Notes: This story is inspired in large part by Ritz's translation of Manga Freetalk 10. As stated on the main page, Fushigi Yuugi is the property of Yuu Watase and her licensees. This fic is certainly not intended to infringe on, or profit from her creations. It's just an act of fannish appreciation #_^ v

Forever
D. Gregory - November, 1998

"I know it’s selfish…. But I asked the Miko.. if she had any wishes left when Genbu is called.. if we could stay together.."

"heh. You were always so emotional like that, Tomite.."

"…."

"You did ask for forever, didn’t you?"

"aa.. Tomite.. I’m beginning to wonder that we’ll never find the other Seishi before Kutou attacks.." Takiko had been despairing as they camped on the steppes of Hokkan. She was a small girl, with long, beautiful hair, but her size belied the strength of her resolve. Her strange, otherworldly clothes were hidden beneath the warm coats Tomite had acquired for her in Tolan.

"Fear not, Genbu no Miko" he tipped his furry blue hat to her as he started the fire. "Don’t give up hope.." he sat back with a satisfied sigh as the twigs sprang to orange life. She smiled, scrunching down deeper into her woolen coat, then her eyes widened and she squinted out into the dark plains.

Overhead, a sky full of unfamiliar stars wheeled, sending weird shadows across the rolling grasslands. Tomite got to his feet, unslinging his bow. "I heard it too.." he whispered.

Hoofbeats. Out here? "Stay close to the fire. Don’t worry, Lady Takiko.. I’ll protect you.."

The horse was a shaggy steppe runner, breath huffing out in silver puffs of moonlight, it’s gait an easy stride. The rider, if there even was one, was barely upright in the saddle. Drawn by the glow, the promise of food, the steed cantered towards the campsite.

Warily, Tomite approached the horse, dropping the gleaming razor-point arrow only slightly, until Takiko lumbered past him in her heavy coats. "Tomite.. he’s.. hurt!"

The stranger’s head was lying in Tomite’s lap as Takiko’s nimble small hands dressed the gaping wound in his shoulder. He’d been shot with an arrow.. somehow removing it before the injury had bested him.

He had the slender, delicate features of the Kan people. Pale skin, pale hair. In the flickering orange light of the fire, it was impossible to tell just what color it was, but it was soft as alpaca. Tomite realized he was stroking it like he’d done with his cat as a small child, and let his hand fall, still, to his side.

"He’s got an eyepatch" she murmured, looking down at the still form in Tomite’s lap. "On someone so young. What do you think happened?" With great care, Tomite pushed some of the rider’s hair back. "I..I don’t know, Lady… but he’s a Kan outrider.. they’re herders.. a lot can happen between summer and winter pastures.." He made a small attempt to remove the rider’s eyepatch to see, for sure.

The stranger stiffened suddenly in Tomite’s arms and Takiko gasped, falling back heavily on the frost-rimed turf. With a cry, Tomite yanked his hand back. A tiny crystalline serpent, barely the size of a garter snake, hung off his hand with a burning cold bite and evaporated in a shower of ice crystals.

"Sorcerer????" Tomite spat, shaking out his numbing hand. "gah!" Takiko shook her head, the long hair rustling, heavy black silk. "No…" Gently she touched the eyepatch and he made a soft moan. As she lifted it, his uncovered eye fluttered open, slightly unfocused as he made a weak effort to sit up.

The one that had been covered by the patch glowed faintly green. There was no iris in that blind eye.. no pupil against the white, but a symbol instead… "dipper."

"Hikitsu" she whispered. The rider nodded, absently almost. "Genbu no Miko?" he asked in a weak voice and nodded again, to himself. "I.. needed to come.. to find you..I’ve been riding …for days.." He made another effort to sit up, and was promptly forced to lie back again by Tomite.

