There stood a man, a woman and a child

Tiredness was probably the right word for Cieli currently. His slow nomadic walk home was the evidence for anyone to convict him with and he would say guilty for the charge. He wasn't in any rush to go home after a long day at the academy. He kinda thought it was pointless in honesty, he knew what they were teaching him was a minor amount of bullshit. Bullshit eaten up by hungry and desperate flies. He was that one fly that was way out of the group.

Perhaps it was the oddly green hair he had with red eyes that gave him a slight weirdness. Perhaps it the fact that he always carried a frogged shape backpack around his shoulders, bouncing up and down due to the lightness of his books. Perhaps it was the fact that he knew all the answers before the teacher would answer them. He hated doing that though, there was no sense of competition or thrill when it was coming down to reading the dumb minds of people. He had closed off his mind so he wouldn't hear them. It was pointless chatter of picking on kids, playings today by the playground, practicing taijutsu, all the shit he didn't care for.

He felt very out of place, as if he didn't belong in the group of kids who had tried to pick with him at one time. They feared him and out of that superficial fear, they tried to terrorize him in order to control him. Cieli didn't even budge at the fact that these kids were going to be waste product of this god-forsaken village that would one day be in a large war. He didn't tell that to anyone, not even his own mama. He loved her dearly and would do anything to protect his momma. He wish he could do everything to make his momma happy, even get rid of the sadness in her heart.

The lingering lump in her soul that was dying for his father to return. The tears that would softly erupt from her eyes sometimes when she thinks about him. He can hear her thoughts saying to hell with that bastard, to hell with him and onward. To hell with my father who would pull some bullshit saying that he needs him. He didn't understand who his momma's father was but from the sense of his engimatic presence, he seem like a memory that would only bring more depression as the thought of his grandfather was oddly frightening and yet soothing all at once.

The neighborhood that they lived in was pretty nice. It was bit aways off from the academy due to the academy being deep in the city but Cieli doesn't mind the walks to there, or the runs there either. He was indeed content with the distance, not once did it bother him. He didn't know why it didn't bother him, was he that strange? Perhaps he was just strange but then again he remember his uncle saying that he would always be a strange one and that was alright. He missed his uncle Riku, he was in town recently, he heard his thoughts and felt the presence of a man playing a nasty trick on someone. He had a feeling he would return sometimes soon but that feeling faded when there was a lingering thought that he last recieved from him that said something about an empire. What empre was this he thought to himself. He didn't know if there was any empires in this country. He-

His thought broke seeing a man on the porch, slumping down on the bench his mother had put out. He appeared to be sleeping from the looks of it, from this distance Cieli heard a faint snore coming from his mouth and as he approached closer, he could see that the man was snoring. His white hair was over his face, his feet cross and his hand tapping repeatedly on the handle of the bench. He seem irritated yet he was sleeping as if he was hanging around by the river fishing for hours.

The moment he saw the twitching and the hair was the fact that he reconize him as his father, his red longcoat with black tighten shirt and pants that was both relax and comfortable for a person who was all about chilling. Cieli didn't want to alert him, his own father but he need not to. The man eyes open and looks down at the small boy who was his only son.

"Cieli" he said warmly. The voice made Cieli want to tear up but he didn't, he didn't want to cry in front of his own father who was the epipitamy of toughness and cool. He walks up and a large hand patted down on the green hair he had. Hitoshi leaned over "My, you certainly do smell like like a garden mist. That wasn't just in the dreams, heheh"

"Papa..." he said, his voice was soft and child-like, his father had came to him. This man whom his mother loved to death and hated at once was no longer in his dreams where he would see him everyday there. He was flesh and blood, the warmth of his hands was pressing on his forehead and at made Cieli fill up with a bit of tears. The lump in his throat he held back but he rushed forward to his fathers stomach and digged his hand there. A surprised Hitoshi patted his head and he heard his son sniff inward but not crying. "Why didn't..." his voice was muffled and chopped before his head moved up. The tears were streaming but his voice was trying to sound normal "Why...didn't...you..." he was incoherant and Hitoshi laughed just a bit

"Sorry, I had to take care of some buisness so I couldn't come see you and your mother. I can try to make it up, ok?"

Cieli nodded intently and that was alright with Hitoshi as his smile became more coy "Now, let's get into the house"


Time lapsed and Hitoshi sat on the bed while Cieli rest comfortably on the couch. His light snore made it clear that he wasn't moving for the rest of the day. He was exhausted and his arrival was something that he was a bit worried where he had been for the last month or so. He didn't think it would worry Cieli but it did and he was upset with himself with that. Being the dream king that he was now, he was busy every time of the second and sometimes being everywhere at once was something of a hassle rather than a leisurely thing.

