Wow!! Five pages. It's been a long time since I've written a chapter this
long.
Chiriko and everything Fushigi Yuugi doesn't belong to me but to Watase Yuu.
Chapter Two Nightmare
The shortest route to Old Mountain was through the Xian Pass, and the fastest way to Xian Pass was by boat. When the three seishi reached the river port, they had no choice but to wait in a long line to purchase tickets. Tamahome objected at first, but Chichiri knew that there was no better option. They would have to take Miaka to the Mountain as quickly as possible.
Tamahome took Chichiri to the side leaving Chiriko alone to hold their place in the line. "Are you sure about bringing him here?"
Chichiri glanced at the young boy staring at the ship in awe. "Chiriko is almost fourteen. It won't be long before he's an adult. We can't protect him forever."
Tamahome said no more. He knew that like numerous times, the monk was right. That's why he decided to drop the subject. Looking up at the ship, a smirk appeared on his lips. If Tasuki were here, he would be rambling on, desperately trying to come up with some lame excuse not to get on.
"It's a good thing Tasuki isn't here."
"Quit it!"
Tamahome was startled when he heard Chiriko shout. The boy rarely raised his voice above a low pitch. The two men quickly went back to the line to see what was wrong.
Sure enough, there was trouble brewing. Two boys about Chiriko's age towered over him, jeeringly. One of them, a pudgy boy with cropped black hair shoved Chiriko causing him to almost trip. "What a shrimp. Look, he barely reaches my shoulder."
Chiriko looked down at the floor, his voice shaking with anger. "I said leave me alone."
"Not until you move out of the line," said the other boy with a thick shock of red hair. "We're in a hurry but there're too many people here, so we need to make sure we get a ticket."
The boy was about to push Chiriko again, but a large hand grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. "Hey lemme go!" the husky boy cried.
Tamahome ignored him, only tightening his grip even more. The red head let out a yelp, since Tamahome was holding onto his wrist. "Chiriko," he said. "That's not the way you stand up for yourself. Let me show you how it's done."
The seventeen year old turned the two boys around so that he could look them in the eye. "Alright you little assholes, you get the hell outta here. And I'd better not see you within ten yards to this kid, or I'll break both of your legs and you'll be rolling around for weeks."
The two boys did not have to be told twice. They raced out of sight in a flash. Chichiri tried to ignore the many stares they were receiving. "Erm, I don't think it's a good idea for a guy your age to threaten young kids, Tama-kun."
Tamahome grinned at Chiriko, who smiled shyly looked down at his feet. "Any questions?"
The minutes ticked away, and the line gradually grew shorter. When it was their turn to buy tickets, Chichiri flashed his infamous smile at the man at the small desk.
"What's the boat fare?"
The man's beard was so long that it nearly touched the top of the desk he was standing behind. As he spoke, Chiriko watched it bob up and down brushing against the papers he held before him.
"Eighteen for adults, and ten for children twelve and under," the man replied gruffly.
Damn, eighteen for adults! That's robbery, thought Tamahome. He looked down at little Chiriko who could barely look over the tabletop, and had an idea. "Three adults," he told the man. "Plus one child, and a few small packs to carry on board. We like to travel light."
The man scribbled onto his paper, muttering: "Three adults...one child."
Chiriko looked at Tamahome begrudgingly. "I'm thirteen years old."
After paying, the three seishi stepped to the side to wait for the boarding call. Chiriko sat on a forgotten crate reading a book on ancient Chinese mythology.
"Do you always have to be so honest, kid?" said Tamahome. "We could have easily saved money."
"I'm not a kid," Chiriko declared haughtily. "I'm over twelve, so that makes me an adult."
Chichiri chuckled. "Your mind still revolves around money, eh Tama-kun? If you wanted a lower fare, then maybe you should have stayed behind with Mitsusake and Hotohori, no da?"
"Do you really think I would leave Miaka like this? Why did you come then?"
"Because I know the fastest trail to Old Mountain, no da?"
The monk had slipped back into his comfortable form of speech. If he was relaxed, then Tamahome figured he might as well do the same.
