Disclaimer: I don't own Fushigi Yugi, but I do own this story and all new characters. I also own a really nifty pencil sharpener. Look! It can do tricks! (points)
Musical selection: "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)", performed by Green Day, from the Nimrod LSD
xxxxx
- CHAPTER 01: ROADS TO THE PAST -
xxxxx
Yuki Keisuke decided long ago that he was a calm man.
Not one of those scatterbrained folks who fell apart at the slightest hint of anxiety or trouble. Such consternation proved to be unfruitful, and only resulted in headaches and shabby rumours over someone's gallantry. Proving them wrong and become the swashbuckling hero, of course, resulted in fame, honour, and, of course, a large female following. It was only rewarded to those who could easily balance buckets of trouble with relative ease, and still flash an oh-so-charming smile at the horde of girls following. Composure was the key to success and the key to the opposite sex.
Telling people such things often resulted in their believing that he was a level-headed youth, equipped to handle problems of vast proportions and stress with virtual effortlessness and no ill-humour. It made good on job interviews, and with a dash of his charm added into the mix, nearly everyone was won over by his boyish attitude.
Yes. A calm man indeed.
"MIAKA! GET YOUR BUTT OVER HERE, NOW!!!"
For the most part.
Keisuke wondered why in the world he hadn't postponed the luncheon date to a more reasonable hour, preferably an hour that didn't require Miaka to spend an extra two hours primping and pampering for it. He should have known that it would take his baby sister at least an hour to get ready, and then another hour to have a pre-luncheon snack. With all the food she ate, Keisuke thought it was only by some miraculous divine intervention (at this, he glared at the cheerful ruby phoenix that popped up in his mind) that she never gained a single pound. Or at least all that running around she does to get to the places she's late at…why is that girl never on time for anything?
He shrugged his jacket on, prepared to leave without her if she didn't come to the front door within two minutes. This was absolutely ridiculous. One would think that seeing her beloved Taka would make her prepare faster than the speed of light. Yet, today, she must have forgotten who was supposed to be joining them for lunch in the first place.
Running a hand through honey blonde hair, he grimaced against the thought of taking the umbrella to her room, whacking her unconscious, and dragging her to lunch as she was. However, Yui would be furious, Tetsuya would tease him unmercifully, and Taka would beat him into a bloody pulp for touching his one true love.
Gag me, Keisuke thought with the insensitivity of one who has not yet met his soul mate, leaning against the wall and turning his eyes towards the stairs. He flinched as he heard a crash from down the hallway, followed by inane laughing. I need a beer.
xxxxx
Down the hallway in her room, Yuki Miaka got up from the floor and rubbed her leg. It surely wasn't her fault the stupid table hadn't held the weight of the pile of clothes she had thrown upon it. She decided to leave her mom a note about it, and then pay for it out of her job money. Not that she wanted to spend it on getting a new table – food was a much wiser and safer choice – but money didn't exactly grow on trees in the Yuki household. And Miaka knew better than to ask for money to pay for a broken object whose current state was obviously her own fault.
Well, I can't be blamed, Miaka thought, laughing. I want to look good for Taka. And nothing I have in my closet looks right today! She sighed grumpily, falling face first into the covers on her bed, ignoring the fact that she still had nothing on except her lacy undergarments. It was the first time in nearly three weeks that she had been able to be with Taka. His new job took up a lot of his time, alongside college, and she was no better off with her job as a daycare attendant. Keisuke, being the wonderful brother he was, suggested a luncheon for the group of friends, on a day that both Taka and Miaka had off from work.
Miaka had groaned at first, having looked forward to spending the entire in Taka's arms. But she soon cheered up – Yui was her best friend, and Tetsuya was one of coolest guys she knew. Besides, she knew that they had especially planned such an outing for them as group. And she loved the park too, so it had taken less than a few seconds to give her affirmative response to the request. The last time they had all been together in one place was six months ago, and six months was far too long a time to spend apart from such good friends.
"MIAKA!"
"I'm coming!" she yelled back in response, crawling from her bed, and grabbing the one thing decent she had found in her closet – a tan-colored sundress with tiny red flowers dotted all over it. Taka had bought it for her on her last birthday, and she had been positively thrilled that he had remembered (she never would have forgiven him if he hadn't). It was her second birthday with him in her life, and she knew with a swelling feeling of joy that it wouldn't be her last.
The petite brunette grabbed a brown leather coat from the back of her desk chair and shoved it on, beginning to randomly throw clothes back in their respective drawers. A whirlwind couldn't have done as much damage as she had, but what did she care? She had a date with Taka, and was spending time with her closest friends as well. It was going to be a fabulous day.
Miaka paused for a moment as she thought about that. It's not entirely true, is it? All my closest friends aren't here…and I have no idea where they could possibly be. She turned her head to the pictures that sat on her nightstand, the pictures she knew she could never live without. When seeing some of them, Miaka's mother had raised questioning eyebrows, but had allowed them to stay after Miaka's tearful insistence.
The first was of her, Yui, Tetsuya, Taka, and Keisuke the day they had visited the amusement park nearly a year ago. She recalled the jubilance of that day, especially when Taka had gotten extraordinarily sick and had spent the rest of the day with his face buried in a brown paper bag. Miaka had been furious with both him and Keisuke, who had the habit of sneaking up on people during their worst moments and taking candid pictures of them. Miaka wondered briefly if Taka was still paying her brother not to release those pictures around the college campus.
