(no subject)
Title: Hikaru's Phoenix
Chapter Title: Chapter Eight: The Serpent Line
Fandom: Hikaru no Go
Genre: AU, Fantasy
Pairing: Touya Akira and Shindou Hikaru
Summary: In this Alternate Universe the Hikago characters are preoccupied with shamanic magic instead of go. Think Tokyo Babylon, not Shaman King.
Warning: Will contain slash and smut in the future. Non-slash fans are warned.
Previous Chapters: Links should be included within LJ cut.
Chapter Eight: The Serpent Line
:So as you can see, this is how things stand at the moment,: Chieno said silently.
Ogata nodded slightly, his outer appearance, for anyone watching, giving the impression that he was wholly absorbed by the scroll he was supposed to be studying. Under other circumstances he would be, but when one of the highest ranking princes of the Orochi spoke to you, it was highly advisable to pay careful attention to everything he said.
:And you want me to, ah…make things difficult for the Kitsune, is that it?: Ogata replied. Without setting his scroll down, a cigarette floated out of a drawer from across the room and into his mouth. A quick thought lit it, and another thought closed the drawer again. He settled into a comfortable position. Times like this made him thankful for magic. :Any reason why a powerful prince like you can’t do the job of a mere mortal like me?:
:You know perfectly well that we cannot go near Ho-Oh without the child reacting violently to our presence,: Chieno said. Ogata could not see the Serpent, but he knew the prince was only thinly veiling his anger. Ogata knew better than to push further; after all, both he and Chieno are fully aware of what point Ogata had been trying to make.
:So long as I am properly recognized for my work,: Ogata said. His eyes narrowed as if he was having difficulty seeing the words, but he was waiting for the answer he craved-an answer he knew he would never get.
:That is, as you well know, impossible. The incident that caused one of us to mate with a mortal and thus begin the long line you are now a part of had not been in our control.:
:How unusual that is, especially for a powerful race like the Orochi,: Ogata answered dryly.
As the Orochi had claimed, and continued to claim, it had been a mere accident that one of the Serpents had fallen in love with a mortal male and given birth to the first Serpent and mortal Halfling. The mother, a pale beauty known as Shirohebi*, had been locked up as punishment in a tower for the unforgivable transgression. It had been many years before both the father and son could see her again. As legend goes, after her release she was free so long as she returned to the heavens-which in Ogata’s opinion was no freer than being locked up in the tower in the first place. Hundreds of years later, the many offspring from Shirohebi’s line had propagated to different parts of the world-some even as far as England, or so the rumors said. As for Shirohebi herself, legend has it that she remained in the heavens watching over her children even to this day.
:She was a rogue, and of lowly class,: Chieno replied, the ice in his voice stabbing Ogata’s mind like many dull knives. :If she had been in our palace the highest rank she would have ever been able to attain would have been a chamber maid. As a result, we did not give her much attention. You can rest assured that the case is certainly different now.:
Ogata tightened his grip around the scroll, but otherwise did nothing to indicate how close he was to snapping. Instead, he displayed the sardonic smile he was so famous for. Consequently, this too was an expression that Chieno himself favored. Let the overgrown snake tie himself in a knot over Ogata’s audacity.
:I see. So, do you also expect me to create the plan that will disrupt the Kitsune?:
:You have spent time with Ho-Oh, therefore you are in a better position to gauge what would best lead the child away from the Kitsune.:
:Indeed.:
:So you have a plan already?:
Ogata chuckled.
:You could say that.:
:Then say it.:
:It is simple enough,: Ogata said. :I will simply track him down-not at all hard to do-and tell him the nature of the Kitsune. There are plenty of mortal literature that can confirm it if he doesn’t already know.:
:That simple?: There was a hint of scorn in Chieno’s voice that irritated Ogata to no end.
:It is usually the simple plans that work out best,: Ogata said, allowing an equal hint of scorn to slip into his own mind voice.
:Then I look forward to seeing the end result. I will take my leave now.:
As Ogata felt the Serpent’s beginning to fade, he asked one last question.
