"We have been exiled. We are a danger to our clan should we stay. The Golden Emperor is missing, and we are to take the blame for it. We do not know who took my father; only that it is the work of more than one clan.

"My plan is to send us into hiding until the coronation for the new Emperor of the Tenkai occurs. When that happens, then we will know who the culprit is."

Hoshiki paused, and then after a moment of hesitation, continued.

"I will hide us in the Jikai, the Human Sphere. Each day in the Tenkai is one hundred years in the Jikai. The coronation takes place in thirty days. So after 3,000 years on the Jikai, we will return, find who has framed us, and reclaim our place in the Tenkai."

Seiryuu-ou nodded. After a moment, Hakuryuu-ou and Kokoryuu-ou copied their leader's movement. Taishinofujin looked worried. Kouryuu-ou refused to look at him.

"Are you ready?"

Seiryuu-ou nodded again, his movement speaking for both him and his family.

Hoshiki gathered the power to him, filling the sphere that he held. He smiled at the family that he had taken in as his own. This journey was his gift to them, his sacrifice, for he well knew that once he finished sending them he would not have enough energy to send himself.

The power came, and a blue light began to glow around the Go family and the Empress. Kouryuu-ou looked surprise as the light gathered around only them. He opened his mouth to shout--

And Hoshiki dropped the sphere and let the power explode.

The power filled him then, flooding him, destroying his senses, washing over him. He threw everything he had at the family before him and it channeled through him, burning and using everything.

Maybe I'll get to see Hisui and Faris.

Then the blue light swallowed him.

When his vision cleared again, he found himself incredibly weakened, and alone. Though he knew the power would be strong, he had not expected it to tear at him the way it did, and now he felt drained.

He looked at his arms, where burn marks were abundant. The power had been strong.

Hoshiki considered his options. He was weak, and found it difficult to move. He was alone, tired, and afraid.

Should he stay in the Tenkai, life would undoubtedly be very different. The brothers were no longer around, the power struggle over the throne would continue, and--

What would become of him, son of the former emperor, match of an exiled clan leader? Disgrace, dishonor, and worse yet, what if they should find from him where he had hidden them? What if they dragged the secrets out of him, against his will?

No. He could not hesitate. He was of no use to anyone, now.

He had known his course of action from the start. He knew it before he sent the family away. He knew it, and so he could not hesitate a moment longer.

He took his sword, a gift from his father to him, and stabbed himself.

The sword fell to the ground. He dropped to his knees, feeling dizzy. What little strength he had left was gone. He felt motion, knew that he was falling forward, but it was dark and he did not care.

He was dying, and as he fell he heard someone call his name.

"Prince Hoshiki!"

Someone lifted him and turned his face. The last image he saw was a blurry vision of someone with dark hair, shouting his name.

Tsuzuku ran, his heart pounding against his chest.

Please be all right...

After what seemed like forever, Hiei finally stopped. No longer on a telephone pole, he stood at the base of a mountain.

Tsuzuku caught up. "What is it?"

Hiei nodded at the mountain. "We're here."

In the inner corridor, speaking in low voices, was a handsome silver-haired creature (Shuuichi's fox demon form, Tsuzuku recognized) and a young woman with pink hair. Upon their arrival, the fox demon promptly embraced Hiei in a hug. The little demon scowled, but made no attempt to get away.

"Where's Arslan?" Tsuzuku asked.

Gold eyes flickered in his direction. "Prince Arslan is inside. He passed out for a bit when Genkai," here he indicated in the direction of the woman beside him, "Tried to train him. So I gave him a past life potion instead."

"Why are you and Baba like this?" Hiei demanded. "Fox, I sensed you."

"Oh Hiei, you were worried?" The fox demon grinned, sharp teeth showing. "How touching."

"To answer your question," the woman called Genkai said, "It was because of him. Prince Arslan. He's inside now. There was this light and seconds later he was unconscious. He recovered, then took the potion and passed out again."

"Why aren't you inside as well?"

"His power is rather untrained," Kurama answered, indicating his current form. "To err on the side of caution, we opted to stay outside."

