Fushigi Yuugi: Death's Enchantment
Episode One
"Faceless Evil"
Misty Schmitt
15 February 2001

"Shi no Miko! You must remember!"

She woke, screaming, the sweat pouring down her frozen body. Tentatively, her wide blue eyes searched the room. Everything is fine. I don't have to go back there! She sat up in her bed and smoothed her vividly red hair.

"Where do I not have to go back? What was all that about? Was it a dream?" she wondered. "It had to be!" she answered aloud with a nervous giggle. "But I can't remember any of it now."

"Aino! You're going to be late! Get up, you lazy…."

"Alright, mom… I'm up!"

"So you're saying we need to find another priestess? There are only four Gods, Taiitsukun! Where does a fifth priestess fit in?"

Hotohori's eyes danced with nervous excitement.

"She is the Shi no Miko, literally, death's priestess. Do not be worried - in the same token, she is also the Sei no Miko – the priestess of life. You, the Suzaku seven, must discover her before it is too late.. I fear I am becoming too old to protect this
world from what is coming. I have grown weak."

"Taiitsukun! Hotohori! Hi guys!" came a sweetly familiar voice from behind them…

"Mi…" was all Hotohori could say before he found himself encircled by the arms of the cheerful green-eyed girl.

"How have you been? It's been so long! I've missed you all so much!" gushed the Suzaku no Miko happily.. and then…"I thought you were dead!" very seriously.

"Eh.. I was… I mean I am… well, right now, I am inhabiting the body of a Nyan Nyan until I can find a way to be reborn, but something is holding me back… the natural order.."

"Hotohori-sama! Hey…." said a smiling Tamahome "Aghhhh! Miaka, save me! It's the sand witch again!"

"Calm down, Tamahome.. Its just Taiitsukun!" Miaka remarked.

"Oh… Taiitsukun.. you should do something about that face of yours.. it's bad for my heart!"

Taiitsukun said nothing; she looked down sadly at Tamahome and Miaka.

Noticing the rather uncharacteristic reaction of Taiitsukun, Tamahome asked, "Hey, what's wrong? Aren't you supposed to yell at me or hit me.. or at least look at me angrily? C'mon… where's the fun in this?"

"I am not in a joking mood, Tamahome! These are serious times! Aren't you even wondering why you were brought back here?"

"Now that you mention it, yeah.. and why is Hotohori here?"

"Well, that part is simple. I am here only because Taiitsukun wills it. I have possessed the body of a Nyan Nyan. This spell is very hard for Taiitsukun – it requires her full attention. Especially since she has to keep up with four of us…"

"FOUR! You mean…" cried Miaka, but she was cut short.

"That's right, the gang's all here!"

Miaka turned and saw… "Nuriko! Chiriko! Mitsukake!"

Tears filled her eyes as she leapt for her friends. "Nuriko! You were always there for us, weren't you? Oh, I missed you!"

"Hey, what's with the tears? Miaka, I told you I could never leave you and Tama there alone, and I meant it!"

"Yeah! Somebody had to make sure you two would be alright in that other world!" Chiriko added.

"While this is all very nice, we do have a crisis on our hands." Taiitsukun interjected.

"Oh yeah… what was Hotohori saying about the natural order?" Miaka wondered.

"There is a great evil force approaching, one which has already eaten away at the edges of this world. The outer territories have become mixed up in fierce battles."

"Civil war?" asked Tamahome.

"Hardly. The clans involved couldn't tell you why they were fighting – they are all possessed by some demonic being. They do not know the why of their battles, they only know the taste for blood they have."

"You're…… right…..Taiitsukun. I tried… but… !"

At the sound of the voice, everyone turned and saw what appeared to be Tasuki, covered with blood and gasping for air.

"TASUKI!" Miaka screamed.

"They're…… animals." The redheaded member of the Suzaku seven heaved, and collapsed.

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It's beautiful. They know I'm coming. They know. Soon they will understand what it means to hate. Soon they will know me!
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"Hey, Aino-chan! What's with the dreamy face, aren't you paying attention? In case you have forgotten, this is Chemistry. You should pay attention… unless, of course, you've found some magical understand of that which has always eluded you…"

"Ok, ok, Hisaki-chan! I get it, I get it.. you don't have to be a smartass, you know?" Aino replied.

But I have to know… why do I keep thinking I need to be somewhere? Why do those words "Shi no Miko" keep popping up in my head?

"Ok, Hisaki-chan, let's grab some lunch after class.. I just have to tell you about what the guy in our Calculus class said to me!"

"Who?"

"You know, that transfer. What's his name?"

"Err… isn't it… uh.. Tama something. Sounds like a cat name, though! Isn't that funny!"

