Author's Note: First of all if you haven't read 'Hidden Secrets' (my Fushigi Yugi fan fiction) then this oneshot would not make sense at all. However, you don't need to have read 'Buried Memories' though. This oneshot is sort of an alternate scene from 'Hidden Secrets'.
I admit and know that this is totally random. But due to me replaying the Fushigi Yugi game, and then re-reading the old fan fiction that I wrote, I suddenly had the idea to write this random one shot. However, since my multi-chapter was mostly depressive, I thought that I'd write something happy, which is actually why I wrote Fushigi Yugi fan fictions in the first place. But it is quite amazing to think that I'd be writing a Fushigi Yugi story again after six years. I mean, I have re-read the manga and played the game during this period, but it is just that I never thought I'd be doing fan fiction for this again.
Spoiler of both the story and my own fan fiction would begin in the next line.
In this oneshot, instead of everyone being reborn in the modern world, everyone (including Miaka) stayed in this world. Yuri actually died due to summoning Seiryuu, but she was able to come back alive due to Miaka. A brief reminder: Yuri is Miaka's half sister and she is married to Hotohori, so she is the empress, she is known as Houkigou (as that is her title. Yes, I took Houki's name). Hotohori is actually twenty, two years older then his original age.
Kotsuki is one of Hotohori's younger brother and I think the novel said that he and Hotohori actually liked one another, but then his mother did something. However, I did read the novel then, so I just made up my own version of his past.
As I said, you really have to read 'Hidden Secrets' because otherwise, this would not make sense at all. I guess I wrote this as I want to try writing something happy.
Disclaimer: I own nothing
Hotohori was no longer a very unhappy man. After all, not only did Suzaku save his country, the god also promised that peace would always be with them. Therefore, he has done his duty as an emperor very well.
He was also happy due to personal reasons. He was reunited with his surviving brother Kotsuki and cleared the misunderstanding between them. The other was now training to be one of his officials and it was clear that he was determined to be a very loyal and useful subject.
Most of all, he managed to dismiss the harem that he never visited. He reasoned that there was no urgency for him to have an heir now that the kingdom would always be peaceful, and if the worst happened, his brother could continue the line.
However, the main cause of this was that his officials all saw how much he loved his empress due to her death, as he was tempted to abandon everything just to be with her. Even at that period of chaos and turmoil, he would refuse to sire a child with any other woman, so it would simply be impossible in time of peace.
However, Hotohori was not completely happy, because he was very worried about his wife. This was natural after all that had happened and he felt a very deep guilt due to the fact that it was for him.
She killed her own celestial warriors…she summoned Seiryuu and willingly went through that agony and death for him. In addition, she also spent the time apart from him thinking that he would hate her.
As an emperor, he might not have been a bad one as his people were doing very well, but he could not help but to feel that he utterly failed as a husband.
It was true that he provided her with great luxury, but it was clear that these things were not what were really important. After all, he recalled how she had cry too many times even as his empress.
"I want to see you laugh again." He said as he sat down by her bedside.
The royal physician had confirmed him that there was no side effect to her miraculous restoration by Suzaku, but he also told his emperor that the mental stress would take much longer to heal.
"I just need to rest." Yuri said. "I will be alright."
She had what she wanted, her husband's kingdom was protected and he would be able to live and prosper with it.
However, she could not help but to think of what she had done to achieve this.
All this, was naturally noticed by her husband.
In desperation, he decided to ask for advice from the other celestial warriors and Miaka, who he regarded as his comrade and friends.
"Food." Was Miaka's advice. "I always feel much better when I eat."
Even though Miaka's attitude in regard to food was another issue that made Hotohori marvel at how different Yuri and her half-sister were, he decided that it was worth a shot.
"This banquet is for the sake of making the empress feel better, so I want the very best." He told the cook.
Despite growing up eating nothing but the best, he had to admit that the cook did a very good job and the others were clearly relishing in the opportunity of eating the finest food they have ever eaten.
He naturally devoted all his attention to Yuri, even placing food in her bowl. Now and then, she would smile due to his gesture, but her eyes still became rather far away.
The plan worked slightly, but it was not good enough. Therefore, he raised the topic again.
"This is quite hard, as it is us thinking about what Houkigou would like." Chichiri pointed out.
"It could be what some of you would like. What would make some of you happy." Hotohori said.
"Money!" this was immediately said by Tamahome. "More money would always make me happy."
"A good fight." Tasuki said. "There is nothing better a good fight to make one feel energetic."
The silence that descended upon the room was naturally only surprising to the two that caused it.
"…Hotohori-sama, ignore these two idiots." Nuriko said.
"Eh…this is Houkigou we are talking about." Chiriko began. "I really don't think she would take part in a brawl."
"I don't think money would be an issue for the emperor and empress." Mitsukake pointed out.
