Chapter Three: Hidden From the Light
"I see. You only spoke to one villager?" Empress Houki asked. "There were several other villages that saw the same phenomenon. Should you not get their input on this?"
Chichiri and Tasuki were bowed before her. "I think we would be losing valuable time if we did, Your Highness," Chichiri replied. "I am sure they would say the same as the young man in Atsuna and Tamahome's village, you know."
Houki nodded. "Very well. Do you have any thoughts on what could be causing this?"
Chichiri shook his head. "We don't. I do, however, think it would be in our best interest to summon Atsuna's skills. She has the power to sense such darkness and may know what is behind it, you know." Tasuki shot the monk a glare.
"Tasuki, has Atsuna spoken to you on this?" Houki inquired, turning her attention to the impatient bandit. "As the mortal carrier of Hikari's powers, she should have detected such a disturbance."
Tasuki shook his head. "Unless she's keepin' it from me. She hasn't said anythin' to me about it."
Houki sighed, lowering her gaze. "I'm concerned. I do not see a reason why Atsuna would keep this knowledge from us. It is possible she has not sensed it, and if that is the case, this situation could be more ominous than we've expected."
"What would you like us to do, Lady Houki?" Chichiri spoke up.
Houki was silent for a moment, her eyes shut in thought. With a deep sigh, she looked up at her last remaining Suzaku warriors. "Scout the surrounding villages. I suggest returning to Atsuna's village first. It is curious that the most occurrences are happening there. Use your own discretion in discovering the cause of this phenomenon. Note any patterns or time of day that the spurts of darkness make, anything that may be useful information. I won't keep you out there longer than two days. But I am afraid I will need to call upon Atsuna's services." Houki turned to stare at Tasuki. "I will honor your request as much as I can, Tasuki, but I will not put the citizens of Konan in danger. I will not waste Atsuna's skill if it can be used. You must understand that I will call for her if I need her powers."
Tasuki bowed his head to hide his disagreement. "Yeah. I understand, Lady Houki."
"Very good. I bid you a safe journey. Return to me in two days with all the information you gather. I will be waiting as patiently as possible. Please be safe," Houki replied. Tasuki and Chichiri nodded and stood without saying another word, exiting the throne room and both silently hoping that Atsuna would not be needed, that the darkness looming over the villages could be remedied with their own skills.
Atsuna swung her staff, swatting the cloaked man away from her before he could attack again. She cried out and sent another wave of light toward him, hoping to bind him with a stronger attack. As soon as the wave of light passed by him, she held out a fist, using her power to hold him still. "You will tell me what you're planning to do right now. I don't wish to kill you."
Bound by three rings of glowing yellow light, the man merely chuckled through his raven cloak. "You shouldn't be so thoughtful. I am your enemy and am here to kill you, yet you offer me mercy? I thought you were deemed wise for your young age."
Atsuna tightened her fist. "Don't attempt angering me. Those with light in their souls will always give the chance at mercy. It is your decision, however, whether you take that opportunity. But I will only offer it once."
"Very well. Your one offer of mercy has passed, and I decline." He fought against the rings of light containing his limbs, but Atsuna only tightened them again in response.
"I'm not going to let you go as easily as before," Atsuna warned. "You don't know who you're dealing with."
"And neither do you, Atsuna." Just as Atsuna blinked once, the rings of light broke free and a shroud of black fog appeared at his feet, climbing up to cover his body. "You will know the true terror of the darkness, more than you've ever known. Let it consume you, spark fright into the very pits of your soul. Your light won't be able to save you this time." Before Atsuna could make another attack against him, he disappeared in the fog, his laugh echoing behind him.
"Atsuna! What's goin' on?" Atsuna spun around to see Koji and several bandits rushing towards her. She dissipated her staff and sighed, closing her eyes.
"A man tried to attack me," she replied. "He has the powers of darkness. This does not bode well, Koji. I fear Konan is in danger once more." She opened her eyes and lifted her head.
Koji gripped the hilt of his sword tighter. "Damn it. What about Genrou? He's off on his mission with Chichiri. Shouldn't he know about this?"
Atsuna nodded once. "He should, but I would rather not bother him while he's doing Empress Houki's bidding. Now that I know of his existence, I will watch him carefully as to prevent him from doing anything else. I am sure he is the reason for Chichiri and Tasuki being summoned. The disturbances the missive explained, I am sure this cloaked man is the cause. It would be a good idea to keep the bandits ready for an attack if needed, but I would rather not pit them against him. His power seems too great."
