**Hello, peoples! Does anybody know the name of Chichiri's dead fiancée?
I have no idea what it is and I could really use it. Enjoy the next
chapter.^^
~Crimson Wings~ A Tale of Suzaku
Chapter Ten: Fake
Disclaimer: FY does not belong to me no matter how much I wish it did (excluding Miaka, of course).
"Houjin!"
Chichiri turned around and smiled, delighted to see the young girl standing across the river watching him.
"Houjin!!" she called out again and stretched her arms out, wordlessly beckoning him to come to her.
He started to run towards her, but for some reason his feet weren't taking him anywhere and she was still a far distance away from him.
Suddenly, she turned around and ran off down the river, disappearing from his sight. He watched her retreating figure and could hear a cold voice from behind. It sent cold shivers down his spine as it spoke to him.
"Chichiri.she's running away from you. Try and catch up with her."
And the voice broke out into a harsh, cold laughter, filling his ears with its haunting tone.
The vision of her now small figure slipped away and Chichiri could now feel Meia shaking his shoulder, urging him to wake up.
"Chichiri! Wake up! Hotohori's gone!"
*******************
I wasn't sure how long it had been since I left the others behind. Trudging up a long rugged path up a mountain range, I let out a loud yawn. I didn't get much slept last night, and with all the incidents yesterday plus my urgency to find Nakasha, I forced myself to move on, barely getting an hour's rest.
When I reached the very top of the mountain, I took a moment to look down amongst Konan's peaceful countryside, still asleep amongst the sunrise. I knew I wanted to stay here; I wasn't getting to lie to myself anymore. But this was not my place, and I did not belong here. I wasn't going to bother Chichiri or the others any longer. From now on, I would try to find Nakasha myself. I would do it alone.
There was still no sign of Nakasha. With almost half of my powers restored, I could now speak telepathically again. I tried contacting her but failed. Trying to keep myself calm, I told myself that it might not be anything serious. Maybe she's too afraid to reply, afraid that Tyo might intercept our conversation. Or maybe there was another reason.
Maybe there was something wrong.
But that wasn't the only thing on my mind. Meia. She had crept into my heart and stolen it, and I was stupid enough to illusion myself with my fantasies. How could I have been so foolish?
A strange burning sensation gathered in the back of my eyes and moisture began to blur my vision. I didn't know what that meant. Perhaps something had got into my eye.
Pushing my thoughts aside for the moment, I decided that I would try to contact the other three gods. Kneeling down on both knees, I closed my eyes and began to concentrate on the three gods' chi. It didn't take long for them to answer my call.
Seiryuu was the first to appear. In a blast of blue chi, his human form materialized before me. The dragon god was silent, as his cold blue eyes, scrutinizing, looked me up and down. "What happened to you? Is life here in the mortal realm really that troubling?"
I was surprised at his words, but then again, not really. I could only imagine how I looked right then. My eyes were kind of puffy and I was feeling a bit groggy. "I didn't get much sleep last night," I almost snapped back. I was feeling a little cranky too. "I've been going crazy trying to find Nakasha!"
"Sleep?" Byakko was the next one to appear, on Seiryuu's right. He watched me with his narrow dark eyes, questioningly. "You sleep, Suzaku?"
"Well, yes, doesn't everybo-" I stopped myself just in time.
Genbu, who was now to Seiryuu's left, still got the message. "You're not the same as we once knew, Suzaku. You've changed."
I was preparing to deny what he said, but then I thought about it for a moment, and realized that he was right. Perhaps I had changed; I had been living as the emperor for several days now. I was getting used to the mortal way of life.
Shrugging my shoulders and forming a smirk, I answered him, "I guess I am."
Genbu nodded his head understandingly. After all, he had been a mortal at one time.
Byakko lifted his eyes impatiently and sighed. "Suzaku, why did you call us here? Is there something you need from us? If it's about Nakasha, then we don-"
"I know! I know!" I interrupted, and stated the exact same words I was sure Byakko was about to say to me. '"You guys don't know where she is either, it's my county and not yours-so I should be the one to find her.' I know!" I shook my head disbelievingly. "You're still the impatient one, Byakko."
Byakko's lips spread into a helpless smile. "And you are still the hard headed, short-tempered one. I guess you'll never change, huh?"
Seiryuu was the one to get us back to business. "Do you have the scroll?"
"Yes, right here." I took the scroll and held it out so that all three of them could see. "My powers were very low for the past few days, so I didn't I find out until today," I explained to them. Looking down so that I wouldn't have to see their reactions, I said, "It's not the real scroll."
