Chapter 4:
"Rise and shine!" The cheerful phrase invaded Chiaki's comfortably sleeping mind followed by a body-jolting shake. Her eyes popped open suddenly and she screamed, punching up into the dark.
"Ow!" exclaimed a slightly familiar voice as she connected with flesh.
A candle flickered to life, and she saw, in the dim light, Nuriko, rubbing his chin where she had struck. "Don't do that!" she yelped. Then she looked down sheepishly. "Oh... and um... sorry for hitting you."
He waved his hand, dismissing it. "I'd probably do the same thing... though it would result in serious injury." Grinning, he added, "Get dressed. It's time to go."
"Go? Go where?" she asked. She glanced out the window and saw the sun had yet to rise. With a moan, she collapsed back onto her pillow. "It's still dark out."
"To Mt. Takioku. It's a long trip. And we still need to eat!" He took her arm and literally pulled her out of bed. She yelped, crashing to the ground. Sheepishly, he grinned, hauling her to a stand. "Sorry. Sometimes I just don't know my own strength."
"It... it's okay," she muttered, working her aching shoulder. Then she shooed him out of the room, fumbled into the clothes she had borrowed from him, and twisted her hair into a messy bun. Smothering a yawn, she stumbled out of her room and followed Nuriko to breakfast. She ate slowly, both perplexed and disgusted by the way the seven men- namely Tamahome, Tasuki, and Nuriko- ate. It was as if the outrageously massive breakfast was going to be their last meal, so they had to eat everything and anything they could get their hands on. It was like a car wreck- horrible to watch, yet she couldn't look away. Absorbed in watching them, she hadn't realized she had stopped eating until Hotohori captured her attention and asked if she was finished. Sparing one more glance at the three gorging men across the table, she nodded quickly and pushed her plate away.
Immediately, the emperor stood. "Alright, let's be on our way."
"But there still all this food to be eaten!" Tamahome protested around a mouthful.
Hotohori sighed, running a slim hand over his face. "It is time to go," he decreed sternly in a tone that allowed for no argument. The order was met by a few moans. Finally pulling everyone away from the table, he led them to the stable.
When they arrived, Chiaki stared petrified at the horses standing by ready and waiting to be ridden, pawing the ground and snorting energetically. "We're... we're riding those?"
"Did you think we were all going to walk to Mt. Takioku?" Tasuki asked with an unbelieving arch in his brow, swinging onto one of the beasts. He had a teasing smirk on his face.
She ignored his comment, wringing her hands nervously. Hotohori reined his horse around towards her. "Would you prefer to double with one of us, Chiaki? Anyone but Chiriko..." He nodded towards the younger boy, who was struggling to control the huge, feisty beast he was mounted upon. He smiled and then glanced at her inquisitively.
Before she could answer, someone tapped her shoulder. Looking up, she saw a hand extended towards her. "You can ride with me, no da," the owner of the hand said brightly.
"You're..." She paused, groping her mind for his name.
"Chichiri, no da."
Of course. The blue-haired monk, as Tasuki had so fondly referred to him as. "Chichiri," she repeated, and inwardly hoped she would remember that.
"Well?"
"Um... okay. Sure." She took his hand, slipped her foot into the saddle's stirrup, and he pulled her the horse.
"Head out!" Hotohori shouted, leading the way out the gates.
"Hold on no da," Chichiri instructed. Tapping the horse's sides, he yelled, "YAH!" and the animal began to move in a rocking trot.
Chiaki shrieked in surprise, clutching handfuls of the horse's mane. Even with Chichiri's arm tightly around her, she was still afraid of falling off. As if having read her mind, he assured her that she'd be safe. "Besides, a fall isn't that painful, no da," he asserted brightly.
Looking down at the hard-packed ground beneath them, she wasn't so sure. When the group stopped to eat and rest, Chiaki's worst fear came true the second Chichiri released her- she fell off the horse. Tasuki, already off of his mount, doubled over in hysterics, almost choking on his own laughter. The little boy in the group, the one she assumed had to be Chiriko, came over to her.
"Are you all right?" he inquired, peering at her curiously. "Have you ever ridden a horse?" She shook her head ruefully. Wincing, he sat next to her. "I haven't ridden in awhile... ouch... Falling off is not a good experience for your first time."
"No, it's not," she agreed. "Now I know why I never rode before. It's more painful than I had imagined."
