AN: ...I'm just killing time before i have to go to work....lalalalalalalala.....
Discliamer of Olde-ness: There once was a story of fantasy, that crossed with the chinese dynasty. They both were not mine, and yes I did cry because my story is craposity! yee! I made a poem! (even tho it sucked...sigh)
My Hands ch 5
The next couple of days went by relatively slow. Aeris spent more time with Nuriko, who's room was moved next to hers. In fact, they were joined so as to make it easier for Nuriko to come to her aid should anything happen to their Miko.
Tamahome would have been placed in that position, but seeing as Nuriko was a woman, well as far as they were concerned he was, they thought it best for their Miko's comfort.
Aeris had no complaints, infact, she loved it. Nuriko was a kindred spirit, the friend she always wanted, but never had.
They'd stay up late at night talking about nothing in particular. Every other night they switched what room they were to stay up late talking in. One night Aeris's room the other Nuriko's. This was very useful for deciding the topics they would discuss. One night, Nuriko would tell stories of his childhood, the next Aeris would tell him stories of Cloud and his friends. Though she never really mentioned anything that might lead to Nuriko asking about the previous Aeris.
Tamahome and Hotohori were always welcome on the nights Aeris spoke, seeing as they had the right to know more about their miko. And her world facinated them! She told them about Cosmo Canyon, and Midgar, and all the places Cloud had taken her.
"This Cloud, he sounds like a facinating man." Nuriko swooned. Aeris smiled, "Careful Nuriko, he's married and has a beautiful son."
He pouted, "you didn't have to remind me."
"Better me than Tifa. Her punch could rival Tamahome's you know."
Hotohori quirked an eyebrow, "Do most women fight in your world?"
Aeris thought about that, laughing as she just realized that the scene before her looked like a girl's sleepover, except they were all men. "No, not really. But it's something that's encouraged if you're going to travel, especially on your own. Our world isn't very safe I'm afriad, there are monsters practically everywhere."
"What kind of monsters?" Nuriko lifted his head to look at Aeris with a concerned look on his face.
"Well, it's hard to explain," she crossed her legs and sat up right. "There are things like dragons and wolves and all sorts of nasty looking things. I once found myself fighting a skeleton monster." Aeris shuddered at the thought. "It was immune to magic, so I had to run."
Hotohori didn't approve of this, "why were you traveling on your own in the first place, why didn't this Cloud character come with you?"
"Well, I made him stay. I'm almost positive he would have come, but well he had his son to take care of, and well..." she thought it might come to this, but she still hoped they wouldn't ask much. "There was something that I had to do on my own." she said determinedly.
"You mentioned something about that before,"Tamahome pointed out. "But you wouldn't tell me what. Did it have something to do with the 'forgotten people' you mentioned?"
"Forgotten people?" Nuriko asked a bit more be?" Aeris smiled weakly. "I guess you could say that ..." she paused, not really knowing how to put it without giving away too much.
"Well?" Hotohori prompted.
"I guess there comes a time in your life when you want to set out, and discover things for your own. Discover life for your own, mainly to discover yourself along the journeys. That's what I wanted to do. And to do that, I couldn't have Cloud and his friends come along with me." she said plaintively.
"So you were just setting out to discover the world for yourself?" Nuriko asked as if he thought there was more to it than that.
"Yes." Aeris said nervously, noticing the look Nuriko gave her.
"Well there's nothing wrong with that." Tamahome nodded in approval. "Still, to go out on your own."
"Oh please, Tamahome." Aeris said exasperated. "I'm quite capable of taking care of myself. I'm not a little girl."
Tamahome opened his mouth.
"I'm the same age as you." Aeris pointed out quickly.
Tamahome shut his mouth.
Aeris laughed, "I think it's time we call it a night," she yawned. "I, at least, am starting to get tired."
Hotohori gave her an affectionate smile and nodded, "Then we will leave. Good night Aeris."
"Night." Tamahome nodded and hoisted himself up. Nuriko was the last one in the room, and he seemed to refuse to leave.
"The way you talk about him, this Cloud character sounds like a lover." Nuriko said slowly. Aeris dropped the pillow she was fluffing. "What?"
"You make him out to be so noble, and dashing," Nuriko persisted. "Is a guardian all he was to you or are you not saying something?"
"What are you saying?" Aeris was very baffled by this question. She had never considered it, though now that Nuriko mentioned it, what was Cloud's relationship with the other Aeris? "I really don't think anything more of him than a great guy. I mean, he took me in when I had no where to go. He gave me a name and a roof to live under."
Nuriko had a very annoying smile plastered on his face. "He named you did he?"
