Note: These characters are not my original creation, except for Suzana.
This story deals with a same-sex relationship between two men, so if it
offends, don't read it.
Fire, Fire, Burning Bright
Part 1
By: A.J. Matthews
It was a chilly winter in Konan this year. Chichiri drew his cloak tighter around him. He hated to admit it, but he was completely lost. "Just find the bandit camp, no da!" He continued walking, but everything seemed unfamiliar because snow was piled up everywhere, and still coming down.
Genroe aka Tasuki, was getting worried as he waited for Chichiri to return to the mountain bandits' hideout. Chichiri should have been back hours ago. He decided to go out and search for him. After packing a small bag with clothes, rope, tinder and flint, and his fire-blowing fan, he went looking for Koji. "Koji! You're in charge until I get back!" he informed his friend, and set off to find Chichiri.
Chichiri struggled to walk in the snow. "This is bad, no da!" He attempted to cross the river which the mountain bandits used for water, but the ice broke before he could do anything. He fell in and the current rushed him downriver.
"Chichiri!" Tasuki yelled. He had found Chichiri's footprints, but the blinding snow had covered them almost all the way up. He was about to give up, when something made him turn and look at the river. He gasped in horror at the sight he saw.
Chichiri clung weakly to a floating patch of ice. He shivered violently as the water swept him further downriver. For some unknown reason, he looked to the shore and saw Genroe. "Tasuki-chan!" he cried as loud as he could.
"By Suzaku!" Tasuki slapped his forehead with his hand. How had Chichiri managed this one, he wondered, smiling fondly. Then he shook his head. Chichiri was in big trouble this time. He ran to the shore line and unbelted the rope he had with him. "Chichiri! Catch!" He threw the rope straight to Chichiri, who weakly caught it. "Hang on! I'll pull you to shore."
Chichiri clung to the rope as tight as he could, but he was too cold to hold it very tight. He shivered.
Tasuki began to pull Chichiri to shore, noticing that Chichiri was much paler than normal. "No!" he cried as the rope slipped out of Chichiri's shaking hands. "Chichiri! Ah, the hell with it." Tasuki dived into the river after Chichiri.
Chichiri was too cold to even try to swim, and he slowly sank below the water. As Tasuki looked around in vain, he saw Chichiri's blue cape sinking into the water. He immediately dove under again. Tasuki finally saw Chichiri, and pulled him up to the surface. Chichiri's lips were blue.
"Tasuki-chan?" murmured Chichiri as he was being pulled to shore. "Winter is a bad time to swim, no da?"
In spite of their predicament, Tasuki laughed. "Yes." He was starting to have a hard time swimming as well. "Damn," he said as he tried to swim to the bank of the river. The current was going too fast. When Tasuki looked at Chichiri closely, he saw that Chichiri had passed out. "Shit!"
Tasuki was having a hard time keeping himself and Chichiri both afloat. A fast moving branch struck him from behind, and they both sunk under the water. As Tasuki started to lose consciousness, something strange happened.
A bright red light appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. The water ceased flowing, much to Tasuki's surprise.
"What the hell is going on?" he asked, as the light… lifted him and Chichiri out of the water. They floated to the side of the bank, where they gently floated down and landed on the soft snow. Tasuki looked around at the light, and was stunned to see a Seishi symbol glowing through the red light and falling snow.
Just as quickly as it had appeared, the light faded. Tasuki was amazed. Chichiri groaned as he lay on the ground. "Chichiri!" Tasuki kneeled next to him. Chichiri was clearly in bad shape. He hadn't stopped shivering once. His lips were still a pale blue, and his skin was almost white. "Damn it!" Tasuki's own cape was soaked. He picked Chichiri up and started walking towards a cave in the distance. "Chichiri, don't you dare die!"
"What are you doing?" a little voice piped up.
Tasuki stared at the little girl with brilliant red hair and exotic silver eyes who appeared before him suddenly. Her hair was flowing free and wild. Her bangs were so long that they covered her eyes unless she moved them. She wore a hooded cloak over pants and a long-sleeved little dress. In her arms, she was carrying a bag. She was also bare-foot, and appeared seven years old. It was strange that a child would be in the forest alone.
