Disclaimer: The characters from Fushigi Yuugi are the creations and property of Yuu Watase and related enterprises. I do not own them and do not make any profit from this fiction other than my enjoyment in spending time with them.
However, the plotline for this story, as well as all original characters, DO belong to me and may not be used elsewhere without my permission.
Warning: Spoilers for OVA 2, for "White Stones in the Moonlight," and worst of all – for future chapters of "Bridge Over the Abyss." Sorry, Bridge fans - it just sorta…happened.
****
Chapter 3. First gusts of windThe snow fell heavily, the thick flakes drifting silently, ceaselessly through the darkness to land as softly as lovers' kisses - unless they touched flesh, at which point they sharpened into tiny, icy bites. The great black stallion shook his mane to rid himself of the chill blanket, the white plumes of his snorting breaths lending him a dragon-like appearance in the blue twilight. He tossed his head and stamped in impatience, his irritation shared by the bulky figure on his back.
The figure shifted his weight slightly and shook his own head, the flames of his hair gleaming beneath the white flakes that clung to each strand. His teal collar was turned up against the chill air, the rest of his midnight blue coat flaring out around the bulge at his waist, making him appear as if he were great with child – which, in a way, he was. The child rested against his body as he tried desperately to shield her from the relentless cold, pulling her close. He grew alarmed at her limpness as she reclined against his chest, and decided that he could wait no longer.
"'Chiri!" he burst out, shouting towards the cloaked and hooded figure standing several meters away, only dimly visible through the veil of drifting white. "'Chiri, goddamnit, we gotta get out of here! Just fuckin' give up, already!"
The magician stood with his arms outstretched, one frozen hand grasping the shakujou, the other hand reaching with trembling, near-frostbitten fingers for the elusive, mystical tendrils he could feel almost within his grasp. But the angry shouts broke his concentration, making him hurl an explosive curse as the tendrils swirled out of his grasp yet again. He whirled around, enraged at the interruption, preparing to give his companion a severe dressing down--until he saw him shake his small burden.
"Doulin! Goddamnit, open your eyes! Come on, wake up, Subaru! Come on!"
The small girl sighed and shifted within his coat but didn't waken. Tasuki turned panic-stricken eyes towards Chichiri, who placed cold but gentle fingers on the child's head, frowning in concern.
"See, Chiri? We gotta go back down the mountain an' get her someplace warm! We'll just hafta try to get to the Refuge later."
"No time!" snapped Chichiri. "She'll never make it all the way back down Crystal Mountain."
Tasuki began to curse fluently, the harsh words contrasting sharply with the tenderness of his motions as he brushed the accumulating snow from Doulin's hooded head. "As much as I'm a mountain lover, I fuckin' hate every goddamn mountain in Hokkan! First fuckin' Mount Black, now this godforsaken shitpile! Why the fuck couldn't we just have hidden the children at Mount Taikyoku? Be a hell of a lot easier to get to, for one thing!"
"That's exactly the problem, Tasuki: the easier it is for us to find, the easier it would be for them to find it as well. You remember how Tenkou was able to penetrate and attack Mount Taikyoku--and this enemy appears far more formidable." Chichiri huffed out an impatient breath. "Enough of this! I have to get us inside now--and I need your help, Tasuki."
Years ago, Tasuki would have wasted time with questions and arguments, but he was no longer that same impulsive young man. "Take whatever you need."
"I'll need everything you can give."
"Like I said: take it."
Chichiri nodded, then turned back in the direction he had originally been facing. He flung his arms out, reaching, reaching with his fingers, mind, spirit. He struggled to maintain the shield over their three ki forces while at the same time stretching for the key that would unlock the mystical entrance to the Refuge within the mountain. Just as his strength began to waver, he felt Tasuki send his ki force towards him--and he seized it, grasping it and intertwining it with his as he commanded the mystical gateway to open to him.
The gateway shivered away from his command, escaping him yet again. Chichiri pulled more strength from Tasuki as he psychically pursued the elusive key. He was aware of the younger man shivering violently in the cold, clasping the tiny girl to him with what remained of his strength, and he knew that if he spent the last of their ki in a futile effort, all three of them would die of exposure right on the threshold of safety. He felt another surge of power as Tasuki sent the last of his ki to him, and also caught the stifled gasp of pain torn from the redhead's throat.
