Disclaimer- snores Oh, Yuu, you're giving me the rights to Fushigi Yuugi? Really? Wow, you're the greatest!…. wakes up Huh? What? Oh man, it was only a dream…I don't own Fushigi Yuugi…Dang…
Author's note: Sooo? Whadda ya think? I think it's good, but hey I'm the author. Plus, it'll get better! Anyway, here's chapter three…Oh, and thanks to fanfare music The Otaku Duo for being my first ever reviewer! Yay!
Akana smiled, a pink tinge mantling her cheeks.
"I would be delighted to meet your friends." Tasuki smiled and took her by the hand, leading her into the hut, pushing aside the flap, so Akana could go through. Tamahome, Chiriko, Chichiri, and Mistukake all looked up from some scrolls when they entered, curiosity plain on their faces as to why Tasuki was holding the hand of a girl, who looked almost exactly like Nuriko. Tasuki blushed again, and cleared his throat.
"Everyone, this is Akana. She's meeting someone here, but they haven't shown up yet, so I invited her to eat with us. Akana, this is Tamahome," He pointed to each seishi in turn, each one having their own way of greeting her. " This is Chiriko, that's Chichiri, and he's Mitsukake." Tamahome smiled and waved, Chiriko with a cheery "Hiya!", Chichiri bowed with a soft "No-da", and Mitsukake merely nodded his head. Akana smiled and replied,
"It's a pleasure to meet you all. I am Akana, as Tasuki has already told you, and I am delighted to be sharing a meal with you." She bowed, and turned to Tasuki. " As payment, I will help you with the preparations." Just then, Miaka stormed through the front flap, Tama held by the scruff of his neck and looking satisfied with himself.
"The cat ate my fish! That was the only one, too…" She let the cat go, who shook himself and ran over to Mitsukake, jumping up one of his broad shoulders. Tasuki sighed and pointed at Miaka.
"She is Miaka." Miaka stopped and looked at Akana, circling around her, a scowl on her face.
"Does anyone notice she looks a lot like Nuriko? They could be related…" Akana's eyes widened imperceptibly, and she paused a bit before talking.
"I don't have any family, except for my father and mother in Tenaio-Lan, so I couldn't possibly be related to this Nuriko…." Miaka smiled.
"Hey, lighten up, I was just saying you look a lot like someone we used to know!" Tasuki grinned, and took Akana's hand again,
"Now, about dinner…"
Everyone had eaten, and they were sitting comfortably around the small table, the men with cups of sake, while Miaka and Akana enjoyed the specialty of Xao-Qin, a tea made from a special plant that was grown only in the desert climates. Tasuki was regaling everyone with a tale of his former life as a bandit, when Akana set down her cup of tea, and invited Miaka to come for a walk with her. Miaka smiled.
"Why, sure! I haven't had many girls my age to talk to here…" They left the hut, the cooler night air pleasant to be out in. they walked for a bit in silence, then Akana broke it with a question,
" Miaka? Is Tasuki…. Does Tasuki have a lover? A wife, somewhere, who isn't with you?" Miaka looked at Akana, startled, and noticed she was blushing. Miaka grinned ear to ear, realizing in a heartbeat what Akana's question meant.
"Aw…Akana, do you like Tasuki?" Akana, blushing, shook her head furiously at Miaka's probing question.
"While he is a wonderful person, very handsome, and charming, I do not love him. I merely wanted to know so I could give whomever he is with my blessings…" Miaka just shook her head.
"No, something happened to make him hate women, with a serious exception to me… But then, there's a reason for that…" She stopped smiling and kept walking. Suddenly, a small object came shooting towards Miaka out of the night gloom. Miaka dodged it, pushing Akana to the side just in time as the object hit the ground with a crack right where they had been standing. Suboshi appeared with the object, smiling evilly.
"Priestess! Your friends aren't here to protect you! Now has come your time to die!" With that he swung the object, his star-plum bobs, straight for Miaka, who was on the ground. Just as they were about to hit, a glowing red shield formed between the weapon and Miaka. Akana stood, her hands glowing red, the kanji, which Miaka had taken for a mole glowed.
"Run! I'll hold them off! Just go!" Miaka, breathless, nodded and got up, running as fast as she could into the darkness. Akana grimly put her glowing hands together, and began chanting.
Suzaku lord of fire
Give me strength to fight
Give me wings to fly
Give me healing sight
Suzaku lord of light
Hear my calling prayer
Protect your daughter
And help her in her flight
A strange humming began to sound, and Suboshi, who had been repeatedly bashing his weapon against the shield to no effect, stopped, and watched as a glowing form descended out of the sky, a red phoenix, shrieking as it picked a struggling Suboshi up in fiery claws, winging its way north. Akana, gasping for breath, pulled her hands apart and sat down hard on the ground.
"Lord Suzaku, thank you for delivering me to your protectors. I shall serve with them…." Tasuki came running up shouting her name. She barely heard him, and spots danced in front of her vision. She felt herself being picked up, and felt no more.
Tasuki picked the unconscious Akana up in his arms, holding her tenderly. Miaka had come bursting into the hut to tell them that Suboshi had tried to attack her, but somehow Akana had protected her. As they had rushed out of the hut, a giant red phoenix, the sign of Suzaku, had dove out of the sky and swooped upon something like a hunting hawk, and had swooped off, disappearing into the night. Now, as he made his way back to the hut, he wondered who this girl was. She was pale in the moonlight, her eyes closed. A strange feeling swamped Tasuki, a desire that he had never felt before. Stuffing it down into a corner of his mind, he gently laid Akana on his sleeping pallet and pulled a blanket up over her. The others were out making sure that none of the other Seiryu seishi were waiting to ambush Miaka. The fire had burned low, and Tasuki closed his eyes, intending only to rest them for a few minutes.