Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction ❯ My Dreams aren't as Empty ❯ Memories Surfacing ( Chapter 15 )

 

This chapter is dedicated to Miss Lynne, Ledefey, Nuni-chan, Fushigiyuugifan and the black panther. Thank you for continually being consistent in reviews ^_^

I was asked to update soon even if it was short, and well in the context it's short, I listened! I listened and made this top priority.

 

Disclaimer: Penpaninu does not claim to own Fushigi Yuugi in any way shape or form. Does claim to see the Mysterious Play in life however.

 

“My Dreams aren't as Empty” chapter fifteen

Memories Surfacing

 

Naisen scrubbed his hands in the bathroom sink, his wrists and fingers pink with his efforts. He bit his lip, choking on his sobs to try and keep quiet. He couldn't let his foster parents know. They wouldn't want him anymore. They wouldn't let him live here anymore. Naisen looked around the clean and nicely decorated rest room, his eyes reddened and swollen from crying. What was he going to say? He looked a wreck! And his forehead looked bruised!

 

Naisen turned off the water and buried his hands in a fluffy towel, fiercely rubbing to dry quickly. His forehead had hurt so much and then there had been so much power… what was that? He had done it before, he was sure of it! Naisen turned to look back into the mirror, squinting and rubbing at the mark. Something showed up when what happened earlier went on, he knew it. How could he remember that when he had never done it??

 

“Naisen-kun! Are you all right?” a sweet feminine voice outside the door. Naisen bit his lip and opened the door. His foster mother was a plump but kind woman, and she always smiled for him. He was told he was a joy to have around as she and her husband could not have children by conventional means, and Naisen found himself trying to make himself wanted even more so he wouldn't have all of this taken away.

“I'm fine…Mom,” Naisen stammered. It was what she wanted him to call her, after all. The term put a smile on his foster parent's face and she patted his longish hair.

“I hope so! Did you play rough at school today? Your face looks bruised….” Her chubby fingers traced his brow and Naisen's eyes filled with tears.

 

“What is it, Naisen?” she asked, her eyes wide with concern. Naisen clutched her hand in his.

“Please, can I go see my friend Hiroshi really quick, Mom? I'll be back before you know it,” Naisen pleaded. His foster mother smiled and patted his thin shoulder.

“Go right ahead! Just remember, dinner will be ready soon.”

 

Naisen grabbed his jacket and dashed out of the apartment, waving. His friend may know what was going on. He had no idea as he ran down the sidewalk that someone else at the Sukunami household would hold the answers he had wanted.

 

* * * *

 

“Mama, the neighbor's dog is after that cat again!” Hiroshi called out. Miaka poked out of the kitchen into the garden, brandishing a wooden spoon.

 

“Oh…you leave that cat alone!” Miaka called. The dog hissed at her over the top of the adjoining fences and then backed down out of sight. “I hope the stray's okay!”

“Don't worry, Mama, he got away in time,” Hiroshi smiled, hugging her waist. Miaka brought her arm down around his shoulders and squeezed him.

 

“I'm sure he's thanking you for the rescue,” Miaka winked. Hiroshi hummed a childish song then squinted over the garden's fence.

“Hey, its Naisen-kun, Mama! Hey, Naisen!” Hiroshi called, waving. Miaka let the tall blond boy into the small garden and greeted him happily.

 

Shindou Naisen could not meet her eyes and kept scuffing his shoes on the ground. “Hi Sukunami-san….hey, Hiroshi, can we talk?” Hiroshi beamed and went off down the sidewalk with him. Miaka watched over her shoulder as she stepped back into the kitchen. She had the instinctual urge to stay near and have a word with Naisen when he came back in. Something had happened to Nakago's incarnation and she knew he was hurting.

 

A few moments later, Hiroshi popped back in, loudly announcing Naisen's departure. Miaka dried her hands on a dishcloth and darted back to the garden.

“Naisen-kun!” she called. The tall boy froze and turned to meet her. His eyes meeting hers were frightened orbs of confusion. He looked as if he had gotten into a scrape earlier and was trying to keep it secret. Behind her, Hiroshi hopped anxiously from one foot to another, obviously hoping she would not come to this conclusion.

 

Naisen's small hands clenched and he clasped them together. “What is it, Sukunami-san?” he asked in a small voice. Miaka's eyes moved back over his face and she stifled a gasp to the bruise over his brow. Had…. had his celestial symbol appeared? Had he used his power? Her slender fingers moved over the boy's brow and he winced noticeably at the soft touch. His eyes radiated hurt and confusion up to her and Miaka's eyes softened. She knelt and held Naisen's shoulders.

