*sniffles* Tasuki is a dumbass, isn't he? Oh well! I still love him, too! But why must he fight Tamahome!?!? Here it is, though… the big fight that had Taryn Eithne on the edge of her bed, going "No! Don't hurt him… Poor Tasuki!"
Anywho, here's the next chapter of my story… well, what I call my story. It still belongs to Miss Watase… all of it but the upcoming plot and Kori…
What a way to subtly do a disclaimer, huh?
But anyway, on with the story…
Chapter Eleven: A Duel Without Mercy
"Tasuki! Stop it! No da!" Chichiri shouted. "Tamahome is a Celestial Warrior just like us!"
"Don' give me that! No Celestial Warrior like me would ever betray his friends!" Tasuki shouted back. "I'll kill 'im in one shot!! Yer dead!!" Tasuki threw a punch at Tamahome, who blocked. He proceeded by throwing his nunchucks towards Tasuki. The fight continued like this until Tasuki was thrown into a tree.
Kori had been watching in horror up to this point. She decided to join in and help Tasuki, however.
"Bastard!" Kori muttered under breath, pulling out an arrow. She didn't have time to shoot it, however, because Tamahome was at her, waving around his nunchucks. She cursed mildly and caught the weapon with her bow. She waved them around, trying to break them free from his grasp. Soon enough, she had pulled it from him and she threw the bow as far behind her as she could (which, for later purposes, wasn't very far).
"There! Fair battle now!" Kori cried as she dodged a quick one-two from Tamahome. Tasuki appeared beside her and took back his fight. Kori backed away and returned to Chichiri and Miaka (she had to fight at least a little… and those stupid nunchuck thingies needed to go somehow… gimme a break…! Okies, too many side notes). Tasuki brought out his tessen and waved it around. Tamahome dodged it mostly, but managed to lose the headband that blocked where his Suzaku symbol should have been.
"He's fighting... but his demon character doesn't show on his forehead!? Tasuki! Stop the fight! The body may be his, but he isn't Tamahome! No da!"
"What's that s'posed to mean y'idiot!?!" Tasuki called back.
Miaka's eyes suddnely fluttered open.
"M--Miaka!" Kori shouted as Chichiri sat her up.
"Tamahome!? Tasuki!?" Miaka cried, "S--Stop it, Tasuki!"
Tasuki paused mid-attack. "Miaka?!"
"Please don't kill Tamahome! If Tamahome died, I don't know what I--I-- Please Stop It!" Tasuki stopped and looked at Miaka questioningly.
"The battle is here!" Tamahome shouted, kicking Tasuki out of his thoughts. Tasuki stopped the attack and put his tessen away.
"Tasuki!" Kori shouted. "Miaka, he'll be killed!"
"What're you afraid of!?" Tamahome shouted, frustrated at Tasuki's dodging. "Why won't you... fight back!?!"
"He'll be killed..." Kori stated again quietly. She looked away as Tasuki took a nasty blow. Miaka looked at her and realized what she was doing.
"Tamahome's going to kill Tasuki! Chichiri! Please stop them!"
"I don't like to admit it, but there's nothing I can do right now. No da!"
"Tamahome... Please stop! This is horrible Tamahome! How could you!?"
"Heh! Ya think yer so tough!" Tasuki stood warily and laughed. "Yer gonna have to do better'n that to kill me!"
"Think so?" Tamahome smirked. "Then I'll stop toying with you."
"Miaka! Kori! Grab Chichiri and get outta here!! While I can still stand!" Tasuki shouted. Kori continued to watch helplessly and Miaka looked from Chichiri to Tasuki.
"I couldn't..." she began, but a blast sent all three of them flying. Chichiri pulled Miaka off to one side while Kori fled to the other. Both groups hid behind trees.
"I'm afraid I can't let you escape," Nakago stated, his hands still posed from where he had just sent out his life-energy blast.
Nakago smirked. "You may block your chi and hide, Chichiri, but escape is out of the question." He sent an energy blast towards a tree: the same tree Kori was behind. She screamed and dived behind another tree.
"I... I can't take it anymore!" Kori cried, diving from tree to tree as Nakago sent blasts at each one. "Chichiri!" she huffed, breathing hard from the running. "You've... got... to... call... the others!" She screamed again as the two warring seishis came incredibly near to her and a tree exploded at the same time.
"We need something that doesn't carry the mark of Suzaku!" Chichiri cried back, revealing their hiding place.
"There're the others!" Yui pointed to Miaka and Chichiri.
"Hold on..." Nakago grinned like a schoolboy. "I've almost got this one."
Chichiri pulled Miaka back behind their tree.
"Why is he only after Kori?" he asked himself, watching carefully as Kori dodged another blow. Chichiri knew, however, that he couldn't take much more and would very soon be too tired to avoid the energy-blasts any longer.
"Miaka!" Kori shouted suddenly, avoiding another blast.
