Blazing Divine Flame
Disclaimer: I don't own FY, I never will, and I never have..Although I would really like to...Sadly neither the manga nor the anime is my own.
A/N: This is a non-yaoi, non-lemon fanfic, since I can't stand either. This is a safe fanfic and is dedicated to everyone out there who knows that deep in there hearts that Tasuki is NOT gay!!! (Oh and I had to change the rating because of the not-so-nice stuff that happened to Makani's family..But it's still safe..I didn't make it that bad...Oh, and we can't forget Tasuki's mouth..I can't have this PG, we swears way too much..I tried covering most of it up though...) Enjoy!
Chapter 2: Hauntings of Memories Past
He woke up the next morning to the feeling on the warm sunshine playing on his eyelids. He opened his eyes to greet the fresh day ahead of him, but all he saw when he looked up was two bright green eyes.
"Ahhh!!! What th' hell do ya think yer doin.' Suzaku, ya scared me!! Don' do that!!"
"Gomen nasai," Makani said as she sat down cross legged on the floor next to Tasuki's bed. "I didn't mean to scare you," she said as she drooped her head.
"No, it's okay, just don't do that!" Tasuki said as he sat up and stretched his arms high above his head.
Tasuki could've sworn he head a soft giggling coming from beside him. When he looked down he noticed that Makani was almost shaking she was trying so hard to hold her laughter in. But when she looked up and saw Tasuki looking down at her with an accusing look on his face, she nearly fell onto her side as she released all of her pent up laughter.
"Oh, man Tasuki you should've seen the look on your face! I thought was going to fall over! That was priceless!!" And then she did fall, and ended up rolling over onto her back and laughed for a goof five minutes.
"I don't think it was that funny!"
Makani stopped laughing for a moment and looked at Tasuki, seeming to search his face for something, and then started laughing even harder.
"Okay, okay. I'll stop," she said, her laughter starting to fade as she pushed herself up into a siding position and then crawled over to the Tasuki's bed. "I'm sorry..It was too just too good...," she said as she pulled herself up using the edge of Tasuki's bed as leverage.
She stopped laughing and let out a long sigh that only a long spell of laughter can bring. She then crossed her arms and laid her head of them, resting on his bed.
She looked up into his eyes. They were a fiery amber color and shecould almost see the flames the burn in them. They were so deep, so clear, anyone who looked into them could get lost in their beauty.
Suddenly she realized what she was doing, and when she returned to reality she noticed the questioning look on Tasuki's face, and blushed lightly as he realized she had space out. Oops...I have to be more careful... She smiled and then pushed herself onto her feet, using the edge of his bed for support.
Makani walked over to the window between the two beds and gazed out over the mountainside as Tasuki pushed his blanket aside, swung his legs over the side of the bed, and then got up and walked over to her.
"Beautiful, ain't it? That's one of the reasons I like bein' a bandit up here on Mt. Leikaku. It's nice an' secluded from people, an' pretty." He sighed lightly before he turned around and walked over to the other side of the room. He opened the door and stood in the door frame for a moment, watching Makani gaze out the window. A smile crept onto his face before he shut the door behind himself.
Makani jumped at the sound the closing of the door made. She had thought, or maybe just wished, that Tasuki was still standing behind her, but when she turned arounf, all that greeted her was an empty room and a lonly heart.
She sighed deeply as she moved over to her bed and straightened out the sheet she had used the night before. Sitting down upon the bed she realized just what her life had been up until now, and how it actually had turned for the better. She bit her lower lip until she felt the bitter taste of blood touch her tounge.
Better? My life is better, now that my parents are dead, my sister probably sold off to slave traders, and only Suzaku knows what happened to my brother! Ha!
'But now you have a second chance,' something seemed to call out to her.
I guess...but look what I left behind! The only people I ever cared about and they about me, are gone! No one except myself.
'Things are not always what they seem."
Oh, so I'm not alone? she asked, sarcasm flooding her thoughts.
'Of course not. See with your heart, and not with your eyes on this world. Then you will understand.' And with that the voice faded away and she was left to sort through her thoughts and memories.
* * *
"Mom! Dad! What's going-?"
"Back away Makani." Her dad turned his head towards her a bit, still keeping his eyes focused in the man in front of him, his eyes only darting quickly to look at her and then back to his opponent. "Get out of here!" he yelled as she froze, back flat against the wall.
