Search for the Shinzaho: Take Two

Chapter 4: Jiyuna and Hotohori

Hotohori was right.  No sooner had they crawled into their tents for the night when the storms came.  The lightning flashed across the sky, angry streaks of blue, and the thunder rumbled so loudly it made the ground shake.  Rain poured down in torrential sheets, soaking the forest floor immediately.  Jiyuna was glad Chichiri had made the two tents waterproof.

She poked her head out of her tent, waved to Miaka in the other tent about ten feet away.  Miaka waved back, and then was pulled inside by Tamahome.  Jiyuna could hear her giggling.

In the tent with Jiyuna was Hotohori, Nuriko, Mitsukake, and Chiriko.  In the other tent with Miaka was Tamahome, Tasuki, and Chichiri.  Jiyuna laughed aloud when she heard a very irritated Tasuki yelp, then swear.  "I am not a fuckin' pillow, Chichiri!"

Chichiri's high-pitched voice carried as well.  "It wasn't on purpose, no da!" he protested.  "Miaka stuck her foot and tripped me, no da!"

"Jiyuna."

Hearing her voice, she pulled her now soaking wet head back into the tent, a wide grin still on her face.  "Hai?"

Hotohori smiled at her.  "Get some sleep.  We have another long day tomorrow."

She studied him, wearing a heavy black cape over his clothes.  "What are you going to do?" she asked.

"Stand guard for the night," was his reply.  Because I refuse to let anything happen to you, he added to himself.  He pulled the hood of the cape over his head, and disappeared out into the raging storm.

Jiyuna watched him go, thinking to herself that he must be crazy.  Only a crazy man would go out into that storm, she thought.  Lying down on her bedroll near the opening of the tent, Jiyuna watched him for several moments, then tried not to giggle.  The emperor of Konan looked so uncomfortable sitting rigidly against the trunk of a tree.  Good night, Hotohori, be safe.  Her crimson eyes drifted closed, and she let sleep take her.

She was dreaming, she knew. Trapped in the past, there was her mother, her golden, smiling face standing at the fire cooking. Jiyuna felt tears sting her eyes. "Okaasan," she whispered. Then, her mother's face was replaced by Hotohori's. He was smiling warmly, dressed in his casual clothes, with his brown hair framing his face. Suddenly, the emperor's face dissolved and was replaced by the Kojin's. He grinned evilly and held up his sword, which was covered in crimson. The blood dripped off and pooled at his feet, where the lifeless form of her mother lay.

Something was shaking her. "Jiyuna. Jiyuna, wake up." The voice seemed far away, and she couldn't take her eyes off Nakago. "Jiyuna, please, wake up."

Then, Nakago's face began to disappear, and she realized she was back in the tent. Something wet was all over her face. She opened her eyes and saw Hotohori kneeling over her, his hands on her shoulders, his wet hair dripping water onto her face.  His amber eyes were wide and concerned, and when he saw she was awake, sighed in relief.

"Hotohori." She wiped the water from her face.

"Gomen," he apologized. "You were dreaming, and I was afraid you would wake the others."

Jiyuna sat up. It seemed a lot quieter than it had been when she fell asleep. It took her a moment to figure out why. "Did the rain stop?"

Hotohori grinned then. "Hai, and the sky is absolutely beautiful right now." He grabbed her hand and pulled her out into the middle of the clearing. "Look." He pointed up.

Jiyuna looked up and let her mouth drop open in amazement. The sky was a velvet black color, but it was nearly invisible, for it seemed to be bursting with stars. There were so many of them, and there was no moon this night. She didn't even think there needed to be a moon, the stars allowed plenty of light to see by.

While they were looking up, a falling star shot across the sky. "Wow," Jiyuna whispered. Then, the story her mother had always told her about shooting stars caught her memory.  "Hotohori, do you know the story about shooting stars?"

He smiled, knowing full well what the legend said. His Suzaku symbol was, after all, the star. "No, what story?"

