W.I.T.C.H. Dreams of Lusteria
Chapter 09 Part II: Skeletons in the Closet
Everyone stared at Kimi in silence.
"What do you mean that he died by your hands? Kimi, you just said that you didn't kill Seiji!" Irma retorted, folding her arms irritably. "I know that I rarely pay attention in English literature, but even I recognize this as an oxymoron!"
Kimi sighed and glanced out the window.
It happened on a day like this, Kimi thought.
A fat sparrow was perching on a branch in the yard. It ruffled its feather to shake the light snow off before taking off towards the grey sky. For three years, Kimi tried to forget the faces of the dead. She tried to forget the sight of their shredded bodies, their blood soaking into the pure white snow, and the face of Seiji's face as he died in her arms. Kimi had done her best to display a sense of equanimity and indifference all these years, but her heart felt otherwise.
Someone said her name again. Kimi blinked and turned to face her friends.
"Girl, will you stop spacing out on us?" Irma said, rolling her eyes.
Orube leaned in and said gently, "Kimi just tell us what really happened."
They're your friends, said a voice within her. It would be wiser to repay their kindness with trust and transparency.
This was a burden that had weighed heavily on her. Perhaps telling them the truth will ease it. Kimi took one last glance at her friends. She stopped on Matt Olsen. She doesn't fully trust him nor does she like him. The last thing she wanted to do was to share her secret with someone who has no business in their affairs. She wanted to object to his presence, but decided against it. She'll find a way around him. An idea popped into her mind.
"Very well, I'll do more than tell you," Kimi said. "I'll show you."
She held out her hand and the Jewel of Life manifested, its light shimmered softly throughout the room, humming a haunting sound. The light grew brighter by the seconds, enveloping everyone in its brilliance. Naturally, they recoiled from it overwhelming brightness. Kimi noticed that only Taranee could look directly into it. Of course, she thought. Fire and Light both go hand in hand.
The light finally died down to a bearable degree. When her friends opened their eyes, they noticed they were no longer in the living room of their headquarters. Instead, they were standing in an endless, dark void, surrounded by floating giant crystals, each of them containing something within. Hay Lin noticed one floating behind her and turned to see a scene showing her and her friends being attacked by a tengu. It looked to be the end for them when suddenly a mysterious cloaked figure came to rescue them.
This is when we first met Kimi! Hay Lin realized.
"Where are we?" Hay Lin asked in wonder.
"A part of my mind," Kimi answered. A crystal as big as her face floated towards her. Kimi held it in her hand and watched the moment when Xuan Wu impaled her father's petrified body through the heart before shoving him into the crevice. Kimi pushed it away and the memory crystal floated upward to join a cluster.
"This…this is astonishing," Cornelia breathed. "All of these crystals are the manifestation of your memories?"
Kimi nodded. "My memories and my collected knowledge of everything I've learned thus far in my nineteen years of life. I've asked the Jewel of Life to connect your thoughts with mine so that you may better see my memories. We are still physically sitting in our headquarters."
"Why do I get the feeling that we're going to see a very long story?" Irma said, tapping a crystal containing nothing but complex mathematical formulas for a spell. "Won't our friends and families get suspicious if we stay in your head too long?"
A small smile curled on Kimi's lips. "Thoughts move faster than spoken words, Irma. What will feel like hours will be mere minutes in the real world."
At the mention of their friends and families, Will turned and noticed one person missing. "Wait, where's Matt?" Her friends glanced around, and sure enough, he wasn't here with them.
"Still sitting next to you physically," Kimi answered nonchalantly as if his absence doesn't concerned her in the slightest. "Although you can't see or touch him."
There was clear irritation on her face. "Why did you leave him?" Will demanded.
"You should know by now that my mind is not a pleasant place to be in," Kimi replied. There was no hint of humor in Kimi's voice.
"You're just saying that because you just want to annoy Matt," Will spat accusingly.
Kimi did not deny it. She waved her hand at all the floating crystals around them. "Look at them Will. These contain not just my memories and knowledge, but some of my most private thoughts. Many of them are too painful and dark to share. Consider it a privilege to be my guests here. Your boyfriend hasn't earned that right." Kimi enunciated the word as if it was disgusting. She then lowered her voice gently. "Aside from privacy, I don't think Matt can handle what I'm about to show you."
Will frowned, unconvinced. Kimi may have changed for the better mostly, but it was clear that she still wasn't above being unpleasant to selected people who annoyed her.
"Rest assured, I don't intend to show you all my thoughts and secrets," Kimi said. "I will show you certain memories involving my cousin Seiji and how his death affected the present. Do not be afraid of what you will see. It may look and seem real as if you were there yourselves, but nothing you say or do will change what was written and recorded."
