Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction ❯ Seeing Beyond the Light ❯ Secrets ( Chapter 4 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Wingson 
Shocking truths are told...or not.
Anime/Manga: Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 06.29.2003 | Pages: 5 | Words: 4.6K | Visits: 234 | Status: Completed
Shocking truths are told...or not.
Anime/Manga: Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 06.29.2003 | Pages: 5 | Words: 4.6K | Visits: 234 | Status: Completed
Disclaimer: *tries to think up catchy disclaimer* *can't* Sigh, I don't own FY.
Warnings: Bad asses...Tasuki language...Bad dreams...weird revelations...maybe a little death...and spoilers for the end of the first season on. Pleasant chapter, ne?
"..." - Human speak
//...// - Thought speak
*...* - Godspeak
~...~ - Telepathy
Seeing Beyond the Light
Chapter 4: Secrets
Kizuka glanced up at the sound of silence. The Seiryuu imposter had stopped playing. "What is it?"
"Ganbate, Kizuka." He smiled in encouragement and began to play again.
Kizuka smiled, quickly knelt, and concentrated on the threads before her. She spun them together into a rope and coated them in a layer of her own chi. ~Chichiri, Tasuki, Miaka? I need you to give me permission to manipulate a large amount of your chi. I'm bound by oath not to do this without your consent.~
~Hai, no da.~
~H-hai.~
~Get us the FUCK outta here girl!~
She took the last as consent from Tasuki as she went deep into her own chi. Throwing most of herself down the rope, she closed her eyes as her consciousness followed. She barely felt the barrier as she slammed down in the midst of the fight.
She was in a completely different world. Sights, sounds, and sensations bombarded her from three different people. She felt the lingering ache of Miaka's arm and the fresh agony of Tasuki's injuries. She worried with Chichiri, raged with Tasuki, and was heartbroken with Miaka. She quickly concentrated on the task at hand before she could lose herself completely.
~Chichiri, you first. Go through the tunnel as quickly as possible. I don't want to risk two at once. Be prepared to catch Miaka and Tasuki at the end so that they don't aggravate their injuries.~ She spoke quickly and efficiently.
~See you soon, no da.~
She felt him leave and fade in her mind, as she placed a barrier around Miaka and Tasuki to replace Chichiri's. ~Miaka, its your turn now....Miaka?~
There was a pause as Miaka did not seem to hear.
~MIAKA, NOW DAMMIT!~ She lost her patience with the Miko.
Miaka jumped, a little surprised at the Guardian's tone, and turned once again to Tamahome. "Sayonara, Tamahome, Sayonara," and Miaka was gone.
Kizuka looked over at the attacker and gasped. Very weakly, so faint she could barely see it, the Suzaku seishi stripe began to glow. She clutched at that light and attached a thread of her chi to it.
~Tasuki, go now...Tasuki?~ She glanced back at him. //Oh shit.// Tasuki had lost consciousness. She quickly gathered all her energy and gently lifted him up into the chi-tunnel. Fighting to remain conscious against the powerful force of Tasuki's chi, she carefully put him into the portal. His body fell through, and she rested a moment as Tasuki's pain faded.
Just as she was about to gather the last dregs of her strength and leave, she felt the icy cold of a foreign chi lock onto hers.
~Hello, Suzaku seishi no Guardian.~ She could hear the smirk in his tone.
~Nakago.~ The word was filled with venom. Kizuka tried to leave but found she could not.
~You were pathetically easy to catch. Did you know that the chi that we can manipulate is actually a part of the soul? I wonder what will happen to your body in Konan if I destroy the chi you so thoughtfully placed right here.~
Kizuka felt a sliver of fear as she got her first glimpse of Nakago. The blackest red of hate she had ever seen permeated his entire soul. She could see nothing else except his seishi stripe crisscrossed with red lightening. She tried to put on a brave front. ~You don't have the power to destroy my chi. Your chi blasts and weapons need a physical target.~ She sounded as if she was trying to convince herself.
~How little you know.~ Nakago closed his fist and Kizuka's world became one of pain.
~Help! Please, someone,...Nuriko! Help...me...please......help~
* * *
Nuriko was surprised when he was given a job in the rescue. Usually if it involved magic he was not involved at all. He watched Kizuka sink into a deep mediation. A thousand emotions flickered across her face at once. As he watched, a glowing white portal appeared on the floor in front of her. He sighed when he saw first Chichiri's staff then the man himself appear from it. Apparently this was going to work. There was a pause, then Kizuka winced and grasped her arm again. Miaka floated slowly through, crying. Nuriko ignored Chichiri's orders to Mitsukake and looked again at Kizuka. She had relaxed the death grip on her arm, and looked thoughtful for a moment. Nuriko held his breath and waited to see the reaction when Tasuki came through. Kizuka seemed to sink even deeper into the mediation, then she gritted her teeth. Slowly, so slowly that Nuriko could almost detect no movement, Tasuki began to appear through the portal. Mitsukake gently cradled his head as Chichiri and Hotohori supported his body and laid it on the floor. Once he was out, Kizuka, her eyes still shut tightly, dropped to her hands and knees and gasped for breath. The portal did not disappear.
Nuriko, still keeping a tight grip on the rope of chi, asked tentatively, "Kizuka? Are you alright?"
All of a sudden the portal began to twist and grow dark. Kizuka's back arched and her face contorted in pain. Nuriko immediately began to pull on the rope.
"Nuriko! Hurry! She saved our lives." Miaka turned desperate, tear filled eyes upon her friend.
"It's not working! I'm using all my strength but it's not budging!" He yelled at the others, getting desperate.
Hotohori left Tasuki in Mitsukake's care and joined Nuriko at the tug of war. No matter how hard he gripped the rope, it seemed to slip through his fingers. Nuriko was slowly but surely being dragged toward Kizuka.
All of a sudden the tension snapped as the portal disappeared and Kizuka collapsed on the floor. Nuriko was thrown to the floor as the rope disappeared into Kizuka.
