Chichiri went to the courtyard to take a walk. He felt that walks in the
courtyard helped him feel relaxed. Not that he needed that right now, but
it was nice anyway.
He walked to the pond in the center of the courtyard and looked into the water. Goldfish swam around in and out of the pond weed clumps. He was a little angry that water could be so calm and harmless when it was water that caused the death of his best friend and fiancée. He didn't want to look at the pond anymore, so he stood up and walked to the other side of the courtyard.
Chichiri went over to sit under a tree and think about nothing in particular. He leaned against the trunk, closed his good eye under the mask, and let his mind wander.
Eventually, his thoughts turned to Ji-na. She was so pretty, with her face, and her hair, and her laugh. He smiled to himself, remembering how he heard her laugh when Hotohori tickled her.
Wait a minute, Chichiri thought. Do I like her? No, I don't. Not after what happened last time.... Chichiri's head began to fill with memories of that day when both his fiancée and best friend died.
Chichiri took off his mask and started crying. He ran his finger over the scar on his eye.
I killed him, he thought. I had to let go of his hand. I had to let him get washed away by the current. He buried his head in his arms and started sobbing.
"Chichiri? Is everything O.K.?" Chichiri raised his tear stained face and saw Tasuki standing over him with a worried look.
"Yeah," Chichiri said. "Just...just..." his voice cracked as more tears came out. Tasuki sat down and comfortingly put his arm around Chichiri's shoulders.
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," Tasuki said. "Just cry."
"You're a good guy, Tasuki," Chichiri said through his tears. "It may not seem like it at first, but you are." Tasuki smiled, despite the fact that this was a serious moment.
Tasuki let Chichiri cry until he was all cried out. Chichiri was still shaking, so Tasuki offered him a bottle of saké. Chichiri refused it at first, but then took it when Tasuki told him that it would help calm his nerves.
~*~
Ji-na leaned against a tree and watched Chichiri drink the saké Tasuki offered him. She thought he looked better without his mask than with it. She wondered how he got his scar.
She imagined him in a great battle, a warrior in shining armor with a gleaming sword hanging on his hip. He was fighting with another soldier when the soldier took his sword, swung it in a high arc above his head, and brought it down, slicing Chichiri's left eye.
He's wonderful, she thought to herself.
Who? asked a voice in her head.
Both Chichiri and Tasuki, I guess, she responded to the voice. They're both pretty cute. But Tasuki doesn't like girls. I don't care. I can still dream.
Ji-na heard footsteps behind her. She turned around and saw Miaka walking toward her. She bowed to Miaka.
"You don't have to bow to me," Miaka said with a giggle.
"My apologies, Miko," Ji-na said.
"You don't have to talk to me formally, either. I'm just a normal teenage girl. And please don't call me 'Miko'. My name is Miaka and I don't want to be called anything else." Ji-na nodded, then turned back to watch Chichiri and Tasuki.
"What'cha looking at?" Miaka asked playfully.
"Chichiri and Tasuki. I think they're cute."
"My advice is this: if you want to go with one of them, go with Chichiri. Tasuki's a jerk."
"Well, I wasn't exactly thinking of going with any one of them..."
"Riiight. HEY, CHICHIRI!" Ji-na quickly clamped a hand over Miaka's mouth and the two ducked behind some bushes.
"Are you crazy?" Ji-na asked in an angry whisper.
"I was just trying to hook you up," Miaka said with an innocent look on her face.
"Try to do it a bit more quietly next time."
"So you do want me to hook you up."
"Yes! I mean, no! I mean, could you? No! Argh!"
"Wait here." Miaka got up and walked over to where Chichiri and Tasuki were sitting.
"Miaka, come back here!" Ji-na whispered urgently. But Miaka was too far away to hear.
~*~
Chichiri put his mask back on, feeling slightly lightheaded from the saké.
"Thanks, Tasuki no da," he said, handing the bottle back to him.
"No problem," Tasuki answered. "If you want a drink, I'm your man." Tasuki took a hearty chug from the bottle and wiped his mouth on his sleeve.
