-Ten-Faced Paladin
Fushigi Yugi: Dansei Tsure
By Ten-Faced Paladin
Chapter 7: Hidden Love
Matthew was again wandering the halls of the palace. He was feeling a little restless after all the excitement that Nuriko had put them through. He had resorted to wearing his Chinese clothes that Hotohori had given to him. Currently he was heading to the kitchen for something to eat.
"Hey guys," Matthew greeted as he walked in. "How's everything going?"
The kitchen staff immediately stopped in their tracks as they gaped at him. They weren't sure if they should keep working or stop and bow to show their respect. Matthew was a guest of the emperor and he did come from the same world as the priestess of Suzaku. It was actually a rumor that Matthew was a hidden celestial warrior or even a second Priest of Suzaku. Neither of which had been proven.
Matthew sweatdropped as he felt the stares on him, "H-hey guys. Don't stop on my account. Pretend I'm not even here. I'm just looking for something to eat."
"Oh!" one of the female cooks gasped. "I can help!"
"Really?" Matthew asked, his mood rising at the mention of food. "I don't want to be a burden or anything."
"Oh it's no trouble Mi'lord," the woman giggled. "I would be honored."
'What's with this lord stuff?' Matthew asked himself tiredly. "Well, okay then."
"Excellent! I know just the thing!" the cook smiled as she headed over to her working area. She started grabbing ingredients and set to work on her next creation. Matthew stood at the side, watching her go, finding the foreign delicacies interesting.
"You know," the cook began. "There are quite a number of rumors floating around about you."
"Like the whole celestial warrior thing?" Matthew sighed. "Uh...I didn't quite get your name."
"Tai-Xeng," the woman smiled. "About that rumor. The answer is yes. We all seem to think you might be a celestial warrior destined to protect the priestess."
"I thought so," Matthew nodded. "Hotohori himself seems to think so too. There is a one out of four chance that I could be I suppose. Mitsukake, Chichiri, Tasuki, or Chiriko. I personally don't think so, but one never knows."
"I don't think it's so far-fetched personally," Tai-Xeng replied. "Why do you think it is?"
"Because I don't have anything that makes me special," Matthew replied. "I mean, Tamahome is a skilled matrial-artist. Nuriko has her superhuman strength and Hotohori can control the entire nation. I myself am just a mediocre artist at best. No magic power or expert skills. Why would Suzaku want me as a celestial warrior?"
"Your heart," Tai-Xeng replied gently. "I heard about how you protected her holiness while you both came to the kingdom. At great personal risk to yourself as well if what I heard was correct."
"Could have died a few times I suppose," Matthew nodded. "What's your point."
"My point is that not everyone would do that for someone else," Tai-Xeng sighed as she set her ingredients into a pot to simmer for a minute. "I have met very few young men like you who would stand up to his majestey's guards or place himself between falling rubble and another person just to protect them."
"I didn't do it alone though," Matthew pointed out. "Tamahome had my back both times. Hotohori and Nuriko were the ones who saved us both after the fact."
"True," Tai-Xeng nodded. "But that shows that you work well with the other warriors. That alone raises your chances of actually discovering yourself to be a celestial warrior."
"I wish I was optimistic about it as you were," Matthew smiled. "How are you able to give speeches like that anyway."
"A mother's touch," Tai-Xeng giggled. "I have a daughter your age who has similar issues of self-confidence sometimes."
"Oh really?" Matthew smiled as he gazed at the rest of the kitchen. "She's lucky to have a mother like you then."
"Oh why thank-you!" Tai-Xeng smiled. "You know, if you are ever in the market for a lover, I could perhaps introduce you to each other."
"Erk!" Matthew gasped as his face turned a bright red. "Uh..well, i-it's nice of you to offer but I-I think I've got too much on the mind for a girlfriend right now."
"Ah well," Tai-Xeng sighed. "If you should ever change your mind, my daughter is sought after by many young men so you'd better be quick."
