~Crimson Wings~ A Tale of Suzaku
Chapter 8: What's up with Hotohori?
Disclaimer: I think you know this by now. FY is in the hands of Watase Yuu.
That night we camped out in the forest trying to make the best out of squirrel roasted on an open fire. Our encounter with the Sasaurians had left us all weary and in need of a good night's sleep, but with two half-starved seishi and a rather disgruntled god, it would be damn near impossible.
"Hey Chichiri! Make sure you get an extra big fish for me!!" Tamahome shouted as he turned the tree rodent (which could barely be considered an appetizer) over the fire. He looked back at the riverbank where a certain blue-haired monk sat holding a fishing pole, waiting patiently.
"You know, a lot of things have been bothering me ever since I got here."
Chichiri slightly turned his head around. "Like what? If it's the Sasaurian, then don't worry. He won't be bothering us for awhile no da."
Seeing that it was done, Tamahome pulled the meat off the fire and began to let it cool. "That's not all that's been bothering me. Haven't you noticed that Hotohori's been acting alittle funny lately?"
Chichiri quickly looked away so that his comrade wouldn't catch the surprised look on his face. "How so?"
"For one thing, he hasn't looked in one mirror all day."
A tiny sweatdrop appeared on Chichiri's forehead as he searched for a good answer. "Err...that's 'cause he doesn't have one, no da."
Tamahome held the flask of water out for Chichiri to reach. "That's true. Actually, I'm surprised he didn't bring one with him. If there's one thing Hotohori takes pride in, it's his looks. But it's not just that; he also acts different now. I don't even know how to explain it--it's like his whole personality changed." Chuckling to himself, he said, "Almost as if he were another person, huh?"
Chichiri froze with the flask barely touching his lips.
************************
As Tamahome ate and Chichiri fished, I was calmly laying back against a tree watching the sun dip low behind the horizon. I had finally taken my seishi's advice to keep calm and not worry so much; now I was really able to enjoy visiting the mortal world. I watched as the great orange sphere sunk beneath the trees of the forest, the sky in an array of pinks, orange, and purples. It was all so beautiful; I wished I didn't have to leave all this.
Just then, I heard someone approaching and I turned to see Chichiri rush up holding a small cooked fish. "Suzaku-sama! We've got a small problem."
My eyes hovered down to his hand. "What's that?"
"A fish."
He handed it to me and I studied it as if it were still alive. Mortals ate quite a variety of things, even water creatures. "Is that supposed to be my dinner? Looks more like a sardine."
Chichiri was rather taken aback by my harsh words. "Well, excuse me! There's barely anything worth to catch around here no da. All fishermen have their bad days no da."
"Chichiri..." He looked at me, and a smile spread across my lips. "Just playing. Thanks for the food."
Contented, he moved to the riverbank and looked up at the moon, which was now starting to appear. "Tamahome is starting to suspect something."
I almost choked on my food when I heard that. "Really? Are you sure?"
He nodded. "Positive. He was talking about it just now. He's noticed how much you've changed. He doesn't really get it now, but someday he just might."
A small lump developed in the back of my throat, making it harder for me to swallow. If Tamahome was suspecting something, then I was going to have to find the guardian spirit Nakasha as soon as possible. If I got my cover blown, then there was a bigger possibility that Tyo and his Sasaurian spies would find me again.
"You love Meia don't you?" Chiciri asked out of the blue.
There was a short pause. I had never really thought of that. Love was one of those human emotions that was just hard to grasp. But ever since I met Meia I had taken an interest in her. The way those vivid green eyes made my heart beat faster and with every moment I spent with her, my interest in her grew. I did, I did love her.
"Yes, I do."
Without responding, Chichiri removed his mask and sat down upon a stump along the bank, staring down at the water. I wanted to ask him something. I was sure I knew the answer but it had been bothering me a long time now, like a panging that wouldn't go away just by ignoring it. That just made my curiosity even more. I had to know for sure.
"Chichiri? Does she...love him?"
The monk nodded his head. "Very much."
I don't even know why I asked. It was pretty obvious that Meia cared for him. It was the way she looked me in the eyes that I could tell. Whenever she looked at me it was only "him" she saw. Not me.
"Suzaku-sama..."
"Hmm, yeah?"
"Don't get too close to Meia-san. She'll only break your heart. Remember...she's planned to marry Hotohori, not you."
A long silence followed as I stared down at my reflection in the water. Perhaps I was getting too close to her, maybe I was just postponing the inevitable. It didn't matter what I did because in the end, Hotohori would have her.
"There's something about Meia you don't know," said Chichiri.
"Really? Like what?"
"Fifteen years ago, the shogun general claimed that he had a daughter. No one ever knew he had any children, so when he showed her to the royal court, already as a small child, people immediately raised questions of her possible origin. The shogun never explained who Meia's mother was or where she came from."
