Lonely Angel
Disclaimer: I do not own any bit of this story, Fushigi Yugi belongs to Yuu Watase, and Harry Potter/Hogwarts belongs to J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros.
Author Note: This chapter (and a few others) has been heavily reworked, thanks to some stellar feedback I've gotten. Yay!! Thank you reviewers!
The Priestess
The emperor had watched with interest equal to anyone else's as events unfolded towards the end of the parade. Usually the parade was yet another boring duty, surrounded by too many curtains to see anything clearly. However, when he heard the commotion, curiosity was too strong; he gently pulled some of the offending draperies aside to watch the fight. The woman certainly had skill, quite a surprising amount of it. But she seemed to have an aversion to offense. The fight was going to last forever this way. Or perhaps not, the young emperor corrected himself. Due to mounting frustration and anger, her opponent was tiring quickly. When the man made his final attack, he almost gasped with horror at the thought that the young lady might get hurt. When he saw her walk away unscathed, he was more relieved than he could have thought possible. What surprised him the most, however, was as he watched her walk away, he felt regret, and had more than half a mind to detain her by any excuse necessary.
Before he could decide if he should detain her, a red light penetrated everything around him. Everyone was engulfed in it, and though it was hard to see when it was so bright, it looked like his savior was the origin of it. When the light had subsided, and everyone had regained their sight, his guards surrounded her threateningly. The crowds were silent from fear; someone had called the woman a witch. Though the woman wasn't looking at him, and her face was as calm as it had ever been, the emperor thought he could see sadness in her eyes.
As he looked at her, everything suddenly fell into place, and he knew why that light had come from her, and why he had felt regret at seeing her leave, and just as quickly, he knew that he could not let any harm come to her. Readying his emperor voice, he spoke to his guards.
"Do not harm the young woman. Do you forget that she is the one who saved my life?"
The guards were all astonished to hear from his Highness. "But sir," the commanding officer protested, "she is obviously a witch. We must sentence her to death."
"I do not see her as a witch. She has saved my life, and therefore deserves all of our gratitude. And do not forget that there may very well be another explanation for the red light." Addressing the somewhat startled woman, he said, "Come here, Miss." Nozomi quickly and quietly handed her sword to one of the guards and walked up to the emperor's carriage. "I owe you my life, and while that is a debt that cannot be repaid, I would like to try, by inviting you to have dinner at the palace with me tonight."
"That would be wonderful." Nozomi said with a shy smile. "May I ask, I mean, would it be terribly rude of me to ask if I can bring someone with me?"
The emperor was a little disappointed, he had hoped to have the woman all to himself, and if she had a husband, she certainly couldn't be the person he thought she was. "Of course you can bring your husband." To his surprise, he got a full, delightful laugh out of her. A spontaneous laugh that made you feel like laughing too.
"No, I'm not married. But a young man did save me from slave traders when I first arrived here, and though he preferred monetary compensation to thank you's, I was unable to oblige him at the time, so I owe him a favor." Slightly relieved, the emperor agreed to the arrangement. Nozomi looked behind her, and shouted to Tamahome, much to the shock and slight disgust of the others present. Obviously it wasn't considered good manners for a woman to shout here. But Tamahome joined Nozomi at the emperor's side, and they walked with the procession the rest of the way to the palace.
Once there, maids escorted Nozomi and Tamahome to separate rooms where they could freshen up before dinner, while the emperor listened to the guard's reports on the assassin.
"So, what have you learned from him?" the emperor demanded.
"Very little, Your Highness. I'm afraid we can't get him coherent enough to say who sent him. Of course there is always the possibility of him working alone."
"Could you get anything from him at all?"
"Well, Highness, he was raving most of the time, he seemed to think there was someone in the cell with him, and kept talking to the person."
"Schizophrenia." Interrupted a new voice. The emperor and the guard turned to see the girl from before standing in the doorway, devoid of her cloak, and a shocked maid making a fast retreat. "Probably Paranoid Schizophrenia."
"Excuse me?" the very confused emperor asked.
"Schizophrenia is a mental disease involving auditory hallucinations, and in paranoid schizophrenia, the voices either threaten the person hearing them, or tell them what to do, or both, I suppose."
"Why would the voices tell this person to kill His Majesty?"
"I don't know, but usually in cases like these, the voices tell the person that they're being persecuted or threatened by someone. I'm assuming it's why they're called paranoid."
"How do you know all this?" This came from His Majesty.
"I took a correspondence course in psychology. It was something to do."
"Well, thank you for your input, and please, sit down. Dinner will be here momentarily."
"Thank you. By the way, I haven't introduced myself, I'm Nozomi Elendi; it's nice to meet you." As she spoke, she extended her hand in the traditional way of greeting in England, completely forgetting for the time that she was in Ancient China.
Looking at her hand, the emperor looked extremely puzzled. Randomly noting that puzzlement looked quite good on his handsome face, Nozomi explained a little better. "Sorry, this is how we greet people where I'm from. I introduced myself, and offered my hand in greeting, now you're supposed to do the same."
