Chapter Seven: Spirit
Author's Notes: *bows* Gomen nasai, minna. My server went down yesterday, and my computer froze, so I ended up retyping half of this in a hurried frenzy today. I hope this draft is as good as the first… thank you all for your patience and kind reviews ^_^ Please enjoy this next chapter.
*****
Tasuki gaped, mouth open in shock in recognition of his old comrade... and close friend.
"Chiriko!"
The boy smiled warmly, in that charming manner that had always painfully reminded the bandit of just how young he had been at the time of his death... Clear eyes of forest green still held pure innocence despite the horrors and bloodshed he'd witnessed, and Tasuki once more felt the bond between brothers that he'd never experienced with any of the other Suzaku warriors.
Yes, my friend, I am here, though not for long.
"I-I thought you guys had already been reborn!"
A small, knowing smile. No matter what anyone else would say, Chiriko had realized from the beginning that Tasuki's mind was sharper than any knife; sometimes, it was just difficult to get past that thick skull of his.
There will always be some echo of our lives in this world, so long as we're not forgotten. However, our combined efforts are unable to contain Munashii for much longer... I can only remain with you long enough to help Chichiri.
As always, the boy spoke in riddles and avoided the point, but the living seishi caught the gist of his meaning, and he didn't like it one bit. "What's wrong with him?"
It seems the Destroyer tried to harm our new Priestess, and she called out to Chichiri in her plight. Because of their still weak, but slowly strengthening bond, he left his body in order to save her from danger.
"Yes! Yes! Chiriko speaks truth!" Nyan-Nyan interrupted in a frenzy. "Yume-sama in danger! Chichiri-san save her, but not know how to return!"
"But what're we supposed to do?" Tasuki growled.
Chiriko closed his eyes for a moment, concentrating. It appears as though Yume has driven Munashii away for now, but there is still a dimensional barrier around her room; this is what's preventing Chichiri from returning to his body.
"So what're we sitting here for? Let's go!" Carefully leaving the monk in the hands of Nyan-Nyan, who reluctantly stayed by the mage's side, Tasuki leapt to his feet and motioned for Chiriko to follow him, leading the way to the Priestess's chambers.
~~~
Yume...
"Chichiri?"
Wake up, Yume.
She tried... oh, how she tried to raise herself to her knees, to open her eyes. She knew they'd been victorious for the time being, but why did her body feel so tired? Like she wanted to rest...
No, no Yume! Don't give in. Be strong, no da!
"I... can't move, Chichiri. What's wrong with me?"
It's the barrier Munashii put up, just as we banished him, no da. He's trying to drain your power, and is keeping me from returning to my physical form. At his confession, the girl worked all the more to regain control of her mind and body. She began to feel his chi, so near but yet far away, as if in a different dimension. Straining, Yume tried to remember what had happened as she battled with Munashii; she recalled the power of Suzaku surrounding her and giving her strength, and the spirit of Chichiri joining her in chanting the spell...
"And this barrier... it's keeping you here?"
Yes. Even now, Tasuki is hurrying here to free us, but he can't do it without your help... and if I stay this way for much longer, na no da, I won't be able to rejoin my flesh.
"You mean..."
Don't say it, Yume. Don't even think it. I don't regret doing what I did, because in the end it saved you. But you have to be strong, Yu-chan... If not for me, then for this world. Though she couldn't see him, Yume almost felt those strong arms surround her fallen form, filling her with warmth comparable to the flames of Suzaku's own aura. A rush of energy caused to limbs to tingle and jerk, her muscles begining to spasm as she started to move on her own once more.
That's it... I know you can do it, Yume...
"Ahhh..." she moaned as her eyelids rose against the weights pulling them down, refusing to blink even as the lights of the room assaulted her crystal-blue orbs. She could sense the barrier, and now saw a shimmering black wall of pulsing energy placed over the walls like a dense curtain.
