One month had passed since the return of the Suzaku Warriors and their priestess, and Kotsuki was still trying in vain to find some clue about his elder brother and his sister in law.
Much has happened, the most important thing being that the other four out of the seven celestial warriors of Suzaku had all gained both the memories of their past life, as well as the stone.1
Hotohori was still missing along with Yuri, although both Chichiri and Mitsukake strongly believed that the two of them would be in Kutou.
Ryoen was the only one who still did not remember, Nuriko was the only one absent.
"I hate this." Ryoen muttered again. "Being useless because I don't remember about being Nuriko at all."
He was sitting with the emperor in Kotsuki's private library, what was once his brother's, with Mitsukake and Chiriko at the other end of the room, both absorbed in the book or scroll that they held. The two young men who were talking had become very intimate friends due to their link through Seishuku/Hotohori.
Miaka, Tamahome, Taisuki and Chichiri had left to go to Sairou, to gain the Shinzaho of Byakko, while Chiriko and Mitsukake decided to stay in the palace with Ryoen. They claimed that it was because they would not be that useful to everyone due to the nature of their powers, but Ryoen knew that they did it for his sake.
It had been a week since the others left and Ryoen had to admit, if it wasn't for Mitsukake and Chiriko then he would have ended up being mad by now. To let everyone go and be in danger…even though Chichiri had reassured him many times that their travelling this time should not be dangerous at all.
But what worried him the most, was Seishuku…Hotohori. It was not just worrying about his brother being in danger, he was also deeply concerned that Seishuku might not wish to be acknowledged as his brother now that he has returned to the world where he had been Hotohori.
The story about how he once competed with Yuri for Hotohori's affection did not help him at all.
Strange enough, he actually wanted to see Yuri as Nuriko had, because even though Nuriko had been jealous of her, he seemed to have accepted the end of his impossible dream with good grace. Ryoen idolised his brother, so there were times when he was so angry with himself for not approving of his brother's marriage through his own jealousies.
"Would you really feel useful if you become Nuriko again?" Kotsuki asked softly, when he was in the company of those who trusts, his voice would drop to the quiet whisper that he used most of the time before he became the emperor. "Being powerful but unable to do what you truly want is worse then just being simply hopeless."
"Is that what you feel?" Ryoen asked.
The young emperor shook his head. "I think that is what my brother felt, to be the emperor as well as a celestial warrior of Suzaku, but is yet unable to…"
Whatever he wanted to say next was halted by the knock on the door. Sighing, the young man draped his elaborate royal robe over the rather simple clothing he had changed into, and raised his voice as he gave permission for the messenger to enter.
It was Chinatsu who had three people beside her, two of them were covered with a rather thick cloak that draped over their whole body, concealing their faces.
The uncloaked person was not a stranger to the palace. He was Rokou, the brother of Nuriko. By chance, Mitsukake and Ryoen had met him when the two of them went to the market. From that day on, Rokou would be a constant visitor in the palace with the goal of making his younger brother remembering him.
Ryoen did not know how he should feel with this man who was his brother when he had been Nuriko. He was very soft spoken and there was a sense of fragility around him, Ryoen felt that he had to be very careful in dealing with him, as he almost shattered when Ryoen failed to recognize him.
"Are…are you that ashamed of me?" the younger man had whispered brokenly.
He was not the same as Seishuku. This was not to say that Seishuku was not a gentle or a quiet man, but Ryoen could recollect many occasions when his brother had been a protective elder brother. Something that Rokou seemed to lack.
"These two are messengers from Kutou." Chinatsu announced, keeping her eyes on the hem of her skirt instead of facing the emperor, "Or so the guards say."
"Perhaps they bring news of Hotohori-sama." Mitsukake said sadly.
"Hotohori-sama?" the suffix was almost spat out by the very familiar voice. "You, Ju-An, are one of my two best friends! Why is it that you refer to me that way just because you regained your memories of our past lives? Are you saying that all our friendships are gone just because of different statuses in the past?"
Angrily, Hotohori yanked the hood of his cloak off to reveal himself, as well as the dark blue clothes that he had on. It looked rather odd on him, as he did not usually wear such colours, even in his life as Seishuku. But in a strange way it was rather fitting.
Beside him, Yuri gently laid her arm over his, understanding the pain and sadness that he felt just by returning to the palace where he had been both prisoner and ruler: the emperor, the most powerful man, but also the weakest man, because he could not do what he truly desires.
Like Hotohori she wore the cloak as a disguise, as neither of them wanted to be recognized on the streets. Although in her case, it would be her clothing that betrays her instead of her appearance.
Yuri had put on the robe of the priestess of Seiryuu, and even wore the headdress in her hair. She could not explain why but she felt that it was appropriate for her to dress this way, even though she was leaving Kutou for the country guarded by Suzaku.
The kingdom that was once Hotohori's.
Upon seeing the woman whom she had served as a mistress, and whom she loved in the way of the perfect elder sister, Chinatsu immediately knelt down in front of Yuri, as she had done many times.
"Chinatsu…" at the sight of the girl Yuri quickly bend down so she could look at the girl on eye level, knowing the girl she would remain kneeling down for quite some times, even if Yuri told her to get up.
"Mistress…you returned to Konan." Chinatsu whispered in wonder, now holding the end of Yuri's gown.
"Not as the empress, only as the priestess of Seiryuu." Yuri said softly. "So I am no longer you mistress."
