Translation Note: I didn't translate "Itadakimasu" in here because I don't
know how I could directly translate it. I've seen it translated as "Let's eat,"
"Thanks for the meal," "I'll eat it now," "Bon appetite," and the list goes on
and on. Basically, it's just something you would say before you ate. *Glances
up* Yeesh, I sure wasted a lot of space just to say that, didn't I?
"Teeme,"
is a rude form of "you," but it has several different translations so I didn't
bracket that, either ("Damn you" and "bastard" would probably be the best
interpretations). And also, I didn't translate the "curse-out" section in this
chapter for a reason. My reason? It's more fun this way ^.~
--Since This is Only the Beginning--
"Beyond the moon, blue searchlights overlap.
You alighted suddenly,
angel.
So who are you?
Now the door of fate is opening,
So just fall in
love.
Don't let this anxious moment go.
Don't stop, baby!"
~Wada
Hiroki; "Mystic Eyes"~
The woman was unbearably, unbelievably and unimaginably beautiful. Her raven-blue hair, fluttering lightly in the wind, made her gently sloping shoulders and thin, angelic face appear even more stunning than they already were. Her perfect lips were formed in a perfect, intriguing half-smile, as if she were always laughing at a private joke. She had an exquisite figure, too, which was accented even more by her simple yet elegant lavender dress. And those eyes! Gods above, there was enough humor, enough sparkling wit, enough mysterious flavor in those emerald eyes to drive a man insane!
There was simply no way a woman like that was actually walking up to Mount Reikaku, no way in hell, heaven or on earth that someone that stunningly gorgeous would actually be coming to the bandit stronghold. More impossible still was the fact that she was coming to the mountain with the escort of a confirmed monk and very confirmed bachelor. It was just too good to be true; and yet, by some strange miracle of fate, it was completely true.
As he watched her walk up the path to the stronghold, he itched to run down and meet her, to grab her hands and propose on the spot. He hadn't even spoken to her yet, but it looked as if this was it. Yessir, after thirty-four long years, it had finally happened.
Koji, co-leader of the Reikaku bandits, was in love.
"Ch, what th' hell does 'Chiri think he's doin', draggin' some woman along with him?" The rough voice of Koji's fiery companion demanded, snapping him out of his romantic reverie. "I never said nothin' in my letter about bringin' girls along fer the trip."
Koji had and always would consider himself Tasuki's best friend. This gave him special rights above the other gang members, such as being the only person who could whack the leader over the head without receiving (much) punishment. He now took full advantage of his privilege, giving the seishi bandit a hard slap to the back of the skull. "Urusai [Shut up], Genrou! Don't talk like that about sucha wonderful woman, 'specially when you ain't even met her!"
"Wonderful?" Tasuki raised an eyebrow, jerking his head in the direction of the woman coming up the path. "How c'n ya say she's wonderful when you ain't even met her? An' anyway, don't get too excited, 'cause if she's here with Chichiri doncha think that prob'ly means somethin'?"
"N-nani yo!?" Koji stared at his friend in disbelief, waving his arms wildly to make his point. "No way is that beautiful woman datin' that monk!"
"Eh? An' why couldn't she be?"
"BECAUSE HE'S A MONK, AHOU [MORON]!"
The air from Koji's lungs sent Tasuki flying chibily down the path. He tumbled along until he finally came to a bumpy stop at Chichiri's feet. The bandit looked up, giving a fanged grin and waving a hand in greeting. "Oi, 'Chiri. 'Bout time ya showed up!"
The monk smiled. "I missed you too no da."
Chichiri's female companion looked down at the somewhat dirt-streaked Reikaku resident, one hand at her mouth in surprise. She couldn't help blushing a bit as her eyes trailed over the man - she had not known bandits could be so attractive! "D... d... daijoubu ka [Are you all right], oji-san?"
"Oji-san!?" Tasuki jumped to his feet, shaking his head angrily. "Nuh-uh, I'm still young enough fer a 'Nii-san [brother],' Nee-san!" He jerked a thumb at himself. "But you c'n call me Gen-sama!"
"Eh...?" Hikaru ducked her head. "Sumimasen, Gen-sama, I had no idea that a government official was coming to Mount Reikaku as well! Is this some kind of national party? Am I intruding?"
Tasuki stared at her blankly. Chichiri sweatdropped. "She's not from around here no da." He turned towards Hikaru. "This is Tasuki-kun, also known as Genrou, my friend from the Suzaku Shichiseishi no da."