That was it. Chichiri let his rage at his brother's suffering; no, his rage at the suffering of all of the shichiseishi, the children in particular, fill him with a dark and violent force. He fed on the darkness, using its fierce power to send his ki spinning through the ether, eagerly hunting the elusive gateway. He knew that this was dangerous on more levels than he cared to consider, but he was damned if he'd let them die before the battle was even engaged! He cursed the over-zealous security measures that threatened the very people it was supposed to protect, damning Taiitsukun's short-sightedness and their hidden enemy whose murky motives forced their hand, then finally cursed the unexpected spring snowstorm that had blown up out of nowhere, changing a dauntingly difficult ascent into an insane race against time and the elements.
His ki fed on the dark energy, ffixing on its quarry--the mystical gateway, twisting just out of reach--and his life force suddenly burst forward, grasping the gateway in a red-clawed grip.
"Open to me!" howled the magician, as his ki lashed out and tore the gateway asunder.
The sky, earth, and air detonated around the three humans and their horses, the mountaintop exploding beneath their feet as they were sent spinning through a painfully dazzling white light…ending by falling into a final velvet darkness.
****
Pain. Pulsing in his head, radiating from his limbs, shivering through his teeth. Pain was good, proving that one was still alive. He held onto that thought as he drifted up towards consciousness, his senses returning slowly.
He heard someone retching near him, the dry, racking heaves punctuated intermittently by weak but heartfelt curses. Also nearby was the sound of a young girl sobbing, and the murmur of voices trying to comfort her. Relief swept through him, and he opened his eye, wincing as the light sent daggers into his aching head. He forced the pained orb to focus on the blurred bulk before him… Oh, Gods!
He nearly jumped back at the dreadful visage looming not ten inches from his own face, his heart pounding at its unaccustomed proximity before his rational mind reassured him with its familiarity. Taiitsukun, damn her, letting her ugly features fill his range of vision… and letting her satisfaction at his flinch gleam in her hooded eyes.
"So!" The harsh voice rang in his ears, the pain bringing small motes of light to dance before his eye. "This is a pretty state of affairs! I had hoped that the continued proximity of you two to one another would result in some of your circumspection rubbing off on that hot-headed loudmouth over there…" she waved a hand towards the still-retching seishi, who acknowledged her with a curse,"…but instead, I find that his hot-headedness has rubbed off on you! Instead of opening a gateway, you decided to execute the spiritual equivalent of knocking down the entire wall!"
He had had enough. His still-throbbing headache and the memory of their desperation fueled his temper, and he let fly, cursing Taiitsukun as thoroughly as his younger companion had ever done.
"Damn you, Taiitsukun, don't you dare take me to task for the desperate measures your ignorance forced me to take! I had knocked, I had psychically banged on your door and rattled your windows, and still your seven-times accursed gateway would not let us in! I have warned you of this difficulty in the past and begged you to either alter the spell or set sentries on the gate to assist from within, but obviously my advice means very little in the great scheme of things. Perhaps it would suit your purposes better to have three of the shichiseishi dead on your doorstep!"
The monk knew that his show of temper would amuse Taiitsukun more than offend her, and as expected, he saw her eyes gleam with enjoyment at his first curses. But the Oracle's expression grew grim at the end of his diatribe, and she floated back, adjusting her ribbons.
"It would not suit my purposes at all, Suzaku no Chichiri, as well you know. But there are new and serious developments that prevent us from loosening any of our security measures, and I would speak with you privately about them; both of you. Nyan!" she called.
Three of the small blue-haired girls floated up, each bearing a cup of a fragrant herbal draught, which they handed to Doulin and the two men. A fourth Nyan-nyan crouched near the young, white-haired seishi, urging the girl to drink. Chichiri swallowed his dose and immediately felt better, noting by the cessation of retching that Tasuki had done the same.
Tasuki rose from his knees and stalked over to the Oracle and her disciple. "Goddamnit, Ba-baa, why the fuck didn't you give me that drinkfive minutes ago, while we were waiting for 'Chiri to wake up? Woulda saved me a lotta grief!"
"I have no idea," replied Taiitsukun, deadpan. "Perhaps I was distracted by your colorful comments."
Tasuki surged forward in anger, but Chichiri placed a restraining hand on his arm. "The fault is mine, Tasuki. I'm sorry that I put you through so much."
Tasuki calmed immediately, following the Oracle and the monk as they moved deeper within the cavern. "I'm not mad at you, 'Chiri; you only did what you had to. And the important thing is that it worked, right?"
They had reached a makeshift temple set up in one of the larger chambers. Unlike the extensive facilities at Mount Taikyoku, this was the only place for Taiitsukun to reside, receive visitors, and commune with the four seikun. The interior was decorated with statues of the four gods centered around Taiitsukun's dais, but the ceiling was much lower than the vaulted temple at Mount Taikyoku, revealing sparkling crystals jutting from the stone. Taiitsukun took up her customary position floating above the dais, rearranging her ribbons. The drip of moisture trickling down the crystal-studded walls and the scent of sacred incense conferred upon the temple the tranquil atmosphere of its larger counterpart in the center of the ShiJinTenChiSho.
