autumnleaf16

What happened last time: Yuri, along with the celestial warriors have all been reborn into the real world, and now, Hotohori and Yuri are finally going to be reunited once more…

Chapter Nine (1)

“Yuri?” Seishuku whispered, staring at the sleeping form of the woman on the bed.
He began to take the first step towards her…

“My name is Houki Yuri,” she said as she stood in front of him as the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her lovely eyes made him felt as if he was drowning, he immediately wanted to know all about her…and he wanted to always have him beside her.
He would make her his empress.
“I desire you to be my empress, but I will only wed you if you wish to be my bride. I wish to have your love” He told her. Taking her hand he raised it to his lips, kissing it lovingly, even though she was staring at him in what might be bewilderment and shock.
Frowning slightly she asked him how he could love her when they only just met. He did not know then…he still did not know even now.

Unknown to her he stood at the doorway of her chambers for a very long time, taking delight in watching her. She pulled her hair ribbon off and her hair fall down in masses of raven curls up to her waist, he longed to run his fingers through them, and kiss each single strand.
Suddenly she started to cry, he quickly made his presence known, hoping to comfort her. He would have took her into his arms immediately if it wasn’t for the fear of scaring her. He could tell that she was crying just then as her lovely eyes were slightly red.
She began to cry even as he held her in his arms and muttered soothingly to her, not knowing what to do he carried her in his arms and laid her down on her bed, placing her head in his lap. He wished that he knew how to comfort her.

“I want to start a new life. A life with you.” She whispered shyly, tilting her head up she kissed him before she continued speaking what was the happiest words he had ever heard in his whole life. “I am ready to start a new life, I believe I love you, and I know that you will always love me.”
He returned her embrace and kiss eagerly, almost not believing that this was coming true. It seemed that Suzaku had finally answered his prayer, he was finally loved by Yuri, he would no longer be lonely again as she would always be there.
She carried the bunch of lilies he just gave her as if it was rich jewelleries due to the way she carefully held them. The lilies were only put down when he loosened her dress and carried her to his bed. There they whispered their love again, even as they loved each other physically.

In front of the statue of Suzaku, she was praying with her eyes tightly shut and her hands pressed together, looking at her made him smiled as she seemed like a little girl. As a child he had thought that the priestess of Suzaku would be the one to save him, he had never been more glad to be wrong, as he was convinced that no other woman could be more perfect then the woman about to be his empress.
In the very next day she stood beside him as his empress, he was so happy as he announced this to the whole kingdom. She certainly looked like an empress as well, she wore the fine wedding gown regally and the strand of pearls she wove into her hair resembled a crown.
Yet their life did not remain perfect as he had foolishly expected on their wedding day. The problem of a war worried him deeply as he was afraid that she would be in danger, and somehow she was still not pregnant after two years of marriage. Unfortunately for them, his advisors saw two years as a long enough time.

She knelt in front of the statue again, once again- she did not realize just how long he was looking at her in secret. He saw that she was crying, and even if she was not crying in front of him he could still realize that as he loved her so much.
He too, had started to pray to Suzaku again. He wanted Yuri to laugh and be happy… Not for the first time, he wished that he was not the emperor of Konan, then he and Yuri could live their life in happiness by spending their days with each other’s company, instead of only at the evenings, or at rare afternoons when he was free.

Whenever he could he would spend his times with her. He taught her how to use a sword because he wanted her to be able to defend herself, even thought she was the empress and therefore constantly surrounded by guards. She had been an excellent pupil, but he still felt a slight bit of regret when he stroked her fingers after their practises and sees the scars that were caused by this.
He also taught her how to write, it was a most enjoyable tuition as he could use this as an opportunity to hold her hand. The first thing she asked him to teach her was his name. In one of the lessons he had wrote out a poem on the new fan that he gave her, she had rewarded him with a kiss and from that day on, she rarely used any other fans.
“In the heavens, the stars are twinkling. In the ground, the flowers are blooming. And now, in my universe, my love for you is shining. It won't stop. It won't be stopped. Love, like breathing, is irreplaceable. I'm glad I was born, because I exist for you. I have only one wish: your happiness” (2)
That was his promise to her, that he would always love her.

When he heard that she fainted he rushed out of the court at once. Seeing her lying there unconscious had made him so afraid as for the first time, he thought of the possibility of her dying. What would he do when that hateful day come? It was selfish but he hoped that he would die before her, as he could not be able to live if she was gone from his side even if she only left after being married to him for years, and even decades.

