Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction ❯ Fushigi Yuugi: Daydream's Embrace ❯ Episode 22: Revelation of Truth ( Chapter 22 )

Episode 22

Revelation of Truth

By: Mrs. Tasuki and Nyan Nyan

"Something smells sweet..." Katherine thought as she carelessly rolled around in her bed, subconsciously praying that sleep would take her back to dreamland for just another five minutes. She desperately tried to push the white sheet that she was tangled in off the bed, hoping it was the sheet that was causing so much warmth in the room. She slowly awoke, partially due to her constant movement and partly because of the heat that was causing such an uncomfortable atmosphere. Turning her face away from the sun, she mumbled to herself, "Man, it's hot today. Why didn't someone invent air conditioning sooner?"

She glanced over at the clock to see how early her insomnia woke her up this time. She would give anything for just one full night of sleep without any worries. Her hazel eyes widened in shock and disgust as she realized her wish finally came true. 1:37 was clearly shown to her in bright red numbers. "Shit-taki mushrooms!" she exclaimed as she scrambled out of bed. "How long did I sleep?!" Rubbing her eyes, she jogged over to the bureau and picked out her green shirt with the junior mints logo on it and a pair of jean shorts with zippers for pockets. After tossing on her outfit, she grabbed the black hairbrush on her nightstand, noticing that there was a folded piece of paper under it that wasn't there last night.

With an inquisitive look on her face, she slowly picked up the parchment. She did a double take after grabbing the paper, seeing a vase of white flowers also randomly placed on the nightstand. "No wonder it smelled so sweet in here..." she thought as she turned her attention back to the note. She cautiously examined it for a second before opening it. Before even reading the first line, she recognized the handwriting as Christina's. Her motivation being curiosity, she silently read the eight lines.

Winged mistress of my dream Through the darkness, Letting your beauty gleam Casting light upon my soul

Before the tears would stream Into the cracks of the night, Calling out to be redeemed This stranger has been saved.

Below the poem was a Chinese character and Katherine read downward, intrigued. She noticed that beside the character it was signed `Hotohori' in parentheses. Realizing that Hotohori must have asked Christina to write the poem as he dictated, she could not help but blush. The priestess carefully folded up the poem and placed it in her jewelry box, saving it forever.

*

Diana's little yellow car drove up the concrete driveway that led to the little, faded periwinkle house where she lived. The house sat on the very edge of the inner city limits, close enough to be able to walk into the town and stores, but still near the suburbia that took up the majority of the county. The little cottage looked as though it had been plucked right off of a lonely country road for no other purpose but to contrast the atmosphere of the busy town.

Joan and Diana stepped out of the car and, after locking the doors, began walking up the red cobblestone path that led to the front porch. An old, wooden porch swing was creaking softly as the girls walked up the stairs, struggling to find a path to the door around the crowd of terracotta potted plants.

The girls were greeted by the comforting smell of baking brownies as they opened the screen door and walked inside. The house was filled with the warm shades of deep reds and tans, from the crimson couches upon which golden pillows were placed to the little, wooden table that sat in the bright sunlight of the kitchen windows. There were several vases of flowers strategically placed in every room, as though the entire house was a garden in itself. Little knickknacks and keepsakes were sitting around the house, making the house into a scrapbook of memories.

"Aunt Claire!" Diana called, "I'm home! And Joan's here too!"

Smelling the chocolate scent in the air and realizing that she remembered it from most of the times she had visited, Joan inquired, "Does your aunt make brownies every day?"

"Only when she has a free moment," Diana smiled happily. "Baking helps her relax, but I don't have a problem with it."

"Who would?" Joan rhetorically asked. The girls heard the sounds of soft footsteps and looked up to see Aunt Claire walk into the kitchen. The woman was wearing a pair of old, faded jeans and a knitted olive green turtleneck sweater. She had the same build as Diana, tall and thin. Her short, shoulder-length brown hair curled out and was streaked with strands of soft gray. A pair of plain silver-rimmed glasses hung from the bejeweled chain around her neck.

"Hello Diana, Joan," the woman smiled sweetly, nodding at each of the girls in turn. Turning to Joan, she added, "You should really come over more often, it's so nice to have someone other than Diana munching on my brownies. What do you two have planned?"

"We're just gonna hang out upstairs...she's gonna help me with a project, but she might have to sleep over. You know," Diana shrugged, "with the end- of-school stretch and all. Is that okay?"

