Edit.: Well this is my first fanfiction.. In English that is. I've made a few in Dutch and when transforming a Dutch to an English text, I found out it's a lot more difficult than I'd expected ^^' Well hopefully I'll get better at it. I'm also planning on making a drawing for each chapter ^^ I'll post the links to them later. I've decided to only download two chapters for now (although I already have a few of them ready). When I get a lot ,and above all, positive responses to them, I will definitely post the rest each month, until the end of the story!^^ Well.. I hope you like this first chapter (well it's actually more like an introduction to the essence of the storyline, but enjoy!^^).
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It was a clear night, with a broad sky full of stars.. A magnificent view, but something about it felt not quite right, as if it was all too dark.. well for a certain person that is. A certain person with wild orange hair, amber eyes and little fangs, which always come out whenever he laughs, only that was not the case right now. His presence had as usual something fiery, as well as his aura, but it seemed that this time it didn't feel as warm as it normally feels.
The stars and the moon gave the little lake under the bridge, on which he was standing, a pretty shining glow. The old Chinese palace on the background looked peacefully, in spite of different silhouettes of persons were casted against a lightened wall of a room. Everything was quiet, except for a few quaking frogs, but it was quiet enough, enough to just be alone with just you and your mind for a time.
The Suzaku Seishi walked towards the reeling of the little bridge with an easy pace. He looked up and squeezed his eyelids a bit more together, while his look zoomed in on seven particular lights hanging there in the dark sky.
"Hmm, weird how some things happen."
He thinks lightly in his head.
"But despite everything.."
He didn't allow himself to finish his thought and shaked his head disapproving.
"What are you in Suzaku's name talking about, you baka! Soon this will all be over and than you can go back to your mountain, back to those lousy bandits of yours to boss them around again.. that's the way things are gonna be and it ain't a bad thing, now is it?!"
He wished he could turn his thoughts on and off whenever he felt for it or at least could think of something else at the moment.
Suddenly in the corner of his eye, he spotted something shiny by the moonlight and noticed it was his half empty bottle of Sake against one of the pillars of the corridor. He put up a little smile and grabbed the knob of the bottle without even looking.
"Aaaah! At least, I still got you my old friend!"
He said out loud and put the bottle against his lips.
He didn't seem content and after a few gulps, he threw the still half full bottle agitated on the ground.
"Even booze doesn't taste good anymore.. heh, this would than be the first time that Sake has ever let me down!"
He thought mocking, realising he can be a real alcoholic some times.
"But still, I would give up all the liquor in the world just for –"
His mind was interrupted, when he noticed the wood under his feet began to creak.
"Who's there?"
He yelled commanding and quickly grabbed his weapon, his reliable fan.
But out of the shadows, everything except something terrifying came out, no it was more.. vulnerable and lovely at the same time.
"Oh, it's you Miaka."
He gently let his fan slipped back into its socket and allowed her to come closer to him.
"Tasuki.. why, you are tensed! Why are you here? The party's inside! And I know you love to party.."
She said with a smile, by which a little laughter followed when she saw a bottle laying on the ground.
"And to drink."
She looked at him with her ever so sparkling brown eyes, waiting for an answer, but she didn't get one. He just kept standing there, staring at those seven stars, as if he never even had noticed her.
"Tasuki..?"
Now she looked a bit more worried and less happy than before.
"I.. I just needed some fresh air, that's all. Ya know me, hah? Too much, too fast drinking ain't something new for me, hehe."
He smiled while he said it, but was still holding his gaze off from her. Relieved that he at least spoke, she went to stand next to him, gazing at the stars just like him, her hands resting on the wood.
"It doesn't matter how often you come here, it just keeps amazing you every time how beautiful it is, don't you think so?"
Tasuki said nothing, he just nodded.
"Hmm, I'm going to miss it here."
She looked with a bit melancholy at the person standing next to her.
"But above all, I will miss the people.."
