I hate school! It never gives me time to write! Do you guys know how many days it has taken me to write this chapter?! Why do I have to take a test about farming techniques in America during the 18th century? Anyway…
I want you people to tell me what you think about this fic, because I'm thinking of submitting it to the Ano~ fanfic contest.
And so, please remember, I don't own Fushigi Yuugi, nor do I own ANY characters in my story. Kyra and April happen to be two real people, neither of which are me, and I have to say, Kyra, I think you're really going to like your role and April…please stop hitting me on the head! Finally, if you do wish to sue me, I still have that nice lint ball (it's on my bookshelf) and my kitten, Shadow, has felt gracious enough to donate some of his fur to the ever-growing mass. The sad thing is, I'm not kidding…
Final Thing: Try going to www.geocities.com/fuyu_no_tsukiyo/
I know it's a long one, but…
Sore ja…
Of Mice and Men
Okaa…Okaa…OKAA…
I wake up with a start. My Okaa… is she still alive? Surely my father would see to her protection, wouldn't he? Trembling from fear of losing my mother and pain of the torment that was so recently presented by Seiryuu-seikun, I heave a heavy sigh and look up once again into the blue-gray eyes of Seiryuu no Miko. I could tell by the look on her face, that she had questions that she wanted to ask me, but that she didn't know how to phrase them. If I don't start this conversation, I fear that we might end up staring at each other all day and thus accomplish nothing.
"Ohayou gozaimasu, Yui-san. Tetsudatte mo ii desuka?" (Good morning, Miss Yui. May I help you?)
Is that my voice? It sounds as if it's full of grit. Still, considering that I haven't had anything to drink for little more than a day…
"Un. Ano~ futatsu shitsumon ga aru." (Yes. Well…I have a couple of questions.)
"Aa. Nani ga shiritai desuka?" (I see. What do you wish to know?)
"Hitotsu, anata wa Suzaku-seikun no ko, ne? Demo, dou? Atashi, tada Miko wo yobu itsu ni, Kami ga kuru to omou." (First question, you're Suzaku-seikun's child, right? But how? I thought that a God only comes forth when a Miko calls on him.)
"It is a complicated story, Yui-san. Suffice to say; due to the untimely death of the man who was to be my father, Suzaku-Seikun had no choice but to step into the roll. What is the second question that you wanted to ask me?"
"Your power, according to the maki, is that of intelligence."
"Among other powers, yes."
"Also, your father is Suzaku, so that means that the other Gods must be your uncles."
Though two of them may wish to debate that subject…
"That is correct."
I watched as Yui-san began to pace in front of me. She suddenly stopped and turned back towards me.
"I am willing to make a deal with you. If you tell me how to get to the Shinzahous, I'll have Nakago release you."
This is…tempting. I'm not allowed to be free until the Seiryuu Shichiseishi have obtained the Gembu Shinzahou. If I help her retrieve the holy relic, than I will be free from Seiryuu-Seikun's torment, free from Nakago-san torture, and above all else, able to use my powers in order to see if my Okaa, Gyokuran and Hotohori-sama have escaped, unscathed, from Kounan-koku's palace. However, am I even allowed to tell my own fellow Seishi the Shinzahous' resting places, let alone Yui-san? I concentrate what little of my ki that I can spare so that I may ask this question to my Grandmother.
"Grandmother, am I allowed to do this? Before, when I was young, you had expressed that when the time for me to be a Shichiseishi comes, that I was to use all knowledge save for that which only you and the Gods know. However, both groups know of the Shinzahous' existence and what more, humans are guarding these relics. May I tell her the location of at least Gembu no Miko's Shinzahou?"
"I am afraid that your answer is still no, Bina-dori. Though the Shinzahous did belong once to the Gods' respected Mikos, once those Mikos left this world, the relics became the possessions of the Gods. They are the Gods' only true power link to the earth plain. If anyone that was not one of their own Shichiseishi knew the exact location, just like unclean hearts and my mountain, the Gods will make sure that those people will never find their precious Shinzahous. Besides, with both sides looking for these objects, if you were able to tell them the exact location would not give the other side a fair chance. The most you can do, is give the two sides hints about their general location."