Yume painstakingly grasped her bedpost for dear life, fighting against the dark energy with every ounce of her will. One inch, then another; legs screamed in silent agony as her weight was forced upon them, and knees threatened to buckle from their insistent rattling. Even with the mage lending her his strength, so much effort was wasted in the simple action of standing.
They're coming... Chichiri assured her, though it was clear he was weakening fast. Yume cursed her inability to help, but waited for Tasuki to arrive with the last of her patience.
~~~
"Here it is!" the bandit shouted, eyes narrowing as he sensed an evil force surrounding the room. Chiriko abruptly halted just outside the entrance, face contorted into a look of intense concentration.
I can sense them inside... I should be able to reach them if my life force is lowered enough. Tasuki, I'll need you to use your fire to weaken the barrier so that I can pass through, but do so only when I give the word, and don't stop until you can no longer feel my energy, all right?
The redhead nodded grimly, though he didn't like the idea one little bit. However, the thought of what would happen if Chichiri couldn't return to his body appealed to him even less... and so he placed his faith in the scholarly seishi before him, having no other to turn to for aid.
Tasuki readied himself, moving into position and feeling the familiar surge of chi that allowed his 'wing' character to flare up on one arm, and his tessen to crackle with seething energy. He held the power in check, however, for timing was of the utmost importance in a delicate situation as the one he had found himself entangled within.
All right... get ready, Tasuki, we're only going to have one shot at this... Chiriko shut his eyes tightly, and the red aura that normally surrounded him began to fade rapidly. The bandit inhaled sharply as his friend's life force plummeted almost to zero, but gulped down his anxiety despite the tightening knot that curled inside his stomach.
NOW! The boy shouted, snapping the fiery seishi back to reality.
"REKKA SHINEN!" Tasuki shouted, swiping the tessen in a single downward stroke, golden eyes boiling with unkempt fury as the flames erupted violently against the barrier. Immediately after making contact he felt the recoil of dark power, but strengthened the energy of the blaze even as Munashii's barrier tried to bounce it back.
I'm almost through... keep going, Tasuki! Almost... I can-- Chiriko pushed against the barrier with one shoulder, barely visible through the surrounding energy of the bandit's rage. Small hands braced against the heavy wooden doors, slender fingers digging into the sputtering black curtain as it collapsed for a split second...
The boy's chi disappeared, and the brigand halted his attack with great reluctance. Good luck, Chiriko, he thought as he wiped the beading sweat from his furrowed brows. We're all gonna need it.
Yume's head snapped up involuntarily as she sensed the arrival of... another Suzaku Seishi?
Masaka... Chichiri gasped, his spirit-form fluctuating wildly. Chiriko? Why are you...
There is no time to explain now, the boy raised a hand to halt any protest, and turned his emerald gaze to the Priestess grimly. You are Yume?
"I am."
I am pleased to see you are holding up well, though I regret we could not have met under different circumstances. But you must hear my words and heed them carefully, for both my power and Chichiri's can only last so long. The source of this barrier is within the confines of the room; a tangible object that once destroyed, will release and dissipate Munashii's power. It is imperative that you find this object, and quickly.
"But... I don't know what it could be! There are dozens of things in this room! Isn't there another way of doing it?"
Yume no da, the monk chided her gently, though his thoughts betrayed an undertone of pain. The only remaining option is to destroy the entire room, including yourself, which is exactly what Munashii wants us to do. Think, Yu-chan no da... was there anything in particular that caught your attention while the Destroyer was attacking you?
The girl weakly clutched at her head, waves of agony ripping through it as if to cause the memories to wash away on a tide of darkness. "I can't remember... it's so fuzzy now..."
Yume, you must try no da...
Chiriko looked upon this desperate exchange in frustration, wondering if there was a way he could aid them both. He noted with horror that Chichiri's chi was beginning to fade completely... they had only minutes left, if that long. If only he'd been there while Yume was attacked... if only he could have seen what see had seen... if only...
Yume! Open your heart to me!
"What?" she asked, eyes red from the tears already threatening to fall. "What are you--"
Just do it!
