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The Prophecy of Genbu	By : Ree Category: +. to F > Fushigi Yuugi Views: 1222 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Fushigi Yuugi, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 11
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Title: The Prophecy of Genbu

Series: Fushigi Yuugi

Rating: MA

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN THIS SERIES. The Fushigi
Yuugi universe belongs to Watase Yuu-san and I do not claim this universe
whatsoever. I am only writing a story for fun, not profit. For other notes,
please refer to chapter one.� Also,
Mermaid Melody belongs to Pink Hanamori and all other associated parties.� I claim NOTHING.

*�� *�� *�� *�� *

Chapter Twelve

A Calm Reprieve

�Iname,
while not as eloquent as I�d hoped, summed it up nicely.� Holy shit�this must have happened when we
went to see Taiitsukun,� Uruki snapped his fingers as it hit him.� �She said that she awoke Cassandra�s powers,
but it would be up to her to learn how to use them.� Amazing.�

�I was
surprised,� Namame whistled for his horse.�
�When I saw her standing there bathed in Genbu�s light, I knew the time
had come to reveal myself.� She amazed
me in many ways.�

�How?�
Uruki went back to Hatsui, to make sure he was still recovering.� �How did she do that?�

�When
she told me to go on without her, to make sure the Emperor was safe before she
was.� Then again when she was able to
tap into her powers and save herself.�
Then�in the way that she is so different from Lady Takiko.� It startled and amazed me and I was
concerned she would meet the same fate.�

�So
that�s why you were so concerned with her strength of will�� Uruki seemed
shocked.� �You know what happened to
Lady Takiko then?�

�Yes.�

�Will
you tell us?�

�Perhaps.�

�A man
of few words,� Uruki muttered and shook his head.� �It�s rather like pulling teeth.�

�Either
way,� Urumiya supervised Iname as he mounted his horse with Cassandra still
draped in his arms.� �We must return to
the Konan palace and ensure that Saihitei has not rallied his troops to assist
us.�

�Yes,
and as thoughtful as that would be, I�d really hate to waste His Highness� time
and effort,� Uruki swung himself up into the saddle behind Hatsui, who turned
scarlet.� �Are you doing all right,
Hatsui?� You used a lot of power back
there��

�I�ll
be all right.� Once we get back to the
palace and I get a bit of rest, I should be fine,� he sighed, eyes
fluttering.� �So tired��

Smiling,
Uruki took the reigns and wrapped one arm around Hatsui as the man finally
succumbed to exhaustion.� Cassandra
wasn�t the only one who did something amazing today.� Hatsui had collapsed against him, head
resting on his shoulder, and Uruki�s smile was gentle.� He clicked his tongue and started off with
Iname and the others following behind him.�
The party rode back to Konan to begin the next step of their
journey.� Everything in the woods and
along the trail was peaceful and Iname noticed how warm and calm Konan was.

�This
country feels so different from the others,� he noted, one arm wrapped securely
around Cassandra.� �It seems warmer, and
I�m not talking about the weather.� I
feel a kind of peace I haven�t felt before.�

�It�s
the warmth of Suzaku�s flame,� Namame rode up next to him.� �Legend says that in the beginning, Suzaku�s
flame burned so bright that he couldn�t control it.� So he gave a part of his flame to the people and it became the
kingdom of Konan.� It continues to burn
in the hearts of the people and it warms the land itself.�

�How do
you know that?�

�I
read.�

�Read
what though?�

�Scrolls.�

�ARGH!�
Iname was ready to tear his hair out.�
�How can you be so talkative one minute and then go back to one-word
answers the next?� It�s not normal, I
tell ya, not normal at all.�

�It�s
quite simple, Iname.� I am a shadow.�

�So?�

�So
shadows are made from darkness and light.�

�I
don�t-�

�Iname,
are you really that dense?� Uruki glanced over his shoulder and smirked.� �He�s saying that shadows are the space
between dark and light.� So sometimes
he�ll illuminate you and other times he�ll leave you guessing in the dark.� Isn�t that right, Namame?�

�Precisely.�

�Well
cut it out.� I don�t need any more
riddles in my life,� Iname glowered as they road into the city.� �Ah, we�re back.�

�Yes.� We�ll rest for a day, two at the most,
before we make our way back to Hokkan,� Urumiya informed them as they steadily
made their way towards the palace.

