The Lake of Time

~*~Chapter Three~*~
~*~Sky's Father~*~

It was a miracle, as Tary put it. Sky survived the curse. The seven days had passed, and Mya was excited that next morning. As soon as she woke up, she got up out of bed and went into Sky's room, where Sky was now sitting in her bed, a look of drowsiness on her face. She looked at Mya.
“Mommy, I'm hungry,” Sky said.
Mya burst into tears of happiness and fell to her knees.
Sky crawled out of her bed and over to Mya. “Mommy, what's wrong?” she asked, peering through her mother's hair.
Mya wrapped her arms around Sky. “Thank the Heavens,” she murmured.
“Why?” Sky asked confused.
“Don't ye know how long ye slept?”
“No. I went to sleep last night, and then I wake up today,” Sky replied honestly.
“No, ye went to sleep a week ago, and ye just now woke up. Ye vomited in your sleep, and ye didn't move much at all,” Mya said. “I was so worried about you.”
Tary woke up. “What's all the tears for?” he asked. He could smell Mya's tears. He looked over at Mya and Sky. “It's a miracle!” he exclaimed. “Usually young girls with that curse don't survive! But she did!”
Suyo woke up. “What's all the yelling about?” she asked. She looked over at Mya and Sky, and she too exclaimed, “It's a miracle!"
They all wrapped their arms around Sky, and then Suyo got up.
“I shall alert the villagers that Sky is okay,” she said. Just as she was about to leave the room, a demon appeared in the doorway, and she screamed and shouted, “Demon!!”
Mya chuckled. “Relax Suyo, he’s a good demon. He's the demon that everyone is talking about. He's the one who helped win the war in that one village." Mya stood up and greeted the demon with a hug. "Hello, Hikaru."
Sky was behind Mya, and peered out from behind her. “Mommy, who’s he?” she asked, a little scared. “He's tall.”
“This is your father,” Mya said.
“My father?” Sky asked confused. “That big tall dude is my father?”
Mya giggled and nodded. “Aye, he is.”
Sky walked up to her father and looked up into his baby blue eyes.
He knelt down. “Hey,” he said. “I know you don't really know me, but can I at least have a hug from you?”
Sky have him a hug unsurely, but was surprised that he was really gentle with her. “Are you really my father?” she asked.
He nodded. “Where is your mother?” he asked.
“Right there,” she pointed to Mya. “My real mommy died, so she my new mommy.”
Mya noticed a hint of sadness in his eyes, but didn't say anything.
He swallowed. “Oh,” he said, holding back the tears. He then looked at Mya. “So, you told her that you weren't her real mother?”
“Well, it wouldn't be right if she thought I was the one who gave birth to her,” Mya replied honestly.
“When did you tell her?” he asked.
“When she was three years old. I felt bad knowing that I didn't tell her, so I told her then.”
“I see.” He stood up.
“Pick me up!” Sky exclaimed, raising up her arms.
He smiled and picked up his daughter. Then, he looked back over at Mya. “I thank you for watching over her,” he said. “Can I talk to you with just you and Sky?”
“Yes,” Mya said. She turned to Tary and Suyo. “Tell the village that Sky is okay, and we will have a festival tonight as a saying of good bye to that curse she had.”
They nodded, and ran out of the hut, happy to be away from that tall demon.
When she turned to look at him, his hand gently touched her face. “My mate has died, and it is time to take in a new one, though it is hard, and I see my daughter has already chosen a new mother.”
Mya blushed.
His lips met hers for a few seconds and then he pulled away. “Would you like to be my new mate?” he asked.
“Huh?” She looked up into his eyes.
“Yeah, you heard me,” he said.
All she could do was nod, and their lips met again for a longer period of time.
“Ew!” Sky exclaimed. “No smooching! You could've at least waited until I got out of the room!”
They pulled away, laughing.
“What's so funny?” Sky demanded.
“Never mind,” Hikaru choked out. “Damn, are you sure you're the one who raised this girl?”
Mya, who was also still laughing, nodded.
“Well then where in the hell does she get such a good sense of humor?”
“Probably the young adults she hangs out with.”
They continued to laugh for a minute, but they calmed down. They looked over at Sky.
Hikaru walked up to Sky, and got down on his knee. “So, pup of mine, how would you like it if I married your new mother?”
Sky thought for a minute. “But I don't know you!” she exclaimed. "And mommy doesn’t either!"
He laughed. "Trust me; we've been friends longer than you think."
“But I don't know you," Sky said innocently. "But are you really my daddy or are you just saying that?”
“I'm really your father," he said.
“Then what is my name?" Sky asked.
“You were not named yet when your mother had to leave the village in the middle of the war,” he replied. “So you tell me what your name is.”
“My name is Sky,” Sky said, a stubborn tone in her voice.
“Well, you don’t have to call me father or dad if you don’t want to,” Hikaru said.
“But I want to,” Sky said. “You are my daddy right?”
“Yes.”
“Then I can call you daddy,” she said stubbornly.
“Okay,” he said, and he picked her up into his arms, and hugged her, happy to see his little girl, or pup as he calls her.
“Daddy, what kind of demon am I?” Sky suddenly asked.
“You are a wolf demon, why?”
“Because mommy couldn't tell me.”
“Oh, I see,” he said. He looked at Mya. “Sorry for not telling you what kind of demon I am.”
“It’s alright,” Mya said. “It's not like ye had to tell me.”
"I know," he said. "Now let's prepare for that festival, shall we?"


