The Preist...ess of Suzaku
A/N: I apologize for the long wait! Gomen! *hides form her scary reviewers* Anywho, I'm feeling inspired today, and most of my fics have been updated, so if you've read any of them, go check it out. *WinkWink* ^_^ Read and Review and Enjoy, because my muses are in overload today... Meaning if I get like 10 or so reviews, there will an update within the next week! ^_^
Chapter Seven: Home Sweet Home... Not.
"Don't! Don't come in here! You... You've done enough for me..." I yelled my voice hoarse, as I scrambled for my shirt, pulling it over my long violet locks quickly.
"I could, I suppose... But your strength will be greatly diminished!" Taitskun said, frowning thoughtfully.
"Exactly my desire..." Hotohori said smiling as he and Tamahome entered the room.
"What good is my blood to me when it's just dripping on the ground...?" Tamahome said, trying to laugh.
"Very well," The woman said, despite my disagreement. My body was pulled into a bubble of sorts, as was Tamahome and Hotohori. "Tamahome... Hotohori... I will now use my will to pass your blood into Ryuuen's wound. It will be painful but bear it." She said in a monotone.
"You guys! You don't have to do this! I'm fine!" I yelled banging on the side of my bubble. Blood was one thing... But having them go through pain... For me... That wasn't fair.... However, suddenly my body felt warm... Not a scorching burn, but more like a steady comforting warmth. It spread through my body, as their blood entered my body mingling with my own.
"That shall be enough," Taitskun said and I fell through the bubble, landing extremely ungracefully. "Put the rest of your clothes on!" Nyan Nyan said, handing me the rest of my clothing, which I quickly pulled on. When I was properly dressed, I went to see Hotohori and Tamahome...
I blushed, looking away from their shirtless bodies, recalling how easy it had been for me to mistake Hotohori for a woman. His curves were almost as feminine as mine... He truly was beautiful. "Thanks... For doing that for me... It must have been really painful," I said, still averting my eyes.
"It was nothing!" Tamahome said rolling his eyes, "You think something like that could hurt me?!" I laughed, "Tama-kins..." He made an annoyed face, "Don't call me that!" But that only succeeded in increasing my laughter.
"If you are well, I wish nothing more," Hotohori said quietly a solemn smile on his face as he looked over at me. How was it that just being near him could make my face as pink at bubble gum?!
"Now that Ryuuen's better, I'll tell you how to return to your own world. And remember priestess, you owe your life to Hotohori and Tamahome. Listen carefully, as you've stayed in this world to long. Therefore, you cannot return simply by finding an opening as you did previously. However there are two things that can connect you to the other world. The first is something that is identical here as to there. Something that can reach both worlds."
Something in both worlds... Nothing came to mind. Like we were going to find anything in my world here! "Oh... I know!" I said suddenly. "The patch Yui and me got from college!" I said, fingering the dragon emblem that signified our school... As she had one as well, that would work... right?
"It must connect with someone who owns the identical thing, or with a place related to it. The second it a strong will and a deep intensely shared feelings. I knew Yui was reading the book... I just knew she wanted me home... We were best friends weren't we?
"If circumstances were normal and all seven Celestial Warriors were present, this would be easy.... But Miaka is the only one unwounded, and the amount of spiritual energy is en-"
"We can do it!" Miaka said smiling brightly, "If Ryuu-chan wants to go home, we'll take her home! We didn't come all this way for nothing, you know!"
"Yes Miaka is right... We shall return Ryuuen to her home," Hotohori said his tone soft.
"It'll be fine, Taitskun!" Came Tamahome's response, "You have no faith in us."
"But, you must promise to return... Everyone shall be waiting for you," Hotohori sounded a bit upset... But I didn't have time to consider why, as Taitskun's voice interrupted my thoughts. "We shall commence. Concentrate your energy on Ryuuen."
I would be leaving them... It hadn't truly hit me until Hotohori had spoken. I'd grown to like them all... A lot... And after they'd risked their lives for me... How could I be leaving them like this? "You fool! Concentrate! Or else you could spend eternity in the breach between time and space!" I tensed... No matter how hard I tried I was having a difficult time concentrating...
