"Damn it Chichiri, where'd you land us this time?" Tasuki shouted, directing his anger at the crumbling wall in front of him. It had taken him a few moments to recover from his quick spin of emotions of heartfelt grief and denial to a safer knowledge that Yumi was still alive and well, but not here. Chiriko insisted the whole thing had been an illusion, but it had seemed so real. He could still vividly see blood spilling from Yumi's chest. So he directed his ire towards something he could abuse. The warrior kicked the old wall savagely, snarling in frustration.
"Calm down, no da! We'll rescue Yumi. I was only a little ways off no da. The city is just right over there, no da!" Chichiri said, pointing over the stretch of wall. Tasuki was chastised for his lack of observation only momentarily because within a minute's time he was striding around the wall.
"Then let's move it! Hell, you guys are slow!" He barked out, mainly directing his comment at Hotohori. The emperor, for what it was worth, didn't argue with him for once. Chichiri had clapped hands over their little warrior's ears and was attempting to chastise Tasuki on his use of language in front of a child. Tasuki could care less. Maybe I'll work on my 'language problem' once I rescue Yumi… yeah right…
Eventually he realized that Chichiri, Hotohori, and Chiriko were following him towards the walls of Kutou. They evaded the entryways entirely, instead springing up over the wall as they had in the illusion created by one of the Seiryu warriors. If that asshole were still lurking around here, Tasuki would kill him. Forget that the priestess of Seiryu was Yumi's friend. He'd kill every Seiryu bastard he came across from here on. Well, maybe he'd wait to kill that Soi woman and Suboshi, since they were directly with their priestess. He didn't want that short girl getting sick on him…
Tasuki was pushing through the crowds, not bothering to apologize to the people he shoved out of the way. His dream was still bothering him though. Who was that other girl, and what had he done? Was that Megumi in the dream? Did I really kill Yumi? He shook his thoughts away and focused on his one goal… Yumi. The others were treading in his wake apologizing for him to the people he rudely pushed aside. Eventually he looked up at a richly decorated palace. It was much grander than Konan's palace, yet somehow much more gaudy and less refined. Not that he normally noticed such things.
"Tasuki, wait… we need a plan before we go into our enemy's palace." Hotohori spoke up for the first time since the illusion. Tasuki turned around suddenly and marched right back until he was toe to toe with the emperor of Konan. He poked the man in the chest with one finger, his lips twisted into a snarl of rage.
"Screw the plan…" he ground out each word slowly, poking the man in the chest again and forcing him off balance. Hotohori had to take a step backwards and Tasuki advanced with him. "Yumi is in there, and those bastards are probably doing all sorts of shit to her, and you want to wait and git yerself a PLAN?" He growled, fairly quivering with suppressed rage. "Where is that guy who kept proclaiming his love fer her, huh? So now ya want to sit around here and waste precious time with a PLAN?" Tasuki was yelling now, unheeding of Chichiri's attempts to quiet him. Tasuki realized that he had gone too far when Hotohori began to glower down at him.
"I care about Yumi just as you do, and because she has chosen you does not make me love her less. I am merely trying to make it so guards or Seiryu warriors don't catch us on the way in." Hotohori said calmly. Tasuki snarled, disregarding the emperor's reason and logic. He turned around and simply walked up the stairs to the palace.
When the two guards at the doors barred his way, Tasuki drew his harisen and knocked them both out with swift blows to the back of their necks. He didn't care if he had accidentally killed them. They deserved it. Chichiri and Hotohori followed him slowly, with Chiriko hiding outside in the grounds, waiting for their return.
Tasuki strode quickly through the palace halls that seemed eerily empty of servants and guards. His boots echoed hollowly on the polished floor, reminding him of the dream once more. It took longer to shove the memory away this time. Chichiri and Hotohori were talking in hushed tones behind him, but he didn't bother to listen. He needed to find Yumi.
Almost abruptly Tasuki found himself in a large chamber, actually decorated with some taste. It was mostly barren though, with expanses of floor tiling before him. His brown eyes were soon drawn to the figure standing in the middle of the room, back turned. He could see enough of the figure to recognize it though. The blonde hair, the armor, the flowing cape; it was the man who had killed Yumi in the illusion.
"Please, come in Tasuki…" The man drawled without turning around. Tasuki pulled his harisen back into his hands. Chichiri and Hotohori followed him in, watching the man warily. Tasuki heard Chichiri speak quietly.
"It's Nakago, the general of Kutou and a celestial warrior of Seiryu." He said, the golden rings on his staff jingling. Hotohori slowly unsheathed his sword and held it before him before Nakago finally turned around. He was a tall man, easily taller than Hotohori, with long blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. The man wore an insolent smirk on his features. He gave each of them a mocking bow, catching each of their gazes briefly.
"Have you seen my priestess lately? I seem to have lost her…" He said in a lazy voice, as if he had nothing else to do but make small talk with them. Tasuki growled deep in his throat and stepped forward slightly, ready to char the man in front of him to a crisp so black that no one would be able to identify his body.
"Oh, you seem angry. Have you lost your priestess as well? I seem to recall seeing her somewhere around here…" Nakago said causally as if they were discussing the weather.