She giggled at the mental image that presented as she gently touched the picture next to it of her and Taka. They had been in the park some months earlier when a 'photographer for hire', as Taka referred to them, showed up out of nowhere and asked to take a picture of them for fifty yen. Taka, showing a personality trait quintessential Tamahome, had believed the price far too high, but had finally been coerced by Miaka into taking the picture. She was glad it had been a beautiful day, or else the picture, she knew, would never have been worth the ice cream money she spent for it.
But the last picture only brought to her face a bittersweet smile as memories took her by a calm force, like the rolling of the tides. It had been taken in the book before they were to set sail in search of the shinzaho, before the day had ended in a tragedy that had marred the voyage. She had brought the camera from her world, and had gone around snapping pictures like a madwoman, taking as many candid pictures as she dared. Her friends had been startled by the workings of the camera, and she still laughed, remembering one certain red-haired bandit's reaction to it. This was the only picture she had of them all together, and she grinned sadly as she thought of what an odd group they had been: a child prodigy, a fiery-tempered bandit, a reserved healer, a cheerful monk, a cross-dressing beauty, a dashing miser, a benevolent emperor, and last of all, her, a regular Japanese schoolgirl.
She also knew that it had been the last time they were all together alive.
She put the picture down, shaking her head of the images that pierced her skull. Why in the world am I thinking this? Keisuke is waiting for me…oh, no! Keisuke!
Her task left incomplete, she raced out the room at breakneck speeds.
"Keisuke! Don't leave without me!" she screeched, flying down the hallway and through the living room towards the front door. She noticed blankly that he was still there, but it didn't register in her mind quick enough, and the speeds she had been running at finally caught up with her, to her dismay. With bone-cracking thud, she slammed right into the front door.
Keisuke blinked and laughed. "Gee, this seems familiar. Me, peeling you off some wall or door you've ran into? You're too obvious, Miaka!"
"Gehme uff," came the garbled response from the twitching human figure. Keisuke crossed his arms.
"I should just let you stick there, and let you consider how late you've made us," he replied with a smile. "But then again, we'd be even later! Don't worry, Miaka-chan! Big brother is here to save the day!"
A few minutes later, after squealing protests of pain from Miaka and choking laughter from Keisuke, they had managed to run to the bus stop just in time to catch the bus that was starting to pull away.
xxxxx
"They're late."
Yui glanced up from the book she was reading, and leveled a long look at the blue-haired youth sitting across from her at the picnic bench. It was the umpteenth time he had mentioned it, and she felt her nerves starting to fray from the repetition of the obvious state of affairs. "I've noticed, Taka-kun. I've noticed for the past half an hour, and the past two minutes you repeat the same mundane thing." Taka raised an eyebrow at her, and then frowned.
"You don't think anything happened to them?"
"Considering we're talking about Miaka here," Tetsuya drawled, peering out at the other young man from behind his trademark pair of sunglasses. "I highly doubt it. She probably couldn't find anything to wear…"
"Or she caused them to miss the bus…" Yui added helpfully.
"…so I wouldn't worry too much, Taka," the older youth advised, resting his cheek in his hand. "Keisuke wouldn't want to miss this, and it would take a pack of roving elephants and a large amount of sedatives to keep Miaka away from the promise of food."
Taka grunted in response, and Yui rolled her eyes, trying to hold in laughter, both of them knowing what Tetsuya had said was true. Miaka's appetite was famous (or was that infamous?) among their clique of friends, and the legends stemming from it were never too far from the truth. Even in worst-case scenarios, the subject of food always brought the lovable girl to a screeching halt. Of course, her hunger always seemed to get the best of her at the most inconvenient of times.
Taka leaned back on the bench, resting on his elbows and looking out over the sparsely crowed park. "I'm still surprised Keisuke didn't buy that car you told him about. It was a good price, and nice looking too. Lots of miles to the gallon, and all that." Tetsuya grunted.
"Keisuke's been spending too much time with you the past two years," he grumbled, peering at the younger man over the edge of his sunglasses. "He saw the price and nearly freaked. I think he muttered something about being economical and conventional, but I just call that being cheap." He sighed. "Honestly, Taka, you two are a couple of peas in a pod. The only thing you don't have in common is Keisuke's habit of chasing every living thing with the double X-chromosome."
Taka grinned widely as Yui shot Tetsuya a long, reprimanding look. "Why would I do that when I have a girlfriend who chases every edible thing that used to have chromosomes?" The two young men laughed as Yui clucked her tongue in mock disgust, turning her attention back to her book. A slight breeze lifted her long tendrils of sand-blonde hair to gently caress her cheeks. Since her and Miaka's return from the book, she purposely decided to let her hair grow long (with much of Miaka's giggling advice – the brunette always enjoyed playing with new styles on her friend's head). Sometimes she wondered why she let her friend talk her into such things. Though it was longer and more glamourous than it had been when she was fifteen, she still found it an unnecessary hassle to deal with it every morning.
Almost two years ago, she mused thoughtfully, staring blankly at the characters in the book in front of her. Her fifteenth year had been one of her most challenging – for reasons educational, emotional, and psychological. Or should I say almost three years, if you take into account the time actually spent in the book? She always found that part disturbing – no matter how old she was, she would always have to add a year to her presumed age. It was a side effect of the book she found most disconcerting, especially when she considered the one afternoon Miaka had returned to their world all those years ago. One afternoon had equaled three months of doubting and pain in her heart, feelings that were dark, forbidden, and catastrophic…
The train of thought stopped abruptly as Yui shook her head to dive out of the thickening cloud of black memories. It didn't matter anymore, she constantly told herself. What had happened back then only made her and Miaka stronger, reinforcing the ties of their friendship that Yui had so bitterly cut off due to a one general's manipulation. Even the brief thought of him sent sharp, bone-cracking chills cresting down her spine. She had never hated him, not even now.
