AN: More action in this chapter, I swear! This is where the Suzaku seishi come in...bwahaha! ^-^
Fushigi Yuugi does not belong to me. Only my clones of my sexy Chichiri and Tasuki do ^_^ And Sakura....but she's not sexy.
Sakura: Hey!
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Sakura's eyes fluttered open. She moaned lightly. What was she laying on? She rolled to her side and grabbed the offending object underneath her. A stick. In the library? She looked around.
"I have a feeling I'm not in Japan anymore." She muttered, slowly standing up. Where was she exactly? And where was that guy? What was his name? Suzaku-Seikun....and Nyan-Nyan. Where did they go? She brushed off her dirty clothes, careful not to hit the violin. She had received that violin as a gift from her mother. Her father had left her when she was just a child. She remembered when she had gotten it. It was the only thing she had left since....that....happened.
"Okaa-san...." She sniffled, then stubbornly wiped away her tears. Iie, she promised herself she wouldn't cry anymore. As long as she had her violin, a part of her Okaa-san was still with her.
"Yosh!" She smiled and began her journey down the dirt path.
After an hour or so of wandering, Sakura collapsed on a boulder and groaned. She slipped off her shoes and knee high socks before massaging her aching feet.
"This is hopeless! Can things possibly get any worse?!" She whined.
Drip
Drip
Drip
"Iie!" Sakura moaned, burying her head in her hands. She liked rain, but not when she was in it. Well as long as it didn't...
Boom
Sakura winced. Too late. She was deathly afraid of thunderstorms. Normally, while at home, she would hide under her blanket. Imagine that, an eighteen year old hiding from a storm. She giggled and stuffed her shoes and socks in her small bag. It was amazing what she could fit in there. There was no use in getting her socks and shoes wet, she reasoned before standing. She hugged her violin to her chest to protect the case from the rain as she walked. A bolt of lightning streaked in front of her and hit the tree she was walking towards. It was a big tree.
crack
Sakura gasped as she heard the sickening crack from the tree trunk. She was frozen in her spot. Another bolt of lightning shook her out of her stupor. She sprinted towards the edge of the hill she was on. Trapped! It was at least a good ten feet down. She gulped. The tree let out a sickening groan before pitching forwards towards her.
"Aiiie! She screamed and jumped back, unfortunately onto a patch of mud.
She skidded down the hill on her back, all the while clutching her violin to her stomach on the way down. Her bag was torn from her grasp during the fall and its' contents scattered at the bottom. Sakura hit a rock with her shoulder blade and stopped the fall. She winced. Her whole body ached. She breathed heavily, laying on her back for a few seconds. It was pouring now. She could barely see anything. Thank god her violin case was hard. (AN: That sounds SO wrong x_x) She gently placed it on to the ground next to her and pushed herself onto her elbows, ignoring the searing pain her right shoulder. Slowly, she got to her knees, and with a tight grip on the tree next to her, she pushed herself to her feet. The whole back of her uniform was torn, exposing the tender, bloodied skin underneath. She winced as she took a step, then collapsed. She turned over and examined her swollen ankle.
"Itai!" She whined. She was never going to get anywhere. She needed help. She shivered against the rain as each drop pelted into her.
"Somebody! Help! Onegai!" She screamed over the storm. It was no use, she thought sadly. No one could hear her from out here. She whimpered and curled up into the fetal position, slightly shaded from the rain by the giant tree above her.
"Onegai....Help..." Her lips were chapped and her teeth chattered. She gasped when a pair of feet stopped in front of her. Slowly, she craned her head to see who they belonged to. A young man stood before her. He had light blue hair and bangs that stood out in front of his face. He held some sort of umbrella, none like she'd ever seen before. He wore some decorative beads around his neck and some sort of blue cape draped across his shoulders. He kneeled down in front of her and Sakura was touched by the worry in his eyes.
"Are you okay, no da?"
"Onegai....Help." She whispered, shivering. The man wasted no time. He took off his blue cape and carefully wrapped Sakura up in it. Next, he grabbed her purple bag and whatever contents he could find, and her violin and hoisted them over his shoulder. He bent down one last time and scooped Sakura up into his arms. She shook violently against his chest. He frowned. If he didn't get her dry and out of the cold soon...she'd get sicker than she already was.
"A-Ariga-tou." She said between the chattering of her teeth. He smiled and continued on his brisk pace to the palace, the girl tucked warmly in his arms.
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"Oi! Where's Chichiri?" A man with flaming red hair asked as he kicked back in his chair.
"I think he said he was going for a walk, Tasuki." A girl with auburn hair done into two odangos stated. He nodded.
"It's raining really hard now, I'm worried." A young boy with his hair done up into a ponytail watched the rain from the room.
"Don't worry Chiriko, Chichiri can take care of himself!"
Chiriko looked towards the man with green hair. Miaka frowned.
"Aren't you the least bit worried, Tamahome?" She asked angrily, her hands on her hips. He looked at her, startled.