Chinatsu only shook her head and continued to hold onto the fabric even more tightly. "You will always be my mistress, it started ever since the day you saved Chiharu and I from our fate of being the emperor's unwanted concubines."
"A fact I wish to forget." Kotsuki muttered darkly. There had been something almost magical the moment he saw Chinatsu with her twin sister, who he thought to be only the late empress' maids.
Then he learnt of her true position: a woman that might not be regarded as a worthy bride for him because technically, she had had been another man's property.
"You…you…it is not as if you even tried to marry me!" Chinatsu whispered sadly. "You…you…" tears appeared in her eyes and she turned to Yuri, to be pulled into a loving embrace.
At this moment Yuri marvelled at the change in Chinatsu, no doubt she also reflected Chiharu's changes. When she left the two of them were only fourteen, two young girls instead of two women.
Chinatsu was eighteen now, the age when she had married Hotohori. The maid that she treasured as a much younger sister seemed to have become a full grown woman now, certainly no longer a little girl as she was in love.
"I…" Kotsuki began but stopped, there was no point in denying the truth.
"Your majesty," Chinatsu said, facing Yuri. "Will you come to see Chiharu and her husband with me if you can? She married one of the emperor's officials a year ago."
Yuri nodded, "But first," she whispered as she gently loosened Chinatsu's hold to stand next to Hotohori once more. "First…"
The two brothers faced one another, both staring into the other's face to find some betrayal of acknowledgement. For Hotohori, that meeting they had when he just became the emperor, was one of the only two proper meetings he had of this younger half brother.
As for Kotsuki, he had seen his brother many times when Saihitei paraded around the town, as well as being rather familiar with his brother's appearance at the time of Suzaku's summoning due to the paintings in the temple. But Hotohori was still a stranger to him as much as Kotsuki must be to him.
Even though both harboured hope of seeing the other, they were silent as they simply did not know what to say at all.
"I…" Hotohori finally began awkwardly. "I…I am glad to see you…Kotsuki…through my journey here I heard that you are a very good emperor. The emperor of Kutou himself told me that you are a good ruler."
"Not as good as you." Kotsuki replied in equal uneasiness. Even though he was draped in the elaborate robes befitted of an emperor, while his elder brother was dressed in simple clothes that peasants would wear, he still felt as if he was the subject, while Hotohori was the emperor once again.
"That much be…Houkigou." He stated the obvious. "I have always wanted to meet her, she is your wife in your new life as well?"
Hotohori nodded, and once more a silence elapsed, Mitsukake and Chiriko were both edging towards the door, wanting to escape from this rather awkward family reunion.
"I…I wanted to meet you too." Kotsuki burst out, after Hotohori finally let out a sigh. "I…I…oniisan…"
Hotohori's face darkened so much at this address that Kotsuki wondered whether the other wished to be acknowledged as his brother at all.
"Oniisan is it?" Hotohori finally said very sadly, bending his head down so that his loose hair covered up his face. "I cannot blame you though, I should just be grateful that you are actually willing to admit that I am your brother."2
"Oniisan?" Kotsuki repeated again.
Hotohori turned to Ryoen, and the younger boy immediately went up to hug him tightly, for a moment Hotohori looked rather blank, but he quickly smiled rather sadly with the appearance of realization, and he quickly returned the hug.
"Ryoen, it is good to see you again." he said softly.
"Aniki, how do you know that I am Ryoen, not Nuriko?" his younger brother asked curiously. "Is it that obvious, the difference?"
Hotohori shook his head sadly as he said: "Nuriko would no longer call me aniki. Very likely he would call me Hotohori-sama too."
"But that is ridiculous!" Ryoen yelled out. "You are my aniki, and you always would be…" but his voiced trailed off as he noticed the look of deep betrayal and sadness on Rokou's face.
"So that is it, isn't it." he whispered brokenly, his hands were even shaking slightly as he raised it to point at Hotohori, so great was his shock that he didn't even consider what he was doing, as he was treating the man who was his last emperor in a rather rude fashion. "I have to be like that man in order for you to acknowledge me as your aniki."
This was not completely untrue, as Ryoen had compared his 'two brothers' and decided that he preferred Seishuku as a brother instead of Rokou. But his main reason for not calling Rokou aniki at all, even though he knew that this stranger was really Nuriko's brother, was because he had no memory of the other being his brother.
Hotohori turned to his other brother, and began to speak again. The room was occupied by an very awkward silence: Mitsukake and Chiriko were still near the door, as even though they wanted to escape, they felt that they should be there to support their friends; due to Rokou's outburst Ryoen was even more confused, while Rokou was beginning to feel a bit embarrassed for what happened; Chinatsu had knelt by Yuri's feet once more; and Yuri would have stopped her had she not been too occupied with her husband.
"I think that Kotsuki…" Hotohori suddenly paused in the middle of his speech and repeated the name of his half brother again. "Kotsuki…should I be calling you that? Do you wish for me to call you by your title?"
"No!" the current emperor of Konan almost cried out in horror at the suggestion, and his gaze wandered to Chinatsu, who immediately bent her head down. "You would know what it feels like to be regarded as an object instead of a person just because of our role as the emperor."
Hotohori nodded, "Very well, Kotsuki then. There is a favour that I would ask of you."
"A favour?"
"Yes, there is something that I must do now that I am here in the palace, and seeing you after all these years.
