I do not own FY, it's property of Yuu Watase…but I do own this fic, read on!
A Sweet Tooth
Karen didn't know what to do, she tossed and turned that entire night. Nightmares of black and blood red liquid draped itself over the palace. She was uneasy so she decided to get up and walk about.
Taking Houki's advice, she knew no one would harm her for what she could bring to this country, peace and understanding.
"Something is troubling you, Lady Karen?" She looked around for the voice and saw Chichiri sitting on a ledge looking at her without his mask.
"You seem different, you didn't have a scar before…" she noted and looked at him in the pale moonlight.
He looked at her and then back to the moon, not answering her, even if it wasn't a question, he knew she was wondering like everyone had.
She looked to the moon as well, pulling the robe closer around her and then looked back to Chichiri, "Do you suppose I could take a seat beside you?"
He looked to her and gave the gentlest smile he could manage and nodded, "Of course."
She climbed up on the rail and sat opposite from him and looked back at the moon, "Chichiri, what do you know of dreams?"
He looked at her strangely, "Dreams?"
"Nightmares really."
"It depends on what it was about." he said truthfully.
"I don't really know. I just saw black and dark red thick liquid, thicker than blood almost draining down the palace. Isn't that something bad?"
She looked at him tense up, "It does not sound good if that's what you mean. something is trying to take over the palace, perhaps an uprising? Or perhaps the monarchy is close to being destroyed."
She nodded and then sighed, looking down, "I don't know what I can do as a priestess. I don't even know math that well." she muttered.
He shook his head, "it's not the mind that the priestess is worth, it's her heart and soul." He got off the rail and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Do not worry if you are strong enough, that's what the warriors are for."
"Can't I just hide till it's over?" she asked jokingly and looked at him as he took his mask and put it over his face.
"We all have masks but it is more important that we know how to take them off, Karen. Hopefully your dreams are more comforting. G'night."
"Thank you Chichiri. You as well." she watched him go back into his room and looked back to the moon. "I hope nothing terrible happens that we can't get through together. Miaka, what were you trying to tell me?"
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The next day:
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Karen had a hard time getting sleep but she figured she would have a more difficult time without Chichiri's words.
She dressed in a white kimino with purple waves at the bottom and a tie to match. Lilacs were placed around nicely on the fabric and her hair was pinned up with a pair of hair pieces.
Her sandals were white as she stepped around the palace, trying to find the gathering area where they were to meet. 'Oh great, lost in a palace and no one is around! Figures!'
She was too busy looking around to notice she was about to run into someone. "Hey!" Karen stopped abruptly and looked up to Tasuki.
"Sorry Tasuki, I didn't mean to not notice you, I was trying to figure my way around here."
Tasuki crossed his arms, "C'mon, it's this way." he muttered and led her to the arena where they would train. She looked up at his white open shirt that matched his pants. His boots were black as they rounded a corner. He was wearing his earrings and necklaces as well. And he had fangs! Cute!
She smiled to herself and followed him inside. It was more like outside but it was closed in all except the top like the coliseums that gladiators would fight in.
Tasuki looked around and then found Hotohori, Karen followed him closely, "Ya might just wanna get 'er a map." Tasuki said to the emperor before he passed by.
Karen looked to Hotohori and smiled, "Sorry, I couldn't find it. The palace is huge!"
Hotohori smiled and for a moment, he looked like a woman, "Oh that's alright, we would have had an escort for you Karen but Houki figured it would be better if you weren't surrounded by everyone all at once. So when you didn't show up, we sent Tasuki to get you since he's the fastest. We could have sent Chichiri but he can only do teleportation and it would exhaust him a bit."
Karen nodded, "Thanks for the consideration. Where is Mrs. Houki?"
Hotohori looked to the side and pointed, "She is with Boushin in the seats. You may join her but be sure to pay attention to your warriors as well. You won't succeed if you don't know how we can help you."
"But don't you know what you can do? Why do you need me?"
"As duty of a priestess, you must know our powers to their extent, that's where we were mistaking when Mayo was here, she didn't understand we could overcome almost anything if we worked together."
"Yea, but I get it."
"Karen…" She looked to Houki, "What His Highness is trying to say is that you must know and trust their abilities as well as your own."
"Ohhhh!" She looked back to Hotohori, "See, you might be as pretty as a girl, but you don't know our intellect and how it works!" she jested and walked back with Houki to sit with her and Boushin.
Hotohori looked to the others, "Are we ready?"
They all nodded and Tasuki just had to cross his arms, "yea yea."
Hotohori smirked, "Each test will see if you have faltered in the years we have not fought."
