Disclaimers: I don't own Fushigi Yuugi or the characters. (I am now going to throw myself off a tall building...)
Author's Note: At the moment, I have no idea where this is going to go... but I'll do my best to keep it coherent. ::grin:: Review if you can.... Flames welcome cuz frankly, I don't like my writing too much, and if there was someone out there who could truthfully tell me how much it sucks.. I'd be happy! (yeah, I'm kidding.)
---------
As the sun rose in the country of Kutou, the heat did as well. It rose to a sweltering degree that even the slightest movement caused a person to sweat profusely.
Inside the palace of Kutou's inner city, where the only cool place was the dungeon, a different kind of heat was bearing down on the people.
Hongo Yui, the Priestess of Seiryuu, was in a foul mood.
"Suboshi! Get in here!"
An audible "Eep!" followed by a rustle of clothing and what sounded like a struggle ensued. Finally, Yui's door opened, and Suboshi cautiously make his way inside.
"Hai, Yui-sama?" he asked, his voice trembling from nervousness.
The Priestess lay reclined on a silk-covered lounger, two servants on either side fanning her with huge leaves. She gazed down at the younger shichiseishi in cold fury. "Go to the kitchen and fetch me a tall glass of ice water."
"Hai, Yui-sama," he said, bowing his head and backing out the door. Once outside, he sighed and wiped the sweat from his brow.
"She wants another glass of ice water."
Amiboshi groaned. "I oughta kill Nakago for making us do this."
"Yeah." Suboshi slid his back down the wall until he was sitting on the cool marble of the palace corridor. "It's your turn, aniki." He didn't look up, but knew his older brother was nodding. Then, retreating footsteps were heard, signaling to Suboshi that he was alone.
The younger of the twins allowed his eyes to slip closed. He knew that if Nakago caught him out here sitting he'd be in trouble. In this heat, however, the shogun was rarely seen before sunset.
A quiet chuckle escaped Suboshi's lips. He knew as well as everyone else that Nakago holed himself up in the dungeon all day, claiming to have prisoners to whip. The other shichiseishi had found out that he had set up a cot down there so Soi could raise his chi whenever he needed it.
*Poor baby,* he thought. *Can't handle the heat.*
A breathy cackle right next to his ear scared Suboshi out of his thoughts. He turned, frightened to look directly in a painted face framed by feathers and long, silvery hair.
"Aaah! Tomo, you scared the hell out of me!" he complained.
Tomo straightened, slipping easily into a dignified stance. He shrugged his shoulders at Suboshi's reaction, folded his arms lazily across his chest. "Suboshi," he began, sing-songy voice echoing in the large hall. "I thought I would warn you that Nakago-sama is on his way up here."
The sitting shichiseishi leapt to his feet. "Nani!?"
A small smile crept onto Tomo's face. "He has something he wants to speak to Yui-sama about."
At that time, Amiboshi returned, a glass of ice water balanced precariously on a tray. He handed it to his brother.
"Go for it," he urged.
Suboshi cast his older brother a glare, but took the tray and glass into Yui.
"Well it's about damned time," she scoffed.
"Gomen nasaii, Yui-sama," Suboshi apologized. "Ano..."
"Yes?" Her tone was both patronizing and cruel.
He looked down, hurt. "Nakago is on his way to see you."
When Yui didn't respond, Suboshi sneaked a look. She was starting down at him, the patronizing expression still remained on her face.
Feeling tears sting his eyes, Suboshi bowed once to her and all but ran out the door. Once outside, he didn't even look at his brother or Tomo as he ran off down the hall, past Nakago, and to his bedchambers.
Amiboshi had a feeling of dread hit him as Nakago approached. His eyes widened only slightly when he saw the shogun was without his armor. *Must be the heat,* he thought.
"Amiboshi." The deep, commanding baritone cut into his thoughts.
"H-hai?"
Nakago turned to look down the hall Suboshi had just run through. "Where is Suboshi going?"
The younger shichiseishi struggled for words. What was he going to tell him? *Better to just tell him the truth, baka, he knows when you lie.* The answer came as quickly as the question had.
He dropped his head, "He's upset that Yui-sama is being mean to him today."
The shogun nodded in mock understanding. He'd have to talk with Suboshi later. "Amiboshi, Tomo, you are excused for the evening."
The two bowed - Tomo much more deeply than Amiboshi - and walked off together down the hall.
