This is crazy, but whenever I think of Yui and Nakago for The Blue Flower, Seiran always pops in. I think this fiction is begging to be written, desperate to the point where I can't think of any other pairing but this one. So I figured I would put up this first chapter—just to get it off my thoughts. And to appease one of my favorite bishies. :D I hope you like this one.
Disclaimer: Fushigi Yuugi and Saiunkoku Monogatari are not mine.
Seven-Colored Nation
By Slavedriver2008
Everything was dark. Yui Hongou was walking in a shadowy forest. Voices called from behind trees but they never made sense. It was a chant, a confluence of words she could not understand. There was nothing but the darkness before her and the gentle thumping created by her palpitating heart.
Yui… Come to me…
She turned and found nothing. A sharp shrill sound pierced through her thoughts and she woke up with a start, a painful throbbing in her head greeted what could have been a perfect Spring morning. She stopped the alarming clock and wiped the traces of saliva that seeped from her mouth to the sides of her lips. Her electronic clock said it was already six in the morning and she lazily arranged the opened books on the table and pinched herself to awaken her senses. She fell asleep at past three in the morning because she was reviewing for the Todai examinations, which will be given out next month.
She tried to remember the dream but the only image she could make out was the gentle rustles of the shadows of leaves. Then there was the voice, calling to her from the depths of her soul. A tear fell from her eye and she was surprised when it rolled down her cheek. She palmed it and looked at it with curiosity. Her heart was aching, yet… There was nothing to be lonely for. She had lived a beautiful and happy life. And her monthly period had passed. There was no reason to be depressed. But there she was, feeling down and gloomy. Maybe it has something to do with the weather or the nearing examinations.
"Get a grip of your emotions, Yui," she told herself. And with a force, stood up from the table.
But not long before did she notice a glimmering scale. She picked it up and held it in the light. The transparent blue scale shined and Yui briefly wondered where it came from. The familiarity made her skin prickle and with heart on her throat, she slowly pulled out a treasure box and placed it inside. If she were a middle school senior, she would easily consider it as a beautiful piece of glass. But she knew better; though it was small, the shape and design was too familiar to be regarded as another broken piece. Yui opened the treasure box and placed the scale up, looking for any mark. A blue dragon glimmered and her eyes widened.
"It cannot be…" she thought. "Why would Seiryuu's scale be… here?"
She slowly put the delicate thing inside the box and closed her drawer. An all too familiar scenario nagged at the back of her head but she shook it away. It was highly impossible for Seiryuu to be calling her into the book. The book had long disappeared, bringing with it all traces of the world she and her best friend Miaka Yuki knew so well. Furthermore, Miaka was already married and if there was one person more tied to the book between them, it was the brunette.
Troubled, Yui took her phone and dialed Miaka's number. It's been a long time since the book returned to her thoughts. After the war, Yui never talked about her experience with anyone—not even with Miaka. All the events, incidents, details, characters, she buried in the deepest part of her memories. She never explained why she did what she did or why her seishis acted as such. The conversations between her and her warriors, their plans, their hidden agendas—everything was kept in her memory but was never voiced out. It was a secret between them. The only thing she can remember after she returned. Those were not good memories but it was the only thing she has. As much as possible, she wanted to keep all the memories, to remind her that once in her life, she became another person. It was her lesson and at the same time, a sign of penance.
"Moshi-Moshi?" Miaka answered the phone and Yui's thoughts returned to the present.
"Miaka, it's me, Yui. Are you busy later? I was thinking maybe we could meet and talk, just like the good old times?" she asked, smiling. Miaka laughed at the other end. "It's my treat, I found a new sweet shop near the National Library."
"Of course, Yui!" Miaka said in a happy voice. "What time does your class end?" she asked and Yui gave her the time. "Oh, great. I'll be done going to the supermarket by then. Let's meet at the coffee shop?"
After a few more words, the plan was sealed: they were to meet and talk. They said their goodbyes and after putting down the phone, Yui took out the treasure box and pulled out the dragon scale. She slowly put it inside her handkerchief and placed it above the books she was supposed to return to the National Library. She turned and with mind still deep in thoughts, opened the bathroom door and took a cold shower.
