@-;--- @-;--- @-;--- @-;--- @-;--- @-;--- @-;---
** SPOILERS FOR EP. 40 AND ON **
@-;--- @-;--- @-;--- @-;--- @-;--- @-;--- @-;---
The Calling
by Moonsong
tsukinouta@yahoo.com
Part 1: Arrival of a Stranger
"O-BAKE-CH-AAAAN!"
The taunting cry echoed in the street, barely concealing the
whimper that followed.
"Yamete!"
Four boys, ages varying between seven and ten, had cornered a
much smaller figure, huddled against the side walls of one of the
many shops in the village. The younger boy whimpered, his back
pressed up against the wooden planks, his small face scrunched in
fear.
"Bak-bak-bak-ba-KA!"
"Stop it! Onegai..." To his dismay, fat tears slid down the boy's
cheeks despite his attempts to blink them back. Real boys didn't
cry after all. They had taught him that. The last time he'd cried
in front of them, he'd gone home muddied and slightly battered,
having been made to choke down handfuls of the black goo. That
had been a mere two weeks ago. Hoping desperately not to have
that "lesson" repeated, he scrunched his eyes shut, praying they
wouldn't notice.
Luck was not on his side.
"Look! He's crying again!" came the mocking shout. "What a BABY!"
"Yeah," another boy piped up. This was the largest one of them
all- the one that had caused him to hide in his room like a
frightened jackrabbit. "You're not just a freak, you're a girl!"
Without warning, the tormented boy's forehead began to glow. A
reddish light shone from some sort of pattern on the child's
face.
One of the bullies gasped. "Look! It's happening again!"
As the four boys looked on, the Chinese symbol for "ogre"
appeared on their victim's forehead. This is what had earned him
the hated nickname in the first place. This symbol, glowing on
his forehead for all the world to see. This was the cause of his
pain. It's what made him different. And outcast. He hated the
thing with a passion unfit for one so young.
Then, from the shadows jumped a figure. "Stop," it commanded.
The man had long, silvery hair, sharp eyes, and a chiseled face
topping a wiry, yet well-muscled frame. His lips formed a
predatory smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, his glare
shooting daggers.
The four boys backed down.
"Gomen!"
"I'm sorry!"
"We weren't doing anything!" The leader shrank back, mock
innocence shining from every pore.
The man raised an eyebrow. That one certainly had spirit.
However, so did he. Leaning down to their level, he shot the boy
a withering glare. "If you don't leave this instant, I'll drag
you into the forest and flog you until your eyes pop out of your
fat little head."
The bully's jaw dropped.
"And," the stranger continued, straightening and fixing his cuffs
boredly, "I can do it without leaving a mark on you so your
parents never find out." His eyes caught the younger boy's again,
his glare pure ice, "Don't doubt I can."
The boy's eyes widened and he nodded in fear. With a quick glance
at his cohorts, two of which were already retreating, he turned
tail and ran.
The stranger watched them sternly, long enough to ensure they
were really leaving. With a sigh, he turned back to the boy,
still quivering against the wall.
"Hey, little one, it's all right now," he soothed, extending a
hand out to him. The boy's eyes widened in fear and he shrunk
even further away.
The stranger frowned. This was certainly nothing that he had
expected. If it weren't for the fact that he'd seen the seishi
symbol with his own eyes, he would almost have believed he had
found the wrong boy. That this future warrior was so cowed as to
be afraid of him was a complication indeed.
Seeming to come to a decision, the man dropped to one knee before
the boy and offered his hand again.
"My name is Lan-uan. What's yours?"
The boy's eyes narrowed and he looked about furtively, as if
expecting something to materialize from the empty street and eat
him alive. When he had assured himself that they were indeed
alone, he inched away from the wall, keeping his eyes on the
strange man in front of him.
"K-kishuku," he whispered.
His voice was so soft, Lan could barely make out his words.
Breathing a sigh of relief, he smiled, trying to look as friendly
as possible.
"Kishuku. That's a nice name," he stood slowly, careful not to
rattle the child. Even then, his slight movement caused Kishuku
to flinch.
