Fushigi Yuugi does not belong to me. None of its characters belong to me.
***SPOILER WARNING*** for the entire series
Also, there is YAOI in this fic, as well as bad language. If you don't like that kind of thing, don't read.
Bloodless
Part 1
Chichiri turned away from the expressions on their faces. It was time to leave. He felt the spell writhing its way through his system, threatening to destroy his control, his strength. He had to leave now before it reached his mind and he killed all of them.
Tasuki was saying something; it sounded like he was pleading. I'm sorry, Tasuki, Chichiri thought, readying his departure, I can't come back. Ever.
But…but one last time…he couldn't leave without…
He looked back at them, the bandits who had become his family in the years following Miaka's departure. Kouji and Tasuki. It hurt, but he couldn't tell them how much they'd meant…
Not if he was going to leave. And the spell doubled in intensity within him, reminding him.
"Goodbye," he whispered, softly, memorizing their faces. He would never see them again; Chichiri wanted to remember them.
Then he gripped his staff tightly, concentrated briefly, and disappeared.
"Chichiri! Wait, dammit! Tell me what's going on!" Tasuki shouted at the suddenly translucent monk. He ran to the spot Chichiri had been standing, What the hell happened?
Kouji stared down at his hands as Tasuki raged.
"He'd better fucking come back! He can't just leave like this, with no explanation!"
Kouji couldn't look at his friend. Something about that…Chichiri had left, and was never coming back. Maybe it was the look in his eye as he said "Goodbye." Dammit, Chichiri.
Finally sick of shouting, Tasuki collapsed on the bed and faced the floor.
The other bandit kept his distance.
Chichiri stumbled as he arrived, the curse finally reaching his mind. It had been three months since he had realized its existence, but only two days since he realized he couldn't cure it.
Here, in the middle of nowhere, he was safe. He had cast spells of binding over the months, as a last option. Chichiri could transport himself here, but he could never leave. And no one could enter or leave by foot. This way, he wouldn't hurt anyone but himself.
The last
thought he had before the curse ripped through his mind was, Oh, Tasuki, I'm
sorry.
"We have to find him," Tasuki growled, finally standing.
Kouji shook his head, "He's always come back before…" he said, trying to convince himself as much as Tasuki.
"It's different this time!" Tasuki shouted. That look on his face, "I'm leaving to find the old hag. She'll know what happened. You can take care of this place, right?" he asked, his eyes pleading.
Kouji laughed a little, "Better then you can!"
Tasuki smiled and clapped him across the shoulder, "Yeah, right," to his surprise, Kouji grabbed his hand as he tried to take it away.
"Find him," Kouji ordered, before pressing their lips together in a quick, hard kiss.
Once released, Tasuki examined Kouji carefully before nodding, "I will."
Chichiri was locked away in his dark dimension, feeling nothing. He had never understood anything. His sanity and stability cried out for release from the constant barrage of sensations. Then they retreated to the back of his mind, where they silently observed everything that occurred. Waiting for a chance to escape.
But the other part of him reveled in the release. He was free, at last…but a cage still held him.
Angrily, Chichiri dug his nails deep into his arm until blood welled up. Then he clawed against the prison he had built for himself. His hands bled and he tore the mask off his face. Was he crying? Why?
He pounded against the invisible walls with all his powers. Who cared if he died from the effort? If he didn't, and even if he did, he would be free.
And Chichiri's soul cried out from its own cage, railing against itself. Oh, Suzaku, he didn't want to die…not yet.
{Tasuki smiled at the monk, who was sitting alone on the boulder overlooking the lake, fishing, "You haven't caught anything, have you? Fuckin' waste of time as far as I can see."
Chichiri shook his head, "It doesn't matter if I catch anything, no da."
Tasuki sat next to the monk, trying desperately to absorb some of that infinite peace. If he had even a little, then maybe he wouldn't feel so…soon, they would be leaving for Hokkan. He was—admit it! –worried about what was going to happen.
The monk seemed to sense his emotion, and remained silent.
But the silence made Tasuki uncomfortable, "Hey, Chichiri, could you tell me somethin'?"
Chichiri lowered the pole slightly, and turned to listen.
"What were you and Miaka talking about before…just a few minutes ago?"
The monk shook his head, "I don't think that's your business, no da," he turned back to his fishing.
"Dammit!" Tasuki swore, pointlessly.
"Is that all no da?"
Tasuki sighed, "Fuck. It just seemed important. Sorry."
Chichiri nodded.
They stared out at the water for a while, neither saying a word. Then the sun began to set, and Chichiri abruptly stood, "You have a festival to go to, no da. Better go."
They started walking back to the palace together, until Nuriko suddenly bound towards them.
"Hurry up, Tasuki! Sure you don't wanna come, Chichiri?"
Chichiri's mask smiled brightly, "Nope no da."
