Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction ❯ Seeing Beyond the Light ❯ Introductions ( Chapter 1 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Wingson 
Kizuka has accepted her family's destiny. Now she can protect the seishi. If she can only *find* them...
Anime/Manga: Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 06.29.2003 | Pages: 2 | Words: 2.1K | Visits: 231 | Status: Completed
Kizuka has accepted her family's destiny. Now she can protect the seishi. If she can only *find* them...
Anime/Manga: Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 06.29.2003 | Pages: 2 | Words: 2.1K | Visits: 231 | Status: Completed
Disclaimer: If you want you can sue, I own peanuts.
Warnings: Advisor bashing...and a bored Chichiri...OH NOOOO!
*...* - God speak
//...// - Thought speak
"..." - Human speak
Seeing Beyond the Light
Chapter 1: Introductions
//DA...//
Chichiri was bored. He did not believe he had ever been so bored in his life. As he sat there listening to a random advisor prattle on, he thought about his original plan. //SURE, Hotohori-sama, I'd be GLAD to stand in for you while you find the rest of the seishi. No problem! You just go traipsing off with the woman of your dreams and I'll just sit here while your advisor's talk at me//
He had started out by paying attention to the advisors, having the mistaken impression that they would say something of importance. He did not want to accidentally agree to sign the kingdom over to Hokkan, or something like that. However, he soon discovered that the advisors said nothing of real importance, and most of what they said concerned the Emperor's marriage. It was all they talked of! The minister of defense suggested a marriage to a Kutou princess. The minister of economics suggested it would be a boost to the economy to have a secure heir. The minister of the interior had picked his favorite to account for unhappy nobles within the kingdom. The minister of...the list went on and on. It would be funny except that he had to sit through all of it.
And that wasn't even the worst. Through it all he had to remain calm and serene. After all, these advisors thought they were talking to Emperor Saihitei, not Suzaku Shichiseishi Chichiri. The urge to bounce around, to go chibi, and to say "no da" was almost overwhelming! He sometimes got through the advisor's speeches by imagining their faces if he started bouncing off the walls.
"Heika-sama?"
He quickly straightened up at the desk as a new advisor entered the room. "Hai?"
"Sir, I have the report from the head chamberlain on the state of the palace. If you would allow me to read it..."
Chichiri stopped listening at that point. He did not have any real power to change anything should he even want to, and the report was written out so Hotohori-sama could read it later. Chichiri had become an expert at pretending to listen, smiling and nodding at the appropriate places. He started to daydream, wondering when the others would return, when something caught his attention.
"Gomen...what was that last part again?" He asked the question a little too sharply, so the advisor floundered for a bit first.
"Ano... there has been another request for an audience by one of the courtesans. This time she states that it has something to do with the Suzaku seishi. Heika, this is the same girl who has been requesting an audience for the two months she has been here. The addition of the Seishi is probably an attempt to get your attention..."
"It has worked. We will see her this afternoon."
"Heika-sama, if she is just trying to get your attention..."
"And what if she is not? We cannot afford to ignore any information about the seishi. Arrange for a meeting this afternoon."
"Hai."
In truth, Chichiri did not think that the girl would have any information. She probably just wanted an opportunity to flirt with the admittedly handsome emperor. It probably would not hurt to be seen with the girl; given the advisor's reaction, the girl was probably not a favorite. This audience would increase her status and placate some of the advisors while not increasing the hopes of one faction or another. Besides, even listing to the silly prattlings of a harem girl would be preferable to an afternoon of listening to more advisors.
* * *
//GAH...//
Kizuka was bored. She did not believe she had ever been so bored in her life. As she sat there listening to a random attendant prattle on, she thought about her original plan. //SURE, Tai Itsukun, I'd be GLAD to join the harem. I'm sure that this would be the best way for me to run into Hotohori without undue notice. It's a great plan! Except for the little fact you forgot to mention. HOTOHORI DOES NOT COME TO THE HAREM!!!//
*No need to shout, child* Tai Itsukun's voice was, as always, completely unruffled.