Kimi held out her hand and a crystal from the giant cluster above them came down, resting before them in a circle. Kimi clenched her hand and the crystal shattered, immersing them in the memory it contained.
"Woah!" Taranee gasped as the scenery around them changed. Familiar buildings rose quickly towards the sky. Soon, the people and a few spirits flying above their heads.
"This is Edo, isn't it?" Orube asked, recognizing the capital of Nihon.
Kimi nodded as the scene solidifying around them. At last, they were standing in the courtyard in front of what appeared to be a huge Buddhist shrine. Cherry blossom trees lined the place, showering them with its petals. Before them is a huge gathering of people in the most beautiful kimono, robes, and nineteen-century-style suits. Without thinking, Irma and Hay Lin reached out to touch the hem of two women's sleeves. Their hands went right through.
"This is so surreal," said Hay Lin in awe.
"And kinda cool," Irma agreed.
The crowd clapped, and the Guardians looked up to see all eyes on a young couple standing before a priest.
"It's a wedding!" Cornelia said. There was no denying the excitement in her voice.
They moved closer to see. The groom appeared to be a young man in his late teens. He was tall and handsome with soft greenish-blue eyes. As he smiled at his bride, two prominent canine teeth emerged from behind his lips, giving him a sly smile. He was dressed in a ceremonial black robe and his hair tied in a slick, simple topknot.
The bride was a young girl who seemed to be around the Guardians' current age, although she could be a little younger. She was dressed in a snow white kimono, her hair coifed and covered in a white veil. The bride seemed unrecognizable at first because her face was painted entirely white with blood-red lipstick. As she lifted her head to gaze into her new husband's eyes, the Guardians gasped.
"Is that—?" Cornelia asked.
"Kazumi Kinomoto. At age fifteen, my cousin was wed to the heir of a successful shipping company, Seiji Minamoto. It was an arrange marriage between our clans, both for political and economic reasons."
Kimi turned her head. Her friends followed her gaze and saw a slightly younger Kimi in a light-purple kimono standing next to her uncle and a woman presumed to be his wife. Kimi applauded politely as the bride and groom turned to bow to their guests.
"The Minamoto is a large clan skilled in the business industry," Kimi continued as she and her friends watched the wedding. "Their talents ranged from land developments to financial firms. Naturally, my mother's clan was attracted to their growing wealth. Seiji Minomoto, barely after his eighteenth years, was long groomed to inherit his parents' business. And yet, he dreamt of something more than becoming an owner of a shipping firm: He wanted to be the Chancellor of Nihon and serve the Emperor. Seiji idolized my uncle who was appointed the position not long before the wedding. He wanted to learn from Komei and become his successor. Unfortunately, he lacked the direct connection. Seiji hoped to at least use his family's financial backing to gain himself a small political seat and work his way up the hierarchy.
"The Kinomoto saw this as an opportunity and immediately proposed a marriage between him and one of their own, claiming that it would benefit both clans: the Kinomoto would gain a footing through the doors of a booming economy while the Minamoto access to the world of politics. The Kinomoto elders maid the bargain more enticing to Seiji's parents by offering Kazumi. Her father is a general and is also admired and respected by rival clans. Not only would Seiji become his son-in-law and my uncle's protégé, but he could be the father of eligible candidates for the role of Twin Guardians."
Will wrinkled her nose in disgust. "How could they treat the roles of Kandrakar's Guardians as if it were a business?"
"Will's right! Being a Guardian is an honor and a privilege!" Taranee affirmed.
"It's destiny!" Irma added.
Kimi glanced at her friends. "It is precisely why the position is an honorary one that the Kinomoto treated it as if its business. Naturally, Seiji's parents couldn't resist the offer."
Cornelia snorted, making no attempt to hide her disapproval. "Another arrange marriage based on power than the heart, I see."
"On the contrary, Seiji and Kazumi grew very fond of one another," Kimi said. She looked on sadly at the newlyweds before the memory dissolved and crystallized back into its former state. Another memory crystal floated towards them and like before, shattered to immerse them into its memory core. They saw a roomful of young women sitting around performing various hobbies while they converse. Two were reciting poetry and literature, others were sharpening their swords and daggers. A younger Kimi was writing calligraphy while Kazumi was showing off her wedding presents to her sister and cousins. There was a smug look on her face as she watched her younger cousins admiring her new set of kimono gifted from Seiji's parents. Will noticed Hay Lin eyeing the silk hungrily, no doubt wondering how she could ever afford such quality silk.