"Lie still, would you?" The young hunter snapped. "You’ve bled out like a rabbit." Tomite scowled down at him, even as he pulled a blanket over him. "You’ll have to forgive Tomite…" She quirked an eyebrow at the blue-hatted seishi. "He was just startled by your appearance."

Tomite snorted, but the rider.. Hikitsu? …just nodded sleepily. "Tomite" he murmured pleasantly, then promptly passed out again.

Huddled in the heavy woolen blankets, Tomite found himself in an exceedingly awkward position. Lady Takiko had snuggled up to him in an effort to stay warm, while his newfound fellow seishi lay, unconscious, in his arms.

Back when he’d been Chamka Tan.. before he’d known the mark on his back meant anything, he’d remember his brothers’ boastings around too many mugs of beer and fermented honey, of how that night, they would sleep with a beauty in each arm.

With a guilty look around the moon-silvered steppe and a final accusing glare at the horses, Tomite propped himself against a rock and settled in for a long, uncomfortable night.

When he awoke with the colorless morning, a few things struck Tomite’s sleep-fogged brain. Among them was he was cold in places that still bore the lingering traces of someone elses’ heat.. and there was the pleasant tang of tea in the air.

Forcing an eye open, Tomite watched Lady Takiko go about preparing a breakfast with their less than splendid rations. She was so graceful, so refined. In whatever magical, wondrous world the Mikos sprang from, she could hardly be less than a princess, he firmly believed. He started to sit up. He had no right making her toil making him breakfast. "My lady.." he began.. aware of the weight on his chest the moment she shushed him.

Tomite stared down at the pale, silvery brown hair that spilled across his blue wool vest as though he had some bizarre rodent sleeping on him. The stunned look eventually resolved itself into a scowl. "Looks like he survived the night," he muttered, watching Hikitsu’s chest rise and fall gently. Gingerly, Tomite tried to straighten his own aching back without disturbing too much the injured man laying on him. On the one hand, he mused as the air took on the aroma of breakfast, he should be delighted.. a fellow seishi.. a comrade.. one step closer to Genbu.

On the other hand…Tomite had rather been enjoying Lady Takiko’s undivided attention. The weight on his chest stirred, and Tomite glanced down, watching Hikitsu yawn and squint his uncovered eye at the dull grey light. He was still pale, but the rest had done him good. And that eye was awfully pretty.. faintly purple and gold in it’s grey depths….Tomite scowled as he realized the direction his thoughts were headed and gave the fair-haired seishi a baleful, green-eyed glare.

From her vantage point, Takiko beamed happily. "Maybe we have a chance after all…."

It had been two months and six of the seven Seishi were assembled in Tolan. The first real snows of the season were falling in gentle, feathery puffs, and as people began to prepare for the Solstice, Iname had wanted to drag everyone out to watch the fireworks that would mark the start of the season.

With the snows, Kutou would be stymied for a little while, at least, and the Seishi had all agreed that Lady Takiko could use something to lighten her spirits. Iname had practically jumped on the table when the idea struck her. "SHOPPING!!!!!!! Hatsui had rolled his eyes and dragged her back into her seat. "What need does a Miko have for shopping?" he grumbled at her, picking at his take from the hot pot in the center of the table. "But HATSUI!!!" Iname began to pout. "They have all these lovely little puppets and clockwork toys from Konan.. and there’ll be fireworks in the bazaar…." The others started to laugh before Hikitsu looked up from his dinner. "I think it’s a fine idea, Iname.." he said around the strip of venison in his mouth. "The last couple of months have been hard on her..on everyone..we’ll have to start searching for our seventh soon enough.. we can’t slack off.. but I don’t see why Lady Takiko can’t have a pleasant night out."

Tomite shook himself, coming back to the conversation. He’d been reminiscing as some noodles cooled in his mouth. The others looked up to Hikitsu.. his quiet, rational ways gave him an air of authority that the other seishi respected. That Tomite respected, now, too. He focused on his noodles as Iname began to make her plans out loud, her braid-adorned head bobbing as she gesticulated, and he heard Hikitsu quietly manage to extricate himself from actually going with them. "….stay here.. I’d like to do some research.. maybe we can find some better clues as to the whereabouts of the last seishi.."

