Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction ❯ A Friend's Betrayal ❯ Bad Omens ( Chapter 1 )

A lone swallow flitted nervously about on the twisted branches of a cherry tree. The front yard of the Sukunami residence was ripe with the smell of the fresh blossoms, the grass littered with their dusty pink petals. The deceptively warm wind that blew into Hikone from the south, bringing with it the sounds and smells of the ocean, did nothing to offset the ominous presence of the dark clouds looming on the horizon. With a final anxious twitter, the sparrow leapt from its branch and joined in the stillness which had overtaken the town.

 

Nothing moved or breathed save for the dark storm clouds and the wind. The silence hung thickly on the air like a dense, soupy fog until Miaka Sukunami opened her front door. Her green eyes peered anxiously up at the sky and she let out a small sigh of relief when she realized it hadn't begun to storm.

 

“Are you sure you have to go into work? Couldn't someone else take care of it?” She glanced dubiously over her shoulder and watched her husband Taka drape a rain jacket over his sports coat.

 

“You know I have to go. Masuyo is on vacation in Tokyo this weekend and Tetsuya and Yui are still on their honeymoon.” He smiled down at his wife to reassure her while gratefully accepting the compact umbrella she handed him. To ease her worries further, he planted a loving kiss on her forehead. “Don't worry Miaka. I'm just going to make a quick dash to the office and then I'll be back before you know it.”

 

Her rosebud lips pressed together in a tight line, a tell-tale sign she was upset but she wasn't going to push the issue. There was nothing he could do or say to reassure her. There had to be someone at the office when the IT repair guys showed up to fix the computer system. He hated how she worried over him like this. A face as delicate as her should never be marred with lines of worry.

 

“I'll be home soon. I promise,” he said finally and Miaka managed a small smile before opening the door for him.

 

“Alright, go on. But drive safe okay? No speeding! You're no Tetsuya behind the wheel!”

 

She gave him a mock disapproving frown and he couldn't help but laugh. Still chuckling he grabbed her around the waist and planted a lingering `goodbye' kiss on her lips.

 

“I'll be home soon,” he promised gently as he set her feet back on the floor. “I love you.” After another carefully placed peck to her cheek he collected his things and headed out the door.

 

“I love you too,” Miaka replied too softly for him to hear and waved him off from the door.

 

Taka's car quickly disappeared from the driveway and around the bend of their cul-de-sac with the unmistakable sound of a revving engine. Miaka took one last pensive look at the clouds overhead before strolling back into the house and locking the door behind her.

 

Don't be silly! She chided herself. It's just a silly thunderstorm. How many of those have you seen in your life Miaka? Honestly! Even so, she couldn't rid herself of the uneasy feeling churning in the pit of her stomach. Sitting down at the kitchen table she grabbed an apple out of the fruit bowl and stared at it thoughtfully.

 

She'd woken up that morning to the feeling that something bad was going to happen—she couldn't explain why, it was just there from the moment she opened her eyes. She'd put it off as nothing at first, but it became progressively more urgent as the day wore on. When Taka got the call to go into work, her heart had leapt into the back of her throat. Something told her she had to keep him from leaving, but he brushed her worries aside and told her she was being silly. She had to admit, if their roles were reversed she didn't think she'd listen either. It just sounded so ridiculous!

 

Miaka glanced anxiously at the door, willing Taka to walk through it drenched head to foot from the rain and his briefcase in hand. The house remained silent but for the steady patter of rain on the roof. A loud crack of thunder cut through the silence like a knife, causing her to jump in her seat. With a hand clutched over her racing heart, she shot the storm clouds an annoyed glare and tossed the apple back into the fruit bowl. Pushing back her chair, she stood up and lazily walked upstairs to lie down. She suddenly didn't feel so hungry anymore.

 

 

 

Taka turned down the car radio and `tsked' disapprovingly at the sound of hail on the roof. The storm had gotten worse, far worse than he ever thought it would get. In the past five minutes he'd gone from bone dry conditions to being pelted with bullets of hail the size of golf balls. With a hint of regret he wished he was home again. A loving house with a warm fire, food on the table, and Miaka in it seemed more than appealing at the moment.

 

Letting out a sigh of resignation, Taka sped up his windshield wipers. With a grunt he realized they were already moving at the fastest setting, not that they did anything to help his already limited visibility. The rain and hail were so thick it was almost impossible for him to see the road ahead. It was like driving into a dense white wall of water. He began to seriously consider turning around and heading home. It was doubtful the IT guys would show up in such bad weather anyways. Besides, fixing a computer wasn't worth risking his life over, especially not with Miaka to think about. It felt like they'd only just started their lives together.

 

Just as he decided he would forget about going to the office and turn around, Taka notice a dark shape looming ahead on the road. He squinted, trying to make out what it was through the sheets of rain pounding against the windshield but it was no use. He cautiously hit the brakes, hoping he wouldn't hit whatever it was and gasped when he realized his brakes had no traction on the slick road. Jerking the wheel to the right he swerved to avoid it and inadvertently threw his car into an uncontrollable spin. He began to feel sick as the car spun round and round in circles across the pavement. With a shudder and a groan he finally came to a stop. He barely had a moment to breathe a sigh of relief before the car began to move again - back towards the dark figure on the road!

 

“You can't be serious!” he exclaimed, his eyes growing wide as he realized the car was again moving towards the dark shape. Snapping off his seat belt he made a move for the door and tried to force it open but it wouldn't budge. No matter how hard he pounded his shoulder into it didn't open, almost as if it were sealed shut by some invisible force. There was nothing he could do but sit and wait.

 

 

When the car finally stopped, the driver's side door was blown open and Taka cautiously stepped out onto the road. He turned slowly and through the sheets of rain was able to make out a figure dressed in a black, hooded cloak.

 

“Welcome warrior of Suzaku,” it greeted him in an unearthly voice. “It is time to die.”

 

Taka gasped, surprised. Who was this guy? He'd left the world of the book and his life as a Suzaku warrior behind just over a year ago. He and Miaka had finally been able to settle down as a regular man and woman in peace with no responsibilities to beast gods or anyone else. For the past year they'd lived an idyllic life and this figure, whoever he was, was threatening to steal it from them. Clenching his hands into fists at his sides, Taka glared levelly at the figure standing before him. He may not be a Suzaku warrior anymore, but he'd be damned if he went down without a fight.

 

“You think you can kill me so easily? Bring it on!” he challenged, widening his stance and bracing his body to fight. His opponent appeared frozen, he hadn't moved a muscle, but Taka knew he was preparing to attack, he could feel the energy in the air and it made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. His entire body tensed in preparation but there was little he could do against the awesome power of the cloaked figure.

 

Without warning Taka's body was enveloped in the vibrant purple glow of his opponent's chi. It was as beautiful as it was deadly. That was the only thought his mind had time to make before his body was broken and thrown backwards to careen into the unforgiving pavement. Through the rain and hail a wicked flash of lightning forked across the sky and a loud rumble of thunder shook the earth.

 

As he lay broken, bleeding and drenched on the wet pavement, Taka's thoughts drifted to Miaka. What was going to happen when he wasn't there to protect her? He prayed to the gods that she would survive. She had to.

 

“Please Suzaku, keep her safe,” he whispered before his body gave out and his eyes closed on the light of day, enveloping him in never-ending darkness.

 

 

 

Author's Note: There's a little bit of nostalgia with this one…this is the first fanfic I ever wrote. It's been on the back burner for a while but I've decided to do an edit and re-write to spruce it up. Please leave a comment and let me know what you think of it!