What is the border between fantasy and reality?
Are what we consider bedtime stories simply windows
into another dimension?
Are authors inadvertent gods, creating and destroying
without ever coming to know that what they write about
is real?
How true are the words printed on a page, or carved
onto a stone tablet, or simply spoken to a willing
audience?
And what happens if just one thing, just one
character, was to differ from what was recorded on
those pages or stone tablets or listeners' memories?
Would the rest of the story change too? How much would
it change?
FUSHIGI YUUGI:
TURNING THE WHEEL
PART ONE
Matsura watched his friend sleep as the teacher droned
on about some old dead dude. Ordinarily, he'd give
Akira a nice, sharp kick, but after all the studying
the two had done last night for today's test, he could
see why his friend would need some sleep.
"Mmm... Food..." Akira mumbled. The teacher stopped
droning suddenly. Matsura tried to reach his friend
and wake him up, but thanks to the new seating
arrangements he was out of luck. The girl next to him
gave Matsura a strange look as he slid almost under
his desk trying to reach Akira with one foot.
"What was that, Tanaka-san?" The teacher slowly walked
down the aisle to where Akira sat with his head
pillowed on his open textbook.
"Hamburgers... Yes..."
The teacher slapped Akira's desk with his pointer.
"Wake up NOW, Tanaka-san!"
"MUST HAVE FOOD!!!" Akira rose from a full slumber to
a perfect ready position. Or he would have if he
hadn't gotten tangled up in his desk on the way. He
fell on his ass as the rest of the room broke up into
laughter.
"Tanaka-san..." The teacher loomed. "That's it! I want
a report on ancient Chinese legends on my desk by this
time day after tomorrow! You will not disrupt my class
further with your undiscipline! Out in the hall!" The
teacher pointed with his pointer, and Akira slumped
out of the room. Then, the teacher glared about at all
the students. "Anyone else want some?"
The room was silent.
"Well," the teacher said, mollified. "That settles
that. Now, I want you to pay attention as I..."
Matsura's attention walked back to his notebook, where
he was dismayed to find pictures of his friend Akira
being humiliated by the teacher. Quickly ripping it
out, crumpling it up, and eating it, he sighed in
relief. _Akira won't find _that_ set of pictures._ His
stomach rumbled in protest, and he grimaced in pain.
_That is, unless he's hiding in the toilet tomorrow._
****
Akira rubbed the back of his head as he walked beside
Matsura. "Aww man, why does Tendou-sensei have to be
such a jerk? Remember how he made us both teach the
class last week?"
Matsura sighed. "That was your fault, as I recall. He
made us do it because _you_ were talking to _me_ in
class. Why do you have to be such an idiot sometimes?
Why do I always get in trouble right along with you?
And explain to me again why I'm being dragged along to
the library?"
"All part of my brilliant strategy to one-up that
jerk." Akira held up one finger and nodded. "If I can
get a report on a Chinese legend from a book written
in Chinese, then that bastard'll have to give me some
respect." He draped one arm over Matsura's shoulders,
drawing some strange looks from the other passerby.
"And you - buddy, pal, chummer - are the only person I
know who can read Chinese."
Matsura elbowed his friend as he slipped out from
under Akira's arm. "If I'd've known that reading
Chinese would mean getting dragged into one of your
stupid schemes, I'd've learned Swahili."
Akira clapped his hands twice. "Such is fate. It's
your own damn fault for learning too much for that
fancy-schmancy high school entrance exam."
Matsura shrugged defensively. "What else is there to
do at our school? I'm not interested in girls" _Well,
not too interested_ he added mentally, "and I'm not
obsessed with working out and martial arts, unlike
you."
Akira poked his friend in the side. "Butterball. You'd
better start working out, else who knows what
opportunities you'll miss." Then, he started leering
suggestively. "And I'll bet I know why you're not
interested in girls. After all, how many tentacle
dojinshi do you have of the Sailor Moon characters?"
