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. . . when Nakago came to, he first felt the cool refreshing rain come down on his face. Opening his eyes, he could see he was still laying out in the courtyard, where Nuriko had surprisingly attacked him. Nakago closed his eyes again, moaning.
This couldn't be happening. That man . . . he was too beautiful to be anything but a woman, but no. He had to be a gay, cross-dressing man, manipulating Nakago's mind. The Priestess Yui was probably already gone with the other who called herself Miaka, and the two other warriors who had come with her. And that man!
Nakago did not want to be gay. He knew he had to get the image of that man's face out of his mind. And yet, in the darkness behind his eyelids, all he could see was Nuriko's pretty feminine face smiling tauntingly down at him. He could hear the luscious low voice of the cross- dresser, and he felt the touch of lips and tongue and skin . . .
Nakago shook his head violently and opened his eyes again. No, it was a man. And now, he was going to pay. Nakago got to his feet wearily. He didn't want to go back into the palace and face the Emperor. It would be too embarassing to admit that he had lost sight of the Priestess Yui because a he-woman had lured him in. Instead, Nakago crept out of the palace walls, wrapping himself up in his blue cloak and getting to his horse. He rode down the streets of Kutou and out of the country, heading south. He was going to get that son-of-a-bitch who tricked him. He was going to get the Priestess Yui back so that he could carry out his plan.
Yui, on the other hand, was only half pleased that she had joined Miaka and had come safely to Konan. Everyone truly was nice to her, offering her food and drink, and Hotohori got her a room right next to Miaka's. But, Yui couldn't help but feel a little bit jealous of her best friend. Tamahome was still holding strong to Miaka, and Yui had to shake her head free to rid of the thoughts that were swarming around in her heart. Nakago had told her that Miaka might not have come back for her. Perhaps she had come back for Tamahome . . . but then, why would she bother coming to get Yui? Perhaps she cared just as much about Yui as she did Tamahome, perhaps maybe a little bit more. Yui was, after all, her most best friend. Besides, Yui wasn't really expecting Miaka to be hanging around her neck and giving her kisses as she did Tamahome. Perhaps all would be alright. There were plenty of other men there. Infact, the Emperor was quite good looking, and he didn't appear to have a wife of any kind.
But what of Nakago? He rode on in the blinding rain, angry at himself for being so stupid. He was going to get that feminine bastard and beat him to a pulp. He was not going to loose his cool around that queer. And, he was going to get his Priestess back. And yet . . . that made him even more angry as he thought of Yui. Ever since he had rescued her, RESCUED HER, all she could do was complain about this Tamahome character whom Nakago knew was a warrior of Suzaku. It made him mad to realize that his Priestess was falling for a warrior of the enemies, and completely disregarding Nakago. She hadn't even thought of looking for the other warriors of Seiryu. All she could do was complain. And then, she tried to kill herself. Suicide, of all things!
Nakago slowed to a stop. He let the rain pour down on him, drenching his clothes, and reaching his skin. He stared blindly out into nothingness, suddenly realizing that he didn't want to go back a get Yui. But he had to. Suzaku had their Priestess, and that meant that they would win the war between Konan and Kutuo. Nakago could not let that happen, even if he could care less about winning a war over some stupid piece of land. He just knew what would happen if he didn't return the Priestess back to the Emperor. The Emperor was Emperor, and knew how to do terrible things to his general, things that made Nakago feel almost comfortable with his little experience with Nuriko. They were that bad.
But in the middle of the woods, with the rain simply falling, Nakago found himself rather relaxed. He allowed his horse to trot along in the rain. Nakago was no longer in a hurry. He didn't want to be anywhere right now. He just wanted to be alone with himself, to think of nothing and have no worries. He didn't want to be angry or happy. He just wanted the serenity of solitude. And the forest around him was the place to have it.
It was about two days later, when Miaka and her friends set out to find the remaining warriors that a horse loaded with blue armor walked up to the palace doors of Konan, just as the Suzaku gang was leaving with both Miaka and Yui. A figure in a blue cloak was hunched over on the horse, obviously passed out.
Yui let out a gasp. "T-that's Nakago!"