What did she feel?
Yui gave a brief glance at her watch and shifted nervously. Well, we promised we would go today. No backing out now…
"Are you still planning on joining me after the picnic for that visit?" Yui casually asked Taka, catching his gray gaze in earnest. A questioning smile appeared slowly on his face – he already knew the point of the question and the careful wording she had used to phrase it. He gave a slow nod, and received a grateful smile in return. Tetsuya glanced at his girlfriend, then back at Taka, a curious frown beginning to form on his lips.
"A visit? Where to?" he inquired. Yui winced at the question.
"The library," she replied slowly, wondering if it was actually better for him to know the entire truth or the half-truth.
"I hope you're not going there to see a certain book." At Taka and Yui's guilty silence, the dark-haired young man's brow furrowed in disapproval, and Yui at once regretted her words. Though willing and eager to help the denizens and former priestesses of the book whenever the time called for it, Tetsuya was a vigilant youth who didn't see the necessity of plunging ahead into apparent jeopardy. "That book is dangerous, you two. The reason we left it in the library was so that we wouldn't ever go back to it."
"We need to get that book, Tetsuya," said Taka quietly, running a hand through his hair. "It's a mistake of ours that's been sitting with me ever since we left it there last year. It can be potentially dangerous to anyone else who might come across it. What if it starts taking new priestesses to replace the old ones? Don't you remember what happened last time a certain villain tried something along those lines? It should be safer with us."
"I wish it could be destroyed," Yui murmured quietly. The two young men turned her, caught off guard by the wistful longing in her voice – and perhaps a hint of something else? "It may mean the world to Miaka – that's where her friends are – but it's too dangerous to leave lying around for anyone to pick up. That's why Taka and I are visiting the library today. We're going to see if the library will let us have the book." Tetsuya sighed and shook his head, but said no more on the subject. Taka took his quick, reluctant silence as an approval for their trip. But Yui knew better. Tetsuya knew that no matter what he said, either one of the two would still go to the library and get the book. He didn't give up his opinion – he just resolved not to get into a heated discussion over it that would probably end up marring the rest of the day.
Yui looked down at her book again, the characters blurring together in her eyes as her mind once again drifted away from the late fall day in the park. She hadn't told Taka about her dream though, and resolved to keep her mouth shut over it. It was another reason why she suggested they take the trip to the library. Something in her subconscious warned her that their group needed to be in possession of the book soon. Perhaps it was due to the fact that within a few months time, they would be celebrating ('Celebrating'? her logical mind questioned) the two-year-anniversary of the day she and Miaka first stumbled across the ShiJinTenChiSho. She just prayed with all of her heart that nothing would try to rip away the peaceful veil of happiness that had settled onto their lives. It would break her heart if she had to watch everything they had strived to achieve in the past few years torn to shreds – or even worse, have the events of the book return with a sadistic, nauseating reality.
Seiryu, please do not let this life be temporary…
Yui was about to turn the page of her novel, when a cheerful yell erupted from a few dozen yards away. She shook the murky thoughts out of her head and managed to hide a grin as several heads turned toward a smiling Miaka as she bounded towards them like some sort of drug-possessed puppy. Taka gave an embarrassed little wave, though the warm affection in his eyes belied the apprehension on his face as Miaka tackled her beloved with a flying hug of doom. Tetsuya, sitting on the opposite side of the table, chuckled quietly as Keisuke warily approached his friends.
"Ohaiyo gozaimasu!" Miaka greeted enthusiastically, untangling herself from Taka. Her green eyes sparkled brightly in the morning sunshine as she situated herself between Taka and Keisuke, still holding tight to Taka's arm. "I'm so sorry we're late, but I honestly couldn't find anything to wear, and then we almost missed the bus…what's so funny?"
Miaka's confused look only deepened as Taka, Tetsuya, and Yui burst into laughter. She gave Keisuke a look, but his bemused smile refused to convey anything except loving amusement. She pouted slightly and gave Taka a light punch to the arm. "Taka…"
Taka grinned at his girlfriend and gave her quick sideways hug. "You know how predictable you are, Miaka?" He kissed her on the nose. "You're just too funny sometimes."
"I didn't think it was that funny…besides, you guys know that nothing can keep me away from a decent meal." She turned to her best friend, a wide smile appearing on pixie features. "So, what did you bring? Your mom always makes the best petite fours!" Yui giggled as her friend's eyes became a tad glazed over at the thought of the tiny, frosted sponge cakes that were her mother's specialty. Some things never changed, no matter how many trials and tribulations might befall one.
Keisuke pulled a large wicker basket out from beneath the table, wagging his finger. "Now, why would you put food underneath the table? The ants would get to it before we did."
"If Miaka saw the basket in broad daylight, it would be like babysitting a couple of sugar-high two-year-olds – complete and total chaos," Tetsuya murmured, completely deadpan. Miaka let an indignant squawk as Taka smirked at the accusation. Keisuke nodded in mock solemnity while Yui hid her smile behind her hands so as not to provoke Miaka any further. When Miaka finally managed to break out of her stunned silence, she gave Tetsuya a playful whap on the hand before opening the lid of the picnic basket to sniff inside.