"I must ask for your forgiveness."
"Forgiveness? Oniisan, I know now that what happened ten years ago was not your fault."
Hotohori suddenly chocked as he looked at his brother, the expression on his younger brother's face was just like Hikitsu's. It was an acceptance of some sort of crime that he had done to them.
But he would not let that distract him right now, he shook his head sadly as he whispered: "That is not the sin that I am talking about, although I do apologise for what happened after that walk in the garden. I truly didn't mean any of it, as I had really wanted you to be my brother, a companion, a friend. I was so happy when I saw you entering the palace, I really thought…"
"Did you think that I was an assassin when you saw the dagger in my gift?"
"I do not know." Hotohori admitted bitterly. "Perhaps I did but Kotsuki, no doubt you found me as much to blame as my mother at that time. After all, out family was not a family at all."3
His younger brother could only nod in agreement. A father who never cared for any of his many children, while the mothers of his children spend a majority of their life squabbling for power. They all claimed that it was for their child, but both Hotohori and Kotsuki felt that it was for themselves more.
All the emperor's children were puppets to their mother. Mostly notably was naturally Hotohori, who actually succeeded in being the emperor, although he was a very fair ruler who was well loved and praised by his people, it was a role that he always wished to be free from.
But the very early years of Saihitei's reign of rules were stained by his mother's actions. In order to keep her younger son on the throne, she had crushed any sign of danger with cruelty, even ordering the execution of her other son.
Hotohori could remember little of Tendo, the brother whom he shared both father and mother with. Maybe Tendo had believed that he would have been the next emperor, after all, he was the eldest son of the emperor and empress. He used to spend many of his time thinking about policies that he thinks should be applied.
Unlike the future emperor of Konan, he actually started to prepare himself for the role of emperor. He might have been a good emperor too, as he did cared for his people very much, despite some of the radical ideas he had that might not have worked so well.
He certainly wanted the role enough to rebel against his own mother and his only full blooded brother.
Bogyoku, the emperor's eldest son. He never spared any chances of glaring at Hotohori or Tendo in anger if he could. Unlike his younger brother, he resented his birth for being born from a concubine instead of being a son of the empress. Perhaps he would not have felt so bad if he wasn't the eldest son of the emperor. He worked with his mother's plan eagerly, as he wanted to be the next emperor to prove that he could, to show the empress that despite not being her son, he would still take the throne of his father.
Then there was Ogi and Kotsuki, the younger brothers of Hotohori, who were not considered as candidates in this game for power, but were certainly players. The studious and intelligent Ogi was seen as a danger by the empress, whose assassination attempt ended up killing the mother of the young boy…who was not even a man yet. This caused him to become one of Tendo's helpers, and he willingly died for Tendo, as he believed that this half brother could avenge his mother for him.
The universe of the four gods was like ancient china in many ways, even the status of the two sexes. Most times, women were disadvantaged, but in this battle, being a female helped the emperor's only two daughters greatly.4
Had they been two extra sons instead of being two daughters, then their life span might have been much shorter, even though they would not have been considered as candidates for the throne even if they were boys as they belonged to the younger lot of the emperor's children. The two girls were both younger then Hotohori, who was the third oldest in this dysfunctional family.
The elder daughter of the emperor was only a year younger then the brother that became the emperor immediately after their father's death, but she was wise enough to know, along with her mother, she had no claim to the throne at all, but she was still in danger for the mere sake of being the emperor's child.
That was why her mother begged the empress to let her return to her origins, having been a rural farmer's daughter who lived at the border of Konan and Kutou. She even engaged her daughter to one of the peasants there, knowing that this would allow them to survive as the future emperor of Konan could never have a father who was not of royal blood, even if his mother was directly descended from the emperor.5
She actually ended up being in love with the person she was engaged to when the empress died, even though no one in the village had believed that they would actually get married, the boy's family agreed to a fake engagement for the sake of helping the imperial concubine who was once a part of their village. Eventually, she married this man and lived in happiness until the day when soldiers from Kutou attacked their village.
Luckily, she was only killed, instead of raped. But it almost seemed the each and every one of the imperial family was cursed.
Hotohori's other sister, however, was not so lucky. Her mother was much more ambitious and was deeply disappointed to only have given birth to a daughter from the brief amount of time the emperor had given her some attention.
She began to work with most of the emperor's advisors by the bribery of her body, trying to find a way to let her daughter be engaged to a man who could give her great power. Ironically, it was Hotohori's father who ordered their execution when she began to become involved in a plot.
Her daughter was no more then a child when she was killed.
But what haunted Hotohori the most was the death of Bogyoku- the eldest son of the third emperor of Konan, because he was witness to his death.
Hotohori's request was to be lead to one of the rather isolated part of the palace that few people knew about. He cloaked himself once again as he followed his half brother as if he was only a mere servant, but Kotsuki felt that such a thing was impossible.
His elder brother had demanded to be taken to that place alone, he even told his wife, Houkigou…Yuri, that he must do this by himself although he greatly wished that she could be beside him.
"That would make it easier but yet I must do this alone." Hotohori had whispered.
"Is this it?" Kotsuki asked when his brother paused in front of a door. Reaching to the handle, he was deeply surprised when he discovered that the door wasn't locked at all, unlike most of the rooms in the palace.
"What is this point of locking a room such as this?" his brother said rather bitterly as he entered.
