Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own FY. I do own Tsuzaru and Frosthe though. But I'd rather own Tasuki and Chichiri. Lol.
Chapter 9 Take the Moment
AN: Hello! Ummm...first, so you ain't confused:
Italics-Thoughts or song lyrics -Flashback
Secondly, anybody who likes Tamahome will probably not like this. I generally except any sort of flames, but I don't want ANY concerning how I portray Tamahome in this. If you are offended by any sort of Tamahome-bashing, or anything that makes Tamahome appear...well...bad, I suggest you do NOT read this chapter as it portrays Tamahome in a bad light. I personally hate Tamahome, so it doesn't bother me in the least to kill the bastard!! Mwuhahahaha!! Die Tamahome! Coughs Ahem, what I meant to say is, please enjoy the story.
Silver eyes gleamed in the darkness, staring into the crystal orb that held the image of his enemies. With a cry of rage, the orb was hurled at a wall, shattering into a thousands sparkling pieces. A servant cowered in the corner, attempting to melt into the wall and thus avoid his master's wrath.
"Damn her! She is moving faster than I expected! The bitch creator has already summoned two of the four celestials!" A gloved hand clenched and unclenched. "No matter! They will not summon the other two nor will they find the seishi. They need all twenty-eight to hope to stand a chance against me." Silvers eyes glared at the servant who whimpered in fear. "Is the prisoner secured!?"
The imp nodded desperately, squeaking in terror as the large man advanced on him. A hand patted the tiny demon on the head in a cruel mockery of caring. "Good work. Now begone lest I kill you right now." The imp dashed out the door, disappearing in moments.
A motion of the hand had the shards of the shattered globe reforming together and settling in the man's hands. "Well now priestesses, I can't make this easy on you now can I? There would be no fun in that. Perhaps I should test you both..."
"Why do I gotta git the firewood!? Make Chiri git it!" Tasuki demanded.
"He's getting our dinner, if you've forgotten!" Miaka shouted back at him.
"Then why don' ya put yer pet kitty t'use then!? Hey!! Where'd the damned thin' go?" The Wing seishi turned around in a full circle, attempting to find the giant tiger. "The damned cat ran off!"
Miaka sighed, stirring the pot of soup she was making to go with the fish Chichiri caught. If the monk caught any. And fortunately, the Miko no Suzaku had learned to cook. "He followed Chichiri to the river. Now Tasuki, if you wish to have something to eat tonight, we're going to need some firewood. So please go get some." She turned around to face him, eyes wide and hands clasped in front of her. "I'd get it myself, you know, but I don't want this to burn and I'm just not as strong as you are. I don't have the muscles required to get those awfully heavy logs and you're so strong...well...I thought it wouldn't be a problem for you." She batted her eyes at the bandit.
"Awww, Mi-chan! I understand. Its not yer fault yer not a strong as me. I'll git the firewood." The bandit graciously offered to the woman.
"Oh thank you so much, Tasu-kun! I just knew I could count on you." Miaka turned away, as if to hide a blush. She bit down on her wrist to keep from laughing. Tasuki was so easy to manipulate at times. Not that she would ever do that to him except in dire times. Like, when there was no firewood.
"Its no problem, Mi-chan. I'll be right back!" The fire seishi strolled into the woods, unaware how easily his miko had played him.
Alone in the camp, Miaka shuddered, realizing how quiet it was tonight. She started humming to herself as she continued cooking. First in a whisper, then louder, she started singing the lyrics to the song, dancing around slightly.
The world weighs on my shoulders But what am I to do?
The fire was forgotten as the song wrapped itself around the miko, inspiring her to whirl around into a series of complicated steps. Her eyes slid shut, even as her voice gained strength, completely lost in the moment.
You sometimes drive me crazy But I worry about you
Tasuki, returning from his 'self-appointed' task, stopped in awe. Frozen in place he watched in amazement as a red glow suffused his priestess as she danced faster. Her attire slowly changed to that of a priestess's ceremonial garb.
I know it makes no difference To what you're going through.
But I see the tip of the iceberg And I worry about you
The light faded slowly as she slowed down, her clothes reverting back to what they were. She opened her eyes slowly, as if waking from a dream. She looked around for a few moments, giggling to herself. Miaka could only imagine the teasing she would be in for if any of her three companions had seen her, acting like a child. A feeling of euphoria enveloped her as she started humming again.
The crack of a stick had her whipping around to see Tasuki coming back, smiling like usually but his eyes were guarded. She shrugged it off and moved to relieve the bandit of some of his load. "What took you so long, Tasuki? I was afraid you'd wandered off and gotten yourself lost."
Knuckles rapped her on the head lightly. "Why Mi-chan, I never knew ya cared! How long have ya been hidin' these feelin's fer me?" He teased her, acting like his usual self on the outside. Inside, his thoughts whirled with confusion. How did she summon Suzaku's power like that! She shouldn' be able t'do that with him sealed. It makes no sense!
"Mou, Tasuki!" She batted his hand away before looking at him soulfully. "Do you mean to say you never noticed?! But how could you? You were never interested in me that way." Dramatic little sniffle as she looks down, causing a rising sense of panic in the dumbfounded seishi. "Why, the only reason I settled for Tamahome was because he was just a replacement for you!" A tiny sob escaped the miko's mouth as she pressed a hand over it.
"Wha'?! What are ya talkin' about Mi-chan! Aw shit! Please don' cry! I honestly didn' know! Aw dammit!" He made a move to hug her but she jerked away. But, how was he to know Miaka had loved him!? She was always swooning over that asshole, Tamahome.
"No, no! I understand Tasuki. After all, how could anyone love a devious, mischievous, and completely evil miko who has totally played you!" She turned around to face him fully, smiling brightly at the confused seishi.
He growled, low in his throat. "That's not funny."
"Of course it is! It shows just how easily a woman can wrap any guy she wanted around her finger, as long as she knew his weakness." Miaka replied back to him, pulling three plates from her bag. "Hmm. Does Tsuzaru eat from a plate too?"
"Oh really, Mi-chan!? Then tell me, what're my weaknesses?" Tasuki asked, picking up one of the plates and examining it closely. He had never seen a plate so light before, yet it looked durable. Maybe he should melt one. See if it was fire-proof too.
"Oh that's easy, Tasuki! You can't stand to see any woman cry and your such a good friend to me, you'd do anything to preserve my happiness. Oh! And then there's your weakness for sake. Speaking of which...where is it...AH HA!! I brought a gift for all my warriors. Here Tasuki." She pulled out a large bottle of sake. She remembered Tasuki commenting once about how much he had liked the sake from her world.