//Gomen, but how am I supposed to protect the seishi if I can't even MEET them!?!// She was beginning to get a little impatient.
Silence was her only answer. She suppressed a sigh as she saw Houki-san glide up to her. Houki-san was practically the only one in the harem to pay any attention to her. Being the newest in the harem, she was currently low on the totem pole of harem politics. Besides which, she had become something of a local legend with her constant appeals to see the emperor. Houki-san was either very high in the order or did not care, but she talked to Kizuka. Personally, Kizuka thought that Houki-san was the best candidate for empress. After a little over a month of intense training with Tai Itsukun, she could differentiate between the colors on someone's chi, and knew the meanings.
Houki had a deep well of the fiery orange of determination, fed by the dark red of love. Over all of this was a veneer of polite manners and good taste, shimmering and clear like crystal. Kizuka could see that the outer layer could not be easily bent or cracked to disturb the lower, purer layers. Most of the other girls in the harem either did not have any deeper layers, or they were the sickly green of jealousy and spite.
*Of course Houki-san would make a good empress. I chose her myself!* The new voice was low and feminine, but more given to expression than Tai Itsukun's.
//Thank you, Suzaku-seikun. I already knew that. You chose well. She has the strength of character to get her through the trials in her path.// She wasn't sure, but she was fairly certain that the ability to mind speak with the gods was not something that usually came with TrueSight. Apparently she had made enough of an impression on Tai Itsukun to be granted this boon. In any case, it was a comfort to know that she would have their guidance for the task ahead.
*Nah, we just like talkin' to ya!* a voice piped in cheerfully.
//Shut up, Byakko!//
*Just tryin' to cheer you up. You were getting' sad.* The youthful God's voice was hurt.
//I know, but I don't think Houki-san would appreciate or understand if I suddenly burst out laughing for no reason.// She comforted Him, and as the God's laughter faded in her mind, she noticed that all conversation had stopped. One of the eunuchs had come in. Kizuka stood up.
"Excuse me a moment," she said dryly as Houki glanced up, "but it's time to make my daily plea."
Houki hid her mouth behind her sleeves, but her eyes smiled as she spoke, "I don't know why you continue to do this, Kizu-chan. Your pleas will never get to Heika-sama's ears. You really should..."
"Miharu Kizuka"
She froze as she heard her name called. She turned around slowly, dimly aware of all the others in the sitting room sinking into a kneeling bow. Unnoticed by her or Houki a messenger had approached behind the eunuch.
She made her way across the room, stumbling once on the impossible shoes they made her wear. She heard a titter flow through the room as she fell awkwardly into the painful bow before the messenger.
The messenger had looked disdainfully on her before she knelt, but now looked up, carefully not looking at any of the women, who were, after all, the emperor's property. "You are Miharu Kizuka?"
"Hai." Kizuka winced as the titter went around again. She had managed to screw up court manners again. //Huh. I would like to see any of these beauties try to perform the simplest kata.// "What is needed from this unworthy one?"
"You are to have tea with the emperor this afternoon in the garden, where you will tell him whatever it is you are so instant on saying." She could feel the disapproval rolling off of him in waves.
There was dead silence as the messenger left, then the room exploded with excited chatter. Kizuka remained where she was, hardly daring to believe that her constant pleas had finally made it through to someone.
Houki finally came up from behind and pulled her away, laughing and chattering about something that Kizuka could not follow. Finally! After two months of constant begging she could meet the emperor. She wasn't sure how she was going to make her case to an emperor of whom she knew very little. She had heard that he was very full of himself, and expected him to talk mainly about himself. Still, even listening to the narcissistic ramblings of an emperor would be preferable to an afternoon of listening to more Harem girls.
* * *
Kizuka waited impatiently by the tea set in the garden. An attendant had led her here, and then had disappeared back into the harem. The emperor had not made his grand entrance yet, and she had taken the time to familiarize herself with her surroundings and recall what she had seen of him when she was presented.
