A/N: Okay. I'm getting a little frustrated. I still have just one
review, but it's fine. I really do take pleasure out of writing this
story, so I don't mind if I get reviews or not. You have no idea how much
I smile when I write this, and that's something, coming from a normally
depressed person such as I. By the way, the closet translation for Rekki's
name is 'Reki' which means pebble I think, but I didn't have that in mind
when I named her. But, yeah, anyway, just read the story, okay? This is
from Rekki's and Amiboshi's POV. It'll switch off this time.
Yume no Fue
Chapter 4-Kanjo
By Futatsu no Kodou
Rekki breathed in sharply when she finally slowed down, clutching her chest. She had reached one of the small trading outposts she had passed earlier that day, running the entire way. The young woman sat down heavily and leaned up against one of the buildings, burying her face in her hands. She was ashamed of herself, running off like that, accusing him, and crying. She didn't cry. She hadn't, not since her mother had died when Kutou had attacked. Rekki was a shy and soft person, but she was normally strong at heart.
She tried to regain her composure, biting her bottom lip. She wrapped her arms around her knees, drawing them to her chest. Rekki sighed softly, rocking back and forth slowly. She didn't know what she would do now. She had promised Jua and Mika that she would bring their Kai-Ka back to them, or at least try, but she hadn't succeeded. He probably wouldn't come back at all now, because of what she had said.
Rekki felt guilty now. Had she accused him falsely? It just. . . her heart hurt, like it was being squeezed. Did she. . . did she love him? Was that what this was? Love. . . she turned the word over in her mind. If caring, being concerned, and wanting that person near you was what love was, then it must be it. She wanted him to come back, not because she had promised, but because she wanted him to. Rekki smiled a little at that thought. It felt good, to say that. I love Kai-Ka. . . Amiboshi? She thought, a blush creeping up on her cheeks. She didn't really know, she'd never loved anyone before. She experimented, thinking that thought.
Now she knew what she needed to do. She needed to go back to where she had found him. Hopefully he was still there. Then she would tell him how she felt, plain and simple. If. . . if he didn't accept her feelings, then she would have to deal with that when the time came. But right now she hoped for the answer she desired.
Rekki scrambled upright and dusted off her pants. Even though Kishu was her younger brother, he was still taller than her and his clothing hung loosely on her thin frame. She wiped the last traces of tears from her cheeks and prepared to go right back and set Kai-Ka straight.
It was then that Rekki heard the voices. She ducked back down, shifting behind a barrel. She didn't know who was out there. It was probably the people who ran this trading post. It was on the road so that they could receive goods from Sairou, the capitol, and other smaller villages would come here and trade as well. But, she still didn't know these people. She didn't want to know these people.
"I'm telling you, business is ssslower than ever thessse days. I dun know why. I hear Konan and Hokkan are having ss. . . similar problems." It was a gruff voice, sounding drunk, judging by the way he slurred his words. Rekki crouched down lower. If it was one thing, she didn't want any drunken people near her. Her father drank.
She didn't know what was in the barrel, but it smelled funny. It smelled like meat of some sort, maybe pickled fish. It made her nose itch. The young woman clapped her hands over her face when she felt the sneeze coming on, but that didn't stop it from alerting the two men. When one of them poked his face behind the barrel and saw Rekki crouching there, he smiled in a sick manner, with a glint of lust in his eyes. Rekki did the only thing she thought of. She sprung up and ran, knocking the man over, and screamed.
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Amiboshi poked the fire irritably. Suboshi hadn't said anything to him, leaving him to brood. He didn't think that Miaka had anything to do with this, even though he knew that if Seiryu's miko was where he was going then the Suzaku no Miko would be as well. Back then. . . he had known that she loved Tamahome, and had accepted it, even though it hurt.
