Uneven Communications:
Not even the Hellmouth was this complicated!
Willow was humming to herself as she walked back towards the palace. Maybe this wasn't such a bad place after all. She was staying in the Imperial Palace. Even without indoor plumbing the place was amazing, much better than the Rosenberg house. She stretched her arms above her head, and glanced over at Tamahome, who had been walking next to her in silence. "Hey, Tamahome..." she stopped and turned to him, "Penny for your thoughts..." She held out a small coin. She knew it wasn't a penny, but close enough. Hotohori had been nice enough to loan her some money to get by if she left the palace. She had always been paranoid about having a little bit of cash, came in handy.
Tamahome's eyes lit up, and he grabbed the coin, "Thanks!" he stuffed it a random pocket on his traditional clothing. "I was actually just thinking about how I've got to get out onto the town and earn some cash. It's been nice staying in the palace, but I'm falling behind." He smiled, and opened the door to his room, which they had just reached. "Ja ne Willow!"*
Willow smiled. She continued to hum as she walked towards her room. She found Tamahome's obsession with money only slightly disconcerting, but it reminded her of Oz's many little quirks, so she could easily let it pass. She nearly ran into Nuriko, who was staring sadly across the grounds as she leaned on the railing outside her own room.
"What's wrong Nuriko?" Willow walked over and leaned against the rail next to the newest Seishi.
The beautiful woman sighed, and held out her hand. A small moonstone earing lay in her palm. "I was walking out by the gazebo and I lost my earring. It's a precious family heirloom, when it is in the dark; it will let off a soft glow. Nighttime is the best time to search for it, but all of my handmaidens are afraid to walk around the palace grounds after the sun has set. I don't know what I'm going to do."
Willow grinned, "I'll go looking for you!" Finally, a way to earn her trust. "I'm not afraid of the dark...okay, so I am, but for reasons that just aren't important here. I'll be back soon!" Willow walked away, hoping that maybe now she could convince Nuriko to join the Seishi. She didn't think that Nuriko would refuse, but she had made it seem that she wasn't going to volunteer.
***
Hotohori gazed at the sky as his advisors stood behind him. He was aware that they were nervously glancing at each other, and were likely preparing to ask him a question that they felt would upset him. He smiled as his chief advisor cleared his throat. "Took them long enough" he thought to himself.
"Heika-sama. I mean no disrespect, but isn't it time that you thought seriously about...about marriage sire?" The man looked at his feet as the Emperor turned. "You have ignored all the ladies in your harem sire. Why do you not even attempt to chose an Empress?"
Hotohori had to fight to keep from laughing. This old subject again? "Because," he smiled slyly, knowing the perfect way to change the line of questioning. "They are not as beautiful as I am." He hadn't expected the looks of complete shock on their faces. Perhaps he went a little too far this time. "I'm joking," he held up his hands and smiled, "I'm simply looking for the ideal woman."
His companions laughed nervously. A brave man spoke quietly, "But what of the lady called Nuriko?"
"Nuriko is a Suzaku Seishi. I would never dream of it." He held up a hand, silencing the conversation. "All my life I have searched for a specific woman, I will continue that search." He turned to leave, and had only walked a few steps before happening upon Willow, who was on her hands and knees beside the path, searching through the flowers.
"Wil-Willow?" He leaned over the railing and smiled at her.
"Xan...I mean, Hotohori!" Willow sat back on her feet, almost nose to nose with Hotohori.
"Willow, what are you doing out at night?" He smiled. "How are things between you and Nuriko?" Willow frowned. "That good I see. I am kept informed of what happens in the palace. Very well. I'll order her to behave."
Willow nearly laughed. Just like Xander to go on a power trip. "Baka." She tapped his nose with her finger, like she used to when they were kids and she was teaching Xander to read, "Orders don't change people's minds." She stood and looked him directly in the eye, "I want to earn her trust myself. It's up to me to become friends with her. Besides, if I can handle Cordelia Chase I can handle a "court maiden."