"Let's see what we have here…ooh…watercress sandwiches…with just the slightest pinch of mustard… homemade baked chicken completed with paprika and lemon sauce…yet not to be outdone by mouthwatering cheddar and bleu cheese and…what's this…kiwi and pineapple with freshly picked mandarin oranges!? Yui – you have outdone yourself this time…what?"
The seventeen-year-old lifted her head to look at the stunned expressions on her friend's faces. They were staring at her with a mix of awe and incredulity. After a few moments, she wrinkled her nose in embarrassment. "What? Really? What did I do?"
"You could tell all of that by simply smelling it…?" Yui gaped out.
"You guys act as if that's something new. I'm just a…connoisseur when it comes to food, I guess."
"And you're using big words!?"
"Hey…what's that supposed to mean…?"
No matter what, something's never changed.
xxxxx
The young woman looked up the stairs to the shrine above her, her hands folded gracefully behind her back. The delicate, expensive fabric and intricate details of her clothes, and the woven lilac braids that contributed to her elaborate hairstyle visibly told the world that this woman was someone of high rank and privilege. Her face was serene, yet her turquoise eyes were a mixture of turmoil and grief. She peered behind her, towards the setting sun, and then her eyes gazed around the quickly-appearing starry expanse until she found what she was looking for – seven shining Southern constellations.
A poignant smile appeared on her beautiful features as she ascended the staircase, gathering the folds of her skirt into her pale, delicate hands. She walked slowly, as if not wanting to disturb the peace of the night. The early evening crickets chirped around her, leading the opening of a nocturnal orchestra. Long shadows cast against dark golden light swept quietly across the buildings surrounding the shrine. Vines crept along the sides the walls, untrimmed in years, and ran rampant to create a sort of mystical fortress in the dying sun's light.
Perhaps it was mystical.
She reached the doors that led inside the shrine, and looked around quickly to make sure that no one was watching her. Then, quietly, she opened one of the red wooden doors and slipped inside.
The inside was as dark as she expected it to be, save for the red-gold light of the last beams of the morning star bursting through barred windows and the sliver of space under the door. The room was decently sized, completely wooden, except the golden statue that rose magnificently near the back of the room. As always, the shrine smelled of incense, a smoky, sweet aroma that always brought on waves of nostalgia. She was the only one who visited it any more. She suspected that when he was here, he did too, but she hadn't seen him in so long, she suspected that the memories that were contained in here were often too much for him to bear.
So much happened back then. If she waited and closed her eyes, she could almost sense the ghosts of the pasts rising up in this shrine, hear their voices hushed in private conversations, see them intangible, feel their ki which even time could not erase from these walls. Everything was silent except for her own breathing, which she quieted to make as unnoticeable as possible, and closed her eyes.
He would be waiting near the golden phoenix, elegantly clothed, a small smile on his lips, softening his features, making him younger. The other, shorter and eternally cheerful behind an enigmatic mask, would be resting next to him, talking quietly despite the brash, strident arguments of the two younger, more spirited warriors of the group. Watching the argument with bemused certainty, another would be standing, beautiful no matter what clothing he wore, standing next to the quiet man with the sad eyes. And the little one, reading quietly, gazing up every so often to peer at the others, his role models, his brothers.
And then the ghosts would disappear, gone in a fragmented memory, and all would fade to quiet again. The reality of the room would presume. It no longer had its luster, its life. It had been a time of innocence and power, but it was gone now. It had left with them. Most of them had been children, no more, no less. The glory of Konan, the glory of Suzaku, had rested on the shoulders of those spirited youngsters…all lost in the flow of time, never more to recapture the days of light.
She approached the statue in the back, her footsteps padding quietly across the mahogany floor. It was a graceful sculpture, a flaming gold when hit by the sun's late afternoon light. The detail done with the feathers and the wings spoke of a devoted, skilled artist who had obviously put great care into capturing the fluid grace and dignity of their patron god. The magnificent phoenix was raised on a black pedestal, surrounded on both sides by flowing crimson silk. Spread across the wooden table in front of the statue was a thick sheet of black velvet, which hadn't been disturbed in years, as seen in the thin layer of dust that had settled upon it.
But the objects on the table were as pristine as if they had been placed there yesterday.
The young woman sighed, bowing her head in reverence and placing her hands together in prayer, her lips moving soundlessly in the quiet oasis. When she had finished, she opened her eyes and two clear tears slipped down her cheeks. Her hand moved to gently rest on one of the items, an elaborate sword, before moving to touch the pair of bracelets lying next to it. Her eyes fell upon the two other items at the table – a rolled-up scroll and a mortar – and she placed her hand back at her side.
"It's been seven years, Your Highness, Kourin," she whispered quietly. "Seven long years without either of you. Do you know that it's the anniversary of the day Konan and Kutou ended their war? It's been hard, to lead this country without either of you here. I doubt I'll ever have your compassion, Your Highness, or your optimism, Kourin."
She sighed. "I miss you both so much. I wish that you were still here to guide me, to help me in some way. But that would be selfish, wouldn't it?" She looked down at the items on the table. "He doesn't come here much anymore, does he? I suspected he wouldn't. Every time he left this shrine, he would look so sad, no matter how much he tried to hide it. I don't know where he is. But I hope he has found peace. There was so much grief in his heart.
"Nothing will be as it was seven years ago. We won't ever have the time of happiness again, will we? Everything is so tense now…I hope I can be strong for the rest of the country to depend upon. Please, lend me your strength. Suzaku, lend me your strength so that I may have the will to carry my country through these times."
