Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction ❯ Bedlam and Vertigo ❯ Inamorata ( Chapter 4 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

<p><b>A/N:</b> <i>Welp, here we go...</i></p>

<p><b>Disclaimer:</b> <i>Fushigi Yuugi</i> and the characters in it are not mine.</p>

<hr>
<center><b><u>Bedlam and Vertigo: Inamorata</u><br>
by Elcyion Pitye</b></center>
<hr>


<p>A certain fiery-headed bandit sat beside a lake, staring blankly at his reflection. Usually, he would be hanging out with his good friend Kouji and the rest of the gang, but that idiot went off to a tavern without him. “Baka...” Tasuki murmured. Normally, Tasuki would be energetic, but he was alone. Nothing to be excited about. Just sitting by the lake. Him and a body of water. He stared at his reflection once more, just to see how much he hasn’t changed since he came back to Mt. Leikaku a couple years back. His brightly colored hair? Still disheveled and well, bright. His fangs? Yup, still there. His good friend, the tessen? Still with him, strapped in the same holster on his back. The same old unchanged Tasuki. He didn’t like it. Another reflection appeared next to his. He didn’t notice it as strange as first. It was a guy with a smiling face and a staff and light-colored purplish-blue hair. Finally, it occurred to him that he wasn’t alone and he jumped up.</p>
<p>“It’s been long, no da,” replied the smiling man.</p>
<p>“Oi, Chichiri,” Tasuki greeted, giving him a lopsided smile. “What the hell are ya doin’ here? I thought you were gonna go travel to find yourself or somethin’...”</p>
<p>“You know we all gather when the miko comes to our world, no da... don’t you sense it?”</p>
<p>Tasuki looked around. “And I don’t see everybody...”</p>
<p>“They were already reborn, no da,” Chichiri answered, a hint of sadness in his voice. “It’s just us two, Tasuki. Their souls aren’t with us anymore.”</p>
<p>Tasuki re-thought of what his fellow seishi had said and managed to smile. They finally crossed over to the miko’s world...</p>
<p>“I hope they’re happy, no da,” Chichiri said absent-mindedly, as if reading Tasuki’s thoughts. “Even if they won’t be able to see her in their current lives nor get to see her when she appears here.”</p>
<p>“Wait... Miaka’s comin’ here?!” Tasuki cried. It finally hit him the second time Chichiri mentioned that. His heart was starting to beat faster. Strange... he thought he was over those feelings of his...</p>
<p>Chichiri looked past Tasuki’s shoulder. “Yes, no da...” he gestured with his head to the the red light a few yards from where they were standing. “And that would be her...”</p>
<p>Tasuki whirled around. Was it real? Did she really come back to him? He just stared at the fallen life form, unable to take this piece of information in. After all of these years, she came back? He couldn’t move. He felt like he was in a dream, and that if he did any little thing, it would all go away...</p>
<p>Chichiri was the first to race to Miaka’s body. She wasn’t unconscious at all. She was just curled up in a little trembling ball, crying. “Mi-chan, no da?” Chichiri asked, kneeling down. Miaka just shook her head slowly and didn’t respond. The monk looked up at Tasuki, who was just getting there.</p>
<p>“Hey, Miaka,” Tasuki said softly, leaning over her. “Why ya cryin’?” He was keeping a light tone, hoping it would cheer her up. “Ya know I hate seeing ya this way...”</p>
<p>Like before, she didn’t answer. Silently, she stood up and limped past her two seishi to the lake Tasuki was just sitting by. The two gasped at the angry gashes on her leg and arm. Ignoring their concerns, she seated herself down on the ground, her knees drawn up to her chest and her arms wrapped around her legs. She let out a whimper and started sobbing again.</p>
<p>Tasuki and Chichiri looked at each other in confusion. What was going on with their miko? After just standing there watching Miaka cry, Tasuki moved closer and sat next to her. “You wanna talk about it?” he asked. He started tearing of a piece of his jerkin and wrapping it around her leg.</p>
