Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction ❯ Legend ~ Book One: Girl of Legend ❯ Seven: Discovering Seishi (the Priestess Way) ( Chapter 7 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

   KC's jaw dropped as she rose to her feet and circled around the table for a closer look at the glowing character. "Whoa," she breathed, leaning in to examine the mark. "That looks like it hurts. Does it always do that?" She unthinkingly reached out to probe at it gently.

   A soft chuckle abruptly brought her back to her senses, and she glanced up to discover her face so close to his that their noses almost touched. His remarkable eyes bore intently into hers, a strange expression lighting their depths. For a moment, she forgot to breathe. Then she squeaked and hastily backpedaled, her face flushed with heat as she edged back into her chair. Hotohori, however, seemed more amused than offended.

   "I assure you the mark is quite painless," he told her. "And no, it does not always 'do that'. Only when I will it, or when I am in battle, does it appear."

   She nodded, thoughtful. "And the other six have the same kind of marks?" Then her jaw dropped as realization belatedly struck her. "Wait a—You're one of them!"

   He actually grinned. "Yes. I'm one of them. The seven warriors represent the seven constellations which make up the southern region of the heavens, which is governed by Suzaku. The names of these constellations are Tamahome, Nuriko, Chichiri, Chiriko, Mitsukake, Tasuki … and Hotohori."

   "You couldn't have told me this sooner?"

   He tilted his head to one side to regard her as a small smile touched his lips. "Would it have affected your decision?"

   She pursed her lips. No, but it certainly would have answered a few questions, like why he was being so kind to her. It was his duty. Well, if she became the Priestess, that is. "So, if these Seishi all have names, wouldn't it be easy to find them? All we'd have to do is ask if they're named for any of the constellations, right?"

   "It might not be so simple. Some of them may not realize they are a Seishi. They may not know their names, or know of their characters."

   "I'd think it'd be pretty hard to miss a birthmark that swells up and glows on occasion," she deadpanned.

   He chuckled. "Yes, but it may not have appeared at all for some of them. Their power may be dormant until we call it forth. I myself did not discover who I was until my eleventh year when I got into a fistfight with a boy from the city."

   "You got into a fistfight?" she repeated, incredulous. She found it nearly impossible to imagine the gentle man before her punching another boy in the face. Her disbelief was obvious, and Hotohori chuckled again at her expression.

   "Yes, I was at a rather awkward age, unsure of who I was. Rebelling against my very birthright. The boy caught me sneaking out of the palace one morning as he was sneaking into it—A childish dare or a prank on his part, no doubt—and he threatened to tell the guards on me. So I simply stopped him from doing so. Of course, the noise we made during the scuffle brought them all running anyway, so it did no good. And they were too busy trying to catch me to bother catching him, so he escaped his punishment, anyway."

   KC tried (and failed) yet again to picture an eleven-year-old Hotohori scrapping on the ground like a common playground bully. It certainly didn't fit her impression of the graceful, impeccably-dressed man sitting across from her. "So, who won?" she asked impishly. Hotohori shot her a sour look, and she laughed. "Okay, that says a lot. Let me guess. He whooped you, right?"

   "I was a prince, taught in all manner of swordplay and honorable battle. Common brawling was beneath my training," he sniffed haughtily, looking a bit put-out at the muffled giggles that kept trying to escape KC's tightly-closed mouth.

   "I'm sorry. I don't mean to laugh, but I'm having a really hard time imagining a shorter version of you getting into a fight," she admitted, struggling to regain her composure. "I do feel better, though. Knowing that even you have the occasional lapse in composure now and then makes me feel like a lot less of a dork."

   He steepled his fingers against his mouth again and regarded her through smiling eyes until a servant arrived to clear what was left of their breakfast, and to remind him of the meeting he was scheduled to attend with his advisers. He sighed and gave KC a resigned smile. "Alas, duty calls," he said. "I fear I shall be busy for the remainder of the day, but please feel free to explore the grounds as you wish. My servants will help you if you have any questions. I should also like you to attend dinner with me this evening, and breakfast again tomorrow. I have greatly enjoyed your company." His expression turned a bit melancholy as he added softly, "I much prefer it to eating alone."

