Hahaha, I live . I wanted to know
what people would say to how evil I was so I just had to get this chapter
out X3. For one thing, I'm very evil at the end of this chapter, and
then I leave it right after the evil deed. X3
Review responses!
Deity: X3 yup, adorable and cute and scary. Now you get to find out what happens *evil laughter*
Flighting Dreams: I wanted to elaborate more but X3 I couldn't think anymore.
Sakata Ri Houjun: ...No *whimper* never, ever, CAN"T x.x *Dies* I'm 14....spare my virgin mind... *Runs around frantically* I don't want to know the mechanics! x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x
Xellas M: X3 lots bad things coming...
Moonraven: *giggles* I love chibi Chichiri too.
Eeyaatoe: Updating! ^_^
Ruby-san: ^^; Here ya go.
Anime-Angel-Godess: Good, stay off the sugar .
Leila: Updating! *runs and hides*
*~Through Eternity~*
By: Suki Inari
*~Chapter Four: Nightmares, Premonitions, and Naraku~*
As Tasuki had hoped, Kouji had understood. The navy-haired bandit said he would explain it to the men. Tasuki looked at the monk beside him. Chichiri still wasn't completely well and Tasuki wondered if that demon named Naraku was still out there, preventing the older seishi's recovery.
"Tasuki, no da? Are you listening, na no da?"
Tasuki blinked. "Gomen, what were ya sayin'?"
"I said there was a village nearby, no da."
"Ah…that's good. Hey, ya thirsty? I've got some water." The bandit pulled out a flask.
Chichiri raised an eyebrow. "Since when do you carry around water, na no da?"
"I brought it fer ya!" The bandit lied. I'm curious as to what a drunk Chichiri is like…
Yer gonna regret this…
Aw, I like t' live dangerously.
Chichiri took the flash without any further questions and took a drink. "Daa…" The monk stopped walking.
Tasuki blinked and also stopped, looking at him. "Daijoubu…?"
"That wasn't water, na no da…" The monk murmured before falling forward, flat on his face.
"ACK! Chichiri!!" Exclaimed the bandit, immediately on his knees next to the monk. "Daijoubu-- ?"
"DA!!" A chibified monk leapt from the ground and half glomped his face.
"Mpppmph!!" Tasuki cried being tackled to the ground. He sweat-dropped. Deja vu… Tasuki sighed and waited. The monk would fall asleep eventually.
"Daa…" Chichiri yawned, curling up on Tasuki's chest.
Putting the chibi in one arm, Tasuki stood, grinning. "Well…since Chiri is out like a light…" The bandit took off towards the town to find a pub, chibi monk in hand.
When Tasuki reached the town, he paused, thinking. If I get drunk, an' Chiri's drunk, how would we get to an inn…? He sweat-dropped at the thought. "Well…I guess I won't take advantage of this situation." The bandit sighed and reluctantly walked past the pub and to the inn.
****
When Chichiri awoke with a splitting headache, only one thought ran through his mind. Tasuki. Kill. The sunlight shining through the window didn't help much either. …Daa…I'm still exhausted…I'll go back to sleep… Kill Tasuki later, no da… He snuggled closer to the bandit's sleeping form, laying his head on the redhead's chest.
****
Tasuki awoke to whimpering. Whimpering and thrashing. He opened his bleary eyes slowly, not comprehending what was happening until Chichiri's arm smacked him in the face. "Chichiri…!?"
The monk was crying in his sleep. "Tasuki…!"
Tasuki grabbed the monk's arms as he thrashed about. "Chichiri! Chichiri, I'm right here!!"
"Tasuki….Tasuki…iie…"
"I'm here!!"
"TASUKI!!" Chichiri's eye flew open, tears streaming down his face.
"Chiri…I'm right here…"
Chichiri threw his arms around the bandit's neck with a cry, burring his face in the redhead's shoulder. "Tasuki…" He sobbed. "It was so real…"
"Shh…it was just a dream…just a dream…" Tasuki rubbed Chichiri's back, holding him close.
It took a while, but Chichiri finally calmed down enough to think. Was it really only a dream…?
It was very real…
Some dreams are, no da…
But you can tell the difference.
