Fushigi Yuugi: Everlasting Story

Disclaimer: The characters of Fushigi Yuugi belong to Yuu Watase. But any new characters belong to me. ^_^

Chapter 3: Where Stars Gather…

"Where are we, why are we here, and what the hell just happened?!" Youjin shouted. He was become a bit irritated about being left in the dark. "You two have left Nisou and me completely out of this, and I, for one, want to know exactly what's going on!! To start with, who are you?"

"Sorry to keep secrets for so long, no da! My name is Chichiri, and this is Tasuki, no da."

"Okay, it's a start…and why do you say no da after everything?"

"I dunno, no da, I just do."

"…Right. Now, where are we? This doesn't look anything like Tokyo…"

"This is the Konan Empire, no da," Chichiri told him.

"Good, we're getting somewhere. So, what's all this 'Suzaku' stuff about?"

"Oh boy, this should take a while…" Tasuki muttered. Chichiri gave Youjin and Nisou a quick overview of the legend of the four gods. Nisou stood up and stomped her foot.

"This…this is insane! I can't believe this is happening! I can't believe I'm not dreaming!" She started pacing.

"Nisou, calm down," Youjin said quietly.

"Calm down? Youjin, aren't you the least bit aggravated about any of this?!"

"I am, I guess," he admitted. "But…well, I was looking for a way not to go home, and I guess I got what I wanted."

"Why…why would you want to leave home?" Nisou sat down beside Youjin and looked at him.

"My mom," he whispered. "She always looks so sad. She thinks about my dad all the time. I can't stand seeing her look so sad…"

"Chichiri, Tasuki!" Both of the celestial warriors' heads snapped up at the sound of Taiitsukun's voice.

"Will they be here soon?" Chichiri asked.

"Yes."

And suddenly, four small children appeared before them.

"Don't tell me that these are the four warriors you fought with," Youjin groaned.

"Well, not exactly," one of them said, in perfect, straight dialogue.

"Jeez! You guys must be, what, two years old? Three?! You're too young to be fighting!" Nisou shouted. "You're just kids!"

"We weren't kids before," the same child explained.

"I see you already remember your former life…at least Taiitsukun spared us that, no da," Chichiri muttered.

"Now, the problem…how do we get our powers back?" said another one of the children, one who looked like he didn't say much.

"That won't be a problem…" Taiitsukun again appeared. "Sorry I'm late, I had another matter to deal with…"

"You were saying?" one of the children asked, blinking violet eyes.

"If you'll all just close your eyes…yes, all of you. Now, let's see…how did that spell go again?"

~*~

Knock…knock…

The door swung open.

"Hi! Mom, Miaka-san is here!" Suboshi shouted. Yui came to the door moments later and watched Suboshi run off with a smile.

"I swear, that boy gets more energetic every day…" she muttered. "Come on in, the book's over here…"

Miaka walked inside and followed Yui to her bedroom. There was a locked cabinet on the far wall, by a window. Yui took a key out of her pocket and fitted it in the lock, then turned it and opened the cabinet door. Inside lay a dirty, shabby red book with writing on the cover.

"Let's take it into the study," Yui suggested, and they did so.

"Maybe…if they're in the story, then we'll know if we read it!" Miaka cried. They opened the book and Miaka looked at it oddly. "It's…in Chinese, I forgot…"

You grinned and began reading.

"Herein contains the tale of a young lady and her quest to gather the seven constellations of Suzaku together… Miaka, it's the same as when we read it."

"Keep going!"

"And took the place of the former Miko to vanquish the evil left behind…"

Both of them together shouted, "Left behind?!"

"What could possibly be left there?!" Miaka demanded. "We destroyed Nakago…and Tenku…and everyone else that came against us! What else is there?"

"Could it be Genbu or Byakko?" Yui wondered.

"I-I don't know what it is, but I want my son back!"

~*~

Taiitsukun bent her head and started speaking lowly, in some strange language. The four children felt something strange to through them…like something was waking up…

When they opened their eyes, they were no longer children.