Chichiri groaned again. Tasuki looked at him in concern. "My friend fell in the river."
The girl looked at Chichiri with pity on her face. "Poor thing. Bet he couldn't swim, huh?" She walked over to Tasuki and reached into her bag. After pulling out two blankets, she said, "Here. They're not much but you need them more than I do. What was all that red light about?"
"I have no idea." Tasuki shifted Chichiri to one arm, and took a blanket. He wrapped Chichiri in it awkwardly, and then draped the other one across his shoulders.
"That's why I came over here- I followed the light." She cocked her head to one side. "You should get him to a fire so he can get warm. Follow me." She started walking towards where she'd come from.
Tasuki didn't have much choice but to follow her. Chichiri desperately needed to get warm. He walked after her.
Pretty soon, they reached a cave. "Come on," she urged as she led the way into the cave.
Chichiri opened his eyes slowly as Tasuki carried him into the cave. "Tasuki?" he whispered weakly. "Am I dead?"
"No, you're not dead. Chichiri, how are you feeling?" Tasuki looked at Chichiri, he who meant so much to him.
"Very cold, no da!" Chichiri wasn't shivering as much as he had been.
When he thought about it, Tasuki realized he had stopped shivering after the little girl appeared. After reaching the back of the cave, they saw a cheerful fire. A kettle sat next to it, and a clothes-line was hanging to the left of the fire, so clothes could dry faster. There were also two sticks (held up by stones) with a v-shape on the top supporting a third stick. The third stick had a fourth stick, with two opposite v-shapes, one at the top and one at the bottom.
The girl had pulled up some blankets by the fire. "Here. Your friend can sit next to the fire. It will warm him up in no time. I hope you have changes of clothes. Both of you will get sick if you stay in those. I'm going to go get some water and food." She walked out of the cave.
Tasuki set Chichiri on the ground, supporting him as he sat down. "Chichiri- chan, are you strong enough to change your clothes?"
"I'll try, no da!" Chichiri looked at Tasuki. The fire had made parts of his reddish hair seem golden, which he found appealing.
Tasuki took his pack off, and pulled out the clothes he had packed. He handed long pants and a shirt to Chichiri, before he started taking off his own clothes. He looked at Chichiri, who had managed to pull his white shirt and blue cape off. He looked really cute, in Tasuki's opinion. Unfortunately, Chichiri had not managed to get the shirt over his head. Tasuki smiled and shook his head. After he pulled off his own soaked shirt and cape, he used the blanket the child had given him earlier to drive off.
Chichiri was distracted from changing his clothes because he was watching Tasuki dress. Chichiri was too weak to pull the shirt over his head, so he stood up unsteadily and pulled his pants off. He copied what Tasuki was doing and used the blanket that had been wrapped around him to drive off. After pulling on the green pants, he tried to pull the blue shirt over his head again.
Tasuki had changed his blue pants and white shirt already. He turned to look at Chichiri, who was still trying to get the shirt over his head. "Need some help, Chichiri-chan?" he asked, and took a step towards him.
Chichiri couldn't see where he was going. "Tasuki-chan?" he called. The pants were too long for him, and he tripped.
Tasuki caught Chichiri as he tripped and laughed. "Here," he said gently as he tugged the shirt over Chichiri's head.
"Thanks," Chichiri stammered, as he pulled the shirt on the rest of the way. He felt awkward and embarrassed because he was being clumsy. Tasuki helped Chichiri stand up again, and looked at him.
"Bet you're still frozen, huh?" At Chichiri's nod, he smiled. "Go on, sit by the fire." Tasuki picked up Chichiri's wet clothes, and hung them on the clothesline. He did the same with his wet clothes. "Chichiri, sit down," he admonished gently.
Chichiri felt bad because Tasuki had gotten wet because of him but insisted that he, Chichiri, sit by the fire. He also knew that Tasuki was stubborn, so he did as he was told.
Tasuki watched Chichiri reluctantly sit by the fire. As soon as he was sitting, Tasuki sat down a few feet away. "Chichiri-chan?" he asked.