I waited for remarks such as, "How could you do something so foolish?" or "And you consider yourself a divine spirit?" But to my surprise, there was a long silence before Seiryuu calmly spoke up. "Where did you get it?"
"The shogun of Konan gave it to me," I answered, relieved that they weren't going to make this any harder for me. I skipped the small detail about a secret visitor giving it to us at the inn. "But it has turned out to be a fake, yet it's virtually identical to the real one! Same handwriting, same look, same everything. Someone must have tried to throw us off."
"Someone with enough power to make such an exact copy," stated Byakko. "You must get the true scroll soon."
"I know and I will."
"You must tell him, Suzaku," said Genbu.
I anxiously shook my head. Even though Genbu didn't say his name, I knew exactly who he was speaking of, and it was not the shogun. "I can't..."
"Why not?"
"How can I tell Chichiri, that it was his dead fiancée who took the last part of the scroll?"
Genbu looked out into the horizon, the large orange sun now rising above the trees. "We understand.but you must do it. If you don't find the scroll and the missing piece, then the worst is yet to come."
"Tyo will have power over both realms, and everything will be destroyed. Chichiri and Meia will die along with this world."
Seiryuu noticed the scared look on my face and frowned. "You're in love with her, aren't you?"
"Yes.," my eyes faltered under his gaze and my sight grew blurry again. Was there water coming out of my eyes?! Despite Seiryuu's disapproving look, I wasn't going to lie about it. I was in love with Meia. ".with all my heart."
Seiryuu shook his head. "You will have to forget about her, Suzaku. She is a mortal girl and you're a god. It would never work."
"I know it wouldn't work," I told to him as well as myself.
The dragon god spoke this time, in an even more somber tone. "In three days, you must find the scroll in its entirety and return to the immortal realm at dawn on the third day along with Nakasha. When the sun's first rays touch the land of Konan, that is when you leave."
"But what about Chichiri and Meia!?"
Seiryuu's voice was harsh. "Do not concern yourself with them! If you do what you're told, then they will live!"
I kept my mouth shut after that. There was no arguing with Seiryuu, even Genbu and Byakko remained silent.
With one last sharp glance, Seiryuu turned away from me. "Now, let us go."
And in a whirl of chi, they were gone. Leaving me alone in my anguish and with a heavy heart.
To be continued.
************
Until later guys!^^
~Crimson Wings~ A Tale of Suzaku
Chapter Ten: Fake
Disclaimer: FY does not belong to me no matter how much I wish it did (excluding Miaka, of course).
"Houjin!"
Chichiri turned around and smiled, delighted to see the young girl standing across the river watching him.
"Houjin!!" she called out again and stretched her arms out, wordlessly beckoning him to come to her.
He started to run towards her, but for some reason his feet weren't taking him anywhere and she was still a far distance away from him.
Suddenly, she turned around and ran off down the river, disappearing from his sight. He watched her retreating figure and could hear a cold voice from behind. It sent cold shivers down his spine as it spoke to him.
"Chichiri.she's running away from you. Try and catch up with her."
And the voice broke out into a harsh, cold laughter, filling his ears with its haunting tone.
The vision of her now small figure slipped away and Chichiri could now feel Meia shaking his shoulder, urging him to wake up.
"Chichiri! Wake up! Hotohori's gone!"
*******************
I wasn't sure how long it had been since I left the others behind. Trudging up a long rugged path up a mountain range, I let out a loud yawn. I didn't get much slept last night, and with all the incidents yesterday plus my urgency to find Nakasha, I forced myself to move on, barely getting an hour's rest.
When I reached the very top of the mountain, I took a moment to look down amongst Konan's peaceful countryside, still asleep amongst the sunrise. I knew I wanted to stay here; I wasn't getting to lie to myself anymore. But this was not my place, and I did not belong here. I wasn't going to bother Chichiri or the others any longer. From now on, I would try to find Nakasha myself. I would do it alone.
There was still no sign of Nakasha. With almost half of my powers restored, I could now speak telepathically again. I tried contacting her but failed. Trying to keep myself calm, I told myself that it might not be anything serious. Maybe she's too afraid to reply, afraid that Tyo might intercept our conversation. Or maybe there was another reason.
Maybe there was something wrong.
But that wasn't the only thing on my mind. Meia. She had crept into my heart and stolen it, and I was stupid enough to illusion myself with my fantasies. How could I have been so foolish?
A strange burning sensation gathered in the back of my eyes and moisture began to blur my vision. I didn't know what that meant. Perhaps something had got into my eye.