"I'll be sure to remembeer that," Matthew nodded, still blushing red.
It wasn't long after that did Matthew finally get his small meal. He thanked Tai-Xeng and headed back upstairs, enjoying the stew as he went. He had to walk slow because he was having trouble gripping the ingredients with his chopsticks. Even after all his time in Japan he was still have trouble with them. He turned a corner towards Hotohori's room to try and find out if Miaka had talked to him yet or not. What he saw were Tamahome and Nuriko listenig on the wall.
"Hey guys," Matthew greeted as he came up beside them. "What are you doing?"
"Shhhh!" Nuriko hissed. "Are you trying to get us caught? We're trying to hear what's going on between his majesty and Miaka."
Matthew slurped on some noodles as he leaned in closer to the wall. Apparently something juicy was going on or else the two celstial warriors wouldn't be listening as intently as they were. Okay, maybe the would no matter what was going on but it had to be good nontheless.
"Miaka...," Hotohori's voice could be heard speaking gently. "You are exactly how I had imagined you'd be. No other woman holds any interest to me."
Matthew thought he choked on a chunk of meat that he swallowed. He stepped back from the wall and slammed his chest to try and get the meat dow. Tamahome helpfully patted his back to try and help him. It took all of Matthew's willpower to not cough.
"Will you choke quietly!" Nuriko growled silently. "Miaka's flirtting with his majesty and leading him into her clutches. I knew it!"
"Not likely," Matthew snickered while catching his breath. "Miaka doesn't even know how to flirt effectively."
"What do you mean?" asked Tmahome. One could hear some kind of hope in his voice.
"Miaka barely knows the first thing about catching a guy's attention," Matthew explained. "It's funny. She'd try so hard to get a boyfriend back home but here she's got two guys chasing her. It's amazing."
Tamahome frowned indigantly before heading back for the wall to see what else he could hear. Matthew shrugged before leaning to the wall again and returning to his meal.
"I want to know everythinhg about you," Hotohori said with conviction. "Everything!!"
'Holy crap! they're gonna get it on!' was the united thought going through three minds.
Then all was silent. Matthew didn't even dare slurp the noodles that here hanging from his mouth. He thought he could hear the padding of footsteps coming closer. Then he distictly heard the sound of something metal being drawn. He didn't even have time to blink before there was a wooshing noise and the wall collapsed in square sections. Matthew was caught standing with his noodle filled mouth while Tamahome and Nuriko were in a listening pose. All three of them were looking at a rather annoyed Hotohori who was holding a rather sharp looking sword. Miaka was sitting on his bed with her robe slightly disshelved and making a fine impression of a tomato.
"T-Tamahome! Nuriko!! Matthew!!!" she shriked in disbelief.
Hotohori looked none too pleased with his three guests and was looking at them with a sort of accusitory stare. Tamahome and Nuriko sweatdropped before they tried to make themselves look innocent. Matthew, knowing he was undeniably busted, just swallowed his pride,(along with his noodles.)
"What brings you three here?" he asked slowly and patiently, but you could hear the displeasure in his voice.
"We have come for Miaka, your majesty," Nuriko answered quickly with Tamahome nodding furiously.
Hothori nodded while he turned to Matthew. The dispeased but patient stare was turned upon him. Matthew stirred his stew for a few moments before looking back to the emperor with a cool look.
"Don't look at me," he replied. "I was just walking by when you suddenly cut the wall open. I have to admit though, that trick was so damn cool. How did you know that we were here though?"
"When one hears a choking noise before an angry hissing, it becomes quite obvious," Hotohori replied, amusement leaking into his tone.
Nuriko thew a deadly glare at Matthew, who sweatdropped nervously. If the glare could kill, that one would have incinerated him on the spot.
"My bad," Matthew laughed nervously, hoping to get the death beams off of him.
"As for you two," Hotohri spoke, truning his gaze back to Tamahome and Nuriko. "While it is true that I have granted you access to my private apartments, perhaps you couls show a little more discretion.