Miaka crawled over and tentatively touched Kizuka's shoulder, then grew bolder and turned her over on her back. Everyone held their breath as they waited. The silence was broken at last by a gasping breath from Kizuka as she opened her eyes.
"Arigato, minna. Arigato, Nuriko." She closed her eyes again, this time in sleep.
Nuriko turned confused eyes to Chichiri. "It wasn't working. Anyone could see that. If I did not save her, who did?"
* * *
It was dark.
The darkness enveloped her like a lover, warm and comforting. She floated, out of time and space, for a second and an eternity. She did not know when the other being joined her, but she knew when it took notice of her. All of a sudden the darkness seemed to smother her, hold her captive so she could not turn away from the shining blue being in front of her. She struggled in vain as a blue blast streaked towards her and seared her soul. She flinched in pain and opened her mouth to scream, but found she could not. Her struggles began anew and she realized that she wasn't breathing, COULD NOT breathe. She pushed and shoved at the blackness, but something was holding her down. The inky pitch clung to her every pore, holding fast against all her struggles until...
Kizuka woke up with a gasp, her eyes wide and staring. Apparently someone had moved her back to her room after she had collapsed. She drew in a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart. //What in the HELL was that?!//
*The after-effects of chi manipulation. Your chi was used without permission, and the nightmares are the result. This is what we were warning you against, why we made you take the oath. The nightmares will fade with time, but they will never completely go away.* Tai Itsukun's voice gave little comfort.
//Nakago did this to me?// She did not wait for an answer. //I need to find the seishi, there is much that needs to be done.//
* * *
Hotohori looked up from his seat at the entrance of Kizuka. Mitsukake had just finished talking about the effects of the kotuku poison. She appeared a bit flustered and worn out, but calmed herself down enough to give a polite bow before turning to Chichiri.
"Chichiri, you are familiar with Tamahome's chi, right?"
"Hai, no da."
"Did you recognize anything, anything at all in that...thing?"
"No," he said speculatively, "but even you said that you could not see Suzaku's mark on his chi."
The room seemed to deflate at that, but Kizuka still looked hopeful. "Not at first. Right as Miaka was leaving, she said 'Sayonara, Tamahome,' and just for second I could see the seishi stripe. The mark of the Gods is what my spell binds to, and look," the room flooded with light as five chi strings began to glow. She counted them off as she touched them, her voice getting quicker as she grew more excited. "Chichiri...Tasuki...Miaka...and this has to be Tamahome. Blue for loyalty, red for love, he's still there! Even if whatever spell Nakago has him under-"
"Kotuku poison," Mitsukake supplied.
"Arigato. Even if this poison controls a lot or even most of his actions, Tamahome as you knew him is still there." Kizuka let the light fade. "There is still hope."
Everyone's chi brightened a little by the hope in Kizuka's voice. Just then Nuriko ran in, waving a paper over his head.
"Miaka's missing! She's not in her room, and I think that this is a farewell note!"
Hotohori was about to run off to look for her when Kizuka stopped him. Placing a hand on his chest, she marked him quickly. After doing the same to Nuriko, Mitsukake, and the pretender, she spoke, "That's so I don't lose all of you. Hotohori, she's by the pond, but you'd better hurry."
Hotohori nodded then ran in the direction of the pond. Nuriko and Mitsukake followed close behind, leaving Kizuka alone for the first time with the Seiryuu seishi. Kizuka began to walk after those who had left.
"You're not running after them?"
Kizuka sighed and looked down at her clothes. "They did not make courtesans' robes for running, especially when they are two or three times too big."
He laughed a little, then grew serious again. "When you couldn't come back from Kutou, was that because I stopped playing?"
Kizuka turned in surprise to see the dark green of guilt cover his chi, "No, Nakago caught hold of me. It had nothing to do with you."
He nodded, then asked the other question that had been bothering him. "Who was the fifth string? You mentioned Miaka, Chichiri, Tasuki, and Tamahome, but there was another, dark red light. Who was it?"
She paused at the door, then turned to face the imposter. Her voice and face had hardened. "That was Nakago. I thought I'd keep track of the bastard who tried to kill me."
* * *
Kizuka finally joined the group by the pond. "How long has he been under?"
Nuriko turned worried eyes to Kizuka. "A long time. He was already under by the time we got here."
She nodded and turned back to the pond. Unobtrusively she touched on Hotohori's thread. Reminding herself firmly that she was NOT underwater and she COULD breathe, she began to feed her chi to Hotohori to give him strength. Just as she was beginning to feel faint from the effort a red glow began to grow in the water. She gasped in relief as Hotohori rose over the water carrying Miaka. As he landed she nearly collapsed herself. Mitsukake looked at her worriedly.
"Are you alright?"
"Hai. I think I did not sleep long enough. Go to Miaka. She needs your help more than me."
As he moved over to the crowd around Miaka Kizuka painfully drew herself up and turned for the long walk back to her rooms and some sleep between the nightmares. //Miaka and Hotohori are safe. That's what's important, Kizuka. A little pain on your part is nothing compared to the importance of the seishi. You knew this when you swore the oath,// she reminded herself.
//It's not like they would care, anyway,// a mean little voice inside her said.
//Nani?//
//You've just put yourself through incredible torment to rescue the seishi and that idiot Miaka from Kutou, and what do they do? Throw you into your room to sleep it off while they moan about poor, heartbroken Miaka!//
//That's not true!//She shook her head to rid herself of the annoyance.
//Ohh really...Who was there this morning when you woke up from one of the most terrible nightmares of your life?//
//...N-no one, but-//Her protests grew weaker as the poison of the voice began to sink in.
//That's right, they were all in that room wondering what to do. And then, when you offer some hope, they ignore you to rescue Miaka again. You are in pain now but do they react? No! Not even a word of thanks from Hotohori!//
//Mitsukake asked about me! And the imposter was worried!// That sounded weak even to herself.