"Don't rise, he's goading you Tasuki." Hotohori whispered, straightening the grip on his sword. Tasuki ground his teeth together and held his scathing tongue in check for only a moment.
"You know damn well where Yumi is, you bastard, so give her back before I turn ya into a pile of ash!" Tasuki shouted, gripping his harisen and charging Nakago head on, disregarding the shouts from his companions. Nakago sidestepped his wild charge neatly, but did not lash out at Tasuki's exposed back. Tasuki spun on his heel and faced his opponent again.
"She seems so young, yet she has the body of a fully mature woman, and her skin is so soft. She really is a treat, what with her fiery spirit and lithe body…" Nakago said thoughtfully, sneering at him from the short distance that separated them. Tasuki's blood boiled as Nakago's words sunk in fully, letting him know exactly what Nakago had done to Yumi.
"You bastard! REKKA SHINEN!" Tasuki roared, putting the full force of his chi behind the flames that sprung forth in a circle around the general rather than from the harisen in his hands. The orange and red flames flickered and danced around the general's form until it disappeared completely. Tasuki panted, looking around. There was a scorched place on the floor where Nakago had been standing, but that didn't matter.
"Is he dead, no da?" Chichiri said in a confused voice. Hotohori shrugged. No one knew. He could be dead, or he could be alive, but it looks like he's dead, cuz he isn't here. Tasuki paused when he thought he heard something. There it went again, a low moaning sound, full of pain. He turned and raced in the direction. He found a passage to another room and skidded through the doorway, entering a room decorated in much the same fashion as the last. There, lying on her back on a large bed was Yumi, unconscious for the moment.
She was bruised all over, her rumpled clothing in a pile on the floor. She groaned again and stirred, opening her eyes slowly. Tasuki stood in stunned silence as Yumi, the woman he loved, sat up with a moan and looked down at her body. He could see realization dawning in her eyes and a single tear traced its way down her cheek. Her face turned upwards slightly, looking into his eyes for a brief moment. Her blue eyes were filled with fear and self-loathing. She began to sob, turning away from him and clutching her waist. Tasuki stepped forward to try and do… something. Whatever he could to comfort her. He could kill Nakago a thousand times over for what he had done to Yumi, but he didn't think her… less for it. He wanted, no, needed her to be happy.
"Tasuki… hold me…" She whispered softly, quivering with fright on the edge of the bed. Wordlessly, Tasuki shrugged out of his coat and wrapped it around Yumi's shoulders. Silently, he sat down beside her and encircled her in his arms. The broken priestess sobbed, choking on her tears against his chest as he rocked her back and forth, trying to soothe her. When Hotohori and Chichiri shot anxious glances into the room he glared at them until they went away. This was the Kutou palace, but an escape could wait. For now he simply ran his hand down Yumi's hair and tried to calm her down, vowing revenge on Nakago if he still lived and all the other Seiryu warriors, even their priestess if need be…
Yumi's grief seemed to take the last of her energy, and soon she was asleep in his arms, still shuddering from sobs threatening to tear her apart. Gently, Tasuki picked her up and kissed her tear-stained cheek. He could have sworn her crying lessened a little. He grabbed her discarded clothing and walked out of the room, careful not to disturb Yumi, and he saw Chichiri and Hotohori waiting in the next room, talking quietly to one another.
"We need to get her to Mitsukake… She's hurt pretty bad." Tasuki knew that the two already knew what really happened, but as long as they didn't say it, he wouldn't either. Chichiri nodded.
"With Nakago gone, I can use my techniques freely, no da. Let's go get Chiriko, no da, and then we can go back to Konan." Tasuki's heart weighed heavily as he carried Yumi's sleeping form out of the palace. He silently cursed the echoing of his footsteps. He would never forget. By the time the three of them left the palace, reinforcements were in place, replacing the guards Tasuki had dispatched earlier. This time, Hotohori took care of their escape while Chichiri searched about for Chiriko. Tasuki held on to Yumi, afraid she might disappear back into… that man's… clutches.
"Chichiri? That took a long time! Did you find Yumi?" Chiriko's little-kid voice carried over Tasuki's thoughts. He looked up to see Chichiri waving a hand in his direction, indicating the recovery of the priestess. Without further ado, Chichiri pulled off his kasa cloth and set it on the ground. Tasuki jumped through first, eager to get Yumi to Mitsukake for healing. He dimly heard Hotohori, Chiriko, and Chichiri follow before he found himself back in Konan's palace. In a twist of irony, they had landed in Yumi's room. Luckily, Tasuki managed to dodge away before the others fell all over the place, creating a racket. Tasuki maneuvered over to the chair and sat down in it, holding Yumi in his lap. Hotohori looked at him blankly for a moment.
"I'll go get Mitsukake…" Chiriko said before bounding out of the room. Hotohori looked as though he wanted to say something, but he merely shrugged and turned to leave. Tasuki asked him to stop.
"Wait, Your Highness." Hotohori looked back at him. "About my outburst earlier…" Hotohori sighed.
