A/N Here is the next chapter. I want to thank everyone for the reviews. I will work on quite a few things. So you might not see it happen until chapter 9. Thank you and keep them coming.
Also I will say this again. This story is rated TEEN for a reason. "Suitable for teens, 13 years and older, with some violence, minor coarse language, and minor suggestive adult themes."
FY is rated PG. I plan on following that.
So enjoy.
Chapter Seven Awaken Priestess Awaken
"Moriko tossed and turned as if she is fighting her own inner demons…"Ryuu read from the book. He frowned. He continued to read on.
Matsu watched the girl who said her name is Moriko. She tossed and turned for a long time. He had summoned a doctor leaving the girl alone despite his desire.
The town doctor followed him to his place. There the doctor gave her a once over. He murmured. Matsu didn't know what to think. He isn't sure of medical but he knows of plants.
"The girl," the doctor said after he gave his final examination after pondering the girl for a few minutes. "Apparently she is struggling with her own demons."
"Her inner demons?" Matsu asked.
The old doctor nodded to this.
"What can we do?"
"There is nothing that I can do," the doctor replied.
"Is there anything I can do?"
"Watch over her. I will leave for now but I return in a few hours." The doctor stood up. He picked up his bag and bid him a due. The doctor would return in a few hours to see how she is doing.
It has been a few hours now. There has no been sign of the doctor. Matsu sat on the edge of his bed that the girl laid in.
Droplets of sweat appeared on her forehead. She murmured in her sleep. He watched her then he grabbed a damp towel. He lightly padded away the droplets of sweat.
"Kasumi…" Moriko murmured.
It is one of the words Matsu could understand. He isn't sure about the others. He didn't no what demons a young girl like her could face.
"Maws…" Moriko murmured.
"Maws?" Matsu thought. "They are the creatures that inhabited Hokan. Was this girl from there?" Many things of this girl didn't make sense.
"How did she know about the four gods?" Matsu continued to think. "Did she really see the symbol of Byakko?" Matsu stared at her remembering her clothes. "Could she be the priestess?"
"I must summon Byakko…" Moriko murmured.
Matsu eyes widen. He removed his hand from dabbing the girls' forehead. He studied Moriko.
"How is she?" A person asked.
Startled Matsu slowly turned around. His hand touched his weapon at his side. The person is the doctor. He has spoke as he pulled back the curtain.
"Had he heard what she said?" Matsu asked himself. He touched the back of his right hand that held the symbol lasso for he is the Seishi of Byakko named Tatara.
"Well? How is she?" The doctor repeated interrupting Matsu's thoughts.
He looked back at Moriko. "She hasn't changed."
"That isn't good," the doctor said coming up next to the girl.
He went over her vitals. Matsu watched him closely. He tried to figure out if he found out or not. Would the doctor know that Moriko is the Priestess of Byakko?
"Her heart beat is rather fast."
"Faster then normal?" Matsu asked.
"Very, at a medical stand point she could be in grave danger."
Matsu nodded taking the information in. "Is there anything we can do for her?"
The doctor's eyes turned to sadness. They quivered as if they were going to brim with tear. "Just do what you are doing now that is the best for her."
He put away the equipment that he had taken out.
"You are leaving?"
"I can't do anything as a doctor. All you can do is pray. Pray to Byakko that he will spare this child."
Matsu nodded and escorted the doctor out. He walked back to his bedroom with the young girl.
"Pray to Byakko," he scoffed inside his mind. "The gods are nothing but trouble that is what happens when they interfere with mortal men."
He set himself next to her bed. He picked the cloth back up and dabbed at her forehead. There is nothing a doctor could do for her. Will she never wake? Would she die?
"The Maws," Moriko said. She sat up.
The quick movement made Matsu jump back. He looked into her eyes. They are wide with fear. She had finally awakened.
"I must go to my sister," Moriko said. She started to push off her blankets.
Matsu grabbed her. She hadn't noticed or acknowledged his presence.
"Moriko…" He murmured.
She looked at him. They gazed into each others eyes. Moriko looked into Matsu's dark purple eyes while he stared into her dark blue eyes.