"Hey, Chichiri," Miaka said, coming towards him.
"Hi, Miaka no da."
"Chichiri, what do you think about Ji-na?"
"Are you trying to hook me up no da?"
"Um, yes," said Miaka as she started to rub the back of her neck, which she usually did when she was nervous or in an awkward mood.
"I don't want to hurt her feelings no da, but after what happened to Kouran and Hikou,"
Chichiri took off his mask. "I don't want to take another chance at love."
"Oh, well, thanks for your time Chichiri!" said Miaka, looking a little disappointed as she left.
~*~
"So?" Ji-na asked anxiously as Miaka walked back to the bushes where she was sitting.
"To tell you the truth," said Miaka. "He said that he didn't want to take another chance at love. Not after what happened last time."
"What happened to him?"
"It's a long story. You should ask him to tell it to you sometime."
"Maybe," Ji-na was looking a little downcast.
"Listen," said Miaka, trying to cheer Ji-na up. "If you want, I can try to hook you up with Tasuki. I know he doesn't like girls, but maybe- "
"No, it's O.K.," Ji-na said, cutting her off. "You don't have to do that for me."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive."
Miaka went over to Tamahome, who had just walked outside. He greeted her with a kiss.
I wish I had someone who loved me like that, Ji-na thought as she saw Miaka and Tamahome passionately kissing. Someone to hold, to go to whenever I feel upset, to be my whole world.
She picked up a flower and started pulling off its petals.
He loves me, he loves me not, she thought as she imagined Chichiri's face each time she pulled off a petal. She kept doing this until she was down to the last two petals.
He loves me not, he loves me. Ji-na smiled as she pulled off the last petal and watched it float to the ground.
About three a.m. the next morning...
Ji-na tried to keep her eyes open as Hotohori dealt out the cards again. They were in Hotohori's chambers, playing their fifth game of go fish, after playing three games of crazy eights, two games of poker, and six games of war (A/N: let's just imagine that when Miaka brought that big backpack of things from home, she also brought a deck of cards and taught the seishi to play), Ji-na's eyes kept closing.
"I think you'd better go to bed," Hotohori said, putting an arm on her shoulder. Ji-na nodded sleepily and stumbled to the door.
"Good night," Ji-na said, trying to hold back a yawn.
"Good night, Ji-na," Hotohori replied. Ji-na yawned, and left.
Walking down the hall, back to her room, Ji-na heard a voice coming from Chichiri's room.
Chichiri sounded like he was calling out to someone. She stuck her head in the door, to make sure that nothing was wrong with him. When she saw that there was no one in his room, she walked over to his bed, her tiredness forgotten, to make sure that there was nothing wrong with him.
"Don't leave me, Kouran!" Chichiri called out in his sleep. "Don't leave me!" Ji-na noticed that he didn't say 'no da' after his sentences this time.
"Chichiri," Ji-na whispered to him softly.
"Chichiri, wake up."
"No, Kouran, don't leave!" Chichiri called out again.
He's having a nightmare, Ji-na thought. I hope he's not sick. To make sure that he wasn't, she put her lips to his forehead.
It was like putting her lips to a hot iron. Ji-na quickly pulled her head back, her lips hot from Chichiri.
I have to go tell Saihitei, she thought. I have to go now. She quickly ran out the door in the direction of Hotohori's chambers, Chichiri's yells for Kouran following her.
"Saihitei!" she cried, pounding on his door.
"Saihitei!" Hotohori opened the door, wearing nothing but a bathrobe.
"What is it, Ji-na?" Hotohori asked urgently, seeing the worried look on Ji-na's face.
"It's Chichiri," she said quickly. "He's burning up. Follow me." She ran back towards Chichiri's room, closely followed by Hotohori.
Ji-na burst through the doors of Chichiri's room, not caring how much noise she made. He was sick, and he needed help.
"No, Kouran!" Chichiri yelled. "Don't leave! Come back!" He was tossing and turning.
