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Chapter three: The celestial legends, and Tara’s regrettable past.

“You see, my clan was the guardian clan,” he said “we were the only clan ever to try to help the celestial maidens,” he said. “growing up we would learn the celestial legends and train to help them if their secret were ever to be found out,” he continued, “however it is strange because as far as we thought we figured the celestial maidens would know everything already so why don’t you?” he asked.
Tara lowered her head, and scooped Kiki up stroking her fur gently, she after her village was destroyed she didn’t tell anyone about herself because she didn’t know who to trust, but after these past few months and especially after what happened Tara felt that she could trust someone besides Kiki and herself for the first time in over a year, so she took a breath and said. “I might have known before but I don’t know or at least I don’t remember,”
Reiko raised his eyebrow in confusion, “huh what do you mean?” he asked her.
She sighed and leaned against a tree allowing she to slide down still rather tired from what happen. In response, Reiko turned and sat down besides her patiently waiting for her answer. “I can’t remember anything,” she said simply, “I don’t know if Tara is my true name or how old I really am,” she added. “You see about five years ago I woke up in the middle of a forest with no memory, around me were many slaughtered demon and Kiki,” she said stroking Kiki’s fur.

//flashback//
Tara’s eyes fluttered open, as she stood. She grabbed her head obviously in great pain. She appeared only around 8 or 9 years old, and had no memory of who she was or where she came from. Looking around she gasped as she spotted many slain demons with a huge neko (cat) youki (demon) with a head of a demon in her mouth. The neko was at least twice the size of Tara, she had pure white fur with a black heart on it’s for head, it had nine tails with flames on the tip of each one flames also swirled around each of her paws. The neko’s black eyes spotted Tara and she began to growl. Tara’s eyes widened in fear, as she backed away from the snarling demon. She turned to run and only then did she see a huge demon trying to attack her from behind. She let out a scream, as just then the neko jumped and swiped her giant paw at the demon. The demon yelped in pain and fell back, it stood to attack but the neko shot fire balls at it. The demon let out a loud yell as it died letting his body burn to ash. Tara gasped as she began to back away from the growling neko. The neko’s eyes softened as she smiled at Tara, it cringed in pain as it lifted its giant paw, and on it was a terrible wound she had gotten from the battle. The neko attempted to walk forward but fell forward in pain. Tara gasped as she ran to the neko. However before she could reach the neko it was consumed by flame, as the flame died it revealed a small black kitten with but one tale and a white heart shaped mark on its head. Tara ran to the small kitten realizing it was the same neko that had just saved her life. She picked it up as she cradled it in her arms. Tara realized that the neko was female she smiled, and then suddenly gained a huge head ache as a name appeared in her mind, the kitten’s.
“Kiki,” she said softly as she smiled and stroke the kitten’s fur. She heard the gurgle of a stream nearby. She followed it and before she knew it they had arrived to a small spring. She placed the kitten’s body down by the stream’s bank, as she scooped up some water. “This might sting Kiki,” she said. The kitten nodded as Tara began to clean the kittens wound. The kitten growled in pain but endured it none the less. After the wound was clean Tara tore a piece of her sleeve off of her kimono and rapped it tightly around the kittens wound. The kitten cringed then smiled appreciatively at Tara.
Tara and Kiki spent the next two weeks alone wandering the forest, Kiki supplied protection while Tara hunted and gathered food for the two of them, Tara spook constantly with Kiki as she struggled to regain memory, for a while she thought she was one of a kind, and in a way she was right but not for the reasons she thought. She believed she was the only human in the world that is until the two week anniversary of her “awakening.”
