Well, usual stuff applies. Read on. Enjoy.
A portal opened in front of Nakago suddenly and Solei stumbled out, blood pooling in small puddles on the ground as she closed it tightly behind her. Nuriko had gone for a moment of quiet reflection, and she and Nakago were alone in the foyer. She shuffled forward, trying not to collapse.
"Oww..." Her quiet declaration of pain struck him as odd, he having sensed that her pride was as dominating as his own. She dropped silently, painfully to her knees, dark-feathered wings curling protectively in front of her. "Why the hell does it have to happen every time?" she asked herself, not realizing that Nakago was there. He looked closely at her back and recalled the long scars that had run parallel down her back and noticed that her wings had sprouted out of them, the other scars that covered her back being much thinner, softer lines.
"Does what have to happen every time?" She started to stand and spin quickly to see who spoke, but fell to her knees again, her sudden motion too much for her aching and bloodied back.
"This." She answered softly, not looking up from the floor. "The blood, the pain, the mem-" she stopped herself, but the damage was done. Nakago elegantly dropped to her level.
"The memories?" he asked, his voice not betraying his inward curiosity. She nodded, biting her lip to keep from crying out in pain.
"They have always come. It used to be just in my dreams, but now my dreams are real, like last night. The pain is real, the blood is real, and the memories that I have tried to repress for so long, are real." Nakago found himself wondering if her memories were anything like his own.
"What sort of memories." Her answer was curt and clipped, and she spoke through clenched teeth to try and hide the anguish she felt.
"Painful ones." She slowly stood, using a nearby wall to support herself. Nakago waited patiently, knowing that she would not be able to stand for long. She took a careful step then gasped in the agony the small movement provoked, falling once more to the ground. A strong arm slowed her rapid drop, and lowered her gently to the ground.
"You don't say." His voice was mocking, and Kamai wanted dearly to whack him solidly upside the head, but knew she was weaker than a kitten and unable to even lift her arm anymore. Nakago felt her sag against his arm, her slight body relying on his strength to remain off the ground. Her voice was weak when she responded.
"But I do." She smiled slightly and her wings folded tight against her back, blocking it from view. "Oh, but I do." It occurred to Nakago a moment later that he could heal her, and he gently unfolded her wings ignoring the slight yelp the motion provoked from the slim girl in his arms. He laid his hand softly against her back and was surprised when the wings retracted into her back, leaving only the long, deep, bleeding scars. He traced the network of lighter lines that ran across her back, purposefully avoiding the bleeding ones, not noticing, or not caring about, the reaction that she had to his long elegant fingers moving sinuously over her back. Eyes snapping open as he began exploring the maze of scars in the delicate flesh that crisscrossed her back, Solei swallowed a moan as his hands flitted across the sensitive skin. He finally followed the long scars from shoulder blades to the base of her ribcage, healing her with his chi as he drew the lines down her back. He set her onto her knees once he had healed her, standing up and looking down at her as though his actions had been commonplace. When he spoke, his gaze seemed fixed on something far in the distance that could not be seen quite right.
"Pain is only what we make of it, Girl. It is all an illusion." He spun to face her fully as she stood on shaky legs, his inner-self amazed that she could stand alone and applauding her effort, wanting to catch her in his arms and spin her around in a surprising bout of happiness that was quickly quenched, and yet, not noticing the strained expression only in her eyes; her face was as blank as Nakago's own. She nodded, noting what he said.
"Yet it is pain that reminds us that we are human, and not gods."
"Why should we not be gods?" He caught her stare and returned it with his own, and she plunged through into their icy depths, lost in the cold, harsh blue. His words struck her a moment later, and she looked away sharply.
"Why should we be?" she asked, her voice barley audible. He lifted her chin and gazed into her eyes.
"Why not?" Defiance flashed through her eyes momentarily, then she pulled away from him and started walking slowly out of the room. Nakago blocked her exit. "What aren't you telling me?" he demanded. She looked at him, her eyes silver and full of sadness, and shook her head no before she resumed walking towards Nakago and the door. He stopped her at arm's length and waited. She sighed and looked at the ground when she spoke.
"Ever wonder who the Goddess Protector is?" He waited in silence already knowing, and Solei answered her own question, eyes blazing in fury. "I am. Ever wonder why I'm called the Goddess Protector?" more silence met her fury. "I'm the child of a god, and the protector of a goddess. I AM a goddess. Or rather, I WAS a goddess. Then my brothers got jealous and..." she trailed off into silence and Nakago lifted her chin gently. She did not flinch at his touch, or try to pull away. She just stood there and kept eye contact as tears streamed down her face, pride long since forgotten as she wept. His hands slid up to cup her cheeks, and his thumbs softly wiped the tears from her face.
