Chapter 3 Dawn of Beginning
Author's note: Thank you for your reviews, much appreciated. The fact that gaiden has not been completed has made me slightly messed up, because im not sure what I find is true or simply speculation. So in the end I do everything my way. It may differ from what you know, so keep in mind this is fanfiction! Anyway, enjoy the third chapter.
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Seven centuries.
Seven centuries of darkness; of pain, remorse and battles.
Seven centuries protecting the dimensional gate – alone.
And now...
Konzen.
"He's changed," She whispered sadly to the mirror. "Tantei really did wipe me from all the deities' minds... I'm now just another Goddess." She looked down ruefully at her costume. "A forgotten goddess."
She had dressed herself in a kimono, like the other females. Only Yuri was not used to wearing the kimono, not after seven hundred years. Unlike the gay females, her costume was long, double layered but open at the front, indicating high status and maturity.
It had always been this way, she thought as she wound part of her hair into a bun. After seven centuries, her hair had reached the floor. Bunching it up helps, but she didn't like to cut her hair. Her mind recalled her earlier meeting with Konzen. "He's forgotten me," She said aloud, but then chuckled. "But his hair is in the same style as mine!"
"Yuri-sama?"
She looked at her door, where a guard stood. "Tantei will grant you audience. Please come with me."
Still the old fool? She wondered as she gathered her skirts and daintily walked behind the guard. True to Heaven's form, nothing has changed much – not the surroundings anyway. The people are more or less the same – only they don't remember her at all...
The doors to the Judgment Hall was opened, and she calmly walked down the centre of the long room, the space strangely empty. Of course, she realized. Not many people still remember who she was...
"Yuri Gensui."
The loud boom made her look up and instantly she dropped to one knee, bowing her head respectfully. "Yuri only, my lord. I am no longer a Gensui."
Tantei regarded her imperiously and raised a questioning look at Kanzeon Bosatsu, who was lounging near his throne. "Raise your face, Yuri," She called out lazily. "Face the Tantei when you speak."
Yuri obediently did as she was told.
"Seven hundred years ago you were sentenced to exile for a grave crime," Tantei resumed after some thought. "Your sentence was for eternity, but circumstances have changed. Heaven now has use of your skills."
What else can it be? She thought bitterly. Surely I've been brought here to fight. But I've had enough. "I beg your mercy," She said quietly. "I no longer have the desire to fight. Exile me again if you may, but I cannot become a Gensui anymore."
"The task you're going to undertake is far more difficult than that, I believe," Tantei said wryly. "As a fact, we already have a very efficient war god, so we have no need for another one. The Southern Army has been dissolved and absorbed into other units, and the armies are currently under the capable hands of Li Touten – "
Her head jerked up at the name. Li Touten?!
A figure emerged from the shadows from behind the throne, and Yuri narrowed her eyes. "Li Touten," She said softly.
The man inclined his head generously. "It has been a long time, Yuri Gensui."
"Please accept my delayed congratulations," She said wryly. "And one for your son."
"Nataku is currently in the world below, dealing with Gyumou," Li said smoothly. "But I will relay your wishes."
"Back to the situation," Kanzeon interrupted, smiling that sly smile of hers. "I am sure you have met Goku, our...charge. I also assume you know who – or what he is."
"A heretic," Yuri said softly, not quite getting it. "And what of the child?"
"Goku has strength that can surpass Nataku, if properly trained," Kanzeon replied. "And every child needs a parent. I have to admit Konzen cannot be a mother and father at once, and none of the goddesses want to take him as their charge." She paused and Yuri understood. A pang of sadness stuck her heart. A pity for a child to be shunned just because he's a heretic...
Would it have been the same back then...?
The doors opened again and Yuri rose to her feet as Konzen entered, followed by Goku. The latter beamed when his eyes fell on her. "Yuri-chan!"
"Yuri, hereby known as Lady Yuri," Tantei announced gravely, "As of this day, you will join Konzen Douji as Goku's guardian. You will train him in the military arts and ensure that he understands the principles of war. Also," he added as an afterthought; "You will be forbidden to take any part in military affairs."
"Eh?" Goku cocked his head. "You're gonna be my guardian?" He jumped up and down and made her laugh. "Yes," She said after a moment and leant down to hug him. You'll be the child I never got the chance to love...