Whenever she cries he wished for nothing but the power to stop her tears, he could not bear to see her cry and it caused him so much pain. Upon her cries he abandoned his question and embraced her instead. He would figure out why Yuri seemed to be so hostile to the Suzaku priestess later.

He had spent many times watching her sleep, he often wake up before her, and he would held her against him tightly as he gazed at her sleeping form. In these occasions he would always offer his gratitude to Suzaku for brining Yuri to him. Sometimes she would be asleep before he finished the business of the state, at these times he would take to her bed and laid her down, gently untying her hair. Content to just watch her.

“Promise me that you wouldn’t leave me, then I will sleep.” He had insisted, even though she was lying right beside him, enfolded in his arms, he had a feeling that she would be gone from him when he woke up. That was why he didn’t want to close his eyes.
“I promise I’ll be there.” She said, and bent down to kiss him again. “I really love you, Hotohori.”

When she was gone everything seemed to empty again, it was worse then his previous years of loneliness before he met her, as now he knew what happiness and pure joy felt like. He never abandoned his duty as the emperor but he would be haunted by the shadows of his memories.
Yuri was the person who made his life the best that it could be, that was why he held onto her so much. If she could not be with him at his sides, then he rather clung onto her memories instead of having nothing.

When they found what they believed to be the seventh celestial warrior of Suzaku he was overjoyed because it meant that Suzaku would be summoned, and Konan would be safe. But his ultimate pleasure came from the fact that he would be with Yuri again, and life would be easier for them.
He dreamt of having children with her, as a ruler he naturally had to have sons, but he greatly desired for a daughter, as he wanted a little girl who would grew up to be exactly like her mother. He could already imagine the pleasure they would have with their children.
“And then it will all be over, and then it can all be put aside: the self-accusations, worrying about the country, and the days of regret and sorrow…” (3)

After all what seemed like such a long time of separation she was finally there again. But she was very different from the woman who was his empress. Usually she would be dressed in red, as that was Konan’s national colour, as well as the colour he often wore. Thus, being the empress of Konan, red was the most common colour in her wardrobe.
Her lovely hair reached up to her waist and she usually tied the upper half up with ribbons or the strand of pearls he had gave her on the eve of their wedding. Sometimes she would hold all of her hair up with the headdresses that numerous past empresses of Konan had wore, almost all of them was decorated with the motif of Suzaku.
Now she was now dressed in the robe that the priestess of Seiryuu would wear, she was wearing blue instead of red. Most all her long hair was gone. It was only up to her shoulder now and it was twisted around a headdress in the shape of Seiryuu’s original form.
But it didn’t matter to him at all. No matter what she did or would do, regardless of who she became, she was still Houki Yuri, therefore she was his beloved empress, the one he loved most in the whole universe.
The most ironic thing was that she did everything for him, as she loved him equally much. Like him, she rather be selfish and die instead of seeing him die, even though she knew what sorrow he would suffer for the rest of his life.
He held onto her and refused to let her go, he could not bear to let her go. It didn’t matter that it was fate or the will of the gods he would never let her go away from him willingly.
“Then take me with you!” he offered. He was an emperor with a kingdom to look after, but he simply couldn’t let Yuri leave as she was more important then that kingdom. If Konan was gone, he would be in pain as it was his duty to protect the kingdom and its people, but he would continue to live, and even create plans to rebuild his country. But if Yuri was gone from him…he did not know he could manage to continue living.
It was unreasonable for him to do that, and he was not unaware of his duty. But how could he even think about his kingdom when what was dearest to his heart was going to be gone from him forever? She was his will to live.
The darkness snatched her out of his arms, he could not see but she left his grip as he felt her moving away from him, going to her own death. Someone was screaming in horror and it was clear that her death must have been painful. But she never once made any sounds, he knew that this was because of him.
Tears were streaking down his cheeks, even thought her death was horrible he still rather see her a last time, he would brave these sights because he wanted to see her until he really could no longer see her.
Seiryuu still kept his promise to his priestess, as he still did not let Hotohori see Yuri’s death even though it didn’t really matter anymore.
“That was our first parting, but then we'll meet again eternally. I'll still exist. The two of us will always live on in my memory...” (4)

