Chapter 02 – Introducing Eiku and Friends

Riyute Village, Melromarc, Raphtalia's World

25 Cypi, Wintertime

A man wearing a fur-lined cape and a shield on one arm stood against the setting sun. He turned slightly and his bright green eyes met Eiku's brown ones. Eiku watched as the man's ebony hair fluttered in a witch wind. "It's you," Eiku said in wonder.

The raven-haired man's eyes were sad as he replied, "Yes. I had to cross worlds to find you." He tilted his head slightly and studied Eiku's face. "Will you turn on me like all the others?"

Eiku stepped forward, reached out his hands, and cupped the man's face gently in his palms. "How can I do anything less than love the one I have waited so long for?"

The man opened his mouth to respond but his image shifted and swirled like mist. It twined around Eiku's fingers and the man's green eyes were the last to shift before the witch wind picked up and blew the mist away.

Eiku could only stare, his hands still outstretched as the man disappeared before his eyes.

Eiku jolted awake. He lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling of his room for several long seconds as the dream slowly began to fade. He blinked and only then realized his cheeks were wet as a tear escaped and slid down his cheek. Confused, he reached up to wipe his eyes. 'Why am I crying?' He wondered. He stretched his arm out and made a fist. 'Who was that man?'

From beyond his closed door, his mother's voice called out, "Eiku! Are you awake yet?"

Eiku dropped his hand to his face and rubbed the sand from his eyes. "Yes, Mum," he called back.

"Then get out of bed," she called back. "Friga needs milking."

Eiku slowly sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He stretched before he stood and began to get ready for the day. Morning ablutions quickly taken care of, Eiku donned his work tunic, trousers, and socks before exiting his room to make his way to the kitchen.

His mother looked up from where she was sitting at the small kitchen table, sipping her early morning tea. She brushed a strand of her light brown, shoulder-length, wavy hair away from her face and smiled at him. "Good morning, Eiku. How did you sleep?"

"I had a very strange dream," Eiku replied as he went to the fireplace and ladled out some of the porridge from the cast iron pot hanging over the hot coals. His brows furrowed as he struggled to grasp the threads of the dream that were already slipping away. "There was a man with green eyes. He spoke to me but… I can't remember what he said…" Eiku's voice drifted off. He froze while replacing the pot's lid, and stared into the fire. "He felt important."

There was a long moment of silence before his mom spoke, jolting him back to the present. "Your soulmate?" she asked, her voice hesitant but also slightly hopeful.

Eiku shook his head. "I don't know." Just the suggestion was enough to cause a flare of hope to light up in his chest. A hope that had never truly died even though he was almost sixteen and the chances of having a bond at his age was unheard of. He turned around and made his way to the table where he put his bowel down. He sat and smiled across the table to his mom. "Wouldn't that be amazing?"

She smiled at him in return, momentarily giving her honey-coloured eyes a bit of extra sparkle, decreasing the age lines around her mouth. "It sure would be."

BREAK

After eating, Eiku went outside and around the house to the barn where Friga and Isis, their two aurochs, were housed. Their farm used to have more, but over the years, and especially recently with the onslaught of the Waves, they had had to sell their aurochs off, one by one to make ends meet until now only Friga and her calf remained. He wondered if they ever felt lonely, living in the large barn all by themselves.

Eiku opened the large barn door wide and stepped inside. Soft bleating issued out of one of the stalls and was answered by a gruff coo. Eiku smiled as he came to a stop in front of the stall door and peered in at the auroch pair. The calf was currently nursing while Friga chewed on some hay. Eiku reached out to open the stall door and paced around to Friga's other side and pulled up the stool in the corner. He brushed his hands down the auroch's side to let her know he was there before he sat and began to milk from an unused teat while Isis continued to nurse. Years of experience with the task lent him speed and minutes later he had filled his milk pail with the fresh milk. He put the stool back into the corner and brushed the two animals down before giving them a final pat and retrieving the milk pail to take back to the house.

