Shiro Den Gaiden One

by kiriel

The first gaiden for the series, Fushigi Yuugi: The Next Generation. As some of my readers requested. This is the 1st of four, and it's about the Suzaku group. A civil war is about to break out in Konan. Only one of the Suzaku seishi can stop it, but

13. Death in the Moonlight

Shiro Den – Gaiden One

Chapter Twelve: Death in the Moonlight

Disclaimer: I don't own Fushigi Yuugi. I own this story and all the original characters that I've made up. You know who they are.

Author's Note: I went to the convention in Long Beach and listened to the panel that Yuu Watase is on. Great news: the gaidens are going definitely going to be released in December. So, there's more Fushigi Yuugi on the way for fans everywhere. Yuu Watase was very friendly to her audience. It was a real treat to see her in person, but I didn't get an autograph or picture with her. However, I'm renewed to finish this story. I've got great ideas for the next gaiden that are spinning in my head. But for now, on with Shiro Den.

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Shiro came back to Wang's house away from the pouring rain outside. He was soaking wet, cold, and his clothes clung to his body. He had done so much work in the evening, and his body was short of giving out. He staggered to his room without waking Renbiao. Finally, he collapse on his bed, his chest was heaving from exhaustion, and his sword was in the bed with him.

'This is far from over…' he thought as he finally caught his breath.

* * *

"Can't we just all assemble together without any problem?!" cried Sei suddenly at the table.

"What do you mean?" asked Odayaka.

"I mean…all the other seishi in the world can gather together without any problems. We're always one short, and it's Shiro's fault!" declared Sei as he threw his arms wildly into the air almost hitting Taki.

"Hey! Watch it!" shouted Taki catching Sei's arm.

"Sorry…but I'm right you know," said Sei with a frown.

Hono'o sat there in silence as she looked at Shitsu who looked back at her. They were the only two there who knew about Shiro's reason for not being in Konan, but they kept it a secret. Shitsu told Hono'o not to say anything about Shiro's whereabouts because it wouldn't do them any good. Shitsu knew the power of the chi very well after all, she was the Chichiri's counterpart.

"I think Shiro will show up eventually, when the time is right," said Odayaka. The seventh Suzaku seishi always had a way of showing himself when he was needed the most, and Odayaka had faith in Shiro.

"I hope so," said Mariko as she stood up and left the room without another word. The seishi looked at her as she exited the room. Odayaka decided to follow her because he needed to tell her something that he had been thinking about ever since she had arrived in Konan. The seishi looked after Odayaka left.

"They're probably going to talk about something important other than Shiro," said Sei quietly.

Hono'o looked at Shitsu again, and then back at everyone else. They both held their tongues.

Odayaka followed Mariko until she stopped in the garden. She looked at him and at the sky above their head. Everything was so peaceful and perfect, but Mariko could see it all crumbling around her. She could see the palace in a ruins around her. The power of Suzaku still flowed within her because even after she married Odayaka she would still have the power of the miko.

"Shiro's lost somewhere out there," said Mariko as she looked beyond the wall.

"Mariko…I know that you're worried about him. He's your seishi, but Suzaku give his seishi the freedom of will. There's nothing we can do to stop him. However…I question whether or not he can fight is destiny," said Odayaka.

"Boushin…I can see the land being destroyed all around us. When the time comes, everything must be purified, and I'll have to do it," said Mariko.

"Mariko, there's something else I have to tell you," said Odayaka. He knew that Mariko called him Boushin when she was especially in need of him. He preferred to be called by his seishi name because he was prouder of his destiny as a Suzaku seishi than as the Emperor of Konan. It was something he felt he had earned.

"What is it, Boushin, my love?" asked Mariko with her imploring green eyes as she stroked his cheek lovingly with her small hands. He took her hand in to his, and he led her to sit on the green grass next to him.

