Wow, so this is one of my first fics. There isn't much to say or make note of right now… but I hope you enjoy it… and oh yes. The disclaimer. All characters from Fushigi Yuugi do not belong to me in any way, but to Watase Yuu. All original characters are well, mine.
A black sash floated in the dead winds caused by the fire. Ashes danced hauntingly in the air, seeming alive with the raging flames behind it. A lone man surveyed his handiwork with a smug smirk, and flicked his long red nails at the village in satisfaction.
He chuckled, and it echoed over the roar of the soon to be destroyed village. "Damn rebels deserved what they got."
Thundering hoof beats pounded on the hard ground. It stopped suddenly as the man dismounted to survey the damage inflicted on the village, now just a pile of ashes surrounded by mist. His gold eyes flashed in anger and he clenched his fists.
"Who could of done this?" He growled, as his elegant hair danced in the wind. "Gasshou can't be here… this is rebel territory!" Sensing someone nearby, he whipped around and drew is sword.
A throaty laugh drifted across from the mist. "You surpassed even my own expectations of you, Hotohori."
His voice became low and dangerous. "Who are you?"
A woman appeared out of the mist, silently watching his eyes with an unreadable expression. Her own liquid black eyes were framed in dark lashes that contrasted sharply with her pale skin, creating an alluring effect.
Hotohori raised his sword warningly. "Did you cause the village to fall?"
"No," she said, almost to herself. "I would have saved it, if I were on time." She raised her deep black eyes to him, allowing herself to smile slightly. "Do you wonder how I knew your name?" Thought there was wind whipping around them, her graceful hair barely shifted with the wind, although the silver sash around her slim waist moved freely.
"I don't." he stated flatly. "All I want to know is if you are part of Gasshou or the rebels."
Her pink lips turned down into a frown as he mentioned the Gasshou. "I would not be part of such groups, though I know much about each."
Hotohori finally let himself wonder. "Who are you?" he asked again.
She acknowledged the question with a nod this time. "My name is Kasumi." Again she fixed him with her dark eyes. "And you sure you do not recognize me." It was a hard, cold statement.
"Positive." Hotohori replied, and lowered his sword.
She sighed deeply, and it seemed for a moment her eyes filled with tears. "You have changed since you were sixteen. But that was almost ten years ago… although I still have not forgotten." She said softly.
Hotohori searched her face more intently than before, feeling somewhere that he had known her once… somewhere… He steeled himself. It was impossible.
"Seishuku Saihitei, will you let me show you?" Kasumi asked, looking up at him with an expression of wanting.
What does she mean?
She approached him and stood before him. "Will you let me show you?" she repeated quietly. " I promise you that I won't hurt you."
Hotohori stood, watching her, finding it difficult to come up with an answer.
She smiled wanly. "I never thought I'd see the day you would mistrust me," she said in her lulling voice.
"Ok." He said, bracing himself.
Kasumi only took her two slim hands and placed them on his face, and a white ethereal light surrounded them.
And then they were no longer in ruined village, but the once prosperous city of Konan.
Hotohori, dressed in a simple cotton robe wandered the streets of Konan, delighted to be away from the stuffy palace. He strode through the marketplace, breathing in the different scents of the food vendor's wares. Deciding he was hungry, he moved to a stall selling meat buns and paid the man for one.
Just as the man was handing him the food, he lost his balance as someone collided into him and he fell.
"I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed, helping him up. "I forgot to buy watercress for the cook and I was just running back when I bumped into you! Here's your bun." She said, taking it from the vendor and handing it to him.
"No problem," he replied, wondering if this always happened to commoners.
"You must be new around here," she commented as she brushed her long black hair over her shoulder. "Most people know not to block the street."
Hotohori thought quickly. "Yes, I'm from out of town, and I'm just here to take the government exams."
"A scholar?" she said, smiling. "Very interesting, really. Well, as a scholar from out of town, I doubt you have somewhere to stay, right?"
"Right." So far, he was completely taken with her open and free manner, but then again, she didn't know whom he really was.
"So then, I have an extra room in the house I'm renting out. I'm only here to do some shopping for a couple of weeks, then it's back home for me. Why don't you stay with me? It will make up for me running into you." she said, turning around and sending her hair ornament jingling.
"Well…" Hotohori began, turning slightly red. The protocol in the palace was that women were strictly separated from men.
She apparently noticed this. "Scholars are a little stuck up sometimes," she teased. "Don't worry, it's only us and the cook, and he won't mind at all."
