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: I'm sorry the first chapters have been changing so much, but I hope the changes are for the better. I get suggestions from reviewers (THANK YOU!) that made me realize a certain section is all wrong, and I have to rewrite it. But that's why reviews are great, isn't it?
Escape to the City
By the next day Nozomi was sick of bed rest, and was bound and determined to get out of her room. Conjuring a couple of crutches, she boldly marched as well as she could up to her door, and hobbled out with a commanding, determined air. No one was going to stop her this time, she was going out to the gardens at the very least, maybe even out of the palace, depending how many people annoyed her. She wouldn't stop for anything.
"Miko-sama." Two guards stationed outside her door had grabbed an arm each, and were now gently guiding/carrying her back to her room.
"But I'm staying off my foot, look, I have crutches." She complained, not for the first time. After being on her own for so long, this kind of restriction was hard for her to deal with.
"We're sorry, Miko-sama, but his Highness gave us strict instructions not to let you out of your room. You need to get well, and you can't do that if you're up and about."
Sighing, Nozomi allowed herself to be plopped back down on her bed. They were just doing their jobs, after all. It wouldn't be fair to take out her frustrations on them. And Hotohori couldn't be blamed either, he was just taking the doctor's orders a little too literally. Obviously he hadn't yet learned that doctors are always over cautious.
After the guards left, even if it was only as far as to the other side of her door, she still sat like a good girl for a few minutes. Not quite like a good girl, though, she was coming up with a plan to get out of there. If she didn't they might as well pad the walls, because she was heading straight for the loony bin. But, she had an idea…
Nuriko and Tamahome were walking around the city. Tamahome wasn't crazy about Nuriko's attendance, but she had insisted in a way not to be denied. She can really twist your arm if she wants to, literally. As usual, Tamahome was looking for various ways to earn money. Nuriko on the other hand, was taking full advantage of being released from the harem to explore.
She'd always wanted to explore the capital more, and here was her chance, with a handsome escort in the bargain. The only disadvantage was that Tamahome was obviously not interested in shopping. All he wanted to do was look for work. One word on that, boring! So, she decided to go on her own little expedition.
Disengaging herself from the blue-haired money-grubber, she sidetracked along an alleyway while he was busy talking to a potential customer. She didn't go any further down the alley than the entrance, she was a little streetwise, after all, but she waited there until Tamahome was out of her sight, and then started off the way they had come.
She was having a grand time, looking at expensive jewelry, lengths of silk, and tasty looking food. She could get any of this at the palace, but it was so much more fun when you went shopping for it yourself.
Walking along still further, she wasn't paying much attention to where she was going. The crowd had gotten even thicker, though that was hard to imagine with how tightly they were packed into the narrow street, and she had gotten pushed closer and closer to the edge. Finally one man pushed her into yet another alleyway. Fully intending on giving this arrogant chauvinist a piece of her mind, Nuriko started forward, coming to a complete halt when she was knocked unconscious from behind.
Nozomi had escaped the confines of her room by making herself invisible. It was actually a camouflage spell, but it was close enough for her purposes. She had written a note, explaining that she was sorry for causing trouble, but if she stayed in that room any longer she would be in an unfit mental condition to be their priestess.
When the guards opened her door to deliver her lunch, she snuck out. She knew that Tamahome and Nuriko had gone out on the town, so she thought she'd try to find them. It wouldn't be easy, but she had the advantage of wings, so she had a topographical view. Nuriko's hair should be easier to spot than anything else, not many people had lavender hair.
Guessing that someone as feminine as Nuriko would head for the shopping, that's where Nozomi decided to go. She got to the marketplace where she had stumbled upon the parade for Hotohori, but she couldn't see any sign of either one of her warriors. A little worried now, she widened her search.
She was just starting to get concerned, for she hadn't seen the woman heading back to the palace when she flew by, when she spotted a group of sinister-looking men crowded at the very back of an alley. Remembering her own similar experience, Nozomi flew over to take a look.
"She's a fine one, isn't she? Maybe we should taste a little before we sell her?" One of them sneered.
