Kougo Yuugi - Volume 2

C. Jirardesu

Disclaimer: Tamahome, Nuriko, Hotohori, and other Fushigi Yuugi characters are property of Yuu Watase. I do not claim ownership over any of the character, nor do I claim ownership over Fushigi Yuugi. I do not plan on turning this into a manga and selling it.

Word from the Author

I'm sure a lot of people were either extremely satisfied with the last chapter or extremely confused. One of the sources of confusion is the more obvious question of Kang-Lin and Liu-Chuan: Why do they share the same constellation when Amiboshi and Suboshi didn't? And just why are they twins this time when in Fushigi Yuugi they weren't? All I can tell you is that there is something different at work within the book than before. All you can do is keep reading to figure out what or who it is.

There have been many events to separate KY from FY on many more than one level during the last volume. If you picked up on those things, that's really good, if you didn't, don't worry it'll be explained soon enough. But I doubt anybody didn't spot the huge twist in the storyline last chapter.

I like hearing that my writing is improving. I still struggle now and then with tense. I know I'm getting better though, so that's important. A review that has something bad in it isn't a bad thing. Most writers look at that review and make a note to improve on it. Every review counts, so if you have been reading without reviewing, than I suggest that you do. It's like shoplifting when you read a story without reviewing. I think that you owe it to the writer to review. That's just me though. I really can't force anyone to review, but it would be nice to get the number over one.

One more thing, if you haven't read volume one, do it. Seriously. Even if you read the summary of volume one, you don't get the true impact of the events without reading the real thing.

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Chapter Eight

Night of Confusion

Chimou sat in shock as she observed the two identical people. Liu-Chuan could dress in a kimono, and you wouldn't be able to tell Kang-Lin and him apart. Was this some kind of trick? She was beginning to wonder this before Liu-Chuan spoke again.

"Kang-Lin and I are twins. We both bare the sign 'Nuriko'." he explained, trying his best to get through Chimou's white faced expression.

Still in shock, Chimou stood up and looked back and forth from one twin to the other. "B-But...why do you both have the sign?" she stuttered, trying her best to reform what was left of her awareness.

"We don't know. But we know that people would begin to question us if we both showed up with the sign." Kang-Lin said matter-of-factly.

Shaking her head, Chimou said roughly, "Who cares what people think? Hotohori would have believed you!" She seemed to have made a full recovery at the sound of someone caring what people think. Which had always been a big red button with Chimou. Growing up having the occassion insult of her femininity, and almost being beaten up on a daily basis--if Shannon hadn't been there to protect her that is. It was this that made Chimou begin to learn martial arts.

"Come on!" Chimou barked, surprising both of them.

The small girl grabbed both of the twins and dragged them out of the bedroom and to the throne room. And to no surprise, Hotohori was still there talking to his advisors about something that had to do with farming.

Chimou cleared her throat and that seemed to be enough to turn Hotohori's head in her direction.

"Is there something the matter, Chimou?" Hotohori said sounding relieved.

Slowly, Chimou walked over to the throne and started whispering the news about the twins into his ear. His eyes widen and he stands up and announced, "We are greatly sorry, but we are needed elsewhere at this time."

Without any delay, he followed Chimou over to the two Nurikos and then they immediately set off to a more private area in the palace.

"So when were you planning on telling us?!" The emperor didn't know whether to be happy or to be furious.

"That's why I came tonight. To plan out a way to break it to you guys without a big commotion about it." Liu-Chuan murmurs, this plan sounding more and more stupid to him as it he explains it for the second time. "My sister barged in on you, beside me telling her not to. I wanted to present us both at the same time."

Kang-Lin nodded a little and then said with loathing toward Chimou, "Yeah, well, I couldn't stand how the priestess was being so friendly with His Majesty."

Rolling her eyes, Chimou replied, "Oh please! This isn't some soap opera or anything. My feelings toward Hotohori are completely professional."

Suddenly Hotohori turned on his heel, turning himself completely away from Chimou. "I-I'm sorry, I better be getting back to my advisors. They were wanting my opinions on some important things happening with the economy." He hurried off and then disappeared around a corner.

Hotohori... thought Chimou concerned.

Liu-Chuan simply looked at the place Hotohori turned and then closed his eyes in thought.

A yawn stretched across Tamahome's face as he walked down the hall, then took a doubletake at a door when at first he thought he saw two Nurikos. And sure enough, he did. He rushed into the room and saw Chimou there around.

"What the heck is going on here?!" Tamahome looked from the two purple headed people to Chimou repeatedly. "Geez... You take a little nap and suddenly everything changes."