"I know that they are coming here…that's the only reason why that army was here. The seishi are prepared to guard the people here and you. That is our duty and destiny. If you see the palace in ruins, but no one is there, then it is nothing. This is only stone and wood which can be rebuilt when this is over. It's the lives that are going to be hard to rebuilt. You know what it's like to be a survivor, my love. But, there is one thing that I can do…I can ask you to leave Konan and go back to your world. You would be safer there. You would be with your brother and uncle," said Odayaka quietly bracing himself for her reaction.

"What?! You're joking right. I'm not leaving Konan and go back to Tokyo like a coward! You maybe the seishi, but I hold more power than all of you put together. I have the power to summon Suzaku. I'm the only one who can do it. As the his miko, I also serve the people," said Mariko in a firm voice.

"Mariko, please I don't want anything to happen to you," pleaded Odayaka softly.

"I know that you don't, my love, but I can't go home. Not until I know that everything is alright," said Mariko as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders to reassure him.

"You mean until we find Shiro. Until everything is complete," said Odayaka.

"No…I can't find Shiro. Only he can find himself," said Mariko as she leaned her head against Odayaka's shoulder. He kissed her on the forehead, but didn't ask what she meant by that.

* * *

The temple was near the marketplace that was very busy. Most people didn't come to the temple in the middle of the day, and the priests and priestesses weren't in the temple when they were doing their mediations. Shiro took this chance to come to the temple on his own because he had never been to the temple of Eiyou before. He always took comfort in the holy places. There was a great statue of Suzaku like the one in the open field that he sat on when the men came to attack him.

"What is it you want from me?" asked Shiro as he prayed for an answer from the God of the South. He was in such deep prayer that he didn't pay attention to the footsteps that approached him despite his power, or perhaps, Suzaku didn't want him to.

"He wants you to save the people because you're the only one who can do it," answered a familiar voice from behind him.

"Shitsu?" whispered Shiro softly when he turned around to find the fourth Suzaku seishi standing in his midst.

"Greetings, Shiro. Welcome back to Eiyou and the temple of Suzaku," greeted Shitsu with a warm smile.

"Did she tell you I was here? How did she find out?" he asked in a whisper.

"She doesn't know that you're here. None of them do, save me. I thought I felt a surge of power run through the earth last night," said Shitsu. She was an earth and metal witch from the middle of the country. Her mother was an earth witch and a priestess in the craft of earth magic, while her father was a blacksmith who taught Shitsu the art of weapons making. Her powers were very strong, just as strong as Chichiri's.

"Why are you here?" asked Shiro patiently as he turned his attention to the statue.

"To talk to you. I'm not telling you to join us. It would be foolish of me to do so because you are no longer worthy to be a seishi. You've lost yourself, and until you find out who you are…you can't serve our god and Mariko-sama properly," said Shitsu.

"I know that. And that's why I've been hiding myself away from everyone. I don't know who I am anymore, Shitsu. I never thought I was worthy to be a seishi in the first place," said Shiro.

"What happened to you, Shiro? You used to have a warrior spirit and confidence in yourself and your abilities," said Shitsu. Her questioning wasn't like Kanghui's or Lei's because Shiro could tell that Shitsu didn't have their blind naiveté.

"Have you ever had a dream, Shitsu?" asked Shiro after a long silence and with deep breath.

"What kind of dream is that, Shiro? I've had lots of dreams. I dreamt of having a family like my parents…but I know family is a relative term. My family is Mariko and all the other seishi. Including you," said Shitsu.

"You lost your family didn't you, Shitsu?" asked Shiro gently.

"Yes, a long time ago. My father died of a disease when I was only ten years old, and my mother followed shortly after that. The priestesses of the temple offered to take me in and train me in the ways of earth magic. They were the ones who found out that I was a seishi. They trained me until I was sixteen then I decided to venture into the world on my own," said Shitsu without any emotion.

"I had a dream once. It started a long time ago. Have you ever worked so hard that you lose sight of your goal? I did. Not only did I lose myself, but I also lost my dream. Everything I had done was wasted. I'm not even sure I can live with myself, but I can't die yet. Not until I've atoned for all that I have done," said Shiro.

