Disclaimer: I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.

Chapter 24: Babe in the Belly

Narrator

Uruki learned quickly that Umiyame was one of the most annoying people she had ever met. The damn woman would not shut her mouth. She had a particularly fun time making fun of Uruki. Needless to say, of the seishi who had the misfortune of traveling with her, Namame got along with her the best. The two of them chatted and teased and grated on Uruki's nerves until she was ready to scream.

It didn't help that she was sick. She'd thrown up almost every day on the ride back. She felt nauseated all day and couldn't keep her food down unless she ate small meals. Unfortunately, while Namame at least tried not to crack as many jokes, Umiyame had no pity.

"No kids? I don't buy it. You're a woman. Your biological clock is ticking. You'd better hop into bed with some young buck soon and get a babe in your belly," Umiyame teased one morning."

"I've told you a million times, I don't want any damn kids," Uruki growled.

"And I've told you a million times, I doubt you'll have a choice," Umiyame replied with an evil glint in her eyes.

Uruki shot a desperate look at Hatsui. Namame was useless. He was trying desperately not to laugh.

"Your face," Namame giggled.

"Are we there yet?" Uruki growled at Hatsui.

"We should be there by tonight or tomorrow morning," Hatsui replied.

"Please make it tonight."

"But I'm so enjoying our lovely journey together," Umiyame said. Uruki shot her a dirty look.

Fortunately for Uruki, they were back by that night. As they rode into the city she couldn't help but let a sigh of relief escape. The palace was big enough that she could easily avoid Umiyame until the ceremony and ride out whatever illness had decided to plague her. As they entered the palace a figure rushed towards them, followed more slowly by three others. Uruki had to hurry to dismount as Takiko threw herself at her friend.

"I'm so glad you're all right!" she said. "We were starting to get worried!" Uruki laughed for the first time in days.

"About us? We're the Genbu Seishi! What could possibly have happened?" Takiko scowled at her friend. "You're such a worry wart, Takiko," Uruki said with a smile.

"What? No big hug for me?" Namame said with a scowl.

"Get off that big horse and I'll give you one, you oaf!" retorted Takiko. With a grin Namame dismounted and Takiko pulled him onto a hug. Namame responded by lifting her off the ground and twirling her around as she squealed in delight.

"Oi. That's my girlfriend you're manhandling," said Tomite, grinning widely. He, Hikitsu, and Inami had caught up with Takiko. Uruki and Hikitsu's eyes met briefly before she turned away. His rejection still stung. Namame laughed and gave Takiko one last squeeze before setting her down.

"Well isn't this just the most tear-jerking reunion," said Umiyame, directing Takiko, Tomite, Hikitsu, and Hatsui's attention to her.

"Are you… Umiyame?" asked Takiko tentatively.

"I am."

"Oh! You found her! This is wonderful! Welcome to Tolan, Umiyame. I'm Takiko, the Genbu no Miko, and this is Tomite, Hikitsu, and Inami," she said, motioning to each of the seishi in turn.

"Genbu save us, you're the Genbu no Miko?" asked Umiyame.

"Yes, I am," Takiko said.

"You're just a baby!"

"And you are not the first to make such an observation."

"Heck, you have chipmunk cheeks!" Takiko's hands flew to her cheeks.

"I do not have chipmunk cheeks!"

"Which explains why you're hiding them."

"Now, now," said Hatsui, who was, by now, far too used to how Umiyame tended to tease people. "I don't know about you guys, but between traveling and this old lady, I'm exhausted. Who cares if she has chipmunk cheeks? All I want is to go to bed."

"Sounds good to me," said Tomite, as he put an arm around Takiko.

"I don't have chipmunk cheeks," Takiko muttered as he led her towards the palace.

"You do a little," Tomite said.

"Hey!"

"I think they're cute."

Uruki managed to wait a day before giving in and visiting the palace doctor. He nodded as she explained her constant nausea, her fatigue, and, perhaps most embarrassing of all, her tender breasts.

"Are you sexually active?" he asked.

"What sort of question is that?" Uruki asked, her cheeks burning.