"I have called you here, Suzaku no Seishi, to enlighten you on recent discoveries. As you know, the seikun and I have not been idle while you have been on your mission to find and rescue Byakko no Subaru. We have used all of our combined powers and resources to discover more about this hidden enemy; if not its purpose, then at least its methods. What we have found has given us an indication of its limitations… and at the same time, has shown us that these limitations recede a little more each day before its growing power."
Taiitsukun sighed. "The Enemy is our only name for it since we know so little of it. Yet the fact that these flying creatures have not completely overrun us tells us that the Enemy cannot move freely through our world; not yet, anyway. So far, only the shichiseishi children have been openly attacked. This suggests that the Enemy fears, or is at least wary of, the powers of the adult seishi. However, we are uncertain of the safety of some of our elderly seishi, since their powers wane with age. Genbu is particularly concerned about this possibility since he has three seishi over the age of eighty."
"So Old Snake-Fucking-Turtle has actually woken up long enough to express an opinion on any of this?"
Taiitsukun sent a quelling glare at the bandit. "Not only is the eldest seikun awake, but also present in this temple and listening in on our conversation, Suzaku no Tasuki! So you may want to reconsider your penchant for blasphemy for the next few minutes!"
Tasuki swallowed nervously and decided to keep silent for once.
"As I was saying, we have found out more of the Enemy's mode of operation by using all of the spiritual channels at our disposal. And what we have found is chilling." The Oracle's voice took on a grim edge. "Since the Enemy is as yet unable to move freely through this world, it has worked around this limitation by enlisting allies--human allies."
"Fuck! What in fthe seven hells are they thinkin'?"
"Probably the same things mercenary humans have been thinking since the beginning of time, Suzaku no Tasuki. Possibly some are in desperate straits, playing the betrayal game just to survive, while others merely live for the easy profit or the lure of power. And there are some who enjoy the murder and mayhem: bandits, slavers and the like."
"Not my guys; they're not that fuckin' stupid or immoral!"
"No, indeed we are indebted to your associate Kouji for bringing to our attention the attempted recruitment by persons unknown of bandits for mysterious tasks such as raids on holy monasteries, and the locating of certain special children. Although you are correct in predicting that the Mount Reikaku bandits would refuse to fall in with such schemes, they are by far not the only group of bandits in our world."
"Goddamnit! What's it gonna cost them to refuse this offer? They're in trouble, aren't they? I gotta get there now."
"I'm sorry, Suzaku no Tasuki, but I'm afraid that is impossible. Your presence is required on a far more important mission."
Tasuki's voice rose in frustration. "What could be more important than making sure that Kouji and the gang are all right?"
"The rescue of the Priestess of Suzaku…and Suzaku no Seishi Tamahome."
He was struck silent with shock, his eyes wide and disbelieving. Chichiri moved forward from the shadows where he had been standing quietly, listening with a meditative demeanor. He was equally as shaken as Tasuki but kept his voice low and controlled.
"How can this be? They should be safe in their world. How can what threatens us possibly touch them?"
The Oracle's reply was dry. "Tenkou succeeded in reaching across two worlds to attack them, and I have already informed you that the power of this Enemy makes Tenkou's efforts look like a child grasping at toys. We have found out that the dark spiritual energy that signifies the Enemy is massing at the interface between the worlds. It has tried and failed twice to breach the barrier--but there are cracks developing in the barrier, and we fear that the Enemy will very shortly be able to send some agents into Miaka's world." The Oracle paused, her harsh voice edged with anxiety. "Of course, there is yet another Priestess in that same time and place who may also be a target."
"The Priestess of Seiryuu: Miaka's friend Yui." Chichiri's reply was equally grim.
"That is a distinct possibility. And Chichiri… this information has come to us at very high price--very high."
The monk lifted his gaze, surprised at the sudden soft sympathy in Taiitsukun's voice. He felt the cold hand of dread grip his heart. "What price?" he rasped, his throat tight.
"The ones who had been tracking the movements of the Enemy with their spiritual gifts were the monks of Suzaku at the monastery in--"
"What do you mean, were? They're not--!"
Taiitsukun held his gaze, her hooded eyes conveying sorrow and regret.
