Child Of Flame

~*:IIDisclaimerII:*~
Well this mostly has to do with negligence, and wolves that attack. Now, in real life, wolves don't normally attack unless they are starved. This is not likely to happen in a normal setting. I don't own Fy. Nuff said.

Chapter Five: Match Made in Daichi-San

Alone. Kenji was always alone. No one cared about him. Oh, he had a mother and a father, but they didn't care. Not about him. They hadn't even wanted him. They never told him to his face, but he heard them during their ever constant fights. Both his parents had been seventeen when his mother got pregnant with him. They did the "right thing." They'd made sure he was healthy throughout the pregnancy, they'd gotten married, got the best home two teens with McDonald's pay checks could afford.

The family itself was rather wealthy, and the family didn't want to lose face. That's the only reason they didn't seek a way to abort him. Miscarriage would have looked worse than having the child. So, he was only alive because his family was affluent and rather concerned with what the public thought. After fifteen years, his parents had both gone to college and graduated, his father a college professor and more concerned for his students than his own son; his mother a fashion consultant at one of the leading modeling agencies, her first love having always been clothing.

During this time, Kenji had been shoved off on his grandparents who obsly sly resented him as much as his parents, if not more. They were the one's who had suggested a forced miscarriage, but it was and uncle who reminded them that would look just as bad as having a child in the first place, more likely worse. So, his grandparents treated him with contempt and hired a nanny for him so that they didn't have to look at him.

The nanny had been a wonderful woman. She had long blue hair that fell to her wide hips, and her well proportioned bosom always made a wonderful pillow to weeps on, or rest his head when he cried himself out and fell asleep. She always looked more Chinese than Japanese to him, she she's the one who taught him to speak perfect Japanese and even started him in on English. She never had an accent in any language she spoke, and she spoke many of them. She'd often sing lullabies to him with he was weary of his family and trying to get them to love him. She sang to him in French, English, Spanish, and his favorite, Greek. He loved listening to those syllables slip from her tongue and tumbled over her full red lips. Though, being a horny fifteen year old and having to listen to his parents have sex constantly, maybe his description of the woman was a little more pornographic than what was true. But, it didn't matter.

But, his grandparents discovered what she was teaching him and released her from duty. They didn't think that he needed to becatecated. But, it had been too late. He had been a seven year old with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. So, they instated him in the public school. They had told his family that he was far to intelligent to stay in the second grade of primary school. So, they bumped him up to the fourth grade level. He didn't make any friends that way, but he didn't need any either. And he never got picked on. He was a very humble child who's only real vanity was his looks, but everyone treated him like royalty. The girls swooned and sighed about him, and the boys admired him. He still didn't make any friends. He still didn't need any.

Now, at fifteen, Suginagi Kenji was a senior in secondary school, not a friend in the world, and more alone than ever. It did grate on him, but hisny sny still visited him from time to time. He supposed he could call her a friend, but well...she'd been so much older than him when he was a child, that he still saw her as his nanny, not a friend. Perhaps, she was the mother figure he'd craved for all his life. Perhaps not. It was more like he was with his big sister when she'd watched over him and sang to him.

The boy sat at his vanity, combing out his hair when he heard the bed springs going. Great. They were at it again. If they weren't fighting, they were fucking. That's just the way it worked in his house. Eventually, his parents did take him back, but that was only because they had become the common household name, and his grandparents were going to call social services if they didn't take him back. So, Kenji turned his music on and turned it up loud enough so that he didn't have to listen to his mother god-awful moaning. Kenji could imagine how his father managed to screw her without trying to choke her. And they didn't make love. His parents didn't love each other any more now than they did when they got pregnant with him. No, their marriage was nothing but fights followed by hours of sex. There was a knock on his window.

Kenji's heart leapt. He knew that knock! He jumped up and swung the curtains wide and sure enough, there stood the beautiful woman of a sister he loved with all his heart! He opened the window wide.

Nyan Nyan smiled. "I saw the window of your parent's room rattling, and heard the music from your room, so I figured I'd knock on the window instead this time."

Kenji smiled back and reached out the window to give her a hug. When he pulled away he saw that she was as revealing as ever. "You know, you're hell on a kids hormones."

