Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction ❯ Suzaku no Saiai ❯ Chapter 7

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

Suzaku no Saiai





Part VII







Standard disclaimer: Fushigi Yuugi is copyrighted by Watase Yuu, Shogakukan, TV Tokyo,
Movic, and Studio Pierrot, and maybe some other people, if I forgot anyone.^^; Anyway,
please don't sue, me. I'm just a poor college student. Kourin and Jin Feng were created by
me, but I'm not responsible for their actions in this fanfic. I can't control them
anymore! If you think you might be more successful controlling them, feel free to borrow
them. Just drop me a line at jscaife@austin.rr.com to let me know.



Kourin wrinkled her brow thoughtfully. "The other three clans wouldn't happen to
be the green tortoise, the bengal tiger, and the white dragon, would they?" At
Taiitsukun's nod she took a deep breath. "My ancestress was Suzaku's beloved, ne? And
I am her reincarnation? How does Jin Feng fit into this?"

"She is your unclaimed immortality," the creator answered. "When you
healed Nuriko she is responsible for the seishi sign appearing on your neck, marking you
as belonging to Suzaku. I don't know why she didn't just use her own sign though. It would
have saved a lot of confusion!"

The girl's face darkened, and she looked down at her feet. "Anou...Taiitsukun,
what about Hotohori? He loves me and wants me to be his empress."

"Throw away your feelings for him now, Kourin-chan!" the creator ordered
harshly. "Your destiny is elsewhere. If you persist in holding onto your feelings
both of you will suffer and perhaps even be punished for it." Besides, Taiitsukun
thought to herself, the rivalry between the seishi who love her could destroy Suzaku's
side before Konan even has to face Kutou! The girl must go with Suzaku, for now! I
thought these things were over after Miaka made her choice!

A stubborn look crossed Kourin's face. "And what if I choose to take Suzaku's
punishment rather than lose the warm encompassing love that I have been searching
for?" she challenged.

Taiitsukun finally lost her temper with the obstinate girl and slapped her across the
face like she'd been a Nyan Nyan. Kourin clutched her throbbing cheek and looked at
Taiitsukun in surprise. "That was to teach you to respect those with more
knowledge than you!" Taiitsukun snapped. "You're nineteen years old; stop acting
like a spoiled child and grow up!" The girl opened her mouth to protest, but the
creator cut her off with a curt gesture. "Do you even realize what it means to be
Hotohori's wife, the Empress of Konan? It means that everything you say, every move you
make, is scrutinized and criticized. The Empress must be an example to the people of
Konan, but right now I don't think you're strong enough! Also, because Nuriko and Hotohori
both love you there's tension between them. If you clearly choose one over the other you
are capable of destroying the Suzaku seishi and any hope for peace! Is that what you want,
Kourin?!"

The girl shuffled her feet and shook her head slowly. "I never wanted to hurt
anyone," she said softly. "I just wanted to be happy...but it seems everything I
touch is destroyed: my family...Konan...maybe even the four kingdoms themselves." She
looked up, and her eyes burned with mystical golden light. "It seems the only thing I
can do is consider what Suzaku wants of me."

"Wai! Wai!" a SD Jin Feng cried enthusiastically, glomping Kourin's leg.
"We're gonna me-erge!"

Kourin desperately tried to pry the now child-like phoenix woman off. "Don't jump
to conclusions! I only said that I'd think about it."

She woke up in an unfamiliar room. The smell of medicine and worry permeated the air,
and there were other signs that someone had been deathly ill. She turned her head slightly
and unsuccessfully tried to fight back a groan. Her whole body felt so heavy!

Nuriko was jolted out of his shallow doze by the slight sound. He jumped up and ran to
the side of the bed. He gently clasped the sick girl's hand. "Daijoubu,
Kourin-chan," Nuriko murmured softly. "I'm back. I promised I wouldn't leave
you." Not counting the fact that I can't leave thanks to Jin Feng, the young
man thought wryly.

To his surprise and delight, "Since when was I 'Kourin-chan'," the sick girl
protested weakly with only a shadow of her customary asperity. "I was enjoying
'Kourin-sama' myself."

He carefully gathered her in his arms for an enthusiastic hug. "You're finally
awake!"

"What do you mean 'finally awake'?" Kourin asked quizzically. "I just
met Hotohori a few hours ago, ne?"

Nuriko shook his head gravely. "We had a terrible argument after you met Hotohori,
and you stomped out. About five minutes later I found you passed out in the walkway. I
brought you here and ran to find a doctor. By the time we returned you were having fever
induced hallucinations. The doctor didn't want to risk moving you, so I've been taking
care of you for the past week."

