Disclaimer: Please see the Prologue of Suzaku's Oracle for a blanket disclaimer.
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Warnings: Rated PG-13 or Fiction T.
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Notes: 3-17-14 I've spent some time talking about cannon characters. Now that you know a little about her, I think it's time I talk a bit about Aneko. At this point in the story, she's been thrown for a loop. Multiple loops. One after another. Its all she can do just to continually find her bearings. As soon as she thinks she's figured things out, the situation changes on her again. Even after all these years and plenty of reviews, I still don't know how readers feel about Aneko. Those who commented on her seemed to think she was likable enough. More in the End Notes. ~Sapphire
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Oracles of the Four Gods
"Suzaku's Oracle"
By: Sapphire
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Part Fourteen ~ Oracle
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"Suzaku called you Orakuru?" Empress Houki asked Aneko quizzically. "An Oracle?" She fell silent, searching her memory for something she couldn't quite grasp. Unsuccessful, she looked to Chichiri. "We seem to remember having heard mention of an oracle before, but the exact instance evades us. Can you recall any such thing?" She watched as Chichiri turned inward to his own thoughts. He seemed to search his own memory before looking up again and slowly shaking his head.
"Your Highness, I can't think of anything that would help us. I'm sorry, no da."
"And Suzaku likened her to Suzaku no Miko, Miaka?" The connection between the two women of the other world was of vital importance. If Aneko was to fill a place as exaulted as the Miko, then that meant many things to her, her son, the Seishi, and all of Konan.
"Suzaku said, 'Protect my Orakuru as you protected my Miko, Miaka.' Can't get more alike 'n that," Tasuki put in. Houki sighed and leaned back in the throne. Something was happening, then. The gods never called their chosen except in times of great need. After the death of Emperor Saihitei, Konan had taken long years to recover as much as it had. She had worked hard, especially over the past year, to bring everything under her control and begin building the country strong again. Much still needed doing, many of the country's wounds had not yet healed, but Houki hated to think all that had been accomplished could be undone, or worse.
"Your Highness," Chichiri interrupted her thoughts. "Suzaku told us a great evil has been unleashed. I believe that's why Suzaku brought Aneko here, no da." Houki was a bit startled. Her suspicions were correct.
"What kind of evil?" the Empress beseeched. Chichiri and Tasuki both shrugged.
"Suzaku didn't say," Tasuki informed her. Houki sat in silent thought for a few moments. She would be in council until late that night, she knew. This was a serious matter requiring immediate attention. She would just have to call her recovering council members out of their beds. Their injuries would have to heal at the council table. There was no way around it now.
"Did the beast god tell you anything else?"
"No, Highness," Chichiri replied. Houki nodded. She turned to Aneko. She thought it best to settle the situation with the young woman first, then attend to her other matters.
"Mitsu Aneko," she said with a smile, "as the chosen of Suzaku, you have claim to anything you need to fulfill your calling." The Empress turned to her attendants. "Prepare a proper room for the Lady Aneko, near the Celestial Warriors, should the need of their protection arise. Be sure she has everything she needs to be comfortable." Two of the women bowed obediently then hurried off to do the Empress' bidding. The young Empress faced Aneko once again and smiled a real, genuine smile. "Go, rest, whatever you must. Perhaps soon you can come to visit us and we may talk." Aneko smiled warmly in return then bowed respectfully and thankfully. The Empress stood. Chichiri and Tasuki also bowed. Then the Empress took her leave, disappearing through the exit behind the throne followed closely by her remaining attendants.
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Aneko sat before a dressing table and mirror, freshly bathed and wearing a luxurious, pale yellow, silk robe as her freshly laundered clothes still hung drying. Her vibrant blue eyes looked over the items set neatly out on the dressing table. Some she had never seen before, others were easily recognizable. She reached a delicate hand for a fine handled brush and began to pull it through her mass of tangled, damp hair. As she brushed, Aneko watched her reflection for some time, wondering if she were living in some kind of strange dream. It was so hard to believe she was in a world other than the one she had always known. She wondered if she would ever be able to return to Tokyo.
Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she decided she'd rather not dwell on that. Her gaze caught her reflection again, and strayed to the dark mark on her right cheek. Her mouth turned down in a scowling frown. The ugly bruise was turning a sickly yellow, the last stage before it would begin to fade. Absently fingering her left arm, she wished it would heal as fast as the bruise. How she had withstood the pain while traveling, she didn't know. Come to think of it, she didn't know how she withstood the pain now. It ached constantly with little reprieve.
"You don't look too happy, no da." Chichiri commented. Aneko peered into the mirror and saw the reflection of the wandering monk standing behind her near the open door. It didn't escape her notice that his mask was once again in its place.
"How long have you been standing there?" Aneko asked, fatigue evident in her voice.
"Not long," Chichiri replied softly.
"You could have knocked," she remarked, meeting his reflected gaze in the mirror.
"The door was open," Chichiri gently pointed out. Aneko sighed. He was right. She had left it ajar after her bath to let the evening breezes in.
"To what do I owe this visit?" she asked, changing the subject. In the mirror, she watched the other Suzaku Warrior step into her room and pause beside Chichiri. "Hello, Tasuki," she greeted, turning on her bench to face them. Chichiri stared back at her in confusion.
"Tasuki isn't here, no da," he told her, his expression confused. Aneko stared in surprise. He was right. He stood alone.
"Where did he go?" she exclaimed, more confused than Chichiri.
