Chapter 2 : Fushigi Replay
The unpleasant sensation of a stone digging painfully into her side brought her back to full consciousness. The russet-haired girl groaned, gingerly pushing herself upright while taking stock of her present situation. Nothing important felt broken, so that was a definite plus. On the other hand, she felt bruised all over, like the first few times she and Nakago had—…
He certainly hadn't gone easy on her because she was a beginner.
Her dress, at least, seemed to have survived relatively unscathed on the journey over here and there were no rips in the fragile silk. Still, the question remained: Where exactly was Here? Recalling Taiitsukun's hijacking of her birthday party, she muttered a heartfelt curse involving the unsightly deity and the eighteenth level of hell before getting to her feet. A wave of dizziness washed over her, causing her to stumble and grab hold of the nearest object…which turned out to be a tree covered with beautiful pure white cherry blossoms.
Squeezing her eyes shut, she waited until everything stopped spinning around her before reluctantly letting go of the tree. Miaka sighed; first the nausea and the throwing up in the morning, and now this…she sincerely hoped she wasn't getting sick. Of course, aside from that, the whole ball-of-lead-in-the-pit-of-her-stomach feeling which had appeared the moment the old hag had turned up at the restaurant had yet to subside. That, along with a funny sense of déjà vu, was enough to make anyone more than a little queasy.
A gust of wind ruffled her hair, the cool air and the swirling white sakura petals reviving her spirits somewhat. This place…she turned to study the tree more closely, I'm sure that I've seen this place somewhere before. She noticed that she was atop a small hill and a little to her right, she saw what looked to be a large, sprawling city surrounded by high fortress-like walls. There was a wide, well-travelled dirt road passing by the bottom of the hill which led up to the imposing city gates. Guess I'm back inside the Shijintenchisho, the former Suzaku no Miko concluded with resigned acceptance. Her first priority was to find her husband and Hotohori, and the city seemed like the logical place to start. Venting another sigh, Miaka tipped her head back and took a deep, calming breath.
"I swear that this is going to be the LAST time I'm doing this, Taiitsukun! Did you hear me, old hag? THE. LAST. TIME!" she yelled up at the sky.
Having released some of her pent up frustration, she turned and stomped down the hill towards the road.
Thankfully, it did not take her very long to reach her destination. The crush of humans, oxen, live poultry and assorted varieties of farm produce piled high on carts made it easy for her to slip past the heavily armed guards standing on either side of the imposing gates. While her dress was perfectly acceptable back in her world, it looked out of place here in the Universe of the Four Gods and the last thing she wanted to do was to draw undue attention to herself. As she passed beneath the towering structure in the shadow of a cart filled with firewood, she kept her head down and suppressed a shiver. It all seemed horribly familiar, but she could not quite put her finger on it.
Once she was reasonably sure she was out of the guards' line of sight, she turned into the first road which branched off from the wide main street. Leaning against the side of a building, she willed her rapidly beating heart to slow down. For some reason, halfway through the gate, she'd felt a strange sense of anxiety gripping her, making the hair on the back of her neck prickle with unease. Yet, discreet glances around assured Miaka that no one seemed to notice her presence.
Shaking her head to clear the paranoid thoughts, she tried to focus on the problem at hand. Right, so I'm inside the city. Now what? The former Miko bit her lip in thought as she tried to come up with a plan. The first order of business, she supposed, was to obtain some clothes that would allow her to blend in with the general population...
He studied the girl from the watchtower built into the perimeter wall, high above the crowded entrance to the city. In the sea of people and animals, she alone stood out like a beacon. Her chi was…intriguing. Whatever it was, there was an unmistakable underlying power in her aura which had literally grabbed his attention before she even set foot inside the gate.
Her clothes, her chi…could she be…? With narrowed eyes, he followed her progress. She was prudently cautious and seemed fully aware of how different her appearance was from the average townsfolk, taking care to keep her petite, slender body in the shadows of a large cart. He watched her look around warily, as though aware that she was being observed, and wondered if she could sense his intent gaze. He discarded the idea almost as quickly…it was far more probable that she was just nervous. Any normal person would be, while sneaking through gates that were surrounded by soldiers.
