Search For the Shinzah: Take Two

Chapter Three: The Adventure Begins

Alone in his room, Chichiri sat cross-legged on the floor, deep in meditation.  It had been a long day, and he couldn't get the image of a frightened 5 year old clutching her mother's hand out of his head.  He'd no idea Jiyuna would grow up to be such a strong person.  When she and her mother had arrived in his village, anyone who got close to the girl caused her to break down in hysterical sobs.

Except for Chichiri.  He'd known he'd always had a way with children, and he was remembering a day when he's given a grateful mother a break from her child.  Jiyuna was sitting on a rock, swinging her small legs and talking rather animatedly to a doll.  Chichiri had crept behind her, and pulled a flower seemingly out of nowhere, delighting the small girl.  Then they'd gone fishing.

Jiyuna had been sad, saying she missed her father, who had left one day for war and never came back.  Fifteen-year-old Chichiri knew the truth, of course, the whole village, and he longed to tell this tiny girl that her father wasn't dead.  It was then he'd seen the shinzaho gleaming around her neck.  No… he shouldn't say anything.  The emperor of Hokkan wanted it to be kept secret, and it would be.

At least, the girl wouldn't hear it from him.

Chichiri sensed Tasuki coming into the room, but didn't say anything.  The red-haired bandit knew better than to interrupt the monk until he was finished, so he sat on the edge of the bed and waited.  When he heard Chichiri's sigh, he knew the meditation was over.

"You all right?" he asked.

"I don't know, no da.  I feel bad, no da."

"'Bout what?"

The blue-haired man turned, fixed his eye on Tasuki.  "I knew the secrets that girl didn't, no da.  I spoke to her all those years ago, when she was only 5.  She told me how her father had died in war, and how much she missed him, no da.  I knew he was alive and well, and if I had told her, she might have been given the chance to meet him, na no da."

Tasuki shook his head.  "Chichiri, you can't blame yourself.  That girl's mother should have told her long ago… hell, her father should have told her.  But they kept her in the fuckin' dark, and didn't let her know nothin'!"

"That's why I should have told her, no da," the other man said softly.

"You know, Jiyuna'd be hitting you right now, if she knew this."

"Hai, no da.  She'd be upset that I knew the truth and kept it from her, no da."

Tasuki sat on the floor, pushed his face close to Chichiri's.  "If you're serious about that, you're more fuckin' stupid than I thought."  The bandit leapt up, began to pace.  "She'd hit you because you were beating yourself up over something that happened over ten years ago!  What the fuck, Chichiri?!  You know better than anyone that you can't change the fuckin' past!"

Chichiri sat on the floor, staring up at Tasuki.  He was right.  Tasuki was right.  The past couldn't be changed, so agonizing over it wouldn't get a person anywhere.  He nodded once.  "You're right, Tasuki, no da.  It's done, no da."

"Good.  Now go to bed, it's fuckin' late."

When the temperamental man had gone, Chichiri crawled into his bed, blew out the candle, and went to sleep.

Morning finally came, and as the sun rose on a brand new day in Konan Country, Jiyuna stretched, yawned, and opened her eyes.  Immediately, everything came rushing back to her, and she resisted the urge to just pull the blankets back over her and go back to sleep.  She was in the midst of her own adventure, she knew, and perhaps she'd find herself, who she really was, before it was over.

She'd already taken a step in that direction last night, when Taiitsukun informed her that she was the daughter of an emperor.  It was all so hard to believe, but she had the shinzaho, and she didn't think Taiitsukun would have made all that up.


A soft knock on her door had her sitting up.  "Come in," she said.

The door opened and Chichiri entered the room, looking cheery as he usually did.  "Ohyo, no da!" he greeted.

"'Mornin'," she muttered.

Chichiri sat on the edge of the bed.  "How are you feeling, no da?"

"Not too bad," Jiyuna admitted.  "Still trying to swallow everything from last night.  I want to be in denial, but it's hard."

He smiled enigmatically at her.  "Denial won't get you anywhere, no da.  Besides, I know that it's true, no da."

"Oh?  How do you know that?"

"Do you remember the village you and your mother were in for a week when you were young, no da?"

Jiyuna scrunched up her face, thinking.  "That one with the beautiful river running through it?  Yeah, I remember… why?"

"Do you remember going fishing, no da?"

"Fishing…"  Jiyuna's eyes grew large, and she stared at him.  At the pale blue hair, that did a funny little flip at his forehead.  "Oh dear Suzaku… you!  You took me fishing!"

Chichiri grinned at her.  "Hai, no da!  But Jiyuna, there's something I must tell you, no da."

She noted the difference in his octaves.  This must be the serious Chichiri, she thought.

The monk took a deep breath.  "I knew who you were, no da.  The village did, and when you sat on that rock and told me that your father was dead, I wanted to tell you the truth, no da."

Jiyuna sat on the bed, unblinking.  "Everyone knew?"

