It's that time again! Did anyone miss me? (hears crickets) okay...
Got a question for all of you: How much longer do you want the Hokkan-koku chapters to last? One person who e-mailed me said that I should continue for two more chapters after this one at least, while someone else asked that this chapter lead into the last. Truthfully, have enough story plots to make it last five more chapters! Please let me know, folks!
Yet again, don't sue me; all I have is a lonely, lonely lint ball. Heck, I'm willing to PAY someone to take this sucker off my hands! Yuu Watase can have my lint/cat hairball and I'll pay her twenty bucks. Deal?
We enter the city proper around suppertime. With my fellow Seishi still holding on to their feathers, I know that the inn that they chose to the middle of the four countries largest city. Nakago-san chose an inn close to the gates, probably wanting to keep out of the other Suzaku-seikun's Shichiseishis' sight. Though I'm a captive, no one in this city seems to have given Soi-san and I a second glance. When I look off to my side and notice that Tomo-san has his clam, Shin, open. Most likely, he had used one of his illusions to make the residents believe that we are one of the nomadic families that wander the Hokkan-Koku plains. When we entered the inn an hour ago, I noticed that he closed his shin, and I immediately understood why. This inn must be a Seiryuu sympathizer, for Seiryuu-seikun's power and presence can be felt here, all the way down to a grain of dirt on the floor. I wonder how Gembu-seikun feels about this...
Though the food from this inn smells delicious, I sigh, knowing that yet again, I will not be eating. I can't even eat the won tons that Soi-san gave me this morning, for while most of Seiryuu-seikun's Shichiseishi are eating; Suboshi-san is keeping watch over me on the other end of the table. His light blue eyes lock onto my bright green. There is a pregnant silence between us. I'm about to look away, when Suboshi-san decides to talk to me.
"You know, you could make it easier on yourself and just tell Nakago what he wants know. I can deal with pain as well, but tonight... well, you'll be lucky to survive!"
I take a few moments before I reply.
"I thank you for your concern, Suboshi-san, however, this pain is something I must endure. According to both Tai'itsu-kun and Seiryuu-seikun, Nakago-san must never learn to do the ki attacks that I can do, unless we want to destroy this world. He lacks special training that I doubt he will let me give him, and the precise control that only comes from having the blood of one of the Gods in them. If I was to tell him, then I would be responsible for the death of everyone, and that is not something I want to see."
"I...understand. Still, even if I were to tell Nakago this, it still wouldn't keep him from trying to find out. All I can say is, good luck."
I look down to the other end of the table and notice that the rest of the Seishi are done eating. Nakago-san looks down at us and tells Suboshi-san, through just one gesture, to pick me up and bring me upstairs. Suboshi-san brings me to the last door at the right and gently places me on the ground. He gives me a final "Well, if this is what you want" look before leaving me alone with Nakago-san and Tomo-san.
Tomo-san circles me, while Nakago-san stands by the door with a look of contemplation upon his face. Finally, Tomo-san stops and looks towards his Shougun.
"I think I have the perfect plot, Nakago-sama."
"Good. Will it work on him?"
Plot? Work on him?
"His ki is done low enough, that if I concentrate, I shouldn't have any problems. Are you willing to go through your part of the plot?"
Nakago-san looks at me as I begin to realize that Tomo-san is about to force me into one of his illusions. Even if there wasn't any reason for me to NOT fight back, there is now way I could resist this power, as weak as I am.
"Do it."
A wave of vertigo hits me, as Tomo-san opens up Shin. I close my eyes, in order to fight back what little precious food I have into my stomach. When I open my eyes, I am no longer in Hokkan-koku, but...but...home. I am standing at my balcony, looking out across the garden full of moonflowers and at the pond with its white, pink and purple water lilies. But, how did I get back? Was not I traveling in Hokkan-koku? But...I never been to Hokkan-koku! I have never left Konan! But then, why do I remember seeing so much snow...
I bow my head in defeat, acknowledging the fact that I will just have to ponder these questions later, for now I have a problem that occurs rarely, but always with much force.
I have a headache.