Chiriko was so involved in his book that the shouting on the crowded port had no affect on him. The outside world practically disappeared whenever he was reading. This time however, he heard a certain voice murmuring in the background. Chiriko lowered his book and turned around to see a cheery face framed with curly blonde hair standing between a man and a woman, possibly her parents. As if feeling his gaze on her, she turned her head, looked at him, and smiled. Blushing to nearly match his auburn hair, Chiriko's face quickly disappeared again behind the book.
Because of Miaka's condition, the seishi were allowed a second room for no extra cost. Chiriko would share one room with Chichiri, while Tamahome stayed with Miaka. The room Chiriko and Chichiri received room was small but comfortable.
The blue-haired seishi gazed out the window watching the orange sun sink into the liquid horizon. He had feared that after the rough incident on the dock, Chiriko would be depressed for the rest of the day. In fact, the boy seemed to have completely forgotten what happened.
All of a sudden, three children dashed across the deck laughing and shouting. Chichiri looked back at the young adolescent who was sitting on the bed reading. "Chiriko-kun, there are other kids about your age on the boat. Why don't you go stretch out your legs and play?"
"I'm busy."
The monk shook his head. Chiriko had to be the only child he ever knew that preferred reading over tumbling outside in the dirt. "You read and study entirely too much. You'll get old fast that way."
Chiriko looked up from his book and at the door, but made no advance towards it. It's almost as if he's afraid of something, Chichiri thought. "It wouldn't have to be for long," he reassured. "Just take fifteen minutes to stretch your legs."
Chiriko reflected back on the blonde girl at the dock. That girl would be on the ship. Maybe if he left the room, he would find her.
"I guess I could," he said. Marking his place in the chapter, Chiriko got up and left the room. "I'll be back in a bit."
Chiriko found a spot on the deck that gave him a wonderful view of the sunset. It had been a long day and doing this had always calmed his nerves. For a moment, he could see the sneering faces of the two boys from that afternoon. Of course it hadn't been the first time he was made fun of. Being picked on for his height and being a "nerd" was something Chiriko had grown up with.
Quickly, Chiriko shook the memories off. It was best not to think about it. This time it had been worse because Tamahome and Chichiri saw everything. Just talking about it or thinking about it made him feel worse. He would just pretend it never happened.
That was when Chiriko noticed the young girl only a couple of feet away. She was about the same age with curly blonde hair nearly reaching her waist. She stood with her feet propped up against the railing looking out at the river, her eyes looking just as bedazzled as his.
Chiriko felt his face heat up. It was the same girl from the dock! He would never know how he managed to summon the courage to speak to her, but somehow—by the grace of Suzaku—he moved closer to her and spoke.
"Umm...it's really pretty, isn't it?" he said.
She made no response.
What do I say now? "C-can you imagine...all the different types of fish in this river? There's a whole other world just beneath us. It's incredible."
"Hmm..." she said. Chiriko wasn't sure if she was trying to ignore him or just had nothing to say.
"Um...w-what's your name?"
That was when she looked at him; her brown eyes fixed on his and Chiriko felt his face flush. She was even more beautiful close up. "Mai," she said.
"N-nice to meet you, Mai. I'm..."
Before he could finish, the same woman that accompanied Mai on the dock shouted, "Mai!"
"I'm coming." And without another word, she waved goodbye to Chiriko and left hurriedly.
Chiriko watched her leave, and after she was gone, he stared at the corner where she had turned and disappeared. Several moments passed, and then his face broke out into an excited smile. She spoke to me! She actually spoke to me.
When Chiriko returned, he found that Tamahome and Chichiri had switched rooms at the last minute. Miaka was running another fever. Tamahome felt that she needed more air, so he moved into Chiriko and Chichiri's room which had a much bigger window.
Chichiri would sit out late that night, so Chiriko would have the room for himself. That night Chiriko was so excited that it took him half an hour to fall asleep, and in his dream, Mai was there. They were on a boat, a clear blue sky above them, and they looked out at the sea ready for a whole world to explore. It was just him and Mai and no one else.
But something was wrong. It started small, a slight discomfort that made Chiriko feel uneasy. Then it grew. He could feel something lurking, a dark presence in the back of his mind. He tried pushing it aside but like a stubborn memory that won't be forgotten, it persisted. Instead it only grew stronger.
