Fushigi Akugi
Chapter 3: Dawn of Tomorrow: Let the Games Begin!

    The moon had reached its peak and the calming silence that surrounded the palace of Eiyo had lulled its occupants into a peaceful slumber. Travel plans had been made, Houki was to take the throne in Hotohori’s absence, Yui had returned to the Miko’s world for the time being, and everyone was packed and ready to leave in the morning.
    "Why can’t I sleep?" Houjun wondered. He lay on his back in his large double bed in what he had been told was his room. His hands were folded behind his head and he wore a silky white robe that the attendants had brought him in place of his clothes to sleep in when he went to bathe. He was tired and rather comfortable, but…"It’s this room…" he muttered. "It’s too damn big for one person." He sighed and sat up; scanning the room until his eyes picked out the door leading to the adjoining room. "Maybe Tasuki’s still up. I just can’t sleep in here." That decided, he crept into the bandit’s room.
    ‘Hmm…sleeping, huh?’ He walked over to the teen and moved to wake him when something caught his eye. ‘A photograph? They had photography in Ancient China?’ He wondered, lifting the gold-framed photo and moving to the window to get a better look at it.
    It was, from what he remembered from his new/old memories, a picture of him taken in what appeared to be a ship’s cabin. He was trying to put something up in a closet and was looking back over his shoulder, a small smile on his face. Probably because the camera was tilted to the side at a 45 degree angle.
    "Ya don’t remember when I took that, do ya?"
    "Tasuki!" Houjun gasped as the bandit spoke up from behind him. "Sorry, I was just-"
    "Hush, now," Tasuki smirked, flashing his fangs. "Ya never could sleep alone."
    "It’s just…that room’s so big! I hate it!" He sighed, replacing the picture. "I didn’t want to wake you, though."
    Tasuki shrugged and gestured to his own double bed. "I’ve got the same problem, ya know. Wanna share?"
    "Well…why not…Can’t sleep anyway…Ano, Tasuki," he began, climbing into bed. "Were we close friends?"
    "Well…yeah…" Tasuki replied after a brief pause. Houjun felt a little better and finally felt like he could sleep.
    "Oi, Tasuki?" he muttered as sleep finally began to claim him. "You touch me, you die, got it?"
    "Got it," the bandit chuckled, recalling a similar conversation with the monk before they had realized how much they loved each other.
    ‘Love ya,’ he thought, falling asleep.
    The sun had been up only an hour and a half when the seishi and their miko left. In that time, Tasuki had re-taught Houjun how to ride a horse and Miaka had eaten her fill of breakfast.
    Although he was quite aware now that he could wear his ‘old’ clothes, he opted to wear the outfit he’d come in, though he did don his kesa and kasa. He left the staff where it was, which would be in ‘his’ tomb with ‘his’ body. Just the thought of another him in this world that was dead creeped him out.
    ‘Beside, we need to travel light,’ he told himself as they set out. They rode until the sun was sinking in the horizon and stopped in a clearing to make camp.

    Elsewhere, Tenkou watched the seishis’ progress with interest. A wicked smirk crossed his face as they set up camp and settled in for bed.
    "Nakago, are you feeling better?" he questioned the shogun.
    "Hai, Tenkou-sama." The blonde warrior winced at calling someone ‘Sama’, but he knew he had no choose.
    "Good. Tell me, do you think we should test them?"
    "Why not?"
    "Hmm…send Kage-Ryu(1) then."
    "Hai, Tenkou-sama," Nakago bowed, disgusted with himself for it, and left to do his task.
    "Well, now, Dove. Let us see what you can do."

    The sky had just begun to lighten when an ear-splitting cry followed by an explosion jerked the Suzaku seishi from their sleep; all save Houjun leaping to their feet.
    "What the fuck was that?" Tasuki snapped tessen in hand.
    "Whatever it is, it sounds mad," Houjun replied, rising to his feet.  The cry sounded again and weapons were drawn.
    "It's coming from that direction," Tamahome pointed into the trees.  Moments later, two crimson eyes glared at them through the shadows.
    Miaka shriked and latched onto Tamahome's waist.
    Mitsukake stepped before Chiriko protectively.
    Tasuki and Hotohori gripped their weapons.
    Houjun pulled on his kesa.
    The creature, growling meanacingly, stepped into the clearing.  It was easily three feet taller than Mitsukake and, at first, appeared to be a panther with leathering wings.  On closer insection, however, they saw that it had black scales insetad of fur and a serpentine mouth and tail.
    "What...what is that thing?" Chiriko squeaked fearfully.
    "A chimera.  This one is a cross between a panther, a dragon, and a human, if I had to guess," Houjun replied.
    "How on earth do you see anything human in that thing?"  Hotohori asked
    "Listen next time it cries out.  I hear it."
    "Any suggestions, Houjun?" Nuriko inquired as the creature came closer.
    "Just one: RUN!"  The seishi didn't need to be told twice.  Tamahome lifted Miaka over his shoulder and ran into the forest.  The others were quick to follow.  The creature let out its cry and charged forward only to be hindered by the trees.   Frustrated that it's prey was escapeing, it flapped its leathery wings and looked down through the shadows.  Spotting a cave, the somewhat rational part of its ind decided to wait patiently above the cliff for them to emerge.

