Disclaimer: I forgot to mention this, but I don't own Fushigi Yuugi. If I
did, you would all be paying to read this!
Hotohori took off down a mountain path, whistling in his delight. It had been a week since he left the palace - and Tamahome - to fend for themselves. He was faring pretty well on his own. Only a few minor setbacks had occurred, including the loss of his horse, money, and luggage. He wasn't deterred in the least, why even now he was heading toward a possible seishi! He would find the four remaining celestial warriors and rescue Miaka in a dashing and heroic fashion. She would fall into his arms and they'd ride off into the sunset for the happily ever after he deserved!
Hmm. was it him or was the sky darkening rather rapidly? Hotohori sped up his pace gradually until he was nearly running. But his speed was nothing compared to the dimming heavens. He had barely begun running when night fell upon him along with a rather heavy companion.
As the young emperor got a mouthful of turf, the heavy weight on his back grabbed nimbly at his wrists. Before he could react, he was trussed and tied like a Christmas goose. Unseen hands plucked his sword from his waist and turned him roughly over so the ebony sky could mock his grass stained façade.
"We did it! We did it!" The goddamned thieves were congratulating themselves! How foolish he was to fall into such an obvious trap. The lad from the village must have lied to him and his preoccupation with an idealistic dream did not help either. Still, the sky did not react like that naturally. Something supernatural was involved with this highway robbery. Something or someone that left a lingering chi, which felt oddly soothing and intrinsically familiar.
"Finally." Another voice muttered. Hotohori was reasonably certain that there were three crooks that had mugged him. The two that had gotten the drop on him were young, younger than he at least. Their leader moved with a brisk efficiency as all of Hotohori's pockets were searched and their contents stripped.
"Chichiri, drop the night spell so we can have a look at our captive." One of the young voices demanded imperiously. So, their leader's name was Chichiri and he was the spell caster. All of that was pertinent information that an experienced bandit would never drop for a captive to hear. Hotohori grinned grimly as he sensed rather than saw Chichiri's hand slap his forehead in exasperation.
"I knew I should have left you behind, no da." Chichiri gritted out quietly. Nevertheless, he banished his magic with a wave of a hand. Abruptly, the midday sun was boring into Hotohori's eyes and he winced away from it in pain.
"Kawaii." the one lad breathed. "She's so kawaii!! We caught a beautiful girl, Amiboshi!"
"Excuse me?" Hotohori choked out. Did those brainless boobs really believe him to be a woman? He was naturally beautiful but there was no way he bore any resemblance to a girl!
"Don't worry Miss. You may be our captive but we of the bandits of Mt. Reikaku will not take advantage of you! Please let me introduce ourselves. This is my brother Amiboshi and our sensei Chichiri. I am Suboshi, a proud and noble warrior of Seiryuu!" Chichiri-sensei looked mortified as once again his pupils gave away important details about themselves and their affiliation to the most notorious of all the bandit groups.
"Bandits? How fortunate," Hotohori replied, thinking fast. "It is my most fervent dream to become a bandit! Please," He grabbed Suboshi's hand and batted his long eyelashes at him, "Please, won't you let me join you? I would be ever so grateful." The boy, Suboshi, gaped in amazement as the woman of his dreams practically threw herself at him.
"That is not Suboshi's decision to make, Miss. All petitions for membership have to be brought before the Boss, no da." Chichiri's voice was hard and his one eye held no emotion. Hotohori just had to get them to take him to their leader! Miaka was in danger and he was honor bound as a man to rescue her.
"Allow me to demonstrate my skills as a thief for you. If you deem them worthy, sir, then bring me before your leader." Hotohori stated boldly. Truthfully, he had never stolen a thing in his life but if Miaka and Tamahome could do it, how hard could it really be? Not that he loved her any less for it, but Miaka was not a sterling example of brilliant intellect. He would play up the part of a daring, beautiful maiden and win an audience with the bandit king in order to find Miaka.
"Oh please Chichiri let her try!" Suboshi begged. His floating yo-yos meandered toward Hotohori who slapped it away.
"The bandits of Mt. Reikaku are equal opportunity employers. We must allow her to try," Amiboshi chimed in thoughtfully. He shot a shy glance at Hotohori and tenderly stroked his flute. The emperor shuddered inwardly as he slapped another yo-yo away. Perhaps this wasn't his best idea.
"We just haven't got the time to do this, no da." Chichiri protested. "The Boss sent us on a very important mission and we can't let any innocent bystander be caught up in whatever violent repercussions may occur, no da."
"But she can defend herself!"
"I can defend myself!" Hotohori echoed Suboshi's cry with great indignation. "Give me back my sword and I'll prove it to you!"
Chichiri's interest was peaked. He motioned Amiboshi to return the weapon. "How do you plan on doing that?" He inquired.
"Umm, they are Seiryuu seishi correct? If I can adequately defend myself against them, I should be worthy of the chance to prove myself worthy." Hotohori stopped to think about what he had just said for a second before backing it up with an emphatic nod.
"A blind cripple could defend themselves against these two morons," Chichiri muttered.
"What was that, sir?" Hotohori asked delicately.
"I said, go ahead but if you lose you must go, no da."
"I can't hit a girl!" Suboshi cried with desperate nobility. Amiboshi repeated the claim a bit more quietly. Hotohori unsheathed his sword.
"I have no problem hitting you," the emperor stated coldly. The twins shared a deer-in-headlights look as their blushing victim approached them steadily.
Ten minutes later, Hotohori resheathed his sword and ran a delicate hand through his hair. Suboshi and Amiboshi lay in a crumpled heap on the woodland floor. Chichiri remained stoic as he surveyed the bloodied noses and darkening bruises of his charges. He nodded to Hotohori and turned back to the path.