"Oh, Gods!" The words burst out of Chichiri as the darkness swirled around him yet again. Oh, dear gods, would this never cease? Was he destined to lose everything in this life that he had ever cared for? He felt his vision darken at the edges, while at the same time, clear images rose in his memory: peaceful alcoves, the shining trickle of a tiny stream, the intricate yet soothing patterns of smooth stones in a meditation garden. This refuge to which he returned on occasion to refresh his weary wanderer's soul, communing with the gentle and wise monks who resided there; was it really lost forever?
He felt his legs weaken from the shock. A strong hand seized his elbow, supporting him.
"Steady there, 'Chiri." The normally rough tones were uncharacteristically gentle. "I'm here with ya; don't lose it, now. We're gonna make it through this, I promise."
Chichiri leaned his head back against Tasuki's shoulder, drawing strength from his touch. Was it just one week ago that he had offered comfort to Tasuki? That was how life worked: giving and taking, circles and spirals… He let his mind trace the shapes of the eternal oscillations of existence, drawing comfort from the abstract meditation in the way that the Master had taught him. The Master's teachings…perhaps not lost forever, if they continued to live in him.
He drew on this thought to fuel his strength, and straightened, squeezing Tasuki's shoulder in gratitude. He turned to face the Oracle, his voice intense and resolute.
"No more sacrifices! Tell us what we must do."
****
The three figures moved back towards the main cavern, passing through low-ceilinged corridors whose surfaces glittered in the lantern light with thousands of brilliant crystals. The crystals which gave the isolated mountain its name also made it the perfect choice for the Refuge: the angular surfaces of each crystal not only blocked any psychic energy probes from outside, but also scattered the powerful ki signatures of the warriors within, effectively concealing their presence.
Tasuki hesitated as they passed one of the larger chambers within the mountain, pausing politely to allow one of Nyan's manifestations to duck inside with several cups of warm milk.
"Would it be okay to look in on th' kids one last time?"
He appeared to be asking Chichiri, but Taiitsukun knew that it was her permission that he sought.
"Of course!" she barked. "Just don't take too long."
Tasuki scowled to hide his gratitude, while Chichiri smiled at the soft spot that the bandit had for children; a soft spot that he unsuccessfully tried to hide.
Tasuki and Chichiri stepped into the children's dormitory, and were immediately met with cries of delight from many of the young inhabitants. They were instantly tackled by a small fury with cloud-white hair: Doulin, fully recovered from the cold and from the shock of their violent entry into the Refuge.
"Tasuki-kun! 'Chiri-san! I knew that you would come to say goodnight! Look, I've made lots of new friends already!"
She waved a hand around the dormitory, indicating children who ranged in age from 6 months--the infant twins in one cradle--to 9 years: a dark-haired boy with mischievous eyes, who had, as eldest, appointed himself the leader of the child seishi.
Doulin's eyes suddenly grew adult and serious, and she leaned in to whisper to the monk. "I'm not sure if all of them have their seishi memories back, so I'm just talking to them all as children."
"Very wise, Subaru," approved Chichiri. "You're correct: some remember, but others do not, and it's best not to force the memories on them."
Tasuki was knocking fists with the dark boy. "Hey, Chamka, keepin' the troops in line?"
The boy grinned back at him. "Yeah, no problem with this bunch." He lowered his voice. "You know, Tasuki, you can call me Tomite; I have all my memories back. Not like him," he said sadly, indicating a boy of seven with long silvery grey hair trailing over his right eye, sitting on a cot and studying a scroll, blatantly ignoring them.
Tasuki gripped the boy's shoulder reassuringly. "Try not to worry, Tomite; like 'Chiri said, it's best not to force the memories. They'll come back in their own time. Anyway, you can always try to make friends without relying on your past lives."
Tomite sighed. "Yeah...but I already screwed up with Emtato. Tried to force our old relationship, and now he won't even talk to me and gets really angry if I call him Hikitsu."
Tasuki gave the boy another reassuring grin. "Maybe that's the way to go with old tight-ass Hikitsu: keep pissin' him off, and when you find ice-snakes crawlin' up your ass, you know that you got through to him!"
Tomite finally laughed, and Tasuki slapped him on the back, turning to join Chichiri as they approached the four children who were always found in close proximity to one another. The eldest, a seven-year old with light chestnut hair, was patiently reading from a picture scroll to a chubby black-haired four-year old, while a pixie-faced six-year-old with long violet hair hovered protectively near an astoundingly beautiful two-year-old child, trying to get the little one to drink a cup of milk.
"Come on, Sai," he urged the child gently. "Drink it for Ryuuen. How else are you going to grow up to be a big, strong man?"
Tasuki raised an eyebrow. "Uh, 'Chiri, hasn't anyone told--?"