Aunt Claire smiled, "That's fine. But I have to go out tomorrow and meet with a client...so I may not be there when you wake up."

"We can fend for ourselves," Diana said, just as a loud buzz sounded. Aunt Claire rushed into the kitchen while Diana and Joan scampered up the stairs to Diana's room. They opened the door to reveal a cozy room that was wallpapered with a collection of pictures and posters over the gleaming, butter yellow walls. A large amount of anime posters and pictures that had been printed off, magazine ads, and even some drawings and paintings from artistically talented friends were hanging on the walls. A small, unmade bed was sitting on the hardwood floors in the corner of the room, next to a matching wooden desk with a computer and a bookshelf that was stuffed with manga and thick novels.

"So, how did you become such a good liar?" Joan inquired, knowing that she had the same difficulty as Katherine, not ever being able to tell a believable lie.

Diana spun around, her hands up, and grinned with a sly smile, "It's just the magic of being me!"

*

The kingdom of Kutou was in a state of pure chaos. The once-powerful realm that was the greatest military power of all of the four countries had been turned upside down for one, single, solitary person. Soldiers hunted the streets day and night, rewards were posted on every wall, and the advisors of the palace, the most intelligent scholars in existence, worked around the clock to calculate the whereabouts of the Priestess of Seiryuu.

The shogun Nakago coolly turned a corner, scornfully watching the pitiful advisors scurry around like mice in a maze, their arms laden with books and maps. He entered a vast room that housed the emperor's throne. A lofty white marble staircase that was surrounded by numerous guards led to the gilded throne, behind which was a golden replica of the great god Seiryuu, its azure eyes sparkling with an otherworldly glow. The man who was emperor seemed misplaced among the fine treasures, his weasel-like face and long goatee, possessed of a repulsiveness that opposed the beauty of the throne room.

The blond-haired general bowed down, his hand over his heart, secretly sneering in his mind at the fact that he could destroy the man he was bowing to in an instant. "You wished to see me?" asked Nakago, his eyes focused on the white marble floor beneath him.

"Is there any new information on the location of our priestess?" the emperor demanded unemotionally, obviously not understanding the dilemma of the situation.

"No, your highness," Nakago answered coldly. He knew that the emperor lacked the intelligence to even know the importance of finding the girl. The man who ruled was stupid and weak, and it would not matter to him even if there was new information.

The emperor's eyes narrowed, and he opened his mouth to issue an order, but it took a few seconds for him to think of one, a truth that entertained Nakago thoroughly. "Then...try harder!"

"Majesty, may I speak freely?" asked the shogun. The emperor waved him on with a casual flick of his wrist, giving him permission. Nakago continued, "The guards are looking in all the wrong places."

"What do you mean by that?!" the emperor exploded. If his army did not know where to look, the people would think he did not know where to look, making the emperor look very unintelligent. The land had been wracked by civil war, and the people barely even obeyed his army. The last thing he needed was another uprising against the regime.

"I can assure you, highness, the priestess is no longer in Kutou."

*

The assassin had been summoned to an audience with the shogun, quite an honor for a Kutou agent. Quickly and quietly, as though he was a shadow upon the walls, simply melting and changing with the dancing candlelight, the agent made his way towards the shogun's wing of the palace. The frequency of candles mounted along the walls lessened, making the rooms darker and quieter. He walked past golden statues of Seiryuu, the sapphire eyes of the immortally gilded dragon staring at him as he went.

He silently threaded himself through the crack of a doorway, not making a noise, and straightened up, trying to stand in a formal pose. The shogun turned around, having known that the agent had entered, although he had not heard or seen it; such was the shogun's power. The shogun's blond hair stood out in the darkness, shining like he was some sort of dark angel in spiked armor. His blue eyes seemed to look through the assassin as mercilessly as the gem-eyed dragons that were so abundant in the palace of Kutou.

"Shogun," greeted the agent with a low bow as he glided towards the center of the room, towards the shogun, "You wished to see me?"

Nakago nodded. "The Priestess of Seiryuu is gone." He paused, waiting for a look of surprise to sweep across the assassin's face. There was no change in expression, and the shogun seemed pleased, for he continued, "She is staying in the palace of Konan. Go there, and make sure no harm befalls her. Lady Miaka is vital to the country."

