Look, I'm here again after taking a forever long break! WOOT! I'm sure everyone is excited! Hehe…
BTW, what is with the new weird layout? confusion >.
ladysakaya: I LOVE THE SONG BEHIND BLUE EYES!
chibichan: Awww, thanx for being my faithful reviewer!
conkhi: thanx for the awesome review, and I am so excited that u like it so much. I was begining to think that this story was crap...sniff
Anyway, this is a pretty light hearted chapter, so I hope yal enjoy it!
Disclaimer: Only in my dreams
I stopped in front of the large gates of Kotou. Guards were surrounding the entrance, eyeing me with suspicion. For women it was a major no-no to travel alone, but here I was infront of the guard, the lone female traveler. I'm sure it didn't help thatI waswearing pants, boots, anda loose shirt.Even though I did look out of the ordinary the guards had no reason to not let me in, but unfortunately something in the back of my mind told me that these guard weren't going tobe in favorof my entering.
"What's your name?" A guard called out to me.
"Why do you wanna know?" I asked, already feeling defensive.
"Tell me your name or else you don't get through."
"Oh, I will get through." I jumped off of my horse and walked up to him. I found it really amusing that I was taller than the man and couldn't help but smile. I was kinda tall for a female, 5 feet and 7 inches. The man seemed to be only an inch shorter, but it was just short enough for me to feel superior. "Isn't there a standard height to be a guard?"
"One more comment like that, and I will throw you into the dungeon. The other prisoners would be very happy to keep you company." He smiled smugly.
"Why do you want my name?" I asked, slowly getting irritated by the short guard.
"That is none of your business."
"Fine, fine." I sighed. Fighting my way through the gates would probably not amuse Nakago. From what I heard, he was a bastard. "My name is Senshi no Yami Sayuki, but you can call me Sayu." I winked at him. Immediately the color in his face began to drain. I sure did sound important. I bet he was wondering if he fucked with the wrong person. The guard walked over to a boy and whispered something in his ear; soon the boy went running off.
"Can I go in now?" I smiled nicely.
"You must wait until his majesty allows you to enter." The guard answered.
"He didn't have to wait." I jerkeda thumb at a traveler who passed through rather easily.
"You're not him."
"Great answer!" I scowled at him. He returned to his post without another word. Great, just frickin' great. I pulled my horse off to the side and sat on the ground. By now everyone in the Konan Palace should be angry as hell with me. I hadn't told anyone I was leaving, but I did leave a letter that said where I was going. I refrained from telling them why I left.
I told Naru to stay so he could protect the palace. If something major happened he was to come get me. I did feel kinda bad for not saying goodbye to Korin. I still don't know the name of the kid. Maybe I should have stayed. Or at least said goodbye.
Tasuki's probably cursing his ass off. I smiled at the thought. He was such a baby. Instinctively I ran a finger over the amber pendant around my neck. The stone felt warm against my fingertips. I could almost envision Tasuki announcing to go after me, yelling that woman are so stupid. My smile widened thinking of the golden gaze of his eyes as they twinkle with mischief; the smirk with the fang poking out from kissable lips. I pushed myself off the ground and began to pace, trying to rid my mind of the thought of him. What the hell is wrong with me?
"Senshi no Yami Sayuki?" I stopped pacing and looked at the hooded man in front of me.
"Bout damn time. Can I go in yet?"
"Are you sent from Hotohori, emperor of Konan?"
"That's me." I sighed. I was getting hungry, I was tired, and I was hot. What's with all the questions, and why can't I just go in yet? I thought irritatedly. I could have teleported in long ago, but teleporting with a horse isn't exactly easy, and I couldn't just leave the horse behind to be stolen.
"Follow me." The man instructed. He quickly mounted his horse and waited for me to do the same. Now I'm finally getting somewhere!
"Why couldn't I enter Kotou by myself? I didn't need an escort ok. What? Did you think I'd get lost on my way to the palace? It's pretty damn hard to miss. Kinda big don't you think?" I said, following the man through an expanse of hallways in the palace. For the past half an hour I had been talking to his back as Itrailed behind him. He had yet to even say a word to me. To say I was annoyed would be an understatement.
Finally, FINALLY, he spoke. "The guards wouldn't let you in because of your appearance. Blue eyed, blonde haired people are rather rare. You raised suspicion. That is why I went to get you. Plus, you were not summoned yet, so your arrival is a surprise to his majesty. Not to mention you're a female traveling alone." He led me into the throne room. It looked even less comfortable than the Konan throne room, which wasn't exactly a place to relax either. This room was the exact opposite of Hotohori's. It was covered in blue. Blue cushions, blue curtains, even the maids were dressed in blue.
"I wonder what his majesty's favorite color is." I said sarcastically. "So... are you going to tell me your name, or am I going to have to guess?"
"Feel free to guess." The man looked at me with mildly amused blue eyes. The blue of his eyes were the mirror of mine. He has blue eyes like me? How did I not notice this till now?
"You're Nakago?" Who else could it be? It not like you saw blue eyed people running around everywhere you went.