He places a blanket over Cieli and he pulled it over himself by instincit. Hitoshi smiled and kissed the side of his son cheek. Cieli mummured something then rested back into the land of the dreams where Hitoshi could see his son. He walks over to the kitchen table and sat there waiting for her.

He wanted a cigarette. Cigarette and some type of alcohol in his stomach. He promise to never smoke in the vincinity of either Hanashi or Cieli. He had tried to quit but that demon was too much of a sonuvabitch to let him go. He was calm yet nervous, agitated like hell and peaceful. Damn, he need a smoke badly

Today was simply... delightful. Some Shinobis had gotten on Hanashi's bad mood, as usual? Probably. But she isn't usually so violent, so what gives? Well, being her she felt something.. off about today, she didn't know WHAT but there was something off. Something in the air? The air seemed pretty normal to her, except the thunder storms. Those are always a bull, was it because she was with her team once again? No, she(denying it, but she admins) loves her team, they're... amusing. The whole bloody day Hanashi felt something off, and it made her annoyance rise more than usual, causing her to act out violently.

Maybe the hidden emotions inside of Hanashi were spilling out? Or was it that her mind was on the weather, reminding her so much about the past? Whatever it was, it made her have a scowl on her face almost the whole day. Even when working she had somewhat of a scowl, when out, she had it as well. But she tried to be not so... annoyed, or let anyone know that she was annoyed, but her emerald eyes were like open doors. She couldn't close them no matter how hard she could try, she could try hiding the emotions, but they would still be there, noticeable to anyone that knows her. But she rarely spoke about herself, her team, and her son were her life and she pretty much saw it that way but then again she also thought there could be some new surprises every day, which wouldn't surprise her? Doesn't make sense, and probably never will.

Right now Hanashi was getting back to her home, the home she had gotten when she first decided to stay in Kumogakure, not knowing if one day probably move once again like in her younger years but it seemed permanent? Or did it look permanent? She did not know. Only an actress, acting out on the stage and doing her scenes in this stage we call life? Only humans follow that, but it seemed she's also following that lifestyle.

Thunder clashed, making her break out of her thoughts and look up and then look back to where she was going. "Nothing to buy, have everything I need at the moment.. Cieli does, too..." She crossed her arms and she walked at much more of a slow pace, enjoying the weather. Her cloak covered her body, hiding her figure, only her ninja shoes were noticeable and her black tank top a bit. Inside she had baggy pants since even though it was gonna rain, she wanted to dress this way. Her house was just in her line of view, making her smile slightly and couldn't wait to go inside, and check on her son. Ahh, yes, Cieli Shikyo, she adored her only child to death. Although she never acted like so many mothers who are always behind their child, almost to the point of bothering them, she trusted him. Hanashi knew Cieli would probably have a hard time going to the Academy(although she didn't believe he needed it, but she sended him off anyways).

Standing in front of the door, she stood there, looking at the door, before shaking her head and putting her right hand on the doorknob, feeling much.. calm now? Weird, was the first thing she thought as she entered and closed the door. She took off her cloak, had it folded on her arm and went to see Cieli who was... sleeping in the couch? Hmm, maybe after getting something cold she will wake him up to make him go sleep in his own room, or take him to his room. Now, Hanashi decided to go to the kitchen. What she saw, or who she saw left her somewhat annoyed/calm expression change into one of shock and disbelief. It couldn't be... but.. was it? Or was it another dream? Her voice fitted her shocked look as she said out her lover's name. "H-Hitoshi...?" the woman tried so hard to go back to her normal tone, but failing. Without her knowing it, she began moving towards him, his eyes looking at hers as her arms went to each side of his face. His warm face made her go into a more... sad expression, one where she wanted to cry, but dared not to. "Why are you..." Her eyes looked away from his. "Why are you... here? It's been so.. so long.." And with that she threw her arms around his neck, hugging him ever so tightly, afraid that he might dissapear once again and leave her alone.

His saliva was giving Hitoshi that taste of cold drinkable barely of a cold hard earn beer. He could smell that old tavern he use to go in Tschugakure, the place in which the earth gave out rejoice amounts of wheat for him to drink to his hearts content. He could never really feel the buzz of the alcohol really, just a slight bit off when he drank about a dozen or so. It's funny now that he only wants the beer for the taste rather than the buzz that many, if all people who drink usually want. And a nice cigarette, the tobacco filling his lungs, the small little high you get when you hold your breath for a long time and then letting it out slowly through the mouth or through the nostrils, God that was a wonderful feeling. He can't really get that same high like he did when he was alive but nonetheless he still had the memory of it.