Lan smiled again. "Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you. In
fact, I'd like to teach you."
The boy's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Teach me what?"
"For one," he started, brushing the dust from his clothes, "how
to defend yourself so those bullies stop harassing you."
Kishuku nodded warily, his eyes still narrowed. "Yes..."
"And another," Lan stepped forward and knelt again so he was face
to face with the boy. "Haven't you always wanted to know what
this means?" he asked gently, and tapped the boy's forehead with
a callused finger.
More than a little shocked, Kishuku backpedaled, nearly tripping
over a rock in the process. Quick as a cat, Lan reached out and
grabbed his arm, steadying him.
After he had regained his balance, Kishuku stared at his savior,
eyes widening. "You... you can tell me?"
"Yes, I can. If you're willing to learn."
The boy nodded.
With an encouraging smile, Lan stood and offered his hand. "In
that case, let's begin."
Kishuku looked at the proffered hand, apprehension and curiosity
warring upon his young features. Curiosity won out and he took
the hand shakily.
Lan nodded in approval and started to walk towards the boy's
parents house. "You are the Suzaku Seishi, Tamahome..."
~ TBC ~
Author's Notes: This is may turn into a larger story... depending
on the response I get or how inspiring Tamahome is. ^_~ Feedback
onegai!
Credits for this go to Felicia, aka Tomo no Miko, whose site I
used to get the info regarding Tokaki, such as his real name,
etc. *bows* Visit her site at:
http://www.sempai.org/~felicia/fushigi.html
Oh, and I posted this before Quicksilver could shred it. Any
grammar problems, anywhere a . should be a , are all my fault.
^_^ Thanks for the first look though, imouto!
Disclaimer: All original materials belong to their respective
owners. Fushigi Yuugi belongs to Watase Yuu and a bunch of big
companies. No copyright infringement is intended. The story is
mine and I would appreciate an email asking me for permission
before posting it anywhere else.
"The Calling" © August 3, 2000 by Moonsong. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.midnightrevolution.org/moonsong/
** SPOILERS FOR EP. 40 AND ON **
@-;--- @-;--- @-;--- @-;--- @-;--- @-;--- @-;---
The Calling
by Moonsong
tsukinouta@yahoo.com
Part 1: Arrival of a Stranger
"O-BAKE-CH-AAAAN!"
The taunting cry echoed in the street, barely concealing the
whimper that followed.
"Yamete!"
Four boys, ages varying between seven and ten, had cornered a
much smaller figure, huddled against the side walls of one of the
many shops in the village. The younger boy whimpered, his back
pressed up against the wooden planks, his small face scrunched in
fear.
"Bak-bak-bak-ba-KA!"
"Stop it! Onegai..." To his dismay, fat tears slid down the boy's
cheeks despite his attempts to blink them back. Real boys didn't
cry after all. They had taught him that. The last time he'd cried
in front of them, he'd gone home muddied and slightly battered,
having been made to choke down handfuls of the black goo. That
had been a mere two weeks ago. Hoping desperately not to have
that "lesson" repeated, he scrunched his eyes shut, praying they
wouldn't notice.
Luck was not on his side.
"Look! He's crying again!" came the mocking shout. "What a BABY!"
"Yeah," another boy piped up. This was the largest one of them
all- the one that had caused him to hide in his room like a
frightened jackrabbit. "You're not just a freak, you're a girl!"
Without warning, the tormented boy's forehead began to glow. A
reddish light shone from some sort of pattern on the child's
face.
One of the bullies gasped. "Look! It's happening again!"
As the four boys looked on, the Chinese symbol for "ogre"
appeared on their victim's forehead. This is what had earned him
the hated nickname in the first place. This symbol, glowing on
his forehead for all the world to see. This was the cause of his
pain. It's what made him different. And outcast. He hated the
thing with a passion unfit for one so young.
Then, from the shadows jumped a figure. "Stop," it commanded.
