Chapter 5: Shinmei: Suzaku no Ten'nyo
Asahi nibbled her food, the anxiousness gnawing at her stomach preventing her from feeling hunger.
"Hey, Asahi-chan, ya should eat. We set out today, after all!" Tasuki said, pointing at her practically untouched food.
"I know, Tasuki-kun…" Asahi said sheepishly. "I guess I'm just a little nervous."
Asahi had been staying at Mt. Reikaku for a while now. During that time she had learned how the man named "Houjun Ri" was also "Chichiri", of the Suzaku Seven. His friend, Genro, was Tasuki. While Asahi had developed a pretty casual relationship with Tasuki, she continued to be on respective terms with Chichiri. And, no matter how much Tasuki nagged him for it, Chichiri continued to return the respective behavior.
Asahi sighed quietly as she picked up her chopsticks. Although Chichiri was kind to her, it would be nice if the former seishi could act a little less formal. She felt like Chichiri had shunned her out, blocking her just like the mask he wore. Even now, she still wondered what the monk would look like without it…
Asahi shook her head vigorously. She was to go to Mt. Taikyoku today; she couldn't be thinking such things at a time like this!
"It's time to go, Sakuradai-san," Asahi looked up to see Chichiri's ever-smiling face. She nodded, gathering up her untouched meal so it could be put away, and followed the two men outside.
>. >. >. >. >.
I'm tellin' ya, 'Chiri! Ya can quit being so formal with her! Tasuki thought, sending the mental message to Chichiri.
I know, no da.
Then quit the 'Sakuradai-san' crap! The girl's been with us for more than a week and followed us like our shadows the entire time! We've told her all about us bein' Suzaku seishis and everything, and on top of that, she's younger than you!
I know, no da. Chichiri thought once again. He knew that he ought to stop treating the girl so formally. Asahi's chi had shown him that his distance towards her was becoming slightly upsetting. He didn't mean to seem so distant; it was just a part of who he was. And, no matter how hard he tried, that characteristic never seemed to dim.
Tasuki in the meantime was fuming. He had come to be very good friends with Asahi, despite her more reserved nature. After a few days of Chichiri's polite behavior, the girl had finally told Tasuki she was tired of it, wishing he would be friendlier towards her. The red head was always there to cheer her up and lift her spirits from their upset state. But even so, Tasuki wished he could get Chichiri to change his incredibly persistent behavior.
Suddenly a fanged grin graced the fire seishi's face. Oh, he'd get the two of them to talk to each other that way…But how to make them stoop for camp…?
"Chichiiiiiiirrrriiiiiii…" Tasuki moaned. "I'm beat! Can we stop and make camp?"
"We just stopped five minutes ago, no da!" Tasuki winced.
Damn…Gotta work on my timing a bit more…
"Um…Asahi-chan's tired too! Aren't ya, Asahi?" He quickly winked at her while mouthing, 'Just play along'. Asahi luckily took the hint.
"Uh, yes. I am a little tired, Chichiri-san."
The monk sighed, obviously defeated. He nodded, turning his horse towards a patch of forest near them.
A determined look flashed across Tasuki's face. Yes, he would get that damn monk to talk with her as soon as they stopped for the night…
>. >. >. >. >.
"Hey, Asahi-chan."
"Yes?"
"There's a hot spring in this forest, I think. If you want, you can go and take a dip. It's not far past the pond here."
"You won't go spying on me, will you?"
"Oh, please! Have a little faith in yer pal Tasuki, will ya? I'll even guide you there." Asahi couldn't help but smile at the red head's antics.
"All right."
>. >. >. >. >.
Asahi gasped as she spotted the spring. It looked wonderful! Steam could be seen rising from the water's surface, adding to the spring's tranquil appearance.
"Well, here it is." Tasuki said, breaking the silence. "You can find your way back when your done, right?" Asahi nodded, still transfixed by spring.
"Okay. Have fun." Asahi was rooted to the spot as the bandit bent down near her ear, whispering, "Oh, and ya might wanna be careful when undressing…when he comes, just tell him how you feel."
After a minute of shock, Asahi whirled around, confusion written on her face.
