"What the hell happened to her?!" A voice rang in my ears. A disturbingly loud voice.
"Tasuki, for the tenth time, the pain knocked her out, no da. You see, shifting your eyes from darkness to light too suddenly causes---"
I stopped listening as the deep, male voice rattled on, explaining to the loud-voiced 'Tasuki' what happened to me. It sounded like a school lecture...yet the voice seemed familiar.
A sudden wave of pain overcame me and I gasped loudly, cringing. A hush fell over the room as I felt eyes land on me. Still, I felt too weak to even attempt to open my eyes, though my hearing had returned completely. Indeed, I could hear everything quite clearly, which was fine by me. I wanted to listen for a while, to see what I could learn. Perhaps they would give out more information if they thought me to be asleep.
"Is she awake? I think she's awake! Poke her!" Tasuki's voice rattled out over the silence as I heard shuffled movements towards me...followed by the distinctive sound of someone being hit over the head, at which a painful "OW!!" sounded.
"You're majesty, what are you thinking? Are you alright? You haven't said anything for a while, no da." 'No Da' sounded concerned as Tasuki muttered to himself under his breath.
"Miaka said this girl and her friends came from her world, but from a different place, called America." The man...royalty of some sort?...spoke quietly, sounding out 'America' carefully. How beautiful his voice was! Smooth, caring, so soft! My heart skipped a beat...later I would regret not listening to his words rather than the angelic sound of his voice.
"This girl might be important to Suzaku, Chichiri...or perhaps one of the other gods."
This was confusing. Why did everything sound so familiar? The names...the voices...even their conversation. But how? Where was this? How did I understand the meaning behind their words? Was I going mad?
A sudden urge hit me. I had to look around, to see what was going on! To see where I was. I groaned loudly, announcing my awakening, and stirred, the voices hushing once again as I slowly opened my eyes.
The image was blurry at first, but slowly my eyes managed to focus.
Three men looked down at me. To my right, red caught my eyes. The man wore strange, ancient Chinese clothing, but his eyes and hair were red (his eyes were actually a reddish brown), odd for someone who seemed Asian. His features were pulled into a smirk...or perhaps it was more of a grin...revealing two sharp fangs. A name entered my mind immediately: Tasuki.
To my left was an even odder looking man. His hair was a blue-grey color and the front was in a strange mohawk, the back pulled into a pony tail. He wore the clothes of a Chinese monk and his eyes were steel, a lovely shade of grey. Over one eye, however, was an evil looking scar. Chichiri.
But the third man caught my undivided attention. His face gazed down upon me--the face of my angel. His long, silky hair fell over his shoulders, the most amazing shade of brown. His bangs fell across his eyes perfectly. His eyes--brown with golden tints. The eyes of an angel, filled with a loving kindness. From the corner of my mind I knew that he too wore ancient Chinese clothing, but the colors were more extravagant, the color of royalty. But his wonderful eyes had caught and held mine.. My heart pounded in my chest as I struggled to catch my breath.
"Are you all right?" My Angel spoke to me, his rich voice filled with deep worry. I struggled to sit up and felt Chichiri give me a hand, supporting my back a bit.
"I'm...fine." Somehow I found my voice, shaky as it was. My eyes swept across the area. I seemed to be in some sort of room on a richly designed bed. Bright sunlight streamed through the windows, casting playful shadows in the corners. I turned back towards the men, a sudden thought entering my mind. Did they--? No! Impossible! Something--I'm not quite sure what--assured me that these men would not do such a thing.
"Heh heh! Guess yer right, Chichiri, buddy! She sure as hell ain't dead!" Tasuki laughed, crossing his arms in a cocky manner. "But that's good, neh? She's too cute to die!" He flashed me a grin, showing off gleaming fangs.
I blinked, looking to Tasuki, making a mental note to kill the fiery haired man for his comments. He sure was blunt. Probably one of those people who always spoke their mind, whether or not it was appreciated.
I jumped suddenly in panic and made an attempt to get out of bed, being struck with a sudden thought. "Where are my friends?! What did you do with them?!"
My Angel frowned deeply, setting a gentle hand on my shoulder, forcing me to sit back down. "They are fine. Please, calm down. We have placed them in recovery rooms, thought none seemed wounded greatly." He paused, smiling at me, his features expressing kindness. "Tell me, what is your name?"
I instantly froze at my Angel's touch, gazing up at him with wide blue eyes. His voice spoke no lies--somehow, I could tell. Shivering slightly, from the breeze that hit me or from the cold--I'm not sure, I nodded, taking a deep breath, calming myself down. "My...name? It's...Caitlin."
"That is a hell of a strange name!" Tasuki snorted. Like he was one to talk. My Angel smiled warmly at me.
"I am Hotohori."
"I am Chichiri, no da!" The once serious man seemed to be becoming more and more cheerful. "And that loudmouth over there is Tasuki."
I nodded slightly. I had guessed their names right after all. Strange. "So, where exactly am I? How'd I get here?"
"You are currently at Konan, in the Emperor's palace, no da!" Chichiri grinned.
"Some of my soldiers brought you here. They saw you fall from the sky in a strange white light. Truthfully, we were going to ask you the same thing." Hotohori answered softly, sounding a bit confused.
I frowned deeply as my mind shifted back to hours before, remembering the earthquake. And...the book! The Universe of the Four Gods. The earthquake began when we opened the book...and the light I saw! What was going on?
I gasped lightly from my own acknowledgement that something strange was happening and leapt to my feet once again. Hotohori, Tasuki, and Chichiri all looked at me with worried expressions.
"Where are my friends? Show me where they are. I must speak with them!" Hotohori stood up as well, his hand moving back to my shoulder.
"I'll go see if they're awake, no da." Chichiri smiled and gave a nod to Hotohori before turning and leaving.
"Man, she's crazy. Cute, but loony." I heard Tasuki mutter to himself. I narrowed my eyes, reminding myself to give him what he deserved...sometime when Hotohori wasn't around. Tasuki noted my glare and waved his hands defensively. "Hey, now, I was just kiddin,' no need to get mean!"
My eyes shifted up to my Angel, ignoring Tasuki--for now. "Did all my friends seem alright? You said they were fine...but Megan wasn't with us in the cell..." I took another look around the room, then at myself, noticing I was still in my school uniform. My hand went to my head and I cringed, feeling a bandage there. That explained the headache.
