A/N: ^_^ Thanks to all of you who reviewed! That's what keeps me going you know. ^_^ So you peeps should review some more, ya know! ^_~
Chapter Three: Me? The Preist...ess?
"Our apologies... Trickery was not our intention, we simply wished to understand you better." Hotohori... Or His Majesty said as the three of us kneeled, in a position I found rather uncomfortable. Hotohori seemed so different from when I had first met him. He was so much more... Regal. Yet, even before he'd had this look about him... He was so... I shrugged those thoughts away turning back to the man in question's words. But even as I did I knew I was blushing, and was annoyed with myself. People...like me didn't get crushes. "At least we've disproved our consorts ascertain that you are evil spirits..." He continued smiling kindly.
"So yer gonna let us go?" Tamahome said grinning hopefully.
"Of course, you will not be executed... However, we have one request... Will you protect our empire, Priestess, of Suzaku?" His amber eyes were centered directly on me. And yet I looked apprehensively towards towards Miaka waiting for her answer.
"We are of course referring to you, Ryuuen..." He said his smile was so gentle, and I immediately felt flustered again. "There's a legend in our land. At the time when the empire falls into disorder, and is on the verge of collapse... A young lady would emerge from another world seeking the power of Suzaku. The moment she posses the power of Suzaku, she will lead the empire to glory/ This young lady called the Priestess of Suzaku has finally arrived. And she sits before us now..." His intense amber gaze was fixated on me and me alone.
"You... don't understand! There's /no/ way I can be this priestess!" I must have sounded ridiculous, but.. The priestess had to be a girl didn't she? "I fell here by accident!"
"Yet you are a woman with a wish correct?" I really wish he'd stop saying 'girl' and 'woman'... I made me feel self-conscious. And more than anything it made me want to tell him everything. "You came seeking the powers of Suzaku so that your wishes would be granted, yes?"
Wishes... "I could wish... I could bring her back..." It was the first thought that entered my mind, and I spoke it aloud. I could be this girl, which I'd tried so hard to be all my life...
Hotohori chuckled, "You're much to modest. Have you considered ruling the world?" I giggled right along with him. I may not have been this 'young lady' but.. I could be this priestess. Besides, my ending up here couldn't be a coincidence, could it?
"I'll be the Priestess..." I said quietly, and a bit more hesitantly than I had intended, and yet Hotohori had heard me if no one else had. "Everyone stand back. This young lady will obtain the power of Suzaku. The Priestess of Suzaku, the one who will protect our empire, stands before you!" All of Hotohori's advisors as well as Miaka and Tamahome... Everyone had their eyes on me. In addition, most of them had looks on their faces as if they were sizing me up to see if I was truly priestess material. And then by some strange mutual agreement they all kneeled down.. Bowing. For me? Even Tamahome and Miaka were doing so...
I glanced over towards Hotohori trying to shake this feeling that was washing over me at the thought that everyone here was, treating me like I was some sort of celebrity, who needed to be bowed to. "Well, I should be going now, I have a paper to right... Not to mention classes tomorrow morning..."
"What are you talking about...?" He asked, his features displaying his confusion.
//"Hey.. What's this book doing on the floor? Looks like the lock on the door is broken..."// I felt the vibration of the book being slammed shut abruptly, and cringed inwardly. "No..." I whispered. I couldn't be locked in here... I just... couldn't. But even as those thoughts drifted through my mind, I knew I was stuck here. For now at any rate... And I was supposed to be this priestess... Only was that even possible? I should have just outright told them... I opened my mouth trying to think of the words, when my eyes met the perfect amber ones of His Majesty... And the words died on my lips.
//"Lets go... I'll have the lock fixed tomorrow. Don't have to worry about anybody getting in here anymore..."//
I shrank to my knees, eyes widening. My exit... Now, even Yui wouldn't be able to find me... As if that were even likely in the first place...
I was lying on the bed, in the room Hotohori had, had prepared for me, thoughts of all the things, I'd taken for granted before, drifting through my mind, when Miaka, followed by a not to thrilled Tamahome entered the room. "Guess what, Ryuuen! The entire empires gaga over you, Miss Priestess of Suzaku! You're soooo lucky!" Miaka exclaimed her usual grin set firmly on her excited face.
"And they're even letting us, stay in the palace!" Tamahome threw in getting a giggle and a nod out of Miaka.
