Well then, this update took longer than the rest. The other few chapters came on so fast it sapped me of a lot motivation. The next chapter will also probably take more time… as I also have several tests (ie. Dratted French Grammar) that I have to contend with.
Disclaimer: Fushigi Yuugi is in no way mine….
Chapter 4
It had been an interminable time since the enchantress last spoke. The trees were already whipping around in the as if they were mere blades of grass. She felt herself spiralling down into despair, and dark thought clouded her mind. The sky was completely black although it was day, and the lighting continuously flashed in the sky.
"We'll have to take shelter." Hotohori broke the silence. He walked a few paces forward, his cloak moving in time to his movement.
"There are no shelters around." Kasumi's hair was whipping violently from the wind and looked like a black cloud. "Will you take the chance of using my powers?"
"No." Hotohori shook his head, and appeared to take a step to her, but thought the better of it. "We don't have just us to think about. We can't risk Chuei and Yuiren. It wouldn't be fair to them." He said lowly.
Kasumi watched as he turned around again and began scanning the cliffs on the edge of the forest. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Do you see that gap in the cliffs?"
She reluctantly stood beside him and followed his cave. "Yes," she breathed. She turned to him sharply. "We'll have to climb up there. And in this weather…."
As if in response to her statement, thunder struck and the ice pellets became a torrential downpour. She could barely see Hotohori through the rain, although he was inches away from her.
"Chuei! Yuiren!" She heard Hotohori shout. "Don't get separated!"
Kasumi put the hood of her cloak on and looked at them. "I'll lead us there." She said firmly.
"Can you see though all this rain?" Yuiren asked, shivering violently. Chuei sighed, took his over cloak off and put it on his sister, looking a bit worried.
She shook her head and met Hotohori's eyes challengingly. "I'll use my powers to see through the rain."
His mouth hardened as she said it. Hotohori clenched his fist angrily. "I already told you – "
"The amount of energy I'm using for this will be minimal. Unless you'd rather have us drown first." Kasumi said in a softly dangerous voice. "Which will be easy to do if we cannot see!" She turned around and began walking, not glancing back.
Hotohori watched her back as she moved, silent but angry. After a moment, he followed her. He was so consumed in his own thoughts he nearly ran into Chuei, who stopped in front of him suddenly. He large shadow loomed overhead; it was the cliff. He grudgingly admitted to himself that she had been right. He moved to the front and touched the cold rock.
"We'll have to climb." He stated, looking around at everyone. Hotohori measured the distance with his eyes. "There are natural footholds in some places, so it shouldn't be too hard." He looked at Yuiren again, concerned. "Maybe I should carry you." He said. She nodded.
"I'll go up first.," said Chuei suddenly, shaking his wet hair out of his eyes. "So I can help Hotohori up with Yuiren." He grasped a rock above his head and began hoisting himself up. They all watched as he pulled himself into the cave and waved down at them. "It's alright!" he called down.
"Go." Kasumi said to Hotohori quietly. "I'll watch out for both of you."
Hotohori lifted Yuiren up onto his back. "Hold on tight and don't let go." He said, and without another word, began climbing.
Without warning, an extremely loud rumbled of thunder hit. Yuiren gasped in surprise and clung to him tighter. The flash of lighting blinded him, and Hotohori wasn't sure where the next rock was. He groped around with his right hand, dimly hearing Chuei over the rain and wind. His grip on the rock was slipping.
"Just keep holding on," he grunted to Yuiren just as his foot slipped of the narrow ledge he was on. His left arm was straining for hold, and was the only thing keeping them from falling several feet. Yuiren was whimpering in fear. The realization hit him suddenly that they were going to fall.
A hand grasped his and placed it on a solid hold. "Don't let go of it." Kasumi said, level with him. "Yuiren, can you climb the rest of the way by yourself? You're more than halfway there already."
Yuiren peered up and nodded. She inched of Hotohori to grab hold of some foothold, and began scrambling up wildly.
