~Five~
In My Dreams I'm Dying All the Time
He finished bandaging the lacerations on her palm, and traced the bruises on her wrist lightly. "I'm not as good at this as Mitsukake, but it'll do."
He glanced up, and their eyes locked in silence for awhile.
Aiumi smiled. "Thank you."
"Well…goodnight."
"Goodnight."
He walked out, pausing shortly at the door and looking back as if he wanted to say something, but didn't.
She sighed, undressing and tossing her clothes over a chair. She jumped gratefully into bed, falling asleep almost instantly.
Light. All was light; pure, peaceful, friendly light.
She was somewhere strange, unfamiliar, but none of that seemed to matter. Serenity was all she felt, ethereal calm and peace with herself, content to remain where she was, admiring the light.
She glanced at herself. She was wearing a beautiful robe of a filmy, soft ivory white material. The skirt fell delicately around her bare feet, slit to the waist on either side, trailing lightly on the floor. It rose smoothly to a high mandarin collar lined with silver braid, leaving her arms bare. Strips of silver silk, shimmering and fine as gossamer, fell from the waist. Her silvery-blond hair fell loose over her shoulders.
Had the tiger been there before? Or the bench? No matter. Something told her simply to accept it.
The tiger was beautiful. Lithe, elegant, pure white with striking black stripes and clear blue eyes. She felt no fear of it, only admiration.
She sat, and the tiger came to her. She stroked the shining fur, content, tranquil, never taking her eyes from it, totally focused.
But why? Her hand fell as the thought echoed, jarring the stillness. She glanced around her, almost panicked. There were other people in the room- no, not a room, only a space…an empty space. Girls, her own age, or nearly. And animals, too…a dragon, a tortoise…
No, that doesn't matter. Only the tiger matters… It nosed her hand softly, and she smiled serenely.
Ow! Dammit… Tasuki fell flat onto something hard. He sat up, blinking in surprise.
What kind of half-assed dream is this? There's nothing here! He frowned, glancing at the empty space above him.
He automatically checked for the tessen, and flipped out when he couldn't find it. Well, no wonder…he was wearing black robes with a red drape over his left shoulder, a bright red phoenix head emblazoned on the tunic.
Something wasn't right. Whatever kind of ground he was sitting on didn't feel solid. He flipped around to his hands and knees…
"GYAAH!" There was no ground! He could see right through it!
Wait a minute…was he floating, or was the ceiling to the room below he was standing on just invisible? He jumped to his feet, testing the solidity. He could walk around normally, he just couldn't see what he was walking on.
He crossed his arms skeptically, concentrating more on what was in the room (was it a room?) below. In each corner, there stood animals, a tortoise, a tiger, a dragon, a phoenix…could it be? Suzaku? Byakko? Genbu? Seiryuu?
He ran to the corner where the phoenix perched. Miaka? What was she doing here? Were all the mikos with their gods?
Yep.
Okay…so now what? I still say this dream is pretty stupid. He walked back to the center of the ceiling.
And fell through a hole into the room below with a thud.
He grimaced, grabbing his shoulder in pain, thinking things not lawful to be written here.
She gasped as the man fell into the center of the room, landing heavily on his shoulder. The other girls glanced up, too, but quickly went back to simply not paying attention to anything but the animals they were with. As much as something told her to do the same, she jumped up and ran to help him.
The atmosphere of the space he'd landed in was stifling. The extreme sense of calm and serenity overwhelmed him, stifling all emotion. The stabbing pain in his shoulder didn't seem important any more, neither did his embarrassing situation.
The noise of running feet made him turn his head…
In her haste, her foot caught the hem of her skirt and she tumbled forward, landing…
Right on top of Tasuki.
She caught herself just in time, her palms slamming into the ground on either side of his head.
It was the third time he'd landed flat on his back in ten minutes, and his muscles were beginning to complain, but this time…maybe it was just the atmosphere, maybe it was the girl who had crashed into him…
Both of them blushed and jumped away from each other. "Gomen nasai…are you all right?" She gently touched the injured shoulder, checking to see if anything was amiss. She studied his face curiously. Had she known him before? He was certainly very handsome…
"It's nothing, just a bruise." He stood, and she stood with him, her hand still resting on his shoulder.
A flicker of recognition flashed across his amber eyes. "Have we met before? Your face seems familiar…" He tilted her chin up toward his face, looking directly into her eyes…such familiar eyes…
A primal snarl echoed throughout the room. Suddenly, everything vanished, the stillness of the room broken, the atmosphere cold, cruel.
"Aiumi!"
"Tasuki!"
Their eyes widened in surprise, and they jumped away from each other in horror, blushing furiously.
"What in Suzaku's name are ya wearing?"
Her blush increased as she finally noticed her…ehm…less than modest dress.
"I should be asking myself that…" she muttered, turning away.
"Get back!" He suddenly grabbed he by the shoulders, pulling her against him as something big sprang out of nowhere, huge claws just shredding the loose fabric of her skirt.
"Shit! What the fuck was tha…"
The tiger. Once so nice, so like a big kitten, was now snarling, raging, pure fury, fangs and claws glinting maliciously.
"Kodora…" It spoke…that same voice that had pulled her into this world, had calmed her.
"Come, kodora…you do not belong in Kounan, come to Sailou, my country…you must come to me…"
"Wh-what?" She whimpered, suddenly imagining what it would be like to feel those fangs meeting in her throat.
"You are my miko, my priestess…I must awaken, and you must help me."
"Why should she?" Tasuki barked.
"SILENCE! Lowly Suzaku seishi…get away, I have no use for you…" The tiger roared, and a blast of energy hit Tasuki, throwing him backwards.
She was instantly at his side, helping him to stand, seeing the rage in his expression.
"Who are you? What do you want with me?" She was screaming, hysteric, anger burning inside of her.
"You do not recognize your god? I am Byakko, and you are my priestess…I am the reason you exist in this world…DO NOT DISOBEY ME!"
"No! I won't leave…you can't make me! I won't be your miko, even if you are a god, do you hear me? NO! Leave me alone!!"
"Foolish girl…you'll pay…" Again, the tiger's roar came, deafening, earth-shattering. She knew the energy force would kill her…she just wasn't strong enough. But the blast never came, only a dull thud as Tasuki crumpled to the ground in front of her.
"Tasuki…you…you…" He said nothing, only smiled wanly, his eyes deadened, dull.
A sudden thought flashed into her mind. If this was a dream… "Tasuki…I'm sorry, but if this works…just wake me up, okay? I'm sorry…I'm sorry."
Biting her lip, she reluctantly reached backward…and slapped him as hard as she possibly could.
Tasuki sat up, panting, the nightmare still fresh in his mind. Not bothering with a shirt, he raced out of the room, wondering, hoping he wasn't too late…
"Aiumi? AIUMI!!" He slammed the door open, frantic. She was still asleep, tossing and turning, whimpering slightly.
"Aiumi, wake up! Wake up!" He shook her slightly, then harder, getting desperate.
Her eyelids quivered, then opened, blinking groggily. She looked around, scared, not remembering where she was. Seeing Tasuki above her, she threw her arms around him, sobbing. Numbly, she realized all he'd done for her, even if it was only a dream…
End of Chapter Five