The festival lasted all night, but Sky wandered off into the forest while everyone was dancing. She noticed that there was a lake nearby, and she was about ready to walk towards the lake when she heard someone call, "Sky! Sky, where are you?!"
"Uh-oh, I better get back to the festival," she said, and she ran towards where the festival was being held. She was soon met up with her father.
"There you are!" he exclaimed, lifting her up into his arms. He suddenly heard movement in the bushes not too far away. "Never wander into this forest at night," he said. "Not without me at least. I'm the only one who can fight off the demons in this forest. These demons in here are cruel Sky. You're lucky not to have been seen." He walked out of the forest.
"I'm sorry daddy," Sky said, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"It's okay, just please don't do that again."
"I won't," Sky said. "I promise." She snuggled up against her dad's chest and relaxed in his arms. As he walked back to the festival area, Sky dozed off in her father's arms.
"Mya! Mya, I found her!" he shouted, making Sky jump, but she didn't wake up, she just slept on.
Mya came into veiw. "Oh good, I--- She's asleep."
"Huh?" He carefully looked down at his daughter. "Well what do you know? She is!"
"I think she's grown to like you very well," Mya said.
"But she's only known me for a day and she's already calling me dad," Hikaru said.
Mya chuckled. "She is only but a child. She does not understand all the concepts of life yet. I don't believe I do yet either."
Hikaru smiled. "Don't worry my dear, you will one day." He gave her a gentle kiss on the mouth and said, "Take her home, you need sleep too. I shall watch over the festival. Besides, you look really tired."
Mya smiled. "Yes. I am pretty tired." She took Sky into her arms. "Good night Hikaru."
"Good night Mya." She turned and left, and he watched her until she was completely invisible in the darkness.
When she reached her hut, she went inside and changed Sky into her night clothes. She carefully laid Sky down on her mat, and then she too went to bed herself.