"Wait, what are you-" She stopped upon realizing that there was no one there to hear her. Tasuki was gone. She glanced around warily, taking the man's advice and taking her time.
>. >. >. >. >.
Tasuki quickly headed back to the camp, grabbing a small bucket. He glanced at Chichiri, who was sleeping peacefully by the fire. Unlike most times, the man was sleeping with his mask on, probably to avoid getting stares from Asahi.
Tasuki quickly shook his head as he headed towards the stream, a determined yet mischievous grin on his face.
Tasuki dipped his hand into the stream, very carefully making sure he himself didn't fall in. He smiled upon finding out it was ice cold. He took the bucked, filling it up with the liquid and hurried back to the camp, careful not to spill any of the precious water on himself.
>. >. >. >. >.
Tasuki peered at the blue haired monk over the fire. Chichiri was still sleeping nice and soundly. The smile on the mask would not be enough to hide the man's fury, not after what was soon going to happen…
Tasuki took a deep breath, ridding himself of all doubts as he looked down at the water in the bucket he held. The red head staring back at him held a pained look, as if knowing that something bad was going to happen very soon. He raised the bucket over the sleeping Chichiri, watching as the water was just barely staring to pour over the bucket's rim. Suddenly, in one swift movement, he turned the bucket upside down, sending ice cold water cascading down like a waterfall onto the unfortunate Chichiri.
A muffled scream could be heard as the blue haired man leapt from his cross legged position. His eyes immediately spotted Tasuki holding a bucket, drops of water dripping from it. The bandit's look was one of utter horror and surprise as the sopping wet monk's eyes met with his own.
Tasuki in the meantime wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry for mercy when he saw Chichiri in his incredibly wet state. So, luckily, he did neither of the two.
"Oh Chichiri! I'm so sorry! I was tryin' ta put out the fire but I tripped!" He said, an apologetic look plastered on his face.
Tasuki wasn't sure if the monk was shaking from the cold water or from his rage.
"A-And why exactly did you t-t-try and put out the fire?" Tasuki gulped, instantly noticing the humorous 'No da's where absent from Chichiri's sentence.
"Well, you know with youkai wandering around all over, it's not a good idea to have fire when ya don't need it…Might attract attention an' all that." He mentally sighed with relief as the monk's anger began to cool.
"F-Fine." Chichiri sighed, still shivering. "It's not like a f-f-fire is going to help me wa-warm up, n-n-no da," He sneezed, getting colder by the second.
"Well, I think I know a way ta warm ya up." Chichiri looked up, immediately alert. "If ya go past the stream over there," He said, pointing. "There's a hot spring not far from it. Take a dip, and you'll warm up."
Chichiri set out for the spring, muttering his thanks. As the monk's sneezes and mutterings died away, Tasuki happily took Chichiri's place by the fire, a content look on his face.
>. >. >. >. >.
Asahi looked around for what could have been the millionth time. She still hadn't even gotten into the spring. Tasuki's words had obviously hit their mark on her. A sudden rustle in the bushes caught her attention. Picking up a large stick that was near the spring, Asahi inched towards the bush, her makeshift weapon raised above her head, ready to strike…
The person rose from the bush. Without thinking, Asahi struck.
"DAAAAA!"
Asahi gasped. It was Chichiri. A soaking wet one, too.
"Chichiri-san! What are you doing here?" The angry Chichiri picked himself up, rubbing his now sore head.
"I was told by Tasuki-kun to come here to warm up, no da," He said. "After he splashed cold water on me, no da," He muttered under his breath.
It must have dawned on Asahi right then and there that she had just struck Chichiri upside the head with a stick because she instantly dropped the makeshift weapon and tried to examine the monk's head.
"Oh, Chichiri-san, I'm so sorry! Are you okay? I have some herbs back at the camp, I can make a poultice for you!" Chichiri gently brushed her off, his voice still having an irritated tone to it.
"I'll be alright, Sakuradai-san. I think I just want to go back to camp, have a little 'chat' with Tasuki, and lie down, no da," He muttered, wincing as pain shot through his head. With that, he proceeded to head back.
Asahi suddenly remembered Tasuki's words:
"When he comes, just tell him how you feel."
