"Star Lovers" by Ai Yuukan

Chapter 12

"You will tell me what Seiryuu told you." Nakago demanded of the Seiryuu seishi. Lilian was in her chamber, staring at the wall wordlessly. After Nakago had deposited Yui on a bed made ready for her, he had unceremoniously picked her up in his arms and taken her to a nearby chamber, dumped her on the bed, and had stared at her for a good twenty minutes.
Lilian couldn't hear Nakago. All she could think of was. Seiryuu. Her eyes still wide with shock, she didn't do anything when her fondest memory overwhelmed her senses. She could remember the day like it was yesterday.
"Uncle! Wait up!" Little Kathryn called out, hurrying to keep up with her sisters and the tall man with them. The tall, green-haired man turned. Little Lilian giggled when her second youngest sister finally caught up with them and made a great show of being exhausted. "Uncle!" She complained. "You were walking too fast!"

Little Vivien, with her red-gold curls, laughed. "But you were walking too slow, Kate!"
The man smiled a rare smile. "Where's Samantha?" He asked in a deep, cool voice. Lilian looked up at her father and smiled. "She's over there, daddy! See her? Over there looking at the rabbit!"
The father turned, saw their tiniest cousin staring at a rabbit in the grass, who was staring right back at her, and smiled. "Samantha. We have to go meet your fathers!"
Samantha turned and smiled. "Okay!" She chirped. She ran on her short legs to the tall, green-haired man and looked behind her. The rabbit looked like it wanted to follow her! She giggled with delight.
Lilian looked up at her father. "Daddy? Can they stay with us a little bit longer?" She begged. "Please?" She looked up at her father with her big blue eyes.
Her father's eyes, just as blue, stared right back down at her. He smiled. "Don't you want to see your uncles again, Lily?"
Lilian looked thoughtful. "Not really. I just want to spend the day with you, daddy. Oh, please? Oh, please, oh please, oh please?"
The tall man chuckled. "We're going to spend the day with your uncles and your cousins, Lily." He said, deciding to tell her the day's plans. "We're going to go to the river, Lily. We're going to fish, then your uncle is going to treat us to ice cream. Then we'll go to the zoo and see the fireworks later this evening. How does that sound?"
Lilian looked happy. "All of us?"
"All of us."
Lilian smiled cheerfully. "That's good. I really like fishing!"

The man smiled. "I know."
Lilian watched her cousins race ahead on the path. "Daddy. do we have any mommies? People always ask us that."
Her father sighed. "I've told you the answer to that many times, Lily. Yes, all of you have mommies."
Lilian sighed, a sound not unlike her father's. "But where are they?"
"All of you have. mothers. But they're. different."
"How, daddy?"
Her father sighed, looked around, and leaned down to pick up a daisy that was growing on the path. He showed it to Lilian. "Do you see this flower, Lily?"
"Uh-huh."
He showed her the petals. "Aren't they beautiful?"
Lilian smiled. "They're pretty, daddy!"

Her father smiled. "What do you think is prettier, then? The petals or the center?"
"The petals of course!"
"And the stem?"
Lilian frowned. "What about it? It's green, daddy. It looks okay, but not as pretty as the petals!" She declared.
"Think of this flower as a person."
"It's alive?"
The man smiled again. "In a sense."
"It's a flower-person?"
"Er. just listen, okay, Lily? Let's call the stem the soul, okay? And the center, the mind. The petals represent the body."
"Like mine?" Lilian asked, pointing to her arm.
"Yes, like yours. But this flower is all grown up. Do you think the stem would look as pretty without the flower?"
"No.?"

"The center is the life of this flower, as the mind is the life of the person. Without the flower, the stem wouldn't be complete.."
"It's just be a green stick, right?" Lilian said, sounding as if she had said she had just said something very intelligent. Her father had to keep back a sigh.
"Er. you can say that. But the flower, if it were not for the stem, wouldn't even be there."
"Can flowers grow without stems, daddy?"
Her father couldn't keep from sighing. "Perhaps a flower isn't the best example. Lilian. when two bodies merge. you get a child."
"Like me?"
". at times. What people rarely know. what they haven't discovered. is that when two souls merge. you get the same result."
"Another child?"
"Yes. A child that is the result of the merging of two souls has a father. but no biological mother."
Lilian started to whimper. "You mean. I don't have a mommy?"
"You do, you do." The father hastily assured his daughter. "This sort of merging only takes place in one world. the world I tell you about at night, Lily."
Lilian's eyes widened with curiosity. and wonder. "The book world?"
Her father nodded. "Only four beings are able to merge souls in that world. That world. is your home, little Lily."
Lilian pointed at the ground beneath her feet. "But I'm already home."
Her father sighed in exasperation. "Let's just say we're having an extended vacation here in this world. You. Lily, are not the result of bodily merging."
"I'm a child of a merging of souls?"
Her father sighed, relieved that Lilian was finally grasping his point. He had been waiting for this time for three long years. He had been waiting too long. "Daddy. Are you a very special person in the book world?"
He smiled wryly. "You can say that."
"Daddy?"
"Yes, Lily?"