They understood and the tests began!
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Chichiri's Test:
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Hotohori let a dragon into the arena. Karen tensed and backed against the seat as much as she could. She watched in angst as Chichiri held his staff up right and did his usual prayer stance, a blue field surrounded him and the dragon, trying to keep it in the field to keep the others safe.
Everyone understood, even Karen. She trusted Chichiri from the night before when they had talked.
"Kyaa!" he shouted as a whirlwind of blue lightning shot towards the dragon. The dragon, of course fought against it, for his life and to kill Chichiri. Chichiri didn't expect the dragon to be so strong yet was not too surprised to not fight it till it's death. His mask shattered and fell to the ground as another, stronger wave hit the dragon head on and eventually destroyed it into a black mist of gunk.
'What is that?' Karen wondered.
Boushin looked at her confused face, "It was nothing but pure evil energy. We won't kill for the sport."
She looked to him and nodded, "Gotcha, that's refreshing." she looked on as Chichiri's field lowered and he pulled another mask out and placed it back on and looked back to Hotohori, bowing some and walked to Karen, a bit weak from the exploit.
He sat beside her and started to meditate, "He is quite strong isn't he? Who does he fight for? What does he fight for?" Karen asked Houki who just smiled.
"In time." Houki answered and pointed to Nuriko.
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Nuriko's Test:
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Nuriko cracked his fingers, lifted up a gigantic boulder that had rolled from Mt. Reikaku years ago and destroyed half the village. No one had been able to even destroy it to rubble. Nuriko, on the other hand, held it with one hand and smiled, giving Karen a peace sign.
Nuriko threw the boulder up and Karen gasped as it came down quickly to Nuriko who had his fist straight above him. The boulder instantly cracked without him even putting any more force into it but his outstretched arm.
Karen smiled, "Wow!" she looked to Houki and Boushin, "I've never seen anything like that before!"
Nuriko walked over beside Chichiri and looked at Karen, "Pretty cool, huh?" he laughed girlishly.
Karen nodded, "Yea!" Nuriko smirked and looked back to the rest of them left.
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Chiriko's test:
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He stood there and five of the smartest scholars questioned him continuously for almost a half hour, Chiriko didn't even flinch at any of the questions as he answered them completely right in every aspect given.
When he was done, he bowed to Hotohori and walked up to Karen who was in complete awe, "How did you do that?"
Chiriko smiled down at her and pointed to his foot, "It comes naturally, always had."
Karen smiled and nodded, "Yea I guess. Lucky you, can you take my exams?"
"No…but I can help you study for them." he promised.
"Thanks a lot, it means a great deal." she said honestly.
He nodded and sat down by Boushin and watched on with the others.
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Mitsukake's Test
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The ill of the village who heard they were to die soon lined up beside him. And one by one, he healed them to their full potential and walked up to Karen, handing her a tiny sack that contained a small jar of liquid.
She smelt it and made a disgusted face, "ugh, what is this?"
"It will help you with your nightmares."
She looked to Chichiri who was still meditating, "Did Chichiri…"
"No." Mitsukake interrupted and she looked to him, "He wouldn't discuss anything personal. This is new news to me that Chichiri knew…but it's because the lines under your eyes and the exhaustion which comes from your sulking shoulders. It's quite obvious that you haven't gotten enough sleep last night."
She smiled a bit, "Sorry, but I am paying as much attention as I can."
"We know." he bowed and stood on the other side with Chiriko sitting beside him. Tama the cat ran up and sat in Chiriko's lap as he pet him.
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Tasuki's test:
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He was stretching his legs and back and looked to Hotohori, "When I say Go, you run as fast as you can through the maze of traps and obstacles, when I say stop, stop on the dime. See if you can still do it."
Tasuki smirked, his fangs barely showing, "When'ver you're ready."
"Go."
Tasuki took off, jumping over hurdles and flipping through a few hoops, the fire barely grazing him, just the sparks could be seen as he left it. When he came to the spikes and trap door right afterward, he literally ran on the spikes and jumped above the trap door.
Karen's eyes widened as she witnessed it, "Oh my…"
Tasuki was about to hit more of the tricks and schemes as Hotohori said "Stop" and he stopped in place, crouching about to run through the shoulder height tunnels and stood up straight and looked back to him.
"Seen nuff?" he asked and Hotohori nodded.
Tasuki walked to Karen's side and stood there, watching as Hotohori prepared for his own test. Karen looked to Tasuki, "You were awesome! I've never seen anyone move so fast." she praised.
He looked down to her and lifted a brow, "You ain't seen nuttin yet, wait till I use meh harison!" He bulked proudly.