Hikaru jumped at the announcement. "This is Tasuki-san?" she asked her monk companion quietly. He gave a confirming nod; the Asatenshi sister blushed brightly. "You never mentioned that he was so good-looking," she whispered.
Chichiri sweatdropped again. "Well, I suppose he is, but I never thought of him like that no da..."
Tasuki tapped his foot impatiently. "Oi, what're you two whisperin' a-"
A tanned arm shoved the seishi bandit out of the way, sending him flying across the ground once again. A dark blue-haired head appeared in front of Hikaru where Tasuki had been, smiling his friendliest. "An' I'm Mitsuragi Koji, co-leader of th' Reikaku bandits an' Genrou's pal! And who might you be, miss?"
"Atashi wa Asatenshi Hikaru. Hajimemashite [Pleased to meet you]."
"Yoroshiku [A pleasure], Hikaru-san! Eh, you don't mind if I call ya by yer first name, do ya?"
"Not at all, Mitsuragi-san," Hikaru said distractedly, looking over the bandit's shoulder.
"Oh, no need fer all that! Jus' call me Koji! Heh, t'be honest, nobody's ever called me 'Mitsuragi-san' b'fore."
"Da... Koji, na no da?"
The bandit wasn't paying attention to Chichiri. Eyes closed in a smile, he continued his monologue. "But hey, enough about me. What brings you t'Mount Reikaku?"
"Koji na no da?"
"It'd be nice to..." Koji opened his eyes and found that he was talking to air. "Eh? Hikaru-san?"
A chibi Chichiri poked him on the shoulder. The bandit turned to look at the monk, who jerked a chibi finger to the right. Koji followed the finger's path, eyes coming to rest on a concerned Hikaru, kneeling next to Tasuki. "Daijoubu ka, Tasuki-san? You're not hurt, are you?"
Koji turned to complete stone, squiggly lines appearing behind him as the backdrop turned to a dark blue. Chichiri patted his shoulder pityingly. "There, there no da."
Tasuki rubbed his head, looking up into the pair of green pools. Hikaru reached out a hand to help him, delicate mouth formed in a small "o" of worry. "Did you break anything? Here, let me give you a hand up..."
The bandit ignored her hand, standing on his own and looking at the girl suspiciously. "Asatenshi, eh? Never heard of anyone with a last name like that. Pretty weird if ya ask me, a family with the last name 'Mornin' Angel.'"
Tasuki's tanned counterpart clenched a fist, fire in his eyes and an anger vein on his forehead. "Gen... rou..."
Chichiri hurriedly intervened. "Like I said, Hikaru-san's not from around here no da. She's from... well, she never really specified, but a country to the west of here no da."
Tasuki, recovering with surprising speed from his tumble, grinned devilishly at his seishi companion and nudged him in the ribs. "Ah, a foreigner, is it? I never knew ya went fer that type-a girl, but hey, I'm glad t'see ya fin'lly decidin' t'settle down."
"It isn't like that no da," Chichiri said with a small blush.
He was ignored by a second bandit for the second time that day. Tasuki turned, looked at Hikaru and stroked his chin. "Hm... Heheh, I never knew ya was a pedophile either."
"NANI YO NO DA!?"
"Well, look at her!" Tasuki pointed at the now brightly blushing young woman. "Ya gotta be old enough t'be her father! What is she, eighteen, nineteen? An' how old are ya now?"
"I'm thirty-nine no da." Chichiri grumbled irritably. "And she's twenty-six, she told me so herself no da. I would have had to have been thirteen to be her father no-"
Hikaru flew out of nowhere, brandishing a mallet. She slammed Chichiri into the ground, one eyebrow twitching slightly. "Many apologies, but you should know to never, ever reveal a woman's age, Chichiri-san!"
A chibi Koji grinned behind the monk's back, clenching his fists happily. "Yoshi [All right]! She's spunky, an' she ain't too young fer me. Paafekuto...!"
Tasuki sweatdropped. "I jus' remembered why I stay away from girls," he muttered to himself. The bandit folded his arms across her chest, waiting until Hikaru had put her mallet away and Chichiri was back on his feet before asking his next impatient question. "Well 'Chiri, if she ain't yer girlfriend, then what's she doin' up here?"
"Hikaru-san was supposed to be meeting her sister, but when she heard there was a seishi here she asked if she could meet you no da," Chichiri explained, rubbing at the lump on his head. "Itai [Ouch], Hikaru-san, I never knew you packed such a punch no da..."
The young woman blushed, fluttering around the monk and dusting him off. "Gomen gomen, Chichiri-san! I completely lost my temper for a moment, I feel so awful! You are all right, aren't you? I didn't hurt you badly, did I? Oh, I'm so embarassed!"
