Disclaimer:
The characters and story of Fushigi Yuugi belong to Watase Yuu. I'm only borrowing them for a brief moment to have some fun, and I promise I will put them back when I am done with them.

Warning:
This story contains spoilers up to episode 36, possibly more. If you haven't seen any of those eps or the ones beyond them, and it will ruin the story for you to know, please do not read any further.

Dedication:
To the people at Bag 'N' Baggage, who gave me a great (and exhausting) new job, thus cutting down on the time I can spend writing this junk!

Fushigi Yuugi:
Painful Knowledge
Part Five - Nakago
by: Yuuki Miyaka

The wind feels very cool on my face as I ride with Soi away from Tamahome and Suzaku no Miko. The look on his face when he realized that I had done something to his precious darling was payment enough for protecting Yui from Miaka's viciousness. And protecting that whining brat deserves payment.

When I found her, with those thugs on top of her, I decided to leave her to her fate. Doing good never gets anyone anywhere. But my decision was changed when I saw her clothing. This was, of course, after I'd heard rumors that Suzaku no Miko had been found, and that she had already discovered some of the Suzaku seishi. So I saved the brat, knowing that I must cultivate her so that she could serve me better. I found her seishi while she concentrated on finding a way home to be with her best friend, Miaka. And I planted the seeds of doubt that would keep her here. I must admit, I should be proud of myself for having the foresight to prepare everything. Miaka has certainly given us more trouble than I had originally anticipated.

I cannot understand Yui's fascination with the Suzaku seishi known as Tamahome. It seems a waste of time to me. Yui is generally very intelligent, though she does not seem to care about her seishi as a good Miko should. If I am giving credit where it is due, I should say that Miaka is a better Miko, though I am glad she is not mine. I think, with her ever-cheerful demeanor, she would prove much more of a challenge to mold than Yui has been.

My plans are coming nicely, actually, thanks mostly to Suboshi and Ashitare. Suboshi's vengeful attack on Tamahome's family certainly served to weaken Miaka's will to fight us, and I cannot decide which of Ashitare's acts was the better. Was it his rescue of the Shinzaho, or his destruction of that annoying little crossdresser? Either way, he served his purpose, and a valuable one it was.

And I am glad that Miaka knows what has happened, or rather not happened, to Yui. How that destroyed her faith in her friend, knowing that Yui could be turned away from her so easily.

And of course, not to parade myself as a paragon, but I have had some rather good triumphs myself. My capture of Tamahome served to keep the Suzaku brats wondering about him for some time. That helped weaken their defense. Would that we had been able to use that weakening! And, of course, my destruction of Miaka's mind will destroy her party. I shall get the second Shinzaho, call forth Seiryuu, and have Konan country within my grasp within a matter of weeks. What a wonderful day this has turned out to be.

~From the heart of Nakago~

Author's Notes:
Okay, thanks to someone's (I forget whose) bright idea, I got the urge to write from one of the Seiryuu Seishi's POV. Now, I don't know all of them, and I don't really understand any of them, so you're just going to have to bear with me on this.

Ummm, I'm taking quite a bit of license with Nakago's character, but whenever I look at him in pictures and stuff, he looks so d*mned smug about everything that he's done to the seishi that I just wanna slap him. I tried to give this story that same smugness. I hope I did all right!!! I hope you enjoyed and comments, critiques and flames can be sent to me.