"What?" Miaka asked catiously, revealing herself again. Nakago continued to ignore her and shoot at Kori.
"Chichiri! Use Miaka! Technically, she doesn't carry the mark!"
Chichiri nodded in understanding. "He's right. Miaka! I'm going to send you back to Konan! I need you to try and break the barrier!"
"Alright!" Miaka nodded and closed her eyes firmly.
"Break the wards!" Chichiri cried as he placed two fingers against Miaka's shoulder. Miaka began to glow brightly and soon began only a faint image. Chichiri could only guess that she had broken the ward.
"Argh!" Kori cried suddenly. She had been hit directly by a blast. Nakago smiled triumphantly as Kori flew into a tree a great distance away. She fell to the ground, limp.
"Kori!" Tasuki cried, pushing Tamahome away and beginning to dash towards his fellow bandit. Tamahome took this moment to run and grab his nunchucks. Just before Tasuki could reach Kori, Tamahome slung the chain of the nunchucks around Tasuki's neck and pulled them as tight as he could. Tasuki was forced to stop. Kori, however, sat up and shook her head.
"C'mon! You can't kill a Reikazukan Mountain bandit with a weeny move like that!" she cried, a small grin appearing on her face. But she then saw Tasuki and frowned again. "Shit..." she mumbled, but noticed as Miaka returned to her real form.
"T--Tasuki!?" Miaka cried as Tasuki struggled to breathe.
"I-It's too late.. no da..." Chichiri whispered, holding her back. Kori managed to stumble to them. Suddenly, a flute could be heard.
"The flute!" Miaka cried. "Chiriko!"
"The wards been broken now! No da!" Chichiri shouted, beginning a chant. Tasuki even managed to break the chain around his neck. He was raised in the air and floated over to his companions.
"Nakago!" Yui cried, confused.
"With the ward down, he can use his techniques," Nakago responded, a firm scowl on his face. Chichiri had cast a barrier around them.
"Tasuki, hang on!" Miaka stated as Kori began to cradle his head.
"You withstood it well. No da," Chichiri stated, beginning to focuse his energy towards getting them home.
"Yeah. You're all right now," Kori added, removing a few strands of his hair from one of his bleeding wounds. She grimaced as her own cuts brushed.
"Women..." Tasuki laughed. "That's what y'get fer gettin' involved with 'em..." he groaned and Kori shifted slightly. "That's why I never... liked 'em."
Kori scowled sadly and glanced at Miaka as Tasuki closed his eyes. His breathing slowed dramatically and she shook him slightly.
"Tasuki..." she stated catiously, afraid of what might have just happened.
"Tasuki!" Miaka cried as well. "He died for me!"
Kori inspected him further. "Don't worry. He isn't dead!" she stated joyfully.
"Tamahome!" Miaka gasped suddenly, remembering her lover. "If you ran, you'd make it back in time! I could grab your hand and bring you back!"
"Get a grip on yourself, Miaka," Kori finally stated harshly. "He's someone else, now, obviously. He did that to Tasuki. He nearly killed one of his own."
Miaka began trembling. "No matter how much I love him... How much I scream for him... I can't reach Tamahome now!" The tears now flowed ever-so freely from Miaka's eyes. "Goodbye... Goodbye."
The group of four began to slowly disappear. "Goodbye!! Tamahome!!"
***
"What the--" Nuriko turned to see a huge orb forming behind him. Inside the orb, four figures began to appear. Soon enough, Nuriko, Hotohori, Chiriko, and Mitsukake could clearly see their comrades. Concern began to appear on their faces when they noticed that Miaka was gripping her arm, Tasuki was being cradled by Kori, and blood was seeping through Kori's clothes.
"A little help?" Kori asked as Tasuki began to slip from her arms and the orb disappeared. Many attendants quickly fetched a stretcher and placed Tasuki on it, allowing Kori to sit down.
"These wounds look bad," Mitsukake noted, looking at Kori first, then Tasuki. "Take them to their room; I'll see to them later." An attendant nodded and the stretcher and Kori were led away. Miaka wavered for a moment.
"Miaka!" Hotohori shouted, catching her. "What happened!? What about Tamahome!?" he asked. Chichiri shook his head.
"...Bye..." Miaka mumbled into Hotohori's...er, robes.
"What??"
"I saw Tamahome... And said my goodbyes."
***
I know, I know… I've gone and made a bunch of impossible things possible. I'M SO SORRY! Well, I really don't want to make any more notes. Call me lazy, but oh well.
So here comes the next chapter of Secrets Best Left Alone: Chapter Twelve: The Way to Goodbye… not a personal favorite, but oh well, right?
~Taryn Eithne
Here's the (coughfiveminutecough) teaser:
"'I. Don't. Want. My shirt off!' she cried, struggling even more."
Ooh… a bit suggestive, ne?