"Well, I've always been told- and I read it too- that you should get back on the horse when you fall off... Quite a useful metaphor, if you think about it in another light."
"You're a smart little guy," she commented.
"Thank you." He flushed at the praise and smiled again. "I read a lot."
She returned the smile and then, glancing off, she chuckled at what she saw. "Is that your horse getting away?"
Chiriko looked up and sighed as he noticed his horse wandering off. Climbing to his feet, he called back to her, "Welcome to Konan!" before turning and creeping up on the drifting beast.
Chiaki's smile grew some before sounds of fading giggles reached her ears. Scowling bitterly, she glared at Tasuki, who had just finished his fit of laughter. Standing, she moved away from the group and sat beneath the shade of a nearby tree. Her traveling companions politely left her alone, immersing themselves in their own conversation. Bits of what they talked about floated her way, and from what she overheard, she got the distinct feeling that they couldn't wait to be rid of her. "Well, it's not like I wanted to come here in the first place," she muttered under her breath, hugging her knees to her chest. "All I did was open a book and-"
"Hey Chiaki, come eat! Before Tamakins eats it all!" Nuriko called, motioning for the girl to join them. Tamahome yelled in protest between what appeared to be his third and fourth helpings.
"No thanks, I'm not that hungry." The response silenced all conversation, and everyone turned to stare at her. Uncomfortable, she looked down, and then away. 'What's the matter with these people? Are food and this Miaka girl the only things that occupy their thoughts?'
She was startled out of daydreaming when a strong hand gripped her shoulder. She glanced up and watched Nuriko sit down beside her, shooting her a concerned look.
"Are you okay? You seem a little down," he observed, leaning back against the tree. He stared contently at the beautifully clear sky through a fringe of indigo hair.
"I'm fine," she lied, plucking a blade of grass and twirling it between her fingers. "Just a little tired. Sore from the ride." Rubbing her hip, she added with a wince, "And from falling off of that dumb horse."
Nuriko chuckled. "You're just about as clumsy as Miaka," he commented lightly, standing and slapping her shoulder gently. "But in a good way." And then he walked away on a mission to harass Tasuki.
Resting her head on her knees, Chiaki growled in frustration and then went on to think random thoughts- anything but the situation at hand. She hadn't realized she had dozed off until Chichiri roused her and told her that they were preparing to head out once more. She stood stiffly, still half asleep, and stumbled after him to the horse. When she finally realized that she was expected to ride the horse again, she moved to protest, but before she knew it, Chichiri had hoisted her onto the animal's back and mounted quickly behind her. Moments later, the party was on their way again.
When the horses stopped moving for the second time that day, Chiaki examined her surroundings curiously. "What's going on now?" she asked Chichiri.
"We're stopping for the night, no da. Tomorrow we'll reach Mt. Takioku. Taitsukun is expecting us, no da." Instructing her to hold on to the horse, with the 'no da' that she was coming to expect from him, he slid off, and then helped her down before she could fall again.
She watched the men set up camp, starting a blazing fire and rolling out bedding. Approaching Mitsukake, who was busy feeding Tama-neko, she thanked him for tending to her previous wounds.
He smiled at the compliment and nodded. "You are quite welcome." Tama- neko mewed for the attention of his owner and then scampered away. The man sighed and hurried after the cat, scolding him for getting too close to the fire.
Chiaki sat down, staring into the fire, feeling out of place with these people: a group of strange men who expected her to imitate every word, every action, every thought of their beloved Priestess. It was disturbing, to say the least. With an agitated sigh, she stretched out on her bedroll and went to sleep.
* * *
Mid-afternoon, Chiaki and the Suzaku Seven arrived at Mt. Takioku and within the hour, they found themselves mysteriously warped into the presence of a petite old woman. Everyone fell respectfully silent, except for Tamahome, who was yelling something about a scary old woman, and Tasuki, who echoed such sentiments.
"Will you shut up?" the old woman snapped, glaring at the two young men. She turned to the rest of the party and floated over to Chiaki, grabbing her chin and forcing the girl to look at her. "How old are you?"
She swallowed nervously when the woman's eyes met hers and stammered, "S-seven-seventeen..." She had never met anyone quite like this floating woman.
"That's better... I don't know what Suzaku was thinking, choosing such a young girl like Miaka. So frivolous..."