The man had long, silvery hair, sharp eyes, and a chiseled face
topping a wiry, yet well-muscled frame. His lips formed a
predatory smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, his glare
shooting daggers.
The four boys backed down.
"Gomen!"
"I'm sorry!"
"We weren't doing anything!" The leader shrank back, mock
innocence shining from every pore.
The man raised an eyebrow. That one certainly had spirit.
However, so did he. Leaning down to their level, he shot the boy
a withering glare. "If you don't leave this instant, I'll drag
you into the forest and flog you until your eyes pop out of your
fat little head."
The bully's jaw dropped.
"And," the stranger continued, straightening and fixing his cuffs
boredly, "I can do it without leaving a mark on you so your
parents never find out." His eyes caught the younger boy's again,
his glare pure ice, "Don't doubt I can."
The boy's eyes widened and he nodded in fear. With a quick glance
at his cohorts, two of which were already retreating, he turned
tail and ran.
The stranger watched them sternly, long enough to ensure they
were really leaving. With a sigh, he turned back to the boy,
still quivering against the wall.
"Hey, little one, it's all right now," he soothed, extending a
hand out to him. The boy's eyes widened in fear and he shrunk
even further away.
The stranger frowned. This was certainly nothing that he had
expected. If it weren't for the fact that he'd seen the seishi
symbol with his own eyes, he would almost have believed he had
found the wrong boy. That this future warrior was so cowed as to
be afraid of him was a complication indeed.
Seeming to come to a decision, the man dropped to one knee before
the boy and offered his hand again.
"My name is Lan-uan. What's yours?"
The boy's eyes narrowed and he looked about furtively, as if
expecting something to materialize from the empty street and eat
him alive. When he had assured himself that they were indeed
alone, he inched away from the wall, keeping his eyes on the
strange man in front of him.
"K-kishuku," he whispered.
His voice was so soft, Lan could barely make out his words.
Breathing a sigh of relief, he smiled, trying to look as friendly
as possible.
"Kishuku. That's a nice name," he stood slowly, careful not to
rattle the child. Even then, his slight movement caused Kishuku
to flinch.
Lan smiled again. "Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you. In
fact, I'd like to teach you."
The boy's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Teach me what?"
"For one," he started, brushing the dust from his clothes, "how
to defend yourself so those bullies stop harassing you."
Kishuku nodded warily, his eyes still narrowed. "Yes..."
"And another," Lan stepped forward and knelt again so he was face
to face with the boy. "Haven't you always wanted to know what
this means?" he asked gently, and tapped the boy's forehead with
a callused finger.
More than a little shocked, Kishuku backpedaled, nearly tripping
over a rock in the process. Quick as a cat, Lan reached out and
grabbed his arm, steadying him.
After he had regained his balance, Kishuku stared at his savior,
eyes widening. "You... you can tell me?"
"Yes, I can. If you're willing to learn."
The boy nodded.
With an encouraging smile, Lan stood and offered his hand. "In
that case, let's begin."
Kishuku looked at the proffered hand, apprehension and curiosity
warring upon his young features. Curiosity won out and he took
the hand shakily.
Lan nodded in approval and started to walk towards the boy's
parents house. "You are the Suzaku Seishi, Tamahome..."
~ TBC ~
Author's Notes: This is may turn into a larger story... depending
on the response I get or how inspiring Tamahome is. ^_~ Feedback
onegai!
Credits for this go to Felicia, aka Tomo no Miko, whose site I
used to get the info regarding Tokaki, such as his real name,
etc. *bows* Visit her site at:
http://www.sempai.org/~felicia/fushigi.html
Oh, and I posted this before Quicksilver could shred it. Any
grammar problems, anywhere a . should be a , are all my fault.
^_^ Thanks for the first look though, imouto!
Disclaimer: All original materials belong to their respective
owners. Fushigi Yuugi belongs to Watase Yuu and a bunch of big
companies. No copyright infringement is intended. The story is
mine and I would appreciate an email asking me for permission
before posting it anywhere else.
"The Calling" © August 3, 2000 by Moonsong. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.midnightrevolution.org/moonsong/