Rendezvous
Miaka instinctively followed the trail of music. It beckoned, calm and soothing, and yet strangely hypnotising in quality, even vaguely seductive. Wistful notes tugged at the edge of her consciousness, barely within the threshold of hearing. She could almost dismiss it as the wind, but no wind could play such a nostalgic melody, so sweet and sad, so surreal in quality. The distant strains of music sounded even more haunting now, echoing in the forlorn night, encompassing Miaka's entire soul.
Abruptly, the heart-rending tune ended in a raw shriek, as if the musician was struck with pain and terror in the midst of his performance. Miaka took a step back, and froze as a strong breeze rose around her. Before she could gather enough breath to scream, countless black shapes assaulted her vision. The first stab of pain struck at the side of her neck. She screamed reflexively, trying in vain to cover her face with her hands. As she tried to strike away the creatures that assailed her, her hands were met with soft, furry bodies, while the constant drum of the beating of leathery wings resounded around her.
"REKKA SHINEN!!" Miaka tensed as a wave of heat washed over her, scorching the multitude of bats. She could hear Tasuki swearing in the background as a seemingly larger wave of bats closed in the fire's wake.
Amidst all the confusion, she saw the faint gleam of Chichiri's shakujou as it flashed in the pale moonlight, knocking off some of the bats before Chichiri pulled her back from the oncoming onslaught, trying his best to shield her with his body.
Suddenly, a sharp note pierced through the air like a spear. The bats erupted in chaos as the music increased in volume, tearing through them like a volley of arrows.
"What's going on? " Nuriko inquired disbelievingly, his arm still stretched out in mid-air to swat the vicious beasts, cautiously glancing up to see the bats plummet to the ground, their bodies twitching helplessly.
The music rose higher in pitch, swirling around them, yet remaining safely above their heads. A subtle movement caught Miaka's eye, and she looked up to see a faint silhouette emerging from the dark shadows.
As the musician approached, Miaka could make out the outlines of his face. The faint moonlight revealed him to be a boy in his early teens, his face framed by soft wisps of hair that were painted a pale silver in the moonlight. His clothing hung in tatters on his slender frame, while dried blood crusted on the numerous bite-wounds on his body. The boy's eyes were closed in concentration as his fingers travelled rapidly across the length of a wooden flute.
The raw, intense melody failed to affect Miaka, but a shrill cry came from the branches above her head. Nuriko and Tasuki looked up to see a black-cloaked figure perched on a tree limb, clutching his head with one hand in agony and clinging on to the tree with the other for support.
The black-cloaked man tumbled to the ground with a cry of pain as the last note penetrated the night.
The flutist leaned against a tree for support, lowering his instrument. He lifted his head, lavender eyes strangely pensive as his gaze fell on each of them in turn.
***
Amiboshi ran his eyes over Suzaku no Miko and each of her companions.
"She has three of her seishi with her…" His thoughts shattered as his gaze fell onto the blue-haired monk. The ever-smiling mask, the gravity-defying bangs…
"No, it can't be…"
With that one last thought, Amiboshi collapsed onto the forest floor.
***
Amiboshi felt partially non-existent. He felt as though he was floating in a vast expanse of nothingness. Dimly he was aware of sounds around him, but they were barely there. It felt strangely peaceful, somehow.
He let his mind wander about his memory; how he and Suboshi had spent the early years of their lives in happiness, only to be shattered by the war, which took away both of their parents, leaving them alone at the tender age of five. Since then, they had practically been nomads, working as hard as they could for a roof over their heads. Life was bitter, but they had to go on. When they were nine, fate turned kindly towards them, and led a strange blue haired monk to help them…
Blue haired monk?
Amiboshi's eyelids flickered and he opened his eyes, squinting slightly at the light. As his vision cleared, he saw a big, shorthaired guy gazing down kindly at him.
***
"Feeling better now?" asked Mitsukake, another of the Suzaku Shichiseishi, who was bestowed upon by Suzaku the power of healing.
With those words, everybody in the room gathered around the bed, all concerned over the teal haired lad who had somehow saved the priestess of Suzaku, Miaka, from another assassination attempt. That included Miaka herself, Nuriko the cross-dressing Hercules, Tasuki, the flame haired guy with fangs who wields a fire tessen, and, Chichiri himself.
Miaka, who had been blaming herself all the while for causing mishap to the boy who fell unconscious for almost three hours now, was the first to speak.
"How are you? Are you all right? I'm so, so sorry for dragging you into this…You see, there are some guys out there who would love to see me dead and have tried to kill me many times, and every time somebody will get hurt, and ……"
Miaka babbled on, a clear sign that she was frustrated over the entire outcome and of her concern for her recent-most lifesaver. The other seishi looked both relieved and worried as well.
However, Chichiri sensed something familiar about the lad, but he just couldn't place it…
***
Amiboshi smiled at the priestess and tried to calm her down. She seemed like a nice person. However if she had were to find out the real reason he was here, she would no longer have the same reaction as she has now. Should he do as Nakago ordered him, and foil the plans of the Suzaku seven? The question was a raging turmoil inside him, and he was torn between doing as he was told and his own conscience. His eyes drifted to where the monk was, dressed in his kasa, his bronze staff close by. The more he saw, the surer he was. There's no mistaking this one. He didn't change the slightest bit, down to the aura of peace that lingered around him.
He was the saviour of Amiboshi and his twin.
***
· Rather short, isn't it? Gomen, but we've tried our best! School seems to be taking over… We have a nine-day break (terrible education system, isn't it? All our breaks are less than 2 weeks), but that wonderfully long holiday (obvious sarcasm) is already occupied by projects and of course, the upcoming final exam. (urgh…)
· Thanks for all the reviews! And we'll try to get longer chapters out, there should be time, even in a nine-day break. (faints from exhaustion)
