Warnings and Disclaimers on Chapter one!!
Thanks: I want to thank Purple Mouse (trauma sounds good), lila (thanks for the continuing support), lilee (I love your reviews!), P-chan and Abyssinian Babe (I like yer ficcies too) because you reviewed!!! I am terribly sorry for taking so long but I have tests and projects and exams coming up. Thank you for reading and please R&R
Willow's Heart-- The DiscrepancyAt Nuriko's words, Soi's face twisted into a disgusted expression and Tomo had to flex his hands continuously to keep them from wringing the life out of the naïve former Suzaku seishi. Suboshi growled at Nuriko because ever since Nakago had brought the other boy here, he disapproved of him. Amiboshi just stood at the side trying to not get involved at any point of argument.
"Anything the matter?" They all turned towards the door where Nakago stood in a blue robe that matched his eye color. Soi and Tomo gaped at Nakago's choice of wear, but then frowned deeply as they saw Nuriko glide up to him with a smug smile. "Ah Nuriko, are you bothering the others?"
"No Nakago-sama. I'm only here for you." Nuriko poured on the sugar and was pleased when he saw Soi's face go red and Tomo twisting his arm almost in half. "Do you need anything, love?"
"Iie Nuriko. However I have news about the Suzaku seishi." Nakago watched Nuriko's expression carefully and when he saw no recognition of the Suzaku in Nuriko's shadowed rose eyes, he smiled slightly and continued. "I have challenged them to a fight to the death in the Yami Plains" Amiboshi looked at his younger twin with a confused look in his eyes about the 'fight to the death'. Suboshi returned it and finally shrugged his shoulders and listened carefully to Nakago's instructions. "The fight will start mid-afternoon in two days and that will give us all more than enough time to prepare." The Seiryuu seishi all found this the perfect chance to be rid of the Suzaku no seishi and their miko. "However, Yui and Miboshi will stay here so that the Lady will not be in danger. The rest of us can handle this easily." Nakago let a small smile grace his lips as he stared at his secret weapon. Won't they be surprised at the surprise I have in store for them.
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Tamahome stood in the throne room where Hotohori had just announced the terms of Nakago's fight. Why does Nakago all of a sudden want to declare war on us so suddenly? He could have a secret weapon or more advanced powers to help him win over us. "This doesn't seem right." He finally said out loud.
"I know what you mean, Tamahome-kun, no da, but I believe we must go… and I have a sneaking suspicion that it has something to do with Nuriko-kun." Chichiri stated from where he stood beside a half-distressed, half-pumped up for battle Tasuki. At the mention of Nuriko's name, Tasuki visibly brightened. "Or it could be just a trick… we do not have all seven seishi anymore na no da." Tasuki bit his lower lip as Chichiri said this. He didn't want this whole battle thing not have something to do with saving Nuriko. He wanted the violet-haired seishi back so that he could tell him.
"It could be both Chichiri so we should just be careful and arm yourselves with everything you may need to fight with." The emperor of Konan smiled grimly. "We have to fight no matter what… I could mean life or death, but we have to be strong."
"That's right, Hotohori! I'm positive Nuriko is there! He just has to be." Their little miko sounded so eager. "I don't think I can wait two days."
"None of us can." Tamahome assured Miaka with a gentle smile of understanding. There was a definite gloom hanging in the room. The palace had not been the same without Nuriko gone. The court noticed the abrupt change as well and they kept asking all the seishi about 'Lady Kourin'. It made everyone even more uncomfortable without the soft laugh and the playful voice at the dinner table and around the gardens.
"Let us all rest well. We need our sleep." Mitsukake finally spoke up. It figures he would talk about their health. "Chiriko, Chichiri… please stay here. I wish to talk to you."
"That sounds like a good idea no da. I wish to talk as well." The others left, leaving Chichiri and Chiriko in the room with the healer.
"I know that Nakago is up to something and that it has to do with Nuriko-kun." Chiriko spoke up. "I'm getting a strange feeling about the fight in two days."
"As am I, Chiriko, no da. I am very worried that we might not be able to hold up against whatever Nakago has new to throw at us no da." The three seishi cast their gazes towards the ground. They were all worried, and they all knew it. They would be prepared though whether they can defeat the new weapon or not.
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~Two days later… three hours before the battle~
"Do you have your weapon, Nuriko-koi?" Nakago turned to his lover and grinned appreciatively. He had chosen this outfit for the former Suzaku seishi. Nuriko had his violet hair in a high braid and tied off with a black ribbon. He had a high collared, long sleeved shirt only half-done up to show an ivory chest underneath. He wore light silk pants that flowed perfectly around his legs and black Chinese slippers on his feet.
"What can I choose from?" Nakago gestured to the table full of weapons and Nuriko eyed them carefully. He smiled when he saw a long silver sword engraved with the Chinese kanji for darkness and one for death. The sheathe had black jewels encrusted in it and intricate designs of black smoke rising upwards. When he picked it up, he noticed the lightness and agility at which the sword could be handled.
This is definitely the sword for me. Then Nuriko chose a short dagger with a blood red sheathe as an extra. "I'm ready, Nakago-sama, but are the others?"
"Yes, we are ready." Nuriko turned smoothly to meet the angry eyes of Tomo. Soi, Amiboshi, and Suboshi stood at the doorway as well.
"Where is Ashitare?" Nakago asked firmly without turning.
"Waiting outside, Nakago-sama. He hates it in here because it is, in his words, too tame." Soi answered softly.
"I don't care about details about something like him, Soi." Nakago snapped and Nuriko noticed how Soi cringed slightly at the tone. "We must be ready to go, it will take an hour or so to reach the Yami Plains. Come, Nuriko. We must go choose our steeds."
"I'm one step ahead of you, Nakago-koi." Nuriko let his lithe body move against Nakago's seductively and leaned in close to take a hold of Nakago's ear. "I know what you want." He whispered softly and then turned back to his sword immediately after. Nakago smiled knowing that Nuriko was not talking about horses. (A/N: No duh.)
Soi fumed angrily, but decided instead to go check her reflection in the mirror. For all those years, she had longed after Nakago and now a Suzaku seishi had stolen him away from her in one day. She hated the immense feeling of jealousy that had boiled up in her blood, but there was a notion in her that said that Nakago was hers. It was a claim that she had him first, known him longest, but now everything had gone wrong.
Nakago's voice echoed through the halls. It was time to go and destroy the Suzaku seishi.
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Yeah! Finally, I finished and I am soooo happy. I could not get a decent chapter in before because I had tests and projects. Now I have exams coming up, so please be patient for the next chapter. I need some suggestions or else I swear I will get a writer's block on this story and I'm sorri fer not getting the lemon side story up yet… I'm working on it. Thanks for reading and pleez R&R!
~Nuriko no Tenshi~