~An American Miko~
Home & Resolve
Chapter Thirty-Six
Myst opened her eyes as the bright light faded to see that they were back in the throne room on the dais, in front of the thrones. The four seishi that had stayed, rushed up the stairs, Mitsukake dropping to his knees in front of Chichiri. Hotohori's lifeless body was draped over Chichiri's bloody lap. Everyone save the new arrivals and Mitsukake had their turn to stare in shock and horror.
Mitsukake lifted his hand without hesitating and the healing green glow surrounded what now might be Hotohori's corpse. A collective breath was held until Mitsukake's face started to show the strain.
Myst saw this immediately and yelled, "Seishi! Concentrate!" All the seishi and even Hakurou, weather wounded or not did so. Even Amiboshi who looked about ready to pass out from the strain of breaking through Nakago's barrier raised his flute to his lips.
Fueled now by the energy of ten people, Myst and Hakurou included, the green light exploded and Hotohori's body arched up, sucking in an explosive breath. The light slowly faded, followed immediately by Mitsukake and Kotoku passing out.
Myst looked down at Hotohori's still gory, but almost fully healed body and saw him take another deep breath. She cried out in joy and pulled him from Chichiri's arms to hug him close to her. Joyful tears fell from her eyes as she just held him, and felt him breathing for a moment. Finally she looked up and said, "Lets get everyone off the dais so that the other injured may be treated.
So soon enough they were all moved down to the floor. Myst didn't want to let go of Hotohori yet, so she had a warm blanket brought and wrapped him in it, pillowing his head on one of her right thigh as she was looked over by the old doctor who had taken care of her when she had first arrived.
Myst winced a little as another doctor placed careful stitches him a deep gash on her left upper arm. With her other hand, Myst gently cleaned the blood off of Hotohori's healed face and neck with a clean, warm, damp cloth. She glared as she noticed that one of the bruises still left on her husbands skin was a painful looking one around his neck n the distinct shape of a chain. The old doctor finished wrapping her sprained ankle and smiled at her as he went to help with Tamahome, who by far, besides Hotohori, was hurt the worst.
Another doctor was applying liberal amounts of salve to the massive burn on Tamahome's back, while another was cleaning, stitching and bandaging a deep wound on his head, while yet another was taking care of a stab wound on his thigh.
Nuriko had a sprained wrist, some shallow cuts here and there, a busted knee that would need favoring for a while, and minor burn on one shoulder, and a sobbing older brother on the other.
Hakurou had a cut along his ribs that was being stitched and bandaged and two broken finger that were being set and splinted on his left hand.
Shunkaku had some scrapes on his face and a minor burn that still needed plenty of salve, going from his right hip, down to his knee.
After a while, Nuriko edged closer to Myst with the following doctors glaring at him for moving. He settled beside her and Hotohori and said, "Myst, I want to get those damned shackles off of Hotohori now. They looked really tight."
Myst nodded and glared the doctors into silence when they started to protest the movement of Nuriko's burned shoulder. She was still slightly in fight mode, and she was not going to take any shit from anyone.
Nuriko loosened the blanket and lifted one of Hotohori's slack arms from beneath it. The hated chain jingled a little and Nuriko gently snapped the too tight cuff from Hotohori's abused wrists. The skin beneath was still bruised and torn a little since most of Mitsukake's energy went to healing the life threatening wounds. The other wrist was the same as Nuriko broke that one too. The ankles weren't so much torn as just bruised. One of the doctor's, at Myst's request, bandaged Hotohori's wrists and ankles saying that they would need to be carefully, and fully cleansed later. There was also, noticeably something, still not quite right with his arm. It wasn't broken, but under the blood, it was bruised and horribly swollen.
Myst suspected that under all the drying blood and gore, that covering Hotohori's body would be more bruises and cuts as well, but nothing serious or too painful. He was alive, and here and safe beside her. She was very tired. They all were. It had been a very hard, long night and it was well past one in the morning. She looked up as someone touched her shoulder.
