Fate Fate copyright 1998 to L'Arc~en~Ciel.
Fushigi Yuugi and all characters are property of Watase Yuu.

MIZU:WATER

When in difficult country, do not encamp. In country where high roads intersect, join hands with your allies. Do not linger in dangerously isolated positions. In hemmed-in situations, you must resort to stratagem. In a desperate position, you must fight.

Sun Tzu, The Art of War

The last thing I remembered was the bright flash of headlights and the squeal of tires, someone screaming. Was I dead?
The ceiling was white and smooth.
"I think he's awake."
The voice right by my ear startled me and I flinched. At least I tried. My body seemed slow, far away, like I was trapped in a room of sticky air, unable to move. I tried to move my arm again and there was a flash of pain.
"He's awake…don't move!"
A gentle hand on my forehead. I could feel it, but I couldn't move my head. I blinked. It was about all I could do.
Footsteps fading. "I'll be waiting outside. You talk to him."
"Stephan? Can you hear me?"
I recognized the voice, saw the blond hair and concerned blue eyes bend over me, felt the cool hand feeling my forehead and then trailing down the side of my face.
"Yui-sama…" Again I tried to move my head and failed. "Where am I?"
"You're in the hospital." The hand went away and the lights dimmed a little bit. I felt like I was swimming in a sea of darkness and numb pain. "Don't you remember anything?"
I struggled to recall the images out of the nothingness. "Not really. Something happened to me. Where's Jeff? What-"
"Shhh." The hand was on my forehead again. "Don't try to move. The doctors just operated on you and you should be fine. Jeff's out in the lobby with…" She trailed off. "With some friends."
"The Suzaku seishi."
There was no question in my voice, just a flat statement. I remembered their faces in the dim streetlights and misty rain, faces from a thousand years ago and yet so familiar. And even if there had been the slightest doubt, I had felt their chi. The monk, the one called Chichiri, and his bandit companion. Two of the most deadly enemies I had ever encountered, and yet…
"They saved your life, Stephan."
"I don't remember anything." Trying to move my leg. It would not budge. I couldn't feel it. Shivers of slight panic crept up my spine. "How do you know? They are Suzaku, after all."
I didn't mean for the words to come out in such a hostile tone. I could feel her silent displeasure in the darkness of the starched hospital room. Not a childish tantrum as she would have thrown when I knew her last, but a womanly sorrow.
"They're not Suzaku anymore. Stephan-"
"What happened, Yui?"
"You were hit by a car."
The words were gentle, but she didn't spare me the full impact. "From what Hong - Chichiri - told me, the four of you were standing the middle of the intersection...the car didn't see you and just hit you coming head-on…you were standing beside Jeff so he didn't get hit. Hong tried to push you out of the way, but he couldn't in time."
"I see."
"It was a hit-and-run. Denis called the ambulance and the police and Hong performed CPR on you….if he hadn't been there you would have probably died. They brought you to the hospital…Jeff is seriously distraught. We don't know what to do."
"Jeff?" I frowned, then winced at the pain. "Why?"
"He…he thinks it's his fault. That if he hadn't sensed the Suzaku, you would still be well."
Something about the tone of her voice made me pause. "Yui? What do you mean 'well'?"
Her face was shadowed. "I-"
"Yui."
"They…the doctor said…when the car hit you, you broke your neck."
Silence.
So that was it. Why I could not move, could not feel anything below my head and neck. Why I could not even turn my head to speak to the woman who had been my miko.
It was all clear now. I didn't know why I hadn't realized it before. I was a cripple.
Gods…Seiryuu…
"Stephan, I-"
I didn't feel anything. Not in my body, not in my mind.
"I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…"
"Damn them."
I could close my eyes. I could do that, but for some reason the tears would not stop coming. I never cried. I was a man, a soldier, a general. I never cried.
Crippled.
"Damn the Suzaku. Damn them all."
Her tears dripped hot on my face and all I could do was let them mingle with mine, as I wept for my broken dreams gone awry and as she wept for me.
"It's not their fault."
"I know. It's not." I opened my eyes, staring at the shadowed ceiling. "Nothing is ever their fault, is it? It's always mine, or yours. Or ours. So damned cruel."
"Stephan, I-"
"What is it about the Suzaku that makes them so holy? Is it because theirs is the god of love and ours…mine…is that of war? Is it because they had everything and we had nothing, and there was nothing they could take away from us? Is it that they were happy?"
I was not angry. I would never be angry again, just like I would never walk again. Some things were just like that now.
I heard Yui turn away.
"Don't say things like that."
"Why not? It's true."
"It's not-"
"All I ever wanted was to be happy. If I hurt them it was because I only wanted that happiness and I hated them for it. Hated them for being all I wanted to be and more, hated them because they so easily had what I could never have. Do you understand?" "Yui."
"Theirs was the god of love. I think…" She sighed once, slowly, quietly. "I think ours was the god of pain."
"I knew love once." She looked at me, but I did not look at her. "And then all I knew was pain. How would your precious Suzaku seishi feel about that?"
"They're not my Suzaku seishi."
"You defend them like you were their miko instead of mine."
"Hong saved your life!"
"A small favor in return for the wrongs he's done me."
She took a deep breath and I could tell she was trying hard not to say anything rash. It had always been a problem with her, but I had been stronger than she was, then. I was not so sure anymore.
"Get some rest, Stephan. Talk to me when you feel better."
"My thoughts will not change."
"I know that." Her hand turned on the doorknob. "But give me some hope."
If I could have laughed then, I would.
"There is no such thing as hope."