"Hotohori. Just call me Hotohori." Slowly Hotohori extended his hand like Nozomi had, though he didn't grab onto hers like he was supposed to. Still with a good-natured expression, Nozomi grabbed his hand, and shook it slightly.
"Congratulations, Hotohori. You have now successfully completed a traditional English greeting."
Still recovering from the tingling sensation her hand in his inspired, he dazedly replied, "English? What's that?"
"Well, England is the country where I went to school."
"I've never heard of it. There are only four countries around here, Konan, which is this one of course, Kutou, Hokkan, and Cairo."
"Well, I guess we're even, because I've never heard of any of those countries." She said with a smile. The conversation would have continued, but Tamahome chose that moment to make his entrance.
He, to the maid's delight and relief, made the proper entrance when confronted with his Highness. This one obviously knew what was going on a lot better than that unsophisticated young woman who interrupted men when they were talking.
"Nozomi said she attended a school in a country called England, which I have never heard of. I don't suppose you've heard of it, Tamahome?"
"No, Your Highness, I've never heard of it." He turned to Nozomi and asked, "What's it like?"
Grinning a little, Nozomi thought out her answer before saying, "Well, you could say it's another world entirely." Hotohori was instantly all ears. "The kind of clothes I'm wearing now are commonplace, most women prefer to have hair cut close to their heads, and men sometimes grow it out long. They speak a different language there too."
"And you can speak it?" Tamahome asked.
"Of course, I did go to school there for eight years."
"Could you demonstrate for us?" Hotohori asked interestedly.
"What would you like me to say?"
"Oh, anything, just make something up." Tamahome said impatiently.
So Nozomi recited a line of Shakespeare, earning laughter from Tamahome, and a heart-stopping smile from Hotohori.
"Okay, now what did you say?" Tamahome wanted to know.
"'Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.' It's from perhaps the most famous English poet; William Shakespeare's play All's Well."
"Now, you say you went to school there, does that mean you were born somewhere else?" Hotohori curiously asked.
"Yes, I was born in Japan. I lived there until the age of ten, when I moved to England. When I was eleven I began studying at a special boarding school, but even though I lived there during the school year, during the summer I went back to Japan until school started again. Once I was done with school at the age of 17, I moved back to Japan indefinitely."
Tamahome looked confused. "How old are you now?"
Nozomi smiled. "I know, I look like I'm all of 12, but I'm actually 18."
"You're the same age as me." Hotohori said in a surprised voice.
"You're an emperor and you're only 18? Talk about pressure. Okay, Tamahome, your turn, how old are you?"
"I'm 17."
"Nozomi," Hotohori interrupted, "I'm sorry to change the subject, but you're not eating the fish. Is it not to your taste?"
"Oh, no, no, I'm sure it's fine. I'm not eating it because I'm allergic to fish."
"Allergic? What do you mean?"
"Well, if I eat fish my body will reject it, and do everything in its power to purge it from my system. However, I also swell up until I can't breathe. If it's not treated within about two minutes, it could be fatal." The two men looked at her in utter shock. "I have the medicine for it right here." She said quickly, pulling out two long vials of fluid from what modern day people would recognize as an ankle holster. "This one on the right treats the purging, and the other one stops the swelling. I have to stick the pointy end to my thigh and push the button."
Trying to cover up the fact that she kept surprising or shocking him, Hotohori spoke in a voice accustomed to hiding his feelings, "Interesting. Nozomi, do you know why that red light came from you earlier?"
"No, I honestly don't. But I do think it has something to do with how I got to this world."
"And how did you get here?"
"By that same red light. I was reading in the library, when all of a sudden I was surrounded by the light, and when I could see again, I was where Tamahome saved me from the slave traders."
Hotohori had a very special smile on his face. Nozomi was having a hard time looking away from him, which she decided was good, as he soon began to talk. "Being from another world, you probably don't know about the prophecy we have here in Konan. It is said that when the country is on the verge of destruction, a woman from another world will appear, gain the power of Suzaku, save the country and have all her wishes granted. I believe you are that woman, Nozomi. I am asking you as the emperor, will you save Konan, Suzaku no Miko?"
Nozomi tried very hard not to look as shocked as she felt, though she failed miserably. They were asking her to fulfill the prophecy, the legend of their country? Now at least she knew what the book was talking about before. Before she said anything though, Nozomi knew that she had to be totally honest with them. They had to know about her heritage, and about the nature of the school she went to, no matter how hard it was to tell them. Taking a deep breath, she began her answer.
"Before I even consider that option, there are some things you need to know about me. Once I've told you that, if you wish to repeat the question, then I'll answer yes or no. But after I'm done talking, if you decide you don't want me to be the girl from that legend, I certainly won't hold it against you."
She paused to gather her thoughts, while Hotohori and Tamahome looked on curiously. It seemed Nozomi was very good at being slightly mysterious.
"The first thing I ought to tell you is that even though I had nothing to do with the red light earlier, I am a witch. The school I went to was called Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. I graduated, and am now a fully trained and certified witch. Before I move on to the next thing you need to know, you can ask questions if you want." Nozomi was a little concerned about the men, they weren't moving, just staring at her with expressions of shock. Just as the silence and lack of movement became unbearable, Hotohori collected himself, and opened his mouth to speak.
