Chichiri sighed. He still had about twenty more papers to review and sign before the day began. Just then, he heard a knock on the door. "Yes? Who is it no da?" he asked rather impatiently. "It's Ren, sir. There's a young woman out here that would like to speak with you." The man said. "Alright, no da. Come right in" he said, and with a quick motion of his hand the door opened.
He saw Ren leave, and the girl, whose face was hidden by a tattered scarf, enter his office. Chichiri stood. " I presume you wish to become a priestess here no da?" he asked her. She nodded. "Yes sir." Chichiri motioned for her to sit, and she did so. He sat back down in his chair. "Do you know what that means no da?" he asked her quietly, "Our sect does not frown on the wedding of monks no da, but when a woman comes to the shrine, she is giving herself up to the gods. The remainder of her life is spent in worship" She nodded, her head still facing the floor.
"I assume you have thought this through no da?" She nodded again. Chichiri sighed. "Why is it that you come here no da? Something is troubling you. Tell me your name no da." She lifted the ragged piece of fabric off her head. Chichiri gasped. She...she looked like... NO! He shut the thought out of his mind. "I come here because I have nowhere to go in life. My family-they are all dead. They died in a car accident a few months ago. Sense then I've had strange dreams. My heart is stuck on something- yet I don't know what it is. I believe that worship is the only way to cure it." She said, her head still facing downward. "My name... is Kouran."
Chichiri gasped. "K-Kouran?" he asked. She looked up. For the very first time, her eyes met his. She looked confused. "You look so familiar..." she sighed, "like I've met you before..."
Tasuki sighed. "Damn it, Mitsukake! I'm never going to get a job!!" he said, looking the older seishi in the eye. Mitsukake looked up for a moment, but then continued to dress Tasuki's wounds. "Tasuki, maybe if you could stop getting into all of these bar fights then you would look decent for an interview." He said as he finished tying the last bandage.
Tasuki got up, thanked Mitsukake, and walked out of the ER. It was the second time in three days that he had been there. He walked out the front door and found his car in the parking lot. ((Tasuki: I get a CAR??? TNM: Yeah, I guess... but don't abuse the privilege or I'll call your miko! Tasuki: :: shudders:: FINE! ::evil grin:: Heehee)) He drove down the familiar road to his house (which was fairly small, mind you) and pulled into the driveway. After grabbing the newspaper, he walked into his kitchen and started to make some coffee, cause he decided it would be best not to drink too much sake today. He opened the paper to the classifieds, to look for any recent job openings. "Hmm, paper boy... No... babysitter... hell no...wait!" His eyes moved to the ad between the two he had just read. "BAR BOUNCER NEEDED: NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY" he read out loud. He set the newspaper down and walked to his room. He knew he had found the perfect job, and he wanted to get to the bar first thing in the morning to interview.
Chichiri blinked. She doesn't remember me... She doesn't know who I am, he thought. "Sir... are you alright?" she asked, leaning closer to him. He couldn't get a word out, it was too hard. He wanted to take her in his arms and tell her how much he regretted everything that had happened with her, Hikou, and himself. She was obviously a little frightened by this monk who just sat there staring at her, and waved her hand in front of his face. "Sir...sir... SIR!!!" she yelled. He snapped out of the trance and turned around in his chair. "Excuse me no da, give me one moment" he said, as he wiped his eyes.
In this world, he had been born blind in one eye. The doctors had never figured out what had caused it, but he knew what had happened after he started having the dreams. The other warriors had had them too; it was how they remembered the past. His dreams were violent and frightening- Kouran and Hikou, the flood, the cliff.... He shuddered and turned the chair back around.
"Please excuse me no da, ..." he said, shuffling a few papers on his desk, "I must be working to hard no da." She studied his face carefully, looking from his chin to his nose, his nose to his good eye, and his good eye to his bad eye. "Sir, you're blind in one eye, aren't you?" she asked. He replied softly, " Yes no da, I am. How... how did you know?" "I.. I'm not sure."
Tasuki was pacing around the small office. The manager had narrowed it down to him and another guy. Tasuki hadn't met the other candidate, so he wasn't sure about whom his competition was. The manager walked into the room, followed by a suspiciously familiar blue-haired figure. Tasuki fought back a gasp. It was Kouji.
