Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction ❯ Beautiful Goodbye ❯ One-Shot

by: AniDragon, aka Riona-chan
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A lone spirit sat on the snowy mountain, his mind full of thoughts. Ten years passed rather slowly for ghosts, even if he did have the other dead seishi to talk to. Still, listening to Hotohori talk constantly about Boushin could get rather irritating.
Nuriko sighed and looked at his grave stone. Actually, more like his small, leafless tree. His twig. Okay, so there was a bouquet of flowers there too. But they were half covered in snow, and dead by now anyway... It had been a year since they had been placed there, so it was natural, of course.
A year. In other words, today was the anniversary of his death. He expected Tasuki should show up any time, then...
As if on cue, he spotted a lone figure with flaming red hair walking up the mountain. He waited patiently until the bandit was kneeling in front of the grave, his eyes closed in prayer, a new bouquet of flowers in his hand.
"Aww, are those for me?" He teased, knowing that Tasuki couldn't hear him, but not really caring. He looked at the other seishi's peaceful features and smiled, wishing he could brush away the tears that were threatening to spill from those golden eyes, "Are you still crying for me, Tasuki-chan?"

~Fed up with my destiny
And this place of no return
Think I'll take another day
And slowly watch it burn
It doesn't really matter how the time goes by
Cause I still remember you and I
And that beautiful goodbye~

He still remembered it like it was yesterday, at the Star Gazing festival. They had been looking just about everywhere for Miaka, but couldn't find the priestess anywhere. Finally, seeing her in the distance with Tamahome, they had stopped worrying and had gone back to enjoying the night. But on the way back to the festival, Tasuki had pulled him aside into an alleyway and kissed him softly on the lips. Then came the confession. Tasuki loved him. They had become a couple shortly after that, even though Nuriko was a bit confused about his feelings. He had long believed himself to be in love with Hotohori, but if his highness didn't love him.... Perhaps he could find comfort in the arms of the flame haired bandit, and perhaps learn to love him.... But that confusion drove them apart shortly after they had reached Houkan. He no longer loved Hotohori, but his feelings for Miaka had begun to change... He didn't want to be with Tasuki and hurt him if it wasn't love he felt.... So that was why he told Tasuki the day the group had split up that they could no longer be together... At least not until he was sure of his feelings...

~We staggered through these empty streets
Laughing arm in arm
The night had made a mess of me
Your confessions kept me warm
And I don't really miss you, I just need to know
Do you ever think of you and I
And that beautiful goodbye~

Looking at the bandit now, Nuriko wondered if he might be regretting it, just a little bit. Tasuki had matured quite a bit after seeing his friends die, one by one. Though he still never missed a chance to make a fool of himself, you could easily see that he had grown inside. It wasn't like it mattered much anymore, though. After all, he was dead. His death had hurt Tasuki a great deal. It would have hurt more, most likely, had they still been together...
He ran his hand over the bandit's cheek, "Gomen nasai, Tasuki-chan. I never wanted to hurt you..."

~When I see you now
I wonder how
I could've watched you walk away
If I let you down
Please forgive me now
For that beautiful goodbye~

His love for Miaka had been foolish, he could see that now. After all, she was happy with Tamahome. He should have been searching for his own happiness. He could have found it with Tasuki, he knew he could have. Maybe.... when the group had split up.... What would have happened if he had went with Tasuki and Mitsukake instead of with Tamahome and Miaka?
He shook his head. It was too late now. Too late to regret. Whether or not he could have been happy with Tasuki would have to stay as it was: a mystery. Even now, he wasn't sure how he felt.
"It kind of figures," He whispered to himself, "I can't even make up my mind after being dead for all those years..."