Tamahome and Nuriko sighed dejectedly, before Tamahome looked back up. He glanced at Miaka, who was still a marvelous shade of red.
"As you wish," Tamahome muttered before he marched away. Nuriko just 'hmphed' sourly before she followed.
Matthew just innocently chewed on his noodles again before following. He knew that this little hurdle that was Hotohori was not going to help Miaka's budding relationship with Tamahome. Nuriko probably wasn't going to help matters much either considering what they had heard Hotohori say. If anything, Nuriko was probably going to be just as vindictive as she was before, if not more so.
'Since when did my life turn into a soap opera?' Matthew idly wondered to himself as he walked towards his room.
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The next morning had brought new light and a well-rested young man with it. Matthew yawned as he stepped into the halls in his regular clothes and began wondering when breakfast was going to be. Deciding to think on it, Matthew just continued walking until he walked past Miaka's room, which the door was still open.
'Wait a sec,' Matthew thought to himself as he took a few steps back to peer inside.
Miaka was sitting on her bedroll with one of her goofier looks on her face. Judging from the bags under her eyes, she hadn't slept at all. Her hair was messed up, which wasn't a surprise when all things were considered. She also seemed to have tuned out the world.
'With what she's been through I'm not surprised,' Matthew sighed inwardly. 'How often does someone have a royal figure come onto them anyway?'
Deciding to do something about Miaka's downtrodden attitude, Matthew took charge. He walked stright intot he room and grasped Miaka's arm, helping her stand.
"Huh?" she gasped confusedly. "Wha-?"
"You've been stewing since last night," Matthew stated plainly. "So enough already. You are going to get dressed and then have breakfast. After that you are going to find a way to talk to Tamahome."
"But, but, but..!" Miaka tried to protest.
"No excuses," Matthew frowned, leaving no room for argument. "I'll be waiting outside for you."
Miaka just watched as the transfer stepped outside before shutting the door. Sighing in resignation, she began getting her uniform together. Sometimes there really wasn't any arguing with some people.
After finally getting dressed, Miaka stepped outside and saw Matthew leaning against the wall. She looked at him with a depressed gaze. Matthew sighed as he stood up and stepped up to her.
"And now we talk," he said gently. "Walk with me?"
Miaka nodded silently before the two of them began their journey. Miaka was just so confused at the moment so she didn't know what else to do but walk. It was easiest for her right now.
"I imagine you now have a bit of angst to work through." Matthew reasoned.
Miaka nodded again, "What am I going to do? I don't even know if this even happens in the book! I still have to get back and take those entrance exams too. You might even miss renewing your student visa!"
"I see," Matthew nodded. "Well, first of all, forget the exams and forget my visa."
"Huh?!" Miaka gaped. "But, but-!"
"Second of all," Matthew continued, ignoring the girl's protest. "This isn't just some game we can save at any point we want. This stopped being some book when we entered it. We just aren't in a book, we're in a whole new world. Not to mention that whatever was written in the book before is probably different now that we've become part of it."
"Well," Miaka pondered. He had a point when she thought about it that way.
"You've become a very important person here Miaka," Matthew added. "This isn't something that can wait. If what Hotohori told us about the priestess coming in times of strife is true then I think it's safe to say that you're going to be needed."
"But what about you?" asked Miaka. "I mean, they only needed one person the take on the role. Just what is your part in all this? Why are you so intent on seeing this through? It's not like you're a priest or anything."
"True," Matthew shrugged. "As to my part? I don't know. Maybe I'm a priest to another country. Maybe I'm one of your celsetial warriors. I might be a celestial warrior to a future priest or priestess that's going to come. Maybe I'm something else or nothing at all. I don't really care to be honest. All I know is that I'm stuck here now so I might as well help out any way I can. It's the least I can do for Hotohori for taking me in."
Miaka frowned as she looked to the ground. She wondered if this was a part of Matthew that Yui and a few other people saw more often than she did. The part that made them defend his good name.