"How was I born?"
Her father closed his eyes. Lilian was quite quick-minded when she put her mind to it. She was her father's child indeed. "A girl. not very long ago. called a god from one of the palaces of the heavens to grant her three wishes. You were born from these wishes, Lily."
"Really?"
"Really." He smiled. "When the god granted her first wish, you were born. When the second wish was granted, you started to grow with its strength. The girl gave a little bit of herself every wish to the god. Bit by bit, part of her soul gave you strength. And you grew. However, by the third wish, a balance in the book world was thrown askew. You stopped receiving her strength then. and remained incomplete."
"I'm incomplete?" Poor girl, she probably didn't understand most of what he was saying, but she was absorbing as much information as she could.
"The second wish was enough to ensure your survival. You need something else. Lily. You need your own fate, your own mind, own heart, own soul."
"I don't have my own soul?"
"It is incomplete. To complete it, fulfill your own destiny and be truly alive."
"Alive? But I'm alive right now, aren't I, Daddy?"
Her father didn't answer. Lilian sighed, exasperated. Her father smiled, amused. She really was a great deal like him. "Daddy?"
"Yes, Lily?"
"Are you that god?"
The father sighed and turned away. Now wasn't the time to answer her. She was already three years old, going on four, but still. too young. He would answer her question. later. At least ten years from now. "Daddy?"
"Lily!" Vivien, Kathryn, and Samantha all ran to Lilian and her father, with their own respective fathers in tow. Lilian sighed. "We'll talk later, okay, daddy?" She said in a very grown-up voice.
Her father chuckled.
She closed her eyes. Of course. She had never asked her father that question again. Her father was Seiryuu. But how could that be? She finally saw Nakago. He deserved to know. "Nakago. Seiryuu is."
Nakago just looked at her with cold, narrowed eyes filled with suspicion. "He's what?"
Lilian sighed and pressed a hand to her heart, still unable to believe it herself. "Seiryuu is. my father."
Nakago walked over to her and glared at her suspiciously. "What nonsense is this?"
"Nonsense?" Lilian turned away. "I wish it was. My father is Seiryuu. My sisters. used to be my cousins." She began to remember. "Vivien and Anne's father was Suzaku. Samantha's father was Genbu, and Kathryn's father was Byakko. My sister, Erin, is also Seiryuu's daughter. When I was ten, Genbu, Byakko, and Suzaku disappeared. My father, Seiryuu, adopted my cousins and became their foster father. We became sisters."
Lilian's heart trembled when she saw her cousins crying in her bedroom. Peeking into her room, she wondered why they were crying. What was going on? She turned around. She wanted to know what was going on. Her sister Erin, and her cousin, Anne, walked past her.
"Wait! Erin! Anne!"
Her sister and cousin turned around. She was surprised to see Anne's face tear-streaked and her eyes red after hours of crying. Anne never cried. "What's going on?"
Erin stared sadly at her younger sister. "We. don't really know all of it, Lily. Go ask father."
Lilian nodded. "Okay." She fairly ran to her father's room and was surprised to see him sitting at the table, sipping his coffee, as normal as can be. "Dad?"

Her father turned. "Lily. are you okay? You look like you've just seen a ghost."
"Dad?" Lilian stepped up to her father. "Why. are my cousins crying?"

