Disclaimer-No, I don't own Fushigi Yuugi. If I did, Hotohori would be with
Miaka. ^-^!
A Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction
"The Adventures of The Priestess of Byakko"
By Mistress Fire-Hazard ^-^!
Chapter One- Holy Light
The crisp morning wind stung Suzuno's eyes and throat. She still wasn't used to how cold her new home was. She tightened her loosened scarf around her neck and walked on. As the autumn leaves fell and crunched beneath her feet, Suzuno thought about the reason her family moved here and why she was walking to the temple. Her family moved there because of her father's business and she was walking to the temple to make offerings on behalf of her upcoming marriage. Her parents, thinking for Suzuno's future, had arranged a marriage for her to a wealthy family of her mother's acquaintance.
Suzuno had never met the man she was supposed to marry, but her parents wanted her to go to the temple to make offerings on his behalf. She was to wish for a safe and prospective future, many sons, and happiness for him.
Suzuno went out of a sense of duty, yet she yearned to be free. Not to be tied down or restrained. She felt in her heart that she was "The nail that stays up". She was different. On the outside, she thought she looked a little plain. She wore the same pigtails she had worn since her hair was long enough to braid. This made her look shorter than she was. And since she was in a new school, she hadn't made many friends yet. She preferred to read quietly at her desk, while other girls gossiped and giggled. Sometimes she was shamed by her mother about having a small chest and being a bit too skinny.
"But with marriage and children, even you will gain weight!" her mother told her when Suzuno looked in the mirror. Suzuno always had an urge to punch her mother when she said that. And during all of this, Suzuno began to wonder what it would be like to have a boyfriend. She had never had one, but she heard what dates were like. You went to movies, restaurants, nickelodeons, stores, and long walks with the boy you liked.
Suzuno sighed and blushed. Then she looked up and found the temple. "Well, let's go Suzuno," she said quietly and headed toward the temple.
When she reached the entrance she called for someone. No one answered her. She looked around, forgetting to remove her shoes in the open hallway and stepped inside. Again she called. No answer.
"Aren't there supposed to be people here? Someone to take care of visitors?" Suzuno thought as she wandered around. She hated to just wander through, unsupervised, but she didn't have much time before she had to head home. And yet, she felt a thrill. Like a naughty child wandering through a stranger's house. Then she heard it.
A low growl coming from the room next to her. Like a big animal was in the room. When she turned her head to look, she saw the silhouette of a big cat against the paper screen door. Suzuno shook her head, not wanting to believe it. When she looked again, it was gone. Her curiosity now roused, she opened the door.
Nothing. It was a prayer room. And on a pedestal with burning incense and flowers, was a book. When Suzuno took a closer look, she saw that it looked quite old, like it might fall apart if someone touched it. The cover of the book read,"The Universe of the Four Gods. Japanese Translation by Einosuke Okuda."
"Hmm. Sounds like an interesting read," Suzuno thought. And a sudden urge overtook her. Without knowing what she was doing, she saw her hand reach for the book, take it off of the pedestal and open it.
For as old as it looked, it was in remarkable shape. Thinking the damage had been done, Suzuno sat down and began to read.
'Herein contains the tale of a young lady and her quest to gather the seven Constellations of Byakko together. And if you, the esteemed reader, should read to the story's end, the spell contained within this book shall bestow upon you the powers of the heroine, and grant you your wish. For indeed the moment the page is turned, the story will become reality.'
"Really?" Suzuno sniffed. "I get a wish if I read to the end? Sounds pretty good. I wonder what or who Byakko is? Well, let's read and find out."
As Suzuno turned the page, a strange yellow light surrounded her. "Wha-" she whispered before she fell and fell and fell. For how long she didn't know. The book fell open on the floor and the yellow light disappeared. But Suzuno was gone.
"Hello? Is someone in here?" A man wearing traditional robes looked into the room. "Hmm. Must be hearing things." Then he saw the book on the floor. "What?" He picked the book up, closed it and set it back on the pedestal. "There. Back to work." And the man slid the door of the room shut.
*---*
Suzuno awoke to the sound of running water. Her eyes fluttered open and she sat up. It was sunny and warm. She was sitting on a grass mound near a creek. She shielded her eyes from the sun and looked around her.
"Wh-where am I?" she thought. "What happened to me? I was reading that book in the temple, then... maybe I fell asleep? I thought I saw yellow light and I fell."
Suzuno stood up and brushed herself off. "Well, if I'm dreaming then no harm in my exploring for a bit. It sure feels like I'm awake. Strange." When Suzuno turned her back to the creek, she saw a small village in the distance beyond some trees. "That looks good," she thought and headed toward it.
When Suzuno reached the village, she saw children running and playing, people working in their yards. Suzuno felt envy of the way these people lived. So simple and uncompromising. This was a good dream so far.
"Papa! Papa!" Suzuno heard a little boy yell. "He's coming! Tatara is coming!"
"Good boy," a man's voice replied. "The good monk sent you ahead to tell me. Hopefully, he will know what to do."
"Good day, Lord Monk," Suzuno heard a woman behind her say. She turned to see an old woman with bags smile at a tall, handsome man who nodded his head back.
Suzuno was awstruck. She had never seen such a beautiful man in her life. He had long, brown bangs which hung in front of his face, hiding one of his eyes. The rest of his hair was pulled into a long ponytail, which rested on his chest. He wore simple robes, befitting a monk and prayer beads around his neck. He looked young too, a little older than Suzuno. She found herself wondering why such a handsome young man was a monk. And how such beautiful men were rarely to be seen. "Only dreams can come up with guys like him," she thought as she stared at him.