Mitsukake had woken up and was kneeling beside her and Hotohori now. He uncovered Hotohori from the waist up and began a more thorough check on him. He nodded and covered him back up.
Myst asked, "Will he be all right Mitsukake?"
The healer sighed. "Physically he'll still be sore for a few days, but will heal fine. I don't know the kind of damage that might have been done to his mind though. We will have to see when he wakes up. It also seems that he hasn't eaten since he was last with us. That'll be taken care of when he wakes as well. For now I also think that we should wait to bathe him until he awakens as well. It might do more harm to him if he happens to wake up in the water."
Myst sighed and nodded, looking back down at Hotohori's slack unconscious face. She was torn between the happiness of having him back and the grief of what had been done to him. The next time she looked up she saw that everyone had been stitched, bandaged, and splinted. "Well, good job everyone! When we are all healed, I think we'll have a celebration. Bringing the Emperor back alive and coming back alive ourselves. It couldn't have been done without everyone."
Myst remembered one more thing and raised her voice a little. "There's one more order of business that I wan to take care of right now. Hakurou! What the hell is wrong with you?! How dare you do something as stupid as you did back in Kutou?! You were to check and see if Nakago was sleeping, then regroup to form a plan. You were not, I repeat, not supposed to slip in and grab the key yourself. Your brash and foolhardy decision to disobey my direct orders in a time of uncertainty could have cost you not only your life, but the rest of ours as well!"
Hakurou lowed his head a little as he was dressed down for all to hear, seeing and knowing the truth of what she was saying. She may have been years younger than him, but she was Empress and showed her wisdom well beyond her nineteen years.
Myst went on in that same stern, angry sounding voice, that carried through the whole of the great all. "Therefore, in response to your decision to act on your own and take the risk before you in a time of need and confusion, I as Empress... offer you the position of Shogun over half the Imperial Armies of the Konan Empire. Do you accept?"
Hakurou and everyone else awake looked at her startled and the ex-bandit leader stuttered out, "Wha... what?"
Myst smiled and in a softer tone that still carried said, "It takes great knowledge, skill, and judgment to know when to act against your orders for the better of the mission, especially an uncertain one. You were correct in knowing that we would not have had another chance to get the key without detection. Had it not been for your wise judgment and split second decision, it is certain that we would not have gotten to Hotohori in time. We might even have had more casualties and deaths. Your loyalty, friendship, wisdom and skill, along with so many other things, are greatly needed and welcome in command of our armies. The choice is up to you. I don't expect an answer until we are all well rested and you have had ample time to think it through."
There was silence in the room until Hakurou said, "I will think about it Empress. Thank you."
Then there were cheers and congratulations for a few minuets until Myst stuck her fingers in her mouth and gave a piercing whistle. There was ringing silence again and she said, "Now that we have all been treated and are taken care of, I think it's time to get everyone to bed. Has the extra bed been brought into my room in the seishi's halls?" One of the servants nodded. "Good. Nuriko will sleep there as planned. Now would someone please help me get His Majesty to our temporary room?"
Then there was lots of moving and limping and leaning on others, but eventually they were all in their respective rooms and beds. Boushin's crib had been moved into Tamahome's family rooms, so the little prince was most likely already asleep, and the royal couple would have the peace that Hotohori required.
Together Myst and Nuriko got Hotohori stripped out of the shredded remains of his pants and slipped his limp form under the blankets that would have to be changed after he was bathed next. Myst limped over and tucked Nuriko lovingly into his bed after that and as soon as his head hit the pillow he was lightly snoring peacefully.
Myst limped back to her bed and brushed a snarl of filthy matted hair off of Hotohori's somewhat clean forehead. She disrobed and climbed under the blankets to lay beside him for the first time in three horrible nights. She scooted close to him, not caring that he hadn't been bathed yet, but not hugging either, in case he awakened sometime and felt trapped. She did however put her palm on his chest to feel his steady heartbeat. Silent tears slipped down her cheeks as she kissed his now warm, familiar lips gently.