The girl was as confused as Chichiri was. He knew she didn't recognize him, and thought it best to move on with his life. "I'm sorry, but I cannot allow you to become a priestess here no da." He said in a solemn voice. She gave him a confused look, then tears filled her eyes. "Alright. Thank you for your time sir." As she got up to go, Chichiri turned his chair around so she would not see him fighting back tears of his own.
Suddenly, he heard a crash. Turning back around, he saw Kouran in a heap on the floor. "Kouran! Kouran, are you all right no da?" he yelled, shaking her to see if she would wake up. He reached for his prayer beads, and murmured a spell. In an instant, they were both in Mitsukake's clinic. He slowly lowered her onto a hospital bed and ran out the door. "MITSUKAKE!!" he yelled, running as fast as he could. The older seshi came bolting out of his office. "Chichiri! I sensed your chi! Is everything all right? He asked in a worried tone.
Chichiri could hardly speak. "A young woman came to the monastery... she just collapsed and I couldn't wake her up!" He led Mitsukake down to the room. Mitsukake examined Kouran, checking her pulse and her temperature and all that good doctor stuff.... Anyways ((TNM sweatdrops, having consumed far too much coke)) there were small droplets of sweat appearing on Kouran's forehead. For a few weeks she had been tormented with dreams, but this one was the worst by far. Mitsukake sighed. " She passed out because of lack of sleep, and lack of nutrition. I see no reason she shouldn't wake up any time now, but if she doesn't then let me know Chichiri." He said as he left the room.
Chichiri sat down in a chair beside Kouran's bed. He was so confused. The woman looked, acted, and even sounded like his former fiancé, but was she really her reincarnation? She groaned. He could tell she was in great pain. She was having another dream, but this time it was the end...
Houjun pushed his friend closer and closer to the raging river behind them. "Houjun, stop!" Hikou cried, but it was no use. Suddenly, Hikou tripped, but before he could fall into the water, Houjun grabbed his arm. "Hikou!" he yelled, now sorry for how he had treated his friend. "Houjun, don't let go!" Hikou shouted...
Kouran tossed and turned in the small hospital bed. "No Houjun! Don't!" she shrieked. Chichiri gasped. Could she be plagued with dreams as I was when I first realized that I was the reincarnation of a Suzaku seshi? He asked himself. When he glanced back at her, he saw that tears were running down her pale face. "Don't let go.. don't drop him Houjun!" she whispered. Chichiri could hardly bear to listen. He knew the exact chain of events that were going through her head. In just a few more seconds... she would witness Hikou's death.
Houjun held on to Hikou, trying not to let him slip. He heard a cracking sound, then looked up. Without warning, the branch fell and completely destroyed his eye. He yelled out in pain, and then accidentally let his grip on his friends hand slip. With his good eye, he witnessed his best friends death.
Kouran cried out when she saw Hikou falling. "No... not Hikou!!." She then saw Houjun's face.-the blood, the pain, and the suffering. "Houjun... your eye... Houjun... my love." Chichiri was crying. He couldn't help it. He too had seen the vision over and over in his head. When he finally got a hold of himself, he realized that he was holding her hand. He touched her face, and wiped her eyes with the sleeve of his shirt. "You shouldn't have to go through this," he thought out loud.
Tasuki was inclined to run over and do the bandit dance with his friend, but thought it best to stay quiet. Kouji gave Tasuki a strange look, and then sat down in the chair next to him. The owner was a large man, not exactly intimidating, but big enough that nobody would mess with him. Tasuki pulled up his sleeve, revealing the large, straight line that was his birthmark. He knew it wasn't an ordinary birthmark... it was a scar from his former life...
The two young men sat quietly on the floor in their room. It was obvious they were in deep thought. The first man, with hair like fire, spoke to his friend. "It's going to be dangerous, but I'll go." His friend looked up. "No, you can't go Genrou. You'll get hurt. I'm older. I'll go." Genrou smirked. "I'm going Kouji." Kouji sighed, seeing that he couldn't dissuade his friend from going on the dangerous mission. He reached for his knife, and pulled it across his own arm, making a small, long cut. He handed the knife to his friend, who did the same. Their hands met, and their blood ran together. "If I die, you know you take over in my place," Genrou whispered. Kouji could barely get the words out. "No... don't even start Genrou. You're strong." Genrou said one more thing before he ran out the door. "Brothers... forever."