<p>Her voice soft and quivery, she spoke. “They’re gone, Tasuki, all gone... everything’s ruined now...”</p>
<p>“What?” Tasuki stared at her quizzically, stopping his actions. He looked up at Chichiri for an answer. The monk only shrugged.</p>
<p>“You know what?” she said suddenly, making Tasuki jump for the second time that day. “It doesn’t really matter.” She wiped away her tears. “I just need to be alone right now.” She started heading off into the nearby woods before Tasuki could finish bandaging her.</p>
<p>“What the--?! You can’t go there alone--” Tasuki sputtered.</p>
<p>“She’s an adult now, Tasuki, no da,” Chichiri interrupted, taking off his magical mask, his face morose. “She can take care of herself.”</p>
<p>“The hell she can,” the bandit responded hotly, staring after her. “She still the fuckin’ miko, and we’re still her fuckin’ seishi. We still have to fuckin’ protect her and crap. And she’s fuckin’ depressed and I can’t stand seeing her like this!” He started going off after her in a huff, carrying the piece of cloth with him.</p>
<p>Chichiri slipped his mask back on. “I knew it, no da,” he murmured under his breath. When Tasuki finally found Miaka leaning against a tree, he found that someone else was with her.</p>
<p>“Hey, Genrou!” Kouji greeted him, looking up from Miaka. “Why didn’t you tell me your miko was comin’ to visit us?” Tasuki shrugged and proceeded to hug her. “I’ll tell you later, ‘coz I don’t even know...”</p>
<p>“On a more serious note,” Kouji added. “She seems real down in the dumps, man. Look after her, okay? And take care of that cut. You know you care about her too much to--”</p>
<p>“That’s enough, Kouji,” Tasuki interrupted, trying to hide the blush forming on his cheeks. He looked down at his priestess, whose head was buried in his shoulder, still grieving over who knows what. “Chichiri’s around that lake somewhere. Go talk to him or something if you wanna find out...”</p>
<p>“You mean that weird little man thing?” Kouji asked. “Sure.” He raised an eyebrow at Tasuki. “I’ll leave you two alone.” Then he left the forest in the same direction Tasuki came from.</p>
<p>The bandit gently nudged the girl. Miaka looked up at him, her eyes finally dry. “What?” she asked softly.</p>
<p>“Now do you wanna talk?” he questioned.</p>
<p>“Not really...”</p>
<p>“Please? Talking things out will make you feel better--”</p>
<p>“I hate it when people say that,” she interrupted, suddenly sounding angry. “Because it won’t make me feel any better, talking about it will make it worse for me. And the more I think about it, the more I feel like it’s my fau--” She was shushed by Tasuki’s finger against her lips. Miaka pulled back, instantly aware of the unfamiliar shivers running through her body. “Sorry...” she apologized meekly.</p>
<p>“Don’t be,” was his reply. “I only want to help you... I can’t stand it--”</p>
<p>“When I cry,” Miaka finished for him gently. “I know, but you can’t always be my hero whenever one little thing happens to me. I can take care of myself. Sometimes I want my alone time. I don’t need you as much as I used to.”</p>
<p>Tasuki looked at her sharply, looking wounded. “Y-you... don’t?” he stammered hoarsely. Those particular words stung him more than he realized. He bit his lip and let his eyes fall to the ground.</p>
<p>Sensing that she hurt his feelings, Miaka walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. “Don’t take it the wrong way... if it makes you feel better, I’ll tell you and Chichiri later.”</p>
<p>Tasuki returned the hug and sighed in relief, but he wasn’t relieved enough to feel any more important to Miaka. “Yeah...” he responded tonelessly.</p>
<p>The miko let go of her seishi. “Well, we better see Chichiri and Kouji before they worry about us,” she said, making her way past him to the lake.</p>