Amber eyes lit up at the sight of the bottle. He rarely ever go to drink when he was traveling with Chichiri! Stupid monk seemed to think sake impaired your walking abilities. "Yer the best Mi-chan!" He grabbed his miko in a hug.
"You're not gonna get drunk tonight are you? Cause I can take that back and save it till we get to the palace in Honan." She warned as the bandit made to drink the entire thing right then and there.
"Ya wouldn't." Tasuki said. First the monk, now the priestess. "Ain't is bad enough I gotta deal with the monk an' his anti-sake campaign? I don' need a priestess houndin' me too."
"Speaking of the monk, what's taking him and Tsuzaru so long?" She asked, looking towards where the river was.
"Probably got sidetracked with his meditatin'. Don' be surprised to find him just sittin' with his fishin' pole, completely oblivious to everythin' around him. Till he realizes that the fish ate his bait." Tasuki commented, picking up one of the bowls Miaka had brought out with the plates. It was made of the same stuff. "Let's start eatin'. I'm starvin' an' they're takin' too long."
The priestess giggled as she served her and her firey seishi, looking over in the direction of the river again.
"You've got a bite you know." The deep rumbling voice of the tiger beside him broke into the monk's thoughts.
"Da?" Sure enough he had a bite. The monk quickly reeled in the fish, laying it beside the other one he had already caught earlier. He always did have uncanny luck at catching fish. Rebaiting the pole, he cast it back in.
Red eyes gleamed at him, unnerving the monk. "Where were you? That's three times you've spaced out." Tsuzaru asked, averting his gaze to the softly flowing river.
Chichiri glanced at the celestial sharply. But the tiger just kept looking out at the water. "Just thinking, no da."
"About who?"
The monk jerked in surprise. Was he so easy to read? "Someone, no da." He replied simply, a little sharply.
A deep purring chuckle sounded from the monk's companion as Tsuzaru glanced at him in amusement. "Is it a woman, monk?"
"Iie!" Chichiri practically shouted, too quickly and too forcibly.
"Ahhh. Now I understand. And would this be a woman that I know as well? One who is perhaps traveling with us as well?" The amusement had increased ten-fold for the celestial. Nothing intrigued the great tiger more than the affairs of those on the Material Plane.
Chichiri blushed violently, the mask turning pink from it. He stared straight ahead, refusing to look at the animal next to him. Was it that obvious? The tiger repeated his questions again, prompting an answer from the monk. "Hai! Happy now, no da?"
Tsuzaru took no offense to the seishi's harsh tone, merely questioned him further. "She is pretty, for a human. So, tell me. Do you love her?" He laughed softly as Chichiri looked at him fully, features unreadable beneath the mask. "You wonder how I know? Take off that silly paper thing. I prefer to see the eyes of those I am speaking to, not some enchanted, drawn thing."
He waited while the Well seishi reached up to take the enchanted paper mask off, revealing the lone maroon eye, filled with a hint of panic and fear. "That's much better. It is always better to talk to one without hiding. Now then, I shall answer the question I know you want the answer too. But first, Suzaku Shichiseishi Chichiri. What am I?"
Chichiri looked at the giant tiger in confusion. What did this have to do with anything? "A celestial."
"And how many of us are there? I am not talking about the minor celestials either. How many Greater Celestials are there?"
"Four. One to serve as the right-hand for each of the Four Beast Gods." The monk replied, remembering the lessons Taiits-kun had given him on the subject.
"Good. Now tell me, what were each of the Greater Celestials and which God were they assigned to?"
The monk shrugged and did as the tiger asked, recalling distant memories of the subject. "One was a hybrid, a mixture of horse and eagle. A hippogriff with a calm and peaceful nature. He is known to be partial to helping maidens in trouble. He was assigned to Byakku. His opposite was a firey, hell horse, known for his blood-thirty and battle-loving nature. He was assigned to Seirryu."
Tsuzaru nodded. "That is correct. You have correctly identified the two Horse Lords. Now tell me of the Feline Lords."
The Well seishi closed his eye in concentration. "The one assigned to Suzaku was a cat of great proportions. An enigma, he is the least seen of the four Greater Celestials. And the fourth is known for being the only female among the four. A gynosphinx who wanders the lands of Genbu, seeking new knowledge wherever she can."
"Very good, Suzaku Shichiseishi Chichiri. Now we come back to the question of how I knew. I want you to go over what you told me just now, and bear in mind that Suzaku is not only the God of fire, but also of love." Tsuzaru gave another one of his feline grins, a mischievous look in the depths of his red eyes.
Minutes slipped by almost unnoticed as the monk puzzled out what the tiger was hinting at. I know that Suzaku is the God of fire and love, but what has that got to do with anything? And where do the Greater Celestials play into this? A thought formed in the seishi's head, but he brushed it off as foolish. But again and again it came back, until he understood. His lone eye snapped open wide as he stared at Tsuzaru with a new and greater respect.
"You are one of the Greaters!"
"Its about time you figured it out, Houjun. And here I heard you were the smart one in the bunch."
"How do you know my name?" Chichiri asked, still staring at the tiger as if he were a god. Which he was in a sense.
Again came the feline grin. "I know everything about you seishi. You are after all, Suzaku's chosen. Its only natural I should know everything concerning those the Phoenix God calls his mortal children. And it is only obvious that I should especially be able to know who each and every one of the seishi loves. After all, I am the servant to the God of love. So, now. Tell me, how long have you loved her? Come now, quit staring at me like that. We are equals here."
The mage was staring at the demi-god as if he was about to start worshiping him. His mouth moved, but no sound emerged. This brought forth another round of purring chuckles from the cat. "Perhaps you should discover your voice first?"
"A-anou..." The monk took a deep breath to gather his frazzled thoughts. "I've loved her since I first met her."
Tsuzaru nodded his head approvingly. "That is good to hear. It is rare in this age to find one as devoted as you. It is a miracle. When do you plan to tell her?"
Chichiri choked, stammering as he tried to get his tongue to obey his mind. "I-I can't do that, no da!"
"And why not, NO DA?"
The mage glowered at the tiger. "Not funny, no da. And besides...she loves Tamahome."
"No she doesn't."
"Nani, no da?!" Chichiri stared at him with wide eyes, filled with disbelief and slight anger. "Of course she does! After how hard she fought to be with him, I think I would know!"
