Heavenly Fire Legacy

Cloudy skies hover over modern Earth as airplanes continue to land and take off at one of the many International Airports that litter the landscape. People are either flooding out of the gates or are funneling into them. The only person that seems to stand out amongst all these people, is a 14-15 year old teenager noticing that he's receiving a call on his phone as he walks towards an Airport restroom.

"Go for Miyoko." the teenaged boy said as he answered the call without even looking at the Caller ID.

"Hey Miyoko, it's me your best friend Tatsuya. I know you haven't forgotten your best friend's sweet and sultry tones." Tatsuya said in an outlandish class-clown like manner.

"Yes yes….. you have the most wonderful voice that ever existed." Miyoko said in a deadpan tone.

"Hey! That hurts my feelings man! Anyways...… did you just land?"

"Yeah…. a few minutes ago. Listen man if this isn't important, can I call you back later?" Miyoko asked as his legs nervously rub against each other, "All the bathroomss on the plane broke down the last leg of the flight, and I realllly need to go."

"Oh yeah surr…. No this can't wait! Listen…. I was walking by the teacher's office a minute ago...…. look your childhood sweet heart-"

"Xia-san and I are just friends. What are you talking about?" Miyoko interrupted as he immediately turned red.

"Dude….. it's obvious and we (by that I mean our entire class) can all see the floating hearts going doki doki.... Look I don't know when it will happen, but I overheard teachers talking about her transfer forms have been approved. She's going to be going to another school man."

"What?! Shit!" Miyoko quietly yelled as he had the train of thought to avoid causing a scene despite his shock.

"You told me how you were going to confess your feelings, so I suggest you do it the moment you see her later before it's too late."

"Yeah…. okay. Wait….. later?"

"Anyways I have to go man. Battery on my phone's about t-" Tatsuya was saying before the line went dead presumably due to low power.

Miyoko internally curses this new revelation and his bestfriend through his 9 generations of familial relations from now, throughout his trip to the restroom, and all the way up to the point where he takes his seat on the plane that will take him the last leg of the journey home.

"Shit….. what am I going to say? Fuck…. no point in worrying about it now, so I may as well kill time listening to music." Miyoko thought as he inserts an earpiece into one ear.

"Excuse me, but could you please scoot in your legs a bit? I don't mean to be a bother, however my ticket says that I have the window seat right next to you." a young girl said, of whom spoke Japanese with a heavy Chinese accent.

"Huh? Oh…. yeah sure no pro-"

Miyoko dropped his earpiece along with his phone from shock as he realized who was talking to him, and the person he saw was a charming if not downright city topping beauty of a Chinese girl around his age. She had the brightest and cleanest of sky blue hair, green jade colored eyes with an almost cat-like quality, supernaturally smooth white skin, and she was wearing a pure white qipao imprinted a few water lilies here, and this beauty a matching bag on her side.

"Xi… xi… xi… xi… xi… xi… xi." Miyoko mumbled as though he were indeed the bumbling idiot that he currently sounds like, "Xia Xia-san…. Of course, no problem."

Miyoko moves out of that row of seats as if "Xia-san" was his wife who caught him having a tryst with his mistress, however he of course would never do such a thing given his moral upbringing.

"Thank you, and so….. are you surprised?" Xia Xia lightly giggled as she attempts to get comfortable in her seat.

"Surprised? That doesn't even begin to describe it... I'd be screaming if we weren't on a plane Xia Xia-san."

"Tee-hee…. And no comments on my outfit? I spent a lot of time picking it out this morning you know."

"Of course…. you look wonderful.. a glorious contribution to the ideal Chinese women… Xia Xia-san!"

"Ha ha…. I'm glad my efforts weren't for waste, and there's no one around us that knows us….. so you can quit it with the honorifics."

"Yes… of course Xia-sa….... Xia Xia" Miyoko mumbled as he starts to feel as though his cheeks were being lit ablaze.

"Thank you….. Miyo'er." Xia Xia said as her cheeks turned red as well.

At this moment the mood became awkward between them with neither party seemingly able to look the other in the eye.

"How was the foreign exchange student program in Germany?" Xia Xia asks as if searing for some topic to break awkwardness.

"Fine…. oh your standard 'learned a lot' and 'made new friends' line and all.... Could you please answer a question of my own? Just What are you doing here.

"I asked my dad if he could lone me some money so I could come meet you partway. I mean it's my duty as the childhood friend cliché..... He even ensured I got the seat next to yours."

"I thought your dad hated me. Seriously..... I'm pretty sure he indirectly threated my life for trying to be a "toad taking a bite out of swan flesh.""

"My dad doesn't hate you..... granted he doesn't like you either, but he's just really old school with the Chinese traditions."

"Oh.... well..... listen, I heard from Tatsuya that you were transferring to another school." Miyoko asked as he decided to not beat around the bush, "Is it true Xia Xia?"

"You heard….." Xia Xia mumbled as she was overtaken by a sudden bout of depression, "I promise I'll explain everything later, but for now I'd like to enjoy the time we have left together."

"Okay…. ha… actually.... I remember when we first met you were known as the girl who didn't know what electricity was."