From this distance, there was no way he could make out her features clearly, save for the fact that she had long wavy russet hair, but it hardly mattered. Not when he had another, more efficient way of tracking down his quarry.
The day was turning out to be far more interesting than he had anticipated. Perhaps this new development would bring him one step closer to achieving his goals. Even if it turned out otherwise, he was certain that the situation would provide him with some amusement. Sparing one last glance at the gates below, he made a mental note to have the guards punished for their lapse in duty…If that slip of a girl had managed to get inside the capital undetected by them, so could their enemies.
Picking up his sword and cloak, the observer glided down the steep spiral stairs of the watchtower to the ground level. Lifting his head briefly, he took note of the sun's position in the sky and estimated the number of daylight hours left before setting off on her trail.
He greatly looked forward to meeting her.
They materialised almost on top of each other in an unoccupied cubicle in the men's washroom. Only superior reflexes prevented both of them from ending up on the floor in a highly embarrassing position...As it was, Andy overbalanced and toppled into his unwilling companion, thus sandwiching his erstwhile enemy between his own body and the wall. For a few frozen seconds, neither of them said a word, until the blonde shogun broke the uncomfortable tableau with a low, decidedly sardonic purr right into the Suzaku seishi's ear, "Really, Saihitei, you might want to move sometime soon. I assure you that I'm very happily married and I do not swing that way."
The results were instantaneous. Nicholas smirked as the other man literally leapt away from him like an electrocuted kangaroo; so quickly and with so much force that Andy slammed against the opposite wall of the cubicle. The pretty-boy pop idol's face had turned from red to white, and was currently starting to take on a sickly green tinge.
"Shut up!" Andy snarled angrily, realising that the sadistic bastard who also happened to be Miaka's husband had just won another round in their silent, ongoing battle. For his Miko's sake, he tried to keep his dislike for the impassive Seiryuu general hidden whenever she was around, but he had not forgiven Nakago for winning Miaka's heart. For marrying her…for having the right to hold and kiss her. For having the privilege of making love to her…
One such as he, his hands balled into fists, does not deserve her!
After all these years, he still felt a twinge of pain and jealousy every time he saw his Miko looking up at her husband with such incredible love in her eyes. And as much as he loathed the arrogant jerk, he wasn't blind or stupid enough to miss the fact that the Walking Ice Block did, in fact, return her feelings. It was a bitter pill for Andy to swallow. Trying to separate Miaka from Nakago would only hurt her, and that was something neither his present nor his past self could bear. He understood, that the only thing he could do was to stand on the sidelines, ready to offer his support if she ever needed it.
As both a friend who loved her dearly and a loyal seishi who would do anything to protect her happiness, it was the noble thing to do.
However, it didn't mean that he had to like it…Or the man that she had chosen to give her heart to.
He gritted his teeth as Nakago opened the cubicle door and calmly strolled out, past a stranger who was looking at that them peculiarly. While the blonde shogun looked as cool and immaculate as ever (damn the man!), some of Andy's long hair had escaped from the loose ponytail at the nape of his neck. Catching sight of himself in a mirror, he noticed the somewhat flustered expression on his own face. The noise they had made when they had appeared in this place, coupled with the fact they had both come out of the same cubicle, and now his dishevelled appearance…had obviously led certain disgraceful conclusions being drawn about his sexual orientation.
Once again resisting the urge to commit murder, Andy Wong, musician extraordinaire, swept out of the washroom after Nakago with all the dignity of an emperor…
…only to find himself in a very large, opulent departmental store.
Stopping short, he spoke before realising that he was talking to the person he detested most. "What the heck? This is…?" Shooting a sidelong glance at Nakago, he noticed that all traces of the earlier smirk on the shogun's face were long gone, only to be replaced with the usual bland mask of impassivity.