Chichiri caught on quickly, nodding his head in agreement. Yume-chan, Chiriko is going to use his spirit form to possess you for a moment, to help you find the lost memory. Clear your mind and accept his, no da!
Still confused but aware that no other alternative remained, Yume nodded and closed her eyes. Chiriko took a deep breath before floating closer to his Priestess, placing a hand on the crown of her head. She flinched just slightly from the contact, but forced herself to stay still. Then, the boy seishi took a step forward into her body, and she felt his chi envelop hers.
Yume sensed his mind mixing with hers, and tried to stifle her fear and confusion from the strange images and visions that coursed over her. Soon everything muddled into a grey mist, as Chiriko sorted through both sets of memories. She could feel everything he felt: the desperation, the hurried and frantic sifting and shuffling through years upon years of experience in two very different lives...
Concentrate on what happened! She heard him call out to her. Yume responded by recalling the dark silhouette, the crazed deep voice, and the sinister cackle that could freeze blood...
That's it... that's it! The boy thought excitedly, as the single moment became clearer. It seemed as though a door had suddenly been unlocked, and the answer lay before them bright as day.
"The mirror!" they shouted in unison, and as one, they turned to face the offending object, which began to pulse with black energy as if in defiance of its discovery. Yume's anger rose to the fore, filling her again with a familiar power she'd only recently learned to control...
Yume no da! The disenchantment ward! Cast it now!
"Powers that course, powers that bend, magical scheme, come now to an end!" Yume chanted, feeling the voice of Chiriko joining hers.
"What mischief you cause, what you ensnare in your song... desert this place now, leave us, be GONE!" The red aura grew brighter, more radiant as they repeated the chant, but still it did not seem enough to bring down the barrier. The clang of shakujou rings could be heard in the distance, and Chichiri's own tenor added to the power of the incantation.
~~~
Tasuki remained as he had once Chiriko had vanished beyond the barrier, searching frantically for any sign of change in the black curtain. Gritting his teeth, he gripped the handle of his tessen so tightly that the sharp edges began to draw blood from his palm.
A high-pitched squeak jerked him from surveying the scene with intense scrutiny, and Nyan-Nyan popped up in front of the bandit.
"Tasuki-kun! Tasuki-kun! Chichiri-sama's not breathing!"
This only made the bandit more agitated, as he wiped the cold sweat form his brow. "Shit... what're we gonna... hey, Nyan-Nyan! What's happening?!"
Sure enough, voices could be heard from the other side of the wall, red light piercing in tiny shafts from the confines of the barrier. Nyan-Nyan gasped excitedly, clapping her hands in delight.
"They found the spell source!!! Tasuki-kun can help now!" Not waiting for a reply, the childlike entity flitted over to a point on the wall where the energy seemed most concentrated, jabbing a finger wildly at the spot. "Here! Here! Hit here!"
"You're sure?!"
"Yes! Yes! Now!"
"Okay then... REKKA SHINEN!!!" A concentrated column of flame tore into the designated target, causing Nyan-Nyan to shriek in terror and move aside. Feeling the walls of energy beginning to give, the bandit increased the power of his blast.
"HAKUROEN!"
~~~
Just a little bit more power... Yume said to herself, straining every fiber of her being to focus on the mirror. Chiriko did so as well, but his powers were limited due to his lack of a true physical form... and as for Chichiri...
I can't hold on much longer, no da...
"No! Please... we almost have it," she pleaded, forcing back the twin rivulets that stung her eyes like a horde of wasps as she refused to let them run their course down her face. "You can't give up now..."
I'm sorry Yume... Forgive me, please...
"NO!" she cried out, waves of energy crashing over her body. "I won't let you leave, Chichiri!"
In a last ditch effort, the girl spread her arms apart, feeling the power pulse from her mind down to her very fingertips. Sending her own life force outwards to replenish the lost energy, Yume screamed one last time and allowed herself to be engulfed by the spell she cast.