Hotohori just stared at her. No one ever spoke to him so directly, and the last person to look him in the eye was before he was emperor. He stood, dumbstruck as Willow turned and waved. His advisors merely whispered to themselves about "lack of protocol" and "levels of offence."
***
Willow smiled as she wandered further away from the palace. She was used to being awake at this time of night. Somewhere along the line, it had become her element as well as Buffy's. She looked around, taking in the beauty of the shadowy landscape. She started to hum as she thought of her short talk with Hotohori. She was thinking of him as Xander more and more often. Somewhere, deep down, she knew that she shouldn't. But she ignored that part of herself and kept going.
Suddenly, she heard a flapping sound and several crows flew from the bushes where she had startled them. The black shapes launched at her, and she screamed and threw up her arms instinctively. She stepped back, hoping they would fly over her and away, and instead stepped on a round stone at the edge of a pond. Her tennis shoes slid and she fell into the water, immediately getting tangled in the plants that grew along the bottom. In her panic, she screamed Oz's name loudly.
***
Buffy opened and closed her mouth a few times, trying to account for the fact that one second, she was dry and warm and the next she was soaked to the bone. This was getting too strange for her, but she couldn't stop reading.
***
Tamahome sat upright in bed, clutching his hand over his chest. He had the strangest feeling, something was wrong, and he wasn't sure how he knew. "Willow..."
***
Nuriko laughed shrilly. "That girl is going to get herself into trouble. Can you believe it? Running on some fools errand in the middle of the night?"
Her attendants giggled with her, "Court ladies aren't even allowed near the gazebo. She's going to have to learn harem etiquette if she's going to survive for long."
Nuriko smirked, "Searching for a non-existent earring just because I asked...she's probably a drowned rat by now."
The group of women turned when they heard the door slam open, and Nuriko gasped as she saw Tamahome standing in the entrance to her room, with a look on his face like she had never seen. "Is that true?"
Nuriko growled at him, "So what if it is?" He turned to leave, and was jerked backwards as she grabbed his wrist; "I won't let you go to her."
"She's in danger and you don't even care?" Tamahome struggled against her superhuman grip, but could not break free.
"Why should I? I've been at the palace nearly a year and Heika-sama never even looked at me. Suddenly she shows up and she's got him in the palm of her hand. What's so special about her? Why are you all so infatuated?" Nuriko's voice cracked as she screamed. "So I decided that if she was going to take Hotohori, then I was going to take you from her!"
A small cough silenced everyone, and Nuriko looked past Tamahome's shoulder to see Willow standing in the hallway, her clothes dripping. "So that's what this was all about?" She stepped forward, and half of the Imperial court could be seen peaking around corners and eavesdropping on the confrontation.
"So what if it is? I don't care what you have to say!" Nuriko let go of Tamahome and stared Willow down.
"You shouldn't." Willow looked up, not intimidated.
"I'm not going to listen to you!"
"I don't see why you would."
"Stop it!" Nuriko shrieked at a Willow, and slapped her full force.
"NO!" Willow swung with all her might, enough to make Nuriko reach a hand to the sting her palm had left. Willow opened her hand; "I couldn't find your earring. But I found this pretty stone. I though perhaps you would like it." She held out a small, perfectly round white stone. "You've done all of this because you love Hotohori? He and I are only friends, I promise. If it helps, I'll say something on your behalf." Willow's voice softened, she knew what Nuriko was going through.
Nuriko turned and ran back into her room as she lost her composure and began to cry.
***
"Why are you telling me this Willow?" Hotohori sat on his bed, looking at the blushing redhead in front of him.
"Well, it's always nice to know that someone nearby loves you. I thought it might brighten your day." Willow smiled, "And hers" she thought to herself.
"I see." Hotohori motioned for Willow to sit next to him. "Willow, is there someone that you love?"
She blushed even brighter than before, as her mind filled with memories of Oz. "We aren't talking about me here."
