@-;--- @-;--- @-;--- @-;--- @-;--- @-;--- @-;---
** SPOILERS FOR EP. 40 AND ON **
@-;--- @-;--- @-;--- @-;--- @-;--- @-;--- @-;---
The Calling
By Moonsong
tsukinouta@yahoo.com
Part 4: Crossing the Bridge
"You want me to cross THAT?"
Tamahome shook his head in disbelief. The bridge, if one could
call it that, was a narrow slab of wood, no more than three
inches in width, slung across a wide and very angry looking
river.
Lan crossed his arms in front of his chest and narrowed his
already cat-like eyes. "What's the matter? If you fall, you'll
only land in the water."
Tama looked at him in shock. "With Suzaku only knows how many
rocks and boulders! And how deep is the river anyway?"
"So don't fall."
"But that thing is barely wide enough for my feet!"
This teacher sighed. With a glare that could melt glass, he
strode purposefully to the bridge and crossed to the other side
without wavering. The wood shook a little but held.
Tamahome gasped.
"If that thing can hold me," Lan rumbled, "it most certainly can
support a little runt like you."
The barb had the desired effect and the little boy clenched his
fists determinedly. If his teacher could do it, then so could he.
He stared out at the narrow piece of wood again, trying not to
think of how, in a few moments, his life would depend on the
seemingly fragile sapling. Cautiously, he approached the slab and
gingerly set one foot on it. It shook a bit and Tama was hard-
pressed to follow that foot with another. He swallowed painfully
and levered his other foot onto the bridge.
"Come on! I don't have all day!"
Tamahome would have glared, had his eyes not been glued to
keeping his feet on the wood. As it was, he snarled and slid his
front foot forward, shuffling the other quickly behind it.
Another shuffle and he was off the bank, the water raging below
him. He scuttled forward another step.
"Is that the way you normally walk? If it is, it would take you
all day to get ten feet! Just keep your eyes forward and go!"
"Easy for you to say!" Tama shot back, finally fixing his teacher
with a glare all his own. Immediately, he lost his balance and
wobbled on the thin tree. "Eeeeeeek!" Tamahome dropped to his
knees, clutching the bark for a dear life. His eyes squeezed shut
and sweat poured down his face in fear.
Across the way, Lan was laughing. "Sweet Suzaku, you squeal like
a little girl!"
"It's not funny!" the boy whimpered, raising his face towards the
voice. His eyes remained shut and he willed himself to not give
in and bawl right then and there. He had never been more afraid
in his life.
"Come on you. Stop playing around and get over here."
The boy sighed in resignation. Slowly, one eye cracked open, then
the other and Tamahome pulled himself to his feet. Carefully
regaining his balance, he stood, keeping his arms to his sides
and trying not to look at the hungry current below.
"Tamahome!"
"What?" he called back, his eyes still glued to his feet.
"Look at me!"
"What?!"
"You heard me!"
Stifling another whimper, Tamahome raised his head slowly,
finally meeting his teacher's intense gaze.
"Now walk."
A whimper escaped. "I can't..."
"Yes, you can. Just put one foot in front of the other and go!"
Tamahome dropped his eyes to the wood and gingerly lifted a foot.
"Tamahome! Look at me!"
He put his foot back down shakily and flashed Lan an annoyed
glance. "I can't do it if I can't see where I'm putting my feet!"
Lan sighed with impatience. "If you aren't on my side of the
river by the time I count to ten, I'm going to walk right out of
here and not train you. A coward is not fit to be a seishi."
"I'm not a coward!"
"Prove it."
Biting his lip, Tamahome gingerly took one step forward.
"One..."
He took another.
"Two... come on, I'm not getting any younger here."
Taking a deep breath, Tamahome fixed Lan with a glare and took
two hurried steps forward.
"Three, four, five..."
"You're cheating!"
"Yes, I am. Now hurry up."
Frustrated, Tamahome clenched his fists and strode forward. About
three-fourths of the way, his foot slipped off and he plunged
down.
