Part 4
Thieves, bandits, and justice
"REKKA---"
Yui spun around just in time to shove Miaka aside.
"---SHIEN!"
A jet of flame rushed by, singeing much of Yui's hair.
"Tasuki.?!" exclaimed Miaka.
The fire died away almost immediately.
"Shit! Miaka, is that yo-"
But Tasuki couldn't finish because there was a blast of electricity and a sudden whirlwind.
"I found you at last, cowardly Reikaku bandits!" exclaimed a triumphant, yet rather high pitched voice.
Miaka and Yui dived to the side as a brief scuffle between something with huge black wings and the infamous leader of the Mount Reikaku bandits ensued. Nataku watched impassively from the sidelines as flames, electricity and wind blasted about in the duo's conflict.
"Hey." said a voice at Miaka's side. She turned to face a blue haired man with a scar running down his cheek and an unusually colorful headband. "I remember you! You're the one Genrou went travelling with!"
"And you're his best friend, Kouji! You helped me out when I first came to Reikaku!" Miaka looked delighted to see a familiar face as the winged man attempted to bite Tasuki's ear off.
The Reikaku bandits diverted their attention from the brawl briefly to look curiously at Miaka and Yui.
Nataku remained fixated on the scuffle, and without altering his expression, he raised his two arms out in front of him like a zombie and.
BLAM! Whzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz....CRASH!!!
Tasuki and the winged man were separated from the scuffle in an instant, one of Nataku's brass gauntlets buried in the ground by the winged man's head, and the other buried in the ground between Tasuki's legs (a narrow miss).
"N-Nataku?! What did you do that for?" The winged man staggered up indignantly, his hands clenched into fists. Yui noted his ears were pointed and he had a set of fangs that would be the envy of Dracula.
"Baka."
The winged man fumed.
"Oi, RaiShinShi, he has a point. You've been after our blood for months and haven't managed to bring a single Reikaku bandit to Emperor Buu-oh. You are pretty stupid. That's absolutely right Kouji, the best friend of Genrou!"
Yui blinked, whirling around to stare, astounded, at the blue haired man. He didn't... he couldn't have... Just....
"It's okay," Miaka whispered, "He's a little crazy, but he's alright."
"Is he schizophrenic?" Yui asked under her breath.
"I think so."
Tasuki stood slowly, his eyes fixated on Miaka.
"By the four Gods, I don't fucking believe it. Miaka, it's really good to see you."
Miaka hurried to the orange haired Seishi, grinning broadly. "I see you still haven't given up being a bandit! How are you? How's Aidou (1)?"
Tasuki shifted awkwardly as the rest of the bandits looked nervously over their shoulders. Just the mention of the name of such a formidable foe was enough to make any man squeamish.
Yui watched from the side as Miaka and her friend were reunited. Kouji glanced down at Yui and soon interpreted the sour and miserable expression the girl wore.
"Your hair," he began slowly and took a singed lock in his hands studying it closely, "Genrou burned it."
"You see?" RaiShinShi exploded, "He singed a woman's hair! He's a dirty no good rotten-"
"Shut up." Said Nataku, silencing the bat-like man with a glare.
Yui surveyed her long hair, now blackened and frazzled from the flames that had narrowly missed her. It looked like she would have to cut it short again. She shrugged, trying to seem nonplussed by the idea of cutting her hair again.
"It's alright, I was thinking of cutting it anyway," she gave a laugh that sounded a little too high and awkward so that she could repress a sob.
Kouji gave her a sympathetic look, but grinned.
"Ne Genrou, how about we head back to the new hide out with our noble guests who you almost killed. That sounds like a great idea Kouji, let's go!"
The Reikaku bandits looked nervously at the second in command, while RaiShinShi shot Nataku dirty looks.
"You're an enemy of justice, you know that don't you?"
"Baka."
Yui was surprised they allowed RaiShinShi to follow along. When she asked Kouji, the blue haired man grinned.
"Like I said, he doesn't really intend to capture us. He just chases us around for the hell of something to do. Once his brother took the throne as emperor Buu-oh, a lot of the real bad criminals were tossed into the dungeons."