"It's said that if two people see a shooting star while they are together, they will never be apart, and will be in love for eternity." It wasn't until after Jiyuna said those words that she realized what she was saying. Her face flushed bright red. "At least, that's what my mother always told me," she added quickly, hoping he would not catch the insinuation in the story.

He had, of course, and Hotohori, too, turned a bright crimson. "I think that that is a very wonderful story," he told her. "Perhaps we should go to sleep before dawn rises and we are too tired to keep up with the others."

But instead of moving toward the tent, they continued to stand in the clearing, staring at each other.  An uncomfortable gnaw of awkwardness began to chew at Jiyuna, and she started forward, intent on sweeping past the emperor, and going back to sleep before she did anything stupid, like kiss him.

But when she took that first step, dizziness erupted in her head.  A sharp pain stabbed through her side and she pitched forward, right into his arms.  He caught her easily, steadied her, but kept his hands on her hips.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"H-hai, I'm fine.  Just dizzy," she told him.  She tilted her head up, stared at him in the starlight.

Hotohori stared back, mesmerized by those eyes.  He hadn't noticed before, but there was a ring of gold around the red, and he knew he never wanted to look at anyone else's eyes in his lifetime.  He made no move to step away from Jiyuna, and when she leaned in and rested her head against his powerful chest, he gathered her in his arms, didn't want to let her go, ever.

They didn't speak a word, and they stayed in the warm embrace for what seemed like years. There was no then, no desperate search for the shinzaho, no pain, no sadness, there was only Hotohori and Jiyuna, here and now, in an embrace that couldn't have been broken by the coming of the end of the world.

Jiyuna felt all weariness leaving her body. All she felt was Hotohori's muscular arms surrounding her, keeping her warm, safe. All she could breathe was the rain from his cape that almost overpowered her senses. All she could hear was his heartbeat, strong and calming. Gods, I think I'm falling in love. The sudden realization hit her. Her first instinct was to break the embrace and run off, but she wouldn't lose him just when she had found him.

Hotohori sighed contentedly. Jiyuna felt wonderful in his arms. Even though it was he who was holding her, he felt like she held him as well. As though, no matter what, she would never let him fall. Gods, I think I'm falling in love, he thought. This girl, this beautiful girl, made everything he did everyday worth it. All the sacrifices he made for this country, for Suzaku, they meant nothing compared to what he felt when he was around Jiyuna. I will make you my empress.

Jiyuna pulled back, but didn't step away from him.  She wanted to see him, to see that beautiful mane of chestnut hair frame that angular and stunning face, to see those amber eyes, full of… if she didn't know any better, she could have sworn that love.

The emperor stared down at her as well, and knew, knew in his heart that if he didn't kiss her now, his heart would simply break.  So as one hand slid up her back to cup the back of her neck, he leaned down, covered her mouth with the gentlest kiss he could summon.

Oh, shit, she thought.  He's kissing me!  Hotohori's soft lips caressed her own, and she wanted to cry at how soft and undemanding they were.  She wrapped one arm around his waist, the other cupped the side of his face, and took the kiss deeper.

And as she melted, Hotohori lifted her in his arms, and carried her back to the tent.

Morning came very early for the travelers, Jiyuna and Hotohori in particular.  Suzaku knew how long they had been in that clearing, and when Hotohori carried into the tent, she curled up against him, his arm protectively and lovingly around her, and fell asleep.

Miaka awoke first by the loud rumbling in her stomach. She tried to move, but realized she was stuck. Sometime during the night, Tasuki had rolled and sandwiched her between himself and Tamahome. She pushed him away enough to dislodge herself from the sleeping seishi and went outside. She stood tall and twisted, her back groaning and cracking from sleeping on the hard ground. Miaka could tell that no one else was awake, so she wandered over to the other tent and poked her head into it.

The sight of Hotohori and Jiyuna snuggled together in the coolness of the morning made Miaka's heart skip a beat.  They looked so perfect together, it made her want to cry.

