Part three: Goodbyes and other such games
Disclaimer: still stands
Author's note: I know absolutely nothing about Japanese daily life or school, so pretend it a lot like Texas. (That's where I live) You are warned. Oh, and I have now seen the entire 52 episodes of Fushigi Yugi! It has the BEST ending ever and Nuriko RULES and Tasuki is soooo cool. I love that show! I cried too, but then, I cried at each characters death and when I found out Nuriko was a guy and when.well, you get the idea. (Nuriko's death was the absolute saddest in the entire world though, I cried the entire tape and my two brothers even cried a little) - Isn't it evil how I hooked my brothers on such a girl-oriented anime (Bwahaha!) Also, thanks for the reviews! Now you get to meet Taka and Miaka's kids! Yay!
The evening was fairly quiet at the palace, but if you were really important you would know that the eerie stillness was only because everyone was waiting to see if Jielain's journey to the strange other world was successful. Taiitsukun assured them that it was safe for her as long as the ones sending her remained true. The people who were entrusted to this task were Chichiri, Boshin, Tasuki, and Houki. They were the only people with a strong enough bond to link to her mind. The senders were sitting on the floor in a circle around Jielain, who was uncomfortable being at the center of attention. Taiitsukun had filled her in on the details of her task, after the initial shock that came with seeing the most repulsive face imaginable. (Author dodges whack from the aforementioned figure). She should land in the dwelling of the former priestess, and would identify her from the picture she was given. Jielain's heart ached to see the look on her father's face as she took the picture and the tessen from his shaking hand. The picture was preserved carefully, but a little bent on one edge and the top corner was ripped. It was clear how much the little token meant to the bandit, but she had to be able to recognize all of the former warriors in order to find the new ones. Her father looked the same in this picture as in the one of him and his wife. He used to look so happy and content, such a distinct difference from now. Now the fiery bandit looked worn and tired. He had stayed up all night talking to his daughter and they said their goodbyes. He truly wished he could have given her a better life, but got a whack on the head in response. "I don't regret anything that you did for me and especially I am glad that you are my father and not anyone else." She had told him. He simply smiled at her irritability and handed her the tessen. "I don't need this anymore. By the time you come back, you will be the bandit leader."
Miaka locked the door behind her as she left to go pick up Chiharu and Chuei from school. She shook her head, glancing at the little blue car's front bumper. Chuei had wrecked it last week and his driving privileges had been lessoned. Today the twins were staying late for practice, (Chuei for baseball and Chiharu for softball) and had missed the bus. Taka would probably be home before she got back, but it was such a hassle for him to pick up the kids in his brand new Camaro, and he didn't want either of the kids to even sit in it, much less drive it. (Much to their dismay) Miaka was glad that he was here with her, loving and caring as always. Oh, there had been hard times, especially when the twins were younger, but they got over them and moved on. Miaka drove to the high school and thought about her life. Ever since the book, she had gone through one awesome experience after the other. The next year, her mother got married, then Yui began dating Tetsuya, then Taka and her got engaged, then Yui and Tetsuya got engaged, then the weddings, then the twins were born, and then she and Taka finally managed to buy a house of their own. "Mom!" A girl yelled from the sidewalk. Miaka stopped the car short. She had been so caught up in her thoughts that she forgot what she came to do! "Sorry honey, c'mon." The girl grumbled a little something about adults and climbed into the front seat. Chiharu was strikingly pretty, with thick, honey colored hair past her shoulders and gray-blue eyes. "Where's your brother?" Miaka asked. Chiharu shrugged. "I think he was flirting with some girl, He'll be out any second." Sure enough, a few minutes later, a dejected looking Chuei descended the front steps of the school and got in the back seat. His eyes and hair were the same as his twin's, but short, and covered by a baseball cap. "Rejected little brother?" Chiharu asked, turning around as her mom began driving home. Chuei just grumbled. "Was it that little girl with the short purple hair?" Chuei grumbled some more. "What'd she say?" more grumbles. Chiharu laughed and pointed at him, giggling. She had never yet been turned down by a guy for a date, but often had to turn guys down. It wasn't her fault she was really really good looking. Her giggles were cut short by a whack to the head by Chuei's baseball cap. They pulled into the driveway next to Taka's car and made their way into the garage and finally, into their house. Taka greeted his wife and children with hugs and pleasantries. He had been trying (really really hard) to make some macaroni for dinner, but luckily for the family, Miaka saved it in time and it was