Seishi Heaven: A Soap Opera, Episode Two: Confrontations
Suboshi let out another yell. The rag was pressed harder against his mouth to muffle the sound. Frustrated and confused, Suboshi tried to turn around and get a look at his attackers. Spinning around so fast he almost lost his balance, Suboshi glanced at the people in front of him. It was four little kids! He was getting mugged by four little kids! His eyes flickered across their faces but he couldn't see very much, only shadows in the bright sunlight. He frowned. Was it just his imagination or did they look awfully familiar?
One of them punched him in the stomach. It was more humiliating than painful. Being beat up by little babies! I wonder how Yui would react if she saw this, he suddenly thought. Who wants to be with a guy who can't even defend himself?
"Amiboshi!" He tried to scream. "Help me!"
Two of the kids dragged him to a tree and tied him to it tightly, bounding both his hands and feet. Then another yanked out the gag in his mouth. Suboshi gasped for air, trying to control his breathing.
Four dark figures stood in front of him, their arms crossed. If he wasn't tied up to a tree in the middle of the morning, he would have laughed at the whole situation. He had to find some way to get free. Who knew what kind of maniacs these kids were? The tallest one walked up to him. It looked like a boy.
"Where's Big Brother?" the kid asked harshly, jabbing a wooden sword in front of Suboshi's face.
"Huh?" Suboshi didn't know what the guy was talking about. Big Brother? Who the heck was that? How did the guy know about Amiboshi?
The smallest figure, a girl, he guessed, judging from the little buns on her head, leaned over and kicked him in the shins. It didn't hurt at all, but Suboshi felt his face reddening.
"Hey, what's the big idea?" he snapped.
"Where's Big Brother?" the girl screamed. "Give us Big Brother! We want Big Brother!"
The boy pulled the little girl away from him. "Shhh, don't shout, Yuiren," he comforted her. "Big Brother will be here soon. We'll make this creep hand him over!" He turned back to Suboshi. "Where's Big Brother?" he asked fiercely.
"I don't know what you're talking-" Suboshi started to say. Then he stopped. Wait a minute…Yuiren? Four kids? Could these be…Tamahome's little brothers and sisters?!
***
Nuriko rubbed her armbands protectively as she entered the dark cave. Where was he?
"Come on out, you big bad wolf," he muttered softly into the darkness. Then he raised his voice. "Come out so I can kill you again!"
A dim figure stepped out of the shadows. Nuriko whirled around to face it, expecting to see a large wolf creature with one eye missing. Instead, a young girl stepped out.
Nuriko felt his shoulders relax in relief. "Kourin?" Nuriko looked at his little sister in surprise. He was glad it wasn't Ashitaire, though he would never admit it. He didn't feel like fighting at the moment, the memory of the last battle still fresh in his mind.
"What are you doing here all alone?" he scolded his sister.
Kourin smiled. For the first time Nuriko noticed a bundle in her arms. The thing inside moved. Nuriko drew back quickly, flexing his arms for a fight. "What's that thing you're holding?" he asked, panicking.
Suddenly, a small furry head popped out of the sack. It was a little wolf pup. The baby sniffed the air and looked up at Kourin, confusion and adoration in his wide eyes. Kourin giggled and clutched the bundle tighter. "He's hungry. I found him in the woods. I think he was lost. I've been trying to find something to feed him."
Nuriko stepped forward. It wasn't Ashitaire, after all. He leaned over and patted the baby wolf's soft head. It yawned, revealing tiny fangs in its mouth. Kourin smiled down at the little animal.
"Well, come on, let's get outta here," Nuriko said, putting an arm around his little sister. "This place is beginning to make me paranoid. How about we go for ice cream? After all, this little one is…" His voice trailed off.
Kourin's eyes had suddenly gone big and wide. She mouthed wordlessly, pointing to something behind him. Nuriko whirled around.
It was a huge grown wolf, looking straight at him with glaring eyes. Its ears flickered up and down and it growled at Nuriko furiously.
Also…it had one missing eye.
***
Meanwhile…Taiitsukun decided to make a visit to Seishi Heaven, along with two very important visitors.
She hummed quietly as she floated into the gates of Seishi Heaven, Nyan-Nyan floating behind her. However, when she entered, instead of seeing the peaceful haven she expected, her eyes wandered over the wreck of chaos that had erupted all over the place!