She paused then as her voice became too choked with emotion for her to continue. Silently, she bowed her head one more, not even trying to stop the tears from falling now. "Hear my prayers, Suzaku. Protect us in these times. Protect your followers, and show us your kindness and mercy." Then, she lifted her face to the heavens, sadness penetrating the wooden walls of the shrine.
Without another word, only a final look of parting to the articles on the table, Dowager Empress Houki turned and departed from the shrine of Suzaku.
xxxxx
Miaka chewed thoughtfully on her sandwich before nodding in agreement. "They should go. That book really is dangerous. Besides," she added cheerfully, "I don't want to disappear because someone decided to replace me as the Suzaku no miko. That's my job, and my job alone."
Keisuke grunted and rolled his eyes. "Of course…no one could go and put herself in so much danger except for you. How many times did you haphazardly run off, causing your seishi to go looking for you?" Miaka blushed at the comment as Taka began ticking off his fingers, obviously recounting the events when Miaka had caused her seishi headaches beyond belief.
Tetsuya had casually mentioned Taka and Yui's post-picnic trip to Miaka and Keisuke well into dessert. Though Yui was slightly annoyed that her boyfriend had let the information spill, she knew he only did out of concern for her safety. Miaka had at first reacted in shock that Yui would even consider returning the library to get the book, while Keisuke had taken on a sudden serious demeanor, his face carefully blank. But after Taka had given the two their reasons for taking the book, Miaka had reverted back to her chipper, optimistic mood.
"I wish I could go with you," she mused, looking at her sandwich. "But I told Kishi-san that I would baby-sit Rita-chan after the picnic." From the look on her face, the other could tell that she desperately wanted to look at the book one more time, to remember the adventures, both exciting and heart wrenching, that she had had in the book almost two years prior. Taka smiled gently and laced her fingers though his own, bringing her close into a warm hug.
"When we bring it back, you'll have all the time in the world to look through those pages," he teased gently. "But promise me that you won't get sucked in like you did last time." Miaka grinned in spite of herself, and snuggled closer to the teal-haired young man. Keisuke made a slight gagging noise from the opposite side of the table, and mimed choking himself. Taka took the opportunity to throw a muffin at him with his free hand, which caught the blonde right in the mouth. Keisuke blinked, surprised at finding a large lemon poppy-seed muffin sprouting out of his mouth.
Yui smiled, patting him on the back. "And that's what you get for opening your mouth too wide!" At this, she and Miaka burst into girlish giggles. Keisuke glared daggers at them, trying to look cross, but failing miserably – it probably had something to do with the muffin emerging from his mouth like some sort of evil rabid pastry. He reached up to take the muffin from his mouth, taking a bite while he did so.
"Har-dee-har-har," Keisuke grumbled after swallowing the yellow mass. "I'll remember that next time, Miaka, when you want me to take you to lunch. Just remember the day you yelled at your 'nii-chan when he had a muffin stuffed in his mouth."
"You know that English phrase 'open mouth, insert muffin?'" Yui asked Miaka sweetly, completely ignoring the blonde's huff of anger. "I think we finally found someone who took it seriously."
"This was funny…about five minutes ago."
"You're such a rotten tomato, 'nee-chan!"
"Or an overcooked muffin."
"Argh!"
Taka and Tetsuya wisely decided to stay out of the conversation, lest they find themselves in a similar situation like their blonde-haired friend. Yui and Miaka were eagerly whelping on the unfortunate young man, who was trying his best to ignore their poking and prodding at his quickly evaporating humour. Taka hid a grin as Yui compared Keisuke to a fast-food hybrid hamburger – all he needed was a shake and turkey to fit the muffin in his mouth. Though Keisuke was obviously confused by the reference, Yui and Miaka fell over in hysterical giggles at their inside joke. Keisuke turned wide, desperate eyes to his two friends, in an obvious 'help me' ploy. Tetsuya waved his hands in front of his face, and pointed towards Taka.
"That's the guy you want," he teased, "not me."
"And have Miaka turn her teasing onto me? You guys must have never heard her horse joke…"
Miaka's eyes shimmered in annoyance. "I thought it was funny! Besides, I was trying to liven up the mood! It was like traveling with a bunch of mimes! And you were no help either, pouting and complaining the entire way there!"
Yui held up her hand to pause the brief, teasing lover's quarrel. "Now, now. Taka, you're not one to criticize. Keisuke told me about your jokes from the book too. And they aren't exactly the pick of the litter."
"Humour doesn't run in the Suzaku family," Taka muttered in his defense.
Keisuke gave him a light punch to the arm. "Oh, I wouldn't say that. You, Tasuki, and Nuriko often had me on the floor, gasping for breath. I mean, come on. You three were the most rambunctious…"
"We were just energetic…"
"Easily annoyed…"
"It's not being annoyed, it's not being able to put up with sheer stupidity…!"
"Flamboyant…"
"Hey! I wasn't-"
"…of all the Suzaku seishi!" Keisuke finished with a wink. Taka scowled as Tetsuya hid a brief smirk, opening a can of soda and handing it to the upset young man. Taka graciously accepted, and took a long swig before glaring once more at his girlfriend's brother, who pretended innocence. "Now, Taka. You know I'm right. You all broke more expensive vases in the Imperial Palace…"
"That was all Tasuki's fault! He never kept his big mouth shut!"
"Yes, blame the person who can't be here to defend himself."
Taka was about to reply when a cheerful laugh broke the banter. He turned to see Miaka shaking at his side, hands clasped over her mouth to unsuccessfully stifle girlish giggles. The other three youths at the table shared surprised looks before giving Miaka worried glances. Taka placed a hand on her shoulder, a brief smile quirking up his boyish features. "Miaka?"