There was also another thing he wanted. That had never really changed when he was killed, the passionate feeling of the blood flowing and coursing making him feel that invincible endurance; He wanted sex. He didn't know how long he gone without it but ever since he came back to this realm, he's had the cravings for cigarettes, beer and sex. He looked at those three things and decided that he would've been the typical male figure if he had no ninjutsu abiliites, no abilities revolving around seishin. He could imagine the beer gut he probably would've gotten. No, the amount of beers he drunk at a time, he would have had beer belly. He could imagine Cieli rubbing his belly saying "Belly, belly, you got a belly" if he was a normal child.

Looking at him, if a person saw this child and looked at Hitoshi, he knew the odds that they would probably question whether it was his son or not. He never really questioned the hair color of a Shikyo kid, not when Riku was born nor when Gin was born. He knew this was his son, the smart child that would probably be in line to rule the Shikyo clan. Maybe, maybe not. He couldn't imagine him ruling a clan, his thoughts were already advance to the point of a young adult who was an old soul. In that mind, he could probably understand his role in all of this and when he understood that role, he would then decide whether it was him or not

Cieli stirred a bit when the door open up. It closed and he heard the footsteps. The thoughts that came in Hitoshi's mind were "why is Cieli sleeping on the couch? Oh well, I'll put him back in his own room later" The footsteps continued and when he saw the figure walk into the kitchen, he saw a female version of his sensei. That calm expression that showed a bit of annoyance in the eyes. You couldn't tell if it was irritation or just a blank face. His eyes travelled down all over hanashi's body. Well, what they said is true about Shikyo woman, they continue to keep their figure even after the pregency. He had now lost 2,000 ryo to an old friend and with that he smiled. The smile seem to spark in her that formed that lump in her throat. She was resilent however not to release it, not yet that is. She walked over giving the semi-approiate responses like the stutter saying his name and the cut off when trying to ask why he was here. He was expecting maybe a slap or two and by all means he deserved that shit more than stated.

Her arms wrapped around his neck as hugged him. His arms were around his waist, her height allowed Hitoshi's head to nestle between her chest and he could hear the excitement of her heartbeat. Excitement, anger, surprise, sadness but most of all relief. He wondered if this was compared to what normal couples were like when they reunite with each other. Was it a feeling of bliss and joyfulness? That probably depend on the couple but most likely, this would be the feeling if this were a normal 'stable' couple. He wouldn't say that they were normal, living in a two story house with a white picket fence, a garden in the back, two point three kids (whatever the hell that means) and one dog and goldfish but he could imagine that they are somewhat stable.

"Well, I'm glad to see you too, honey" he didn't sound serious with that cause the word "honey" is not in the vocabulary of Hitoshi Munashii, hell, the phrases "Baby' "Boo" "Boo Bear" and all the terms use for a specific person as a pet name was not even in the promixity of his vast mind. "Well, I see you've been doing fine without my presence..." He didn't want her to say "Well, I've been fine. Just you know, taking care of Cieli all by myself here while you go prancing around with my father doing God knows what" He stopped her before she even thought it he turns his head away, her breast shifted because of it "No you haven't. I've read too many minds and read too many faces to see the amount of pain you've been in. Internal pain that is"

His arms looses the form of a huge and he moves slightly away but not away from the hug that Hanashi was giving. "For the longest time, I've been watching you and Cieli from your dreams. You've seen me once but the dream was ending and I was a fading image. As for Cieli, well he sees me all the time in his dreams. There, he talks to me about everything that goes on here and everytime he wakes up, I feel...." He looks up at Hanashi, whose eyes he had long forgotten the emeralds that stared into his crimson rubies "Empty at times....because of the role I've become" he chuckles a humorless laugh "Funny how I'm always stuck in shit that I never want to get into but yet it fits me so well"

Feeling his arms wrap around her waist made her feel safe, even her emotions that she hid so well, were pouring out little by little and could be very noticeable to her own lover. Besides the feelings of happiness and feeling safe, and relief, she felt anger, and sadness as well. It would be bull shit if Hanashi let him come back, with out doing any physical damage to the man, hell, he had it coming, and he knows it. Staying for what appeared to be the longest hug she's ever given to someone, it didn't broke, more like he loss the form of the hug.

