The twins' story... if Koutoku had been a Suzaku Seishi. My experiment?
Nothing in the series had broken the twins' bond, not even death. The
only thing that seperated them was love. Love of peace, and love of a
girl. Now, that I can understand- but to make the situation even more
complicated here, would being enemies born by blood break the bond that
they have? Would *duty* and *destiny* force them apart?
Wishful Thinking: Chapter 1
"Hopeful Future"
by: Shamera
Koutoku gave his twin an encouraging smile as Shunkaku eyed the
flute wearily. They were both sitting underneath the shade of a tree, in
a town that was far off from the border of Kotou, and Konan.
Shunkaku gave an exaggerated sigh and tried blowing in the flute
gently. What came out made both the twins wince slightly. He then let out
the breath of air in another sigh, not remembering that he still had the
flute to his mouth and making Koutoku cover his ears with the last note.
"Oh! Sorry!" Shunkaku said sheepishly, lowering the flute. It had
been three years since they had settled in the village, where everyone
there had been very nice and offered a place to stay. Oh course, Kou-chan
had decided that them just staying seemed to be imposing on their kind-
ness, and had insisted that they help the town in whatever work possible.
Luckily, the people there promised that they would call on the
twins when they needed help, but that was rare in itself. Shunkaku knew
that the villagers appreciated them, and was helping them only because
children were rare in that village, for some reason.
Which, for the most part, had its ups and downs.
Firstly, Shunkaku didn't like being considered as a child, even if
he still was one. He *was* growing up, and at fifteen- being patted on
the head after visiting an elderly couple wasn't exactly material that
he wanted to get used to.
But the people who had been to Konan were what they were worth.
They were kind, telling Koutoku of where to visit when he was to journey
to Konan. Of course, Shunkaku didn't need of map of Kotou, having grown
up wandering the country.
Which came to the question... whose Miko would appear first? The
twins had made a small bet on that, saying that the first to get called
into duty as a Seishi would come back after summoning the God to see
to the BEST restuarant in town.
That, of course, was what Shunkaku demanded. Koutoku, though, had
teased and said that if the Priestess of Suzaku appeared first, then
Shun would have to clean up the mess he made in his room before Kou came
back again.
Which, had made Shun wince slightly.
Back to the flute.
Shunkaku was frustrated enough that he could just about BREAK that
stupid flute... if it hadn't been for the fact that Kou-chan might get..
well... PRETTY angry. The thought alone made Shun wince inwardly.
It was Koutoku who sighed this time, obviously disappointed yet
trying to hide it. It was very strange, really, how he was able to play
the flute so well, yet Shunkaku could barely blow in a few notes before
he messed up.
Actually, it wasn't at all strange. Koutoku had practiced on that
flute for all his life, and Shun-chan refused to practice until Kou-chan
sent him a glare. Then he would shrink back and agree in a quiet voice
to practice *just a bit* that day.
Ha. He knew his twin too well. The glares were never really meant,
just warning that Shunkaku shouldn't lounge around all day and do nothing
at all. There was a teacher in the village who had been continuing their
studies from where they had left off. Koutoku and Shunkaku both had
learned everything they were supposed to learn, and Koutoku was happy
for that.... BUT, Shun-chan didn't show that he had learned anything in
the slightest bit.
"I can't do this," Shunkaku moaned, making even his twin (who knew
that he was faking it) feel just a bit sorry for him. Inwardly, though,
he was full blown cursing the stupid flute.
Koutoku rolled his eyes. "Oh, well." he said dejectedly. "It was
worth a try." Or two. Or three. Or four... As much as Koutoku dragged
Shunkaku do do *something* other than lounge around or hand with his
friends, he just *couldn't* play a flute! Or any other musical instrument
for that matter.
Shunkaku nodded eagerly. Maybe now they would end the practices.
It really wasn't Shun who was making all those bad noises on the flute.
It was just that he hated that flute so much!
Well... except when aniki played it.
Shunkaku found himself wondering about his hatred for an inanimate
object and concluded that to be just plain weird.
The two were getting up when one of the younger adults, a young
farmer who had played with the boys quite frequantly during their three
years' stay, ran up to them, shouting.
"Kou-chan! Shun-chan!"
The twins looked up curiously, wondering what was the matter.
The young farmer stopped when he was before the boys, breathing
heavily. The twins stepped to support his arms, faces concerned.
"What's the matter, Hitori-san?" Koutoku asked gently, hoping to
get the information out of the young man.
Hitori shook his head a little to clear it, having run from one
side of the village to the other, breathless. "No... I'm fine. But we're
been told to evacuate into Konan. Kotou Warriors have been attacking the
villages down here, and are about to advance onto our town. Everyone else
is packing up for the journey before the soldiers get here."