//Oh come on. You saw the doubt in Mitsukake even before the rescue. And finding comfort in the Seiryuu? Don't make me laugh! Face it, you're just a tool to them.//
//NO! Chichiri likes me!//
//OK...where has he been since his real friends came back? He dropped you pretty quickly.//
She dashed away sudden tears. //You're lying.//
//Wake up Kizuka! You are no more important to them then you were to your family. Poor little weeping girl who couldn't ever be the best because she let her emotions get in the way of her skill. Your father had to keep training you long after the others because you were so incompetent.//
Kizuka put her head in her hands. //No. Stop it.//
//Fool. Weak. Stupid. Pathetic...//
"Kizu-chan?"
She gasped and looked up. "Nuriko! How's Miaka?"
"Hotohori-sama is taking her inside. She'll be fine. But never mind that. Are YOU ok?"
"Hai. A little tired maybe," she said, "mostly from getting the others back last night. I need to get some rest, but my room is so far from here."
"You can sleep in mine! It's right near all the rest of us, and not that far a walk. Here." Nuriko put his arm around Kizuka's waist and slung her arm over his shoulder.
Kizuka basked in the support of Nuriko for the much shorter walk to his room. "Here we are! Now you get some rest." Nuriko closed the doors behind him to give them some privacy.
Hearing the doors close, Kizuka began to feel her way cautiously across the room. She winced as her hand smashed into the inner wall.
Nuriko watched Kizuka as she made her way across the room, a suspicion niggling at his mind. "Let me help."
Kizuka straightened and cursed her exhaustion that made her forget that Nuriko was near. She put on a smile, "What would I need help for?"
"Come on, you're practically falling over your own feet in exhaustion." Nuriko picked her up and put her to bed fully clothed. Pulling up a chair next to the bed, he sat down and tried to come up with a discrete way of confirming his suspicion. After a bit he said, "You're blind, aren't you?" //So much for discrete. I'm getting as bad as Tasuki.//
Rather than answer, Kizuka stared at her hands on the covers.
"Kizuka?" Nuriko prodded, "You don't have to answer that if you don't want to."
She finally glanced up, "Did you know that your sister follows you around?"
"Nani? What does that have to do with-"
"At least I think it's your sister," Kizuka interrupted, looking back down at her hands. "She's young and shows some kinship to you, and since I don't think you had a daughter..." She waved a hand negligently. "Anyway, she's there. That's how I can tell when you are crossdressing. When you are in a dress, your sister is closer, almost touching your chi. I assume you were dressed as a man when I first met you because she was farther away, trailing behind. But that's really beside the point. The point is, with TrueSight I can see your dead sister following you around but I can't see a stone in front of my feet."
"So...you are blind?" Nuriko was confused by the roundabout explanation, and wanted to be sure.
"To all intents and purposes, yes. The only thing I can see is chi. It's like when you stare at the sun or a fire too long, you can't see other things for a bit afterwards. Since I constantly see chi, I can't make out ordinary objects. I can see all living things, and even things that were once living, such as a wooden door or chest or you sister. But things that never had life? Metals, stone? No, I can't see them at all."
"You can see ghosts?" He recoiled a bit in fright.
"Not usually. Most have already passed into the other realm." She waved her hands quickly to reassure him.
"But Kourin, my sister, you can see her? How is she?" Nuriko grabbed Kizuka's arm in his excitement to hear about his sister.
"Do you want the truth?" Kizuka looked directly at the waiting seishi.
"Hai!" He nodded vigorously.
Kizuka thought for a moment on how to phrase her answer. "When she's close to you she reflects what you feel, almost as a dimmer echo. But when I first saw her, she was bright, vibrant, and happy. It almost looked like she could break free. She's attached to you and can experience life, but I think she wants to be free to see the other realm."
Nuriko was silent for so long that Kizuka almost gave into the exhaustion that was plaguing her. Finally Nuriko shook himself out of his thoughts and stood up. "Arigato, Kizu-chan, for telling me. Now you need some sleep!"
"Ano...Nuriko? Please don't tell anyone about my blindness. I'm trying to prove myself enough without that to get past as well. And I'm not sure if I said this before, but thank you. For pulling me back from Kutou. I would have died." She was barely able to put together a coherent thought, but managed to get that out.
Nuriko paused at the doorway. "It wasn't working. I was using all my strength and it wasn't helping. Whatever saved you, it wasn't me."
* * *
Chichiri glanced up as Nuriko walked into the room. He seemed a little out of spirits. In fact, he looked absolutely shocked about something.
"Where the fuck have you been, gay-boy?" Tasuki asked in his delicate manner.
Chichiri had been prepared to duck in case a flying seishi came his way, but even he was surprised by the reaction.
"Kizuka was practically collapsed in exhaustion out there, so I'm letting her use my bed, which is closer than hers," Nuriko answered absently.
Now Chichiri knew something was wrong. He glanced at Mitsukake, who had come back from treating Miaka in time to hear the exchange, and frowned. "Is Kizuka all right, no da?"
"Hai, hai. She expended a lot of chi last night and needed more rest, is all."
"Are YOU ok?" Mitsukake's deep rumble seemed to fill the room.
Nuriko glanced at the others, finally noticing their unease at his uncharacteristic behavior. So as not to worry them when they should be concerned with Tamahome, he donned the mask he had been wearing for eight years. "Hai! I'm fine! I was just thinking about Hotohori-sama's amazing strength of will..."
A couple of sentences and a flying bandit later, all was once again right with the world, on the surface at least.
* * *
Kizuka had been on the verge of sleep when Nuriko had given his revelation. //If he did not save me, who did? Tai Itsukun?//
*I do not interfere so directly in the affairs of my children.*
//Suzaku?//
*Nakago was the one holding you. I have no power over the Seiryuu seishi.*
//No power over...Seiryuu! It was you? You saved my life?...Why?...Seiryuu?//
Try as she might she could not get a response from the Dragon God. She called in vain, but finally sleep overpowered her, and with it came the dream.