Everyone gathered around the horse and pulled the general down. His usually overly pale face was flushed, and everyone could see he had fallen from a fever.
"I don't understand, no da," Chichiri said. "Was he riding out to take Yui back for the past two days? It must of been the storm from Kutuo that caught him, and now he's fallen ill, no da. Perhaps we should take him in, no da."
"Take him in?!" Tamahome shouted. "Are you nuts? He's one of the enemy! He'll kill us all the moment he wakes up!"
"I'll take care of him," Nuriko said with a smile on his girly face. "Why don't you guys go ahead and find those remaining warriors? I'll take him in and care for him on my own."
"Are you sure you'd be alright alone with that man?" Hotohori asked, standing outside the doors to wave goodbye to the departing party of friends.
"I'll be fine," Nuriko said, giving the Emperor a wink. Hotohori felt somewhat relieved. At least he was no longer the object of Nuriko's affection.
Everyone was still looking rather skeptical on taking care of Nakago, and it was Yui that finally said, "He did save me. I . . . i was in a bit of trouble when i first got here, but he was there to help me. Yes, Nuriko. Please look after him. But don't let him take me back to Kutuo. I couldn't dream of becoming the Priestess to that Emperor back there. Besides, i wouldn't want to become an enemy of Miaka, now would i?"
"She has a point, no da," Chichiri said.
Tamahome growled a bit, but Miaka just smiled. "You're so kind and smart!" Miaka said cheerfully. "YOu'll still come with us to gather the remaining warriors, right? Right?"
Yui smiled. "Of course. We've been apart for too long, Miaka. Let's go now."
Thus, everyone waved goodbye to Nuriko and Hotohori, and disappeared over the horizon.
"I hope they'll be okay," Hotohori said. "I would never be able to forgive myself if anything happened to Miaka."
"She's with Tamahome and Chichiri," Nuriko said, hoisting the general on his back. "So relax!"
Hotohori sighed, shaking his head in disappointment. Then, he gave a long hard look at Nuriko and the man on his shoulders. "Are you sure about taking care of that man?" Hotohori said, as the two made their way back into the palace.
"Positively," Nuriko replied with a smile.
. . . when Nakago came to, he first felt the cool refreshing rain come down on his face. Opening his eyes, he could see he was still laying out in the courtyard, where Nuriko had surprisingly attacked him. Nakago closed his eyes again, moaning.
This couldn't be happening. That man . . . he was too beautiful to be anything but a woman, but no. He had to be a gay, cross-dressing man, manipulating Nakago's mind. The Priestess Yui was probably already gone with the other who called herself Miaka, and the two other warriors who had come with her. And that man!
Nakago did not want to be gay. He knew he had to get the image of that man's face out of his mind. And yet, in the darkness behind his eyelids, all he could see was Nuriko's pretty feminine face smiling tauntingly down at him. He could hear the luscious low voice of the cross- dresser, and he felt the touch of lips and tongue and skin . . .
Nakago shook his head violently and opened his eyes again. No, it was a man. And now, he was going to pay. Nakago got to his feet wearily. He didn't want to go back into the palace and face the Emperor. It would be too embarassing to admit that he had lost sight of the Priestess Yui because a he-woman had lured him in. Instead, Nakago crept out of the palace walls, wrapping himself up in his blue cloak and getting to his horse. He rode down the streets of Kutou and out of the country, heading south. He was going to get that son-of-a-bitch who tricked him. He was going to get the Priestess Yui back so that he could carry out his plan.
Yui, on the other hand, was only half pleased that she had joined Miaka and had come safely to Konan. Everyone truly was nice to her, offering her food and drink, and Hotohori got her a room right next to Miaka's. But, Yui couldn't help but feel a little bit jealous of her best friend. Tamahome was still holding strong to Miaka, and Yui had to shake her head free to rid of the thoughts that were swarming around in her heart. Nakago had told her that Miaka might not have come back for her. Perhaps she had come back for Tamahome . . . but then, why would she bother coming to get Yui? Perhaps she cared just as much about Yui as she did Tamahome, perhaps maybe a little bit more. Yui was, after all, her most best friend. Besides, Yui wasn't really expecting Miaka to be hanging around her neck and giving her kisses as she did Tamahome. Perhaps all would be alright. There were plenty of other men there. Infact, the Emperor was quite good looking, and he didn't appear to have a wife of any kind.