Chichiri turned to look at Tasuki. "Yes, Tasuki-chan?"
"How did you wind up in the river?" he asked, hiding a smile from Chichiri.
"I…got lost," Chichiri admitted. "The snow made everything look so different. The river was frozen when I started across. It broke when I reached the middle."
"You don't know how to swim, do you?" Tasuki asked, point blank.
"No…I don't, no da." Chichiri's face was bright red. His smiling mask had been washed away in the fast-moving river.
Tasuki thought that it was adorable the way Chichiri's face flushed red whenever he was embarrassed. "Don't worry, Chichiri. Next spring, I'll teach you how to swim."
Chichiri nodded his thanks, as the child walked back into the cave.
"Feeling better?" she asked, as she carried the bucket of water over to the kettle. She poured it in, and hung it on the sticks above the fire. Then she reached into her bag and took out different herbs and spices, mixing them in. Jerky was cut into strips, and placed in the kettle. She then looked at them. "I have to go home now. My Guardian is calling for me."
Tasuki looked at her. "What's your name, child? My name is Tasuki."
Chichiri looked at the little girl curiously. "My name is Chichiri, no da."
"My name is Suzana." She smiled. "Maybe I'll see you later. The soup will be ready soon. I have some bowls right over there." She pointed to a wooden shelf. "Stay here as long as you need to." She walked towards the cave entrance.
"Wait!" Tasuki stood up and walked after her. "Thank you for helping us. My friend and I wouldn't have lasted much longer if you hadn't given us those blankets and brought us here."
"You're welcome." Suzana looked up at him. "Something else bothering you?"
"Yes," Tasuki admitted. "Suzana, why aren't you wearing any shoes?"
"I don't need to." She spoke simply, not boasting. As if she was just stating a fact.
"How did you find us?" That question had been bothering Tasuki. It seemed a little too convenient that she had appeared right when they needed help.
"I told you; I saw the red light and followed it." She looked up at him, her silver eyes showing wisdom and intelligence. "I guess somebody really powerful wanted you to live. Both of you." Suzana smiled a smile that seemed mysterious, almost ethereal. She walked out leaving Tasuki staring after her. She stepped forward into the blizzard, and then the snow whirled around her, making it impossible to see where she'd gone.
Tasuki looked for her, in vain, for a few minutes, and then started to turn to go back inside. As he turned, he noticed something strange. Flowers and grass were sprouting up in little foot-shaped spots where Suzana had been standing only a few minutes before. A pile of wood now lay off to one side.
Chichiri watched Tasuki as he entered the cave again and sat down next to the fire. The soup was beginning to smell good. "Where'd she come from, no da?"
Tasuki glanced over at Chichiri. "She found us as I was trying to get you to a cave or something where I could light a fire to get you warm. And led me here. Thank Suzaku she appeared when she did."
Chichiri looked back. He was still shivering slightly. "Tasuki-chan? What happened after I passed out?"
"Well, even I had problems trying to swim back to shore after I dove in and pulled you to the surface. A log struck me from behind and we both went under the water. I started to think we both weren't going to make it, when a red light flashed and the water stopped moving. The same light also lifted us out of the river and placed us on the bank.." Tasuki paused.
Chichiri looked over at him. "What is it?"
"This is going to sound strange, but I could have sworn that I saw a Seishi symbol in the red light. It vanished when Suzana emerged from behind the trees." Tasuki looked over at Chichiri. "I wonder who she really was, Chichiri-chan."
"What do you mean, no da?" Chichiri looked at Tasuki curiously.
"Did you hear what she said right before leaving? She said, 'I guess somebody really powerful wanted you to live. Both of you.' It was if she knew we were the Suzaku Seishi." Tasuki looked away, feeling sad. "Chichiri- chan, do you ever think about them?" he asked softly.
Chichiri nodded, and spoke seriously. "The years that have gone by have made the pain easier, but I still miss all of them terribly." He clenched his fists together, feeling tears running down his face.