Hotohori finally smiled. "Alright then." He said, and took her hand she led him through the bustling crowd. "I'm… Hotohori." He said.
"My name is Kasumi," she replied, and turned down a quiet street. "And this is where I live." She added, pushing the door open.
Hotohori was amazed. Why did I expect people living outside the palace would be poor? The room was small, but elegantly decorated.
"When are the exams?" she asked him, pushing the silk curtains aside to brighten the room.
"Um… this week and next week." Hotohori said, remembering what she said about the length of her own stay. How will I manage slipping in and out of the palace?
The room became fuzzy and dissipated into mist. He felt her warm hands on his face still, and stepped away, blinking, now completely back into the present.
Kasumi stood there, watching his reaction while smoothing out her blue robe.
"Did this really happen?" Hotohori said.
"You really don't remember." She stated, then shook her head wearily. "I couldn't forget, even if Hayami wanted me to."
"What happens after?" he questioned, trying to quash his curiosity. "Who is Hayami?"
Kasumi ignored his question, looking slightly pale. "Taking you back in my memories, especially ones that far and that deep takes a lot of effort. It wasn't the reason I sought you out. The past is over, and we can't do anything about it."
Hotohori regained his cool composure. Over the years of constant warring and collapse of the kingdoms, he became indifferent to it all… yet meeting Kasumi lifted the demeanor. She had shaken him to the core. "Why are you here, then?" he asked shortly.
"I need your help." Kasumi said frankly, stepping further away from him.
"Why do you need me?"
"You are the only other silver level I can approach freely." She said. "And the only one I will trust to work with."
"Tell me, then." He said, eyeing her. "But I won't promise you anything yet."
"Fine." She replied. "But I suggest we move someplace else. Gasshou will be swarming the area soon."
As soon as she finished speaking, he saw a flicker of movement from the corner of his eyes and tensed.
A new voice broke through. "Too late." A deep, mocking voice said. "We're already here."
Kasumi instantly looked at Hotohori, and made a slashing motion with her right hand. The fog lifted abruptly so no one would be able to conceal him or herself. Hotohori drew his sword.
"You never said you were an enchantress!" Hotohori said, disgruntled.
"You never asked." She shot back.
The new arrival smirked at them. A bandanna held up his spiky hair, and he was easily taller than both Kasumi and Hotohori.
"Traitor bitch." He snarled at her. "Chiriko won't be pleased that you're off to play slut with the rebel trash."
Kasumi stood and shot him a withered glare. "Watch your language, Mitsukake." She said almost amusingly, letting her eyes run over his red sash. "You technically are still my inferior."
Hotohori steeled himself to meet his former fellow seishi's eyes. "What do you want?" he asked in a low voice, holding his sword steady.
"It doesn't matter," Kasumi cut in dangerously. "Tell Chiriko to find someone else to keep him company, because I sure as hell won't anymore." With that, she sent a white ki blast towards him, and another lifted both her and Hotohori up in the darkening sky.
"Did you kill him?" Hotohori shouted above the wind.
"He's just stunned. If I would have killed him, Chiriko would have been after our blood all the more faster," She replied, and looked down at the dazed Mitsukake grimly. "I'm taking us to a cave in the forest to explain things."
Thunder rumbled in the distance.
Hotohori looked at her darkly. "Were you once part of Gasshou?"
"Yes." She answered without reservation or emotion. "Now that I know what they're planning, I left. So now they think I'm a traitor. The truth is, I simply disagreed with what they were doing."
"And Chiriko is part of the Gasshou?" he asked, unable to keep the amazement out of his voice.
Kasumi looked up at the cloudy sky bitterly. "He leads the Gasshou." She corrected with venom.
"Chiriko?" Hotohori asked again with disbelief. "The young boy?"
"I don't know where you've been all these years. He's not young anymore. And he's not a boy either, quite a man, if you must know." She spat, her eyes flashing. She sighed, and calmed down slightly. "Did you know…" she trailed off.
"Know what?" Hotohori said. He looked down at the circle of white energy that was carrying them, perturbed. "Kasumi, are you running out of energy? We're losing power."
"I'll be fine." She answered, and
then continued her previous thought faintly. "I was…"
"Kasumi!" Hotohori said, louder. "Your ki is running low. Stop!"
She sat up straight and cleared her head. "Stopping now would put us in the middle of Gasshou territory. It's too dangerous to stop here." She held out her hands to him. "But if you're so worried about it, you can help me."