Nakago turned back to Yui's door, clenched his jaw tightly. Not that anyone knew, but the shogun detested the sniveling little girl who was to be Seiryuu no Miko. He, himself, much rather preferred the girl who was Suzaku no Miko. Yui acted like an immature brat most of the time, while Suzaku no Miko took responsibility for who she was, even if she was clumsy. *Another reason to hate Tamahome,* he thought. The only reason he was manipulating Yui, in fact, was because girls from other worlds were hard to come by, and he couldn't be picky.
Steeling himself, he twisted the doorknob - he never knocked - and let himself into the room. There, lying on the lounger clad in her school uniform shirt and not much more, was the Seiryuu no Miko.
"Nakago, I'm hot," she whined.
He nodded, as he had been doing a lot lately. *Everyone's hot, you stupid girl.* But even as he thought it, he knew he could not say it to her. "Hai, Yui-sama, but I an unable to do anything about it."
She groaned, sounding more like a 5-year-old child than a 15-year-old high school student.
Nakago sighed inwardly. *Better get this over with.* "Yui-sama."
His tone of voice caught her attention as something that was almost urgent. Waving away the servants at her side, she sat up, swung her legs over the side of the lounger. "What is it, Nakago?"
The shogun lowered himself down beside her. "There may be something that can be done about the heat, I wasn't truthful before," he said, acting slightly ashamed. Sometimes, just sometimes, he amazed himself with his manipulation skills.
Just as he had expected, Yui's hand rested on his unarmored shoulder. "About what?"
"It seems some kind of evil being has invaded the whole land. It appears to be the cause of this terrible heat wave."
He almost couldn't have cared less about the evil, but that ancient woman, Taiitsukun, had voiced her concerns over it. It was enough to make him wary of the situation. Besides, he hated to sweat.
Nakago continued before Yui could say anything. "Seiryuu no Miko, it will destroy this world if it is not stopped."
Yui's eyes widened in terror, the reaction Nakago was aiming for. "What can we do, Nakago?"
"Set aside you differences with Suzaku no Miko, join her, and defeat it."
When he said this, she jumped up from the lounger, anger distorting her thing face. "Nani?"
He remained sitting, usual blank, passive expression adorning his handsome visage.
"After how many times you told me that she forgot about me and didn't care, you want me to join her??" she asked.
The shogun merely nodded, rose to his feet. He felt a trickle of sweat slide down the back of his neck. "I'll leave you to think about it."
Then, Yui was alone.
Author's Note: At the moment, I have no idea where this is going to go... but I'll do my best to keep it coherent. ::grin:: Review if you can.... Flames welcome cuz frankly, I don't like my writing too much, and if there was someone out there who could truthfully tell me how much it sucks.. I'd be happy! (yeah, I'm kidding.)
---------
As the sun rose in the country of Kutou, the heat did as well. It rose to a sweltering degree that even the slightest movement caused a person to sweat profusely.
Inside the palace of Kutou's inner city, where the only cool place was the dungeon, a different kind of heat was bearing down on the people.
Hongo Yui, the Priestess of Seiryuu, was in a foul mood.
"Suboshi! Get in here!"
An audible "Eep!" followed by a rustle of clothing and what sounded like a struggle ensued. Finally, Yui's door opened, and Suboshi cautiously make his way inside.
"Hai, Yui-sama?" he asked, his voice trembling from nervousness.
The Priestess lay reclined on a silk-covered lounger, two servants on either side fanning her with huge leaves. She gazed down at the younger shichiseishi in cold fury. "Go to the kitchen and fetch me a tall glass of ice water."
"Hai, Yui-sama," he said, bowing his head and backing out the door. Once outside, he sighed and wiped the sweat from his brow.
"She wants another glass of ice water."
Amiboshi groaned. "I oughta kill Nakago for making us do this."
"Yeah." Suboshi slid his back down the wall until he was sitting on the cool marble of the palace corridor. "It's your turn, aniki." He didn't look up, but knew his older brother was nodding. Then, retreating footsteps were heard, signaling to Suboshi that he was alone.
The younger of the twins allowed his eyes to slip closed. He knew that if Nakago caught him out here sitting he'd be in trouble. In this heat, however, the shogun was rarely seen before sunset.
A quiet chuckle escaped Suboshi's lips. He knew as well as everyone else that Nakago holed himself up in the dungeon all day, claiming to have prisoners to whip. The other shichiseishi had found out that he had set up a cot down there so Soi could raise his chi whenever he needed it.
*Poor baby,* he thought. *Can't handle the heat.*
A breathy cackle right next to his ear scared Suboshi out of his thoughts. He turned, frightened to look directly in a painted face framed by feathers and long, silvery hair.