"Very good." He pulled the hood down, and his golden blonde hair tumbled out around his face. I stood there looking at him speechless. He's so handsom. He even gives Hoto-sama a run for his money. Maybe if he had red hair he'd be a bit better looking, or maybe amber eyes. Wait... DAMN IT! What am I thinking?
"Surprised?" He lifted an eyebrow. I blushed slightly. I had been staring at him.
"No, I was just thinking about something else. Anyway, I heard you wanted someone to head a group of soldiers."
"Correct. I hadn't expected you to come until you were called on, though, but I suppose it's fine that you showed up early." He said, sitting on his throne. Soon a woman dressed all in black with hair that looked a shade of dark purple entered and stood next to the seated emperor. Nakago continued as if he hadn't noticed her. "Naturally since you're female I will have to test your skills. Not many women can do what needs to be done. You must be tough, cruel at times, and yet fair. You must gain the respect of the men. They will be inclined to... take advantage of the fact that you are of the opposite sex. If you are going to have trouble defending yourself against the wise cracks of the men, be prepared to leave by tomorrow. You're services will not be needed if you can't--"
"You can stop the speech. I wouldn't be here if Hotohori didn't deem me fit to be here. I'm qualified."
"How dare you speak to the emperor so freely!" sneered the woman beside Nakago.
"Nakago, who's the girl?" I asked, annoyed. I wasn't one for formality. Rulers are still regular people, so they get no special treatment from me.
"YOU WILL NOT ADDRESS HIM WITHOUT THE -SAMA. YOU ARE SPEAKING TO THE EMPEROR, GIRL. WATCH YOUR TONGUE!" The women bellowed.
"Did you just yell at me?" My eye twitched in anger. After everything I had been through in the past couple of days I would welcome a good fight. I wanted—no, I needed— something, or someone, to take out my anger on.
"Soi, perhaps you should leave?" Nakago may have said the statement as a request, but the tone he used let Soi know it was a command. The woman, Soi, was damn annoying. She deserved to be told to leave. Soi glared at me for a while before turning and leaving the room. I simply smiled at her. She could kiss my ass.
"I must apologize for Soi. She desires to be my empress and her temper tends to get out of control at times." Nakago said with a sigh.
"Whatever you say. Now, where can I get some food?"
After a lot of food, putting my stuff in my room, and taking an hour nap I was up and ready to go. I wasn't big on resting. Hell, over the past couple of days I'd been resting more often than Tasuki, who's known for taking naps every 3 hours. I'm tired of having to rest. How odd does that sound, tired of resting?
I sighed and started to re-do my braid. Now what? Do I go find Nakago? Do I try my luck at finding the gardens? There was a sudden knock on the door and I jumped. Uneasy? Me? Nah.
"Lady Sayuki..."
"Just call me Sayu." I interrupted the person, "Feel free to come in." A boy entered the room. He looked to be 16 with sandy brown hair, and a small tanned body. His brown eyes were glued to the floor as he stepped into the room. "Kid, what's your name?"
"I'm not a kid." He said, eyes still intent on the floor.
"Is there something wrong with your neck? Too weak to support your head?" Immediately the boy's head snapped up in anger, "I'm just kidding." I held my hands up to show I meant no harm,"What's your name?"
"Suboshi." He said through tight lips. I don't think he likes me. I smiled. I dug deep into my memory and tried to remember what Baba had told me about him: He has a twin brother named Amiboshi who now lives under a different name with no recollection of Suboshi, the race to summon Seiryuu, or anything dealing with his past.
"What are you smiling at?" Subohshi growled.
"If only you were older." I winked. Suboshi turned red as a tomato. I laughed loudly and asked what it was he wanted. Still red, he told me that he was sent to take me to the men I would be in charge of. He led me out of the palace, and into the bustling streets of Konan, explaining that Nakago thought it would be best if I were toobserve the police first (basically watch them from the outside, joining in when I can help) andthen if I'm able to prove myself to him Imove up torunning the station. If I handle the men well I get to over see the entireKotou police force. Eventually (supposedly),Suboshi said Nakagowould put me in charge of a faction of his army… eventually. Basically, because I'm female, he assumes I can't handle myself in a fight. So, I get to work up from the bottom, how fun!
When we reached the station I was considering turning and leaving. Why the hell do I have to start here? I briefly entertained the idea of kicking in Nakago's face. After a deep breath I followed Suboshi inside. The room was filled with men doing this and that; not a woman in sight. Damnit.
"Men!" Suboshi called over the room. Everyone stopped moving and got quiet. No one dared say anything. He may be a boy, but he was a seishe. He was respected. Why did I have a feeling that I wasn't going to be treated the same way?
"This is Senshi no Yami Sayuki. She has come to joinKotou's police forceandhopes to soonhead the station. Try to treat her with respect." I suppressed a twitch. TRY to treat me with respect?
"Don't hurt the poor idiot boy", I mumbled over and over. After a minute of total silence, all the men broke into laughter. Well this is going to be fun.