The emperor's chi grew out of a deep blue of loyalty and the golden yellow of obligation and responsibility. Wrapped throughout was the bright red that marked any of Suzaku's own. He also had the thickest crystalline layer she had ever seen. She felt that very few people had ever been allowed to really see the emperor's true feelings.
She glanced up discretely as the emperor came in, followed by several attendants. She frowned. This man was not the emperor! He was a marked by the red band of Suzaku seishi, but she could see the enchantment that was an illusion of the emperor. The spell was good; she could tell that the attendants did not suspect a thing. She stared openly at the pretender now, trying to divine who he was. There was a blue-green of sadness and guilt. That base layer was then covered with a bright, sparkling yellow of false cheer. All of this combined with the enchantment made it very confusing to watch, but she was able to identify him from Tai Itsukun's descriptions of the seishi.
She caught the attendant's disapproval and quickly glanced down. As she poured the tea, she rapidly ran through her options. As the attendants did not suspect, she did not want to expose the secret. However, she did need to talk to the emperor about her position. The Guardians were of necessity a secret group. If enemies of the seishi knew about the Guardians, the advantage of surprise was given up. The one Guardian could be easily taken out and the rest of the seishi dealt with. Even with the utmost secrecy the previous Guardians had died. She sipped her tea absently as an idea came to her. It hinged on getting the attendants to leave, but she thought she could manage it.
Chichiri looked across at the girl as he politely sipped his tea. This was certainly different than what he was expecting. The girl had hardly spoken at all, and appeared to be deep in thought. She was very pretty, with deep amber or golden eyes that made a striking contrast to her pitch-black hair. However, he was beginning to get a little impatient to hear her message. He finally put down his tea.
"What is it you wanted to discuss with us?" His voice showed a little of his impatience.
Kizuka glanced up, a little startled at the rudeness of the question. This, more than anything else, proved that this was not the emperor. She glanced at the attendants to see if they had caught the slip. They appeared to be more interested in waiting for her to slip up than looking for mistakes in the emperor.
"What I have to say needs to be said alone." She said softly, bowing to the ground.
At her statement the attendants straightened up, highly affronted by her suggestion. But the pretender gave a little smile and dismissed them. Kizuka waited until she could no longer feel them within hearing range. When she felt sure that it was safe, she looked directly at the pretender and smiled.
"It is nice to meet you, Chichiri, but I really wanted to speak to Hotohori."
Warnings: Advisor bashing...and a bored Chichiri...OH NOOOO!
*...* - God speak
//...// - Thought speak
"..." - Human speak
Seeing Beyond the Light
Chapter 1: Introductions
//DA...//
Chichiri was bored. He did not believe he had ever been so bored in his life. As he sat there listening to a random advisor prattle on, he thought about his original plan. //SURE, Hotohori-sama, I'd be GLAD to stand in for you while you find the rest of the seishi. No problem! You just go traipsing off with the woman of your dreams and I'll just sit here while your advisor's talk at me//
He had started out by paying attention to the advisors, having the mistaken impression that they would say something of importance. He did not want to accidentally agree to sign the kingdom over to Hokkan, or something like that. However, he soon discovered that the advisors said nothing of real importance, and most of what they said concerned the Emperor's marriage. It was all they talked of! The minister of defense suggested a marriage to a Kutou princess. The minister of economics suggested it would be a boost to the economy to have a secure heir. The minister of the interior had picked his favorite to account for unhappy nobles within the kingdom. The minister of...the list went on and on. It would be funny except that he had to sit through all of it.
And that wasn't even the worst. Through it all he had to remain calm and serene. After all, these advisors thought they were talking to Emperor Saihitei, not Suzaku Shichiseishi Chichiri. The urge to bounce around, to go chibi, and to say "no da" was almost overwhelming! He sometimes got through the advisor's speeches by imagining their faces if he started bouncing off the walls.
"Heika-sama?"
He quickly straightened up at the desk as a new advisor entered the room. "Hai?"
"Sir, I have the report from the head chamberlain on the state of the palace. If you would allow me to read it..."