"But what am I going to do about Hotohori?!" Miaka cried with waterfalls coming from her eyes. "I think he actually proposed to me! Tamahome heard the whole thing! Not to mention that Hotohri said he's going to make sure that I'm going to fall in love with him!"
"I know," Matthew nodded. "I heard you and him in his room last night. Oh, be sure to avoid Nuriko for a while. I think she's going to do unmentionable things to you for snagging her man so securely."
"Don't remind me," Miaka sighed sadly. "You're a guy. Can't you give some advice on what I should do? I don't know what I should say to Tamahome or Hotohori."
Matthew sighed as he put his hand to his face and massaged the bridge of his nose. One thing he didn't do often was give out advice since some folks didn't want to hear about it sometimes. It wasn't his fault that he didn't sugar-coat it like others did. For some reason, people didn't like that too much.
"In my professional opinion," Matthew sighed. "You've really stepped in it this time Miaka Yuki."
"Ooooooh!" Miaka groaned loudly.
"Judging from everyone's reactions last night, I'll try to summarize it for you. One: You have a crush on Tamahome. Two: Hotohori has feelings for you. Three: Nuriko hates your guts for holding the emperor's heart which she has been trying to do for the past year. Quite the messed up triangle we have going on. Or is it a square?"
"Does this have a point?" Miaka asked flatly.
"I'm getting there!" Matthew replied indigtantly. "From my guess, Tamahome has seen any possible chance he might have with you all shot to hell. I mean, how many guys can compare to someone of privelege and status like Hotohori?"
"But I don't care about that!" Miaka cried loudly.
"You know that, and I now know that," Matthew answered cooly. "But do you really think that Tamahome knows about that?"
Miaka suddenly gasped as it hit her. Matthew had a huge point. A lot of girls would flock over the chance she had been given to be married to the emperor. Heck, the Seraglio was filled with suitors for Hotohori. Tamahome probably thought she would leap for the chance too.
"Next we come to Hotohori," Matthew continued. "The guy seems to have it bad for you."
"No kidding," Miaka nodded. "I couldn't believe how forward he was."
"Anyhow," Matthew spoke. "It seems that he wants to take a shot at winning your heart despite the feelings that you have for Tamahome. Does he know you don't have feelings for him."
"He knows," Miaka sighed. "But he says he really wants to try. He wants to earn my feelings."
Matthew nodded. "Then let him try. He knows the risks of being shot down and you told him that you don't have feelings for him. We'll see what happens."
Miaka frowned as she rolled the thought around in her head. There was no real way she could discourage Hotohori's advances. She would just have to turn him down. The only problem was that she didn't want to hurt his feelings or even manage to get him to hate her.
"I'd still avoid Nuriko until the two of you can come to some kind of truce," Matthew warned. "She's going to be mad enough to spit nails for a while. Don't want that coming down on your head."
"No kidding," Miaka sighed. "I just wish she could get the message."
"Don't count on it for a while," Matthew smirked. "I personally think she's crazy."
With this said, the two students made their way to where breakfast was being served. They didn't have much to say anymore after all the talking they did beforehand.
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Miaka came from breakfast energized and was now trying to find Tamahome. Matthew had made a lot of sense in some of the things he had said. (Even if she didn't like to admit it.) So far, she couldn't see any trace of the celestial warrior. Nuriko seemed to be everywhere on the other hand. Miaka didn't stick around when she saw her. She liked her head where it was.
Miaka was about to give up for a while when she turned a corner and was faced with none other than Tamahome himself. She held in her gasp of surprise as she mentally prepared herself for the coming confrontation. She knew it was going to get ugly and possibly shed a few tears in the process. Tamahome would just have to voice his opinion about this mess. It was moments like these that seperated the women from the girls. Tamahome stepped closer to her and Miaka prepared herself for whatever he was going to said.
"Yo," Tamahome greeted as he walked stright past her.