"Oi, Asatenshi," Tasuki growled, already beginning to lose his thin patience, "ya've met me, so why doncha get t'findin' yer sister? This ain't really a place fer women, if ya know what I mean."
Hikaru looked up from where she was bandaging the lump on Chichiri's skull. "Ah!" The young woman glanced around with a look of worry in her green eyes. "That may be a problem... it's strange, we were supposed to meet at the top of the mountain, but it doesn't look like she's around. I'm a few days behind schedule, but I know she wouldn't simply desert me... I hope nothing happened to her..."
"So yer stuck here 'till she shows up?" Tasuki queried. She nodded, rubbing the back of her head in embarassment. The bandit sighed. "Great. This is jus' what I didn't need."
Hikaru bowed to the hot-headed seishi. "I apologize for my intrusion upon your home, Tasuki-san. If it would please you, I can find a place to stay in the village at the foot of the mountain."
"Really? Well ain't that nice of-"
"Genrou!" Koji cut into his friend's conversation once again. "Forcin' a woman t'stay in one-a those sleazy inns!? We're supposed t'be noble bandits, y'know!" He turned towards Hikaru, smiling a little. "Don't mind Genrou, he's got a thing against women, but I'm sure he'd never make ya go back t'the foot-a th' mountain after ya climbed all this way."
The Disciple's eyes shone. "Then you will allow me to stay the night here?"
"Of course!" Koji assured her. "In fact, when yer sister does finally show up, how 'bout th' two of ya stick around fer th' New Year's celebration? I know I'd love t'have ya, an' so would th' rest of th' gang!"
"I wouldn't!" Tasuki angrily interjected.
"You don't count ya woman-hater!" his friend snapped over his shoulder. He turned back to Hikaru, all smiles. "So, how 'bout it, na?"
"Oh, no, I don't think I can," Hikaru told him, blushing slightly at the hold he still had on her hands. "I wouldn't feel right, intruding upon your lifestyle, especially if Tasuki-san didn't approve..."
"What? Genrou? Ch, his opinion don't matter! He's th' leader, but I'm his adviser-"
"Yer my sidekick, ahou!"
"-So really I'm th' one who gets th' last say, y'see what I mean...?"
"Oh, no, I couldn't possibly..."
While the blue-haired bandit desperately tried to convince Hikaru to stay, Tasuki turned to Chichiri. He scowled, muttering under his breath, "Koji's sure actin' weird. Ever since that girl showed up ya'd think he owned the damn mountain..."
Chichiri smiled. "I wouldn't let it worry you no da. People tend to act a little strange when they're in love no da. He might be trying to impress her a little bit no da."
"In love!?" Tasuki shook his head violently. "No way! Koji only jus' met her! No one c'n fall in love in five minutes."
"Okay, maybe not love, but he's definitely attracted to her no da," the monk remarked, turning his eyes somewhat sadly on the older of the two bandits. "It's a surprising feeling to have, you'd know that as well as I would. It's no wonder if he's acting a little differently no da."
Tasuki snorted, looking away. He didn't like to be reminded of his first and only brief romance - if you could even call it that. "Ch, lookit the ways he's droolin' over her. Women take away every last trace-a reason an' manhood a guy has. It's disgustin'."
"I think it's cute no da."
"I think yer both nuts!"
Chichiri glanced back at Koji, who was still arguing with the Asatenshi sister. "Hikaru-san won't stay until she gets your permission no da. Maybe you should help Koji out no da."
Tasuki looked at his seishi ally blankly. "'Chiri, what, out of all th' years you've known me, makes y'think I'd ever do somethin' like that?"
"Hikaru-san is a likeable person... and Koji is your best friend no da..." He glanced at Tasuki out of the corner of his masked eye, waiting for a reaction.
The bandit growled unhappily. "Ya had t'bring up that friend thing... damn insightful, persuasive monk..."
Chichiri smiled again. "I missed you too no da."
The bandit put on a fake grin and waved towards the duo. "Oi, Nee-san! What's with all th' arguin', na? All I said was that Reikaku wasn't much of a place fer women, I never said ya couldn't stay!"
Koji looked over Hikaru's shoulder at Tasuki; the Asatenshi woman whirled to face him."Hontou ni [Really]!?" both cried jubilantly.
"Well, why not? It ain't like ya got the plague're anythin'... I'm sure the gang'd like t'have ya... an', an', oh hell, if ya really want ya c'n stay fer New Year's, too. Not like ya got any other plans, bein' new t'the area an' all."
