"Hearts Aflame" by Ai Yuukan
Chapter 11
"Where's Tamahome?" Miaka asked her friends curiously. She blinked at Tasuki's scowling face and wondered what was the cause of it. She then saw Vivien looking at Tasuki from the corner of her eye and smiled slightly. Ever since they had arrived in Hokkan after that grueling voyage, there had been something different about the relationship with her red-haired friends. No longer at each other's throats too often, they were quite. chummy, to put it mildly. They were always at each other's side nowadays, almost a loving shadow of each other. Miaka smiled, wondering if there was indeed a romance brewing between the two.
Tasuki scowled. "He went over there with that uncute brat."
Miaka blinked. "What's with Tasuki?" She asked her friends.
Chichiri tried to explain, "When he tried to play with the child, he said Tasuki had a scary face and started to cry."
Miaka chuckled. "I see."
Tasuki looked annoyed. "What's so scary about this face, huh?!"
"Now, now, calm down." Chichiri said to Tasuki, sighing.
Vivien dimpled. "I think it's adorable, myself." She piped up.
Tasuki grinned at Vivien. "Ya think so, squirt?"
Vivien blushed prettily but smiled. "You know I do, fang-boy."
Everyone gaped at the obvious show of affection. "Woah, now. What's going on here?" Samantha asked, a sly smile playing at her mouth. But Tasuki and Vivien only had eyes for each other.
"This is really starting to scare me." Chichiri said dryly.
Miaka squealed happily and clapped her hands. "Oh, isn't this wonderful? Tasuki and Kyo-chan are in love!"
"It's perfectly sickening." Nuriko remarked dryly, but he was smiling too. Mitsukake and Chiriko smiled quietly at the lovestruck pair, glad that the two had grown to love each other. They suited each other perfectly.
"So this is Tohran? We've finally arrived." Tamahome said, reining in his horse.
Chiriko drew his robe tighter. "It's cold."
Miaka looked up as snowflakes tickled her nose. "It's snow!" She was surprised.
"Since the climate's so good, it hardly ever snows in Konan." Nuriko remarked casually.
Vivien's eyes were sparkling. Snow. oh, how she had missed it! "We had snow in Maryland. Oh, isn't it beautiful?" She breathed.
Tamahome sighed and sipped his warm drink. The group sat around a table in the inn, comfortable and warm. "What should we do from here?"
Chichiri turned thoughtful. "I think we should split up and search for the Shinzaho. Since Chiriko's a child, I'll pair up with him. Kyoku can come with us, too."
Chiriko smiled cheerfully. "Arigatou, Chichiri-san."
"Since Tasuki's dangerous, he should pair up with Mitsukake and Tei."
Tasuki arched a brow. "What's that supposed ta mean?"
"I'll pair up with Miaka." Tamahome volunteered.
Miaka nodded and looked to Nuriko. "What about you, Nuriko?"
Nuriko shrugged. "I'll team up with you two, Miaka. I have to protect you in Hotohori's stead.
Two drunken men passed by their table. "Hey, babe! Wanna have a drink with me?" He put his hands on Nuriko and Vivien's shoulders. The two seishi turned and glared daggers.
"Watch it, buddy." Tasuki growled.
Tamahome winced. "With two women, we can't move on if we keep getting stopped by every pervert around."
Nuriko looked royally annoyed. "Okay, I get it! In other words, I shouldn't look like a girl, right?"
Vivien looked away when Nuriko cut his hair. "What a waste!" Tamahome exclaimed.
Tasuki was dumbfounded. "What did ya do that for?!"
Miaka looked concerned. "Is that okay with you, Nuriko? You can't dress like a woman, anymore."
Nuriko smiled gently at Miaka. "Daijobu. It's about time I stopped acting gay, anyway." Then he sighed when he saw the looks on everyone's faces. "Why make such a fuss about this when we have to fight the Seiryuu seishi."