Hotohori shook his head. "My powers don't include ki transferring. I'm all metal based, not energy."
"I'm not a silver level enchantress for nothing!" She said impatiently. "Give me your hands."
Hotohori put his palms on hers. She closed her eyes, concentrating, considering his ki levels. Then she took in a breath, taking in some of his power with it, adding it to the disc of energy they were riding on, making it turn pink.
Hotohori looked on, thoughtful. "You haven't told me why you needed my help yet."
Kasumi seemed troubled. "You're in for a lot, then." She sighed, and seeing that he still was watching her intently, continued. "You are a Suzaku seishi, or a former one, anyway, am I correct?"
Hotohori nodded his assent.
"And you remember how the mikos never managed to call the gods? Because of this, the two hundred year cycle is broken, and the four gods have merged into one." Kasumi explained seriously. "The one god is more powerful and can grant larger wishes, but only to someone who can read the constellations well enough can decipher the prophetic incantation for the summoning. This would be impossible to do… unless you were extremely intelligent and had vast knowledge of the stars."
"Chiriko." Hotohori stated.
"Yes. This would have all been fine is the Suzaku seishi had not fallen out, and if Chiriko had not become so…ambitious." She finished ominously. "But it doesn't matter, does it? It has all been prophesized. We just started too late to stop it. I need you because I am not powerful enough to stop Chiriko from the summoning. He already has most of the incantation worked out."
"What will happen if he manages to summon the god?" Hotohori asked, turning to look at her.
Kasumi glanced back with a brooding look. "He won't be able to make any wish. The force of the summoning itself will destroy anyone of the master levels first because of our connections. The aftershock will kill everyone else."
"Why us first?"
"You remember when the miko failed to summon Suzaku? It was sort of an after effect of it. Anyone related in some direct way took on different levels and properties as a result to Suzaku's merge with the rest of the gods. It was the same with Seiryuu. It's a veritable power festival, and when they're summoned, they'll take the power back." She said wryly.
"How do you have a connection with Miaka?" Hotohori asked curiously.
Kasumi did not respond at first, but peered down into the forest. Then, after a pause, she began to speak. "I didn't even know Miaka then. I became involved because I was so close to you. " She said softly. "Of course, I didn't remember at first, and until I got stronger, I didn't know."
Hotohori became irritated. "Stop talking nonsense. I've never seen you before until now, and I don't even know why I'm traveling with you. I don't even now why I'm trusting you." Still, he felt a shadow of a doubt creep over him. The memory she took him in was familiar…
Kasumi ignored that. "I'm landing now. We'll set up camp for the night." She said instead of rebuking him. The disc began its descent into the dark forest, lowering slowly until they were at the floor level. She stepped off, followed closely by Hotohori.
"How do we stop Chiriko?" Hotohori asked suddenly, breaking the still air. "You haven't explained that yet."
She looked at him sharply. "We kill him, or talk him out of it. If that fails, we destroy the portal through which the god will be summoned through." With that, she began moving through the bushes.
In annoyance, he realized that the bushes parted for her wherever she moved. Enchantresses and their tricks… he shook his head and followed her. Suddenly, he felt the hairs on the back of his neck prick up. Someone else was nearby.
"Kasumi." He said softly but urgently, trying to catch up with her. "Psst. Hey! There's someone else here!"
Kasumi stopped abruptly and turned around. "I know that."
"Then why didn't you say so?" He questioned.
"Because I knew you would find out on your own." She responded pertly.
Her arrogant demeanor put him on more familiar grounds. "And if I didn't?" he shot back.
"You would have. I know you well enough to discern it for myself." Because of his rough tone, her voice became frosty.
"Stop saying that!" he exploded. "I sure as hell have never seen you before, and dammit, I've had enough of your attitude."
"Attitude?" Kasumi repeated incredulously, putting her hands on her hips. "You want to talk about attitude? Fine, lets talk about it! I come to you for help, explaining to you things as best as I can, and you sit there like a spoiled little boy! If you come back to reality for a moment, snap out of your arrogant demeanor, and realize that you're not an emperor anymore!" Her voice rose.
"What do expect me to do?" he shot back angrily. "You come to me from out of nowhere, ask for my help, and claim you had some phony relationship with me! Do you want me to believe that? It's kind of hard, having no proof but some trick you conjured."