"I think he's delirious," Hotohori said.
"Call Mitsukake, then. He can take care of it, can't he?" Ji-na asked.
"Mitsukake's a deep sleeper. I doubt he would wake up at this hour, even if someone shot fireworks by his ear."
"Well then, what should we do?"
"I'll go to the kitchen and ask for a bowl of water and a clean rag." With that, Hotohori left, leaving Ji-na feeling scared and alone.
Chichiri was still crying out for Kouran in his sleep. Please get better, Ji-na thought as she held Chichiri's burning hand to her face. Please get better.
Hotohori soon came back with a bowl of water and a dampened rag.
"Here," he said. Ji-na took the rag and started to sponge off Chichiri's face and neck. Hotohori was halfway to the door when Ji-na spoke.
"Saihitei, where are you going?"
"To see if I can wake up Mitsukake."
"Don't go!" Chichiri cried. "Stop, Kouran! Don't go!" Hotohori left.
Ji-na continued sponging down Chichiri's neck and face. She reached out to touch his face to see if he cooled down any. She felt his scar with her finger.
He's not wearing his mask, she thought. I wonder if this Kouran person has anything to do with his scar.
"Kouran, Kouran," Chichiri moaned, tossing and turning. Ji-na kept sponging him down. Chichiri kept calling for Kouran. Soon, he quieted down.
After a while, Chichiri opened his eye.
"Kouran?" he asked softly.
"No," she said. "It's me, Ji-na."
"Why are you here?"
"You're sick. You have fever."
"What happened?"
"I was going to bed when I heard you cry out for someone named Kouran in your sleep. I came into your room to see what was wrong." It was too dark to see Chichiri's expression.
"What time is it?"
"I'd say at least five past three."
"In the afternoon?"
"In the morning." Her eyelids started to droop. "I'm so tired." She leaned back in her chair and fell asleep.
~*~
Hotohori burst in the door, closely followed by Mitsukake. Chichiri quickly reached for his mask and put it on, feeling vulnerable without it.
"What's going on no da?" he asked. "Why are you here?"
"There's no need to be alarmed," Mitsukake said. "I'm going to heal you."
That's so typically Mitsukake, Chichiri thought. Act as calm as possible, no matter what's going on no da.
Mitsukake held out his left hand, palm facing Chichiri. Suddenly, a bright light filled the
room and Mitsukake's sign appeared on his palm.
Chichiri felt his fever going down. Soon, he felt much better. The fever was gone.
"Thanks, Mitsukake," Chichiri said. "I feel a lot better now no da." Mitsukake yawned in reply.
"It's so late," he said, rubbing his eyes. "I'm going to go back to bed." He turned to go, followed by Hotohori.
"Hey, wait no da!" Chichiri called. Hotohori and Mitsukake stopped and turned to look at Chichiri. "Aren't you going to take Ji-na no da?" He nodded towards Ji-na, who was sound asleep on a chair.
"Oh," said Hotohori. "Right." He picked up Ji-na in his arms and left the room. Mitsukake followed.
Thanks, Ji-na no da, Chichiri thought. For just being there. Chichiri took off his mask, sighed, and closed his eye. He soon fell asleep.
A/N: I know, I know, Tasuki wasn't speaking the
way he usually does in this chapter. That was
because I tried to write it in with the "ya"s and
stuff like that, but it just ended up reminding
me of Hagrid, which wasn't the point.
I have a fair amount of people to thank, so...
Special thanks to:
Luminaglow (I'm glad you liked it ^_^)
shadow priestess (Do you have an opinion now?
About the name Ji-na: I was in second grade when
I had this special Japanese class and Ji-na is
supposed to be the Japanese version of my real
name, Dena.)
TA Maxwell (Yup, I do know what you think of it.
Extra special thanks to you for helping me out of
my writers block all those times. ^.^)
gloriaklompen (Extra special thanks for uploading
my stories for me.)