"Give us the child and we might spare your life fool!"
"I'll die before I give you my daughter!" he pushed his wife behind him as he adpoted a fighting stance, wooden bokken in his hands.
"I'll take that as your last request!" the man said as he lunged towards her father. Makani closed her eyes tightly and turned her head right before the sword slashed her father. She felt his warm blood splash against her face and arms, ans when she opened her eyes, she saw one of the men grab her mother and lock her head in the crook of one of his arms. She heard a loud snap and watched as her mother's form stopped struggling and sagged into a heap on the floor.
"Get over here kid, there's no one to protect you now!"
"Yeah, and bring your kid brother and sister too!"
Totally oblivious to them before, she now felt her little sister gripping tightly onto her pants leg and her brother holding tightly onto her right arm.
She lifted her sister into her arms and grabbed her brother's hand, making a mad dash for the window, but it was too late. They caught her in mid leap. Her brother, even though he got out before her, hgadn't ran far before a soft knock to the back of his head rendered him unconscious.
She pushed her little sister behind her, into the corner, as the men blocked all escape routes, approaching from every angle. She wenr into a fighting stance and they laughed. She had no weapon, was a weak, young girl, and four, full grown men had her surrounded. All she heard was a loud thud as her father's broken bokken met her skull, and she met the floor.
When she awoke two hours later her sister and brother were no where in sight and she was slung over the shoulder of one of the brutes that had killed her parents and tore her family apart. She wanted to yell, scream, kick, punch, something that would give them pain for the giant hole they left in her heart. But her legs and wrists were bound and her mouth gagged. She tried struggling, but that simply brought another blow to the back of her head and blackness until she awoke on the ground ans some other man with fiery hair and eyes, and she could tell from the look on his face that he cared what happened to her and what her future would be as he pulled the gag out of her mouth and untied her wrists and ankles.
So now, she was here, in a large house on Mt. Leikaku, staying in a room with one of the mountain's bandits. Funny how her life had changed so much in, what, two days? If so, she had been unconscious or semi-unconscious for most of them. One day I'm a poor famr girl, the next my parents are dead and I'm torn apart from the ones I care about the most, which leads up to now. I'm sitting here in a bandit's room in Mt. Leikaku...Whoa...Okay, well...My life is definately never going to be the same, she thought with an ice cold chuckle.
She fell backwards onto the bed and hit her head against the wall. "Oww...," she said with a slight moan, feeling the new lump form of the bakc of her head, right next to the others.
* * *
"Hey, Kouji!" Tasuki called out to his friend as he burst through the doors into the main room that the leader of the Mt. Leikaku bandits stays during most of his wakeful hours of duty.
"Hey, Genrou," Kouji said, a distracted look on his face. Tasuki decided long ago that, out of the two of them, Kouji should be the leader. After all, he wasn't half as rash and he could stay here while Tasuki had to go serve the Suzaku no Miko. "So, what's up?"
"Ya're not gonna believe what I found yesterday."
Kouji's eyebrows arched in interest. "What?"
"Ya know how we've been hearin' how there's been slave traders comin' o'er the mountain?"
"Yeah."
"Well, I caught some wit some young girl tryin' to pass, but I didn't let 'em. 'Em bastards don't deserve ta live. I fried most a 'em and then forced th' last one to hand over th' girl an' he went runnin' away in th' opposite direction, seein' what happen'd to his partneres 'n all." Tasuki let out a small laugh and then studied Kouji's face to see what his reaction was.
All Kouji looked was surprised and a little shocked, and Tasuki sighed in relief. Thank Suzaku he doesn't seem worried of concerned...He just looks...Curious?...
"Is she all right?" he asked, curiously.
"Yeah, she's fine. She slept 'n th' extra bed in my room last night."
"Is this the first time you ran across people like this? What are they, slave traders?"
"Yeah, some of th' other guys ran across some too, but considerin' how bad I scared th' last guy, an' how three others are dead, I don't think we'll have ta worry 'bout slave traders. At least not for a while."
Kouji smiled and looked a little relieved. "All right. Then is she gonna go home today then?"
"Well, that's th' problem Kouji, that's why I came ta see you. The thing is, she doesn't have a home to go to."
"What?" Kouji asked, startled, sitting up straight in surprise. "What do you-?"
"They're all either dead, or sold away, and since she was poor to begin with she'd have no chance od survivin' down in a viallage by herself."