"I understand. Thank you, Grandmother."
I focus back onto Yui-san and take the chance to notice that Nakago-san and Suboshi-san have joined her.
"I'm very sorry to keep you waiting, Yui-san, but that was a question that I had to receive permission to answer."
"And…"
"I may not tell anyone the Shinzahous' locations. If I do, the group whom I told will never be allowed to have it."
"I see."
Nakago-san steps forward, looking down upon me, with a rather smug expression on his face.
"What if you were to hint?"
I sighed, knowing that this question was coming and very much regretting it. Don't get me wrong, I want to return to my fellow Seishi and I don't like to be tortured, however, I also don't want these Seishi to be in possession of any of the Shinzahous. I know how hard of a life Nakago-san has had, but at the same time, I also know how ambitious he can be. If Yui-san was to grant Nakago-san even the tinniest bit of Seiryuu-Seikun's power to be at his disposal, than I believe that every living being must fear for the worst. The only one that can stop Nakago-san's destructive wants and abilities now, died twelve long years ago, may any God bless Nakago-san's mother.
"The only hints that I may give to anyone are that both of the Shinzahous are still in the lands of their Gods, and both are kept near the lands' capitol cities. Consult the heads of the shrines."
"Which shrines? Both of the capitol cities have over three dozen."
"I will tell you no more."
Nakago-san stares down at me and I stare back defiantly. I can feel Nakago-san's power level increasing. I naturally start to place a protective barrier around myself, until Seiryuu-Seikun advises me against the action. Being tortured by Nakago-san is part of the test I must endure. Knowing what's coming, I sigh as I lower my shields and brace myself. I didn't have long to wait. It's funny how in times of pain, one's body and mind focus on other elements in order to escape. Ki blasts and lightning, I muse, they're so similar. The only difference is that while lightning attacks one's body, ki blasts attack one's soul. I draw upon the memory of the first time my Otou trained me in godly battle and recall him telling me that, more or less, that ki blasts and the protection against such, are a measure of one's soul. The problem for me is that thanks to what I subjected to during my last sleep, my soul has been already drained of most of its energy. If Nakago-san continues any longer, he will begin to destroy my soul. Nakago-san does not know that there is a difference between a shattered soul and the total destruction of a soul. Thus being, he will not stop until there is no more "substance" to break. The consequences of such an action are not what anyone would like to see. Without my soul, and with myself being a demi-God I will be no better than Tenkou. I know that Seiryuu-seikun fears this as well, for when I feel Nakago-san's attack come to a sudden halt, I look up to see him with a confused expression upon his face. No doubt Seiryuu-Seikun cut off Nakago-san's access to his powers. Seiryuu-seikun wants me to become insane, or to shave a shattered soul, of that I also have no doubt. I'm sure he wants to be the one to drive me to such a point. However, I don't think he'll like it if, with no soul, I begin to mercilessly kill all of his Seishi and his country's people.
Nakago-san gives me one of his many death glares, and then, without a word, storms out of the tent. Both Suboshi-san and Yui-san watch him leave. Once Nakago-san is gone from the tent, Suboshi-san turns to Yui-san, shrugs, and follows the Shougun. Yui-san looks back at me, one last time, with a look of regret in her eyes before she follows her Seishi.
I sigh as I'm left alone and begin the process of trying to save what energy that I can. Outside, I hear the sound of the tents being dismantled. I already know our destination. With the information that I gave to Nakago-san, we should be heading for Hokkan-koku's capitol. I hear Nakago-san bark out his commands to move faster and I now can hear the collective heartbeat of at least a dozen soldiers fearing for their lives. I hear one heartbeat coming towards me and I try my best to look as if I'm not weak. The smell of this person reaches me, along with the smell of food and water. As she enters the tent I look at her with no small amount of curiosity. I know that she loves Nakago-san and yet, she is defying him? I doubt that he lifted his food and water restrictions.
"Soi-san, doushite…" (Miss Soi, why…)
"There's no time to talk. Quickly drink this!"
I drink most of the water down in one gulp. I wait a little before going for the rest of the cool liquid.
"I also brought you what fried wontons I could get my hands on without the cook knowing."
