Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction ❯ The Ties that Bind ❯ The Best Laid Schemes of Mice and Men, Often Go Awry ( Chapter 2 )

Author's Notes: Enjoy it...unfortunately Suboshi doesn't play a part...yet. :D but he shall sometime soon...possibly...the next one? ;x

The small cottage in Sairou was the home of three. A mother, a father, and their only son -- Kai-Ka. Night provided the trio with peaceful rest...well sort of. True, the parents were slumbering soundly in their beds, but Kai-Ka had been tossing and turning listlessly in his sleep until he eventually woke in a cold sweat. Crystalline oculars were wide, glistening in the faint light that snaked it's way into the tiny chamber. A quiet breath of relief was released once he realized it had only been a dream and he leaned forward on that patchwork quilt to relax.

"I don't know why it gets to me..." Kai-Ka thought aloud. "I've been having the same dream for months and it still does."

There was nothing more haunting than repetitive dreams, especially when those dreams made absolutely no sense. They were all the same, always involving him and a second him. It began when they were little. And all around them there was a muddled choking heat with no direct source. As it progressed, the events became more complex until they hit a climax. The same climax that ended with him falling into the raging rapids of a torrent river. That was the point he always woke at, never knowing whether he died or even if the dream had an end to it. What odd things would he see if he never disrupted his subconscious? Kai-Ka wasn't sure that he even wanted to find out.

Those legs swung over the opposite side of the bed and he pushed himself up to his feet. A tunic of powdery blue was quickly fastened over his bare torso and he spared a glance toward the mirror on his wall. For a slight moment, it seemed as though his reflection had been someone else. He dismissed the thought easily and fingers worked to comb through those light brown strands, smoothing them down to a decent tousled state. He brought a dark blue headband over his forehead and after he deemed himself suitable to leave, he slipped on the black shoes, grasping a wooden flute off the stand beside his bed. Whenever his mind was clouded, he found it most soothing to go out deep into the forest and play a rather sad, yet familiar tune.

Kai-Ka quietly eased out of his room, glancing around the hall. Seeing that he was safe to go, he tiptoed to the main door, opening it silently and closing it the same. The last thing he ever wanted to do was worry his family. They had taken care of him all his life. Well, he was fairly certain they had. His memory was fogged over, and the early years of his life were a complete blur. He never mentioned any of that to his mother or father, not wanting to burden them with his own inability to recall such trivial things. Kai-Ka just assumed that there was a good reason behind it and that maybe...he didn't really want to remember the past.

The fifteen year old followed the normal trail up to the woods. Webs of branches forced the moon's light to spill over the ground in puddles, illuminating various areas, yet masking others mostly in shadow. A few owls cried from up in their trees and others flapped their wings in warning to the trespasser, though he didn't seem to heed any of them. Twigs snapped easily beneath his weight until he managed to bring himself to his secret spot-- a clear patch where the trees circled around a grassy field somewhere in the center of the forest. Kai-Ka moved over toward the vacant tree-stump and he plopped down upon the smooth surface, bringing one knee against his chest. The heel of that very foot was relaxing on the edge of the 'seat' and his forearm leaned on that leg as he raised the flute to his lips. Pursing those tiers just slightly, some air filled the instrument with sound. Soon that sound took notes and then those notes became a melody.

The owls inclined their heads in his direction and one would swear that they were fascinated by the song. A couple of those nocturnal creatures even flew closer, hooting in encouragement. If such a bird had human feelings, they may have been a bit regretful that they were trying to chase the youth away earlier. Some crickets chirped along with Kai-Ka's requiem, though their idea of music was far different from the young flutist's. But, he didn't mind the accompaniment. As a matter of fact, he didn't really even notice it. Things seemed to be fading away in a sea of calm--just like he had intended when he left in the first place.

"Aniki...?"

The melody stopped abruptly and Kai-Ka looked around in every direction. The voice he just heard sounded so near, yet distant. It was almost as if it rang inside his mind. But when he tried to listen for it again, he only heard the buzz of a couple insects and chatter of a few more animals in response. He frowned somewhat in disappointment and then pushed himself off of the stump. What had the voice said again? 'Aniki';'big brother?' Why did it seem so familiar to him?

Suddenly, a rustling in the brush brought him out of his thoughts. His body tensed up and a heavy tightness squeezed at his chest. Perhaps he was a bit eager to see if this was the one who called him 'aniki,' though as the noise grew louder, he began to doubt it. Kai-Ka was sure that this was going to be some sort of night-dwelling beast. A hand crept to the side, gathering a sturdy twig as his only weapon of defense. The branches parted and the lad's eyes were transfixed on what appeared before him. As the creature stepped out into the light, he knew that it was not a monster, but rather--

"Yui! Are you still awake in there?"

The pencil dropped with surprise, falling to the floor with a quiet clink. Yui sighed as she was pulled out of her project and turned her attention to the door, "Un...I was working on something for school."

"At this time in the morning? Go to bed, Yui. You have to get up early tomorrow, after all. It can't be healthy for you to not get enough sleep."

