Also, to the best of my knowledge Ancient China didn't have any real means of telling time, which is why people are typically glancing at the sun to get an idea about the time. If they did have clocks, could someone please tell me and I'll go back and change that? Much obliged.
Translation Note: And oh yeah, if anyone cares, the invented name of Houjun's village (Kyokujitsu) means "Rising Sun." I have no real reason for the name; I just think it sounds good.
"Please come back to me,
Following memories
To the source of gentleness and dreams.
In order to be born,
And shine to the stars once again...
Soul's refrain"
~Hayashibara Megumi; "Tamashii no
Refuran (Remix)" (Soul's Refrain)~
"O-ha-you... Houjun!" Kyoui smiled sweetly at her brother, waiting for him to return the greeting. After a long moment of silence, the young girl opened her eyes and frowned slightly. "Eh? No 'Ohayou Kyo-chan?' How late did you stay up last night?"
Her older brother blinked his eyes sleepily. He looked at her, smiling a little. "Gomen, Kyo-chan. I was just thinking about this strange dream I had..." he paused thoughtfully, a small half-frown on his face, then shrugged. "Huh, I can't seem to remember it anymore. Oh well. What time is it?"
"Too early," she replied easily, hopping off her brother's stomach and allowing him to get out of bed. "But it'll be too late for you if you don't hurry up! This'll be your third straight tardy for class, won't it? You get punished after three, you know!"
"Wakatta, wakatta," Houjun said distractedly. He sifted through his clothing chest, pulling out a couple of robes. "Oi, Kyo-chan? Red or green?"
"Blue!" she said sweetly.
He sweatdropped. "I had to ask..." the teenager stuffed the green one back into the chest, then hurriedly threw his nightshirt off and tossed it over Kyoui's head. "No looking!"
She giggled, fighting for a moment with the cloth before poking her head out. She watched as he struggled into a pair of pants, slipped into the red robe, tied a strip of cloth hastily around his waist, battled for a moment with his messy bangs, combed his hair back into a ponytail and crammed his feet into his slippers. Kyoui followed her brother out of his room, skipping along behind to keep pace as he practically sprinted into the kitchen.
Houjun's mother Yukari and his younger brother Mitsuru looked up when he came in. "Ohayou, Houjun/Nii-san!"
"Ohayou, Mitsuru, Okaa-san," he returned cheerfully, sitting down at the table. He grinned teasingly at his mother. "So, what did you make for breakfast today, Okaa-san?" A rice cake flew over Yukari's shoulder and hit the young man in the face. "Ow! Rice cakes again?"
"Maybe if you got up a little earlier you'd have time to make yourself some real food," Yukari remarked. Her tone was severe, but Houjun could sense the smile on her face. "I'm starting to think these late-night cram sessions are doing more harm than good."
Mitsuru snickered. "Especially when most of his time is spent studying the opposite sex instead of school subjects. I'm sure glad we don't share a room anymore, or I don't know how I'd ever get to sleep."
Houjun's eyebrow twitched slightly. "Kyo-chan, could you please...?"
"Haaaai!" the girl grinned and popped Mitsuru over the head with her fist.
"Arigatou, Kyo-chan."
Mitsuru scowled; Kyoui giggled; Yukari tried to look severe and failed miserably. Houjun just smiled and went back to his small breakfast. It was a typical morning in the Ri household.
Houjun finished his meal quickly. He glanced out the window and winced at the height of the sun. "Daa... I really am going to be late if I don't hurry. Hikou and Kouran might not even wait for me."
The teenager gave his mother a quick kiss on the cheek, hugged his sister and ruffled his brother's hair; then grabbed his satchel of supplies and raced out the door. "Itekimasu [I'm leaving]!"
Houjun had to pace himself at a fast jog in order to keep his bag from banging too hard against his back. He kept his speed as best as he could, slowing down a little when he came in sight of his closest friend. The other young man was looking his direction; as soon as he saw Houjun, he put on a mock frown and started to head towards the school.
The teenager waved his arms to catch his companion's attention. "Hikou! Matte yo [Wait up]! Matte yo, Hikou!"
Hikou turned around, tapping his foot against the ground and feigning impatience. "Well then hurry up, Houjun, or you'll make me late again!"
"Gomen! Matte kuda-" Houjun's foot caught at a ditch in the ground; he stumbled, lost his balance, and went tumbling head over heels with a surprised: "Daaa!"
Hikou sweatdropped as his friend came to a dusty stop at his feet. "Oi. Houjun." The dark-haired man poked his friend with his foot. "Daijoubu ka?"
"Daijoubu..."
He sighed. "Clumsy. C'mon, get up; I'm not waiting here forever. If we don't get going Kouran's going to be stuck waiting for both of us, and then we'll all be in for one of Ryuchi-sensei's punishments."
Houjun stood, grimacing as he did. Ryuchi-sensei, the Headmaster of the village's secondary school, was known for thinking up extreme chores for small offenses; with his unpredictability, it was likely that they'd be forced to clean the entire building with a scrap of cloth and a drop of soap. Hikou seemed to be reading his friend's mind; he chuckled and imitated the Headmaster's grouchy voice. "I want to be able to see my face in those desks, Ri! What's this!? You missed a spot! That's thirty lashings, Ri!"