~~~
They all felt it when the mirror chattered into thousands of tiny shards, sensed the barrier falling with a sickening sizzle and crackle of dark electricity. Tasuki burst inside the room with a flourish, only to halt at the sight of the girl's glowing form. Even as Chiriko's spirit extricated itself from her body, still she was surrounded by a holy aura of bloodiest crimson. Her eyes seemed to radiate with chi, having changed into a midnight blue color... almost black.
Chichiri, having found his spirit freed of its confines, fleetingly returned to his body without delay. It seemed that no time had passed when the monk weakly teleported back to join his comrades, accompanied by Nyan-Nyan.
"Yume no da!" he exclaimed, in awe of the sight of her simply floating above the ground effortlessly. She did not stir for a moment, but finally her gaze swiveled to rest upon him. Her eyes flickered back to their normal soft azure, and a relieved smile graced her tear-streaked features.
"Chichiri!" she leaped into his arms from thin air itself, knocking the both of them over and sending them sprawling on the ground in a tight embrace. "I was so scared I'd lose you!"
"Never, Yume no da," he reassured the Priestess gently, stroking her hair affectionately. "I would never leave your side, even in death."
As it should be, Chiriko commented with a small smile. You two deserve one another. Use your love as protection, for as it never failed Tamahome and Miaka, so shall it always bring you strength as well. And with these words and a final nod to Tasuki, who stood transfixed as he stared at the scene, the boy vanished in a shimmer of light.
"I'm glad he could be of service to you," added a rough voice from the doorway. The bandit turned, and immediately shrieked in terror.
"SUNUKAKE BABA!"
*thwack*
Veins began popping out of Taiitskun's forehead, her closed fist shaking in silent rage. But once the shock had passed, the deity regained her composure and coughed delicately into her hand.
"Now then. Very well done, Yume; I'm impressed to see that you've already begun to rein in your abilities far beyond what I've imagined."
"And just where were you when all this was happening, huh?" Tasuki demanded, on his feet and apparently already recovered from the first blow... however, he was once again caught off-guard by the second, aimed right at his nose. He flew into a nearby wall, the foundation denting into the shape of his body.
"Listen here, you," Taiitskun glared, "While you all were fighting the barrier, I was busy keeping Munashii himself at bay! Once I found out that he had penetrated Taikyoku, it was imperative that I focus my energies on creating a ward against him. However, he had already set up the mirror spell... but you took care of that, obviously."
"And he was trying to kill Yume?" Chichiri asked, releasing the girl to stand before his sensei. Taiitskun gave him a look of distant pity, but to everyone's surprise, shook her head.
"No. It appears that Yume's attack was a diversion; there was an intruder in the palace who was looking for the holy scroll."
"Intruder?" Tasuki gaped, rubbing his bloodied nose. "Why couldn't we sense 'im? Is the scroll still intact?"
"Baka," the Creator frowned. "That scroll cannot be destroyed; it was made by the gods themselves and can only be destroyed by the gods. Even I have no power over its fate. And as for the intruder, I myself do not know how he entered here, but it is clear that this place is no longer a safe haven for you."
"We're ready to leave," Yume interjected quietly, raising her eyes at last. "Just give the word and we'll be on our way; there's no time to be wasted. Where can I find the scroll, Taiitskun?"
Taken aback by her blunt honesty, the deity raised an eyebrow before allowing herself to chuckle. "All right then, if that's your decision, Priestess. Nyan-Nyan!"
"Heeeerrreee!" the sprite popped up, all smiles as usual. With a gesture from the Creator, she pulled out a white bundle from the sleeve of her robes. "Scroll!"
Yume took the cloth into her hands, feeling holy power flow through her from the touch. Unwrapping it, a silver cylindrical case was revealed, with golden busts of the four gods and their beast forms adorning the surface in intricate carvings. There were, in addition, four jewels that glowed brightly from one end of the canister: a blood ruby, a sapphire, an emerald, and a diamond, encrusted together into the shape of an ancient kanji for 'light'.
