Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN FUSHIGI YUUGI OR ANY CHARACTERS IN THIS STORY. ( I wish I did though)
An Old Face, A New Love chapter 1: Safety in Konan
Miaka was rushing up the stairs to Taka's apartment. She was only a half hour late due to the horrendous traffic, but he wouldn't understand. He never understood anymore! That's why she wanted to talk to Taka in the first place: she wanted to break up. She had finally realized that they weren't meant to be together after all, no matter what their previous circumstances may have suggested. She reached Taka's doorstep and tentatively knocked. Taka called out, in a deathly quiet tone, "Come in."
A wave of fear nearly drowned her as she slowly opened the door. She was half-way over the threshold when Taka pulled her into his apartment, slammed the door shut behind Miaka, and shoved her away from him. Miaka quickly regained her footing before she could fall, but Taka strode toward her with rage evident in his features. "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" he shouted at her as he back-handed Miaka with all the force befitting a half celestial warrior of Suzaku, sending her hurtling back, hitting her head on the edge of the kitchen table.
Pain like never before came in forceful waves at the back of her head. "You know what? I don't wanna hear your petty excuses! You might as well leave!" he said as he started to walk into the next room. "If I leave, Taka, you can be sure I won't come back!" Miaka softly murmured. Although it barely passed as a whisper, Taka stopped in his tracks as if she had shrieked at the top of her lungs. "That's why I wanted to talk to you," she said as she stood on wobbly legs, "I don't wanna be your girlfriend anymore. I'm tired of your bullshit! We've grown apart Taka and I don't wanna drag it out; you may deserve better. I'll be on my-" Taka whirled around, ran toward her, and slammed them into the wall opposite them.
"Oh, I don't think so sweetheart," he sneered the word, "I'll make sure you won't wanna leave." Taka crashed his mouth over Miaka's, the force slashing her lips against her teeth, making them bleed. Her cry of pain was his ticket in. His thick tongue speared its way into her mouth and a little way down her throat. Taka's hands were gripping her hips so tight that they became bruised, same with her upper arms and the backs of her thighs. Now having finished with her lips he kissed his way down her neck, biting so hard he drew blood. Having taken the opportunity to gulp down breath, Miaka cried out, "Suzaku! Please help me! Send me back to Konan, to Tasuki and Chichiri please!"
As if in answering her plea, a beautiful, red bird flew in from the window and let out an enraged shriek. Suddenly, both Miaka and Taka were bathed in a bright red glow, and Miaka knew she was safe with Suzaku taking her back to her friends.
Tasuki looked out on the shimmering lake. For some odd reason he felt anxious but couldn't tell why. It was night but he didn't wanna sleep. He really didn't wanna wake up with a hard-on like every other time he tried to sleep, especially when the monk slept not three yards away from him. He missed Miaka and Taka now more than ever, but mostly Miaka. He could never forget her long, shiny, auburn hair, or her luminous green eyes.
He really had a serious problem.
He could remember how happy she normally was, and of course her inhuman appetite! Also she could be a feisty, determined little baka! Tasuki chuckled to himself as his memories came in his eyes. He remembered the first night he met her, when he kidnapped her. The day when Nuriko, Miaka, and him went to the stargazing festival was a cherished memory as well. And of course, there was the night at the inn...
How could he forget the softness of her body...her flawless lips under his...her taste...
And the way she cried.
His gut started to tie itself into knots at the memory of her tears. He hated them and wanted to kiss them away and make her happy. That was also the night he realized that he loved her.
"I miss ya Miaka." Tasuki said just before Chichiri sprang up out of a sound sleep. "Ya won't have to miss her for much longer, ya know. Look!" Chichiri sang as he pointed to a spot some ways away from them. Just then, A bright red glow appeared...Suzaku's power! A shrill phoenix shriek pierced the silence and Tasuki and Chichiri could see Miaka standing in a most peculiar position. Almost like she was being pinned. The beast God hovered in a protective position in front of her and the could see the actual god in his human form.
"Miaka!" Tasuki cried with joy laced with concern as he ran toward her. Something isn't right here, ya know. Chichiri thought to himself. "Wait for me, ya know!" he shouted after Tasuki
After so long, I finally get to see Miaka! Thank you Suzaku! Tasuki thought as he rapidly started to fill with glee!
Stop! Suzaku yelled at them in their minds, take one step near my priestess in harm and I will destroy you! She's been wounded enough already!
That made them stop in their tracks. "What? Who's the fuckin' idiot that would dare harm her? What did they do to her? What happened?" Tasuki shouted. Chichiri joined in, "What happened to Miaka, ya know?"
My faithful warriors, Tasuki and Chichiri, I am sorry, I did not recognize you two. My priestess has been injured...by the reincarnation of Tamahome.
Tasuki couldn't believe his ears and neither could Chichiri. He...tried to force himself upon her...but did not succeed. He has injured her badly, for she is bleeding from several places mainly from behind her head. Please do all you can for her! With that, the great beast God erupted in flames and flew to the heavens.
