Disclaimer: I don't own Fushigi Yuugi or Chichiri. Wish I did, tho.
The next day was too quiet to not be suspicious. That night, Chichiri sensed that something was indeed amiss, since Tasuki was being oddly quiet and withdrawn. He had not left his room since he was attacked, and nothing could lure him out again. The monk knocked on Tasuki's door. "Tasuki? Are you okay, no da?" Of course, there was no answer. "Tasuki, you have to come out sometime. You'll make yourself sick, no da." Silence. "... Well, some food is ready if you're hungry... Please come out, Tasuki, no da. We're all worried." Chichiri concluded that the bandit wouldn't budge, so he left.
An ear-splitting scream came from upstairs, and no one could scream like that unless something truly horrible happened. All the other seishi, except Tasuki, raced to find the Nuriko in the bathroom. Her eyes were bugging out at the bathtub. Chichiri peered at the tub while everyone else tended to Nuriko, who was too shocked to explain.
The monk couldn't find anything abnormal. The curtains were closed as they were the other night, and had no signs of being moved previously. Then his eyes drifted down the sides of the tub, and a red gleam shone back at him. Chichiri walked closer and stared. No... it... it couldn't be that...
Quick as a flash, the monk opened the curtains and almost passed out. Tamahome was half-sitting, half-lying in the bathtub, in what could be assumed a pool of his own blood. His throat was slit wide open, his eyes open as well, with the empty terror that comes after death. A few drops of blood still dripped down Tamahome's split neck
Chichiri immediately looked around the rest of the bathroom. There was not a single spot of blood anywhere, so the crime must have been either committed in the tub itself, or the excess blood was cleaned up without a trace. The lone drop that had managed to find it's way out gave no clue. The blue-haired seishi removed his mask to show respect and fought the urge to gag.
Nuriko was now in tears, crying hysterically and saying unintelligible things. Mitsukake walked over and peered into the bathtub, then immediately turned away. He led Chiriko, who still hadn't regained his kanji, out of sight of Tamahome. Chichiri then wondered if Tasuki knew. He turned to the babbling Nuriko and guided her out, then made way to Tasuki's room. He didn't bother to knock; he just turned the knob to see it unlocked, walked in, grabbed the bandit by the collar, and dragged him into the bathroom. "Look in the tub, no da," he managed to choke out.
Tasuki walked up and saw the warrior in all his bloody glory. Tasuki covered his mouth and staggered backwards into the opposite wall. "Wh... What..." he tried to speak, but instead he simply keeled over and vomited profusely.
Chichiri's face moved at the stench of it, combined with that of death and blood, and helped the shaking bandit leader to stand. "... Feel better, no da?" was all he could bring himself to say.
Tasuki's eyes met his, and Chichiri saw genuine fear. "'Chiri... what... what happened?" the flame-haired seishi whispered.
"I'm not sure, no da."
Tasuki fell silent, still as pale as ever, despite his well-tanned skin. Then he suddenly pounded the wall with a fist, making pieces fly everywhere. "It... 's my fault..."
"Don't be ridiculous, no da! You didn't... do this."
"'S not what I meant! He must've killed 'imself cuz of th' fight last night... D... dammit..." Tasuki slid onto the ground. "'S my fault... my fault..." he kept muttering. "He apologized t' me, an' I wouldn' listen... now he's dead... DAMMIT!!!"
Chichiri could only look on as his comrade let out his rage and frustration on the wall. Dust and wood went every which way. Finally, he thought Tasuki had let out enough. He put a spell on him to make him unable to move. "Tasuki, it's not your fault, no da. Don't be so hard on yourself."
"D... Don' tell me it wasn' my fault... Now lemme go."
The monk paused a moment. "You're so stubborn, no da." He released the bandit, who slumped to his knees in tears and defeat. "... ... But at least you let your feelings show, no da... Instead of hiding them." He helped Tasuki onto his feet and slipped his mask back into place.
The bandit wiped his eyes. "Alright..." Tasuki made his way to the bathtub and closed the curtains. "... Chichiri."
"Hai?"
"... Who's gonna tell Miaka?"
Chichiri hadn't considered this. But now that he thought about it, Miaka would be devastated. "... I... I'm not sure, no da. And His Majesty must know as well..."
"... I'll do it." Tasuki turned to look at the monk, who was indeed surprised. "I'll tell 'em both. I'll tell 'em everythin' that happened..." When he saw the look of slight confusion upon Chichiri's face, he added, "I may be a bandit, but I gotta sense of respect... Least I c'n do fer Ta-" The rest of the name came out in a choking noise, and he left the bathroom.
"... Tasuki..."
Okay, so that chapter was a lot more interesting than the first- well, in my opinion. And it's just going to get moreso, no da!