Disclaimers: Don't own it...
Author's Notes: I know, I know... it's been a loooooooooong time. I was reading through things, and I found that I had began a chapter to this... so I decided to finish it and post. Not my best, but then... I don't know what is. I'm not sure if I ever clarified this... but this takes place during the series (hence going after the shinzaho) and it's AU.
Warnings: Ahhhh, a bit of odd Tomo/Soi humor... bear with me... I was in a weird mood ::fanged grin::
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It was evening when the raucous began. Nakago was in his pao, reading reports, when he heard a combination of whinnying horses, the clatter of armored guards, and the extremely woman-like shriek of Tomo. He felt his anger rising. Why couldn't they be quieter? If Tomo and Soi were fighting again, he'd chi blast them both to hell, then maybe he could live in peace.
He made his way toward where the sounds were coming from, but stopped abruptly when the sound of approaching hoof beats reached his ears. He saw a rider on a horse galloping at full-speed toward him being followed by ten or so guards, and the other seishi.
The horse slid to a stop, and the rider jump down with ease. He could tell it was a woman by the way she gracefully leaped from the huge animal she was riding. She removed her helmet and dropped to one knee before Nakago.
As her long, straight, silver hair cascaded around her shoulders and down her back, Nakago heard a gasp come from his mouth. It was her! The girl in his dreams!
"Gomen nasaii, Shogun!" came a shout from the guards. "He slipped by us before we knew he had arrived, and his horse is so fast we couldn't catch him." They were talking as they ran, and got within 5 yards of the rider and the horse before Nakago raised his hand and they halted.
"Nakago-sama!"
He did not turn as the other seishi ran up beside him, Soi standing overbearingly next to him. Stepping forward, away from the others, he spoke to the girl.
"Rise, and tell me who you are."
The girl rose to her feet in one fluid motion, regarded Nakago with her deep green eyes, and smiled warmly. "I am known as Cerulean Skye," as she said it, she placed a fist over her heart, bowed her head. "You may call me simply Skye."
----------------------
Soi paced the ground outside of her tent, anger boiling. Nakago-sama had walked away with that girl, saying not a word to any of the other seishi, even her.
"Soi, onegai... you're making me dizzy," complained Suboshi, who sat nearby on the grass, staring at the sky and not doing much else.
"Who is she, anyway? What does she want?" Soi muttered, ignoring Suboshi's pleas.
Tomo walked around the corner, smirked at the irate expression on Soi's face. He walked silently up beside Soi, who was still pacing, and stuck out a black boot. Soi tripped, went sprawling to the ground.
Suboshi repressed a giggle. "Arrigato, Tomo."
The young woman leapt to her feet. "Dammit, Tomo! What's your problem?"
He lifted a tiny shoulder in a shrug. "You were bothering me. Always pacing, always whining, throwing yourself on Nakago-sama... it's so annoying."
"Well, at least I'm not a gay boy in love with a straight man."
Tomo's face fell. "That was unfair, Soi. Besides, at least Nakago didn't dump me for a complete stranger."
"DUMP? He did not dump me!" she bellowed.
By now, Suboshi had risen from his lounging spot on the ground, brought his ryuuseisui up. He waited, while Tomo and Soi bickered, until they were close enough to each other, and let the weapon fly. It wrapped around the two of them, tying them together, face-to-face.
"Nani? What the hell?" Soi said.
"Suboshi... let us go." Tomo glared at the young boy.
"Iie. It's more peaceful this way. You two can figure out how to get of this one together," said Suboshi, who was making his way to the opposite side of camp, whistling all the way.
"This is your fault, you realize."
"How is this my fault, Tomo? You tripped me for no reason!"
Tomo laughed, a strange "kakakakakaka" sound echoing in Soi's ears. "Of course, there was a reason. It was for my own amusement."
Soi growled, struggled futilely against the rope wrapped around her and Tomo.
"Itai... stop! You're making it worse!"
"Well, what do you want me to do? You're obviously not doing anything to get us out of this situation."
Tomo leaned back to look Soi square in the eyes. "If you would shut up for more than a second, I can think, and get us out of this!"
Soi grumbled something unintelligible, but stayed quiet after that. Tomo stood in deep thought, finally sighed.
"Have you figured it out?" Soi asked hopefully.
"Indeed I have," Tomo announced. "On the count of the three. One, two, three... HEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLPPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!"
Soi burst out laughing. "This is your big plan?"
Tomo grinned. "You have a better idea, or would you rather be tied up with me the rest of the day?"
Soi's smile faded. "HEEEEEELLLLPPPPP!!!!" she began screaming.
