Treading in the Mist…

Disclaimer: I don't own Fushigi Yuugi. I repeat…I don't own Fushigi Yuugi! If I did, I'd probably make Hotohori a physicist! MWAHAHAHA! Oooh! The hot professor type! Yummy! (Daydreaming away now! Read on folks!)

Author's Note: It has been looooooooooooooooooooong ne? Oh well... I was having some serious issues to deal with! And now that my life has somewhat regained normalcy, I am BACK!! Oh yeah! Do let me know what you think of this one, folks!
Arigatou! :D


Note to self No.2:

Men with spears can sometimes be dangerous.

I stood there, hidden by the boughs of the tree, behind whose trunk I had taken refuge. The corridors of the supposed castle were deserted as well. I was beginning to panic. Had I broken all the laws of Physics in one go and ended up in a dimension filled with huge gardens and empty castles? I took a deep breath as I slowly stepped away from the shade and closer to the corridor.

"Hey you!" I started as I turned to my left to find two men standing there, dressed similar to that weirdo in the library – only that their colour scheme of choice seemed to be red and crimson. I looked around as though to make sure that they were addressing me. Yep! It had been me alright! When I turned back towards the men in red, they were marching towards me with shiny spears in hand.

I squeaked as I stood there rooted to the spot. When they did come closer, I could see that they were extremely handsome.

Okay Aredhel, prioritize! Gawk and die or run away!

"Who are you maiden? And what are you doing in the personal gardens of the emperor? Are you from the harem?" I blinked as it was the sanest reply. One of them pushed his spear closer to my face, making me take a step backwards.

"Answer, woman."

"Er…" I was too busy staring at the really sharp looking spear that was probably an inch away from my carotid artery.

"Who is it?" there was a voice. It sounded old and feeble. The men snapped to attention, the spears now pointing to the sky as they turned around and the three of us saw a man who I personally believed to be the oldest dude I had ever seen. His white beard was quivering and somehow, the deep blue silken robes that he wore seemed a tad bit large for him.

Our eyes met as I stood there gawking at the newcomer.

"Who is she? Is she from the harem?"

Harem?

"She is not, my lord. I personally think she is a spy." I stared at the guy as he said it, trying not to laugh. I had been called a nerd all my life and was also mistaken for a professor once. But a spy? Did he seriously think I was into espionage?

The old man frowned at me, his eyes resting on my appearance. I backed away a little only to find the two men with spears grab my arm and hold me in place.

"Take her away." I heard the man say, his voice serious. I gulped again. Okay…this was peachy! I tried to wriggle out of their grasps only to have their grips tighten.

"Don't squirm, woman. Lest you desire to be hurt." Okay that silenced me!

"Er….but I-"

"You have the right to remain silent!" the old man cut me short. I looked at him, helpless, as the two 'guards' led me off to some place. I turned around to find the old man still frowning at me, his bushy eyebrows quivering comically.

When I knew they were taking me to some place, I thought about the prison. But this was no prison! This was a hellhole!

The room I was in was in serious need of an exterminator. There were rats running here and there and I also caught sight of an occasional cockroach.

I hugged my knees as I sat in what was probably the neatest part of the room. There were tattered mattresses and a blanket of straw beside me and an earthen pot filled with water. At least they had decided not to let me die of thirst! And the water was cleaner than expected.

They had taken my backpack away and had shoved me into what seemed like the darkest and dingiest room in the entire frigin' place and while I sat here wondering how my simple quest for a topology textbook had led me into a dungeon, I heard the loud clang of the gates being opened.

Four guards now stood before me, their spears shining in the light of the torch that one of them held.

"The emperor wants to see you." he said gruffly. They threw open the doors of my room and waited for me to get up and walk out.

Did the emperor decide to release me? Or perhaps…he wanted to issue an execution order! I gulped as I felt one of the men tie my hands with some cord and push me roughly towards where I thought the door was.