The shogun reached into the depths of his armor and lifted out a small white packet. "Do you know what the drug Kodoku does to the victim's mind?" asked Nakago, a smirk upon his face as he held it up at eye-level, twisting and turning it to examine the package more thoroughly. The assassin simply nodded. "When you return," continued the shogun, "I expect Emperor Saihitei to no longer breathe, and for the Priestess to be in the safe hands of this palace. Use any means to kill him, but you may find this useful." Nakago tossed the tiny, deadly envelope to the agent, who hurriedly caught it and stashed it inside the folds his long, flowing black robes.

The agent bowed, then turned and walked towards the door. Before he slipped out of the room, the shogun warned, "Do not fail me. I am not one to suffer disappointment."

*

Tamahome opened the door that led from his room to the palace corridor outside. He had to find Chichiri, to tell him not to reveal who Miaka really was before he got the chance. If the other seishi found out that the Priestess of Seiryuu, their very enemy, was staying in the palace as a guest, all hell would break loose.

He headed towards the gardens, where he assumed Chichiri spent most of his time, most likely meditating or chanting or praying.

Into the maze of trees, plants, and flowers ventured Tamahome, searching through the labyrinth for a sign of towering blue hair, the smiling monk's face, or the familiar sound of `no da'. Feeling like he had just trekked across the entire country of Konan, the blue-eyed sei decided to stop and rest. A quarry of boulders and stones that surrounded one of the sparkling blue ponds of the garden seemed to be calling his name.

As he walked towards the pile of rocks, a patch of bright blue color caught his eyes. To his surprise, it was the very person he had been looking for. Chichiri was seated on the top of the largest boulder with a small bamboo fishing pole in his hands. His woven brown kasa was lying next to him on the stone. Tamahome blinked. Evidentially the monk did more than religious rituals. "Caught anything yet?" he called.

The monk glanced over and replied in a cheerful tone, "Not yet, no da."

Taking the reply as his invitation, the sei climbed up the wall of rocks, and then sat down. Neither one said a word, they just stared at the glassy pond, at the trees that were reflected on its surface, and at the early morning sky.

Desperate to break the silence, Tamahome asked curiously, motioning to the pond, "Are there even fish in there?"

"I'm not sure, no da."

"So...about Miaka..." Tamahome trailed off, looking down at his hands as he tapped his fingertips together. Chichiri glanced over at the boy, and then lifted off his mask, revealing a painful-looking scar that ran over his left eye and nose. Setting the smiling mask beside his hat and placing the bamboo fishing rod on the stones next to him, the monk took a long, deep breath, looking at Tamahome in an almost fatherly fashion.

In a serious tone that was not his own, Chichiri solemnly began, "There was once a boy...about your age, and he had everything." A far-off look appeared in the monk's ruby eye, a sad, sorrowful expression, as if he was not seeing Tamahome but looking through him and into the past. "He, his best friend, and his fiancée had been together since before they could remember, and they were both by his side. But one day, the boy's fiancée confessed that she could no longer marry him, because she was unworthy of his love. She had betrayed him by being touched by another man. The man who had touched her was the boy's best friend."

"Overcome by rage at his best friend's deception, the boy killed his friend, only to realize how much he cared for him after he was gone. On that same day, his family and fiancée were killed in a terrible flood, leaving the boy to linger on, alone, and in sorrow."

Chichiri turned back to Tamahome, the grave expression still on his face, while regret and pain seemed to swim in his eye. "He soon realized that the betrayal alone was not enough to cause his anger. It was only the fact that his best friend would deceive him that had filled with such hate. Silence may delay pain for a short time, but when lies are uncovered, that is when true hatred is revealed."

The monk leaned over and picked up his smiling mask, twisting and turning it in his hands. "At the very moment that I lost everything I held dear, I was given this scar, so that I might never forget." He placed the mask back over his face, hiding both the wicked gash and his sorrow-filled eye. "That's why I wear this smiling mask."

"But..." inquired Tamahome, "Why don't you just let it heal, Chichiri?"

Chichiri sighed and looked back up into the sky, "Because a part of me doesn't want to forget." He turned back to Tamahome and smiled, "I won't tell anyone about Miaka." His smile quickly faded away as he continued, "But, if anyone else finds out, everything that you have been through will mean nothing in the face of such a lie. I'm sure you have your reasons, but remember, even though trust takes ages to build, it can be broken in a moment."

"Thanks, Chichiri," Tamahome smiled, feeling better and worse at the same time. He looked back out at the shining lake, wondering if he was betraying his friends by lying about Miaka.

