Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction ❯ Flute and Willow ❯ Chapter 3
[ P - Pre-Teen ]
By: Lsama-no-miko 
Anime/Manga: Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Drama | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 05.14.2005 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.4K | Visits: 271 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Drama | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 05.14.2005 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.4K | Visits: 271 | Status: Completed
Warning: This is a yaoi, minna. If you are under 18 or offended by M/M relationships then run away NOW!!! Otherwise, by all means proceed.
Disclaimer: In no way shape or form do I own the characters so don't sue me.
Flute and Willow
A FY fic
By Sakura
Part 3
"Miaka!" Nuriko cried as the huge wolf man leapt off the roof the gazebo. The violet haired seishi put himself between the miko and her attacker, causing the creature to rip through his heavy clothes and scratching his shoulder before finally rolling out of the way.
Kaika watched as a huge wolf-like man jumped off the gazebo and lunged at the frightened girl. Knowing he should do something - anything, he grabbed the biggest melon he had and threw it at the girl's attacker.
The large fruit hit the wolf man's back and he turned to look for the one who dared strike him. His angry eyes focused on a passerby who was only just now making his escape . Letting out a roar of rage, he grabbed the man and slammed him against a nearby wall. The poor pedestrian whimpered and begged the wolf man to release him, but the creature just glared at him with a strange animal hunger in his eyes. He then proceeded to tear the man's throat out with his fangs.
Pandemonium ensued as people ran everywhere, screaming and trying to get as far away from the gigantic wolf man as they could. Kaika was making his way to where the violet haired woman and girl were, a frantic woman ran by him, knocking him against the wall and blackness overtook him.
Nuriko was about to grab the wolf man when he saw a large melon hit the creature in the back, distracting him away from Miaka. Nuriko quickly grabbed the girl and pulled her into one of the buildings nearby.
"Stay here, Miaka. I'll take care of him," said the violet haired seishi and dashed out before the Suzaku no Miko could protest.
Outside, the wolf man was holding a limp body against a wall, the man's throat torn out. He was now lapping at the blood and gnawing on the skin. Fighting the sudden wave of nausea, Nuriko took out one of Chiriko's flares and lit it.
Boldly striding up to him, the seishi said, "Hey you, dog breath!"
The creature turned and growled. "Suzaku seishi," he said baring a set of large canine fangs. "I'll kill you!"
"Not likely," Nuriko said as he shoved the flare into the wolf man's face. Sparks from the flare leapt and began to burn away flesh and hair. He howled in pain as a particularly large spark hit him in the left eye.
Clutching his wounded eye, Seiryuu seishi Ashitare ran back to Nakago's camp like a dog with his tail between its legs.
*****
When he woke, the sandy haired boy found he was still in the square where he had set up his stand. People were just beginning to close up their shops for the night and were saying their good nights to friends and neighbors. There was no sign of the wolf man that had attacked earlier. Even the body of the murdered man had been cleared away.
Shaking his head to clear out the fuzziness, strange memories began to flood his mind. Memories of him playing his flute for a sad eyed man in fancy imperial robes; sharing a meal with other men and laughing at a young girl with buns on her head; memories of him and a violet haired man with golden eyes. These last memories brought tears to his eyes as he began to fully what had brought him to Hokkan in the first place.
"Miaka-san... Nuriko... gomen," he whispered. Amiboshi had now completely remembered everything. His love for the violet haired Suzaku seishi, his betrayal to those who called him 'friend', and his failed attempt at suicide which led to his recent rescue and
adoption by an elderly couple in Sairou.
He had drunk the broth of forgetfulness leaves to forget hi sins and now that the blow to his head had restored his memory, he wished he'd listened to his 'parents' to and brought more of the leaves with him. He really had no desire whatsoever to imagine what punishment the phoenix god had in store for him.
After seeing to his stand and making sure nothing had been stolen, he closed up shop with the other stand owners and trudged sadly to the inn he was staying at. Tomorrow, if he was lucky enough not to see either Suzaku seishi or their miko, he would leave Hokkan and go back home to Sairou.