"Harrods, London," the leader of the Seiryuu seishi supplied laconically.
Andy could feel the onset of a stress migraine building inside his skull. "Please tell me that Taiitsukun didn't send us to other side of the planet."
Unsurprisingly, there was no reply to the mostly rhetorical question. He watched Nakago pulling out a sleek mobile phone and listened as the shogun spoke briefly to Keisuke. From Nakago's side of the conversation, he gathered that Miaka whereabouts still remained a mystery. He waited until the blonde man disconnected the international call before prompting, "Is there anything in the Book of the Four Gods that might tell us?"
Pocketing his phone, Nakago frowned slightly, "Keisuke and Yui have already checked. The Book does not seem to be recording events this time round." He's worried about her. However much he did not want to admit having any sort of similarity to the Devil Incarnate, this was the one thing that they were in perfect accord.
"Nicholas! Oh my god, it's been such a long time!"
His train of thought was abruptly interrupted by the rather loud feminine exclamation of delight.
A very beautiful brunette woman had approached them and was eyeing Nakago coyly from beneath her long lashes. She boldly reached up to place a kiss on either side of his face in the European style of greeting. Andy privately thought that the woman made the gesture seem needlessly intimate, like a woman welcoming a lover, but the blonde seishi accepted the kisses with gentlemanly grace and a charismatic smile. No doubt that's the false façade that he shows the rest of the world, the Chinese pop star mused sourly.
"Hello Jeanette," Nicholas said smoothly, aware that the former emperor was watching him with a look of righteous condemnation. He resisted the urge to sigh. It was not as if he had intended to run into an ex-girlfriend. As luck would have it, Jeanette was one of the last people he wanted to meet; he'd practically had to pry her off his person the last time they had been together. That had been years ago, long before he'd moved to Tokyo and destiny had led him back to a certain fiery little Miko…
Miaka, where are you? His main concern was locating his wife and making sure she was unharmed. While she was amazingly brave and resilient (having seen it for himself firsthand) under normal circumstances, her pregnancy now made her vulnerable. And Miaka, being Miaka…he was relatively sure that she wasn't aware of her own delicate condition yet. He would never forgive himself if anything happened to her or their child.
"…been up to over the last couple of years? Are you in London on business? How long will you be staying…?"
Reluctantly, Nicholas turned his attention back to the woman who was rumbling on and on, seemingly at the speed of sound. Yes, she was undeniably beautiful, the kind of woman any man would want to be seen with, but he felt nothing except impatience to be rid of her. "As much as I would like to catch up with you over dinner or coffee, I am afraid we are on a tight schedule," he slotted in with practiced ease, arranging his facial features into an appropriate expression of regret, "In a nutshell, I am now permanently based in Tokyo."
"In Japan? But I thought your company's corporate headquarters—" There was obvious surprise and confusion in her voice.
He didn't give her a chance to go on as he blithely continued, "My wife is very close to her family, and it is good that they are nearby, especially now that she is expecting our first child…"
Jeanette's mouth hung open quite comically for a moment as her gaze darted to the simple but elegant platinum wedding band on his left hand. "You're…married? C-congratulations!"
Inclining his head in acknowledgement, he allowed his lips to curve into a polite, gracious smile, "Thank you."
As calculated, his announcement brought a swift end to the encounter. Jeanette, with her enthusiasm visibly dampened, uncomfortably muttered an apology for keeping him from his "busy schedule" and hurriedly retreated.
Not for the first time, the young woman formerly known as the Suzaku no Miko soundly cursed Taiitsukun and Murphy's Law of Probability. Why was it that she always ended up encountering some form of misfortune every time she got sent into the Universe of Four Gods? Couldn't she have an uneventful trip to this place for once? But of course, she thought cynically, there was no such thing as 'easy' or 'uncomplicated' when it comes to the world inside the Shijintenchisho. Which brings me back to my current situation…
She was standing in a perfectly normal alley (it wasn't dark or dingy) being confronted by three men who were eyeing her like a slab of prime beef. They looked like thugs, and she knew that she looked like easy prey. Was this what had happened to Yui when she had been pulled into the Book? To add to her overall dismay, she found herself feeling distinctly queasy again. Maybe they'd leave her alone if she vomited all over them?