Then he felt a strange sensation in his body and he shouted to himself, "Wake up!"
Chiriko felt his body jerk and sit up in bed; he was now awake in the dark room. Quickly he spun around in time to see a large sword sink into the mattress exactly where he had lain up until a second ago.
Then he saw the eyes. They were the cold steel blue eyes of a man looking at him, and in them was a murderous glint. Chiriko let out a shriek that seemed impossible for a boy of his size to make. The bedroom door slammed open and Chichiri rushed in. In a fraction of a second he took in the scene; he saw the boy on his bed and a large figure standing by him. Then he saw the gleam of a weapon and Chichiri immediately took action. He sent a wave of chi at the intruder, knocking him off guard. Chichiri moved forward but there was a quick flash of light so intense that he had to shield his eyes. When the light faded, the man was gone.
It was then that Tamahome rushed in. He went to the boy's side to calm him down. "Chiriko! What happened?"
But the boy couldn't speak. His entire body was trembling as he gazed bewilderingly at the gash the sword had made in the bed. This was a dream— it had to be a bad dream. Chichiri looked out the small window, the opening in the room that was left unguarded. It was impossible for that large man to have escaped through it. "Tamahome, you go after him. Chiriko and I will go to Miaka."
Chichiri grabbed the boy by the hand, and Chiriko stepped off the bed only to feel something cold and wet on his feet. He looked down to see himself standing in a small puddle of water. A long trail of water snaked around his bed.
It had been no dream. Someone else had been in that room with me.
We rushed to other room but Miaka was safe. The entire boat must have woken up because of my screaming. People were peeking outside to see who was the kid that had woken them up at one in the morning?
Tamahome-san and Chichiri-san spent the rest of the night searching the ship for that man, but came up empty. Whoever it was, the person was nowhere to be found. He was long gone, leaving nothing behind but a watery trail of footprints, and a shaken boy who had been awakened from a dream and was now slipping into a nightmare.
Author's Note: It's late...and I'm tired. Hope there aren't bad mistakes in this chapter. Goodnight folks. E-mail me if you feel the urge to.
Chiriko and everything Fushigi Yuugi doesn't belong to me but to Watase Yuu.
Chapter Two Nightmare
The shortest route to Old Mountain was through the Xian Pass, and the fastest way to Xian Pass was by boat. When the three seishi reached the river port, they had no choice but to wait in a long line to purchase tickets. Tamahome objected at first, but Chichiri knew that there was no better option. They would have to take Miaka to the Mountain as quickly as possible.
Tamahome took Chichiri to the side leaving Chiriko alone to hold their place in the line. "Are you sure about bringing him here?"
Chichiri glanced at the young boy staring at the ship in awe. "Chiriko is almost fourteen. It won't be long before he's an adult. We can't protect him forever."
Tamahome said no more. He knew that like numerous times, the monk was right. That's why he decided to drop the subject. Looking up at the ship, a smirk appeared on his lips. If Tasuki were here, he would be rambling on, desperately trying to come up with some lame excuse not to get on.
"It's a good thing Tasuki isn't here."
"Quit it!"
Tamahome was startled when he heard Chiriko shout. The boy rarely raised his voice above a low pitch. The two men quickly went back to the line to see what was wrong.
Sure enough, there was trouble brewing. Two boys about Chiriko's age towered over him, jeeringly. One of them, a pudgy boy with cropped black hair shoved Chiriko causing him to almost trip. "What a shrimp. Look, he barely reaches my shoulder."
Chiriko looked down at the floor, his voice shaking with anger. "I said leave me alone."
"Not until you move out of the line," said the other boy with a thick shock of red hair. "We're in a hurry but there're too many people here, so we need to make sure we get a ticket."
The boy was about to push Chiriko again, but a large hand grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. "Hey lemme go!" the husky boy cried.
Tamahome ignored him, only tightening his grip even more. The red head let out a yelp, since Tamahome was holding onto his wrist. "Chiriko," he said. "That's not the way you stand up for yourself. Let me show you how it's done."
