A Lost Hope, The Tattered Red and Green Ribbon: Chapter 1

Author notes at bottom.

...

It was a happy day, one that many couples look forward to. But even with these times it was special when it was the first one. The young woman would let out a soft sigh and leaned back in the chair that was sitting just outside their simple house.

"I hope that Raki will return home soon," the young woman would whisper softly. She felt safe in the walls of the Rike they had taken shelter in but she still worried that he would not be able to come home with out being killed by youma. The woman was pretty, her long dark red hair made her stand out among the people of the rike. Her brown eyes were usually filled with happiness.

It was not an easy time in the kingdom of Kei, there was a kirin but from the rumors she had heard it was proving difficult for the kirin to find one.

"Sina," she heard called and it would bring her out of her thoughts. Happily she would stand up and quickly walk to her husband.

"Raki," she said and together they embraced each other tightly. "Welcome home." She whispered softly tears of happiness and relief flowing down her face. Raki, her husband was a large man and he would smirk at her his emerald green eyes looking at her with the love they had for each other.

"How are the roads?" she asked her husband, he was one of the guards that had been assigned to help guard the roads of the rike in Ei providence. It was the last place of refuge for the citizens that had not decided to leave the kingdom while waiting for the new ruler to ascend.

"They are just as bad as ever, we lost 3 men but we should be ok for the next couple of days," he said with a grim tone to his voice. Sina closed her eyes slowly to mourn the passing of the men and she would wait for a moment before pulling back from him.

"Come I have something to show you," She said and she took her husbands hand and lead him into their small house. It was a modest dwelling of just two rooms, a sleeping room and the main living area. Raki moved to the side of the door putting up his seethed sword on a hook. Stiffly he sat down on one of the stools next to the table and watched as his wife walked to a small box she kept some precious things in. "I finished it this morning," She said and pulled from the box a brightly colored ribbon.

"Ahh good," he said and he watched her walk up to him carrying the ribbon as if it was a precious piece of glass. Sina sat down on a stool right next to her husband. It was a beautiful ribbon, woven of red threads with green weaves in it like that of the ocean. "It is amazing," he said softly taking the ribbon from her hands.

"Be careful," Sina said softly as she watched him gently turn it over looking at the tight complex patterns that she had woven over the months they had dreamed of the child they wanted. Many couple were not wanting to bring a child in the world during the turmoil that ruled the country at the time.

"Oh, do you think I will drop it?" he said standing up then holding the ribbon up higher out of her reach to tease her. Sina rose from her stool and jumped up in vein to try and get it from him.

"Don't you even think about it," She snapped at him and he would chuckle relenting handing her back the ribbon. "That is not a nice thing to joke about," She said pouting at him.

"Ok, I am sorry," Raki said pulling her close to him and kissing her hair gently. "Shall we go put it on tonight?" he asked her softly. Sina nodded her head slowly.

"Yes, especially before you get any other crazy ideas," she said holding the ribbon to her heart. Raki gently took her hand in his and he would lead her from their house. Together the couple would walk through the town, the rike was a larger one but still there were not that many people there. "I wonder if anyone else has put a ribbon up, it has been a few years since a child was plucked." she said.

"It is hard times, not many are as lucky as us to have food provided to them," Raki said as the couple walked down the path towards the center of the rike. There in the center would be a small building the pillars were old and worn well with many hands rubbing upon them for luck or sadness.

"I believe this is the best thing not only for us but the kingdom," Sina said as they stood in front of the doors. Raki stepped from her side and pushed the large door open in front of them. The door opened to a large courtyard with only a single plant it it. The tree with its twisted branches seemed to almost reach up to the sky and towards the edges of the small temple.

"Come," Raki said taking her hand and leading his wife inside of the courtyard. He would part from her long enough to close the doors behind him. Taking his wife's hand once more he would lead her up to the tree. The tree, Riboku, was the same one that they themselves had been plucked from many years before.

"Now, where is the best spot," Sina said leading her husband around the fence in front of the tree to find the best branch to put the ribbon on. It was a silent time as the young woman lead her husband in a slow circle around the tree until she stopped at a spot. "There," she said lifting her hand up with the ribbon to a loan branch that had seemed to just grow from the larger branches around it.

