Chichiri sat on his bed, wearing only his shirt, due to the fact that his
pants were soaked. He was engaging in his favorite pastime, mourning
about Kouran. He was so wrapped up in the memories, he didn't notice
Tasuki open the door slightly and slip in a piece of paper.
He laughed to himself a little. He remembered once that Kouran told him not to mourn about someone too much. You couldn't change the past, so why waste your life away thinking about them?
"I'm sorry Kouran," Chichiri said out loud. "But it hurt me so much, on the day of the flood. I wish you were still here."
"But I am still here."
Chichiri whirled around to face Kouran, looking not a day older than eighteen.
"Kou...ran?" He took off his mask in order to see her better.
"Yes, Houjun, it's me." She embraced him.
"Kouran!" he cried, hugging her back, sweet tears of joy filling his eyes.
Kouran let go, studying Chichiri's face. She ran her fingers over his scar.
"How did this happen?" she asked him.
"Day of the flood," he replied. "Hikou almost got swept away by the river, but I held onto his hand. Then a log came and hit me in the eye. I let go of Hikou's hand and...he drowned."
"That's...terrible. You were such good friends."
"But he assaulted you."
"It doesn't matter now. What's been done has been done. You can't change the past, you know."
"Yeah,...I know..." He pushed back a lock of her hair that had fallen out of place. She took his hand and leaned against it. He brought her face closer to his, so he could kiss her. But before their lips could meet, Kouran vanished.
"Kouran?" Chichiri looked blankly ahead, not believing what just happened. His eye caught a piece of paper floating towards the floor. He caught it. The paper was thin, with an incantation and the word Kouran written on it.
"Kouran..." he sobbed, cradling the paper gently.
~*~
"Heh," Ji-na smirked, standing behind Tasuki, making him jump.
"Ji-na!" Tasuki said exclaimed. "Wha'd ya have to do that for? Ya almost gave me a heart attack!"
It was like a curtain has been flicked back in Ji-na's brain and all the memories that had taken place before the flood came streaming back to her.
"That was a low thing to do," she went on, ignoring him. "It was like something Hikou would do."
"What did you say?" Chichiri asked, coming to the door. He was dressed in only his shirt, holding his mask and the piece of paper that said Kouran in his hand.
"I said what Tasuki did was like something Hikou would do," Ji-na said. "Don't try to deny it!" she almost shouted, pointing her finger at Chichiri, who's good eye widened. "You didn't see it, but he was a creep. I would always try to tell you guys, but Kouran would push me behind her, or cover my mouth with her hand and be like, 'please excuse my sister. She hasn't learned her manners.' You guys would never listen!"
"Ji-na!" Chichiri shouted.
"I'm talking, Houjun. Be quiet!"
"Ji-na!" he cried again, grabbing her shoulders. "Don't you know what you're saying?"
Ji-na's eyes grew big and her mouth hung open.
"By...the...gods.... Let's go, Chichiri! I have to see Hotohori!" She grabbed Chichiri's hand and began pulling him towards the throne room, ignoring his pleas to get some pants on.
~*~
Ji-na continued to run to the throne room, dragging Chichiri behind her. When they almost got to the throne room, Ji-na stopped short and looked inside. Chichiri saw Hotohori and Hikou talking. Hotohori was smiling. His smile seemed to light up his whole face, unlike when he usually smiled. Then his eyes would still hold a trace of sadness in them.
"He's so happy," Ji-na said in a dreamy voice. "He looks so handsome when he smiles like that."
"I see what you mean," Chichiri replied, nodding his head.
"If Miaka should make only one wish to Suzaku, it should be that Hotohori would love Houki and forget about her."
"Why do you say that?"
Ji-na turned around to look at Chichiri with a look in her eyes that seemed to say, "you don't know that half of it."
"When Miaka said that she loved Tamahome more than him, he was heartbroken. He hid his feelings from everybody except me. I was the only one he vented his feelings to. You should've read the letters he sent me. So depressing you could die. It's kind of amazing he didn't do anything extreme like commit suicide. I guess he found a reason to keep him going. Then when Tamahome was forced to take the kodaku, he was a little happier. He thought maybe he could win Miaka over this time. Of course he didn't, and he felt like he was wishing in vain for the day Miaka could return his love. I really hope he's happy With Houki."