The seventeen year old turned the two boys around so that he could look them in the eye. "Alright you little assholes, you get the hell outta here. And I'd better not see you within ten yards to this kid, or I'll break both of your legs and you'll be rolling around for weeks."
The two boys did not have to be told twice. They raced out of sight in a flash. Chichiri tried to ignore the many stares they were receiving. "Erm, I don't think it's a good idea for a guy your age to threaten young kids, Tama-kun."
Tamahome grinned at Chiriko, who smiled shyly looked down at his feet. "Any questions?"
The minutes ticked away, and the line gradually grew shorter. When it was their turn to buy tickets, Chichiri flashed his infamous smile at the man at the small desk.
"What's the boat fare?"
The man's beard was so long that it nearly touched the top of the desk he was standing behind. As he spoke, Chiriko watched it bob up and down brushing against the papers he held before him.
"Eighteen for adults, and ten for children twelve and under," the man replied gruffly.
Damn, eighteen for adults! That's robbery, thought Tamahome. He looked down at little Chiriko who could barely look over the tabletop, and had an idea. "Three adults," he told the man. "Plus one child, and a few small packs to carry on board. We like to travel light."
The man scribbled onto his paper, muttering: "Three adults...one child."
Chiriko looked at Tamahome begrudgingly. "I'm thirteen years old."
After paying, the three seishi stepped to the side to wait for the boarding call. Chiriko sat on a forgotten crate reading a book on ancient Chinese mythology.
"Do you always have to be so honest, kid?" said Tamahome. "We could have easily saved money."
"I'm not a kid," Chiriko declared haughtily. "I'm over twelve, so that makes me an adult."
Chichiri chuckled. "Your mind still revolves around money, eh Tama-kun? If you wanted a lower fare, then maybe you should have stayed behind with Mitsusake and Hotohori, no da?"
"Do you really think I would leave Miaka like this? Why did you come then?"
"Because I know the fastest trail to Old Mountain, no da?"
The monk had slipped back into his comfortable form of speech. If he was relaxed, then Tamahome figured he might as well do the same.
Chiriko was so involved in his book that the shouting on the crowded port had no affect on him. The outside world practically disappeared whenever he was reading. This time however, he heard a certain voice murmuring in the background. Chiriko lowered his book and turned around to see a cheery face framed with curly blonde hair standing between a man and a woman, possibly her parents. As if feeling his gaze on her, she turned her head, looked at him, and smiled. Blushing to nearly match his auburn hair, Chiriko's face quickly disappeared again behind the book.
Because of Miaka's condition, the seishi were allowed a second room for no extra cost. Chiriko would share one room with Chichiri, while Tamahome stayed with Miaka. The room Chiriko and Chichiri received room was small but comfortable.
The blue-haired seishi gazed out the window watching the orange sun sink into the liquid horizon. He had feared that after the rough incident on the dock, Chiriko would be depressed for the rest of the day. In fact, the boy seemed to have completely forgotten what happened.
All of a sudden, three children dashed across the deck laughing and shouting. Chichiri looked back at the young adolescent who was sitting on the bed reading. "Chiriko-kun, there are other kids about your age on the boat. Why don't you go stretch out your legs and play?"
"I'm busy."
The monk shook his head. Chiriko had to be the only child he ever knew that preferred reading over tumbling outside in the dirt. "You read and study entirely too much. You'll get old fast that way."
Chiriko looked up from his book and at the door, but made no advance towards it. It's almost as if he's afraid of something, Chichiri thought. "It wouldn't have to be for long," he reassured. "Just take fifteen minutes to stretch your legs."
Chiriko reflected back on the blonde girl at the dock. That girl would be on the ship. Maybe if he left the room, he would find her.
"I guess I could," he said. Marking his place in the chapter, Chiriko got up and left the room. "I'll be back in a bit."
Chiriko found a spot on the deck that gave him a wonderful view of the sunset. It had been a long day and doing this had always calmed his nerves. For a moment, he could see the sneering faces of the two boys from that afternoon. Of course it hadn't been the first time he was made fun of. Being picked on for his height and being a "nerd" was something Chiriko had grown up with.
Quickly, Chiriko shook the memories off. It was best not to think about it. This time it had been worse because Tamahome and Chichiri saw everything. Just talking about it or thinking about it made him feel worse. He would just pretend it never happened.
