Chapter 2
“Mama” Harri toddled into the kitchen where Hana was putting the issho mochi on the counter. Her curly black hair was up in pigtails tied with emerald-colored ribbons that swayed with every step she took. She was wearing a matching green dress with black tights and little black slippers that jingled when she walked.
“Oh, my little Sugar Plum, how are you?” Hana lifted her smiling daughter, hugging her close. She was just so adorable.
“I, Harri not Plum” Hari said with a frown on her face. The look of disbelief on Harri’s face made Hana laugh as she rubbed noses with her precious little girl.
“So, you are” Hana laughed carrying her daughter into the living room. They were having company soon for Hari’s birthday party. “What do you want for your birthday?”
“A broder” Harri nodded to herself with a serious look on her face. Hana didn’t have the heart to tell her daughter that she was too adorable to pull off the look. Maybe when she gets older, then she can do it but now with her chubby cheeks and dimples, she was adorable.
“A brother?” Hana couldn’t keep the shock from her voice. “You don’t want a kitten, puppy or even a new book?”
“A broder” Harri agreed putting her chubby hands on her mother’s face mushing her checks together. Harri frowned, this was serious she wanted a brother.
“I’ll see what I can do?” Hanna agreed rubbing noses with Hari again.
“What can you do for what?” Tadako set down his packages before coming to the ladies of the family. “Hello, my little peach blossom.”
“I Harri not bossom” Harri proclaimed pouting. Really everyone called her nicknames.
“Harri wants a brother for her birthday” Hana shared a look with her husband. Their little girl was only a year old and already mentally smarter than others her age.
“A brother?” Tadako smiled. “Well, I guess we could.”
“Yeah, a broder for Harri” Harri smiled showing dimples and small baby teeth. Even at a year old she knew she wasn’t normal either. She just knew too much.
“It will have to be next year is that ok?” Tadako loved her little smile. “It takes a year to make a brother.”
Harri looked like she thought about it, before nodding. “I wait.”
“I’m glad we have your blessing” Tadako smiled belaying the serious tone he was using. “How about you help me real fast while we wait for company.”
“Kay” Harri agreed before she found herself being lifted over her father’s head. Her laughing filled the house and Tadako carried his daughter out of the room.
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Two-year-old Harri looked over the edge of the crib at the small baby within. Kusakabe Tetsuya was an adorable baby with tufts of black hair on his head. His eyes were closed but Harri knew that they would be a grey color that matched their mothers. Little Tetsuya with his grey eyes and dark hair was going to grow up to be a looker, and already Harri could feel the storm flames even from him being born a few months ago. She would have to teach him to control it, and until then keep the masses away from him. She wasn’t sure how he was going to use his flames yet or if they would even be active, but she was going to protect him all that she could.
He looked so small and adorable and Harri vowed to protect him with her life. He was just so small, but Harri knew he would grow just as she was. She also knew that her parents wouldn’t be able to have any more children. She was lucky they were able to have her brother. She wanted her parents to have one normal child.
At two years old Harri was already speaking full sentences, walking properly, reading and able to active her flames. It was the last that scared her family the most. It was why she was learning to be a shrine maiden at the local temple. She needed to learn control before someone got hurt. She needed to learn to protect her brother.
The same woman who delivered her family will be the one who would teach her the duties, but only until she was 16. They would protect her with everything they had, and Harri knew it, just as she would protect her brother. Something was coming and even at 2 Harri could feel it. It was small ripples, but she knew it would be bigger the older she got.
She already knew her family was scared, and it wasn’t at her it was for her.
Harri shifted slightly as she felt a portal open next to her when her grandfather stepped out.
“Grandfather” she said with a slight bow of her head before looking at her brother again.
“Harri” the Vindice Warden nodded before looking into the crib. “Another Storm I see.”
“Yes, Grandfather” Harri turned and smiled. While her grandfather was stuck in a baby body with a clear pacifier, he was the same height as her. Bermuda von Veckenschtein just had a presence and Harri could admit to being in love with his hat.
It was a top hat with bandages wrapped around it with a black feather Harri had given him last year. She was glad he wore it, it showed how much he loved it. Even with his face covered in bandages Harri could still see Bermuda as he was with the pale skin, dark hair and glowing green eyes and not as the rotting flesh that was wrapped up.