"Are you sure?" Raki said looking at the spot she was indicating at. Sina nodded her head looking up at him.

"Yes I am sure of it," she said and she smiled, "Lift me up a bit, I cannot reach it." She said trying to stand to tie the ribbon on the branch. Raki chuckled and he would gently lift her up by her waist so her hands could reach the branch. Delicately Sina tied the red and green ribbon to the branch knotting it tightly to the branch in her spot. When she was finished tying it to the branch Raki gently put her on the ground.

"Ok," Sina said softly and she would clasp her hands together tightly her eyes closed as she started to pray to Tentai. Raki closed his eyes as well praying for a healthy child, one that his wife dreamed of, that was wish for the ribbon. Sina's hands shook as she prayed, she could almost see it, the long red hair, the deep eyes. Some of each in the child, no, the daughter she wished to have. She had always wanted a daughter someone to share secrets with, to show the beautiful things in the world.

The couple would be there for quite a while until after the sun would go down as Sina prayed, Raki stood there next to her letting her have all the time she needed. Sina finally opened her eyes and she had tears in them hope filled her body, she felt a rush of anxiety and love to through her. "It is done, it is up to Tentai now," She said softly.

Raki chuckled, "Come, let us go and celebrate with some supper," he said taking her hand tightly. Sina smiled and nodded her head.

"That sounds wonderful," She said and the couple walked out together to go back to her home.

...

"30," she whispered softly sitting in front of her vanity as she looked at her appearance. "It sure doesn't feel like I am going to be 30," she said shaking her head.

"You say the same thing every year Youko," Suzu said with a bit of a laugh.

"I know, but it doesn't mean that it gets any easier," Youko said standing up slowly she turned a bit in her robes and seemed satisfied. The two of them were interrupted by a knock on the door. Who is it?" Youko said looking at her chamber doors.

"Its Shoukei, may I come in?" the voice of her scribe called from the hallway.

"Yes please come in, it is open."

The door opened and Shoukei slipped in, in her arms were clutched a couple of older scrolls. "I have the information that you asked me for," Shoukei said as she walked to the table across from the large window. Suzu closed the door giving the three of them privacy.

"Oh," Youko said in a bit of surprise, it had only been a couple of weeks since she had asked her to check the records for her. "That was fast," she said stepping up to the table. Shoukei looked up at her queen and she had a bit of a smile on her face.

"Did you doubt me?" Shoukei said looking at Youko. The queen shook her head slightly with a laugh.

"No, of course not you are just very efficient," she said. Shoukei gently unrolled the scrolls the first one shorter than the other second one.

"This one is a record of shokus for the year," she said pointing to the few that had happened one she put her finger on, "This is the only one that happened near a village in the correct time period." she said. Youko leaned forward and read the name of the area.

"So it was in Ei providence, a rike just outside of the main city," she said and she would frown a bit. "The other one?" she said watching as Shoukei unfurled the second one on the table. This was a registry list for the providence, "This is not as long as the other ones," she said softly.

"Yes, that is because there was no ruler at the time, most couples are hesitant to have children at that time," Shoukei said softly. "I remember many couple speaking of that fact when I was in the rike in Hou."

"I see so how can I tell by this list?" Youko said reading all the names written.

"See here," Shoukei said pointing to the far side of the list it listed different names next to it, "This is a registry list of children that were born from the ranka of the Riboku," she said there were not many that were not registered. "This is the only one that adds up to the date of the shoku," She said pointing to two names the date the ribbon had been tied.

"The surname is Gyokii, and the parents are Raki and Sina," she said her hand pressing tenderly against the characters written on the scroll. "Are you certain?" she asked Shoukei.

The scribe nodded her head, "I have no doubt that these are your parents that tied the ribbon for you," She said softly.

...

It had been a week since she had tied the ribbon to the Riboku and Sina had checked it each morning to see if their prayers had been answered yet. It was still early morning and the bit of dew that was left from the night still clung to the what plants managed to grow in the soil.

"Please," She whispered softly to herself. She would make the journey to the Shrine of Riboku alone once again this morning, Raki had been called out to help defend the necessary food caravans to keep the Rike and surrounding town feed for the coming weeks just 2 days after they tied the ribbon.

