Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction ❯ The Girl Who Didn't Believe ❯ Angel Of Grief ( Chapter 27 )

The Girl Who Didn't Believe

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the FY characters. They belong to Yuu Watase. I do own Kitten and Sable though.

`…' = thoughts

//…// = telepathic conversation

########## = at another place

^^^^^^^^^^ = recall

********** = dream sequence

@@@@@@@@@@ = mirror projection

A little translation here…

Urusei----Shut up

Okami----Wolf

Nanda----What

That's all, minna-san!! Enjoy!!

Chapter 27-Angel Of Grief

Chichiri was alternating between throwing ki-blasts, using magic and teleporting from one place to another. In fact, he was getting so good at this attack-and-then-defend maneuver that he hardly got injured by Aoi's ice serpents anymore.

However, the disadvantage of this move was that Aoi hardly got attacked by his blasts either. The water-master knew all the timing of his attacks and had evaded them smoothly, if not easily.

`This battle is pointless,' Chichiri thought. `What the two of us are doing is just wasting energy, and he knows it. Aoi is buying time, waiting for me to be weakened.'

He had once heard from Taitsukun that the Celestial Guardians, being servants of the beast gods, are immortal, and that means that they have unlimited energy at their disposal.

The Suzaku seishi cursed himself for not noticing the trick that Aoi had so neatly laid for him. He stared at Aoi.

The water-elemental looked…wild. His eyes were a stormy violet and he had a bloodthirsty smirk on his face. Chichiri was chilled to find that this Aoi was so much different from the normally calm and placid man that he usually was.

"I have had enough of this joke of a fight, Suzaku seishi Chichiri," Aoi drawled in a coldly bored tone. Chichiri automatically went into defense mode, wincing slightly as he aggravated his abdomen wounds again.

The lapis lazuli-haired man lifted a hand and directed it towards Chichiri.

"It all ends here."

Ki flared within the elemental and for a brief moment, he was surrounded by a bright blue aura.

"MIZU NO HEBI!!"

Chichiri was about to teleport away when suddenly, he felt it.

A painful tug in his chest which rendered him motionless.

Chichiri's eye widened as he clutched his upper body with his hands.

This sense of foreboding…he had felt it before…when Nuri…

`Shimatta.' Chichiri paled.

`Tasuki.'

Loud hisses startled him from his horrific thoughts and the seishi looked up in time to see the huge ice serpents shooting towards him.

There was no time to react and Chichiri knew it.

He closed his eye and braced himself for the deadly impact.

The last thing that he heard was a huge crash.

`Am I dead then?'

##########

Kitten was rushing along the path that Tasuki and Akai took.

`Tasuki…Please be alright…'

The blue-haired girl picked up speed, and reached the clearing in record time.

What she saw there made her cover her mouth in horror.

The entire clearing was charred black and smoking, despite the fact that heavy rain still poured down from the heavens above.

"Tasuki…" The word came out in the form of a weakened whisper.

There was no reply at first.

Then, Kitten saw movement at the corner of her eyes.

Hope rising within her, she turned hurriedly.

Only to see Akai.

The fire elemental got up shakily, looking slightly dazed. He looked at Kitten.

Kitten felt her hopes dash to the ground.

"Where is Tasuki?"

Akai looked at the girl apologetically.

He pointed to the other end of the clearing.

Kitten's eyes followed the direction where he had pointed until they landed on the battered and unmoving figure of her koi.

"Gomen nasai," Akai said hoarsely. "I…I was not given orders to kill him…just…Gomen nasai!!" He bowed his head. "I didn't mean to…"

"URUSEI!!"

The blue-haired girl ran to Tasuki's side. She bit her lips hard to prevent herself from crying out.

If not for his bruised face and tattered and charred clothes, Tasuki…Tasuki looked as if he was sleeping peacefully.

As if he would wake up anytime and tease her for being such a bad-tempered kitty.

