Disclaimer: Fushigi Yuugi was created and is owned by Yu Watase, and not Ari. Or Yume. Or Mirai.. or even Trav. We write this fan fiction story for fun and adapt it to our own story and characters. ^_^
Yume: Wow. It's been forever since we last updated *bows* Gomenasai. Ari-chan and I are oh so busy. What with college... and work... and sleep... and sleep.. and more college...and sleep... and studying...and did I mention sleep? Anyway. New chapter. Pretty chapter! Hope you enjoy and all that fun stuff. And I'll bother our lovely little author into getting the next chapter to you by late April... or else I shall... er...tickle her or somethin. ;-)
Ari: Well, hello all you readers out there! After months of waiting, it's new chapter time! (Mr. Anonymous, are you still with us? :P) I know.. my life has been.. busy.. crazy..er..I guess I've been a little laz—look! Over there! It's a Goa'uld..yeah..a Goa'uld ship chasing the Bebop! *ducks and quietly slips away* ;)
(I have now either thoroughly confused people or made them laugh. But, without further ado, MM chapter 8. :D)
Modern Miko: Chapter Eight
Deserts are unique and puzzling places. What is an oven during the day, a blurry haze of sand that reflects the light and is painful to the touch, at nightfall becomes a frigid environment—a case of extremes. Listening to the far-off cries of animals only now waking, Yume wondered how long it had been. Surely, there were many at home now quite worried about her. What if the police were involved? She could see the headline now, Teens Abducted in Visalia Shopping Center.
Or maybe they think I ran away…well, I always did want to get away for a while, to a fantasy world like this. No school, no parents… I even got captured, I should be happy! The adventure I've always wanted, right? But…who knew it would be so painful, or lonely..
Yume was now wide awake. She had slept most of the day, but awoke just as the sun was beginning to set. The air had a growing chill to it, and the lights of the campfires flickered on the walls of the shack. She was once again left to the thoughts swirling in her mind, watching the flickers, the shadows dancing. It was…mesmerizing. She yawned, and shivered.
It was not long after this that she heard footsteps approaching. Tasuki? Tamahome? Oh, please, not him. Or Ruzoku. On her guard, she wished not for the first time that she had some kind of weapon, or even the magic that Tamahome had repeatedly accused her of. Though she was not entirely defenseless—she had had a fairly significant amount of karate lessons—it would do no good to successfully fight one bandit, only to alert the entire camp.
As the door was swiftly unlocked, Yume was relieved to see Tasuki step through and enter the shack. He was carrying another blanket, and smiled at her.
"I hope you slept well. You seem rested." She nodded. "Good. I brought this for you." He crossed the room, draping the blanket over her shoulders. Yume tugged it forward, wrapping it around her more tightly.
"Thanks. I'm glad it seems you have plenty of these around—" She paused, taking in his appearance. He was now wearing a somewhat ragged-looking jacket made from a rough material similar to that of the blanket. It was several sizes too large for him. "Wait a minute. This isn't your blanket, is it?"
Tasuki looked startled at first, but he smiled warmly. "I'll be fine. I've gone without before. Really. It's no problem."
"Tasuki…"
"It's the least I could do," he said firmly. "Please, take it." She sighed—it seemed there was no arguing with him once his mind was made up.
"Anyway," he continued. "Tamahome will come to fetch you at dawn."
…Tamahome… Yume's conflicting feelings over the deal made in Ruzoku's tent had only intensified the more her mind dwelled on it. He had kissed her! She had been defenseless, and the man kissed her for no better reason then for her to stop yelling at him. He had accused her of witchcraft, stolen and lost her treasured ring. Now she was supposed to trust him on the word of another complete stranger, as nice as he was. She just was not sure…
"You will soon understand." Yume looked up, and her eyes met Tasuki's. His words hung in the air as she searched his face, seeing there a look that she could not quite place. As if he wanted to tell her something, but knew that he must wait.
"I certainly hope so," she muttered.
"You will. I…must go." Nodding to her, he left the shack, latch set in place. He probably wasn't supposed to visit me in the first place…Yume shook her head, adjusting her blankets and settling in a sitting position against the wall for another sleepless night.
