Disclaimers: I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.
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Narrator's POV
It was Umiyame who found Uruki sleeping on the floor in the hall by one of the big pillars, tears still wet on her cheeks. She chuckled and knelt by the girl, wondering what she was doing there. It isn't healthy for her to be sleeping out here... I should wake her up...' She thought, all sorts of wicked ways to wake her up running through her mind. Unfortunately, she didn't have the materials for most of those ways and was to lazy to go get them. Oh well. I can still use this for blackmail. I doubt that she wants anyone else to know that she was sleeping out here... Not to mention that she was crying.' From the little bit that she knew about Uruki, she knew that the girl would hate to let anyone else know that she had shown any sign of weakness.
The old woman began to shake Uruki roughly to wake her up. Unfortunately, this didn't work. Fortunately, Uruki rolled over and hit her head on the pillar that she had been sleeping by very hard.
She yelled in anger, frustration and pain, both mentally and physically, while she held her head where she had hit it. WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TRYING TO DO!? KILL ME?! Uruki was not in a good mood, and Umiyame could tell.
My, my. Such colorful language. And that's hardly a nice way to treat you elders. You should have more respect. Umiyame said. Here, I'll teach you a little secret. I do not try to kill people. I kill them. If I had been trying to kill you, you would be dead. Uruki frowned at her. She could have sworn that she heard sarcasm in the old woman voice. Was she teasing her? And who was she anyway? (This is Uruki's first time seeing Umiyame. Umiyame only knew who Uruki is because she saw her when she was sick.) Not to mention that she had basically said that she had killed people before. Was she dangerous? The reasonable part of her said that she had no reason to suspect this old woman of anything, but she ignored it. She was in no mood to be reasonable. Not with the memory of Hikitsu kissing that other girl still in her mind. That older, prettier girl. That girl who was obviously much better than her. It's not fair. It's just not fair,' her mind screamed, but in her heart, she knew it was. Hikitsu had the right to choose anyone that he wanted. Of course, this didn't help her mood very much.
Who are you anyway? And why are you here? What business do you have with me? Are you a Kutou spy, here to disrupt the ceremony?! If you are, I'll kill you myself! You'll never get to Takiko-san! Uruki accused. Umiyame just chuckled.
Well... So many questions. Hm... Which one should I answer first... Hm... Well... I'm not a Kutou spy. And I'm not here to disrupt the ceremony. Also, I don't think that you could kill me, even if you tried. It's not like you have your sword. Uruki looked around her and realized that Umiyame was right. Her sword was in her room.
Um... But... Who are you? And why are you here? She asked, realizing that those where only questions that she hadn't answered.
Well... My name is Mishcorme, but you may call me Umiyame of the Genbu Seishi, she said as her symbol began to glow brightly on her forehead. As for why I'm here, I have come to serve the Genbu no Miko. And to try to repent for my sins,' Umiyame added silently to herself. Uruki stared at her.
You're one of the Genbu Seishi?!
Yes. What about it?
But... But you're old.
I do not see how my age contributes to this conversation. For that matter, you're young.
But... What's your seishi power?
Why... Turning invisible, of course. Would you like me to demonstrate?
No... No, of course not. Could you just... Go away? Uruki asked softly, thinking of Hikitsu. She just couldn't get her mind off him and that girl no matter how hard she tried.
Now, why would I do that?
Please... I... I just want to be alone right now.
Why? Tell me.
No. I-
It's about Hikitsu, isn't it? Uniyami interrupted.
How... How did you know? Uruki asked. Uniyami grinned.
Let's just say that I have my ways. Now, tell me what happened.
But... No. I can't.
If you're afraid of me finding out about your little crush on him, I'm afraid that I'll have to inform you that I already know.
How... Namame told you, didn't he?! I'll kill him!
Namame? Now how did he come into this conversation? No. He did not tell me. I found out on my own.
But ho-
That doesn't matter. It's none of your business. Now tell me what happened.
It's none of your business.
Do you think I care? No. Never mind. Don't answer that. Now tell me. If you don't, I'll just find out myself.
But.... Oh, fine, Uruki said, defeated. I'll tell you. I saw Hikitsu... He was.... He was kissing another girl. I know it's dumb, but I'd always hoped... hoped that somehow he'd love me. And now... now... She began to cry again. It just hurts so much. I just can't stand it. People always say that love is such a wonderful emotion. That it will bring you happiness. But... If it's so wonderful... Then why has it brought me so much pain. Why...
Umiyame's bitter voice surprised Uruki.
Weakling. You think that you've been through so much, just because the boy you love likes someone else. Well here's a secret. You know nothing of pain. You say that this has hurt you so much. Well it's nothing compared to real pain. You sit here in front of me, crying over a boy when you have family and friends who care about you saying that you're so hurt. Well to bad. Cry me a river, build a bridge, and get over it.
And who are you to brush my pain aside so lightly?! You speak of pain, but what could be more painful that having your heart be ripped from your breast and shredded right before your eyes?
