Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction ❯ The Girl Who Didn't Believe ❯ The Parting Of Ways ( Chapter 31 )

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

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

Chapter 31-Parting of Ways

Today was the day that they were leaving Kutou. It had been three weeks since Tasuki's recovery, and he was now strong enough to travel.

"Damn it, onna, my poor body just recovered and now you are trying to injure it again!! What is the big deal of dragging me all over blondie's estate?!!"

Kitten frowned at her koi and impatiently swiped away an errant strand of blue hair from her face.

"Quit all that whining, Tasuki. We need to look for Chichiri and Sable. We are supposed to meet outside our rooms. Wonder where they are." The pretty brunette and the blue-haired seishi had become even closer after the fight with the elementals.

At that, Tasuki gave a grin.

"Wrong question, Kit. Not where they are, more like what they are doing."

"What are they doing?" the girl was confused, but it quickly cleared when she caught onto Tasuki's meaning.

"Oh…you hentai!!" She blushed and smacked the redhead upside the head. "That is none of our business, and I don't want to think about that. Your best friend and my best friend…" Kitten turned even redder.

Tasuki nearly choked on his laughter when he saw Kitten's flustered expression. His koibito was such a joy to tease sometimes. She loved to act all tough and fierce, but turned into a blushing innocent whenever the conversation got too intimate.

"Now what the hell are you thinking about?" Tasuki grinned. "I am just saying that Chichiri and Sable are in the dining room having breakfast with Kamui and the three stooges." Although Tasuki had not blamed the Celestial Guardians for the fight, he still felt that they had not been gentlemanly when they kidnapped the girls, and thus the nickname. "They passed me by earlier and wanted me to inform you."

"Oh." Kitten felt very foolish now.

"Now who is the hentai?" Tasuki could not help it; he laughed out loud.

"You were the one who led me to believe otherwise!!" Amethyst eyes flashed with annoyance, and the pair begun making their way to said dining room.

"You should know that Chichiri is not the kind of person who goes around doing stuff like that, even if the other party is his beloved Sable. Especially when the other party is his beloved Sable." Tasuki corrected himself and rolled his eyes.

"The two of them are the classic examples of Till-death-do-us-part-and Till-marriage-we-shall-remain-virgins." He snorted at his own joke.

"Wait till' I tell Chichiri." Kitten elbowed Tasuki as they neared the entrance of the dining room. "Some best friend you are."

Tasuki halted her. "You won't tell, will ya?" the redhead shot her a puppy-eyed look and playfully nuzzled her neck with his nose.

It was obvious that Sable and Chichiri were not the only ones who had gotten closer after Seiryu's challenge. During the past weeks, Tasuki had learnt that it was laughingly easy to make his koi lose her concentration. All that he got to do is to be in physical contact with her, be it a kiss or just a simple caress. Almost instantly, Kitten felt all her resolve and frustrations melt away to nothing.

`Damn,' the girl thought. `He always does that to me and I forget everything.'

Tasuki saw the violet eyes soften and grinned boyishly.

"I know you won't." Grabbing her hand, he was about to pull open the doors when she dug in her heels and stomped down on Tasuki's toes. The redhead roared in pain.

"Are you trying to kill me, onna?!!" He let go of her and grabbed his injured foot, glaring at her all the while. Kitten was not impressed; she sniffed and walked past him to push open the doors. Tasuki had gotten his way too often and his ego was starting to annoy her. It made her feel good that he would not be as egotistic now.

"You are right, I won't tell, but that does not mean that I won't punish you for Sable and Chichiri." She grinned evilly.

"Baka onna…" The redhead grumbled but otherwise followed Kitten into the room. Greetings were exchanged and the couple settled for breakfast.

"So the four of you are going to Sairo next," Haiiro confirmed.

"Hai, no da."

Akai nodded his approval.

"That is a good choice; Byakko does not strike me as the type to go around scheming over much."

"All the gods are not the type to go around `scheming over much' compared to Seiryu." Tasuki grumbled as he reached across the table to pick some fruits.

Aoi smiled gently.

"That is certainly true."

##########

In the realm of the gods…

"They are leaving for your domain today right, aniki?" Genbu asked cheerfully. "So what are you planning for Suzie's people?"

Byakko had been looking at the mirror, observing the happenings in the mortal realms.