Utmost patience was evident in the entire celestial's body as he listened to the seishi rant on for a few more minutes. A pause came as Chichiri sought more breath to continue his tirade. "I never said she didn't love him at any time. I said she doesn't love him now. Nor has she very much for the last year." The expression on the feline's face was one equivalent to a person lifting an eyebrow as he regarded the suddenly speechless-yet-again seishi before him. "How do I know this?" He supplied to the seishi, who nodded. "As per Suzaku's wish, I looked after Miaka. I played the role of her pet cat, Roki. You may have seen me at her apartment. I saw you. She and Taka lived together up until his death. Because of this, I was able to witness the night Taka brought home another girl."
"You mean he...?"
"Yes. He was cheating on her for almost two months before she found out. She walked in on them one night." The great tiger looked up at the moon, sorrow flooding him at the memory. He looked upon Miaka as a sister. Both of them one of Suzaku's chosen. Both of them hurt. "I've never seen anybody hurt so terribly or sorrow so great as that which resided in her. That which still lives inside her."
An angry aura had settled over the monk, causing him to ball up his hands into fists. His eye was narrowed and darkened to almost black with his rage. But he continued to listen as the tiger continued his story. Fury at Tamahome and pain for Miaka battled for dominance in his heart.
"I remember Taka promising her he would never do it again. Promising Miaka he loved her and only her. She's such a kind girl. She was so in love with him, she forgave him without a second thought. Everything was fine for several weeks. But then it started again, with a new girl this time. Every month, it was always a new girl, coming over every night Miaka had the late shift. She never walked in on him again, but she knew. She knew. I became her confidant, her comfort." He glanced at the seishi next to him. "In the last month...she talked about you and Tasuki a lot. How she wished she could've stayed here, how she wished she had fallen in love with another. I listened countless times as she would go on about how much better it would have been if she had met either Hotohori, Nuriko, Tasuki, or you first. She missed you all so much. This world became her reason to live. It became her escape when the pain was too much. And I offered her as much comfort as I could. She never told anyone. Never. She told me once, she could never betray Taka like that."
A long moment of silence stretched between the two, one filled with sorrow, the other with rage and pain. Now Chichiri understood why she never spoke of Taka. Why she was so damn cheerful. She never wanted to cause trouble, make people worried about her. So she kept everything inside, wearing a mask on the outside. A mask...that always smiled. His eye widened as memories assaulted him.
"I wish I had a mask like yours, Chichiri. It always lets you smile, doesn't it?
"I'd like one too."
"Her own mask..." He whispered.
"Hmm?" Tsuzaru lifted his head from his paws. "What did you say?"
Elegant fingers reached down to lift up the paper mask. His hand trembled slightly as he stared at it. "She always wanted one. Miaka. She wanted to be able to hide behind her own mask." One finger traced over the painted on smile. "So she could smile always. She wanted to hide. Like me. So she did just that. Only she created a cheerful persona since she's unable to enchant a paper mask like I can."
"You understand her well, Suzaku Shichiseishi Chichiri. I respect that. Hmm?" The great feline swung his head around to stare at the distant, flickering light of their campfire. He had felt a swell in power, in Suzaku's power. His slit pupils dilated, long-distance eyesight increasing. He was greeted by the sight of his priestess, dancing around the fire. A red glow flared out from her and her lips moved in the semblance of a song.
"What is it, no da?" Chichiri asked, replacing the mask on the grass beside him.
The black irises shrunk back to their original slit as the miko ended her dance. "She was able to tap into Suzaku's power." Tsuzaru breathed, awed.
"She was?!"
"Things are moving quickly. Already she has managed to somehow access a portion of Suzaku. Albeit, an insignificantly small part of the Phoenix Lord, but she was still able to." A motion caught his attention. "We shall discuss this later, after I processed this. However, right now, you have another bite."
"Daaaa!"
"There you two are! We started without you, I hope you don't mind."
The monk and tiger looked up as Miaka called out to them. She and Tasuki were sitting on a log, a bowl of soup rested in each of their laps. Her eyes lit up at the sight of the fish and she set her bowl down to help clean them.
"Daaa, Miaka-chan. You finish eating, no da. I can cook these." Chichiri could only watch as Miaka took the string of fish from him and pushed him towards the log to sit down.
"Don't worry about it! Besides, you caught them and I love to cook." The two seishi sweat dropped, stomachs churning at the memories of her last attempt at making a meal other than cookies or soup. "You two!! I've gotten a lot better, I'll have you know. I took cooking classes all through highschool and even a few summer courses. Ummm, do you want a bowl of soup too Tsuzaru?" She asked politely, handing Chichiri his own bowl.
The cat chuckled and rubbed his cheek against her hip affectionately. A habit he picked up while in his koneko form. "You're always thinking of everyone else. No, I am fine. I will go hunting when you have all fallen asleep." He bumped his head against her once more before settling next to the fire across from her.
Too say Chichiri and Tasuki were surprised that Miaka didn't let the fish burn was one thing, but nothing could describe they're pure amazement when they discovered the same fish were actually edible! And tasted good! Even Tsuzaru accepted one of the fish, at Miaka's insistence. The mood remained light and easy with Tasuki and Miaka arguing for most of the night. When the bandit yawned, it triggered an answering response in the monk and miko.
"You should all go to sleep. I shall see you in the morning." Bidding his farewell, Tsuzaru slipped into the darkness, intent on catching his dinner.
"Hai, no da. I'm tired myself." The monk yawned again.
"I'll see y'all in the mornin'." Tasuki mumbled, toeing off his boots before going into his tent. Snoring could be heard almost instantly.
Chichiri stared at the tent in dismay. He forgot how loud the bandit was. He paused at the flap of his tent, looking back to see Miaka still sitting by the fire. Her shoulders were trembling slightly as she continued to stare dismally into the flames. He thought back to his conversation with Tsuzaru and he bit his lip, turning back to walk over to her.
She had waited till her companions had left before dropping her cheerful facade. She never wanted to worry anyone. But...even after almost a year and a half, the pain was still there. She stifled a scream when a hand dropped on her shoulder. Miaka glanced up to see Chichiri looking down at her and immediately looked away, discreetly drying the tears from her eyes. She looked back up at him, smiling. "Aren't you going to bed too, Chichiri?"
"I could ask you the same thing, no da." Chichiri said, seating himself next to the priestess. One finger lifted to her cheek to capture a tear Miaka had missed. "Miaka, tell me what's wrong. Please."
She felt something inside her break at his words and suddenly the tears were falling again, harder. She buried her face in her hands, ashamed at herself for breaking down in front of one of her friends. Chichiri wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her over to him. She grabbed onto him, fisting her hands into the material of his shirt and kesa. The monk held her tightly, one hand going to stroke her hair as he whispered soft encouragement to her. She shook with the force of her crying, having bottled it up for so long.