The monk looked at Tamahome worriedly, then quickly turned his attention back to the shaking bamboo pole on the rock. With a quick flick, he pulled a large, blue fish out of the shadowy depths of the pond. Tamahome watched as Chichiri admired his catch, then unhooked it and dropped it back into the water. He threw his line back into the pond as Tamahome stood up, brushed off the back of his pants, and walked off of the rocks, leaving the monk to his fishing and his thoughts.

*

The bright blue sky floated serenely above Konan, its feathery white clouds and brilliant golden sun seemingly trying to lighten the shadowy mood that had overcast the palace. Nuriko found himself leaning against one of the palace railings, staring up at the picturesque sky. He was stiffly slouched on the banister, as if trying to convince himself with a casual pose that there was nothing to worry about.

He turned his head as he heard a far-off voice emanating from one of the corridors of the palace. "My arm is supposed to be attached!" warned Christina as Katherine tugged her along, towards the side of the courtyard where Nuriko stood. "Where are you dragging me, anyway?"

"You'll see..." Katherine replied in a serious voice as she continued to pull Christina, who was obviously oblivious to the situation, along the path. When the girls were a few feet away from Nuriko, Christina tore her gaze away from her arm, which Katherine had nearly pulled out of its socket, and smiled as she saw the sei.

"Hey! What's goin' down?" she asked jokingly. Nuriko couldn't help but slightly smile at the sight of Christina's huge grin, but then he realized that Christina was as much a liar as Katherine, and the smile instantly evaporated.

"Come on you two, let's go to the gardens..." Katherine muttered to her feet.

"Let's go then," Christina shrugged, still not understanding why Katherine was leading her and Nuriko to the gardens. Katherine walked off, leading the way for no one, since Christina strayed back to wait for Nuriko, who hadn't moved.

Nuriko shook his head, wanting to avoid Katherine and the fight that was still fresh and painful in his mind. "It's all right, you just...go on without me. I'll just talk to you two later..."

"Okay, your loss," Christina shrugged, turning around and jogging towards Katherine's retreating figure. "He said he'd just talk to us later..." Katherine ignored Christina and kept walking, her pace quickening as she grew more irritated. "Do you know what's up with him? He seems kinda...quiet. That's weird for him," she added thoughtfully.

Nuriko watched as the two girls walked off, their strides lengthening as if they were trying to get away from the sei as soon as their legs would take them. Suddenly and with great determination, Katherine turned around and stomped back to the former courtier. "What do you want?" he asked rudely, making sure Katherine knew that she was the last person he wanted to talk to.

"Look," Katherine stated, "we're both angry, but we can't stay like this forever!"

Nuriko grimaced, muttering, "Watch me," under his breath.

Katherine didn't hear what he said, but caught the gist of it. She rolled her eyes, and continued, more irritably than polite, "So could you please just follow us to the gardens?"

Nuriko sighed exasperatingly and murmured, "Fine," as he reluctantly followed the two girls to the gardens.

The lilies, orchids, and other flowers swayed in the calm breezes, filling the air with their perfumed scent while the leaves rustled harmoniously. Not another soul was around, leaving Katherine, Christina, and Nuriko alone among the plants. Nuriko stood farthest away from the group, his arms crossed as if he had been forced to be there. Christina, still clueless, but having a feeling that the tension between Katherine and Nuriko was important, was standing between the two others, like she was some sort of barrier in case one decided to attack the other. None of the group dared to speak, and after a few moments, Nuriko sat down on a carved wooden bench in a bored manner.

"So..." Katherine trailed off. "Obviously we have something to tell you..." Nuriko sighed exasperatingly at the naïve statement, and waved his hand, telling her to go on. Katherine, who had lost all of her confidence, stuttered, "Yeah...okay. So..."

"Wait...what's going on?" Christina whispered to Katherine.

The girl leaned back and answered, "He knows."

"Knows what?"

Katherine, irritated, said a little bit louder and in a slow tone that one would use with a child. "He knows that we know."

"What do we know?" asked Christina confusedly.

Becoming more and more frustrated, Katherine replied, "He knows that we know everything!"

"What? Are you serious?"

Nuriko fidgeted as Christina shot a glance his way. "Yes, well...no..." Katherine replied, realizing that Nuriko's gaze was still upon them. She lowered her voice and continued, "So we're going to tell him our little secret." She raised her eyebrows and nodded for Christina to agree with her.