"Aaah! Tomo, you scared the hell out of me!" he complained.
Tomo straightened, slipping easily into a dignified stance. He shrugged his shoulders at Suboshi's reaction, folded his arms lazily across his chest. "Suboshi," he began, sing-songy voice echoing in the large hall. "I thought I would warn you that Nakago-sama is on his way up here."
The sitting shichiseishi leapt to his feet. "Nani!?"
A small smile crept onto Tomo's face. "He has something he wants to speak to Yui-sama about."
At that time, Amiboshi returned, a glass of ice water balanced precariously on a tray. He handed it to his brother.
"Go for it," he urged.
Suboshi cast his older brother a glare, but took the tray and glass into Yui.
"Well it's about damned time," she scoffed.
"Gomen nasaii, Yui-sama," Suboshi apologized. "Ano..."
"Yes?" Her tone was both patronizing and cruel.
He looked down, hurt. "Nakago is on his way to see you."
When Yui didn't respond, Suboshi sneaked a look. She was starting down at him, the patronizing expression still remained on her face.
Feeling tears sting his eyes, Suboshi bowed once to her and all but ran out the door. Once outside, he didn't even look at his brother or Tomo as he ran off down the hall, past Nakago, and to his bedchambers.
Amiboshi had a feeling of dread hit him as Nakago approached. His eyes widened only slightly when he saw the shogun was without his armor. *Must be the heat,* he thought.
"Amiboshi." The deep, commanding baritone cut into his thoughts.
"H-hai?"
Nakago turned to look down the hall Suboshi had just run through. "Where is Suboshi going?"
The younger shichiseishi struggled for words. What was he going to tell him? *Better to just tell him the truth, baka, he knows when you lie.* The answer came as quickly as the question had.
He dropped his head, "He's upset that Yui-sama is being mean to him today."
The shogun nodded in mock understanding. He'd have to talk with Suboshi later. "Amiboshi, Tomo, you are excused for the evening."
The two bowed - Tomo much more deeply than Amiboshi - and walked off together down the hall.
Nakago turned back to Yui's door, clenched his jaw tightly. Not that anyone knew, but the shogun detested the sniveling little girl who was to be Seiryuu no Miko. He, himself, much rather preferred the girl who was Suzaku no Miko. Yui acted like an immature brat most of the time, while Suzaku no Miko took responsibility for who she was, even if she was clumsy. *Another reason to hate Tamahome,* he thought. The only reason he was manipulating Yui, in fact, was because girls from other worlds were hard to come by, and he couldn't be picky.
Steeling himself, he twisted the doorknob - he never knocked - and let himself into the room. There, lying on the lounger clad in her school uniform shirt and not much more, was the Seiryuu no Miko.
"Nakago, I'm hot," she whined.
He nodded, as he had been doing a lot lately. *Everyone's hot, you stupid girl.* But even as he thought it, he knew he could not say it to her. "Hai, Yui-sama, but I an unable to do anything about it."
She groaned, sounding more like a 5-year-old child than a 15-year-old high school student.
Nakago sighed inwardly. *Better get this over with.* "Yui-sama."
His tone of voice caught her attention as something that was almost urgent. Waving away the servants at her side, she sat up, swung her legs over the side of the lounger. "What is it, Nakago?"
The shogun lowered himself down beside her. "There may be something that can be done about the heat, I wasn't truthful before," he said, acting slightly ashamed. Sometimes, just sometimes, he amazed himself with his manipulation skills.
Just as he had expected, Yui's hand rested on his unarmored shoulder. "About what?"
"It seems some kind of evil being has invaded the whole land. It appears to be the cause of this terrible heat wave."
He almost couldn't have cared less about the evil, but that ancient woman, Taiitsukun, had voiced her concerns over it. It was enough to make him wary of the situation. Besides, he hated to sweat.
Nakago continued before Yui could say anything. "Seiryuu no Miko, it will destroy this world if it is not stopped."
Yui's eyes widened in terror, the reaction Nakago was aiming for. "What can we do, Nakago?"
"Set aside you differences with Suzaku no Miko, join her, and defeat it."
When he said this, she jumped up from the lounger, anger distorting her thing face. "Nani?"
He remained sitting, usual blank, passive expression adorning his handsome visage.
"After how many times you told me that she forgot about me and didn't care, you want me to join her??" she asked.
The shogun merely nodded, rose to his feet. He felt a trickle of sweat slide down the back of his neck. "I'll leave you to think about it."
Then, Yui was alone.