As soon as he approached the stairs, he saw two painfully familiar figures. 'Nuriko and Tamahome,' he thought shamefully, 'Of all the inns in Touran the Suzaku seishi would have to pick the same one as mine.'
The two men were sitting at the inn's bar, their backs to him. The sandy haired seishi froze, his foot just above the first step. He suddenly became torn between running up to and throwing his arms around his former lover and running out of the inn altogether.
Deciding to sneak up to his room and praying neither of them heard him, Amiboshi began to climb the stairs only to twist an ankle and landed on his face.
"You okay?" said the one voice he both feared and longed for. He felt himself being lifted to his feet and turned around so he was facing the voice's owner.
Gasping, the violet haired man's eyes widened in shock and his skin went pale. The sandy haired man hung his head in utter shame, hiding the regret, guilt, and tears in his hazel eyes.
"A-A-Amiboshi?!" Nuriko stuttered, quietly. Since Tamahome was acting moody, he had no intention of revealing the Seiryuu seishi's presence just yet. Especially since said seishi's twin murdered his entire family.
The former Seiryuu seishi could only nod his head refusing to look Nuriko in the eyes. Nuriko was about to engulf him in a huge bear hug, but he stopped him. "Nuriko," Amiboshi said in a whisper, "not here. Please, we need to talk." It was obvious now, Suzaku wanted him to pay for his crimes, and he could no longer hide.
The violet haired man nodded, indicating that Amiboshi should lead the way. Turning, the sandy haired boy led his former friend and lover up the stairs to his room. Once inside, Nuriko sat on the bed since there were no chairs in this particular room and waited patiently for Amiboshi to speak. There had been no sign of hatred or anger on his face only sadness and pity was allowed to be shown. In fact, Nuriko was incapable of being angry or hateful of the sandy haired Seiryuu seishi.
"Nuriko... I-I can explain," Amiboshi tried to begin.
"Ami-chan," The boy flinched at his former nickname. "Daijoubu. I forgave you long ago. I knew you were only doing what you believe to be your duty as Seiryuu's seishi," Nuriko said gently, noticing tears leaking form the boy's eyes.
"But I lied to you! I lied to all of you! My friends! How can you just forget about that?!" He wanted the Suzaku seishi to scream at him, call him every bad thing known to man, to hit him, but instead he was just sitting there pitying him.
"It's true you lied to all of us, to me. but it isn't our way to seek revenge. I guess we Suzaku seishi are too nice. We'd be willing to look past that especially since you've been such a help to us before." Nuriko rose from the bed and drew the trembling Seiryuu seishi in to an tight embrace. "You've saved Miaka's life a lot of times and you did your best to make Hotohori-sama feel better. What's the most important, at least to me, is that you were willing to love me in spite of what I was. You really didn't have to do those last two things to gain our confidence, but you did it anyway because you saw they were the right things to do, ne?"
The violet haired man gently raised his former lover's head. Looking into the tear filled eyes, he said, "We forgave you a long time ago Amiboshi and it's about time you forgave yourself as well. I still love you very much."
"Demo..." Amiboshi never got to say what he wanted to for the Suzaku seishi promptly silenced him with the most passionate kiss he could muster.
After they recovered, Nuriko spoke up, "Now do you mind telling me what in Suzaku's name you're doing here in Hokkan?"
Once the sandy haired boy digested that his former friends and lover weren't after his blood, he filled Nuriko in on the events which led them to find each other again.
"And when I came to, I began to remember it all. Especially what I've done to you. I was planning on leaving Hokkan if I didn't see any of you again tomorrow."
"Well, I'm glad you did," said Nuriko smiling from his seat on the bed. "Anyway is that all you remember?" A faint blush appeared on Amiboshi's face. "I'm awfully glad you're here koi. Sleeping all by myself gets pretty chilly around here.