Without thinking, she blurted out her thoughts.
"Chichiri-san, what exactly do you think of me?" She cringed, noticing instantly how the monk froze, his back suddenly much straighter than before. A silence like that of a grave hung in the air.
"What do you mean by that?" His voice was cold, betraying no emotions the monk might have hidden.
"Do you consider…do you consider me as a friend?" Chichiri spoke after another long silence, but what he said was not what Asahi wanted to hear.
"With all due respect, Sakuradai-san," He said, putting the slightest accent on the 'Sakuradai-san', "I think of you only as someone who needs to see Tai Itsukun, and I am simply your escort." With that, he continued to walk away.
Once the monk had finally receded into the darkness, Asahi collapsed, crying.
>. >. >. >. >.
Asahi sighed, looking down at her cream colored mare as she recalled last night's events. After laying on the ground for a while, she had finally gone back to camp. She had noticed how Chichiri was sleeping peacefully, as was Tasuki. The only difference was that Tasuki seemed to be sporting a bunch of bruises and marks that weren't there the last time she saw him…
She shook her head for the millionth time.
Forget about him. He doesn't care, so you shouldn't either.
"We're here, no da," An all too familiar voice said. Asahi looked up, and gasped.
Her eyes couldn't help but shine as she took in the beautiful imagery before her. Clouds were scattered across a deep blue sky, and trees with flowers in full bloom could be seen here and there throughout the wide open space. Apart from the clouds, spheres of a purple color could be seen decorating the sky, glittering like pieces of amethyst. Asahi's curiosity as to how they got there quickly disappeared as she caught sight of the one and only Mt. Taikyoku, home to Tai Itsukun the oracle.
"Welcome to Mt. Taikyoku, Asahi Sakuradai. I have been expecting you." A croaky voice suddenly said. Asahi looked up to see a an (Incredibly ugly) old woman dressed in fine flowing robes.
"She's scarier than any other demon, ain't she Asahi-cha-OW!" Tasuki yelped as Chichiri's staff came crashing down on his head. Asahi giggled quietly. Tasuki's comical antics were greatly decreasing her anxiety on meeting the oracle. After Tai Itsukun threw Tasuki an icy glare, she gave Asahi a kind smile.
"Come. Let's go, we have much to discuss." With the wave of her hand, they suddenly disappeared.
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Asahi opened her tightly closed eyes to find herself in a nice big room with a huge mirror in the center of it. Some cushions were scattered across the floor.
"Please, sit and make yourselves comfortable." Tai Itsukun said, indicating the pillows. Everyone did as she said. Asahi seated herself between Tasuki and Chichiri, Tasuki just a tad bit closer. She watched the mirror with great curiosity. To her surprise, an image began to show. It was an image of the guardian of the south, Suzaku.
"Many years ago, even before the priestess of Genbu came to this world, there was a terrible demon who wished to take over this world. His name was Tenma. Gradually, he had been able to take over the gods of Kuto, Sairo, and Hokkan."
As Tai Itsukun continued to speak, the mirror depicted three of the four gods battling a demon. It was enormous! It looked like a combination of many other animals. Most of it's body was covered in black fur, and it possessed the head of a wolf. Fangs glistened as the strange creature bore them at each god. It's front legs ended with huge claws and razor sharp claws jutting out of them. Enormous bat-like wings sprouted from the youkai's back. Its back legs looked like that of a reptile's and it's scaly tail ended with a long deadly stinger. Lastly, on the beast's chest was a strange symbol; the picture of a winged serpent eating its own tail.
"As each of the gods fell, their power weakened considerably and they were sealed away."
The mirror showed a dragon, a white tiger, and a turtle with a snake entwined around its shell fall into darkness. Asahi gasped at the terrible sight.
"The last targeted country was, obviously, Konan. The battle between Suzaku and Tenma was intense, and it seemed as if all hope was lost. However, Tenma accidentally struck the celestial phoenix so hard, he fell from the heaven's palace and onto earth."
The mirror displayed the great god plummeting from the sky, countless wounds covering the southern god.
"When Suzaku fell, the most interesting thing occurred. A young lady named Shinmei came across him in his pitiful state."
