Chapter 13: Feel Me Here
Tasuki came to. He felt his body heavy as he wrapped his arms around his chest. He had wrapped them around something else. As he remembered what had happened he opened his eyes, afraid to see what was on top of him. He looked down and saw light brown hair and soft skin. He saw a gentle face.covered in blood. He sat up and held her in his lap. Her clothes were torn, her wings were gone, her eyes were open and her skin was pale.
He looked with disbelief as he patted her cheeks, hoping she would awake. He put his head on her chest to listen for a heartbeat, or a sign of life. As he lay his head on her chest he felt nothing. He dug his face into her shoulder and began to cry on her neck. "Please Suzaku.don't let her be dead. Please let her feel me."
Sora felt herself engulfed by nothing. As she opened her senses she knew she wasn't where she should be. As she opened her eyes she saw herself.no.Kana.
"You should wake up Sora. Someone needs you on the other side."
"Am I asleep?"
"No. You are dead." Sora gulped and began to cry.
"I.I can't.I can't be dead.not dead." Sora stuttered in between gasps. Kana came over towards her. She gave her a hug.
"I'm sorry I have placed so much on you.."
"I don't want to die!"
"You don't have to."
"How?"
"Give me your body once more and let me take over for a time."
"You'll get me killed again!"
"No, you got yourself killed protecting your lover."
"He is not." Kana looked at her intently.
"What is there to go back to?"
"Everything. My mom my friends.well what is left of them."
"Straight answer.you have little time." Sora saw herself through her mind. Tasuki crying into her and pray with all his heart.
"Tasuki." she whined.
"What are you leaving back there?" Sora looked on as she saw her blood spread like an ocean as well as her tears.
"Tasuki.TASUKIIIIIII!" She felt a pull on her body and found herself held tightly. And then the pain hit her. She raised her hand up with what strength she had left and put it on Tasuki's back. His head darted up from her shoulder and looked at her with cheeks stain with tears.
"Sora." She opened on eye at him because she had suffered an injury to the other. As she saw him with a look of despair, she felt her cheeks sting with tears of her own.
For moments they looked at one another until Sora groaned in pain. "Don't cry Tasuki.please don't cry." Tasuki took her hand and played it on his cheek.
"But there isn't anyone else I can think of to cry for." He took her up in his arms and held her tightly but softly. He quickly lifted her up and walked her to Chichiri who ran to them urgently.
"Sora.no."
"I'm still alive dummy."
"I see that no da!" Tasuki laid her down near a small creek by their stuff. Chichiri began to tear sheets and dip them in the creek and Tasuki stared at Sora barely breathing. He was not sure what to do. If Mitsukake were here.
"Tasuki! Take off her clothes so we can treat her wounds! Quickly no da!" Sora jolted. She felt her head become dizzy as she tried to get up to proclaim she could do it herself. But she felt the area get black as she passed out. Even in her unconscience state she still felt everything and heard everything. She could feel beads of sweat and blood dripping down her body. The she listened.
"I can't jus' take them off! It wouldn't be."
"Look I know she would not appreciate it but she needs to get cleaned up and have her wounds treated or she is gonna die no da."
"Fine." Tasuki put his hand under her back and lifted her up towards him. He slid off her tattered shirt and grabbed a cool cloth. "She is gonna kill me." He thought. He patted her shoulders and chest. And wiped her face clean of blood. Chichiri splashed some cold water on her back and then began to mix herbs for her wounds. Sora felt things around her spin and felt soft hands on her. Tasuki saw her face get red thinking, "Is she really unconscience?" When she was clean of old blood Chichiri placed a white powder over her still bleeding wounds and tied then tight. Tasuki helped to bandage her chest (which was now covered). Chichiri took the torn shirt and flapped it so that it became his cloak once again. He placed it around Sora recreating the shirt, which now clung to her healing body. Chichiri helped to lift her up and put on a pair of her pants and then they laid her back down on one of their blankets.
"Do you think we should take her to a hospital no da?"
"Can she make the trip?"
"I can pop us over to the palace. The best physicians are there."
"Ok. Do it." They gathered their belonging and smacked the back of their horses so they would move along the trail to the next town where they could be used. Chichiri slammed his staff to the ground and the floor lit up. Within moments they were at the throne of Empress Hokie who greeted them with loving arms.