"Yes, they were all perfectly well. However, the one with the same color hair as you got hurt when she fell from the sky. That is why she was not in the prison with you. A few scratches and perhaps a broken wrist, but she'll be perfectly fine. The healers are helping her right now, so, no need to worry."
"And, oh yes. I must apologize for your treatment before. I was not present when the guards brought you in. If I had been, I would have made sure to have treated you as a guest, not a prisoner." I smiled and shrugged. What a gentleman Hotohori was!
"It is forgiven and forgotten." I smiled to myself, content with knowing that everyone was okay. Content in being near my Angel. Simply content. At least until a scream interrupted the mood, echoing through the halls.
"What the--?" Tasuki growled, moving to the door to see what was going on. And he was quickly trampled to the ground as a man--or was it a woman?--barged through the doorway, running right over the fiery haired man, his pink-gold eyes wide.
"AH!! Hey, Nuriko, that hurt!!" Tasuki yelled at the newcomer as he slowly got back to his feet, his body bruised and dirty. And he was knocked right back down by Angelina, who trampled right over him, pausing to look around the room as she attempted to catch her breath. She smiled cheerfully--too cheerfully--at Nuriko as Tasuki let loose a line of violent curses.
"Li!!" I grinned happily as I crossed the room to her. Angelina turned to face me, blinking for a moment or two, then smiled brightly.
"Kitty! Thank the gods you're alright!" An awkward pause...to hug or no? We decided no. We didn't have the hugging type of friendship, not really. We both thought girls who hugged each other looked rather gay. So I chose to poke her instead.
"Ack!!" Li jumped and I laughed. Tasuki had now struggled back to his feet. He was covered in footprints, one right on his face, and looked rather pissed. He turned his red eyes in a glare at Nuriko, who was now stranding beside Hotohori. "What the hell were you runnin' from, Nuriko?!"
"I was running from her!" Nuriko pointed towards Li. I blinked, giving my friend an odd look. Angelina shrugged, grinning innocently, then looked towards Nuriko and winked. The man seemed to slink back, turning his eyes towards me. "Is that girl crazy too?"
"Hell yeah!" Tasuki blurted out. I shot him a glare that could kill. It was his turn to slink away.
"No, Nuriko, Caitlin is not insane," Hotohori answered, smiling at me. At least Hotohori was defending me. A voice spoke out from the doorway, distracting me.
"Here's your friend, no da!" All eyes turned towards the door as Kathy, Laura, and Chichiri stepped in. Laura was hanging onto Chichiri's arms, looking up at him lovingly. Mu gave a rather sheepish look, scratching the back of her head.
"Mu!! Laura!" Both Li and I called out their names as we ran over to them. In sync Li and I proceeded to poke our Korean friend in the sides. We received a familiar squeak. I laughed brightly, glad to see my friends.
"It's good to see you two! How are you doing?"
"Okay, I suppose..." Kathy shrugged.
"Ah...can someone help me out here, no da?" I glanced to Chichiri, who was currently being hugged a little too tightly by Laura. I couldn't help but notice the slight annoyance in Mu's eyes and the Korean proceeded to whack Laura over the head with a clenched fist.
Mu? Being violent? That sure was strange. Laura jerked away, rubbing her head with a whine. Chichiri looked relieved as he moved away from the complaining girl, smiling to Kathy. "Thanks, no da."
I could have sworn Mu blushed.
"So, we're are here?" Angelina asked, glancing around.
"All except Megan. Hotohori told me she may have broke her wrist..." I noted that Li's eyes kept moving towards Nuriko. What was going on? Laura was obviously smitten with Chichiri...but Kathy and Angelina as well? I sighed as I scratched my head, turning to gaze up at Hotohori.
"Hotohori? May we go see our friend? We need to make sure she isn't freaking out or something." And we need to talk, I thought to myself. Hotohori smiled warmly, his beautiful eyes reflecting only kindness.
"Of course. Tasuki will show you the way."
Tasuki blinked as our eyes fell on him. "Wha...What?! No way!! No frickin' way! I am absolutely NOT gonna direct four crazy girls to their fifth crazy friend. Just what we need, a group of insane bitches hangin' around!!" He shook his head wildly, protesting loudly...until he met Hotohori's steady gaze.
"I would take them myself, Tasuki, but I am quite busy. My people will surly be wondering about these girls by now. I must reassure them that everything is perfectly fine. I would appreciate your help, Tasuki." Hotohori's voice was kind...yet firm, leaving no room for arguing. It seemed that Hotohori was well respected to and usually obeyed. Tasuki got the message and, still grumbling, motioned for us to follow him.
We were led out of the room and through various halls, Tasuki's muttering never ceasing. We hung back a bit as we followed.
"Chichiri is such a babe!" Laura swooned and Kathy growled.
"Not as hot as Nuriko, ya know?" Li boasted. I rubbed my head, tempted to bring up my Angel and argue with them, like we would usually do. Pushing away my negative thoughts, I opened my mouth to do just that, when Tasuki stopped suddenly--causing me to run smack into him.
"Watch it, girl!" Tasuki snapped, glaring down at me. I growled in return.
"You watch it!" I snapped back. For a moment we glared at each other, until finally he moved his eyes away, cursing as he opened the door.
"You bud is in here. Now get...and don't come out 'til we come a getcha, got it?"
I shoved past him, leading the way into the room. My friends grinned, holding back laughs as they followed. The door swung shut behind us as I gazed around the room.
"Kitty!" My eyes went towards the voice, widening at the sight of Megan. She had a bandage around her wrist, but seemed perfectly fine besides that. She leapt to her feet and ran over to us. After a brief reunion, all five of us sat down on the small bed to talk.
"What exactly happened?" Meg wondered out loud.
"Yeah! How'd we get here?--Not that I'm complaining, mind you!" Laura grinned, as Kathy sent a glare her way.
Angelina sighed, turning towards me, looking a bit worried. "The earthquake...maybe we're all dreaming or something? Bumped our heads...maybe?"
I shook my head slowly. "Doubtfully. For one, I don't think we can all have the same dream. Plus this place seems pretty real to me." I paused for a moment, thinking. "There was that book...and that white light..." All eyes turned towards me.