"You read my mind, buddy. Whadda say, boss?" His obviously perverted friend turned to the 'boss', hope evident in his face. Listening to these creeps was giving Nozomi the chills, and making her skin crawl. Edging around the men, still camouflaged so they wouldn't notice her, she looked at the woman they were talking about and gasped. Somehow, Suzaku only knew how, they'd gotten Nuriko unconscious and tied up.
"Sure, one taste for each of you. I go first." The boss declared. As the men edged closer to Nuriko, Nozomi knew she had to do something, even if she was injured. Standing in front of the unconscious woman, Nozomi reappeared for all to see, a pissed off expression firmly set into her face.
"No one touches her." Getting over their surprise and shock as quickly as they could, the men sneered at her, almost like they were thinking she was going to be their next treat.
"And what are you going to do to stop us, young lady? Besides, looks like you're having a little problem with your leg. There are 7 of us, to one of you. You don't have a chance."
"Maybe you're right, but I can't let you touch her." As she spoke, two of the men adjusted themselves so they could see her better. She recognized them immediately, and apparently they did too.
"Hey, we know you. You're the wench that gave us a hard time before. And this time that weird guy isn't here to save you."
"Even if he isn't, I don't need him to beat all of you, even with an injured leg." She declared, far more bravely than she felt.
"You wouldn't attack us before, so now that we have more people, you shouldn't be a problem." They closed in around her even tighter. Hating to fight, but knowing she wouldn't have a chance of protecting Nuriko if she didn't, she spoke with venom in her tone.
"I think in your case, I'll make an exception." That said, she took her left crutch, and hit the man in the head with all the force she could muster. He at least went down like a sack of potatoes. Now she only had six to worry about instead of seven. From the instant the man hit the ground; all hell broke loose among his comrades. The fight began, with Nozomi doing everything she could think of to keep the potential rapists away from Nuriko. They came at her with all their skill of martial arts, and she was improvising as she went, using her crutches as swords and battering rams.
Soon they got so close she couldn't maneuver them anymore, and flung them to one side. After that she looked like something out of a karate kid movie, one leg in the air, with the other one balancing all her weight. She got a few awkward kicks and punches in that way, but her advantage was over. The men knew they had won, and were now fiddling with her clothes. Nozomi had never felt so violated in her entire life, but there really wasn't much she could do about it, she couldn't even reach her wand right now, they had pinned her arms and right leg down. So, she did the only thing left that she could think of, even though it would probably bring her more pain than her captors.
She brought her left knee up into a man's groin, causing him to double over in pain. As all men tend to do, they seemed to feel their comrade's pain, even though they had not personally been hit. Their grip on Nozomi lessened, and she wrenched out of their grasp, grabbed Nuriko, and flew high over everyone, camouflaging the two of them before takeoff.
The pain in Nozomi's leg was incredible; she was hanging on to consciousness by the merest thread, so she concentrated on the one thing that was bugging her about her companion. She seemed to be missing certain body parts usually considered essential to females. Nozomi had her arm around Nuriko's waist, with her chest pressed against Nozomi's side.
That was the problem, however. Her chest was pressing against Nozomi's side, not her breasts. It seemed that Nozomi had not found a female warrior, but yet another male one. She shrugged mentally; a gay friend was pretty close to a female friend. If she could get Nuriko to like her, that is.
'That's one problem I don't know how to solve. Nuriko doesn't like me because of my friendship with Hotohori. But I'm not going to snub him just to gain Nuriko's loyalty. That's not the way it's supposed to work. If Nuriko doesn't like my personality, there isn't much I can do, but Nuriko doesn't even know me. If she'd, correction, he'd, just give me a chance, he might like me better. But how?'
By this time, Nozomi's vision was almost completely gone, she could barely see the ground below her, and she felt so weak, she didn't know how much further she could carry both her body weight and Nuriko's. Her flight pattern was already getting erratic, as she fought for strength to stay airborne. She knew she should be getting close to the palace by now, but she couldn't see it, and the situation wouldn't get any better. In this state, she could easily fly right by the palace, and never know. Assuming, of course, that she could make it that far. She needed to borrow someone else's eyes. Gently trying to wake the unconscious warrior in her arms, she tried calling his name, urgency apparent in her tone.
