Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction ❯ The Next Act in a Mysterious Play ❯ Moonlit Kisses ( Chapter 7 )

I'm back! I had hoped to have at least two chapters written. Unfortunately I have found that when you are riding a huge un-air-conditioned bus that is taking very curvy road on the very side of a mountain, it is very difficult to write a story. So this is all I have at the moment. Sorry. I will try to get more out soon. Enjoy.

 

When the sun rose the following morning, there was a small panic concerning the disappearance of everyone's things. However, after a suggestion from Rimudo to check the obvious place, they found the stuff. Not far away lay Tomite, curled up next to the bags.

 

“Are you sure it is safe to take him to the palace?” Mahome spoke up.

 

“If we keep him on a leash,” Kat mumbled.

 

“Keep who on a leash, priestess?” Tomite suddenly awoke.

 

“You,” Hotohori took back his satchel. “You stole our bags during the night.”

 

Tomite stood aghast as if someone had just smacked him.

 

“I beg your pardon, but I'm afraid that you are quite mistaken, your majesty.”

 

“Then why is all of our stuff around you, instead of where we had put it?”'

 

“Well, clearly I was protecting everything.”

 

Hotohori opened his mouth in rebuttal, but was stopped when Rimudo put her hand on his shoulder.

 

“Trust me, you can not win this one.”

 

Hotohori simply shrugged in defeat and mounted his horse. As he did so, Katsura couldn't help watching with a grin on her face.

 

“He is good to look at isn't he?” Rimudo came up from behind and whispered in the startled girl's ear.

 

Kat blushed a bright red and retreated to her horse in embarrassment.

 

The group reached the palace of Konan within a few hours. Once they were safely inside the courtyard, Kat saw Kurotaki rushing out to great them.

 

“You've returned!” he exclaimed as he embraced his younger brother. After a moment he noticed Rimudo and Tomite. “And you have brought guests. Might I presume that these are two more of Suzaku's warriors?”

 

“You can presume,” Kat walked to the emperor's side, “but you would be wrong. Your majesty Kurotaki, meet Rimudo and Tomite, two warriors of Genbu.”

 

“Genbu warriors?”

 

“Yes, your highness,” Tomite moved forward and bowed. “Rimudo and I are warriors of Genbu, but you have nothing to fear from us. Like you, we are on a mission of peace.”

 

“Plus, we really need them in order to complete our mission, which Taitsukun completely changed on us,” Kat piped up.

 

Kurotaki was overwhelmed, “Clearly you have much to tell us. Please, come inside so we can discuss this behind closed doors.”

 

As they all walked together through the corridors, Rimudo looked over at Tomite who's eyes began to glaze as they caught site of the many shining objects. Rimudo then snapped in front of his face.

 

“Hey! None of that, mister. I refuse to help you out of prison a second time.”

 

“I know not what you speak of,” Tomite smiled at Rimudo.

 

“Of course you don't.”

 

Once everyone was seated a large drawing room, the entire story was rehashed yet again, taking up quite some time.

 

“My goodness. If this is all so,” Kurotaki finally exclaimed, “then why did Suzaku bring Katsura here, instead of directly to Mount Taikyoku?”

 

“Probably because you're the only emperor who wants peace,” Kat deduced.

 

“That does seem to be the case. It is good that you have made so much progress. There are rumors that Kuto has discovered a warrior of Sieryu and therefore are looking for their priestess.”

 

“Do we know anything about this warrior?” Hotohori inquired.

 

“No. But it is assumed that the person is secure within the palace.”

 

“Then we need to go to Kuto next,” Katsura declared.

 

“And what exactly are we supposed to do when we get there? We can't just walk up to the front gate and ask them to hand over the Sieryu warrior, and I doubt we could sneak in without our chi being detected,” Rimudo pointed out.

 

“You all could not sneak in, that's true,” Kat smiled. “But, I could. I am technically the priestess they are looking for. So, we let them `find' me, they take me in, I find our two warriors, and then we all meet back up.”

 

“No!” Hotohori declared forcefully. “It is far too dangerous, Katsura.”

 

“Do you have a better idea? I'm the only one not marked by a specific god.”

 

“But you do not even know if this warrior is anymore than just a rumor concocted by the enemy to trick us. Even if it is true, the Sieryu warriors may not even want to leave. What happens then?”

 

As he spoke, Hotohori's inflection kept steadily rising until he was on the edge of yelling. There was silence for a moment until Tomite turned to Kurotaki, while `slyly' hiding a golden ornament in his pocket.

 

“What do you think, your majesty?”

 

Kurotaki, who had been staring at his brother in shock, took a deep breath and spoke with a commanding tone.

 

“I believe that we are all tired and will continue this discussion in the morning when we have all regained control of ourselves.”

 

He then stood up and turned to Hotohori, who looked ashamed of what he had just done.

 

“Hotohori, please follow me. The rest of you I wish a pleasant sleep.”

 

With that, he turned and exited the room with Hotohori close at his heals. Everyone got up and said their goodnights. Katsura and Rimudo then began walking together toward their rooms.

 

“Well, that certainly answered my question,” Rimudo sighed as she reached her door and opened it.

 

“And what's that?”

 

“I was wondering if I had a shot with Hotohori, or if his heart was already taken. Goodnight,” the Genbu warrior smirked devilishly before she shut the door on a very confused looking Katsura.

 

As she lay asleep a while later, Katsura began tossing and turning as a dream overtook her…

 

In the midst of a black void stood four white candles. Each had a different colored flame. They were red, blue, yellow, and purple. Together they burned calmly, almost in harmony. But soon, the blue flame started to grow in size until the flame spilled over to surround everything. Touched by the blue flame, the tapers of the other three candles changed to black. Then, all of the flames grew until nothing could be seen except an enormous blaze that would destroy everything…

 

When Katsura jolted up in bed, she was trembling fiercely. Although she had no clue what the dream had meant, she felt that it was not good. She definitely did not want to go back to bed just yet, so Kat decided to go for a walk. The cool night air felt soothing on her face as she stepped out of her room. As she walked the halls, she looked out into a small garden with a pond and saw a figure looking up at the stars.

 

“Hotohori?”

 

He jumped at the sound of his name and turned to see who it was.

 

“Katsura, what are you doing up?”

 

“I could ask you the same thing,” she smiled as she came down to join him.

 

“Do you always have to be so stubborn?” he shook his head.

 

“Probably, my parents say I've always been like this, even before I came out into the world.”

 

They both laughed at this, then were quite once more.

 

“I'm sorry for the way I acted today. I did not mean…”

 

Katsura put her hand on Hotohori's shoulder, “Don't worry about it. I was just as headstrong as you were.”

 

“That is true. I was only trying to protect you,” Hotohori turned and embraced Katsura. “I don't want you to get hurt.”

 

Katsura was in shock, “Hoto…hori.”

 

When he moved back, the prince still held either side of her face.

 

“Ever since you came to my world, my heart can not stop racing. The way I acted today, I have never done that before. I just could not bare the thought of losing you. Even though we've only known each other a few days, I know that I love you, Katsura.”

 

Katsura could feel her heart ready to leap out of her chest.

 

“How much do you love me?”

 

With no one but the stars watching, Hotohori swooped down to meet Katsura's lips and kissed her with a gentle passion that flooded both their bodies.

 

And so, the romance begins. Wouldn't be Fushigi Yugi without it. Please review and let me know what you think. ^_^