"N-Nuriko!" the boy stammered, blushing even redder. The violet haired man just laughed. "You haven't told me why you're here in Hokkan," he said, quickly changing the subject.
"Well, after we, um, botched the ceremony, Taiitsu-kun showed up and told us that in order to summon Suzaku now, we needed something called a shinzaho and it was somewhere here in Hokkan. So here we are," Nuriko explained.
"You're all here?!"
"Well, not everyone. Hotohori-sama had to stay behind and look after things in Konan. He's still the emperor, you know." Amiboshi nodded, smiling as he remembered when he first learned the man he traveled with was actually ruler of the Konan empire. "I wish he was here though, since we've got your buddies hounding our tail."
"The Seiryuu seishi are here?" Amiboshi asked, concerned. Had they somehow found out he was alive and here?
"Your miko's here too. Tama saw her earlier today. They're looking for the shinzaho as well or so he said. Tama won't say what exactly went on with her."
"So They're not after me," he said under his breath. "Did you find out where it is?"
Nuriko nodded. "Tama said it's located somewhere on the top of Mt. Black which is about two miles from here."
"Well, that's great right? I mean Tamahome-san didn't tell Yui-sama about it, did he?"
"Of course not! Why would he give info like that to the enemy? Anyway we've got a long day ahead of us so I'll have to go back to my room. I'll come by tomorrow so don't even think of running off again until I get back." With that Nuriko gave the younger seishi a smile and winked as he turned to leave the room.
"Nuri-chan, matte... onegai (please)!" he said, catching onto his lover's arm. "Stay, please," he begged. "I-I... I've missed you so much."
"I can't," Nuriko returned sadly. "It's not that I don't want to, it's just that if Tamahome or Miaka find me missing, they'd have a panic attack.
Nodding silently, Amiboshi let go of Nuriko's arm and turned not wanting the hurt on his face to be seen. Feeling like a heel, the violet haired man turned around and sighed. "All right, you win, but I've got to leave as soon as the sun gets up. I'll sneak back to my room then," he said closing the door.
"Nuri-chan?" The sandy haired boy wasn't sure if he was hallucinating or not as his lover regarded him with a slightly mischievous look.
"Aren't you going to kiss me or do I have to do everything myself tonight?" Nuriko said impatiently.
The younger seishi turned red as a tomato and then shyly place his lips on his violet haired lover's.
*****
The next day, Nuriko rose early as he had planned and snuck back to his room before Tamahome or Miaka decided to wake him. But he couldn't leave not without making plans to meet Amiboshi later on the road to Mt. Black or giving his lover a quick kiss goodbye.
He felt as if the great burden on his heart had been lifted and that nothing could go wrong this time. Not only had he finally been able to get over his sister's death, but he had the love of his life miraculously returned to him. Indeed all was well with the world and with that thought, he quickly changed his clothes and went to wake up his companions.
Miaka was trying her best to act her usual genki self, but Nuriko could see that she was still troubled by what happened with Tamahome the day before. Tamahome, of course, was nursing a sore head and one hell of a hangover. 'Told him to take it easy on the booze,' Nuriko thought as he once again helped his friend to stand as the younger Suzaku seishi tried to finish packing the saddlebags.
"You all right, Miaka?" the violet seishi asked when he saw the far off look on the girl's face.
"Hai. I'm fine, Nuriko," she said with a huge grin on her face.
"Well, I'm not," Tamahome complained, "I've got one heck of a headache.
Nuriko couldn't help it and laughed a little. "I told you to go easy last night, Tama-chan."
"You could've stopped me, you know."
"I was, but you kept saying you were a big boy and didn't need me mothering you. So you got what you deserve, ne Miaka?"
"Uh... yeah," replied the girl thinking about Nuriko's conversation she overheard the night before.