'Huh?' Miaka gaped in shock. (She's been saying that a lot huh? ) 'Yo?! That's it? Aren't you even going to mention last night?!'
Instead of blowing up on him like she might have if the situation weren't so tense, Miaka just decided to ask a simple question, "W-where are you going?"
"I came here from the provinces to get some work but I haven't had a chance since I got here," Tamahome replied without stopping. "So I'm gonna head down and try to make some money."
"Then I'll go with you!" Miaka smiled as she tried to follow.
"Why don't you get Nuriko to help you find the other constellations?" Tamahome suggested without looking back.
"N-Nuriko?" Miaka squeaked in fear.
"MI-A-KA!!!!" an enraged voice all but shrieked from behind.
Miaka slowly turned around to see the incredibly pissed off face of Nuriko staring at her. The battle aura that the woman was giving off was incredible. Miaka squeaked in fear as she backed away. It seemed that Nuriko was posessed by her rage.
"'Nothing going on between me and Hotohori,' eh?" Nuriko hissed. "I'll never forgive you!!"
"Nuriko!" a new voice shouted sternly. Both females looked up to see Matthew walking towards them. He looked mildly irritated.
"Would you just calm down already?" Matthew sighed. "Hotohori was the one who came onto Miaka. Not the other way around. Besides, I told you that Miaka has no clue how to flirt, didn't I?"
"Hey!" Miaka shouted indignantly.
"But, she's stealing the one I love from me!" Nuriko sputtered angrily.
"Have you even talked to Hotohori before the day you pulled us from the rubble of that shrine?"
"What?" Nuriko gaped. "Of course I have. What does that have to do with anything?"
"How could you?" Matthew pressed. "He's never been to the Seraglio before and you girls aren't allowed to leave that building aren't you?"
"So?" Nuriko asked, getting nervous.
"Well, if Hotohori has never been there, and you aren't allowed to leave," Matthew reasoned. "Then I think that you haven't been able to make any kind of move on him!"
"Wha-!" both women gasped in shock. One was in surprise but the other had a slight sense of dismayed shock in her voice.
"So how can you really be upset with Miaka when you haven't made a serious attempt for the emperor's notice?" Matthew frowned.
"Uh...Uh...Um," Nuriko sputtered, the pressure beginning to get to her. Matthew just sighed to release some of his agitation.
"All I'm saying is just calm down and stop being mean to Miaka about this," he sighed before walking the same direction as Tamahome. "I'm going to town to make sure Tamahome stays out of trouble. Later."
Nuriko and Miaka watched them go. Both girls looked at each other bin surprise before Nuriko chased after Matthew, trying to get him to let her accompany him. Miaka just watched in shocked silence. It wasn't long before Miaka's determination returned.
"I can't believe how cold Tamahome was to me!" she muttered. "I just wanted to talk. Doesn't he care about me at all? Well, if he's going to be all cold about it then I'll just have to take the initiative.
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Matthew was quickly finding himself a subject of a number of stares. He usually didn't like that much attention and this was no exception. The source of his discomfort this time was none other than Nuriko hanging off his arm like a schoolgirl with her trophy boyfriend. The way she was giggling to match that little personna was not helping. Matthew's face was in Nuriko's words 'the cutest shade of red she had ever seen' because of it. Matthew swore that he was never going to be in arms reach of the woman ever again.
'That is, if I don't kill her for this today,' Matthew groaned inwardly as Nuriko yanked him around to different stores to look at what was for sale.
This processs repeated itself for some time. Each store they went to, Nuriko had some guy hit on her. She acted like an innocent woman before she finished browsing and pulled Matthew to another store. Matthew could feel it in his gut that something just wasn't right but he couldn't for the life of him figure out what it was. It didn't help his mood much when random men would walk up to him and say how lucky he was for getting such a beautiful woman for himself.
'If only they knew,' he sighed inwardly after the thirteith person made his compliments.
He turned to Nuriko, who was enjoying some sweet buns at his expense, "You do know that we are supposed to be looking for Tamahome."