For his next chore, Eiku left the house and headed to the fields to tend to the crops. With no extra coin to hire help, and Eiku a recent member of the City Guard, his mother tended the land herself. Five acres that had been left to the two of them to manage alone due to the passing of Eiku's father in the last Wave. Eiku travelled home to help out when he was able. Unfortunately, over the last year, he had only been able to come out to help a handful of times. He liked to believe that the times he had been able to make it out had been helpful.

It was late spring and the tomatoes and honeydew had just been planted a week before. Thus no honeydew sprouts were growing out of their little mounds yet. The tomatoes seeds had begun to sprout tiny delicate green shoots. Eiku looked over the fields to ensure animals had not started digging up the seeds. Finding no problems so far, Eiku set about watering the vast fields for the day. It was a chore that took him hours. With only Eiku and his mother to tend the fields, they had not sowed more than two fields. Even so, it was a lot of land to water by himself and would take him the majority of the morning.

He had not been watering for long before he became aware of a sudden warmth in his chest. Eiku gasped and stopped what he was doing to clutch his chest and stare down at it in awe. He had never felt a soul bond but he had heard enough tales from others to know what it would feel like. The sudden warmth could be nothing else. He laughed with joy and grinned widely as he spun around and raced back home.

He found his mother in the front garden. A little area that grew things just for the family's use. She was kneeling in the beet patch weeding and looked up, startled when Eiku yelled and she saw him running full tilt towards her.

"Mom! Mom! Guess what!" he leaped over budding plants until he reached her side and fell to his knees beside her, his face radiating happiness.

Hina sat back and forced her heart rate to slow with a few deep breathes when she saw there was nothing wrong. "Eiku, you gave me a fright! What has you in such a state this morning?"

"Sorry, Mom," Eiku said, too quickly for the apology to be truly genuine. "You'll never guess what just happened!"

Hina sighed fondly at her son and wiped her soil-covered hands on her apron. "You are correct. You have never before been this excited from tending the fields."

"Not the fields," Eiku said. His smile had not dimmed in the slightest. It could almost rival the sun in its brightness. "I got my soulbond!"

Hina blinked, unable to comprehend the news for a few seconds. Then she could not help but smile brightly too as she reached out and took Eiku's hands. "That is amazing, Eiku! I had always hoped you would eventually get one. But the chances of it actually happening so late…" Her vision grew slightly blurry and she blinked the tears away. "I am so happy for you!"

Eiku's eyes glistened as well in response. He too blinked the tears away before they could fall. "Why are we crying?" he asked with a laugh.

"You know why," Hina replied with a giggle. "Tears of joy are what these are." She released Eiku's hands and reached up to wipe the moisture away. "Can you tell how far away the bond stretches?"

Eiku nodded. "It's warm. I'm sure whomever it is close by. Lafan Village, perhaps. Maybe even in the capital." He suddenly bounced in excitement. "I can meet whomever it is when I get back to the Capital Town to report in!"

"You will do no such thing, Eiku," Hina chided. "The parents are going to want some time alone with the new baby. You can visit in a month or so to introduce yourself and bring a gift for the infant."

"Oh." Eiku felt some of his excitement fade. Caught up in the moment, he had forgotten that of course the new bond was coming from a brand new baby. His soulmate was almost sixteen years younger than him. He could only be a part of the baby's life if the parents were all right with it. If not, then until the kid reached sixteen and therefore a legal adult of marrying age, Eiku would have to be content with just knowing that he had a bondmate out there in the world. One he could watch over from a distance but never interact with. Even when the kid reached maturity age, there was no guarantee that the two of them would enter into a romantic relationship. With the age difference, chances were very high that the relationship they would share would always be a platonic one. By the time the kid reached sixteen, Eiku may already be married - with a family of his own. Like all those people that lost their soulmates early and thus married someone else. Even married to someone not destined for them, they were still able to find love and happiness. That would most likely be Eiku's fate.

