Disclaimer: I disclaim FY. Sorry to disappoint you…
Warning: Shun'u language, prevalent disease, and various violent acts where Ryuuen hits people.
Notes: Ojii-san is a polite way to say 'old man', and obaa-san is a polite way to 'old woman'.
Errr, I'm really really sorry it took so long for me to put out another chapter. However, I am MORE than making it up to you guys with 21 freakin pages! That's 13,000 words! That makes this my longest chapter to date (though in no way does it rival Roku-chan's 16,000 word chapters. Beats me how she does it!). Speaking of Roku-chan, I want to thank her for beta-reading the previous chapter. I forgot to mention it before… :beats head against brick wall:
Getting back to topic, the end of this chapter will coincide with a side-story I have written about Ryuuen and his past. It's called Our Side of the Mirror, and I wasn't planning on posting it this early in Seishi/Gods. However, fate seems to have other plans and has decreed that it would fit in perfectly during this time. Thus (much to certain authoress' delight) I have posted it at the same time I've updated this story. Please read it after this chapter - I don't think you'll be disappointed!
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The Palace and Center were both frighteningly loud this time of morning. Despite the fact that most of the inhabitants should have been asleep at sunrise, a great number of Seishi and councilors had come to the open courtyard to watch their Emperor and his guardsmen embark upon their long and difficult journey.
"What a crowd," Kishuku murmured to Ryuuen as they loaded their two horses in front of the Palace gates. "I don't mind people, but damn! This is a lot!" Toshi and Kohana, knowing that their presence could spook the horses, had already left the city's borders and waited on the designated traveling road.
"We're popular, what can I say?" he winked back, then waved a hand behind Kishuku. "Shun-kun! How's it going?"
Stalking over to them with Genrou at his side, Shun'u's rather irate face told everyone how it was going.
"Get. Me. Out. Of. Here!" the bandit punctuated each word, slamming his stuff onto one of the horse's back and earning a 'whuff' of irritation from it. "Lemme shift! Lemme run! For the love of god, just get me the fuck outta here!"
A pause before Genrou helpfully commented, 'He's a bit nervous about the excursion.'
"Aww, poor baby," Kishuku cooed mockingly. "Do you need someone to hold your hand?"
"Fuck off, Ki-ku!"
"Same to you!"
"Don't make me hit you both, because I'll do it."
"Shun!" a voice screamed out over the dim, and when the trio of turned a familiar cooper-topped blur slammed into Shun'u, toppling the both of them over.
"Arusei!" Shun'u yelled, or as well as he could yell with a set of arms wrapped around his chest. "Get off of me, dammit!"
"I just want to say goodbye!"
Ryuuen raised an eyebrow while Kishuku explained the background of this relationship. "So should we help him?" the Nuriko Seishi asked.
"Nah, he didn't want help before. I think he'll survive this," he said maliciously.
"You're cruel."
"Thank you. Hey, I see Doukun and Houjun coming."
He was right; walking at them and leading a packhorse was Houjun, who was decked out in what seemed to be a monk's kesa instead of his Priest's robe, along with a white shirt, khaki pants, and a woven straw kasa. Sitting on the horse and looking extremely uneasy was Doukun, still dressed in his usual five-layered red and yellow dress robes rather than a more unencumbered riding outfit. Ryuuen and Kishuku waved to them and both waved back, thankful to find a set of familiar faces.
"Good morning to you," Doukun said, cheering up as they came together.
"You too, Doukun. Things going well for both of you?" Ryuuen asked.
Houjun grinned, his look answering the question very fully. "Somehow… I just can't stop smiling, no da. I wonder why."
Kishuku laughed and agreed. "Boy, I know that feeling! But Doukun… how come you're wearing such nice clothes?"
The boy shrugged sheepishly from his perch on the saddle. "My mother still harbors delusions that I am going on a very civilized business trip rather than traipsing across the countryside. She wanted me to look my best."
"Civilized?" Kishuku raised an eyebrow, turned and watched Shun'u and Arusei exchange curses and vows (respectively). "Uh, I don't think so!"
"It's going to be a bit hard to ride in that, isn't it?" Ryuuen frowned.
Doukun smiled slyly. "Normally, yes, but I anticipated my needs," he said, then pointed to one of the saddlebags. "Not only do I have a set of riding apparel in my bag, I am also wearing a tunic under all these… things. I'll put these away when we're out of the city's limits."
The trio chuckled at his foresight, knowing how much help that trait could turn out to be. "Oh yeah! Speaking of traipsing, where's Chie? And Shonin, for that matter?" Kishuku put forth.
As if on some silent cue, the silver vixen melted through the crowd toward her Seishi and, circling overhead, were two birds that could only be Chie and Takeshi, judging by their size and color. Following behind Shonin and parting the sea of humans and ketsu with evident ease was Saihitei, leading his own beautiful stallion.
Boy, aren't we special? Kishuku thought dryly. Saihitei was actually dressed to go riding; a worry Kishuku privately harbored was that he would come out wearing the imperial robes and expecting to be shuttled around everywhere. It didn't seem to be the case here, and although it looked like he was wearing a red silk tunic with expensive tan trousers, he still looked more fit to straddle a horse than poor Doukun. All three of the Warriors were decked out in their usual outfits - Shun'u in his famous black overcoat, Ryuuen in a long pink tunic, and himself in all gray - and carrying their favorite weapons too. Ah, but at least we have some idea of what we're getting into. It pays to be a Warrior when you have no idea what might be out there and ready to kill you.
When Saihitei saw their little circle, he hailed them with a, "Good morning to you all," and they began exchanging pleasant greetings. Chie landed on the horn of Doukun's saddle, her wing blessedly free of bandages and moving unhindered once again, while Takeshi continued to fly above his Seishi. Shonin had jumped into Houjun's arms, then crawled up to her usual perch on his shoulders. The group was chatting about the trip and last minute preparations when Saihitei noticed Shun'u on the ground, still flailing his legs and arms quite helplessly under Arusei's grip.
"Is he in this position with every woman he comes across, or are we missing something?" the Emperor looked terribly confused.
Kishuku couldn't stop himself from bursting out into gales of laughter. Suzaku almighty, if only they knew how much Shun hates women! The thought made him laugh even harder, forcing a snickering Ryuuen to explain the "episode" to Houjun, Saihitei, and a far too curious Doukun. When the boy started asking some questions he wasn't sure any of them wanted to answer, Kishuku tapped Arusei on the shoulder and kindly asked her to let go of their Seishi partner.
"I'm sorry to break up this beautiful moment, but I must ask you to release our riding buddy," he grinned. "You can have him after we come back, but we do have to have him for the moment so we can save the country."
"Oh, well, when you put it that way…" she jumped to her feet, blew the fallen Shun'u a kiss, and dissipated back into the crowd without so much as 'slam, bam, thank you man'.
Sitting up, Shun'u glared daggers at Kishuku before growling, "Not one word. Not one goddamn fuckin word if you wanna keep your-"
"Now now, Bandit-Mouth, we've got children around," Kishuku said in a singsong, keeping the smile on his face and indicating Doukun as the 'children'. Shun'u looked over Kishuku's shoulder and his scowl turned very dark. "Anything else?"
"Yeah. I'm gonna to kill ya slowly 'n painfully when no one's watchin."
"Good. You're OK." Kishuku offered his hand and Shun'u took it reflexively, getting upright without a problem.
Finally, after all six had been brought together and separated all their gear evenly on the horses, they decided it was either now or never.
"Got everything? Ready to go?" Ryuuen pointed at each person. As they answered an affirmative, he let out a holler of excitement and leapt onto the back of one of the horses. "Let's ride!" At the exclamation the people began to quiet down, waiting with baited breath as to what the Seishi and Emperor were going to do.
Saihitei mounted his horse, while Houjun and Shonin sat behind Doukun and Chie went airborne. The two remaining Seishi just glanced at each other before Shun'u graced him with a sharp smirk. "Gotta better idea- I'll run!"
So with that declaration, Kishuku jumped into the last saddle and called out over the courtyard, "Open the gates!"
The sentries standing to the sides of the metal barrier pulled it open, welcoming the company to ride out of the city. But the moment the gates were spread, the silence was shattered by a symphony of voices filling the air. From every side, from the Center to the city, people were offering up prayers to Suzaku to protect the Emperor and his Seishi guardians, shouting out their support, and well wishing as fervently as if they were the ones embarking on the journey. From behind, Kishuku waved to an encouraging Tatsuko and Machi before turning back to Saihitei, who nodded to him and Shun'u.
Let's make this look good!