Byakko shrugged. "Something unexpected, I think. Suzaku has been delirious with joy when they finally decided to leave Kutou. I swear, our littlest brother have been grossly underestimating us. Did he think that Seiryu is the only one who can scheme? What makes him think that the two of us can't? After all, we are the reason why they are having this quest." Golden eyes narrowed. "I must find something to really test the girls, to see how far they are willing to go for Suzaku's seishi."

Genbu nodded in agreement.

"So, what are you planning?"

Suddenly, Byakko bounded up from his chair.

"You shall see when the time comes. Now, I shall prepare. So, they think that I am not `scheming' enough, huh?" With a toothy grin, he stalked away and faded into nothing.

Genbu stared at the space where his brother had been earlier.

Now what did the mortals say to put Byakko in such a weird mood?

He shook his head and occupied the arm chair that the tiger had abandoned, eyes glued to the mirror.

##########

Tasuki glowered at his fruit.

"Of course it is true. Dear kami, why is it that every time I come to Kutou, I end up nearly dead? I swear, that dragon seems to have something against me."

"He saved you this time though." Akai reminded.

An awkward silence hung in the air.

Tasuki's eyes had darkened at that reminder. No one knew of the full extent of Kitten's deal except him, and by mutual agreement, the two of them had decided that it is for the best that everyone else is kept in the dark. The pair kept their mouths firmly shut no matter how hard the rest tried to pry the information out of them.

"Did I say anything wrong?" the fire elemental asked, confused. Now everyone was interested. What had Akai said that had put Tasuki in such a bad mood?

"Iie, nan demo nai." Kitten assured everyone. "Tasuki is just touchy about that subject. You know men and their pride. Nothing to worry about." She shot her koi a reassuring look, and although he did not completely relax, the amber hues did lighten slightly.

However, the awkward atmosphere did not disappear.

"Enough of all that small talk," Kamui interrupted smoothly, and turned to Chichiri. "Have you got all your things ready?"

The blue-haired seishi nodded.

"Hai, no da. We were ready a few days ago, but the only person not ready then was Tasuki. Now that he is healed, we can leave for Sairo right after breakfast, no da."

"We will accompany you to the borders of Kutou," the elementals piped in.

"Are you guys returning to the heavenly realm after that?" Sable asked, alight with curiosity.

The trio shared a look.

"No," Haiiro said at last. "I don't think that we are going back anytime soon. You all heard Seiryu; unless he has a mission for us, we are allowed to be anywhere. Furthermore, the mortal realm is infinitely more interesting than the heavenly realm, especially now that the four of you are running amok in the Universe of the Four Gods."

Akai nodded his agreement. "The heavenly realm is very monotonous and boring." He pulled a long face.

"I was thinking." Aoi turned to Kamui. "Do you mind if we stayed here for a little while?"

The blonde shrugged. "My house is certainly big enough to inhabit four people."

"You house is big enough to inhabit the entire population of Kutou." Tasuki commented. "Honestly, I don't understand why you have this need to putter around in such a big house. Is that your insecurity talking?"

Kamui was slightly annoyed by the fact that the redhead had gotten over his snit enough so as to add smart aleck comments to his sentence. As if sensing Kamui's irritation, Tasuki grinned unabashedly at the blonde.

He ignored the impudent seishi and chose to observe the occupants of the dining room.

Despite the fact that each of them had vastly different characteristics, the elementals managed to complement each other so well that it amazed Kamui. Aoi's gentleness and calmness balances out Akai's fidgety and flighty energy, whereas Haiiro's laconic personality remained neutral. It was strange; but the three Celestial Guardians looked perfectly at home in his manor. Unlike the childish seishi of a certain god that Kamui decided not to mention, the elementals were actually as intellectually proficient as they were in martial arts. Just yesterday, he had spent an enjoyable evening with the three of them, debating politics. He had no doubt about them staying under his roof; those three valued their honor and pride above anything else, and would never use backhanded tactics to repay kindness.

Turning his gaze slightly to his left, he saw Kitten and Tasuki. They were squabbling again, and he was willing to bet that it was over the most mundane matter. Although the couple positively thrived on conflict, Kamui could see the love that they had for each other. How could he not, when it showed in their eyes every time they looked at each other? Of course, the fact that the girl had all but plastered herself to her koi when he was in coma and the fact that the man had fought equally as hard to awaken from his unconscious state had been a glaring indicator.

`They don't look very loving now, though,' the blonde mused absently.