"One. And I picked it up because the artist who drew
it is mainstream now. Good investment. Maybe I'll use
it for blackmail someday."
The two teenagers traded friendly insults all the way
to the library. To all appearances, they were the best
of friends. Who was to know that one of them was only
half-joking?
****
Matsura looked up at the imposing facade of the
library. He said, "Why did we go all the way across
town to this library when there are at least three
closer?"
Akira started up the steps. "Because my older sister
used to work part-time here. I know a secret." He
nodded to a pretty girl with short blonde hair. She
ignored him and his face sagged in exaggerated sorrow
before he turned around and shouted, "Come on,
slow-poke! Get a move on!"
Matsura sighed again. "Some days he drives me nuts,"
he commented in the tones of long-suffering to the
girl with blonde hair.
To his surprise, she responded. "Yeah, I have a friend
like that." Matsura watched her walk away before a
shout from Akira, who was already at the top step,
dragged his attention away.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming! Jeez!" Matsura sprinted up
the steps.
As soon as he reached the top, Akira nudged him with
his elbow. "So, what did she say to you?"
Matsura took refuge in ignorance. "What did who say to
me?"
Akira sighed in exaggerated exasperation. "The babe,
the babe! What did she say to you?"
"None of your business." The two stood in the
impressive foyer of the massive library. Matsura did
admit to himself that this library looked a bit more
impressive than the ones closer to home. After
rubbernecking for just a bit, he added, "So, where do
we go now?"
"Follow me." With a cocky grin, Akira turned right and
walked into a hallway clearly labeled "Restricted."
Matsura reached out and grabbed his arm.
"Where are you going? That's restricted!"
Akira shrugged his friend's hand off. "Don't worry
about it. Mika said that nobody cares if you go back
there. They have old books they can't identify in a
room, and I was thinking that..."
Matsura crossed his arms across his chest. "That was
your first problem: You thought. I do the thinking
around here, my muscle-bound friend, and I think this
is a stupid idea!"
Akira grinned. "What's the matter, chicken?" Then,
right there in the crowded foyer, Akira put his hands
in his armpits and started waving them back and forth.
"Bawk bawk bawk!"
Matsura looked around, morbidly certain that everyone
was watching Akira humilate both of them. Suddenly fed
up, he walked right past his friend. "Fine. But if we
get in trouble, you're taking the heat."
"Fine by me. You know I would've anyway." Akira
hurried to catch up. "Anyhoo, to finish what I was
saying, I thought that maybe we could find an old
Chinese book of legends and translate it."
Matsura stopped short. "I'm amazed. That is the
makings of a good idea. Maybe you aren't just a
muscle-bound idiot."
Akira stopped with his friend. "None of the ladies
think I am." He grinned again, this time
mischievously.
Matsura smacked his friend in the back of the head.
"When aren't you thinking about girls? What would you
do if we went to an all boys' school?"
"Never stop thinking about 'em; and probably study
harder and get good grades."
Matsura shook his head. "You are incorrigible."
Matsura started up the stairs, with Akira thumping
along behind him.
Then, he heard Akira's steps stop. He said in a hushed
tone, "Did you see that, Matsura?"
Matsura turned around. "See what?"
"The b.... Oh, never mind."
Matsura turned back around and started up the stairs
again. He called over his shoulder, "Now you're
getting left behind, y' slowpoke!"
****
The door swung open on silent, still-greased hinges.
For a moment, the two friends stood there and looked
at their shadows. Then, Matsura started rummaging
around the wall near the door. "Gotta be a light
switch here somewhere..."
Akira, who had come prepared, pulled a flashlight from
his backpack. "'Fraid not, old-timer. This room isn't
wired for lighting." He handed the flashlight to
Matsura. "Let's start looking."