Her eyes flashed at that, but remained silent. Abruptly, she lunged forward, grabbed his shoulders and slammed him against a great tree with shocking strength. Her eyes pierced his accusingly. "Goddamn you! You promised me that day! You never came back, and I realized only after what had happened to you back at the palace!" she shouted as a tears slid from her eyes. "I stayed with him because I believed you!"
Hotohori shoved her off. "What are you talking about?" he snapped, his voice rising. He pushed her into the tree. "What did they do to me?" He laughed sardonically. "Or what do you say that they supposedly did to me?"
Kasumi drew her hand back and slapped him across the face, breathing heavily. Hotohori let her go. She opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted.
"Well… look what we have here," drawled a man, waving a large fan around. "A lovers spat."
Hotohori glared at him darkly. "Go away, Tasuki."
Kasumi regained her composure and stared at the newcomer condescendingly. "Are you a rebel or Gasshou?"
Tasuki looked offended. "Lady, you obviously are out of things." He remarked.
"Rebel." Hotohori answered, rubbing the sting of her slap away.
"That was quite an interesting fight you had going there," Tasuki said, when no one else volunteered to break the uncompromising silence. He looked at Kasumi up and down. "Enchantresses of this level are quite rare."
"So are elementals." She returned automatically.
A man in a black robe looked up at the dark sky, contemplating it silently. "Chichiri!" he said suddenly.
The monk materialized, smiling darkly. "What is it?"
"Kasumi has left, has she not?" he asked in a sardonic voice.
"According to Mitsukake. She knocked him out by the rebel village Tomo destroyed." He replied. "She's moving with the rebel forces."
The man stood up. "I was foolish to speak of my plans with her." He murmured to himself, and then raised his voice. "Send Suboshi to eliminate her." Then he changed his mind suddenly. " No. Have him bring her to me. I will deal with her myself. Is she with anybody?"
"Hotohori at last check." Chichiri answered, his cloak fluttering in the night wind.
"This will be quite amusing." The man said in a cynical tone. "Bring him as well. Have Suboshi kill off anyone else she's with."
Chichiri bowed in assent and left, cloak snapping with his smart stride.
"This will be very amusing," he repeated again mordantly, and he clenched his fist. "Very. And she won't leave me again."
"Apparently, Hotohori disappeared awhile ago by rebel territory." He said, striding around the room. "We lost track of him there."
"What?" a purple head shot up. "How?"
He shrugged. "It could be anything. Lowering his energy level to hide it or by getting killed. But we all know how unlikely that is."
The purple-headed woman swore under her breath. "Well, we'll have to find him again." She said firmly.
The man stopped pacing and sat down, tossing his own purple braid over one shoulder. "Yup. We'll manage, no problem." He said confidently.
She stretched. "Nuriko, what shall I do with him when I finally get that bastard back?"
Nuriko grinned. "Only you and the gods know."
Houki sat up straight, becoming thoughtful and serious. "And he'll know soon enough as well." She said, eyes flashing. Then she flicked a manicured nail up to the sky, causing the clouds to part and for weak sun to shine through.
Nuriko picked up a scroll lying by the fire. "Gasshou sent another message requesting our alliance."
Houki sniffed in annoyance. "What do you want to do about it?"
He looked at the scroll again and shrugged. "They only have one black level and need us to reinforce it, I guess, and it's said they're also after Hotohori. They have other intentions, though."
"Other intentions?" She repeated curiously.
"Catching an enchantress and summoning the merged god, among other things." Nuriko said, chuckling sadistically. "But anyways, I wouldn't join up with them. They've bitten off more then they could chew, and we'll have to deal with it if we join."
"Alright then," Houki agreed, then frowned. "Where did you say Hotohori disappeared at?"
"Rebel village." Nuriko answered, then appeared to be thinking. "I'm sure it's not that far…" A smiled passed his face.
Houki began to smile too, knowing what her friend was thinking. "Let's go. And let's send a scroll back to the Gasshou, telling them they can screw themselves."
Kasumi sat beside the fire moodily, ignoring Tasuki's banter and carefully avoiding Hotohori's eyes.
"I met up with Nakago the other day, and he's off leading a rebellion with Soi in the western part." Tasuki was saying cheerily. "Everything's going well, 'cause Yui and her minions can't hold off forever. Jeez Hotohori, you don't know how it is, coming in to check up with you and finding you in the middle of a lovers spat with some girl you picked up."
"It was not a lovers spat." Hotohori said insisted slowly.