:What happens to me if I do not feel like going through with this plan of mine?: Ogata said.
Silent laughter filled his thoughts, and a feeling that was almost like the cold, tightening grips of shackles gripped his mind, pinning him in place.
:You will go through with it, Ogata Seiji, unwilling or not. And when your simple plan fails, you will be responsible for carrying out any other plans your mortal mind can think up.:
Then the presence vanished, leaving behind a well of bitterness and anger where there had once been nothing. Ogata sat in the middle of his study, fuming, longing to curse the Orochi down to the very lowliest of their kind, but not daring. He admitted, once the anger cleared, that he probably would have been motivated to do something about the Kitsune, express orders or no. It was the nature of the order that angered him, the way it chafed at his independence and turned him into something a little better than a tool.
That was the way the Orochi used mortals. The Touya family used to be an ordinary enough mortal family before the Orochi had tampered with it, making it the select breeding line in preparation for the true Ryu. One could argue that this ensured the safety of the newborn Ryu and created an ideal environment to raise a ruler who would love both mortals and immortals, but Ogata knew better. The Orochi may claim to detest the mortal wars, but that was only because those wars reflected back onto them. They cared insomuch as it affected their own kind. As for Ogata’s line, Shirohebi had inadvertently created generations of ready-made servants in the mortal world for the Orochi to use. It was for this reason that they had kept the line alive; otherwise they would have obliterated all of her offspring without a thought.
Ogata was determined though, to do the one thing he could do about the horrible curse-for curse was what it was-that bound him and the generations before him. He never planned to marry, and so with his death would end Shirohebi’s Japanese line. Already Ogata had stepped out of the mold the Orochi had tried to fit him in. It had been five years since he had become a prominent member of the Onmyoji Council, despite Orochi intervention and the vocal opposition of one venerated and influential Council member to the Council’s decision.
“It is unwise to let a human of the line into the Council. How are we to know that his decisions and actions are his own, and not that of the Orochi?”
Old Man Kuwabara had been that voice of dissent, pointing out that it was dangerous and against the goals of the Council to cater to any race other than humans. An onmyoji served the people. His original duty arose out of the need to protect man from what laymen deemed as the supernatural, of which they had no defense against. That duty could only be compromised if one of their members also catered to the very thing they sought to protect man against.
It was Touya-sensei who had pointed out that this age-old duty was now obsolete. Most of the non-human races no longer bothered humans-when they did they were all harmless pranks-and their duty had now evolved into serving as an emissary between human and non-human interests. Besides, there was no rule saying that anyone with one of the non-human races in their ancestry could not become onmyoji. The Kitsune were well known for their dalliances in the mortal world, and their offspring were highly valued members of the magical community. Abe Seimei**, the greatest onmyoji in human history, was rumored to have a Kitsune for a mother.
As for catering to other races, if anyone was in danger of acting against his will, wouldn’t he, Touya-sensei himself, also be in danger of influence? Should he then step down as Head of the Council?
The idea had been so preposterous that the other members quickly agreed to let Ogata in. He had passed all the tests after all, including the ones that truly mattered. Nevertheless, the experience had been a bitter medicine for him; prior to that he had put all his hope on humans, never realizing that some might go against him. When he could, he avoided Kuwabara-sensei like the plague, and wished him death in his cups. Most people were amused, knowing that a man who has become a Council member would never actually commit an act as evil as murder. The rest, if they disapproved, kept their silence.
Sighing, Ogata belatedly noticed that his cigarette had already burned out. It disappeared and reappeared in the ash tray on the desk of his study, where one of Akira’s shikigami would no doubt clean out. The tiny constructions, resembling cute, cheerful, little girls dressed in a rainbow variety of kimonos, had been created to please Akiko, who was sorely outnumbered as one of the few women in the large temple school. Their existence was a sign of Akira’s sensitivity. Whatever Akira may become in the future, at the moment he was still a kind-hearted boy.
