"Who is it?" After a moment, there was a response. Yumi remembered hearing the likes of it before. As Koji answered, Taiitsukun disappeared.
"Hello! This is Koji, a friend of Genro's. Hey Koji, what's up? The guys want to meet their boss's girl. Is it safe to come in?" This time, however, Koji did not invite himself in. He waited for Tasuki to say it was okay before he unlocked the door and came in. Yumi liked Koji. She didn't remember much about him, except that he was funny. And he's Tasuki's best friend, so he can't be bad. She smiled at him, this time genuinely.
"Hey, Genro! Somethin's gotcha real happy! What'd 'e do, Yumi? Maybe I could take lessons from this guy here, if I ever found a girl." Koji leaned against the door with his arms folded across his chest, grinning cheekily at the both of them. Yumi didn't answer, and she hoped she wasn't blushing. Knowing this man's background, he would probably infer something extremely… crude.
"Is dinner already over?" Yumi asked instead. "Because, if it isn't, then I could see everyone. I don't want to be unknown around here, if I'm ever stuck here." She pushed away from Tasuki and stretched, working the stiffness from riding all day out of her. She didn't care that the two men were watching her. It'll give me a good excuse to slap them… Hee hee… She turned to Tasuki. He fidgeted.
"Uh… Yumi… Could you meet the guy's tomorrow?" Koji laughed. Yumi thought she understood and nodded, not a bit put out. She turned back to Koji.
"Um… I guess I should say good night, right?" Koji shook his head despairingly.
"Good night…" He responded, but Yumi was sure she heard him mutter something that sounded suspiciously like "women" as he walked off.
Nakago smiled cruelly as his soldier walked out the door. The priestess was back already. And now was the perfect time to begin exerting his influence over her. She was broken; she was clay for him to mold to his liking. Everything was going perfectly.
Though it was contrary to his cold nature, Nakago threw his head back and laughed deeply from the joy that came to him from creating misery. It had been simply splendid to watch from Amiboshi's eyes as he fell, to see the priestess scream and sob. It just proved how weak she was. Those who learned to love were weak.
There was a strong knock on the door before a familiar person entered his sight. Soi stood a respectful distance away, bowing lightly to him. Nakago smiled again. Here was another of his pawns. Let her think what she liked, let her think there was room for her in his heart. The strong loved no one.
"Nakago, you asked to see me?" She said, her voice just as seductive as it always was around him. The general nodded and Soi approached him, sitting down on the edge of his bed.
"I trust the priestess is well?" He said, with a trace of sarcasm in his voice. The woman in front of his smiled wryly, then more strongly. If he was not mistaken he saw a flicker of hesitance in her eyes.
"She is… sick. She has not been able to keep a thing down for three days, so she is physically weak. And if she cries one more time I think it will even bother me." Soi said, smiling in an alluring manner. Nakago nodded, thinking.
"So, she is extremely upset over Amiboshi's death? I thought so." Soi nodded in accordance with his words. "So, how is Suboshi faring then?" Anyone who didn't know him would probably think he was actually concerned.
"I kept him drugged so that he wouldn't return to Konan to reek vengeance prematurely. He has taken his twin's death very hard. I don't know what he will do if I let him wake up." Nakago frowned thoughtfully. Was Suboshi's anger something he could rely on? Would he take his emotions on his own priestess or Suzaku's? That young woman vexed him beyond belief. Who would have fathomed that she would be able to produce a chi barrier that even he could not break? And so he had been forced to let her get away and keep her virginity.
"Nakago?" Soi said suddenly. The man looked down at his lover, though it was a one-sided sort of relationship. "What do you plan on doing with the priestess of Seiryu?" Nakago arched one eyebrow. Soi was… questioning him?
"I will use her anger and her hate to our advantage, Soi." He always used 'our' when he meant 'my'. That way Soi would continue to have faith in him. "She will hate the priestess of Suzaku with every fiber of her being when I am done with her." Soi looked a little taken aback.
"And that reminds me, Soi. I will begin at this very moment. Maybe when I am finished you would like to accommodate me? My chi has been running low of late." Soi paused, then gave an enticing smile. She always would.
In a matter of moments Nakago strode down the richly furnished palace hallways and arrived at the priestess' room. That was when it occurred to him that he did not know if Suboshi was still residing there. It would not be prudent for him to be conscious. It couldn't hurt to find out, so he opened the door and walked in.
The priestess was lying on the bed in the middle of the room, her face buried in the pillow. Suboshi was in the room, but he was unconscious. He wouldn't interfere if he was still drugged. The priestess didn't seem to be aware of his entrance. Nakago walked quietly over and sat on the edge of the bed, trying extremely hard to be gentle as he laid his hand on the girl's shoulder.
She stiffened instantly at his touch, drawing the pillow tightly across her face. When he didn't move further the girl lifted her head from the pillow a little to look at him. Her face was streaked with tears and she looked pale and feverish.
"Nakago?" She said softly, a question. Nakago nodded a little, acknowledging her. "I failed. I can't summon Seiryu without the warriors. And… Ashitare is dead. And now… Ami… Amiboshi is… is…" The girl couldn't even finish her sentence. Ashitare was not dead, Nakago could still feel his chi, but he was in wolf form. He should be getting back soon unless he wanted to obtain some permanent scarring.
"I understand how hard it is for you, Your Eminence. But you must be strong. Tell me, who is to blame for this?" He coaxed her, keeping his voice gentle and soft. The priestess looked up at him.