He passed her by and glanced at her. As he passed, he turned his head to look back at her, then stepped into a yard. Suzuno felt herself blush.
"Wow," she thought and she peeked into the yard to find out what was going on.
"As you can see, it's hopeless. I have done all I can, but nothing helps. The soil is good. I have not overwatered. But as you can see, I need your power to help," said the man Suzuno had heard earlier. His son was hanging onto the monk's leg and looking up at him as the monk examined the garden. The monk knelt down and put his hand over the dirt. He drew a sharp intake of breathe.
"Chuling, go to your father. You must go into the house. Whatever you hear, do not look outside. Do you understand?" The monk told the man and boy.
"Y-yes of course, but-" the man stuttered.
"I will explain when I am finished. Now go," the monk commanded.
The man and the boy went into the house, leaving the monk alone in their garden. Suzuno still peeked in the doorway to watch.
The monk spread both of his hands at the ground and Suzuno watched in amazement as soft yellow light came from his hands and tiny vines grew toward the ground. As they got closer, they grew thicker and small thorns sprouted. All at once, the vines thrust into the ground and Suzuno felt the ground shake beneath her feet.
"What's happening?" she thought.
"Come out!!" The monk cried. And the vines uprooted a gnarled and twisted tree root. Then the tree root's eyes opened and it became a huge snarling wolf.
Suzuno screamed out of fright. At her cry, the monk and the wolf looked at her. The wolf bared it's teeth and lunged at her, cutting through the vines. Suzuno screamed again and covered her face with her arms, hoping she would wake up soon. Then she was knocked down and she heard snarling a few feet away from her. Suzuno opened her eyes.
It was not the wolf that had knocked her down, it was the monk. He was still lying on Suzuno, shielding her body. He looked down at her.
"Are you all right?" he asked.
Suzuno blushed and nodded a little. "I'm fine."
Then the wolf snarled and the monk turned to look at it. The wolf lunged and vines quickly grew from the monk's hands and pierced the wolf. It howled in pain and then fell limp.
"W-what was that?" Suzuno asked.
"A badger spirit," the monk replied. He rose from the ground and Suzuno and retracted the vines. "You can see, this wolf has a badger's tail."
Suzuno got up and watched the wolf shrink into a badger.
"Are you a foreigner, young lady?"
Suzuno looked up to see the monk staring at her. "Huh?"
"I have never seen clothes like those you wear. And I have never seen you here before."
"Uh, yeah. I am a foreigner. I'm just visiting. I was passing through."
"Tatara! Tatara!" Chuling ran out of the house and hugged the monk's leg.
"I'm all right, Chuling. Tell your father he can come out now."
"Okay," Chuling started to go back inside, but stopped to look at Suzuno. "Who are you?"
"I'm Suzuno Oosugi."
"I'm Chuling. Are you Tatara's wife?"
Suzuno blushed. "N-no."
"Ha, ha, ha!" Tatara laughed. "No, Chuling. Monks don't have wives. Now go tell your father."
"Okay." And Chuling ran back inside.
"What a cute little boy," Suzuno giggled. She looked back to see Tatara looking sober and sad. "Are you all right?"
Tatara blinked. "Yes." He headed into the house. Suzuno watched him go. Then Chuling ran out and grabbed her hand. "Hey lady! Come in and have some tea with us."
Suzuno smiled. "Okay. I have nothing better to do."
*---*
Next, Suzuno found herself at a rough wooden table, drinking tea next to the monk. Chuling seemed to really like her, and his father and the monk were curious about her.
"So where do you come from, Lady Oosugi?" Jinwou, Chuling's father asked.
"Oh, you don't have to call me that. Just Suzuno will do."
"She's like Tatara. He doesn't like being called Lord Monk," Chuling said, squeezing inbetween Suzuno and Tatara.
"I am not a lord, so that title doesn't exactly fit."
"But no one I have ever heard of has the skill you have with making things grow, Tatara. That skill deserves respect and title." Jinwou insisted.
"You are very lucky, Jinwou. It was only a badger spirit that took up residence in your garden. But it is dead and your garden should grow well now," Tatara explained, changing the subject.
Jinwou sighed. "I hope so. Poor Chuling," he said as Chuling ran out the door. "He is all I have in the world and yet I am a terrible father. I cannot even provide enough food for him. Since the garden started to die, I haven't been able to sell my usual supply of vegetables and rice. And even with the badger gone, it will take a few months until anything is ripe enough to sell."
"I will do what I can to help you. Let me try now," Tatara told Jinwou in a reassuring voice. He rose from the table and walked outside. Jinwou and Suzuno followed him.
Chuling grew excited at seeing Tatara's magic. The yellow light grew from his hands and plants began to sprout and grow a little. But Suzuno was not looking at Tatara's magic.
She was looking back at Jinwou and Chuling. She felt sorry for them, that they should have to starve, waiting for the plants to grow. Suzuno closed her eyes and fervently wished that the plants would grow faster.
As Suzuno prayed, the light from Tatara's hands grew stronger and the plants grew rapidly. Tatara watched in amazement as his power grew stronger and made the plants grow to full size and bear ripe vegetables and grains.
"Ah!" Chuling cried out in wonder. Jinwou too was awestruck at the sight. Then he felt Chuling tug on his sleeve."Daddy! Daddy! Look at Suzuno!" he cried.
Jinwou, Chuling, and Tatara stared at Suzuno. She stood with her eyes closed and hands clasped together in prayer as soft yellow light enveloped her.
"Byakko no Miko!" a voice cried.
As Suzuno opened her eyes, the light faded and vanished. She looked around to see that the cry had come from an old woman.
"Mother!" a young woman cried, running up to the old woman. "Don't run off like that and don't bother strangers."
