Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction ❯ ~Crimson Wings~ A Tale of Suzaku ❯ Mystery of the Past ( Chapter 2 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

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~Crimson Wings~ A Tale of Suzaku

Chapter Three: Mystery of the Past

Because I was still learning how to walk, I was a bit wobbly on my
feet. I just hoped it wasn't noticeable to the others as we walked
outside to the front of the palace, where the shogun's carriage
waited.

The rest of the seishi were gathered around a middle-aged man dressed
in elaborate armor. This was General Hsu, the shogun of Konan's
military.

"Hotohori!" Miaka was waving to me from below.

Chichiri, who was sometimes the most talkative of the group, was
smiling as he talked to the shogun; but when his eyes met mine, the
smile disappeared and he froze.

"Chichiri, what's wrong?" asked Tasuki.

The monk didn't respond as he stared, his narrow eyes boring into me.
Could he see through my disguise? After a moment of staring, I had to
look away at something else because it was just getting too tense for
me. I was using the little bit of chi I had left to disguise my
aura--but why was he the only one that could still detect it?

Meia noticed that something was going on, so she finally broke the
silence. "Umm, why don't we go inside? I hear that the chef prepared
something extra special for today."

General Hsu, being a rather husky man with a potbelly, was more than
delighted. "Really now! Then what are we standing around for? I need
to tell his excellency the updates."

************

It was when we were all gathered around the table that Chichiri
finally looked away from me. I let out a silent sigh of relief. If he
did know who I was, then for some reason he was keeping it quiet.
Maybe it wasn't even that; maybe he was distracted and something else
had received his attention. Maybe that's what he was staring at.
Maybe...

The others each sat down, so I did the same but not without
practically falling into the chair during the process. Al right Suzaku
just act normal.

The shogun was a tall burly man with a long pointed beard; he didn't
show any signs that he heard his daughter. Instead, his eyes were
focused on the large cuisine on the table. "Wo ho!" he cried. "What a
feast your cooks have prepared! I can't wait to dig in!"

Nuriko looked disgusted. "Better eat quick," he whispered to Chiriko
and Tasuki next to him. "Once he's done there won't be anything left
but the table."

I turned to General Hsu, who had already started shoveling food into
his mouth. "General Hsu, what is it that you have to show me?"

The general looked up from his bowl, pieces of food hanging on his
confused face. Then, as if finally remembering what it was, he quickly
pulled out a bag. "Don't you remember, sire? I sent you a letter weeks
ago stating that I had something to give you."

He opened the bag and pulled out something that was shaped like a
cylinder. It was small and could fit in your hand like a scroll; it
appeared to be made of wood and was decorated with brass, copper, and
other materials. Carved on it were symbols that may have been a type
of hieroglyphic writing; they looked strangely familiar to me. The
shogun handed the object to me and as I held it in my hand, I studied
the writing but for some reason I couldn't read it. Being in this body
was limiting my powers and I could no longer read different languages.

Everyone leaned in closer to see it better, and General Hsu cleared
his throat to speak. "One of my men found this while we were traveling
back from a battle in Kutou. It has the symbol of Suzaku on it but it
was found in the Kutou soil. What it is and how it got there is a
mystery. We can't figure out what the strange writing means."

I ran my finger on the emblem of a phoenix on the surface. I knew that
it was from Konan-I could feel it. I could also tell that it was very
old and probably dated back to when the countries were first
established. I felt like there was something inside it, and turned the
cylinder over in my hands to find a way to open it. I found a small
crack on one end that looked like the place where to open it.

"We believe that's where you open the thing," said the shogun. "But
none of us could open it."

"Maybe you should try," Meia suggested to me.

I pulled on it but like the shogun said, it wouldn't open. I gave it a
sharp tug but still it wouldn't budge.

Chiriko was peered at the artifact. "May I see it Hotohori-sama?"

"Sure." I handed it to him and the little boy began to study it. He
came to the crack at the end and pulled on it softly-the lid came
right off. All of us stared in shock. After I had struggled trying to
get the top off, Chiriko did it without barely any effort.

The general rubbed his eyes in disbelief. "My! That's quite an arm you
got there young man!"

Meia sighed. "Father, I don't think it had anything to do with that."

Chiriko pulled out a scroll and a small tablet from the cylinder. We
watched him silently as he stared at them for a moment, studying the
writing on the scroll and then at the tablet. Suddenly his eyes
widened with excitement.

"I've got it!" he exclaimed. "This tablet is a decoder--with this
we'll be able to figure out what the writing on this scroll and the
cylinder say. Actually, I think this cylinder is supposed to be some
sort of protection for this scroll; it must be something very
important. Hotohori-sama, may I please ask your permission for me to
decode it?"

The room was silent, everyone waiting for me to say something. My mind
raced, I was appalled. How did he open it and not me? I figured that
that mystery would be solved after the writing was decoded. "Of
course, Chiriko. You may."

The little boy got up from his chair and bowed to me and then to the
rest at the table. "Thank you, Hotohori-sama. I will do my best to
decode it. If you would all please excuse me, I'd like to start right
away."

I nodded and smiled at him. "Go ahead." And the boy left the room
hurriedly to start.

I watched him leave with the decoder and all, my mind racing. I had a
strange feeling about that scroll he had; something wasn't right.
"Excuse me..." I got up from my chair and left the room, leaving
everyone staring after me.

*************

In the emperor's bedroom, I stared out the window, deep in thought.
What did it all mean? The letter or me, I had to be ready for it.
Since I was in a mortal's body my powers were very limited and if I
were to defend myself, it would be difficult.

A sharp knock at the door interrupted my thoughts.

I stood up from the chair I was in. "Come in."

The door opened and Chichiri walked in, no longer wearing his mask. By
the look on his face I could tell that he wasn't here just to see if I
was al right. I took a silent deep breath and told myself to stay
calm; if he knew who I was, this would be where I got caught.

"Chichiri," I said as calmly as I could. "I-is something wrong?"

Chichiri's stern expression did not change. "You can stop acting in
front of me no da. I know that you're not really Hotohori."

"How come you know? How come nobody else noticed anything?" I stared
at him fixedly, as if I could find the answer in his eyes.

"You look like Hotohori but your behavior and personality aren't the
same no da. When I first met you in the room, I could feel Hotohori's
chi coming from you; but I also felt a strange aura, and it wasn't
Hotohori no da. That's what gave it away. I guess it was my magic
powers, explaining why no one else suspects anything."

I looked at the monk waiting for him to ask me that burning question;
the one that I knew was just on the tip of his tongue. I knew that it
was coming, and I would have to answer it. He opened his mouth to
speak. <<<<Here it is.>>> I thought.

"Who are you really?" he asked me.

I was a little surprised to find that he didn't know who I was. I
could come up with some false identity, but I figured that would be
pointless. I opened my mouth but the words would not come out. How
could I explain it? How could I tell him what had happened and why I
did this?

"Tell me!" he said this time with more emphasis. "Who are you?"

Looking him straight in the eye, I figured I would get to the point. I
would just tell him right here, right now who I was.

"I am the one whom you and your miko serve. I am the red phoenix--the
eternal protector of Konan country and all it's inhabitants. I am the
one whom all of you worship as your guardian."

I stepped in closer to him and lowered my voice so only he could hear.

"I am...Suzaku."

***********************

To be continued...

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