"The Naming Ceremony"
Author's Note: Wow, lookit that... another Pretear fic! This is a sequel of sorts to "Comfort", set about six years later. It's my take on what happens when Leafe Knights are born... told from Goh's POV this time since its really still just a Kei and Goh fic despite the fact that the story is about Mannen's Naming Ceremony... yeah... I love them so... ;-) Enjoy da ficcy!
*
*
*
*
I came awake all at once, my heart pounding and my ears ringing, as if someone had struck a large brass bell right next to my head. I leaned forward, sharply aware of the sound of my own breathing as I reached up to touch the silver collar that adorned my neck. My fingertips tingled when they touched it, like a weak electrical current was passing through my body.
"What is this?" I asked aloud. I knew I had been dreaming before I was forced awake, but now for the life of me I couldn't remember what it was.
"Goh."
The soft, echoing voice was too familiar for me to be confused by it, and a warm feeling spread through my chest, calming my trembling a little bit.
"Kei?" I whispered.
"Goh... it is time." This time it was Sasame's voice.
"Hurry up," Hayate added, his voice full of impatience and irritation.
Instantly I knew what they meant and I jumped out of bed, and before my feet could touch the carpeted floor of my bedroom in my tiny apartment, I was surrounded by the trees of Leafenia.
The first sound that reached my ears was unmistakable: the loud, hearty wail of a baby; a very upset baby, from the sounds of it. Straining my ears I flew towards the sound, moving as fast as I could, dodging trees right and left. My world narrowed to the sound of the baby's cries and I was only passively aware of the golden form of Kei flying beside me, slightly ahead of me and to my right.
A blast of cold air hit me as I burst into a clearing and I abruptly pulled to a stop, my toes inches from the forest floor. I took in the scene around me with an odd feeling of... reverence. The lake, one of the many scattered throughout Leafenia, was frozen solid and glittered like a slick sheet of silver in the full moonlight. In the middle of the lake, resting on a soft bed of what appeared to be snow lay a screaming, pale skinned baby. I felt Kei's steadying hand come to rest on my arm before I could move again.
"Is it... him?" I whispered. My breath came out in white puffs, the air was that cold, and Kei nodded.
"Yes... its Mannen."
From the corner of my eye, I saw Hayate and Sasame emerge from the veil of trees that surrounded the lake. Sasame came to a stop beside me as Hayate silently floated out across the surface of the lake. The baby's cries slowly tapered off the nearer Hayate got to him, and died off altogether as the dark haired Knight of Wind bent and lifted him from the bed of snow.
"Poor thing," I whispered, without thinking about it. "He must be freezing..."
Kei and Sasame turned to look at me. Kei wore his usual bland expression but there was a look if incredulousness in his eyes. Sasame smiled at me as if I were a child who had said something cute, but exceptionally stupid. I resisted the urge to flinch, but just barely.
Hayate carried the child back to the lake shore where the three of us waited, though not patiently. A least, *I* wasn't feeling particularly patient. It was all I could do not to dance in place, or fly out to meet Hayate and Mannen.
"The cold wouldn't bother him at all... he was just letting us know he was here," Sasame said, a small smile lighting his face, as always.
"And that he's annoyed with us for taking our time in coming to him," Hayate added. Unlike Sasame, he did not smile. Hayate seldom smiled for the past six years or so. However, his tone was soft and light, lacking the cold edge it had taken on since the terrible days when Takako was taken over to darkness. I bit my bottom lip and tried to force myself NOT to think about those times.
"Hayate... can I?...." I trailed off, suddenly feeling uncharacteristically shy as my older friends' turned to me. Hayate's steel blue gaze held me for a moment, and he nodded. Seemingly out of nowhere, Sasame produced a blanket of what appeared to be blue and white silk, which Hayate carefully wrapped the baby in before handing him over to me.
An odd feeling spread through me as I took the soft bundle into my arms. Despite the frigid air the baby's little body was quite warm, and he didn't seem bothered by the cold at all. But then, Sasame was right... cold wouldn't bother Mannen. The infant would grow to become the Knight of Ice, after all. The thought was somehow exciting, frightening, happy, and oh so sorrowful all at once and I wasn't sure if I wanted to laugh or cry as I regarded the new life that rested easily in my arms. A cold wind stirred the air and I shivered, instinctively pulling the baby closer to my chest to protect him, but he seemed unperturbed by the chill.
