Welcome to Gaia! ::

"Thank for that Lumine," Ochiba hugged the ex-celestial burying her face into her shoulder for the moment, enjoying the uncertain peace the hug brought her. The rabbit realized she would have to be strong, like when her master had grown sickly and needed her to help him about his home. It was best to forget Death knocking at your door and worry more about enjoying the good days,'as rare as they grew to be.

Being set down, Ochiba tilted into the ruffling and smiled, "I think she must be done about now." The rabbit hopped after Lumine, her eyes easily seeing through the blue-haired girl's demeanor, but choosing to ignore it. "Ah it does smell nice," The bespectacled bunny's nose twitched as she picked up the smell of the cooking food before following after Lumine.

"Welcome back."

Michiko was standing behind Rubuke, who still sat on the wooden stool. The crow nodded to Lumine, but otherwise seemed busy trying to hide some pain behind a hardened face and frown. Said Pain came from her wing that was currently rebandages that had to be rested on the floor because she was unable to elicit a response from it due to the broken bones in it.

Surveying it quickly, the damage on the broken wing wasn't easy to see except for a few missing feathers and the small sections where cuts where visible even through the plumage of the gray-and-black winged tengu. It seemed the other wing already had some fresh bandages, but Michiko was still busy treating the scrapes, and -because the wingspan was relatively large- she forced to work by sections. "The food is served," the wolf commented shortly, not looking from the last cuts before having to bind Rubuke's wings again.

"I think I lost my appetite." She did look a couple shades paler. Looking a but closer at Rubuke, the Kenkaku had taken off the top armor and most of the layers she carried, reduced to her sarashii so as to make it easier to bind the bonds under her clothes and not over them. Her frame was small and rather frail and no one would suspect the amount of power she packed behind it, all gained from her intense training.

"That's because your injuries weren't so small, Rubuke," Michiko sighed. Ochiba hopped over to the table as Michiko spoke to Rubuke about her injuries and how she could get better soon.

It took a few more minutes before Michiko came to sit at the table. Rubuke went and got her naginata. "Where are you going?" The Rouki asked.
"I'm going to practice, if anything, just my stance." The crow left the house.

.... Ochiba was already eating away at her meal like a hungry little thing. Michiko stared after Rubuke but she sighed and turned to her plate, "I hope you like what I cooked, Lumine." She too had lost her appetite.

Michiko had been eating quietly trying not to waste food, but with a nod she responded to the first part Lumine said,"That's good, I still hope you enjoy the meal... It seems Ochiba is."
"MHm?" The rabbit looked up with a mouthful in her cheeks, but she turned quiet and went back to eating, knowing what Lumine was trying to do.

"Don't worry Lumine, I understand that you felt bad. It's not a big deal," Michiko commented not looking up from her plate as she ate. "I don't mean to be quiet, sorry. I don't feel like that talking, that is all." The lonewolf put a bite into her mouth, as if giving another excuse for her silence.

"I said, I don't want to talk, Lumine." Michiko frowned deeply, dropping her fork and standing up,"This isn't all about you. Don't get me wrong, I have alot in my head right now, so don't make it all about you." The lonewolf turned and headed to her room, where she promptly closed her room's door.

"....What an a**."

Ochiba had a fork in her mouth, taking the time to push her glasses,"Wonder what's eating at her, if it isn't only your situation....? Sometimes, Michiko confuses me more than anything..." The rabbit removed the the fork from her mouth, thoughtfully tapping her finger onto the table. "Her being so standoffish isn't normal... she is at least half-socialable, or at least she listens... Mh...."

Ochiba shrugged, her nose twitching for a second as Lumine jumped over the table instead of walking around it. "I don't know, Lumine, maybe she is just being sensible?--- Lumine what are you---??"

When the ex-celestial bursted into her room, Michiko let out startled yelp and tried to sit up under the covers of her bed, apparently having 'gone to bed.' She got tangled and fell off the side landing with a loud thud. Michiko tried to push up but slipped and landed flat on her face again. She chose to stay on the floor, her face red with annoyance and embarrassment. A Kazuko was never taken by surprise.

"Damn it Lumine, Leave me alone please! I am trying to figure stuff out and I can't, okay, I am trying and I can't. I can't think straight having to worry about how you will do because of what that stupid shinigami did, because I have a crow tengu to take care of, and because I am just thinking about things in general okay?!"