Her eyes looked at him, and was about to speak but he cut her off, saying the words she was going to say, making her scowl a bit. "Don't steal my words !" Quickly, Hanashi chnaged from her sort of sad attitude/scolwing one into her usual attitude with the Seishin master. She realized something, and she blinked twice before smiling at Hitoshi. "Three or five minutes here already and you have me wanting to smack you." She didn't sound annoyed, more like amused with the situation. Hanashi mentally made a note to smack Hitoshi soon, the bastard has it coming, leaving and not saying so much as what the hell he's doing. She oughta smack her own father when she sees him, too... and maybe she oughta t-

She broke out of her little thoughts of torture on the sadist Seishin as he spoke, saying he has been watching them through their dreams. So.. instead of a Tengu Shadow, the man's like the Sandman? Except he's the much better version? Oh, she had to say that mentally.. well, it's better than verbally?

'So.. that dream that I had not so long ago..." His eyes looked at hers, making her smile a bit more. "It wasn't much of a dream.. it was you, really you in it..." she mumbled to herself, but loud enough for Hitoshi to hear. She unwrapped her arms from his neck and smacked his face, her eyes staring blankly at the red mark she left on his left cheek. "Oh, you had that coming, so don't whine, you bastard." Hanashi warned him before he would start with crap, but then again he is a adorable sadist bastard... One that needed more than smacks, maybe a few kicks... Oh well, she'll think more on the matter later.

"Anyway." Her attitude went to annoyed/calm again "What... does our son tell you, exactly? I would really want to know." It could be obvious already, or maybe their son told him, but Hanashi does worry a lot about the young one and yet she tries to not show it. Would Cieli know exactly what is going on with her mother? The feelings she sometimes has when she worries about her only son for the simplest matters that shouldn't mean anything to her. But, she wasn't raised -like- a Shikyo; more like a Shinobi, a human being even though she is not one. A chuckle left her lips as she released the hug and went over to the fridge, listening to him. "That does fit you to a T, my dear. Getting into crap you don't want to, but it fits you so well." She got out a bottle of beer, having it hid well in the fridge and placing it on the table. "I'm guessing you missed the taste of beer?" It seemed obvious to her that he did miss it, otherwise she wouldn't take out the stash she has hidden away from Cieli's reach. "I don't drink that much, just rarely. Have your fill I have a lot of them beers that need to dissapear that are on my fridge."

Her compliments did reach his thoughts, comforting as it was, the harshness remained in her mind. There was a steady build of tension betwen her conscious, her muscle and her hand. How long would it be before her arms raises and swings back ready to slap. Five maybe ten seconds. He was counting down from ten...nine eight, her arms moved away from his seven, six, five....her hand moves back and forward to the left side of Hitoshi's face. His head somewhat shaken, still the lack of control with her strength.

There was the sting from her hand, the blood rushed to the surface of the skin, the blood underneath patterned around the area that Hanashi smacked and left a mark. The pain was irrelevant to him, it was not comforting or pleasureful, it was like getting pricked by a rose thorn when you didn't watch where you were going. It was not a surprise and it wasn't a bad of a sting as you might think it. He rubbed his chin as to rate the amount of pain from it then set his hand down. He didnt' feel there was any need for a judge, after all, he was a guest of this house.

"Hey, dont compare me to your asshole of a brother with that word "Bastard" Hitoshi annoyed by the statement she made "I may be a bastard but the way you categorize bastards, I'm completely above that shit" his cursing didn't seem to dim regardless of how long he's been out of this place; this world gave a distuguish mark on his personality. "His bastardly self is that of rum and whiskey while I'm more of vodka and white wine. My shit is refine, thank you very much"

The alcohol taste was left in his mouth, once a miniscle temptation now a thunderstorm of desire he needed to quench. Hanashi saw that and went over to the refrigerator to pull out a glass beer bottle. It was his favorite, a ale type beer that had been brewed in the countryside of rain country. It's ale was honeydew in his throat as he open the can and took a swig of the bottle. He dranked half the bottle before settling it down and letting out a sigh so loud it stirred Cieli. By instincit, Cieli woke up and lazily fell off the couch and moved his way up the stairs into his bedroom. He didn't even notice his own mother was in the house, his trance like eyes only stared forward walking up the steps and into his room.

He was moving the bottle in his hand, swishing the liquid inside slowly creating a small vortex. He had a smile on his face "Well, I wouldn't expect you to have cigarettes cause you dont smoke. I promise not to smoke in your presence anyway but damn, ever since I got back into this universe I've had a craving that could combine all the smokers cravings in history into one measly body" the bottle reached his lips but he set it down and swished the liquid inside again "He was right, when you come back to this place, the amount of cravings you get returns...the feeling of wanting to stay here whispers in your ear so seductively. You're tempted to stay here"

"Omnipresence, only in dreams is where I am. It's where I stay and can look at everyone all once. Imagine a large room filled with vast amounts of televisions, some high quality, others a bit low, some black and white and some dont even show up. They are the dreams of people all around the universes. Each one of them can be haunting and beautiful at once. Have you ever seen a color that you couldn't even name? I've seen so many of those...." his hand was fully grasped on the bottle, his eyes stared forward, blank and serene. His face...his face was something words couldn't put into a sentence but only that he was beyond handsome, another level of beauty that was not physically attractive but above that.