"Matsu?" Moriko said finally acknowledging him. "What happened?" She turned her head and grabbed it. It really hurt.
"You fainted," Matsu moved in closer to her.
"I fainted?"
"Yes, you did. The doctor came to see you," He placed his hand over her hand that covered her head. She still felt warm.
"Does it hurt?" Matsu asked.
Moriko nodded.
"I caught you when you fell so I don't think you hit your head."
Moriko nodded again.
Matsu blushed taking back his hand. He didn't forget how tenderly he touched her head.
"My head hurts so much. Was I out for long?"
"Hours." Matsu sat up all of a sudden.
Moriko looked at him.
"I have something for your head. I will go get it." He walked towards the sheet that connected the door to the other room. He pulled it back.
"I feel like I am forgetting something important," Moriko said to herself.
Matsu walked through the door. "Maybe once your head clears you will remember then we can get to the bottom of this," he said to himself.
Matsu grabbed the envelope he needed. It contained medicine that he made. He knew much about plants and he could easily make medicine. He grabbed a clay cup and walked near the large kettle that sat on the fire.
He opened the envelope allowing the contents to spill inside the cup. He took out a ladle of hot water from the kettle. He poured the hot water into the cup and replaced it when he was done. He walked back to his bedroom that Moriko was in. He stirred the cup using the water inside of it to mix in with the medicine.
As he pulled back the room divider he noticed Moriko still pondering about what she forgot. He came up towards her. He sat back down on the bed.
"Here," Matsu said while handing her the cup. "It will help you clear your head."
"Thank you," Moriko said as she took the cup. She brought it to her lips.
Before she could drink it Matsu moved in closer to her. She was startled and drew the cup back a little.
He took a breath and breathed on the cup. Cold air from his mouth kissed her face. She noticed how handsome he is and how nice it felt.
"Sorry," Matsu said. He pulled back and blushed. He didn't mean to do it on purpose. He turned his head. "It was hot. It should be cooler now."
"Thank you," Moriko said. She took a drink. The liquid is hot but not to hot. It easily ran down her throat as she drank.
"Drink it all. Your head should clear after a few minutes."
Moriko drank it all. She set it down on the side table next to the bed. It tasted good. She could feel her head starting to clear.
Awkwardness sat right next to the pair as they searched for the right wards to say. They both had acknowledged some sensation they had towards each other.
"What was in the cup?" Moriko asked stumbling on her words.
"Medicine from a rare plant that I grow," Matsu answered thankful that the silence is broken.
"You also grow plants along with flowers?" Moriko asked.
"Yes all kinds. It's a hobby of mine." Matsu blushed.
"I think it's a great hobby."
Matsu turned to her and smiled. She looked at him blushed and turned away.
"Oh my head has cleared," Moriko said finally.
"Told you that it would work," Matsu reassured her.
Moriko's eyes darkened. She didn't hear what Matsu said.
"Moriko?" Matsu said cautiously. "What is going on?"
"My sister is in danger," Moriko responded after Matsu brought her out of her thoughts.
"How do you know she is in danger?"
"We are twins. So, I guess it is a twin thing."
Matsu galloped. He knew what she is in danger from and where she could be.
"From the Maws?" He finally asked.
Moriko's eyes widen. "How does he know?" She thinks. "Does he know what happened to Kasumi? Is he behind it?" She silently shook her own head. She could suspect the only person that has been kind to her.
"How you know?" She finally asked.
"In your sleep you muttered about Kasumi..." Matsu replied. "And the Maws."
"What are the Maws? Where are they? Where is Kasumi?" Moriko asked.
Matsu sighed heavily. He didn't want to tell her what the Maws were or the chance of her sister alive is slim. He didn't say anything for a while.
"Matsu?" Moriko looked at him. Her eyes filled with tears.
"If your sister was attacked by the Maws…" Matsu said then stopped.
He didn't want to tell her. He couldn't. He hadn't realized but he had fallen for her.
"Matsu?" Moriko pleaded. Tears fell from my eyes.