    "We can't hide in here forever," Tamahome grumbled after about five minutes.
    "But what can we do?"  Nuriko sighed.  "We need a plan to beat that thing."
    "Matte," Houjun suddenly rose from his crouch.
    "Doushita?"  Tasuki asked, hand flying to his tessen.
    "I think...I think its a memory jewel..." he closed his eyes, searching for its source.  'It's outside the cave about fifty feet.  I don't know if the chimera's gone, though...'
    "Where is it?" bandit asked, eager to find it.
    "I think it's safe for now, but be quiet and follow me, alright?"  Cautiously, he led them out of the cave and followed the sense he had.  He soon found the gem hidden in the ankle-deep grass of a smaller clearing.  He bent to retrieve it and held it tightly in his hand, letting it uncover his hidden past.
    From its perch, the chimera watched and waited.  When its prey were distracted, it made it's move, gliding silently through the air and descending on who was rationally the weakest.  Miaka screamed, as the chimera pinned her to the ground.
    "Miaka!" Tamahome and Hotohori cried in unison.  The creature roared in triumph, preparing to bite the miko's head off.  The six able seishi attacked while Houjun absorbed the memory jewel.  Instead of releasing the miko, the chimera howled in rage and flapped its wings, taking the girl with him.
    "Miaka!"
    "Tamahome!"
    Suddenly, Houjun's eyes snapped open.  'Miaka...the Suzaku no Miko...and I...'
    "Houjun?"  Tasuki inquired, noticing that the jewel had stopped glowing.
    "I am..." he whispered, looking at the creature as it began to carry off the miko.  "A Suzaku seishi!"  He rushed forward and grabbed onto the chimera's tail as it soared skyward.  He held on tightly as the creature attempted to throw him.  Slowly, determindly he climbed towards the creature's head, finding invisible handholds as he went.  Miaka was crying helplessly as he made his way to her.  When he was between the creature's wings, he unclasped his kesa and inched his way towards the priestess until she could grab it.
    "Miaka!  Grab on and think of Tamahome!"  He called to her over the rush of wind and the creature's cry.  "Focus everything on being in his arms again!" <Tamahome, get ready to catch Miaka> he called to the teen telepathically. With a brief spell, he released his kesa and Miaka disappeared.
    The chimera, angry at having lost its meal, redoubled its efforts to remove the mage. It bucked and twisted in the air, but, somehow, Houjun managed to hold on. Climbing up between its ears, he drew his sword.
    My friends of the Suzaku seishi mean more to mean that life itself he recalled thinking sometime in the past. And to protect them…
    "I won’t let you hurt my friends!" he cried, bringing his sword down and threw the chimera’s eye. In an instant, the creature bucked again, this time causing Houjun to lose his grip. He fell towards to ground through the first light of dawn and could only pray for either a miracle or a quick death.
    Houjun! He thought he heard Samantha call to him, but waved it off as hearing things.
    On the ground, the seishi watched in horror as Houjun fell. Only Miaka seemed to notice that Tasuki had disappeared.
    "Suzaku-kami, just let me catch him…" the bandit muttered, waiting atop a tree. He leapt towards to teen and, whether it was the will of Suzaku or Tasuki’s good timing, he caught him in mid-air and landed in another tree, holding tightly to a branch as the creature landed on the ground, stirring up debris and no small amount of wind. He dropped to the ground and the two teens sighed in relief.

    "Don’t do that to us!" Tamahome shouted at Houjun. All the seishi save Mitsukake and Nuriko had gone to where Houjun and Tasuki had landed, the two seishi gone to collect their horses and belongings.
    "Were you injured, Houjun?" Hotohori inquired.
"N-no, just shaken up a bit, no da," Houjun smiled. "That’s the most heroic thing I’ve done in my life, na no da….What?" he asked, noticing that the other seishi were staring at him.
    "You’re saying ‘no da’ again, Houjun-san" Chiriko explained with a smile.
    "Oh…I guess I am, no da^_^;;" He glanced back at Tasuki and smiled. "Arigatou for saving my life, Tasuki-kun, mo da! I owe you , no da."
    "Nah, don’t mention it," the bandit smirked.
    "Whose Memory Jewel was it, Houjun?" Hotohori asked.
    "Miaka’s no da."
    "Oh, so that’s why you went out of your way to save her, ne?" Tamahome smiled.
    "Hai, watashi wa Suzaku no Seishi, ne no da?" he giggled. Everyone laughed and joked around until Nuriko and Mitsukake arrived, ready to go.

    "Tenkou-sama?"
    "Not yet. Wait until they are close to finding the scroll they need. Houjun should now know of its existance," the demon lord smirked.
    "You mean the scroll in the Suzaku no Hato no Doukutsu?" the blonde warrior asked.
    "Yes, the Den of the Dove of Suzaku. They will need it if they wish to unlock the Dove’s true power. If he somehow manages to secure the scroll, kill him."
    "Hai, Tenkou-sama."
    Samantha sighed wearily. "Great, Houjun’s gonna give me gray hairs at this rate if he pulls anymore stunts like that…" she muttered. "Let’s see, ‘the Dove of Suzaku and his friends continued their journey, another precious Jewel of Memory in his possesion. Little did any of them suspect that the trail that awaited him at the Den of the Dove of Suzaku was not only tricky in itself, but that the enemies of Suzaku were waiting there to kill him’!? Houjun!"

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Corny, yes, but I like it, too^_^;;

(1) Kage-Ryu would mean Shadow-Dragon

Hmm…let’s see…well, Houjun/Chichiri/Suzaku no Hato can take on a chimera and save a miko, but can he pass the trial of Suzaku no Hato no Doukutsu? Will Nakago kill him or will he be killed himself(dame canary killer deserves it any way…)? Who’s Jewel of Memory will they find next? Find out next time on Digimon: Digital Monst- O.o TASUKI! How many times do I have to tell you, don’t-play-with-my-script! ::hits Tasuki on the head after every word with staff in hopes of beating the phrase into his brain::

Ahem, I mean, find out next time in

Fushigi Akugi
Chapter 4: Blaze of Crimson: Suzaku’s Messenger Shall Rise

Friendship is Love without his wings
-Lord Byron