The small pretty girl looked up at her friends through tear-glassed eyes, her face pink with mirth. For a moment, she was only able to laugh uncontrollably before she gasped out, "It was always Tasuki's fault!" With this, she burst into more rows of giggles, continuing, "Always saying something to provoke someone else…and never being sorry about it either!" Her tone had slowly slipped from reminiscent to awkwardly sad, her lower lip trembling slightly. "Always loud, always brash. Only Chichiri and Mitsukake had the patience to deal with him…and even then…" She took in a shaky sigh. "Even then…only Chichiri could really understand him…after those two years there…by themselves…"
Yui at once realized the source of Miaka's sudden distress, and her brow knitted together in both concern and understanding. She reached across the table to take Miaka's hand in her own, a comforting smile on her face. Miaka looked up to peer at her best friend, and was surprised to see almost the same sadness reflected in the blonde's eyes. "It'll be okay, Miaka. They won't be alone forever. I know it." Miaka sniffed quietly as Taka drew her into a hug.
"Besides, they both have each other to drive insane, remember?" he asked with a brief chuckle and giving her a playful noogie. "You think Tasuki is going to be lonely with Chichiri popping in on him all the time. And Kouji with him too? And you know that Chichiri could scarcely feel alone, with all that traveling he does."
Quieter now: "And they'll have another chance…all of them…"
Miaka nodded, appreciating that Taka hadn't said that last part loud enough for the others to hear. She quickly wiped her eyes of tears that had spilled over and placed a sweet, apologetic smile on her face. "Gomen ne, everyone. I didn't mean to ruin the picnic by crying…" She trailed off, ducking under the table for a brief instant. Taka shook his head as a warning to the others, to tell them that they shouldn't continue the current conversation.
Miaka's head popped back over the edge of the table, grinning widely as she help up a bright orange volleyball in her hands. "I challenge all of you to face the champion volleyball girl of the world! Let's see if you can triumph over the power of Miaka-chan's unbelievable moves!" She hopped over the seat of the picnic bench, grabbed five sandwiches (stuffing three of them into her mouth), and gestured wildly for her friends to join her. "Cub oh! Cub oh!"
Taka, Yui, Tetsuya, and Keisuke shared similar amused looks before the shouts of challenge rang clear in all of them. They jumped out of their seats and joined the small brunette on the grassy, sun-splotched playing area. Miaka watched as they came towards her, twirling the volleyball in hands with a mixture of anticipation and excitement, trying to block out the twisted memories of her nightmare that shrouded around her heart and her mind.
She had told him about her nightmare, which had thankfully only occurred once, but had left her sweating, screaming, crying, and gasping for breath when she was wrenched viciously from the terrifying dream. She had sobbed quietly in her room for nearly an hour before sneaking refuge in Taka's apartment early the next morning. He had found her curled up under his chin when his alarm clock went off, still fully dressed in her fall jacket and scarf, tear stains wiped across apple-like cheeks…
xxxxx
The annoying consistent blaring of the alarm clock cut off shortly after his fist smashed directly onto the snooze button. The alarm clock made a few protesting noises, but soon fell silent after a barrage of more sleep-guided punches. The body to which the arm belonged to shifted restlessly beneath warm sheets, only to find that most of them were pinned by something. A small something, but still a problem nonetheless.
One eye creaked open, followed by another, until the gray gaze had somewhat of a coherent view of whatever was preventing him from winding the sheets around his muscular frame. At first, all he saw was a tangle of dark brown interwoven with two innocent pink ribbons. Another blink to clear out the blurriness that came with awakening revealed that the mass of brown was surrounding a skull. Yet another blink revealed that the skull belonged to a female, evident in the long, dusky lashes, delicate features, and other certain…portions of anatomy that were currently all snuggled against him.
His first reaction was to leap out of bed, wondering who the heck this person was, though the logical portion of his brain which was also waking up, told him not to be stupid – it was Miaka. His second reaction was to slowly sit up and gaze down at the petite body of his girlfriend. She was draped in her pear-green fall jacket, fists gripping the sheets surrounding Taka like a petulant child. Her brow was creased in agitation and her lower lip trembled as a few protesting moans escaped from parted lips – all signs of an ongoing nightmare.
Taka immediately shook the brunette's shoulders – when did she get here? – and quietly called out her name repeatedly until lashes lifted to reveal emeralds, slightly tinged with darkness despite the pre-dawn light seeping into the room. She looked up at Taka, not comprehending for a moment, before she let out a strangled sob and threw herself into his arms.
"Oh, gods, they're gone! Taka, they're gone! And I tried and I couldn't save them! And I couldn't, but I tried! But they're gone! Taka, they were scared and then they were gone! Oh, gods…oh, gods…!"
Her troubled, angst-filled babble caused Taka to feel his heart ache as her own feelings of shock, guilt, and terror crept into him. He wrapped his arms around her waist, holding the priestess close to his chest as she sobbed raggedly, quietly murmuring the same thing over and over again, "oh, gods…oh, gods…no, no, no…"
"Shh, silly girl. It'll be alright. I'm here. I won't let the nightmares hurt you," he whispered soothingly into her strawberry-scented hair. His former confusion had dissipated into worry and concern over Miaka, who, although cried a lot, was never this distraught over something. He remembered only a few times when such tears had been nearly hysterical, and none of them had resulted from dreams she had had. Though darkness often tinged her eyes after a particularly disturbing nightmare, the shadows would soon vanish in the presence of her friends' ability to cheer her up.