Sky woke up early the next morning. She could hear no commotion in the streets of the village, nor in her hut in which she lived. She went into Mya's part of the house to find Mya sleeping peacefully next to her father, Hikaru, his arm wrapped gently around her.
Sky smiled at the sight of them. 'I wonder if daddy 'll ever marry her,' she thought. 'Oh well, who knows. I don't. I don't even know him really. But he's really nice, and he is my daddy.' She looked at her father, and looked at her reflection in the water bucket next to her. 'I even look a little bit like him. How rude! I don't wanna look like a guy!' She glared at the water bucket.
Hikaru stirred in his sleep, and then opened his eyes. He saw Sky glaring in the water bucket and chuckled. "You okay Sky?" he asked, unable to hold in his laughter.
"My reflection is insulting me!" she exclaimed.
"How is it insulting you?" Hikaru asked, biting back his laughter so she would understand him.
"It's telling me that I look like a guy!"
"And how is it telling you that?"
"Because I look like you!"
He laughed. "No, you look nothing like me," he replied. "You're like a younger version of your mother, only your eyes are sky-blue coated with a clear saphire color."
"I do?" she asked. She looked at her reflection in the water bucket once more. "But I don't know what my mommy looked like!"
"Here, I have a painted picture of her that I always keep with me. I had someone copy the painting so I would have two." He pulled out a small picture from his robes. "Here. You may have it. It is the first painting of her. It is more valuable than a copy, but you may have it."
Sky smiled at her father, and before he knew it, she pounced on him, and hugged him tightly. "Thank you daddy!" she exclaimed.
He laughed. "You're welcome Sky."
Sky layed down in her father's arms, and held out the picture of her mother in front of her. She observed the picture closely, looking for signs of difference between her and her mother. She saw none but the eyes. "Wow, my real mommy was pretty, and I look like my real mommy too." She looked over at her foster mother. "But I never knew my real mommy, so Mya's my mommy now."
Hikaru smiled a sad smile. "It's okay Sky, you can see Mya as your real mother, but remember this, she did not give birth to you. Your real mother's name is Miyoko, and remember that she is your mother, not Mya. Mya is your foster mother, but she is in a way your real mother because of the fact that she's raised you since you were only two days old. I really wish I could've been here to see you grow, but I had to fight in a war for quite a few years."
Sky looked at her father. "What is a war?" she asked.
"It's when people from different villages fight many battles," Hikaru explained. "Whoever wins the last battle is the victor. I happened to have killed all of the soldiers single handedly, so the war went by faster than we expected."
"Wow.... Daddy you're really strong," Sky said. She then looked over at Mya who had stirred in her sleep and was now awake. "Good morning mommy!" Sky exclaimed.
"Good morning," the tired priestess replied.
"Mommy still tired?"
"A little," Mya replied. "But since ye are feeling better, ye can start working on your lessons. Since being sick has made ye a little weaker, we shall have to practice some old things again to strengthen ye up."
"What are you teaching her?" Hikaru asked.
"She told me she wanted to be a priestess and I've been slowly teaching her since she was three years old," Mya replied. She yawned and stretched again. "Now, let's have our morning meal, and we shall start on your lessons Sky. We will start with the purified arrows again. Ye haven't done that in a while."
"Okay," Sky agreed, and she decided to help Mya collect some things for their morning meal, and then helped her cook and serve the meal.
"Mm.... This is great," Hikaru said. "Where did you learn how to cook?"
"My mother knew how to cook really well, and she taught me," Mya replied simply.
"At least your mother could cook. My mother was a horrible cook."
Mya chuckled. "Beware, that comment will come back to haunt ye some day."
He laughed. "And then I'd blame you for not warning me before I said it," he joked.
She giggled. "You're such a tease."
He gave her a big toothy smile. "I know."
"Hey! You can flirt when I'm not around!" Sky exclaimed. "I don't wanna hear that crap!"
"Don't worry Sky, you'll find a boy when you get older that you'll really like and flirt with him," Hikaru said.
"I will not!" Sky exclaimed.
"Then how would he know you liked him?"
"I would just tell him myself," Sky said stubbornly.
"Yeah, sure you will," her father said sarcastically. "Not even I could tell your real mother at first that I liked her. I was too afraid to tell her because I wasn't sure if she liked me as much as I liked her."
"Ha-ha! Daddy turned into a big fat chicken!" Sky exclaimed, pointing accusingly at him.
"Oh really?" Hikaru asked.
"Really!"
"Okay then," he said, and he started to tickle her, really gently though for his claws are sharp. He kept on tickling her sides, until she started to growl. She pounced on him and started to tickle him back.
Laughing, Mya joined in on the action. Sky and Hikaru turned on her and started tickling her back, and that was the first day Hikaru found out that his fiancé was ticklish.
Sky started to growl once more, and started to tickle her dad, and pounced on him, forcing him to retreat before he fell right on top of Mya.
"Alright you little runt," Hikaru growled playfully. "You asked for it." He picked up his daughter, and ran outside, Mya following close behind. They came across a small lake and he threw her right in and then dived in after her just to make sure he didn't throw her too hard. He looked for her, and she snuck up behind him and pulled him underwater, scaring the daylights out of him.
The rest of the fight lasted in the water.
"Come on in mommy!" Sky exclaimed. "The water's great!"
"No thank you!"
Hikaru disappeared from sight and reappeared behind Mya. "You're coming in, whether you like it or not." He picked her up and threw her in the water, and he too got in, and the fight began, everyone was wrestling happily, and the whole village came to watch to see what all the excitement was about.
They wrestled in the chilly water for quite a while. But they didn't care how chilly the water was, they were having too much fun to notice anyways. Occasionally, a couple villagers got wet too, but they didn't mind, it was all for fun and no one was getting hurt.


A/N: Okay, so maybe you could probably call this story an animate soap opra or however the hell you spell it, but don't worry, I'll be making some improvements, not just yet though. I have to finish the story once I read it again after adding these last chapters, and then I can add a few adjustments.