"She doesn't act like most girls of her class, not at all what you'd expect from a shogun's daughter. Some say that she's not even his biological daughter, that they found her as an orphan and took her in as part of the family."
I finished the rest of the fish, letting his words sink in. This was why I didn't automatically know Meia's background like I did with everyone else, she was not from Konan.
I looked back at Chichiri who was now throwing pebbles into the river. "I-I'm sorry about the way I've been acting. I know I sometimes act sort of..."
"Rude? Bad-tempered?" he guessed.
"Yeah, that's it. It's just...I guess I've just been confused living as a mortal; it can be real difficult. Like earlier today, for instance, I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to protect you guys, and when I saw Meia frightened like that I wanted to help," I recalled the look on her face when the Sasaurian turned to her. "...but I was powerless."
"That's how it is sometimes. When something happens to the ones you love, you want to save them but you feel powerless when there's nothing you can do." He looked down and I caught a glimpse of the long scar on his face where his left eye had once been. "It's a terrible feeling isn't it?"
I felt terrible right now seeing him like this. For the first time since I met Chichiri personally, he was looking depressed. But I knew why. He was thinking of her. The one who he had loved; the one who unfortunately left him behind in this world not long ago.
"Chichiri," I said. "She's-" I stopped before I could give away who I was referring to. Would he even care what I had to say? What did a god know about death? Maybe if I said too much, I would just make it worse for him.
So instead, I just placed a friendly pat on his back and said, "Chichiri, despite what you may think, she loved you too."
And with that I turned and wandered towards the trees. "I'm going for a walk. Thank you again for the dinner, Chichiri-kun. It was good." It wasn't until I was out of his sight when I realized what I said. I had just called him Chichiri-kun.
Chichiri's eyes turned away from the riverview, his one eye full of mirth but a hint of sadness in it. "Your welcome, Suzaku-sama."
*********
Whew! That's done! I feel so bad for Chichiri-kun. :( I wanted to cry when I first saw his past. I think it's kind of obvious that he's my fav. seishi (him and Tasuki actually). Nuriko comes in second. Chiriko's third.
If there's funky spelling/grammar errors, sorry bout that. Towards the end, I rushed to finish this. I've decided to shorten the next chapters from now on. It makes my updates way too long because I have much more to type plus much more of the plot to concern myself with at one time. So the next chapters should come along faster. Thank you for your support. Please keep giving me feedback. It lets me in on what you like or don't like, so this helps with my writing.
Dfire ^^
Chapter 8: What's up with Hotohori?
Disclaimer: I think you know this by now. FY is in the hands of Watase Yuu.
That night we camped out in the forest trying to make the best out of squirrel roasted on an open fire. Our encounter with the Sasaurians had left us all weary and in need of a good night's sleep, but with two half-starved seishi and a rather disgruntled god, it would be damn near impossible.
"Hey Chichiri! Make sure you get an extra big fish for me!!" Tamahome shouted as he turned the tree rodent (which could barely be considered an appetizer) over the fire. He looked back at the riverbank where a certain blue-haired monk sat holding a fishing pole, waiting patiently.
"You know, a lot of things have been bothering me ever since I got here."
Chichiri slightly turned his head around. "Like what? If it's the Sasaurian, then don't worry. He won't be bothering us for awhile no da."
Seeing that it was done, Tamahome pulled the meat off the fire and began to let it cool. "That's not all that's been bothering me. Haven't you noticed that Hotohori's been acting alittle funny lately?"
Chichiri quickly looked away so that his comrade wouldn't catch the surprised look on his face. "How so?"
"For one thing, he hasn't looked in one mirror all day."
A tiny sweatdrop appeared on Chichiri's forehead as he searched for a good answer. "Err...that's 'cause he doesn't have one, no da."
Tamahome held the flask of water out for Chichiri to reach. "That's true. Actually, I'm surprised he didn't bring one with him. If there's one thing Hotohori takes pride in, it's his looks. But it's not just that; he also acts different now. I don't even know how to explain it--it's like his whole personality changed." Chuckling to himself, he said, "Almost as if he were another person, huh?"
Chichiri froze with the flask barely touching his lips.
************************
As Tamahome ate and Chichiri fished, I was calmly laying back against a tree watching the sun dip low behind the horizon. I had finally taken my seishi's advice to keep calm and not worry so much; now I was really able to enjoy visiting the mortal world. I watched as the great orange sphere sunk beneath the trees of the forest, the sky in an array of pinks, orange, and purples. It was all so beautiful; I wished I didn't have to leave all this.
Just then, I heard someone approaching and I turned to see Chichiri rush up holding a small cooked fish. "Suzaku-sama! We've got a small problem."
My eyes hovered down to his hand. "What's that?"
"A fish."
He handed it to me and I studied it as if it were still alive. Mortals ate quite a variety of things, even water creatures. "Is that supposed to be my dinner? Looks more like a sardine."