"Hey… I told you my dad was traditional, and besides I told you about how I grew up in the Chinese equivalent of those Amish settlements in America. So sue me if I didn't know about electricity let alone TV or the internet.

"Yeah I know…. overprotective dad bla bla, in Japan for business bla bla, and wanted to bring you along bla." Miyoko said as he broke out into laughter.

"Pardon me young man… I don't mean to interrupt your courtship of this young lass, but your backpack is on my seat." an old man said, "I don't wish to be a bother, but could you please move it so I can sit down."

"We're not a couple!" Miyoko and Xia Xia declared as both of their cheeks were flushed with embarrassment.

"Ha ha….. oh to be young and in love!" the old man loudly mumbled as he took his seat.

"The air between us is getting awkward… have to find new conversation topic fast….. perfect!" Miyoko thought as he saw the old man next to him reading a copy of Sword Fanatic's Digest.

Miyoko desperate to break the awkwardness, attempted to break it by talking about

sword-smithing with Xia Xia. That plan of attack failed miserably, however he ends up hitting it off with the old man sitting next to him on this subject as if he was offered compensation by the heavens. They talked about various kinds of swords from long to short, real to anime, and even the techniques to forge them. They even talked about martial arts they were familiar with, and Miyoko even impressed the old man with how he started learning Muay Thai.

"Ha ha.... it truly pleases this old man to see a member of the younger generation take an interest in such a time honored artform. Tell me, what is your name young one?" the old man curiously asked.

"It's Miyoko Ken sir."

"Good.... this old man will remember your name, and mine is Jiàn Duànzào I hope fate will allow us to meet again after we land."

Miyoko and Jiàn Duànzào chatted for a few more minutes until the latter fell asleep.

"So…. where were we?" Miyoko asked as he turned his attention back to Xia Xia.

"Hmph…. sword Otaku." Xia Xia mumbled as she refused to look her childhood friend in the face out of annoyance.

Miyoko quickly apologized for his ignoring his old friend, and would have likely started kowtowing if Xia Xia didn't quickly accept his apology. Now that the awkwardness between them was gone (at least for now) they could finally catch up with one another without reservation. Eventually there chat reached a point where Xia Xia started to quietly sing.

"A diviiiiine blade lies before you.... so command... the wake of dreams to restore the world, cut waaaay the seaams."

"Wow.... you've gotten even better at that song."

"Ha..... thanks..... I mean you said it was your favorite song from..... the Fire Emblem series wasn't it? I guess..... after listening to you play it a few times... that it started to become my favorite too."

"At least for you it's right next door..... however for me importing it to Germany was expensive." Miyoko chuckled, "But yeah.... it's my favorite song ever actually.... I mean it perfectly represents what the hero's journey would be like in reality. Plus.... and I've said it before, the impact of you singing it is greater since you look almost exactly like the character who sings it in game."

"Well there isn't a girl alive that doesn't like to be admired for their appearance."

"Look Mommy, there's a dragon in the windo flying towards us.... and it's on fire too.... how awesome." a four year old boy said, of whom was sitting in the row behind Miyoko, Xia Xia, and the old man.

Miyoko and Xia Xia looked out of the plane's window out of curiosity about this "dragon".

Normally when one hears such a statement from a child aboard an airplane; one would think he is simply referring to some kind of figment of his imagination..... this time it however was not a figment. What Miyoko and a steadily growing number of passengers saw was indeed a red scaled dragon covered in flames as the boy had described, and t make it worse it was headed on a crash course towards them.

"Oh my god!" a frightened passenger screamed.

"Attention all passengers: This is your captain speaking. Please return to your seats and prepare for evasive maneuvers!"

All of the passengers were able to take their seats just as the plane started to sharply dip in one direction.

"Hey Miyoko, this is just some messed way the airline is keeping us entertained right?" Xia Xia frightfully asked in order to keep the last sliver of her sanity intact. "We're going to be fine right?"

"Of course!"

Miyoko said that with gusto for Xia Xia's sake, however even he didn't believe his own words.

"Yeah... you're right.... of course you're right. I must be dreaming..... that's it..... dreaming."

If this was a dream then it would indeed be a nightmare; however, this is simply cold harsh reality. The captain of this soon to be flying morgue did his best, but it was though this flaming dragon was homing in on them like a missile. This dragon exploded on contact with the plane, and broke it into two pieces around 5 or 6 rows ahead of where Miyoko and Xia Xia were sitting.

"Ahhhhhh!" screamed the craft's few hundred passengers.

The lucky ones whether by dragon flames or shrapnel were killed instantly upon the beast's impact, the ones with less luck were granted a few extra moments of life thanks to being sucked out of the broken aircraft thus causing them to fall to their deaths at a slower pace, and the truly unlucky ones were those still strapped in their seats inside the two falling metal morgues.

"Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!" Miyoko and Xia Xia screamed out of fear as their fingers were interlocked with one another.

Whether or not Miyoko and Xia Xia were lucky or unlucky for being trapped in one of the flying metal coffins depends on your perspective. A piece of shrapnel suddenly flew towards Xia Xia's seatbelt slicing it in two while leaving the girl underneath unharmed..... not that it really matters at this point.

