Author's Ramblings: Ok I must clarify something *Winces as a thousand Fushigi Yuugi fans are about to throw tomatoes at her* '''' ~_O''''' *clears throat In my 4th chapter I mentioned that Subaru has pink hair. I know in the series she contains white hair. I just watched another tape today. *Summoning Seiryu is the best!* Well I got this from an art book, so Im leaving it that way! So there! *gets tomatoes thrown at her*
Weird and might I say ugly person from audience: JUST GET ON WITH IT ALREADY!!
Neo: Oh yes...lets get it on *wipes tomato juice off her face*
Author's Note: Well now that we leave off with a "OH MY GOD WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN???" cliff hanger. We now flip over to the Byakko Seven who take the floor for this chapter. Yes I know I'm mean. :)
Author's Note 2: I am not going to take a single
thing from the OAVs for the fact that I haven't seen them, most people
have not seen them, it makes it ten times easier on me!
Fushigi Yuugi: Internal Conflict
When you turn the page..the adventure begins....
Chapter 6: Arrow in the Tiger's Heart
"HAHAHAAHAHAHAAHAHA!! Do it again!! Do it again!!" Toroki exclaimed as he couldn't help, but laugh at Karasuki trying to balance a plate on a chop stick. He's getting better! He now only broke four out of five!
"Shut up! I know I can do this!" Karasuki silenced as he took another plate.
"Haven't you attempted enough already??? THOSE ARE MY PLATES!" Subaru shouted.
"Ahhh let the boy mess with them..after all. IT IS funny to see him fail!" Tokaki laughed.
"You are no help Tokaki!" Karasuki snorted as he crossed his arms. Suzuno only laughed. It was so funny! She was glad to be back with the Byakko Seven again. They were all at Subaru and Tokaki's home, save in Sairo. It was dinner time and they were eating up a storm! Subaru helped with the cooking in the kitchen and it was the first time Suzuno met their adopted daughter, Xia Fang. She was a beautiful purple haired girl that had a very kind personality. When her father died, Tokaki and Subaru were kind enough to take her in. Both of them made a wonderful couple. She was so glad that they were together. Suzuno looked up at Tatara which was also having a good time. She put her delicate hand softly onto his. He turned to her and smiled.
"Are you enjoying yourself Suzuno?" Tatara asked. Suzuno blushed at him as she looked down. Suzuno always blushed when Tatara gave her that smile. It was a fact that, she loved him very much and it was wonderful to be with him again. He always had a very distinct face that she could distinguish from the rest. His soft eyes always melted her into his arms. His long and gorgeous brown hair that flowed over his face gave him an outstanding radiance of beauty. He was just as lovely as the rose he could produce from the seeds of his necklace. Suzuno nodded and smiled at him. Tatara smiled back at her as if to say, "Thank you Byakko...for bringing the one I love back to me."
"CRASH!!"
"AHHHH NUTS!"
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! STOP!! YOU ARE KILLING ME!! AHAHAHAHAHA!!"
"WOULD YOU QUIT BREAKING MY PLATES!"
"OW! THAT HURTS!"
"YOU DESERVED IT!"
"DID NOT!"
"DID TOO!
Suzuno turned to what was going on. She started to laugh herself silly. When she saw Subaru smack Karasuki over the head with a broom. Poor Karasuki! He had to feel Subaru's wrath! How amusing!!!!! Soon they got the whole group rolling on the floor laughing. It seemed like a good night for them. After all, they were safe in the home of Tokaki and Subaru. Sairo was far from harms way since they were in the desert.
"Ow...meany!" Karasuki said putting on a whimpering act.
"Hmph! That will teach you to break my plates! Now help me clean up this mess you made!" Subaru ordered.
"Yes ma'am...." Karasuki groaned as he started to pick up the pieces from the floor.
"Heheheheh!! I don't know what is funnier!! You balancing a plate...or Subaru hitting you with the broom!!" Toroki snickered as he pushed back his dark blue hair.
"CAN I HIT HIM?? PLEASE???" Karasuki pleaded in anger.
"Karasuki! Don't let your anger get the best of you!" Tokaki smirked as he came into the room.
"Easy for you to say..." Karasuki whispered to himself as he took off the soft white wrap around his shoulder. He then started to put the pieces in it so he wouldn't cut himself when he took them outside.
"Toroki..go to sleep!" Tokaki ordered as he turned to him.
"Awww!!! Come on!! Its too early! Besides..who died and made you leader???" Toroki groaned.