Koutoku's expression became hard at the mention of the Kotou
soldiers. He and Shun still remembered clearly what the soldiers had
taken away from them all those years ago. It was not a pleasent memory.
"We're going into Konan?" Shun asked, voice tight. "No one else is
headed into Kotou?"
Hitori shook his head. "No. They don't want to end up back in the
civil wars. Konan is still a peaceful place, as long as Kotou doesn't
attack. The villagers are trying to get as a far as possible and I
suggest you do the same for your sake."
Koutoku nodded thoughtfully. He then looked up from Hitori and
eyed his twin. "Well, looks like we have to step into Konan for a while."
Shunkaku frowned. He didn't like the sound of that.
* * *
The next three days proved to be dangerous ones. As soon as the
villagers entered the Konan border and into the country to seek
protection, Shun had a bad feeling about being there. Something was
telling him that he needed to be in Kotou at the moment, not in the
enemy's territory.
The younger twin shook his head furiously to keep that thought
out. Koutoku wasn't his enemy! Just because that they had been thrown on
different sides didn't mean that they were going to go up against each
other.
But the truth had been revealed once the reached Konan. Suzaku no
Miko had been found, and was currently staying at the Palace. She had
already found three of her seishi, and is gathering more by the day.
It was nightfall already, but no one was outside to approciate it
for they were all alseep. The villagers had barely escaped the tide of
Kotou soldiers by a day, and were still on a run. They had to sleep when
they could, and couldn't afford time to waste on watching the clouds.
Shunkaku sighed as he shifted in his bed. He was feeling an urge
to go back to Kotou already, and felt very nervous about being in the
country of the Pheonix. Every time he went to sleep here, he had night-
mares about being devoured by a red beam of light, seemingly coming out
of nowhere.
He wanted to get back to Kotou. It wasn't the homesickness about
the village. He had never really settled down since their parents' death,
and didn't wish to do so in the small village, no matter how welcome and
friendly the people were. He just felt a... rope *pulling* him back to
the country of his birth. He felt a need to go back.
But that would be abandoning his twin when Kou-chan needed help
the most. Shunkaku had to help him find Suzaku no Miko and then slip
back into Kotou until the God had been summoned and the older twin's
work was done.
Then they would wait for Seiryuu no Miko, and then do what they
did before, only vice versa.
It was all so simple. So why did Shun have this feeling that things
were going to turn out ugly in the next few months?
Gazing out the small window from his position on the bed, Shun
tried to think of a time when he had just stopped to watch the stars.
He couldn't really remember, only knowing that he had felt really bad
that night and aniki had been out helping some farmer.
Watching his twin in Konan did nothing but make Shunkaku feel...
sad. Koutoku was happy here, even though they were on the run and warning
the nearby villages as they passed. The people here were not surprised
about Kotou's advances, but was weary of the people that came across
the border. However, they still treated them as individuals and gave
them food and a place to stay while they were on the run.
Listening carefully to the creatures of the night and aniki's
nearly silent breathing, Shunkaku began worrying about their future. It
was usually Koutoku who stayed up at night and worried, thinking of ways
to make things better. He was used to doing it.
Breathing out a sigh, Shun curled up into his usual position and
tugged a bit on the covers. He would think about things like that on a
later date, when there was proof that things were going wrong. So far, it
was just normal- even if it had not happened to the twins in the last few
years, Kotou soldiers always attacked villages. Being on the run was
normal, and felt more so than staying in a peaceful town.
But... he would think about it later.
With that thought in mind, Shunkaku closed his eyes, letting his
body take over for the much needed rest.
* * *
It was late night when the Kotou soldiers attacked.
The town had heard the pounding of hoofs on the ground and had seen
the flames of their torches before the panicking. If there was one thing
about Kotou soldiers that the twins knew, it was that they were evil and
merciless, killing more so for mere pleasure than sense of duty.
The twins hurried along the path into the forest, keeping some-
where at the end to ensure that everyone got out safely. With the cries
of the children and gasps of pain from the wounded, it was very unlikely
that they would be able to escape.
Koutoku glanced behind himself nervously, watching to make sure
there were the exact number of people that had been there since the
last time had looked. Shunkaku was tugging at his brother's arm, urging
him to go faster. Since the older twin had decided they wouldn't fight
unless either they were forced to, of the soldiers was about to seriously
hurt someone, Shunkaku had been a bit broody. He envied his brother's
sense of duty but could not keep from thinking that they could really do
something. No matter if they were found out!
"We've got to go back to Kotou," Shun murmured, not even realizing
what he said. There was a need inside him to go back to his home
country, to maybe just visit it for a while.