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"So you're saying that the power of Suzaku cannot save us, Hotohori?" Mitsukake asked his emperor.

"No, sadly, the priestess of Suzaku cannot help us. We have to find a new priestess – a priestess of death and life. It's all very confusing. Is Tasuki alright?"

"You know Tasuki!" Mitsukake laughed "That guy can't die – he's too damn stubborn. He's in there yelling right now about how we mistreat him so badly."

Hotohori laughed. "I'm glad he's ok." "Now about this new priestess…"

"I know her." Tamahome suddenly said.

"Tamahome!" the emperor asked, rather shocked.

"I wasn't sure until I just heard you two talking. There's a girl that goes to college with me in Miaka's world.. college is fascinating… party after party.. lots of beer.. Keisuke sees to that! I don't understand why we have to go to class, outside of getting over a hangover and maybe getting in some sleep, that is… Oh, and wow, driving a car is really something. Hotohori you have to try it!….. And man, the food is great. And….."

Noticing that everyone was looking at him strangely, Tamahome weakly asked "What? What!"

"Tamahome…. The girl?" Nuriko sighed.

"Oh, yeah.. Like I said, I have a few classes with her. When I see her, I get this strange feeling, like she…."

"Has an eerie hold on you when you look into her eyes? Like you can't move when she speaks to you? Are you cold when she is angry or uncomfortable?" asked Taiitsukun eagerly, crowding Tamahome closer and closer with every question until his face was completely submerged in her old breast.

"Taiitsukun?"
"Yes?"
"I can't breathe…. Could you, er, move back a little?"

"Oh… I got a little carried away! But is that how it is with her?"

"Well, yeah, sorta, but that's not what tipped me off!"

"What was it, Tamahome?" Miaka asked him.

"Well, I saw her one afternoon. She was walking alone and she looked very sad. I figured this was strange, since in school, she has tons of friends. She's always the center of attention, but then, on the street, she looked like the most lonely creature on the planet. I walked over to her, but she never even noticed me. Then, she screamed and fell so suddenly, well, I was pretty shocked. I asked her if she was alright, but she looked straight through me. In a flash, she was surrounded by a bright purple light. When the light had vanished, she opened her eyes. She didn't seem to remember any of it, so I didn't press her… but I have been watching her."

As Tamahome recounted his adventure with the supposed Shi no Miko, Miaka looked at him with a rather hurt expression.

Why didn't he tell me any of this? Is this all he did, or was there something else? Now that Tamahome's in my world, could he be losing interest in me? Miaka's thoughts wandered far away from the crisis now facing them…

"Konan to Miaka… Miaka will you please respond?"

"er.. Nuriko…. Yeah, I guess we have to find her then, huh?"

"Miaka, what's wrong?"

"N-nothing, Nuriko, why?"

"You looked…. Never mind." Nuriko sighed.

"I'm sorry," Taiitsukun interrupted, "We cannot go look for her. She has to come to us."

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"….. So I asked him why he was always staring at me like any minute I would attack him, and do you know what he said?"

"No… but I am absolutely riveted in my seat!"

"Smartass! Anyway, he said that he thought I belonged in a book, that I would be a perfect villain in some ancient Chinese sutra. Weird as hell, you know? I asked him what he meant and he said never mind, and then walked away toward what I could only guess at was his little sister."

"Jerk! He probably had to baby-sit and he was pissed off 'cause he couldn't go drinking tonight!" Hisaki exclaimed.

"Yeah, probably…" but I think he saw me… at a weak point…when he shouldn't have… I can't remember, though!

"Oh great…"

"What, Hisaki chan?

"Check out who's walking over here…"

"Oh no, its him…. And his sister!"

"Watch out, he's coming this way!"

"Hello, Aenaisaigo-chan. How are you today?"

"Oh, I was great until you walked over. What do you want, to stare at me some more? Are you some sort of pervert, or something? If you haven't caught on, girls don't exactly go for that sort of thing, in fact, it pisses most of us off!" Aino told Tamahome matter of factly, "And anyway, I don't even know your name!"

"Oh… sorry, it's Tamahome. About before, I didn't mean to stare, you just struck me as… odd."

"Oh geez, what's that supposed to mean? You calling my friend a weirdo!" Hisaki jumped up in Tama's face and proceeded to grab his shirt threateningly.

"Oh, Hisaki-chan!" Aino smiled at her best friend, "I don't need protection! Its alright, besides, we shouldn't promote violence in front of children" Aino said, waving in the direction of an up till now silent Miaka.

"Child? Are you calling me a child? Why you…! You might be the Shi no Miko, but I'm not afraid of you…. Oops!"

"Miaka… baka. She doesn't know that… leave it to you to screw things up, you little hothead!"

