::Screams and pulls at
hair:: I HATE COLLEGE!!!!!!!I WANNA GO BACK TO HIGH SCHOOL!!!!!!::cries
uncontrollably for a while and then starts typing again::
Here it is: Chapter six,
no da.I hope you all enjoy it.
Remember: All declaimers
from previous chapters are still in effect now. Mild spoilers from
OVA 2 episode 5(I think they're mild since they aren't the same, anyway-_-;;)
Fushigi
Akugi:
Chapter
6: Pain of a Yesteryear: Friends Forever More
Darkness. That's what the teen felt and all
he could see at first, almost as if he were floating in it. It suddenly
seemed to become water and he choked trying to breathe.
'Where
am I' he wondered vaguely. He sensed something in the water: a person
who seemed to be trapped. He quickly swam towards the person and
pulled it up towards the surface. He broke out of the water and swam
towards an invisible shore.
"H-Hou-ju-n"
the man rasped. The teen looked at him curiously. How had he
known his name? Why did he seem so familliar? Before he could
make sense of anything, something grabbed his foot and dragged him under.
In desperation to save the man, he let go of him and allowed himself to
be pulled back into the depths. Around him, Tenkou's laugh echoed.
*******************
A soft touch on Tasuki's
arm startled him from his sleep and his amber eyes found Houjun's chocolate
eyes only a few inches away. Still groggy, he forgot that the teen
wasn't really his Chichiri yet and wrapped his arms around him both reassuringly
and protectively.
"What's
wrong, baby?" he chuckled softly. "Bad dream?"
Houjun
was shocked at first by the bandit's actions, but soon relaxed, sighing
softly. He felt almost reassured that everything
would be all right within
Tasuki's embrace.
"Hai...just
a bad dream, no da," Houjun smiled. "I guess I'm just nervous about
retrieving this next Jewel of Memory, that's
all, na no da."
Tasuki
frowned for a moment as the comment forced him to remember that Houjun
didn't remember him yet. Deciding
the was going to chance
it, though; he pulled Houjun into the bed and tugged the blanket over them
both.
"Don't
worry 'bout it, Jun-chan. We'll get it first thing in the mornin'.
Nothin' bad'll happen, k?" he tried to reassure him.
"I
don't know, Tasuki-chan. I think something big's gonna happen tomorrow,
no da..."
*********************
"Wha-
what am I doing in here?"
The
man had awakened in the last place he'd ever dreamed of finding himself...alive,
anyway. Rising to his feet, he took stock of himself and belongings.
Deciding he needed some answers, he gathered his things and headed out
to find his friend.
*********************
"What!?"
Tasuki snapped at the store clerk. The young man sighed, running
a hand through his black hair.
"I
said it was stolen during the night. Please don't hurt me."
Tasuki
was about to say something else when Houjun stepped forward and bowed slightly.
"It's
alright, no da. Arigatou for your time, na no da." He turned
and motioned for his friends to follow. Out side, he faced them with
a weary smile.
"Now
what," Chriko asked.
"Without
the Jewel of Memory, we can not help Houjun-kun," Hotohori pointed out.
"The
jewel isn't far from here," Houjun said. "Just north of the town,
really. I'll go after it and you guys head back to the inn and wait
for me. I shouldn't be long, no da."
"Hell
no," Tasuki snapped. "I'm goin' with ya just incase."
"And
I'll go as well," Fuji said. "It's my duty as one of the two chosen
to protect the Hato to stay by your side."
Houjun
blinked a few times and then smiled. "Alright, but I don't sense
any danger, no da." That decided, the seishi and friends parted ways.
Houjun led Tasuki and Fuji to the northern end of the town and into a small
thicket of woods. They soon
came upon the gem, unattended
atop a tree stump.
"Somethin'
ain't right here," the bandit muttered, drawing his tessen. Fuji
glanced about nervously.
"It's
too quite here."
