Ch. 1
13 Years Later
Thirteen years later Rin is fourteen turning fifteen, and still he didn't know anything about his father. Everyday of his life he wondered what his father was like if he ever had one. Whenever Rin mentions his father to his mother, his mother would always beat him up like he committed a crime. That's why he's been searching for clues around his house, but whenever he tries to go into his mom's room she'd beat him up as well. At school was even worst. Whenever people try to talk to him he'd push them away like they were toys. No one could break that barrier that surrounded him, but one student broke it and became part of that it and that person was Naroki. The reason Naroki broke that barrier was because he kind of had the same troubles as Rin's. He's trying to find his birth parents, he's good-looking yet he's considered a nerd in his class, he wants to know who he is, he doesn't get along with his step-parents, and his step-parents always beat him up whenever he doesn't appreciate anything they give him. So now they're like glue, they can't separate from each other. Almost like as if they were siblings, and they can open to each other whenever they want. Then one very strange and ominous day Naroki went to Rin's house to help him find out if he even had a dad. Rin's mom was late at work so this was the perfect opportunity. The two searched high and low everywhere in the house, but they didn't search one room though. That room was Rin's mom's room, so they went inside the mysterious untouched room. They searched everywhere as well they even checked if there were any trap doors or secret passageways to anything paranormal. Naroki thought they should just give up and try again, maybe the evidence will magically appear. Rin was about to agree with him until he stepped on a board that made a hollow sound, so he pried the board open and saw many things about his father. What he did for a living, what his occupation was, his pictures, and abruptly he saw a piece of paper that had his father's belongings. Rin knew that was a will and all those belongings now belonged to him, but when he stumbled across the part where it said that he now owned Mikage corp. he was furious that his mom hid that from him. If he found that out a couple years ago he would've been famous, and he'd getaway from his mother's beating and the way things have been. Then he landed on two words that he might want to continue doing, and those two words were the "celestial project". Rin told Naroki to get out for a while, but by the time Naroki was going out, Rin's mom came into the room. When she saw the two boys who snooped into that wooden tile. She became more enraged than ever that she threw a glass photo frame at her son's head. Rin felt that throbbing urging pain that went through his body from all the beatings she did previously to him. He figured it was time for payback, so he a dagger in the tile. Rin put down the will and took out the dagger. He pointed that dagger to the ground, and then he threw the sharp and deadly dagger at his own mother. Luckily, it only aimed at her leg when she saw that weapon on her she took Naroki shoulder and started to choke him. Rin had to do something or else his true and only friend would die in his mother's hands. He looked down at the storage space to see if there was any other weapon he can use, and then he came across a pistol that shot very poisonous bullets. Even though he might miss and kill his friend, he took it and aimed it at his mother. Naroki broke free of Rin's mother's hands, and she came collapsing down on the bedroom floor. Rin knew that he might get arrested for this and Naroki couldn't believe what he just saw. They two friends decided to runaway since first they might end up going to jail or juvenile hall, second so Naroki and Rin can get over what happened, so Naroki can find out what happened to his parents, so they can get away from everything they've been through, and Naroki can get away from the beating pain. The boys packed everything they needed, and since Rin had the will he decided to start another Mikage corp. building on a far off island where nobody would know them.
Since 13 years passed Takara is now thirteen going on fourteen. For Takara life has been going great for her. She has friends, a good school, a great family, and almost good grades. But there's something in her that will make her life in danger. So she's off to go to school with her friends Keiko and Shinri.
"Bye mom, bye dad," she yelled.
Aya yelled back, "Bye, Takara get home early." When Takara was leaving Toya came across something in the paper, that a Mikage was killed a couple nights ago.
"Aya come here for a sec," Toya called.
Aya answered, "Why, what happened?"
He told her, "Just take a look at this. It says that a Mikage was killed a couple nights ago. Do you know what this means?"
"Yeah, that the fact that my family was pretty famous for them to get on paper," she realized in a dim-witted way. Then Toya bonked her on the head.
"Aya, focus this might mean that maybe some Mikages are out there and might want to start what they started fourteen years ago. I'm not saying that it's true but I'm just assuming," he exclaimed.
Aya replied, "First off, don't bonk me on the head that's my job to bonk you and second that's impossible all of the Mikages were killed fourteen years ago. Remember on that boat. Unless maybe someone who worked for the project survived and wants to continue the project again."
"Well, that could've happened or someone wants revenge for killing their parents or their friends," Toya assumed.
Somehow in a way Toya knew that there was another Mikage out there waiting for Aya or Takara to appear upon their doorstep. So now he knew that he really did have to protect his family especially Takara. After all, she had to search for something.
