The Mark of Destiny

Chapter 1: The Ugly and Painful Truth

Standing on a vast, green field with scarecrows placed randomly across it, was a yellowish-brown hair girl in a dark blue shirt and a light purple skirt with a light blue scarf hung from the front to the back and tied lightly in place with a five centimeter in diameter ring. Standing right behind her was a man in his early 30s holding a clipboard; it was a test for all fire students who are ready to join the Fire Clan in Yon Village, to see if they are worthy of the Fire Clan badge, if they failed they will not be able to graduate.

The girl raised her hand half way in the air and made a cross slash at one of the scarecrows, a fire ‘X’ was emitted from her hand and went towards the scarecrow, and the fire made contact which set the scarecrow on fire. The girl jumped in joy when the fire made contact, she was able to pass the test. The man behind her clears his throat which caused the girl to look at him.

“Don’t be too happy, Tsukimine Natsuki-san, this is only the beginning of your journey,” said the man,

“Yes! Takayama-sensei!” answered Natsuki happily as she saluted Takayama,

“Natsuki!!” shouted a voice far away; Natsuki turned around and looked for the source of the voice. She saw someone far away, her mouth spread in a wide smile as she ran towards that someone.

“Chiaki!!” shouted Natsuki as she waved at Chiaki who was also waving. Takayama walked towards Chiaki and bowed,

“Ishimaru-hime-sama…”he muttered.

“It’s alright, Takayama-san,” said Chiaki smiling at him. Takayama stood up straight and walked out to call for the next student. Chiaki and Natsuki left the training grounds and walked towards the palace. The training grounds were quite far from the main town to ensure if there was any wrong when the new students practice. During their walk, Natsuki and Chiaki talked about almost everything,

“So, your class is the last batch that will join my grandpa’s service…”said Chiaki

“Eh? No! Not the last, all the four leaders under the King had decided they will choose 5 out of the 8^th year seniors and they’ll be under the King and I’m one of them,” said Natsuki happily,

“Really!? Wow!! That’s great!” exclaimed Chiaki excitedly,

“It is, isn’t it? Finally I can help the King, did you heard? Jigoku had infiltrated the Taiyou Village and is planning to destroy Yon and Taiyou, I want to help the Kind to destroy this man!” said Natsuki in determination,

“Taiyou Village…they have a prince, don’t they?”

“Why? Interested in him?” Natsuki sneered.

“What are you talking about!? Don’t joke!” retorted Chiaki angrily,

“Really? I heard he is a handsome prince…” Natsuki sneered Chiaki who went red,

“Who cares!!? And you! You’ve been gossiping aren’t you?” answered Chiaki

“Hey! This is being up-to-date with the news! You should know more about this! You’re the princess of Yon!!” Natsuki retaliated,

“Oh~~ don’t you use my princess status to drag me into the crime!!” said Chiaki, defending herself,

“Besides, you’ve known me since young and you know that I don’t want to care anything about others people problem, it’s not that we can do anything…Sometimes the more we try to help the worst the problem gets…”added Chiaki wisely,

“Well, yeah, you’re right, I can’t deny that but since Jigoku has taken action he won’t let go easily, he’ll destroy Yon!” said Natsuki urgently,

“Then may it be over my dead body! I won’t let him destroy my country!” said Chiaki angrily,

“I know you won’t…I wonder what this Jigoku wants, what made him do such things?” muttered Natsuki, Chiaki kept quiet, she was thinking about it herself, it was true that she did not want to put her leg into other people’s problem but she can’t put off the fact that she wants to help them, she hates to see people suffer especially the people around her. She wants to help but who would accept help from a mere princess with no powers and can only heal wounds…

“Chiaki-chan? Chiaki?” Natsuki called out beside Chiaki when she kept quiet,

“Oh, huh?”

“Are you alright?” Natsuki asked anxiously, Chiaki nodded her head,

“Anyway, did you pass the test??” asked Chiaki as she walked beside Natsuki, trying to change the subject.

