Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction ❯ Bridge Over the Abyss ❯ A new friend ( Chapter 3 )

Disclaimer: The character of Doctor Who is the property of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). The characters from Fushigi Yuugi are the creations and property of Yuu Watase and related enterprises. I do not own them and do not make any profit from this fiction except for my own enjoyment in spending time with them.

 

However, the original storyline, as well as all original characters, DO belong to me and may not be used elsewhere without my permission.

 

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Chapter 3. A New Friend

 

The youth faced the demon, his heart pounding with excitement and fear, his chest rising and falling rapidly in agitation. The demon cast its first illusion at him, engulfing him in flames. The fire licked hungrily at his body, and he could almost feel the blisters rising and his skin charring and falling away. He desperately fought the rising panic, knowing that if he broke his concentration, he was doomed to failure.

 

He gripped the long ash staff and held it in front of him. "Fusege…" he breathed, praying that the simple spell would take effect quickly. To his relief, the fire whooshed out of existence, leaving him standing unharmed. "Just an illusion," he whispered encouragingly to himself. "That's all it can do: cast illusions! I must not forget!”

 

He could hear in the distance the rapid tattoo of hoofbeats approaching from the south; realizing that he had very little time in which to complete his task. Lifting the staff, he began to rotate it slowly before the fierce glare of the demon. He increased the speed of the rotations, until he could feel the dark power rising in the center of his body. He let it take hold of him, reveling in the exhilarating rush of sensation as it streamed through the center of his being. Filled with the fierce killing joy, he leaped forward and snapped his staff at the demon's form.

 

“Shi ne!” he cried out in exultation as the dark energy burst forth from his staff, impaling the demon with a spear of dark light—but he was stunned to see the spear pass harmlessly through the now transparent form of his opponent. “Another illusion?” he gasped…then felt the hot breath of the demon on his cheek as it bit down on the muscles of his neck.

 

“Gods!” he choked, realizing too late that the demon had tricked him into dropping his guard. He clawed at its red fur in panic, tears of pain running down his face. 'Is this how it ends?' he thought in despair, his vision darkening around the edges.

 

At that moment, he caught a glimpse of movement out of the corner of his eye. Another staff swooped down before his panicked face, and he felt the percussive force of a blow knock him to one side. At the same time, the crushing grip of the demon suddenly disappeared from his neck. He was dimly aware of the demon snarling and leaping forward at its new attacker, then sailing back as the opponent hit the demon with blow after blow from his staff. Finally, the demon lay insensible next to him, and the youth felt the light touch of hands turning him over gently.

 

“Are you all right, Maboroshi-kun?” the gentle voice inquired urgently.

 

The youth opened his eyes, tears of relief slipping out. “Shouryuu-senpai!” he gasped gratefully as he pushed himself into a sitting position and readjusted his mask. “Thank the gods! I thought I was done for!”

 

His voice broke off in a cough, as the hand that had gently lifted him now tightened its grip and shook him violently. “You idiot! What the hell are you playing at, taking my staff and running out here to hunt demons? You're just a beginner; you could have been killed!”

 

The youth clenched his teeth in anger and embarrassment. “I'm not a beginner! I've been in training now for...”

 

“Six whole months,” the elder student remarked coolly, regaining control over his temper. “Learning just enough to get yourself into trouble and not enough to get out again. Well, perhaps this will teach you better than any warnings from Magus-Sensei. In the end, I suppose it was fortunate that you took my staff; that's how I realized what you were up to.” He reached out and picked the long staff up off the ground where Maboroshi had dropped it.

 

For once, Maboroshi was glad of the mask that hid his grimaces of frustration and disappointment. He carefully assumed an aura of abashed gratitude, in case Shouryuu was reading his ki. Such intrusions into one another's thoughts were strictly forbidden between the student-apprentices of Magus-Sensei, but one could never tell what went on in the mind of Shouryuu-senpai. The favored senior student gave nothing away and fiercely protected his secrets, exceeding even the strict personal privacy rules of the hidden school of the warrior-mages.

 

The young student watched closely as Shouryuu examined the stunned demon, running his fingers through its thick red fur and peering into its slack jaws. He drew back from the creature and breathed a brief spell. To Maboroshi's amazement, the demon staggered to its feet and wandered back towards the hillside, collapsing weakly into its den.