Myst whispered to him, even if he couldn't hear her, "Oh dear husband. I'll never let you go again. I'll protect you with my very life and being, and I'll love you no matter what happens or what may come. I love you. Welcome home." With that, she shut her exhausted eyes and let sleep and the knowledge that they were now well protected claim her.
*****
Myst had awakened early the next morning having slept fitfully, as had Nuriko. He was now in the bathhouse soaking a knee that had swollen to twice its normal size. Myst had refused his thoughtful offer to go with him, in case Hotohori woke up and she was gone. As she sat up in bed now, watching Hotohori, she was glad that she had refused the offer.
The first sign that he showed of stirring was a deep intake of breath that he always took when waking.
Myst leaned closer to him, not touching him yet. She spoke gently. "Hotohori? Are you awake? It's me, Myst. You're home now. We got you out. You're safe."
Hotohori had yet to open his eyes, but shook his head and whimpered.
That sound and the look of fear on Hotohori's face broke her already wounded heart into pieces. Tears welled in her eyes and spilled down her cheeks. She took hold of one of her hands almost sobbing as he flinched and whimpered again at the contact. She brought his hand up to cup her cheek and her tears spilled over his hand to soak into the bandages around his wrist. She leaned down and whispered in a voice that trembled, "I love you." Then she kissed his lips, softly and tenderly, trying to put all the love she had for him into that one simple gesture.
Myst barely pulled back as his breath seemed to catch. Hotohori's eyes were now open, but staring blankly at the ceiling. The hand that Myst wasn't holding lifted, shaking badly, to join the other hand and cup her cheeks. He swallowed hard and his voice was a little hoarse as he said, "It is you." He was caught in a whirlpool of emotions, fear, sorrow, hope, anguish, but most of all a painful sort of relief that swept over everything and could be felt thick in the air. The tears welled up in his eyes as well and he choked as they spilled over.
It was his eyes that Myst stared at now. Instead of the brilliant gold that they always were, the irises were now a dull, dead, gray. The previously normal, deep, black pupils were now misty and clouded to an almost white. The worst part was that they were completely unseeing.
Myst's eye widened and she grabbed Hotohori's face between her hands, putting her face right over his, her loose hair brushing his face a little. Her voice was strained as she spoke and his hands had moved from her cheeks to lightly take hold of her wrists, but not moving or grabbing them. "Hotohori? Hotohori what can you see? Can you see me?!" She already knew the answer, even before he shook his head. Hotohori's tears came faster now and she asked, "Can you see anything?"
He shook his head again and said, "Nothing."
Myst's expression fell as Hotohori's did and she pulled him up a little and hugged him to her as tight as she could, and together they cried. The cried and cried until they couldn't cry anymore, then after that, they just clung to each other.
Hotohori was still filthy, with mostly dried blood, and some other things that linger in dungeons, so after a few minutes, Myst sat up and pushed a lock of filthy, blood-matted hair out of his face. She tried to put a small smile behind her words as she said, "You're a mess, peacock. How would you like a bath? Something to eat? Then we can have Mitsukake look you over again."
Hotohori nodded, seeming a little more collected, and Myst went on. "Now, I can get someone to carry you, or you can try your hand at walking. I'll guide you."
Hotohori sat up and said, "I'd like to walk. Na... Nakago... he thought that blinding me would be the thing that would break me." His face took on his old determined look, even if it didn't reach to his eyes, and Myst felt her mending heart soar. "I won't let him! I won't let him break me! I'll learn to live just as well like this, and he will have failed! That is..." His still beautiful face grew uncertain and he turned his head in her direction. "That is, if you still want to stand by the side of a blind man. A man who can no longer look upon your beauty. I need you more than ever now. The thought of you and my son are the only things that kept me alive in there. I can't do it without you."
Myst wrapped her arms around him in less than a heartbeat. "Oh Love! I don't see a blind man and I don't care about my beauty. I see my husband. The man I married for love and life. I'll never leave you no matter what! We'll learn to live with this together if Mitsukake can't fix it." Halfway through that she had gotten up to fetch one of his cloth robes from the wardrobe that had been brought to the room while the other was being fixed.
