Miraculous Taboo
A fanfic by Setsumi-san
Chapter Ten: Betrayal Amongst the Stars
"Aggh! Pyron, they're coming early!" she shouted.
He rushed into the room and cried, "What?! How can that be?!"
She groaned and enveloped her cramping belly. Even if she were fluent in every language that had ever existed no words could describe her pain and fear now. Dammit!
"All right, we can handle this! I'll just go get the pilot in the guest house," he declared.
She had no time to protest as he raced off into the night like a torpedo.
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Meanwhile, her brother had shaken his partner awake at camp.
He rubbed his eyes and mumbled, "What time is it?"
"Time to get moving," Ren answered, "Pack your things or I'll go find the old man myself."
The monk scowled and begrudgingly got up. He didn't see why Ren still treated him so authoritatively. After all, his arm was almost completely healed. He would have abandoned such a snotty companion long ago if he weren't so grateful.
"Little brat," he grumbled, "The things I go through for the sake of-"
Shwing! Out of nowhere, the violet-haired man brandished his weapon an inch away from his chest. The monk yelped and quivered. What the hell was wrong with this kid?
"If you have something to say, say it to my face," Ren said icily.
"Oh n-no! I h-have no problems!" he stammered.
"Good. Let's move it," he said.
Sheng Ju snorted and thought, Yes, let's. Just keep trifling with me, Ren Tao.
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Fifteen minutes later (for the trek's last part was very short for such strong people) they rode up to the hermit's ominous brown cave. A makeshift fur door hung about its mouth and a chipped pestle lied outside. However, no one answered when the monk called. He shifted restlessly.
"I don't understand," he murmured, "My master's never ignored me before."
"He's probably out gathering food or meditating," Ren replied.
He shook his head and replied, "No. He grows mushrooms inside and he wouldn't meditate very far away from here because of his age."
The word ages spun the Tao's stomach. If he was correct there was a strong chance that the old man was dead by now. He took a few deep breaths and urged himself not to scream and cause an avalanche.
"Tell me," Ren asked laconically, "exactly how old is your mentor?"
"I…don't know. By now he could be in his eighties," he replied.
"COULD?! I DIDN'T TRAVEL THIS LONG OR SAVE YOUR ASS FOR A 'COULD'!!" he roared.
"That's enough! As generous as you were, that does not give you the right to scream at me for something I was never told!"
Suddenly, a raspy voice interrupted, "Eighty-nine."
They whipped their heads toward the cave and saw that its owner was a bony brown raisin of a man in a loincloth with a beard that reached the middle of his chest. Ren could tell he was very wise yet cynical from his hardened gray eyes. This old man had probably dealt with hundreds of evil spirits and people alike. He hobbled outside and stared at them distrustfully for about half a minute.
"Eighty-nine tomorrow, that is. Though I have a feeling you didn't come here to deliver a birthday present," the hermit finally sneered.
"Master…I… "Sheng Ju began.
"Silence! You think you can come crawling back to me, you rebellious little bastard? Go home!" he barked.
"I know we've had our differences, but I need you to help this young man find his sister with the wén spell," he begged.
A thunderous crack echoed through the mountains as he slapped his former pupil. Ren flinched.
"How dare you ask me that! I'll bet you didn't tell him what you have to sacrifice for it to work either!" he exclaimed.
"What?" the youngest asked.
"You don't want to know. Go home," the old man repeated.
"I'm not afraid of sacrifices. Tell me…or I'll have to use some unfriendly persuasion."
"Very well. It's literally years of your life."
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The priestess was on the floor ready to burst. How could this have happened? Where did they go wrong? Was this God's way of punishing them for tampering with nature?
"Calm down," she told herself, "He'll be back any second. You can do this!"
She forced herself to lean against the wall and squat. Perhaps gravity would give her a little relief until she got her cesarean section. The tiny coherent corner of her brain was divided between breathing properly and trying to remember if they were bigger then the palm of her hand by now. Puffing like a steam engine, she swore that she would staple herself shut for three months if it meant they needed more time to be warm and safe.
Surprisingly, Jun wasn't afraid of her babies dying because she knew it would happen to all of her loved ones. What scared her was how early it might happen.
"They're…my girls. Not heaven's…mine!" she breathed fiercely.
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"What do you mean 'literally years of your life'?" Ren questioned.
" I can tell you're a shaman too, my boy, and a sharp one at that. Think. What's a shaman's life energy called?" he responded.
"Furyoku, of cou-"
He suddenly understood. If he wanted to save her he would have to give up so much furyoku that he could actually grow older within minutes. Well, it didn't matter. Jun was his candle in the darkness.
"How do I do it?" he asked quietly.
"Concentrate and astrally project all of your furyoku and your soul for five minutes," he instructed.
"In short, temporarily kill myself."
"Wait! Aren't you going to assist him, master? That way he'll age less," Sheng Ju said disbelievingly.
"Why should I? She's not my sister, " his mentor replied.
"Fine! I'll help him," he declared.
He slapped him again and shouted, "You fool! You can't handle the wén spell!"
The astrologer rubbed his cheek and teared up from bittersweet pain. For just a tiny split second their bond had rekindled. His teacher…his teacher still cared about him in an exasperated sort of way. He swallowed the lump in his throat as memories of their years together washed over him.
"I'm not leaving until you train me!"
"I can't predict the weather; I just can't!"
"Yes you can, boy. You've just got to quit thinking of it in material terms. Remember to let the nature spirits guide you."
"That's it! You're gaining more control!"
"I don't have to listen to you, old man! I'm fifteen!"
"Does…this mean…you want to help us?" he asked sotto voce.
The old man seemed to blush and grumbled, "Only because I want to teach you that it's better to be safe then sorry. Besides, I'm not scared of losing what few years I have left."
"Are you lovebirds going to talk all day or give me a hand?!" Ren snapped.
"Right. Let's begin," the hermit instructed.
Their heartbeats were hummingbird's wings as they joined hands and inhaled deeply three times. This was it. Ren knew he could come out of this one hundred years old. Would it be worth it if he became too elderly and weak to rescue his sister?
Fuck it, he thought, I'm ready.
They inhaled three times in unison and screamed as their furyoku and souls shot into oblivion like rockets. Everything was chaotic for a few seconds. At first they were involuntarily racing through a blood red wormhole filled with voices speaking in every language, and then their souls appeared in outer space itself. Ren cursed as a shooting star whizzed right through him and looked down at the Earth. How was he supposed to find Jun this way?
"BIG SISTER!!" he screamed.
Two rays of his furyoku echoed onto the Earth with his voice. There was no sign of Jun or Pyron until he heard a loud crack and an image of a tropical island came into his mind.
"What the?" Ren murmured.
"I sensed it too. That's where she is. She'd erected a magical shield around the island, but has weakened so badly that it's starting to crumble," Sheng Ju explained.
"Really?"
"Oh yes. Thank you so much, Ren Tao. Your father and I have her and her bastard children right where we want them now."
With that, he smirked and he demolished the hermit's soul with a blast of orange furyoku.