Kitten knelt down shakily beside Tasuki. Carefully, as if Tasuki was a fragile doll; she brushed her hand against his errant fringe.

"Tasuki?"

There was no reply.

It was heartbreaking to see the pair.

A broken girl who looked as if her world was collapsing right before her eyes and her slumbering prince who would never wake up.

Akai turned his head away from the sight.

`It was my duty.' He hardened his resolve. `I had no choice.'

Kitten was numbed. She did not know what to do. All she knew was that Tasuki was…gone, and that Akai was the one who did it.

Animals from the woodland sensed her distress and ventured out to comfort her.

Rabbits, hawks, snakes, wolves, deers and so much more.

They put aside their own differences and came together to console Kitten.

Within minutes, all the creatures from the forest had gathered in the clearing.

All was silent.

Akai was amazed at the sight before him; he knew that the girl could change into all forms of animals, but had not known that she could summon them.

A hare burrowed its head under Kitten's hand.

//What do you want us to do, beloved? We are under your command.//

Kitten stared blankly at the hare. Then her hands curled into fists. Throwing one last glance at Tasuki, the girl staggered slightly and got back to her feet. She was still not looking at Akai.

With a finger, Kitten pointed to the fire-master.

"You." She looked up then, and Akai was stunned to see…emptiness. Those normally expressive violet eyes were void with emotions. "I will never forgive you."

With that, she released the blanket that had been covering her modesty and transformed.

Akai stared.

He was sure that he had never seen a creature like that in his whole existence.

Kitten had still retained her human form, but had `modified' her body.

Strong, flapping, eagle wings appeared on her back, keeping her afloat in the air. Her eyesight was one of an eagle's; sharp and alert. Sinewy limbs extended themselves, making her even taller and she became even more streamlined. Sleek and powerful muscles graced her body. Dangerous wolf-like fangs and keen ears replaced her more useless ones. Hair lengthened and darkened till it was the exact hue of a raven's coat. Nails sharpened into claws and her skin thickened into impenetrable hide.

In other words, Kitten had gone feral.

The girl beast snarled.

Akai's eyes widened and he stepped back a few steps.

Kitten launched herself at Akai, and her speed took his breath away. One second she was five meters away from him, the next, she was in front of him, dealing him with a vicious swipe that sent him sprawling to the ground.

What the hell was that?

^^^^^^^^^^

"You'd go through all that once more just for that blue-haired onna?"

Tasuki nodded.

"Naze? Why do it? She is just a common girl among millions. There are others prettier than her. Why go through this pain again when you can easily replace her?"

"None of your business, Red. Even if I were to tell you, you would never understand."

^^^^^^^^^^

Was this what Tasuki was talking about?

Was the bond between the two so strong that Kitten was able to sense the moment something happened to Tasuki and had rushed here to look for him?

Was it this bond that had changed her into this powerful being?

The power of love?

Akai wiped blood that flowed openly from the numerous deep wounds on his left cheek.

He knew that he should probably summon his Dragon of Fire now to counterattack Kitten, but somehow, he could not make himself do it, even when he told himself that Kitten had most probably lost all sense of herself.

`Damn guilt and stupid sense of chivalry.' He muttered as he got up to his feet to prepare to defend himself from Kitten's attack.

##########

`Am I dead then?'

"No, you are most definitely not dead." A familiar voice told him irritably. "Though I do commend your efforts for trying."

Chichiri's eye snapped open, and he found himself lying flat on the ground. Reflexes took over and he sprang quickly to his feet.

He stared in disbelief at the man standing before him.

"NANI!! What are you doing here, Kamui, no da?!!"

The blonde rolled his eyes.

"I believe that I was saving your ass."

Chichiri turned slightly red behind his mask.

"I know." He croaked uncharacteristically. "Thank you for that. But what I was asking is why are you here? Have you defeated Haiiro already, no da?"

Just then, the said wind-master strolled nonchalantly through a suspiciously large hole in the bushes at the edge of the clearing.

