Chapter Two: Weakness of the Light
Tasuki followed Atsuna's heightened life force, sensing her stop outside. He slowed his pace when he made it out onto the terrace, going around the back where Atsuna once again stood in the field. She was singing a soft, slow tune. The breeze carried her voice around the field and to him. He closed his eyes, concentrating on the soothing sound of her melodious voice.
The singing suddenly stopped and Tasuki opened his eyes to look at her in the distance. She fell to her knees, and he watched her shoulders trembling just slightly. Impulsively, he started forward.
"Kishuku… How I miss you, my brother," she sobbed quietly. Tasuki halted in his tracks. "I wonder what things would be like if you were still here with me. I know you're where you want to be, that Suzaku granted your wish to be with Miaka, but our time was cut far too short. Our reunited time was ruined by the war. Such things happen, I suppose, but it still upsets me." Tasuki heard her chuckle. "Do you remember when we used to play in the fields back home, Kishuku?" There was a short pause. "I thought you did. We used to have tickling contests until the other surrendered. Such innocent times did not last long enough, I'm afraid."
Tasuki felt himself walking towards her unconsciously as he listened to her conversation with the sky. "I'm sorry, Atsuna."
The light bearer turned slowly over her shoulder, looking up to the penitent bandit before her. "You have nothing to be sorry over. My past with Tamahome was nothing of your doing."
Tasuki shook his head. "No. I'm sorry fer keepin' that secret from ya. I promised Tama I would make ya happy. He's probably swearin' at me for breakin' my promise. In a bid to keep ya safe, I failed to make ya happy."
Atsuna pushed herself off her knees and made her way over to Tasuki. She grazed her hands to his face. "No. That's not true. I am happy, and I'm safe." Her lips cracked into a smile. "I was speaking with Tamahome. He told me you meant well." She chuckled and shook her head. "Despite what you may think, Tamahome bears no ill will towards you. You've done well by his part for taking such a task to make me happy and keep me safe. I'll say it myself that it's not such an easy burden to bear."
"It's not a damn burden!" Tasuki snapped. "You've never been a burden to me. You've been a blessin', an' I don't have a lot of those in my life. I'd count ya to be the greatest one I've ever had." He cupped his hands over hers, pulling them from his face so he could press his lips against them lovingly. "I won't keep anythin' from ya ever again."
Atsuna smiled and nodded once. "Glad to hear it. No secrets ever, or I'll do what I do best."
Tasuki smirked. "Make me beg?"
Atsuna couldn't help but laugh. Tasuki sighed at the sound of her vibrant laughter ringing around them. "Well, I suppose I am rather good at doing that, but no. That wasn't necessarily what I had in mind. But we'll leave it at that." She leaned up and pressed her lips against his in a short kiss.
"So, ya were really talkin' to Tama?" Tasuki asked.
Atsuna nodded. "Yes, in a sense. I could hear him speaking to me in my head. I don't care whether it's my imagination or not. It's comforting to know him and I are still connected to one another even though he lives in Miaka's world, not to mention he's Taka now."
Tasuki nodded. "I think ya are, an' I don't think it's yer imagination. I think he's watchin' ya all the time. Hell, he's probably watchin' me all the time to make sure I don't mess up. He'll find a way to kick my ass if I don't keep my promises."
Atsuna's smile widened, and she rubbed her hands up and down on his chest. "No, he's not out to get you, Tasuki. He cares for you like a brother. The both of you shared many experiences, good and bad. Tamahome is not the type of person to hold grudges."
Tasuki chuckled. "Koji said that about ya. He told me to come apologize."
She slid her arms around his neck, pulling herself into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her back, keeping her still against him. "I knew you meant well. It wasn't necessarily the lie itself that angered me. It was the fact that you kept the truth from me, no matter what it was. I want us to be honest, Tasuki. Do you really believe it possible for me to stay angry at you for any reason?"
"Well, I can do some pretty bad things," he mumbled.
"Don't belittle yourself. If you were so horrible a person, Suzaku wouldn't have chosen you as one of his celestial warriors. Besides, all of your comrades trusted you. You're honorable, selfless, and courageous," she pointed out. She pulled away to look up at him. "Why do you think yourself so unworthy? It hurts me to see you feeling that way about yourself."