<p>“Wait,” Tasuki spoke up, grabbing her arm. She looked up at him questioningly. “We need to fix your leg and your arm. They’re still bleeding,” Tasuki pointed out, bending down to her leg wound. He carefully bandaged the wounds, to the chagrin of Miaka, who still found them as painful as they were before. “That’ll have to do for now,” he explained, standing up. “Until we get to Mt. Leikaku to clean it and stuff.” He looked at her to find that she was just simply staring at him. The bandit felt self-conscious and turned red. “What?”</p>
<p>She smiled half-heartedly. “You’ve changed, Tasuki.”</p>
<p>“Is that... good?” he asked her, suddenly getting nervous.</p>
<p>“Definitely. You’re a lot more mature now.” She looked almost nostalgic. Tasuki didn’t know what to make of her words. He smiled, embarrassed. “I guess I am,” he replied modestly.</p>
<p>“Suzaku has done nothing but good to you,” she added sweetly as she passed him. Tasuki blushed even more. He watched her for a moment before he followed closely behind her.</p>

<hr>
<p>It was much later in the day. In fact, it was dusk. Miaka, Tasuki, and Chichiri were sitting in the
dining hall of the bandits’ headquarters. Miaka needed her trusty seishi to talk to, especially after the deaths of
her closest friends and family in the real world.</p>
<P>“Some birthday present, huh?” Miaka finished, wiping her eyes. She smiled
bitterly at her two listeners.</P>
<P>“Fuck, what a bastard,” Tasuki muttered, a sad look on his face. First, all
the Suzaku seishi were reborn and left him and Chichiri, and now Taka and the
others are dead.</P>
<P>“At least you escaped in time, no da,” Chichiri added. “And you still have
us...”</P>
<P>“Yeah, and only us,” Tasuki added, sorrow slightly evident in his voice.</P>
<P>“Only...?” Miaka repeated, confused.</P>
<P>Chichiri glared at Tasuki and then smiled gently at his miko. “Da, we’ll
discuss more tomorrow, when you’re feeling better...”</P>
<P>“I don’t give a damn anymore,” Miaka all of a sudden replied. The two seishi
jumped at the harshness of her voice, especially since she used a more colorful
word. They merely gaped at her.</P>
<P>“Don’t look at me like that.”</P>
<P>“Huh, well,” Tasuki quipped, blinking. “What do you not give a damn
about?”</P>
<P>“I don’t know... everything,” Miaka said, beginning to get frustrated. “This
stupid world... how something in my life always gets screwed over and I have to
live like this the rest of my life.”</P>
<P>Her seishi didn’t say anything.</P>
<P>“I hate this! Can’t I have a normal life for once? Why does something like
this have to interrupt my peace?” She broke into tears again, this time out of
anger.</P>
<P>All Tasuki could do was rub her back sympathetically. She sure had matured,
but she still cried over everything...</P>
<P>“It’s getting late, no da,” Chichiri spoke up, standing. “Let’s all head to
bed now and tomorrow, we’ll talk more and find out why you’re here, no da.”</P>
<P>Miaka nodded slowly. Tasuki sighed tiredly and started leading her and the
monk to empty bedrooms.</P>
<hr>
<P>It was breakfast time that next morning, and Tasuki, Chichiri, and Miaka were
the last ones left at the long, messy table. The head bandit’s comrades had
already ate and left to go wreak havoc or whatever they do every day.</P>
<P>“So... why are you here, no da?” Chichiri asked Miaka. “Do you have any
idea?”</P>
<P>Miaka shook her head. She seemed to be a lot calmer, but her face lacked any
emotion. “I don’t know,” she answered. “I was just in the library, begging for
the book to somehow save me from that killer... and then it came true.”</P>
<P>“You did it out of your own will. That shows great power on your part,
Miaka,” came an elderly voice.</P>
<P>The three of them jumped out of their skin. Always appearing at the least
expected time was Taiitsukun, the oracle, the creator of the <I>Shi Jin Ten Chi
Sho</I>. Not only did she show up unexepectedly, but also when none of the
seishi really wanted her to, but that was a different story.</P>
<P>“Shit, it’s you,” Tasuki groaned. “Why can’t you give us a note before you