What could she possibly have dreamt about, he thought to himself as her sobs of grief subsided. What would hurt her this much? He shifted slightly, pulling Miaka away by the shoulders so that he would look into her eyes, red-rimmed and stricken. He bit his lower lip as a sharp pang shot through his heart, before quietly inquiring, "Miaka? Are you alright?"
A moment of silence, and then, "Hai."
"Want to tell me about it?"
The next lapse of calm extended even longer, almost long enough to make him wonder if she had even heard the question. Finally, she looked away, a stray tear slipping down her cheek after a vain effort to keep it away. "It was them, Taka. Our seishi…I remembered them…but…I remembered…" She began to shiver, causing her teeth to clink together. "I remembered them…dying…Tasuki and Chichiri too…and they did it for me…but I didn't help them…I stood by and laughed…thinking…I thought…it was just a game…just a silly game where…they would all have to follow me…and it didn't matter…if…it didn't matter to me…if they all…" Her voice tore on a choked sob, and she began to weep again, burying her face in her hands. "Oh…gods…they died for me…and I laughed! I laughed at it! It was just a game between me and Yui…but I won because in the end…I still had you…and I laughed at Yui…and I held the knife…and they were scared…oh, gods! Taka! I killed them! I killed them all!"
No, never! His mouth was dry in shock, and his mind was reeling at the force of the words. He tightened his grip on Miaka's shoulders, giving her a firm, rough shake. The girl stopped whimpering for a moment to give him a look of intense self-loathing. He stifled a cry, managing out, "Stop it, Miaka. Stop it now! How dare you even think you were guilty of their deaths…the person who should be blamed is that bastard Nakago! He took four of the most wonderful people in the world away from us – and then made you think that it was all your fault!"
"But…in my dream…"
"Your dream, Miaka. It's not real. You know how it really happened. I was there with you. I saw how you cried when Nuriko died in my arms, when Chiriko sacrificed himself for us all, when Mitsukake used the last of his lifeforce to save so many, when Hotohori fell on the battlefield…damn it, Miaka! I was there!" Tears were streaming down his eyes now, but he did not curse them away. These bitter memories were reminders of his ultimate failures – failures to save their friends…his brothers. "I saw their blood spilt, and I saw them breathe their last. And I wonder why I was lucky enough to escape." His last words were severe and caught Miaka off guard.
"Because I-"
She stopped, seeing showers of tears spill from rain-gray eyes. "Miaka, they died for us. They died protecting you, making sure that you could live. They cared about their country, and were ready to make sacrifices for it…but ultimately they died for you. They didn't want to see you cry, which was why I was lucky. Because by protecting you, they saved me…and I'll always be thankful to them for that. Always." He gripped her cold hands in his own. "So don't you dare say it's your fault that they died. They wouldn't have had it any other way. If you're happy, they're happy. So don't cry, Miaka. Please don't cry."
Miaka let out a small sob, the last of many, before throwing her arms around her love's neck, holding him close in a fierce, defiant hug. "I promise I won't! I won't let them sad…not after what they've done for me, after what they've given me…" Taka smiled as he clung to the small priestess of Suzaku.
"Wo ai ni, Miaka…"
xxxxx
Taka looked over as the downtown portion of Tokyo sped by at amazing pace. His first experience on the fast moving train had left him dizzy with awe, and he recalled with an inward chuckle Keisuke's embarrassed reaction of having to sit in the same group of seats with him. Of course, then he had been completely Tamahome. Sukunami Taka had come into the picture much later, much to the chagrin of Miaka's heart.
He glanced over at Yui, who was patiently gazing out the window with something akin to sadness in her eyes. Their departure from Miaka, Keisuke, and Tetsuya had been cheerful, but the shadows in Miaka's eyes proved to cause a dark cloud to loom over everyone's heads. Taka had tried to get a meaningful giggle out of the tiny brunette, but had failed as the memories of yesteryear swept over Miaka's consciousness. Her obviously removed state became apparent as entire minutes of conversation would sweep by without her taking part in them, as she usually did.
Yui had also been uncannily silent soon after the group dispersed. A ghost of a smile had appeared on her features when Miaka demanded that Keisuke and Tetsuya take her for an afternoon snack, but the smile had failed to reach her eyes, which were gloomy in thought. Taka often wondered if he was the only once who wasn't afflicted with the shadows of nightmares. Even Miaka's confession in him so many weeks before had failed to conjure up any nightmares within him. He had thought his memories of the past, dark, bloody, and revolting, would take him by surprise and leave him bereft of a good night's sleep. But, no. Instead, he hadn't had any dreams of any sort since Miaka had told him about her devastating nightmare.
He wasn't sure whether to be relieved or worried.
He peeked over at Yui once again, frowning as he realized that she wasn't planning on participating in any conversation if she could help it. Wonder why she's so worked up about retrieving that book…it can't be because of what Tetsuya said…and Miaka even agreed that we should go…
Unlike his other male friends, Taka couldn't really comprehend why they didn't want him to retrieve the book. After all, it was far safer in their hands than in anyone else's. And that was saying a lot, considering what Keisuke had mentioned earlier concerning him being one of the more rambunctious seishi. Of course, that was when he was seventeen, and in a completely different time period and universe.
The train slowly rolled to a stop, and a handful of people gathered their things and made their way to the door. Yui was up even before the train had come to a completely stop, her eyes distant with memory and something else Taka couldn't identify. He followed after her as the doors closed behind him, exiting with three other people. The train had stopped in the station just a block away from the library, and yet he still didn't think he would be able to get Yui to open up and talk with him. They climbed up the stairs into daylight, and he blinked from the change of artificial fluorescents to pure ultraviolet rays.
