Chichiri Potter

and the

Sorcerer's Staff

Ch.7

By Cui

"Everything."

She looked back up at Tamahome.

"But how is this possible? I'm only a twelve-year-old! I-I…what's going on?"

She looked at Tamahome with bright green eyes full of questions, but Tamahome did not get a chance to supply an answer…for a great booming voice had spoken just behind them.

"TAMAHOME."

The three children had had their backs to the marble doors until just now, and all of them jumped at the sudden voice. The three of them quickly spun around to face the door. None quite comprehending what they were looking at, but the voice spoke again. There was no other explanation…the golden bird, Suzaku, had lifted its head from the door, and was speaking to them.

"TAMAHOME, YOU ARE FORBIDDEN TO ENTER THESE DOORS." His voice boomed out.

The three of them turned to look at Tamahome. His face was hard to read…especially since he had begun to bow.

"Yes, my lord. I am aware. I have just brought you the remaining of your warriors that may enter."

Suzaku's bird-like head turned to observe the three of them. He stopped on Chichiri.

"CHICHIRI, MY FAITHFUL MAGE," he smiled, and turned to Tasuki, " TASUKI, MY FIERY BANDIT," at this the bird winked and smiled at him, then he turned to Miaka, "AND MIAKA, MY MIKO," his head lowered, so that it seemed that he was trying to bow slightly, but it was odd since the rest of his body was stuck on the door, "WELCOME ALL OF YOU. YOU ARE INDEED MY MOST FAITHFUL WARRIORS."

At this Miaka turned to Tamahome who had begun to walk away, then back to Suzaku.

"Suzaku, why can't Tamahome join us?" she pleaded. "If it wasn't for him we wouldn't even know to come here!"

Tamahome stopped dead in his tracks, but still didn't turn around.

Suzaku turned his eyes towards Tamahome. "That, my miko, is not for you to know just yet." His voice was no longer booming, but soft, and kind; a normal tone. "Tamahome," the bird called to him before he had even begun to walk away again, "bring my other seishi to me…I want to see them again."

"Yes, my lord." Tamahome bowed one last time, then took off running, what Chichiri thought was an unneeded pace.

"He's trying to get away." He thought to himself. "But why, he shouldn't fear Suzaku. Suzaku is his god, they're the Suzaku seishi…" but before Chichiri could give it another thought…Suzaku spoke again.

"You have all earned entrance beyond these doors. Please step inside." The golden bird attached itself back onto its place on the door. The doors groaned, and squeaked open. A great light appeared in the crack of the two doors as it opened wider and wider, until they were all engulfed in a blinding white light. From just beyond the doors they could all hear a cracking old voice, but it was still clear and strong enough to hear and get the message.

"How long you kids gonna keep an old women waiting? Get in here!"

"Oh hell no, it can't be…"

"Tasuki-kun, no da, I think it is."

The bright light vanished behind them as they stepped inside. The doors shut themselves, and clicked in the center to show that they were connected, then a deeper bolt was heard within them to signal that they were tightly locked.

Miaka gasped as she, along with the others, stared within full view of the room that they were in. The room was divided into five different, and obviously different, decorations.

On the far left (the seishi's POV) a quarter of the room was decorated in different shades of greens and browns covered to the brim with vines and fruits. Trees and flowers painted, and real, covered this portion of the room. In the very center of the trees and various shrubs, was a stone throne, large and shining. Brimmed in every aspect with vines and moss. The cushion of the chair itself was moss, and sitting there, to their disbelief, was Genbu himself. Busying himself by stroking the large, wet, leaf of a near by exotic plant. Behind him was the emblem of the turtle with many snakeheads carved into the marble stone.

On his left (seishi right) the next quarter of the room was painted various colors of blues and greens. The marble floor was clearly shined much more than the others to appear like frozen water, ice…until they realized, that was ice, blue ice. The sapphire ice wrapped itself into cylinders and made pillars that surrounded the back and only some front, of the icy throne that held itself in the center. The cushions were a deep shade of ocean blue, and various parts of the throne were iced over in silver or diamonds. The throne was surrounded by icy, silver and sky blue stairs, and like the previous throne, the god that represented this area sat there. Seiryu. He didn't bother to try and look busy. He was staring cold and hard at the newly entered seishi.

On the far right (seishi POV) the room was covered in white. Everything from pearls to furs, white diamonds, and what the seishi couldn't believe…clouds, across the ceiling portion of this room. The floor was carpeted by what was clearly the finest white fur. The only portion of the floor that was not covered by white fur was the walkway leading up to the throne, which was made of shining pearl that changed slightly pink depending on how you were looking at it. The throne was pearl. Covered in every inch by pearl, but surrounded on the outside by clouds. Fluffy and soft looking to the seishi, who were looking at Byakko sitting on his throne, with envy; he chose to busy himself by playing with the soft clouds near him, and lounging his legs on the closest one. ("I wanna touch a cloud." They all thought enviously to themselves.)

Then, on Byakko's right, was their very own god. He was staring back at them, smiling proudly. Every aspect on his face was glowing with pride for his seishi. His part of the room was decorated in all colors of gold and scarlet. The crimson tiles leading to his throne were all brimmed on the edges with gold. The place where the throne stood, golden and crimsonly magnificent, was brimmed along the edges by white-hot flames that licked every side of the throne and tiles surrounding it. But nothing on his side showed a sign of melting or extreme heat. There was no damage done by the intensive flames to even show a fire there except for the fire itself. Crimson pillars draped in golden cloth surrounded the throne just as the ones from Seiryu's side. Everything on his side shined brightly with the light of the godly, white-hot flames.

And directly in the middle, between Suzaku and Seiryu, was the producer of the crackling voice at the entrance.

"So, you guys are the only ones of the Suzaku seishi that made it this far, eh?" Taiitsu-kun's wrinkly face twisted into a mock smile, as if to make fun of the rest of the seishi who hadn't even made it through the doors.

Miaka gaped at her, "T-Taiitsu-kun!"

"Taiitsu-kun, no da!"

"Oh shit…it is Taiitsu-kun."