"That's right.." Tamahome murmured. "The Seiryuu seishi.. We'll probably be running into them."
Chichiri nodded. "That's right. The problem is. the communication between us while we search for the Shinzaho. In order to avoid detection, we can't use any spells."
Tasuki made a face. "What a mess."
Vivien couldn't agree more but she smiled, knowing that all would turn out fine in the end.. but then the light in her eyes dimmed. Yes.. everything would turn out all right in the end.. but at what cost?
Vivien had tried to prevent Nuriko's death by attempting to warn her fellow seishi and friend, but just when she had been about to blurt out the warning, Samantha had cried out in pain as a wound appeared out of nowhere on her side and began to spurt blood. She remembered the words she had heard in her head like an endless chant of threats.. Should you attempt any such thing again, she will die. Do you understand?
It couldn't have lasted forever, the bliss she had found in finding the one she was destined to love.. but it had ended all too soon. Nuriko.. among all her fellow seishi, he and Mitsukake had been her best friends. And now Nuriko was gone.. She finally realized the truth.. she couldn't escape her fate.. as a Suzaku seishi.. and also as a seishi of Taittsukun. The truth made her angry. Was she destined to sacrifice her happiness and the friends of her lives for the damned gods?! She was sick to death of being their pawn! She had the power to save lives and she wasn't allowed to use it! Then what was the use of it all?!
When Nuriko had been buried, Vivien had looked all around and had seen grief-stricken faces. She had felt guilt pierce her in her already bleeding heart, and her blood had been set on fire because of it. Nuriko was dead and she could have prevented that! Nuriko.. had been one of her dearest friends.. and he was dead! All because of some stupid rule! Well, she hadn't wanted this job in the first place! And how dare Suzaku threaten Samantha's life?! How dare he!
Vivien angrily kicked the snow at her feet and beneath her burning glaze, a large patch of snow ten feet wide melted to the ground. But then her heart grew heavy yet again. Nuriko.. He had been one of her dearest friends and now he was gone. Who else was to die? She closed her eyes as the answer came to her mind. Chiriko. Mitsukake. Hotohori. Tamahome.. Even if she no longer harbored any tender feelings towards her blue-haired fellow seishi, she still thought of him as a close friend.. and the other part of Miaka. They were to die.. and she couldn't do a thing about it. A hot tear trickled down her cheek. Hotohori.. Kathryn loved him and he was going to die. First it had been Lilian, who was suffering already, being a Seiryuu seishi and all.. then Samantha had suffered the loss of Amiboshi. Now Kathryn was going to lose the man who'd never know how much she loved him. Vivien rammed her fist into a tree. Damn! Why are they putting us through this?! She looked up angrily at the sky. "Answer me, you bloody cowards! Why us?! What did we do to deserve this?!" The trees around her burst into flames. "I wasn't able to save my friend's life because a bird- brain, a slimy eel, a kitty-cat, and a butt-ugly hag said I couldn't! And don't think I'm forgetting about you, you dumb-ass Genbu! You just had to hurt my sister, did you?! Suzaku! I know you can hear me! Answer me!" She demanded angrily. The snow beneath her feet melted in the heat of her fury. "You stupid chicken!" Tears fell down her cheeks. "You freaking turkey!"
"Vi."
Vivien turned and when she saw Tasuki standing behind her, she wiped away her tears with a sleeve. "Tasuki.. what are you doing here?" She sniffed.
Tasuki sighed sadly. "You don't honestly think he's going to take you up on that, do you?"
Vivien turned away. "The bloody chicken." She murmured contemptuously.
Tasuki put his arms around his fellow seishi and smiled sadly when she automatically leaned back against his chest, readily accepting the comfort he offered. Ever since Nuriko's death, Vivien's moods had become shiftier and though he knew she loved him, he also knew her heart ached with a grieving pain so great she cried every night into his shoulder as they settled down for the night. He held her close and willed her to get better.. Vi.. I'm here.