Instead, Christina turned back to Nuriko, and, holding up her index finger, said, "Uno momento, por favor." Katherine's calm voice had told Christina everything she needed to know; her friend had gone mad. Pulling her friend further away from the sei, Christina asked in a harsh whisper, "What are you on!?"

"Nothing," Katherine answered in the same, loud murmur. "He knows that we are up to something, and we have to tell him."

"So you decided to bring me here before even telling me what was going on!?"

"Well, I know I should have told you first...but hey! You're here, right?" she said as a huge, cheesy grin spread across her face. Christina's jaw dropped at Katherine's lighthearted response.

"I have better things to do. I'm leaving," Nuriko said as he stood up and began to walk away.

"No, wait!" Katherine called, realizing that Nuriko was not bluffing. With nothing else to say, and Nuriko fading into the distance quickly, Katherine shouted, "We know stuff before it happens!"

Nuriko snapped around to see Christina jumping on top of her friend in an attempt to strangle and silence Katherine. If he hadn't been so angry, he would have burst out laughing. "Now I know why Christina makes up your excuses," he said. "That must have been the stupidest thing I have ever heard! Did you really expect me to believe that?"

Katherine began to reply, but Christina quickly interrupted, "Katherine, you are such a joker! If I was psychic I'd be off...buying lottery tickets or something!"

"Shut up!" Katherine shouted at Christina angrily.

Christina turned back to Katherine and yelled back, "You shut up!"

"Both of you, shut up! You're giving me a headache!" Nuriko complained. "Now, are you going to tell me what is really going on, or am I going to have to find out myself!?"

"I already did!" Katherine whined exasperatingly. "How else would we have known about the plague in Choko!? And that `Last night I had a dream that we had to travel to a city that starts with Jo'? Don't tell me you actually bought that!"

"Of course I didn't..." stuttered Nuriko, realizing that they had known about the plague, and about Jouzen-Shi. "But I expect a better explanation than...than this!"

Katherine began to pace around, obviously tired of trying to explain any other way. "And how do you think my reflection knew that you were a guy?" She paused, then continued, "Because I knew."

Nuriko laughed, "Anyone could have figured that out!"

"You had the whole harem fooled," pointed out Katherine. No one said a word. Fed up with the entire situation, Katherine sighed, "Fine. Believe what you want to believe." She walked away from Nuriko and Christina, back towards that palace. Before she was out of hearing distance, she turned around and added smartly, "I'm not the only one hiding something. Honestly, Nuriko, I don't know what you're scared of, but Kourin wouldn't have wanted you to hide your personality like this."

Nuriko was shocked; he felt like he had been slapped. The air had frozen in his lungs, and his heart had stopped beating. No one knew about Kourin, no one except his family. "She just has to get in the last word," Christina muttered angrily, shaking her head back and forth. "Let's find a place to talk," the girl said to Nuriko quietly.

Nuriko, still not speaking, led the priestess to a small, secret spot that only the courtiers knew about. He and the rest of the harem used to sneak outside and watch the emperor while he strode about the palace from the confines of the garden, gossiping and talking about who would be empress. After noticing that it seemed abandoned, like no one had been there in ages, he realized that none of the courtiers had even bothered visiting since the priestesses had arrived.

He sat down on one of the benches, his face still slack from the shock. "Okay..." Christina began. But her voice was stuck in her throat. What was she supposed to do? Tell him that he was not real, just a cartoon character? Tell him that someone created his entire existence with a pencil and paper? She didn't understand how they weren't real. They felt, didn't they? Didn't they bleed, and cry, and feel emotion? Weren't they real, then?

"In our world...there's this...legend sort of thing," Christina began, trying to figure out how to choose her words while not telling Nuriko that he wasn't real. She decided that she would tell him the truth, just not the entire truth; it was the only way that she could. "And...it's about these seven people, right? And this girl gets taken into another world and finds these seven people so she can go home..."

Nuriko opened his mouth as if about to correct her, but decided against it. Instead, he stared at her blankly, giving the girl a look that screamed, `that legend is from my world, you idiot'. "But...the thing is...in my world...the legend is all complete. Except...it's like...Katherine and I are sort of..." she began to twist her hands around, trying to find the words. "It's sort of like we're living it...and we already know how it ends..."

