Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction ❯ Cold As Ice ❯ Discovery ( Chapter 5 )

Disclaimer: I don't own Fushigi Yugi, never have, and never will. * sniffle sniffle * The benevolent Yu Watase does. I'm just borrowing her characters for a while. Or are they borrowing me?

 

Cold As Ice:

Chapter 5

 

Chichiri looks around the camp as Tasuki, Mitsukake, Chiriko, and Nuriko were breaking camp. “Miaka-chan wa?”

 

“Now that'cha mention it, `Chiri, I've not seen Tamahome all morning neither.” Tasuki observes.

 

“Their belongings are still here. Perhaps, they are speaking to elders of the village” Mitsukake offers.

 

Chiriko shakes his head. “I was just there. They've not seen them since last evening.”

 

Nuriko stares thoughtfully at the saddlebag he was tightening down. `Tamahome and Miaka had gone out last night. Could something have happened to them?' he thinks. Nothing had seemed amiss when he had left the couple alone. However they weren't in Konan-koku anymore.

 

“Tamahome and Miaka-chan went into the woods last night. Did anyone see them return?” Nuriko voices, receiving a unanimously negative.

 

“No, their bedrolls weren't spread out either.”

 

“Kuso! Something could have happened to them! Come on! Don't just stand there!” Nuriko shouts running for the last place he had seen the pair.

 

Dodging trees, which seemingly jump out into his path, Nuriko swiftly makes his way to the tree grove not far from camp. Before entering the clearing, he stops suddenly.

 

Blinking in dismay, he discovers a sight he'd have rather not seen. The tree, under which the couple had declared their love, had fallen.

 

“MIAKA!!!!!” Nuriko shouts running for the tree preparing to lift it.

 

“WAIT! Nuriko don't touch anything.” Chiriko insists panting to catch his breath while the other catch up.

 

“But they could be crushed under there!” Nuriko shouts remembering the last time the pair had been piled under the rubble of one of the palace gazebos.

 

“There's no signs of them Nuriko. And if there were and you flung the tree, we'd never find them. All the evidence to find them would be gone! Please sit down and tell us what you know.” Chiriko states trying to calm the Seishi. “What happened last night?”

 

As Nuriko tells of all he had seen, leaving out the contents of Miaka and Tamahome's discussion, up until he had left.

 

Mitsukake listens as he examines the tree. “Minna, look.” He points to a large branch that looked slightly charred.

 

Chiriko's eyes widen as he picks up a scrap of clothing from the branch. “This is Tamahome's!”

 

Chichiri studies the tree. “This tree looks like it was struck by lighting, no da. Demo, There were no cloud last night, no da.”

 

“ `Chiri…” Tasuki says solemnly. “Look…” he points to a splash of blood beneath the branch.

 

“Nuriko! Lift the Tree! Quickly!” Chichiri commands.

 

Nuriko swiftly complies lifting the great tree. Underneath they find one of Tamahome's shoes near the bloody ground and a small red ribbon, exactly like Miaka's, caught on a branch on the opposite side of the tree. Tasuki quickly retrieves them then allowed Nuriko to lower the tree once more.

 

“They're alive, no da. Injured perhaps, but alive, no da.”

 

“Then where th' hell are they! Why can't we sense them? How did this happen!? Damnit `Chiri! We have to find them! Why the HELL ARE WE JUST STANDIN' HERE!?”

 

“Calm down Tasuki-kun. Shouting will not find them more quickly, no da.”

 

“I KNOW THAT!”

 

Chichiri sighs sitting down.

 

“This is no time to rest! We have to find Miaka!”

 

“Tasuki-kun, I need silence if I'm to try to locate them, no da. Have patience, no da.”

 

Tasuki growls slightly but plops down on the ground himself next to the stricken Nuriko.

 

Nuriko stares off into the forest as if staring long enough would bring them back.

 

Chichiri sighs and evens out his breathing. He stretches out his senses linking into the nature around him. He tries to focus on the link connecting all the seishi with their miko. He catches a flash of pain, recent but too distant to distinguish from whom it came. Trying to focus on that feeling, he follows the path only to be blocked. He attempts to force his will into the barrier bending and twisting it to open a pathway, only to be forcibly shoved back into his own body and consciousness.

 

“Chichiri-san! Daijabou, ka?” Chiriko asks.

 

“Itai, no da.” Chichiri says sitting upright.

 

“Well?” Tasuki asks.

 

“They've been captured. At least one of them is injured, but both are alive.” Chichiri gravely states. “Someone powerful is holding them captive, powerful enough that they've blocked our link to them. There's only one group powerful enough to do such a thing…”

 

“Seiryu!!” Tasuki exclaims as Chichiri nods.

 

“It's my fault. If I had stayed here they wouldn't be gone! I could have helped them!” Nuriko cries out.

 

Mitsukake kneels next to Nuriko. “No one could have known what would happen. Even Chichiri sensed nothing. Had you been here, perhaps you may have helped them. Or perhaps they would have captured you as well or worse killed you. But it is the past now. Now we must concentrate on finding them and getting them back. We all must be strong for them.”

 

Nuriko nods slowly. `I'll find them. I swear it! When I find those Seiryu, they'll wish they'd never been born!' Nuriko swore in his mind.

 

 

To Be Continued

 

Notes:

“… wa?” = Where's…?

Kuso = a curse word.

Minna = everyone.

Demo = but.

Miko = priestess.

Daijabou ka? = Are you all right?

No da. = An inflection ending from ancient times used for emphasis. Chichiri uses it frequently unless he is in a very serious tone.

 

Author's notes:

 

~SM~ says:

 

Onegai! Please don't kill me! I didn't mean to take so long to update honestly! In fact I've going to try to have the next chapter up as quickly as possible. My muse on this had decided to take a long vacation, ergo the long time from the last update. However they seem to be back for the time being, so I shall be writing as long as they keep me tied to the desk.

 

Muses say:

Back to work you! Or I'll hide all your plushies!

 

~SM~ says:

 

Noooooo not my precious plushies! Keep your paws off my Fluffy!

 

 

Please let me know what you thought of the latest chapter. We shall return soon to Cold As Ice!

 

Until next time! Ja' ne!

~SM~

 

Preview of Next Chapter (small teaser):

 

Suboshi comes up with a plan. What will happen to Miaka?