Tasuki regarded aside, the first time that night his fiery eyes met her soft hazel ones.
"Those who've supported me, who've helped me and were always there for me.. Everyone.. I'll always keep them close to my heart and will never forget them.. Hotohori, Mitsukake, Chiriko, Nuriko, Chichiri, haha I'll even miss Taiitsukun.. and you Tasuki."
Suddenly he looked dumbfounded by hearing his own name, as if he has never heard it before.
"She shall miss me too?.. Yeah 'course Baka, Ya one of her seishi's, it's just normal that a miko will miss all of her protectors.. Don't think you're an exception."
He turned his sight away from her for the yet time and pretended to behold the fascinating spectacle of the noisy frogs, quaking. But actually he was just looking for an excuse for not having to look at her.
"Tasuki.. This is not how I know you! Where's that happy bandit, I always see? The one with his funny actions, which always make me laugh?"
"Well.. at least now I know where I'm standing. I'm a clown for her.. But if she wants that, I don't care. I'll be everything she wants me to be."
Ready to put up his usually big smile, which he now needed to cover up his actual mood..
.. but something stopped him.
"I know what's bothering you.. And I know what you mean.."
She said with a sudden change in tone.
Startled he behold her somewhat sad look.
"Kuso.. Does she know? But how.. Was it that obvious?-"
He didn't had time for further thinking, because out of nowhere a tiny feminine figure flew into his arms and held him strongly. His eyes became wide open of amazement, should he be happy or not? He didn't know, for now he was just confused and didn't know how to act.
Miaka waited for a response, but when nothing happened, she again made the first move.
"I get why you're still upset about it, in a certain way I am too.. But I've already forgiven you, right away.. I know you weren't yourself, It was Tenkou. Even your aura didn't feel the same then, so I knew it couldn't have been you."
Tasuki felt relieved in a strange way, glad she didn't find out his secret. And in a certain way she was indeed right, that time he almost really hurt her was indeed a part of the cause of his gloomy mood.
"But Miaka.. I just could have come to my senses sooner.. I –"
Miaka pressed her upper body closer to him to hint the bandit he shouldn't talk about that anymore. He was getting a smile on his darkly face and his eyes were lighten up a bit more. He felt warm inside, a feeling she gave him. He responded to her hug and wrapped his arms around her.
He knew that her warm radiance towards him was no love and it never will be, it was close friendship and that was enough for him to realise that he wasn't just a clown to her..
He felt wanted.
Afraid he would go too far in the heat of the moment, he pushed her softly away with his hands still resting on her shoulders.
"You're my friend Tasuki, and a very good one."
She walked back to the reeling, this time to observe the seven stars herself. She waved at Tasuki to stand beside her, and as it suites a Seishi he obeyed his Miko, willingly of course. She pointed him the seven stars, which he knew very well.
"Look, the stars of Suzaku.. Ooh there's Nuriko! And Chichiri! Oh and there we got Mitsukake! And you Tasuki.. Your star shines as bright as your fire."
She looked like she was having fun in whatever she was doing and Tasuki was happy, she was happy.
"You are all my Seishi, but not just that."
She shaked her head a bit when she said that, with a touching smile.
"You're much more than that, and you're all so different at the same time! Hotohori has his gentleness, Chiriko is very wise, Mitsukake his great ability to comfort me whenever I need it, and beside your great skills of making me laugh, you're one of the most courageous and sensitive persons I know."
Tasuki felt a blush coming up and didn't really like the idea of a girl calling him sensitive. The guy wasn't in the mood for even more touching words, who might worsen his blushing, so he took her in a friendly head-lock.
"Hey girly, you know whatya saying? I am tha most feared bandit in the region. What did I say? In whole Konan!"
He said teasing and rubbed her head with his knuckles, while Miaka said laughing he had to stop.
She knew very well he wouldn't harm a fly, even with his fiery temper sometimes. She struggled out of his hold easily, although she knew on account of the experience from that dreadful night that if he really meant it, it would be a lot more difficult.