Hotohori, who sat, naked and filthy, on the edge of the bed, said, "He won't be able to fix it. Nakago said it was permanent. He did many, many things to me while I was in his shackles, but he never once lied to me. Plus, it is obvious from my current state that Mitsukake has already healed me as much as he can. I'm still very sore."
Myst sighed as she helped Hotohori pull the robe on. "Well, we'll still have him take a look at you, okay?" With that, she helped him stand.
He was weaker than he had though and stumbled for a moment, reaching out to steady himself instinctively. Unfortunately he grabbed hold of Myst's arm right where her stitched were.
Myst gasped and gave a cry of pain but didn't grab his wrist, or push him away, settling for her own pain over the option of letting him fall.
Hotohori steadied himself almost instantly and his blind eyes widened, his face taking on a worried look. He let go of her hurriedly, and then traced the bandage on his arm, covering the stitches, with gentle fingers. His voice was a mere whisper as he stared strait ahead. "What happened?"
Myst gently took his hand away from her arm and kissed his palm. "Most of us have mostly small injuries like this. I have a sprained ankle too, and I'm not close to being the worst off. You are so important to everyone here. We all love you so much, and we damn sure were not going to let them keep you without a fight! A hell of a fight it was too and we'd all do it again without a thought! We almost didn't make it. You... you'd stopped breathing when... when we... found you." Her voice cracked and she closed her eyes against the sting of tears.
Hotohori reached out and felt along her shoulder to cup her cheek.
Myst burst out crying and threw herself against him, hugging him hard and burying her face against his collarbone. She cried and sobbed harder as his familiar warm arms wrapped around her. They didn't have the strength in them yet, but they were his and that's what mattered. "I almost lost you! You were hurt so badly, worse than I could have ever imagined! There was so much blood and they... they just left you hanging there! How could anyone even thing of doing something like that to someone as sweet, kind, gentle, protecting, and loving as you?! How could anyone hurt anyone like that?!"
Myst looked up at him to make her next point, even if he couldn't see it. "I'll never let anyone touch you again! I'll die first! And Hotohori, listen to me closely, No matter what they did to you, or even if you had ended up scarred irreparably, or even if you had no longer look human, if you couldn't ever speak to me again, or touch me, or feel me touch you, if you couldn't ever hear me again, I'd love you forever. I'd love you and only you. I couldn't love another. You are my all, my everything, and I will always need you, no matter or condition you are in. My love will never end. As long as you are here with me and alive, blind or not, I, love, you. Always, unconditionally, forever. Forever! I will never love you less. Only more and more. Even if one or both of us dies, you hold my whole heart, through time and through space."
Hotohori was crying again as her words finally, fully sank into him, mending his heart and killing his greatest fear for good. He pulled his wife to him fiercely as small sobs shook him and he whispered into his hair, "I am home. Finally, finally I am home."
**********
AN: Well... I hope that partially makes up for those three or four chapters of tear jerking gut wrenching angst and gore. Trust me... I have not even BEGUN to make up for it. BTW, to the one who specifically asked for that little bit of torture... to you I say, "ENJOY IT! It will never... happen... again! Never! You know who you are! BTW, Also, I LOVE my readers! ALL of them! I write this stuff for you guys!!!! I want all of you to be able to read it and enjoy it, so, Kitty Lyn; I had no problems putting the symbols in there! You after all, are my first ever reviewer and you've kept with me the whole time! That means so much to me!!! Jamie, my ever wonderful Jamie, you too! I've enjoyed talking with you in e-mails; you've encouraged me a lot! Frenchie, you too! You've been one of the every-timers too! Even with the pain to poor Hoto-chan! You two Missy! I always look out for your reviews! And don't worry you guys!!! I don't mind if I don't see reviews from you guys for a few days! Everyone has schedules and lives of their own! Thank you all so much!!! Please tell me what you like and don't like okay, like I said; I'm a fool for specifics! But if you don't give them to me that's fine too!! All you other out there, the same goes for you too ne?! I love hearing from everyone!! Well, I've ranted on long enough! ARIGATOU NA NO DA!!!!!!!!!!