He nodded slowly.  "I think that's why you were only there for a week, no da.  Your mother didn't like it.  She thought you'd find out before you could handle it, na no da."

"Instead, I never found out until after they were both gone."

Chichiri stood.  "I am sorry, Jiyuna-san, no da."

"No, Chichiri, it's okay.  The responsibility to tell me wasn't yours.  I appreciate you telling me now, though."

He leaned down and gave her a hug.  "Thank you, no da."

She smiled.  "You're welcome, no da.  Now get out so I can get dressed for breakfast."

The dining room was loud and boisterous when Jiyuna arrived.  Tasuki was doing some kind of impression with teacups, and Miaka was gobbling everything in sight.  Jiyuna sat down beside Hotohori.

"Here, I saved you this," he said, handing her a plate from under the table.  "If I hadn't, Miaka would have eaten it all."

Completely enthralled, Jiyuna watched her eat.  "Eat" wasn't really the word for it.  She inhaled everything, and Jiyuna wondered if she even chewed.  As she ate, she watched the seishi, joking with each other, laughing together.  They were a close group, she saw.  She hoped in time she'd be just as close with them.

"Hotohori-sama, are you coming with us?" Nuriko asked him.

The emperor nodded.  "The country's doing fine, and I think my advisors can handle me being gone for a short time."

Nuriko raised a slim eyebrow.  "Are you sure?"

"Of course I am," he snapped, then sighed.  "Gomen, Nuriko."

The small man stared at his emperor, deep in thought.  He looked so worried, his usually smooth, passive face was stressed, with deep worry creases in his forehead.

Hotohori caught the slightly older man's eye.  "I'm fine," he assured him.

After breakfast, everyone met outside the palace. Jiyuna was wearing robes Nuriko had given her from his cross-dressing days. She had thought that Nuriko was a woman when she awoke yesterday, and had become embarrassed when he told her that he, indeed, was a man. But, Nuriko had just smiled and said that it happened with everyone. Jiyuna didn't question about his cross-dressing, because, frankly, she knew it wasn't any of her business.

The emperor's advisors were throwing themselves at his feet, begging him not to go.

"Please! We can't do this alone!" they shrieked.

Hotohori shook them off.  "Of course you can.  You did it just fine when I was young.  As a seishi, it is my duty to do what I can."

The other's grinned. Tasuki walked up behind him and clapped him on the back. "'Ey, Hotohori, I can watch after Jiyuna if you want to stay," he joked.

Hotohori stiffened. "Thank you Tasuki, it won't be necessary." He walked over to his horse and mounted easily. The rest followed suit. It was then that Jiyuna noticed that there wasn't a horse for her.

"Uh…."

A hand reached down and touched her shoulder. She turned with a start and looked directly into the amber eyes of Hotohori. "You ride with me," he said. "We like to try to keep the number of horses down to a minimum, so Miaka rides with Tamahome, Chiriko rides with Mitsukake, and you ride with me."

Jiyuna shrugged and grabbed onto the thin, but large hand of the emperor, and gracefully swung her leg over so she was sitting on the horse in front of him.

Hotohori enjoyed the closeness that he achieved by having her ride with him. Gods, she smells wonderful, he thought and a secret smile curved his lips. Then, the group rode away toward Sailo Country, hoping to get there before the Seiryuu did.

It was near nightfall when the group finally stopped to camp. Jiyuna slid off Hotohori's horse and stretched her aching muscles. The others followed suit, and soon, they were building a fire and setting up tents.

An hour later, Jiyuna had wandered off into the woods. She had so much to think about, and sometimes, the others were a little overbearing. They were always asking "What's wrong?" and "Are you alright?" Jiyuna was used to talking about things when she was ready to. Her mother had never badgered her with questions, so these newfound inquiries were quite disarming.

A hundred yards or so away from camp, she came to a river. Pure, blue water flowed freely over rocks, casting small ripples that silently lapped the edge. Smiling at the peacefulness of the river, Jiyuna sat on a large rock that overlooked it.

She sighed heavily, and let her chin rest on her knees. She took a moment to appreciate her surroundings. The river, the tall, powerful trees that were covered in leaves and fruit, the songs of the many kinds of birds, all of them combined for a beautiful forest. Everything that had happened the past four days, all the pain, and anger and sadness, it all finally hit her in one terrible wave. It was the first time she could actually mourn her mother and the father she never got the chance to know. A sob escaped her lips, then another, and before she could even think about it, Jiyuna was sobbing. Tears spilled down her cheeks, soaking the robes where they covered her knees. Why? Why me? the thought ricocheted off the walls of her brain, searching desperately for an answer but finding none. After what seemed like years, the tears stopped flowing, but Jiyuna couldn't get her sobs under control. Finally, she swallowed and hiccupped and dried her face with her sleeve. She could feel a headache coming on. One that wouldn't go away until she slept it off. She was about to head back to camp when a new thought entered her mind.