"I...I
don't sense any danger, no da.... I think it's safe." He looked back
at his friends and nodded. "Cover me, no da." With cautious
steps, the teen approached the jewel. He paused, studying it.
Nothing ‘seemed’ to be wrong with it, but he sensed something….
Shaking
it off as paranoia, he took the light blue gem in his hand and felt it
begin to respond to his touch almost instantly, but felt somehow withheld;
as if a barrier had been set between himself and the memories the distorted
them.
“Why? How could you…Hikou?”
“Hou—n?”
“Give her b—k…Give her back to me!”
Images
flashed through his mind that were as confused as the voices he
heard.
Two friends fighting on the bank of a swollen river.
One of them fell back and part of the bank gave way.
The other one grabbed hold of the man’s hand, trying to hold onto him.
Something made the teen…made him let go…
As
well as the images, he felt emotions rising up to strangle him. Hatred
followed by panic followed by grief.
“What…what’s
going on?” Houjun wondered, dropping to his knees. An evil
laugh reached his ears and he looked up.
“Poor
Houjun,” a man whispered cruelly. “Don’t you want to remember what
you did to me seven years ago? What kind of man you were then?”
“Who
the hell are you!” Tasuki yelled from somewhere behind him. His eyes
rose to find ones stained in red and full of hate.
“Hi-kou?”
he strained to speak through his confusion.
“So,
you remembered my name. I suppose it’s an honor for my murderer to
remember such.”
Hikou stumbled back and started to fall into the river.
Panicked, Houjun grabbed his friend’s hand, pulling him back.
Something happened…something made him let go…
“Hikou…” Houjun whispered hoarsely,
reaching a hand towards Hikou; trying to grab his hand.
“Pathetic,”
the demon god of water spat, forming an attack in his hand. “I expected
so much more from you, Houjun.” He released the water bomb, striking the
younger mage in the temple. The last thing he heard before passing
out was Tasuki crying out his name.
Hours
later, Houjun opened his eyes carefully. The room was dim and he
could make out faint voices.
‘I’m
back at the inn,’ he thought. Beside him, Tasuki was half-sprawled
on the bed, his hand resting atop Houjun’s. The teen couldn’t help
but smile at the sleeping bandit. He knew Hikou had put up some form
of barrier to keep Tasuki from attacking him, so it was understandable
that his friend would want to stay at his side and make sure he was all
right. Carefully, he slipped from beneath the sheets and got dressed
in his usual attire, grateful to Nuriko for mending them for him after
his fight with Nakago.
‘I
have to do this alone,’ he determined, snatching the Memory Jewel and his
sword. He also took a small pouch of money, which had been given
to him by Hotohori in case he was separated from the others or some other
emergency arose. ‘This is an emergency, no da.’ He nodded his head
and quietly slipped out the window. The others wouldn’t be happy
with him for sneaking out on his own, but he decided they would get over
it. As he made his way through the darkening streets, he failed to
notice the shadow that followed him.
“Minna!
Come quick!” Miaka cried, running into the inn. She’d left not even
an hour ago on a walk with Yama and Tamahome and was now ecstatic about
something.
“What’s
wrong, Miaka?” Hotohori inquired, a little worried.
“Look
what Yama found up in a tree!” she exclaimed, holding out her hand to reveal
a Memory Jewel.
“I
think that if we give this to Hato-sama, he might feel better right away,”
Yama explained, before rushing off to find his brother.
“It’s
worth a shot,” Nuriko said, carefully taking the jewel from his miko.
As the feminine bishonen turned to follow Yama, Fuji appeared, seeming
frantic.
“Hato-san
is gone and so his Tasuki-san!”
“Nani!
Are you sure, Fuji?” Tamahome asked.
“Hai,”
Yama answered for Fuji. “And the window is wide open.”
“They
wouldn’t have gone after Hikou alone, would they?” Hotohori asked, knowing
the answer was yes. They quickly began dividing into groups to comb
the city for their friends, fearing that Houjun wouldn’t be strong enough
to defeat the water mage even with the bandit’s help.