Tasuki groaned and shook his head. "I don't know. Ya just seem too good of a person to be with a guy like me. Yer perfect, an' I'm sure as hell not."
Atsuna chuckled. "You think I'm perfect? Tasuki, I'm beyond stubborn, and while I don't like to admit it, I have a temper that I try my hardest to keep suppressed." She smiled. "No one is perfect. We all have our flaws, but that is what shapes every single one of us. And that's why I love you, because you're not perfect. Life would be far too simple if you were." She pulled his face up to hers and kissed him. "And besides, you crave excitement. Your life would be void of that if I were perfect, too. So, you see, we're a perfect match."
Tasuki grinned and shook his head. "I feel like an ass. I'm glad yer around to keep me straight."
Atsuna grabbed his hand and gazed back up into the sky with a happy smile. "Glad to hear it."
Koji grabbed the piece of folded paper from the soldier at the front door. The missive stated for Tasuki of the Suzaku Seven to report to the Imperial Palace immediately per orders of the Empress Houki. Thanking the soldier, Koji closed the door and turned on his heel, walking down the hall to the dining room where half the bandits were eating. In the corner of the room at one lone table, Atsuna and Tasuki sat together eating, as well.
"Hey, Genrou! Ya got some mail!" Koji shouted over the noise, waving the piece of paper in his hand. Tasuki and Atsuna looked up as Koji made his way over to them.
"What is it, Koji?" Tasuki asked as he grabbed the paper out of his friend's hand.
"It's more than likely the letter informing you of your mission with Chichiri," Atsuna spoke up.
With a toothy grin, Tasuki unfolded the paper and scoped it, reading the words quickly. "Lady Houki wants me at the palace by tomorrow mornin'. I'll leave tonight to give myself enough time. I don't wanna be late." He pushed himself off the bench, refolding the piece of paper and shoving it into his pocket. "I guess I better get started on packin'. Suzaku knows how long I'll be gone." He walked around the table and bent down to Atsuna's level, pressing a kiss against the corner of her mouth. "We'll meet up a little later. Finish your lunch, babe."
Atsuna smiled and nodded, watching Tasuki walk out of the room. Koji sat down in Tasuki's place, folding his arms on top of the table. "Are ya okay with him goin' away fer a while?"
Atsuna nodded. "Of course I am. Tasuki has his duties, and I have mine. Besides, I have no reason to worry. The war has long been over, and there are no threats to the peace. He'll be fine. Chichiri will be with him to keep his temper in check, anyway. I'll wait for him to come back, and when he does, we'll get married." She took another bite of her meal.
"Ya know, Atsuna, when ya marry Genrou, that kinda makes ya the boss, too," Koji said knowingly. Atsuna looked up at him. "I'll do whatever ya ask me."
"Oh, Koji, I wouldn't dare. I'd rather leave the boss duties to Tasuki. That's not my field, and I would never use my marriage to Tasuki as means of power with the bandits," Atsuna pointed out after swallowing her food. "Things are fine the way they are. I'll still merely be what I have been, and that's just a prolonged guest at Mt. Reikaku."
Koji scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous, woman. Ya live here. Ya may not be a bandit, but these guys like ya. They look at ya like family, like we all look at each other. Yer one of us whether ya like it or not."
Atsuna chuckled. "Yes, I suppose, but like I said, I won't consider myself any more than what I have been. Tasuki is your leader, not me, whether I marry him or not."
"Man, Genrou wasn't kiddin' when he said ya were stubborn," Koji replied with a shake of his head.
"No, he certainly wasn't."
Atsuna and Koji stood at the entrance to the Mt. Reikaku hideout, watching as Tasuki mounted his black stallion.
"Ya better take care of her, Koji, or I'll kick your ass when I get back," Tasuki threatened as he tied his tessen to his back.
Koji smirked. "Ya got it, Genrou. I'll take care of it."