"Chichiri-chan, I didn't mean to make you sad." Tasuki walked over and embraced him softly. "At least we aren't the only ones left, Chichiri. Miaka and Taka are alive as well. And we'll see all of the others again, when they are reborn. You heard what Taiisukun said."
Chichiri leaned into Tasuki's embrace. "But when?" The tears were still running down his face.
Tasuki rubbed Chichiri's back. So, he thought, I was right. Chichiri isn't always as happy as he acts. "Everything will be fine, Chichiri-chan. We'll see them when the time is right."
Chichiri smiled weakly. "I'm sorry, Tasuki-chan. It's just not like me." He looked downward, his eyes full of sorrow. "This is just reminding me of how my best friend drowned- or at least, I thought he had." He sighed. "And then he tried to kill all of us and Miaka."
"Chichiri-chan, you couldn't have known what he would do." Tasuki rested his hands on Chichiri's shoulders. "Anyway, I'd rather not think about that." His face was red, remembering what he'd tried to do to Miaka.
Chichiri could help laughing a little. "You remember trying to seduce Miaka, no da?" He knew that Tasuki had been mortified afterwards.
"Yeah…" Tasuki stepped back before he did what he longed to do; caress Chichiri's soft silvery-blue hair. He walked over and looked at the soup in the kettle. "Hey, I think it's ready, Chichiri-chan."
Chichiri was disappointed that Tasuki had stepped away. "Ok." He stood as well, brought two bowls from the wooden shelf, and handed them to him. Chichiri's hands were still shaking slightly; his fingernails were also blue, as well.
Tasuki took the bowls and dipped them both in the hot soup. He then handed one to Chichiri. Tasuki plopped down and began to eat his soup. "Suzana's going to have to give me her recipe," he muttered.
Chichiri sat down as well, holding the bowl as steady as he could in his shaking hands. He had to put it down because the hot bowl was burning his frost-bitten hands. He sat there watching Tasuki eat.
Tasuki looked up at Chichiri. "Why aren't you eating? It's good." He frowned slightly.
Chichiri's face was flushed again. He silently held up his shaking hands.
Tasuki put his bowl down and jumped to his feet. He crossed the room and took Chichiri's hands in his own. They were still freezing cold. He turned Chichiri's hands over and inspected the palms. As he'd suspected, Chichiri's palms had red marks. "What happened?" Tasuki's eyes looked directly into Chichiri's.
"Cold hands and hot bowls don't mix, no da!" Chichiri liked the way Tasuki held his hands. He looked down, as he did so often when he didn't wear his mask.
Tasuki frowned when he saw Chichiri looking at the ground again. He reached out with his right hand and tilted Chichiri's face up. "Why do you keep doing that, Chichiri?" he asked, while rubbing Chichiri's left hand with his own to try to warm it.
Chichiri's eyes wouldn't meet Tasuki's although he enjoyed the sensation of Tasuki rubbing his hand.
"Chichiri…" Tasuki said sternly.
Chichiri finally looked Tasuki in the eyes. The scar covering his left eye showed clearly in the firelight. "It looks bad, no da?"
"Chichiri-chan, I've seen you without your mask before. Don't hide it, ok? We all have scars, whether they're on the inside or outside," Tasuki told him quietly. "It doesn't make you less of a person."
"Thanks, Tasuki-chan." Chichiri watched as Tasuki let go of his hand and walked over to his blanket.
Tasuki tore several long strips from his blanket and then walked back over to Chichiri. He knelt down and began to wrap his hands in them. "These ought to get your hands warm. Hang on a sec, and I'll feed you." After Tasuki had finished bandaging Chichiri's hands, he picked up Chichiri's bowl. "But first, I'm going to get some warmer soup. This bowl is cold now."
Chichiri felt heartsick, because he was finally alone in an isolated place with Tasuki, yet he was too afraid to say the words 'I love you.' He and Tasuki had been friends almost from the beginning, and after the others had died (or gone to Miaka's world) they had been very close. Tasuki had been his only source of strength. Without him, he would have… Chichiri looked down at his left wrist, and then his right wrist. Scars were still there. He was afraid of losing that friendship if he said anything.