Shun'u took off first, running as fast as his feet would carry him. Genrou kept up right beside his bondmate, apparently relishing the speed and feel of the land under his paws. Quickly following behind, spurring their horses into an eager canter, were Saihitei, Houjun and Doukun with Ryuuen and Kishuku acting as rearguards. Then Shun'u, in no small part due to his extravagant sense of flair, shifted in mid-step and changed to his svelte wolf form, earning shrieks of delight and thrill from the onlookers as the red wolves sped down the road, howling with pleasure.
Oh yeah… Kishuku grinned as he flew past the awed and excited faces he had unwittingly sworn to protect. So far, looks very good.
They rode like that for a while, leaving the Capital behind in a cloud of dust as they reached the edge of forests and dove straight into its heart. Kohana and Toshi caught up with the group without an incident, loping just behind to their Seishi boys with staggering endurance, while the wolves still led their pack along the beautifully colored trail. The sun had long since peaked over the clouds and darkness was trying to assert its dominance by shadowing the ground like a wild mosaic.
Everything's so active, so new, so free, Kishuku thought enthusiastically. Gods, I don't understand how people can just ride and never look at what's around them. He was admiring the world with youthful innocence, grinning at the littlest things he saw- a flash of yellow flowers, a small chipmunk, the way Saihitei's hair whipped back and forth in perfect time. This is what it means to be alive!
Suddenly, he became distracted by one of his partner's distressed whines.
"OK, you know what? This isn't funny anymore!" Ryuuen finally burst out when they were miles from the nearest city. "My rear is killing me, and we really need to stop!" Despite the certain discomfort riding brought to his lower, more sensitive body parts Kishuku quickly adjusted to the natural motions of the horse and rode as if he'd been practicing for quite some time. He felt sorry for Ryuuen, who apparently hadn't quite gotten the hang of horseback riding yet.
"Why don't we pause for the moment, Houjun-san?" Doukun looked into the elder's face. "I would like to rid myself of these burdensome clothes in favor of a tunic, and we can discuss our plans in detail now that there are no prying ears or eyes."
Houjun voiced his agreement and Saihitei brought his horse to a stop ahead of them, causing all Seishi to come to a standstill. Ryuuen nearly fell out off the horse and kissed the ground while the others got to their feet without too many problems. The Tasuki pair caught wind of the plan via telepathy, turned on their heels, and came dashing back to the group.
As Kishuku dismounted, one of the wolves caught him completely off-guard as it jumped him straight on and slammed him to the dirt with backbreaking force.
"Goddamn you, Shun!" he shouted, managing to brace himself just barely before the moment of impact. "I hate it when you do that!"
With his forepaws on Kishuku's chest, Shun'u plopped his furry red rump on the other's stomach and let his tongue loll out his mouth in a very contented grin. Having been in this position far too many times, the Tamahome Seishi reflexively tightened his abdominal muscles in an effort to keep the 90-lb. wolf from cutting off his breathing entirely.
Figures that he'd have to pick the most uncomfortable place to sit! Had he not known better, Kishuku would have thought Shun'u was just playing around. However, he was willing to bet that the bandit would be saying something on the lines of, "Got'cha back, asshole!" if he had vocal cords.
That's it- Shun'u Stew when we set camp tonight!
"Gentlemen, and I use the phrase lightly," Saihitei said wearily as he tied the horses to some low-hanging branches. "We are in the midst of a rather dangerous adventure, and it's only just begun. Can we focus?"
"He started it," Kishuku grumbled as he knocked the wolf off his chest and got to his feet. It shifted back to a maniacally grinning Shun'u, who was more than happy to continue taunting his fellow traveler.
"You two are what, 17 going on 5, no da?" Houjun asked dryly, pulling out a red scroll from a bag. "Anyway, as much as I love to banter with you folks it's time to discuss business, no da."
While Doukun changed clothes, the rest quickly found themselves seats on rocks, trees, or other assorted forest debris and formed a crude circle so they could easily hear one another.
"Forget it!" Ryuuen declared. "After that ride, I think I need to stand."
"Do you not ride?" Saihitei asked.
"See, I can ride but I haven't done it in months. Thus… my legs and bottom are a teeny bit pissed at me for the new, invigorating exercise," he said, leaning against a nearby tree. "So if you don't mind, I'll just stand."
'Seishi, the flyers and myself are going scouting,' Shonin informed them. 'Kohana, Toshi, and Genrou will stand guard for you. We'll all be in mind-contact, though.'
'Thanks everyone. Hope you don't find anything,' Kishuku told her, grievously reminded of the last time he was out with Toshi…
'Me too.'
A rustle of leaves and feathers was all the sound they heard as all the ketsu went their separate ways, leaving their bondmates to talk about what they had been unwilling to say in public.
"So Houjun," the Emperor of Konan began. "Tell us everything you know."
The first thing the Priest did was talk about the Mitsukake Seishi. "As far as I can tell, he or she is in Choukou and we should reach it at least two hours before dusk, no da. That's counting breaks we'll take for eating and other personal matters too, no da."
"Sounds pretty easy," Shun'u shrugged casually. "What'sa problem, then?"
He hesitated before saying, "Well… from what I've heard, it seems as if Choukou's been, er… overrun by a demon, no da."
Kishuku's mouth moved without words coming out for a few seconds, while everyone made similar sounds of disbelief and dismay.
"Yer fuckin kidding me! Ain't no demons this close ta th' Capital!" Shun'u shouted.
"You know that, and I know that, but do the demons know that?" Houjun asked sagely.
Kishuku quickly jumped in before Shun'u could begin his usual ranting, "What if the Seishi was killed by the demon? Then where would we be?"
Houjun just shook his head slowly. "The only reason I know he or she is alive is because I can feel a distinctive ki coming from that direction which I can only assume is the Seishi, no da. Whether or not he or she is in good health is another story, no da."
"That is not much to go on," Saihitei frowned deeply. "But that also brings up the point of keeping the land in a state of grace. Would this be natural or unnatural deaths?"
"Something like demons popping up in towns aren't exactly everyday occurrences, heika," Ryuuen put in. "If it were dormant, I'd be a little more unsure about killing it, but if it's actually attacking and murdering people then that's a different story."
I have a feeling I know what's coming next, Kishuku thought grimly. "So if we go there, does this mean we have to take out the demon before moving on?"
The answer didn't surprise him. "Most likely… yes. It is our duty to take care of the people, no da," Houjun said. "But I wanted to propose this question to you before we went off to Choukou; do you want to split up into two groups, so that we cover more ground in a shorter period of time, no da?"
"Ya mean, like some of us go ta Choukou and th' others go try 'n track th' Miko?"
"Yes, pretty much, no da."
Shun'u thought for a moment. "Don't sound like a bad idea."
"Yeah, but sounds too easy," Ryuuen crossed his arms, looking unsettled. "What's the catch? We beat up a demon here, pick up a Miko there… there's gotta be some reason why we're called to do this instead of just any Seishi off the street."
"I've been wondering that too, but right now it doesn't seem like we'll have the chance to discuss it in great detail, no da," the Priest sighed. "As for this being too easy… well, let me start at the beginning, no da. Do you all know of the skirmishes taking place between Kutou and Konan?"
"I do, but mostly military stuff. Nothing really in-depth," Kishuku said. "I think it's the same for all three of us," and he indicated 'us' and Shun'u, Ryuuen, and himself.
"I can greatly clarify the issue for anyone who has not been keeping up," Saihitei offered as Doukun, now dressed in a more appropriate orange pants and tunic set, ran over to join them. "Doukun, are you aware of the uprisings between Kutou and Konan?"
"Very much so, Saihitei-san," he said as he sat next to Shun'u. "Why?"
"Perhaps you can help me explain some of the more… withheld details as to why Kutou and Konan are not on the best of terms."
The two summarized the relationship between the two countries, though it was quite obvious they would have gone on for hours had time not been against the travelers. So the duo spoke of Kutou's history and penchant for violence. Since Konan was the smallest of the four countries and Kutou stood as the second largest they were always trying to overthrow the Konan royal family and gain the lands for their uses. Most attempts were rather passive- using techniques of deceit and treachery rather than violence to achieve their goal- and to date none had ever worked. Recently, however, Kutou had actually taken a very active role in fighting Konan, starting with the denial of the annual ambassadors making it into Kutou with their peace treaties.
"And it was claimed that we had never sent them in the first place," Doukun tied everything up, his words full of righteous indignation. "How dare they suggest such a thing! As if we have no honor, when I'm more than certain that they are the reasons the treaty never arrived!"