"Taka, I have a question for you."
Well, that was a surprise, that she would offer to spark a conversation before he did. Taka glanced over at the small blonde girl, and raised a questioning eyebrow. "Hai?"
Yui frowned, her brow furrowing as if she were struggling to find a way to put into words the thought in her head. Finally, she asked hesitantly, "Has Miaka had any nightmares recently? I mean, not that she shouldn't. No, that's not what I mean. What I'm saying…what I'm asking…" She stopped, both in her speaking and her walking, causing Taka to come to an abrupt halt as well. "Has Miaka dreamt about her seishi recently? Like, nightmares?"
Taka frowned. "Why do you ask?"
Yui actually blushed and turned her head slightly, to avoid looking directly into his gray eyes. "It's silly. I think that since it's only a few more months before the anniversary, we might start having weird dreams." She resumed her gait, still not looking up.
Taka twisted his mouth around into an uncanny expression, remaining silent before quietly asking, "Have you?"
A pause. "No. Not really." Inside, she flinched at the lie, but she had some sort of feeling deep within her heart that such emotions of fear and confessions of a dark destiny should not yet be revealed. There would soon be a time when such thoughts would come bubbling out, but she only that one qualm of revealing into Taka. Instead, she placed a reassuring smile on her face, and shook her head. "I'm just being a little foolish, Taka. It's nothing, really. Just a few thoughts of mine."
"You sure?"
"I can never be too sure!" she said jokingly, turning the corner. She stopped for a moment, gazing up at the grand state of the National Library, a reminiscent smile appearing her face. "Two years, Taka. How much time do you think has passed in the book?"
"Two years? I don't know. Last time we were there, after almost a year, two years had passed there. You can hardly ever tell with this book." He started walking towards the front of the building, and a smiling Yui followed, despite the sudden thunderous beating in her heart. Why was she so scared to confront the book? She almost felt the shadows of darkness that had once engulfed her heart so many years earlier were threatening to regain themselves.
Taka sprinted up to the front door to pull it open…
…and found himself pulling a locked door.
He looked back at Yui with a confused frown on his face before peering inside through the glass. "Looks like no one's here. That's weird. The library's usually open on Saturdays." Yui joined him, and checked the other doors, but all resulted in the same thing. None of them would open, and there appeared to be no life within the library at all.
"They might be closed due a broken water pipe or something," Yui noted. She felt both disappointed and relived that they couldn't enter the library. It wasn't as if the book were going anywhere any time soon, but somehow, she felt that they needed it in their hands today, as soon as possible. She glanced at Taka's downcast face. "Don't worry, Taka. We can always check back here tomorrow. Unlike some places, the library can't stay closed forever. Remember, as Miaka would say, the National Library is national!" Taka snorted.
"She would say something like that," he murmured, giving the library one last look. "Guess nothing lost is nothing gained. Let's try back on Monday, after I get off from work. Maybe this time, Miaka might even want to join us."
"That's like asking a little child if they want to go to the candy store," Yui said with a grin.
Taka laughed at the joke as they walked towards the subway station, passing by another loner as he walked towards the library. But by that time, Yui and Taka had already turned the corner and were unaware of the passerby's destination. He watched as the two disappeared around the corner before resuming his journey, eyes shadowed from behind sunglasses, his baseball cap pulled low over his eyes. He walked unhurriedly up the stairs leading to the doors of the library, turned to glance over his shoulder, and yanked the door open. No alarm sounded from his sudden presence and he walked into the library and disappeared into the shadows created by the tall bookshelves.
The only remaining of his presence was a faint golden glow on the door handle.
xxxxx
Author's Note: (5-21-04) Thoroughly depressed myself writing the ghost scene from Houki's portion. But it's something I feel whenever I go into an empty room that I'm so used to seeing filled. When I close my eyes, I can hear people talking, I see them…all in my mind's eye. (sighs) Reminiscing is really tough, as it always brings back bittersweet memories. (P.s., Houki is very, very cool…of course, anyone who resembles one of my favourite characters is cool…)
(5-1-04) Bad Nashie! Introducing yet another mystery character. (grins) I actually cut this chapter short. I mean, how much adventure can there be going to the library? There were at least three different scenes that were originally supposed to affect Yui and Taka, but all resulted in the same thing – they would not be able to reach the book, yet under the circumstances, they would have thought nothing out of the ordinary was happening.
Let's see…I have a head full of ideas for this story, but I have to get the ball rolling first (Nashie's no good at starting things off). I've already whet your appetite with the prologue, and now the first chapter. I'm actually doing a lot better with progressing this story than Cinderella. But unfortunately, AP exams are at the end of this week, and I need to study in order to pass them (at least the U.S. History one…my teacher taught basically nothing all year).
Also, I've been busy with my art portfolio project, which is about to get even busier as I start editing the pics in Photoshop. If anybody wants to see the final result, all the edited pictures should be up by the end of May or the first week of June on my account at I'm so happy that school will be ending next month (cheers). But not too good, because then I'll be working practically full-time with little time to work on my fanfiction. Don't worry, though. I'll try to make sure these stories don't go into a permanent hiatus.
And one question: Does anybody know the name of Miaka and Keisuke's mom? Or does she have one?
Now it's off for me to begin Chapter 2, which will introduce another character and tangle the web even more. Gracious, toda al mundo. Hasta luego.
- Nashie-chan