Only sometimes, no da…
You know what a premonition is like Chichiri.
Iie…! It couldn't have been…!
You know the signs…
Iie…I won't…I won't let it happen!
I wouldn't tell Tasuki about it…
"Chichiri…?" Tasuki pulled away to look at the monk as he stopped crying.
Chichiri wiped his eyes. "Gomen, no da… I just had a bad dream."
"May I ask what happened? Ya were cryin' awful hard…"
"I…I don't really remember no da…"
"Ah well…that's alright…"
Chichiri had to get off this subject somehow… Yes! That was it! "Now…what WERE YOU THINKING, NO DA?! You know I don't handle alcohol well!!!!"
Tasuki sweat-dropped. "Umm… I think I hear th' road callin'! Must get ready!" The bandit bolted off the bed.
****
Chichiri laughed as Tasuki tripped over his own feet and fell into a puddle, trying to keep a safe distance from the cerulean-haired monk. "Don't worry, Tasuki no da! I'm not going to turn you into anything, na no da!"
Tasuki leapt to his feet, glancing wearily over his shoulder. "Are ya sure? You were really pissed!" The bandit looked back in front of him and stopped. "Oi! Chichiri!! There are two roads up here!"
Chichiri looked up. "They'll both lead to the palace eventually! Pick one, no da!" He froze a few feet behind Tasuki, eyes fixed on the path to the right. T-there's something evil down that way… Something powerful…very powerful. His thoughts drifted back to his dream. A demon plunging long claws into Tasuki… A demon that killed Tasuki… Tasuki dying… Chichiri clenched his fists. I won't allow it, no da. Not while I still live.
"Oi! Chichiri! How about this one? I dunno why, but somethin's tellin' me t' go down it!"
Chichiri looked up to see Tasuki pointing down the path on the right. "D-demo…" Chichiri snapped his mouth shut, swallowing hard. He couldn't say anything without revealing his dream. "Never mind, no da. Sounds fine to me!" The monk walked up to his love, staying close, gripping his staff tightly. If fate wanted them to go down this road, fine. But if fate, Taiitsukun, or even Suzaku thought that he was going to let Tasuki die, they were going to be in for a surprise.
****
Tasuki blinked. Chichiri was acting strange. He was acting as though something was going to happen. All of a sudden, Chichiri froze in his tracks. Tasuki could hear the jingle of the monk's staff as he gripped it tighter. "Chichiri…?" The bandit questioned, turning to his love. "What's wrong?"
An evil laugh answered Tasuki's question. It was only then that the bandit noticed the absence of birds or any living thing other than Chichiri, himself, and the plant life. "Well, well… What do we have here?" A sinister voice chuckled.
Tasuki stiffened. So this is why Chiri was so hesitant… K'so…it's my fault… He clenched his fists and whipped his tessen from his back and gripped it tightly. "Show yerself!!"
A form shimmered and appeared in front of them. It was man shaped creature. It was tall and had black hair, its eyes were slit and it looked for all like it was half cat. "Ahh…I see. The two remaining Suzaku no Sichiseishi… I was so sure that you would be dead by now, Chichiri."
Chichiri simply gripped his staff tighter in response. "And you must be the demon king Naraku."
"Your bravery becomes you, monk. Yet I wonder, is your power as strong as they say?"
"Leave 'm alone ya creep!" Tasuki snarled.
Chichiri stepped in front of Tasuki and held out his arm to keep the bandit back. "Iie. Allow me to fight this battle, no da."
"Dakedo…"
Chichiri smiled at him over his shoulder reassuringly. "I'll be fine, no da." With those words, Chichiri turned his head back to Naraku, eye narrowed. "Omae wo korosu."
(AN: I hope I spelled that right. Well, however you spell it, it means "I will kill you." Or something to that extent.)
At these words, Tasuki blinked. He had never heard Chichiri talk so seriously, nor had he ever heard that deadly tone of voice from the monk. Something had Chichiri mad. Very mad. Masaka… Maybe that dream he had…has something to do with this… It really had him worked up… Tasuki was torned from his thoughts as he heard his love's voice echoing a spell. He watched in fascination as the delicate form of the monk released an enormous, powerful ki blast.