   KC gazed at him with sympathy. She didn't know much about how emperors lived in this era, but she imagined they normally didn't go around sharing meals with the help or anything. He probably always ate by himself, unless he had social functions to attend. She wondered if he had any close friends to relax with, as she did with Brady and Kimiko. Running a country had to be hard work. Didn't he ever get to have any time for himself? "I'd like to have meals with you. I enjoy your company, too," she said shyly. Then, feeling a bit self-conscious at the way his face lit up, she added, "Besides, you're like the only person I really even know in this place, and since you're my Seishi and all it'd make sense to keep you around, right?"

   "Am I your Seishi?" he questioned softly, and she didn't miss the gleam of hope in his eyes. "Are you saying that you accept my request to help my country?"

   She took a deep breath, released it slowly, and nodded. "After all, I have to pay you back for all this somehow, right? I'm not a mooch, remember?" She gave him an awkward little smile and was nearly bowled over by the open gratitude and affection on his face as he took her hands and kissed each one in turn. "I thank you, Your Eminence," he breathed, pressing his forehead to the backs of her fingers. "You have saved us all."

   "D-don't mention it," she squeaked around the pulse pounding in her throat. "Glad to help. Really."

   With an affectionate little squeeze, he released her hands and rose to his feet. "Until this evening, then," he murmured. With a formal bow, he turned and preceded the manservant from his chambers.

~*~*~*~*~

   KC felt sure she was being followed.

   She'd been wandering the palace grounds for several hours now (not that she had any actual way of telling how much time had passed; nobody she met had even heard of a clock before). She spoke to many of the palace residents she happened to come across. Sometimes it was to ask for directions, but mostly it was to tell them to quit bowing as soon as they saw her; it was kind of embarrassing, and it wasn't like she was an empress or anything. She usually went on her way after that … leaving them still prostrate behind her. She had begun to wonder why she even bothered.

   It was as she meandered along the river that she first sensed the presence, and turned quickly around to see who was there. She found nothing but trees and a rather startled rabbit grazing among the long grass on the riverbank, which froze mid-chew when it felt her suspicious gaze. She offered an apologetic little shrug and continued on her way, wondering if she was just imagining things.

   That is until she heard what sounded like a twig snap, and she whipped around, eyes narrowed and searching. Had something just darted behind that tree over there? She couldn't be sure, but she did know it wasn't her imagination this time. Casually, she strolled closer to the river and swept her eyes over the bank until they fell upon a large stone nestled in the grass. She stooped ever-so-casually, under the guise of tying her shoes (until she remembered that she wore slippers), quickly palmed the rock and stood, raised her arms over her head in the completely innocent manner of needing a good stretch.

   She peeked back over her shoulder, frowned when she saw what looked like a foot vanish into the lower branches of the tree. Turned and took careful aim, glad now for the hours of grueling softball practice she'd been forced to endure in gym class. Then she threw the stone with all her might at the spot just above the disappearing foot. She heard it crack off the wood, followed immediately by a startled yelp. A flurry of snapped branches and torn leaves heralded the body that fell out of the tree, landing amid the hail of ravaged foliage with a muffled thud and a pained grunt.

   "What are you doing?" KC snapped, more mad than scared, as the person—a boy barely older than herself, by the looks of him—managed to untangle himself from the branches and jump to his feet, looking a little peeved himself.

   "What are you doing?" he yelled back. "You almost beaned me with that rock!"

   KC rolled her eyes. "Kind of the point," she snorted. "What did you think I would do, let you jump me from behind? Why are you following me?" She looked him over carefully. "You don't look like a guard or a servant or anything, so why are you sneaking around the palace? Are you a spy or something?"

   "No!" he huffed, looking mightily insulted. "I was invited here!"

   She blinked. "By who?"

   Now he rolled his eyes. "By the emperor, dummy. How else could I get into the palace so easily and wander around like this?"

   She frowned and pursed her lips, then snapped her fingers as a thought occurred. "Oh, you must be one of those warrior-people Hotohori … erm … His Majesty invited over to figure out who're the Seishi and all that, right?"

   "Yeah…" He nodded slowly. "I'm one of 'em."

   KC grinned and stuck out her hand. "Well, in that case, I'm KC, and I'm the Priestess of Suzaku. Nice to meet you!" The boy eyed her hand like it was a coiled viper, and she quirked an eyebrow. "What? Never heard of a handshake before?" When he didn't reply, she sighed and grabbed his hand, pumped it up and down for a moment before releasing it. "I don't have cooties, you know. This is just how two people say hello in my world."

   "I … see. Interesting." He gave her a long once-over. Then, after a moment, he began to circle, still examining her from head to foot.