He heard footsteps down the hallway, and heard the sliding of the shouji screens before actually seeing it. Seconds later Akira’s head peeked in between the screens, his expression shy and unsure.
“Ogata-san?”
“What is it Akira?”
“You’re studying, but…I thought…” Ogata waited for Akira to finish. “I could have sworn I felt Chieno-san. Did he leave already?” The boy took a quick glance around the room.
Touya-sensei was away at a Council meeting in Kyoto, which should have meant that no one in the temple could have felt the Serpent Prince’s presence under the layers of Ogata’s carefully constructed shielding. Ogata hid this realization with a calm smile. Not yet fourteen, Akira was rapidly blossoming into his full power. At this rate he’ll surpass everybody in the next two years. It was frightening, but the only thing Ogata felt was excitement.
“He was here, yes. His Majesty was merely repeating his concerns over Ho-Oh’s development and requesting that I also keep watch.”
“I see.” Disappointment fell over Akira’s face. Whether this was over the mention of the sore-spot that was Shindou or the prince’s leaving Ogata couldn’t be sure. “I would have liked to see him. He doesn’t come here much anymore.”
“I’m sure he’ll come again,” Ogata said. “He probably doesn’t want to disturb you too much in your studies. The first round of testing will take place in January after all, and that is in less than a month.”
“It’s never mattered to him before,” Akira said. “Chieno-san even told me that it was useless to become a Council member. Technically I’m not even…human.” His hesitation betrayed a sense of fear. This was not an unexpected reaction, and years of caring for Akira as an additional mentor surfaced.
“Akira, do you know why you were reborn here?”
“Yes. Chieno-san told me: so that I may learn to love and care for mor-humans as much as I will love and care for my own kind.”
So it looked like the prince at least claimed to keep to the original principle, even if he did not follow it in truth. That made things far easier.
“Never forget that Akira. Remember what he says.” He made a motion for Akira to come closer, which the boy did, stepping into the room to sit seiza in front of him.
“I will.”
“Good, because let me remind you something: though you may become the great and powerful Ryu of the legends someday, right now you-” he reached forward and poked a startled Akira in the chest. “You are human right now.”
“That’s…that’s true.” Akira looked down at his hands and fisted them. “I’m still human right now.”
“And you will continue to be for a very long while, subject to human weaknesses and human laws.” He gave him a wry smile. “As of right now your mental state is so unsure that if we were to begin a mock duel, you wouldn’t even be worth pounding.”
That shook Akira down to the very core. His eyes, a changing fluid that went between dark green and brilliant turquoise, turned blue.
“R-really? But I don’t even feel particularly different,” Akira protested. To be sure, Akira himself knew that he wasn’t as powerful or as skilled as Ogata, but normally he could at least put up a lasting fight.
“If your father were here, I’m sure he’d agree with me. Lately your motivation has been dragging, Akira. It’s depressing to watch you do magic. There is none of its usual spark.”
“Oh?”
Ogata chuckled at Akira’s discomfort.
“Perhaps a change in atmosphere will renew it. Next week I’ll be visiting another temple school. There are many students your age there, so you might find it interesting.”
“Where?”
“Not too far away, but it’s on the other side of Tokyo. Council member Morishita-sensei leads it, though it is also organized by a few other members of the Council.”
“Ah, I’ve heard about it. They take anyone who even remotely shows talent, don’t they?” It was a statement said without malice or scorn, which would have sounded drastically different coming from the mouth of someone else raised the way Akira had been.
“As well as anyone seriously considering becoming an Onmyoji of the Council, yes,” Ogata said. “I’ve heard that some of the techniques they’ve adopted to teach these children are innovative.”
“It sounds interesting,” Akira said, smiling. His eyes softened, and he looked innocent and sweet, a trait he took from Akiko. “I would love to go when you do.”
“It’s settled then. I’ll call you when it’s time. You needn’t even worry that it will conflict with your school time. It’s on the weekend.”
“All right. I had best get back to my studies then,” Akira said. He nodded politely. “It was nice talking to you Ogata-san, and thank you for the invitation.”
