Phoenix Ashes
A Fushigi Yuugi universe deathfic written by otaku-no-miko
Pairings- Did you know that when the idea for this first entered my mind, I wanted to make it a Chichiri/Yui?
...the key word here is wanted-I decided that the angst and trouble of having themtogether would make thingsnear to impossible. Plus, Chichiri's like, 12 or 13 years her senior in this-kinda grossish, dontcha think? I mean...that'd be like dating a twenty-eight year old for me! Ewww! XO
Rating- PG-13, overall; PG for this chapter. A clean chapter, yay!
Disclaimer: If I owned, I could put this out as a third OVA. It'd be worlds better than EikouDen, in my opinion. But then again, that's not saying much, 'cause EikouDen sucked majorly.
NOTE: Goodness, I've let this sit for a long time! Well, let's just say Life bit me in the ass for abandoning it, and a lot of shiznit hit the fizan, to steal a phrase. Also, I have finals, the most evil of all evils for a high-schooler, and I'm a sophomore, so my parents will start pushing me soon to 'study for the exit exams' (I can tell them where to put their studying…grr). But, this story shall not be left to the dust, I swear by the gods! I said I'd finish it and if I have to drag inspiration kicking and screaming out of my tiny skull I will! Oh, and a word of warning-I'm a single fifteen-year-old. I've never had a boyfriend in my life, and I'm not married. So I am basing Yui and Tetsuya off of my knowledge of my parents' marriage, and not personal experience, and hoping I can get it right. Please let me know if I did an okay job!
I love reviews. They let me know that out of all the potential visitors to my story, some of them were willing to take the time to let me know if they enjoyed it or not.
Me-Rave-Master: Well, I'm happy to talk with a TamaMiaka fan, especially since in my area those are EXTREMELY scarce! XP I promise I'll try to include them more. A more 'mature' Miaka is fun to write.
Cheeto: Wouldn't dream of stopping, hun! After all, I just reached the fun part. .-
Roku-kyu: Yep, I definitely understand life getting hectic. Thanks-I do like describing things like setting, and I'm glad you enjoy my detail to that. I'm so glad they seem in character! I was worried I'd start taking too many liberties with them and then they'd just be OC's. And Tetsuya's resentment of the owari story is actually a bit of foreshadowing towards the future for this story .-.
And thank you for the warning-I had totally forgotten about that rule, even though I knew of it's existence. I'll be sure to edit that. I am very happy you like my characterization, though! Anyways, thank you for the review-I hope you enjoy this chapter.
That's it for now! See ya at the bottom (and sorry for such a long author's note)!
"It is nothing to die; it is horrible not to live."
-Jean Valjean, "Les Miserables"
Yui didn't really mind fighting with Tetsuya. If it happened, it happened, and was bound to blow over.
No, Yui didn't mind the fights-it was the aftermath she utterly despised. And the aftermath for the 'wari story' was one of the worst.
Right now, though, Tetsuya wasn't mad-he had just finished tucking Yuri in and telling her good night, and re-entered the living room, taking a place on the couch next to his wife. "So, how was your day?"
She shrugged a shoulder. "Pretty hectic, actually-the clinic didn't slow down at all until I got off to pick Yuri up. We went to Miaka's for a couple hours, the car refused to start, and Yuri and I ended up running home in the rain."
"That sounds like fun."
"Well, I guess it could have been worse. Is Yuri asleep?"
Tetsuya nodded, twisting to face her and removing his sunglasses. "So, what did you say yes to?"
Yui groaned inwardly. Here we go…
"I was telling Yuri about my third trip into the book, and taking back the role of Seiryu no Miko."
Tetsuya said nothing for a minute or so, purple eyes clearly showing his distaste where his face refused to.
"So you're telling her the 'wari story'. Yui, I love you to death and you know that, but I can't stand that story."
"And why not?" She shot back. "I can't stand you and Keisuke going out and getting drunk once a month! Anyways, the story doesn't hurt her, like drinking will. It's just a bedtime story that she enjoys."