Chichiri stopped listening at that point. He did not have any real power to change anything should he even want to, and the report was written out so Hotohori-sama could read it later. Chichiri had become an expert at pretending to listen, smiling and nodding at the appropriate places. He started to daydream, wondering when the others would return, when something caught his attention.
"Gomen...what was that last part again?" He asked the question a little too sharply, so the advisor floundered for a bit first.
"Ano... there has been another request for an audience by one of the courtesans. This time she states that it has something to do with the Suzaku seishi. Heika, this is the same girl who has been requesting an audience for the two months she has been here. The addition of the Seishi is probably an attempt to get your attention..."
"It has worked. We will see her this afternoon."
"Heika-sama, if she is just trying to get your attention..."
"And what if she is not? We cannot afford to ignore any information about the seishi. Arrange for a meeting this afternoon."
"Hai."
In truth, Chichiri did not think that the girl would have any information. She probably just wanted an opportunity to flirt with the admittedly handsome emperor. It probably would not hurt to be seen with the girl; given the advisor's reaction, the girl was probably not a favorite. This audience would increase her status and placate some of the advisors while not increasing the hopes of one faction or another. Besides, even listing to the silly prattlings of a harem girl would be preferable to an afternoon of listening to more advisors.
* * *
//GAH...//
Kizuka was bored. She did not believe she had ever been so bored in her life. As she sat there listening to a random attendant prattle on, she thought about her original plan. //SURE, Tai Itsukun, I'd be GLAD to join the harem. I'm sure that this would be the best way for me to run into Hotohori without undue notice. It's a great plan! Except for the little fact you forgot to mention. HOTOHORI DOES NOT COME TO THE HAREM!!!//
*No need to shout, child* Tai Itsukun's voice was, as always, completely unruffled.
//Gomen, but how am I supposed to protect the seishi if I can't even MEET them!?!// She was beginning to get a little impatient.
Silence was her only answer. She suppressed a sigh as she saw Houki-san glide up to her. Houki-san was practically the only one in the harem to pay any attention to her. Being the newest in the harem, she was currently low on the totem pole of harem politics. Besides which, she had become something of a local legend with her constant appeals to see the emperor. Houki-san was either very high in the order or did not care, but she talked to Kizuka. Personally, Kizuka thought that Houki-san was the best candidate for empress. After a little over a month of intense training with Tai Itsukun, she could differentiate between the colors on someone's chi, and knew the meanings.
Houki had a deep well of the fiery orange of determination, fed by the dark red of love. Over all of this was a veneer of polite manners and good taste, shimmering and clear like crystal. Kizuka could see that the outer layer could not be easily bent or cracked to disturb the lower, purer layers. Most of the other girls in the harem either did not have any deeper layers, or they were the sickly green of jealousy and spite.
*Of course Houki-san would make a good empress. I chose her myself!* The new voice was low and feminine, but more given to expression than Tai Itsukun's.
//Thank you, Suzaku-seikun. I already knew that. You chose well. She has the strength of character to get her through the trials in her path.// She wasn't sure, but she was fairly certain that the ability to mind speak with the gods was not something that usually came with TrueSight. Apparently she had made enough of an impression on Tai Itsukun to be granted this boon. In any case, it was a comfort to know that she would have their guidance for the task ahead.
*Nah, we just like talkin' to ya!* a voice piped in cheerfully.
//Shut up, Byakko!//
*Just tryin' to cheer you up. You were getting' sad.* The youthful God's voice was hurt.
//I know, but I don't think Houki-san would appreciate or understand if I suddenly burst out laughing for no reason.// She comforted Him, and as the God's laughter faded in her mind, she noticed that all conversation had stopped. One of the eunuchs had come in. Kizuka stood up.
"Excuse me a moment," she said dryly as Houki glanced up, "but it's time to make my daily plea."
Houki hid her mouth behind her sleeves, but her eyes smiled as she spoke, "I don't know why you continue to do this, Kizu-chan. Your pleas will never get to Heika-sama's ears. You really should..."