He looked at the horse. It was pawing the ground, scuffing up dirt and dead grass. It would certainly make traveling easier than if he did so on foot. Still, he felt guilty. Had he really made her cry? But it was necessary! She had to go home. But. . . he had to help Suboshi. Then maybe he'd go back there and apologize. With that in mind, Amiboshi got up and stomped out the fire, making sure there were no kindling embers. He went to the horse and swung on bareback, prepared to make the best of the cool desert night. That was when he heard the scream.
His head whipped around when it echoed again across the desert. It was a shrill, terrified sound that was definitely feminine. Wait, was it Rekki? She'd gone that way! Without much more thought to what he should do, Amiboshi pulled sharply on the reins, turning the horses head quickly. He leaned forward slightly over the animal's neck and dug his heels into its side harshly. It was a good thing he was an adept rider.
The horse's hooves thundered under him, beating against the loose sand. The road curved and it was faster to go straight. At one point the sturdy horse slipped on the flying sand, threatening to send Amiboshi over its neck, but he clung to the reins grimly, staring straight ahead at the small cloud of dust that he was approaching.
There was another shrill scream but this one cut off abruptly as soon as it started. The dust cloud from the edge of the road seemed to move as if something was thrashing quite rapidly, sending up clouds of sand particles. He was getting closer and closer, steadily. Finally he could distinguish what was making the movements, and he didn't like it at all.
Rekki was struggling with an overweight, middle-aged man who was trying, unsuccessfully so far, to pin her arms behind her. Whether he was a slaver or just a lustful man without company didn't matter to Amiboshi. He was mad. The man didn't seem very coordinated, stumbling over his own feet, but he was obviously strong as he managed to keep a hold of Rekki's left arm, trying to constrain the other as well. Rekki had ceased crying for help and was trying to break free of the man herself.
As Amiboshi drew closer Rekki twisted her lithe body to face the man and shot a punch at his face while simultaneously stepping on his instep. The man recoiled in pain even though the small young woman didn't have a lot of force compared to him. That was when Rekki turned back around, writhing to escape his still firm grip. Her eyes locked with his for a brief moment and he saw her gasp. Her attacker took this moment to seize her other arm and twist it sharply behind her back, making her wince at the unexpected pain.
Amiboshi yanked the reins back, effectively halting the horse. He sprung from its back in one smooth fluid motion and he fumbled for his flute, tucked into his waistband. The drunken man hadn't noticed him yet. He threw Rekki to the ground roughly. She must have lost consciousness because she started to cry out but cut off abruptly when her head struck the ground. Good. Now he didn't have to worry about hurting her.
The man must have finally realized that he was there, because he turned around and leered at him. He didn't know what Amiboshi was capable of. What was a flute to him; nothing. The man didn't suspect a thing when the Seiryu, or former Seiryu shichi seishi brought his wooden flute to his lips and began to play.
The song sprung forth, spurred on by his nimble fingers. He always knew what to play to get the effects he wanted. The rage and anger in his heart surprised him, because he knew what effects this song would cause. Amiboshi's blood boiled at the very thought of what this pitiful man in front of him planned on doing to Rekki once he had caught her. He wanted that man to die.
Short, shrill notes echoed sharply across the desert. The rose and fell in the space of moments and he had the man on his knees as he started the final crescendo. The whir of fingers and emotions were the only thing that kept him playing. The man screamed, clutching his ears. This was how he killed his Kutou helper, back when he wanted Suzaku to trust him. This was exactly how that man had died, clutching his ears and screaming.
There was a loud thump and Amiboshi realized that he didn't have to play anymore. He stared down at the man, a trail of spittle hanging from his open mouth, eyes blank. Did he have to kill him? Should he have killed him? It had all happened so fast, he didn't know anymore. He felt the tell tale signs of regret in his heart. Why should people kill and hurt people? Why should he kill people? He could have knocked the man out and left him here, but he had killed him.
