Feathered Dreams An X/Fushigi Yuugi fanfic Rabi-chan Part 5 ------------------------- A small bird. Yellow. Inside a cage. A tall man. Blond. A smile. She was running... yet she was not going anywhere. She reached out her hand... yet she could not touch. He opened the cage and held the bird tight in his hand. Squeeze. Squeak. She collapsed in pain, great pain in her chest. Feathers... a yellow and a white... falling. In blood. Kotori opened her eyes in shock. It was killed. The small bird that she couldn't save in her dream. She saw it killed before her eyes. Trying to calm herself down, she sat up, waiting for her breath to retain its normal rate. The cool moonlight shone through the closed window and landed near the table not far from her bed. The night would have been so much colder, Kotori thought, if without the light from the distant moon. The moon. The Earth. She wasn't even sure if she was still on Earth. She wondered. How far away was she from home? Kotori walked towards the table and noticed the water which Kamui's mother has brought in earlier. She put her hands into the water and lowered herself to gather some of it on her palms. Carefully, she wetted her face. The water was cold, Kotori thought, but it was a good way to cool her sweat away from the shocking dream. She turned her head towards the window. The storm seemed to have died down a while ago. The whiteness of the snow sparkled in the presence of the moon against a background of glimmering stars. Their brilliance in the sky had been outshone significantly by the light of the moon. Kotori thought of Miaka and Yui. They must have been worried... Fuuma-oniichan too. They must have been looking for her. She wished she could find a way to get back, or at least a way to let them know that she was safe. "Kotori-sama?" Kamui knocked softly on the bedroom door to Kotori's room. "Kotori-sama?" He opened up a small crack on the door and saw her sitting on a chair, leaning against the window, apparently asleep. Kamui picked up the basin of warm water from the floor, which he has put down earlier, and pushed open the door as quietly as he could. He stepped in, slowly shutting it with his back, and walked over to put the water on the table. 'Kamui-chan...' Kamui turned around to look at Kotori. She was still sound asleep. Sleep-talking? He bent down to look at her face. The warmth of the morning sun came in through the window glass and landed on Kotori's face. Kamui has never realized until seeing her this close, that she had such a pretty face. The sun. How nice it was to see the sun again, after weeks of gusty wind and heavy snow. Kamui carefully picked up Kotori with both of his arms, trying his best not to wake her. As gently as possible, he placed her on the bed, pull ing a blanket over to cover her body up to her neck. 'Kamui-chan, don't leave me...' "Kotori-sama..." Kamui held Kotori's hand. She must be dreaming, he thought. 'No... don't go... Kamui-chan... Don't...' Kotori opened her eyes and found Kamui's face blocking her entire view as she felt Kamui's lips pressed hard against hers, forcing her words back into her throat. A kiss, strong and commanding, yet sweet. A dream? No. It's a real kiss, just like the dream. The same lips. The same kiss. "I'm not going anywhere, Kotori-sama. I'm here to protect you, until you find your way home." Kotori heard Kamui saying as he finally broke away the kiss. Suddenly, he fell on his knees and quickly apologized for his misbehavior. Being disrespectful to the Miko was something that could not be tolerated, so he was taught. "Ii desu yo, Kamui-chan," Kotori helped him up. "It's alright. I wish... I wish the Kamui-chan I'm looking for could do the same to me. I... love him." Keisuke opened the Tenchisho and turned to the current page. He read: "'In Hokkan Kingdom, the young maiden listened carefully to the legend of the Genbu...'" "'The young maiden' is Kotori-chan, isn't it? That means..." Miaka gasped. "Kotori is probably the new Genbu no Miko," Keisuke answered and continued. "'The legend says:'" "'When the kingdom was in danger, a girl appeared from another world, and became the Genbu no Miko. The Genbu Shichiseishi gathered, and the Miko summoned the Genbu. She was granted three wishes, with which she saved and brought peace to the kingdom.'" Suddenly, Tetsuya stood up and walked over to Keisuke, who was about to turn the page. He took the book from Keisuke and re-read the passage over. The legend had something more to it, he thought. He paused only for a second before he realized... "It can't be. It's Takiko-san! The legend's describing what happened to Takiko-san, the previous Genbu no Miko, when she entered the book." "Not necessarily," said Tamahome with doubts. "It can just be a general description, since every Miko is supposed to go through the same path and then summon the god." Tetsuya thought for a second. He might be right. The book has already been written. Therefore, obviously, every Miko would experience the same when she entered the other world and summoned her god. Tetsuya calmed down a little and returned to his seat. But just before he sat down, he figured out what has been bugging him about this legend. For at the same instant, Yui realized the exact same thing: "If Kotori-chan is really the Miko, then she will be consumed by the Genbu, just like Takiko-san!" "Yui-chan, what do you mean by that?" asked Fuuma, who has been listening all this time. "About seventy years ago," Yui explained, "Takiko-san entered the book and summoned the Genbu. Hokkan was saved. In the world of the Book, it happened two hundred years ago. Afterwards, she returned to our world. But, when she completed her last wish, she was consumed by the Genbu. If this book has already been written, every Miko who enters the book will experience the same thing -- the same adventures, the same companions, the same wishes, and... the same ending." "My sister..." Fuuma was still confused about the entire incident. Everything happened so fast, and it was only less than two hours ago when Kotori disappeared. Keisuke turned to Miaka and Yui: "We need to get Kotori-chan out. Miaka, Yui-chan, haiyaku!" "Just a minute, Keisuke," Tetsuya interrupted, holding the