Chapter Four: "Musing"

by Vega

~~~

When I woke the next morning, it was with the worst hangover I'd ever had in my life. And trust me, being friends with Tetsuya-san, that's saying a lot. Genrou and Koji could drink my wealthy friend under the table ten times over. Whatever it was that they had made that booze out of... jeeze, trust those two to have home-made moonshine that had more kick than a shot-gun.

Of course, here in ancient China, all alcohol was moonshine.



Chichiri, I noted, had stuck with tea instead. Smart Monk.

I spent most of the morning puking into a bucket and missing my indoor plumbing. I don't recall Miaka ever complaining of not having indoor plumbing while in the book, but then, she had always lived in the Palace, hadn't she?

Genrou and Koji teased me mercilessly, calling me a Spineless Scholar, and left to gather the supplies we would need to travel to Konan's capitol. I didn't recall agreeing to head out right away, but then, after the bandit's 'hospitality', I didn't remember a lot of anything. Chichiri took pity on me and made up an herbal tea that helped settle my stomach.

"Here, no da," he said softly, out of respect for my splitting head and helped me to rest against a pillow that he had propped up against a wall. "It was unwise of you to try to take Tasuki on, na no da."

"I don't remember agreeing to that stupid contest. But thanks anyway, Chichiri-sama," I said and took the cup. I tried to gulp it down all at once, burnt my tongue, cursed, then clutched the earthenware cup between both my hands, allowing the vapours to travel up my nose, blowing on the liquid until it was cooler.

"Just Chichiri is fine," the other man said as he plopped down onto another cushion beside me. "May I call you just Keisuke, no da?"

"Yeah, that's fine." I took another experimental sip, and finding the tea had cooled some, drank the rest of the cup and set it aside. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course, no da."

"Why do you still go by your Shitisenshi name?"

Chichiri's face angled downward, and if I'd have been able to see his one remaining eye, I'm sure it would have been pointed at his feet. "Chichiri is who I am now, no da - the... the other me died the night that... that I..."

"I know," I said, putting a hand on his arm. He jumped slightly. "I read all about it. It's okay, you don't have to say it, I understand."

He nodded briefly, then looked away. I think he was embarrassed. The mask didn't flush red, it seemed.

"Genrou doesn't want me using his senshi name," I said in a conversational tone. Chichiri hardly knew me, and I barely knew the real him. I'd only read about him after all, so what right did I have to delve his most personal secrets from him? Best to change the subject.

"Yes, no da. Tasuki... Genrou," Chichiri's face went up towards the ceiling, and I assumed those squinty eyes of his were pointed up - I would just have to get used to the strange fleshy mask, I guessed. "He lost a lot ... misses the others terribly... he made a point of staying out of everyone's new lives. He doesn't want it happening all over again. He ... he doesn't want any more... pain."

I rubbed my chin for a moment, thinking, and noticed that the whiskers were starting to come in. I'd have to find some way of shaving tomorrow, otherwise I'd look like a sasquash within the week. There had to be razors of some sort around - both Genrou and Koji were smooth-faced. I wondered if Chichiri was too, underneath the mask.

"I suppose that explains why he wasn't to thrilled when I said I intended to look for the Suzaku Senshi," I offered after a few moments silence.

"Oh?" Chichiri prompted.

"I think he just... wants to rest," I ventured. "He probably just wants to forget about that chapter of his life."

"Oh, Tasuki would never want to FORGET it, no da," Chichiri corrected me with a small shake of his head and a slight smirk. "He loved that time of our life, no da. He just hated losing everyone he'd ever really cared about, na no da. We all did. Tasuki..." he paused and bumped the back of his head against the wall gently, "... lost everyone dear to him. He tore him up inside. He doesn't want to be reminded of the pain."

"No da."

Chichiri's face turned to mine. "No da," he added softly. I couldn't tell if he was smiling now or not. Taka had told me long ago that Chichiri's odd speech patterns and goofy illusions were just as much a mask as the one he wore on his face. Easily the most powerful magic-wise of the Suzaku Seven, and with brains to rival Chiriko's, Chichiri was certainly not a loveable and bubbly idiot - that was just the front he had decided to put on.

It lulled his enemies into a sense of superiority that made them slip up, and it made children love and trust him. And who wouldn't trust a hat-pulling clown like Chichiri? I suppose he found it easier to keep that image up and face down his demons, and ask people around him to have to witness the physical evidence of his flaring jealousy and betrayal.