 

“You...you didn't finish it off!” exclaimed the young student in disbelief. “You just let it go! I don't understand! Isn't it our duty to destroy evil wherever we find it?”

 

“It was just a kitsune-youkai,” was the soft reply. “It isn't evil by nature. The worst it will do is to play tricks on unwary humans using its powers of illusion."

 

Maboroshi leaped to his feet, his anger driving him to abandon his usual caution around his elders. “So what kind of illusion do you call this?” he cried, clutching at the bite wound on his neck.

 

Shouryuu turned his gaze on the bleeding wound. “I'd call that a delusion; your delusion that the principle weapon of any demon is also its sole weapon. Nearly all demons also have the ability to fight with tooth and claw; that's a point that I'm sure you will never forget from this day on. It is also an object lesson to you in what can happen when you try to get between the members of a family.”

 

The black mask which covered Shouryuu's features from forehead to upper lip did not obscure the sudden chill that emanated from him, the glittering eyes behind the mask suddenly glaring at the younger student. “Did you even realize that you attacked a lactating female? All she was trying to do was protect her kits! Exactly what were you hoping to achieve?"

 

Maboroshi felt the familiar rage rise in him at the elder student's reprimand. Who the hell did Shouryuu think he was, anyway? Magus-Sensei had made it very clear that demons were by definition evil, and that it was better to destroy a harmless demon than to let a dangerous one escape. Shouryuu obviously was soft on this policy, but he, Maboroshi, respected the Sensei! What right did Shouryuu have to rebuke him for following the Sensei's teachings? He stopped and sighed inwardly. The right of the senior student, that's what right--at least until the Sensei appeared. Maboroshi brought his temper back under control, assuming an outwardly deferential stance, a coping mechanism that he had learned from being on the bottom of the pecking order for all of his young life.

 

Maboroshi bowed. "Forgive my impertinence, Shouryuu-senpai. I must have misunderstood my classroom instructions. I yield to your greater wisdom and experience."

 

The glittering eyes fixed on the younger student for a moment. Maboroshi, covertly testing the atmosphere with his ki, was surprised to detect a faint feeling of disappointment emanating from the elder student.

 

Shouryuu turned and remounted his horse. "Maboroshi, please return to the school. I will not report this incident to the Sensei on the condition that you refrain from repeating this foolishness. Do I make myself clear?"

 

Maboroshi bowed again, concealing his frustration at flattery once more failing to soften the elder student. "Hai, Shouryuu-senpai. Arigato goziemasu!" He watched as the elder student rode away, the erect bearing and graceful posture of the retreating back seeming to transmit disdain to the younger student.

 

Maboroshi narrowed his eyes. "Someday, Shouryuu-senpai--someday you will kneel before me!" he promised in a silky whisper.

 

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Shouryuu returned to the castle confines from the stables, frowning inwardly at this latest encounter with Maboroshi. He had hoped that the young magician would show some spirit for once, but yet again the youth had disappointed him with his sycophantic ways. The elder student shuddered briefly. There was something about Maboroshi that set his teeth on edge; a certain slyness in his manner that made Shouryuu long to shake the daylights out of the boy.

 

Ever since Maboroshi arrived, he had seemed fascinated with the elder student in an unhealthy way; always seeking to flatter Shouryuu but more disturbingly, bending the rules of privacy to discover more about the object of his interest. Shouryuu had not missed the secretive peek at his ki. Whenever that happened, it always felt to him as if he was being touched lightly with an insidious caress. That, and the apparently casual intrusions into his room after hours to beg a question or seek guidance, all the time looking, looking, looking at his surroundings and attempting to glimpse the man behind the mask--all this made Shouryuu feel like a beleaguered object of desire. It was true that he could sense waves of sexual interest from the youth, but that was not his main objective. No, although the boy would be perfectly happy to enter into physical relations with the elder student, his primary goal was to gain power over his senior.