He was interrupted by the monk shaking his head and raising a finger to his lips.
The seven-year-old stopped reading at the sound of their voices and smiled in delight. "Tasuki-kun! Chichiri-san! It's good to see you again! How did the mission go?"
"Pretty well, Chiriko, as you can see." Tasuki waved Subaru over to them. "Do you remember Subaru?"
"Of course. How could I forget such a kind and beautiful lady?" exclaimed the boy.
Subaru blushed in pleasure and returned Chiriko's polite bow.
"Smooth," murmured Tasuki under his breath. "Real smooth, Chiri-chan; gonna be a lady-killer in no time."
Chiriko flushed and elbowed the redhead affectionately.
The four-year-old, miffed at having his story so rudely interrupted, stuck out his lower lip.
Tasuki turned to him and grinned. "How's it goin', Juan?"
The pouting lower lip began to tremble, and the child let out a loud wail. "I don't like your scary face!"
"Oh, fuck, here we go again! What the fuck did I ever do to ya? It's not like I'm gonna flame ya or anythin'!"
The four-year-old wailed louder. "I don' waaaanna be flaaaaaamed!"
A small fist connected with Tasuki's stomach and sent him flying across the room, where he hit the wall with a loud thud. He raised dazed eyes to meet a sparkling violet gaze.
"Just leave him alone, all right?" warned the six-year-old softly.
Tasuki groaned, clutching his solar plexus. "Goddamnit, Nuriko, you know damn well that I didn't do anythin' to him!"
Meanwhile, Chichiri swiftly picked up the wailing four-year-old, who quieted immediately in his favorite seishi's arms, burrowing his head into the monk's kesa.
The purple-haired boy raised innocent violet eyes to the bandit's angry amber gaze. "Nuriko? Who's Nuriko? My name is Ryuuen."
Smirking at Tasuki, the young boy sauntered away to rejoin the two-year-old, who watched all of these exciting events with wide dark gold eyes, twisting fine chestnut curls in tiny fingers.
Tasuki pulled himself to his feet, muttering curses under his breath. Chichiri raised his eyebrows at his colleague. "Fuckin' hell! I'm tellin' ya, 'Chiri, that little shit has all his memories! He's just pretending that he doesn't, so he can knock me into a wall every chance he gets! Lookit the way he hangs all over Hotohori; just like old times!"
"Well, if he truly has all his memories, perhaps he's also getting back at you for the time you sent him off on a wild goose chase, claiming that Tasuki was dead."
"Fuck!" muttered the bandit. "Whose fuckin' idea was it to spend time with these little shits, anyway?"
"Yours," reminded Chichiri, setting Mitsukake down to rejoin Chiriko.
"Fuck!" grumbled the bandit again.
Just as things were settling down in the children's dormitory, a commotion occurred at the entrance. Two men appeared in snow-covered cloaks, escorting a much smaller cloaked figure between them. The small figure threw back his hood to reveal long hair as white as Subaru's, framing an elven face with uptilted sparkling gold eyes. Small gold hoop earrings gleamed in the lamplight, as the boy hooked his thumbs through his tunic belt.
"Greetings to all my fellow celestial warriors!" he announced grandly. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Lanva Hahm, otherwise known as Byakko no Shichiseishi Tokaki. I am very pleased to make the acquaintance of all you gentlemen and ladies…especially the ladies!" His eyes gleamed at the sight of Doulin's white hair.
Doulin stiffened at his leering regard.
"Oh, just shut up and get in there!" snarled the sable-haired young man standing behind him, giving the boy a hard shove into the room. Tokaki stumbled but soon regained his balance and began sauntering casually in Doulin's direction.
Tasuki and Chichiri approached the two cloaked seishi. "Hatsui, Urumiya, great ta see you!"
All four seishi began grasping hands warmly, glad to see that their compatriots had survived their latest mission.
Chichiri turned a sympathetic gaze towards the blond Genbu warrior. "Rough trip?"
"You don't know the half of it!" exclaimed Urumiya, brushing his long bangs out of his eyes. "Not the rescue part; that went as planned. The hard part was trying to transport that ecchi youngster back here; that's where we caught all the grief!"
"Ecchi?" asked Tasuki, frowning at the boy, who was now trying to chat up a scowling Doulin. "I mean, he definitely was a lech in his last life, but isn't he a little young to be that way already?"
"Tell that to all the serving girls in every inn we stopped at between Sairou and here," grumbled Hatsui. "You would think that seven was a little young to be interested in the opposite sex, but not for him; he was groping and pinching every female that came within range! And I can't tell you how many times either Urumiya or I got the blame instead of him. We've been slapped more times on this one trip than in our entire adolescence put together!"
