10 years earlier.
Night fall. Beautifully mysterious darkness descends among the quaint and silent village, signaling work was done, food was cleaned off the table, and the day was over. Little children would cuddle into their beds with siblings as mothers and fathers whisper sweet nothings into each other's ears while laying in their own mattress.
One child, of the female gender, ranging in age from eight to eleven did not have the comforts that the peaceful families possessed as she walked the long road up to her special cherry tree. Every night for the past month she would return to the never moving tree and snuggle up next to it's roots to sleep.
No one knew who she was and she didn't speak, everyone in the village was curious and tried to offer her help after the man passed away, but never would she take the help. Unless she was starving.
This girl, with long mahogany colored hair, lifted her eyes up from watching the ground as she neared her safe haven.
But her haven had been found out.
A young boy with striking blonde hair and a man in monk's clothing stood close to where she made her makeshift bed every night.
Protective instincts arose as instead of turning and fleeing, she marches straight up to the two male offenders, intending to keep her special home only hers.
She would not share.
And though she did not speak, she crossed her arms, a look of fierce determination graced the cute features of an once innocent child.
The man, not an old man, but one higher up in years offered a small smile to the girl child. "Koryu, what do you think of this child?" he says quietly, his voice was soft and smooth.
Koryu, the blonde haired boy accompanying him just shrugged, "Pitiful, I guess? I don't know."
The girl's cold demeanor fell slightly, but never once did she break her gaze with the man. "No, far from it. She is rich, for she knows even at this young age what it means to be alive. Her soul cries out for life. Her body reaches for subsistence." he explains, pulling a box out of a brown parcel carrying bag.
"Here, my child. Remember there is some good in this world, you've just got to find it and be it."
Taking the box, slowly and curiously, once she got a good grasp on it - The girl held it close to her chest, listening to the man's words over and over again in her brain.
Then the boy and his master turned and walked away, without looking back or saying a word. They walked straight into the darkness.
Once she was sure that they were gone, she plopped down on the fallen cherry blossoms that made her sleeping pad and carefully started to pry open the box, as to not ruin the fine handiwork.
Inside, she found a small hand woven blanket, fresh fruit, and a note.
She was old enough to have begun studies, and had been a flawless student when her guardian had taught her mathematics, reading, and the history of the world.
"Nevaeh Kijin: Recorded in the history of Heaven as a Goddess whom, after her demise was given the title Goddess of Relations due to giving up her rank and life for those she cared for. Birthdate has not been discovered, was said to be able to manipulate the element of Light since becoming a Goddess. Details of demise included were age, 858 years, and assumptions were suicide. This is not classified as true or false."
A tightness wells up inside of the little girl's chest as she placed the paper and fruits back in the box, a deep aching over-powered the hunger pains anyway.
Leaning back, a stray tear falls down dirty cheeks. The girl has no idea as to why she is crying, and why her heart hurts, so she lays on her side. Thinking perhaps sleep will make it better.
Pulling the box as close to her as she could get it, then finally putting the blanket over her steadily growing colder and colder body, she closes the wet eyes and wonders why this note was given to her, and why the Goddess of Relations had the same first name as her.
Maybe she had been named after her.
Nevaeh.
That was Heaven spelled backwards.
What she would give to live in Heaven, away from all the pain and suffering of being a human. Wouldn't being a god - be grand? To have everything and anything and to not worry about eating or sleeping.
Maybe she was the Goddess in a past life, the note did say the woman died.. Amusing thoughts brought her soul comfort in the lonely times such as these.
The little mahogany haired girl named Nevaeh slowly slipped farther and farther into sleep then.
Dreams of Goddesses and Gods in Heaven above twirling around in gold robes, smiles on their faces and warm friendly hugs caressed her mind into a peaceful state and earning her a good night's rest for the first time in a month.