Naraku smirked. "Not bad… Not bad at all." He raised a hand and deflected the blast. "But I do hope you have more fight than that—" He was cut short by Chichiri appearing behind him, slamming his staff into the back of the demon's head. As the monk pushed off from this attack, Naraku laughed and grabbed his staff, throwing it and the monk high in the air. Even as he did so, Naraku sent a ki blast of his own hurdling at the seishi.
Chichiri righted himself mid-air and held out his staff, the blast slicing in two as he decended. The monk landed on his feet and Naraku turned to him, smirking.
Tasuki's eyes widened when Chichiri's legs gave out and the older seishi fell to his knees, using his staff to lean on. "Chichiri!!" Tasuki cried.
"I am impressed." Naraku chuckled. "Not many people can cut through that attack." The demon towered over Chichiri and grabbed a fist full of the monk's bangs, pulling him up painfully. "But play time is over." The bemon king leveled a glowing hand with the seishi and blasted him. Chichiri went tumbling along the ground. Even as the monk tried to get up, he was blasted again.
Tasuki was frozen in horror as he watched his lover get blasted, kicked, punched, and all around beat up. Images and memories flooded Tasuki's head.
[Flashback]
Chichiri was laughing when Tasuki had fallen in the waist deep water of the pond outside the mountain one day. The bandit was flailing around screaming "I CAN'T SWIM!"
"Tasuki, no da!" The monk chuckled. "The water is up to your waist, no da!"
[End Flashback]
Naraku grabbed Chichiri's hair again. "You know, little monk…"
[Flashback]
Tasuki, no da! You know I hate alcohol, no da!" The monk had said, refusing the sake Tasuki had offered him.
[End Flashback]
Naraku smiled at the monk. "Once I finish with you…"
[Flashback]
"Tasuki, no da…?" Chichiri asked, laying his head on Tasuki's shoulder as they looked at the stars.
"Hai?" The bandit replied, smiling.
"Do you love me?" The monk asked for the hundredth time since they had revealed their feelings for each other.
"Hai, I do." Tasuki buried his face in the monk's sweet-smelling hair. "And I always will. More than anything else in all the worlds."
[End Flashback]
The demon king smirked. "Your bandit will be next."
[Flashback]
"Tasuki, no da!!" Chichiri cried as the bandit tumbled down the side of a steep hill. He whipped out his kasa and quickly teleported halfway down the slope, floating, and caught Tasuki who looked up and grinned at him with a fanged smile. "Baka, no da…" Chichiri held him close. "You're almost as clumsy as Miaka, na no da."
[End Flashback]
"Don't you lay a finger on him!!" Chichiri snarled, jerking out of his grasp, throwing a ki blast at him.
[Flashback]
"Chichiri..!!" Tasuki cried during their first night…
(AN: Author sweatdrops right here stating that she will go no farther since she's only 14!)
[End Flashback]
Naraku hissed in pain and roughly jerked Chichiri's head up with a sharp yank to the monk's ponytail, the seishi emitting a cry of pain. "Pest." The demon growled, blasting the seishi with a powerful force across the area, smashing into a boulder with such force that the rock shattered.
[Flashback]
After the events of the night, Tasuki was laying Chichiri's arms, the two laying there in silence, just happy to be there with one another.
Tsuki raised his head to look at the older seishi. "Ne…Chiri…"
"Hai, no da?"
"We'll always be together, ne?"
"Of course, no da…"
"You'll never leave?" Tasuki for all the world sounded like a child as he spoke.
"I'll never leave you, no da."
"You promise?" Tasuki pulled an adorable fanged pout.
"I promise, na no da." Chichiri said, kissing the pout away.
"We'll always be together then?"
"Always and forever, na no da. I promise."
[End Flashback]
Tasuki's frozen stance shattered at the sight of his lover's motionless form in the rubble of rock and something snapped inside him.
"We'll always be together then?"
"Always and forever, na no da. I promise."
Naraku had hurt Chichiri. Naraku had hurt his Chichiri! Tasuki's anger flared and he felt his seishi symbol roar to life in a fiery rage.
"We'll always be together then?"
"Always and forever, na no da. I promise."