Koutoku's head snapped around as he hadn't heard, but rather felt
the meaning of the words. "What?" He asked, a but stunned, yet curious
at the words his twins had said.
Shunkaku blinked, then looked behind him to his brother. "Huh?"
He asked, not understanding what Koutoku wanted to know.
"You want to go back to Kotou, Shun?" Koutoku had uncertainly, all
thoughts of the Kotou soldiers vanishing for a moment.
Shun opened his mouth to try and explain what he said to his
brother when there was a war cry from above them.
The startled villagers looked up in unison.
Behind them, looking like a picture from a painting, were the
Kotou soldiers, face expressionless as they halted their horses at the
edge of the cliff. There were so many of them... dozens of soldiers
against the defenseless villagers.
Well... not really defenseless.
Shunkaku growled and took his Ryuuseisui out, noting that his twin
now made no comment of it. The other villagers were too stunned to move,
and too scared to run.
The soldiers made no move, motionless as they examined the simple
people under them. Watching as their terror grew, waiting for a good
chase. The air there was thick enough to cut, cold enough to kill.
The reaction of complete terror was slow, but sure. After ten
seconds of prey and predator staring at each other, the stunned villagers
started regaining their senses. That meant, of course, that someone soon
screamed and bolted into the forest, leaving everything that they owned
behind. This was followed up by a chain reaction, as that broke all the
villagers' reverie. They also started screamed and running into the
forest.
It was at that moment that Koutoku heard the loud wailing of a
child as the Kotou soldiers watched their reaction, primitive as beasts.
Although he was frightened with the aspect of facing the people who had
killed his parents, and with the fact that he would most certainly be
hunted down and killed if they found out he was a Suzaku sei, he remained
calm.
Shun-chan was right there. Sure, he looked mad as hell at the
moment, but Koutoku was sure that they wouldn't get hurt if they were
together. They both wouldn't let the other be harmed.
Pushing though some the lessoning crowds of people, Koutoku was
soon by te little girl's side and picked her up handily.
She stared at him with large violet eyes, filled with tears. Then,
with a wail, she buried her face in his shoulder, letting Koutoku to
whisper hushed reassurances to her. He gave a glance to his brother, and
winced as he heard the noise around him. It wouldn't be easy to use his
powers now, since he would barely be heard.
This meant that for the moment, he couldn't help Shunkaku. He'd
have to step out until most of the villagers escaped, enough so that
a sound of a flute could be heard throughout the screams and the cries.
Since the Kotou soldiers hadn't attacked yet... he'd leave it up
to Shunkaku for the moment. But just for the moment.
Meanwhile, of course, Shunkaku was mad. No, he was furious. In a
fit of RAGE. Sure, he didn't know the villagers that well, but they had
taken he and aniki in when they had nowhere to stay. They had taken the
twins in for three years without question- and in Shun's book, that
meant that the villagers were okay people.
That meant they didn't deserve to die.
Sparing but a glance at his brother, who was a few paces from him,
holding a crying child in his arms, Shun could see that he was on his
own for the time being. Koutoku would never get through the amount of
noise and interference to bring down the soldiers at the moment.
The lead Kotou soldier laughed when he saw the panic, never once
seeing the Bo twins. Pulling the reins of his hourse to face the
soldiers again, he gave a signal to attack. It took only moments before
all the soldiers were charging down the hill on their horses, causing
a tremendas rumble.
Nodding to himself mentally as a reminder that aniki wouldn't be
able to help for the time being, Shunkaku held up his Ryuuseisui. Then,
without dropping the weapon, he let his hands rest at his sides.
It took a few seconds- precious seconds that Shunkaku needed to
concentrate, yet costed the villagers panic all around.
Slowly, but surely, the blades of the Ryuuseisui started spinning.
Slowly, slowly... the air around hummed softly with the energy unseen
by the chaos surrounding it. Taking a final moment to ensure that he had
complete control, Shunkaku sent out the command for the Ryuuseisui to
attack.
The twin balls shot out, reaching for the nearest enemy who was
about to strike the final blow on a poor, defenseless villager.
Koutoku never approved of the additional blades that Shunkaku had
added, but the older twin had understood his brother's lack in security,
as well as cautiousness. In addition, he also knew that some victories
would not be easy to knock out with a physical object, and from a
distance. (But Kou-chan never had any trouble knocking someone straight
to sleep, so he was still kind of confused on Shun-chan's point of view.)
Shunkaku's anger grew (if that was possible) as he saw the soldier
about to kill a mother and her child as they huddled against the terror
inside them. It would be lying to say that he would ever forgive an act
such as that, had it been accomplished.