In fact, Kitten looked as if she was going to do Tasuki in herself right now. Remembering the last time the two of them had gotten into a quarrel and had seen him observing them, Kamui quickly switched his attention to the last two occupants of the room. That experience was something that the blonde do not wish to repeat anytime soon. Tasuki and Kitten had demanded that he be the judge of their bicker when he did not even know what they were disputing about DESPITE the fact that he was present when the quarrel first started. At last, all it got him was one big headache. Thankfully, Sable had taken pity on him and had gotten him out of the melee. If Kamui was not in love with her then, her act of kindness would surely have induced the blonde to be so.

Sable.

He looked at the last couple. Sable and Chichiri made a very beautiful couple; they complemented each other, and most importantly, Chichiri was the only one who was able to put the smile in her eyes, and in turn, Sable was the only one who had accepted him, and loved him in spite of his past. They healed each other and even now, he saw them talking earnestly together. Kamui was surprised to realize that the jolting pain in his heart had lessened. Three weeks ago, whenever he saw the pair together, it had hurt like hell, a stabbing pain in the heart. But now, it was naught but a tiniest twinge; accompanied by so much happiness for his friends that he barely felt it anymore.

"I really got to admire you. I don't think that I would be able to do what you do if I was in your shoes."

Kamui flicked a glance at Haiiro, and for a long time, the blonde stared hard at the wind elemental, as if trying to gauge his intentions.

"I had no choice." The blonde said at last.

"You could just hold on to her and not let go."

Kamui looked at the silver-haired man.

"You think that love means possession." It was a statement of fact, not a question.

The Celestial Guardian shrugged.

"If I love a person, I won't let her go, no matter what."

"Even when she is unhappy?" There was silence, and Kamui continued. "Sable loves Chichiri, and had I forced my hold on her, her affections for me would gradually change to hatred and misery." Metallic blue eyes clouded over, and cleared just as quickly. "It was for the best."

"But you are miserable about your decision." Haiiro probed.

Kamui picked up his cup of tea and swirled it lazily.

"So I am."

The silver-haired man shook his head.

"You ARE crazy, you know."

Again the blonde looked at Haiiro and gave the man an amused smile.

"That was what I thought of Chichiri initially when he first pushed Sable away; I believed him mad to give up such a girl. But now that I know the reason why, I don't find it stupid anymore. One day, something like this will happen to you, and you will understand."

The elemental snorted.

"If love occurs, I will never let it, or HER, go."

"I hope that you won't have to. But sometimes, you don't have a choice, do you?" Haiiro looked slightly disturbed by his choice of words and Kamui lifted his cup for a mock toast. "Look after Sable in my absence."

The wind master was immediately affronted.

"Of course I will look after her and the rest of the group too. Aoi, Akai and I treat all of them as friends. We would have looked out for them even if you had not requested it."

"You know we will, Kamui." The blonde turned slightly at Aoi's words.

"You are eavesdropping."

"We did not know that this conversation is private," Akai retorted. "Oh, Aoi and I have been thinking; do you need us to make a visit around Kutou, sort of like an inspection? Since we are going out with the other group, we can help you monitor the towns and villages for any signs of unrest or disturbance. Do you want us to?"

"If it isn't too demanding for you, I heard that there had been some rumors about a possible rebellion up north."

"We will check that out for you." Aoi agreed.

"Thank you, and be careful." Kamui returned carefully.

Akai snorted.

"We have powers, you know, and thus we can see and hear things that even your best informers cannot. It would be a piece of cake."

Kamui lifted a blonde eyebrow. "It will be a piece of cake…" He paused deliberately for effect. "…Provided that you don't get lost first."

The fire elemental sputtered, but Kamui continued blithely. "I think that it is for the best that I give you three your own maps each. Just in case."

Akai was turning a dull red the same shade of his hair; Haiiro had his hands against his face, and Aoi was smiling embarrassedly. Everyone knew of the weakness of the Celestial Guardians. The occupants of the dining room laughed.

"I didn't know that you had a sense of humor, Kamui," Tasuki remarked snidely.

"Staying with a group of clowns for one month and a half has helped improved my disposition." Kamui returned the insult.

"CLOWNS?!! You…" Tasuki was rapidly turning the same shade as Akai.

Everyone laughed again, and Kitten told Tasuki to lighten up.

Gradually the laughter ceased and Chichiri regarded Kamui seriously.

"Kamui," The blue-haired seishi began formally. "I would like to thank you for all the help that you have given us the past month and a half, no da."

Not used to gratitude, the blonde shrugged. "I was just fostering inter-country relations."

Chichiri, however, shot him a look that told the others that Kamui had done more than that; he had been looking after them with the capabilities that only a good friend has.