Having your heart be ripped from your breast and shredded right before your eyes ten times over.
You have no idea how I feel!
Do you want to bet on that?
Okay then. What's this horrible thing that happened to you?
I KILLED MY OWN SISTER, YOU FOOL! After she said that, Umiyame looked horrified at herself and quickly turned away from the shocked younger girl in front of her. She had never told anyone that.
W-What.... What did you say?
You heard me. Don't pretend that you didn't. I killed my sister. I murdered her in cold blood.
But... But how? Umiyame sighed inwardly. She really did not want to tell Uruki this. but she had put this on herself. She could blame no one else. And she had already told Uruki what she did. She might as well tell the entire story.
Where could she start. My family had two children, my sister, Jonmesta, and I. We lived alone, because my parents had been killed in a blizzard. That was 63 years ago. We were... orphans. But even though we had no parents, we were happy. It was 58 years ago when it happened... I was 27 years old and Jonmesta was 24. She was at a marriageable age, and, as her guardian, it was my duty to find a husband. I had been struggling to find someone suitable for her for a year or two already and had shown her many men, but she had rejected all of them, stating that they where boring, stupid, and quite a few other things. Each time that I tried to convince her to marry one of the men, she would state that I was not married, and, since this was true, I would reluctantly give up on that certain boy. But I didn't know one very important thing. Jonmesta... Was already in love. She knew that I would never approve of her love, and so she never told me. That was the real reason that she never approved of any of the men that I set her up with. For you see.... Our tribe... had a rival tribe. And Jonmesta..... was in love with the son of the chief of that rival tribe. At night, the two of them would always meet at a certain lake, for he also loved her, and although they knew that they could never be together, they still hoped... They still hoped that someday they would be able to marry. But.... Then... One night I saw her leaving the tent to go see him. I followed her, and saw them meet.... I was... Furious. And so... I walked out into the clearing and told him to step away from Jonmesta. He refused and they told me that they were in love. But... I could not accept that. It was then... That my seishi powers awoke. I was blinded by the green light that was coming from me, and when it faded, they where both lying at my feet in front of me. And I... And I was covered in blood... Their blood.... With that, Umiyame stood and walked away. She could not stand to me there any more. She did not want to see the look of sympathy or horror that she knew was on Uruki's face. She just wanted to be alone.
She whispered to herself once she was in her room. And with that one name, she was swamped with memories.
~*~
Jonmesta... What are you doing here! Who is he! Wait... Aren't you...
Yes... I am the son of the chief of the Fin tribe.
Jonmesta, why is he here? Why are you with him?
Mishcorme, please. I... We... We love each other. I didn't tell you because I knew that you would never approve. Please...
Miss... We wish to marry each other.
No! No ! I won't allow it. You ! Boy! Step away from my sister! Leave, and never return.
No! Please sister! Can't you see that I love him.
No. There are many more men out there! You cannot love this one. You must not love him. I forbid it!
Then so be it! If you wish to separate us, then you must kill us. I will not leave him! If you make me, then I'll... I'll kill myself!'
Nonsense! Not step away from him! You two will never be able to be together!
Please, miss...
JUST SHUT UP AND STOP BEING FOOLISH! IF YOU KEEP THIS UP, JONMESTA, THEN I... I'LL KILL HIM, TO MAKE YOU UNDERSTAND!
If you kill him, then you will have to kill me to!
I SAID, STOP BEING FO- *light fills the area coming from a younger Umiyame*
What is that light?!
Is that.... The light of Genbu? *Jonmesta and the boy scream as the light hits them and fall to the ground*
I love you... In the next world... we will meet again...
~*~
In the end, I was the enemy, wasn't I? I was the one who stood against their love. and now, when it's too late to change everything that I did, I regret it. They really belonged together, and I was just to blind to see it,' Umiyame thought. She felt horrible; worst than she had felt in a long time. I can only hope that someday, Jonmesta will forgive me. I have learned my lesson. That no matter how impossible it may seem, sometimes two people are just meant to be together, and with just a simple mistake, all that can be lost. Everything can be lost with only an accident. I just hope that that girl, Uruki, learned that lesson too. I want Jonmesta and that boys story to help people, as she would have wanted to help people.' She chuckled to herself a bit. I never even got to learn his name, did I. I've just always referred to him as That Boy'. What a horrible older sister I turned out to be.' Umiyame turned her head up to the sky and offered a prayer for her sister and the boy that she had loved. Please, Genbu... Please let them have found happiness, somewhere better than here. Please let them still be together. Please... Let them have everything that I took away from them...'
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~End of Chapter 30~
Wow! This is all in one POV. This is the first time I've done that. Hm... Considering that this entire chapter was basically all one big conversation, I guess that there was just no chance for me to change POVs. Anyway, I'll get on with the summoning soon. I just sort of wanted a place where I could show what Umiyame went through when she was younger. Besides, I thought that this idea was interesting. I like it. Still, the flashback was really hard to write. I just didn't know how to put it down. But I think that I did an okay job. Anyway, please review. More coming soon.