   KC patiently bore this scrutiny for all of thirty seconds before she crossed her arms over her chest and fixed him with a withering glare. "That's a very good vulture impression, but are you quite finished? Just what are you looking for?"

   He shrugged. "Proof."

   She blinked at him. "Proof of what?"

   "That you're really the Priestess of Suzaku."

   "Excuse me!"

   "Well, you aren't exactly what I was expecting in a Priestess," he muttered.

   "Oh, really? So what were you expecting, a twelve-foot Amazon with laser beams shooting out of her eyeballs?" KC huffed.

   He shot her an odd glance. "What's a laser beam?"

   "It's a—" She stopped and threw her hands in the air. "Oh, never mind! Suffice to say, your expectations are highly overrated." When he continued to look skeptical, she fixed him with a dark stare. "And what about you?" she continued. "What kind of proof do you have that says you're my Seishi, huh, huh, huh?"

   He smirked. "I never said I was a Seishi."

   KC sputtered. "Come off it!" she huffed. "You wouldn't even be here if you didn't think you were some kind of mystical, holy warrior."

   "Unless I'm actually a spy like you suggested," he replied, all innocence as he examined the blunted nails on one hand.

   KC pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes. "Oh, well, in that case, I guess I'd better start screaming bloody murder, huh?" She drew in a deep breath to do just that, and his hand abruptly clapped over her mouth as the other one held the back of her head.

   "Okay, okay! I was just kidding! I'm not a spy! Jeez, can't you take a joke?"

   "Noifinisntfnny," she mumbled into his palm. When he removed the offending hand, she repeated haughtily, "Not if it isn't funny."

   "Some people have no sense of humor," he sniffed, brushing a stray twig from his sleeve.

   "Okay, so, where's your proof?" she insisted, repeating his vulture impression as she circled him. "Either you show it to me or I start yelling and believe you me, I can yell really loud if I have to. I'll have every soldier in this castle running here in thirty seconds flat if you don't satisfy my curiosity, mister."

   "Okay, okay. Give me a moment," the boy grumbled. "It usually doesn't appear unless I'm fighting someone, but…" He sighed and brushed the long, blue-black bangs away from his forehead, closed his eyes, and concentrated. After a moment, KC was only half-surprised to see a faint, reddish glow appear in the middle of his forehead. It grew brighter and brighter, taking on the distinct shape of a Chinese kanji. Not that she was an expert, but she thought it looked different from the one on Hotohori's neck.

   "Proof accepted, Seishi number two," she said cheerfully. "So, which one are you?"

   "I'm called Tamahome." He let his shaggy bangs fall over his forehead as the mark faded back into his skin.

   "Tamahome," she repeated. "So why were you following me around?"

   He shrugged and looped his arms behind his head. "I heard people whispering about you, so I decided to see for myself if you were who they said you were."

   "Hmmm." She pursed her lips. "Not one for the direct approach, apparently." She waved her hand dismissively. "Well, anyway, come on, Tama, I gotta take you to Hotohori now and tell him we found another one! He'll be thrilled!"

   "Tama?" he protested as she led him at a fast pace back to the palace courtyard, which she noticed was filling with all kinds of people, mostly men.

   "Would you prefer 'Home' instead?" she teased, and he rolled his eyes at her. "Oh, there's Hotohori now!" She abruptly switched directions and pulled him up the stairs of a hastily-constructed dais on which two ornate chairs were positioned. He couldn't help but gawk in astonishment as he realized that in one of the chairs was seated none other than the emperor of Konan, himself.

   "Hotohori!" KC called unabashedly as she stopped before the emperor, dragging a suddenly-nervous Tamahome around to stand beside her. "You'll never guess who I found already! Well, technically, he found me, but let's not quibble the details, right?" She grinned widely and slapped her companion on the back heartily. "Meet Seishi number two, Tamahome!"

   Hotohori did, indeed, look surprised as he eyed the other man curiously. Tamahome eyed him right back, more than a little astonished at the fact that his brother Seishi was the emperor, of all people. And then, to KC's bewilderment, both men, at the very same time, suddenly pointed at each other incredulously as startled recognition dawned on each face.

   "You," Hotohori gasped, clearly stunned.

   "You," Tamahome parroted, equally surprised.

   "Both of you!" KC cried, throwing her hands in the air. Then, scratching her head, "Wait, do you two know each other?"

   "Er, we've … met." Tamahome scratched his head, expression sheepish.

