By Faith Tomoe Maxwell

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I do not own Twelve Kingdoms or Harry Potter. This is a work of fiction created by me and only occasional characters have been created to help the story progress and Kira, the Hedwig inspired Nyokai.

I'd like to apologize again for taking such a long time between chapters. Life is hard and I'm in the process of loosing a very close relative to cancer as well as starting up my last year in Graduate school, so time seems to slip away much quicker before. Please enjoy this chapter.

This chapter is dedicated to my Great Uncle Harry, who has constantly been a source of light and laughter even in the darkest times of life.

And now,

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The Storm of Shadows, Light of Two Worlds Chapter 9….

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"Rokuta!" The voice was strong and comforting. It was male and came from within the cloudy golden oddity that had formed in the deep earth next to the cave the triad of kirin had claimed for the night. The huge piece of wood that looked out of place against the glowing golden circle was drawing Harry closer to it. Kira immediately reached out, latching onto her precious one.

"Taiki, what do we…" Enki struggled out, biting slightly on his lower lip. The kirins' eyes met, solid, solemn black against the deeper, blue-violet that contained ageless knowledge. The black male sighed, leaning further into Sanshi's grasp, holding her hand gently before he extended a hand to his brothers, pointing at Houki before speaking.

"We must send Houki to safety. Kira and he were attacked and the dangerous humans' scent of blood still lingers upon me…" Taiki stated in an uncertain yet calm manner. Enki looked sad briefly.

"They wanted the koki…but were willing to harm our Taiki…" Sanshi whispered in a bitter soft voice. Enki sighed before nodding, all the adults in agreement as they went to stare at the tiny boy-child. Houki/Harry was sitting near the edge of the golden portal created by Renrin's bracelet. They had no choice in their minds. Houki was more important right now. Swiftly, the stronger feeling oldest moved to Houki. He knelt near his brother and his brother's Nyoukai.

"Houki-chan, you need to grasp the staff and hold tight. Never let release the staff. It shall guide you and Kira to our sister and the Nyosen who are awaiting us all." Enki spoke, reaching out at the same time to grasp his sibling's shoulders. The emerald jeweled eyes glowed with worry.

"But what about you and Big Brother Taiki?" The accented voice quivered as the child bit lightly on his lower lip in fear. The pair looked over Harry's head to one another. There were sad smiles that were shared before Enki returned his eyes to the younger. He patted Harry on the head, snickering softly when the boy moved his head away quickly when the older kirin got too close to the forehead where the horn was. It was a move that made Taiki roll his eyes. Enki liked to do that to younger koki because they all gave the same face of discomfort. He used to occasionally do it to himself.

"We have Gohran and others to help us." At this, Enki looked over his shoulder. The giant wolf demon, Rikaku and his own Nyoukai, Yokui, had appeared, both were bowing in a kneel like posture near the kirin. The angelic like nyoukai smiled softly as Houki's green eyes looked to her. She nodded as Houki's eyes returned to the jutting staff. He reached forward, tentatively to grasp hold of the wooden stick. It was oddly warm in his grasp and the wood didn't dig into his tender fingers like the poles of the brooms or tools he'd used in gardening or cleaning at his relatives' house.

"Kira will be with you, Houki. She will never again leave your side." Enki smiled before taking Kira's hand and gently placing it into Houki's pale tiny one. The worried look upon Houki's face didn't disappear but his nervous shaking did cease. Enki moved over the circle's depth, taking a deep breath.

"Kouya! Pull—Houki is ready to go!" The golden blonde shouted to his friend on the other side of the portal. Harry gasped, shocked when the wooden staff was yanked, tugging him into the cloudy soft feel of floating. He looked back up into the eyes of Taiki and Enki before his head disappeared beneath the edge of the portal. It was bright and beautiful everywhere. As soon as Houki had vanished beneath the golden gateway, the portal began to suck up, closing in rings of circles before there was no sight of the device. Both kirin turned back to one another, Enki moving closer to the fire's warmth.

"So how long until old Gohran can fly to Wa?" Enki joked lightly, a slight grin upon his features. In response, Gohran let out a chuckling growl as Taiki sighed dramatically.

"Oh Ni-san…."

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After flying through the sky, a sensation that was wonderful and amazing all at once, Harry started to realize that the scenery was changing. What looked like rings—almost fabric or stones, began to appear. It was walls of rings. He glanced back, seeing Kira holding his hand gently as warm tears crept from her eyes. However, the joyous smile upon her pale white face told him that she wasn't upset but rather that everything was going to be great.

A warm light covered Harry in a sudden heat that made the snow's cooling effects vanish; colors flashing before his eyes making them water. He blinked blurrily, feeling the sensation of floating disappear with weight going onto his body as his small frame hung above an equal golden portal that looked very similar to the one upon the mountain's earth near Taiki and Enki. Loud cooing and talking surrounded the child as he and Kira were pulled away from the golden ringed portal to the earthy ground.

The solid ground, he noted, looked odd and gray. It wasn't it stone, his eyes followed the trail of dark material up to a huge tree that stood high above his tiny frame. There were no leaves and only one fruit. A yellow fruit which hung off to the side a bit but the Nyoukai there! He smiled happily, looking to Kira. It was then he caught sight of all the women, at least 20-30 of them, and the pair standing just off to the side. One was a tall huge man in strange armor and multiple fabrics. The man was holding the staff that pulled him through the portal. He had kind gray eyes and dark black hair. His tan skin was different and the odd feeling that Harry got from the man made the child smile gently back.

The woman next to him was dressed in pink. She had a long neck and long paler golden hair. Her appearance was somewhat similar to Enki. She was wearing fancy robes and a lovely white-gold bracelet around her wrist. Her violet eyes were shinning with pleasure. He recognized instantly whom he sensed. His sister! This was his sister Renrin! He smiled shyly at his sister, happy with everything again.

"Welcome home, Houki." A soft voice spoke and Harry turned to Kira. She had muttered so gently it was hard to hear her. Kira shifted, hugging her little Kirin tight about the shoulders and head again, crying onto his head. "Welcome Home, Houki!" Many cheered.

"Today is a wonderful day indeed." The man chuckled as the tall beautiful woman who had watched everything going on approached, her pale green ad white robes much more elaborate than the surrounding Nyosen. Kenro Shinkun looked back to her.

"Enki will return soon. Do not fear that, Lord Kenro Shinkun." She smiled pleasantly before continuing, "Let us celebrate the return of Houki, our world is almost whole..."

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The spinning devices within the office halted, suddenly going still before exploding into a sparkling magical dust that left everyone in their paintings watching curiously. A joyful smile echoed upon an older man's face far in one of the corners. He returned to a painting he was doing, which contained an image of a landscape with a huge towering mountain over the ocean that was in the sky…

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In the cell, a man woke covered in dirt and dust. His body was still sweating away, weakened and broken from the most recent attacks by the demon guards. He groaned, sitting up and reaching into his pocket. In there was the precious gift; the image of a tiny baby sleeping in a redhead's arms. While he'd been dreaming, the man, Sirius Black, had seen images flashing all about. One such look was that of a tiny boy with stark white snowy wild hair surrounding by laughter and joy in many beautiful women's faces. However, none of that could replace the worry and pain he'd felt. He leaned the stone of the harsh prison. He had to get out…..to make sure Harry James Potter, his godson, would be that beaming child in his dreams…

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TBC…

The fruit of labor, joy of laughter, the fight to survive, winds carry the change…The Storm of Shadows, Light of Worlds chapter 10….