~Celesta Hellewise Harman
Myst opened her eyes as the bright light faded to see that they were back in the throne room on the dais, in front of the thrones. The four seishi that had stayed, rushed up the stairs, Mitsukake dropping to his knees in front of Chichiri. Hotohori's lifeless body was draped over Chichiri's bloody lap. Everyone save the new arrivals and Mitsukake had their turn to stare in shock and horror.
Mitsukake lifted his hand without hesitating and the healing green glow surrounded what now might be Hotohori's corpse. A collective breath was held until Mitsukake's face started to show the strain.
Myst saw this immediately and yelled, "Seishi! Concentrate!" All the seishi and even Hakurou, weather wounded or not did so. Even Amiboshi who looked about ready to pass out from the strain of breaking through Nakago's barrier raised his flute to his lips.
Fueled now by the energy of ten people, Myst and Hakurou included, the green light exploded and Hotohori's body arched up, sucking in an explosive breath. The light slowly faded, followed immediately by Mitsukake and Kotoku passing out.
Myst looked down at Hotohori's still gory, but almost fully healed body and saw him take another deep breath. She cried out in joy and pulled him from Chichiri's arms to hug him close to her. Joyful tears fell from her eyes as she just held him, and felt him breathing for a moment. Finally she looked up and said, "Lets get everyone off the dais so that the other injured may be treated.
So soon enough they were all moved down to the floor. Myst didn't want to let go of Hotohori yet, so she had a warm blanket brought and wrapped him in it, pillowing his head on one of her right thigh as she was looked over by the old doctor who had taken care of her when she had first arrived.
Myst winced a little as another doctor placed careful stitches him a deep gash on her left upper arm. With her other hand, Myst gently cleaned the blood off of Hotohori's healed face and neck with a clean, warm, damp cloth. She glared as she noticed that one of the bruises still left on her husbands skin was a painful looking one around his neck n the distinct shape of a chain. The old doctor finished wrapping her sprained ankle and smiled at her as he went to help with Tamahome, who by far, besides Hotohori, was hurt the worst.
Another doctor was applying liberal amounts of salve to the massive burn on Tamahome's back, while another was cleaning, stitching and bandaging a deep wound on his head, while yet another was taking care of a stab wound on his thigh.
Nuriko had a sprained wrist, some shallow cuts here and there, a busted knee that would need favoring for a while, and minor burn on one shoulder, and a sobbing older brother on the other.
Hakurou had a cut along his ribs that was being stitched and bandaged and two broken finger that were being set and splinted on his left hand.
Shunkaku had some scrapes on his face and a minor burn that still needed plenty of salve, going from his right hip, down to his knee.
After a while, Nuriko edged closer to Myst with the following doctors glaring at him for moving. He settled beside her and Hotohori and said, "Myst, I want to get those damned shackles off of Hotohori now. They looked really tight."
Myst nodded and glared the doctors into silence when they started to protest the movement of Nuriko's burned shoulder. She was still slightly in fight mode, and she was not going to take any shit from anyone.
Nuriko loosened the blanket and lifted one of Hotohori's slack arms from beneath it. The hated chain jingled a little and Nuriko gently snapped the too tight cuff from Hotohori's abused wrists. The skin beneath was still bruised and torn a little since most of Mitsukake's energy went to healing the life threatening wounds. The other wrist was the same as Nuriko broke that one too. The ankles weren't so much torn as just bruised. One of the doctor's, at Myst's request, bandaged Hotohori's wrists and ankles saying that they would need to be carefully, and fully cleansed later. There was also, noticeably something, still not quite right with his arm. It wasn't broken, but under the blood, it was bruised and horribly swollen.
Myst suspected that under all the drying blood and gore, that covering Hotohori's body would be more bruises and cuts as well, but nothing serious or too painful. He was alive, and here and safe beside her. She was very tired. They all were. It had been a very hard, long night and it was well past one in the morning. She looked up as someone touched her shoulder.
Mitsukake had woken up and was kneeling beside her and Hotohori now. He uncovered Hotohori from the waist up and began a more thorough check on him. He nodded and covered him back up.