"What is worse…" Saihitei said, sounding dark and disturbed. "Because of their belief that the treaties never made it, their ministers are outraged. Very few know this, but…" he paused and looked down at his feet. "Gentlemen… Konan is at war, and has been for more than two weeks."
A shiver of dread, unlike anything he'd felt before, ran down Kishuku's back. My home, he felt horror grow within his chest. Oh blessed phoenix, tell me it's not true. Tell me my family is not in danger, tell me my country is safe. Suzaku… it can't be true…
"Fuckin shit!" Shun'u swore, his sentiments echoed by most of the company and the ketsu. Kishuku could see his own sudden fears mirrored in almost everyone's face, and if it wasn't there, then anger was.
'Damn them to the deepest hells!' Toshi's mindvoice was red with rage. 'Those devil-spawned dragons! Konan is not a strong country, it cannot hold against Kutou's military.'
"Which is why we must hurry and find the remaining two," Saihitei reiterated that very important fact.
"That was an uplifting background check, you two," Kishuku let out a tired sigh. "But I don't see how this connects to the Miko? Is she dead? Is she trapped in Kutou? Give me a hand here!"
"Like the Mitsukake Seishi, we have to believe here too that she's alive and in Konan, no da," Houjun expanded. "But the scroll and my senses seems to be giving the indication that she is close to the northeastern border of the land, no da."
"Which is right next to Kutou and war-ravaged Konan…" Ryuuen breathed quietly. "If we go to find the Miko up near all these battlegrounds, it'd be like walking into a goddamn nest of vipers."
"And, very likely, a trap," Saihitei finished, his brow furrowed in dread. "So it seems this will not be the afternoon jaunt we'd been hoping it would be."
After a minute of silent worry, Doukun spoke up. "Houjun-san, I remember you had mentioned the idea of dividing our party into two. I, for one, think that it may be the best thing we can do, especially under these circumstances."
Kishuku shook his head. "I'm not so sure, Doukun. For one, if we split into two, the group going to get the Miko could be attacked and horribly outnumbered by the Kutou soldiers. And as for the demon… we don't even know what kind it is. I'd rather not go into something like that without as much backup as I can."
The youngest member disagreed and his symbol shone as he voiced his thoughts. "You are thinking too much like a Warrior. There are those battles that cannot and should not be fought with our fists. Think, instead, like the leopard you are bonded with. He is the most accomplished stalker of the cats and may pass among humans without their knowledge. If you were to go fetch the Miko it is very possible that you can avoid the Kutou soldiers altogether and still bring her back to safety."
The kid's got a point, Kishuku admitted to himself. If I really wanted to, I could go from one end of Konan to the other without being seen.
'With practice maybe, but you're still far too fond of making a scene when you fight,' Toshi said bluntly. 'I wouldn't let you go alone.'
'Thanks for the vote of confidence, Toshi,' he growled back.
"But regardless of Kishuku going, it still would be best if only a small number of Seishi went to bring the Miko back," Doukun said, the cho sign fading from sight. "Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"
"I do. All right, so that justifies only a few people getting the Miko," Ryuuen thought aloud as he started to pace. "But what about the demon? Or demons? Houjun, you're the Priest with the training on evil and that stuff- why don't you go with the group that needs to get the Mitsukake Seishi?"
He shook his head regretfully. "In any other case I would, but I think it would be best if I went with those looking for the Miko, no da."
"How come?" Kishuku asked, somewhat bristly. Rest of us aren't good enough?
"First, I have the most experience traveling through dangerous lands, no da. Believe it or not my life hasn't always been at the Center, and I do have some skills that could make the journey much easier. Second, I know where the Miko is and can trace her by following her ki trail, no da. Everyone knows where the Mitsukake Seishi is; for all you knew, the Miko could have been anywhere from the eastern border to the western, no da. Thus, I can use her ki like a rope and "pull" us closer to her, no da," he explained so very rationally that Kishuku found himself giving in.
But I'm still not sure I like the idea of us splitting up for such dangerous missions…
"So we are decided in rending this group into two?" Doukun reiterated the fact. "At least, that is my impression."
"What does everyone think?" Saihitei looked around the circle. "Ryuuen?"
The violet-haired boy let out a deep-chested sigh and said, "I think it's a good idea, but I'm just worried about us getting together once both Miko and Seishi are found."
"We can work that out later. Shun'u?" Saihitei went down the line.
"Cool with me."
"Kishuku?"
Great… I'm going to sound like the bad guy. "I've still got issues with the idea of only two or three people going against the Kutou troops. Otherwise… I do agree with what Doukun and Houjun have been saying."
"Then let me put it this way: if three Seishi cannot handle a group of Kutou soldiers, then it's doubtful the addition of three more will be anything more than inconsequential," Doukun clarified helpfully, once again lighting up his forehead. It seemed that every time the boy opened his mouth, his character came right to life.
Fine. All right, I get it. I see this is not going to go the way I'd like it to go… "I guess so," he said grudgingly. "But if we end up dead or worse, I'm going to kick your asses."
Everyone laughed at the joke (except Doukun, whom Kishuku had to convince he was kidding) and Saihitei finished the count, which turned out to be unanimous in splitting up. The only issue was…
"So who's going to kidnap a Miko and who's going demon hunting?" Ryuuen asked brightly.
Houjun was obviously going to find the Miko and Doukun suggested going with him. "I am not a fighter and would rather avoid confrontation if at all possible. The problem with the demon will most likely involve some sort of battle and I am ill equipped to help." No one argued and Houjun agreed to let him join, not only because of Doukun's choice but also because he and Chie could fly and do scouting from above and escape the easiest in the face of capture.
"Who else wants to join us, no da?"
Ah, what the hell! "I will," Kishuku offered.
Shun'u raised his eyebrow. "Ya sure, Ki-ku? I could go if ya'd rather fight a demon."
"No thanks," he replied flatly. "I'll leave that fun little job to you. Besides, if we're going where I think we're going, I could help with directions. I'm pretty familiar with the area."
"I really don't see a difference in choosing one over the other, no da," Houjun told them. "Kishuku spoke first, he'll join us, no da."
"Then it is settled," Saihitei spoke decisively. "Houjun, Kishuku, and Doukun will travel to the northeast and find the Suzaku no Miko. Ryuuen, Shun'u, and myself shall head north towards Choukou and see if we can find the Mitsukake Seishi."
"What about after we find th' others? Then what?" Shun'u asked.
"It'll take us much less time to find the Seishi than the Miko. For one, we have less land to cover, less time to spend getting from here to there. What if we decide to head east after we've completed our part of the mission and find the other half?" Saihitei proposed.
The group tossed strategies back and forth until they finally decided on a plan. Once either group finished their duty, they would meet in-between Choukou and the eastern border of Konan and wait in the chosen village for the second company to arrive.
"You'll like Hakukou," Kishuku grinned proudly. "It's small but it's homey."
"It's out of our way, going backwards and away from the Capital, but maybe we'll help somebody during the ride," Ryuuen figured out. "All right, I think my butt's in working condition again. We better start riding before I get too comfortable here."
"Right at home in the wilderness aint'cha, Girly-Boy?" Shun'u cackled, and was quickly sent flying toward the horses the hard way.
'Couldn't he just learn not to bait the superstrong Seishi?' Takeshi asked.
'No, that would defeat the purpose of being Shun,' Genrou answered calmly as the ketsu streamed back to them from all points of the forest. 'Changing the subject, I'm happy to note that there was no one around, malicious or not.'
'Ditto for us,' Chie chirped.
This mounting time was way shorter than before. All they had to do was switch some of the bundles around so that the six could simply go their separate ways when the time came. Once that was completed, the Seishi were up and pounding down the trail. This time, Ryuuen was the one running happily on four legs in front of the horses and Shun'u was sulkily pulling rearguard. They rode for another hour together, bantering mindlessly and enjoying the company, no matter how short-lived the experience would be.
This is really nice, Kishuku mused. I don't think I've ever had such a good time just riding aimlessly… er, somewhat aimlessly, or having had better company. And now that I think about it, I don't feel like I'm getting into something I can't handle. More like a challenge I'm more than ready to take up. Maybe having everyone around is helping. He looked at everyone's face, at the range of expressions painted through their group- none anything less than merry. All the ketsus were much more lively than usual, 'speaking and teasing with unnatural openness. Kishuku could only hope that this feeling of bonding and belonging would keep them going.
"Here we are," Saihitei spoke as they came to a fork in the road. "This is where we part from one another."
A stitch of regret threaded through Kishuku's side, but he knew it wasn't the time for distractions. Right now, he and his Seishi brothers had a job to do. "All right then, you three," he sidled his horse next to Doukun and Houjun. "We'll see you in Hakukou, hopefully with a new addition to both of our parties."