~In these days of no regrets
I'll keep mine to myself
And all the things we never said
I can say for someone else
And nothing lasts forever, but we always try
And I just can't help but wonder why
We let it pass us by~

With a sigh he sat on the snow and watched his former lover. He frowned when he saw the pain that was etched on the bandit's face.
"Why?" Nuriko demanded, "Why can't you let go, even after all this time?!" He wiped at his eyes, even if there were no tears. After all, ghosts can't cry, since they have no living bodies. Nuriko was, in reality, just a consciousness with no real form other then what he imagined for himself. Still, he knew that if he were alive, he'd be crying. But then again, if he'd be alive, there'd be no reason for him to cry, would there?
The sound of footsteps coming closer broke him away from his thoughts. He looked up and saw Chichiri approaching.
"Tasuki-kun?" He asked softly.
Tasuki looked over to the monk and smiled weakly, "Hey, Chiri. Long time no see."
Chichiri walked over to Tasuki and took off his mask. He looked closely at the bandit's face and frowned, "You've been crying no da..."
Tasuki laughed nervously and wiped his tears away with his sleeve, "Oh, that? Don't worry about it. It's just the cold."
They were silent for a few moments as Chichiri knelt by the grave and said a quick prayer to Suzaku. He turned towards Tasuki again once he was finished, "You really loved him, didn't you...."
Tasuki's cheeks, which were already red from the cold, turned a shade darker, "N... nani?!"
"Don't try to hide it no da...." Chichiri said with a smile, "It was obvious, just in the way you looked at him when he was still here...."
Nuriko gasped in surprise. Chichiri knew? Of course, out of all the seishi, Chichiri was the most observant one, so it wasn't that much of a surprise... He wondered if any of the others knew... Perhaps Chiriko... He was smart, so it was likely.... And who knows, maybe all of them knew, and they just never said anything....

~When I see you now
I wonder how
I could've watched you walk away
If I let you down
Please forgive me now
For that beautiful goodbye~

As he watched the scene before him, something struck him as odd in Chichiri... The way he was looking at Tasuki. Suddenly, something hit him...
"It was obvious, just in the way you looked at him..."
Chichiri's words ringed in his ears. He was looking at Tasuki... The same way Tasuki had always looked at him.... Chichiri was in love with Tasuki!
He quickly floated up to Tasuki and went to grab his shoulder, only his hand went through it... He cursed his spirit form mentally... If only he could find a way to tell Tasuki how Chichiri felt... He didn't want the bandit spending the rest of his life grieving for him. If Chichiri could bring him happiness...
"Tasuki-chan!" He tried, knowing it was in vain, but trying anyway, "Can't you tell what's right in front of your face? Baka!" He wrapped his arms around the bandit's shoulders, wishing more then anything that he could touch him, to let him know he was there, "Please... Move on.... Chichiri's waiting for you... Look at him... Onegai, Tasuki-chan...."
Then, to his ultimate surprise, Tasuki turned his head and looked at Chichiri, almost as if he had heard him...

~Baby, what can I do
To get through to you?
And sometimes I cry!
It's a fool's lulaby...~

Nuriko tried to hold back his cheer as Tasuki blinked up at Chichiri. The bandit opened his mouth, as if he was about to say something, but then closed it again and looked back at the grave.
"Damn it, didn't I just finish telling you to forget about me? Baka!" He yelled out, his voice demanding, but rich with affection.
"I know, Nuri-chan," Tasuki said in a barely audible whisper, "I just need a bit of time...."
Nuriko pulled away, startled. He couldn't bring himself to say anything as Tasuki got up, and he and Chichiri walked away from the grave. He had no idea Tasuki was able to hear him.... Why hadn't he said anything sooner?
"Tasuki didn't hear you, Nuriko..." An familiar voice said from behind him.
He turned to see Taiitsukun sitting in mid air as she always was.
"But then... How...?" He began, but Taiitsukun cut him off.
"People can't hear spirits speak, nor see them. However, if your emotions are strong enough, sometimes they can feel what you're trying to say to them."
"So that's how..." He murmured, then looked over to the two silhouettes that were getting further and further away, "Tasuki-chan... Be happy... For me... please..."

~And sometimes I cry!
It's just a fool's lulaby...~

~Owari~

(A/N: I always have that problem when I write songfics that the fic just doesn't follow the song by the end... -_-;. Anyway, please review this, as if took me a lot of time and effort to finish! ^^)

~AniDragon, aka Riona-chan~