"I've been like this for the past week?" the girl asked incredulously.
"What did the doctor say was wrong?"

"He said that you'd simply overextended your chi, using more than your body
naturally created, and only bedrest would cure it," Nuriko shrugged. "Hotohori's
come to see you every day," he added reluctantly. "He's worried about you a
lot."

Kourin painfully turned her back to him. "It doesn't matter now," she
whispered sadly and curled into a ball. Nuriko sucked in his breath and put one hand next
to her head and placed his face level with hers.

"What do you mean 'it doesn't matter now'?" he demanded. "Last time I
checked you were madly in love with Hotohori, but now his taking time out of his busy
schedule as emperor isn't important?!"

Kourin curled up even more tightly and let the hot tears flow silently down her cheeks.
She could never explain to Nuriko why her attitude had changed so radically. She squeezed
her eyes shut, hoping the young man would just disappear. The room was silent except for
the sound of metal sliding against leather...

"I suggest you leave her alone," Hotohori commanded icily.

Kourin opened her eyes in a flash. The young emperor stood imposingly at the edge of
the bed with the tip of his sword at Nuriko's throat. The purple-haired seishi carefully
climbed off the bed, conscious of the lethal blade.

"In fact I think it would be best if you left," the Emperor continued, and
icy fire flashed in his beautiful liquid eyes.

Nuriko gulped. Damn that Jin Feng! he cursed mentally. "I'm afraid I can't do
that, Hotohori-sama," he said levelly.

The perfect royal eyebrows lifted. "I see. Guards! Remove this man
immediately!"

Kourin stared at the scene in fascination. This was a Hotohori she'd never seen! In
place of the gentle, lonely, loving man, he had become the imposing, regal emperor of
Konan. Maybe this is what Taiitsukun meant about me not being ready, she thought sadly.
I'm not the right woman to support this man.

"Matte yo!" Nuriko cried as the guards grabbed him and began pulling him
away. "Kourin and I are..." He was dragged out the door before he could finish.

Hotohori sat down on the side of the bed. "I brought you a present," he
smiled eagerly, once again the lonely young man. He pulled a stuffed animal from behind
his back and awkwardly thrust it towards Kourin. "I hope you like it."

The girl took the small stuffed creature in her hands. "It's a teddy bear,"
she said in surprise, "but where did you get one here?"

The young emperor blushed and shifted uncomfortably. "Actually Miaka gave it to
me," he confided in embarrassment, "but I thought that it might provide you with
some company when I'm not here."

Kourin couldn't hold back her delighted smile, and she hugged the stuffed bear tightly.
"Do you think Saihitei would be a good name?" she teased. Forgive me,
Taiitsukun, but I can't help myself!

The guards had succeeded in dragging Nuriko across the courtyard when the chest pains
became so strong he was forced to his knees. "Kuso!" he swore angrily.
"Kourin's not strong enough!" Ignoring the jabs and kicks from the guards Nuriko
began to crawl back across the courtyard. One guard grabbed him and lifted the young man
to face level.

"Listen, I don't care that you're a Suzaku seishi," he said firmly. "The
Emperor said not to let you back in there."

Nuriko's temper snapped. "You idiotic fool! If I just wanted to cause trouble I
wouldn't bother trying to get back in there! Kourin, the Emperor's beloved, will be
seriously injured if I don't get back in there now!"

The guard looked unimpressed and began hauling Nuriko back towards the dungeon. The
young man nearly passed out from the increased pressure in his chest just as an agonizing
female scream rang out across the courtyard.

Hotohori gazed on in horror as Kourin's already fragile body was wracked with
excruciating spasms. She gasped for air, and, finally, a scream labouriously escaped her
lips.

"Get me in there now!" Nuriko commanded breathlessly. Wordlessly, the guard
obeyed, carrying his captive back towards the room.

The Emperor looked up as the guard returned with Nuriko dangling from his beefy fist.
"He was supposed to be taken to the dungeon," he stated pointedly.

"I know what's wrong with Kourin," Nuriko sputtered. Why can't I breath yet?
he thought anxiously. I'm back in the range of the bond.

"I want you to kiss her," Jin Feng's voice whispered teasingly.

"I can't do that!" Nuriko thought back urgently. "Hotohori will kill me
for sure! What are you doing in my head again anyway?"

"Make up an excuse," the phoenix woman said flippantly, ignoring Nuriko's
question. "You're a bright boy."

Nuriko tried to take a deep breath. "Could you carry me to the bed?" he asked
his captor hesitantly. The guard clomped across the few remaining feet and unceremoniously
dumped him on the floor. Grasping the edge of the bed Nuriko struggled to reach a kneeling
position. After several long minutes he finally reached his goal. Now came the hard part.