Authors note: Sorry this took so long! I've been so busy with exams and every thing that I just haven't had time to write... plus writers block really bites. Anyways, I'll try to get the next chapter up soon. Sorry for the abrupt ending!
-- Tamahome no miko
He saw Ren leave, and the girl, whose face was hidden by a tattered scarf, enter his office. Chichiri stood. " I presume you wish to become a priestess here no da?" he asked her. She nodded. "Yes sir." Chichiri motioned for her to sit, and she did so. He sat back down in his chair. "Do you know what that means no da?" he asked her quietly, "Our sect does not frown on the wedding of monks no da, but when a woman comes to the shrine, she is giving herself up to the gods. The remainder of her life is spent in worship" She nodded, her head still facing the floor.
"I assume you have thought this through no da?" She nodded again. Chichiri sighed. "Why is it that you come here no da? Something is troubling you. Tell me your name no da." She lifted the ragged piece of fabric off her head. Chichiri gasped. She...she looked like... NO! He shut the thought out of his mind. "I come here because I have nowhere to go in life. My family-they are all dead. They died in a car accident a few months ago. Sense then I've had strange dreams. My heart is stuck on something- yet I don't know what it is. I believe that worship is the only way to cure it." She said, her head still facing downward. "My name... is Kouran."
Chichiri gasped. "K-Kouran?" he asked. She looked up. For the very first time, her eyes met his. She looked confused. "You look so familiar..." she sighed, "like I've met you before..."
Tasuki sighed. "Damn it, Mitsukake! I'm never going to get a job!!" he said, looking the older seishi in the eye. Mitsukake looked up for a moment, but then continued to dress Tasuki's wounds. "Tasuki, maybe if you could stop getting into all of these bar fights then you would look decent for an interview." He said as he finished tying the last bandage.
Tasuki got up, thanked Mitsukake, and walked out of the ER. It was the second time in three days that he had been there. He walked out the front door and found his car in the parking lot. ((Tasuki: I get a CAR??? TNM: Yeah, I guess... but don't abuse the privilege or I'll call your miko! Tasuki: :: shudders:: FINE! ::evil grin:: Heehee)) He drove down the familiar road to his house (which was fairly small, mind you) and pulled into the driveway. After grabbing the newspaper, he walked into his kitchen and started to make some coffee, cause he decided it would be best not to drink too much sake today. He opened the paper to the classifieds, to look for any recent job openings. "Hmm, paper boy... No... babysitter... hell no...wait!" His eyes moved to the ad between the two he had just read. "BAR BOUNCER NEEDED: NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY" he read out loud. He set the newspaper down and walked to his room. He knew he had found the perfect job, and he wanted to get to the bar first thing in the morning to interview.
Chichiri blinked. She doesn't remember me... She doesn't know who I am, he thought. "Sir... are you alright?" she asked, leaning closer to him. He couldn't get a word out, it was too hard. He wanted to take her in his arms and tell her how much he regretted everything that had happened with her, Hikou, and himself. She was obviously a little frightened by this monk who just sat there staring at her, and waved her hand in front of his face. "Sir...sir... SIR!!!" she yelled. He snapped out of the trance and turned around in his chair. "Excuse me no da, give me one moment" he said, as he wiped his eyes.
In this world, he had been born blind in one eye. The doctors had never figured out what had caused it, but he knew what had happened after he started having the dreams. The other warriors had had them too; it was how they remembered the past. His dreams were violent and frightening- Kouran and Hikou, the flood, the cliff.... He shuddered and turned the chair back around.
"Please excuse me no da, ..." he said, shuffling a few papers on his desk, "I must be working to hard no da." She studied his face carefully, looking from his chin to his nose, his nose to his good eye, and his good eye to his bad eye. "Sir, you're blind in one eye, aren't you?" she asked. He replied softly, " Yes no da, I am. How... how did you know?" "I.. I'm not sure."
Tasuki was pacing around the small office. The manager had narrowed it down to him and another guy. Tasuki hadn't met the other candidate, so he wasn't sure about whom his competition was. The manager walked into the room, followed by a suspiciously familiar blue-haired figure. Tasuki fought back a gasp. It was Kouji.
The girl was as confused as Chichiri was. He knew she didn't recognize him, and thought it best to move on with his life. "I'm sorry, but I cannot allow you to become a priestess here no da." He said in a solemn voice. She gave him a confused look, then tears filled her eyes. "Alright. Thank you for your time sir." As she got up to go, Chichiri turned his chair around so she would not see him fighting back tears of his own.