Houjun laughed along with his friend; Hikou had a talent for impersonating the voices of just about anyone in the village, a skill that had a tendency to get both of them into trouble.
Looking down the main street of his hometown, Houjun had to wonder if you could really call it a village. With its two hundred-odd residents it seemed too large to have such a small name. Though, on the other side of things, it was nowhere near as large as a city. Nothing like the capital: a place he, Kouran and Hikou all dreamed of visiting after they finished school - Houjun for college, Kouran for pleasure, and Hikou for business opportunities. Speaking of Kouran...
"Houjun! Hikou!"
The young woman, long-time friend and recent love interest of Houjun, was awaiting the pair of friends at the end of the block. Her lavender hair fluttered slightly in the autumn breeze, and her gentle chocolate-colored eyes glittered with an inner spark of mischief. Her dress was simple and plain, typical of a middle-class family's wages, but it complimented her figure and the pale blue brought out her eyes. Houjun thought she looked perfect.
But then again, when had he ever thought she didn't look beautiful?
Kouran had one hand up, gesturing for her two companions to hurry. "Hayaku kudasai [Please hurry]! Otoo-san will kill me if I'm late again!"
Hikou and Houjun obeyed her request, speeding up to a jog and then slowing back down to a fast walk when they reached her. "Ohayou, Kouran!" they both said pleasantly.
"Ohayou," she replied with a small smile. The young woman fell into step with her friends, Houjun on her right and Hikou next to him.
Glancing at his two closest companions, one on either side, Houjun couldn't help but smile. They were truly an unlikely trio, probably the strangest matching the village had seen in ages. Kouran and Houjun's families had been friends for a long time, so it was only natural that the two of them should be so close, but Hikou had been an unexpected wild card, a "happy accident."
Houjun's taller and slightly older friend had lived in the country on a small farm during his younger years; through Fate and luck, the farm had been sold when he was just beginning school, and his family moved closer to town to try and scrap together a living on a small plot of land. Hikou had been motherless most of his life; his family had consisted of his father and older sister. Houjun didn't like to think about Hikou's father. Though he had never personally met the man, he knew enough about him and the bruises his friend had sported for several years to have a good enough reason to despise him.
Not that it mattered anymore. Hikou's father had been dead for nearly five years, and he currently lived quite pleasantly with his sister and her husband in a somewhat run-down home near the village's borders. He was gone from school at least once a week - usually to help tend the small plot of land his brother-in-law owned or help out down at the market - and was always busy on the weekends for the same reasons. Hikou had spent most of his life in poverty, and was bound and determined to keep himself from spending the rest of his life in the same condition. He was a lover of all things that produced cash, and a renowned haggler and businessman.
'A lover of money...' Houjun frowned slightly. That description made him think of someone else, someone he felt that he had known before. But who...?
Kouran's teasing voice interrupted his thoughts. "So, what's the excuse for taking so long today, hm?"
Hikou put his hands behind his head. "Someone slept in again. Big surprise, ne?"
The image of a young, teal-haired man that had just been coming into focus vanished in a puff of smoke, along with the feeling that he was forgetting something important. Houjun jumped into the conversation, trying to justify his actions. "It's your fault for keeping me up all night, asking all those questions about the exams."
"I was gone before midnight, baka. What'd you and Kouran do after I was gone, that's what I wanna know."
Houjun waved his chibi arms wildly while Kouran blushed. "Nothing! Yeesh, what do you and my brother think I do when I'm alone with women!?"
"What any normal man would do if he were by himself with such a fine catch as Kouran here," his friend explained matter-of-factly, elbowing Houjun in the ribs.
Kouran came to her love's defense. "Thanks for the compliment - er, I think - but your perception of our relationship is a little skewed."
"Oh, is it?" Hikou put a protective arm around Houjun's shoulder, looking accusingly at his female friend. "Then what, Kouran, is your relationship to my best friend, hm? I don't wanna find out you've been setting him up for heartbreak."
"Sa..." she looked down, fiddling with her bag of schoolbooks. "I'm not completely sure... I suppose we're more than friends..."
Houjun's companion snorted. "Everyone in the village has known that for a month now, and I've known it since we were fifteen. That's not good enough."
"Hikou, this is embarassing..."
"I'm not gonna drop it 'till I hear a real answer!"
"I don't know how to answer that, though!"
"Okay, then just tell me how many times you've gone the distance and I'll figure out your relationship for myself."
"Huh?" Kouran looked at him in confusion. "'Gone the distance'?"
"Yeah, you know. Traveled around the block, swam the length of the pond, climbed to the top of the mountain, eaten the whole, ah-hem, peach." She and Houjun continued to look at him blankly. "Ch, don't you spend any time listening to street market slang?"
Kouran grinned crookedly. "How many times have I even been to the market...?"
