Disclaimer: It ain't mine.
Author's Note: This series is a 'what if' scenario. What if Suboshi hadn't been able to drug his brother and had been convinced to drug Yui instead? That off the wall? I don't think so. Think about it, he loves her enough that he'd do anything to make her happy. Anyway, it will follow Yui, Miaka, Amiboshi and Suboshi as they build new lives in Kaika's village. Sorry, I don't remember the name. It will also follow the Seiryu's attempts to track down and locate the four. I hope you enjoy and please review.
"Suboshi!" Yui's shocked cry was mixed partially with the unexpected pleasure of seeing the young Seishi. She rose slowly, involuntarily from the desk where she had been sitting, the English exercise lay forgotten with a thick streak of dark ink marring the rice paper, the writing tool dripping ink was still dangling from between her fingers. Yui swallowed hard as she eyed him from top to bottom and returned her gaze to meet his eyes. His typical manner of a slightly awkward, bumbling teenage boy had been replaced by a cold deliberate manner, a near shadow of Nakago's, as though he were mentally preparing himself for some difficult task he had no desire to complete. A feeling of slight indignation was worming itself through her. What was he doing in her room unannounced? Such a brash move was unlike Suboshi. A thought rattled around in the back of Yui's brain . . .Suboshi had run off a few days before without a word to her. It had struck Nakago as odd that he hadn't said even a short farewell to his beloved Miko. Of course, Nakago had not said this to Yui in so many words, but she wasn't so foolish she needed everything spelled out for her. She had been inwardly hurt he had left without so much a word. . .
"Where's Nakago?" Her eyes widened slightly at his emotionless tone, his straight soldier posture. What the hell happened to him? Yui wondered, forcing herself not to stare at his ragged blue shirt and pants, concentrating on his cryptic eyes. His orange and white tunic was missing completely. Large worn holes had appeared in his shoes and bleeding wounds could be seen within. Suboshi's Ryuuseisui were fastened tightly to his thin belt, reflecting the candlelight of the room with an odd maroon hue. Dried flecks of blood were speckled across his face. His lips were cracked and dry.
"He's . . .he's not here . . .he and Soi left this afternoon on urgent business." Had Suboshi's face suddenly flickered with dark amusement or had she imagined it? Yui couldn't tell. "S-Suboshi? Where were you? Are you all right? You left without saying anything to anyone!" Mentally, Yui cursed herself as she saw a sudden wash of guilt soften his face, making him look almost his usual gentle self. A note of pain had tainted her words, turning them to sound like 'You left without saying anything to me, why?'. Suboshi sighed, his head drooping slightly with a hand running through his hair. He remained silent. "Suboshi, what's the matter? What's happened?" She crossed her sleeping chamber to the basin of water and retrieved a washcloth and depositing her writing tool on the table, oblivious to the ink on her hands before moving to wipe the blood from Suboshi's face. As she touched the cool cloth to his cheek he caught her wrist gently and held it, staring down into her eyes, studying her. Fighting the bubbling fear inside her (It's only Suboshi, he'd never hurt me) she snapped her wrist from his hand.
"You have blood on your face, stay still." She ordered, returning the cloth to his face and beginning to roughly scrub at the dark red stains on his face.
"Lady Yui-" He stepped back, waving his hands slightly. "Please, Lady Yui, don't. I'm fine."
"You're fine?" Yui was stuck nearly speechless. "Fine? You disappear without a word to anyone as to where you're going and come back bloody . . .and you're fine!?" Suboshi looked abashed. He took a deep breath and dropped one hand, catching it in the fold of his belt.
"Lady Yui . . .I-I apologize for leaving you so quickly, but something has happened." The raw quality of his voice startled the girl, she lowered her hands clutching the washcloth. Gently, he took her by the elbow. "Lady Yui, would you mind sitting? I have some news I think you need to hear." Confused, she allowed him to guide her to the bed, where she sat quietly, waiting for him to speak. She said nothing when he sat down besides her, hands clasped in his lap, gripped tightly with his head bowed. "I-I was just so shocked when it happened-" His voice broke. "I-I wasn't thinking clearly, I was so confused and I just left . . .I didn't . . .it didn't even occur to me to say anything." His pain filled face glanced up, begging for forgiveness.
"Sh, sh . . .It's fine Suboshi. Don't worry about it . . .what happened?" Yui comforted him, placing a hand on his shoulder and giving him an encouraging squeeze. He took a shaky breath and gazed upwards.
