Fushigi Akugi
Chapter 1: Return to a Past Forgotten: And Thus the Curtain Rises

    "And he hasn't spoken a word since?" Miaka worriedly inquired. The seishi had taken it upon themselves to contact their miko and Tamahome after Tasuki had returned with Chichiri. They had sensed something had happened to their fellow seishi, but had been unwilling to accept it right away. The bandit had been crying for hours and continued into the night until Mitsukake had given him a tranquilizer. The healer could do nothing for Chichiri save heal his fatal wounds and restore his body. Because he had been a seishi, not to mention a Royal Advisor, Hotohori had ordered that his body be put in the royal tomb.
    Although they had summoned Miaka and Tamahome three days earlier, the time difference had delayed their arrival. That and Miaka had insisted on bringing Yui, Keisuke, and Tetsuya with her. The lover and friends of Miaka sat in reverent silence as the remaining seishi explained the situation.
    "And we still don't know what exactly happened to Chichiri-san. All Tasuki told us was one name: Tenkou," Chiriko sighed.
    "And he's still crying?" Tamahome frowned. He'd known Tasuki as the type to cry, but not like this.
    Well, isn't there anyway we can atleast calm him down?" Yui asked. "At this rate, we'll never find out without going through Taiitsu-kun."
    "Well, they were really close friends so you have to think of how you'd react in his place," Keisuke pointed out.
    "Your...a bit off..." Nuriko muttered, wringing his delicate hands nerveously. He had known how the two felt, but had respected them until now. "Perhaps it's time you found out that Tasuki and Chichiri were more than close friends. They were lovers..." The statement left a tangible moment of silence until Mitsukake finally spoke.
    "Then Tasuki's reaction is completely understandable, however, usually in these cases, suicide is attempted, but Tasuki-" He stopped upon seeing the bandit in question in the doorway, clad in the green and white outfit Hotohori had given him during the war with Kutou. Wordlessly, he moved to sit with the others, his gold eyes burning with a mix of fury and desire.
    "Ganbatte." The word was almost inaudiably whispered.
    "What do you mean, Tasuki-kun?" Hotohori questioned, purplexed by the first word spoken by the teen in days.
    "He told me ta ganbatte and that's why I'm still here. 'Sides, that bastard Tenkou's still gotta pay fer what he did."
    "Ano, demo, who is Tenkou, Tasuki-san?" Chiriko inquired.
    "Some demon god I think. All the same, he's gonna pay."
    "Perhaps it would be wiser to first understand your enemy, Tasuki."
    "Taiitsu-kun!" Everyone gasped as the creator appeared before them.
    "Attacking Tenkou in rage will only strengthen him."
    "So how do I beat him, then?" The enraged bandit snarled.
    "None of you have the power necessary to defeat him." Taiitsu-kun explained. "The only one who can defeat him is a seishi who comes from another world. One who has been reborn."
    "What's his name?" Tetsuya asked. "Maybe one of us knows him."
    "I doubt you will. He'll come from an alternate world and a different country on top of that. His name is Houjun Akia Ri."
    Tasuki's eyes widened, reconizing the name as one Tenkou had mentioned.
 
    "With the passing of Houjun Akia Ri from the Universe of the Four Gods..."
 
    "Chichiri!" The bandit cried, leaping to his feet.
    "Precisly," Taiitsu-kun nodded.
    "NANI!" Everyone cried in shock save Taiitsu-kun and Tasuki.
    "Demo...Chichiri's dead..." Miaka whimpered, a little slow to catch on, as usual.
    "Baka," Tamahome chuckled, hugging her gently. "Taiitsu-kun said that he was reborn in another world. Haven't you been paying attention?"
    "Oh..." Miaka blinked, then smiled, raising a fist. "Than what are we waiting for!" Unfortunately for Tamahome, her fist made contact with his chin and caused him to fall back into Keisuke with swirly eyes.
    "I can send four of you after him, but remember this above all else: Houjun does not remember his life in this world and that he is eight-teen, not twenty-five. I could only successfully make contact with his world at that time period, so he is younger that you remember him. Now, who shall go?"
    "I'm goin'." Tasuki responded quickly.
    "Me too," Nuriko added.
    "Yui and I will go, too!" Miaka volunteered.
    "No, Miaka. You must remain here," Taiitsu-kun informed. "Your link with the lady Yui will make it easier for those who go to return."
    "Then I shall accompany them, if I may Taiitsu-kun," Chiriko offered.
    "Very well, then. I wish you luck. May Suzaku and Seiryuu protect you on your mission."