"Oh," Yui said distantly as she observed RaiShinShi yelling shrilly at Nataku who seemed indifferent.
"Is that red haired guy catatonic?" Kouji wondered aloud.
"I don't know." Yui responded, "seems like it, doesn't it?"
It could have been worse.
Worse than dinner with 157 rowdy, big mouthed, sweaty meatheads.
It could have been dinner with a certain oversexed pretty boy.
Yui kept telling herself that as Miaka and Tasuki talked and caught up on old memories. Yui had the distinct impression Tasuki was avoiding any contact with her, and didn't blame the fiery haired bandit. After all, she had tried to murder him and the rest of the Suzaku Seishi only three years ago.
Kouji, however, was delighted to talk with the former priestess of Sei-Ryu.
"You should see Qu-dong! After Kishou's death, the place was merged with Seiki and is now a huge industrial town. The new emperor Buu-oh has really done a lot. Especially after the whole escapade with TaiKouBou and the Yin empire's collapse? He's really incredible. Right now I hear he's looking for a wife, but he's such a playboy, he'll probably beat his father's record of one hundred sons."
Yui spluttered in disbelief.
"One - one hundred?!"
"Yeah. That RaiShinShi is the hundredth son. You want to know something sad, though? When Dakki, one of Chuu-oh's concubines," Kouji added hastily when Yui gave him a blank look, "took Kishou captive, his oldest son HakuYuKo went to rescue him. In return for his father's freedom, HakuYuKo was executed and fed to his father as hamburger steaks."
Yui turned slightly green "Oh my god," she groaned. The lumps of meat lost whatever appeal they might have had before.
"TaiKouBou is Buu-oh's military advisor now. Those two," he indicated Nataku and RaiShinShi, "traveled and fought alongside him. It's really an incredible story."
Yui thought that a more incredible story would be how a man who seemed so easily enthralled with everything could end up being a bandit.
RaiShinShi was glaring around, looking forlorn as he ate. Nataku did not touch the food, but instead watched Tasuki warily.
The Tessen had caught the human paopei's eye.
Ki Hatsu groaned, falling limp over the side of the throne's arm and giving a long sigh.
"I swear it's all the same, every one of them; 'oh Buu-oh-sama, you're so handsome', 'oh Buu-oh-sama I would be honored to be your queen'. If I were any man on the street, they'd all spit in my face. If I hear the name Buu- oh-sama one more damn time I think I'll go bonkers and kill someone!"
ShuuKouDahn glowered at his brother disaprovingly.
"You're name is Buu-oh now. Get used to it."
"I don't have to like it though. I liked Ki Hatsu better. It was the name father gave me. I don't see why it makes a difference if I'm called Ki Hatsu-sama."
"It's how things are done." ShuuKouDahn said with a hint of exasperation in his voice. Ki Hatsu sighed.
"All those pudding-chan, so beautiful, so ripe for the picking, but all they care about is that I'm an emperor."
He slumped further into the throne, staring blankly at a pillar.
"Where's Suusuu?" He asked out loud.
"As there is currently no threat of military conflict, TaiKouBou Suusuu has taken a small residence beside the river." ShuuKouDahn said in his most pompously formal tone.
Ki Hatsu sighed and stood. "If there's nothing else for me to do today, I'll turn in."
ShinKouHyou watched curiously from the back of KokuTenKou.
"So the emperor of the Shuu empire has tired of his crown. I wonder...."
The black eyes turned to focus on the temporary hideout of the Mount Reikaku bandits.
"ShinKouHyou, is something going to happen?" KokuTenKou inquired tentively.
ShinKouHyou chuckled softly.
"Things are going to get interesting again, KokuTenKou."
Ki Hatsu stepped softly along the path, away from the palace and clutching a brown cloak tightly around himself.
He needed to get out, even if only for a short time. ShuuKouDahn could take over for a while. The strict younger brother was much more skilled at handling the trials of royalty.
Ki Hatsu had a special talent for chasing skirts and being rejected every time.
He liked that life so much better, because he didn't have to be an emperor. He could be a man.