"Demo…"
"There is no time! I'll explain later!"
I look down at the food. Fifteen wontons, which I believe have look more delicious at this moment than any home cooked meal I have ever tasted. I eat six of them and hide the rest for later. I wanted to eat them all, but who knows when Soi-san will be able to steal more food for me. While I was eating, Soi-san was getting me ready for our trip. I had my hands tied in front of me, being careful of my injured arm and then I notice her stroke my undamaged wing quickly before telling me to walk. She does seem to like my feathers. I know that she still has most of the flight feathers that Nakago-san took from me. Apparently, Yui-san only kept one and I know that Nakago-san kept one, himself. When I left the tent, I had no choice but to squint when I was brought out into the bright sunshine. Soi-san leads me to her horse and lifted me on to the horse's back. Many of the soldiers looked at her in surprise, by the fact that she could lift me to such a height, but I know better. Even if I had just eaten a feast, I don't doubt that she could lift me. My bones are just like that of other birds' bones, Light and hollow. At most, soaking wet, I don't weigh more than seventy-five pounds.
"Daijoubu, little bird?"
"Un. Doumo."
She ties a rope around my right ankle, pulls the rope under the horse, and then ties the rope to my left ankle. Effectively, even if I untied my hands, I would have a problem when it came to freeing myself. I feel her mount the horse behind me and in no time, our group is off to the capitol. I look at the mountain ahead of us and decide that we will have to ride for about five hours until we arrive at the city's gates. I look out at the vast expanse of territory that Gembu-Seikun lords over and I feel overwhelmed. All these trees, all this snow…
The scenery stays the same for the next hour. This and the combination of the movements of the horse along with my restless sleeps leave me with no choice but to take a nap. As I enter the white astral plain, I'm surprised to find Tai'itsu-kun there instead of Seiryuu-Seikun.
"Hello, Bina-dori. I know that you're wondering why I'm here and not your uncle. Well, he has some important errands to look after. Namely, how Nakago knows so much about the Shinzahous, when no one told him about their existence. He prayed neither to me nor to Seiryuu to find out about them. Not many even know of their existence. So, what would you like to do with our time?"
"G-Grandmother?"
"Do you think I'm going to harm you?"
"Well no, but…"
"Come, child, you must be worried about your family and friends."
"Yes…yes I want to know…did my Okaa, Gyokuran and Hotohori-sama make it out of the palace? Are they okay?"
Grandmother waves her hand and the white background ripples as the entire space turns into that of the ruined palace.
Hotohori-sama is fine, unless you take in account the sobbing Aidou-san clutching at his waist. She's not worried about people, apparently, but his beautiful palace. She's worried about her "future home." Tasuki-san's mother happens to be ranting to her husband about how terrible the craftsmanship was on this palace and how she believes that it fell down on purpose. She believes that Hotohori-sama's maids want to kill her all because of her beauty. The scene moves to the Sou family. I heave a large sigh in relief as I notice that the only injury belonged to Chuuei-san, and that injury was a broken arm. Gyokuran's face and clothes looked dirty, but otherwise…
…
…I snap back to reality, only to notice my Grandmother chuckling softly.
"What?" Gee, Doukun, could you sound more defensive? You didn't have to snap at her. Luckily, she just looks at me, probably letting my rudeness pass due to recent events. I decided to be the one to break the silence.
"Grandmother, what about my Okaa?"
"What about her?"
"Is she okay? Did someone find her and help her out of the rubble? Now that I'm seeing it, where's my Ani and Gishi?"
The scene moves to that of my brother and his wife. By the looks of their clothing, I would wager that they were outside when the earthquake hit. They were probably in the gardens, given the fact that my Gishi loves to see various flowers. But still… I must look frantic now, because I still don't see my Okaa, however I know that something is up. Grandmother is still holding a smug look upon her face and is watching me, knowingly. Finally, I look towards her and turn on my ultra-sad/cute face. She could never deny my before with this face.
She bows her head down in defeat. Victory once again! This is one of the only times I have to thank my body for not hitting puberty!
"Bina-dori, her story is not mine to tell. Your father however…"
"Your father decided to let his brothers see his mortal claim."