Using his legendary strength Nuriko caught the girl's flailing arms and pulled himself
onto the bed. He paled under Hotohori's questioning gaze and mumbled weakly, "
Anou...chi transfer..." The Emperor nodded, apparently, satisfied, and sat back.
Nuriko gulped and bent his head. What type of kiss did it have to be anyway?

"No chaste little pecks on the cheeks or lips!" Jin Feng threatened. "I
want a real kiss, so those don't count."

The young man mentally groaned. I was afraid of that.

He caressed Kourin's lips gently with his own before covering them entirely. His chest
began to release, and he could feel the girl's spasms lessen, but they still wouldn't
stop. Fearing the worst Nuriko forced his tongue through the slight gap in her lips.
Kourin's mouth had retained the subtle spicy flavour he remembered from their previous
kisses. There were no foreign tastes, and Nuriko felt gratified by the thought that
Hotohori hadn't kissed Kourin. The tightness in his chest faded completely, but lost in
the pleasant sensations Nuriko didn't even notice. Suddenly, he felt a sharp chi 'zap',
and he jumped back startled.

"I'm fine now, so you can stop sharing your spit," Kourin said acidly, but
she smiled to soften her words.

"How did you know what to do?" Hotohori asked in awe. "Sugoi,
Nuriko!"

"It's just a technique I saw used once," the purple-haired seishi said
off-handedly, "and I thought it might work." He moved away from the bed slowly,
but the toy in Kourin's arms caught his eye. "Hey, that's Miaka's bear, isn't
it?"

Kourin held it out and said, "Hotohori gave him to me. He thinks I need Miaka's
sunny disposition more than him right now." She looked at Hotohori coyly. "I
still think Saihitei's a nice name for him."

"Miaka called it 'Keisuke' after her oniisan," Nuriko said curtly. "I
think you should keep its original name." He sat gingerly on the couch that had been
brought in to be used as a bed and tried to ignore the feelings that Kourin's kiss had
aroused. How can Jin Feng constantly manipulate me into these situations? he thought
miserably. Kourin's not meant for any mortal man's bride, but...

"I like you better than I like him," Jin Feng's sweet voice whispered in his
ear.

"Are you talking in my mind again?" the young man queried, exhaustedly.

"No, I'm here; you just can't see me," the phoenix woman replied. "Don't
worry; they can't hear us."

"Why don't you like Hotohori?" Nuriko asked, allowing his curiousity full
rein. "He's a kind, gentle man, and he loves her with his entire being."

Jin Feng played with her hair before answering. "I've discovered that I really
like Kourin quite a bit. She has fire and life to her, not to mention strength of
character and will. Sharing a body with her won't be hard. I mean we're so close in
personality that she only gains the powers of an immortal and loses nothing! Hotohori
dampens that spark in her; the type of love she feels for him makes her docile. You,
on the other hand, fan Kourin's inner flame to its full potential."

"That's because we fight all the time," Nuriko pointed out drily. "I'm
an annoyance to her."

"Are you really that blind?" Jin Feng asked in surprise. "Haven't you
realized the truth yet?"

"Enlighten me," the young man drawled. "You seem to know everything
anyway."

"There's a strong physical attraction between you two!" the golden woman
exploded in exasperation. "Sure, Kourin thinks she loves him, but deep down inside
it's only because Suzaku told her to return to Konan. The silly fool thinks she wants a
calm, dependable man, but after a month of marriage she'd be bored stiff! She needs a man
who'll keep her on her toes!"

"Chotto matte!" Nuriko broke in. "If Kourin's destined to rise to the
heaven's and join Suzaku it doesn't matter whether she's attracted to me or not!"

Jin Feng suddenly stepped through a transparent door of air. "It matters a great
deal,"" she murmured huskily, "because I intend to enjoy my mortal
existence to the fullest." She strode towards him purposefully, and Nuriko felt like
a trapped animal. The stunning phoenix woman ran her hands through his thick purple hair
and smiled. "I think she may just be a tiny bit jealous of me," and she kissed
him.

Nuriko stiffened in shock, and then his mind went completely blank. Afterwards he was
never entirely sure about what had happened, but he did remember Jin Feng making a strange
gesture and thinking, "Now she's bound to me as well for the moment and can
experience everything I do..."

Kourin had the odd sensation that someone was kissing her, but the only person in the
room was Hotohori, sitting sedately next to the bed. Suddenly, her ears picked up the
faint echoes of a woman's sensuous laugh, and then, "Nuriko darling," her
immortal doppelgänger's voice purred, "let's make her really jealous, shall
we?"