"I’ll help!" Tomite blurted out, spattering noodles across Urumiya’s chest. There was a moment of heavy silence as his five companions stared at him and the noodles quietly slid down the elaborate brocade of Urumiya’s vest. "What? What?"

"Thanks for the offer, Tomite.. I could use the help" Hikitsu said mildly, covering a small smirk.

As the others got ready to leave, Iname poked Tomite in the ribs and gave him a broadly theatrical wink. "You little pervert! Good luck!" she stage whispered before linking arms with Lady Takiko and the glowering Hatsui and leading the group off into the night.

The tallow lamps flickered in the small rooms of Hokkan’s palace. The Emperor had graciously given the Lady Miko and her Seishi apartments for as long as they might need them. Unlike some of the others, Hikitsu’s was sparsely furnished and undecorated save for a chart of the constellations he’d managed to convince the royal librarian to "loan" him.

Books and scrolls were scattered about the room and Tomite picked one up as he turned away from watching the snow fall on the veranda outside. "You know.. I wouldn’t’ve thought you were such a scholar when I first met you.." he said lightly, thumbing through the pages.

Hikitsu made a small laugh and carefully stoked the coals in the brazier. "I had a lot of time to read growing up" he sat back on the canopied bed and looked over at the star chart. "My parents abandoned me to a hermit priest after I was born. They were afraid my eye was an evil omen. Fortunately, old man Shanku didn’t see it that way."

"un…. I’m sorry…" Tomite sat down at the foot of the bed, holding the old, leather-wrapped volume gently. "I didn’t know" Hikitsu laughed again… a soft sound. "Don’t be. He may have been crazier than a stallion with a burr under his saddle, but it was a kinder fate than leaving me on the steppes for the wolves.." he took the book from Tomite, his long, pale fingers brushing Tomite’s darker squarish ones. "what about you?"

"Me?" Tomite squeaked, promptly folding his hands in his lap. "Oh. Me. I’m the youngest of five.. my father had some minor holdings in the western region …my brothers and I.. we patrolled the boundaries.. against bandits. We hunted.. Y’know. I was always trying to get out from under them. I wanted to live my own life.. I was getting ready to pack up and head down to Sailo before lady Takiko appeared.." he paused… realizing the words were tumbling out of him like a slew of hyperactive rabbits.

Hikitsu tucked back a length of silver-brown hair and just smiled that enigmatic little smile that made Tomite’s stomach knot up. "Can I make an observation?" he asked after several minutes. Tomite had come to hate it when Hikitsu started sentences that way. "sure" he said, defeatedly, knowing his friend would make the observation whether he wanted him to or not.

"..you didn’t like me much at first, did you?" Tomite groaned. Good old Hikitsu. "At first I didn’t like you.. just on principle. Then I didn’t like you because ..everyone else DID like you. Then I didn’t like you because I liked you too.." he made a helpless gesture. "You get people to listen to you..to respect you" he scuffed a toe on the thick, tan sheepskin on the rug. "I just wish I could get people to respect me.." He felt like an idiot now… babbling out his feelings..

Hikitsu’s good eye widened a little. "Don’t be ridiculous. Everyone respects you. You’re our heart, Tomite..you’re full of life.. of hope.. of humor.. your character.. ‘emptiness’.. I’ve never seen anyone so mislabeled.." He looked down for a second then back at Tomite’s widening green eyes. "What?"

"I just wish at least one of my brothers had been like you.." Tomite’s tanned skin flushed darkly for a second. "You’re good to talk to." Hikitsu grinned at him, squeezing his arm. "I’ll be your brother now." He said simply, handing the book back. "Now. Are you really going to help me, or was that just to get out of going with Iname?"

