Kenji, lying curled up among the warmest
sheets in the softest bed that he could ever remember having,
opened his eyes slowly. The next thing to register in his mind
was the hand resting on his forehead; it felt almost as soft as
the bed he was sleeping in.
"Dad?"
"No, little one, I am not your father."
Turning,
Kenji looked up at the person talking to him, but all he could
really see
was a human-shaped figure surrounded
by gold-white light. When the figure lifted him up, cradling
Kenji in warm, strong arms, Kenji was even more forcefully
reminded of his dad.
"I am not your father, little one," the
golden being repeated. "However, I do know him. I am sure that
he will be happy to know that you are safe."
The glowing skin of the golden man was
warm, and Kenji curled up against the man’s chest without a
second thought. Then, just as Kenji was about to relax into the
arms of the glowing man, he remembered someone else—someone else
whose arms had felt warm and comforting.
"Where’s Mr. Gyouoh?"
The man’s eyes, which Kenji now noticed
were yellow and slitted like a cat’s, narrowed slightly.
"You don’t need to worry about him,
little one," he said, and Kenji thought that the man with the
cat eyes sounded angry. Not at him, but still angry about
something. "Reholt has been dealt with."
Kenji was just about to start asking
more questions about what had happened when the man gently
stroked his forehead. The feel of warm fingertips brushing the
space between his eyes was strangely comforting, and Kenji found
himself closing his eyes, relaxing into the man’s hold and
forgetting all of what he had been curious about. Feeling the
warmth from the man’s fingers spreading throughout his body and
the strange tingle that he had just barely felt coming from that
spot on his forehead getting stronger until he couldn’t ignore
it anymore, Kenji opened his eyes again.
"What’s happened to me?"
"Something wonderful," the yellow-eyed
man said calmly. "Something that very few humans have ever been
privileged enough to have happen. Your father will be able to
explain it to you more completely, l think. In the meantime,
little one, do not be afraid. Your father and I will be here to
guide you."
"Dad’s still here?" Kenji was confused.
"But, I thought-"
"Shh," the man with yellow eyes put a
finger on Kenji’s lips, effectively silencing him. "Your father
is perfectly well, little one. Rest now, you are not quite ready
to be awakened."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Rest…"
The man with the yellow eyes put his
hand on Kenji’s face, covering his eyes, and Kenji felt himself
slipping back into the dreamless nothingness he’d been in
before…
Feeling Kenji go slack against him,
Imakarum gently stroked his spine. Then, remembering that Lord
Alkanphel had requested a meeting with Kenji, Imakarum started
looking his son over to make sure he was presentable—after all,
the Council of Twelve would be there, as well, and it wouldn’t
do to have Kenji appear before them looking as if he had just
rolled out bed.
Since Imakarum had helped Kenji dress,
he was less concerned with Kenji’s clothes, but he could see
clearly that Kenji’s hair needed to be dealt with. Even in spite
of the fact that he had brushed it out sometime earlier, Kenji’s
mass of ebony tresses looked windblown at best. Laying his hand
between Kenji’s shoulders, Imakarum guided his son back to the
bed where they had both slept the night before.
As Kenji sat down, Imakarum swept the
hairbrush off of his nightstand and began to gently pull it
through his son’s hair. Hearing a slight rustling, Imakarum
looked down at the bed and saw that Kenji was digging through
the blankets, evidently looking for something. Just as Imakarum
was about to ask his son what he was so interested in finding,
Kenji pulled Kaji out from under the covers.
Imakarum hoped that Kenji wasn’t
thinking of trying to take Kaji into the Celestial Hall, since
there were few things more likely to offend most of the other
Zoalords than having one of their own show up to meet them
lugging a stuffed animal, but, even as Imakarum watched, Kenji
untied the bright red bandana – Miaka’s bandana – from Kaji’s
neck. Satisfied that his son wasn’t about to do anything too
childish, Imakarum turned his attention back to Kenji’s hair.
As he moved his hair aside, his
father paused in his work to let him finish. Then, smoothing
Kenji’s hair back into place, Imakarum finished his own work.
Taking his hand once he was done, Imakarum pulled his son back
to his feet and turned him around. Looking him over again,
Imakarum decided that his son was presentable to the Council
now. Seeing the red bandana tied around Kenji’s neck, Imakarum
had a sudden, slightly disconcerting feeling of déjà vu.
At least he didn’t tie his hair back
with it.
Imakarum shuddered slightly as that
thought struck him. That would have been a little too much for
even him to handle, almost as if the face of the woman he had
loved so much—even after seeing her charred and almost
unrecognizable corpse—was coming back to haunt him. Even with
the differences between Miaka and their son, looking at Kenji
was still almost like looking at her again.
"Is something wrong, Dad? You don’t look
so good."
"I’m all right," Imakarum answered,
smiling for Kenji’s benefit. "We should get going now—we’re
expected."
With those words, Imakarum laid his hand
on Kenji’s left shoulder and teleported them both to the doors
just outside the Celestial Hall. Thinking that it would be
better for all concerned if he and Kenji were to give at least
some forewarning before they made their appearance, Imakarum
stepped in front and pushed open the doors. All of the other
Zoalords were all on their feet now, having presumably been
informed of Kenji’s existence by Lord Alkanphel.
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