"What are you suggesting Genrou?"
"Well...ah...um...Maybe she could stay with us." Tasuki ignores the fact that Kouji's jaw had nearly hit the floor with his last remark and kept talking.
No way...Genrou just asked if a girl could stay here...You've got to be joking!
"...So I was thinkin', since I have a spare bed an' all, an' all the other rooms are being used, she could stay with me...I mean, I don't care, she's not that annoying...I mean..."
"Genrou?...I mean, you are Genrou, right? You, the guy who has hated women his entire life just offered to share a room with one? Soemone, quick, so look out the window, I think the world might be ending!"
"Oh, Shaddap!" Genrou said as he put Kouji in a head lock and rubbed his fist into his head. "Now..."
"Okay, okay, U'm sorry," Kouji said, trying to pull Tasuki's arm off his throat.
"Good," Tasuki said as he let him go and patted the top of his head jokingly.
Kouji fixed his hair and gave Tasuki a mock death glare and they both burst out laughing.
"So...What 'cha think?" asked Tasuki as he regained the ability to speak.
"Sure. Hell, I don't care," said Kouji. "And you know that you have as much power as I do here because-"
"Yeah, I knw. But still, you are the leader," Tasuki said as he turned around and opened the doors he had some in through earlier. "See ya later Kouji," he said as he turned around and waved at him before the doors closed behind him.
* * *
Wakani looked up as Tasuki entered the room. She looked up at him and smiled, causing a faint smile to spread over his lips as well.
"It's getting hot in here...and its such a beautiful day outside...I think I'll go for a walk," Makani said before she got up from the bed and walked towards the door.
"Wait," Tasuki said as he grabbed her arm when she tired to walk by him. Tey both blushed a little before he went on. "I mean, its dangerous out there, what with the wolves and all of those idiots that rome the forest during the day."
Makani looked at him questioningly.
"I-I better go with you."
She shrugged and he let go of her arm. "Sure," she said and opened the door to the room, looking behind her to make sure he followed.
Kouji watched them from behin a pillar as they walked down the hall. He couldn't help but smile. Huh, who would've thought, Tasuki, of all people, falling for someone. And I'm still single! I wish I had girls flirting wiht me like that! And he used to hate girls?! Oh yeah, it shows.
Kouji observed them and he could tell that soemthing was starting between the two, but he knew that neither one was really willing to admit it. He laughed to himself as he watched them accidentally bump into each other, look at each other and blush, and then take a step away from each other. This should be interesting, he thought as he disappeared down a different hallway and left Tasuki and Makani to leave and go for their walk.
* * *
Tasuki breathed deeply of the floral scented air. He loved going for spring walks like these when he had a chance. Of course, when he was younger, he was too hyper to think of anything else other than being a bandit and beating up bad guys. Now that he was out of adolesence he enjoyed his surroundingss for more than he had initially. He sighed as he let out his breathe and let the sheer beauty andawe of his surroundings truly sink in.
Makani looked at him briefly and then back to the trail they were on and the forest that encompassed it. She ahd loved playing in the forest in the free time she had away form her parents when they didn't need her, and meager and few lessons that she was taught by family and her parent's friends. She would explore trails and trace brooks through the woodland. she smiled at the opportunity she had now before her, although she tried not to think about all the sacrifices that had been made for her to have the peace she now held. A single tear rolled down her cheek and she wiped it away quickly before she though Tasuki would notice, but he did.
Poor kid, she's gone through so much. She really needs to lighten up before she throws herself into another state of depression, Tasuki thought, before he decided to ruffle her hair, attempting to lighten the mood. As he tossed it around he realized just how soft and silky it was.
Of course, this distracted Makani from her deep thoughts in just enough time for her to reach up and grab Tasuki's hand. She helf it there for a while before she pulled it out of her hair and held it still longer at her side before she let go and returned to her observation of the surrounding forest. Tasuki smiled and subconsciously moved to put his arm around her, but she jerked away.
He looked down at her for a moment shocked, and embarassed, by what he did. He looked at her briefly, but she turned her head away and he could tell that soemthing deep inside was still hurting her. Why did I do that? what came over me?! I normally never would... He just couldn't grasp why he would, on impulse, do that. He hadn't cared about anyone as much as he cared about her in a long time...Not since he had had to protect the Suzaku no Miko, and even then it seemed some what deeper than that. He cursed at himself for trying to touch her, he just probably made things worse, but after a while, she relaxed again, and walked closely to him like before. It semmed that although he couldn't touch her, she moved towards him whenever she pleased. He smiled but caught himself as his hand moved to place a stray piece of her hair behind her ear. He forced his arms to his sides and pretended to pay attention to the singing birds overhead.