* * *
Kizuka sat up to a memory of shadow and blue flame. The remnants of the dream were quickly lost in the awareness of an evil presence in the palace. She shook her head, trying to place the source of the disturbance. Fighting the covers, she crossed the room and ran straight into a wall before she remembered that this was not her room.
She paused and took a breath. Thanking Suzaku once again that whoever designed the palace had thought to use a lot of wood, she carefully made her way to the walkway. Abandoning all dignity, she hiked up her skirts and broke into a run, heading toward the room where most of the rest of the seishi were. They looked up as she burst into the room.
"Ta-Tamahome," she gasped, "Tamahome's here, and he's gonna kill Miaka!"
As a group they ran out of the room. Nuriko grabbed Kizuka's hand as he passed her, forcibly dragging her along.
"He's already in the inner courtyard!" Kizuka shouted to the others.
Nuriko nodded, then warned in an undertone, "We're getting close to the stairs."
"Arigato."
The group came to an abrupt halt at the base of the stairs as they found themselves face to face with their ally-turned-enemy.
"Heh, I wondered when the pathetic seishi would show themselves to surrender." The Nakago-influenced Tamahome spoke confidently, sure that he would win.
"Surrender! Who the hell do you think you're talking to? A bandit leader surrenders to no one, especially weak fools who beat upon women!" Tasuki was alight with his rage.
"Ohh, so the one bandaged from head to toe has some bite after all. Anytime you're ready to die, fool." He laughed scornfully.
"Iie!" Kizuka pushed her way through the group, putting herself between Tamahome and Tasuki, who was being restrained by Mitsukake. "I will not allow you to fight! I am the Guardian of the seishi, and I will do all in my power to prevent harm to come to either of you."
Mitsukake looked at the young woman, standing cool and confident before the twisted seishi. His first impression of her, which had taken a severe blow last night, was completely blown out of the water at the sight of her putting herself deliberately in harm's way. Lightening flashed overhead, and she seemed to take into the power inherent in the skies. Her golden eyes flashed with the pealing thunder.
The powerful scene was broken by the sound of Tamahome's laughter. "You? One of the emperor's whores? An imperial harlot is going to stop me?"
"No." The booming voice came from behind all of them, and everyone whirled to see Hotohori come down the stairs with two swords in hand. "She will not stop you, because I will."
He was almost level with Kizuka when she raised a hand to stop him. "Heika-sama-"
He shoved her aside and tossed a sword at Tamahome. "Pick it up."
Nuriko and Mitsukake ran to the fallen Kizuka. As the rest moved out of the way of the fight, Nuriko was the first to speak, "His majesty's kindness is gone. He will kill Tamahome."
Kizuka stood up and glanced at the other seishi. Worry and fear had darkened their chi, even that of the imposter. She looked back at the fight. The blue and golden yellow of Hotohori's chi were completely gone, replaced by glowing orange and dark red of determination and passion. "Hai, he will kill Tamahome, but not if I have anything to say about it."
She ignored the strange looks she was getting and sank into a light meditation. She began feeding all the chi she could spare into Tamahome's line, strengthening it into a thick rope, and put all her strength into reaching Tamahome.
~Tamahome! Please fight! It's urgent!~
~no, hurts~
~But he's gonna kill Hotohori and Miaka!~
~miaka?~
~Yes, the one you love, who loves you! Please fight him!~
~too tired~
Kizuka came to a hasty decision. She threw all her chi at Tamahome, letting him use her last reserves in his fight.
*Stop! You'll kill yourself!* Suzaku was frantic for Kizuka.
//Shut up Suzaku, I need to concentrate.//
Slowly Tamahome began to gain ground in the fight against his alter ego.
Nuriko, in his concentration on the fight, barely noticed when Kizuka collapsed on the ground. He did, however notice when Kizuka started mumbling under her breath. Leaning closer, he realized that she was muttering encouragement to Tamahome. All of a sudden he heard Miaka shout. He watched in horror as the emperor was distracted for a brief moment and Tamahome charged him. Time seemed to slow as several things happened at once.
"Tamahome, NO!" Miaka's shout.
"Almost there!" Kizuka's encouragement.
And Hotohori used Tamahome's charge to impale him on the sword.
Nuriko barely heard Miaka's scream in his shock as he watched Tamahome's body fall to the ground. He wanted to run to Hotohori to see if he was ok; he wanted to pull Miaka off of Tamahome and out of danger; he wanted to run and hide from the horrible truth that another one of his friends was going to die, but he could do none of these things. He was rooted to the spot in amazement.
Into the silence that not even Miaka's sobs could overcome Nuriko heard Kizuka's voice. "Fight, damn you! I know it hurts and I know your tired but he's gonna kill her. Dammit, Obake-chan, for once in your life prove that you are not the ogre on your forehead and FIGHT!"
The last word was practically a scream.
Kizuka fought with the last of her energy, convinced it could still work.
//You realize that you're barely alive right now. If you give up that last bit of chi not even Mitsukake could save you. Not that he would, because he would have to heal Tamahome first. You would barely get an epitaph.// The mean voice was back.
//I don't care anymore.// She threw the last remaining ounces of her strength at Tamahome, and was rewarded as red light filled the courtyard. She sighed as she saw the last of the creature dissolve in the light of Suzaku's fire. Her eyes rolled back in her head and she let the darkness usher her into another world.
Tamahome, having been healed by Mitsukake, leaned on Miaka as he looked around for his savior. "Kizuka? I wanted to say thank you. ... Kizuka?...Kizuka!!"
~~~~~~~~~
And so end's another chapter. Were you surprised by her blindness? I thought I kept it consistent without giving it away. The blue man in her nightmares is pretty obvious, but what is this mean little voice? And what about Amiboshi? Or Nuriko? That's quite a bombshell to have dropped on the poor seishi. Questions that may or may not be answered in the next chapter! Yes, there will be a next chapter. Whether or not Kizuka will be alive depends on reviews, however.