"Kazumi wouldn't shut up about how wonderful her Seiji was. As I sat there, I could just feel her aura flaring with pride and joy endlessly like water releasing from a dam." Kimi leaned over her younger-self's shoulder to read what she had written. She smiled at the memory. "I remembered this part. When Kazumi started to brag about how many children she was going to have in the next several decades, I accidentally spilled ink on her new kimono just to get her to scream about anything other than the names of her imaginary neonates."
Sure enough, the younger Kimi knocked an ink well over as all eyes were on Kazumi. It wobbled across the table and splattered all over one of the kimono robes on the floor. Kazumi screamed as she and her cousins jumped in as an effort to remove the stain as quickly as they could. The older cousins who had been sharpening their swords laughed as the attempt only made the stain bigger. Kazumi shot Kimi daggered look and accused her of being a jealous dog.
"Wow, even back then you were unbearable," Irma said, elbowing Kimi with a teasing smile.
"That wasn't nice," Hay Lin said.
"But it was kinda funny," Cornelia and Taranee snickered.
"I would have done the same thing in your shoes!" Irma laughed.
Kimi straighten up and the memory dissolved back into its crystal form. Another crystal came to show them Seiji accompanying Chancellor Komei in the royal court of Nihon.
"Seiji was unlike any young politician I've met. He was intelligent and talented as well as ambitious and curious of the world. Even my uncle was impressed. He had never seen someone so eager to learn and to master the art of politics. But that was exactly what Seiji had accomplished. It was as if he was born for the role.
"As weeks passed, Seiji wasn't just fascinated by the different politics of our world, he wanted to know about the ones on all the worlds Kyochi and I had visited. Whenever we returned from a mission, he would interrogate us with a hunger in his eyes. Tales of a fallen republic, a rising democracy, the creation and fall of tyrannical regimes, and the concept of a constitutional monarchy filled his every waking dream. He became restless, both amazed and alarmed to learn all of this. Soon, he began to see our world in ways he'd never had before."
"It is better to seek out knowledge than fortune and glory," Orube noted wisely.
Kimi nodded. "Yes, and Seiji's political ideals became more progressive and radical because of it. This alarmed many of our elders. He suggested that we abolished certain customs, such as nepotism. He proposed that we transition to a more egalitarian society, giving power and a voice to the lower classes."
"That doesn't sound so terrifying," Taranee argued. "His ideas are some of the staples of democracy on many of Earth's nations."
"Yes, but Lusteria is a world govern by tradition and beliefs. Seiji's ideals frightened many conservative politicians and traditionalists in the royal court of Nihon. These people are the ones who had been growing complacent for decades, especially from the Kinomoto clan," Kimi said darkly. "For a time, they ignored Seiji's proposals and branded them as naïve dreams. But slowly, Seiji's words began to carry weight and they were reaching both the younger clansmen and the lower classes."
"I see," Orube pondered as she watched Seiji giving a speech before a group of younger Kinomoto members. "With the rising number of his supporters, the traditionalists feared Seiji would be able to amass a revolution that threatens their political platform."
"So in effect, Seiji made enemies within the royal court," Will said.
The memory changed to show Seiji advocating his ideals before the Emperor and a roomful of lords and ladies, members of the most political powerful clans in the kingdom. A shiver ran down Will's spine and was immediately reminded of the previous Oracle Himmerish's tribunal. She knew this was all a memory, but she could feel the intensity of the court's cold, scrutinizing eyes.
"One thing that my step-dad always taught us in history class is that generally, those who stayed in power too long will become corrupt by it over time," Will added. "These guys are so blinded by their own powers that, of course, any suggestions of progress or change for the people would be deemed too radical!"
"I did not disagree with Seiji's vision," Kimi said. "But three years ago, I also didn't believe it was my place to interfere. My duty as Guardian was to serve Kandrakar by maintaining the balance between light and darkness, not political parties."
Irma rolled her eyes. "Could have fooled us, Kimi. It's not like we had just interfered with Annamite politics by aiding against the Champa when they wanted to throw the princess bride onto the funeral pyre alive!"
Kimi said nothing as she continued to watch the old memory of Seiji imploring before the court. A younger Kimi had been watching up on a balcony at the time, hidden behind a veiled curtain. The Emperor appeared calm while the lords and ladies burst into roars, shouting over one another while glaring at Seiji with venomous eyes. They called him an uneducated rube, a derange radical, a dog without a leash on its tongue and manner, and other vulger. The Emperor held up a hand to silence them and spoke with equanimity.
"You were right, girls. Seiji made enemies," Kimi said, turning to her friends as they watched the scene unfold. "To placate the hostility of the shoguns, our Emperor told Seiji that he was indeed too young and inexperienced in the court. Instead, he suggested it would be wiser for Seiji to gain enough credibility before he could propose his ideals to the court again in the future."
"So basically, he was demoted," Irma said flatly.
