Why hello readers. I feel that there are not many Fushigi Yûgi OC stories out there, so... yeah. I decided to post this and see where it goes. I don't have anything planned out yet, except the OC. I'll have to work on that later, which probably means after I post the first chapter it may take a few days to post the second one.
Just a warning, I might change some things concerning character background (but none of the main ones) and universe rules, though they are not "big deals", hopefully. This, aside from the changes my OC will automatically cause on the course of events, obviously.
And since I couldn't find any exact references (I'm searching though), I will set this in 1992.
Here is the first chapter. Like you will probably notice there are some details that change: instead of being in the row in front of the door, they are near the shelves on the right side. But they are really small details.
If you see any mistakes, let me know.
Warning: When you see this "Insert Text Here" as the OC's speech, it means she is mouthing it and gesturing it in sign language at the same time. If she is only mouthing the words, it will be mentioned and the same goes for her only gesturing (in sign language or other type).
Disclaimer: I do not own Fushigi Yûgi or any of its original characters and plot, Watase Yuu does. I am not making any profit out of this story, I write it only for entertainment.
Enjoy!
CHAPTER 1: Two nosy friends and a Man-eating book
Sitting on a bench at the entrance, a strawberry-blonde girl observed the people filing in and out of the National Library.
Workers, researchers, curious minds, but mostly students came in every day, more so for the last few weeks.
Admission exams were coming up. Some students sought to study within the calm environment, standard for all libraries. Others came for references and books, taking them home to revise materials in their own comfort zone.
She on the other hand, had finished studying for her admission exams yesterday. Her good grades didn't come easy to her. She always had to work hard and didn't have the luxury of slacking around. Thus, she'd had no quarrels with studying beforehand, so the last months would be free to revise and relax. It would do her or her grades no good, to take her exams with a cape of stress covering her shoulders.
Now, on this beautiful Friday afternoon, she was going to give herself a break. She would spend the weekend with Aunt Yōko, in the countryside.
This morning she had prepared her backpack – well, her mum had – and taken it to school with her. Once classes were over, she had made haste to the National Library, wanting to say goodbye to her father.
Kitakawa Kyōsuke, her father, was the head of the library department working with Classic European Literature.
Researcher and translator of scrolls, books, parchments and other pieces of old texts related to the development of Literature in Europe, her father all but lived inside the library's walls. Either that or he was travelling somewhere to personally acquire new items for the library's collection. He'd always said they were too important, too valuable to put in the hands of others.
Needless to say he was rarely home.
And they might have their differences, but she loved him all the same.
What scarce free time he had, he would spend it with her and her mother. Despite being a workaholic, not once had he forgotten about a special event. He had always been home for Christmas and had been there for her family when needed.
Plus, sometimes he would take her and her mother with him on his work trips, resulting in her having seen almost all Europe.
She had been waiting for him for twenty minutes. If he didn't show up, she'd have to leave without goodbyes, or she'd miss the train.
A high-pitched whine stabbed through her musings like a sharp knife, startling her.
"Hey, it was a joke! Say something!"
Snapping her head towards the direction it had come from, she watched as her friends waltzed through the library doors.
Yūki Miaka was, as per usual, being her loud self. She was following her childhood best friend Hongō Yui. The latter ignored her, even if she appeared to be amused by the other girl.
Being seventeen years-old, Akiko was two year older than her them. But since she was a couple of years behind due to health issues, she had been in Yui and Miaka's class for several years.
Yui was about to head towards the front desk, but she halted, turning in the direction of the bench the girl sat on. In fact, the girl realised that Yui had turned to her. An instant smile stretched its way along Akiko's red lips.
"Kiko-chan!" Yui greeted the girl, grinning back, and in the process leading Miaka's attention to the other girl as well.
Akiko waved at both of them while they approached her, bowing her head.
Miaka fixed her with a questioning look. "Kiko-chan, what are you still doing here? I thought you had a train to catch."
"I came to say goodbye to father. But he's a wee bit late," Akiko explained, with a sheepish half-smile.
Yui and Miaka nodded in understanding.
"Aunt Yōko was your nanny for a few years, wasn't she?" Miaka remembered.
Akiko confirmed with a nostalgic smile, cobalt eyes shining. "I miss her."
"That's fantastic Kiko-chan. I hope you have a nice time!" Yui wished and stole a glance at her wrist watch. "I don't mean to be rude, but I have to go in and return a book, even borrow a couple more."
She side-glanced at Miaka, leaning forward in mock conspiracy. "Someone here needs to study hard if they want to pass," Yui whispered.
Miaka huffed an indignant pout but didn't protest, causing Akiko to chuckle silently.
Yui bowed and strode to the front desk. Miaka and Akiko watched after her, while she spoke to Mrs. Wu.
"Hey!" Miaka's yell had Akiko turn to her again. She found her pointing her finger at the vending machine across the room, in a secluded area. "There's a juice machine here!" She cheered.
There's a vending machine everywhere now a days, Miaka. Akiko thought with a smirk.
"Kiko-chan I'm getting a drink, do you want something?" Miaka offered.
The latter shook her head and surveyed the scene as Miaka hurried to the machine.
Lifting her wrist, she noticed it had been another ten minutes, and her dad was nowhere to be seen.
She had the train in thirty minutes, and it would take her at least that time to reach the station on foot.
Seems I'm in for some exercise. Urgh.
"Miaka?" Yui's voice rang on the other side of the entrance hall.
Akiko lifted her eyes, in time to see Yui disappearing around the corner leading to the Restricted Section.
What in the world is Yui doing? No one is allowed in there except library employees!