*******
Of course, it wasn't as if she had wanted to go. But, struggling would do her no good, she had to cooperate if she ever wanted to find her friends and get home again. No matter how disgusted she was with a certain blue-haired bandit. Even if he did drag her out of the shack by her injured wrist, parade her throughout the camp like some kind of prize, and then dump her unceremoniously on a pallet in his spacious tent.
These were the things Yume kept telling herself, anyway. This was Tasuki's friend? Inwardly, she seethed as she watched him lounge on his own pallet across the room. Propped up on one elbow, he stared off into space with that infuriating smirk.
Where the heck do I go from here? The waiting was beginning to drive her crazy. She hoped that Tasuki was right, that it would start making sense soon. As it was, she felt like a member of some kind of one-person harem.
"Come here."
Yume's head jerked at the unexpected break in the silence. Tamahome said it quietly, still not moving from the position in which he was lying, but it was a command and not a request.
"…Why?..." Tasuki…if you are wrong…
Tamahome gave her an amused look. "You really don't know anything, do you? Just come. Don't force me to go to you." He sighed, beginning to get up.
Trust him.No.Yes.Why?He's…
"No!" Yume scrambled into a sitting position, cringing as Tamahome crossed the room. He sank to his knees in front of her and took her hands, keeping a firm yet not painful grip as she tried to tug them away from him. As she met his eyes with uncertainty, he reached into his coat and withdrew a small vial. He shook his head and muttered to himself as he removed the lid. Yume coughed at the odor.
"Doesn't smell very good, does it?" Tamahome said as he dipped two of his fingers into a green, paste-like substance. "You really are incredibly silly." He lowered his hand to Yume's wrist, and proceeded to apply the paste. It had an instant cooling effect.
"Oh." Yume relaxed her hands, and allowed him to repeat with the opposite wrist.
"It should speed the healing…" he said in a low, quiet way she was almost not sure she had heard. He finished spreading the paste, and released her hands.
"Um...thanks. I.." She looked away, somewhat embarrassed by her assumption. "Sorry," she whispered.
"Hm. It's nothing." His confident self had returned. "One injured person slows down the whole group, isn't that right?" He winked, returning to the other side of the tent.
Well, at least he isn't entirely heartless after all. Rather confusing… She sat for a while in silence. Her wrists did already feel a little better.
"Tamahome…"
"Hmm?"
"Do you… really think I'm a witch?" she blurted out, swallowing as he looked over at her. A stony, unreadable mask had come over his face.
"I just want to know," he said after a moment, slowly and deliberately. "What happened to Tatara?"
"Tatara? Well, what happened to Trav and Ari?"
"You tell me."
"…I'm not a witch."
"Suit yourself." Tamahome rolled over on his pallet, facing the wall. Yume felt like screaming in frustration. Her opinion of him once again dropped a few points. She had to get out of there, find somewhere more useful for her search.
"Are we just going to lounge around the tent all day?" Yume asked. She was tired of all this inaction. Every minute wasted was her cousin and friend stuck who knows where, and her unable to find them. Sitting in the shack for a day and two nights, and now wasting time sitting in Tamahome's tent? She would not stand for it.
"Of course not," said Tamahome. "This is the hottest time of the day in the desert, so everyone stays inside. Enjoy it while it lasts." He still had his back turned, but didn't sound angry.
I hate it when he makes sense…
Tamahome chuckled, as if he could hear her thoughts. As Yume began to wonder if the bandits just stayed in their tents from morning til late afternoon, Tamahome finally began to rise, stretching out his arms.
"Well, it's time now," he muttered, glancing over at her. "But first…" Tamahome disappeared through a flap separating the main room of the tent from a smaller one. Yume could hear sounds of him rummaging around for something. Now what?
When he reappeared a few minutes later, looped around his arms was a garment of some sort, made from a glossy and somewhat thin material. He dropped the purple and orange-detailed ensemble over her head.
"Wear this." Yume shook it off, taking it in her hands and spreading it out so she could get a better look at it. Maybe my harem idea wasn't so far off after all… It was somewhat like a cross between a kimono and a genie costume; a little revealing, but not obscene.