Her father sighed. "Your uncles are gone, Lily."
"Gone?" Lilian was shocked. "Where did they go?"
"Back to the book world."
Lilian was speechless for a good ten minutes, but her curiosity got the best of her and she spoke again, "Why? Why couldn't they stay here?"
"Because they were not strong enough."
"But you are?" Lilian asked, even if she already knew the answer. Her father had been the strongest of his brothers, but her uncles had also been strong.
"I am." He said without hesitation. He motioned to the papers in front of him. "I'm signing the adoption papers now. Your cousins are going to be your sisters very soon."
"But why?" Not that Lilian wasn't happy, she was ecstatic! She adored her cousins, and as sisters, they would be closer than ever. but she still wanted to know why.
"I'm going to become their foster father. They will see their fathers again, Lily, but in a couple of years. Anne and Erin are already fourteen, Lily. When they grow up and go to universities, you're going to be the eldest. I want you to take care of your sisters, understand? They'll look to you soon, and I want you to protect them. Do you understand?"
Lilian looked away. "Yes, daddy." Her eyes became sad. Her best friends had lost their fathers, she was lucky her father was still here. She hugged her father. "Daddy?"
"Yes, Lily?"
"I love you, daddy."
Her father was silent for a long while. Lilian knew why he was hesitating. In all the years she'd known her father, he'd never once expressed his love for his daughter. Lilian, for a fleeting instant, felt vulnerable.
"I love you too, Lily."
Lilian couldn't look at Nakago. "When I was twelve, my father finally brought my sisters and I to Mt. Taikyoku. to train."
"Ahh!" Kathryn stared at Taittsukun, aghast at her ugliness. "She's so ugly!!!!"
Taittsukun responded to Kathryn's rudeness by blasting her against the wall. Lilian's sisters all sweatdropped, seeing Kathryn crumpled in a heap. Taittsukun cleared her throat again. "Now that that's settled. You will tell me your names and I will give you another one."
"Huh?" Samantha was confused. "Don't you already know our names?"
Vivien nodded. "Yeah! Lilian's dad said you did."
Taittsukun frowned. "I want your names. Give them to me."
Erin sighed. Her father had told Lilian and her to obey Taittsukun at all times. "My name is Erin Smith. I am sixteen years old."
Taittsukun nodded her approval of Erin's obedience. "Very good. Your other name is Shiho."
"Shiho?"
"Yes. What is your name?" She asked of Lilian.
Eager to earn approval, Lilian nodded. "My name is Lilian Smith! I am twelve years old!"
"Your other name is Taishi."
"I'm Vivien Smith!"
"Kyoku."
"I am Anne Smith."
'Koukyuu."
"Samantha Smith."
"Tei."
"My name's Kathryn Smith." Kathryn said, crawling over to her sisters, her nose painfully red.
Taittsukun humphed. "Shoshi."
"Why do we have two names?" Lilian ventured, curious. Her other sisters looked at her, surprised. Taittsukun looked at her thoughtfully. Finally, she nodded. "All of you are children of the four gods of this world. As some of your souls are complete, some of your souls are incomplete. Four of you will find your destinies sooner. Five of you are my seishi, and serve the balance that I work to secure. My Miko is one of you. There are two more seishi from your world, but their time will come much later. after the initial six have fulfilled their destinies. Your fathers have sent you here to train as seishi. Although one of you is my Miko, a miko must have certain skills as well." Lilian couldn't keep her questions to herself. "Will the Miko be found before the last two seishi are discovered? Do you already know which one of us is your Miko?" Taittsukun stared at Lilian. "That is a very good question. Yes, the Miko will be discovered among you six before the last two seishi arrive. Once a Miko has been chosen among your number, I will bring the last two seishi here. Together, all of you must gather the four Shinzahos of Byakko, Genbu, Suzaku, and Seiryuu. Call all five gods, myself included, and my Miko shall have three wishes like all the other Mikos. One of those wishes must be to ensure the balance of the Shi Jin Ten Chi Sho, and once that is done, all your destinies shall be fulfilled, the book shall be sealed, and all shall be well. However, three of your number shall remain in the book, while the other three will return to your world. The last two seishi will also be separated." Lilian looked stricken. "We'll be separated? Will we ever see each other again?" "That," Taittsukun said solemnly. "Is for your hearts to decide." "We trained under Taittsukun for three years, and finally, we returned to our world. Taittsukun cast a spell on all of us, causing us to temporarily forget our training and this world until the time would come when we would arrive here." Lilian smiled wryly. "Of the six of us, I was the most accomplished. Of course, our elder sisters, Erin and Anne, were the strongest power-wise, but I was the most skillful and disciplined with my magic. My symbol appeared the day I met you." Lilian said, remembering. "And it glowed when I met Tatara, the Byakko seishi, for no reason." "I am Seiryuu's