Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction ❯ Kaerimichi ❯ Revelations ( Chapter 6 )

“Oh, my legs hurt!”

 

Kou leaned against a nearby tree for support as she rubbed at her sore thighs. They'd been traveling for a few hours when finally Hotohori suggested they take a break. Only a few hours, and Kou felt like she would never be able to walk right again. Who would have thought horseback riding would be so painful? It wasn't at all like it was in the movies, and the girl silently cursed Hollywood for its romanticizing of it.

 

“Don't worry. You'll get used to it,” Chiriko said as he handed the redhead a flask of water which she gulped down gratefully. At least she wasn't starving anymore; she'd managed to sneak a box of cookies out of her pack as they were riding. Although, she'd had to share a few with Tasuki to buy his silence. It was a little underhanded, but Kou was hungry and didn't want to have to share with everyone. Besides, they'd gotten to eat breakfast, and she hadn't.

 

Hotohori made his way over to the girl after dismounting his horse, where she seemed to be fighting with her hair, trying to secure it in a ponytail. “How are you holding up?” he asked, a gentle concern lacing his voice.

 

“All right, I guess. It could be worse.” The two of them shared a small smile at that. “I didn't think it would be this hot, though. What I wouldn't give for a shower right now.”

 

“There's a pond nearby,” Nuriko chimed in, having been eavesdropping as usual. “We need to let the horses drink anyway.” Hotohori gave an approving nod to which Nuriko responded with a wink. “Great. Let's go.”

 

He led the way effortlessly, keeping a slow pace for Kou, who was still rather sore. Surely enough, after a few minutes of walking, the tree line parted to give sight to a moderately-sized brook. The water was clear and blue, and looked so very inviting.

 

A huge smile spread across Corey's face as she kicked off her shoes and socks. It was only when she reached for her shirt that Tasuki spoke up.

 

“What are you doing?!” His features were utterly embarrassed. Kou fought hard to bite back her amusement.

 

“It's not like I'm getting naked,” she said with a teasing air of easiness. “But I don't want to sit in soggy clothes all day. Besides, I figured a guy like you would be used to girls taking their clothes off in front of him.”

 

Tasuki's face turned as red as the beads of his necklace, though Kou couldn't tell if it was because of her words or Nuriko's raucous laughter. “Shut up!” he screamed, which only resulted in Nuriko laughing harder, the other warriors joining in. Since everybody was well-enough distracted, Kou took the opportunity to wriggle out of her jeans and tee, and dove into the water.

 

It was wonderfully cool and refreshing against dust-blown, sweaty skin. Corey surfaced with a light spray of droplets and ran a hand through her hair, already feeling a million times better. Wiping the water from her face, she opened her eyes to find six other pairs devoutly, yet discreetly, keeping watch over her.

 

Kou frowned at this. She didn't want bodyguards right now, she wanted friends. “Come on in, the water's great!” she called out in hopes of coaxing at least one of them in. The warriors merely exchanged a questioning look among one another. “There's no one around for miles,” she whined. “You guys…”

 

“Oh, for crying out loud, if it'll get you to shut up…” Nuriko pulled off his outer robe and removed his slippers before making his way to the shoreline. There, with no warning, he shoved Tasuki into the water and then jumped in after him. The bandit came back up, sputtering and coughing too much to yell the obscenities that were no doubt running through his mind.

 

“Don't tell me he still can't swim!” Kou laughed as Tasuki scrambled for the shallow point near the bank. Once the flame-haired man reached solid footing, he turned to glare daggers at them both.

 

After that, everyone joined in, happy to get rid of the dirt accumulated from their journey thus far. Even Tasuki lightened up a little after he shed his waterlogged coat with a few choice grumbles and gripes. Kou swam around contentedly, delighted to be in open water again. Living in America had spoiled the girl; her family was always going to the ocean for vacation, or lakes and ponds for picnics. It wasn't easy to do that living in the heart of Tokyo, and swimming pools just weren't the same.

 

“Kou!” called a voice too garbled by the water to identify. Corey broke the surface and saw Nuriko waving at her. Everyone was gathered at the bank, drying off. “It's time to go.” The red-haired girl frowned. She knew they couldn't waste too much time here; they had to get to a town before nightfall for lodgings. Even so, she was disappointed to have to get out of the water.

