Author's note: This story focuses mostly on the daughter of Tasuki,
Jielain. It has a lot of mention of the other characters too though. I
don't really know much about Houki or Hotohori's son, so I made it up. ^_^;
But yeah. I've seen up to like 48 (?) but I know most of the spoilers and I
saw the first 2 tapes of the OAV. Please just pretend that the story ended
how I want (happily) and the characters who die were reborn in Miaka's
world. The first part of the fic is in the book, then it kinda shifts…Oh
yeah, and I'm really bad about differentiating between the manga and the
animated series. I've read all the comics Viz has put out in Extra, (And I
have the graphic novels too) and I like some of their terminology. (I think
the name Jielain (spelled Jie-lain) was from the manga, in the anime she
was Yuiren) Just wanted to let you know that I am indeed obsessed before
you get the wrong idea! This is gonna be a long story but I promise to
finish it even if I get zero reviews…sniff
Disclaimer: I don't own the Fushigi Yugi characters, cause if I did, they would all be living happily ever after!
Part one: Mountain Life
Jielain awoke to the sound of another three a.m. bandit party. She rolled over in her bed, trying to drown out the loud noises of drinking and carrying on down the hallway. This was the third one this week, which meant that the guys were getting restless, from a severe lack of raids and invasions. Jielain, in the midst of wishing they'd shut up, almost thought about her father's offer for her to go live at the palace. Realizing her thoughts, Jielain made a face. She could never leave her dad, or the guys. He'd just die if she weren't there to keep him on his toes, with or without Koji there to irritate him. That thought made her smile, and without another moment's hesitation, the young bandit girl jumped out of bed and got dressed. She dressed like a boy, much to the dismay of the Lady Houki. Houki was always sending the girl pretty dresses from the palace, but Jielain just shoved them in the back of the pile under her bed, and continued to wear the baggy clothes of the bandits.
She did however; appreciate the underwear that the lady sent her. She had found that, a while back, it was embarrassing for her chest to move when she ran, and began wearing a bra. She also found that the loose and comfy boxers she had grown accustomed to simply would not do at certain times… Houki was really her only female guide since her mother had died, and even she was far away. Thus, Jielain had been reared in the all-male company of the Reikaku mountain bandits. They had been reluctant to accept her at first, but who could deny the leader's daughter? The once all male gang had made the exception under the condition that she didn't act like a silly girl. Jielain was fine with that, even though her father worried for her safety. She sighed as she tied her dagger around her waist and the other around her leg, concealed by her pants. She could defend herself pretty well, but she couldn't deny that it was dangerous for her to go anywhere on her own. She had learned early what could happen to a young girl if caught alone and unaware. Her father was right to be overprotective.
Jielain finished tying her unruly orange curls into a messy ponytail and faced herself in the small mirror that hung above her bed. It had been a gift from her father for her last birthday, her 13th. He felt that she should have at least some of the small pleasures that other girls took for granted, and since the bandits were rich, he could definitely afford to.
The young girl was surprised by her own reflection. While a year ago she could have passed for a boy, the person in her mirror was a young woman. Her shirt was a little tight, revealing a slight roundness over her chest, and her eyes, nose and mouth were fine and feminine. She supposed that there was nothing wrong with that, but untucked her shirt a little anyway before joining the rest of the bandits at the party.
Much to Jielain's surprise, the party wasn't just another pointless reason to get drunk celebration, but a welcoming party for the celestial warrior Chichiri. Jielain grinned and hurried to meet her long time friend and mentor. His visits to the mountain were frequent, and the girl had begun to think of the monk as more of an uncle than a respected guest. More than likely he was here with news from the palace, and things for her from the lady Houki.
Jielain greeted Chichiri with a slap on the back, nearly knocking the poor monk to the floor. "Chichiri!" she said gladly. He recovered from her rough greeting and tousled her orange ponytail fondly. She had grown so much since he'd seen her only months ago, at least a few inches. "Nice to see you Jielain, how are things here ya know?" She smirked.
"The usual. Raids and ravages, but not so many lately, Dad's a dumb-ass, as normal, and Koji's got a new girlfriend in the village, but he'll be back any day now." Chichiri shook his head. That girl had no respect. Oh, well might as well cut her some slack now, because he had bad news to tell later on. "Where's my dad anyway?" she asked, scanning the loud bandit filled room. She spotted him a little ways away, orange head sticking out like a sore thumb. She waved a see-ya-later to Chichiri and went to get her bandit father away from trouble. Sure enough, Tasuki was downing his 4th cup of sake and removing his shirt from some bet he lost.
Jielain approached loudly, with the authority of a princess in a room full of…well…bandits. The men sobered in her presence, even Tasuki, as the girl glared at them.
He grinned meekly at his daughter. "Did we wake you?" he asked. Jielain took the bottle from him and set it on the table. "Yes." she replied curtly.
