Chapter 6: Her

Kija tugged on the long sleeve of the traditional robes that he was wearing. The adoption ceremony had gone off without a hitch with Kija made an official grandson to Mundok. It had taken place at the center of Fuuga. The people had come to congratulate and see who the new boy was. Most seemed uninterested, but a few seemed to have spotted the white claw that had been hidden under the extra long right arm sleeve.

At the moment they were having a huge feast with games, which were mostly centered around weapons. Men would best each other in arm wrestling contests, see who could throw a spear the furthest or who was better at hand to hand battles. Women joined in these contests too. As Kija found out, the wind did not discriminate against women. The motto was, if you could move you can fight. In most cases the women were stronger then the men.

Next to him Hak was stuffing his face with breaded cakes, all the while oblivious to the stares he was getting from a certain young toddler. The little girl had been interested in Kija's long white mane, but was now staring at Hak like he was the greatest thing in the world. Ayame, he believed her mother had said her name was. She was adorable in the blue and pink flowered yukata that she was wearing.

Kija reached his normal hand into the sleeve of his robes again and began scratching his scales once again. They were itching! They had been aching during the ceremony as well, but now the itch was there and it would not stop!

Hak saw movement out of the corner of his eye and looked to watch Kija itch his arm. "What's wrong?" he asked the silver haired boy.

"My scales itch." he answered honestly, after all, there was no reason to lie to his adopted brother. He looked at Hak before bursting out laughing. "You've got icing all over your face." he said As he tried to calm his laughter.

Hak grinned before grabbing a piece of cake with red icing before slamming into into Kija's face. The older boys yells were enough for hi. as he burst out laughing. "Now you do!" he yelled excitedly.

"Hak..." Mundok's voice held a warning in it.

"Looks like somebody is enjoying themselves." a laugh 've from beside the two boys causing Kija to look up at the older man.

"Zen, Hak did this to me." he complained.

Zen chuckled. "Xa'dan did the same thing when we were children." he explained only getting a pout from the silvery haired boy. Picking up a rag from his leg he began to wipe the younger boy's face until it was clean. "There. You need to loom presentable to the ladies after all."

Kija flushed. "No I don't!" he yelled with some anger only gaining a laugh from the older man.

When suddenly Hak gave a gasp. "Help!" he called out.

When Kija turned his head towards the scene he would have burst out laughing except that he was frozen. Hugging Hak from behind was a tiny toddler who didn't look any older than a year old. She had the older boy pinned on his stomach with his face in his plate. She was giggling, which sounded like bells to Kija's ears. Her bright red hair swished as she was moved by Hak's struggles. It was then that it happened, Kija felt intense pain run up his arm, the bandages underneath the sleeve began to burn as the spirits of his ancestors came forward crying out. A voice spoke within his mind.

You are now our other halves.

You will serve Hiryuu as your master, protecting him with your lives.

You will love him, and never betray him.

When the voice vanished Kija tel himself fall backwards. It was a good thing he was already sitting so he hadn't hurt himself when he fainted.

In the Hakuryuu village, the people of the village had been mourning the loss of their young Hakuryuu. For weeks they had been searching surrounding villages, but had come up empty. The father of the young Hakuryuu, the former Hakuryuu had sent out half of the spies they had in order to find his son. He was determined to find the boy. So this evening when he was heading back to his home, he had been surprised when he felt the power of the Hakuryuu drain from his body. Behind him, his grandmother, his father's mother, rushed to his side with her assistants carrying her.

"Bunko!" she cried out his birth name without thought. Her platform was placed near his body. As she grabbed For him, his right hand that was now normal reached for her.

"Grandmother..." he whispered, the strength now gone from his body. "Find my boy. Find Kija."

Tears formed in her old eyes that had now seen two Hakuryuu lords pass away. "I will child." she promised. "I will find our Kija."

Bunko slowly closed his eyes, and as the last breath left his body, the old woman and elder of the Hakuryuu village Found her chest tightening and constrict with great emotion at the loss of her grandson. His life cut short because of the Hakuryuu power transference. Looking towards the ever darkening sky, she wondered where their kind and gentle Hakuryuu was at this very moment and if he was safe.

Kija opened his eyes to find Hak looking down at him. "Are you okay?" he asked. "Your arm was smoking a few minutes ago.

Sitting up Kija looked at the burnt material of his tradition robes as the grandson of the wind general. They were blackened and charred. Pushing the material up, he removed the bandages around his arm and saw there was no damage to the clawed hand. Strange. he thought. I can feel power rushing through my arm. After I heard that voice... His eyes widened as he remembered the red haired girl. "Where is the red haired girl?" he asked.

Hak smirked. "You mean your biggest fan?" Hak asked as he pointed towards the little girl behind him who had been holding his head in her lap. "She got all upset when she saw your hand get burnt." Picking Kija's hand up Hal showed her that he was unharmed. "See, he's okay."

The child's cheeks flushed lightly as she tried to not look embarrassed. Failing miserably. Getting upset she stood up and stomped up to Kija. "You scarwd me!" she yelled as her small round eyes filled up with tears. "Don't do it again!" She sniffled as she tried calming herself but failed.

Kija pulled the tiny child into his arms, trying to calm her down. "It's okay. I'm sorry. I won't do it again. I promise!" he spoke quickly as too felt like he was going to start crying.

Sitting next to Mundok, who was talking to Prince Il, who had come to watch the ceremony; Xa'dan mumbled to the two men. "Seems like our little Princess Yona has caught Kija up in one of her crying facades." he chuckled as the boy tried and failed to calm the now crying Princess of Kouka. The young Lady Tatiana quickly excused herself from the circle of women she'd been talking to when she heard her daughter's very loud crying.

Kija stood up with Hak following him as the lady took the red haired child away from the celebrations to go into the wind manor. She turned towards the two boys once she had placed her daughter to bed. "Princess Yona needs her sleep." she told them gently.

"Will she be alright?" Kija asked worriedly.

Tatiana smiled at the boy warmly. "She is just tired." she told him. "She's only a year and three months. She's very young and needs her rest." She looked at the boys. "As do you two."

"I'm...not tired." Hak said with a yawn, gaining a chuckle from the young woman.

Kija took his hand in his own. "Night lady." he said with a bow as he pulled Hak towards their rooms. That night, Kija dreamt of a future where he would protect his red haired mistress from the bad and evil of the world, never realizing how true that dream would one day become.

M-Angel: I hope everyone liked how Yona met Kija here. Next chapter will be through Yona's P.O.V.