Nuriko didn't know what to think; it didn't make sense at all. If they had known all along, they would have just been able to pick people out of a crowd, and the ceremony would have been over in mere days. "But..." Christina continued, "some of it has been kind of...different."

Nuriko asked, "What do you mean different?"

"Well...like there was only one priestess in the legend...and...you know...little things here and there..."

"Are you telling me that you two knew about everything...and Katherine let us almost get killed by those reflections?" Nuriko watched as Christina seemed to shrink. Nuriko was in disbelief, his voice growing louder and louder. "And you let us get captured by bandits? And battle those zombie things? And you almost let yourself get killed by bats!?"

"It's complicated..."

"Complicated! Complicated?" Nuriko stood up angrily. "You knowing everything...about everything...and you don't say a word!"

"Would you have believed us!? Because you didn't until just now!" Nuriko sat down, knowing she was right. It had taken some convincing for him to even accept the possibility of it all.

"So...you know everything...about all of us?" Nuriko asked. Christina didn't answer, and he assumed that the answer to his question was yes. He held his head in his hands, still trying to let the truth sink in. "And you lied to all of us...the whole time?"

*

Katherine watched as Nuriko and Christina walked off to a remote corner of the garden, where they seemingly disappeared. She waited for about thirty minutes until they both returned and went to their separate chambers. Katherine walked down to her fellow priestess's room, opened the door, and walked inside.

"What did you tell him?" Katherine inquired.

Christina gave Katherine an angry look. "You, I don't even want to talk to. How could you just drag me into that without telling me and then expect me to fix everything for you?"

Katherine protested, "I didn't-"

"Shut up," Christina snapped, leaving Katherine's mouth open in surprise. "I told him that The Universe of the Four Gods is like a legend in our world, and I told him about how Amiboshi is pretending to be Chiriko. And he agrees with me, that we should make him leave. Now."

"I thought we were supposed to tell him the truth," Katherine said, putting emphasis on the final word. "A legend in our world?"

"First of all," Christina replied angrily, "I'm the one who told him, not `we'. Second of all, it is a legend in our world, it's a Chinese creation myth. I'm sorry that I didn't want to spend five hours explaining the whole series of `Fushigi Yuugi'. It's easier to understand this way."

"Fine," Katherine said exasperatedly. She rolled her eyes, making sure her friend knew that she would have done a much better job explaining it.

Christina crossed her arms and replied, "Fine."

The two girls stood still for a moment, each one too angry to talk to the other. "Get out of my room," stated Christina, realizing that she had the upper hand.

Katherine stomped towards the door and flung it open, calling over her shoulder, "Fine!"

"Fine!" answered Christina as Katherine slammed the door shut so loudly that she thought it would fall off its hinges.

As Katherine slammed the door behind her, she realized her friend did have a point and, even though Christina had blown it out of proportion, she still had a reason. Katherine opened the door again, and poked her head in to see her friend, sitting on her bed with a pair of headphones.

Christina looked up at Katherine, tugged off her earphones, and asked, "What do you want?"

"Fine, I admit I kind of left ya hanging..." Katherine admitted, hanging her head, ashamed of herself. "But...Nuriko is already pissed at me as it is. The last person he would have wanted to hear that from would have been me." She opened the door and cautiously let herself in, as if Christina was some sort of monster that could breathe flames at any moment.

Her friend sighed heavily, obviously growing less angry. "You still could have told me," she pointed out, "it wasn't fair to bring me out there without a warning at all. One of these days, I'll get you back for it," warned Christina.

"Can't wait." She smiled, glad to see that her friend didn't despise her.

"Alright..." Christina said seriously. Then, she clapped her hands, proclaiming, "The party's tonight! We've been putting it off for too long!"

"What party?"

"The one that we'd been planning," Christina started to explain but stopped suddenly, realizing that the only planning that had occurred had been inside her head. "Hotohori said it was okay if we had a party for finding all the seishi, so why not have it tonight?"

*

Miaka anxiously followed behind Tamahome as he led her down the maze of twisting hallways, excited for the night ahead. He had come to her room and given her a small piece of paper covered with symbols she couldn't understand. "Party at sunset in the conference room," he had told her, reading the invitation from the paper. "Celebration for finding everyone."

He had laughed, not believing that the two foreigners were planning a party in the conference room of the palace, no less. Miaka was eager to go and get a chance to get to know everyone for once. Usually the seishi and priestesses stayed in their own little cliques when around the palace.

