Kokoro Mitsukeru Heiwa - Chapter 2
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The images seemed to swirl before his eyes, the surreal dreamscape taking on hues and twisting patterns that defied all semblance of normalcy. It was as if he were walking within a whirlwind of flowing silks and mist, nothing remaining the same for longer than a few seconds at a time. It was soothing in its own way, but his dreams weren't usually like this. Looking down, his feet came into contact with a surface of some kind, or at least that's how it seemed. The same kaliedoscope of colours played beneath his steps, but it was almost as if he walked above the visual melody.
"Who are you... where am I?"
The voice brought him back to his senses, the pattern shifting faintly in response. He moved forward, toward the familiar sound that seemed to beckon to him.
"You understand me?"
Suddenly it was as if the entire world around him exploded into an array of crimson, the flaring light blinding him as he brought up his arms to shield himself.
"Chichiri, wake up!"
The covers were flung away as he sat up, his breath ragged in his throat, a thin sheen of sweat glistening on his skin. As the room came into focus, he saw Miaka, her eyes tinged with worry. Something had happened... something wasn't right. The light he'd seen reminded him of the one Heika had told him of when Miaka had returned to this world. But if she were here, then it couldn't have been. "Miaka, what's wrong?"
She looked as though she were going to break into tears right before him, and he had the growing feeling that the crimson glow he'd seen was more than just a coincidental dream. "It's Nuriko... he's gone!"
* * *
The bed was rumpled... actually, that was putting it mildly. There was a chance that Nuriko had been taken against his will, but Chichiri dismissed that thought almost immediately, despite the fact that some of the dressing table's contents were scattered on the ground. If anyone had tried forcing Nuriko out of this room, it would have woken everyone within voice range. He'd heard Nuriko's scream only once, and it had been enough to send his ears ringing. The monk crouched down next to the bed, running his hands over the silken sheets. There was energy here, and he would have been a fool not to recognize it. It was the power of Suzaku, and for whatever reason the Phoenix God had deemed necessary, he had taken Nuriko from them. But to where?
Chichiri sighed, bowing his head forward. The pale blue of his hair contrasted sharply with the deep burgundy of the bedsheets as his head rested against the side, his thoughts spinning. His one good eye focused on the floorboards as if he were picking out minute flaws. What was he going to tell the others? Miaka was already frantic, but he hadn't allowed her to come into the room while he looked around. They were going to have to find out sooner or later, but the timing on this was absolutely horrid.
The boat was being readied even now, the trip to Hokkan only a day or two away. They had to get the shinzaho of Genbu if they had any hope whatsoever in summoning Suzaku now. It was bad enough that Heika was being left behind, but now to lose Nuriko as well... would five of them be enough?
"We'll have to be," he said, more to himself than anyone. They had no choice. The shinzaho MUST be found before the Seiryuu seishi discovered their existance. The gods could only be summoned with the presence of all seven seishi, and the scroll of the Shi Jin Ten Chi Sho. The Seiryuu had lost one of their own number, and now the Suzaku had lost their scroll. The only option that remained open to them was retrieving the sacred relic of the summoning of Genbu. Chichiri could only hope that they weren't too late.
Pushing himself to stand, he brought his cloak about himself tightly and stepped out of the room. Miaka was on him in a flash, demanding to know what he'd found, if anything. "Come with me, Miaka-chan. This is something for the others to hear as well." She fell silent immediately, her hands worrying at the hem of her jacket as she fell into step beside him. They made their way to the Emperor's study where he and Chiriko were going over the travel plans to Hokkan. Their gazes lifted to meet the two as they entered, but without a word being spoken both the Emperor and the child prodigy knew that something was dreadfully wrong.
Before they could speak, the monk simply held up a hand, shaking his head softly. "We need to gather the others. Then I can explain." Miaka turned and ran down the walkway, knowing where Tamahome and Tasuki likely were. Chiriko only nodded once and walked in the opposite direction to find the healer, Mitsukake, and bring him to the study as well. Once they were alone, Hotohori arched a brow and stepped aorund the table towards Chichiri.
"This is serious, I gather." Hotohori's words were only met by a curt nod, and neither man spoke after that. The tension in the room only grew as Mitsukake arrived with Chiriko, and Miaka returned with Tamahome holding tightly to her. Tasuki's voice echoed down the walkway as he came into sight, stalking towards them.