With the weight of Yuiren off him, Hotohori managed to get a steady hold.
"Are you okay now?" Kasumi asked. Seeing him nod, she began scaling up the cliff. Inside, Chuei had already managed to start a tiny fire, which he and Yuiren were already sitting by. She leaned back over the edge to take Hotohori's arm to pull him in.
"Thank you." He said, breathing heavily. "We nearly fell."
Kasumi played with a lock of her hair. "Don't mention it."
"Yuiren!" Chuei suddenly said, shaking her by the shoulder. "Yuiren!"
Hotohori glanced up quickly. "What's wrong with her?"
Chuei touched her forehead. "She has a huge fever!"
Kasumi knelt next to her, brow furrowed slightly. Yuiren was white and all clammy, not to mention unconscious. "It must of have been all of this freezing rain…" She looked around. "I don't anything to heal her with, and I can't use any healing properties. The best we can do now is keep her warm and wait."
Hotohori watched as he took of her cloak, noting that it was dry from some spell of hers. She placed it on top of Yuiren. Kasumi was wearing that torn robe again, and her arms and legs looked almost milky in the flickering light. Chuei looked away in embarrassment, turning a deep shade of red.
"I guess we'll wait out Houki's storm." Hotohori said, taking out his sword to dry it. "She doesn't have enough power to keep it going for such a long time."
Kasumi shook out her hair, combing out knots with her fingers. "Or until Yuiren wakes up." She added softly, shooting the unconscious girl a pondering look. She sat down and leaned against a wall, beginning to doze.
Hotohori stood by the entrance of the cave, looking out at the dark sky, feeling unexplainably empty. He heard a soft whirring sound, and flipped backwards to avoid the spinning ryuseisui. He landed with a soft thump. Chuei jumped up, eyes wary.
Kasumi had jerked awake and had narrowed her eyes, standing up calmly and moving in front of Hotohori at the entrance. She stared outside, unblinking. "Chuei, take Yuiren and move farther back." She commanded in a whisper.
A man came flying in and grabbed Kasumi by the throat, pinning her against the wall. His blue eyes gleamed. "Chiriko is displeased." He breathed to her.
"It's you!" she shouted. In a fluid movement, she twisted his wrists around and kicked him in the side to get free.
Hotohori took up his sword, but she immediately motioned him away. "This is my fight." She hissed back to him. "Go with Yuiren and Chuei." Kasumi leapt up to avoid another attack with the ryuseisui and twisted around to face Suboshi again.
"What does Chiriko want?" she spat angrily. From her hand materialized an ivory staff with a deadly blade on one end.
"He wants you." Suboshi replied, mocking her. He sent the ryuseisui around again and took out a sword, watching her carefully.
"Hotohori, get out of here." She said forcefully, and looked at him quickly. "And I will use my powers if I have to." As soon as she finished saying it, she ran, flipped, and ended up behind Suboshi. Kasumi didn't even hesitate as she brought the staff down squarely on his head, effectively knocking him out. She shrank the staff in a white glimmer and looked at Hotohori.
"Why didn't you go?" she asked squarely, glaring at him.
"I didn't want to. You could have been killed." Hotohori replied shortly.
Her lips turned up into a smile. "Not by Suboshi." She stated. "Maybe by you, maybe by Chiriko, and even maybe by Chichiri if he's quick, but not by this amateur."
"This cave isn't a cave!" Chuei yelled, and ran back up with Yuiren on his back. "I kicked through some rocks, and it's like a tunnel back there."
Hotohori and Kasumi looked at each other. "Well, let's go then." She said as if nothing happened. "I don't want to be here when Suboshi wakes up."
"Yuiren, open your eyes."
"I don't want to. I'm tired…." She muttered groggily.
"Don't be such a baby, little sister. Open your eyes."
So Yuiren did, opening them just a bit to squint through them. What she saw made her sit up and cry out in shock. "Gyukuren?!?" she cried. She was sitting in a room of white cloth and candles. "But you're dead!"