The silver-haired man was holding a sword, just as Kamui was.

"Iie, Suzaku seishi Chichiri." Haiiro smirked. "We were halfway through until Kamui slipped and flew into a dense forest of bushes. It was then did we realize that the pair of you was at the other end. Oh, hello Aoi." He nodded at the lapis lazuli-haired man.

"Sou ka, no da."

A second look at Kamui confirmed Haiiro's recount. The chief advisor was disheveled, and his immaculate clothes were torn and tattered. There were also numerous scratches and abrasions on his arms and face.

Kamui stared at Chichiri with annoyance.

"What were you trying to do just now, Chichiri? Speeding up the outcome of the battle? I do hope that you still remember Sable and Kitten." It was obvious that Kamui was still miffed over Chichiri's near fatal stunt earlier.

Chichiri recalled what had made him stop.

"Gomen nasai. I was caught unaware." The seishi said loudly for the two celestial guardians to hear.

//Something happened to Tasuki. I felt it. It was as if he was in mortal danger.// Chichiri's voice was anxious as he told Kamui what had really happened telepathically.

The blonde merely nodded.

//I don't think that we can do anything to help Tasuki now, so let's just concentrate on winning as quickly as possible first.//

Chichiri gave an almost imperceptible nod.

"Well, well." Aoi's tone was cold with dark amusement. "Now that all of us are here, why don't we join to fight together? I am sure that it would be fun." Aoi's eyes gleamed.

Overhead, the rain fell mercilessly.

Kamui looked slightly perturbed at Aoi's dangerous demeanor. He glanced at Chichiri but the seishi just shook his head. Even Haiiro looked astonished by Aoi's bizarre behavior.

Kamui shrugged.

"Why not?"

Chichiri nodded.

//Are you okay with this, Chichiri?//

//Hai. Aoi is very powerful, and let me tell you that Celestial Guardians have unlimited power.//

Kamui nodded. So that explained why Haiiro was so powerful and quick on the uptake all the time.

//So you are saying that if we want to have a chance at defeating these elementals, we have to strike quickly and do something to shock them or even anger them so that they would lose focus?//

//Hai. We will have to work together if we are to pull this one off.//

Despite the fact that both men were communicating telepathically, their faces remained outwardly implacable and their bodies were at the ever ready defense position.

Haiiro was the last to agree to this doubles match and he walked to Aoi's side, though he did keep a safe distance from the water elemental.

"So, as long as one of us is defeated, the game is over. Shall we?" Aoi asked politely.

Chichiri and Kamui glanced at each other.

"Hai."

Kamui rushed at Haiiro and Chichiri set his sights on Aoi.

Haiiro was prepared for the impact of Kamui's sword on his, but was surprised when Kamui dodged at the very last moment and went past the wind elemental instead.

Kamui missed!!

`What the…'

Suddenly, Haiiro felt a swoosh of air behind him, and his head suddenly felt a lot lighter than it once was.

`No…Kamui wouldn't dare do what I think he has just done…'

##########

Chichiri rushed towards Aoi and skillfully avoided the deadly shards of ice that Aoi had directed at him. Upon reaching the elemental, Chichiri did the one thing that Aoi never expected him to do.

He took his staff and started whacking Aoi over the head for a good number of times.

"I don't *whack* know what *whack* the Suzaku *whack* had happened to *whack* you *whack*, no da. But I *whack* don't think *whack* that it is *whack* your nature to *whack* act so *whack* sinisterly, no da. *whack* Please snap out* whack* of it, *whack* no da. *whack*"

Needless to say, that stunned Aoi for quite a moment and, taking advantage of this, Chichiri started reciting an incantation. Aoi's eyes widened as he recognized the spell. But it was too late. The spell was complete and Aoi froze over completely. It was a body binding spell, and Aoi could barely move.

"Kisama!!" The water-master hissed furiously. He could not believe that the seishi would stoop as low as that. "Release me immediately!!"

Chichiri popped out his mask and stared at Aoi.