The room seemed empty, there was no furniture or any other indication of once having a human lived there, other then a lonely chair at one corner. It seemed that only spiders and mice live here, as this part of the corridor was rarely visited by any servants to clean.
"I was sitting there," Hotohori whispered, pointing to the chair as he walked to the centre of the room and knelt down, clasping his hands together tightly as he bowed his head down, his hair almost covering his face, but not enough to conceal the sadness in his eyes from his younger brother. "Haha was behind me. Then…"
"Then?"
"Then they brought them in, your haha and aniki. It was in this room where it had happened…"
"Their…execution?" Kotsuki was not found of his mother or his full blood brother because it was hard to love someone whom he never knew and who only saw him as a tool or something that was just there. But it was still quite hard to learn or hear about their death.
Hotohori nodded. "Here in this room…"
He was not even fifteen when his mother brought him to this room to witness the execution of his eldest brother, and the women that had bore him.
"You must see, Hotohori, how I will protect you by punishing anyone that dares to hurt you." She had told him, towering over him with her hands on his shoulder.
"But haha…surely execution is…"
"Hotohori, they have dared to harm you and for that alone they deserve the worse possible death." he did not knew that she actually ordered these two to be actively tortured until later on.
"So just nod when the guard ask you the question, and ignore the two traitors completely." She crouched down to face her seated son, her gaze was so powerful and so intense that the emperor, who was but a boy, could only nod.
Satisfied, she moved to stand behind him, her hands gripping his shoulders tightly.
"They pleaded to me, your Haha and aniki." Hotohori continued. "Do not think less of them, because only a fool would not wish for life." At this he smiled bitterly. "In a way Yuri and I…in a way the two of us are fools as we would have gladly died in order to let the other live."6
"I do not see you as being a fool either…aniki."
"Aniki?" Hotohori repeated this word softly and tilted his head up to face his younger brother. "Aniki?"
"You are my aniki, he was just my oniisan." Kotsuki declared out firmly. "Bogyoku was my brother because we shared the same parents, but you are my brother because you want to be my brother. Therefore, you are my aniki."
He expected his elder brother to smile, but Hotohori only frowned even more.
"I had caused him and your haha to die, Kotsuki." The elder man said darkly. "If I had wanted to then I could have saved them but…"
Kotsuki realized that Hotohori was guilty not because he let his mother and brother die, but because he did not prevent them from being killed by offering any form of resistance toward the empress' orders. It was not what he did, but what he might have done.
On that day Hotohori had heard their pleas and he was moved, but the firm grip on his shoulders prevented him from consenting to their pleas. Instead, he just watched the execution being performed. His return to Konan made him realize that he never forgave himself for this act which he labelled as great cowardliness.
Smiling, Kotsuki walked up to kneel in front of his brother so that they were at eye level.
"Aniki, I do not blame you for what happened that day just as I no longer blame you for what happened to me when you first became the emperor. It is not anyone's fault to be tricked and manipulate by their mother. I myself, am the same.
"As for my mother and my other brother's death…I do not feel happiness at this because after all, they are related to me through blood, and I am sad because lives had been taken by force. But I do not grief that much because who do I mourn for a brother who was not even like a brother? While my mother was only my mother because she gave birth to me?"
For the first time since he arrived in Konan, Hotohori smiled sincerely. "Then I am glad."
Together the two of them walked back to join the rest, happy because they had finally made peace with each other even though neither of them could be said to be in the wrong.
Looking at Hotohori, who was actually smiling, Kotsuki suddenly felt as he did in the garden all these years ago: that here was someone who would help him and listen to him without blaming him for being weak or for being troublesome, as his mother and full blood brother had often done.
"Aniki, even though I am the emperor, I feel as if I am your subject just by standing next to you." He admitted. "This is because I am only the people's current ruler, while you are their eternal ideal. My advisors often compare me to you, especially those who had served you when you were the emperor."
"And the irony is that I gained that by abandoning my duty. When I was living as Saihitei, these same advisors often criticized me."
"But why?" Kotsuki found himself so drawn to these words, that he even forgets about the speaker's identity and relationship to him. He felt as if he was a child discovering a new twist in his favourite story. "They always say that you rule the kingdom…
"Kotsuki, do you know what the main duties of the emperor are?" Hotohori was affected as well, it was as if he was in the village of Konan again, with his brother begging for a bedtime story, which would sometimes happen. This was the family that he had always wanted. "It is to rule his kingdom the best as he could, yes, but it is also to provide an heir for his people as a means of security.7
"I married at the right age, but I never provided the kingdom with an heir. Yuri seemed to be barren and when such a thing happens I should elect another concubine. But I love Yuri so much that I could not do such thing, even if that meant putting my kingdom in a slight danger."
"I must produce an heir then as all our other brothers are dead." Kotsuki decided without much enthusiasm. "But I…It is ironic, aniki. The one woman I love perhaps in the same way as you love Yuri, is one of the women I cannot marry."
"One of the women you cannot marry?"
"Her name is Chinatsu, do you recognize that name?"
At this name Hotohori nodded. He did not remember any other of his concubines other then these two twins who were elected even though they were only twelve, because they were Yuri's maids and his beloved had love them like her own sisters.
Nonetheless both she and her sister had been his concubines, and so they were almost his property for that time. Of course, when the emperor died then all the concubines were free to leave the palace if they wish, although some stayed as they had nowhere else to go. Many concubines actually married very easily as their stay in the palace made them very desirable wives- provided that they were not too old.8
However the mother of the future emperor was demanded to be a virgin, even in name as well.