Chichiri took this as an opportunity to slip away. Ji-na heard him and grabbed his arm.
"Oh, no you don't. Not when I have something important to tell Hotohori."
"But I have to get some pants on," Chichiri said through his teeth.
"C'mon, your pants reach your thighs. It's not too bad."
"What if I trip?"
"Make sure you don't."
"Fine. But if I do, I'm blaming you." Ji-na just shrugged.
"Hotohori!" she cried, bounding into the throne room, her hand gripping tight on Chichiri's arm.
Hotohori looked up and saw Ji-na dragging Chichiri into the throne room. Chichiri felt his cheeks get hot when he saw Hotohori look at him in a weird way. He knew it was because he wasn't wearing any pants.
"Hey, Ji-na," Hotohori said. "What's the - er -" he took a quick look at Chichiri and back at Ji-na "problem?"
Ji-na smiled and started talking to Hotohori in a foreign language. Chichiri recognized the language as Hebrew.
Everybody in the throne room seemed surprised when Ji-na started speaking in Hebrew. They were even more surprised when Hotohori responded in the same language. Then Ji-na said something that made Chichiri's ears perk up.
"Ani ha achot shel Kouran," she said.
"Be'emet?" Hotohori responded, his eyes wide.
"Ken."
"Ze hafta'ah gedolah."
"Ken."
Ji-na took a hairpin out of her pocket and started to twist her hair into a bun. Chichiri recognised that hairpin. It was the one he had given Kouran the day of the flood!
"Ji-na!" Chichiri cried, running up to her. "Don't you know what that hairpin resembles?"
"Yeah," Ji-na said, switching back to Japanese. "It's the one from my dream."
"The nightmare with the flood?"
"The very same."
"Woah, woah, woah," Houki said, obviousily feeling very left out. "Can someone please explain to me why everyone's getting so worked up about a hairpin and Ji-na and Hotohori are talking in another language?"
"Ki ze min ha chalom sheli al ha mabul!" Ji-na exclaimed, turning around and pointing out the hairpin which was now in her hair. "Let me explain that again in a language you would understand," she said, realizing she had just spoken in Hebrew. "I had said that the hairpin was in from a dream I had about a flood."
"Why is that a matter to get worked up about?" Houki asked. Suddenly, everyone was talking at once, trying to explain to her everything that had happened in the last few days.
"Hey, guys!" Miaka cried, suddenly bounding into the room. "Have you seen - " But she was stopped short when she took a look at Chichiri. "Wait a minute. I'll be right back!"
She ran off and returned later with a pair of boxers with pink smiley faces on them.
"Here, Chichiri," she said. "Put these on, willya? I don't want you to run around without any pants on."
There's never a dull moment in Konan, he thought to himself as he put the boxers on, even thought he thought they were kind of stopid-looking.
"Ani lo ma'ahmin she at ha achot shel Kouran," Hotohori said half to himself, half to Ji-na.
Oh no... not with the Hebrew again... Chichiri moaned to himself. He could tell that Houki was thinking the same thing, or something close to it.
"Aval ze emet," Ji-na pouted.
"Ani yoday'a, aval ze me'od... ech omrim 'weird'?"
"I don't know."
"Yeah, well, ze me'od weird."
A/N: Hello all you happy people! Sorry it took so long to upload this chapter, but my life was getting pretty hectic. Grrrrrr... high school applications.... *takes a bazooka and blows up the Department of Ed. building*
Anyway, Thanks to all my reviewers!
TA Maxwell: Glad you liked the title, but I get no credit for it. Princess Peach does.
Fariesinger: Yup, I LOVE it when authors put twists in their stories. That's why I have them in mine.
Ayomi Kittie: Glad you liked the story! Another Tasuki fangirl, huh? I like him, but Chichiri is so much better! (IMHO)
Saturn-hime: Of COURSE randomness is good. That's why Ji-na and Hotohori suddenly start speaking in Hebrew. Btw, thanks for reviewing Fancy.