"Where'd who go?" Tasuki asked curiously, walking into the room to join them.
"You!" Aneko declared, rising to her feet, pointing her finger at him.
"Huh? I don't know what you're talkin' about. I just got here," Tasuki told her.
"What?" Aneko looked from Tasuki to Chichiri, then back at Tasuki again. "I saw your reflection in the mirror." She looked at her mirror. It was ordinary enough, nothing strange or special about it. She turned back to the Seishi, confused. They looked back at her with expressions matching her own.
"I think I know what's going on," Chichiri said suddenly.
"Yeah, she's crazy," Tasuki accused, pointing at Aneko.
"I am not," she told him flatly. "I know what I saw. You were just here, and then you were gone." Tasuki glared, opening his mouth to argue. Chichiri held up a hand to silence him, and his mouth closed.
"Aneko," Chichiri refereed, "you saw Tasuki come into the room just before he arrived, right?" Aneko nodded. "It's like the other day when the roof fell before it fell, no da." Aneko's eyes narrowed in confusion then suddenly they lit up in understanding.
"A premonition?" Aneko prompted, stepping toward to the two warriors. Chichiri nodded.
"Premonitions?" Tasuki was incredulous. "You mean she can see th' future?" Chichiri nodded. "Damn." He thought a moment, internalizing that information. "Suzaku called you 'Orakuru,' right?" Tasuki wondered thoughtfully. "Oracles have a damn funny way a knowin' the future."
"That must be her power, no da," Chichiri speculated. "She's one of Suzaku's chosen. Even Miaka had power of her own, na no da. This must be Aneko's."
"Me? Power?" Aneko wondered. "If I do, I don't know how to use it. I don't know if I should use it. To think, I could know my own future..."
"So, can ya tell me my fortune?" Tasuki asked Aneko, holding out his palm for her to read. She looked at him with a dubious expression.
"I don't think it's that kind of power," Chichiri sighed.
"I'm not so sure," Aneko replied, warily eyeing Tasuki. "I see a certain red-head getting smacked by a brunette if he doesn't get serious." Tasuki looked contrite and withdrew his hand.
"I was just havin' some fun," he mumbled. Aneko sighed wearily.
"I'm sorry. I guess I'm not handling things so well. It's a lot of change to take in."
"Yeah, I guess," Tasuki said, meeting her gaze.
"No hard feelings?" The last thing Aneko wanted was to be at war with someone she was supposed to consider her friend.
"Nah," he assured her, then gave her a playful shove to prove it.
"Ow!" Aneko flinched, turning away defensively, clasping onto her left arm.
"I didn't think I pushed 'er that hard," Tasuki told Chichiri, stunned.
"It's not you, no da," Chichiri assured him as he reached out for Aneko and took her in hand, guiding her to take a seat at the dressing table once more. "Her broken arm, remember?" Tasuki slapped a hand to his head.
"Aw, I forgot. I didn't mean..."
"I know," Aneko said with a weak smile. "Promise me you won't make a habit of this," she said, though the teasing remark was half serious. "This is the second time today."
"I know, I know," Tasuki admitted apologetically. "I didn't mean it this afternoon, either."
"I know," Aneko assured him. "Just be more careful, okay?" Tasuki nodded.
"Aneko, let go of your arm and let me look," Chichiri said, prying her hand away from the injury. Aneko reluctantly loosened her grip and let her hand drop to her lap. Chichiri rolled the sleeve of her robe up to her shoulder. "You shouldn't have taken off the splint, no da," he chastised her.
"It looks pretty bad," Tasuki breathed in shock as he peered over Chichiri's shoulder to see. "That looks like it really hurts. Did those slavers do that?" Neither Chichiri nor Aneko missed the indignant anger in his tone and in his eyes.
"Yes," Aneko answered between clenched teeth as Chichiri unintentionally jostled her arm.
"I think the swelling is down," Chichiri said, eyeing her arm critically, "but it'll probably swell again after this. You shouldn't have taken that splint off, no da."
"It was loose, and sliding off. Then it got wet in my bath," Aneko explained. "It's no excuse, I know, but I was going to see if someone would put on another one, honest." Chichiri sighed. What was done was done, and couldn't be helped.
"Tasuki, will you go find a doctor that can come take care of this? The bone needs to be set properly- if it isn't aligned properly already." Tasuki nodded, then spun around and left on his errand. Chichiri stood, gently pulling Aneko to her feet as he did. He led her to her bed. "You should lay down and rest, and keep that arm still, no da." Chichiri made Aneko lay down, despite her protests.
"Chichiri, can I tell you something?" Aneko nearly whispered as he carefully settled her arm, making her as comfortable as he could.
"If you want," he replied with a shrug, stepping back a bit so she was no longer hidden by his own shadow.
"I wanted to tell you how much I appreciate all you've done for me. Who knows where I'd be right now if Suzaku hadn't sent you to find me," Aneko said softly. "Thank-you for everything."
"You're welcome, no da."
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To be continued…
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End Note: Tasuki and Chichiri were established characters before I ever typed the first word of OFG. The challenge with them was to keep them true to who they were in the anime, yet allow them to change, grow, and mature in a believable way that is consistent with how viewers/readers see them. Aneko is different. I had to build her from scratch. Little by little I had to develop her, even as I learned who she was through the things that happened to her in the story. Of course I had an idea of who she essentially was when I began, but she wasn't a whole, complete character. I hope, as you continue to read, that I have accomplished making her a satisfying, whole person within the world of FY. ~Sapphire
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