1.1.1 To be continued
Fire, Fire, Burning Bright
Part 1
By: A.J. Matthews
It was a chilly winter in Konan this year. Chichiri drew his cloak tighter around him. He hated to admit it, but he was completely lost. "Just find the bandit camp, no da!" He continued walking, but everything seemed unfamiliar because snow was piled up everywhere, and still coming down.
Genroe aka Tasuki, was getting worried as he waited for Chichiri to return to the mountain bandits' hideout. Chichiri should have been back hours ago. He decided to go out and search for him. After packing a small bag with clothes, rope, tinder and flint, and his fire-blowing fan, he went looking for Koji. "Koji! You're in charge until I get back!" he informed his friend, and set off to find Chichiri.
Chichiri struggled to walk in the snow. "This is bad, no da!" He attempted to cross the river which the mountain bandits used for water, but the ice broke before he could do anything. He fell in and the current rushed him downriver.
"Chichiri!" Tasuki yelled. He had found Chichiri's footprints, but the blinding snow had covered them almost all the way up. He was about to give up, when something made him turn and look at the river. He gasped in horror at the sight he saw.
Chichiri clung weakly to a floating patch of ice. He shivered violently as the water swept him further downriver. For some unknown reason, he looked to the shore and saw Genroe. "Tasuki-chan!" he cried as loud as he could.
"By Suzaku!" Tasuki slapped his forehead with his hand. How had Chichiri managed this one, he wondered, smiling fondly. Then he shook his head. Chichiri was in big trouble this time. He ran to the shore line and unbelted the rope he had with him. "Chichiri! Catch!" He threw the rope straight to Chichiri, who weakly caught it. "Hang on! I'll pull you to shore."
Chichiri clung to the rope as tight as he could, but he was too cold to hold it very tight. He shivered.
Tasuki began to pull Chichiri to shore, noticing that Chichiri was much paler than normal. "No!" he cried as the rope slipped out of Chichiri's shaking hands. "Chichiri! Ah, the hell with it." Tasuki dived into the river after Chichiri.
Chichiri was too cold to even try to swim, and he slowly sank below the water. As Tasuki looked around in vain, he saw Chichiri's blue cape sinking into the water. He immediately dove under again. Tasuki finally saw Chichiri, and pulled him up to the surface. Chichiri's lips were blue.
"Tasuki-chan?" murmured Chichiri as he was being pulled to shore. "Winter is a bad time to swim, no da?"
In spite of their predicament, Tasuki laughed. "Yes." He was starting to have a hard time swimming as well. "Damn," he said as he tried to swim to the bank of the river. The current was going too fast. When Tasuki looked at Chichiri closely, he saw that Chichiri had passed out. "Shit!"
Tasuki was having a hard time keeping himself and Chichiri both afloat. A fast moving branch struck him from behind, and they both sunk under the water. As Tasuki started to lose consciousness, something strange happened.
A bright red light appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. The water ceased flowing, much to Tasuki's surprise.
"What the hell is going on?" he asked, as the light… lifted him and Chichiri out of the water. They floated to the side of the bank, where they gently floated down and landed on the soft snow. Tasuki looked around at the light, and was stunned to see a Seishi symbol glowing through the red light and falling snow.
Just as quickly as it had appeared, the light faded. Tasuki was amazed. Chichiri groaned as he lay on the ground. "Chichiri!" Tasuki kneeled next to him. Chichiri was clearly in bad shape. He hadn't stopped shivering once. His lips were still a pale blue, and his skin was almost white. "Damn it!" Tasuki's own cape was soaked. He picked Chichiri up and started walking towards a cave in the distance. "Chichiri, don't you dare die!"
"What are you doing?" a little voice piped up.
Tasuki stared at the little girl with brilliant red hair and exotic silver eyes who appeared before him suddenly. Her hair was flowing free and wild. Her bangs were so long that they covered her eyes unless she moved them. She wore a hooded cloak over pants and a long-sleeved little dress. In her arms, she was carrying a bag. She was also bare-foot, and appeared seven years old. It was strange that a child would be in the forest alone.
