Chapter 29 : Empty
Narrator :
Empty.
Empty promises.
Empty life.
Empty heart.
Everything, was simply...
Empty.
Chiriko stared blankly at the empty ceiling as he lay in is bed. The sun was slowly beginning to set, it's bright orange rays all fading away. Leaving the cloudless sky dark.
Dark and empty.
Chiriko painfully closed his sore eyes, all red and dry. There was no more moisture, no more tears.
Just emptiness.
Like his life.
Empty.
Everything he cherished was gone, leaving him alone. They promised, promised to watch him grow up, to stay with him.
But they were gone.
Gone.
Leaving him all alone and empty.
This feeling... It was so...
Indescribable.
He couldn't cry, couldn't scream. All his energy and emotions had mysteriously left him. Leaving him so cold, so...
Empty.
Completely devoid of everything.
Nothing. Just pure emptiness.
Was this how it felt like? To lose all your loved ones? To feel all so empty and lost?
The room was completely silent. There were no noisy crickets outside, no fluttering of the birds, no nothing...
He could hear his own shallow breaths, his heart slowly but firmly pounding against his chest.
Pounding to get out, to cry, to scream...
Anything, anything to get away from this horrible feeling. This disaster.
But he couldn't. He felt tired, his muscles all painful and sore. He had no more energy left.
No more...
Within minutes, sleepiness and tiredness took over.
Hotohori let out a sigh.
"How's Nuriko?"
Hotohori looked at the blue haired man sitting across him. "Mitsukake is attending to him," came the reply, hardly audible.
Tasuki let out a snort.
"Whatcha thinking about?" Came an innocent question.
Hotohori looked down at the little red haired girl tugging his sleeve. Smiling, he picked her up and placed her on his lap. "Be a good girl and wait quietly, okay?"
Hikari smiled brightly and bobbed her head vigorously.
There was a loud but gentle knock on the door as Mitsukake entered the room. "Nuriko is resting." Mitsukake announced.
"And Chiriko?" Chichiri asked worriedly.
Mitsukake lowered his gaze to the floor, shoulder slumped. "He's... In a complete shock. He wouldn't respond, barely moving... I've given him some medicine to help him though it would make him drowsy."
Tama came peeking out of Mitsukake's clothing. Meowing loudly, Tama jumped and landed gracefully on the floor, on all fours.
Hotohori gently massaged his temples. The past few days had been so stressful.
"Daijoubu?" Mitsukake asked him, concerned. Hotohori nodded.
"Chichiri, do you think you can cast a barrier over the palace? I do not wish these events to repeat themselves."
"Hai," Chichiri had a serious look on his face. "However, the barrier might not be as strong as the one in Kutou... Unfortunately, my power and skills are only mediocre..."
"Can't we just change Hikari back to help you?" Tasuki asked, glaring at the mischievous Tama prancing on the table.
Mitsukake shook his head. "I've told you Tasuki. Her ki level is still weak. We don't want to risk anything so she will remain as she is until she's strong enough."
"How did she changed into a kid anyway?"
All eyes in the room focused on Tasuki.
"WHAT?!" Tasuki shot back rudely. "She was already a kid when I woke up!!!" Tasuki protested as he raised both arms in the air, conceding defeat. "Stop blaming me will ya?!"
"Maybe... Maybe this is a side effect of some sort. Maybe she changes into a kid after being controlled?" Chichiri suggested hopefully.
"In the first place, you said that you placed a barrier over the girls. But she was still manipulated," Hotohori said, eyeing Chichiri.
"I'm sorry your highness. I placed everyone in so much danger. I didn't notice that Amiboshi's flute had rolled underneath one of the beds... He probably controlled Hikari from there..."
There was a long silence in the room.
"I'm bored!" Hikari proclaimed loudly as she climbed onto the table. Pouncing on poor Tama, she started to play with his tails and ears.
Tama seemed to be enjoying the attention he was receiving, purring in pleasure as Hikari tickled his tummy.
"I think we all need a rest," Mitsukake smiled.
"Sure... The only thing I seem to be doing nowadays is sleep..." grumbled Tasuki as he got up and left the room, scratching his armpits.
"I'll be going then. I'll be in the garden is you need me," Chichiri left the room.
"All right, enough playing. Time for dinner," Mitsukake scooped up Tama and Hikari in his arms before leaving.
"Mitsukake?"
Mitsukake stopped in his tracks.
"You're good with kids..."
Mitsukake smiled as he turned to face the emperor. "Let's go have our dinner, shall we?"