"I felt my brother's chi. I felt Amiboshi and -"
"What!?" A gape of utter disbelief was followed by a sudden fear that Suboshi had gone insane under the extreme pressure of a Seishi's life. It was Suboshi's turn to place a hand on her shoulder.
"I know," He quickly blurted, his own disbelief of the incident still evident. "I couldn't believe it! But . . .there it was. So I went to the origin from where it originated, to see what had caused it. . ." He trailed off, his eyes unfocused and distant, lost in the memory.
"What was it?" Yui queried softly, almost afraid to disturb Suboshi. He looked at her and despite his demeanor of sadness, he smiled. She felt a cool sense of relief, it was the first time had smiled since she had seen him. While it was true that Suboshi usually brooded, he had always smiled at her before.
It was with an amazed voice he replied. "It was Amiboshi . . .he wasn't dead." His face suddenly grew dark. "No yet, anyway. But Tomo was killing him . . .so I . . .I" Yui's face lit with comprehension as he struggled for his words. Nakago and Soi leaving so abruptly and Suboshi's look when she had informed him. The flecks on his face. The maroon on his weapon. She glanced at him with open eyes. "I had no choice!" His voice shook with rage. Yui looked away and closed her eyes, remembering how distraught he had been when he thought his brother had been killed. Suboshi had told her stories of his twin, the boy sounded decent and kind.
"No- you're right. You couldn't let Tomo kill him." Yui said, detached and only partially aware of her words. "Where's Amiboshi? Is he ok?" Suboshi nodded, licked his lips.
"He's fine, Lady Yui! He's in a little village far from here. It's a peaceful little town, I've seen it. It's beautiful. I brought him there after Tomo messed him up pretty badly. I bandaged him with strips of my tunic . . ." He was licking his lips again. It suddenly occurred to Yui that he was stalling. "Lady Yui- Yui- I . . .I don't . . .I don't know how to say this . . ."
"You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to, Suboshi." She quickly reassured him. "I don't need to know where you're brother is and-"
"No, it's not that!" He cut her off, looking up at her and squaring his shoulders. "Lady Yui, he's in wonderful little town." He sighed. "It's just that the Suzaku no Miko was with my brother when I found them . . .A-Amiboshi was protecting her from Tomo." A slight smile graced his lips in a delicate curl. "Dammed if I know why, Lady Yui, but she was only in her under garments." Yui was speechless. "A-And I wanted . . .I wanted so badly to avenge you . . .I wanted to hurt her for all the times she's hurt you. But he wouldn't let me. He kept saying . . .kept saying . . ." There was an odd silence.
"Miaka? She's with your brother? How is she?" Her voice was high and strained. Suboshi's sigh revealed his disgust with something. Yui glanced over at him, shocked to see the tears in his eyes. "Suboshi?" His fingers flew to his eyes, wiping the moisture away.
"She's fine." His voice was forced and more strained then hers. "I tried. I tried so hard . . .but he wouldn't let me. I was too weak. I couldn't do it front of him, not after that. Not after everything." His voice was breaking and Yui was alarmed to see the tears flowing freely down his face. "Do you understand Yui? I couldn't. Not in front of him! And when he told me about it- it would have meant peace for me! And I considered it for a moment!" While she had long since ceased to understand what he was talking about, she was too frightened to interrupt his babbling rant. "So I didn't! But I made him think I did and I tried to make him drink it but she screamed and he spit it out and asked me why and when I said it was because of you she said nothing had happened and you weren't . . .weren't . . ." He was sobbing now and she threw her arms around him, pulling him close to her. She was afraid.
"Suboshi . . ." She murmured. Gently rocking him. "You don't have to talk about it." The boy raised his head with a pained expression and looked at her. His eyes comprehended her confusion.
