A/N: Hi! It's been a while. I was in grad school and am finishing up this month, so I pushed myself to finally finish this chapter. Hope you enjoy it!

Episode Ten: The Holy Mountain and the Frightening Face

Light filtered through the bamboo shoots that made up the shabbily made hut Yu and his widowed mother lived in. Yu shielded his eyes and considered repairing the hut after he had breakfast when he remembered what day it was. He rolled off his straw mattress and grabbed his tattered blue jacket from the floor. After he dressed quickly, he made his way over to the little shrine dedicated to his father and kowtowed before it three times. A taste of bitterness filled his mouth and he rose to his feet. Since yesterday, something niggled at the back of his mind to return to Nyosei. That very thought made him sick to the stomach though, and he immediately made his decision to leave the next day. Everything was packed already in a bag, which he slung over his shoulder as he passed it. Next to it was the long iron rod that he had kept close to him for the last five years. He grabbed that, too. His long violet hair was wrapped in a braid around his head to keep it out of his way, and his bangs were purposely long to hide his dark blue eyes. If eyes were the window to the soul, he didn't want anyone looking in. It was not going to be his first time leaving Meitou, one of the satellite countries of Kutou, and he knew through hard-won experience that naivety was a terrible companion.

Just as he was about to step outside, his mother rushed to him and seized his arm.

"Yu! You cannot truly be thinking of doing this!" she said. "What about your destiny?"

Yu gritted his teeth. They had gone through this multiple times now. "Five years ago, the women of Nyosei told me very loud and clear what they thought of my destiny, Mother," he said. "You and I know their answer very well."

His mother's stricken face shamed him, but not enough to lessen his determination. No gentle words were going to sway him. He didn't want their goodbye to go sour however, so he tried to salvage it. "I'm sorry, I-" he started to say, but his mother interrupted him.

"It doesn't matter, your father would not have wanted you to do this."

"Father. Is no longer around."

"But..."

He yanked his arm free and turned his back to her. "I won't kill anyone," he said. "I just want to do some investigation, and I can't do that living in Meitou. I must go to Sairou."

It was a false promise and they both knew it. If he was pushed, he wouldn't hesitate to kill. Gone were the days when he would sit passively by. He was no longer weak and helpless.

"Sairou is so far, Yu. I don't want you to go so far again."

It was a weak argument, one he knew his mother tried anyway in an attempt to get him to stay. He said nothing. He knew it was far, but Sairou was where the answers to his questions lay. "It'll be fine," he said. "My decision has been made already. You can't change my mind."

He had been delayed for far too long now. Without another word, he stepped outside and slammed the door behind him. His mother's sobs faded as he walked down the road. A large part of the reason why she also wept was because she was a woman and a widowed one at that. It was taboo for her to remarry, and without a man in the house, life would become that much more difficult. It was unusual for anyone to leave the village; the trip he and his father had taken that fateful year had attracted the attention of the entire village, elders included. When he returned alone, he and his mother had become the laughingstock of the village. He gritted his teeth as he remembered the painful memories.

"Tenkyoku?" they laughed. "Tenkyoku doesn't exist! It was Seiryuu who punished you for your hubris! To proclaim yourself as one of the seishi of the mythical creator of the world, how is it that you weren't killed, too? We all know that it's Taiitsukun,and Taiitsukun doesn't have any seishi!"

They were cruel, but Yu remained civil towards them. He and his mother's lives depended on it. Even though he had been rejected and a merciless point made to him, his mother still refused to believe that his destiny as a Tenkyoku seishi was a good one. She argued, tried to rationalize that all the seishi in the old times had had difficult lives, and this was just one of the ways the gods tested them. He put up with it, as only a faithful, albeit irritated son put up with it, because he knew it was the only way she could cope with the loss of his father. It was why it had taken him so long to leave. He lent his hand out to any of the farmers who would take him; just the two of them couldn't manage a plot of land by themselves, so they usually worked for Yu's mother's relatives. Bit by bit, he saved what he could so that his mother would have enough to live by when he made his journey. However, his plans had been interrupted yesterday, and he had not been able to save up enough. Nevertheless, he had to leave. He could only count on his mother's relatives to take care of her and not turn her out. He doubted they would do that, but somehow, he would find a way to support his mother. Filial piety was important, but this mission of his was more important. Yu had heard rumors about a group in the west starting a revolution against the gods. He intended to learn what he could about them. Gods? He spat on the ground. Being a seishi wasn't a blessing; it was a curse, and he refused to walk towards his destiny. He had tried that five years ago, and he had been completely, totally rejected. If anyone tried to recruit him over to her side now, he would reject them just as completely and totally.