"You really should stop calling us names, Kyoku. My brothers are getting angry."
Tasuki and Vivien whirled around. "Who..?!"
Behind them, a man in shining gold and red garb gazed at them with calm red eyes. Twin red phoenix wings were folded at his back and red hair fluttered in an unseen breeze. Tasuki stared. "Suzaku?!"
Vivien stared at the man with mixed horror and shock. She stared into those eyes.. Her heart stopped as she stared. No.. No..
"Vi?!" Tasuki caught Vivien as she fell.
Suzaku merely looked on. "Call me when she stirs. I will come."
Tasuki stared down at Vivien in his arms. Why had she fainted? Sure, seeing Suzaku had been a surprise, but she had acted as if she'd seen a ghost. Tasuki sighed and tucked a loose strand of red-gold hair behind her ear. He felt for something in his pocket and sighed again, sadly. When was he going to give it to her? When he made us his mind, that's when.
When they had met with the spirits of the Genbu seishi, Hikitsu and Tomite had readily accepted Samantha as their second Genbu no Miko and had shown her the utmost honor and respect. Not only had they given her the Shinzaho, but they had also given the seishi gifts to honor them. Tasuki's gift had been a ring.. and he planned to give it to Vivien once he'd made us his mind if marrying her was the thing to do. She was from another world.. and she might disappear once Miaka called Suzaku.. but he loved her. Wasn't that enough reason to marry her? But what about their life if they were to live together? Was he going to have to quit being a bandit for her? And leave his fellow bandits? Well, why not? He loved her and if she didn't want him to be a bandit, that was fine with him. But if he married her, where would they go? What were they going to do with their life, then?
Vivien stirred. "Daddy..?"
Tasuki's frown eased. He gently took Vivien's cold hand in his own and willed her eyes to open.. And they did, and as he stared into her violet eyes, he found his answer. As long as he had her in his life.. nothing else mattered.
Vivien stared into Tasuki's eyes, wondering what had happened. Then she remembered. Suzaku.. Suddenly, she felt faint again. Tasuki gently caressed her cheek. "Easy, Vi. Easy.."
"Suzaku." Vivien sat up. "Where is he?"
"He said he'll come when he's called.."
Vivien's eyes narrowed. "Well, come down here, then, you overcooked chicken!"
Tasuki sighed. "Vi.. what's wrong with you?"
Vivien turned on Tasuki angrily. "What's wrong with me?! Oh, nothing, it's just that I've found my runaway father, that's all!" She stared up at the ceiling. "Come down here, you pompous peacock!"
"Nani?!"
Suzaku materialized before Vivien's bedside, and immediately, the Suzaku seishi took the nearest flower-pot and hurled it at him. The pot smashed on an invisible shield before Suzaku. Vivien glared and grabbed another missile. "I'll get you, you overgrown turkey!"
Tasuki stayed her hand. "Vi! What do you think you're doing?!"
Vivien's eyes burned with a murderous light. "Killing my father a second time is what I'm doing! You bird-brained bastard!" She jumped out of her bed and rammed her fist into the force-field.
"Your.. father?"
"That's right. This overgrown peacock's my father!" She rammed her fist against him again. Tears stung her eyes. "He's the bird-brain who left me without a word, making me think he was dead all this time! He's the pigeon-assed bastard who had the nerve to ask me to become his seishi and never told me once he was my runaway father! And he had the NERVE to threaten me and hurt Sammy! He's a bloody chicken, that's what he is! He's a freaking chicken!! And I hate him!!"
Something in Suzaku's eyes saddened. "Kyoku.."
Vivien shrieked with outrage. "And he has the NERVE to call me Kyoku when he knows perfectly well that the name's Vivien! It's Vivien Smith, Mr. Sean P. Smith! Hah!" Her tears spilled down her cheeks like angry hot rivers. "You.. bastard!" Finally, she hit the shield one last time before breaking down.