"Miaka?"
She glared at him before storming out of the room. A man with purple hair, Nuriko, and man with black hair, Hotohori, chased after her. Tasuki stood abruptly, knocking over the sake on the table.
"Tamahome, what the hell are you doing? You and Miaka seem to be having these fights a lot recently!" Tasuki demanded. Tamahome shrank back.
"I don't know, Tasuki. G-Gomen." He moved his seat away from the bandit and sat next to Chiriko. The boy moved away. Everyone was aware of the way Tamahome had been treating Miaka recently, and nobody knew why. Tasuki was especially pissed.
"Now look...." Tasuki was cut short when the doors were pushed open and a wet man stepped in.
"Chichiri! You're okay!" Chiriko ran to the monk, then stopped short.
"Oi, who's that?" Tasuki asked, pointing to the hidden bundle in Chichiri's arms.
"Make room for me to put her down, quickly, no da." He instructed.
"H-Hai!" Tasuki and Chiriko removed the table of the food, all the while sending glares towards Tamahome, who proceeded to do nothing. Chichiri carefully placed the blanket down and unwrapped the person. Tasuki and Chiriko gasped.
"It's a..."
"Girl..."
Chichiri nodded as he checked for a pulse.
"Where is everyone, no da?" He looked towards the two active seishi.
"Miaka ran off because of somebody in this room, and Hotohori and Nuriko went after her. Mitsukake was called off on a two day business trip to a nearby town." Tasuki explained, glaring at Tamahome when he had said 'somebody'. Tamahome quietly got up and left, heading towards the porch.
"We need Mitsukake, no da!" Chichiri frowned as he checked the girl over. Her skin was a pale, almost a greenish color and her breathing was shallow. There was no time to wait for Mitsukake, they had to do something now. Chichiri began to unbutton the girls' blouse, causing Tasuki to brush profusely as he covered Chiriko's face.
"Hurry, get me bandages, a towel, a robe, and some medical herbs, no da." Chichiri asked the two. They nodded and ran off down the hall. Chichiri turned his attention back to the girl. He carefully removed her blouse and skirt and blushed.
"Oi! Here Chichiri!" Tasuki walked into the room, all the items in his hands. Chichiri watched him, amused. Tasuki had a hand over his eyes as he tried to make his way to the monk. On his way, he knocked over a vase, walked into a table, and tripped on a rug. He finally succeeded in getting to the monk, then he quickly turned and bolted out of the room. Chichiri gently dried her off with a towel and flipped her onto her stomach. He then, unclasped her bra and wiped off the blood. Satisfied he had done a good job, he took some of the medical herbs and ground them into a paste. He carefully applied it to her cuts and bandaged her up. He turned her over again, relieved her chest was moderately covered, and slipped her into the fluffy pink robe Tasuki had provided. He pulled it closed and tied it in a bow before he decided he was done.
"Chichiri?" Miaka poked her head into the room. Her eyes were red from crying, again. Chichiri frowned inwardly. It was no doubt something Tamahome did.
"Hai, Miaka-chan?" He asked.
"Who is that? Is she okay?" She rushed over to the girl. Chichiri smiled inwardly. It was just like her to be worried.
"I don't know who she is, no da. I found her outside. She was asking for help, no da." He explained. She nodded, and her gaze went down to her swollen ankle. She gasped.
"Her ankle!" She pointed out. Chichiri gently caressed it in his hand as he examined it.
"It could be a sprain, no da." He took the slightly damp towel he had used to dry her and propped up her foot. Miaka studied the girls' face. It was pretty, she noticed. Her hair was plastered to her face and she could see smudges of dirt on her cheeks. She went to brush back her hair and gasped as she brushed past her forehead.
"She's burning up!" She exclaimed, looking worriedly at Chichiri. He frowned. The girl's breaths were coming out in short gasps, sweat slowly trickling down her face. Small little whimpers of pain emitted from her mouth as she tossed her head from one side to the other. Chichiri didn't know what to do. Without Mitsukake, there was little he could do.
"Keep an eye on her, no da." He said as he hurried out of the room. On his way, he brushed past five curious Suzaku seishi.
"Oi, Mi-chan, is she okay?" Tasuki asked, relieved that she was in a robe. Miaka shrugged.
"Her wounds are healed, demo...she has a high fever. And without Mitsukake..." She trailed off, turning again to watch the girl. Chichiri ran back in, a bowl full of assorted herbs and spices and a spoon in hand.
"Chichiri? What are you...?" Nuriko watched him curiously. He placed the bowl down and began to grind the ingredients into a thick paste, similar to what he had done for her cuts. When he was satisfied with its' texture, he motioned for Tasuki and Miaka to help her sit up.