"It might not be an impossible thing, Kotsuki." Hotohori offered kindly. "After all, everyone knew that I only love the one I chose to be my empress and took no interest in any other concubine."
"I really do love Chinatsu but I…I have been afraid." Kotsuki admitted. "She thinks that I don't love her enough to try and marry her but the truth is, I love her too much that I rather her think that I don't want to marry her instead of I might not be able to marry her."
"Because you hope that by letting her think that she might end up loving another. It is selfish, like my desire of letting Yuri live by dying."
"Then what should I do?"
For the first time Hotohori put his arms around his brother to pull him into a hug.
"You don't need me to tell you when you already have the answer."
Yuri was pleased to be able to meet Chiharu once again. Her other maid was now married to one of Kotsuki's officials: an intelligent young man who became one of the officials only a year ago.
He was considered as one of the rising stars of court, and as a result, he had been privileged enough to be allowed to live in the palace for most of the time, although he still had his home to return too. He had been the son of a rather successful merchant, so he could expect a comfortable surrounding if he ever leaves the palace.
Chiharu was naturally very happy with this arrangement, as this meant that she could see her beloved twin whenever she could, as well as having the opportunity of being free from the rules of the palace, which could be rather strangling at times.9
Today, she had said goodbye to her husband, and was starting to prepare herself for finding her twin sister in order to learn about what the celestial warriors plan to do today, as she was like Chinatsu- they were both very eager with the hope of seeing the empress they had served.
Unlike her twin, the cut of her clothes were finer, as she was the wife of one of the emperor's official. But the similar thing about the two twins was that they both used very elaborate decorations to dress their hair: the last things Yuri had gave them.
She was arranging her hair when she noticed the red ribbon in the half opened drawer- her mistress had been so fond of tying her hair with a single red ribbon.
"Chinatsu…" she began to greet her sister only to suddenly pause as she saw the figure that followed Chinatsu in the mirror.
Half of her hair fell down along with numerous hair pins as Chiharu stood up from her seat very abruptly to kneel in front of Yuri.
At this Yuri almost laughed, she had almost forgotten about all these rules in this world. She now recollected how everyone would bow to her as soon as Hotohori announced that they would be married in one week's time.
"I never stopped wishing that I could see you again…mistress." Chiharu whispered even though she was crying, while her tears made her sister began to cry again.
"I miss you two too." Yuri whispered, returning their embraces tightly. "Not because you two were my maids and served me…but because I loved you two as my younger sisters."
"What of your half-sister? The priestess of Suzaku?" one of them asked curiously.
Yuri's face darkened as she began to explain what had happened, and much to her surprise, the two of them understood her perfectly and assured her that she was not wrong at all.
"Like Kotsuki and his other brothers." Chinatsu summarized the situation perfectly. "You do not become siblings just by sharing a parent."
The three of them spend a very long time about all that had happened, the two younger girls embracing Yuri in happiness as she told them about her two children, while Yuri in turn, offered congratulations about Chiharu's husband and tried to comfort Chinatsu.
The knock on the door made them frowned, as none of them wished to be disturbed at all.
"Who is it?" Chiharu commanded, as this was her husband's private chamber after all.
"It is I, Hotohori. I heard that Yuri is here."
At her husband's voice, Yuri quickly got up to open the door for him, hoping that he would not be very upset due to the talk he had with his younger brother. No doubt it was some painful part of his past.
"Hotohori…" Yuri began but she immediately stopped at the sight of the man who stood behind Hotohori.
The emperor.
She was wondering whether she should kneel down when the emperor bowed to her instead.
"You are the priestess of Seiryuu, and you are my brother's wife, therefore it is I who must pay respect to you." Kotsuki said softly, before he turned to the two kneeling figures behind Yuri. "Chinatsu…I wish…I wish to announce my desire of making you into my empress before my council. If that is not disagreeable to you…then I would like you to come with me now."
The object of his affection only bent her head even more down, and her voice was shaking, he suspected that it was due to tears.
"You majesty…I was the concubine of your brother so therefore…"
"But everyone knows that the only woman my brother ever…" at this the young emperor was actually blushing slightly. "Well, it is not an uncommon knowledge that with the exception of Houkigou, he touched no woman at all."
"If your advisors consent, then you would marry me?"
"You know that I want to marry you." At the shock of her head he sighed, and began to explain.
As he finished speaking, Kotsuki half knelt down to embrace the woman he loved. She was openly crying by this time, and her body continued shaking even though the man who she loved was holding her against him, something she had dreamt of for so long.
"I believe they would let me, because after all, no one could make my brother elect another concubine, so I think my radical actions might not be frowned upon so much. Most of all," he stated firmly, "I don't want what happened to you to happen to other girls. Being selected to be the possible wife of a man who does not want you at all.
"I am not blaming you in anyway, aniki, because I know why you had to bow down to tradition, for the same reason I was prepared to. But the difference is that I already have someone who I want to marry."
"That is all I want." Chinatsu whispered. "I can be happy as long as I know that you want to marry me."
"You will come with me then?" at her nod Kotsuki gently took her hand into his, and then turned to Chiharu, "Will you accompany us as a witness?"