Koji sheathed his sword and nodded. "Gotcha. You're the boss. Well, you're gonna be soon."
Atsuna smiled and shook her head. "What did I tell you about that, Koji?"
"Ya said ya weren't gonna be our boss, but I think these guys look at it the other way," Koji said, turning his attention to the group standing behind him. They all smiled and gave thumbs up in response.
Atsuna put her hands on her hips and smirked. "No wonder you all look up to Tasuki. You're all just as bad as he is. Stubborn to a fault." The bandits gave shouts of agreement. Atsuna laughed. "All right. I'm still in no position to give any of you orders. That's Tasuki's business. In the meantime, we should all just keep on the lookout in case this cloaked man returns. I have a feeling he might."
Koji frowned. "He's after ya, ain't he? He wants ya for somethin', doesn't he?"
Atsuna lowered her head. "I have a feeling. I hope it's wrong, though. I am sure I'm his target. It concerns me, Koji, that I did not feel his presence until too late."
Koji's brow rose. "Too late?"
Atsuna nodded. "I have not had the opportunity to prepare for him. He has caught me off guard. I should have felt him but didn't. I failed." She brushed past Koji and the other bandits. "I'm going to meditate on this, see if I can connect myself with Hikari. I must find out who he is."
Koji nodded. "Okay, Atsuna." The light bearer walked toward the hideout, disappearing around the corner.
"Is she gonna be okay, Koji?" one of the bandits asked.
Koji nodded. "Yeah, she'll be okay. Just give her some time. We need to watch out for this guy. I promised Genrou I would watch her. If he comes back an' she's hurt, he'll kick my ass. Ya guys need to stay out here an' patrol. Come find me if ya find somethin'." The bandits nodded and readied their weapons, scattering off into separate positions over Mt. Reikaku. Koji turned to look at the hideout before deciding to fulfill his promise and keep an eye on Atsuna.
Tasuki groaned impatiently and leaned against the abandoned, rackety home. "This is pointless, Chichiri! Nothin's happenin'! Why don't we just go to another village an' ask 'em what they saw?"
Chichiri shook his head. "I'm sure if we do that, we will miss something important here, you know. The most sightings have been documented here. It is possible the person responsible will show up, you know. You could go on alone, if you want, Tasuki."
The bandit leader folded his arms behind his head. "If yer stayin', then so am I. Ya obviously think somethin' bad's gonna happen in Atsuna's village. But if someone else asks me why we're standin' here like a buncha idiots, I'm torchin' 'em an' ya can't stop me."
Chichiri chuckled and nodded once. "Agreed, then. I'll just have to see to it that villagers stay away from you lest they become ash, you know."
Tasuki let out a round of laughter. "Then I'll fry ya along with 'em, Chichiri. Ya know I like to dish it out. Ya shouldn't get in my way."
Chichiri shook his head, amused by his friend's light behavior. Such amusement faded when a shroud of black clouds loomed over their heads, covering the village in an oblique darkness. The villagers scurried into their homes, some screaming about it all happening again. The man who initially told the Suzaku warriors about the occurrences was ushering his young son into his home. He gave a hopeful stare in their direction.
"Can ya sense anyone nearby?" Tasuki asked as he pulled his tessen from his back.
"I can't tell," Chichiri said. "There is a darkness surrounding us. I can't pinpoint its center, you know. I hate to say it, but Atsuna would be useful right about now, you know."
Tasuki ground his teeth together. "Yeah, I know. So sue me. I don't want her involved if I can help it, an' right now, I can help it." He tightened his grip on his tessen. "So what do we do, Chichiri? It's just gonna disappear again!"
"I'll try a barrier spell. Perhaps it will stay within the limits if possible," the monk replied stoically. He flipped his staff in his hand twice, the rings resonating around them. He pulled his hand up, holding it stiff and vertical from the ground in prayer. His body began to glow blue faintly. Tasuki stood silent, waiting for a resolution to come. However, the dark clouds above started clearing away from the sun.