"That's what we'd like to know, Taitsukun, no da... Why is Chiaki here instead of Miaka?" Chichiri inquired, leaning on his slender staff.
The old woman pursed her wrinkled lips thoughtfully. "I am uncertain as of now... My assumption would be that Suzaku felt Miaka was unfit to be his priestess-"
"Miaka was perfect to be his priestess!" Tamahome interrupted with protest.
"Will someone shut him up?"
Tamahome fell bitterly silent as the rest followed Taitsukun into another room. "As I said, it is my assumption that Suzaku felt Miaka was unsuitable. But he is a god of many agendas." Chiaki tried to listen as the old woman spoke on about how she was trying to figure out the beast god's motives, seated on the smooth marble floor, but found it hard as she looked around the room curiously. It had such searchable possibilities- nooks and crannies, halls, closed doors...
"... then Chiaki will be the new priestess of Suzaku."
Her head whipped towards Taitsukun in complete horror. "What?!" 'I did not just hear what I think I heard!'
The woman stared at her with a scrunched, displeased brow. "Have you not listened to what I've said?"
'Dammit, I did...' She stumbled to a wobbling stand, shaking her head rapidly. "No, no... I can't be a priestess or whatever else I'm supposed to be! I can't help these people. I can't even help myself half the time! Why choose me? Who the hell does this Suzaku guy think he is, picking me to do- to do this? Wasn't it that Miaka girl's duties anyway? So, no thank you, I don't want to do it. No one wants me here anyway. They want Miaka back. So just send me home. I don't like this place. I don't want to be a priestess! I don't want a part of any of this!"
Taitsukun focused a fixed glare on the girl. "You were brought into this world for a purpose yet unknown," she said sternly. "If that is what Suzaku wishes, then you will be her. You must fulfill this destiny. This world is depending on you. It is up to you, whether you are the priestess, or not, to help protect it."
Chiaki's eyes watered and she shook her head again, holding her hands to her head. To be transported to this strange world was problem enough. But now she was expected to save it? Were they insane? 'I'm only seventeen!' "No, no I can't!" She turned and fled the chamber, fighting back confused sobs.
"Chiaki!" Nuriko called, taking a step after her.
"Let her go. She needs to absorb all of this," Mitsukake interfered, placing a restraining hand on his shoulder.
"But what if she pulls a Miaka and falls into a lake or something and drowns?" he protested.
Beside them, Hotohori sighed. "That's exactly the problem. We keep comparing her to Miaka, and that is bothering her. We have been so concerned with Miaka's disappearance, that we haven't given her existence proper consideration." He looked back at Taitsukun, concerned. "Is she really expected to save us?"
The old woman squinted her eyes closed and furrowed her brow in deep concentration. "It is difficult to tell. She could be here to destroy us. I have been unable to read Suzaku's motives as of late. And of that, I am concerned..."
"Is this going to be a threat to Konan?" Hotohori inquired, brow creased in worry.
"I don't know!" Taitsukun snapped a bit more harshly than intended. "I wish I could tell you, but lately things have been slipping out of my control. I don't expect you to understand it, young emperor. I don't understand it myself." Turning to one of the blue haired young girls beside her, she ordered her to go retrieve Chiaki.
"Nyan nyan nyan..." the girl cooed merrily, drawing several identical girls after her as she skipped off to find the missing girl.
Chiaki sat with her knees drawn to her chest, staring miserably into a crystalline fountain waterfall. Flowers of exotic colors and fragrances that were wildly foreign to her surrounded her as far as the eye could see, but held none of her interest. Her thoughts had delved too deep into the complications she had just been delivered. "I'm seventeen years old..." she murmured, pressing her palms to her forehead and digging her fingers into her thick, loose brown hair. "I am struggling to get through high school, through life in general. And yet, they think I may be the key to saving the world? Or something equally ridiculous? How can they expect me to do that? They should just send me home. They have the wrong girl."
Several hands clasped her arms and, with a chorus of "Nyan-nyans!" and "We'll fix Chiaki!" she was hauled to her feet by several unfamiliar, identical young girls and they dragged her eagerly back into Taitsukun's palace.
"What the hell...?"
"Come! Come!" squeaked one girl and suddenly they began pulling her harder, enthusiastically squawking to one another as she was shoved down one hall and pulled through another.