Emily (Extra extra special thanks for getting me
hooked on Fushigi Yugi. Without you, this story
wouldn't have existed.)
He walked to the pond in the center of the courtyard and looked into the water. Goldfish swam around in and out of the pond weed clumps. He was a little angry that water could be so calm and harmless when it was water that caused the death of his best friend and fiancée. He didn't want to look at the pond anymore, so he stood up and walked to the other side of the courtyard.
Chichiri went over to sit under a tree and think about nothing in particular. He leaned against the trunk, closed his good eye under the mask, and let his mind wander.
Eventually, his thoughts turned to Ji-na. She was so pretty, with her face, and her hair, and her laugh. He smiled to himself, remembering how he heard her laugh when Hotohori tickled her.
Wait a minute, Chichiri thought. Do I like her? No, I don't. Not after what happened last time.... Chichiri's head began to fill with memories of that day when both his fiancée and best friend died.
Chichiri took off his mask and started crying. He ran his finger over the scar on his eye.
I killed him, he thought. I had to let go of his hand. I had to let him get washed away by the current. He buried his head in his arms and started sobbing.
"Chichiri? Is everything O.K.?" Chichiri raised his tear stained face and saw Tasuki standing over him with a worried look.
"Yeah," Chichiri said. "Just...just..." his voice cracked as more tears came out. Tasuki sat down and comfortingly put his arm around Chichiri's shoulders.
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," Tasuki said. "Just cry."
"You're a good guy, Tasuki," Chichiri said through his tears. "It may not seem like it at first, but you are." Tasuki smiled, despite the fact that this was a serious moment.
Tasuki let Chichiri cry until he was all cried out. Chichiri was still shaking, so Tasuki offered him a bottle of saké. Chichiri refused it at first, but then took it when Tasuki told him that it would help calm his nerves.
~*~
Ji-na leaned against a tree and watched Chichiri drink the saké Tasuki offered him. She thought he looked better without his mask than with it. She wondered how he got his scar.
She imagined him in a great battle, a warrior in shining armor with a gleaming sword hanging on his hip. He was fighting with another soldier when the soldier took his sword, swung it in a high arc above his head, and brought it down, slicing Chichiri's left eye.
He's wonderful, she thought to herself.
Who? asked a voice in her head.
Both Chichiri and Tasuki, I guess, she responded to the voice. They're both pretty cute. But Tasuki doesn't like girls. I don't care. I can still dream.
Ji-na heard footsteps behind her. She turned around and saw Miaka walking toward her. She bowed to Miaka.
"You don't have to bow to me," Miaka said with a giggle.
"My apologies, Miko," Ji-na said.
"You don't have to talk to me formally, either. I'm just a normal teenage girl. And please don't call me 'Miko'. My name is Miaka and I don't want to be called anything else." Ji-na nodded, then turned back to watch Chichiri and Tasuki.
"What'cha looking at?" Miaka asked playfully.
"Chichiri and Tasuki. I think they're cute."
"My advice is this: if you want to go with one of them, go with Chichiri. Tasuki's a jerk."
"Well, I wasn't exactly thinking of going with any one of them..."
"Riiight. HEY, CHICHIRI!" Ji-na quickly clamped a hand over Miaka's mouth and the two ducked behind some bushes.
"Are you crazy?" Ji-na asked in an angry whisper.
"I was just trying to hook you up," Miaka said with an innocent look on her face.
"Try to do it a bit more quietly next time."
"So you do want me to hook you up."
"Yes! I mean, no! I mean, could you? No! Argh!"
"Wait here." Miaka got up and walked over to where Chichiri and Tasuki were sitting.
"Miaka, come back here!" Ji-na whispered urgently. But Miaka was too far away to hear.
~*~
Chichiri put his mask back on, feeling slightly lightheaded from the saké.
"Thanks, Tasuki no da," he said, handing the bottle back to him.
"No problem," Tasuki answered. "If you want a drink, I'm your man." Tasuki took a hearty chug from the bottle and wiped his mouth on his sleeve.