"Nuriko! Nuriko!" The young man felt like he was floating, it was the most incredible feeling, like he was weightless, and a gentle breeze caressed his face and hair. But someone was calling him in the far distance, by a name he hadn't heard in a long time. That voice seemed to be bringing him to the world of pain, the world where this wonderful feeling of bliss didn't exist. Resisting, Nuriko closed his eyes against the bright afternoon sun. But it was no use, he was awake, with a pounding throb in his head, and an unnaturally hot body pressed against his. Huh? That wasn't right. And the gentle breeze from his dream was still there.
Reluctantly opening his eyes just a crack, Nuriko saw that he was airborne, and the unnaturally hot body was Nozomi's, carrying him with one arm wrapped around his waist. Looking up, he saw that somehow Nozomi had sprouted a lovely pair of white wings. Starting to freak out a little, Nuriko tried squirming, forgetting for a moment how high they were.
"Please, Nuriko! Be still, it's hard enough for me to carry you! I promise when we get back to the palace, I'll answer all your questions, but for right now I need you to do us both a favor. I can't see anything; I need you to tell me where to go."
"What do you mean, you can't see anything?"
"I'm on the verge of fainting, so I need you to tell me when we can land at the palace. I really need your help, Nuriko."
Hearing the urgency and the desperation in her rather breathless tone, Nuriko realized that this was one of those times when you had to put your differences aside and work together. "We're above the palace right now. Why don't I direct you to one of the gardens, then I can carry you to your rooms."
"Are you in good enough shape? I haven't had time to look over you for any injuries except the bump on your head. Do you feel pain anywhere else?"
"No, I'm fine; I'm not the one that can't see a thing. Now, start slowing down, and flying towards the ground." So, a little unnerved that she didn't know how quickly the ground was coming upon her, but very glad she had Nuriko with her, Nozomi did as he bid, adjusting according to his directions occasionally. "The ground is getting closer now." Nuriko warned from her right side. So Nozomi made a slightly awkward landing.
"Hold still," she told Nuriko rather breathlessly, "Your hands and legs are still tied, I'll untie them." Feeling around blindly, Nozomi fumbled with the bonds until Nuriko was free.
"Right, let's get you to your room." Nuriko looked at the young priestess, only to find empty air. Looking down, she saw Nozomi, pale and lifeless upon the ground. "Nozomi?" Swiftly, Nuriko bent down to check to make sure she was still breathing, once he was reassured on that score, he scooped her into his arms and carried her the rest of the way bridal style.
Nuriko placed the still unconscious Miko on her bed, mentally laughing at the fact that Nozomi slept with her mouth wide open. Back in the garden they hadn't gone two steps before Nuriko was surrounded by worried guards, asking questions and volunteering the information that the emperor was worried out of his mind, apparently she had left a note, but no one had been able to read it.
Instead of answering their questions, Nuriko had sent them off to tell Hotohori that Nozomi was back. In spite of all his efforts, Nuriko had to admire the way Nozomi had handled the situation back there. Judging by the pallor in her face, only her stubborn nature had kept her from collapsing long before they reached the palace. He wanted her to wake up before everyone came though, so he could hear what the heck happened. Knowing Hotohori, he would run the whole way, and could arrive any minute.
Taking matters into his own hands, Nuriko poked Nozomi awake. Her eyes fluttered open, though no other muscle moved. Quite frankly, she still looked far too weak to move.
"You promised me answers, so I'd like some. What happened? The last thing I remember before being airborne with you, which is going to need explaining next, by the way, is being hit over the head from behind after some jerk pushed me into an alley."
Nozomi told Nuriko all she had seen, gliding over some of the things she had had to do to her injured leg, and not mentioning Nuriko's manliness at all. Seeing the unasked question in Nuriko's eyes, Nozomi quickly moved on to explain about her wings and tail. Though Nuriko had never heard anything more extraordinary in his life, he had seen it with his own eyes, and had many questions, but he heard voices approaching, and knew that his time alone with Nozomi was short.