"I figured that no matter where I went, I would always come here. I can never get eneough of this place. I see the dreams of the humans, psuedo-humans, the Shikyo. Their dreams are beyond reality. I look at it and I wonder if they notice me or not. They seem so....idk, sometimes I just dont know. I feel so young in their minds yet I'm so old now. Once I left this place, time does not even phase me man. I dont know how old I am anymore. All I know is that I have woman at home and child and that's it"

The sip he took from the beer was more of a relaxer rather than a thirst quenching buzz he wanted. He was beyond getting a fix from alcohol, he could consume hundreds and not feel a damn thing. But he dranked it anyway for its taste. The question she asked a long time ago was finally answered. "Cieli doesn't say much about you, only that he worries about you sometimes. He hides it and I know it but I can't pry into his mind" he looks at her "He's very hard to look into. His thoughts are coherant yet at the same time scrambling like Kyouken's and RIku's. It's like trying to find a needle in a mountain of flour. But he tells me about his day and how he reads the minds of others"

He tilts his head back, opening his mouth coming out with single laughs "He reminds me of myself back in the day. You have a type of high when you dont read their minds and when you do and get the answer right, you feel more than acomplish. But yeah, he also read your brothers thoughts too" His face didn't loose the smile but it was humorless "He's worried about him cause something is after him. Someone powerful. Maybe more powerful than your father. He said he sensed him in the village when his apprentice went berserk"
He leans forward now, the humorless smiled remain for a brief second then a neutral pose "It's the enemy of your father, the Shikyo clan and possibly the enemy of the seven whom I work with. Someone who wants to be God himself...."

"Everytime I see Riku's thoughts, I see that he is not even taking this seriously and dammit, you're here and I can't do a damn thing about it. Only watch from the sidelines and I..." he pauses and sets the bottle down. The remaining liquid swished in the bottle before setteling. His eyes stared down "I can't do a damn thing anymore. I'm just here to watch and if shit affects us that's when we get involved but no...I..." he leans his head into Hanashi's chest again and his arms were squeezing her waist. On instinct his hand had grabbed the ass of her but he didn't notice "I dont want to loose you both"

”I’m glad you don’t smoke anywhere near me or our son, otherwise another smack would’ve been in order, correct?” Her tone was that of amusement, sort of joking with him and at the same time she was not. It wasn’t any warning signs that she was gonna hurt him, more like she was acting like the protective mother that she had become? Hanashi blinked, tilting her head slightly, her hair following the movement. ”He? Are you meaning… Dad?” He probably was meaning him. It had to be, otherwise she’s failing in knowing her own family. Her eyes stared at the bottle. For some reason, she had- and still does- the urge to buy this specific beer, not knowing why, but she felt like buying it. Maybe it was knowing she would be having an unexpected visit from Hitoshi? Impossible, she thought. No way, maybe it’s just used to seeing Hitoshi drink that beer a lot, she had started to memorize the name and everything about it; even buying it whenever she saw it.

Her eyes were on him as he spoke that he now he appears through dreams now, as he spoke, Hanashi imagined probably a white room with instead of many bookshelfs, many tvs, each different than the other. Maybe it was something like the realm her mother and father are in, but slightly different? Who knows, maybe it is and maybe it is not. ”Maybe your old age has –finally – caught up to you, my dear.” She laughed jokingly, not wanting him to get -too- annoyed with her, not yet anyway. After her little joke, her expression went a bit shocked, then to serious. ”… In a way, I felt that answer was gonna be the one, and at the same time, I did not expect it. At all.” Her eyes looked at the table, the dark red color of the table had attracted her attention at the moment instead of looking at Hitoshi. ”At least he has you to talk in his dreams. I sometimes wondered if he ever once missed his daddy, wanting to ask me where he is and such. But, he never did, as to not make me worry… That child..” she trailed off and then sighed. ”He’s really a Shikyo, no doubt about it.”