"Tch, tch." Hikou shook his head sadly. "You poor, sheltered kids. I guess I'll have to spell it out for you, then." He smiled patronizingly at his friends. "You know that talk your parents had with you when you were younger, right?" Two nods. "You know what that is, and how it's done, right?"
"Hikou, just because I don't know slang doesn't mean I'm an idiot," Houjun reminded him with a chuckle.
"Don't interrupt your elders, Ri!" Hikou snapped, grabbing his friend in a headlock and switching into his Headmaster Ryuchi dialect.
"You're only older by two months! Now let go of me!"
"I wanna hear some praise for your great, genius friend Hikou!"
"Genius my a-!" the older man's hold tightened slightly. "Ack! Okay, okay! I give up!" Houjun raised his voice an octave, something that never failed to amuse his friends. "Hikou-sama, you're truly much greater than I could ever hope to be! All-Knowing Master of the Marketplace and the Ever-Important Okane [money]! Please release your unworthy servant before he's strangled no daaaaa!"
Hikou let go, grinning broadly at his companion. "Now, can I finish?" Houjun nodded quickly, holding his neck as he did and crying chibi tears. "What I was trying to ask was how many times the two of you have... er..." he rubbed the back of his head. "Gomen, Kouran, Nee-san says I shouldn't talk about this in front of girls, but... how many times have the two of you, y'know, had sex?"
"Nani!?" Houjun and Kouran looked up, full-fledged shock in their eyes. "Never!"
"Never?" the merchant-to-be snorted. "No way. C'mon, I'm your best friend. I deserve the truth."
"We are telling the truth!" his female companion insisted, blushing brightly. "Houjun and I only just started going together; you know that as well as anyone else does!"
Hikou raised an eyebrow. "Hontou?" Two frantic nods. He looked away, shaking his head sadly. "Ch! At this rate, the two of you will be married and still be virgins. That's just sad."
"What, you mean to tell me you've... ano, 'swam the length of the pond'?" Houjun demanded, trying very hard to erase the red from his cheeks.
By now, the three of them were within sight of the old building that was used for secondary education. Hikou stopped and turned to look at his friends, flashing a chibi grin. "Well, after a long day of working a stand in the market, you've gotta find some way to relax. And there happens to be a brothel right down the street..." Noticing Houjun and Kouran's surprised and disturbed looks, he waved a hand and laughed. "Joudan yo [I'm joking]! C'mon, those places are only for dirty old men and street punks, not a hard-working, honest guy like me. Man, just 'cause I'm poor as dirt doesn't mean I'm like that. You two really need to loosen up."
Houjun breathed a sigh of relief. "Yokatta. I didn't think you were, but you sounded so serious that for a second there I couldn't help but wonder..."
Hikou's usual, devilish smile crept onto his lips again; he clapped a hand on his shorter friend's shoulder. "Oi, don't worry so much Houjun! If I ever do decide to try one of those places out, I'll be sure to bring you along! You'll need practice so you won't disappoint Kouran, ne?"
Kouran covered a giggle as a chibi Houjun went after his companion, swinging his arms wildly. "I'm going to kill you for that one, Hikou!"
The older of the two put his hand on his friend's head, keeping him at arm's distance as his chibi fists flew. Hikou sweatdropped at his efforts. "Joudan, joudan. You know you'd never be able to beat me up, so stop trying. You're just going to hurt yourself."
Houjun stopped after a moment, panting unhappily and glowering at his male companion. "One of these days..."
"I know," Hikou said with a teasing grin. He ruffled his shorter companion's blue hair, chuckling as he walked past him. "You just keep dreaming, little guy."
"Sukoshi ja nai yo [I'm not little]!"
"Hai, hai..."
Kouran giggled behind her friends' backs, following them into the school. She brushed a strand of hair out of her face, turning her eyes towards the honey-yellow sun. "It looks like another perfect day in Kyokujitsu Village..." She lowered her voice, frowning a little. "It's been a while... since I've felt this alive."
"Kouran! Come on!" Houjun's call snapped her out of her reverie and she turned, seeing that he was gesturing for her to get inside the building. Hikou had already disappeared, but her childhood friend was still waiting for her. "You don't want to face Ryuchi-sensei's wrath, do you?"
"Gomen, gomen!" Kouran hurried up the path to the main gates, walking past Houjun and flashing him a gentle smile. "Thanks for waiting, Houjun."
"No problem."
He slipped an arm tentatively around her waist; she automatically relaxed in the comforting hold, smiling at her love and leaning her head lightly against his shoulder. That was her way of telling him she enjoyed his touch. He was always so careful about boundaries, sometimes it drove her crazy, but it was also a quality that set him apart from a lot of the other sex-crazed guys. It was one of the many reasons why she loved him as much as she did.
'Houjun... I've missed you so much.' She thought sadly, closing her eyes and allowing him to lead her down the hall to their class. 'She handed us a miracle, allowing us to relive these days again. And this time... this time, I'll do everything the right way. I promise.'
