Genbu: The Untold Story
Written by: HolyUp Chacha
Thanks to Amiboshi for Tomite's personality, and Jason Bere for Hikitsu's personality.

Episode 2: When You Said You Believed
Written by: HolyUp Chacha
Featured music: Itooshi Hito no Tameni non-lyrical mix (opening credits); Boa's Duvet (opening scene music); Fatal Fury's Oh Angel (ending theme); Yamagishi Isao's Haruka Naru Michi Tabi no Tochuu non-lyrical mix (Takiko and Tomite in danger).

[ Scene opens. The front door of the Okuda house is displayed. Footsteps can be heard as someone walks up the drive and up to the door. A young woman with light brown hair in twin braids tugs at her school uniform and then knocks on the door. The knock echoes slightly; the girl waits for someone to answer, her school bag clutched tightly with both hands. In the silence that follows, the laughter of a child can be heard in the background. It stops. ]

Suzuno: [ Frowning ] "Takiko-chan, mou. Where are you?"

Sound: Ru--mble.

[ The ground shakes. The sound of something inside the house falling and breaking can be heard. ]

Suzuno: [ Squeals ] "Shimatta..! What was that? An earthquake? Takiko-chan? Takiko-chan! Are you in there?"

[ Suzuno begins to knock on the door again; the satchel she'd been carrying is dropped with a weighty thump. ]

Suzuno: "Takiko-chan!"

Sound: [ Crunch of gravel ]

[ A car has shown up and a man with a touch of grey at his temples climbs out; Suzuno is still pounding on the door. ]

Einosuke: [ Closes the car door ] "Oosugi-san, is there a reason you are trying to break down my door?"

Suzuno: [ Gasps ] "Forgive me." [ Suzuno steps back from the door and bows; she picks up her satchel, but still looks worried. ] "It was the earthquake. I was worried for Takiko-chan. She isn't answering the door."

[ Einosuke walks up to the door. There's the sound of his keys jangling as he pulls them from his coat pocket. His expression is mild and unworried. The keys are put into the lock and the door opens. ]

Einosuke: "Earthquake? What earthquake? Hm. Takiko has been clumsy; the mirror is broken. That girl... I leave the house for a minute and see what happens."

[ The camera swings past the concerned looking Suzuno, over Einosuke's shoulder and shows a mirror in a wooden frame on the floor beneath a bare hanger pin in the wall. The mirror is shattered diagonally. Half is on the floor; the other half is still in the frame and gleaming jaggedly. Suzuno shudders at the sight. It looks like it worries her.]

[ Suzuno follows Einosuke into the house. ]

Suzuno: "There was an earthquake! I felt it. I heard that mirror break. It couldn't have been Takiko-chan."

Einosuke: [ Still sounding calm and non-plussed ] "Nonsense. There was no earthquake. You are both young ladies now, responsible for your own actions; it's time to stop making excuses for my clumsy daughter." [ Calls out ] "Takiko, Papa's home. And you have a visitor."

Suzuno: "I'm not making excuses." [ Stomps her foot ] "I felt it. Takiko-chan! Are you home?"

[ Silence in the house. ]

Einosuke: [ Looking around the front hall as he slips out of his outdoor shoes into his slippers ] "Takiko? Strange. She wouldn't leave." [ He walks into the hallway and spies his open office door. ] "Ah. This is why she's not answering."

[ Einosuke pushes open the door. Suzuno follows, but slowly. She looks angrily at Einosuke's back, saying nothing. ]

Einosuke: "See? She's made a mess in my study. There are books all over the floor. She must have made this mess and ran to hide when she saw that I had come back."

[ The shijin tenchi no sho lays open on the floor, a crude illustration of Takiko's sleeping face is shown on one page, words in kanji written on the other. It is generally unnoticed. Einosuke crosses over and begins to pick up the fallen books on the floor surrounding it. Suzuno watches from the doorway, a frown on her face. ]

Suzuno: [ Insisiting ] "Takiko-chan wouldn't leave a mess; she works hard to clean the house for you."

Einosuke: [ Lifting his head and giving Suzuno a sharp look ] "Is this how all girls talk to their elders now? It's time that you left. I will tell Takiko that you were here."

[ Suzuno blushes. She turns around after bowing wordlessly. She leaves down the hallway. The camera stays on the door of the study until the sound of Suzuno shutting the outer door is heard. The camera swings back to Einosuke. He finishes stacking up the books. ]

Einosuke: "What a mess. Can't that girl do anything right? She's nothing like her mother." [ The man's face is hard and disaproving. He reaches for the shijin tenchi no sho and picks it up. He eyes the exposed picture without recognition and then closes the book. He stands and then looks down at the cover as she walks towards the bookshelf with it. He pauses. ] "Shijin tenchi sho? I don't remember-- Ah, yes. The book on Chinese mythology that I was going to translate."

