Disclaimer: I sadly do not one anyone. Bleh.

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Curse of the Kodoku

Pinkverse#4

By: omni82

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"Soi," Nakago breathed into his wife's fragrant hair. How right she felt in his arms…how safe he felt knowing that she'd be there. Tenderly, he ran one hand over her auburn locks and the other down her back. His woman was all ripe curves and firm flesh. He would do anything for her and she for him…his perfect…pliable…accommodating wife…

Suboshi and Amiboshi exchanged worried looks. Lord Daddy hadn't responded to their voices in over four days. Ever since escaping the camp of the evil Suzaku Seven, their father had been in a daze that had only worsened once he got them to the relative safety of this cave. Now he was delirious, murmuring their mommy's name and smiling. What were they going to do?

"Nakago…" Soi withdrew from his hold just far enough to look him in the eye. "I have a gift for you. Come with me…" With the delight of a child, Nakago grasped her hand as they ran through the sunlit halls of their home…

"We need Mommy," Suboshi whimpered. Amiboshi just nodded. It was true but how could they reach a woman so far away?

"Close your eyes, my love…" Obediently, he did so and was rewarded by a gentle kiss. Had he ever known such bliss in his life that compared to these four rapturous months of marriage? All his pain…all his suffering…somehow rewarded by Seiryuu in this woman. The world was cruel and uncertain. War was coming and many would die but for now…

There was nothing they could do for their Lord Daddy. There was no way to keep him warm and they could not risk a fire with the enemy base so near by. Huddling close to their father's overheated, shivering form, the two boys wept.

"It's in here." He let himself be led; sometimes following was its own sweet prize.

"Open your eyes, beloved."

Momentarily, the light blindly him but when his eyes focused, he saw his surprise.

"Soi…"

"You haven't painted in years, I know, but there is such talent in you…its time to let it out again." How had she known? How had Soi known that the urge to create with canvas and pigment was still there? And how did she know the words that were more of a balm to his soul than the gift itself?

Crushing her to the bed, he let his mouth show her how much he appreciated his gift...how much he appreciated her...

"We gotta try something, Amiboshi," the younger twin pleaded. "Isn't there something we can do?" Lord Daddy's temperature had suddenly skyrocketed and he was smiling too widely…

"Maybe." Amiboshi replied slowly. "He once told me that if we were ever in trouble to concentrate on him or Mommy and they'd hear us."

"Sounds dumb," Suboshi returned doubtfully. But he was not averse to anything at this point. If help didn't find them soon, there was no hope for Lord Daddy. "What do we do?"

"Let's hold hands," Amiboshi suggested and clamped tightly onto his twin's cold hand. There were some other instructions that Lord Daddy had given him as well but he couldn't really remember too well.

"Nothing's happening…" Suboshi murmured dubiously. Shouldn't there be light or something? "Is there a password? Do we gotta say something to make it work?"

Amiboshi concentrated hard. There were words…magic words…but what were they? His four-year-old mind couldn't recall.

Luckily, inspiration, like an inky cat, stole across his mind. "Repeat after me, Suboshi! Seiryuu Planet Power!"

"That's dumb."

"No really, it'll work! C'mon." Amiboshi urged. He suddenly felt very pretty and confident.

"No way."

"What do you mean, no way? Lord Daddy will freeze!" Amiboshi was becoming quickly impatient. He needed his brother to help him call on Seiryuu in order to get out of this mess. He had a responsibility to the world to save it, to nurture it…

Suboshi watched his twin become starry-eyed and pulled his hand away. Sulking in a corner, he all at once decided preserved his dignity. Lord Daddy would understand.

***

Soi shivered despite the blinding heat of the desert. All of a sudden, an ominous chill had run down her spine. Something was wrong with her babies; she just knew it. The intangible arrow inside her had abruptly spun. She had to get back to Hokkan right away!

"Lady Yui," Soi called, galloping up to the head of the procession. "I'm going back for them!" The Priestess of Seiryuu merely nodded her assent; Yui was indeed the most kind and understanding priestess that Soi could have hoped for.