“Grandfather” Harri spoke leaning against her grandfather. As a family, she was one of the few that could get away with it. It was weird leaning her head on Bermuda as they were the same height but when he wrapped her in his cloak, she just felt safe. “If I wrote a letter to Talbot, do you think he would reply?”
“I would like to think so, Harri, what are you thinking?” Harri wrapped her arms around her grandfather's waist tightening in thought. This was why she loved Bermuda out of almost all her extended family. He was the one who understood her best. Harri thought it was because of the Flames of the Night. When one inherits them, they also inherit ALL the knowledge that comes with it. Nothing could be hidden from Death after all.
“I need him to make me something” Harri muttered, feeling the heat of the cloak with the Night Flames of the body pulsating drifting her off to sleep. It was like being wrapped up in a big blanket, with the flames beating like a heart. She could feel her own flames pulsing in time with her grandfathers.
“Write your letter Harri, and I’ll make sure he gets it.” Bermuda promised as his beloved granddaughter fell asleep standing up. Harri was just like he was at that age and although Bermuda didn’t get his Flames of the Night until after his ‘death’ at twenty, Harri was born with hers. She was also the spitting image of him, just in girl form.
“Jaeger” Bermuda called out softly as to not wake up the sleeping girl. He knew she wasn’t getting enough sleep as her mind absorbed the memories and abilities of the Night Flames. It would take almost 5 years before she absorbed all the memories, but Bermuda would help all he could. She was the only one in the last 100 years to get the flames and he worried for her safety. They were going to have to teach her.
“Lord Bermuda” Jaeger, a tall man entered the room from a portal. While Bermuda had gone back to a child form Jaeger had retained his height of 6 feet. While everyone saw a man with long black hair and bandages on his face and a single dark eye, like his granddaughter he saw Jaeger as he was. Tall, tan and with dark hair and blue eyes. It was both a blessing and a curse of the Night Flames you saw things as they were not as they are.
It made dealing with Arcobaleno troublesome and a few over the years had suffered into being pacifier holders. The latest was Skull, a Cloud. Takado’s brother who decided to not join the family business. Bermuda was alright with that but still Checker Face found him. His flames were just too strong, but Bermuda suspected mind control as Skull came crying once he figured out what happened. Checker Face was going to die for all they inflicted on the family.
“I need you to place Harri on the bed.” Bermuda reluctantly released his granddaughter. It was times like this that he cursed his short form. Being able to tuck in his grandchildren was one of them.
Jaeger gently reached down and lifted the sleeping Harri. He frowned as he felt how small she was, but he knew it was genetics. She ate all the time, but Jaeger knew that the Night Flames burned more calories than normal flames. Jaeger walked to the other side of the room where Harri’s bed was. The kids shared a room for now, but Vindice knew it was more Harri’s choice then no room.
Placing Harri on the bed, giving her a stuffed animal and gently pulling the blanket on her, Jaeger stepped back and felt Bermuda land on his shoulder. Harri looked so sweet sleeping there with her head sprayed out holding a stuffed doll that looked a lot like Bermuda did. It was Harri’s favorite, and Jaeger knew that Bermuda was tickled by it.
A second look at the sleeping children the Vindice exited by a portal and back into Vindicare. “She’s going to need training,” Jaeger mentioned as he walked the halls heading towards the library. “She’s only two and already you could feel the power pouring off of her.”
“I know,” Bermuda sighed. “I had hoped that another generation had missed the Flames, but it wasn’t to be. The Priestess is going to be training her in Shrine Maiden duties until she’s 16.”
Bermuda gave a silent curse to Checker Face again for cursing him. He was still stuck in Arcobaleno form, and while he still has his guardians it just wasn’t the same. His family continued but only the Night Flames made Harri another True-Born Earthling.
It’s because of this that Bermuda didn’t completely die when Checker Face stole his flames. It was what saved him. How Checker Face didn’t recognize him is a family mystery, but Bermuda had a feeling that this time the Curse would be broken. He just only hoped it didn’t cause his family their lives. He would see the world burn first.