So, luckily, the Ryuuseisui appeared to be much faster than that
of the sword which was about to come down on the innocent bystanders.
The star-shooting spindle weaved its way through the air and loomed with
speed as it hit.
**SMACK**
The Kotou soldier staggered with the force of the blow, and stepped
back to stable himself. His hands were still on the hilt of the sword,
which was raised above his head. He looked a little page as the
Ryuuseisui returned to Shunkaku.
The large blade of the sword suddenly cut in half, the long and
sharp metal falling calliously to the ground. The soldier continued to
stare, awe-stricken and horrified, not even seeing the boy that did this
until Shunkaku smirked.
Well, his aniki had always scolded him about handling dangerous
weapons, and about hurting a person by accident. By all rights, he should
have killed the man- not accidentally, either. But he would respect
his brother's wishes about not harming... to a certain extent.
The teenaged boy did nothing but grin evilly at his challenger.
Sire, there were more soldiers on the move now and he ahd to help the
others- but he could not leave without a taste of victory.
Tilting his head to one side, Shun gave the soldier a sweet,
childish smile. One that would have been genuine had events been
different, had he not grown up the way he had.
The flat blade of the Ryuuseisui knocked the soldier hard over the
head and throwing him instantly unconsious.
Ignoring the looks of the terrified mother and child, Shunkaku
turned and charged into the battle against the soldiers, the Ryuuseisui
going beside him. It wasn't until after he knocked out three soldiers
did Shunkaku hear his twin's first note. It was strained, but strong,
warning the soldiers to retreat first beforehand. Of course, Shun took
that as the inituative to cover his ears without any more ado.
His instinct had been right when they told him that the soldiers
were not going to retreat, despite the gentle prodding Koutoku gave.
Although a few looked confused and some even looked back up the moutain
longingly when the music started, there were none that were willing to
go.
Stubborn. The whole lot of them.
Soon, the gentle notes of perswasion turned sharper as Koutoku
realized he couldn't get the soldiers to stop in their trampede even with
his power as a seishi.
Shunkaku gave a mental wince when he realized that his aniki was
annoyed. Okay, so aniki could be annoyed easily- it didn't make it any
less scarier when he was. With a grunt, Shun pressed his hands tighter,
hoping to shut out every note- even when it wasn't directed at him.
Never at him.
He watched, eyes wide as always, as the soldiers' looks of wild
murder began transforming. It turned into something more painful, some-
thing that told Shunkaku, although he could not hear the screams, of
just how in pain they seemed to be.
But the younger twin wasn't worried. He knew that no matter how
much Koutoku hated soldiers, he would not kill them. Hurt them, and make
then realize just what they did, yes. But not kill them.
Making sure that no one was trying to sneak up to his aniki
while the other boy was concentrating on his song, Shunkaku nodded to
himself, his hands still over his ears. As he figured. Kou-chan was
probably just going to put them all to sleep afterwards, like he always
did.
The remaining villagers had taken hint once the song started to
also cover their ears. Since the music was not directed towards them,
they could easily move their hands up to their ears and block out the
music, which was something that the soldiers could not do, no matter how
hard they tried to shove their palms against the sides of their head.
One by one, the soldiers slowly drifted into dreamland, dropping
to the ground like flies. They remained unharmed, the only disturbance
to the forest only their heavy snoring.
The music ended as soon as if began, and Shun lowered his hands
slowly, eyes glued to the scene of the forests, covered with the
sleeping bodies of soldiers and terrified villagers that had but a few
seconds ago, been their prey. Now all eyes were on them as the danger
was past.
Shun nearly grinned, but stopped himself in time. "I guess we
saved the day." he said cockily, smiling just a bit as everyone else
looked nothing but suspicous.
There was no response. Shunkaku frowned, and then his head to look
over his shoulders. "Aniki?" He sounded a bit worried.
Koutoku stood there, the child clinging to his legs, face looking
pale. His expression seemed frozen, and there was a sad and distant look
in his eye that Shunkaku saw often, but was never able to figure out
what it was.
"Aniki?" Shunkaku dropped his Ryuuseisui unceremoniously to the
ground, and walked over to his twin. "What's wrong?"
Still no response.
"Aniki....? ANIKI!"
And then, darkness.
End chapter 1.
Yes, I know. Very short- it only seems like a scene. (To me, anyway)
But I didn't have time to keep wriitng (It's already midnight and I have
two tests tomorrow) What happened? Wanna know? Wait for part 2! *cackles
evilly* Oh, my dearest twins... *sniffle* You hurt those that you love.
j/k. But really! It's GOING to get interesting so STAY and WAIT for
part two. *thinks* on the other hand.... comments! Feedback!