"What?" Kathy frowned, looking a bit uneasy. "What do you mean? What white light?! Kitty, what did you see?!"
I gazed at all my friends, wondering what to tell them. How could I explain this? "Well...think about it. The book...when we opened it, the earthquake started..."
"So? That doesn't mean anything!" Megan quirked an eyebrow, giving me an odd look. Strange, her being so serious. I continued.
"I'm not through explaining!! Shut up and listen!" Making sure their attentions were fully on me, I spoke once again. "You see...after I pushed you guys to the ground, I saw this light...a light coming from The Universe of the Four Gods..."
"Are you saying we're inside the book?" I couldn't help but note the tone of disbelief in Angelina's voice. I nodded.
"Unless you have some other way to explain it...?" Only silence and my friends' stares answered my questions. "Just think about it. Nuriko. Tasuki. Hotohori..."
"And Chichiri! Don't forget Chichiri!!" Laura piped up. I rolled my eyes and nodded, but couldn't help but grin as a vein popped out of Kathy's forehead as she struggled not to hit Laura.
"And Chichiri...they're all in Fushigi Yugi! So...we must be inside the book. It all adds up. Which brings up the question...How do we return home?" I asked softly. A silence fell across the room as my head lowered in thought.
The silence was broken, as it had been before, by that loudmouth Tasuki.
"Hey!! Come on! We need ta talk to ya!" We all looked up as the door flew open and light streamed in. Tasuki was standing in the middle of the doorway, looking impatient, his arms folded, giving up an annoyed look.
I narrowed my eyes as I stood up, leading the way towards the door. Had he been listening to our conversation? No...he was too calm. He couldn't have been. After pushing past Tasuki (a little too roughly, for he stumbled from the doorway and almost fell on his ass), I took the time to finally gaze around. How beautiful! Who ever this emperor was, he must be rolling in cash! My azure gaze fell upon Nuriko, Chichiri, and two others: a tall man and a very short girl with an odd pony tail that stuck straight up in the air. All four of them were talking among themselves.
My friends joined me and I began to open my mouth to speak when I was pushed aside by Tasuki. "Hey!!" The red haired man chuckled at my cry of protest as I growled. Tasuki joined Nuriko and the others, then turned towards me. For a moment neither my group nor his said anything.
Until the little girl bounded up towards us, smiling a little too cheerfully. "Hello! My name is Chiriko! And that's Mitsukake over there!"
Kathy kneeled down, having a soft spot for children, and smiled warmly. "It's nice to meet you, Chiriko. But what's a sweet girl like you hanging around here for? Are you the emperor's daughter?"
Tasuki burst into laughter, as Chichiri sweatdropped and Nuriko held back a chuckle. Mitsukake remained silent and motionless. Chiriko looked confused and embarrassed. "Umm...Miss? I'm a boy..."
Mu blinked then blushed, struggling to apologize to the child. Tasuki began to laugh harder and I soon joined in with him. We both quickly stopped when we realized that could be considered getting along. Exchanging glares with him, I decided it was time to get him back for all those comments he made.
Smiling sweetly, I turned towards Chichiri. "Hey, Chichiri? Where's Hotohori?" At Chichiri's name, Laura began to drool, hearts appearing in her eyes. Mu growled, holding the girl back, preventing her from attacking Chichiri with hugs that could kill. The steel eyed man backed away, looking sheepish as he answered my question.
"Hotohori? His majesty is currently dealing with royal matters. Why?"
I blinked. And blinked again. "Wha...what?! Hotohori? Are you saying he's...he's the Emperor?!"
"Well, duh!! What, you didn't know that?! Come on, what sort of idiot wouldn't know that!" Tasuki grinned. I could feel my anger growing.
"Uh oh. He's done it now..." Angelina looked worried.
"He shouldn't have pushed it...." Megan nodded.
"Well, this should be interesting...." Kathy laughed nervously.
"Almost feel sorry for him..." Laura chuckled.
"The hell? Oh, come on! Her? Hurt me?! Hah! Don't make me laugh! She's a friggin' girl, she couldn't hurt a fly!"
That's when I lost it. Hotohori wasn't nearby...and Tasuki needed to be taught a lesson. Growling, I approached him slowly, a dangerous look in my eyes. Tasuki's eyes widened and he began to back away rather quickly, then turned... and ran. I followed quickly, running after the screaming man.
"Aahhh!! Get away from me, you crazy chick!! I didn't do nothin'!!!" Tasuki's yell could be heard all through the halls as I chased him.
"Get back here!! Don't be such a coward, idiot!! I won't hurt you...that badly!!" As we ran past the others, I grinned. Nuriko reached out to grab Tasuki and I believed I had the fiery haired man right where I wanted him--until I felt myself being pulled backwards.
"The hell?!"
"Kitty, that's enough! Come on, you've tortured poor Tasuki long enough." I turned to look back at what was holding me, seeing my friends there. Growling, I shot a glare at Tasuki, struggling to break free, ignoring Kathy's comment.
"Fine!" After a few more minutes of struggling, I gave a sigh, finally giving up. "Let go of me already! I won't kill him...." As my friends grips loosened, I folded my arms. "....yet."
Nuriko shook his head, looking rather disappointed at the fact Tasuki (who was currently hiding behind Mitsukake's tall form) didn't get the hell beaten out of him. Chiriko was scratching the back of his head, looking a bit frightened, and Mitsukake had not moved. Sighing, I rubbed my head, fighting down my temper.
"Ah! Let go, no da!" I turned towards Chichiri's cry for help, blinking as I saw Laura had left my side and had latched tightly around Chichiri's middle.
"Laura! Let him go!" Kathy ran over to them and tried to pull Laura off of Chichiri. Tasuki, finally coming back into view, began to laugh at the scene and I had to hold back my own chuckle.
"Ah! Leave me alone, Mu! He's mine! I saw him first!" Laura and Kathy exchanged glares.
"....Um....I...can't....breath...no da!" Glancing towards Chichiri I realized he did look a bit blue in the face. It matched nicely with his hair.
"Let him go, Laura! You're gonna kill him!!" Mu proceeded to beat Laura over the head with a clenched fist, a vein popping out her forehead.
"Hey! Ouch!! That hurts!! Mu, stop it!!"
"Then let go of him!!"
"Never! He's mine!"
"No daaaaa!! Someone, help!"
