It's good to be back! I hope everyone is having a good day.
With that, please enjoy!
-Reverberations and Consequences-
"Chiriko, do you ever get tired of those meetings they drag you into? You could always refuse, you know," Nuriko drawls, fiddling with the braid draped over her shoulder. She's already dressing in men's clothes, which went over quietly. To be fair, it wasn't the biggest news ever considering all that's happened.
"Oh, I don't mind. I learn as much from them as they learn from me, it's an excellent experience. I only hope Her Eminence returns soon. His Imperial Majesty is putting up a brave face, but the ministers are beginning to lose faith in ever summoning Suzaku," he replies, placing his face between both hands as he leans on the bannister that overlooks the gardens. It's a rare clear day for the season, but the general mood of the empire doesn't make it special.
"Forget them, it's our resident monk I'm afraid for. Here I thought all that teasing was on Tia's end, but damn. You know, once I saw him fall asleep while meditating with birds in his hair!"
Chiriko hums, nodding thoughtfully. "I saw him run into a closed door. We have many apologies to make to Her Eminence when she returns."
Nuriko pouts and stares off somewhere else. Chiriko sighs. All is silent except for the occasional chirp.
A bright red fills the air around them, heating the atmosphere. The two Suzaku warriors gaze around, startled, but with their hopes rising. If the red light is here, then…!
Her figure begins to form to their left, solidifying more as the light fades.
"Tia!"
"Your Eminence!"
They rub the spots from their eyes as Tia blinks drowsily. A lazy smile spreads across her face, and she takes a step forward. The warriors pause their welcoming leap forward when, after that first step, her mouth opens but her face screws up.
"Ah… uh… pfff- CHWAAAH!"
Her hair flails around her as her sneeze forces her head down. Chiriko notes that he's never heard one so loud, while Nuriko is plain disgusted.
"You're gone for so long and that's your opener? Ugh," she jabs, watching with a grimace as the Priestess digs in the giant bag for something while pointedly hiding her face.
"Sh-shush, I wasn't gone that long. Man, screw this I'll just change shirts." She gives up, pulling up the collar of her shirt and wiping it on the inside, blowing her nose generously at the same time.
Now both warriors are united in their disgust.
"Heehee, your faces are great," Tia snorts.
A presence appears behind her.
"You're back, no da!"
The hilarity of the situation is wiped off the face of the planet. Tia rockets around, arms jolting up... "AH! Whoa, geez!"
"Ah, sorry, I just felt you and had to see for myself, no da," he apologizes, laughing a bit. Just the same as she left him a few hours ago, although…
"Wow, it's been a few hours, and you missed me that much?" she asks, hoping desperately that he doesn't notice the collar of her shirt sticking grossly to her collarbone. Chichiri tilts his head in confusion. Nuriko and Chiriko step up next to them, Nuriko leaning on her shoulder.
"'A few hours'? Try a few months, Tia," she corrects, to which Tia responds with a strangled "oh."
"But, you're back now! We're glad you've returned, Your Eminence."
She attempts a smile, best she can, unable to meet any of their eyes. The shame is too heavy. Nuriko bumps her, with a mumbled comfort. "None of that, you didn't know."
"She's right, no da. You need to go see Hotohori-sama as soon as possible though. A lot has happened in your absence no da."
Tia breaks from Nuriko's hold, looking around. "Everything isn't razed to the ground, so I'm taking that as a good sign at least. I need to change my shirt quick though, heheh," she says, resettling the grip on her bag. Chichiri opens his mouth to question why, only to be interrupted by Chiriko and Nuriko pushing her away with hearty agreement. He watches them go, smiling in relief when Tia's laughter floats back.
… … …
Hotohori half listens to the report being read to him. Most are generally the same. If only Tia were here… If only there was a way to contact her in the other world, to apologize, to plead with her to return. If she did return, he could fix everything, and everything could be fixed!
"Your Imperial Majesty, ministers of the court, it's... !" All attention is drawn to a side entrance of the room, where the imperial messenger just popped in to interrupt the meeting. So sudden, and they can only hope it's for a good reason. "Ah, The Priestess of Suzaku has returned and requests an audience!" The messenger's rare verbal excitement bleeds through, and no one has any desire to chastise him for misspeaking. It's excellent news! The ministers whisper and sit back in their chairs. Prime Minister Ko catches his emperor's eye after the order goes out to let her enter.
"It seems hope for all of us has returned. Suzaku willing, there are only three warriors left, and she has shown to be proficient," he says, remaining casual. Hotohori nods, a weight visibly off his shoulders.
"With her power, we have a chance at salvation. If we had only foreseen this, perhaps we could have practiced some restraint those months ago," he replies, lacing his fingers before him on the table. In the time that's passed, different questions have posed themselves to him. Questions he thought were answered for good, and questions he now hopes can be resolved by Tia's return.