The men leered at her, and Miaka felt her skin crawl under their hungry gazes. She was no longer a naïve schoolgirl and there was no mistaking the vulgar intent in their faces. The mere thought of any other man besides her husband touching her in that way made her stomach want to turn itself inside out.
She'd grown so used to depending on Nakago, but he was not around to pull her hide out of the fire this time and she was going to have to have to handle the problem on her own. Besides, she was tougher than she looked. Between her fondness for watching pro-wrestling on television and the insufferable blonde jerk's ability to plan for hitherto unforeseen contingencies, Miaka liked to believe that she wasn't completely defenceless. Anger surged through her at the fact that these perverts cornered helpless women; expecting their victims to be paralysed with fear and unable to fight back. As for being scared…these low-lifes did not frighten her all that much. She'd faced down (more than once) a certain blonde shogun, whose cold ruthlessness and complete disregard for human life had terrified her so much that her heart had almost stopped beating. Miaka snorted, Then I went and married the evil, egoistic jerk, which doesn't say much about my taste in men…
Drawing on a handy trick—one of many—that she had learned from the original Ice King himself, she pushed the nausea aside with grim determination. Delicate hands flexed, then curled into loose fists.
This ex-Miko was not going down without a fight.
I will not lose!
Having spent quite a bit of time in the United Kingdom a few years earlier, it was only natural that he would run into a few familiar faces while in the English capital.
By some nasty quirk of fate, it seemed that they were doomed to meet almost every single person he'd ever had any interaction with while he had been in London. Business acquaintances, ex-colleagues, and most unfortunately, yet another former girlfriend…throughout all the polite exchanges and vague promises to keep in touch, he ignored the Suzaku seishi's glowering presence until they were seated at a table in a quiet café which had once been a favourite of his.
"So..." the dark-haired musician drawled, once their drinks had been served, "I take it you've had quite a few girlfriends. They seem to keep getting underfoot...one on almost every street corner!" Sarcasm and malice dripped from every word.
Nicholas knew that the other man was just dying to pick a fight with him by finding fault in any way he could. He had to give credit to the former emperor though; the remark implied that Nicholas' past involved unsavoury female characters who stood on curbs and propositioned anything that wore trousers...for a fee, of course. As far as insults went, it was rather witty.
Lifting a blonde eyebrow at the pretty-boy pop idol he was being forced to keep company with, Nicholas smirked, "Jealous?" The quip was almost guaranteed to annoy Saihitei. All the Suzaku seishi were terribly predictable...
"Someone like Miaka deserves to come first!" Andy retorted indignantly, offended on his Miko's behalf. And the bastard has the nerve to act as if it's something to be proud of! Who would want a husband whose list of ex-girlfriends was probably longer than the London Bridge?
The Seiryuu general regarded him unblinkingly for a heartbeat, the aristocratic, chiselled features betraying no reaction to Andy's accusatory outburst. Forcing himself not to look away, Andy glared right back in silent challenge. The clear, silver-streaked blue eyes had a disturbing, almost reptilian quality which made him suspect that Nakago had ice water running through his veins. Not for the first time, he wondered how Miaka could stand being married to someone so cold. His mind once again shied away from the thought of his priestess sharing any form of intimacy with the arrogant jerk. Andy forced his fists to slowly unclench...No! I will not think of another man's wife in that manner! And especially not Miaka! In his mind, his Miko would forever remain sweet and pure.
"She does," his arch-nemesis said simply, jolting Andy out of his mental diatribe. For an instant, an odd expression flickered behind the coldly impenetrable mask.
