Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction ❯ Fushigi Yuugi-Genbu ❯ I Still Don't Get It ( Chapter 2 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Disclaimer:
Muse Tk: Ami and Su's paper work still hasn't come back yet, so I still don't own them.
Muse Zv:And she still doesn't care about any of these characters.



Takiko looked at Inami more than a little startled at his present actions. He was currently digging through a chest of clothing that he had pulled out from somewhere else in the small house. It seemed that Inami had been on his way to the next town when he had found her sprawled in the snow. Takiko counted herself lucky that they were still close to his old home; it being his old home because he had decided to move to the capital and wait there for The Priestess, her, to come. She had been a little confused by the whole thing, but it did explain the large bag that he had been carrying and why he had had an extra coat with him.

Inami then let out a small yell of triumph and began to throw various robes, coats and dresses onto the pallet. Takiko looked at the pile with wide eyes and a confused look plaster on her face. Still looking at the pile, she said, "For a boy, you sure sure have a lot of girl clothing." Takiko knew that she had said something wrong when Inami paused and grew deathly still.

"My twin sister, who lived with me after our parents died, passed on only at the raw beginning of the season. I didn't have the heart to throw her things out or give them away..." Takiko swallowed hard at this new installment in her life. She had never expected this nice young man, who was still reminicent of Ichigo, to have such a painful past, with no parents and a recently lost twin. She struggled to find words, but was relieved of that when he continued to speak. "You need not worry, the question was of honest intent. You didn't know."

She swallowed again as he clapped the dust off of his hands. "Pick what you want out of that. You are about the same size that Kaida was, I'll make some tea while you change." He nodded at the pile before backing out of the room and sliding the partition shut behind him. Takiko stared at where he had gone for a few minutes before carefully pulling off her wet clothes and changing quickly into a soft and warm looking green dress and robe outfit. She knew what it was like to lose someone and she wouldn't bring it up again. She straightened it out before opening the partition and walking into the kitchen area.

"Do I look alright?" She asked a little bit demurly when Inami turned back to her from the hearth. She was a little uncertain because there had seemed to be extra pieces when she was putting it on, so she had had to guess where they went. Apparently she had gotten it at least mostly right because Inami gave her that smile that made her want to blush and turn away coyly, which she didn't by sheer force of will.

"You look fine. Don't worry about it. You are probably more suited to warmer climates, I know how that is. My parents originally came from Saiiro and they would tell us stories about it all of the time. That is why my given is Karasuki after all." Takiko looked at him in confusion as a response to his words. However he missed the look because he was pouring them both small cups of tea from the pot that he had placed on the hearth.

When he finally turned back he saw her look and answered her unasked question. "Oh, I think I made need to explain everything from the beginning then." He grinned and then crossed his legs underneath himself, settling down across from her and handing her the small cup. "As I mentioned earlier, you are the incarnation of a legend. This legend goes as such,



"Of course, that is just a fancy way to say that when Hokkan is about to be taken over by Kotou the Priestess of Genbu will come and find the Warriors and then summon Genbu." He shrugged, "That's about it, so don't let the ominious sounding "legend" bother you. There are four priestesses. One for each god and subsequently, each country. You are the first to arrive. The Celestial Warriors each have a constellation in the stars that marks them. There are twenty and eight Warriors, seven for each god. Karasuki is the name of one of the Celestial Warriors of Byakko, who is the patron god of Saiiro, where my parents grew up." He picked up his cup of tea and drained it.

Takiko sat and stared at Inami. That story was... Well, it was amazing and unbelievable, but, then again, she was in another world, so she might as well go along with it. Not that she had any choice, since Inami seemed so set on doing this quest whether she went willingly or if he had to drag her. "I guess that that sort of makes sense... It's just hard to try and compreend everything so quickly. It is not everyday that you find yourself in another world."

He grinned, "Assuredly."

Takiko then noticed that her tea had gone slightly cold and drank it quickly before it became less than favorable. The tea had an interersting flavor and Takiko wondered at it until she remembered that she was in a completely foreign land and that they probably didn't have anything that she was used to. Even the style of clothing was noticably different.