"We couldn't get him back here fast enough," agreed Urumiya. "I kept wishing for your shakujou, Chichiri; from what I remember, it packs a pretty good wallop!"
Chichirilaughed at the recollection of the time he knocked out both Hatsui and Urumiya, at the time only twelve and thirteen years old, to save them from Nakago's deadly power.
Meanwhile, the ecchi youngster under discussion pulled an object out of his tunic and presented it to a wary Doulin. "This is for you, Subaru."
She examined the solid wooden doll, long strands of white horsehair glued to the figure's head, and a tiny silken dress encasing its body.
Tokaki grinned ingratiatingly at the girl. "Don't you remember? We were husband and wife…lovers," he purred, placing a hand on her thigh.
Tasuki started forward, scowling at the sight of a seven-year-old boy propositioning a six-year-old girl. Past life memories or not, it was still a disturbing picture, and Tasuki was very protective of Doulin. But Chichiri restrained him with a hand on his arm.
Doulin looked down at the hand on her thigh, then at the doll in her hand, and finally at the smiling golden eyes… and promptly slammed Tokaki over the head with the hard wooden doll.
"Itaiiiiiiiii!" he yelled, clutching the rapidly swelling bump on his head. "What did you do that for?" he howled. "Don't you remember that we were married?"
"I remember," Subaru replied calmly. "But the important term is "were." We're not married in this life, and I'm too young to be indulging in the sort of activities you have in mind. So you can take your hentai thoughts and shove them…where a lady can't say."
She got up and walked over to a stunned Chiriko, who had a front-row seat to the domestic quarrel. "Please, Chiriko, go on with reading that lovely story to us, won't you?" she asked sweetly, as she settled down beside him.
The Suzaku seishi went as scarlet as his patron god but continued with his reading aloud as requested. Tokaki sent a narrow-eyed glare at the other seven-year-old boy, who surprisingly smirked at him in return.
The four older seishi tried to smother their laughter.
"Man, I am soooo glad I stayed here to see that!" crowed Urumiya.
"He had that one coming to him," agreed Hatsui happily.
Tasuki grinned and, catching Chiriko's eye, winked at him. "Who woulda ever saw that rivalry developing: Chiri-chan versus Tokaki?"
Chichiri smiled in satisfaction. "Yes, I knew that Subaru could take care of herself; she's always been a formidable warrior."
One of the Nyan-nyans swooped into the room. The only parent present among the children was the mother of the twins, who had just finished feeding the babies for the night. Nyan-nyan flew up to help her settle the infants into their cradle and to shoo the other younger children into their beds.
Chichiri looked at the activity and sighed. "It's time for us to go, Tasuki."
"What, do you have to go out on another mission already?" asked Hatsui in disbelief.
"Yeah," replied Tasuki, his eyes darkening. "A really important one."
Urumiya frowned in confusion. "I thought that we had retrieved all of the children now, except for the missing Seiryuu warriors, of course – and I thought that you had determined that it was hopeless to try that any longer."
"No, that isn't it. There is a new threat…to our Priestess." murmured Chichiri. "And perhaps to the Priestess of Seiryuu, as well."
The Genbu warriors' eyes widened in shock. For one brief period in time, Yui Hongo had been their Priestess as well, and although she had brought back the spirit of the original Priestess of Genbu, Okuda Takiko, Hatsui and Urumiya never forgot their fierce devotion to their temporary Miko.
"We're going with you!" Urumiya announced.
Chichiri shook his head. "You can't," he replied simply. "This is a stealth mission; we can't afford to have too many of the ki forces of the shichiseishi suddenly appearing in the other world. Not to mention that this will be a difficult transmigration for me, and I'm afraid that Tasuki is the only one I can bring across safely. I don't know if we will remain there, or if we will need to bring Miaka, Yui, and Tamahome back here. In any case, if the first situation happens, Taiitsukun can't spare you, since you two and the Byakko seishi Kokie and Toroki are the only shichiseishi who are in the full prime of their powers. If the second situation occurs, I can say with certainty that I can't possibly transport six people in addition to myself across the barrier between the worlds."
The two Genbu seishi grimaced in frustration but were forced to acknowledge the logic of Chichiri's arguments.
"Then take our prayers for your success with you," murmured Hatsui huskily, and the four men embraced briefly.
The Genbu seishi left to return to their quarters, and the two Suzaku seishi turned to leave as well, when suddenly a small cloud-white hurricane barreled into them.