Pushing my thoughts aside for the moment, I decided that I would try to contact the other three gods. Kneeling down on both knees, I closed my eyes and began to concentrate on the three gods' chi. It didn't take long for them to answer my call.
Seiryuu was the first to appear. In a blast of blue chi, his human form materialized before me. The dragon god was silent, as his cold blue eyes, scrutinizing, looked me up and down. "What happened to you? Is life here in the mortal realm really that troubling?"
I was surprised at his words, but then again, not really. I could only imagine how I looked right then. My eyes were kind of puffy and I was feeling a bit groggy. "I didn't get much sleep last night," I almost snapped back. I was feeling a little cranky too. "I've been going crazy trying to find Nakasha!"
"Sleep?" Byakko was the next one to appear, on Seiryuu's right. He watched me with his narrow dark eyes, questioningly. "You sleep, Suzaku?"
"Well, yes, doesn't everybo-" I stopped myself just in time.
Genbu, who was now to Seiryuu's left, still got the message. "You're not the same as we once knew, Suzaku. You've changed."
I was preparing to deny what he said, but then I thought about it for a moment, and realized that he was right. Perhaps I had changed; I had been living as the emperor for several days now. I was getting used to the mortal way of life.
Shrugging my shoulders and forming a smirk, I answered him, "I guess I am."
Genbu nodded his head understandingly. After all, he had been a mortal at one time.
Byakko lifted his eyes impatiently and sighed. "Suzaku, why did you call us here? Is there something you need from us? If it's about Nakasha, then we don-"
"I know! I know!" I interrupted, and stated the exact same words I was sure Byakko was about to say to me. '"You guys don't know where she is either, it's my county and not yours-so I should be the one to find her.' I know!" I shook my head disbelievingly. "You're still the impatient one, Byakko."
Byakko's lips spread into a helpless smile. "And you are still the hard headed, short-tempered one. I guess you'll never change, huh?"
Seiryuu was the one to get us back to business. "Do you have the scroll?"
"Yes, right here." I took the scroll and held it out so that all three of them could see. "My powers were very low for the past few days, so I didn't I find out until today," I explained to them. Looking down so that I wouldn't have to see their reactions, I said, "It's not the real scroll."
I waited for remarks such as, "How could you do something so foolish?" or "And you consider yourself a divine spirit?" But to my surprise, there was a long silence before Seiryuu calmly spoke up. "Where did you get it?"
"The shogun of Konan gave it to me," I answered, relieved that they weren't going to make this any harder for me. I skipped the small detail about a secret visitor giving it to us at the inn. "But it has turned out to be a fake, yet it's virtually identical to the real one! Same handwriting, same look, same everything. Someone must have tried to throw us off."
"Someone with enough power to make such an exact copy," stated Byakko. "You must get the true scroll soon."
"I know and I will."
"You must tell him, Suzaku," said Genbu.
I anxiously shook my head. Even though Genbu didn't say his name, I knew exactly who he was speaking of, and it was not the shogun. "I can't..."
"Why not?"
"How can I tell Chichiri, that it was his dead fiancée who took the last part of the scroll?"
Genbu looked out into the horizon, the large orange sun now rising above the trees. "We understand.but you must do it. If you don't find the scroll and the missing piece, then the worst is yet to come."
"Tyo will have power over both realms, and everything will be destroyed. Chichiri and Meia will die along with this world."
Seiryuu noticed the scared look on my face and frowned. "You're in love with her, aren't you?"
"Yes.," my eyes faltered under his gaze and my sight grew blurry again. Was there water coming out of my eyes?! Despite Seiryuu's disapproving look, I wasn't going to lie about it. I was in love with Meia. ".with all my heart."
Seiryuu shook his head. "You will have to forget about her, Suzaku. She is a mortal girl and you're a god. It would never work."
"I know it wouldn't work," I told to him as well as myself.
The dragon god spoke this time, in an even more somber tone. "In three days, you must find the scroll in its entirety and return to the immortal realm at dawn on the third day along with Nakasha. When the sun's first rays touch the land of Konan, that is when you leave."
"But what about Chichiri and Meia!?"
Seiryuu's voice was harsh. "Do not concern yourself with them! If you do what you're told, then they will live!"
I kept my mouth shut after that. There was no arguing with Seiryuu, even Genbu and Byakko remained silent.
With one last sharp glance, Seiryuu turned away from me. "Now, let us go."
And in a whirl of chi, they were gone. Leaving me alone in my anguish and with a heavy heart.
To be continued.
************
Until later guys!^^