"How are you going to do that?" asked Shitsu with concern.

"Anyway I can," answered Shiro.

"I understand," agreed Shitsu. They remained quiet in the temple and separated after.

* * *

"Hmm…it seems that the new lord, of a valley near here, doesn't want to meet with me," said Odayaka when he read the message that Renbiao had delivered while Shiro and Shitsu were at the temple together.

"Why are you worried about that? We've got bigger problems," said Tasuki.

"A valley, no da? Which one, no da?" asked Chichiri.

"A valley that is hidden in a thick forest between here and Mt. Leikaku," answered Odayaka.

"What's so important that you want to meet with this lord, your Highnes?" asked Kouji.

"I just wanted to meet him. Most of the lords are old men, and it's rare when someone so young inherits. Actually, according to my sources, the new lord of that valley was selected by Lord Su. Lord Su was a healer and a land owner who only had a daughter, so he had to hand pick an heir to his place. This young man must be something if he was selected by Lord Su," said Odayaka. He had meet Lord Su only once, but he recalled that he was a very compassionate and regal man. Odayaka had offered him a place in his council, but Lord Su had declined saying that his people needed him in the valley. Odayaka admired the man's nobility and respect for the people.

"A valley hidden in a thick forest. I wonder if they have anyone raiding them for goods," joked Kouji.

"How can you think about something like that at a time like this?" asked Tasuki with a sigh.

"He's joking, no da," said Chichiri.

"Oh…I knew that," said Tasuki. Everyone else sweatdropped.

* * *

Hakurou spent his day looking at maps of the capital city, and eventually, he came up with what the plan of attack was for the warlord. He knew that Odayaka would be suspicious of him because he refused to meet with him, so he decided to write out what he had found. He called in Renbiao to deliver the scroll to the palace guards who would deliver it to the Emperor. Hakurou had planned out everything. The first thing he had to do was find the warlord and take him out. 'I've got to stop him. There's no way around it. He's going to destroy everything,' thought Hakurou. He had no idea that his parents were even in Eiyou because Shitsu decided not to tell him. She knew that he needed to focus, and it was already difficult with the knowledge of Hono'o's nearby presence.

Hakurou did something he hadn't done in almost a year. He took out his sword which was still in it's sheath. The sheath was not as dusty as it was in the Su Estate because the sword had been moved around, so the dust shook off. Renbiao came back from the palace to find him looking at the sword which was still in it's sheath.

"Do you wish for me to sharpen it, Milord?" asked Renbiao.

"No. I'd rather do it myself. Please get me a stone for sharpening it. Go to the temple and ask for someone named Bi Anlan. Tell her that Hakurou needs a sharpening stone for his sword, and she'll give it to you. Make sure that no one sees you," ordered Hakurou. Renbiao bowed and left to follow his orders; he came back within ten minutes with the stone. Renbiao made his exit, but he wished he could watch Hakurou sharpen his sword. Sighing, Hakurou picked up the sheath and pulled it off to reveal a very dull blade.

'I suppose I should have done a better job keeping this sharp,' he thought as he began to sharpen his sword, returning it to its original luster. After sharpening his sword, he felt like he had renewed his spirit, and he couldn't help but smile.

* * *

Hono'o looked at the sallow porcelain bowl that she had placed the flower in. It was fading and would be gone soon. The scent lasted the entire time, and the smell of it made her smile. This was the first time any man was brave enough to give her this sort of attention. Who would do such a thing? Perhaps, a stranger, or someone who didn't know she was a seishi. Growing up with so many men made Hono'o well aware of what men thought and how they behaved. She thought it was very strange that someone would just give her a flower without giving it to her himself. She wanted to know who it was, so that she could just thank him.

Hono'o bit her bottom lip because she had a thought about where Shiro was. Mariko had hopes that he would show up, so did everyone else. Shitsu knew better, but she said nothing more about him not coming. Hono'o knew that Shiro would show up. 'If he hasn't already,' she thought.

