Chapter 4: Return to the Familiar

Later that night Tamahome and Miaka were out looking over the courtyard together. Suddenly, he felt his knee give from a pressure behind it. He fell forward to his knees. Miaka looked down at him surprised. A small girl with long black hair and green eyes walked in front of the fallen Tamahome. "You promised not to grow any taller until I started to catch-up."

She turned to face Miaka. "I said have faith."

"Did you really have to hit me?"

"When else would I have the chance?"

"I missed something. You look five again but you remembered what happened earlier today."

"The hourglass was flipped, and I started over from the beginning. I didn't scream this time so Mom and Dad shouldn't even know I'm gone. I'd hate to ask, but can I have the clip back? I want to give it to you then."

"Sure."

He handed it to her. "Yep, this is how big I remembered it. I better go so they won't worry. Miaka, I swear he will be there for you even if I have to fire him myself."

"Don't be harsh."

"See you in five years Miaka."

She waved as she slipped time. Jade returned to a time when she was five, now in a body of five years. Her mind however still kept sixteen years in it. She looked into her mirror. The hourglass hadn't faded yet. All the sand was in the top chamber. "What happens when an hourglass empties? It is flipped and started over from the beginning."

Jade slipped into her bed waiting for a day she missed to be rewritten. As the sun lifted above the horizon Jade awoke. She ran down the hall to the kitchen. Her parents were both there. Mother was making breakfast, and Father had a gold nugget next to him as he scrawled plans on a small paper. Jade walked to the table. It was just under her chin. "A bird?"

He patted her on the head. "Not just a bird, it will be Suzaku."

"Not very big for a God."

"It will be an ornament. Like something on a desk or in a bookshelf."

"Can I see it before you turn it over?"

"Of course you can."

"Have you seen Tamahome yet?"

"He never gets a day off does he?"

"How selfish. He must need a day off by now."

"Don't worry. I doubt he'd skip today. I have to pay him for the week."

He smiled, but Jade frowned. Her eyes were deep with a serious look, the blonde man. "Why do I need protection? Nobody else has a bodyguard."

"Jade, I'll explain everything to you when you're older."

She knew that was the signal to drop the subject. Outside she saw Tamahome coming. She put her shoes on and started to run towards Tamahome. Jade was light but also very fast. Tamahome stopped and waited to catch her when she jumped. Jade also didn't have a strong grip. She jumped up to give Tamahome a hug. The jump was fine. She locked her arms behind his neck as her face buried into his chest. A few seconds later, like every other time, her grip slipped. Tamahome grabbed both sides of her waist and lowered her back down. "You shouldn't do that. What if I couldn't catch you?"

"You would never let that happen."

She held out a small white box tied in green ribbon. "What's that for?"

She shrugged and pushed the box towards him. "No reason and every reason at once."

He carefully took the box from her. "Sometimes you make no sense."

"Glad that I make sense sometimes as well."

Carefully he untied the ribbon and slowly lifted the box cover. He moved the soft cotton around and found the clip. His mouth hung open. Jade clasped her hands behind her and smiled as she rocked on her feet. Tamahome thrust the box back towards Jade. "I can't accept this."

Her heart sank. "Why? What's wrong?"

"It's too much. I can't accept something so expensive."

"What do you mean?"

"Any pieces your dad makes, even the ones smaller than this, are more than I get paid in years."

"So, because Dad sculpted the symbols you won't accept it? I asked him to help me make it. I had saved enough of the gold left from his other works to make it."

He slowly pulled it back and put the clip on. "I will treasure it."

Jade had fun being a child. The seasons passed by. Tamahome and jade were only separated by the night. Even when Tamahome had a fever she stayed with him until he got better. He wondered why she never was ill. He mocked her cooking on how simple it was for her to make a meal that is normally difficult to get right, yet she had trouble with simple things like making rice. The time was nearing Nakago would be coming.

It was a summer morning. Jade sat on the mound surrounded by her mother's flowers. The stream was the only sound this early. The wind hadn't even woken up yet. The first light of the sun was now starting to show. She went inside and waited in the kitchen. The Goldsmith pulled his head around the corner surprised to see anyone up this early. "Jade? What's wrong? Why are you awake this early? Did you have a bad dream?"

"Could you tell me now? I want to know what I need protection from."

"Is it really that important to you?"

She wanted to hear it from him not the evil giant. "Yes."

"Some very powerful people think somehow you have a gift. We moved to keep them from ever bothering you. The protection is in case they do manage to find you. Tamahome has the heart of a fighter. He seemed best suited for the job."

"Thank you for telling me."

"Can you feel danger coming?"

"I know it is Dad."

He handed her a small gold knife. "Use it only if you have no other choice."

Tamahome arrived shortly and they spent most of the day walking around the streets of town. Jade saw it first on the way back. The door was torn from the hinges. "Mom?! Dad?!"

Tamahome held her back. "Something's wrong. Don't rush in."

They slowly approached. It was quiet. The house was empty. "Tamahome, I don't want to stay here."

"They'll come back Jade, don't worry."

They went back outside. Tamahome was trying to explain why they would be gone as Jade saw him. Nakago jumped from the roof and landed behind Tamahome. All she could manage was a few steps back before she froze. He was huge before but now she felt as big as a speck of dirt to his height. Tamahome turned in time to be thrown to the side. He was thrown a good ten feet. Jade ran to him. "Oni, are you alright?"

"I'm okay. Keep away from him. That man is powerful."