Tasuki's arms were around her immediately. "Vi.." He glared at Suzaku. "Is she right? Are you really her.. father?" He spat that word contemptuously.
Suzaku's eyes hardened. "Be silent, Tasuki."
For the second time in two hours, Vivien fell to the ground.
Tasuki held Vivien in his arms as Suzaku spoke to him, explaining the situation. "Yes, I am her father. Vivien was born of a merging.. between my Miko and myself."
"Miaka?!" Tasuki's eyes widened.
Suzaku nodded. "Yes.. children can also result from the merging of souls.. as the souls of my Miko and myself merged when she summoned me. Vivien was born from that merging. With the first wish, she was born. With the second wish, she began to grow.. and With the third wish, she became complete. Me and my brothers looked after our children on Earth, in a country known as the United States of America."
Vivien stared into Tasuki's shoulder, unseeing. "We grew quickly, and grew older by the months.. Then he took us to Taittsukun."
Suzaku nodded. "Yes.. there they trained. While my niece, Lilian, was the most accomplished of all her sisters, Vivien had the most potential, as her mother was one of the most powerful Mikos of all time. My niece Samantha, was the most adept and studious of them all, while Kathryn was the quickest learner. Anne and Erin also trained, and were the most advanced of their sisters. Of course, the other seishi of Taittsukun trained there as well, to become the future warriors of this world. When we returned to Earth, life went on.. until.."
"Until you left." Vivien finished emotionlessly.
"Genbu, Byakko, and myself were all weakening from spending too much time in a foreign world.. we were one with this world and needed to return to it. Seiryuu alone was powerful enough to remain on Earth, and he vowed to look after our children as if they were his own. And so I returned to this world."
Tasuki shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe Vi.. is the daughter of Suzaku."
Suzaku's eyes flashed. "It shouldn't be too hard to believe, Tasuki. She is the Scarlet Falcon after all."
At this, Vivien's spine stiffened. "What about it?"
"Tasuki knows the legend of the Scarlet Falcon very well. The legend of the Scarlet Falcon and the Crimson Wolf.. destined to be eternal allies, partners, and lovers."
Vivien's eyes widened. "Lovers?" She echoed. She looked at Tasuki. He shrugged sheepishly. She felt a flush rise in her cheeks.
"Indeed. They will be the ones to help rebuild this world if the legendary Final Warriors should succeed in saving it."
Tasuki's eyes narrowed. "I already told her all that."
"Not all of it." Vivien corrected, her face still flushed with embarrassment. If her father was telling the truth, then she and Tasuki were destined to be lovers.. and together. The realization numbed her angry feelings and uplifted her to a sense of.. hope. If she was destined to be with Tasuki.. then that meant, for sure, she was meant to live in this world.. with him. Then her face fell. What of her sisters? She couldn't just leave them. Then she remembered.. and her eyes hardened. "That's all very nice, Suzaku. Now leave."
Suzaku's eyes narrowed. "I beg your pardon?"
Tasuki stared at Vivien. "Vi.. what..?"
"You heard me. Leave. You may have once been my father, Suzaku, but that person's gone. I don't have a father anymore, in case you've forgotten." She said coldly. He may be the father she had adored so long ago, and she might have forgiven him for leaving her.. as it hadn't been his fault for doing so.. but he had harmed her sister, and for that, she could not forgive him. "Anyone who hurts my sisters is my enemy. You may be my god, Suzaku, but you're not my master. I will continue to help Miaka until she summons Suzaku.. but that's where it ends. Now go." She ordered harshly.
Something in Suzaku's eyes flashed, but in the next instant, he was gone. Vivien closed her eyes and shivered. Daddy.. Tasuki soothed her by holding her, and in his arms, Vivien cried. She would never tell anyone, but she knew in her heart, that she had just been as bad as her father. But this time.. she had left him.