Meanwhile after school, Takara was at her favorite hang out slash place, which is the poetry café. This is place where Takara and her friends hang out everyday after school. Since while her mom is into singing she's into writing poetry. She even wrote some on her free time most of them referring to magic and fairies.
"Hey, Takara, I'm just curious why do you always wear that necklace?" she pointed out.
Takara answered, "To tell you the truth I don't really know. I just had this ever since I was a baby, and whenever I take it off though I feel weird."
Shinri assumed, "Maybe it's because you have something very magical that's stirring inside you. Like me I feel like I already can do some spells."
"Yeah, and people call you Shinri the dumbo, the great magician who doesn't know how to do magic," Keiko insulted.
Shinri defended, "If I'm a dumbo then how am I passing every class and you're failing every class. Huh cuz?"
He got his backpack and took out his nice yet dense cousins report card. Then he smacked that report card on the table, and Takara saw how many inadequate grades there were. Keiko felt very chagrin when Shinri put that report card on the table. Takara didn't want to say anything even though she wants to give Keiko a little pep talk she still didn't want to say anything.
"Hey, I have a passing grade in art and gym," she continued, "And what the hell are you doing with my damn report card?"
Shinri argued, "Gee, not my fault you have things laying around all the time."
"Um, guys have you ever noticed that our lives are well just plain and normal?" Takara wondered.
Kieko questioned, "What's wrong with just plain and normal?"
"I'm not saying anything is wrong with it," Takara continued, "It's just that everything is always the same even everyday is the same. I want something magical to happen, like I don't know a bird takes me to a place where there's no troubles."
"Well, if you want something magical to happen then I can do this little magic trick you'll love," Shinri insisted.
"No!" Takara and Keiko yelled.
Takara stated, "Shinri, the last you tried to use a little magic everything in the room turned into black, putrid foam, and then rats came out."
"Oh, please that problem wasn't even that big," he scoffed.
"Your parents had to call animal control because of those filthy vermin. And then everyone in the neighborhood wondered what that commotion was, and people smelled funky for at least a week. Well that was actually me and Takara though," Kieko explained.
Takara pointed out, "That's true even my neighborhood was wondering what that bedlam was about. And my parents nearly isolated me because of that stagnant smell."
"So what? That trick was overrated anyway. This trick will definitely cheer everyone up, but since you don't really want to see it I guess won't do it," he confirmed.
"Thank you," Kieko thanked in relief.
Takara and her friends always have a great time especially when they're joking around or just plain laughing. Yet Takara still wants something spontaneous to happen in this stodgy small town. Even if her life is perfect she wants an entertaining event to happen in her life, and she wants it to happen right now. Apparently it probably will. Then all of a sudden her heart was throbbing telling her that something bad was going to happen, and her chest was throbbing with so much pain that she started to sweat.
Shinri asked, "Are you OK?"
"Yeah, don't worry I'm fine," Takara answered.
Abruptly, a woman from outside let out a scream because her kid was stuck on the road or something. That was when Takara jumped off her chair to save that little boy. She had to dash through many people to get to the busy car filled street. When she finally got on the streets she held that little boy in her arms like how a mother would protect her own child. A car came racing right in front of her, so she held that boy even tighter knowing that she was going to get steam rolled over by that car until something strange happened. A very florescent light came toward her, and when she looked down the boy wasn't there in arms anymore. Random images were appearing right in front of her as if she was at this place she was seeing. Then her necklace started to hover in front of her, and then it started to glow before she knew it she was right in front of the car again. When she closed her eyes as the car came closer. Then car let out a screech right in front of her, and knowing the car had stopped she picked up the boy to give him to his mother.
"Oh, thank you very much," the woman thanked.
The boy said, "Thank you very much kind lady."
Takara answered, "No problem."
"Takara!" Shinri yelled.
"We saw the whole thing out the window. Are you alright?" she asked.
Takara replied, "It's OK I'm fine. A little traumatized, but I'll be OK. You know, I'm just going to walk home by myself."
"Are you sure it's pretty rough out there and it's getting dark?" Shinri asked.
"Yeah, don't worry about me just, you can walk Kieko home. I'm just going to go now," Takara stuttered. She walked away with no other expression than the one she just had when that light flashed.
Then that feeling she felt before came back again it was like pile of tree branches just piled on to her. When she looked up a small, crimson rose began to grow graciously, and she pulled it off the ground. When her feeling of uneasiness past, Ceres was above and looking down on earth to see how Takara was doing since she hasn't figured that she's a celestial maiden.
"Please, let me help her I want to help this child so she won't suffer like her mother. I mean you saw what happened," Ceres asked.