They fell into the book on the second week of the first month of summer. Yui can remember the incident vividly, like it happened yesterday. They were middle school seniors then and she remembered asking Miaka to accompany her to the library. That's when the story began. She need not probe deeper in her head, the scenes unfold easily in her memories. Even after a long time, she could not forget each succession of events. She let out a sigh and walked toward the library, bringing the books she strived to finish last night for her review.
From the library, she could see the building of Todai's Hongou campus, her dream school. She smiled. Soon, she will go to that school and become Japan's number one doctor. She passed by the vendo machine and with a smile, placed the books down and took a few coins, suddenly feeling very thirsty. A can rolled out of the machine and when she picked it up, noticed a red feather on the floor.
Yui slowly picked it up, curiosity evident in her face. She had never seen such a feather before, it was quite lovely, the tips leaving behind a reddish glow. Her heart hammered hard and she placed it on her handkerchief, together with Seiryuu's dragon scales. Feather? Was this one of Suzaku's feathers? Yui thought long and hard. Probably not. The south god would never show himself to her. She was strictly a Seiryuu no miko. She covered the two beautiful things and placed it back in her pocket. She'll ask Miaka what she thinks later. They were, after all, scheduled to meet.
"Relax, Yui… You're overanalyzing things again…" she told herself in a soft voice. She thumbed the sides of her head, slightly vanquishing the pain brought by lack of sleep.
After ten minutes of logging in the books, Yui walked over the History section and pulled out a leather-bound book. It was written in Chinese but since she was bilingual, found it easy to read. She had not been reading Chinese books lately and her Mandarin was starting to get rusty. A tie of white hair was bookmarked at a certain page and she frowned at the sight. Who would cut their hair and use it as a bookmark? It was a very old custom and was slightly disgusting. Usually, such acts were done to show affection to another person, much like sealing a letter with a kiss. The bookmark glimmered and even against her will, she lifted it up and compared it to the other two artifacts she found earlier. They all seemed to be made of the same texture. With a sigh, she placed it on the handkerchief and looked around. Why was she getting all these weird stuff? And why was she taking them?
Yui checked her watch and was about to go to the coffee shop when an earthquake happened. The floor was shaking as if someone was walking in heavy footsteps. She suddenly felt scared. She was the only one in that floor and her initial instincts were to run toward the exit. Panicked, she clutched her bag and ran with abandon. She entered a dimly-lit room and the earthquake stopped. Her heart palpitated when she realized where she was. A book caught her attention and though logic was urging her to not come close, she walked toward it and was surprised to see a jeweled key on top. She lifted the key and curiously opened the brown book. Words were written in Chinese and it took her awhile before she properly translated the words. She read the words out, like a mantra.
Behold the legend of the forgotten gods of the heavens…
On the proper time they shall rise again…
Flying, roaming, gliding, amongst the seven colored clouds…
At the mention of the last word, light shone from the book and Yui gasped. The scene was familiar. And the sensation warned her of a distinct possibility. She dropped the book and it opened on its own. Before she could turn and run, the light devoured her and the first page turned, words forming in black ink for a reader that does not exist. It read:
Once the book was turned, a blinding light enveloped the girl of another world...
It was not the first time she experienced such calls from the gods
but it was never a welcome thought...
For the girl, though branded as the priestess of the god of the east,
was the only one who tasted immortality,
a taste she disliked and loathed but savored nonetheless...
She was also, the only one amongst them, who remained
untouched and clean and pure….
Let the stars gather…
Let the heavens sing…
Let the new world rejoice…
She who rides on the wings of fate…
She who moves the hands of time…
The priestess has arrived,
bringing both doom and salvation to the world…
And so it began…
Falling. She was falling. Yui struggled to hold on to something—anything to alleviate the fall but her hands grasped nothing. Gravity was pulling her faster and faster and a controlled scream went out of her mouth. She was too scared to open her eyes and even if she did, she would see nothing but the numerous colors that flashed before her eyes when the blinding light consumed her. The sensation was all too familiar. She will not fall hard but will end up in another world. Yui silently berated herself for even thinking that the portal had been closed. She should have known better.