Chichiri continued to hold her, feeling the dampness from her tears soak through first his kesa, and then his shirt. The fire had burned down to almost embers by the time she finally pulled back from the monk, eyes red and puffy. "G-Gomen, Chichiri. I shouldn't have cried like that."
"Don't apologize for that. You needed it. Would you like to tell me what you were crying about?" He asked softly, easily slipping into his old role in the Suzaku Seven. As the one who solve's everyone else's problems.
She shook her head violently. "Iie. It was nothing." She whispered.
"Was it about Taka?"
Miaka looked up again to meet the maskless gaze of her eldest warrior. "How...how did you know?!"
The monk bit his lip slightly, wondering if this had been such a good idea. Too late to have doubts now though. "Tsuzaru told me."
Confusion reigned over her as the priestess attempted to sort that out. "But how could he know? I only met him yesterday."
"Actually Miaka, he's known you for a lot longer than that apparently. You know that little black and white kitten you had in your world?" He waited for her to nod before continuing. "Apparently, that little cat was Tsuzaru. Suzaku-seiken sent him to look after you."
"Roki was Tsuzaru? How much do you know?" Tears were apparent in her eyes once more.
He was tempted to lie, seeing the fear and sadness in her eyes, but it would only hurt her more in the future. "Everything."
"Oh gods no..." The whisper was soft, but filled with such sorrow and terror. "Y-you don't understand! It was all my fault!"
The mage jerked at that, staring at the woman next to him in disbelief. "How could it have been your fault!? He was the one cheating on you! He's the one to blame, if anyone is to be blamed!"
"No he isn't! Its all my fault! You don't understand! I drove him to it, I know I did! I was too demanding of him, I pressured him too much! And I mean, I expected him to do everything according to my way! I wanted him to wait three years until I was out of college to get married! And I was always so mean and rude and bossy and bitchy...oh gods was I a bitch..." Emerald orbs widened dramatically as Chichiri suddenly pulled her towards him, lowering his face until his lips were pressed against hers, successfully quieting her.
He wasn't sure what made him kiss her, just that he knew he couldn't stand her insulting herself for Taka's sake. As it was, the kiss was rather clumsy at the start, Chichiri being too inexperienced and Miaka still rigid in surprise. She didn't know when her arms wrapped around the monk, pulling him closer to her, returning the kiss unexpectedly. All she knew was this had to be a dream. Only in a dream would Chichiri ever kiss her. Hell, only in a dream would she ever find the courage to return a man's kiss. After Taka, she had been too devastated to even think about getting romantically involved with another man. Her heart had been too damaged, and she was too fearful of being betrayed again. But in a dream, everything was always alright, everything always turned out alright. So she had no fear now in kissing Chichiri.
He had started to pull back from the awkward kiss he had initiated, when Miaka's arms slipped around his waist, keeping him tight against her. He had been expecting her to pull away, slap him. Be angry with him, even hate him. He hadn't expected her to return the kiss. It was everything and more than he had expected as the miko slowly taught him what to do with her lips. He had never craved anything so much and he needed more of her. Her mouth readily opened when he shyly asked for entrance. He groaned when her own tongue leapt to tangle with his own. Foreign sensations were crashing through the monk's body and he tore his mouth away from hers as the need for oxygen became demanding.
Both were panting as they stared at one another. Miaka raised one hand to gently trace her still-tingling lips. "Is this a dream?"
That drew a soft laugh from Chichiri. "I'm not to sure, no da." He leaned forward, brushing his lips against hers again. "But if it is, it's the best one I've ever had, no da. Although...I would be much happier if it turned out to not be a dream."
She mumbled an agreement, too absorbed with memorizing exactly what it was he tasted like, when his words clicked in her head. "You've never said 'no da' in my dreams before. And what did you mean by being happier if it wasn't a dream?"
He could feel the blush coming on as he stumbled for words. How could three little words be so difficult to voice?! "Well, ummm, Miaka. I..." His voice rapidly dropped to a whisper. "Wo ai ni."
She couldn't have heard him right. Who could ever love her? Even her and Tamahome's unfailing love had faltered. And if even HE couldn't love her, it was quite obvious no one else could. "How? When?"
"When. Since the first time I met you, I've loved you. How. That's easy. You're so kind and cheerful, you always think about others before yourself. You're generous, sometimes too much, and willing to give up and sacrifice anything for someone else." One hand lifted to brush her bangs from her eyes. "God, you're beautiful. And I don't mind if you don't love me back. But know that I'll wait for you forever. Longer."
Miaka listened, tears coming to her eyes again. How long had it been since anyone had said anything like that to her? She threw her arms around the monk. "Of course I love you Chichiri. How could I not?" The moment she said the words, she knew they were true. This was the person she had been waiting for for so long. "I just wish I had known sooner."
It was Chichiri's turn to stare in disbelief. Before he could question her though, she swiftly kissed him, grabbing his hand. She stood up, pulling him up with her. "Don't question it. So long as we've found each other." She said, interrupting the monk before he could begin to question her and pulled him toward her own tent. "Tonight, just live for the moment." She pressed her lips to Chichiri's once more as she pulled him into the welcoming darkness of the tent.
AN:
Well, to the majority of those who reviewed for chapter 8, the part where Nyan Nyan yells, "We dress you, We dress you!" is one of my favorite part as well. It was fun too write too. sighs This chapter turned out fluffy instead of spicy. Damn. Oh well! No avoiding it for the next chapter! Lol.
Chichiri: smirking
Lena: Why are you smiling?
Chichiri: I know something you don't know, no da.
Lena: What?
Chiri: Not gonna say, no da!
Lena: Whatever. Well, I need some help here. I need all your peoples opinions for my next fanfic. I'm currently writing three fanfics right now, but I'm most comfortable when writing four at once. So, for my next fanfic, should the fanfic be which pairing:
Soujiro/Misao (Rurouni Kenshin)
Aerith/Sephiroth (Final Fantasy 7)
Aerith/Vincent (FF7)
Tasuki/Miaka (FY of course. lol)
Blue/Toboe (Wolf's Rain)
Masamune/Oichi (Samurai Warriors) (hint hint You know you love him Meg. lol)
Tasuki/Chichiri (Another FY)
or Miroku/Kagome (Inu-Yasha)
I can't decide which to do. Eventually, I plan to write them all. But I need help narrowing it down to one. lol. Well, stick around for the next chapter. Thanks to those who read this, and double thanks to those who reviewed it.
Chichiri: Still smirking
Lena: Tell me damn you!