Translators note: Ganbate-Good luck or fortune
*****Seeing Beyond the Akugi!*****
Wingsong narrates: Kizuka sat up to a memory of shadow and blue flame. The remnants of the dream were quickly lost in the awareness of an evil presence in the palace.
Kizuka: "A balrog! A balrog has come! And it looks like a Smurf!"
Warnings: Bad asses...Tasuki language...Bad dreams...weird revelations...maybe a little death...and spoilers for the end of the first season on. Pleasant chapter, ne?
"..." - Human speak
//...// - Thought speak
*...* - Godspeak
~...~ - Telepathy
Seeing Beyond the Light
Chapter 4: Secrets
Kizuka glanced up at the sound of silence. The Seiryuu imposter had stopped playing. "What is it?"
"Ganbate, Kizuka." He smiled in encouragement and began to play again.
Kizuka smiled, quickly knelt, and concentrated on the threads before her. She spun them together into a rope and coated them in a layer of her own chi. ~Chichiri, Tasuki, Miaka? I need you to give me permission to manipulate a large amount of your chi. I'm bound by oath not to do this without your consent.~
~Hai, no da.~
~H-hai.~
~Get us the FUCK outta here girl!~
She took the last as consent from Tasuki as she went deep into her own chi. Throwing most of herself down the rope, she closed her eyes as her consciousness followed. She barely felt the barrier as she slammed down in the midst of the fight.
She was in a completely different world. Sights, sounds, and sensations bombarded her from three different people. She felt the lingering ache of Miaka's arm and the fresh agony of Tasuki's injuries. She worried with Chichiri, raged with Tasuki, and was heartbroken with Miaka. She quickly concentrated on the task at hand before she could lose herself completely.
~Chichiri, you first. Go through the tunnel as quickly as possible. I don't want to risk two at once. Be prepared to catch Miaka and Tasuki at the end so that they don't aggravate their injuries.~ She spoke quickly and efficiently.
~See you soon, no da.~
She felt him leave and fade in her mind, as she placed a barrier around Miaka and Tasuki to replace Chichiri's. ~Miaka, its your turn now....Miaka?~
There was a pause as Miaka did not seem to hear.
~MIAKA, NOW DAMMIT!~ She lost her patience with the Miko.
Miaka jumped, a little surprised at the Guardian's tone, and turned once again to Tamahome. "Sayonara, Tamahome, Sayonara," and Miaka was gone.
Kizuka looked over at the attacker and gasped. Very weakly, so faint she could barely see it, the Suzaku seishi stripe began to glow. She clutched at that light and attached a thread of her chi to it.
~Tasuki, go now...Tasuki?~ She glanced back at him. //Oh shit.// Tasuki had lost consciousness. She quickly gathered all her energy and gently lifted him up into the chi-tunnel. Fighting to remain conscious against the powerful force of Tasuki's chi, she carefully put him into the portal. His body fell through, and she rested a moment as Tasuki's pain faded.
Just as she was about to gather the last dregs of her strength and leave, she felt the icy cold of a foreign chi lock onto hers.
~Hello, Suzaku seishi no Guardian.~ She could hear the smirk in his tone.
~Nakago.~ The word was filled with venom. Kizuka tried to leave but found she could not.
~You were pathetically easy to catch. Did you know that the chi that we can manipulate is actually a part of the soul? I wonder what will happen to your body in Konan if I destroy the chi you so thoughtfully placed right here.~
Kizuka felt a sliver of fear as she got her first glimpse of Nakago. The blackest red of hate she had ever seen permeated his entire soul. She could see nothing else except his seishi stripe crisscrossed with red lightening. She tried to put on a brave front. ~You don't have the power to destroy my chi. Your chi blasts and weapons need a physical target.~ She sounded as if she was trying to convince herself.
~How little you know.~ Nakago closed his fist and Kizuka's world became one of pain.
~Help! Please, someone,...Nuriko! Help...me...please......help~
* * *
Nuriko was surprised when he was given a job in the rescue. Usually if it involved magic he was not involved at all. He watched Kizuka sink into a deep mediation. A thousand emotions flickered across her face at once. As he watched, a glowing white portal appeared on the floor in front of her. He sighed when he saw first Chichiri's staff then the man himself appear from it. Apparently this was going to work. There was a pause, then Kizuka winced and grasped her arm again. Miaka floated slowly through, crying. Nuriko ignored Chichiri's orders to Mitsukake and looked again at Kizuka. She had relaxed the death grip on her arm, and looked thoughtful for a moment. Nuriko held his breath and waited to see the reaction when Tasuki came through. Kizuka seemed to sink even deeper into the mediation, then she gritted her teeth. Slowly, so slowly that Nuriko could almost detect no movement, Tasuki began to appear through the portal. Mitsukake gently cradled his head as Chichiri and Hotohori supported his body and laid it on the floor. Once he was out, Kizuka, her eyes still shut tightly, dropped to her hands and knees and gasped for breath. The portal did not disappear.
Nuriko, still keeping a tight grip on the rope of chi, asked tentatively, "Kizuka? Are you alright?"
All of a sudden the portal began to twist and grow dark. Kizuka's back arched and her face contorted in pain. Nuriko immediately began to pull on the rope.
"Nuriko! Hurry! She saved our lives." Miaka turned desperate, tear filled eyes upon her friend.
"It's not working! I'm using all my strength but it's not budging!" He yelled at the others, getting desperate.
Hotohori left Tasuki in Mitsukake's care and joined Nuriko at the tug of war. No matter how hard he gripped the rope, it seemed to slip through his fingers. Nuriko was slowly but surely being dragged toward Kizuka.
All of a sudden the tension snapped as the portal disappeared and Kizuka collapsed on the floor. Nuriko was thrown to the floor as the rope disappeared into Kizuka.
Miaka crawled over and tentatively touched Kizuka's shoulder, then grew bolder and turned her over on her back. Everyone held their breath as they waited. The silence was broken at last by a gasping breath from Kizuka as she opened her eyes.