"A very common one, I assure you."

"Not in months."

"Are you sure?"

"Well… Not really. Not regularly."

"You'll have to be more specific."

By this point, Uruki's entire face had turned bright red. "Only once, and that was weeks ago. I can't imagine that being the cause of this."

"On the contrary, my dear, I must congratulate you, and your husband. You're pregnant." Uruki's words defeated her. She sputtered. When she finally found her voice, she hardly knew what to say.

"You're a crack pot," she finally managed.

"I beg your pardon!"

"You're a complete and total crack pot."

"I am the physician to the emperor himself!"

"Well it's a wonder that such an intelligent man couldn't see through you, because there's no way I'm pregnant!"

"And why in Genbu's name is that?"

"I haven't had sex!"

"You just said—"

"That was just once! And it was… It wasn't anything at all! It was weeks ago!

The doctor was quiet for a moment before saying gravely, "You had an affair."

"What?"

"I've seen it often enough. When something happens in a marriage the woman will seek other means of satisfaction."

"No! No, I—"

"Come now, child. There's no need to lie."

"I'm not married, you idiot!"

"I see. Well, then you are a fool, but a pregnant fool nonetheless."

"But it was one time."

"I'm afraid one time is all it takes." Uruki sighed and rubbed her temple. She was quickly developing a headache.

"Are you sure?"

"It's what your symptoms add up to. I cannot give you certainty, but the odds are not in your favor."

"Great. This is just perfect."

"I suggest you tell the father. If he is an honorable man he will wed you and no one need know when the child was conceived."

"I'm afraid that's not an option," Uruki said softly.

"And why not?"

"Because he is an honorable man, and I'm not willing to make him miserable for the rest of his life."

Hikitsu

Preparations for the ceremony were well underway. It would be just a few, short days before Genbu would be summoned. It was a strange scene. On the one hand, the palace was insanely busy. Soldiers were preparing for the very fight we were hoping to avoid while servants rushed about preparing for the ceremony. On the other hand, we were not allowed to help with preparations of any kind, and any time any of us tried to lend a hand we were quickly pushed aside and told to go back to resting.

Personally, I'd had more than enough rest. I was used to the open road. It had been a long time since I'd felt so trapped. Tomite and I distracted ourselves by spending the day at the archery range. The boy was a true expert with the bow. He never missed the center of his target. I would never be so good. I preferred my sword, or my powers if it came to that. However, I was a fair shot and usually hit my target. Most young boys in Hokkan learn to shoot and I had been so exception.

"Aren't you nervous?" Tomite asked me.

"What?"

"About the ceremony." I thought about it. Nervous wasn't quite the word I felt. Impatient, perhaps, was more fitting. I knew that everything had to be perfect for the ceremony, but I still wished those in charge of the preparations would hurry up. We didn't have much time, and every time I thought of the coming war all I could think of were all the dead that would surely come from such a conflict. So many had already died…

"No," I said.

"Typical Hikitsu," Tomite said, as he loosened an arrow. THWACK. It hit the center. I loosened my own arrow and it hit the side of the target. When it came to the bow, the younger boy was actually making me feel inadequate. I neither liked nor was used to the feeling.

"I just keep thinking about what happens after the ceremony," Tomite continued. Genbu, the boy was going to confide in me. I liked Tomite — he was like an annoying younger brother — but I wasn't good at such things. I didn't have any advice to give him, and even if I had I wouldn't have known how to give it.

"Once this is over, Takiko is going back to her world. I mean, I always knew it was going to happen. She said from the beginning that she needed to go home. She needs to get back to her father. I just… I don't know…"

'You don't want her to leave? You love her? Just say it!' I thought, but I kept my mouth shut. Better to say nothing and just let the boy work through his thoughts. Instead I concentrated on the motions of the bow. I was very out of practice, and the motions were unfamiliar. My muscles, usually so compliant, strained with the unpracticed motion as I drew the bow back.