Chichiri was rather taken aback by my harsh words. "Well, excuse me! There's barely anything worth to catch around here no da. All fishermen have their bad days no da."
"Chichiri..." He looked at me, and a smile spread across my lips. "Just playing. Thanks for the food."
Contented, he moved to the riverbank and looked up at the moon, which was now starting to appear. "Tamahome is starting to suspect something."
I almost choked on my food when I heard that. "Really? Are you sure?"
He nodded. "Positive. He was talking about it just now. He's noticed how much you've changed. He doesn't really get it now, but someday he just might."
A small lump developed in the back of my throat, making it harder for me to swallow. If Tamahome was suspecting something, then I was going to have to find the guardian spirit Nakasha as soon as possible. If I got my cover blown, then there was a bigger possibility that Tyo and his Sasaurian spies would find me again.
"You love Meia don't you?" Chiciri asked out of the blue.
There was a short pause. I had never really thought of that. Love was one of those human emotions that was just hard to grasp. But ever since I met Meia I had taken an interest in her. The way those vivid green eyes made my heart beat faster and with every moment I spent with her, my interest in her grew. I did, I did love her.
"Yes, I do."
Without responding, Chichiri removed his mask and sat down upon a stump along the bank, staring down at the water. I wanted to ask him something. I was sure I knew the answer but it had been bothering me a long time now, like a panging that wouldn't go away just by ignoring it. That just made my curiosity even more. I had to know for sure.
"Chichiri? Does she...love him?"
The monk nodded his head. "Very much."
I don't even know why I asked. It was pretty obvious that Meia cared for him. It was the way she looked me in the eyes that I could tell. Whenever she looked at me it was only "him" she saw. Not me.
"Suzaku-sama..."
"Hmm, yeah?"
"Don't get too close to Meia-san. She'll only break your heart. Remember...she's planned to marry Hotohori, not you."
A long silence followed as I stared down at my reflection in the water. Perhaps I was getting too close to her, maybe I was just postponing the inevitable. It didn't matter what I did because in the end, Hotohori would have her.
"There's something about Meia you don't know," said Chichiri.
"Really? Like what?"
"Fifteen years ago, the shogun general claimed that he had a daughter. No one ever knew he had any children, so when he showed her to the royal court, already as a small child, people immediately raised questions of her possible origin. The shogun never explained who Meia's mother was or where she came from."
"She doesn't act like most girls of her class, not at all what you'd expect from a shogun's daughter. Some say that she's not even his biological daughter, that they found her as an orphan and took her in as part of the family."
I finished the rest of the fish, letting his words sink in. This was why I didn't automatically know Meia's background like I did with everyone else, she was not from Konan.
I looked back at Chichiri who was now throwing pebbles into the river. "I-I'm sorry about the way I've been acting. I know I sometimes act sort of..."
"Rude? Bad-tempered?" he guessed.
"Yeah, that's it. It's just...I guess I've just been confused living as a mortal; it can be real difficult. Like earlier today, for instance, I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to protect you guys, and when I saw Meia frightened like that I wanted to help," I recalled the look on her face when the Sasaurian turned to her. "...but I was powerless."
"That's how it is sometimes. When something happens to the ones you love, you want to save them but you feel powerless when there's nothing you can do." He looked down and I caught a glimpse of the long scar on his face where his left eye had once been. "It's a terrible feeling isn't it?"
I felt terrible right now seeing him like this. For the first time since I met Chichiri personally, he was looking depressed. But I knew why. He was thinking of her. The one who he had loved; the one who unfortunately left him behind in this world not long ago.
"Chichiri," I said. "She's-" I stopped before I could give away who I was referring to. Would he even care what I had to say? What did a god know about death? Maybe if I said too much, I would just make it worse for him.
So instead, I just placed a friendly pat on his back and said, "Chichiri, despite what you may think, she loved you too."
And with that I turned and wandered towards the trees. "I'm going for a walk. Thank you again for the dinner, Chichiri-kun. It was good." It wasn't until I was out of his sight when I realized what I said. I had just called him Chichiri-kun.
Chichiri's eyes turned away from the riverview, his one eye full of mirth but a hint of sadness in it. "Your welcome, Suzaku-sama."
*********
Whew! That's done! I feel so bad for Chichiri-kun. :( I wanted to cry when I first saw his past. I think it's kind of obvious that he's my fav. seishi (him and Tasuki actually). Nuriko comes in second. Chiriko's third.
If there's funky spelling/grammar errors, sorry bout that. Towards the end, I rushed to finish this. I've decided to shorten the next chapters from now on. It makes my updates way too long because I have much more to type plus much more of the plot to concern myself with at one time. So the next chapters should come along faster. Thank you for your support. Please keep giving me feedback. It lets me in on what you like or don't like, so this helps with my writing.
Dfire ^^