"Where are you taking me- waugh!" She stumbled over her own feet with a cry of surprise and almost crashed down onto one of the little girls, but they dodged her with a gleeful dexterity that amazed Chiaki. Moments later they arrived in a room where the others were waiting, quietly conversion amongst themselves. All fell silent as the girl entered the room, save for the cheerful murmur amongst the little girls.
Chiaki fidgeted nervously under the scrutiny, wondering just what they thought of her denial to help save their country. When she contemplated upon it, it didn't make her sound very grateful to them.
"Are you all right, Chiaki?" Mitsukake was the first to inquire, giving her a concerned eye.
She nodded carefully, still studying them. Particularly the emperor. Was he angry she wasn't willing to help his country? But he only observed her with solemn eyes that gave nothing away. Biting her lip, she looked down.
Hotohori cleared his throat and stood, focusing his eyes on the brunette. "We request you return to the palace and stay with us until Taitsukun finds out just what Suzaku has in store for you."
It was a fair request. They weren't demanding she save the country; the world; anyone in particular... just asking her to return with them until they understood her reasons for existing in this ancient world. She nodded, without looking up. 'Is it even right to refuse an emperor?'
Taitsukun floated above them and approached the girl. Grabbing her chin and forcing her to look up, the old woman said, "If it comes down to us needing your assistance, you are allowed to make a choice. You can stay and help, or you may return to your world. Let your heart guide you in the right direction."
Chiaki stared at the woman and swallowed hard. She got the feeling that it wasn't going to be much of a choice. "I... I understand," she managed to force out.
"All right then..."
* * *
The return to Konan's capital was quieter than the trip up there, as each seishi contemplated the troubles that had been bestowed upon them with the arrival of Chiaki. The girl, on the other hand, thought of nothing, as she had been put into a deep sleep for the journey home, for all of her frantic jitters were certain to upset the horses, and placed in Mitsukake's care. They all had a feeling that this wait would be a long one.
During the following week, Chiaki spent much of her time alone as the seven men were as wary of her as she was of them, though neither knew of it, exploring the palace grounds until she discovered an arena used to train soldiers. Days after that, when the arena was empty and promised to be so for hours, found her there, practicing her fighting skills. She was there early one morning, before dawn, even, for lack of sleep. A solitary wooden dummy wrapped in thick, coarse rope sat in the middle of the packed floor, standing strong despite years of abuse. Chiaki finished wrapping her hands and then tied her dark hair up in a scrap of fabric she had retrieved from her room. Cracking her knuckles, she circled the dummy like it was an offending opponent who knew his end was coming, like she was calculating her finishing move. The dummy didn't stand a chance. She found a particular protruding limb offensive, and proceeded to fight it. Each violent punch, every brutal kick became more and more so as her fighting became less athletic, and more driven by frustration, fear, and bitter uncertainty. With a feral yell, she executed a roundhouse kick that sent the dummy spinning in place.
"What did the practice dummy ever do to you?" With a start, she whirled and saw Nuriko amble sleepily out of the surrounding shadows, stretching languidly with a loud yawn. "And why the hell are you up this early? Did Tasuki's snoring wake you up?" He cracked a grin and buried his fingers in his tangled violet hair.
With a half smile, she shook her head. "I just couldn't sleep." She took a fierce punch at the dummy. "I had a lot on my mind... What about you?"
"I sleep right over there." He pointed to a lodging across the field between the arena. "I could hear it all. Every kick, every punch you took, and every rattle that defenseless piece of wood made. Everything."
"Did I wake you up?" she asked after a pause, glancing worriedly at him.
He shrugged. "Yeah. But it isn't any worse than Tasuki's snoring! And he sleeps on the other side of the palace!"
Chiaki giggled a bit.
Nodding towards the dummy, Nuriko inquired, "You're a fighter?"
She glanced at it and her shoulders rose in a half-hearted gesture. "Not much of one."
"You come here every day and yet you tell me you aren't much of a fighter."
"Well at home I was taking classes- Wait... how did you-?"
He pointed across the field once again, with amusement in his eyes. "You didn't think I was blind, did you?"
She flushed with embarrassment and turned back to the dummy. "Well, I like to practice," she said as a weak explanation.
"Mind if I join you?" he asked, already wrapping up his own hands from the spare scraps of fabric in a box near the arena.
She gave him a startled look and then smiled when he grinned in return, nodding. And so, Nuriko was the first to break the primary layer of unease between the seishi of Suzaku and the relatively unknown unfortunate who had been placed in their care.