"This had better be good." The bandit growled, looking for all the world as if he'd just stumbled out of bed... which he likely had. He stopped cold as Chichiri removed the mask which hid his face from view, revealing his worried expression. A soft gasp came from Chiriko, but the child almost immediately regained his composure. He'd never before seen the monk without the smiling visage he always presented to others. Nor had he seen the jagged scar which trailed its way across Chichiri's face, sealing the left eye forever. Whatever was about to be revealed, it was serious indeed.
"We may have to make the trip to Hokkan with only the five of us. I'm sure that I was not the only one to feel the surge of power within the palace this morning." A few soft nods from Chiriko and Tasuki let him know that he was correct in that assumption. "Suzaku has taken Nuriko from us. We--"
"WHAT??" Tasuki nearly jumped forward, eyes widened. "You mean he's..."
"Bu shi (1), Tasuki." Chichiri knew he had to stop the flame-haired bandit's rant before it even got started. "He's alive. But he's been taken from this place in a manner similar to which Miaka was brought here."
"Which means that he may be in my world?" Miaka spoke quietly, her eyes downcast as if she were in thought. "But why?"
"I can't say for certain, Miaka-chan." Chichiri whispered, turning his gaze to the others in turn. "But we can't delay the trip to Hokkan. If he hasn't returned by the time the boat is ready to set sail, we will have to go on without him."
* * *
Nuriko remained against the wall, only relaxing slightly as he spoke with the only one here who didn't speak in gibberish. His gaze kept moving between the three, memorizing what details he could as the dark-haired one... Wufei, he remembered... told him what they knew. This was all too strange, even for him. This place was NOT Konan, or any other place he'd ever been. It smelled different, the air itself was enough to send his already amplified senses reeling. Some of the conversation was lost as his head pounded, the migraine having no care whatsoever for the fact that it's bearer had just found himself wrenched away from all he knew. The other two, Duo and Quatre, were odd of themselves. Duo reminded him a lot of Miaka. Granted, he was a male version, and quite a bit more violent, but the personality was similar. Quatre was a gaijin, that much was plain just by looking at him. The blonde hair and blue eyes struck a chord in him, bringing back the memories of the Kutou shogun that Tamahome and Miaka had described. But this one couldn't be like that... something told Nuriko that he meant no harm and had only been just as surprised to see a stranger appear in his room.
From what he'd been able to pick out of Wufei's explanation, this could very well be the world that Miaka had come from. Then again, he was too disoriented to know for certain. Without warning, he felt his knees buckle beneath him and he sagged against the wall. In an instant, he felt arms wrapped around him, helping him to the bed to lie down. As the darkness curled around his vision, he saw those sea-ice eyes focusing on him in concern. "Xiexie..." He whispered, before falling into the blessed unconsciousness that took away the pain if only for a bit.
"What did..." Quatre raised a brow, looking to Wufei in confusion.
"He said 'thank you'." Wufei sighed, rubbing his hands over his eyes. "I'm going to go and get some rest. If I'm going to be his translator, then I'm going to need to be awake when he is."
"I'll keep an eye on him while he sleeps." The Arab pilot pulled the blankets up over Nuriko's sleeping form, then went to sit in a chair nearby, dimming the light until it was only a faint glow in the room. "When he wakes, I'll come and get you."
Wufei nodded, slipping from the room and disappearing down the hall. Duo had moved to the other side of the bed and was looking down at its occupant curiously.
"What is it, Duo?"
He shook his head slightly, not taking his eyes off the other. "I'm not sure. This is all just a little hard to believe. He really came out of a book?"
"It seems so." Quatre replied, casting his gaze to Nuriko as well. "This is all my fault... and now we have to figure out how to send him back."
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TBC
(1) Bu shi - 'no'.
A bit of explaining is in order here. The original Shi Jin Ten Chi Sho was written in Chinese. It was translated into Japanese, hence the book that Miaka and Yui were able to read. (At least that's the premise I'm going on. Miaka made mention that she didn't know Yui could read Chinese, but later on, Keisuke and Miaka were both able to read it, so I'm going on the assumption that they were reading the Japanese translation.) This lends to the idea that there are actally TWO copies of the book in the world. The original and the translation. I'm also going off an idea that was put forth in another fanfic by Lys ap Adin entitled 'Omake and Omae o Korosu'. (Located at Gundam Addiction archive) In this fic, it was suggested that there were actually three worlds: The book world, Miaka and Yui's world, and the much more violent world of the Gundam boys. Therefore... in this story the Gundam world is different from the world of the Mikos... and Quatre is muddling through reading the original Chinese version of the Shi Jin Ten Chi Sho.