She grinned, "I shall." she nodded and looked on with the others leaving Tasuki confused as why she didn't find his arrogance annoying. Women.
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Hotohori's Test:
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Many of the land's greatest swordsman and arrowmen were called forth, knowing his lordship wouldn't kill them. He battled at least five men at a time, at the same time blocking the arrows with his sheath or edge of the blade.
Karen sensed Houki's tenseness. She looked to the empress and saw the pain in her eyes. "Are you alright, Houki?"
Houki looked at her, not realizing she didn't hide her emotions, "Yes, I'm fine. Just admiring."
Boushin listened and then looked down and back up to his father, "I hope someday I can be just as well as father."
Karen looked at him, "It's gotta be hard, the only wish for a boy is to be just like their dad. And Boushin's is a member of the Suzaku warriors, what a feat."
Boushin looked to her, "I don't need to be a Suzaku warrior to be just like him in the heart."
Karen smiled, "Right! Gosh, what is it? Everyone is smarter than me here…"
Houki grinned, "No, we just know what life means to everyone else."
Karen nodded and looked on while she felt Houki's tenseness ease back up as she saw Houki's head bow sadly just before Hotohori's test was over.
When he was finished, everyone was either at a draw…or out of arrows. He bowed to them all and sheathed his sword and walked up to Karen, seeing Houki looking away and frowned. She didn't even want to watch him but would watch everyone else? He looked back to Karen and she had a sympathetic look about her.
"You were magnificent Hotohori." Karen gave him a thumbs up, she just wished her words were enough to thwart his look that he gave to Houki of agony. Something was not good about this marriage at all…
Maybe she could help? She was the priestess now afterall…
"Thank you, Karen." he started to walk off, "We shall eat now, we cannot go on a voyage with empty stomachs."
Karen stood up and looked to Houki who looked up at her, "Come on, Houki…"
Houki nodded and stood up with the others and Karen and her fell behind the crowd as they talked of food and hunger, Boushin walked beside his father.
"What's wrong Houki? You seemed to not even want to look at him." Karen said quietly.
Houki looked at her, "Am I so transparent?" she paused, "It's not that I didn't want to look at him. I love looking at him…but it's him looking at me that's the problem."
Karen paused midstep and looked at Houki strangely as she stopped beside her, "What are you talking about? Hotohori looked hurt when you didn't meet his gaze."
Houki sighed and folded her hands in front of her, "Highness and I have been going through a bit of turmoil. Marriage spats I suppose."
"And does Boushin know?"
"I assume he feels the tension." Houki said truthfully, "But he's never said anything about it."
Karen nodded and looked ahead, "Come on, or we'll get left behind." she jested and continued with Houki, "But you know, I know something else is troubling you." hearing Houki's silence, she smiled, continuing, "But I don't think it's much to not even look at his face."
Houki looked at her strangely, walking beside her, "I don't understand."
Karen looked at her, "Perhaps you could talk to Hotohori on the same level? I don't think he thinks you are lower…but you seem to feel it."
Houki sighed, "He is the emperor."
Karen laughed, "And you're the empress, so what?"
Houki shook her head, "it is just not done. A woman's place is behind her husband."
Karen didn't like that at all, "In my world, you know, there are women called feminists. They think they are completely equal to men."
Houki gasped, placing her hand over her mouth as they came to another stop, "Is there? I never knew, Miaka never spoke about it much. Of course, we rarely spoke."
Karen smiled and nodded, "really, come on, we keep stopping, we won't get anything to eat if the men are there before us!" she joked and finally a smile crept upon Houki's face. "there she is!" Houki let out a small giggle.
Little did they know that Hotohori had let Boushin lead the rest to the dining area and saw Houki's smile and slight laugh. 'She never smiles much anymore…am I so dull to her?'
He turned just in time to have Karen and Houki see him do so. Houki sobered instantly and looked to Karen with a small smile, "you know, even if I do not feel so happy all the time, it does not mean I do not love him as much as I can."
Karen looked back to her and then to Hotohori's back, "I know. It's obvious…I'll talk to him if you'd like."
Houki shook her head, "No, it's between us, you don't have to get involved."
"I know, but I said I would if you wanted me to."
"No thank you Karen, but it is greatly appreciated." Houki said sincerely.
"Alright then." Karen agreed as they walked into the dining hall. Houki led Karen to a seat beside Hotohori and Chichiri as she rounded behind Hotohori and sat on the opposite side of him with Boushin at her side.
They ate. All in complete silence. Why, no one knew. But no one knew what to say either.