edible. Taka looked at his small family and smiled. This was everything he had ever wanted, and wished it could stay like that forever. Unfortunately, he had learned that children grow up, and that his beloved little twins wouldn't be around for much longer. At least the time they had was good time. He put his arms around his wife for a moment, and almost imagined that he was Tamahome again, but in a way his new life had been much easier, and obviously had ended up better. As if on an ill omen, he felt the mark on his forehead flare to life and then suddenly, fade away again. It hadn't done that in a long time, and even then it was only when he was remembering the past. Hoping that that was what it was, he went back to the dining room for diner. "Dad, guess what?" Chiharu asked giggling over her plate. Taka smiled. "What is it?" "We only have one more game left and is we win, we get to go to nationals. Isn't that awesome?!" "Very cool honey." Taka was still a little overwhelmed at his children's natural ball playing talents. He was still totally at a loss with a glove and ball, but the twins liked it, so they played. Chiharu was a first baseman and Chuei a pitcher. They had both been transferred to the public high school in order to play, much to Miaka's disappointment. She had hoped they would attend her old high school, but even so, was proud of their achievements. Not too many parents had kids on the varsity level as freshmen and sophomores. The phone ringing interrupted dinner. "I'll get it," Miaka said. "It might be Yui, she said she'd call today." Miaka picked up the phone in the kitchen. "Hello?" "Hi, is Chuei there?" Miaka's heart skipped a beat. The voice was so incredibly familiar. "Who is this?" she asked slowly. "Oh, tell him its Kourin." Miaka nearly dropped the phone. "One moment." Miaka called to Chuei whose face lit up.
"What's wrong?" Taka asked as his wife sat down at the table. She was very pale, and not her usual bouncy self. "Just, remembering." Taka felt her forehead. "Miaka, why don't you lay down for a while? I'll clean up." Miaka nodded and allowed Taka to take her to their bedroom. When he got back to the table, Chiharu and Chuei were arguing. "It does not!" Chiharu told her twin. "Just why not?" Chuei asked angrily. They stopped when their father appeared. "Who was that on the phone?" Taka asked. Chuei smiled. "Oh, it was my friend Kourin. She was done with the book I lent her and wondered if she could drop it off tonight before she leaves to go visit her uncle for the weekend." "That's fine." The father remarked tiredly. Whatever had upset Miaka must have been serious, or she would have pretended to be ok.
Disclaimer: still stands
Author's note: I know absolutely nothing about Japanese daily life or school, so pretend it a lot like Texas. (That's where I live) You are warned. Oh, and I have now seen the entire 52 episodes of Fushigi Yugi! It has the BEST ending ever and Nuriko RULES and Tasuki is soooo cool. I love that show! I cried too, but then, I cried at each characters death and when I found out Nuriko was a guy and when.well, you get the idea. (Nuriko's death was the absolute saddest in the entire world though, I cried the entire tape and my two brothers even cried a little) - Isn't it evil how I hooked my brothers on such a girl-oriented anime (Bwahaha!) Also, thanks for the reviews! Now you get to meet Taka and Miaka's kids! Yay!
The evening was fairly quiet at the palace, but if you were really important you would know that the eerie stillness was only because everyone was waiting to see if Jielain's journey to the strange other world was successful. Taiitsukun assured them that it was safe for her as long as the ones sending her remained true. The people who were entrusted to this task were Chichiri, Boshin, Tasuki, and Houki. They were the only people with a strong enough bond to link to her mind. The senders were sitting on the floor in a circle around Jielain, who was uncomfortable being at the center of attention. Taiitsukun had filled her in on the details of her task, after the initial shock that came with seeing the most repulsive face imaginable. (Author dodges whack from the aforementioned figure). She should land in the dwelling of the former priestess, and would identify her from the picture she was given. Jielain's heart ached to see the look on her father's face as she took the picture and the tessen from his shaking hand. The picture was preserved carefully, but a little bent on one edge and the top corner was ripped. It was clear how much the little token meant to the bandit, but she had to be able to recognize all of the former warriors in order to find the new ones. Her father looked the same in this picture as in the one of him and his wife. He used to look so happy and content, such a distinct difference from now. Now the fiery bandit looked worn and tired. He had stayed up all night talking to his daughter and they said their goodbyes. He truly wished he could have given her a better life, but got a whack on the head in response. "I don't regret anything that you did for me and especially I am glad that you are my father and not anyone else." She had told him. He simply smiled at her irritability and handed her the tessen. "I don't need this anymore. By the time you come back, you will be the bandit leader."