�What
if Hatsui and Cassandra still aren�t well by then?� Uruki demanded.

�Then
we�ll carry them, as we�re doing now.�
We must return to Hokkan and inform Emperor Tokoyami of all that has
happened and introduce him to the other warriors.� Also we have to search for the last of the Genbu Shichi Seishi
and we can�t do that from here.�

�What
if they don�t recover for days?� Or even
weeks?�

�Nonsense
Iname, they�ll be fine in less than a day.�
Now hurry up, brat, we�re almost there.�

Urumiya
was eager to return to Hokkan.� He had a
feeling Cassandra would be safer there.�
They could protect her better than they could while traveling.� The group rode up to the gates and was met
by a frantic Saihitei.

�There
you are!� Chang, you�re all right!� he
stopped when he saw Cassandra and Hatsui.�
�What happened?� Are they hurt?�

�No,
Your Highness, they are merely exhausted from the battle and require rest,�
Namame replied and dismounted smoothly.�
�Iname and Uruki were just going to take them to their rooms.�

�Yes,
yes of course.� You all must be tired;
I�ll have food brought to your rooms.�
Chang, what happened after you left?�

�Well
Your Highness, it happened like this��

While
Namame spoke with the Emperor about what had occurred by the river, Urumiya
went with Iname to bring Cassandra back to her room.� Out of instinct, Cassandra had curled into the young man�s arms
as he carried her bridal-style through the halls.� One of her hands was fisted in his shirt and Iname felt a surge
of pride and protectiveness.� I�m
sorry I couldn�t save you earlier, Cassandra.�
But I guess�you wound up saving yourself.� Urumiya pushed open the door as Iname walked in and lay her
down gently.� Iname knelt at the end of
the bed and gently removed her shoes, unable to stop himself from tracing his
fingers along her slender foot.� She
seems so fragile and delicate, and yet she stood up to Nakago and managed to
drive him back.� He smiled as he
watched her squirm.� She�s ticklish.� Urumiya cleared his throat and Iname backed
up enough so that the other man could pull the blankets over her and they
stepped back in silent contemplation.

�It
will never work, Iname.� When her task
is complete, you must say goodbye.�

�Are
you so sure of that, old man?� What
about you?� You�ll be losing a daughter
all over again.� Because once she
summons the beast god and makes her wishes�she�ll be gone from all of us.�

Urumiya
glared at Iname.� �Do not presume to
know me, brat.�

�You
said it yourself Urumiya.� You consider
her a daughter.�

�I
know, but�� he looked back at Cassandra with an unusual look in his eyes.� �I don�t want to become close to her only to
lose her.�

�How do
you think I feel?� he snapped and turned back to her as his heart
tightened.� �I love her.�

�You�re
too young to be in love.� I would wager
you don�t even know what love is.�

�What
is it then, Urumiya?� Tell me.�

�Love
is work.� It takes time to grow and
mature into a bond that lasts for decades.�
To achieve that bond, you must work to understand your partner and yourself.� When I took Mae with me to Hokkan, I knew it
was love because we both toiled in the soil to make a living for our children
and ourselves.� We didn�t have much time
or strength for intimacy, but we had each other.� Love is finding the little things, stealing the covers at night,
arguing over nothing, sharing in the joy of one another while dealing with
life�s trials�and still managing to live happily together for all your
days.� That, Iname, is love.� Strong and true.�

Iname
had been silent while Urumiya spoke.�
Although the man was only twenty-five�he had seen and known more than
Iname could only dream of.� At that
moment, Iname knew that he truly respected Urumiya, despite everything.� And he would follow where he lead.

�How
did one man come to bear so many burdens?� Iname whispered.

�By
seeing things and knowing things no man should ever experience,� Urumiya went
to the door.� �Come.� We should check the scroll for clues as to
where our companions are and let her rest.�

�Yes��

Iname�s
hand shook a little as he closed the door.�
No matter what, Urumiya seemed to constantly surprise him.� Beyond that, it made him think.� How well did he know Cassandra?� Would he be willing to work and fight to
keep her?� Well that�s a stupid
question.� Of course I would fight to
keep her with me.� Iname did wonder,
though, if Cassandra felt the same way.�
She hadn�t said that she loved him.�
Just that she cared for him, which made Iname concerned.� After all, he�d taken the chance and
confessed to her�it was only right.�
Right?