"Rise and shine!" The cheerful phrase invaded Chiaki's comfortably sleeping mind followed by a body-jolting shake. Her eyes popped open suddenly and she screamed, punching up into the dark.
"Ow!" exclaimed a slightly familiar voice as she connected with flesh.
A candle flickered to life, and she saw, in the dim light, Nuriko, rubbing his chin where she had struck. "Don't do that!" she yelped. Then she looked down sheepishly. "Oh... and um... sorry for hitting you."
He waved his hand, dismissing it. "I'd probably do the same thing... though it would result in serious injury." Grinning, he added, "Get dressed. It's time to go."
"Go? Go where?" she asked. She glanced out the window and saw the sun had yet to rise. With a moan, she collapsed back onto her pillow. "It's still dark out."
"To Mt. Takioku. It's a long trip. And we still need to eat!" He took her arm and literally pulled her out of bed. She yelped, crashing to the ground. Sheepishly, he grinned, hauling her to a stand. "Sorry. Sometimes I just don't know my own strength."
"It... it's okay," she muttered, working her aching shoulder. Then she shooed him out of the room, fumbled into the clothes she had borrowed from him, and twisted her hair into a messy bun. Smothering a yawn, she stumbled out of her room and followed Nuriko to breakfast. She ate slowly, both perplexed and disgusted by the way the seven men- namely Tamahome, Tasuki, and Nuriko- ate. It was as if the outrageously massive breakfast was going to be their last meal, so they had to eat everything and anything they could get their hands on. It was like a car wreck- horrible to watch, yet she couldn't look away. Absorbed in watching them, she hadn't realized she had stopped eating until Hotohori captured her attention and asked if she was finished. Sparing one more glance at the three gorging men across the table, she nodded quickly and pushed her plate away.
Immediately, the emperor stood. "Alright, let's be on our way."
"But there still all this food to be eaten!" Tamahome protested around a mouthful.
Hotohori sighed, running a slim hand over his face. "It is time to go," he decreed sternly in a tone that allowed for no argument. The order was met by a few moans. Finally pulling everyone away from the table, he led them to the stable.
When they arrived, Chiaki stared petrified at the horses standing by ready and waiting to be ridden, pawing the ground and snorting energetically. "We're... we're riding those?"
"Did you think we were all going to walk to Mt. Takioku?" Tasuki asked with an unbelieving arch in his brow, swinging onto one of the beasts. He had a teasing smirk on his face.
She ignored his comment, wringing her hands nervously. Hotohori reined his horse around towards her. "Would you prefer to double with one of us, Chiaki? Anyone but Chiriko..." He nodded towards the younger boy, who was struggling to control the huge, feisty beast he was mounted upon. He smiled and then glanced at her inquisitively.
Before she could answer, someone tapped her shoulder. Looking up, she saw a hand extended towards her. "You can ride with me, no da," the owner of the hand said brightly.
"You're..." She paused, groping her mind for his name.
"Chichiri, no da."
Of course. The blue-haired monk, as Tasuki had so fondly referred to him as. "Chichiri," she repeated, and inwardly hoped she would remember that.
"Well?"
"Um... okay. Sure." She took his hand, slipped her foot into the saddle's stirrup, and he pulled her the horse.
"Head out!" Hotohori shouted, leading the way out the gates.
"Hold on no da," Chichiri instructed. Tapping the horse's sides, he yelled, "YAH!" and the animal began to move in a rocking trot.
Chiaki shrieked in surprise, clutching handfuls of the horse's mane. Even with Chichiri's arm tightly around her, she was still afraid of falling off. As if having read her mind, he assured her that she'd be safe. "Besides, a fall isn't that painful, no da," he asserted brightly.
Looking down at the hard-packed ground beneath them, she wasn't so sure. When the group stopped to eat and rest, Chiaki's worst fear came true the second Chichiri released her- she fell off the horse. Tasuki, already off of his mount, doubled over in hysterics, almost choking on his own laughter. The little boy in the group, the one she assumed had to be Chiriko, came over to her.
"Are you all right?" he inquired, peering at her curiously. "Have you ever ridden a horse?" She shook her head ruefully. Wincing, he sat next to her. "I haven't ridden in awhile... ouch... Falling off is not a good experience for your first time."
"No, it's not," she agreed. "Now I know why I never rode before. It's more painful than I had imagined."