"Ah!" Hikaru turned, bowing hurriedly to Koji. "Arigatou, Mitsuragi-san!"
Reikaku's co-leader waved a dismissive hand, closing his eyes and smiling broadly. "C'mon, call me Koji! An' really, it was nothin', I was jus' doin' what any other hospitable person woulda done. An' anyway, ya seem like an interestin' person, an' I'd really like t'get t'know ya better..."
He opened his eyes and discovered he was talking to Chichiri. The monk waved cheerfully. "Na no da!" Noticing the bandit's confused look, Chichiri pointed behind Koji.
He turned around, only to find Hikaru and Tasuki walking into the stronghold. The young woman was talking excitedly to the bandit, who was obviously forcing a smile. "Domo arigatou gozaimashita, Tasuki-san! I won't forget this! You're such a kind person, Tasuki-san, to allow me to intrude upon your home! Honestly, I can't thank you enough!"
Koji fell over, one foot twitching slightly in the evening air. "Not again..."
Koji flopped down in a chair around the main Reikaku dining table. "Man, am I starved! Takin' Hikaru-san on that full tour was really tirin'! Hah, sometimes I ferget how big th' stronghold is!"
"I had no idea it was that large no da," Chichiri remarked, courteously pulling out a chair for the Asatenshi woman to sit in. "No wonder you can fit so many bandits in here no da."
"I don't see why I had t'get dragged along..." Tasuki grumbled into a cup of sake.
Hikaru took a seat between Tasuki and Chichiri, with Koji across from her. She turned to the red-headed bandit, frowning slightly. "I hope it wasn't too much trouble."
"As a matter-a fact-"
"It was no trouble at all!" Koji interrupted. "It ain't like we get guests all the time're anythin', so it's nice to give a tour once in a while." He scanned the room, trying to prevent Tasuki from putting in his two mon; the last thing Koji wanted was for Hikaru to feel like she wasn't welcome! "Hm, I wonder who's turn it was t'cook dinner t'night? Hope it was Genji-kun, he's just about th' only one who knows more'n one 'r two recipes!"
"You take turns with the cooking na no da?" Chichiri asked, catching on to Koji's plan of keeping Tasuki from saying something rude to Hikaru. "That must be hard, making food for everyone no da."
"Ah, it ain't too bad. Our numbers've kinda thinned out, with th' depression only havin' ended a couple years ago an' all, so there ain't as many guys t'cook for."
"By the way, how is the gang doing na no da? Have things gotten better after that mess in Konan no da?" the monk wondered.
Tasuki took over the narrative, nodding in confirmation to Chichiri's hopes. "Mm-hm, we got our first new members in almost three years a couple days ago: two guys named Ryo 'n' Ken, real skilled folks. There's food enough t'go around the thirty-odd boys we got livin' here, an' we got enough money 'n' supplies this year that we c'n actually have a New Year's party - we ain't had a real one in almost five years. Yup, things're lookin' pretty good right about now."
"Well, there is that one thing..." Koji began.
"Ah, I don't wanna think about that right now," Tasuki told him, waving a hand and sipping his sake. "Not a week b'fore the big party. We'll worry about 'em afterwards... way afterwards, if I have my way."
"Are there some problems in the gang na no da?" Chichiri wondered. "If there's anything I can do to help..."
"Nah, it's nothin' like that," his seishi companion assured him. "Jus' this rival gang, y'know, th' real dirty-fightin' kind. They huff an' puff a lot but they ain't much of a threat."
"Genrou, they've tried t'kill our guys a couple times, an' damn near succeeded. They're definitely a threat," Koji warned him.
"Not now! I told ya, I don't wanna have ta think about those jerks."
"If we don't think about 'em then those attacks'll jus' get worse."
"I know that, but it ain't like worryin' about it's gonna do us any good!"
"Fine, but don't blame me when th' stronghold goes up in flames one night..."
"AH! Okay, okay, I'll post a couple guys t'keep watch at night! Would that make ya feel better!?"
"Sure would!" Koji grinned devilishly at his friend. "Where would ya be without me?"
"Prob'ly a lot less worried about that rival gang, thank you!"
"Yer very welcome!"
Hikaru blinked, watching the two bandits curiously. "Is this how they settle everything around here?"
"Probably no da," Chichiri said with a chuckle. "They're a little like a married couple no da. Dysfunctional, but they balance one another out well no da."
Tasuki had overheard the monk's comment. He snickered, pointing at Koji. "Oi, if we're a married couple, then yer the naggy wife."
"Oh yeah!? Well then yer the lazy alcoholic husband!" Koji retorted.
