Hello every one on the FFML.
This is the third fanfic that I've posted here. Please give me C&C on this.
Praises are most certainly welcome, as are Flames. Hey they're something.
If I get nothing, then this is as good as dead.
Thank you for your time.
Bye Bye!
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Fushigi Yuugi: A Story of Thunder and Fire
Written, Edited and Proof Read by: Amanda (The Queen Otaku)
Chapter 1- Cry from a Distance
Sweat sparkled the young girl's brow. Her breathing came out harsh and
loud. Her chest ached with a sharp pain. Her head throbbed with
discomfort. Her knees were sore from sitting upon them on the unprotected
ground. Tears streaked down her cheeks from her crazed eyes.
"Almost there, almost there..." she chanted through breaths. With her
bare hands, she dug down into the earth covered roots of the tree. Her
body motioning to and throe in a constant rhythm as her hands forced
themselves deeper into the soil. Her hands were covered in mud and dirt.
The debris had made it's way deep under her nails. Beneath the grime, her
hands had several small cuts and scrapes, caused by rocks she had encountered.
The dim street lamps, and the outdoor security lights provided by the
National Library, cast little light over her moving body. Their subdued
glow displayed that her hair was mussed up, coming out of the two buns that
they were tied in, and that her clothing was caked with grit and mud.
The lights also revealed her surprised and joyful expression as her fingers
made contact with something hard. Quickly she bent down and began to pull
up a small box. Sighing, she held it close. She sniffled and reached up
to wipe her tears with her dirty sleeve. Unknowingly getting dirt on her
face in the process.
"Miaka!" called a male's voice, not that far off in the distance. He
sounded frantic with worry. Footsteps slapped against the pavement and
soon became quite and muffled as he began to run across dew speckled grass.
The girl, Miaka, bent over and pulled the box closer to her body, "Leave
me alone Tamahome!" she yelled. She closed her eyes tight, desperately
trying the block out the tears coursing down her face.
"Miaka..." Tamahome stood a few feet away from her, "Miaka what are you
doing?" his voice was full of panic, "Why do you have the book?! We were
supposed to leave it buried and nev--"
"I can't take it any more!" Miaka screamed, interrupting Tamahome, "I hear
him in my mind all of the time now. When I'm asleep, when I'm awake. When
I'm at home or at school! He's always there!"
"Who? Who's always there?"
"Suzaku!" Miaka bent over further and cried even harder, "He's dying! I
just know it. I can hear his pain! He's crying, Tamahome! Crying! Gods
shouldn't cry!"
Tamahome bent down beside Miaka and pulled her into his embrace, "What can
we do to help?"
Miaka stopped crying as hard and reduced herself to sobs. She held out
the box, "The answer's in here. I - we have to go back." her voice
cracked, "But I don't know what to do when I'm there!" Miaka leaned on
Tamahome and cried into his shirt, "If Suzaku dies, Konan-Koku will die
with him."
Tamahome's heart skipped a beat at the mention of his former home. A sad
reminder of his past life. He swallowed hard and stroked Miaka's hair
gently. Then an idea came to him, "Ne, Miaka?" she stopped crying and
looked up at him. He smiled warmly down at her dirty face, "When we go
back we should ask Taiitsu-kun for help. Since Konan-Koku is a part of
that world and she is the one who manages it, she may be the best one who
could help out."
Miaka smiled brightly. It was perfect! Taiitsu-kun would be their best
bet. Tamahome was right, and he had said we, so he would come with her,
and protect her. It would be just like before. Then again, with all that
had happened before, Miaka hoped that it wouldn't be.
Bitting down on her lip, Miaka said, "We should leave immediately. I
don't want to hear Suzaku's cries anymore." She escaped the warmth and
security of Tamahome's arms and stood up. She held out the box and lifted
the lid slowly. A soft red light and red mist flowed out. The light grew
in intensity the more she opened it.
Miaka's mouth felt dry as she reached in and took hold of the book. She
lifted it out and let go of the box. It fell with a soft thud onto the
ground. Tamahome had since rose from his position and now stood beside her
again. He reached over and placed his hand on her shoulder. For a brief
moment she went stiff by the contact. She had become incredibly anxious
and jumpy in the last few minuets. "Are you ready?" Tamahome asked softly.
Miaka nodded and faced him, smiling she said, "As long as Tamahome's with
me, I'm ready for anything."