"Lord Chichiri, Lord Tasuki! Welcome!"
"We need your help quickly!"
"Oh! The priestess of suzaku!"
"No it's not her." She looked at the battered girl realizing her mistake. She ordered her to be taken to a room and to get the best doctors in the palace.
Chichiri picked her up and followed Hokie to a room. Chichiri placed her on the bed there and Tasuki pulled up a chair next to her bedside. Chichiri sat on the bed at her feet.
"You know how this happened." Tasuki questioned.
"Kurai no da."
"We saw him and she attacked.as Kana."
"Kana took her over?"
"Yea.her injuries were not as severe until her tried to kill me."
"What."
"She protected me." Chichiri took off his mask and looked at Tasuki with sorrow filled eyes.
"I saw this coming." Tasuki looked up at him with a confused look.
"When the priestess came you felt needed and felt a bond. However she was in love with Tamahome.but if that wasn't true she may have loved you."
"No.she had Hotohori next in line. But I don't love her anyhow."
"What I am asking is.do you love her because she needs you? Because she is from another world no da? Are you sure you are the one for her?"
Tasuki thought for a moment. Chichiri grimaced. "Then you don't love her no da." Tasuki stood up and looked at Chichiri. Something was different.in his face. Chichiri picked up his hat and tilted it towards Tasuki as if saying "I leave you to your wounds." Tasuki sat back in the chair and looked at Sora.
"WHAT WAS HIS PROBLEM!" Tasuki yelled. "What does he know. so what if I love.her" Tasuki shocked himself. He did love her. Sora felt her heart pound in her chest. "What just happened." she thought
Outside Chichiri sat by the water fountain in the court with a strange voice talking in his head.
"You should be the one with her.YOU SHOULD TAKE HER!"
"NO Tasuki loves her! Who are you!" Chichiri splashed his face with water.
"Oh I am just a manipulative demon having fun." The voice laughed.
"Kurai! You can't control me no da!"
"Watch me hehe." With that Chichiri felt the world disappear as his eyes turned from a light red into a venomous purple.
"Now sister.let us see who has the last laugh."
Tasuki came to. He felt his body heavy as he wrapped his arms around his chest. He had wrapped them around something else. As he remembered what had happened he opened his eyes, afraid to see what was on top of him. He looked down and saw light brown hair and soft skin. He saw a gentle face.covered in blood. He sat up and held her in his lap. Her clothes were torn, her wings were gone, her eyes were open and her skin was pale.
He looked with disbelief as he patted her cheeks, hoping she would awake. He put his head on her chest to listen for a heartbeat, or a sign of life. As he lay his head on her chest he felt nothing. He dug his face into her shoulder and began to cry on her neck. "Please Suzaku.don't let her be dead. Please let her feel me."
Sora felt herself engulfed by nothing. As she opened her senses she knew she wasn't where she should be. As she opened her eyes she saw herself.no.Kana.
"You should wake up Sora. Someone needs you on the other side."
"Am I asleep?"
"No. You are dead." Sora gulped and began to cry.
"I.I can't.I can't be dead.not dead." Sora stuttered in between gasps. Kana came over towards her. She gave her a hug.
"I'm sorry I have placed so much on you.."
"I don't want to die!"
"You don't have to."
"How?"
"Give me your body once more and let me take over for a time."
"You'll get me killed again!"
"No, you got yourself killed protecting your lover."
"He is not." Kana looked at her intently.
"What is there to go back to?"
"Everything. My mom my friends.well what is left of them."
"Straight answer.you have little time." Sora saw herself through her mind. Tasuki crying into her and pray with all his heart.
"Tasuki." she whined.
"What are you leaving back there?" Sora looked on as she saw her blood spread like an ocean as well as her tears.
"Tasuki.TASUKIIIIIII!" She felt a pull on her body and found herself held tightly. And then the pain hit her. She raised her hand up with what strength she had left and put it on Tasuki's back. His head darted up from her shoulder and looked at her with cheeks stain with tears.
"Sora." She opened on eye at him because she had suffered an injury to the other. As she saw him with a look of despair, she felt her cheeks sting with tears of her own.