Chimou smiled and stood up and then gestured to the man. "Tamahome, this is Liu-Chuan. Or as I call him, Nuriko-kun." Then she looks to Kang-Lin. "Of course you already know Kang-Lin. She's going to be called Nuriko-chan."

Tamahome scratches his head, still confused, and said awkwardly, "Okay..."

Suddenly Nuriko-kun stood up and said loudly, "Could you two go somewhere for a moment? I need to talk to my sister alone."

Both of them didn't give much protest. The quickly exited and left the twins alone to speak amongst themselves. "Wonder what that was about." Tamahome mumbles.

"Aren't you hungry, Chimou?" Tamahome observed the girl walking next to him, whose eyelids seem to be low. "You haven't eaten all day."

Chimou nodded a little. "I guess a little food could do me good. I always get so weak when I'm hungry."

"Go to your room, and I'll inform the cooks." And before Chimou could protest, Tamahome had already hurried off. "I could have told them myself..." she muttered to herself stubbornly as she opened the door to her bedroom. "Not like I'm incapable of speaking."

Sighing, Chimou sat on the large bed. The bed could easily keep five or six people if it needed to. Chimou would have settled for a queen-sized bed. Taking a nearby pillow into her arms, she rested her chin on it and sighed once again. Everyone is so willing to serve me on hand and foot, but I haven't done anything to deserve it. I guess people just act that way when you're a priestess.

The door gently opened with a creek and Tamahome appeared with her meal. She smiled as he set it down on the bed.

"Anything else you need?" he asked her.

"Okay, why are you acting this way?" Chimou could tell that there was something definately odd about Tamahome.

Tamahome suddenly looked a little guilty and then began to hurry away. "Acting what way? Listen, I gotta go!"

But Chimou wasn't hearing Tamahome. She lunges at him and tackles him to the floor and a few quarters that had been in her pockets roll out of his hand.

"Tamahome!" she screamed. "You were trying to steal from me?!" Finally, Chimou thought to herself, someone that treats me the same as everyone else. Even if he was trying to take my money. It was only 75 cents anyway.

"Dang! I could have gotten a lot of money from that, y'know." he snorted.

Smiling, Chimou scooped up the coins and then puts them back into his hands. "If you really want to, you can sell them."

Tamahome looked as if he were taken aback for a second and then shook his head and smiled widely. "Really?!" He flips to his feet, nearly making Chimou fly with him. "I could get loads selling just one!"

Just watching Tamahome made Chimou's heart swell and throb with an odd sensation that she never felt before. She couldn't label it at first. But then she thought that it might be something else. So she got up and sudenly hurried over to Tamahome.

"Tamahome," she began intently, "what does heartburn feel like?"

He just scratched his head. "I dunno."

Sighing deeply once again, Chimou looked up at Tamahome. "Why did you want me to stay so much last time?" it came out deep with feeling. More than Chimou had thought that she could muster.

Tamahome was suddenly not in a cheery mood any longer. But after a moment, he looked down at her with his sparkling eyes and said, "Tell you the truth, I never felt more alive than when I protected you. And I felt saddened by you leaving and not knowing when you'd come back, that I just didn't want you to go altogether." He stopped for a second and then continued, "It gets quite lonely going from one job to the next. Then you just suddenly drop in and you wouldn't let me go. And really, I could have took off and left you in the dust pretty easily--but I didn't. I didn't because I liked having a friend."

A warm smile was on Chimou's lips as he spoke. Her heart bagan to speed up and thump heavily against her chest when he looked down at her again. She loved just being around him. Everything is happening so fast, and yet she doesn't seem to mind as long as Tamahome is there.

But why is it so much easier with Tamahome? she asked herself, hoping that some small voice would give her an answer. But unknown to her, the answer was in her all along.

Suddenly a knock came from Shannon's front door. The knock seemed to echo over the solitude of his blank mind. At first the sound had little, or no, effect on him. The only thing that he could think about was Chimou and that damned book. Then the person knocked for a second time and he jolted up on his bed, and then hurried out of his room. When he finally left, the book that was lying next to him suddenly fell open.

Shannon clumsily rushed down the stairs and hurried to the door in front of him. He quickly opened it to see a young fiery-haired woman about his age standing in front of him. "Megan!" he croaked, he was a lot more tired than he first thought, "what're you doing here?"

The girl gave a sweet smile. "A girl can come home and expect her boyfriend to be happy, right?" she said gently, and leaned upa dn gave Shannon a kiss on the lips.