Li Touten watched the proceedings with displeasure. He was not happy with Yuri's return, and he definitely was not happy with Tantei's decision to train Goku as the next Taishi. Not when I've worked so hard to make my son one, he thought venomously. Damn woman, why does fate always have to be on your side?!
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Tenpou yanked out a scroll from underneath another mountain of scrolls, ignoring as the mountain toppled and scattered all over the already-messy floor. He unrolled the scroll and adjusted his spectacles, muttering to himself. His library was choked with the war history of the world below, but he still kept the few scrolls on the Upperworld's dark splotches of bloodshed.
"Found you..." he muttered in triumph as he scanned the scroll. It was the only one he could find – the record of the Southern Heavenly Army. Make that the existing record. For some reason, his well-equipped library had not a single volume on that division; save for this. Not much was said, only a brief praise on the strength and the illustrious record – how can they be illustrious if there's not a single record in the library?! "What else," he muttered as he scanned the yellowing scroll. Nothing else, except this - The marshal was a female – the only female in Tenkai's military history. A female, commanding the strongest division of the Heavenly Army.
Tenpou stroked his chin, frowning hard as he lit a cigarette. Having a female marshal in history is not something that can be overlooked. Even if she was erased, there must be traces... "Unless you eliminate the whole damn army..." He muttered. Then things would fall into place. There wouldn't be anything on the Southern Army because it was as if it never existed.
"Except this scroll," Tenpou mumbled thoughtfully. It didn't mention why, or who she was, but for some reason his thoughts kept returning to the woman he met earlier. The strange Goddess.
Seven hundred years ago... Tenpou sat back on his haunches. Seven hundred years ago he was only a child, one of the few who roamed Heaven that time. He could only remember Konzen, whom he had befriended since childhood, and later on, he met Kenren. It was possible that such an even was not imprinted in his mind due to his age...
The old hag had hinted that Yuri was someone in the military, he recalled and sorted through the scrolls. But there are no records of other females in the military, other than the Southern Army's Marshal, seven hundred years ago...
But if she was already a marshal seven hundred years ago, the she should be as old as Li Touten, he pondered. By her looks, she cannot be more than a hundred years older than me.
"This is impossible," He growled in frustration. Part of him wanted to give up the search and let it go, but he couldn't shake off the feeling that somewhere, somewhere in the past, they have met before. And she had meant something to him.
His mother?
No way, he knew who she was. A coward who doesn't want to take care of him, instead gave him to another deity to be raised. And that's when...
Tenpou frowned. The deity... he was raised by Kuraku until he was old enough to be on his own, which didn't take long. But Kuraku... there was someone who looked after him before Kuraku.
He groaned in defeat and flopped back among the scattered papers.
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You've changed, Konzen.
"What does she mean..." He muttered crossly as he pressed his seal in the ink pad and furiously stamped the document, making it smudged. "Damn!" He cursed, throwing himself back against his chair and closing his eyes. It was a quiet morning (Goku only came in once, complaining of hunger, and surprisingly didn't mess up anything), there were only a small pile of documents on his table, and the old hag hadn't come to pester him either.
In other words, it was promising to be a dull day. He sighed, closed his eyes and propped his feet up on the table, trying to get some rest. Goku had – surprises, surprises – snored all night, causing Konzen to wake up with a headache at full force. Goku, with his cheerful golden eyes, handing him a bunch of flowers...
Yuri, with her smiling gray eyes, handing him a bunch of flowers...
"The hell???" Konzen opened his eyes with a snap and sat forward, frowning heavily. Where did that image come from?!
"Konzen!!!"
His door slammed open, causing the top sheets of the pile to fly off the table. Goku came in, a bundle of energy, the insistent clink of the metal shackles accompanying his every bounce. "Konzen, it's a pretty day, and the sakura trees are in bloom! Come on, Konzen!"
"Baka..." Konzen bent down to retrieve and nearly knocked his head on the underside of the desk when Goku's voice was seconded by another pleasant voice. "He's right, Konzen-sama. The flowers are pretty, and I'm sure you're tired of looking at those wilted blooms on your desk," There was a hint of humor in the voice and Konzen slowly stood, eyes wary. True enough, Yuri was standing behind Goku, smiling.
"...I'm busy."
"Aww, you're always busy." Goku pouted chibishly. "Come on, I saw Ten-chan and Ken-chan head that way too."
Probably to find a secluded spot, Konzen thought derisively as he sat down again and stared with utmost dislike at the ruined document.