"We head north," he said, "you may prove yourself on the way."
Hotohori took off down a mountain path, whistling in his delight. It had been a week since he left the palace - and Tamahome - to fend for themselves. He was faring pretty well on his own. Only a few minor setbacks had occurred, including the loss of his horse, money, and luggage. He wasn't deterred in the least, why even now he was heading toward a possible seishi! He would find the four remaining celestial warriors and rescue Miaka in a dashing and heroic fashion. She would fall into his arms and they'd ride off into the sunset for the happily ever after he deserved!
Hmm. was it him or was the sky darkening rather rapidly? Hotohori sped up his pace gradually until he was nearly running. But his speed was nothing compared to the dimming heavens. He had barely begun running when night fell upon him along with a rather heavy companion.
As the young emperor got a mouthful of turf, the heavy weight on his back grabbed nimbly at his wrists. Before he could react, he was trussed and tied like a Christmas goose. Unseen hands plucked his sword from his waist and turned him roughly over so the ebony sky could mock his grass stained façade.
"We did it! We did it!" The goddamned thieves were congratulating themselves! How foolish he was to fall into such an obvious trap. The lad from the village must have lied to him and his preoccupation with an idealistic dream did not help either. Still, the sky did not react like that naturally. Something supernatural was involved with this highway robbery. Something or someone that left a lingering chi, which felt oddly soothing and intrinsically familiar.
"Finally." Another voice muttered. Hotohori was reasonably certain that there were three crooks that had mugged him. The two that had gotten the drop on him were young, younger than he at least. Their leader moved with a brisk efficiency as all of Hotohori's pockets were searched and their contents stripped.
"Chichiri, drop the night spell so we can have a look at our captive." One of the young voices demanded imperiously. So, their leader's name was Chichiri and he was the spell caster. All of that was pertinent information that an experienced bandit would never drop for a captive to hear. Hotohori grinned grimly as he sensed rather than saw Chichiri's hand slap his forehead in exasperation.
"I knew I should have left you behind, no da." Chichiri gritted out quietly. Nevertheless, he banished his magic with a wave of a hand. Abruptly, the midday sun was boring into Hotohori's eyes and he winced away from it in pain.
"Kawaii." the one lad breathed. "She's so kawaii!! We caught a beautiful girl, Amiboshi!"
"Excuse me?" Hotohori choked out. Did those brainless boobs really believe him to be a woman? He was naturally beautiful but there was no way he bore any resemblance to a girl!
"Don't worry Miss. You may be our captive but we of the bandits of Mt. Reikaku will not take advantage of you! Please let me introduce ourselves. This is my brother Amiboshi and our sensei Chichiri. I am Suboshi, a proud and noble warrior of Seiryuu!" Chichiri-sensei looked mortified as once again his pupils gave away important details about themselves and their affiliation to the most notorious of all the bandit groups.
"Bandits? How fortunate," Hotohori replied, thinking fast. "It is my most fervent dream to become a bandit! Please," He grabbed Suboshi's hand and batted his long eyelashes at him, "Please, won't you let me join you? I would be ever so grateful." The boy, Suboshi, gaped in amazement as the woman of his dreams practically threw herself at him.
"That is not Suboshi's decision to make, Miss. All petitions for membership have to be brought before the Boss, no da." Chichiri's voice was hard and his one eye held no emotion. Hotohori just had to get them to take him to their leader! Miaka was in danger and he was honor bound as a man to rescue her.
"Allow me to demonstrate my skills as a thief for you. If you deem them worthy, sir, then bring me before your leader." Hotohori stated boldly. Truthfully, he had never stolen a thing in his life but if Miaka and Tamahome could do it, how hard could it really be? Not that he loved her any less for it, but Miaka was not a sterling example of brilliant intellect. He would play up the part of a daring, beautiful maiden and win an audience with the bandit king in order to find Miaka.
"Oh please Chichiri let her try!" Suboshi begged. His floating yo-yos meandered toward Hotohori who slapped it away.
"The bandits of Mt. Reikaku are equal opportunity employers. We must allow her to try," Amiboshi chimed in thoughtfully. He shot a shy glance at Hotohori and tenderly stroked his flute. The emperor shuddered inwardly as he slapped another yo-yo away. Perhaps this wasn't his best idea.
"We just haven't got the time to do this, no da." Chichiri protested. "The Boss sent us on a very important mission and we can't let any innocent bystander be caught up in whatever violent repercussions may occur, no da."
"But she can defend herself!"
"I can defend myself!" Hotohori echoed Suboshi's cry with great indignation. "Give me back my sword and I'll prove it to you!"
Chichiri's interest was peaked. He motioned Amiboshi to return the weapon. "How do you plan on doing that?" He inquired.
"Umm, they are Seiryuu seishi correct? If I can adequately defend myself against them, I should be worthy of the chance to prove myself worthy." Hotohori stopped to think about what he had just said for a second before backing it up with an emphatic nod.
"A blind cripple could defend themselves against these two morons," Chichiri muttered.
"What was that, sir?" Hotohori asked delicately.
"I said, go ahead but if you lose you must go, no da."
"I can't hit a girl!" Suboshi cried with desperate nobility. Amiboshi repeated the claim a bit more quietly. Hotohori unsheathed his sword.
"I have no problem hitting you," the emperor stated coldly. The twins shared a deer-in-headlights look as their blushing victim approached them steadily.
Ten minutes later, Hotohori resheathed his sword and ran a delicate hand through his hair. Suboshi and Amiboshi lay in a crumpled heap on the woodland floor. Chichiri remained stoic as he surveyed the bloodied noses and darkening bruises of his charges. He nodded to Hotohori and turned back to the path.
"We head north," he said, "you may prove yourself on the way."