The girl heard the footsteps move in the opposite direction and then she pursed her lips, raising the writing utensil slowly. Upon examining the tip, she saw that it had broken when it clattered against the desk. Well, she wouldn't have been able to continue even if she wanted to. So, she set the pencil down across the paper and began to shed the day's clothing. It all was instantly replaced by blue-colored flannel pajama's. Yui climbed into bed, pulling the blankets over herself. One hand reached over to turn off the lamp beside her, and the darkness settled over the room once that light source was extinguished.

It flooded the farthest corners, crawling along in blocky patches across the floor. The silence was almost the same, so quiet that Yui could hear her own breath intake. Though, the steady sounds of inhaling and exhaling didn't seem to bother her. Yui's mind was mostly on what she had just written. It came to her so easily that it was almost disturbing. The pictures in her mind turned to words on paper so freely and without thought which made her wonder if her writing skills had improved since the previous year. Yui never fancied herself much of a writer, but she wouldn't dwell on that anymore. Before long, she was fast asleep.

Morning arrived in Tokyo (or rather just the sun was starting to rise, for Yui had been awake when morning technically began). The sky outside had gone from black to purple and finally pink. Golden rays crept relentlessly through the bedroom window and the fifteen year old rolled over on her side with a groan. Her mother had a point about going to sleep earlier and Yui wished she had gotten even more sleep still. Laggardly, she got up and began to prepare her things; though, she couldn't help but sit down and reread what she had written the night before. Once she got to the end of the page, her lips set together. Just 'who' had arrived there with Amiboshi? And how was she supposed to pick up from there, when she had no idea what was going to happen herself?

She didn't really have the time to sit there and brainstorm, however. Without further thought, she stuffed the beginning of her project into that knapsack as well as 'The Universe of the Four Gods.' Dressing herself in the typical Yotsubadai school uniform, Yui gathered all her things and departed from the room to finish preparing for school. She, of course, needed to catch a ride with her Mom, therefore she had to hurry. Breakfast had been long-since prepared, but she skipped that, much rather dealing with her hair and makeup. It was a good thing too, for once she finished, her mother was waiting beside the door.

The way there hadn't been too long and before she knew it, she was at Yotsubadai. She said 'good-bye' to her mother and then started across the campus. In the parking lot, Yui noticed Taka's familiar black car. Miaka was standing outside his window, talking to him about something or other. After giving each other little kisses, the girl stepped back, waving cheerfully as the her boyfriend sped away. Gleeful as she always was, Miaka bounded forward, nearly skipping to the school. Though, she almost immediately spotted her best friend and scurried over to her with a frantic wave.

Yui shook her head in amusement, "What's got you so happy this morning, Miaka?"

"I had a really good breakfast!" Came the response.

She sweatdropped, "Typical Miaka. Anything to do with food excites her."

They began to walk up the stone steps, passing various students on the way. A few even waved in their general direction and the girls returned the greetings, stopping at their lockers which were conveniently right beside each other.

"Yui-chan?"

"Nani?"

Miaka paused and hesitated a moment, "Did you...come by last night and get the 'Universe of the Four Gods?' "

Yui raised her brows, "Un...I did."

"Why?"

Glancing back over at her friend, she could see the ex-Suzakuu no Miko wore an expression of curiosity. This made Yui frown and just silently shuffle through books and papers, stuffing them neatly in her locker, "Because I needed it for a project."

"Demo, Oniichan said--"

"I'm not using it for anything but the project!" She narrowed her eyes, not liking the suspicion at all.

There was a heavy silence, followed up by a quick utterance from Miaka, "Gomen, Yui-chan."

"Ie...it's all right. It's just..." Yui closed the locker door and leaned against it. "It's just...I suppose I miss them. It's a horrible thing to say about people like Nakago. But, I don't hate him. As I said before, I could never hate him. Demo, what if I could change things for him and...Suboshi?"

"What do you mean?"

"So many hardships have befallen them. Maybe if I could make things happier for them, I could have really fulfilled my duties as the Seiryuu no Miko."

"But, Yui-chan. In order to do that, you'd have to bring them back to life. And what if...what if Nakago comes out of there again?"

"I was only using Nakago as an example. What I really wanted to do was reunite Suboshi with Amiboshi. Is something as little as that so wrong?"

"Not...in theory. But what if something bad does happen?"

A small grin crossed Yui's lips, "But I'm the one controlling it Miaka. Now, we'd better go or we'll be late for class."

The morning periods were rather dull and by the time lunch came around, Yui ducked out and headed to the sanctuary of the library. A few students were studying and others were crowded around a computer. Still, it was quiet and that was really the main reason why she went there. The girl found a quiet table in the corner, seating herself at it. Her project was lain out before her as well as that certain red-covered book. She flipped through it's pages and landed on a couple near the end, skimming over the absently for ideas. When she decided to write, she did so without thought as it had been before. The words began to take shape and form before her eyes. And Yui just wrote, reading it all as though it was the first time...even if she was the author. It sure didn't seem like it. It was almost as if she was a bystander who watched helplessly as her hand moved and created characters. Beginning where the last sentence was, she finished it up properly.

'As the creature stepped out into the light, he knew that it was not a monster, but rather Tomo, of the Seiryuu Shichiseishi.'