"We would have liked to stay longer," Sable continued softly. "But we have to leave for Sairo now."

Kamui nodded and stood up. The others followed suit.

"I believe that the servants have already put all your belongings on the pack mules outside in the courtyard. Let's go, shall we?"

The large group of eight proceeded to the courtyard, and sure enough, everything was already packed and ready to go.

"There are lunch and some dried food packed inside, compliment of the cooks. They should be able to last you for a few days or more."

The group of seven nodded and there was an awkward silence.

"I would have liked to accompany you to the border, but duty ties me to the palace," Kamui commented neutrally.

"Iie," Kitten smiled at the blonde man. "Daijoubu, you have done more than we have expected of you. There is no need for you to feel bad about not seeing us off properly. You had been nothing but welcoming the moment we came to Kutou. Honestly, we have been expecting hostility and aggression when we first came here, right, Tasuki?"

Not used to parting words, Tasuki nodded dutifully and added. "Rest assured that we will definitely come back for a visit when the challenges are all said and done."

"I was afraid of that."

"Just what do you mean by that?" The redhead bristled.

A casual shrug.

"I mean what I say."

Tasuki turned to Chichiri, Sable and Kitten.

"That's it," he announced loudly. "We are all coming back here for a long stay in Kamui's house after everything."

To everyone's surprise, Kamui nodded his agreement. "Just make sure that you come back in one piece. I don't want your blood dirtying up my house again, and I sure as hell do not want all the gods to come all the way here to brawl over you too. It is too messy."

Tasuki smirked. That was as far as Kamui was willing to admit that he cared for all of them.

"Don't worry; there are other ways to mess up your perfect home. I will definitely show you how when I return."

"Make sure you keep your promise then."

The two men regarded each other for a long moment, and then Tasuki nodded.

"Well, then, let's go, shall we?" Aoi smiled. "We should make good use of the light that the day provides."

Akai and Haiiro were already setting out, the leads of the mules held between them. Chichiri and Sable fell in behind the two elementals and Aoi trailed behind the couple.

"We will report back in a month or two's time." The elementals informed.

"See you next time, Kamui!!" Sable and Chichiri waved.

Kamui looked at the last pair who had still not departed.

"What are you waiting for? The others are leaving."

Tasuki smirked. "You forget that my seishi power is speed. Well, we are going, since you are so eager to kick us off." His smile faded and the redhead looked at the ground and scuffed his feet. "Hey, listen. You take care of yourself too, okay? It won't be fun if we come back to this mighty fancy house to realize that it has changed owners. I am going to be downright pissed if that happens."

It is now the blonde's turn to smirk, and he did it naturally. "If you think that I am going to die that easy, you have another thing coming."

Kitten stared from one man to the other and shook her head.

Men. Why can't they just admit that they care?

"Well, Kamui. We really have to go now. Stay healthy and sarcastic, okay?" Before the blonde had anytime to react, the blue-haired girl gave him a tight hug, much to her koi's displeasure. She released the man just as quickly and Kamui nodded curtly.

Tasuki was fuming.

"Why must you go around embracing men left and right everywhere we go?"

"What do you mean, `left and right'? They are friends, okay? And it is just a good luck hug, for kami's sake." With a wave in Kamui's general direction, the couple set off, squabbling away.

"Oh? I don't see Sable hugging every man in sight!!"

"I am more affectionate than her, that's why. Sable is more reserved."

"Then why can't you be more reserved like her too?"

Kamui shook his head. There they go again. He believed that they would return to him exactly the same way they left: Chichiri and Sable smiling, Tasuki and Kitten quarreling.

And the best thing is, he would not have it any other way.

The blonde chief advisor of Kutou watched as the groups disappear out of sight to merge with the horizon.

"Gambatte, my friends. Until we meet again, gambatte."

Okay, first things first. GOMEN NASAI!! Heheh…gomen for being late in the updating for one week. I am really sorry, as I was having a little of the dreaded writer's block. But I am okay now. Got over it already. In fact, I have already completed chapter 32 and it is over at my beta-editor's. Am starting on chapter 33 too.

I know, I know. This chapter is not very interesting. It is just a wrap up of the Seiryu challenge as the group move on to Sairo. But I dare promise you that I have a most interesting challenge in mind from Byakkie-poo. ^^ *glomps the tiger god*

Thanks to Nuriko no Mikos for beta-editing!! Domo, my friend. *glomps her*

Please review, minna-san!!