As if she could read his mind, Hina reached out to lightly touch his hand. "Are you going to be able to content yourself with a platonic bond?"

Eiku closed his eyes and took a fortifying breath. When he opened them again, his brown eyes shone with strength and conviction. "Yes. I will be whomever they need me to be."

BREAK

Over the next three days of his remaining leave, Eiku could not stop wondering about his soulmate. What colour were their eyes? Likely blue because most newborns had blue eyes. What colour was their hair? What were their parents like? Were the parents tall or short? Which parent would the baby grow up to most resemble? Was his soulmate a boy or girl?

What was his soulmate's name?

That, more than any other question, was the one he thought about the most. He occupied his mind while doing his chores with thinking of possible names. Shion, Mikasa, Naomi? Perhaps Iroha for 'spring'? Whatever his soulmate's name was, Eiku was certain it was a perfect fit.

He smiled at the thought as he headed back towards the farmhouse, his shopping at the tiny village market done for the day. Riyute was a small village with barely two hundred inhabitants. As a child, Eiku used to bemoan not being able to do much for there was not a lot to do in such a small village. He used to dream of one day leaving Riyute and going to live in a larger town or city, like Capital Town. Now that he lived there though, he found himself wishing for the relaxed quiet atmosphere of Riyute. He chuckled slightly as his booted feet took him down the dirt path that led back home. If only his younger self could hear the thoughts of his older self. His past self would likely not believe such thoughts.

The walk was pleasant, the path he was on was framed on one side by a large expanse of forest. Spring flowers were lining the path on both sides and the sky was a clear expanse of blue, dotted with fluffy white clouds. When he breathed in, the wind carried with it the scent of pine and bluebells. Such a relaxing walk was over in under half an hour and soon he was entering the farmhouse and setting his purchases on the counter to put away.

"Is that you?" Hina called out from somewhere in the house.

"Yes, Mom," he called back. "I picked up more flour and barely." Eiku did not expect a reply and did not get one. Having a conversation by yelling across the house was not something his family was keen on. As soon as the purchases were put away, Eiku went in search of his mother and found her in the sitting room working on her knitting. Eiku was a fair knitter but his mother had more talent for it.

She looked up at the sound of his footsteps and held up what she was working on. The stretch of knitted yarn was pale blue. His mom had not been working on it long as there was not enough done for Eiku to tell what it was supposed to be. "What do you think?" she asked.

"I like the colour. It's gentle. What are you making?" Eiku questioned.

Hina smiled cheerfully as she went back to work, his knitting needles making soft clacking sounds as she worked. "It's going to be a hat for your soulmate."

Moved by the show of support, Eiku crossed the room and kissed the top of his mom's head. "Thank you," he whispered.

Hina turned slightly to kiss Eiku's cheek. "You're welcome, sweetie."

BREAK

29 Cypi, Wintertime

The next morning Eiku woke up, ate breakfast, and bid his mother farewell. She kissed his cheek and handed him a packed lunch for the trip. Before he rounded the bend in the road, he turned and looked back. His mother was still standing on the front stoop, her red and cream dress, and light brown hair fluttering in the early morning breeze. He smiled and waved to her before he turned back around. He looked into the distance and resumed walking. In his mind, he could picture the miles of dirt road leading out of Riyute Village towards his destination. If he paced himself he should reach Capital Town by noon to check in with his unit commander.

As he walked he occupied the time by practicing how he would introduce himself to his soulmate's parents.

"Hello, my name is Eiku Takara. I'm your baby's soulmate."

"Greetings! Eiku Takara. I'm a knight in the kingdom's – His Majesty's – Her Highness'…"

"Good day. I'm your child's soulmate. Nice to meet you!"

Eiku groaned. "I'm going to sound like a complete fool!"

"Hello. Nice to meet you. Let's get to know each other better before I tell you why I am here."