That was when Chiriko noticed the young girl only a couple of feet away. She was about the same age with curly blonde hair nearly reaching her waist. She stood with her feet propped up against the railing looking out at the river, her eyes looking just as bedazzled as his.
Chiriko felt his face heat up. It was the same girl from the dock! He would never know how he managed to summon the courage to speak to her, but somehow—by the grace of Suzaku—he moved closer to her and spoke.
"Umm...it's really pretty, isn't it?" he said.
She made no response.
What do I say now? "C-can you imagine...all the different types of fish in this river? There's a whole other world just beneath us. It's incredible."
"Hmm..." she said. Chiriko wasn't sure if she was trying to ignore him or just had nothing to say.
"Um...w-what's your name?"
That was when she looked at him; her brown eyes fixed on his and Chiriko felt his face flush. She was even more beautiful close up. "Mai," she said.
"N-nice to meet you, Mai. I'm..."
Before he could finish, the same woman that accompanied Mai on the dock shouted, "Mai!"
"I'm coming." And without another word, she waved goodbye to Chiriko and left hurriedly.
Chiriko watched her leave, and after she was gone, he stared at the corner where she had turned and disappeared. Several moments passed, and then his face broke out into an excited smile. She spoke to me! She actually spoke to me.
When Chiriko returned, he found that Tamahome and Chichiri had switched rooms at the last minute. Miaka was running another fever. Tamahome felt that she needed more air, so he moved into Chiriko and Chichiri's room which had a much bigger window.
Chichiri would sit out late that night, so Chiriko would have the room for himself. That night Chiriko was so excited that it took him half an hour to fall asleep, and in his dream, Mai was there. They were on a boat, a clear blue sky above them, and they looked out at the sea ready for a whole world to explore. It was just him and Mai and no one else.
But something was wrong. It started small, a slight discomfort that made Chiriko feel uneasy. Then it grew. He could feel something lurking, a dark presence in the back of his mind. He tried pushing it aside but like a stubborn memory that won't be forgotten, it persisted. Instead it only grew stronger.
Then he felt a strange sensation in his body and he shouted to himself, "Wake up!"
Chiriko felt his body jerk and sit up in bed; he was now awake in the dark room. Quickly he spun around in time to see a large sword sink into the mattress exactly where he had lain up until a second ago.
Then he saw the eyes. They were the cold steel blue eyes of a man looking at him, and in them was a murderous glint. Chiriko let out a shriek that seemed impossible for a boy of his size to make. The bedroom door slammed open and Chichiri rushed in. In a fraction of a second he took in the scene; he saw the boy on his bed and a large figure standing by him. Then he saw the gleam of a weapon and Chichiri immediately took action. He sent a wave of chi at the intruder, knocking him off guard. Chichiri moved forward but there was a quick flash of light so intense that he had to shield his eyes. When the light faded, the man was gone.
It was then that Tamahome rushed in. He went to the boy's side to calm him down. "Chiriko! What happened?"
But the boy couldn't speak. His entire body was trembling as he gazed bewilderingly at the gash the sword had made in the bed. This was a dream— it had to be a bad dream. Chichiri looked out the small window, the opening in the room that was left unguarded. It was impossible for that large man to have escaped through it. "Tamahome, you go after him. Chiriko and I will go to Miaka."
Chichiri grabbed the boy by the hand, and Chiriko stepped off the bed only to feel something cold and wet on his feet. He looked down to see himself standing in a small puddle of water. A long trail of water snaked around his bed.
It had been no dream. Someone else had been in that room with me.
We rushed to other room but Miaka was safe. The entire boat must have woken up because of my screaming. People were peeking outside to see who was the kid that had woken them up at one in the morning?
Tamahome-san and Chichiri-san spent the rest of the night searching the ship for that man, but came up empty. Whoever it was, the person was nowhere to be found. He was long gone, leaving nothing behind but a watery trail of footprints, and a shaken boy who had been awakened from a dream and was now slipping into a nightmare.
Author's Note: It's late...and I'm tired. Hope there aren't bad mistakes in this chapter. Goodnight folks. E-mail me if you feel the urge to.