"I fell in love with you ... sadness, happiness, everything"

Fugen Shinjin was not in his cave.

Youzen was greeted by a lifeless, cold, unlit inner chamber. The doushi felt his way to the stone table in the middle of the parlour and found the candle. He lit it and the room took on a yellowish glow. Everything was neat the way it was and nothing was moved. On one of the walls, Fugen's landscape paintings took on a dull coppery finish in the candlelight. His books lined the mahogany shelf on the right. Those were meticulously dusted everyday to keep them in good condition. There was a half-drunk cup of tea on the table and a plate of red bean cake. Youzen lifted the teapot cap and found fresh brewed tea inside. But the pot was cold and the tea leaves were well settled at the bottom of the cup. He knew the sennin usually spent the nights in the parlour, reading and drinking tea.

Tonight he was not here. Or rather, he was. And he was gone.

Youzen seated himself onto the cushion covered stone bench and slowly poured himself a cup of the tea. He was not going to return back so early. His teacher informed him he will be out, so there will be no one back in the cave, he might as well spend the evening here and wait for Fugen. Taking a sip of the tea, he leaned back, placing a hand on the cushion. Youzen's eyebrows lifted. His hand touched a half-opened book on the bench. Curious, the doushi picked up the book and brought it closer to the candlelight.

They were on the orbiting rock around Konron-san. Gyokutei Shinjin's face was a hard mask of emotions. The night wind rose and blew at the two sennins. Their garments flapped wildly, and the wind whirled the tiny pebbles on the surface of the rock.

"Do I need to repeat myself again?" Gyokutei turned to stare at Fugen, his eyes glinting brighter then the stars behind him. The wind tore through his hair, making the black strands whip violently. "Stay away from my disciple, shitei…"

Fugen wrung his hands tightly, so tight the tips of his fingers turned white. The sennin shook his head again, and he tried to steady his voice.

"Gyokutei …."

Gyokutei did not wait for Fugen to finish. Furiously, he drove his sword into the rock. Splits and cracks appeared from the sword point. Gyokutei glanced over his shoulder, eyes stone-hard, fixated on Fugen.

"Love is not a plaything, Fugen Shinjin. Youzen is still young. I do not want him hurt in anyway, do you hear that? He does not know anything! If I see him cry again … I will .." Gyokutei's fingers curled around the hilt of his sword, his voice beginning to crack. "I will personally see that you pay for it."

If I see him cry again …

Youzen cried?

With a confused expression on his face, Fugen clutched at Gyokutei's arm. "What do you mean by 'If I see him cry again?'. Youzen-kun, what happened to him?"

Gyokutei flung Fugen's grip away, and pulled up his sword. Pointing the sword tip at the other sennin's throat, Gyokutei rasped. "He cried because of you, you cheater. You played with his love, and his feelings. He tried to kill himself because of what you did!"

Kill himself ?

But I didn't do anything!

Bewilderment flooded Fugen's heart and mind. Whatever Gyokutei was saying, Fugen knew that it was not the truth. Youzen lied to his teacher. Youzen tried to twist the whole story around.

But why?

What did Youzen gain from doing all these. Fugen could not figure out an answer. Questions raced through his mind and it hurt him to think Youzen could betray him like thus. Lie like thus, and pretend to love him like thus? The cold wind clawed against his skin. Feeling weak and dizzy, Fugen steadied himself on a larger rock, and leaned against it, his head bowed and now oblivious to the trembling sword point of Gyokutei's pao pei.

"Don't touch my disciple again…."

"Gyokutei, listen to me. I didn't… He…"

Rage overtook the other sennin suddenly and his sword flicked up, nicking a long cut across Fugen's cheek, just barely missing the eye. The shock and the pain made Fugen reel back, crumpling down against the rock he was leaning on.

Clutching at his bleeding cheek, Fugen stared at Gyokutei horrendously. Gyokutei's sword trembled as a terrified expression came over his angry face. Fugen's blood dripped from the sword tip, spreading into a thin dark crimson stain upon the rock. Blood trickled down the sennin's cheek, quickly drying in the cold mountain wind, like a braided black mask etched on his face.

"Gyokutei…" Fugen gasped.

Without a word, Gyokutei turned and leapt down the rock.

The cut was deep. Deeper than he thought.

Just barely above slicing through his cheekbone. Blood welled up when he grimaced with the throbbing pain.

Dragging himself up, Fugen tried to regain his composure. He was feeling dizzy again, from shock and the cold wind. The blood stained his clothing with rusty splotches. He had to get back to the cave and find some way to stop the bleeding. The Taikyokufuin manifested slowly in Fugen's hands. Taking in a wheezing breath, he soared off the orbiting rock.