ヒカリ の シイド
Hikari no Shiido
T H E S E E D O F L I G H T
Yuki sat in the branches, still crying, as the rain tapered off. His whole life had been filled with yelling and abuse. His last memory of his father was much worse than of his sister, just before his father had walked out on them…
Yuki walked down the stairs of his family’s large mansion. About halfway down, he lost his balance and tumbled the rest of the way down the stairs, where his father was waiting.
“What was that?” demanded his father, Dosei.
“Um… I fell…,” answered Yuki hesitantly.
“Why did you fall, you worthless piece of crap?” demanded Dosei, kicking him viciously.
“Father!” shouted Kanji from across the room, rushing toward them. “Leave him alone!”
Dosei pulled out a knife and held it directly above Yuki’s heart. “I’ll end this now, I’ll get rid of this worthless piece of crap!” Dosei shouted, pinning Yuki down, a crazy glint in his eye.
Yuki struggled against his father’s strong grip. “Help!” he pleaded.
Kanji barreled into Dosei, knocking him off of Yuki. Dosei picked up the knife. “I’ll kill you both!”
“Dosei!” came an angry voice from a nearby doorway. Rei, Yuki’s and Kanji’s mother, stood in the doorway. Her normally serene face registered righteous fury as she watched Dosei. “Get out! Now!” Rei commanded. She pointed, and Dosei was thrown out the door, never to be seen again.
An unfamiliar voice jolted Yuki out of his memories.
“Yuki! Yuki! Hello?”
Yuki looked down. The person shouting his name was a ten-year-old boy with flaming-red hair. He looked up. Their eyes met, and Yuki tumbled out of the tree, landing on his posterior. “Ow!” Yuki complained.
The red-haired boy stifled a laugh, then asked, “Hey, is your name Yuki?”
“Um… yes… um… um… wh-why do you want to know? A-and, may I… um… that is… may I please ask what your name is… please?” replied Yuki shyly.
“Whoa, there’s no reason to be so shy! My name’s Kogasu. A girl named Mizu and an old hag named Aisu are looking for you. Will you come with me? I’ll take you to them,” Kogasu answered.
“Um… I… um.. I don’t want to go with them…”
“They’re really worried,” wheedled Kogasu.
Yuki considered for a moment, taking in the sight of Kogasu, then noticing his necklace. “Well… I… um… I guess I’ll go…”
* * *
Mizu and Aisu sat on a log dejectedly, hoping that Kogasu had had better luck in their search for Yuki than they had. “Where could he be?” worried Mizu.
“I’m sure that stupid boy is fine,” assured Aisu.
Kogasu and Yuki emerged from the forest. “I found him!” announced Kogasu unnecessarily.
“Yuki!” exclaimed Mizu, “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to yell!”
“It’s alright…,” said Yuki, “But… um…” He gestured for Mizu to bend down so he could tell her something. Mizu did so, “I think he’s the Fire Elemental. Look at his necklace!” Yuki whispered into Mizu’s ear.
“So the necklaces mean that we’re Elementals?” whispered Mizu back.
“No,” answered Yuki sheepishly, “It’s a really big coincidence, but it’s good luck for us. It made it easier for us to find him.”
Mizu laughed.
“Why are you laughing?” asked Kogasu.
“Oh, nothing, nothing,” answered Mizu.
“Hey, boy, what would you say if we told you that you could get away from here and maybe even save the world?” asked Aisu.
“I’d say that you’re a crazy ugly old hag! But it would be cool…”
“Well, um… you better… um... I mean… that is… it’s true. You see, you are what is called the Fire Elemental. I am the Hikari no Shiido. The Hikari no Shiido is charged with protecting the worlds from Evil. I have to battle any evil that threatens to destroy the worlds. If I die, I will be reborn, but during the time that it takes for me to be reborn, Evil has a greater chance of destroying the worlds. Mizu-chan is the Wind Elemental. Kotoba-san is the Ice Elemental. The Elementals are supposed to help the Hikari no Shiido protect the worlds, as well as to try and keep the Hikari no Shiido from being killed.”
“Are you being serious?” asked Kogasu.
“Yes.”
Kogasu looked at Mizu, who nodded.
“Really? Well… I want to get away from the war and all… but saving the world… I mean, worlds, sounds like it’s another war… but… I suppose I can go… I’ll get to see new places! But, I swear, if I die, I’ll haunt you for getting me into this!” decided Kogasu.
Aisu chuckled.
“What are you laughing at, you ugly old hag?” demanded Kogasu.
“Quit calling me that, you stupid boy!”
“Ugly old hag!”
“Stupid boy!”
“Ugly old hag!”
“Stupid boy!”
“Ugly old hag!”
“Stupid boy!”
Mizu sighed, frustrated. “Cut it out!”
“Um… Mizu-chan… maybe we should leave them alone…,” suggested Yuki. He pulled off his necklace, turned it into his flute, and played the music that activated Kogasu’s magic.
“Can’t you do that powdery-water-portal-thing? It’ll give me a couple seconds of silence!” complained Mizu.
Yuki nodded, grinning, and threw a fistful of powder into the air. Mizu pushed Aisu and Kogasu, who both complained, into the portal, then jumped through. Yuki followed.
As a drop of water fell to the ground, two sentences broke the silence.
“Ugly old hag!”
“Stupid boy!