"Sooo, we thought we'd stop by to keep you company! ...Not that you'd be lonely," Miaka said as she and Tamahome took seat beside me on the bed.
"Ryuuen?" Hotohori stepped into my room, "I'm sorry, to disturb you... But I must apologize, for I haven't been able to spend much time with you..." His presence in the room, just made me feel a bit flustered... And I had to constantly remind myself that it wasn't anything important. Hotohori had that effect on everyone... Right?
"Oh, no, it's alright, Hoto-Your Majesty!" I said trying to fend off the blush that was rising to my cheeks. "Uhmm... By the way... I was wondering how, I could get these powers of Suzaku?"
"I was researching that now... In the Universe of the Four Gods..." He said, motioning to the scroll in his hands.
"Wha...? The Universe of the Four Gods..." How could that be? Wasn't that the book we were supposed to be inside? So how could... I shook my head. I didn't need that thought right, now, I'd probably get a headache.
"Oh.. It's a book of prophecies handed down from Taiitskun, to His Majesty Tai Jo... In the book, there are twenty-eight Constellations of Heaven. Each of the four Cardinal points, North, South, East and West claims seven Constellations. The southern of these constellations are called 'The Suzaku'. It's a general astrominical term... The names of the Constellations are... Chichi, Tamahome, Hotohori, Chorizo, Task, Mitskake... And Miaka. They make up the southern seven constellations, of Suzaku..."
"Er... Tamahome? Hotohori? Miaka.." I asked, looking at the three of them curiously. "Correct. I Hotohori, Tamahome and Miaka and the rest of the Suzaku Seven Constellations must protect the Priestess Of Suzaku, which is you Ryuuen... So that you may obtain the Magical Powers of Suzaku. According to the book, you must gather all the seven constellations, to have your wish granted."
"So there's four others...?" I asked... This was a lot to take in... One thing after another.
"Yes, and you must find them..." As Hotohori's voice trailed off, Miaka was glancing warily towards Tamahome, "Did you know about this? That we were Constellations?" she demanded.
"I knew my name came from a constellation... But... I guess we're supposed to protect her, huh?" They both glanced in my direction, and I shrugged trying to smile...
A/N: ^^; Hopin' that wasn't to unbelievably boring. ^_^ Review, it makes my day! ^_^ Sorry, it's so short... ^^; Next chapter will be longer. XD ^_^
Chapter Three: Me? The Preist...ess?
"Our apologies... Trickery was not our intention, we simply wished to understand you better." Hotohori... Or His Majesty said as the three of us kneeled, in a position I found rather uncomfortable. Hotohori seemed so different from when I had first met him. He was so much more... Regal. Yet, even before he'd had this look about him... He was so... I shrugged those thoughts away turning back to the man in question's words. But even as I did I knew I was blushing, and was annoyed with myself. People...like me didn't get crushes. "At least we've disproved our consorts ascertain that you are evil spirits..." He continued smiling kindly.
"So yer gonna let us go?" Tamahome said grinning hopefully.
"Of course, you will not be executed... However, we have one request... Will you protect our empire, Priestess, of Suzaku?" His amber eyes were centered directly on me. And yet I looked apprehensively towards towards Miaka waiting for her answer.
"We are of course referring to you, Ryuuen..." He said his smile was so gentle, and I immediately felt flustered again. "There's a legend in our land. At the time when the empire falls into disorder, and is on the verge of collapse... A young lady would emerge from another world seeking the power of Suzaku. The moment she posses the power of Suzaku, she will lead the empire to glory/ This young lady called the Priestess of Suzaku has finally arrived. And she sits before us now..." His intense amber gaze was fixated on me and me alone.
"You... don't understand! There's /no/ way I can be this priestess!" I must have sounded ridiculous, but.. The priestess had to be a girl didn't she? "I fell here by accident!"
"Yet you are a woman with a wish correct?" I really wish he'd stop saying 'girl' and 'woman'... I made me feel self-conscious. And more than anything it made me want to tell him everything. "You came seeking the powers of Suzaku so that your wishes would be granted, yes?"
Wishes... "I could wish... I could bring her back..." It was the first thought that entered my mind, and I spoke it aloud. I could be this girl, which I'd tried so hard to be all my life...
Hotohori chuckled, "You're much to modest. Have you considered ruling the world?" I giggled right along with him. I may not have been this 'young lady' but.. I could be this priestess. Besides, my ending up here couldn't be a coincidence, could it?