Myst asked, "Will he be all right Mitsukake?"
The healer sighed. "Physically he'll still be sore for a few days, but will heal fine. I don't know the kind of damage that might have been done to his mind though. We will have to see when he wakes up. It also seems that he hasn't eaten since he was last with us. That'll be taken care of when he wakes as well. For now I also think that we should wait to bathe him until he awakens as well. It might do more harm to him if he happens to wake up in the water."
Myst sighed and nodded, looking back down at Hotohori's slack unconscious face. She was torn between the happiness of having him back and the grief of what had been done to him. The next time she looked up she saw that everyone had been stitched, bandaged, and splinted. "Well, good job everyone! When we are all healed, I think we'll have a celebration. Bringing the Emperor back alive and coming back alive ourselves. It couldn't have been done without everyone."
Myst remembered one more thing and raised her voice a little. "There's one more order of business that I wan to take care of right now. Hakurou! What the hell is wrong with you?! How dare you do something as stupid as you did back in Kutou?! You were to check and see if Nakago was sleeping, then regroup to form a plan. You were not, I repeat, not supposed to slip in and grab the key yourself. Your brash and foolhardy decision to disobey my direct orders in a time of uncertainty could have cost you not only your life, but the rest of ours as well!"
Hakurou lowed his head a little as he was dressed down for all to hear, seeing and knowing the truth of what she was saying. She may have been years younger than him, but she was Empress and showed her wisdom well beyond her nineteen years.
Myst went on in that same stern, angry sounding voice, that carried through the whole of the great all. "Therefore, in response to your decision to act on your own and take the risk before you in a time of need and confusion, I as Empress... offer you the position of Shogun over half the Imperial Armies of the Konan Empire. Do you accept?"
Hakurou and everyone else awake looked at her startled and the ex-bandit leader stuttered out, "Wha... what?"
Myst smiled and in a softer tone that still carried said, "It takes great knowledge, skill, and judgment to know when to act against your orders for the better of the mission, especially an uncertain one. You were correct in knowing that we would not have had another chance to get the key without detection. Had it not been for your wise judgment and split second decision, it is certain that we would not have gotten to Hotohori in time. We might even have had more casualties and deaths. Your loyalty, friendship, wisdom and skill, along with so many other things, are greatly needed and welcome in command of our armies. The choice is up to you. I don't expect an answer until we are all well rested and you have had ample time to think it through."
There was silence in the room until Hakurou said, "I will think about it Empress. Thank you."
Then there were cheers and congratulations for a few minuets until Myst stuck her fingers in her mouth and gave a piercing whistle. There was ringing silence again and she said, "Now that we have all been treated and are taken care of, I think it's time to get everyone to bed. Has the extra bed been brought into my room in the seishi's halls?" One of the servants nodded. "Good. Nuriko will sleep there as planned. Now would someone please help me get His Majesty to our temporary room?"
Then there was lots of moving and limping and leaning on others, but eventually they were all in their respective rooms and beds. Boushin's crib had been moved into Tamahome's family rooms, so the little prince was most likely already asleep, and the royal couple would have the peace that Hotohori required.
Together Myst and Nuriko got Hotohori stripped out of the shredded remains of his pants and slipped his limp form under the blankets that would have to be changed after he was bathed next. Myst limped over and tucked Nuriko lovingly into his bed after that and as soon as his head hit the pillow he was lightly snoring peacefully.
Myst limped back to her bed and brushed a snarl of filthy matted hair off of Hotohori's somewhat clean forehead. She disrobed and climbed under the blankets to lay beside him for the first time in three horrible nights. She scooted close to him, not caring that he hadn't been bathed yet, but not hugging either, in case he awakened sometime and felt trapped. She did however put her palm on his chest to feel his steady heartbeat. Silent tears slipped down her cheeks as she kissed his now warm, familiar lips gently.
Myst whispered to him, even if he couldn't hear her, "Oh dear husband. I'll never let you go again. I'll protect you with my very life and being, and I'll love you no matter what happens or what may come. I love you. Welcome home." With that, she shut her exhausted eyes and let sleep and the knowledge that they were now well protected claim her.
