Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction ❯ Fushigi Yuugi: Daydream's Embrace ❯ Episode 5: Fatal Connection ( Chapter 5 )

Episode 5

Fatal Connection
By: Nyan Nyan and Mrs. Tasuki

Christina got up from her bed and walked into the other room to watch TV. She opened the door and slowly stepped into the hallway. On the way out she started to feel dizzy. She leaned onto the wall for support and managed to make it to the couch. She stumbled and fainted. Christina's mother walked down the stairs and spotted her on the couch.

"She's so lazy..." her mother muttered while walking into the laundry room.

*

"Will she be okay?" Hotohori asked in a nervous voice as he hovered over the doctor. He looked down upon his priestess with concerned eyes as she lay unconscious on the bed.

"The priestess has suffered from exhaustion; becoming the priestess has put a great strain on her," the doctor replied as he stood from kneeling at the side of Katherine's bed.

"Is there anything else we can do?" Hotohori said, sounding relieved.

"The only thing we can let her do is let her rest," he said as he left the room.

"We must get Katherine back to her world as soon as we can," Hotohori mumbled while he sat down next to Katherine on her bed.

"'We'?" his advisors asked from where they were standing.

"Katherine, Tamahome, Nuriko, and myself," he said without moving his eyes from her face.

"Sire you mustn't!" his advisors said all at once.

"You and the guards can handle the palace for a week or two," Hotohori continued as he gently stroked Katherine's hair.

"Yes sire," the all said obediently.

"You all may be excused," the emperor ordered while carelessly waved his hand, motioning for them to leave.

As the advisors left Katherine slowly woke up. She saw Hotohori's face look down upon her. He seemed so worried; she smiled slightly, as if to tell him to quit looking so nervous. "Are you feeling better?" he asked as he smiled back.

"Yeppers..." she replied in a weak voice as she laughed quietly. She took in a deep breath about to apologize for rejecting him the night before.

"Before you say anything else," Hotohori interrupted, "I would like to apologize. I looked at you as the priestess, and for that I'm sorry. I would like to start over and pretend last night never happened," Hotohori said, hoping now that maybe it would take some stress off of Katherine too.

"Okay... I think I'd like that," Katherine answered with a sigh.

"You should really get some more rest," Hotohori said as he stood up, "and when you are feeling better tell me, because then we'll start heading off towards Taiitsukun's."

Katherine sat up quickly. "'We'? As in you too?" she asked happily.

"Yes, unless if you have a problem with that."

"No! Of course not! I want you to come! As a matter of fact, I'm feeling right now. LET'S GO!" she continued merrily as she moved her legs over the side of the bed.

"I don't think that's such a good idea, but lets aim for tomorrow," he said as he laughed slightly at her miraculous recover.

"Okay. You're probably right," Katherine replied sadly.

"Now try to get some rest," Hotohori said as he walked towards the door.

"I will," she said as she lay back down.

As Hotohori closed the door behind him, he leaned against it. "I had no idea that the priestess would be so cheerful and spastic," he thought to himself.

*

"Man! Once this is over I'll never be able to make fun of Miaka again... I just keep on making her mistakes over and over. That just makes me even more of a moron since I know what's gonna happen!" Katherine thought as she went back to sleep.

*

Katherine woke up and looked outside her window from her bed. She saw the sun was rising through her window. "Yes! It's early! I can go find Hotohori and maybe we can set out for Taiitsukun's today!" she thought as she climbed out of her bed as fast as she could, but nce she got her two feet on the floor she started to feel dizzy again. "I shouldn't have stood up so fast." she mumbled as she caught her balance. She went over to her closet and put on her old clothes that she had worn when she got sucked into the book. "Since, I'll be traveling today I better wear what I'm comfortable in." she thought as she got dressed. Katherine walked into the hallway in search of Hotohori. "The one bad thing about Hotohori is that I can never find him!" she thought. While was walking around she saw Tamahome off in the distance. "Maybe Tamahome knows where he is." As she approached him though she realized that something was troubling him. He was leaning against a rail as he looked out to the rising sun. "What's wrong?" she asked when she became with in hearing distance.

Tamahome looked over to see her walking towards him. "The other day Nuriko and I went to the market place to sell your bottle-thing and we were attacked, since no one believed that I knew the priestess," he said with a sigh.

"You don't seem hurt. I mean with Nuriko's and your powers."

