Episode Seven: To Each Other

Nari tried to relax in the hot springs. She had been ushered there shortly after arriving, only with the explanation that that was what the Princess had wanted. A bath? At a time like this? She hoped it wasn't because she smelled terrible; she had showered in the morning and even put deodorant on. However, the stony gazes they had given her had quelled any desire to question the orders, and so she had passively followed them and went where she was told. What had almost happened to her before Shoshi had interfered still frightened her and she did not want to do anything that would arouse that sort of behavior again. It was not to say that the hot springs were not beautiful, and they were, but it was ironic that the first time she was really in one was when she wasn't even in her own world. She stripped and let the warm waters flow over her tense muscles. With a sigh, she blew out and looked up at the ceiling. The spring was indoors and quite the marvel in itself. It had been constructed underground below the castle and had wooden walls. Lighted lanterns flickered in the room, giving it a dim, almost haunted aura. The fires in each one were gentle, and to the end of the row, there was a patch of bamboo. The tiles on the ceiling were covered with patterns, and she saw a few ornately drawn wolves. They seemed alive, so detailed was the work. Looking closely, she saw that the eyes were in reality gems. Nari took in a deep breath, inhaling the moist air, then exhaled slowly, letting the tension in her body ease out.

Why was she even here when her brother was missing? Shoshi had told her to wait there until she came back, but Nari wasn't sure what to do while she was waiting. She couldn't stand not knowing where Nazo was or if he was safe or not. What Shoshi had hinted to her frightened her, and she felt guilty for enjoying the springs while her brother could be in mortal danger. As a result, she was hesitant to take a bath, as she was sure Shoshi wanted her to do. Quickly she made up her mind and rose from the spring, wrapped a waiting towel around her body, and tied her wet hair back up into a ponytail. There were some clothes laid out for her by the maids, and she paused as she lifted the robes and held it to her chest, her heart wanting to weep. If only Nazo hadn't felt the need to warm her up. If only she hadn't picked that book out from the shelf. If only, if only, the list could go on for hours. At the same time, she couldn't help but notice that the fabric felt much richer than anything she had ever worn before.

Nari squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head furiously. No! What was she doing? How could she be doing this at a time like this? Where was her loyalty to her brother? She felt tears slip down her cheeks, and she buried her face in the clothes. She felt so helpless and weak; what could she do without him there to support her? He had always watched her back, and now without him, she was nothing. She knew however that this was no time to fall apart. If she wanted to see Nazo again, she had to fight. The fact that he sacrificed so much for her drove her to work her hardest, to make him regret nothing. Having resolved to this, she quickly wiped her tears and slipped into the clothes. If playing along with the story meant she'd be closer to getting out, then that was exactly what she was going to do. Her fingers fumbled at the sash, but she managed to knot it, and when she was done, she raised her head and practiced a smile. This was how she wanted Nazo to find her again when they were reunited. Strong, cheerful, independent, able to be without her brother for a few hours, not the weeping, weak wimp she had been a few minutes ago.

There was a knock, and Nari knew she had finished just in time. She hurried to the door, but it opened before she could reach it. A black-haired woman stumbled in and almost fell down. Nari froze. It was the same woman who had ordered for her to be stripped. Nari gritted her teeth. She didn't want anything to do with her, but at the same time, the woman was injured. She threw away her misgivings and ran to help her, but the woman glared at her, and she took a few steps back.

"..Are you all right?" Nari asked tentatively.

"Do I look all right?"

Nari stepped back even more. Her fear threatened to overwhelm her, but she forced herself to stand her ground.

"I'm sorry," she said hesitantly. "That was a stupid question."

The woman looked at her. Nari bowed her head. Her heart pounded. Unfortunately, she had never learned the woman's name, and now she was afraid to ask. She had no idea if it would make the woman friendlier towards her, but she still wished she knew. The woman coughed as she leaned against the door frame, then beckoned for Nari to come.

"The Princess wants you to go underground until she arrives, where you will be safer. We are under attack."