Nothing in the series had broken the twins' bond, not even death. The
only thing that seperated them was love. Love of peace, and love of a
girl. Now, that I can understand- but to make the situation even more
complicated here, would being enemies born by blood break the bond that
they have? Would *duty* and *destiny* force them apart?
Wishful Thinking: Chapter 1
"Hopeful Future"
by: Shamera
Koutoku gave his twin an encouraging smile as Shunkaku eyed the
flute wearily. They were both sitting underneath the shade of a tree, in
a town that was far off from the border of Kotou, and Konan.
Shunkaku gave an exaggerated sigh and tried blowing in the flute
gently. What came out made both the twins wince slightly. He then let out
the breath of air in another sigh, not remembering that he still had the
flute to his mouth and making Koutoku cover his ears with the last note.
"Oh! Sorry!" Shunkaku said sheepishly, lowering the flute. It had
been three years since they had settled in the village, where everyone
there had been very nice and offered a place to stay. Oh course, Kou-chan
had decided that them just staying seemed to be imposing on their kind-
ness, and had insisted that they help the town in whatever work possible.
Luckily, the people there promised that they would call on the
twins when they needed help, but that was rare in itself. Shunkaku knew
that the villagers appreciated them, and was helping them only because
children were rare in that village, for some reason.
Which, for the most part, had its ups and downs.
Firstly, Shunkaku didn't like being considered as a child, even if
he still was one. He *was* growing up, and at fifteen- being patted on
the head after visiting an elderly couple wasn't exactly material that
he wanted to get used to.
But the people who had been to Konan were what they were worth.
They were kind, telling Koutoku of where to visit when he was to journey
to Konan. Of course, Shunkaku didn't need of map of Kotou, having grown
up wandering the country.
Which came to the question... whose Miko would appear first? The
twins had made a small bet on that, saying that the first to get called
into duty as a Seishi would come back after summoning the God to see
to the BEST restuarant in town.
That, of course, was what Shunkaku demanded. Koutoku, though, had
teased and said that if the Priestess of Suzaku appeared first, then
Shun would have to clean up the mess he made in his room before Kou came
back again.
Which, had made Shun wince slightly.
Back to the flute.
Shunkaku was frustrated enough that he could just about BREAK that
stupid flute... if it hadn't been for the fact that Kou-chan might get..
well... PRETTY angry. The thought alone made Shun wince inwardly.
It was Koutoku who sighed this time, obviously disappointed yet
trying to hide it. It was very strange, really, how he was able to play
the flute so well, yet Shunkaku could barely blow in a few notes before
he messed up.
Actually, it wasn't at all strange. Koutoku had practiced on that
flute for all his life, and Shun-chan refused to practice until Kou-chan
sent him a glare. Then he would shrink back and agree in a quiet voice
to practice *just a bit* that day.
Ha. He knew his twin too well. The glares were never really meant,
just warning that Shunkaku shouldn't lounge around all day and do nothing
at all. There was a teacher in the village who had been continuing their
studies from where they had left off. Koutoku and Shunkaku both had
learned everything they were supposed to learn, and Koutoku was happy
for that.... BUT, Shun-chan didn't show that he had learned anything in
the slightest bit.
"I can't do this," Shunkaku moaned, making even his twin (who knew
that he was faking it) feel just a bit sorry for him. Inwardly, though,
he was full blown cursing the stupid flute.
Koutoku rolled his eyes. "Oh, well." he said dejectedly. "It was
worth a try." Or two. Or three. Or four... As much as Koutoku dragged
Shunkaku do do *something* other than lounge around or hand with his
friends, he just *couldn't* play a flute! Or any other musical instrument
for that matter.
Shunkaku nodded eagerly. Maybe now they would end the practices.
It really wasn't Shun who was making all those bad noises on the flute.
It was just that he hated that flute so much!
Well... except when aniki played it.
Shunkaku found himself wondering about his hatred for an inanimate
object and concluded that to be just plain weird.
The two were getting up when one of the younger adults, a young
farmer who had played with the boys quite frequantly during their three
years' stay, ran up to them, shouting.
"Kou-chan! Shun-chan!"
The twins looked up curiously, wondering what was the matter.
The young farmer stopped when he was before the boys, breathing
heavily. The twins stepped to support his arms, faces concerned.
"What's the matter, Hitori-san?" Koutoku asked gently, hoping to
get the information out of the young man.
Hitori shook his head a little to clear it, having run from one
side of the village to the other, breathless. "No... I'm fine. But we're
been told to evacuate into Konan. Kotou Warriors have been attacking the
villages down here, and are about to advance onto our town. Everyone else
is packing up for the journey before the soldiers get here."