She looked on wordlessly. Suboshi was tied to a tree with little kids kicking and punching him…Nuriko was rolling around on the floor with a big wolf…Chiriko was sneaking up on Miboshi with a huge stick in his hand…and Tomo was trying to push Soi into the river!
It was unbelievable! What happened to the happy place called Seishi Heaven? Taiitsukun stared at the chaos, her mouth opened so wide, it made her look more gruesome than normal.
She couldn't take it anymore. "HALT!" she commanded as a loudly she could. Her voice boomed across the woods. Everyone froze when they heard her voice. Nyan Nyan flew over and freed Suboshi from the tree, pulled Nuriko off the wolf, knocked the stick out of Chiriko's outstretched hand, and shoved Tomo away from Soi.
All the seishi and their companions turned to face an angry Taiitsukun, their eyes wide with fear and their mouths opened in surprise.
"NOW, WHAT WAS GOING ON HERE?" Taiitsukun yelled. There was absolute silence for a moment and then…
"They kidnapped me!" Suboshi wailed, clutching his black eye. "I don't even know where Tamahome is!"
"Give us back Big Brother!" Chuei, Shunkei, Gyokuran, and Yuiren suddenly chimed in. "Give us Big Brother!"
Nuriko pointed an accusing finger at the one-eyed wolf. "He started it!"
Ashitaire growled furiously in reply.
"He tried to push me into a river!" Soi screamed, her clothes and hair wet. Nakago gave her a sympathetic hug while Tomo watched enviously.
Miboshi glared at Chiriko. "This KID was trying to attack me?" He asked in disbelief, twirling his toy.
Chiriko lunged at him, his fists curled up, but Nyan Nyan pulled him back. "Let me at him! Let me at him!" Chiriko yelled, trying to wither out of Nyan Nyan's grasp.
Taiitsukun rubbed her temples tiredly. A serious headache was beginning to emerge. I'm too old for this, she mumbled.
"I was hoping for a happy visit," she snapped at all the people in front of her. "Especially since I brought two special visitors with me. Come out, you two. Maybe you can fix this mess…"
The two people behind her Taiitsukun stepped out. Everyone turned to look of them, forgetting everything for a moment and rushing forward with happiness.
"Miaka!"
"Yui!"
TO BE CONTINUED…next episode: Standoff
Suboshi let out another yell. The rag was pressed harder against his mouth to muffle the sound. Frustrated and confused, Suboshi tried to turn around and get a look at his attackers. Spinning around so fast he almost lost his balance, Suboshi glanced at the people in front of him. It was four little kids! He was getting mugged by four little kids! His eyes flickered across their faces but he couldn't see very much, only shadows in the bright sunlight. He frowned. Was it just his imagination or did they look awfully familiar?
One of them punched him in the stomach. It was more humiliating than painful. Being beat up by little babies! I wonder how Yui would react if she saw this, he suddenly thought. Who wants to be with a guy who can't even defend himself?
"Amiboshi!" He tried to scream. "Help me!"
Two of the kids dragged him to a tree and tied him to it tightly, bounding both his hands and feet. Then another yanked out the gag in his mouth. Suboshi gasped for air, trying to control his breathing.
Four dark figures stood in front of him, their arms crossed. If he wasn't tied up to a tree in the middle of the morning, he would have laughed at the whole situation. He had to find some way to get free. Who knew what kind of maniacs these kids were? The tallest one walked up to him. It looked like a boy.
"Where's Big Brother?" the kid asked harshly, jabbing a wooden sword in front of Suboshi's face.
"Huh?" Suboshi didn't know what the guy was talking about. Big Brother? Who the heck was that? How did the guy know about Amiboshi?
The smallest figure, a girl, he guessed, judging from the little buns on her head, leaned over and kicked him in the shins. It didn't hurt at all, but Suboshi felt his face reddening.
"Hey, what's the big idea?" he snapped.
"Where's Big Brother?" the girl screamed. "Give us Big Brother! We want Big Brother!"
The boy pulled the little girl away from him. "Shhh, don't shout, Yuiren," he comforted her. "Big Brother will be here soon. We'll make this creep hand him over!" He turned back to Suboshi. "Where's Big Brother?" he asked fiercely.
"I don't know what you're talking-" Suboshi started to say. Then he stopped. Wait a minute…Yuiren? Four kids? Could these be…Tamahome's little brothers and sisters?!
***
Nuriko rubbed her armbands protectively as she entered the dark cave. Where was he?