"Well, I've always been told- and I read it too- that you should get back on the horse when you fall off... Quite a useful metaphor, if you think about it in another light."
"You're a smart little guy," she commented.
"Thank you." He flushed at the praise and smiled again. "I read a lot."
She returned the smile and then, glancing off, she chuckled at what she saw. "Is that your horse getting away?"
Chiriko looked up and sighed as he noticed his horse wandering off. Climbing to his feet, he called back to her, "Welcome to Konan!" before turning and creeping up on the drifting beast.
Chiaki's smile grew some before sounds of fading giggles reached her ears. Scowling bitterly, she glared at Tasuki, who had just finished his fit of laughter. Standing, she moved away from the group and sat beneath the shade of a nearby tree. Her traveling companions politely left her alone, immersing themselves in their own conversation. Bits of what they talked about floated her way, and from what she overheard, she got the distinct feeling that they couldn't wait to be rid of her. "Well, it's not like I wanted to come here in the first place," she muttered under her breath, hugging her knees to her chest. "All I did was open a book and-"
"Hey Chiaki, come eat! Before Tamakins eats it all!" Nuriko called, motioning for the girl to join them. Tamahome yelled in protest between what appeared to be his third and fourth helpings.
"No thanks, I'm not that hungry." The response silenced all conversation, and everyone turned to stare at her. Uncomfortable, she looked down, and then away. 'What's the matter with these people? Are food and this Miaka girl the only things that occupy their thoughts?'
She was startled out of daydreaming when a strong hand gripped her shoulder. She glanced up and watched Nuriko sit down beside her, shooting her a concerned look.
"Are you okay? You seem a little down," he observed, leaning back against the tree. He stared contently at the beautifully clear sky through a fringe of indigo hair.
"I'm fine," she lied, plucking a blade of grass and twirling it between her fingers. "Just a little tired. Sore from the ride." Rubbing her hip, she added with a wince, "And from falling off of that dumb horse."
Nuriko chuckled. "You're just about as clumsy as Miaka," he commented lightly, standing and slapping her shoulder gently. "But in a good way." And then he walked away on a mission to harass Tasuki.
Resting her head on her knees, Chiaki growled in frustration and then went on to think random thoughts- anything but the situation at hand. She hadn't realized she had dozed off until Chichiri roused her and told her that they were preparing to head out once more. She stood stiffly, still half asleep, and stumbled after him to the horse. When she finally realized that she was expected to ride the horse again, she moved to protest, but before she knew it, Chichiri had hoisted her onto the animal's back and mounted quickly behind her. Moments later, the party was on their way again.
When the horses stopped moving for the second time that day, Chiaki examined her surroundings curiously. "What's going on now?" she asked Chichiri.
"We're stopping for the night, no da. Tomorrow we'll reach Mt. Takioku. Taitsukun is expecting us, no da." Instructing her to hold on to the horse, with the 'no da' that she was coming to expect from him, he slid off, and then helped her down before she could fall again.
She watched the men set up camp, starting a blazing fire and rolling out bedding. Approaching Mitsukake, who was busy feeding Tama-neko, she thanked him for tending to her previous wounds.
He smiled at the compliment and nodded. "You are quite welcome." Tama- neko mewed for the attention of his owner and then scampered away. The man sighed and hurried after the cat, scolding him for getting too close to the fire.
Chiaki sat down, staring into the fire, feeling out of place with these people: a group of strange men who expected her to imitate every word, every action, every thought of their beloved Priestess. It was disturbing, to say the least. With an agitated sigh, she stretched out on her bedroll and went to sleep.
* * *
Mid-afternoon, Chiaki and the Suzaku Seven arrived at Mt. Takioku and within the hour, they found themselves mysteriously warped into the presence of a petite old woman. Everyone fell respectfully silent, except for Tamahome, who was yelling something about a scary old woman, and Tasuki, who echoed such sentiments.
"Will you shut up?" the old woman snapped, glaring at the two young men. She turned to the rest of the party and floated over to Chiaki, grabbing her chin and forcing the girl to look at her. "How old are you?"
She swallowed nervously when the woman's eyes met hers and stammered, "S-seven-seventeen..." She had never met anyone quite like this floating woman.
"That's better... I don't know what Suzaku was thinking, choosing such a young girl like Miaka. So frivolous..."
"That's what we'd like to know, Taitsukun, no da... Why is Chiaki here instead of Miaka?" Chichiri inquired, leaning on his slender staff.