"Okay, okay! Enough guys!" I walked over to the three, grabbed Chichiri and tore him from Laura's killing grasp. Mu smirked and the two girls glared at each other while Chichiri struggled to catch his breath.
"Umm...Kitty? Who's he?" I turned, gazing towards Megan. She had hearts in her eyes...and was staring directly at Nuriko.
"Don't even consider it, Megan!!" Angelina snarled, stepping towards Meg with a threatening glare. I sighed. Were all my friends going to be constantly fighting?
"Oh my god!!" A shrill, unfamiliar voice rang out through all the commotion. Everyone turned in sync to watch as a young girl, probably around my age, came running towards us. Her hair was a brownish red and tied up in two buns on her head, her eyes hazel, a mixture of green and brown. She wore a uniform as well, but it was in the Japanese style, making me rather jealous. I had always wanted a cooler uniform than what we had available. I blinked as she ran up to us, bouncing around, clapping her hands happily.
"Oh my god! I can't believe you're here!! Americans!! Wow!! How'd you get here?! This is so exciting! Did you bring any food?!"
I blinked. Kami, this girl spoke too much. Still, this wasn't the end of her blabbing.
"I'm sorry! I didn't introduce myself! I'm Miaka, the priestess of Suzaku!" Like that told me anything. She seemed like a total ditz. Her rambling continued. "This is so amazing! Did you meet everyone?! Blah blah blah, yadda yadda yadda..." I stopped listening, rubbing my head, muttering to myself.
"Americans, neh? Well, I'll tell ya Miaka, these girls are insane! Especially that one!" Tasuki smirked, pointing at me. I growled and he took a step back. Miaka bounced over to me, holding out her hand.
"Hey! Don't worry about Tasuki, he just has to get used to you is all. What's you name?" She smiled brightly as I considered. Slowly, I took her hand, giving it a shake.
"I'm Caitlin...nice to meet you."
"Yeah, it is, isn't it?!" She shook my hand a few times too many and I frowned, pulling my palm away from hers. This girl worried me--she was way too happy. As my friends introduced themselves, I frowned thoughtfully. Something was bothering me...
"So, since when can Americans speak Japanese?" The cheerful girl smiled brightly, giving a questioning look.
"What? Hey, we're not speaking Japanese, you're speaking English!" Laura responded, blinking.
"English? Oh, I wish! But I don't know how to speak English..."
"Yer both crazy!! Yer speakin' Chinese!" Tasuki argued.
"Ah, that's what I've been hearing, no da."
"Well, if Chichiri says we're speaking Chinese, then we are!" Laura nodded.
"No, we're not! I'm speaking English! So is everyone else!" Megan snorted.
"...umm...Miaka? Are you telling me you've never wondered why you could understand everyone, even though this is China...and you're Japanese?" I quirked an eyebrow. Was this girl that dense?
Miaka blinked, tilting her head slightly, then began to laugh. "Nope, I guess not!" Everyone sweatdropped and almost fell. I scratched the back of my head. Perhaps this girl was a lot more blonde than she appeared. Hair dye. Yeah--that made sense.
"English!"
"Japanese!"
"Chinese, damnit!"
"Miaka?" The soft voice of my Angel drifted against the wind, reaching my ears. I turned to see him standing there, his eyes directed at Miaka, a warm smile upon his features.
"Oh! Hotohori! It's good to see you!" Miaka smiled brightly, bounding past us over to the emperor. She gazed up at him happily and as he smiled back at the girl, I felt my heart drop.
Of course such a man wouldn't be alone. How stupid I was to even think I had a chance! Hotohori was already in love. I could see it in his eyes. What had I been thinking? I didn't even know him...and he knew nothing about me. Stupid, stupid, stupid. I closed my eyes, watching Miaka and Hotohori talk. From the back of my mind I knew my friends were still arguing over what language we were all speaking. It didn't matter. I felt crushed...which, my logical side argued, made no sense whatsoever.
"Hotohori? I've been...wanting to talk to you about something..." Miaka cheerful voice had faded. I blinked as Hotohori nodded and the two began to walk away. Glancing briefly over my shoulder, finding everyone occupied, I quietly followed.
They stopped in the middle of an empty hall as I ducked behind the corner to listen. I knew I shouldn't be spying...but...
"I...umm...Well..." Miaka's voice reached me first.
"You needn't worry. This is about our previous conversation, correct?" Hotohori's voice was so kind...yet I could feel a deepening sadness within it. "Consider it settled. I apologize for putting you in such a difficult situation. I'm under pressure from my ministers to find an empress. They're worried about the lack of an heir." A soft laugh was heard. "Before I knew what I was doing, I forced the subject---"
"...orry."
I frowned, peering around the corner so I could watch. Miaka was crying, tears running down her face.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry! I really like you, Hotohori.
You're so kind, and you treat me so well. I thought I might be able to love you." Miaka lowered her head, sobbing. "But I can't. I really like you....but it's not love. So...I..."
"Miaka. It can't be helped. You told me once that a person can't control anyone else's feelings." The emperor stepped closer to Miaka, his voice soft as he gripped her shoulders gently. "That was the first thing you taught me, the leader of my country."
Miaka's soft sobs could still be heard. "But...you've done so much for me, and I haven't done a thing in return."
"You've found the Celestial Warriors. You are granting my wish to save my country."
"But..."
"....." For a moment, nothing was heard. Complete silence. Then it was broken but Hotohori's pain-filled voice. "Then grant me this much...for a pathetic fool in love with you..." In one swift movement Hotohori had released his grip on Miaka's shoulders and engulfed her in a tight embrace. My eyes widened as I ducked back behind the corner, closing my eyes tightly.
"Miaka! I love you! I love you!"
Silence.
Then... "I beg your forgiveness. Please...we have these new visitors to speak with...perhaps you should go find out what you can?"
"Okay....I'll see you soon." I ducked into an opened doorway as Miaka jogged back my way. As she passed me, I felt my hatred growing. How dare that bitch hurt Hotohori? He loved her--why didn't she accept his love? I closed my eyes tightly. My poor Angel. No...he wasn't my Angel. He didn't love me. He didn't even know me. Emperor Hotohori...I stepped from the dark room, gazing around the corner to find Hotohori gone. Sighing heavily, I turned, heading back the way I had come, towards the arguing voices of my friends.