Houjun
followed Hikou’s chi to a cave north of Sukusha. He knew he couldn’t
defeat the mage, but he didn’t want to kill him anyway. ‘This plan
had better work,’ he told himself. Just outside the cave, he produced
the Memory Jewel and held it in his hand, concentrating. He forced
his way through the barrier spell placed on it and let the memories enter
him. This time, he saw more than the fight that cost Hikou his life.
He saw happy memories as well as the sad and accepted all of them as well
as the emotions that came with them.
Hikou stumbled back and
fell into the river. Houjun, forgetting his anger for his friend,
dropped his dagger and lunged towards him, grasping his hand. He
couldn’t let Hikou die; not like this…
“Houjun!
Watch out!” Hikou cried. The teen saw the log headed towards him,
but he didn’t want to let go. He had to save Hikou. The log
struck the left side of his face…struck his eye painfully. He cried
out in pain and, on reflex, released Hikou’s hand.
“HIKOU!!!!!”
He tried in vain to grab his friend’s hand again, but the raging waters
had already swept him away.
Houjun’s eyes slid open and
he realized he’d been crying softy. A worth around his waist and
against his back comforted him.
“Tasuki,
why’d you follow me, no da?”
“Cause
I don’t want nothin’ ta happen to ya, Chiri,” Tasuki sighed, his breath
brushing against the teen’s neck. Houjun sighed and leaned back slightly.
“Don’t worry,
Tasuki, no da. I will save Hikou and then we can head back, alright?
Wait here for me,” he said. He bent down and lifted a swallow he
had bought using the money Hotohori had given him. It was rather
simple with no special markings; perfect for what he needed it for.
“All right, Chiri,
but if yer gone for too long, I’m comin’ after ya, k?”
Houjun
nodded and smiled. “Arigatou, Tasuki, no da. Wish me luck.”
“Right.”
The bandit stood near the entrance to the cave, watching the teen enter
and wishing he could follow him, just to make sure he’d be alright.
Instead, he pressed his back against the side of the opening and looked
up at the stars.
Hikou
looked up as Houjun entered the main area of the cave. Three inches
of water covered the floor and a mist seemed to cling to the air.
“So,
young Dove of Suzaku, you’ve come at last,” he sneered.
He sensed something in the water: a person who seemed to be trapped.
‘Don’t worry, Hikou.
I will save you,’ he thought, planting one end of the swallow into the
water covered ground. He called on his new powers, the powers of
the Dove of Suzaku which Fuji had told him about. One that, while
it seemed silly to Houjun, was guaranteed by the twins to work. It
was his only shot, so he decided to chance it.
“I know you aren’t really Hikou,”
he began evenly. “You are the demon god of drought and rain, Kanki.”
He straightened up and drew in a deep breath. “I’ve come
to ask you to release Hikou from your power.”
“Oh really? And what
makes you think I’ll simply let him go? I rather like this body,”
the demon god smiled.
“I don’t think you will, but
I have a deal. Come into my body instead. I’m far more powerful
than Hikou is."
…something grabbed his foot
and dragged him under.
“You would do that for him?
Why sacrifice yourself for another?”
“Hikou is still my friend and,
for his sake, I will give up my freedom for his, no da.”
After a moment of silence,
Kanki laughed. “I accept your offer, boy. Now, You shall be
my pawn.” As he spoke, Hikou’s body slowly relaxed, his eyes closing,
and he slumped to the ground.
In desperation to save the man, he let go of him…
Houjun
closed his eyes, feeling Kanki’s approach. He shuddered under the
demon’s touch as it began to enter his body and let his mind relax slightly.
…and
allowed himself to be pulled back into the depths.
