Chiriko was introduced late into the Fushigi Yuugi story, which is
one of the reasons why he is an overlooked character. If he had been given
the chance to speak his mind, I'm certain that he would have said something
like what I've written here in this story. If you have looked into his
character enough, you will see that he is a replication of many of us. A
small boy, who thought himself weak and worthless, finally realized that he
was an essential part of the lives of those around him. He was a brave
young man who sacrificed himself for his friends and for all of Konan. A
small boy who believed he could never do anything and became a hero. This
story is for him, the young seishi of Konan who found his self-worth.
Fushigi Yuugi belongs to its respective owners such as Watase Yuu and Viz. All rights reserved. :)
Journey to the Oracle Chapter One: Dead Ends
Chiriko's eyes snapped open. His heart was beating like a hammer upon his chest, a repeating rhythm that beat along with the sound of the wind. Sitting up straight in his chair, the boy glanced at the candle upon his desk. It had burnt down into a small stub of wax. For the second time that night, he had fallen asleep while reading. With one trembling hand close to the candle, Chiriko blew the flame out.
Another nightmare. And like each time before, try as he might, he remembered nothing of it. Chiriko searched for spare candles but when he came up with nothing, he decided that now was a good time to check on the others.
Chiriko listened to his small feet slapping against the wooden floor in the dark hall. The moment he reached the top of a small flight of stairs, he could hear voices murmuring in another room. Miaka's room.
Chiriko's frown deepened. Although his heart wanted to, he could not bear to walk in there again. It was then that he noticed the large, familiar figure standing out on the balcony. Whoever it was, he was staring out at the moonlit field, lost in thought.
Chiriko crept closer, scrunching his eyebrows. He knew that man. Suddenly, the boy's face brightened as much as the grave situation would allow him to, and ran onto the balcony. "Mitsusake-san! Thank Suzaku you're here." Chiriko felt one of his burdens lift from his shoulders as he let out a sigh of relief.
Mitsusake nodded at the young boy and smiled slightly, but his eyes spoke louder than his actions. It was obvious that he was deeply troubled.
Chiriko's face darkened again, his thoughts returning back to his miko. "How...is she?"
Mitsusake turned away. "Go and look."
Chiriko had hoped he wouldn't say that, yet the boy knew that he would remain sick with worry if he didn't at least check on Miaka himself. Taking a deep breath, the child entered the room quietly.
Inside Chichiri was close to the doorway, but he didn't seem to notice Chiriko walk in. He stood in front of the fireplace, his eyes fixed upon the fire, but his mind was elsewhere. Chiriko's green gaze moved to the other end of the room, where Miaka lay on her bed. The girl's face was as white as the sheets she was covered with. In the silent room her raspy breathing was a frightening reminder of the ghastly state she was in. Tamahome was still in the same spot he had been four hours ago—by her side. The small boy shyly went to him.
"How is she?" Chiriko asked.
Tamahome's voice was shaky as he spoke. "Mitsusake says...that there is something affecting her lungs. But even he doesn't know what exactly is wrong and what medicine can cure her—assuming that there even is a cure. If Miaka doesn't get better soon, she'll..."
He could not finish his sentence. A heart wrenching groan escaped from his lips, as if his very soul was being ripped apart, and wept.
No words could describe how terrible Chiriko felt. Since last night, he had searched through countless books on medicines, alchemy and even magic in hopes of finding a cure. He studied every ailment that matched Miaka's but every time he believed he'd found the answer, it would turn out be another dead end. The situation was getting incredibly frustrating.
Everyone turned to the door when Mitsusake entered the room. "Her condition is growing worse," the tall man said.
Chiriko couldn't believe that was all he had to say. "Mitsusake-san, there has to be a way to help Miaka."
Mitsusake looked down at Miaka's still form.
"The monks of the Old Mountain might be able to help us. They have great knowledge of the world and may know of a cure. You must bring Miaka to them."
Chiriko looked out the window. The winds were howling stronger just then. "The weather is getting worse. It won't be easy getting Miaka up that forsaken mountain."