***

    "It was a very temperate, average summer day for St. Augustine, Florida. The clouds overhead promised much needed rain to the dehydrated earth that had seen little of it in the past month. The only real worry, aside from thunder storms, was that it was only the end of May and the dry weather mirrored that of years past. The kind that gave birth to wild fires.
    While most unfortunatly lucky students were in school, out of the accursed heat, the senior class of 2001 had been released the customary two and a half weeks early, free to roam the malls and beaches to their hearts, and wallets, content. Houjun Ri, on the other hand, preffered the quaintness of the smaller, tourist-ful shops on St. George Street, especially the crystal shops.
    "Saragossa...Saragossa...I parked on Saragossa..." he muttered to himself, fearing he'd get lost among the numerous streets that networked through the downtown area. It had taken him twenty minutes just to FIND a place to park and he didn't want to forget it now.
    He donned a deep violet t-shirt, faded light blue denim shorts, and a pair of beige sandals, not caring if the combo was fashionable or not. He valued comfort over style, especially in this heat. A pair of dark-blue framed sunglasses shielded his mohogany eyes from the glaring sun and his mid-back length chesnut tresses were pulled back, leaving only his presistant bangs to fall into his eyes in the right wind. His features were flawless save a scar that rested just below his left eye on his cheekbone. He had gotten the scar shortly after his 18th birthday when he had tried to stop two classmates from killing each other. He didn't mind the scar too much, although he hated the constant reminder of "If that knife had hit even a half-inch higher..."
    After walking a few blocks, he began traveling down Hypolita street, knowing that it intersected with St. George street.
    "Saragossa!" He corrected his thinking as he continued at a liesurely pace. His tracking skills proved themselves once again as he found the crystal shop right on the intersection. He entered the shop with the intent of browsing only and stopped. The display right by the door was of tear-drop shaped pendant and other items he hadn't seen before. But the pendants were what caught his attention.
    There were three colors that caught his attention: white, blue, and red in that order. They only measured around an inch in length, but that was big enough.
    "Man, Sammy would love one of those! But...which one..." After much debate, he decided to get two, one that was the colors of fire and one that faded from blue and the top to clear at the bottom. "Then I can have one too...I wonder if this means we'll be engaged," he thought with a smile.
    As he left the store, a crash of thunder made him cringe. "Better head back before it gets any worse." He headed back towards his car, resting his sunglasses on top of his head as the clouds had covered the sun. "Wonder what she'll say...maybe something like 'makes me happy' or something kawaii like that." A thought suddenly struk him and he froze. "Sa..Sara...gotta? No, no...gossa...Saragossa!"