Nothing could make up for the loss he had already suffered.

x

They arrived at Mt. Taikyoku with much less fanfare than she would have expected for a holy mountain. As soon as Chichiri touched ground, he raced into the pagoda with Shiho in his arms, leaving Shoshi, Tei, and Nari behind to follow along more slowly. Shoshi had heard rumors about this place all her life but had never actually met someone who had been here before. If only the pure-hearted could find or see this mountain, then she was a better person than she believed. The rock mountains were dotted with shrubs as far as she could see, and they were standing in front of the magnificent pagoda, albeit only a two-tiered one. The walls were vivid red and the tiled ceilings green. Gold arcs completed the building. Purple bubbles floated all around them. Why they did so she had no idea, but she imagined Taiitsukun liked them. As Shoshi gazed around the serene landscape, she wondered for a moment whether the seething anger inside her was appropriate for such a place. She was about to meet the Creator. She was supposed to be brimming with reverence and respect and awe, but none of that was happening.

"It's beautiful," Nari murmured, interrupting her thoughts. Tei squeaked in agreement. "I've never imagined I'd see something like this before. Are there other places like this?"

Shoshi did not reply. If she spoke, she was afraid she would reveal her true feelings. A part of her cautioned against speaking harshly to the other seishi, especially when she was wounded, but the rage refused to let her go.

Shiho had failed in her most sacred duty.

She could not forgive that so easily. Not when that was a mantra that had been pounded so deeply into her own self. She knew that it was difficult for her to understand a seishi's duty from anyone else's point of view, but even so. A seishi's only purpose was to protect her Summoner, and Shiho had failed. There were very few instances when a Priestess, or Priest in Nazo's case, returned to their own world. Extreme danger was one of them. The other seishi had been careless and had almost paid for it with both Nazo's and her own life. How could she forgive such a dire mistake?

But, she counseled herself, if she could not look past this, it was highly possible that she would not be able to work with the other girl, and that, more than her own personal feelings, was far more important. They had to summon Tenkyoku. She forced herself to remember this. Nazo was alive. Supposedly. She clung to that as if it could stem the flood of anger that threatened to overwhelm her. As long as she remembered that, she could keep her cool. Hopefully. She could rage all she wanted to inside, but if she were to do so at Shiho at their first encounter, it would splinter their relationship and future interactions in a way that could be hopelessly detrimental to their common cause.

"Shoshi?"

Shoshi realized that Nari was waiting for her response. "I do not know," she replied. "I have not ventured from Nyosei very often. I have only heard stories from the other countries. As for Mt. Taikyoku, only those with a pure heart can come here. If you do not have one, all you will see is a barren landscape."

"That seems like a unique requirement."

"Mt. Taikyoku is home to the Creator of our world," Shoshi replied. "It makes sense."

They paused at the foot of the steps. Nari, who Shoshi had noticed could be extremely hesitant, seemed afraid to step inside. "You said Creator?" Nari asked.

"Yes. Taiitsukun is the Creator of our world. We are going to see her now."

"And she is the only one?"

"Yes. Why do you ask that?"

Nari laughed softly. "Back in my own world, there are many religious groups that claim that their god or gods are what created the world. There's been far too much religious warfare in our history. Our religion is the one truth. No, ours is. If you don't believe in what the majority believes in, you're branded. If you don't believe in anything, then-" she shook her head. "It must be nice to know that there is only one truth in your world and that it's the real one."

"Who knows? Maybe we are all fools, regardless of what world we come from. How can humans know what is really truth if truth is something that belongs to the gods?" The shadow of a smile flitted across Shoshi's face. "And even in our world, there is war. You can believe in imposing your will on others with good intentions, never paying heed to the unlikely fact that those you wish to help do not want your help at all."