"Actually… that last one may have some merit. I'm going to come off as a real creep if I just announce myself as their baby's soulmate," he muttered, thinking out loud.

"Good day. Are you looking for a part-time babysitter? I'm really cheap!"

Eiku groaned again and covered his face with his hands. "No, that one is right out. They'll slam the door in my face."

He looked up at the sky and watched the clouds drift by as he walked. Ahead, the road stretched into the distance. Birds called to each other as they flew overhead. None of them had to worry about embarrassing themselves to their soulmate's family. Mostly because they did not have one, but still.

"Hello, my name is Eiku. May I please come in? I have something I need to discuss with you."

He smiled. Yes, that one was much better. 'Now I am getting somewhere!' he thought.

"Good morning. My name is Eiku…"

BREAK

After reporting in with his unit commander to declare his leave officially over, Eiku received his orders and headed to the barracks to change into his armour. After opening the wooden door, he stepped into the interior and glanced around. It looked just as he remembered seeing it last six days ago. The fireplace was banked and before it was a small table with two dirty bowls. Eiku frowned. Seemed his fellow knights were still unable to pick up after themselves.

He passed the table and headed up the stairs to the next floor. When he reached the top, he stepped forward and passed four bunks on the way to his own. An olive green blanket with tight corners covered the surface of his bunk. Beside the bed was an armoire and at the foot of the bed, a wooden chest. Crossing to the armoire, he opened it to reveal his set of polished armour. He wasted no time in donning it. First the gambeson, then the mail shirt over that, and lastly, the armour breastplate on top. On went the greaves, vambraces, and gauntlets. He then sat on the bed to get his boots and sabatons on. He smoothed the bed covers out when he stood back up. Finally, he reached into the armoire for his helmet and slipped it over his arming cap and mail coif. Feeling every single pound of his armour's eighty after four days of not having to wear it while visiting his mother, he carefully turned and headed out of the room and back down the stairs. When he was halfway down, the barrack's wooden door opened.

"Hello," he called out.

A fellow knight finished closing the door and then turned around and looked up at Eiku. He waved in greeting as Eiku finished descending the stairs. "Eiku! Welcome back. How is your mother?"

Eiku smiled. Obito and Eiku had grown up in Riyute Village together and had been friends from childhood. Obito was a little on the plain side and had coal-black hair, but his black eyes were incredibly honest. He had proven to be a very trustworthy companion over the years and Eiku was honoured to have him as a shield brother. "She is doing great, Obito. Thanks for asking. She is hard at work managing the farm by herself."

"You did help out while you were there, correct? You didn't laze about and have her cook all your meals for you too, did you?"

Eiku laughed. "Of course not. I tended the animals and weeded and watered the fields. I even cooked some of the meals."

"Oh good. Seems your mom raised you right after all." Eiku and Obito both laughed together briefly. "Seriously though, it is good to have you back. I have so much news to catch you up on! You won't believe what happened while you were gone." Obito said while stepping further into the room and removing his helmet.

"I have some very big news too. When does Kazane get off shift? I can tell you both at once. I have half an hour until I need to report to my post," Eiku said with a large grin. He was barely able to hold in his excitement. He suddenly had the strongest desire to share his good news with his friends.

"Well then, you are in luck. She and I were on the same shift today. I believe she stopped on the way here to grab some lunch. She shouldn't be long." Obito placed his helmet on the table and then retrieved a rag from the washing station and used it to dry the sweat from his forehead and the back of his neck. As he used it to dry his sweaty, coal-coloured hair, he complained, "That helmet always makes me sweat until my hair is dripping."

"That's because you never wear your arming cap. How do you get away with not wearing your mail coif? Doesn't the commander notice?" Eiku asked.

"Of course not. The black fabric covers any bits of mail or cap that would show. He's too busy not being completely dedicated to his job anyway. There is a lot of stuff he fails to notice." Obito hung the town back up and retrieved his helmet. "Come on. Let's go upstairs to wait for Kazane. I want to get out of this armour."