 

So why didn't he report these transgressions to Magus-Sensei and attempt to get the youth expelled from the school? The rules of privacy were strict and unyielding. Everyone was to go about masked in public and never show their face to their fellow students; names were assigned to each student upon admission and real names were never to be spoken; discussions of past lives and histories were strictly forbidden lest one let slip the name of a hometown or family member; and most importantly, one was never allowed to read the ki of a fellow student. The rules were established for the security of all students. After all, they were to become familiar with one another's powers and limitations--if they also knew the true identity of their fellow magicians, they would then possess the power to utterly destroy that person. Attempts to cross the boundaries of privacy were punishable by immediate expulsion. Shouryuu could rid himself of the young pest with a single word to Magus-Sensei…so why did he hold back?

 

Perhaps it was because he sensed the wounded spirit in the youth. Shouryuu was much more skilled in escaping detection while reading another's ki; Maboroshi was right to wonder whether the senior student adhered to that particular rule. Shouryuu did not make a habit of intruding into his peers' privacy, but the dogged pursuit by the younger student had caused him to cross that line in self-defense. And what he found brought a familiar ache back into his heart.

 

The boy had suffered hardships beyond what Shouryuu had experienced in his own life—at least Shouryuu had had a mother who loved him. Maboroshi had been without a family since birth and had been sold into servitude at a young age. He had learned to spy on and manipulate people as a survival mechanism, and it seemed that he could not lose his mistrust in others even after his rescue by Magus-Sensei. Shouryuu did not have the heart to condemn the boy back into that life by reporting him to Magus, so he coped with the intrusion into his own life and attempted to quell the youth's inappropriate behavior by maintaining a distant and critical attitude towards him.

 

Shouryuu sighed. "Not working very well, is it?" he mocked himself softly.

 

"Is something troubling you, Shouryuu?" queried a deep and melodious voice.

 

Shouryuu looked up, startled, into the black-masked face of his master.

 

"No, Sensei," he lied softly. A twinge of guilt seized him, and he decided to amend the lie. "At least, nothing that I can't handle on my own."

 

The pale eyes regarded him from behind the dark façade. "Independent as always," the master murmured in an amused tone. "Admirable… admirable."

 

As always, Shouryuu was unsure of whether he was being commended or mocked. He didn't know how to reply, so he bowed in respect. A thought suddenly occurred to him.

 

"Magus-Sensei," he queried respectfully. "Would it be possible for me to be excused from this afternoon's studies? I would like some time to myself, perhaps to take a walk."

 

The tall form of his master tilted his head as he regarded his introspective apprentice. Shouryuu waited anxiously for his master's reply.

 

"I don't see why not," the deep voice rumbled gently. "I believe that time to ponder is often the key to solving any personal concern. And you have been a creature of the outdoors in your past, so it doesn't surprise me that the outside world beckons to you now. Just return to us before too long, Shouryuu; the others will miss you at evening meditation if you are late."

 

Shouryuu bowed in genuine gratitude, trying to hide his elation. At last! At last he would have time to himself in the world he loved best. At last he could pretend to be free!

 

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Shouryuu walked rapidly down the path that led away from the castle. He drew in deep breaths of the fragrant air, washing out his lungs with the scented breeze that carried hints of spicy pine as well as sweet wildflowers. Soon he felt the world he loved take hold of him again; the grass thick and springy under his sandals, the sky almost dark with the intense blue color that signaled the height of spring. He loved these rare times when he could escape the dark, mystical confines of the castle stronghold to wander through the natural landscape that he had always loved. A twinge of guilt passed through him. Hadn't he promised to leave behind all of his past, his loves and hates as well as his very identity? But the freedom of the outdoors called to him like a siren's song, pulling at the bonds of duty that held him fast.

 

He had always loved wandering through the countryside, discovering hidden treasures such as tiny springs that burbled with water sweet and cold, groves of trees in which one could stand silently until the deer came to feed in evening, hidden patches of wild strawberries. He closed his eyes as he remembered the tiny ruby fruit that fulfilled the promise of its succulent beauty with a taste so sweet and sharp, one might think that he had bitten into nature's rendition of a lover's kiss.

 

Shouryuu pulled the mask from his face, looking at the magical image of two glittering eyes that seemed to stare at him from behind the eyeholes, before tucking the mystical object safely away in his satchel. He pushed down the hood of his cloak, needing to feel the breeze lift his trailing silvery-blue bangs and caress his pale skin. This was the only time that he allowed himself this freedom outside of his room and bathchamber. Only now, when he was certain that he was far enough from both the castle and the town that no one would ever see the ruined visage that was his true appearance, did he permit himself to turn his face to the sun.

