Chapter 2
"Love, an emotion so strong that you would give up everything.
To just feel it once, to know that you are part of something special.
To know that you can feel what love really is; to know, to feel, to love."
-Source Unknown-
"Hmm…" Ally parted her eyelashes, revealing a blurry vision of the surrounding atmosphere. Bracing herself upon her hands and slowly rising, she felt her head reel and her stomach churn. Whatever had just happened…it had certainly been more unpleasant than any other time she had traveled through both time and space. Slightly shaking her head, as if she had water in her ears, she tried to clear away her dizzy thoughts. Once her vision began to clear, she gasped.
Before her was not the familiar sight of her bedroom. It was a chamber that seemed to be hovering in a sacred dimension where no mortal was allowed to trespass upon. The floor seemed to be made of crystal clear glass, reflecting the galaxies and heavenly bodies of the universe. Her gaze followed the floor towards a lonely throne that lay mightily perched upon a series of-deep crimson carpeted-steps. Sitting in the prominent throne was the figure of the God Suzaku himself. He sat there, arms braced upon both arms of the throne, as his golden eyes seemed to pierce its way into her soul.
"You're awake at last." His deep and ethereal voice echoed throughout the room and caused a chill to ripple its way down her spine. Suzaku rose from his chair and descended the stairs with an in-human grace that only a God could posses. As he approached, his countenance grew more intimidating to the point Ally was practically gaping like an idiot in his direction. Once he stood before her, she immediately began to gather herself and bowed politely before him, thinking that it was the appropriate thing to do. A gentle hand came underneath her chin, lifting her face as well as the rest of her upper body so that she would sit upright. "Human, you have summoned me for a wish and a bargain." His golden hawk-like eyes seemed hurt, almost pained to have to speak of the deal they had made. "I brought you here, to the halfway mark, my dwelling, to discuss something with you."
She nodded, feeling his hand drop away from her chin, but his gaze never faltering upon her own. "The offer you made me I will accept. It is an equal exchange, but I must ask… Are you ready to do this?"
"Yes." She answered simply yet forcefully, not wanting to turn back now.
"You are willing to leave your family behind? And everything you have ever known…for the sake of a love that could never be?"
"Yes." An uncomfortable lump formed in the back of her throat, "I am prepared."
"If I accept this wish, then it will take centuries for me to regain my energy. Meaning that I will not be able to return you to your world, ever again."
It was a shock to hear the warning and seriousness annunciated within the last words of his sentence. Ever, was an awfully long time, and she would never see her parents again in real life. As the years would pass by in this world, hours would slowly stretch on in the other. She held his gaze fast, eyes blazing fiercely with determination as she began her proclamation to an almighty powerful God.
"Suzaku, I would wish it no other way. A chance like this only comes once in a lifetime, and I am fully prepared to take it." Tears brimmed her eyes, turning the form of Suzaku into one big watery blur. "Because…because I love him. With all my heart."
The crimson God slowly bowed his head; he had heard words like these before, from Miaka and Tamahome.
Concentrating all of his power into one last spell, Ally watched as the symbol upon his forehead came to life. The force of the spell grew around her until she felt the center of her forehead pulse with a diminishing pain. Raising a cautious hand to the skin there, she winced, fingertips tracing the four lines that were identical to the ones on Chichiri's knee.
"Ally." Suzaku began, his voice faltering slightly as he struggled to contain the power. "May you…find happiness…."
She smiled, the tears she had been holding back trickled down her hot cheeks as she nodded and closed her eyes.
"Thank you…Thank you Suzaku!"
The spell was complete.
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Her world spun before her in an uncontrollable ride, which she did not wish to stop. She was on her way to Konan, to the world beyond her own, to the place where he was…Chichiri. Ally curled herself into a ball, smiling as she placed her hands over her frantically beating heart. She had met with Suzaku, had sacrificed her previous life on Earth, and was traveling through countless dimensions, all for the sake of a powerful human emotion.
"Ok, that was definitely a sappy cliché." Ally frowned slightly until her smooth road turned bumpy, her protective bubble rumbled as a bright white light burst forth and ensnared her, turning her surroundings painfully white to the point she had to cover her tightly shut eyes with her hands.
Everything around her suddenly turned soothingly warm, even the air she breathed was moist and hot, almost sticky. The air grew dense, clinging to the exposed skin of her arms, face, and neck. Opening her eyes she was confronted with the familiar sight of colors blending and separating, like a giant kaleidoscope. The entire spectrum was being displayed in a shimmering array, dancing around her like an artist's paintbrush upon a canvas. It was like watching the sunrise from within the clouds, seeing the light accompanied by oranges, pinks, and purples. She, the girl from another world…had arrived….