Together they ascended the stairs and while Obito removed his armour, he chatted about his day. "With the Waves coming, my unit commander has us doing drills constantly. Everyone is hoping the Four Cardinal Heroes will save us, but really, what can four people do against that many monsters?"

Eiku did not know much about the Four Holy Heroes. Not many people did beyond the basics. People knew that they were summoned from other worlds to fight the waves, but their names, what they were like, and other details, had been lost to time. Further, not a lot of time is needed to pass for the details to get lost. Somehow, not much was known of the last group of heroes and they had saved the world not even a generation before.

"They have managed to fight off the Waves successfully in the past," Eiku reminded Obito.

"True. Still, four? You have to admit that it all sounds too much like wishful thinking."

From the lower level, they both heard the door open and close and then a voice called out, "Obito, are you here?"

"Aye, Kazane!" Obito called back. "I'm upstairs with Eiku."

They both heard footsteps quickly thudding up the stairs – for such a light girl, Kazane had a heavy tread – and then Kazane rushed in, still dressed in her cream mage robes and hat, and brown cloak, and gathered Eiku into a crushing hug. "Eiku! I was wondering if you were returning today. Welcome back!"

Eiku laughed and returned the hug. "It is good to be back, Kazane."

She released him and smiled brightly, making her green eyes shine. Eiku had known Kazane as a child as they had grown up together in Riyute Village. She had left years before him to go study magic in Capital Town. When Eiku had seen her again years later, he had developed a bit of a crush on her. She was intelligent, outspoken, and brave. She was also very attractive with her bright green eyes and dark red hair. He had finally admitted to having a crush on her six months after getting reacquainted and she had gently let him down. She had a soulmate somewhere out there. Even though Eiku had not had one at the time, she did not want to start a relationship with him while her potential soulmate was in the picture. Even though the crush had taken another month to fade, he had not shied away from remaining as her friend. Nor would she have let him in any case. She and Obito were his closest friends and he could not ask for better ones.

"How was your vacation," she asked.

"Too short," Eiku replied. "My mom is doing well. She needs to hire help but we don't have the money. Any idea when we get a raise?"

Kazane shook her head. "Don't get your hopes up. With the king in charge, proper wages are going to be a dream until the queen returns."

Eiku sighed. He knew she spoke the truth. The king and the current ruling council were rotten to the core. "Long live the Queen. May her return be swift and righteous."

"Hear, hear," the other two exclaimed.

"Oh, Eiku! Has Obito told you the news yet?"

Eiku glanced at Obito, his gaze briefly meeting Obito's black eyes in question, and looked away back to Kazane. "No. He did say some momentous things happened while I was gone though."

"Very momentous!" She looked to Obito. "Do you want to tell him?"

Obito tilted his head towards her. He was one of few words when in groups of people, often preferring to watch from the sidelines as he let others do the talking. "You may do it."

Kazane dramatically stretched her arms wide and announced, "The king summoned the Four Cardinal Heroes four days ago."

Eiku's eyes widened. "He did?!"

"Oh yes! The Spear, Sword, Bow, and Shield Heroes. All four of them."

"There are some nasty rumours revolving around the Shield Hero though," Obito somberly said.

"Pft! We have discussed this, Obito. He has obviously been set up."

"Well, that is one theory," Obito said.

"It's the only theory! You weren't there in the throne room when he was dragged before the King"

"Wait, start over," Eiku desperately requested. "What rumours? What did the Shield Hero do to get him a royal summons?"

Together they told Eiku about how the four heroes were summoned and welcomed by the people as a miracle and relief from the waves. They told him about the charges against the Shield Hero. About how he had apparently nearly raped a young lady – his own party member – the night of his arrival and now was hated throughout the entire kingdom. From there Kazane took over completely. She detailed the King's summons, for she had been in the balcony with her teacher and had seen and heard the entire event.