She laughed and climbed through the window. "Oh, please forgive me, Your Excellency. I fear that not even you can make me change my way The Then she sighed. "I just wish thers sos something that I could do for you here. I mean, you don't have to best to look at when you grow up."

Kenji smiled at her again. "Yes, but there are other's who have it worse, Nyan Nyan. At least I'm only neglected. It's not like I'm beat, or sexually abused. I just don't have a family that loves or want me, and instead of getting rid of me so that I cohavehave a loving family, they'd rather keep me and hate me than lose face. That's just the way this family works."

"Are you sure you're only fifteen," she asked with a cheeky little smirk. "You sound a lot older."

The young brunette shrugged. "I had to grow up fast." He turned and opened the door. "I was about me make me some lunch. Care to join me, Nanny?"

Nyan Nyan laughed at the old name. "Of course, love. I can't believe that you'd let yourself be taught to cook, though. It certainly doesn’t fit the past Emperor look."

Kenjinkednked. There she went again about how little he was like an Emperor. She always mentioned something along those lines. Kenji never got it of course, but it was nerve racking nonetheless. There was always a familiar tug when she mentioned it. It always reminded him of that beautiful red bird. The one who's feathers flickered like fire in the breeze as it flew. "Nyan Nyan. Since you know so much...." Kenji started. He'd always wanted to ask her this, but she got a pensive look on her face whenever he mentioned a dream he'd had, but he had to know who this bird was. "Who's Suzaku?"

Nyan Nyan stopped cold in the kitchen door way. "Where did you learn that name?"

Kenji winced, and looked into those worried violet eyes anyway. "The bird told it to me. In my dreams a beautiful red bird tells me that his name is Suzaku and that soon he's going to be with me soon, and that, though he'll won't be my father in life, he will still love me." Kenji paused, waiting for the rebuke, but Nyan Nyan wasn't anyone in his family. She always listened to him, regardless of what he would talk about, so he continued. "He always is crying, though. He always enfolds me in his wings and tells me how angry with himself he is that he let so many bad things happen to me, and that he's so very sorry that he can't keep me from all the terrible truths of the world, but hn't n't stop them because he doesn't understand them. He can't understand why people would do terrible things to others. So, he's going to find a way to understand, but it's only going to mean more pain and sorrow for me. And, then all he can do after than is cry."

Nyan Nyan nodded. "And then?"

Kenji smiled. "Then I soothe him and I tell him that it's not his fault. He can't keep bad things from happening to me. And even if he could, I wouldn't want him to because then I wouldn't be who I was. My experiences make me who I am." Kenji went into the kitchen and started making some ramen, then laughed. "He's totally flabbergasted when I tell him that, and he asks me why. So I tell him. 'I can't explain it to you. You have to experience life for yourself in order to know what I'm talking about, and even then, you might not. Every person is different. Some want a God to come in and save them from every little bad thing that happen to them. Others would be mortally offended if God did anything to change the way their lives run. It all depends on who you are.' Then he smiles at me, which is very weird to see, by the way. I don't know how a bird could smile with a beak. It's physically impossible, but smile he does and he preens my haid ted tells me that it's strange for him to get advice from a mortal, especially one so young as me, and then he preens my hair again, thanks me and then he flies away, and I wake up."

Nyan Nyan sat down at the table and blinked a few times. "Why didn't you tell me this before?"

"Because," the water was boiling so he put the noodles in and lowered the temperature, "you always get this worried look when I mention anything about a past life that you always joke around about." Kenji stirred the noodles a bit, the turned and leaned against the counter, arms crossed. "But, you know how curious I am. It was only a matter of time before I caved and asked you anyways."

"Well how do you know I know this answer," she asked slowly. "I mean, I'm just your former nanny."

Kenji scoffed. "Right, Nyan Nyan. You're just a normal human being. You're like a freaking cat! There one minute, and gone the next. You can talk in my head! That's not normal! And I've see you get a glazed look over your eyes, like you're talking to someone on the phone, but you're just standing there, oblivious to the world around. And, you don't feel like a normal human. You feel, kinda divine. You don't feel like Mama, or Papa. Or my grandparent, or my uncles and aunts. You feel...different...."