"Arigato, minna. Arigato, Nuriko." She closed her eyes again, this time in sleep.
Nuriko turned confused eyes to Chichiri. "It wasn't working. Anyone could see that. If I did not save her, who did?"
* * *
It was dark.
The darkness enveloped her like a lover, warm and comforting. She floated, out of time and space, for a second and an eternity. She did not know when the other being joined her, but she knew when it took notice of her. All of a sudden the darkness seemed to smother her, hold her captive so she could not turn away from the shining blue being in front of her. She struggled in vain as a blue blast streaked towards her and seared her soul. She flinched in pain and opened her mouth to scream, but found she could not. Her struggles began anew and she realized that she wasn't breathing, COULD NOT breathe. She pushed and shoved at the blackness, but something was holding her down. The inky pitch clung to her every pore, holding fast against all her struggles until...
Kizuka woke up with a gasp, her eyes wide and staring. Apparently someone had moved her back to her room after she had collapsed. She drew in a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart. //What in the HELL was that?!//
*The after-effects of chi manipulation. Your chi was used without permission, and the nightmares are the result. This is what we were warning you against, why we made you take the oath. The nightmares will fade with time, but they will never completely go away.* Tai Itsukun's voice gave little comfort.
//Nakago did this to me?// She did not wait for an answer. //I need to find the seishi, there is much that needs to be done.//
* * *
Hotohori looked up from his seat at the entrance of Kizuka. Mitsukake had just finished talking about the effects of the kotuku poison. She appeared a bit flustered and worn out, but calmed herself down enough to give a polite bow before turning to Chichiri.
"Chichiri, you are familiar with Tamahome's chi, right?"
"Hai, no da."
"Did you recognize anything, anything at all in that...thing?"
"No," he said speculatively, "but even you said that you could not see Suzaku's mark on his chi."
The room seemed to deflate at that, but Kizuka still looked hopeful. "Not at first. Right as Miaka was leaving, she said 'Sayonara, Tamahome,' and just for second I could see the seishi stripe. The mark of the Gods is what my spell binds to, and look," the room flooded with light as five chi strings began to glow. She counted them off as she touched them, her voice getting quicker as she grew more excited. "Chichiri...Tasuki...Miaka...and this has to be Tamahome. Blue for loyalty, red for love, he's still there! Even if whatever spell Nakago has him under-"
"Kotuku poison," Mitsukake supplied.
"Arigato. Even if this poison controls a lot or even most of his actions, Tamahome as you knew him is still there." Kizuka let the light fade. "There is still hope."
Everyone's chi brightened a little by the hope in Kizuka's voice. Just then Nuriko ran in, waving a paper over his head.
"Miaka's missing! She's not in her room, and I think that this is a farewell note!"
Hotohori was about to run off to look for her when Kizuka stopped him. Placing a hand on his chest, she marked him quickly. After doing the same to Nuriko, Mitsukake, and the pretender, she spoke, "That's so I don't lose all of you. Hotohori, she's by the pond, but you'd better hurry."
Hotohori nodded then ran in the direction of the pond. Nuriko and Mitsukake followed close behind, leaving Kizuka alone for the first time with the Seiryuu seishi. Kizuka began to walk after those who had left.
"You're not running after them?"
Kizuka sighed and looked down at her clothes. "They did not make courtesans' robes for running, especially when they are two or three times too big."
He laughed a little, then grew serious again. "When you couldn't come back from Kutou, was that because I stopped playing?"
Kizuka turned in surprise to see the dark green of guilt cover his chi, "No, Nakago caught hold of me. It had nothing to do with you."
He nodded, then asked the other question that had been bothering him. "Who was the fifth string? You mentioned Miaka, Chichiri, Tasuki, and Tamahome, but there was another, dark red light. Who was it?"
She paused at the door, then turned to face the imposter. Her voice and face had hardened. "That was Nakago. I thought I'd keep track of the bastard who tried to kill me."
* * *
Kizuka finally joined the group by the pond. "How long has he been under?"
Nuriko turned worried eyes to Kizuka. "A long time. He was already under by the time we got here."
She nodded and turned back to the pond. Unobtrusively she touched on Hotohori's thread. Reminding herself firmly that she was NOT underwater and she COULD breathe, she began to feed her chi to Hotohori to give him strength. Just as she was beginning to feel faint from the effort a red glow began to grow in the water. She gasped in relief as Hotohori rose over the water carrying Miaka. As he landed she nearly collapsed herself. Mitsukake looked at her worriedly.
"Are you alright?"
"Hai. I think I did not sleep long enough. Go to Miaka. She needs your help more than me."
As he moved over to the crowd around Miaka Kizuka painfully drew herself up and turned for the long walk back to her rooms and some sleep between the nightmares. //Miaka and Hotohori are safe. That's what's important, Kizuka. A little pain on your part is nothing compared to the importance of the seishi. You knew this when you swore the oath,// she reminded herself.
//It's not like they would care, anyway,// a mean little voice inside her said.
//Nani?//
//You've just put yourself through incredible torment to rescue the seishi and that idiot Miaka from Kutou, and what do they do? Throw you into your room to sleep it off while they moan about poor, heartbroken Miaka!//
//That's not true!//She shook her head to rid herself of the annoyance.
//Ohh really...Who was there this morning when you woke up from one of the most terrible nightmares of your life?//
//...N-no one, but-//Her protests grew weaker as the poison of the voice began to sink in.
//That's right, they were all in that room wondering what to do. And then, when you offer some hope, they ignore you to rescue Miaka again. You are in pain now but do they react? No! Not even a word of thanks from Hotohori!//
//Mitsukake asked about me! And the imposter was worried!// That sounded weak even to herself.