"Then we'll have to leave immediately." Chichiri had spoken for the first time since Chiriko entered the room. "I will try to contact Tasuki and Nuriko. They should have enough time to meet us at the temple. And Chiriko..."
The monk kneeled down a bit to meet the boy's eyes.
"Keep searching. There may yet be something here that can save Miaka- chan."
"Chichiri, let's go." Tamahome hurriedly left the room. Feeling rejected, Chiriko watched Chichiri going for the door. He had searched the expansive library from top to bottom. He had looked through every forgotten shelf, every dusty closet, and each lengthy volume of herbs and plants he could find. There was nothing in Konan that could help Miaka. Chiriko was sure of that. The road to Old Mountain was not an easy one, and Chichiri only wanted him to stay behind where it was safe. Chiriko knew this.
What came next was a shock to everyone. Before Chichiri could step out, Chiriko had balled his hands into fists and looked down at the floor. Something was welling up and burning inside of him. As if someone had forced it out, the small seishi boldly shouted. "I'm coming too!"
****
"I'm coming too." For the first time ever I ignored someone's orders and expressed how I felt, and believe me I was just as surprised as they were. To this day, I have no idea what I was thinking at that moment. It was as if something bottled up deep inside of me couldn't be suppressed any longer, and had finally burst.
Throughout my life, countless people have told me that a person must find his worth from within. Maybe a part of me believed that if I saved Miaka, people would see me in a new light. On the other hand, there has always been another part of me that felt quite differently.
How can you find your own self-worth, if it's not there?
To be continued...
-------------------------------------- So there you have it. Yes, it's been a very long eternity since I last worked on this story. One of the main reasons I didn't update was because I wanted to concentrate on my original works. The thing is, Chiriko himself and your continuous reviews pulled me back to the keyboard. And so...here it is. It's not the most exciting of chapters but it's a start. Sorry if there are mistakes and awkward grammar. Believe it or not, I had to force this out of me. __ I'm certain the next chapters will be better. If any of you have any suggestions on how I should go along with this story, please feel free to leave it in a review or you can email me at: dfire2001@hotmail.com. Thanks again for all of your support.
If for some reason you want to read the original chapters of "Journey", just e-mail me. :D Ciao!
Fushigi Yuugi belongs to its respective owners such as Watase Yuu and Viz. All rights reserved. :)
Journey to the Oracle Chapter One: Dead Ends
Chiriko's eyes snapped open. His heart was beating like a hammer upon his chest, a repeating rhythm that beat along with the sound of the wind. Sitting up straight in his chair, the boy glanced at the candle upon his desk. It had burnt down into a small stub of wax. For the second time that night, he had fallen asleep while reading. With one trembling hand close to the candle, Chiriko blew the flame out.
Another nightmare. And like each time before, try as he might, he remembered nothing of it. Chiriko searched for spare candles but when he came up with nothing, he decided that now was a good time to check on the others.
Chiriko listened to his small feet slapping against the wooden floor in the dark hall. The moment he reached the top of a small flight of stairs, he could hear voices murmuring in another room. Miaka's room.
Chiriko's frown deepened. Although his heart wanted to, he could not bear to walk in there again. It was then that he noticed the large, familiar figure standing out on the balcony. Whoever it was, he was staring out at the moonlit field, lost in thought.
Chiriko crept closer, scrunching his eyebrows. He knew that man. Suddenly, the boy's face brightened as much as the grave situation would allow him to, and ran onto the balcony. "Mitsusake-san! Thank Suzaku you're here." Chiriko felt one of his burdens lift from his shoulders as he let out a sigh of relief.
Mitsusake nodded at the young boy and smiled slightly, but his eyes spoke louder than his actions. It was obvious that he was deeply troubled.
Chiriko's face darkened again, his thoughts returning back to his miko. "How...is she?"
Mitsusake turned away. "Go and look."
