Hey! How's it goin'? Well, here's the 11th chapter! Wow. I've come such a long way… (sniff sniff) Just kidding. Anyways, here it is!
Chapter 11: Don't Want to Leave
"Um… Hey." She whispered to him. Why do I suddenly feel so nervous? He's one of my best friends. She thought.She couldn't help but notice the guilty look in his eyes. What was it?
"Hey, Tokaki…" He began. "I…I wanted ta apologize." She looked up at him, surprised. "When you were fighting Urumiya, I...I tried to help ya out, but I couldn't even get past Tama. So, I'm sorry." Her eyes softened. She didn't need an apology at all.
"You don't need to apologize. Um… I could never be mad at you for not being able to help me in a situation like that…" She looked up at him, forcing herself not to blush. "So don't worry about it!" The red haired warrior nodded, still uneasy. As he looked down, Tokaki stared, amazed by his injuries. One side of his face was covered with a bandage, probably from a punch or something. His usual clothes were replaced by a simple loose shirt, and she noticed his bandaged arm and leg. His eyes suddenly met hers, and she quickly looked away, blushing.
"G-gomen nasai. I didn't mean to stare." Tasuki gave her a small grin, despite his pitiful state.
"Eh…don't worry. I kinda stared at you a bit when you were still knocked out." Tokaki turned a shade of red that looked similar to Tasuki's hair. The red head quickly realized his poorly thought words, eyes widening. His face turned a shade of red so dark, it made his own hair look pink. "I-I'M…I MEAN… NO! NO NO NO! IT'S NOT LIKE THAT! I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING LIKE THAT, I SWEAR!" He continued his stammering until he heard Tokaki giggle. Suddenly, it turned into a laugh. He turned to her, watching in awe.
It was amazing, the way she looked when she smiled, but especially when she laughed now. Her blue eyes were closed in mirth, reflecting the girl's cheerfulness. Tasuki smiled, feeling a strange sense of accomplishment at what he had done…
>. >. >. >. >.
Eventually the two of them stopped laughing and Tasuki brought up a more serious matter.
"So… what are we gonna do now?" He asked, sighing. "Without Tama, the ceremony just won't work…" Tokaki looked down, suddenly finding the floor very interesting. Tasuki looked up at her with concern. "Tokaki…?" The female warrior suddenly snapped out of her trance. She looked up at Tasuki and nodded.
"Oh…y-yeah. It's a shame, really." Inside, however, she wasn't feeling that way at all. Over time, Tokaki had come to love this world, so much more than her own. It was nice actually waking up and walking out of her room to find friends and people who cared about her. But despite her happiness, she new that deep down inside it could never last. When the miko had summoned her assigned beast god, she was supposed to return to her own world. But what of the Kousokuryoko warrior? She too was from another world. She could never truly belong here, no matter how well she could learn to fit in. She would still be a girl from another world on the inside.
But now it was different. Since Suzaku could not be summoned without Tamahome, it meant that Tokaki and Miaka had to stay in this world. Suddenly another thought struck her. Although Tokaki was happy just being here, what about Miaka? She no longer had the man she cared about so much with her. Now, that man had turned against her, even to the extent of pulling a weapon on her!
She must be in… a lot of pain right now… Tokaki thought sadly. She couldn't believe that she was happy at a time like this. Her friend was suffering so much, yet here she was thinking about her own happiness…
Suddenly, a feeling of dread fell over Tokaki like a tidal wave. Something was wrong… very wrong… Luckily, Chichiri had just happened to walk into the room to check up on the two patients for Mitsukake. Tokaki grabbed the monk's arm as he came near.
"Chichiri! Do you know where Miaka is! Please, it's very important!" The blue haired monk frowned beneath his mask, realizing the severity of the situation immediately.
"She's… in her room, I think. Why?" Tokaki ignored Tasuki's looks of confusion as she tightened her grip on Chichiri's kesa.