 

“You know, that no matter what strange things happen, you can come to me and Hiroshi's father,” Miaka said seriously. Naisen watched her, his heart in his throat. That she, she herself this wondrous lady, would offer this vow of protection tore his heart asunder. Why would she after…all he had done to her and her friends?… Naisen gasped, shaking the cobwebs from his mind.

“I'll remember, Sukunami-san,” he whispered. As Hiroshi looked on in wonderment, Naisen clutched Miaka in a hug. For one moment with everything going on…he felt safe.

 

Miaka held the tall boy in her arms and patted her hand over his longish hair. When Naisen's arms tightened around her neck, she whispered that she would watch over him.

 

* * * *

 

Miaka sat on the living room couch, talking to Yui on the telephone. After some casual teasing about her current living situation, Miaka got down to business and brought up the subject of Shindou Naisen's visit this evening.

 

“And you said his…forehead looked bruised?” Yui asked in surprise. She sat up straight, her brow creased. Asakura tapped her leg with his foot, teasing her and Yui grinned in response. Then she turned back to the conversation at hand, keeping it coded for her company's sake.

 

“It did, Yui-chan! You know what I mean, don't you?” Miaka twisted the cord of the room's phone in her fingers. She watched Hiroshi lie on his tummy, watching tv before her, and Taka walked back in, carrying school papers to grade. He sat on the other end of the couch, swinging his long legs up to tuck over her lap. Miaka giggled and rubbed his shin idly as she listened to Yui's verbal affirmation.

 

“Of course I do, Miaka! It means…. you know that Saito's brother has told me of….'dreams' he's had,” Yui went on in a hurried rush. Miaka's eyebrow raised.

“That's interesting! So he's… remembering? What about Saito, Yui-chan?”

“I haven't heard anything from him if he is…. but I wonder why they would have to remember anything!”

 

“I think it's important to know who you were and what you did,” Miaka said mysteriously. “Even if it doesn't mean anything in the world than you happen to know who you are and where you stand.”

“Miaka, you should write horoscopes,” Yui moaned. “You seem to always have the right answer!”

 

“Well everything but math. Hiroshi doesn't ask me about that subject anymore!” Miaka giggled. Yui threatened to throw something at her over the phone.

Taka raised an eyebrow, his kind eyes twinkling but silently asking for a bit more quiet so he could grade in relative peace. Miaka rubbed his leg with one hand, smiling apologetically to him. Taka smoothly returned to his student's papers. Miaka's smile faded dimly. Sometimes Taka could try and make her feel she wasn't as important for small moments of their life together. She shouldn't fault him for almost nine years of marriage that he wasn't trying to be a good husband, but sometimes Tasuki's brash grin came to mind when she was sad these few times….

 

“Well, Saito's giving me that look if you know what I mean!” Yui giggled over the line and Miaka smiled fondly.

“You two are still in the honeymoon state, hmm?” The once Suzaku no miko teased. Yui gave a sharp exclamation of surprise.

“Well, I had better go, or you'll hear something you really shouldn't!” Yui giggled. “Good night, Miaka.”

 

“Good night, Yui-chan! Tell Saito-san hello for me.” Miaka smiled. Clicking off the phone, she watched her husband and son. Hiroshi's shoulder-length dark hair was the same shade as his father's and Miaka hugged Taka's leg, watching them both. When Taka nudged her with his leg and murmured for her to stop distracting him, Miaka's mind drifted to firey passionate eyes and lips that seared her mind from conscious thought.

 

* * * *

 

Asakura watched his twin brother across of the apartment. For a change, Yui was not home, and it was just the two of them as it used to be. Asakura was ashamed he would even for a moment in his mind be vindictive for the time alone with his brother, and resolved not to let any bad feelings towards Yui show or at all. He knew he truly enjoyed her company even if Saito liked being with her even more.

 

“How's the girl angle? Any prospects?” Saito asked, stretching his long legs in front of him. Asakura laid an ankle over his knee and regarded his twin. As of late Saito had been doing stretches and exercises in the rare instances he was home without Yui. Asakura was a little amused that where he and his brother were trim young men, his twin would even for a moment think he needed to keep in shape.

 

“You know how it is, Aniki! Not much luck over here. Now you on the other hand,” Asakura teased. Saito blushed and laughed.

“What do you think about Yui living here anyway? I know I really didn't ask you…I just asked her to live with me. With us,” Saito corrected. Asakura sighed.

 

“That's not bothering me, Aniki, it's something else,” Asakura murmured. Saito sat up and crossed his ankles together.

“What is it?” But Saito was sure what his twin was going to say.

 

“I've been dreaming, Aniki…. and I'm sure it's not just that tense. I think it's remembering something….” Asakura began carefully. Saito tried to laugh it off weakly. Did his brother know? About the blood on his hands?

