Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction ❯ Altered Realities ❯ Sickness Rising ( Chapter 8 )

A/N: Okay, I know it's been awhile since I updated and I'm sorry but I count myself lucky that you guys are reading and that's what counts. “”grins””

 

LOVE! V.M.

 

 

Chapter 8: Sickness Rising

 

 

 

Things had gone from bad to worse since the shounin had vanished; people were claiming to have seen their doubles in lakes, streams, bowls of water and in the wells. Chichiri had gone out among the populace to assure them that the seishi were doing everything in their power to find out what was causing the strange happenings.

 

Though the people were afraid of what could be causing such strange things, they took heart as the eldest seishi tried to put their fears to rest. That such a calm and kind warrior was taking the time to reassure them gave the people the courage to get on with their daily treks to any body of water no matter what strange sights may look back at them.

 

Nuriko, Chiriko and Tamahome had holed themselves up in the palace archives trying to find any piece of information as to why such things were plaguing the people of Konan but not the other lands.

 

Tamahome sighed and rubbed a hand over tired eyes. “This is pointless! We're never going to find anything in this mess. We need to send someone to the Oracle to find out what we can do to stop this madness.”

 

Chiriko nodded his assent. “I will see if Chichiri will go, he has met the Oracle before and knows him better than any other being alive. Maybe we can get some information from him or Suzaku on the strange happenings here.” He stood from the low table and began rolling up scrolls to put them away.

 

Nuriko sighed and patted a small hand over her coiffure as she listened to her fellow warriors. “We still haven't found out what happened to Miaka-baka. As much as she used to irritate me, I kind of miss her brash mouth and watching her flame poor Chichiri when he'd try to get her to come drinking with us. Never did figure out why she hated being in a room with drunken people.”

 

Tamahome looked over at Empress Nuriko and shook her head. “You mean she never told you?” At the other woman's negative head shake, Tamahome continued with a long sigh, “She's been attacked by drunken men in the past; Kouji to be exact.”

 

Nuriko looked askance at the teal haired woman. “Kouji attacked her?” Her expression showed her disbelief. “But isn't he like a brother to her? Saved her ass several times and can't see that she's even female?”

 

Chiriko listened in rapt fascination, as he knew very little about the bandit seishi. “She was attacked by Kouji? You're sure?”

 

Tamahome nodded sadly. “Yeah, I'm sure. Kouji told me when I kept pestering him to tell me why he wouldn't drink even a drop of sake at our wedding bash.” Tamahome paused for a moment, “He said he got really good and `plastered' one night and was heading off to bed when he spotted Miaka walking back from the bathing chamber in nothing but a drying cloth. He said he didn't even realize it was Miaka. Back then she had long hair and always kept it bound in a braid and pinned to her head, so when he saw her in the hallway with her hair down he thought she was beautiful and in his drunken haze tried to take her.”

 

Nuriko and Chiriko were staring at her with horror etched on their faces. Nuriko was the first to find her voice, “Please tell me that she beat his ass before he got too far.”

 

Tamahome shook her head. “No. He's a strong man and she had just gotten back from a five-day raid. She was no match for him.”

 

Nuriko looked like she was about to be sick while Chiriko was glaring at Tamahome with a hard glint in his eyes. “And you let that monster marry you? Let him share your bed? What the hell…?”

 

Tamahome held her hands up in front of her chest, “Wait, wait. She forgave him years ago. He was the one who saved her from the Blue Man not two months after it happened.”

 

Nuriko went white to the lips. “Gods! I remember her saying something about a Blue Man when she was injured back when Mitsukake was possessed by that demon. She cried in her sleep and begged him to stop. After she had recovered and I asked about him she told me to fuck off.”

 

It was Tamahome's turn to stare blankly, “You didn't! Oh shit! I wondered why she was spoiling for a fight after she came out of the infirmary! You idiot!” Tama growled and swiped the remaining scrolls off the low table in front of her. “I-I… I can't tell you about that. That's for Gena to tell, not me.”