//Oh come on. You saw the doubt in Mitsukake even before the rescue. And finding comfort in the Seiryuu? Don't make me laugh! Face it, you're just a tool to them.//
//NO! Chichiri likes me!//
//OK...where has he been since his real friends came back? He dropped you pretty quickly.//
She dashed away sudden tears. //You're lying.//
//Wake up Kizuka! You are no more important to them then you were to your family. Poor little weeping girl who couldn't ever be the best because she let her emotions get in the way of her skill. Your father had to keep training you long after the others because you were so incompetent.//
Kizuka put her head in her hands. //No. Stop it.//
//Fool. Weak. Stupid. Pathetic...//
"Kizu-chan?"
She gasped and looked up. "Nuriko! How's Miaka?"
"Hotohori-sama is taking her inside. She'll be fine. But never mind that. Are YOU ok?"
"Hai. A little tired maybe," she said, "mostly from getting the others back last night. I need to get some rest, but my room is so far from here."
"You can sleep in mine! It's right near all the rest of us, and not that far a walk. Here." Nuriko put his arm around Kizuka's waist and slung her arm over his shoulder.
Kizuka basked in the support of Nuriko for the much shorter walk to his room. "Here we are! Now you get some rest." Nuriko closed the doors behind him to give them some privacy.
Hearing the doors close, Kizuka began to feel her way cautiously across the room. She winced as her hand smashed into the inner wall.
Nuriko watched Kizuka as she made her way across the room, a suspicion niggling at his mind. "Let me help."
Kizuka straightened and cursed her exhaustion that made her forget that Nuriko was near. She put on a smile, "What would I need help for?"
"Come on, you're practically falling over your own feet in exhaustion." Nuriko picked her up and put her to bed fully clothed. Pulling up a chair next to the bed, he sat down and tried to come up with a discrete way of confirming his suspicion. After a bit he said, "You're blind, aren't you?" //So much for discrete. I'm getting as bad as Tasuki.//
Rather than answer, Kizuka stared at her hands on the covers.
"Kizuka?" Nuriko prodded, "You don't have to answer that if you don't want to."
She finally glanced up, "Did you know that your sister follows you around?"
"Nani? What does that have to do with-"
"At least I think it's your sister," Kizuka interrupted, looking back down at her hands. "She's young and shows some kinship to you, and since I don't think you had a daughter..." She waved a hand negligently. "Anyway, she's there. That's how I can tell when you are crossdressing. When you are in a dress, your sister is closer, almost touching your chi. I assume you were dressed as a man when I first met you because she was farther away, trailing behind. But that's really beside the point. The point is, with TrueSight I can see your dead sister following you around but I can't see a stone in front of my feet."
"So...you are blind?" Nuriko was confused by the roundabout explanation, and wanted to be sure.
"To all intents and purposes, yes. The only thing I can see is chi. It's like when you stare at the sun or a fire too long, you can't see other things for a bit afterwards. Since I constantly see chi, I can't make out ordinary objects. I can see all living things, and even things that were once living, such as a wooden door or chest or you sister. But things that never had life? Metals, stone? No, I can't see them at all."
"You can see ghosts?" He recoiled a bit in fright.
"Not usually. Most have already passed into the other realm." She waved her hands quickly to reassure him.
"But Kourin, my sister, you can see her? How is she?" Nuriko grabbed Kizuka's arm in his excitement to hear about his sister.
"Do you want the truth?" Kizuka looked directly at the waiting seishi.
"Hai!" He nodded vigorously.
Kizuka thought for a moment on how to phrase her answer. "When she's close to you she reflects what you feel, almost as a dimmer echo. But when I first saw her, she was bright, vibrant, and happy. It almost looked like she could break free. She's attached to you and can experience life, but I think she wants to be free to see the other realm."
Nuriko was silent for so long that Kizuka almost gave into the exhaustion that was plaguing her. Finally Nuriko shook himself out of his thoughts and stood up. "Arigato, Kizu-chan, for telling me. Now you need some sleep!"
"Ano...Nuriko? Please don't tell anyone about my blindness. I'm trying to prove myself enough without that to get past as well. And I'm not sure if I said this before, but thank you. For pulling me back from Kutou. I would have died." She was barely able to put together a coherent thought, but managed to get that out.
Nuriko paused at the doorway. "It wasn't working. I was using all my strength and it wasn't helping. Whatever saved you, it wasn't me."
* * *
Chichiri glanced up as Nuriko walked into the room. He seemed a little out of spirits. In fact, he looked absolutely shocked about something.
"Where the fuck have you been, gay-boy?" Tasuki asked in his delicate manner.
Chichiri had been prepared to duck in case a flying seishi came his way, but even he was surprised by the reaction.
"Kizuka was practically collapsed in exhaustion out there, so I'm letting her use my bed, which is closer than hers," Nuriko answered absently.
Now Chichiri knew something was wrong. He glanced at Mitsukake, who had come back from treating Miaka in time to hear the exchange, and frowned. "Is Kizuka all right, no da?"
"Hai, hai. She expended a lot of chi last night and needed more rest, is all."
"Are YOU ok?" Mitsukake's deep rumble seemed to fill the room.
Nuriko glanced at the others, finally noticing their unease at his uncharacteristic behavior. So as not to worry them when they should be concerned with Tamahome, he donned the mask he had been wearing for eight years. "Hai! I'm fine! I was just thinking about Hotohori-sama's amazing strength of will..."
A couple of sentences and a flying bandit later, all was once again right with the world, on the surface at least.
* * *
Kizuka had been on the verge of sleep when Nuriko had given his revelation. //If he did not save me, who did? Tai Itsukun?//
*I do not interfere so directly in the affairs of my children.*
//Suzaku?//
*Nakago was the one holding you. I have no power over the Seiryuu seishi.*
//No power over...Seiryuu! It was you? You saved my life?...Why?...Seiryuu?//
Try as she might she could not get a response from the Dragon God. She called in vain, but finally sleep overpowered her, and with it came the dream.
* * *
Kizuka sat up to a memory of shadow and blue flame. The remnants of the dream were quickly lost in the awareness of an evil presence in the palace. She shook her head, trying to place the source of the disturbance. Fighting the covers, she crossed the room and ran straight into a wall before she remembered that this was not her room.