"Don't try running away. Or we might have to kill you sooner." He warned me as he secured the knot. Okay! The genius thought I would run away when they had a small battalion of soldiers around me.

Very smart, Einstein!

The soldiers force-marched me along unfamiliar corridors which got grander by the step. Then suddenly they stopped. I walked straight into the broad back of the soldier in front of me. I raised my head to find myself in front of huge crimson – almost brown double doors that two guards opened. I tried to crane my neck to catch a glimpse of what was inside only to be glared at by the dude to my left.

I smiled weakly at him as he caught my arm and pulled me roughly into the room.

"All of you may leave." I heard the same old voice. I felt the vice like grip on my arm loosen mercifully as the guards bowed before the old guy and retreated away from the room.

When we were alone, I turned to the old man who was surveying my clothing with interest…well curiosity would have been apt. I looked down at myself. I was dressed in the simplest of clothing. A pair of tan cords and a white T-shirt. My disheveled hair had once been in a pony tail and my shoes were extensively dirty.

"What is your name, woman?"

"A – Aredhel sir." I mumbled, half afraid I might say something inappropriate.

"Did you not know that you were trespassing in the private properties of the emperor of Khonan?"

Emperor of what-nan?

I merely stayed silent as I didn't have a clue what the old chap was going on about.

"The emperor has decided that you are not a spy." Alright! They figured that one out. About time!

"Our emperor wants to meet you." he said gruffly. Wait a minute! Wasn't this guy the emperor? I looked up baffled as he stood there, in a deep bow towards another man who seemed to have entered the room.

If I thought the old guy's dress was a joke, I had judged too soon. The dress of the emperor would have won the position of the most comical costume award hands down. The dude was in a red gaudy silk gown – thingy that seemed to shimmer whenever he moved. There were apparently layers and layers of clothing underneath that for the white under-layers seemed to peek out from his sleeve and his hem. And his shoes…there was only one way to describe that footwear.

Boats?

I tried my best to keep a straight face as I looked up at his face. (That it would have seemed rude, did not strike my democratic brain.) The first impression that I had on the first glance of Saihitei Seishuku, the emperor was

Wow! Hot!

He had golden brown eyes that seemed to smile when he acknowledge the bow the older man was offering and when they turned to me, they snapped to alertness. But that did little to hide the gentleness and beauty they held. His mouth (adorned by a pair of firm and sensual lips) was curled in a half-smile as he looked down his straight aristocratic nose. There was something about this guy…his features and demeanor suggested that he was handsome as the devil and he knew that. He walked towards me, his motion as slow and deliberate as that of a tiger about to pounce.

I was having trouble standing as I felt my legs shake a little. I didn't know if it was because I was scared and intimidated by the emperor or because of the fact that Adonis was here in front of me.

"We see that the woman is indeed strange." His voice was deep…almost a purr as he stood a few yards away from me.

Who did he think he was calling strange? It was a bit rich coming from a guy who wore boats for shoes and a Chinese take-away box for a hat! Well…a Chinese take-away box with chopsticks pierced through them. But I decided to remain silent, for the safety of my own neck.

"We wish to interrogate her." he turned to the old man, "Alone."

The old man bowed deeply once more as he walked out of the room and to my horror closed the door as he walked out.

Uhoh.

I never took my eye away from the emperor as he casually walked to a table and chair that stood there and instead of sitting in the chair, he leaned against the table, his arms folded over his chest.

"You can come closer. We won't eat you." his voice was laughing – almost. I slowly moved a little closer but still stood a good yard away from him. He shrugged when he saw this and turned to the table where I found, to my surprise, my things lying scattered in random mess.

"What the hell?!" I cried out, temporarily forgetting the fact that the 'emperor' was there in front of me, watching my every moved with alert eyes.

"We believe these are yours?" he said nonchalantly as he took one of the books and leafed through it casually.

