Disclaimer: The characters of Fushigi Yuugi belong to Yuu Watase. But any new characters belong to me. ^_^
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Chapter 11: In My SightThe word echoed in his mind. Gone…gone… the Seiryuu seishi probably had her. Youjin balled his hands into fists and looked around for something to hit.
"Nuriko, what happened?" Hotohori stood up, looking angry and serious.
"I-I turned my back for one moment and when I looked again, she was gone…without a sound, without a trace." Nuriko sighed. "I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault," Youjin muttered. "But we have to find her…we have to get her back." The others quickly agreed.
"No matter what the cost," Hotohori added, "She must not be harmed."
~*~
"K-Kouko…" Miaka trailed off. She looked at the older woman with concern.
"Miaka, leave her. It's a lot to take in…" Yui suggested, putting a hand on her friend's shoulder.
"Mom, what's going on?" Suboshi asked. Yui shook her head.
"I-it's nothing, Suboshi. You don't need to worry about it."
"Someone went into the book?" he guessed.
"That's exactly right," Miaka said.
"Who was it?" Something seemed odd about the young boy…
"Youjin went into the book," Miaka whispered. "As did Nisou."
"Damn that book," Kouko muttered. "I want my daughter back…do you hear me?!" Kouko shouted at the book. "Give me back my daughter!!"
~*~
Pain…an unbearable, searing pain that wouldn't end. Her whole body trembled with pain. She couldn't breathe; couldn't move…she couldn't think.
"I'm sorry, did that hurt?" a deep voice asked with false concern. Nisou didn't know the voice, but it sent chills up her spine. She tried to sit up, pushing herself up with her arms. Everything hurt…
"Who are you?" she whispered, looking at the speaker. He was tall, and somewhat transparent. He had unbearably bright blue eyes and long blonde hair. He looked at her, and frowned.
"I was expecting another," he muttered. "But never mind that…I should introduce myself. My name is Nakago." A blue symbol shined on his forehead. One of the Seiryuu seishi…!
"You…" Nisou muttered. "You brought me here?" Then she gasped as pain shot through her body.
"Not personally," Nakago answered. "Then again, I was not expecting you."
"Who were you expecting?" Her arms trembled…everything shook with the pain.
"I was expecting for Soi to retrieve Suzaku no Miko, of course. I do not know you."
"I am the Miko," Nisou muttered. Nakago grinned.
"Well then, apparently everything turned out for the best. And the boy…he wasn't Tamahome, then?" He knew…? Had he been watching them the whole time?
"I won't…won't tell you anything," Nisou muttered, gritting her teeth. Nakago grinned again, and laughed.
"Soi!" he called. A young woman appeared at his command.
"Yes?" she asked, a smile on her face.
"I'm leaving you to deal with this girl," Nakago said. "Make sure she feels pain."
"Yes sir."
~*~
"It's the Seiryuu seishi, I know it is," Youjin muttered.
"I couldn't sense anything, no da. It's possible that it wasn't them…perhaps she just went off into the woods, no da."
"I shouldn't have taken my eyes off of her…" Nuriko muttered. "I feel responsible." Hotohori put an arm around her shoulder.
"We can't help what's happened," he said. "And we can't waste time pointing fingers at people. We must find Nisou, and defeat the Seiryuu seishi…at any cost."
"Y-you're right," Nuriko whispered. "I can't blame myself…Chichiri! Can you try to find her aura?"
"I can try, no da." Chichiri frowned in concentration. He searched for Nisou's life force…any sign of it. Then, he found it…but something didn't seem right.
"Can you find her?" Tasuki asked.
"She…she's been taken to Sailo, no da. But we have to hurry, no da. Her aura is very weak."
"If they do anything to hurt her…" Youjin muttered. "If they hurt her, I swear I'll-"
"We'll worry about that when we get there, no da. But for now, we have a long journey."
From a high tree, a few yards away and above them, eyes peered out of the darkness.
"They will never reach Sailo," a voice said, full of confidence. "I will not allow it."
