Chapter 9
In the depths of her royal palace, a young girl with deep plum hair sits dejectedly by herself within her chambers. She was usually a sprightly, vibrant young woman, but as of late, she had been listless and without spirit. There was not simply one thing she could pin this on---but rather, many interwoven and unwanted factors that had led to her depression. As she slumped there, she considered her upcoming fate.
In less than a week's time, I shall be forced to marry my cousin, the prince, who my own sister is in love with. At the same time, I know not the whereabouts or condition of Takamichi---the one I love...Oh, Takamichi-san, where have you gone? Why did you leave me when I needed you most? If only---if only I knew you were safe, then I could marry with a peaceful mind, and a dutiful heart. Though...I will never be happy with Prince Eisen as my husband...My heart, my soul, longs only for you...
"Nevertheless, none of that matters. I must and will marry Prince Eisen when the time comes. I will not shirk my duty, I must be faithful to the Emperor and heed to his wishes unfailingly."
Princess Fuji shakes off her unhappy thoughts and attempts to steel herself for her wedding. She shudders at the mere thought of it. Once, she had happily imagined herself as a new bride, in wedding finery, the happiest day of her life, but now, her image of the day was shattered...
She would be going into the arms of a man she did not love, while at the same time, her true love was no where to be found.
It was definitely not a pleasant day for a fair princess of Kyou. With a regretful, though resigned sigh, Fuji turns towards her windows, to gaze out at the bright sunshine.
"Though I am downcast, you never fail to shine brightly." Fuji considers the sunshine and tries to hold herself within its warm rays. But the illumination of the sun just reminds her once more of the man she loved---Fujiwara no Takamichi--whose innate power was that of the radiant sun.
Feeling this warmth that she considered belonged to Takamichi, Fuji can no longer contain herself and she breaks down, crying, in what she feels is disgraceful for a princess to stoop to, unable to hold back her pent up emotions.
Suddenly, her chambers door slides open and another young girl, slightly older than herself, races in without announcement. Yet, with all the commotion of the maids and guards trying to stop the girl, Fuji doesn't hear her approach. She was too wrapped up in her tears and longings to hear the excited cries of Ran Morimura.
Ran, shocked that the princess didn't hear her, runs up to the girl, shaking her shoulders in desperation.
"Fuji! What's wrong? Can you hear me? I have incredible news! About Takamichi-san! huff huff " Ran leans over, putting her hands to her knees, trying to catch her breath. She had run over a mile, just to give her best friend the important news she had just discovered.
"Ta-Takamichi-dono!" Fuji sniffs back her tears at the mention of his name.
"Yes! Takamichi! Well, it's a long story about how we found out, but anyway, Inori and Kotengu told us that they saw him at Yasuaki's mountain temples! They said he looked really sick and wounded, but that he was alive! Alive!"
Ran searches Fuji's eyes for any trace of change, as the princess had remained unmoving while listening to Ran's rant.
"S-sick? Wounded? Takamichi-dono!" Fuji lifts her hand to her heart, as though she too, felt the pain that he must be feeling.
"Yeah, but I'm sure Yasuaki is taking good care of him! Anyway, I came to tell you but Shimon and the rest went to look for General Tomomasa. He's been out of it, just like you have, since Takamichi's gone missing! We figured it'd be best to tell him as soon as we could locate him! Don't you ag---Fuji? Princess? Are you okay!"
Ran watches in horror as Fuji's eyes dilate and then go blank, as the young princess collapses on the floor. Ran's mouth drops open as she collects the girl, as well as her thoughts, and drags her as gently as possible to the sleeping area.
Ran heaves a sigh of frustration as she spreads the ready kimono over Fuji's body and prepares to call the maids to check on their mistress.
"Boy, Fuji, you must really have it bad for this guy..." Ran murmurs as she exits the room in search of the princess' attendants.