The two stuck close together, looking closely at the
book spines revealed in the flashlight's cone of
illumination. Then, Matsura's foot bumped something,
and he turned the flashlight down to reveal a book. He
bent down and picked it up, reading the title from the
faded, tattered strip. He sounded out the kanji
silently.
Akira looked over his shoulder. "What does it say?
What does it say?"
"Four Gods Heaven Earth Book."
Akira smacked one fist into an open hand. "I knew it!
Paydirt."
Matsura cracked the book cautiously, respectful of its
probable age. He dropped it in panic when light
started seeping out from between its pages. "What
the-"
Before he could finish the sentence, both of them were
gone.
****
Random images assault me young woman with long hair
pulled back in braid throned royalty dressed to befit
the station but such a sad expression young woman who
is also young man masked one who hides behind the mask
firebrand fighting for freedom the healer and the cat
together boy and old man standing side-by-side finally
young woman reaching for me mouthing...
****
Akira awoke with the taste of dirt in his mouth. "That
suuuucked..." He wasn't surprised to find out that his
voice sounded gravelly; he felt as if he'd swallowed
enough of the stuff to make a pleasant rock garden.
"No kidding..." Akira moved his head. A sharp twinge
of pain and the sight of Matsura lying next to him
were his rewards.
He stood up quickly and looked around, ignoring the
minor pains that assaulted him. What greeted his eyes
definitely wasn't a library.
It was a pastoral countryside, actually very pleasant
to look at. Cows grazed in the distance, there were
rolling hills all around, trees were scattered around
the area, bandits were swarming up from an ambush...
"Bandits!" Akira nudged his friend with his foot. Only
getting a muffled moan, he kicked again. "Get up,
Matsura! Bandits, seven o'clock!"
"Bandits?" Matsura sat up suddenly and saw the ragtag
bunch that was boiling their way. "Bandits!" He got to
his feet, then winced. "Damn! I think I twisted my
ankle."
Akira said grimly, "Don't worry about it. I don't
think we could outrun them anyway."
The two waited as the five bandits surrounded them.
Finally, their job done adequately, a man that towered
almost a head over the other bandits stepped forward.
"Okay, little boys. This is our road, so pay the toll
you owe us for letting you breathe while you walk it."
Akira shrugged. "No problem. How much are you
charging?"
"Two silvers apiece. I like the way you look, kid, so
I'm goin' cheap on you."
Akira reached into his front pocket and pulled out his
wallet. "What's that in yen?"
"What the hell's a yen?" The bandit chief and the
young man looked at each other steadily for a moment,
then Akira handed the chief a thousand-yen bill. The
chief looked at it, examined it, peered at it closely,
then blew his nose on it and threw it on the ground.
"Thanks kid, but I mean _hard_ _coin._ You'd better
have some."
"Um, sorry?"
The chief grinned. "Wrong answer, boy." He motioned,
and the four other bandits started moving in closer.
Then, a rock to the side of the head dropped one of
them to the ground, and all the bandits turned to look
at the person who threw it.
She stood on a slight hill, silhouetted against the
afternoon sun. She tossed another rock up and down
idly as she said, "Perhaps you bandits should learn to
fight someone who could defend themselves. But then,
if you did fight someone like that, you'd get your
butts kicked, wouldn't you?" As she talked, she walked
down the slight rise. All of the men there were struck
by her casual beauty, emphasized by the fact she was
wearing men's clothing. Her long black hair was
braided into a tight queue.
The bandit chief audibly choked in rage for a second,
then shouted with terrifying originality, "Oh yeah!?
Well, me and the boys can beat the shit out of one
stupid little girl! Get her!"
She pegged the rock at the bandit chief, who swatted
it aside with his sword. In one smooth motion, she
wrapped her queue twice around her neck, then threw
the first bandit to reach her over her hip. She ducked
under the sword swing the next bandit tried, then
slammed one elbow into his chest, just below his
pectorals. His ribs audibly snapped, and he fell down
hard, screaming.