But then I thought of Yui.. And Kourin... I was supposed to be living for her, wasn't I? And then a different kind of heat, not like the blood transfer began to fill me and I was ripped from this book world... When my eyes flickered open I was lying atop my desk at school, my English class no less. "I can't believe... I'm really home..." I whispered aloud, before scrambling off the desk.
That's when I saw Rokou running towards me, "Ryuuen! You idiot! We were worried about you!"
"I'm sorry..." I said as he locked his arms around me in a swift hug.
"Well, they'll be glad that I found you... Jeez, you know I spent two whole hours looking for you Ryuu!"
I blinked in surprise, "What did you say? ...Only... Two hours?!"
Rokou drove us back to our parents house, much to my dismay and my many protests, but Rokou had insisted that I go home my desk at school, my English class no less. "I can't believe... I'm really home..." I whispered aloud, before scrambling off the desk.
That's when I saw Rokou running towards me, "Ryuuen! You idiot! We were worried about you!"
"I'm sorry..." I said as he locked his arms around me in a swift hug.
"Well, they'll be glad that I found you... Jeez, you know I spent two whole hours looking for you Ryuu!"
I blinked in surprise, "What did you say? ...Only... Two hours?!"
Rokou drove us back to our parents house, much to my dismay and my many protests, but Rokou had insisted that I go home so my parents wouldn't worry as much. Apparently seeing me was better than the phone call, I'd wanted my older brother to give them. It was kind of ironic, he was actually playing the part of a big brother-The role I'd always taken upon myself. It was kind of comforting, although I still didn't feel any better about going home.
"I'm sorry for being so rash with you, Ryuuen. However, I was only telling you the truth. And you don't have the right to vanish!" My father said, as I fidgeted nervously on out worn couch.
"I was in some book in the library... S'not like I knew how to get out..." I mumbled under my breath, my tone sarcastic.
"Stop lying! You're merely making yourself look worse! We were just worried about you!" My mother scowled from her place beside my father.
"Mom, it's okay, at least he's alright!" Rokou said, grabbing my hand and pulling me to his room. "Spill. Why were you at school? There are better stories than the one you're using," He informed be tossing me a can of soda.
"I'm not lying," I stated firmly. "It's not like I'm asking you to believe me, Rokou," I said, before launching into my tale of events. He didn't to believe me... But I needed to share it with someone.
"Hmm... Lemme get this straight: You were at the library and you got sucked into a book, called "The Universe of the Four Gods," and if you find all seven people who make up these constellations or whatever... And then you get a wish? And because you wanted the wish you became this priestess?" He rolled his eyes, "I hate to point out the obvious, But you're a guy, Ryuuen."
I sighed, "Well they don't know that! Well Miaka does, but other than that nobody does!"
Rokou frowned, rubbing his temples obviously having a headache. "Well let's just say your account is true... Then the book is pretty dangerous! The story has to be a curse... I know books with magical spells can be attracting but the older the spell the powerful it can be. There's always a sacrifice when there's a wish...." My brother loved magical charms... In fact he was almost a walking dictionary on mythology and the like. "And you know, they'd even sacrifice young women..." He could also be really creepy. "And since they think that-"
"But Hotohori! He'd never do anything like that!" I exclaimed frowning.
"Do you even understand your own position? You're in your first year of college! Whether you're telling the truth or not, don't go near that book again. Just forget it."
It was really strange to see Rokou being the protective older brother... He didn't act like it most of the time, but it seemed he was finally taking the initiative to act like my brother. However, there was no way I'd be able to fulfill his request.
I nodded, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, before heading off to my old room... It was to late to drive back to my own apartment, and I was totally exhausted. I pulled my cell phone out from my purse, selecting Yui's number from the list of important numbers and awaiting her answer as I flopped out on my bed.
I scowled, as I got her answering machine and set the phone on my desk, "She must be asleep..." I reassured myself and then changed into s pair of old, and a bit to small-The purple cotton stopped several inches above my ankles giving me a rather weird look. I rebraided, my long locks of violet, as I did every night, in hopes of keeping it from getting matted in my sleep.
~*~
The next morning I slipped out of the house discreetly and drove to school slipping into my first class a bit late. It was great to be back at school, after what felt like months.
Mr. Hayami stood at the front of the room, his roll call book in front of him. "Chou? Ryuuen?" He called and I quickly raised my hand, proud to be here. However, Yui was not. She was rarely if ever sick... and she hadn't answered the phone last night, either.
