They had walked off into the distance under the clear blue sky, the sun shining upon them as they talked and laughed with each other, Tamahome, Miaka, and Nuriko. They had been going to visit Tamahome's family and bring them back to the palace where they would be safe. And then we would leave to search for the shinzahou. I had turned away after they were out of sight, wishing once again that I could travel with them, but other things needed my attention. And they would be back by nightfall.

Nightfall... It had been a few days since Akito had decided to lock us in my room. We slept together after that...

The boat we would be leaving on was nearly ready, a sturdy large wooden ship that would safely bear us across the waters to Hokkan. The preparations were almost completely in order, a crew for the ship, rooms for the seishi, food and other supplies. All was ready. The docks were lined with boxes waiting to be loaded onto the vessel and people stood in scattered clumps near the ship, looking on or helping in the preparation. I myself stood amidst them, looking over plans. Everything was set, perfect in writing; it only remained now to enact everything. We would be leaving in a few days, and we did not know how long we would be away. I would be accompanying them. Akito, after much persuasion and debating, had agreed that it was best I go along with the others. He would watch over things while I was gone. I had no doubt that the country would be safe, more than safe, in his hands.

"Heika-sama." I glanced to my right. Akito stood a bit behind me admiring the boat. "She'll be ready in a day or so... Everything is set- we're only waiting for supplies to be stowed aboard."

I nodded to him, turning my eyes to the sky. It had been hours since they had left and the first stars of evening were appearing in the horizon along beside a moon that was barely more than a sliver of shining light. They weren't back yet... and I was beginning to get worried.

Children take a long time to pack and don't travel very fast, I assured myself as I lay in bed later that night, alone. They would be here the next day. I fell asleep, a sleep filled with worried dreams and whispered fears that only slightly dimmed when daylight came.

They did not return until the evening of the next day. I was sitting in my throne room, the ship being tended by others. I was not needed, and so had left, preferring not to be in the way. Something was wrong, I was sure of it. None of them had returned. And then the door opened slowly, creaking softly, announcing the entry of a small figure, head bent, eyes to the ground.
 
 

"Chuei... Gyokuran... Shunkei..."

I could see the ball drop from his hand, hear his frightened words.

"Yuiren! Yuiren!!"

Miaka's pleas had barely entered into my awareness as she grabbed my shirt, screaming for Mitsukake, telling me to hurry. I couldn't do anything. My feet were frozen, trapped in memories.

"Niichan won't go anywhere!! I'll be with Yuiren forever!"

"You'll be with me forever, ne, niisama?"

"Of course, Kourin. I couldn't leave you alone. You'd get into too much trouble!"

"Niisama!!"

Children's laughter.

I could only hold her as she shook in my arms, Miaka, terrified. I had to be strong. I couldn't let myself remember. They needed me.

"Yuiren!!!!" His agonized cry rang through the small village.

She slowly dropped to her knees, still holding me. "So cruel... who would do this?"

Weak. Helpless. Perhaps I was using her as much of a support as she was using me.

And that was when I heard it again.

My eyes widened. "A flute..."

"That tune..." Miaka breathed, her eyes scared, her body taut. "This melody..."

I raised my eyes to the roof where a dark shadow desecrated the landscape.

"Amiboshi!" Miaka said, her voice hushed, fearful.

"Impossible..." I whispered. "You're still alive?"

"Oh no..." Her grip on my arm tightened slightly. "You... did you do it?"

The flute moved away from his mouth. A shiver ran up my spine. Impossible... Amiboshi had died...

"That's right..." he said, and there was something different about his voice. "I'm the one. This is revenge for my brother whom you murdered!!" He flung off his cape, anger filling his features.

I stepped forward in front of Miaka, my voice dark. "Miaka... get behind me." He would not hurt her. He wouldn't hurt anyone anymore when I was done with him. I was so angry. "That's not Amiboshi!!"

A black smile lit his lips. "I'm the Seiryuu seishi, Suboshi! You killed Amiboshi. He was my older twin!"

"You're wrong!!" I yelled back. "We didn't kill him!! It was an accident!"

His hands moved slightly, starting a spin on the ball he held in his hands. "I won't listen to poor excuses," he said simply. "I'll kill you!!"

I grabbed her and threw us out of the way, my head completely calm. I knew what to do. I had to keep her safe. I didn't know what he had thrown at us, but I did not particularly desire to find out. And I was right. The ball he had held slashed into a tree. The tree tipped and fell over on top of Tamahome's house. I just clutched Miaka in my arms.

"Well... how do you like the strength of my ryuuseisui?" he asked us, almost laughing at us.

"You," came Tamahome's soft voice from the doorway of his house. "You... my father, my sisters, my brothers... you killed them!!!"

The fight began. All I could do was watch.