"I…I don't know… something, a strange feeling, just happened to me. I think Miaka's in some kind of danger. Chichiri's look of concern deepened. He looked at Tokaki, his chi surging as he gently tapped into the girl's mind to communicate telepathically.
You really felt something? A… premonition of sorts? Tokaki looked at him, thinking a reply.
Yes. Do you think this is my Kousokuryoko seishi power? The monk nodded, swiftly walking out the door.
Perhaps… thank you.
Tokaki turned back to Tasuki as the door was shut and Chichiri's footsteps faded down the halls.
"Tokaki…" The red head asked. "What was… that all about?" Tokaki gave him a disarming smile as she felt the wave of uneasiness begin to lessen. The danger was being taken care of, and she had done all that she could. She just had to have faith in her fellow warriors, and she had plenty of that.
"Nothing. Just needed to ask Chichiri something." Tokaki changed the subject, not wanting to worry her friend. "Um… what were we just talking about before?" She gave him a cheerful smile, but Tasuki's face remained serious. Finally, after a short period of silence…
"Do you want to go back to your world?" Tokaki looked up in shock.
"Wh-what?" Why? She thought. Why is he…? Finally, she averted her eyes, ashamed to face the man in front of her. "No…" She said in the softest whisper. "No, I don't."
Tasuki's eyes widened in shock by the answer. Not only that, but the question as well. He felt pretty bad now, asking such a personal question.
"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean ta… that question just came outta the blue." To his surprise, Tokaki smiled at him. It was sad, but it was a smile all the same.
"Don't be." She said, thinking carefully about what she was going to say. "You're… you're my friend. You have the right to know." Tasuki looked down, suddenly finding the wooden floor beneath him quite interesting. Still, curiosity got the better of him, and he couldn't help but ask yet another question.
"Why do you… why do you not want to return home? Ta your world?" Tokaki looked away, almost shamefully. Should she answer or not? What should she do? Finally, she came to her decision. She took a deep breath, preparing herself for what she was going to say.
"Tasuki…" She said softly, almost a whisper. "You know that I'm from another world, right?" The red head nodded. "Well, in my world, unlike Miaka, I don't… I don't have a family to return to." Tasuki's golden eyes widened.
"Tokaki…I…I'm so sorry… I didn't know…"
"It's okay. Please, let me finish." After a small pause, she continued. "In my world, things were never easy for me… I hated it. I wished… I wished that I could just get away from my world, by away from all this misery. When I came here… my life completely changed. I was surrounded by friends, which I lost completely when my family passed away… It was just a comforting feeling. Knowing that all of you guys cared about me. I didn't want to leave…this place was like my own paradise… and it still is. That's why I don't want to leave.
"I always wondered what would happen to me if Suzaku was summoned. I knew Miaka would go back to her own world, but what about me? If Miaka had to go back, what would make me any different? I guess…although I was still really bummed out about not being able to summon Suzaku, I was…happy deep down because it meant I could still stay here." She looked up at Tasuki, tears beginning to flow from her deep blue eyes. "But… I feel like I'm being so selfish…while I'm celebrating about being able to stay here, my friend, the one who's stuck by me after all the crap that's happened to me, it going through hell! How could I be thinking such things at a time like this!"
She couldn't help it but to cry. She cried for her friend, the one who had suffered so greatly during the past few days, for her friends, and for herself. All that talking had reopened the wounds inside her. The loss of friends… family. To have all those terrible memories come flooding back to her was too much. Suddenly, she gasped as she felt a warm hand brush her tears away. When she looked up, she saw Tasuki. He had taken a nearby walking stick near his bed and had come over as she talked. He gave her a small smile, patting her on the back.
"Hey, everything'll be okay. Look, if I know Miaka, I bet she's learnin' ta carry on. I'm sure she's fine. But…" He looked down, blushing slightly at what he was going to say. "Ya know, if Miaka somehow does find a way ta summon Suzaku, maybe you can ask her ta use one of her wishes on you. Then she can ask Suzaku if you can stay here.' He blushed harder. "And… if you want… if we do summon Suzaku, you can… uh…" Tokaki looked up at him, blushing as well.
" 'If I want' what?" Tasuki took a deep breath…
"DOYOUWANTTOCOMEBACKWITHMETOMT.REIKAKU?" Tokaki grinned at the funny ex-bandit.
"Sorry, I'm not a fluent speaker of gibberish. Slower, please." Tasuki raised a brow before beginning again, blushing harder than ever.
"Do you want to come back with me to Mt. Reikaku?" Tokaki's eyes widened. She didn't know what to say. The thought of Tasuki being so hospitable that he was offering her such a thing was… touching.
"Yes…" She said happily. "I'd… I'd love to. Tasuki… thank you so much…" Gently so she wouldn't aggravate his wounds, Tokaki gave the ornery yet kind red head a warm embrace. Tasuki's eyes widened to the size of gumballs. Soon he calmed down. He glanced down at the girl in his arms happily and returned her gesture, wrapping his non-broken arm around her.
"Tasuki?"
"Yeah?"
"Why did you make the offer? You know, to let me come with you to Mt. Reikaku?" Tasuki's blush returned once again.
"Because… because I care about ya a lot, okay?" He said hurriedly. Tokaki leaned back, their eyes meeting.
"You...you do…?" Tasuki blushed harder as he nodded. Tokaki grinned. "You know what Tasuki?"
"Uh… what?"
"You're such a big softie. You might put up the bad boy facade, but you're just a big softie under that hard nosed exterior!" Tasuki glared indignantly, giving the raven haired girl a small poke in the nose.
"Whaddaya mean, 'hard nosed exterior'?" With that, the two burst out laughing.
"But you are a big softie! That much is true!" Tokaki said, grinning. Tasuki gave her a mock glare and turned away, pretending to be angry, however failing miserably.
:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D
It was a little later. It was no longer storming as it was before, but it was still raining. Tokaki glanced at a snoring Tasuki, a small smile tugging at her lips. She blushed as she recalled the day's events.
"Do you want to come back with me to Mt. Reikaku?"
Those words just meant so much to her. For the rest of the day, that was all she could think about. It was always in the back of her mind, even when Nuriko and the other warriors came in and told her and Tasuki about Miaka's attempted suicide. Tokaki sighed with relief, happy to know that Miaka was okay now.
She still felt terrible for her friend, but so hopeless at the same time. While she had prevented the miko's death, she still couldn't erase what Tamahome had done.
Hate just coming from someone you love must be so terrible… She thought. She had never really had a boyfriend before, so she didn't know and couldn't sympathize with the pain and heartbreak her friend was feeling now. Well, Hotohori was with her now. Maybe the young emperor would be able to comfort their miko, seeing as he was another person who knew Miaka so well.
Tokaki glanced back at the rain, its gentle pattering against the window giving the atmosphere a calming feel. She reached out to touch the cool surface of the glass, only to find herself come up short from lying in bed. She slowly lifted off the sheets and covers, giving her unused legs a quick stretch. With a bit of caution, she got up, careful not to stand too quickly. She smiled with satisfaction. Her headache was gone, that was good. Her legs were a little weak from not being used, but they would get stronger eventually. She once again reached out her hand, the tips of her fingers coming to a stop on the smooth surface. She let her thoughts wander as she continued to watch drenched and deserted streets of Konan. When her mind came to a stop on a certain red haired seishi, Tokaki couldn't help but blush again. She sighed with frustration at her constant thinking of him.
"It's not like it means anything… I'm just grateful that he… that he invited me to Mr. Reikaku." She muttered to herself. It's not like he's my boyfriend or something… She could hear a voice deep inside her mind respond, its whispery voice carrying a mocking tone...
Do you wish, though? Are you thinking 'It's not like it would be bad if he was.'?