Chichiri groaned again. Tasuki looked at him in concern. "My friend fell in the river."
The girl looked at Chichiri with pity on her face. "Poor thing. Bet he couldn't swim, huh?" She walked over to Tasuki and reached into her bag. After pulling out two blankets, she said, "Here. They're not much but you need them more than I do. What was all that red light about?"
"I have no idea." Tasuki shifted Chichiri to one arm, and took a blanket. He wrapped Chichiri in it awkwardly, and then draped the other one across his shoulders.
"That's why I came over here- I followed the light." She cocked her head to one side. "You should get him to a fire so he can get warm. Follow me." She started walking towards where she'd come from.
Tasuki didn't have much choice but to follow her. Chichiri desperately needed to get warm. He walked after her.
Pretty soon, they reached a cave. "Come on," she urged as she led the way into the cave.
Chichiri opened his eyes slowly as Tasuki carried him into the cave. "Tasuki?" he whispered weakly. "Am I dead?"
"No, you're not dead. Chichiri, how are you feeling?" Tasuki looked at Chichiri, he who meant so much to him.
"Very cold, no da!" Chichiri wasn't shivering as much as he had been.
When he thought about it, Tasuki realized he had stopped shivering after the little girl appeared. After reaching the back of the cave, they saw a cheerful fire. A kettle sat next to it, and a clothes-line was hanging to the left of the fire, so clothes could dry faster. There were also two sticks (held up by stones) with a v-shape on the top supporting a third stick. The third stick had a fourth stick, with two opposite v-shapes, one at the top and one at the bottom.
The girl had pulled up some blankets by the fire. "Here. Your friend can sit next to the fire. It will warm him up in no time. I hope you have changes of clothes. Both of you will get sick if you stay in those. I'm going to go get some water and food." She walked out of the cave.
Tasuki set Chichiri on the ground, supporting him as he sat down. "Chichiri- chan, are you strong enough to change your clothes?"
"I'll try, no da!" Chichiri looked at Tasuki. The fire had made parts of his reddish hair seem golden, which he found appealing.
Tasuki took his pack off, and pulled out the clothes he had packed. He handed long pants and a shirt to Chichiri, before he started taking off his own clothes. He looked at Chichiri, who had managed to pull his white shirt and blue cape off. He looked really cute, in Tasuki's opinion. Unfortunately, Chichiri had not managed to get the shirt over his head. Tasuki smiled and shook his head. After he pulled off his own soaked shirt and cape, he used the blanket the child had given him earlier to drive off.
Chichiri was distracted from changing his clothes because he was watching Tasuki dress. Chichiri was too weak to pull the shirt over his head, so he stood up unsteadily and pulled his pants off. He copied what Tasuki was doing and used the blanket that had been wrapped around him to drive off. After pulling on the green pants, he tried to pull the blue shirt over his head again.
Tasuki had changed his blue pants and white shirt already. He turned to look at Chichiri, who was still trying to get the shirt over his head. "Need some help, Chichiri-chan?" he asked, and took a step towards him.
Chichiri couldn't see where he was going. "Tasuki-chan?" he called. The pants were too long for him, and he tripped.
Tasuki caught Chichiri as he tripped and laughed. "Here," he said gently as he tugged the shirt over Chichiri's head.
"Thanks," Chichiri stammered, as he pulled the shirt on the rest of the way. He felt awkward and embarrassed because he was being clumsy. Tasuki helped Chichiri stand up again, and looked at him.
"Bet you're still frozen, huh?" At Chichiri's nod, he smiled. "Go on, sit by the fire." Tasuki picked up Chichiri's wet clothes, and hung them on the clothesline. He did the same with his wet clothes. "Chichiri, sit down," he admonished gently.
Chichiri felt bad because Tasuki had gotten wet because of him but insisted that he, Chichiri, sit by the fire. He also knew that Tasuki was stubborn, so he did as he was told.
Tasuki watched Chichiri reluctantly sit by the fire. As soon as he was sitting, Tasuki sat down a few feet away. "Chichiri-chan?" he asked.
