~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(Well, here you go Eulene. This chapter, totally dedicated to you!!! Enjoy! Domo arigatou!!! Although you are a new reviewer, you're the first to review every update. Arigatou!!!!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter 17: Changes
Yukiko:
I swung the windows wide open to get some fresh air. Taking a deep breath, I let out a sigh. Everything was so......
Relaxing.
Relaxing?
Huh! Who was I kidding here?
Has there ever been a moment in my pathetic life that was relaxing?! All these years....
My hands curled up into a fist when I recalled all those years that happened to me. I gritted my teeth.
There was no justice in this world.
I slammed my fist into a wall to vent my frustration.
'Kuso, kuso, kuso!!!!!!! Darn you Seiryuu!!!!' I thought angrily as tears streamed down my face. I could remember, how Miaka treated her seishis, how she cared for Amiboshi, how she was nice to me although I was from Kutou.....
I could feel her concern, her love for everyone she met, even strangers.
How I wished that Yui was something like that. Lively, fun, loving.
How I wished I had someone like that. Someone of my own. Someone like.....
I shook my head furiously. No, damn it, no! It's over, it's in the past, in the past. She gone, gone forever! She's dead..... I turned to look at a mirror hanging on the wall. My face, my eyes..... She looked so much like me. Green eyes and long hair. Fair complexion. But something that made her looked the most beautiful of all was her shining heart. How she cared and protected me although she was younger.
Her smile.
Smile.
She used to smile all the time for my sake.
Suddenly, it struck me. Hikari..... Green eyes, fair complexion, long red hair.....
And....
Her smile.
Hikari...
She fits all the description....
And, she, she....
Her name was Hikari.
Coincidence?
Was fate fooling around with me again?
Hikari....
I will get my revenge on you.
"I......"
How I despise Hikari.
"Hate......"
Damn you, bitch. You made me suffer.
"You......"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hikari:
I sighed, resting my head on Tasuki's lap. "What's wrong?" Tasuki asked concerned. I shook my head a little before smiling at him.
"Betsune. I was just wondering, why does Taiit-sikun needs to see Chichiri for?"
Tasuki placed a finger on his chin, thinking for a suitable answer. He gave up after a few seconds and simply shrugged his shoulders. I sighed again.
Tasuki and I stayed in that position for a while, relaxing. Tasuki was the first to break the silence. "Hikari, what happened to you? Just now I mean..... Taiit-sikun told us to get out and all of a sudden Chichiri came running out, carrying you, demanding that you should be brought outside. What the hell man?!" Despite the harshness of his voice, I could see his amber eyes filled with concern.
"Anou...... Can you help me sit up?" I asked. My limbs were getting sore from just lying in the same position. Tasuki gently lifted me up and made me lean against him for support. I bend my neck slightly, letting my head rest on his shoulder.
"Well....." I began. "Chichiri said Taiit-sikun's palace was on a mountain but he never mentioned that this entire place was a shrine. Being the Suzaku oracle, I can't enter any other shrines except Suzaku's. Bringing me outside here doesn't really help much. This ground we're sitting on is still holy and sacred, still part of the shrine. But, outside here, the amount of pure ki is less so I can move a little. Being inside was.... It hurt a lot. The moment I entered here, my whole body was so....."
I gasped when Tasuki wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me closer to his body. He felt so.... so..... Warm. "Urusai," he whispered into my ear, trying to bury his face into my hair. "I don't want to.... Hear about anything.... That causes you pain....." I felt my heart skipped a beat.
"Sou ka?" A voice asked behind us, interrupting the intimate moment.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Narrator:
"Say, have you heard?" asked a farmer as he wiped beads of perspiration off his forehead using an already soiled cloth.
"About what?" asked another farmer as he leaned against his hoe, taking a short break from the hot afternoon rays.
"The woman who lives at the end of the village.... You know.... The one with two adopted children......"
"What about them?"
"Well, they went missing last night. Apparently, they found some blood stains at the forest.... And the doll that little Kohana was carrying. Eaten by some wild beast....." The farmer shook his head sadly.
"Poor little things..... But what wild beast? We've been living here for ages!!! There isn't any wild beast!!!!!!!" exclaimed the worried farmer.
"That's true.... Demo, the village chief says that we should not go out at night anymore. Until the beast or whatever it is, is captured or killed," informed the first farmer.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Somewhere in the forest, hiding in its shadow, the werewolf couldn't wait to kill again. This time, it won't waste time. It will go straight to the old lady's house. Chiriko's mother..... The werewolf licked its lips and grinned. A few more hours.........