However, I didn't have long to contemplate the possible excuses for my blonde friend's absence, as the teacher began to speak, "All right, take out your pencils, and put everything away. It's time for a pop quiz!" A scowl slipped onto my rosy lips, as I shoved my book into my bag. How convenient, it was just my luck, that we'd have a pop quiz today...
I skipped the first few questions... no big deal right? But soon I found that I didn't know the majority of the answers.... And to make matters worse, everyone else seemed to be speeding through it. I had spent months inside the book, and I hadn't studied! Not once! As I began to panic, I found myself yearning for Hotohori to be here...
And suddenly there he was, as regal as ever bending over my desk, chestnut hair pooling onto my paper. "You'll be just fine, Ryuuen. Don't worry. It'll be fine... I'm right here." I stood up, only to find my vision to be just that. An illusion.
My face was red with humiliation, as I ran out of the classroom, to embarrassed to face anyone, and yet yearning for Hotohori to be here. And that desire seemed to have to control over my legs as I was outside of the building and racing off campus. I had to see Hotohori again... But first I needed to thank Yui...If it hadn't been for her, I would have still been in the book, unable to recover. Yui's house was only a few blocks away from school, so it didn't take long to arrive. She still lived at home, and was surprisingly happy about it. It was odd, Mr. and Mrs. Hongo were standing in the doorway, both looking panicked and stressed. "Excuse me is..." I was cut short by Mrs. Hongo.
"Where's my daughter?! Ryuuen where is Yui?!"
"...What?" I blinked. Yui was supposed to be home. She hadn't gone to school... She was...
"We came home from our business trip to find her gone! We found this note," her father said brandishing a piece of notebook paper in my face. Yui's overly neat handwriting was all over it.
'Mom and Dad,
I'm out to search for Ryuuen. I'll be back as soon as I find her!
--Yui'
"She's always been such a good girl! She would never stay out all night! Where is she?!" Mrs. Hongo was reduced to sobs in her husband's arms.
"Calm down honey... It's not her fault... We'll look around and then we'll contact the police."
Yui had to have been at the library... In that room... Reading that book... She couldn't have... But there was no other explanation.
A/N: I apologize for the long wait! Gomen! *hides form her scary reviewers* Anywho, I'm feeling inspired today, and most of my fics have been updated, so if you've read any of them, go check it out. *WinkWink* ^_^ Read and Review and Enjoy, because my muses are in overload today... Meaning if I get like 10 or so reviews, there will an update within the next week! ^_^
Chapter Seven: Home Sweet Home... Not.
"Don't! Don't come in here! You... You've done enough for me..." I yelled my voice hoarse, as I scrambled for my shirt, pulling it over my long violet locks quickly.
"I could, I suppose... But your strength will be greatly diminished!" Taitskun said, frowning thoughtfully.
"Exactly my desire..." Hotohori said smiling as he and Tamahome entered the room.
"What good is my blood to me when it's just dripping on the ground...?" Tamahome said, trying to laugh.
"Very well," The woman said, despite my disagreement. My body was pulled into a bubble of sorts, as was Tamahome and Hotohori. "Tamahome... Hotohori... I will now use my will to pass your blood into Ryuuen's wound. It will be painful but bear it." She said in a monotone.
"You guys! You don't have to do this! I'm fine!" I yelled banging on the side of my bubble. Blood was one thing... But having them go through pain... For me... That wasn't fair.... However, suddenly my body felt warm... Not a scorching burn, but more like a steady comforting warmth. It spread through my body, as their blood entered my body mingling with my own.
"That shall be enough," Taitskun said and I fell through the bubble, landing extremely ungracefully. "Put the rest of your clothes on!" Nyan Nyan said, handing me the rest of my clothing, which I quickly pulled on. When I was properly dressed, I went to see Hotohori and Tamahome...
I blushed, looking away from their shirtless bodies, recalling how easy it had been for me to mistake Hotohori for a woman. His curves were almost as feminine as mine... He truly was beautiful. "Thanks... For doing that for me... It must have been really painful," I said, still averting my eyes.
"It was nothing!" Tamahome said rolling his eyes, "You think something like that could hurt me?!" I laughed, "Tama-kins..." He made an annoyed face, "Don't call me that!" But that only succeeded in increasing my laughter.