With a sigh, he set forward to take a few days off.
Yui stepped out into the faint blue glow of the full moon, glancing around cautiously. She could see the movement of a distant bandit sentry and quickly slipped into the bushes to avoid being noticed. A soft rustle about twenty yards away drew her attention to the right. She held her breath and peered through the bushes, expecting to see a sentry. What she did see shocked her to her wit's end and made her cheeks the color of ripe tomatoes. In a patch of ferns, tangled together in the aftermath of what had unmistakably been wild sex, were RaiShinShi and Nataku.
Bursting into a fit of mad giggles would not be a wise move, she noted, and suppressed the urge to do just that.
A little embarrassed, but not too surprised about the incident, Yui crept quietly as possible from the bush and onto the main road.
Sleep had not come easily to her that night, and she figured a midnight stroll around the hideout would do her some good. Walking silently, alone in her thoughts, Yui failed to notice an oversized root. Her foot caught and she went flying head over cowl down a slight decline in the road only to come to an abrupt halt at some wandering stranger.
"Well, what have we here? A pudding-chan?" Said an all too familiar voice.
Tasuki trudged through the foliage in a fowl temper. That priestess of Sei- Ryu had wandered off in the middle of the night. Now he was concerned she was going to round up the last of her Seishi and return with a burning vengeance.
Tasuki was not expecting to trip over two young men in the throes of passion.
Ai-chan: Sorry to everyone who's reading this for taking so long ^.^()! I've been really busy with the holidays and whatnot (* flops over and writhes in agony *). Anyway, I finished, and here begins Nataku and Tasuki's rivalry (I love these two so much!). Okay, so I'm trying to keep everyone IC but it's hard (Tasuki doesn't swear enough, Kouji isn't psychotic enough, Nataku isn't stoic enough, RaiShinShi isn't . um . weird enough).
Anyway, thank you to everyone who's responded to this fic (I 3 you all!!!) and Happy Holidays! * dances off in a fit of joy *.
(1) Aidou - Tasuki's older sister (who has a tendency to throw logs ^.^).
Thieves, bandits, and justice
"REKKA---"
Yui spun around just in time to shove Miaka aside.
"---SHIEN!"
A jet of flame rushed by, singeing much of Yui's hair.
"Tasuki.?!" exclaimed Miaka.
The fire died away almost immediately.
"Shit! Miaka, is that yo-"
But Tasuki couldn't finish because there was a blast of electricity and a sudden whirlwind.
"I found you at last, cowardly Reikaku bandits!" exclaimed a triumphant, yet rather high pitched voice.
Miaka and Yui dived to the side as a brief scuffle between something with huge black wings and the infamous leader of the Mount Reikaku bandits ensued. Nataku watched impassively from the sidelines as flames, electricity and wind blasted about in the duo's conflict.
"Hey." said a voice at Miaka's side. She turned to face a blue haired man with a scar running down his cheek and an unusually colorful headband. "I remember you! You're the one Genrou went travelling with!"
"And you're his best friend, Kouji! You helped me out when I first came to Reikaku!" Miaka looked delighted to see a familiar face as the winged man attempted to bite Tasuki's ear off.
The Reikaku bandits diverted their attention from the brawl briefly to look curiously at Miaka and Yui.
Nataku remained fixated on the scuffle, and without altering his expression, he raised his two arms out in front of him like a zombie and.
BLAM! Whzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz....CRASH!!!
Tasuki and the winged man were separated from the scuffle in an instant, one of Nataku's brass gauntlets buried in the ground by the winged man's head, and the other buried in the ground between Tasuki's legs (a narrow miss).
"N-Nataku?! What did you do that for?" The winged man staggered up indignantly, his hands clenched into fists. Yui noted his ears were pointed and he had a set of fangs that would be the envy of Dracula.
"Baka."
The winged man fumed.
"Oi, RaiShinShi, he has a point. You've been after our blood for months and haven't managed to bring a single Reikaku bandit to Emperor Buu-oh. You are pretty stupid. That's absolutely right Kouji, the best friend of Genrou!"