He didn't know what to say, so he kept quiet and let Makani sink into the placid peacefulness of the forest.
Makani didn't know what to do or think anymore. Why did I ahy away from him when he moved to place his arm around me?...Was it because I'm in so much pain from all the losses I suffered?...No, that should cause me to be wanted to be touched, to be comforted more, not less!...Grr...What's wrong with me?! Why do I always shy away from people that try to get close to me? Am I afraid to get hurt? That I'm going to loose someone else?...Yeah, that's it...I don't want to loose another person that I've grown to love...But if I cut myself off, I'll be even more miserable than I was before! Oh yeah, this is going to work...I'm going to be real stable when I get older, what with all these arguments inside my head and so on. She laughed at herself and she saw Tasuki smile out of the corner of her eye because of it. She smiled and started to enjoy the situation she was now in, instead of loathing the memories and blurred emotions inside her head.
As they walked onward she eventually relaxed enough that she reached over and gripped Tasuki's hand. He didn't know what to think at first, but figured that he shouldn't protest, as it would only upset her again she had just finally calmed down. So he just smiled and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze Makani smiled and blurred slightly.
When Tasuki knew that the trail had almost ended he let go of her hand and led the way through the overgrown exit and to the back of the building they had left earlier. He held back the tree branches and bushes for her to pass easier than he had. She graciously accepted his offer and passed through the overgrown opening quickly. Tasuki looked at her and smiled before they started walking towards the building and then entered through the back doors and gate.
* * *
A/N: Well, what did you think? Should I keep going? I know that this one was basically Makani's past, so I promise that the next chapter will be mostly Tasuki. That's if you peoples like it enough. If I get enough reviews, then the next chapter will be up within a couple of days (considering I'm hand writing it and typing it up!! Twice as long...) Please, onegai, Review!! Arigato!! Ja ne!!
Disclaimer: I don't own FY, I never will, and I never have..Although I would really like to...Sadly neither the manga nor the anime is my own.
A/N: This is a non-yaoi, non-lemon fanfic, since I can't stand either. This is a safe fanfic and is dedicated to everyone out there who knows that deep in there hearts that Tasuki is NOT gay!!! (Oh and I had to change the rating because of the not-so-nice stuff that happened to Makani's family..But it's still safe..I didn't make it that bad...Oh, and we can't forget Tasuki's mouth..I can't have this PG, we swears way too much..I tried covering most of it up though...) Enjoy!
Chapter 2: Hauntings of Memories Past
He woke up the next morning to the feeling on the warm sunshine playing on his eyelids. He opened his eyes to greet the fresh day ahead of him, but all he saw when he looked up was two bright green eyes.
"Ahhh!!! What th' hell do ya think yer doin.' Suzaku, ya scared me!! Don' do that!!"
"Gomen nasai," Makani said as she sat down cross legged on the floor next to Tasuki's bed. "I didn't mean to scare you," she said as she drooped her head.
"No, it's okay, just don't do that!" Tasuki said as he sat up and stretched his arms high above his head.
Tasuki could've sworn he head a soft giggling coming from beside him. When he looked down he noticed that Makani was almost shaking she was trying so hard to hold her laughter in. But when she looked up and saw Tasuki looking down at her with an accusing look on his face, she nearly fell onto her side as she released all of her pent up laughter.
"Oh, man Tasuki you should've seen the look on your face! I thought was going to fall over! That was priceless!!" And then she did fall, and ended up rolling over onto her back and laughed for a goof five minutes.
"I don't think it was that funny!"
Makani stopped laughing for a moment and looked at Tasuki, seeming to search his face for something, and then started laughing even harder.
"Okay, okay. I'll stop," she said, her laughter starting to fade as she pushed herself up into a siding position and then crawled over to the Tasuki's bed. "I'm sorry..It was too just too good...," she said as she pulled herself up using the edge of Tasuki's bed as leverage.
She stopped laughing and let out a long sigh that only a long spell of laughter can bring. She then crossed her arms and laid her head of them, resting on his bed.
