Hotohori shuddered as he felt the chi of one his friends leave his body.
Someone's in trouble, he thought frantically, Nuriko...
"Heika-sama. Daijobou?" An advisor asked quickly.
"Heiki." Hotohori replied, trying to sound calm. "I just had a bit of chill. I'm going to go take a walk in the gardens."
"Chill? Yet, you're walking outside?" The advisor stuttered to Hotohori, but Hotohori had already left.
Hotohori walked aimlessly around the gardens. Nuriko was...Hotohori bit his lip, trying to hold back a sob. It couldn't be...not Nuriko who was so full of life and laughter before he left. But yet, he knew it was. He had felt the familiar chi of Nuriko leave him, had felt the warmth drain out of his body.
"Nuriko, where are you?" He thought, tears forming at the corners of his eyes, "I--Ai shiteru...I hadn't wanted to admit it all this time, but..ai shiteru, Nuriko! Ai shiteru!!!"
Hotohori slumped against a rock in the garden as he felt hot tears travel down his face.
"Ai shiteru, Nuriko..." He said out-loud. "I didn't realize it until now but I've fallen in love with you..." He laughed bitterly, "I always thought I was in love with Miaka so I ignored you. But then, I realized that I DIDN'T love Miaka. I was in love with Suzaku no Miko...not Miaka. You were always there, comforting me, being there for me...all those times when she wasn't. Then I thought that I couldn't love you because you were a man...I kept on denying my true feelings for you."
"And now, I've lost you, just when I--" He broke off, too choked to continue.
"I-If you can hear me, Nuriko, hang on. Please don't die. Hang on for me...I-I need you." Hotohori pleaded, his face turned toward the sky, to the clouds. "Oh Suzaku. Don't take him. Not now. Not when I finally know!!!"
He gazed at the sky beseechingly but sky remained as it was, cold, grim, distant. Unyielding. Hotohori closed his eyes and bowed his head, the sobs racking through his body. Praying for a miracle, praying for Suzaku to look down and take pity on him.
When Hotohori was spent from weeping, he got to his feet painfully and walked slowly back to the palace. He saw a flash of purple hair and his heart stopped. Picking up his pace, he followed and came to a room where a woman was embroidering a piece of cloth, her head bowed.
Hotohori stared at the bowed head in dejection. Not Nuriko... Just when he was about to go, the woman looked up and Hotohori felt his breath catch in his throat.
"Nu-Nuriko?" He whispered.
The woman kneeled down quickly, recognizing him, "Heika-sama."
Hotohori continued staring at the woman who kneeled at his feet in shock.
She...was Nuriko. The same eyes, the same hair, even the same voice!!!
Could this be? "You can get up," Hotohori told her, striving to sound calm.
The woman got up shyly and looked down. With a lump in his throat, Hotohori asked, "What is your name?"
"Watashi wa Houki." The woman replied, glancing up.
She...wasn't...Nuriko. There was no mole under her left eye. But...the resemblance!!!
Hotohori bowed and asked in a quiet voice, "Will you do me the honour of being my Empress?"
~Owari~
Well, this is it. Hope people liked it. I was like, "Wah! Poor Hotohori-sama!" SHFC, please don't kill me! I'm just one of those people who are under the firm belief that Hotohori loves Nuriko. I'm going to write a second part to this fic though because well, I like Houki and I'm also under the firm belief that...well, you'll see.
Anyways, happy birthday Hotohori-sama!!! *sniffles as she thinks of the fic* WAH! Poor Hotohori! Let me give you a hug! *runs to him*
Ritz/Chen-Toaster no seishi#7-Eggs and Toast
Ryuuen no seishi Yume no Seishi