"Whatever you say." Tasuki said without listening. "Miaka down at HQ wants you back at the base. She's heard what happened to the village and says we can't do anything about it, so you'll be off on a new mission soon." He finally looked from Hotohori to Kasumi. "What is it with you two gloomy people, anyway?"
"Nothing." Kasumi said. "I want to meet with Miaka. Maybe she can provide me with some decent backup." She shot a venomous glare to Hotohori.
"Like she'll believe you," Hotohori said, irked. "Miaka will know that you were once with the Gasshou."
"She will, once she knows what's happening, and I'm not your enemy! And Tasuki decided to trust me!" she yelled. "How many times do I have to repeat it?"
"Why should I trust you?" he shouted over her.
"Why should you mistrust me?" Kasumi fired back, anger making her face turn red.
"For one, do you go around asking people to trust you then slam the into trees?" Hotohori shot out.
"Well, excuse me for being frustrated with your attitude." She said icily. "And if I remember correctly, you did the same thing to me as well."
They began glaring at each other resentfully.
"Whoa." Tasuki said dryly. "I'll leave you to it. Anyways, I'm off to check up with obake-chan. Tamahome will be… surprised… by me, shall we say." He grinned mischievously, and strode out of the cave, whistling unconcernedly, apparently uncaring if he was heard or seen.
Kasumi was surprised enough to forget her exasperation. "How did he manage to survive so long out here like that?"
""He's quite powerful, really. It just catches people off guard." Hotohori answered.
She lifted her brow. "I won't question that." Kasumi sent him a strange sidelong glance.
Hotohori noticed it. "What is it?"
She paused, faltering for a moment. "I'm not sure if you'll like me asking."
"Just ask." He said, shrugging uncaringly.
"Where's Houki?"
Hotohori stiffened, and a heavy silence fell over them. "Why do you want to know?" he managed to say.
"Is it so wrong to ask about one's wife?" Her voice was calm and also expressionless, but her lips twitched slightly as if she were holding back a mocking smile.
Something in him snapped. He slammed the ground with his fist. "Why are you so provoking?" he demanded, standing up and glowering down at her. His outrage grew as she sat and only met his gaze, watching him without a sound.
Finally she stood up smoothly, tilting her head back so they were at eye level. "I was just curious." She said, breaking his angry thoughts.
"She's not with me." Hotohori stated, turning around away from her.
"She could have figured that out on her own. But now it doesn't matter, because now I am here."
Kasumi turned in the direction of the new voice, tensing.
"Houki." Hotohori acknowledged the newcomer without turning around.
Full crimson lips smiled down upon the soldier.
He was already badly injured, and his armour had been torn in several places. He could not tear his eyes away, and he began shaking uncontrollably.
The woman dismounted and kneeled beside the man, tracing a finger down the side of his face.
The soldier began an animal-like whimper, trying to move away, incoherently crying something.
"Is there anything you want?" she asked softly.
He flung his arms over his head, shuddering and crying.
"Oh God. Soi, why do you always play with them?" A tall, finely built blonde strode over and spoke with a cynical tone.
She stood up and looked down at the soldier contemptuously. "Because it's fun." She replied, her lips curling into a mocking smile as she extending her hand out over the injured man. "And I suppose because now that you wrecked my fun, I'm finished here." Yellow light exploded from her palm, and when she was through, she shrugged. "Okay Nakago, where to next?"
Nakago shook his head. "Didn't that idiot bandit tell us where to go?" he said, amused.
"Oh, that's right. We're off to monitor Gasshou." Soi recalled. Seeing him frown, she stopped. "What? You didn't like the way I handled things?"
"It's one thing to kill someone. It's another to kill them slowly." He said, checking the stirrups of his horse before mounting it.
Soi smoothed her hair down. Reaching into her red sash, she pulled out a mirror and checked her face. "It accomplishes the same thing in the end. The assholes deserved it, after burning down one of our villages." She sent him a mock angry glare. "Besides, you shouldn't be the one to talk."
A ghost of a smile passed across his face. "It's useless arguing with you," he said, looking into the distance. "How far before heavily populated Gasshou territory?"
"About two days ride." She replied, spurring her horse on, letting her long hair trail in the breeze.
Nakago began to follow her quickly, keeping pace as a thin piece of black silk from around his waist flew with the wind.
So that was the first chapter, obviously. If you have a moment, please review. Oh boy. I feel so slow and dull today… what's up with me?