"Painful memories?" he asked quietly, trying to gain her confidence, and she did not respond. An uncomfortable moment passed as they stood there, then something clicked in Solei's mind.
'Bother with destiny and fate.' She thought, 'They've destroyed my life enough.' She moved in towards Nakago and kissed him somewhat hesitantly; throwing her hands around his neck and standing up on her tiptoes so she did not have to tilt her head as far back. Nakago stood stock-still and she began to draw away, her hopes falling with each unresponsive moment she stood there. His hands never left her face, and she stepped out of his grip, blushing uncontrollably.
'Well, NOW I feel stupid.' She thought. Her voice was soft when she spoke, her back towards Nakago. "Sorry, I..." He cut her off.
"Painful memories?" he restarted the conversation.
"Yes. Painful." The response to his question came accompanied with a slight smile that he did not see.
"Such as?" She hesitated badly.
"My brothers and sisters." Her voice wavered and she felt the tears coming on. 'I won't cry again.' She told herself. 'Not in front of him, not again. I've made enough of a fool of myself for one day. Maybe destiny knew what she was doing...' Amber's voice interrupted the tense moment, faint, distant and excited.
"...I have got to tell Solei!..." Solei carefully sent a portion of herself to wherever Amber was.
"Tell me what, Amber?" She asked, rubbing her temples, trying to think coherently after being such a complete and total idiot. "I can hear you yell across the worlds." She asked Nakago to get Nuriko; she needed to explain something to all of them at once. He turned and walked away on cat's-feet as she sent herself almost fully to where Amber was, using Nakago as an anchor to her current realm. Amber's response came fairly quickly.
"I HAVE EARS, FANGS, AND A TAIL!!" Solei nodded, relieved, and was surprised when she saw Amiboshi lying in a state of semi-consciousness.
"Good, father kept up his end of the bargain." Amber tipped her head sideways, a confused look on her face. Solei shook her head and ripped a hole in dimensions near Amber and Tasuki. "Come on through. I'll explain it to you and the guys all at once. Quickly." They stepped through and she pinched the hole closed behind them, motioning for them to take seats next to Nakago and Nuriko who had already arrived without her noticing them. She sat down herself, and only Nakago noticed that she deliberately kept her back from touching the seat back. She sighed softly, then spoke. "It all began with a single girl."
Nuriko found himself in a heap on the ground suddenly while Nakago had landed standing. He stood up, trying to keep the embarrassment from colouring his cheeks, and brushed off the black clothing, telling Nakago that he was going to go and think about what had just happened. As he walked he noticed that Nakago had headed in the opposite direction.
'The further the better.' He thought. 'Why does she even let him stay?' he asked himself, then the answer dawned on him. 'Cause it's a temple. Duh.' He arrived at his door and walked in, his mind spinning with everything that had happened in the last few days.
'Just who is she?' he wondered. A small voice in the back of his head answered.
'An enigma. Don't try to figure HER out. It won't work.' He nodded at the wisdom of his inner self.
'Yeah, but I can't help but wonder how she got the wings.'
'Don't ask her.'
'Why not?'
'If you had wings that seemingly spontaneously popped out of your back, would you enjoy people asking you about them?'
'Good point. Maybe she'll come out of her shell...' he let his thoughts trail off and he picked up the knife again. She obviously knew how to use it, otherwise she would have either pierced his body, or sliced his hair. Instead, the angle was just right so that not a single one of his hairs had been chopped. He pulled his braid in front of him and looked at it.
'It's time.' He thought. He handled the knife carefully, his already healed hand a testament to its sharpness. He ran it quickly through his hair, and no resistance met it as it came free on the other side. His braid hung limp in his hand and he just looked at it, amazed, as he sat at the desk. A sharp rap came at his door and he heard Nakago's voice through the wood.
"The Girl would speak with us." Nuriko started to say he'd be there in a minute, but when he opened the door, Nakago was already halfway down the hallway. He raced after Nakago, keeping pace once he caught up, amazed at how light his head seemed. He and Nakago entered the parlour, and a moment later Tasuki and Amber stepped through a slice in the air. Solei sat down carefully after soundproofing the room and sighed slightly as she began to speak.
"It all began with a single girl."
Yes, I know that Nuriko already cut his hair, but bear with me here, K? Great. Review.