Doulin clutched at Chichiri's kesa, biting back sobs. "You two take care of yourselves, now that I won't be there to look after you, do you hear?"
Chichiri smiled reassuringly at her. "We'll be just fine."
Doulin pulled at Tasuki's coat until he knelt before her, then flung herself into his arms. "I won't forgive you if you let yourself get hurt, do you hear me, Fang-boy?"
Tasuki smiled fondly at her, smoothing her wild hair out of her eyes. "Reason enough for me to be careful," he teased her. "'Specially since I'm plenty scared of Byakko no Subaru!" He nodded over at the scowling figure of Tokaki. "You keep him in line as well, you hear?"
Subaru laughed through her tears. "Oh, he's no problem, believe me! Not as long as I have anything within my reach that I can use as a club, anyway!"
Tokaki grumbled to himself. "Now I get it!" he complained under his breath. "She's into older men, that's the trouble!"
Subaru turned away to return to her bed, suddenly revealing another figure standing behind her. Violet eyes gazed up at the two elder seishi intently. "You send my love to my best girl and Tama-chan, too. And make sure you look after them!"
Chichiri inclined his head, smiling, while Tasuki burst into curses. "Goddamnit, you little shit! I knew you had your memories back, Nuriko!"
The purple-haired child grinned as he turned away. "Who's Nuriko?" he asked innocently, "… Gen-chan!" then winked.
****
The huge black stallion shook his mane, scattering droplets of water but otherwise going along docilely with being saddled up again. In the four years of his life as the mount of the bandit-seishi of Suzaku, Makaze had learned that odd hours and sudden reversals were the rule rather than the exception. So he contented himself with dragging out a few extra wisps of hay from the hayrack before being ridden off into the wintry night yet again.
Hikari, Chichiri's white mare, was equally familiar with a celestial warrior's schedule, so she, too, grabbed an extra mouthful of oats while the magician loaded her saddle bags with supplies.
Chichiri looked across at his long-time companion as his fiery head bent over his task. He noted the occasional clenching of Tasuki's fists as he intermittently paused in thought. Finally Tasuki broke the silence.
"It's been eight years, 'Chiri; bet they've been married a long time. Betcha they got a couple of rugrats underfoot." He raised troubled eyes to Chichiri's gaze. "How're we gonna explain to them that their whole family might be in danger?"
Chichiri read the pain that Tasuki had tried to hide. "I don't think that it's been eight years for them, Tasuki. Time passes slower in their world than in ours, remember? Miaka was only beginning the second phase of her schooling when we last saw her. I can tell you for certain that young women marry at a far later age in Miaka's world than they do in ours. It seems that it is as important there for a young woman to get a complete education as it is for a young man."
Chichiri paused, suddenly vividly reminded of the one who had taught him so much about this other world. He could see her warm brown eyes, hear her unrestrained laughter, feel the shooting sparks of her rage…taste her passion. It was a funny thing. He had spent so much of his life yearning after the lost dream that was Kouran, thinking of her as the only woman he would ever love, unable to let go of her memory even when-- Now that Hikou had revealed the truth behind the tragedy of his youth, and he found out that Kouran had truly loved him after all...only now could he allow Kouran to lie in peace, and relegate her to her proper status in his life as his first love.
Ironically, his thoughts kept turning to the woman who had come after, the woman who had loved him unconditionally, scars, faults and all. Would she be there in Miaka's world? No; she had explained to him that she came from a country far removed from the one the Priestesses had originated from. This country was across a huge ocean, an ocean at least three times bigger than the one that surrounded his own world. If she were there, would she still be older than him…or would he now be older than her? Would time have changed her as it had changed him? Perhaps, but the essentials of her personality had been established long before he ever met her. It was unlikely that she had lost any of those sparkling personality traits that he had so…loved.
Tears suddenly rose in his eye. What a fool he had been in his youth, living for a ghost, letting his chances for true happiness slip from his grasp! Perhaps this was his punishment from the gods for his youthful crimes: that he should always yearn for that which he could never have. He blinked back the tears, glancing over at his companion, now also lost in his own thoughts. He and Tasuki made the perfect partners, he thought ironically; forever yearning after the women they could never have. The difference was that Tasuki had had his happiness torn from his grasp, whereas he had thrown his own chances away with both hands.
Chichiri forced his thoughts back to the present urgency of their situation. He had no time for self-pity--gods, would he turn into a maudlin, gloomy old man? Better death than that future--and better life than death! He pulled on leather boots, replacing his damp leggings and once more donning his heavy hooded cloak while glancing out at the snow that still fell heavily from the night sky. A sudden gust of wind blew into the alcove of the crystal cave that served as a stable, making him shiver in anticipation of the long, cold journey ahead of them.