Chichiri turned to look at Tasuki. "Yes, Tasuki-chan?"
"How did you wind up in the river?" he asked, hiding a smile from Chichiri.
"I…got lost," Chichiri admitted. "The snow made everything look so different. The river was frozen when I started across. It broke when I reached the middle."
"You don't know how to swim, do you?" Tasuki asked, point blank.
"No…I don't, no da." Chichiri's face was bright red. His smiling mask had been washed away in the fast-moving river.
Tasuki thought that it was adorable the way Chichiri's face flushed red whenever he was embarrassed. "Don't worry, Chichiri. Next spring, I'll teach you how to swim."
Chichiri nodded his thanks, as the child walked back into the cave.
"Feeling better?" she asked, as she carried the bucket of water over to the kettle. She poured it in, and hung it on the sticks above the fire. Then she reached into her bag and took out different herbs and spices, mixing them in. Jerky was cut into strips, and placed in the kettle. She then looked at them. "I have to go home now. My Guardian is calling for me."
Tasuki looked at her. "What's your name, child? My name is Tasuki."
Chichiri looked at the little girl curiously. "My name is Chichiri, no da."
"My name is Suzana." She smiled. "Maybe I'll see you later. The soup will be ready soon. I have some bowls right over there." She pointed to a wooden shelf. "Stay here as long as you need to." She walked towards the cave entrance.
"Wait!" Tasuki stood up and walked after her. "Thank you for helping us. My friend and I wouldn't have lasted much longer if you hadn't given us those blankets and brought us here."
"You're welcome." Suzana looked up at him. "Something else bothering you?"
"Yes," Tasuki admitted. "Suzana, why aren't you wearing any shoes?"
"I don't need to." She spoke simply, not boasting. As if she was just stating a fact.
"How did you find us?" That question had been bothering Tasuki. It seemed a little too convenient that she had appeared right when they needed help.
"I told you; I saw the red light and followed it." She looked up at him, her silver eyes showing wisdom and intelligence. "I guess somebody really powerful wanted you to live. Both of you." Suzana smiled a smile that seemed mysterious, almost ethereal. She walked out leaving Tasuki staring after her. She stepped forward into the blizzard, and then the snow whirled around her, making it impossible to see where she'd gone.
Tasuki looked for her, in vain, for a few minutes, and then started to turn to go back inside. As he turned, he noticed something strange. Flowers and grass were sprouting up in little foot-shaped spots where Suzana had been standing only a few minutes before. A pile of wood now lay off to one side.
Chichiri watched Tasuki as he entered the cave again and sat down next to the fire. The soup was beginning to smell good. "Where'd she come from, no da?"
Tasuki glanced over at Chichiri. "She found us as I was trying to get you to a cave or something where I could light a fire to get you warm. And led me here. Thank Suzaku she appeared when she did."
Chichiri looked back. He was still shivering slightly. "Tasuki-chan? What happened after I passed out?"
"Well, even I had problems trying to swim back to shore after I dove in and pulled you to the surface. A log struck me from behind and we both went under the water. I started to think we both weren't going to make it, when a red light flashed and the water stopped moving. The same light also lifted us out of the river and placed us on the bank.." Tasuki paused.
Chichiri looked over at him. "What is it?"
"This is going to sound strange, but I could have sworn that I saw a Seishi symbol in the red light. It vanished when Suzana emerged from behind the trees." Tasuki looked over at Chichiri. "I wonder who she really was, Chichiri-chan."
"What do you mean, no da?" Chichiri looked at Tasuki curiously.
"Did you hear what she said right before leaving? She said, 'I guess somebody really powerful wanted you to live. Both of you.' It was if she knew we were the Suzaku Seishi." Tasuki looked away, feeling sad. "Chichiri- chan, do you ever think about them?" he asked softly.
Chichiri nodded, and spoke seriously. "The years that have gone by have made the pain easier, but I still miss all of them terribly." He clenched his fists together, feeling tears running down his face.