It had been discussed between father and daughter that these parties could continue as long as they didn't wake Jielain. If they did, Tasuki gave up liquor for a week. "I saw Chichiri." she said, taking a seat. Her dad joined her solemnly. "Yeah, news from the palace." Jielain eyed him sharply. "What, bad news?"
He just frowned. "well, we'll talk about it later. Go back to bed sweetie." Jielain shook her head.
"I gotta make sure you don't drink." she said. With a fang-revealing smirk, she poured herself some sake and drank it down, much to the dismay of the bandit leader.
"A bet's a bet!" she said, settling down to keep an eye on the chaos. Tasuki laughed. "That's my girl!"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
It was late afternoon the next day when Jielain finally had time to sit and talk with her father and her mentor. It had been a busy day. After Chichiri's party, most bandits had stumbled to their rooms, including Jielain and her father, and later, Koji had come in, completely wasted, and had to be cleaned up and consoled, and put to bed, then there was a kidnapping and a hostage, then another fight.
The three were meeting in Tasuki's room, discussing the news. Jielain was really worried, because both Chichiri and her father had avoided talking to her all day. She feared that whatever the news was, she wasn't going to like it. She settled down at the desk and waited.
"Well," Chichiri began timidly, "Your father, Houki and I have all decide that you need to spend some in a woman's company ya know." Jielain blinked.
"Is Houki coming here?" Tasuki cleared his throat and brushed his hair out of his amber eyes. "No, she ain't comin', you're goin' over there." Jielain's jaw dropped. "You're sending me AWAY?!", she said, jumping to her feet.
"Just for a while ya know." Chichiri said, avoiding the girl's glare.
"What's wrong with here?" she asked, clenching her fists. Tasuki got up and looked into her sharp blue eyes, a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Jielain, it's for your own good. I think…I think it's what your mother would have wanted.'' The girl sat back down, still glaring.
"I don't care. I don't want to be a lady. Don't you understand Dad? I can't leave you! Whose gonna lead when you're gone? I…" Jielain held back her tears, bet the tremble in her voice gave away her emotions. Tasuki gave his daughter one of his rare embraces. "Jielain, you know we only want the best for you. You're just a lil' chickie now but soon you'll be a woman. You need to learn how to deal with what you got."
"I don't want to be a woman, I want to be strong like you. Like you." Her words were muffled against his jacket, her tears that she refused to acknowledge hot on her cheeks.
"I think you have a major identity crisis. Major Nuriko syndrome ya' know." Tasuki broke the mood to yell and stomp around at Chichiri.
"Don't ya even compare my daughter to that mad crossdresser!"
Jielain giggled. The infamous Nuriko was her dad's obvious enemy, but deep down they were really great friends. He'd even given his daughter Nuriko's real name as a middle name. Jielain Ryyuen Chou. The name Jielain actually came from his best friend's youngest sister, who was murdered as a small child. Her own mother had died when Jielain was a year old, and the girl didn't remember her much. Nuriko had died before Tamahome had left for another world with the priestess, and before her dad had even met her mother.
"I'll go." Jielain said quietly. Her father stopped mid-yell to stare at her solemnly. "But I'm not gonna be a lady. I'll be what I'll be."
Chichiri smiled. "That's right. Be yourself ya' know." Tasuki and Chichiri went on to discuss other things happening, but Jielain ignored them. She was thinking about ladies. All she knew was that they painted their faces and wore big dresses. She couldn't imagine herself a lady, pretty and polite, like the lady Houki. Why did her life have to be dictated on the fact that she had breasts?
"When do I go?" she asked, interrupting. Chichiri nodded.
"Tomorrow morning first thing. I'll use the Kesa to bring you and me there ya' know." Jielain's heart sank. She only had one more night here…at home. She went over to the bed and sat down beside her father. Chichiri smiled at the likeness between father and daughter, but knew better than to comment on it.
"Dad, tell me about Mother, one last time?" Tasuki nodded at his daughter and began to tell the much-loved story.
"Your ma was like no other girl I'd ever met. I'd already decided that I'd never marry cause I hated all girls, and the priestess had just left. I was depressed, even back here with the guys, until one day, we got some hostages, and one of 'em wasn't scared or nothin' I went over to her, tryin' to be all intimidatin', but she just laughed and said I was a cutie. That was your ma. She was beautiful and spunky, always keepin' me on my toes. She had a tolerance fer liquor I've yet to see matched, sep fer maybe me, and no fears at all. She could fight as good as any o' these dolts and not even mess up her hair. I loved her from the moment I saw her.