   "When? And why are you so shocked?" she pressed.

   "KC, do you recall the story I told you? About the boy in the palace?" Hotohori asked.

   "Uh-huh. You—Oh." Her eyes widened. "Ohhhhh!" She turned on Tamahome and pointed in his face. "You!"

   "Yes, me," Tamahome grumbled, grabbing her finger. "Will you stop that? And don't look at me like that, I was ten years old, for crying out loud!"

   "Tsk. Shame on you for beating up your emperor!" KC couldn't help teasing the poor guy. "You were a regular little hoodlum, weren't you?" She laughed at the expression on his face and continued, "Bet you're not so tough now, huh?"

   "Stuff it," Tamahome growled, and she giggled and darted behind the empty chair before he could grab her.

   "Now who can't take a joke?" she taunted, sticking her tongue out at him.

   "Are you sure you're the Priestess? You act more like my little sister than a dignified young lady."

   In response, KC stuck out her tongue again and crossed her eyes for good measure.

   "We can and will vouch for KC's claim," Hotohori said, threading his fingers together as he regarded the girl with amusement. Turning his gaze to Tamahome, he added sternly, "We have asked her to become the Girl of Legend, and she has accepted Our request. Thereby, she is your Priestess as well as Ours, and you are her servant, so kindly treat her with a bit more respect."

   "Y-yes, Your Majesty," Tamahome stuttered, sufficiently cowed by the emperor's serious gaze.

   KC took pity on him. "Aw, go easy on him, Hotohori, please? I don't care if he talks to me like that. I was teasing him." She plopped into the empty chair beside him. "Besides, I'd rather have friends than servants, anyway. Friends are easier to get along with, aren't they?" She smiled at Tamahome, who smiled uncertainly back. Then, changing the subject, she gestured at the milling crowd spreading across the courtyard and asked impishly, "What's all the hubbub, bub?"

   It took Hotohori a moment to decipher her question. "The warriors I summoned are beginning to arrive. Tomorrow, we shall begin to examine them to find the remaining Seishi. It gives me hope that we've found one, already. Perhaps our luck will hold out."

   "There are so many," KC breathed, examining the mass of men (and a few women) critically. "I'm supposed to pick six … er … five of them out of the whole gaggle?"

   "Do not worry, KC," he soothed. "The Priestess and the Seishi call to each other. You shall succeed in finding all of us."

   "Why did so many people show up, though?" KC frowned. "Do they all seriously think they're a Seishi?"

   Tamahome snorted. "Most of 'em are probably here for a shot at the money," he surmised.

   KC raised an eyebrow and glanced at Hotohori. "Money?"

   The emperor's smile was a bit sheepish. "I offered sufficient salary to those who would be Seishi, for their service, to you and to the throne. It is only fitting, after all."

   "Wait, you're offering to pay them to serve me?" she cried, indignant. She turned accusing eyes to Tamahome. "Is that why you showed up?"

   He merely shrugged, linking his hands behind his head as he lounged on the steps below them. "Man's gotta eat somehow," he replied glibly.

   KC sputtered. "So … so what happened to all that fate and destiny crap everyone kept feeding me?" she huffed.

   "KC, KC, KC." Tamahome reached out and patted her knee, his smile patronizing. "A little incentive never hurt anybody, now did it?"

   KC glared and jumped to her feet. "I'll give you incentive, you—"

   "Whoops!" He chuckled as he darted from his seat and headed down the steps. "Well, gotta go unpack and all that. Busy, busy! Talk to you later!" He waved over his shoulder as he vanished into the crowd.

   KC pouted and flopped into the chair again. "Hmmph. Nice guy," she huffed. "I feel sooo much safer with him on the team."

   Hotohori smiled and reached over to squeeze her hand reassuringly. "Do not worry, KC. He will be a fine warrior. I am certain he'll serve you well."

   "Sure, just so long as nobody robs your piggy bank in the next few months," she snorted, earning a chuckle in return.

   They sat together in companionable silence, watching the goings-on below them as advisors and servants came and went, receiving orders and instructions from the emperor and keeping him updated about the happenings occurring inside the palace as long-distance travelers arrived and settled in.

   KC dozed in the warm sun, the noise a steady, pleasant hum in the back of her mind, when a strange chill suddenly shot up her spine that had her instantly awake and sitting straight up, looking all around her.

   "KC?" Hotohori paused in the middle of signing a document presented to him by a richly-dressed merchant. "Is something wrong?"