The pop star sucked in a startled breath. He had not expected such a response from Nakago. More shocking was the brief flash of insight he had into the other man's mind, thanks to the sharp extra-sensory perception which had been one of Hotohori's hidden powers.
First in his heart, first in his thoughts...Always.
Andy pursed his lips. Deep down, he knew that Nakago loved Miaka in his own unique way, but to be confronted with further evidence of it courtesy of Hotohori's own seishi abilities was not something that he welcomed. Neither was it something he wanted to examine too closely. He and Nakago would never be friends, and the only reason they tolerated each other's existence was because of a tiny hazel-eyed girl they both loved. And while we are on the topic of Miaka…
"Earlier, when you were talking to that brunette at Harrods…Was it really necessary to tell her such an outrageous lie?" Andy muttered irritably, voicing the thought that had been nagging at him for the better part of the last hour. While he didn't doubt that Nakago could twist any truth to suit whatever nefarious plot he was hatching, the tall-tale the man had shamelessly spouted had been unexpected.
Unperturbed, Nicholas took a mouthful of the rich dark ale in his glass, savouring the smooth, nutty flavour while purposely making the Suzaku seishi wait. He'd wondered how long it would take for Saihitei to catch on and bring it up. "I did not lie to her," he stated flatly, before replacing the glass carefully on the table.
The singer let out an inelegant snort. "Of course you did! You told the woman that your wife is expecting your first child…" Abruptly, the words trailed off as all the colour drained from the pop star's face. Clutching the edge of the table so hard that his knuckles showed white, Andy stared at his arch-enemy in horrified disbelief, "Miaka is…pregnant?"
Those three words nearly choked him. It was as if someone had violently pulled the rug out from under his feet and then gleefully stomped on his ribcage. The jealousy he knew that he had no right feeling almost overwhelmed him, and he barely restrained himself from leaping over the table and punching the smug blonde in the jaw. All this time, he had managed to keep telling himself that one day, Miaka would come to her senses and realise that Nakago wasn't the right one for her. When that day came, Andy would be there waiting patiently to pick up the pieces. However, the news that she was carrying the Seiryuu seishi's child changed everything. Making love to create a new life was perhaps the most intimate experience two people could share, and it forged an unbreakable bond between a man and a woman. Nakago had managed to have that with Miaka...and Andy deeply resented him for it. He mentally added this latest transgression to the long list of things he would never forgive the arrogant bastard for, including Hotohori's murder.
"Feel free to congratulate us," the blonde shogun drawled, "You are one of the first to know, Saihitei."
Andy ground his teeth together, trying to contain his fury at Nakago's subtle taunt. Expelling his breath in a sharp, frustrated hiss, he refused to let the aggravatingly self-assured dragon warrior push him into losing his temper. His beloved Miko would kill him if she ever found out that he had started a fight with the father of her baby. And then on the heels of that thought, a second realisation crashed over him…Miaka was pregnant and Taiitsukun had transported her to Suzaku-only-knew-where with neither of them there to protect her! Who knew what kind of danger she might be facing?
Resisting the urge to get up and pace, the former emperor forced himself to stay put. "We need to find Miaka! Why did that old witch send us all the way over here anyway? She said something about needing our help, but we can't do anything if we don't know what's going on!" He tried to focus on their biggest problem, raking a hand through his long hair.
It took him a moment to register that his usually stoic adversary was staring at him. Or more precisely, the unreadable arctic gaze seemed to pierce right though him. "I believe," the erstwhile leader of the Seiryuu seishi said dryly after the space of several heartbeats, "That your question is about to be answered." One hand gestured dismissively at a point directly behind Andy's head.
"What the—" Wondering if Nakago had finally lost it, Andy slowly swivelled around in his seat. There was a flat-screen television mounted behind the bar counter which he had not noticed when they had walked into the place. Although the sound had been turned down, the scrolling English text at the bottom of the screen announced that a breaking news report was being shown. As he watched in confusion, the camera zoomed in on a blue-haired man dressed—incongruously—in armour over traditional Chinese clothes…and clinging precariously to one of the steep conical turrets on top of London's famous Tower Bridge.