Genji was extremely pleased with himself that morning. Not only had he successfully managed to create strawberry rice cakes, but he had also invented a syrup made out of tree sap that, when heated, tasted magnificently on his rice concoction. The young man cupped his hands together happily and cried tears of joy. "Gen-sama... Koji-sama... I have finally created a breakfast worthy enough to grace your plates!" He hopped around the kitchen, giggling happily. "Aaaaaaah this will certainly make up for those cursed rockets last night and they'll be given all sorts of good luck in the form of good food te kanjiiiiii!"
The overenthusiastic bandit stirred the tree sap sauce quickly, sprinkling a dash of seasoning into it and fantasizing about the praise he was certain to get from his two bandit heroes. He tasted the syrup, grinned happily, then poured the mixture over the rice cakes and literally pranced out of the kitchen, bouncing toward the table the bandit leaders shared. "Gen-samaaaaa, Koji-samaaaaaaa! Breakfast is-"
Genji stopped halfway through his call, mouth dropping open as he saw the occupants of the table. Shuu and Hikaru sat in their usual spots, Ken and Ryo had joined them as well, and Koji was where he belonged, but the monk and bandit leader were nowhere to be found. "Eh? Doko... Where's Gen-sama?"
Koji shrugged, taking the tray the young bandit offered him and passing the plates out to his companions. "Ya got me. Maybe he slept in a little late."
Genji sweatdropped; due to the parties the night before, breakfast had been held off for several hours. "But it's almost noon, te kanjii..."
"Last night was tough fer him, what with Chichiri gettin' Trapped an' all. I'm sure he'll join us when he's ready," Koji explained, looking at the bowl of syrup curiously. "Don't worry, he'll be all right, Genji-kun."
Genji's lower lip quivered. "But... my perfect breakfast..."
Ryo looked at the sticky liquid in confusion. "Is this a sauce or a drink? It smells like a tree..."
"Wha!?" The young cook waved his arms in anger. "It's syrup, and it's made from tree sap! Anyone who knows anything about food would-!" He stopped once more, as he noticed a figure grumbling and stumbling to the table. "Ah! Gen-sama's up!" He smiled broadly, crooning quietly to himself. "Now he and Koji-sama can enjoy my wonderful meal together, te kanjii!"
Tasuki took a tired seat next to Koji, head drooping over the table. Koji poked his friend in the shoulder with his chopsticks, concern in his eyes. "O-oi, Genrou..." He raised his face, meeting his companion's hazel orbs with his own chibi, bloodshot gold ones. It would have been humourous had it not been so disturbing. "G... Genrou...!?"
The bandit leader rubbed sleepily at his eyes, letting his head droop again. "Kuso, I hardly got any sleep last night. What with th' boys partyin', an' Chichiri layin' on my floor not even snorin' at me..." he trailed off, falling forward until his head hit the table. A chibi Tasuki jerked up, waving his little fists wildly. "Huh!? What!? I'm up, I'm up!"
Koji shook his head sadly, patting his friend on the shoulder. "Genrou, go back t'bed. You need t'get some sleep."
"I can't... 'Chiri..."
"Listen, if bein' in the same room with Chichiri is botherin' ya, then ya c'n use my bed, all right?"
Tasuki yawned, putting his tired head in his equally tired hands. "But what if somethin' happens 'n' the gang needs me?"
"I'll take care of it. C'mon. Yer so beat you c'n barely keep yer head up." Koji sweatdropped as Tasuki's orange-haired skull dropped to the table again. "Come t'think of it, ya can't even do that." He grinned at his friend, grabbing his arm and dragging him up from the table. "Here, I'll help ya get there, otherwise you'll pass out an' wind up whackin' yer head on th' table or somethin'. Then we'd have two comatose patients."
"Hm... Arigatou... Koji..."
"Yeah, yeah. Geez, where th' hell would ya be without me?"
"Shut up... ahou..."
Ken sighed as the two bandits walked off. "Just like they say: Behind every leader is the person who kept them from falling flat on their face. Only in this case, it happens to be a literal statement."
"Don't be so hard on Tasuki-san. He's only tired because he was worried about his friend, and he's only awake right now because he's worried for the stronghold." Hikaru snapped, tone unusually fierce and protective. She stood from the table, food untouched. "I'm not particularly hungry. I think I'll go check on Chichiri. Shuu-chan, would you like to join me?"
Shuu pushed her chair out as well, standing with her sister and popping her back. "Taking care of that monk is your job, not mine. Do whatever you want. I'm going back to my room to get some rest."
In a moment, the bandits and women had disappeared down the hall, leaving a whimpering Genji and four plates of food. "B-but... minna..."
"Hm?" Ken poked at his food with his chopsticks, then looked up at the young cook. "Oi, Genji-kun, what'd you do to this? The rice cakes are all red."
Genji burst into tears.
It was in the eleventh hour of the morning - during history - when the first attack occurred.
Houjun was sitting in between Kouran and Hikou, trying to pretend that he was listening to Wei-sensei and failing miserably. Wei-sensei was a boring old maid who liked to rattle on in her boring old voice about boring old artifacts and boring old legends. The joke around class was that Wei-sensei had known the ancient leaders and cities personally, and that the gods had played a mean trick by forcing her to teach about them for an eternity. As far as Houjun was concerned, the gods' trick had been a lot harder for the students than for the teacher.