"Are there a lot of witches where you're from?"
"Actually, yes. In Hogwarts there are four dormitories, and in each one there are about fifteen students in each grade, seven grades in all, meaning there are about 420 students in the school at any given time. And you can't forget that that's only in England, there are other schools in other countries."
"Are you going to turn us into animals in our sleep?" Tamahome asked accusingly.
Nozomi looked at him like he was crazy. "No, Tamahome. You know, all throughout history, no matter where you go, magic has been feared because no one understands it. That is the fault of the magical government, they demand absolute secrecy. The truth is magic is like any other tool. In fact, you could say it's rather like the power of the emperor. In the hands of someone like Hotohori, who is a good, kind person with a strong sense of duty and honor, the country thrives. But, if someone else was emperor, perhaps someone who was a little more selfish, the country might not fare so well. The power of the emperor itself is not good or bad, it depends entirely on the person using it. Magic is the same."
"Have you ever used it against someone?" Tamahome questioned yet again.
"No, though I have desperately wanted to once or twice."
"What else do you want us to know? Other than you're a witch." Hotohori gently asked.
"Well, with your permission, this would be easier to show you." Hotohori indicated that that would be fine, and Nozomi stood up, walked backwards a little, and closed her eyes. Quick as a flash, something sprung from her back. A second later, when that something moved a little to each side, the two men could tell that it was two somethings, specifically; two large white wings had sprouted from the young girl's back. Wordlessly, Nozomi sat down again, and grabbed a nearby pitcher of water. Soaking her legs with it, the two men watched as a golden glow surrounded the lower half of her body. When it subsided; the girl's khaki pants were no longer there. Instead she had a deep red fish tail, one that matched her shirt flawlessly. Keeping her gaze to the floor, Nozomi explained. "This is odd even in the magical world. My father gave me the wings, and my mother the tail. She was a tropical mermaid, and he was a Draconian, a nearly extinct species named for their uncanny ability to kill dragons."
"How come you poured water on your legs?" Mostly Tamahome was desperately trying to cover his shock with this question, but he really was curious too.
"I don't have any control over when my tail makes an appearance. Once my legs are wet, they're no longer legs, and they change back when they're dry. It created some very tricky situations in school, especially around bath time."
"But why? I know you said it's odd in the magical world, but aren't those people used to odd things?"
"Well, here's the catch. Since I'm not fully human, it's technically not legal for me to own a wand, much less be trained in magic. If anyone but Albus Dumbledore had been headmaster, I would never have been accepted to Hogwarts."
"So, you had to hide everything you've just shown us from everyone? All 420 students in the school?" This incredulous question came from Hotohori.
"Yes, the students, and most of the teachers. Only three people knew about all of this, Professor Dumbledore of course, Professor McGonagall, and Rubeus Hagrid, the gamekeeper."
Hotohori watched as she explained her odd heritage, watched as her face got sadder and sadder, suddenly he felt the loneliness the girl must have gone through in her life with such a secret. If he wasn't mistaken, it was quite like his own loneliness. His hope began to rise that she would be the one to cure it. Maybe, just maybe, they could cure each other.
"Nozomi," he interrupted, "will you become the Suzaku no Miko, and save Konan?"
She looked up with hope in her clear eyes. "You still want to ask that question?"
He smiled at her. "Yes, I still believe that Suzaku himself chose you to be his Miko, and I think he chose you for a reason. Will you save this country?"
Nozomi gave him the first real smile he had ever seen on her petite face. "Yes, I will. I just have one question. How do I gain the power of Suzaku?"
"You are already on your way. You must gather the seven warriors of Suzaku, identifiable by a glowing red character somewhere on their body."
"So that's why Tamahome has the character for Ogre on his forehead." She said as she turned to give Tamahome that same smile.
"Yes, and I too am a warrior of Suzaku." Pulling back some of the ruffles around his neck, Hotohori revealed a glowing star character. "Our destiny and duty is to protect the Suzaku no Miko as she travels to find the other warriors, and summon Suzaku."
"And how do I find the others? Do I get any clues?"
"Yes, there is a scroll in my office that gives clues on how to find all seven of the warriors. I took the liberty of looking up the next warrior on the list, and it was the character for palace and strength. With your permission, I will assemble all the warriors and guards in the palace tomorrow so we can sort through them."
"Sounds like you've thought this through pretty well."
"Thank you. Now that dinner's over, would you like to accompany me on a walk around the palace grounds? We have some beautiful gardens. Then the maids can show you to your room. Tamahome, you can join us if you wish."
"No thank you, Your Majesty. If you don't mind, I would like to go back to the city. I have some personal business I need to attend to." Actually the business could wait, but Tamahome knew when he wasn't wanted. And to the emperor at least, he would have been the fifth wheel, so to speak.
"Of course, your room will be ready for you when you get back. Nozomi, shall we?"
Slightly amused at how she hadn't really been given a say, even though it appeared like she had, Nozomi told Tamahome she'd see him later, slipped her hand through Hotohori's offered arm, and walked off with him.