“Sure, I've been dreaming too. I mean, everyone dreams at night, you know?” Saito said weakly. Asakura shook his head, frowning.

 

“No. About another time before this one. We still knew each other, so you may have gotten it confused. But, Aniki, I'm talking about a whole `nother life….”

Saito stared at his brother. “So you do know….” He whispered. Asakura nodded.

“I'm starting to believe in other lives because we certainly know each other many times! Do you know what I mean, brother? We were…”

 

Saito clasped his brother's shoulders in his hands. “I don't know what we were! But this is all too strange! Please don't say anything to Yui about it…..promise me!”

 

“But, Aniki..” Asakura's shoulder burned beneath his brother's hand. “I already talked to her about it!”

 

“You….”

 

The front door opened and Yui called out a greeting. Both brothers turned to regard the counselor as she took off her shoes and set her briefcase down.

Asakura settled his hands over his brother's and squeezed. Saito gave him an anguished look and let go.

 

“I was just talking with Miaka! And…. What's wrong?” Yui asked, noticing the twin's expression as they watched her shake her long hair loose from her bun.

“Yui, Asakura told me he talked to you about…. our dreams,” Saito said seriously. His eyes were hurting orbs reflecting his anxiety. Yui swallowed and made her way forward into the living room.

 

“What is it you dreamed, Saito?” she asked. Saito gasped with relief that she still loved him, for her palm reached out and stroked his cheek tenderly. Asakura looked away.

“About….before,” he whispered. Yui held his face with her hands and reached up to kiss him.

 

“Asakura told me some of his memories. What do you know from before?” Yui asked, taking his hand and leading him to the couch. She may as well have kept her hair up. She had some more work to do.

 

“Yui…. “ Saito's eyes were anguished. “Do you really…love me?”

Yui's eyes filled with tears and she hugged him tightly. “Of course I do! I always did...”

Saito's shoulders began to shake and muffled sniffles filled the room. Yui rubbed his shoulders.

“Oh Saito… don't cry!” Yui whispered soothingly.

 

Asakura smiled and left the room.

 

* * * *

 

The next day at school, Naisen confessed to Sadako during recess about what had happened. About the light, and more than what he had told Hiroshi. Hiroshi was across the playground, running interference with Toya apparently to give the two privacy. The tall blond leaned against the brick building, the slender girl at his side hugging her knees.

And Sadako knew, she knew that as strange as it sounded, Naisen had done what he said he had.

 

“You really hurt that bad man? Well he deserved it,” Sadako tried to assure her friend. Naisen shook his head, long blond hair flying.

“But it hurt my feelings so badly even if he deserved it. Sadako-chan, how can you stand to be near me after I hurt someone like that? I really hurt him…..”

 

“Naisen-kun…” Sadako began.

 

“I could hurt you…an Hiroshi an Toya….” Naisen whispered fearfully. Sadako turned Naisen's face to her and kissed him shortly on the lips. Naisen stared at her, his eyes bugged out.

 

“What did you do that for?” he breathed. Sadako flushed and smiled shyly.

“Seemed like the right thing. And I liked doing it,” she confessed. Naisen smiled kindly, his blue eyes twinkling.

 

“Well it helped me anyway…” Naisen said. Sadako blushed and put her hand over his.

 

“Hey, is this still a private party or what!” Toya demanded, running up. Sadako took her hand from Naisen's. Hiroshi walked up behind the dramatic boy, his dark eyes shining with hidden knowledge. Naisen blushed and looked away as he nodded knowingly at him and Sadako.

 

“No, and it's good to see you, Toya-kun,” Sadako smiled evenly. Toya flipped the ends of his long hair and sniffed, but Naisen could tell he didn't do it to truly snub her. He just enjoyed being the prettiest one in the group.

“Well, what's the mystery, Naisen-kun? And why can't I know?” Toya asked, plopping down on the concrete at Naisen's other side. Hiroshi sat cross-legged in front of the trio of Seiryu reincarnations.

 

“It's about someone Naisen had to fight,” Hiroshi said gently when Naisen's mouth pressed together in a firm line. Sadako pressed her hand over his gently, unseen by Toya's sharp slanted eyes.

 

“So? I'm sure you won then,” Toya said flippantly. Naisen sighed, and looked at his knees. His eyes were so sad…

 

“I don't like to fight. I can't hurt other people again….” Naisen whispered. Sadako squeezed his hand.

 

Hiroshi was silent but when he spoke, traces of Miaka's wisdom were in his words. “Sometimes it's okay to fight, if something you love is being threatened.”

 

End for now

Like it? Hate it? Please above all else, review. It is crack for writers.

 

Most sincerely penpaninu 12/13/05