Chapter 11
"Where's Tamahome?" Miaka asked her friends curiously. She blinked at Tasuki's scowling face and wondered what was the cause of it. She then saw Vivien looking at Tasuki from the corner of her eye and smiled slightly. Ever since they had arrived in Hokkan after that grueling voyage, there had been something different about the relationship with her red-haired friends. No longer at each other's throats too often, they were quite. chummy, to put it mildly. They were always at each other's side nowadays, almost a loving shadow of each other. Miaka smiled, wondering if there was indeed a romance brewing between the two.
Tasuki scowled. "He went over there with that uncute brat."
Miaka blinked. "What's with Tasuki?" She asked her friends.
Chichiri tried to explain, "When he tried to play with the child, he said Tasuki had a scary face and started to cry."
Miaka chuckled. "I see."
Tasuki looked annoyed. "What's so scary about this face, huh?!"
"Now, now, calm down." Chichiri said to Tasuki, sighing.
Vivien dimpled. "I think it's adorable, myself." She piped up.
Tasuki grinned at Vivien. "Ya think so, squirt?"
Vivien blushed prettily but smiled. "You know I do, fang-boy."
Everyone gaped at the obvious show of affection. "Woah, now. What's going on here?" Samantha asked, a sly smile playing at her mouth. But Tasuki and Vivien only had eyes for each other.
"This is really starting to scare me." Chichiri said dryly.
Miaka squealed happily and clapped her hands. "Oh, isn't this wonderful? Tasuki and Kyo-chan are in love!"
"It's perfectly sickening." Nuriko remarked dryly, but he was smiling too. Mitsukake and Chiriko smiled quietly at the lovestruck pair, glad that the two had grown to love each other. They suited each other perfectly.
"So this is Tohran? We've finally arrived." Tamahome said, reining in his horse.
Chiriko drew his robe tighter. "It's cold."
Miaka looked up as snowflakes tickled her nose. "It's snow!" She was surprised.
"Since the climate's so good, it hardly ever snows in Konan." Nuriko remarked casually.
Vivien's eyes were sparkling. Snow. oh, how she had missed it! "We had snow in Maryland. Oh, isn't it beautiful?" She breathed.
Tamahome sighed and sipped his warm drink. The group sat around a table in the inn, comfortable and warm. "What should we do from here?"
Chichiri turned thoughtful. "I think we should split up and search for the Shinzaho. Since Chiriko's a child, I'll pair up with him. Kyoku can come with us, too."
Chiriko smiled cheerfully. "Arigatou, Chichiri-san."
"Since Tasuki's dangerous, he should pair up with Mitsukake and Tei."
Tasuki arched a brow. "What's that supposed ta mean?"
"I'll pair up with Miaka." Tamahome volunteered.
Miaka nodded and looked to Nuriko. "What about you, Nuriko?"
Nuriko shrugged. "I'll team up with you two, Miaka. I have to protect you in Hotohori's stead.
Two drunken men passed by their table. "Hey, babe! Wanna have a drink with me?" He put his hands on Nuriko and Vivien's shoulders. The two seishi turned and glared daggers.
"Watch it, buddy." Tasuki growled.
Tamahome winced. "With two women, we can't move on if we keep getting stopped by every pervert around."
Nuriko looked royally annoyed. "Okay, I get it! In other words, I shouldn't look like a girl, right?"
Vivien looked away when Nuriko cut his hair. "What a waste!" Tamahome exclaimed.
Tasuki was dumbfounded. "What did ya do that for?!"
Miaka looked concerned. "Is that okay with you, Nuriko? You can't dress like a woman, anymore."
Nuriko smiled gently at Miaka. "Daijobu. It's about time I stopped acting gay, anyway." Then he sighed when he saw the looks on everyone's faces. "Why make such a fuss about this when we have to fight the Seiryuu seishi."