Tasuki let himself be led away, feeling the tiny amount of serenity he had managed to collect disappear as Chichiri faded from view.}
Tasuki arrived at Taiitsukun's mountain with relative speed. He had been half hoping, the entire journey, that she would suddenly appear and save him the trip.
But, when he came, she greeted him almost immediately and took him inside.
"Do ya know why I'm here?" Tasuki asked, impatiently.
Taiitsukun nodded, giving him a strangely sympathetic look. Tasuki didn't notice, as he was busy staring at the floor, avoiding her face.
"Well, where is he?"
"I can't tell you that," she answered.
Tasuki's head shot up, "What?! Why?"
"You can't do anything for him," she said, and began to explain what had happened, "Three months ago, when Chichiri visited me, I discovered a curse had been cast on him. He couldn't remove it, and neither could I. We finally decided that the best course of action was for him to go where he couldn't hurt anyone."
"What the fuck?! Why didn't anyone tell me?" Though it does explain the way Chichiri's was acting…
"There was nothing you could do."
"That's not
true! I coulda…I coulda…" helped him
deal with it, at least. There were so
many things I forgot to tell him! If I
had known, maybe I would've remembered.
The barrier began to weaken against the constant beating Chichiri gave it. He was covered in the blood from a hundred self-inflicted wounds. He needed to get out.
The pain was intense, but it amplified his power. He had been an idiot to think the barrier could hold him. Smiling slightly, he picked up his staff and pressed his other hand against the wall. He started to laugh as he brought the staff home, breaking his hand with an audible 'snap.'
Oh, Suzaku. His power increased with the pain, since the curse would not allow anything to break his concentration. It wouldn't even let him sleep…
Chichiri swayed slightly, but continued to fight. His smile grew as his broken hand began to pass through the wall. Soon, now…
Tasuki lay tired in the room Taiitsukun had let him stay in for the night. Tomorrow he was supposed to return to the bandits. Could he? He had told Kouji that he would find Chichiri; he didn't want to return yet. There must be something he could do. The old hag had explained everything she knew about the curse in an attempt to force him to agree not to go searching…
If he sees you, he will kill you…
Why did this happen now? Chichiri was finally almost comfortable staying in one place. He had even started taking off his mask regularly when they were alone together.
{Tasuki heard the quiet gasping noise that signified Chichiri was waking from one of his dreams. They had been traveling together for several months, and Tasuki was tired of pretending this didn't happen.
The bandit got up from his own bed and walked across the room to Chichiri's immobile shape, "What's wrong, Chichiri?"
The monk was wearing his mask even now, "Nothing, Tasuki. Just some trouble sleeping, no da."
"Bullshit," Tasuki said, kindly, "You've been waking up like this almost every night all the time we've been traveling."
Chichiri brushed his hair away from his glistening forehead, "Just an old dream no da…what are you doing awake now, anyway?"
In the darkness, Tasuki smiled, "I haven't been sleeping very well, either."
Chichiri moved over and the bandit sat down on the edge of the bed.
"Nuriko and the others?" Chichiri asked, softly. Later, Tasuki would marvel at how quickly and easily he had turned the conversation away from himself.
Tasuki nodded, "Yeah," and he began to tell his friend about his own dreams.
An hour later, Tasuki was lying next to Chichiri. They were still talking and remembering the time they spent with Miaka and the others.
It was long after the sun rose when Tasuki and Chichiri finally fell asleep.
Tasuki woke just before nightfall, slightly confused. He felt something pressed against his side, and saw the blue head of the monk. He had curled up against Tasuki while they were asleep.
Smiling a little, Tasuki pushed the monk away, eliciting a slight groan from him.
"Tasuki no da?" Chichiri murmured, opening his eye a little, "What time is it?"
"It's almost night."
Chichiri sat up in surprise. As Tasuki watched, he conjured his mask out of thin air.
"Don't put it on," Tasuki suggested.
Chichiri shook his head and offered no explanation. The mask settled on his face and smiled out at the world.
Tasuki closed his eyes; the sight of the mask made him angry for some reason.
When he opened them again, the masked face was right in front of his own. Tasuki jumped back in shock.
"WAKE UP TASUKI NO DA!" Chichiri shouted. Well, he was back to normal.
The next night, Tasuki heard Chichiri wake again. Without a word, he went over to his bed and lay down next to him.
Chichiri sighed and gave him room.}
Why hadn't Chichiri fucking told him? Oh, right. Chichiri never told him anything about himself. Everything he knew now he had learned by accident, or through deliberate device.
That was it. He was going to find that damn monk and fix this somehow. Just let the gods try and stop him.
END OF PART 1
This is my first Fushigi Yuugi fic…please let me know what you think. Comments, questions and suggestions are extremely welcome.
Celestial Phoenix