"Tasuki, for the tenth time, the pain knocked her out, no da. You see, shifting your eyes from darkness to light too suddenly causes---"
I stopped listening as the deep, male voice rattled on, explaining to the loud-voiced 'Tasuki' what happened to me. It sounded like a school lecture...yet the voice seemed familiar.
A sudden wave of pain overcame me and I gasped loudly, cringing. A hush fell over the room as I felt eyes land on me. Still, I felt too weak to even attempt to open my eyes, though my hearing had returned completely. Indeed, I could hear everything quite clearly, which was fine by me. I wanted to listen for a while, to see what I could learn. Perhaps they would give out more information if they thought me to be asleep.
"Is she awake? I think she's awake! Poke her!" Tasuki's voice rattled out over the silence as I heard shuffled movements towards me...followed by the distinctive sound of someone being hit over the head, at which a painful "OW!!" sounded.
"You're majesty, what are you thinking? Are you alright? You haven't said anything for a while, no da." 'No Da' sounded concerned as Tasuki muttered to himself under his breath.
"Miaka said this girl and her friends came from her world, but from a different place, called America." The man...royalty of some sort?...spoke quietly, sounding out 'America' carefully. How beautiful his voice was! Smooth, caring, so soft! My heart skipped a beat...later I would regret not listening to his words rather than the angelic sound of his voice.
"This girl might be important to Suzaku, Chichiri...or perhaps one of the other gods."
This was confusing. Why did everything sound so familiar? The names...the voices...even their conversation. But how? Where was this? How did I understand the meaning behind their words? Was I going mad?
A sudden urge hit me. I had to look around, to see what was going on! To see where I was. I groaned loudly, announcing my awakening, and stirred, the voices hushing once again as I slowly opened my eyes.
The image was blurry at first, but slowly my eyes managed to focus.
Three men looked down at me. To my right, red caught my eyes. The man wore strange, ancient Chinese clothing, but his eyes and hair were red (his eyes were actually a reddish brown), odd for someone who seemed Asian. His features were pulled into a smirk...or perhaps it was more of a grin...revealing two sharp fangs. A name entered my mind immediately: Tasuki.
To my left was an even odder looking man. His hair was a blue-grey color and the front was in a strange mohawk, the back pulled into a pony tail. He wore the clothes of a Chinese monk and his eyes were steel, a lovely shade of grey. Over one eye, however, was an evil looking scar. Chichiri.
But the third man caught my undivided attention. His face gazed down upon me--the face of my angel. His long, silky hair fell over his shoulders, the most amazing shade of brown. His bangs fell across his eyes perfectly. His eyes--brown with golden tints. The eyes of an angel, filled with a loving kindness. From the corner of my mind I knew that he too wore ancient Chinese clothing, but the colors were more extravagant, the color of royalty. But his wonderful eyes had caught and held mine.. My heart pounded in my chest as I struggled to catch my breath.
"Are you all right?" My Angel spoke to me, his rich voice filled with deep worry. I struggled to sit up and felt Chichiri give me a hand, supporting my back a bit.
"I'm...fine." Somehow I found my voice, shaky as it was. My eyes swept across the area. I seemed to be in some sort of room on a richly designed bed. Bright sunlight streamed through the windows, casting playful shadows in the corners. I turned back towards the men, a sudden thought entering my mind. Did they--? No! Impossible! Something--I'm not quite sure what--assured me that these men would not do such a thing.
"Heh heh! Guess yer right, Chichiri, buddy! She sure as hell ain't dead!" Tasuki laughed, crossing his arms in a cocky manner. "But that's good, neh? She's too cute to die!" He flashed me a grin, showing off gleaming fangs.
I blinked, looking to Tasuki, making a mental note to kill the fiery haired man for his comments. He sure was blunt. Probably one of those people who always spoke their mind, whether or not it was appreciated.
I jumped suddenly in panic and made an attempt to get out of bed, being struck with a sudden thought. "Where are my friends?! What did you do with them?!"
My Angel frowned deeply, setting a gentle hand on my shoulder, forcing me to sit back down. "They are fine. Please, calm down. We have placed them in recovery rooms, thought none seemed wounded greatly." He paused, smiling at me, his features expressing kindness. "Tell me, what is your name?"
I instantly froze at my Angel's touch, gazing up at him with wide blue eyes. His voice spoke no lies--somehow, I could tell. Shivering slightly, from the breeze that hit me or from the cold--I'm not sure, I nodded, taking a deep breath, calming myself down. "My...name? It's...Caitlin."
"That is a hell of a strange name!" Tasuki snorted. Like he was one to talk. My Angel smiled warmly at me.
"I am Hotohori."
"I am Chichiri, no da!" The once serious man seemed to be becoming more and more cheerful. "And that loudmouth over there is Tasuki."
I nodded slightly. I had guessed their names right after all. Strange. "So, where exactly am I? How'd I get here?"
"You are currently at Konan, in the Emperor's palace, no da!" Chichiri grinned.
"Some of my soldiers brought you here. They saw you fall from the sky in a strange white light. Truthfully, we were going to ask you the same thing." Hotohori answered softly, sounding a bit confused.
I frowned deeply as my mind shifted back to hours before, remembering the earthquake. And...the book! The Universe of the Four Gods. The earthquake began when we opened the book...and the light I saw! What was going on?
I gasped lightly from my own acknowledgement that something strange was happening and leapt to my feet once again. Hotohori, Tasuki, and Chichiri all looked at me with worried expressions.
"Where are my friends? Show me where they are. I must speak with them!" Hotohori stood up as well, his hand moving back to my shoulder.
"I'll go see if they're awake, no da." Chichiri smiled and gave a nod to Hotohori before turning and leaving.
"Man, she's crazy. Cute, but loony." I heard Tasuki mutter to himself. I narrowed my eyes, reminding myself to give him what he deserved...sometime when Hotohori wasn't around. Tasuki noted my glare and waved his hands defensively. "Hey, now, I was just kiddin,' no need to get mean!"
My eyes shifted up to my Angel, ignoring Tasuki--for now. "Did all my friends seem alright? You said they were fine...but Megan wasn't with us in the cell..." I took another look around the room, then at myself, noticing I was still in my school uniform. My hand went to my head and I cringed, feeling a bandage there. That explained the headache.