 

He traced a finger over the scar that slashed across the closed eyelid of his left eye and marred the clean strong line of his nose. He tried to use the awareness of his ugliness to compel himself to cover up again, but the feeling of the sun and the wind on his skin was too seductive for him to resist. He pulled off his robe and secreted it into his satchel so that no one would recognize him as one of the young acolytes of the mysterious school.

 

Shouryuu laughed out loud. He knew that the other students both mocked and envied his apparent self-discipline by calling him "The Monk" behind his back. Little did they know that he was the farthest thing from a cold aesthete who lived only for the mind.

 

He was, in fact, a sensualist--a worshipper of all the gifts the body could bring. So this landscape of open air, of fields and woods and rushing streams, provided so many stimuli to each of his sharpened senses that the mere act of walking down this grassy path rendered him nearly drunk with pleasure. The beauty of the green hills soothed his eyes, while the music of birdsong lifted his heart. The flowery, woodsy scent of the breeze settled in his lungs and left a sweet taste on his tongue. And the warmth of the sunlight combined with the coolness of the breeze made the hairs on his arms stand up in joyful celebration, made him shudder and tremble in delight. No, he was no monk spurning the delights of the physical world for the dry, dusty confines of philosophical introspection. If anything, his heightened sensitivity made him a secret debauchee who could find pleasure in a cup of sparkling water equal to that which other men could find only in a woman's lips.

 

The young magician gave up the struggle to repress his joy at being part of nature, if only for a few hours. Later tonight, he would force himself back into the confines of his mental discipline. But for now, he would let himself drink fully of all the pleasures this land had to offer. He would revel in the feelings of physical joy until he had accumulated a worthy collection of sins for which he could repent at length.

 

As his final immersion into the world of the senses, he released his mind from its confines and let it wander the land, hoping to encounter the soft unfocused ki of a shy deer or timid hare. Letting his ki roam ahead like a questing hound, he smiled at the startled clatter of pheasant wings in the brush that quickly subsided once the bird realized that there was no harm in the gentle life force it encountered. Shouryuu quickened his pace to keep up with his ki as it streamed towards the small river that he knew lay just over the next hill. But as he approached the foot of that hill, he was suddenly overwhelmed with a force that nearly drove him to his knees.

 

He caught his breath, gasping at the powerful life force that radiated outward from a location on the bank of the river. Gods, he couldn't believe it! This ki was at least as powerful as that of Magus-sensei, but completely different in character. Instead of Magus's dark ki that whispered of hidden forces, provoking images of thunderclouds hovering above thick swirling mists, this ki sparkled and shimmered like the twinkling lights of a thousand rainbow-tinted fireflies. It spoke of joy and wonder and life and love; the embodiment of a creature who cavorted as blissfully through the treasures of the world as he himself did.

 

But Shouryuu drew back abashed. Next to this life force, his own ki seemed drab and grey and shadowed. Could he bear to face a creature that carried no burden of guilt and grief, a creature whose purity might spurn the warped and damaged soul he sought to hide? The youth fished around frantically for his mask, pulling it over his face while leaving his cloak hidden in his satchel. He could not resist sneaking up for a glimpse of this wondrous being, but he knew that he would die of humiliation if this magical creature fled in fear from his own ruined face.

 

For a moment, he thought that the mystical ki surrounded and embraced him…but it began to withdraw as if it was being pulled into a container and closed away. Shouryuu leaped after it desperately, terrified of losing it. As he rushed forward, his rational mind tried to warn him against the danger that possibly lay ahead. "Lure," it whispered. "Trap." He shook his head, not pausing in his headlong rush. "If this is a trap, then it's the perfect one for me!" he gasped. "Because I think I'll die if I don't see what creature this is!"

 

He crested the hill, stopping briefly to catch his breath and survey his surroundings. Looking around, he didn't see any movement and was at first crushed with disappointment, but finally gathered his wits and began surveying the area with his mind. There! Beneath the willow that overhung the river, he could detect the last few rainbow sparkles of energy as they swirled down to be contained in the form of…a man.

 

The youth almost collapsed with disappointment. Just a man? He had expected some fantastical creature; perhaps a unicorn, or a winged beast-god, or a dragon with glittering metallic scales. In spite of his disappointment, Shouryuu's insatiable curiosity compelled him to descend the hill and approach the man.