-------------------
Nakago sat in his chair, fixed a wary eye on Skye. She sat on the edge of his bed - there was no where else for her to sit - and simply allowed him to look her over.
*She certainly doesn't seem to be a ghost,* he thought.
"Well of course I'm not a ghost, Ayuru of the Hin," she read his mind, smiling wryly.
The shogun started, nearly fell off his chair. "You read minds?"
The girl shrugged casually. "Only Seiryuu's seishi."
Nakago stood, walked to her. "So, you're saying that Seiryuu sent you to do.... what?"
Skye rose from the bed and leveled her gaze with Nakago's. "He knows what you're doing. Your quest for revenge against Kutou... he understands, but he wants you to know that he, himself, has never wronged you."
The older man snorted. "Seiryuu understands? He knows what it's like to kill his own mother? He knows how it feels to have your entire people destroyed?"
"You are half Kutou, Ayuru. If only -"
"Don't," his voice rose a little. "Call me Ayuru. I am Nakago."
Skye sighed, sank back down to the bed. "I definitely have my work cut out for me."
"Enough," Nakago said. "I don't know who you think you are, but I am no longer amused."
"This isn't a joke!" she yelled. He was taken by surprise at her outburst. "Seiryuu sent me here to remind you who you are. You may be a part of the Hin Tribe, but you are, first and foremost, a seishi. And I can't leave here until things with you are sorted out."
Nakago was getting angry. "I never asked Seiryuu for help."
"Of course you did. You ask for it everyday..." her voice trailed off, seeing the obscure expression on his face.
"H-how did you-?"
Nakago had backed away, slumped into his chair. Skye walked from the bed to kneel in front of him. "I told you," she said, her voice soft. "Seiryuu sent me. I'm not a seishi, and I'm not exactly human."
"Then what are you?"
"I'm known as Joukai no Hogosha," she replied with a slight bow of her head. She took one of Nakago's hands in her own. He pulled back, the contact completely unfamiliar, but she gripped his hand hard. "My sole purpose for being here is to help you realize exactly what you are."
He locked eyes with hers. "And what is that?"
Skye smiled. "All in due time, Ayu... Nakago."
------------
Info: Joukai no Hogoshi means "Heaven's Guardian" thought that might be a mite pertinent to the non-Japanese speaking readers (such as myself) Arrigato to my Otouto, Ryuen, for finding that for me ^_~.
Author's Notes: I know, I know... it's been a loooooooooong time. I was reading through things, and I found that I had began a chapter to this... so I decided to finish it and post. Not my best, but then... I don't know what is. I'm not sure if I ever clarified this... but this takes place during the series (hence going after the shinzaho) and it's AU.
Warnings: Ahhhh, a bit of odd Tomo/Soi humor... bear with me... I was in a weird mood ::fanged grin::
-----------
It was evening when the raucous began. Nakago was in his pao, reading reports, when he heard a combination of whinnying horses, the clatter of armored guards, and the extremely woman-like shriek of Tomo. He felt his anger rising. Why couldn't they be quieter? If Tomo and Soi were fighting again, he'd chi blast them both to hell, then maybe he could live in peace.
He made his way toward where the sounds were coming from, but stopped abruptly when the sound of approaching hoof beats reached his ears. He saw a rider on a horse galloping at full-speed toward him being followed by ten or so guards, and the other seishi.
The horse slid to a stop, and the rider jump down with ease. He could tell it was a woman by the way she gracefully leaped from the huge animal she was riding. She removed her helmet and dropped to one knee before Nakago.
As her long, straight, silver hair cascaded around her shoulders and down her back, Nakago heard a gasp come from his mouth. It was her! The girl in his dreams!
"Gomen nasaii, Shogun!" came a shout from the guards. "He slipped by us before we knew he had arrived, and his horse is so fast we couldn't catch him." They were talking as they ran, and got within 5 yards of the rider and the horse before Nakago raised his hand and they halted.
"Nakago-sama!"
He did not turn as the other seishi ran up beside him, Soi standing overbearingly next to him. Stepping forward, away from the others, he spoke to the girl.
"Rise, and tell me who you are."
The girl rose to her feet in one fluid motion, regarded Nakago with her deep green eyes, and smiled warmly. "I am known as Cerulean Skye," as she said it, she placed a fist over her heart, bowed her head. "You may call me simply Skye."
----------------------
Soi paced the ground outside of her tent, anger boiling. Nakago-sama had walked away with that girl, saying not a word to any of the other seishi, even her.
"Soi, onegai... you're making me dizzy," complained Suboshi, who sat nearby on the grass, staring at the sky and not doing much else.
"Who is she, anyway? What does she want?" Soi muttered, ignoring Suboshi's pleas.
