Title: Summer Eyes
Author: GW Katrina
Beta: Becky
Archive: Anyone who wants it. Just let me know where.
Summary: A peek into the past reveals that Homura has closer ties to the Sanzo-ikkou than anyone thought possible.
Author's Notes: You can blame this one on Becky. It's all her fault. I do want to thank her for the encouragement I got through this whole fic and the amazing amount of whining she put up with when it came time to title this and summarize this thing. Thank you, Becky. I'm happy you enjoyed your birthday present.
Summer Eyes
She didn't see him, not at first. All her attention was fixed on the small house that was set just off the road. It was beginning to fall apart, and had a marker in the back for some old grave. Every time she passed it, the place gave her the willies. So much so that she watched it when she walked by, half-expecting something monstrous to come tearing from the dusty shadows to drag her into the grave.
So strong was the feeling that she didn't notice the stranger, not until she slammed into him. As she sprawled backwards, she caught a glimpse of black hair and pale skin. Then all she noticed was how hard the ground felt as she hit it. Hissing as her palms scrapped the pebbles on the bath, she quickly sat upright, bringing her stinging hands up to rest in her lap.
It had to be a stranger, she thought to herself, still looking at the scratches on her hands that welled blood. All the other townspeople knew about her quirk, and made sure to move out of her way.
The clink of chains caught her attention. She looked up, and then froze, her eyes locked with a set of mismatched colors.
Blue and gold stared back at her. 'Like a summer day,' she thought. The deep pure blue of the sky that happened on only the most perfect of summer days, and the shimmering gold of the sun. They had both been captured so beautifully in the stranger's eyes. And when set against such light skin and dark hair, they were even more striking.
Then the man, who had been staring at her just as hard as she had been staring at him, shifted, and his lips formed a word. She didn't hear what he whispered, but she did hear the clink of chains again. This time she followed the sound, and saw a set of manacles linked together by a long chain.
"Are you evil?"
She didn't mean to say anything like that, but she had just experienced the weirdest sensation of déjà vu, and the words had slipped out. They had a visible effect, too. The stranger's jaw dropped, and his eyes grew large. Then he seemed to recover.
"No," he said finally. "I'm not evil. I am sorry I knocked you down."
Something in the way he spoke made her want to believe him, so she did. Then she sighed.
"Thank you, but it was my own fault. I wasn't watching where I was going." She began to push herself to her feet, when a hand appeared before her. Gratefully, she took it, and seemed to float upwards as the stranger pulled her up.
"Still, I was also distracted, and was standing in the middle of the path." He smiled softly at her, almost shyly. "I am Homura."
She returned his smile. "Hello, Homura." It was an unusual name, but it rolled off her tongue so easily. A field of yellow flowers flowed across her vision. "I am Ping."
Far above, a set of pale violet eyes watched. With a smile, Kanzeon sat back. It appeared as if Homura had found the reincarnation of his Heavenly love. This would be interesting.
Ping wasn't sure how long they stood there just looking at each other, but both jumped when a particularly loud bird called from right above their heads. As she realized how late it was getting, Ping pulled her hand from Homura's. "Oh, I need to get home. The animals will be starving."
She knelt and began to gather the few groceries she had been carrying before she had knocked herself over. A second later, there were another set of hands helping. She paused, and looked up. Homura smiled at her. "It was my fault, let me help you. Besides, you've been hurt." He gestured towards her hands, where the scratches were bright red.
"It's…. It's nothing."
"Please, let me help?"
Something in that tone made her heart ache for this man. He seemed so young, not much older than her, and there seemed to be something lost in his eyes. Something in his bearing made him seem almost lonely.
That's what made her smile at him and let him pick up the things from the path. That's why she asked him to have dinner with her. Which he quickly agreed to. They talked on the way back to her place. Well, Ping had talked, chatting on about various things while Homura listened, a bemused expression on his face. Several times he did answer, and during each of them, Ping saw the yellow flowers again.
"So," she asked finally as they entered her home. "Why were you looking at that old place?"
Homura, who had just placed the things he carried onto the counter, froze. Every line of his body, which Ping could see quite clearly with his tight clothing, was tensed. For a moment, the woman was sure he wasn't going to answer.