"If you want...I can show you how I killed the leader..." Tokaki grinned in a sly manner. Toroki's eyes were about to bug out. He knew that messing with Tokaki could mean serious trouble. Tokaki was a lot faster than him and most of the warriors. He gulped and waved good bye to him.
"Uhhh....I think I'll go hit the sack!" he said as he ran off. Tokaki only laughed as he sat down and rested.
"Its good to see them all again....isn't it Tokaki?" Subaru said as she sat down next to him. Tokaki put an arm around Subaru with pride.
"Damn I forgot how sexy you were my dear...Never again will I forget," he said to her with a grin as he kissed her on the cheek. Subaru tried to ignore that comment, yet she couldn't help, but smile.
"I can't believe everyone is alive...including Suzuno and Tatara..." Subaru whispered as she rested her head against him. Subaru and Tokaki were really close. They were the only remaining warriors that were left after Suzuno went back to her world. Tatara was kept alive with Subaru's magic so he could protect the Shinzaho of Byakko. Which was a chinese style mirror that hid in the center of a rose. The rose grew from a seed that he kept like an earring on his right ear. Though Tatara was still young looking on the outside, his body was extremely frail on the inside. His flesh never aged because of the time magic. Yet the internal part of him continued to progress and grow older. Poor Tatara died in the end, trying to protect Miaka and the rest. He killed Miboshi by using his magic to control plants. Yet he never fully succeeded and Miboshi ended up possessing Chiriko, one of the Suzaku Seven. Which ended up killing himself to save everyone from Miboshi's powers.
Karasuki watched Tokaki and Subaru while he picked the pieces of shattered plate off the floor. It was the first he had been silent all night. It seemed the Byakko seven were once again reunited! What bliss it was to be able to see all of the proud warriors together again! Karasuki certainly missed Suzuno and Amefuri. In fact, he missed them all! Including that idiot Toroki! He only smiled at his friends when he finally finished picking up all of the pieces. He tied his wrap up and carried the shards to a secluded place where he dug a hole and dumped them there. No use in letting the pieces hang around to cut some one, correct? After Karasuki was done, he went back inside and walked up to Subaru.
"I finished," he announced to her. His tender blue eyes waited for her appreciation of his finished duty.
"Hmm? Oh Karasuki, thank you," she said happily to him. He smiled at her and started to walk away.
"Good night!" he told them as he went to go to sleep.
"Good night!" Tokaki and Subaru said together. They were all alone now in the dining area. Subaru got up first and looked down to the question on Tokaki's curious face.
"Im going to check up on Suzuno and Tatara," Subaru explained. Its as if she knew what he was asking.
"More like spying I bet!" Tokaki smirked.
"Augh! How could you think of something so awful?" Subaru said in an insulted manner.
"Well I'm not the one who put them together for the night!" Tokaki shot back with ease.
"THERE WERE NO MORE ROOMS! FOR GOODNESS SAKES!" Subaru argued.
"Oh well then...thats too bad," he said turning away. He tried not to show how close he was to laughing. He loved to provoke her at times, yet he always knew that she loved him.
"Hmph..." she said as she started to walk away towards the door. She
peeked in the doorway to see what they were doing in the room. She knew
she could trust them, yet she was always careful about things like these!
Subaru saw that nothing was happening, a sigh cleared the tense air that
hovered around her. Tatara was sleeping on the floor with a pillow and
a couple bed sheets. Suzuno was sleeping on the main bed with the thicker
bed sheet covering her. She smiled and closed the door quietly. After that,
Subaru took the liberty to finally going to bed herself.
It was early morning when Toroki woke up first. The sun was slowly rising to take its position in the colorfully painted sky. The young blue haired warrior looked outside his window to view the streaks of orange that blended in with the richly glowing purple and red that dominated the heavens above. He sighed happily at the pink clouds that hovered around the fiery sphere that shined upon the earth with it's radiant light. Toroki walked out of the room full of sleeping warriors to sit outside and take a whiff of the fresh morning air.
"Ahhhh...it's so pleasant in the morning," he said calmly. The world was serene! It was so wonderful outside! Watching the morning dew drip to freshen the soil....hearing the sound of birds chirping sweetly...getting interrupted by Karasuki's loud mouth! AUGH!
"AHHHHH WHERE IS MY SPEAR??? WHERE DID IT GO??? I LOST MY SPEAR!!" the voice boomed inside. Toroki grunted in annoyment. He got up from his sitting position and went inside with his right eye twitching towards the obnoxious voice.