But the Buddha just turned around so she could only see his back, but Ceres chased him. She didn't want to give up on Takara, and that was because she knew that Takara needed more help than anyone.
Ceres threatened, "Let me help her or else I'll do this on my own, and I may need to ask what it this treasure she has to look for?"
"Ceres, you know that doing something without permission is dishonorable. And this treasure is a treasure that will help celestial maidens survive in heaven," he exclaimed.
Ceres asked, "What's the story of this treasure?"
"I'll tell you. Long ago in ancient China there was a dragon named, Fucanglong. He was the dragon of the treasures, and there was this specific treasure that he was suppose to guard for celestial maidens. Then there were a couple of other ordinary girls that helped him when he was in pain, so he granted them some special powers and they became celestial witches that protect celestial maidens. Then China broke out in a war and when some people saw the dragon and the treasure the people charged for it until the celestial maiden died for him, and then the dragon came to Japan. He stopped at a pine tree, and when a celestial maiden saw him she took care of him. Then he had to leave and protect the other treasures he had in China and so he left the treasure to the celestial maiden. She promised him that she would protect it with her life. Later she became very ill and she held that treasure close to her for ten nights. After ten nights she died and left the treasure letting it bury under the mucky soil, so she turned into a necklace. That's why when a person puts on that necklace they have celestial powers and the person has to find a treasure. But since the celestial maiden broke her promise she was punished. That punishment was that she couldn't turn back into a celestial maiden until she recovers the treasure, and I erased her memories of the encounter with the treasure and the dragon to challenge her even more," he explained.
Ceres asked, "Why punish her, she was ill?"
He answered, "Well really she turned into the necklace then left the treasure behind. Breaking a promise is a very dishonorable thing, you know that."
"Then what does this treasure look like? And is it true that this maiden had other special powers though? Cause I've heard of her before my robes were stolen," Ceres asked.
He replied, "Oh Ceres, you're filled with many questions. Well, only the maiden knows what it looks like. I don't know what it looks like, and neither will Takara unless she uncovers the maiden's memory. And yes, this maiden had a special power with plant life. Lately plants haven't been thriving because of her. You see I send her down every spring to make plant life grow, and since Takara is down there she can repair the damages that human kind has damaged. You'll be able to help her though, but only seven times no more than that."
Ceres bowed her head and flew away. She knew that she couldn't help earlier though, so she just wandered around heaven and wondered what her adventure will be like when she finds out. Although she did wonder if she's going to have a love life or not, and if she finds one early like her mother then it'll be the same story all over again.
Back on earth, Takara kept wondering what was that feeling inside of her. It wasn't any type of sensation that was stirring inside or anything, but it was almost like a chill going down her spine. All of a sudden while she was walking home she bumped into a boy and dropped almost all of the stuff that was in her book bag.
"Sorry," she apologized.
"Don't worry it's OK," the boy responded. She kneeled down on dry dirty sidewalk to pick up her stuff, and the boy who bumped into her helped her. When Takara looked up she saw the man, and once she was finished picking up her stuff he held out his hand to help her get up.
"Oh, thank you very much," she thanked.
"It's no problem at all. You live around here?" he asked.
She answered, "Yeah, pretty much. What about you? Did you just move here?"
"I did just a couple days ago. My names Naroki and yours?" he asked.
She stuttered, "I'm Takara."
"You do know that it's dangerous for someone to be alone in at night," he imposed.
She told him, "Well, I prefer being alone. After all, it's a full moon very radiant and come on you've got to love that glistening light."
He offered, "But even if you do prefer being alone I think I should at least walk you home. Even if it is a full moon."
"I guess so," she smiled.
As they were walking Takara smiled every time Naroki talked about anything whether if it was school, writing, and even a little bit of magic. She hasn't smiled this much since she's been feeling these constant pains. When they arrived at the fence of Takara's house, Takara was upset when she arrived at her house. She felt so elated when they were talking to each other, but most things have to end.
"Well, I'll see you around," Takara implied.
"Yeah, well see you," Naroki answered.
Then he left Takara right in front of the fence to her house, but then many statements and questions started to pop into her head. "I wonder when I'm going to see him again. He was very handsome and very cute." All she did was just smile as he walked home. In the house Aya was being a little bit meddlesome since she was looking out the window to see if her daughter was home yet. Aya does this a lot because first she wants to see if Takara got home safely and second to see if Takara comes home with a boy.
"Aya, what are you doing?" Toya asked.
Aya stated, "I wanted to see if Takara got home, and she's here almost"
"I saw the guy. And don't even think about pushing her."
"Toya, why do you insinuate that?" she asked.