"Someone I cared for very much used to live there. She died there, a long time ago" His voice was soft, and Ping could hear the pain in it. She moved forward and rested the tips of her fingers against his arm.
"I'm sure that she would be very happy that you came to see her."
As if her voice had triggered something, Homura spun around, eyes narrowed. If it had been anyone else, Ping would have backed away. But, for some reason, she still felt perfectly safe. And apparently for good reason. The black haired man didn't strike out at her. Instead, he mimicked her gesture by touching her face with just the tips of his fingers.
"I like to think she is."
Once again, time moved by as they stood there and did nothing but look at each other. Homura's thumb traced the curve of Ping's cheek, and she watched him, unsure of what to do next.
"Purple eyes. I've not seen such vibrant eyes in many years. Especially with hair as pale as yours. Like sunlight caught for just a second and its color painted onto silk."
His fingers were hot against her skin. Ping found herself leaning against them, just to feel more of that heat.
Then, once again, they were broken from this strange daze by a rather loud birdcall. Jerking back, Ping felt her face warm, a sure sign she was blushing.
"Um, it will only take a few minutes for me to feed the goats and dogs. Then I can start on supper."
Before her guest could even respond, the woman was out the back door.
Once outside, Ping quickly made her way into the small shed that housed her various animals. Sliding inside, she shut the door, trembling slightly as she leaned against the hard wood. As the soft, stingy scent of hay filled her nose, Ping wondered what was wrong with her. She was not the type to fall on her back for anyone, especially not some random stranger. But, if Homura had pressed the issue back there, she wasn't sure she would have said no.
Ping pushed herself away from the door and absently went through the chore of feeding her animals, not even taking the time she normally did to pet and talk to them. They had been her main source of company for the last year now, ever since her sister had married that spice trader. Could that be why she had so ready to bring someone she didn't know into her home? Loneliness?
And, no matter how well she felt she knew Homura, he was still a complete unknown. But….
Once again, she saw a field of yellow flowers.
Why was that place to damn important? She had never been anyplace that had so many flowers, let alone an entire field of just yellow ones. She had once had dreams about yellow flowers, but they always seemed to connect with flames. And perfectly heavenly summer days.
Shaking herself, Ping quickly finished feeding her creatures and checking their water. She had left Homura all alone in her home. And even is she wasn't sure if she trusted him (after all, he did wear those manacles) she was still drawn to him.
Plus, it had been such a long time since she had the time and opportunity to really talk to someone. All it would cost was a little food, and she had a whole evening of companionship. A fair trade in her mind. She would just have to make sure that things did not go too far.
Mind made up, Ping left the shed, pausing only a moment to wash her hands under the garden pump. She still had a meal to fix, and it wouldn't do to have dirty hands.
"And then the man went running down the street, chasing this confused goat. It wasn't the goat's fault that it had found and began to chew on the man's clothes while he was otherwise, er, occupied with his lady friend. Nor was it the goat's fault when the man needed to make a hasty getaway when his lady friend's husband arrived back home."
Ping giggled and Homura laughed as both imagined this goat, still holding a man's clothes, running down the street, being chased by a mostly naked man.
It surprised Ping when her giggles suddenly turned into a yawn, and for a moment, she wondered why. Then she realized the answer. "Oh, wow. It's later than I thought."
Homura seemed to take that as an unsubtle hint, and he gracefully rose from the couch. "My lady, I apologize for taking up your time. It has been a most enjoyable evening, and I do thank you for the company." He reached down and took Ping's hand, bringing it up as if to kiss is. Instead, though, he bowed forward and touched his forehead to it. As he did, he spoke.
"I would be honored if you would allow me to repay the favor by letting me take you to dinner tomorrow. Anywhere you would like, simply name it and it shall be done."
"Oh! I, um, I…." Before she could accept or decline, Ping found herself trapped in those unusual eyes as her guest looked up. There was such hope there that she couldn't help it. "Yes. It would be my pleasure, Homura."
A smile crossed his face, and Homura did bring her hand to his lips this time, sending a shiver down her back as he barely brushed a kiss across it. "I shall meet you here, then, perhaps?"
