A/N: Ouch, doesn't anyone want to read this thing? Thanks to the one who
did review of course but other than that ouch! I would just like any
potential reviewers to know that I don't mind brutally critical emails, as
long as they are constructive, such as: "You're story is good but I think
you edit more because some of the sentences are a little awkward." See?
courteous yet useful! YAY! If your review just says, "that sucks" I will
have to hunt you down and do violent and unpleasant things to you. Now ON
WITH THE FIC!
What If? Part 2- Let the Fun Begin!
"You're name please, sir?" the guard at the gate asked him, stiffly. He could hardly stand their puffed up attitudes, but it was the only way into the palace. If you didn't want to be arrested, that is.
"Chou Ryuuen," he replied, just as stiffly, drumming his fingers on the counter behind which the guard sat.
"Your business?"
"I'm here to see Lady Chou Kourin."
"And your relationship with her is.?"
"She's my sister," Ryuuen replied flatly. He has to ask? You can tell by the name, not to mention that I've been here three times already! Of all the stupid things!
"I'll send some one to tell her you're here." The guard motioned to one of his colleagues who turned to leave.
"No need gentlemen," Kourin said, walking gracefully toward them.
Ryuuen rushed forward to embrace her, relishing the annoyed expression of the guard at being ignored.
"Ryuuen it's so good to see you!" she said as they hugged. "Come you must tell me what's been happening at home. It's been ages since you came to visit." She hooked her arm in his and they began walking toward the palace complex.
"So, how's mother? How's father? How's Rokou!" She blurted out, almost stumbling over her tongue in her excitement.
"I think you need to calm down, Kourin. It's not becoming for a lady to act so. unladylike!"
"You swine you!" She exclaimed hitting him playfully on the arm as they walked. "Stop talking and give me some good gossip!" He grinned and took a breath, going through all the things that had happened in the past few months. His thoughts were interrupted by a loud crash followed by shouting coming from a courtyard nearby. A cloud of dust floated ominously over the roof. Kourin stared, alarmed.
"What in the world?"
Ryuuen's legs were in motion before he even knew what was happening. The symbol on his chest throbbed to life, filling him with urgency. He had to get there. Whatever was happening, he had to get there.
"Ryuuen? Ryuuen! Hey, wait up! Ryuuen!" Kourin shouted angrily after him, but he ignored her. As soon as she realized he wasn't going to stop she hiked up her dress and did something she had been longing to do since she first came to the palace a year ago: she kicked off those god awful shoes and ran.
She got to the courtyard just in time for the show.
"Get out of the way, your Highness," Ryuuen said as he gently shoved the emperor aside. Kourin's mouth drooped open. What does he think he's doing? He could be killed for that!
"Ryuuen! What-" She broke off as he picked up a large piece of the ruined gazebo roof and tossed it aside. Her eyes went wide as he began chucking gazebo all over the place as if the heavy stone weighed nothing at all. Courtiers and soldiers screamed as they scurried across the courtyard trying not to be flattened by the flying masonry.
"We should stand back a bit, Lady Kourin." She turned at the sound of the voice and looked right into the face of the most gorgeous man she had ever seen. She had only met the emperor once when she first came, and though he had been looking at her, she knew he hadn't really been paying attention to her. But now he was. He was looking RIGHT at her. She felt herself blush all the way down to her toes.
"Um, yes," she said in a daze, allowing herself to be led away. His hand is on my shoulder! And he knows my name! She looked back at her brother, trying to recover her senses. He was really making progress now; the pile of rubble that had recently been a gazebo diminishing rapidly.
"What happened?" Kourin turned to the emperor, who had stopped but not taken his hand off her shoulder.
"The gazebo collapsed," he mumbled, his eyes wide as he watched Ryuuen as well.
"I can see that. Was anyone hurt or- Your Highness!" She called after him as he ran forward. She sighed and followed slowly in his wake, flinching as the sharp rocks cut into her bare feet. This is just not my day.
Ryuuen stooped to help the two that had been trapped at the heart of the wreckage. He didn't have a chance to say anything as the flustered servants and soldiers converged on the area. Ryuuen and Kourin found themselves shoved off to the side while the two victims and the emperor were forced into the eye of the storm.
Ryuuen stood on the sidelines with an irritated expression as the man was treated; the girl appeared to be fine. In fact she was nearly hyperactive. Kourin watched with a sinking heart as the emperor hovered around her, apparently QUITE concerned with her welfare. The look in his eyes was enough to convince her that continuing to chase the emperor was hopeless.
As if in answer to her thoughts, the crowd of servants and soldiers suddenly parted, and the emperor walked toward them. Unfortunately, he was walking towards Ryuuen. Kourin bowed her head and stepped aside to let him pass, feeling very depressed.
"Excuse me sir, are you-"
"You're one of the Suzaku Seven aren't you? I'm Yuuki Miaka the Priestess of Suzaku!" The hyperactive girl jumped forward and stuck out her hand. Ryuuen smiled reluctantly and shook it, getting the odd feeling that it wasn't supposed to happen this way. Filing that away for later consideration he smiled again, more brightly.
