Transience of a Water Mirror
By Kourin Lucrece
Disclaimer: Nope, not mine.
Author's Note: I know I haven't updated in a long time, but please forgive me! I get side-tracked far too easily.
Chapter 2: Atonement Through Magic
Houjun had no idea how long he had been stumbling through the forest. He did not even truly remember getting there in the first place. The vision of all those he loved, dead... Hikou, falling in the water... All of it on his head... It whirled through his brain and beyond that, nothing matter. Houjun could have been walking for a week for all he knew or cared. The ground beneath his feet was rising into a hill that proved to be too much for his weakened state. As Houjun dropped to the ground, his pain-hazy mind had only one conscious thought: 'Oh Suzaku, just let me die...'
When Houjun awoke, he knew that he must be hallucinating. The hill where he had fallen was now a mountain, atop of which was perched a large temple or palace... He could not really tell as his vision was suffering badly. Waterfalls cascaded from numerous cliffs, their pale water cheerfully reflecting the morning sunlight. Oddly colored orbs floated in various places, but even stranger was the little girl floating in the air not three feet away. At least it looked three feet... Houjun couldn't tell.
"Ne!" the little girl trilled to someone over her shoulder in a far too perky tone. "He's awake!"
A small... woman... floated into view as well and Houjun gulped as he saw her face. Dear Suzaku, what was she? Despite that, Houjun pulled himself to his knees and bowed as well as he could. "Sempai."
The little girl snickered. "Sempai? That Tai-Yi Jun... Not 'sempai'!" She leaned in conspiratorially. "She's the ugliest in..." She didn't finish, as the old woman smacked the girl with a cane, sending her flying off.
"Stupid Nyan-nyans..." the woman muttered, turning to see that Houjun still knelt on the ground. "Get up," she snapped. The boy tried, but was not successful and with a sigh, Tai-Yi Jun set him floating up towards her home.
*
Houjun was sitting in the room that he had been given, thinking. A bandage stretched over the ruin of his eye and he ignored it. All of the things that Tai-Yi Jun had told him were making his head spin. Houjun was one of the Suzaku no Shichi Seishi? It didn't make sense. He didn't deserve it, murderer that he was. Tai-Yi Jun had said she was going to teach him to use his powers, and today had been their first lesson. Houjun thought of the pounding headache that had come as he tried to clear his mind. He was unable to do event that simple task. However, his teacher had not been angry.
"Rest, and think things over," she had said. "You need to accept that what happened was not your fault and that you have a very important task ahead of you."
Some things were easier said than done. He bitterly missed his friends, and his family. How could he move past their deaths? Houjun had died with them, back in Shoryuu. He was merely a faceless killer, who had destroyed the very people he loved.
Placing his head on the window sill, Houjun sobbed.
A while later, Houjun collapsed onto his bed, thoroughly tired from the outpouring of emotions. His mind, however, was clearer than it had been. He might not be able to accept what he had done, but perhaps he could atone for it. His eye had already been taken, the scar would forever remind him, but his decision went beyond that. He would make up for what he had done through his 'powers', as Tai-Yi Jun called them. Perhaps he would redeem himself through looking out for the future miko.
No, he would never forget and part of Houjun hoped he would not be forgiven, so that he might rot in hell as he deserved, but he would try to make it up to them. He was no longer Houjun. He was Chichiri.
*
Poor Houjun...
By Kourin Lucrece
Disclaimer: Nope, not mine.
Author's Note: I know I haven't updated in a long time, but please forgive me! I get side-tracked far too easily.
Chapter 2: Atonement Through Magic
Houjun had no idea how long he had been stumbling through the forest. He did not even truly remember getting there in the first place. The vision of all those he loved, dead... Hikou, falling in the water... All of it on his head... It whirled through his brain and beyond that, nothing matter. Houjun could have been walking for a week for all he knew or cared. The ground beneath his feet was rising into a hill that proved to be too much for his weakened state. As Houjun dropped to the ground, his pain-hazy mind had only one conscious thought: 'Oh Suzaku, just let me die...'
When Houjun awoke, he knew that he must be hallucinating. The hill where he had fallen was now a mountain, atop of which was perched a large temple or palace... He could not really tell as his vision was suffering badly. Waterfalls cascaded from numerous cliffs, their pale water cheerfully reflecting the morning sunlight. Oddly colored orbs floated in various places, but even stranger was the little girl floating in the air not three feet away. At least it looked three feet... Houjun couldn't tell.
"Ne!" the little girl trilled to someone over her shoulder in a far too perky tone. "He's awake!"
A small... woman... floated into view as well and Houjun gulped as he saw her face. Dear Suzaku, what was she? Despite that, Houjun pulled himself to his knees and bowed as well as he could. "Sempai."
The little girl snickered. "Sempai? That Tai-Yi Jun... Not 'sempai'!" She leaned in conspiratorially. "She's the ugliest in..." She didn't finish, as the old woman smacked the girl with a cane, sending her flying off.
"Stupid Nyan-nyans..." the woman muttered, turning to see that Houjun still knelt on the ground. "Get up," she snapped. The boy tried, but was not successful and with a sigh, Tai-Yi Jun set him floating up towards her home.
*
Houjun was sitting in the room that he had been given, thinking. A bandage stretched over the ruin of his eye and he ignored it. All of the things that Tai-Yi Jun had told him were making his head spin. Houjun was one of the Suzaku no Shichi Seishi? It didn't make sense. He didn't deserve it, murderer that he was. Tai-Yi Jun had said she was going to teach him to use his powers, and today had been their first lesson. Houjun thought of the pounding headache that had come as he tried to clear his mind. He was unable to do event that simple task. However, his teacher had not been angry.
"Rest, and think things over," she had said. "You need to accept that what happened was not your fault and that you have a very important task ahead of you."
Some things were easier said than done. He bitterly missed his friends, and his family. How could he move past their deaths? Houjun had died with them, back in Shoryuu. He was merely a faceless killer, who had destroyed the very people he loved.
Placing his head on the window sill, Houjun sobbed.
A while later, Houjun collapsed onto his bed, thoroughly tired from the outpouring of emotions. His mind, however, was clearer than it had been. He might not be able to accept what he had done, but perhaps he could atone for it. His eye had already been taken, the scar would forever remind him, but his decision went beyond that. He would make up for what he had done through his 'powers', as Tai-Yi Jun called them. Perhaps he would redeem himself through looking out for the future miko.
No, he would never forget and part of Houjun hoped he would not be forgiven, so that he might rot in hell as he deserved, but he would try to make it up to them. He was no longer Houjun. He was Chichiri.
*
Poor Houjun...