"Hey, Chichiri," Miaka said, coming towards him.
"Hi, Miaka no da."
"Chichiri, what do you think about Ji-na?"
"Are you trying to hook me up no da?"
"Um, yes," said Miaka as she started to rub the back of her neck, which she usually did when she was nervous or in an awkward mood.
"I don't want to hurt her feelings no da, but after what happened to Kouran and Hikou,"
Chichiri took off his mask. "I don't want to take another chance at love."
"Oh, well, thanks for your time Chichiri!" said Miaka, looking a little disappointed as she left.
~*~
"So?" Ji-na asked anxiously as Miaka walked back to the bushes where she was sitting.
"To tell you the truth," said Miaka. "He said that he didn't want to take another chance at love. Not after what happened last time."
"What happened to him?"
"It's a long story. You should ask him to tell it to you sometime."
"Maybe," Ji-na was looking a little downcast.
"Listen," said Miaka, trying to cheer Ji-na up. "If you want, I can try to hook you up with Tasuki. I know he doesn't like girls, but maybe- "
"No, it's O.K.," Ji-na said, cutting her off. "You don't have to do that for me."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive."
Miaka went over to Tamahome, who had just walked outside. He greeted her with a kiss.
I wish I had someone who loved me like that, Ji-na thought as she saw Miaka and Tamahome passionately kissing. Someone to hold, to go to whenever I feel upset, to be my whole world.
She picked up a flower and started pulling off its petals.
He loves me, he loves me not, she thought as she imagined Chichiri's face each time she pulled off a petal. She kept doing this until she was down to the last two petals.
He loves me not, he loves me. Ji-na smiled as she pulled off the last petal and watched it float to the ground.
About three a.m. the next morning...
Ji-na tried to keep her eyes open as Hotohori dealt out the cards again. They were in Hotohori's chambers, playing their fifth game of go fish, after playing three games of crazy eights, two games of poker, and six games of war (A/N: let's just imagine that when Miaka brought that big backpack of things from home, she also brought a deck of cards and taught the seishi to play), Ji-na's eyes kept closing.
"I think you'd better go to bed," Hotohori said, putting an arm on her shoulder. Ji-na nodded sleepily and stumbled to the door.
"Good night," Ji-na said, trying to hold back a yawn.
"Good night, Ji-na," Hotohori replied. Ji-na yawned, and left.
Walking down the hall, back to her room, Ji-na heard a voice coming from Chichiri's room.
Chichiri sounded like he was calling out to someone. She stuck her head in the door, to make sure that nothing was wrong with him. When she saw that there was no one in his room, she walked over to his bed, her tiredness forgotten, to make sure that there was nothing wrong with him.
"Don't leave me, Kouran!" Chichiri called out in his sleep. "Don't leave me!" Ji-na noticed that he didn't say 'no da' after his sentences this time.
"Chichiri," Ji-na whispered to him softly.
"Chichiri, wake up."
"No, Kouran, don't leave!" Chichiri called out again.
He's having a nightmare, Ji-na thought. I hope he's not sick. To make sure that he wasn't, she put her lips to his forehead.
It was like putting her lips to a hot iron. Ji-na quickly pulled her head back, her lips hot from Chichiri.
I have to go tell Saihitei, she thought. I have to go now. She quickly ran out the door in the direction of Hotohori's chambers, Chichiri's yells for Kouran following her.
"Saihitei!" she cried, pounding on his door.
"Saihitei!" Hotohori opened the door, wearing nothing but a bathrobe.
"What is it, Ji-na?" Hotohori asked urgently, seeing the worried look on Ji-na's face.
"It's Chichiri," she said quickly. "He's burning up. Follow me." She ran back towards Chichiri's room, closely followed by Hotohori.
Ji-na burst through the doors of Chichiri's room, not caring how much noise she made. He was sick, and he needed help.
"No, Kouran!" Chichiri yelled. "Don't leave! Come back!" He was tossing and turning.
"I think he's delirious," Hotohori said.