She looked up into his eyes. They were a fiery amber color and shecould almost see the flames the burn in them. They were so deep, so clear, anyone who looked into them could get lost in their beauty.
Suddenly she realized what she was doing, and when she returned to reality she noticed the questioning look on Tasuki's face, and blushed lightly as he realized she had space out. Oops...I have to be more careful... She smiled and then pushed herself onto her feet, using the edge of his bed for support.
Makani walked over to the window between the two beds and gazed out over the mountainside as Tasuki pushed his blanket aside, swung his legs over the side of the bed, and then got up and walked over to her.
"Beautiful, ain't it? That's one of the reasons I like bein' a bandit up here on Mt. Leikaku. It's nice an' secluded from people, an' pretty." He sighed lightly before he turned around and walked over to the other side of the room. He opened the door and stood in the door frame for a moment, watching Makani gaze out the window. A smile crept onto his face before he shut the door behind himself.
Makani jumped at the sound the closing of the door made. She had thought, or maybe just wished, that Tasuki was still standing behind her, but when she turned arounf, all that greeted her was an empty room and a lonly heart.
She sighed deeply as she moved over to her bed and straightened out the sheet she had used the night before. Sitting down upon the bed she realized just what her life had been up until now, and how it actually had turned for the better. She bit her lower lip until she felt the bitter taste of blood touch her tounge.
Better? My life is better, now that my parents are dead, my sister probably sold off to slave traders, and only Suzaku knows what happened to my brother! Ha!
'But now you have a second chance,' something seemed to call out to her.
I guess...but look what I left behind! The only people I ever cared about and they about me, are gone! No one except myself.
'Things are not always what they seem."
Oh, so I'm not alone? she asked, sarcasm flooding her thoughts.
'Of course not. See with your heart, and not with your eyes on this world. Then you will understand.' And with that the voice faded away and she was left to sort through her thoughts and memories.
* * *
"Mom! Dad! What's going-?"
"Back away Makani." Her dad turned his head towards her a bit, still keeping his eyes focused in the man in front of him, his eyes only darting quickly to look at her and then back to his opponent. "Get out of here!" he yelled as she froze, back flat against the wall.
"Give us the child and we might spare your life fool!"
"I'll die before I give you my daughter!" he pushed his wife behind him as he adpoted a fighting stance, wooden bokken in his hands.
"I'll take that as your last request!" the man said as he lunged towards her father. Makani closed her eyes tightly and turned her head right before the sword slashed her father. She felt his warm blood splash against her face and arms, ans when she opened her eyes, she saw one of the men grab her mother and lock her head in the crook of one of his arms. She heard a loud snap and watched as her mother's form stopped struggling and sagged into a heap on the floor.
"Get over here kid, there's no one to protect you now!"
"Yeah, and bring your kid brother and sister too!"
Totally oblivious to them before, she now felt her little sister gripping tightly onto her pants leg and her brother holding tightly onto her right arm.
She lifted her sister into her arms and grabbed her brother's hand, making a mad dash for the window, but it was too late. They caught her in mid leap. Her brother, even though he got out before her, hgadn't ran far before a soft knock to the back of his head rendered him unconscious.
She pushed her little sister behind her, into the corner, as the men blocked all escape routes, approaching from every angle. She wenr into a fighting stance and they laughed. She had no weapon, was a weak, young girl, and four, full grown men had her surrounded. All she heard was a loud thud as her father's broken bokken met her skull, and she met the floor.
When she awoke two hours later her sister and brother were no where in sight and she was slung over the shoulder of one of the brutes that had killed her parents and tore her family apart. She wanted to yell, scream, kick, punch, something that would give them pain for the giant hole they left in her heart. But her legs and wrists were bound and her mouth gagged. She tried struggling, but that simply brought another blow to the back of her head and blackness until she awoke on the ground ans some other man with fiery hair and eyes, and she could tell from the look on his face that he cared what happened to her and what her future would be as he pulled the gag out of her mouth and untied her wrists and ankles.
So now, she was here, in a large house on Mt. Leikaku, staying in a room with one of the mountain's bandits. Funny how her life had changed so much in, what, two days? If so, she had been unconscious or semi-unconscious for most of them. One day I'm a poor famr girl, the next my parents are dead and I'm torn apart from the ones I care about the most, which leads up to now. I'm sitting here in a bandit's room in Mt. Leikaku...Whoa...Okay, well...My life is definately never going to be the same, she thought with an ice cold chuckle.