Tomo walked around the corner, smirked at the irate expression on Soi's face. He walked silently up beside Soi, who was still pacing, and stuck out a black boot. Soi tripped, went sprawling to the ground.
Suboshi repressed a giggle. "Arrigato, Tomo."
The young woman leapt to her feet. "Dammit, Tomo! What's your problem?"
He lifted a tiny shoulder in a shrug. "You were bothering me. Always pacing, always whining, throwing yourself on Nakago-sama... it's so annoying."
"Well, at least I'm not a gay boy in love with a straight man."
Tomo's face fell. "That was unfair, Soi. Besides, at least Nakago didn't dump me for a complete stranger."
"DUMP? He did not dump me!" she bellowed.
By now, Suboshi had risen from his lounging spot on the ground, brought his ryuuseisui up. He waited, while Tomo and Soi bickered, until they were close enough to each other, and let the weapon fly. It wrapped around the two of them, tying them together, face-to-face.
"Nani? What the hell?" Soi said.
"Suboshi... let us go." Tomo glared at the young boy.
"Iie. It's more peaceful this way. You two can figure out how to get of this one together," said Suboshi, who was making his way to the opposite side of camp, whistling all the way.
"This is your fault, you realize."
"How is this my fault, Tomo? You tripped me for no reason!"
Tomo laughed, a strange "kakakakakaka" sound echoing in Soi's ears. "Of course, there was a reason. It was for my own amusement."
Soi growled, struggled futilely against the rope wrapped around her and Tomo.
"Itai... stop! You're making it worse!"
"Well, what do you want me to do? You're obviously not doing anything to get us out of this situation."
Tomo leaned back to look Soi square in the eyes. "If you would shut up for more than a second, I can think, and get us out of this!"
Soi grumbled something unintelligible, but stayed quiet after that. Tomo stood in deep thought, finally sighed.
"Have you figured it out?" Soi asked hopefully.
"Indeed I have," Tomo announced. "On the count of the three. One, two, three... HEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLPPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!"
Soi burst out laughing. "This is your big plan?"
Tomo grinned. "You have a better idea, or would you rather be tied up with me the rest of the day?"
Soi's smile faded. "HEEEEEELLLLPPPPP!!!!" she began screaming.
-------------------
Nakago sat in his chair, fixed a wary eye on Skye. She sat on the edge of his bed - there was no where else for her to sit - and simply allowed him to look her over.
*She certainly doesn't seem to be a ghost,* he thought.
"Well of course I'm not a ghost, Ayuru of the Hin," she read his mind, smiling wryly.
The shogun started, nearly fell off his chair. "You read minds?"
The girl shrugged casually. "Only Seiryuu's seishi."
Nakago stood, walked to her. "So, you're saying that Seiryuu sent you to do.... what?"
Skye rose from the bed and leveled her gaze with Nakago's. "He knows what you're doing. Your quest for revenge against Kutou... he understands, but he wants you to know that he, himself, has never wronged you."
The older man snorted. "Seiryuu understands? He knows what it's like to kill his own mother? He knows how it feels to have your entire people destroyed?"
"You are half Kutou, Ayuru. If only -"
"Don't," his voice rose a little. "Call me Ayuru. I am Nakago."
Skye sighed, sank back down to the bed. "I definitely have my work cut out for me."
"Enough," Nakago said. "I don't know who you think you are, but I am no longer amused."
"This isn't a joke!" she yelled. He was taken by surprise at her outburst. "Seiryuu sent me here to remind you who you are. You may be a part of the Hin Tribe, but you are, first and foremost, a seishi. And I can't leave here until things with you are sorted out."
Nakago was getting angry. "I never asked Seiryuu for help."
"Of course you did. You ask for it everyday..." her voice trailed off, seeing the obscure expression on his face.
"H-how did you-?"
Nakago had backed away, slumped into his chair. Skye walked from the bed to kneel in front of him. "I told you," she said, her voice soft. "Seiryuu sent me. I'm not a seishi, and I'm not exactly human."
"Then what are you?"
"I'm known as Joukai no Hogosha," she replied with a slight bow of her head. She took one of Nakago's hands in her own. He pulled back, the contact completely unfamiliar, but she gripped his hand hard. "My sole purpose for being here is to help you realize exactly what you are."
He locked eyes with hers. "And what is that?"
Skye smiled. "All in due time, Ayu... Nakago."
------------
Info: Joukai no Hogoshi means "Heaven's Guardian" thought that might be a mite pertinent to the non-Japanese speaking readers (such as myself) Arrigato to my Otouto, Ryuen, for finding that for me ^_~.