A host of delighted gasps ensue when she enters the room. It's definitely Tia, the Priestess of Suzaku, dressed in strange clothes from her world and flanked by the other three celestial warriors. She gazes around at all their faces, eyebrows rising. She'd been expecting disdain.
When they reach Hotohori's chair, she salutes with a crooked smile and a wink. "I have returned. Apologies for leaving and being a dramatic schmuck about it. I'm all better now. I hear I've been missed?" She then properly bows, lowering her voice. "Good to see you're holding it together, Hori-sama."
At last he fully smiles, although he knows that there are many troubling details to get through. "You are indeed a sight for sore eyes, to be blunt. Tia, as the emperor, we must ask you to return to your duties as Priestess of Suzaku as soon as you are able. Our normal state of affairs with Kutou has further diminished, and we worry that full-scale war is on the horizon. Villages have already been razed as a warning, and there are reports of spies infiltrating Konan," he explains. Any former jubilation at her return saps away. Tia nods, but doesn't show her anxiety for now.
"Got it. I have no objections to that."
"Tia, there is one more rumor floating around," he continues, stopping her before she can leave. "Whispers of another young woman from another world appearing, but in Kutou. If she is found, we fear it would mean total annihilation for us should she summon Seiryu as their Priestess."
Her blood feels like it rushes to her feet, the way they're rooted to the floor, and the way she's suddenly light-headed. She blinks hard, and shakes her head.
"What? No. No! This is a nightmare…" she rubs her temples, but a familiar comfort graces her shoulder. It feels like she can move again. "Sorry," she recovers, "this is no time for secrecy, then. Announce my arrival." Murmurs erupt across the room. She stands up taller, taking a deep breath. "Do it."
Hotohori nods in understanding and stands alongside her.
"All must bear witness! The Priestess of Suzaku has come forth to save our land!"
The call goes out, reverberating as if a bell was struck at last after sitting silent for too long. Messengers race the halls as its knells. To the city. To the hills outside the city. To the countryside. The peals are all the same: The Priestess of Suzaku is here, and she will save Konan from despair!
A man relaxing on a pier at a small river briefly checks his fishing line before lying back again. The leaves rustle every now and then, but otherwise the pleasant day around him remains still. He inhales to the point of pain in his lungs before releasing again.
"Now this is the life. This country is much warmer in winter, even if it's rainy season. Glad I took this job," he thinks, scooting his legs up to cross one over the other.
The serenity of his moment is broken by running, though of course this man felt them coming for a while now. He'll let them think they're bothering him though. Guilt-tripping is his specialty.
"Master Yukino, a missive from the capital! His Excellency… The General has another high-paying assignment!"
A beleaguered sigh escapes his lips as the poor messenger halts. He tilts his head back to stare at the soldier upside down. "Just a kid," he thinks, "only good at running."
"It's Asuke, Asuke, you know. 'Yukino' is such a girl's name. I hope this next isn't as boring as this last," he corrects, twisting over to lie on his stomach. The young man's eyes shift, but he holds out the scroll with a signature blue seal in it.
"R-right, sir. I know not its contents, but His Excellency desired me to inform you that Konan has formally announced that the Priestess of Suzaku has been found."
"Oooh." He jumps to his feet with little effort, scaring the youth. "Lemme see, then." He snatches up the scroll and tears it open with no delicacy, poring it over with increasing excitement.
When finished, he mashes it to his face and inhales deeply.
"Aaah~ Yeah, he's still using that fragrance I got him. Your general is secretly a kind man, young whelp. So, shall we rejoin him in the capital, then?"
The man ignores his fishing line, whistling the basic tune of a popular love song from Kutou as he strolls past the soldier. The young man follows, steps timid.
"I knew he wouldn't want to walk through here, he really is green," Yukino—no, Asuke— thinks, his content smile turning impish. The ruins of the village they're walking through would be difficult for any newbie to see. All of them, lying there staring lifelessly at the sun. The villagers used to be standing, but air runs out. At least he lets them cry. Evidence of that mercy can be seen in the clean tracks on their faces. Being out in this humid warmth, this random sunny day, the bodies are beginning to bloat and smell.
"Right about now, our poor young messenger boy is wondering how this all could be one by one man. Ah, but if you only knew the wondrous feats your general is capable of!"
Tia is back in her room, kept pristine in case of her return. It feels better now that she's got her stuff with her, and while she got used to Konan robes and dresses, it'll be better all-around to be wearing her own clothes. She doesn't need to blend in with the crowds anymore, with her presentation being done.