Her eyes peeped at Mrs. Wu who was whistling, eyes glued to the computer screen in front of her. Akiko sprang up and sprinted across the room, trudging up the stairs with her bags all dangling in the air.
Reaching the ajar door, Akiko heard both girls talking in a hushed tone. She couldn't decipher what they were saying.
Bursting inside, Akiko roamed along the rows of shelves in the dim lit room.
Miaka and Yui sat on the farthest row from the door to the right. A red, old-looking tome rested in their hands.
Akiko banged her hand on the shelf to her left, making her presence known.
Her startled friends lifted their heads to her.
"Are you mad? You are not allowed in here. Out, both of you. Before you get yourselves into trouble!" The girl gestured.
Miaka was quick to shake her head. "No wait, Kiko-chan you don't understand! Th-there was a bird, a huge red bird, and it came in here, I saw it! And-and then this book fell off the shelf on its own, and Yui-chan was going to see what it was about. It's this weird Chinese book named –"
"Universe of the Four Gods." Akiko interrupted Miaka's frantic gesture-filled ranting. Miaka closed her gaping mouth, while Yui nodded at her. "I have seen the book before. When I was younger, I sneaked in here and came across that book. But I never touched it," Akiko answered her unspoken question.
"Oh." Miaka's shoulders hunched down. "So you believe me?!" She added, perking up.
Ignoring Miaka, Akiko proceeded to give Yui a questioning look. She would tell her exactly what had happened. Akiko didn't want to hurt Miaka's feelings by being blunt.
Yui's eyes flickered to Miaka, before returning to Akiko. "I didn't see anything," She stated. "But this book was on the floor, so I was going to take a look at it." She insisted, waving the book in the air.
"Maybe you imagined it, Miaka," Akiko suggested. "It's impossible for a bird to get in here, let alone a huge, red one."
It was irrational to even consider otherwise. If a big red bird had come into the library, it wouldn't have passed unnoticed. Nor had it any way of opening a closed door.
"I did not!" Miaka protested. "Please, Kiko-chan, you have to believe me, why would I make it up?" Miaka wielded a pair of big, pleading eyes.
"Miaka's right, she doesn't have the brain to make up something like this," Yui half-joked.
"Oi!" Miaka punched Yui on the shoulder.
Akiko ignored their antics and narrowed her eyes, pinning the girls with a glare that said they were nuts. Sure, Yui had a good point, but it was still unlikely.
Even so, she joined them.
She lowered herself to the floor, next to Yui, extending her hand.
Catching up, Yui handed over the book to the older girl. Raising it to eye level, Akiko squinted as she prodded the book.
It smelt of used, mold-filled parchment, at least a couple of centuries old. The scrapes were rough under the skin of her fingers.
The yellow, once-upon-a-time-white spine was dented from top to bottom and the red ink had begun to fade.
Akiko returned it to Yui who flipped open the first page.
"It says it's an ancient Chinese novel." She breathed.
"Chinese novel?" Miaka echoed.
"And thus, the girl of legend opened the door to another world..." Yui read.
Miaka gasped as she jabbed her finger at a portrait of a giant bird. A hybrid of phoenix and peacock look-alike, Akiko would guess. "This... this is the bird I saw before!"
The strawberry-blonde tapped on the rest of the text, requesting Yui to continue.
"This is the story of a young girl who single-handedly gathered the Seven Stars of Suzaku, and gained the power to make all her dreams come true. The story itself is an incantation and whoever reads it gains the main character's power, to have their wishes granted. This is because, once they turn the first page, the story will become real and begin." Yui finished in a whisper.
A few silent seconds stretched for what felt like hours. The two younger girls had a dazed fog clouding their eyes and gaping mouths. The oldest scowled sceptically at the object.
Yui raised her head and alternated her stare between Miaka and Akiko, lingering over the first girl. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Miaka blinked stupidly. "If you can't understand it, how will I?"
Yui shifted her gaze onto the shorter girl.
Akiko rolled her eyes. "Exactly what you read," She deadpanned like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"So does this mean we'll get the main character's power... or whatever?" Yui dragged her words, sounding sceptical herself.
"No!" If Akiko had a voice, she would have sounded utterly exasperated. "It's a story, good heavens. It's just meant to be fun."
Even as she spoke those words, a glaring crimson light shot from the book, causing Akiko to shut her eyes.
Yui thrusted the tome away as if it were liquid lava and scream.
The whole room felt on the verge of collapsing and next thing Akiko knew, the floor had fled from under her feet.
For some reason, it wasn't as scary as it should have been. Warmth spread along her chest, unclenching the bony fingers of fear that had clutched her heart. There was stillness, peace she dare say, cleansing her, making her skin tingle.
Was this how falling to your death felt like?
She had expected breathtaking panic, blood freezing despair.
Akiko fluttered her eyes open, to see herself falling through a red lit universe, full of stars. Bending her head, her cobalt blue eyes met a baby blue light enveloping her like a strong armor.
Keeping her safe from harm.
Her eyelids became heavier, as she found herself drifting off into the blackness. She could no longer hear Miaka or Yui. She heard nothing except fierce bird screeches clashing with what sounded like dragon roars.
Like standing on the sidelines of a raging battle.
Yet to her ears, it was like a soothing lullaby.
Akiko was sure she could fall asleep, and not wake up... ever again.
Hope you liked it! I now have to plan my next steps, but I sort of know what I want to do.
Leave me your comments, opinions, suggestions, concerns. Feel free to PM me.
I do have a small request. This fic is not BETA'd, so you if you know someone or if you'd like to do it, feel free to tell me. I'd appreciate it greatly!
See you next time.
- Hallee xoxo