"One more thing, how out of it were you while you were flying?"
"I was concentrating on anything I could to keep my mind off of how close I was to losing consciousness." Nozomi thought she knew what Nuriko was getting at, and wanted to reassure her. "But I didn't notice anything about you other than the bump on your head."
Nozomi looked at her meaningfully, and when Nuriko reciprocated that look, a beam of understanding shot between them. Smiling a little, Nozomi continued speaking, "And I'm no doctor, so you might want to have it looked at, but I don't think it's any worse than my head was yesterday, so you'll probably just have a killer headache for the rest of today, but you should be fine."
The door burst open with such force the whole room shook slightly. Framed in the entryway was Hotohori, concern radiating from every feature. Rushing toward the bed, he gently stroked Nozomi's hair, asking in a soothing voice if she was alright. Still smiling weakly, she assured him that she was fine, just a little tired. "I was so worried. Anything could have happened to you out there. You could have hurt yourself even more, and…wait, where are your crutches?" A worried expression settled even more firmly on his handsome features, alarm radiating out of his golden eyes.
Shamefacedly, Nozomi tried to tell the truth, without actually telling him what happened in the alleyway. "I got to a part of the marketplace that was so crowded; they accidentally got knocked out of my hands. They could be anywhere in the city right now. I tried to come back to the palace, but with all those people around, I couldn't bring out my wings, and I couldn't hop very well, I soon got pretty weak and tired. That's when Nuriko came along and carried me here."
As Hotohori looked at Nuriko with thankfulness written in every line of his beautiful face, he tried not to look too surprised by this version of events, but instead, pleased with how everything turned out.
'Why didn't Nozomi milk this for all it's worth? If she had told the complete truth, she would have been a right little hero, but instead, she made it seem like I'm the hero.'
Nuriko was too puzzled over this to even be jealous that Hotohori was once again hovering over Nozomi like she was his primary concern. When Hotohori stepped outside to order one of the guards to send for the palace doctor, Nuriko took advantage of the opportunity to satisfy his curiosity.
"Why didn't you tell him the truth?"
"Well, you weren't exactly thrilled with the idea of everyone knowing that you were hit from behind by a bunch of punk slave traders, were you? I was going to promise you that I wouldn't tell anyone, but I didn't get the chance, so I promise you now, I won't tell anyone about it."
This was not what Nuriko wanted to hear, because even though he was still jealous of her, this statement forced him to admit that at least one characteristic about her demanded respect. Not that he was going to admit it, but some of the walls of antagonism that he had built up against her melted away.
Hotohori reentered, immediately returning to his previous position next to Nozomi's head. Not wanting to see the two play lovers anymore, for even with his newly found respect for the girl, he was still insanely jealous, Nuriko excused himself to return to his rooms. Once they were alone, Hotohori asked the question he had been dying to ask ever since he heard that it was Nuriko who had brought Nozomi in after her collapse.
"Nozomi, do you think Nuriko's opinion of you has changed at all?"
"Well, no punches were thrown, if that's what you're asking." Nozomi responded with a small smile. "But no, I don't think her opinion of me has improved any. We didn't really spend much time together out there anyway."
"I could always order her to-"
"Oh no, Hotohori. If Nuriko is going to agree to protect me as a warrior of Suzaku, she has to do it of her own volition. I won't have her forced into anything. But thank you for the offer, I'll take it in the spirit it was meant." The door opened yet again, only this time much more gently, as it was the doctor coming in to look at the patient.
Once there, the doctor made quick work of his examination. Even so, by the time he had finished, Nozomi had drifted off to sleep again. It didn't take him long to say that the young priestess had aggravated the break in her leg somehow. Hotohori asked if hopping from place to place was what caused it, but the doctor shook his head.
"No, your majesty, she would have to do something far worse to it to cause this much damage. She would have had to hop on her broken leg to cause this. What did she say happened in the city again?"