Song: Distant Early Morning Artist: Rush I highly recommend this band if you like rock. Especially older rock bands. They're really good.
Chapter 9 Take the Moment
AN: Hello! Ummm...first, so you ain't confused:
Italics-Thoughts or song lyrics -Flashback
Secondly, anybody who likes Tamahome will probably not like this. I generally except any sort of flames, but I don't want ANY concerning how I portray Tamahome in this. If you are offended by any sort of Tamahome-bashing, or anything that makes Tamahome appear...well...bad, I suggest you do NOT read this chapter as it portrays Tamahome in a bad light. I personally hate Tamahome, so it doesn't bother me in the least to kill the bastard!! Mwuhahahaha!! Die Tamahome! Coughs Ahem, what I meant to say is, please enjoy the story.
Silver eyes gleamed in the darkness, staring into the crystal orb that held the image of his enemies. With a cry of rage, the orb was hurled at a wall, shattering into a thousands sparkling pieces. A servant cowered in the corner, attempting to melt into the wall and thus avoid his master's wrath.
"Damn her! She is moving faster than I expected! The bitch creator has already summoned two of the four celestials!" A gloved hand clenched and unclenched. "No matter! They will not summon the other two nor will they find the seishi. They need all twenty-eight to hope to stand a chance against me." Silvers eyes glared at the servant who whimpered in fear. "Is the prisoner secured!?"
The imp nodded desperately, squeaking in terror as the large man advanced on him. A hand patted the tiny demon on the head in a cruel mockery of caring. "Good work. Now begone lest I kill you right now." The imp dashed out the door, disappearing in moments.
A motion of the hand had the shards of the shattered globe reforming together and settling in the man's hands. "Well now priestesses, I can't make this easy on you now can I? There would be no fun in that. Perhaps I should test you both..."
"Why do I gotta git the firewood!? Make Chiri git it!" Tasuki demanded.
"He's getting our dinner, if you've forgotten!" Miaka shouted back at him.
"Then why don' ya put yer pet kitty t'use then!? Hey!! Where'd the damned thin' go?" The Wing seishi turned around in a full circle, attempting to find the giant tiger. "The damned cat ran off!"
Miaka sighed, stirring the pot of soup she was making to go with the fish Chichiri caught. If the monk caught any. And fortunately, the Miko no Suzaku had learned to cook. "He followed Chichiri to the river. Now Tasuki, if you wish to have something to eat tonight, we're going to need some firewood. So please go get some." She turned around to face him, eyes wide and hands clasped in front of her. "I'd get it myself, you know, but I don't want this to burn and I'm just not as strong as you are. I don't have the muscles required to get those awfully heavy logs and you're so strong...well...I thought it wouldn't be a problem for you." She batted her eyes at the bandit.
"Awww, Mi-chan! I understand. Its not yer fault yer not a strong as me. I'll git the firewood." The bandit graciously offered to the woman.
"Oh thank you so much, Tasu-kun! I just knew I could count on you." Miaka turned away, as if to hide a blush. She bit down on her wrist to keep from laughing. Tasuki was so easy to manipulate at times. Not that she would ever do that to him except in dire times. Like, when there was no firewood.
"Its no problem, Mi-chan. I'll be right back!" The fire seishi strolled into the woods, unaware how easily his miko had played him.
Alone in the camp, Miaka shuddered, realizing how quiet it was tonight. She started humming to herself as she continued cooking. First in a whisper, then louder, she started singing the lyrics to the song, dancing around slightly.
The world weighs on my shoulders But what am I to do?
The fire was forgotten as the song wrapped itself around the miko, inspiring her to whirl around into a series of complicated steps. Her eyes slid shut, even as her voice gained strength, completely lost in the moment.
You sometimes drive me crazy But I worry about you
Tasuki, returning from his 'self-appointed' task, stopped in awe. Frozen in place he watched in amazement as a red glow suffused his priestess as she danced faster. Her attire slowly changed to that of a priestess's ceremonial garb.
I know it makes no difference To what you're going through.
But I see the tip of the iceberg And I worry about you
The light faded slowly as she slowed down, her clothes reverting back to what they were. She opened her eyes slowly, as if waking from a dream. She looked around for a few moments, giggling to herself. Miaka could only imagine the teasing she would be in for if any of her three companions had seen her, acting like a child. A feeling of euphoria enveloped her as she started humming again.
The crack of a stick had her whipping around to see Tasuki coming back, smiling like usually but his eyes were guarded. She shrugged it off and moved to relieve the bandit of some of his load. "What took you so long, Tasuki? I was afraid you'd wandered off and gotten yourself lost."
Knuckles rapped her on the head lightly. "Why Mi-chan, I never knew ya cared! How long have ya been hidin' these feelin's fer me?" He teased her, acting like his usual self on the outside. Inside, his thoughts whirled with confusion. How did she summon Suzaku's power like that! She shouldn' be able t'do that with him sealed. It makes no sense!
"Mou, Tasuki!" She batted his hand away before looking at him soulfully. "Do you mean to say you never noticed?! But how could you? You were never interested in me that way." Dramatic little sniffle as she looks down, causing a rising sense of panic in the dumbfounded seishi. "Why, the only reason I settled for Tamahome was because he was just a replacement for you!" A tiny sob escaped the miko's mouth as she pressed a hand over it.
"Wha'?! What are ya talkin' about Mi-chan! Aw shit! Please don' cry! I honestly didn' know! Aw dammit!" He made a move to hug her but she jerked away. But, how was he to know Miaka had loved him!? She was always swooning over that asshole, Tamahome.
"No, no! I understand Tasuki. After all, how could anyone love a devious, mischievous, and completely evil miko who has totally played you!" She turned around to face him fully, smiling brightly at the confused seishi.
He growled, low in his throat. "That's not funny."
"Of course it is! It shows just how easily a woman can wrap any guy she wanted around her finger, as long as she knew his weakness." Miaka replied back to him, pulling three plates from her bag. "Hmm. Does Tsuzaru eat from a plate too?"
"Oh really, Mi-chan!? Then tell me, what're my weaknesses?" Tasuki asked, picking up one of the plates and examining it closely. He had never seen a plate so light before, yet it looked durable. Maybe he should melt one. See if it was fire-proof too.
"Oh that's easy, Tasuki! You can't stand to see any woman cry and your such a good friend to me, you'd do anything to preserve my happiness. Oh! And then there's your weakness for sake. Speaking of which...where is it...AH HA!! I brought a gift for all my warriors. Here Tasuki." She pulled out a large bottle of sake. She remembered Tasuki commenting once about how much he had liked the sake from her world.