"WHAT IS THE PROBLEM!!!!!!?????" Toroki roared as he fixed himself on Karasuki's whining. Karasuki looked quickly towards him and sat down in a chair quietly.
"Oh boy...here we go again.." Amefuri said as he took a seat far away from Toroki and Karasuki. Heh...don't mess with Toroki's peaceful mornings! He'll bite your head off!
"Does your mouth ever lose over silence??" Toroki yelled.
"Say wha???" Karasuki asked in confusion.
"He means..do you ever stay quiet..." Kokie said as he sat on the bed in a meditating position.
"All this yelling woke me up," Amefuri complained.
"What is all the screaming about??" Tokaki said coming in. He leaned in the doorway entrance and seemed to have an annoyed expression that ran across his face.
"Karasuki was screaming for his spear..I swear I'm going to break it if he doesn't quiet down!" Toroki explained in anger. He was now leaning against the wall with his arms folded. His head was down and his eyes were shut. The calm expression on his face gave him the feeling of confidence. Yet it gave Karasuki a feeling of dread.
"Is this it?" Amefuri asked as he found a large wooden staff with a very sharp and pointed stone edge. It had a red string that dangled down with gold beads and white and blue feathers.
"You found it!!!" Karasuki said as he grabbed it from Amefuri and hugged it.
"Don't get too intimate with it.." Tokaki smirked. Karasuki stuck his tongue out at him. Just then, they heard a yawn coming from one of the rooms. Suzuno had seem to walk out with sleepy eyes.
"Good morning everyone!" she said sweetly.
"Good morning Lady Suzuno," they all said back.
"I hope big mouth didn't wake you up," Toroki said glaring at him.
"Actually he didn't," Suzuno said smiling at Karasuki. Karasuki gave a sweat drop in embarrassment.
"Well we are leaving for Hokkan today Lady Suzuno! So wake up Tatara and we will leave straight after breakfast," Tokaki instructed. Suzuno nodded.
"Right," she replied as she walked into her room to wake up Tatara.
"Toroki...go get some horses and supplies for us! Take Amefuri with you!" Tokaki commanded. The two nodded and left after they got dressed with some money.
"Kokie...Karasuki, go see if Subaru needs help in the kitchen," Tokaki ordered. Karasuki nodded and left. Kokie got up from his position and walked out of the room as well. Tokaki was quite proud of himself, it seemed everyone listened to him. Which was kind of an unusual feat. Tokaki decided to go and check up on Suzuno and Tatara. He opened the door just when both of them walked out. Tatara was in his regular clothing and Suzuno looked acceptionally well in her bluish school uniform. They both sat down in the main dining hall. Tokaki sat across from them.
"Toroki and Amefuri are out getting our supplies now so we won't waste time, Lady Suzuno. I also assigned Kokie and Karasuki to the kitchen so we can get breakfast ready faster," Tokaki explained to Suzuno. Suzuno was about to nod when they heard a crash from the kitchen.
"NOT ANOTHER PLATE!" a woman's voice screamed.
"Oy....Karasuki..." a young man's voice groaned.
"I SWEAR IT WAS AN ACCIDENT THIS TIME!" called a boyish voice.
"GET AWAY FROM HERE RIGHT NOW!" shouted the woman again. Tokaki, Suzuno, and Tatara watched as Karasuki went to the table and sat down next to Tokaki. He seemed upset and he rested his head quietly on it. Suzuno patted Karasuki's head lovingly.
"Its ok Karasuki! I know it wasn't your fault," Suzuno whispered with a smile. Karasuki looked up at her with a bit of hope.
"You think so?" he asked.
Suzuno nodded and smiled at him. Karasuki smiled back with comfort. Tokaki was snickering. Tatara looked over at Tokaki with a small smile himself. They knew that Karasuki was the youngest of the group. He was only seventeen years of age and was a great fighter in the art of the chinese spear. He had a head of beautiful, gleaming white hair that was as fresh as snow. His eyes were of a shallow water blue, like the calling of the ocean. He wore a blue sash across his forehead to compliment his eye colors and a white wrap that went across his body. He usually used the wrap to cover his upper half in strong desert storms. On his neck he had a necklace of wolf teeth which he hunted on the outer skirts of Hokkan. This was when he was younger though. His forearms bared the fur of strong bucks that he shot down with an arrow on a quick strike. He usually wore a black top with red chinese symbols dyed into it and blue and yellow shorts that hung down to his knees. It was usually pretty hot in the capital of Sairo where he moved to later on in his teens. So he was always in comfortable wear. Even if he really can't accessorize color that well!