"Byakko no Miko!" The old woman cried, pointing at Suzuno. "Did not you see, my daughter? The holy light of Byakko came from this girl! She is the priestess of legend! She is the Priestess of Byakko!"
"I'm so sorry to bother you," the young woman bowed to Suzuno. "Please forgive my mother. She is not well. Come mother, let's go home."
But the old woman refused to go. She looked around and saw Tatara. "You! Monk! You must protect this girl! You have that power and are named after the constellation, are you not? Yes, you are a celestial warrior of Byakko and must protect the priestess. She is here at last!" She looked back at Suzuno and took her hands. "I never thought I would live to see you, Priestess of Byakko. But finally you have come. You must go to the capital, my dear. You must tell the Emperor who you are. He will help you to find the other warriors."
"Mother! Please let her go! I'm so sorry!" The young woman tugged and pulled the old woman away from Suzuno.
"Do not forget! Go to the capital and summon Byakko!" The old woman cried as her daughter dragged her away.
"Priestess of Byakko? Celestial warriors?" Suzuno thought. "What was she talking about? Byakko...That was a name from the book! And she called Tatara a constellation. But, this feels too real to be a dream! Could I... Could I actually be inside the book?!"
Suzuno looked fearfully at Tatara and the others. Tatara stared back at Suzuno. Chuling almost seemed scared and amazed at once. Jinwou looked like he would cry.
"Are you really a priestess, Suzuno?" Chuling asked, excitedly.
"I don't know what she was talking about! I'm just an ordinary school girl!" Suzuno said, panicking.
"My eyes did not deceive me. A light like that of Tatara's surrounded you, Lady Suzuno," Jinwou told her, smiling.
"And I felt my power grow stronger. How did you do that?" Tatara asked.
"I...," Suzuno looked down. "I was just praying that the plants would grow faster, so that you and Chuling wouldn't go hungry."
"Byakko must have heard your prayers and bestowed his power onto Tatara," Jinwou said in deep thought.
"Byakko must have used you as a medium for that purpose," Tatara thought aloud.
"Thank you so much, Priestess!" Jinwou cried, kneeling at Suzuno's feet. "You and Tatara have saved Chuling and I! I must thank you somehow! Chuling! We will gather some food and prepare a feast for the Priestess and Lord Tatara!"
"Thank you, Suzuno! Thank you!" Chuling hugged Suzuno's legs and ran off to fetch harvesting tools.
"B-but I don't think I'm a priestess or anything-" Suzuno began to object as Jinwou and Chuling began to harvest food. Then she felt a hand come down on her shoulder. She looked up to see Tatara smiling at her.
"You don't need to be a priestess, Suzuno. Just be yourself. They are happy as they are, don't you see? Why spoil that happiness?" Tatara told her gently.
Suzuno watched Chuling and Jinwou and understood. She blushed and nodded. "I sure hope I'm not dreaming."
"Hmm? I thought you said you were a traveler," Tatara inquired.
"Ah! Ah, I mean-" Suzuno tried to think of an excuse or good little white lie to tell Tatara. He saw through her at once.
"Well, never mind that for now. Why don't we help Jinwou and Chuling, hmm?" Tatara said, smiling.
Suzuno smiled and nodded back, happy that he wasn't prying.
*---*
During a simple, yet delicious feast of vegetarian dishes, Jinwou and Tatara explained to Suzuno about the Legend of the Priestess.
"That was Lady Lijun. She tells stories to children including the story of the Priestess of Byakko."
"Um. If you don't mind my asking, just what is Byakko?"
Jinwou, Tatara, and Chuling all looked at Suzuno with surprise. Then Tatara explained. "Maybe you haven't heard since you are a foreigner. But Byakko is our sovereign god. In this region there are four countries and each country has it's own beast god. Ours is the god Byakko, the white tiger."
Suzuno shook, remembering the silhouette of the huge cat and the growl in the temple. "And what is the Priestess of Byakko?"
"Lady Lijun always tells that story. Everyone in this village has heard it at least once. As she tells it, there is a legend about a girl who comes from a different world than ours. This girl is destined to become the Priestess of Byakko and find the Seven Celestial Warriors of Byakko, all of whom have special talents or powers granted to them. The warriors are said to be named after the seven constellations in our heavens."
"And Tatara is one of them!" Chuling burst out. "Lady Lijun told him so when Tatara first came here."
Tatara smiled. "Yes. I was travelling through this area and asked for directions to a temple nearby. A pack of wild dogs had been terrorizing the village and I managed to stop them with my power. Lady Lijun saw me and this." Tatara revealed the back of his hand, which had a yellow character faintly glowing there. "The character means lasso. Lady Lijun branded me a Celestial Warrior of Byakko on the spot. And since I was named after the constellation, she was sure of it. But I had my duties to Buddha. So I left and sought the temple nearby where I now live. But whenever there is an emergency where my help is needed, I arrive as soon as I can."
"Amazing!" Suzuno marvelled. "So what she was saying is true? You're a celestial warrior?"
"All of the evidence seems to point to it. It seems the only explaination." Tatara sighed. "And it seems that I can no longer avoid the obvious."
Jinwou patted Tatara on the back. "One cannot avoid one's destiny forever, Tatara. The Priestess has finally arrived and you must protect her."
"Whoa, whoa! Hold on! I never said I was the priestess!" Suzuno objected.
Tatara looked curiously at Suzuno. "But you said yourself you are a foreigner. You wear clothes that are in no way similar to that of any fashion in this region. You don't know about Byakko. And out there." Tatara looked outside. "I would not have been able to make that garden grow that quickly without more power. Which you provided for me. Byakko heard your prayer and answered it. We all saw Byakko's light surround you when you prayed."