Gyukuren smiled fondly at her sister. "No, Master Chichiri found me and Shunkei and saved us. I think you should come here and stay with us. Chuei, too."
"Chichiri of Gasshou? But… I can't. I have to find Tamahome." Yuiren argued, standing up. The room didn't look solid but shimmered around her when she moved.
"We can get Tamahome here too." Gyukuren pointed out.
"Yeah, but he's part of the rebel faction and Chichiri is part of Gasshou…. Why are you there?"
"He saved me and Shunkei." Gyukuren stated again.
"And didn't save anyone else?" Yuiren said suspiciously. She wanted to believe Gyukuren more than anything, as all she wanted was to be reunited with her siblings. But Chichiri was sly… he has other motives, she was sure of it.
Gyukuren's eyes flashed angrily. "You don't trust me, do you?" she sprung up and grabbed her sister's arm.
Yuiren squirmed a bit as the hold on her wrist tightened. "I think Chichiri has brainwashed you." She declared.
"Master Chichiri." Gyukuren corrected instantly.
Yuiren laughed derisively. "Master? Like hell he is. I won't come, Gyukuren, so just leave me alone."
"So you would forsake your only sister…" Gyukuren said quietly. She placed her hands on both of Yuiren's shoulders and stared hard into her eyes with an odd look. "But I know you will change your mind."
"I - " Yuiren stopped and looked around, confused. "I'll come here with Chuei, then." She said finally.
"One more thing, little sister. You're inside a dream I made… so don't speak of this to anyone you're with. Just find a way of getting yourself and Chuei here." Gyukuren settled back into her seat, looking satisfied.
"I won't tell."
Nuriko laughed delightfully. "They fell for it."
"Yep, that enchantress bitch couldn't help herself." Houki said matter-of-factly, tapping her horse lightly with a foot to make it turn. "You know where they are though, right?"
"Yeah. Unfortunately, they found a little shortcut because of the storm, and they're a lot closer to the rebel headquarters than before. But really, it won't be a problem catching up to them."
"I want to kill him." Houki said in a soft but intensely bitter voice. "After all we went through…."
Nuriko looked mildly surprised. "I always thought you just wanted to get him back."
"I did." She spat. "But the enchantress is back. I have a quarrel with her going far back, before Hotohori. And now Hotohori's falling for her like a disgusting puppy." Her knuckles turned white as she tightened her hold on the reins. "It's his fault too. They'll both pay."
"You never told me about this." Nuriko said, looking a bit hurt.
"I've haven't even told Hotohori about how far back I go with her." Houki pointed out. "I haven't told anyone." She blinked rapidly to push back hot tears of anger. "But it'll all come out when I'm through with them. I promise."
Mitsukake lay flat on the rock, knowing that his dark cloak would conceal him from enemy detection. He squinted into the distance and saw the faint outline of the rebel headquarters. He had found no survivors…. unmerciful bastards. However, in his opinion, Nakago and Soi were also very intelligent. Leaving no survivors to tell the tale to Chiriko. Very prudent. He didn't want to face Chiriko now, however. He couldn't even find Yui's body….. Chiriko wouldn't like the fact that she was dead. So he would try to infiltrate the rebel faction, and bring intelligence back to Chiriko. He only hoped that Chiriko would be pleased rather than furious.
Chichiri left Gyukuren alone in her room, darkly pleased with himself. He made his way slowly to Chiriko's audience room, wanting to make him wait for longer than necessary. As was his habit, he shoved the Gasshou trainees out of his way, chuckling in amusement as he did at their fear. Stupid infants will never amount to anything if they're only afraid of me….
He arrived at the oak door and entered it without any announcement, and bowed to Chiriko shortly. "What is it that you called me here for?"
Chiriko draped his cloak over the back of a great chair, and watched him with an unreadable expression. "You are late." He stated.
"I was busy."
Suddenly, it seemed like invisible giant hands were squeezing Chichiri around his chest, so much that it was difficult to breathe. Chiriko didn't blink. To his credit though…. Chichiri didn't even flinch. It would have killed an ordinary man.
