Forever is not enough
Chapter four
By Amiboshi-chan
Scarlet smiled bemusedly at the emperor's sudden burst of energy. Then, he regained his composure, and turned his golden eyes to Scarlet with a look that made shivers travel up her spine. Korin gave them an undecipherable glance. Suddenly, Scarlet yawned, still thoroughly exhausted.
"You are tired. Rest well, you will need your strength." Hotohori rose and walked regally out of the room. Korin started to follow, but lingered at the door. She turned and stepped back over to the side of the bed where Scarlet laid, already asleep. Brushing a few loose strands of hair that was more red than brown off of her face, she smiled before once again walking to the door.
"Let me in! I need to see someone in there! I said let me in!!"
"Hey! You can't come in here! We can't just let anyone walk into the Emperor's palace, you know!"
Tamahome realized he was not going to get anywhere negotiating with the palace guards, and resorted to a different tactic. After leaving five guards groaning by the gates, he strolled in and set about looking for . . . that girl.
It wasn't long before new got out that the Priestess of Suzaku had arrived, and Tamahome had been able to put two and two together enough to realize that the priestess was most likely the girl he had saved - twice. Now, he just had to find her.
Scarlet awoke once more to a strange racket outside her window. She climbed to her feet slowly, and stepped over to the window. Then she gasped as she saw the palace guards laying on the ground, with the gate swinging open in the breeze.
Scarlet tore down the hall, and almost ran smack into another guard. "Oh! Sir!" Scarlet stopped to catch her breath. The guard looked at her concernedly.
"What's wrong?"
Scarlet took a deep breath. "I think someone has broken into the palace. All the guards are injured." The guard's eyes widened.
"Thank you. I'll call some men to search the palace."
He left, and then Scarlet wandered off to go find Hotohori.
She rounded a few corners before come upon another peculiar sight. There was that blue haired man, trying to hold off three guards. And doing a bang up job of it. Well, she was going to do something about that. Letty started to run full speed toward the man.
Just as Tamahome was about to drop kick the last guard, he felt something tackle his waist. Not anticipating it, he catapulted forward, sending his assailant flying. Letty landed with a groan a few feet away. She had ended up a human projectile more times than she could count, but the landing never hurt any less. She sat up and blinked a few times, before she focused on the blue haired man in front of her, struggling to his feet.
"You!" Scarlet shouted. Before Tamahome had a chance to speak, the echo of pounding feet rounded the corner. A mass of bodies swooped upon them- shouting guards, squealing harem girls, yelling advisors, and in the middle of the commotion, the Emperor Hotohori, and Korin tagging closely behind as he pushed his way through the horde. Korin knelt by Scarlet as Hotohori stepped forward, towering over Tamahome.
"Intruder! Assaulting the Priestess of Suzaku is punishable by death!" Hotohori unsheathed his sword and drew it high above his head.
"No!" Scarlet cried, still seated on her rump. She pushed away from Korin, skittered around Hotohori's feet and hurled herself onto Tamahome. She looked up at Hotohori determinedly as she spread her arms wide to shield Tamahome from the blade. "Don't!" Hotohori froze.
Korin turned incredulous eyes to Scarlet. "Letty-sama, you wish to spare this man? This man who attacked you?"
Scarlet blushed lightly, her lips curling up in a sheepish smile. "Actually, I attacked him. Besides, this man saved my life."
Hotohori returned his sword to its holster. "Is that so?"
As Hotohori turned his eyes to her, Scarlet noted the exaggerated difference in height and realized she was still sprawled quite ungraciously on the ground. Her blush deepened as she stood with as much confidence as she could muster and smoothed her clothes. Hotohori placed a hand on her shoulder. "Are you sure you're all right?" Scarlet nodded.
"Right as rain. A little spill won't kill me." Scarlet smiled winningly.
Tamahome breathed a deep sigh of relief. He wasn't going to die. He got up and started to slink away, when the woman Korin nabbed him by the arm.
"Not so fast, dear. You may have gotten off after assaulting the priestess because of Letty-sama's kindness, but you still have to answer for eight unconscious guards. Not to mention why you here in the first place." Tamahome squeaked as Korin passed him off to the palace guards.
Korin came up beside Scarlet. "Heika-sama, I'm sure you have pressing matters to attend to. I'll see to it that Scarlet is cleaned up nicely." Hotohori nodded and turned to follow the throng that had finally filtered away, rubbing his temples. Scarlet and Korin and watched the emperor's retreating back, then Korin held out her hand. "Shall we?" Scarlet smiled and nodded, and the two ran down the halls laughing.
* * * *
Tamahome gulped nervously and folded his hands in his lap as Hotohori's gaze bore into him. He had the feeling the emperor already wasn't particularly fond of him. Sure he really had no reason to like him. And he had broken into his palace. But, no reason to hold a grudge, right?
