A/N: Hello all. This is my sixth chapter, and the second to last, or last, I'll know when I finish anyway. Let's all pray for poor Amiboshi, okay? (and for poor Rekki while we're at it.) Anywho, I love the Lord of the Rings, so expect a fanfiction dealing with that in the future. Also, I just got the coolest songs from Rurouni Kenshin. My favorites are Sanosuke's songs, Kokoro no Hadaka, Ippatsu Yarou, and Two of a Kind. This might have something to do with the fact that Sanosuke and Amiboshi/Suboshi share the same seiyuu, or voice actor, Ueda Yuuji, who has the sexiest voice I have ever heard. If you haven't heard him sing, then I pity your poor existence, go download Nocturne, his Amiboshi song and you'll automatically go 'sigh'. I promise. Plus my reviewer who asked, we'll find out how he showed up barefoot without a horse and Rekki.
Yume no Fue
Chapter–Kettei
By Futatsu no Kodou
Amiboshi ran, and he was surprised at how fast his feet carried him over the grassy plains of Hokkan. He was finally in Genbu's country, and his adventure was drawing to a close. Yet, deep in his heart, Amiboshi was afraid that this would be his last adventure. And that was different as well. Before Miaka, Amiboshi would gladly have died for Seiryu's cause. But the stranger of two changes was that before Hanashi Rekki, he would never have thought twice to give his life for Suboshi. And now he did. He did not want to die, and he didn't want to make her cry. He didn't want to hurt her.
He couldn't erase her smiling face from his memory. How many times had she smiled at him without his notice? How many times had she cried in secret, without his knowledge? And how many times had he thought of her before he realized it. With Miaka, all he wanted really was to make amends for all the pain and anguish he had brought to her, he knew that now. She tugged at his heartstrings for being in need, but he hadn't truly, not really, loved her as a man to a woman. Not as he loved Rekki.
It was too late to tell her. He feared that he would die once he crested this line of hills he was climbing now. And that was fine, yet he regretted that he couldn't look her in the eyes and smile, that was all he wanted. Just to let her know that he felt for her as he thought she felt for him. He could remember comforting her after he had woken from under the tree. She had been staring at a grave, a recent grave. Her mother had died in the attack by the Kutou army, struck down by a blue and gray arrow. And she had cried.
He could still see that face, those tear-stained cheeks, and how she had smiled softly when he embraced her. She had been only thirteen at that time, and he fifteen. Had she truly been comforted? She had been there every time he played his flute outside his house it seemed, simply watching, or commenting on how well he played. And he had brushed it off as simply fascination for the instrument, oh how wrong he was!
She had matured since then, and it seemed only now in the face of danger that he noticed that. His parents had been pressing him to marry, and he resolved right then that if he survived this and was able to make it back to Sairou that he would wed Rekki. His heart was calmed at the thought of her, and it filled him with enough courage to crest the concealing line of hills towards the evil and his former priestess.
The site struck him silent and motionless for a moment, and he simply tried to take in the scene before him. He began to notice the little things first. There were two young people, unconscious by the look of them, off to the side. By the feeble chi they were emitting he could identify them as Genbu warriors. This would mean that they were Yui's seishi now. He noticed also that Miaka was not present as he figured she would be. But that didn't matter to him now.
A huge shape, wholly evil and despicable stood in the middle of a flattened plain, long white hair streaming behind. Energy of all colors crackled around the figure, yet none seemed to hit. It was a dazzling lightning show until he realized that it was coming from the Suzaku seishi. Ghostly forms all except for the two he knew as Tasuki, Tamahome and Chichiri. Nuriko, Hotohori, Mitsukake, and Chiriko were dead.
Amiboshi stood there for a moment, stunned, as he realized why none of the Suzaku seishi dared attack their enemy. The former Seiryu no miko hung suspended in front of him, a hostage, and a shield. None of them would hurt her. Suboshi seethed with rage and made Amiboshi tremble with anger not his own. He pitched forward and scrambled down the hill, barely even registering when the thongs of his sandals snapped and were left behind on the slope of the landscape. He stopped when he reached the bottom. He needed a plan.
/Suboshi. . . go ahead. . ./ He said inside his soul, knowing his brother would know what he meant. Suboshi was quiet. He greatly desired this, to save the woman he loved, and Amiboshi found no fault in that. He himself had someone he wanted to protect, and at least now he knew she would be safe, left behind in the village. Deep down, he had a feeling he wouldn't come out of this alive.
/But. . . Aniki. . . you'll die!/ Suboshi protested weakly, despite his desire to accept the freely given offer. But Amiboshi smiled softly.