Nari hesitated, then nodded. Wordlessly, the woman led her out, and the maids, who had reappeared, closed the door behind them. They bowed to the woman, and she grunted, then turned left towards some stairs and began descending.

The walls around them were stone, a stark contrast to the gilded gold pillars that she had walked past to get to the hot springs. The main goal here was defense, not aesthetics. Nari bowed her head. The woman had said something about them being under attack. Was Nazo safe outside? Had Shoshi managed to locate him somehow and was on her way back? She was so lost in her thoughts that she almost ran into her escort, who had stopped in front of another door and was now staring at her.

The woman's eyes narrowed as she looked Nari up and down. "Hmph. Don't see what she sees in you."

Nari said nothing, afraid to speak.

"The Princess isn't looking for a lover right now," the woman said haughtily. "I should know because she's expressed no interest in it, even though there are plenty of fine women in the castle." She spat on the ground. " So why did she bring you here?"

"..What?"

"You heard me right. Don't pretend you're so naïve."

"I don't understand..?"

"Don't think you're safe just because you're in the Princess's favor for now," she warned. "We may love her, but it doesn't mean we have to trust you."

"That's enough, Mai," Shoshi's voice cut in smoothly.

"Your Highness!"

"You may take your leave. I need to have some private words with her. Thank you for escorting Nari."

Mai's expression clouded, but she bowed and stepped backwards, letting the two of them walk past her, and closed the door behind her. Shoshi and Nari were left together on their own in the cave, and what Mai had said earlier flashed through Nari's mind.

"Shoshi, when she asked-"

Shoshi smiled. "You have nothing to fear. You're not my type."

Nari opened her mouth to speak, but decided against it. Instead, she bit her lip, remembering just in time to refer to Nazo as Shoshi had told her. "Do you have news of the stranger?" she asked.

"In fact, I do. I have found him, along with another seishi. They are aboveground."

"Aboveground, but-!"

"They are safe," Shoshi interrupted. "He is with another seishi, and she should be quite capable of protecting him. I have come back to fetch you. Once we are together, we will plot our next course of action. We will need to move quickly, and I will also have to report to my mother about the events that have transpired. She has surely heard news of it from her sources."

"What's going to happen to the stranger?" Nari asked.

Shoshi frowned. "I have a plan, but whether or not it will work is a different question. It will be quite the daring one as there has never been a precedent, but as all the other gods were male, it could work. It's also possible that it may end up being the truth, but then that begs the question of why you are here. The likelihood of the women of Nyosei accepting that story is also a hard one to answer." She glanced at Nari. "I suppose you have never heard any tales then of our country, seeing as you aren't from this world?"

Nari shook her head, and Shoshi continued. "As I mentioned earlier, the men who arrive here are not treated kindly," she said. "They have three options: have their eyes gouged out so that they become seed bearers; become laborers in our deep mines; or executed in public and any useful organs or limbs are saved for later use. "

A gasp escaped from Nari at those words, and Shoshi met her gaze levelly. "I will be the first to admit that the measures we take against the opposite sex are not kind, but they are a must. Because our island is so feared and shrouded in myth, we are protected from our neighboring brothers. I do not know what kind of world your world is like, but here, women may be sold to provide for their families, be forced to serve their husbands' families, or even beaten for no reason they can comprehend. In Nyosei, they are free to do as they please and answer to no one but themselves. It is because we have the society and culture that we have that we are not oppressed." She laughed ironically. "You could say we are the first true matriarchy, but that we have taken an extreme path. It is not known when the other countries will rise in protest, but we will be prepared when they do. We have not spent our time only idly raping men and drinking the liquor made from their eyeballs."

"You.. put it so bluntly," Nari said softly. Inside however, she felt sick. If such a fate were to befall Nazo, she didn't know what she would do. What she could do to save him. "Do you really see it like that?"

"I do. I have been raised to those beliefs, and although I may not entirely agree with them, it is my duty to see them carried out. After all, I must protect the women here at all costs."