Tasuki turned and looked at Atsuna, motioning with his finger for her to approach him. She stepped up to the horse, patting the horse's neck lovingly. Tasuki leaned down and kissed her passionately as if he thought he'd never see her again. When he pulled away, he grinned. "I'll be back soon. If ya need anythin', just ask these guys an' they'll do it for ya. I'll kick their asses otherwise."
Atsuna shook her head with a giggle. "Don't talk nonsense, Tasuki. You'll be gone for just a couple days. Everything will be fine. Just be careful on your trip."
Tasuki ran his hand along her face before leaning back up. "I will. I'll be back soon. See ya then." Kicking the horse's sides lightly, he grabbed the reins and eased the horse on the dirt path, waving at the twosome until he disappeared down the hill. Atsuna folded her arms and sighed deeply.
"Are ya worried about him already?" Koji asked from behind.
Atsuna turned over her shoulder and smiled. "No, I'm not. There's nothing to be concerned about, after all. He's merely going through the country to check on things. There's no threat posing either of them. Both Chichiri and Tasuki will be fine."
Koji stepped up next to her and smirked as he settled his hand on her shoulder. "Why do ya lie? Yer all worried about him. I can see right through ya."
Atsuna lowered her head and closed her eyes. "Well… Yes. I guess I am a little worried. But this is an innocent mission. I'm sure they'll be just fine."
"Yer just paranoid, ya know. Genrou knows his stuff. He'll take care of everythin', an' then he'll be back here again, more than likely sneakin' ya off to do what ya guys like to do best," Koji replied with a smirk.
Atsuna blushed, and her eyes widened. "That's not true in the very least, Koji!"
Koji let out a belt of laughter. "I love rattlin' your chain! Genrou was right! It is fun!"
Atsuna frowned and her brow rose. "I'm glad that you're having your fun, Koji."
"Oh, we'll have lots of fun together, Atsuna. Haven't ya figured that out yet? As much as I like rattlin' yer chain, it's even more fun to do it to him," Koji snickered, rubbing his hands together.
Atsuna smiled "Well, I must admit, that does sound like fun."
Tasuki dismounted his horse at the entrance of the Imperial palace gates, the guards opening them and greeting him with a bow. The bandit leader rolled his eyes and guided his horse inside the gates where Chichiri stood waiting patiently at the stables.
"Tasuki, it's good to see you!" the monk exclaimed happily through his mask.
Tasuki smirked. "Yeah, it's good to see ya, too, Chichiri. So, what do we need to be doin' fer Houki?"
"Well, she merely wishes for us to scope the country for anything that hasn't been improved from the wars, you know," Chichiri answered.
Tasuki frowned. "I know Atsuna said it, but now I'm gonna say it. Why didn't she send out soldiers to do this? Why the hell do we hafta bother with it?"
Chichiri removed his mask, revealing a frown adjacent to the bandit's. "I didn't want to tell Atsuna. It is your choice to tell her, you know, but Lady Houki wishes for us to do more than check the progress on the war improvements. She wishes for us to find the source of recent suspicious activity around the capital. I assume you haven't noticed it on Mt. Reikaku, you know."
Tasuki folded his arms over his chest. "Suspicious activity? Like what?"
"Darkness has been looming over Konan lately, you know. Only for short periods of time, but it has been enough to cause her concern. Lady Houki honored your request to keep Atsuna out of affairs in which she may not be needed, but she strongly wanted to contact her on this," Chichiri continued.
"Well, I'm glad she didn't. I don't think it's anythin' to get worked up about. An' if it turns out to be somethin' bad, then we'll take care of it like we always do," Tasuki said matter-of-factly. "Atsuna would just blow it out of proportion anyway. She would wanna personally go through Konan until she found what was goin' on."
"Well, Tasuki, it is her duty to dispel any dark forces," Chichiri pointed out softly. "I understand you wish to keep her out of harm's way, but until Hikari decides Atsuna has fulfilled her responsibility, she will have no choice but to fight against the darkness, you know. Besides, do you not think Atsuna will discover this? She is sensitive to the darkness. She will find out and use her power, whether you wish her to or not."
Tasuki sighed deeply and shook his head. "This is just freakin' perfect. I'm just gonna hafta take care of it before she has a chance to get involved."