 

She swam lazily to the water's edge where it barely reached her knees and wrung out her hair. It had been fun while it lasted… like everything else she had experienced here so far. Flipping still-damp locks behind her, Kou saw a hand extended to her. She followed it up to find Tasuki bending to help her out of the lake. He said nothing, but he didn't need to; Kou could tell from his expression that this was his way of letting her know there were no hard feelings.

 

She stepped out of the water, shivering despite the hot afternoon sun as a breeze blew past. With this weather, it would only be a matter of hours before Kou would be praying for another pond to stop at. But, as it was now, she was quite comfortable, and set off to the tree line to retrieve her clothes.

 

 

 

Alex had just begun to walk away from the taxi that had dropped him off at the station when he found himself suddenly drenched. A startled yell escaped him as he jumped from surprise, furiously looking for the source of the water that was now pooling at his feet. This side of the train depot was busy, but after furtively searching, Alex couldn't find a single hose, bucket, or anything to explain why he was dripping wet.

 

Corey…

 

It had to have something to do with her! Automatically fearing the worst, Alex pushed his way through the crowd until he found a space just inside the station where he couldn't get jostled. He wrenched the book out of his bag and flipped to the back where his best friend's fledgling story was.

 

`The Chosen Star convinced the rest of the Suzaku shichiseishi to stop at the lake for a swim.'

 

Alex closed his eyes, breathed a sigh of relief, and let himself sink back against the wall. She was okay. Sliding his eyes back open, he found a new sentence writing itself on the page.

 

`Unbeknownst to her or her companions, they were being watched with dark intent.'

 

The fear immediately took hold of Alex again, his hands shaking slightly as he read. `Please, no,' he begged silently, the next string of words appearing.

 

`And as the Chosen Star knelt to gather her belongings, the enemy attacked.'

 

Panic raged through the boy and consumed his mind. In his state, he did the only thing he could think of. He screamed.

 

“KOU!”

 

 

 

Alex!

 

Corey had just bent down to pick up her jeans when she heard his voice resounding in her ears as if he was right beside her. The red-haired girl jerked her head up just in time to see a pair of jet black eyes staring back at her, and the glint of a blade ready to descend.

 

She threw herself backwards with a startled cry as the sword came slicing down in the place she had just been standing. It was more than enough to catch the attention of her companions nearby. Their confusion gave way to much more serious expressions upon seeing the reason for the disturbance. In an instant, the six warriors surrounded her, guarding her.

 

“Assassins?!” Chiriko balked as more men draped in black flooded from the tree line.

 

`Why?!' Corey thought frantically, trying to see how many there were through her comrades. `I don't understand. It's supposed to be peacetime. Who would send killers?' And then it dawned on her. The same thing had happened constantly to her grandmother. `Oh god… They're here for me.'

 

For a moment, time stood still. The wind dared not breathe, the trees became as stone, and even the lake had turned to glass as if afraid to allow even the tiniest of ripples to cross its surface. For a moment, there was eternity. And then it was shattered.

 

The fight erupted so quickly that Kou couldn't tell which side made the first move. It was like pandemonium to the girl; she heard the clanging of metal against metal, the shouting of various spells and incantations, a roar of fire, the sounds of ancient roots being ripped up from the earth in which they were buried, and somewhere over it all, the tiny sound of a leaf flute. Everyone was fighting an unknown enemy, and for what? All because of her…

 

No.

 

Shock was melting away, being quickly replaced with anger. They were not having to fight because of her. They were having to fight because some jerk somewhere out there decided they would. Someone decided, for whatever reason, to put her and her friends in danger with no provocation, and without even having the guts to do it personally! Narrowing her eyes, Kou gritted her teeth and jumped from safety into the fray.

 

`You've sparred with live steel before,' she reassured herself and ducked a blade just in time to keep her head. `Yeah, but none of you partners were ever actually trying to kill you.' Kou landed a solid kick to her opponent's face that lifted him off his feet. She was tough, sure, but she had never been able to do something like that before. Right now, Kou felt stronger and more agile than she had in her entire life. Adrenaline, she decided, was a wonderful thing.