With my head bowed down, I open my eyes and look at my hands, only to receive another shock. I race over to my mirror in my changing area to find that not only am I 16 years old, but I am taller! Why, I am almost as tall as...who? A picture flashes before my eyes of a tall, dark hair man who rarely spoke. He...he has a cat and...is he a doctor? And while I am on the subject...how do I know I am 16? Did I not just have my 13th birthday? I sit down, to think about this new development, when my Onii-san makes his entrance into my room.
"Doukun, Gyokuran's here! You should go down stairs a greet her!"
"Gyo...Gyokuran?" Is not Gyouran a young girl? But wait, she cannot be! She was only a year and a half younger than I. Was? But, what about now...
"Yes, Gyokuran! You know, you're fiancée! The girl whom you are to wed tomorrow?" My Onii-san stops and really looks at me. "Doukun, are you okay? Pre-marriage jitters?"
I take a moment to think before answering. Marriage? But I have not even seen Gyokuran enough for marriage, let alone know! And how will Tamahome-san react when...Ta...Tamahome-san? Who...
I snap out of my thoughts and look back up at my brother with an apologetic smile.
"Gomen ne, Onii-san. Boku no atama wa chotto itai desu kedo... (I am sorry, Older Brother. I have a slight headache, but...)
"Hai, hai. Wakaruze. Shikashi, motto hyaku! Gyokuran wa matteiruze!" (Yes, yes. I understand. However, Hurry up! Gyokuran is waiting!)
He leaves and I slowly stand up, taking one more look into the mirror. Something...something is just not right about this. Only moments ago, my mind tried to ward of something, but what? What was I trying not to forget, or should I say, what am I trying to remember?
I walk down the stairs, and as I reach the bottom step, I hear my Okaa talking to our guests. As I walk into our home's foyer, I look eyes on the girl who manages to steal my breath away, every time I see her. Sou Gyokuran. Her dress is primarily blue-green, with lilac butterflies sewed sparsely upon it. Her sash is also lilac and her under dress is lovely shade of spring green. I walk towards her and smile as I take her hand in mine. She blushes and looks back towards her father. This is the first time I really notice the economic differences between our two families. I wonder how her family afforded the dress! My grandmother sends me a vision of her father, bringing out his own wife's wedding clothing and I then notice that the two dresses are the same. I look again at my fiancée's dress, happy to know that her family did not starve just so that she could be presented to my family in this fashion. I would rather like Gyokuran to be presented in a burlap sack than have the family placed in such danger.
My mother clears her throat and informs me that for tonight, Gyokuran and her family will be staying in the guest rooms. Tomorrow, Gyokuran will move into mine and the rest of her family will live in a nice house on our land and farm. I look over the family and notice that the oldest brother is missing, but then I feel Gyokuran come up to my ear and whispers:
"Kichiku is staying at our old village, with his wife Miaka. She wanted to be close to her family. You have nothing to fear from him, he's not going to try and kill you like he did when you asked for my hand."
Hearing the name Miaka brings forth memories, but... how is her family here? Is she not from...from somewhere outside the four countries? At these thoughts, the headache, which had disappeared, came back with a vengeance. I wave it off in front of the others, however, not wanting to spoil the joyous occasion.
After dinner, I go to bed, having much trouble in sleeping due to my excitement. I lie on my bed, thinking about Gyokuran and how by this time tomorrow she will be my wife. I had finally begun to nod off when I feel an angry and powerful ki approaching. I manage to spring out of bed and run to my door before I hear any screaming. I am stopped by the sight of all of the maids dead, along with all of Gyokuran's family. My brother is valiantly trying to fight one man who holds his wife and son hostage. The man had long white hair and wore a strange circlet upon his brow. I know that I have seen him before, when my grandmother first taught me about my family's history... Tenkou!
"Onii-san! Matteiruze! (Older brother! Wait!)
I see Tenkou's lips turn into a cruel grin, before he uses his power to completely destroy my Onii-san and his family. I stand there in shock, before I hear the screams of my Okaa. Se...Seiryuu-seikun is holding on to her! She is crying out for my help! I start to move when I feel someone tugging on me from behind.
"Doukun! Doukun, nani wo shite imashouka? (Doukun! Doukun, what should we do?)