Instead of feeling threatened, or something along those lines she sighed. ”Another evil? Was this like the time with that Tengu Shadow who wanted me dead so she can have you? No matter where we go, the Shikyo is always a target for anyone who’s going to get as powerful as some sort of god-like being.” She placed her hand on her forehead. ”Seriously..” Her eyes looked at Hitoshi’s silver hair, and her eyes softened a bit when he leaned into her chest again and his arms were squeezing her waist. For what it appeared to be a long time, Hanashi didn’t touch him, just stood there before finally placing her hands on his shoulder and just looking into his hair. ”You won’t loose us. I would say ‘don’t worry so much’, but that isn’t needed..” then her right hand petted his head. ”I don’t want to loose you either. Appearing after god knows how long, only to have you disappear again?” Hanashi made Hitoshi look at him with a raised eyebrow. ”I don’t think so, hon.”

She was correct that the Shikyo involvement in everything makes them a huge target. The saying 'everything was going to be ok' was not in the vocabulary of the Shikyo clan, they were induced to both conflict internally and externally. Hitoshi didn't know which one was more dangerous; was it themselves or others around them? "This opponent is nothing like the fucking bitch back then. Compared to her, she's like a disfigured pimple in the tiniest of molecules. This guy....he's totally out of your brothers league"

"I dont understand your father at all. He entrust the capture and defeat of this evil bastard to yourself, Gin and Riku. Riku espicially. I dont know what the hell he entrusted him with but he says not to worry and the dude is chiller than ice" Hitoshi was in a bit of distress. Distress? Yes, that would be the word he was in. Sadism aside, something must've happen during his time as the 'sandman' but he continued "I dont know what he done but so far....that kid, he'll always be a fucked up, goofed up, bag of tricks, filled with riddles kind of guy" he sighed distastefully but then smiled and looked to those emerald eyes "But I think he knows what he is doing. I can't be bitching about everything, ya know?"

He pulled Hanashi down to his lap, there wasn't much force to handle with, after all both of there emotions were set on each other. None of them would resist each others grasp and indirectly said, they were fine with it. The worry in his eye was not for himself or for her but for the son who had Shikyo running in his blood. His blood was not that of a munashii, he only sensed a powerful Shikyo would who rival that of the leaders in the days to come. This made him a bit jealous of Cieli but at the same time he would be proud of his son in the end. With there lips at each others equal, he was tempte to lean forward to spread a kiss that would ultimately place another seed inside of her....

But he resisted the temptation. He could hear the voice of someone, not Kyouken nor his own but there was a voice saying to wait. If he were to place a seed inside of her, the threat would be phemonal of how much of a target she'll become. He would put his own family in danger by doing this deed. The agitation made him bite down on his teeth, the hard grind took off miniscle amounts of bone off the front layer of his teeth. The slight pain was both irritable and satisfying at all time. In her eyes, he could see the patent lust she had only five years ago when they made love that night. That night, there was not a care in the world, there wasn't a war between the Shikyo and those that destroy the inner balance of this universe, there was no battle that would determine the fate of this world and possibly the future of battles that seem continous; That night, there was only love, passion and true balance between a man and a woman.

He kissed her anyway, her lips was soft on his and that was the first sign of the temptation of going further between of act that was physical and spirtual. However, this sadistic soul could not place it in this soul for he had no time left. He would damn himself later on as he left but this is the way it had to be for now and evermore. He wished he could have a lover like Kyouken's lover, who could travel on with him constantly and never leave the side. Sadden by this, his sadism would only be trampled by such a powerful emotion. But, he knew that the woman of the Shikyo were not weak creatures, such weakness was frown upon. Though they never go through with the trials, they are expected to be just as strong as any man. Hanashi had been distant from the Shikyo since birth but it was only natural for her to be strong-willed.

Her strong will was the one that made him continously kiss her. He knew that there would fear among doing this but his mind reverted to the time of the passion they had all those years ago. The slight caress of her side, his hand moved slowly and passively on her body, smooth as it was that he would be able to touch her again. The growing in his loin only increased and the time seem to move so quickly that they were now making love yet again. It was this type of love that was sacrificial in nature. Many humans did not understand that truly and with his love that they had, the fear ran out of his mind and he made love to her again and again and again. The ritual did not last in minutes but in hours, time truly slipped through the grasp that they had been physically exhausted because of this.

She would sleep now. Her eyes would begin to waver, she would try to resist but there would be no resisting the power of the sandman. The embrace of the sleep was not overbearing but embracing, as the sleep would come, Hitoshi would carry her to her room where he would lay her flat across the bed, her mind passed the point of twilight and into the realm of dreams where she would see a faint image of him before her mind would continue through such dreams. There was a strands of hair that were over her forehead, her beauty could not make Hitoshi move it away and instead he kissed the cheek of his lover. "I'll return...." he whispered.