"Well then... shall we get on with the ceremony?" Kei said briskly, and I was wrenched out of my almost spellbound fascination with the baby.
Ceremony? What ceremony? I blinked, but before I could ask a foolish question, the other three were on the move again, and I had no choice but to follow.
Kei lead us to what appeared to be a round altar of sorts, surrounded by a ring of seven pillars. I placed my hands on one of the pillars and noticed a small symbol inscribed on it. I recognized it as an ancient Leafenian rune for "Fire", my own element. Walking towards the next nearest altar, I found the rune for "Light" and on the next, "Water." Walking all the way around the circle, I found that each pillar bore a symbol for a certain element, one for each Knight of Leafe. I realized then what this area must be used for. The Naming Ceremony. It was something I'd heard about but never seen for myself (except for my own ceremony, which hardly counted, considering I was an infant at the time and had no memory of the event).
I wasn't sure exactly what the ceremony entailed, but Hayate, Sasame and Kei seemed to know what to do. Like I had done without knowing what I was doing, they each walked around the circle once, touching each pillar in turn before approaching the altar.
"Goh, bring Mannen here," Hayate ordered gruffly. Without having time to wonder what would happen next, I hastened to obey. Annoying Hayate and earning an argument with him was the last thing I wanted to do now. My heart was pounding with anticipation, though I had no real idea why.
I wanted to ask questions of my three older friends, but words stuck in my throat. That same quiet yet awed, reverent feeling I had at the lake was creeping back into me and I realized as I set the baby down on the altar that my hands were shaking.
Something silver flashed in Hayate's hand and I realized it was an armlet; Mannen's armlet, his Leafe Talisman, a symbol of status as a Leafe Knight. Hayate held in the air just above the child, who reached for it as if it were a shiny toy.
"Who here recognizes this foundling as a child of Leafe?" Hayate spoke up, without any preamble to signal that the ceremony was starting.
"The Light recognizes him," Kei's voice broke my confusion and my heart skipped a beat as a globe of warm golden light formed between his tanned hands. The light danced towards the infant Mannen, hovering above his form for a moment before fading. The baby's limbs waved and the sound of his innocent laughter filled the air.
"The Sound recognizes him," Sasame added immediately. A gentle, soothing humming noise filled the air, and everything seemed to vibrate slightly before settling down again.
The rhythm was broken for a moment as all eyes turned to me, and I realized with some embarrassment that it was my turn.
"The Fire recognizes him," I said, closing my eyes as I pulled up Leafe from within myself, forming a small fireball between my hands. Concentrating further, I shaped the fire into the form of a tiny pony which galloped around the altar before disappearing in a shower of sparks over the baby's head. The innocent laughter grew into a delighted shriek, and I found it hard to remain somber myself; I wanted to join the child in his laughter. I realized that for the first time in six years, I was feeling some happiness that wasn't clouded with worry or fear. Regret, however, still tugged heavily at my heart, as seeing the infant laying upon the altar forced me to think about Mannen as he had been before the... disaster.
"If the judgment of all present Knights of Leafe is thus, then how can Wind not recognize him?" Hayate spoke next. A warm wind swirled through the area, bringing the scent of wildflowers and pine trees with it.
"Names have power," Hayate continued as the wind died down. "And so does this child, so recognized as a son of Leafenia, and a guardian of the planet. A powerful soul demands a powerful name. So shall we afford this child with such a name." As Hayate spoke, the silver armlet he held in his hand slowly shrank down, until it was just the right size to slip comfortably onto the baby's pudgy arm.
"Son of Leafenia... wear this armlet as a token of your power and also as a symbol of your true name... Mannen... the Once and Future Leafe Knight of Ice." Hayate then gently lifted the child and held him up for us to see. The infant was practically glowing with Leafe energy and the moonlight danced off of the baby's silver armlet and snow white hair.
I couldn't help it. I applauded. Hayate shot me an annoyed look; Kei simply looked bemused and Sasame giggled softly.
"Well... that's it, then," Hayate said as he stepped down from the altar, carefully cradling Mannen in his arms.