"We can only move uncertainly towards the future," Nari said. She glanced down at Tei, who stared back at her with innocent, blank eyes. "It must be nice to be an animal and unaware of these," she said as she scratched under his chin. The squirrel raised his head and closed his eyes with pleasure as he let out a contented sigh. Then she looked up towards the palace, where Chichiri had already disappeared into. Nari bit her lip and took the first step up. Shoshi followed after her. As they walked up the stairs, glowing purple bubbles floated into view. Shoshi hardly noticed them and kept walking, but stopped when she realized Nari had paused again. Her eyes were fixed on the bubbles, which moved hypnotically towards them. "I wish my brother could see this," Nari said. She waved her arm over the entire structure. "This. He would have loved it. He's a huge fan of anything from the past." It looked like she was about to cry, but she was able to control it after a minute. "He's all right, right?" she asked. "After seeing what happened to Shiho, I'm- I. I'm scared for him."

"It is natural to be scared," Shoshi said, and with those words, she felt herself relent the rest of the way. "It is whether or not we can surpass our fear and not be controlled by them that is the question. I am sure your brother is fine."

Actually, Shoshi had no idea, but she did not want to scare Nari unnecessarily. Even if the girl wasn't the Priestess of Tenkyoku like she had thought she would be, Shoshi still wanted to watch out for her. It was possible for them to interact in a way that would have been impossible with her own women. She cherished the bond they were developing. It was wrong, but she still did and that disturbed her. If she were forced to pick between the two siblings, would she make the correct decision?

"Priest's sister! Priest's sister!"

A ball of energy charged at them. Shoshi stepped automatically in front of Nari. Her hand went to her fire gem. The warmth of a ready flame reassured her, and her fingers slid under the clasp, ready to throw it into the air. There was no need to worry however. The ball unrolled, revealing a petite girl with cyan hair and big brown eyes. "Princess, princess!" the girl said. "Princess here with Priest's sister and squirrel seishi!"

"Who are you?" Shoshi demanded.

The girl multiplied before her eyes, and Nari gasped. Shoshi took a step back, her hand still on the gem. She doubted that the girl, even if she did have a peculiar ability, would be dangerous, but just in case.

"Nyan Nyan! We are Nyan Nyan!" One of the girls swirled over and grabbed Nari and Shoshi's hand. "Come with us! Meet Taiitsukun!"

Despite their protests, the two of them were pulled along. Tei scrambled around, unable to get a good grip on Nari's shoulder. Shoshi cupped her hand under his rump and popped him back on the girl's shoulder. He clicked at her.

She was finally able to smile a bit. Maybe they could get along after all.

"Tei, be careful!" Nari scolded. He cocked his head at her as if he did not understand, and she giggled.

It was the gilded pillars that held Nari's attention. She kept looking at them, her eyes lingering on each pillar as she walked through the hallway, then flipping to the next one. There was an almost childlike joy in the way her eyes slid back and forth. They were beautiful, Shoshi had to agree. Still, one of them had to stay focused. Tei wasn't much better off. He kept chittering and running back and forth on Nari's shoulders. Shoshi faced front, her gaze steady on the little girl that bounced a few feet ahead of them. The worst of her anger was abating, but she still had to fight to keep it in check.

"The Priest of Tenkyoku is-" Taiitsukun started to say, but was interrupted by the little goddesses' happy cries.

"Safe! Safe in own world!" Nyan Nyan cheered.

"Quiet!" the deity roared.

All the Nyan Nyan instantly shut up.

Shoshi almost cracked a smile. Almost. She did not have time for this nonsense. "When will he return? How will he get back? Where can I find him?"

"He is beyond my reach right now," Taiitsukun replied. "But as a Tenkyoku seishi, especially one of your level, you should be able to sense him when he returns. If you can't, you will somehow find your way to him. These things always happen."

That was true. And now it was confirmed that Nari really was not the Priestess. If Taiitsukun said it was so, then it must be. The only part about that that bothered her however was that she had not immediately sensed that Nazo was the Summoner. It was why she had gone after Nari first. There was something that had blurred her senses when the two siblings must have arrived. She did not like it at all. Even now, there was that haze around Nari. Adding on to what Chichiri had said, none of this boded well for Nyosei. Setting aside that problem, she turned to another one. "The other girl. Shiho. Where is she?"

"Recuperating! She recuperating! Wounds bad! " one brave Nyan Nyan dared to yell as Taiitsukun's face met her palm. Apparently even the deity was willing to give up on lost causes.