Koutoku's expression became hard at the mention of the Kotou
soldiers. He and Shun still remembered clearly what the soldiers had
taken away from them all those years ago. It was not a pleasent memory.
"We're going into Konan?" Shun asked, voice tight. "No one else is
headed into Kotou?"
Hitori shook his head. "No. They don't want to end up back in the
civil wars. Konan is still a peaceful place, as long as Kotou doesn't
attack. The villagers are trying to get as a far as possible and I
suggest you do the same for your sake."
Koutoku nodded thoughtfully. He then looked up from Hitori and
eyed his twin. "Well, looks like we have to step into Konan for a while."
Shunkaku frowned. He didn't like the sound of that.
* * *
The next three days proved to be dangerous ones. As soon as the
villagers entered the Konan border and into the country to seek
protection, Shun had a bad feeling about being there. Something was
telling him that he needed to be in Kotou at the moment, not in the
enemy's territory.
The younger twin shook his head furiously to keep that thought
out. Koutoku wasn't his enemy! Just because that they had been thrown on
different sides didn't mean that they were going to go up against each
other.
But the truth had been revealed once the reached Konan. Suzaku no
Miko had been found, and was currently staying at the Palace. She had
already found three of her seishi, and is gathering more by the day.
It was nightfall already, but no one was outside to approciate it
for they were all alseep. The villagers had barely escaped the tide of
Kotou soldiers by a day, and were still on a run. They had to sleep when
they could, and couldn't afford time to waste on watching the clouds.
Shunkaku sighed as he shifted in his bed. He was feeling an urge
to go back to Kotou already, and felt very nervous about being in the
country of the Pheonix. Every time he went to sleep here, he had night-
mares about being devoured by a red beam of light, seemingly coming out
of nowhere.
He wanted to get back to Kotou. It wasn't the homesickness about
the village. He had never really settled down since their parents' death,
and didn't wish to do so in the small village, no matter how welcome and
friendly the people were. He just felt a... rope *pulling* him back to
the country of his birth. He felt a need to go back.
But that would be abandoning his twin when Kou-chan needed help
the most. Shunkaku had to help him find Suzaku no Miko and then slip
back into Kotou until the God had been summoned and the older twin's
work was done.
Then they would wait for Seiryuu no Miko, and then do what they
did before, only vice versa.
It was all so simple. So why did Shun have this feeling that things
were going to turn out ugly in the next few months?
Gazing out the small window from his position on the bed, Shun
tried to think of a time when he had just stopped to watch the stars.
He couldn't really remember, only knowing that he had felt really bad
that night and aniki had been out helping some farmer.
Watching his twin in Konan did nothing but make Shunkaku feel...
sad. Koutoku was happy here, even though they were on the run and warning
the nearby villages as they passed. The people here were not surprised
about Kotou's advances, but was weary of the people that came across
the border. However, they still treated them as individuals and gave
them food and a place to stay while they were on the run.
Listening carefully to the creatures of the night and aniki's
nearly silent breathing, Shunkaku began worrying about their future. It
was usually Koutoku who stayed up at night and worried, thinking of ways
to make things better. He was used to doing it.
Breathing out a sigh, Shun curled up into his usual position and
tugged a bit on the covers. He would think about things like that on a
later date, when there was proof that things were going wrong. So far, it
was just normal- even if it had not happened to the twins in the last few
years, Kotou soldiers always attacked villages. Being on the run was
normal, and felt more so than staying in a peaceful town.
But... he would think about it later.
With that thought in mind, Shunkaku closed his eyes, letting his
body take over for the much needed rest.
* * *
It was late night when the Kotou soldiers attacked.
The town had heard the pounding of hoofs on the ground and had seen
the flames of their torches before the panicking. If there was one thing
about Kotou soldiers that the twins knew, it was that they were evil and
merciless, killing more so for mere pleasure than sense of duty.
The twins hurried along the path into the forest, keeping some-
where at the end to ensure that everyone got out safely. With the cries
of the children and gasps of pain from the wounded, it was very unlikely
that they would be able to escape.
Koutoku glanced behind himself nervously, watching to make sure
there were the exact number of people that had been there since the
last time had looked. Shunkaku was tugging at his brother's arm, urging
him to go faster. Since the older twin had decided they wouldn't fight
unless either they were forced to, of the soldiers was about to seriously
hurt someone, Shunkaku had been a bit broody. He envied his brother's
sense of duty but could not keep from thinking that they could really do
something. No matter if they were found out!
"We've got to go back to Kotou," Shun murmured, not even realizing
what he said. There was a need inside him to go back to his home
country, to maybe just visit it for a while.