When such moments like these occurred, Houjun-tachi typically turned to their creative minds to keep themselves entertained. That was exactly what they had done that day; almost as soon as class had started, Hikou had pulled out a piece of scrap parchment and started working his pen across the paper (Wei thought they were taking notes, senile thing that she was). After a moment he passed the paper to Houjun, who had a hard time stifling his laughter. On the paper was the outline of an old woman; at the top was the heading "Wei-sensei: Finish and Pass On."
Houjun chuckled quietly into his sleeve, glad that Wei was so deaf she couldn't hear him. This was an old game the three of them had started late in gradeschool, but it was nonetheless a favorite that never got tiring. The idea was for each of them to add a comical feature to the teacher of choice, until they had completed their "artwork" or the class ended. Hikou's additions were always the funniest, though Kouran's were the most well-done, and Houjun's were probably the cleverest. And whoever was chosen, the trio of minds usually created a comical masterpiece, certainly worthy of being saved (in fact, Hikou kept a collection of the doodles in one of his books; they would often pull them out when they needed a good laugh).
Houjun grinned, then dipped his pen into a jar of ink and got started. He glanced up at Wei, looking for something to add to the outline... that was it! Houjun quickly scribbled in the woman's wiry, grey hair, which she wore in a very strange style, all bunched up at the top of her head. He made the pile look about a mile high, then doodled a little bird's nest in the top and passed it to Kouran.
His female friend glanced over at him, giggling quietly, then set to work on adding another detail. Houjun sat back in his chair, waiting for the picture to get back to him. As it was, he happened to catch a few of Wei's monotone words as she droned on about a popular Konan legend.
"... It is said that when the Priestess arrives from another universe, she will gather the seven stars and grant peace upon the land. And, as I'm sure you all know, the Suzaku seishi have the following names: Tamahome, Hotohori, Tasuki, Mitsukake, Chichiri..."
Searing needles shot through Houjun's left eye. He closed both of his brown orbs tightly, putting a hand to his face and letting out a muffled grunt of alarm. The pain grew quickly stronger, becoming one long lance of hurt through the left side of his face. As it rose to an agonizing shriek, images sprang unbidden to his mind, visions of people he had never seen before, places he had never been before... and yet...
FLASH!
"Welcome back na no da!"
A brunette in odd clothing greeted him with a smile. "Oh, Chichiri!"
An orange-haired man pointed wildly in his direction. "What is THAT!?"
"That's Chichiri, another Suzaku seishi," a purple-headed woman - or was it a man? - said with a grin.
FLASH!
"Oh, Hotohori, we found another warrior. This is Chichiri." The girl in strange clothing introduced, gesturing in his direction.
"D... daa!" he responded nervously, lifting a hand to wave at the well-dressed man.
FLASH!
The same orange-haired man, now several years older, looked up at him from the ground, giving a fanged grin. "Oi, Chichiri, 'bout time you showed up."
"I missed you too no da."
FLASH!
"Chichiri!"
"Chichiri?"
"Chichiri..."
"HOUJUN!" Kouran's terrified cry cut through his visions like a knife, but did little to staunch them or the crimson agony that tortured his mahogany orb.
"Houjun?" That was Hikou, sounding scared, concerned.
"Eh? What in the world is wrong with Ri-san?" Wei-sensei. Puzzled. Nervous.
Someone's hand on his arm. Was it Hikaru? Who was Hikaru? No, no, it was just Kouran. Her soft voice, tremoring with fear, trying to reach him, steady him, bring him back to earth. "Houjun, Houjun hang on. Whatever happened, please hang on."
The words barely reached him. Hang on? How could he?
His eye was on fire.
And those people...
He must be dying.
Who were they...?
He had to stop the pain.
Stop it.
Stop it.
Stop...
"Oi, Hikaru-san."
The young woman looked up from where she was kneeling next to Chichiri. She wiped a hand across her lightly perspiring forehead, then smiled pleasantly at her visitor. "Konban wa Tasuki-san. You're looking better. Did you have a nice rest?"
"Oryaa [Hell yeah], Koji's gotta have th' best bed in th' stronghold," he agreed, setting down the tray he had been balancing on his arm. "Here. I figgered ya might be hungry, so I brought ya some dinner. Mine's on there too, so don't take it all."
Hikaru reached over, picking up one of the warm bowls and a pair of chopsticks. "Arigatou, Tasuki-san." She smiled gratefully in his direction. "It's funny, how thoughtful you can be sometimes."
Tasuki shrugged, looking away and grumbling an excuse to hide his embarassment. "Koji woulda done it, but he ain't in th' stronghold. Somethin' t'do with that rival gang that's been givin' us hell. So, I volunteered."
"Still, it was a nice thing to do." Hikaru took a bite of the rice and shrimp mixture, smiling. "Mm! Oishii! Genji-kun outdid himself again! I didn't realize how hungry I was, but now..."