"See ya in a week, Ki-ku!" Shun'u grinned maliciously.
"Screw you, Fang-Face," he tossed back.
"Now now boys, we best get going, no da," Houjun called out, a teasing note in his voice. "I know how much you two love each other, but now's not the time to get sentimental, no da."
"Hey!" both shouted defensively. "Take it back!"
"No, no da!" he laughed, then kicked the horse into a canter. "Good luck you three!" And sped off into the thickening woods with Toshi following at his heels.
"Goodbye," Doukun turned and waved.
"Wait up!" Kishuku called as he headed after their dust cloud.
"Goodbye," Saihitei waved back with Kohana and panda-Ryuuen at his side. "Good luck to you too!"
He didn't look back as he rode down the beaten path; his heart and mind was set on the task ahead of him. And so it begins… he smiled as he caught up with the others. The longest road, the hardest journey is just up ahead. Let's see if we can't make it something to truly be remembered.
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"Hey, Mt. Reikaku's down south of here!" Shun'u declared happily. "C'mon guys, let's go over 'n see th' gang!"
"Let's not and say we did," Ryuuen shook his head. "Maybe after we get the Mitsukake Seishi, but we're kind of in the middle of something sort of important called saving the country, and we can't afford to spend too much time dallying."
"Shiiiit," he swore. "Ain't gonna need two damn weeks ta beat up a demon or grab a Seishi! We can afford ta visit for one fuckin hour."
"Regardless of your 'optimism'," Saihitei said dryly. "We still need all the time we can to do our duty. Perhaps we can visit on the return trip." Shun'u's face brightened at the prospect, bringing a look of both excitement and mischief to his already sly expression.
Or maybe not, Ryuuen decided silently. Great… a whole mountain of bandits, most of which probably hero-worship Shun'u, and we'd be the ones walking into their home. Not my idea of a good time.
The trio was sitting by the edge of a nearby spring, letting their mounts cool down and get something to drink while they snacked and talked. It was barely noon and they were already more than halfway to Choukou. Though Shun'u had made the astute assumption that it wouldn't take more than the rest of the day to reach the village, they couldn't spare the time until both parties had finished their mission to go gallivanting wherever whimsy took them.
We need to focus here! Ryuuen thought stoutly then glanced over to where Kohana was playing in the river, looking clean and wet and undeniably happy. Aaaaa, but it's so hard to when there are so many nice distractions!
"I do wish Houjun had come with us, though," Saihitei said while cleaning his sword. "He is much more knowledgeable on demons and exorcism than we could ever hope to be."
"Much to his apparent dismay," Ryuuen grinned, remembering the story Shonin told him. "Ah, the joys of the priesthood."
"Hey, what'cha lookin so worried about, Sai-san?" Shun'u asked, cuffing him on the arm. "We're rough, we're tough, we can take this demon no sweat!"
Saihitei's look clearly showed his belief on that comment, but he kept on talking. "Despite our prowess and Seishi talents, it is better to be overly prepared then not. Where is your blade, Shun'u, for will you not need it?"
"I got my tessen, I don't need no sword," he said defensively. "But I didn't see Ryuuen pack a sword either. Why don't'cha pick on him 'stead of me?"
"Thanks Shun. I owe you," Ryuuen rolled his eyes.
"But you do have some kind of weapon, correct? You aren't going to rely on your bare fists for this fight, are you?"
"I brought my tetsubo, which is the long thing I wore on my back during most of the ride and is currently tied to my mount. How you two missed a six-foot long bo is beyond me."
"Never seen ya use it b'fore. Any good with it?"
Ryuuen couldn't stop a shrewd smile from taking over his face. "You'll see when I beat the shit outta you, little boy."
Shun'u guffawed and said, "Damn Ryuuen, maybe you do got balls under that dress!"
It was a known fact among Ryuuen's closest friends that he had once been a cross-dresser, but he had left that part of himself in the past and hadn't indulged in that habit for some years now. None of them had felt any different to the Nuriko Seishi once they had learned of his secret, but Shun'u took every moment he could to tease the hell out of Ryuuen because of it. It was never mean-spirited; rather it was quite the opposite- it was his way of showing affection for Ryuuen.
So as was habit when the two of them were together and Shun'u was being himself, Ryuuen sent him airborne on a one-way trip, this time into the stream. He hit the water but to everyone's surprise and horror he began to sputter and sink rather than swim back to surface.
"Help!" he shouted, wildly swinging his arms in an attempt to keep his head above water.
Oh my god, he's drowning! Ryuuen leapt to his feet at the same time Saihitei got to his. We gotta get him out of there!
But before Shun'u's head could go under again or the other two could dive in, Kohana already had him slumped over her back and was towing him back to land.
'I think he's all right,' Kohana said quickly. 'He just swallowed a mouthful of water the wrong way.'
Ryuuen's fear gushed out as he and Saihitei pulled the soaked Seishi onto land. "Shun'u, oh Suzaku, I'm so sorry! I didn't know, I swear I didn't mean to try and drown you."
Shun'u coughed loudly and made motions with his hands that advised Ryuuen to wait a while before getting a coherent response. Genrou was right next to him, licking his face and practically whining for reassurance that his bondmate wasn't going to drop dead in the next ten seconds. The rest had crowded around too, also worried for Shun'u's health.
Please be OK Shun, please be OK! Ryuuen felt himself this close to breaking down and bursting out into tears. It's all my fault, I'm such an idiot sometimes…
'Shun says he's fine, he just needs some time to breathe,' Genrou finally told them, sounding very relieved.
"Thank Suzaku," Saihitei breathed quietly. "Thank Suzaku…"
Finally seeing that Shun'u was in no danger of drowning, Ryuuen ran and held the larger Warrior loosely around the chest. "Shun, I'm so sorry!" he wailed. "Please forgive me, I'm so sorry!"
"You say that phrase too damn much," Shun'u replied, his voice rough and thick. "Don't worry 'bout it, Ryu. I kinda egged ya on, and if ya had anything close ta aim, I woulda hit a tree instead." He grabbed Ryuuen's shoulders and held him at arms length, looking deep into those rose-colored eyes. "But there is one thing I need ta ask ya."
"What? Anything you need just ask," Ryuuen said anxiously.
He leaned in closely and whispered, "So you are a man, right?"
And for the third time that day, Shun'u was sent hurtling over everyone's head to become lost in the deep recesses of the woods.
'You really shouldn't have done that,' Kohana chastised him.
'I know,' Ryuuen sighed. 'Probably just broke some ancient tree in two with that stunt…'
------------
'I see it, just past this thicket of trees,' Takeshi announced joyfully. 'Choukou's in sight and we're almost there!' The two eagles circled overhead, guiding the grounded four along the quickest and most cleared path to the village. They followed eagerly, spurring their horses on at that sudden message.
"Good job everyone!" Ryuuen cheered. "And it's dinnertime- the best time to stop! We've got awesome timing!" He could almost swear he saw Saihitei doing excited turns and spins in the air.
"Yeah, 'cause ain't nighttime a time of power fer demons?" Shun'u asked.
Ryuuen's spirit took a downward plunge. Shit, I forgot… I suppose there was a reason why we were in such a hurry to get here… But he kept up the pace and watched the land ahead of him as a small crop of houses suddenly came into view.
Just before they could enter, both Saihitei and Takeshi swooped down in front of the riders and stopped them dead in their tracks.
"What the fuck?" Shun'u demanded, pulling his horse back to keep from running straight into Takeshi. "What's goin' on?"
Saihitei shifted and landed in front of Ryuuen and Kohana. "From what we saw just now… perhaps it would be best if we walked in instead of pounded through the village. To show some respect."
'I'm afraid I don't understand,' Genrou tilted his head in puzzlement. 'Respect?'
'You'll see,' Takeshi's voice was sad, further pushing the others into confusion. However, they deferred to Saihitei's wishes and dismounted, leading the horses into the town.
Ryuuen was glad he did, because if he were riding he would have fallen right off. Everywhere he looked there were people lining the streets and lying in their houses with the scent of death and disease rolling off their bodies. Men, women, even children were colored the ugly yellow of sickness and crying out in pain. Those that were still healthy were carting bodies out of the city into what appeared to be a giant hole in the ground.
"Oh gods," Ryuuen gasped. "Oh my god…" Shun'u, usually so vocal, couldn't even speak went confronted with such a sight.
"I never would have imagined this is what we would see," Saihitei murmured.