come or something?”</P>
<P>“Same fiery, stubborn bandit,” Taiitsukun shot back. “It’s been a while, and
you haven’t changed that poor-excuse-for-an-attitude of yours.”</P>
<P>Tasuki growled, but didn’t argue.</P>
<P>“You were saying something about Miaka’s powers on the book, no da?” Chichiri
asked, sticking to the most important subject.</P>
<P>“Yes,” said Taiitsukun, “I came to explain that to you. There is nothing
wrong with this world. Everything is in order. All is right with this place. It
is just Miaka’s strong will and that deep, hidden magic within her that brought
her here. Now, obviously, this had never happened before, so none of us, not
even I know, as of yet, how this will affect the world within the book.”</P>
<P>“What kind of powers do I have, anyway?” Miaka questioned. “I thought it was
just in the book I had any miko powers.”</P>
<P>“Much of the book world has left an impression on you, Miaka,” Taiitsukun
replied. “How else was Tamahome able to come to your world?”</P>
<P>The Suzaku no Miko flinched at the sound of that name.</P>
<P>“You weren’t like any other priestess,” the creator continued. “And because
of that, you were able to have some benefits no one else was able to have. Not
even Tatara and Suzuno’s love was as strong as you and Tamahome’s, since they
had to live apart for the rest of their lives.”</P>
<P>Tasuki took those words in. He looked over at the brunette, and saw that she
had her head bowed down in sadness. She wasn’t crying, but the look on her face
was heartbreaking. He put his hand on her shoulder and leaned in toward her.
“It’s okay, Miaka...” he whispered in her ear. “Everything will be all
right...”</P>
<P>Chichiri looked worriedly at the miko. “Taiitsukun, no da,” he said. “Can we
stay away from the subject of love, namely <I>his</I>, no da?”</P>
<P>The oracle looked confused. “Nani? What’s wrong?” She thought about it.
“Oh... <I>Oh</I>.” She knew. Taiitsukun remembered feeling it back on Mt.
Taikyoku. The creator looked apologetically at Miaka. “I’m sorry. But I can
guarantee that he’s in a better place. Don’t worry about him. You might be able
to meet him again, someday.”</P>
<P>Miaka looked up at her, trying to grin. “He better be.”</P>
<P>“He should be there, along with your family... and Lady Yui and that man of
hers. Don’t fret about them anymore.” Taiitsukun smiled at her and
disappeared.</P>
<P>“She must’ve known,” Chichiri murmured. “But how come none of us felt it? I
sure didn’t.”</P>
<P>Tasuki shrugged. “The world can be inconsistent like that, I guess. But I
don’t fuckin’ care. I’m kinda glad I didn’t feel anything.” He kept his hand on
Miaka’s shoulder. She didn’t seem to mind.</P>
<P>“Well, no da,” Chichiri broke in, his voice positive. “Let’s go out into the
town today, no da! We need some suns, no da. Let’s see if Miaka’s smile can
outshine it.”</P>
<P>Miaka smirked. That comment was so corny, but she agreed. “Yeah, I could use
a good walk around,” she said.</P>
<P>“Hold on,” Tasuki interjected. “She can’t go out into town in her otherworld
clothes. People’ll see that and think that Konan’s gonna have another attack or
somethin’ and that the miko’s gonna save their fuckin’ souls again. They’ll
panic like shit.”</P>
<P>“True,” Chichiri said. “But where are we going to find proper woman’s clothes
on the mountain, no da? I know for sure that you don’t wear any, no da,
unless...” He gave his friend a mischievous grin.</P>
<P>“Fuck you,” Tasuki commented sourly.</P>
<P>“But won’t they still recognize my face?” Miaka pointed out. “They might
still panic over just seeing me, regular clothes or not.”</P>
<P>“That’s true, too, no da,” Chichiri said, his mood beginning to dampen. He
wanted to go out. “Now what? I don’t want to stay on the mountain all day, no
da.”</P>
<P>"Oh, who fuckin' cares? Let's just go--waitaminnit!" Tasuki exclaimed. "I
think I have like some girl's clothes in my closet somewhere..."</P>
<P>Chichiri and Miaka just stared at him dumbfoundedly.