Amber eyes lit up at the sight of the bottle. He rarely ever go to drink when he was traveling with Chichiri! Stupid monk seemed to think sake impaired your walking abilities. "Yer the best Mi-chan!" He grabbed his miko in a hug.
"You're not gonna get drunk tonight are you? Cause I can take that back and save it till we get to the palace in Honan." She warned as the bandit made to drink the entire thing right then and there.
"Ya wouldn't." Tasuki said. First the monk, now the priestess. "Ain't is bad enough I gotta deal with the monk an' his anti-sake campaign? I don' need a priestess houndin' me too."
"Speaking of the monk, what's taking him and Tsuzaru so long?" She asked, looking towards where the river was.
"Probably got sidetracked with his meditatin'. Don' be surprised to find him just sittin' with his fishin' pole, completely oblivious to everythin' around him. Till he realizes that the fish ate his bait." Tasuki commented, picking up one of the bowls Miaka had brought out with the plates. It was made of the same stuff. "Let's start eatin'. I'm starvin' an' they're takin' too long."
The priestess giggled as she served her and her firey seishi, looking over in the direction of the river again.
"You've got a bite you know." The deep rumbling voice of the tiger beside him broke into the monk's thoughts.
"Da?" Sure enough he had a bite. The monk quickly reeled in the fish, laying it beside the other one he had already caught earlier. He always did have uncanny luck at catching fish. Rebaiting the pole, he cast it back in.
Red eyes gleamed at him, unnerving the monk. "Where were you? That's three times you've spaced out." Tsuzaru asked, averting his gaze to the softly flowing river.
Chichiri glanced at the celestial sharply. But the tiger just kept looking out at the water. "Just thinking, no da."
"About who?"
The monk jerked in surprise. Was he so easy to read? "Someone, no da." He replied simply, a little sharply.
A deep purring chuckle sounded from the monk's companion as Tsuzaru glanced at him in amusement. "Is it a woman, monk?"
"Iie!" Chichiri practically shouted, too quickly and too forcibly.
"Ahhh. Now I understand. And would this be a woman that I know as well? One who is perhaps traveling with us as well?" The amusement had increased ten-fold for the celestial. Nothing intrigued the great tiger more than the affairs of those on the Material Plane.
Chichiri blushed violently, the mask turning pink from it. He stared straight ahead, refusing to look at the animal next to him. Was it that obvious? The tiger repeated his questions again, prompting an answer from the monk. "Hai! Happy now, no da?"
Tsuzaru took no offense to the seishi's harsh tone, merely questioned him further. "She is pretty, for a human. So, tell me. Do you love her?" He laughed softly as Chichiri looked at him fully, features unreadable beneath the mask. "You wonder how I know? Take off that silly paper thing. I prefer to see the eyes of those I am speaking to, not some enchanted, drawn thing."
He waited while the Well seishi reached up to take the enchanted paper mask off, revealing the lone maroon eye, filled with a hint of panic and fear. "That's much better. It is always better to talk to one without hiding. Now then, I shall answer the question I know you want the answer too. But first, Suzaku Shichiseishi Chichiri. What am I?"
Chichiri looked at the giant tiger in confusion. What did this have to do with anything? "A celestial."
"And how many of us are there? I am not talking about the minor celestials either. How many Greater Celestials are there?"
"Four. One to serve as the right-hand for each of the Four Beast Gods." The monk replied, remembering the lessons Taiits-kun had given him on the subject.
"Good. Now tell me, what were each of the Greater Celestials and which God were they assigned to?"
The monk shrugged and did as the tiger asked, recalling distant memories of the subject. "One was a hybrid, a mixture of horse and eagle. A hippogriff with a calm and peaceful nature. He is known to be partial to helping maidens in trouble. He was assigned to Byakku. His opposite was a firey, hell horse, known for his blood-thirty and battle-loving nature. He was assigned to Seirryu."
Tsuzaru nodded. "That is correct. You have correctly identified the two Horse Lords. Now tell me of the Feline Lords."
The Well seishi closed his eye in concentration. "The one assigned to Suzaku was a cat of great proportions. An enigma, he is the least seen of the four Greater Celestials. And the fourth is known for being the only female among the four. A gynosphinx who wanders the lands of Genbu, seeking new knowledge wherever she can."
"Very good, Suzaku Shichiseishi Chichiri. Now we come back to the question of how I knew. I want you to go over what you told me just now, and bear in mind that Suzaku is not only the God of fire, but also of love." Tsuzaru gave another one of his feline grins, a mischievous look in the depths of his red eyes.
Minutes slipped by almost unnoticed as the monk puzzled out what the tiger was hinting at. I know that Suzaku is the God of fire and love, but what has that got to do with anything? And where do the Greater Celestials play into this? A thought formed in the seishi's head, but he brushed it off as foolish. But again and again it came back, until he understood. His lone eye snapped open wide as he stared at Tsuzaru with a new and greater respect.
"You are one of the Greaters!"
"Its about time you figured it out, Houjun. And here I heard you were the smart one in the bunch."
"How do you know my name?" Chichiri asked, still staring at the tiger as if he were a god. Which he was in a sense.
Again came the feline grin. "I know everything about you seishi. You are after all, Suzaku's chosen. Its only natural I should know everything concerning those the Phoenix God calls his mortal children. And it is only obvious that I should especially be able to know who each and every one of the seishi loves. After all, I am the servant to the God of love. So, now. Tell me, how long have you loved her? Come now, quit staring at me like that. We are equals here."
The mage was staring at the demi-god as if he was about to start worshiping him. His mouth moved, but no sound emerged. This brought forth another round of purring chuckles from the cat. "Perhaps you should discover your voice first?"
"A-anou..." The monk took a deep breath to gather his frazzled thoughts. "I've loved her since I first met her."
Tsuzaru nodded his head approvingly. "That is good to hear. It is rare in this age to find one as devoted as you. It is a miracle. When do you plan to tell her?"
Chichiri choked, stammering as he tried to get his tongue to obey his mind. "I-I can't do that, no da!"
"And why not, NO DA?"
The mage glowered at the tiger. "Not funny, no da. And besides...she loves Tamahome."
"No she doesn't."
"Nani, no da?!" Chichiri stared at him with wide eyes, filled with disbelief and slight anger. "Of course she does! After how hard she fought to be with him, I think I would know!"