 

Tamahome shoved away from the table and stormed out the door, intent on working out some of her anger on her hapless husband.

.

oooo

 

Amber eyes had watched silently as the pretty seishi had proven her fighting prowess against his best friend. Though her skirt and small shirt had shown off much less than he'd seen the night before, Tasuki couldn't keep his eyes from taking in the curve of her upper thigh as she raised her knee to Kouji's gut.

 

She moved with liquid grace that surpassed any mere mortal he had ever seen; if he hadn't touched her, smelled her, and damn near made love to her he would suspect she was a mere fantasy come to torture him.

 

Everything about her was so like his miko, yet entirely different. She'd hacked off her hair to fall jaggedly around mid-shoulder, a decidedly masculine look that had taken on a peculiar feminine light as far as Miaka was concerned. She was strong, athletic, and sturdy, someone you would be grateful to have fight by your side. Her legs and arms, which had been exposed by her borrowed clothing, were wiry and toned. They had the look of someone who had had to fight for their place in the world.

 

His miko, on the other hand, had been slight and fragile with every womanly vanity well cared for. She had long auburn locks that had shone in the sunlight and felt like the finest watered silk. Though she had been strong of character, the miko had been weak in body. Her frequent illness early on in their travels together had made that frighteningly clear.

 

Both were apt to cry at a moment's notice, which had hurt and irritated the hell out of him, and neither could hold their liquor.

 

When he had taken his miko to that thrice damned inn, she had barely managed to finish off half of a bottle of sake. From his quick glance around Miaka's room last night when he had taken her to her bed, he'd found only a single empty bottle standing on the neck at the corner of the low table in her room. He'd been surprised she had been as intoxicated as she was to crawl naked in to his bed after only having consumed such a small amount.

 

“Come on, Tasuki, it's your turn to get the fuck beaten outta ya.” Her words startled him from his musings. To cover for his lack of attention, he plastered a feral grin on his face and stalked out to the sparring ring to accommodate her.

 

“Let me show you how a real man does this, Kouji,” he tossed lightly over his shoulder at his bandit brother with a full fanged grin.

 

In the end she was the one who had shown them who was boss.

 

 

Oooo

 

With a sigh Chichiri closed the door to his room; plans still hadn't been finalized but it was late and no one could think about anything except bedding down for the night. Miaka had drifted off to sleep at the table and Tasuki had volunteered to carry her unconscious body to her bed.

 

He moved over to the small shaving mirror and wash basin to clean up before bed but something strange caught his attention. A face was staring back at him from the rippling water in the basin. It was so like his yet not, and it took him a moment to realize that in the 'reflection' there wasn't one eye...there were two!

 

Chichiri leapt back in surprise, a protection spell coming immediately to his lips. When nothing more happened, he ventured nearer to the bowl of water and peered inside.

 

The same curious gaze was there yet the image seemed to sharpen and a disembodied voice whispered through the room.

 

“Hi there, ya know.”

 

Quirking a brow, Chichiri leaned closer to the water. “Hai, no da? Who are you, no da?”

 

“I'm Ri Houjun, ya know. Celestial Warrior, Chichiri. Listen, I don't know how long this portal between the worlds is going to hold up so let me ask you a few things, ya know.” His double nodded and snapped his gaping mouth shut. “We have two of our people missing: Celestial Warrior Miaka and our Shounin Tasuki. Are they there with you, ya know?”

 

Chichiri frowned, “We have Miaka here, but we haven't seen your shounin, no da. Miaka dropped in on our Tasuki two days ago and we're planning to try to get to your world in the morning, no da.”

 

The other Chichiri frowned. “Miaka's been missing for almost nine months, ya know. There might be a time buffer between our worlds like the shounin's world.” The reflection looked thoughtful for a moment, “So, if Miaka's been there for two days and she's been missing for almost nine months then we should see you guys here in about two months depending on the time of day there, ya know.”

 

Chichiri nodded. “We should be leaving in nine hours, it's quite late here, no da.”