“No problem,” Ogata replied, turning back to the scroll he had not yet let go since the Serpent prince’s visit. As the sound of Akira’s footsteps grew fainter, he finally allowed himself to become absorbed by its contents.
“No problem at all. None at all.”
Author's Notes:
* Shirohebi, or 白蛇 (bai she) in Chinese, is a rather famous legend which has its origins in China. Her name simply means "White Snake". This was the legend that I roughly based Ogata's lineage on.
According to legend, out of gratitude when a mortal man saved her from bullying children, the white snake was determined to reward him. She sank herself into the magical arts, surpassing her teacher, a toad, and winning herself another snake as a servant, a green snake.
To make her husband happy however, she did a lot of immoral things to support him, and was finally revealed her true form to her husband when her old teacher, the toad, came back for revenge. Once her crimes were brought to light, she tried to kill the toad by drowning several villages in a flash flood. For this crime the Heavens punished her by looking her in a tower. She was allowed to give birth to a son, and then locked away again. Her freedom would be gained under the condition that her son passed the governmental test, a test that allowed anyone through pure merit to become a government official.
Eventually her son did pass, and she was released into the heavens where she was to expiate the rest of her sins. This is quite a famous story, and a very interesting love story if anyone would like to take do some research. Either way, it's a colorful way to write Ogata's past, isn't it? I changed the story to fit Japanese mythos and my storyline.
** Abe Seimei was a real historical figure, reputed to be the most powerful onmyoji in Japanese history. He featured as one of the main characters in both movies Onmyoji I and Onmyoji II. I recommend it for educational value in Japanese legends and culture. More information on his life can be found here.
Back
Next
I've been getting some interesting reviews on FF.net. Someone flamed me, claiming this story was a spoof off of Pokemon.
"..."
Ummm...maybe I'm just biased, but does anyone else see this resemblance?
Anyway, please enjoy this story. I worked hard over break just so I could update this at the end. ^_^ Chapter Nine is also well on its way. Yay! Much thanks to lady_addiction for her support and feedback!
Chapter Title: Chapter Eight: The Serpent Line
Fandom: Hikaru no Go
Genre: AU, Fantasy
Pairing: Touya Akira and Shindou Hikaru
Summary: In this Alternate Universe the Hikago characters are preoccupied with shamanic magic instead of go. Think Tokyo Babylon, not Shaman King.
Warning: Will contain slash and smut in the future. Non-slash fans are warned.
Previous Chapters: Links should be included within LJ cut.
Chapter Eight: The Serpent Line
:So as you can see, this is how things stand at the moment,: Chieno said silently.
Ogata nodded slightly, his outer appearance, for anyone watching, giving the impression that he was wholly absorbed by the scroll he was supposed to be studying. Under other circumstances he would be, but when one of the highest ranking princes of the Orochi spoke to you, it was highly advisable to pay careful attention to everything he said.
:And you want me to, ah…make things difficult for the Kitsune, is that it?: Ogata replied. Without setting his scroll down, a cigarette floated out of a drawer from across the room and into his mouth. A quick thought lit it, and another thought closed the drawer again. He settled into a comfortable position. Times like this made him thankful for magic. :Any reason why a powerful prince like you can’t do the job of a mere mortal like me?:
:You know perfectly well that we cannot go near Ho-Oh without the child reacting violently to our presence,: Chieno said. Ogata could not see the Serpent, but he knew the prince was only thinly veiling his anger. Ogata knew better than to push further; after all, both he and Chieno are fully aware of what point Ogata had been trying to make.
:So long as I am properly recognized for my work,: Ogata said. His eyes narrowed as if he was having difficulty seeing the words, but he was waiting for the answer he craved-an answer he knew he would never get.
:That is, as you well know, impossible. The incident that caused one of us to mate with a mortal and thus begin the long line you are now a part of had not been in our control.:
:How unusual that is, especially for a powerful race like the Orochi,: Ogata answered dryly.