"I'm sorry, Tasuki." His voice burst out of the silence, startling the other seishi. "I wish that we could at least spend the night here, but I can't shake the feeling of urgency about this mission. I can't explain it; I just feel this overwhelming need to get to Miaka's world as soon as we can. And unfortunately, we have to be far from the Refuge when we cross over, just in case the energy I expend in transmigation is picked up by the Enemy."
"I understand, 'Chiri, and ta tell the truth, I got that same feeling of urgency that you're getting. Besides, what's a little fluffy snow to us celestial warriors, 'specially when one of us has an incredibly sugoi coat!"
Tasuki spread his arms apart to show off the mystically refurbished midnight blue coat with the familiar teal trim. He flexed his arms in the old coat that had been adjusted by a simple spell to accommodate the now broader shoulders and chest, and the increased height of its longtime owner. Flipping up the edges of the coat to reveal the new thick silk teal lining, he grinned at the monk, his white fangs gleaming in the dim lamplight.
"See? Better than a personal tailor – everyone oughta have a personal magician!"
Chichiri laughed, glad to see Tasuki's high spirits return. No matter what pain it might cause him, Tasuki couldn't help but be happy at the prospect of seeing Miaka again.
"Yeah," Tasuki agreed quietly, once more showing his uncanny ability to track with Chichiri's thoughts. "It'll be worth it, just to see her once more." His expression brightened. "Not to mention seeing Tama, too; been too long since I had a really good brawl!"
"Tasuki!" scolded the magician in mock reproof.
"Yeah, yeah, I know--I'm supposed to be more mature now." He turned a mischievous gaze on his brother seishi. "Well, you know what I always say: Fuck maturity!"
Their laughter was carried off on the wind as they led their horses into the wintry night.
****
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Glossary of Japanese terms:
ki – life force
"Ba-baa!" – "Old Hag!"
seikun – beast god
ShiJinTenChiSho – the Universe of the Four Gods
ecchi – perverted
"Itaiii!" – "Ouch!" or "It hurts!"
hentai – pervert
sugoi – amazing or cool
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Author's Notes: (1-30-03) Hang on, folks – interminably long author's notes this time!
First of all, thank you to all you reviewers who did the "Tasuki definitions" at the end of the last chapter; your wit really cracked me up while I was on vacation. Secondly, I need to credit sources for info about the Byakko and Genbu seishi for this chapter: Kryssa, Kaze-chan and Purple Mouse, and also the marvelous FY info website "The Fire of Suzaku's Wings" created by Sharla-chan.
Next, I need to address the twins' reincarnation issue. Kryssa very accurately pointed out that Kaika recovered from Tenkou's attack in the manga version of the OVAs, whereas my strong impression from the OVA 1 anime was that Suboshi/Amiboshi had died, since he was never shown getting up and walking away. But that's what I get for shirking my research. This leaves me in the unenviable position of having to…kill Kaika! Aww, don't you feel bad for poor Amiboshi? He gets "killed" how many times in the FY series, and now I have to add my own attempts on his life! He reminds me of Kenny in South Park – Oh my God, they've killed Kaika! Again!
Right now, I'll just leave it to your own imaginations as to how Kaika died at such a young age. I'm too busy being the murderous little fanfic author in the rest of this story. Have you noticed how astoundingly high the body count is in this fic? Marketplace shoppers, a few Seiryuu seishi…and now I've graduated up to an entire monastery full of monks! Pretty soon, Chichiri's going to have to exorcise me; yeah, exorcise me, Chichiri! Whoops! Slipped into Casting Stones mode there for a moment! (winks at Kryssa and CG).
Finally, some good news about upcoming chapters…and some bad news. First, the good news: the exposition is over with for now! For the next few chapters, it's going to be all action, excitement, and emotional storms! The roller coaster will be flyin', I promise!
But… some bad news. As I feared, I'm starting to give away the ending of "Bridge Over the Abyss." Not to mention, I've been away from that fanfic for far too long. So I'm going to spend the next couple of weeks getting that fic up and running again; and for those of you unfamiliar with Bridge, I promise you that it will become as exciting as "Hidden Paths," with wonderful violent confrontations, high-flying emotions and other fun stuff.
The other delay will be due to me having to do some "research" for this fic, possibly field research, on dance clubs and current Tokyo club fashions. Ooh, you say. Ooh is right! I reply.
But we'll end with good news. For now, my travel duties are finished, and hopefully I will be able to achieve a decent writing schedule, with holidays and vacations behind me! See you next time!
Ja ne!
Roku