"I'm Chou Ryuuen, but my seishi name is Nuriko." He pulled down his collar to reveal the symbol of the willow, flashing red.
What If? Part 2- Let the Fun Begin!
"You're name please, sir?" the guard at the gate asked him, stiffly. He could hardly stand their puffed up attitudes, but it was the only way into the palace. If you didn't want to be arrested, that is.
"Chou Ryuuen," he replied, just as stiffly, drumming his fingers on the counter behind which the guard sat.
"Your business?"
"I'm here to see Lady Chou Kourin."
"And your relationship with her is.?"
"She's my sister," Ryuuen replied flatly. He has to ask? You can tell by the name, not to mention that I've been here three times already! Of all the stupid things!
"I'll send some one to tell her you're here." The guard motioned to one of his colleagues who turned to leave.
"No need gentlemen," Kourin said, walking gracefully toward them.
Ryuuen rushed forward to embrace her, relishing the annoyed expression of the guard at being ignored.
"Ryuuen it's so good to see you!" she said as they hugged. "Come you must tell me what's been happening at home. It's been ages since you came to visit." She hooked her arm in his and they began walking toward the palace complex.
"So, how's mother? How's father? How's Rokou!" She blurted out, almost stumbling over her tongue in her excitement.
"I think you need to calm down, Kourin. It's not becoming for a lady to act so. unladylike!"
"You swine you!" She exclaimed hitting him playfully on the arm as they walked. "Stop talking and give me some good gossip!" He grinned and took a breath, going through all the things that had happened in the past few months. His thoughts were interrupted by a loud crash followed by shouting coming from a courtyard nearby. A cloud of dust floated ominously over the roof. Kourin stared, alarmed.
"What in the world?"
Ryuuen's legs were in motion before he even knew what was happening. The symbol on his chest throbbed to life, filling him with urgency. He had to get there. Whatever was happening, he had to get there.
"Ryuuen? Ryuuen! Hey, wait up! Ryuuen!" Kourin shouted angrily after him, but he ignored her. As soon as she realized he wasn't going to stop she hiked up her dress and did something she had been longing to do since she first came to the palace a year ago: she kicked off those god awful shoes and ran.
She got to the courtyard just in time for the show.
"Get out of the way, your Highness," Ryuuen said as he gently shoved the emperor aside. Kourin's mouth drooped open. What does he think he's doing? He could be killed for that!
"Ryuuen! What-" She broke off as he picked up a large piece of the ruined gazebo roof and tossed it aside. Her eyes went wide as he began chucking gazebo all over the place as if the heavy stone weighed nothing at all. Courtiers and soldiers screamed as they scurried across the courtyard trying not to be flattened by the flying masonry.
"We should stand back a bit, Lady Kourin." She turned at the sound of the voice and looked right into the face of the most gorgeous man she had ever seen. She had only met the emperor once when she first came, and though he had been looking at her, she knew he hadn't really been paying attention to her. But now he was. He was looking RIGHT at her. She felt herself blush all the way down to her toes.
"Um, yes," she said in a daze, allowing herself to be led away. His hand is on my shoulder! And he knows my name! She looked back at her brother, trying to recover her senses. He was really making progress now; the pile of rubble that had recently been a gazebo diminishing rapidly.
"What happened?" Kourin turned to the emperor, who had stopped but not taken his hand off her shoulder.
"The gazebo collapsed," he mumbled, his eyes wide as he watched Ryuuen as well.
"I can see that. Was anyone hurt or- Your Highness!" She called after him as he ran forward. She sighed and followed slowly in his wake, flinching as the sharp rocks cut into her bare feet. This is just not my day.
Ryuuen stooped to help the two that had been trapped at the heart of the wreckage. He didn't have a chance to say anything as the flustered servants and soldiers converged on the area. Ryuuen and Kourin found themselves shoved off to the side while the two victims and the emperor were forced into the eye of the storm.
Ryuuen stood on the sidelines with an irritated expression as the man was treated; the girl appeared to be fine. In fact she was nearly hyperactive. Kourin watched with a sinking heart as the emperor hovered around her, apparently QUITE concerned with her welfare. The look in his eyes was enough to convince her that continuing to chase the emperor was hopeless.
As if in answer to her thoughts, the crowd of servants and soldiers suddenly parted, and the emperor walked toward them. Unfortunately, he was walking towards Ryuuen. Kourin bowed her head and stepped aside to let him pass, feeling very depressed.
"Excuse me sir, are you-"
"You're one of the Suzaku Seven aren't you? I'm Yuuki Miaka the Priestess of Suzaku!" The hyperactive girl jumped forward and stuck out her hand. Ryuuen smiled reluctantly and shook it, getting the odd feeling that it wasn't supposed to happen this way. Filing that away for later consideration he smiled again, more brightly.
"I'm Chou Ryuuen, but my seishi name is Nuriko." He pulled down his collar to reveal the symbol of the willow, flashing red.