Kiki’s leg was healed and she gave Tara rides on her back. One day while the Kiki and Tara were hunting, they stumbled onto a huge demons nest where hundreds of demons reside. The demons were furious at Tara’s and Kiki’s trespassing and attacked, while defending Tara Kiki was knocked unconscious leaving Tara to defend for herself. Tara didn’t have a weapon on her so picking up Kiki’s body she ran for it. The demons laughed evilly thinking that it was going to be an easy meal. One of the demons jumped and attacked Tara slashing her in the back. “Ahhhh” Tara screamed as she fell over her body searing in pain and with tears running down her cheek. She couldn’t stand and looked back up at the demons suddenly her eyes began to glow as a symbol appeared on her head (the same as the symbol that appeared on the jewel and Reiko’s forehead). Her body changed into its celestial form for the first time that she could remember. Tara felt as if she had been like this before because she knew what kind of powers and attack she had. So at that moment she unleashed a powerful attack killing nearly every demon there, however she had used much too much energy and fainted. The remaining demons surrounded Tara eager to feast on her flesh, when a Man with a dog demon appeared the two attacked and killed the remaining demons.
“Hey are you ok girl?” he asked holding Tara’s body in his arms.
Tara awoke and looked up at him, scared she moaned trying to get away, however as soon as she tried to move a pain rose up her back , the wound on her back was cleaned and bandaged earlier by the man.
“Shhh,” the man said, “I won’t hurt you,” he added, “please do not try to move those wounds on your back are pretty serious and need time to heal,” he said.
Tara nodded in response. “Who are you?” she asked him in a low and weak voice.
He smiled, “my name is Tamoru Kamishine” he said, “the headman of this village,” he continued.
“Village?” she asked she looked up and realized for the first time that she was lying on a bed inside a rather large room.
He nodded, “yes the hidden village of the tajiyos,” he said.
“Tajiyos?” she asked.
He nodded, “this is the village were all the tajiyos of this region come to train and raise their families,” he said. Tara nodes as she stroked Kiki’s (who was sleeping by her at the moment) Tamoru noticed this and raised an eyebrow. “Tell me girl, who are you, where do you come from, from where does this demon come from? The continent? For I have never seen this type of neko youki before,” he said.
Tara lowered her eyes; she stopped stroking the neko’s fur. “I don’t know,” she said silently.
“What do you mean?” Tamoru asked with a look of concern, “you must know something,” he said to her.
She shook her head, “no,” she said, “I don’t. . . I can’t remember,” she said.
“You can’t” he asked in disbelief. He stroke her hair gently, “close your eyes,” he commanded gently, “now think good and hard try to remember something. Anything that might help us returns you to your parents.
Tara’s eyes widened as the word parents echoed through her mind. She then closed her eyes obediently, as the word echoed throughout her mind images began to appear, they were faint but she could make out two figures, though their features were fogged their words were clear. ‘Tara, Tara come here! Hurry!’ the female figure said holding out her hand suddenly there was a scream the rest Tara could not remember. She opened her eyes and stared at Tamoru, “I think I remember something,” she said holding her head in her hand, “my name . . . my name I think its Tara,” she finally said.
Tamoru smiled, “a strange yet beautiful name,” he said.
//end flash back//
“After that Tamoru took me all around the region looking for my parents and my memory, after a year neither was found but a bond between he and I had formed and grew emansly,” Tara told Reiko, “He adopted me and trained me as a tajiya for the next two to three years,” she added.
“So what happened?” Reiko asked, “I mean you are still so young why are you traveling alone?” he asked her.
She frowned, “because only me and a few others are left,” she said looking up at him, “about half a year ago the entire village was destroyed by demons, “my father Tamoru died saving me,” she said in a low whisper. “Since then I have been training with my powers trying to perfect them.” she added.
Reiko stared at her with pity; this explained so much, her hatred to all other demons besides Kiki, her untrustingness towards others, and much more. “I’m sorry,” he said, as he put a hand on her shoulder, “but I know how you feel, my village was slaughtered as well,” he said.
Tara shrugged as she rose “I don’t need your pity you know,” she said bitterly, her long brown hair blowing in the wind, the tight kimono rustling a bit.
“Who said I was giving you any,” he responded stubbornly. “Now sit down unless you don’t want to hear the legends,” he said.
Tara glared angrily at him, “listen Reiko nobody gives me orders,” she said.
“Well I just did,” he said, “but of course you don’t have to listen to me but then I won’t tell you,” he said with a smirk.
Tara glared at him, “I hate you,” she snarled. She closed her eyes and changed to her human form before sitting down in front of Reiko. “so?” she asked him as Kiki curled up in her lap her ears perked obviously interested in what Reiko was about to say.