"No, you can never have enough money!" Tamahome declared out. "If there really are spare money here then I would gladly accept – "
He didn't get to finish his sentence as Nuriko whacked him with a: "No one is asking you about what you want."
However, this resulted in a problem since Nuriko's punch was never just a slight punch.
"It was only a light tap." Nuriko defended himself as Mitsukake began to remind him of how he needed to be careful with his strength. Mitsukake was naturally very concerned since he was the one that had to deal with the aftermath.
At this, Hotohori couldn't help but to laugh even though this was not helping him at all. However, by being here, even though he was not directly taking part, it showed that the others were starting to accept him as more then the emperor.
"But I think my idea is good." Tasuki said. "And it is not that strange either. She fought along side with me when I first went back."
"Tasuki don't – " Nuriko began, but it was much too late.
"That is right…" Hotohori spelt slowly. "She was captured by you and your brothers…"
"Wait, I wasn't there when they captured her!" Tasuki immediately protested, as he was recalling how angry the other had been he first learnt about what had happened. "Besides, the ones who were responsible are no longer there."
"Yes, that incident hurt her a lot and it is also another reminder of how I was unable to protect her. Therefore, I need to fix that problem." He continued, clearing ignoring the other.
"Hotohori…how do you intend to do that though? That is in the past." Miaka reminded him.
"I can still change it. I will show her that I would get rid of all those that would and could harm her." He then nodded, and his face was now very determined. "I will round up all the bandits that had sought to harm her and make them apologise to her. That would be my present to her. I will also clear the mountain so that she could walk there again and new memories to replace the old ones."
"Wait! We have been in that mountain for so long! You can't just round us up." Tasuki protested.
"You brought this upon yourself, Tasuki." Chichiri said with a shook of his head. "It would have been the emperor's duty to get rid of bandits in the first place, and you merely made him decide to do it now."
"It might not be a bad thing, many had pointed out that things would have been much better if that region is safe." Mitsukake pointed out and his opinion was supported by Chiriko, who gave them a detailed geographical explanation.
"…you lot…none of you are helping me, are you?"
"I will go and tell her now – " Hotohori decided.
"Wait wait wait Hotohori-sama!" Tasuki yelled out. "We…we are no longer bandits. We are actually…bodyguards for people who need help!"
"That is certainly the first time I've heard of this." Hotohori said with clear surprise. "My last report certainly did not mention it."
"We are starting afresh now!" Tasuki yelled out.
"Then I naturally won't do anything." Hotohori said before he sighed. "A pity though, it would have been a good present."
"He…he really was thinking about doing that." Tasuki said in disbelieve.
"Why is it so hard to believe it?" Tamahome pointed out. "You guys are bandits."
However, they were interrupted by a laughter, a laughter from someone who had not laugh for such a long time.
"Yuri?" Hotohori said while the others, with the exception of Miaka all said "Houkigou" and bowed to her. However, she merely took his arm and said that she wanted to walk in the garden with him. He noticed that she was smiling and almost like her old self.
"This is so like you, Hotohori." Yuri said when they were alone. "Still thinking about others even though you are occupied with your own problems."
"You are wrong this time, it is not just due to Tasuki alone, but because I do want to get them to apologise to you, as well as punishing them for what they dared to do."
"The one that need punishing the most has already died." She corrected, and her smile then temporarily disappeared due to her recalling what had happened- as he was the first man that she killed. However, she then smiled again. "Why don't you just ask me what is it that would make me happy?"
"What is it then?"
"Just by you being there." She said. "Just continue to be there, and I will be fine. Soon, I will laugh again."
Author's Note: This is the result and as I said, I just wanted to write something sweet and happy. During the game, the PC will mention that she is not bothered about Tasuki being a bandit since they already have the emperor with them, and Hotohori will say that he is the emperor. Tasuki will actually think that they are joking and laugh. Hotohori will then say: "Alright, when I get back to the capital I am going to send an army to deal with the bandits here." For some reason, I just really like that part. And due to me thinking about my story, I can see Hotohori telling Yuri that he would do something like that for her. However, as I continue writing, I then felt that Hotohori might threaten do attack the bandits in order to get Tasuki to change his profession. I can see him helping out Tasuki that way. After all, as we saw in the original story, that group of bandits was actually quite dangerous. As for why Tasuki would end up being bodyguards, this is because this is what sort of happened to him in his ending, if the PC stays with him in the universe of the four gods.
Hotohori says: "You and your brothers" when he describes the bandit, but this does not mean that the bandits are related, but the idea that the bandits are comrades. I think this is more of an Asian thing.
As I said, this story is quite random, but I had fun writing it, that is the main thing for me and I hope that someone might enjoy reading it. I admit, I like the idea of writing how a man, due to the wish of making his wife happy, would do all that he can.
If you enjoy reading it, or have an idea at what other ideas that the other celestial warriors might suggest, then please tell me and I will be more then happy to add it in (if you don't mind) and extend the oneshot.