Miaka locked the door behind her as she left to go pick up Chiharu and Chuei from school. She shook her head, glancing at the little blue car's front bumper. Chuei had wrecked it last week and his driving privileges had been lessoned. Today the twins were staying late for practice, (Chuei for baseball and Chiharu for softball) and had missed the bus. Taka would probably be home before she got back, but it was such a hassle for him to pick up the kids in his brand new Camaro, and he didn't want either of the kids to even sit in it, much less drive it. (Much to their dismay) Miaka was glad that he was here with her, loving and caring as always. Oh, there had been hard times, especially when the twins were younger, but they got over them and moved on. Miaka drove to the high school and thought about her life. Ever since the book, she had gone through one awesome experience after the other. The next year, her mother got married, then Yui began dating Tetsuya, then Taka and her got engaged, then Yui and Tetsuya got engaged, then the weddings, then the twins were born, and then she and Taka finally managed to buy a house of their own. "Mom!" A girl yelled from the sidewalk. Miaka stopped the car short. She had been so caught up in her thoughts that she forgot what she came to do! "Sorry honey, c'mon." The girl grumbled a little something about adults and climbed into the front seat. Chiharu was strikingly pretty, with thick, honey colored hair past her shoulders and gray-blue eyes. "Where's your brother?" Miaka asked. Chiharu shrugged. "I think he was flirting with some girl, He'll be out any second." Sure enough, a few minutes later, a dejected looking Chuei descended the front steps of the school and got in the back seat. His eyes and hair were the same as his twin's, but short, and covered by a baseball cap. "Rejected little brother?" Chiharu asked, turning around as her mom began driving home. Chuei just grumbled. "Was it that little girl with the short purple hair?" Chuei grumbled some more. "What'd she say?" more grumbles. Chiharu laughed and pointed at him, giggling. She had never yet been turned down by a guy for a date, but often had to turn guys down. It wasn't her fault she was really really good looking. Her giggles were cut short by a whack to the head by Chuei's baseball cap. They pulled into the driveway next to Taka's car and made their way into the garage and finally, into their house. Taka greeted his wife and children with hugs and pleasantries. He had been trying (really really hard) to make some macaroni for dinner, but luckily for the family, Miaka saved it in time and it was edible. Taka looked at his small family and smiled. This was everything he had ever wanted, and wished it could stay like that forever. Unfortunately, he had learned that children grow up, and that his beloved little twins wouldn't be around for much longer. At least the time they had was good time. He put his arms around his wife for a moment, and almost imagined that he was Tamahome again, but in a way his new life had been much easier, and obviously had ended up better. As if on an ill omen, he felt the mark on his forehead flare to life and then suddenly, fade away again. It hadn't done that in a long time, and even then it was only when he was remembering the past. Hoping that that was what it was, he went back to the dining room for diner. "Dad, guess what?" Chiharu asked giggling over her plate. Taka smiled. "What is it?" "We only have one more game left and is we win, we get to go to nationals. Isn't that awesome?!" "Very cool honey." Taka was still a little overwhelmed at his children's natural ball playing talents. He was still totally at a loss with a glove and ball, but the twins liked it, so they played. Chiharu was a first baseman and Chuei a pitcher. They had both been transferred to the public high school in order to play, much to Miaka's disappointment. She had hoped they would attend her old high school, but even so, was proud of their achievements. Not too many parents had kids on the varsity level as freshmen and sophomores. The phone ringing interrupted dinner. "I'll get it," Miaka said. "It might be Yui, she said she'd call today." Miaka picked up the phone in the kitchen. "Hello?" "Hi, is Chuei there?" Miaka's heart skipped a beat. The voice was so incredibly familiar. "Who is this?" she asked slowly. "Oh, tell him its Kourin." Miaka nearly dropped the phone. "One moment." Miaka called to Chuei whose face lit up.
"What's wrong?" Taka asked as his wife sat down at the table. She was very pale, and not her usual bouncy self. "Just, remembering." Taka felt her forehead. "Miaka, why don't you lay down for a while? I'll clean up." Miaka nodded and allowed Taka to take her to their bedroom. When he got back to the table, Chiharu and Chuei were arguing. "It does not!" Chiharu told her twin. "Just why not?" Chuei asked angrily. They stopped when their father appeared. "Who was that on the phone?" Taka asked. Chuei smiled. "Oh, it was my friend Kourin. She was done with the book I lent her and wondered if she could drop it off tonight before she leaves to go visit her uncle for the weekend." "That's fine." The father remarked tiredly. Whatever had upset Miaka must have been serious, or she would have pretended to be ok.
