Resounding Heartbeats
Chapter One: Tasuki
Rating: M (and for good reason!)
Summary: On a stormy night in southern Konan a mysterious figure makes it way to the palace, killing a demon in guise of a seishi. Friends and enemies...Heaven and Hell...The truth and the lies...Where is the real Tasuki? DARK CHICHIRI!
Disclaimer: Uh...uh...NOPE. I do not own Fushigi Yuugi and its characters, but I guess you could say I own the way Chichiri acts in this...and the ring...and the demon...other than that...
A/C: Hiya! PLOT BUNNY! HAHHAHAHAHAHAH. Um...yeah.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Rain pounded against the ground so hard that is some places mud was flung into the air, striking the sides of buildings and streaking down just as more took its place. The guards at the front gates were in happy spirits despite the rain that threatened to overrun the banks of the river just to their left. A few empty bottles of sake by their feet were surely the reason for such a thing.
"Out a little late, aintcha?" One asked as he caught sight of a black hooded and cloaked figure steadily making its way through the onslaught to where they sat.
The hood moved in what might have been a nod, rainwater dripping off the edge in a near steady stream. Instead of words, a hand emerged from under the covering to flash something on his hand at the guards. A ruby ring with the seal of the emperor winked once before it was shielded again.
There were no more questions, in fact there wasn't another sound but the splashing created by the figure as it made its way quickly toward yet another set of gates of which led into the courtyard of the palace of Konan.
Here, the newcomer was sure, his ring would not help. No, the guards at the gate were treated to a full view of his face before they flung wide the doors, bowing and apologizing until the very edge of his cloak vanished from view and the doors to the palace's halls swung shut.
0-0-0-0
"Hotohori-sama." A small youth bowed low at the doors to the throne room before turning to bow at the three others who also occupied the hall. "Suzaku shichiseishi Mitsukake, Tasuki, and Chiriko... There is a man here-"
He wasn't able to finish his introduction before the mud-splattered and soaked traveler himself swept past the youth, who blinked at him in shock. This was not how things were done! Especially in the presence of the emperor and Suzaku's chosen ones!
"It is quite all right, young one. You may go." Hotohori waved the boy off before turning his attention to the man that stood, still hooded, in the middle of the room. Chiriko cast a questioning glance at his other two companions, but they seemed just as clueless as he did.
Without warning, the emperor smiled, "Chichiri."
The ruby flashed red fire as pale hands pushed the hood back and undid the clasp at his throat in one smooth motion, letting it fall to the marble floor with a wet splat. The young man that stood there had sky blue hair tied back into a tail, with bangs that seemed to defy gravity.
His white shirt clung to his chiseled chest, his dark green pants glued to his legs by the water and mud. A kesa was thrown over one shoulder, the only testament besides the beads that hung about his neck that proved that this man was holy.
However, when he raised his head to look the emperor square in the eye, Hotohori recoiled; as did the others who stood by him. It wasn't the mans appearance that frightened them, but the utter coldness that seemed to radiate from that single mahogany eye. Never before had they seen their friend so angered, never before had they seen him so...deadly.
"C-Chichiri-sama...Wha..What's wrong?" Somehow the youngest of the seishi managed to grab a hold of his voice long enough to ask the question that had run through all their minds. What had happened to their Chichiri?
The monk stayed silent as he strode crisply across the hall to stand in front of one of their number. It was Tasuki, his fiery red hair pulled back into a tail not unlike that of t he elders. It was mostly to keep it from falling into his face. He gave Chichiri a fanged grin.
"Chiri! Where ya been ma-"
He never finished his sentance, never got to finish the breath he had been taking, because at that moment Chichiri moved quicker than ever before, his left hand grabbing at the bandit's arm, pulling him closer as his right hand, the one adorned with the ruby ring, smashed through skin and bone all the way through to the other side of Tasuki's chest.
"Ha...uh..." He gasped sharply as blood bubbled up through his mouth to slide down his chin. His amber eyes widened to twice their normal size as he stared down dumbly, unable to believe what had just happened...
"TASUKI!" The other warriors screamed as the bandit sagged against Chichiri, the only thing holding him up being the arm he was impaled on. Hotohori bounded down the steps, sword already in his hand. Being the only fighter there, it was his job to get Tasuki away long enough for Mitsukake to heal him.
"Hold." The command was issued in a calm, quiet voice, yet it stopped them all in their tracks, froze the blood in their veins. What power...What power that was! They could only stare helplessly as Chichiri began to speak.
"This." He twisted his hand so that Tasuki threw back his head to scream. "Is." He grabbed onto the necklace the bandit wore. "Not." He yanked so hard the chain broke, beads scattering in all directions. "Tasuki!"Suddenly a tongue of flame engulfed the monk, running up his legs and across his chest to run down his arm and into his victim.
An unholy shriek ripped itself from Tasuki and his form shimmered for a moment before shattering into thousands of burning pieces that vanished before they hit the floor. In seconds, its as if it had never even been there.
Except for the broken necklace in the monk's hand.
The seishi felt their bodies unfreeze and they stumbled forward a few steps, all the while staring at the other, fear and horror in their eyes. However they could not, would not, deny what they had just seen.
"A demon." Chiriko cried, "For a moment, the visage of a demon-"
"Replaced that of Tasuki." Hotohori finished, only vaguely able to keep the panic from his voice. "So...Tasuki was possessed?"
Chichiri shook his head, "No." He hadnt moved since attacking the demon Tasuki, and his right hand was still pointed straight out in front of him, his left holding the necklace against his chest.
"Are you saying...?" This from Mitsukake, who knew, perhaps better than anyone, what might have happened here.
"Yes." The monk dropped his arms and it was as if a spell had been broken. Gone was the silent and deadly warrior, gone was the cold stare. And in its place was pain...Pain so deep it had caused lines of agony to appear around Chichiri's mouth, his face so pale his scar stood in sharp contrast over his left eye. And fatigue; a soul-ripping fatigue that caused his friends to cry out in alarm as he swayed, finally falling to one knee.
"Yes." He panted, wanting, no needing, to finish what he had started to reveal. "In truth, Tasuki, our Tasuki...Has been missing for the past year."
Nuriko, having just bolted into the throne room, dozens of armed guards on his heels, barely had enough time to catch the eldest of the seishi as his body failed on him and he collapsed, unconscious, in the middle of the floor.
0-0-0-0
Taitskun ran a hand over her eyes, sighing. What a mess this was! As if the sudden revelation of shichiseishi Tasuki's disappearance was not enough...her pupil's apparent mastery of the dark arts was enough to have her curse the power who had put her in charge. What a mess indeed...
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
TBC.
Like it? Hate it? Don't care!
See that little button on the bottom left of your screen that says 'Submit Review'? Click it and leave me a message! PLEASE!