For moments they looked at one another until Sora groaned in pain. "Don't cry Tasuki.please don't cry." Tasuki took her hand and played it on his cheek.
"But there isn't anyone else I can think of to cry for." He took her up in his arms and held her tightly but softly. He quickly lifted her up and walked her to Chichiri who ran to them urgently.
"Sora.no."
"I'm still alive dummy."
"I see that no da!" Tasuki laid her down near a small creek by their stuff. Chichiri began to tear sheets and dip them in the creek and Tasuki stared at Sora barely breathing. He was not sure what to do. If Mitsukake were here.
"Tasuki! Take off her clothes so we can treat her wounds! Quickly no da!" Sora jolted. She felt her head become dizzy as she tried to get up to proclaim she could do it herself. But she felt the area get black as she passed out. Even in her unconscience state she still felt everything and heard everything. She could feel beads of sweat and blood dripping down her body. The she listened.
"I can't jus' take them off! It wouldn't be."
"Look I know she would not appreciate it but she needs to get cleaned up and have her wounds treated or she is gonna die no da."
"Fine." Tasuki put his hand under her back and lifted her up towards him. He slid off her tattered shirt and grabbed a cool cloth. "She is gonna kill me." He thought. He patted her shoulders and chest. And wiped her face clean of blood. Chichiri splashed some cold water on her back and then began to mix herbs for her wounds. Sora felt things around her spin and felt soft hands on her. Tasuki saw her face get red thinking, "Is she really unconscience?" When she was clean of old blood Chichiri placed a white powder over her still bleeding wounds and tied then tight. Tasuki helped to bandage her chest (which was now covered). Chichiri took the torn shirt and flapped it so that it became his cloak once again. He placed it around Sora recreating the shirt, which now clung to her healing body. Chichiri helped to lift her up and put on a pair of her pants and then they laid her back down on one of their blankets.
"Do you think we should take her to a hospital no da?"
"Can she make the trip?"
"I can pop us over to the palace. The best physicians are there."
"Ok. Do it." They gathered their belonging and smacked the back of their horses so they would move along the trail to the next town where they could be used. Chichiri slammed his staff to the ground and the floor lit up. Within moments they were at the throne of Empress Hokie who greeted them with loving arms.
"Lord Chichiri, Lord Tasuki! Welcome!"
"We need your help quickly!"
"Oh! The priestess of suzaku!"
"No it's not her." She looked at the battered girl realizing her mistake. She ordered her to be taken to a room and to get the best doctors in the palace.
Chichiri picked her up and followed Hokie to a room. Chichiri placed her on the bed there and Tasuki pulled up a chair next to her bedside. Chichiri sat on the bed at her feet.
"You know how this happened." Tasuki questioned.
"Kurai no da."
"We saw him and she attacked.as Kana."
"Kana took her over?"
"Yea.her injuries were not as severe until her tried to kill me."
"What."
"She protected me." Chichiri took off his mask and looked at Tasuki with sorrow filled eyes.
"I saw this coming." Tasuki looked up at him with a confused look.
"When the priestess came you felt needed and felt a bond. However she was in love with Tamahome.but if that wasn't true she may have loved you."
"No.she had Hotohori next in line. But I don't love her anyhow."
"What I am asking is.do you love her because she needs you? Because she is from another world no da? Are you sure you are the one for her?"
Tasuki thought for a moment. Chichiri grimaced. "Then you don't love her no da." Tasuki stood up and looked at Chichiri. Something was different.in his face. Chichiri picked up his hat and tilted it towards Tasuki as if saying "I leave you to your wounds." Tasuki sat back in the chair and looked at Sora.
"WHAT WAS HIS PROBLEM!" Tasuki yelled. "What does he know. so what if I love.her" Tasuki shocked himself. He did love her. Sora felt her heart pound in her chest. "What just happened." she thought
Outside Chichiri sat by the water fountain in the court with a strange voice talking in his head.
"You should be the one with her.YOU SHOULD TAKE HER!"
"NO Tasuki loves her! Who are you!" Chichiri splashed his face with water.
"Oh I am just a manipulative demon having fun." The voice laughed.
"Kurai! You can't control me no da!"
"Watch me hehe." With that Chichiri felt the world disappear as his eyes turned from a light red into a venomous purple.
"Now sister.let us see who has the last laugh."