"I’ll… help!" He stammered. "..er..how?" Hikitsu tapped the book. "Read to me. This light isn’t the best.. I’m having trouble with the characters.."

Sleep was not coming easy to Tomite. They were calling Genbu come the morning. GENBU, for Genbu’s sake!!! He knew that he should try and rest, but his stomach roiled with mad butterflies. With a sigh, he let his restless feet carry him out onto the broad veranda.

Snow blanketed the palace courtyard in soft, rolling dunes, scattered lanterns dotting the night with their muted yellow glow. The snow was still falling in large, lazy flakes, and their ponderous silence was barely broken by the sentry's muffled "all clear"

He meant to go to Lady Takiko. She must be more nervous than any of them. But, then… Namame was probably with her. Comforting her. The two seemed inseparable these days. It had come as a sudden shock to most of them, the Emperor’s scribe… his gifted pet poet, returning from his family’s farm at the Sailo border. Their seventh and final Seishi had quite literally dropped into their laps when the horses pulling his carriage had bolted in the courtyard, sending the fine wood vehicle and it’s passengers elbows over teakettles into the snow. He thought he was going to be more jealous than he was. But Namame seemed to make her genuinely happy... and he wanted Takiko to be happy more than almost anything.

When he came out of his reverie, he found himself standing in front of Hikitsu's door. Faint lamplight flickered through the paper screens and he shook his head. Silly fool was probably still straining to read something in the poor light. The soft scrape of the door as Tomite slid it open was impossibly loud in the heavy silence that covered the grounds this night.

In the doorway, Tomite hooked his thumbs in his sash and a slow smile crossed his face. Hikitsu was snoring peacefully, head down on the paper-choked table. "Silly fool" the young seishi muttered fondly, carefully closing the door behind him.

With infinite gentleness, Tomite lifted the older seishi and deposited him under the quilt. He was turning to go when the soft yawn stopped him. "…….couldn't sleep, little brother?"

Tomite turned and stared down at his feet through his unruly black bangs. "Too nervous.. about.. everything.." He scuffed at the floor, looking back up at his friend. Hikitsu extended a hand to him. "come here.. you don't have to worry alone.."

Grateful for the invitation, Tomite settled himself on top of the quilt, feeling his friend lay his cheek on his back, breath warm just on the spot where the sigil burned itself into Tomite's shoulderblade.

The even rhythm of Hikitsu's heart was an insistent lullaby, but a thought urged it's way to the surface before Tomite was carried away by it. "….I know it's selfish.. but…"

Screaming.

Someone was screaming.

Another of Kutou's siege engines groaned and shrieked as the wood shattered under the spell of Tomite's ice arrows. "Genbu damn them ALL" he roared out to no one in particular as the walls shook again. At the gates below, Hikitsu and Urumiya battled to keep the icewall barring them from crumbling under the impact of the battering ram.

Genbu damn them and their black-souled sorcerers. The summoning was almost complete when their war machines had appeared.. from nowhere.. in the snows outside of the palace. Tomite's glance flicked off to the side. Namame and Uruki were shielding the Miko. As it should be, he nodded to himself, nocking another arrow.

The arrow clattered to the battlement as the walls shook with earthquake force. There was a brittle splintering of ice, and the armies of Kutou poured through the breach in a dark tide.

Hikitsu sagged back against the wall, trying to shake his head clear of the stunning blow as Kutou's soldiers destroyed what remained of Hokkan's forces. Some civilians had joined them, armed only with farm tools and hunting weapons, but it was clear that invaders had been instructed to show them no mercy as they cut through them like a field of winter wheat.

Lady Takiko was sobbing as she beat against Namame's chest, trying to pull away from him, screaming at the soldiers to stop. Whatever his comforting words to the young Miko were, were lost on Tomite as he began to pick off Kutou's warriors.