Although he had never actually seen this particular person (he was using the term loosely) before, Andy had a pretty good idea as to who it was. Brows furrowed, he said tersely, "I suppose we have to go and rescue him." Getting to his feet, he paused and looked down at the shogun in surprise when Nakago made no move to follow suit.
Instead, the infuriating blonde man leaned back in his chair and proceeded to calmly take a sip of his ale.
"Sit down and finish your drink, Saihitei," his most hated opponent suggested in response to his questioning glare. Eyes that had shifted to a colour that was unmistakably silver flicked up to regard Andy with more than a hint of morbid humour. The way Nakago's lips suddenly twisted into a chillingly ironic smirk would have sent even the most crazed of suicidal lunatics running for the hills. "We have time. After all, it is not as if Seiryuu Seikun is likely to go anywhere."
Following her across the city had been laughably easy; she had travelled in a relatively straight route, and he was just one step behind her. Of course, he could have caught up with her at any time, but he had been curious as to where she was headed.
She was close and seemed to have stopped in her tracks…in the alley just around the corner of the next building. There was no need for him to wonder why. He sensed three other life-forces closing in on her. Despite the fact that the location was very close to the town centre and there were frequent guard patrols throughout the city to discourage just this sort of thing from happening, crimes did still occur in broad daylight.
He felt yet another flare of the girl's distinctive chi, much stronger than that of an average person's. To anyone schooled in the art of reading chi, it conveyed a multitude of emotions: Determination, anger, an incredible strength of spirit…and something else. Something he could not quite identify at the moment but was confident that he would soon figure out. Stopping in front of the building, he considered how best to approach the situation. The most immediate option would be to step in and rescue her, but while he wanted her to be preferably undamaged, he was also wanted to know what she was capable of. Did she have any special powers?
Before he had any more time to formulate a strategy, a high-pitched scream split the air.
Swiftly scanning the rooftops above the alley, he willed himself there without a moment's hesitation, giving him a bird's eye view of what was happening in the narrow lane below. If things got ugly, he could always interrupt…
It seemed that there was indeed more to the girl than met the eye. Apparently, she had just successfully kneed one of the men in the groin, which had resulted in the scream earlier. The unfortunate male lay on the ground, curled into a pitiful ball and moaning in pain with his hands cupped protectively over the abused area. The other two thugs swore loudly and attempted to grab her, but she nimbly danced back out of reach. Undeterred, they jumped over their fallen comrade and rushed at her. Without warning, she feinted to the left, ducking under the hands that would have meant certain capture. The low position gave her the power to launch herself upwards in one smooth unbroken motion, her body uncoiling like a spring.
The heel of her palm made contact with the thug's face. Her attacker howled and staggered backwards into the one behind, blood spurting from his now broken nose.
The last man, larger and uglier than the other two, shoved his partner-in-crime aside and lunged at her, spewing threats and insults. In a sinuous move that was eerily familiar to him, she side-stepped the oncoming male without missing a beat. Nevertheless, the would-be rapist had either expected such a move or else he was quicker than anyone gave him credit for…and abruptly reached out, intending to catch hold of her arm in order to yank her off-balance.
And then, the observer on the rooftop saw it. Sparkling red chi, shimmering around the small petite form for a split-second, just long enough to form a psychic barrier that prevented the man from touching her. Red chi that could only be possessed by someone who belonged to Suzaku, the phoenix guardian of the south. The girl, however, did not seem to notice. With a surprisingly loud war cry from one so tiny, she executed a sharp, vicious kick to her opponent's lower back as the huge man stumbled past, right into the assailant's kidneys.