Anger flaring, Tasuki raised his tessen. "NARAKU!" He shouted, anger rising by the second. "You will pay fer hurtin' Chichiri!!!" The bandit roared. "REKKA SHINEN!!"
Naraku half turned to the bandit, raising a hand, the flames dissipating upon contact. "Is that the best you can do?" The demon king sneered, deliberately adding fuel to the fire of Tasuki's temper.
"Damn you!!" The redhead charged the demon in anger, unthinkingly.
Naraku chuckled darkly and claws extended from his hand, each as long and as sharp as a butcher knife.
Chichiri weakly lifted his head. "Tasuki…" His eye widened as he saw Tasuki was running towards Naraku. Iie…just like…my dream… He struggled to get up. First, lightning struck… Even as he thought this, a streak of black lightning lit up the sky. Then, Tasuki was yelling…
"THIS IS FER CHICHIRI!!"
Then Naraku pulled his claws back as Tasuki got closer and… The monk's voice penetrated the night as Naraku pulled his claws back. "IYA!!!"
Tasuki felt hand push him aside and the bandit went tumbling only to hear the sound of claws plunging through flesh and the splatter of blood hitting the ground. The bandit pushed himself up and his eyes went wide with horror and the redhead let out a heart-wrenching scream. "CHICHIRI!!"
"I'll never leave you, no da."
****
End Chapter… *looks at clock* Oh, why not? I'll continue. Also, if you haven't yet, start listening to Mizu Kagami for a real good angst factor. *Turns it on as she writes*
****
Chichiri had shoved him out of the way…
Chichiri had taken the blow…
Chichiri…"CHICHIRI!!!"
The monk stood there, arms stiff, the claws protruding from his back dripping with blood. "T…tasuki…" The monk choked out, blood coming from his mouth as Naraku pulled his claws out. The seishi crumpled to the ground, his white tunic already covered in blood.
"C-chichiri..!!" Tasuki rushed to the older seishi's side, pulling him into his arms. "Chichiri…Chichiri…" The bandit's face was already covered in tears.
"T..tasuki…no da…" Chichiri murmured, reaching a hand up shakily to rest on Tasuki's cheek.
The bandit's hand came up immediately to clasp Chichiri's hand to his cheek. "H-hai…?"
"Gomen ne..no da…" The monk coughed harshly, leaving a trail of blood on his chin.
Immediately, Tasuki wiped away the blood and ran his hand along the seishi's paling cheek. "Shhh….dun apologize…ya didn't do anythin' wrong…" Tears poured freely from his eyes, dripping onto Chichiri's shirt. "This…this is all my fault…!!" The bandit buried his face in the monk's shoulder. "Suzaku…this is all my fault…gods… Chiri….aishiteru…!!" He sobbed. "Aishiteru…aishiteru…aishiteru…"
Chichiri's voice was barely a whisper now. "I'll find you again, no da…"
Tasuki jerked his head up, shaking his head. "Iie…iie…You'll be fine..!!" The bandit desperately tried to stop the bleeding but the blood just kept coming. "Chiri..ya can't leave…ya can't!!"
"We'll always be together…" Chichiri smiled weakly. "We'll meet again, no da… I'll find you in the next life, no da…along with the others, no da…" The light was fading from the monk's eye rapidly. "We'll all…be together again…na no da… Aishiteru…"
Tasuki tried his best to smile through the tears the still poured from his eyes. "Hai…" The bandit leaned down and kissed the monk for the last time in that life and held him tightly.
Chichiri kissed him back until his strength left him and his body pulled him out of the kiss. The blue-haired seishi's mahogany eye started to glaze over as he whispered something to the air behind Tasuki. Tasuki heard his love's whisper. "C-chiri…?"
The monk whispered the same sentence again. "Hikou…Kouran…. How long have you been there no da…?" Chichiri let out a sigh, his eye fell closed, and he fell limp in Tasuki's arms.
"C-chiri!?"
Chichiri's chest stopped rising as his breathing ceased and his head fell limply against Tasuki's chest.
"Ch…CHICHIRI!!!!!"
**** **** ****
*BIG YAWN* I was supposed to be in bed an hour ago, but what the hell… *hides from angry reviewers*
Next chapter: Death and Rebirths!