Yukiko :
Slowly, I climbed up the long flight of steps leading to the 'praying room'. My stomach grumbled.
I ignored my hunger pangs. I needed to go to the praying room, NOW. Something... Something was calling me...
I could hear it, feel it running through my veins. The power, the desperate calling...
Barging into the room, I expected to see someone. But the whole room was dark. In front of me was the magnificent statue of Seiryuu, delicately carved right down to the finest detail. They said that the statue came from the great Seiryuu himself.
I scanned the room carefully. Ashitare wasn't in the room. Thank goodness.
I was so sure, so sure that someone, something was calling me. I heard it, felt it. I'm sure I'm in the right place...
"Who was it?" I asked aloud, my voice echoed.
After the echo died, there was complete stillness.
Pure silence.
I gulped. Maybe I should just go eat my dinner... Slowly backing away fearfully, my eyes were still glued to the statue.
Something... Wasn't right...
Suddenly, the iron double doors slammed behind me, leaving me in complete darkness and confusion. In the darkness, I could hear the sound of water trickling, like a gentle stream. What the...
A trap?
Candles, old and new were suddenly lit, flames bursting from the wick. The light bounced off opaque objects, casting shadows, making the room look much more scarier than it actually was.
My eyes grew bigger and rounder as I stared at the now glowing statue in horror.
The statue was surrounded with a light blue aura. I took several staggering steps forward, as if someone was pulling me towards it. The blue aura became even brighter and stronger. I gasped as a cold wind blew across the room. All the candles died out.
Wind?
What wind?! There were no windows in the room!!!
I whimpered. 'Oh Seiryuu, please protect me...'
Suddenly, from behind me, I heard a loud thud, as if something heavy and made up of metal was dropped from a high location. I spun around only to see a silver box sprinkled with glittering sapphires. The box was radiating with the same blue aura found on the statue. I hesitantly took a step forward to pick up the box.
I picked up the surprisingly light box. My fingers traced the fine details carved on it, smiling every once in a while when I touched sapphires. It seemed like forever that I stood there, toying with the box.
I gasped when I heard a loud bellowing voice in my head.
Like it?
I looked around me, trying to find the source of the voice. Telepathy? But who? Where? Why?
Look behind you...
I turned and stared at the statue. Now, the eyes were a brilliant blue, shining in the dark with the blue aura now outlining its body.
"Seiryuu-sama?" My voice was barely a whisper.
Oracle, use this box wisely as it can only be used once.
The voice was calm but had a serious tone to it. A warning perhaps?
"Anou..." I was feeling slightly jittery. Exactly how did one spoke to a God? Using formal language? Or simply talk as you usually do?
"What... Why? Why this box? What does it do?"
In due time...You WILL use it when the time is right.
"When the time is right? When?" I asked, confused.
Silence.
Suddenly, the doors were thrown wide open, allowing light to enter the dark room. I rushed out, clutching the box tightly in my hands.
'When the time is right...'
Yui :
"Suboshi?" I called out as I tapped on the wooden door. Suboshi had just been transferred to a new bedroom ever since he destroyed his.
No reply.
I sighed as I proceeded to enter the room. I stood there, at the doorway in shock, staring at the scene before me. The curtains were ripped to shreds. Broken pieces of glass were scattered everywhere. The pillows were practically torn in half.
I tiptoed, trying to step on any pieces of broken glass.
"Suboshi?" I asked worriedly.
There were some harsh sobbing sounds coming from underneath the bed. Gingerly, I peeked under the bed only to see a crying Suboshi with his wrists slashed.
"Suboshi!"
Yanking his collar, I dragged him out.
"Suboshi! What are you doing?!" I looked into his eyes, trying to find an answer. Suboshi buried his face into my clothes, crying even harder. I soon found myself hugging him, stroking his back, comforting him. For once, I didn't even mind that my dress was getting dirty for the blood stains.
We stayed in each other's embrace for a while. Now, Suboshi's wails were reduced to quiet sobs. "Suboshi," I gently pulled away from him. "What happened? Why are you doing this?" I could feel tears forming in my eyes, threatening to spill. Damn, not now...
Suboshi looked deeply into my eyes, still crying. "Gomen nasai, gomen... Ore wa... I just couldn't took it!!!" Suboshi lowered his gaze. "I thought that... If I died... Maybe... I could be with him..."
I frowned at Suboshi angrily. "Suboshi! Don't you dare do that again! You made me so worried!!! Damn you... Don't you know how stupid you are?! You think Amiboshi will like that?!"