* * *

Jilun had to think about what Shiro had meant by Mengxin meeting a Suzaku seishi before. She didn't really trust Mengxin, but she was still loyal in following orders In fact, Jilun was scared to death of him, but she was careful not to display it. Shiro was a very intelligent and well-educated seishi. The only one whose education could rival his was Odayaka. Jilun was very bitter about the things he had said in regards to Hono'o. She now knew that her rival was a Sazaku seishi, and she was a lot more powerful than she thought.

"Jilun, have you talked to the Suzaku seishi known as Shiro?" asked Mengxin breaking into her thoughts.

"Yes, but he hasn't revealed himself to the others," answered Jilun promptly.

"I didn't think he would. He's a stubborn one," said Mengxin thoughtfully.

"Yes, he holds fast to all his beliefs," agreed Jilun.

"A stubborn one. But, I doubt he's as stubborn as he was before Kutou. I doubt that he's strong enough," said Mengxin.

"What about Kutou?" asked Jilun with a raised eyebrow.

"I met Shiro before in Kutou. He was formidable opponent. However, his judgment was clouded," said Mengxin.

"What did you do to him?" asked Jilun as she successfully hid her suspicion.

"I fought with him. I should have killed him right way. Dammit. I should have killed him right way instead of leaving the vultures to do the work for me, but I thought it would be more interesting. And tortuous," said Mengxin as he looked to the cabinet that held his iron claw. Jilun tried to hide her shock at the secret she just found out. 'Shiro was right. He was right about him. He's going to kill Shiro,' thought Jilun, resisting the urge to strike him for even thinking of harming Shiro again. "Either way…he poses the bigger threat than any of the Suzaku seishi. None of the others will be any trouble," said Mengxin as he looked straight into Jilun's eyes.

She stepped back away from Mengxin and bowed to him. "I will make sure that we won't fail," she said and promptly left his tent. 'I'll make sure that Shiro and I won't fail,' she thought in her mind.

* * *

"There was a large discharge of chi last night," said Odayaka quietly at the table.

"You mean that bright light that was almost outside the city?" asked Sei.

"Yes, and when the guards arrived they found a group of two dozen men all of them were passed out. Some of them woke up and complained about being in pain," said Odayaka.

"Did you heal them?" asked Hono'o quietly.

"No…because there were no injuries that I could see in their bodies," answered Odayaka as he shook his head.

Shitsu remained quiet, then again she really wasn't a talker. She was taught by her mother that there were times to be quiet and times to speak. This wasn't one of them. She knew that the discharge of chi had to have been Shiro. She wasn't sure what it meant exactly. Shiro was back and planning something. A guard showed up at the doorway. Odayaka looked up, and the guard came forward and kneeled before him.

"Rise and report," ordered Odayaka.

"This came for you, Milord. It was delivered a short moment ago by a messenger, but he left before I could get his name," said the guard apologetically.

"Thank you," said Odayaka as he took a scroll from the guards hands. The guard bowed lowly for Mariko and the others and left. Odayaka opened the scroll and read it. His eyes read the scroll quickly as he moved the scroll down. Mariko and the others were watching him.

"What is it, Odayaka?" asked Mariko with a worried look on her face.

"The army has arrived here, and we've been surrounded," said Odayaka as he placed the scroll on the table so that everyone could read it. Mariko read the scroll as quickly as Odayaka did and leaned back in her chair with her eyes closed.

"Who sent this? Can we guarantee the accuracy of this person's claims?" exclaimed Taki.

"Yes," said Mariko quietly when she opened her eyes. She waved her hand over the scroll as the priestess of Suzaku she still had power left because she hadn't used her three wishes. Using the wishes was what dispelled the powers of the miko. The scroll began to heat up, and a red glow emitted from the scroll. She closed her eyes. A mark came on the paper.

Shiro. The castle kanji was on the paper in a bright red glow. A collective gasp came from the group even from Hono'o and Shitsu. Hono'o because she had no idea like everyone else that Shiro was there. Shitsu because she was impressed at Mariko's abilities, and the added fact that Shiro was just caught.

