Dark Destiny by Nightscare0

PROLOGUE

~PROLOGUE~

A young boy of about seven came bounding through the opening of the small hut he shared with his elderly grandmother. Lines of worry played about her face as she let out a small sigh of relief at the sight of the boy. "Kisho where have you been?" she scolded gently. "Night has fallen and there are many dangers that lurk in the darkness. You know how I worry so."

Kisho hung his head as he padded his way to the sparse fire in the center of the room and sat down. "Gomen grandmother. I was playing in the woods outside the village, and I guess I lost track of the time."

His grandmother made her way to the opposite side of the fire and gingerly made her way to sit down on the floor. "Ah but to be that young and carefree once again.", she murmured reminiscently as she handed him a bowl of stew. He raised his eyes to meet hers. "Aww grandmother, you aren't THAT old!" he stated firmly as he began to eat. She let loose a chuckle at his youthful exuberance. "Oh child, you do bring this old one great joy! Someday you will make a fine husband to one of the village girls."

"Husband?!" he choked. "I don't know what a husband is, but girls are gross! They're loud, they stink, and they always want me to play dolls with them."

The elderly woman looked at him with a playful brightness in her eyes. "But Kisho am I not a girl too?" She sniffed around teasingly. "Am I in need of a bath as well?"

He looked at her thoughtfully for a moment before he replied. "You are trying to trick me! You aren't a girl, you are my grandmother! You're different." he stated indignantly returning to his bowl of stew.

She looked him with seriously, but there was no mistaking the silent mirth in her eyes. "I guess you are right my little Kisho."

He yawned, placing the now empty bowl beside him.

"You are tired little one, it is past your bedtime and it's time for you to be asleep." She arose and gathered their mats to pull closer to the fire.

"Aww but I'm not sleepy!" he struggled to get out between yawns.

She arranged his mat in front of the fire and began to settle him in for the night. "Hush child. The night is the time for the body to restore itself, and maybe the moon god Tsukiyomi no Mikoto will visit you tonight in your dreams."

He looked up at her in awe. "Do you really think so Grandmother?"

"Of course love." she said as she smoothed his hair back, and rose to go to her own mat. "Now sleep little one."

There was a brief pause before Kisho's voice could be heard.

"Grandmother?"

She sighed. "Yes?"

"Um can you please tell me a story? You know, one about the gods?" he asked sounding every bit of the seven-year-old child that he was.

'Will it put you to sleep child?"

"YES!", he sat up excitedly.

Shaking her head the grandmother turned and lowered herself once again to the mat where Kisho was.

"Such a precocious child you are. Alright, alright. One story Kisho, and then I mean it," she looked at him. "Bedtime."

He looked at her solemnly. "Honest grandmother, I promise!"

She settled herself and got comfortable. "Hmmm let me think. . . . . . .Alright then I have one, and I don't believe I have told you this one before. It has been passed down from storyteller to storyteller, and now my dear grandson, I pass it down to you."

He could barely contain his excitement as he wiggled closer with anticipation.

Slowly she took a deep breath and began.

"It was the dawn of time. Before man ever took his first breath as a being capable of intelligent thought, there arose a great uprising in the heavenly realm. A battle whose outcome could spell the end of all life before it ever had a chance to begin. The great Kami's took sides. The powers of purity and light pitted against the conniving detriments of evil and darkness. The sounds of great clashes from mighty swords and howls of both pain and victory could be heard spanning the heavens, and blood wept from the skies in a torrential downpour of misery and triumph, as each side fought to gain the final foothold to ensure their enemies defeat."

"For eons this massive war raged on, a virtual stalemate as the great titans of each side fought to consume the other, until at last there could be heard a great roar of defeat. A thundering voice pierced through the din. Takami- Musubi the sky god, and creator of living things shouted, "For your crimes against your brethren, you Amatsu Mikaboshi, are sentenced to an existence in eternal banishment! Never again will your evil ways plague this realm. You are cast out!" With that, there was a great rumbling in the sky and a sound like a thousand screams echoed through the darkness as Amatsu felt himself being flung from the heavens with lightening speed. Down he fell, raining curses upon the tyrants, spewing forth every imaginable obscenity as he plummeted to his fate. He closed his eyes and waited for impact, rage shaking his core more so than fear. He screamed revenge for this heinous crime of injustice, but no one would hear him. He hit the floor of his cell buried deep in the confines of the earth with a sickening thud, and then he knew no more."

"What happened then Grandmother? Did he bump his head? How long was he trapped there?", Kisho asked.

"Hold on little one, so many questions!", she looked at him and ruffled his hair affectionately. "Do you want to hear the rest of the story?"

"Please!", he almost shouted.

"Then no more questions until the end, okay?", she smiled.

Kisho brought his fingers to his lips and made like he was zipping them up.