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chichiri:
I rushed back to return to Hikari after my meeting with Taiit-sikun. "Hika...." I began when I stopped dead in my tracks. Hikari was leaning against Tasuki, telling him something about shrines. In a quick movement, Tasuki had wrapped an arm around Hikari's waist and was whispering something in her ear. I felt my anger rising. Tasuki....... How dare he.....
But my calm exterior wouldn't allow me to scream at my best friend. Instead, I folded my arms and coolly said, "Sou ka?"
Both of them turned around. Hikari blushed madly when she saw me. "Chichiri.... You..... you......." She eyed my new clothing. I was wearing a black long sleeved shirt with gold trimmings. The shirt had a picture of a golden phoenix on it as well as a matching pair of black pants. I wore a pair of black knee high boots. My once magic blue cloth with strange patterns had changed to a pure deep red cloth which was thrown over one shoulder and wrapped around the waist.
"Chichiri......" Hikari whispered. "You've changed..... You look so.... so...... So much more better!!!!!!" She said smiling fondly at me. I couldn't help but to smile back. "You should have told me before about you not able to enter any shrine," I said as I outstretched my hand to her. "Can you stand? I'll teleport you back to the palace first before the rest," I informed her as she now leaned against me for support. I could feel Tasuki staring at me as his eyes bored a hole through me. I mentally grinned to myself. Hikari was now with me instead of Tasuki. Just that thought alone made me want to leap ten feet in the air.
It felt so good to be in love again.
Even if it's just for a while......
Or maybe not.....
"Say, Chichiri, what happened to your clothes in the first place?" Hikari's voice brought me back to reality.
I merely smiled at her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~FLASHBACK~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Boku wa....." I began.
I heard Taiit-sikun sighed. I bowed my head in shame and guilt. I couldn't do this, I can't....... Kouran.......
"Chichiri," Taiit-sikun said softly as she gently lifted my chin up so I was facing her eye to eye. "It isn't right to torture yourself. I know very well your reason for becoming a monk. It's your way of showing your remorse but trust me Chichiri, nothing remains the same forever. Fate, no, your heart has decided to love again. Don't try to deny it".
"And if I do?" I question her back.
"The very same history will repeat itself. You know very well what I mean. Are you willing to risk it again?"
I thought silently as I tried to imagine losing Tasuki, my best friend and Hikari, my crush.
'Iie! Boku wa... Boku wa....' I thought undecidedly.
The sound of a river........
Mizu.....
Losing everything.......
Would, could I bear to lose everything all over again? My friends, my love, my home.......
Myself......
Could I bear to lose myself?
Looking up at Taiit-sikun with new confidence showing in my good eye, I broke out into a smile as I said, "So be it. I don't need to accept what fate throws at me. I can always throw it back. But this time, fate won".
Taiit-sikun smiled and nodded in approval at my decision. "Close your eyes child".
I did as I was told. When I re-opened them, I saw that my clothing had changed. So did my magic cloak. The only thing that remained the same was the kasa on my back.
But one thing definitely changed.
And, that thing is........
Me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~END OF FLASHBACK~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Oh," I replied, my smile growing wider. "It's a long story. Long story indeed...."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Narrator:
Motoki glided along the lone and silent corridors of the Kutou palace. No mere humans with the exception of the seishis dared to approach her. Motoki stopped suddenly in front of the bedroom doors of the Seiryuu Oracle, Yukiko. Motoki could feel hatred, a huge amount of hatred being emitted from Yukiko's ki. Motoki smiled. 'Definitely interesting....' Motoki thought to herself.
All her plans were falling into place.
"Hikari....."
"Tadaima....." With a ear piercing laughter that sounded more like a screech of a wild tortured animal, Motoki wrapped her black cloak around her and disappeared.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Author's note: www.idonotownfushigiyuugi.com
Anyway, minna thanks for your reviews! Wow, some short some EXTREMELY long.... Sugoi! Arigatou minna! Anyway, as for Hikari's past, I'm afraid you're gonna have to wait..... You see, I've planned her past completely and I'm not going to give it all away too soon...... * smiles slyly * Okay, to add to that, I must inform all of you reviewers of a serious matter. At the beginning of Dark Past, I promised that I won't update unless I had reviews. So, if you guys DON'T review, it will take a long time for the next update. I know it's stupid to make ridiculous promises like these but a promise is a promise, right?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List of Japanese words :
Mizu - Water
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(Well, here you go Eulene. This chapter, totally dedicated to you!!! Enjoy! Domo arigatou!!! Although you are a new reviewer, you're the first to review every update. Arigatou!!!!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter 17: Changes
Yukiko:
I swung the windows wide open to get some fresh air. Taking a deep breath, I let out a sigh. Everything was so......