'I don't like it here,' Kohana admitted. 'It doesn't feel good. More than just all the dead people… there's something else here.'
"This is a very sick town," Ryuuen said in a wavering voice, then he forced himself to become stronger. "We have to help them! Whatever we need to do we'll do!"
"Right!" the other two agreed.
"Let's go visit a doctor, first, and see what he or she can tell us," Saihitei suggested. "That may lead us to a way we can help these people, and possibly to the Mitsukake Seishi."
"Excuse me?" an older man with a thick beard and wizened face came up next to them. The trio of Seishi pairs turned to him with curious ears. "But I could not help but overhear your request to find a Mitsukake Seishi and a doctor. Perhaps Shouka-san can be of some assistance in your search."
"What?" all three turned to her.
'Please ojii-san, if you know something please tell us,' Takeshi asked.
"Follow me." And the man led them down the path into a house where cries and urgent shouts could clearly be heard. The three let themselves get ushered them in for a better look, even though Ryuuen was fighting his instinct to go running away from the pains that he didn't want to see. The ketsu were forced to wait outside to due to lack of space but they could still see in through the window to what lie inside.
Ryuuen knew immediately what was wrong; a young boy no more than 7 or 8 lay unmoving in his bed. The mother sat by his side, her eyes glazed over with grief and tears, while the father leaned against the wall with a look of utter horror and despair on his face. Other people were scattered in the home, in the midst of their own mourning. "She should be here momentarily," the old man said softly.
"Poor kid," Shun'u mumbled and Saihitei shook his head in sadness. Ryuuen was about to move closer to the mother to try and comfort her when the door suddenly slammed open. All turned their heads and saw a young woman with flaxen hair cascading down her back and a worried look in her eyes standing there.
"Shouka-san! I'm so glad you made it" the mother jumped up, a spark lighting in her eyes. "Oh please, Shouka-san, please help him!"
The father brought her to the boy's side. "I thought he was having a little trouble breathing, but I never thought-"
"Don't worry," she smiled, her voice gently reassuring the family. "I'll take it from here."
And to Ryuuen's surprise, she bent over and placed her lips over those of the deceased boy's. Eeeewwww was the first thing that came to his head. Kissing a corpse? What's wrong with this picture?
But then a Suzaku no Seishi symbol rose softly on her face and he saw a finger twitch – waitaminute! – then the whole hand, and seconds after Shouka had removed her mouth from the boy's his eyes were wide open and he was breathing.
"He's alive!" Ryuuen burst out.
'Blessed phoenix, it's true!' Takeshi's 'voice was shocked beyond shock.
"He's alive!" a chorus of joyful voices filled the tiny hut. The mother was hugging and holding her child with undeniable happiness while the father repeatedly thanked and bowed to Shouka.
"How did she…" Saihitei asked to no one in particular.
"It's a horrible, horrible thing. During this past month, a mysterious plague suddenly spread throughout our community," the elderly man explained. "It's like nothing we've ever seen before. It starts with a high fever and gets worse. Fatigue, blindness, and paralysis are other symptoms, and it always ends in death. No medicine can help, so some are saying it must have been caused by a demon."
'Clue!' all three ketsu pointed out as one, a hint the Seishi caught onto at the same time.
'Let's see what else we can learn,' Ryuuen returned hopefully.
"Shouka-san cannot cure this disease, but she has this amazing gift to revive the dead and bring them to perfect health. It is not a cure, but it is better to die than to suffer this pain," the man finished up.
"Hey guys, maybe this Shouka lady's the Mitsukake Seishi we're lookin for!" Shun'u suggested. "Let's ask!"
Ryuuen was way ahead of him. "Shouka-san!" he called out, half-pinning the poor woman into the wall. "Shouka-san, are you a Mitsukake Seishi?"
"I… I… I am," she stammered out. "Why do you ask?"
"And you're kind of like a healer, right?" he pressed. "What with bringing the dead to life, that's healing!"
"I suppose so," she said slowly, as if worried about provoking this unstable persona. "But again, why do you want to know?"
"Shouka-san," Saihitei spoke gently, he and Shun'u coming up to them. "We have reason to believe that you are the Chosen Mitsukake Seishi. We also ask that you would join us, also Chosen of Suzaku, in our mission to save Konan from Kutou."
Her eyes widened and turned from light blue to a shaded purple. "I am greatly honored that you would believe me to be this Seishi, but I cannot leave here. My people would die without me and I am far too weak to go traveling. And most unfortunately… once I leave the boundaries of the town I lose my power."
"Shit, I knew there had to be a goddamn catch," Shun'u tossed his arms to the sky. "Th' last Seishi not only can't leave, but she's totally useless outside th' city! Why, why the hell can't we have a break for once?"
Ryuuen rolled his eyes and thought about hitting Shun'u again, but decided against it seeing as how there were more pressing matters to attend to than the bandit's tactless mouth. "Shouka-san, is it possible we can come back for you when we need to call Suzaku?"
The woman furrowed her brow. "I… suppose it's all right…" she relented. "But then will you three be leaving soon?"
"Don't worry 'bout nothin," Shun'u told her. "We're ain't leavin until we get rid o'that demon that's causin this plague."
"Aaahhh, that's right!" Ryuuen clapped his hands to his mouth. "Come on, you two, we've got work to do! Let's go track down a doctor!"
He hit the door running, with Saihitei and Shun'u following at a more leisurely pace. "So what do you three think?" Saihitei asked the ketsu.
'I still don't like it here,' the panda answered curtly. 'And Shouka gives me the creeps.'
"Well she does work with dead people an awful lot, perhaps the fumes are just rubbing off on her," Ryuuen shrugged.
'No, I'm inclined to agree with Kohana,' Genrou put in. 'Her mind is closed. I am not a prying ketsu, but there were such strong shields around her thoughts that I'm becoming suspicious.'
"Hey, why don't we move outta town for a minute ta talk?" Shun'u grabbed one of the horse's reins. "Quieter, and less smelly."
No one argued, being more than happy to leave the slowly dying locale. Once they were a good half-mile away, they formed a mind-web and began to 'talk quickly and earnestly.
'As I was saying about shields,' the wolf picked up again. 'I have only come across such mental defenses in those who have been specifically trained in psychic talents and other ketsu.'
'So either Shouka's got more than just one talent or she's being shielded,' Ryuuen thought out.
'Saihitei is more inclined to believe it's another aspect of her talent,' Takeshi said. 'But Shun'u thinks someone's shielding her. Perhaps the demon.'
'Now that's interesting!' Kohana put in. 'It would explain the odd feeling I get every time I'm around her.'
'But demons don't bring people to life,' Genrou tossed back. 'Not plague demons, at least.'
'The whole town's infected. Maybe the demon's gotten to them and no one can be read,' Kohana suggested.
'That boy that Shouka brought back to life… it really happened,' Takeshi fought. 'I didn't 'scan him, but he had no shields and is very much alive.'
Ryuuen knew all these thoughts were coming not only from the ketsu but also the other guys. However, all six were thinking too fast to really care who thought up what.
'So what should we do?' Genrou finally asked. 'Go back into the village? Go track Houjun and the others?'
Ryuuen offered some info. 'Well we can't take Shouka, but we have no idea what the others are really doing right now and where they are. It'd just waste time finding them.'
'How about half of us go looking for a doctor and the other half go tracking down the demon?' Kohana asked. 'Kill two birds with one stone… no offense, Takeshi.'
Visible head nodding could be seen, and once again the group was riffed in two. Ryuuen would take Kohana and Genrou to find a doctor while Saihitei, Shun'u, and Takeshi tried to track the source of the demon plague.
"We'll also go talk to Shouka again," Saihitei said. "She may know something we don't about the epidemic."
"Cool! Catch'ya later!" Ryuuen waved as he headed towards the center of the village with Kohana and Genrou at his side. They were awfully quiet; something he wasn't too comfortable with. Not talking meant having to look at the faces of the people around him and having to listen to their death throws. Say something, Ryu, before you lose it… "Soooo… looks like the sun's about to set."
'What if we have it all wrong and it's just a plague?' Genrou asked. 'Maybe it really was just a rumor.'
Not exactly uplifting, but talk nonetheless. "I think it's better to be overprepared than not," he said. "If it's just some plague no one can cure, then we move on. But if there was a kernel of truth in the rumor, then we can't leave yet."
'No… I suppose not,' Genrou admitted as they arrived outside what was obviously the doctor's house. Sitting outside by the door was an old woman with her arms around her knees. She was shaking and sweating, her eyes clouded over with blindness as she looked straight into nothingness.