She laughed. "Okay, now where was I? Oh yes . . . .High up above there was a long contemplative silence, as the gods listened to judgment being served out to one of their own. Some cringed, some hung their heads in pity, while others looked unabashedly as the once mighty god fell towards his prison. For a long moment after the gate crashed closed and sealed itself shut, no one said anything. Never before had anything of this magnitude occurred. And many did not know what to think. Could the war that they had fought so long and hard for suddenly be over? The answer soon became clear. The war was over yes, but there were still the followers of Amatsu to be dealt with. Most had scattered upon seeing their fearless leader cut down, but there were still others cowering and hiding, begging for forgiveness they knew they wouldn't receive."

"Together the rest of the gods rounded up the traitorous few and sent them to follow in Amatsu's stead. A great shout of victory swelled throughout the heavenly realm, as the peace of the heavens was once again restored. The heavens had been cleansed of evil, and the balance of life once again moved towards prosperous times."

"Time moved on as it is often wont to do, and the memory of the great uprising moved from shuddering clarity, to distant past, and finally to mythical legend. The great gods of the heavens soon found themselves smiling favorably down upon a small planet and decided to create companions for themselves. And so came forth the Earth, it's creation, and all of it's splendor."

"And you and me too right?", Kisho asked.

"Of course!", she said with a smile as she hugged him close and continued.

"But deep below the soil of what would become the earth, in a pit on darkness, a massive rumbling could be heard as a sinister voice arose. "So I will wait . . decades, centuries, millennia. I will have what is rightfully mine. I will escape this Soko-No-Kuni. And then I will wreak my vengeance on both heaven and earth. You tyrants have become lax in your judgment by creating these pitiful mortals." The walls of his prison shook, but remained firmly in place as he pounded his mighty fists against the forged locks. "I will send my remnant to torment your pathetic playthings. My disciples will seek the vengeance I crave until I break free of this pathetic dungeon, and ravage the precious earth that you hold so dear." he sneered. "You have not seen the last of me Takami- Musubi! I will make you kneel to me before your death," he roared. "And all will fall before the August Star of Heaven!"

"Grandmother, is that where demons come from?" Kisho looked up at her with imploring eyes.

"Yes little one. It is said that all demons are descended from Amatsu's remnant.", she replied.

Kisho shuddered a little and opened his mouth to ask another question, when all of a sudden there was a great crash outside the hut. And the sounds of terrified voices could be heard. He huddled petrified against his grandmother when the shout rang out. "DEMON!"

"Kisho, you must flee! You must run away", yelled his frantic grandmother, as she tried to pry his fingers from around her waist. "Waste no time child, go now!" But Kisho refused to budge. "I can't! I can't! Please, not without you grandmother!", he screamed. "Come on, get up, we need to get out of here!" He tried to drag her closer to the door but to no avail.

"Kisho, go now! I am too old to flee," she cried as she sank back to the floor. "I would only slow us down! You must leave now, your life is at stake. Run to the next village!"

The walls of their humble hut began to shake with each thundering footstep the demon took through the village. The sounds of carnage and mayhem were almost deafening.

Kisho ran back to his grandmother and held her tight. Tears ran freely down his young face. "No grandmother. I will be strong and brave. I will not leave you."

The demon was almost upon their doorstep, and the grandmother knew then that any means of escape by now would be futile. The two sat huddled together on the floor mat, and she could do nothing but hold the child close and pray to the gods that somehow their lives might be spared. Slowly she rocked Kisho as he trembled. The room began to quake. Items fell from the shelves, and they watched in horror as the means of their meager living came crashing, shattering, and collapsing onto the earthen floor.

She knew there was little to no hope now as she gathers Kisho into her lap. "Look at me little one. No matter what happens, do not take your eyes away from mine." She tells him. "No matter what you hear, I want you only to listen to me. Can you do that?" He nods to her, unable to speak through his quiet sobs. His grandmother begins to sing softly as she rocks him back and forth. Slowly her voice gains momentum as she looks into the precious eyes of her only grandson. Kisho listens to her voice entranced by the soft music escaping from her lips, until he can no longer hear the heart wrenching screams of torment or the agonizing sounds of death coming from right outside their hut. He finds solace in his grandmother's arms as she tearfully croons to him. His sobs start to recede as his heart slowly finds peace in his grandmothers loving words. Reaching up, he gently wipes the tears from his grandmother's eyes. "I love you Grandmother." She holds him tighter and whispers into his ear. "I love you too my little Kisho." He closes his eyes, and let's hid grandmother's song take his thoughts to happier times.

He doesn't hear the sounds of the roof splinter and then give in under the tremendous pressure, nor does he hear the sickening rip of the walls being torn away. He does not see the hungry demon face glaring at them, licking it's grotesque lips as it slowly descends upon it's meal.

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