youngest daughter. Seiryuu is my father. and Yui-sama is my soul mother." "Your mother is Yui-sama?" Now at that, Nakago was truly shocked. Lilian smiled. "I always wondered why I felt so close to her. I am a child of soul-merging. When Seiryuu and Yui merged their souls, I was the result. I was born from the essence of Seiryuu." "How did you meet Yui-sama?" Lilian smiled. "I thought it was the most incredible coincidence then. now I know better. My father set us up." "Where are we going for vacation this summer, Dad?" Lilian asked, passing the rolls to her ever-hungry sister, Vivien. Vivien took the rolls gratefully and rolled all five unto her plate. Everyone smiled as she began to devour her dinner. Lilian's father smiled patiently. "I thought I would let all of you decide." Everyone looked up at that. "COOLNESS!" They all exclaimed. He smiled. "But you only have two choices: Japan. or Washington D.C.?" Kathryn frowned. "But, uncle, we visit D.C. every month! You're not giving us much of a choice, you know." Samantha looked thoughtful. "I don't know. a vacation in the big city." Lilian made a face. "Doesn't sound much like a vacation to me." She grumbled. Lilian's father sighed. "Very well. you can choose any destination you want, but make sure you think of where we should stay." "My father hinted that he wanted us to go Japan when he mentioned that my sisters and I had the choice of vacation, but he never mentioned it again. Of course, he knew we were going to choose Japan all along, but he nudged us in that direction about two years ago." "Dad? I need some help with my French." Her father smiled, not looking away from the computer. "What's your grade in it, so far?" "I'm making an A, but if I blow tomorrow's test, I could go down a whole letter grade!" Lilian said worriedly. Her father sighed. Lilian worried over the strangest things. Lilian had been a child genius at age five, and had gotten straight As ever since first grade. as for her sisters. "You'll do fine." He assured his daughter. Then he said carefully, "Lily, why don't you focus more on your social life? Your grades are perfect as they are." Lilian frowned. "And I want to continue that perfection, daddy. I don't have time for friends." "How about your sisters?" "But I'm different, daddy!" She insisted. "If I graduate with good grades, get my degrees, and get a good-paying job, then I will be able to pay for Samantha and Kate's education!" "Are you saying I can't afford it?" Her father sounded indignant. Lilian smiled. "No, of course not, daddy. But I want to help the family too!" Seiryuu sighed. His daughter was taking her promise much too seriously. She cared for her own sisters rather than her own happiness now. "Why don't you make some friends, though, Lily. to keep a sound mind." "Are you saying my mind's not sound?" She frowned. "No. but too much work and no play. You'll end up miserable, Lily." "But daddy." "Listen, why don't you give it a try? I'll ask Vivien to ask her penpal, Miaka, to introduce you to one of her friends. You'll go crazy if you keep this up, Lily." " I must be the only kid with a parent that doesn't approve of his kid's accomplishments and ambitions." She muttered, disgruntled. Seiryuu chuckled. "Just give it a try, Lily." He coaxed. Lilian groaned. "Fine. but don't blame me if I work twice as hard to make up for the time I'm going to waste with a penpal." She grumbled. "Yui and I became penpals. We got along well because both of us liked studying. For our vacation, we decided to visit Japan after all. I met Yui. we were in the library." Lilian's eyes became shadowed. ".talking. Seiryuu. my father. somehow put me in a trance. and somehow made me." Lilian closed her eyes. ". come here." Nakago didn't understand most of Lilian's words. but he got the general idea. "Seiryuu is your father. and Yui-sama is your mother, not biologically, of course, but she is your mother." Lilian sighed and turned away. She felt better, confessing almost everything to Nakago. but somehow, she felt better. Seiryuu was her father. now, it no longer seemed so shocking. She was the daughter of a god. and miracle of miracles, her head was neither swelled or deflated. She smiled wryly. It didn't change anything. especially her feelings about Nakago. Nakago knew she didn't notice when he left the room to leave her to her own thoughts. Seiryuu was Lilian's father. he should have known. It was finally explained why the god communicated with her so frequently. He went next door to call on Yui. She was awake. He entered the room, sat in the chair next to her bed, and held her hand. "I see you've awakened, Yui- sama." Yui felt dazed. "I." Suddenly, everything returned to her. "That's right. I summoned Seiryuu and." She frowned, also remembering that Lilian had also been spoken to by Seiryuu. She hadn't been able to hear when Seiryuu had said to Lilian, but she knew it had been of extreme importance.

Nakago nodded. "Please, Yui-sama. Use the first wish immediately." Yui nodded, remembering her duty. She closed her eyes. This is for you, Lily. Finally, we have our revenge. "That's right. The moment has finally come." She drew in a breath. "Kaijin."