"I got you!" Miyoko screamed as he grabbed one of Xia Xia's hands with both of his own.

But due to the combination of gravity and fear induced sweat, Miyoko slowly looses his grip.

"Shit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Miyoko couldn't help but scream both internally and externally as he attempts to tighten his hold.

Just when it seemed like Xia Xia would slip out of Miyoko's grip, another pair of hands wrapped around hers.

"Old man!" Miyoko yelled.

"It's been a long time since this old man met someone of the younger generation who appreciates swords as much as I do, so there's no way I'm going to let him and his girl meet Davy Jones or my name isn't Jiàn Duànzào!!!"

"Sir, look behind you!" Xia Xia warned.

Jiàn Duànzào got to witness a refreshment cart just moments away from hitting him square in the back. The strength behind the blow was enough to forcibly unbuckle his seatbelt.

"Listen young one..... never let go of your girl just like how you'd never let go of your love of swords or this old man will haunt you in the next life!"

Jiàn Duànzào proved to posess far greater strength than his old appearance would imply as with the last of his strength before he started to fall under gravity's influence, he tossed Miyoko and Xia Xia onto the back of their seats.

"Oh no.... no.. no!" Xia Xia cried as she like Miyoko couldn't bring themselves to watch the old man fall to his death.

"Listen, Xia Xia! We don't have much time left, so I want to tell you before it's too late that I... that.... Xia Xia I lo-"

Miyoko was suddenly dazed by one of the many bags falling out of the overhead compartment before he could finish his sentence. Once he recollected himself, he discovered that Xia Xia was gone.

"NO NO NO.... DAMN IT NO!!!!!!!! XIA XIA!!!! She didn't deserve that! No one here deserved any of this!!!!"

To work up the courage to say his final words in these circumstances only to have the person that should have heard them vanish, who could blame Miyoko for turning red with anger.

"You useless gods, why didn't you save Xia Xia?!!! If this was an accident, then you bastards owe her a good next life! If it wasn't, then take my soul if it means I can find who did this!!!!!!!"

Miyoko suddenly loses consciousness as if the heavens decided to accept his offer by taking his soul, but after a undetermined amount of time he regains consciousness.

"Arghhhhh man I have such a headache. Wait.... headache? Shouldn't I be dead? Are these the mythical pearly gates?"

After looking around these "Mythical Pearly Gates", Miyoko had come to notice three things.

1. He was in a beat up farmer's toolshed in some grassy area while it was heavily raining.

2. There was someone out cold lying down next to Miyoko, and they were both covered in a heavily worn/patched blanket. Miyoko couldn't see this person's face due to it being covered by said blanket.

3. There was an old yet fit man dressed like a farmer shown in ancient history books in this shed with them, however he seemed to preoccupied with tending to a sunken hearth to notice that Miyoko had regained consciousness.

"Farmland? Granted it hadn't been that long since we started flying over the ocean, but we took off from an airport deep in the city. We certainly didn't leave from some random crop dusting hangar."

After examining the old man in greater detail, Miyoko got the sudden gut feeling thanks to what Muay Thai training he's had that this old man could wipe the floor with him if he felt so inclined.

"Is he the one who pulled me out of the wreckage?"

"Thank goodness you two are alright. I don't know how I'd explain it to my wife if I had lost you." the old man said as though a massive weight was lifted off of his shoulders.

This new old man suddenly pulled Miyoko and whoever it was that was next to him into a bear hug.

"Thank you for helping us honorable senior." the now conscious youth next to Miyoko said.

Or at least Miyoko assumes that the person next to him is a youth, but he can't turn his head to confirm his suspicion due to still being caught in this old man's arms.

"Bahhh….. I'm your father Ru'er….. not some pretentious silkpants afraid of simple hard work. I'm just glad that you and your twin brother Hu'er still walk amongst the living."

"Er…. wait shit…. I remember hearing from Xia Xia that's the Chinese equivalent of adding "kun" at the end of someone's name.... Wait…. fuck are we in China? But how the hell….. that's nowhere near where we took off from."

After a few more seconds have passed, Miyoko finally realizes that this old man had said the two key words "Twin Brother" and "Hu'er"

"Twin?!" Miyoko couldn't but help scream aloud.

The old man loosened his grip allowing Miyoko to finally get a look at the youth next to him. He quickly realizes that asides from the simple rags and a farmer's body; the youth had a simple face, black hair in a ponytail, brown eyes, and in the reflection of those eyes Miyoko saw the exact same features only with the addition of a scar over his right eye.

"What… the hell? Is this some kind cliché reincarnation story? I mean WTF I'm not even Chinese! Come on otherworld goddess, don't you know the rules of all those reincarnator stories?! I heard Chinese go to whatever a Wuxia world is, and I a Japanese youth should be in a medieval European world! Do your job right damn it!!!!" Miyoko thought as he curses every fictional otherworldy god or godess he can think of.

If there were truly a "Otherworld Goddess", she would probably tell Miyoko to stick it upon hearing that comment.