"It's okay Suboshi. . ." He whispered to himself, watching stunned as the Suzaku seishi tried to retrieve Yui-sama. "This time, we'll never be apart again." Suddenly everything changed.
----------------------------
Suboshi looked down. There were feet and hands, but they weren't his. And he looked at his middle, at the gaping hole straight through him. Pushing away the blinding pain that he had experienced once before, Suboshi readied himself. Then he jumped. The colors almost blinded him and it was by sure luck that nothing hit him in mid-air.
The jump seemed to take an eternity, and so many thoughts whirled chaotically through his mind. His brother, Amiboshi, he owed him so much. His Aniki had always taken care of him, watched over him, and now was giving his life to him. As if a reminder, the gaping wounds sent a sharp stab of pain through him, but he had to hang on just a little longer.
Suddenly, time sped up again and he had Yui in his arms, clutching her tightly to him as he landed solidly on the ground, his feet jarring at the impact, but nothing compared to the screaming pain in his middle. Yui blinked, and seemed to be waking from a dream.
"Suboshi. . . what?" She said suddenly, a look of confusement on her face. He tried to smile for her. He gulped, still holding her closely. His mouth was dry, but then blood seemed to be affecting his tongue.
"Yui-sama. . . Yui-sama. . . I love you. . ." He managed to choke out, feeling tears in his eyes. She looked at him a little blankly, looking confused still. It didn't matter, even if she didn't love him. He had to say it for her, protect her.
"I love you." He whispered once more, feeling the tears spilling down his cheeks. He was in so much pain, he couldn't see anymore, everything was blurring together. He felt his arms release, and he dropped the former Seiryu no Miko. He felt himself falling back and barely registered when he hit the ground. Bleeding, and dying.
"I'm so sorry, Aniki. . ." He whispered hoarsely, feeling blood well up in his throat. He could feel his brother in his soul, the quiet acceptance. They would never be apart again. It would be okay. There was nothing to worry about. He had saved Yui, but he wished he could save Rekki for Amiboshi.
---------------------------------------------
Rekki stood, forlorn and alone, looking off in the direction Amiboshi had run too. She couldn't see a thing. He was. . . gone. He'd left her here. Her heart. . . it hurt, like it was going to break in two. It was unbearable. She felt tears roll down her cheeks and her breath catch in her chest. She didn't know what to do, yet she felt that something horrible was happening. She didn't know, couldn't remember how long it had been since he'd run away from her.
"Amiboshi. . ." She whispered under her breath, looking into the distance. Her horse had wandered off somewhere. Her feet began to move of their own accord, bringing one in front of the other, walking numbly to the ridge his form had at last disappeared from her sight. If she could just get there, just see what he was doing. She broke into a stumbling run, almost tripping over her own legs as she hurried and broke into a hasty sprint.
Her heart beat swiftly, worried and strained. What was happening? What would happen? Rekki made a small sobbing noise in the back of her throat, suddenly filled with the dreadful apprehension that she wouldn't make it in time. In time for what she couldn't say. She just had to hurry.
Breathless, she crested the rise, looking down. There was some sort of fight going on down there, she couldn't tell, and it didn't hold her attention as she spotted something she cared for. Amiboshi's body lay on the ground, surrounded by a spreading curtain of crimson blood. Desperate now, powered by need, Rekki scrambled down the steep bank, at one point stumbling so bad that she flipped and tumbled down the rest of the way.
There was a throbbing pain in her ankle, and looking down quickly she saw that it was already swelling. Ignoring the pain running brought her, she pushed herself forward and fell down beside Amiboshi's body, tears blurring her vision as she saw the extent of his injuries.
There was. . . a hole. . . in his stomach. She looked away fearfully, her own stomach protesting and threatening to be sick. She swallowed and gulped before turning back around and only looking at his face. His eyes were closed and his face pale, covered in a sheen of sweat. Hesitantly she smoothed his hair back from his face.
"Amiboshi?" She said softly, a gentle, soothing tone in her voice. She thought she saw his eyelids flicker.
"Kai-Ka?" Her voice was shaking now, tremulous. "Please open your eyes. . ." She begged him, stroking his hair back from his face still. "Please. . ." She said again, choking back a sob that threatened to overwhelm her frail form.
"Rekki?" She blinked. Amiboshi's eyes were half-open, glazed with pain. She nodded quickly.
"Yeah. . . it's me." She said, edging closer to his face, looking in his eyes. He blinked as a few of her tears landed on his face.