Tasukis_princessJupiter18: Well, I updated, but not that soon. *guilty laugh* Hehe...
lilchibifirefly: Weird... cool... I never got a reviewer saying my story was weird.
He laughed to himself a little. He remembered once that Kouran told him not to mourn about someone too much. You couldn't change the past, so why waste your life away thinking about them?
"I'm sorry Kouran," Chichiri said out loud. "But it hurt me so much, on the day of the flood. I wish you were still here."
"But I am still here."
Chichiri whirled around to face Kouran, looking not a day older than eighteen.
"Kou...ran?" He took off his mask in order to see her better.
"Yes, Houjun, it's me." She embraced him.
"Kouran!" he cried, hugging her back, sweet tears of joy filling his eyes.
Kouran let go, studying Chichiri's face. She ran her fingers over his scar.
"How did this happen?" she asked him.
"Day of the flood," he replied. "Hikou almost got swept away by the river, but I held onto his hand. Then a log came and hit me in the eye. I let go of Hikou's hand and...he drowned."
"That's...terrible. You were such good friends."
"But he assaulted you."
"It doesn't matter now. What's been done has been done. You can't change the past, you know."
"Yeah,...I know..." He pushed back a lock of her hair that had fallen out of place. She took his hand and leaned against it. He brought her face closer to his, so he could kiss her. But before their lips could meet, Kouran vanished.
"Kouran?" Chichiri looked blankly ahead, not believing what just happened. His eye caught a piece of paper floating towards the floor. He caught it. The paper was thin, with an incantation and the word Kouran written on it.
"Kouran..." he sobbed, cradling the paper gently.
~*~
"Heh," Ji-na smirked, standing behind Tasuki, making him jump.
"Ji-na!" Tasuki said exclaimed. "Wha'd ya have to do that for? Ya almost gave me a heart attack!"
It was like a curtain has been flicked back in Ji-na's brain and all the memories that had taken place before the flood came streaming back to her.
"That was a low thing to do," she went on, ignoring him. "It was like something Hikou would do."
"What did you say?" Chichiri asked, coming to the door. He was dressed in only his shirt, holding his mask and the piece of paper that said Kouran in his hand.
"I said what Tasuki did was like something Hikou would do," Ji-na said. "Don't try to deny it!" she almost shouted, pointing her finger at Chichiri, who's good eye widened. "You didn't see it, but he was a creep. I would always try to tell you guys, but Kouran would push me behind her, or cover my mouth with her hand and be like, 'please excuse my sister. She hasn't learned her manners.' You guys would never listen!"
"Ji-na!" Chichiri shouted.
"I'm talking, Houjun. Be quiet!"
"Ji-na!" he cried again, grabbing her shoulders. "Don't you know what you're saying?"
Ji-na's eyes grew big and her mouth hung open.
"By...the...gods.... Let's go, Chichiri! I have to see Hotohori!" She grabbed Chichiri's hand and began pulling him towards the throne room, ignoring his pleas to get some pants on.
~*~
Ji-na continued to run to the throne room, dragging Chichiri behind her. When they almost got to the throne room, Ji-na stopped short and looked inside. Chichiri saw Hotohori and Hikou talking. Hotohori was smiling. His smile seemed to light up his whole face, unlike when he usually smiled. Then his eyes would still hold a trace of sadness in them.
"He's so happy," Ji-na said in a dreamy voice. "He looks so handsome when he smiles like that."
"I see what you mean," Chichiri replied, nodding his head.
"If Miaka should make only one wish to Suzaku, it should be that Hotohori would love Houki and forget about her."
"Why do you say that?"
Ji-na turned around to look at Chichiri with a look in her eyes that seemed to say, "you don't know that half of it."
"When Miaka said that she loved Tamahome more than him, he was heartbroken. He hid his feelings from everybody except me. I was the only one he vented his feelings to. You should've read the letters he sent me. So depressing you could die. It's kind of amazing he didn't do anything extreme like commit suicide. I guess he found a reason to keep him going. Then when Tamahome was forced to take the kodaku, he was a little happier. He thought maybe he could win Miaka over this time. Of course he didn't, and he felt like he was wishing in vain for the day Miaka could return his love. I really hope he's happy With Houki."
