Kagero's hands smoothly and effortlessly went through the motions as she murmured the proper incantation for Time Manipulation. It was a forbidden spell, and would bring on an unwanted immortality to the manipulator, but she had to save her baby from the Oni's murdering forces... A bright, glowing light shone forth as the portal opened and she raised her son,  Recca, up to it. He slowly floated upwards...

                   From nowhere suddenly leapt Kurei. Although he was still young, he had already gained the reputation of being a demon child. He, like Recca, had the power of Flame, inherited from their father, Ohka. But Kurei's Flame was a cursed one, and he had been rejected as the next leader in favor of his younger half-brother. The boy had tried to murder Recca, unsuccessfully-- how had he escaped from the jail in which he had been imprisoned?

                   The thoughts flew through Kagero's mind as she tried to stop Kurei. He had a wicked gleam in his eye, and was clutching a sword. But he, too, was swept into the time portal. And as her concentration was broken, it swallowed  itself shut. Kagero stood in wide-eyed horror as she realized what had happened. She had sent poor, helpless Recca and a vengeful Kurei into the future alone... a pain shot through her stomach as one of the Oni's soldiers attacked her. But it didn't matter now... it was impossible for her to die...

                   ****
                   400 years later
                   ****

                   Hanabishi was walking through the rain, on the way home from the convenience store.A bright light shone from behind him. Hanabishi's normally squinty eyes opened wide with surprise as he found himself staring into the exit-end of Kagero's time-portal. A child-sized object dropped from it, landing hard on the street. A sword clattered to the sidewalk next to its unmoving shape.

                   Concerned, Hanabishi moved over to investigate. No one else was around. No one else had seen this happen. And yet... there it was. An unconscious child, maybe five or six, with a torn, dirty, sooty kimono which reeked of smoke. His head was cut and bleeding.

                   ::I can't leave the kid in the street like this:: thought Hanabishi. He
                   easily scooped up the child into his arms, retrieved the sword, and
                   continued on towards his home nearby.

                   ****

                   The boy awoke to find himself in a warm bed. His head ached horribly, but it
                   was bandaged. His regular clothing was nowhere to be seen, but he was
                   wearing a man's T-shirt. He reached up and tentatively touched the bandage
                   on his head.

                   "You're awake," remarked a gruff voice that was trying to be kind. The boy
                   looked up at his rescuer. "I'm Hanabishi... what's your name? What happened
                   to you?"

                   The boy stared at his own knees. "I don't know," he said, pondering the
                   thought for a moment. "I don't know."

                   "You got a nasty bump on the head," agreed Hanabishi. "Perhaps in a little
                   while, it'll come back to you. Do you remember your name?"

                   "Kurei," answered the boy, after a brief contemplation. "I think it's
                   Kurei... but I'm not sure."

                   Hanabishi laid the sword gently in Kurei's hands. "This was on the ground
                   with you," he said, and moved off to the kitchen to scrounge up something to
                   eat.

                   For some reason, just holding the sword flooded the little boy with
                   overwhelming feelings of bitterness and hopelessness and anger. Yet
                   frutstratingly enough, he couldn't figure out why it made him feel that way.
                   His eyes filled with helpless tears. In disgust, he hurled the sword across
                   the room, and it slid harmlessly into a corner.

                   Hanabishi returned with a bowl of soup and noticed the boy crying on the
                   bed. "Don't do that," he said, awkwardly. He wasn't used to dealing with
                   small children. "Don't cry... I'll take care of you, and I'll try and find
                   your family."

                   Kurei wiped his face on the blanket and looked up at his benefactor. "You
                   will?" he asked cautiously, accepting the soup.

                   "Yeah," agreed Hanabishi. "And until I figure out where you're from, I'll
                   take care of you." He awkwardly leaned over and gave the small boy a hug.

                   Kurei reveled in it. For some reason, it seemed to be a sensation that he
                   hadn't felt in quite a while and had missed desperately.
                   =========
                   Part II! Kinda lengthy, but The Plot thickens....
                   BTW, Lynn-chan, you're right about the reasoning. No one knew the true
                   identity of Kurei's Flame at that time, which is why I wrote it that way.
                   *g* Good eyes!

                   -Bottou-chan

                   ****
                   15 years later
                   ****

                   Kurei waited patiently by the doors to the Science Building. She would be
                   coming out through these doors... she always did at this time. He kept his
                   eye on the crowd as they milled by.

                   "Kurenai!" he called when he spotted her. She raised her hand in greeting,
                   and went towards him.

                   "Hanabishi," she answered, smiling. "What are you up to?"

                   "I was wondering if you'd want to go to a tea shop after your classes
                   today," he suggested.