"Call Mitsukake, then. He can take care of it, can't he?" Ji-na asked.
"Mitsukake's a deep sleeper. I doubt he would wake up at this hour, even if someone shot fireworks by his ear."
"Well then, what should we do?"
"I'll go to the kitchen and ask for a bowl of water and a clean rag." With that, Hotohori left, leaving Ji-na feeling scared and alone.
Chichiri was still crying out for Kouran in his sleep. Please get better, Ji-na thought as she held Chichiri's burning hand to her face. Please get better.
Hotohori soon came back with a bowl of water and a dampened rag.
"Here," he said. Ji-na took the rag and started to sponge off Chichiri's face and neck. Hotohori was halfway to the door when Ji-na spoke.
"Saihitei, where are you going?"
"To see if I can wake up Mitsukake."
"Don't go!" Chichiri cried. "Stop, Kouran! Don't go!" Hotohori left.
Ji-na continued sponging down Chichiri's neck and face. She reached out to touch his face to see if he cooled down any. She felt his scar with her finger.
He's not wearing his mask, she thought. I wonder if this Kouran person has anything to do with his scar.
"Kouran, Kouran," Chichiri moaned, tossing and turning. Ji-na kept sponging him down. Chichiri kept calling for Kouran. Soon, he quieted down.
After a while, Chichiri opened his eye.
"Kouran?" he asked softly.
"No," she said. "It's me, Ji-na."
"Why are you here?"
"You're sick. You have fever."
"What happened?"
"I was going to bed when I heard you cry out for someone named Kouran in your sleep. I came into your room to see what was wrong." It was too dark to see Chichiri's expression.
"What time is it?"
"I'd say at least five past three."
"In the afternoon?"
"In the morning." Her eyelids started to droop. "I'm so tired." She leaned back in her chair and fell asleep.
~*~
Hotohori burst in the door, closely followed by Mitsukake. Chichiri quickly reached for his mask and put it on, feeling vulnerable without it.
"What's going on no da?" he asked. "Why are you here?"
"There's no need to be alarmed," Mitsukake said. "I'm going to heal you."
That's so typically Mitsukake, Chichiri thought. Act as calm as possible, no matter what's going on no da.
Mitsukake held out his left hand, palm facing Chichiri. Suddenly, a bright light filled the
room and Mitsukake's sign appeared on his palm.
Chichiri felt his fever going down. Soon, he felt much better. The fever was gone.
"Thanks, Mitsukake," Chichiri said. "I feel a lot better now no da." Mitsukake yawned in reply.
"It's so late," he said, rubbing his eyes. "I'm going to go back to bed." He turned to go, followed by Hotohori.
"Hey, wait no da!" Chichiri called. Hotohori and Mitsukake stopped and turned to look at Chichiri. "Aren't you going to take Ji-na no da?" He nodded towards Ji-na, who was sound asleep on a chair.
"Oh," said Hotohori. "Right." He picked up Ji-na in his arms and left the room. Mitsukake followed.
Thanks, Ji-na no da, Chichiri thought. For just being there. Chichiri took off his mask, sighed, and closed his eye. He soon fell asleep.
A/N: I know, I know, Tasuki wasn't speaking the
way he usually does in this chapter. That was
because I tried to write it in with the "ya"s and
stuff like that, but it just ended up reminding
me of Hagrid, which wasn't the point.
I have a fair amount of people to thank, so...
Special thanks to:
Luminaglow (I'm glad you liked it ^_^)
shadow priestess (Do you have an opinion now?
About the name Ji-na: I was in second grade when
I had this special Japanese class and Ji-na is
supposed to be the Japanese version of my real
name, Dena.)
TA Maxwell (Yup, I do know what you think of it.
Extra special thanks to you for helping me out of
my writers block all those times. ^.^)
gloriaklompen (Extra special thanks for uploading
my stories for me.)
Emily (Extra extra special thanks for getting me
hooked on Fushigi Yugi. Without you, this story
wouldn't have existed.)