Tasuki watched with a small sweatdrop as the Asatenshi woman dove into her food with a will, demolishing the meal in seconds - with surprisingly good table manners, to boot. "Ya know, it ain't gonna run away if ya eat it slow..."
Hikaru looked up, giggling a little. "Oh! I was going pretty fast, wasn't I?" she wiped off the corner of her mouth with a napkin, taking a sip of tea. "I'm in a hurry to finish this off so I can get Chichiri his dinner." She gestured to a thick-looking, steaming bowl of broth near the monk's head. "I was just getting to that when you came in, you see. I apologize for my eating habits."
The seishi shrugged. "I live with a buncha bandits. Yer eatin' habits don't bother me one bit." He leaned back in his bed, looking up at the ceiling. Tasuki bit his lip, wondering how he could say this. He was never very good at saying meaningful things. "Listen, Hikaru-san... I jus' wanted ya t'know that I appreciate what yer doin' fer 'Chiri. I was kind of a bastard last night, accusin' ya like that... anyway, I'm sorry."
"Oh, that's all right, Tasuki-san," she told him with a dismissive wave of her hand. "As I said before, I understand your distrust. After all, the two of us are strangers here, so it's only natural that you'd think us to be the culprits." Hikaru looked up at him hopefully, a small blush on her cheeks. "My only wish is that you will learn to trust me, and Shuu-chan."
Tasuki snorted. "I'm gettin' there with you. But as fer yer Gaki sister... It ain't jus' that she's rude, but she's studied that Holy Magic too an' she ain't done a thing t'help with Chichiri. Little ingrate..."
"Not at all, Tasuki-san!" He looked at her, one eyebrow raised in a silent question. "Shuu-chan's healing magic isn't as advanced as mine, that's why she isn't helping with this. But she's doing plenty of other things, I assure you. In fact," Hikaru held up the bowl of broth, "Shuu-chan made this without my even asking her!"
"She did?"
"Mm!" Asatenshi nodded, lifting up the monk's limp head and doing her best to force some of the liquid between his lips. "Shuu-chan's really a very helpful person, she just has her own ways of showing it... come on, Chichiri, you won't last long if you won't at least take a little of this..."
Tasuki sat up again, putting his elbows on his knees and his chin in his hands. "... Is there anythin' I c'n do t'help?"
"Not really, I've dealt with comatose patients before..."
He shook his head. "Not in this. Not necessarily. I just mean, with anything. There's gotta be somethin' I c'n do t'help reach Chichiri, t'help snap him outta this spell." Tasuki clenched a fist, unable to stop the concern for his friend from showing in his voice. "Somethin'..."
Hikaru frowned thoughtfully, still focused on her task. "Hm... well... you might try talking to him."
"Talkin' to him? About what?"
"Anything, I suppose. The two of you have been friends for a while, deshou? Tasuki-san's voice might be able to reach Chichiri, help call him back." Hikaru shrugged, setting the bowl down; it was only about a quarter empty, but she didn't think she could force anymore down the monk's unresponsive throat. "I've never heard of anyone doing that before, but you never know."
Tasuki looked at his seishi companion, frowning slightly. "It's worth a try, anyway..." He felt someone's eyes on him. The bandit looked up, surprised to find Hikaru watching him curiously and smiling with a look of adoration in her eyes. "Eh? What? Do I got some rice on my face'r somethin'?"
"It's nothing like that," she said with a chuckle. Hikaru put her chin in her hands, looking at the bandit leader curiously and smiling. "I was just thinking... how strange it is. You come off as being a loud-mouthed, violent thief, but underneath all of that you're really a very sweet, kind person."
"I am?"
"Mm!" she nodded. "It's odd, but not in a bad way. That's the part of you that made you the leader: your loyalty, your bravery, your concern. Chichiri spoke of you kindly, but I didn't realize how right he was. I suppose that's why I..." Hikaru blushed and looked down. "Ah, nevermind! Can I set this over here? I need to get it out of the way..."
Asatenshi shoved the bowl of broth hastily onto Tasuki's nightstand, then set her own dishes next to that. She turned her head back towards Chichiri, and set about her other tasks. The bandit smiled slightly, knowing she couldn't see it. 'Baka,' he thought somewhat fondly. Out loud, he asked, "So, what're ya doin' fer Chichiri? I know ya said it was a summonin' spell, but ya never said how it worked."
"Oh, well, that's a little hard to explain..." Hikaru frowned, chewing on her lip thoughtfully. "I suppose what it does is send a message to Chichiri's subconscious. If he chooses to listen - if even one tiny part of his mind is aware of what's going on and wishes to stop it - then he will hopefully start to remember the real world.
"That's what it does to begin with, at least. Like I said last night, it takes about a week to take full effect. After a week or so, the message strengthens - hopefully - and Chichiri will choose to find some means to discover his true self and escape the closed universe."
"Okay." Tasuki hesitated, then asked the question Hikaru knew was coming: "How's he do that?"
