By Ariela Titan
In no way do I own the anime that I use in my fairytales, if I did, most of the characters would try to kill me. shrug Enjoy!
Last time
'And so, the children grew up in the mystical temple, training and learning all from Genkai and then, later, the tutors she would fetch for other subjects. Each learned what it meant to be a prince or princess, and more often than not, half the siblings would go missing for Genkai to hunt down. Things were peaceful with occasional visits from their father and the love of the people around them. And then, the cloud of evil descended full force unto the Kingdom of Saturn. The first of these dark and despicable clouds was named Kaori and the second was her witch of a mother, Beryl…'
NOW
"Taru-chan! Wake up, Taru!" A loud voice burst through the wooden doorway that kept the room of the young Princess of Saturn separated from her siblings. Yawning, the black haired child rose up from her bed, stretching her tiny arms upwards. The pale creature emerged from the inner recesses of warmth in her huge black bedding. Slim soft feet slid into the depths of blue slippers a few sizes too big as the figure rose. Racing to the door, she threw it open just as three of her raven hair siblings began an argument.
Long haired Hao, his innocently faced twin Yoh and the tiniest of her brothers, Mokuba, hurtled into the room while Hotaru, Princess of Saturn blinked largely. Standing in a strapped pale violet night gown of silk that went well with her amazing eyes, the tiny child crossed her arms. She leaned back, tapping her foot as she awaited an answer.
"What's got you three in such a fuss?" She commented rather stubbornly as her brothers rose with sheepish grins, Hao helping Yoh and from the eyes of the twins, Mokuba was on his own. Huffing, she moved from the door frame to grasp hold of Mokuba's arms and help her youngest sibling up. Warm arms wrapped around her tiny waist, lifting her high into the air with a gasp of surprise. Hotaru emitted a little squeak before she was spun around and thrown into the upper air.
"Hotaru-chan!" She blinked, hand drifting to her head as she found herself looking into the playful brown orbs of her second oldest brother. "YUUSUKE!" She screeched, "PUT ME DOWN!"
The four brothers laughed as Yuusuke kept on the game, spinning with the tiny girl around the room until she was sure she would be sick. Then he set her on her feet where Hao and Yoh took charge, the twins of 11 catching her off guard and beginning their own assault of spinning and dancing, holding each other's hands before inviting Mokuba into the chain. Without warning the tiny princess was plucked again, but this time is was a safety that had come.
"Would you all kindly stop treating Hotaru so? She's going to lose her wits end." Calmly Wufei evened his sister out, removing a robe from no where and covering her petite shoulders with it. The warm purple garment brought a brief blush to her pale face as she realized how her brothers had spun her. Dark purple eyes flashed as they caught the four siblings with cold regard and 13 year old Yuusuke could only chuckle at the hidden threats in them.
"Relax Wufei. We were just teasing the Princess. Today is the day!" Yuusuke grinned, winking. Frowning, the smaller and younger male huffed while a new voice set out a laugh that echoed into the room. "More like you wanted to torture the little witch?" Touya joked and Hotaru felt a flare of anger reside within her stomach and spread out. How dare he! It was her birthday! Suddenly, all thought vanished as that anger became a resounding pitch of fear.
IT was Hotaru's birthday! Gulping, she tried to crawl into 12 year old Wufei's safety. However, her older brother just put hands upon her shoulders. "Aww thanks a bunch, Touya! You've ruined any chance of surprise!" Yoh barked out as he gazed at his fearful younger sister. The newly nine year old backed up, noting the grins.
Six year old Mokuba raced forward to greet his sister, catching her hand despite it cold clammy manner. "Don't worry Hotaru-chan! I'll protect you!" He cheered while the others in the room just laughed loudly.
"Protect? You couldn't protect a bug from getting squashed, Mokie-monster." Touya snickered. Mokuba's cheeks flamed red while he snarled at his oldest brother and charged at the teen of almost 15. Instantly white shinny teeth of a baby child clamped sharply onto Touya's hands. The teen let out a howl as the others laughed, but when realizing that Mokuba wasn't going to let go, released their gazes upon the young Princess to try and save their oldest brother.
Sneaky as a mouse and with a signal from sly Wufei, Hotaru tied the sash of her robes and disappeared out the door and down the hall. If she could make it to Grandmother Genkai's room without notice—she'd be safe—she mentally told herself. Tip toe, tip toe—"HOTARU!" A loud call resounded from her room. Her eyes widened with a pinch of playful fear before she dived into the recesses of the forest, running as fast as her little legs would carry her.