"Yes, they were all perfectly well. However, the one with the same color hair as you got hurt when she fell from the sky. That is why she was not in the prison with you. A few scratches and perhaps a broken wrist, but she'll be perfectly fine. The healers are helping her right now, so, no need to worry."
"And, oh yes. I must apologize for your treatment before. I was not present when the guards brought you in. If I had been, I would have made sure to have treated you as a guest, not a prisoner." I smiled and shrugged. What a gentleman Hotohori was!
"It is forgiven and forgotten." I smiled to myself, content with knowing that everyone was okay. Content in being near my Angel. Simply content. At least until a scream interrupted the mood, echoing through the halls.
"What the--?" Tasuki growled, moving to the door to see what was going on. And he was quickly trampled to the ground as a man--or was it a woman?--barged through the doorway, running right over the fiery haired man, his pink-gold eyes wide.
"AH!! Hey, Nuriko, that hurt!!" Tasuki yelled at the newcomer as he slowly got back to his feet, his body bruised and dirty. And he was knocked right back down by Angelina, who trampled right over him, pausing to look around the room as she attempted to catch her breath. She smiled cheerfully--too cheerfully--at Nuriko as Tasuki let loose a line of violent curses.
"Li!!" I grinned happily as I crossed the room to her. Angelina turned to face me, blinking for a moment or two, then smiled brightly.
"Kitty! Thank the gods you're alright!" An awkward pause...to hug or no? We decided no. We didn't have the hugging type of friendship, not really. We both thought girls who hugged each other looked rather gay. So I chose to poke her instead.
"Ack!!" Li jumped and I laughed. Tasuki had now struggled back to his feet. He was covered in footprints, one right on his face, and looked rather pissed. He turned his red eyes in a glare at Nuriko, who was now stranding beside Hotohori. "What the hell were you runnin' from, Nuriko?!"
"I was running from her!" Nuriko pointed towards Li. I blinked, giving my friend an odd look. Angelina shrugged, grinning innocently, then looked towards Nuriko and winked. The man seemed to slink back, turning his eyes towards me. "Is that girl crazy too?"
"Hell yeah!" Tasuki blurted out. I shot him a glare that could kill. It was his turn to slink away.
"No, Nuriko, Caitlin is not insane," Hotohori answered, smiling at me. At least Hotohori was defending me. A voice spoke out from the doorway, distracting me.
"Here's your friend, no da!" All eyes turned towards the door as Kathy, Laura, and Chichiri stepped in. Laura was hanging onto Chichiri's arms, looking up at him lovingly. Mu gave a rather sheepish look, scratching the back of her head.
"Mu!! Laura!" Both Li and I called out their names as we ran over to them. In sync Li and I proceeded to poke our Korean friend in the sides. We received a familiar squeak. I laughed brightly, glad to see my friends.
"It's good to see you two! How are you doing?"
"Okay, I suppose..." Kathy shrugged.
"Ah...can someone help me out here, no da?" I glanced to Chichiri, who was currently being hugged a little too tightly by Laura. I couldn't help but notice the slight annoyance in Mu's eyes and the Korean proceeded to whack Laura over the head with a clenched fist.
Mu? Being violent? That sure was strange. Laura jerked away, rubbing her head with a whine. Chichiri looked relieved as he moved away from the complaining girl, smiling to Kathy. "Thanks, no da."
I could have sworn Mu blushed.
"So, we're are here?" Angelina asked, glancing around.
"All except Megan. Hotohori told me she may have broke her wrist..." I noted that Li's eyes kept moving towards Nuriko. What was going on? Laura was obviously smitten with Chichiri...but Kathy and Angelina as well? I sighed as I scratched my head, turning to gaze up at Hotohori.
"Hotohori? May we go see our friend? We need to make sure she isn't freaking out or something." And we need to talk, I thought to myself. Hotohori smiled warmly, his beautiful eyes reflecting only kindness.
"Of course. Tasuki will show you the way."
Tasuki blinked as our eyes fell on him. "Wha...What?! No way!! No frickin' way! I am absolutely NOT gonna direct four crazy girls to their fifth crazy friend. Just what we need, a group of insane bitches hangin' around!!" He shook his head wildly, protesting loudly...until he met Hotohori's steady gaze.
"I would take them myself, Tasuki, but I am quite busy. My people will surly be wondering about these girls by now. I must reassure them that everything is perfectly fine. I would appreciate your help, Tasuki." Hotohori's voice was kind...yet firm, leaving no room for arguing. It seemed that Hotohori was well respected to and usually obeyed. Tasuki got the message and, still grumbling, motioned for us to follow him.
We were led out of the room and through various halls, Tasuki's muttering never ceasing. We hung back a bit as we followed.
"Chichiri is such a babe!" Laura swooned and Kathy growled.
"Not as hot as Nuriko, ya know?" Li boasted. I rubbed my head, tempted to bring up my Angel and argue with them, like we would usually do. Pushing away my negative thoughts, I opened my mouth to do just that, when Tasuki stopped suddenly--causing me to run smack into him.
"Watch it, girl!" Tasuki snapped, glaring down at me. I growled in return.
"You watch it!" I snapped back. For a moment we glared at each other, until finally he moved his eyes away, cursing as he opened the door.
"You bud is in here. Now get...and don't come out 'til we come a getcha, got it?"
I shoved past him, leading the way into the room. My friends grinned, holding back laughs as they followed. The door swung shut behind us as I gazed around the room.
"Kitty!" My eyes went towards the voice, widening at the sight of Megan. She had a bandage around her wrist, but seemed perfectly fine besides that. She leapt to her feet and ran over to us. After a brief reunion, all five of us sat down on the small bed to talk.
"What exactly happened?" Meg wondered out loud.
"Yeah! How'd we get here?--Not that I'm complaining, mind you!" Laura grinned, as Kathy sent a glare her way.
Angelina sighed, turning towards me, looking a bit worried. "The earthquake...maybe we're all dreaming or something? Bumped our heads...maybe?"
I shook my head slowly. "Doubtfully. For one, I don't think we can all have the same dream. Plus this place seems pretty real to me." I paused for a moment, thinking. "There was that book...and that white light..." All eyes turned towards me.
"What?" Kathy frowned, looking a bit uneasy. "What do you mean? What white light?! Kitty, what did you see?!"
