Contradiction
Chapter One: Soul Transfer
Tamahome stood outside Yui's door, a maelstrom of thoughts whiling through his head. Foremost in them were two main concerns: avoiding Yui enough to prevent a repeat of that... incident... and persuading her to come back to Konan when he left with Miaka and Chichiri. Those two concerns were unfortunately contradictory. Especially considering that back in Konan Yui would of necessity see him and Miaka almost constantly—almost constantly see Miaka and him together. Still, Miaka wanted her Yui-chan back, and a friendagain. Even if he wasn't head-over-heels for her, it was his duty as a seishitodo this for his Miko.
That wasn't really all there was to it, though. He loved Miaka, sure, but felt something for Yui too...He recalled her words, "You met Miaka and me at the same time. Why didn't you choose me?" And he remembered making Miaka his "honorary sister, free of charge" before he'd fallen for her, solely on the basis of that precipitous meeting. I suppose Yui's an "honorary sister" too, thought Tamahome. So I'd need to help her as well, even if Miaka hadn't asked me. That internal issue resolved, he turned tothe door. He nearly opened it before he heard Yui and Nakago talking within.
"I couldn't do it, Nakago," Yui said. "I've tried lots of times since this
morning."Chapter One: Soul Transfer
Tamahome stood outside Yui's door, a maelstrom of thoughts whiling through his head. Foremost in them were two main concerns: avoiding Yui enough to prevent a repeat of that... incident... and persuading her to come back to Konan when he left with Miaka and Chichiri. Those two concerns were unfortunately contradictory. Especially considering that back in Konan Yui would of necessity see him and Miaka almost constantly—almost constantly see Miaka and him together. Still, Miaka wanted her Yui-chan back, and a friendagain. Even if he wasn't head-over-heels for her, it was his duty as a seishitodo this for his Miko.
That wasn't really all there was to it, though. He loved Miaka, sure, but felt something for Yui too...He recalled her words, "You met Miaka and me at the same time. Why didn't you choose me?" And he remembered making Miaka his "honorary sister, free of charge" before he'd fallen for her, solely on the basis of that precipitous meeting. I suppose Yui's an "honorary sister" too, thought Tamahome. So I'd need to help her as well, even if Miaka hadn't asked me. That internal issue resolved, he turned tothe door. He nearly opened it before he heard Yui and Nakago talking within.
"Lady Yui, to get something done, you must be cold-hearted," replied Nakago in reprimand. "Didn't you become Seiryuu no Miko of your own free will? It was for revenge against that Suzaku no Miko girl, who betrayed you. Will you letTamahome return to that troublemaker so easily? Then, Suzaku will be summoned.Are you going to allow that girl to be happy?"
Oh no... Yui... you... you turned against Miaka, of your own free will? thought Tamahome, confused. No. You can't have. Miaka's talked so muchabout you... I know you were too good friends to do that. You were so happywhen she came to get you... and then you went off to get the scroll from Nakago.After that you led her to the Seiryuu shrine... that's it! Nakago must havetold you something when he gave you the scroll. Something to turn you againstMiaka. And that thing would have had to be a lie. Manipulative bastard.
"MANIPULATIVE BASTARD!!!" Tamahome screamed, as the symbol of the ogre blazed redly from his forehead. That was all the warning Nakago had before Suzaku's most powerful seishi slammed open Yui's door and began to use all of his god-enhancedmartial arts ability to pummel Nakago into a little puddle of goo. The armorblocked most of the damage, but Tamahome was too angry to notice that insignifigantfact. Nakago was so stunned by Tamahome's abrupt attack that he failed to usehis seishi powers as a vastly stronger armor.That proved to be a mistake,a fatal one. Tamahome's angry punches were quick and numerous enough thatsoonNakago lay unconscious.