"If I can get her to drink some of this, it should bring her fever down for the time being." He said as he held the bowl to her lips. With one hand he gently held her chin, the other, the bowl. Gently, he squeezed her jaw. It popped open slightly and he slowly began to pour the sour concoction down her throat. She gagged. Chichiri used his hand to apply some pressure to her throat, stroking it lightly to help her swallow. When she did, he continued until there as non left.
"Sugoi! Chichiri, where did you learn to do that?" Chiriko asked excitedly.
"I learned a few things from Taiitskun, no da." He grinned, placing the bowl aside.
"Ano...maybe now we should move her into a room now. It can't be too comfortable sleeping on a table." Hotohori suggested. Chichiri nodded and picked her up, one arm supporting her head and the other underneath her knees. She mumbled incoherently in her sleep as the group made their way down the hallway.
"You can put her in my room. There's a spare bed." Miaka said as she lead him into her room.
"But that's where I sleep." Tamahome protested. Miaka's glare silenced him. Tasuki kept a straight face while he watched the events. Inside, he was beaming.
"As I was saying, she can use this bed. This way I can keep an eye on her." Miaka helped Chichiri lay her down and covered her un to her chin.
"What if she's trying to use us?" Tamahome muttered.
"Tamahome, shut up before you get in even more trouble." Tasuki suggested smugly. Tamahome grumbled before leaving the room. Miaka yawned.
"It's late. I'll keep an eye on her for a while before going to bed, minna. Good night." Miaka smiled, waving the seishi out.
"Miaka-chan, if you need anything, I'm right next door, no da." Chichiri pointed to the room to the right. Miaka nodded.
"Arigatou." She smiled, then gently shut the door. What a confusing day, Miaka thought as she slipped out of her school uniform and slipped into her nightgown. As she was brushing her hair, her eyes drifted to the girl on the bed.
'She looks familiar...'
Miaka studied her carefully. Where had she seen her...
"Ahhh! I know!" Miaka said, smacking her fist in her palm. Maybe she had screamed a little too loudly. The door burst open and Tasuki and Chichiri stood in the doorway, alarmed.
"Huh?" She blinked. Tasuki had his tessen out and Chichiri had his staff.
"Did you just scream?" Tasuki asked while eyeing the room.
"Gomen, it's just, I know this girl." She smiled sheepishly. Tasuki lowered his tessen.
"You do?" He walked further into the room. Chichiri followed and shut the door. Miaka nodded.
"She's a senior..." The confused looks on their faces told them she had no clue what a senior was. "Okay...she's eighteen, it's her last year in school." She reiterated. They nodded, still not too clear on the whole grade thing. She sighed, then continued.
"Her name is Sakura. I've seen her playing the violin before. She's the concert master." She kept it short and simple, even though she knew it was no use even trying to.
"Violin?" Chichiri asked, resting down his staff. Miaka nodded as she went to the small basin of water on her dresser. She dipped in a small terry towel and wrung it out before walking back over to the bed.
"It's an instrument, something you play music on." She placed the towel on Sakura's forehead.
"Oh." Tasuki said, twirling his tessen around in his hands like a baton. Miaka nodded.
"Is she any good?" Chichiri asked. Miaka nodded enthusiastically.
"She's wonderful! That's why she's concert master. I tried once to become friends with her, but she withdrew. In fact, she only has one or two close friends, and even they don't know what's wrong." Miaka frowned, but it soon turned into a yawn.
"I'm tired. If you don't mind me, I'm going to sleep." Miaka said, shooing out the seishi.
"Night Miaka-chan!" Chichiri smiled before leaving. Tasuki lingered in a little while longer. She had already fell asleep, he noticed.. Quietly, he snuffed out the candle and crept towards her bed.
"Night, Mi-chan." He whispered in her ear before giving her a kiss on the forehead. He walked towards the door and before leaving completely, he turned around and looked at her.
"Aishteru." He whispered before shutting the door quietly behind him. He was glad no one had heard his confession, or had someone?
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AN: What happened to Sakura and her okaa-san those few years ago? What was Chichiri doing in the rain? Where the hell did Suzaku and the Nyan-Nyan go!?
::cuts to behind the scenes dressing room::
::Nyan-Nyan sitting in a stool getting hair and makeup done, Suzaku reading a book, reading glassed on his nose::
Author: Suzaku....Nyan-Nyan....
Both: Ahhh.....
Author: Sakura was not supposed to be transported to the middle of no where!!
Nyan-Nyan: Ano...
Suzaku: ...
Look, even Suzaku is scared of my wrath ^-^
Wow! Longest chapter of any story I ever wrote! ::squeals:: Okay, I know in my on Mi-chan and Tasu-chan story Miaka got caught in a storm, passed out, Tasuki bandaged her, yatta yatta yatta, but I thought it was a good idea ^-^
Anyway, that was a fun chapter. Just wait until Sakura-chan wakes up ^-^ And also, I'm so sorry Tamahome fans! ;_; I love Tama but I need him to be out of the picture (don't worry, it'll take time.). Anyway, I made it something less...violent. (aka no death).