 

Drawing close, he saw that it was indeed an ordinary man. Ordinary except for the bizarre outfit that he wore, all velvet and silk with a strange tailored cut. Ordinary except for his hair that hung free instead of being confined in a ponytail, its brown-gold waves of a sort not seen in this country. As he drew closer to the apparently sleeping figure, he studied the dark eyelashes brushing against fine cheekbones, the straight nose and strong chin, the curved bow of the lips.

 

Shouryuu felt the familiar ache in his chest that occurred each time he beheld a creature of beauty; the ache caused by the knowledge that his own deformed features must appear twice as ugly when compared to those who enjoyed nature's perfection. He had never considered himself beautiful in the past, but he had at least been able to go about in the light of day without shame. Now the only way to avoid the flinching of his fellow men at the sight of his face was to go about masked or under cover of night.

 

Shouryuu was suddenly seized with grief at the irony of that reality: that he, who so loved the sun, had now become a creature of darkness and night. He dropped to his knees beside the beautiful man, feeling the wetness of tears on his face beneath the mask. He started to draw back—but found his hand seized in a grip both inexorable and gentle.

 

"Don't be afraid." The voice was soft and musical, and Shouryuu found himself ceasing his panicked struggles. "And don't be so sad," the gentle voice soothed, as the man sat up, still gripping Shouryuu's hand. The young magician sat frozen, hypnotized by the rapid turn of events. The man opened his eyes…and Shouryuu was lost.

 

Worlds… worlds spun in that verdant gaze. Shouryuu saw planets and starscapes and the passage of years so numerous that there were not enough numbers in existence to count them. He felt as if the entire vast panorama of the universe throughout time was laid bare before his trembling gaze, and he gasped sharply at the overwhelming sense of eternity that held him in its grip.

 

"Whoops!" exclaimed the musical voice, and the eyes closed briefly in a quick blink. Shouryuu felt himself released from Time's grasp and was seized by conflicting emotions of relief and disappointment. The stranger opened his eyes once again, and this time the youth found himself gazing into blue eyes that sparkled with kindness and compassion.

 

"My sincere apologies. I didn't mean to overwhelm you with all that at once! Must be getting clumsy in my old age," he muttered.

 

Shouryuu stared at the stranger in confusion. He didn't appear all that old; perhaps twice his own age, but that was still hardly on the verge of senility.

 

"Well, I'm a bit older than I look," the stranger explained, then grimaced as Shouryuu jumped in surprise at the stranger reading his thoughts. "Oh, for heaven's sake, I must get myself under control! This translational interface may be unfamiliar to me, but that is still no excuse for my extreme rudeness in mind-linking without permission! I do so hope that you can forgive me."

 

Shouryuu found himself the object of an ingratiating and hopeful grin, which reminded him irresistibly of a mischievous child hoping to escape punishment. Before he realized it, he was grinning back at the man.

 

"There, that's better," the stranger said in satisfaction. "Smiles are ever so much more enjoyable than tears, wouldn't you agree?"

 

Shouryuu startled again. frowningat the man's ability to step effortlessly past the shields thathe had erected around his ki.

 

"Whoops!" exclaimed the man once more. "There I go again, stepping squarely into 'your space', as my companions often say. I have an excellent idea; why don't we start over? Although I am your senior by, let's say a few years, I will break with protocol and introduce myself first. My name is the Doctor, and I am very pleased to make your acquaintance, Mister, er…"

 

"Shouryuu," the young magician replied without thinking, then frowned again. What was it about this "Doctor" that made him abandon his usual caution? He was never this open with people, as his fellow students were well aware. And why were the Doctor's eyes now clearly blue, when he could have sworn that they were green when the man first fixed his mystical gaze upon him? Shouryuu narrowed his eye in suspicion, but the Doctor apparently took no notice of his guarded mood.

 

"Hmmmmm, 'Rising Dragon' is it? Or do you mean," he paused delicately, "'Child without a Family Name'?"