Although Karasuki got kicked out of the kitchen, it was nice for him to be at the table. At least that is what Suzuno thought. She treated him like a little brother no matter he was older than her. Karasuki acted like a little kid and he unfortunately was always the first one that the Byakko Seven would send into danger. For the fact that his outrageous lucky strikes always made him successful. He was the only person of the Byakko Seven that never had a strand of bad luck. They called him the immortal because, he never seemed to have been able to die! He always survived close encounters and that was his specialty in many situations. Its just getting him to do these dangerous tasks was the problem they faced continually.
"I bet the Seriyuu are already on the move!" Karasuki said with enthusiasm.
"I wouldn't doubt it....that Nakago can be a real turn off," Tokaki snorted.
"Why is he like that Tokaki?" Karasuki asked.
"He's always been like that. This is nothing new. He's a real piss head ya know that?" Tokaki groaned. Suzuno laughed a little.
"Ahhh you think I'm funny do you?" Tokaki said with a slight grin as he got close to Suzuno's face. Suzuno nodded with a smile.
"Good. I'm always glad to hear you laugh Suzuno," Tokaki said sweetly. This made her smile softly at him. It was a calm moment where Suzuno set her eyes on Tokaki, thinking how nice he was since the last time. Tatara put an arm around her and She smiled back at him. It was quiet in the dining room till they heard an abrupt scream. It was a scream of terror. All of them jumped up from the table at once. Tokaki especially with fright in his eyes.
"XIA FANG!!!!" he yelled as he speeded towards the kitchen. He saw no one in there, he quickly looked towards the door as he watched Kokie and Subaru running outside. Tokaki followed them with incredible speed. He bolted out the door and teleported by Subaru's side.
"WHAT HAPPENED???" Tokaki demanded with a scared face.
"I DON'T KNOW!! I just sent her out to get some apples!" Subaru said with tears in her eyes. She was so afraid for Xia Fang!! How can anyone hurt some one as beautiful as her? Why did this happen??? WHY HER OF ALL PEOPLE??? They all ran to where they heard the scream, but when they got there, they were shocked to see a horrible fate. Subaru broke down and fell to the ground in anguish. Kokie just shook his head in shame, he had a sad and cold expression on his face. Kokie tried to comfort Subaru by putting a hand on her shoulder.
"XIA FANG!!! WHY???" Subaru cried as tears flowed out of her eyes. Her hands drop to support the weight in front of her weakening body. She began to weep terribly for her deceased daughter. Subaru's eyes hurt so badly as if needles were piercing her iris. It was as painful as seeing her adopted daughter dead in front of her. A barrel of apples were laying on the ground as if she abruptly dropped them in a scare.
"What happened??" Suzuno asked in a rush to catch her breath. She soon found out as she accidentally turned towards the dead woman on the floor. The young chalk brown haired girl gasped at it. Tatara pulled her away from the broken image of Xia Fang and comforted her. Suzuno began to cry as well. Tokaki stared straight at Xia Fang, her body was so limp, cold, lifeless.
"WHO COULD BE SO CRUEL TO DO SUCH A THING????" Tokaki roared. His anger started to rise quickly as he clenched his fists so tight you would figure they would start to bleed. Kokie gulped and backed away a little from Tokaki's increasing aura.
"WHO???" He demanded as he turned to everyone. Karasuki just stared at him in fright. He didn't know what to say and he hoped that Tokaki wouldn't just blame this on anyone. They all remained silent when they heard a half eatened apple drop on the ground near the group. A rustle was made in the trees, possibly to attract attention. Tokaki snapped his head towards the sound up above. He couldn't see the image too well because, it was dark in the forest. The only thing he could see was a guy with ever green hair give a shiny grin towards the Byakko five. From there, something struck Tokaki about the man in the trees. Something that frightened and yet angered him at the same time. It filled Tokaki with a powerful rage that he was about to unleash towards their adversary. Karasuki quickly backed away behind Tatara for safety measures. As Tokaki set his sights on the image above, it then disappeared as if it was smoke. Tokaki couldn't believe that his enemy would just leave him. He couldn't believe that he just evaded battle. The stormy eyed warrior looked down at Xia Fang and touched her precious face in agony.
"Xia Fang.....please forgive me," Tokaki said softly as he got up. They all looked at him with a bit of fear that jumped in their throats.
"What do we do now Tokaki?" Karasuki asked.
"We go and find Tamahome of the Suzaku Seven..." Tokaki said with fire
in his eyes.