How It Started

   This is a long story, so make sure you're ready before settling down. Wrap up inside your blanket; grab a mug of cocoa with at least eleven marshmallows and whipped cream - trust me, you'll want a warm drink - stay up late, reading under the bed covers by torchlight. Do whatever you have to, 'cause you're in for one hell of a ride.

I've known many names over the aeons - most of which are insulting, and all justified in some way or another. Recently I've come to be known as Kiku, so that's the name I'll use.

I was born in Egypt, at around 3500 BC. My father had been a farmer, I think. Of my mother, I've no knowledge. This time was so long ago, and I was so young. I hadn't been kept long; I was... different. Not necessarily disfigured, but certainly unusual.

I'd been born with white-blond hair, and piercing blue eyes that would - and still do - turn gold when my emotions get the best of me. Another oddity is that, despite being over two years old at this point, I still looked like a newborn.

This, I later found out, was due to my genes. Once it became apparent that I wouldn't grow, I was placed in a basket and sent down the River Nile - something of a two-day trek, from what little I can piece together.

I don't know how, but I managed to survive the harshness of the Mediterranean's currents and washed ashore in a place of blazing sun and ancient magic.

The Greeks weren't sure what to think of me. A baby, with pasty skin and bleached hair, staring at them with golden eyes. Eventually I was taken in by an elderly couple who needed a child to raise. My grandma - I refer to them as grandparents - named me Amaranth, which roughly means 'shade of pink'. I'm convinced she had at least some prophetic ability, considering. Not long after that - maybe twelve years - they died, and I was moved to the next family.

This went on for over a millennium, until I reached an age where I could begin to take care of myself. I should probably explain that I was aging, just incredibly slowly. At about one two-hundredth of the human average. So yes, it took me a thousand years to become a five-year-old. Another four centuries before I was trusted to care for myself.

When I started living alone, the elderly of the city started to teach me their stories. None of the truly famous ones, since they hadn't even happened yet. Gaia and Ouranos, the Titans, birth of the Elder Gods, the great war, et cetera.

Things began changing after I turned ten. I'd hit puberty, and five hundred years early, according to my calculations. My hair subtly began to turn pink as my lashes grew longer. I became a sort of 'wise hermit of the hills' to the locals, and my new hair colour made them see me as a child of Aphrodite.

I actually got to be involved in all the stories that make ancient Greek mythology so famous. I stowed away aboard Theseus' ship, stood in court - the royal kind, not the legal kind - as Midas turned his daughter to gold. Hell, I was having a swim in the water when Perseus held the head of Medusa up to the Kraken.

From the physical ages of ten through fifteen I was a little rebellious. Puberty, mixed with being a changeling aging at point-five percent of a human, pushed me to act like a classic edgy teen.

Yeah, I was a goth. Dyed my hair black and everything. I started to grow up a bit after that and accepted that I was a little more feminine in appearance. After all, the best traps are laid intentionally.

I went on to learn a lot about magic, and the nature of those with unique abilities. I studied under people like Cumae and Circe, discovered 4 types of summoning circle, and became so engrossed in Japanese culture that I changed my name to Kiku, which I've used dominantly ever since.

My real breakthrough came when I found stories about Changelings. Creatures or beings who slipped in and out of human society, hiding in plain sight. I eventually realised that all humans had a tiny amount of Changeling DNA - ancient legends hinted that my kind had largely died out due to interbreeding with humans.

I figured out how to travel to the Astral Plane, and spent a lot of time learning from the Spirits of Time and Change, who told me of a goddess that embodied their power. Yes, I learned about Krystal from sentient abstractions.

The next decade was dedicated to finding the elusive goddess. The Roman empire had begun to spread out at this point, so the new highways made travel easier - at least in Europe.

I eventually tracked her to the Abyss - more specifically, to a Wasteland. Picture Wastelands as pockets of aether where survival is (barely) possible. Like a desert oasis filled with saltwater. That's all you need to know for now - I'll explain more when it's relevant.

The place had been killing me, my body losing its molecular integrity. I was literally turning to dust. Or ash. My legs gave out and I collapsed, thinking: welp, this is it. I did what I could.

Fate had other plans.

"Awaken, child."

Her voice was soft and melodic, with a certain maternal quality that said I'm-going-to-look-after-you-whether-you-like-it-or-not.

I opened my eyes. Krystal... looked human. She was maybe two inches taller than I was, with fiery red hair, a smattering of freckles and green eyes that literally glowed. Ignoring that, she was gorgeous.

“So… divinity is all it’s cracked up to be…” I choked, grinning weakly.

She smiled and helped me to my feet. “You seek knowledge and power?”

I shrugged. “Knowledge leads to power, and gives one the sense to use it wisely.”

She laughed. “You’ve already gained a vast amount of knowledge, what more could you seek?”

“I’m smart-lipped, not smart. There’s a lot I need to learn, especially about what I am.”

Her eyes flickered for a moment - gold and purple, I think, though it happened so fast I couldn’t be sure if I’d imagined it or not.

“Hmm… I can provide the information you seek, but you must do something for me in return.”

“What could a goddess possibly want from me?” I asked.

A self-satisfied smile crept onto her face. “As a teacher. Over the next two millennia, my power will split and diversify among the people of Earth. Among them will be a creature so powerful the very stones will quake. I need you to train these people. You’ll find help in Pennsylvania, in the 11th Century. You will know them when you see them.”

I nodded.

So, yeah, that’s how this all began. I became a mentor to all who were blessed by the Enchantment, teaching them to control their ancient power. Until it all went wrong, at least. Ask me later, the memories hurt too much right now…