His symbol blazed on his forehead as he caught the spinning ball in his hand. The boy, Suboshi, tried to dodge, but it was too late. Tamahome hit him so hard that he flew through the nearby fence, shattering boards, sending splinters flying. "Only you... I'll never forgive you!"

"It's my fault! It's my fault!!"

A child's tears.

"Back then," I said quietly to Miaka, fighting to control my voice, "Taiitsu-kun... she gave Tamahome this power... But... but it's too strong..." The girl in my arms was shaking. I held her a bit tighter. I would protect her.

Tamahome had the boy against a house, his hand pressed against his neck. "Here comes the fatal blow," he hissed.

His arm pulled back to deliver the promised punishment and a bolt of lightening burst from the sky. It engulfed them both in a flash of light. I cried out as it touched me, stinging my body with needles. In my arms, Miaka whimpered quietly.

A glowing figure lit up a rooftop, holding the boy in her arms. Tamahome stood up, still radiating power. "You're Seiryuu's?!" he shouted, fury visible in his eyes and posture.

"Seiryuu shichiseishi... Soi!" the figure introduced himself. "That was just a greeting. Tamahome, it looks as though you've increased your power. Just because your family was killed?"

His eyes widened, as did mine. I leapt away from Miaka and to him, grabbing his arms, trying to hold him. "Tamahome!"

A part of my consciousness registered his next words. "Control your power until we meet again." And he was gone.

He was struggling frantically in my arms. "DON'T RUN AWAY!!!!" he was screaming in rage.

"Stop it, Tamahome!!" I was nearly yelling at him, fighting to be heard over his own cries. "You'll destroy yourself!!"

"LET GO!!!"

He was striking me on the face with his elbows, trying to escape me, but I wouldn't let him go. "You... you're..." The tears were starting to fall from my eyes, the strain, emotionally and physically, taking its toll. "Sou Kishuku!!! A Suzaku seishi!! Suzaku no Miko!! You were chosen to protect Miaka as a seishi!!! A Suzaku shichisei..." I could feel him start to struggle less. The words that came to mind were just random, saying anything that would calm him down. "Tamahome..." The sob burst through my throat, my ability to control it vanishing. I just clutched his chest, the tears falling from my eyes freely now. "Now... you... Miaka... Miaka... you're making her feel as if it is her fault..." I continued to cry, the adrenaline that fear and necessity had built up fading, leaving behind only the scars.

"Miaka," he whispered. It was silent a moment, except for me. "Nuriko, I understand," he said softly, and took my arms out from around him.

I dropped to my hands and knees, unable to stop the tears or the sobs that came from my throat.
 
 

He walked into the room slowly, his eyes downcast and blank-looking, but none of this registered to me. He was home and he was safe. Relief washed over me like a warm spring rain as I saw him. "Nuriko!" I called to him, smiling.

He raised his eyes to me slowly, his face vacant, carefully held in place. "Konban wa..." His voice was as empty as his face as he looked down again.

Something was horribly wrong. I stood quickly and walked to him. His eyes were so strange... so hollow. Concern took a firm hold on my heart as I spoke. "Nuriko... what's wrong?"

"Tamahome's family... was killed." His words were flat, emotionless, so unlike usual.

My eyes widened. Those children? Tamahome's family... "Gods... how?" My voice was disbelieving.

He didn't look at me; his eyes stayed focused on the ground. "A Seiryuu seishi... Suboshi... for revenge for Amiboshi..."

I shook my head in disbelief. They had been so young, so innocent. It was not right. Another thought struck my mind suddenly. "Are you all right? And Miaka, Tamahome?" If they had been hurt in any way...
 
He nodded slowly. "I... I'm fine... you might want to go speak to them later..." His eyes still stared at the floor, not looking up at me, as though he were seeing something that was not there.

I nodded slightly, assuring myself by his words that they were all right. He was all right. I pulled him into a tight hug. "Gomen... I should have been there..." I should have gone with them. I should have been there with them.

He was stiff, unmoving in my arms for a second as though I were not there, but then he shut his eyes and tightened his arms around me. His voice was tight, strained with the effort to hold back tears that could not quite be contained. "The little one... she had just... been smiling... and... and... " He stopped short, his voice near breaking.

Wishing I knew what to say, what to do, I simply held him tightly, closely. Still trying to fight back tears, he spoke again, his voice quivering. "I was helpless... again... just like with... with... Kourin..." He buried his face in my shoulder, his small form shaking slightly in my arms.

Carefully, gently, I stroked back his hair, whispering quietly, trying to reassure him, anything to help him. "It's all right..." He let me hold him for a moment, just leaning against me quietly before he pulled away.

"Gomen..." His voice was a ragged whisper and he turned his face slightly away from me quickly. He was hurting so much; it was plain to see in his eyes, in his face, so tightly drawn in an attempt at composure.

