Tasuki's Swimming Lesson

By: Suiren-chan and Zenithfairy

AN: Z: Ohayo minna!! And welcome to the first joint fic between me and Suiren-chan. I'm warning you now, it's not going to be pretty. Lots of randomness caused by too much school. This is our first attempt at a fic passed around between periods, so let us know what you think. The characters are a little OOC, but the heat will do that to anyone….

Disclaimer:

Suiren: La-de-da…oh, gomen, I almost forgot about this part.

Zenith: Hah. Wishful thinking.

Suiren: OK. We don't own Fushigi Yuugi no da. Good enough?

Zenith: Can I own Tasuki?

Suiren: Sure –

Zenith: Really? Wai wai! *dances*

Suiren: – as long as I get Chichiri.

Zenith: Deal! I hope Watase-sama doesn't see this…. *grins* I own Tasu-chan, I own Tasu-chan!! *dances*

Suiren: Yeah, really all the characters belong to her. There you go, a double disclaimer no da!

Zenith: *sighs and looks disappointed* But we have the right to dream right?

Suiren: (dreamily) Yeah…

Part 1: It's Waaaaaay Too Hot in Konan

It was a beautiful day in Konan. The weather was becoming even warmer lately, as the seasons changed from spring to summer. However, today went beyond "beautiful." It was downright hot! Mind you, Hotohori's palace in Ancient China, wasn't air-conditioned so the Suzaku Sichiseishi were pretty much screwed.

"Too…hot…" sighed Tasuki as he sat in a cool room in the palace fanning himself with his tessen.

"I thought you liked heat, pyromaniac," came a voice coming towards him. It was only Tamahome, so Tasuki glared at him and continued fanning himself. "Hey, Tasuki?" asked Tamahome. "What's that phrase you like to yell to anyone that's giving you a hard time?" Tasuki looked at him blankly, his brain having melted with the heat long ago. "You know," he continued, "the one you use to fry people with?" Tamahome finished with a smirk.

"Oh! You mean 'Lekka Shinen' – Tasuki was then thoroughly toasted due to his holding the tessen to his head. It's not a good idea to tease the Tasuki when he's already overheated –

"OBAKE CHAN!!! Omeo korosu!! That was the cruelest thing you've ever done, you f*ckin' b******!!!" Tamahome ran for his life, laughing the whole time. "Get yer ass back here damn it! LEKKA SHINEN!!!!!"

Well, it's needless to say that Tasuki was mad. He chased him out the palace door and onto the grounds. He got into the sun, though, and lost track of his target because of the horrible glare. 'Where'd he go, where'd he go?' he muttered to himself. Finally, after giving up to the heat of outside, the burned bandit plopped down defeatedly on the ground and sobbed. "That was so mean," he whined. He noticed Nuriko and Hotohori sitting peacefully on a cool rock, under a shady tree. As far as he could tell, Miaka, Mitsukake, Chiriko, and Chichiri weren't anywhere to be seen, but then, who could see anything with the damned sun.

"Wonder where they are…" Tasuki muttered as he lay down in the grass weakly.

"Oomph!"

"Nani?" Tasuki cried. He had fallen on top of Chichiri, who had been lying in the crinkled grass behind him, kasa over his head protectively.

"Gomen 'Chiri! Were ya sleepin'?"

"No…no…da…" he groaned. "Was…dying…" came the muffled reply. Chichiri had already taken off the kesa and his shoes, and rolled up his sleeves as his as they would go, but the sun still took its toll. His mask was constantly slipping off his face, and he had to push it back up like a pair of glasses. That is, until he got sick of it and just tore that off too not feeling the need to hide in front of his friends.

"I know, it's really hot out. I don't think I've ever seen weather so bad around here. But don't worry, you can't die from it." Suddenly Chichiri sucked in a gulp of air.

"Can't…breathe…well…no…da…" Chichiri sat up and wheezed. "You know I…don't do well…in this weather…no d –" He gasped before he could even finish his catchphrase. "I…asked Chiriko…to find…water," he mentioned in a raspy voice different from his usual high-pitched, hyper one. As if on cue, Chiriko ran and bounced his way up to Chichiri and Tasuki, with more energy than the two of them could muster together. 'It must be youth,' the monk thought.

"I found a lake!" Chiriko yelled. "And I've told everyone else so far too! He was right; Tasuki noticed that Nuriko and Hotohori were no longer sitting under the tree. "Come on! Let's go!" The boy glanced at Tasuki. "You look a little over-heated Tasuki-san," he noted. "Maybe this will help," and without further adieu, the young Seishi dumped the entire bucket of water he had been carrying on the bandit, managing to soak both him and the monk thoroughly. Chichiri seemed to relax a little as the cold water cooled him off. Tasuki, on the other hand, was not amused. The momentary satisfaction of the icy water quickly gave way to anger and the bandit turned on the child-warrior.

