It's a new story, starring number one enemies Nuriko and Ashitare! Really, it will be interesting to see them together in a different light, you know. Not as enemies…
It refers to the other two fanfiction I had. It kind of explains why in the later life, Ashitare is not Nuriko's enemy. And it elaborates on the life they had in heaven before the choosing of the Seishi.
Disclaimer: I don't own them…sob…all characters belong to Watase-sensei…
Stay strong, Miaka…
Nuriko woke up in a place full of fluffy clouds. He looked around. The deserted paths were paved with gold. The sky is a bright blue. There is no one around. He sat on the cool ground, looking at the place in awe. "Wow, this place looks even more glamorous than the palace itself…either way, it is better than that mountain…"
That mountain…
Something was nagging at him at the back of his mind.
Mountain…
"Hey, wait a minute!" he exclaimed, a delicate finger on his chin in realization, "I am supposed to be dead!"
"Yeah, and you are supposed to STAY dead," a low menacing growl was heard behind him. His beautiful hair was tugged at harshly. "I fought so hard to eliminate you and now you are up and alive again, huh? No wonder Nakago killed me…"
Nuriko twirled around to come face to face with the owner of the voice – specifically, Ashitare, his enemy. "I remember myself killing you, wolf man. However, it doesn't matter – I get to kill you again," he said, grabbing Ashitare's neck and pushing him to the ground with his strength. "It is always a bonus."
"Like hell you would! Do you know how humiliating it is to be beaten by a girly boy?" Ashitare growled, prying Nuriko's hands off him and thus letting go of his enemy's hair. He rolled away and clutched his neck, trying to breathe.
"So, if I am a girly boy, then what are you? You are not much of a manly man, in my opinion. You are not even a real human!" Nuriko retorted, crossing his arms. After glaring at Ashitare for a few tense moments, he sighed in defeat. "Hey, let's just announce a truce, okay? After all, you are not Miaka's enemy now. I trust that you have no reason to fight me either, right? Your lovely shogun isn't here now."
Ashitare scowled. Nuriko sighed and assumed that he agreed to the truce. After all, silence is consent…
"Now, where are we? We are somewhere in the clouds…"
"We are supposed to be dead, girly boy!"
"Oh, yeah…"
-
Back in the Universe of the four gods, Miaka cried about the loss of the shinzaho…
-
Suzaku stormed out of his place. "Ooh, the nerve of Seiryu! He will pay for this!" He stopped grumbling when he saw the two people in the distance. "So, the Seishi had resorted to killing now, huh? Well, it is just a matter of time before all of them will be gathered here and reincarnated… I see no disadvantage to it. We need help now…"
With that, he made his way to them, flying. He took his time in doing so. They will need to have some time to themselves.
-
Nuriko squinted at the figure in front. "I see a man with wings."
"Those are definitely phoenix wings," Ashitare growled offhandedly. He felt strangely at peace with the beautiful boy now. He did not feel that boiling anger that led him to kill the younger person earlier. "Why?" he muttered, looking away. That boy had burnt him, killed him…indirectly inflicted damage on him…
Nuriko turned to him, eyes narrowing. "Wolf-man, why what?"
Ashitare sat on the ground, looking at his hands. "Nothing."
"Come to think of it, you seemed to have died earlier than I. I did not see you when I awoke," Nuriko mused, a hand to his hips. "Anyway, I am going to greet that person. He is definitely heading towards us. Hopefully, we know where we are."
All Nuriko got from him was a grunt. Frowning at the wolf, he stumbled along the golden path. He wished that he was wearing his manly clothes. Ribbons and skirts restrain movement.
Ashitare died before me. Where was he when I awoke? I am sure there is no one around…then, pop! Ashitare appeared out of nowhere. Weird…and why was I asleep in the first place? There is something strange about this place…even the palace is not paved in gold…
"Suzaku Shinchiseishi Nuriko, I would have thought you would have at least a little respect when passing by your creator. That wolf is exempt, but you are not. I am pleased that you know your way around. Now what I need to do is to trigger Ashitare's memories…"
-
Nuriko looked at him blankly. "Who are you?"
Suzaku sighed. She did not remember after all. "I am…never mind. I shall bring both of you back to my palace. I'll regret bringing along that Seiryu servant, but I wish him to know about what happened in heaven. Seiryu owes me one."
Suzaku grabbed Nuriko and flew at lightning speed to Ashitare. Time is something I lack. Waiting for them to remember would take hundreds of years.
-
Ashitare had not stopped growling at the stranger ever since he snatched them off the ground. Nuriko did not like the ride in the air either. Even riding up to Taitsukun's mountain is traumatic. Nuriko knew that the stranger is Suzaku. Phoenix, wings, Seiryu, a palace high up in the sky…this must be heaven.
Suzaku deposited them on the ground, as they flew into a heavily decorated room. He plucked two feathers from his wings and dissolved them into two goblets of wine. He gave them to Nuriko and Ashitare. "Drink this. No, Ashitare, it's not poison," he commented, looking at Ashitare's distrustful glare.
Nuriko sipped at his wine as he saw Suzaku try to coax Ashitare into drinking the drink. Eventually, Suzaku apparently gave up. "SEIRYU! COME OUT OF THAT WATERY PALACE OF YOURS AND TAKE CARE OF YOUR WOLF!"
A large dragon poked his head in through a random window. "Can you keep it down? I want to sleep, bird brain! One more incident like this and I will flood your palace!"
Suzaku smirked. "You will have to admit that you are careless, lizard. How can you not notice when one of your people died?"
Seiryu yawned. "You are one to speak! Your Taitsukun is still a mess! How can you still stand her ugliness? She looks older than you are! My sub-ordinate came when I was asleep and that was excusable. Your Taitsukun have been beside you for years and still you've always overlooked her appearance!"
Suzaku sighed. "Don't remind me. Now, tell that wolf to drink that!"
"Why should he?"
"He would remember his life in here then!"
"It is surely poisoned."
"It is made using my feather."
"Oh my! Ashitare, keep away from that solution! His feathers are full of bird germs! All lung illnesses originated from the birds!"
Nuriko and Ashitare looked at their masters. Nuriko handed Ashitare the flask of wine. "Actually, we are not unlike them, you know."
Ashitare grinned for the first time in his life. "Cheers, girly boy."
-
"Hey, birdie, your potion seems to have no effect," the dragon quipped after fifteen minutes. He slid through the window and turned into his human form. "Children, this is Seiryu. And that loud-mouth there is Roasted Chicken. Pay no heed to him."
Suzaku sighed. "No, it will work during the night. We will meet again tomorrow, Children."
Little birds showed Nuriko the way to his room. Seiryu took Ashitare down to the sea. Apparently, he did not distrust Suzaku to keep him safe for one night.
Nuriko pulled the covers up to his chin.
"Nuriko."
"Suzaku-sama?"
"Promise me not to look at yourself until tomorrow morning. Can you?"
"Why not?"
Suzaku thought for a while. "Miaka would die if you do so."
"Hai, I promise, Suzaku-sama."
-
Morning dawned in heaven. Its silence was shattered by two screams, one from the highest tower of the highest palace high up in the air and one from the lowest basement of the lowest palace right under the sea.
-
-
I haven't been around here for quite sometime, have I? I doubt anyone would remember me now…Boo Hoo…
Anyway, it is too late to say Merry Christmas already…but…
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
I will update the other two when a really amazing idea strikes me on the head. And it will be soon, I hope.
Ja ne.