I emerged into the fluorescent-lit lobby, and six pairs of feet hit the floor, six pairs of eyes trained on me. I didn't want to meet them.
"Yui? How is he?"
I kept my voice quiet.
"He'll be all right."
"Did you-"
Jeff's voice was strained. I put my hand on his shoulder, keeping my touch gentle. I could feel the tense muscles under the sleeve.
"I told him. I didn't get a chance to explain the therapy the doctors want him to try, though…"
"It's ok." Hong's soft voice interrupted mine. He touched Jeff on the other shoulder, but the other seishi flinched away. "In this condition, I doubt he's in any mindset to hear anything."
"You're probably right."
I closed my eyes. I was tired, so very tired, and there was still so much to be done. Outside, the rain beat at the windowpanes. It had started coming down harder ever since the car accident. The harsh ceiling lights brought out every stark angle of our tired faces, every bead of cold sweat.
"It's four o' clock in the morning."
Denis' voice cut into my thoughts, and I glanced at my watch. We had been at the hospital for more than ten hours, and I was not planning on leaving anytime soon.
"Hong…Denis…you guys can go home. I know you are tired."
There were dark rings around Hong's eyes, but he shook his head. "I'm staying here. I'm not leaving until they tell us what is going to happen."
"Nothing's going to happen. He's paralyzed from the neck down."
Denis shook his head, wild red hair flipping about his face. "I don't believe it. Uh-uh. There's gotta be some mistake. It's Nakago…can't he at least heal himself with his powers or something? Yui?"
"Guys. Go home."
I didn't miss the defeated looks in their eyes, but I didn't take back my words. No matter what Miaka said, no matter what I thought…they were Suzaku, of the other side, and they were not the kind of support I needed right now.
Hong understood. Cutting off Denis in mid-protest, he stood, placing his unread magazine back onto the pile on the tea table. "It will take a little longer getting to Taka's through the rain, but I will call you when we get there. You have your cell phone on?"
I pulled it out, made sure it was charged, then nodded. "I'll be keeping it on."
"All right then." Brown eyes regarded me thoughtfully, a little sadly. "Good night, Yui."
"Good night." I paused before asking the next question. "Hong…do you think you can find everyone?"
He didn't have to ask me what I meant. "I know Andy is staying downtown with some publicity people. I can wake him up. Duke should be easy to get ahold of also. Pedro is in Brazil…and I don't know where Nuriko is. Those are the only ones."
"That's fine. Thank you, Hong."
"Don't mention it." He gave me a small bow, tired eyes trying to smile. "Come on, Denis."
Their footsteps faded through the doorway and Jeff shifted from his corpse-like position by the wall.
"Yui-sama."
"Don't call me that."
"Will he be all right?"
"Yes." I moved closer to him, putting my arms around him. So like Steven, yet so unlike. Amiboshi and Suboshi. "Don't worry about it Jeff. It wasn't your fault. He doesn't blame you."
"I blame myself." His voice was choked. "If I hadn't-"
"Jeff-"
"-made him go back, and cross the intersection-"
"-it wasn't-"
"-he would still be all right. It's all my fault-"
"-your fault-"
"-like everything else-"
"Jeff! Shut up!"
My voice echoed loudly around the bare waiting room, and his wide eyes trained on me like the eyes of a hunted animal.
"Oh…Jeff. I didn't mean it."
He stood, frozen.
"Please. I didn't mean it. If you want to talk to me, talk to me."
"I…no."
I pulled him close to me, hugged his stiff body with both arms as tightly as I could, burying my face in his rumpled shirt. I had no tears left.
"Forgive me."
"He'll never forgive me. Never."
I shook my head against his chest. "Of course he will, Jeff. He doesn't even blame you. Don't think that way."
We stood in silence for a long while as the wind outside picked up even more and the rain pelted harder, rattling the glass in the window. I wondered if Hong and Denis were even able to make it home. Finally, Jeff stirred, resting his head on top of mine.
"All I want is my brother back. All I want…"
I drew back from him, looking him in the face. He looked ghostly in the harsh light, aging thirty years in one night.
"Jeff?"
He frowned at me.
"I've found your brother."