As
Urumiya and Iname tended to Cassandra, Uruki was with Hatsui.� Now, Uruki had never had a partner in his
life.� He hadn�t found anyone that made
his heart pound, or his protective instincts rise.� Hatsui did.� The only
trouble was, Uruki had no idea if Hatsui liked men in that fashion, but there
was something about the young man that drew him in.� Then there�s the fact of my being able to change into a woman.� That took things to another level
entirely.� Uruki hated to think that
Hatsui would reject him or freak out just because of that.� Man or woman, it doesn�t and shouldn�t
matter when it comes to love.� If
only�eh, I�m being foolish.

�I
should just leave well enough alone.�
He�s a fellow Genbu warrior and a friend.� That is how it should stay.�
No sense in allowing feelings to dictate how I think.� What kind of man would I be if I allowed
that to happen?�

Nodding
to himself as though to try and believe it was true, Uruki placed Hatsui in the
bed.� It was plush and comfortable, with
sheer drapes for privacy and protection from the sun.� Everything was calm and quiet, yet Uruki was reluctant to
leave.� This is ridiculous.� Just go out the door to your room, Uruki.� But he couldn�t.� Since he possessed two genders, sometimes Uruki thought that meant
he had two ways of thinking.� Male
and female.� What a headache.� That was the truth.� He reached out and gently brushed his
fingers through Hatsui�s hair.� Even
that simple touch was enough to make his heart race and his hands tremble.

�This
is�insane��

But
Uruki sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed.� It felt as though his entire body was trembling as he leaned over
Hatsui.� He came so close, hovering just
inches from Hatsui as the minutes stretched by like an eternity.� Am I really going to do this?� Dear Genbu, I can hear him breathing�his
breath is warm�Uruki�s arms trembled as he held himself aloft as tongues of
fire licked at his body.� He parted his
lips slowly�and stopped.� I
can�t.� I can�t do it.� Uruki smiled and rested his forehead
lightly against Hatsui�s.� The youth�s
heart slowed as the fire in his veins slowly died and he chuckled softly.

�I�m
glad I didn�t do it.� After all, if I�m
going to kiss you, it will be when you�re awake.� That way I can see your blue eyes��

As
blue as the sea.� The sea that is your
strength.� Uruki rose to his feet and quietly left the
room.� Once the door was closed, he
heaved a sigh and went to find Iname and the others.� I hope His Highness is all right.� It could mean war with Konan otherwise.� He walked away without knowing that Hatsui
had been awake and had felt Uruki�s closeness.�
The heat of his body, the warmth of his breath, and the gentleness of
his words.� It had made his heart quake
and had taken all Hatsui�s willpower to remain calm and feign sleep.� Hatsui pressed his fingers to his lips and
looked thoughtful.� In all of his years
as a pleasure concubine for the Emperor, he had never once been kissed.� He thought that he�d preferred it that way�

�I
wasn�t sleeping Uruki.� I wouldn�t have
shouted if you�d kissed me.�

Feeling
decidedly put out, Hatsui sighed as he lay in bed.� He was exhausted, but he was still bothered by the fact that
Uruki hadn�t kissed him.� That he was
bothered annoyed him and he growled.� What
the hell�s the matter with me?� I bet I
would have enjoyed it too.� Hatsui
had learned many things in his time at the Kutou court.� One could sleep with anyone�but it took
something special to make it more.� To
make it more than sex, more than pain and blood.� And Hatsui wasn�t sure if he wanted something more from Uruki
than a fling.� I could get behind the
idea though.

�I
wonder what it would be like to fall in love.�

There
was a reason Hatsui had lasted as long as he had in the Kutou palace.� It was because of the part of his heart he�d
kept hidden and locked away.� It had
given him a certain coldness and made him unattainable to everyone he was
with.� This had so intrigued the Emperor
that he�d never grown tired of trying to possess Hatsui completely.� All attempts had failed.� When trying to break him didn�t work, the
Emperor had tried other tactics.� All
had the same result.� Hatsui remained
every cold and aloof.� No one could
break his barrier�until Uruki came along.�
The other man had saved his life, had taken him from Kutou, and allowed
him to meet the Genbu no Miko.� Ever
since he had known he was Hatsui, he�d read and researched tirelessly in order
to find out about the woman who had summoned Genbu 200 years ago.� What he had found had been intriguing.