But that was all over now, fortunately.
Everything concerning the adventure will be over and she will once again return to her own world.. only this time together with the love of her life, Taka.
But despite she was happy she got Tamahome, or Taka, back with her, she couldn't help it to feel a little sad about leaving. This night shall be the last time she could see everyone one more time and have fun with them. She knew this was going to be her last occasion in the world of the book, even when she was sucked back numerous of times, she just had the feeling that was not going to happen anymore.
She walked pass Tasuki, glad that he looked a little bit more cheerful and watched a couple of dancing shadows against a lightened wall. She was so relieved when she found out all of her friends got a last chance of borrowing Nyan Nyan bodies, so they could be with her and Taka at the farewell party.
She turned around in the direction of Tasuki.
"Is everything okay between us now?"
Tasuki nodded thinking that it has always been that way. Miaka found it rather funny how his little fangs were appearing while he was smiling, like they always do.
"Well aren't you coming then? Everybody's having such a great time, it would be a waste if you wouldn't. Come on, the party isn't complete without you!"
"No worries Miaka-chàààn, I'll be right up, let me get my beloved booze!"
That's Tasuki for you, Miaka thought.
She gave him a wink and after a sweet smile she turned around, to return to her other friends. Tasuki followed her up with his eyes, watching her maroon coloured hair bouncing up and down while she was moving forward.
"Miaka! Wait.."
He hesitated.
She kept standing there, looked over her shoulder and waited patiently for what he had to say.
"Yes?"
"I'm not very good in this kinda stuff.. You know I'm not.. But what you said earlier, you know about missing everyone and such.. You know.. I just wanted to say, what I mean to say is that.."
Miaka thought his babbling and shy impression were rather cute and appealing, but she decided to release him out of his suffering.
"I get it Tasuki, you don't need to say more."
She walked away content and that pace hasted soon when she noticed that one of the shadows, probably Nuriko, lifted up a table and it looked like it was planning to throw it somewhere.
"Aaaah Nuriko put that down! I cannot even let you guys alone for five minutes!"
Tasuki heard her still shouting and watched her shape slowly fading away and dissolving into the darkness of the night.
"It will probably be the same when she goes home."
He thought, but he didn't feel as gloomy as before.
'I wonder if she really knew what I was going to say, probably she did.'
He never really understood how Miaka could read him like an open book.
What he hated the most about girls, was how they could drive him mad with their manipulative ways of finding out something about him, only so they can conclude that boys are so-called simpleminded.
Pfew he hates those damn cocky girls. But not Miaka, she was.. different. He allowed her to look into his heart, something he only let Kouji do, because.. well he doesn't really know why.
Maybe because he was in love with her.
However he came to the conclusion some time ago that he still didn't like women, he just likes a woman. That's something different in his opinion.
Suddenly he realised that just the ultimate moment featured to tell her how he feels, but he didn't take the opportunity to do so. He knew it would mess up everything for her, but also for Tama. And Tama still was a close friend to him, even after what he almost did to Miaka.
"Besides I don't like the drama, I'm just not that type of guy whose in for all that mambo jumbo."
He thought joking to himself.
Tasuki felt he started to be his own worriless self again and was once again in the mood to party, to drink and maybe even to joke around with his old buddy and rival Tama and to kick his butt.. just for fun. He grabbed his bottle of the floor, very relieved not all the Sake was spoiled on the wooden floor.
"Hey little ghost, having fun without me?!"
He yelled running towards the party, where all of a sudden one of the shadows made a fist.. I wonder who that could be?
The rest of the night Tasuki amused himself just fine and honoured his title 'Incorrigible drunkard' once again. His worries were gone for a while, but one thing stayed with him that whole night, every time he looked straight in some hazel eyes of a certain girl;
Although he would never regret having these feelings, he will probably never let a girl get to him in the way she did ever again..
But that shouldn't be a problem, he hates girls anyway.
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