Ochiba watched everything with a nice perplexed look from behind her huge round glasses. It was like an awful train crash; so bad she couldn't look away no matter how badly she wanted to. As Lumine closed the door behind her, Ochiba blinked away from the small spell and prayed Lumine could fix the wolf up.

But even she was able to hear the celestial screamed out at Michiko.

Michiko staid on her floor, specially after Lumine's last comment. She just laid there with tears in her eyes. Unable to break the silence, she was able to untangle from the blanket and stand up slowly and quietly. "... No. I am sure you meant it but ... its fine..." She said to the curled up celestial, her tail low, waving behind her ankles gloomily.

The Rouki sat down across of Lumine in a similar manner, but her legs where bent a little loosely. She leaned her arms over her knees and locked her fingers, her tail curling at side. "Sorry of its a bit unfair of me to be quiet," the wolf sighed,"But I feel as if reality has finally hit me. Since I ran away from the Tengu Village, I have lived so far from reality. Since you and Ochiba arrived, my life changed."

"My mother, who I thought would live forever, died, the aristocrats of the tengu village found out I exist, death became real... So much has happened...." Michiko sighed again. She looked to a corner of her room, where the Kazuko shield and sheathed sword where leaned along with a wooden sword. "I finally understood how my mother was able to be a compassionate mercenary... Why she loved working as a guard... but now its too late to say 'I understand.' I have the same craving to become a warrior she did... now that I've fought to defend what I believe in and equally fought on rage, I understand why she trained so much, why she was so collected..."

"Now I understand why my father was so interested in his heritage and how valuable it was..." The lonewolf turned to Lumine," I also understand that not all the elites of the tengu village are pretentious or air headed... You'd be surprise how tough Rubuke has had it ever since she was forced to start training when she could flap her wings. "

The wolf's tail tapped the floor,"My reality has been changed for the better, but its too much to think about in one sitting, Lumine."

"No, she didn't kill me, but," Michiko stood, going to kneel in front of Lumine, bridging the gap between them,"But I killed her. " As the ex-celestial mentioned leaving, Michiko took her hand, trying to keep her close and not let her exit her room,"No, you don't bother me, Lumine, please stay here and talk with me a while longer, okay? It'd mean the world to me to have you close for a bit more, because when we open the door, I fear time will restart itself."

"My mother was far younger before I left. She had been drained by my father's fleeting health that worsened over a year's length by the time I did runaway from home. She was much more a warrior back then, I remember, yet she was far more innocent. When she was young, my mother was a lonewolf much like me; a loner who despised the aristocracy she had to learn to play with when she was accepted into the Swords Academy. However, when she met my father, she found out not all of them believe what they do," breaking from the tale, she explained,"There is seven elite clans in the Village, as you probably know. The Kenkaku carry the polearm weapons, and their relic is a Nodachi. The Mirumoto, known as fierce hand to hand combatants carry an ancient katana and wakasazhi, having mastered the art of dual wielding. The Jurou clan have a giant war hammer, representing their superior strength and hard head. The Watiso out them though; their relic weapon is a broadsword. The Yao, archers by name,carry what is said to he the most well crafted bow and arrows of the village. The Kaninus, assassins by trade, most feared by enemies and praised by allies, carry a pair of hidden blades that are said to be dipped in poison when there is war time... And finally, the Rouki. The dual-blade clan that has faded away with the death of Raino... The reason I mention this is because when my mother became involved with my father, she entered this world, specially after marriage, but they were not what she expected.

"Back in the day, Master Taisei Jurou was a student like Seijin was, and despite being young, she was already an elitist. Taisei and Raino where the youngest in the guard, the rest of the elites were older but just as rebellious. They taught her many things. Taisei and Seijin were friends as much as bitter enemies, and she was deeply in love with Raino...." She gave a small squeeze to Lumine's hand, once more taking a breath,"I hope I am not boring you, I feel like my mother's story wasn't fully told to you, and I think once you come back, you will still remember her Lumine. Heavens knows I hope you Remember all of us, but its my mother I most want you to remember.'Because you of all people deserve to carry her memory."