She sits on the floor, back against the bed, surrounded by methodical piles. She stretches her legs in front of her, losing focus for a bit because she's still getting used to the idea of being able to wear jeans in Konan. "Some might say it's sacrilegious. Don't care tho, I'm not here for the historical accuracy of the thing," she thinks, chest still heavy after hearing the aftereffects of leaving. She needs to go looking for her friends to apologize, but that's a nerve-wracking venture that she's not quite ready for.
A knock sounds at the door. She grants permission to enter, and her eyes widen when she sees Chichiri. The back of her neck heats up, moving slowly up to her ears, but she beats back the feeling. If her heart could remove itself from her throat, she'd be ever so grateful.
"I thought you might want some company no da. I know that what you heard earlier affected you badly, no da," he says, and she cringes even though there was no hint of an "I told you so" or any pity. She also definitely has to remind herself that this is a casual visit between good friends, or between a concerned celestial warrior being dutiful to his priestess. Yes.
She shoves a pile of vaguely organized stuff out of the way so he can sit next to her, which he does, while peering curiously at said stuff. He doesn't touch any of it out of respect, but she notices his interest and reaches over.
"These," she says, picking up two thick stacks of cards held together by rubber bands, "are decks of Uno cards. I figured it might be a good way to have fun that's easy to play. Even on the road."
She hands them off, and while he doesn't unbind them, he traces the number three facing out on one deck. Knowing that she doesn't want to talk about the tension of war that she brought about yet, he allows her to explain many of her trinkets. Some are even gifts for them all! A peculiar colorful cube puzzle for Chiriko, a bag of writing instruments and a journal for Hotohori ("ink brushes will feel like a travesty once he uses these, trust me"), a necklace with a yellow flower charm dangling on it for Nuriko, and for him?
She holds up a strange-looking metal device that fits in the palm of her hand. A cylinder with pegs dotted on it sits on its side, a tiny crank jutting out, tiny metal prongs jutting to the cylinder.
"It's the inside mechanism of what used to be my favorite music box. The box itself got damaged but we could get this out. Here, listen." She turns the crank with care and delicacy. When it's released, he's amazed. A tune is coming out, the cylinder spinning so the pegs make the tines thrum. The hopeful little song loops, getting slower and slower before moving to a stop.
"You're giving this to me no da?" He can't keep the disbelief from his voice. Such a gift is undeserved. Music boxes are rare and expensive in Konan, in any nation. This is the first he's ever even seen the mechanism for one! Tia takes his hand gently and presses it in, holding her hands on the outside of his. They're warm, just like her smile that, realization dawns on him, he's been wanting to see for so long.
"Sure I am. Both as a thank you, and as an apology. You've been helping me since the beginning of all this, even earlier with just your hand on my shoulder, and all I've done is complain. I'm the Priestess right now, and I'm going to do my best," she explains, withdrawing her hands. He looks between her and the precious music machine. From what she mentioned earlier, she was only home for a few hours, and yet her mind strayed to them enough for this.
"You have nothing to apologize for, but if you feel you have to, then I forgive you for leaving no da. I have a feeling everyone else will be just as forgiving, even without the gifts. You didn't know, Tia," he says, placing her gift to the side.
"I know the time difference couldn't be helped, but I still ran away. Look what happened!" She flings her hands up, voice choking a bit in her frustration.
"Sure, you ran away, but you came right back no da. Isn't that what really counts? I'm your friend and a celestial warrior meant to help and protect you, sometimes not just from attackers no da. I think learning to meditate would help you out a lot, and I should've brought it up to you sooner."
She gives him a look of purest disbelief.
"... So you're really not angry at me?"
He shrugs.
"Nope."
After some silence, she takes a deep, deeeep breath, telling herself that crying will solve nothing. With tears banished, she releases her breath and slaps her knees.
"Meditation. I will either achieve transcendence or fall asleep," she proclaims shifting around to get more comfortable.
"I'd be surprised if you didn't fall asleep no da," he teases, voice light as he settles into his own meditative position. She adjusts to match him while shooting him a pout.
"Rude. I took a nap earlier, thank you, so my brain is perfectly rested."
"Whatever you say, no da. So what you'll want to do is slowly clear your mind of thoughts; a countdown is usually good for beginners no da."
The instruction continues until both are perfectly quiet, although he peeks his eye over to check on her and immediately tilts his head. "She certainly chose an interesting position. Here I thought she was emulating me entirely, but this one is new, no da!" he thinks, wondering where she got the idea to place her two fists together with her forearms and backs of her hands facing out. Once again, she's a little to the left of what he expects. "Being honest," he thinks more, returning to his own calming meditative pose, "I wouldn't have her any other way. Da! Not that I would have her, oh, who am I making excuses to?"
He breathes deeply, hurriedly pushing those thoughts away. Those thoughts are dangerous territory for everyone. He couldn't bear having more of those nightmares…
"Am I in the Spirit World yet?"