"Was it a yellow light?" Suzuno asked.
Tatara nodded.
"Just like the light from the book," Suzuno thought out loud. "I guess I really am in the book," she thought. "And that big cat in the temple. It could have been Byakko."
She looked up at Tatara and the others, sadly. "So they're just characters in this weird book. I must be a character now too. This is so weird. But they're not just characters. They have lives. They're so real. This is too real to be a dream. Could I really be the girl the book was talking about?"
Tatara watched Suzuno, curiously. "Do you still doubt? I have not told you all of the legend. Would you like to hear the rest?"
Suzuno nodded.
Tatara continued. "The Priestess is to gather the Seven warriors together and through a spell, summon Byakko. When Byakko is summoned, he will grant the priestess whatever she wishes for."
"Anything? Anything she wants?" Suzuno asked excitedly.
"So I have heard, yes."
Suzuno's mind flooded with a million possibilities. Money, freedom, good-looks, more lovely men like Tatara around her for the rest of her life! She blushed with these thoughts. "Well, if you're convinced, then I'm convinced too!" Suzuno rose eagerly from the table. "You're right, Tatara! It's the only thing that makes sense! I think I'm priestess material!"
Tatara smiled at Suzuno's enthusiasm. "I thought that might convince you."
As the night went on, Tatara and Suzuno made plans to travel to the capital to seek help from the emperor. Jinwou insisted that Suzuno and Tatara stay in his home and rest. But Suzuno was too excited to sleep. She rose near dawn and saw that Tatara was gone. She went around the village looking for him and finally spotted him sitting on a high stone wall, watching the horizon.
Tatara was roused from his thoughts when he heard Suzuno's voice. "Good morning, Celestial Warrior Tatara." Suzuno was standing a few feet away on the wall, smiling. Tatara smiled back.
"Good morning, Priestess of Byakko."
Suzuno giggled a little. "It sounded much nicer when you just called me Suzuno."
"I will call you Suzuno if you call me Tatara. Fair enough?"
Suzuno nodded and walked toward Tatara. "Be careful." He warned.
And at those magic words, Suzuno wobbled out of balance, but Tatara was there and held her steady. "Is that your robe?" he asked, looking down at her garb.
"Oh no. Jinwou gave this to me. It was his wife's. What are you doing here?"
"I came to watch the sun rise. I always do that when I can't sleep. Your hands are cold."
Tatara sat down and held Suzuno securely in front of him. Suzuno blushed. "Why are you holding me so close?"
"To keep you from falling. And you're cold," he explained while rubbing her hands and arms. He blew hot breath onto her hands and rubbed them together in his own. Suzuno blushed more and felt a strange urge overtake her. So she reached up and kissed Tatara's cheek.
Tatara stopped rubbing her hands and looked at Suzuno. She smiled up at him.
"Thank you for being so sweet to me, Tatara." Suzuno snuggled against him.
"Well, I have to protect you. It's my duty as a warrior. But I am also a man of the cloth, Suzuno," Tatara warned her, blushing a little and feeling uncomfortable.
"Shh. Look. The sun is rising," Suzuno whispered. She and Tatara watched the sun come up over the distant peaks. "Is this what it's like to have a boyfriend? Tatara's not really a boyfriend. He can't even have a girlfriend. He's a monk. But he's so nice and he feels warm. I really like him."
Later, Suzuno packed food and some clothes. Tatara explained to Jinwou their plan. "We'll have to travel by foot, since I have no money for horses or a boat. Suzuno doesn't have money either."
"Oh, don't worry about that! Come out here and see. Lady Suzuno! Come and see!" Jinwou called. Suzuno followed them outside to where horses were waiting. "Lady Lijun insisted you be given these horses for your journey. And a collection has been taken up for you." Jinwou said proudly, holding up a coin string.
"Jinwou, you didn't tell-" Tatara never finished. The entire village descended upon Tatara and Suzuno to marvel at the priestess and wish them a safe journey. Many people wanted to give them clothes and other useful supplies. Chuling came up to Suzuno with a box. "Thank you, Chuling!" Suzuno said as she kissed his forehead. Chuling blushed as Suzuno opened the box. Inside was a necklace made of colored seeds and feathers. Suzuno looked down to see Chuling hug her legs, then run into the house. "Chuling! Wait!"
Jinwou came up and looked in the box. "Did Chuling give that to you?"
"Yes. Then he just ran off."
Jinwou stared at the necklace. "Chuling made that for his mother. He was going to take it to her grave tomorrow. It is her birthday tomorrow, you see."
"Oh! I can't accept this. This is for your wife."
Jinwou shook his head. "No. It is yours now." Jinwou took the necklace out of the box and put it around Suzuno's neck. "Chuling has so much faith in you. We all do. Chuling doesn't even remember his mother, but he told me that he hoped she was like you."
Suzuno started to cry. "I won't let him down. Thank you so much!"
Suzuno mounted her horse. "Thank you everyone for everything! I promise as the Priestess of Byakko, I will gather the warriors and summon Byakko!"
Everyone cheered as Suzuno and Tatara left the village. As they cheered, Chuling ran out of the house and called. "Good bye Tatara! Good bye Suzuno! I won't forget you!"
Suzuno looked back at Chuling. "I won't forget you either, Chuling. I will summon Byakko. I will!"
-end of Chapter 1
Hello everyone! Thank you for reading this! Let me be frank. The series will continue if people review it or e-mail me with comments. Otherwise, it will remain stagnant and more than likely die. So I need your feedback! PLEASE? I would also like any extra information about the Byakko Seven and Suzuno (ie. What do their Chinese characters mean and so on.) The more information I can get, names, scans, the better the series will be. So please help?
A Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction
"The Adventures of The Priestess of Byakko"
By Mistress Fire-Hazard ^-^!
Chapter One- Holy Light
The crisp morning wind stung Suzuno's eyes and throat. She still wasn't used to how cold her new home was. She tightened her loosened scarf around her neck and walked on. As the autumn leaves fell and crunched beneath her feet, Suzuno thought about the reason her family moved here and why she was walking to the temple. Her family moved there because of her father's business and she was walking to the temple to make offerings on behalf of her upcoming marriage. Her parents, thinking for Suzuno's future, had arranged a marriage for her to a wealthy family of her mother's acquaintance.
Suzuno had never met the man she was supposed to marry, but her parents wanted her to go to the temple to make offerings on his behalf. She was to wish for a safe and prospective future, many sons, and happiness for him.
Suzuno went out of a sense of duty, yet she yearned to be free. Not to be tied down or restrained. She felt in her heart that she was "The nail that stays up". She was different. On the outside, she thought she looked a little plain. She wore the same pigtails she had worn since her hair was long enough to braid. This made her look shorter than she was. And since she was in a new school, she hadn't made many friends yet. She preferred to read quietly at her desk, while other girls gossiped and giggled. Sometimes she was shamed by her mother about having a small chest and being a bit too skinny.
"But with marriage and children, even you will gain weight!" her mother told her when Suzuno looked in the mirror. Suzuno always had an urge to punch her mother when she said that. And during all of this, Suzuno began to wonder what it would be like to have a boyfriend. She had never had one, but she heard what dates were like. You went to movies, restaurants, nickelodeons, stores, and long walks with the boy you liked.
Suzuno sighed and blushed. Then she looked up and found the temple. "Well, let's go Suzuno," she said quietly and headed toward the temple.
When she reached the entrance she called for someone. No one answered her. She looked around, forgetting to remove her shoes in the open hallway and stepped inside. Again she called. No answer.
"Aren't there supposed to be people here? Someone to take care of visitors?" Suzuno thought as she wandered around. She hated to just wander through, unsupervised, but she didn't have much time before she had to head home. And yet, she felt a thrill. Like a naughty child wandering through a stranger's house. Then she heard it.
A low growl coming from the room next to her. Like a big animal was in the room. When she turned her head to look, she saw the silhouette of a big cat against the paper screen door. Suzuno shook her head, not wanting to believe it. When she looked again, it was gone. Her curiosity now roused, she opened the door.
Nothing. It was a prayer room. And on a pedestal with burning incense and flowers, was a book. When Suzuno took a closer look, she saw that it looked quite old, like it might fall apart if someone touched it. The cover of the book read,"The Universe of the Four Gods. Japanese Translation by Einosuke Okuda."
"Hmm. Sounds like an interesting read," Suzuno thought. And a sudden urge overtook her. Without knowing what she was doing, she saw her hand reach for the book, take it off of the pedestal and open it.
For as old as it looked, it was in remarkable shape. Thinking the damage had been done, Suzuno sat down and began to read.
'Herein contains the tale of a young lady and her quest to gather the seven Constellations of Byakko together. And if you, the esteemed reader, should read to the story's end, the spell contained within this book shall bestow upon you the powers of the heroine, and grant you your wish. For indeed the moment the page is turned, the story will become reality.'
"Really?" Suzuno sniffed. "I get a wish if I read to the end? Sounds pretty good. I wonder what or who Byakko is? Well, let's read and find out."
As Suzuno turned the page, a strange yellow light surrounded her. "Wha-" she whispered before she fell and fell and fell. For how long she didn't know. The book fell open on the floor and the yellow light disappeared. But Suzuno was gone.
"Hello? Is someone in here?" A man wearing traditional robes looked into the room. "Hmm. Must be hearing things." Then he saw the book on the floor. "What?" He picked the book up, closed it and set it back on the pedestal. "There. Back to work." And the man slid the door of the room shut.
*---*
Suzuno awoke to the sound of running water. Her eyes fluttered open and she sat up. It was sunny and warm. She was sitting on a grass mound near a creek. She shielded her eyes from the sun and looked around her.
"Wh-where am I?" she thought. "What happened to me? I was reading that book in the temple, then... maybe I fell asleep? I thought I saw yellow light and I fell."
Suzuno stood up and brushed herself off. "Well, if I'm dreaming then no harm in my exploring for a bit. It sure feels like I'm awake. Strange." When Suzuno turned her back to the creek, she saw a small village in the distance beyond some trees. "That looks good," she thought and headed toward it.
When Suzuno reached the village, she saw children running and playing, people working in their yards. Suzuno felt envy of the way these people lived. So simple and uncompromising. This was a good dream so far.
"Papa! Papa!" Suzuno heard a little boy yell. "He's coming! Tatara is coming!"
"Good boy," a man's voice replied. "The good monk sent you ahead to tell me. Hopefully, he will know what to do."
"Good day, Lord Monk," Suzuno heard a woman behind her say. She turned to see an old woman with bags smile at a tall, handsome man who nodded his head back.
Suzuno was awstruck. She had never seen such a beautiful man in her life. He had long, brown bangs which hung in front of his face, hiding one of his eyes. The rest of his hair was pulled into a long ponytail, which rested on his chest. He wore simple robes, befitting a monk and prayer beads around his neck. He looked young too, a little older than Suzuno. She found herself wondering why such a handsome young man was a monk. And how such beautiful men were rarely to be seen. "Only dreams can come up with guys like him," she thought as she stared at him.
He passed her by and glanced at her. As he passed, he turned his head to look back at her, then stepped into a yard. Suzuno felt herself blush.