Pulling his horse up to the others, Tamahome spoke again. "Anyway, we've got to find Chichiri and the others, but we've also got to go get the shinzaho." Nuriko was about to suggest that he'd go for the shinzaho, since that was what he and Amiboshi had planned to do. However Tamahome never let him get a word in edgewise. "Miaka, you go with Nuriko for the shinzaho. I'll go look for Chichiri since we don't have the flare anymore."
'Oh no you don't. I'm not going to let you get away so easily, Tama-chan,' thought the violet haired man. He quickly grabbed the younger seishi by the ear. "Baka!" he whispered so Miaka couldn't hear. "I told you nothing's changed." Turning to the Suzaku no Miko, he gave her a smile. "You go with Tama, Miaka. I'll go get the shinzaho."
Before either of them could protest, Suzaku seishi Nuriko leapt onto his horse and set out toward Mt. Black. "You said it's on the top of Mt. Black, right?" he called.
"Be careful Nuriko," Miaka called back before letting Tamahome help her onto the other horse.
"Daijoubu, daijoubu," was his reply as he spurred the horse on.
*****
"Phew! I thought they'd never let me go," the violet haired man said with relief once he was certain he was far from Touran and let his horse slow down to a more leisurely pace. "I knew Tama would offer to risk his life like that. I'm pretty sure the Seiryuu seishi will try to stop me. Also who knows what could be at that mountain."
"Don't tell me Suzaku's seishi Nuriko's afraid," said a sandy haired boy on a black mare.
"Sarcasm doesn't suit you, Ami-chan," said Nuriko giving his lover a peck hello. "I'm glad you're able to be here, though."
"Really?"
"It'll make the time go faster, 'sides I sure could use the company." The ex-Seiryuu seishi blushed remembering what his friend had meant by 'company'. "Relax love, I'm not _that_ desperate," Nuriko said jokingly, causing his younger lover to blush even more.
"Nuri-chan, you sure about this?" the boy asked.
"Very," Nuriko replied knowing he was referring to their recent reconciliation. "Let's get going Ami-chan. We don't want your pals getting there ahead of us." He then spurred his horse on again.
The sandy haired ex-seishi felt a pang of guilt as he remembered the other Seiryuu seishi he once called friends. He was ashamed of his past as one of them now and he hoped that helping the Suzaku no Miko would somehow redeem him as well as make up for what he had tried to do what seemed an eternity ago.
*****
Meanwhile Seiryuu seishi Ashitare, had been sent out once more to kill the Suzaku no Miko and her guardians by Nakago. The wolf man was now perched on a tree branch as he sniffed the air for any scents of the Suzaku. Catching an all to familiar scent, he growled deep in his throat and said, "That way. I won't forget you. The one who took my eye."
With that, Ashitare leapt off the tree in hot pursuit of Nuriko and Amiboshi.
*****
The two finally reached the mountain peak sometime in the early afternoon. "You know, if my sister Kourin were alive today, I bet she'd be a lot like Miaka," Nuriko said suddenly breaking the silence.
They had abandoned their horses about one hundred feet up the base since the snow was too thick for them to ride on. Neither one had wanted to rest along on the way and were now exhausted. The lovers were now sitting with their backs to the mountain, resting after the long and hard trek up the slope.
"I guess Miaka-san is like everyone's little sister," said his sandy haired lover as he sadly remembered his own younger brother Suboshi. "Shun-kun used to be like her a bit, too."
After a few more minutes of silence and rest, Nuriko got up and walked toward a huge boulder that was blocking a shrine dedicated to Genbu. "I guess I was the right one to come here after all. There's no way Tama could move this thing by himself."
Amiboshi sensed the presence of a fellow Seiryuu seishi and quickly pulled out his flute, which he learned earlier that Nuriko had secretly rescued from the river where Miaka dumped it. "Nuri-chan!" he warned as Ashitare made his way onto the peak.
Turning around, the violet haired man saw the wolf man he'd fought only just a few hours ago. "You!" he yelled.
"I finally found you, kisama!" Ashitare said, growling and baring his fangs.