We all stood there for a moment, no one saying anything. My mind was still going through the dual whirl of excitement at having Mannen here, and that old, deep, empty aching feeling in my gut as I inevitably recalled the sight of Mannen quietly and unceremoniously slumping to the ground, the last bit of his Leafe trailing away into the trap we'd created to hold Fenril... The strain of creating and activating it had been too much for he, Hajime and Shin, and Mannen had been only the first to fall...
I didn't realize that I was clenching my jaw and my fists, my eyes squeezed shut as I refused to allow myself to start crying at the bad memory. I hadn't cried about it in over five years and I didn't plan on starting again. It was Kei's voice, and then the dull ache in my face and hands that brought me back out of it.
"Goh? Are you all right?"
I opened my eyes and the other three were staring at me again. I took a deep breath, and looked at the others. I considered the question for a moment before answering.
"Yeah... yeah, I'm OK," I said, and I realized with some surprise that it was true. I still remembered the battle and it still hurt, but the all consuming emptiness and heartache was... well, not gone, but not so bad as it was before. Things had come full circle, and Mannen had been reborn anew. Although it served as a reminder that we'd lost him, Hajime and Shin, it more importantly served as a reminder that Leafe restores itself and everything eventually and that Hajime and Shin would return to us in time as well, making our group complete again. A felt a smile touch my lips.
The four of us sat up for quite some time, gathered in a circle around the baby, taking turns holding him, talking to him and, for the first time since his death, talking about Mannen as we had known him before. Even Hayate seemed content; much of the hidden pain that usually lined his features was eased when he took the baby in his arms. I think I even saw Kei smile once or twice. I had a feeling that the others were feeling much of the same things I was, even if none of them were as inclined to be emotionally open as I. It was as if the birth of the new Knight of Ice had removed the barriers for us, just this once.
I don't remember when I fell asleep, but at some point I was awakened by the first rays of dawn hitting my face. I opened my eyes, confused for a moment about my surroundings, until I felt the warm, slumbering bundle in my arms that was Mannen, and I remembered the events of the night. I realized, too, that I was leaning on Kei's shoulder, the two of us sitting with our backs propped against one of the many large trees that populated Leafenia.
"...You're finally awake," He said nonchalantly.
I winced as I stood up, being careful not to jostle Mannen. Every bone in my body felt sore.
"Why didn't you wake me up?" I exclaimed, more than a little embarrassed that I had just fallen asleep and no one had bothered to wake me up.
"We didn't want to disturb him," Kei said, cocking his head in Mannen's direction. "You two seemed perfectly content to curl up under that tree."
I rubbed my eyes sleepily and blinked, the bright sunlight peering through the tree limbs hurting my eyes. "Where did Hayate and Sasame go?" I asked through a yawn.
"Work," He answered simply.
"Work! Damn!!" I exclaimed, jumping slightly as I squirmed to look at my watch. "I have to go to work too!!"
"Relax... the sun is barely up. Sasame has a breakfast meeting with his boss at the radio station and Hayate wanted to get to his morning workout," Kei said. His voice, though always calm, seemed unusually soothing right now. Before I could say anything, he added, "I always like to get up and watch the sun rise before I start my day."
"I... still wish you would have woke me," I said, ducking my head to hide the warm blush that I knew was appearing on my face.
"I apologize," Kei said simply. We stood there for a moment, not saying anything, until he added "This isn't the first night the two of us have spent under this tree, you know."
"Huh?" If I wasn't blushing before, I certainly was at that point. Kei didn't show much of a reaction to my bemused face, but continued to speak for my benefit.
"When you were a baby, after your naming ceremony I sat under this very tree... and I held you all night, just like you did with Mannen last night."
"I... you... uh.... You did?" I stammered, not sure of what to make of this revelation. It simply wasn't like Kei to share such personal information. I wasn't sure how else to respond but to stand there with my mouth hanging open like a dead fish.
"Maybe that's why I didn't really want to wake you up... when you were a baby you were such a light sleeper... very fussy... cried all the time... you screamed through your whole ceremony, you know. Hajime and Mannen were afraid there was something wrong with you." My face grew hotter and hotter as Kei told his story. "We were all glad when you finally calmed down and went to sleep. It didn't take us long to figure out that you slept best when someone was holding you... so rather than wake you up, I sat here all night..." He trailed off, as if he wasn't sure whether or not he wanted to say more. He looked a little uncomfortable.