"Forget about it. It's the same as I would have done, had someone tried to stop me." Tasuki looked down at Yumi. Through her pain, she was smiling, seemingly feeling safe in Tasuki's arms. When Tasuki looked up again, Hotohori was gone. Chichiri stayed a moment longer.
"Uh, Tasuki, no da, umm…" Tasuki looked up at Chichiri questioningly. "Never mind, no da…" Chichiri left the room silently. Tasuki stroked Yumi's cheek, drying her tears, hoping against hope that she would be okay.
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Megumi paced in her room, bored beyond belief. Soi was out somewhere… she said she was taking a walk. Suboshi was still sleeping, though it was noon now. Megumi had gone to check on him only a few minutes ago, desperate for someone to talk to. She still hadn't been able to apologize to Hotohori. And who is this Kirin person? And what is an Inner Seraglio? She didn't ask either of these questions out loud, though. Kirin seemed so… familiar, somehow. Megumi's stomach growled. She looked down at it.
"Don't you DARE tell me you want food! You just refused everything else I ate recently…" But she couldn't resist. Even though she knew she'd probably throw it up later, she had to get something to eat. She'd always had a weak stomach and she knew throwing up one's food felt much better than throwing up one's stomach acids.
Megumi thought she remembered where the kitchens were. She set off in the general direction, walking slowly. What frustrated her was that everyone had been on edge since last night and no one had told her where Yumi was. Megumi instantly began to worry just thinking about it. I hope she's okay! Maybe she got sick too… she thought. But no one in Konan's palace wanted to tell anything to the priestess of Seiryu.
Since Megumi was actually wearing her glasses, for once she was able to spot the man ahead from a ways off. She recognized him vaguely as Chichiri, one of Yumi's warriors. Maybe he could tell her where he friend was. She needed someone to talk to.
"Hey, you, Mr. Chichiri! Can I ask you something?" Megumi didn't dare run, but she walked quickly up to where the man with the staff was standing, staring at a wall with a frown on his face. He looked quite troubled, like he didn't want to be interrupted, but she had to ask anyway. He looked up and Megumi took a breath, always caught off guard by his funny looking face.
"Uh… do you know where Yumi is? I want to talk to her, I haven't seen her much since I got here you know…" She said, trailing off weakly when she realized that she was probably wasting this man's time. He most likely had something important to do and she didn't need to bother him, but she needed to know anyway. Chichiri looked crestfallen for a moment at her question before smiling in a disarming manner.
"Well, Yumi isn't feeling too well right now, no da. But I'll tell her the minute she gets better that you want to talk with her. I'm sure she'd love to see you, no da." He said, looking perfectly jovial and nonchalant. Megumi frowned briefly. Well… maybe I have a virus and I gave it to her… but she had a hard time convincing herself.
When she brought herself from her thought, Chichiri was already out of sight. Megumi huffed angrily, drawing in a deep breath. She didn't feel so hungry anymore. With a small sigh Megumi turned around only to see a man looking at her from across the hall. She blinked a few times before recognizing him. It was that Tamahome person, another of Yumi's warriors. She had a score to settle with him.
"Hey Tamahome!" She called, striding over to him. He started when she called his name, looking dazed for a moment that gave the priestess of Seiryu time to get closer to him. "You are not very polite!" She said.
"Huh?" Tamahome looked even more confused. Megumi drew a breath. She had never been so good at telling people off like Yumi was.
"You don't so much as look at me this whole time and now I turn around and you're staring at me? What's with that, huh? Are you stalking me?" She said, trying to sound bothered, but she was mainly insanely curious. This man irked her as Kirin did because he seemed so familiar, yet she couldn't place him anywhere.
"Um… no…" Tamahome mumbled, running a hand through his hair. Grr! That looks familiar too! Megumi backed down, staring at him, scrutinizing. Suddenly a loud rumble echoed from her stomach making even the Suzaku warrior in front of her stare.
"SHUT UP! I AM NOT FEEDING YOU!" Megumi half-screamed at her stomach. Tamahome looked very apprehensive of her all of a sudden as the priestess of Seiryu stormed off in a huff. She was tired of this. She'd throw up stomach acids. It didn't matter to her! She was going to wake up Suboshi. It was already noon and she was going to talk to someone!
She poked her head through Suboshi's door, slipping in quietly. In her last visit he had continued to sleep even though she's shaken him and done all other sorts of things. Now was the time to get drastic. Disregarding her churning stomach, Megumi ran forward and jumped, bouncing to on the edge of the bed and landing with the grace of a potato sack on Suboshi.
Maybe she'd gone too far with that, because she thought she'd knocked the wind out of him. He was awake though. Megumi scrambled off his stomach as he gasped for breath, waiting until he recovered it. He sat up and stared at her.
"Are you insane?! You could have killed me!" He said in disbelief. Megumi smiled softly and pointed at Suboshi's bags.
"First thing: I want my medicine, and I think it's in your bag. Second thing: I need someone to talk to." Suboshi instantly began to grumble about his priestess willing to sacrifice his life for such trivial things, but he got up and pulled out her medicine anyway. Willing to do anything to placate the girl until he could breath again.