"Chichiri-chan, I didn't mean to make you sad." Tasuki walked over and embraced him softly. "At least we aren't the only ones left, Chichiri. Miaka and Taka are alive as well. And we'll see all of the others again, when they are reborn. You heard what Taiisukun said."
Chichiri leaned into Tasuki's embrace. "But when?" The tears were still running down his face.
Tasuki rubbed Chichiri's back. So, he thought, I was right. Chichiri isn't always as happy as he acts. "Everything will be fine, Chichiri-chan. We'll see them when the time is right."
Chichiri smiled weakly. "I'm sorry, Tasuki-chan. It's just not like me." He looked downward, his eyes full of sorrow. "This is just reminding me of how my best friend drowned- or at least, I thought he had." He sighed. "And then he tried to kill all of us and Miaka."
"Chichiri-chan, you couldn't have known what he would do." Tasuki rested his hands on Chichiri's shoulders. "Anyway, I'd rather not think about that." His face was red, remembering what he'd tried to do to Miaka.
Chichiri could help laughing a little. "You remember trying to seduce Miaka, no da?" He knew that Tasuki had been mortified afterwards.
"Yeah…" Tasuki stepped back before he did what he longed to do; caress Chichiri's soft silvery-blue hair. He walked over and looked at the soup in the kettle. "Hey, I think it's ready, Chichiri-chan."
Chichiri was disappointed that Tasuki had stepped away. "Ok." He stood as well, brought two bowls from the wooden shelf, and handed them to him. Chichiri's hands were still shaking slightly; his fingernails were also blue, as well.
Tasuki took the bowls and dipped them both in the hot soup. He then handed one to Chichiri. Tasuki plopped down and began to eat his soup. "Suzana's going to have to give me her recipe," he muttered.
Chichiri sat down as well, holding the bowl as steady as he could in his shaking hands. He had to put it down because the hot bowl was burning his frost-bitten hands. He sat there watching Tasuki eat.
Tasuki looked up at Chichiri. "Why aren't you eating? It's good." He frowned slightly.
Chichiri's face was flushed again. He silently held up his shaking hands.
Tasuki put his bowl down and jumped to his feet. He crossed the room and took Chichiri's hands in his own. They were still freezing cold. He turned Chichiri's hands over and inspected the palms. As he'd suspected, Chichiri's palms had red marks. "What happened?" Tasuki's eyes looked directly into Chichiri's.
"Cold hands and hot bowls don't mix, no da!" Chichiri liked the way Tasuki held his hands. He looked down, as he did so often when he didn't wear his mask.
Tasuki frowned when he saw Chichiri looking at the ground again. He reached out with his right hand and tilted Chichiri's face up. "Why do you keep doing that, Chichiri?" he asked, while rubbing Chichiri's left hand with his own to try to warm it.
Chichiri's eyes wouldn't meet Tasuki's although he enjoyed the sensation of Tasuki rubbing his hand.
"Chichiri…" Tasuki said sternly.
Chichiri finally looked Tasuki in the eyes. The scar covering his left eye showed clearly in the firelight. "It looks bad, no da?"
"Chichiri-chan, I've seen you without your mask before. Don't hide it, ok? We all have scars, whether they're on the inside or outside," Tasuki told him quietly. "It doesn't make you less of a person."
"Thanks, Tasuki-chan." Chichiri watched as Tasuki let go of his hand and walked over to his blanket.
Tasuki tore several long strips from his blanket and then walked back over to Chichiri. He knelt down and began to wrap his hands in them. "These ought to get your hands warm. Hang on a sec, and I'll feed you." After Tasuki had finished bandaging Chichiri's hands, he picked up Chichiri's bowl. "But first, I'm going to get some warmer soup. This bowl is cold now."
Chichiri felt heartsick, because he was finally alone in an isolated place with Tasuki, yet he was too afraid to say the words 'I love you.' He and Tasuki had been friends almost from the beginning, and after the others had died (or gone to Miaka's world) they had been very close. Tasuki had been his only source of strength. Without him, he would have… Chichiri looked down at his left wrist, and then his right wrist. Scars were still there. He was afraid of losing that friendship if he said anything.
1.1.1 To be continued