"That would be perfect," Ping agreed. Homura helped her off the couch and she walked him to the door. Reaching the door, they paused, and the pair found themselves staring at each other once again. There were no flashes of flowers this time, just a feeling of warmth. Then Homura opened the door and slid out.
"Till tomorrow, Ping."
"Tomorrow."
And then Ping watched him disappear into the night. Long after he had vanished, she finally shut the door. Moving across the small home, she picked up the two glasses. Those were all the dishes she had left. Homura had insisted on helping her clean, even though it was painfully obvious that he didn't really know what he was doing. Still, it was rather sweet. And they had traded stories for most of the evening. Well, she had told stories. Homura had said that he didn't have many to tell that were fit for such "beautiful company." Still, it had been a surprisingly delightful evening.
Ping smiled softly. She couldn't wait until tomorrow.
That first night they had eaten together seemed to set the tone for the next few weeks. Every night, Homura had come to her home and had dinner there, or he came and took her to a restaurant in town. At first it had been fairly relaxed, the smaller places, places one went with their friends. Sometimes, though, they would get food from a stand and just wonder around town and the local woods. As time passed, though, the places they went got fancier. Her friends around town began to tease her about her new man, teasing she ignored, though it did leave her with a happy feeling in her stomach. "Her new man." A phrase she hadn't thought to hear in a while.
Tonight was alternate night, which meant that Homura would be taking her out. Ping hummed as she feed her animals, waiting for her friend to show up. After she finished and washed up, she heard a knock at the door. Smiling, since the only one who came this late was Homura, she hurried over, drying her hands on her apron.
When she opened the door, Ping was stunned to see a huge bouquet of yellow flowers, so many she barely saw Homura peering through them. The scent of them almost knocked her over, it was so nice.
For a moment, the blonde was unable to say anything, her mouth gaping open. Gentle laughter from the other side of the flowers snapped her out of it.
"Wow. My own laughing flower shrub. Incredible."
"You wound me, lady fair. I go through all the trouble of finding such delicate blooms to grace your home, and I am rewarded with mockery."
Ping held back laughter as she realized Homura was mocking the romance novels she had sitting around the house. A trashy pastime, she knew, but they were so funny. And apparently Homura had thought so as well, since she had come in on him one evening thumbing through one and sniggering.
Stepping to the side, she waved the man in. "Come on, we'll have to find a vase to put those in." It only took a few minutes to do so, then she finally got a good look at Homura.
Gone was the chains and skin-tight black leather top. In their place was a nice suit, one that made Ping notice, yet again, just how damn attractive Homura was. It was a dark blue, which brought out his eyes, making both of them stand out for some reason. She found herself swallowing. Hard.
"I hope you don't mind," Homura grinned at her expression. "But I took the liberty of reserving a table at SF's tonight."
SF's. The best there was in town. It was a delicious treat anytime one got to go there, and with her funds, Ping didn't go often. There had been that once, but her sister's new husband had paid for both families to go. Ping hadn't been there before or since.
"Homura…. That's… How… I can't…."
"Please?" The look in his eyes caught her and Ping couldn't have looked away if she had wanted to. "You are the first person who's taken the time to know me in a long, long time. Since the death of my friend. You took me into your home and fed me, without even knowing what kind of person I was. It's been so long since anyone looked past my eyes and those chains. And I want to treat you to a special night. Please, let me."
It would have taken a much harder person than Ping to say no to that speech, so the woman sighed and gave up as gracefully as she could. "Let me see if I still fit into my only decent dress," she grumbled, already heading towards her room. She could just feel Homura's victorious smile dance along behind her.
Yawning, Ping snuggled closer against the warmth that lay next to her. She smiled sleepily as the warmth mumbled and wrapped an arm around her, drawing her closer. Ping almost purred. It had been one thing to be able to see every line of Homura's chest through his normal shirt; it was something totally different to be able to trace those lines with her tongue. And she was quite content to be pressed against those firm muscles. As she listened to the dark haired man's soft breathing, Ping remembered part of last night.
It had started with a kiss. A soft, gentle kiss. Homura had begun to pull back, but she was able to pull him back down for a harder, hungrier kiss. The next thing she knew, they were moving towards her bedroom, clothing being shed all over the place. The woman's soft smile morphed into a slinky smirk as she remembered what had happened after that. It turned out she was the more experienced of the two, and she had enjoyed "educating" Homura quite nicely.