"Demoted and humiliated," Kimi confirmed. "Seiji would retain his position as my uncle's protégé, but his access to the inner political circle was revoked, at least temporarily until they deemed him older and wiser.
"I could tell that Seiji was furious, although he did well to hide it. But he was very tenacious. He was going to prove them wrong and show the world that his ideals were the right path and they would help propel Nihon and all of Lusteria into a brighter future."
Kimi waved her hand and the scene dissolved to darkness. "Have any of you heard of Shinrinkage?" she asked.
Five Guardians shook their head. Orube, placed a finger to her lips, trying to think. "The name sounds familiar, but I'm afraid the full extent of it eludes me."
"I'm going to guess it's not the name of some sushi dish?" Irma joked. If Kimi was annoyed with her constant jokes, she didn't show it.
"Shinrinkage means forest shadow in my language," Kimi explained. "It's a village founded by a group of shadow-wielders centuries ago, located about a hundred kilometers from the same ziggurat where we first fought against the Celestial Warriors. It was founded not long after the end of the Great Elemental Wars for the inhabitants to escape segregation. Because of their empathy for the darkness, shadow-wielders are often stigmatized by other elemental wielders. To many, shadow-wielders are unnatural and perhaps dangerous beings."
"That's utter rubbish!" Orube objected. "Yes, a few of them are a bit strange and indifferent, but I've met many shadow-wielders during my time training on Lusteria. They were good people like your father and brother."
For a split second, sadness glimmered in Kimi's eyes. "And yet my father deluded himself into thinking he could protect his family from the Kinomoto's control. His plan backfired, resulting in my mother's death and my father was essentially banished and considered dead to the rest of his kin. And my brother…well, let's say he usually kept to himself and to his studies."
Orube rubbed her arms. She regretted mentioning Kohaku and Kyochi in the same breath.
"But you are right, Orube," Kimi continued. "Many shadow-wielders do use their powers for good. One of them was my ancestor, Lord Kazuhiko."
"He's the first Guardian of Darkness, isn't he?" Hay Lin asked, trying to remember what her grandmother had told them at the beginning of their Lusterian mission.
"Yes, and the founder of the Watsuki clan. He and many others like him had to endure the brutality of segregation inflicted upon them simply because they were different. Unfortunately, not all shadow-wielders were as strong willed as him. They came together and decided to seek refuge in the Dark Forest. There, they founded the village of Shinrinkage where they could live in relative isolation."
Cornelia rubbed her arm absentmindedly. This doesn't make sense to her. "What does this village have to do with your cousin?" Cornelia asked.
The others exchanged looks, their minds thinking the same question.
"Shinrinkage was where Seiji died," Kimi said.
Kiyomi sighed as she hesitantly knocked on her sister's door. As always no answer, but Kiyomi could sense her twin had been awake for hours. She opened the door slowly to signal her presence.
Kazumi Kinomoto, formerly Kazumi Minamoto, sat absentmindedly on the engawa. She paid her sister no notice as Kiyomi took a seat next to her. The entirety of their back courtyard is organized meticulously into a zen garden. The patterns rock swirled around various boulders and cherry blossom trees, stretching from under their elevated veranda towards the end of the fence.
"You should eat," Kiyomi said, placing a tray of breakfast down. "Mother and Father are worried."
Kazumi said nothing. A look of sadness and forlorn painted her face.
The mechanical clock behind them chimed noon. Automatically, the pumps hidden behind a cluster of bushes activated, pumping the water and flooding the entire zen garden in a matter of minutes. Kiyomi sighed as she took off her socks and dipped them into the water, splashing gently as if she was sitting on a dock at the lake. Their father had wanted his landscape designer to creature a mechanical feature that can submerge his garden partially for at least an hour. Aside from the boulders and trees protruding into the air, the feature allows people to feel as if the house they're in is floating on a calm sea. Kiyomi sighed again. She could remember whenever her father had important guests visiting; he would proudly show off his two beautiful daughters and his flooded garden. She also remembered how often she and her sister had gotten into trouble when they attempted to swim in the water.
Kiyomi hand clutched her dress. Tears welled up in her eyes. Those were happier memories.
"Kazumi please say something," Kiyomi's voice was shaking. "Yell or scream or cry! You've been like this since we came back from Annam! You don't say a word! You haven't eaten or slept! Mother and Father are worried! Please, Kazumi-chan. I'm your twin! I know that whatever Kimi did, it's torturing your heart!" Kazumi turned slowly but said nothing. Kiyomi grasped her hands in hers. "It's Kimi's fault isn't it? She made you like this! She used her talisman on you!"
At the mention of Kimi and her Jewel of Life, Kazumi felt tears streaking down her face. Her eyes widen in shock. It was the first real expression she had since the battle in Annam.