Her voice is tiny, childlike, and so very much holding back a laugh. While it does interrupt the purpose of meditation, it does get rid of those pesky former dangerous thoughts.
"'Spirit World'? What are you talking about, no da?"
She practically glows; her glee is insurmountable that he asked. If his eyebrows could rise off his face, they would.
"Like the Avatar, maybe since I'm the Priestess of Suzaku, I can like, separate from my body and be amongst the spirits of the world and ask their advice!"
He thinks over her strange idea, with no clue what she's talking about. Then again, as he studies her face, she knows he doesn't.
"You've got quite the imagination no da. Are you going to continue joking around the entire time?"
"Naw, I just noticed that you weren't vibing, O Magic-Man," she shoots back easily, once again scooting in her place while appearing quite pleased with herself.
"I missed hearing you call me that. Ah, but if we're this distracted I suppose there's no use to continuing, is there no da?"
"What's that quitter's talk? We have to at least see if I manage to fall asleep first."
They both laugh, feeling significantly better than before. Tia breathes an inward sigh of relief, as one worry at the very least is off her shoulders. She still has her greatest friend at her side to face the coming adventure. Whatever calamity will ensue, she knows it'll be easier to tackle now. And… and he missed her.
Later, with her newfound confidence, she goes off on the search for Nuriko. It's late afternoon, and clouds are rolling in from the east with the threat of rain. She can smell it in the air, too, and absent-mindedly pulls on the drawstrings of her hoodie. Her raincoat wasn't among the items brought from home, so she's gotta avoid getting a good soak in the cold rain.
"I don't even know where I'm going anymore. I think I'm lost, because this palace is too big!" she complains, but she keeps walking anyway. A little exploration never hurt, and no one's stopped her yet. Eventually, she comes across an expansive dirt courtyard, across which are a row of buildings that are familiar, even in their Asian form. Men stand around, both in and out of uniform, some talking in groups and shooting the shit and others actually taking shots at each other in drawn out training spaces. Doesn't take long for the in-palace forces to notice that a woman has encroached on their barracks space.
"Oops," she mumbles, scooting back as faces light up in recognition.
"Your Eminence, welcome!"
"Please, let us show you around, Your Eminence!"
"Everyone: Her Eminence, the Priestess of Suzaku is here!"
Not one for disappointing the masses, especially after her disappearing act, she roots herself to her spot as a few plucky soldiers race toward her. They all seem so excited, too. She smiles despite herself, though it is a bit wry.
"Maybe Nuriko is watching from the roof, and laughing," she ponders, waving as the first few make it to her with gleeful bows.
"Your Eminence, first allow us to say that we are ecstatic that you have returned!" One chirps, fingers tapping the hilt of the sword at his hip in excitement.
"Jun, you suck up, obviously she knows we'd be happy she's back. The Priestess of Seiryu, if she's even real, has nothing on Lady Trianna!"
Jun and the replying soldier begin to tussle, though Tia can tell it's all in good fun and laughs along with the rest.
"What brings you here, Lady Trianna? Is there trouble?"
Tia is about to admit she's just lost when an idea pops into her head. If she's going out on a big quest, it would be better to know at least some ways to defend herself…
"Well, I came to ask for a favor before my quest to search for the remaining warriors begins. I don't wish to be a burden on the road should something happen, and I just thought even watching some training would be better than nothing," she fibs, but oh is it honest with a HUGE helping of ladylike pleading.
The soldier named Jun shoots his hand up immediately. "I volunteer! Your Eminence, I am one of the most capable swordsmen in the palace, even His Imperial Majesty gave me an official recognition!"
She opens her mouth to respond, but the men around her all groan and yet again Jun's cheesy grin is interrupted by a tussle from another.
"He won't shut up about that commendation."
"He talks to that sword like it's his own child."
"You might not want to learn from him, Your Eminence; his head might become too inflated for him to be of any use."
All the grumbles are semi-serious, and some are accompanied by laughter and poking at the swordsman in question. He maintains a giant grin while defending himself from the jabs. Tia takes in the light-hearted moment as further encouragement. There are regular people who look up to her now, that rely on her to succeed no matter how she feels. She remembers a point Chichiri made on the matter, way back when they decided not to announce her arrival in the first place: "It's more for the people's anxiety than our own that you be presented no da."
"I guess he was right. Oh well, it's all happened now, no sense in wallowing in regret any longer. I have to focus on moving forward, because that's what I can do," she determines, allowing herself to be led out onto the training ground with the group.
She can find Nuriko later.
Oooh, a mysterious figure! He'll make things spicy later, I'm sure. The air is all clear between Tia and Chichiri, because of course it is, haha.
Thanks for reading everyone! Review/favorite/follow should you be inclined to do so!
Til Next Time,
-A