"He claimed he would never have done such a thing because he had a soulmate. That his soulmate was male and that he was in no way attracted to women. He said he would kiss any of the men in the room to prove it. They called him a liar and accused him of being willing to rape men too." Her eyes flashed in righteous fury. "They threw accusations at him. They did not let him defend himself or even put him under a geas or a slave curse so he could prove his innocence. They called him 'criminal scum' and were simply vile to him." She shook her head. "There is no way someone willing to reveal so much about themselves to a room full of strangers is guilty. Especially not one that was willing to give up details on their soulmate."

Eiku silently agreed. Soulmates were such a sacred thing to many people. Details about one's soulmate were often kept a careful secret. Often details were only shared between close friends and family. Sure, everyone knew that everyone else had one. Everyone also knew that some people lost their's sooner than others and only got a second chance if they were younger than ten years of age at the time. The exact details of everyone's bond were no one else's business, however. Those were details that not everyone knew about everyone else. The Shield Hero revealing so much about his soulmate was a very important detail that should not have been overlooked or brushed aside. Still…

"He may not have the same thoughts of soulmate sanctity if he was willing to throw details of his soulmate under the cart to save himself," Eiku said.

Kazane narrowed her eyes at Eiku while Obito snorted in amusement. "Whose side are you on?" she asked Eiku.

"Not the Crown's!" Eiku exclaimed, putting his hands up placatingly. "I'm just pointing out that because the Shield Hero is from another world he may have different beliefs than us."

"Well, keep that thought to yourself. Or between the three of us," Kazane replied. Her eyes darted around, taking in the empty room and the windows along the walls, some of which were open to let the afternoon spring breeze in. "Never know who could be listening."

"I'm pretty sure we are alone," Obito said, dryly.

"Never be too careful," Kazane insisted. "Anyway, after the charges were announced and Shield's protests ignored, he started to get angry – rightfully so – and insisted that they send him back home. Apparently, that cannot be done until the Waves are all defeated though. The other Heroes were not happy about that. The three of them fully believe Shield is guilty. They did not hide their distaste for him and having to work together at all. But the worst part? The woman that claimed Shield had molested her – she smirked and stuck her tongue out at him! Shield called her a liar but was ignored. Again! In the end, he stormed out of the room. It was awful!"

Eiku frowned. "It does seem… highly suspect," he allowed. He sighed and looked out the closest window and at the blue sky. "I want to believe that he didn't do it…" Eiku was not the kind of person to blame someone without proof. This case certainly did not seem to have much proof. Not giving the Shield Hero a proper trial reeked of a conspiracy. However, the woman could be telling the truth. He weighed both in his mind and finally turned back to his two friends. "Innocent until proven guilty, isn't that the law? I'm going to side with the Shield Hero on this one until it is proven, for certain, that he did such a heinous crime."

Kazane grinned. "Yes! I knew you would understand." She turned to Obito. "And you?" she inquired.

"I too will wait to pass judgment. The woman involved does have a history of being very crafty. It is possible she concocted such a scheme."

"Who is the woman?" Eiku asked.

"Princess Malty Melromarc. She was the only one willing to join the Shield Hero's party," Obito answered.

"Ah. That explains why the people are so willing to believe her," Eiku said.

"In any case, we are in agreement for now. We shall support the Shield Hero," Kazane announced. Obito and Eiku nodded.

"Where is he now?" Eiku asked.

"Around," Obito said. "He comes into the city from time to time. He never stays long though because everyone hates him."

Eiku winced. "If I was reviled by everyone, I would stay away too." The three of them were silent for several seconds as the current conversation thread came to an end. Eiku forced himself to brighten, and indeed just thinking of the next topic he wanted to discuss made him feel brighter and happier. "I have big news too." He paused to make sure he had their full attention and then smiled brightly, his smile reflecting his joy.

"Anyone ever tell you that you are incredibly bright and adorable?" Kazane suddenly asked, her eyes wide as she looked at him.