Her stomach rumbled again, and she decided to start looking for food.

Back in her tent, Tasuki felt cold. The warmth that been there most of the night was gone. He inched backward and came in contact with a body. Thinking it was Miaka, he slid himself close and fell back asleep.

Tamahome opened his eyes. He was about to greet Miaka good morning, but instead was greeted by flame-red hair and loud snoring.

The peaceful silence of the morning was abruptly broken by a very loud and very angry Tamahome screaming "Tasuki! Get the hell away from me!"

Miaka, who had been frantically searching through the saddlebags for breakfast, looked at the tent just in time to see Chichiri scrambling out. Then, the tent began to shake and move, along with grunting and the occasional punch landing.

"Hey! I thought you were Miaka! Sorry!" Tasuki yelled back.

That did it.

"MIAKA?!?! YOU PERVERT!!!" Another rustling was heard, then Tasuki came flying out of the tent, followed by an enraged Tamahome.

The others, Chiriko, Mitsukake, Jiyuna, Hotohori, and Nuriko, ran outside just as the poor bandit was flung across the clearing into a tree.

They all cringed. It looked like it really hurt. But, Tasuki stood up, his face seething with anger. "Baka! It was an accident!" Then, he lunged at Tamahome, tackling him to the ground. "Gen-chan always triumphs!!" he yelled, pummeling Tamahome with his tessen.

"Ow! Tasuki! That hurts!" he shielded his face with his hands, only to get hit on top of the head.

"Nuriko…" the deep baritone of Hotohori's voice sounded.

Nuriko stepped forward. He had seen Hotohori and Jiyuna lying together this morning, and knew that something must have happened last night. He made a mental note to ask - or better yet, beat if out of - Jiyuna later.

"Break them up, please."

A wide, evil grin spread across the seishi's face. "Of course, Heika-sama." He walked over to the feuding guys and effortlessly pulled them apart.

"What is it with men and beating the hell out of each other?" Jiyuna muttered.  Miaka, who was standing next to her, giggled.


"Tasuki, Tamahome, why don't you two walk down the river and fill the water pouches?" Hotohori suggested, giving them a menacing, or-else stare.

Tasuki's face went from pissed to scared. "R-r-river? As in water?"

"Yeah, Tasuki." Tamahome sneered. "A raging river with white rapids."

The mountain bandit turned white. He started trembling, but seemed to regain his coolness quickly. "Ha, that's alright. Let's go, Tama-chan or we're never getting out of this damned forest." He started off in the direction of the river.

"DON'T CALL ME TAMA-CHAN!!!" he yelled, racing after Tasuki.

The others busied themselves by tearing the tents down and getting the horses ready for riding.

Jiyuna was helping Chichiri roll the bedding when a terrible, blood-curdling, woman-like shriek echoed through the forest. She jumped up, ready to fight whatever bad guy there was, but others didn't look very concerned. Nuriko glanced up, a wryly amused expression of his face, then went back to folding a blanket.

"Nothing to worry about, Jiyuna-sama," Chichiri told her. "Tama-chan is just dunking Tasuki in the river, no da."

She looked at him, confused. "Why would that make Tasuki scream like that?"

Chichiri grinned. "Tasuki is terrified of water, no da."

"Oh," she said. That certainly explains the shriek.

Hotohori had barely heard Tasuki scream. He was too enthralled with watching Jiyuna and Chichiri laugh over an inside joke.

"It isn't polite to stare, Hotohori-sama," Nuriko said. He seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, nearly startling the young emperor.

His face turned several shades of red. What could he say? He had been caught.

"Look, Nuriko," he said finally. "She's smiling. After all she's been through this week, and she can still smile."

Nuriko nodded. "We're all still young. It's good that she's beginning to get over what has happened. Now, with you at her side, she'll get over it much more quickly."


The emperor raised a dark eyebrow.  "Dammit, Nuriko, how do you know these things?"