"Gomen ne, Aoi, no da. I hope that you do not blame me for this, but this battle is very important to me and I must win it as quickly as possible, no da."

To Aoi's astonishment, the dratted seishi bowed oh-so-very-politely, as if they had been doing nothing for the past few hours except exchanging greetings.

Chichiri straightened just as quickly as he had bowed and looked anxiously at Kamui's direction.

`It's your call now, Kamui.'

##########

`No…Kamui wouldn't dare do what I think he had just done…'

He did.

No, in fact, Kamui had already done it.

The wind elemental turned just in time to watch with mortification as his long, incredibly silky and smooth, beautiful silver hair drift gently to the ground. Automatically, Haiiro raised his hand to the back of his head to feel the uneven remnants of his hair.

Kamui smirked.

Haiiro's expression was priceless. The wind-master looked as if he was going to cry anytime soon. Kamui figured that the man might as well sit on the ground and weep over his severed locks.

"You…you cut off my hair!!" That came out as a wail.

Kamui raised an eyebrow.

"Actually, I had contemplated doing that ever since the start of our fight, Haiiro. I find it very distracting and it keeps smacking me in the face every time you move your head.

"Do you know that it took me years to grow my hair this long?!!" Haiiro moaned. "And you…you just…" The man looked close to tears once more. "You just chopped it off like that!!"

"Do you want me to say prayers for your deceased hair?" Kamui was very amused, to say the least.

Haiiro did not find the entire thing humorous at all. Rage filled his senses, ringing in his eardrums until he could hardly hear properly.

"You will pay for this, Kamui of the imperial court!!"

The blonde clasped his sword tightly and positioned himself in front of Chichiri and Aoi.

"Are you sure you don't want to say last rites for your hair first?"

"I WILL KILL YOU!!" Haiiro snarled. "No more playing fair!!" The sword at his hand dissolved back into wind, and Haiiro raised his hands and pointed them at Kamui.

"KAZE NO OKAMI!!"

Kamui had expected that. Wind melded into a pack of huge wolves and they charged towards Kamui.

The blonde feigned a look of fear as he turned and ran flat out towards Chichiri and Aoi. He stopped beside the seishi and the water elemental.

Just as the wolves were about to reach the trio, Chichiri grabbed hold of Kamui and teleported the both of them to the relative safety of large tree trunk. There the duo watched as the wolves converged on Aoi, and exploded. Kamui saw Chichiri wince.

"Don't worry about that baka. He is immortal."

Chichiri nodded.

He knew that he had made no mistake. There was still Tasuki to worry about.

Once the explosion settled, Chichiri teleported Kamui and himself back on the ground again.

"We win." Kamui said expressionlessly.

Haiiro looked disbelievingly at the duo.

At last, he could not help but shake his head and admit defeat.

"You guys are really united." The wind master smiled. "To be able to think of making use of our emotions and apply a dangerous combination attack like this. We did not even see it coming."

Kamui nodded.

"I apologize for your hair."

Haiiro waved his hand. "Yare, yare, daijoubu. Short hair looks good on me, anyway, so there is really no harm done."

Kamui did not know how to reply to that and so he turned to Chichiri.

The seishi was not there. A sudden flash of movement enabled Kamui to spot the man again.

Chichiri was undoing the spell for the body binding, not that Aoi would do anything untoward to him anyway. The impact of the blast had rendered the water-master unconscious.

Kamui noticed that the thunderstorm that had lasted for the duration of the fight had finally ceased.

Aoi felt a thundering headache pounding mercilessly in his head. He groaned and cracked open an eye.

"Daijoubu desuka, Aoi, no da?"

Aoi recognized the voice, and he nodded feebly. He also saw the man Kamui and Haiiro beside the seishi.

"Hai. What happened?"

Chichiri told Aoi what had happened, thinking that maybe the blast had disorientated the man.

At the end of the recount, Kamui did not know who looked guiltier, Aoi or Chichiri.