As the Orochi had claimed, and continued to claim, it had been a mere accident that one of the Serpents had fallen in love with a mortal male and given birth to the first Serpent and mortal Halfling. The mother, a pale beauty known as Shirohebi*, had been locked up as punishment in a tower for the unforgivable transgression. It had been many years before both the father and son could see her again. As legend goes, after her release she was free so long as she returned to the heavens-which in Ogata’s opinion was no freer than being locked up in the tower in the first place. Hundreds of years later, the many offspring from Shirohebi’s line had propagated to different parts of the world-some even as far as England, or so the rumors said. As for Shirohebi herself, legend has it that she remained in the heavens watching over her children even to this day.
:She was a rogue, and of lowly class,: Chieno replied, the ice in his voice stabbing Ogata’s mind like many dull knives. :If she had been in our palace the highest rank she would have ever been able to attain would have been a chamber maid. As a result, we did not give her much attention. You can rest assured that the case is certainly different now.:
Ogata tightened his grip around the scroll, but otherwise did nothing to indicate how close he was to snapping. Instead, he displayed the sardonic smile he was so famous for. Consequently, this too was an expression that Chieno himself favored. Let the overgrown snake tie himself in a knot over Ogata’s audacity.
:I see. So, do you also expect me to create the plan that will disrupt the Kitsune?:
:You have spent time with Ho-Oh, therefore you are in a better position to gauge what would best lead the child away from the Kitsune.:
:Indeed.:
:So you have a plan already?:
Ogata chuckled.
:You could say that.:
:Then say it.:
:It is simple enough,: Ogata said. :I will simply track him down-not at all hard to do-and tell him the nature of the Kitsune. There are plenty of mortal literature that can confirm it if he doesn’t already know.:
:That simple?: There was a hint of scorn in Chieno’s voice that irritated Ogata to no end.
:It is usually the simple plans that work out best,: Ogata said, allowing an equal hint of scorn to slip into his own mind voice.
:Then I look forward to seeing the end result. I will take my leave now.:
As Ogata felt the Serpent’s beginning to fade, he asked one last question.
:What happens to me if I do not feel like going through with this plan of mine?: Ogata said.
Silent laughter filled his thoughts, and a feeling that was almost like the cold, tightening grips of shackles gripped his mind, pinning him in place.
:You will go through with it, Ogata Seiji, unwilling or not. And when your simple plan fails, you will be responsible for carrying out any other plans your mortal mind can think up.:
Then the presence vanished, leaving behind a well of bitterness and anger where there had once been nothing. Ogata sat in the middle of his study, fuming, longing to curse the Orochi down to the very lowliest of their kind, but not daring. He admitted, once the anger cleared, that he probably would have been motivated to do something about the Kitsune, express orders or no. It was the nature of the order that angered him, the way it chafed at his independence and turned him into something a little better than a tool.
That was the way the Orochi used mortals. The Touya family used to be an ordinary enough mortal family before the Orochi had tampered with it, making it the select breeding line in preparation for the true Ryu. One could argue that this ensured the safety of the newborn Ryu and created an ideal environment to raise a ruler who would love both mortals and immortals, but Ogata knew better. The Orochi may claim to detest the mortal wars, but that was only because those wars reflected back onto them. They cared insomuch as it affected their own kind. As for Ogata’s line, Shirohebi had inadvertently created generations of ready-made servants in the mortal world for the Orochi to use. It was for this reason that they had kept the line alive; otherwise they would have obliterated all of her offspring without a thought.
Ogata was determined though, to do the one thing he could do about the horrible curse-for curse was what it was-that bound him and the generations before him. He never planned to marry, and so with his death would end Shirohebi’s Japanese line. Already Ogata had stepped out of the mold the Orochi had tried to fit him in. It had been five years since he had become a prominent member of the Onmyoji Council, despite Orochi intervention and the vocal opposition of one venerated and influential Council member to the Council’s decision.
“It is unwise to let a human of the line into the Council. How are we to know that his decisions and actions are his own, and not that of the Orochi?”