"So, why did you leave you village this morning to go to the capital? What I mean is, why not wait until tomorrow, or why not go yesterday?" She had realized that it must have been a stroke of wonderful luck on Inami's part because Takiko had no luck to speak of. Inami seemed to be really thinking over her question. He poured them both fresh cups of tea while he thought about it.

"Each of the Warriors is gifted with a special gift from the gods to help them better aid and protect the priestess in her quest to summon the gods and find the Warriors. My gift is that I know when things are going to happen." He pursed his lips and Takiko decided that he was trying to think of better wording because what he had just said made absolutely no sense to her. "I know that there will be a storm before there are signs of it. Or, I know when someone is going to enter a room, or I am already walking to the main door before a knock sounds. I also have a loose sense of one's emotions. An example is that right now, I know that you are confused and a little surprised at what I am saying and this whole situation in general."

She blinked a few times trying to grasp the concept. "You know people's thoughts?" She mentally shuddered at the thought becuase she had some very unruly thoughts a great deal. He waved his hands to negate the thought in a way that surprised her.

"Oh no. I thank the gods everyday that I do not what other's think. My own thoughts are confused enough without your's mixing in with them, no offense, of course, Lady Takiko." He gave her a light smile in what she guessed was an attempt to brush off his harsh tone. He leaned back a but and seemed to study her, something that threw Takiko completely off balance. He had a deep contemplative look on his face and Takiko almost held her breath, wondering what he would say. Really, she was attracted to him and more than just the fact that he looked like Ichigo, though that was a main reason.

Inami, or Karasuki, just seemed to have a strong powerful presense that made you want to just relax and let him take care of everything. It was obviously going against the grind for him to have to let her do such things. Find the Warriors and then summon a god. It was really a more arduous task that it sounded, she was sure. Her thoughts drifted to the lost twin, the sister, Kaida. Kaida meant little dragon... Takiko pictured a little red-haired spitfire who ran around harassing everyone in the village, but also followed Inami around, pretending to be innocent. It was a cute picture, but it made the girl seem younger than Inami, rather than a twin...

"I think that we should start out today rather than waiting for tomorrow. I'm sure that you are very tired as it is, but Hokkan is really in big trouble and the lives of the Warriors are hanging by a thread. Any time we waste is only putting them in more danger. We can only hope we find them before the imperial assassins." He looked up at her when he said the words. Takiko was shocked by them and almost flinched.

"Imperial assassins? Why would the emporer want the Warriors dead? Aren't they the hope of the country or some simliar thing?" Takiko asked, leaning forward a little.

"They are, but His Highness fears that we will use our powers or in the worst case, one of your wishes, to usurp the throne and steal his power. Rumor is that one of the advisors has a son who is a Warrior and it was the sight of him that put that fear and paranoia in the emporer's mind." She watched him sigh and pull on his earlobe.

"But how did he know that the advisor's son was a Warrior? You don't look any different to me." Takiko asked, throughly confused in this.

"I don't know how he knew. He must have seen the son's Celestial symbol, but in any case, that doesn't matter. He made the laws in any case. Any physician who has a Warrior come to him is not allowed to treat them, under pain of death and they are even encouraged to give us poison. Also, inn masters aren't allowed to give us rooms either, under the same penalty. No one is allowed to employ us either..." He sighed again and looked away. "That's why it will be so hard to find the others, they're hiding for their lives..."

"What's a "Celestial symbol"?" Takiko asked, still enthralled, but utterly horrified by the emporer's actions. Inami turned around and moved a long thick braid that Takiko hadn't even noticed, out of the way revealing a small kanji symbol that looked like a tattoo on the back of his neck.

"This is my Celestial symbol, though on the other Warriors it could be anywhere..." Takiko sighed.

"I don't exactly understand how this all works, but it is definately harder than I first thought..."

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"We would like to thank Mari-chan for beta-ing and reviewing as well as Penny Leigh for reviewing!"
-The Muses Tk and Zv DuVeraun