"Kei..." I moved a step closer to him, reaching out towards him, not really sure what I intended to do or say.
As it turned out, neither of us had to say anything, for Mannen finally woke up at that point, and in full force. His little body squirmed in my arms, and he gave one small cough sound before announcing his awakening to the whole world in the form of a *very* loud shriek. I winced and involuntarily stepped back a pace. I'm not certain but I think I saw Kei bow his head to smother a laugh against his sleeve.
"I... think he probably needs to be changed," He said, sounding more than a little amused.
"...Changed?" I squeaked feebly as Mannen let forth another hearty scream.
"Yeah... would you mind doing it? I have to get to work," Kei had to raise his voice to be heard over Mannen's cries. He gestured to a large blue bag sitting on ground next to him, which I hadn't noticed up to that point. "Diapers, baby powder, formula... Everything you need for him should be in there. Sasame bought this stuff some time ago in anticipation of his arrival."
"...Changed?" I repeated, wrinkling my nose as a definite... smell... made its way to my nostrils.
"Hayate should be back before you need to go to work... don't worry... You'll be fine," Kei said airily, waving at me as he disappeared in a glimmer of golden light.
"Kei! Wait!...Argh...You... are going to be trouble, aren't you?" I sighed, holding up Mannen to my eye level. The baby ceased his crying long enough to give me a *look* of extreme impatience, before drawing in another deep breath for the loudest shriek yet. I didn't mind, though. I thought of Kei and the others, dealing with me when I was this size, and I couldn't help but smile. I would be there for ever moment of Mannen's upbringing as a knight, I told myself, as I would for Hajime and Shin when they were finally born. I wanted to be someone they could look up to... just like I looked up to Kei.
* * *
Author's end-note: Hmm... well what did everyone think? I hope you enjoyed the story. I'm not entirely certain how I feel about it... Oh well... I'm just glad I wrote *something*. Upcoming Pretear fics for me include a birthday fic for Hayate (as per jerjonji's request :-D) and another Kei/Goh fic with a much more heavy shounen-ai slant... at least... that's my ideal list of upcoming projects. I'm notorious for not following through... Ah well... we shall see... ja ne, all! ^___^
Author's Note: Wow, lookit that... another Pretear fic! This is a sequel of sorts to "Comfort", set about six years later. It's my take on what happens when Leafe Knights are born... told from Goh's POV this time since its really still just a Kei and Goh fic despite the fact that the story is about Mannen's Naming Ceremony... yeah... I love them so... ;-) Enjoy da ficcy!
*
*
*
*
I came awake all at once, my heart pounding and my ears ringing, as if someone had struck a large brass bell right next to my head. I leaned forward, sharply aware of the sound of my own breathing as I reached up to touch the silver collar that adorned my neck. My fingertips tingled when they touched it, like a weak electrical current was passing through my body.
"What is this?" I asked aloud. I knew I had been dreaming before I was forced awake, but now for the life of me I couldn't remember what it was.
"Goh."
The soft, echoing voice was too familiar for me to be confused by it, and a warm feeling spread through my chest, calming my trembling a little bit.
"Kei?" I whispered.
"Goh... it is time." This time it was Sasame's voice.
"Hurry up," Hayate added, his voice full of impatience and irritation.
Instantly I knew what they meant and I jumped out of bed, and before my feet could touch the carpeted floor of my bedroom in my tiny apartment, I was surrounded by the trees of Leafenia.
The first sound that reached my ears was unmistakable: the loud, hearty wail of a baby; a very upset baby, from the sounds of it. Straining my ears I flew towards the sound, moving as fast as I could, dodging trees right and left. My world narrowed to the sound of the baby's cries and I was only passively aware of the golden form of Kei flying beside me, slightly ahead of me and to my right.
A blast of cold air hit me as I burst into a clearing and I abruptly pulled to a stop, my toes inches from the forest floor. I took in the scene around me with an odd feeling of... reverence. The lake, one of the many scattered throughout Leafenia, was frozen solid and glittered like a slick sheet of silver in the full moonlight. In the middle of the lake, resting on a soft bed of what appeared to be snow lay a screaming, pale skinned baby. I felt Kei's steadying hand come to rest on my arm before I could move again.
"Is it... him?" I whispered. My breath came out in white puffs, the air was that cold, and Kei nodded.