She fell backwards onto the bed and hit her head against the wall. "Oww...," she said with a slight moan, feeling the new lump form of the bakc of her head, right next to the others.
* * *
"Hey, Kouji!" Tasuki called out to his friend as he burst through the doors into the main room that the leader of the Mt. Leikaku bandits stays during most of his wakeful hours of duty.
"Hey, Genrou," Kouji said, a distracted look on his face. Tasuki decided long ago that, out of the two of them, Kouji should be the leader. After all, he wasn't half as rash and he could stay here while Tasuki had to go serve the Suzaku no Miko. "So, what's up?"
"Ya're not gonna believe what I found yesterday."
Kouji's eyebrows arched in interest. "What?"
"Ya know how we've been hearin' how there's been slave traders comin' o'er the mountain?"
"Yeah."
"Well, I caught some wit some young girl tryin' to pass, but I didn't let 'em. 'Em bastards don't deserve ta live. I fried most a 'em and then forced th' last one to hand over th' girl an' he went runnin' away in th' opposite direction, seein' what happen'd to his partneres 'n all." Tasuki let out a small laugh and then studied Kouji's face to see what his reaction was.
All Kouji looked was surprised and a little shocked, and Tasuki sighed in relief. Thank Suzaku he doesn't seem worried of concerned...He just looks...Curious?...
"Is she all right?" he asked, curiously.
"Yeah, she's fine. She slept 'n th' extra bed in my room last night."
"Is this the first time you ran across people like this? What are they, slave traders?"
"Yeah, some of th' other guys ran across some too, but considerin' how bad I scared th' last guy, an' how three others are dead, I don't think we'll have ta worry 'bout slave traders. At least not for a while."
Kouji smiled and looked a little relieved. "All right. Then is she gonna go home today then?"
"Well, that's th' problem Kouji, that's why I came ta see you. The thing is, she doesn't have a home to go to."
"What?" Kouji asked, startled, sitting up straight in surprise. "What do you-?"
"They're all either dead, or sold away, and since she was poor to begin with she'd have no chance od survivin' down in a viallage by herself."
"What are you suggesting Genrou?"
"Well...ah...um...Maybe she could stay with us." Tasuki ignores the fact that Kouji's jaw had nearly hit the floor with his last remark and kept talking.
No way...Genrou just asked if a girl could stay here...You've got to be joking!
"...So I was thinkin', since I have a spare bed an' all, an' all the other rooms are being used, she could stay with me...I mean, I don't care, she's not that annoying...I mean..."
"Genrou?...I mean, you are Genrou, right? You, the guy who has hated women his entire life just offered to share a room with one? Soemone, quick, so look out the window, I think the world might be ending!"
"Oh, Shaddap!" Genrou said as he put Kouji in a head lock and rubbed his fist into his head. "Now..."
"Okay, okay, U'm sorry," Kouji said, trying to pull Tasuki's arm off his throat.
"Good," Tasuki said as he let him go and patted the top of his head jokingly.
Kouji fixed his hair and gave Tasuki a mock death glare and they both burst out laughing.
"So...What 'cha think?" asked Tasuki as he regained the ability to speak.
"Sure. Hell, I don't care," said Kouji. "And you know that you have as much power as I do here because-"
"Yeah, I knw. But still, you are the leader," Tasuki said as he turned around and opened the doors he had some in through earlier. "See ya later Kouji," he said as he turned around and waved at him before the doors closed behind him.
* * *
Wakani looked up as Tasuki entered the room. She looked up at him and smiled, causing a faint smile to spread over his lips as well.
"It's getting hot in here...and its such a beautiful day outside...I think I'll go for a walk," Makani said before she got up from the bed and walked towards the door.
"Wait," Tasuki said as he grabbed her arm when she tired to walk by him. Tey both blushed a little before he went on. "I mean, its dangerous out there, what with the wolves and all of those idiots that rome the forest during the day."
Makani looked at him questioningly.
"I-I better go with you."
She shrugged and he let go of her arm. "Sure," she said and opened the door to the room, looking behind her to make sure he followed.
Kouji watched them from behin a pillar as they walked down the hall. He couldn't help but smile. Huh, who would've thought, Tasuki, of all people, falling for someone. And I'm still single! I wish I had girls flirting wiht me like that! And he used to hate girls?! Oh yeah, it shows.