"I've only spoken to a few people who were freed from Entrapment, but from what I understand closed universes are created from the memories and thoughts of the person who is Trapped - and, at times, from other-worldly aid. Therefore, if his subconscious decides to, he'll most likely create a person to help him get home. Usually, the person looks similar to the one who's calling them back, so in Chichiri's case it may look a bit like me." Hikaru shrugged, chuckling a little. "I've never done it before, and I've never been Trapped before, so I couldn't tell you for certain... but I think that's how it works."
The bandit leader nodded, only partially understanding Hikaru's words but deciding not to bother her with any more questions. He grinned a little. "Well, I'm glad yer takin' care of it. Maybe it was a blessin' instead of a curse that you 'n' yer sister showed up - 'Chiri woulda been helpless without ya, after all."
The young woman blushed. "Ah, Tasuki-san, it was nothing..."
"Stop callin' me that."
Hikaru looked up. "Excuse me?"
"Tasuki-san. Only merchants 'n' little kids call me 'san.' The boys call me Genrou, or Leader... er, 'cept Genji-kun, but he's a special case. So how 'bout I call you Hikaru, an' you jus' call me Tasuki, okay?"
Asatenshi turned her eyes back to Chichiri. "Well, all right..." She felt a pair of hands clap on her shoulders. She looked up, only to find herself staring straight into the bandit's golden eyes. She blushed even brighter. "H... hai?"
The Reikaku leader looked at her gently, sparkles in his eyes. "Hikaru-san," Tasuki said as he gazed into her mysterious green pools.
Asatenshi's eyes lit up happily; she cupped her hands together, smiling up at him. "Hai?"
A pastel backdrop appeared, accompanied by soft pink bubbles. "Could you...?"
She leaned in closer, until they were almost nose to nose. "Hai?"
The bandit turned chibi, pointing over his shoulder to his nightstand, "Take the dishes t'the kitchen?" Hikaru face-vaulted. "I jus' thought, since I went through th' trouble of bringin' 'em to ya, you could take 'em back..."
Hikaru sat up again, sweatdropping like there was no tomorrow. "That was all?"
"Yeah, pretty much."
She sighed. "Hai."
Hikaru was just about to stand and do as he asked when a familiar voice interrupted the pair. It was muffled slightly by the wood of the door, but the speech pattern and tone couldn't be mistaken. "Knock knock. Who's there? It's Koji, comin' t'give Sleepin' Beauty a report on th' rival gang, who we now know t'be called the Akutsuki Clan. Ah, well, Koji, please come right in." The doors slid open. "A-ri-ga-tou..."
"Oh, Koji, yer back, na?"
The Reikaku co-leader looked down at Hikaru and Tasuki, who were sitting fairly close together and looked to be enjoying themselves. His hazel eyes trailed back up to Tasuki; he blinked a couple of times, then remembered what he was doing and went on. "Huh? Oh, yeah. We got wind of some-a th' Akutsuki members screwin' around on our territory. Me 'n' a few of th' boys went out t'investigate. There was a little skirmish, a few minor injuries, no deaths, no captives on either side. We've all agreed that they're startin' t'piss us off, though."
"Ah!" Hikaru stood swiftly, putting the dishes on the single tray and picking it up in one arm. "I'm not much help when it comes to battle tactics, so I'll leave you gentleman to your discussion. I apologize for interrupting."
"Hikaru-san, ya don't gotta leave so fast..." Koji started to say.
"Oh, I'd only get in the way," she replied with a distracted smile in his direction. Those seemed to be the only smiles he received from her, he thought unhappily. "Besides, I find war strategies extremely boring, so to sit around here would be useless for all of us." She walked to the doorway, then turned. She nodded her head quickly at Koji. "Jaa ne, Mitsuragi-san." Hikaru turned to the bandit leader, smiling shyly and ducking her raven-haired head once more. "Jaa ne... Tasuki."
Koji watched her leave the room. His face remained expressionless, his voice betrayed nothing, and his mind was brushing Hikaru's warmth towards Tasuki aside as nothing but friendship.
But in his heart, ever so slightly, he felt something tighten.
Houjun did not realize that he had passed out, but he must have because the next thing he knew he was lying on the floor and there were people murmuring around him. He opened both eyes carefully, surprised to find all traces of his earlier anguish gone. The pain had decided to disappear with the visions, it seemed. But the memories of the visions had chosen otherwise. Houjun still saw their faces, their friendly faces that he recognized but could not place, faces he had never seen before yet seemed so familiar...
They had called him Chichiri.
Why?
Someone had a tight hold of his hand; it took him a minute to realize it was Kouran. She was calling his name, guiding him gently back to reality, to his reality. "Houjun... Houjun... please, please answer me..."
His eyes came into focus; he realized that the small class was gathered around him, looking extremely confused. He turned his brown orbs in Kouran's direction, smiling weakly. "Daijoubu na no da," he managed to murmur.
No da? He never said that, not unless he was joking around with his friends.
Her gentle chocolate-brown orbs widened in relief and surprise; Houjun was startled to see that there were tears in her eyes. Kouran breathed a sigh of relief, giving his hand a comforting squeeze. "Oh, Houjun... Yokatta."