A portal opened in front of Nakago suddenly and Solei stumbled out, blood pooling in small puddles on the ground as she closed it tightly behind her. Nuriko had gone for a moment of quiet reflection, and she and Nakago were alone in the foyer. She shuffled forward, trying not to collapse.
"Oww..." Her quiet declaration of pain struck him as odd, he having sensed that her pride was as dominating as his own. She dropped silently, painfully to her knees, dark-feathered wings curling protectively in front of her. "Why the hell does it have to happen every time?" she asked herself, not realizing that Nakago was there. He looked closely at her back and recalled the long scars that had run parallel down her back and noticed that her wings had sprouted out of them, the other scars that covered her back being much thinner, softer lines.
"Does what have to happen every time?" She started to stand and spin quickly to see who spoke, but fell to her knees again, her sudden motion too much for her aching and bloodied back.
"This." She answered softly, not looking up from the floor. "The blood, the pain, the mem-" she stopped herself, but the damage was done. Nakago elegantly dropped to her level.
"The memories?" he asked, his voice not betraying his inward curiosity. She nodded, biting her lip to keep from crying out in pain.
"They have always come. It used to be just in my dreams, but now my dreams are real, like last night. The pain is real, the blood is real, and the memories that I have tried to repress for so long, are real." Nakago found himself wondering if her memories were anything like his own.
"What sort of memories." Her answer was curt and clipped, and she spoke through clenched teeth to try and hide the anguish she felt.
"Painful ones." She slowly stood, using a nearby wall to support herself. Nakago waited patiently, knowing that she would not be able to stand for long. She took a careful step then gasped in the agony the small movement provoked, falling once more to the ground. A strong arm slowed her rapid drop, and lowered her gently to the ground.
"You don't say." His voice was mocking, and Kamai wanted dearly to whack him solidly upside the head, but knew she was weaker than a kitten and unable to even lift her arm anymore. Nakago felt her sag against his arm, her slight body relying on his strength to remain off the ground. Her voice was weak when she responded.
"But I do." She smiled slightly and her wings folded tight against her back, blocking it from view. "Oh, but I do." It occurred to Nakago a moment later that he could heal her, and he gently unfolded her wings ignoring the slight yelp the motion provoked from the slim girl in his arms. He laid his hand softly against her back and was surprised when the wings retracted into her back, leaving only the long, deep, bleeding scars. He traced the network of lighter lines that ran across her back, purposefully avoiding the bleeding ones, not noticing, or not caring about, the reaction that she had to his long elegant fingers moving sinuously over her back. Eyes snapping open as he began exploring the maze of scars in the delicate flesh that crisscrossed her back, Solei swallowed a moan as his hands flitted across the sensitive skin. He finally followed the long scars from shoulder blades to the base of her ribcage, healing her with his chi as he drew the lines down her back. He set her onto her knees once he had healed her, standing up and looking down at her as though his actions had been commonplace. When he spoke, his gaze seemed fixed on something far in the distance that could not be seen quite right.
"Pain is only what we make of it, Girl. It is all an illusion." He spun to face her fully as she stood on shaky legs, his inner-self amazed that she could stand alone and applauding her effort, wanting to catch her in his arms and spin her around in a surprising bout of happiness that was quickly quenched, and yet, not noticing the strained expression only in her eyes; her face was as blank as Nakago's own. She nodded, noting what he said.
"Yet it is pain that reminds us that we are human, and not gods."
"Why should we not be gods?" He caught her stare and returned it with his own, and she plunged through into their icy depths, lost in the cold, harsh blue. His words struck her a moment later, and she looked away sharply.
"Why should we be?" she asked, her voice barley audible. He lifted her chin and gazed into her eyes.
"Why not?" Defiance flashed through her eyes momentarily, then she pulled away from him and started walking slowly out of the room. Nakago blocked her exit. "What aren't you telling me?" he demanded. She looked at him, her eyes silver and full of sadness, and shook her head no before she resumed walking towards Nakago and the door. He stopped her at arm's length and waited. She sighed and looked at the ground when she spoke.
"Ever wonder who the Goddess Protector is?" He waited in silence already knowing, and Solei answered her own question, eyes blazing in fury. "I am. Ever wonder why I'm called the Goddess Protector?" more silence met her fury. "I'm the child of a god, and the protector of a goddess. I AM a goddess. Or rather, I WAS a goddess. Then my brothers got jealous and..." she trailed off into silence and Nakago lifted her chin gently. She did not flinch at his touch, or try to pull away. She just stood there and kept eye contact as tears streamed down her face, pride long since forgotten as she wept. His hands slid up to cup her cheeks, and his thumbs softly wiped the tears from her face.