Hotohori smiled as he and Yuri watched Kotsuki depart with the two girls that had once been her maids. Chinatsu was still holding onto Kotsuki's hand tightly, while Chiharu placed an arm reassuringly on her twin's spare hand.
"I think they will let him marry her." Hotohori told Yuri as he slipped his arm around her waist. "In time of peace…it is easy to break rules. Although…" he added this as an afterthought as they began to walk to the library, where they believed the others were. "That is often why peace gets replaced by war."
"But you believe that Chinatsu will be allowed to become the empress?"
Hotohori nodded. "Yuri, don't be offended but an empress really only have one duty, and that is…"
"I know what it is." She said with a slightly bitter smile, but she gave his hand a squeeze to let him know that she was not angry with him.
"Kotsuki have an advantage." Hotohori explained, "His predecessor, myself, did not have any children. The people would really be happy as long as Kotsuki produces an heir, as that is all they wanted in a peaceful kingdom. They are not so concerned about the background of the empress as long as her past is not that tainted, which Chinatsu's isn't. Knowing them, they might even make it into a romantic story.
"If they would not be unhappy, then that would not matter that much, as officials would not complain as long as the people are relatively happy, and provided that the emperor did not act too radical. And as I said before, in time of peace it is easy. Unlike others, he does not need to make peace by treaties of marriages. That had happened before."
"I want Chinatsu to find happiness with the man that she loves as Chiharu and I have." Yuri stated.10
At this word Hotohori suddenly stopped walking and gathered Yuri into a tight embrace. "Yes…we are happy even after all that which had happened because we are together."
Mitsukake could understand why Hotohori might be angry at the way he had addressed him, but he simply couldn't help it. It was true that as Ju-An and Seishuku, the two of them had been best friends. But they were now at this world again: where he was nothing but a doctor, while Hotohori had been the emperor…his emperor.
"Oh, you are all still here." Hotohori said softly as he entered the room with Yuri, who was still clad in the robe of the priestess of Seiryuu, although Chiharu had offered her finest dresses for her.
Looking at Yuri in her formal robes, Chiriko couldn't help but to flinch slightly due to guilt. He was the first celestial warrior the empress had found when she left the palace, and he had promised that he would go to the palace immediately. If he had, then he might have spared her so much pain.
"I am sorry." He whispered.
"For what?" Yuri frowned, she never found out that he actually did not keep the promise that he had made.
As Chiriko began to explain, Hotohori turned toward Mitsukake. His expression darkened into disgust as the other automatically thought about kneeling then turned to Ryoen, who was the only other person in the room besides Yuri who was not affected by the fact that he was once the emperor of Konan.
"Does the past erase the present completely?" he wonders out aloud.
"Hotohori-sama…" Mitsukake began, hoping to explain.
"I always hate the 'sama' people would attach to the end of my name- if they would even call my name." Hotohori began, his voice very soft. "It successfully reminds me that I am and will remain being the outsider."
"The outsider, but you did so much…" Chiriko protested, temporarily breaking free from his conversation with Yuri.
"I did do much, but they were acts done alone. It was bad enough that I couldn't travel with all of you after the failed attempt of summoning Suzaku because of my duties, then I am constantly being reminded of how I am the outsider by being addressed as 'sama.'
"I know how all of you address each other, and none of you attaches these strangling suffixes. They might be a sign of respect, but they also mean that you regard the person as being so different from you that you do not consider them on the same level as you. It is a barrier.
"The worst bit is that I had believed that the celestial warriors would not treat me as if I am the emperor. I had hoped that they would be my friends."
Mitsukake suddenly remembered the moment when Yuri had died. Even though the emperor had been surrounded by so many people, he seemed so lonely when she was not there, as opposed to the time when he embraces her: even he could tell that the two of them were meant to be together.
How lonely he must have been, he realized, as the emperor he was expected to come up with a solution when he was only a young man as well. He and the rest of the celestial warriors were to be blamed as well, Hotohori was right, they made him as an outsider.
Everyone else was regarded as a friend, so it didn't matter whether they were a bandit or a young child, but whenever thought of Hotohori, they never stopped thinking of him as any other but the emperor.
Didn't Tamahome, Nuriko and Taisuki teased each other the whole time, with even Chiriko, Chichiri and himself joining in at certain times? But whenever Hotohori was concerned, they showed nothing but respect to him.
They had managed to use respect to excluded him completely. They were wrong because Hotohori was a celestial warrior of Suzaku, so they were all meant to be equal- as he said, he expected them treat him as a friend.
"I am so sorry…Hotohori." Mitsukake admitted.
"I am no longer the emperor of Konan," Hotohori stated, "So I hope that this time I can truly be one of the celestial warriors of Suzaku, as Seishuku was to the others. I suppose that is the only reason that I might not like my name sometimes, because of the sama attached with it."
He was going to speak more when a loud cry of pain suddenly interrupted his speech. Clutching to his heart, he sank onto the floor.11
"What is wrong?" Yuri quickly demanded, kneeling down to put a supporting arm around him, but much to her shock- he actually slapped her hand away.
"That…that woman who disguised herself as that maid in Kutou…it must be her." he managed to pant out. "I…I don't know what she did but Yuri, don't touch me as it might harm you."
"But I...I can't just watch and…" she protested.
"Maybe my power can help him somehow." Mitsukake suggested.
He went to place his hand over Hotohori's brow, but this action only made Hotohori scream even more painful, and even more loud. He lashed out with his limbs again, but this time, it was out of an instinct due to the pain the other's hand brought.