Kiyomi gasped. "I'm right, am I?" She held her sister's hands closer and held her gaze. "Little sister, you've suffered so much already since Seiji died. It's Kimi's fault that he's dead and why you're so unhappy. Kenji was right about her. She and her witch friends have turned against us. The elders are too blind to do anything about it. But I won't let her escape justice. I swear to you, I will find her and make her pay. She will—"
"No."
Kiyomi blinked, unsure if she had imagined her sister talking for the first time in days. "Kazumi-chan?"
Kazumi yanked her hands away from her twin's. Rubbing the tears from her eyes, she shook her head furiously. Kiyomi's heart swelled with relief to see her sister back to her cognitive self.
"Kazumi, what do you mean no? Kimi—"
"—did not kill Seiji," Kazumi snapped.
Kiyomi felt at a loss for words. "What do you mean she didn't kill Seiji?" Kiyomi demanded, anger clearly audible in her voice. "That forensic document back in Joseon confirmed it!"
Kazumi shook her head frustratingly. "Kimi didn't kill Seiji," she repeated, this time with more conviction.
Her sister remained in disbelief. "How can you be certain?"
"The Jewel of Life. It not only saved me from Zhu Que's Wrath, but it showed me something." She paused and unconsciously clutched her chest as if she could [revent her heart from leaping out.
Kiyomi came closer. Gently, she took her sister's hand in hers for reassurance. "What, Kazumi? What did the talisman show you?"
Kazumi's lips trembled. She could feel herself choking and feared her courage had left her.
"Kazumi, please tell me," Kiyomi whispered.
Kazumi turned and saw desperation in her sister's eyes. She didn't have to be an auraseer like Kimi to know how her sister is feeling. She gulped and finally said in the quietest of voice. "It showed me the true nature of Seiji's death."
A gasp escaped her twin's lip. The Jewel of Life is one of the three sacred treasures bestowed upon the Twin Guardians. The ancient Nymphs of Kandrakar created them to be the embodiment of life, truth, spirit, light, and power. No Guardian can force these talismans to lie and deceive others, even an enemy. Kiyomi's heart is now torn. She was relieved to know that the ancient talisman had cured the Deadly Sin from her sister's heart, but if it showed her a vision of the past, it may have unintentionally broken her sister's spirit.
Kiyomi leaned back and shook her head in frustration. "What does it mean?"
"I don't know, but even if Kimi didn't kill Seiji, it doesn't excuse her from lying to me about it," Kazumi said. Kiyomi noticed that her sister's tone and resumed its firmness and she wasn't certain if she should be relieved of that. "We're being used, sister. By Kenji? By our elders? By the dark forces that's threatening our world? When will we be ever free?"
"But we are Kinomoto. Our lives have been determined since before our birth. I am to marry Kenji and you—" Kiyomi stopped herself. Her sister had been labeled as damaged good and unlucky since Seiji's death in the cursed village. For two years, their parents had been unsuccessful in trying to find another suitable husband for her. They were lucky when Chancellor Komei's adopted son approached and asked to marry their eldest daughter. Even if she were to marry the Chancellor's son, Kiyomi knew that she couldn't abandon her twin. She was determined to help her sister in anyway. "What do you intend to do?"
"I intend to find the truth," Kazumi answered darkly, her eyes turning hard and brittle. "Something involving with my husband's demise reeks with deception. Kimi lied to me about how he died. I want to know why she covered it up and I intend to find her and make her tell the truth."
Kiyomi nodded and held her sister's hands again. "And I will help you."
There was a long pause. Irma stopped herself from asking. Instead, she turned towards her friends, hoping that they'll break the silence. None did.
At last, Kimi continued. Gracefully, she took three steps back and a memory crystal floated down in their center. Taranee noticed that the memory core is pulsating a haunting, purple and black glow. Its crystal casing shattered and the memory swallowed its audience whole. By now, Kimi's friends were used to the immersing feeling as buildings and people solidified around them.
"Seiji knew he needed to regain his political. He waited and saw his opportunity when news of a massacre in Shinrinkage held everyone's attention. A mysterious creature—"
Orube looked at her with alarm. "A creature?"
Kimi nodded and placed a finger to her lips to usher silence. She pointed her finger towards the main square. At first glance, it looked like any normal village from a time period movie, but Orube and the other five Guardians couldn't help but felt a sense of dread and foreboding. Instinctively, Taranee rubbed her arms as if to regain her normal sense of warmth.