 

Shouryuu knew that he ought to be offended by the Doctor's presumption, but he detected only gentle sympathy in the man's oddly accented voice. In any case, that was a question he had asked himself when Magus-sensei first bestowed the name upon him. Back then, he had chosen to give his new name the "dragon" interpretation, for he could not believe that his savior would be so cruel as to remind him of his solitary status every day of his life. Yet all of a sudden, this stranger's gentle question once again brought into doubt the true motivations of the man he had chosen to follow. In any case, he could not argue with the accuracy of the crueler interpretation of his name. Shouryuu felt the familiar grief stir in his heart, and just for a moment he was lost in his past.

 

The Doctor broke in on his dark thoughts. "Well, let's just choose the 'Dragon' appellation, shall we? Unless, of course, there is another name you would prefer; something that you're a little more comfortable with?"

 

Shouryuu shifted under the Doctor's keen gaze. "No," he replied uneasily. "No, I have no other name. This is who I am…and all that I am."

 

"Nonsense!" was the Doctor's spirited reply. "We are ever so much more than can be summed up in a single word! But for purposes of brevity, a single word has its uses. After all, think of calling out a warning: 'Oh, Young Man with Gentle Heart, Mysterious Past, and Intriguing Future, do watch out for that falling boulder!' Oops! Scratch the Intriguing Future part."

 

Shouryuu couldn't help it; he laughed out loud at the Doctor's giddy flights of fancy. The Doctor joined him, laughing happily and throwing a companionable arm around the young man's shoulders. Shouryuu was amazed at the feeling of lightness that filled his heart. He hadn't laughed like this since…since before the flood. And that was over eighteen months ago. His laughter trailed off, but the Doctor continued to laugh for a few more seconds, then patted him on the back reassuringly.

 

"Never mind. Shouryuu will do just fine as a name. Rather romantic, really--just the thing to catch the girls' interest!"

 

Shouryuu snorted in sudden contempt. "Oh, yes, that's me. The girls are always falling over themselves to get in line for my attentions!"

 

"They might if you gave them—or yourself—half a chance. You know; allow them to get to know the man behind the mask."

 

"Right!" snarled Shouryuu. "As long as they're the sort of girls who are enchanted by the 'deformed freak' type!" He stopped, suddenly aghast at all that he had revealed to this mysterious stranger.

 

The Doctor squeezed his shoulder reassuringly again. "Come now," he rebuked gently. "I don't believe in name-calling, especially when directed at such an undeserving target."

 

"What do you know?" Shouryuu cried out in anger and shame. "You don't know me--we've only just met! And why am I telling you any of this, anyway?" He gripped his head in confusion.

 

The Doctor pulled his hands down and held them clasped between his own. Shouryuu was surprised by all the physical contact that he had just experienced with this man; he had been touched more in the last five minutes than in the past two years! Was this stranger a homosexual, perhaps? No…no, that wasn't it; he could feel none of the red waves of sexual interest radiating off this man's ki. Instead, he was reminded of the way a parent would scoop up a distraught child in his arms and hold it tight until it calmed. And for no reason that he could explain, he suddenly wanted to bury his face in this man's chest and cry until the pain in his heart faded away. Shouryuu found himself blinking back tears, as the waves of gentle comfort seemed to surround him.

 

The velvet voice spoke again. "Why, you confide in me because we are destined to become friends. Can't you feel it? There's nothing wrong in confiding in a friend."

 

Shouryuu looked down at the ground, avoiding the Doctor's gaze but leaving his hands in the man's grasp. "I have no friends," he whispered.

 

"Well then, it's high time you started. And the best number to start with is One, wouldn't you agree? So let's just set aside the usual formalities and proceed onto… Hi!" the Doctor suddenly shouted in alarm.

 

Shouryuu jumped in shock.

 

"The pole, the pole!" the Doctor cried. "Grab the fishing pole!"

 

Without thinking, Shouryuu leaped at the fishing pole that lay previously unnoticed next to him and was now sliding rapidly toward the river. He grasped it and pulled it back.

 

"Not too hard! Don't yank on it or we'll lose it!" barked the Doctor. "Here, let me help you!" He wrapped his arms around the slight figure of the youth and helped him grip the pole, pulling steadily yet inexorably back. The pole suddenly leaped forward again, nearly tearing out of both their grasps. Caught by their combined strength, the pole began to bend towards the river in a strained bow.

 

"Damn!" swore Shouryuu. "What's got hold of this, anyway?"