Nari bit her lip and looked at the ground. "I see."

"I do not expect you to understand our ways, but it is how we survive," Shoshi said. She paused, then smiled with her eyes. "I will be back shortly. Stay here. I must speak with my mother the Empress personally about protecting the castle. And do not worry. I promise I will do everything in my power to keep the stranger safe."

So far, Shoshi had been true to her word, and she had done nothing to disprove herself. Nari nodded silently and watched the princess open the door. The scary lady and Shoshi exchanged a few words, and the door closed behind them. Nari flopped onto the hard ground and ran her hand through her hair, which was still damp. Busy herself with simple tasks, she decided. That would pass the time by quickly. She should have thought of bringing a towel with her on the way down here. The last thing she needed was to catch a cold here. As she brought her head to her knees, she sighed. Maybe she could find something to sweep the floor with. It didn't really need cleaning, but a menial job would ease the unrest in her heart.

The sound of claws scrabbling across stone caught her attention, and she looked around for the source. What she found delighted her, and she knelt, holding her hand out. "Here, little guy," she said softly. "What are you doing way down here?"

The squirrel, for that was what it was, leaned towards her hand and sniffed it carefully. Its fur was black, and it had a white belly and orange markings on its front legs. It also looked nothing like the squirrels back in Japan. The squirrel swished its tail and backed away as it regarded her curiously. Nari smiled and pulled back, hoping that the squirrel would feel more comfortable. She wished dearly that she had thought to bring some of the food from the hot springs down so she could feed the squirrel. It was a cheering thought to see that the rodents that were so common back in Japan were just as common here.

As she watched, the squirrel slowly crept closer until it was directly before her. She grinned, then did her best to imitate the squirrelly squeaks she often heard back at home. Maybe it would understand that she was squirrel tilted its head, then put a paw on her knee. When she did not move, it wriggled its nose and quickly climbed up the rest of her body and settled down on her shoulder. She laughed as its fluffy tail tickled her cheek. Oh, she did wonder how it had found its way here! It was so far away from home, just like her. She hoped it wasn't too scared and resolved to find it some nice nuts when Shoshi came back.

There was a small snore, and Nari laughed softly to herself when she realized it came from the squirrel. She did her best to keep the shoulder the squirrel slept on steady as she slowly rearranged herself into a more comfortable position.

The door opened again and Shoshi reappeared. She had a bag slung over her shoulder and a sheath at her side. She had also changed what looked like traveling clothes.

"Look what I found!" Nari exclaimed.

Shoshi however was not so amiable towards the squirrel. With a quick motion, she seized the sleeping creature from Nari's shoulder and held it up with one hand, scrutinizing it. "How did you get down here?" she demanded, ignoring its terrified squeaks. "You are a squirrel. It is not like there are nuts down here, or even a ground you can bury them in. Are you a spy from the enemy? Do you have a bomb strapped to you?"

"Shoshi!" Nari protested. "It's just a squirrel!"

"That sort of thinking lets your guard down far too much," Shoshi said. "However, you are correct in thinking it is not an enemy." While still holding the squirrel in one hand, she pointed at a gleaming character above what would have been the rodent's belly button if it had one. "This squirrel is a seishi, believe it or not."

x

"You did as I asked?"

Genbu knelt before his leader and bowed. "Yes. It was successful. They most likely believe I am incapacitated now."

The man's lip curled. "Good. Send in a seishi now. Tell him to kill the extra one."

x

Nazo supported Shiho until she found a spot that she deemed safe, and now they were sitting together awkwardly like in one of those romantic comedies that Nari always liked to read, except this wasn't a comedy, and he had no time for love anyway. As it was, he did his best to make it not so awkward and tried to strike up a conversation.

"So uh, where did you learn Japanese?"

Shiho blinked. "Japanese?"

"Yeah, the language you're speaking right now..?"

"I'm speaking the Kounan dialect of Chinese."

"..."