"Is this your job?"
He looked up to see Yuri leaning to look at the papers. There was a slight hint of amusement in her eyes, but one could say she looked decidedly calm. "It doesn't look like much, Konzen," She smiled at him. "Humor the kid, it really is a nice day."
It's always a nice day in heaven, Konzen thought derisively. The birds are always singing, the skies are always blue, honestly, why is Goku so worked up about today? "I'm busy," Konzen repeated shortly and picked up his pen. "Yuri, you're looking after Goku. Now do me a favor and do your job."
He didn't look up to see Goku's hurt face. But Goku obediently shuffled out, the chains clanking dolefully. But he did look up when the pile of papers were swept off the desk, right into Yuri's arms. He glared at her for a moment, and sighed. "Now what?"
"Don't be such a prick." She smiled again, that smile that was beginning to irritate him. It was fake, he knew. "Let me guess – you're not giving my papers back until I follow you to the sakura garden?" He growled and Yuri chuckled. "Ai... No, I just want you to listen to me." Her expression turned serious. "Goku came to me, really unhappy. And it was about you."
Konzen felt a headache gathering force. True, he was grumpier than usual, but he can't remember saying anything bad to Goku... nothing that the monkey would usually take offence. "So?"
"Consider it his way of saying sorry," Yuri gently set the papers down again and stared at Konzen for a second. "And you've just pushed it away," She said quietly and walked out of the room.
Konzen stared at the papers for a long while.
"Bosatsu-sama..."
Kanzeon stared out of the window, a smile on her lips. It was the kind of smile that made Jiroushin tremble, because he never knew what it meant. Being the loyal servant for one of the Great Bosatsu for millenias, he still couldn't figure out her mind. "Bosatsu-sama, the Heaven Administrators are calling a meeting tonight."
"They can shove their pathetic meetings up their sorry asses," Kanzeon said lazily. "Why the hell should I go? They've never asked for my opinion and I certainly won't give any, if all they're gonna talk about is war."
Jiroushin sweat-dropped. "But Bosatsu-sama, they specifically requested you to be present... as they're discussing Lady Yuri."
Kanzeon snorted. "Who's 'they'? The same 'they' who sentenced her to seven centuries of suffering?"
"Kanzeon-sama..."
Kanzeon sighed and waved her servant away. "I'll go, just leave me alone."
The doors closed with a dull echo and Kanzeon stared out of the window again, unsure of what to think now. She may not really be the All-merciful deity she's made to be, but she's no fool either. Hikaru's sentence was wrong, and it took her seven hundred years... seven hundred years to free her...
"I cannot remember," A pale, withdrawn Yuri whispered hoarsely. She leaned against the chipped wall, chained like a heretic. No, even worse than that. She was treated...like a slave.. Her body was battered from being beaten, and blood ran down her arms and face, caking on her skin. "I really cannot remember, Kanzeon-sama."
It was the few times in her eternal life did Kanzeon feel anger. "She's a criminal, so we treat her as a criminal," The gods who had beaten her had sneered. Idiots. First you scorn her for being a high-ranking goddess and now you beat her like a man. Heartless bastards.
"Yuri," Kanzeon slowly knelt. "I'll plead for a light sentence for you."
"Not me." Yuri had looked at her with sadness. "My child. What will happen to him?!"
A breath caught in her throat. The child... but it seems like Yuri knew, because she hung her head and tears mixed with the blood, running down her face. Sobs heaved the broken body, but none hurt more than the pain of a mother who had lost her child. Her child, even if it is half-youkai... "Why?"
A crime, a sin that cannot be forgiven. Never has something rocked heaven so violently than a god who had intercourse with a youkai, and bore a child. A heretic. And being the heartless bastards they were, the declared the child could not live – just to protect their sorry existence.
Except this case was different. Yuri had denied everything, and there was simply no way she could lie. But the fact remains that she had given birth to a half-breed – so she had to be sentenced. Many were in favor of turning her mortal and depriving her of her senses, so she would die a horrible death, but Kanzeon had pleaded, along with the other Bosatsu; to let her live. Live, but in the minds of others, she is forgotten. For surely there is nothing worse than to live and not remembered.
Forgotten, Kanzeon thought sadly as she looked out of her window. From where she stood, she could see the sakura gardens, their pink petals falling to the floor like rain. Even Konzen cannot remember you now...
Footnote: Getting on rather slow... reviews?