About Crystals and Stars (On hold)

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A/N: Here you go! Have fun reading!^^

He seethed with rage. An arranged marriage? Was his father being serious?

When his father had called for him and his siblings, Shimon had not expected this news.

After six years of negotiating and planning, the rulers of Tsuchimikado and Narukami had decided to end the war and give the people of both kingdoms a symbol of unity: An arranged marriage between both their houses.

Enraged Shimon walked back and forth along an invisible line next to the table in the counsel room. Usually he wouldn't loose his temper so easily. It took much too make him as angry as he was right now.

He couldn't believe his father. And he couldn't believe Seigen-dono (1).

These past six years the feudal lord of Narukami had been a welcome guest under the roof of the house Ikaruga and he had also become Shimon's sensei, teaching him the traditions of Narukami and training him in the fight with the katana with finesse. The wise and strong man from another land had become his consultant and idol.

When Seigen-dono had left a few days ago, Shimon had been sad. Someday he had hoped they would live in a world, where the people of Tsuchimikado and Narukami would meet each other as allies and no more on the battlefield as enemies.

Shimon didn't want to believe, that the man he looked up to was part of planning this.

"Nii nii-sama, please, calm down," his little sister said from behind him.

He turned around and rested his gaze on the girl sitting on the ground with her knees pulled to her body. She looked so small in her pretty kimono, with the long hair that was in a darker pinkish shade than his own.

Of course he wanted to end the war. Not only for his people's sake, but also for his little sister, who suffered from the Crystals powers.

The Crystal granted all things life. But with Chiiko it was different. She received too much of the powers, tiring her out from the inside. The physicians had foretold, that she wouldn't even reach the age of ten. Now she was twelve years old, after having been barely pulling her from death's graps once, thanks to an old acquaintance of Seigen-dono. Shimon wondered, how long she could trick fate.

If only the legend be fulfilled. With half of the Crystal, the chances were high, that a less potent power would reach Tsuchimikado and its inhabitants.

Nobody knew for sure, but Shimon would rather believe in gain than in loss of the legend's promise.

Ending the war was one thing, saving his sister was another.

Even if an arranged marriage would have the effect Seigen-dono and his father hoped, the legend wouldn't come true. Wouldn't their actions defy the legend and deny the split of the Crystal of Stars? Wouldn't the people defy the god they prayed to?

"I can't," he told his little sister. He couldn't calm down. He didn't want to. Since their father had left them, after telling him the news, his brother and sister had stayed silent, watching Shimon walking up and down.

"Look at the bright side. Finally the war will end," his brother said from another corner.

Shimon looked at his old brother, who seemed relaxed leaning against the wall despite the news. As always Keiji seemed all charming and gentle, a small smile on his lips. His hair was the same color as Chiiko's and hugged his head in perfect lines. They were unlike Shimon's unruly hair, that he simply couldn't get control of. His were spiky and wildly rising from his head like a thistle.