Genrou gently nudged her arm and caught her attention. 'Obaa-san, why are you sitting outside instead of in his home?'
"Ah, a ketsu!" the woman murmured, reaching her hand to the source of the bump. Finding Genrou's nose and head, she began to pet him and a thin smile brightened her face. "I haven't seen one in many years. It is good to know that there are still Seishi around to try and protect us."
Ryuuen's heart twisted painfully, knowing that there was only the slimmest chance he could help these people. 'You guys wait out here, I'm going in,' he told Kohana. The two ketsu acknowledged him before allowing a small crowd of villagers to come pet and talk to them. Momentary comfort… they deserve it.
He expected there to be beds filled with patients, or at least someone working hard at trying to see which kinds of herbs would be best suited for this disease. He was sorely disappointed to see the room totally empty except for an oily sort of man sitting at a table and puffing away at a pipe.
"You are the doctor, are you not?" Ryuuen frowned.
"I am. If this is a question about the plague, I can give you no answers," he replied thickly.
"Why not!"
"There is nothing modern medicine can do about the plague. Many are saying a demon is causing it, but I know too little to disagree with them," the man grumped. "Perhaps Myou Juan can help you, but I… I cannot."
Finally! Getting somewhere! "Myou Juan? Who's he and where can we find him?"
"He's a drifter who came to live outside the city a year or so ago. He's got no people skills but he's supposedly a very knowledgeable doctor. So please, if all you want to do is stand in here and yell at me, I'd ask that you leave."
Ryuuen took the hint without a problem and walked right out of the house. Calm down Ryuuen, it's not worth getting mad at the man, he tried to convince himself. He just is feeling very frustrated and who can blame him? Besides, he gave us something to work with.
Outside the ketsu waited for him, standing in the middle of a throng of both the sickly and healthy, radiating as much hope and courage as they could muster. Giving strength to the people, Ryuuen felt a tugging at his lips. Such is the blessing of ketsu's telepathy and empathy.
Once he pried the wolf and panda away from their adoring crowd, they headed out of the town and uphill towards a very run-down hovel.
'I think this is the place,' Kohana noted.
'Most likely. Come on, let's check it out,' Ryuuen peered in through the window.
They were right on target- a man was sitting the middle of the room surrounded on all sides by bowls and bags of medicine. At his side was a small white cat, lounging on the floor as if he was on the most comfortable of beds instead of compact dirt.
'Go ahead and knock,' Genrou urged Ryuuen.
He did so and waited for a response.
"Who is it?"
He was slightly taken aback by this response. "Uhm… a person that needs help?"
"If it has to do with the plague, I can't help you."
"Oh no!" Ryuuen lied. "It's just… something else."
'Oh, that was real smooth,' Genrou said sarcastically.
'Bite me!' "Listen, I need to talk to you, Myou-san," he tried one more time, this time putting his hand on the door. "Can I come in?"
"Is it possible to stop you?"
"No."
Beat.
"Fine. Come in."
"Thank you!" and Ryuuen pushed the door open, nearly breaking it off its supports. The man didn't even turn although his cat got to all fours and walked over to him as Genrou and Kohana waited outside. Ryuuen rubbed its head for a few seconds before he turned his attention back to the doctor. The man looked like a bum, all hairy and messy, but if he could heal the town then Ryuuen could have cared less about his dress preferences. "Sorry to barge in on you, but there are some very sick people down in that village and they need help."
Juan looked at Ryuuen for a brief moment then turned back to his work. "I can't help them any more than they can help themselves," he answered coolly. "Leave."
I'm getting this an awful lot today. "But you're a doctor and that's what you do," Ryuuen pushed. "Don't you-"
"I want nothing to do with people! Leave!"
"Goddammit, you can't just deny them the help they need!" Ryuuen yelled back. I have no patience anymore! "It's not fair to be so uncaring about this! You should be trying to help them! That's why you're a doctor, right?" His words caused the other man to sit shock-still for a moment.
Then Juan slowly stood up, and Ryuuen was surprised at how tall the man was. He could have been called a giant, and with good reason. However, the shorter man was in no mood to put up with anyone's shit. If Juan wanted a fight, Ryuuen was more than happy to give it to him.
"Do not lecture me on the rules of medicine," the larger man growled and pointed to the open door. "Leave!"
This time, Kohana had actually come inside and grabbed Ryuuen's wrist in her mouth, tugging him towards the door. 'We need to leave now,' she told him, her voice anxious. 'But we may be back later.' Ryuuen glared one last time at the so-called doctor before letting himself be lead out of the house and back down to the community.
"Well that was pointless! He was no help!"
'No but there's something else going on,' Genrou said, sounding equally worried. 'I just received word from Takeshi that Saihitei's not feeling well.'
"SHIT!" Ryuuen shouted. "Where are they?"
'Shouka's home.'
And Ryuuen allowed Genrou to lead him towards one of the smaller abodes, though his mind wasn't paying attention to where he was going and what he was doing. Oh Suzaku, I almost lost Shun today. Don't let me lose Sai, too!
Barreling his way inside, he could see Saihitei sitting on a bed holding his head in his hands and shaking with a fever. Shouka was holding a cup of water and watching Saihitei with careful eyes while Takeshi perched on the bedpost, all puffed up with angst and concern. Standing by the bed was Shun'u, pale as a ghost and looking as if he were going to succumb to the sickness himself. Genrou was by his side in an instant, offering every bit of ki he could.
"Sai-kun!" Ryuuen caught everyone's attention. "Saihitei, what happened?"
"I… I'm not sure," he murmured, his usually regal voice now weak and exhausted. "We were walking and searching the land when I felt this odd flash of heat. I thought it to be nothing but when we were talking to Shouka-san, I felt it again and all of a sudden my eyes clouded over. I… I think I've been blinded by this plague." He looked up towards the source of Ryuuen's voice and he could see that Saihitei's eyes were empty and unfocused.
Oh my god… and all of Ryuuen's nerves turned to jelly. OK, just have to stay calm for a second… "Uhm… oh, shit – Shun, what about you?" the Nuriko Seishi turned to his Tasuki companion. "Are you all right?"
"Yeah, I guess… I mean, maybe it's just nerves but I feel kinda hot too," Shun'u admitted.
"Double shit!" Ryuuen swore. "That's it, we're screwed! No one wants to help and two of you have this stupid plague, which means we can't even follow Ki and the others even if we wanted to because you'll be too sick to ride!"
"There is… one more chance," Shouka spoke from the side, her presence so muted that Ryuuen nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard her.
"A chance? What is it?"
"We must kill them."
"What?" all three shouted together.
"I don't even got it!" Shun'u exclaimed. Shouka merely looked at him and he shrugged nervously. "I don't!"
"Excuse me, but no!" Ryuuen defended. "Thanks, but isn't that a little drastic?"
"Perhaps, but I can revive them back into perfect condition," she explained. "They wouldn't have to live with this pain for much longer."
For a second, Ryuuen considered it; he seriously considered putting his friends out of their misery. Then he realized what it would really mean to kill Saihitei and possibly Shun and he couldn't reconcile the action with his ethics, no matter what Shouka's powers could be.
"Forget it, Shouka-san," Ryuuen shook his head. "If I have to, I'll head back to that doctor and really convince him to come and help. In fact… that's what I'll do!"
"I'll come wit'cha," Shun'u said, standing up tall in an effort to hide the strain the disease put on his body. "Maybe I got some dumb-ass disease, but I ain't too weak to walk yet."
Saihitei didn't reply, just looked to the floor in obvious shame. "Neee, Sai-kun," Ryuuen plopped down next to him, knowing just what was going through the other's head. "Don't look so glum. Sickness happens, you know? You'll be up and running and flying in no time, just watch!"
He sighed deep in chest, the sound thick with pain and depression. "I do not like having to sit here and rest while the two of you, who may also be in waning health, go running through town at your own risk. It makes me feel…" and he hesitated at next word.
"Hey, it's all right," Ryuuen gently cut him off. "Just think of it this way – we all watch each other's backs. So whenever one of us needs some help, the others give it to them. This doesn't mean you're a lesser man for needing it, and it doesn't make us stronger for giving it to you. Someday me or Shun or the others will ask for help and you'll be there for us. It works."
Saihitei looked at the smaller man with wide, empty eyes. Then he gave a tired smile and said, "Thank you for your words, Ryuuen, and though I would like to continue the talk you best get going. I wouldn't want to keep you any longer."
Ryuuen took the hint and jumped to his feet. "All righty! Come on, Shun, let's get going. Kohana, you stay with Saihitei and watch him, OK?"
"You too Genrou."
"Good luck, you two."