"She won't be happy if she stays here. I know that. I don't want to hold her back." He sighed. "I always knew this was coming. I can't stop it." I certainly hadn't been able to stop it, and I had tried my damnedest. This precise conversation had been what I had feared. Tomite was so young. Far too young, really. Had his father survived, he would have had these decisions made for him. I remembered Tomite's family, from the summer we had spent together as children. His sisters — Doulin, Shinu, Yanata, Nami, and Hoshi — his brother — Dikoro — and his parents. I had spent the summer escaping my mother and brother and instead staying with them. Truthfully, I'd been sweet on Yanata, the oldest of his sisters, and without a doubt the most beautiful. Of course, she'd never looked at me twice, and when his tribe left at the end of the summer I quickly forgot her. I'd spent much more time with Tomite. Though he was much younger than I, our bond as seishi drew us together.

He deserved to have the decision made for him. That was how it was supposed to go, wasn't it? And now the boy had no family and no one to guide him. So he was turning to me. What a joke. I knew he looked at me as a brother, but this was ridiculous. Who in their right mind would ask me for love advice? I certainly hadn't done a very good job myself! I had allowed Sora to die in my arms, and Uruki wouldn't even look at me. With both I had been so sure I was doing all the right things. In reality, I had completely failed to protect Sora. And Uruki? Well, I would never know if I had done things right with Uruki.

"I don't know Hikitsu. What do you think?" Shit. I had completely zoned out. I hadn't even been listening to Tomite. I shrugged, hoping that would be enough for him. He sighed. "There's nothing I could do to make her stay. I don't even want to."

"Liar." I didn't realize that my mouth had betrayed my thought until I noticed him staring at me. Horrified, I clamped my lips shut and smoothed my face to its normal, perfect mask. It had been years since I had slipped like that. I mentally berated myself for my mistake.

"What did you say?" I wanted to sigh, but I suppressed it. Now I had to say something. And I had been working so hard to stay out of the entire situation.

"You want her to stay."

"I want her to be happy," Tomite insisted. "And she won't be happy here." I said nothing. It wasn't my business. He glared at me. "Genbu damn it, Hikitsu! Just say what it is that you're thinking for once," he burst out.

I thought very hard before I spoke, looking at him thoughtfully. He was young, stubborn, and incredibly naive. Yes, he and Takiko had surprised me. For two so young, they love each other dearly. They had risked their lives and happiness for each other. They were much more devoted to one another than most young couples. Could they make it? I had no idea. Surely her leaving was for the best. It would hurt them both, but it would protect them from much more potential pain if they were to split up later. If she left, their love would be forever pure in their minds. It would be something they could carry with them, at least until they found someone new.

Wasn't it better to hurt a little now than a lot later?

And yet, I had been wrong so often. My heart still ached each time I looked at Uruki, and all I wanted to do was take her into my arms and apologize again and again and again.

I wasn't a man who took chances. The last time I took a chance on someone, she died in my arms. I liked to be sure.

"Last time she left, I asked you why you didn't fight," I said softly.

"I told you why," he responded. "What could I have done, anyway?"

"But she came back," I said. I hadn't spoken so much in a long time, and my voice felt rusty in the same way my arms did when I used a bow.

"Yes, she came back."

"Why?"

"Why? Because she's the Genbu no Miko! She had to!" I looked into his eyes. I knew why she'd come back. Surely he did to. He faltered. "I mean… She said… She said she missed me…" I waited as he thought. "She had made it back to her world, but she chose to come back," he thought aloud. "For… for me?" I gave him a slight nod. "But why?" he asked.

"You know that," I told him.

"Because she loves me? No. There must be more. What are you trying to say, anyway?"

"She made a choice."

A choice? What the hell are you talking about Hikitsu? Just say it already!" Genbu, I had to just spell everything out for the moron.

"She chose you." It took all my willpower not to add stupid at the end. "She wants you."

"So what are you saying?"

"You have to make a choice."

"A choice?" He was silent. He was looking somewhere over my left shoulder, eyes unfocused as he thought. The twang of other archer's bows still filled the air around us, but neither of us was shooting any more. After several long minutes, he looked at me.

"I'm going to ask her to marry me," he said and left at a trot.

What had I done?