It didn't take her brothers long to find her. Of course, all they need do was to threaten Mokuba and she'd come running with an angry huff, but they enjoyed the chase that the single female of the family presented. With utter ease, Touya and Yuusuke would join Hao in a sensing game and locate her aura, then, after a few moments Yoh would agree to such. Then Yuusuke would retrieve his misbegotten tiny sibling and trap her in the nook of his arm, swinging her as if she was sack. Despite her loud and angry protests this was how it went since as far back as she could recall. The nine year old never stood a chance against her five older siblings and tiny Mokuba wasn't all that great of a protector. Though she had to admit that with Wufei's help, the girl had gotten farther than any other attempt to escape.
"Thought you'd escape, eh Chibi-Hime?" The girl glanced up from her huff to see Genkai smiling tenderly at her. The former monster-demon slayer was standing there, dull pink hair and eyes a gleam while she jested.
"I thought I could at least get away from being treated like a sack of potatoes." Hotaru snorted, her sarcastic behavior shinning through. The woman nodded and looked up at Yuusuke with a demanding tone in her gaze. "Aw, Grandma!" He battled against her, as always.
"Down Yuusuke. Can't you respect your—" Genkai stopped suddenly, her entire body freezing up. "Grandmother Genkai?" Mokuba questioned, his wide violet eyes gleaming with fear as she commanded attention from Hotaru's other brothers. Then, all at once, Hotaru sensed the foreboding darkness. All her brothers could sense it now, a dark and evil force had entered the temple. "Touya, Yuusuke, Come with me! Wufei, get your brothers and Hotaru into the inner sanctum." Genkai snarled her orders while Yuusuke handed his sister to the onyx eyed brother, both sharing a strange look that Hotaru could only call protective honor.
In a blur of motion, Hotaru watched over Wufei's shoulder as Touya and Yuusuke tore off their princely cloaks and raced with Genkai towards the entrance of the temple. All too quickly, Hao had scooped up Mokuba and with assurance that Yoh was beside him, he and Wufei took off towards the shielded part of the temple, kept safe by the aura of their mother. A loud cry echoed through the safety of Hotaru's home and without cause, two pure black swans took to the air. Gazing in horror, Wufei set Hotaru down and she instantly clung to her youngest brother.
"Keep going, Ru!" He shouted as he and Hao took off, the twins loosing the link of grasping hands that left Yoh shivering. "It'll be okay, Yoh….You'll see…" Hotaru's voice was far more confident then it should have been. She grasped her brothers' different sized hands in each of her own and together they kept running. More cries of shock and then, Yoh stopped even more suddenly then Wufei had done, his entire body rigid. "Hao!" He shouted, racing while creating an energy blade. It was the most power Hotaru had ever felt from her older brother and Mokuba, in his fear, clung to her legs tightly.
"Hotaru! I'm scared!" The tiny boy shouted. Turning to him and noting the sanctary only a few mere feet away, Hotaru pushed onward. "Come on Mokuba. Once we get to Genkai's shelter, everything will be okay. The Gods will protect us…" She tugged him, trying to pull the boy who refused to move. Her eyes turned pleadingly to the temple and the barrier that crept towards the sheltering of the forest and the beasts who lived there. They would calm her younger brother.
"RU!" A scream echoed and suddenly Mokuba's slight form had tackled Hotaru down. A cloth the color of the purist white had covered her brother and transformed. In a flash of black and red her youngest sibling no longer stood there. In his place was a swan of tiny proportions, barely able to keep himself in the air with his tiny wings that pounded rapidly, squawking in disarray. "Mokie?" She questioned fearfully.
Loud laughter broke Hotaru's stare of her younger sibling. She turned with him to see a woman with long red hair and eyes the coldest of like she'd never seen. "Who…Who are you!" She screamed, instantly moving to catch her flailing brother as his flight seemed failed and he went towards the ground.
"Why, my dear child, I am your new grandmother!" The woman echoed through the entire building. "Hotaru-child—RUN!" Genkai cried out, appearing a bloody mess over the edge of the hill and as the large white cloth took flight, Hotaru broke into a fevered run far faster than that from her brothers. This time, it truly was her life.
Back to the Cell brothers
Curiosity loomed in the eyes of the brothers as they sat there, absorbing the knowledge befitting them. Red hair that matched the new Empress who declared war upon Titan—red hair that matched the emissary of peace sent—blood red hair of that woman who had shaken the tiny speechless teen. Equally their odd eyes, one set ice blue while the other was a cobalt, met. This was not looking good for their kingdom.
TBC…