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Tai-Yi-Jun sneezed annoyingly. She hated waking up and finding the morning to be cold and frigid up on the peak of her invisible mountain. Wrapping her flowing robes more tightly around her, she made her way out of her chambers towards the shrine to conduct prayers. There was a disturbance in the air…something strange yet familiar. It was like trying to remember something that had never happened.
Shaking her head, she simply put her hands together and prayed to the four gods of this world. Now that she concentrated…it became more and more clear. Suzaku had done something, his power was weak…his being slowly undergoing a recovery process. Why had he lost a colossal amount of power? The last time something like this had happened…. Her eyes snapped open and she quickly dismissed herself from the incense filled room.
Standing before the large mirror, the old woman waved a wrinkled hand and waited for the image to become clear. The moment it appeared on screen, she gasped in shock, taken aback by what she saw.
"What…how can this be?!" Once Tai-Yi-Jun was involved, it was hard for her to let go of the subject at hand. "What evil is amiss?" She scratched her chin in puzzlement, there was no logical explanation for this, she would have to investigate.
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It was a rare event indeed to see Tai-Yi-Jun leave her solitary mountain. She rarely left due to her duties as an ancient oracle, but this was a definite exception. Chichiri had wished for the connection to be broken between the two worlds. How could it be that it was repaired?
The source to all her questions was about half-a-mile away from her mountain, and lay sprawled upon the ground beside a small waterfall. She was giving off a pulsing red aura that was all too familiar. It was the girl, Ally, the one who had stolen her pupil's heart and had returned to her own time not but a year ago. The girl was fast asleep as she lay upon her side; her clothes were damp as well as her long hair. Apparently she had undergone a long journey due to the dark circles under her eyes and a sickly pale complexion. She couldn't help but smile; this was quite the turn of events. Tai-Yi-Jun carefully picked up the child, turned around in mid-air, and began to fly back towards Mount Taikyoku.
The Nyan-Nyan's immediately took action once Tai-Yi-Jun returned, the girl was healed, washed, and was given a new set of clothes as she was put to bed. The girl slept, her mortal skin still emitting a faint reddish glow. Folding her withered hands into her sleeves for warmth, the oracle watched over the girl while thousands of questions buzzed about her mind. Tai-Yi-Jun didn't like being puzzled for very long, so she hoped the girl would wake up soon to explain herself. Yet her presence struck a sympathetic cord within her heart.
"My child, what is your true purpose here?"
Eyeing the four lines upon the young girl's forehead, she recognized the symbol immediately, but said nothing. That symbol alone explained a good portion of the questions she had. "Chichiri…what will you do, now that your love is here?" She chuckled omnisciently, and wondered just how long it would take him to figure it out. He must have sensed the disturbance within the chi, so it wouldn't be too long before he came here to inquire after the strange presence. "You my dear shall humor me greatly. I anticipate "lover boy's" response." Cackling, she exited the room and left Ally to catch up on her rest. The next few days would prove to be very amusing indeed.
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"Ouch! No da!" Chichiri vigorously rubbed the top of his head. A great disturbance had broken his deep slumber; and in the process of being woken abruptly he had managed to smack his forehead on the top of the bunk-bead. After the pain had diminished, he threw the covers off of him, quickly got dressed and raced out the door with staff in hand.
Once outside, he placed the mask upon his face and felt it mold to the contours of his facial features, perfectly concealing all emotions to the world around him. Running his fingers through his long blue bangs, he sleepily rubbed the back of his neck and searched the sky for some type of sign. Little did he know that he had missed her completely.
"Perhaps…it was nothing?" Yeah right, he could only wish. "Maybe I should go and see Tai—" Before he could finish that thought, a loud roar of protest was audible from the tavern in the background. Tasuki was awake, and had apparently woken up the same way he himself had. Shaking his head while grinning softly, he found a dry spot to sit down and watch the sunrise.
He watched his breath release from his mouth in puffy white clouds, and drew his warm kesa around his shoulders. Chichiri closed his eye behind his mask, relishing in the silence the early morning had to offer before the angry bandit came to find him and complain about getting drunk. Something was…different…. The world didn't seem as tense…or unsteady. It was balanced, like it had been so long ago…to the point he could almost hardly remember.
"Oi! Chichiri!"
"Here it comes…." He sighed, waiting patiently for the bandit and his series of complaints.
"That's one way for a guy to wake up." Tasuki grumbled and rubbed at the top of his head.
"How's that? No da." Chichiri did his best to suppress a silly grin.
"By hittin' my head on the damn ceiling! Could that room have been any smaller?! Plus ya had to go an' get me drunk like that."