"Can we go see her?" Nari asked.

"No! Needs her rest! Take you to your room for the night instead!" the girl bounced happily as she replied and she floated off in the direction she had come from. Nari started to follow, but she hesitated when she saw that Shoshi was not coming with her.

"Go," Shoshi said. "I must discuss something with Chichiri."

Nari nodded and turned to chase the Nyan Nyan, who was already halfway down the hall. Shoshi turned her attention back to Chichiri, who was looking at her expectantly. They regarded each other for a moment before Shoshi spoke. "It seems you told us the truth."

He smiled. "Seems?"

"Thank you for helping us," Shoshi replied, refusing to banter with him. It was beneath her. He was just a man. Nazo she would show some respect because he was the Summoner, like it or not, but this blue-haired monk? He was nothing to her. That was what she wanted to believe at least, but he had gotten them this far, and he had information that she needed.

She went straight to the topic. "What did you mean when you said Tenkyoku protected the satellite countries?"

He blinked. His response only deepened her worry.

x

It was odd to think that here she was, walking in what was essentially Heaven in this world. Nari wasn't Christian or even religious at all, but it still such an interesting feeling, almost bewildering. Then once again, there was that guilt for getting distracted. If what had happened to Shiho had also happened to her brother, then he could be dying. But... they had entered the book in the cafe, right? Surely there would be people around. He wouldn't bleed to death. He couldn't. Cafes were usually open until late. At least that was how she reassured herself, even if it didn't really help.

The hallway that Nari stepped into after she caught up with the Nyan Nyan shone with a soft, lilac light from which she could see no source. The ceiling glittered. She caught her breath. As she walked down the hallway, she came upon a gigantic golden statue of a bird that towered over her. A phoenix, perhaps? She was not as well-informed in mythology as her brother, but it reminded her of... something. As her eyes slid up, she saw that a beautiful painted scroll hung behind the statue. Facing her was a man swathed in red. His red hair swept upward, with four long bangs framing his face. A character was painted in red on the middle of his forehead.

"That Suzaku!"

Nari jumped and Tei squeaked as he scrambled to hold onto her shoulder. He scolded the Nyan Nyan behind her angrily as she grinned at them.

"Look at later! Come, come, now!"

She grabbed Nari's wrist and dragged her out of the hallway and into a small room. Unlike the hallway, it was brightly lit and had a window. A little table stood next to the bed and there was a larger one in the center of the room. The Nyan Nyan bustled about, making the already made bed and rearranged the flowers in the vase on the big table.

"No accommodations ready for squirrel," she said. "Give me some time and I will prepare something!"

Nari would have giggled if everything didn't feel so surreal and the Nyan Nyan wasn't obviously trying so hard to figure out how to prepare said accommodations. The little girl was floating all over, opening drawers and fluffing the blankets. She even wrung her hands. "It's fine," Nari said. "He can sleep on my pillow." She glanced at Tei. "That okay with you?"

The squirrel tilted his head and squeaked once. Nari took that as indication that he did not care. The Nyan Nyan twirled in relief and bowed to Nari. "Nyan Nyan head out now then! Tend to Shiho!" Before Nari could even say goodbye, the little girl was out of the room.

Nari collapsed on the bed, and Tei jumped off her shoulder onto the little she watched, he began to preen himself. It was hard to believe she had been in school just earlier today. What was going to happen now? She didn't see herself finding a way home before tomorrow, which meant that most likely she would be reported as absent. Too many days, and there was the chance that they might think her delinquent and her brother a bad caretaker. She had to find a way home. If her brother had, then surely she could. There had to be another way besides near death. Maybe if she thought loudly enough, he would hear her and be able to pull her back, too?

"Nazo," she called. "Nazo. Nazo!"

Her repeated cries gradually turned into sobbing whispers, but she received no response, from her brother, from anyone else. A large lump rose in her hoarse throat. Never before had she felt so lonely. She fell back onto the bed and closed her eyes. Her last conscious thought was of something furry nudging itself under her arm.

Next episode: The Squirrelly Truth - Now that they are at Mt. Taikyoku, what will they find out? Nari and Shiho meet, the Tenkyoku seishi discover Tei's power, and a new point of view is thrown into the mix! Again.