Now..its off to bed! R & R!!
Review responses!
Deity: X3 yup, adorable and cute and scary. Now you get to find out what happens *evil laughter*
Flighting Dreams: I wanted to elaborate more but X3 I couldn't think anymore.
Sakata Ri Houjun: ...No *whimper* never, ever, CAN"T x.x *Dies* I'm 14....spare my virgin mind... *Runs around frantically* I don't want to know the mechanics! x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x
Xellas M: X3 lots bad things coming...
Moonraven: *giggles* I love chibi Chichiri too.
Eeyaatoe: Updating! ^_^
Ruby-san: ^^; Here ya go.
Anime-Angel-Godess: Good, stay off the sugar .
Leila: Updating! *runs and hides*
*~Through Eternity~*
By: Suki Inari
*~Chapter Four: Nightmares, Premonitions, and Naraku~*
As Tasuki had hoped, Kouji had understood. The navy-haired bandit said he would explain it to the men. Tasuki looked at the monk beside him. Chichiri still wasn't completely well and Tasuki wondered if that demon named Naraku was still out there, preventing the older seishi's recovery.
"Tasuki, no da? Are you listening, na no da?"
Tasuki blinked. "Gomen, what were ya sayin'?"
"I said there was a village nearby, no da."
"Ah…that's good. Hey, ya thirsty? I've got some water." The bandit pulled out a flask.
Chichiri raised an eyebrow. "Since when do you carry around water, na no da?"
"I brought it fer ya!" The bandit lied. I'm curious as to what a drunk Chichiri is like…
Yer gonna regret this…
Aw, I like t' live dangerously.
Chichiri took the flash without any further questions and took a drink. "Daa…" The monk stopped walking.
Tasuki blinked and also stopped, looking at him. "Daijoubu…?"
"That wasn't water, na no da…" The monk murmured before falling forward, flat on his face.
"ACK! Chichiri!!" Exclaimed the bandit, immediately on his knees next to the monk. "Daijoubu-- ?"
"DA!!" A chibified monk leapt from the ground and half glomped his face.
"Mpppmph!!" Tasuki cried being tackled to the ground. He sweat-dropped. Deja vu… Tasuki sighed and waited. The monk would fall asleep eventually.
"Daa…" Chichiri yawned, curling up on Tasuki's chest.
Putting the chibi in one arm, Tasuki stood, grinning. "Well…since Chiri is out like a light…" The bandit took off towards the town to find a pub, chibi monk in hand.
When Tasuki reached the town, he paused, thinking. If I get drunk, an' Chiri's drunk, how would we get to an inn…? He sweat-dropped at the thought. "Well…I guess I won't take advantage of this situation." The bandit sighed and reluctantly walked past the pub and to the inn.
****
When Chichiri awoke with a splitting headache, only one thought ran through his mind. Tasuki. Kill. The sunlight shining through the window didn't help much either. …Daa…I'm still exhausted…I'll go back to sleep… Kill Tasuki later, no da… He snuggled closer to the bandit's sleeping form, laying his head on the redhead's chest.
****
Tasuki awoke to whimpering. Whimpering and thrashing. He opened his bleary eyes slowly, not comprehending what was happening until Chichiri's arm smacked him in the face. "Chichiri…!?"
The monk was crying in his sleep. "Tasuki…!"
Tasuki grabbed the monk's arms as he thrashed about. "Chichiri! Chichiri, I'm right here!!"
"Tasuki….Tasuki…iie…"
"I'm here!!"
"TASUKI!!" Chichiri's eye flew open, tears streaming down his face.
"Chiri…I'm right here…"
Chichiri threw his arms around the bandit's neck with a cry, burring his face in the redhead's shoulder. "Tasuki…" He sobbed. "It was so real…"
"Shh…it was just a dream…just a dream…" Tasuki rubbed Chichiri's back, holding him close.
It took a while, but Chichiri finally calmed down enough to think. Was it really only a dream…?
It was very real…
Some dreams are, no da…
But you can tell the difference.
Only sometimes, no da…
You know what a premonition is like Chichiri.
Iie…! It couldn't have been…!