There wasn't much he could find to criticise about her technique. Being small in size, she lacked brute strength but made up for it with speed. From his vantage point, he could tell that someone had obviously taught her how to fight. And fight dirty at that. Whatever it takes to win…interesting. Whoever was her teacher had trained her well enough not to go for the usual soft tissue targets. But that wasn't what occupied most of his thoughts. His mind was still fully engaged with the discovery that she was connected to Suzaku in some way. Was she a Suzaku seishi? She didn't seem at all like a celestial warrior, and her chi felt…different from a warrior's. Softer and warmer, yet imbued with undeniable power. Which only left one other explanation…
Priestess.
The ancient prophecies told of a girl from another world, who would summon the god to grant three wishes. By her clothes, and her chi, this little female seemed to fit the description. Except, for some reason, she had ended up in the wrong place.
She had straightened from her fighting stance now, and was beginning to dust herself off while muttering something to herself under her breath. As such, she did not notice Broken Nose creeping up behind her to exact some revenge for what she had done. Blood dripped down over the man's mouth and chin, but more than that, the thug was probably suffering from a badly bruised ego after having been bested by a woman half his size.
From his position on the roof, he decided that he had seen enough. With a slight flexing of willpower, he materialised behind the would-be attacker. The other two accomplices caught sight of him and went white with terror. Not waiting to find out what would happen to their ill-fated friend, they hastily picked themselves off the ground and tried to scramble away.
Bruised Kidneys and Kneed Crotch hadn't managed more than a few steps when he halted them with a thought even as he casually tapped Broken Nose on the shoulder. The thug spun around in surprise, the expression on his face transforming from irritation to horror as a strong gloved hand shot out and clamped securely around the fleshy throat. Lips parted in a gasp for help, but all that emerged was a strangled whimper, as the fingers steadily tightened, cutting off the air to the windpipe.
The girl turned around at the sound, and he got his first good look at her up close. A heart-shaped face with delicate elfin features and huge, luminous hazel eyes stared back at him in undisguised shock.
A few moments later, he cast aside the now-limp body.
"Na—…" her hands flew up to cover her mouth, as every scrap of colour seemed to drain from her already pale skin. For a moment, he could have sworn that she had been about to utter his name…his seishi name. Did she somehow know who he was? But instead, she sucked in a deep breath and blurted out a confused-sounding, "N—Nani?" Her body seemed to have developed a fine tremor; the frozen expression on her face annoying him for some unknown reason.
Wordlessly, he turned away, partly to give her some time to compose herself, partly to deal with the men. Of all criminals, he despised those who preyed on women the most, and had no intention of showing any mercy. Besides, it was not in his nature to be merciful. Extending his hand, he prepared to send them to oblivion…
"Stop!"
He did not look at her as he replied, "If I let them go, they would continue targeting other women. Their next victim might not be as lucky as you." At his pronouncement, the two who had tried to run cried out in fear and renewed their struggles against the chi holding them captive. He tuned out their pleas; far more interested in how the girl would react. Was she a bleeding heart who would beg him to release them despite the fact that they had attacked her?
Footsteps approached slowly until she rounded him so that they now stood face to face. "Then by all means, punish them. Break a few bones if you want, but I'd rather not have their deaths on my conscience," she suggested quietly. Outwardly, she appeared to be just a year or two younger than his own twenty-four years, but there were hints of shadows lurking in her magnificent eyes; a sort of wary wisdom that came from having seen and experienced too much. She tilted her head up and held his cold gaze unflinchingly…something that not many people dared to do.
Before he could answer, she blinked a few times, gave him a tremulous smile, then swayed alarmingly on her feet.
He caught her as her legs buckled. The instant he touched her, he understood why one aspect of her chi had posed a mystery to him initially. There was another life-force closely entwined with hers. Another life. The girl was with child, altering his entire perception of her. Daring to go up against three opponents while pregnant…either she was very brave, or more likely, monumentally reckless and irresponsible. The fight had drained her physically, as had the burst of chi that she'd inadvertently used to create the barrier. Given her current condition, there was precious little of it she could afford to waste, as sustaining a developing foetus sapped a great deal of a woman's energy. Even now, her aura was diminished enough that it no longer masked the baby's presence. The chi emanating from the tiny life inside her womb gave him pause…it had a power signature as unique as its mother's, yet something about it was disturbingly familiar. But more than that, it felt…almost as if it was reaching out to him.