He replied, "Cause ever since Takara was born you've always been wondering if she's going to have a nice love life. And she's way too young to be dating right now."
"For goodness sake she's almost fourteen. That's when I started liking boys," Aya argued.
Toya responded, "Then two years later you got pregnant."
"Hey, I was seventeen when I was pregnant with her," she continued, "Plus it wasn't my fault I got pregnant."
"Actually, it was your fault you're the one who fell in love with me," he implied.
"Gee, and that's a bad thing?" she scoffed.
He explained, "No, what I'm trying to say is that don't tell her to date now. She might get the wrong message to run off with a boy when she was your age. I'm already worried because she's growing up and turning fourteen in a few more days."
Then the door opened and Takara kicked her shoes off, and went to the living room. When she got to the living room she saw her parents bickering again. Almost every night when she gets home it's like she came home at a bad time or it's kind of like she was at the wrong place at the wrong time. Still, she finds it entertaining whenever they argue about anything all Takara does is sit and watch them go on and on. Yet Takara could tell this fight was about her.
"Um, hi mom and dad. Is there something wrong?" she questioned.
"No, don't worry it's nothing. Your mother is just being nosy again."
Takara sighed, "Mom, I'm old enough to walk home alone warily. So please, can't you just let me get home in peace?"
"Sweetie, it's at night and there's a lot of deleterious things happening at night. Oh, and who's the boy?" Aya asked.
Takara groaned, "Mom, he's just nobody. I bumped into him on my way home, and he offered to walk with me since it was dim out. That's all nothing serious."
"If he walked you home maybe he's attracted to you," Aya implied.
"Aya, don't start," Toya continued, "Takara you know better than to date. So please let's not have any date discussions?"
"Don't worry dad I'm not going to date anyone anytime soon. Like you said before I should wait until college," she quoted.
"Glad to hear you say that."
Takara informed, "I'm going to turn in early. And if you ask I'm not hungry I ate at the café. Well, good night." Whenever Takara heard those lectures that her dad gives her she completely eludes him. She's been trying to find a guy she could love and stay with, but she knows that fairy tales don't happen in reality. Still, she tries to find her flawless attractive prince who will stay with her until death. A couple of guys asked her out at her school, and she turned them all down since none of those guys look like they're chivalrous and loyal. But she had crushes on guys at her school, and then once she got to know them she fell out of love with them. Although, she did seem to have some feelings for Naroki, but still doesn't know if she actually likes him. After all, she only walked home with him and the only thing she does know is that he's trying to find his parents, and she doesn't want to get in the way or be a distraction to him. Takara didn't really say much to her mother about him though. Still Aya knows that her daughters been bitten by the love bug, but a certain someone who doesn't want his daughter to love someone at an early age. Aya knows that Toya will get upset whenever she pushes Takara in liking someone. All Aya can say is that it helps a child if they at least focus on puppy love, but still Toya disagrees with her statement. He believes that it might be best if she falls in love with someone when she's in college that way she can get a good education and then get married. Takara decided to get away from that love subject and think about what happened this afternoon. So she went to bathroom to take a shower in order for her to get rid of all that tension in her body. She was hoping all that hot water could help her get over what happened this afternoon. Then she washed her face and brushed her teeth and went to her room. And she's still thinking about what happened during her encounter with that car and what happened when she was at that café. Abruptly, the feeling started to overcome her again, her chest felt numb, and her head was throbbing and hurting as if a pile of stones just buried her alive, and her knees felt weak as breakable twigs. Then Toya came into her room that was when the feeling finally passed on, yet sweat was dripping down her face. Once Toya saw the dripping, damp sweat running down her head, he might've known what happened to her. Takara asked her father if he could help her through these feelings she's been going through lately.
"Takara, are you OK?" he asked.
Takara answered, "I'm fine, dad."
At the café and now wasn't the only time when she had this urging, stirring feeling inside her. About a week ago she had a huge headache that she nearly got lightheaded, and then she almost pushed Shinri to the busy street. Then there was another time when she nearly fainted at school because her knees felt so wobbly. Another time was when she was out sick for a week, and then her chest was in so much pain that unusual things started to happen like when she needed a towel, it was right there next to her.
"Dad, do you know what's been happening to me lately?"
Toya exclaimed, "I don't know. You haven't been talking about what's been happening to you. Although, we received many calls from your school saying that you've been having these headaches or asthma attacks. What has been happening to you lately?"
Takara explained, "I don't know. It's just that I've been having these peculiar pains and these pains happen everyday now. I even sweat on occasion for no reason at all. Dad, I'm panicking here I don't know what's going on with me. I mean I already reached puberty, and what is this suppose to be? Me having extra stages of puberty in my life, and my chest is throbbing with pain everyday. What's that suppose to mean? That I'm getting a bigger chest?"