"...................."</P>
<P>"Hey, I just pick up after those bastard bandits who bring ladies into
headquarters!" the fanged seishi said defensively.</P>
<P>"We're your friends, no da, you don't have to hide--"</P>
<P>"I'm not a crossdresser!!" Tasuki roared viciously, standing up from the
table. He glared at Chichiri, who he noticed was enjoying this.</P>
<P>"Da, don't deny it, Tasuki-kun!" the monk cheered.</P>
<P>"There's nothing TO deny!"</P>
<P>"Then why are you being so defensive, no da?"</P>
<P>"Because yer accusin' me of something--!"</P>
<P>"I wasn't accusing, I was implying in a gentle manner, no da." Chichiri
smiled innocently.</P>
<P>"GRAUGH! I'll get that damn thing right now before I strangle ya!" Tasuki
growled. "C'mon, Miaka." He spun on his heel and went out the dining hall
doors.</P>
<P>Miaka exchanged glances with Chichiri, giggled, and followed the
orange-haired seishi out.</P>
<hr>
<P>When they had reached Tasuki's room, the two found Kouji standing there,
ready to "knock".</P>
<P>"Ah, hey, I was about t'see if you were still in there," he told Tasuki
brightly as they approached.</P>
<P>"Huh," Tasuki grumbled as he pushed past his friend and into the room.</P>
<P>"What's his problem?" Kouji asked Miaka as she trailed behind her seishi.</P>
<P>"Long story," she answered, grinning. She disappeared into the room. Kouji
waited outside, peeking in. Tasuki was sliding his closet door open and digging
around for something. The royal-blue-haired bandit cocked an eyebrow as he
looked on. "Whatcha looking for?" he wondered.</P>
<P>"Tch," was the reply. Not much later, Tasuki pulled out a nice, red, silky
dress. It was of a traditional Chinese pattern, with the cloth hooks and loops
at the top, a high collar, and a golden outline of a dragon taking up both the
skirt and the bodice.It was smooth and clean to the touch, and even in dimmer
light, it shimmered nicely.</P>
<P>Not quite knowing what to do, Miaka simply stood there, watching as Tasuki,
half-smiling and ignoring Kouji's obnoxious questions in the background, walked
toward her. He held up the dress against her, as if examining how it would fit
his miko. "Not bad..." he concluded, "not bad at all. You'd look good in this
thing, I guess."</P>
<P>At this, Miaka's cheeks reddened, although she had no idea why. She looked up
at him, maybe looking for an answer. Was it because she was in such close
proximity to him? Or that Tasuki giving her a compliment really meant something
to her? A crush was out of the question. She was still grieving over Taka and
the others...</P>
<P>"What, Miaka?" he glanced down at her questioningly, his amber eyes meeting
her green ones. The priestess could swear that her seishi was blushing.</P>
<P>Something in her flared up in a comforting warmth. Her heart? What was wrong
with her? Suddenly finding it harder to breathe, Miaka gently took the dress
from his grasp. "I think... it'll fit me, too," she replied dumbly.</P>
<P>Tasuki blinked. Something happened there.... "Right. I'll let you change in
here. I'll go kick Chichiri's ass." He left, with Kouji trailing behind him, and
shut the door.</P>
<P>Miaka cast her eyes to the direction in which he left, trying to figure out
why she felt so different around him now than before.</P>
<P>
<hr>

<P><B>A/N:</B> <I>You like? I hope so. I'll try to update more often, but I
still have stupid college stuff I have to worry about... plus I've
been getting really lethargic lately, thanx to senioritis, lol. But anyway, I'll
catch you guys later! </I></P>