~*~
"Nakago has Nisou," Yui muttered, frowning.
"N-Nakago?!" Miaka shouted. "What has he done to her?"
"Nothing yet…we'll just have to pray that he doesn't do anything to keep her from summoning Suzaku," Yui said.
"What could he do to…could he kill her?!" Kouko shrieked. "You can't let him kill my Nisou!!"
"He would most likely not kill her," Yui whispered. "He would do something worse…"
"What could he do that would be worse than killing her?" Miaka and Yui looked at each other.
"Something…" Miaka said carefully. "Something inappropriate to say in front of young children." Kouko gasped.
"He wouldn't…"
"He tried to before," Yui explained. "But he's left Soi to deal with her."
"Soi's back, too?!" Miaka shrieked.
"Apparently everyone but Amiboshi and Suboshi." Yui's son jerked his head up at the mention of the name. "Not you, honey…another-"
"I know," Suboshi muttered. "But…Amiboshi?"
"He…I never really met him, but I know that he was Suboshi's twin brother."
"Amiboshi was a wonderful person," Miaka whispered. "And he played beautiful music on his flute." She then looked back at the book. "What happens next?"
"As noon turned to evening, the warriors continued their search for the Miko, who was in the presence of Soi…"
~*~
"What do you want with me?" Nisou asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "Why are you doing this?"
"Why? Because I cannot sleep easily until I know that this world is nothing more than dust," Soi answered. "I will not rest until I have revenge."
"Revenge…" Nisou trailed off. She was about to speak again, but another bolt of lightning sent pain surging through her body.
~*~
Youjin fell to one knee. Suddenly, everything hurt. He couldn't breathe…he could hardly move.
"Hey, kid! What the hell's the matter with you?" Tasuki asked.
"I…I can't…" Youjin screamed. "Nisou…is this what you're feeling? Are they hurting you so much…?" Silent tears fell onto his cheeks. The pain…it was almost too much to bear.
They decided that they could go no further, and settled for the night.
Youjin's condition did not get better in the hour that followed. Mitsukake tried using his power to heal the young boy, but even that would not reach him.
"What do you mean, you can't do anything?" Tasuki grumbled. Mitsukake shook his head.
"My power won't reach him," he explained. "He has no physical wounds…this pain he has is coming from elsewhere."
"Then what can we do?!" Tasuki demanded. "There has to be something…c'mon, isn't there anything we can do to help him?" Mitsukake was silent… "We can't…there's nothing? He looks like he's gonna die…and we can't do anything to help him?! Nothing?! You've got to be joking!"
"All we can do for him is wait," Mitsukake explained. "He's in no physical danger."
"No physical danger," Tasuki repeated. "The hell he isn't! D'you see him?! Can't you see that pain…in his face…he can't survive that! No one can!"
Youjin's body shook with the pain. He could hardly open his eyes. But through the pain, almost like a vision, he could see Nisou. She was in the same agony as he…her clothes had been reduced to ribbons, and there were cuts and bruises all over her. A blueish-white light surrounded her, crackling with energy…like lightning. And he could see the woman who was causing her this pain. He knew her…or, Tamahome did.
Soi.
"He's not getting any better," Nuriko muttered, her voice thick with worry. What if he…no. Nuriko shook her head. "Just get that thought out of your mind, Nuriko. He won't die. He can't die."
"Nuriko, look," Hotohori whispered. Youjin's face had relaxed, as his whole body had. He fell into sleep.
"At least he doesn't look like he's in pain any more," Nuriko muttered. "But we still don't know what happened."
"N…" Youjin whispered in his sleep. "Nisou…no…" Hotohori and Nuriko looked at each other. "Soi…"
"Soi?" Nuriko repeated. "Could she be causing this trouble?"
"Don't hurt her…Soi…leave Nisou alone…" Youjin muttered.
"That sudden pain attack…could he feel what Nisou feels?" Hotohori asked.
"If that's true…" Nuriko added. "Then Nisou's the one who's really in danger."