"Shiro," read Kawa out loud.

"He's here!" exclaimed Sei happily.

"I knew that he'd show up eventually before or after the attack," said Odayaka with a satisfied smile.

"He's somewhere in the capital city…all we have to do is find him," said Sei with some renewed excitement.

Hono'o kept quiet and her breathing was hard and quick. She wanted to get out of the room. The euphoria of the moment was disrupted by the Tasuki, Chichiri, and Kouji's arrival.

"What's goin' on? What are you guys so happy about?" asked Tasuki.

"All seven of us are in Eiyou, Lord Tasuki," answered Odayaka with a smile on his face.

"Wait, no da…all seven of you, no da?" questioned Chichiri.

"You mean that my son is here," said Kouji quietly.

"He sent this scroll to us, and he's figured out how the army is going to attack. It's a complete battle plan," said Sei happily as he presented the scroll to the three. The three of them read the plan. The attack was suppose to surround the palace. No one seemed to noticed the stricken look that Hono'o gave to Shitsu. She gently rubbed her shoulder to get her to calm down. Her father and Kouji were talking about Shiro. The scroll was wonderfully detailed, and Kouji was saying that he could recognize the Shiro's handwriting, even after all the time had passed. Everyone discussed a plan of counterattack based on Shiro's scroll. Hono'o and Shitsu slipped out of the room, but Kawa noticed and followed.

"What's wrong, Hono'o?" asked Kawa.

"I don't feel well…in fact I feel sick to my stomach," stammered Hono'o.

"It's about Shiro being here," said Shitsu.

"Oh," said Kawa. The three female Suzaku seishi stayed together and talked for a while. Hono'o felt comforted and sheltered by Kawa and Shitsu.

* * *

Jilun had to warn Shiro about what Mengxin was doing. It didn't matter that he loved someone else because she still loved him and refused to let anything happen to him, if she could control it. Would he believe her? Jilun now understood what Shiro had said about asking Mengxin about the seishi he had met during his attacks in Kutou. How could Jilun been so stupid as to trust Mengxin? She was close to tears at the thought of something happening to the only person she had ever loved. Where in heaven's name was he?

Shiro was at the temple again because he found it to be a very relaxing place. He was able to come up with a plan of attack against the warlord after visiting temple. He thought for some strange reason that Suzaku was watching over him especially. He was looking at the statue. The God of Fire and Love was a truly powerful beast who cared about his seishi and miko. Shiro was now rediscovering who he was, and he was happy that his memories weren't stripped from him. The nightmares came during the evening still, but they weren't as intense as they were before. In fact, they had been lowering in intensity ever since his encounter with Suzaku. Shiro didn't carry his sword with him just yet. He wanted to wait. He could hear the sounds of running footsteps that were headed for the temple and thought that perhaps Shitsu came to talk to him again. The doors opened to reveal Jilun as the person who was running.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded in a harsh whisper.

"Please you must listen to me, Shiro," she pleaded. There was a sincerity in her eyes.

"What about?" he asked more calmly.

"The man who attacked in Kutou. He's here, and he's planning to kill you. All of you," gasped Jilun as she shook her head furiously. Shiro's eyes widened. He knew that it was the plan that the warlord had all along, but he didn't want his fellow seishi to get hurt, especially Hono'o. He grabbed on to Shitsu's shoulders gently.

"What's his name?" asked Shiro.

"I-it's—" stammered Jilun in a whisper, but she interrupted by the sound of the pursuing footsteps. There were people coming after them, and Shiro realized that Jilun had put her life on the line to come right away and warn him. His face grew stern as he looked around for a possibility of escape.

"We have to get out of here," said Shiro taking Jilun's hand as he found a way out through the back of the temple. They took off running into the night. Shiro had to take Jilun some place safe. They went towards Wang's house, but were intercepted by a man on a horse; it was the second in command of the army.