Katherine was usually found with her friend Christina, the sei Chiriko, or the emperor Hotohori, while the second priestess was usually somewhere near her best friend, Katherine, talking with the lavender-haired sei Nuriko, or getting into some kind of trouble with the fiery Tasuki. Nuriko, the beautiful sei with amethyst eyes, could be found talking with the doctor Mitsukake or Christina, or even with Tasuki, finding some way to knock the bandit off of his feet and into a wall every so often.

The emperor was generally busy, somewhere in his conference room with the advisors or in the throne room, as he was taking care of the entire country. On some occasions, though, Miaka would spot the emperor and Katherine spending time together, walking hand-in-hand in the gardens, watching the stars. Chichiri, the monk in the smiling fox mask, was friends with everyone, and seemed to be everywhere, but gravitated towards the bandit for some reason, as though Tasuki's aggressive attitude counteracted his much calmer one.

Tasuki seemed to lead his own mischievous group, as if trying to make up for not being able to lead his bandits. He, Nuriko, and Christina were always found somewhere, finding obvious delight in playing jokes on the uptight advisors, but he was most often found walking and chatting with Chichiri. Mitsukake, the soft-spoken healer, talked with Chiriko most of all, but seemed to have a connection with Christina, Katherine, and Nuriko as well, as if he brought out a serious, mature side in the three that was rarely shown. The musician Chiriko was often found playing his wooden flute by himself, but his notes attracted the likes of Mitsukake and especially Katherine, she being a flutist too.

Miaka did not feel as if she fit right in the group, even though Christina always tried to take an extra second to greet her. She was the enemy, one of the Seiryuu, and it would be a lie if she would befriend them. But Tamahome was Miaka's salvation. He was always there, comforting her, talking with her, walking around the gardens.

He had told her about the party that the priestesses had planned, and invited her to come along. So, excitedly, Miaka had picked out the best robes that were in her room, a pale green kimono with a pale pink sash. The colors, though a strange pair, seemed to match perfectly. She walked behind Tamahome as he led her to the conference room of the palace of Konan. The sun had already set, and Miaka quickened her pace in order to reach the destination on time. She looked up at him, and twined their arms together, happy to be going. "There's going to be food there, right?" Miaka asked with a smile.

"I'm sure there will be, Christina and Katherine's rooms are both filled with food, and I can't imagine them not bringing it all."

"Yay!" Miaka grinned. A noise was growing louder, a strange thumping noise. Tamahome stopped outside a large set of doors that Miaka assumed led to the conference room. Her heart was pounding, almost in beat with the music, as Tamahome flung open the doors to show that everyone was already inside. "Tamahome," Miaka whispered angrily, "We're late!"

"You're the one who took so long to get ready," pointed out the sei. Loud music was pulsing from a tiny walkman that had miniature speakers hooked up to it. The table was covered in an assortment of junk food that Miaka gladly recognized. At one end of the table sat Tasuki, Nuriko, and Christina in front of the collection of sake bottles. Nuriko and Tasuki seemed to be watching the girl as she tried the alcohol, and were obviously amused.

The rest of the seishi were sitting around the table, sampling the other- worldly food or trying to figure out how the walkman played the strange music. Katherine jumped up to the door, shouting in a sing-song voice, "Bonjour!" She was wearing a pair of bright red pants and a matching shirt that was trimmed with gold piping. "Katherine..." Tamahome said slowly, "You realize that you're wearing a boy's outfit...right?"

"Yeah, so? I think it looks cute," she smiled and winked. She looked over Tamahome's shoulder to find Nuriko smiling in return.

From the end of the table, Christina stood up, a small bottle of sake clenched in her fist. She, unlike Katherine, was wearing a kimono that was made for a woman, a fact that relieved Miaka. Her robes were a dark green that accentuated her eyes, with flared white sleeves and a dark violet underskirt that flowed out from under the green fabric. "Nuriko wears girl kimonos," she defended.

"Yeah, but that's `cause he's a fag," Tasuki objected. Nuriko, who was sitting next to the bandit, stuck out his fist and hit the sei right out of his chair in into the back wall.

Christina laughed, "Par-tay!" as she surveyed the bandit in the corner. She sat back down next to Nuriko, giggling. Tamahome closed the doors behind him and Miaka walked in to stare at the wide array of food. Miaka quickly made her way to the food, almost knocking into the tipsy priestess who was aimlessly running from corner to corner trying to make as much noise as possible. Miaka couldn't help but to giggle as she heard Christina continuously yell, "Whoooo!" as she ran.

