Prelude | Research Paper
Suzaku no Yogen is a fanfiction by Elwing and Iris about the Fushigi Yuugi manga/anime. Copyright, credit, and author's note data are at http://toshoshitsu.portland.co.uk/.
"I can't believe the stupid professor made our whole mark dependant on one project!" Elwing muttered unhappily to herself as she strode across the university campus to the library, "Oh well, at least I picked an interesting topic. I can't imagine how bored the student who has to do 'Balinese Cock-fighting' is going to be. He's covered it so many times in class." She shook her head, "No, it may not be what I originally wanted, but 'Ancient Chinese Mythology' is, at least, interesting and he hasn't done it to death in class." She sighed and went into the library.
She spent a few minutes looking up call numbers in the computer, then headed upstairs with scrap paper in hand to peruse the mythology section. There was an odd stillness in the air, but she hardly noticed it. After all, it was a library. She found the section she was looking for, and began scanning the shelves, looking for anything which sounded fairly comprehensive.
'Hmmm ...' she thought to herself, 'Modern Buddhism? Don't think so ... The Chinese Animal Calendar? Too specific, what else is there? The Four Gods' Sky and ... what the heck is THIS doing here?'
At this point Elwing's thoughts dissolved into turmoil. She was a big anime fan, and was quite familiar with Fushigi Yuugi {although obsessed would probably be the more appropriate term}. Certainly she knew well enough not to open the book on her own. But take it out? Maybe get Iris for company? If she left it in her residence apartment one of her roommates would be sure to notice it. It was a temptation no even mild Fushigi Yuugi fan could ignore, and she was far from that. She stood up from her seat on the floor {she hadn't even noticed her legs collapsing out from under her} and reached her hand out, trembling, and picked it up off the shelf. She looked at the cover. On the front it said, in bold, gold-embossed letters, The Four Gods' Sky and Earth, and under this, in smaller type, "English Translation." The cover itself was a deep red. What really caught her attention, though, was that there was no library identification and call number on it. This seemed odd, but from what she suspected and what she knew of this book, Elwing figured it shouldn't surprise her. She was certainly too hyped up to consider further research materials right now, so she decided she might as well go back to her apartment. She went down the stairs and out of the library. Since the book had no call number, she surmised that the library had no knowledge of its existence, and certainly would have no objections to her exiting with book in hand. And she was right. The librarian didn't even seem to see it, although she certainly took no pains to conceal it.
Elwing strode confidently out the heavy oak doors of the library and down the sidewalk until she was past the library windows, then sat down on the nearby steps, hands trembling violently. She clasped them tightly together to try to still them.
"This is getting really weird!" she said, the quiver in her voice echoing in her hands. "I really have to call Iris."
Resolved in actually doing something, she strode boldly back through the campus to her apartment without any further cases of the shakes. Her roommates were out, so she had the whole place to herself. Which was just as well, as what she was about to say would certainly prompt most listeners to class her as insane. With trembling fingers she dialed Iris' number. Luckily, Iris herself answered.
"Hello?"
"Hi, Iris, it's Elwing. Um, you're not going to believe this, but, well uh ... you remember that Cultural Anthropology project I told you about? You have to come here RIGHT NOW and see what I found in our most wonderful school library."
"Elwing, are you OK? You sound like you're scared or something!"
"Scared, excited, a million other things; you'd feel the same if you had found it."
"Found what?"
"A book. You do remember what my project was on, don't you?"
Iris was getting annoyed, "I thought it was Chinese Mythology, so what?"
"So what?! SO WHAT?! You forgot a word in there ... Ancient."
"OK, so it's Ancient Chinese Mythology, I still don't see how any book could scare you."
"I'm afraid to open it. I don't know what might happen."
"But, can't you just tell me the name of it?"
"I'm barely hanging on to sanity at the moment. I'm afraid if I say the name out loud I'll completely loose it. Think of any books to do with Ancient China which you would be scared out of your wits to open on your own. Any book you've ever heard of."
"The only one I can think of, if it existed, would be The Four Gods' Sky and Earth."
"Exactly," Elwing whispered, "so would you GET OVER HERE!"
"Oh, Goddess, you must be joking!" said Iris, stunned.
"I kindof wish I was," Elwing admitted.
"I don't know what's going on, but I'll be right over," Iris assured her friend.
The half hour it took Iris to arrive almost drove Elwing crazy. She sat in one corner of the living room, as far away from the book as she could physically be without losing sight of it. When Iris finally knocked on the door, she just about jumped out of her skin.
"It's open," she called, and stood up.
Iris came in, carrying a heavy bookbag and was dressed in comfortable clothes suited to tramping around the countryside.
"So, you do believe me then," Elwing said, taking in her friend's appearance.
"I just thought I should be prepared for every eventuality. Is that it?" she asked, noticing the book across the room.
"That's it."
Iris walked across the room to look at it, still half-disbelieving. Then stopped when she got close, however. "It's pulling me, somehow."
"I noticed that myself, that's why I was sitting way over here."
"I just couldn't believe it. Not until I saw it with my own eyes."
"I understand. Would you watch it while I pack?"
"Sure," Iris agreed. "Hey," she called after, "do you think an English translation will work the same way?"
"I'm not sure, but I assume the only difference would be in the language ... I hope. In any case, as you said, we should prepare for every eventuality." Elwing quickly sorted through her drawers, packing everything she thought she might need {and a couple of nice dresses}, into her backpack. At the last minute, she remembered her project, and threw in a clipboard and some notepaper. "Good thing the professor said we could use any format we liked, although I suspect he might be a little disbelieving ... I'll take him a case-study." She grinned, "After all, I am very likely going to experience it firsthand!" Since she was already wearing jeans and a t-shirt, she threw on a heavy purple over-shirt and her Gore-Tex jacket, slung her well-supplied camera over one shoulder, and settled her backpack on her back.
When she walked into the living room, Iris was resettling her own pack on her back. They looked at each other.
"Shall we?" Elwing asked.
"I guess we shall." Iris grinned shakily.
Gripping each other's hands for encouragement, they walked to the table on which The Four Gods' Sky and Earth rested. Elwing reached out and gingerly opened the cover. The first page had only a few lines of writing on it.
"It says ... 'This is the story of two girls who travelled to Suzaku's country to speak prophesy. They foretold destinies and found truths. The story itself is an incantation. Whomever finishes reading it will receive this power. As the page is turned, the story will become real and begin.' Well, at least that gives us an idea what we'll be doing." Elwing pointed out after reading the first page.
"And where we're going," Iris added.
"Not when though."
"I'd assume it would be sometime after the mikos, or why would they need prophesy?"
"Good point. Well, here goes!" Elwing took a deep breath and turned the page.
As she did this, her roommate Catherine was walking down the hall to their apartment. All of a sudden, a red light glowed under the door, and she heard a strange scream. She ran the last few steps, yanked the door open and ran into the living room just in time to see a glowing red patch disappear from the floor and a fiery, red feather float down onto the open book. Confused, she picked up the book and began to read.