"Too right they are! Do you even know how much those textbooks cost? I had to work for night shifts at Qwikey's for a whole month to buy that book! Hey!" he looked up at me, his eyes shining with mirth.

"What are these? The script is quite…strange." I tried not to look exasperated. Here I was ranting on about the cost of the books that I so loved and he had the nerve to ask me what they were!

"Topological theorems…and you're holding the book upside down." I said automatically. He looked at me, his gaze totally confused as he straightened the hold he had on the book. Well...half the people in my own class didn't understand what was in that. So, it wasn't all that very surprising.

"Advanced mathematics? You know…science?" I said tentatively. He smiled amused. Boy! This guy sure knew how to tick me off.

"You must be very learned. For a woman, that is indeed impressive."

The guy was a chauvinist now?

"Where do you hail from, maiden? That, we would like to know." he asked me as he placed the book back on top of the heap of other things.

"It depends on the place where I am right now." I said bracingly as I looked around. This didn't look like the national library at all! And for some reason, this seemed too real to be a dream.

"Hmmm?"

Was he making fun of me?

"What is your name? We presume you have one?"

"It's Aredhel." He nodded acknowledging what I said and picked up another book from the pile…my notes on Nuclear physics.

"Look here." I started but at that moment, I knew I was in front of the emperor by the way his eyes held a commanding presence over me. I sighed as I shook my head,

"I don't know what this is all about and believe me, your majesty, I have tried all sorts of logical explanations to why I am here and all of them are only making me doubt my own sanity."

He smiled as he straightened up and took a step towards me. I backed away instinctively.

"That could be because you are not from this world."

"That much I figured!" I retorted sarcastically. He laughed.

"You seem too outspoken for a woman. But then again…it is nice…" he took another step towards me.

"You have a strange aura around you that is unlike any I've felt before. The reason you have come here could be because you were meant to be…" he whispered softly as he held my hands in his, removing the cord that tied my hands.

By this time, I was positively panicking.

"Whoa there!" I said, as I pulled my hand out of his gentle grasp and backed away a little.

"What in the name of GOD are you going on about, here?"

"There is a legend that states the arrival of a virgin maiden from another world…one who shall save this realm from evil. We believe you are the chosen one. The one who has the power to summon our guardian… you are a virgin…aren't you?"

"Yes. Now wait a minute! What do you mean by that? Hey, are you talking about a sacrif-"

"We assure you; you shall come through the 'ordeal' alive…" Will you not help us in our hour of dire need? There was a twinkle in his eyes as he interrupted me.

"Help you? How?"

"By summoning the Guardian deity – Suzaku."

"Suza-who?" I asked automatically. His smile widened a little as he shook his head.

"Suzaku – the red phoenix of the south."

Red phoenix!?

"Er…" he took another step towards me and caught my hand in his, firmly.

"For the sake of our people who shall celebrate your arrival with songs of hope and faith, will you not agree to become the Suzaku no Miko? Will you not help us in our time of dire need, Aredhel?" I stared at him, totally believing the guy was out of his mind (and also astonished to how quickly he got my name right!). But there was a strange streak of determination in his eyes as he stood there waiting for my answer.

"I don't know what to say."

"We must inform you that by summoning Suzaku, you shall be granted three of your wishes."

"Any wish?" he smiled as he nodded his head. That meant this Suzaku could probably send me back. And apparently he was thinking the same thing.

"He would send you back once you summon him." he said, his voice casual, as though confident that I would accept the offer.

"Well…in that case, I don't think that's gonna hurt that much. Okay. I think I'll do it." I said shrugging. But apparently I just made his day for he looked like he wanted to hug me. But he merely tightened the grip he had on my hand warmly as he smiled and said,

"I am so relieved! Our troubles are at end now."

Well mine were just beginning.


Author's Note:

There you have it folks! I'm aware that some of you would have suspected the role Aredhel would be playing. But hold on for suspense yet to come. (I think…)

And don't forget to review!

See you soon!

Anarya of Lorien.