The Tale of Byakko

Chapter 3 Nightly Thoughts

Disclaimer : I have never ever owned Fushigi Yuugi. Satisfied ? But I do own the minor chars.

AN : I didn't know whether Amefuri was female or male, so I just chose female. So don't blame me. And please please please review. I am a pathetic author with only a couple of reviews.

Suzuno lay on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. Ayako had lent her an aquamarine silk nightgown to sleep in. This is just getting too far, she thought, I wonder how things are going on in my world. I wonder how Daddy is. ..

She stopped short. Suzuno had never called Oto-san Daddy since six. Somehow Daddy seemed too personal for her father. Oto-san had always been working, ever since Oka-san died. ..

As a result, Suzuno had a rather lonely childhood. Her friends were usually stolen away by the more popular girls in school. As for her love life. .. Suzuno sighed.

Only Yamada Takeshi had truly known the real her, the one hiding behind the quiet girl sitting at her desk staring out of the window. He knew her thoughts, her feelings. He understood her, and vice versa. At that time, Suzuno thought that she had finally found love.

Until Takeshi had been murdered.

The news said that Takeshi had been killed by some gangsters. In school, rumours were circulating. About Takeshi's new girlfriend Suzuno. Maybe Ishe/I had killed him. Everyone else had shunned her after that, and she had always been glad to return home, even to an empty house. Better than being reminded of Takeshi. Suzuno knew that she would never love another boy. Not after Takeshi.

At least, that was what she thought, before she stumbled upon this new world and Tatara.

Suzuno didn't know why, but she felt powerfully attracted to Tatara. Maybe it was just his looks or something. Or maybe it wasn't anything. Besides, how could Tatara ever like her ? He had Amefuri, who was certainly beautiful enough despite her peculiar nature.

Anyway, Suzuno didn't need any more hurt in her life.

***

Tatara knelt down, facing out of the window in his room, gazing at the stars. The Byakko no Miko. . She wasn't as beautiful as Amefuri, but in those jade-green eyes was spirit. And the Miko's hair was certainly lovely, like silken brown.

Tatara wrinkled his forehead in surprise. Why was he thinking about the Byakko no Miko in this manner ? He was born to protect her and protect her he would. It was a great honour to be a seishi of the Miko, and it was his prophecied duty too.

He and Amefuri went a long way back. No, they were not lovers, but mostly friends. Of course, they felt a strong attraction towards each other, but he had never allowed himself to ever be more than friends with her. Despite her strange cheerfulness, Amefuri was serious enough about Tatara.

She really tried to forget about Tatara as a lover, but sometimes her exquisite cobalt eyes shone with a longing that Tatara was sure his eyes mirrored. But he could not allow himself and Amefuri to be lovers. It was just that he had to take care of his grandparents and his siblings, and he felt that Amefuri shouldn't have to bear the burden he bore himself.

Amefuri had been abandoned as a young child of five years, later taken in by one of the village elders. After that particular elder had died, she had built herself a little hut next to Tatara's home, and survived on the charity of the villagers.

Many boys were naturally enchanted by Amefuri's beauty, but she always spurned them, hoping that Tatara would one day accept her as his lover.

Tatara stood up and lay on his bed. He shouldn't think about Amefuri or the Byakko no Miko anymore. All those emotions all tugged at his heart, a pain he wouldn't be feeling while asleep.

AN : Done ! This was a kind of unexpected chapter, but oh well, as long as it's going on well. *wink wink*