Koutoku's head snapped around as he hadn't heard, but rather felt
the meaning of the words. "What?" He asked, a but stunned, yet curious
at the words his twins had said.
Shunkaku blinked, then looked behind him to his brother. "Huh?"
He asked, not understanding what Koutoku wanted to know.
"You want to go back to Kotou, Shun?" Koutoku had uncertainly, all
thoughts of the Kotou soldiers vanishing for a moment.
Shun opened his mouth to try and explain what he said to his
brother when there was a war cry from above them.
The startled villagers looked up in unison.
Behind them, looking like a picture from a painting, were the
Kotou soldiers, face expressionless as they halted their horses at the
edge of the cliff. There were so many of them... dozens of soldiers
against the defenseless villagers.
Well... not really defenseless.
Shunkaku growled and took his Ryuuseisui out, noting that his twin
now made no comment of it. The other villagers were too stunned to move,
and too scared to run.
The soldiers made no move, motionless as they examined the simple
people under them. Watching as their terror grew, waiting for a good
chase. The air there was thick enough to cut, cold enough to kill.
The reaction of complete terror was slow, but sure. After ten
seconds of prey and predator staring at each other, the stunned villagers
started regaining their senses. That meant, of course, that someone soon
screamed and bolted into the forest, leaving everything that they owned
behind. This was followed up by a chain reaction, as that broke all the
villagers' reverie. They also started screamed and running into the
forest.
It was at that moment that Koutoku heard the loud wailing of a
child as the Kotou soldiers watched their reaction, primitive as beasts.
Although he was frightened with the aspect of facing the people who had
killed his parents, and with the fact that he would most certainly be
hunted down and killed if they found out he was a Suzaku sei, he remained
calm.
Shun-chan was right there. Sure, he looked mad as hell at the
moment, but Koutoku was sure that they wouldn't get hurt if they were
together. They both wouldn't let the other be harmed.
Pushing though some the lessoning crowds of people, Koutoku was
soon by te little girl's side and picked her up handily.
She stared at him with large violet eyes, filled with tears. Then,
with a wail, she buried her face in his shoulder, letting Koutoku to
whisper hushed reassurances to her. He gave a glance to his brother, and
winced as he heard the noise around him. It wouldn't be easy to use his
powers now, since he would barely be heard.
This meant that for the moment, he couldn't help Shunkaku. He'd
have to step out until most of the villagers escaped, enough so that
a sound of a flute could be heard throughout the screams and the cries.
Since the Kotou soldiers hadn't attacked yet... he'd leave it up
to Shunkaku for the moment. But just for the moment.
Meanwhile, of course, Shunkaku was mad. No, he was furious. In a
fit of RAGE. Sure, he didn't know the villagers that well, but they had
taken he and aniki in when they had nowhere to stay. They had taken the
twins in for three years without question- and in Shun's book, that
meant that the villagers were okay people.
That meant they didn't deserve to die.
Sparing but a glance at his brother, who was a few paces from him,
holding a crying child in his arms, Shun could see that he was on his
own for the time being. Koutoku would never get through the amount of
noise and interference to bring down the soldiers at the moment.
The lead Kotou soldier laughed when he saw the panic, never once
seeing the Bo twins. Pulling the reins of his hourse to face the
soldiers again, he gave a signal to attack. It took only moments before
all the soldiers were charging down the hill on their horses, causing
a tremendas rumble.
Nodding to himself mentally as a reminder that aniki wouldn't be
able to help for the time being, Shunkaku held up his Ryuuseisui. Then,
without dropping the weapon, he let his hands rest at his sides.
It took a few seconds- precious seconds that Shunkaku needed to
concentrate, yet costed the villagers panic all around.
Slowly, but surely, the blades of the Ryuuseisui started spinning.
Slowly, slowly... the air around hummed softly with the energy unseen
by the chaos surrounding it. Taking a final moment to ensure that he had
complete control, Shunkaku sent out the command for the Ryuuseisui to
attack.
The twin balls shot out, reaching for the nearest enemy who was
about to strike the final blow on a poor, defenseless villager.
Koutoku never approved of the additional blades that Shunkaku had
added, but the older twin had understood his brother's lack in security,
as well as cautiousness. In addition, he also knew that some victories
would not be easy to knock out with a physical object, and from a
distance. (But Kou-chan never had any trouble knocking someone straight
to sleep, so he was still kind of confused on Shun-chan's point of view.)
Shunkaku's anger grew (if that was possible) as he saw the soldier
about to kill a mother and her child as they huddled against the terror
inside them. It would be lying to say that he would ever forgive an act
such as that, had it been accomplished.