You know the signs…
Iie…I won't…I won't let it happen!
I wouldn't tell Tasuki about it…
"Chichiri…?" Tasuki pulled away to look at the monk as he stopped crying.
Chichiri wiped his eyes. "Gomen, no da… I just had a bad dream."
"May I ask what happened? Ya were cryin' awful hard…"
"I…I don't really remember no da…"
"Ah well…that's alright…"
Chichiri had to get off this subject somehow… Yes! That was it! "Now…what WERE YOU THINKING, NO DA?! You know I don't handle alcohol well!!!!"
Tasuki sweat-dropped. "Umm… I think I hear th' road callin'! Must get ready!" The bandit bolted off the bed.
****
Chichiri laughed as Tasuki tripped over his own feet and fell into a puddle, trying to keep a safe distance from the cerulean-haired monk. "Don't worry, Tasuki no da! I'm not going to turn you into anything, na no da!"
Tasuki leapt to his feet, glancing wearily over his shoulder. "Are ya sure? You were really pissed!" The bandit looked back in front of him and stopped. "Oi! Chichiri!! There are two roads up here!"
Chichiri looked up. "They'll both lead to the palace eventually! Pick one, no da!" He froze a few feet behind Tasuki, eyes fixed on the path to the right. T-there's something evil down that way… Something powerful…very powerful. His thoughts drifted back to his dream. A demon plunging long claws into Tasuki… A demon that killed Tasuki… Tasuki dying… Chichiri clenched his fists. I won't allow it, no da. Not while I still live.
"Oi! Chichiri! How about this one? I dunno why, but somethin's tellin' me t' go down it!"
Chichiri looked up to see Tasuki pointing down the path on the right. "D-demo…" Chichiri snapped his mouth shut, swallowing hard. He couldn't say anything without revealing his dream. "Never mind, no da. Sounds fine to me!" The monk walked up to his love, staying close, gripping his staff tightly. If fate wanted them to go down this road, fine. But if fate, Taiitsukun, or even Suzaku thought that he was going to let Tasuki die, they were going to be in for a surprise.
****
Tasuki blinked. Chichiri was acting strange. He was acting as though something was going to happen. All of a sudden, Chichiri froze in his tracks. Tasuki could hear the jingle of the monk's staff as he gripped it tighter. "Chichiri…?" The bandit questioned, turning to his love. "What's wrong?"
An evil laugh answered Tasuki's question. It was only then that the bandit noticed the absence of birds or any living thing other than Chichiri, himself, and the plant life. "Well, well… What do we have here?" A sinister voice chuckled.
Tasuki stiffened. So this is why Chiri was so hesitant… K'so…it's my fault… He clenched his fists and whipped his tessen from his back and gripped it tightly. "Show yerself!!"
A form shimmered and appeared in front of them. It was man shaped creature. It was tall and had black hair, its eyes were slit and it looked for all like it was half cat. "Ahh…I see. The two remaining Suzaku no Sichiseishi… I was so sure that you would be dead by now, Chichiri."
Chichiri simply gripped his staff tighter in response. "And you must be the demon king Naraku."
"Your bravery becomes you, monk. Yet I wonder, is your power as strong as they say?"
"Leave 'm alone ya creep!" Tasuki snarled.
Chichiri stepped in front of Tasuki and held out his arm to keep the bandit back. "Iie. Allow me to fight this battle, no da."
"Dakedo…"
Chichiri smiled at him over his shoulder reassuringly. "I'll be fine, no da." With those words, Chichiri turned his head back to Naraku, eye narrowed. "Omae wo korosu."
(AN: I hope I spelled that right. Well, however you spell it, it means "I will kill you." Or something to that extent.)
At these words, Tasuki blinked. He had never heard Chichiri talk so seriously, nor had he ever heard that deadly tone of voice from the monk. Something had Chichiri mad. Very mad. Masaka… Maybe that dream he had…has something to do with this… It really had him worked up… Tasuki was torned from his thoughts as he heard his love's voice echoing a spell. He watched in fascination as the delicate form of the monk released an enormous, powerful ki blast.