Book. "Listen to this: 'The Royal Troops arrived. The young maiden and the young man named Kamui were taken to the Palace. They knelt before the Emperor.'" "Kamui?" Fuuma's voice sounded totally surprised. "Did you say Kamui?" "Masaka..." Yui had no doubt about it. "Kotori's dream is coming to reality. She is meeting her Kamui-chan in the Shijin Tenchisho." And Yui went on to tell the others about Kotori's dream. Snow has started falling heavily again in Hokkan. "Formalities are not necessary," the Emperor told Kotori and Kamui in a friendly and but solemn tone. "Please be seated." Kamui carefully helped Kotori up and they took the closest seats to their right. Kotori lifted up her head for the first time ever since she stepped into the court, and was instantly captured by its magnificence. The walls and the poles sparkled in gold. The carvings on the roof reflect itself on the floor of marbles. There was another row of seats, facing towards the row which Kotori and Kamui were sitting. Together, they extented to the front of the court where they were met by a raised platform, several steps high. Kotori saw a carving on the platform on the side facing the entire court. It was an oddly creature with a snake head and a turtle shell. Two sets of stairs on each side of the carving led to the platform where there were three seats, which the Emperor was sitting in the middle one. "Young Maiden of another world, welcome to Hokkan." The Emperor got up and went down the steps. He introduced himself as he walked towards the two of them, "I am the 13th Emperor of this Kingdom. My name is Subaru of the Royal Family of Sumeragi. Miss, may I know your name?" The Emperor looked young, only in the early twenties, Kotori thought. Yet the sadness behind his emerald eyes were almost that of a lifetime. They were speaking into her heart. She could feel the sorrow in them. His dark black hair hang on top of his forehead, just above his green eyes, as if trying to hide the sadness away, afraid to be seen. "Miss, may I know your name?" The Emperor asked the second time. "Kotori. Kotori Monou. Please, Your Majesty, call me Kotori." "You have a beautiful name, Kotori," the Emperor said politely. "You may call me by name as well. I'm really honored to meet you..." He stepped forward and held Kotori's hands, "...Young Maiden from another world." "Arigatou, Subaru-san," Kotori thanked the Emperor, "this is Kamui-chan who saved me when I first entered this world." "Your name is... Kamui?" Subaru turned to Kamui and asked. "Hai. Your Majesty." "Please. Subaru is fine. Come, Kotori, Kamui. I will show you something." The Emperor led the way, with Kotori, Kamui and a troop of soldiers following behind. They walked through several corridors, made several turns along the way, and finally stopped in front of a pair of metal doors, on top of which, a golden plate read: 'Temple of Genbu' Kotori gazed at the statue of the mystic creature as Subaru revealed it through the opening doors. It was the same being as the carving on the platform in the court. Subaru walked into the Temple, and gestured Kotori to enter. He was about to stop Kamui from stepping into the Temple, but it was already too late. One of Kamui's feet was already on the floor and before Subaru could react to anything, his entire body was inside the Temple. The three of them stood in front of each other, while Subaru stared at Kamui in astonishment, "You are a Genbu Shichiseishi?" "I..." Kamui did not deny. "Only those with the fate of the Shichishuku of Genbu are allowed to enter this divine Temple. The fact that you are standing here proved that you are one of the fated seven." "Subaru-sama," Kamui asked, "that means you are also..." "Yes, I am also a Genbu Shichiseishi. Being a Genbu Shichiseishi of the second generation since two hundred years ago, our powers have been changed. We no longer have the character shown on our body, but instead, all of us have the power to create an alternate dimension. A kekkai. Kamui, have you noticed your power?" "Yes, Subaru-sama, but I have not been able to make a kekkai." "It's alright. Your power may not have fully awaken yet," Subaru turned to Kotori. "And you, Kotori, are our Miko. The wheel of the stars have begun turning, and soon all of us seven will be attracted by your energy. We will gather before you, and you will be able to summon the Genbu." Subaru took Kotori's hand and begged: "My Kingdom needs your help. The snowstorms are tormenting my people. Without the power of the God, we can never survive in this kind of adverse condition. If only the Genbu no Miko can wish for peace in our world..." "That's right, Kotori-sama, you have come just at the right time. If only you would summon Genbu for us..." "Kamui-chan, Subaru-san, I..." Kotori was confused. Should she accept the duty as the Genbu no Miko? She thought for a moment. Why not? She could save the Kingdom and could also wish for a way back home. "Alright, I will become the Genbu no Miko." Tetsuya read, "'The young maiden accepted the duty as the new Genbu no Miko. Subaru the Emperor ordered his servants to make two rooms for the Miko and the other Shichiseishi Kamui. Both of them prepared to rest for the night.'" He handed the Tenchisho over to Miaka and Yui and said, "We've got to tell Kotori." "Wait," Yui-chan got up. She was digging into Kotori's bag. After several seconds' searching, she took out another bracelet in her hand. "Fuuma-san," Yui-chan put the bracelet into Fuuma's left hand, "you and Kotori-chan are related by blood. Please give us a hand." "Certainly." Miaka, Yui and Fuuma put their left hands on the current page of the Tenchisho. They concentrated their thoughts on Kotori, trying to contact her. ======================================================================== Ramblings: ======================================================================== Slightly longer than expected, but couldn't get to the place where I planned to stop in the first place. Was it my appearance? No. Something really cool. I'm not cool? Kaika-chan is cool. "chan" janai! Then what is it? You'll see. * Rabi-chan glances at Fuuma. What do I have to do with this?? * Wynne giggles. And we came up with this title in part five. Like it?