Matsu looked at her. Pain filled his eyes. He took a deep breath sucking in his anguish.
"She is dead if the Maws got to her," He finally said.
Moriko started to cry. Matsu let her for a few moments before he wrapped his arms around her.
"She can't be dead," Moriko repeated over and over.
"For you sake I hope that she is not," Matsu thought.
"There is a chance she couldn't be," Matsu said.
"What?" Moriko asked moving slightly back to look at him.
"The Maws are furious creatures that inhabit the mountain sides of Hokan. If she could get away or had help…" He touched her face and wiped her tears away.
"What do you think Moriko?"
Moriko thought about it. She felt it in her heart.
"She is alive," Moriko said. The last teardrops fell from her face.
"See she is alive," Matsu said. He wiped away the last tear drops. She still felt rather warm to him but he chose not say anything.
"I must go to her then," Moriko said.
"That could be a problem then," a voice that was not the pairs said.
They both looked up.
"Oh Doctor, she just woke up," Matsu said informing Moriko who the person was that walked into the room.
"It will be a problem for the Priestess to leave," the doctor.
Matsu's mouth formed an O shaped. He gripped his hands and looked around the room for a weapon. Luckily for him they were inside his place and he had plenty of weapons. He waited for the doctor to make his first move.
"Is the Doctor friend or foe?" Ryuu read from the book.
He frowned. He wasn't completely sure why Matsu was on edge. He had gotten from the book that most of the people couldn't stand the Priestess and there Seishi. A doctor should be about saving lives. If the doctor had summoned someone Moriko would be in danger.
Ryuu briefly paused on the ink drawing. It showed Moriko in bed. Sitting next to her is the man named Moriko. He is handsome probably even better looking them himself. They both seemed to be staring at him but he knew who they were starring at. He turned the page reading on.
"Aki continued to try and coax the girl out of her lost state of mind…"
"Ryuu…" Aki said.
"Ryuu…" The girl repeated.
Kana grunted.
"Priestess of Suzaku…" Aki stated.
"Suzaku…" Akiko replied.
Kana quickly pulled out her sword. He pointed it straight at the girl. All he had to do is swing and it would have killed her but he is blocked.
Aki pulled his sword out the second Kana reacted. He blocked Kana's sword. He doubted he could hold his own against Kana though.
"Why do you protect her?" Kana questioned Aki with his voice full of hate.
"Why do you try to kill her?" Aki shoot back.
"If she is the Priestess of Suzaku she should die."
"Suzaku…" Akiko mimicked.
"So you are afraid of a little girl?" Aki snorted.
"Not of a little girl," Kana said his eyes darkened. "I fear the power that she could bring."
"In the wrong hands…" Aki said. "It could be dangerous but."
"No buts."
"Think about it Kana we have the person who can save Konan."
Kana was silent for a moment until he decided what to say.
"What if she destroys it?" Kana asked.
"What if she is our savior?" Aki inquired back.
"You are willing to wage the lives of all the people of Konan on that?"
Aki didn't say anything. "Like you I also thought that the Priestess of Suzaku would be an ill omen."
"Suzaku…Ryuu…" Akiko murmured. "Kasumi…Moriko…Takara…"
"What changed your mind?" Kana questioned.
"Her sitting right here."
Kana lowered his sword. Aki did the same. They stared at each other.
"Why am I here?" Came a sweat voice in the room.
They both turned and looked at the girl.
"Kana and Aki argued while they did they didn't notice the girl awaken,"Ryuu read from the book.
He sighed heavily. The weight of worrying over Akiko melted away. She is alright. So far everyone started to get out of the danger they were in all except Kasumi.
Ryuu's eyes darkened. This book is dangerous. His friends had just entered the book and they all ended up in some peril. It happed to some of them not just once. His vow to find the truth renewed him.
His eyes briefly in took the ink drawing. It is of Akiko and the two men in the room. They are both handsome but they both still held out their swords. Maybe she wasn't safe just yet. Gripping the page he turned it and read on.
The next chapter is called Surprise.