[ Einosuke walks back to his desk and eases into the chair. He opens the book to the first page and sets it down. He rifles around for a pen and paper. Finding them in a desk drawer, he uncaps the pen and sets it to the paper as he begins to read silently. The pen scritches across the paper for a few moments and then it pauses. ]

Einosuke: [ Suddenly looking incredulous. ] "...Takiko?!"

[ Commercial break! ]

[ Eyecatch one: SD Takiko is sitting on the ground with SD Inami. She laughs delightedly as a rabbit runs by. SD Tomite appears as he chases after the rabbit, his bow drawn. Takiko bursts into tears. Inami trips Tomite, who faceplants into the ground. The rabbit gets away. ]

[ Commercial for Fushigi Yuugi: Genbu Chapter merchadise goes here. ]

[ Eyecatch two: SD Tomite and SD Inami are arguing, their arms flailing at each other. SD Uruki runs across the screen and throws herself at SD Tomite. Tomite sidesteps and Uruki smacks into Inami, taking them both down. ]

[ Commercial break over! ]

[ New scene: the trio have been travelling for several days now. They're coming up upon a village that can be seen as the camera sweeps around the landscape. The camera then settles on the trio themselves for closer profile shots. ]

[ Takiko is perched upon a horse and wrapped within a grey hooded cloak. She looks tired and can barely keep her eyes open. Her eyes close, finally. There's a person seated behind her. It's Tomite. He has one arm wrapped around her waist to keep her from falling from the horse in her fatigue. The other hand clutches tightly to a set of reigns as he controls the horse's walking direction. ]

Tomite: [ Sounding angry ] "This is stupid, aniki." [ The boy looks over to the grey haired young man riding a horse alongside him. ] "Look at her. She's too exhausted to even stay awake. Another week's travel is going to kill her. This girl can't be our miko."

[ Hikitsu, the man with the long grey hair, has his gaze ahead and upon the path that the trio follows. He doesn't look at Tomite when he speaks. His expression remains blank. ]

Hikitsu: "She is Genbu no Miko. Taiitsukun told us that a girl would arrive when Hokkankoku needed her most, bathed in the green aura of Genbu, and she would need us to protect her. The girl will in turn call upon Genbu himself and save the people of the north from destruction."

[ Takiko has awoken again. She stays still and make believes that she's still asleep, ashamed to let on that she's now eavesdropping. ]

Tomite: [ Mutters ] "You seriously believe this bullshit, don't you? Damnit, aniki, she's just a girl. She's too frail to travel well and look at the clothes she was wearing when we found her! She would have frozen to death on her own. I say she's a girl who stowed away on a ship from Konankoku, just so she could have a little adventure on her own before her father sold her off to some farmer. And now she's too stubborn to admit it, so we're forced to take care of her. I say we leave her at the next village and let them deal with her."

Takiko thinks: His arm is holding onto me so tightly. Tomite... My body is so cold, but my heart is warm. But, is this what he really thinks of me? Does he really think that I'm a liar? I don't know why I'm here, or what they think I am-- Why does my chest hurt when I think that Tomite believes that I'm a liar?

Hikitsu: [ His voice dull ] "If your theory is true, then we'll protect her until we find out the truth. Taiitsukun will tell us her story. But... I believe in her, Tomite. I believe that she's the one. How can I not?"

Takiko thinks: Hikitsu believes in me. His words make me feel so strong. My face is growing hot. Am I blushing? Can they see it? Oh, Suzuno, I want to be back home with you. Are you looking for me? Please, please find me.

[ Tomite shakes his head. His arm adjusts around Takiko's waist and lifts for a moment to carefully adjust the hood around her face. His angry expression is replaced by one of gentle caring to contrast the angry voice over from his thoughts. ]

Tomite thinks: I thought protecting this girl would be stupid, a waste of time. [ Tomite's dark skinned cheeks pinken suddenly. ] Then why do I feel so strangely and why do I still remember holding her to me while she cried? Why? Takiko... Stay out of my thoughts. A stupid, meddlesome girl. You can't be the one.

Tomite: [ His voice is strangely hesitant. ] "Aniki, I--" [ His hand brushes against Takiko's blushing cheek as he finishes straightening her hood. He now sounds startled. ] "Aniki! Her face, it's warm. She's fevered!" [ Tomite jerks on his horse's reigns and the beast stops with a snort and a head toss. ]

[ Hikitsu turns his head to look over at the duo, pausing his horse. Takiko's blush darkens. Hikitsu lifts an eyebrow above the eyepatch he wears over one of his eyes and looks vaguely amused by the mutual blushing. ] "Only if words can cause sickness, otouto. Perhaps the next time we speak, we make certain that our charge is asleep."