                   "Not today, I can't," she apologized. "I've got to go to the high school and
                   tutor this afternoon."

                   "How boring," said Kurei, shaking his head and smiling. "How'd you get
                   involved in that?"

                   "The Honors program," she explained, brushing her bangs from her forehead.
                   "The Math Society has volunteered to do a special tutoring program to help
                   high-school students with their homework after-hours. I've got two very nice
                   girls that I'm helping out." She gave him a sideways glance and added, "You
                   might try volunteering. You're an excellent student, and you have time on
                   your hands."

                   Kurei shook his head. "I don't think so... but I'll keep it in mind. Perhaps
                   we can meet up after your session with them is over."

                   Kurenai nodded. "That would be nice," she agreed. "Meet me at the high
                   school around six, then." She waved and continued on to her next class.

                   ****

                   Kurei sat on a bench outside the high school, studying his biology notes.
                   Kurenai should be out soon, but he had figured this would be a good time to
                   get a little work done. There would be a test the next week.

                   He highlighted an important passage and heard voices in the distance. Kurei
                   glanced up. There was Kurenai, walking cheerfully with two younger girls.
                   One had purple hair, the other had brown hair.

                   "Thank you!" said the brown-haired one. "That really helped today."

                   The purple-haired one nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah," she agreed. "You
                   explain it so much better than sensei does."

                   "Well, you can thank me by doing well on the quiz tomorrow," smiled Kurenai.
                   "Study hard!" She waved goodbye to the purple-haired girl, and walked
                   towards Kurei. The brown-haired one tagged along with her.

                   "Hanabishi, meet Yanagi-chan," said Kuenai. "She lives near the tea shop...
                   we can give her a ride, can't we?"

                   Kurei looked at the younger girl and shrugged indifferently. "No problem,"
                   he said. It wouldn't be out of the way, and it wouldn't be like the girl was
                   going to interfere with their tea.

                   "Nice to meet you," Yanagi replied politely.

                   ****

                   "...And turn left here," instructed Yanagi. Kurei obliged.

                   They were in a residential area, and he absently noticed a group of small
                   boys playing ball. Suddenly, the ball was kicked into the street, and one of
                   the boys raced to get it. Kurei quickly braked to a stop, but an oncoming
                   car wasn't lucky enough to see what was happening. In a split second, the
                   little boy had been hit by the front of the car and was knocked to the
                   ground.

                   Yanagi gave a little shriek and leapt from the car, running to the little
                   boy. The car which had been unfortunate enough to hit him sped up and raced
                   away.

                   Kurenai shouted something and jumped from the passenger's seat, making her
                   way towards the little boy lying in the street. Kurei growled under his
                   breath, and wrote down the license plate number before he joined the other
                   two. The boy's friends ran over, making a small crowd.

                   Yanagi was kneeling by the boy's unconscious form. His body was scratched up
                   from the asphalt of the street, and it looked like his leg was broken. She
                   seemed to be concentrating very hard, and ran her fingers lightly over his
                   injuries. By the time a large group of concerned mothers had reached the
                   scene, the boy was awake and sitting up, complaining loudly. There was no
                   sign of the broken leg, and even his scratches had been healed.

                   Kurei and Kurenai looked at each other. What was this girl capable of?

                   ****

                   "And so you're sure about this?" Mori Kouran looked through the photographs.

                   "I've had it confirmed from a number of sources," replied the man. "The boy
                   was badly injured, but in only a matter of minutes, he was as though nothing
                   had happened."

                   Mori Kouran pondered the thought as he continued to inspect the photos. "She
                   looks like an ordinary girl. But if it's true that she has these powers... I
                   want them." He looked at the circle of faces surrounding him. "Perhaps she
                   is the key to my immortality." He handed the sheaf of photos to a
                   sixteen-year-old boy standing next to him.

                   "Recca," he said. "I want her. Get this girl for me."

                   Recca nodded. He had two members of his Uruha in mind for this one.
                   ______________________________________________________
 
 

                   Okay... this one brings everyone up to speed on what happens with Recca.
                   BTW, in the manga, Tsukino was really Mori Kouran's wife, and had found &
                   brought up Kurei. Mori Kouran used her like he used Kurenai. Also, Recca
                   tamed Saiha first... but here, I gave him Nadare first because it just
                   seemed more appropriate. ^_^
                   Enjoy!
                   -Bottou-chan
                   ==========
 

                   The dark-haired woman gazed sadly into the ball she held in her hands. A
                   swirling, hazy image faded from view and she tucked it safely away. She
                   wished that it wasn't true... but the Eikai Ball never lied. As much as she
                   hated to interfere, something had to be done.