Nakago grabbed Jade and started to walk away carrying her under his arm. "Why did you call that boy Oni?"

She wasn't going to give him away. "Oniisan. Let me go, you hurt him."

"That will be all I've done to him if he's smart. I came to get you."

He seemed immune to the childish attacks. She pulled his hair, kicked, and punched. His response was to tighten his grip until it hurt enough to stop her struggling. "Are you about done?"

Tamahome still hadn't gotten up and he was walking away. She pulled the small knife from where she kept it strapped to her upper left arm. She jabbed it into his side. He lost his grip and she ran back to Tamahome's side. The knife was hidden again before he turned around. "Jade, don't make this difficult. I can kill him too."

She dropped to her knees defeated. "No. Don't involve him."

He again started to carry her away. "I can walk."

"You can also run, now shut-up."

Tamahome stood up. He looked okay. Jade was not done with her tricks. She started to get ready to time slip. Nakago noticed the energy. "What do you think you're going to do now?"

Tamahome grabbed her hand trying to pull her free from Nakago. She forced it to stop like when Miaka wouldn't let go. There was a flash of green light and Jade passed out. Nakago pushed Tamahome away again. "Well little one, maybe you do have some use. You're very powerful already. I'd suspect dangerous if you hadn't stopped when your friend showed up again."

He only now noticed she was unconscious. After he arrived at his destination he noticed the blood. He took Jade to their best doctor. "What happened?"

"She stopped her own spell."

"Most of the damage was internal but it looks like the bleeding has stopped."

Jade found herself in a bedroom not knowing three days had passed. She tried the door to find it locked. The windows were also locked and jammed from the outside. With nothing else to do she sat back on the bed. Her thoughts drifted. She wondered what Miaka was doing in her world. The door opened. Jade made no motion. Nakago entered. "I hope you feel better."

The falseness of his concern came out in the tone of his voice. "I hope the hole in your side gets infected."

"So bitter. I thought you used this."

He had the gold knife in his hand. "Give that back!"

She ran at him. Nakago just lifted his hand out of her reach. "Dangerous things like this are not meant for children."

Her eyes lit up and the hourglass again appeared. "Give it back to me."

He tossed the knife to the ground. "I'm surprised you have that much power left. If you ever think of using it on me again I will destroy your little treasure."

"How many times are you going to kill me?"

"What are you complaining about?"

"Everything you've taken from me; my family, friends, and now I'm sealed in this room."

"When I figure out a way to keep you from running off you will be able to get out of this room."

"Three days and my word."

"To do what?"

"Say good-bye to a friend."

"This will be the last time you ask to leave?"

"You have my honor that I will return in three days if I am allowed to go alone."

"If I send someone to watch you?"

"I can guarantee you'd ever see me again."

"Your friend dies if you vanish."

"How would I know if I slipped time to fifty years from now? Will you allow my request?"

"I'll lead you out."

"I can find my way."

Her walk was uneventful and lonely. She finally arrived at Tamahome's home. His mother answered the door. "Is Tamahome home?"

"Sorry, he says he doesn't want to talk to anyone right now."

"Can you tell him it's an Emerald Jade please?"

"I can try."

She disappeared into the dim house. A few moments later Tamahome was at the door. "I thought you were taken."

"I was. This is borrowed time. You didn't fail. You'll get stronger and beat him."

"Don't go back."

"I gave my word. Besides if I don't he'll just start looking for me again. I'll be fine waiting for you."

"Well since I'm the only one left who knows the line I guess I have to say it. Good luck and I'll see you later my Emerald eyed Jade."

"In Dad's shop there is a small piece that needs to be delivered. Would you do that for him? The place it needs to go is on the paper under it."

"I guess it will be a while before you come back then. I'll deliver it, not to worry."

She started to go back. Tamahome made no motion to stop her. Even this young he knew her word was something she would not go back on. He watched her until he could no longer see her then he went to her father's workshop. He found the bird and the address right away. He was drawn to the bench. There he found a picture Jade drew. It was of the two of them sitting on the mound looking out over the field. She had her father's gift. He noticed it was colored with flower pigments. "She put a ton of work into this."

He picked it up and carefully rolled it. Beside it was a locket. It looked like it was just finished. He opened it to find two small images in the halves. He was the master goldsmith. In gold was both he and Jade. Inscribed under him was 'Hero' and under Jade was 'Princess'. He carefully closed the shop. He was surprised that when he delivered the bird he was paid for the item. He thought to himself, "Jade you really are a princess. Wait, I will save you."

Jade always found trouble. She was so close to having kept her word early when she was stopped at the gate. She tried to ignore the guard and walk in. That idea was promptly stopped. She tried to run inside but they shut the gate on her. They pulled her back as she was squeezing between the gate bars.

She walked down the wall to the spot she tried to climb where she first met Nakago. She started to scale the wall. Almost halfway up she heard someone coming. "Jade, what are you doing?"

She looked down at Nakago. "Since I wasn't being let in the front door I'm going in this way."

"Get down."

She started to climb the wall; she was going to finish. He saw she was continuing up and just pulled her off the wall. She was only six feet from the ground. "Hey, let go. I didn't do anything wrong."

"Ignore my request and I'll ignore yours."

She tried to struggle free. Again his reaction was to tighten his grip around her. This time she just struggled more. Again he tightened, she blacked out, as there was a cracking sound from within her.

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Author Note: Quick question for the audience. For Chichiri is "you know" or "no da" preferred? Probably about through 10% of what I have written in my spiral notebook but the end isn't finished either.