"Oh Tama-baby will be fine," Nuriko giggled. "He can take care of himself. Now come on, there are some more shops I want to check out!"
"This is payback for you isn't it?" Matthew groaned.
The evil giggle Nuriko replied with did not bode well for him. She just continued to pull him along like he was her personal toy. While she was heading for another shop, Matthew noticed something like a riot was going on at the market square. Slipping from Nuriko's vice-like grip, he walked closer to the chaos before he found someone who had just gotten away from it.
"Uh, just what's going on?" he asked the villager.
"Oh, well, this guy showed up and started trying to sell some weird gub(1) stuff," the villager explained. "We thought that he was trying to pull one over on us when he said he got it from the Priestess of Suzaku. When the Priestess actually showed up and said that she gave it to him, we all kinda leaped for it."
"I...see," Matthew nodded while sweatdropping. Tamahome tried to sell something and he flopped at it. What a surprise. Usually he would be involved in a fight like this but since everyone was still concious he must have run with Miaka.
"Hey," Nuriko suddenly spoke up as she latched herself to Matthew's arm again. "Isn't that Tama-baby over there?"
Matthew grimaced from the pain he was feeling from Nuriko's tight grip but he looked over to where she was pointing. He saw people fighting in an alley of some kind and realised that it was Tamahome kicking butt down there.
"I knew he had to be fighting someone by now," Matthew snickered. "Come on, we'd better make sure that Miaka's okay."
The two made their wy past the rioting crowd and closer to where Tamahome was finishing off the last of the goons. Whatever the fight had been about, it must have been serious. Tamahome actually had a cut on his face. His ponytail had also been cut short. The rest of it was lying on the ground near his feet.
"You idiots," he grumbled. "No matter how much you are willing to pay, some things are priceless."
He glanced at Miaka before motioning her to follow him, "Let's go Miaka."
Miaka seemed stunned for a moment before she looked up to Tamahome's retreating form.
"That was a stupid thing to do!" she cried, causing the hidden Nuriko and Matthew the facefault. "Now you can't do business in this town! Why are you doing this for me?! Tell me!"
"It doens't really matter," Tamahome replied cooly.
"It does to me!" Miaka cried, tears collecting in the corners of her eyes. "CAN'T YOU SEE THAT I'M FALLING IN LOVE WITH YOU?!"
A shocked silence had fallen upon the area. Miaka covered her mouth, surprised that she had said something like that. Nuriko and Matthew seemed just as surprised. They couldn't see it, but Tamahome was just as shocked at hearing what Miaka just said. Tamahome took a deep breath before he turned back to look at Miaka.
"I'm sorry," he sighed. "But I can't say that I feel the same way. I'm just protecting you because you're the Priestess of Suzaku."
Matthew swore he could actually hear Miaka's heart break. He felt incredibly sorry for her. That was no way to hear that the one you cared about didn't return the sentiment. Miaka's tears started running down her face when she heard the news.
"We'd better get back to the palace," Tamahome sighed again as he turned to face the street. "His majesty will probably be worried about you by now."
Matthew was about ready to leap out and punch Tamahome's lights out when he heard Miaka's breathing getting harder. He glanced over to the heartbroken girl and saw a flush coming to her face. About a second after that she collapsed. Tamahome turned quickly to see the fall and he his face adopted a look of shock at what he was seeing.
"Miaka!?!" he cried as he dashed for her.
"Oh shit!" Matthew summarized quite nicely before going to join the warrior.
To Be Continued...
A/N: There we go. Chapter seven is finished and is packaged, ready to go. I hope you all enjoyed readibg it as much as I did writing it. This also finishes the first book. I'm also going to started adding some more of my personal twists to the story now that things are going to begin moving. I have a huge one lined up as well. Hope to hear from the reviewers!
(1)I mispelled that on purpose. These people never seen or heard of gum before so of course they would mis-pronounce it a few times.