 

"We'll never know if we let it go! Hold on, Shouryuu! Here, let out some line before it snaps." The reel whizzed as the line shot out. "Fine, that's far enough! Start pulling back--slowly, slow-ly…good! Now let it go a bit again."

 

They played the fish for the next fifteen minutes, letting it run before reeling it back in. Shouryuu felt his mask dampen with sweat, but at the same time, he could have shouted with glee. He felt the Doctor shake with laughter behind him, and he knew that the man was as caught up in the excitement as he. The fish continued to fight them, but as time went on, their patience paid off and the struggles grew weaker. Finally, they began to reel the monster in steadily. A huge reddish fin broke the surface near the bank of the little river.

 

The Doctor cried out in agony. "Oh, we need a net! Why didn't I think to ask for a net?"

 

Suddenly, a large net suspended on a metal loop appeared at the Doctor's feet. Shouryuu nearly dropped the pole in surprise.

 

"Don't lose your focus now!!" cried the Doctor, and Shouryuu grasped the pole once more. "Keep reeling steadily!"

 

Shouryuu obeyed, and soon the Doctor waded out into the shallow water at the bank, unmindful of his soaking trousers and boots. He scooped the net beneath the thrashing fish and pulled it up out of the water, displaying the huge salmon proudly before Shouryuu's ecstatic gaze.

 

"Dinner," the Doctor announced grandly, "…is served!"

 

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The two new friends lay back on the hillside, full of fish and happiness, contentedly watching the clouds turn pink and violet in the evening sky. They had created a feast fit for an emperor, as Shouryuu utilized his long-unused skills to find mushrooms, ginger, and wild carrots growing in their immediate surrounds. The Doctor had painlessly dispatched the salmon to its next life by a gentle tap between its eyes, yet again mystifying his young friend with his unusual powers, and cleaned it while Shouryuu had gathered fragrant wild herbs. They had seasoned the fish, stuffing it with mushrooms, ginger, carrots and herbs, then wrapped it in leaves and coated the bundle with a thick layer of clay from the bottom of the river. They finished by laying their creation in the embers from a glowing campfire.

 

As the clay hardened and dried and the fragrance of baking salmon filled the air, the two men chatted quietly and easily about herbs and plants and favorite recipes from their travels. Shouryuu had surprised himself with how eagerly he awaited the breaking of the baked clay coating. Greed had never been one of his vices, but the fragrance of the herbs and ginger and above all, the knowledge that he had earned the spoils of their hard-won battle, whetted his appetite to a level he could not previously remember.

 

The meal had exceeded even Shouryuu's heightened expectations, and the two men toasted their skill as fishermen and master cooks with cups of cool water from a nearby spring. There had been only one uneasy moment earlier, when the Doctor had asked Shouryuu if he wouldn't prefer eating without his mask. Shouryuu had flinched but decided to not take offense. “You see, Doctor, it's an enchanted mask. It causes me no discomfort at all. At any rate, I would rather be slightly uncomfortable than subject you to the sight of my true features while you are trying to eat.” The young man attempted to laugh as if he had made a joke, but the Doctor's expression grew momentarily sad.

 

“It's true that it's far too soon for you to trust me,” the musical voice replied softly. “But you must understand that I already know your true features.”

 

Shouryuu's eye opened wide in fear and surprise. The Doctor placed a hand gently on one side of his black mask and closed his eyes as if he were a fortuneteller about to impart words of futures yet unseen.

 

“It is a young face whose scars only serve to emphasize the purity of its unmarred features. There is life and pain and sadness and hope drawn in every delicate line. There is mistrust and grief but also curiosity and compassion reflected in its ever-changing expressions. And above all,” the voice paused for a moment, then continued with gentle conviction, “...there is the potential for one eye to see more clearly than two.”

 

Shouryuu bit down hard on his lip to keep from sobbing aloud. The Doctor opened his eyes and caught Shouryuu once more in his emerald gaze. As Shouryuu gazed transfixed into their depths, the Doctor's eyes changed, shading slowly back to their customary blue color. The eyes suddenly crinkled up in merriment, releasing Shouryuu from their spell, as the Doctor lowered his hand from the mask and held it out before Shouryuu. “Now cross my palm with silver,” he commanded.