"The parchment with the clues is inside," Taiitskun explained. "But take care not to lose that casing, either. The gems will flare with chi once you've neared the vicinity of one of the relics; they can sense the objects if they are within perhaps a two-mile radius."
"I understand," the girl replied, clasping the object firmly in one hand. Then, glancing at it for a moment, took a chain that hung from one end and tied it to her belt. "We're ready now."
The old woman gave a calculated nod, then closed her eyes and began to chant. However, Nyan-Nyan popped up once more to shout "Wait! Wait!", earning her a first-class seat to the nearest wall, imprinting it beside Tasuki's outline.
"What do you want now, you runt of a nanny?" the crone bellowed, agitated that she had been interrupted. The girl pulled herself out of where she was embedded, pouting at the deity accusingly.
"Priestess-sama forget this!" she pulled the blue bag out of one sleeve, then her notebook from the other. "See? Not good to leave here, especially with such beautiful drawings!" Yume blushed, hiding behind Chichiri shyly.
"Aw, man Yume!" Tasuki whined. "How could you forget yer book! Those pictures are so cool!"
"You are an artist?" Taiitskun inquired, suddenly intrigued. "Nyan-Nyan, bring that here." The child obliged, much to Yume's embarrassment, and the deity flipped through the colorful images with a delighted interest. When she was done, the book floated over to Yume, who snatched it up clutched it to her tightly, her face red.
"You have an unmatched talent, child," the old woman smiled gently, "I have a feeling that it will be important for you in the future, and have decided to give you a gift."
"A gift? But you've already done so much for us!"
"Be still, Priestess. I give you this because I feel you deserve such a boon, after the great courage you've shown to save one of your seishi." A quick chant sent Taiitskun's hand aglow, the light congealing into a small silver object. It was an ink brush, the end already dipped in fine black ink.
"Use this well, it will prove its value soon enough." The object flew into the girl's open hands, who stared at it in astonishment.
"Now, off you go!" Another string of ancient words, and Yume, Tasuki and Chichiri were sent flying into a dimensional vortex, disappearing from Mt. Taikyoku.
"Good luck!" Nyan-Nyan chirped after them, waving.
~~~
Once Yume's body materialized, she saw that her surroundings had changed drastically. The mild mountain climate of Taikyoku was no longer; now they were in a clearing of dense dry grasses, and in the distance a harsh, hot wind blew sand into their faces.
"Where are we?" she asked to no one in particular, turning as she sensed Tasuki's hand on her shoulder. He walked up to her silently, clothing still a bit dirty from Taiitskun's harsh beatings and tessen once more strapped into the jeweled holster on his back.
"We're at the edge of Sailou," he said, "the empire of Byakko, the white tiger."
"Byakko..." a shiver jerked involuntarily down Yume's spine as she was reminded of the dream she'd had the night before... a tiger running through the grass, pursued by dark minions as their flaming arrows singed his fur and seared his flesh, blood pouring from multiple wounds as he fell motionless at last onto the battlegrounds...
"Yume?"
She gasped, whirling around to face Tasuki. Disoriented, her body leaned on its own over to the side, but the bandit caught her just in time.
"Jeez, yer not used to teleportation, are ya?"
"She's not used to the kind of strain this mission is putting her through, no da," Chichiri piped up as he appeared in front of them, shakujou in hand and face stern through the mask he'd donned once more. "We need to find horses; as we're not fully into the desert there should be an inn nearby, no da. We're all exhausted from today's ordeal, and perhaps we should wait until nightfall to begin the search. It's won't be so hard to travel at night, no da."
"Good idea," Yume answered, nodding. "I haven't ridden a horse in a long time; it'll be refreshing."
"Doubt that," Tasuki grumbled, ruffling her hair. "When yer sitting on that horse's back for about eight hours straight, yer gonna be real sore and real moody."
"That only counted for you, Tasuki no da," the monk interjected with a laugh. "Your horse like to buck and throw you off every chance he got, last time. I hope you have enough carrots for this trip."