"It's called observation, Hotohori-sama.  Anyone within ten feet of either of you can see what's going on in your heads," he paused for a moment, "and your hearts.  I think it's wonderful, and what you both need.  But don't forget why we're out here in the wilderness."  The violet-haired man patted him on the shoulder and strolled away.

The taller man frowned, feeling guilty. Here he was, thinking about Jiyuna, when he should have been concentrating on the task at hand, which was getting the shinzaho.

A few minutes later, Tamahome and a drenched Tasuki came back from the river. A victorious smile was plastered on the blue-haired seishi, while the usually courageous bandit had a scowl on his handsome face and was muttering every foul word he could think of.

Jiyuna saw how miserable Tasuki looked and frowned.  The two seemed to go it quite often, but it wasn't very fair of Tamahome to exploit the bandit's fear like that.  She pulled on a tent spike, and very wicked grin spread across her face.  If she just waited for the perfect moment… there!  Tamahome was right behind her.  She yanked as hard as she could and the spike came out of the ground, and out of her hands.  It flew behind and she heard a satisfying thunk and an yelp.

She spun around, one hand over her mouth in mock horror.  Tasuki was rolling on the ground laughing so hard tears were spilling down her cheeks, and Tamahome was sitting, rubbing the lump already forming on his head and staring at the spike.

"Oh dear Suzaku, Tamahome, are you all right?  I am so sorry!" Jiyuna said, rushing to him.  "It was stuck in the ground, and I didn't know you were behind me!"

"Oh, yeah, Jiyuna, I'm all right.  It's okay, don't worry about it."

"Miaka!  Get over here and kiss your boyfriend's head, I think I hurt him!"

Miaka bounded over, gave Tamahome a soft peck on the lump.  Jiyuna nearly cracked up at the lovesick grin that appeared on his face.  She walked past Tasuki and winked.  He jumped up from the ground and showed her his fangs.

"You did that on purpose?"

Jiyuna grinned.  "Hey, it's not fair when someone does something like what he did to you.  Let's just say you owe me one, Gen-chan."

He grinned again.  "You got it, Jiyuna-chan."


The group mounted the horses and headed down the road. After about a mile of riding, Miaka asked the question she had been dying to ask for a while. "How will we find the shinzaho once we get to Sailo Country?"

"We'll have to go see the emperor and ask him about it." Tamahome told her.

"But what if he won't let us have it?" she asked again.

"Then we'll just kick his ass," Tasuki broke him. He had finally dried off in the sun and after Jiyuna's revenge was back to his usual antics.

Jiyuna leaned rather heavily against Hotohori. She was exhausted, and her side still was not completely healed.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

She looked up at his strong face, his proud eyes, his soft, silky hair. "Hai," she said.  "My side hurts, that's all."

"We could have Mitsukake heal it for you," he offered.

Jiyuna shook her head. "Someone might need it more than me." She still saw concern on the emperor's face, so she added, "Besides, I'm a tough girl, I can handle it."

That caused him to smile. "We'll be stopping in a village tonight. Perhaps sleep on a real bed will help."

They rode on. The forest thinned out to flat plains, with wheat swaying in the light breeze. Jiyuna breathed in the cool wind, loving the feel of it blowing on her face. She looked up again at Hotohori, and saw the breeze blow his hair back from the side of his face.

Suddenly, Chichiri was beside them, frowning slightly. "Hotohori-sama, I feel a strong chi, no da. It feels like Nakago's."

As if in response to Chichiri's feelings, the horses began to get antsy. They pawed at the ground and snorted loudly, throwing their heads around.

"Jiyuna, go with Chichiri," the emperor said. She knew better than to argue with him right now, even though she was willing to fight. She transferred herself onto the back of Chichiri's horse, and watched as Hotohori pulled his sword out.

They started over a rise, and she had the distinct gut feeling that the bastard who had killed her parents was waiting for them on the other side of the hill.

Jiyuna could not have been more right.