"Thanks, Sai-kun. Be back as soon as possible," and the duo quickly left the house to make a short stop by the horses.
"What'cha gettin that for?" Shun'u asked curiously. "Ain't gotta use it against no one, do ya?"
"Hope not, but if we do find the demon by accident I may as well take it. With or without the ketsu around I'd just feel better holding a weapon than not," Ryuuen said as he shoved his tetsubo through a special holster in the back of his sash. "Kind of like a security blanket, I suppose."
Shun'u laughed at the mental picture as the two headed back towards the house of the reluctant doctor. This time, Ryuuen decided he better be a bit more behaved this time around.
"Oh. You again," Juan said as they entered the house again.
Although it's not going to be easy… he thought through gritted teeth as he and Shun'u knelt in front of the man. "Please, sir, we really need your help. A friend of ours is blinded and we need you."
"We're willin ta do anythin," Shun'u said obstinately. "And there ain't no other doctors around."
"And Shouka's way… we can't do it!"
At this, the giant looked visibly shaken. His hand crushed some leaves as turned to them with shocked eyes and said, "Did you just say Shouka?"
"Er, yeah," Ryuuen nodded. "Why?"
"That's impossible," Juan whispered hoarsely. "Sh… Shouka's dead. She died a year ago!"
"WHAT?"
"What happened?" Ryuuen asked sharply as both he and Shun'u scrambled to their feet.
"I lived in a neighboring village when it happened. I was the doctor called in to help, but I never made it in time to help her," he said, a slight show of vulnerability coming through his shielded eyes.
"But… if Shouka's dead, then who the fuck's with Sai!" Shun'u demanded to know.
Then the light went off in Ryuuen's head and one long thought flowed through it.
ShoukasthedemonandshescausingtheplagueandweleftSaiwithherohshit!
"Shun'u! We've got to get back!" he grabbed the other's arm. "Sai's in danger!"
Neither he nor Shun'u noticed the cat jumping onto Juan's shoulder and the small flash of red that came from its forehead. They were too busy heading back as quickly as they could to the house of so-called Shouka.
Why didn't we see it before? His internal voice raged.
Because we didn't know what to look for. An oversight, but right now I wouldn't worry too much about that. There are slightly more pressing things to worry about, such as the knife aimed at your head-DUCK!
And a whole handful of kitchen knives went flying at him and Shun'u. Both of them dodged the airborne cooking implements without too much of a problem, but it were the people coming towards them that were a problem. When Ryuuen looked into their faces, he felt this horrible shiver of disgust and fear run down his back.
Their eyes were white and pupil-less, giving their pallid faces an incredibly frightful appearance. Their mouths were open and grinning sadistically, with teeth and drool falling to the ground. These people, if they could be called that, didn't walk so much as shuffle heavily across the road toward the nervous Seishi.
"I take it they're not happy to see us," Ryuuen muttered to Shun'u. "Better look to your defense."
"Are we gonna have ta kill them?" he asked, sounding very reluctant.
I don't want to answer this… "Yeah… we might," he said grimly as he pulled his tetsubo from his back. Shun'u followed and pulled his tessen. "Listen, people of Choukou, we mean you no harm. Please, just-"
And he was cut off from the rest of the speech by an androgynous figure swinging a butcher knife at him. So he did what came naturally.
He swung the steel-made staff in a perfect arc, the combination of its weight and his strength sending five bodies soaring into the sky and crashing to the ground some fifty meters away. He was only partially glad to see they weren't going to be getting up again.
Shun'u looked at him with wide, impressed eyes. "Damn… pretty damn awesome, Ryuu. 'Mind me not ta piss ya off with that in yer hands." Ryuuen couldn't keep a smug look off his face.
But he couldn't dwell on the small victory for too long; there were scores of people dying to attack him and Shun'u and he couldn't waste any time. He didn't stop moving, whacking and hitting and lunging with intense focus. Thankfully, the reach of the tetsubo kept most of the villagers at bay and he glanced over to check on Shun'u. The bandit was holding his own very easily, using the fan much more easily than he could ever hope to wield a sword. He cut and sliced their bodies with an equal amount of intent, also trying to keep the people away from him. However he could see Shun'u start to falter bit by bit, resulting in more frequent cuts and hits.
The plague is getting to him, Ryuuen thought painfully, then remembered, That's right! Sai's still in trouble!
"Shun, run to Sai! Go help him!" he shouted as he whacked two people with an overhead swing, smashing their heads into the ground.
"Wha? What about you?" Shun'u shouted back, fending off a trio of attackers with a flurry of kicks, punches, and stabs.
"I'm healthy and not next to Shouka. Go help him or Suzaku knows what may happen!"
Shun'u didn't argue but he had an idea. "Lemme give ya hand real quick! Get behind me!" he hoisted the fan in front of him and Ryuuen followed his order, unsure of what the redhead had planned but trusting him regardless. "Rekka Shin'en!"
A wall of fire burst out from Shun'u's tessen, burning all the people within a good twenty feet of them into nothing but desecrated ashes. For a moment, Ryuuen's eyes were blinding by the unbelievable fireworks that Shun'u had conjured up and he blinked a few times in the other's face.
"That's the special chant!"
"Yup! Fuckin wicked, ain't it?"
Ryuuen rolled his eyes, then kicked Shun'u to get going. "Meet you at the house in a bit!" He was off like a shot, running fast but much slower than Ryuuen knew he could move.
He was thankful for the opening Shun'u had given him and began to slowly make his way towards Shouka's house. At the same time he hit, bashed, and destroyed anybody unlucky enough to get in his way or come too close to the whirling tetsubo.
"Watch it!" an unfamiliar voice called out from behind. Ryuuen spun on his heels and saw someone ready to throw a spear at his side when a huge figure stepped up and punched the offender, effectively knocking the danger away.
"Wh… who are you?" Ryuuen asked, looking at the newcomer, who loomed over him by at least a foot.
"Take me to Shouka," he said, his voice deep and direct. "I need to see her now."
"All right, it's your death wish," he answered, jabbing his staff right through one of the people's chests and pulling it out with one smooth motion. "Let's go."
This time as they ran he used the tetsubo like a broom to sweep away all offensive bodies. They made it to the house just in time to hear a shout of anger and pain cut through the air.
"Sai! Shun!" Ryuuen screamed, knocking down the door and barreling inside.
To be confronted with the sight of all the ketsu and Shun'u standing against a very hellish-looking Shouka holding a weakened Saihitei by the neck with bloodstained claws. He was fighting as much as he could, but the disease had apparently drained all his endurance. Ryuuen would have rushed the demonic Shouka except the man he brought suddenly shouted, "Stop!" and quickly stopped all motion. All looked to him with curiosity and Shun'u frowned.
"Who'sat?" he tilted his chin in the larger man's direction.
"Beats me. He came from nowhere and insisted on seeing Shouka."
A small, astonished voice from the woman answered their question.
"Juan…"
Both Shun'u and Ryuuen made identical surprised poses and shouted, "That's the doctor! How'd he get so young!" Even the ketsu seemed momentarily off-balance by this new turn of events.
"So it was you spreading the plague," Juan confronted Shouka. "You're the monster sucking human souls, leaving them undead and in your power." That explains the townspeople… Ryuuen thought as the man kept going. "Why? Why would you do such a thing? You were never like that."
She shouted back at him. "Don't you dare question me! I bore the pain of Miwako's death, believing you would come and hold me one last time before I died… but you didn't! You didn't come! How can you call me a killer when you couldn't help those who needed it?"
Juan turned his head, taking the painful truth without a word.
'They were together, once upon a time,' Kohana told him, talking on such a private level that Ryuuen doubted anyone else could even see their yanagi symbols shining. 'I have felt it, this pain of Shouka's, and it's the reason she's like this- she loved him so much she missed him even in death. You must help her defy the demon inside or she'll kill us all!'
Ryuuen knew he had to. Shun'u didn't have the tact and Saihitei wouldn't understand what it meant to love someone so much to nearly die for them. Kourin… he closed his eyes in partial prayer. Give me strength.
"So now it's my turn! You're going to know my pain, you're going to know what it was like to lose your ketsu!"
"Shouka!" Ryuuen ran forward, preventing the ketsu and Shun'u from jumping Shouka during her moment of distraction. "Stop it! Please, Shouka, stop!"
"Ryuuen, what the fuck ya doin?" Shun'u shouted. "She's a demon!" Saihitei was looking towards the source of Ryuuen's voice, his face painted with worry and agitation.
"Shut up!" he yelled back, coming between Shouka and the others and talking quickly to her.