The noise that had startled me out of my well-deserved sleep had a distinctly familiar ring to it, and it took me only about twenty seconds to realize it was my bedside phone.
I picked up the receiver, noting dimly that the time was 4:45 AM and it was far too early for anyone to be calling.
"Hello?" I mumbled.
"Phillip? This is Yui."
I blinked. "Yui…Hongou Yui?"
"Yes. I'm sorry to wake you up, but I have a slight emergency."
She didn't sound too panicked, but then again, I was half-asleep. "What kind of emergency?"
A long moment of silence, then a cough. "I can't say right now. Can you come to the Tokyo Downtown hospital as quickly as you can?"
Hospital?
"Yui, exactly how serious is this?"
"Very."
I could detect the tightness in her voice now. Something was definitely wrong. "I have staff meetings….but I suppose I could cancel them. Somehow."
She sounded relieved and anxious at the same time. "Thank you so much, Phillip. I've got Jeff Cotorro - Amiboshi - here with me. Do you know if…"
She trailed off, but I knew what she meant. "If there are any others of us?"
"Yes."
"As a matter of fact, you are in luck." I fumbled for the bedside light and scrabbled in the drawer for a sheet of paper. "Our illusionist and werewolf are here together from Italy. I have their number here if you want it."
"Tomo and Ashitare?" Her voice trembled a little. "Yes! Please."
I gave her the hotel number and my promise to be there as quickly as I could, then hung up the phone and collapsed back on the bed. I was wide awake now, wondering about this emergency that she couldn't tell me about, and noticing the wing moaning through the cracks of the officer's quarters.
I padded to the window and looked out. Rain was pouring down thick and hard. The typhoon was here, and I was about to go out in it.
How insane was that?
I decided to leave the question hanging.


The rushing water was almost ankle-deep, and the car sloshed through the streets.
"Duke's not answering his phone."
"Asleep, most probably. Call his cell."
"I did." Denis punched a few more buttons on the cell phone. "It's not on."
"Forget it. Call Andy."
The waters rose.


I felt more than saw Taka spring out of bed and look out the window.
"Miaka, it's Hong and Denis. I wonder what they want at this hour? It's pouring outside!"
I mumbled something.
"Miaka! Come on, get out of bed!"
"Nani…?"
He sighed hard. "Never mind. Get out of bed and come out. It's not any condition for them to be driving…something's wrong."
Taka flicked the light on and rushed out of the room, grabbing a bathrobe and slippers on the way. I sat up slowly, eyes adjusting to the sudden brightness. The wind was making scratching noises at the window.
I felt cold.


Jeff was asleep now, curled up in a little ball on the hard waiting room chair. I dialed the number Phillip had given me and hoped it was right.
"Hello?"
The voice sounded less than human, fuzzy with sleep and maybe more than a little alcohol. "Nikolas?"
"This is he." He sounded awake at once. "Who is this?"
"This is Hongou Yui." I gave him half a second for the information to sink in, then cut him off before he had a chance to speak. "Listen, I need you to come to the Tokyo Downtown hospital right now. It's an emergency."
"I-"
"Just come."
I hung up.