"That's right.." Tamahome murmured. "The Seiryuu seishi.. We'll probably be running into them."
Chichiri nodded. "That's right. The problem is. the communication between us while we search for the Shinzaho. In order to avoid detection, we can't use any spells."
Tasuki made a face. "What a mess."
Vivien couldn't agree more but she smiled, knowing that all would turn out fine in the end.. but then the light in her eyes dimmed. Yes.. everything would turn out all right in the end.. but at what cost?
Vivien had tried to prevent Nuriko's death by attempting to warn her fellow seishi and friend, but just when she had been about to blurt out the warning, Samantha had cried out in pain as a wound appeared out of nowhere on her side and began to spurt blood. She remembered the words she had heard in her head like an endless chant of threats.. Should you attempt any such thing again, she will die. Do you understand?
It couldn't have lasted forever, the bliss she had found in finding the one she was destined to love.. but it had ended all too soon. Nuriko.. among all her fellow seishi, he and Mitsukake had been her best friends. And now Nuriko was gone.. She finally realized the truth.. she couldn't escape her fate.. as a Suzaku seishi.. and also as a seishi of Taittsukun. The truth made her angry. Was she destined to sacrifice her happiness and the friends of her lives for the damned gods?! She was sick to death of being their pawn! She had the power to save lives and she wasn't allowed to use it! Then what was the use of it all?!
When Nuriko had been buried, Vivien had looked all around and had seen grief-stricken faces. She had felt guilt pierce her in her already bleeding heart, and her blood had been set on fire because of it. Nuriko was dead and she could have prevented that! Nuriko.. had been one of her dearest friends.. and he was dead! All because of some stupid rule! Well, she hadn't wanted this job in the first place! And how dare Suzaku threaten Samantha's life?! How dare he!
Vivien angrily kicked the snow at her feet and beneath her burning glaze, a large patch of snow ten feet wide melted to the ground. But then her heart grew heavy yet again. Nuriko.. He had been one of her dearest friends and now he was gone. Who else was to die? She closed her eyes as the answer came to her mind. Chiriko. Mitsukake. Hotohori. Tamahome.. Even if she no longer harbored any tender feelings towards her blue-haired fellow seishi, she still thought of him as a close friend.. and the other part of Miaka. They were to die.. and she couldn't do a thing about it. A hot tear trickled down her cheek. Hotohori.. Kathryn loved him and he was going to die. First it had been Lilian, who was suffering already, being a Seiryuu seishi and all.. then Samantha had suffered the loss of Amiboshi. Now Kathryn was going to lose the man who'd never know how much she loved him. Vivien rammed her fist into a tree. Damn! Why are they putting us through this?! She looked up angrily at the sky. "Answer me, you bloody cowards! Why us?! What did we do to deserve this?!" The trees around her burst into flames. "I wasn't able to save my friend's life because a bird- brain, a slimy eel, a kitty-cat, and a butt-ugly hag said I couldn't! And don't think I'm forgetting about you, you dumb-ass Genbu! You just had to hurt my sister, did you?! Suzaku! I know you can hear me! Answer me!" She demanded angrily. The snow beneath her feet melted in the heat of her fury. "You stupid chicken!" Tears fell down her cheeks. "You freaking turkey!"
"Vi."
Vivien turned and when she saw Tasuki standing behind her, she wiped away her tears with a sleeve. "Tasuki.. what are you doing here?" She sniffed.
Tasuki sighed sadly. "You don't honestly think he's going to take you up on that, do you?"
Vivien turned away. "The bloody chicken." She murmured contemptuously.
Tasuki put his arms around his fellow seishi and smiled sadly when she automatically leaned back against his chest, readily accepting the comfort he offered. Ever since Nuriko's death, Vivien's moods had become shiftier and though he knew she loved him, he also knew her heart ached with a grieving pain so great she cried every night into his shoulder as they settled down for the night. He held her close and willed her to get better.. Vi.. I'm here.
