made 6.29.01
Fushigi Yuugi is copyrighted to Watase Yuu, Bandai, Tokyo Television, Flower Comics, and others. No infringement is intended!
Word List: otousan=father
yadayo=no/i don't want
honto=really
gomennasai=very sorry
iya=no
Chapter 11: The Last of the Seiryuu
"What do you mean??" Uruki demanded.
"Genbu has already been sealed..." Initsukun repeated.
"But if Genbu's been sealed then why do we still have our seishi powers?" Hatsui unconsciously touched his seishi symbol on his left cheek with his hand.
"I heard Seiryuu no Miko's wish," the old woman sighed, "She asked Seiryuu to only seal Genbu and let the Seishis retain their power. I do not know why she made this wish."
"But..." Kamei shook her head in despair, "If Genbu's already sealed...then...what is there left to do? There's no hope left..."
"Don't despair yet Miko-sama," Iname reassured her, "I am certain Initsukun will tell us what to do."
All faces turned to the Floating One.
"Sorry," the old woman shook her head, "From here on, I cannot help you anymore."
"What?!" Uruki jumped up, "You mean we're on our own??"
Initsukun shrugged, "This has certainly never happened before."
"Where do we go from here...?" Kamei murmured.
The room was silent as each looked at the other.
"How dare he break into my spell!!" Miboshi fumed, stamping her feet on the blooming forget-me-nots. "I shall have my revenge on that little midget..." she vowed.
"Heeyyy! What do you think you are doing to my poor flowers!!" A young man with bluish gray hair rushed in, shielding his plants from further damage.
"What...? You insolent little gardener...!" Miboshi gathered power in her hand.
The man turned back to her with a glare, "How can you take out your anger on defenseless living things?"
Miboshi clenched her teeth, "I'll do whatever I want...!"
"In that case," he crossed his arms and his eyes blazed with a golden fire, "You can stand here and think about your actions."
"Oh?" Her yellow-green eyes had a dangerous glint, "And who's going to make me?"
Without a backward glance, he tossed his long ponytail over his shoulder and walked away.
"Temee!" Miboshi growled, "I'm not done with you!!" She made a motion to direct her power towards his retreating figure, but her arms could not move. In fact, neither could her feet.
"Come back here!!" she screeched, but he did not come back.
"What's all this noise??" Nakago burst out of his room. "I can't sleep at all!"
"It's coming from the gardens my lord," the sentry reported.
"Miboshi!" Tomo was the first to get there. "What's the meaning of this?"
"Tomo-sama!" the fierce mask on her face melted into one of despair. "I can't move! Help me please!"
Tomo scowled, "Can you not do anything by yourself?"
"But...that gardener!" Miboshi wined.
"Gardener..." Suboshi strode in, "You mean Ashitare??" He saw the trampled flowers on the ground and laughed. "He might seem placid but even I wouldn't dare to touch his garden!"
"How dare you laugh at me!" Miboshi stomped towards Suboshi, moving awkwardly for her legs felt like they were filled with lead.
"She waddles!" he ran away laughing, leaving Miboshi fumbling behind.
"I'll get you!" she vowed.
Away from all the commotion, the one who had cast the binding spell strode around aimlessly. He walked in a part of the palace he usually avoided...a place where he felt someone else's pain and suffering...
But today, instead of travelling away from the source, he went towards it. Quietly, he slid open the door.
She huddled in the dark, shivering from the excruciating pain.
"Seiryuu no Miko," Ashitare spoke into the darkness.
"Who...who's there?" a weak voice returned to him.
"I am your seishi, Ashitare," he paused a little before continuing, "You are like the seed of a dandelion...strong enough to survive wherever it lands, but unable to determine its own fate..."
There was silence.
"But I suppose I am like you as well," he sighed, "Shackled by my own fate, bound to this path we are both on by the symbol which I wear on my arm..."
He stepped into the dark room and approached her softly. When he reached the bed, he stopped and observed her for a moment. The Miko's whole body was tense with pain and on the her uncovered arms were pale blue reptilian scales.
"Perhaps I can do something to ease your pain," he whispered and started reaching down. His hand made contact with the Miko's forehead, and he almost drew back from the sudden rush of pain into his own body, but he kept his grip and drained some of her suffering into himself.
A cold hand suddenly gripped his wrist and snatched it away. Ashitare faltered a little from the sudden break of contact. He sensed the cold anger coming from the new presence that had joined them and looked up slowly.
"You will take care to keep out of this room in the future," Tomo said through clenched teeth.
"As you wish," Ashitare replied curtly and left.
Tomo would never have tolerated such insolent behavior from anyone else, but he allowed such behaviors in Ashitare. As long as the other was not outright defying him, he saw no reason to provoke the boy. He may seem harmless on the outside, but Tomo could see the enormous potential that he hid within that only showed when he was angry.
"Tomo..." the Miko murmured weakly.
"Hanami, are you still willing to go through with this?" Tomo asked in a cold voice.