 

“Kou, behind you!”

 

The redhead spun around at Tasuki's warning to find one of the black-clad men nearly upon her. Almost on pure instinct, she jabbed her attacker in the eye, punched him in the throat, and kicked as forcefully as she could between his legs. The assassin didn't even have time to hit the ground before he erupted into flames. Kou turned to face Tasuki who, despite the current situation, was grinning broadly at her.

 

“Not bad,” he said before returning his attention to their struggle. It had all but ended already, black-bound bodies littering the area that had been so peaceful just moments ago. The warriors surveyed their surroundings to make sure none of the enemy was left. Out of the corner of her eye, Kou spotted a faint movement behind the trees. She dashed toward it only to see the assassin disappear into the forest.

 

“No!” she cried as he slipped from sight. “Damn it!” He was the only chance they had of finding out who was behind the assault. With a frustrated growl, Kou turned back to face her friends, wanting to make sure they were all okay.

 

Her aggravation turned instantaneously into self-conscious confusion; they were all staring at her. Hazel eyes dropped quickly to see if she'd exposed what little of her body was covered during the fight, but everything seemed to be in order. “What?” Kou asked nervously, beginning to squirm under their scrutiny.

 

Nuriko finally broke the silence. “…..How long have you had that mark on your back?”

 

“What mark?”

 

“The sign of the oni,” Hotohori answered. “The mark of Tamahome.”

 

 

 

Some distance away, the wounded assassin collapsed to his knees before his employer. The emperor had caught him with his sword along his side, and the blood loss from the cut was making him a little woozy. Ice-blue eyes stared down at him, uncaring about his condition.

 

“She has it, then?” asked a voice as cold as those eyes.

 

“Yes,” the assassin answered. “As plain as day, on the small of her back.”

 

“As I anticipated.” The blue-eyed stranger turned to leave.

 

“What about my payment?”

 

The stranger stopped and slowly spun back around. “Yes, of course,” he murmured. “Your reward.” The weakened man barely had time to see the device his employer pulled out from his riding cloak. It was of a strange, alien shape, yet it shone in the sun as the blade of a sword would. There was a tiny sound from the long tip of it milliseconds before a chunk of metal buried itself in the assassin's brain.

 

Blowing softly on the end of the instrument, the blue-eyed man tucked it away, turned around, and left.

 

 

 

Tamahome?! Kou's mind reeled at Hotohori's words. “I…”

 

Chichiri stepped forward, scratching idly at the side of his face. “Maybe we should get dressed and find a more appropriate place to discuss this no da.” Everyone nodded and silently set about gathering their clothes. Kou sat and laced her sneakers numbly, still trying to grasp what had been said. The mark of Tamahome… It was like trying to shove a square peg through a round hole; the idea just didn't fit.

 

“Don't worry, Kou,” said Chiriko, pausing to give the girl a warm smile. “We'll figure this out.” Kou tried to smile back, but the forced expression came out as an uneasy grimace. She sighed and lowered her head, leaving the scholar to walk away to his horse in silence. She simply couldn't think. Now, when she needed her wits about her more than every, Corey could not concentrate.

 

A quiet voice behind the girl pulled her from her tumultuous thoughts. “Hey.” Tasuki was standing just behind the redhead, loosely holding heir horse's reins. “Come on. Let's go.”

 

He looked at her, not with suspicion or wonder, not even with idle curiosity. He simply looked at her as one weary friend to another, and Kou would never find the words to express her gratitude at that.

 

The group traveled silently across the land. Everyone was at full attention, keeping a lookout for any more trouble. By the grace of the Gods, they met none in the scant hour until they reached town. Despite it only being late afternoon, the seven seemed thoroughly worn by the time they settled the horses into the local inn's stable.

 

Hotohori paid for their rooms and for service to bring up some much-needed food, discreetly dropping a few more gold coins to ensure privacy. With that taken care of, the troupe shuffled upstairs, eager to eat and begin discussing things. Except… no one seemed to really know what to say. After a few minutes of silence, Chiriko spoke up.