"Aniki…please!" Ryoen implored, as he went forward to grab his brother's arms, after Hotohori struck Mitsukake's face. "We are…"
"Mitsukake and Nuriko…I mean Ryoen, don't touch him at all!" Chiriko quickly yelled out. He even got up to grab Ryoen and started to drag him away. "I think as the celestial warriors of Suzaku will cause him pain if we touch him in anyway."
Hotohori managed a weak smile as he nodded, "That is true. When Yuri held me it did not hurt, but when Mitsukake and Ryoen tried to touch me, the pain worsened so much."
Far away, Miiru narrowed her eyes, so they discovered this quicker then she had expected. She had originally intended for him to suffer greatly due to them not knowing that it was them that brought him more pain.
Undaunted, her lips curled into a thin smile as she dangled the blood doll in her hand. She would move onto the next part of her plan then.
In Konan, Hotohori screamed once again, the pain in his body had worsened even though the other three celestial warriors were some distant away from him. Whatever curse was put on him, it even resembled a standard disease, it would worsen.
"How do we heal him? There must be way?" Ryoen demanded to Mitsukake once again. "You are the doctor, you should know!"
"I heal sicknesses, not curses!" Mitsukake had to force his voice to be calm because he was panicking as he fixed his gaze onto Hotohori.
His whole body was now thrashing and Yuri barely manages to hold him down. He didn't want her to even come to contact least the curse was contagious, but there was no other way as someone must restrain him, and the three others would only make the matter worse.
"Hotohori…please!" Yuri was whispering, her tears falling onto him. For a brief second, only a slight instant, that managed to calm him down a little. "I know how much it must hurt but please, hold on while we try to find a way to cure you!"
He couldn't even speak, but could only nod. As the latest spasm of pain came over, his head was thrown back and in the process, his long hair fell to one side, revealing his ears- which was bleeding on one side.
Suddenly, Mitsukake remembered what had once happened with a patient. Much to his surprise then, his power was not effective in anyway. Later on, they discovered that the person was sick due to being possessed by a demon, who managed to enter from his wounds.
He had managed to save that man by sucking the being out from the wound.
Eagerly, he began to tell them the story.
"It will work! It has to work!" Yuri said excitedly.
"Yes, but Yuri, it is dangerous!" Mitsukake pointed out. "And you can't do it and hold onto him at the same time!"
Yuri's reply was interrupted when Hotohori suffered another wave of pain, this time it was even worse- his body could barely respond to this attack. Yuri tried to hold on but was shoved away from him due to the way his body was shaking.
"I will do anything because I simply can't bear to see him like t his!" Yuri whispered very determinedly, her hand tightly clenched together. "I am not afraid of what will happen as long as I can save him!"
At this declaration the others turned to Hotohori instead, and they all gasped, because he had managed to control his possessed body. His face was very pale and screwed up in pain, while his fingers seemed to be white due to how tightly he was clenching them.
But the important thing was he had managed to dominate his body's instinct of shaking madly due to the pain.
"Yuri, do it. I will…I will be able to endure the pain because that is what you did for me." Hotohori declared out. "That day when you died…when my vision was taken away from me it seemed my hearing was as well because I never heard you make any noises at all, although I knew what had happened later on…If you could do that, then I can endure this pain."
Clasping his hand into his, Yuri nodded and leant forward, while Hotohori closed his eyes and forced his body to stop moving in order for her to suck the poison out.
But it was not easy at all…
"Aniki, why don't you do something?" Ryoen suddenly screamed out.
Initially they all thought he meant Hotohori, and this naturally made both Mitsukake and Chiriko turning to Ryoen, frowning rather angrily. He was already doing so much more then what they believe that they could have done themselves.
But Ryoen was not looking at Hotohori, he was looking and addressing Rokou instead.
The slightly elder man had hunched to a corner due to the shock of what was happening, and no one could really blame him. But it was at a moment when you had to accept all that was happening and find a way to do something.
"How…how can I do what you want me to do…" Rokou whispered. "I am not like you, I am a normal being!"
"Aniki, you don't need to be like me to do this!" Ryoen snapped, not realizing that he continued to address the other as his brother, what he was not fully sure of. "Why can't you help Yuri?"
"You want me to…whatever that thing in there…"
"I know you are afraid but I know that you can do it!" Ryoen continued. "If you don't help him…if you don't even try then I swear, I will hate you forever even though you are my brother!"
Wordlessly, the other man stood up and his face was equally pale as Hotohori's. Ryoen immediately cursed himself, as he felt that he was being a bit too harsh. After all, he himself was rather afraid at whatever the thing was in his brother.
Rokou walked to Hotohori and Yuri, who was still trying to suck the poison out. Without saying a word, he grabbed Hotohori, forcing his body to be still.
It was obvious that he was not used to doing such a thing, as his own body began to shake. But nonetheless, he continued.
With Hotohori's body finally being almost completely still Yuri was able to lean forward and began to suck whatever that possessed his body out properly.
A moment later Yuri bent back, gagging. Turning her face away from Hotohori, she spat the blood out. Almost immediately, Mitsukake grabbed one of the daggers lying on the shelf and stabbed the small pile of blood.
He knew that he was successful when the blood disappeared, and was then replaced by a bright red light.