Aeris hadn't meant to say that. "Yes, "she calmed herself a bit, because she had started to get a bit frantic. "He named me after someone very dear to him." Aeris didn't say more.
"oh?"
"Nuriko quit it. There's nothing more to discuss. I'm sorry but your assumption is wrong. Yes, I'll admit that Cloud is very dear to me, but no more than that."
Nuriko didn't look like he believed her but dropped the matter anyway.
"So this person that he named you after, what was she like? Did you ever meet her?"
Aeris again dropped her pillow, and cursed herself for being to affected by Nuriko's questions.
"No...I'm afraid I never met her." Nuriko made to ask another question, but stopped upon the look on Aeris's face. "Though I am told, that our appearances are identical." she added bitterly.
Nuriko had never seen Aeris look so sad, so distant, almost burning within. There was no word for it, she was just burning, but not with happiness or anger. Like she was burning with an ache that could not be put out.
"Aeris, are-"
"Please leave Nuriko, I want to go to sleep now." pulling open her covers, Aeris slipped in and blew out her candle, leaving Nuriko in the dark. (in more ways than one.)
Nuriko didn't press the matter, how could he? Quietly as he could, he slipped back into his room, but left the door ajar, so he could hear if Aeris snuck out of bed again.
She did that a lot. Whenever she thought the coast was clear, and everyone was asleep, she'd sneak out and go for a walk. Perfectly harmless, but Nuriko followed sometimes despite himself. This behavior concerned him. She was such a kind person that these bouts of depression concerned him deeply. She never shared this with anyone, never told anyone what was really bothering her. She'd just go outside and maybe sing herself a little wordless tune till she became tired again and returned to her room. Was she having trouble sleeping?
Was that all it was? For the past two nights, Nuriko had left his ajoined door open to see if he could hear signs of unpeaceful sleep.
Nothing out of the ordinary.
He had expressed this concern with the other seishi, and Tamahome had told her of the nightmare she had in the cell. Also of the conversation in the gazebo.
Was Aeris homesick?
Nuriko stopped his thinking, he could hear her turning in her sleep. He rose from his bed and snuck closer to the door to hear better.
She was tossing a lot. Uneasy sleep? Uncomfortable? Bad dream? No way to tell.
She moaned.
'Bad Dream.' Nuriko decided with a nod. She tossed and turned some more. 'What was she dreaming about?' he wondered.
"no more....let me out .....stop."
Nuriko edged even closer, but remained on his side.
"I don't like needles...." she slurred and turned on her side, but then immidetely flipped on her back again. Were he not so concerned, Nuriko would have found this amusing. She'd ocassionaly kick, as if fending off some attacker.
Aeris gasped and sat straight up in her bed, her breathing ragged, as if she had just run several miles with no break. Though it was dark, the sliver of the moon helped show Aeris's outline, she was clutching her arms. Feeling along the inside of her elbow for something. She shuddered violently and began to steady her breath.
She stood up and walked over to her table to get a glass of water. Setting the glass down, she ran a hand through her hair.
"He's dead." she said outloud to calm herself. "He's dead and gone. He's no more." she whispered, but still clutched one arm. "It's ok..." reassuring herself that someone was dead, she returned to her bed and went back to sleep.
Nuriko didn't like this at all. She was definetely having nightmares, but this seemed a bit extreme. It seemed more like she was being haunted, but for what?
'It would seem,' Nuriko thought to himself. 'That our preistess has as much of an interesting past as I do.' But how to make her speak of it?
It wasn't something you casually asked a person, was it?
Nuriko returned to his own bed and lay awake to ponder. Actually, there was no point, best to tell Hotohori and Tama and see if they have any ideas.
"What?" Hotohori looked up from his papers into Aeris's set face.
"I think we should head out to look for the other seishi." she repeated a bit louder.
Hotohori put down his paperwork and reclined in his seat. "Yes, I agree. I shall send for supplies for your journey."
"You do not plan to accompany us?" Aeris asked delicately.
Hotohori frowned. "I am torn between matters of the state and my duty to you Aeris."
Aeris gave him an encouraging smile, "Please don't stress yourself too much. Whatever decision you make will be the right one." she looked him in the eye and caused a chain reaction smile. "You may be young for an Emperor but you are both wise and compitent. You should never doubt yourself."
Hotohori seemed very touched by these words, and stood to walk over to Aeris, embracing her when he reached her.
"You are so kind Aeris, thank you for your words of comfort."
"It's the least I can do. Might as well put me to some use right?" she laughed. "I'll go tell Tamahome and Nuriko to get ready."
Hotohori nodded and watched her go. Right before she turned around the corner she stuck her head back in and threw him a stern look, "And you had better be eating right Hotohori! I won't have any of this refusing food because of stress!" she winked and went on her way.