"Stop!" he ordered them. He stopped his horse as he glared at Jilun. Shiro noticed and pulled her behind him. "Suzaku seishi, I will kill you now," he said as he dismount and took out his sword. Shiro didn't have any weapons on him, but he was still a dangerous person. He was prepared to press any pressure points as he gauged his opponent. Jilun was no longer behind.

"Let me handle this, Shiro," said Jilun as she drew her sword.

"You dared to defy our leader. You will die, TRAITOR!" shouted the second in command as his sword came to Jilun, which she was able to block. Shiro moved aside, and he spotted some men coming towards them with their weapons drawn. He jumped to the trees that were above theirs. "WHERE THE HELL DID HE GO?!" shouted one of the men. One of the men gagged, and the rest of them whirled only to see him fall on the ground. Shiro was no where to be seen, or so they thought. Another man fell to the ground passed out like the first man. The men were afraid now because it was dark, and they had no idea where Shiro was.

Meanwhile, Jilun fought against the second in command who was more skilled than she had ever imagined. Unlike, Shiro, Jilun only knew one kind of fighting style from the temple that she and Shiro trained at together. Jilun tried her best, but the second in command knew her fighting technique as well as she did. Every blow she threw at him, he was able to block. He would strike, and she would barely stop him. The sparks were flying off their blades. Jilun loss her footing, and that was when the second in command's blade came down to her, slashing her torso. From behind the second in command was hit by some fingers on a pressure point on his spine.

"You will never walk again," rasped Shiro in a harsh voice from behind the second in command as he fell to the ground. Shiro came to Jilun, but the cut was too deep, and there was blood everywhere. Jilun was on the ground bleeding to death; she was cut by the blade from her right, lower rib cage to her left hip bone in a perfect diagonal line. Her hand reached out for Shiro with her eyes opened wide in pain. Shiro took her hand into his, and despite the pain he could feel from her, he pulled her into his arms. He rocked her back and forth because there was no way he could treat her injuries.

"I know now what you meant…what you've been saying all this time," she gasped.

"There's nothing I can do for you," he said softly, "I'm so sorry, Jilun."

"It's alright. I know that I love you. I finally understand what it means to love someone. You love them no matter what…you believe in them no matter what. I know what you mean when you say it's worth loving her, even if she'll never feel the same about you. For all the things that I have done…the only good thing I ever did was loving you. I came to you tonight knowing that I was going to betray Shi Mengxin, and that I would have to pay this price. I couldn't let anything happen to you. I had to protect you, the same way you protect her, by not being with her. Please forgive me…," begged Jilun in a whisper.

"I forgive you," Shiro whispered. Her blood was coating his shirt and his lap. She coughed up blood as a single tear cascaded down her cheek.

"I'm not afraid of dying. As long as I have you with me, Shiro. I'll be fine…as long as you hold me. I feel happy," she gasped as she finally died in his arms. Shiro sat there looking at the unconscious men around him. The second in command was dead, but his limbs no longer function. A long time ago, he had injured a man so badly that he lost the ability to use his limbs. It was divine justice at work. Jilun was now dead in Shiro's arms, but he could just leave her body to be found. He picked her up, so he left to go and bury her. He found the empty field that was near Miss Zhang's house, and he buried her.

Shiro placed a flower on the grave, returned to Wang's house to change his clothes, and prepare for the final battle.

~*~ClareBear's Omake~*~

Miaka (all teary eyed): Oh that was so sad!

Tamahome: Yes…it's so sad.

Nuriko: I guess she wasn't as bad as she seemed.

Chiriko: I think Shiro is pissed off.

Mitsukake: That's probably a correct assumption.

Hotohori: The other seishi know that he's there in Eiyou now. Do you think he'll join them later?

Tamahome: What do you think, Chiriko? He's your counterpart.

Chiriko: It's hard to say. I can't predict this. I do know that he has a lot of intelligence if he was able to figure out the plan of attack. Chances are he wants to face off with Shi Mengxin on his own.

Nuriko: This is it…it's do or die.