Yui blinked, whirling around to stare, astounded, at the blue haired man. He didn't... he couldn't have... Just....
"It's okay," Miaka whispered, "He's a little crazy, but he's alright."
"Is he schizophrenic?" Yui asked under her breath.
"I think so."
Tasuki stood slowly, his eyes fixated on Miaka.
"By the four Gods, I don't fucking believe it. Miaka, it's really good to see you."
Miaka hurried to the orange haired Seishi, grinning broadly. "I see you still haven't given up being a bandit! How are you? How's Aidou (1)?"
Tasuki shifted awkwardly as the rest of the bandits looked nervously over their shoulders. Just the mention of the name of such a formidable foe was enough to make any man squeamish.
Yui watched from the side as Miaka and her friend were reunited. Kouji glanced down at Yui and soon interpreted the sour and miserable expression the girl wore.
"Your hair," he began slowly and took a singed lock in his hands studying it closely, "Genrou burned it."
"You see?" RaiShinShi exploded, "He singed a woman's hair! He's a dirty no good rotten-"
"Shut up." Said Nataku, silencing the bat-like man with a glare.
Yui surveyed her long hair, now blackened and frazzled from the flames that had narrowly missed her. It looked like she would have to cut it short again. She shrugged, trying to seem nonplussed by the idea of cutting her hair again.
"It's alright, I was thinking of cutting it anyway," she gave a laugh that sounded a little too high and awkward so that she could repress a sob.
Kouji gave her a sympathetic look, but grinned.
"Ne Genrou, how about we head back to the new hide out with our noble guests who you almost killed. That sounds like a great idea Kouji, let's go!"
The Reikaku bandits looked nervously at the second in command, while RaiShinShi shot Nataku dirty looks.
"You're an enemy of justice, you know that don't you?"
"Baka."
Yui was surprised they allowed RaiShinShi to follow along. When she asked Kouji, the blue haired man grinned.
"Like I said, he doesn't really intend to capture us. He just chases us around for the hell of something to do. Once his brother took the throne as emperor Buu-oh, a lot of the real bad criminals were tossed into the dungeons."
"Oh," Yui said distantly as she observed RaiShinShi yelling shrilly at Nataku who seemed indifferent.
"Is that red haired guy catatonic?" Kouji wondered aloud.
"I don't know." Yui responded, "seems like it, doesn't it?"
It could have been worse.
Worse than dinner with 157 rowdy, big mouthed, sweaty meatheads.
It could have been dinner with a certain oversexed pretty boy.
Yui kept telling herself that as Miaka and Tasuki talked and caught up on old memories. Yui had the distinct impression Tasuki was avoiding any contact with her, and didn't blame the fiery haired bandit. After all, she had tried to murder him and the rest of the Suzaku Seishi only three years ago.
Kouji, however, was delighted to talk with the former priestess of Sei-Ryu.
"You should see Qu-dong! After Kishou's death, the place was merged with Seiki and is now a huge industrial town. The new emperor Buu-oh has really done a lot. Especially after the whole escapade with TaiKouBou and the Yin empire's collapse? He's really incredible. Right now I hear he's looking for a wife, but he's such a playboy, he'll probably beat his father's record of one hundred sons."
Yui spluttered in disbelief.
"One - one hundred?!"
"Yeah. That RaiShinShi is the hundredth son. You want to know something sad, though? When Dakki, one of Chuu-oh's concubines," Kouji added hastily when Yui gave him a blank look, "took Kishou captive, his oldest son HakuYuKo went to rescue him. In return for his father's freedom, HakuYuKo was executed and fed to his father as hamburger steaks."
Yui turned slightly green "Oh my god," she groaned. The lumps of meat lost whatever appeal they might have had before.
"TaiKouBou is Buu-oh's military advisor now. Those two," he indicated Nataku and RaiShinShi, "traveled and fought alongside him. It's really an incredible story."
Yui thought that a more incredible story would be how a man who seemed so easily enthralled with everything could end up being a bandit.
RaiShinShi was glaring around, looking forlorn as he ate. Nataku did not touch the food, but instead watched Tasuki warily.