The dream that Cieli saw was not his own creation that the sub-conscious had created. There was no great plain that expressed freedom and free-spiritedness that he usually has and usually creates, this was the realm of what his father had created in his mind. There Cieli was in a park that he had never been in his life. The landmarks were unfamilar to him as he saw to his left the city did not look like the modernize one of today. If Cieli had to picture what village this one, it was either a village that his father been to in the past or a village that did not exist in the physical but rather in the realm of dreams where his father had control.

He was sitting on the bench, his short legs could not able to reach he dirt ground path. He swung his legs back and forth patiently waiting. He suppose he had to wait for his father. He could not leave if he wanted to and create the dream of his desire but the desire had not come to him. He waited for his father to appear.

What he got were not just his father. His father was sitting down beside him, he had a cigarette that was at the tip of his lip. It was carefully placed so that it wouldn't fall out of his mouth. His eyes seem eerily relax and undisturbed as his face met Cieli. He smiled at him and Cieli returned a smile back at him. Beside Hitoshi was a man that he had never met before. He was shorter than his father but from the looks and the way he presented himself, he appeared to have alot of power and wisdom underneath the exterior he was presenting. He didn't know this person but he could determine that this man was under the impression of someone his mother knew or perhaps where his mother had come from.

The man looked at Cieli, there was no smile present yet there was no sense of neutrality or discomfort. He appeared to be just in a calm mood, far calmer than his father. He could not see his father without a cigarette that would ulimately shut him up and soothe him. Cieli smelled the smoke of the cigarette; overwhelming as it was, it did not make Cieli cough. It was a exuberant smell that was neither foul nor alarming displacing. It must be some type of a cigarette that you can obtain the realm of the dreams. Yes, that was it. There was no cigarette in the world in any universe that was like that. Cancer sticks didn't exist in the realm of dream. He wasn't entirely sure if it was the absolute truth but he can accept it for now.

The man with blue hair, as Cieli remembered him, disappeared with a blink. His image left a brand in his mind that gave him an impression the man that left would return sooner than his father. His father placed a smal kiss on his forehead. It was warm and smell of that dream cigarette. It was a kiss that left the impression of his return and Cieli hugged him, not wanting to let go of his father but he knew he would have to. Besides, this would not be the last time he'll see him.

Hanashi could see or probably tell Hitoshi was in distress? Knowing him for the longest time, she might've learned how to read him but not completely. Technically, Hitoshi was the only one Hanashi could read well, she couldn't read her father, nor her young brother. The only person who's been with her long enough for her to almost read him completely was him, her own Tengu Shadow, her lover and the father of their only child. His eyes looked at her emerald ones and then he pulled her down to her lap, she didn't expect it so her face had a bit of a shock but soon it became a soft look in her face, she didn't need to say anything, she only just let him pull her down to her lap. No words needed to be said.

She wanted to speak, to say something, seeing as she thought she saw worry in his eyes, she wanted to speak out, say what's wrong, but it didn't feel like that time to speak yet. Not yet, she said to herself as she was still on his lap, maybe later. Later seemed good, her eyes traced his face. He still held the same look, his eyes were the thing that Hanashi loved the most about him, his hair came a close second, and of course the third.. was him himself. As a child, she had a crush on him, then it developed more. It was unheard of, a Tengu Shadow with a Shikyo but she did not care nor mind, she loved him and he loved her, that's all that really mattered. And also their child now. Hanashi wanted to speak now, but before she could Hitoshi kissed her. His lips on hers felt like heaven to her, more than that possibly, and that was leading to more and more.

Hanashi wanted to protest, to say stop, knowing him he could leave once again and made her get slightly irritated at him for leaving but the tempation, the sweet kisses he gave her, it was too much for the Shikyo woman that she gave into it, with no struggle. His touches always made her succumb to pleasure, and made her want more and more each time, and they eventually started to make love, just like those many, many, many nights ago in Amegakure no Sato, when they saw each other once again and confessed to one another. He kept going, making love again and again for hours, she was in total bliss. She had miss his touches, the way he makes love to her, everything. For a few hours, Hanashi felt this was like a rewind to the day they saw each other once again, to the day they had first made love, as if it was that same exact day.

After the many hours of sex, Hanashi was tired, both physically and mentally, she was on the verge if sleeping, but she thought if she slept now, Hitoshi would leave her again. So, she was trying to not fall asleep, no matter how much her body and mind wanted to sleep. But, she lost the battle and eventually started to fall asleep. Hitoshi carried her, she felt it but payed no mind. Now, she was in the land of dreams, probably dreaming about the events she had today, and the many exhausting sex she had with her lover. All she really said in her mind was that she loved him, and missed him already.