The next was the bandit chief, and he kept her at a
distance, having seen what she'd done to his minions.
She wove and ducked around his sword swings, waiting
for an opportunity.
The last bandit, not about to get into a fight against
a madwoman, turned back around and charged the two
teens with his club over his head. He yelled as he
swung down at Akira, then yelled again as Akira
stepped out from underneath the club. Akira spun
around the bandit and kicked him in the ass, helping
him on his way to the ground.
Akira turned his attention back to the fight between
the woman and the chief, only to find it over. The
woman posed triumphantly for a moment over the fallen
body of her adversary, then bent down and ripped a
pouch away from his belt. She weighed it appraisingly
and smiled. "Well, I didn't make out too bad. Speaking
of which..."
She walked over to where the two teens stood. Akira
was surprised to find that the woman he'd taken to be
maybe twenty-five or so was only a few years older
than himself. She had a tattoo on her forehead too,
the kanji for 'Demon.' He wondered what kind of girl
would get a tattoo like that, and shuddered slightly.
"I just saved your life, kid. You'd better be willing
to reward me."
Swallowing at the implied threat, Akira fished out
another thousand-yen bill and handed it to her. The
woman looked at it, examined it, peered at it closely,
then blew her nose on it and dropped it on the ground.
"That ain't money!"
Defensively, Akira said, "Yes, it is money!"
"Where?"
"Japan."
The woman walked past the two teens and waved her hand
dismissively. "Never been there. Aw well, you win
some, you lose some." She started down the road, and
Akira shouted at her.
"What's your name?"
Without turning around, she shouted back, "Tamahome!"
Then, she disappeared around a hill.
Akira turned back to Matsura, who hadn't said a work
all throughout this. "What was that all..." That's
when he realized that he could see a tree through
Matsura, as though he was a stained-glass window.
Suddenly sure that Matsura was going to disappear and
leave him behind, Akira lunged for his friend, only to
have him vanish just before his hands closed.
He slumped to his knees and cried, ashamed at his
weakness but unable to help himself. "Where am I? How
am I going to get home?"
****
Matsura awoke, sure that it had all been a dream.
"Damn, something must've hit me pretty hard, Akira..."
Akira didn't answer. Matsura looked around and found
himself alone in the room filled with old books. For
one anger-filled moment, he was sure Akira had
abandoned him, but he squelched that thought. _Akira
may be kinda flaky sometimes, but he wouldn't ditch me
if I'd hurt myself..._
He saw the book that he'd picked up lying open on the
ground. As he bent down to pick it up and put it back
on the shelf, he saw that the page it was open to was
half-empty. He shrugged. _Handwriting authors were
sloppy back then, I guess._ Then, he watched in
fascination as a kanji formed on the page with perfect
brush strokes from an invisible pen. _That's
impossible!_
He picked up the book and started reading aloud.
"Suzaku no Miko sat in the middle of the road, crying
for her lost world..."
****
AUTHOR'S NOTES
Well, that was pretty fun. Just a funny idea I had
after watching the entire Fushigi Yuugi series in one
frantic weekend. Ah, those were the days. However, it
took me almost six months to get around to writing
this thing. How strange. Oh well.
Why do I choose to translate "Oni" as Demon instead of
Ogre? Call it personal reasons. Maybe I'm just reading
the wrong materials, but Oni from Japanese legend seem
like demons to me, rather than the original historic
references to ogres, which are more like giant men in
European legends.
Yes, I do know that "Miko" translates as "Priestess"
or something similar. That glitch at the end is
intentional. And don't bother asking me what other
Seishi I'm gonna change. I don't know myself, yet. If
I change either Nuriko or Chichiri, though, my mom
would kill me...
Yeah, my mom likes anime. Don't I have a cool mom? ^_^
Aaron Bergman
iamfanboy@hotmail.com
"The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass,
leaving memories that become legend."
-Robert Jordan, _The Wheel of Time_
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