"Willow." She stared at the Emperor, who had suddenly become more serious than she had ever seen her friend. "All of my life, I have dreamed of the day when the Suzaku no Miko would come, I have hoped that she would be someone kind and wonderful, and above all else, someone who understood me."
Willow gulped, she had an idea where this was heading, and she knew it was nowhere good. She hoped he would stop there, but he did not.
"Willow, after we summon Suzaku...I would be honored if you would stay with me, and become my Empress."
She nearly fainted. "He has to be kidding," she thought, her mind flashing back to the days she longed for Xander to say anything that meant he may have returned her feelings. But not now, not in this way. She snapped out of her train of thought when the Emperor pulled his sword, and quickly slashed a hole in the wall in front of them. Tamahome and Nuriko quickly turned, pretending to examine the wallpaper pattern of the hallway.
"Well, Hotohori-sama*...what a pleasant surprise." Nuriko tried not to sound flustered.
Hotohori didn't flinch. He turned to Willow; "My offer stands. You may stay here tonight." He turned and left, giving Tamahome and Nuriko a glare that clearly stated that they were to follow. Nuriko stared at the floor as she left, but Tamahome looked at Willow, his face bringing back memories she never wanted to surface. That was the look Oz had given her, when he had found them together...
***
Willow finally rose from where she had lay restlessly on Hotohori's bed the night before. She tried to think as she dressed, but couldn't form anything resembling a logical thought. She opened the door and stepped out into the hallway. She may as well find Tamahome. She sighed, she had been through this once before, but this time it wasn't her fault.
She finally saw Tamahome walking in one of the many gardens. She jogged to catch up with him. "Tamahome! Wait up!"
He turned, and barely glanced at her before he started on his way again. "I'm going into town. I've been too lazy. I have to earn some money. Sayonara!" He barely waved as he continued.
Willow stopped. "You know, you think the second time around might be easier."
"WILLOW!" The confused Miko jumped three feet as the enraged Nuriko stepped up behind her, "Just friends? Going to tell him are you? How dare you stay in the Emperor's bedchamber?" Before Willow could begin to answer, Nuriko ran to catch up with Tamahome. She hooked her arm in his and he barely glanced. "Ne, Tama-chan let me come with you."
"Hn."
***
"She thinks she's hiding back there." Nuriko had not let go of Tamahome's arm. She glanced back again at Willow, who had put on more traditional clothing and followed them.
"Leave her be."
***
Willow frowned. She knew following them wasn't the wisest course of action, but she had to figure out what she was expected to do. She couldn't see where she went wrong; Tamahome had not expressed any feelings for her. She had not told him how she felt either, and she had not responded to Hotohori's proposal. She reached the center of the crowded square as Tamahome jumped up on a nearby platform, and shouted for attention.
"Attention everyone!" He waited for the crowd to quiet. "By now, I know you've all heard of the Suzaku no Miko. Well, she didn't just come from a faraway country. She came from a completely different WORLD!"
The crowd moved in, warming up to his sales pitch. "Just for today, as an exclusive offer to you, I have authentic items from her world!" He flashed his best smiled and held out the stakes she had given him her first day. "Only one gold ryuu apiece!"
"That's too much!"
"How do we know they're authentic?"
"Yeah! You could be pawning fakes on us!"
Tamahome gulped, trying to find a way to assure the crowd. "Geez, they're real alright. They're blocks of wood from a chair in the library."
Willow hadn't realized she had spoken aloud until the people around her turned, one of them shouting that it was the Miko. Tamahome quickly jumped down and stood next to her. "Okay folks, if you want to get her autograph it's one gold ryuu!"
"Hey! Since when did you become my agent?" Willow barely had time to be angry before the crowd pressed in on them, everyone grabbing at Willow, trying to touch her or perhaps take something with them. Tamahome acted quickly and pushed her to the ground, helping steer her out of the crowd as they crawled on their hands and knees.