He finally reached her bedside, kneeling down he grasped her hand tightly into his. Ignoring everyone else, who- with the exception of Miaka, Taka and Yui, were all staring at him very strangely.
“Yuri,” he whispered, this time his voce was full of emotions as he remembered everything from his past life as Hotohori, Emperor Saihi of Konan, and she had been Empress Houki, his beloved wife. Fate teased them by making her into the priestess of Seiryuu.
They were forced to part because they were from two different worlds, then Suzaku gave this chance for them to be together. He was now in her world and he would never regret giving up his kingdom for her. Konan was left in good hands, so he could pursue his own desires, instead of his people.
All he ever truly desired was to be with Yuri forever when she told him that she loved him back, surely there was nothing that could prevent them from being together again.
She was in a coma because she was waiting for him to come and wake her up.
“Yuri,” he whispered again. “Wake up! I am here now, I finally found you, so wake up!”
He began to cry as he called out her name again, she had died for him, and willingly underwent that hellish pain, it was all because she wanted him to live.
“Yuri, please! Return to me!”
Her fingers moved slightly and her hand slowly shook a bit. Bending down Seishuku…Hotohori began to whisper to her again, raising her hand to his lips as he had done when they first met.
Her eyes opened and she immediately sat up, this violent gesture caused the lines and tubes to be tore off from her body but that didn’t matter anymore, she no longer need them.
Yuri turned to Seishuku and upon seeing him, she threw her arms around him, and he held her against him tightly, whispering her name and stroking her hair.
“Hotohori, you finally came.” She sobbed out. “I’ll never leave you again, I promise.”
“Hotohori?” Ryoen repeated this strange name in confusion. He had never seen this woman before and he was sure that his elder brother never has either. Yet the two of them were holding onto each other as if they were long lost lovers who were finally reunited. (5)
“Seishuku…what…” Ju-An was trying to not splutter due to the bewilderment they all felt. Seishuku had told him that he never knew who their neighbour was, but what he said to her was full of implication that not only did he know Houki Yuri, they also shared a very intimate relationship.
“Seishuku? Is that your name now, Hotohori?” Yuri asked. “It is quite strange for me to call you that, but I think I can get use to it.”
How strange it was to see him dressed in the cloth of the twenty first century…her old world, she would have willingly spent the rest of her life in Konan if it was possible. By the end of her life she still regarded Konan as her adopted country, and referred to this world as her old world.
He was in a pair of faded grey jeans with a very simple white shirt, the neckline slightly decorated by a bit of embroidery. That would be something she must adjust to, like his name. She was so used to seeing him wear the elaborate garments of an emperor, and the simpler peasant’s outfit he would wear when he was teaching her swordplay was still very different from his current outfit. (6)
“I am still the same person, just as you never changed, even when you became the priestess of Seiryuu. Yuri, we must marry immediately so we will be regarded as married in this world as well.” Seishuku said rather practically after another kiss.
At this Yuri laughed and nestled closer to him, ignoring everyone else.
“You always have a strange way of proposal. Yes, I will marry you, although I regard us as already married.”
Right now the two of them did not care about anyone else at all, the only thing that mattered to them was that they were together again after everything that had happened.
Bending down Seishuku kissed her again.
“This time, I swear I will never be parted from you ever again.” (7)


1 As Hotohori/Seishuku walks to Yuri he is basically recollecting many of their past meetings, most of it is probably taken from the first two chapters, some events were from Yuri’s view so this chapter shows these event from his point of view. If you can’t be bothered to read the flashbacks then just jump to end and count up and read from the non-italic part. As it is flashback to the time when he was Hotohori I’ll be using Hotohori’s name for a while, instead of Seishuku. Lastly, the flashbacks are not really connected either.
2 Just reminding every one that this is from a Hotohori character song. This is basically my disclaimer. Not my property so don’t sue me.
3 Another disclaimer
4 Another disclaimer
5 I just had to add this little ironic remark in, because that is what Hotohori and Yuri are.
6 I have this random picture of Hotohori and Nuriko that I found from the internet- I think it’s the cover of maybe their character song or something, but what really interested me about the picture is that they were both wearing modern clothings. Hotohori was basically wearing what I just described in above, while Nuriko was wearing a yellow blouse with dark red pants. By the way page 49 in volume seven shows a picture of all seven of the celestial warriors of Suzaku in modern clothing, posing in front of a car. And I once saw this picture of Hotohori and Miaka, with Hotohori wearing a long brown modern coat.
7 This is my shortest chapter by far, but as I said it is basically a flashback as Hotohori/Seishuku is regaining the memories of his past life. The story is practically finished, but there will be an epilogue, which is just tying up the loose end even more. This is what I meant by a happy happy ending. Because even if she stayed in Konan with him, there would always be the problem of him being the emperor. He could never spend that much time with her as he would like, and no matter what Miaka would not be staying in the universe of the four god. That is why I think the happiest ending for their story is when Hotohori become someone in her world, he is no longer an emperor so he can spend most of his time with her, and she is now truly his first piority.