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The images seemed to swirl before his eyes, the surreal dreamscape taking on hues and twisting patterns that defied all semblance of normalcy. It was as if he were walking within a whirlwind of flowing silks and mist, nothing remaining the same for longer than a few seconds at a time. It was soothing in its own way, but his dreams weren't usually like this. Looking down, his feet came into contact with a surface of some kind, or at least that's how it seemed. The same kaliedoscope of colours played beneath his steps, but it was almost as if he walked above the visual melody.
"Who are you... where am I?"
The voice brought him back to his senses, the pattern shifting faintly in response. He moved forward, toward the familiar sound that seemed to beckon to him.
"You understand me?"
Suddenly it was as if the entire world around him exploded into an array of crimson, the flaring light blinding him as he brought up his arms to shield himself.
"Chichiri, wake up!"
The covers were flung away as he sat up, his breath ragged in his throat, a thin sheen of sweat glistening on his skin. As the room came into focus, he saw Miaka, her eyes tinged with worry. Something had happened... something wasn't right. The light he'd seen reminded him of the one Heika had told him of when Miaka had returned to this world. But if she were here, then it couldn't have been. "Miaka, what's wrong?"
She looked as though she were going to break into tears right before him, and he had the growing feeling that the crimson glow he'd seen was more than just a coincidental dream. "It's Nuriko... he's gone!"
* * *
The bed was rumpled... actually, that was putting it mildly. There was a chance that Nuriko had been taken against his will, but Chichiri dismissed that thought almost immediately, despite the fact that some of the dressing table's contents were scattered on the ground. If anyone had tried forcing Nuriko out of this room, it would have woken everyone within voice range. He'd heard Nuriko's scream only once, and it had been enough to send his ears ringing. The monk crouched down next to the bed, running his hands over the silken sheets. There was energy here, and he would have been a fool not to recognize it. It was the power of Suzaku, and for whatever reason the Phoenix God had deemed necessary, he had taken Nuriko from them. But to where?
Chichiri sighed, bowing his head forward. The pale blue of his hair contrasted sharply with the deep burgundy of the bedsheets as his head rested against the side, his thoughts spinning. His one good eye focused on the floorboards as if he were picking out minute flaws. What was he going to tell the others? Miaka was already frantic, but he hadn't allowed her to come into the room while he looked around. They were going to have to find out sooner or later, but the timing on this was absolutely horrid.
The boat was being readied even now, the trip to Hokkan only a day or two away. They had to get the shinzaho of Genbu if they had any hope whatsoever in summoning Suzaku now. It was bad enough that Heika was being left behind, but now to lose Nuriko as well... would five of them be enough?
"We'll have to be," he said, more to himself than anyone. They had no choice. The shinzaho MUST be found before the Seiryuu seishi discovered their existance. The gods could only be summoned with the presence of all seven seishi, and the scroll of the Shi Jin Ten Chi Sho. The Seiryuu had lost one of their own number, and now the Suzaku had lost their scroll. The only option that remained open to them was retrieving the sacred relic of the summoning of Genbu. Chichiri could only hope that they weren't too late.
Pushing himself to stand, he brought his cloak about himself tightly and stepped out of the room. Miaka was on him in a flash, demanding to know what he'd found, if anything. "Come with me, Miaka-chan. This is something for the others to hear as well." She fell silent immediately, her hands worrying at the hem of her jacket as she fell into step beside him. They made their way to the Emperor's study where he and Chiriko were going over the travel plans to Hokkan. Their gazes lifted to meet the two as they entered, but without a word being spoken both the Emperor and the child prodigy knew that something was dreadfully wrong.
Before they could speak, the monk simply held up a hand, shaking his head softly. "We need to gather the others. Then I can explain." Miaka turned and ran down the walkway, knowing where Tamahome and Tasuki likely were. Chiriko only nodded once and walked in the opposite direction to find the healer, Mitsukake, and bring him to the study as well. Once they were alone, Hotohori arched a brow and stepped aorund the table towards Chichiri.
"This is serious, I gather." Hotohori's words were only met by a curt nod, and neither man spoke after that. The tension in the room only grew as Mitsukake arrived with Chiriko, and Miaka returned with Tamahome holding tightly to her. Tasuki's voice echoed down the walkway as he came into sight, stalking towards them.