I'm bad aren't I. You'll have to read the next part to find out what happens, so there! Nyaaah! :P Don't worry Nuriko fans I won't kill him off. I didn't bring Ami-chan back this early in the series for nothing, no da! ^_-
Disclaimer: In no way shape or form do I own the characters so don't sue me.
Flute and Willow
A FY fic
By Sakura
Part 3
"Miaka!" Nuriko cried as the huge wolf man leapt off the roof the gazebo. The violet haired seishi put himself between the miko and her attacker, causing the creature to rip through his heavy clothes and scratching his shoulder before finally rolling out of the way.
Kaika watched as a huge wolf-like man jumped off the gazebo and lunged at the frightened girl. Knowing he should do something - anything, he grabbed the biggest melon he had and threw it at the girl's attacker.
The large fruit hit the wolf man's back and he turned to look for the one who dared strike him. His angry eyes focused on a passerby who was only just now making his escape . Letting out a roar of rage, he grabbed the man and slammed him against a nearby wall. The poor pedestrian whimpered and begged the wolf man to release him, but the creature just glared at him with a strange animal hunger in his eyes. He then proceeded to tear the man's throat out with his fangs.
Pandemonium ensued as people ran everywhere, screaming and trying to get as far away from the gigantic wolf man as they could. Kaika was making his way to where the violet haired woman and girl were, a frantic woman ran by him, knocking him against the wall and blackness overtook him.
Nuriko was about to grab the wolf man when he saw a large melon hit the creature in the back, distracting him away from Miaka. Nuriko quickly grabbed the girl and pulled her into one of the buildings nearby.
"Stay here, Miaka. I'll take care of him," said the violet haired seishi and dashed out before the Suzaku no Miko could protest.
Outside, the wolf man was holding a limp body against a wall, the man's throat torn out. He was now lapping at the blood and gnawing on the skin. Fighting the sudden wave of nausea, Nuriko took out one of Chiriko's flares and lit it.
Boldly striding up to him, the seishi said, "Hey you, dog breath!"
The creature turned and growled. "Suzaku seishi," he said baring a set of large canine fangs. "I'll kill you!"
"Not likely," Nuriko said as he shoved the flare into the wolf man's face. Sparks from the flare leapt and began to burn away flesh and hair. He howled in pain as a particularly large spark hit him in the left eye.
Clutching his wounded eye, Seiryuu seishi Ashitare ran back to Nakago's camp like a dog with his tail between its legs.
*****
When he woke, the sandy haired boy found he was still in the square where he had set up his stand. People were just beginning to close up their shops for the night and were saying their good nights to friends and neighbors. There was no sign of the wolf man that had attacked earlier. Even the body of the murdered man had been cleared away.
Shaking his head to clear out the fuzziness, strange memories began to flood his mind. Memories of him playing his flute for a sad eyed man in fancy imperial robes; sharing a meal with other men and laughing at a young girl with buns on her head; memories of him and a violet haired man with golden eyes. These last memories brought tears to his eyes as he began to fully what had brought him to Hokkan in the first place.
"Miaka-san... Nuriko... gomen," he whispered. Amiboshi had now completely remembered everything. His love for the violet haired Suzaku seishi, his betrayal to those who called him 'friend', and his failed attempt at suicide which led to his recent rescue and
adoption by an elderly couple in Sairou.
He had drunk the broth of forgetfulness leaves to forget hi sins and now that the blow to his head had restored his memory, he wished he'd listened to his 'parents' to and brought more of the leaves with him. He really had no desire whatsoever to imagine what punishment the phoenix god had in store for him.
After seeing to his stand and making sure nothing had been stolen, he closed up shop with the other stand owners and trudged sadly to the inn he was staying at. Tomorrow, if he was lucky enough not to see either Suzaku seishi or their miko, he would leave Hokkan and go back home to Sairou.