"Shut yer trap!" the bandit sputtered, flushing. "I was hungry."
~~~
Sure enough, Chichiri's hunch proved correct, and there was indeed a small inn about an hour's walk south, complete with a small stable. Tasuki made all reservations for rooms and mounts, insisting that he himself inspect the horses; Yume had to explain to the confused owner the precarious fear he had of the animals, for which the seishi later bonked her on the head for.
He ended up treating them all to a large 'lunch,' as it was too late in the day for breakfast and too early for dinner. Battling Munashii had proven quite taxing on both seishi and Priestess; they had their fill and seconds of the best food the cook had to offer.
"Man, I'm stuffed," Yume sighed, leaning back into her chair. Chichiri and Tasuki exchanged amused glances, at last erupting into gales of heartfelt laughter.
"What?" the girl growled, annoyed. "Do I have something on my face or what?"
Neither could answer for a good few minutes, while Yume's patience wore good-naturedly thin at being excluded. She stood up with a huff, batting both seishi playfully upside their heads, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow. "Well?"
"Ahaha... it's just... you remind us of Miaka, Yume-chan no da," Chichiri replied at last, taking off his mask for a moment to wipe away a tear from his eye. He grinned up at her, the look on her face enough to trigger another barrel of snickers.
"Heh, yeah! Damn right!" Tasuki agreed, leaning back and tossing his crossed legs carelessly onto the tabletop, fangs poking out wickedly. "She'd always eat and eat and eat, and then complain that she couldn't hold any more, but was still hungry! That Miaka..." he trailed off, a somber _expression crossing his face for a moment.
"Aw, hell, what am I talkin' about. She'd probably still that way, and Taka has to get a new job every month just to pay for everything she eats! Oi! Innkeeper! Bring us some sake!"
"Oh no," Chichiri groaned, holding his head in his hands. "Tasuki-kun, shouldn't we wait until we have something to celebrate before you get drunk? I don't want to have to carry you onto your horse, no da. I'd pity the poor creature."
"What're ya talking about? We just scored a point against Munashii! We got somethin' to celebrate, all right!" But before the monk could say any more, the innkeeper had already brought out a bottle of sake and three drinking bowls.
"Um, none for me, thanks," Yume said politely as she refused the bowl. "I don't drink."
"Typical woman," the bandit grunted, throwing back and swallowing a full bowl of the fiery liquid in a single gulp. "Never want ta even try the stuff. Too damned afraid." Yume seethed, tempted to smack him again.
"I never said I was afraid, you overgrown wolf! I hate the taste of alcohol! And furthermore, the stuff's horrible for you! Do you know how many people die at an early age because of drinking?"
"Doesn't really matter. Life as a seishi's just as dangerous, y'know. Hell, it's our job to die for the Priestess, if it's called for."
"Tasuki-kun, maybe you shouldn't be so morbid, no da? I thought you said you were celebrating?"
The bandit glanced over at the monk almost coldly, draining a second helping of sake before continuing in a heavy drawl. "I said we were celebratin'. And I was jus' explainin' ta Yume here what our duty is to 'er. Ya shouldn' shelter 'er, Chiri. It won't do any good when one of us--"
"Ano, Tasuki," the girl in question spoke up, waving her hand to get his attention. "I'm a little tired now, so I'll leave you and Chichiri-san to take care of things, all right? I'll be in my room."
"That's probably a good idea, Yume," Chichiri agreed. "You go on ahead; I'll wake you up when it's time to leave, okay no da?"
"Okay." And with that, she headed towards the other side of the tavern, where the stairs led her up to the inn. When she was out of earshot, the mage pulled off his mask and openly glared at his bandit companion.
"Baka. Can't you see she's been through enough as it is? I don't want her to lose hope this early on..."
"Chiri, she's gotta know, 'r else it'll be even harder for her if we have to sacrifice ourselves. Dammit, if Miaka was here she'd--"
"SHE'S NOT MIAKA!" Chichiri stood up quickly, pounding his fists on the table. His eye glowed almost red in the firelight, angrier than Tasuki had ever seen him.