Kouji observed them and he could tell that soemthing was starting between the two, but he knew that neither one was really willing to admit it. He laughed to himself as he watched them accidentally bump into each other, look at each other and blush, and then take a step away from each other. This should be interesting, he thought as he disappeared down a different hallway and left Tasuki and Makani to leave and go for their walk.
* * *
Tasuki breathed deeply of the floral scented air. He loved going for spring walks like these when he had a chance. Of course, when he was younger, he was too hyper to think of anything else other than being a bandit and beating up bad guys. Now that he was out of adolesence he enjoyed his surroundingss for more than he had initially. He sighed as he let out his breathe and let the sheer beauty andawe of his surroundings truly sink in.
Makani looked at him briefly and then back to the trail they were on and the forest that encompassed it. She ahd loved playing in the forest in the free time she had away form her parents when they didn't need her, and meager and few lessons that she was taught by family and her parent's friends. She would explore trails and trace brooks through the woodland. she smiled at the opportunity she had now before her, although she tried not to think about all the sacrifices that had been made for her to have the peace she now held. A single tear rolled down her cheek and she wiped it away quickly before she though Tasuki would notice, but he did.
Poor kid, she's gone through so much. She really needs to lighten up before she throws herself into another state of depression, Tasuki thought, before he decided to ruffle her hair, attempting to lighten the mood. As he tossed it around he realized just how soft and silky it was.
Of course, this distracted Makani from her deep thoughts in just enough time for her to reach up and grab Tasuki's hand. She helf it there for a while before she pulled it out of her hair and held it still longer at her side before she let go and returned to her observation of the surrounding forest. Tasuki smiled and subconsciously moved to put his arm around her, but she jerked away.
He looked down at her for a moment shocked, and embarassed, by what he did. He looked at her briefly, but she turned her head away and he could tell that soemthing deep inside was still hurting her. Why did I do that? what came over me?! I normally never would... He just couldn't grasp why he would, on impulse, do that. He hadn't cared about anyone as much as he cared about her in a long time...Not since he had had to protect the Suzaku no Miko, and even then it seemed some what deeper than that. He cursed at himself for trying to touch her, he just probably made things worse, but after a while, she relaxed again, and walked closely to him like before. It semmed that although he couldn't touch her, she moved towards him whenever she pleased. He smiled but caught himself as his hand moved to place a stray piece of her hair behind her ear. He forced his arms to his sides and pretended to pay attention to the singing birds overhead.
He didn't know what to say, so he kept quiet and let Makani sink into the placid peacefulness of the forest.
Makani didn't know what to do or think anymore. Why did I ahy away from him when he moved to place his arm around me?...Was it because I'm in so much pain from all the losses I suffered?...No, that should cause me to be wanted to be touched, to be comforted more, not less!...Grr...What's wrong with me?! Why do I always shy away from people that try to get close to me? Am I afraid to get hurt? That I'm going to loose someone else?...Yeah, that's it...I don't want to loose another person that I've grown to love...But if I cut myself off, I'll be even more miserable than I was before! Oh yeah, this is going to work...I'm going to be real stable when I get older, what with all these arguments inside my head and so on. She laughed at herself and she saw Tasuki smile out of the corner of her eye because of it. She smiled and started to enjoy the situation she was now in, instead of loathing the memories and blurred emotions inside her head.
As they walked onward she eventually relaxed enough that she reached over and gripped Tasuki's hand. He didn't know what to think at first, but figured that he shouldn't protest, as it would only upset her again she had just finally calmed down. So he just smiled and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze Makani smiled and blurred slightly.
When Tasuki knew that the trail had almost ended he let go of her hand and led the way through the overgrown exit and to the back of the building they had left earlier. He held back the tree branches and bushes for her to pass easier than he had. She graciously accepted his offer and passed through the overgrown opening quickly. Tasuki looked at her and smiled before they started walking towards the building and then entered through the back doors and gate.
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A/N: Well, what did you think? Should I keep going? I know that this one was basically Makani's past, so I promise that the next chapter will be mostly Tasuki. That's if you peoples like it enough. If I get enough reviews, then the next chapter will be up within a couple of days (considering I'm hand writing it and typing it up!! Twice as long...) Please, onegai, Review!! Arigato!! Ja ne!!