"Shouka, you're not a demon! You're human and you're here because you love him! You love him so much it killed you when you couldn't hang on long enough for him to come, and that he couldn't come faster! But now he's here for you, and you don't have to kill anymore to live! Please, Shouka, please come back!"
The monstrous features faded away until she was once again the pretty blond they'd first seen her as. The room was silent as her hand released its grip on Saihitei's neck and he stumbled away to Kohana's waiting paws. Then she collapsed in on herself and Ryuuen caught her, dropping his tetsubo at the same time.
"It'll be all right, Shouka," he murmured gently, bringing her slowly to the ground.
She looked at him with sorrow-blue eyes and then at Juan. Tears began to run down her cheeks and she spoke. "He's right… I was waiting for you… Juan… please… help me…"
And without warning, a gigantic creature burst out from Shouka's back, clawing through skin and bones until it's full hideousness could be seen. Ryuuen couldn't suppress the scream and he was halfway glad to hear Shun'u couldn't stop it either.
"Shouka! Miwako!" Juan's voice was lost in the monster's roar of triumph.
This was probably the most abominable thing Ryuuen had ever laid eyes on, and he'd unfortunately seen a few really ugly-looking things. It was huge, almost twelve feet tall, with a single piercing eye and razor-sharp fangs the size of his forearm. Sprouting from its tongue were bunches of tentacles, all looking extremely lethal and fully capable of snapping bones in two. And it was without warning that each tentacle had suddenly wrapped itself around all the Seishi, forcibly trapping and holding them helpless in its unbreakable demonic grasp. Even the ketsu were caught in its clutches, their mouths and claws tightly bound together to prevent them from attacking. The only one left unfettered was Juan, staring at his former lover with overwhelming shock.
"Shouka…" Ryuuen choked out as one of the tentacles wrapped itself around his neck. "Shou…"
"Juan, please! Destroy the demon-ketsu! Use your power and kill Miwako and me! Please, don't let anyone else die!"
A moment of stunned silence passed, then he cried out, "You were possessed? By Miwako!"
"I'm so sorry!" she cried harder, meaning every word with undying sincerity. "When Miwa died, I wanted to say goodbye before I followed, but I was so weak… I made her stay and both of us were bound to the plague… just please… help us… Juan, please!"
Her begging would have put Ryuuen to tears if he wasn't so busy fending off a tentacle that was trying to sink its hooks into his very sensitive skin. Shun'u and Sai weren't much better off, so he hoped Juan would hurry up and do whatever it was he had to do.
His prayers were answered as Juan closed his eyes, then opened them at the same time a blast of Suzaku-scarlet light shone from his forehead. On his shoulders jumped the same white tabby from before but its forehead was glowing brightly alongside its Seishi's.
Juan's a Seishi!
Duuuhhhh, Ryuuen…
"I just wanted to see you one last time," he heard the woman whisper just before Juan released a blaze of emerald green energy from his hands towards the Shouka-demon. Ryuuen watched with morbid fascination as the demon dissipated away, slowly letting him and the others free until there was nothing left but a small ghost of a little gecko floating above Shouka's falling body. Then, with a single tear trickling from her eyes, she spoke her final words.
"Goodbye, Juan…"
And both the gecko and house disappeared at the same time.
"An illusion!" Shun'u aptly noticed. "Th' whole damn house was an illusion!"
As soon as they could move their paws or wings, the ketsu convened with their Seishi, jumping and holding and nuzzling them to the best of their abilities.
Once Ryuuen and Kohana had made sure the other was OK, he went to check on the two more unhealthy members of their troupe. "Hey guys are you all right?" he ran to Saihitei and Shun'u then noticed the bodies strewn all around them. "Gross! They're mummies!"
"Guess since th' spell was broken, they really died. No more town, but no plague either," Shun'u shrugged.
'Saihitei, can you see us?' Takeshi asked, flapping his wings in front of his bondmate's face.
He blinked a few times and sadly shook his head. "No… I can't see anything."
"No way!" a chorus of voices, both mental and physical, denied the possibility.
"Guys, I ain't feelin too good…" Shun'u said before sinking to the ground.
"Shun!" Ryuuen cried out.
"It's all right," Juan bent down next to them, looking straight into Saihitei's eyes then at Shun'u's face. "You two were just a little too close to the demon for too long. I can fix this."
Holding one hand to Saihitei's eyes and the other to Shun'u's chest, he allowed his character to rise up again and a warm verdant light to gently bathe them. They closed their eyes and Ryuuen watched their faces regain some measure of color and sensed their bodies begin to hum with ki. When Juan stopped, Saihitei opened his eyes and smiled broadly.
"Thank you, good doctor, for your help," he spoke eloquently.
"So yer a Seishi, I take it," Shun'u looked at the other's still-gleaming symbol. "Shin – a Mitsukake Seishi Sounds about right, that we were lookin for the wrong Seishi all this time!" his voice rose in frustration.
'We apologize we didn't make it here quicker,' a new mindvoice entered the conversation, whom Ryuuen correctly guessed to be the cat on Juan's huge shoulder. 'But I made Juan stop and clean up before seeing Shouka again.'
"Why didn't you just get here when we figured out what was going on?" Ryuuen asked, feeling a bit put-off. "I mean, this was only a life-or-death situation here."
"Take yer sweet candy-ass time, didn't'cha?" Shun'u snarled.
'If we needed him any sooner than when you two arrived, we would have made sure Tama had him here,' Genrou said simply. 'All four of us were linked and well aware of the other's situation.'
"Oh…" and Ryuuen felt the defiance leak out of him- and the feeling was only enhanced by watching Juan gently cradle Shouka's body in his immense arms and standing up to face the rising moon. "Juan-san…"
He turned back to the group of Seishi pairs and spoke quietly to them. "My name is Myou Juan, and this is Tama. To be blunt, I am aware of my role as the Chosen Mitsukake, but I… I couldn't allow myself to join you while such feelings of guilt over Shouka's death plagued me.
"I have the power to heal, so I used it to help people as a doctor. I was off curing villagers in another city when Shouka's ketsu Miwako took deathly ill. Though I cannot heal animals, I am capable of helping them with some of my medicines. But I also wanted to be there in case the worse came to pass… and it did, and I didn't make it in time. Shouka died just minutes before I could make it to her side, though she held onto that one thread of hope for many hours after Miwako passed on. In the irony of the gods' will, I was unable to save the one person I would have given all my power and life for.
"So I have this healing talent! So what! It means nothing when you can't save the people you love!"
And that's why he became a hermit… Ryuuen noticed his vision was becoming foggy, though it was hardly due to any sort of disease. "But… Juan-san… you saved her. You saw her and Miwako and gave them their souls back," he said, his voice turning husky.
'And looking at her face, with that smile on it, I'd say she is very much at peace right now,' Kohana's gentle words touched each member of the group. 'Perhaps you can be at peace, too.'
Juan leaned his head against Shouka's and, through tricks of the twilight, Ryuuen swore he could see tears mingling freely between their faces. Takeshi and Saihitei had turned to give them privacy while Shun'u could be seen off in the distance with only Genrou to witness the momentary lapse of self-control.
We're not done here yet, you know. There's still the village we have to clean up and all the deceased here that deserve a decent burial, Ryuuen's rationality kicked in, but he didn't move an inch.
But right now, action isn't what matters. We need to take this time to mourn and remember and reflect before moving on. And we all know this and respect each other's needs.
You know… he smiled lightly. I think I've caught onto what it's going to take for us to truly become the Seishi of legends. It'll take dedication, trust, and even a little bit of blind faith, but we'll do it. We'll summon Suzaku and save Konan. For Shouka, for all those that have gone before us… we're going to do you proud. Just watch us, he promised the stars and sky, letting this feeling of newfound purpose give him strength. We may not always know what to do, but we're not going to let that stop us. With each other and the ketsu by our side, there's nothing we won't try and nothing we can't do if we truly believe.
Just watch me, Kourin… just watch me.
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For a lot of the Choukou scenes, I did a whole lot of referring back to Vol. 4 of the manga (while trying not to quote everyone…), so lemme clear up a few things. First, in the manga the people just die and become zombies; they don't magically come back to life. Makes sense, since they essentially died and Shouka only fake-resurrected them. I also have no idea what the people looked like when they were sick- I don't have the anime in my dorm room :sobs loudly:- so I had to improvise and guess what the people looked like. And, of course, seeing as how they were missing Miaka, there was that character gap to fill. But things worked out pretty well, wouldn't you say?
All right, for the most part I'm done babbling. If you would be so kind please review here, and then visit the side-story. Thank you all!