"What the hell did you do that fer?" he sputtered, water dripping from his hair and into his eyes.

"Gomen Tasuki-san, I know you don't like water, but you looked like you were about to die from the heat. The water really cools you down," Chiriko told him wisely. He motioned to his own wet hair and clothing. "Which is why there's a whole lake waiting for us!" Chiriko exclaimed. The bandit didn't look placated. He opened his mouth to say something but began to cry again instead.

Meanwhile, Chichiri jumped up from his sitting position and hugged the little Seishi. "Arigatou, arigatou, arigatou gozaimasu no da no da no da!" cried the blue-haired, and now wet, monk. He grabbed the stunned Tasuki by the hand and Chiriko led them to the lake he found.

The neatly trimmed bushes opened up to a decent sized lake. Giggles and laughter was heard all around it. Mitsukake was floating as Nuriko did a cannonball, sinking him. Chichiri's eye glistened; (having left his mask behind on the ground) it wasn't often that they got a vacation like this one. It felt like torture at first, but now-- Chiriko arguing with Tasuki to go swimming interrupted his thought.

"No."

"Yes."

"No!"

"Yes!"

"NO!"

"YES!"

"I'm not! I'll just watch ya, Chiriko!" Tasuki said as he got free of his grip.

"Fine," Chiriko gave in as he dove into a deeper part of the water gracefully.

"Amazing huh no da?" Chichiri said softly, "A thirteen-year-old that can swim with ease na no da..." Chichiri commented to Tasuki. The bandit glared and the monk continued. "I know you're afraid of water no da. I'm just rubbing it in!" he chuckled gleefully. Tasuki stared out at the lake for a few minutes, and watched Chiriko swim like said he would. Chiriko, along with most everyone else had found cooler clothes around the palace. Most of them just had on a pair of shorts they found, or pants that were rolled up, except Miaka of course.

"I don't think, actually…I'm just gonna sit this one out." Tasuki concluded with a wave of his hand.

"Oh, no you don't know da!" Chichiri warned from behind him. He had left the kesa behind, and by now had stripped off most of his clothes, leaving only his brown-green pants that were rolled up to the knee. [S: @. @] "You're joining us," he said over the din, still grinning ear to ear. Chichiri had the bandit by both hands and was leading him to the lake with ease until Tasuki snapped out of his overheated stupor.

"Uh-uh! I don't think so!!" Tasuki screamed as he pulled away, but Chichiri caught him around the waist and pushed him from behind back towards the water. Chiriko was watching and laughing at the sight.

"Chichiri!" Tasuki cried desperately, "C'mon! I don't wanna! Lemme go!!" he fought, now understanding that Chichiri wasn't kidding.

"Daaaa! Tasuki, cooperate na no da! I'm hot, and I want to swim no da!" His blue hair was drenched as buckets of sweat dripped from his brow.

"No one's stopping you! Go ahead!" and with that, Tasuki picked up the frail man and threw him into the water very…ungracefully.

"Daaaaaa!" Chichiri yelled until he hit the blue with a crash. But the intelligent Chichiri didn't come back to the surface right away. He stayed under, enjoying the cold water flowing over him.

Seconds went by. A minute. "Chichiri? Chi-chiri?" Tasuki questioned, as he wondered where the monk could've gone. It would just be his luck today if he ended up injuring him or something, so the redhead became worried. He slowly bent over the deeper part the lake and shakily looked down where he threw him. [S: Is he really that stupid? Z: My Tasu-chan is not stupid! *looks up* okay, so maybe he can be sometimes. But it's the heat…yeah…that's it…the heat…]

"Gotcha!" Chichiri quickly jumped out of the lake enough to catch Tasuki's legs, making him unstable. Chiriko got out of the water and decided to join in on the fun, by pushing Tasuki in on top of Chichiri! This caused an even bigger splash than Nuriko's cannonball.

When they came up, Tasuki coughed and sputtered and clung to Chichiri, the only thing between him and drowning. He had taken off the trench coat and boots before, but otherwise, poor Tasu-chan was fully clothed.

"Good thing you worried about me sooner or later. I was running out of air no da!" Chichiri said as he treaded water, trying to support him and Tasuki, but still smiled triumphantly. Then again, Chichiri rarely doesn't smile, so I guess that's not a news flash. Tasuki opened his mouth, probably to curse at them, but it came out as tears and he cried yet again. Third time today I think. Normally he's a strong, determined, independent guy, but what is there to say? It just wasn't his day.

~~~

Z: Well what'd you think?

S: Not too bad if I do say so myself. So let us know what you think. Reviews are encouraged.

Z: All ya gotta do is click on the little bar down there. *points to bottom of screen* It says submit review on it. Come on…you can do it…good. Thanks in advance.

S: Look for the next part soon. It's already started. We're aiming to have it out by next week.

Z: Yup! Ja ne na no da!

S: Hey!!!! That's MY line!!!!!!