Shoving away his guilty and remorseful feelings, Amiboshi crouched down beside Rekki. He put a gentle hand to the side of her neck, checking her pulse. It was still strong. Her chest still rose and fell with each breath. She'd be fine. The young woman was just out for the time being. Now Amiboshi was torn. What did he do with her?
He obviously couldn't leave her here. That would be almost criminal. She might die from either the chill of the night or the heat of the day. But he didn't have time to take her back to the village either. He had already wasted more time than he could afford. Suboshi needed his help. He couldn't take her back, and he couldn't leave her here. Amiboshi would have to take Rekki with him.
With a small sigh Amiboshi scooped the young woman into his arms, where she nestled quite familiarly. He looked down at her softly, trying not to jostle her overmuch as he went over towards the horse. Thankfully it had not bolted or ran far. It was grazing on a clump of scraggly bush a little ways from where he'd left it. Rekki breathed quietly as he walked towards the horse. It soothed him somewhat, allowing him to leave his troubles momentarily behind with the dead man laying face down in the sand.
When he reached the horse Amiboshi draped Rekki unceremoniously over the saddle until he himself could mount. He swung up and settled himself before propping Rekki up in front of him. Her head lolled back against his shoulder and she sighed almost wistfully. Amiboshi watched her for a minute. She looked peaceful, but she'd have a large lump on her head come morning. Sometime during her scuffle she'd lost the cloth that had been wrapped around her head and her golden brown hair tumbled loosely down to her waist. She truly was. . . beautiful.
Amiboshi immediately chastised himself for that thought and picked up the horse's reins. Why in the world did he think of that? Now Miaka, she was beautiful. He shook his head at his own foolishness. Rekki stirred a little as the horse began to walk north, towards the direction Suboshi wanted him to go, he knew.
"Wo ai ni. . . Kai-Ka. . ." Amiboshi looked down sharply. Had Rekki just said something? She didn't speak further, instead falling into a deep slumber. He must have been imagining things.
A/N: Well, there ya go. Romance begins to blossom! But what is going to be Amiboshi's reaction to this? Doesn't he still love Miaka? And what is he going to do with Rekki? What does Suboshi think about all of this? What will happen when Rekki wakes up? When will I ever stop asking questions? Ja Mata, my faithful few readers!
Wo ai ni - I love you
Yume no Fue
Chapter 4-Kanjo
By Futatsu no Kodou
Rekki breathed in sharply when she finally slowed down, clutching her chest. She had reached one of the small trading outposts she had passed earlier that day, running the entire way. The young woman sat down heavily and leaned up against one of the buildings, burying her face in her hands. She was ashamed of herself, running off like that, accusing him, and crying. She didn't cry. She hadn't, not since her mother had died when Kutou had attacked. Rekki was a shy and soft person, but she was normally strong at heart.
She tried to regain her composure, biting her bottom lip. She wrapped her arms around her knees, drawing them to her chest. Rekki sighed softly, rocking back and forth slowly. She didn't know what she would do now. She had promised Jua and Mika that she would bring their Kai-Ka back to them, or at least try, but she hadn't succeeded. He probably wouldn't come back at all now, because of what she had said.
Rekki felt guilty now. Had she accused him falsely? It just. . . her heart hurt, like it was being squeezed. Did she. . . did she love him? Was that what this was? Love. . . she turned the word over in her mind. If caring, being concerned, and wanting that person near you was what love was, then it must be it. She wanted him to come back, not because she had promised, but because she wanted him to. Rekki smiled a little at that thought. It felt good, to say that. I love Kai-Ka. . . Amiboshi? She thought, a blush creeping up on her cheeks. She didn't really know, she'd never loved anyone before. She experimented, thinking that thought.
Now she knew what she needed to do. She needed to go back to where she had found him. Hopefully he was still there. Then she would tell him how she felt, plain and simple. If. . . if he didn't accept her feelings, then she would have to deal with that when the time came. But right now she hoped for the answer she desired.