"You can't be...serious...about...destroying everything..." she pleaded with her eyes.
"I am not forcing you to do anything," he turned away, "You can abandon me anytime you wish."
"I...promised from the start..." she shut her eyes, "I would never abandon you..."
Tomo turned to look at her but she was already asleep. He gently wiped the sweat off her brow and then threw the towel at the servant that stood near by.
Walking outside, he leaned on the redwood railing, and stared blankly at the garden. A bitter laughter escaped from his lips and he shook his head.
"We'll both see how well you can keep that promise to me..." he chuckled mirthlessly, "You won't be the first one to abandon me...you won't be the last. You'll give up soon. No one can stop me or the wrath that I will bring down on this world..."
"Hanami...?"
"What's her last name?" Yui questioned.
"Here! Here's something" Taka grabbed yesterday's newspaper and handed it to Keisuke.
"Hino Hanami, age 17 was reported missing last night, so that must mean that she was sucked into the book sometime yesterday," Taka said.
"What does she mean when she said Tomo wanted to destroy everything?" Miaka looked up from the book.
"She couldn't have meant that he wants to destroy the world...could she?" They all looked at eachother.
"Aren't you the one who's supposed to have the answers to everything you old hag??" Hatsui demanded.
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING AN OLD HAG?!" Initsukun suddenly loomed in front of his face, but this time, Hatsui did not back down.
"It's your job! You are supposed to guide us!" he fumed.
"WOULD YOU WAIT UNTIL I FINISH WHAT I AM SAYING BEFORE YOU CUT ME OFF," the old hag's face sagged even more, "I only said I cannot help you from now on because you will be in a place where my powers cannot reach you."
"So if you know, tell us already," Uruki joined in.
Initsukun shot them both a deadly glare, but continued, "The only thing you can do is to forge on into Kutou and prevent the Seiryuu no Miko from completing her wishes."
"Oh is that all?" Tomite laughed, "Easy!"
"Speak for yourself, boy," Hikitsu hit him on the head.
"Ite yo!" Tomite rubbed his head, glaring at the older man.
"Kutou's army is very strong right now. There is no hole in the border for us to slip through and I heard they built some kind of a magical shield." Hikitsu informed the others gravely.
"What other choice do we have?" Namame looked around, "Then this is the only option we have."
"Then what are we waiting for?" Hatsui stood up.
"For the Miko to get well!" Uruki pushed him back down. "Did you already forget what she just went through?"
"No, I'm okay," Kamei got up and flexed her arms, "See? Still in one piece."
"It wasn't your body that was affected," Urumiya looked at her worriedly.
Suddenly, two green orbs started floating around Kamei and two Nyan-nyans popped out.
"Nyan-nyan will heal Kamei," one said.
"Nyan-nyan will make Kamei all better," the other chimed in.
"It is settled then, when Kamei is healed, we will leave," Namame said.
"It's freezing out here!" Uruki yelled, rubbing her arms.
"That's why no one in their right mind is out this time of the year. They are all warm and comfortable in their own homes!" Tomite grumbled.
"Hatsui, isn't your father's estates near here?" Urumiya asked.
Hatsui looked at him, "It is..." His eyes grew narrower, "You don't mean to go there..."
Kamei looked up at him from her position.
"We have no choice," Namame drew up beside them. "We won't last too long in this weather. Besides, it is close to the border and he can offer us advice on how to get into Kutou."
"But...if Hatsui's not comfortable going..." Kamei said through chattering teeth.
Hatsui looked down at her and smiled crookedly. "I suppose you're right. I can't keep running away from home like a little brat."
"Lord Kou," a sentry came in from the raging storm. "The young master has returned with the rest of the Genbu Seishi."
"What? That sorry excuse for a son has finally decided to show his face?" the stony-faced lord scowled. "I will receive the others after they are well rested. Bring my son to me now."
"Yes master," the sentry bowed and scuttled away.
After a little while, he brought back the cold and dripping frowning Hatsui.
"Huh, you look more like a man now son," the lord walked down closer to examine the son he has not seen for six years. "At least you do not look like a girl anymore, but you still do not look tough."
"It's nice to see you again too, father," Hatsui replied sarcastically.
"Tell me, have you found a woman yet? I need to see a grandson soon. You may not believe it but I am not going to live forever." He stood and glared at his son.
Hatsui shuffled unconsciously. "If you don't mind, I would like to get out of these wet clothes."
"Still such a weakling after all," the lord shook his head. "Go, go. I do not want you to catch a cold and trouble the house with your whining."
Hatsui growled under his breath and stalked away.
In his hurry to get away from the main hall, he almost ran into Kamei.
"Hatsui!" Kamei looked at him, "Are you all right?"
"Just fine, Kamei, don't worry about it," he grinned tightly and walked away.
Finally!! Chapter 11 finished ^_^. It's the summer, I finally have time, expect the story to progress quicker than before.