Old Man Kuwabara had been that voice of dissent, pointing out that it was dangerous and against the goals of the Council to cater to any race other than humans. An onmyoji served the people. His original duty arose out of the need to protect man from what laymen deemed as the supernatural, of which they had no defense against. That duty could only be compromised if one of their members also catered to the very thing they sought to protect man against.
It was Touya-sensei who had pointed out that this age-old duty was now obsolete. Most of the non-human races no longer bothered humans-when they did they were all harmless pranks-and their duty had now evolved into serving as an emissary between human and non-human interests. Besides, there was no rule saying that anyone with one of the non-human races in their ancestry could not become onmyoji. The Kitsune were well known for their dalliances in the mortal world, and their offspring were highly valued members of the magical community. Abe Seimei**, the greatest onmyoji in human history, was rumored to have a Kitsune for a mother.
As for catering to other races, if anyone was in danger of acting against his will, wouldn’t he, Touya-sensei himself, also be in danger of influence? Should he then step down as Head of the Council?
The idea had been so preposterous that the other members quickly agreed to let Ogata in. He had passed all the tests after all, including the ones that truly mattered. Nevertheless, the experience had been a bitter medicine for him; prior to that he had put all his hope on humans, never realizing that some might go against him. When he could, he avoided Kuwabara-sensei like the plague, and wished him death in his cups. Most people were amused, knowing that a man who has become a Council member would never actually commit an act as evil as murder. The rest, if they disapproved, kept their silence.
Sighing, Ogata belatedly noticed that his cigarette had already burned out. It disappeared and reappeared in the ash tray on the desk of his study, where one of Akira’s shikigami would no doubt clean out. The tiny constructions, resembling cute, cheerful, little girls dressed in a rainbow variety of kimonos, had been created to please Akiko, who was sorely outnumbered as one of the few women in the large temple school. Their existence was a sign of Akira’s sensitivity. Whatever Akira may become in the future, at the moment he was still a kind-hearted boy.
He heard footsteps down the hallway, and heard the sliding of the shouji screens before actually seeing it. Seconds later Akira’s head peeked in between the screens, his expression shy and unsure.
“Ogata-san?”
“What is it Akira?”
“You’re studying, but…I thought…” Ogata waited for Akira to finish. “I could have sworn I felt Chieno-san. Did he leave already?” The boy took a quick glance around the room.
Touya-sensei was away at a Council meeting in Kyoto, which should have meant that no one in the temple could have felt the Serpent Prince’s presence under the layers of Ogata’s carefully constructed shielding. Ogata hid this realization with a calm smile. Not yet fourteen, Akira was rapidly blossoming into his full power. At this rate he’ll surpass everybody in the next two years. It was frightening, but the only thing Ogata felt was excitement.
“He was here, yes. His Majesty was merely repeating his concerns over Ho-Oh’s development and requesting that I also keep watch.”
“I see.” Disappointment fell over Akira’s face. Whether this was over the mention of the sore-spot that was Shindou or the prince’s leaving Ogata couldn’t be sure. “I would have liked to see him. He doesn’t come here much anymore.”
“I’m sure he’ll come again,” Ogata said. “He probably doesn’t want to disturb you too much in your studies. The first round of testing will take place in January after all, and that is in less than a month.”
“It’s never mattered to him before,” Akira said. “Chieno-san even told me that it was useless to become a Council member. Technically I’m not even…human.” His hesitation betrayed a sense of fear. This was not an unexpected reaction, and years of caring for Akira as an additional mentor surfaced.
“Akira, do you know why you were reborn here?”
“Yes. Chieno-san told me: so that I may learn to love and care for mor-humans as much as I will love and care for my own kind.”
So it looked like the prince at least claimed to keep to the original principle, even if he did not follow it in truth. That made things far easier.
“Never forget that Akira. Remember what he says.” He made a motion for Akira to come closer, which the boy did, stepping into the room to sit seiza in front of him.
“I will.”
“Good, because let me remind you something: though you may become the great and powerful Ryu of the legends someday, right now you-” he reached forward and poked a startled Akira in the chest. “You are human right now.”