"She's not her," he continued, quieter but not any less venomous, "Miaka's gone now, Tasuki; she's with Taka. Yume is a very different girl... and you have to accept that. You can't keep pretending to know her just because she came from the same world as Miaka. Do you think that Yui was the same?"
"I didn' say they were the same," the bandit growled, tugging his shirt open to expose toned, tanned flesh hardened by battle and time, his head hanging so that silky locks of fiery red hair obscured eyes of molten gold. "I've never thought that... it's jus'... well, shit Chichiri. I've never known how ta deal with women... I guess I don' want ta see Yume as broken as Miaka was, a long time ago. Remember when she walked around the palace with a dead look in 'er eyes? She wouldn' even eat. No one could console her.
"It happened again when Nuriko died... and after that it seemed like somethin' was ripped outta her... as if part of her'd just died, Chichiri. It'd kill me if I let it happen again."
"Tasuki..." the monk sighed in resignation, slowly sitting back down in his seat. "I know how you feel... but we have to handle things differently this time around. There's more at stake... and we have a Priestess who isn't the happy-genki overeater. Yume's much more mature, and emotional about things; and unlike Miaka who was open about how she felt, she keeps it inside and tortures herself into depression, much like I did before being trained by Taiitskun."
Silence, then...
"Yer in love with her, ain't ya?" the bandit's hand moved to the half-full bottle on the table, but then unexpectedly changed course to swirl the last contents of the empty drinking bowl in aimless circles. Chichiri looked away from him and into the fire, pondering the question himself. It had been years since he'd known such an emotion... being a monk had taken its toll emotionally. He'd had to keep up a constant facade not only to hide his true feelings, but to help others with theirs; true, he'd admitted love to Yume the night before... gods, it seemed so long ago...
But was it just a protector's love for his charge? Or was it truly the love that one feels for another, that they'd do anything for their other, even if it meant dying so that they could carry on?
Did he understand the meaning of that kind of love?
Was it possible for him to feel such a thing, with a blackened past as he had?
Did he... could he love Yume, as she deserved to be?
"Yes," he murmured almost inaudibly, more a confession to himself than to his companion. "I love her."
~~~
Yume closed the door to her room, hearing the hinges squeak noisily and the boards creak beneath her feet. Ignoring such disturbances to the solitude and silence she craved, she threw herself onto her bed and grabbed the pillow.
They may have to die for me... she thought, squeezing her eyes shut as if to make the thoughts go away. However, it only served to produce swimming colors that danced about her vision, seemingly taunting her into restlessness.
Dammit... I wanted adventure... but never this... Sitting up slightly, she punched the wall to vent her frustration, recoiling and biting her lip as a stinging pain lanced over her knuckles. Finding some twisted relief in the feeling, she punched again, this time noting with muted horror the bloodstains now adorning the wooden surface. Cursing, she was tempted to repeat the destructive action upon realizing that she'd injured her left hand -- her drawing hand -- but instead ripped off part of her sheet to wrap around her fingers. Tying the ends into a firm knot, she tossed her legs over the side of the bed and sat on the end, staring blankly at the closed door.
Moonlight washed inside from a single window next to the bed, nearby trees dappling it into changing patterns on the walls. Wind gently played with her loose hair, allowing it to lightly pat her cheek as if in some form of distant consolation to her troubles; Yume just continued to stare straight ahead, seemingly beyond the room itself... even as a foreign shadow rose to loom on the other side of the window, nocking an arrow and silently taking aim...
*****
Author's Notes: I know I'm evil, please don't kill me! I have no idea when the next chapter will be out… school starts next week . But I'll get to work on it ASAP!
Next Chapter: Trouble in Sailou! Yume follows the clues leading to Byakko's hidden relic, but who is the mysterious figure following her around? Are they out for blood? Her true powers begin to violently take control… and her visions begin to take a different turn, next in Chapter Eight: Yin-Yang.