Suddenly, he heard a crash. Turning back around, he saw Kouran in a heap on the floor. "Kouran! Kouran, are you all right no da?" he yelled, shaking her to see if she would wake up. He reached for his prayer beads, and murmured a spell. In an instant, they were both in Mitsukake's clinic. He slowly lowered her onto a hospital bed and ran out the door. "MITSUKAKE!!" he yelled, running as fast as he could. The older seshi came bolting out of his office. "Chichiri! I sensed your chi! Is everything all right? He asked in a worried tone.
Chichiri could hardly speak. "A young woman came to the monastery... she just collapsed and I couldn't wake her up!" He led Mitsukake down to the room. Mitsukake examined Kouran, checking her pulse and her temperature and all that good doctor stuff.... Anyways ((TNM sweatdrops, having consumed far too much coke)) there were small droplets of sweat appearing on Kouran's forehead. For a few weeks she had been tormented with dreams, but this one was the worst by far. Mitsukake sighed. " She passed out because of lack of sleep, and lack of nutrition. I see no reason she shouldn't wake up any time now, but if she doesn't then let me know Chichiri." He said as he left the room.
Chichiri sat down in a chair beside Kouran's bed. He was so confused. The woman looked, acted, and even sounded like his former fiancé, but was she really her reincarnation? She groaned. He could tell she was in great pain. She was having another dream, but this time it was the end...
Houjun pushed his friend closer and closer to the raging river behind them. "Houjun, stop!" Hikou cried, but it was no use. Suddenly, Hikou tripped, but before he could fall into the water, Houjun grabbed his arm. "Hikou!" he yelled, now sorry for how he had treated his friend. "Houjun, don't let go!" Hikou shouted...
Kouran tossed and turned in the small hospital bed. "No Houjun! Don't!" she shrieked. Chichiri gasped. Could she be plagued with dreams as I was when I first realized that I was the reincarnation of a Suzaku seshi? He asked himself. When he glanced back at her, he saw that tears were running down her pale face. "Don't let go.. don't drop him Houjun!" she whispered. Chichiri could hardly bear to listen. He knew the exact chain of events that were going through her head. In just a few more seconds... she would witness Hikou's death.
Houjun held on to Hikou, trying not to let him slip. He heard a cracking sound, then looked up. Without warning, the branch fell and completely destroyed his eye. He yelled out in pain, and then accidentally let his grip on his friends hand slip. With his good eye, he witnessed his best friends death.
Kouran cried out when she saw Hikou falling. "No... not Hikou!!." She then saw Houjun's face.-the blood, the pain, and the suffering. "Houjun... your eye... Houjun... my love." Chichiri was crying. He couldn't help it. He too had seen the vision over and over in his head. When he finally got a hold of himself, he realized that he was holding her hand. He touched her face, and wiped her eyes with the sleeve of his shirt. "You shouldn't have to go through this," he thought out loud.
Tasuki was inclined to run over and do the bandit dance with his friend, but thought it best to stay quiet. Kouji gave Tasuki a strange look, and then sat down in the chair next to him. The owner was a large man, not exactly intimidating, but big enough that nobody would mess with him. Tasuki pulled up his sleeve, revealing the large, straight line that was his birthmark. He knew it wasn't an ordinary birthmark... it was a scar from his former life...
The two young men sat quietly on the floor in their room. It was obvious they were in deep thought. The first man, with hair like fire, spoke to his friend. "It's going to be dangerous, but I'll go." His friend looked up. "No, you can't go Genrou. You'll get hurt. I'm older. I'll go." Genrou smirked. "I'm going Kouji." Kouji sighed, seeing that he couldn't dissuade his friend from going on the dangerous mission. He reached for his knife, and pulled it across his own arm, making a small, long cut. He handed the knife to his friend, who did the same. Their hands met, and their blood ran together. "If I die, you know you take over in my place," Genrou whispered. Kouji could barely get the words out. "No... don't even start Genrou. You're strong." Genrou said one more thing before he ran out the door. "Brothers... forever."
Authors note: Sorry this took so long! I've been so busy with exams and every thing that I just haven't had time to write... plus writers block really bites. Anyways, I'll try to get the next chapter up soon. Sorry for the abrupt ending!
-- Tamahome no miko