"Does that mean I get to be your love-child, minna-san [everyone]!?"
The four at the table jumped. All eyes turned to look into the grinning face of a young bandit. He was cleaner-cut than the rest of the group, with surprisingly vivid purple eyes and a smile that was both too innocent and too mischievous for his nineteen-odd years. His mop of messy green hair was kept back by a gold headband, and the jewelry he wore around his neck and on his ears looked suspiciously like the ones Tasuki had worn during his seishi travels. He bowed quickly, green braid of hair swishing behind him. "Konban wa [Good evening], Gen-sama, Koji-sama!" The young man held out a tray of food, flashing his sweet, teasing smile again. "I didn't mean to interrupt your conversation, but dinner's ready, te kanjii!"
Tasuki grinned, taking the tray from the young man. "Ah, don't worry about it Genji-kun! Yer meals're so great ya c'd interrupt me durin' a battle an' I wouldn't care!"
The younger bandit grinned, rubbing the back of his head. "Arigatou, Gen-sama..." He looked over at Chichiri and Hikaru, giving a quick bow. "Ah! I didn't know we had company!"
"Konban wa, Genji-kun. I'm Chichiri, and this is Asatenshi Hikaru-san no da," the monk said with a small wave.
"Hajimemashite!" Hikaru said with a friendly smile.
"Yoroshiku, Nee-san, Oji-san."
Tasuki snickered at the monk. "Oji-san..." Chichiri tried not to pay attention to him.
Genji looked back at the two bandits. "I need to go pass out the rest of the food. But, um... Gen-sama, Koji-sama... does it taste all right?"
"Itadakimasu!" Both older men bit into their rice and chicken meal, paused for a moment, then gave grins and thumbs-up. "Another great job!"
Genji blushed with pleasure, pointing over his shoulder. "I'll be back soon, I'll just go take care of everyone else!" The youth turned around, giggling giddily to himself as he pranced off, saying in a sing-song voice: "Gen-sama and Koji-sama gave me a compliment! Wai, wai, wai, te kanjii!"
Chichiri, who had noticed Genji's clothing, looked at the two bandits accusingly. "Things have gotten so bad you had to give him your hand-me-downs na no da?"
Tasuki and Koji held up their hands in protest. "Nothin' like that!" Tasuki assured him.
"He wanted t'wear that stuff," Koji added, sinking his teeth into his meal again. "Th' kid showed up four years ago, right in th' middle-a th' depression, barely fifteen years old an' askin' to be a member. Genrou 'n' I were reluctant about it at first, him bein' jus' a kid an' all, but th' two of us were let in when we were young so we figgered it couldn't hurt him."
"Is Genji his real name?" Hikaru asked, watching as the young man practically danced around the tables, handing out trays to the rest of the bandits. "Or do the two of you give out nicknames?"
Tasuki shrugged. "That's what he told us t'call him; won't give us his real name. Says he's been hearin' a lot about me 'n' Koji since he was a kid, an' been callin' himself by that since he was jus' as young." The bandit chuckled. "Ah, I'll deal with the hero-worshippin' act. He's a good kid, an' he makes the best meals I've ever tasted."
Hikaru and Chichiri looked down at their plates, then with an enthusiastic, "Itadakimasu!" dove right in.
"Ah! Oishii [delicious]!"
"It really is amazing no da!"
The monk was halfway through his second bite when he heard a pounding on the door behind him. "Hm? What was that na no da?"
"What was what?" Tasuki asked, pausing midway through his meal demolition.
Chichiri turned around, pointing towards a small door in the dining hall. "I thought I heard a noise from over there no da..." Whump whump! "There! I just heard it again no da!"
Koji raised an eyebrow. "That's jus' a storage closet. Shouldn't be nothin' in there..." The older bandit looked over, noticing that Tasuki was tugging on his sleeve. "Eh? Nani?" He muttered something in a barely audible voice. "Whazzat?"
"I said that th' pris'ner's, um, awake..."
"WHA!?" Koji grabbed Tasuki by the collar of his coat.
"Ya said ya wanted t'know when she woke up..."
"You stuffed that poor kid in th' storage closet!?"
"Poor kid my a-"
"Minna-san, forgive me for interrupting, but what in the world are you talking about?" Hikaru asked, glancing over her shoulder as another loud thump echoed from behind the door.