"Sensei!!" This was it. He was going to die. A roar filled his
ears and he screamed in denial. No! This couldn't be happening!
A strong hand clamped around his wrist and he felt himself being
pulled up. Once back on the narrow wood, he opened his eyes
wonderingly and stared at his savior.
"Sensei?"
"You didn't think I was going to let you fall now, did you?"
Tamahome shook his head dumbly, his body trembling with relief.
Lan laughed and cuffed him lightly. "Baka. Now that that's
settled, you want to walk the rest of the way so we can go on to
something else? You DO want to get trained before you're too old
to become a seishi, ne Obake-chan?"
The fire returned and Lan backed away towards the bank. "What did
you call me?" the boy yelled. His entire body sank into a defiant
stance and he righted himself on the narrow bridge.
"Obake-chan," Lan smirked, knowing full well what type of a
reaction his words were invoking. "Wanna do something about it?"
"Yes." Gritting his teeth, Tamahome fixed his stare at his
smirking sensei and strode purposefully to the other side of the
river. He never wavered and never looked down.
~ TBC ~
Author's Notes: The first lesson is over! What did you think? Can
you see this happening or am I totally off the mark? This
deranged mind is dying to know! tsukinouta@yahoo.com
Credits for this go to Felicia, aka Tomo no Miko, whose site I
used to get the info regarding Tokaki, such as his real name,
etc. *bows* Visit her site at:
http://www.sempai.org/~felicia/fushigi.html
More hugs to Quicksilver for the river idea and the suggestions.
Don't worry, I've got more river training planned. ^_~ Thanks for
the late night brainstorms imouto!
Disclaimer: All original materials belong to their respective
owners. Fushigi Yuugi belongs to Watase Yuu and a bunch of big
companies. No copyright infringement is intended. The story is
mine and I would appreciate an email asking me for permission
before posting it anywhere else.
Copyright © August 27, 2000 by Moonsong. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.midnightrevolution.org/moonsong/
** SPOILERS FOR EP. 40 AND ON **
@-;--- @-;--- @-;--- @-;--- @-;--- @-;--- @-;---
The Calling
By Moonsong
tsukinouta@yahoo.com
Part 4: Crossing the Bridge
"You want me to cross THAT?"
Tamahome shook his head in disbelief. The bridge, if one could
call it that, was a narrow slab of wood, no more than three
inches in width, slung across a wide and very angry looking
river.
Lan crossed his arms in front of his chest and narrowed his
already cat-like eyes. "What's the matter? If you fall, you'll
only land in the water."
Tama looked at him in shock. "With Suzaku only knows how many
rocks and boulders! And how deep is the river anyway?"
"So don't fall."
"But that thing is barely wide enough for my feet!"
This teacher sighed. With a glare that could melt glass, he
strode purposefully to the bridge and crossed to the other side
without wavering. The wood shook a little but held.
Tamahome gasped.
"If that thing can hold me," Lan rumbled, "it most certainly can
support a little runt like you."
The barb had the desired effect and the little boy clenched his
fists determinedly. If his teacher could do it, then so could he.
He stared out at the narrow piece of wood again, trying not to
think of how, in a few moments, his life would depend on the
seemingly fragile sapling. Cautiously, he approached the slab and
gingerly set one foot on it. It shook a bit and Tama was hard-
pressed to follow that foot with another. He swallowed painfully
and levered his other foot onto the bridge.
"Come on! I don't have all day!"
Tamahome would have glared, had his eyes not been glued to
keeping his feet on the wood. As it was, he snarled and slid his
front foot forward, shuffling the other quickly behind it.
Another shuffle and he was off the bank, the water raging below
him. He scuttled forward another step.
"Is that the way you normally walk? If it is, it would take you
all day to get ten feet! Just keep your eyes forward and go!"