"You are wise, to understand Tasuki so well, Kesuki-san," Chichiri said softly, breaking into my thoughts, "I don't know what you are your world, but I find your aura very soothing - and your protectiveness is admirable, no da."

"Protectiveness?"

Chichiri nodded slightly. "I could tell by the way you speak of your nephew: Miaka-sama's Shinzaho, the child Mik-chan, no da."

"I suppose I am protective," I allowed. "But having seen this book tear up the hearts of so many of the people closest to me... I suppose I have a lot of reasons to be that way."

"Speaking of this... 'book'," Chichiri paused to roll the word around in his mouth, as if he was having trouble swallowing the idea that he was just a fictional character. I had my theories that the 'book-world' was really nothing more than a gateway into the actual past, but was having trouble finding evidence for it - especially since the deterioration of the book had directly affected this reality. "Why do you think you are here, no da?"

"Well, I'm not here to be your Miko, obviously," I laughed slightly and flattened my palms over my equally flat chest. "Missing some of the essential equipment."

The other man laughed at this, which made me happy. Like Genrou before him, he looked like he needed a good laugh, too. The herbal remedy in the tea had begun to work, and his ringing voice didn't hurt my head anymore, which was a pleasant observation.

"I was brought here to set something right," I continued, "That's what the incantation in the book said... something about rewarding those who deserved it, treading where no Miko or God had gone before me, a boy to set things right, now that the four girls' stories are over."

Chichiri stopped laughing and 'hmmmed' for a bit. I sat back and waited him out. I felt rumpled and dirty and decided that once Genrou got back, I would beg some fresh clothing and a hot bath from the bandit - I would just have to be careful to keep everything safe and with me, for I had no idea if any of my clothing still linked me to someone in my world.

The thought that Miaka might now be the one reading about my life inside the Shiji Tenshi Sho gave me an odd sort of shudder, and I wrapped my arms around my legs, bringing my knees up to rest my chin on. Was she worried about me? Would she know something I didn't? Or had she even noticed I was gone, yet? Had Mother told her I'd vanished?

Time passed very slowly in my world, compared to this one - perhaps she and Taka were still asleep, peaceful, unaware. I shook my head. No, I had a job to do here, and regardless or wether Miaka knew or not, I had to focus my attention on the people here and now, and their welfare, and my part in that. To fail to do so could result in the destruction of this rare civilization: Miaka and Yui's adventures had taught me that.

When the book calls to you, you do what it wants, you focus all your energy on it, and you get it done right away. That was the only way to end up with a happy ending.

"I think the first place we should go is to see Houki-sama," Chichiri broke into my musings. He pulled himself to his feet, then reached down and helped me do the same. "I want to read Konan's Shiji Tenshi Sho, see if there's anything in it about you, or this, no da."

"I thought it burned up when Miaka did the summoning ceremony," I said, wiping the dirt off the ass of my sweat pants.

Chichiri gave a little chuckle of sorts and patted the dust from his own trousers. "It was, no da. But we kept a transcription of it in the shrine, na no da."

"Sounds like a plan ter me!" Genrou's harsh voice called from the door way and I looked up to see the flame-haired bandit standing there in what I assumed was his travel gear - heavy duty leather boots and trousers, and something that sort of reminded me of a modern-day duster over a white shirt. I recalled having seen him in clothing similar to this the day he had fought Nakago in downtown Tokyo. "Whatter we waitin' for?"

"Me," I said and held out my arms to demonstrate the filthiness of my itching sweat shirt. "Mind if I steal a bath and a change of clothes before we go?"

Genrou shook his head. "What's with you Other World people and your need for baths? Miaka was the same damn way. Fine, follow me..."

I flashed a grin at Chichiri, "Hey, thanks for the tea, it really helped!" and followed the bandit down the hall. I envisioned a filthy little bathing tub and a gross mildewy floor, and was suitably impressed when I was led outside to a real onsen. Natural hot-springs were all over the place in Japan, but to see one here, like this, without the commercialism and fences that were usually all around them, was somewhat of a miracle.

"Ya got an hour," Genrou said, "an then me 'n Koji'll come an drag ya out. I'll leave clothes by the door for ya. Oh, and I don't got any of that soap stuff that Miaka liked."

"That's fine," I said, and bowed in thanks. "A rinse is all I need."

He turned and left and I scrambled out of my clothes and into the hot water. The heat made all my little aches and pains go away, and I revelled in the luxury. I took advantage of the allotted full hour, even though I really didn't need it. We had to get moving as soon as possible I figured, but I couldn't tear myself away from the surreal peace and beauty of the surrounding forests.