With an inward sigh, he surmised that it was most likely because this was after all an enchanted book, and at least it had taken the safeguard of letting him be able to magically understand the language of the natives there and they him. One good point out of who knew how many bad ones. Still, at least things were starting to look a bit up, even if one of the characters they had met was a slightly psychotic and arrogant princess. He laughed silently at the thought. To think he had met a real live princess. Landed himself in the place of the old myths and folklore that he loved so much? Okay, so maybe there was more good to this book than he had first thought. He had a chance to have a firsthand experience in this world, something he might never have gone through if he hadn't opened the book. He could see how people really lived back then, although the fact that it was a book meant that some facts would be skewed. Also, hadn't it mentioned something about the power to wish for anything? What if he could wish for financial security?

"That's it!" he said out loud, and Shiho gave him an inquisitive look. "How many wishes am I allowed? At least one, right?"

Shiho bit her lip. "If I remember right, it was three."

Nazo mentally cheered. "That inscription said that I could have the power to wish for anything. If one of the wishes is used to preserve Nyosei, though who knows why a place like this should be saved, then the other two wishes can be used for personal use, right?"

"I'm not sure things will turn out that simple," Shiho replied. "They rarely did for the other four Priestesses."

Nazo hesitated. "Four Priestesses, eh? That means there have been other people who have come to this world? I thought you and that crazy princess-"

"Shoshi," Shiho corrected firmly.

"Fine. Shoshi. I thought you and Shoshi were talking about some girls who had arrived here. What were their stories?"

Shiho frowned. "I am only really familiar with Kounan's Priestess, as that's where I'm from. She arrived in our world one day as Kutou was preparing to invade our land. A bunch of stuff happened, including a huge misunderstanding with her best friend, who as a result became Priestess of Seiryuu, and the two had to fight against each other. Saving her best friend became one of her three wishes. Another was to seal Seiryuu away forever."

"Wait. Back up. The two girls became enemies?"

"Yes."

"But how?! I mean, they were best friends, right?"

Shiho snorted. "They say the greatest love will breed the greatest hatred."

"I know that, but.."

Shiho shivered suddenly. Nazo cursed himself. He had almost forgotten that she was injured. Chivalrous gentleman he was. Nari would have been ashamed of him. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "I was being thoughtless. You can uh. Have my jacket."

A wonder his jacket didn't have holes all over from all the punishment it'd been through. Only proof that sometimes, a good quality jacket was worth the money to buy. Heck, he could see if he could submit as an advertisement for the company. A jacket able to stand the abuses of demented women, zombie masters, and getting shoved through foliage that could seriously injure someone. He mentally rolled his eyes. Yeah, it'd definitely get him some extra money if he didn't get thrown into the nuthouse first. With that in mind, he slid the jacket off of him, and Shiho smiled a thank you as he gently wrapped it around her. He was glad to see that the bleeding seemed to have stopped for the most part. "We should uh.. get some food when Shoshi comes back," he said.

She laughed. "Hungry, huh? You really are a guy."

Nazo rolled his eyes. "No, it's for you. Get some iron back into your system. Water, liquids, all that good stuff."

Shiho raised an eyebrow. "Iron? I don't need any metal in my body. I'll stick to just blood and chi, thank you."

Right. Right. That was knowledge she couldn't have known, not at this age and time. He really should be more careful about what he said and did. He had no idea if anything he did would affect anything in his own time. Of course, if he were here now, it was highly possible that anything he did would have already affected his own life. Or maybe anything he didn't do would end up affecting the present negatively. Or maybe this was really just a book world, constructed only by the power of words? Here he was though, so it couldn't be just a book world. A parallel world then?

Damn all the conundrums.

Well. He was here now, and like he had decided earlier, the only thing he could do was make the best out of what he could. He was determined not to let the fates of the Priestesses of Suzaku and Seiryuu become his and Nari's. Communication. Yes. That was key. He would make sure that she had no reason to doubt him. This he was confident he could do. Now that he knew he was about to see his sister again, he could slowly feel his brain start to work sensibly and even question some of what was going on.