The old woman pursed her wrinkled lips thoughtfully. "I am uncertain as of now... My assumption would be that Suzaku felt Miaka was unfit to be his priestess-"
"Miaka was perfect to be his priestess!" Tamahome interrupted with protest.
"Will someone shut him up?"
Tamahome fell bitterly silent as the rest followed Taitsukun into another room. "As I said, it is my assumption that Suzaku felt Miaka was unsuitable. But he is a god of many agendas." Chiaki tried to listen as the old woman spoke on about how she was trying to figure out the beast god's motives, seated on the smooth marble floor, but found it hard as she looked around the room curiously. It had such searchable possibilities- nooks and crannies, halls, closed doors...
"... then Chiaki will be the new priestess of Suzaku."
Her head whipped towards Taitsukun in complete horror. "What?!" 'I did not just hear what I think I heard!'
The woman stared at her with a scrunched, displeased brow. "Have you not listened to what I've said?"
'Dammit, I did...' She stumbled to a wobbling stand, shaking her head rapidly. "No, no... I can't be a priestess or whatever else I'm supposed to be! I can't help these people. I can't even help myself half the time! Why choose me? Who the hell does this Suzaku guy think he is, picking me to do- to do this? Wasn't it that Miaka girl's duties anyway? So, no thank you, I don't want to do it. No one wants me here anyway. They want Miaka back. So just send me home. I don't like this place. I don't want to be a priestess! I don't want a part of any of this!"
Taitsukun focused a fixed glare on the girl. "You were brought into this world for a purpose yet unknown," she said sternly. "If that is what Suzaku wishes, then you will be her. You must fulfill this destiny. This world is depending on you. It is up to you, whether you are the priestess, or not, to help protect it."
Chiaki's eyes watered and she shook her head again, holding her hands to her head. To be transported to this strange world was problem enough. But now she was expected to save it? Were they insane? 'I'm only seventeen!' "No, no I can't!" She turned and fled the chamber, fighting back confused sobs.
"Chiaki!" Nuriko called, taking a step after her.
"Let her go. She needs to absorb all of this," Mitsukake interfered, placing a restraining hand on his shoulder.
"But what if she pulls a Miaka and falls into a lake or something and drowns?" he protested.
Beside them, Hotohori sighed. "That's exactly the problem. We keep comparing her to Miaka, and that is bothering her. We have been so concerned with Miaka's disappearance, that we haven't given her existence proper consideration." He looked back at Taitsukun, concerned. "Is she really expected to save us?"
The old woman squinted her eyes closed and furrowed her brow in deep concentration. "It is difficult to tell. She could be here to destroy us. I have been unable to read Suzaku's motives as of late. And of that, I am concerned..."
"Is this going to be a threat to Konan?" Hotohori inquired, brow creased in worry.
"I don't know!" Taitsukun snapped a bit more harshly than intended. "I wish I could tell you, but lately things have been slipping out of my control. I don't expect you to understand it, young emperor. I don't understand it myself." Turning to one of the blue haired young girls beside her, she ordered her to go retrieve Chiaki.
"Nyan nyan nyan..." the girl cooed merrily, drawing several identical girls after her as she skipped off to find the missing girl.
Chiaki sat with her knees drawn to her chest, staring miserably into a crystalline fountain waterfall. Flowers of exotic colors and fragrances that were wildly foreign to her surrounded her as far as the eye could see, but held none of her interest. Her thoughts had delved too deep into the complications she had just been delivered. "I'm seventeen years old..." she murmured, pressing her palms to her forehead and digging her fingers into her thick, loose brown hair. "I am struggling to get through high school, through life in general. And yet, they think I may be the key to saving the world? Or something equally ridiculous? How can they expect me to do that? They should just send me home. They have the wrong girl."
Several hands clasped her arms and, with a chorus of "Nyan-nyans!" and "We'll fix Chiaki!" she was hauled to her feet by several unfamiliar, identical young girls and they dragged her eagerly back into Taitsukun's palace.
"What the hell...?"
"Come! Come!" squeaked one girl and suddenly they began pulling her harder, enthusiastically squawking to one another as she was shoved down one hall and pulled through another.