"Shimon! Tell me again why we're looking for Tomomasa!" Inori's irate voice pervades Shimon's ears as he stops his rapid steps to turn to his Suzaku partner in irritation.
"Because, Inori-kun, I already told you! Tomomasa's been worried sick about Takamichi! We have to relieve his mind. Besides, he'll know what to do about it and maybe get Yasuaki to talk about what he knows on how Takamichi got that way in the first place! We can't do this on our own! We need some official back up!" Shimon is exasperated that his friend could not get it through his thick skull that they needed help if they were going to rescue the harmed Takamichi.
"Fine, fine, fine! But why'd it have to be Tomomasa? I can't stand that guy...He thinks he's so hot, but he's just some old---" Inori was muttering behind Shimon's back, with Kotengu flying, nodding his head in agreement with Big Forehead for once, beside him.
"You guys! Stop behaving like children! We're all adults now and it's our responsibility to help each other!" Shimon had just about had enough guff from these two and with a final huff at them, he instead races off without them down the hillsides of the princess' palace.
"Sheesh, what's got him all in a tiff? I was just commenting, that's all. Right, Kotengu? Did I say anything wrong? Damn!" Inori kicks a rock too briskly and he stubs his toe, causing him to jump up and down on one leg, grabbing his foot in pain.
Kotengu finds this predicament extremely hilarious and falls to the ground, on his back, rolling and laughing in glee at his companion's discomfort.
"Damn, Kotengu! Why do I even bother talking to you! You're just a pain in the---"
Suddenly, up ahead, they hear Shimon's muffled scream in the distance. Both stop their merriment and disgust, to look at each other in horror, then suddenly run towards the sound they had just heard.
What they find was something completely unexpected. Both had envisioned Shimon being mangled by thieves, but instead, they find Shimon rubbing his neck with a frazzled look on his face, beside a groveling with apologies Minamoto no Yorihisa.
"Please accept my sincerest apologies, Shimon-dono. I didn't realize it was you there. You came up so suddenly---and I just reacted. Please forgive my actions!" Yorihisa kept on his speech on his knee, in front of a now embarrassed Shimon, as Inori and Kotengu look from the scene to each other and once more, start laughing their heads off.
"Ha haha ha ha ha haha"
Both cannot contain their enthusiasm, even when the embarrassed Yorihisa stands up, seeing their audience, his face turning red with mortification that these two ruffians were laughing at him.
"Inori! Kotengu! Stop it already!" Shimon clears his throat, attempting to smooth over and cover for the errant bushido. He knew the feeling of being laughed at and it wasn't a pleasant sensation. Indeed, how even moreso it must be for the stoic warrior, who had never been laughed at before in such a fashion. Shimon empathized with the man and thus, tried to ignore the inconsiderate pair before them.
"Anyway, ahem , Yorihisa-san, I do have a favor to ask of you." Shimon looks up at the tall 30 year old bodyguard of Princess Fuji, hoping he would focus on his request, rather than the situation at hand.
"Uhh, yes, Shimon-dono. Whatever you wish, I'm at your command." Yorihisa, with almost no hesitation, pulls his attention from his embarrassment, to fulfill the request asked of him.
Shimon smiles in appreciation that at least someone takes his job seriously, while then making a sour face at the still chuckling Inori and Kotengu.
"We just discovered where Takamichi-san is and we've been looking everywhere for Tomomasa-san to let him know! We know he's been really worried about Takamichi."
"Ah, that is good news. The Princess Fuji has been in dejected spirits lately and I believe it has to do with Takamichi's disappearance. Is he well? Have you informed the Princess Fuji of your discovery?" Yorihisa brightens at the thought of his charge being happy once more.
"Well...no and yes." Shimon makes a crooked face at the puzzled warrior. "Ran went ahead and let the princess know---she's with her now---but no, Takamichi is not well. Quite the opposite, in fact. I think he's in pretty bad shape, according to Inori-kun."