"We're still waiting for the effects of his power to wear off," Genkai agreed.

"So he's inside? Can I visit him?"

"Well, he's still sleeping..." One of Kurama's ears twitched. "Actually, it appears he just awoke. Shall we?"

Tsuzuku opened the door.

He looked like Arslan, and at the same time, he did not. He appeared older, not a young teenager like Arslan had been, but an adult. His exact age, however, was hard to determine. And there was something otherworldly about him: his hair was still blue, though it was darker; he was taller, and ethereally beautiful. There was no other way to describe it. He was exquisitely divine, and he held an air of regal and dignity. He was dressed in an elaborate blue costume, and a strange mark was upon his cheek.

He turned when they entered, and nodded in greeting.

Kurama cleared his throat. "Your Highness...?"

The being said, "I'm sorry. Let me fix that." There was a quick flash of blue that lasted no more than a tenth of a second, and then Shuuichi appeared again as the human redhead, and Genkai as an old woman.

Kurama said, "Impressive." Hiei snorted.

Tsuzuku approached him cautiously. "Arslan?"

The being shook his head. "No. Not exactly." He looked at Kurama, Genkai, and Hiei. "May I have a private word with Kou..." He paused, as if searching. "Tsuzuku?" He corrected himself.

They assented to his wish and left.

The being-who-had-been-Arslan stared at him.

For the lack of something better to say, Tsuzuku tried a simple greeting. "Hello."

Without another word, the other stepped forward and enveloped Tsuzuku into his arms.

"It has been too long since I have last seen your face," he whispered.

Tsuzuku stayed still. He was not sure what the other was thinking, but he did not share the same feeling of reunification, mainly because he did not really remember him. Oh, he knew who the other person was supposed to be: the one the bull-monster wanted, the prince in his dreams. But the memories of him were snippets from forgotten dreams, and so, while there was a strong feeling of familiarity, Tsuzuku still felt rather awkward and out of place. He was suddenly aware of how fast his heart was beating, and how close the other was to him. He realized then how different the prince appeared; next to him, he was actually taller than Tsuzuku, his touch was cool rather than warm, and his aura was uncanny.

The prince must have noticed his discomfort, because he pulled back. "Forgive my behavior... T-Tsuzuku." He drew out Tsuzuku's name as if he were not used to using it.

"Um, it's not a problem." Tsuzuku said. He found the other's beauty so dazzling that it was almost distracting. He had to focus his concentration on what he wanted to say, or he else he would only gape and stare in wonder. Was this the difference in beauty between a mortal and a god?

He nodded, and then he met Tsuzuku's eyes. A change seemed to pass over him then, and he became more serious.

"No doubt, you have questions," the prince said with a slight smile. The smile made him more beautiful, and strangely, more human.  "We do not have much time, but I will try to answer them the best that I can."

Tsuzuku already knew what his first question was. "Why are the Gyuushu after us?"

"The Gyuushu have always had a strong disliking of your family. Some say that they were jealous of your power, or that it stems back to when your father, the Imperial Dragon, fought against the Bull King during the Heavenly Wars. I am not certain of the exact reason, but those are the only that I can think of."

Tsuzuku sighed. Another random enemy that hated them for reasons that they could not really change. "So why are we in Tokyo?"

"Do you remember any of your life as Kouryuu-ou? I could grant it, if you wish." He extended his hand.

"No thank you," said Tsuzuku, leaning back. He had no desire to remember who he was. "I just want to know the basics."

"It is probably for the best if you do not remember all anyway," said the prince. He paused, then continued. "I sent you here."

Tsuzuku blinked. "You sent me here?"

"I sent you, your brothers, and Taishinofujin, whom your brother loved. The Golden Emperor, my father, was missing. There were orders against your clan, and if you did not leave, your entire clan would have been annihilated."

Tsuzuku stared. "So...our clan is still in the Tenkai?"

"Yes. No one will attack a clan whose leaders have left. It is one of the laws of the Tenkai, and seen as an act that is beneath anyone who has any pride."