 

“This is all so mysterious,” he commented idly. As they often did, his words immediately broke the tension.

 

“It's not mysterious at all,” Kou said, toying with her rice. “It's just a birthmark. It flares up when I get angry or excited.”

 

“And you don't find it strange that it's the perfect shape of a character?” Chiriko asked.

 

“Well… no. I mean, people are born all the time with birthmarks in the shape of countries or faces and weird things like that. It's all just coincidence.” Kou bit her lip as she heard the words come out, wondering if she was trying to convince the others, or herself…

 

“It might be if there were no connecting factors involved no da.”

 

Kou fell quiet for a moment, absorbing Chichiri's words. Connecting factors… Could it really be considered mere happenstance that she shared the same marking as her grandfather had once had? There was a fine line between coincidence and fate, after all. But that would mean…

 

“I think I'd like to be alone right now,” she muttered. Nuriko opened his mouth to object, but Mitsukake's hand on his shoulder let him know that this was not the time to argue. Wordlessly, the six warriors stood and began to file reluctantly out of the room. Hearing the door finally shut, Kou looked up to find Tasuki still inside. “I meant all of you,” she said darkly.

 

“Well, tough shit,” the bandit countered, his features set in stubborn firmness. “You can't just sit in here and throw a fit `cause you don't like what's going on.”

 

“I can do what I damn well please!”

 

“Why?” Tasuki growled. “Because you're some high-and-mighty brat from another world? Or because you're special because you're Miaka's grandkid?”

 

Kou bristled. “Get out…”

 

“Grow up!”

 

For a while, there was only silence as the two glared daggers at one another. At last, it seemed that Tasuki was backing down as he closed his eyes and shook his head.

 

“Sometimes, things happen that you don't like, and you got no control over. That's life. You accept it, you get the hell over it, and ya move on. Miaka did.”

 

“I'm not Miaka!” Corey screamed. Tasuki merely scoffed as he glanced the redhead over.

 

“You're right. You're nothing like her.” Without another word, Tasuki turned, jerked the door open, and slammed it on his way out.

 

Hazel eyes brimmed with tears. How could he be so insensitive?! In a week, she'd been ripped away from everything she knew and loved, got stabbed, attacked by assassins, and now, to top it all off, she was… No. As long as she didn't think about it, then she could pretend it wasn't real. But in a matter of days, Corey's entire world had been turned upside down for the second time in a year, and all Tasuki could do was give her a hard time about it. And for what? For not being able to shrug it off and adjust to the idea that she was stuck here forever as a warrior of Suzaku? She wasn't even out of high school yet!

 

“Alex…” she mumbled miserably. Kou was certain she'd heard his voice earlier. Was he out there trying to help her? “Bring me home,” she begged through a sob and buried her face in the pillow.

 

 

 

Outside the room, Tasuki winced upon hearing the muffled sound of the girl inside crying. Perhaps he'd been too hard on her… There was an awful lot going on. But from what he'd been told, Miaka didn't get all depressed and sulky, and she had been younger than Kou was. Then again, Tasuki knew nothing of either girl's life in their own world, although Miaka had never seemed bothered by the idea of leaving it all behind. Maybe… Maybe Kou had something to lose.

 

“Shit,” he swore softly, running a hand through his hair. Why was it only ever after the fact that he considered all these things that really would have been handy to think about before he shot off his trap? He'd meant every word he said, at the time, but now he thought that surely there could have been a less abrasive way to say it all.

 

Sighing to himself, Tasuki started down the stairs to join his friends. He would have to apologize later; approaching the girl now was probably not a good idea.

 

The other five warriors all looked to Tasuki as he reached the first floor. He brushed past them quickly, heading straight to the bar. Nuriko tentatively sat next to the bandit, his features worried and suspicious.

 

“What happened?” he asked accusingly.

 

Tasuki downed a warm cup of sake before he chose to answer. “I hate women.”

 

 

tbc…

 

 

Author's Note: So, finally, a little bit of action. I know the story is going slowly, but I don't want to make it seem too rushed, so this is hopefully a happy medium. Hope the few of you who read this aren't getting too bored.