But arrows didn't last forever, and it wasn't long before he was down in the red-soaked snow, behind Uruki, trying to battle a path through the invaders. The Seishi were scattered throughout the Palace compound, and from the safe spot where she was.. were Namame wouldn't let her leave.. Takiko's eyes grew huge. Kutou had wanted this. They had not only timed it to disrupt the ceremony.. but they were going to destroy her Seishi as well…

There were too many screams echoing through the courtyard. Rage, fear, pain.. People and horses and grinding shriek of metal wheels…Tomite watched with some satisfaction as his powers neatly sliced another blue-armored soldier in half.

One cry, nearby, though, cut through the others.. a child.. he wheeled to see a young mother fall to the ground, prey to a horseman's polearm. The black steed, puffing steam into the frosty air, thundered without pause to the terrified child she had been protecting.

There was no break in thought or action for Tomite as he dove for the child, tumbling with him through the bloody slush. He heard the rider wheel around and lashed out, watching with grim satisfaction as the man looked down in surprise as the top half of his torso slid away from the half still on the horse.

As he held, shaking, onto the sobbing child, Tomite slowly realized his legs were covered in something warm.. and wet..(kid

probably wet himself) he thought, until the boy started to back away from him, splattered with red. "Are you hurt?" he started to ask, until he followed the child's stare down to his own stomach.

Hikitsu had seen the whole thing happen in a curious slow motion. He could see the polearm flash up with a sick realization. He knew that technique.. they had learned it from Kan cavalrymen…

Dying.

Tomite was..

..dying and they hadn't even called..

"TOMITE!!!!!"

and Hikitsu was there.. slender strong arms around him, familiar breath warm on his back. "Little brother..It's ok.. Iname will be here soon.. swift little Iname.. and she'll get you to the temple.." Hikitsu was whispering desperately as the chill of shock swallowed Tomite's senses…his friend's soft voice an anchor .

There was an odd, heavy thump. An arrow shot into a bale of hay, and Hikitsu's voice paused. There was a blur of pink in Tomite's vision. Iname. For the first time in her fleet-footed life, the girl was too late, Tomite thought dimly.

Behind him, Hikitsu's voice had an strange, liquid quality to it. "Iname.. get the others …into the temple. Finish the summoning."

Her protests fell short and Tomite closed his eyes. "We can't die.." he hoped he said. "They need us.."

All throughout the construction of the shrine at Mount Black, Namame had pined for Takiko. She had vanished with her last wish, and he was sick with worry. The look of pain on her face… something had gone wrong, but what, none of them could honestly say.

The emperor had ordered a secure place for the holiest of relics, the necklace of Genbu’s brave young Miko, to be kept for the day that it might be needed again.

The remaining Seishi filed out, the cold air heavy around them. "We'll seal it. Assure that the power of the Shinzhao can't be abused" Uruki was saying in his slow deliberate way. Urumiya kicked at a rock, squinting at the bright mountain sun that knifed through the slit of the doors. "It's not good enough.. Locks can be broken.. I should know.." he started.. then paused.. a chill running down his spine …not his spine.. his chi…..

The others must have felt it too, because they turned, almost as one.

Even Hatsui started to cry.

"Don’t worry. We'll protect it. Even if we have to hang around here forever…"

"Hey! Tanaka! Pay attention!!" The warning came exactly the same moment the black and white soccer ball struck him squarely in the back of the head with roughly the force of a major league fastball.

It laid 16 year old Cho Tanaka out like a stunned pigeon as the ball went bouncing merrily across the parking lot. He thought he heard bells, blinking owlishly and staring up at the clear blue sky above.

It took a few moments before he realized someone was talking to him. "...ok? That hit you pretty hard..."

He got to his feet slowly, and blinked, staring at the stranger holding the soccer ball and a bag full of groceries. The faint spring breeze had worked the young man's long, light-colored hair free from it's ponytail and he was smiling, despite the eyepatch that marked his face.

"Thought you were going to lie down there forever..."