"...what...?"

"I said you feel different..."

"Damnit, Tai Yi-Jun, you didn't tell me his gifts were awaking..." the woman said to herself.

:Well, now you know, don't you?:

Kenji jumped half a foot in the air, even though he was sure he never left the ground. He was used to Nyan Nyan's voice in his head, but this was a new, gravely voice, that sounded very old.

"Come, oh Tai-chan. You can't play with me like that! It's just not right!"

:Nyan Nyan, I don't have to tell you everything. However, it is time for them all to start remembering...: Kenji's eyes went wide when he felt a mental hand maternally caress him. :I want them to remember as much as they can on their own....:

Nyan Nyan nodded soberly. "I don't want another Nuriko either..."

Nuriko? Why did that name ring a bell? And why the hell did it sound so goddamn sexy? "Who's Nuriko...?"

Nyan Nyan gave him a slow knowing smirk. "Just a kid I know. But, it's a boy. I think you might like him though. Maybe even become...good friends...."

:WOULD YOU STOP PLAYING MATCH MAKER?!:

Kenji jumped again. How odd. He never thought that you could actually yell in someone's mind. A mental hug came from the voice. Kenji's eyes went wide. He'd never really had a maternal hug. Sure, Nyan Nyan hugged him all the time, but she was more of his sister. This was like he really had a mother. A mother like how all the kids at school had. A mother that would hug them, and kiss them, and tell them that they loved them. :Good-bye, Hotohori. I'll see you soon enough...:

The voice left his mind, but the feeling it had left lingered, and Kenji hugged himself as he smiled.

"Yes," Nyan Nyan said smiling, and ruffling his hair. "She can have that affect on her Children."

Kenji glared at her and combed his fingers through his long hair. "Don't do that again."

"Kenji?"

"Crap...I'd better go. I'll see you later, Hoto-chan." Nyan Nyan gave him a kiss on the top of his head and then left the room to climb back out of his window, he assumed.

"Kenji?"

He stirred the noodles and turned. "Yes, mother?"

"What are you doing?" The woman who had given him birth leaned against the door jam and crossed her arms, clad in nothing but a robe.

He went back to his noodles, and turned the heat off. "What does it look like, mother?" He'd long again lost respect for his parents, and only called them "mother" and "father" because of etiquette.

"Oh," she said and left, only to be heard crying out again. God, she sounded awful. He would have choked her by now! But, perhaps that wonderful feeling that he got from the voice was more of a mother than his own. It felt as if he was loved. Somehow, thinking of the voice as his mother just seemed right...


*******

A wolf howled in the distance and Nuriko screamed. Mommy and Daddy had insisted on taking him camping, but the child was misera Th There were a number of things he hatedd ond only a few things he was terrified of. He was horrified with it snowed. It just made him depressed, and he refused to leave the house when it did.

He just hated rocks. Sure, some people found them fascinating, but he just could not bring himself anywhere near his father's rock query. His father was the owner of a company that provided stone working materials for other industries, and when he'd taken Nuriko to work one day, Nuriko refused to leave the car, and screamed bloody murder when Daddy tried to pull him out of the car.

But, there was one thing he was more afraid of them than anything else. The worse thing of all was--

The wolf cried again, and so did Nuriko. He ran and climbed Mommy's lap, throwing his arms around her. He peeked one eye out to looked dreadingly around the small circle of trees surrounding them. "Nori-chan..." Mommy cooed softly as she rubbed his back. "It's okay. Just calm down."

"It's N_u_riko," he whined softly, "and I wanna go home! The wolf's gonna _kill_ me!"

Daddy sighed for the umpteenth time about hearing Nuriko's obsession about his name, and all this wolf business. "Nuri-chan, the wolf won't come to the campsite as long as we're up and making lots of noise." He walked over to Nuriko and Mommy and patted his head. "Wolves are just as scared of you as you are of them."

Nuriko rolled his eyes and shoved Daddy's hand away. "Wolves are not rats, Daddy." Both Mommy and Daddy blinked. They'd both noticed Nuriko's sudden shiftmentmentality age. It was very odd.