The air around him tightened. "You have not explained to me why you have summoned me." He said calmly enough, his pain only made apparent by his slight shifting.
"Besides this…. fun… that we're having?" Chiriko drawled. His eyes flashed, and noted that Chichiri was gasping for air.
Chichiri finally grimaced. The last attack probably broke one of his ribs… "Yes, besides." He growled. He would have liked to clench his fists, but his was completely unable to move.
Chiriko clapped his hands twice, and it stopped. Chichiri was almost fell over, being caught unawares. A serving maid entered. "Prepare some wine for Master Chichiri and myself." He motioned to a chair. "Sit."
He reluctantly did so, but sat stiffly.
Chiriko sat there and studied Chichiri's expression suspiciously until the wine came in and was served. Chichiri stared at the maid as she poured it, and studied the surface of the wine to make sure it was not poisoned.
Chiriko finally began speaking. "I want you to send Ashitaire and his followers out to Hotohori and….Kasumi. Suboshi has been knocked unconscious, and Mitsukake is now apparently on a spying mission. Suboshi will be punished, of course, when he returns."
"I thought Mitsukake was sent to search for Yui and any survivors." Chichiri said, taking a long sip.
"He found none. He didn't even find her body. She's alive, of course, but that fool of a healer does not recognize. At least he may be useful there, as long as he is not killed." Chiriko said darkly. "If he is killed, we'll lose one of our advantages against the stupid rebels." He looked up at the glass of his ceiling. "But this is not the real reason why I called you here."
Chichiri drummed his fingers on his knee impatiently. "Then why did you send for me?"
"I have deciphered the first few lines of the incantation. But these lines have nothing to do with summoning itself. It merely explains what has already happened as part of the prophecy."
If Chichiri felt any shock, terror, or anger, he didn't show it. "What is it, then?"
"Failings, fallings. This is what shall occur, and the waters will flow through separate streams. Friendships forgotten, enmity lost… new shall arise a complete god…. And I haven't finished the rest. The waters are the seishi, the separate streams are the rebels and house. Tamahome is now working with Nakago, as we are now working with Tomo."
"Does it state anything about the people who are now involved and not a seishi?" Chichiri asked after a long silence.
"No. Perhaps further on in the prophecy part of the recitation. They are in a different class altogether…I don't know much about these…outsiders and how they've come to play a part in all this." Chiriko said.
"She is an outsider, you know."
"I do know. Maybe once she's back here I'll find out why." Chiriko said, settling back into his cushioned chair. "You are dismissed. And remember to send Ashitaire out. I want her back as soon as possible."
He watched Chichiri leave and slam the door. " Indeed, what part do they play?" he questioned himself softly. In frustration at his lack of knowledge, he began throwing his papers and inkbottles against the wall, over and over again until everything was a pile of glass and stained papers.
It's time to thank all my nice reviewers….
Faerie_X: Yep. Shokka is alive. And this story itself doesn't really fit into the original FY storyline, it just assumes that no one died and the gods were never summoned.
Princess-Yumin: I only wish…. ^_^
J-chan: Well, the point is that you DID review, now isn't it?
Kawai Tenshi Chan: I'm quite flattered that you're so interestied in my fic…..
Chichirirulz: Yeah, I do think Chichiri is awesome. I'm in love with the thought a bad Chichiri. ^_^
Hamstersr2cool: *jumps back* Wow. I can't imagine how into the fic you are at this point… but looking at your reviews…. Good job. *smile*
SugarGlider: No, you are NOT blabbering.
DragonGoddess: There is a reason for Chichiri's 'evilness'… I just haven't figured out how to work it in yet.
Tsukiyo Uchibayashi: Haven't been able to read fics??? *pats back* I know if I don't constantly read/write fics, I get lost.
And as I already have mentioned waaaaay above in the beginning, the next chapter will take a bit more time than usual. So just be patient, because they will come right after I write all those horrid tests….