"That's not the problem," Tamahome interrupted, "someone took the pepper spray while I wasn't looking. And I never got my money!!!"

Katherine rolled her eyes at her sei's 'problem'. She couldn't believe he was still fretting over the fact that he lost it; that must have happened a couple days ago! "Well, that's what you get for trying to sell a gift."

"I guess so," Tamahome said reluctantly as he walked away from her still depressed.

"Oh wait! Do you know where Hotohori is?" she asked; suddenly remember why she was talking to this idiot in the first place.

"No," he replied sadly as he continued to walk sorrowfully down the hallway.

Katherine continued her search for Hotohori; she passed by an open doorway and out of the corner of her eye she saw him looking over some papers. She knocked on the doorframe and entered, "Hi."

Hotohori looked up from his papers. "Hello, I see you're feeling better," he said with a smile.

"Yeah. I think I'm ready to start traveling," she said as she entered the office anxiously hoping he would say that they would leave soon.

"Well that's good. I'll get someone to prepare the horses. We'll leave by noon."

"That's great!!! I'll go get ready!" Katherine exclaimed as she started to run out the door.

"Katherine," Hotohori said as she turned stopped in her tracks and turned around. "Try not to over-exert yourself," he warned with a slight smile, even though in his eyes she could tell that he was concerned.

"Gotcha," Katherine said as she turned back around and started to walk out the door, but once she was in the hallway she continued running as fast as she could.

*

"Your majesty, perhaps the guard should accompany you," the advisors pleaded.

"What kind of emperor would I be if I couldn't leave the palace walls alone?" he replied as he was attaching his bags to the horse's saddle.

"But your majesty, no matter how casual your garments are, your elegance cannot be hidden."

Hotohori prodded his advisor on the nose happily. "You speak the truth, so I shall not consider it flattery."

Tamahome turned away, cringing from Hotohori's narcissism, while Katherine smiled joyfully.

"I could do without his narcissism," Tamahome whispered to Katherine. Katherine just stood there in shock. She slowly turned to look at his face to see if he was actually serious.

"You take away Hotohori's narcissism; you take away Hotohori! You evil, evil person!" she yelled as she poked him on the nose.

"I was just joking! And by the way, what did I ever do to you?! It's like you've had a grudge against me since the first time we met!" Tamahome argued.

"You... you... you...!" Katherine stuttered. This was her chance; her chance to let out all the rage she had inside of her against Tamahome, yet, she couldn't do it. She couldn't scream about how because of him Hotohori lost his true love, how he got so much credit while everyone else is ignored, how he was too unrealistically perfect. If she let her anger get the better of her they would all know; they would all know that she knew everything. Or they would just think she was insane. The only thing she could do was stand there, dumbfounded. She just screamed with all her might, from the frustration was building up inside of her and walked away.

"Shall we go," Hotohori said to Nuriko, Tamahome, and Katherine, "Katherine, you'll be riding with me."

Ke didn't want to be one of those damsels who couldn't even ride a horse on their own. "Hotohori, may I please have my own horse?" she asked as politely as possible.

Hotohori turned around and looked at her to see if she was serious. When he was sure she actually was he contemplated over it for a second. "I didn't expect that for an answer. Do people in her world know how to ride horses?" he wondered. "Can you ride a horse?" he asked.

"Yeah. Of course! I took horseback riding lessons for three years. I'm just not very good at galloping since it's been a while."

*

"It's getting dark," Nuriko said while looking around at their surroundings. She couldn't see more than a few feet in front of her. The trees were densely crowded together, making it even harder to see.

"We'll have to camp out here tonight," Hotohori concluded.

"Well, it's not like we have a choice," Tamahome mumbled. They tied their horses to a tree branch and to rest for the night.

Once Katherine was sure everyone was asleep, she crept towards a clearing. "I think my fever's coming back," the priestess mumbled as she felt her forehead. She didn't want anyone to start worrying about her.

"Katherine?" Nuriko questioned, suddenly coming out of nowhere.

"Oh, hi Nuriko!" Katherine answered, startled by the sudden interruption.

"You feel sick, right?" Nuriko continued, "Well let me tell you a little secret." Katherine just stared, knowing what was coming next, and let Nuriko talk. "There's a small spring inside this forest. They say it has the power to cure sickness. Why don't you take a dip? It might make you feel better," the courtier whispered.