The sun had long set and many people were lighting their streets and shops with paper lanterns, beckoning their neighbors in for dinner. Several children were finishing their training, a group of warriors were polishing their arrows, a boy walked home with some sort of fuzzy dark spirit yipping like a dog on his heels. All seemed normal at first until a gust of wind came, extinguishing all the torches and lanterns. The villagers glanced up, alarmed. The Guardians watched with anticipation as deadly silence followed the wind. Some quickly relit their torches. The warriors quickly got to their feet, their bows and swords ready, although they weren't certain where this sense of foreboding was coming from.
Without warning, the peaceful village erupted in chaos. People ran about screaming, drawing their weapons and magic. As quick as lightning, their fire torches were extinguished. Something dark and fast blurred and blood was splattered over the walls. The creature was too quick and its form was indistinguishable to make out any clear features. It was as if the villagers are being attacked by a living shadow!
Forgetting that it was a memory, Hay Lin screamed held up her hand to fire a blast of wind. With quick reflex, Orube grabbed her hand to stop her. Irma and Cornelia immediately appeared by their friend's side to ease her anxiety as the ghostly projection of a villager ran through them.
"Hay Lin, it's okay," Cornelia said.
"Yeah, it's just a memory," Irma added.
"A very dark and unpleasant memory," Hay Lin said, her voice still trembling. Kimi turned her head and held Hay Lin's gaze. The Guardian of Air shook her head. "I'm fine."
These were shadows of the past. There was nothing they could do. All they could do was watch as innocent people are slaughtered mercilessly by a creature that appeared from a living nightmare.
It came one night, destroying their homes and slaughtering anyone within sight. The villagers didn't know if it was a type of demon or a spirit, at least none they had ever seen before. The creature had emerged from the darkest shadow of the woods on a moonless night. It tore through the village, tearing down homes as if they were mere playthings. Whenever it caught its victims, it tore through their flesh as easily as a person would cut through butter. Bones were crushed and blood was spilled.
The visual memory sent chills up everyone's spine. They had seen terrible things since becoming Guardians. Recently, Irma had seen a horrible vision filled with death during her ordeal in Annam: bodies were stabbed and burned beyond recognition. But the memory before her was a lot worse. The Guardian of Water felt sick to her stomach and fought to hold it in.
"Why couldn't the villagers stop it?" Orube asked, her tone mixed both with awe and horror. "They're shadow-wielders! They should have been able to handle dark spirits."
"But this is no dark spirit," Kimi answered. "Yes, the strongest shadow-wielders of Shinrinkage emerged to defend their home. But you saw how quick the creature was! It was as fast as lightning and swift as the wind. The villagers could neither catch nor tame it. Those who were unfortunate to come within rage during the fight soon realized that its hide was like iron, yet also ethereal like a ghost. The shadow-wielders tried to attack the terrifying creature, but their magic simply bounced off its hide or went through it. All the villagers could do was to hide and pray for their lives. Those foolish enough to stand in its way weren't spare from its wrath." Kimi paused a moment. "Not even women, children, and the elderly."
Hay Lin gasped, clinging to her friend for comfort. "That's horrible!"
Kimi nodded sadly. "It killed without prejudice. It destroyed and rampaged for what felt like an eternity. Just when the villagers thought they were all going to die in a single night, the creature mysterious vanished into a cloud of black mist. It was gone as mysteriously has it had appeared.
"The sun rose and the villagers went on to bury their dead. Others struggled to rebuild their damaged homes. They went on like this for days, all the while wondering what that murderous creature was and what could invoke its ire. They feared it would return and it did several nights later. Again, it killed as much as it did during the first night. It never appeared during the day or during a full moon. It came when the night is at its darkest as if it was born from it.
"Never before had the people of Shinrinkage felt so uncertain and afraid of the Dark Forest that surrounds their village. What had protected them for centuries has become a place of purgatory."
"Can't they just leave?" Taranee asked. It was the most logical thing these people could do.
Kimi shook her head. "Logically, yes, but Lusterians are deeply rooted by their tradition and culture. Shinrinkage was no exception. That village was the only home those people had ever known for centuries. The outside world was alien to them and none wanted to go to Edo and ask for help."
"So how did Seiji heard about the massacre?" Will asked.
"The village isn't entirely isolated from the outside world," Kimi replied. "There are caravan of traders who would often make the long journey to Shirinkage once a week to trade goods and bring news from Edo and to them. Naturally, most of these caravan traders are shadow-wielders whose ancestors stayed in Edo.
"Their last trip ended in a bloodbath. They were warned to leave, but the traders' curiosity became their downfall and stayed to see what had caused such anxiety for the villagers. The creature appeared and killed the majority of them. Two traders were in its clutches when it disappeared in smoke at the break of dawn. The pair desperately made their way out of the Dark Forest. Their clothes were torn and their bodies bruised and bloodied beyond recognition. They were quickly taken to the hospital."