*****
Myst had awakened early the next morning having slept fitfully, as had Nuriko. He was now in the bathhouse soaking a knee that had swollen to twice its normal size. Myst had refused his thoughtful offer to go with him, in case Hotohori woke up and she was gone. As she sat up in bed now, watching Hotohori, she was glad that she had refused the offer.
The first sign that he showed of stirring was a deep intake of breath that he always took when waking.
Myst leaned closer to him, not touching him yet. She spoke gently. "Hotohori? Are you awake? It's me, Myst. You're home now. We got you out. You're safe."
Hotohori had yet to open his eyes, but shook his head and whimpered.
That sound and the look of fear on Hotohori's face broke her already wounded heart into pieces. Tears welled in her eyes and spilled down her cheeks. She took hold of one of her hands almost sobbing as he flinched and whimpered again at the contact. She brought his hand up to cup her cheek and her tears spilled over his hand to soak into the bandages around his wrist. She leaned down and whispered in a voice that trembled, "I love you." Then she kissed his lips, softly and tenderly, trying to put all the love she had for him into that one simple gesture.
Myst barely pulled back as his breath seemed to catch. Hotohori's eyes were now open, but staring blankly at the ceiling. The hand that Myst wasn't holding lifted, shaking badly, to join the other hand and cup her cheeks. He swallowed hard and his voice was a little hoarse as he said, "It is you." He was caught in a whirlpool of emotions, fear, sorrow, hope, anguish, but most of all a painful sort of relief that swept over everything and could be felt thick in the air. The tears welled up in his eyes as well and he choked as they spilled over.
It was his eyes that Myst stared at now. Instead of the brilliant gold that they always were, the irises were now a dull, dead, gray. The previously normal, deep, black pupils were now misty and clouded to an almost white. The worst part was that they were completely unseeing.
Myst's eye widened and she grabbed Hotohori's face between her hands, putting her face right over his, her loose hair brushing his face a little. Her voice was strained as she spoke and his hands had moved from her cheeks to lightly take hold of her wrists, but not moving or grabbing them. "Hotohori? Hotohori what can you see? Can you see me?!" She already knew the answer, even before he shook his head. Hotohori's tears came faster now and she asked, "Can you see anything?"
He shook his head again and said, "Nothing."
Myst's expression fell as Hotohori's did and she pulled him up a little and hugged him to her as tight as she could, and together they cried. The cried and cried until they couldn't cry anymore, then after that, they just clung to each other.
Hotohori was still filthy, with mostly dried blood, and some other things that linger in dungeons, so after a few minutes, Myst sat up and pushed a lock of filthy, blood-matted hair out of his face. She tried to put a small smile behind her words as she said, "You're a mess, peacock. How would you like a bath? Something to eat? Then we can have Mitsukake look you over again."
Hotohori nodded, seeming a little more collected, and Myst went on. "Now, I can get someone to carry you, or you can try your hand at walking. I'll guide you."
Hotohori sat up and said, "I'd like to walk. Na... Nakago... he thought that blinding me would be the thing that would break me." His face took on his old determined look, even if it didn't reach to his eyes, and Myst felt her mending heart soar. "I won't let him! I won't let him break me! I'll learn to live just as well like this, and he will have failed! That is..." His still beautiful face grew uncertain and he turned his head in her direction. "That is, if you still want to stand by the side of a blind man. A man who can no longer look upon your beauty. I need you more than ever now. The thought of you and my son are the only things that kept me alive in there. I can't do it without you."
Myst wrapped her arms around him in less than a heartbeat. "Oh Love! I don't see a blind man and I don't care about my beauty. I see my husband. The man I married for love and life. I'll never leave you no matter what! We'll learn to live with this together if Mitsukake can't fix it." Halfway through that she had gotten up to fetch one of his cloth robes from the wardrobe that had been brought to the room while the other was being fixed.