“Oh…ahahaha…I forgot to ask…but I think I did,” answered Natsuki in an ‘I’m – sorry – I - didn’t – ask’ tone and ended up shuddering as Chiaki glared at her…

“I’ll ask later, it’s a long way back to the training grounds…”said Natsuki, she was right they were already quite far away from where the started,

“I didn’t tell you to go now…”muttered Chiaki, as they walk into the town a messenger from her grandfather appeared out of thin air suddenly.

“Kageshi from the Wind Clan under the command of the King brings Ishimaru-hime-sama a message from the King,” said Kageshi as he bowed at Chiaki.

“Oh, a message from Grandpa?” said Chiaki,

“Yes, hime-sama, the King requests hime-sama to see him now…”answered Kageshi, who was still bowing,

“Alright, I’ll go now, well I’ll see you later Natsuki-chan,” she said as she waved at Natsuki who returned it. Chiaki followed Kageshi to the palace. The palace was grand but old, it had been three hundred years since this building was built and Yon had survived for three hundred years.

Soon, she arrived at the palace and the King himself was waiting for her, “Grandpa!!” shouted Chiaki happily as she ran to her grandfather.

“Hahaha, my dear little Chiaki,” said the King and hugged Chiaki, Kageshi bowed,

“You have my permission to leave Kageshi, thank you for bringing Chiaki,” said the King, Chiaki watched Kageshi go before opening her mouth and asked,

“Why did you call me, grandpa?” the King released her,

“Well come with me, my dear, I have something to show you and tell you, I hope you can listen to me with a clam heart because the thing I’m going to tell you will shock you more than ever,” beckoned the King.

They came to a big room, it was the King’s sleeping quarters; Chiaki’s was just around the corridor to the left. The King walked towards a table and opened a green linen music box and took out a necklace with a white jewel made in the shape of a carnation. He approaches Chiaki and told her to hold out her hand, he placed it in her hand,

“Sit down, my dear child, listen carefully and don’t interrupt me if you can because this is important and I want you to be ready for it when it comes,” said the King as he beckoned Chiaki to sit down, he himself sat on a red velvet armchair and Chiaki sat on the bed.

“What is it, grandpa?” asked Chiaki curiously, the King shrugged and sighed,

“My dear child, you have a twin brother who was kidnapped a year after both of you was born, both you and your brother hold great powers, my dear, both of you were destined to vanquish the most terrible man ever lived, a man who had lost all his feelings and who vowed to destroy all the villages in the country just because of a mere hatred, he changed his name into Jigoku, ” Chiaki’s eyes widen in surprise when she knew about her twin brother and about Jigoku, she has heard about this man but she never knew he was after her, she did not say anything as she decided to keep quiet and let her grandfather continue.

“Your father knew that this man will try to capture both of you the moment he saw the marks on your right hand and your brother’s left hand…”said the King, Chiaki looked at the back of her right hand, indeed there was a mark there.

“But why?” she asked as she looked at the King,

“Jigoku wanted to use both of you to aid him in his conquest in ruling the whole world, only a few weeks after both of you were born, he sent a few men to kidnap both of you, luckily the kidnappers were found before they could touch you, and when both of you were the age of two, again he sent his men to kidnap the two of you. Your mother came in right at the moment when his men was taking both of you, naturally your mother tried to protect both of you but in her attempt of protecting both of you, she was injured badly and your brother was captured. That’s when your mother…died…”said the King in a croaked voice, as he tried to suppress his sadness, he succeeded but Chiaki did not, tears were rolling down her eyes when she heard how her mother died. Chiaki gulped and opened her mouth, trying hard not to sob.