I gazed at all my friends, wondering what to tell them. How could I explain this? "Well...think about it. The book...when we opened it, the earthquake started..."
"So? That doesn't mean anything!" Megan quirked an eyebrow, giving me an odd look. Strange, her being so serious. I continued.
"I'm not through explaining!! Shut up and listen!" Making sure their attentions were fully on me, I spoke once again. "You see...after I pushed you guys to the ground, I saw this light...a light coming from The Universe of the Four Gods..."
"Are you saying we're inside the book?" I couldn't help but note the tone of disbelief in Angelina's voice. I nodded.
"Unless you have some other way to explain it...?" Only silence and my friends' stares answered my questions. "Just think about it. Nuriko. Tasuki. Hotohori..."
"And Chichiri! Don't forget Chichiri!!" Laura piped up. I rolled my eyes and nodded, but couldn't help but grin as a vein popped out of Kathy's forehead as she struggled not to hit Laura.
"And Chichiri...they're all in Fushigi Yugi! So...we must be inside the book. It all adds up. Which brings up the question...How do we return home?" I asked softly. A silence fell across the room as my head lowered in thought.
The silence was broken, as it had been before, by that loudmouth Tasuki.
"Hey!! Come on! We need ta talk to ya!" We all looked up as the door flew open and light streamed in. Tasuki was standing in the middle of the doorway, looking impatient, his arms folded, giving up an annoyed look.
I narrowed my eyes as I stood up, leading the way towards the door. Had he been listening to our conversation? No...he was too calm. He couldn't have been. After pushing past Tasuki (a little too roughly, for he stumbled from the doorway and almost fell on his ass), I took the time to finally gaze around. How beautiful! Who ever this emperor was, he must be rolling in cash! My azure gaze fell upon Nuriko, Chichiri, and two others: a tall man and a very short girl with an odd pony tail that stuck straight up in the air. All four of them were talking among themselves.
My friends joined me and I began to open my mouth to speak when I was pushed aside by Tasuki. "Hey!!" The red haired man chuckled at my cry of protest as I growled. Tasuki joined Nuriko and the others, then turned towards me. For a moment neither my group nor his said anything.
Until the little girl bounded up towards us, smiling a little too cheerfully. "Hello! My name is Chiriko! And that's Mitsukake over there!"
Kathy kneeled down, having a soft spot for children, and smiled warmly. "It's nice to meet you, Chiriko. But what's a sweet girl like you hanging around here for? Are you the emperor's daughter?"
Tasuki burst into laughter, as Chichiri sweatdropped and Nuriko held back a chuckle. Mitsukake remained silent and motionless. Chiriko looked confused and embarrassed. "Umm...Miss? I'm a boy..."
Mu blinked then blushed, struggling to apologize to the child. Tasuki began to laugh harder and I soon joined in with him. We both quickly stopped when we realized that could be considered getting along. Exchanging glares with him, I decided it was time to get him back for all those comments he made.
Smiling sweetly, I turned towards Chichiri. "Hey, Chichiri? Where's Hotohori?" At Chichiri's name, Laura began to drool, hearts appearing in her eyes. Mu growled, holding the girl back, preventing her from attacking Chichiri with hugs that could kill. The steel eyed man backed away, looking sheepish as he answered my question.
"Hotohori? His majesty is currently dealing with royal matters. Why?"
I blinked. And blinked again. "Wha...what?! Hotohori? Are you saying he's...he's the Emperor?!"
"Well, duh!! What, you didn't know that?! Come on, what sort of idiot wouldn't know that!" Tasuki grinned. I could feel my anger growing.
"Uh oh. He's done it now..." Angelina looked worried.
"He shouldn't have pushed it...." Megan nodded.
"Well, this should be interesting...." Kathy laughed nervously.
"Almost feel sorry for him..." Laura chuckled.
"The hell? Oh, come on! Her? Hurt me?! Hah! Don't make me laugh! She's a friggin' girl, she couldn't hurt a fly!"
That's when I lost it. Hotohori wasn't nearby...and Tasuki needed to be taught a lesson. Growling, I approached him slowly, a dangerous look in my eyes. Tasuki's eyes widened and he began to back away rather quickly, then turned... and ran. I followed quickly, running after the screaming man.
"Aahhh!! Get away from me, you crazy chick!! I didn't do nothin'!!!" Tasuki's yell could be heard all through the halls as I chased him.
"Get back here!! Don't be such a coward, idiot!! I won't hurt you...that badly!!" As we ran past the others, I grinned. Nuriko reached out to grab Tasuki and I believed I had the fiery haired man right where I wanted him--until I felt myself being pulled backwards.
"The hell?!"
"Kitty, that's enough! Come on, you've tortured poor Tasuki long enough." I turned to look back at what was holding me, seeing my friends there. Growling, I shot a glare at Tasuki, struggling to break free, ignoring Kathy's comment.
"Fine!" After a few more minutes of struggling, I gave a sigh, finally giving up. "Let go of me already! I won't kill him...." As my friends grips loosened, I folded my arms. "....yet."
Nuriko shook his head, looking rather disappointed at the fact Tasuki (who was currently hiding behind Mitsukake's tall form) didn't get the hell beaten out of him. Chiriko was scratching the back of his head, looking a bit frightened, and Mitsukake had not moved. Sighing, I rubbed my head, fighting down my temper.
"Ah! Let go, no da!" I turned towards Chichiri's cry for help, blinking as I saw Laura had left my side and had latched tightly around Chichiri's middle.
"Laura! Let him go!" Kathy ran over to them and tried to pull Laura off of Chichiri. Tasuki, finally coming back into view, began to laugh at the scene and I had to hold back my own chuckle.
"Ah! Leave me alone, Mu! He's mine! I saw him first!" Laura and Kathy exchanged glares.
"....Um....I...can't....breath...no da!" Glancing towards Chichiri I realized he did look a bit blue in the face. It matched nicely with his hair.
"Let him go, Laura! You're gonna kill him!!" Mu proceeded to beat Laura over the head with a clenched fist, a vein popping out her forehead.
"Hey! Ouch!! That hurts!! Mu, stop it!!"
"Then let go of him!!"
"Never! He's mine!"
"No daaaaa!! Someone, help!"