"You're just as stubborn as she is, you know," Chichiri smiled. "We should probably get going. The sooner we leave, the sooner we can find the cause of Lady Houki's concerns, you know."
Tasuki nodded in agreement and they mounted their own horses, bidding farewell to the guards as they left the palace grounds. "Do we even know where to look first?"
Chichiri turned to him and nodded. "The first occurrence was in the birth village of Atsuna and Tamahome. We'll begin there."
Tasuki's brow rose. "I don't like the sound of that. That seems a little too coincidental, don't ya think?"
Chichiri shook his head. "I'm not going to presume anything, you know. We should not worry about anything until we know more about the situation. For now, we should question as many villagers as we can on what they saw."
Tasuki lowered his head. "Damn it. Why are we always gettin' sucked into this crap?"
"Human beings have flaws, and they have darkness in their hearts. As long as they have the possibility of harnessing power, you and I will be called into service for the country, you know. Just as it is Atsuna's duty to destroy darkness, it is our duty to protect the people of Konan. We are servants of Suzaku, and our duty to protect Miaka has ended, you know. We must use our gifts to keep the citizens safe from impending forces, you know," Chichiri explained.
Tasuki looked over the hill they rode upon, staring down at the palace in the short distance. "I don't care if I hafta protect people. I know my duty, but I have a duty to Tama. He wanted me to keep Atsuna safe, an' I swore I would do it when he found out about us. I'm not gonna let him down. I want him to know his sister's safe."
"You have nothing to fear, Tasuki. Tamahome knows how deeply you feel for Atsuna and how much you wish to care for her in his stead. Your care for her is admirable, but you must understand Atsuna is not vulnerable. She is a fighter and has the ability to protect herself. You have nothing to fear. Our concern needs to reside with the human citizens who do not have such gifts as Atsuna does, you know," Chichiri continued. Tasuki only sighed deeply. "You are keeping your promise well, Tasuki. Think nothing of it."
"That's easier said than done, Chichiri," Tasuki grumbled.
Chichiri smiled. "Yes, indeed it is. We still have about another hour before reaching Atsuna and Tamahome's village. In the meantime, we can discuss our plan of action in the case we find something of use, you know."
Tasuki tightened his hold on his reins. "Yeah. The sooner we find somethin', the better." He closed his eyes and exhaled through his nostrils. Why do I have a bad feelin' about all this?
Atsuna found herself standing in the field once more, staring up at the overcast sky. The beautiful day had drastically changed to one of gray skies threatening to unleash rain. The breeze had changed into a powerful gust of wind.
"What a strange change in weather," she said to herself as she held her hair from whipping in front of her face.
"I agree."
Atsuna spun around, finding a cloaked man standing before her. Her heart instantly lurched. How had she not felt the man's presence until now? "Who are you?"
"It is a shame we have not yet crossed paths until now, Sou Kana," the deep masculine voice spoke up, ignoring her question.
Atsuna felt the urge to call on her powers. "Who are you?" she asked again, her tone firmer, demanding.
"Are names truly so important? All that is important now is the fact your powers will no longer work against your newest enemy," he replied.
"Enemy? That's impossible. I have felt no such enemy," Atsuna said with a frown. Her stomach was beginning to flutter with butterflies. There was something about this cloaked man's aura. It stretched out to her, making her feel ill.
"Your powers have been weakened against your own judgment, Atsuna. Had you not been so wrapped up in such a silly notion of wedding your precious bandit leader, you might have noticed my presence."
Atsuna's eyes widened, and she summoned her staff of light. "Name yourself now! Who are you?"
He chuckled deeply. "I thought I've made that clear. I'm your enemy." He lifted his palm towards her, and a dark energy swirled around it. Atsuna pointed her staff at him and summoned her powers of light, shooting them forward in a blast of glittering energy just as the ball of dark light burst towards her. Both sides of power clashed and canceled one another out, leaving behind a gust of gray smoke.
Atsuna found herself unable to breathe. "You harness the powers of darkness! But how?"