"Wow," she thought and she peeked into the yard to find out what was going on.
"As you can see, it's hopeless. I have done all I can, but nothing helps. The soil is good. I have not overwatered. But as you can see, I need your power to help," said the man Suzuno had heard earlier. His son was hanging onto the monk's leg and looking up at him as the monk examined the garden. The monk knelt down and put his hand over the dirt. He drew a sharp intake of breathe.
"Chuling, go to your father. You must go into the house. Whatever you hear, do not look outside. Do you understand?" The monk told the man and boy.
"Y-yes of course, but-" the man stuttered.
"I will explain when I am finished. Now go," the monk commanded.
The man and the boy went into the house, leaving the monk alone in their garden. Suzuno still peeked in the doorway to watch.
The monk spread both of his hands at the ground and Suzuno watched in amazement as soft yellow light came from his hands and tiny vines grew toward the ground. As they got closer, they grew thicker and small thorns sprouted. All at once, the vines thrust into the ground and Suzuno felt the ground shake beneath her feet.
"What's happening?" she thought.
"Come out!!" The monk cried. And the vines uprooted a gnarled and twisted tree root. Then the tree root's eyes opened and it became a huge snarling wolf.
Suzuno screamed out of fright. At her cry, the monk and the wolf looked at her. The wolf bared it's teeth and lunged at her, cutting through the vines. Suzuno screamed again and covered her face with her arms, hoping she would wake up soon. Then she was knocked down and she heard snarling a few feet away from her. Suzuno opened her eyes.
It was not the wolf that had knocked her down, it was the monk. He was still lying on Suzuno, shielding her body. He looked down at her.
"Are you all right?" he asked.
Suzuno blushed and nodded a little. "I'm fine."
Then the wolf snarled and the monk turned to look at it. The wolf lunged and vines quickly grew from the monk's hands and pierced the wolf. It howled in pain and then fell limp.
"W-what was that?" Suzuno asked.
"A badger spirit," the monk replied. He rose from the ground and Suzuno and retracted the vines. "You can see, this wolf has a badger's tail."
Suzuno got up and watched the wolf shrink into a badger.
"Are you a foreigner, young lady?"
Suzuno looked up to see the monk staring at her. "Huh?"
"I have never seen clothes like those you wear. And I have never seen you here before."
"Uh, yeah. I am a foreigner. I'm just visiting. I was passing through."
"Tatara! Tatara!" Chuling ran out of the house and hugged the monk's leg.
"I'm all right, Chuling. Tell your father he can come out now."
"Okay," Chuling started to go back inside, but stopped to look at Suzuno. "Who are you?"
"I'm Suzuno Oosugi."
"I'm Chuling. Are you Tatara's wife?"
Suzuno blushed. "N-no."
"Ha, ha, ha!" Tatara laughed. "No, Chuling. Monks don't have wives. Now go tell your father."
"Okay." And Chuling ran back inside.
"What a cute little boy," Suzuno giggled. She looked back to see Tatara looking sober and sad. "Are you all right?"
Tatara blinked. "Yes." He headed into the house. Suzuno watched him go. Then Chuling ran out and grabbed her hand. "Hey lady! Come in and have some tea with us."
Suzuno smiled. "Okay. I have nothing better to do."
*---*
Next, Suzuno found herself at a rough wooden table, drinking tea next to the monk. Chuling seemed to really like her, and his father and the monk were curious about her.
"So where do you come from, Lady Oosugi?" Jinwou, Chuling's father asked.
"Oh, you don't have to call me that. Just Suzuno will do."
"She's like Tatara. He doesn't like being called Lord Monk," Chuling said, squeezing inbetween Suzuno and Tatara.
"I am not a lord, so that title doesn't exactly fit."
"But no one I have ever heard of has the skill you have with making things grow, Tatara. That skill deserves respect and title." Jinwou insisted.
"You are very lucky, Jinwou. It was only a badger spirit that took up residence in your garden. But it is dead and your garden should grow well now," Tatara explained, changing the subject.
Jinwou sighed. "I hope so. Poor Chuling," he said as Chuling ran out the door. "He is all I have in the world and yet I am a terrible father. I cannot even provide enough food for him. Since the garden started to die, I haven't been able to sell my usual supply of vegetables and rice. And even with the badger gone, it will take a few months until anything is ripe enough to sell."
"I will do what I can to help you. Let me try now," Tatara told Jinwou in a reassuring voice. He rose from the table and walked outside. Jinwou and Suzuno followed him.
Chuling grew excited at seeing Tatara's magic. The yellow light grew from his hands and plants began to sprout and grow a little. But Suzuno was not looking at Tatara's magic.
She was looking back at Jinwou and Chuling. She felt sorry for them, that they should have to starve, waiting for the plants to grow. Suzuno closed her eyes and fervently wished that the plants would grow faster.
As Suzuno prayed, the light from Tatara's hands grew stronger and the plants grew rapidly. Tatara watched in amazement as his power grew stronger and made the plants grow to full size and bear ripe vegetables and grains.
"Ah!" Chuling cried out in wonder. Jinwou too was awestruck at the sight. Then he felt Chuling tug on his sleeve."Daddy! Daddy! Look at Suzuno!" he cried.
Jinwou, Chuling, and Tatara stared at Suzuno. She stood with her eyes closed and hands clasped together in prayer as soft yellow light enveloped her.
"Byakko no Miko!" a voice cried.
As Suzuno opened her eyes, the light faded and vanished. She looked around to see that the cry had come from an old woman.
"Mother!" a young woman cried, running up to the old woman. "Don't run off like that and don't bother strangers."