I turn around and upon see who it is, I let out her name in a breathless whisper, happy that among all of this, that I know that she is all right.
"Gyokuran."
I hear my Okaa scream again, but this time, she gives a command.
"Doukun, run! Just take Gyokuran and run! Go to your father and grandmother, they will help you and avenge us!"
"Demo, Okaa..."
"GO!"
I feel Gyokuran tugging on my arm as I watch Seiryuu-seikun thrust his hand into my Okaa's chest and rip out her still beating heart to "proudly" display it to her. Laughing, he shoves her heart into her throat, hard enough so that even if she had the strength and life left to pull it out she could not. Gyokuran is still tugging on my clothes, trying to get me to run with her as I watch Seiryuu-seikun throw my mother into a corner. I know that she is dead.
I feel a fire that I never knew before, making its way through my body As I jerk my sleeve from my love's hand, I fire my strongest ki blast at my "uncle." I do not think that he was expecting me to retaliate, for he never even tried to block it. I turn around from my attack in time to see Tenkou grab Gyokuran. I fell Tenkou's ki rise and I know that he is about to destroy her when I charge up a blast. Time then seems to stop. Everything in my being tells me to fire the blast, in order to save Gyokuran, however, there is one force stopping me from doing so. My mind. My mind screams to me to take a closer look at Tenkou's ki and as I impatiently do so, I realize something. Tai'itsu-kun told me that Tenkou's ki was different than any other ki in the world. However, this Tenkou's ki had strong traces of...Seiryuu's ki! I start to lower my hands as my Onii-san come crawling into view.
"Doukun! Teach me...teach me how to do one of those blasts! Let me help you protect what is left of our family!"
I look down at him. He was dead! I saw Tenkou kill him before! Suddenly all of that which I forgot came rushing back into my mind, along with all the false truths that came with this "reality."
Still staring down at my "Onii-san," I give him my answer:
"I'm afraid that I can nor will not teach you how to do this...Nakago-san."
The background melts away to black and I reduce back to my age and size of thirteen. The only animate object before me is Nakago-san.
"I have been too nice to you. All I have done is whipped you and given you a small taste of my ki blasts, but I see now that my judgment has been...lacking.
I feel sudden pain in my good hand. To my credit, I only wince instead of screaming. Looking down, I see that my thumb now touches my wrist.
"Maybe you do not understand, Chibi-Dori, that no matter how you try to hold back that information I want, I will get it out of you if I have to break every bone in your body."
"(sigh) I guess that you still don't understand, that I would rather take the pain of you breaking my bones then tell you something that will reward you with more power than you can afford to use."
KRACK
Well, th...there goes my index finger.
"Then, Chibi-Dori, we have a long night ahead of us."
KRACK
I...I don't know how many hours have past, but finally Nakago-san and Tomo-san leave. I check out what new injuries that I have obtained to find that now; both of my arms are useless. I start to fall asleep, when the door opens again. I look up to find both Soi-san and Suboshi-san in the room. Soi-san is carrying food and water. Suboshi-san is there, watching at the door.
"Don't worry, Suboshi will warn us if any of the others are coming. I already know what Nakago-sama did to you, so I'll feed you."
By fifteen minutes, I was more full than I ever believed possible. I see Soi-san cleaning up any mess and then look towards Suboshi-san. He looks thoughtful and he smells mostly of fear. My thoughts are diverted, however, by Soi-san.
"Little one...can you walk?"
I concentrate on moving my legs. Though I once believed one of my legs to be broken, I now believe that I only severely bruised. I find that I can walk, but probably only at a slow pace. I tell the two Seiryuu-Shichiseishi this, and receive two nods.
"Sore kara, I'll have to do it."
Do it? What is Suboshi-san talking about? Soi-san turns to me with a small smile.
"You need to keep quiet, Little One. As quiet as you can. With Ashitare out hunting, this is the best time for Suboshi and I to get you out of here, and back to where you belong.
Whew! Done! So people, let me know soon how many more chapters that you want in the Gembu arc! The faster you let me know, the faster I can start writing! Also, seeing how I now have a web site, thought I've done NOTHING with it (sweatdrop) I want fanart! Please draw and send!
Ja ne!