The cloaked man chuckled. "Did you believe yourself to be one of a kind, the only mortal connected to a celestial being? You thought wrong. While you hold the powers of Hikari, the Goddess of Light, I hold the powers of Kumori, the God of Darkness."
"No!" Atsuna flipped her staff in her hand and sent a wave of light against him. It swirled around his body, binding his ankles and wrists. Holding her staff horizontal to the ground, she fought with her strength to keep him still. "If that is the truth, then it is my duty to vanquish you!"
"By all means, I invite you to try." Flexing his hands into fists, he burst the binds on his wrists and ankles, then propelled himself towards the bearer of light. Atsuna stood her ground, her body surrounded with a gleaming yellow light. With a determined shout, she called upon her power once more, preparing to destroy the darkness before it threatened to suck her into the void.
Tasuki and Chichiri arrived in Tamahome and Atsuna's village, peering down into the calming exterior.
"Things look okay to me," Tasuki said, turning to his comrade in arms.
Chichiri shook his head. "Yes, but only on the outside, you know. We need to question the villagers on the recent occurrences."
Tasuki nodded in agreement and they journeyed down into the village, immediately catching the attention of the villagers outside their homes doing chores. They made their way up to a middle-aged couple playing with their young son.
"Excuse me. Would you mind if we asked you a few questions?" Chichiri inquired.
"You are Lord Chichiri and Lord Tasuki of the Suzaku Seven, aren't you?" the young man asked.
Tasuki nodded. "Yeah, we are. We wanna know what's been goin' on around here. The Empress informed us of a strange darkness loomin' around here. Mind tellin' us what you've noticed?"
"Honey, take him inside. I'll speak with them," the young man said to his wife. She nodded and picked up the young giggling boy, walking into the house without saying anything. "Several days ago, the weather changed in a matter of minutes. I was out here tending to my son when it happened. It was like an eclipse. It lasted for about ten minutes, and then everything turned back to normal. When it happened, I felt sick and weak. I've lived in this village since I was a young boy, and nothing like that ever happened before."
Tasuki looked at Chichiri worriedly and continued his questioning. "That's not a good thing. Did it happen any other time after that?"
The young man nodded. "Yeah. It happened about an hour ago, but it lasted a lot longer. It was like nighttime. I went around the village to check on people. They all felt the same way I did. My son kept crying until the clouds cleared up again. Ever since, I've been staying out here to see if it would happen again. The elder villagers say they're waiting for Atsuna to come save them since she is the mortal herald of light. As the twin sister of Tamahome, one of your comrades, she is well revered in the village since they both grew up here."
"You have nothing to fear," Chichiri assured him before Tasuki could make a comment about Atsuna's involvement. "We will get to the bottom of this. Your family and the other villagers are in no danger."
The villager nodded. "Thank you for your insight, Lord Chichiri. I'll be sure to let the other villagers know of your concern. We all appreciate the service you two provide to our country."
"We'll let you go back to your family. Thank you for all your information. It will be very valuable in the end, you know," Chichiri thanked. He turned his horse around and rode away from the village silently with Tasuki right behind him.
When they were up the hill from the village, Tasuki sped up next to him. "So, what do ya think, Chichiri?"
The monk lowered his head. "I'm not sure, Tasuki. I honestly think it would be in our best interest to ask Atsuna for help. This is her area of expertise, you know," Chichiri pointed out.
Tasuki's eyes nearly burned through him with his stare. "I don't wanna get her involved, Chichiri. We went through this already, didn't we?"
Chichiri nodded once. "We did, but all we have is what that villager saw. We still don't know where it came from."
"Shouldn't we ask the other villagers if they saw somethin', too?"
"No, I don't think it would make a difference. They would tell us the same thing over and over. I don't believe it would help either way. We should report back to Lady Houki with what they saw and ask her what it is she'd like us to do." Chichiri lifted his head and peered at his comrade. "I'm sorry, Tasuki, but I think Atsuna is going to have to get involved with this, whether you want her to or not. She has her powers of light for this very reason. It is possible to keep her safe even if she's involved, you know."
Tasuki sighed deeply and frowned. "I don't like this one bit, Chichiri."
"I know, Tasuki. I don't, either."
