looked to the walls and above. The tip was inches above her head, but not TOO tall that she'd get buried if she tired to get out by breaking the walls down. Just outside the wall, an incredible wind blew and then a large pile of autumn leaves collapsed over her head. She gave a startled cry and instinctually covered her face with her hands to keep from getting pieces in her eyes.

After the barrage stopped, she looked to find leaves up to her knees. It looked like a lot, but that was because she could touch both sides with her palms.

"You'll be safe in there and those leaves should keep you somewhat warm until the sun rises." She looked up and dumbly blinked upon finding Tenku's upper body resting on the lip of earth.

"How...how can you-"

He waved her question off. I'm air. "This form is created from wind and magic." His form evaporated, as if to prove his point.

"Something will get figured out. For now...rest and regain your strength."

Regain her strength?

She slumped to her knees, crunching a great deal of leaves in the process. This life was NOT how it was supposed to go... At the VERY least...she was SUPPOSED to be DEAD. Now that she knew of this life after being a sacrifice, she almost wished for death. If only her will to live wasn't so strong...

With exhaustion, hunger, pain, thirst, loneliness, sadness, rejection, and longing for something to comfort her, arms slowly moved the leaves to cover her body. After managing to burrow herself to the bottom, the leaves up to her chin, she leaned against the dirt wall upon finding it solid. She looked to the night sky and caught a glimpse of stars through the dying canopy. Sadness choked her and a tear welled, falling to her cheek. Tenku...was he ALWAYS this cold?...

With a mournful sigh, her eyes closed to the image of her mother running down the path to her. Another tear fell before she almost instantly dropped into blissful unconsciousness.