 

The reflection nodded. “So where are you planning to open the portal to? That way we can meet you there without having to spend ages looking for you, ya know.”

 

Chichiri grinned, enjoying this conversation with his double. “We are planning on jumping out at Mt. Reikaku, Miaka has a better knowledge and feel for that place than anywhere else, no da. We will see you there! It'll be great to meet myself and hear of the differences between us, but we'll have to banish Tenkou before we can reminisce, no da.”

 

A dark frown came over the reflection's face. “Tenkou? Who's that, ya know?”

 

The reflection started to fade bit by bit at the edges, so Chichiri rushed to explain. “Tenkou stole Miaka's tessen, seems to be merging the worlds, she's a very bad lady, no da. Take care and watch out for her, na no da!”

 

A brief nod was all he saw as the reflection faded completely.

 

Chichiri sighed and washed his face; tiredly pulling his clothes off he settled on the bed and lay down. A flicker of energy, that was gone before he could recognize it fully, snapped his mind to full wakefulness. Sitting bolt upright and flaring out his ki, Chichiri checked every last energy signature in the stronghold; panic only gripped him when he came up one ki short.

 

“KOUJI!” Flinging the blankets back and snatching on his shirt and pants, the monk tore out of his room and dashed down the hall.

 

Tasuki and Miaka joined him moments later and all three seishi raced to Kouji's chambers. Shoving the door open they were surprised to see Kouji standing in the middle of the room staring at them strangely. “What, somethin' goin' on? Why'd all a ya-“ Kouji's words were cut short, his attention narrowed in on Miaka.

 

Miaka stood completely still, all color had drained from her face and she gasped for breath. “Something's w-w-wrong…”

 

A scream ripped from her chest and she collapsed to her knees, her head falling back.

 

Her whole body was shaking, convulsing, and she gasped for air. Her slim fingers tore at her throat as if trying to relieve pressure. Tasuki dropped to the floor beside her; scooping her up into his arms he stared down at her pale face.

 

“What th' hell do we do? Chichiri, help her damnit! Fix this! Do anything, just make her-“ He froze as she abruptly sagged and went utterly still.

 

Tasuki lifted her chest to his ear and closed his eyes, straining to hear even the faintest flutter of a heartbeat. Moments passed and not a sound was heard except his own panting breaths; he had almost given up when he heard it. A flutter at first, then a loud thump and a sharp gasp graced his ears. Her heart was beating frantically, as if to make up for the beats it had missed.

 

Tasuki buried his face in her neck and sighed, relief flooding him. “What th' hell happened, Mi-chan?”

 

Miaka wrapped her arms around him and sighed, “It felt like my soul was ripped out and beaten with a cat-o-nine-tails!” She hugged him tighter, “Gods! If that's what it feels like to die, I swear I'll live forever.”

 

He chuckled and held her closer.

 

Kouji cleared his throat. “Tenkou snatched me and took me to her world, Miaka-chan.”

 

Chichiri was instantly in his face. “What did she say? Is the shounin with her, no da? Tell us what happened!”

 

At the sound of his voice, Miaka flinched and pushed away from Tasuki's embrace. “What?” she asked as she got unsteadily to her feet. “Explain! I wanna know every fucking word she said!”

 

Kouji swallowed and shrugged. “She's got the shounin. Said, and I quote, `His love for you has vanished the same way his virginity has.' He looked real strange; kinda like Genrou over here but younger an' his hair was darker and he had yellow eyes.” He paused, looking at Miaka he felt a stab of jealousy as his leader wrapped his arms around her shoulders and patted her hair. His eyes flashed golden for a moment and he continued his tale.

 

“She killed a guy right in front of me. Pulled his soul out an' torched it. She said he couldn't be reincarnated now. She kept tryin' t'convince me ta get Genrou an' `Chiri an' leave ya to do this on your own. Said she was tryin' t' merge our worlds together so's she could enjoy special perks. Dunno what she meant. Next thing I knew I was back here an' you guys were burstin' in.”