It was not a comforting fact to hear. The prince sounded certain, but Tsuzuku did not have his confidence. He shuddered at the thought of dragon kinsmen slaughtered because they had been abandoned by a family depending on some ancient code of honor. Ah, how complicated life became...

"So why aren't you here with us?"

He looked down. "I died."

No way... "You died?"

"It is one thing to travel from the Tenkai to the Jikai. It is another for a person to be reborn in the human world, without having died first. I spent all of my energy sending your family, and lacked the energy to send myself."

It seemed that no matter how many questions Tsuzuku asked to illuminate the mysteries around him, only more questions arose. "Why did you send us?"

He looked puzzled. "I have just told you."

Tsuzuku shook his head. "You told me why we had to be sent, and why you died. But you didn't tell me why /you/ sent my family and Matsuri here." The switch to Matsuri was automatic; he knew, without a doubt, that she had been this 'Taishinofujin'.

The prince hesitated. Finally, he leaned forward, and his right hand touched Tsuzuku's cheek.

"Do you know who I am?"

"A little," said Tsuzuku uncertainly. He found both the touch and the increased proximity of the other was, for reasons beyond him, causing his heart to beat faster, and he was not accustomed to feeling nervous. He tried to combat these feelings by paying closer attention to what he was saying, so he clarified himself. "I've had a few dreams..."

"I was linked to you. Your match, if you will. My father was the Golden Emperor and so an alliance between our families was formalized with our unification."

Tsuzuku stared in part horror, part embarrassment, and part wonder. So that explained the dream where he kissed Arslan, someone in the back of his mind told him. He ignored that voice because he was bombarded by too many others of disbelief ('no way!'), panic ('I'm married???'), and amazement ('I'm married to HIM?').

He was stunned, to say the least.

The other continued, ignoring his reaction. "I developed feelings for you, and wanted to protect you." He hesitated, and then continued talking of events long past. "I also owed you a debt because I had committed a crime against you."

"Crime?"

"I granted someone close to you his release. You were not pleased."

Tsuzuku tried to sort out all the facts before they inundated him and became meaningless. "So if you died, then why are you...there?" By "there", he meant the world where Ekubatana and Palse existed, but he lacked a better name for it.

"When those in the Tenkai die, they pass on to different places. I ended up in Arslan's world, as did the others that died."

Tsuzuku found the use of the third person reference to a person's own current life most disturbing. "Others?" He prompted, though he felt again that he already knew the answer.

"Hisui and Faris, your servant and mine, both died. They are in this life, Guibu and Farangis."

Which explained the strong familiarity that he felt with Guibu, just as he had felt a strong familiarity with Arslan.

Tsuzuku nodded.

"There is a question that I would ask of you, but I know you would wish to confer with your brothers first." He offered Tsuzuku his hand. "I will take us to them."

Tsuzuku reached for it, then stopped himself. "If we're leaving...and we don't know when we'll return, then I want to speak one last time to Shuuichi before we leave."

The other nodded in assent, so Tsuzuku left.

Shuuichi, as it turned out, was waiting in the hall. He was suspiciously close to the door. He smiled in greeting. "So did you have a sweet reunion with your lover?" He asked with a grin.

Tsuzuku gave him a look. Shuuichi laughed. Hiei, who was standing beside him, looked bored.

"Anyway," Tsuzuku said. "I wanted to thank you for everything. I--"

"Maybe we should talk elsewhere," Shuuichi suggested. Hiei looked away.

Surprised, Tsuzuku agreed, and the two of them left the hall.

Shuuichi guided them outside, where no one else was present. "Now," he said cheerfully, "We can talk."

"Right." Tsuzuku did not know why Shuuichi did not want to speak in the hallway, but he decided Shuuichi must have had his reasons. Maybe it had something to do with Hiei.

"I just wanted to thank you, for everything." He paused, suddenly finding it difficult to express his feelings. He was accustomed to using words to hurt and dissect others. He was not accustomed to using them to show how he really felt.

Shuuichi waved it off with a quick motion of his hand. "You're welcome."