"It's not workin', Chichiri! The darkness is leavin' again!" Tasuki shouted. Chichiri tightened his eye shut in concentration, pushing out all of his power around them, hoping to choke the darkness. Chichiri could hear a deep chuckling in his head, taunting his valiant but futile efforts to keep the darkness in its place for them to investigate. Tasuki watched helplessly as the clouds disappeared, giving way to the sun. Chichiri opened his eyes and lowered his hand, sighing deeply in defeat.
"For one moment, I could feel a strong force. It was coming from up north but disappeared," Chichiri informed in monotone.
Tasuki's eyes widened slightly. "North? Mt. Reikaku?"
Chichiri shook his head. "I can't tell."
Tasuki growled, "Atsuna could be in danger! We hafta go back!"
"We can't abandon the mission on an assumption, Tasuki. If you wish, I'll contact her through our psychic link, you know," Chichiri reassured with a pat on the bandit's shoulder. Tasuki nodded and snapped his tessen on his back once more, waiting as patiently as possible for Chichiri to begin speaking to the light bearer. "Atsuna, it's Chichiri, you know! Can you hear me?"
There was a short pause. "Chichiri? Is everything all right?" Tasuki sighed in relief upon hearing Atsuna's gentle voice echo around them.
"Yes. We just witnessed a bout of darkness over your village, and while trying to focus in, for one moment I sensed a similar presence up north. Tasuki was worried you were in trouble, you know," Chichiri explained. "We thought we'd check in on you."
Atsuna chuckled. "He has nothing to worry about. Everything is fine, although I have recently sensed such a presence. I don't believe it's coming anywhere near here. Finish your mission. That is priority."
"You are a priority, damn it," Tasuki spoke up angrily. "I'm not lettin' somethin' happen to ya, an' that's final."
"Tasuki, don't be stubborn. Your duty is to Empress Houki. Do what she asks of you. Spending your time worrying for me is going to get you nowhere," Atsuna scolded firmly. "Complete your mission. I'll be right here when you return. Be happy I've decided not to go against your wishes and meet you."
Tasuki shook his head despite Atsuna not being able to see him. "Hell no. Ya better stay at Mt. Reikaku. I'll be back in a couple days."
"I'm glad we see eye-to-eye. The both of you better be careful. Do what it is you need to do. Everything is fine up here," Atsuna said. "Just please do what you need to do. Come back safe."
"We will, Atsuna. And I promise to keep Tasuki in line, you know."
"Hey!"
"I know you will, Chichiri. Thank you. Be safe," Atsuna replied with a smile. Another short pause. "And I'll see you when you return, Tasuki. I'll be looking forward to you coming home."
Tasuki smirked. "Me too, babe. I'll be back soon."
Chichiri sighed, breaking the link between him and Atsuna. He turned to Tasuki. "We should try to accomplish as much as we can. I have a bad feeling, Tasuki."
The bandit nodded in agreement. "Me too, Chichiri. Let's get goin'. We hafta find somethin' out. I just wanna get things back to the way they were after we defeated Tenkou."
Chichiri shook his head. "It's only been a month, Tasuki. I'm afraid our luck doesn't always hold out so long, you know. All we can hope is that we still have the power to save the people of Konan. I'm afraid that this darkness will stretch to the other countries. It is our job to keep it contained and destroy it, you know."
"An' if we do it, then Atsuna doesn't hafta do anythin'. I'm all for it. Let's get to it, Chichiri."
Atsuna sat at the edge of the bed she shared with Tasuki, staring down into her lap. The darkness was choking at her, threatening the stability in her soul to crack and weaken. She released a deep sigh and opened her eyes, wiping the sweat from her brow. Concentration was a luxury, and it was one she didn't have at the moment.
Her stomach began to ache. Something wasn't right.
"Hey, Atsuna!" The light bearer blinked and turned her head towards the open doorway. Koji was leaning against the frame with his arms crossed over his chest. "Ya looked deep in thought. Ya all right?"
She nodded. "Yes, I think so. I just spoke with Chichiri and Tasuki for a short moment. They said they sensed a darkness up north. Tasuki was apparently concerned it was coming for me," she explained.
Koji's brow rose. "Did ya tell him about that cloaked guy?"
She lowered her gaze. "No, I didn't. I didn't want to worry him. The dark force they sensed up here must have been him, and yes, he was after me. Tasuki doesn't need to worry about me right now. I am sure, though, that this mysterious man is the one behind the shifting darkness over surrounding villages. I think it's only meant to scare the villagers. I am sure there is nothing else behind it."