The boy's bladder spasmed. "I'll be right back." He clambered off Mommy's lap and past Daddy as he ran for the toilet paper and ran off toward the porta-potty just outside the camp's little circle of light.

The moon was full and light enough to see by, but Nuriko still had to wait a moment for his eyes to adjust. After that, he found the smelly enclosing easily enough and relived himself, but as he made his way back, a soft, menacing growl sounded off to the right in the trees. Nuriko froze.

"M-mommy..." he stuttered squeakily. The growl grew louder and became a snarl. Nuriko turned slowly toward the sound, eyes wide in fright. "No..." the boy whispered, "not again..."

A pair of gold, blood-lust filled eyes reflected the moon's light in the trees, and a pair of dirty brown-grey paws walked a wolf the size of Nuriko into the small clearing where the purple haired boy stood paralyzed by his phobia. "N-nice...w-wolfie..." he whimpered.

The wolf growled hungrily, baring yellow, bloodstained teeth dangerously, and Nuriko finally found his feet as he slowly backed again. Apparently they'd been right under him this whole time. "M-mommy..." he whimpered again. The wolf leapt and plunged after him.

"MOMMY!!! DADDY!!!!" His screaming could only be rivaled by his mother's frantic "NORIKO!!!!"

The hungry canine knocked the little boy down and his wide jaw clamed down around his temple, blood flowing quickly down into his eyes and giving the wolf a taste of what it wanted. Nuriko screamed in fear, but felt something else in his core. A hatred he'd never felt before. That hate gave him a little strength. He kicked the beast in the stomach who yelped angrily, but didn't jump off.

It bit down for Nuriko's throat, but the boy threw his hands up defensively to ward off the teeth-filled maw. The wolf's sharp teeth clicked and scraped harshly agaithe the bracelets that Nyan Nyan had given the boy and it jumped back as if it'd been shocked.

:RUN!:

Nuriko jumped up and ran as fast and as hard as he could. He plowed through the trees, arms flailing at branches that grabbed for him. A strip of fern slapped past his face as ran and a line stung on his cheek. He jumped over a dead log and wadded through a creek and kept running, the snarling close on his heels.

A root stuck up enough for a little foot to get caught under and Nuriko fell hard, the air left in his lungs from the run knocking out and passing his lips in a rush. Has he been able to keep that breath, he would have used it to scream at the searing pain in his left side. The growl coming from that direction sound far too muck like an evil, triumphant laugh.

"MOMMY!!!! DADDY!!!!!"

"Noriko?! Where are you," his father shouted in the distance, too far to come save him. His heart began to lose hope. The little courage he'd found began to falter. Tears fell down his cheeks, mingled with the blood from his temple. He coughed and tasted the sweet, metallic flavor of blood. Why did this feel so familiar? Why did he feel like his was going to die like this? Like he had before...?

:Nuriko...:

That voice was familiar too. He'd only heard it in his dreams, and just now when it's told him to run.

:Remember....: it said urgently. :Remember everything...:

At that last word, a red light engulfed him. No...not just a light...the holy power of Suzaku, his first and foremost father. His parents, original parents. His brother and his sister. The Emperor, and how he felt for him, how he loved him. The fights that turned into friendship with his Miko, his Miaka, the only woman he ever loved that way.

But most of all, he remember his strength, his inhuman strength. He growled deeply in his throat, sounding much like the wolf still attached to his side and grabbed hold of the muzzle before prying it apart with almost careless ease. The beast yelped inn asn as Nuriko began ripping the flesh that help the mouth together. The boy's hatred drove him to keep pulling, and prying.

:Nuriko...it's just a wolf...: the voice said soothingly. :It's not Ashitare...let him go....:

Nuriko let his hatred burn a moment longer, the voice was right. It was just a wolf. Not the beast that had killed him. Nuriko threw thezle zle away from him in disgust and then stood up. The wolf licked at it abused flesh and ran into the trees, looking back to make sure Nuriko wasn't following him.

The boy swooned as he lost his celestial glow and fell into darkness with a fading, :Welcome home, Nuriko...: