Chapter 3
"Multiply it by infinity, take it to the depths of forever and you'll still only have a glimpse of how much I love you."
-Source Unknown-
Surprisingly, Ally slept. Despite her toe-curling excitement to see Chichiri, she was still exhausted beyond belief due to the stages she had gone through to get there. The Nyan-Nyan's were unrelenting in their persistence to get her into bed, and stood there to make sure she went to sleep. Plus the fact that the bed was irresistibly comfy, and felt as if she were lying upon a cloud. Her exhaustion eventually won despite her best efforts to stay awake and wait for Chichiri to arrive, but she didn't know how long it would take him on foot. So she closed her eyes, and figured that Tai-Yi-Jun would wake her when he came.
"Nyan-Nyan?" She murmured before loosing consciousness completely. All three of them answered in union.
"Yes?"
"When Chichiri arrives, don't tell him I'm here. Immediately come and wake me up, ok?"
All three of them saluted, and resumed their careful watch upon the girl from another world until a dreamless sleep enveloped her.
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Ally did dream. But it didn't seem that way at first. It was one of those dreams where you don't realize it's not real until it's too late.
She was standing behind the door, pressing her ear to the wood in an attempt to capture the sound of Chichiri's voice. It was friendly, warm, and unaware of the fact that she existed in the same world as he. She tried to open the door, but it was locked! She opened her mouth to say something but nothing came. Knocking furiously upon the door no sound came from anything she did. It was as if she were living in a deaf world, where no sound existed except for Chichiri and Tai-Yi-Jun's voices.
"Chichiri, I assume you felt the disturbance in the chi?"
"I did. Do you know anything about it? No da."
There was a pause, until footsteps were audible in their approach towards the general direction of her door. 'Oh no! What do I do?!' She wanted to hide, to disappear, to turn invisible, anything that might conceal herself from him. Though she longed to be with Chichiri again…she feared his reaction. There was a soft click. The door was unlocked. And in entered Chichiri.
There was a breathless moment of realization, recognition, and shock. All possible emotions were swarming together; causing her knees to shake and her lungs to forget how to breathe. His masked face did little to reassure her in any way that he was pleased to see her.
"Ally?" His voice was laced with surprise and astonishment until his eyebrows were drawn together, forcefully. "What are you doing here?" The question was rhetorical, and far too angry for her to answer, despite the fact she had no voice to speak with. He approached her, his movements sharp until he had firm hold upon both her wrists and pushed her back against a marble column. "The bond was broken! The wish was granted! Why are you here?!" He was yelling now, something she had never expected from him, especially when it was directed towards her. She tried to move and free herself from his iron grip, but in a situation such as this, she was powerless. This wasn't Chichiri, the man she knew was kind and gentle, he would never hurt her like this, or say such words. Flexing her hand, she took the seam of his mask and skillfully tore it from his face.
Her heart stopped.
The left eye, which was covered by a white scar that silently spoke of the pain of the past, was bleeding. It was a new wound, blood and tears mingling as his jaw clenched tightly. "You caused this wound, you brought this pain upon me! What is your true purpose here?!"
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Tai-Yi-Jun tapped her fingers boringly against the surface of one of the floating jade orbs in the palace. She could feel the child's unease and internal suffering. The Nyan-Nyan's informed her that she had went to sleep…apparently she was having a bad dream.
"She shouldn't be having any nightmares, Chichiri's coming, she should be glad!" The oracle grumbled impatiently, not liking the puzzling aspect of love. It was such a complicated emotion, and only got in the way of things. Just like Miaka and Tamahome…they had crossed all obstacle to be with each other. Her pupil had suffered greatly in the past, and came to her for training and a new purpose to serve in life, to forget the pain yet allow it to endure within him…to drive him to succeed. In time he overcame his fears and pain, but like his eye, the wounds of the past never healed completely. They left a scar, both visible and invisible upon his body and mind. He had a stubborn streak, which kept him from giving up on life and beat any challenge thrown in his path so that he may fulfill his helpful purpose to the best of his ability. At the cost of having a lingering guilt and a haunting past, his dual personality seemed to have blended together during the time he had spent with Ally. His gaze was softer, and his personality more gentle and kind rather than guarded. The past Houjun and the present Chichiri were one at last, creating a man with confidence…and the ability to love without fear.
She smiled, the crow's feet around her eyes and the wrinkles gathered throughout time upon her face stretched adoringly. She was glad that he was coming, to ask questions, and be given a simple yet powerful answer.
"I must ask…what will you do Chichiri?" Tai-Yi-Jun released an amused chuckle as she brought forth a mirror to analyze his progress. The young man was displayed before her. He could easily transport here in a matter of seconds, yet he continued his journey on foot for some obstinate reason. A look of determination and deep contemplation lay plastered upon that mask of his, he was thinking…thinking about her. "This is too easy, oh what fun this will be." The old woman hooted entertainingly, her anticipation growing with each step he drew closer to Mount Taikyoku.
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Chichiri sneezed, apparently…someone was thinking of him. Mount Taikyoku wasn't too far away now, maybe less than a mile from where he was. As he advanced his way through a pass through the surroundings mountains and cliffs the strange presence from earlier grew more and more powerful, as if it were luring him in. His curious nature could not resist the temptation to discover what it might be, but some part of him was determined to finish the journey on foot. Chichiri's mind kept telling him to slow down…slow down…. Yet he felt so anxious. His stride increased its calm tempo, footsteps hurrying rather than lingering. Something was telling him to come, to hurry, to make haste.
"Must be the heat of the sun getting to me, no da." The monk tried to convince his mind to calm down, to relax, and to regain control. He readjusted his posture, now standing tall and recovering his 'cool as a cucumber' composure. He would pace himself, he would not rush…he would be the master of his own thoughts.
He had felt this before, strangely enough. This need…. It was from so long ago it seemed. A desire swallowed, hidden in the very darkest corner of his mind, only to be unearthed by one person…. Chichiri shook his head, bracing his hand against the rocky face of the cliff side. 'She's gone…never to return…she's gone….' His heart ached within his chest, beating with sorrow until it slowly consumed the rest of him…like an invisible poison, spreading lethally throughout his body until he was numb with loneliness. He found little appreciation for the every-day beauty of life now that she was not in it…to share it with him. Every breath he took was a gift, to live without her.
When he was young, in his vigorous youth, he believed himself to be in love with his fiancé. He did love her, even to this day…a part of him continued to remain loyal to her memory. But under Tai-Yi-Jun's tutelage he had learned to accept the abandonment of earthly desires, yet still continue to love his childhood friends. He was capable of love, but he never truly experienced what love was until he met Ally. At first it was innocent attraction, until it hit him with a force of a thousand buckets of ice water. He loved her.
Chichiri laughed dryly.
How could such a small word possess such colossal emotion? It made him dizzy just trying to think of how it worked, it was so complicated, with rules within rules to the point the rules no longer made sense. Yet it always turned out in the end…except in his case.
Sighing he pushed onward, his steps becoming heavy with dread as if he had taken the weight of the entire universe upon his shoulders. Why did he always have to carry so much pain? Biting his bottom lip at this thought, it was then he saw Tai-Yi-Jun's mountain.
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Ally woke with a start: chest heaving and heart jumping out of her chest until she pressed a hand to her breast to calm its frenzied beating.
"What was that?" She whispered, eyes wide from the aftershock of the nightmare. The dream had been so realistic…so vivid…that she had almost believed it to be real. Ally calmed her breathing, creating a pattern of inhales and exhales until her body was back to normal. Chichiri…. In her dream had had been so angry…so forceful that he wasn't the same. Who knows what a year could have done to him? He had been so alone, taking on so much pain to the point he was miserable.
"You caused this wound, you brought this pain upon me! What is your true purpose here?!"
She shuddered from the dream-Chichiri's words. What if what he said was true? The last time she came here, she always believed that her purpose had been to meet Chichiri. But was that true? Had love been the reason behind her entire adventure? If so…why allow her to fall in love only to be separated in the end?
"Too many questions." She grumbled, clasping a hand to her pounding forehead. Logic was not on her side, especially when she had just woken up from a terrible dream. Surveying the area, it was then she caught sight of the door on the other side of the room. Eyeing it suspiciously, she crawled out of bed and approached it. The door was not locked, that was a good sign. Ally nearly fainted out of relief until she turned back around to find her 'human' clothes lying in a neatly folded pile upon the bed, along with a comb.
Once dressed, Ally discovered a pearl comb resting next to the spot where her folded clothes had been. She wrestled with the snarls and tangles within her long hair. It must have come out of its bun when she ran home from the library. The teeth of the comb finally passed smoothly through her long curtain of chestnut hair. She smiled, then frowned. What on earth was she going to do with her hair?! What did Chichiri like? Ally tested out a few braids, but undid them as soon as they were plaited. Nothing seemed to fit with the occasion. Could she just leave it down? Or would that be too simple? Heaving a sigh of irritancy, she collected about half of her thick hair, tucked it back and wound it into a bun then inserted the comb into place, so that half of her hair was down and the other half was up.
Girlishly looking at her reflection in one of the floating orbs in the room, she rubbed some life into her sleepy face until her cheeks were pink and her eyes bright. When that was done, there was nothing else to do. So she returned to the bed and sat down on the edge, bracing her elbows upon her knees so that she could hold her face in her hands. Everything was changing so quickly. In just one day she had given up the life she led to be given a second chance at love in another world. Her family would wonder, but perhaps…they would find her open journal on her bed and read her story? Maybe that would explain a few things. Finding that highly unlikely, she closed her eyes and listened. The palace was perfectly silent. The Nyan-Nyan's were probably pestering Tai-Yi-Jun, eagerly awaiting the arrival of their friend.
Chichiri….
She felt a blush burn her cheeks. The very thought of seeing him again was…exhilarating yet terrifying. What if the nightmare she had had…was true? Swallowing hard, she buried her face into her hands and rubbed at her aching temples. Of all the times to get worked up…she just had to have an adrenaline rush now. He hadn't even arrived yet and she was already going out of her wits! 'ARG!' Her conscience screamed inwardly until there was a soft knock on the door and in walked Tai-Yi-Jun.
The oracle was grinning like an idiot.
"Ah, you're awake. Good. He's almost here."
Ally's heart nearly stopped for the umpteenth time that day.
"Oh my God." She breathed, glad that she was sitting down.
"Now, when he comes I want you to stay here, and wait for the opportune moment."
Ally cast the old woman a suspicious glance.
"You're not going to lock the door are you?"
"Of course not, he'll have to come in eventually right? Now, please refrain from jumping out and scaring the poor boy. Just stay here and wait until we come in."
Ally nodded then turned her head to the side to hide her grave expression. But before she knew it, that old and wrinkled face was right in front of hers.
"Now what's wrong?"
She didn't answer; there were too many things to say and feel all at once. Questions led to answers, and answers led to consequences.
Tai-Yi-Jun took her hands in hers, and patted them reassuringly.
"My dear, if you love him as much as I think you do, you'll be fine. You've had to handle far tougher things than this."
Patting her cheek, Tai-Yi-Jun turned and seemed to glide out of the room until she reached the door and smiled back at her. "Now remember, wait for us to come in. Humor an old woman won' t you?"
Nodding in confirmation, the door were closed, but not locked. Leaving Ally to sit and wait…her veins ablaze with anxiousness.