I turn around, to see my mother standing next to my father. I have never seen her look more gorgeous! As for her outfit…It is off the shoulders with long sleeves. The top is pure white, which then fades delicately into deep sea blue and then wisteria purple. The skirt follows to the same effect. Her belt is a plum pink, while her long, reddish-brown hair, hangs down her back. In her hair, are numerous, beautiful and tiny ice pink gems, that are meant to catch one's eye whenever in the presence of the sun. To finish the outfit, she has a ribbon of plum pink that seems to be suspended in the air behind her with it's ends twisting around her arms. In short, she looks every bit the wife of a God.
"O…Okaa…"
My mother looks at me expectantly and holds open her arms. One part of me debates that I'm too old to run to her, but the other half…wins.
Before I know it, I'm in my Okaa's arms, holding back tears, while my father wraps both his arms and wing around us. I don't know how long we stood together, before my Grandmother clears her throat.
"What is it, mother? Would you like a hug, too?" The look on my father's face is that of a child who knows that he's going to break the rules, but enjoys it.
"No, no, I…" She didn't receive time to finish, however, as my father grabs her into a big hug, spins her around, kisses her on the check and finally lets her go. I hear Grandmother muttering about children, married life and how many grandchildren she should expect. I decided to rescue her, in a matter of speaking.
"Okaa, what about the other Shichiseishi? Last I saw, they were trapped in a snowstorm."
"They are safe. Would you like to look?"
I nod my head. Again, the scenery changes to the cave that the Amazon, Kyra-san, found. The snowstorm had finally passed and they were just getting ready to leave. Luckily, they are much closer to the capitol then the Seiryuu Shichiseishi and it should only take them one hour to reach the gates. They lost horses in the storm and now have to ride double. Nuriko-san is with Mitsukake-san, Miaka-san is with Tamahome-san and finally, Chichiri-san (with his mask off) and Tasuki-san are with their respected "wives." By the looks of it, Tasuki-san and April-san like to argue, but I can see smiles upon their faces. Looking over at Chichiri-san and Kyra-san, they are talking quietly to each other. They stop for a second, so that Chichiri-san can gently hold her hand and stroke back a lock of her silken hair, while she gently touches his face. It looks as if Chichiri-san decided to leave being a monk for later on in life. That and it looks like he has decided to forgo the use of hi mask. Nuriko-san decides to break the spell.
"Mo~ we have to get going! Who knows if the others passed us in the storm?!"
"Wakateiru no da. Everybody ready no da?"
The sound of several voices responding with "hai" follows.
Kyra-san then spoke up, "I use to live close to here, before I joined the Amazons. In order to get to the capitol from here, we need to travel northeast. It's a mountain road, so I hope that none of you are afraid of heights."
I watch as they travel in silence for a while. When they reach over half way, I watch as both Kyra-san's and Chichiri-san's bodies become stiff.
"You feel it too, Anata? I don't like the feel of that ki."
"It's a Seiryuu Shichiseishi ki no da. Nakago probably sent him to spy on us, na no da."
"Un. When we get to the capitol, I'll take care of him, be the hunter's hunter. That way, the rest of you won't have to worry while you search for clues."
"Doumo, but be careful no da. I don't like the feel of this ki no da. There's just something not right about it, na no da."
"Un. Don't worry, my love, I'll return to you. You can't get rid of me that easily."
My Grandmother nudges me in order to receive my attention. "The time is up, Bina-dori. Say strong and calm, and your soul will see you through the storm."
"H…Hai."
My Otou and Okaa embrace me for one more time; before I'm jolted awake by the feeling of many familiar kis. Looking up and ahead, although they seem to be no more than little dots, I spot my fellow Shichiseishi. So has Nakago-san. He looks at me with his ice-cold eyes as he tells me what I already know.
"Do not worry, boy, I have sent to them a Hokkan-koku welcoming committee. Ashitare will take good care of them all.
It's done! It's done! Gott in Hemmel! I actually got a chapter done! (Doing little dance, receiving weird looks from my cute, if not destructive, hairball) All right everyone, I want you to review and also, visit that web site, verci?
Ciao