"Yui . . .she said you weren't . . .and he- Amiboshi proved it to me. Caught in his own- Nakago was caught in his own lie. And he was crying and asking me why I'd tried to make him forget without coming and- and I said it was all because of you." He stopped choking and hiccuping long enough to say the last part clear. Yui grew uncomfortable. She was aware of Suboshi's . . .feelings towards her. When thinking clearly, she was able to brush them off as a schoolboy crush and convince herself he was nothing more then an appreciated errand boy. He kept looking at her, an almost dreamlike expression on his face. His features suddenly grew placid. "I said it was you. I loved you. And I do. Even though you think I don't. And I scared you that time when I kissed you because I didn't know. But I know everything about you . . .I know how you cry yourself to sleep every night. I know what Nakago's doing to you. And I know that you know too, and you just don't care anymore." She was speechless. "And how- what kind of love would it be to be peaceful and happy, while you're suffering? That's not what a Seishi would do, that's not what anyone who loves someone would do. But I love you . . .and I told him that." A soft smile of adoration had grown on his face as he leaned back to look at her. Yui shivered.
"Suboshi . . .I think you'd better-"
"And he yelled at me." Suboshi's face grew dark again. "Despite his life draining out of him he yelled at me as I tended to him. And carried him back to the village with that bitch following me, scared to walk in front. She kept saying . . .Amiboshi . . .anyway . . .it's just . . .Lady Yui have you ever heard of Bohkyaku?" She slowly shook her head. "It's a syrup that's used in that region to make people forget. Amiboshi wanted me to live with him in that town . . .to forget everything. It would be peace, he said."
"Why didn't you?" She never realized she'd spoken. Suboshi gently touched his hand to a yellow lock of hair that curled over her forehead. She was too entranced with his words to push him away.
"Like I said, Lady Yui . . .how could I abandon you? So I carried him home. He was unconscious and she was crying. I met his parents . . .they're kind people. Good people. The old woman took Miaka . . .I talked with the old man." His voice had grown soft. "I told him who we were. I explained everything. I said . . .I said if he wanted his son to stay with him and be safe . . .I said that precautions would have to be taken." He was swaying slightly, staring at the floor, his hands in his lap again. "And . . .when they woke up in the morning . . .they remembered nothing."
"You erased their memories?" Yui gasped, a shrill demand as she gaped at him. "Suboshi! How could you do that? To your brother!? To Miaka!?" She couldn't understand the pain she felt at knowing her best friend would never recognize her, but it was there in the depth of her gut and the cavity of her chest all the same. Burning with each breath.
"They're happy now. I-I stayed a day to make sure it went smoothly. All the villagers were only too happy to play along . . .give them pasts that felt real. Miaka is now the daughter of the village baker, he lost his daughter in a fire three years ago. My brother is happy and at peace. And . . .well . . .Amiboshi's parents were so grateful that they . . .they made me an offer." Yui felt suddenly cold. Suboshi's voice sounded strained again, he had turned away from her.
"Suboshi . . .w-what did they offer?" She asked dully, fearing the worst for her friend. Instead of replying he whipped around and grabbed her by the arms, jerking her forward. "Subo-" Her scream was cut off as he kissed her roughly, his tongue invading her mouth and pushing towards her throat. Her eyes shot open as he pushed her down onto the bed, panic she had not felt since the day in the Kutuo back alley surged through her as she struggled. Suddenly she tasted a bitter, thick fluid in her mouth, Suboshi's writhing tongue forcing her to swallow it. He pulled away, still pushing her onto the bed as she choked and spluttered on the green liquid. When she looked up he had tears in his eyes.
"I-I'm sorry Lady Yui. But this is the only way I know to make you happy . . .it's the only way I can keep you safe." Yui fought against the darkness that was threatening to roll in from all sides as well as the boy who had pinned her to the sheets.
"Su-Suboshi . . .what was tha- what did you d-" Suboshi felt her go limp in his arms. Quietly he checked her breathing and pulse. A feeling of self-loathing filled his soul. Shaking his head, he cleared his mind of such thoughts and gently wrapped Yui in the sheets for warmth before lifting her prone form. This is for the best . . .it's the only way to ease her suffering. I had to do it. Suboshi thought as he slipped along the shadows of the palace, easily avoiding any patrols. He recalled the conversation he had with his future father. The old man had finally convinced him that to protect one's love . . .sometimes one must be willing to take desperate actions. The old woman had been especially moved by Yui's tragic story. She had told him, while holding back tears, that it would be a sin to allow such a young girl to be destroyed by such awful things. Planting a gentle kiss on her brow, Suboshi held Yui closer.
They would make it to their new home within a few days. And when she awoke, he would be there protect her.
* * * *
Across the desert, Nakago looked up from his maps and towards the stars. Something had happened that could interfere with his plans, though what it was he remained unsure for the time being.