"Who… to blame?" Nakago nodded slowly. "It's… it's my fault." She said. Nakago could have sworn. That was not the right answer.
"You shouldn't blame yourself, Your Eminence." She blinked and sat up a little, looking at him as though grasping for something.
"Then whose fault is it?" She demanded, her voice shaking a little. He saw her eyes flicker towards the prone form of Suboshi. She would be sentimental for Amiboshi's twin.
"Think about it, Your Eminence. Who is the one who controls the warriors of Suzaku, tells them what to do?" He could see something dawn on the girl's face.
"But, I don't tell my warriors what to do!" She protested. He could tell this would be difficult. She was desperate to avoid blaming her friend.
"That is because we are more efficient. We already know what to do. But the Suzaku warriors need guidance, and who guides them?" He pressed. The girl wavered a little.
"… Yumi?" Nakago nodded firmly.
"The priestess of Suzaku is not who you think, Your Eminence. Has the man, Tasuki, not replaced you? What use has she for you?" She didn't question how he knew that, instead hanging her head a little in denial. "Come with me, Your Eminence."
The girl looked up quietly, puzzled, but she got up and left the room with Nakago. He led her through the palace before he stopped before an ornate pair of doors. He opened them silently and beckoned the girl inside. She followed tentatively, looking around.
The shrine to Seiryu was a rather rich affair, beautiful as the rest of the palace was gaudy. Large pools and waterfalls lined the sides, making tranquil sounds as the water ran along the rocks with a sound like wind chimes. On a calmer day he might have appreciated it.
"Your Eminence, maybe spending some time in the shrine of the god you serve will provide you with some guidance." He said. She was looking at the large and imposing statue of the blue dragon when he left and closed the doors behind him, chuckling to himself.
Koji ducked down behind the bushes outside Genro's room a scant minute after he said goodnight. All he had to do was a wait a few minutes before creeping forward and pressing his ear to the wall near the window. He had promised the boys he'd get a bit of juicy stuff for them to talk and tease the boss about. Koji chuckled at the very thought. Genro would be so mad.
Koji moved a little closer to the window when he couldn't make out the words. Apparently they were picking up where they left out by the noise he had just heard. Being careful to keep quiet Koji crept forward a bit more and poked his head in the small window. He had been right, considering the passionate embrace and kiss the two were sharing. Item and evidence number one.
Koji was trying not to snicker when he saw an old hag materialize in the middle of the room to Genro and Yumi's choruses of "Taiitsukun!" It was probably the ugliest thing he had ever seen. With a cry Koji stumbled backward. Ugly, little old women did not pop out of the air on Mt. Reikaku every day. He waited until the creature had disappeared and his heart rate returned to normal to get to his feet again.
"HOLY SHIT, GENRO!" Koji scrambled back. "What tha' hell is that thing!" He saw two faces peer out the window. Yumi was laughing and Genro looked livid. In one moment Genro had stormed out the door and seized Koji by his shirt collar.
"What the hell did ya think you were doin, huh?" He grit out, his left eyebrow fairly twitching. Koji stuttered a little.
"Heh… um, hi, who's there? This is Koji, friend of Genro's. Come in, okay!" Genro was obviously not amused. Koji was barely spared from a pummeling when Genro's girl came out and laid a hand on his arm.
"Tasuki, I'm sure Taiitsukun would scare anyone! Though I don't know why she came back…" She insisted, and Koji nodded enthusiastically. Genro growled and let his friend go. Koji tried to retain a shred of dignity by coughing.
"Man, Genro. Ya really git around, doncha?" Genro advanced on him menacingly. He was rolling up his sleeves when Yumi grabbed him again.
"Just invite him in, so he can see Taiitsukun face-to-face." Genro sighed, obviously cowed and whipped. Item and evidence number two…
Koji followed his friend and his girl back inside, on edge. That thing was U-g-l-y. It was still floating in the middle of the room, arms crossed over it's sagging chest. Koji shivered, though the thing never addressed him, only gave him a cursory glance that made his skin crawl. Nothing, and he meant nothing, should be so hideous.
"Yumi, as I said before, don't you have something you should be doing?" The girl looked sideways at Genro.
"Um, summoning Suzaku right?" The Taiitsukun frowned and popped in front of Yumi, making her jump back.
"No! What did I tell you before? You need to help the priestess of Seiryu! Where is she and why are you not there?" The thing demanded. Koji blinked. This was really deep shit that he didn't understand. Yumi seemed sad.
"I don't think Megumi wants me anywhere near her." She said softly. Taiitsukun sighed dramatically.
"How do you know? She left a note in her room that practically begs you to follow her! Well, not in so many elegant words, but you should be able to interpret it. But you can't because you are fooling around on a bandit mountain! I told you something would tear you apart! I thought you were stronger than this" Yumi frowned and Genro gave a half step forward.
"Hey, go easy on Yumi! She hadn't done anything wrong ya old hag!" He was sticking up for his girl against a butt-ugly woman. Item and evidence number three! Taiitsukun only frowned.
"Do what you want, but you will blame yourself when the girl falls into darkness." And with that the old thing was gone. Yumi blinked and Genro looked confused.
"Damn, Genro, you do a lot of shit I didn't know about!" Koji said with a grin, sounding almost in awe. He really had no idea what was going on. He almost hoped that he could get involved, as long as he didn't have to see the hag again. It all sounded so important and exciting! Genro grabbed his shirt and shoved him out the door.