"Easy for you to say!" Tama shot back, finally fixing his teacher
with a glare all his own. Immediately, he lost his balance and
wobbled on the thin tree. "Eeeeeeek!" Tamahome dropped to his
knees, clutching the bark for a dear life. His eyes squeezed shut
and sweat poured down his face in fear.
Across the way, Lan was laughing. "Sweet Suzaku, you squeal like
a little girl!"
"It's not funny!" the boy whimpered, raising his face towards the
voice. His eyes remained shut and he willed himself to not give
in and bawl right then and there. He had never been more afraid
in his life.
"Come on you. Stop playing around and get over here."
The boy sighed in resignation. Slowly, one eye cracked open, then
the other and Tamahome pulled himself to his feet. Carefully
regaining his balance, he stood, keeping his arms to his sides
and trying not to look at the hungry current below.
"Tamahome!"
"What?" he called back, his eyes still glued to his feet.
"Look at me!"
"What?!"
"You heard me!"
Stifling another whimper, Tamahome raised his head slowly,
finally meeting his teacher's intense gaze.
"Now walk."
A whimper escaped. "I can't..."
"Yes, you can. Just put one foot in front of the other and go!"
Tamahome dropped his eyes to the wood and gingerly lifted a foot.
"Tamahome! Look at me!"
He put his foot back down shakily and flashed Lan an annoyed
glance. "I can't do it if I can't see where I'm putting my feet!"
Lan sighed with impatience. "If you aren't on my side of the
river by the time I count to ten, I'm going to walk right out of
here and not train you. A coward is not fit to be a seishi."
"I'm not a coward!"
"Prove it."
Biting his lip, Tamahome gingerly took one step forward.
"One..."
He took another.
"Two... come on, I'm not getting any younger here."
Taking a deep breath, Tamahome fixed Lan with a glare and took
two hurried steps forward.
"Three, four, five..."
"You're cheating!"
"Yes, I am. Now hurry up."
Frustrated, Tamahome clenched his fists and strode forward. About
three-fourths of the way, his foot slipped off and he plunged
down.
"Sensei!!" This was it. He was going to die. A roar filled his
ears and he screamed in denial. No! This couldn't be happening!
A strong hand clamped around his wrist and he felt himself being
pulled up. Once back on the narrow wood, he opened his eyes
wonderingly and stared at his savior.
"Sensei?"
"You didn't think I was going to let you fall now, did you?"
Tamahome shook his head dumbly, his body trembling with relief.
Lan laughed and cuffed him lightly. "Baka. Now that that's
settled, you want to walk the rest of the way so we can go on to
something else? You DO want to get trained before you're too old
to become a seishi, ne Obake-chan?"
The fire returned and Lan backed away towards the bank. "What did
you call me?" the boy yelled. His entire body sank into a defiant
stance and he righted himself on the narrow bridge.
"Obake-chan," Lan smirked, knowing full well what type of a
reaction his words were invoking. "Wanna do something about it?"
"Yes." Gritting his teeth, Tamahome fixed his stare at his
smirking sensei and strode purposefully to the other side of the
river. He never wavered and never looked down.
~ TBC ~
Author's Notes: The first lesson is over! What did you think? Can
you see this happening or am I totally off the mark? This
deranged mind is dying to know! tsukinouta@yahoo.com
Credits for this go to Felicia, aka Tomo no Miko, whose site I
used to get the info regarding Tokaki, such as his real name,
etc. *bows* Visit her site at:
http://www.sempai.org/~felicia/fushigi.html
More hugs to Quicksilver for the river idea and the suggestions.
Don't worry, I've got more river training planned. ^_~ Thanks for
the late night brainstorms imouto!
Disclaimer: All original materials belong to their respective
owners. Fushigi Yuugi belongs to Watase Yuu and a bunch of big
companies. No copyright infringement is intended. The story is
mine and I would appreciate an email asking me for permission
before posting it anywhere else.
Copyright © August 27, 2000 by Moonsong. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.midnightrevolution.org/moonsong/