"Why are you sorry?" I was so confused as to why he would apologize to me.

He wiped at his eyes with a part of his sleeve, pushing back the tears that lingered there. "I just... I don't mean to be a burden... You're so busy getting ready for us to leave..." He shut his eyes quickly, tightly, as though he there were something before them that he could not bear to see. "I was so scared..."

Reaching out a hand to gently brush away the small tears that still lay glistening upon his cheeks I shook my head slowly. "You're never a burden... never." I paused for a moment, and regarded him silently, seeing the pain he was in, seeing his sadness, wanting to help... and not knowing how.

His eyes slowly opened, watching their familiar spot on the ground, and he reached out and took my hand. "I thought... if they would hurt them..." He broke off, not finishing the thought, but instead turning his tear-reddened eyes up to me, his brows lowered. "You're coming with us, aren't you?"

I nodded, tightening my hand around his slightly. "Of course..."

"Good..." He watched me for a moment, eyes, so much like the sky after a storm, studying me. "Can... can my brother come to stay at the palace while we're gone...?"

I nodded again. "Of course..." My head tilted towards the side slightly as I looked at him. "Right away if you'd like."

His voice was quiet, barely above a whisper. "Can we go see him tomorrow? Just you and me...?"

Pausing for a moment, I thought, wondering how I could persuade Akito to let me out of the palace walls for a time. I nodded to him, smiling slightly. If Nuriko wanted me to come with him, I would find a way. "Hai... I think we can do that..." I paused again, giving him another small smile. "I'd like to meet your brother..."

The smile he gave me in return was faint, small, but at least there, before he turned his head away from me. "I... I was never as close to him as to Kourin... I wish so much you could have met her..."

I looked at him a moment, studying silently, balancing a question in my mind. Perhaps it was a bad time to ask, but I felt if I did not then I never would. Cringing inwardly at my complete lack of tact, I spoke softly. "Ne... how... how did she die?"

He looks up at me, his dark violet eyes filled with a sadness that transcended space and time. His eyes lowered to the ground again. "She... was chasing after me... and she was hit... by a horse and cart... She was trampled to death." His hand tightened around mine slightly, an unconscious gesture on his part, almost as though he needed a link to the present as he spoke about the past.

I tightened my hand in return, wondering why I had asked him this now. "I'm sorry..." There was nothing else I could think to say or do. Nothing I could do to help him. Useless.

Vibrant eyes now clouded with sadness still staring at the floor, he simply nodded.

I wrapped my arms around him again, hugging him close and hating myself for being so useless, so unable to make things right. "We'll go to your brother tomorrow, together. Everything will be all right. I promise." My voice was a whisper. I would find some means to make it that way. I promised myself that.

He hugged me back. "Hotohori-sama..." he whispered softly and shut his eyes, going quiet again.

"Nuriko..." I ventured quietly, but then paused before continuing, my voice still quiet. "Ne... is it.... all right if I ask your real name?"

He pulled away, surprise flashing across his face. "H-hai..." He paused for a moment, looking as though he were deciding whether or not to tell me. "It's Ryuuen... Chou Ryuuen..." His eyes did not meet mine again, instead focusing on his hands.

Quietly, as though saying the words to some sort of spell, I repeated the name to myself. "Ryuuen..." His eyes jerked up to me suddenly, his face awed, surprised. I glanced back at him curiously, almost confused, and raised an eyebrow.

A faint shy smile flickered across his face, and when he spoke his voice as soft, almost as awed as his expression. "You said my name..." He stopped and looked away, a small frown falling across his features.

I was still confused as the frown came to his face and found myself unsure whether or not to apologize. Had I done something wrong? "I... I did.... is that all right?"

His arms were suddenly around me in a tight hug. "Yes. Yes. I'm so glad you're coming with us. I have to protect you." It caught me completely off-guard. No one had ever wanted to protect me before- usually it was the other way around. I hugged him back, once again caught without any words to say. He spoke again and his voice was stronger this time. "I'll do my best, and I promise they won't hurt you, no matter what. I love you so much. I won't let anything happen to you."

I smiled slightly at him, knowing that I would protect him too, that I would not know what to do if anything happened to him. "I love you too... so much... nothing will happen to me... or you either." My voice was quiet, whispered, and he did not reply. Instead, he just hugged me silently.

"Ne... it's getting late..." I pulled away, my hand searching for his.

Nodding slowly, he watched me, his deep violet eyes studying me in the dim light. "Hai... we're leaving after we talk to my brother?"

"More or less..." I nodded. The boat was ready as soon as we were.

Nodding slowly, he reached up to kiss me lightly, his lips barely brushing against mine. "Shall we?" His mood seemed lighter, but only a bit. Even so, I was glad

I nodded to him. "Let's go then." I led him off towards our room slowly as the sun set around us and darkness took the land.


 

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