"I'll be the Priestess..." I said quietly, and a bit more hesitantly than I had intended, and yet Hotohori had heard me if no one else had. "Everyone stand back. This young lady will obtain the power of Suzaku. The Priestess of Suzaku, the one who will protect our empire, stands before you!" All of Hotohori's advisors as well as Miaka and Tamahome... Everyone had their eyes on me. In addition, most of them had looks on their faces as if they were sizing me up to see if I was truly priestess material. And then by some strange mutual agreement they all kneeled down.. Bowing. For me? Even Tamahome and Miaka were doing so...
I glanced over towards Hotohori trying to shake this feeling that was washing over me at the thought that everyone here was, treating me like I was some sort of celebrity, who needed to be bowed to. "Well, I should be going now, I have a paper to right... Not to mention classes tomorrow morning..."
"What are you talking about...?" He asked, his features displaying his confusion.
//"Hey.. What's this book doing on the floor? Looks like the lock on the door is broken..."// I felt the vibration of the book being slammed shut abruptly, and cringed inwardly. "No..." I whispered. I couldn't be locked in here... I just... couldn't. But even as those thoughts drifted through my mind, I knew I was stuck here. For now at any rate... And I was supposed to be this priestess... Only was that even possible? I should have just outright told them... I opened my mouth trying to think of the words, when my eyes met the perfect amber ones of His Majesty... And the words died on my lips.
//"Lets go... I'll have the lock fixed tomorrow. Don't have to worry about anybody getting in here anymore..."//
I shrank to my knees, eyes widening. My exit... Now, even Yui wouldn't be able to find me... As if that were even likely in the first place...
I was lying on the bed, in the room Hotohori had, had prepared for me, thoughts of all the things, I'd taken for granted before, drifting through my mind, when Miaka, followed by a not to thrilled Tamahome entered the room. "Guess what, Ryuuen! The entire empires gaga over you, Miss Priestess of Suzaku! You're soooo lucky!" Miaka exclaimed her usual grin set firmly on her excited face.
"And they're even letting us, stay in the palace!" Tamahome threw in getting a giggle and a nod out of Miaka.
"Sooo, we thought we'd stop by to keep you company! ...Not that you'd be lonely," Miaka said as she and Tamahome took seat beside me on the bed.
"Ryuuen?" Hotohori stepped into my room, "I'm sorry, to disturb you... But I must apologize, for I haven't been able to spend much time with you..." His presence in the room, just made me feel a bit flustered... And I had to constantly remind myself that it wasn't anything important. Hotohori had that effect on everyone... Right?
"Oh, no, it's alright, Hoto-Your Majesty!" I said trying to fend off the blush that was rising to my cheeks. "Uhmm... By the way... I was wondering how, I could get these powers of Suzaku?"
"I was researching that now... In the Universe of the Four Gods..." He said, motioning to the scroll in his hands.
"Wha...? The Universe of the Four Gods..." How could that be? Wasn't that the book we were supposed to be inside? So how could... I shook my head. I didn't need that thought right, now, I'd probably get a headache.
"Oh.. It's a book of prophecies handed down from Taiitskun, to His Majesty Tai Jo... In the book, there are twenty-eight Constellations of Heaven. Each of the four Cardinal points, North, South, East and West claims seven Constellations. The southern of these constellations are called 'The Suzaku'. It's a general astrominical term... The names of the Constellations are... Chichi, Tamahome, Hotohori, Chorizo, Task, Mitskake... And Miaka. They make up the southern seven constellations, of Suzaku..."
"Er... Tamahome? Hotohori? Miaka.." I asked, looking at the three of them curiously. "Correct. I Hotohori, Tamahome and Miaka and the rest of the Suzaku Seven Constellations must protect the Priestess Of Suzaku, which is you Ryuuen... So that you may obtain the Magical Powers of Suzaku. According to the book, you must gather all the seven constellations, to have your wish granted."
"So there's four others...?" I asked... This was a lot to take in... One thing after another.
"Yes, and you must find them..." As Hotohori's voice trailed off, Miaka was glancing warily towards Tamahome, "Did you know about this? That we were Constellations?" she demanded.
"I knew my name came from a constellation... But... I guess we're supposed to protect her, huh?" They both glanced in my direction, and I shrugged trying to smile...
A/N: ^^; Hopin' that wasn't to unbelievably boring. ^_^ Review, it makes my day! ^_^ Sorry, it's so short... ^^; Next chapter will be longer. XD ^_^