"Byakko no Miko!" The old woman cried, pointing at Suzuno. "Did not you see, my daughter? The holy light of Byakko came from this girl! She is the priestess of legend! She is the Priestess of Byakko!"
"I'm so sorry to bother you," the young woman bowed to Suzuno. "Please forgive my mother. She is not well. Come mother, let's go home."
But the old woman refused to go. She looked around and saw Tatara. "You! Monk! You must protect this girl! You have that power and are named after the constellation, are you not? Yes, you are a celestial warrior of Byakko and must protect the priestess. She is here at last!" She looked back at Suzuno and took her hands. "I never thought I would live to see you, Priestess of Byakko. But finally you have come. You must go to the capital, my dear. You must tell the Emperor who you are. He will help you to find the other warriors."
"Mother! Please let her go! I'm so sorry!" The young woman tugged and pulled the old woman away from Suzuno.
"Do not forget! Go to the capital and summon Byakko!" The old woman cried as her daughter dragged her away.
"Priestess of Byakko? Celestial warriors?" Suzuno thought. "What was she talking about? Byakko...That was a name from the book! And she called Tatara a constellation. But, this feels too real to be a dream! Could I... Could I actually be inside the book?!"
Suzuno looked fearfully at Tatara and the others. Tatara stared back at Suzuno. Chuling almost seemed scared and amazed at once. Jinwou looked like he would cry.
"Are you really a priestess, Suzuno?" Chuling asked, excitedly.
"I don't know what she was talking about! I'm just an ordinary school girl!" Suzuno said, panicking.
"My eyes did not deceive me. A light like that of Tatara's surrounded you, Lady Suzuno," Jinwou told her, smiling.
"And I felt my power grow stronger. How did you do that?" Tatara asked.
"I...," Suzuno looked down. "I was just praying that the plants would grow faster, so that you and Chuling wouldn't go hungry."
"Byakko must have heard your prayers and bestowed his power onto Tatara," Jinwou said in deep thought.
"Byakko must have used you as a medium for that purpose," Tatara thought aloud.
"Thank you so much, Priestess!" Jinwou cried, kneeling at Suzuno's feet. "You and Tatara have saved Chuling and I! I must thank you somehow! Chuling! We will gather some food and prepare a feast for the Priestess and Lord Tatara!"
"Thank you, Suzuno! Thank you!" Chuling hugged Suzuno's legs and ran off to fetch harvesting tools.
"B-but I don't think I'm a priestess or anything-" Suzuno began to object as Jinwou and Chuling began to harvest food. Then she felt a hand come down on her shoulder. She looked up to see Tatara smiling at her.
"You don't need to be a priestess, Suzuno. Just be yourself. They are happy as they are, don't you see? Why spoil that happiness?" Tatara told her gently.
Suzuno watched Chuling and Jinwou and understood. She blushed and nodded. "I sure hope I'm not dreaming."
"Hmm? I thought you said you were a traveler," Tatara inquired.
"Ah! Ah, I mean-" Suzuno tried to think of an excuse or good little white lie to tell Tatara. He saw through her at once.
"Well, never mind that for now. Why don't we help Jinwou and Chuling, hmm?" Tatara said, smiling.
Suzuno smiled and nodded back, happy that he wasn't prying.
*---*
During a simple, yet delicious feast of vegetarian dishes, Jinwou and Tatara explained to Suzuno about the Legend of the Priestess.
"That was Lady Lijun. She tells stories to children including the story of the Priestess of Byakko."
"Um. If you don't mind my asking, just what is Byakko?"
Jinwou, Tatara, and Chuling all looked at Suzuno with surprise. Then Tatara explained. "Maybe you haven't heard since you are a foreigner. But Byakko is our sovereign god. In this region there are four countries and each country has it's own beast god. Ours is the god Byakko, the white tiger."
Suzuno shook, remembering the silhouette of the huge cat and the growl in the temple. "And what is the Priestess of Byakko?"
"Lady Lijun always tells that story. Everyone in this village has heard it at least once. As she tells it, there is a legend about a girl who comes from a different world than ours. This girl is destined to become the Priestess of Byakko and find the Seven Celestial Warriors of Byakko, all of whom have special talents or powers granted to them. The warriors are said to be named after the seven constellations in our heavens."
"And Tatara is one of them!" Chuling burst out. "Lady Lijun told him so when Tatara first came here."
Tatara smiled. "Yes. I was travelling through this area and asked for directions to a temple nearby. A pack of wild dogs had been terrorizing the village and I managed to stop them with my power. Lady Lijun saw me and this." Tatara revealed the back of his hand, which had a yellow character faintly glowing there. "The character means lasso. Lady Lijun branded me a Celestial Warrior of Byakko on the spot. And since I was named after the constellation, she was sure of it. But I had my duties to Buddha. So I left and sought the temple nearby where I now live. But whenever there is an emergency where my help is needed, I arrive as soon as I can."
"Amazing!" Suzuno marvelled. "So what she was saying is true? You're a celestial warrior?"
"All of the evidence seems to point to it. It seems the only explaination." Tatara sighed. "And it seems that I can no longer avoid the obvious."
Jinwou patted Tatara on the back. "One cannot avoid one's destiny forever, Tatara. The Priestess has finally arrived and you must protect her."
"Whoa, whoa! Hold on! I never said I was the priestess!" Suzuno objected.
Tatara looked curiously at Suzuno. "But you said yourself you are a foreigner. You wear clothes that are in no way similar to that of any fashion in this region. You don't know about Byakko. And out there." Tatara looked outside. "I would not have been able to make that garden grow that quickly without more power. Which you provided for me. Byakko heard your prayer and answered it. We all saw Byakko's light surround you when you prayed."
