Jyuunini no Enkei Monogatari
Chapter Two, Second Zodiac: Ushi 
by Ina-chan
First Posted Online: August 23, 2002
History: A Theory on the Origins of the Souma Family Curse 

            He remembered the sound of loud sorrowful wailing filling the great halls, loud wails of grief from the women of the household. That eerie song of that always-accompanied death would frighten any child out of its wits. He remembered frantically searching for her through the great house’s many rooms and corridors. He remembered that worried look painted on his older brother’s, Nagusami, face, and the desperate one painted on Kaji’s.  

Eventually they found her curled up tightly in the corner of a dark room somewhere, like a frightened little mouse. She was crying quietly, as if afraid to be heard. Her face was buried in her knees, her hands tightly cupping her ears as if to completely block out the rest of the world. She was inconsolable. Unreachable. Even Kaji’s words failed to soothe her, so even he began to cry. He remembered being close to crying himself, but his older brother’s gentle but firm voice ordered him to not disgrace their name.  

He remembered Nagusami kneeling in front of her, whispering inaudible words to her, then sitting still in a silent vigil. Sitting quietly and unmoving before her. A moment passed. Perhaps it was a minute…. an hour…. an eternity. She remembered her lifting her head before falling sobbing and wailing loudly into Nagusami’s arms.  

That was the last time he saw her cry. It was probably at that exact moment, watching her vulnerable in his older brother’s arms, that he made his decision. That moment, almost twelve years ago… the day the Lady of the House died.  

“Yun-chan is still a bit peeved, but I think she’s calmed down enough to keep from ripping your head off.”  

            Izumi snapped out of his thoughts just in time to see his older brother stepping out of the room. Despite being only five years older, somehow, Nagusami had a “nurturing” air about him. Perhaps this was the reason why the ice princess always ran to him when she is upset. Izumi couldn’t help but feel jealous of that sometimes. Though he had been a close childhood friend with both the fire prince and the ice princess, Nagusami still had a special bond with the both of them that he can’t match, especially with the angry ice princess behind the other side of the wall.  

With a deep sigh, Izumi gave his older brother a grateful nod as he started to open the sliding door.  

“Zumi, watch yourself and don’t aggravate her anymore. She already sees you as the enemy when Ka-kun assigned you as her personal jailor,” The older man lightly clutched his younger brother’s arm before the younger man stepped into the room  

Izumi froze and made an involuntary wince at his elder brother’s words, “Is that what she said?”  

Nagusami simply smiled and gave his younger brother a playful wink, “Ka-kun was kind enough to give you this chance, now don’t blow it.”  

“Wha- Shhhh! It’s nothing like that,” Izumi immediately felt heat rushing to his face as he whispered harshly at his brother, giving the door before him a nervous glance

 “You may be my only younger brother and Ka-kun may have given you his blessing, but if you do anything ‘inappropriate’…” Nagusami continued, ignoring his brother’s discomfort, before the expression on his face changed into a more serious and dangerous look and the hand around the arm tightened, “I will personally spank you.”  

“Ha-hai,” Izumi replied, beads of sweat lining on his forehead.  

            “Very good,” Nagusami smiled gently again, released his painful hold and shoved his brother inside, “Now don’t be rude, the princess awaits.”  

            The young man half-stepped/half-stumbled into the room. The young woman didn’t even bother to make any indication of acknowledging his presence.  

            “Ano…” Izumi began, then jumped in surprise as the young woman banged her cup on the table and ungracefully poured herself another cup of tea  

 Izumi sighed again as he scratched the back of his head. The ice princess may be breathtakingly beautiful, but when she’s moody, she has no charm at all, “There’s no use being angry at me. I’m just the messenger.”  

“Of course, you’re just following the family tradition,” The young woman replied blandly, “Thank you, but please don’t strain yourself too much on my expense.”  

His great great great great grandfather was a slave. The Mizugawa family bought him from a cavalcade of travelling slave traders at the whim and pity of the Mizugawa heir at the time. And then, that orphaned, scrawny, nameless little boy was clothed, fed, educated and adopted as the heir’s constant companion. From then on, his ancestor had given his loyalty and made an oath to protect his new friend and his new family.  

Now, that reason doesn’t seem to carry the same relevance, since Mizugawa Izumi not only is a Mizugawa by name, but also has been granted familial birth right for being a Mizugawa by blood. Perhaps it was more because of family tradition, that his side of the family had always taken the role of being the protector of the family’s heir-apparent.  

            “Aaaaah! I don’t know what the hell to do with the both of you.” Izumi groaned in exasperation, “Both of you aren’t being fair. The both of you are so damned stubborn and so wrapped up in your own selfish worlds…” The young man’s voice tailed into silence. He paused for a moment and carefully considered his words before continuing in a more serious tone, “I know what he’s doing is not fair. But Kaji has his own reasons for doing what he does and its not because he doesn’t love you. You only have each other now.”  

            “I know that he’s doing all he can to protect me,” Yukino replied quietly, “But treating me like a fragile and helpless flower in a midst of a snowstorm is not the way to do it. I’m neither fragile nor helpless. Has it ever occurred to him that I will do I can to protect him as well?”  

            Her words rang with such intensity, that he couldn’t feel but feel a sharp pang of emotion in his heart. Though, for some reason, upon hearing those words… something from the back of his mind started to worry him. He frowned and studied the young woman’s face sitting before him. But her face remained impassive and emotionless, despite the intensity of her voice. “What will you do, if you could do something.”  

            “I want you to promise me something,” She finally looked up and met his gaze. Her eyes continued to say nothing… to betray nothing of what was in her thoughts. It made him a bit nervous.  

            “What’s that?”  

            “Don’t stay here with me,” She continued, “Go to the Souma territory with Onnichan. Promise me that no matter what, you won’t leave his side. Promise me that you will protect him with your life. Promise me with all your heart and with all your honour as protector of the heir apparent.”  

            “You know that I will protect the both of you with my life,” Izumi stated before closing his eyes and bowing his head apologetically, “But I can’t do what you just asked me to do.”  

            The ice princess’ eyes flashed in anger, “Why?”  

            “Because a long time ago…” The young man replied quietly as he opened his eyes once again to meet hers, “I’ve already given that promise to someone else.”  

            He had already made that decision back at that moment when the walls of the Mizugawa echoed loud sorrowful wails of grief when the Lady of the House died. He had already made that promise to the grief stricken little girl they found curled up, silently crying in the corner of a dark room.  

End of 2^nd Zodiac
Return to Chapter 1  
Continued on Chapter 3 

 Author’s squawk:  

            Haaaaah! Ina-chan is on a roll with the creative juices this week. This chapter ended differently from how I originally plotted it out. Right now I’m a bit stumped, because I’m not really sure how to incorporate the next couple of Zodiacs into the formula. WAAAAAAAAH! Anywayz… I hope you guys aren’t bored with this yet.

Ja!
Ina-chan