Rekki scrambled upright and dusted off her pants. Even though Kishu was her younger brother, he was still taller than her and his clothing hung loosely on her thin frame. She wiped the last traces of tears from her cheeks and prepared to go right back and set Kai-Ka straight.
It was then that Rekki heard the voices. She ducked back down, shifting behind a barrel. She didn't know who was out there. It was probably the people who ran this trading post. It was on the road so that they could receive goods from Sairou, the capitol, and other smaller villages would come here and trade as well. But, she still didn't know these people. She didn't want to know these people.
"I'm telling you, business is ssslower than ever thessse days. I dun know why. I hear Konan and Hokkan are having ss. . . similar problems." It was a gruff voice, sounding drunk, judging by the way he slurred his words. Rekki crouched down lower. If it was one thing, she didn't want any drunken people near her. Her father drank.
She didn't know what was in the barrel, but it smelled funny. It smelled like meat of some sort, maybe pickled fish. It made her nose itch. The young woman clapped her hands over her face when she felt the sneeze coming on, but that didn't stop it from alerting the two men. When one of them poked his face behind the barrel and saw Rekki crouching there, he smiled in a sick manner, with a glint of lust in his eyes. Rekki did the only thing she thought of. She sprung up and ran, knocking the man over, and screamed.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------
Amiboshi poked the fire irritably. Suboshi hadn't said anything to him, leaving him to brood. He didn't think that Miaka had anything to do with this, even though he knew that if Seiryu's miko was where he was going then the Suzaku no Miko would be as well. Back then. . . he had known that she loved Tamahome, and had accepted it, even though it hurt.
He looked at the horse. It was pawing the ground, scuffing up dirt and dead grass. It would certainly make traveling easier than if he did so on foot. Still, he felt guilty. Had he really made her cry? But it was necessary! She had to go home. But. . . he had to help Suboshi. Then maybe he'd go back there and apologize. With that in mind, Amiboshi got up and stomped out the fire, making sure there were no kindling embers. He went to the horse and swung on bareback, prepared to make the best of the cool desert night. That was when he heard the scream.
His head whipped around when it echoed again across the desert. It was a shrill, terrified sound that was definitely feminine. Wait, was it Rekki? She'd gone that way! Without much more thought to what he should do, Amiboshi pulled sharply on the reins, turning the horses head quickly. He leaned forward slightly over the animal's neck and dug his heels into its side harshly. It was a good thing he was an adept rider.
The horse's hooves thundered under him, beating against the loose sand. The road curved and it was faster to go straight. At one point the sturdy horse slipped on the flying sand, threatening to send Amiboshi over its neck, but he clung to the reins grimly, staring straight ahead at the small cloud of dust that he was approaching.
There was another shrill scream but this one cut off abruptly as soon as it started. The dust cloud from the edge of the road seemed to move as if something was thrashing quite rapidly, sending up clouds of sand particles. He was getting closer and closer, steadily. Finally he could distinguish what was making the movements, and he didn't like it at all.
Rekki was struggling with an overweight, middle-aged man who was trying, unsuccessfully so far, to pin her arms behind her. Whether he was a slaver or just a lustful man without company didn't matter to Amiboshi. He was mad. The man didn't seem very coordinated, stumbling over his own feet, but he was obviously strong as he managed to keep a hold of Rekki's left arm, trying to constrain the other as well. Rekki had ceased crying for help and was trying to break free of the man herself.
As Amiboshi drew closer Rekki twisted her lithe body to face the man and shot a punch at his face while simultaneously stepping on his instep. The man recoiled in pain even though the small young woman didn't have a lot of force compared to him. That was when Rekki turned back around, writhing to escape his still firm grip. Her eyes locked with his for a brief moment and he saw her gasp. Her attacker took this moment to seize her other arm and twist it sharply behind her back, making her wince at the unexpected pain.