   KC scratched her head, relaxed back into the seat. "I—No, I think I just felt someone … watching me," she replied, uncertain. "It was like … a really malicious feeling." She took another look around, then shrugged. "Well, it's gone now, anyway."

   Hotohori frowned, his golden eyes sweeping over the array with brows drawn together. He signaled a nearby servant to him. "Please inform the guards that there may be an unwanted visitor among us." The merchant slipped discreetly away, ignored by the emperor. "Have them on double alert for anything suspicious until further notice. There may be a threat to Her Eminence's life." The servant bowed and hurried away.

   KC felt herself go cold, swallowing hard. "Do you … think it could be one of those Kutou assassins?" she asked numbly.

   Hotohori took her hand again and held it between his two, caressing the back of it lightly in a manner that set her stomach to tingling, despite her fear. "Please do not worry," he murmured, his voice a warm, rich purr in her ear. "I'll not let anything happen to you. They would not dare attack in such an open place, with so many witnesses about. All the same, you should retire to your quarters for a bit. You seem tired; perhaps a rest would restore your spirits."

   She nodded, rising to her feet. "I guess a nap couldn't hurt."

   "Can you find your way?" he asked. "Shall I escort you?"

   Her smile was brighter now. "That's sweet of you, but I'll be okay. You look like you've got your hands full as it is," she replied. "But, are you sure there isn't anything I can do to help you? I mean, I don't know much about political stuff, but maybe I can, I dunno, help organize or something."

   His smile was warm. "Thank you, but it is well in hand. Rest, then, and I'll see you again at dinner tonight."

   "Okay. See you later." She hopped down the steps, strangely reluctant to leave him. She realized how much she enjoyed his company. And she found it easier to talk to him now, too. It seemed the more time she spent in his presence, the less his presence overwhelmed her. Tamahome was pretty handsome, too, she thought, but she hadn't stuttered or blubbered even once since meeting him. She interacted with him the same way she did with her best friends. Just one of the guys. So maybe Hotohori is like a vaccination against my chronic foot-in-mouth syndrome, she mused. The more exposure I get, the less I get affected. She found herself tickled by the idea.

   Then, two more advisors came barging straight at her in the midst of a heated argument and nearly knocked her clean off the steps before they bowed hastily and stopped in front of Hotohori's chair. Where they promptly continued to argue and attempt to speak their opinions to the emperor at the same time. He listened with a sort of weary patience. Apparently, this was not the first argument he'd had to witness among these particular advisors, but KC could see they were beginning to wear on his nerves.

   Before she thought about what she was doing, she had climbed the steps again. "Um … excuse me, Your Majesty?" she interrupted politely. The advisors stopped mid-sentence and turned to stare at her. She shot them a tight smile, which became more sympathetic when she turned it on Hotohori. "I don't really remember how to get to my quarters from here," she began. "Would it be too much trouble to request that you escort me to them?"

   One of the advisors began haughtily, "Your Eminence, surely there are servants who could–" He was cut off, however, as Hotohori gracefully rose to his feet and replied, almost too hastily, "It would be this Seishi's honor to escort Your Eminence to her rooms." Turning to the advisors, he nodded regally. "If you will please excuse us." And, without another word, he pushed past them and made his way from the dais with KC at his side. She had to fight to hide a smile at the obvious relief on his face, and the shell-shocked expressions on the faces of his advisors.

   "Looks like I was able to help you out, after all," she teased as they made their way through the crowd, which parted before them like the Red Sea.

   "And I cannot thank you enough," came the droll reply.

   As they walked into the palace, KC once again felt that strange, chilling gaze settle on her back, focused and intense. She whirled around and scanned the area with narrowed eyes, searching for anything suspicious (not that she'd know what suspicious was, even if she saw it). The feeling faded again, and she shrugged and started on her way when, from the corner of her eye, she saw a lone figure striding quickly away from the scene, along an outer hallway at the far end of the courtyard. She squinted to see better, wondering if it was an assassin, but it looked merely like a richly-dressed noblewoman, her long hair unbound and flowing down her back in a silky fall. KC blinked and rubbed her eyes, almost certain she was seeing things. In the light of the sun, that wealth of hair had looked to be colored a vibrant and most disturbing shade of purple.

   Realizing that Hotohori was waiting for her, she turned around and hurried after him, shaking her head wryly. "And people think my hair's a weird color."