Wei-sensei leaned over him, studying him carefully with her small, beady eyes. "What in the world happened to you, Ri-san? One minute you're at your desk taking notes and the next thing I know Suzunami-san's screaming your name and you're keeling over with a headache."
Houjun shivered, sitting up despite Kouran's protests. Using the term "ache" on what had just happened to him seemed like a disgusting understatement. He had thought he was going to die. The young man hugged his knees to his chest, shaking his head slowly. "I don't know, Wei-sensei. It hit me out of nowhere, this blazing, red pain... and there were visions... those people, they kept talking to me... calling me Chichiri..." He did not notice the looks Hikou and Kouran sent each other. "Strange..."
Wei frowned, putting a wrinkled hand to Houjun's head. "Hm... you don't feel warm, but maybe you should go home. You must be sick, or perhaps the stress of mid-term exams are getting to you."
He shook his head. "Iie, Wei-sensei, I feel fine now-"
"There's no need to take risks."
"It was just when I got that migraine-"
"Nevertheless we should play it safe."
"But I'm honestly-"
"Hikou, would you care to escort your friend to his house?"
Houjun's quick temper was starting to ignite. "Wei-sensei-"
"I wouldn't want him to have another attack and hurt himself on the way home..."
"Wei-sensei!" he snapped angrily, feeling a pressure that had been building up in him - frustration at being ignored and confusion for what had happened - come rushing out.
BANG!
All the windows in the room slammed shut, blown by nonexistent gusts of wind.
The other students and Wei jumped, glancing at each other nervously. Houjun took a breath to calm down; he didn't get that pressurized feeling often, but when he did strange things always seemed to happen. The young man touched a hand to his left eye, as if he were searching for something that wasn't there and should have been. The sensation of missing something - or perhaps, not missing something - didn't make his mood any better.
Not that he could tell his teacher or the rest of the class that, or about those images. They would never believe him; he wasn't sure if he believed it himself. Besides, if his family found out, they'd all be concerned for him. He hated to make his mother and father worry, especially about potentially little things like this; they were busy enough as it was.
"Wei-sensei," he said quietly after a moment, pushing away the disquieted feeling he was starting to get. "I understand your concern, but I'm really all right. I don't want my parents to worry about some freak accident like this." He stood steadily, smiling at the rest of the class. Houjun rubbed the back of his head in embarassment. "I guess the lack of sleep is starting to get to me or something. You know how it is, exams on the way and girlfriends coming over at all hours of the night."
The small group of students - his village wasn't that big, after all - laughed, their nervous tension flowing away with the happy sound. How silly of them, to get all worked up. Houjun was fine, the cram sessions were just starting to get to him. Of course. Headaches were common during hard times. He was fine.
The class went back to its work, their break in everyday life seeming like nothing but a scratch in the sand. Houjun took his seat, gave Kouran and Hikou smiles of reassurance, then got back to his work. The schoolday went smoothly for everyone, with no more changes or unexpected surprises.
But Kouran and Hikou never took their eyes off of Houjun, never left his side for the rest of the day, never stopped shooting each other nervous, knowing little glances.
They were thinking about the past.
*****
Hao, minna-san!
Yup, I'm back again, hope you haven't missed me. I've decided to try posting a verse every couple of weeks, because that just seems to work best for me. With school starting in a few days and all, I'm going to have a lot less time on my hands, henceforth, a lot less time to write. Them's the breaks, I s'pose. For those impatient few out there: Gomen, but twice a month postings look to be the best I can do right now! *Profuse bowing*
Oh, and I'd also like to apologize if my new pen name caused any confusion. It looks like fanfiction.net decided that only one person could have the name DeeChan, and alas, that one person wasn't me. I declined the offer of "DeeChan1" (bit too unoriginal, don't you think?) and decided to go with "It's The Dee," partially due to a song my friend once made up. Well, that was an intriguing story. *Sweatdrop*
Random Chapter Comments I've introduced the world of Houjun's past into this verse, as well as given you a hint of what sort of memory-regaining troubles the poor guy's going to be having. I had a lot of fun recreating the monk's home village, as well as his two best friends. I hope my portrayals of Hikou and Kouran were accurate and to the readers' liking. The series didn't exactly give me a lot to work with, so I wound up having to wing it a little, especially concerning their pasts. And I'm going to have a lot of fun with that in later chapters, rest assured! ^_^
And, come on, be honest, how kawaii is Genji-kun? I mean, really. I'm so happy I added his character, he's going to be a great addition to the story, as well as a nice bit of comic relief for when things get a little too heavy. *Pinches his li'l cheek* I just wanna squeeze him 'till he squeaks!
Question of the Week Why do Soi and Nakago bleed cherry blossoms?
Verse Preview? Kind of a long chapter next time - well, in relation to the others, that is. A restless evening that includes all of the following: Violent dreams, questions and a mantra, as well as the seed of foreshadowing... pardon me while I chuckle villainously. Ah, that's better.
Mata ne, minna-san!
The Author Formerly Known as DeeChan (hehe),
Dee ~_^