"You really should stop calling us names, Kyoku. My brothers are getting angry."
Tasuki and Vivien whirled around. "Who..?!"
Behind them, a man in shining gold and red garb gazed at them with calm red eyes. Twin red phoenix wings were folded at his back and red hair fluttered in an unseen breeze. Tasuki stared. "Suzaku?!"
Vivien stared at the man with mixed horror and shock. She stared into those eyes.. Her heart stopped as she stared. No.. No..
"Vi?!" Tasuki caught Vivien as she fell.
Suzaku merely looked on. "Call me when she stirs. I will come."
Tasuki stared down at Vivien in his arms. Why had she fainted? Sure, seeing Suzaku had been a surprise, but she had acted as if she'd seen a ghost. Tasuki sighed and tucked a loose strand of red-gold hair behind her ear. He felt for something in his pocket and sighed again, sadly. When was he going to give it to her? When he made us his mind, that's when.
When they had met with the spirits of the Genbu seishi, Hikitsu and Tomite had readily accepted Samantha as their second Genbu no Miko and had shown her the utmost honor and respect. Not only had they given her the Shinzaho, but they had also given the seishi gifts to honor them. Tasuki's gift had been a ring.. and he planned to give it to Vivien once he'd made us his mind if marrying her was the thing to do. She was from another world.. and she might disappear once Miaka called Suzaku.. but he loved her. Wasn't that enough reason to marry her? But what about their life if they were to live together? Was he going to have to quit being a bandit for her? And leave his fellow bandits? Well, why not? He loved her and if she didn't want him to be a bandit, that was fine with him. But if he married her, where would they go? What were they going to do with their life, then?
Vivien stirred. "Daddy..?"
Tasuki's frown eased. He gently took Vivien's cold hand in his own and willed her eyes to open.. And they did, and as he stared into her violet eyes, he found his answer. As long as he had her in his life.. nothing else mattered.
Vivien stared into Tasuki's eyes, wondering what had happened. Then she remembered. Suzaku.. Suddenly, she felt faint again. Tasuki gently caressed her cheek. "Easy, Vi. Easy.."
"Suzaku." Vivien sat up. "Where is he?"
"He said he'll come when he's called.."
Vivien's eyes narrowed. "Well, come down here, then, you overcooked chicken!"
Tasuki sighed. "Vi.. what's wrong with you?"
Vivien turned on Tasuki angrily. "What's wrong with me?! Oh, nothing, it's just that I've found my runaway father, that's all!" She stared up at the ceiling. "Come down here, you pompous peacock!"
"Nani?!"
Suzaku materialized before Vivien's bedside, and immediately, the Suzaku seishi took the nearest flower-pot and hurled it at him. The pot smashed on an invisible shield before Suzaku. Vivien glared and grabbed another missile. "I'll get you, you overgrown turkey!"
Tasuki stayed her hand. "Vi! What do you think you're doing?!"
Vivien's eyes burned with a murderous light. "Killing my father a second time is what I'm doing! You bird-brained bastard!" She jumped out of her bed and rammed her fist into the force-field.
"Your.. father?"
"That's right. This overgrown peacock's my father!" She rammed her fist against him again. Tears stung her eyes. "He's the bird-brain who left me without a word, making me think he was dead all this time! He's the pigeon-assed bastard who had the nerve to ask me to become his seishi and never told me once he was my runaway father! And he had the NERVE to threaten me and hurt Sammy! He's a bloody chicken, that's what he is! He's a freaking chicken!! And I hate him!!"
Something in Suzaku's eyes saddened. "Kyoku.."
Vivien shrieked with outrage. "And he has the NERVE to call me Kyoku when he knows perfectly well that the name's Vivien! It's Vivien Smith, Mr. Sean P. Smith! Hah!" Her tears spilled down her cheeks like angry hot rivers. "You.. bastard!" Finally, she hit the shield one last time before breaking down.