 

So the meal had proceeded in amicable companionship, as the Doctor explained cheerfully to Shouryuu about gypsies and crystal balls and various other wonders that he had encountered on his travels. Shouryuu was both enchanted by and envious of the Doctor's adventures. “If I were free to do whatever I pleased, I would travel throughout the world as well!” the young magician exclaimed passionately.

 

The Doctor raised an eyebrow at the qualification. “So you're not... free?” he inquired gently. Shouryuu looked away, flushing at his revealing outburst. The Doctor lifted his face to the sky, releasing Shouryuu from his questioning gaze. “Oh, look!” he suddenly cried in delight.

 

Shouryuu tilted his mask in the direction of the Doctor's pointing hand, expecting to see wonders beyond belief, but encountering only the normal evening sky. He turned his mask towards the Doctor with a questioning tilt to his head. The Doctor waved his hands impatiently. “Clouds!” he burst out in excitement.

 

So that was how they ended up on the hillside, trying to convince one another of the fantastical creatures they saw depicted in the drifting vapors in the sky. The Doctor's feet were bare, boots and stockings left back at the campfire to dry, while he occasionally shook out his trouser legs, hoping that the last rays of the sun and the gentle breeze would draw out the last of the dampness. Shouryuu found himself smiling in wonder as the Doctor tried to convince him of the strong resemblance of one cloud to an eight-limbed creature that was the sensei of an obscure martial art known as Venusian Aikido.

 

The young man marveled at the familiar feeling of lightness and laughter that once more echoed in his heart. “So this is what happiness feels like,” he thought to himself. “I had forgotten...” Suddenly, he realized the significance of the deepening violet color of the clouds and leaped up from the hill in dismay. He turned towards the curious glance of the Doctor.

 

“It's late!” Shouryuu exclaimed to his new friend. “I have to get back to the... I have to get back home!”

 

The Doctor smiled in understanding. “So run along then. I wouldn't want you to get into trouble on my account.”

 

Shouryuu nodded in gratitude. Snatching up his satchel, he ran towards the crest of the hill. Sadness suddenly gripped his heart, and he turned in panic to look back at his newfound friend. “Will you be here tomorrow?” he called out, failing to keep the desperate hope from his voice.

 

The Doctor waved his hand over his head in a brisk salute. “Assuredly I will!” he called back.

 

Shouryuu breathed a sigh of relief, then continued on the path back towards the darkening sky. “Something to look forward to..." he breathed like a prayer. “At last, I have something to look forward to.”

 

 

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Back at the National Library in Tokyo...

 

The young woman wiped a tear from her eye as she completed the latest chapter of the book, which now mysteriously displayed the title “The Universe of the Four Gods” on its worn cover. “Poor boy,” she whispered in sympathy. “Poor kid... Good thing he finally met up with the Doctor.”

 

She arched her back and stretched, shifting her weight so that her back was no longer pressed against the last row of bookshelves in the Reference Room. Glancing at her watch, she realized that the library would be closing soon. “Damn!” she cursed softly...but her attention was caught by new sentences forming on the next blank page. She lifted the book again...and soon fell into the wonder of the next chapter.

 

 

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Glossary of Japanese terms:

 

Fusege - "Stop" or "Block (something)"

Shi ne! - "Die!"

Maboroshi - phantom, illusion

Shouryuu - can be interpreted two ways: "Rising Dragon", or "illegitimate family lineage"

-kun - suffix used when addressing a young man (familiar)

senpai - senior or upperclassman

kitsune-youkai - a fox-demon

sensei - teacher or master

Arigato goziemasu - Thank you very much (polite)

 

 

Author's note: (7-3-03) Whoo, lotsa Japanese, ne? Sorry; I just happened to be in the mood! And here is my appropriation of the title of Chichiri's gaiden novel - Shouryuu Den - to use as his "student name."

 

Yuu Watase defines Shouryuu as "Rising Dragon" (and that's also the name of the spell that Chichiri utilizes at the end of that novel) but my Japanese-English translational server interprets the phrase as "illegitimate family lineage." I suppose it depends on the kanji, but since there is some question as to the identity of Chichiri's father in my story, I thought that I'd let that interpretation also stand.

 

Well, a little more Doctor, a little more Chichiri… Things are starting to move; slowly, yes, but the speed is increasing. See you next chapter!

 

Ja ne!

 

Roku