Chichiri took this as an opportunity to slip away. Ji-na heard him and grabbed his arm.
"Oh, no you don't. Not when I have something important to tell Hotohori."
"But I have to get some pants on," Chichiri said through his teeth.
"C'mon, your pants reach your thighs. It's not too bad."
"What if I trip?"
"Make sure you don't."
"Fine. But if I do, I'm blaming you." Ji-na just shrugged.
"Hotohori!" she cried, bounding into the throne room, her hand gripping tight on Chichiri's arm.
Hotohori looked up and saw Ji-na dragging Chichiri into the throne room. Chichiri felt his cheeks get hot when he saw Hotohori look at him in a weird way. He knew it was because he wasn't wearing any pants.
"Hey, Ji-na," Hotohori said. "What's the - er -" he took a quick look at Chichiri and back at Ji-na "problem?"
Ji-na smiled and started talking to Hotohori in a foreign language. Chichiri recognized the language as Hebrew.
Everybody in the throne room seemed surprised when Ji-na started speaking in Hebrew. They were even more surprised when Hotohori responded in the same language. Then Ji-na said something that made Chichiri's ears perk up.
"Ani ha achot shel Kouran," she said.
"Be'emet?" Hotohori responded, his eyes wide.
"Ken."
"Ze hafta'ah gedolah."
"Ken."
Ji-na took a hairpin out of her pocket and started to twist her hair into a bun. Chichiri recognised that hairpin. It was the one he had given Kouran the day of the flood!
"Ji-na!" Chichiri cried, running up to her. "Don't you know what that hairpin resembles?"
"Yeah," Ji-na said, switching back to Japanese. "It's the one from my dream."
"The nightmare with the flood?"
"The very same."
"Woah, woah, woah," Houki said, obviousily feeling very left out. "Can someone please explain to me why everyone's getting so worked up about a hairpin and Ji-na and Hotohori are talking in another language?"
"Ki ze min ha chalom sheli al ha mabul!" Ji-na exclaimed, turning around and pointing out the hairpin which was now in her hair. "Let me explain that again in a language you would understand," she said, realizing she had just spoken in Hebrew. "I had said that the hairpin was in from a dream I had about a flood."
"Why is that a matter to get worked up about?" Houki asked. Suddenly, everyone was talking at once, trying to explain to her everything that had happened in the last few days.
"Hey, guys!" Miaka cried, suddenly bounding into the room. "Have you seen - " But she was stopped short when she took a look at Chichiri. "Wait a minute. I'll be right back!"
She ran off and returned later with a pair of boxers with pink smiley faces on them.
"Here, Chichiri," she said. "Put these on, willya? I don't want you to run around without any pants on."
There's never a dull moment in Konan, he thought to himself as he put the boxers on, even thought he thought they were kind of stopid-looking.
"Ani lo ma'ahmin she at ha achot shel Kouran," Hotohori said half to himself, half to Ji-na.
Oh no... not with the Hebrew again... Chichiri moaned to himself. He could tell that Houki was thinking the same thing, or something close to it.
"Aval ze emet," Ji-na pouted.
"Ani yoday'a, aval ze me'od... ech omrim 'weird'?"
"I don't know."
"Yeah, well, ze me'od weird."
A/N: Hello all you happy people! Sorry it took so long to upload this chapter, but my life was getting pretty hectic. Grrrrrr... high school applications.... *takes a bazooka and blows up the Department of Ed. building*
Anyway, Thanks to all my reviewers!
TA Maxwell: Glad you liked the title, but I get no credit for it. Princess Peach does.
Fariesinger: Yup, I LOVE it when authors put twists in their stories. That's why I have them in mine.
Ayomi Kittie: Glad you liked the story! Another Tasuki fangirl, huh? I like him, but Chichiri is so much better! (IMHO)
Saturn-hime: Of COURSE randomness is good. That's why Ji-na and Hotohori suddenly start speaking in Hebrew. Btw, thanks for reviewing Fancy.
Tasukis_princessJupiter18: Well, I updated, but not that soon. *guilty laugh* Hehe...
lilchibifirefly: Weird... cool... I never got a reviewer saying my story was weird.