Relaxing.
Relaxing?
Huh! Who was I kidding here?
Has there ever been a moment in my pathetic life that was relaxing?! All these years....
My hands curled up into a fist when I recalled all those years that happened to me. I gritted my teeth.
There was no justice in this world.
I slammed my fist into a wall to vent my frustration.
'Kuso, kuso, kuso!!!!!!! Darn you Seiryuu!!!!' I thought angrily as tears streamed down my face. I could remember, how Miaka treated her seishis, how she cared for Amiboshi, how she was nice to me although I was from Kutou.....
I could feel her concern, her love for everyone she met, even strangers.
How I wished that Yui was something like that. Lively, fun, loving.
How I wished I had someone like that. Someone of my own. Someone like.....
I shook my head furiously. No, damn it, no! It's over, it's in the past, in the past. She gone, gone forever! She's dead..... I turned to look at a mirror hanging on the wall. My face, my eyes..... She looked so much like me. Green eyes and long hair. Fair complexion. But something that made her looked the most beautiful of all was her shining heart. How she cared and protected me although she was younger.
Her smile.
Smile.
She used to smile all the time for my sake.
Suddenly, it struck me. Hikari..... Green eyes, fair complexion, long red hair.....
And....
Her smile.
Hikari...
She fits all the description....
And, she, she....
Her name was Hikari.
Coincidence?
Was fate fooling around with me again?
Hikari....
I will get my revenge on you.
"I......"
How I despise Hikari.
"Hate......"
Damn you, bitch. You made me suffer.
"You......"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hikari:
I sighed, resting my head on Tasuki's lap. "What's wrong?" Tasuki asked concerned. I shook my head a little before smiling at him.
"Betsune. I was just wondering, why does Taiit-sikun needs to see Chichiri for?"
Tasuki placed a finger on his chin, thinking for a suitable answer. He gave up after a few seconds and simply shrugged his shoulders. I sighed again.
Tasuki and I stayed in that position for a while, relaxing. Tasuki was the first to break the silence. "Hikari, what happened to you? Just now I mean..... Taiit-sikun told us to get out and all of a sudden Chichiri came running out, carrying you, demanding that you should be brought outside. What the hell man?!" Despite the harshness of his voice, I could see his amber eyes filled with concern.
"Anou...... Can you help me sit up?" I asked. My limbs were getting sore from just lying in the same position. Tasuki gently lifted me up and made me lean against him for support. I bend my neck slightly, letting my head rest on his shoulder.
"Well....." I began. "Chichiri said Taiit-sikun's palace was on a mountain but he never mentioned that this entire place was a shrine. Being the Suzaku oracle, I can't enter any other shrines except Suzaku's. Bringing me outside here doesn't really help much. This ground we're sitting on is still holy and sacred, still part of the shrine. But, outside here, the amount of pure ki is less so I can move a little. Being inside was.... It hurt a lot. The moment I entered here, my whole body was so....."
I gasped when Tasuki wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me closer to his body. He felt so.... so..... Warm. "Urusai," he whispered into my ear, trying to bury his face into my hair. "I don't want to.... Hear about anything.... That causes you pain....." I felt my heart skipped a beat.
"Sou ka?" A voice asked behind us, interrupting the intimate moment.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Narrator:
"Say, have you heard?" asked a farmer as he wiped beads of perspiration off his forehead using an already soiled cloth.
"About what?" asked another farmer as he leaned against his hoe, taking a short break from the hot afternoon rays.
"The woman who lives at the end of the village.... You know.... The one with two adopted children......"
"What about them?"
"Well, they went missing last night. Apparently, they found some blood stains at the forest.... And the doll that little Kohana was carrying. Eaten by some wild beast....." The farmer shook his head sadly.
"Poor little things..... But what wild beast? We've been living here for ages!!! There isn't any wild beast!!!!!!!" exclaimed the worried farmer.
"That's true.... Demo, the village chief says that we should not go out at night anymore. Until the beast or whatever it is, is captured or killed," informed the first farmer.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Somewhere in the forest, hiding in its shadow, the werewolf couldn't wait to kill again. This time, it won't waste time. It will go straight to the old lady's house. Chiriko's mother..... The werewolf licked its lips and grinned. A few more hours.........