"It scares me sometimes, how much ya act like her. Most people say ya' look like me, but ya' got yer mom's eyes, and her curls. Ya' laugh just like her too, like tinkling glass and happiness and joy all in one. Seein' you makes my day cause it reminds me of all the good times we had, the three of us. You just a tiny lil' chickie, me an' her watchin' ya' grow. Nothin' was better, not even bein' a Celestial warrior." Jielain was listening intently, staring at the floor. She knew the whole speech by heart, but she loved hearing it. Tomorrow she'd be gone, so she might as well get the most out of it. She lay down on her dad's bed, listening as he and Chichiri continued talking. Slowly, she drifted off to sleep.
Disclaimer: I don't own the Fushigi Yugi characters, cause if I did, they would all be living happily ever after!
Part one: Mountain Life
Jielain awoke to the sound of another three a.m. bandit party. She rolled over in her bed, trying to drown out the loud noises of drinking and carrying on down the hallway. This was the third one this week, which meant that the guys were getting restless, from a severe lack of raids and invasions. Jielain, in the midst of wishing they'd shut up, almost thought about her father's offer for her to go live at the palace. Realizing her thoughts, Jielain made a face. She could never leave her dad, or the guys. He'd just die if she weren't there to keep him on his toes, with or without Koji there to irritate him. That thought made her smile, and without another moment's hesitation, the young bandit girl jumped out of bed and got dressed. She dressed like a boy, much to the dismay of the Lady Houki. Houki was always sending the girl pretty dresses from the palace, but Jielain just shoved them in the back of the pile under her bed, and continued to wear the baggy clothes of the bandits.
She did however; appreciate the underwear that the lady sent her. She had found that, a while back, it was embarrassing for her chest to move when she ran, and began wearing a bra. She also found that the loose and comfy boxers she had grown accustomed to simply would not do at certain times… Houki was really her only female guide since her mother had died, and even she was far away. Thus, Jielain had been reared in the all-male company of the Reikaku mountain bandits. They had been reluctant to accept her at first, but who could deny the leader's daughter? The once all male gang had made the exception under the condition that she didn't act like a silly girl. Jielain was fine with that, even though her father worried for her safety. She sighed as she tied her dagger around her waist and the other around her leg, concealed by her pants. She could defend herself pretty well, but she couldn't deny that it was dangerous for her to go anywhere on her own. She had learned early what could happen to a young girl if caught alone and unaware. Her father was right to be overprotective.
Jielain finished tying her unruly orange curls into a messy ponytail and faced herself in the small mirror that hung above her bed. It had been a gift from her father for her last birthday, her 13th. He felt that she should have at least some of the small pleasures that other girls took for granted, and since the bandits were rich, he could definitely afford to.
The young girl was surprised by her own reflection. While a year ago she could have passed for a boy, the person in her mirror was a young woman. Her shirt was a little tight, revealing a slight roundness over her chest, and her eyes, nose and mouth were fine and feminine. She supposed that there was nothing wrong with that, but untucked her shirt a little anyway before joining the rest of the bandits at the party.
Much to Jielain's surprise, the party wasn't just another pointless reason to get drunk celebration, but a welcoming party for the celestial warrior Chichiri. Jielain grinned and hurried to meet her long time friend and mentor. His visits to the mountain were frequent, and the girl had begun to think of the monk as more of an uncle than a respected guest. More than likely he was here with news from the palace, and things for her from the lady Houki.
Jielain greeted Chichiri with a slap on the back, nearly knocking the poor monk to the floor. "Chichiri!" she said gladly. He recovered from her rough greeting and tousled her orange ponytail fondly. She had grown so much since he'd seen her only months ago, at least a few inches. "Nice to see you Jielain, how are things here ya know?" She smirked.
"The usual. Raids and ravages, but not so many lately, Dad's a dumb-ass, as normal, and Koji's got a new girlfriend in the village, but he'll be back any day now." Chichiri shook his head. That girl had no respect. Oh, well might as well cut her some slack now, because he had bad news to tell later on. "Where's my dad anyway?" she asked, scanning the loud bandit filled room. She spotted him a little ways away, orange head sticking out like a sore thumb. She waved a see-ya-later to Chichiri and went to get her bandit father away from trouble. Sure enough, Tasuki was downing his 4th cup of sake and removing his shirt from some bet he lost.
Jielain approached loudly, with the authority of a princess in a room full of…well…bandits. The men sobered in her presence, even Tasuki, as the girl glared at them.
He grinned meekly at his daughter. "Did we wake you?" he asked. Jielain took the bottle from him and set it on the table. "Yes." she replied curtly.
It had been discussed between father and daughter that these parties could continue as long as they didn't wake Jielain. If they did, Tasuki gave up liquor for a week. "I saw Chichiri." she said, taking a seat. Her dad joined her solemnly. "Yeah, news from the palace." Jielain eyed him sharply. "What, bad news?"
He just frowned. "well, we'll talk about it later. Go back to bed sweetie." Jielain shook her head.