Miaka's heart skipped several beats as she started turning the cover. On
the first page their was nothing, she turned the second one and there was
still nothing. The book continued to glow red, but the pages so far were
completely blank. On the fourth page words suddenly began to form. The
seemed to rise up out of the paper. Miaka had to blink a few times to make
sure that she wasn't seeing things. She glanced over at Tamahome and was
confused to see his face scrunched up in his own confusion. "This doesn't
make any sense." he mumbled. Miaka looked at the words herself, but she
couldn't read them very well, since they were written in Chinese
characters. "What does it say." she whispered.
Tamahome still looked confused, "Well it says; This is a story that has no
story." Miaka looked at him expectantly, he looked back at her, "That's
it." he stated simply.
"Nani? That can't be it." She looked back at the page and saw the one
line. "That can't be right! How can a story be on nothing?" she sounded
frustrated and tried leafing through the other pages. To her irritation
the pages were stuck together, not allowing her to continue. She tried to
rip them apart, but they held fast. Suddenly a burning sensation struck
her fingers. She pulled them back fast. Staring at them as the tips began
to blister up underneath the dirt. When she looked back at the pages a
brilliant red light washed over them. Miaka gasped as she and Tamahome
were engulfed by a column of brilliant red light and were pulled into it.
***
Miaka's body felt numb and heavy all over. It was a task for her to just
open her eyes. Her eye lids felt too heavy to lift. With her eyes only
half open, she saw bright red before her. She knew that she was flying. A
warm wind blew over her. It was gentle and refreshing. The sensation was
like being caressed by millions of tiny soft feathers.
Straining she looked to her left and saw Tamahome floating, or rather,
flying beside her. She attempted a smile as she looked at his seemingly
sleeping face. His mouth slightly ajar.
Miaka closed her eyes again. She fluttered them open when she hear a high
warbling cry. The sound seemed almost pitiful and quite mournful as it
rang out. Miaka listened to it and felt her heart strings tug at
themselves as she heard a deep voice crying along with the bird's call.
'I'm riding the wings of Suzaku.' Miaka thought sadly, 'Why are you doing
this Suzaku? You are too weak. Please tell me what I can do? Tell me
what is wrong!' she called out in her mind.
Another bird's sorrowful cry replied and Miaka knew that lost within it
were Suzaku's own tearful crying.
Feeling incredibly tired, Miaka closed her eyes and drifted into a deep
sleep.
***
Struggling to lift herself, Miaka coughed out unwanted sand and gravel
from her mouth. She had awoke face down in a desert like place. Sitting
up she could see a few dead trees in the distance, other than that it was
barren waste land in all directions.
"I know this place." Miaka said softly. She became alert when she heard
coughing from beside her. Eyes widening she whirled around to see Tamahome
also spiting up dirt.
"Wha-What happened?" he said, taking a look around him, "Where are we?"
"You don't remember Tamahome?" Miaka sounded a little shocked, "This is
where Yui and I landed when we first came here." Miaka's expression became
thoughtful and her cheeks turned a slight pink, "It's also where you and I
first met, Tamahome." she then got angry, "How could you not remember?!
That's cold Tamahome!"
"Go-Gomen." he stuttered and put up his hands in apology and defense as
Miaka rose up above him. He then went serious and stared out beyond the
horizon, "So what now?"
"We pay a visit to Taiitsu-kun." Miaka's gaze turned skyward, "I wonder
how much time has passed since we left."
"It could have been years by now. Even though we've been gone for only
two months." Tamahome said, pulling himself to his feet. "Hundreds of
years even. Chichiri and Tasuki, they could be dead by now."
Miaka reached up and whipped a tear away from the corner of her eye, "Let's
hope for the best." she piped sounding much more cheerful and lively, "Come
on Tamahome."
Miaka spun on heel and began to walk towards, what she believed to be south.
Tamahome smiled and began to follow her. He stopped suddenly. A
brilliant spot of red light glowed from under his feet. "MIAKA!" he
shouted. She turned and gasped.
He extended his hand out of the light and reached for her. Miaka screamed
and ran back towards him.
Suddenly he felt so very far away. Miaka tripped and began to topple
forward. "NOOOO!" she cried, all of her heart and soul pouring into the
sound.
Tamahome was almost completely gone by the time Miaka made contact with
the ground. She still held out her arm for him.
"Please, no." she squeaked, watching as Tamahome became a darkened
silhouette upon red, "DON'T LEAVE ME!" she shrieked as Tamahome was pulled
away from the world, existing only in a book.
Miaka remained sprawled on the dusty ground. For a few more moments she
simply stared at the spot that her beloved had only recently occupied.
After those moments, she bit down on her lip and cried into the dried up soil.
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Amanda
(The Queen Otaku)
qotaku@istar.ca
http://magi.com/~jppaquet
(Web site is under major construction.
Please bare with me and be patient.)
ICQ# 12772767