Utmost patience was evident in the entire celestial's body as he listened to the seishi rant on for a few more minutes. A pause came as Chichiri sought more breath to continue his tirade. "I never said she didn't love him at any time. I said she doesn't love him now. Nor has she very much for the last year." The expression on the feline's face was one equivalent to a person lifting an eyebrow as he regarded the suddenly speechless-yet-again seishi before him. "How do I know this?" He supplied to the seishi, who nodded. "As per Suzaku's wish, I looked after Miaka. I played the role of her pet cat, Roki. You may have seen me at her apartment. I saw you. She and Taka lived together up until his death. Because of this, I was able to witness the night Taka brought home another girl."
"You mean he...?"
"Yes. He was cheating on her for almost two months before she found out. She walked in on them one night." The great tiger looked up at the moon, sorrow flooding him at the memory. He looked upon Miaka as a sister. Both of them one of Suzaku's chosen. Both of them hurt. "I've never seen anybody hurt so terribly or sorrow so great as that which resided in her. That which still lives inside her."
An angry aura had settled over the monk, causing him to ball up his hands into fists. His eye was narrowed and darkened to almost black with his rage. But he continued to listen as the tiger continued his story. Fury at Tamahome and pain for Miaka battled for dominance in his heart.
"I remember Taka promising her he would never do it again. Promising Miaka he loved her and only her. She's such a kind girl. She was so in love with him, she forgave him without a second thought. Everything was fine for several weeks. But then it started again, with a new girl this time. Every month, it was always a new girl, coming over every night Miaka had the late shift. She never walked in on him again, but she knew. She knew. I became her confidant, her comfort." He glanced at the seishi next to him. "In the last month...she talked about you and Tasuki a lot. How she wished she could've stayed here, how she wished she had fallen in love with another. I listened countless times as she would go on about how much better it would have been if she had met either Hotohori, Nuriko, Tasuki, or you first. She missed you all so much. This world became her reason to live. It became her escape when the pain was too much. And I offered her as much comfort as I could. She never told anyone. Never. She told me once, she could never betray Taka like that."
A long moment of silence stretched between the two, one filled with sorrow, the other with rage and pain. Now Chichiri understood why she never spoke of Taka. Why she was so damn cheerful. She never wanted to cause trouble, make people worried about her. So she kept everything inside, wearing a mask on the outside. A mask...that always smiled. His eye widened as memories assaulted him.
"I wish I had a mask like yours, Chichiri. It always lets you smile, doesn't it?
"I'd like one too."
"Her own mask..." He whispered.
"Hmm?" Tsuzaru lifted his head from his paws. "What did you say?"
Elegant fingers reached down to lift up the paper mask. His hand trembled slightly as he stared at it. "She always wanted one. Miaka. She wanted to be able to hide behind her own mask." One finger traced over the painted on smile. "So she could smile always. She wanted to hide. Like me. So she did just that. Only she created a cheerful persona since she's unable to enchant a paper mask like I can."
"You understand her well, Suzaku Shichiseishi Chichiri. I respect that. Hmm?" The great feline swung his head around to stare at the distant, flickering light of their campfire. He had felt a swell in power, in Suzaku's power. His slit pupils dilated, long-distance eyesight increasing. He was greeted by the sight of his priestess, dancing around the fire. A red glow flared out from her and her lips moved in the semblance of a song.
"What is it, no da?" Chichiri asked, replacing the mask on the grass beside him.
The black irises shrunk back to their original slit as the miko ended her dance. "She was able to tap into Suzaku's power." Tsuzaru breathed, awed.
"She was?!"
"Things are moving quickly. Already she has managed to somehow access a portion of Suzaku. Albeit, an insignificantly small part of the Phoenix Lord, but she was still able to." A motion caught his attention. "We shall discuss this later, after I processed this. However, right now, you have another bite."
"Daaaa!"
"There you two are! We started without you, I hope you don't mind."
The monk and tiger looked up as Miaka called out to them. She and Tasuki were sitting on a log, a bowl of soup rested in each of their laps. Her eyes lit up at the sight of the fish and she set her bowl down to help clean them.
"Daaa, Miaka-chan. You finish eating, no da. I can cook these." Chichiri could only watch as Miaka took the string of fish from him and pushed him towards the log to sit down.
"Don't worry about it! Besides, you caught them and I love to cook." The two seishi sweat dropped, stomachs churning at the memories of her last attempt at making a meal other than cookies or soup. "You two!! I've gotten a lot better, I'll have you know. I took cooking classes all through highschool and even a few summer courses. Ummm, do you want a bowl of soup too Tsuzaru?" She asked politely, handing Chichiri his own bowl.
The cat chuckled and rubbed his cheek against her hip affectionately. A habit he picked up while in his koneko form. "You're always thinking of everyone else. No, I am fine. I will go hunting when you have all fallen asleep." He bumped his head against her once more before settling next to the fire across from her.
Too say Chichiri and Tasuki were surprised that Miaka didn't let the fish burn was one thing, but nothing could describe they're pure amazement when they discovered the same fish were actually edible! And tasted good! Even Tsuzaru accepted one of the fish, at Miaka's insistence. The mood remained light and easy with Tasuki and Miaka arguing for most of the night. When the bandit yawned, it triggered an answering response in the monk and miko.
"You should all go to sleep. I shall see you in the morning." Bidding his farewell, Tsuzaru slipped into the darkness, intent on catching his dinner.
"Hai, no da. I'm tired myself." The monk yawned again.
"I'll see y'all in the mornin'." Tasuki mumbled, toeing off his boots before going into his tent. Snoring could be heard almost instantly.
Chichiri stared at the tent in dismay. He forgot how loud the bandit was. He paused at the flap of his tent, looking back to see Miaka still sitting by the fire. Her shoulders were trembling slightly as she continued to stare dismally into the flames. He thought back to his conversation with Tsuzaru and he bit his lip, turning back to walk over to her.
She had waited till her companions had left before dropping her cheerful facade. She never wanted to worry anyone. But...even after almost a year and a half, the pain was still there. She stifled a scream when a hand dropped on her shoulder. Miaka glanced up to see Chichiri looking down at her and immediately looked away, discreetly drying the tears from her eyes. She looked back up at him, smiling. "Aren't you going to bed too, Chichiri?"
"I could ask you the same thing, no da." Chichiri said, seating himself next to the priestess. One finger lifted to her cheek to capture a tear Miaka had missed. "Miaka, tell me what's wrong. Please."
She felt something inside her break at his words and suddenly the tears were falling again, harder. She buried her face in her hands, ashamed at herself for breaking down in front of one of her friends. Chichiri wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her over to him. She grabbed onto him, fisting her hands into the material of his shirt and kesa. The monk held her tightly, one hand going to stroke her hair as he whispered soft encouragement to her. She shook with the force of her crying, having bottled it up for so long.