"I gotta make sure you don't drink." she said. With a fang-revealing smirk, she poured herself some sake and drank it down, much to the dismay of the bandit leader.
"A bet's a bet!" she said, settling down to keep an eye on the chaos. Tasuki laughed. "That's my girl!"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
It was late afternoon the next day when Jielain finally had time to sit and talk with her father and her mentor. It had been a busy day. After Chichiri's party, most bandits had stumbled to their rooms, including Jielain and her father, and later, Koji had come in, completely wasted, and had to be cleaned up and consoled, and put to bed, then there was a kidnapping and a hostage, then another fight.
The three were meeting in Tasuki's room, discussing the news. Jielain was really worried, because both Chichiri and her father had avoided talking to her all day. She feared that whatever the news was, she wasn't going to like it. She settled down at the desk and waited.
"Well," Chichiri began timidly, "Your father, Houki and I have all decide that you need to spend some in a woman's company ya know." Jielain blinked.
"Is Houki coming here?" Tasuki cleared his throat and brushed his hair out of his amber eyes. "No, she ain't comin', you're goin' over there." Jielain's jaw dropped. "You're sending me AWAY?!", she said, jumping to her feet.
"Just for a while ya know." Chichiri said, avoiding the girl's glare.
"What's wrong with here?" she asked, clenching her fists. Tasuki got up and looked into her sharp blue eyes, a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Jielain, it's for your own good. I think…I think it's what your mother would have wanted.'' The girl sat back down, still glaring.
"I don't care. I don't want to be a lady. Don't you understand Dad? I can't leave you! Whose gonna lead when you're gone? I…" Jielain held back her tears, bet the tremble in her voice gave away her emotions. Tasuki gave his daughter one of his rare embraces. "Jielain, you know we only want the best for you. You're just a lil' chickie now but soon you'll be a woman. You need to learn how to deal with what you got."
"I don't want to be a woman, I want to be strong like you. Like you." Her words were muffled against his jacket, her tears that she refused to acknowledge hot on her cheeks.
"I think you have a major identity crisis. Major Nuriko syndrome ya' know." Tasuki broke the mood to yell and stomp around at Chichiri.
"Don't ya even compare my daughter to that mad crossdresser!"
Jielain giggled. The infamous Nuriko was her dad's obvious enemy, but deep down they were really great friends. He'd even given his daughter Nuriko's real name as a middle name. Jielain Ryyuen Chou. The name Jielain actually came from his best friend's youngest sister, who was murdered as a small child. Her own mother had died when Jielain was a year old, and the girl didn't remember her much. Nuriko had died before Tamahome had left for another world with the priestess, and before her dad had even met her mother.
"I'll go." Jielain said quietly. Her father stopped mid-yell to stare at her solemnly. "But I'm not gonna be a lady. I'll be what I'll be."
Chichiri smiled. "That's right. Be yourself ya' know." Tasuki and Chichiri went on to discuss other things happening, but Jielain ignored them. She was thinking about ladies. All she knew was that they painted their faces and wore big dresses. She couldn't imagine herself a lady, pretty and polite, like the lady Houki. Why did her life have to be dictated on the fact that she had breasts?
"When do I go?" she asked, interrupting. Chichiri nodded.
"Tomorrow morning first thing. I'll use the Kesa to bring you and me there ya' know." Jielain's heart sank. She only had one more night here…at home. She went over to the bed and sat down beside her father. Chichiri smiled at the likeness between father and daughter, but knew better than to comment on it.
"Dad, tell me about Mother, one last time?" Tasuki nodded at his daughter and began to tell the much-loved story.
"Your ma was like no other girl I'd ever met. I'd already decided that I'd never marry cause I hated all girls, and the priestess had just left. I was depressed, even back here with the guys, until one day, we got some hostages, and one of 'em wasn't scared or nothin' I went over to her, tryin' to be all intimidatin', but she just laughed and said I was a cutie. That was your ma. She was beautiful and spunky, always keepin' me on my toes. She had a tolerance fer liquor I've yet to see matched, sep fer maybe me, and no fears at all. She could fight as good as any o' these dolts and not even mess up her hair. I loved her from the moment I saw her.
"It scares me sometimes, how much ya act like her. Most people say ya' look like me, but ya' got yer mom's eyes, and her curls. Ya' laugh just like her too, like tinkling glass and happiness and joy all in one. Seein' you makes my day cause it reminds me of all the good times we had, the three of us. You just a tiny lil' chickie, me an' her watchin' ya' grow. Nothin' was better, not even bein' a Celestial warrior." Jielain was listening intently, staring at the floor. She knew the whole speech by heart, but she loved hearing it. Tomorrow she'd be gone, so she might as well get the most out of it. She lay down on her dad's bed, listening as he and Chichiri continued talking. Slowly, she drifted off to sleep.
