"The Guiding Light"
Chapter I: Suzaku Prelude

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[Despite my powers, I'm afraid I have no idea where the mikos may've been taken. The only advice I can give you is this: If you don't work together, you will never find them. That's not my opinion--that's truth. I sense a great evil gathering in the distant mountains, and a vast darkness washing over the land. If you don't find the mikos soon, I fear for this world. So, hurry. Head for the mountains--but, don't move as one group. Fourteen young warriors with supernatural strength and a great hatred for each other is much too obvious. Split up into small groups, with at least one Seiryuu and Suzaku warrior to each. Match yourselves as evenly as possible, and keep close watch on your companions--but, you must work together, and you must keep as many of your number alive as possible. Without the strength of all fourteen constellations, this evil may triumph, and the mikos--and the world--will be lost. So, hurry. And may the light of Suzaku--and Seiryuu--guide your way.]

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"Ne, Hotohori-sama, have you seen--" Nuriko broke off, one slim hand resting lightly against the doorjamb...and felt his heart begin to thud heavily in his chest. For a long moment he stood there, mesmerized and speechless, unable to do anything but stare, and then, abruptly, he remembered himself, blushed a fierce red and ducked his head. "Gomen ne, Hotohori-sama. I didn't realize you were...busy."

The young emperor--the sweat shining in tiny beads over the taut, muscled flesh of his chest and stomach--took a moment to finish the last movement of his exercises, then let out a short breath, lowered the sword so the tip brushed against the plush carpeting. Taking a moment to brush the thick strands of chestnut from his eyes, the young emperor turned, faced his visitor with a slight, wearied smile on his face. "Iie, don't apologize." He took a few steps forward, grabbed a towel from a nearby chair and dabbed at his face with it. "Gomen. What did you want?"

Hotohori's slim fingers moved with hypnotic grace, sponging at the soft trickles of sweat, sweeping back and forth over the smooth skin. Back and forth...back and forth... Suddenly realizing he'd been asked a question, Nuriko snapped from his mesmerized reverie, cleared his throat lightly. "Ano...I wondered if you'd seen Chichiri around anywhere."

The young emperor sank wearily into the chair, tossed the now-sheathed sword in the general direction of the bed. The towel still dangled lightly from his fingers, the soft white fabric wrinkled and moist with sweat. "Chichiri," Hotohori said slowly, as if testing the word. Suddenly, he straightened. "Ah--hai. He said earlier that he was going to the pond."

Nuriko raised an eyebrow, the emperor's impressive musclature momentarily forgotten. "The pond?"

"Hai. I think Tasuki's with him." He paused for a moment, seemed to be contemplating something, then let out a soft breath and relaxed a bit in his chair. "Ne, Nuriko?"

The violet-haired seishi blinked, watching with a bit of interest as Hotohori closed his eyes lightly, rested a slim-fingered hand over his forhead. "Nani, Hotohori-sama?"

The eyes stayed safely closed. "How is Tamahome?"

"Tamahome? He's--" He stopped himself, having just about to say, 'He's fine,' and let out a soft breath of air.
Tamahome was, to put it quite bluntly, anything but fine. While Miaka's three-month-disappearance had been hard on him, to have the girl suddenly vanish like this, to know she was in danger but out of his reach--gods, it was killing him. Looking back on the last two days, Nuriko couldn't remember Tamahome having said more than a few sentences--and most of them had begun with "Miaka."
But...to tell Hotohori-sama that? Of course, surely he'd already realized that Tamahome and Miaka were in love, that there wasn't much hope for him at all in that area--but, to say it so openly? What would it do to him? But, at the same time, he knew he couldn't lie... Gaaaah. He resisted the urge to let out a soft cry of frustration, and found himself wondering again just why he hadn't come to Mitsukake or Chiriko instead.

He sighed. No, he knew the answer to that.

He'd come here because this was the only place he'd _wanted_ to come to; and the only man he'd truly wanted to see. Did he even need to see Chichiri all that badly, or did he just need an excuse to see Hotohori-sama? Gah, what a mess...

Suddenly realizing that the young emperor was still waiting for a response, Nuriko bowed his head slightly, took a short, respectful step back out onto the palace walkway. "Tamahome is...as well as can be expected," he replied at last.

Hotohori knew, though. No matter how careful his phrasing, no matter how subtle his insinuations, Hotohori knew. "I see," the young emperor said softly. He sat in silence for a moment longer, looking as if he were in deep thought, and Nuriko almost excused himself and left--but, then Hotohori's head lifted. The young emperor stared at him with a soft, pained look in his eyes that ripped at his heart. "Will he be ready to travel by this evening?"

Ahhh, the sadness in those eyes! "H-Hai," he managed, an ache beginning in the bottom of his heart, spiralling outwards with each soft word, each gentle tone. Naaaa, poor Hotohori-sama! "He'll be ready."

Hotohori nodded, and somehow, it felt like a dismissal. "Good," he said firmly. "Arrigato, Nuriko."

And that--despite how desperately he wanted to stay here, talk with Hotohori-sama, comfort him--was his cue to leave.
Gods, he wanted to stay!! But, he left, anyway. Besides, he really _did_ need to speak to Chichiri, and now might be his only chance to do so before--he winced inwardly--the Seiryuu seishi arrived to begin the journey. Shivering slightly as a cool morning breeze lifted from the gardens, Nuriko set off for the far-off glimmer of the pond, leaving Hotohori alone in his chambers. Despite the tiny strings dragging at his heart, he did not look back. After awhile, he passed beyond sight of the emperor's chambers altogether and stepped out onto the grass, started off down the hill.

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