“Well . . . you see . . . it’s like this,” he said struggling for words. “well, many centuries ago when the earth’s powers was divided between many different beings, the four greatest were the angels, over time, the reapers, over death, the nymphs over beast, and finally the celestial maidens the most important of all they had power over the elements, and had to make sure that all of earths powers were balanced,” he began. “during this time demons ruled over the planet corrupting it, however the humans back then had no reason, that’s when the maidens first descended to earth, they gave the humans something demons didn’t have, knowledge and reason, they taught them how to create weapons and shields where as the demons only knew how to use their claws and bodies. For a while there was a balance between humans and demons until humans too became greedy and corrupted they traded knowledge with the demon’s in order to achieve selfish wishes such as longer life, eternal beauty, ect. With this soon found knowledge demons began to once again rule over the land bringing men to their near doom, and like before the celestial maidens came. However unlike before they breeded with the humans creating pure humans that have become our priest and priestess. Furiated the demons went in search of Sakura the ruler over the celestial maidens. With her power they believed they would be able to rule the world once and for all. A demon named Terikumo was the leader and strongest of the demons he and Sakura fought valiantly and nearly brought her to her death however with the last ounce of her power she was able to defeat him and formed the celestial crystal, the crystallized form of her soul. She separated the stone into five smaller jewels each representing each element: earth, fire, wind, water and light. She hid the jewels in the souls of different souls all around the planet. Only by using the light stone also known as the stone of unification, could the five jewels reassemble and create the celestial crystal thus summoning the ruler once again. The jewels stayed dormant in the bodies of five different celestial maidens each one with the power over her element. It is said that the jewels will only reactivate if once again the earth is thrown into chaos, or if another great evil rises up trying to gain its power, which appears to be the case here,” he said finishing.
Tara’s eyes widened, “so some one out there is searching for more jewels like mine,” she asked. Reiko nodded. “What happens if he wins?” she asked.
“He will summon and kill the new ruler allowing he to use her power at will, if that happens life on earth as we know it shall cease to exist. Demons would run wild and humans shall live in fear and weakness,” he said.
“And what about the guardians?” Tara asked.
“well, unlike other demons our village was created to help the celestial maidens and protect the once guarding the celestial jewels, however, recently a group of demons consisting of many different demon ninja clans attacked our village hoping to kill those destined to protect the maidens, looks like they missed one,” he said is a sorrowful smile.
Tara looked at the ground, “so I guess this is it huh,” she said, “I mean these demons they-”
He nodded cutting her off, “however what bothers me is what that demon ninja said,” he said.
“About what?” she asked.
“About joining them,” he said, “it appears as though many demons have already joined them,” he said with a look of worry, “with that many demons there must be someone leading them,” he continued. “The thing that I want to know is who is he and why does he know about the celestial maidens,” he said. “Also, celestial blood is suppose to overshadow human blood, so why do you have two forms, it’s just confuses me that’s all,” he said.
She nodded she had been thinking the same thing at that moment “what should we do know then,” the young Tara asked with Kiki watching Reiko with her demon eyes.
“Now that your jewel has activated others will also, we must make sure the demon, who ever he is, doesn’t get his hands on them first,” he said.
Tara nodded in agreement, “alright then,” she said as something glowed in her hand.
Reiko’s eyebrow rose. “What’s that?” he asked.
“Why my crystal of course<” she said happily.
Shocked Reiko rose then fell again. “wha- how?” didn’t your body reabsorb it?” he asked.
She shook her head no, “nope, I was able to separate the orb from the jewel,” she said.
He smiled, “the power of light is a mystery to me,” he said.
Meanwhile hidden among the Region Mountains, a dark figure grinned, a small jewel in its hand. “So a guardian and maiden have joined together have they?” it said, “pathetic. “They will not defeat me,” it continued. It smiled, “Chakeru, are you ready?” it asked another demon who bowed behind him.
“Yes master I shall kill the guardian, and take the girl and her jewel,” said a female demon. She was about 5’ 8” with short while hair, her eyes were an icy blue color and she wore a blue and white kimono, in her hand was a silver and blue flute.
“Good,” the head demon said with a grin.