If I didn't have a quest, and a family back home, I wouldn't mind staying at Mt. Leikaku for the rest of my life. Although Miaka no longer needed my protection, and Mother would get along just fine with my sister and brother and law ... no, I didn't belong here any more than Tamahome had belonged in my world. It had been an awful doing, getting him permission to stay, and I didn't want to have to go through that. Besides, how could I just up and vanish on my poor mother?

And I knew Miaka would curse me for all of eternity if my disappearance forced her to tell everything to Mom.

Yet... this place had it's own sort of appeal, it's own roguish charm. It certainly beat exams and annoying profs, and the harsh fast-paced noise of the real world. I wouldn't be much help to the Bandits, of course, as I was nothing more than a book worm, really, but maybe the Empress would give me a job at the Palace... Research or something?

I shook my head and dunked myself.

Idiot. What was I thinking?

The Shiji Tenshi Sho took and never gave back - if I were to stay, part of me would have to pay for that... if I got out of this adventure alive, that is. And I wasn't so sure I would.

Turning my mind from far less black things, I surfaced again and scrubbed at my tawny hair briefly. I had no hair gel, and if I was here for too long, I would have to start tying back like Genrou's. The thought of my hair reminded me briefly of a drunken flash of last night's conversation, which consisted partially of my convincing Koji that I really was not a Hin, and that my light hair and eye colours were due to my father, a European man who had vanished from our lives a few months before Miaka had been born.

I satisfied my guilt at the long bath by carefully peeling away the bandages on my hands and cleaning the wounds there throughly, administering to the ones I'd sustained by my small scuffle with Genrou at the same time. And, Hell, I thought, if I was going to see the Empress of Konan, I better damn well not smell like the rivers of Tokyo doing it.

I climbed out of the spring and shook myself dry - luckily, hot water evaporates quickly and I was able to slide into the black leather trousers and boots right away. I kept my own socks, turning them inside out, as none had been provided. I hoped that was enough of a connection to my world - maybe Miaka would read the passage about me dressing and go and put on a pair of my stinky old socks to try to talk to me!

The thought made me laugh, which lightened my heart.

I'll admit, I was nervous, and worried. These quests for the Gods always ended up at least a little bloody, and like Genrou had accused, I was very little more than a 'Spineless Scholar'... I was no warrior. And I didn't have Miaka's Holy Miko Powers.

I hoped I wouldn't have to rely on the Suzaku Shitisenshi, I really did, but I had a feeling I would. Why else would I have appeared in this world so close to this mountain?

I quickly slipped on the dark yellow tunic provided, and the blue vest with lots of elaborate needlework around the button holes. I wonder which noble this had been stolen from. The tunic I tucked into my waistband and only buttoned the top half of the vest, letting the tails hang down to my knees. There were a few extra lengths of ribbon-like material left over, and I figured out that one was a long red sash that I had to wind several times around my hips to keep it from dragging, while the rest were linen bandages for my hands.

The last length of red I supposed was a headband of sorts, but I forwent that. I thought it might make me look too much like Suboshi. With a small shiver at the memories, I tucked the fabric into my belt and went into the hideout.

Chichiri and Genrou would be waiting for me.

It was time to get this adventure started.

~~~

Author's Note:

Well, Happy Valentine's Day. I hate it. But that's only because I'm single.

I don't know how many of you have followed me here from "Spider", but welcome. I look forward from hearing from all of you!

I can't give you a garuntee of when this fic will be updated regularily, but I will try to get at least one chapter every few days - maybe faster once I've finished downloading OVA 3... silly slow connection... *sigh*

Review:

methodic madness: I answered most of your questions in a long e-mail, but thank you again for asking them. Just to re-cap, yes, this does include the third OVA, yes, the call of the book is irrestistable to all, and thank you so much for your compliments on my writing style! And good news, I finally have a plot breakdown, now! Wee! I know where I'm going with this sucker!

whiteangelguardian: What a mouthfull of a name! Or else what...? heh heh heh

Ellen: Woo! First reviews are always the most fun! I agree, I think it's about time Keisuke got his due. He's a very strong and intriguiing person, adn I think it does him no justice to see him sitting on the sidelines all the time, just because he's male. I was so rooting for him to follow Mayo into the book... *sigh* ... oh well.