"Are you crying?" Rekki sobbed at the broken tone in his voice and nodded again. His hand came up limply and touched her cheek gently and she held it between her hands, unable to restrain her tears. He was dying.
His hand went limp and sagged downwards and she released it, watching in slow motion as it seemed to be falling and hitting the ground. She looked towards his face, full of pain, and she reached down and kissed him tenderly.
"I love you, Amiboshi. . ."
A/N: Oh my god! Look! She admitted she loved him! Next chapter coming soon!
Yume no Fue
Chapter–Kettei
By Futatsu no Kodou
Amiboshi ran, and he was surprised at how fast his feet carried him over the grassy plains of Hokkan. He was finally in Genbu's country, and his adventure was drawing to a close. Yet, deep in his heart, Amiboshi was afraid that this would be his last adventure. And that was different as well. Before Miaka, Amiboshi would gladly have died for Seiryu's cause. But the stranger of two changes was that before Hanashi Rekki, he would never have thought twice to give his life for Suboshi. And now he did. He did not want to die, and he didn't want to make her cry. He didn't want to hurt her.
He couldn't erase her smiling face from his memory. How many times had she smiled at him without his notice? How many times had she cried in secret, without his knowledge? And how many times had he thought of her before he realized it. With Miaka, all he wanted really was to make amends for all the pain and anguish he had brought to her, he knew that now. She tugged at his heartstrings for being in need, but he hadn't truly, not really, loved her as a man to a woman. Not as he loved Rekki.
It was too late to tell her. He feared that he would die once he crested this line of hills he was climbing now. And that was fine, yet he regretted that he couldn't look her in the eyes and smile, that was all he wanted. Just to let her know that he felt for her as he thought she felt for him. He could remember comforting her after he had woken from under the tree. She had been staring at a grave, a recent grave. Her mother had died in the attack by the Kutou army, struck down by a blue and gray arrow. And she had cried.
He could still see that face, those tear-stained cheeks, and how she had smiled softly when he embraced her. She had been only thirteen at that time, and he fifteen. Had she truly been comforted? She had been there every time he played his flute outside his house it seemed, simply watching, or commenting on how well he played. And he had brushed it off as simply fascination for the instrument, oh how wrong he was!
She had matured since then, and it seemed only now in the face of danger that he noticed that. His parents had been pressing him to marry, and he resolved right then that if he survived this and was able to make it back to Sairou that he would wed Rekki. His heart was calmed at the thought of her, and it filled him with enough courage to crest the concealing line of hills towards the evil and his former priestess.
The site struck him silent and motionless for a moment, and he simply tried to take in the scene before him. He began to notice the little things first. There were two young people, unconscious by the look of them, off to the side. By the feeble chi they were emitting he could identify them as Genbu warriors. This would mean that they were Yui's seishi now. He noticed also that Miaka was not present as he figured she would be. But that didn't matter to him now.
A huge shape, wholly evil and despicable stood in the middle of a flattened plain, long white hair streaming behind. Energy of all colors crackled around the figure, yet none seemed to hit. It was a dazzling lightning show until he realized that it was coming from the Suzaku seishi. Ghostly forms all except for the two he knew as Tasuki, Tamahome and Chichiri. Nuriko, Hotohori, Mitsukake, and Chiriko were dead.
Amiboshi stood there for a moment, stunned, as he realized why none of the Suzaku seishi dared attack their enemy. The former Seiryu no miko hung suspended in front of him, a hostage, and a shield. None of them would hurt her. Suboshi seethed with rage and made Amiboshi tremble with anger not his own. He pitched forward and scrambled down the hill, barely even registering when the thongs of his sandals snapped and were left behind on the slope of the landscape. He stopped when he reached the bottom. He needed a plan.
/Suboshi. . . go ahead. . ./ He said inside his soul, knowing his brother would know what he meant. Suboshi was quiet. He greatly desired this, to save the woman he loved, and Amiboshi found no fault in that. He himself had someone he wanted to protect, and at least now he knew she would be safe, left behind in the village. Deep down, he had a feeling he wouldn't come out of this alive.
/But. . . Aniki. . . you'll die!/ Suboshi protested weakly, despite his desire to accept the freely given offer. But Amiboshi smiled softly.
"It's okay Suboshi. . ." He whispered to himself, watching stunned as the Suzaku seishi tried to retrieve Yui-sama. "This time, we'll never be apart again." Suddenly everything changed.
----------------------------
Suboshi looked down. There were feet and hands, but they weren't his. And he looked at his middle, at the gaping hole straight through him. Pushing away the blinding pain that he had experienced once before, Suboshi readied himself. Then he jumped. The colors almost blinded him and it was by sure luck that nothing hit him in mid-air.