"Miharu Kizuka"
She froze as she heard her name called. She turned around slowly, dimly aware of all the others in the sitting room sinking into a kneeling bow. Unnoticed by her or Houki a messenger had approached behind the eunuch.
She made her way across the room, stumbling once on the impossible shoes they made her wear. She heard a titter flow through the room as she fell awkwardly into the painful bow before the messenger.
The messenger had looked disdainfully on her before she knelt, but now looked up, carefully not looking at any of the women, who were, after all, the emperor's property. "You are Miharu Kizuka?"
"Hai." Kizuka winced as the titter went around again. She had managed to screw up court manners again. //Huh. I would like to see any of these beauties try to perform the simplest kata.// "What is needed from this unworthy one?"
"You are to have tea with the emperor this afternoon in the garden, where you will tell him whatever it is you are so instant on saying." She could feel the disapproval rolling off of him in waves.
There was dead silence as the messenger left, then the room exploded with excited chatter. Kizuka remained where she was, hardly daring to believe that her constant pleas had finally made it through to someone.
Houki finally came up from behind and pulled her away, laughing and chattering about something that Kizuka could not follow. Finally! After two months of constant begging she could meet the emperor. She wasn't sure how she was going to make her case to an emperor of whom she knew very little. She had heard that he was very full of himself, and expected him to talk mainly about himself. Still, even listening to the narcissistic ramblings of an emperor would be preferable to an afternoon of listening to more Harem girls.
* * *
Kizuka waited impatiently by the tea set in the garden. An attendant had led her here, and then had disappeared back into the harem. The emperor had not made his grand entrance yet, and she had taken the time to familiarize herself with her surroundings and recall what she had seen of him when she was presented.
The emperor's chi grew out of a deep blue of loyalty and the golden yellow of obligation and responsibility. Wrapped throughout was the bright red that marked any of Suzaku's own. He also had the thickest crystalline layer she had ever seen. She felt that very few people had ever been allowed to really see the emperor's true feelings.
She glanced up discretely as the emperor came in, followed by several attendants. She frowned. This man was not the emperor! He was a marked by the red band of Suzaku seishi, but she could see the enchantment that was an illusion of the emperor. The spell was good; she could tell that the attendants did not suspect a thing. She stared openly at the pretender now, trying to divine who he was. There was a blue-green of sadness and guilt. That base layer was then covered with a bright, sparkling yellow of false cheer. All of this combined with the enchantment made it very confusing to watch, but she was able to identify him from Tai Itsukun's descriptions of the seishi.
She caught the attendant's disapproval and quickly glanced down. As she poured the tea, she rapidly ran through her options. As the attendants did not suspect, she did not want to expose the secret. However, she did need to talk to the emperor about her position. The Guardians were of necessity a secret group. If enemies of the seishi knew about the Guardians, the advantage of surprise was given up. The one Guardian could be easily taken out and the rest of the seishi dealt with. Even with the utmost secrecy the previous Guardians had died. She sipped her tea absently as an idea came to her. It hinged on getting the attendants to leave, but she thought she could manage it.
Chichiri looked across at the girl as he politely sipped his tea. This was certainly different than what he was expecting. The girl had hardly spoken at all, and appeared to be deep in thought. She was very pretty, with deep amber or golden eyes that made a striking contrast to her pitch-black hair. However, he was beginning to get a little impatient to hear her message. He finally put down his tea.
"What is it you wanted to discuss with us?" His voice showed a little of his impatience.
Kizuka glanced up, a little startled at the rudeness of the question. This, more than anything else, proved that this was not the emperor. She glanced at the attendants to see if they had caught the slip. They appeared to be more interested in waiting for her to slip up than looking for mistakes in the emperor.
"What I have to say needs to be said alone." She said softly, bowing to the ground.
At her statement the attendants straightened up, highly affronted by her suggestion. But the pretender gave a little smile and dismissed them. Kizuka waited until she could no longer feel them within hearing range. When she felt sure that it was safe, she looked directly at the pretender and smiled.
"It is nice to meet you, Chichiri, but I really wanted to speak to Hotohori."