Yume glared at him. "What's wrong with what I've got on?" Tamahome raised an eyebrow, and she immediately regretted saying it. In this place, her outfit was more than unusual. A dark-purple tank top with detachable long sleeves, a black pleated knee-length skirt, net stockings, and black shoes. Yeah.. might be seen as just a little odd.
She sighed, looking away. "Nevermind…"
"Mmhmm. That's what I thought. So, you need to change now. We haven't got all day." Tamahome crossed his arms and tapped his foot on the tent floor.
"Tamahome..?"
"Hm? What's the matter, not your color?"
"…you need to leave…"
Tamahome's foot paused mid-tap. A strange expression came over his face, but soon smoothed.
"Oh. Fine. You can change in that room over there, I guess." He gestured towards the room he had brought the outfit from. "I'll be just outside, getting some food. Be quick with it."
Yume picked at the material. "Sure. Don't forget to get me food too, though." She looked at him sternly. He just blinked at her, before turning towards the tent's entrance and leaving without a word.
That jerk…he'd better not really be that selfish, I'm starving…
Scrunching up the outfit in one hand, Yume stalked off to the other room. The room was small, partitioned off by flaps of fabric on two sides. The other sides were the corners of the main tent itself. Stashed all along the "walls" were chests, baskets, and containers of all kinds. His loot pile? A look inside the containers revealed mostly expected things—jewelry, fine clothing, various plates and goblets. A few, mostly jars and vials and a few scrolls, Yume could not identify. Maybe they have to do with healing… like the salve for my wrists. Anyway, as fascinating as it was, Yume had to figure out what to do now that she was out of Tamahome's sight.
What should I do? Ack. Yume looked at the outfit again. If I leave here, I'll want to blend in. But this thing…maybe if I just put on over my own clothing…
Slipping the silken garment over her head, she tugged it down over her clothing. Her tank poked out at the top, but she figured it would work well enough…even make it more modest.
Take that, Tamahome.
Here was where she was stumped. Literally backed into a corner. The bandit would be back any minute now, and she hadn't devised any plan to eliminate his presence. Even in her slightly more elevated status, she still felt like a prisoner. I'm sorry, Tasuki. Your word is not enough.
A loud snort nearby startled her and brought her back to 'reality.' Kneeling, she lifted the edge of the tent where it met the ground. She couldn't see very far, as the tent was pinned down fairly regularly by wooden stakes, but she did see a hoof nervously pawing the ground.
Praying that the tent would not collapse around her, she tugged at one of the stakes, and her heard plummeted when it would not give. She supposed there must be something in the room that she could use.. this world was not likely to have any crowbars. Digging through the loot piles, she decided upon using a small golden disc as a lever. Placing the edge under the round head of a stake, she pushed upwards with all her strength…and watched the disc snap in half.
Not even real gold…poor guy. Or at least, this one isn't.
When she finally found something of actual metal, she frantically pulled up the two nearest stakes and scurried underneath. Narrowly missing the horse's dancing feet.
"Sorry…shhh…" Rising, she backed up against the outer wall of the tent. The dun-colored horse eyed her wildly, but didn't flinch as she slowly rested one hand on its neck.
Now what? Yume looked over her shoulder, towards the camp. Ruzoku was talking to a fairly large group of the men, she could tell that much. Tamahome, however, was nowhere in sight. But neither was whoever usually rode the dun.
Yume looked back at the horse. And saw her escape route.
*******
Ari: Okay, I'm back. What? You say you didn't see any Goa'uld ship? Wellll…er. *sweatdrop* ^_^;; Anyway. I can't make any promises about when the next chapter will be up, what with another Japanese exchange student coming at the end of next week, but I'll do my best. I think I will have more people bugging me about it this time anyway.. ha. (Wish I knew where all my girl readers went. :P Not that I mind mostly guys reading it but it makes me wonder what happened.. lol.)
By the way. Am I using 'thoughts' too much in this story? I feel like I use it an awful lot.. lol. Doesn't really bother me too much but I am hoping it doesn't bother other people.. You know, where Yume starts wondering what she should do, or if she should trust Tamahome and all that. I could just say something like "She wasn't sure she could trust Tamahome." Instead of Can I trust Tamahome?. I just naturally use the thoughts, I'm not sure why. :D
Well, til next time!