It was morning already, and her eyes opened ever so slowly before having them wide and getting up, having a slight dizzyness in her head. Her eyes looked left and right of her room, searching for her lover but he was gone. A slight scowl formed on her face as she glared at nothing in particular. "He did it again!" But she could never stay that much mad at him... until he appears after a few months later, and she punches him and it goes baaack to the way it was. Anyway, she decided to get up, feeling slight pain from the events the night before that would made anyone else blush furiously and nosebleed probably and she went to wash herself up and get dressed. After she was dressed, she thought of the warning, well sort of warning Hitoshi gave. ' "He's worried about him cause something is after him. Someone powerful. Maybe more powerful than your father. He said he sensed him in the village when his apprentice went berserk" '... ' "It's the enemy of your father, the Shikyo clan and possibly the enemy of the seven whom I work with. Someone who wants to be God himself...." ' Now, who could that be?

Hanashi went towards Cieli's room to check up on him and saw that he was still sleeping, a smile came unto her face as she just watched him sleep until he woke up. She sat on his bed, making sure she did not wake him up and smiled. He somehow reminded Hanashi of her father, and instead of being sad, she smiled more.

The smell of good memory and passion was filling Cieli's nose. It reminded him of cherry blossoms. He rarely smells cherry blossoms but he liked the smell so much that he could compare it to this scent. His father had spent time with him and he would see him again tomorrow night in his dream. He appeared worried from the sight of him. That smile was the facade he puts when he smiles that dream cigarette. Was he worried about that man who was chasing after his uncle? The word worried was probably the wrong word to choose but Cieli didn't want to think what word would be worse than worried. He didn't want to think his father was terrified but his eyes showed it.

His dream continued with that blue hair man. He was standing at the edge of a beach, his pants legs were rolled up to his knees while the water was up to his ankles. Cieli didn't reconize this place at all but he had the feeling that he had been here before or he'll be here one day in the later future. It was night time here as well and the moon was up above the two like a chandelier light, it's glimmer was depressing, romantic, loving, unkind, threatening and welcoming all at once. Cieli didn't know whether he should approach this man or not but his question was answer when the man said "Cieli, do not be afraid"

He knew his name. There wasn't a moment of shock in Cieli's face nor did his face show any sign of fear, the melancholy appearance remain but his eyes show a bit of relief that this man was friendly. He was invited to move to this man. His legs were moving on their own with no hesistation to the water. The warm sand underneath his feet met the coolness of the dark blue water. Looking down, he saw fishes tiny to the eye move away from that area. Cieli looked up at the man who stood over him with a distant glare towards the endless ocean. He looks down at Cieli, the warmth didn't come from his face but his eyes. They were oceanic blue that were beautiful and welcoming.

"Who..." Cieli started but couldn't finish as his thoughts were too jumbled. He was too entangled in those eyes like a fly in a web. The man nods his head.

"I am that in which takes the soul to where it belongs and I am the one that sees all life towards the beginning and end. You know who I am, do you not"

Cieli knew the answer. He didn't know how he knew or why he knew it but he knew who he was and nodded comfimring this. The blink of the mans eyes only put Cieli more in a trance than ever. He felt like sleeping, the heaviness of his eyelids wanting to shut but there was something telling him to stay awake for this man was very important. The mans voice calm and soothing was like that of his uncle when he said "The time of you trials will begin soon. Soon, you'll be place in the fight for balance of creation and destruction...life and death. This is all what it means to be a Shikyo"

"Yes" he replied back "I had....a feeling that something was going to happen. My dreams, they were not my own. They were like...." he couldn't find the right words and he felt embrassed by not finding it. The man kneeled down and pressed a hand on his matted head.

"Grandpa" Cieli said. His hand touches the man which was warm but then the image faded and he was now awaken by someone sitting on his bed. His head peeks over to see his mother who was smiling over him. He raises himself up off the bed and rubs his eyes. He said something in the language of the Shikyo which was good morning mother but he didn't realize it until he saw the expression his mother made. When did he learn such a language? He shook his head and said "Dad'll be back soon" his yawn, loud and adorable, filled the room. He rubbed his eyes again and saw in his mothers mind the signs of something not troubling her but something else. He look down from her face to her chest to her stomach. He blinked and then his eyes got heavy yet again. He didn't remember what happen but he knew that he remember a faint vision...

He was older. Much older. From his feeling, he was probably in his twenties, maybe thirites. He felt older, his hair was a bit shorten, probably the length of his fathers hair, short yet the bangs covered his eyes pretty well. He was standing next to five men. Two men he knew as his grandfather and uncle, the others he didn't reconize. There were more people in the back, they were probably his age or younger but he didn't know. The image was cloudy, disorganized and he didn't remember it clearly as his vision went back into darkness.