As soon as he approached the stairs, he saw two painfully familiar figures. 'Nuriko and Tamahome,' he thought shamefully, 'Of all the inns in Touran the Suzaku seishi would have to pick the same one as mine.'
The two men were sitting at the inn's bar, their backs to him. The sandy haired seishi froze, his foot just above the first step. He suddenly became torn between running up to and throwing his arms around his former lover and running out of the inn altogether.
Deciding to sneak up to his room and praying neither of them heard him, Amiboshi began to climb the stairs only to twist an ankle and landed on his face.
"You okay?" said the one voice he both feared and longed for. He felt himself being lifted to his feet and turned around so he was facing the voice's owner.
Gasping, the violet haired man's eyes widened in shock and his skin went pale. The sandy haired man hung his head in utter shame, hiding the regret, guilt, and tears in his hazel eyes.
"A-A-Amiboshi?!" Nuriko stuttered, quietly. Since Tamahome was acting moody, he had no intention of revealing the Seiryuu seishi's presence just yet. Especially since said seishi's twin murdered his entire family.
The former Seiryuu seishi could only nod his head refusing to look Nuriko in the eyes. Nuriko was about to engulf him in a huge bear hug, but he stopped him. "Nuriko," Amiboshi said in a whisper, "not here. Please, we need to talk." It was obvious now, Suzaku wanted him to pay for his crimes, and he could no longer hide.
The violet haired man nodded, indicating that Amiboshi should lead the way. Turning, the sandy haired boy led his former friend and lover up the stairs to his room. Once inside, Nuriko sat on the bed since there were no chairs in this particular room and waited patiently for Amiboshi to speak. There had been no sign of hatred or anger on his face only sadness and pity was allowed to be shown. In fact, Nuriko was incapable of being angry or hateful of the sandy haired Seiryuu seishi.
"Nuriko... I-I can explain," Amiboshi tried to begin.
"Ami-chan," The boy flinched at his former nickname. "Daijoubu. I forgave you long ago. I knew you were only doing what you believe to be your duty as Seiryuu's seishi," Nuriko said gently, noticing tears leaking form the boy's eyes.
"But I lied to you! I lied to all of you! My friends! How can you just forget about that?!" He wanted the Suzaku seishi to scream at him, call him every bad thing known to man, to hit him, but instead he was just sitting there pitying him.
"It's true you lied to all of us, to me. but it isn't our way to seek revenge. I guess we Suzaku seishi are too nice. We'd be willing to look past that especially since you've been such a help to us before." Nuriko rose from the bed and drew the trembling Seiryuu seishi in to an tight embrace. "You've saved Miaka's life a lot of times and you did your best to make Hotohori-sama feel better. What's the most important, at least to me, is that you were willing to love me in spite of what I was. You really didn't have to do those last two things to gain our confidence, but you did it anyway because you saw they were the right things to do, ne?"
The violet haired man gently raised his former lover's head. Looking into the tear filled eyes, he said, "We forgave you a long time ago Amiboshi and it's about time you forgave yourself as well. I still love you very much."
"Demo..." Amiboshi never got to say what he wanted to for the Suzaku seishi promptly silenced him with the most passionate kiss he could muster.
After they recovered, Nuriko spoke up, "Now do you mind telling me what in Suzaku's name you're doing here in Hokkan?"
Once the sandy haired boy digested that his former friends and lover weren't after his blood, he filled Nuriko in on the events which led them to find each other again.
"And when I came to, I began to remember it all. Especially what I've done to you. I was planning on leaving Hokkan if I didn't see any of you again tomorrow."
"Well, I'm glad you did," said Nuriko smiling from his seat on the bed. "Anyway is that all you remember?" A faint blush appeared on Amiboshi's face. "I'm awfully glad you're here koi. Sleeping all by myself gets pretty chilly around here.
"N-Nuriko!" the boy stammered, blushing even redder. The violet haired man just laughed. "You haven't told me why you're here in Hokkan," he said, quickly changing the subject.