"So let me get this straight," he said. "This.. this country. Has a Goddess that she worships? Called Tenkyoku?"

"Yes."

"And in order for Her to be summoned, you need someone from another world?"

"Yes."

"Why does it have to be from another world? I'm sure there are plenty of guys here who'd want to have such a high honor."

"Actually, there aren't," Shiho said with a laugh. "You think any sane guy would come to this country voluntarily? After what you've seen?"

"..Good point."

They fell again into a more or less comfortable silence until Nazo thought of something else. "So basically your people are asking for any random person to become their Summoner? What if it's a psycho?"

"..."

"What if they wished for domination in both worlds?" Nazo continued. "How can you trust someone from another world? You wouldn't even know their motives. Heck, you don't even know mine!"

Shiho raised her eyebrow again. "If you want, I could force it out of you."

"..I'll pass, thank you."

There was a brief pause.

"I wonder," he said, because every conversation like this needed a musing moment like this. "If this world sensed that I wanted something more from my life."

"Perhaps."

He glanced over at Shiho. "So what's your reason for being here?"

"I'm here for you.

"What?!"

"I exist for the sole purpose of protecting you."

"..."

Shiho stared at him, then grinned. "You're not good at taking jokes, are you?"

"..Nope."

She just laughed. "All right, all right, I'm sorry."

"Apologies accepted," Nazo said, grumbling.

"Anyway," Shiho continued. "I'm in Nyosei because as I explained to Shoshi earlier, I'm one of the Tenkyoku seishi. I am originally from Kounan, but after learning of the part I would be playing, I came here."

"I see."

"I really do help strangers to this island like I told you, but," she added hastily. "You can't let Shoshi know."

And how ironic would it be if Shoshi were to return with Nari right this instance, at this opportune moment, Nazo thought wryly. That did remind him of something else however. "You said you had a brother?"

"Yeah. He's older than me. You'll meet him soon. He's a seishi, too." She grinned slyly at him. "He's even more serious than you are, so you'll get along fabulously."

"Eh. Maybe?"

Shiho sighed. "Hey. Don't worry. Your sister will be here soon."

"Yeah."

"How's your nose?" she asked, changing the subject.

He touched it gingerly. "A bit sore. Not bleeding anymore though, which is a plus."

She merely nodded in response. Nazo noticed that her eyelids were starting to droop, so he said in what he hoped was a helpful tone, "You can sleep on my shoulder if you want."

Immediately her head hit his shoulder. He winced, hoping said shoulder wasn't too bony for her. Her body followed suit, leaning sideways against him so that her shoulder touched his arm. He was acutely aware of how close they were to each other and flushed. Hopefully Shiho couldn't hear his heart racing.

The silence that stretched between the two of them was interrupted by the sound of rustling in the bushes. Nazo stood abruptly, accidentally dislodging Shiho. "That must be her!" he exclaimed.

Alert again, Shiho seized Nazo's arm, pulling him down to the ground. "It could be a trap!" she whispered fiercely. "Stay here."

As she got to her feet and started toward the sounds however, a blue head stuck out of the foliage. Shiho and Nazo watched in amazement as the rest of his body and a monk's staff followed. "Trap?" the stranger said, pushing his straw hat back. "I'm no trap, no da."

Next episode: A Thorny Situation - Dialogue. Dialogue. And more dialogue! What's with the seishi squirrel and the newcomer with a straw hat? And is he really not a trap?

A/N: Uh. Yeah. Sorry this chapter ended up having so much dialogue. The next one will have a lot, too, but.. I'll try not to have so much. And sorry they didn't actually get to meet. xD;.. it got a bit too long, so yeah. . I am working on slowly introducing the other characters, so.. next chapter will have some more people. I'm a bit disappointed that it took until now to really show more of Nari's personality, but hope it wasn't too bad of a wait. Anyway, hope you enjoyed it~.