"Yes... its Mannen."
From the corner of my eye, I saw Hayate and Sasame emerge from the veil of trees that surrounded the lake. Sasame came to a stop beside me as Hayate silently floated out across the surface of the lake. The baby's cries slowly tapered off the nearer Hayate got to him, and died off altogether as the dark haired Knight of Wind bent and lifted him from the bed of snow.
"Poor thing," I whispered, without thinking about it. "He must be freezing..."
Kei and Sasame turned to look at me. Kei wore his usual bland expression but there was a look if incredulousness in his eyes. Sasame smiled at me as if I were a child who had said something cute, but exceptionally stupid. I resisted the urge to flinch, but just barely.
Hayate carried the child back to the lake shore where the three of us waited, though not patiently. A least, *I* wasn't feeling particularly patient. It was all I could do not to dance in place, or fly out to meet Hayate and Mannen.
"The cold wouldn't bother him at all... he was just letting us know he was here," Sasame said, a small smile lighting his face, as always.
"And that he's annoyed with us for taking our time in coming to him," Hayate added. Unlike Sasame, he did not smile. Hayate seldom smiled for the past six years or so. However, his tone was soft and light, lacking the cold edge it had taken on since the terrible days when Takako was taken over to darkness. I bit my bottom lip and tried to force myself NOT to think about those times.
"Hayate... can I?...." I trailed off, suddenly feeling uncharacteristically shy as my older friends' turned to me. Hayate's steel blue gaze held me for a moment, and he nodded. Seemingly out of nowhere, Sasame produced a blanket of what appeared to be blue and white silk, which Hayate carefully wrapped the baby in before handing him over to me.
An odd feeling spread through me as I took the soft bundle into my arms. Despite the frigid air the baby's little body was quite warm, and he didn't seem bothered by the cold at all. But then, Sasame was right... cold wouldn't bother Mannen. The infant would grow to become the Knight of Ice, after all. The thought was somehow exciting, frightening, happy, and oh so sorrowful all at once and I wasn't sure if I wanted to laugh or cry as I regarded the new life that rested easily in my arms. A cold wind stirred the air and I shivered, instinctively pulling the baby closer to my chest to protect him, but he seemed unperturbed by the chill.
"Well then... shall we get on with the ceremony?" Kei said briskly, and I was wrenched out of my almost spellbound fascination with the baby.
Ceremony? What ceremony? I blinked, but before I could ask a foolish question, the other three were on the move again, and I had no choice but to follow.
Kei lead us to what appeared to be a round altar of sorts, surrounded by a ring of seven pillars. I placed my hands on one of the pillars and noticed a small symbol inscribed on it. I recognized it as an ancient Leafenian rune for "Fire", my own element. Walking towards the next nearest altar, I found the rune for "Light" and on the next, "Water." Walking all the way around the circle, I found that each pillar bore a symbol for a certain element, one for each Knight of Leafe. I realized then what this area must be used for. The Naming Ceremony. It was something I'd heard about but never seen for myself (except for my own ceremony, which hardly counted, considering I was an infant at the time and had no memory of the event).
I wasn't sure exactly what the ceremony entailed, but Hayate, Sasame and Kei seemed to know what to do. Like I had done without knowing what I was doing, they each walked around the circle once, touching each pillar in turn before approaching the altar.
"Goh, bring Mannen here," Hayate ordered gruffly. Without having time to wonder what would happen next, I hastened to obey. Annoying Hayate and earning an argument with him was the last thing I wanted to do now. My heart was pounding with anticipation, though I had no real idea why.
I wanted to ask questions of my three older friends, but words stuck in my throat. That same quiet yet awed, reverent feeling I had at the lake was creeping back into me and I realized as I set the baby down on the altar that my hands were shaking.
Something silver flashed in Hayate's hand and I realized it was an armlet; Mannen's armlet, his Leafe Talisman, a symbol of status as a Leafe Knight. Hayate held in the air just above the child, who reached for it as if it were a shiny toy.
"Who here recognizes this foundling as a child of Leafe?" Hayate spoke up, without any preamble to signal that the ceremony was starting.
"The Light recognizes him," Kei's voice broke my confusion and my heart skipped a beat as a globe of warm golden light formed between his tanned hands. The light danced towards the infant Mannen, hovering above his form for a moment before fading. The baby's limbs waved and the sound of his innocent laughter filled the air.