"What are they talking about, Aino-chan? I don't know what you guys are saying here, but I don't like it. You should leave before I get really mad!….." the rather violent, loudmouthed Hisaki exclaimed.

As Hisaki was threatening the newcomers, Aino looked down, her face an expression of bewilderment. "Shi no Miko….. Shi no Miko…… Why is that phrase haunting me?"

"Hi, guys!"

Aino looked up to see a young girl in a green jacket with short blond hair running toward Tamahome and his sister.

"Yui-chan!"

"Miaka, what's up?"

Aino looked up at the blond girl sharply. Suddenly, she knew all about her… she knew, somehow, she knew.

"You're….. you were…. The Seiryu no Miko, weren't you? I can't tell you how I know that.. but I do…. Hongo Yui… you let it into you… you accepted it… the evil."

With those words, Yui became cold as ice. Her eyes filled with hate and tears…

"Who are you to talk like that to me! WHY! Why did you bring it up… how in the hell do you even know! I…I am trying to put it behind me…. How can you speak of it so casually!"

"Yui-chan.." Miaka started toward her friend.

"Its okay, Hongo-san… but you can never leave that behind you. It is a part of you now. Everyone succumbs to it eventually… not everyone comes back from it, though... I didn't."

Yui looked up in wonder at this red headed girl. She speaks as if she knows me, but… I don't remember her! The tears slowly came to a stop, and she collapsed in Miaka's arms.

"Ehhh.. Aino-chan…. Earth to Aino-Chan…. Aino-chan, can you hear me?"

Aino was suddenly jerked from what she thought was a dream..

"Oh, Hisaki-chan, I'm sorry, I just zoned out for a second. Now who's this other girl? Why's she so upset? Have you been crying?"

"What do you mean 'who is this other girl and why's she so upset'? You were just talking to her.. about some really weird things, Aino-chan, like you knew her from somewhere. You're the one who made her cry!"

"Hisaki, don't be so silly. How would I know her? She's wearing Yotsubadai's uniform… you and I both went to Jonan!"

"Ok… Aenaisaigo. I came here to ask you a question, but it appears to already be answered… Thank you…. I guess I'll be seeing you around." Tamahome replied, and the three turned to leave…

"No, wait! What question? What did you want to know….!"

Aino ran after them and suddenly she was engulfed in a bright purple light.. She turned to face her friend.

"Hisaki-chan. What's!" That was all she could say before she vanished.

"Aino-chan… AINO!"

Tamahome turned to the hysterical girl and said, "Don't worry. We'll take care of your friend." And the threesome disappeared in a blaze of red.

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So. It appears they have found her. Good. Half of my work has been done, then. Now they will know her. She is not who they think she will be. Her evil will be reawakened. I have only to summon her and she will come. She will come.
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Aino woke from a strange dream, but kept her eyes closed as she pondered it. I dreamt that I was talking to that pervert and his sister.. but there was another girl, wasn't there? And I knew the dark things of her soul… How? And then, wow… I disappeared in that light… Hisaki-chan looked so surprised… She looked pretty funny, now that I think about it! Aino giggled at the thought of her friend's face looking so shocked.

"Nice to see you're in a good mood, Aino-sama."

Aino-SAMA?

Aino's eyes snapped open. She gazed up at the most beautiful creature she had ever seen. Long flowing green hair, sparkling green eyes…

"Yes, I know. I am very beautiful aren't I? It's ok for you to stare, everyone does so at first."

Oh great... What an arrogant… man? Woman?

"Wh- Who are you?" Aino asked tentatively.

"My name is Saihetei, although I am more frequently known as Hotohori of the Suzaku seven. I would like to welcome you to my Konan empire!"

"Great, another weird ass dream. What's with me these days?"

"This is hardly a dream, Aino-sama!"

I know that voice. Aino looked to where the voice had come.

"Tamahome? And those girls…. What…..? Isn't this a dream?"

"No this isn't."

"I don't believe you!"

"Believe it!" cried Miaka.

"Wow, you've got a loud mouth for a dream character… "

"It's not a dream!"

"It is too!"

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

"NOT!"

"TOO!"

"NOT!"

"TOO!"

"NOT!"

"It is, too, and I'll prove it to you!" With that, the enraged priestess of Suzaku bashed a bewildered Aino in the head…

CRUNCH!

Direct contact with the elbow.

Immediately, warm tears filled Aino's eyes.

"Not…. A….. dream…." She managed to say, eyes wide open… and then, collapsed..

"MIAKA! You knocked the Shi no Miko out cold!"

"Eh… sorry, Hotohori…"

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Something somewhere laughed. How amusing. They won't be treating her so lightly when they realize exactly what terror they have uncovered in finding her.