“And this…this is Mother’s, isn’t it?” asked Chiaki as she touched the necklace, the King smiled gently,

“Yes, that was your mother’s, your mother gave it to your father before she died and your father gave it to me the day before he died, he knew something was going to come. That necklace is a wedding gift from both of your parents…”

Tears rolled down Chiaki’s eyes, her father was a very good person,

“I’ll keep this necklace nicely…until the time comes,” she said weakly.

“There is one more thing, I hope you won’t be too sad to know this, you have a fiancée,” said the King firmly, Chiaki’s eyes widen in surprised as she stood up suddenly, she was so surprised by this piece of information that she did not know what to say, she gulped and opened her mouth,

“How did I end up with a fiancée?” asked Chiaki, she did not know what tone to use, frightened? Angry? It makes no sense.

“It was determined when you mother had both your brother and you, your father’s friend is the King of the neighbouring country, they’ve said if it was a boy, they’ll be best friends, if it was a girl, they’ll marry…the result was that your fiancée became your brother’s best friend and your fiancée…” answered the King,

“But, grandpa, I’ve never met this person,” protested Chiaki, trying to find a way to push away the promised marriage,

“You have seen him before, you met him when you were young,” said the King,

“I did!? But why I have no memory of it?” asked Chiaki incredulously,

“It’s not that you have no memory of it, it’s just that you’ve forgotten about him, for you were so young then…” said the King,

“Listen to me my child, your fiancée needs help…Jigoku has infiltrate his country and is preparing to destroyed the whole world, he just want our country and your fiancée’s country to be the opening,” the King continued without waiting for a reply from Chiaki.

“What can I do? I’m just a normal girl…” said Chiaki as though she was tired,

“You can my dear; did I not say you possessed great powers? You can help him…”the King said urgently, trying to make Chiaki understand,

“But grandpa, I don’t even know what powers I have!” answered Chiaki,

“You will know when the time comes…”said the King in a final tone, Chiaki understood that she should question no more, Chiaki stood up and made to leave when her grandpa said:

“He will be here tomorrow; he hopes that you will see him…”

Chiaki did not answer her grandpa, she just left the room without a word, she don’t even know what to complain about, her destiny? Her fiancée? Or that she has a brother?

She decided to cool down and think about things properly in her room, she wants to sort out her feelings. On her way, she bumped into her teacher, Shizuku,

“Sensei!!” said Chiaki in a higher tone, Shizuku smiled at Chiaki,

“Is the King in there?” she asked, Chiaki nodded,

Shizuku bowed and headed to the King’s room, Chiaki walked back to her room when she suddenly remembered that she left her necklace on the bed,

]“Oh no, I forgot the necklace, I’ll have to turn back, I would want to look at it and be reminded of Mother and Father…” Chiaki sighed and headed back to the room, she noticed that the door was opened a little; she wanted to knock when something hit her ear,

“Your Majesty, you’ve told her everything?” asked Shizuku,

“No, Shizuku, not everything, I can’t tell her the last bit…”answered the King,

“The bit about her brother?” the king nodded when Shizuku asked him,

“I can’t tell him that her brother was the killer of her father,” said the King.

All sound was locked away, the last few words: ‘her brother was the killer of her father’ kept echoing in her head, Chiaki had entered her world and she is reliving her past. She remembered now…it was only four years ago when her father died, murdered by a boy her age…She was twelve that year. Her father did not attack the boy, he did not want to because that boy was his son, she knows now, and that boy was also her brother.

She started to cry, she dropped onto the floor, crying, she stifled her cries with he hand.

Shizuku turned to look at the door as it moved a little, she opened the door and to her horror and surprised, Chiaki was on the floor crying. The King saw her and his eyes widen with shock, he soon recovered and closed his eyes.

Shizuku kneel down to level with Chiaki, “Chiaki-chan…” muttered Shizuku,

“Sensei!!” yelled Chiaki as she hugged Shizuku, Chiaki cried loudly and bitterly.

“Why!!Why!!” she shouted between her cries. Shizuku patted Chiaki gently on the back, her eyes closed.