The image of a beautiful young woman with Suzaku graced the mirror's surface. This was the maiden known as Shinmei. Asahi watched, fascinated as Shinmei crouched over the fallen god and proceeded to nurse it back to health.
"The maiden began to take care of the god. Naturally, Suzaku was eternally grateful of the woman's kindness. However, the defeat of against Tenma had weakened Suzaku's powers quite a bit. He had even less of a chance of wining against Tenma than before. So, Suzaku used what little strength he had left to gift Shinmei with extraordinary powers. There gifts would soon give her the name of the Celestial Maiden of Suzaku, or the Suzaku no Ten'nyo.
"Meanwhile, Tenma himself had also came down to earth in order to finish off Suzaku. Once again, a great battle ensued, this time both Shinmei and Suzaku against Tenma."
The mirror depicted Shinmei and Suzaku fighting side by side against the strange and mysterious Tenma. Asahi watched the scene with amazement glittering in her eyes. She turned to Tai Itsukun who had suddenly come to a halt in her narrative.
"So…what happened? Did Shinmei and Suzaku win?"
"Of course! If they didn't, I wouldn't be here telling you of their legacy."
"Yes…You're right. Gomen."
"It's alright. Anyway…" The Oracle said, her attention turning back to the mirror, "Unfortunately, Shinmei and Suzaku were unable to completely destroy Tenma. They were, however, able to seal him away."
Asahi watched as the mirror showed the screaming demon disappearing into a strange black mist.
"Because of Tenma's defeat, the other three gods were unsealed, their rein over their countries continued, and peace was restored at last."
"Then why was Sakuradai-san attacked by that youkai, no da?"
"Thank you for bringing that up, Chichiri, I was just about to mention that." The Oracle took a deep breath.
"As you know, I said that Shinmei and Suzaku had sealed Tenma away, not destroyed him. Every once in a while, Tenma's seal would wear off. Because of his hatred for Shinmei, he would first attack Konan before moving on to the other three countries."
"Then how did Konan defend itself?" Asahi blurted out. To her surprise, Tai Itsukun smiled.
"Ah…I thought you would ask that. You see, you forget about Shinmei." Asahi nodded, her mouth forming a small 'O'.
"Even after Tenma's defeat, Shinmei's god-given powers still remained. That fact didn't stop her from continuing with her normal life. She married not too long after the fight, and she had a baby girl. She too married, had a baby girl, and so on. Eventually, the seal on Tenma broke, right around the time the Priestess of Byakko came to this world. So, the descendant of Shinmei at the time, named Kana, awakened to her own powers that she inherited from Shinmei. She too sealed Tenma away.
"And now, many years from that last time Tenma was sealed away, he has returned to try and take over Konan once more."
Silence reined once again. Asahi's heart quickened and she desperately tried to ignore the looks of astonishment Tasuki and Chichiri gave her.
"So...now what?" Asahi asked, although she probably already knew the answer. "Now that Tenma has returned, who shall save Konan?"
No matter how much she knew, what Tai Itsukun had then said could not have shocked her more.
"Why, you don't know?" Tai Itsukun said airily, as if she was discussing the weather. "You will be the one to save Konan."
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So, we finally discover what Asahi's purpose is in this story. And of course, right after, there's my oh-so-wonderful...CLIFFIE! HAHAHAHAHAAA! Well, here are the reviews.
Fire Dragon: Yes...I do torture poor Asahi a whole lot... What on earth is she going to think of poor Chichiri now? As for cliff hangers...sorry. They're just so fun!
Dark Priestess Kodachi: :GASP: A NEW REVIEWER! YAAAY! I'm glad to see you like my fic so much! And yes, I agree. While things may seem (very) bleak in this story at the moment, I assure you there shall be calm after the storm! Thank you for having faith in me! (grins)
InuyashaFushigiYugifan: Hee hee...yes, that's me and my trademark cliffie! Well, hope you liked it!
guest: Yes, being a smartass if fun...GO SMART ASS PEOPLE! LOL. Hope you liked this chapter!
That's all folks! Review please! (I didn't get very many reviews for this chapter... :sobs:)