Kimi paused to glance at her friends. They were all leaning on their toes, their fingers laced together behind their backs in anticipation. Even Orube was fidgeting slightly, transfixed by the horror story.
No, this wasn't your typical horror story. In their line of work as Guardians, this was all too real and it felt more real when her memories are being relived in the moment.
"Sadly, one of the traders died from blood loss. He never regained enough conscious to tell us what happened."
"What about the other trader?" Cornelia asked.
"He survived." Kimi glanced as the memory dissolved before another took its place. This time, the memory is of a scene in a hospital ward. "As a medical student, Kyochi was training under the tutelages of several physicians." Kimi paused, her mind groping for the right word. "I believe you Earthlings called it an internship. It was there that he encountered the surviving trader. At the time, I was paying Kyochi a visit when the survivor crossed our path."
The scene showed the trader waking up in his hospital room with a frightened expression on his face. He screamed, alerting his nurses to his side. They tried to distress him, but he was hysterical and when one nurse tried to place her hand on his shoulder to sooth him, he attacked her, thinking that she was a manifestation of the creature. The nurse crashed into a cart full of medicines. The sound of broken glass alerted several other nurses and physicians into the room. They tried to pin the patient down long enough to sedate him. Unfortunately, he was a severely traumatized shadow-wielder.
The trader jumped and threw blasts of darkness and the nurses and doctors were repelled violently. The ones with elemental magic dared not attack their patient for fear of placing everyone in harm's way. Seeing his chance, the trader escaped through the window and landed in the hallway. He glanced around frantically, unsure where he was and why there were so many dark spirits around him. He never realized that they were simply patients like him.
A young pair of twins had unexpectedly turned a corner to see what the commotion was about. Five of the Guardians gasped as they see a younger Kimi and Kyochi. Taranee held her breath, not from anticipation of the scuffle, but at Kyochi. Due to current circumstances, Kyochi had been somewhat of a mystery. None of the main five knew what he's truly like as a person. They knew that he's Kimi's older twin brother and he's currently studying to be a doctor while carrying out his role as the Guardian of Darkness. Yet, on a personal and more interment level, Kyochi Watsuki remained a complete enigma. Taranee really wanted to know what he looked and sound like. His appearance didn't disappoint.
Taranee's heart skipped a beat and her lips curled. This younger version of Kyochi appeared to be around her current age and he looked stunning. Tall, slender and broad-shouldered, Kyochi stood with grace and discipline as if he had every right to be there. Sure enough, being Kimi's fraternal twin, he and Kimi really do look similar, although his face was more angular in some aspects. Like his twin, he shared the same shade of dark blue hair which he cut in a slightly messy tussle. He also shared the same shade of piercing blue eyes as his twin and his father. Yet, unlike Kimi, there were no hints of anger in them. If Taranee could put it into words, she would describe Kimi's eyes like a blade of ice while Kyochi's were like a cluster of shimmering crystals. Looking into them, she felt kindness and warmth exuberating from his entire being. Although only a memory, Taranee can't help but reached out to touch him. As expected, her fingers brushed right through his coat.
He's beautiful, Taranee thought and immediately blushed.
Will quickly grabbed Taranee by the elbow. Taranee, cool it! she hissed mentally, relying on Taranee's telepathy. We're literally inside Kimi's head! He's cute, I get it, but tone it down before Kimi noticed!
Taranee's face turned a few shades redder. She quickly glanced down at her shoes, hoping that Kimi hadn't picked up on her feelings. What would Kimi do if she found out that Taranee is crushing on her twin?!
To Taranee's relief, a doctor hobbled out of the trader's room to her right. He yelled a warning for everyone to back away from this patient. At the sound of his voice, the trader glared at the twins and readied his attack, glancing around for an escape.
Swift as she could, the younger Kimi waved her hand and two long barriers of light ran down the entire hall. Some patients were curious and tapped against its surface, only to find that the translucent barrier was as hard as wood, created to prevent anyone else from coming too close. Kimi nodded to her twin as he calmly stepped closer towards the frightened man. The trader screamed and lashed his powers at him, but Kyochi deflected them with his own shadow. The energy bounced against Kimi's wall of light, causing other patients to recoil in fright. The wall held and Kyochi came closer. The frightened trader scrambled back against his end of the hall. He was trapped. Kyochi reached into the pocket of his robes and pulled out a circular mirror.
Orube blinked. "Is that…?"
Kimi nodded. "The second talisman, the mirror created by the Ebla, the Nymph of the Moon. It is the legacy of all Guardians of Darkness: Moonlight Justice."