She laid there for a while, enjoying the feeling of Homura's body against hers. How long had it been since she had felt close enough to someone to let them into her life like this? A long time. Still, as good as this felt, she should be getting up.
"Nnn," mutter Homura as he tightened his arms around her. "Sleepy. Stay a little longer. Bed comfy."
How had he…? Ping decided she didn't want to know. Instead, she kissed his collarbone, the only place she could reach this tight against his body, and then she let her eyes slid shut.
Homura was right about one. The bed was extremely comfortable.
Another few weeks passed, and Ping was quite content to let things go on the way there were. But life, the bastard that it was, rarely let anything this nice continue.
Homura, who had pretty much moved in with her, disappeared for most of the day without any warning. Ping had been frantic until she found the note saying he would be back later, his commander had called for him. So she relaxed, for a while. As the day grew late, Ping began to fret again. She found herself washing the table for the sixth time when Homura staggered into her kitchen.
"I'm being called away."
That was the first thing out of Homura's mouth, and then he caught Ping up into a desperate hug, holding her tight enough that she gasped for air. When he finally let her loose, she stared up at him, violet eyes meeting blue and gold ones.
"What do you mean? Who's calling you away?"
"My commander." Something in Homura's tone told Ping what he thought of this 'commander,' but she could also tell that he was in distress. She guessed it was because he couldn't disobey his leader.
"When will you be back?"
"I." A pause. "I don't know. I'm suppose to help assist in containing an uprising to the east. I'm not sure about the details." He looked at her, and Ping felt a lump in her throat. "I don't want to lose you, Ping."
There was something in his tone that made the lump feel even bigger. "You won't. I can come with you…." Her voice died as Homura shook his head violently.
"I will not expose you to those… those 'people'." He snarled the last word, and for a moment Ping actually felt afraid of her lover. He seemed to sense it, and he relaxed some, pulling her into another hug. "I'm sorry, Ping. I just don't trust those people. They aren't the nicest things in the world."
She almost suggested that he not go, but she had learned that his job was very important to him. Whenever he talked about it, even in the vague terms he used, he was very passionate about it. "Well," she said slowly. "If I can't go with you, and I know you have to go, I'll stay here. I'll stay in this place until you return." She smiled up at him, tears threatening to flow.
"Ping…." He hugged her again, and then leaned down to kiss her. "I don't have to be back until morning," he whispered.
Ping smiled. "Good," she said before rising up on her toes to kiss him back. "We have things to do before you leave."
When she woke up the next morning, in the early pre-dawn light, Homura was gone. On his side of the bed were a note and a set of those beads that he wore around his neck.
/Ping,
I couldn't wake you. You looked so beautiful and peaceful this morning that I had to take that image with me. I left the beads so that you can wear them and think of me. I hope to be back soon.
Homura/
Tears threatened again, and this time Ping let them loose. She cried until true dawn had come and passed, and day had started. Finally, hiccupping, she found herself cried out. Pulling the beads loose from the covers, she slid them over her head. "Hurry back, Homura," she whispered. "I am going to kick your ass for leaving without saying good-bye. Then I'm going to kiss you even sillier than you already are."
The pale woman rose and started her day.
Standing in front of the mirror, Ping stared at her stomach. It was still hard to tell just by looking. But she could feel the bump when she ran her hands across it.
She was pregnant.
Homura had been gone for four months. At first, Ping had dismissed her symptoms as stress, but it was hard for stress to cause a firm little bump. She missed Homura, badly. She wanted to share this with him. Her baby. His baby.
Their baby. Something that was a mix of them, a sign of their love.
As she stared at her reflection, Ping saw that she was crying. But she was also smiling.
Pulling her shirt down, Ping looked out the window. Spotting her first star, the woman made the same wish she did every night. She wished for her lover to come home. To come back and see their child.
Kanzeon frowned. She tightened the spell she had wrapped around Ping after Homura's recall to Heaven. There was something odd about this child. It would not be a heretic; at least Kanzeon did not think so. Both of its parents were mortal, so at least it wouldn't have the same problems Homura had experience. Yet there was something about it that tugged at her.