***
Willow leaned against the ally wall, trying to catch her breath. She looked up at Tamahome, and started to tell him exactly what she thought of him attempting to sell her autograph without asking. But before the first word escaped her mouth, several large rather frightening looking men stepped up to them.
"Well then, you may be new around here," a particularly ugly man stood at the front, and was obviously their leader, "But you have to pay us if you're going to do business around here." He pulled out a very sharp looking knife, and more men filtered out of the shadows and surrounded them.
Tamahome turned to face them, slowly backing Willow against the wall as the men advanced. "So, how much do you expect? I don't have anything."
"Well then," one of the men said, approaching Willow, "I'd say she'd be worth a little money." He leered at her, and Willow shrunk against the wall, wishing it would swallow her.
"How much will you give me?"
Her jaw dropped as Tamahome started bargaining with the man. It barely reached her that he was bargaining on how much she cost. He was going to sell her, all for his precious "okane*"
***
Buffy's jaw dropped. Who did this Tamahome think he was? She nearly growled at the book in her hand. If she was there, none of this would be happening. She would have looked out for Willow, like she always did.
***
Nuriko looked on from a shadowy corner. She tried to figure out what Tamahome was doing. Oh well, it didn't concern her anyway. But that didn't mean she wouldn't stay and watch.
***
Tamahome grinned, "Forty."
"Thirty-five."
"I won't go lower than forty." Lightening flashed across the sky as Tamahome made his demand. Torrents of rain soon followed. "If you won't take that, then it's no deal."
Willow couldn't quell the anger that was welling up inside her. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" She screamed at the man who was supposed to protect her. Well, if he wasn't going to, she would. She reached inside of her and took the anger, forming it into energy in the palm of her hand. The nearest thug toppled with the force as she turned, ready to take them all on if she had to.
Tamahome grinned, he had been waiting for an opening. The two quickly took on the group, Willow holding her own, mixing spells with self-defence techniques that Buffy had insisted she practice. Suddenly, she felt herself be grabbed from behind, a sharp blade against her throat. She racked her brain, trying to figure out what Buffy would do in this situation. Before she could decide, the man groaned and fell. She turned quickly, seeing Tamahome standing over him, fist outstretched.
"Some possessions are to precious to be sold. At any price."
***
Nuriko shrugged. They had lived through it, which wasn't too unexpected. She sneezed daintily and turned back towards the palace.
***
Willow looked up at Tamahome, and saw a small trickle of blood trail it's way across his cheek. A bruise was slowly turning on his chin, and she knew he had taken quite a beating. "Why?"
"I had to distract them somehow, until I figured something out." Tamahome smiled, "Let's get back to the palace."
"No, why do you keep doing this? Why do you risk your life to save me after acting like I don't exist?" She was well on her way to angry by this point. "Why did you glare at me after Hotohori..." she stumbled over the words.
"It's isn't important." Tamahome turned, expecting her to follow.
"It is too important! How do you think I feel? When I get sucked into some strange world and the first person to be kind to me happens to look exactly like someone that I love? Are you so caught up in yourself, can't you realize that makes me love you too?" Willow stopped, unable to believe she had just said something she hadn't admitted to herself yet.
"I'm sorry." He didn't turn, "But I don't feel that way." He took a step away from her.
Her world spun, her mind replaying the first time her heart broke. " Look, I'm sorry this is hard for you. But I told you what I need. So I can't help feeling like the reason you want to talk is so that you can feel better about yourself. That's not my problem."
"I never knew there was anything inside me that could feel this bad."
She closed her eyes, the memories were still too fresh and too painful. They were her last thought as she fell to the ground, unconscious.
Ja ne: a way of saying "see ya!"
-sama: I believe we used this before and forgot to say what it was. -sama is an honorific like -chan, but that's the only similarity. The suffix -sama is added to show great respect of someone who is your superior either in age or rank. Also can be used for somebody you worship like a god/goddess.
Okane: is the Japanese word for money that Tamahome is ALWAYS talking about.
Chapter Five: Conflicting Emotions.
Go back:
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
The Introduction