"This had better be good." The bandit growled, looking for all the world as if he'd just stumbled out of bed... which he likely had. He stopped cold as Chichiri removed the mask which hid his face from view, revealing his worried expression. A soft gasp came from Chiriko, but the child almost immediately regained his composure. He'd never before seen the monk without the smiling visage he always presented to others. Nor had he seen the jagged scar which trailed its way across Chichiri's face, sealing the left eye forever. Whatever was about to be revealed, it was serious indeed.
"We may have to make the trip to Hokkan with only the five of us. I'm sure that I was not the only one to feel the surge of power within the palace this morning." A few soft nods from Chiriko and Tasuki let him know that he was correct in that assumption. "Suzaku has taken Nuriko from us. We--"
"WHAT??" Tasuki nearly jumped forward, eyes widened. "You mean he's..."
"Bu shi (1), Tasuki." Chichiri knew he had to stop the flame-haired bandit's rant before it even got started. "He's alive. But he's been taken from this place in a manner similar to which Miaka was brought here."
"Which means that he may be in my world?" Miaka spoke quietly, her eyes downcast as if she were in thought. "But why?"
"I can't say for certain, Miaka-chan." Chichiri whispered, turning his gaze to the others in turn. "But we can't delay the trip to Hokkan. If he hasn't returned by the time the boat is ready to set sail, we will have to go on without him."
* * *
Nuriko remained against the wall, only relaxing slightly as he spoke with the only one here who didn't speak in gibberish. His gaze kept moving between the three, memorizing what details he could as the dark-haired one... Wufei, he remembered... told him what they knew. This was all too strange, even for him. This place was NOT Konan, or any other place he'd ever been. It smelled different, the air itself was enough to send his already amplified senses reeling. Some of the conversation was lost as his head pounded, the migraine having no care whatsoever for the fact that it's bearer had just found himself wrenched away from all he knew. The other two, Duo and Quatre, were odd of themselves. Duo reminded him a lot of Miaka. Granted, he was a male version, and quite a bit more violent, but the personality was similar. Quatre was a gaijin, that much was plain just by looking at him. The blonde hair and blue eyes struck a chord in him, bringing back the memories of the Kutou shogun that Tamahome and Miaka had described. But this one couldn't be like that... something told Nuriko that he meant no harm and had only been just as surprised to see a stranger appear in his room.
From what he'd been able to pick out of Wufei's explanation, this could very well be the world that Miaka had come from. Then again, he was too disoriented to know for certain. Without warning, he felt his knees buckle beneath him and he sagged against the wall. In an instant, he felt arms wrapped around him, helping him to the bed to lie down. As the darkness curled around his vision, he saw those sea-ice eyes focusing on him in concern. "Xiexie..." He whispered, before falling into the blessed unconsciousness that took away the pain if only for a bit.
"What did..." Quatre raised a brow, looking to Wufei in confusion.
"He said 'thank you'." Wufei sighed, rubbing his hands over his eyes. "I'm going to go and get some rest. If I'm going to be his translator, then I'm going to need to be awake when he is."
"I'll keep an eye on him while he sleeps." The Arab pilot pulled the blankets up over Nuriko's sleeping form, then went to sit in a chair nearby, dimming the light until it was only a faint glow in the room. "When he wakes, I'll come and get you."
Wufei nodded, slipping from the room and disappearing down the hall. Duo had moved to the other side of the bed and was looking down at its occupant curiously.
"What is it, Duo?"
He shook his head slightly, not taking his eyes off the other. "I'm not sure. This is all just a little hard to believe. He really came out of a book?"
"It seems so." Quatre replied, casting his gaze to Nuriko as well. "This is all my fault... and now we have to figure out how to send him back."
----------------------------------------------
TBC
(1) Bu shi - 'no'.
A bit of explaining is in order here. The original Shi Jin Ten Chi Sho was written in Chinese. It was translated into Japanese, hence the book that Miaka and Yui were able to read. (At least that's the premise I'm going on. Miaka made mention that she didn't know Yui could read Chinese, but later on, Keisuke and Miaka were both able to read it, so I'm going on the assumption that they were reading the Japanese translation.) This lends to the idea that there are actally TWO copies of the book in the world. The original and the translation. I'm also going off an idea that was put forth in another fanfic by Lys ap Adin entitled 'Omake and Omae o Korosu'. (Located at Gundam Addiction archive) In this fic, it was suggested that there were actually three worlds: The book world, Miaka and Yui's world, and the much more violent world of the Gundam boys. Therefore... in this story the Gundam world is different from the world of the Mikos... and Quatre is muddling through reading the original Chinese version of the Shi Jin Ten Chi Sho.