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That Night
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Houki bid sweet dreams to Karen and reminded her of the remedy that Mitsukake gave her earlier.
"Thanks, I'll remember that." Karen did something that no one ever dared besides family. She hugged Houki warmly.
Hotohori and Boushin were passing as Houki was in complete shock. "Karen, what is the matter?" she asked quietly and held her like a mother would.
Karen shook her head, "Nothing. I just figured we both needed a hug. I don't know anything about this world. I don't really know anyone in it. You've been a great escape when I needed to speak to someone, even if I'll be leaving tomorrow morning with the others. It was nice to talk to someone who understood loneliness and helped me get around it."
Houki's eyes rimmed with tears as she held Karen tighter, "Thank you Karen, you have taught me to be more the woman I want to be and be less of the empress that stole her away. It's nice to have a female friend to talk to as well."
Karen looked up at her after the hug and smiled, "Sweet dreams Houki, hopefully it'll get better soon."
Houki nodded and turned to see Boushin staring up at her. "Boushin?"
Karen looked out her window to see Hotohori walk off. "Uh oh…I don't think he understood what we were talking about."
Houki looked past Boushin to Hotohori's back. Pain pierced her chest as she looked down to Boushin, "What did it sound like?"
Boushin frowned, "You don't want to be empress or married to father, truthfully." he looked to Karen, "That's not what it was, was it?"
Karen shook her head, "Not in the slightest. I'm so sorry Houki, if I hadn't hugged you…"
Houki looked back and gave a small smile, "Do not worry. If our marriage was that frail, it is time we try to repair it like it should be."
Boushin nodded and bowed away from his mother as she ran after Hotohori, calling "highness" but he did not turn to her. It hurt her even more every time she called and he wouldn't even acknowledge him.
Chiriko saw this and was walking up towards Hotohori, "You know, someone is calling you, Hotohori."
Hotohori looked at Chiriko and gave a sarcastic smirk, "Yea. Someone." he muttered and walked past.
Houki was breathing heavily as she couldn't run fast in her wardrobe. She looked to Chiriko, "How do I catch him if I can't even move fast enough?"
Chiriko thought a moment, "Never tell anyone we did this." They walked into another room and exchanged clothes. Chiriko muttered as he tried to be quiet and sneak back to his room in the empress' clothing. Houki, on the other time, felt a bit better and ran after, much faster, to Hotohori.
She caught up with him in the sparring area as he practiced with his sword. He practiced more with a piece of steel than loving her, she supposed.
She walked up and caught the corner of his eye, "Chiriko, when did you dye your hair purple…" he turned to see her hair disheveled and the crown barely hanging on the side. "Houki! Are you insane! Where is Chiriko?"
"Hopefully in his room before anyone saw him in a dress."
Hotohori wanted to think of Chiriko in a dress of Houki's but he couldn't uplift the moment that had previously plundered his heart. He turned away from her.
"Highness, please, it is not how it sounded." she neared him, knowing he wouldn't harm her with the sword.
He put his hand up as if to stop her, "Don't Houki. I know you don't want to be empress. If they hadn't sent out for the women, you would have never left my brother and you would have known me or this life."
Houki stopped in front of his hand and frowned, "I did not love your brother like I love you Highness. He was like a brother to me as well."
Hotohori scoffed and walked away from her again. "Get some rest Houki."
"Don't walk away from me." she said, but it wasn't in an authoritave way. He turned back to see her head facing the ground. "Please."
He looked back in the direction he was heading and then turned back to her and walked to her, lifting her head up to look at him. Tears streamed down her face, "Why don't you try to explain exactly what went on?"
Houki closed her eyes and told him the story of what her and Karen had talked about and it all became clear to him what went on tonight was not what he thought at all.
He did something he hadn't done in a long time, he embraced her. Not as a husband, but as a lover. He couldn't believe he was so quick to pass judgment on his beloved. His arms wrapped around her tightly as he held her close to his body. She was caught off guard, it was so strange to feel his warmth. "Forgive me, Houki."
She gasped and shakily wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him closer. "Oh Highness." she buried her face in his chest.
"Sitei."
"Highness?" she asked, not breaking their embrace.
He whispered in her ear, "It's Sitei, not Highness."
She smiled and held him as close as she could to her body, "I love you Sitei."
He relaxed a bit and smiled, "I love you as well, Houki."
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Whooppeee! But that's not the end of their problems, I am basing this on mostly Hotohori and Houki's relationship as well as Karen and Tasuki. Any pointers? No flames unless it's a damn good reason. Thank you, have a great day!
Reviews please
Kage1586