But even as she was spurring her horse to north, another rider peeled away from the column and matched pace with her.

"What do you think you are doing, Tomo?" Soi hissed as best she could over the roaring of the wind.

"What does it look like?" Tomo cried, the feathers of his headdress whipping about his grim face wildly. "I'm not leaving Lord Nakago to the callous mercies of such a harpy."

Soi smirked. "Nakago happens to enjoy those 'callous mercies' – every night, in fact."

"Bitch."

Smiling, the pair raced for the icy nation like the Hounds of Hell were on their heels.

***

"Come on, Suboshi! Just say it!"

"I won't! I won't!"

The kodoku had begun to ravage their brains. To poison ones so young and so firmly under the sway of another was destructive madness. Nevertheless, if Tamahome could see what his plan had wrought, he would be glad.

The harsh change of personalities was slowly annihilating the bond between the twins of Seiryuu. Suboshi had gone from a meek follower to an obstinate, close-minded tyrant who had no interest in his brother's plans.

And to a certain degree, he was right to do so. The poison had warped Amiboshi so badly that he believed himself to be an undiscovered princeling whose glory could only be unmasked by chanting some silly words and dressing up in short skirts. In fact, he had gone so far as to hastily make a charming little dress from his cloak.

"Cease being so stubborn," Amiboshi demanded querulously. "If you do this one little thing for me, I'll find you a cushy position once I come into my kingdom."

"I will not put on a stupid tiara made of stupid twigs and stupidly prance around. Someone will find us before it ever comes to that." Suboshi clenched his hands tightly. If he didn't, it was more than likely he would beat his retarded brother into the dirt of this cave. They would survive, Mommy would come, and everything would be fine. It had to be. They were the good guys.

"Suboshi! We must take destiny into our own hands and twist it into the fate we desire! I rebelled against the force invading our fair moon kingdom and…"

Suboshi couldn't stand it a second longer. He didn't want to hear about the stupid moon kingdom! He wanted his twin to stop being such a wuss.

"Be a man, Amiboshi!" he bellowed right before he tackled the would-be princess.

"Unhand me, you ruffian!" The boy yelped right before Suboshi plant a fist into his face. Soon, the pair was scuffling like mortal enemies. Over and over they rolled, punching, biting, and kicking. In their fury, they rolled over Nakago and bounced out of the cave.

Some time later, Tomo and Soi found them sleeping peacefully in the snow. Their exasperated mother didn't so much as sigh as she bundled the worn out pair into warm clothing and tucked them firmly in front of Tomo.

But Soi was hesitant about entering the cave, which they had been lying in front of. Undoubtedly, Nakago was inside. If he were healthy and hale, the twins would not have been outside in the snow, bleeding and bruised. Steeling herself, Soi crept inside.

It was every bit as bad as she had feared. Nakago lay motionless on the far side of the dank enclosure, shirtless and bootless. His lustrous blonde hair was lank and clung damply to his fevered brow. When Soi came to kneel at his side, he made no movement nor opened his eyes.

"Nakago?"

His name was fear, fear that her love was dead, fear to touch him and find out. With a terror-stricken hand, Soi gingerly touched the vein at his neck. Though his skin was clammy, his pulse beat strongly on.

She became limp with relief. "You jerk," Soi murmured gratefully. "You vapid…moronic…imbecilic…man. Don't do that to me…don't ever do that to me again…"

The tears came fast and furious, so much so that the relieved wife was forced to wait several minutes while they passed. Nakago wasn't dead and neither were her children. She would even forgive Tomo his insolence for all the jabs he made on the trip back.

They were alive. As Soi wrested Nakago's debilitated form into the saddle before her, she made a vow to take special care of her family from now on. No harm would ever come to them again…

TBC…

~ Sorry, I just had to give Amiboshi a Sailor Moon complex. I love the manga but the anime is just so…well, I'm sure most of you understand.

Next Chapter: Can Nakago and the twins survive Soi's brand of TLC? And what's to become of this kodoku mess?

While you're down here, why don't you review? ~