 

Chichiri frowned, “Get your stuff together, Kouji, we're all sleeping in the same room. Taiitsukun warned us not to be alone but we did it anyway. Now we know what's going on but things could have been much worse, no da. Tasuki, you and Miaka go gather your own things and meet me back in my room. I have a few things to tell you too, but we need to be together right now. I'll stay here and help Kouji get his stuff together.”

 

Miaka shook her head, “No, I want to talk to Kouji about Tasu-chan. You go with Tasuki, Chichiri.” She walked over to Kouji's trunk and opened it, pulling out several articles of clothes.

 

Tasuki frowned but walked out with Chichiri close on his heels.

 

She looked up after the door closed. “Was he alright?” Her voice was soft, as if she would break in to a million pieces if she spoke any louder. “My Tasu-chan, is he alright? I need to get to him! That evil bitch could be doing anything to him right now! She-.” A sob escaped her, “She slept with him; he can't call Suzaku to help seal her away now. We have to do this all alone…”

 

Kouji frowned and stalked over to her, pulling her to his chest. “Forget about him for right now, let me make you feel better.” His lips crashed against hers with enough force to cause her to stumble into the wall; his body pinned her there as his punishing mouth took fierce control of hers.

 

She gasped at the barely leashed savagery in his kiss; his tongue took full advantage and thrust between her parted lips. She tried to struggle but was too well pinned.

 

The old fear swept over her in full vivid detail. Gone were the protective walls of Reikaku and in their place, the heavy wood structure where the Blue Bastard had kept her prisoner for those three weeks of hell. She relived the pain and torture, saw the savagery of her repeated rapes and the smell of her own blood filled her nostrils.

 

She struck out like a wild animal, clawing at anything her hands could reach. She bucked against him to dislodge his weight and bit down hard on the offending appendage that had forced its way past her teeth. The coppery tang of his blood filled her mouth and he tore himself from her.

 

Miaka bolted from the room, her terror skewing her perception as she ran full tilt down the main thoroughfare of the mountain hideout.

 

Voices called out to her as she passed but she couldn't hear them, her mind was far too entrenched in reliving the horrors of her past. She suddenly found herself outside. The trees of the surrounding forest seemed to loom up around her, slowing her pace but providing hiding places from her tormentor.

 

The slight sting of cool air brushing against her exposed skin brought her back to reality and she stopped her panicked flight to slump against a tree, tears pouring over her lashes. `I can't do this! I can't trust anyone, I need to get away from here and find my own way back to my world.' The tears came faster, `I've caused so much trouble here. If I had left last night this wouldn't have happened. Something's wrong with Kouji and its all my fault!'

 

She stood abruptly, wiping at her tear stained cheeks. “No, I won't let this happen. I will fix this by myself. I'll kill Tenkou and save Kouji. I'm so sorry, Kouji-kun!”

 

The crunch of dried leaves caught her attention and she held her breath, fearing that Kouji had come after her to finish what he had started.

 

“Mi-chan? Ya out here?”

 

`Tasuki!' She didn't want him to take her back there, couldn't let him see her like this. She edged around the tree to look around for him, knowing that once she found him she'd take off in the opposite direction.

 

As she peeked around the tree she was met with a set of amber eyes not an inch from her face. She yelped and dove away as fast as she could, pushing her abilities to their limits. In her desperation she forgot that Tasuki had the same gift from Suzaku as she did

 

She panicked when she heard his footfalls so close behind her and dug deep for more speed but she had to gather herself to leap a small creek that had crossed her path. At that moment strong arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her to a broad chest, his momentum carrying them over the small body of water.

 

She bucked and writhed in his embrace, shouting invectives and cursing him, begging him to let her go.

 

He swatted her backside with his free hand then turned her in his arms. “Stop that! I ain't gonna hurt ya! Tell me what th' fuck's got ya so wound up?”

 

She wiggled and squirmed. `If I tell him he won't let me go, but if I don't he and Chichiri might be in danger! FUCK! I hate this noble shit!' She struggled against him for a few more minutes then sagged against his chest, burying her nose in his tunic.