The jump seemed to take an eternity, and so many thoughts whirled chaotically through his mind. His brother, Amiboshi, he owed him so much. His Aniki had always taken care of him, watched over him, and now was giving his life to him. As if a reminder, the gaping wounds sent a sharp stab of pain through him, but he had to hang on just a little longer.
Suddenly, time sped up again and he had Yui in his arms, clutching her tightly to him as he landed solidly on the ground, his feet jarring at the impact, but nothing compared to the screaming pain in his middle. Yui blinked, and seemed to be waking from a dream.
"Suboshi. . . what?" She said suddenly, a look of confusement on her face. He tried to smile for her. He gulped, still holding her closely. His mouth was dry, but then blood seemed to be affecting his tongue.
"Yui-sama. . . Yui-sama. . . I love you. . ." He managed to choke out, feeling tears in his eyes. She looked at him a little blankly, looking confused still. It didn't matter, even if she didn't love him. He had to say it for her, protect her.
"I love you." He whispered once more, feeling the tears spilling down his cheeks. He was in so much pain, he couldn't see anymore, everything was blurring together. He felt his arms release, and he dropped the former Seiryu no Miko. He felt himself falling back and barely registered when he hit the ground. Bleeding, and dying.
"I'm so sorry, Aniki. . ." He whispered hoarsely, feeling blood well up in his throat. He could feel his brother in his soul, the quiet acceptance. They would never be apart again. It would be okay. There was nothing to worry about. He had saved Yui, but he wished he could save Rekki for Amiboshi.
---------------------------------------------
Rekki stood, forlorn and alone, looking off in the direction Amiboshi had run too. She couldn't see a thing. He was. . . gone. He'd left her here. Her heart. . . it hurt, like it was going to break in two. It was unbearable. She felt tears roll down her cheeks and her breath catch in her chest. She didn't know what to do, yet she felt that something horrible was happening. She didn't know, couldn't remember how long it had been since he'd run away from her.
"Amiboshi. . ." She whispered under her breath, looking into the distance. Her horse had wandered off somewhere. Her feet began to move of their own accord, bringing one in front of the other, walking numbly to the ridge his form had at last disappeared from her sight. If she could just get there, just see what he was doing. She broke into a stumbling run, almost tripping over her own legs as she hurried and broke into a hasty sprint.
Her heart beat swiftly, worried and strained. What was happening? What would happen? Rekki made a small sobbing noise in the back of her throat, suddenly filled with the dreadful apprehension that she wouldn't make it in time. In time for what she couldn't say. She just had to hurry.
Breathless, she crested the rise, looking down. There was some sort of fight going on down there, she couldn't tell, and it didn't hold her attention as she spotted something she cared for. Amiboshi's body lay on the ground, surrounded by a spreading curtain of crimson blood. Desperate now, powered by need, Rekki scrambled down the steep bank, at one point stumbling so bad that she flipped and tumbled down the rest of the way.
There was a throbbing pain in her ankle, and looking down quickly she saw that it was already swelling. Ignoring the pain running brought her, she pushed herself forward and fell down beside Amiboshi's body, tears blurring her vision as she saw the extent of his injuries.
There was. . . a hole. . . in his stomach. She looked away fearfully, her own stomach protesting and threatening to be sick. She swallowed and gulped before turning back around and only looking at his face. His eyes were closed and his face pale, covered in a sheen of sweat. Hesitantly she smoothed his hair back from his face.
"Amiboshi?" She said softly, a gentle, soothing tone in her voice. She thought she saw his eyelids flicker.
"Kai-Ka?" Her voice was shaking now, tremulous. "Please open your eyes. . ." She begged him, stroking his hair back from his face still. "Please. . ." She said again, choking back a sob that threatened to overwhelm her frail form.
"Rekki?" She blinked. Amiboshi's eyes were half-open, glazed with pain. She nodded quickly.
"Yeah. . . it's me." She said, edging closer to his face, looking in his eyes. He blinked as a few of her tears landed on his face.
"Are you crying?" Rekki sobbed at the broken tone in his voice and nodded again. His hand came up limply and touched her cheek gently and she held it between her hands, unable to restrain her tears. He was dying.
His hand went limp and sagged downwards and she released it, watching in slow motion as it seemed to be falling and hitting the ground. She looked towards his face, full of pain, and she reached down and kissed him tenderly.
"I love you, Amiboshi. . ."
A/N: Oh my god! Look! She admitted she loved him! Next chapter coming soon!