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Chichiri transported to the top of the mountain, not wishing to spend another half and hour trying to climb treacherous rocks. Once he arrived at the gate, the strange aura was immensely strong. It was here, whatever or whoever it was. So that could only mean that Tai-Yi-Jun knew more than something about the foreign presence. He made his way towards the door.
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"Ah, Chichiri." Came Tai-Yi-Jun's voice. Ally fell out of the bed with a painful thump, but recovered quickly due to the amount of adrenaline pumping throughout her body. Scrambling to her feet and making her way towards the door, she pressed her ear against it, just as she had done in her dream. She could hear her heartbeat within her ears, its energetic thumping pounded in a hurried rhythm.
"Tai-Yi-Jun, it is an honor, no da." Came the reply of a familiar stranger. The voice was far warmer and kinder than it had been in her dream. Already the dream she had had appeared to be fake. Her insides melted with warmth as the sound of his voice filled her ears with its sweet yet masculine sound. A great longing filled her chest, provoking her to open the door and fly to him…but that would only frighten him, as Tai-Yi-Jun had said. So she listened to her better judgment and waited.
"Chichiri, I suppose you came here for a reason?"
'Of course he has!' Ally's mind snarled sarcastically.
"Yes. Last night, and earlier this morning, I felt a disturbance in the world."
Tai-Yi-Jun grunted in acknowledgement.
"And now that I have come here, its aura has grown even stronger."
Ally wasn't sure if she liked to be classified as an 'it'.
"Chichiri, your powers serve you well."
"Thank you. But I was wondering if you could tell me anything about it? This strange presence that has made itself known in our world. Certainly it cannot be Miaka or Tamahome?"
"No, but it is from another world."
There was a long pause, wither from the shock or the fact that he was trying to register what she had just said.
"Another world?! B-but how?"
Tai-Yi-Jun chuckled that omniscient chuckle, which seemed to tease him with the famous 'I know something you don't know'.
"I suppose you'd like an explanation. Or shall I show them to you?"
Ally quickly backed away from the door, heart racing madly.
"Both, if necessary."
"Well my dear boy, have a seat."
'This could take awhile.' Ally's mind groaned, afraid that if she made any noise he might come flying. Her door opened, and in popped one of the Nyan-Nyan's. Her pert expression beamed up at her as her tiny hand motioned for Ally to crouch down to her level.
"Master Chichiri is here." She whispered in her ear. Ally smiled and nodded, then placed a finger over her mouth, reminding the girl of their bargain. To not tell Chichiri that she was here. Nyan-Nyan nodded, but before the girl could happily bounce out of the room, Ally pulled her in for a quick hug.
"Thank you." She breathed ever so softly that she feared that the Nyan-Nyan didn't hear her. But she had, and smiled.
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"You see Chichiri. The bond has been rebuilt between our world and the others. The ties between fiction and non-fiction still exist."
"Then…that strange aura?"
Tai-Yi-Jun rose from her seat on the floor and motioned for him to follow her. He in turn raised himself to his feet and followed her, still confused as to what was going on. When they reached the door the Nyan-Nyan had entered only a few minutes ago, the ancient oracle turned to him.
"Brace yourself Chichiri."
He nodded.
"And take off that mask. You will not need it for this."
Without question, he removed the smiling mask from his face, revealing his true face. Once satisfied, Tai-Yi-Jun opened the door to reveal a familiar room, the one where he had placed Miaka and Tamahome after they had returned from the Seiryu Empire. They entered, and inside was something he did not expect to find in a million years. It was Ally.
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(Author's Note): And the plot thickens! Will Ally's horrible dream become reality or will it be a happily ever after? Major Fluff will appear in the next chapter, so prepare yourself! Please do tell me what you think of this chapter! It was difficult to write, I tried to mix in all the suspense and eagerness to see one another, did I capture that well? Please do review! Thank you all so much for your notes and comments! They're wonderful! If you all review, I may just post the next chapter on Christmas Morning as a peasant to you all. So click that REVIEW BUTTON!!!