"Gomen nasai, Aoi!!"

"Gomen nasai, Chichiri!!"

The two gaped at each other.

"Why do you apologize, Aoi?" Haiiro asked.

Aoi looked extremely sheepish.

"You see, I have what you mortals would call `split personalities.' What you guys just saw earlier was my evil half."

Everyone was surprised, to say the least.

"How come we never knew about it?" Haiiro asked.

Aoi sat up then.

"Anou…my other personality appears only when there is a thunderstorm or heavy rain. The great rush of elemental power that the rain has always brings out my other half."

Haiiro nodded with understanding then.

"So that's why you always avoid us whenever you know that there is a storm coming up."

Aoi nodded again.

"However, today's storm was totally unexpected. I supposed that Seiryu had something to do with it. So, gomen nasai, Chichiri."

Chichiri shook his head.

"Iie, daijoubu, no da."

"Now that everything is explained," Kamui walked to the clearing. "I think that we'd better go and look for Tasuki."

Chichiri nodded.

"Hai. It was very weird. That feeling I had just now. It was just like when Nuriko died, but it was not really the same, no da. I don't know what happened to Tasuki."

Chichiri stood up and Haiiro helped Aoi up. The two elementals leaned against each other for support.

The group of four was about to leave the clearing when Sable tripped her way in. The look of panic on her face instantly dissolved to relief as she saw the group.

"Chichiri, Kamui, something had happened to Tasuki!!" The brunette flung herself at Chichiri. Chichiri winced but did not push her away.

He lifted a hand to comfort the girl.

"What happened, no da?"

Sable swallowed hard.

"Kit…Kit felt something. Hayaku!!" Panicking, the girl tried to leave Chichiri's embrace but the seishi merely stopped her with a slight brush of his hand against her face. "We have to go and look for her. She is with Tasuki now."

"Let's go then." Kamui said. He glanced at the pair. Sable was trembling from her exertions and even though Chichiri was injured, he still kept her close to him. "Can you try to communicate with Kitten?"

Sable nodded and the group continued walking.

//Kit? Are you there? Is Tasuki all right?//

Sable waited for a while before frowning.

"Something is wrong, Chichiri. There is no reply." The brunette worried.

Just as she said that, she felt it.

Sable gasped and loosen her hold on the seishi. She used her other hand to clutch her chest. Tears leaked out of her eyes as she panted harshly for breath.

Distressed, Chichiri brought Sable even closer to his body.

"Daijoubu ka, Sable?" Although the blue-haired seishi was weak from blood lost, he supported Sable's weight. The group had stopped and was now gathered around Sable and Chichiri.

It took the brunette a few minutes to compose herself.

"What happened, Sable?" Kamui asked softly.

"Wa…wakarinai." The girl said at last. "Suddenly, there was this feeling that just surged into me. The magnitude of its grief…" Sable shook slightly. "it was agonizing. I hope that I will never feel it again."

Aoi shook his head slightly.

"What had Akai done?"

Haiiro shrugged.

"Obviously more than we have."

"All the more reason we should reach Kitten faster, if that emotion is what she is feeling now." Kamui muttered grimly. From the corner of his eyes, he saw that Chichiri was getting pale from the burden of keeping Sable upright.

"Here, Sable, hold on to me, Chichiri is still wobbly from the fight." The blonde took Sable and Chichiri looked at him gratefully.

He watched implacably as Sable looked at Chichiri and did not let go of his hand until he nodded his assurance at her.

The group resumed their way to Tasuki, Kitten and Akai.

##########

Akai hissed as he hit the ground for the tenth time. The rain had long stopped, and the sun had appeared, thus making the clearing a hot and muddy place.

Akai was soiled and bleeding and there were bite and scratch marks all over him. And yet, he still refused to use his powers.

"Why?"

Akai pushed himself to sit on the ground. It was the first time that Kitten had spoken ever since her transformation.

"Why what?"

Kitten snarled.