While
Okuda Takiko had indeed returned to her world, because she hadn�t been able to
use her third wish, Genbu�s powers had been in limbo for years.� The beast god had been weakened severely
with the death of his chosen maiden.�
The entire thing had ended in tragedy, with the Genbu warriors scattered
to the four winds.� Some had committed
suicide; others merely went on living as shells of their former selves.� One known as Limdo, the former Uruki, had
been in love with the Lady Takiko and when she had died�their fate was so
tragic.� Will that fate happen to
us?� Are we destined to meet the same
ends as those who came before us?� Is
that the curse of the Genbu no Miko and the Genbu Shichi Seishi?� Hatsui�s hands clenched his blankets and he
vowed he�d never let that happen.

�We
will succeed this time.� No one, not
even Nakago will stop us.�

Hatsui
closed his eyes and rolled onto his side.�
For now he would rest and recover his strength.� Later he would find some way to tell or show
Uruki how he felt.� That he would like
his kisses.� Maybe it�s time I let
someone in.� Perhaps I can finally
unlock my heart.� It was a
frightening thought, but Hatsui felt he was ready.� It didn�t really bother him that Uruki could change between a man
and a woman.� It was a nice combination
in fact.� With that, Hatsui smiled and
drifted into sleep.

For the
rest of the day, the Genbu Shichi Seishi rested and planned for their next
move.� It was around midnight when
Cassandra woke up and stretched.� She
felt a lot better, but confined in the small room, and so decided to make her
way outside to look at the moon and stars.�
She walked down to the rock-lined fishpond and smiled at the fish.� Their scales glittered in the moonlight,
making them look like jewels.� The moon
on the surface of the water rippled and Cassandra knelt down, trailing her
fingers in the cool water.� She thought
about her powers and wanted to test them, to see if they were strong, and to
possibly make them stronger.� So she
concentrated on a single fish, willing it to have more energy, and began to
sing.� At first, nothing happened, so
Cassandra sharpened her focus and tried harder.

�There�s
a rainbow wind blowing so gently.�
Extending on a coast to the far horizon.� When the sun came up, I heard a soft melody.� It�s a song full of the memories of our days
gone by.� Birds in the sky��

Finally,
she felt something rise in her and it burned in the tips of her fingers and the
back of her throat.� It was cold�but
warm in turns.� Black light glowed
around her fingers and the fish as she concentrated.� After a moment, the fish leaped about five feet into the air and
performed several flips before splashing back into the water.� Elated by her success, Cassandra giggled and
sat back on a rock.

�I
really do have powers��

�Yes.�

Cassandra
yelped, flailed her arms wildly, and nearly fell into the pond.� A callused hand reached out and caught her
wrist just in time.� As she
straightened, she saw Namame give her a wry smile as he set her back on the
rock.

�You
really should stay away from water.�

�Namame!� You need to stop sneaking up on me like
that.� It�s why I almost fell in the
water,� she laughed and settled comfortably again.

He said
nothing, merely stood next to her as the two of them watched the fish splash
about in the pond.� The silence
stretched between them, but neither was eager to break it.� After the events of the past few weeks, such
silence seemed like a welcome reprieve from their troubles.

�Could
you do that again?�

�Do
what?� when he said nothing, Cassandra thought for a while.� �You mean the fish?� You want me to do that to you?�

�Yes.�

�I can
try.�

She
rose and turned to face Namame.� His
black eyes didn�t reflect the moonlight and she shivered a little.� Calm down.� Focus, Cassandra.� She
closed her eyes and focused her mind like she had before.� Finally, she began to sing, the same song
she had used to face down Nakago.� She
hadn�t gotten too far when Namame pressed a hand to her lips and frowned.

�What�s
wrong?� she removed his hand gently.

�That
is not the song.� The other.�

Cassandra
had to think for a moment.� �You want me
to attack you?�

�No.� Defend.�

With
that, he backed up and raised his hand.�
Razor arrows formed out of the shadows from Namame�s hand.