Tokaki shook her head, shutting the voice out. She was supposed to protect the other warriors of Suzaku! She couldn't think about people she liked at a time like this! Yes, apart from Tasuki's kind offer to her, her responsibility as the Kousokuryoko warrior had far from disappeared from her mind. How could she be so frivolous at a time like this when she needed to think about her fellow warriors?
And even if she did like someone, it wouldn't be Tasuki. Would it? Her angry and confused thoughts were interrupted by a loud yawn. She turned slowly to see Tasuki gently stretch his arm, careful not to aggravate his unhealed wounds. He glanced at the female warrior, flashing a grin at her. He grabbed the walking stick next to his bed, hobbling over to her in a comical fashion.
"Oh, hey Tokaki! I see you're up, eh?" Tokaki gave him a faint smile, nodding. Say something… She yelled at herself. Anything! There was a slight pause, both warriors trying desperately to think of something to say. The silence was becoming unbearable. Tasuki glanced worriedly at his friend, who was sitting in her chair, fidgeting slightly.
"Um…" Tasuki said. "Are you… are you okay?" Tokaki tried to give him a reassuring smile, but it faltered, only tugging at the sides of her mouth.
"Yeah…yeah. I'm fine. Don't worry about me, I'm okay-"
"No, you're not." Tasuki cut in gently yet firmly. "What's wrong?" The troubled girl turned back to the window, determined not to betray her conflicting emotions. "Well?" Finally, she sighed.
"Okay. I'll tell you." With that, she began retelling what Chichiri had told her about her new responsibilities as a Kousokuryoko seishi and the challenges that might possibly await her. When she had finished, Tasuki sat, shocked.
She's… she's expected to have to deal with that kinda crap! No wonder she was always out of it…
"Wow…" He muttered, not being able to say anything else. "So…what are ya gonna do?" The female seishi shook her head, frustration once again beginning to arise within her.
"I don't know." She turned to Tasuki, needing to just talk to someone…anyone. "What if I can't do it!" She asked drastically. "What if…if something does happen, and I can't stop it! What if I fail and one of you guys die! If that were to happen…then…" She trailed off, covering her face with her hands. At the moment, so many things were welled up inside her. Fear…distress…uncertainty…It was all so much. No matter how hard she told herself not to worry, thoughts of her comrades dying continued to plague her. If one of the Suzaku warriors were to fall, it would be all her fault!
She gasped as she felt Tasuki's one armed embrace surround her again. She looked up, seeing him give her a kind and sympathetic look.
"You know…" He whispered, sending shivers up the girl's spine. "You shouldn't worry too much. Um… if ya think about it, this really is a good thing. That you have this kinda power." Tokaki's brows furrowed in confusion. "When people die and all that crap, it's 'cause of fate. All we can ever do is piss and moan when faced with it… if something happens that we don' like, we have ta suck it up and live. But…" He said, looking down at her with a small smile. "With you, you can change that. Kinda like…fate's rival, or somethin'." His face took on an indignant look when he heard Tokaki giggle. "Hey! I know it's corny, okay? I'm tryin' ta cheer ya up right now!" He let out a small sigh and continued.
"And… try ta take it one day at a time, okay? I doubt Suzaku's gonna want to find out his eighth warrior croaked 'cause of stress and stuff, so cheer up! And I'm sure you'll know when ya need to have that power of yours kick in and all, so chill out!" Almost the instant he said that, he realized his intimate position. OH SHIT! He mentally yelled. "I-I'm sorry!" He stuttered, beginning to let go of Tokaki. To his surprise, the female warrior laid her hand on his arm, keeping it around her.
"No…it's okay." Tokaki didn't know why, but when Tasuki held her like that, the feeling… it was…nice. Awkward, yes, but nice. After the pep talk he had given her, she felt a lot better. But she just needed someone to be there for her. She wasn't invincible, and all these new responsibilities were just…overwhelming. She wanted to just have someone there for her…preferably Tasuki. She let a small smile come to her lips as she felt Tasuki relax and bring his arm around her again.