“That’s…that’s true.” Akira looked down at his hands and fisted them. “I’m still human right now.”
“And you will continue to be for a very long while, subject to human weaknesses and human laws.” He gave him a wry smile. “As of right now your mental state is so unsure that if we were to begin a mock duel, you wouldn’t even be worth pounding.”
That shook Akira down to the very core. His eyes, a changing fluid that went between dark green and brilliant turquoise, turned blue.
“R-really? But I don’t even feel particularly different,” Akira protested. To be sure, Akira himself knew that he wasn’t as powerful or as skilled as Ogata, but normally he could at least put up a lasting fight.
“If your father were here, I’m sure he’d agree with me. Lately your motivation has been dragging, Akira. It’s depressing to watch you do magic. There is none of its usual spark.”
“Oh?”
Ogata chuckled at Akira’s discomfort.
“Perhaps a change in atmosphere will renew it. Next week I’ll be visiting another temple school. There are many students your age there, so you might find it interesting.”
“Where?”
“Not too far away, but it’s on the other side of Tokyo. Council member Morishita-sensei leads it, though it is also organized by a few other members of the Council.”
“Ah, I’ve heard about it. They take anyone who even remotely shows talent, don’t they?” It was a statement said without malice or scorn, which would have sounded drastically different coming from the mouth of someone else raised the way Akira had been.
“As well as anyone seriously considering becoming an Onmyoji of the Council, yes,” Ogata said. “I’ve heard that some of the techniques they’ve adopted to teach these children are innovative.”
“It sounds interesting,” Akira said, smiling. His eyes softened, and he looked innocent and sweet, a trait he took from Akiko. “I would love to go when you do.”
“It’s settled then. I’ll call you when it’s time. You needn’t even worry that it will conflict with your school time. It’s on the weekend.”
“All right. I had best get back to my studies then,” Akira said. He nodded politely. “It was nice talking to you Ogata-san, and thank you for the invitation.”
“No problem,” Ogata replied, turning back to the scroll he had not yet let go since the Serpent prince’s visit. As the sound of Akira’s footsteps grew fainter, he finally allowed himself to become absorbed by its contents.
“No problem at all. None at all.”
Author's Notes:
* Shirohebi, or 白蛇 (bai she) in Chinese, is a rather famous legend which has its origins in China. Her name simply means "White Snake". This was the legend that I roughly based Ogata's lineage on.
According to legend, out of gratitude when a mortal man saved her from bullying children, the white snake was determined to reward him. She sank herself into the magical arts, surpassing her teacher, a toad, and winning herself another snake as a servant, a green snake.
To make her husband happy however, she did a lot of immoral things to support him, and was finally revealed her true form to her husband when her old teacher, the toad, came back for revenge. Once her crimes were brought to light, she tried to kill the toad by drowning several villages in a flash flood. For this crime the Heavens punished her by looking her in a tower. She was allowed to give birth to a son, and then locked away again. Her freedom would be gained under the condition that her son passed the governmental test, a test that allowed anyone through pure merit to become a government official.
Eventually her son did pass, and she was released into the heavens where she was to expiate the rest of her sins. This is quite a famous story, and a very interesting love story if anyone would like to take do some research. Either way, it's a colorful way to write Ogata's past, isn't it? I changed the story to fit Japanese mythos and my storyline.
** Abe Seimei was a real historical figure, reputed to be the most powerful onmyoji in Japanese history. He featured as one of the main characters in both movies Onmyoji I and Onmyoji II. I recommend it for educational value in Japanese legends and culture. More information on his life can be found here.
Back
Next
I've been getting some interesting reviews on FF.net. Someone flamed me, claiming this story was a spoof off of Pokemon.
"..."
Ummm...maybe I'm just biased, but does anyone else see this resemblance?
Anyway, please enjoy this story. I worked hard over break just so I could update this at the end. ^_^ Chapter Nine is also well on its way. Yay! Much thanks to lady_addiction for her support and feedback!