As a seishi and Miko, respectively, Tamahome and Yui could sense that Nakago's chi was fading quickly. If one of them didn't fetch someone quickly to heal him, he'd die. Tamahome, of course, didn't do so. This was his sworn and destinedenemy, and after all he didn't want all the energy he'd just used to go towaste. It was a bit more surprising that Yui didn't leap to the aid of herseishi. Actually, no it's not, Tamahome thought. If he dies, thenthat'll let her back out of being Seiryuu no Miko. No point in looking forseishi when you know where one of them is— the palace crypt. And shedidn't really want to be Miko anyway, right? After all, that's why I just did that.
One, however, was upset at the idea of a Seiryuu shichiseishi dying. Namely Seiryuu himself. If one of his destined warriors died, he'd never be summoned... and by that point even divine intervention wouldn't help Nakago recover. Hisbody, at any rate... and Seiryuu realized that Nakago's soul was whatneeded to be present at the summoning. If he could find an alternate bodyto house it, he'd be fine. Perhaps the body of that young man who'd killed his seishi? It was young and strong, a worthy canidate to recieve Seiryuu's powers and make good use of them. The holy beast began to guide his warrior's soul from its fading body to the new one... and with a shock realized that this young man was one of Suzaku's seishi. Unfortunate that it's too late to end the transfer... still, this should be interesting.
Tamahome blinked rapidly several times as his soul and Nakago's repeatedtheir fight, this time mentally. While mental, it was still an interestingfight for spectators. Those with the ability to see people's auras could seea remarkable fireworks display of blue and red surrounding their body, andthose not so gifted could see the blue kokoro character and the redoni flashing alternately on their forehead. Finally Tamahome securedanother victory, althoughit was visibly a tenuous one. The red of his seishisymbol had turned slightly purplish, and whichever Fate had scrawled it onhis forehead must have had terrible handwriting—it was barely recognizableas "demon."
"Yui," he remarked with surprising calm, "maybe we'd best leave now."
"I don't think I can, Tamahome."
"Why not?"
"I'm still Seiryuu no Miko. And Nakago still is alive, within you. I can't abandon my duty."
"But can you abandon your friend?"
"Some friend she is," replied Yui bitterly.
"Yui..."
"Don't argue with me!" she snapped, in the tone ot one accustomed to giving orders. "Either leave and go back to Konan, as Tamahome, or stay here asNakago. I don't care which. Decide! But whichever, just let me stay here.Unless it becomes impossible to summon Seiryuu, I remain Miko. I remain Mikohere ."
Tamahome turned a resigned back on Yui, and went to the place where he was supposed to rendezvous with Miaka and the other Suzaku seishi.
Amiboshi: ...
Amiboshi: a bit over-hyper, Betsy-chan?
Betsy: There's no such thing as too hyper. Anyway... expect the story to get stranger as it continues. So sue me, I have a talent for odd plot ideas. plug If you've read any of my Digimon stuff, well, those over a chapter, you should know that. /plug Lesse, what else? Oh... two things.
Firstly, a couples warning. (these are required in Digific ettiquitte, though I don't always follow that rule, so if they aren't too common here don't look askance.) All couples and crushes part of main seires canon, with the possible/probable addition of Yui/Suboshi and Hotohori/Nuriko. Also, Chiriko and possibly Chichiri will crush on Miaka. There is a plot reason for each and every one, no matter how random. (Chiriko: essential to the way I'm slanting his character. Chichiri: Part of a way I might develop his character.)
Second, I've never seen the anime, just read the first three manga volumes and large quantities of spoilers. Because of that, my charaterizations will almost certainly be off in places... and since I'm rabidly anti-OOC, that comes as a scary thought. If you think I have any wisps of OOC whatsoever anywhere, don't hesitate to slap me back in place in your reveiw. And while I'm on that topic... see that box below? It says "Be a responsible reader and write a reveiw." If you like my story so far, be aware that I work fastest in the happy haze of "someone likes my stuff!" If you hate it, well, I can't improve sans constructive criticism.