"Thanks…for everything, Tasuki." She whispered as she let her head rest against his chest. Tasuki gulped, feeling a huge blush appear on his face.
"It's…it's no problem." He muttered. I wonder if… His mind went blank as he abandoned all thoughts and things around him, slowly cupping Tokaki's chin in his hand. He leaned forward, his mind numb as he prepared for the huge action he was about to take…
Fear surged through Tokaki as she felt Tasuki lift her chin. Her face now level with his, she saw instantly how his lips were slowly loosing distance from her own. Wh…what's he doing! She mentally squeaked. Oh, god… my legs are feeling weak…and I don't think it's from exhaustion… What should I do? The same voice inside her sounded off again.
Do what you think you should. Do you want him to do this? She desperately searched for an answer. Tasuki's breath could be felt against her face. Before she could answer the question her mind had given her, the distance between the two of them was destroyed. Tasuki kissed her. Tokaki's eyes went wide, her body went numb, and millions of sensations went through her. But…the feeling wasn't bad. Maybe… She thought, letting a trembling hand rest on his shoulder. Maybe this is a feeling I should…give myself up to…
Tasuki opened his eyes opened a crack. Guilt swept through him upon seeing the girl's eyes wide. Ah, great. What have I done! He began to pull back when Tokaki's eyes closed, and she started to kiss him back. Fireworks went off inside the ex-bandit, letting his arm tighten around Tokaki's waist. The two could have stayed that way forever, except…
"TASUKI! TOKAKI!"
"AHHHH!" Nuriko burst through the door, and only half a millisecond later, the other two tore apart from each other, trying desperately not to blush. Did he see…? The unanimous thought rang throughout their minds, knowing that the violet haired cross dresser would never let them live it down, had he seen what they had just been doing.
"Uh…" The said warrior muttered, seeing the two's flustered expression. "Did I…miss something…?"
"NO!" The two yelled almost too quickly.
"Uh…" Tasuki muttered.
"Wh-what is it? What do you need?" Tokaki finished, determined to change the subject.
"Oh, Yeah! Tamahome's here! He and the emperor are fighting right now!"
"WHAT!"
>. >. >. >. >. >. >.
Phew! Chapter 11 done! YAY! TASUKI AND TOKAKI FINALLY MADE OUT!
Tasuki & Tokaki: (stop kissing in a corner of a room to yell) SHUT UP! (start kissing again)
Well, time to answer reviews!
Amasaki Reyoko: Heh… man. You really had me fooled there, with the first two sentences of that review! I'm really happy to see you're still interested! If you ever began hating my story, I'd get pretty shocked! (And upset! Then again, that would happen if any reviewer all of a sudden hated it instead of liking it!) Yeah, those two are good together, eh? And don't worry. Your Ami suggestion is far from forgotten!
germain: Hee hee. Glad to know it kicks such serious ass! Thanks for your review!
Silver Pain: Don't worry about dissin' Urumiya. When I came up with her character, she was supposed to be a bitch!
Urumiya: HEY!
So you calling her that is actually a good thing! HA HA HA!
Chibi Angels: Don't worry. All your questions are a good thing. Shows your interested! That question runs kinda deep. I'll answer part of it now, tho. (Anyone who reads the review sections can skip this one if they don't want things given away. It's not much, tho) No, Urumiya isn't part of Miaka's world, she's from the book. The reason is just simply because "The Universe of the Four Gods" is a spell. It gets activated when someone is worthy of a certain role in the story. Other times, however, the chosen people are just in the book. If the spell could be activated by anyone, then what would happen if a guy picked up and read the book? (lol) There's a whole lot more to it, but I don't want to give too much away. If you'd like to find out tho, (which is no problem!) You can e-mail me and I can give you some more info on it.
That's all guys! Hope ya liked it!