“Gotcha!” the mage cried, grasping
the swallow tightly in his hands and allowing the spell-song that he had
been singing in his mind to be voiced aloud.
|
nagarete-yuku
mizu ni utsuru
omoide no danpen
anna omoi kurikaesanai
sou kokoro ni chikau
nagarete-yuku mizu ni utsuru
kanashimi ga aru kara
kono chikara de kono inochi de [2]
omae wo mamoritai
|
Reflected in the flowing
water,
a fragment of memory
I swore in my heart
I'd never repeat those thoughts again.
Reflected in the flowing water,
there is sorrow, so
with this power, with this life, [2]
I want to protect you.
|
Hikou’s eyes fluttered open,
unsure exactly what he would find. He sat up carefully
and saw Houjun clinging to a swallow, a red aura surrounding him.
‘But…he still looks 18…and
his clothes look…foreign…’ he rose and relized that a red symbol was glowing
faintly on his friend’s knee and felt Kanki’s life force.
‘Houjun…you…you didn’t…’
Houjun looked up from his spell.
He was in the process of sealing the demon god into the weapon before him
when an idea struck him. With and small smile, he lured his confused
friend towards him and gently reached one hand out to him. Hikou
took it and the mage drew him closer, resting the hand under his own against
the weapon.
|
nakushita no wa
shinjiau kimochi
demo ima nara ai wa makenai darou
nasakenakute mo ima wa itaranakute mo
sore dakara koso tagai ni tasuke aeru |
What I lost was my
belief.
But now, I know love is unconquerable.
Even if it's miserable, and the present doesn't lead anywhere,
that is why we help each other. |
Hikou could see the weapon changing before
him, the blades becoming a crystalline blue color and the staff(1) changing
shape as well, as if customizing itself to suit him better. He watched
Houjun focusing on the weapon as he continued to sing and found himself
getting lost within his words.
|
mizukagami de kokoro
no kage wo mireba
sore wa ai ga unda mou hitotsu no kao
taisetsu ni shitai subete no tame ni mo
mou itami kara me wo somuketakunai
taisetsu ni shitai subete no tame ni mo
mou itami kara me wo somuketakunai |
When I see my heart's
shadow in the water-mirror,
that is the birth of love; yet another face.
For all that is precious,
I won't turn away from pain any more.
For all that is precious,
I won't turn away from pain any more. |
As he completed his spell,
the red glow faded and he looked up at Hikou wearily.
“G-gomen, Hikou-kun, no da.
I…I never wanted you to die…”
“Iie, Houjun, it was my fault,
demo…” he gently embraced his friend. “I am still your friend, ne?”
“Hai, no da.” He yawned
deeply, warn out from the strain the spell had caused him. “Gomen,
I’m just tired, no da…” he trailed off, leaning heavily against his friend.
Hikou smiled and dropped to his knees, resting Houjun’s head against his
shoulder; where he’d always secretly dreamed of holding the man he called
his friend.
“Hai, I understand, Jun-chan.
Get some sleep, ok? I’ll get you back to your friends soon."
Just when you thought things
were weird enough, they got weirder.
This is kinda rushed and I
hope you don’t mind, but I wanted to get it up asap, so here it is, no
da.
I think Hikou looks good with a swallow for a weapon,
so he has one.
1)
I don’t know what the parts are called, that’s all
As for the last chapter’s
foot notes:
1) Setsunakutemo
Zutto just seemed like it was made for a lullaby
2)
I’m a Breath of Fire fanatic, no da-_-;;
Anyway,
I’m sorry this took so long, no da. I hope you enjoyed it and I promise
not to promise it in the future until it’s written. I snagged the
song off a site:
http://www.jlyrics.org/anime/fy/mizu.html
Translation by:
Takayama Miyuki
If they don’t like it,
I can change it, no da.
What will happen next time? What will Tasuki
think of Hikou’s love for Houjun/Chichiri? Who’s the mysterious guy
who woke up?
These questions and more answered in the next exciting(I
hope) chapter of
Fushigi Akugi:
Chapter 7: Bound By Love: A Rekindling of the
Flame
“Never see it comin’, huh?” He leaned his head
back against the door. “No, I didn’t…”