Sina approached the door of the shrine her heart was beating quicker as she pushed open the door to the courtyard. She slipped through the door and walked around to close it, silently she walked into the courtyard. There she looked at her branch but something was different, there with their ribbon wrapped around it was a small ranka.

"Oh..." Sina cried happily and she quickly walked up to the riboku and tears misted in her eyes. "Thank Tentei," she whispered softly, her hand gently reached out and touched the ranka with her hand. She could feel the warmth of their child already growing in it, even though it was still just small she felt a surge of love for it already.

"Sina?" a voice called from the door to the shrine. She would turn gently removing her hand from her ranka. She saw a man standing there clad in armor splattered with blood, the man looked like it was breathing heavily like they had run a long distance or he was gravely hurt.

"Yes... I am Sina," the woman whispered softly and she walked up the the man in armor.

"I have grave news," he said grimly. Sina put her mouth, her body started to shake.

"Raki?" she whispered and the man nodded.

"Please come this way, he wishes to speak to you," he said turning to lead the way out.

"Yes," she whispered and quickly followed the man back out. He would lead her towards the front part of the rike. There on a wagon she would see her husband laying there scratch marks all over his body. "Raki," she let out a sob and she would climb up into the wagon next to him. "What happened?" she asked the other man.

"We were attacked a few miles out of the rike," he said as Sina looked at how wounded he was.

"Sina..." Raki said as he would feel a gentle hand on his face.

"Shh, don't speak save your strength," Sina whispered softly to him as she felt his hand slip down a bit but then he raised it slowly back up.

"Tell me, has our prayers been answered?" he said grimacing from his movements.

Sina hesitated before she spoke, "Yes, there is a ranka on the tree from where we tied our ribbon," she whispered softly tears falling down her face. Raki let out a long breath, before coughing a bit.

"Good, I prayed that your prayers would be answered, raise our daughter well," he said. Sina grabbed his hand from her face.

"Please, don't say things like that, we will pluck it together," she whispered her body shaking . But Raki would never speak again, eventually Sina would feel his hand go limp in hers. Sina would gently place his hand on his chest to put him into dignified position. "I love you," she whispered softly and she looked to the man in armor. "Please make sure he has a proper burial," she said softly.

Sina would slowly slip from the wagon her arms wrapped tightly around her. She didn't want to shame her husbands honor by blubbering over his corpse and she would slip into their house. Sina went to the sleeping area and lay on their sleeping mat pulling his pillow up to her body hugging it tightly to her. She would quietly sob herself int an uneasy sleep.

...

Youko was silent for a long time after reading the records with Suzu and Shoukei, she had asked them to leave so she could be buy herself. "I wonder if they are still alive," She said pulling her hair back into a high pony tail wrapping some cloth around it to keep it from falling out. "I think I might go visit the rike to see if I can find out more about them." she said with a affirmative nod.

"Keiki wouldn't like that very much though," she said as she started to pace the room, she felt an urge to go and find out more but something seemed to hold her back. Would these people actually care since they had lost her before she had been born. Youko was not let long for her thoughts as there would be a knock on her door.

"Your majesty," she heard a familiar voice call out. Youko stopped pacing and looked to the door.

"Yes come in Keiki," she said and turned fully to the door so she could watch as her kirin would come into her room.

"Are you alright your majesty?" he asked her watching as she stared at him for a moment and then she sat down on the chair. Keiki watched Youko carefully, even though it had been almost 15 years since she had ascended the throne he was always worrying, ever watchful that she was becoming bored with her ruling.

"I have just had some news from Shoukei about where I was from, I think we found located the tree my," she paused for a moment not really believing it herself, "that my fruit was bore from." she said. Keiki was a bit puzzled, he did not understand why something like this would bother his mistress so much.

"Now that you have found that out what will you do?" he asked her. Youko looked up at him with a determined look on her face.

"I wish to visit it, that is what I will do for now," She said. Keiki looked as if he was going to say something but he had learned that arguing with his queen was about as good as arguing with a wall.

"Your majesty, I wish you good fortune, but I do worry that you will be hurt. Please do not expect anything that may not happen," he said cautiously, not being the best at kindness this was his best attempt to make her feel better at the situation. Youko stood up and walked up to Keiki startling him a bit, she put her hand on his shoulder and smiled at him.