"If you are well, I wish nothing more," Hotohori said quietly a solemn smile on his face as he looked over at me. How was it that just being near him could make my face as pink at bubble gum?!
"Now that Ryuuen's better, I'll tell you how to return to your own world. And remember priestess, you owe your life to Hotohori and Tamahome. Listen carefully, as you've stayed in this world to long. Therefore, you cannot return simply by finding an opening as you did previously. However there are two things that can connect you to the other world. The first is something that is identical here as to there. Something that can reach both worlds."
Something in both worlds... Nothing came to mind. Like we were going to find anything in my world here! "Oh... I know!" I said suddenly. "The patch Yui and me got from college!" I said, fingering the dragon emblem that signified our school... As she had one as well, that would work... right?
"It must connect with someone who owns the identical thing, or with a place related to it. The second it a strong will and a deep intensely shared feelings. I knew Yui was reading the book... I just knew she wanted me home... We were best friends weren't we?
"If circumstances were normal and all seven Celestial Warriors were present, this would be easy.... But Miaka is the only one unwounded, and the amount of spiritual energy is en-"
"We can do it!" Miaka said smiling brightly, "If Ryuu-chan wants to go home, we'll take her home! We didn't come all this way for nothing, you know!"
"Yes Miaka is right... We shall return Ryuuen to her home," Hotohori said his tone soft.
"It'll be fine, Taitskun!" Came Tamahome's response, "You have no faith in us."
"But, you must promise to return... Everyone shall be waiting for you," Hotohori sounded a bit upset... But I didn't have time to consider why, as Taitskun's voice interrupted my thoughts. "We shall commence. Concentrate your energy on Ryuuen."
I would be leaving them... It hadn't truly hit me until Hotohori had spoken. I'd grown to like them all... A lot... And after they'd risked their lives for me... How could I be leaving them like this? "You fool! Concentrate! Or else you could spend eternity in the breach between time and space!" I tensed... No matter how hard I tried I was having a difficult time concentrating...
But then I thought of Yui.. And Kourin... I was supposed to be living for her, wasn't I? And then a different kind of heat, not like the blood transfer began to fill me and I was ripped from this book world... When my eyes flickered open I was lying atop my desk at school, my English class no less. "I can't believe... I'm really home..." I whispered aloud, before scrambling off the desk.
That's when I saw Rokou running towards me, "Ryuuen! You idiot! We were worried about you!"
"I'm sorry..." I said as he locked his arms around me in a swift hug.
"Well, they'll be glad that I found you... Jeez, you know I spent two whole hours looking for you Ryuu!"
I blinked in surprise, "What did you say? ...Only... Two hours?!"
Rokou drove us back to our parents house, much to my dismay and my many protests, but Rokou had insisted that I go home my desk at school, my English class no less. "I can't believe... I'm really home..." I whispered aloud, before scrambling off the desk.
That's when I saw Rokou running towards me, "Ryuuen! You idiot! We were worried about you!"
"I'm sorry..." I said as he locked his arms around me in a swift hug.
"Well, they'll be glad that I found you... Jeez, you know I spent two whole hours looking for you Ryuu!"
I blinked in surprise, "What did you say? ...Only... Two hours?!"
Rokou drove us back to our parents house, much to my dismay and my many protests, but Rokou had insisted that I go home so my parents wouldn't worry as much. Apparently seeing me was better than the phone call, I'd wanted my older brother to give them. It was kind of ironic, he was actually playing the part of a big brother-The role I'd always taken upon myself. It was kind of comforting, although I still didn't feel any better about going home.
"I'm sorry for being so rash with you, Ryuuen. However, I was only telling you the truth. And you don't have the right to vanish!" My father said, as I fidgeted nervously on out worn couch.
"I was in some book in the library... S'not like I knew how to get out..." I mumbled under my breath, my tone sarcastic.
"Stop lying! You're merely making yourself look worse! We were just worried about you!" My mother scowled from her place beside my father.
"Mom, it's okay, at least he's alright!" Rokou said, grabbing my hand and pulling me to his room. "Spill. Why were you at school? There are better stories than the one you're using," He informed be tossing me a can of soda.
"I'm not lying," I stated firmly. "It's not like I'm asking you to believe me, Rokou," I said, before launching into my tale of events. He didn't to believe me... But I needed to share it with someone.