"OK, let's not get into that. Well, maybe I do know what's going on with you lately."
Takara hesitated, "Then, what is it then?"
"Takara you've never heard of celestial maidens have you?" Toya asked.
"No I never heard of them," Takara asked, "What are they?"
"Well, celestial maidens are these beautiful angels that live in heaven and they descend to earth every year to bathe in the oceans. But there's a ticket to going back to heaven once they come to earth, they have to have their celestial robes. Sometimes men who see them want the maidens to become their wife, but the maidens always end up going back to heaven anyway. Although, there is this one story about a celestial maiden who didn't get her robes back until several years passed," he explained.
Takara asked, "Why was there a prophecy?"
"There was no prophecy it's just that the man became obsessed with having her power, so he hid the celestial robes in the ocean that way no one could get it. Before he became obsessed with her power the man and the celestial maiden fell in love. So the real reason the celestial maiden stayed was because the two people loved each other very dearly. The maiden even had a child with him. Later he became so obsessed with her, so she was forced to kill him. Several years later she found the robes and went back home with the man she loved," he explained.
Takara was very confused about that story. Now she has a plethora of questions that it's going to take up the whole night to answer them, but she decided to ask the essential questions. Yet for some reason she smiled at the end of the story. Was it because the celestial maiden went back home or was it because the celestial maiden was reunited with her beloved or was it both? Nothing was really clear to her at all.
"Where, did they meet? And I thought that guy died so how could he have been reunited with the maiden?" Takara asked.
Toya replied, "The first question you don't want to know. And the man didn't really get killed yet, he and the celestial maiden was reincarnated. So generation after generation they were reincarnated until the celestial maiden found her robes and the man's reincarnation died."
Takara asked another question, "OK, but how does this story have to do with me?"
"Maybe your life is kind of like the celestial maiden's," he answered.
"I don't get it. How? She had to go through puberty?"
"That's not how your life relates to hers. You see after being reincarnated from generation after generation she's struggled a lot like you. Although, you are more aggressive than her, and not that volatile cause I heard from many people who told that legend that she was easily aroused. And the only thing I'm concerned about is if you're going to start dating and falling in love," he implied.
Takara laughed, "Don't worry dad I'm not going to date anyone anytime soon."
"That's good to hear. Goodnight."
"Night dad."
Toya kissed Takara on the forehead, and Takara turned off the light and put the blanket over her body. Then she slowly dozed off and hopefully she won't dream at all tonight. When she shut her eyes there was this levitating, pale, ghost-like creature in the darkness. She thought she was dreaming so she opened her eyes, and this creature wasn't surreal it was really something that was floating in the crisp air. All Takara though was that it was just some dust that was carried by the wind until the creature took the shape of a comely woman with golden eyes and silky indigo hair. The woman walked gracefully up to her, and then she tapped Takara's forehead then this luminous light shined throughout her room. All of a sudden the woman disappeared. Takara wondered what she did to her then she felt really droopy. So she plopped her head on her pillow and slowly dozed off.
"Ceres!" the Buddha yelled in rage. "I thought I told you not to go on and assist her until the day of her birthday."
"Sir, I wasn't assisting her. Well, I was. But only because she was wondering about the story about me, so tonight she's going to have dreams about what happened when I was on earth. Not to mention her birthday is only two days away so I decided to help her a little bit earlier," she debated.
The Buddha stated, "OK, not only you didn't get my approval, but you also gave her extra dreams about her past growing pains. I know you always like to give extra but sometimes no one needs the extra nightmares in their dreams! Now, go and see what Rin is doing after all his intentions are like his dad. Actually, his brain is like his dad."
"First of all those dreams aren't nightmares they're memories of what happened to her," Ceres continued, "Secondly, Rin has his own set of brains. He doesn't need his father's, and trust me his intentions aren't even near to his father's. Trust me I saw what was coming up."
"To Takara those are nightmares to her. She doesn't want to relive it. Plus if you did scrutinize into the smoke shrine the smoke from those sticks are defective and the smoke changes color that indicates the future of that person won't come true. Just go and see what Rin is up to if Takara is involved with that other boy this may cause conflict," he argued.
Ceres sighed, "Yes, sir I'll get right to it."
No matter if she was exasperated she still needed to follow the orders of the Buddha. Reason: the celestial maidens are loyal companions to the Buddha's therefore they help each other. Since Ceres request was granted she has to return the favor. So she flew down to see what that malignant Rin is about to do with his newly established Mikage corp.