"Come on out, you big bad wolf," he muttered softly into the darkness. Then he raised his voice. "Come out so I can kill you again!"
A dim figure stepped out of the shadows. Nuriko whirled around to face it, expecting to see a large wolf creature with one eye missing. Instead, a young girl stepped out.
Nuriko felt his shoulders relax in relief. "Kourin?" Nuriko looked at his little sister in surprise. He was glad it wasn't Ashitaire, though he would never admit it. He didn't feel like fighting at the moment, the memory of the last battle still fresh in his mind.
"What are you doing here all alone?" he scolded his sister.
Kourin smiled. For the first time Nuriko noticed a bundle in her arms. The thing inside moved. Nuriko drew back quickly, flexing his arms for a fight. "What's that thing you're holding?" he asked, panicking.
Suddenly, a small furry head popped out of the sack. It was a little wolf pup. The baby sniffed the air and looked up at Kourin, confusion and adoration in his wide eyes. Kourin giggled and clutched the bundle tighter. "He's hungry. I found him in the woods. I think he was lost. I've been trying to find something to feed him."
Nuriko stepped forward. It wasn't Ashitaire, after all. He leaned over and patted the baby wolf's soft head. It yawned, revealing tiny fangs in its mouth. Kourin smiled down at the little animal.
"Well, come on, let's get outta here," Nuriko said, putting an arm around his little sister. "This place is beginning to make me paranoid. How about we go for ice cream? After all, this little one is…" His voice trailed off.
Kourin's eyes had suddenly gone big and wide. She mouthed wordlessly, pointing to something behind him. Nuriko whirled around.
It was a huge grown wolf, looking straight at him with glaring eyes. Its ears flickered up and down and it growled at Nuriko furiously.
Also…it had one missing eye.
***
Meanwhile…Taiitsukun decided to make a visit to Seishi Heaven, along with two very important visitors.
She hummed quietly as she floated into the gates of Seishi Heaven, Nyan-Nyan floating behind her. However, when she entered, instead of seeing the peaceful haven she expected, her eyes wandered over the wreck of chaos that had erupted all over the place!
She looked on wordlessly. Suboshi was tied to a tree with little kids kicking and punching him…Nuriko was rolling around on the floor with a big wolf…Chiriko was sneaking up on Miboshi with a huge stick in his hand…and Tomo was trying to push Soi into the river!
It was unbelievable! What happened to the happy place called Seishi Heaven? Taiitsukun stared at the chaos, her mouth opened so wide, it made her look more gruesome than normal.
She couldn't take it anymore. "HALT!" she commanded as a loudly she could. Her voice boomed across the woods. Everyone froze when they heard her voice. Nyan Nyan flew over and freed Suboshi from the tree, pulled Nuriko off the wolf, knocked the stick out of Chiriko's outstretched hand, and shoved Tomo away from Soi.
All the seishi and their companions turned to face an angry Taiitsukun, their eyes wide with fear and their mouths opened in surprise.
"NOW, WHAT WAS GOING ON HERE?" Taiitsukun yelled. There was absolute silence for a moment and then…
"They kidnapped me!" Suboshi wailed, clutching his black eye. "I don't even know where Tamahome is!"
"Give us back Big Brother!" Chuei, Shunkei, Gyokuran, and Yuiren suddenly chimed in. "Give us Big Brother!"
Nuriko pointed an accusing finger at the one-eyed wolf. "He started it!"
Ashitaire growled furiously in reply.
"He tried to push me into a river!" Soi screamed, her clothes and hair wet. Nakago gave her a sympathetic hug while Tomo watched enviously.
Miboshi glared at Chiriko. "This KID was trying to attack me?" He asked in disbelief, twirling his toy.
Chiriko lunged at him, his fists curled up, but Nyan Nyan pulled him back. "Let me at him! Let me at him!" Chiriko yelled, trying to wither out of Nyan Nyan's grasp.
Taiitsukun rubbed her temples tiredly. A serious headache was beginning to emerge. I'm too old for this, she mumbled.
"I was hoping for a happy visit," she snapped at all the people in front of her. "Especially since I brought two special visitors with me. Come out, you two. Maybe you can fix this mess…"
The two people behind her Taiitsukun stepped out. Everyone turned to look of them, forgetting everything for a moment and rushing forward with happiness.
"Miaka!"
"Yui!"
TO BE CONTINUED…next episode: Standoff