"Well now, would you care to explain why you were slinking around the palace like a thief?" Hotohori raised a delicate eyebrow.
"I'm not a thief, your highness. You see, I came across the Lady Scarlet out in the market of the city. The poor thing, she was alone, and lost. I assisted her, of course, but piteously I was force to leave her alone-for only a short while. I heard she had been brought to the palace, and I only wanted to see about her welfare. But the guards wouldn't even give me the time of day."
"So you opted to bring down a number of my men?"
"I apologize for beating the daylights out of your guards, but it was all for a good cause. I was truly concerned about Scarlet-sama."
Hotohori sighed. He wasn't sure if he believed the story brought before him, but Scarlet seemed to trust the man in question.
"Alright, then. Know that it is due to the Priestess of Suzaku's kindness that you still have your life. Show him out." Two guards escorted Tamahome from the room. The looks they gave clearly said what they thought of him, but they did nothing.
After a few minutes, Tamahome stopped. "I want to see Scarlet."
The guards looked skeptical, but after a few moments they reluctantly nodded. They led Tamahome around to where Scarlet's room was.
Tamahome knocked lightly. "Scarlet?" No response came. "Scarlet, are you there? I'm coming in." Tamahome slowly pushed the door open. Scarlet wasn't there.
"Come on, bud. She's not there. Let's go."
Tamahome whirled around. "I'm not going anywhere until I get to talk to Scarlet!" A moment later, a loud racket wafted up from the courtyard below, followed by a short scream.
Tamahome ran to the railing. A man, presumably a court advisor, held the struggling priestess in strong grip.
Scarlet had been cutting through the courtyard towards her room, shortly after parting ways with Korin. It was then that a man she only slightly recognized as one of Hotohori's imperial advisors accosted her. It only took her a moment to realize he was making a pass at her, and one sound slap to inform him she was far from interested, but it didn't end there. The man was persistent, and a scuffle ensued. Scarlet fought vicously, but the advisor proved stronger and quickly over powered her. Scarlet cried out.
When Scarlet yelled again, Tamahome saw red. He leapt from the balcony and swooped upon them. He left the advisor groaning on the ground and hauled the priestess away to safety.
"If anyone lays a finger on her, I swear I'll kill them!" Tamahome shouted in blind rage.
Korin gasped as she caught sight of him- specifically, on the blazing red symbol on his forehead. "You. you are a seishi!"
Chapter four
By Amiboshi-chan
Scarlet smiled bemusedly at the emperor's sudden burst of energy. Then, he regained his composure, and turned his golden eyes to Scarlet with a look that made shivers travel up her spine. Korin gave them an undecipherable glance. Suddenly, Scarlet yawned, still thoroughly exhausted.
"You are tired. Rest well, you will need your strength." Hotohori rose and walked regally out of the room. Korin started to follow, but lingered at the door. She turned and stepped back over to the side of the bed where Scarlet laid, already asleep. Brushing a few loose strands of hair that was more red than brown off of her face, she smiled before once again walking to the door.
"Let me in! I need to see someone in there! I said let me in!!"
"Hey! You can't come in here! We can't just let anyone walk into the Emperor's palace, you know!"
Tamahome realized he was not going to get anywhere negotiating with the palace guards, and resorted to a different tactic. After leaving five guards groaning by the gates, he strolled in and set about looking for . . . that girl.
It wasn't long before new got out that the Priestess of Suzaku had arrived, and Tamahome had been able to put two and two together enough to realize that the priestess was most likely the girl he had saved - twice. Now, he just had to find her.
Scarlet awoke once more to a strange racket outside her window. She climbed to her feet slowly, and stepped over to the window. Then she gasped as she saw the palace guards laying on the ground, with the gate swinging open in the breeze.
Scarlet tore down the hall, and almost ran smack into another guard. "Oh! Sir!" Scarlet stopped to catch her breath. The guard looked at her concernedly.
"What's wrong?"
Scarlet took a deep breath. "I think someone has broken into the palace. All the guards are injured." The guard's eyes widened.
"Thank you. I'll call some men to search the palace."
He left, and then Scarlet wandered off to go find Hotohori.
She rounded a few corners before come upon another peculiar sight. There was that blue haired man, trying to hold off three guards. And doing a bang up job of it. Well, she was going to do something about that. Letty started to run full speed toward the man.
Just as Tamahome was about to drop kick the last guard, he felt something tackle his waist. Not anticipating it, he catapulted forward, sending his assailant flying. Letty landed with a groan a few feet away. She had ended up a human projectile more times than she could count, but the landing never hurt any less. She sat up and blinked a few times, before she focused on the blue haired man in front of her, struggling to his feet.