"Don't fuck around with me!! Why don't you use your power!!"

Akai forced himself to stand up. He smirked and spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Why should I?"

Kitten moved, and Akai found himself kissing the mud again.

"Damn it, onna!!" The fire elemental yelled. "Stop shoving me to the ground!!"

"Naze?" Kitten asked again.

"Okay, okay!!" The man threw up his hands. "I will tell you. I don't fight onna and…"

"And?" The girl asked dangerously.

Akai looked solemnly at Kitten.

"And Tasuki made me promise not to hurt you no matter what."

Kitten stiffened.

"URUSEI!!" The girl shook her head. "URUSEI!! You have no right to speak of Tasuki, so shut the fuck up!!"

Kitten shook her head repeatedly and threw herself at Akai, claws extended.

Akai knew there and then that Kitten was serious now, and he closed his eyes.

`If injuring me will make her feel better, then so be it.'

##########

"URUSEI!! You have no right to speak of Tasuki, so shut the fuck up!!"

The group arrived just in time to hear those words coming from…a beast?

It took actually took them a minute to realize that the entity that was flying above Akai was Kitten.

Sable gasped and tears leaked from her eyes. Her friend must have been so badly traumatized to change into such a creature. Every part of Kitten shouted the word `Grief'.

Everyone watched as Kitten prepared to attack Akai. But before she could reach the fire elemental, Haiiro summoned an impenetrable wall of wind to shield his friend. Kitten hit the wind shield repeatedly but to no avail. She snarled.

Chichiri stared at the scene that was unfolding before him.

Where was Tasuki?

"There he is."

Kamui, Sable and Chichiri started to walk to the other end of the clearing, where Tasuki laid motionless.

Chichiri was about to kneel down beside his friend when Kitten spotted them.

"Get away from him!!" She left Akai and flew to the trio whom was surrounding her koi.

Chichiri and Kamui immediately turned and shoved Sable behind them.

"Matte, Kitten, no da!!"

The girl did not heed Chichiri's plea and with violent swipes, sent Chichiri and Kamui flying.

"What's wrong with her?" Aoi asked.

"She`s lost control." Was Akai's quiet reply. "I don't think that she recognizes anyone of us anymore."

Kitten stared at Sable next.

"Get away from Tasuki!!"

Sable was still crying.

"Kit…please don't be like that…You are hurting me…"

Kitten looked emotionlessly at Sable.

"I said, get away from him!!"

Kitten bared her claws and swiped down, much to Kamui and Chichiri's horror.

"IIE!!" Sable lifted a hand to stop the girl.

Suddenly, a golden light appeared before the brunette's palm and flared brightly.

`Nanda?'

The light was warm, and it warmed Kitten's soul. The girl lurched slightly; the warmth was making her dizzy.

`What is going on? What is that light? Why is it drawing me back to the surface? I don't want to go back. I don't want to. Going back means that I would have to face reality. Iie, please, no.'

Kitten resisted even as the light pulled her back.

//Kitten, you must stay strong. I am waiting for you, Kit. You are hurting me like this. Please come back. We promised to face this together, right?//

Every one stared as Kitten's consciousness returned to her. Slowly, she changed back to her normal form and drifted into Sable's arms. The golden light disappeared from Sable's palm then. Chichiri immediately hurried up and covered Kitten with his cloak.

Kitten opened her eyes, and she smiled sadly at the man before closing them again.

"Gomen, minna."

Eheheh…Fight scenes again for a great part of this chapter until the very last parts…Sable's powers are revealed!! I hope that you guys don't kill me…especially Tasuki lovers out there. Gomen ne? ^^ Nothing much to write, except to tell all of you that like Suzaku always said, "Everything happens for a reason.". To find out the reason, stay tuned for the next chappie!!^^

Thanks to Nuriko no Mikos for beta-editing this chapter!!

And lastly thanks to all my generous reviewers, both new and regulars!! Domo!!! Please review this chapter again, will ya? ^^