Naraku smirked. "Not bad… Not bad at all." He raised a hand and deflected the blast. "But I do hope you have more fight than that—" He was cut short by Chichiri appearing behind him, slamming his staff into the back of the demon's head. As the monk pushed off from this attack, Naraku laughed and grabbed his staff, throwing it and the monk high in the air. Even as he did so, Naraku sent a ki blast of his own hurdling at the seishi.
Chichiri righted himself mid-air and held out his staff, the blast slicing in two as he decended. The monk landed on his feet and Naraku turned to him, smirking.
Tasuki's eyes widened when Chichiri's legs gave out and the older seishi fell to his knees, using his staff to lean on. "Chichiri!!" Tasuki cried.
"I am impressed." Naraku chuckled. "Not many people can cut through that attack." The demon towered over Chichiri and grabbed a fist full of the monk's bangs, pulling him up painfully. "But play time is over." The bemon king leveled a glowing hand with the seishi and blasted him. Chichiri went tumbling along the ground. Even as the monk tried to get up, he was blasted again.
Tasuki was frozen in horror as he watched his lover get blasted, kicked, punched, and all around beat up. Images and memories flooded Tasuki's head.
[Flashback]
Chichiri was laughing when Tasuki had fallen in the waist deep water of the pond outside the mountain one day. The bandit was flailing around screaming "I CAN'T SWIM!"
"Tasuki, no da!" The monk chuckled. "The water is up to your waist, no da!"
[End Flashback]
Naraku grabbed Chichiri's hair again. "You know, little monk…"
[Flashback]
Tasuki, no da! You know I hate alcohol, no da!" The monk had said, refusing the sake Tasuki had offered him.
[End Flashback]
Naraku smiled at the monk. "Once I finish with you…"
[Flashback]
"Tasuki, no da…?" Chichiri asked, laying his head on Tasuki's shoulder as they looked at the stars.
"Hai?" The bandit replied, smiling.
"Do you love me?" The monk asked for the hundredth time since they had revealed their feelings for each other.
"Hai, I do." Tasuki buried his face in the monk's sweet-smelling hair. "And I always will. More than anything else in all the worlds."
[End Flashback]
The demon king smirked. "Your bandit will be next."
[Flashback]
"Tasuki, no da!!" Chichiri cried as the bandit tumbled down the side of a steep hill. He whipped out his kasa and quickly teleported halfway down the slope, floating, and caught Tasuki who looked up and grinned at him with a fanged smile. "Baka, no da…" Chichiri held him close. "You're almost as clumsy as Miaka, na no da."
[End Flashback]
"Don't you lay a finger on him!!" Chichiri snarled, jerking out of his grasp, throwing a ki blast at him.
[Flashback]
"Chichiri..!!" Tasuki cried during their first night…
(AN: Author sweatdrops right here stating that she will go no farther since she's only 14!)
[End Flashback]
Naraku hissed in pain and roughly jerked Chichiri's head up with a sharp yank to the monk's ponytail, the seishi emitting a cry of pain. "Pest." The demon growled, blasting the seishi with a powerful force across the area, smashing into a boulder with such force that the rock shattered.
[Flashback]
After the events of the night, Tasuki was laying Chichiri's arms, the two laying there in silence, just happy to be there with one another.
Tsuki raised his head to look at the older seishi. "Ne…Chiri…"
"Hai, no da?"
"We'll always be together, ne?"
"Of course, no da…"
"You'll never leave?" Tasuki for all the world sounded like a child as he spoke.
"I'll never leave you, no da."
"You promise?" Tasuki pulled an adorable fanged pout.
"I promise, na no da." Chichiri said, kissing the pout away.
"We'll always be together then?"
"Always and forever, na no da. I promise."
[End Flashback]
Tasuki's frozen stance shattered at the sight of his lover's motionless form in the rubble of rock and something snapped inside him.
"We'll always be together then?"
"Always and forever, na no da. I promise."
Naraku had hurt Chichiri. Naraku had hurt his Chichiri! Tasuki's anger flared and he felt his seishi symbol roar to life in a fiery rage.
"We'll always be together then?"
"Always and forever, na no da. I promise."