Eyebrows drawing together slightly in a frown, he relegated the preposterous notion to the back of his mind. He had to be mistaken; such a thing was simply not possible. This discovery put paid to the theory that she was the Suzaku no Miko, or any other Miko, for that matter. A priestess had to be a virgin in order to summon the beast god…which this girl obviously was not. He felt vaguely disappointed that she wasn't going to be of use to him in the way he had first intended. Still, her strong connection to the phoenix god ensured that he would be keeping a close eye on her while he figured out how to turn it in his favour.
Cradling the unconscious young woman with one arm, he drew his sword with his free hand. They had lingered in this alley long enough. It was time he returned to the palace. But first, he would see to it that justice was served, and he had the perfect punishment in mind…
The pathetic excuses for human beings alternately screamed, cowered, and sobbed in pain as he pressed the tip of his blade against each of their faces. Within a matter of seconds, he'd swiftly carved, in stark, bloody characters, the words that would announce their crime to the world. The wounds would leave permanent scars, marking them for the rest of their lives. Had she been awake, the girl would probably have objected to his actions…Not that he particularly cared whether she approved or not.
Sweeping one last glance over the snivelling low-lifes, he issued a soft, deadly warning, "If you attempt to accost a woman again, I will know. And when I find you, I will separate you from the parts that make you men."
Sheathing his sword, he walked past them and out of the alley into the late afternoon sunshine.
Looking down at his troublesome new guest, Gi Ayuru, Shogun of two-thirds of Kutou's army, also known to a select few as Seiryuu no shichi seishi Nakago, reflected on how the girl seemed to be a bundle of mysteries. Judging from what he had read from her chi, she would not give up her secrets easily…which did not bother him in the least. He enjoyed a good challenge and unravelling her secrets one by one should prove highly interesting. For all the inconvenience that she had caused him thus far, it was only proper that she repaid him by providing him with some form of entertainment to pass the time until the Seiryuu no Miko showed up…
Notes:
1. So… (Crickets chirp in the silence)…what do you all think? I know many people expected Miaka to end up in the same place as Andy/Hotohori, but I rather liked the idea of the two men who can't stand each other appearing in a toilet cubicle together in present day London! (Alcestis chuckles evilly)
2. Our dear heroine (who still has no idea that she's pregnant), not only ends up inside the Universe of the Four Gods, but also in the past. And guess who she runs into? Extra points to all of you who correctly deduced that it was Nakago who was watching and following her. I deliberately chose not to reveal who the mysterious observer was until the last paragraph, but I still couldn't resist dropping hints all the way.
3. And yes, he is a slightly younger (but no less devious) version of the evil shogun we see in the series. The timeline here is roughly about a year before Nakago meets the teenaged Mikos for the first time. In the next chapter, there will be a further explanation on timelines, paradoxes, and why Nicholas in the present has no recollection of this encounter in his past life as Nakago.
4. In case you were wondering, Nicholas has taught Miaka how to fight. Miaka is a walking trouble magnet. Nicholas knows this and wanted to make sure that she would be able to defend herself. I was hinting at this when Miaka refers to "the insufferable blonde jerk's ability to plan for hitherto unforeseen contingencies" and when she "felt bruised all over, like the first few times she and Nakago had—…He certainly hadn't gone easy on her because she was a beginner". If any of you thought that she was referring to something else (ahem), please get your mind out of the gutter. This IS a PG-13 rated fic.
5. I have a peculiar fondness for using characters that don't get much airtime in the anime series or manga. In this story, that would be Seiryuu Seikun, who is currently stuck on top of the Tower Bridge and waiting for it's chief seishi to come to the rescue…