Chichiri continued to hold her, feeling the dampness from her tears soak through first his kesa, and then his shirt. The fire had burned down to almost embers by the time she finally pulled back from the monk, eyes red and puffy. "G-Gomen, Chichiri. I shouldn't have cried like that."
"Don't apologize for that. You needed it. Would you like to tell me what you were crying about?" He asked softly, easily slipping into his old role in the Suzaku Seven. As the one who solve's everyone else's problems.
She shook her head violently. "Iie. It was nothing." She whispered.
"Was it about Taka?"
Miaka looked up again to meet the maskless gaze of her eldest warrior. "How...how did you know?!"
The monk bit his lip slightly, wondering if this had been such a good idea. Too late to have doubts now though. "Tsuzaru told me."
Confusion reigned over her as the priestess attempted to sort that out. "But how could he know? I only met him yesterday."
"Actually Miaka, he's known you for a lot longer than that apparently. You know that little black and white kitten you had in your world?" He waited for her to nod before continuing. "Apparently, that little cat was Tsuzaru. Suzaku-seiken sent him to look after you."
"Roki was Tsuzaru? How much do you know?" Tears were apparent in her eyes once more.
He was tempted to lie, seeing the fear and sadness in her eyes, but it would only hurt her more in the future. "Everything."
"Oh gods no..." The whisper was soft, but filled with such sorrow and terror. "Y-you don't understand! It was all my fault!"
The mage jerked at that, staring at the woman next to him in disbelief. "How could it have been your fault!? He was the one cheating on you! He's the one to blame, if anyone is to be blamed!"
"No he isn't! Its all my fault! You don't understand! I drove him to it, I know I did! I was too demanding of him, I pressured him too much! And I mean, I expected him to do everything according to my way! I wanted him to wait three years until I was out of college to get married! And I was always so mean and rude and bossy and bitchy...oh gods was I a bitch..." Emerald orbs widened dramatically as Chichiri suddenly pulled her towards him, lowering his face until his lips were pressed against hers, successfully quieting her.
He wasn't sure what made him kiss her, just that he knew he couldn't stand her insulting herself for Taka's sake. As it was, the kiss was rather clumsy at the start, Chichiri being too inexperienced and Miaka still rigid in surprise. She didn't know when her arms wrapped around the monk, pulling him closer to her, returning the kiss unexpectedly. All she knew was this had to be a dream. Only in a dream would Chichiri ever kiss her. Hell, only in a dream would she ever find the courage to return a man's kiss. After Taka, she had been too devastated to even think about getting romantically involved with another man. Her heart had been too damaged, and she was too fearful of being betrayed again. But in a dream, everything was always alright, everything always turned out alright. So she had no fear now in kissing Chichiri.
He had started to pull back from the awkward kiss he had initiated, when Miaka's arms slipped around his waist, keeping him tight against her. He had been expecting her to pull away, slap him. Be angry with him, even hate him. He hadn't expected her to return the kiss. It was everything and more than he had expected as the miko slowly taught him what to do with her lips. He had never craved anything so much and he needed more of her. Her mouth readily opened when he shyly asked for entrance. He groaned when her own tongue leapt to tangle with his own. Foreign sensations were crashing through the monk's body and he tore his mouth away from hers as the need for oxygen became demanding.
Both were panting as they stared at one another. Miaka raised one hand to gently trace her still-tingling lips. "Is this a dream?"
That drew a soft laugh from Chichiri. "I'm not to sure, no da." He leaned forward, brushing his lips against hers again. "But if it is, it's the best one I've ever had, no da. Although...I would be much happier if it turned out to not be a dream."
She mumbled an agreement, too absorbed with memorizing exactly what it was he tasted like, when his words clicked in her head. "You've never said 'no da' in my dreams before. And what did you mean by being happier if it wasn't a dream?"
He could feel the blush coming on as he stumbled for words. How could three little words be so difficult to voice?! "Well, ummm, Miaka. I..." His voice rapidly dropped to a whisper. "Wo ai ni."
She couldn't have heard him right. Who could ever love her? Even her and Tamahome's unfailing love had faltered. And if even HE couldn't love her, it was quite obvious no one else could. "How? When?"
"When. Since the first time I met you, I've loved you. How. That's easy. You're so kind and cheerful, you always think about others before yourself. You're generous, sometimes too much, and willing to give up and sacrifice anything for someone else." One hand lifted to brush her bangs from her eyes. "God, you're beautiful. And I don't mind if you don't love me back. But know that I'll wait for you forever. Longer."
Miaka listened, tears coming to her eyes again. How long had it been since anyone had said anything like that to her? She threw her arms around the monk. "Of course I love you Chichiri. How could I not?" The moment she said the words, she knew they were true. This was the person she had been waiting for for so long. "I just wish I had known sooner."
It was Chichiri's turn to stare in disbelief. Before he could question her though, she swiftly kissed him, grabbing his hand. She stood up, pulling him up with her. "Don't question it. So long as we've found each other." She said, interrupting the monk before he could begin to question her and pulled him toward her own tent. "Tonight, just live for the moment." She pressed her lips to Chichiri's once more as she pulled him into the welcoming darkness of the tent.
AN:
Well, to the majority of those who reviewed for chapter 8, the part where Nyan Nyan yells, "We dress you, We dress you!" is one of my favorite part as well. It was fun too write too. sighs This chapter turned out fluffy instead of spicy. Damn. Oh well! No avoiding it for the next chapter! Lol.
Chichiri: smirking
Lena: Why are you smiling?
Chichiri: I know something you don't know, no da.
Lena: What?
Chiri: Not gonna say, no da!
Lena: Whatever. Well, I need some help here. I need all your peoples opinions for my next fanfic. I'm currently writing three fanfics right now, but I'm most comfortable when writing four at once. So, for my next fanfic, should the fanfic be which pairing:
Soujiro/Misao (Rurouni Kenshin)
Aerith/Sephiroth (Final Fantasy 7)
Aerith/Vincent (FF7)
Tasuki/Miaka (FY of course. lol)
Blue/Toboe (Wolf's Rain)
Masamune/Oichi (Samurai Warriors) (hint hint You know you love him Meg. lol)
Tasuki/Chichiri (Another FY)
or Miroku/Kagome (Inu-Yasha)
I can't decide which to do. Eventually, I plan to write them all. But I need help narrowing it down to one. lol. Well, stick around for the next chapter. Thanks to those who read this, and double thanks to those who reviewed it.
Chichiri: Still smirking
Lena: Tell me damn you!
Song: Distant Early Morning Artist: Rush I highly recommend this band if you like rock. Especially older rock bands. They're really good.