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Chapter 4 : Secrets, Revelations and Discoveries
She took in a deep breath and said
"I have been Minami Megumi ever since I lived in Japan, but before that, I was known by many names,"
"My family has been on the run as far back as I can remember. We'd settle down in one part of the world for a few years and then we'd have to move as soon as we were found out,"
"Our pursuers are relentless. Somehow we are hunted no matter where we go. That's why we had to keep moving to avoid...something like this from happening,"
"But why are they chasing your family? Who are they anyway?" asked Ryuu.
"I guess I really do have to start form the beginning don't I?"
He raised one of his eyebrows at her in a gesture which said isn't that obvious? She laughed nervously and started flipping the icepack between her hands. He figured she just needed something to do with them.
"Alright, I'll make this quick. It started a really long time ago with this really old and cranky warlord named Ozai. He started this massive war between these four nations which lasted several hundred years. In the end, he was beaten by this bald monk and the prince, Zuko. To forge new bonds of peace between these four countries, the said prince married the princess of the nation he was previously at war with."
"Sounds like your average fairytale to me. Except for the bald monk part," pointed out Ryuu.
"Heh.. Trust me, It gets even more trippy. According to the story I was told. The prince had inherited some of the crankiness from his father and he gradually started to become insane. His advisors sought the help of a wandering mage to separate the anger form the prince and store it safely away. Somehow, the anger was so powerful, it became a living entity itself. It became more powerful by feeding off the sorrow and hate of the people around it. So, the prince, now emperor, sealed this demon away in a deep dark cave which only he and his immediate family knew of the location,"
"So that means you and your family had something to do with this demon?" he ventured a wild guess. It was no surprise at all that he did not buy this magical mumbo jumbo for one minute.
"Well, we believe that the demon is actually some sort of weapon, probably biological. Or it could even be the tomb of the emperor's murdered elder cousin who was supposed to be the emperor instead of him," she said, suddenly perking up.
"You've lost me," he said point blank.
"Oh.. well, the point is that my family are direct descendants of that royal family. And every few generations, one of the daughters will be born with photographic memory. It is said that only she holds the location and the key to the cave where the demon is kept, still hidden after all this time,"
He leaned back into the seat. A large part of him still thought the entire scenario to be a bad dream. He half expected the 'Anubis' in front of him to pull off a latex mask and reveal himself to be Nanami. He expected Kinta to jump out of the trunk, slap him on the back and proudly claim this to be a practical joke of his invention. Heck, he wanted Meg to burst out in laughter right now and tell him this was all a test of his sanity. Why must everything in his life be so complicated?
"So you're just gonna sit there and not say a word?" she asked. "If I did not make myself clear, I am the target of practically every major yakuza, mafia, and secret society in the world. All wanting to kill me or use my knowledge for their own diabolical ends!"
Anubis cleared his throat pointedly.
"Of course I did not mean Pluto directly Anubis-san," she spoke to the seat in front of her.
Ryuu scoffed and turned away. She was on good terms with him? The man who had made his life a living hell since god knows when. Who cared if she was some heir of some great secret? What would he want with a girl who had been deceiving him the entire time he had known her? Did he even know her real name?
No. Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch.
Anubis stared at the two teenagers from the rearview mirror and resisted the urge to laugh out loud. The blue haired boy had turned his head towards the window, facing away from the bubble-gum haired girl. He was determinedly avoiding her. The girl on the other hand was a different story altogether. She was bent on making him listen. They looked like two preteens who had their first official fight. Of course, he understood that the girl must have had very few friends growing up. So did Master Ryuu. A sudden thought suddenly hit the blonde man with the force of a bullet. It was perfect. Too perfect for words.
"Why don't I take over the story telling now?" asked Anubis, suddenly in a good mood. "I'm sure my narration will be more accurate,"
Ryuu shuddered. By accurate, he meant bloody and gruesome. It always was.
"Not long after the imprisonment of the demon, many saw the potential of this power and sought to procure it for, as you say, their own diabolical needs. However, others feared the release of the demon would bring about another war, and possibly the end if the world."
He paused for dramatic effect.
"You can imagine the horror and turmoil that went on during those times. The royal family lived in constant fear of being kidnapped and tortured for information. Civil wars broke out. Brother fought against brother, no one could be trusted anymore. Especially when the royal family went into hiding. Rumors have it that they hid somewhere in Iceland. Away from all the chaos. Every one of their guards were sworn to secrecy. They even formed a secret society to protect the whereabouts and safety of the royal family,"
"But on one chilly winter night, they were betrayed."
Ryuu sat up in attention now. Meg was fidgeting again. This time with a golden something that hung from a chain.
"The shocking fact was that they were betrayed by the most unlikeliest of sources. A small, poor pageboy who apparently worked for the emperor himself. The pageboy, being the rat he was, aligned himself with the enemy and told them everything. Legend has it that only the youngest princess survived. By disguising herself as a commoner, she managed to sneak into England with the help of the secret society."
He glanced at the girl beside him. She was quiet now. She was probably thinking of her family. How ironic, the youngest princess. The object in her hands was visible now that they were passing below the streetlights of the interstate. It was an ankh, the ancient Egyptian symbol of life. But this tiny pendant has a snake, no, a cobra wrapped along the length of the symbol.
"It represents the protection of life," she said softly "The life part is pretty obvious I guess. The snake represents the secret society, every watching, ever ready to defend us.. or...me... "
The truth suddenly dawned upon him. They were almost alike but in a sense, complete opposites. Each entrusted with a heavy burden at a young age. Each having to live their lives fleetingly, never getting too close to anyone, never completely believing in things like friendship, trust or love… or at least until recently, he corrected.
However, when he was kept away form others since a young age. She was obviously surrounded by love. He lived with his life regulated by strict schedules and discipline, never knowing any fear in his childhood. He never knew what it felt like to fear for his life, instructed to believe that no life is as valuable his own.
He could tell that Megumi Minami was the type of girl who seized life by the balls, stumbled, paraded and laughed all the way through the short periods of happiness she had. In an odd way, they were just like the bodies they were set to inherit. She cherished the life she had while he… What about him?
No. he told himself. Pluto is ancient history.
"Where are you going?" he managed to choke out. For some reason his throat felt dry, his heart heavy.
"Unfortunately, no one outside the order, not even your grandfather is privy to that information." said Kingsley out of the blue. Ryuu almost forgot he was in the car.
"How does my grandfather know your secret society?" he asked again.
"A long time ago, the members of our secret societies worked together in an important mission. One that greatly benefited your grandfather," said Anubis
"Maybe you'd care to ask him about the mission for yourself, Ryuu-sama,"
"Never," he said shortly.
"Ryuu, I realize that he's King Hades and all, but shouldn't you at least try and reconcile with him? I mean, he is your grandfather.. But I'm not asking you to join Pluto or anything. Its just that I think, you know-"
"I've made up my mind Meg."
Anubis smirked from the front seat.
"We're here." Announced Kingsley from the front seat.
To be continued…
Yay! Another chapter completed. Four down and One to go. NONE of the references of characters are mine. Except for the whole 'lady meg' thing.. lolz..