I could see that Suboshi was completely taken aback by my sudden outburst. "You don't know how it feels!!!" He screamed. "I... I feel so empty! I... You'll never understand!!!"
The both of us were now looking at each other in the eye. The tension in the room was thick and uncomfortable. We stared at each other for a few minutes silently. The only sounds in the room was the sound of our breathing and the blood dripping down Suboshi's wrists.
I don't know how it feels to be empty? To be lost? How... How dare he...
I bit my lip, trying to control my anger. I could just open my mouth and unleash my fury through verbal insults and perhaps some slaps and punches as well. But, something was holding me back. I didn't know what it was, couldn't place a finger on it... All I knew was that, slowly, my anger was slowly fading.
Suboshi was the first to break the silence. "I'm... Sorry..." Suboshi took several steps backwards.
"It's okay..." There were so many other things that I wanted to say but somehow, those were the only words that managed to come out. "Let's... Get you cleaned up, okay?" I gently took his arm and helped him stood up.
Suboshi :
I leaned on Yui lightly for support. I bit my tongue all the way to the physician. 'Baka... How could I say such things?!' I chided myself angrily.
You'll never understand!!!
I regretted those words. She probably had been through a whole lot more than me. Damn it...
I... I feel so empty!
I wished aniki was here. Then, I would have someone to talk to, someone who would give me advice...
You don't know how it feels!!!
That was just plain rude... Yui should know how I felt right? Because she still helped me, right? Right?
I watched silently as the physician bandaged my wrist. I winced slightly at the pain.
You think Amiboshi will like that?
Aniki... Guilt tugged the strings of my heart. Yui was right. Aniki would never approve of what I was doing... He wanted me to grow strong, to be independent. To face any obstacles like a man. Not like a coward that I was now... Running away...
"You know..." Yui's voice brought me back to reality. I then realised that the physician was long gone and we were both alone.
"Know what?" I mumbled as I turned around so that my back faced her.
"I... Know what it's like..."
"To lose someone?"
"No, but to feel empty..." A pregnant pause. "And cold..." That was sadness in her voice.
Silence.
I looked behind my shoulder. Yui was standing beside the window, looking outside. The last few rays of the setting sun shone on her, making her look like a angel, bathed in beautiful rays of light despite the troubled look on her face.
No, not troubled. Sad. That's right... Sad.
Oh, how I wanted to just run up to her and hug all her worries away. But how could I? I wasn't worthy enough of her attention, let alone love...
Yui realised that I was staring at her and she frowned. I blushed and looked away.
"It wasn't your fault. You know that, don't you, Suboshi?"
A grunt. "Then it's those bastard Suzaku seishis' fault huh?"
"Perhaps... But one thing is for sure..."
I was startled when Yui placed her hand on my shoulder.
Yui laughed softly. "Did I scare you?"
I blushed again.
"You haven't finished your sentence..."
"Well, one thing for sure is..."
"Is?"
"I'm hungry."
I sweatdropped. Ever since when did Yui had a sense of humour and got out of character?
Yui giggled as I gaped at her.
"I was just kidding." Her expression turned serious. "It's not nice to keep dwelling on the past Suboshi. Even if it means... Being alone and empty... It's okay to grief but don't you think you're taking the grieving part too seriously? Baka."
I smiled. Okay, now that sounded more like the serious logical Yui I knew...
"Now let's go eat our dinner. And," She paused. "I never want to hear such a thing happening again. If you feel like talking to someone, you can find me."
I smiled.
"Because we're on a par now..."
Yui left the room. I lazily got up from my chair and followed her.
Author's Notes :
Ahh!!! Gomen ne! I know that it's been a long time since I've updated. Gomen!!! My school work simply kept on piling and I devoted a lot of my precious time for school work. Also... I had another writer's block... -- Okay, I know that some of you were asking how Amiboshi managed to control Hikari despite the barrier, right? Looks like you've forgotten about the flute. Haha... Okay, then I had reviews saying they were confused about Hikari's past. Haha... You know how I love to torture you guys... Hehe... Regarding what special powers Byakko's box has... Wait. That's all I can say. Some might be asking why the two mikos are acting strangely. Why Yui all of a sudden has a sense of humour and kinda acts like Miaka while Miaka is acting a little bit harsher than usual?
WAIT.
There's a reason for this. Just WAIT.
And that reminds me, I haven't told you what Tomo knows about Motoki, did I? Hehe...
So fellow readers. WAIT. WAIT TILL NEXT YEAR. (Just kidding!)
I don't own Fushigi Yuugi and I'm sick of saying this stupid sentence over and over again...