"Do you think I'm stupid Nuriko? What idiot would believe that?" Katherine angrily replied.

"Well... I..." Nuriko stammered.

"Oooh... a magical thpring? Doeth it give you the power to fly too?" Katherine commented with wide innocent eyes, mocking a naïve child with a lisp.

Nuriko suddenly became confused from her priestess's statement. "Well you have to admit, it would make you feel a little better," Nuriko replied, continuing with her plan.

"Okay... I'll go," Katherine said reluctantly, "But don't tell Tamahome or Hotohori," she warned as she scampered off into the forest.

"Gotcha!" Nuriko called towards Katherine's retreating silhouette.

*

Nuriko grabbed Tamahome's leg and dragged him across the hard forest floor. Tamahome's head bashed against roots and stones, waking the sei up.

"What's the big idea!?!?" Tamahome whined with three large bumps on his head.

"I have a message from Katherine," Nuriko answered innocently. "'I'll be waiting for you at the spring in the forest.' That's all."

"Why should I go?!" Tamahome shouted.

"If you're a real man, you won't humiliate a woman!" Nuriko yelled while strangling Tamahome. "Bye bye," Nuriko added while walking away.

*

"There it is," Katherine said when she spotted the pond. It did look pretty, like a photograph you would see in one of those landscape coffee table books. The pale moonlight shone on the water, making it sparkle and look like it was almost glowing. Katherine took off her shoes, rolled up her jeans, and put her feet in the water. She knew she better not get undressed, because Tamahome would probably be coming soon. She heard some rustling behind the bushes. "Heya!" she said happily as she turned around to see Tamahome. She hated the silence. She wanted to talk to someone, and she didn't care who.

"Hi," Tamahome said in an annoyed manner. "What's so important that it couldn't wait 'till morning?"

"What are you talking about? Oh that! I'm sorry, Nuriko must have tricked you," Katherine said suddenly remembering the lie she told Tamahome told him in the series. She motioned him to sit by her. "So how's it goin'?" she asked as he sat down next to her.

"Not so good...," Tamahome said while looking at the ground.

"Why?" she asked, actually becoming interested.

"Well with all this traveling, it's really cutting in on my business time."

"Awwww. Well, it will all be over soon," she said while patting him on the back. "Why am I comforting him? This is Tamahome!" Katherine thought. She did feel bad for him, after all he was collecting the money for his adorable siblings. Once again Katherine heard a rustling noise behind he bushes. She turned around to see what it was this time; she was sure a second person didn't come in the series. What she saw something she least expected. Nuriko was standing there, with a smile of satisfaction on her face; behind her was Hotohori with a look of disbelief.

"I'll... I'll leave you two alone," Hotohori said as his look of disbelief turned to one of hurt. He turned around and started to walk back to the campsite.

It took Katherine a second or two to let everything sink in; then she noticed her hand on Tamahome's back. "Wait! It's not wh-" she said while quickly removing her hand.

"Katherine. Just shut up," Nuriko interrupted, "How many lives do you have to ruin in one day? His Highness didn't need you anyways," Nuriko said just loud enough so that Hotohori could hear; then the courtier turned around and ran towards Hotohori.

"I'm gonna kill him," Katherine threatened under her breath.

"Him?" Tamahome asked, still confused about everything that had just happened.

"I mean her, of course!" Katherine said quickly, trying to not let Nuriko's 'secret' slip, but then she realized it was because of 'her' that all of this happened. "I'm not going to defend him anymore!" she shouted as she stood up.

"What are you talking about?" Tamahome asked, but Katherine had already stormed off in rage, leaving him stranded.

*

Christina cautiously opened her eyes as she rose from the couch. She glanced over at the TV and saw that episode five of Fushigi Yuugi was on. "I am way too obsessed if I can pinpoint an episode," she muttered jokingly.

"I started getting a fever a while ago," Yui said in Japanese as the yellow subtitles floated at the bottom of the screen. Christina looked in the mirror, she looked flushed. Her pale skin contrasted openly with her freckles. The gears in her head started grinding.

"My leg was bleeding, I fainted, I have a fever..." she said as she ticked off her fingers. She walked over to her stereo and turned the dial to 92.3, her favorite station. "I must be delusional," she thought as she turned the volume up, trying desperately to drown out her crazy idea. "This is 92.3, extreme radio!" the announcer said, "Next up, we'll be giving away tickets to Lollapalooza but first, Aerials, by System of a Down."