"Hey! What about me! I was the one who found that Takamichi! Why don't I get any credit! Sheesh! What's a guy got to do to get a little attention around here!" Kotengu is duly offended by Shimon's lack of acknowledgement to his hand in helping find the missing Vice Minister.
"Right, sorry, Kotengu." Shimon was never one to hold a grudge and easily pats the little creature on the head in a sort of fond apology.
"That's better!" Kotengu decides to let it go and flutters happily around Yorihisa's head, much to the bushido's dismay.
"Yeah, well, when Kotengu and I went up to the northern mountains, we found Yasuaki's temple or something. Well, inside, there was Takamichi----passed out and with a lot of bandages ALL over! He looked really bad and I don't know how much longer he'll live!" Inori can't help but exaggerate the situation---just a little---and Yorihisa's eyes widen in shock.
"Live? He must live! He is a good Vice Minister, in addition to the fact that the princess would be quite saddened by his death." Yorihisa takes the youth's words as fact as Shimon shakes his head.
"No, no, no. Yorihisa-san, we don't really know how badly Takamichi-san is hurt, but we do want to help him! So, please, we've no time to waste. Where is General Tomomasa? The sooner we find him, the sooner we can get to Takamichi!"
"I haven't seen him for days. It would seem that the General had decided to search for the Vice Minister and he has not returned home yet." Yorihisa states the facts without emotion, as befitting a true bushido.
"Well, then, who needs him anyway, Shimon! Let's just take Yorihisa here, and go get Takamichi from Yasuaki! He's even better than Tomomasa! Who knows what kinds of experiments and stuff that Onmyouji's doing to him! Come on! We've gotta go help him now!" Inori had finally gotten caught up in the moment and had his whole attention focused on saving the Vice Minister now, completely ignoring that Yasuaki was, in fact, their comrade.
"Well, I don't know. Yorihisa-san, would you be able to come with us to bring back Takamichi? I know you normally don't leave your post here, but we do need your strength and authority."
Yorihisa bows his head in acceptance. "Certainly, Shimon-dono. I would be honored to accompany you to the mountain to retrieve the Vice Minister. I feel it would actually be a service to the princess to do so and so I will hand over my duties here to another guard. Please pardon me for a moment." Yorihisa leaves to transfer his station to another, as Inori, Shimon and Kotengu gaze up towards the northern moutain home of Yasuaki.
"Do you think he'll just let us take that guy back? Huh, Shimon, huh? Or will there be some fireworks? He he heh..." Kotengu flutters all around Shimon's head in anticipation of interesting events that would occur in front of him. Kotengu was a definite gossip and loved garnering tidbits of information and exciting scenes played before his greedy eyes.
"I'm not sure, Kotengu, but...we'll be prepared to do whatever we have to to help Takamichi! Right, Inori-kun?" Shimon looks with assurance to his partner.
"Right, Shimon! No matter what! We'll get back Takamichi and save him!" Inori was truly letting his imagination get away with him. But it didn't matter. As long as he kept interest in this mission, Shimon didn't mind if he made it out worse than it really was.
"Shimon-dono, I'm ready to accompany you to the Northern Mountains." Yorihisa returns with a nod, as the small party of 4, briskly make their way up towards Yasuaki's home...
Meanwhile, a restless Tomomasa, with bloodshot eyes, and tired bones, keeps forging ahead, searching the countryside for his missing partner and protege. He would never give up his search---for not only himself, but for his young daughter. He would do everything in his power and beyond it, for her.
His determination was set in his face as he resignedly climbs the final mountains in the northern areas he had not yet searched.
In the distance, he sees a smattering of buildings hidden away within the treeline and squints his eyes to make sure he was really seeing them. Suddenly, a streak of light crosses his eyes in a flash and a pounding in his heart resounds as he nears the treeline with renewed vigor and resolve.
"Takamichi, wait for me...I know you are in there...Come, help me save my daughter..."