Amiboshi yanked the reins back, effectively halting the horse. He sprung from its back in one smooth fluid motion and he fumbled for his flute, tucked into his waistband. The drunken man hadn't noticed him yet. He threw Rekki to the ground roughly. She must have lost consciousness because she started to cry out but cut off abruptly when her head struck the ground. Good. Now he didn't have to worry about hurting her.
The man must have finally realized that he was there, because he turned around and leered at him. He didn't know what Amiboshi was capable of. What was a flute to him; nothing. The man didn't suspect a thing when the Seiryu, or former Seiryu shichi seishi brought his wooden flute to his lips and began to play.
The song sprung forth, spurred on by his nimble fingers. He always knew what to play to get the effects he wanted. The rage and anger in his heart surprised him, because he knew what effects this song would cause. Amiboshi's blood boiled at the very thought of what this pitiful man in front of him planned on doing to Rekki once he had caught her. He wanted that man to die.
Short, shrill notes echoed sharply across the desert. The rose and fell in the space of moments and he had the man on his knees as he started the final crescendo. The whir of fingers and emotions were the only thing that kept him playing. The man screamed, clutching his ears. This was how he killed his Kutou helper, back when he wanted Suzaku to trust him. This was exactly how that man had died, clutching his ears and screaming.
There was a loud thump and Amiboshi realized that he didn't have to play anymore. He stared down at the man, a trail of spittle hanging from his open mouth, eyes blank. Did he have to kill him? Should he have killed him? It had all happened so fast, he didn't know anymore. He felt the tell tale signs of regret in his heart. Why should people kill and hurt people? Why should he kill people? He could have knocked the man out and left him here, but he had killed him.
Shoving away his guilty and remorseful feelings, Amiboshi crouched down beside Rekki. He put a gentle hand to the side of her neck, checking her pulse. It was still strong. Her chest still rose and fell with each breath. She'd be fine. The young woman was just out for the time being. Now Amiboshi was torn. What did he do with her?
He obviously couldn't leave her here. That would be almost criminal. She might die from either the chill of the night or the heat of the day. But he didn't have time to take her back to the village either. He had already wasted more time than he could afford. Suboshi needed his help. He couldn't take her back, and he couldn't leave her here. Amiboshi would have to take Rekki with him.
With a small sigh Amiboshi scooped the young woman into his arms, where she nestled quite familiarly. He looked down at her softly, trying not to jostle her overmuch as he went over towards the horse. Thankfully it had not bolted or ran far. It was grazing on a clump of scraggly bush a little ways from where he'd left it. Rekki breathed quietly as he walked towards the horse. It soothed him somewhat, allowing him to leave his troubles momentarily behind with the dead man laying face down in the sand.
When he reached the horse Amiboshi draped Rekki unceremoniously over the saddle until he himself could mount. He swung up and settled himself before propping Rekki up in front of him. Her head lolled back against his shoulder and she sighed almost wistfully. Amiboshi watched her for a minute. She looked peaceful, but she'd have a large lump on her head come morning. Sometime during her scuffle she'd lost the cloth that had been wrapped around her head and her golden brown hair tumbled loosely down to her waist. She truly was. . . beautiful.
Amiboshi immediately chastised himself for that thought and picked up the horse's reins. Why in the world did he think of that? Now Miaka, she was beautiful. He shook his head at his own foolishness. Rekki stirred a little as the horse began to walk north, towards the direction Suboshi wanted him to go, he knew.
"Wo ai ni. . . Kai-Ka. . ." Amiboshi looked down sharply. Had Rekki just said something? She didn't speak further, instead falling into a deep slumber. He must have been imagining things.
A/N: Well, there ya go. Romance begins to blossom! But what is going to be Amiboshi's reaction to this? Doesn't he still love Miaka? And what is he going to do with Rekki? What does Suboshi think about all of this? What will happen when Rekki wakes up? When will I ever stop asking questions? Ja Mata, my faithful few readers!
Wo ai ni - I love you