She plopped back onto her favorite red couch. Red was her favorite color. She picked up her sticker-covered remote and started to fast forward through the lake scene. She wanted to get to episode 14, her favorite. Besides, she hated the mushy Miaka and Tamahome parts.

*

"I'm so full!" Katherine said as she lay back in her chair. They had decided to take a break from traveling and stopped a restaurant nearby.

"Well I'd imagine so, you ate everything on your plate," Nuriko replied. Katherine just glared at her, mad about the night before, and walked out of the restaurant.

"Hi!" Katherine said cheerfully as he ran up to where Hotohori was sitting. "May I sit here?" she asked as she bent over to see Hotohori's face looking at the landscape.

"Sure," he replied without moving his eyes from the scenery.

"What-cha doing?" she asked merrily as she sat down next to him.

"Just looking at the scenery," he said with a sigh, "I do not normally have the time to view the landscape around me."

"I understand how you feel. I have to go to a high school that I hate, just because my mother wants me to graduate from there. But I'm sure you've had it much harder," Katherine replied. Even though she hated her school beyond all belief she didn't want to dwell on that thought, especially since she already knew what Hotohori had to go through.

"Your mother?" Hotohori asked, more to himself than to anyone else as he remember his mother. "I inherited the throne at fourteen when my father passed away. The power struggle that followed was horrendous. My mother was extremely ambitious and the methods she used... No, I can not say more. In any case, my mother made sure I became emperor. You could say I was simply her puppet, but then she passed away, and suddenly my world became virtually silent. I was surrounded by royal retainers, my own people, but I learned how lonely true solitude can be. I was like a bird in a cage." Right then Katherine saw three white birds flying towards the sun.

"Things will get better, I promise," Katherine said as she rested her head on Hotohori's shoulder; she felt his muscle become tense.

"I should go inside; I haven't eaten in a while," Hotohori replied awkwardly as he started to stand up.

"No, wait," Katherine knew this would be the perfect time to explain herself. She quickly stood up, so then there wouldn't be such a height difference between herself and the emperor. "Tamahome and I are just fr-... fr-fr-fri-." she stuttered."I just can't admit out loud that we have become friends!" she thought to herself as she struggled over the seven letter word. She thought for a why to explain her completely platonic, if even that, relationship with Tamahome with out using the word 'friends'. "We are less than boyfriend and girlfriend, but we are more than acquaintances."

"You mean friends?" Hotohori asked, slightly confused by her stuttering.

"Yes, that," she said with a sigh as she plopped back down on the ground.

"I'm so glad," he replied with a sigh he sat back down and put his arm around Katherine. They both heard something cracking behind them and a thud. It was no surprise to Katherine to see Nuriko frantically trying to get out of Tamahome's grip, so then she could dart over to Katherine and clobber her.

"What could have made Nuriko so upset?" Hotohori asked, clueless.

*

"The Priestess of Suzaku, you are attempting to reach my home. But you will not arrive so easily! Shall we see if they can handle a test?" a voice, surrounded by mirrors, asked slyly. The mirror in front of the mysterious object floated up into the sky.

*

"Katherine, please don't walk so fast, you might over-exert yourself," Hotohori warned her. They started walking through an extremely dense forest several minutes ago, causing the four of them to dismount their horses.

"I don't care if I over-exert myself. I just don't want to be around Nuriko; I'm scared of what I might say to her if I am," Katherine replied, still furious with her.

"But we lost them in the fog," he said concerned as he looked behind him. He stopped for a second to consider something. "Don't you think something's odd?"

"Like what?" she asked as she turned around.

"This much fog at noon is unnatural."

"You have a point. Maybe we should go back and find them," Katherine said while remembering that this was when Miaka got sucked into the mirror. They turned around and retraced their steps for a couple minutes. "Look! I think I see them!" Katherine shouted. They walked towards Tamahome and Nuriko, who were standing and waving their arms. Katherine was the first one to reach them. She felt something weird pass through her body and when she looked around the area had transformed into a small black room. "Hotohori! Stop!" she shouted as quickly as she could, but he was already behind her looking around bewildered.

"What just happened?" he asked as he looked around that dark room.

"Trust me. You don't want to know," Katherine mumbled.

To be continued...