So, luckily, the Ryuuseisui appeared to be much faster than that
of the sword which was about to come down on the innocent bystanders.
The star-shooting spindle weaved its way through the air and loomed with
speed as it hit.
**SMACK**
The Kotou soldier staggered with the force of the blow, and stepped
back to stable himself. His hands were still on the hilt of the sword,
which was raised above his head. He looked a little page as the
Ryuuseisui returned to Shunkaku.
The large blade of the sword suddenly cut in half, the long and
sharp metal falling calliously to the ground. The soldier continued to
stare, awe-stricken and horrified, not even seeing the boy that did this
until Shunkaku smirked.
Well, his aniki had always scolded him about handling dangerous
weapons, and about hurting a person by accident. By all rights, he should
have killed the man- not accidentally, either. But he would respect
his brother's wishes about not harming... to a certain extent.
The teenaged boy did nothing but grin evilly at his challenger.
Sire, there were more soldiers on the move now and he ahd to help the
others- but he could not leave without a taste of victory.
Tilting his head to one side, Shun gave the soldier a sweet,
childish smile. One that would have been genuine had events been
different, had he not grown up the way he had.
The flat blade of the Ryuuseisui knocked the soldier hard over the
head and throwing him instantly unconsious.
Ignoring the looks of the terrified mother and child, Shunkaku
turned and charged into the battle against the soldiers, the Ryuuseisui
going beside him. It wasn't until after he knocked out three soldiers
did Shunkaku hear his twin's first note. It was strained, but strong,
warning the soldiers to retreat first beforehand. Of course, Shun took
that as the inituative to cover his ears without any more ado.
His instinct had been right when they told him that the soldiers
were not going to retreat, despite the gentle prodding Koutoku gave.
Although a few looked confused and some even looked back up the moutain
longingly when the music started, there were none that were willing to
go.
Stubborn. The whole lot of them.
Soon, the gentle notes of perswasion turned sharper as Koutoku
realized he couldn't get the soldiers to stop in their trampede even with
his power as a seishi.
Shunkaku gave a mental wince when he realized that his aniki was
annoyed. Okay, so aniki could be annoyed easily- it didn't make it any
less scarier when he was. With a grunt, Shun pressed his hands tighter,
hoping to shut out every note- even when it wasn't directed at him.
Never at him.
He watched, eyes wide as always, as the soldiers' looks of wild
murder began transforming. It turned into something more painful, some-
thing that told Shunkaku, although he could not hear the screams, of
just how in pain they seemed to be.
But the younger twin wasn't worried. He knew that no matter how
much Koutoku hated soldiers, he would not kill them. Hurt them, and make
then realize just what they did, yes. But not kill them.
Making sure that no one was trying to sneak up to his aniki
while the other boy was concentrating on his song, Shunkaku nodded to
himself, his hands still over his ears. As he figured. Kou-chan was
probably just going to put them all to sleep afterwards, like he always
did.
The remaining villagers had taken hint once the song started to
also cover their ears. Since the music was not directed towards them,
they could easily move their hands up to their ears and block out the
music, which was something that the soldiers could not do, no matter how
hard they tried to shove their palms against the sides of their head.
One by one, the soldiers slowly drifted into dreamland, dropping
to the ground like flies. They remained unharmed, the only disturbance
to the forest only their heavy snoring.
The music ended as soon as if began, and Shun lowered his hands
slowly, eyes glued to the scene of the forests, covered with the
sleeping bodies of soldiers and terrified villagers that had but a few
seconds ago, been their prey. Now all eyes were on them as the danger
was past.
Shun nearly grinned, but stopped himself in time. "I guess we
saved the day." he said cockily, smiling just a bit as everyone else
looked nothing but suspicous.
There was no response. Shunkaku frowned, and then his head to look
over his shoulders. "Aniki?" He sounded a bit worried.
Koutoku stood there, the child clinging to his legs, face looking
pale. His expression seemed frozen, and there was a sad and distant look
in his eye that Shunkaku saw often, but was never able to figure out
what it was.
"Aniki?" Shunkaku dropped his Ryuuseisui unceremoniously to the
ground, and walked over to his twin. "What's wrong?"
Still no response.
"Aniki....? ANIKI!"
And then, darkness.
End chapter 1.
Yes, I know. Very short- it only seems like a scene. (To me, anyway)
But I didn't have time to keep wriitng (It's already midnight and I have
two tests tomorrow) What happened? Wanna know? Wait for part 2! *cackles
evilly* Oh, my dearest twins... *sniffle* You hurt those that you love.
j/k. But really! It's GOING to get interesting so STAY and WAIT for
part two. *thinks* on the other hand.... comments! Feedback!