                   Hundreds of years had passed since she had done the time manipulation. Back
                   when she was known as Kagero. Back when she was with Ohka, before the Oni
                   had visited their village to destroy them. Now, she was known as Kage
                   Houshi, and she had been wandering around Japan in a seemingly endless wait
                   for the two boys' arrival. The Eikai ball had helped her tremendously with
                   this. To keep attention away from herself, she had never remained for too
                   long in one place. Five years spent in Yokohama, six years in Kamakura.
                   Three years in Kobe, then five years in Kyoto. A few in Tokyo, a few in
                   Hiroshima, a few in Osaka, a few in Nagasaki. And then repeat the cycle.
                   Never long enough for her neighbors to notice that she never aged. And yet
                   long enough for her to make friends and acquaintances, which she could never
                   keep for long. It had been four hundred years of sadness, bitterness, and
                   loneliness. And uncertainty.

                   Until fifteen years ago. A kind woman by name of Tsukino had run across the
                   baby Recca by chance, and had taken him in. She was married to a very
                   powerful person, by name of Mori Kouran. Kage Houshi wished for the best for
                   her son, and how could she be a good mother if she was unable to even touch
                   the boy again? Tsukino and her husband seemed to have vast resources at hand
                   which Kage Houshi lacked herself, but seemed to ensure a good future for her
                   son. It had been a heart-wrenching decision to make, but she had remained
                   where she was, instead of yielding to the impulse of running to claim her
                   baby.  Tsukino seemed to need Recca just as much as Recca needed Tsukino. It
                   was touching, watching the joy he brought into the formerly sad woman's
                   life. Kage Houshi couldn't help but be envious as she spent hours gazing
                   into the Eikai ball, watching the two.

                   Recca was three when his Flame reappeared for the first time. Kage Houshi
                   happened to be gazing into the ball when it happened. Recca had been caught
                   playing in a potted plant, and he was very dirty. A servant was supposed to
                   give him a bath, but Recca refused to cooperate. He threw a temper tantrum,
                   and in the midst of his fit, a tiny flame burst from his hand and burned the
                   servant. Word spread quickly to his foster parents and amongst the other
                   servants. And suddenly, Mori Kouran took a newfound interest in him which
                   hadn't been noticable before.

                   Time passed. Recca was now five. Even at this young stage, he could control
                   one of the dragons: Nadare. Kage Houshi wasn't surprised. Nadare, according
                   to the Hokage history, had been one of the kinder and more pleasant leaders.

                   Mori Kouran had begun to take a more active part in the raising of Recca, to
                   the eventual exclusion of Tsukino. He had banished her to a small, isolated
                   house which he mockingly called the "Moon Palace". Mori Kouran encouraged
                   Recca to develop his skills and hone them further, to become more powerful.

                   Kage Houshi had watched this part of the proceedings intently. It had been a
                   turning point for Recca, she decided in retrospect. Tsukino had become a
                   hostage, with a tiny bomb implanted inside her. Recca was made to practice,
                   practice, and practice some more. Or else something would happen to his
                   beloved mother... It had taken Kage Houshi great effort to refrain from
                   interfering then. ::I should have:: she thought bitterly. ::But I didn't.::
                   She had sat and watched. Watched as her son lost the things he loved.
                   Watched as her son was encouraged to throw aside his emotions. Watched as
                   her son became Mori Kouran's machine. It had hurt. It had hurt terribly.

                   She had also been keeping track of Kurei during this time. He had been found by a fireworks manufacturer named Hanabishi Shigeo. He wasn't particularly affluent, and tended to smoke around the fireworks. But Kurei had enjoyed a relatively normal childhood... he had attended school like other boys, and  was now midway through college. Kurei tended to be a loner, but had one good friend: his girlfriend. He, like his half-brother, had discovered his powers  of Flame early on, but unlike Recca, had lacked the incentive to develop them.

                   Kage Houshi sighed and prepared herself for the ordeal. She didn't want to
                   interfere... she had spent the last ten years making excuses to herself why
                   she shouldn't become involved in Recca's life. But she could no longer stand
                   seeing what her son was becoming.

                   It was time for things to be changed.
****
 

Kurei and Kurenai walked down the street. Kurei was swinging a plastic bag of groceries at his side in one hand; with the other, he held Kurenai's hand. Hanabishi had sent them to the store to fetch a few necessities for tomorrow's dinner. Ordinarily, he would have driven the short distance, but  it was such a lovely night, and it was only a few blocks. The couple had decided it was a perfect evening for a walk. Even though it was still   relatively early in the night, no one else was out and about. The only sounds was the low murmur of their conversation, the clicking of their shoes across the pavement, and the soft jangle of the bangle-bracelets on Kurei's wrist. Kurenai had always pestered him why he wore them. He had always laughed off her questions and made up some excuse. He wasn't comfortable, telling her that he felt bad things would happen if he took them off. It  seemed as though he had always worn them.