"Miaka!" Tasuki cried as he ran toward her. What was he thinking? He had no right to interfere! But when he caught sight of her all rational thought dissipated. She was gently lowered to the ground and the red glow was gone, but both Tasuki and Chichiri could see that Miaka was injured badly. They could see purplish-black bruises dotting her pale skin and most of them had started to bleed, her lips were oozing blood as well from an obviously forcive kiss. But what Tasuki couldn't bear to see was that the ground under her head had turned red with blood. He crumpled on his knees to the ground beside her, "Miaka. Please open yer eyes. What hurts, tell me please!" His arms circled around her fragile body, holding her body to his. He stroked her hair, and her eyes fluttered open. A sweet smile formed on her lips, "Tasuki. I missed you. I need help Tasuki, please help me."
She looked so weak, shaken, and broken that it nearly broke his heart. Next time he saw Taka, he'd kill him! "Hush, me an' Chiri'll get you somewhere so you can heal and tell us what happened." He picked her up and held her in his arms like a groom carries his bride, only they weren't choked with joy. "Kay, Tasuki." Miaka muttered as she drifted to sleep in his arms.
"I wonder what got into Tamahome, ya know. This isn't like him at all, ya know." Chichiri mumbled to himself as they walked toward the nearby town, and the inn at which they were staying. "Something's very wrong, ya know."
"Ya I know what's wrong! The bastard's gotta death wish is what's wrong! I swear I'll kill him for this when I see him again!" Tasuki vowed. Never had he been this pissed over a woman. True he didn't think it was right for a man to hit a woman but he'd never been this upset. But then this was Miaka. His gentle , loving, beautiful Miko!
At last, they reached the inn and, with Miaka still cradled in his arms, Tasuki went straight to his and Chichiri's room while the monk arranged another room for her. He laid her down on the bed and gazed at her sleeping form while he striped pieces of cloth from his bed sheets to tie around her wounds. "Oh Suzaku, what happened? She's wounded all over!" he muttered in disbelief.
Tasuki could see bruises on her upper arms and on her hips, her thighs, and on her face and neck. First he bandaged her head with the biggest piece of cloth with the tenderness of a lamb, so as not to wake her, then wrapped the second piece gently around her neck and put adhesive gauze on her cheek. As he started to bandage the wounds on her arms, Chichiri stepped in and said, "I got her another room. It's right next door to ours in case she needs anything, ya know." Tasuki looked up at him and Chichiri was astonished to see that he was crying.
"Why? What did she do to deserve this kind of hurtin'? She wouldn't do anything that bad. I'm surprised that she isn't dyin' from this many wounds." He wiped the rivers off his face, surprised at himself for this type of show of emotion.
"Tasuki, I feel a little better now. You said you wanted to know what happened right?" Miaka had just woken up to see him at her bedside and Chichiri standing in the doorway. "Chichiri, can you come over here for a second? I want to give you a hug." At this, Chichiri walked over next to Tasuki and bent to give his priestess a hug with a sad smile. "I missed you Chichiri." "I missed you too Miaka, ya know. What happened, ya know? you were really bad off."
Miaka sat up on the bed and looked at each of her concerned seishei. Tasuki was as worried as ever when it came to her, and it made Miaka's heart ache to be the cause of his worry and suffering, more so than the rest of her warriors. Chichiri looked pitifully sympathetic and concerned at the same time through his mask, which was hiding a scar that went across his eye.
"Alright, it seems I owe you an explanation... Taka and I are over."
"WHAT?" Both of the seishei asked simultaneously. "Yes, it's true. It's just that I could sense that we were growing apart, and whenever I would be late or forget something, Taka would either scold me furiously or slap my cheek. I realized that he was different and that we weren't kids anymore. I still thought that he would at least let me go without a fight because it was obvious that we were always on opposite sides. Little did I know that I would be a half-hour late and that he would backhand me so hard that I would fly across the room and hit my head on the edge of a table, or that when I did get it out in the air that he would try to force himself on me like that." She looked up at her warriors with tearful eyes, "I'm sorry that I had to burden you guys by being here, but I had a reflex reaction and Suzaku brought me here."
At this, Miaka tried to stand up and managed to stay on her feet, "I'll be on my way, I'll find somewhere to stay so don't worry about little old me." she started to walk out when Tasuki suddenly grabbed her and placed her gently on the bed again. "Yer not goin' anywhere right now. It's no trouble, you bein' here is actually a good thing fer us. We really missed ya Miaka, and we're still yer warriors." Tasuki waited so long to see her again, and he'd be damned before he'd let her go! "Thanks Tasuki. That means a lot. I'll go to sleep now, if it's alright with you guys." then Chichiri helped her off the bed and into her bed in the other room.
Later, in their own room, Tasuki and Chichiri were talking in their room, "I wonder what's wrong with Taka,ya know. He must be under some spell or something cause he'd never do such a thing to Miaka, ya know." Chichiri mused aloud. Tasuki, oblivious to the monk, was lost in his own thoughts, 'Why would she have to go through all that? I can't stand to see her like this. I swear to Suzaku that I'll fry Taka to a crisp if he even thinks of goin' near Miaka again!' He growled as he thought how he saw her earlier with wounds and bruises all over. He couldn't even believe someone could be that heartless.
His thoughts turned towards the first woman that ever wormed her way into his heart and renewed his vow to protect her from anything and anyone.