Hotohori smiled, how did she know?
Aeris was very upset with herself. Well, at her subconcious really, if that made any sense. She tried to think of any logical reason as to why she was having these ridiculous nightmares.
Was it something she ate? Was it Konan itself?
Why in the world was she dreaming of that damned person? She growled as she stalked into her room and without realizing it slammed the door with such gusto that it nearly fell over.
Nuriko stuck his head in through the door, "hey, you ok?"
Aeris looked up, feeling a little bit more calm. "Yeah, I'm fine."
"The door would say otherwise. What's up? Did Hotohori refuse to let us go out?"
"Huh? Oh no, he granted us permission. Infact, I'm supposed to be telling you to start packing." Aeris began to do just that, which also meant that this conversation was over.
Nuriko frowned.
He sometimes contemplated beating her over the head with something hard and forcing her to tell him what the matter was.
Then he's remember that by doing so he might kill her.
He nearly broke Tamahome's arm the other day when he had smacked him playfully. He needed to learn to control that strength of his, or he might end up killing his miko. Wouldn't that make an interesting story?
Well, if she got hurt, it'd be her own fault for being so stubborn.
"Nuriko, would you mind telling Tamahome to get ready?"
"huh?"
"Stop plotting evil against me and tell Tamakins to start packing."
"I wasn't plotting." Nuriko frowned. She may look stupid sometimes, but she was pretty sharp.
"Tell it to the gods Nuriko."
Nurko did what Aeris told him, but he complained while doing so. Huffing along the corridors and throwing dirty looks at the passing maids.
Amazing how the miko's moods affected him. He almost always mirrored them without realizing.
He waltzed into Tamahome's room, not bothering to knock or even announce that he was coming in. Though Nuriko still found the heart to be mad at Tamahome for sleeping when Nuriko was trying to deliver a message.
The outcome of such a situation, will always be a violent one.
Tamahome howled, "What the hell is your problem!?!?!"
"Aeris wanted me to give you a message, so I woke you up." Nuriko said testily.
"And you had to break my leg in order to do this??!?!?!"
Nuriko rolled his eyes. He was such a baby. "Oh Tamakins, the point is that you're awake. So get packing. We're leaving tomorrow."
"Hotohori gave us permission to go?"
"No, we're sneaking out. Of course he did! Don't be so dense!"
Tamahome gave Nuriko a quizzical look, "Aeris is in a bad mood....isn't she?"
"She won't tell me a damn thing!" Nuriko huffed and sat himself on Tamahome's bed.
"Is she still having those dreams?"
"Well I don't know if they're the same, but she certainly hasn't been sleeping right for the past 2 two days."
Tamahome was struck with an idea.
"Hey, listen, when we're out traveling, maybe we can find out what it is she's dreaming about!"
This struck a point of interest in Nuriko, "Ok how?"
Tamahome leaned in and whispered in his ear. Nuriko nodded occasionally, giggling some.
"I see... we'll call it, operation ....ermmm what do we call it Tama?
"WHAT THE HELL ARE THOSE THINGS!?!?!?!??!!" Aeris screamed and hid behind Hotohori.
"...They're horses..."
Aeris did not move from her spot, and watched the 'beasts' warilly.
"They look demonic to me ...maybe they're demons..."
"Aeris, you're talking crazy, you've seen one before!"
"I have?" she looked at Tamahome dubiously.
He rolled his eyes, "The emperor's palanqui..." he said meaningfully.
she thought for a moment...."no i didn't...."
"they were there!" he insisted.
"Well then i was too preoccupied to care! The fact of the matter is that they're demons and I'm not getting on one!" she crossed her arms acrosss her chest as if this settled things.
"Out of curiosity, what do you ride in your world if you don't have horses."
"Chocobos."
Silence ensued.
"...I'm kind of scared to ask but, if they don't look like horses ...then what do they look like?" Nuriko said tentitively.
Aeris thought for a minute..."Well...they're birds ..."
"BIrds...you ride birds?"
"Yes, Tamahome, I'm glad you're grasping the concept. We ride birds. But they're quite large, and very fast...if only I had one." she sighed. "Maybe I could summon one-"
"I'm afraid that wouldn't do Lady Priestess, it would draw too much attention to yourself. The goal of this journey if not to draw a mob to yourself."
There goes Hotohori again, fussing over Aeris.
"Alright, alright...I'll ride the demonic creature......" Aeris shuddered. "Today is not my day..."
AN: I decided to post two chapters in a row seeing as I took so long to update last time. So yes....we're gonna have a bit of conflict from now on so yea..ermm be prepared to throw things at me.
PICK A NUMBER 1-5! FOR THE LOVE OF SUZAKU!!!!