But what of Nakago? He rode on in the blinding rain, angry at himself for being so stupid. He was going to get that feminine bastard and beat him to a pulp. He was not going to loose his cool around that queer. And, he was going to get his Priestess back. And yet . . . that made him even more angry as he thought of Yui. Ever since he had rescued her, RESCUED HER, all she could do was complain about this Tamahome character whom Nakago knew was a warrior of Suzaku. It made him mad to realize that his Priestess was falling for a warrior of the enemies, and completely disregarding Nakago. She hadn't even thought of looking for the other warriors of Seiryu. All she could do was complain. And then, she tried to kill herself. Suicide, of all things!
Nakago slowed to a stop. He let the rain pour down on him, drenching his clothes, and reaching his skin. He stared blindly out into nothingness, suddenly realizing that he didn't want to go back a get Yui. But he had to. Suzaku had their Priestess, and that meant that they would win the war between Konan and Kutuo. Nakago could not let that happen, even if he could care less about winning a war over some stupid piece of land. He just knew what would happen if he didn't return the Priestess back to the Emperor. The Emperor was Emperor, and knew how to do terrible things to his general, things that made Nakago feel almost comfortable with his little experience with Nuriko. They were that bad.
But in the middle of the woods, with the rain simply falling, Nakago found himself rather relaxed. He allowed his horse to trot along in the rain. Nakago was no longer in a hurry. He didn't want to be anywhere right now. He just wanted to be alone with himself, to think of nothing and have no worries. He didn't want to be angry or happy. He just wanted the serenity of solitude. And the forest around him was the place to have it.
It was about two days later, when Miaka and her friends set out to find the remaining warriors that a horse loaded with blue armor walked up to the palace doors of Konan, just as the Suzaku gang was leaving with both Miaka and Yui. A figure in a blue cloak was hunched over on the horse, obviously passed out.
Yui let out a gasp. "T-that's Nakago!"
Everyone gathered around the horse and pulled the general down. His usually overly pale face was flushed, and everyone could see he had fallen from a fever.
"I don't understand, no da," Chichiri said. "Was he riding out to take Yui back for the past two days? It must of been the storm from Kutuo that caught him, and now he's fallen ill, no da. Perhaps we should take him in, no da."
"Take him in?!" Tamahome shouted. "Are you nuts? He's one of the enemy! He'll kill us all the moment he wakes up!"
"I'll take care of him," Nuriko said with a smile on his girly face. "Why don't you guys go ahead and find those remaining warriors? I'll take him in and care for him on my own."
"Are you sure you'd be alright alone with that man?" Hotohori asked, standing outside the doors to wave goodbye to the departing party of friends.
"I'll be fine," Nuriko said, giving the Emperor a wink. Hotohori felt somewhat relieved. At least he was no longer the object of Nuriko's affection.
Everyone was still looking rather skeptical on taking care of Nakago, and it was Yui that finally said, "He did save me. I . . . i was in a bit of trouble when i first got here, but he was there to help me. Yes, Nuriko. Please look after him. But don't let him take me back to Kutuo. I couldn't dream of becoming the Priestess to that Emperor back there. Besides, i wouldn't want to become an enemy of Miaka, now would i?"
"She has a point, no da," Chichiri said.
Tamahome growled a bit, but Miaka just smiled. "You're so kind and smart!" Miaka said cheerfully. "YOu'll still come with us to gather the remaining warriors, right? Right?"
Yui smiled. "Of course. We've been apart for too long, Miaka. Let's go now."
Thus, everyone waved goodbye to Nuriko and Hotohori, and disappeared over the horizon.
"I hope they'll be okay," Hotohori said. "I would never be able to forgive myself if anything happened to Miaka."
"She's with Tamahome and Chichiri," Nuriko said, hoisting the general on his back. "So relax!"
Hotohori sighed, shaking his head in disappointment. Then, he gave a long hard look at Nuriko and the man on his shoulders. "Are you sure about taking care of that man?" Hotohori said, as the two made their way back into the palace.
"Positively," Nuriko replied with a smile.