Chapter 7: Hakuryuu Baby

Pain. That's all the newborn felt. He had been born with silvery white hair and the dragon claw. His father's loud mouth scared him and made him cry, but what was worse was when his own father had slashed his own dragon claw across his newborn sons back. So the babe cried, loudly. His mother tried to comfort him as healers were called to help him. His father was ushered out of the room, banned from being alone with his own son.

As the first days passed, the tiny boy was given a name that only his parents would call him. Kija.

Light baby blue eyes opened as the healer and nurses came in and changed his bandages on his back. His mother held him a lot because he could not sleep on his back. He wasn't allowed to sleep on his chest because of fears he'd suffocate. He squirmed as the cold ointment was put on his back and began to whimper as pressure was put on the wounds. Words like scaring and back damage filtered around him, but as he kicked and squirmed the grey haired woman who watched from her platform just smiled at him. He was unaware as to who she was to him.

Six months passed from the moment he was born to the moment he began to move on his own. He in no way could crawl, but he had begun to sit on his own by five months. He'd learned quickly how to scooch his bottom across the floor to move around his room or any room. He usually did it to get his toys that were across the room from him.

Looking up to a noise, Kija saw his month coming at him. He gave a cry at being picked up and placed on his blanket once more. He'd been so close to grasping the soft plush toy that was in his box of toys that was low on the ground too! As soon as his mothers back was turned, Kija was on the move once again, this time being inventive and using his dragon claw in moving him and the blanket across the smooth floor of the room. Once he grasped his toy from the box, successful this time, he heard his mothers voice once again. Smiling up at her, he held up his prize with a giant smile spreading across his lips.

Kija was trying to walk at seven months, but wasn't very successful. His dragon claw made him unbalanced. He'd get so frustrated at falling to the ground that he'd throw a fit, which ended up in him tearing at his clothes, blankets or toys. He had many headless toys because of these tantrums.

Today his grandmother was witness to one such tantrum. As he used his claw to tear the blanket he was on, she waved one of her assistants to go stop him. Kija only screamed in frustration at being picked up and sat on his grandmothers platform only for his tears to be soothed away by her soft and gentle voice. Sleep followed soon after.

His first true steps would occur a week later in his father's presence.

At nine months Kija began to really pay attention to the sounds people made around him. He figured out that these sounds meant something. His grandmother would say something and then a pile a white puff would be given to her in a decorated clay bowl. She'd then hand feed him this puff. He liked the puff, not as well as his mothers milk, but it tasted good.

Today his father had joined them for lunch. He was pale, just like Kija was; but unlike Kija, his father's dragon claw was wrapped and covered to prevent any miss happenings from occurring. Crawling away from his grandmother, Kija sat ha elf next to his father, who made noises at a servant who moved Kija between his mother and grandmother. Kija, in retaliation, gave a cry that sounded a lot like a word; no. It made everyone pause long enough for him to stand and half walk, half wobble over to his father's side and sit down next to him. When the grown ups recovered he was already eating the white puff out of his father's bowl. It was obvious that he loved his father, even if it made everyone nervous to have Kija near his father.

"No!" Kija's voice echoed around his home causing servants to pause in what they were doing to see what the young Hakuryuu was upset about today.

"Kija." his mother's voice called to her son. "Come back here." she told him only for the soap covered, naked boy to escape her once more with a grin on his face.

Kija hated bath time, but he loved being chased afterwards or during. He giggled as his mother gave an exasperated tired huff before chasing after him once more. The year old boy loved the game of chase and the longer it went on, the more people who would join. He gave a sudden gasp as he was grabbed by the door to the outside. Kija giggled as he looked at his father's eyes.

"Dadda!" he yelled out happily before he was placed into his mother's arms and wrapped into a fluffy towel, a pout appearing on his lips at being handed over to her.

"Don't let him catch a cold." his father said before leaving the room.

"Kija, why must you do this every time you get a bath?" his mother inquired.

Kija looked up as his mother as he was sat on his bedding and dried. "Fun Mamma!" he cried out, beaming a wide smile up at her.

His mother stared dumbfounded at him before smiling as she shook her head at him. "My silly boy." she commented as she continued to dry the young boy off.

Years passed and soon Kija learned the reason he was never allowed to be alone with his father. It made him sad to learn the truth, but it also made him happy when they were allowed to be together. He chair she'd those moments, no matter how short they were.

At six years old, Kija lost both his father and mother in the same year. His father died moments after the last of the dragon power had been transferred to Kija. His mother, she died from sickness that winter and was laid to rest next to his fathers tomb. The only true family he had was his grandmother. Yes he had his cousins and distant cousins too; but the only direct family he had left was his elderly grandmother and he had to keep her safe, no matter what.

Kija was six still when he met the yellow haired stranger. He felt like he was, familiar. He had a warmness about him that made Kija feel safe. The man also made him feel like they were connected, brothers even and as he helped Kija dress, Kija swore he felt a happy pulse coming off of the man.

Ouryuu? he thought but as he was going to ask him the man had to suddenly leave. Kija made sure none would chase after him.

Later that night Kija dreamt of the red star turning into a long red haired woman with violet eyes and a dark dragon curling around her protectively. Her hand was held out to him, and as Kija reached out his dragon hand to grasp hers, he saw both Seiryuu and Ryokuryuu near her as well. Ouryuu stayed hidden behind the dark dragon, leading Kija to believe that this woman may be the one his people had been waiting for. When morning came the dream and it's contents vanished from his mind; but for the first time in a very long time, the feeling of his ancestors oppression seemed to lift from his shoulders; if only for a moment.

Kija had no idea that he'd been given a premonition of what was to come nor did he know that his master had just been born and that in sixteen years she'd be coming for him and the others. The only thing the young Hakuryuu knew was that for once he could feel a joy entering into his soul and he had no idea as to where it was coming from.

M-Angel: The magna and Anime both covered Kija's past, so I really wasn't sure what to do for him. I did want to give him somewhat of a happy past with his parents, so I hope everybody enjoyed this chapter.