Disclaimer: Although I may wish with all of my heart that I own the seishi, they belong to Watase-san…but I can still dream, can't I? And I really do own a stuffed animal named Nuriko… ^^;;
Author's note: I will be responding to the reviews as much as I possibly can…because I love all reviews, they make me happy, and happy me equals good writing… ^^;;
Urg, this week was so boring at school that I got this whole chapter done during the block space in between science and academics. -_-
Anyway…here be my responses…please read and review…then you can get your name displayed in here too! ::dundundun::
Anya: No, there would not be any yaoi in this…since I think that you can already guess what the major pairing is going to be…it is mostly all friendship between the seishi…but I do like yaoi, and I will have to write a yaoi sometime…perhaps a 1x2 one…=]
Purple mouse: Hai, Nuriko and Hotohori are two of my favorite seishi! I wouldn't kill them off, since all my fic ideas revolve around both of them. ^^.
DC and scarlet.tennyo: You really like it that much?
Wow…everybody seems to love my ficcy so far…and I haven't even gotten past the prologue yet… O.O;;
…wow…anyway…here be the chapter! ^^.
(O yeah…italics are thoughts…)
Chapter One: Autumn
Hotohori finally finds the strength to drag himself out of bed, after lying awake for an hour. It was strange, usually he liked to think about things, about life, and just doing nothing, but now, it only brought on more sorrow. Why should he give himself fantasies to dream about if they're only going to give him pain?
He walks over to the chest, and digs out something to wear. What he found was a silk material, slightly darker than what he usually wears; a dark blue color with a black and gold vine pattern, and red running all around as an added highlight. He gazes at his reflection in the mirror, the clothes fitting him exceptionally well; accenting his golden eyes, and making them shine with a different fire.
For one day, only one more, will I have to pretend to be "Hotohori", the brave, noble, and courageous swordsman. After that, I can go back to…His thoughts trail off.
Go back to what? What was there to go back to? It seemed to him as though Miaka and the seishi had been there his whole life, but that was only partially true. The truth was that, yes, he had been alive before he had known Miaka, but he didn't actually start living until he looked into her eyes.
Remembering her eyes, a slight smile covers his face. Her eyes are beautiful…like autumn, when the trees are mostly bare except for the evergreens, which stand tall against the weather. Yes, she was like autumn, because that season is exceptionally beautiful, yet it is short, and before you know it, it's gone with a gust of cold wind. The man in the mirror, who was only briefly smiling before, looks miserable once again.
Snap out of it, Saihitei. You shouldn't morn the loss of someone who is still there.
But in truth…he had already lost her.
He looks at the mirror again. Who is the beautiful, mysterious, and sad man in there? It surely couldn't be him…
Just one more day…and then I won't have to pretend anymore.
He forces a calm, gentle look, like he has done countless times, only today for some reason, it's much harder. The same look on the man in the mirror stared back at him.
Not being able to stand looking him, Hotohori walks over to the window, hearing the birds in the background, to meet a sight almost as depressing as the mirror…
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Miaka slowly awakens to the sounds of someone moving around the room. She snaps her head up, and is immediately relieved to find that there was no intruder.
"Tamahome? What are you doing sneaking around the room like that? You scared me. I thought you were a thief or something!"
Tama looks up from cleaning up something on the floor, to find her awake, and quickly throws on a smile. "I didn't want to wake you, so I was trying to be quiet." He motions to the mess on the floor. "It didn't help that I knocked everything off the table searching for this." He extends his hand toward her, handing her the object.
Today…today will be the day I tell her…
She studies the expression on his face, before shrugging it off, and looking down at the object in her hands. It is a small wooden box, just plain and simple. She looks back up at him questionably.
"Don't worry…it won't eat you. Now open it."
Flipping the lid, Miaka's eyes widen with wonder. In it, there lies a hair ribbon, black with red and gold leaves all around it, made of silk. Looking back up at Tamahome, she cannot think of anything to say, except for one question.
"How did you get this?"
"I bought it. I have been saving up for a long time, and since today is special…I thought that now would be the appropriate time to give it to you."
Looking between the ribbon and him, Miaka is speechless. Something like this would have cost a lot in her world. Turning to him, she throws her arms around his neck.
"Thank you, Tamahome. It's beautiful." If he could see the expression on her face though, he wouldn't believe her thanks as much.
He has to learn that finery and money won't make me happy…they don't win my heart…
However, Tamahome does notice. Expecting some more thanks, he is disappointed, but quickly hides it behind a smile.
"Go ahead, put it on."
Miaka rises from the bed to stand in front of a mirror, doing her hair in a high ponytail. She smiles at herself in the mirror, and then proceeds to get dressed. Her uniform maws totally trashed during the summoning, so she wears an outfit from this world, red, black, and gold, just like the ribbon only with a different pattern.
After she is done, she hears the birds singing and is compelled to look out the window. Breathing in the fresh early autumn air, she sighs. "Kirei…today is going to be really beautiful." Turning back to Tamahome, she asks, "Ne, Tama, do you want to go for a walk in the courtyard?"
Tamahome, meanwhile, is deep in thought.
Miaka…I've loved you for a long time now, but I seriously doubt if I love you enough to leave this world for you. You're a wonderful friend, but as my love, I can't keep on pretending that I'm happy. I want more, but I can't ask you for that. You're not ready, and what I want I could never get from you. I only hope that I can find the courage to say this to your face, before it's too late…
Finally acknowledging her question, he responds.
"Yes, a walk in the courtyard sounds nice at the moment. Lead on," he says, adding a fake smile, although it's good enough to not gain Miaka's attention.
After walking through the halls, they finally reach the outside. Then Tamahome reaches a decision.
I'll tell her that I'm not going with her to her world today…right here, in the courtyard…
Miaka walks on ahead of him, her thoughts in the clouds as well.
Is he actually coming with me? Should I be happy or not? Before I was happy, rejoicing even, but now I'm not so sure…why? I see that look in his eye…when he thinks that I'm not looking. There's no other way that I can interpret it…it looks as though he is bored…he wants to be away from me? Does he really? Do I want him to leave? Do I still love him?
Confused, she puts up a smile as Tamahome catches up with her.
Would I care if he didn't come? I do care about him…but somehow all the love and roses that there were before just aren't there anymore…
"It's really beautiful here, ne?" she asks cheerfully. "The willow trees are gorgeous at this time of year…" she looks around at the scenery, trying to get her mind off of her doubts and fears. And, as luck would have it, that's when Tamahome said the thing that made her life change.
"Miaka…we need to talk."
Handy little dictionary:
Kirei: beautiful, pretty
Ne: right?