"It is done," Taiitsukun said. "I have awakened the warrior spirits from your former lives…and restored you to those states."

"This is weird," said one of them, with violet hair and eyes. "So we're the same age as when we…"

"That's right," Taiitsukun said. "But in the form you desired when you were reborn."

"So…I get to stay as a woman?" the violet-haired maiden asked.

"Yes."

"I…I'm still a kid," one of them muttered, frowning.

"Yes, Chiriko. You may be wise, but you don't yet have the knowledge of adolescence…and that knowledge will someday be vital to your existence," Taiitsukun explained. Chiriko frowned.

"I understand," he said solemnly. The tallest warrior there, Mitsukake, was silent.

"Nuriko…w-why are you looking at me like that…?" said the fourth other warrior, Hotohori. He seemed nervous, understandably, because Nuriko was eyeing him with a ferocious glint in her eyes. (A/N: Gonna be hard writing about Nuriko as a girl… O.o)

"Hotohori, I'm resisting the urge to jump all over you with kisses right now…don't ask me silly questions," she said. Hotohori nervously backed away from the young woman.

Meanwhile, Youjin and Nisou had no clue of what was going on. Youjin cleared his throat loudly, a gesture to draw attention, and the others turned towards them.

"Who are you?" he asked the four new warriors.

"We are the other four of the Suzaku Shichiseishi," Hotohori explained. Youjin fought the urge to bow down at the sound of his voice…like the voice of a king… "I am Hotohori…this is Nuriko, Mitsukake, and Chiriko."

"Nice to meet you," Youjin said dryly.

"Taiitsukun, where's Tamahome?" Nuriko asked, looking around. She didn't see the brash young warrior anywhere.

"He…ah, he had reason not to be here," Taiitsukun explained. "A representative has been selected for him, though." She looked at Youjin and Nisou. "Be polite and introduce yourselves, please."

"H-hi everyone…um, I'm Airashii Nisou…call me Nisou, please," said the young blue-eyed girl, smiling nervously.

"Uh, yeah, I'm Sukunami Youjin."

The warriors were silent…Youjin broke into a nervous sweat.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

"Did you say Sukunami?" Tasuki asked, an eyebrow raised in semi-amusement. "Please tell me I heard that wrong…"

"No, that's what I said," Youjin muttered. "Why? Is that a bad word here?"

"Taiitsukun! Is there any relation between him and Taka?" Tasuki asked. Youjin's eyes lit up at the mention of the name.

"Did you know him? Taka, I mean…did you know him?" he asked hopefully.

"Must be related," Tasuki groaned. "So what, are you his cousin or something?"

"No," Youjin told him. "I'm his son."

~*~

"He is in the book," Miaka said with a heavy sigh.

"Yeah, and there's some girl with him…Airashii Nisou," Yui added.

"Nisou…NISOU!! Oh, I have to make a phone call…I have to call Airashii-san right away!" Miaka rushed to the phone and dialed the number.

"Moshimoshi? Airashii residence…" said the voice of a worried mother.

"Airashii-san, I have something you need to take a look at," Miaka said.

"Sukunami-san? Is that you?"

"Yes, yes! Listen, hurry and come over here. I'll give you the address and directions…"

There was a knock on the door a few minutes later, and Miaka was there to let Airashii-san in.

"Right this way, Airashii-san…"

"Please, call me Kouko."

"Alright then, Kouko…come with me. It's about your daughter."

"Have you found her, S-"

"You can call me Miaka. Yui, she's here!" Miaka cried to her friend in the study.

"What is this all about?" Kouko asked.

"You may not believe this at first, but you must trust us, Kouko!" Miaka exclaimed. "There's only one thing we can do for your daughter, but you have to trust us and believe what we're saying."

"Well, what are you saying?"

Holding up the Shi Jin Ten Chi Sho, Miaka said, "Your daughter, Nisou, and my son likewise, are trapped in this book."

~*~

"Taiitsukun, did you bring this boy here?" Hotohori asked. "Why not just bring Taka as Tamahome?"