"The Sound recognizes him," Sasame added immediately. A gentle, soothing humming noise filled the air, and everything seemed to vibrate slightly before settling down again.
The rhythm was broken for a moment as all eyes turned to me, and I realized with some embarrassment that it was my turn.
"The Fire recognizes him," I said, closing my eyes as I pulled up Leafe from within myself, forming a small fireball between my hands. Concentrating further, I shaped the fire into the form of a tiny pony which galloped around the altar before disappearing in a shower of sparks over the baby's head. The innocent laughter grew into a delighted shriek, and I found it hard to remain somber myself; I wanted to join the child in his laughter. I realized that for the first time in six years, I was feeling some happiness that wasn't clouded with worry or fear. Regret, however, still tugged heavily at my heart, as seeing the infant laying upon the altar forced me to think about Mannen as he had been before the... disaster.
"If the judgment of all present Knights of Leafe is thus, then how can Wind not recognize him?" Hayate spoke next. A warm wind swirled through the area, bringing the scent of wildflowers and pine trees with it.
"Names have power," Hayate continued as the wind died down. "And so does this child, so recognized as a son of Leafenia, and a guardian of the planet. A powerful soul demands a powerful name. So shall we afford this child with such a name." As Hayate spoke, the silver armlet he held in his hand slowly shrank down, until it was just the right size to slip comfortably onto the baby's pudgy arm.
"Son of Leafenia... wear this armlet as a token of your power and also as a symbol of your true name... Mannen... the Once and Future Leafe Knight of Ice." Hayate then gently lifted the child and held him up for us to see. The infant was practically glowing with Leafe energy and the moonlight danced off of the baby's silver armlet and snow white hair.
I couldn't help it. I applauded. Hayate shot me an annoyed look; Kei simply looked bemused and Sasame giggled softly.
"Well... that's it, then," Hayate said as he stepped down from the altar, carefully cradling Mannen in his arms.
We all stood there for a moment, no one saying anything. My mind was still going through the dual whirl of excitement at having Mannen here, and that old, deep, empty aching feeling in my gut as I inevitably recalled the sight of Mannen quietly and unceremoniously slumping to the ground, the last bit of his Leafe trailing away into the trap we'd created to hold Fenril... The strain of creating and activating it had been too much for he, Hajime and Shin, and Mannen had been only the first to fall...
I didn't realize that I was clenching my jaw and my fists, my eyes squeezed shut as I refused to allow myself to start crying at the bad memory. I hadn't cried about it in over five years and I didn't plan on starting again. It was Kei's voice, and then the dull ache in my face and hands that brought me back out of it.
"Goh? Are you all right?"
I opened my eyes and the other three were staring at me again. I took a deep breath, and looked at the others. I considered the question for a moment before answering.
"Yeah... yeah, I'm OK," I said, and I realized with some surprise that it was true. I still remembered the battle and it still hurt, but the all consuming emptiness and heartache was... well, not gone, but not so bad as it was before. Things had come full circle, and Mannen had been reborn anew. Although it served as a reminder that we'd lost him, Hajime and Shin, it more importantly served as a reminder that Leafe restores itself and everything eventually and that Hajime and Shin would return to us in time as well, making our group complete again. A felt a smile touch my lips.
The four of us sat up for quite some time, gathered in a circle around the baby, taking turns holding him, talking to him and, for the first time since his death, talking about Mannen as we had known him before. Even Hayate seemed content; much of the hidden pain that usually lined his features was eased when he took the baby in his arms. I think I even saw Kei smile once or twice. I had a feeling that the others were feeling much of the same things I was, even if none of them were as inclined to be emotionally open as I. It was as if the birth of the new Knight of Ice had removed the barriers for us, just this once.
I don't remember when I fell asleep, but at some point I was awakened by the first rays of dawn hitting my face. I opened my eyes, confused for a moment about my surroundings, until I felt the warm, slumbering bundle in my arms that was Mannen, and I remembered the events of the night. I realized, too, that I was leaning on Kei's shoulder, the two of us sitting with our backs propped against one of the many large trees that populated Leafenia.
"...You're finally awake," He said nonchalantly.
I winced as I stood up, being careful not to jostle Mannen. Every bone in my body felt sore.