Yui gasped slightly and furrowed her brows in confusion, "Tomo...but...why...?"

Kai-Ka watched the elaborately decorated man as he emerged from the shadows. He regarded the flutist with mild amusement and a near silent cackle escaped those painted lips. The young musician inched backward carefully and for a moment there was silence between them. The time was spent allowing Kai-Ka's eyes to dance over the feathers that descended from his crown. Something about them forced a shudder to run involuntarily down his spine. Perhaps, this man was some sort of strange native from Hokkan?

"Always a pleasure to run into you, Amiboshi...I see you haven't changed...in appearances anyway..." He spoke so casually and ended the sentence with the same haunting laugh.

"A-Amiboshi? I'm afraid you must be mistaken..." Kai-Ka squeezed the twig in his hand uncertainly, and even with a hint of fear.

"Oh no, you are most certainly the one mistaken. Living in Sairou...going by a new name now? I'm sure you don't even remember how your own brother came and killed me."

A breath caught in the teenager's throat, but he furrowed his brows, hissing back, "You're crazy! You must be! You most certainly aren't dead now, are you?!"

"I was. But, you conveniently forgot, didn't you, Amiboshi?"

"Don't call me that! My name is Kai-Ka."

"Ah...if we're going to do introductions, you can call me Tomo."

"Well, then, it was a pleasure--"

"Mmm...a pleasure," Tomo smirked.

Kai-Ka lifted his brows and turned away, "I'm leaving."

"So soon? We haven't even had the chance to get reacquainted. Don't worry, Amiboshi...or rather 'Kai-Ka.' I no longer have any of my illusion abilities since Seiryuu's powers are still bound. As you don't either. And although killing you here would be a rather easy matter, it would not be as tasteful as I would prefer. Therefore, I shall wait until our abilities are released to get my revenge on you and your dear otouto. You should start thinking about which setting you would prefer to die in..." He cackled, examining the fellow Seiryuu Shichiseishi with malicious glee.

The boy from Sairou scoffed, deciding that the stranger was apparently a lot more insane than he had previously thought, "People coming back from the dead? The revival of Seiryuu? You're talking nonsense."

Tomo's gaze went cold, "Am I? You'll just be the one surprised then once the Seiryuu no Miko returns to our world and eventually revives the other members of Seiryuu, along with their powers. Then Nakago-sama will be able to pick up where he left off. But, I'll leave you with that hint of information. Sayonara, Amiboshi."

Yui stopped writing immediately and scanned over those last words. Her heart skipped a beat the very minute she looked over the words 'Seiryuu no Miko.' How had she gotten involved? Why did she write something about herself? It was at that moment alone that she realized this hadn't been the wonderful idea she made it out to be. The last thing that could ever happen was for her to be pulled into the 'Universe of the Four Gods.' She had to stop this before it went any further. Narrowing her eyes in resolve, she raised the paper before herself, and then tore it in half. This continued until it became small strips of paper that no one would be able to read anyway. They were gathered and crumpled, separated into two different hands. As a safety precaution, she tossed them away in two waste baskets. Then she went back to her things and raised the book itself. If she hurried, she could get it back to Miaka before the hour was over.

It was a great relief once 'The Universe of the Four Gods' was back with it's rightful owner and Yui explained everything to Miaka, from when she began to write to how easily it came into her mind. Naturally, her friend had been concerned and told her she had done the right thing. So, after classes, they both agreed to meet at the Yuki house and hang out like they used to when they were in Middle School. Yui decided to tell Miaka everything about her feelings of loneliness, and what drove her to revive Suboshi in the first place when they got there. But, before anything, she needed to go home and unload her heavy book bag.

Yui received a ride with Tetsuya and Keisuke, who decided since they were there to pick up Miaka, they could bring her home as well. She thanked them when they got to their destination and waved, heading into her home. As it was a normal habit, those shoes were slipped off on the doorway and then nudged aside toward the mat. She took casual strides to her bedroom, entering the unoccupied area. The knapsack slid off her shoulder and made a heavy thud which forced the floor to quiver a moment. Sock-covered feet sank into the plush carpeting and she moved to the opposite side, sifting through some outfits in the closet.

This was for the best, Yui had decided. Even though she felt bad about abandoning Amiboshi and Suboshi, she couldn't risk returning or worse yet--running into Nakago. If Tomo was alive in 'The Universe of the Four Gods' then it meant Nakago had to be as well. She frowned at that thought and snatched the closest dress off of one of the hangers. The metal screeched against the rack and she closed the door to muffle the sound. Nakago, was one person she never wanted to deal with again.

Yui went to remove her blazer when she noticed something unusual laying on her desk. Those brows furrowed slightly in curiosity and she found herself moving forward, almost as if in slow motion. One hand inched toward the paper, gathering it and raising that eye-level. Crystalline oculars went wide in disbelief.

"No..." That came out as a near whisper and her knees buckled beneath her. "No, this can't be happening!"

Those eyes swelled with tears and the paper fluttered to the rug before her. Sure enough, it was the start of the story she tried to get rid of. And most eerie of all was the fact that it had continued on where she left off in her very own handwriting.