"Where are you taking me- waugh!" She stumbled over her own feet with a cry of surprise and almost crashed down onto one of the little girls, but they dodged her with a gleeful dexterity that amazed Chiaki. Moments later they arrived in a room where the others were waiting, quietly conversion amongst themselves. All fell silent as the girl entered the room, save for the cheerful murmur amongst the little girls.
Chiaki fidgeted nervously under the scrutiny, wondering just what they thought of her denial to help save their country. When she contemplated upon it, it didn't make her sound very grateful to them.
"Are you all right, Chiaki?" Mitsukake was the first to inquire, giving her a concerned eye.
She nodded carefully, still studying them. Particularly the emperor. Was he angry she wasn't willing to help his country? But he only observed her with solemn eyes that gave nothing away. Biting her lip, she looked down.
Hotohori cleared his throat and stood, focusing his eyes on the brunette. "We request you return to the palace and stay with us until Taitsukun finds out just what Suzaku has in store for you."
It was a fair request. They weren't demanding she save the country; the world; anyone in particular... just asking her to return with them until they understood her reasons for existing in this ancient world. She nodded, without looking up. 'Is it even right to refuse an emperor?'
Taitsukun floated above them and approached the girl. Grabbing her chin and forcing her to look up, the old woman said, "If it comes down to us needing your assistance, you are allowed to make a choice. You can stay and help, or you may return to your world. Let your heart guide you in the right direction."
Chiaki stared at the woman and swallowed hard. She got the feeling that it wasn't going to be much of a choice. "I... I understand," she managed to force out.
"All right then..."
* * *
The return to Konan's capital was quieter than the trip up there, as each seishi contemplated the troubles that had been bestowed upon them with the arrival of Chiaki. The girl, on the other hand, thought of nothing, as she had been put into a deep sleep for the journey home, for all of her frantic jitters were certain to upset the horses, and placed in Mitsukake's care. They all had a feeling that this wait would be a long one.
During the following week, Chiaki spent much of her time alone as the seven men were as wary of her as she was of them, though neither knew of it, exploring the palace grounds until she discovered an arena used to train soldiers. Days after that, when the arena was empty and promised to be so for hours, found her there, practicing her fighting skills. She was there early one morning, before dawn, even, for lack of sleep. A solitary wooden dummy wrapped in thick, coarse rope sat in the middle of the packed floor, standing strong despite years of abuse. Chiaki finished wrapping her hands and then tied her dark hair up in a scrap of fabric she had retrieved from her room. Cracking her knuckles, she circled the dummy like it was an offending opponent who knew his end was coming, like she was calculating her finishing move. The dummy didn't stand a chance. She found a particular protruding limb offensive, and proceeded to fight it. Each violent punch, every brutal kick became more and more so as her fighting became less athletic, and more driven by frustration, fear, and bitter uncertainty. With a feral yell, she executed a roundhouse kick that sent the dummy spinning in place.
"What did the practice dummy ever do to you?" With a start, she whirled and saw Nuriko amble sleepily out of the surrounding shadows, stretching languidly with a loud yawn. "And why the hell are you up this early? Did Tasuki's snoring wake you up?" He cracked a grin and buried his fingers in his tangled violet hair.
With a half smile, she shook her head. "I just couldn't sleep." She took a fierce punch at the dummy. "I had a lot on my mind... What about you?"
"I sleep right over there." He pointed to a lodging across the field between the arena. "I could hear it all. Every kick, every punch you took, and every rattle that defenseless piece of wood made. Everything."
"Did I wake you up?" she asked after a pause, glancing worriedly at him.
He shrugged. "Yeah. But it isn't any worse than Tasuki's snoring! And he sleeps on the other side of the palace!"
Chiaki giggled a bit.
Nodding towards the dummy, Nuriko inquired, "You're a fighter?"
She glanced at it and her shoulders rose in a half-hearted gesture. "Not much of one."
"You come here every day and yet you tell me you aren't much of a fighter."
"Well at home I was taking classes- Wait... how did you-?"
He pointed across the field once again, with amusement in his eyes. "You didn't think I was blind, did you?"
She flushed with embarrassment and turned back to the dummy. "Well, I like to practice," she said as a weak explanation.
"Mind if I join you?" he asked, already wrapping up his own hands from the spare scraps of fabric in a box near the arena.
She gave him a startled look and then smiled when he grinned in return, nodding. And so, Nuriko was the first to break the primary layer of unease between the seishi of Suzaku and the relatively unknown unfortunate who had been placed in their care.