She then continued,"She married my father in the cherry blossom season, by the great waterfall as she had always wanted. The next part is very simple; she lived happily with her husband, after she graduated both became teachers as did most of the Elite Guard, including Taisei, and not long after they had a child. Skipping my childhood is easy, I failed to understand that my mother continued to teach in the mornings and father took the night classes and most of the time I spited her for never being home unlike father. In any event, when I was a teenager, well into becoming an adult, my father grew sick. When he was sick, my mother staid by his side, and we both took care of him. In confidence he told me he would love to have me take the Rouki blades and learn how to use them as well as have the seal placed on my person. I agreed to both, but my mother didn't seem to want me to... of course, you know I did as I pleased, and got the tattoo made. My mother didn't know till my father passed away and I told her. We had an argument over it, things were said I no longer remember, and then.... It was bitter to be home....'Ah, did you know my mother knew how to play the shamishen? The four stringed instrument... " Michiko stood with Lumine's hand in her own trying to get her to stand, moving to grab a case from under her bed.

Clicking it open she pulled out the old instrument that seemed a bit saddened to be ditched after so long. "Well this is my own, but, she taught me how to play this. ... Anyway, after my father's death and our fight, she never touched her instrument again. I don't know if she did when you were around though...." Michiko presented the instrument to Lumine so she could inspect it if she wanted,"After that, I ran away. A friend from the village told me that she was in deep mourning and had retired from teaching classes until the Kenkaku requested her to be the middle child's personal trainer. By then most of the elitist had passed on, replaced by students that my mother, father, and Taisei had educated; Toomura Kaninus, Hidenka Mirumoro, Hakazi Watiso, Kamuko Yao, and , before Maemi, Samuro Kenkaku. Samuro suffered an accident, and in a fight, lost most of the movement in his legs. He was unable to carry the nodachi anymore. I remember there was a big scandal about it," now she moved to the shelves and pulled out an old newspaper. The title read The Kenkaku Clan's Tragedy; Who will replace the Prodigy?,"Samuro was an amazing swordsman, and when he was crippled half the clan argued the sword should go to Rubuke, who was the most skilled and devoted daughter, the other conservative half argued that by right of birth , the sword belonged to Maemi, the second oldest and next in line. Kenkaku-sama, the head of the family sided with the conservatives..."

Michiko handed the newspaper and the article to Lumine. As usual it was a bit exaggerated on paper, but it retold most of what Michiko had said about the Kenkaku in exuberant detail. "The rest of my mother's story, well, you know it better than I do. The friend who supplied me with books and news passed away a few years after I moved here, and with him the last tie I believed I had to the village..." Michiko moved to the corner and took the wooden sword that leaned there, before coming back to Lumine.

"This little sword was made by my mother as a child," Michiko held it with both hands. Now it was her turn to be close to crying, "She made it to the scale of a practice Sword from the Academy when she discovered her passion for it. When I was able to walk she gave it to me and told me the story of how she was able to get into the academy and met my father. It was my favorite bed time story; she was such an eloquent speaker. Later she gave it to me as a present,... and till a few days ago, I kept it under my bed with the shamishen she too presented me."

She placed the wooden sword on her bed (probably with the shamishen or the newspaper now,) "That is my mother's story, its something I think I needed to get off my chest. ... Maybe I will return to the village, just to tell them how to write her story. " She waved with a sad smile at the newspaper,"I don't want them to do that to her story...."

"No, actually, I think the courts would allow you a reincarnation, Lumine," Michiko reassured the ex-celestial,"If you were allowed to come back, that must mean you have done something to earn their respect. The courts don't do anything without you deserving it, so if you were allowed to return, then you must have a future ahead of you anyway, Lumine, I am sure we will meet in some other life, sister."

"My mother was an amazing player, and I heard her sing a couple times.... She was something else uh?" the tengu smiled at Lumine's memory of her mother, and she chuckled sadly at the blue-haired girl's enthusiasm,"Leave it to a wolf to fill the night sky with a song."

The wolf was pulled into a hug, a but startled but not rejecting the contact even when she would have before in a flash. "I can read.... Seijin always said that I could write too... A biography on my mother..?" the idea felt foreigner but as if her heart had waited for it to be proposed at last. "I think I could do it,... I have very good memory for things..." The wolf gave Lumine a tight hug,"I promise to write a lot about in it; after all, you were very important to my mother I am sure!"

"Don't worry, your story will go down into the Tengu Library at the very least, Lumine, I promise!" Michiko gave the ex-celestial a gentle squeeze before letting go of her and looking a bit spitefully at the door."Ah... yes.... It may be time to go now. Or else, Ochiba might eat all our food and Rubuke's. I wonder if the crow came back inside already."

"I am as ready as I can be to open that door," Michiko turned to put away the things she had pulled out from under the bed and the corner of the room. "Come on then..." the wolf tengu came to Lumine's side, waiting for her companion and sister to open the door.