"Well, after we, um, botched the ceremony, Taiitsu-kun showed up and told us that in order to summon Suzaku now, we needed something called a shinzaho and it was somewhere here in Hokkan. So here we are," Nuriko explained.
"You're all here?!"
"Well, not everyone. Hotohori-sama had to stay behind and look after things in Konan. He's still the emperor, you know." Amiboshi nodded, smiling as he remembered when he first learned the man he traveled with was actually ruler of the Konan empire. "I wish he was here though, since we've got your buddies hounding our tail."
"The Seiryuu seishi are here?" Amiboshi asked, concerned. Had they somehow found out he was alive and here?
"Your miko's here too. Tama saw her earlier today. They're looking for the shinzaho as well or so he said. Tama won't say what exactly went on with her."
"So They're not after me," he said under his breath. "Did you find out where it is?"
Nuriko nodded. "Tama said it's located somewhere on the top of Mt. Black which is about two miles from here."
"Well, that's great right? I mean Tamahome-san didn't tell Yui-sama about it, did he?"
"Of course not! Why would he give info like that to the enemy? Anyway we've got a long day ahead of us so I'll have to go back to my room. I'll come by tomorrow so don't even think of running off again until I get back." With that Nuriko gave the younger seishi a smile and winked as he turned to leave the room.
"Nuri-chan, matte... onegai (please)!" he said, catching onto his lover's arm. "Stay, please," he begged. "I-I... I've missed you so much."
"I can't," Nuriko returned sadly. "It's not that I don't want to, it's just that if Tamahome or Miaka find me missing, they'd have a panic attack.
Nodding silently, Amiboshi let go of Nuriko's arm and turned not wanting the hurt on his face to be seen. Feeling like a heel, the violet haired man turned around and sighed. "All right, you win, but I've got to leave as soon as the sun gets up. I'll sneak back to my room then," he said closing the door.
"Nuri-chan?" The sandy haired boy wasn't sure if he was hallucinating or not as his lover regarded him with a slightly mischievous look.
"Aren't you going to kiss me or do I have to do everything myself tonight?" Nuriko said impatiently.
The younger seishi turned red as a tomato and then shyly place his lips on his violet haired lover's.
*****
The next day, Nuriko rose early as he had planned and snuck back to his room before Tamahome or Miaka decided to wake him. But he couldn't leave not without making plans to meet Amiboshi later on the road to Mt. Black or giving his lover a quick kiss goodbye.
He felt as if the great burden on his heart had been lifted and that nothing could go wrong this time. Not only had he finally been able to get over his sister's death, but he had the love of his life miraculously returned to him. Indeed all was well with the world and with that thought, he quickly changed his clothes and went to wake up his companions.
Miaka was trying her best to act her usual genki self, but Nuriko could see that she was still troubled by what happened with Tamahome the day before. Tamahome, of course, was nursing a sore head and one hell of a hangover. 'Told him to take it easy on the booze,' Nuriko thought as he once again helped his friend to stand as the younger Suzaku seishi tried to finish packing the saddlebags.
"You all right, Miaka?" the violet seishi asked when he saw the far off look on the girl's face.
"Hai. I'm fine, Nuriko," she said with a huge grin on her face.
"Well, I'm not," Tamahome complained, "I've got one heck of a headache.
Nuriko couldn't help it and laughed a little. "I told you to go easy last night, Tama-chan."
"You could've stopped me, you know."
"I was, but you kept saying you were a big boy and didn't need me mothering you. So you got what you deserve, ne Miaka?"
"Uh... yeah," replied the girl thinking about Nuriko's conversation she overheard the night before.
Pulling his horse up to the others, Tamahome spoke again. "Anyway, we've got to find Chichiri and the others, but we've also got to go get the shinzaho." Nuriko was about to suggest that he'd go for the shinzaho, since that was what he and Amiboshi had planned to do. However Tamahome never let him get a word in edgewise. "Miaka, you go with Nuriko for the shinzaho. I'll go look for Chichiri since we don't have the flare anymore."