 

“Kouji kissed me. He was so rough and hard that this time I was afraid of what he was going to try to do to me.”

 

He stiffened, his arms tightening and one hand clenched in her hair. “Ya mean he tried ta take ya?” He paused when she nodded, “He kissed ya before, didn't he.” He forced back a growl when she nodded again. “Ya liked it didn't ya? So why were ya afraid a him doin' more? Ya seemed pretty happy when ya crawled in t'my bed last night an' if'n it weren't fer Chichiri we wouldda done more'n what we did.”

 

She tried to pull away again but he held her fast. “What are you talking about?” she asked, her words muffled in his tunic. “I was alone when I woke up and in my own room, so what-“ She froze as images of crawling into bed and finding a naked Tasuki waiting for her flitted through her mind.

 

“You were in my room! Hentai, eechi, pervert! How dare you try to take advantage of me!” She began struggling in earnest; lifting her head from his chest she bit down on his neck. When he released her with a yelp of pain she leapt back from him putting a good distance between them.

 

“No, ya baka! I was sleepin' in my room an' you crawled inta my bed an' kissed me! You were drunk offa yer ass but ya wanted me, so I was gonna have ya and if Chichiri had kept his drunk ass outta my room you'da been mine. You were real enthusiastic, told me ya didn't want me ta let you set th' pace; that ya liked it when I was forceful. Ya said it made ya feel wanted!” He sighed and ran a hand through his hair in an attempt to calm his temper. “Look Mi-chan, ya were drunk an' we only shared a few kisses. Nothin' more. Let's forget about it an' go from there.”

 

She punched him in the jaw, sending him crashing to the ground. He bounced once, his backside taking the full brunt of the impact. She lifted one leg and placed a sandled foot on his shoulder, unconsciously giving him a clear view of what lay hidden under her skirt.

 

Now you listen here, Mr. Hentai Bandit. I ain't one a yer light skirts an' I'm not gonna sleep with you. I have my Tasu-chan, as soon as I can rescue him, and we're gonna to be very happy together. I don't need you making my head spin or my knees weak. I don't need you to catch me when I fall or kiss me breathless. I don't want you to drive me insane anymore, and I don't want to fall in love with you any more than-” She lifted her foot from his shoulder and stared down at him with mouth dropped open and eyes wide.

 

`You almost stepped in it Gena, watch your mouth! You love Tasu-chan don't you? Oh gods! Oh gods… I don't love Tasu-chan! SHIT! I'm so fucked!'

 

He smirked up at her, a slight flush staining his cheeks. “Ya want me, don't ya?” He got to his feet, moving ever so slowly closer to her. “I make yer knees weak? I make ya breathless when I kiss ya? Sounds like ya want me.”

 

`He didn't hear my slip, but he figured out I want him… shit! I'm still safe as long as he doesn't know exactly how I feel.'

 

He stopped when only scant inches separated them, cupped her chin and forced her face up to his. “Do I make yer belly flutter when I'm close t'ya?” His free hand rested gently on her hip and pulled her closer, fitting her against the evidence of his desire. “Do ya want me th' same as I want you? Not a damn replacement, but for who we are?”

 

Their interlude was cut short, as a voice raised not too far from their location called out their names. “Miaka-chan, Tasuki! Where are you, no da?”

 

Miaka closed her eyes for a moment; `This is the only way…'

 

With a soft smile, Miaka looked up in to Tasuki's face. “I'm sorry, Tasuki.” She leaned up on tiptoe, placed a fervent kiss to his closed lips and pulled back quickly. “Forgive me.”

 

Her fist connected with the side of his head before he'd shaken off the stupor caused by her kiss. Darkness edged his vision for a moment but cleared.

 

Miaka was gone.

 

“GODSAMNED FEMALES! I FUCKING HATE WOMEN!” he screamed as he took off in the direction of swaying grass and the sound of crunching leaves.

 

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooooooooooooo

 

So, how's that as a come back chapter? Hope you liked it, no da!