"Huh?" Eiku asked.

"Your smile," Obito explained with a fond look. "You look very adorable."

Eiku flushed. "Thank you," he said. He shyly looked down and then looked back at them and grinned. "You both are too late though. I finally got my soulbond four days ago! I have a soulmate somewhere out there." His smile grew until his face ached from the strength of it but he did not care. His friends looked at him in shock and amazement. "My mom said I need to wait for at least a month to allow the parents time to bond with their new baby. They are somewhere in the city too. I can feel the warmth from the bond being close by. It got warmer as I travelled here from Riyute so they are definitely not in one of the other small villages. As soon as I can, I am going to find the family and introduce myself. I am going to say, 'Greetings. My name is Eiku. I know this is sudden, but may I please come in? There is something I need to discuss with you.'"

His friends looked at each other and then back to Eiku as he continued speaking. "I'm still working on the greeting, honestly, but it is going to be something like that. I want to ease them into the news so I don't come off as a creep. We are fifteen years apart. I don't want the parents to get the wrong idea about me! I'm going to let them know that I am fully prepared to keep the connection platonic." He paused to take a breath and finally registered his friend's shocked faces as they continued to stare at him. He flushed again and reached up to rub the back of his neck, his fingers brushing through the honey blond hair on the nape of his neck in embarrassment. "Sorry. I got carried away there."

Obito recovered first. "Eiku, you do know that getting a bond with someone over ten years apart in age is not possible, right?"

Eiku frowned at him. "I know what I feel."

"Oh, I believe you. I'm only saying there must be some other explanation."

"What if his soulmate is one of the four heroes?!" Kazane exclaimed in excitement.

Eiku shook his head immediately in denial. "There is no way. I'm not that special."

"No, really, think about it! The timing fits. You said that you got your bond four days ago, yes?" Eiku slowly nodded. "Well, the Four Holy Heroes were summoned four days ago too. When did you get your bond?"

"In the morning. Maybe two candle marks past sunup."

"That's when the heroes were summoned!" Kazane said.

Obito's eyes widened in realization. "She's right. They were summoned early in the day. The timing lines up."

Eiku shook his head again. "Come on, really? Isn't that just a little too convenient? Besides, babies are born all the time. Sure, there may be a fifteen-year gap. And sure, that has never, ever, ever, happened before. But that does not mean… that…." He slowly trailed off as he verbally worked through it. "No way," he insisted again. "It has to be a baby. Being connected to one of the four heroes seems like something out of a children's tale."

Kazane hummed in thought. "It would neatly explain why you never got a soulbond like everyone else. At least, not in the traditional sense. You really did have one. It just did not activate until now because your soul's partner was on another world entirely."

Eiku began to feel another flower of hope bud in his chest. "You mean I may not have to keep the bond platonic?" he asked softly. "I could marry my soulmate if I wanted to?" As a kid, he had always dreamed of having the same strong, romantic relationship as his parents. They had truly cherished each other. Eiku knew he would still have cherished a platonic soulmate and he would have done so devoutly. To have what his parents had though had always been what he desired.

Kazane nodded. "Yes. You really could. I think you should consider it. Feel around the city over the next month. Try to track the bond down. It could be with an infant. As farfetched as the concept is," she teasingly said and winked. "But it could also be with one of the heroes. Keep your mind and options open and investigate both."

Eiku looked back and forth between his two friends and saw nothing but strong support in their eyes. "All right, I'll do that. I'll keep you both updated."

Obito stepped forwards and pulled Eiku into a gentle hug. "I am happy for you, Eiku. Congratulations on your new bond."

Eiku closed his eyes and relaxed into the hug. "Thank you," he whispered. A second later they were joined by Kazane who hugged them both and kissed Eiku's cheek. She did not say anything but she did not have to. Eiku felt the sentiment in the kiss loud and clear.

~*~End of Chapter 02~*~