                   There was a movement in the shadows ahead of him, and Kurei tensed. The
                   neighborhood wasn't the most pleasant one; still, he had established long
                   ago that he was not one to mess with. The local idiot street toughs had
                   learned to leave him alone. He, by himself-- he wouldn't have worried. But
                   this time, Kurenai was with him. Squeezing her hand reassuringly, Kurei kept  his pace steady, but his senses were fully focussed.

                   A woman in a black dress stepped out into his path. "Kurei," she said 
                   calmly.

                   Kurei looked at her indifferently. She didn't look like some adoloscent 
                   idiot gang member. Early twenties, perhaps... She was now standing under a 
                   streetlamp, and he noticed two small moles under her bottom lip. "I don't 
                   believe I know you," he said. ::And I don't plan on knowing you, either:: he 
                   mentally added, but refrained from saying so out loud. Hanabishi had taught 
                   him to be relatively polite to women.

                   "You don't remember me," said the woman, "But I remember you very well. You 
                   may call me Kage Houshi." She watched with narrowed eyes as he tried to walk 
                   past her. She intercepted the couple. "Stop. Show me your Flame," she 
                   instructed.

                   Kurei raised his eyebrow. ::How does she know?:: he wondered in surprise. 
                   His Flame was a carefully guarded secret. Not even Kurenai had seen it. On 
                   occasion, he would bring it out as his own personal amusement, but there was 
                   no way a complete stranger would know of its existence... He stopped dead in 
                   his tracks. Keeping his voice calm, he replied, "I have no idea what you're 
                   talking of."

                   Kurenai nodded. "I think you're confusing him with someone else," she said 
                   hesitantly. She uncomfortably tugged on Kurei's hand, but he remained still.

                   "Haven't you ever wondered why you have this strange ability? Your blue 
                   Flame? Let me describe it to you. It's a cold Flame that burns. I know all 
                   about it. I can tell you about it, and why. And I can help you control it 
                   better, and become stronger. Show it to me."

                   Kurei considreed. "No."

                   "You are a Flame Master. There is another. You are destined to meet, and to 
                   fight. If you don't improve your natural talents, you will surely die," 
                   warned Kage Houshi. "Show it to me."

                   He shook his head. "I really have no time for this nonsense," he answered, 
                   and took a step forward.

                   Faster than he thought possible, she had drawn a knife and viciously slashed 
                   Kurenai in the leg. The girl shrieked. Kage Houshi grabbed her, with the 
                   knife blade resting gently against Kurenai's neck.

                   "Maybe I was wrong," she said coldly. "But if that's the case, I must 
                   dispose of you both. Beginning with her."

                   "Let her go," said Kurei, his voice choking. Something inside him was raging 
                   suddenly. He wondered vaguely where the intense, fiery feeling had come 
                   from... "Let her go."

                   Kage Houshi grinned mockingly at him. "After I'm finished with you two, even 
                   your little high-school friend won't be able to help you," she sneered.

                   Kurei glared at her, seething. This woman knew too much... how did she know 
                   so much? "Don't even," he said in a low voice, clenching and unclenching his 
                   fists.

                   "Wouldn't I?" purred Kage Houshi. To make her point, she gave Kurenai a few 
                   light jabs along the neck with the knife. The girl whimpered in fear.

                   Kurei dropped the bag of groceries. Oranges went rolling across the 
                   sidewalk, and he was crunching packets of Ramen underfoot, but he no longer 
                   noticed and no longer cared. He raised the arm with the bangles on it and a 
                   cold, eerie-looking blue flame flickered across his fingers. At first, it 
                   was a tiny, inconsequential flame, but it seemed to feed upon his anger and 
                   rage and grew. "I said NOOOOO!" he yelled in anger, flinging the Flame 
                   towards his oppressor. It sped across the short distance, growing larger and 
                   larger, even after it had left his hand.

                   Kage Houshi's eyes lit up. Was it with pleasure? Satisfaction? Kurei 
                   couldn't tell; he was too angry to see properly. The woman shoved Kurenai 
                   out of the way, and accepted the brunt of the attack. The flame faded from 
                   view, and Kurei and Kage Houshi were left staring at each other in the 
                   aftermath.

                   "I suggest that your girlfriend see a doctor," said Kage Houshi coolly. "And 
                   I also suggest that you practice more. That was a pathetic attempt. You 
                   shall see more of me in the future. Be prepared next time."

                   She vanished into the shadows, leaving Kurei staring at where the woman had 
                   been.