"It was just easier this way," Taiitsukun explained. "Youjin was closer to this world than his father was."

"I was…closer?" Youjin repeated. "What does that mean?"

"You were more able to come to this world than your father, I guess, no da," Chichiri muttered. "But why?"

"He was willing to escape his world."

"Jeez! This is too complicated for me!" Youjin shouted, putting a hand on his forehead. "Forget the scientific-whatever explanations and tell me what I'm here for!"

"You're to take the place of your father as the seventh seishi, Tamahome," Taiitsukun explained.

"I-I-I…what? You want me to fight?!" Youjin found himself backing away from the others. Did they know what they were asking of him?

"We need for you to fight with us," Nuriko corrected.

"That's right," Taiitsukun said. "Because apparently the rules have changed."

"What rules?" Youjin asked, frowning.

"The rules for the summoning of Suzaku," the old woman continued. "Apparently this time around, the power of all seven warriors and the four Shinzaho relics are needed."

"Taiitsukun! There were only two Shinzahos!" Nuriko shouted.

"Two more were created when Yui summoned Seiryuu and when Miaka summoned Suzaku-"

"Wait!" Youjin shouted. "What was that last part?"

"Miaka and Yui summoned the beast gods…"

"Yui…and m-my…my mom? She summoned this Suzaku thing?"

"That's right! You had to be Miaka's son if Taka was your father!" Tasuki slapped his forehead and laughed. "Why the hell was I surprised at all?"

"So you people…know both my parents?"

"Yeah! Miaka was the Suzaku no Miko, and Taka was…well, he was Tamahome at the time, but whatever. He was one of her seishi, with the rest of us," Nuriko explained, and then she sighed. "Ah, how I love thinking back on the good old days!"

"So…what was my father like then?"

"Oh, he was…well, there's not really a way to explain how he was," Nuriko told Youjin. "Although there are a few words I'd use if he was right here. Stupid, reckless, hopeless, brash, money-grubbing…okay, so he had a good reason. But still, it got annoying…"

"You make him sound like such a bad guy," Chiriko said. "He was very brave…he always put others before himself."

"And he never really tried to kill anyone either," Nuriko added. "The only times I recall him doing that were with Nakago and Suboshi…"

"Suboshi?" Youjin repeated. "That sounds so familiar…isn't that what Yui called her son?" he asked himself. "Yeah, it was…"

"Really? Is she still friends with your mother?" Youjin nodded, and Nuriko smiled. "Good…no matter what Yui did to her, Miaka always thought of Yui as her best friend. They had to become enemies when it came time to summon the beast gods, though. Miaka hated it, and I have a strong feeling that Yui did, too."

"It's hard to imagine my mom being enemies with Yui…" Youjin muttered. "Why'd it happen?"

"It's a long story…"

"If you two are done chatting, it's about time to get down to business," Taiitsukun snapped. "Youjin, I will give you Tamahome's memories and awaken the power your father passed on to you…if you will accept the responsibility to protect your Miko."

"I…" Youjin trailed off. He looked at Nisou, who nodded.

"Go ahead. I'm not any part of this."

"I accept your offer," he muttered.

"Very well. Close your eyes…" Taiitsukun again started speaking in that odd, ancient language, and visions flowed into Youjin's head.

~*~

"Why is my daughter there?" Kouko asked. "Why did this book choose her?"

"I guess we're not supposed to know yet," Yui muttered. "But I have a strong feeling…that she's to become Suzaku no Miko."

"Yui! Do you really think that's it?"

"I don't know, Miaka. I really hope I'm wrong, for her sake."

"Excuse me, could you show me to the restroom?" Kouko asked.

"Down the hall, to the right," Yui said automatically. Kouko stood and walked with the direction that Yui had given her.

"Yui, I don't think it's a good idea to tell Kouko about the sacrifice…not just yet. Not until we know what exactly is going on," Miaka whispered once Kouko was out of hearing distance.

"That would probably be the best thing…yeah, we'll wait to tell her."

"I just hope," Miaka muttered, "That we're wrong about this…"

And they continued to read from the book.