That was why she had placed the spell on Ping. There were a great many gods in Heaven that would not like the idea of their War Prince having a child with a human. Especially one with an aura like the child was currently developing.
That aura would be clear soon, Kanzeon thought as she settled back to watch once more. Then she would be better able to see what she was dealing with.
Ping panted as quietly as she could, wincing as another contraction squeezed her body. She bit her lip, eyes darting around as she looked for signs of pursuit. This morning, she had woken up with a general ache in her back, more so than normal. It had been while she was taking a walk that her water had broke.
Then her world had gone insane.
As she had waddled her way back towards town, wondering how she had gotten so far away, Ping had paused, some innate instinct that had never reared its head before going off. A split second later an arrow or crossbow bolt had embedded itself into the tree before her.
Not knowing what was going on, Ping jerked back, a whistling sound shrieking past her ear as another bold buried itself beside the first.
Ping had ran as fast as she could.
Now she was hiding in the undergrowth that was next to the river. The pains around her stomach had gotten worse quickly, far faster than the midwife had said they would. It couldn't have been more than a half hour since her water had broke. And the pains were coming almost on top of each other.
And fear made it hard to breath. Ping didn't know why she was being chased. And she was being chased. She had heard the people around her shouting to one another, and at least one more arrow had been shot at her. It had come close enough to cut hair, and that's when everything blurred for her. The next thing she was really aware of was curling up in a hiding place she had found as a child. Her face and arms stung where the shrubbery had scratched her, but they were minor pains compared to that which tore at her lower body.
Ping pushed. She didn't want to. She wanted to be safe at her home, in a clean bed, with the midwife and Homura with her. Not here, with the sounds of people drawing closer. She needed to run, but Ping couldn't. She couldn't do anything else but push. It felt like she was being torn apart.
Then the pain was gone, and a cry broke the air.
Gasping for air, Ping slumped backwards. The cries of a healthy baby were almost music to her ears, and she shifted until she could scoop up her baby. Dark eyes, bluish, stared up at her. She had heard that all babies were born with blue eyes, but something about her son's eyes said that he would have some type of dark eyes. Already her baby looked like his father, and Ping wanted to rest and hold her and Homura's son.
But there was no time. Already there was the sound of bodies being forced through the brush, drawn by the cried of her baby. There was no time to do anything. Ping froze.
Then an idea came to her. She didn't know why these people were after her, but they were trying to kill her. There was no way that she could escape them. She was too tired, too weak after giving birth. But, she though as she began to make her way towards the river, there was still a chance to save her son.
The fact that she knew how the bushes grew in this area gave her the time advantage she needed. Those chasing her were forcing their way bodily, making sure that she had not slipped past them. That gave her the time it took to lash together a few branches with vines, as best as she could. Once they were as tight as she could get them, Ping laid the makeshift bundle on the water, holding her baby in one arm while the other hand kept the bundle from floating away. The makeshift raft actually floated, and Ping swallowed a sob.
"My poor baby. I hope the river takes you somewhere safe. I hope you father come for you." Pressing a kiss against her son's forehead, Ping laid him on the raft. The infant screamed again as the chill water hit him. Before letting him go, Ping did one last thing. She pulled the beads Homura had left her so many months ago off her neck. "Let these protect you," she whispered as she wrapped them around her son.
She took one last second to look at the life she had help create. The river was washing off the birth fluids, and she saw pale hair decorate her son's head. Homura's eyes looked at her, only she now saw the glint of purple in them. "I love you, my precious," she half-whispered, half-sobbed, then she let go.
The river was quick to take the raft, whisking it away with its fragile burden. Tears streaming down her face, Ping began to cross the river. Hopefully she would lead those hunting her away from her baby.
There was no warning, just a solid "thunk" in her back. There was little pain, just a surprising numbness and feeling of warmth. As another arrow hit her in the back, Ping fell forward. The cold sting of the water against her face revived her for a second, but then darkness began to close in. Her last thought before everything went black was "I hope someone takes care of my babies."