"Hello? Hello? Moshi moshi?"
I stared at the receiver, then cursed. Turned to the side and lobbed a pillow at the sleeping form in the other bed.
"Marco, get up."
He mumbled something.
"We are leaving."
He rolled over and stared at me, blinking sleep from his eyes. "You are crazy? Leaving where?"
"Our Miko is calling."
I could tell he understood at once. The wolf eyes were sharp, canine and yellowish in the dim light. He blinked once, twice, testing the air, then nodded.
"Yes. It's raining."
"So it is."
I could hear the unhooked phone beeping as we left the room. I did not bother to hang it up. The phone could wait.
"Marco? Is this fate?"


"Hong, it's five o' clock in the morning, and I-"
"Andy, it's an emergency. Please. I need you over here now…" He paused. "There's something I need to tell you. All of you."
Something he needed to tell me? The wind moaned outside. I could feel the room shaking with the impact.
"Who is there?"
"Miaka and Taka and Denis and me so far. We have tried to call Duke, but there is no response. I don't know where Nuriko - Joe - is…"
"I know." I gave him a number, a twenty-four hour activated line, then crawled out of bed. "I'll be there as fast as I can. The rain is coming down hard."
"I know. Thank you, Andy."
I hung up. The rain sounded like the scratching of dragon's claws on the smooth glass.
Something I need to tell you. All of you.
For the first time since I had died, I felt true fear.


"-severe flooding in parts of the city and expected to continue through the day. Winds are rising at hurricane speed, causing-"
I switched off the radio. It was six thirty in the morning, and still pitch black. The house shook. Miaka stirred next to me, holding my arm.
"It's bad, Taka."
I patted her on the back, trying to calm her. In the living room, the lights flickered. I could hear muffled exclamations from Denis and Andy. Hong was in the bedroom trying to reach Duke, and Joe had gone to change out of wet clothes.
"Taka…I'm afraid."
I sighed. "I know."
It wasn't just the storm. It was the sense of impending doom, of approaching apocalypse, as if the gods had decided to revive the terrible war between nations all over again, right here in Tokyo.
"I don't want to die."
"Shh." I stroked her hair. "We're not going to die. We'll be all right."
"Taka?"
Hong's head peeking into the kitchen. "I got Duke. He was at the office…he'll try to make it in a few minutes. The subways aren't running, and he's going to have to walk though.."
I gritted my teeth. "Dammit."
"Do you want to tell him to-"
"I don't want him walking. He'll get hurt…or drown…It's took dark to walk anyway."
"I could take the car and chance it."
I considered, then nodded. "Could you?"
There was tension in the air as Hong picked up his car keys from the table. "I still have my chi…somewhat…and so does Chiriko. We'll be all right."
"I hope so. When-"
The doorbell rang. We jumped, then stared at each other.
Denis' rough voice. "I'll get it!"
The rain and wind intensified as he yanked the door open. I ran out of the kitchen in time to see a soaked figure stumble in to stand dripping on my carpet, as Denis wrestled the front door back into place. It shivered in its hinges.
I frowned. The figure threw back the hood of its raincoat, and I gaped. Blue eyes, blond hair.
"Steven?"
"Is Yui here?" He sounded exhausted. Miaka rushed forward from my side to help him take off his soaking coat. He dropped his bags on the floor and stood looking at me with an indecipherable emotion in his eyes. Our feud from his last visit still stood between us, and I could feel it.
"I didn't know you were coming."
"Yui asked me to. I'm sorry. I would have given you sooner notice, but she wasn't at home and your house was the only other place I knew to come to." He glanced around, then started. Andy, Denis, and Hong were frowning at him from one side, and Joe had come down the stairs in curiosity.
"Taka?" Andy took a step forward. "Is…is this…?" He stopped.
I nodded.
"Everyone…meet Steven Grant. He's from America…" I paused. "You knew him once. By another name."
Joe started to say something, but Steven cut him off with the wave of a hand. He was still wet and dripping in the foyer, but the way he stood, it could have been seated on the back of a proud horse, powerful and sure.
"I am Seiryuu shichi seishi Suboshi. Do you remember me?"