"For all you know, she could be taken! Any one of our children or grandchildren could be taken into that gods-forsaken book that you saved. And there's no guarantee that there will be another Taka to keep our world safe next time!"
"Tetsuya, the book is sealed! Nobody's getting in or coming out! There's no way that Yuri, Hikari, or any other child could be returned to the story, because the book is shut. And there's no guarantee there'll be a 'next time'. Yuri asked me to tell her that story, and unless she decides she doesn't want to hear it, I won't stop telling it."
Tetsuya was clenching his fists, the knuckles white in an effort to keep himself from shouting. Finally, he let out a long breath.
"Okay. You can tell her the story. Just know that I'm against it."
Yui glared. She loved Tetsuya, she really did, but why did he think he had to give her permission to do everything, and she had to ask it?
"Thank you for understanding." She managed, blue-green eyes flashing for a moment before she reached out for one of his hands, opening it and giving it a squeeze. "We should probably head to bed. It's getting late, and we both have work tomorrow."
Tetsuya visibly relaxed, moving his free arm around Yui's shoulders. "You're right, koi. Let's go."
-----
Yuri couldn't sleep at all. She watched the ceiling quietly, pretending the shadows that fell there were angels and fairies and ballerinas instead of the monsters she knew were hiding in the corners of her room. Kaa-san hadn't asked the monsters to go away tonight, and if she got up and tried to leave, they'd eat her up!
A loud creak made her jump and whimper slightly, fearful eyes turning to the shadows under her large bay window. Oh, she knew it, there had to be a huge, mean spirit under her window, coming to take her and trap her forever in a well or some equally dark and scary place-
"Yuri? Oh, Yuri-chan, aren't you asleep yet, darling?"
Yuri gasped, turning towards the doorway where her mother had a flashlight in one hand. "Kaa-san! You didn't ask the monsters to go away, an' there's one under my window that's gonna eat me up!"
Yui sighed, crossing the room to hug her daughter. "Don't worry, there's no monster under your window." Thinking quickly, Yui pulled back, fixing the child with a warm smile. "Would you like to hear more of the 'wari story?"
Yuri nodded, face breaking into a large smile at the prospect of her favorite story.
"Well, we-Chichiri and I, that is, not Tai-Itsukun-decided to head to the capital city, Eiyo. To get there, we had to ride horses…"
-----
Yui rose a brow at the horse Tai-Itsukun had provided her, looking back to Chichiri incredulously. "…you've gotta be kidding me. This poor animal looks like a good gust of wind could blow it over."
The mage rolled an eye. "Shinju is one of Tai-Itsukun-sensei's better horses no da. She's a good animal. Besides, unless you want to ride Mikata with me, Shinju's the best horse available na no da."
Sighing, the nineteen-year old swung one leg over the horse's back, giving the palamino mare a pat. "Well, since you put it that way, I don't have much of a choice, do I. How long is this trip?"
Chichiri was silent, calculating for a moment before replying. "If we don't run into trouble on the way down, a week."
"'If we don't run into trouble?'"
Chichiri swung onto his own mare with practiced ease, leveling his unmasked gaze at Yui. "Hai. Mountain bandits have taken to the lower half of Taiyoku-zan, so it's a possibility that we may be attacked or run into pilgrims who've been attacked."
Yui made a face. "That's horrible."
"…Seiryu no Miko."
Yui twisted towards the source of the voice, surprised to see the Oracle herself floating level with her face, holding a carved cherry oak globe in her hands, no bigger than Yui's palm.
"Take this with you. Inside is a crystal-I trust you won't lose it or misread it as Miaka did. It will show a character or two when you are near a seishi."
Yui's eyes widened as she accepted the orb, a wide smile enveloping her face. "Wow! This will make things so much easier! Thank you Tai-Itsukun!!!"
The woman smiled lightly. "Please return here when you have gathered the other twelve seishi. May the Gods be with you, young one."