"I mean, I know we haven't been in contact for a while...so thank you for being someone I could still ask for help from, even after all these years."

Shuuichi laughed. "You've thanked me already. It's enough, Tsuzuku."

Tsuzuku nodded, suddenly remembering their friendship three years ago. Shuuichi had always been able to understand him, even though they had never really revealed themselves to each other.

"Actually," Shuuichi said, the smile fading, "I pulled you aside to warn you."

Tsuzuku was immediately alert. "Warn me?"

Shuuichi indicated himself. He was in his human form again. "You saw me in my fox form from my past life. Growing up in this human form, I have always known that I was a demon, deep inside. It made me feel different from others. Distant. And yet, I learned to love and care for my human mother.

"You see...who we were in the past is not who we are now. When I first reappeared in my fox form for the first time in this lifetime, I found myself changed. Being a human has changed my perception of humans and demons.

"And yet...when everything came back to me, and I found myself speaking and thinking the way I did then. All the instincts of my demon body returned, and I remembered the best plants to call forth to kill my opponents with, and how easy it was to destroy. I remembered how short the lives of humans were, and how easy it was to kill them."

Shuuichi paused in his story, looking pensive. After a few more seconds, he continued.

"I have always known what I was. And yet, when I returned to my former state, for a brief moment, I regressed to how I was then. There were moments of inner conflict, before I integrated myself with both in its entirety. And this happened even though I had always known. Even so, I had been very different then.

"You've transformed into your dragon form, correct? Do you remember anything about yourself when you had been a dragon?"

Tsuzuku shook his head. "The memories are fuzzy."

"Ah. I see." Shuuichi looked thoughtful, and then shrugged. "Well, this may not necessarily be true of Prince Arslan. But he had obviously been a different person in his last life. He may act very differently from the person you know now as Arslan.

"It is important that you do not confuse the two. Who you had been in your last life affects who you become in this one, but in no way are the two the same. So do not mistake the being in there for Prince Arslan. They have different backgrounds, and, as a consequence, they will have different goals.

"Furthermore, they will have different perceptions of yourself, depending on what they remember about you. So the way he treats you may be different from the way Prince Arslan did."

Tsuzuku remembered, suddenly the hug, and the strange expression in the other's eyes...

"Anyway," Shuuichi said, interrupting Tsuzuku's thoughts, "I guess what I'm trying to say is to be careful, that's all. You don't really know him anymore, now that he is Prince Hoshiki."

'It's true that he's not the same anymore," Tsuzuku agreed. He shrugged. "But even so..." The rest of what he was thinking was too embarrassing to say aloud. /Even so, part of me trusts Hoshiki, without question./ But this inner voice had no real reason behind his feelings, so he said nothing.

Shuuichi nodded. "Well, you're not alone at least." He smiled as Tsuzuku pretended not to hear.

"A reminder, though," said Shuuichi. "The potion wears off in 15 minutes. He may return to Arslan after that. Or he might not, since Hoshiki was able to return me to my human form.

"And with that bit of warning, I will take my leave here." He leaned over and gave Tsuzuku a hug -- the first they ever had.

Tsuzuku saw the hug as it was: a good-bye.

He met the other back in the hall. The prince had been, evidently, speaking to Hiei. Upon his entrance, Hiei took one look at Tsuzuku and left the hallway.

Tsuzuku returned his attention to the prince. He found himself thinking of what Shuuichi had said, and as a matter of consequence, he asked him:  

"So...you're not Prince Arslan," Tsuzuku said. "Or are you?

The other shook his head. "Not really. Not anymore."

A chill ran through him upon hearing those words, as it occurred to him that Prince Arslan, as he knew him, might never return. Tsuzuku nodded. "So then, how shall I address you?"

"You may call me Hoshiki," Hoshiki replied, offering his hand. "Are you ready to go?"

"Hoshiki," Tsuzuku repeated to himself. He smiled and took the hand. "Yes."

-----------------------------------------------

Chapter 15: Lies and Truth ~ Emergence, Part II

Back to Arslan/Soryuden Fanfiction