The Tessen had caught the human paopei's eye.
Ki Hatsu groaned, falling limp over the side of the throne's arm and giving a long sigh.
"I swear it's all the same, every one of them; 'oh Buu-oh-sama, you're so handsome', 'oh Buu-oh-sama I would be honored to be your queen'. If I were any man on the street, they'd all spit in my face. If I hear the name Buu- oh-sama one more damn time I think I'll go bonkers and kill someone!"
ShuuKouDahn glowered at his brother disaprovingly.
"You're name is Buu-oh now. Get used to it."
"I don't have to like it though. I liked Ki Hatsu better. It was the name father gave me. I don't see why it makes a difference if I'm called Ki Hatsu-sama."
"It's how things are done." ShuuKouDahn said with a hint of exasperation in his voice. Ki Hatsu sighed.
"All those pudding-chan, so beautiful, so ripe for the picking, but all they care about is that I'm an emperor."
He slumped further into the throne, staring blankly at a pillar.
"Where's Suusuu?" He asked out loud.
"As there is currently no threat of military conflict, TaiKouBou Suusuu has taken a small residence beside the river." ShuuKouDahn said in his most pompously formal tone.
Ki Hatsu sighed and stood. "If there's nothing else for me to do today, I'll turn in."
ShinKouHyou watched curiously from the back of KokuTenKou.
"So the emperor of the Shuu empire has tired of his crown. I wonder...."
The black eyes turned to focus on the temporary hideout of the Mount Reikaku bandits.
"ShinKouHyou, is something going to happen?" KokuTenKou inquired tentively.
ShinKouHyou chuckled softly.
"Things are going to get interesting again, KokuTenKou."
Ki Hatsu stepped softly along the path, away from the palace and clutching a brown cloak tightly around himself.
He needed to get out, even if only for a short time. ShuuKouDahn could take over for a while. The strict younger brother was much more skilled at handling the trials of royalty.
Ki Hatsu had a special talent for chasing skirts and being rejected every time.
He liked that life so much better, because he didn't have to be an emperor. He could be a man.
With a sigh, he set forward to take a few days off.
Yui stepped out into the faint blue glow of the full moon, glancing around cautiously. She could see the movement of a distant bandit sentry and quickly slipped into the bushes to avoid being noticed. A soft rustle about twenty yards away drew her attention to the right. She held her breath and peered through the bushes, expecting to see a sentry. What she did see shocked her to her wit's end and made her cheeks the color of ripe tomatoes. In a patch of ferns, tangled together in the aftermath of what had unmistakably been wild sex, were RaiShinShi and Nataku.
Bursting into a fit of mad giggles would not be a wise move, she noted, and suppressed the urge to do just that.
A little embarrassed, but not too surprised about the incident, Yui crept quietly as possible from the bush and onto the main road.
Sleep had not come easily to her that night, and she figured a midnight stroll around the hideout would do her some good. Walking silently, alone in her thoughts, Yui failed to notice an oversized root. Her foot caught and she went flying head over cowl down a slight decline in the road only to come to an abrupt halt at some wandering stranger.
"Well, what have we here? A pudding-chan?" Said an all too familiar voice.
Tasuki trudged through the foliage in a fowl temper. That priestess of Sei- Ryu had wandered off in the middle of the night. Now he was concerned she was going to round up the last of her Seishi and return with a burning vengeance.
Tasuki was not expecting to trip over two young men in the throes of passion.
Ai-chan: Sorry to everyone who's reading this for taking so long ^.^()! I've been really busy with the holidays and whatnot (* flops over and writhes in agony *). Anyway, I finished, and here begins Nataku and Tasuki's rivalry (I love these two so much!). Okay, so I'm trying to keep everyone IC but it's hard (Tasuki doesn't swear enough, Kouji isn't psychotic enough, Nataku isn't stoic enough, RaiShinShi isn't . um . weird enough).
Anyway, thank you to everyone who's responded to this fic (I 3 you all!!!) and Happy Holidays! * dances off in a fit of joy *.
(1) Aidou - Tasuki's older sister (who has a tendency to throw logs ^.^).