Yui attempted a clumsy half-bow on horseback, and nearly fell off for her troubles. "Thank you, Tai-Itsukun-sama. I'm extremely grateful for your help."
"We should head down, Yui-san. It's only a few hours to dark-I'd like to reach Kokori by nightfall no da."
With those words, the two started their slow descent out of the enchanted glen, leaving Tai-Itsukun among the playful strips of light and color dancing among the tall sycamores and oak that stood sentry over the Oracle's crystalline palace.
-----
Miaka let out a sigh she hadn't realized she had been holding, Taka moving back to her side with a can of soda. She took a pause, smiling sheepishly to her husband as she took the can, draining half of its contents thoughtfully-old habits died hard.
"Well, Yui and Chichiri have started down the mountain, and Yui has the tracking orb Tai-Itsukun gave me to find the other seishi."
Taka smiled warmly. "Well, sounds like they're pretty well off."
Miaka nodded her agreement, trading the half-empty can for the book and turning the page, watching more characters trail their way down like ants. Her eyes widened.
"Oh no…Taka, the bandits Chichiri mentioned earlier found them!"
-----
"If you don't let her go, I will have to hurt all of you no da."
The bandits scoffed. "What'll you do, monk-boy? Pray at us? This girl makes a full set for us. We take her and we can leave this mountain."
Chichiri rolled his good eye heavenwards. Slave-traders, and stupid ones at that. What was with all of them believing that his status as a traveling monk made him defenseless?
Dropping his kesa and staff by a tree, he shrugged, facing them again. "I suppose you're right no da. There's nothing I can do…"
One of the bandits laughed. "Damn rig-"
The speaker fell to his knees, wind knocked free of his lungs from the force of Chichiri's kick. A quick cut to the back of his neck, and the man was unconscious.
"…Well, besides that, of course. Now, I suggest you let her go no da." Chichiri continued pleasantly. The traders exchanged glances, pushing Yui towards Chichiri and turning to run.
Chichiri simply smiled. "Well, now that they're gone, why don't we find those travelers no da?"
Yui gave Chichiri a Look, shaking her head. "Chichiri, I don't think I'm ever going to understand you. Not in a bad way, of course."
-----
It took Chichiri and Yui twenty minutes to find the hostages, locked in a small wooden cart beside a stream that, coincidentally, was only a couple minutes walk from their horses (it took Chichiri an additional five to get Yui to stop laughing at his navigational skills). Once Yui was able to stand again, they unlocked the cart, helping the men and women inside out and showing them a safe route down the mountain.
"Well, is that all of them?"
Yui was too distracted to answer, pulling the orb out of her jacket pocket. "It's glowing now, and really warm…and look, there's a character! Let's see…'hidden'…'spring'?"
The mage looked over her shoulder. "No, that's sho. Well."
"So the clue is hidden well? What's that supposed to mean?"
"That must be me!" a voice piped up from behind them. Chichiri and Yui turned as one to face a boy who looked no older than seven, large green eyes staring up at them through a mess of sandy blonde locks. "Do you remember me, Chichiri-san?"
-----
Hiiiiiiiii again! Welp, I'm outta school-free for two weeks, yay! Not super fond of this chapter, but I do like the end. Even though it's probably really obvious, can anyone guess who the kid is?
Anywho, yeah. I'm hyper. And Final Fantasy Tactics Advanced is calling my name. My main character is named Houjun. Honestly, he's got blonde hair, a bang that does the same thing as Chichiri's going backwards, no dad, and is an awesome fighter (I kept him as a soldier, even though I could have him as a mage). What more could I ask for?
Ehhehheh…I think I'm going even crazier than I already was…anyways, if you guys can make it through this random rabble, I award you. Also, way this chapter went was:
Present Yui
Present Yui
Past Yui
Past Miaka/Taka
Past Yui
Hope that makes sense! Thanks for reading! Now it's time for me to kick some FF butt…
-otaku