"Ya shoulda told him this guy came after ya," Koji replied. "He's gonna be pissed about that. I suppose that means I'm gonna hafta keep it a secret from him."
Atsuna cracked into a weak smile. "I'm not going to ask you to lie to him, Koji. If you want to tell him, then you can. I just didn't want to tell him now. He may be angry with me later, but he'll get over it, I'm sure. For the moment, I need to ponder over what I must do. This man will return." She rested her face in her palms, moaning softly. "I have such a headache."
"Maybe ya better rest. I'll leave ya alone." Koji turned to walk out of the room, but as soon as he reached the door, a bright light burst from behind him. He spun around and saw balls of light shooting from Atsuna's body as she screamed. She levitated horizontally from the ground, her body glowing white and yellow. "Atsuna, what's goin' on? Answer me!"
She said nothing. Instead, the light surrounding her body began to darken into blackness, and she screamed again. In a blink of an eye, the dark light emanating from her body burst into shards of power and her body dropped onto the bed, unmoving and pale. Koji rushed to her side, finding her unconscious. "Atsuna? Atsuna! Wake up!" He moved his hand over her mouth to feel for her warm breath.
Nothing.
Chichiri snapped his head to the sky, his brows furrowed in concentration. He stopped his horse immediately. For just a moment, there was a dark disturbance in the north again.
"Hey, what's wrong, Chichiri? Ya look like somethin's on your mind," Tasuki said, interrupting the monk's sudden concern. The bandit leader stopped at his friend's side.
"Sorry, Tasuki. I thought I just felt something, you know," Chichiri replied with a shake of his head. "I'm sure it's nothing."
Tasuki frowned, narrowing his gaze. "It's never nothin' with you. Spit it out. What did ya feel?"
Chichiri paused and lowered his head. "I felt a dark presence in the north again, and it suddenly vanished, quicker than in the villages. I have a very bad feeling, you know."
Tasuki bit his lip. Atsuna assured him everything was fine up at Mt. Reikaku, but his worry did not wane. "I think we need to go up there."
Chichiri shook his head. "No, we must continue with the mission."
Tasuki growled. "No! Don't ya get it, Chichiri? Don't ya think that she's gonna be a target of all this darkness? She always told me that darkness is attracted to her! I can feel it, Chichiri! She's in danger!"
Chichiri gripped his staff tighter and sighed. "I can understand your worry, Tasuki, but if Atsuna is truly in danger, then we must do everything to stop the darkness from spreading. You said yourself it will prevent Atsuna's involvement, you know. We must trust in Atsuna's own strength if she is indeed a target, you know. And we must trust she is not keeping the truth from us."
Tasuki sighed deeply and ran his fingers through his wild bangs. "I hope yer right, Chichiri. She's just as stubborn as Tama was. An' I don't think it's a good thing."
Chichiri nodded in agreement. "Yes. You're right, you know. Now, perhaps we could finish this mission, and you can be assured of Atsuna's wellbeing once our last two days are over."
Tasuki snapped his reins. "Right. Let's get goin' to the next village, then!"
Atsuna groaned when she opened her eyes. The sun's rays proved too bright, and she snapped her eyes shut again, trying to control the sudden headache. Her mind raced as she tried taking several mental steps back to gather her surroundings. She fought with the cloaked man and spoke with Koji on the matter, and then it happened.
The darkness shrouded around her, choked the life from her.
"Atsuna? Are ya awake?"
She cleared her throat. It hurt, like she had just swallowed spikes. "I am. Close the curtains, Koji. The light is too bright for me," she rasped. She heard his footsteps clambering to the other side of the room, untying the curtain and allowing it to fan over the window.
"Okay, Atsuna. They're closed. Try openin' your eyes."
Atsuna pulled her hand up to her face and opened her eyes, preparing to shield any invading light into her pupils. It was darker now in the room, and Koji stood over her in utter concern, blocking any other light from the window the curtain could not stop. "I feel horrible."
"Ya scared me half to death, woman! What the hell happened? You've been unconscious for hours! It's nearly nightfall already!" Koji exclaimed.
"Nightfall?" Atsuna cleared her throat again and tried to sit up, but there was no strength available to her. She merely fell back against the bed again.