Anger flaring, Tasuki raised his tessen. "NARAKU!" He shouted, anger rising by the second. "You will pay fer hurtin' Chichiri!!!" The bandit roared. "REKKA SHINEN!!"
Naraku half turned to the bandit, raising a hand, the flames dissipating upon contact. "Is that the best you can do?" The demon king sneered, deliberately adding fuel to the fire of Tasuki's temper.
"Damn you!!" The redhead charged the demon in anger, unthinkingly.
Naraku chuckled darkly and claws extended from his hand, each as long and as sharp as a butcher knife.
Chichiri weakly lifted his head. "Tasuki…" His eye widened as he saw Tasuki was running towards Naraku. Iie…just like…my dream… He struggled to get up. First, lightning struck… Even as he thought this, a streak of black lightning lit up the sky. Then, Tasuki was yelling…
"THIS IS FER CHICHIRI!!"
Then Naraku pulled his claws back as Tasuki got closer and… The monk's voice penetrated the night as Naraku pulled his claws back. "IYA!!!"
Tasuki felt hand push him aside and the bandit went tumbling only to hear the sound of claws plunging through flesh and the splatter of blood hitting the ground. The bandit pushed himself up and his eyes went wide with horror and the redhead let out a heart-wrenching scream. "CHICHIRI!!"
"I'll never leave you, no da."
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End Chapter… *looks at clock* Oh, why not? I'll continue. Also, if you haven't yet, start listening to Mizu Kagami for a real good angst factor. *Turns it on as she writes*
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Chichiri had shoved him out of the way…
Chichiri had taken the blow…
Chichiri…"CHICHIRI!!!"
The monk stood there, arms stiff, the claws protruding from his back dripping with blood. "T…tasuki…" The monk choked out, blood coming from his mouth as Naraku pulled his claws out. The seishi crumpled to the ground, his white tunic already covered in blood.
"C-chichiri..!!" Tasuki rushed to the older seishi's side, pulling him into his arms. "Chichiri…Chichiri…" The bandit's face was already covered in tears.
"T..tasuki…no da…" Chichiri murmured, reaching a hand up shakily to rest on Tasuki's cheek.
The bandit's hand came up immediately to clasp Chichiri's hand to his cheek. "H-hai…?"
"Gomen ne..no da…" The monk coughed harshly, leaving a trail of blood on his chin.
Immediately, Tasuki wiped away the blood and ran his hand along the seishi's paling cheek. "Shhh….dun apologize…ya didn't do anythin' wrong…" Tears poured freely from his eyes, dripping onto Chichiri's shirt. "This…this is all my fault…!!" The bandit buried his face in the monk's shoulder. "Suzaku…this is all my fault…gods… Chiri….aishiteru…!!" He sobbed. "Aishiteru…aishiteru…aishiteru…"
Chichiri's voice was barely a whisper now. "I'll find you again, no da…"
Tasuki jerked his head up, shaking his head. "Iie…iie…You'll be fine..!!" The bandit desperately tried to stop the bleeding but the blood just kept coming. "Chiri..ya can't leave…ya can't!!"
"We'll always be together…" Chichiri smiled weakly. "We'll meet again, no da… I'll find you in the next life, no da…along with the others, no da…" The light was fading from the monk's eye rapidly. "We'll all…be together again…na no da… Aishiteru…"
Tasuki tried his best to smile through the tears the still poured from his eyes. "Hai…" The bandit leaned down and kissed the monk for the last time in that life and held him tightly.
Chichiri kissed him back until his strength left him and his body pulled him out of the kiss. The blue-haired seishi's mahogany eye started to glaze over as he whispered something to the air behind Tasuki. Tasuki heard his love's whisper. "C-chiri…?"
The monk whispered the same sentence again. "Hikou…Kouran…. How long have you been there no da…?" Chichiri let out a sigh, his eye fell closed, and he fell limp in Tasuki's arms.
"C-chiri!?"
Chichiri's chest stopped rising as his breathing ceased and his head fell limply against Tasuki's chest.
"Ch…CHICHIRI!!!!!"
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*BIG YAWN* I was supposed to be in bed an hour ago, but what the hell… *hides from angry reviewers*
Next chapter: Death and Rebirths!
Now..its off to bed! R & R!!