Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction ❯ Return of Evil ❯ Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Years of praying and wishing still haven't allowed me to stake the claim of owning Fushigi Yuugi. Yuu Watase has all tights to Fushigi Yuugi. I'm borrowing the characters and have no intention of returning Hotohori!!

Chapter 4

In front of Miaka's house, Hotohori recognized it as the house he first passed and found familiar. Sighing, he watched the front door open to reveal a woman and a young man. He maintained a regal posture, as the two members demanded to know what happened.

Hotohori calmly, revealed, "She's been wounded."

His heart wondered who the man and woman are. The woman must have been Miaka's mother. His heart raced at the thought of meeting Miaka's, the Priestess of Suzaku's mother. But his heart stopped at the thought of who the young man could be. The young man was about his age.

The woman and man both expressed their concern and who Hotohori thought was Miaka's mother cried, "Miaka are you okay? What happened?!"

The young man widened his eyes at Hotohori and pointed out, "I have an outfit just like that!"

Miaka tried to calm them down, addressing the woman as her mother and the young man as her brother. Hotohori breathed a sigh of relief.

Miaka laughed, "Can we come in so I can get my wound looked after, first?"

Hotohori brought the Priestess inside the house. Miaka's mother led them into the drawing room. Her brother told them that he could lay his sister on the couch. Trying to hide his confusion, Hotohori looked around the room for a couch. Miaka whispered in his ear to place her on the chair-bed covered in cloth with three seats. Finding the furniture, he laid her down on it. Out of habit, Hotohori gave orders for Miaka's treatment. He commanded Miaka's mother to get something to clean the wound and some salve to treat the wound. Then, he instructed her brother to get some clean towels. At first, they stared in surprise in being treated in such a manner. But, Miaka smiled and asked them to listen to him. They shook their heads out of their trance and went to get the items.

Alone, Hotohori asked, "Are you in much pain, Miaka?"

She winced, slightly, "I'm fine, you don't have to do this."

He smiled, "Miaka, you are the Priestess of Suzaku and I'm your seishi, sworn to protect you."

Her eyes fell in disappointment at his rationalization.

He added, "Even if I weren't your seishi, I would protect you."

Looking up at him, she asked, "Why?"

With a serious look on his face, he replied, "Because, Miaka…"

Before he can finish, a voice announced, "Here you are, sir."

Both turned around and found her mother holding a bottle of rubbing alcohol and some ointment for the cut. Hotohori hesitantly took the alcohol and tried to pull off the top. In the meantime, her brother came back with clean towels. Miaka giggled, watching Hotohori struggle while tugging at the cap of the bottle. She took a hold of Hotohori's hand and gently pulled it, with the bottle, towards her. Unscrewing the cap, she watched the amazement on Hotohori's face. Quickly recovering, he turned to Miaka's brother and took one of the towels and dabbed it with alcohol. He placed it on Miaka's wound to clean it. He froze when Miaka gave a cry of pain.

Concerned, he inquired, "What's wrong?"

Breathing heavily, Miaka felt her head hurt, as her breathing shortened, and she became dizzy. Hotohori gently placed his hand behind Miaka's neck and pulled her to him in comfort. Miaka was unconscious by the time she was in Hotohori's arms.

Miaka's mother cried, "Miaka, wake up!"

Hotohori, slowly, removed the alcohol soaked towel, while gently shaking Miaka awake and calling her name. Miaka's eyes fluttered slowly and she found herself waking up in Hotohori's arms. A red colour flushed her cheeks.

In a small voice, she announced, "Umm…I'm awake now."

Teary-eyed, Hotohori looked at her and could only laugh, "Miaka, are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine."

The look that passed between the priestess and her seishi didn't go unnoticed by her mother and brother.

Miaka looked at her wound and wondered aloud, "What happened? Why does it sting so much?"

Hotohori could only hug her more tightly. He realized the cut was not as superficial as he first thought. A shocked mother and brother stood speechless, realizing that there was more of a history between the two. Hotohori recommenced cleaning her wound. After the wound was cleaned, Miaka rested from the loss of blood. When Miaka fell asleep, Miaka's mother turned to Hotohori.

"I am quite surprised to meet you, Tamahome. Miaka said that she had a hard time trying to bring you here to meet us."

Hotohori faced the mother of the Priestess of Suzaku. She thought he was Tamahome?

She continued, "Has the marriage ceremony taken place already? I remember Miaka leaving last week to announce her marriage to you but she couldn't figure out how to bring you here. Yet here you are in front of my eyes."

Finally finding his voice, Hotohori croaked out, "Figure out how to bring me here?"

"Yes, she told me that you both went to an old lady on top of a mountain with Chichiri, the Emperor. The stories she tells of you just show how much she really loves you."

Hotohori raised an eyebrow.

"I'm sorry. You have us confused. Chichiri did not come with us that time."

"Is that so? Miaka said that someone had two names. Something like Saiheitei and Tamahome. So you can understand how I might lose track of names."

Hotohori lost control of his emotions in front of another for the first time. A scarlet colour flushed his face and neck.

He tried to speak in a royal manner, "Tamahome is still in Konan. My real name is Saiheitei. But I am called Hotohori."

This time she blushed, "I am sorry. I-I thought that since you came with Miaka and you looked so in love…I feel foolish now."

Hotohori winced realizing that he was indeed not the one who was engaged to Miaka. Before he could say anything, her mother threw out a question.

"How did you meet my daughter, then, Mr. Hotohori?"

Hotohori thought Should I reveal Miaka's secret?

His mind repeated her words, "I would have to explain you. No one has time for that!"

He wondered if she ever meant to explain Konan and the rest of her seishi. Her mother seemed to have time for the explanation. Also, Miaka was the Priestess of Suzaku and he didn't want to compromise her honesty. So he decided to tell the truth.

He began, "I met her when she…"

Before he could finish his sentence, a red bird leaving a trail of red glittering light surrounded him and the sleeping priestess.