"So, are ya gonna tell me what happened? What was all that light around yer body?" Koji asked, pulling up a chair next to her head. "I thought ya died! For a minute there, ya weren't even breathin'! I had no idea what I was gonna tell Genrou!"
Atsuna sighed deeply. "Oh, Koji, forgive me for worrying you. It appears as if my life left me for just a short moment, but I'm all right now." She pulled the blanket up to her chin and curled into a ball as if to fight an invading chill. Her eyes connected with his. "I have failed."
Koji's brow rose. "What? Failed in what?"
Atsuna closed her eyes and moaned tiredly. "I have failed to protect myself. That cloaked man was out for more than I thought. He has taken my essence from me, the gift that has kept me alive since I escaped from Ryozo's lair." When Koji said nothing, and the bewildered expression on his face deepened, Atsuna let out a much-needed breath of air. "I was on the verge of death when Hikari found me all those years ago. She saved my life by lending me her powers. And now they're gone."
Koji's eyes widened. "What?"
Atsuna nodded against her pillow. "Yes. My powers are gone. They have been stolen from me by that man. And now I'm a normal woman, one who will need to rely on others for protection." She closed her eyes and choked back a sob. "I am so weak now, weak like when I was a child. I am unable to do what Hikari asked of me."
Koji curled his hands into fists on his lap. "We should call Genrou to come back. He's gonna wanna know about this."
Atsuna's eyes snapped open. "No, absolutely not. Tasuki doesn't need to know about this until he returns. He's already worried for me. Let him complete his mission with Chichiri, although it's safe to say they won't find anything useful now. If I was unable to detect such a darkness around me, and if I let that darkness steal my powers, what could they possibly do?"
Koji frowned. "Don't be so negative, woman. Everythin' is gonna be okay. Genrou always pulls through. He'll find a way to get yer powers back for ya."
Atsuna shook her head. "No. Tasuki can do nothing for me. I will have to be the one to retrieve my powers. No one can do it for me. I don't know how I'm going to do it, but I must. There is still a fated battle I must win, one that has been destined of me since I was born, since Hikari chose me to bestow her powers upon. I won't lose that battle before it's even begun."
Koji nodded and smirked. "That sounds more like the Atsuna I know." He got out of his chair, moving it back to its place against the wall. "Okay, Atsuna. Ya need to rest. We'll take care of ya. I won't call Genrou, but as soon as he gets back, I'm sendin' him right to ya. An' things will get better. I know they will."
Atsuna cracked a weak smile and watched Koji walk out of the room, shutting the door behind him with a gentle click.
And then the tears came.
The dawn of the third day…
"Empress Houki looked disappointed," Tasuki said as he and Chichiri walked out of the throne room.
Chichiri shook his head. "She did. I'm sure she was expecting us to find more, you know. Every village taken over by this darkness said the same thing as the last, and I was never able to pinpoint the location of its source."
"But at least that stupid darkness hasn't been doin' anythin'. It's not hurtin' anybody. We can at least be thankful fer that," Tasuki pointed out as they marched down the grand stairs into the courtyard. "So we didn't find out what's goin' on. We'll find out eventually."
"You shouldn't be so lax about this, Tasuki," Chichiri replied. "This is a very serious situation. We don't know what to expect or who exactly is causing this to happen. I will watch the surrounding villages in the meantime, and since I keep sensing darkness in the north, you can act as surveillance up there. Perhaps you could ask your bandits to help, as well, you know."
Tasuki nodded. "No problem. They'll do it, an' if I find anythin' out, I'll let you know. Atsuna could call on ya through her link again. It's easier that way than sendin' a messenger out."
The two remaining Suzaku warriors stopped at their respective horses. "It's settled, then." Tasuki turned and mounted his horse, running his hand against the smooth mane. "Tasuki?" The bandit turned and looked down at his friend. "Ask Atsuna for her help. If you must, protect her, but her involvement will cut this investigation short, you know."
Tasuki broke their eye contact and sighed. "I know, Chichiri. I'll ask her, but I probably won't hafta. She'll do it anyway."
Chichiri nodded once and smiled. "Everything will be fine, Tasuki. We'll get in contact with one another soon. Take care on your trip back to Mt. Reikaku."
"I will. Thanks, Chichiri." Tasuki kicked the sides of his horse and eased him away from the stables, riding hard out of the palace gates back home, back to Atsuna, back to the woman who would soon be his wife.