"Thank you Keiki, I will only be gone a couple of days, I just think it would be best for me to close this part of my life to answer the burning question in my mind," she said. Keiki stood there silently for a moment and then he nodded his head.

"Of course your majesty, I will make preparations for while you are away and have Hankyo accompany you." he said bowing slightly to her. Youko nodded her head.

"I will be fine," she said takeing her sword down from the ornate holder. "I will return in plenty of time for the 15th year anniversary celebration," she assured Keiki knowing what was bothering him.

"Yes your majesty, I bid you have a good trip." he said and he left her room to arrange for things as he said he would.

Youko herself started to pack a small bag, it would be nice to not have to travel so far this time, but she was happy to be getting out for a bit. Sometimes it seemed hard for her to get away even now Keiki was reluctant for her to leave. She laughed to herself as she pulled her traveling clothes out at the strange relationship between her and her kirin.

The nightmares seemed to come every time she fell asleep, the wind, it was so loud, howling in her ears. Sina felt herself screaming, sobbing in the dream but her screams were ripped from her.

...

"No," she screamed as she would sit up, sweat covered her body as she looked about her seeing that she was in her dark sleeping room. Unsteadily she would slowly rise from the sleeping mat and wrap the blanket around her as she felt chilled. "Why.. why do I keep dreaming of the storm." She whispered softly. It had been only a few weeks since her husband had been killed in a youma raid.

The wind outside rattled against the roof, making her heart skip. She would fumble in the darkness for her small lantern, after a few tries she was able to light the match to bring some light into the dark house. She looked out the small slits in the window to them rattling loudly.

"What a strange wind," she said softly and she pulled her blanket around her to ward off the chill of the night. "I should go check again," She said to herself. Sina walked quickly from the house and she found that the wind was stronger that she had anticipated. "Raki, protect me," She said as she moved quickly down the street towards the shrine of the Riboku.

It would be a great effort for her as it almost seemed that she was being pushed back towards her house with the force of the wind. She walked against the wind for what seemed like hours until she reached the safety of the shrine of the Riboku. Closing the the door behind her she moved to where her ranka was still growing.

"You know they have told me I am like a Noykai sitting here for hours watching, the wait is killing me, I just want to hold you in my arms," she whispered softly to it. Sina rested against the fence under where her ranka was growing, the red an green ribbon flapping in the wind. She would close her eyes slowly she felt better being here with the last thing she had from her husband, their prayers together.

Sina would sleep peacefully dreaming of her child under the riboku for a few hours until the sound of the wind would awaken her. It was becoming light out and she awoke. She felt the blanket torn from her as the wind would make even the riboku move around in an almost violent manner.

"Oh..." she gasped as she saw something strange moving along the sky, her already pale face seemed to lose all color as she recognizing what it was from the stories that had heard. "Shoku," She whispered. Her head turned to look back at the ranka as it started to shift on the tree moving in the direction of the wind.

"No," She sobbed loudly as she tried to reach up to pull it back into its position as the shoku moved closer to the shrine, "Please... don't," she begged to the air around her desperate to save this one last piece. The storm took no heed of her wish as she watched in horror as the ranka snapped off the tree and flew up into the open vortex of the shoku. Blindly Sina got up and chased after the swirling storm. But the wall of the shrine stopped her progress.

Sina dissolved into a fit of tears watching the storm move within itself and disappointing not far from where she was. "Raki, I am sorry," She whispered her hands pushing into her face as she shook with the grief of losing her child through the strange storm.

It would not be until midday that something moving along her arm would jerk the woman out of her sobs. Startled by what hit her Sina would jump up and she saw on her arm a piece of the ribbon that had been on the ranka branch. The young woman clenched the piece of tattered red and green ribbon close to her heart. "I will find you my child... I know that I will see you again some day," She said softly. The edges of the ribbon fluttered in the air as she made this promise to herself.

...

End of Chapter 1

...

I got the idea for this when rewatching the Twelve Kingdoms when Rakushun speaks to Youko about the Riboku and she brings up a statement about the parents that tied the ribbon for her. This is my look at this question. I don't expect this story to be long but anything can happen.

If you liked the story please review, I enjoy knowing what people think about the stories.