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chichiri:
I rushed back to return to Hikari after my meeting with Taiit-sikun. "Hika...." I began when I stopped dead in my tracks. Hikari was leaning against Tasuki, telling him something about shrines. In a quick movement, Tasuki had wrapped an arm around Hikari's waist and was whispering something in her ear. I felt my anger rising. Tasuki....... How dare he.....
But my calm exterior wouldn't allow me to scream at my best friend. Instead, I folded my arms and coolly said, "Sou ka?"
Both of them turned around. Hikari blushed madly when she saw me. "Chichiri.... You..... you......." She eyed my new clothing. I was wearing a black long sleeved shirt with gold trimmings. The shirt had a picture of a golden phoenix on it as well as a matching pair of black pants. I wore a pair of black knee high boots. My once magic blue cloth with strange patterns had changed to a pure deep red cloth which was thrown over one shoulder and wrapped around the waist.
"Chichiri......" Hikari whispered. "You've changed..... You look so.... so...... So much more better!!!!!!" She said smiling fondly at me. I couldn't help but to smile back. "You should have told me before about you not able to enter any shrine," I said as I outstretched my hand to her. "Can you stand? I'll teleport you back to the palace first before the rest," I informed her as she now leaned against me for support. I could feel Tasuki staring at me as his eyes bored a hole through me. I mentally grinned to myself. Hikari was now with me instead of Tasuki. Just that thought alone made me want to leap ten feet in the air.
It felt so good to be in love again.
Even if it's just for a while......
Or maybe not.....
"Say, Chichiri, what happened to your clothes in the first place?" Hikari's voice brought me back to reality.
I merely smiled at her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~FLASHBACK~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Boku wa....." I began.
I heard Taiit-sikun sighed. I bowed my head in shame and guilt. I couldn't do this, I can't....... Kouran.......
"Chichiri," Taiit-sikun said softly as she gently lifted my chin up so I was facing her eye to eye. "It isn't right to torture yourself. I know very well your reason for becoming a monk. It's your way of showing your remorse but trust me Chichiri, nothing remains the same forever. Fate, no, your heart has decided to love again. Don't try to deny it".
"And if I do?" I question her back.
"The very same history will repeat itself. You know very well what I mean. Are you willing to risk it again?"
I thought silently as I tried to imagine losing Tasuki, my best friend and Hikari, my crush.
'Iie! Boku wa... Boku wa....' I thought undecidedly.
The sound of a river........
Mizu.....
Losing everything.......
Would, could I bear to lose everything all over again? My friends, my love, my home.......
Myself......
Could I bear to lose myself?
Looking up at Taiit-sikun with new confidence showing in my good eye, I broke out into a smile as I said, "So be it. I don't need to accept what fate throws at me. I can always throw it back. But this time, fate won".
Taiit-sikun smiled and nodded in approval at my decision. "Close your eyes child".
I did as I was told. When I re-opened them, I saw that my clothing had changed. So did my magic cloak. The only thing that remained the same was the kasa on my back.
But one thing definitely changed.
And, that thing is........
Me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~END OF FLASHBACK~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Oh," I replied, my smile growing wider. "It's a long story. Long story indeed...."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Narrator:
Motoki glided along the lone and silent corridors of the Kutou palace. No mere humans with the exception of the seishis dared to approach her. Motoki stopped suddenly in front of the bedroom doors of the Seiryuu Oracle, Yukiko. Motoki could feel hatred, a huge amount of hatred being emitted from Yukiko's ki. Motoki smiled. 'Definitely interesting....' Motoki thought to herself.
All her plans were falling into place.
"Hikari....."
"Tadaima....." With a ear piercing laughter that sounded more like a screech of a wild tortured animal, Motoki wrapped her black cloak around her and disappeared.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Author's note: www.idonotownfushigiyuugi.com
Anyway, minna thanks for your reviews! Wow, some short some EXTREMELY long.... Sugoi! Arigatou minna! Anyway, as for Hikari's past, I'm afraid you're gonna have to wait..... You see, I've planned her past completely and I'm not going to give it all away too soon...... * smiles slyly * Okay, to add to that, I must inform all of you reviewers of a serious matter. At the beginning of Dark Past, I promised that I won't update unless I had reviews. So, if you guys DON'T review, it will take a long time for the next update. I know it's stupid to make ridiculous promises like these but a promise is a promise, right?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List of Japanese words :
Mizu - Water
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~