    The thunder was soon followed by blinding streaks of lightening and heavy rains that lasted up until Houjun had reached Pedro Menendez High School<1>. He entered just as the last bell rang, umbrella in hand, and walked down the outdoor hallway that edged the courtyard on all four sides. He stopped outside of the art room and waited for Samantha, who left last as usual.
    The teen was two years younger and two inches shorter than Houjun, who was 5'7". She wore a teal sleeveless shirt and denim shorts that were a shade lighter than his, her own mohogany tresses pulled back in a braid that reached the small of her back. White tennis shoes graced her feet; something Houjun could never stand wearing as they painfully reminded him of the drill-sergent of a coach he had had just last week. Her choclate eyes gleamed as she saw her friend of five years and boyfriend of the past year.
    "Last again, Sammy," he teased, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.
    "Naturally," she replied.
    "I've got somethin' for ya."
    "What is it?" She inquired, curiousity peaking at his playful tone.
    "Not telling, just...don't sit on them."
    "Are they different? What are they?" She pressed, relentless.
    "You'll see," he chuckled, opening his umbrella as they stepped outside. The rain had slowed, but threatened to intensify again. He opened the door for her and smiled.
    "You can have ONE, ok?" He told her as she eyed the two white boxes on her seat.
    "Alright..." She pouted and promtly began to gently shake the boxes gently.
    "Um...maybe you shouldn't do that...they's kinda fragile, baka," he teased, his faint japanese accent slipping out.
    "Oh...ok, then I'll take this one." She announced, handing the other to Houjun as he sat down in the driver seat. Upon opening it, she smiled at the flame-colored gem. "Oh wow...Houjun..." She wrapped her arms around him, kissing him gently on the mouth. "Thank you!"
    "No problem," he smiled, kissing her back.
    "Ya know, my parents won't be back till late. You wanna stay at my place till this clears up?" Samantha offered.
    "That'd be good. I hate driving in bad weather." They smiled at each other lovingly as Houjun clasped his pendent around his neck before putting hers on for her, stealing another kiss in the process.
    Neither was aware of the blue-cloaked figure that watched them from the roof of the school, blue eyes and symbol all that were visible.
    Houjun and Samantha had opted to watch some Utena to kill time, Houjun sprawled on the couch with Samantha comfortably resting against his chest. Both had nodded off during the third episode only to be awakened by the sound of glass shattering. Outside, the storm had seemed to have gotten worse and the sliding glass window that was a few feet behind the couch was gone. In the door way stood a cloaked figure, a strange character illuminating the shadows within his hood. A blue aura surrounded him. Catiously, Houjun rose to his feet. Something within him seemed to be warning him to hide, but he ignored it.
    "Who the fuck are you?" He inquired, clentching his fists as he faced the intruder.
    "Who am I? Oh, how quick you are to forget your enemies, Chichiri of the Suzaku Shichi Seishi."
    "What's this fruitcake talking about, Houjun?" Samantha whispered. Houjun merely shrugged.
    "I don't now who you're talking about and I must insist that you leave here at once."
    "Oh, and who shall make me?" The cloaked man asked, pulling back his hood to reveal long, blonde hair. "You? Or perhaps the girl? I could kill both of you easily, you relize, but I'm only after you."
    Samantha slunk back behind the couch and out of view.
    "Leave her out of this," Houjun growled.
    "Then come to me, if you wish for her to live."
    Out of any feasible options, he sighed heavily and began moving forward.
    "Yamatte!" A voice cried from behind the blonde man. Annoyed, he turned to see Yui and the three Suzaku seishi.
    "Bastard, Rekka shi-"
    "Matte, Tasuki-san!" Chiriko cried, leaping in the way.
    "Are you trying to kill them all?" Nuriko admonished, grabbing the bandit's wrist in a vise grip.
    "Nakago, leave this place at once!" Yui commanded.
    "As you wish, Lady Yui. Just as soon as I destroy Chichiri once and for all.
    "The name's Houjun Ri, buddy. You've got the wrong guy!" Houjun shouted.
    "No, you are also Chichir-" A loud explosion cut him off as a bullet pireced his shoulder.
    "I'm warning you," Samantha growled. "The next one won't miss."
    "Interesting...this world has such powerful weaponry..." Nakago mused, fingering his wound. While he was distracted, Houjun took the opportunity to charge the shogun, landing a powerful kick to his chest and knocking him back out the door.
    "Rekka Shinen!" Tasuki cried as the Seiryuu seishi was now safely away from the house.
    "Shimatta...I didn't think it would be this difficult. Fine, then. Another time." With that, the shogun vanished.
    "Alright, now," Houjun began, coming outside. Samantha followed him as far as the door way before sinking to her knees. "Who wants ta tell me what's going on around here?"
    "It's a long story, Chichiri-san, demo I think it will all be clear soon." As if cued by Chiriko's words, a red light enveloped the miko, the seishi, and Houjun, lasting only a second before it, and they, were gone.
    "H-Houjun?" Samantha cried, rushing out to where they had just been. On the ground lay a red and gold book. "The Universe of the Four Gods? What's that? And where's Houjun?"

***************************************

Well, WE know where he is, don't we? What unspeakable evil are Nakago and Tankou planning for our hero? What will Tasuki do about Samantha? Why...am I not with Houjun/Chichiri????(Oh yeah..."Nuri-chan" threatened my life....)

Ahem...Find out next time in

Fushigi Akugi: Chaper 2: Jewels of Memory: A New Legend Comes to Light

PS: All questions not answered right away will be answered...eventually. Maybe in chapter 12.... What is this "outline?" Isn't is just a middle man waiting to be cut out?

<1>PMHS has a blue roof, FYI, so me an' my friend dubbed it Kutou(especially since all four entrances/exits are closed off during school hours with gates. Really big gates, too.