Homura sighed as he teleported in front of Ping's house. It had been almost a year since he had been called away, and he was glad to be back. Ping was going to be pissed, he was sure, but he had won her twice now. Once in this life, once in a past one. Hopefully he would be able to do it again.
Raising his hand to knock, the war prince tensed as he felt another being teleport behind him. Spinning around, ready to draw his sword, he was stunned to see the Merciful Goddess standing there.
"What are you doing here?"
She looked at him, and there was something in her eyes that made him very nervous. Not nervous 'she wants to grope me' nervous, but nervous 'this is very bad' type nervous. The last time he had seen her with that expression was when she had come before the Jade Emperor and said that while Nataku was not dead, he was a close as a god could come without dying. Her expression promised bad news.
"I do not think you wish to see what this place holds, Homura. You have come to this place before you met her. Remember that."
Something about her words made Homura freeze. He had been to this place before. This town. To visit….
"PING!" Homura yelled as he torn into the house. It was empty, everything gone. Her furniture, the vase she kept the flowers he gave her in, the drawings of her animals she had done. Everything.
Still yelling her name, Homura searched every room, finding emptiness every time. Finally, he made it to the last room, then out into the yard behind the house. He stopped, as quickly as if he had hit a wall.
In the shade of the shed that had housed Ping's pets, her babies as she called them, was a small stone. It was a familiar shape, and Homura felt cold as he stared at it. He had seen this scene before, and his hands began to shake. Behind him, he could feel the Merciful Goddess move closer, but she said nothing, nor did she touch him. He ignored her as he began to move towards the stone.
At the top, it had a simple engraving of a bird and a flower, so much like the ones he had given Ping. Below the engraving were words. It took a moment for Homura to see them, his eyes kept blurring.
/Ping and her child
We shall miss them both/
Homura fell to his knees. "Child? She had a child? How?"
"That's pretty simple. I know you know how children are created. And since you had a pretty active hand in it…." She trailed off as Homura turned and looked at her with wide eyes.
"My child?"
The goddess rolled her eyes. "She was faithful to you, Homura. She died to save your son."
"Son?" Then what Kanzeon had said hit him. "He's still alive."
She nodded. "Alive, yes. I believe so. She sent him down the river, then led her hunters away so he might have a chance to life. I have not felt him die, but I do not know where he is."
For a moment, Homura looked confused, then his eyes narrowed. "They did it, didn't they?"
"Who did what?"
"The gods killed her."
"The gods do not kill. That's why they have you." Lilac eyes were sharp. "And they want you to stay right where you're at."
Homura stood, every line of his body registering anger. "Twice they stole her from me. They stole my son. Our son. I will not let them do this to me again." He looked at Kanzeon, his eyes just as sharp as hers. "They do this to me because of this," he tapped beside his golden eye. "To them, I am less than a dog." The anger seemed to flow out of him. "They want me leashed, and that's all. Please, leave me to my grief."
"Homura...."
"Be the Goddess of Mercy that you are suppose to be. Let me mourn alone."
Kanzeon nodded her head, then vanished. Sinking to his knees once more, Homura let his head tip forward as tears ran down his face.
"I'm sorry, Ping. Rinrei. I'm never there when you need me."
Homura let himself mourn for the woman he had lost twice.
--years later—
Homura watched as death came for him. As he laid there, in that long second that seemed to last forever, he thought about his life. He had loved and lost not once, but twice, the same woman in two different incarnations. He had sired a son whom he had never seen, and he had tried so hard to create a world where he would have been happy to live in.
If he had only seen his son, he could die happy. He loved Rinrei in both her forms, and Homura had hunted for their son for so long. He had first come to the lower world when he had felt the shock of his beads breaking. The same beads he had given Ping before he had left. And all he had found was the reincarnations of Konzen, Kenren, and Tenpo, traveling with the itan, Son Goku.
That had lead to many things, now it had finally led to his final peace. This was the fulfilling of his true goal. Homura felt everything growing dim. He felt the power of those around him, those reincarnated gods being sent to destroy a menace they had no true idea about. And there was something else.
A smile crossed Homura's face as he felt something in the aura around Konzen. That sneaky bastard, to come back like that. As his last breath escaped, Homura felt at peace.
He had met his son.
The End?