"She wandered through the crowds; they got so thick she lost her grip on her crutches, and hopped for a little ways before Nuriko carried her back to the palace."
"My professional opinion, sir, she's not telling you something. There is no possibility that wandering through the city could cause her present discomfort."
Once again, Hotohori looked at the unconscious Miko. 'She's not telling me something? But why not? Doesn't she trust me? Or does she not want me to worry? Now I'm just more worried than ever. Oh Nozomi, what really happened to you out there?' A million and one questions were racing through his head. Gently he grasped her hand, much like she had taken hold of his that night in the garden.
"You said I could talk to you about anything I needed to, Nozomi. I returned the offer. So why won't you talk to me now? I care about you far more than I have admitted to, I would do anything to protect you, and I am destined to protect you. If anything or anyone is plaguing you, I want to know." Thinking he was talking to an unconscious person, his surprise was great when Nozomi's sweet voice answered him.
"I promise you, Hotohori, no one is plaguing me. It's true that I left some details out before, but that is because I promised someone I wouldn't tell. I'm sorry if you're worried about me, I certainly never wanted to cause you any more anxiety. Forgive me?"
Looking into her beautiful face, Hotohori did forgive her. She caused him more pain than he would admit, but he forgave her completely. "You won't tell me what happened?" he asked a little sadly.
Reaching up to cup his face in her hand, Nozomi tried to console him. "No, I'm afraid not, I can't go back on my promise. But, if you'll let me go out into the gardens once in a while, I will promise you not to go into the city without an escort again."
"And not at all while you're injured?" Hotohori added. Smiling, Nozomi agreed.
"You have my word, and I never go back on my word." Reassured, Hotohori leaned in to Nozomi's touch.
"I was worried about you. More worried than I have ever been before. There is one thing I would like to tell you…" But whatever he wanted to tell Nozomi, we shall never know, as Tamahome chose that minute to burst into the room, Nozomi's crutches in hand, looking for the bed-ridden Miko.
"There you are! I was worried sick! I get this feeling like you need help, I follow my instincts to this alley, and what do I see but a bunch of ticked off slave traders and your crutches on the ground!" Suddenly Nozomi seemed to find her bedspread intensely interesting. Trying hard, and completely failing, to look innocent, she replied,
"Um…I'm sorry?" Tamahome looked ready to explode at her, but before he could get out half of the indignant things he wanted to say, Hotohori interrupted.
"Tamahome, Nozomi needs her rest, why don't you and I talk outside? Leave her crutches at the door." Outwardly he was calm, but inside he had an indefinable sense of dread and fear, residing deep inside his gut. Once out of earshot from any prying eyes and ears, Hotohori resumed their conversation. "Did you talk to the slave traders?"
"Yeah. They were ticked because they'd captured an impeccably dressed woman, and were just deciding who got to rape her first, when a strange lady with an injured leg and crutches came along, and refused to let them touch the other woman. They fought, and the slave traders were about to win when both women disappeared. That's what they were so upset about."
Thinking for a moment, Hotohori asked, "Tamahome, was Nuriko with you at the time?"
"No, she wasn't. She'd slipped away about an hour before. Sounds like them, doesn't it?"
"Yes, it does. And the doctor did say that he thought Nozomi was hiding something, as her account of events did not explain the increased injury to her leg. I think fighting off slave traders explains it quite well."
"Why didn't she tell you what happened?"
"She said she'd promised someone she wouldn't." They pondered that for a moment.
"Nuriko." They said at the same time. "It has to be." Tamahome added. "Should we go talk to her about it?"
"No," Hotohori said upon reflection, "that might hurt whatever progress Nozomi has made in Nuriko's esteem. If we confront her on it, she might think Nozomi told us."
"Okay, you got it, not a word. But I'd like to go see Nozomi now, see for myself that she's alright." And with that, Tamahome sprinted off in the direction of Nozomi's room. Hotohori hated to see him go to be alone with the priestess, while he had to go off to imperial duties, but it was the way of life.