Koji let go of his friend, putting his chin in his hands. "Earlier this afternoon Genrou 'n' I were makin' th' rounds when we found this woman hangin' out real close t'the hideout. Well, th' two of us was gonna go ask her what she was doin' around here, but as soon as she sees us she immediately gets all defensive." The bandit winced at the memory. "Kicked me hard across th' shins, I tried t'get her t'calm down but Genrou here grabbed her 'round th' neck from b'hind, tellin' her t'quit freakin' out. She got scared, an'-"
"An' th' little brat bit me!" Tasuki snapped, pulling back his sleeve to show the red marks on his arm. He picked up the narrative. "I lost my patience and whacked her over th' head, not real hard, jus' enough t'get her attention. But it turns out she wasn't as tough as she let on, an' the hit knocked her out cold."
"Genrou was all fer leavin' her there, but I'm not th' kinda guy t'scare a girl an' toss her down a mountain, so I figgered we'd bring her back t'the hideout, wait'll she woke up, an' explain th' whole situation." He glared at Tasuki. "I told ya t'put her in a room, ahou!"
Tasuki snickered and looked away innocently. "You never said which room!"
"Oh, dear!" Hikaru put a hand to her mouth, trying to stifle giggles from the bandit's strange story. "Do you think we should let the little fireball out?"
The Asatenshi woman's suggestion came too late. The four turned around, ready to head to the closet, when a blast of green light shone through the crack below the door. The door burst out of the wall; it was followed by a young woman wearing a rumpled periwinkle dress. The ropes she had been tied with fell off of her in ashes; a side effect of her magical blast, Chichiri assumed. She brushed her raven-blue hair out of her face, looking at Tasuki with murder in her green eyes. She brought up both hands, emerald mist swirling in her palms, and snarled angrily at the Reikaku leader. "Teeme...!"
"Shuu-chan!"
Chichiri blinked in surprise as Hikaru threw herself at the other young woman, hugging her tightly around the shoulders and kissing her cheeks repeatedly. "Shuu-chan, I missed you so much!" she cried, squeezing so hard the taller girl's back popped. "You haven't sent any letters to the shrine! Okaa-sama and Otoo-sama have been so worried about you! It's so nice to see you, you look absolutely wonderful, you've really matured since the last time I saw you! C'mon, don't you have anything to say, Shuu-chan!?"
"Get off of me..." the other girl growled, trying to scramble away from Hikaru's hold.
Koji sweatdropped. "Would someone please explain t'me what's goin' on?"
The Asatenshi woman turned, smiling in embarassment at Tasuki, Koji and Chichiri. "Ah, gomen nasai, minna-san!" She bowed, gesturing towards the young woman behind her. "This is Shuu-chan, my little sister!"
The three men's jaws dropped open. "Hontou ni (na no da)!?"
The other girl looked at them, scowling fiercely. "That's right. Ore wa Asatenshi Shuu, the youngest of the Asatenshi clan."
Hikaru hugged her younger sister again. "Oh, Shuu-chan, I wish you wouldn't talk with so much vulgarity! You know a young lady should use 'watashi' when mentioning herself! Goodness, Okaa-sama would have a fit if she heard you saying things like 'ore'!"
Shuu struggled out of her sister's hold, turning to look at Tasuki again. "I'd like some explanations as to why I woke up in a storage closet, yarou."
"Language, Nee-san!" Hikaru gestured towards the trio of men. "This is Tasuki-san, Chichiri-san, and Mitsuragi-san. What happened to you was a simple misunderstanding, that's all."
"Like I believe that," Shuu snorted.
"Please call me Koji!" the bandit cried unhappily.
Shuu looked at the dark-haired Reikaku man, hard green eyes softening slightly. A ghost of a smile twitched at the corner of her mouth, and she bowed quickly. "Yoroshiku, Koji-san. I thank you for keeping your jerk of a friend from tossing me off the mountain."
"Ah, it was nothin'..."
"Minna-san." All eyes turned to Hikaru. "Eto... if you had a woman trapped here, and you knew I was looking for my sister, why didn't you tell me about her?"
Tasuki rubbed the back of his head. "T'be honest I never even thought the two of you'd be related!" Koji nodded his agreement.
Chichiri took in the new arrival. It was understandable why the bandits hadn't made the connection; other than the color of their hair and eyes, the sisters couldn't have been more different. Shuu had a hard, weather-beaten look to her, as if she'd been subjected to hard labor most of her life. Unlike her sister, whose body was a series of well-defined curves, Shuu was straight and plain; strong and in shape, but not much else. It would be unfair and untrue to call the younger woman "unattractive," but the way she carried herself, with both arms folded defiantly across her chest; along with the plain dress that hung loosely about her body, gave her the air of someone who was either unnoticeable or didn't want to be noticed by the opposite sex. Her raven-blue hair was cropped somewhat unevenly at her shoulders in a haphazard style that added even more to her hard-edged look.