Chiriko had hoped he wouldn't say that, yet the boy knew that he would remain sick with worry if he didn't at least check on Miaka himself. Taking a deep breath, the child entered the room quietly.
Inside Chichiri was close to the doorway, but he didn't seem to notice Chiriko walk in. He stood in front of the fireplace, his eyes fixed upon the fire, but his mind was elsewhere. Chiriko's green gaze moved to the other end of the room, where Miaka lay on her bed. The girl's face was as white as the sheets she was covered with. In the silent room her raspy breathing was a frightening reminder of the ghastly state she was in. Tamahome was still in the same spot he had been four hours ago—by her side. The small boy shyly went to him.
"How is she?" Chiriko asked.
Tamahome's voice was shaky as he spoke. "Mitsusake says...that there is something affecting her lungs. But even he doesn't know what exactly is wrong and what medicine can cure her—assuming that there even is a cure. If Miaka doesn't get better soon, she'll..."
He could not finish his sentence. A heart wrenching groan escaped from his lips, as if his very soul was being ripped apart, and wept.
No words could describe how terrible Chiriko felt. Since last night, he had searched through countless books on medicines, alchemy and even magic in hopes of finding a cure. He studied every ailment that matched Miaka's but every time he believed he'd found the answer, it would turn out be another dead end. The situation was getting incredibly frustrating.
Everyone turned to the door when Mitsusake entered the room. "Her condition is growing worse," the tall man said.
Chiriko couldn't believe that was all he had to say. "Mitsusake-san, there has to be a way to help Miaka."
Mitsusake looked down at Miaka's still form.
"The monks of the Old Mountain might be able to help us. They have great knowledge of the world and may know of a cure. You must bring Miaka to them."
Chiriko looked out the window. The winds were howling stronger just then. "The weather is getting worse. It won't be easy getting Miaka up that forsaken mountain."
"Then we'll have to leave immediately." Chichiri had spoken for the first time since Chiriko entered the room. "I will try to contact Tasuki and Nuriko. They should have enough time to meet us at the temple. And Chiriko..."
The monk kneeled down a bit to meet the boy's eyes.
"Keep searching. There may yet be something here that can save Miaka- chan."
"Chichiri, let's go." Tamahome hurriedly left the room. Feeling rejected, Chiriko watched Chichiri going for the door. He had searched the expansive library from top to bottom. He had looked through every forgotten shelf, every dusty closet, and each lengthy volume of herbs and plants he could find. There was nothing in Konan that could help Miaka. Chiriko was sure of that. The road to Old Mountain was not an easy one, and Chichiri only wanted him to stay behind where it was safe. Chiriko knew this.
What came next was a shock to everyone. Before Chichiri could step out, Chiriko had balled his hands into fists and looked down at the floor. Something was welling up and burning inside of him. As if someone had forced it out, the small seishi boldly shouted. "I'm coming too!"
****
"I'm coming too." For the first time ever I ignored someone's orders and expressed how I felt, and believe me I was just as surprised as they were. To this day, I have no idea what I was thinking at that moment. It was as if something bottled up deep inside of me couldn't be suppressed any longer, and had finally burst.
Throughout my life, countless people have told me that a person must find his worth from within. Maybe a part of me believed that if I saved Miaka, people would see me in a new light. On the other hand, there has always been another part of me that felt quite differently.
How can you find your own self-worth, if it's not there?
To be continued...
-------------------------------------- So there you have it. Yes, it's been a very long eternity since I last worked on this story. One of the main reasons I didn't update was because I wanted to concentrate on my original works. The thing is, Chiriko himself and your continuous reviews pulled me back to the keyboard. And so...here it is. It's not the most exciting of chapters but it's a start. Sorry if there are mistakes and awkward grammar. Believe it or not, I had to force this out of me. __ I'm certain the next chapters will be better. If any of you have any suggestions on how I should go along with this story, please feel free to leave it in a review or you can email me at: dfire2001@hotmail.com. Thanks again for all of your support.
If for some reason you want to read the original chapters of "Journey", just e-mail me. :D Ciao!