"Okay, okay! Enough guys!" I walked over to the three, grabbed Chichiri and tore him from Laura's killing grasp. Mu smirked and the two girls glared at each other while Chichiri struggled to catch his breath.
"Umm...Kitty? Who's he?" I turned, gazing towards Megan. She had hearts in her eyes...and was staring directly at Nuriko.
"Don't even consider it, Megan!!" Angelina snarled, stepping towards Meg with a threatening glare. I sighed. Were all my friends going to be constantly fighting?
"Oh my god!!" A shrill, unfamiliar voice rang out through all the commotion. Everyone turned in sync to watch as a young girl, probably around my age, came running towards us. Her hair was a brownish red and tied up in two buns on her head, her eyes hazel, a mixture of green and brown. She wore a uniform as well, but it was in the Japanese style, making me rather jealous. I had always wanted a cooler uniform than what we had available. I blinked as she ran up to us, bouncing around, clapping her hands happily.
"Oh my god! I can't believe you're here!! Americans!! Wow!! How'd you get here?! This is so exciting! Did you bring any food?!"
I blinked. Kami, this girl spoke too much. Still, this wasn't the end of her blabbing.
"I'm sorry! I didn't introduce myself! I'm Miaka, the priestess of Suzaku!" Like that told me anything. She seemed like a total ditz. Her rambling continued. "This is so amazing! Did you meet everyone?! Blah blah blah, yadda yadda yadda..." I stopped listening, rubbing my head, muttering to myself.
"Americans, neh? Well, I'll tell ya Miaka, these girls are insane! Especially that one!" Tasuki smirked, pointing at me. I growled and he took a step back. Miaka bounced over to me, holding out her hand.
"Hey! Don't worry about Tasuki, he just has to get used to you is all. What's you name?" She smiled brightly as I considered. Slowly, I took her hand, giving it a shake.
"I'm Caitlin...nice to meet you."
"Yeah, it is, isn't it?!" She shook my hand a few times too many and I frowned, pulling my palm away from hers. This girl worried me--she was way too happy. As my friends introduced themselves, I frowned thoughtfully. Something was bothering me...
"So, since when can Americans speak Japanese?" The cheerful girl smiled brightly, giving a questioning look.
"What? Hey, we're not speaking Japanese, you're speaking English!" Laura responded, blinking.
"English? Oh, I wish! But I don't know how to speak English..."
"Yer both crazy!! Yer speakin' Chinese!" Tasuki argued.
"Ah, that's what I've been hearing, no da."
"Well, if Chichiri says we're speaking Chinese, then we are!" Laura nodded.
"No, we're not! I'm speaking English! So is everyone else!" Megan snorted.
"...umm...Miaka? Are you telling me you've never wondered why you could understand everyone, even though this is China...and you're Japanese?" I quirked an eyebrow. Was this girl that dense?
Miaka blinked, tilting her head slightly, then began to laugh. "Nope, I guess not!" Everyone sweatdropped and almost fell. I scratched the back of my head. Perhaps this girl was a lot more blonde than she appeared. Hair dye. Yeah--that made sense.
"English!"
"Japanese!"
"Chinese, damnit!"
"Miaka?" The soft voice of my Angel drifted against the wind, reaching my ears. I turned to see him standing there, his eyes directed at Miaka, a warm smile upon his features.
"Oh! Hotohori! It's good to see you!" Miaka smiled brightly, bounding past us over to the emperor. She gazed up at him happily and as he smiled back at the girl, I felt my heart drop.
Of course such a man wouldn't be alone. How stupid I was to even think I had a chance! Hotohori was already in love. I could see it in his eyes. What had I been thinking? I didn't even know him...and he knew nothing about me. Stupid, stupid, stupid. I closed my eyes, watching Miaka and Hotohori talk. From the back of my mind I knew my friends were still arguing over what language we were all speaking. It didn't matter. I felt crushed...which, my logical side argued, made no sense whatsoever.
"Hotohori? I've been...wanting to talk to you about something..." Miaka cheerful voice had faded. I blinked as Hotohori nodded and the two began to walk away. Glancing briefly over my shoulder, finding everyone occupied, I quietly followed.
They stopped in the middle of an empty hall as I ducked behind the corner to listen. I knew I shouldn't be spying...but...
"I...umm...Well..." Miaka's voice reached me first.
"You needn't worry. This is about our previous conversation, correct?" Hotohori's voice was so kind...yet I could feel a deepening sadness within it. "Consider it settled. I apologize for putting you in such a difficult situation. I'm under pressure from my ministers to find an empress. They're worried about the lack of an heir." A soft laugh was heard. "Before I knew what I was doing, I forced the subject---"
"...orry."
I frowned, peering around the corner so I could watch. Miaka was crying, tears running down her face.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry! I really like you, Hotohori.
You're so kind, and you treat me so well. I thought I might be able to love you." Miaka lowered her head, sobbing. "But I can't. I really like you....but it's not love. So...I..."
"Miaka. It can't be helped. You told me once that a person can't control anyone else's feelings." The emperor stepped closer to Miaka, his voice soft as he gripped her shoulders gently. "That was the first thing you taught me, the leader of my country."
Miaka's soft sobs could still be heard. "But...you've done so much for me, and I haven't done a thing in return."
"You've found the Celestial Warriors. You are granting my wish to save my country."
"But..."
"....." For a moment, nothing was heard. Complete silence. Then it was broken but Hotohori's pain-filled voice. "Then grant me this much...for a pathetic fool in love with you..." In one swift movement Hotohori had released his grip on Miaka's shoulders and engulfed her in a tight embrace. My eyes widened as I ducked back behind the corner, closing my eyes tightly.
"Miaka! I love you! I love you!"
Silence.
Then... "I beg your forgiveness. Please...we have these new visitors to speak with...perhaps you should go find out what you can?"
"Okay....I'll see you soon." I ducked into an opened doorway as Miaka jogged back my way. As she passed me, I felt my hatred growing. How dare that bitch hurt Hotohori? He loved her--why didn't she accept his love? I closed my eyes tightly. My poor Angel. No...he wasn't my Angel. He didn't love me. He didn't even know me. Emperor Hotohori...I stepped from the dark room, gazing around the corner to find Hotohori gone. Sighing heavily, I turned, heading back the way I had come, towards the arguing voices of my friends.