"Tasuki, you know very well I can't control your drinking ability. You did that on your own."
"Did I?"
"Yes."
"Weird."
"I'd say so. No da."
The bandit sat down beside the monk, leaning back on his hands and inclining his face towards the sky.
"It's feels different." This remark caught Chichiri's attention. "Like the world is back to normal. Plus the fact you're happier than usual." Smiling sheepishly, Chichiri nodded and looked back towards the rising sun, feeling the warm beams of light shine upon his face.
"I feel it too Tasuki. But I sensed some strange presence; it disturbed my web of chi. I'm thinking of seeing Tai-Yi-Jun, just to see if she knows anything. No da."
Tasuki snorted.
"That old hag, why bother? She'll just give ya some cryptic answer."
"I'm used to it, I trained under her for three years remember? No da."
"I don't see how ya could've put up wit her for tha' long."
"It's easy, especially when you're in search of a new life and she's the only one who can help. No da."
Tasuki cast him a sarcastic glance, rather than his usual glare, and returned his gaze back towards the morning. The silence endured between the two warriors for quite some time, until the orange haired companion broke the ice.
"Yer still thinkin' about her."
It was Chichiri's turn to cast the bandit a glance. Only his was more defensive. "Chichiri, ya can't go on livin' like this. She's gone, and there's nothin' any of us can do about it."
"You make it sound so simple Tasuki… to forget."
"Believe me, it wasn't. She was very dear to me too, and I know ya had very strong feelings for her."
"I love her Tasuki."
Tasuki's brows furrowed, no matter how hard he tried to make Chichiri let go of the pain he was feeling…love always remained. Pouncing to his feet, the bandit drew his tessen and pointed it towards the sun.
"Yeah?! And what will ya do if she never comes back?!"
Chichiri turned his head so that his grave expression could not be seen, even with the aid of a mask, his sorrow was detectable. He too rose to his feet, keeping his balance with the help of his staff.
"I'll still love her." He murmured, before making his way down the dirt road, which led to town.
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The city market and its people were beginning their day, furiously stocking up their markets and preparing meals to sell for the early morning rush. The rings upon Chichiri's staff jingled softly as he made his way through the small village.
During the time Ally had vanished from his life, he had had many encounters where the memory of her weighed heavily upon his mind. For instance, when he had been traveling with Tasuki, they had stopped in a small town for provisions when he spotted a small weaponry shop. Hanging in plain sight was a crafted bow, beautifully built for an expert marksman. Just seeing that bow reminded him of the time Ally was practicing shooting at the trunk of a tree. Her skills had improved greatly in so short a time, and had become quite the warrior. That was only one of the attributes he admired about her, and loved.
Shaking his head, he escaped his conscience and continued through the small village until he caught sight of something unexpected. A girl, with long chestnut hair that reached down to her waist, was making her way through the crowd. He could not see her face, but just her outline and figure was almost identical to…. Without thinking, he dodged a couple of passerby's and took a forceful hold of her arm.
"Ally?!" He gasped, before she turned around in alarm. It wasn't her. The young woman had brown eyes, a rounder face, and features that weren't remotely similar to the maiden of his dreams. "Oh, I'm so sorry. Forgive me." He said in an embarrassed rush before bowing and hurriedly turning away to continue his journey. 'Stupid, the bond was broken, the wish was granted! Tasuki's right…she's never coming back.'
Chichiri knew the pain of truth was just as terrible as the bite of a lie, but lies helped alleviate the reality of never seeing her again. It was bad enough that he had fallen in love despite his duties as a monk who had vowed to live a life without connection or desires. Yet, apart from anything else, he was man with a heart surrounded by ice. Ally had awoken a desirable flame within him, melting the coldness around his heart until it beat only for her. The more he talked to her and got to know her, the more intertwined their entities became. It was an irresistible fate that could not be denied. They both had let their guards down, and thus fell in love with one another in a way that was least expected. It all seemed a game at first: Warm smiles from across the room, battles of wits and word jousts, exchanging words of wisdom, careless touches, hidden secrets, and forbidden kisses. The evolution of love was a confusing thing, yet despite its puzzles it seemed perfectly normal. They started off liking each other, then began to depend upon one another, until a deeper bond grew between them. He remembered how she perfectly fit into his embrace, and how she would mechanically tuck her head into his shoulder. He in turn would stroke her long hair, gods, he had even combed that luscious hair. Always in secret he would quietly worship the beautiful female until it was too late to turn back. Of course he didn't admit to his feelings right away, it was kept under lock and key, perfectly hidden, until Ally would come along, with all her grace and innocence and coax it out of him.