"Painful memories?" he asked quietly, trying to gain her confidence, and she did not respond. An uncomfortable moment passed as they stood there, then something clicked in Solei's mind.
'Bother with destiny and fate.' She thought, 'They've destroyed my life enough.' She moved in towards Nakago and kissed him somewhat hesitantly; throwing her hands around his neck and standing up on her tiptoes so she did not have to tilt her head as far back. Nakago stood stock-still and she began to draw away, her hopes falling with each unresponsive moment she stood there. His hands never left her face, and she stepped out of his grip, blushing uncontrollably.
'Well, NOW I feel stupid.' She thought. Her voice was soft when she spoke, her back towards Nakago. "Sorry, I..." He cut her off.
"Painful memories?" he restarted the conversation.
"Yes. Painful." The response to his question came accompanied with a slight smile that he did not see.
"Such as?" She hesitated badly.
"My brothers and sisters." Her voice wavered and she felt the tears coming on. 'I won't cry again.' She told herself. 'Not in front of him, not again. I've made enough of a fool of myself for one day. Maybe destiny knew what she was doing...' Amber's voice interrupted the tense moment, faint, distant and excited.
"...I have got to tell Solei!..." Solei carefully sent a portion of herself to wherever Amber was.
"Tell me what, Amber?" She asked, rubbing her temples, trying to think coherently after being such a complete and total idiot. "I can hear you yell across the worlds." She asked Nakago to get Nuriko; she needed to explain something to all of them at once. He turned and walked away on cat's-feet as she sent herself almost fully to where Amber was, using Nakago as an anchor to her current realm. Amber's response came fairly quickly.
"I HAVE EARS, FANGS, AND A TAIL!!" Solei nodded, relieved, and was surprised when she saw Amiboshi lying in a state of semi-consciousness.
"Good, father kept up his end of the bargain." Amber tipped her head sideways, a confused look on her face. Solei shook her head and ripped a hole in dimensions near Amber and Tasuki. "Come on through. I'll explain it to you and the guys all at once. Quickly." They stepped through and she pinched the hole closed behind them, motioning for them to take seats next to Nakago and Nuriko who had already arrived without her noticing them. She sat down herself, and only Nakago noticed that she deliberately kept her back from touching the seat back. She sighed softly, then spoke. "It all began with a single girl."
Nuriko found himself in a heap on the ground suddenly while Nakago had landed standing. He stood up, trying to keep the embarrassment from colouring his cheeks, and brushed off the black clothing, telling Nakago that he was going to go and think about what had just happened. As he walked he noticed that Nakago had headed in the opposite direction.
'The further the better.' He thought. 'Why does she even let him stay?' he asked himself, then the answer dawned on him. 'Cause it's a temple. Duh.' He arrived at his door and walked in, his mind spinning with everything that had happened in the last few days.
'Just who is she?' he wondered. A small voice in the back of his head answered.
'An enigma. Don't try to figure HER out. It won't work.' He nodded at the wisdom of his inner self.
'Yeah, but I can't help but wonder how she got the wings.'
'Don't ask her.'
'Why not?'
'If you had wings that seemingly spontaneously popped out of your back, would you enjoy people asking you about them?'
'Good point. Maybe she'll come out of her shell...' he let his thoughts trail off and he picked up the knife again. She obviously knew how to use it, otherwise she would have either pierced his body, or sliced his hair. Instead, the angle was just right so that not a single one of his hairs had been chopped. He pulled his braid in front of him and looked at it.
'It's time.' He thought. He handled the knife carefully, his already healed hand a testament to its sharpness. He ran it quickly through his hair, and no resistance met it as it came free on the other side. His braid hung limp in his hand and he just looked at it, amazed, as he sat at the desk. A sharp rap came at his door and he heard Nakago's voice through the wood.
"The Girl would speak with us." Nuriko started to say he'd be there in a minute, but when he opened the door, Nakago was already halfway down the hallway. He raced after Nakago, keeping pace once he caught up, amazed at how light his head seemed. He and Nakago entered the parlour, and a moment later Tasuki and Amber stepped through a slice in the air. Solei sat down carefully after soundproofing the room and sighed slightly as she began to speak.
"It all began with a single girl."
Yes, I know that Nuriko already cut his hair, but bear with me here, K? Great. Review.