Fear gripped her. What if the old events happened again? What if instead of her warriors, a group of men with ill intentions find her? Everything was too surreal, yet the feeling was real. A wry smile spread thinly on her lips; she was once again, destined to suffer. Seiryuu, she thought, at least send me to where he is. He pertained to the only warrior she trusted. He used her, yes, but she still trusted him.
Nakago. She silently prayed. Please let Nakago find me…
Her body landed on something—someone—and the latter made a sound as they fall harshly on the ground. Gasps came from the surroundings and when Yui opened her eyes, she found herself lying on top of a wide strong chest. She briefly flushed; had she gotten her last-minute wish? She immediately looked up to the man who caught her and met a handsome angular face. Her breath caught. She blinked and looked through his features. Shoulder-length silver-gray hair, a gentle face, and deep dark eyes that looked back with the same curious expression. He was not Nakago yet…she looked through his features again, their faces inches away.
"SEIRAN!" a girl's voice screamed and Yui turned to the source of the voice. Horrified big brown eyes looked at her and Yui gasped, immediately standing up and stepping back from the man she fell into. The girl immediately ran toward the man as he stood up, still intently looking at her. "Are you alright?"
Murmurs came from around her and Yui's eyes widened at the sight of numerous men dressed in traditional Chinese garb, standing before a house in an almost dry and dying garden. They were all probably her age and were looking at her from head to foot.
But before anyone could speak more, a cold arm wrapped around her shoulders, pulling her to a wide chest. Long pale fingers cupped her face and a cold breath tickled her ear. It made her body numb. She couldn't speak, couldn't move, as if the man casted a spell and she was turned to a living stone.
"You came back, Yui-sama…" an otherworldly voice reverberated in the air and the hair on Yui's back prickled. Her eyes widened when he licked the curve of her ear. Her heart palpitated out of fear. "Should we leave for my kingdom now?"
"No…" she whispered but the word got tangled in her throat. The girl screamed and Yui closed her eyes as the man behind her pulled out a long sword, aiming to stab her in the stomach. She felt the tip of the blade, cutting through her thin white shirt and slowly touching her skin. "Don't…"
"Nuisance," the cold voice said as his arms tightened on her. When Yui opened her eyes, the same man she fell into—the person the girl called Seiran—was standing before her, holding back the sword that would have cut short her life.
"Let her go," Seiran said, looking straight at the man's face. The other men surrounded them and pointed their swords at the man behind Yui. He laughed.
"Your swords cannot kill me…" he said and Yui realized he had heard the voice before. But she could not place a face behind it. He clutched her throat.
"My sword was blessed in the temple—it will be enough to kill you!"
"I'll let them have you for now, Yui-sama… When I return, you will be mine—you are mine!"
The man slowly disappeared and without his arms supporting her, Yui's knees gave way. Seiran immediately caught her. All energy seemed to have left her. Her vision was blurring and her heart was jumping off her chest. They slid to the ground, him still holding her. He clutched her shoulders and faced her.
"Seiran—" one of the men called.
"Who are you?" Seiran asked in a tight voice. "What does the god of the underworld want from you?" he asked and Yui tried to match his stares. Yui closed her eyes, willing her strength to come back. But it was fading, like her consciousness. Pain shot through her body and when she opened her eyes again, Seiran was still looking at her.
"Seiran, stop—she's bleeding," another male voice called. Yui touched her stomach and her eyes widened when she found her hand drenched in blood. Seiran clutched her wrist and immediately wrapped his arms around her, carrying her from the ground into strong muscular arms.
"I'll prepare a spare room—"
"Hurry and call the doctor!"
The voices were fleeting in Yui's head. Her eyes closed on her own and the vision of rustling shadowy leaves fleeted in her subconscious. The tips of her fingers brushed through an armor and she slowly opened her eyes to see long golden locks that shine in the sun.
"Nakago…" she whispered, leaning closer to the general's chest before her thoughts completely faded in the darkness.
Author's Notes: I made drastic changes in this chapter than what I initially wrote. There's not much here but I hope it's an interesting beginning. I look forward to your reviews. It's been a long time—I've forgotten how to write fanfictions!