Katherine, who was standing with Chiriko and Mitsukake, continued to laugh boisterously at her drunken friend. She was almost sent to her knees with laughter as Christina kneeled in front of her, waving a victory sign, while whispering, "Superstar!"

Nuriko appeared behind the insane priestess, snatching the sake bottle from her right hand. "You're done. I never figured you for a light weight," he stated, trying to prevent her from having a huge hangover the next morning.

"Excuse me?!" Christina grabbed the bottle of alcohol and drank more, desperately trying to prove the sei wrong.

Holding back her laughter, Katherine said with a sly smile and a roll of her eyes, "Way to go, Nuriko. Don't encourage her." She continued over to the snack table, leaving Nuriko with the responsibility of watching Christina. She grabbed a couple of cheetos and popped them up in the air one by one, skillfully catching them in her mouth. "Oh yah! I so totally rock!" she declared for no one in particular to hear. She turned around and observed the party, making sure everyone was enjoying themselves.

Mitsukake was in the corner, sampling the Mike n' Ikes, and obviously growing more fond of them with every bite. Meanwhile, Chichiri was engaged in a conversation with the silent healer, trying to get more than five words out of him. Chiriko was fascinated with the CD player, trying to place the oddly loud instruments playing in the background. On the dance floor, Miaka was desperately trying to teach Tamahome how to dance to the hardcore rock music playing.

"Only one person missing..." Katherine mumbled, wondering where the last person could have run off to. Her hazel eyes scanned the room, hoping to spot him this time. Sighing with disappointment, she turned around and was taken aback to see the lost individual standing behind her with his back towards her, busying himself with making sure everything was perfectly in place. Rolling her eyes and exhaling, she begged, "Sugar Daddy H! Please, lighten up for a change!"

Assuming she was talking to him, Hotohori slowly turned around with an inquisitive look, "Excuse me?"

"Well, you're at a party, start acting like it! Here, try a cheeto." She handed several tasty, cheesy snacks, finding amusement out of watching him examine it before carefully tasting it.

Across the room Nuriko smiled at Hotohori's surprised reaction to the delectable treat. Pouring himself another drink, he dismally whispered, "Good luck with your emperor." He tipped his head back and quickly finished off the cup, welcoming the alcohol into his system.

Christina, enjoying what seemed to be infinite supply of sake, turned to Tasuki and suggested, "Let's play a drinking game!"

"What?" Tasuki replied, not believing his ears. Christina already had more than enough drinks, and now she wanted to start playing a game.

Christina pondered for a moment on what a good subject of the game could be. "Light Bulb!" she declared. "Let's go talk to Chichiri and every time he says `no da' we take a drink!"

To Be Continued...

Fushigi Akugi

"So..." Tamahome trailed off, looking down at his hands as he tapped his fingertips together. Chichiri glanced over at the boy, and then lifted off his mask, revealing a painful-looking scar that ran over his left eye and down his cheek. Setting the smiling mask beside his hat and placing the bamboo fishing rod on the stones next to him, the monk took a long, deep breath, looking at Tamahome in an almost fatherly fashion.

In a serious tone that was not his own, Chichiri solemnly began, "Tamahome...love is a battlefield." A far-off look appeared in the monk's ruby eye, a sad, sorrowful expression, as if he was not seeing Tamahome but looking through him and into the past. The monk smiled, winked the one eye he had, then laughed, "Don't I know it. Now, once there was a boy...from Nantucket..."

Chichiri looked down at the joint that was grasped in his hand, distracted. "This weed is the shit!" he half-smiled, half-coughed. All of the sudden, the bamboo pole that was clutched in his free hand began to pull, and, in the excitement, the monk almost dropped his joint.

Tamahome held the pot for Chichiri, but only after he was told not to smoke any of it, or Chichiri would 'kick his skinny, white ass'. The monk tugged at the line, like Ahab fighting with Moby Dick, until he finally pulled it out of the pond, declaring, "Look! I got a fish, no da!"

Chichiri unhooked the rusted tin can from the fishing pole, and presented it to Tamahome after snatching back his joint. Tamahome, quite frightened, carefully set the can down on the rock upon which they sat. "You should have seen what I caught last time, no da," added Chichiri thoughtfully as he puffed away. "It was a fish, and it said its name was Goldie, no da."