"You!" Scarlet shouted. Before Tamahome had a chance to speak, the echo of pounding feet rounded the corner. A mass of bodies swooped upon them- shouting guards, squealing harem girls, yelling advisors, and in the middle of the commotion, the Emperor Hotohori, and Korin tagging closely behind as he pushed his way through the horde. Korin knelt by Scarlet as Hotohori stepped forward, towering over Tamahome.
"Intruder! Assaulting the Priestess of Suzaku is punishable by death!" Hotohori unsheathed his sword and drew it high above his head.
"No!" Scarlet cried, still seated on her rump. She pushed away from Korin, skittered around Hotohori's feet and hurled herself onto Tamahome. She looked up at Hotohori determinedly as she spread her arms wide to shield Tamahome from the blade. "Don't!" Hotohori froze.
Korin turned incredulous eyes to Scarlet. "Letty-sama, you wish to spare this man? This man who attacked you?"
Scarlet blushed lightly, her lips curling up in a sheepish smile. "Actually, I attacked him. Besides, this man saved my life."
Hotohori returned his sword to its holster. "Is that so?"
As Hotohori turned his eyes to her, Scarlet noted the exaggerated difference in height and realized she was still sprawled quite ungraciously on the ground. Her blush deepened as she stood with as much confidence as she could muster and smoothed her clothes. Hotohori placed a hand on her shoulder. "Are you sure you're all right?" Scarlet nodded.
"Right as rain. A little spill won't kill me." Scarlet smiled winningly.
Tamahome breathed a deep sigh of relief. He wasn't going to die. He got up and started to slink away, when the woman Korin nabbed him by the arm.
"Not so fast, dear. You may have gotten off after assaulting the priestess because of Letty-sama's kindness, but you still have to answer for eight unconscious guards. Not to mention why you here in the first place." Tamahome squeaked as Korin passed him off to the palace guards.
Korin came up beside Scarlet. "Heika-sama, I'm sure you have pressing matters to attend to. I'll see to it that Scarlet is cleaned up nicely." Hotohori nodded and turned to follow the throng that had finally filtered away, rubbing his temples. Scarlet and Korin and watched the emperor's retreating back, then Korin held out her hand. "Shall we?" Scarlet smiled and nodded, and the two ran down the halls laughing.
* * * *
Tamahome gulped nervously and folded his hands in his lap as Hotohori's gaze bore into him. He had the feeling the emperor already wasn't particularly fond of him. Sure he really had no reason to like him. And he had broken into his palace. But, no reason to hold a grudge, right?
"Well now, would you care to explain why you were slinking around the palace like a thief?" Hotohori raised a delicate eyebrow.
"I'm not a thief, your highness. You see, I came across the Lady Scarlet out in the market of the city. The poor thing, she was alone, and lost. I assisted her, of course, but piteously I was force to leave her alone-for only a short while. I heard she had been brought to the palace, and I only wanted to see about her welfare. But the guards wouldn't even give me the time of day."
"So you opted to bring down a number of my men?"
"I apologize for beating the daylights out of your guards, but it was all for a good cause. I was truly concerned about Scarlet-sama."
Hotohori sighed. He wasn't sure if he believed the story brought before him, but Scarlet seemed to trust the man in question.
"Alright, then. Know that it is due to the Priestess of Suzaku's kindness that you still have your life. Show him out." Two guards escorted Tamahome from the room. The looks they gave clearly said what they thought of him, but they did nothing.
After a few minutes, Tamahome stopped. "I want to see Scarlet."
The guards looked skeptical, but after a few moments they reluctantly nodded. They led Tamahome around to where Scarlet's room was.
Tamahome knocked lightly. "Scarlet?" No response came. "Scarlet, are you there? I'm coming in." Tamahome slowly pushed the door open. Scarlet wasn't there.
"Come on, bud. She's not there. Let's go."
Tamahome whirled around. "I'm not going anywhere until I get to talk to Scarlet!" A moment later, a loud racket wafted up from the courtyard below, followed by a short scream.
Tamahome ran to the railing. A man, presumably a court advisor, held the struggling priestess in strong grip.
Scarlet had been cutting through the courtyard towards her room, shortly after parting ways with Korin. It was then that a man she only slightly recognized as one of Hotohori's imperial advisors accosted her. It only took her a moment to realize he was making a pass at her, and one sound slap to inform him she was far from interested, but it didn't end there. The man was persistent, and a scuffle ensued. Scarlet fought vicously, but the advisor proved stronger and quickly over powered her. Scarlet cried out.
When Scarlet yelled again, Tamahome saw red. He leapt from the balcony and swooped upon them. He left the advisor groaning on the ground and hauled the priestess away to safety.
"If anyone lays a finger on her, I swear I'll kill them!" Tamahome shouted in blind rage.
Korin gasped as she caught sight of him- specifically, on the blazing red symbol on his forehead. "You. you are a seishi!"