Hotohori, who sat, naked and filthy, on the edge of the bed, said, "He won't be able to fix it. Nakago said it was permanent. He did many, many things to me while I was in his shackles, but he never once lied to me. Plus, it is obvious from my current state that Mitsukake has already healed me as much as he can. I'm still very sore."
Myst sighed as she helped Hotohori pull the robe on. "Well, we'll still have him take a look at you, okay?" With that, she helped him stand.
He was weaker than he had though and stumbled for a moment, reaching out to steady himself instinctively. Unfortunately he grabbed hold of Myst's arm right where her stitched were.
Myst gasped and gave a cry of pain but didn't grab his wrist, or push him away, settling for her own pain over the option of letting him fall.
Hotohori steadied himself almost instantly and his blind eyes widened, his face taking on a worried look. He let go of her hurriedly, and then traced the bandage on his arm, covering the stitches, with gentle fingers. His voice was a mere whisper as he stared strait ahead. "What happened?"
Myst gently took his hand away from her arm and kissed his palm. "Most of us have mostly small injuries like this. I have a sprained ankle too, and I'm not close to being the worst off. You are so important to everyone here. We all love you so much, and we damn sure were not going to let them keep you without a fight! A hell of a fight it was too and we'd all do it again without a thought! We almost didn't make it. You... you'd stopped breathing when... when we... found you." Her voice cracked and she closed her eyes against the sting of tears.
Hotohori reached out and felt along her shoulder to cup her cheek.
Myst burst out crying and threw herself against him, hugging him hard and burying her face against his collarbone. She cried and sobbed harder as his familiar warm arms wrapped around her. They didn't have the strength in them yet, but they were his and that's what mattered. "I almost lost you! You were hurt so badly, worse than I could have ever imagined! There was so much blood and they... they just left you hanging there! How could anyone even thing of doing something like that to someone as sweet, kind, gentle, protecting, and loving as you?! How could anyone hurt anyone like that?!"
Myst looked up at him to make her next point, even if he couldn't see it. "I'll never let anyone touch you again! I'll die first! And Hotohori, listen to me closely, No matter what they did to you, or even if you had ended up scarred irreparably, or even if you had no longer look human, if you couldn't ever speak to me again, or touch me, or feel me touch you, if you couldn't ever hear me again, I'd love you forever. I'd love you and only you. I couldn't love another. You are my all, my everything, and I will always need you, no matter or condition you are in. My love will never end. As long as you are here with me and alive, blind or not, I, love, you. Always, unconditionally, forever. Forever! I will never love you less. Only more and more. Even if one or both of us dies, you hold my whole heart, through time and through space."
Hotohori was crying again as her words finally, fully sank into him, mending his heart and killing his greatest fear for good. He pulled his wife to him fiercely as small sobs shook him and he whispered into his hair, "I am home. Finally, finally I am home."
**********
AN: Well... I hope that partially makes up for those three or four chapters of tear jerking gut wrenching angst and gore. Trust me... I have not even BEGUN to make up for it. BTW, to the one who specifically asked for that little bit of torture... to you I say, "ENJOY IT! It will never... happen... again! Never! You know who you are! BTW, Also, I LOVE my readers! ALL of them! I write this stuff for you guys!!!! I want all of you to be able to read it and enjoy it, so, Kitty Lyn; I had no problems putting the symbols in there! You after all, are my first ever reviewer and you've kept with me the whole time! That means so much to me!!! Jamie, my ever wonderful Jamie, you too! I've enjoyed talking with you in e-mails; you've encouraged me a lot! Frenchie, you too! You've been one of the every-timers too! Even with the pain to poor Hoto-chan! You two Missy! I always look out for your reviews! And don't worry you guys!!! I don't mind if I don't see reviews from you guys for a few days! Everyone has schedules and lives of their own! Thank you all so much!!! Please tell me what you like and don't like okay, like I said; I'm a fool for specifics! But if you don't give them to me that's fine too!! All you other out there, the same goes for you too ne?! I love hearing from everyone!! Well, I've ranted on long enough! ARIGATOU NA NO DA!!!!!!!!!!
~Celesta Hellewise Harman