She paused and took a breath. Thanking Suzaku once again that whoever designed the palace had thought to use a lot of wood, she carefully made her way to the walkway. Abandoning all dignity, she hiked up her skirts and broke into a run, heading toward the room where most of the rest of the seishi were. They looked up as she burst into the room.
"Ta-Tamahome," she gasped, "Tamahome's here, and he's gonna kill Miaka!"
As a group they ran out of the room. Nuriko grabbed Kizuka's hand as he passed her, forcibly dragging her along.
"He's already in the inner courtyard!" Kizuka shouted to the others.
Nuriko nodded, then warned in an undertone, "We're getting close to the stairs."
"Arigato."
The group came to an abrupt halt at the base of the stairs as they found themselves face to face with their ally-turned-enemy.
"Heh, I wondered when the pathetic seishi would show themselves to surrender." The Nakago-influenced Tamahome spoke confidently, sure that he would win.
"Surrender! Who the hell do you think you're talking to? A bandit leader surrenders to no one, especially weak fools who beat upon women!" Tasuki was alight with his rage.
"Ohh, so the one bandaged from head to toe has some bite after all. Anytime you're ready to die, fool." He laughed scornfully.
"Iie!" Kizuka pushed her way through the group, putting herself between Tamahome and Tasuki, who was being restrained by Mitsukake. "I will not allow you to fight! I am the Guardian of the seishi, and I will do all in my power to prevent harm to come to either of you."
Mitsukake looked at the young woman, standing cool and confident before the twisted seishi. His first impression of her, which had taken a severe blow last night, was completely blown out of the water at the sight of her putting herself deliberately in harm's way. Lightening flashed overhead, and she seemed to take into the power inherent in the skies. Her golden eyes flashed with the pealing thunder.
The powerful scene was broken by the sound of Tamahome's laughter. "You? One of the emperor's whores? An imperial harlot is going to stop me?"
"No." The booming voice came from behind all of them, and everyone whirled to see Hotohori come down the stairs with two swords in hand. "She will not stop you, because I will."
He was almost level with Kizuka when she raised a hand to stop him. "Heika-sama-"
He shoved her aside and tossed a sword at Tamahome. "Pick it up."
Nuriko and Mitsukake ran to the fallen Kizuka. As the rest moved out of the way of the fight, Nuriko was the first to speak, "His majesty's kindness is gone. He will kill Tamahome."
Kizuka stood up and glanced at the other seishi. Worry and fear had darkened their chi, even that of the imposter. She looked back at the fight. The blue and golden yellow of Hotohori's chi were completely gone, replaced by glowing orange and dark red of determination and passion. "Hai, he will kill Tamahome, but not if I have anything to say about it."
She ignored the strange looks she was getting and sank into a light meditation. She began feeding all the chi she could spare into Tamahome's line, strengthening it into a thick rope, and put all her strength into reaching Tamahome.
~Tamahome! Please fight! It's urgent!~
~no, hurts~
~But he's gonna kill Hotohori and Miaka!~
~miaka?~
~Yes, the one you love, who loves you! Please fight him!~
~too tired~
Kizuka came to a hasty decision. She threw all her chi at Tamahome, letting him use her last reserves in his fight.
*Stop! You'll kill yourself!* Suzaku was frantic for Kizuka.
//Shut up Suzaku, I need to concentrate.//
Slowly Tamahome began to gain ground in the fight against his alter ego.
Nuriko, in his concentration on the fight, barely noticed when Kizuka collapsed on the ground. He did, however notice when Kizuka started mumbling under her breath. Leaning closer, he realized that she was muttering encouragement to Tamahome. All of a sudden he heard Miaka shout. He watched in horror as the emperor was distracted for a brief moment and Tamahome charged him. Time seemed to slow as several things happened at once.
"Tamahome, NO!" Miaka's shout.
"Almost there!" Kizuka's encouragement.
And Hotohori used Tamahome's charge to impale him on the sword.
Nuriko barely heard Miaka's scream in his shock as he watched Tamahome's body fall to the ground. He wanted to run to Hotohori to see if he was ok; he wanted to pull Miaka off of Tamahome and out of danger; he wanted to run and hide from the horrible truth that another one of his friends was going to die, but he could do none of these things. He was rooted to the spot in amazement.
Into the silence that not even Miaka's sobs could overcome Nuriko heard Kizuka's voice. "Fight, damn you! I know it hurts and I know your tired but he's gonna kill her. Dammit, Obake-chan, for once in your life prove that you are not the ogre on your forehead and FIGHT!"
The last word was practically a scream.
Kizuka fought with the last of her energy, convinced it could still work.
//You realize that you're barely alive right now. If you give up that last bit of chi not even Mitsukake could save you. Not that he would, because he would have to heal Tamahome first. You would barely get an epitaph.// The mean voice was back.
//I don't care anymore.// She threw the last remaining ounces of her strength at Tamahome, and was rewarded as red light filled the courtyard. She sighed as she saw the last of the creature dissolve in the light of Suzaku's fire. Her eyes rolled back in her head and she let the darkness usher her into another world.
Tamahome, having been healed by Mitsukake, leaned on Miaka as he looked around for his savior. "Kizuka? I wanted to say thank you. ... Kizuka?...Kizuka!!"
~~~~~~~~~
And so end's another chapter. Were you surprised by her blindness? I thought I kept it consistent without giving it away. The blue man in her nightmares is pretty obvious, but what is this mean little voice? And what about Amiboshi? Or Nuriko? That's quite a bombshell to have dropped on the poor seishi. Questions that may or may not be answered in the next chapter! Yes, there will be a next chapter. Whether or not Kizuka will be alive depends on reviews, however.
Translators note: Ganbate-Good luck or fortune
*****Seeing Beyond the Akugi!*****
Wingsong narrates: Kizuka sat up to a memory of shadow and blue flame. The remnants of the dream were quickly lost in the awareness of an evil presence in the palace.
Kizuka: "A balrog! A balrog has come! And it looks like a Smurf!"