'Oh no you don't. I'm not going to let you get away so easily, Tama-chan,' thought the violet haired man. He quickly grabbed the younger seishi by the ear. "Baka!" he whispered so Miaka couldn't hear. "I told you nothing's changed." Turning to the Suzaku no Miko, he gave her a smile. "You go with Tama, Miaka. I'll go get the shinzaho."
Before either of them could protest, Suzaku seishi Nuriko leapt onto his horse and set out toward Mt. Black. "You said it's on the top of Mt. Black, right?" he called.
"Be careful Nuriko," Miaka called back before letting Tamahome help her onto the other horse.
"Daijoubu, daijoubu," was his reply as he spurred the horse on.
*****
"Phew! I thought they'd never let me go," the violet haired man said with relief once he was certain he was far from Touran and let his horse slow down to a more leisurely pace. "I knew Tama would offer to risk his life like that. I'm pretty sure the Seiryuu seishi will try to stop me. Also who knows what could be at that mountain."
"Don't tell me Suzaku's seishi Nuriko's afraid," said a sandy haired boy on a black mare.
"Sarcasm doesn't suit you, Ami-chan," said Nuriko giving his lover a peck hello. "I'm glad you're able to be here, though."
"Really?"
"It'll make the time go faster, 'sides I sure could use the company." The ex-Seiryuu seishi blushed remembering what his friend had meant by 'company'. "Relax love, I'm not _that_ desperate," Nuriko said jokingly, causing his younger lover to blush even more.
"Nuri-chan, you sure about this?" the boy asked.
"Very," Nuriko replied knowing he was referring to their recent reconciliation. "Let's get going Ami-chan. We don't want your pals getting there ahead of us." He then spurred his horse on again.
The sandy haired ex-seishi felt a pang of guilt as he remembered the other Seiryuu seishi he once called friends. He was ashamed of his past as one of them now and he hoped that helping the Suzaku no Miko would somehow redeem him as well as make up for what he had tried to do what seemed an eternity ago.
*****
Meanwhile Seiryuu seishi Ashitare, had been sent out once more to kill the Suzaku no Miko and her guardians by Nakago. The wolf man was now perched on a tree branch as he sniffed the air for any scents of the Suzaku. Catching an all to familiar scent, he growled deep in his throat and said, "That way. I won't forget you. The one who took my eye."
With that, Ashitare leapt off the tree in hot pursuit of Nuriko and Amiboshi.
*****
The two finally reached the mountain peak sometime in the early afternoon. "You know, if my sister Kourin were alive today, I bet she'd be a lot like Miaka," Nuriko said suddenly breaking the silence.
They had abandoned their horses about one hundred feet up the base since the snow was too thick for them to ride on. Neither one had wanted to rest along on the way and were now exhausted. The lovers were now sitting with their backs to the mountain, resting after the long and hard trek up the slope.
"I guess Miaka-san is like everyone's little sister," said his sandy haired lover as he sadly remembered his own younger brother Suboshi. "Shun-kun used to be like her a bit, too."
After a few more minutes of silence and rest, Nuriko got up and walked toward a huge boulder that was blocking a shrine dedicated to Genbu. "I guess I was the right one to come here after all. There's no way Tama could move this thing by himself."
Amiboshi sensed the presence of a fellow Seiryuu seishi and quickly pulled out his flute, which he learned earlier that Nuriko had secretly rescued from the river where Miaka dumped it. "Nuri-chan!" he warned as Ashitare made his way onto the peak.
Turning around, the violet haired man saw the wolf man he'd fought only just a few hours ago. "You!" he yelled.
"I finally found you, kisama!" Ashitare said, growling and baring his fangs.
I'm bad aren't I. You'll have to read the next part to find out what happens, so there! Nyaaah! :P Don't worry Nuriko fans I won't kill him off. I didn't bring Ami-chan back this early in the series for nothing, no da! ^_-