Never Knew

Solo

Ayame was now left alone, Rikimaru had not appeared since the cave incident. She began to worry, but she knew for Kiku and Gohda's sake, she must not show her concerns.

"Ah, Ayame. Just the person I was looking for." Said Gohda as he entered the garden. "What are you doing?"

"Just scouting around," said Ayame as she walked around to pond towards Lord Gohda "what do you need?"

"Come." Gohda motioned Ayame towards the pond.

Ayame followed his order and stood next to Lord Gohda by the pond.

"Ayame," said Lord Gohda with concern in his voice "I have seen that you are worried about Rikimaru."

"Not worried, Lord Gohda, just not pleased that I have not heard word from him." Ayame said agitated.

"Hm, yes I see." Said Gohda as he nodded. "Why do you not go and search for him?" He asked.

Ayame looked at her reflection in the pond.

"That would not be necessary," Ayame did want to search for him, but she knew what she had to do "I must stay and protect you and Princess Kiku, that is my top priority." Ayame said with a stern tone.

"Ayame..." Gohda said as he sat down on the rocks by the pond "you have been very caring for my family," he motioned Ayame to sit on the other rock "ever since you were a young girl." He paused and looked towards the pond. "And I have been blessed, I have seen you turn into the beautiful strong woman you are today, and I thank you for not only watching me,"

"Lord Gohda-" Ayame said as she tried to stop him. He looked at her and took a deep breath.

"but also watching over my whole family, and for that I am eternally grateful."

"Lord Gohda," she said again "you should not be thanking me, for I am merely doing what I am supposed to be doing." Ayame looked at Gohda through the reflection at the pond. "You and Princess Kiku come before anything else."

"Princess Kiku" said Gohda with a smile "I do not know how to thank you for the many times you have saved her, she admires you very much."

"And I admire her as well." Said Ayame as she looked down and took out her sister bell.

"It has been ages since I last saw this."Lord Gohda said with a smile creeping up his face. "Where did you find this?"

Ayame felt a pit in her stomach and looked down towards the ground. "Lady Kei..." She said as she felt guilty because she could not save both Lady Kei and Princess Kiku when there was a war between Toda, Lord Gohda's uncle, and Gohda.

Lord Gohda looked down as well. "Well, it seems that Lady Kei knew she had picked well..."

"What do you mean?" Interrupted Ayame.

"Lady Kei and I knew that the 'Sister Bells' were actually the Jewel of Virtue long ago." said Gohda "And the day that Princess Kiku was born we gave Princess Kiku one but knew we could not give her both."

"Why?" Ayamee was confused.

"Because, with the bells together, anyone could have stolen them and unlocked emence power." He said in a lower town. Ayame remembered how Lord Mei-Oh tried to find the Jewel of Virtue to gain it's power. "We both decided that whomever was to receive the other half would be its protector."

"Protector? But why?"

"As you know the three Jewels were split up and hidden." Ayame nodded. "Well as you also know that anyone who harvest the three jewels could gain eminence power." Gohda added. "The Jewel of Virtue was given to my ancestors many generation before I came to exist," he took the bell from Ayame's hand "and whomever the Lord of that period was, chose the Jewels protector." Lord Gohda grabbed it by the end and held it to his eye level. "The new protector was one who was chosen by not only the Lord, but the Jewel."

"What?!" Ayame said intrigued.

"Yes, not only can the Jewel give off power, but it has already chosen its own protector as well."

"What do you mean?" Ayame asked very confused.

"The Jewel itself has the power to vanish from the wrong protector, someone who is not truthful, selfish or someone who is trying to gain power from it." Gohda said as he placed the Sister Bell back into Ayame's hand. "It also punishes that person by erasing any memory pertaining to the Jewels."

"That is amazing."

"So it seems" said Gohda "but with the two other Jewels present, they both can over power to Jewel of Virtue and give complete power to whomever has the three."

"That's why Mei-Oh wanted the other two Jewels." Ayame said as Lord Gohda nodded.

"You see each Jewel is divine and different in it's own way, Heaven, Earth and Virtue." He added. "And each has their own special power which anyone can poses is they are able to contain the three..." He paused. "Or of the jewel chooses."

"What do you mean?" Ayame asked.

"Each Jewel chooses their protector and if necessary, the protector can use or consume the power of that Jewel." Ayame squinched her eyes in confusion.

"How?" She was confused.

"You see, if in danger or for the protection of the Jewel, it will exert its energy to its protector if it will benefit the good for the people." Gohda added.

"I see." Ayame said as she nodded putting together that the Jewel of Virtue saved her by protecting her from Lord Mei-Oh. "That makes sense."

"Well," Lord Gohda said as he got up "I am very grateful." Ayame stood up as well. "I believe it is your time to go and search for Rikimaru."

"Lord Gohda-are you sure? What about Kik-"

"You have worried about us for a long time, it is time you worry for someone else,  Rikimaru. This mission will not be easy working alone, sometimes the journey works best with the help of another." Gohda walked towards Ayame and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"I know." Ayame said as she looked down at her reflection in the pond. Instantly she had an idea. "Maybe it doesn't have to be alone..." She whispered "Thank you for this talk Lord Gohda." Ayame looked back up to Lord Gohda and nodded.

"Very well Ayame, you must rest for you have a long journey ahead of you." Said Gohda as they both looked at the sunset.

"I know." Said Ayame in a low tone as she looked back at her Sister Bell.