Tasuki's arms were around her immediately. "Vi.." He glared at Suzaku. "Is she right? Are you really her.. father?" He spat that word contemptuously.
Suzaku's eyes hardened. "Be silent, Tasuki."
For the second time in two hours, Vivien fell to the ground.
Tasuki held Vivien in his arms as Suzaku spoke to him, explaining the situation. "Yes, I am her father. Vivien was born of a merging.. between my Miko and myself."
"Miaka?!" Tasuki's eyes widened.
Suzaku nodded. "Yes.. children can also result from the merging of souls.. as the souls of my Miko and myself merged when she summoned me. Vivien was born from that merging. With the first wish, she was born. With the second wish, she began to grow.. and With the third wish, she became complete. Me and my brothers looked after our children on Earth, in a country known as the United States of America."
Vivien stared into Tasuki's shoulder, unseeing. "We grew quickly, and grew older by the months.. Then he took us to Taittsukun."
Suzaku nodded. "Yes.. there they trained. While my niece, Lilian, was the most accomplished of all her sisters, Vivien had the most potential, as her mother was one of the most powerful Mikos of all time. My niece Samantha, was the most adept and studious of them all, while Kathryn was the quickest learner. Anne and Erin also trained, and were the most advanced of their sisters. Of course, the other seishi of Taittsukun trained there as well, to become the future warriors of this world. When we returned to Earth, life went on.. until.."
"Until you left." Vivien finished emotionlessly.
"Genbu, Byakko, and myself were all weakening from spending too much time in a foreign world.. we were one with this world and needed to return to it. Seiryuu alone was powerful enough to remain on Earth, and he vowed to look after our children as if they were his own. And so I returned to this world."
Tasuki shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe Vi.. is the daughter of Suzaku."
Suzaku's eyes flashed. "It shouldn't be too hard to believe, Tasuki. She is the Scarlet Falcon after all."
At this, Vivien's spine stiffened. "What about it?"
"Tasuki knows the legend of the Scarlet Falcon very well. The legend of the Scarlet Falcon and the Crimson Wolf.. destined to be eternal allies, partners, and lovers."
Vivien's eyes widened. "Lovers?" She echoed. She looked at Tasuki. He shrugged sheepishly. She felt a flush rise in her cheeks.
"Indeed. They will be the ones to help rebuild this world if the legendary Final Warriors should succeed in saving it."
Tasuki's eyes narrowed. "I already told her all that."
"Not all of it." Vivien corrected, her face still flushed with embarrassment. If her father was telling the truth, then she and Tasuki were destined to be lovers.. and together. The realization numbed her angry feelings and uplifted her to a sense of.. hope. If she was destined to be with Tasuki.. then that meant, for sure, she was meant to live in this world.. with him. Then her face fell. What of her sisters? She couldn't just leave them. Then she remembered.. and her eyes hardened. "That's all very nice, Suzaku. Now leave."
Suzaku's eyes narrowed. "I beg your pardon?"
Tasuki stared at Vivien. "Vi.. what..?"
"You heard me. Leave. You may have once been my father, Suzaku, but that person's gone. I don't have a father anymore, in case you've forgotten." She said coldly. He may be the father she had adored so long ago, and she might have forgiven him for leaving her.. as it hadn't been his fault for doing so.. but he had harmed her sister, and for that, she could not forgive him. "Anyone who hurts my sisters is my enemy. You may be my god, Suzaku, but you're not my master. I will continue to help Miaka until she summons Suzaku.. but that's where it ends. Now go." She ordered harshly.
Something in Suzaku's eyes flashed, but in the next instant, he was gone. Vivien closed her eyes and shivered. Daddy.. Tasuki soothed her by holding her, and in his arms, Vivien cried. She would never tell anyone, but she knew in her heart, that she had just been as bad as her father. But this time.. she had left him.