But mostly, Chichiri decided, it was the eyes that really set them apart. Though they were the same color as her sister's soft, mysterious eyes, Shuu's orbs stared back at everyone with a green fire of defiance and determination. She seemed to be glaring at the world angrily, as if she were disgusted at the fact that she had to live here. They were cold, hard eyes that made her look older than she really was, like she'd seen more years and more hardship than her appearance suggested. At the same time, the seishi noted, there was a far-off, sad edge in them, almost like she was looking at and lamenting about something she had lost and could never get back; it was a look the monk himself knew he sometimes possessed. Chichiri wasn't sure whether to distrust her or pity her.
"Well, in any case," Hikaru said with a small sweatdrop. "The matter's been cleared up, and Shuu-chan and I have found one another, so I suppose there was no harm done."
"No harm-!?" Tasuki and Shuu cried at once.
"He assaulted me!"
"She attacked me!"
"Ahou!"
"Gaki!"
"Ore no ketsu ga kisu!"
"Kutabarya!"
"Language, Nee-san!"
"Don't talk like that t'girls, Genrou!"
Chichiri could tell that the line of conversation was only going to get worse, and he wasn't interested in seeing a fight erupt between Tasuki and Shuu - with Tasuki's tessen and Shuu's shrine magic, the damage was bound to be catastrophic. The monk stepped between the two sides - bandits on one, Asatenshi women on the other - and held up his hands. "Minna, calm down no da! I'm sure everything can be explained and settled peacefully if we all just relax no da."
Hikaru smiled. "As I said before, Chichiri-san is very wise." She turned towards her sister, whose arms were folded across her chest in silent defiance. "Shuu-chan, Tasuki-san and Mitsuragi-san weren't trying to attack you; they just wanted to know what you were doing on their mountain. When you misunderstood and started fighting them, Tasuki-san took the defensive. He didn't mean to knock you out..."
"Actually-" the seishi bandit began, but Koji elbowed him in the ribs to keep him quiet.
"... However, once he had, he and Mitsuragi-san felt terrible for harming you, and they brought you back here to stay until you awoke. The storage closet was a... minor mistake." Hikaru tugged at her sister's arm. "So you see, there's nothing at all to be angry about! Really, Nee-san, you need to think before you jump to conclusions and begin shooting around that Holy Magic."
Shuu glared angrily at her sister, but only nodded sharply in response.
Chichiri grinned, bowing quickly in Shuu's direction. "Yoroshiku, Shuu-san no da. It's nice to meet Hikaru-san's younger sister, and I'm sure now that this is cleared up we can enjoy ourselves for the next week no da."
"For the next week?" Shuu queried, one eyebrow raised. "What, these bandits decide to keep us as their temporary love slaves or something?"
Koji waved his chibi arms wildly. "No, no, it's nothin' like that Shuu-san! I invited you 'n' Hikaru-san t'stay on Reikaku fer th' New Year's celebration! That's it, really!" He rubbed his hands together, shooting pleading glances at Shuu and love-filled glances at Hikaru. "Speakin' a-which, I hope ya'll accept th' offer an' stay! Genrou already said it was all right, so it ain't like ya'd be unwelcome..."
The younger Asatenshi sister shrugged. "Sure, I'll stay. Got nothing better to do, the way I see it."
Tasuki looked at Shuu with a mixture of anger and apprehension. "I agreed t'have Hikaru-san stay around, but I never said nothin' about this troublemaker." He glared at her. "Koji 'n' 'Chiri seem t'think yer all right, so I'll go with their opinions fer now. But if ya start throwin' those green powerballs around agin I'll kick ya off th' mountain so fast yer head'll spin." He paused. "Speakin' a-those balls, what th' hell was that? It looked kinda like th' stuff Chichiri does, but different at th' same time..."
"Oh!" Hikaru spoke before her sister could. "I never told you about where I was from, or the sort of life we live in our family, did I? Well, let's go finish our dinner and I'll explain the entire thing." She grabbed her younger sister by the arm, dragging her back towards the table. "Come along, Nee-san, you and the others can eat while I tell the story."
"I can't wait t'hear it, Hikaru-san," Koji said, following her with Tasuki in his wake. Chichiri took up the rear and sighed in relief, glad that the potential fight had been halted.
"Well, Shuu-chan and I are Maidens to the Shrine of the Mother... the One Creator... I'm a Disciple and Priestess to the Mother... High Priestess... Shuu-chan left... study abroad..."