"Why didn't you wake me up?" I exclaimed, more than a little embarrassed that I had just fallen asleep and no one had bothered to wake me up.
"We didn't want to disturb him," Kei said, cocking his head in Mannen's direction. "You two seemed perfectly content to curl up under that tree."
I rubbed my eyes sleepily and blinked, the bright sunlight peering through the tree limbs hurting my eyes. "Where did Hayate and Sasame go?" I asked through a yawn.
"Work," He answered simply.
"Work! Damn!!" I exclaimed, jumping slightly as I squirmed to look at my watch. "I have to go to work too!!"
"Relax... the sun is barely up. Sasame has a breakfast meeting with his boss at the radio station and Hayate wanted to get to his morning workout," Kei said. His voice, though always calm, seemed unusually soothing right now. Before I could say anything, he added, "I always like to get up and watch the sun rise before I start my day."
"I... still wish you would have woke me," I said, ducking my head to hide the warm blush that I knew was appearing on my face.
"I apologize," Kei said simply. We stood there for a moment, not saying anything, until he added "This isn't the first night the two of us have spent under this tree, you know."
"Huh?" If I wasn't blushing before, I certainly was at that point. Kei didn't show much of a reaction to my bemused face, but continued to speak for my benefit.
"When you were a baby, after your naming ceremony I sat under this very tree... and I held you all night, just like you did with Mannen last night."
"I... you... uh.... You did?" I stammered, not sure of what to make of this revelation. It simply wasn't like Kei to share such personal information. I wasn't sure how else to respond but to stand there with my mouth hanging open like a dead fish.
"Maybe that's why I didn't really want to wake you up... when you were a baby you were such a light sleeper... very fussy... cried all the time... you screamed through your whole ceremony, you know. Hajime and Mannen were afraid there was something wrong with you." My face grew hotter and hotter as Kei told his story. "We were all glad when you finally calmed down and went to sleep. It didn't take us long to figure out that you slept best when someone was holding you... so rather than wake you up, I sat here all night..." He trailed off, as if he wasn't sure whether or not he wanted to say more. He looked a little uncomfortable.
"Kei..." I moved a step closer to him, reaching out towards him, not really sure what I intended to do or say.
As it turned out, neither of us had to say anything, for Mannen finally woke up at that point, and in full force. His little body squirmed in my arms, and he gave one small cough sound before announcing his awakening to the whole world in the form of a *very* loud shriek. I winced and involuntarily stepped back a pace. I'm not certain but I think I saw Kei bow his head to smother a laugh against his sleeve.
"I... think he probably needs to be changed," He said, sounding more than a little amused.
"...Changed?" I squeaked feebly as Mannen let forth another hearty scream.
"Yeah... would you mind doing it? I have to get to work," Kei had to raise his voice to be heard over Mannen's cries. He gestured to a large blue bag sitting on ground next to him, which I hadn't noticed up to that point. "Diapers, baby powder, formula... Everything you need for him should be in there. Sasame bought this stuff some time ago in anticipation of his arrival."
"...Changed?" I repeated, wrinkling my nose as a definite... smell... made its way to my nostrils.
"Hayate should be back before you need to go to work... don't worry... You'll be fine," Kei said airily, waving at me as he disappeared in a glimmer of golden light.
"Kei! Wait!...Argh...You... are going to be trouble, aren't you?" I sighed, holding up Mannen to my eye level. The baby ceased his crying long enough to give me a *look* of extreme impatience, before drawing in another deep breath for the loudest shriek yet. I didn't mind, though. I thought of Kei and the others, dealing with me when I was this size, and I couldn't help but smile. I would be there for ever moment of Mannen's upbringing as a knight, I told myself, as I would for Hajime and Shin when they were finally born. I wanted to be someone they could look up to... just like I looked up to Kei.
* * *
Author's end-note: Hmm... well what did everyone think? I hope you enjoyed the story. I'm not entirely certain how I feel about it... Oh well... I'm just glad I wrote *something*. Upcoming Pretear fics for me include a birthday fic for Hayate (as per jerjonji's request :-D) and another Kei/Goh fic with a much more heavy shounen-ai slant... at least... that's my ideal list of upcoming projects. I'm notorious for not following through... Ah well... we shall see... ja ne, all! ^___^