�Wait,
Namame, you�re not serious are you?� Cassandra backed up as he let the arrows
fly.� �KYAH!� You are serious, aren�t you?�

�Defend
yourself.�

She
didn�t want to hurt Namame, but he was relentless with his attacks.� One of the arrows grazed her arm and
Cassandra yelped.� Her throat closed and
she felt her fear try to rise up.� No!� I�ve got to protect myself!� With steel in her spine, Cassandra
straightened and faced Namame.

�Like a
jewel, the sea shines bright as it engulfs everything in its path with
love.� It gives birth to seven lives and
dreams to see!�

Cassandra
had closed her eyes to help herself concentrate more and when she couldn�t feel
the arrows, she opened her eyes.� Namame
was still firing them, but around her was a glowing sphere of black light that
absorbed the arrows on impact.� Her eyes
widened and she looked around. �She was
completely protected by the black light.

�Did I
do that�?�

�Yes.� Now lower it, Cassandra, before you pass out
again.�

He
didn�t have to tell her twice.� The
shield was dropped and Cassandra slumped over, pale as a ghost, as Namame
caught her in his arms.� A small smile
came to her features as her heart swelled.�
I can protect myself.� I can!

�Tired��

�Yes,
I�d imagine so.� Considering the amount
of energy you used, you should sleep until we�ve decided,� and he scooped her
bridal-style into his arms carefully.

�Decided
what?�

�Out
next move.�

�Don�t
we have to find Tomite and Hikitsu?�
They�re the last ones, right?�

�Yes.� However,� he began to walk back inside.� �There is something in Gebu�s scroll that is
troubling��

�What
do you mean they�re DEAD?�

Iname
winced at the fury in Urumiya�s voice.�
He hadn�t wanted to tell the old man the news, but they�d drawn straws
and he�d lost.� Now Iname was facing
down the furious guy and wishing he was somewhere else.� Preferably far, far away from Urumiya.

�That�s
what the scroll said, Urumiya.�
Apparently the last two had a duty, something they had to do that
prevented them from finding their final peace.�
So, they have yet to be reincarnated and their new forms can�t be chosen
until the souls pass on to the other side,� he explained.

Cursing
avidly, Urumiya slammed his fist into the wall.� The dull thud and the pain was nothing as his mind whirled.� This could set them back for months, perhaps
years.� It would be impossible to reason
with those spirits if they were so determined to stay.� Urumiya knew that much at least.

�This
is�this will set us back for years if we�re not careful and we have to return
Cassandra to her own world before it�s too late.�

�What
do you mean, �too late�?� What are you
talking about old man?�

�Don�t
you see what�s happening, Iname?� We�ve
all developed feelings for her.� She�s
becoming more to us than the Genbu no Miko and to her we are more than just her
warriors.� You, idiot that you are, have
already proclaimed your love to her.� This
is bad, brat.�

�I know
we have to get her home, but she is more than the Genbu no Miko to
us.� She�s special; she�s more than any
other woman could be to me.� I know that
it�s true for you too.� So what�s with
this all of a sudden?�

�It
won�t stop there, Iname.� Don�t you
understand, boy?� She can�t stay!� As much as I want her to, as much as we want
her to, she can�t.� If she does��

�The
mistakes and tragedies of the past will happen once more.�

Iname
and Urumiya turned and saw Hatsui move into the doorway.� His expression was pale and from the look in
his eyes, it was clear that he had heard everything they�d discussed.

�What
do you mean Hatsui?�

�If we
try to keep Cassandra here, tragedy will befall all of us.�

*�� *�� *�� *�� *

Well, Ree here again and here�s
another chapter of my story!� Now, I did
mention that this would be AU and since Genbu Kaiden hasn�t finished yet, I�m
assuming a lot of things about the time with Takiko and her Shichi Seishi.� So if I seem to get a few things wrong�I�m
sorry!� I�m also making a website for
this story, and hopefully I�ll be able to put up some artwork there.� :D�
For pictures of some of my Genbu characters, drop by my Deviant Art
account under the name reeness.deviantart.com and let me know what you
think!� Thanks all and see you again
soon with another chapter!

-Ree
- 11
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The Prophecy of Genbu