As Hikaru continued her tale, Tasuki rolled his eyes behind her back. He moved his hand in an open-and-shut motion, mouthing "blah blah blah" as he did. The action didn't go unnoticed by Koji, who immediately smacked his friend hard across the back of the skull. "Itai!"
Hikaru turned around, dragging Shuu with her. "Hm? Is something the matter, Tasuki-san, Mitsuragi-san?"
"Eh, nothin', Hikaru-san..."
"An' please, call me Koji."
"Ah. Very well," she turned back around, Shuu in tow. "As I was saying, Shuu-chan took up..."
As soon as Hikaru's back was turned, Tasuki punched the side of Koji's head hard, sending him back a few steps. The Asatenshi women were oblivious to the pair of bandits growling at each other; Hikaru continued her narrative, Shuu's arm held tightly in a deathgrip that the young woman couldn't seem to break despite her struggles.
Chichiri sweatdropped. It was going to be an interesting week.
*****
--Hao, minna-san!--
Well, you've now been successfully introduced to,
fundamentally, all the main characters (though there are plenty of side chars,
rest assured on that) of "RFS," though villains and heroes will take a long time
to show their true colors. Hey, what can I say, I like to keep me readers
guessin'. ~_^
Random Chapter Comments *Wince* Hai, hai, hai, I'm perfectly aware
that Koji is disgustingly out of character in this chapter! Pour more alcohol on
the wound already, would'ja? *Grumble* Well, it was mostly for comedic effect,
and I promise that he gets a thousand times better in the chapters to come, so
bear with me on this one, all right? God knows writing Koji-chan "OOC" is a Hell
for me, too...
Oh, I know you didn't get a good look at him in this chapter,
but any initial thoughts on Genji-kun? Yeah, he's my favorite original. ^_^ He's
just so kawaii, not to mention that he provides a lot of the comic relief in
this story later on (yeah, like I could write pure angst - I'm dramatically
impaired, y'know!).
Japanese 101 In the spirit of my previous Rambling, I thought I'd keep
up the Japanese lessons for a bit. And, since I'll be jumping into suffixes
without bothering to translate them, I figured this'd be a good place to cover
those pesky little critters.
--"san." We'll start with an easy one. Though
I'm sure most of you know this, "san" is a term of respect, basically
translating to "Mr." "Mrs." or "Miss," depending on the person.
--"sama."
Another simple one. This is a term of much higher respect, translating best to
"Lord," "Lady" or sometimes "Master." Genji-kun, for instance, reveres Koji and
Tasuki as gods, thereby referring to them as "sama."
--"chan." This is an
affectionate term used on close friends or family, children, and pets (or, in
some cases, to annoy someone - "Tasuki-chan," anyone?). It doesn't really
translate to anything, though I've seen it translated to "dear" from time to
time.
--"sensei." "Teacher." Instead of saying "Akodo-san" to your Japanese
homeroom teacher (lol), you'd say "Akodo-sensei," to identify their
ranking.
--"kun." *Wince* Here it gets a little trickier. Typically, "kun" is
a friendly term used on a younger male friend - Genji-kun, Tasuki-kun, etc. It
doesn't really translate to anything. It can also be used on fellow male
classmates (Li-kun in "Cardcaptor Sakura," for example) and sometimes on
subordinates. Like I said, it's a tricky one.
--"senpai" (sometimes spelled
"sempai"). Translates to something like "senior." Used on an older classmate, or
sometimes on a boss. I won't use this one a whole lot 'cause it still confuses
me a bit.
Hope I didn't miss any! Stay tuned for next time, when we'll
discuss more particles and maybe a few family members! (I'm having way
too much fun with this...)
Answering Reviews Wow, I'm so happy to see that so many people want to
hurt Umbridge! Somebody oughta start a "We Hate Umbridge" club,
ah-heheh...
Oh, and Kouryou-san, "Sugoi desu ka" would translate to, "Is it
amazing?" because "ka" indicates a question. "Sugoi desu yo" would probably work
better - "yo" being an exclamation - or just "Sugoi." You don't necessarily have
to use the "desu" - in casual speech it's really not used that much - they just
like to teach the proper way in books and classes...
And no, haha, there is
no real shounen ai in this story... though one male character does develop a
crush on another male character... BUT I REVEAL NOTHING! *Much evil chortling*
Verse Preview? A nostalgic monk, a lovestruck bandit, a cold Asatenshi sister, and some foreshadowing. One of these days I'll give a verse preview that actually makes sense... *Sweatdrop*
Happy Independence Day, minna-san!
Dee ~_^