"Hmm... Lemme get this straight: You were at the library and you got sucked into a book, called "The Universe of the Four Gods," and if you find all seven people who make up these constellations or whatever... And then you get a wish? And because you wanted the wish you became this priestess?" He rolled his eyes, "I hate to point out the obvious, But you're a guy, Ryuuen."
I sighed, "Well they don't know that! Well Miaka does, but other than that nobody does!"
Rokou frowned, rubbing his temples obviously having a headache. "Well let's just say your account is true... Then the book is pretty dangerous! The story has to be a curse... I know books with magical spells can be attracting but the older the spell the powerful it can be. There's always a sacrifice when there's a wish...." My brother loved magical charms... In fact he was almost a walking dictionary on mythology and the like. "And you know, they'd even sacrifice young women..." He could also be really creepy. "And since they think that-"
"But Hotohori! He'd never do anything like that!" I exclaimed frowning.
"Do you even understand your own position? You're in your first year of college! Whether you're telling the truth or not, don't go near that book again. Just forget it."
It was really strange to see Rokou being the protective older brother... He didn't act like it most of the time, but it seemed he was finally taking the initiative to act like my brother. However, there was no way I'd be able to fulfill his request.
I nodded, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, before heading off to my old room... It was to late to drive back to my own apartment, and I was totally exhausted. I pulled my cell phone out from my purse, selecting Yui's number from the list of important numbers and awaiting her answer as I flopped out on my bed.
I scowled, as I got her answering machine and set the phone on my desk, "She must be asleep..." I reassured myself and then changed into s pair of old, and a bit to small-The purple cotton stopped several inches above my ankles giving me a rather weird look. I rebraided, my long locks of violet, as I did every night, in hopes of keeping it from getting matted in my sleep.
~*~
The next morning I slipped out of the house discreetly and drove to school slipping into my first class a bit late. It was great to be back at school, after what felt like months.
Mr. Hayami stood at the front of the room, his roll call book in front of him. "Chou? Ryuuen?" He called and I quickly raised my hand, proud to be here. However, Yui was not. She was rarely if ever sick... and she hadn't answered the phone last night, either.
However, I didn't have long to contemplate the possible excuses for my blonde friend's absence, as the teacher began to speak, "All right, take out your pencils, and put everything away. It's time for a pop quiz!" A scowl slipped onto my rosy lips, as I shoved my book into my bag. How convenient, it was just my luck, that we'd have a pop quiz today...
I skipped the first few questions... no big deal right? But soon I found that I didn't know the majority of the answers.... And to make matters worse, everyone else seemed to be speeding through it. I had spent months inside the book, and I hadn't studied! Not once! As I began to panic, I found myself yearning for Hotohori to be here...
And suddenly there he was, as regal as ever bending over my desk, chestnut hair pooling onto my paper. "You'll be just fine, Ryuuen. Don't worry. It'll be fine... I'm right here." I stood up, only to find my vision to be just that. An illusion.
My face was red with humiliation, as I ran out of the classroom, to embarrassed to face anyone, and yet yearning for Hotohori to be here. And that desire seemed to have to control over my legs as I was outside of the building and racing off campus. I had to see Hotohori again... But first I needed to thank Yui...If it hadn't been for her, I would have still been in the book, unable to recover. Yui's house was only a few blocks away from school, so it didn't take long to arrive. She still lived at home, and was surprisingly happy about it. It was odd, Mr. and Mrs. Hongo were standing in the doorway, both looking panicked and stressed. "Excuse me is..." I was cut short by Mrs. Hongo.
"Where's my daughter?! Ryuuen where is Yui?!"
"...What?" I blinked. Yui was supposed to be home. She hadn't gone to school... She was...
"We came home from our business trip to find her gone! We found this note," her father said brandishing a piece of notebook paper in my face. Yui's overly neat handwriting was all over it.
'Mom and Dad,
I'm out to search for Ryuuen. I'll be back as soon as I find her!
--Yui'
"She's always been such a good girl! She would never stay out all night! Where is she?!" Mrs. Hongo was reduced to sobs in her husband's arms.
"Calm down honey... It's not her fault... We'll look around and then we'll contact the police."
Yui had to have been at the library... In that room... Reading that book... She couldn't have... But there was no other explanation.