Kourin scowled. Somehow Jin Feng had made her way into the outside world. Jealous, huh?
Kourin would show that meddling phoenix woman jealous! She threw her arms around
Hotohori's neck, trying to ignore the intense pain. I don't care what Taiitsukun said! she
thought bitterly. If Nuriko can mess around with Jin Feng, I can love Hotohori.

Hotohori froze under the sudden onslaught of affection from his beloved. His mind
refused to function, but his body instinctively reacted when her burning lips touched his.
The normally reserved young emperor had discovered his skill at lovemaking in the
dreamworld, and he mentally thanked Suzaku, later of course, after the testosterone rush
had worn off. For the time being he tightened his embrace possessively and let his
hormones take control.

"Look at her!" Nuriko gasped in agitation. "She has no shame! None
whatsoever! What if someone came in?"

"The Emperor's made it fairly clear that Kourin is his chosen empress," Jin
Feng pointed out. "We did manage to arouse her anger and jealousy though."

"It wasn't supposed to send her rushing into Hotohori's waiting arms!" the
young man accused piteously.

"So I messed up a little!" the phoenix woman snapped. "I didn't expect
her to be quite that contrary! Ja, Ryuu-chan, I can't sustain this form any
longer."

Kourin's eyes widened as Nuriko slowly reappeared on the sofa. He's been there the
whole time? she questioned herself. Jin Feng must have more power than I realized. She
demurely pushed Hotohori away and cast her gaze downward. "I...I'm sorry, Hotohori,
but I just don't feel comfortable now that Nuriko's back."

Hotohori smiled indulgently. "Daijoubu, Kourin. Intimacy is something that should
be kept between two people."

"Don't you have any imperial paperwork to do?" Nuriko scowled blackly.
"I think that your fianceé and I need to talk."

Hotohori struggled against the impulse to take action against the other young man's
words, when a hand on his arm restrained him. Kourin had managed to sit upright, and her
eyes seemed a little icy. Gomen, Hotohori, but I have to push you away... "I think
you should leave now," she stated cooly. "There is no need for you to stay any
longer."

Confusion flitted over the young emperor's face, but the strength of his imperial
training quickly enforced a façade of composure. "As you wish, Kourin," he
answered neutrally. "Shall I join you for dinner this evening?"

A look of disgust passed over the girl's face, and in a tone as if she were speaking to
a very young, very stupid child, she replied, "If you insist."

"I think that you should rest," Hotohori said almost curtly. Turning on his
heel Konan's young emperor glided away, regal and bewildered.

Like an agitated cat Nuriko shook out his purple mane and stalked to the bed. His
entire body was tense and angry energy exuded from his pores in waves. Unheeding Kourin's
weakened state he slammed her up against the headboard.

"What the fuck happened while you were passed out?!" he demanded.
"You woke up saying that it didn't make any difference how much you and Hotohori
loved each other. Then you were 'sharing spit', as you charmingly put it, with him as if
you had to merge with him here and now! Two seconds later you dismissed him as if he were
merely an annoyance or inconvenience to you. I'm pretty sure that Hotohori's confused as
hell, and I know that I am!"

"It's none of your business!" Kourin snapped, and the sign on her neck began
to glow as her chi elevated due to her anger. "The one who needs to do some
explaining is you Mr. 'Let's make Kourin jealous'!"

"That wasn't my idea!" Nuriko protested, turning red.

"Prove it!" Kourin demanded.

"I won't unless you give me a good reason for your behaviour!" the Suzaku
seishi threatened, bring his face close to the girl's.

Kourin started to raise her hand, but Nuriko pinned her wrist like a knife pinning a
butterfly. Her eyes became frantic like a caged animal's, but she managed to force,
"Let go of me right now, Nuriko!" past her lips.

"Oh, the romantic tension is just killing me!" a third voice
interjected from across the room. "This is the part where the hero and heroine
get so angry that they end up all over each other, ne?"

Two pairs of eyes, one brown, one burgandy, turned in shock. Jin Feng was casually
perched on Nuriko's vanity, filing her nails. She smiled brightly. "I was lonely, so
I thought I'd come out to play with you kids."




Glossary



Wai --interjection indicating excitement.
daijoubu -- it's okay, all right
-chan and -sama -- Chan is a suffix to names that implies closeness or that
something is small or cute, sama indicates that the person is above you in status
ne -- a question particle similar to how we use, 'right?'in English
chi -- Life energy like the Force in Star Wars
Kuso -- shit
sugoi -- Wow, awesome, cool^^
Oniisan -- older brother
chotto matte -- Wait a minute









Questions? Comments? Suggestions?

Let's go back to the
stories page...this girl is nuts.^^;

This particular bit of
madness intrigues me. More, more!

© 1997 jscaife@austin.rr.com