Tomite: [ Looking surprised. ] "What?"

[ Takiko lifts her hand and pushes back the hood hiding her blushing face from Tomite. She looks ashamed; her expression is unhappy as she twists in the saddle to look up into Tomite's surprised looking face. Tomite's cheeks are very red despite his dark skin. ]

Takiko: [ Sounding hurt. ] "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to deceive you, but I just wanted to hear what you thought about me. You think I'm a liar."

Tomite: [ Looking defensive. ] "Aren't you?! You expect us to believe that you, a... a... a frail girl are truly the woman Genbu has chosen to save our country? You're weak. You have no business being here!"

Hikitsu: "Tomite! That's enough!"

Takiko: [ Buries her face in her hands; she's crying. ] "I never wanted to come to this cruel place. I just want to go home. I want to go home!"

[ With Takiko's impassioned final cry, fade in the background song of 'Haruka naru Michi wa Tabi no Tochuu' non-lyrical mix; the wind picks up while the song plays and Takiko's sobs increase in volume. Tomite, who looks uncomfortable, tries to calm his horse as it grows aggitated by the sudden wind and emotional outburst by Takiko. ]

Takiko: "I want to go HOME!"

[ Green light explodes from around Takiko and streaks upwards into the sky in a thick column. Tomite's horse spooks and rears up, throwing both riders off. Hikitsu tries unsuccessfully to grab the horse's reigns before both Tomite and Takiko are thrown. Takiko screams. Tomite holds tight to Takiko and pulls her in against his chest. He manages to land on the ground on his back with Takiko on top. He then rolls over to shield Takiko with his body as the horse kicks and bucks above them. ]

Tomite: "Ani--!"

[ Tomite's cry for Hikitsu is cut off as the horse kicks him in the shoulder, silencing him with a grimace and making him huddle all the more closely over Takiko's frightened body. ]

Takiko: [ Screaming. ] "Tomite! Oh-- oh, god. Someone help!" [ Again, the green light beams up into the air from around Takiko's body, this time enveloping both herself and Tomite. The horse's eyes roll back and it rears up with a frightened, ear piercing shriek. The light dies as Takiko passes out. ]

Tomite: "Takiko... Takiko!"

Tomite thinks: Takiko. I don't care if she's lying or not. I just want to protect her. But, that light! Does she really have Genbu's blessing? Is she capable of weilding Genbu's power? Was I wrong..?

[ Hikitsu has since been trying to get near the rearing horse without being kicked senseless. Now his patch over his eye has come free and the symbol imprinted atop his eye glares with Genbu's green light, matching the light that had come from the panicked Takiko. His hand lifts, an arcing ice snake already forming outwards from his extended palm in order to strike the horse dead before it can kill the two on the ground. ]

Sound: B--oom! Fw---oom!

[ Hikitsu watches as a pouch lands on the horse's rump and explode. The horse shrieks its pain and wheels about on its hind quarters without striking the final, however unintentional blow, on Tomite and Takiko. The horse then collapses, its back legs giving out on it. It lays there, a few feet away from Tomite and Takiko, its sides heaving and mouth forthy. ]

Hikitsu: [ Turning towards a shadowy figure seen several yards away. ]"You..."

[ The woman is cloaked with a hood hiding her features. In one of her hands in another pouch. From inside the cloak comes a green light, mirroring the one coming from Hikitsu's eye. ]

[ Tomite is now standing, protectively cuddling the dusty, unconscious Takiko to himself, despite the grimace of pain in his closed eye and mouth from where the horse kicked him. ]

Tomite: "A-aniki..!"

Hikitsu: [ Nods his head towards the figure. ]

Figure: [ Wryly. ] "I was told she had arrived. I see I'm just in time. Taiitsukun sent me to lead you to Mount Black."

Hikitsu: "Taiitsukun. Then you are... she?"

Figure: [ Drawing back her hood to reveal the youthful face of a long haired maiden. ] "Yes. Genbu shichiseishi Uruki."

[ Fade out the background song of 'Haruka naru Michi wa Tabi no Tochuu' non-lyrical mix. Cue closing music: Oh Angel. The scenes that follow are the closing credits with the images of Takiko being seated on the horse with Tomite, Suzuno arguing with Einosuke, Hikitsu's amused face, the horse rearing up over Tomite and Takiko. And, finally, the credits end with the last image: Takiko craddled against Tomite while he and Hikitsu stare at the newly introduced Uruki. Closing music ends. Fade to black. ]