The memory flickered, showing Kyochi whispering something beneath his breath. The smooth surface of Moonlight Justice flashed and shimmered. The trader gasped as a dark curse was pulled from his mind, absorbing into the mirror. At last he was free. The trader gazed around and no longer saw himself surrounded by dark creatures. Kimi lowered her barrier and Kyochi came closer to the man, bending on his knees to place a comforting hand on the man's shoulder. Tears welled up in the young man's eyes and he immediately broke down into an uncontrollable sob. Seeing that everything was calm, the nurses came out to help him back on his feet.
The memory faded away to show another scene. They saw the same trader, this time clean and calmly resting peacefully in his hospital bed. On one side was his doctor, monitoring his blood pressure while Kimi and Kyochi sat on the opposite listening to his tale.
Kimi turned back to face her friends, the memory behind her finally dissolving and crystallizing to its former state. "The trader told us of his ordeal in Shinrinkage. Naturally, Kyochi and I had to report the disturbing news to the Gemini Council. Lord Araël and the elders were concern to hear of a creature that could kill a village of shadow-wielders with ease. If nothing is done, this creature could upset the balance between light and darkness on Lusteria. Kyochi and I were tasked with capturing the creature or kill it if necessary.
"By the time we returned from Kandrakar, news of the massacre spread all across Edo and the country. Shinrinkage, while isolated from the rest of the world, is still an adjacent location to Edo, therefore it fell upon the capital's jurisdiction. Many began to fear that it would come out of the Dark Forest and attack them. Unfortunately, heads of each clan residing in the capital were reluctant to send one of their samurai warriors to help us."
A thought occurred in Taranee's mind as she made the connection. "Except for Seiji Minamoto!"
Kimi's silence confirmed her answer.
"Seiji made a deal with the Kinomoto elders. He knew of their ambitions and their rivalries with other clans. To match their rivals' powers, he suggested that the Kinomoto garner support from the populace, and what better way to do that than to save the culturally isolated village of Shinrinkage?"
"What a foolish young man!" Orube objected. "How could he consider such a plan after hearing about what that monster did to those people?"
"A part of Seiji did want to help the villagers. He felt that it was the duty of the kingdom's government to provide aid to its entire people in times of need. This was no exception for him."
Will lean back against her seat and watched the Jewel projecting a scene of Seiji seeking an audience with three elderly looking folks. Will had to admit that Seiji was very handsome, although not as handsome as Matt. But it was the sparkle in his eyes that showed her the depth of his resolves and wisdom. She had never seen that in someone so young. But the looks on the three clan elders were cold, condescending, and calculating. The old woman, while looking very elegant and sophisticated, reminded her of Nerissa. Will's spine shivered. She would not want to meet her or her two clansmen.
"If Seiji were to help us save what's left of Shinrinkage, his victory will help him garner public support for the Kinomoto. In turn, they'll restore his honor and political reputation in court," Kimi continued. She watched as the scene changed to show Seiji with her past self and Kyochi. "I was opposed to his company, but Seiji was determined. And with my elders being so adamant on the matter, I hardly had a choice."
Kimi stood before her friends and summoned another memory crystal. As soon as they saw it, fear and dread settled in their stomach like never before. Its memory core has the darkest and most disturbing pulse yet. This memory must be one of Kimi's darkest secrets, her skeleton in the closet. They exchanged nervous glances, some beginning to regret probing Kimi for answers.
Before they could suggest an alternative, Kimi shattered the crystal and a plume of black fog burst from it. Without warning, her friends' minds were plunged deeper into the memory, fully immersing them into Kimi's perspectives. As each of them opened their eyes, they were experiencing everything that night from Kimi's point of view.
The night full of terror, fear, and grudge.
The night of Seiji Minamoto's death.
To be continued…
Sorry for the long wait. My apologies are getting redundant, I know. Originally, this chapter was longer, but it got way too long so I'll cut it in halves. I've been doing that a lot lately and I noticed that I've been having difficulties writing these new chapters. I can't tell you guys how many times I've rewritten this chapter. Perhaps around five or six? I just can't seem to write how I used to or how I want to. I don't know what's wrong with me, but I'll endure until this story is done.
If you're wondering about Kimi's age in this story, I've been dropping hints for a while, but I'll confirm it now: she and Kyochi are currently 19 years of age, at least 2.5 years older than Will and Cornelia. Kimi should have been placed on Earth as a college student, but because she physically looked like a teenager, Kandrakar decided to place her in the same school as the Guardians in hopes that she can learn to interact with them. In reality, the deception of age isn't uncommon. Most Asian people, like myself, don't exactly looked our age. Some of my friends and coworkers thought I was still in college. I'm already ten years older than I really looked! :P
I'll try to get the next chapter up soon. Until then, Happy New Years.