"Was it a yellow light?" Suzuno asked.
Tatara nodded.
"Just like the light from the book," Suzuno thought out loud. "I guess I really am in the book," she thought. "And that big cat in the temple. It could have been Byakko."
She looked up at Tatara and the others, sadly. "So they're just characters in this weird book. I must be a character now too. This is so weird. But they're not just characters. They have lives. They're so real. This is too real to be a dream. Could I really be the girl the book was talking about?"
Tatara watched Suzuno, curiously. "Do you still doubt? I have not told you all of the legend. Would you like to hear the rest?"
Suzuno nodded.
Tatara continued. "The Priestess is to gather the Seven warriors together and through a spell, summon Byakko. When Byakko is summoned, he will grant the priestess whatever she wishes for."
"Anything? Anything she wants?" Suzuno asked excitedly.
"So I have heard, yes."
Suzuno's mind flooded with a million possibilities. Money, freedom, good-looks, more lovely men like Tatara around her for the rest of her life! She blushed with these thoughts. "Well, if you're convinced, then I'm convinced too!" Suzuno rose eagerly from the table. "You're right, Tatara! It's the only thing that makes sense! I think I'm priestess material!"
Tatara smiled at Suzuno's enthusiasm. "I thought that might convince you."
As the night went on, Tatara and Suzuno made plans to travel to the capital to seek help from the emperor. Jinwou insisted that Suzuno and Tatara stay in his home and rest. But Suzuno was too excited to sleep. She rose near dawn and saw that Tatara was gone. She went around the village looking for him and finally spotted him sitting on a high stone wall, watching the horizon.
Tatara was roused from his thoughts when he heard Suzuno's voice. "Good morning, Celestial Warrior Tatara." Suzuno was standing a few feet away on the wall, smiling. Tatara smiled back.
"Good morning, Priestess of Byakko."
Suzuno giggled a little. "It sounded much nicer when you just called me Suzuno."
"I will call you Suzuno if you call me Tatara. Fair enough?"
Suzuno nodded and walked toward Tatara. "Be careful." He warned.
And at those magic words, Suzuno wobbled out of balance, but Tatara was there and held her steady. "Is that your robe?" he asked, looking down at her garb.
"Oh no. Jinwou gave this to me. It was his wife's. What are you doing here?"
"I came to watch the sun rise. I always do that when I can't sleep. Your hands are cold."
Tatara sat down and held Suzuno securely in front of him. Suzuno blushed. "Why are you holding me so close?"
"To keep you from falling. And you're cold," he explained while rubbing her hands and arms. He blew hot breath onto her hands and rubbed them together in his own. Suzuno blushed more and felt a strange urge overtake her. So she reached up and kissed Tatara's cheek.
Tatara stopped rubbing her hands and looked at Suzuno. She smiled up at him.
"Thank you for being so sweet to me, Tatara." Suzuno snuggled against him.
"Well, I have to protect you. It's my duty as a warrior. But I am also a man of the cloth, Suzuno," Tatara warned her, blushing a little and feeling uncomfortable.
"Shh. Look. The sun is rising," Suzuno whispered. She and Tatara watched the sun come up over the distant peaks. "Is this what it's like to have a boyfriend? Tatara's not really a boyfriend. He can't even have a girlfriend. He's a monk. But he's so nice and he feels warm. I really like him."
Later, Suzuno packed food and some clothes. Tatara explained to Jinwou their plan. "We'll have to travel by foot, since I have no money for horses or a boat. Suzuno doesn't have money either."
"Oh, don't worry about that! Come out here and see. Lady Suzuno! Come and see!" Jinwou called. Suzuno followed them outside to where horses were waiting. "Lady Lijun insisted you be given these horses for your journey. And a collection has been taken up for you." Jinwou said proudly, holding up a coin string.
"Jinwou, you didn't tell-" Tatara never finished. The entire village descended upon Tatara and Suzuno to marvel at the priestess and wish them a safe journey. Many people wanted to give them clothes and other useful supplies. Chuling came up to Suzuno with a box. "Thank you, Chuling!" Suzuno said as she kissed his forehead. Chuling blushed as Suzuno opened the box. Inside was a necklace made of colored seeds and feathers. Suzuno looked down to see Chuling hug her legs, then run into the house. "Chuling! Wait!"
Jinwou came up and looked in the box. "Did Chuling give that to you?"
"Yes. Then he just ran off."
Jinwou stared at the necklace. "Chuling made that for his mother. He was going to take it to her grave tomorrow. It is her birthday tomorrow, you see."
"Oh! I can't accept this. This is for your wife."
Jinwou shook his head. "No. It is yours now." Jinwou took the necklace out of the box and put it around Suzuno's neck. "Chuling has so much faith in you. We all do. Chuling doesn't even remember his mother, but he told me that he hoped she was like you."
Suzuno started to cry. "I won't let him down. Thank you so much!"
Suzuno mounted her horse. "Thank you everyone for everything! I promise as the Priestess of Byakko, I will gather the warriors and summon Byakko!"
Everyone cheered as Suzuno and Tatara left the village. As they cheered, Chuling ran out of the house and called. "Good bye Tatara! Good bye Suzuno! I won't forget you!"
Suzuno looked back at Chuling. "I won't forget you either, Chuling. I will summon Byakko. I will!"
-end of Chapter 1
Hello everyone! Thank you for reading this! Let me be frank. The series will continue if people review it or e-mail me with comments. Otherwise, it will remain stagnant and more than likely die. So I need your feedback! PLEASE? I would also like any extra information about the Byakko Seven and Suzuno (ie. What do their Chinese characters mean and so on.) The more information I can get, names, scans, the better the series will be. So please help?