Exhausted, Hotohori leant back toward the wall, before Yuri threw her arms around his neck to embrace him tightly. As he pulled her closer, he suddenly felt something heavy in his hand. Unclenching his fingers, he smiled.
"Nuriko…this is yours."
Stunned at his brother addressing him by his other name, Ryoen held out his hand to accept the object.
It was one of the seven stones that the celestial warriors of Suzaku must find, and this one contained the memories of Nuriko.12
The doll made from blood broke, leaving Miiru with nothing but a small pool of blood in front of her. Greatly angered, she raised her hand to brush them away.
Her hand halted in midair, looking down she saw that a hand had pierced right through her body.
The act of killing was so swift that she didn't even have time to speak, even though she parted her mouth in the attempt of forming out a name.
Was it her Rin's? Or was it Tenkou's? No one would ever be able to answer this question now.
Smirking, Tenkou used his clean hand to gather the small pile of blood up to make use that they were not mixed with Miiru's blood in anyway. She turned out to be absolutely useless in the end, and he was certainly not going to let her death, the only thing she did right because of the slight satisfaction it gave him, to ruin this new plan.
"Everyone underestimates the power of a person's blood," he said softly, "This little amount will be enough to torture the priestess of Seiryuu even more."13
1 This is kind of shifting responsibility, I can't be bothered writing about how everyone regained their memory, or, in Tamahome's case, finding the stone.
2 Oniisan is the most formal way of addressing your older brother, and niichan seems the most informal, but I want aniki to be used instead, because I think that is what both the real Nuriko and Hotohori calls their elder brother. Although I think Aniki must be rather affectionate too since Hotohori actually addresses his mother and father in the very affectionate term of chichi and haha, as well as using that to describe him and Houki when he talked to his son, so I am saying that Aniki is a rather affectionate term, I hope!!! As before, do correct me if I am wrong because I really want to get it right.
3 Yeah…his family history is just so sad. I really want to explore Hotohori's family more. In one of the episodes Tamahome's family came out and now that I think about it, it's almost contrasting to Hotohori. He had four siblings, Hotohori had six but look at Tamahome's family as opposed to Hotohori's, that is not really even a family.
4 I have never mentioned about Hotohori's sister at all, so I want to do it in this fan fiction, the sequel. Apparently he actually have two half sisters which make this very interesting, because it would be so much more easy to make him have two elder sisters: the ones who were born and neglected because they were not the sons wanted. But I can't really remember any mentioning of his two sisters in the novel at all.
5 In regard to this it is really harsh but it seems that in most society, especially in China, the status of the mother does not matter so much, as long as the father is of a higher status, that is why there's legitimization. (Although you don't even need that in China until modern 20th century.) Also, it could be because of a double standard. But it is so ironic that the emperor could basically elect any woman to be his concubines and even empress, as long as she was not born too low, but yet the emperor's other children, especially his daughters would have to marry quite high.
6 Initially I thought that I would actually continue with his flashbacks a bit longer but someone it just didn't work. I don't know why but I just want to add this bit in. I guess in a way that is true: sometimes living is the hardest thing. Ok…I'm being so morbid but I think it's because I have been watching Inuyasha lately and there is this whole idea of how it is easy to die but hard to live. Like Sango, who struggles to live even though she was tempted to kill her brother and herself as that would be easier, and like Miroku's family- who makes sure that they have children even though many of these children would suffer due to their curse but because they believe that one day they will kill Naraku.
7 I especially mention this as I feel that the conversation is kind of getting light hearted, that it seems a bit weird for these two to suddenly talk about these things in a rather casual manner when both of them are really nervous and awkward around each other.
8 Ok sexist I know but don't blame me, it is real history! In the novel it seems that these girls get to go home as soon as the emperor choose to marry but I wanted to make it more realistic as I think what happened in the novel is way too idealistic. So I kind of made it half way between what really roughly happened in Chinese history and what happened in the novel/manga etc. What really happened for many Chinese dynasty is that when the emperor died, all his concubines would be sent to nunnery and other religious centers (while, Chinese equivalent). In my story the concubines must stay in the palace until the emperor die but they are free to go home once he dies, as oppose to being sent to these religious centers.
9 I'm not fully sure whether this is done, but I think it might not be impossible. I am really glad that I get to talk about Yuri's two maids a bit more, as I kind of like them.
10 Just incase any one is actually wondering, and if I don't get to mention her two maids due to the story. Chinatsu did manage to become the empress, so she's the fifth empress of Konan as she is allowed to marry Kotsuki.
11 I know that it is not a heart attack or something but that is what Taka did in the book.
12 Originally I wasn't sure whether I can manage to show one of them (apart from Hotohori) finding their stone. I'm glad that I managed. I think I better explain about the stones in further details because I don't think I actually understand myself that clear. But to make one thing clear, Nuriko gained his stone when he called Rokou his brother, while Rokou did something out of love for his brother. So it all kind of relates to love. So something along the line likes that.
Right now, there are only two more stones left: Hotohori's and Tamahome's.
Author's Note: Well, I don't know why but for some reason this chapter seem to be shorter then the rest, and I don't know…in the end I feel that I have elaborated too much on Hotohori's past, and maybe I should have extended the bit when Hothori got poisoned. Well…but I don't want to change it. Once again I beg for reviews! I know it's shameless but they really encourage and motivate me! So if you actually do like the story then please please please (continues on for a long time) review. As most people would understand, you honestly get so touched whenever you get a review! The same goes for me too!