Chichiri had always thought it strange how the emotion of love made someone do things they wouldn't even consider. Many times he had been able to sit next to women and feel perfectly calm. But when Ally was around, his hands itched to touch her. Like an electric shock that ran throughout him, longing to stroke the soft skin of her arm, or collect a lock of her hair and breathe in its scent. He saw this as temptation rather than attraction, and sought to banish it from his mind and body like he did with most things in his training as a monk. Much to his surprise, it never left him. It would always make a strong comeback whenever Ally was near. Even now…when she was gone forever…he could still feel that strong attachment, so that she would live on inside his heart…forever.
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Ally woke up in the strangest manner possible. The very moment she opened her eyes, a familiar old woman that was 'scarier beyond all reason' was eyeing her. She yelped and nearly fell out of the bed.
"I see you haven't lost your disrespect for someone who found you and took care of you ever since you came to this world."
"T-Tai—?!" Ally began but could not finish; out of all places she had to land…she landed in the very heart of the Mysterious Play. The bedroom she laid in was similar to that of the time when Miaka and Tamahome had tried to save Yui from becoming the Priestess of Seiryu. Large crystal orbs levitated around the room, as supportive pillars lay scattered about the richly furnished room. "I…I actually made it. I'm here!" She cried happily, throwing herself backward and kicking at the sheets.
"Yes, I've been meaning to ask you about your…sudden appearance in this world." Ally stopped. "I am surprised that you have returned, but if Chichiri's wish had separated the two world completely…how is it that you came into contact with Suzaku?"
Chichiri….
Ally blushed all the way up to her hairline; her heart suddenly increased its tempo, raising until it became a frightened yet excited crescendo.
"Tai-Yi-Jun where is Chichiri? Is he—?"
"He's fine, I'll show him to you later if you wish, but first answer my question."
Ally told her the entire story, how she had been miserable without the existence of this world, and the kindled love within her heart urged her to finally make a stand. She still didn't know how she could've reached Suzaku. May it was because she had never gotten to make a wish of her very own…or maybe he had been watching over her, waiting for her to finally make her wish. Whatever the reason, she was glad that he accepted, and brought her here. Tai-Yi-Jun was a bundle of questions, and some were almost impossible to answer. Yet Ally cooperated with the interrogation until the oracle was somewhat satisfied, and instructed her to follow.
Ally stood before Tai-Yi-Jun's infamous mirror in which could see images or people from very far away, or could even control another person with means of ancient magic. An image of Chichiri was revealed upon the reflective surface, Ally could've sworn her heart stopped. He was walking upon a dirty road that lead out of a small village and into the mountains. He looked the same as ever, with his masked face and usual attire that consisted of a warm cotton shirt, brown leggings, and a deep sea blue kesa wrapped around his shoulders, followed by his green prayer beads and staff. It was the Chichiri she had always known and had immediately grown to love. Before she could get lost within his image, it flickered then disappeared entirely.
"Hey!" She turned to Tai-Yi-Jun, expecting an explanation for turning off the magical projection.
"Don't look at me like that young lady, he's on his way here. You should be thanking me for taking care of you and making you look somewhat presentable."
"How can I face him? It must have been so long…."
"A year."
"A whole YEAR?! Oh no…." Ally collapsed to her knees and began to feel her body tremble and she shook her head, unable to believe how long it had been.
"He's been suffering ever sine you left. If that makes you feel any better."
"Oh Chichiri…." Clasping a shaking hand over her mouth, she sobbed tearlessly, clutching at her heart as Tai-Yi-Jun gently patted her head.
"Don't overexert yourself. You've had a rough day, you should go and get some rest."
"How can I when…when he's going through so much pain? I must see him, but how will he believe that I am here?"
The ancient oracle nodded wisely then snapped her fingers and in entered a trio of Nyan-Nyan's.
"Leave him to me. I'll speak with him when he comes, then you two can catch up on everything you've missed."
Ally grinned shyly, the blush never fading from her hot cheeks as the little girls encouraged her to stand and follow them back to her sleeping quarters. But before she left the room, she turned to the old woman and smiled happily.
"Tai-Yi-Jun. Thank you."
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(A/N: This was a fun chapter to write. Not only was it the prelude to the beginning of all things that shall happen in this story, but also it's that intimate secrecy, realizing just how frightening love can be. Ally can't wait to see Chichiri, but she's also extremely nervous as to how he will react. I personally thought the description of how Ally awoke with Tai-Yi-Jun staring at her was hilarious. I borrowed the line 'scarier beyond all reason' from "Then Emperor's New Groove". I thought it suited the cranky old oracle quite nicely. Please do tell me what you think of this chapter; your ideas and wonderful comments inspire me to write the next chapter! HUGS