Hotohori. The gorgeous emperor obviously felt something toward Jiyuna, whether it be fondness, friendship, or something else entirely. And me? How do I feel? She laughed aloud helplessly and shook her head. Technically, she was royalty, but she had been raised a peasant. How could an emperor ever love her? Jiyuna was definitely enjoying the closeness between the two as they rode, but she knew that in the end, she would probably go back to the village and Hotohori would probably marry one of the many girls in his harem. Probably, she thought bitterly.

A rustling sound behind her startled her. She turned quickly.

"Gomen ne, Jiyuna-sama. I didn't know you were here."

"Quite alright, Nuriko," she said smiling politely, but she knew that her face was all red and blotchy and Nuriko would surely know she had been crying. "I was just thinking."

The pleasant expression on the purple-haired young man faded into a solemn one. "You have a lot to think about, considering all that's happened these past days." He approached the rock and crawled up beside her.

For a moment the two sat in silence. Nuriko knew better than to push the young girl, but he was dead set on being there in case she did want to talk. And, in all honesty, Nuriko had to tell someone the thoughts that had been going through his head, as well.

"The day Nakago killed my mother was the worst day of my life," she confided. For some reason, Nuriko's presence was more that of an older brother than the seishi with superhuman strength. Gods, thank you for Nuriko, she thought quickly. "But I feel as though my being here with all of you is meant to be. I can't explain it though."

Nuriko swallowed. He knew that if he didn't say it now, he never would. "I understand completely."

Jiyuna raised an eyebrow in question, but Nuriko was looking over the river, a far away look in his violet eyes as he remembered.

"I was ten when my younger sister Kourin was killed."

The girl sitting next to him gasped.

"I went out one day, and Kourin decided to follow me. When she came running up to me, a horse went running past, and Kourin-" Nuriko broke off, unable to complete the sentence. He didn't have to though, the horror in Jiyuna's eyes told him that she figured out what had happened.

"My father told me to forget about Kourin, but I couldn't. She was my little sister, and I loved her dearly. So, I went up to her room and put on her clothes. That was when Ryuuen ceased to be, and Kourin was alive and not dead. And since then, I have been Kourin."

Jiyuna stared at Nuriko. He was still staring at the river, but was no longer trapped in the painful memory of his sister's death. "Nuriko…" she whispered, resting a hand on his slim shoulder.

He turned to her, blinking back the tears that threatened to spill down his cheeks. "Jiyuna-sama, I have finally accepted the fact that Kourin is always with me, and I don't need to be her to keep her alive. But if I hadn't become her, I never would have gone to the palace, and met Hotohori-sama, and Miaka might still be searching for the seishi."

She nodded, understanding what he said. Even the most terrible of disasters may have a phoenix waiting to rise from the ashes. How fitting, that Suzaku is a phoenix, she thought.

"Thank you Nuriko," she said, pulling the young man into an embrace.

He seemed shocked, then relaxed a little. "For what?"

"For telling me about you. Now I know that I'm not alone, and you know how much it means to me." She was crying now. Nuriko clutched her robes, and allowed a tear to fall for Kourin. Thank you, too, Jiyuna, he thought.

Their embrace was cut abruptly short by a loud scream. "It's coming from camp," Nuriko observed. The two ran as fast as they could back to the clearing in the forest where they had laid the tents. When they got there, everyone was engaged in fighting off guys dressed completely in black.

"They're assassins from Kutou!" Nuriko screamed. "Get behind me, Jiyuna-sama."

Jiyuna scoffed at him. "Back? Are you joking? These guys work for Nakago, and they're gonna get their asses kicked!" She ran at the nearest one and kicked him squarely in the stomach. The man fell back with an "Oof!" Growing up in the village, Jiyuna was fairly muscular, and she had learned some martial arts from the eccentric old man that no one liked.

Nuriko couldn't hide the surprise from his face. She may be a regular girl, but damn, she's tough! he thought. One of the guys tried to get close to Nuriko, but he grabbed him by the arm and threw him across the clearing effortlessly.

Tasuki was cursing up a storm because one of the guys had knocked his tessen out of his hands, but when he saw the guy Nuriko had thrown coming at him, he rolled out of the way and watched as the airborne assassin crashed into one of his own men. He then grabbed his tessen and screamed. "Everybody down!"

The others looked at him and dove to the ground. Jiyuna arrived a second late, unaware of what Tasuki was about to do.

"LEKKA SHIEN!!!!!"

She knew those words, but couldn't place them. That is, until a flame shot out of the iron fan and fried the assassins. Yesterday in the city, she remembered. Before she had passed out, she heard those words a moment before the thieves had been fried just like the assassins were.

Tasuki blew on his fan. "Sayonnara, ya bastards!" he grinned.

The others gathered around him. "Good work Tasuki-san," Miaka said.

"Will they send more, no da?"

Hotohori glanced at the night sky. Ominous black clouds had begun to roll in. "No," he said. "Not tonight. Everyone, to the tents. There is going to be a storm."