Fushigi Yuugi: Death's Enchantment
Episode Ten
"The Gathering"
Misty Schmitt
Began: 17 July 2001
Finished: 19 July 2001

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A/N: I wrote this fic years and years ago. I'm posting it here because I am no longer updating the original site I had dedicated to it. Please be nice when you comment, and remember that I (and my writing style) have changed since 2001.

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What in the hell is going on here? What is this place? Am I alone? Tasuki asked himself thousands of questions as his soul slid further into the void... further away from any real hope of reviving himself and reclaiming his body. His strength and will fading rapidly as he searched his mind for some sort of explanation…..

"I'm so hungry! There has to be a way out of here! They wouldn't just starve me, would they? Why that's.. that's inhuman and I won't forget it.." Miaka's stomach growled loudly as she began to bang the walls of her own dark cell. "Let me out! I want to eat! I demand that you feed me… I am the Suzaku no Miko… you don't know who you're messin' with!" Miaka sat down dejectedly… "Well, you don't… sigh… who am I kiddin'? I'm going to starve to death.. serves me right for always being so darn greedy… what a cruel fate this is!" At that moment, the wall behind her gave way and Miaka fell backwards sharply. "Oww! What do you think you're doing?"

"Gathering bait!" a familiar voice above her said. Miaka opened her eyes and saw standing over her Chiriko, Mitsukake and a bound and gagged Nuriko. "It seems your other friends have escaped from our prison… Our master and mistress desire your company in hopes that your Ki will lead your companions to them… So if you please…."

"Chiriko? Mitsukake? What are you doing?" Oh yeah.. they've been possessed…. But Yui and the others got away.. Tamahome, are you coming for me even now?

The two henchmen bound Miaka and led hers and Nuriko silently down the black hallway.

"Hey! I can sense Miaka's and Nuriko's Ki's! They are traveling together, you know…. Somewhere through that wall…" Chichiri suddenly exploded.

"There must be a junction up ahead that leads to the other hall…. Which way are they heading, Chichiri?" Yui asked.

"Hold on…. Hrmm…. It seems that they are headed back in the direction we came, you know…. It might take us a while to catch up with them…."

"Well, dammit! What are we waiting for? We hafta get Miaka and kill this Kisama as soon as we can.." Tamahome began running blindly down the long hall.

"Wait, Tamahome…"

But Yui's cry was in vain.. Tamahome had already disappeared into the dark.

Miaka! I am coming for you. Hold on!

"Yes Tamahome…. Fall into our trap. This is almost too easy…. But it is fun to toy with them, isn't it, Raifu? I'm so glad you came back.. I thought you would stop loving me…"

"No, my dear.. I could never, ever stop loving you…." The demon hissed through Tasuki's teeth.

"Good…" Aino-sama sighed contentedly, her blank eyes staring at her love. "…then I will do anything for you. Anything."

"I only ask you for one thing, my love… "

"Great. I've gotten myself lost. I'm no better off here than I was in that damned cell. I've been wandering around here for hours… Good job, Tamahome. You find your friends and then lose them again… just great…."

"T… Tamahome! Is that you? Oh, I can hear your voice, you are so close to me…"

Tamahome looked wildly around.. to no avail… that was the voice of Miaka.. but where was she?

"Miaka! Miaka, answer me! I have to find you…. Yui and Chichiri are safe… they're looking for you and Nuriko… Where are you? Answer me, dammit!"

"I am here Tamahome… I have been waiting for you. We are both here…."

As Tamahome strained his eyes for the search in the darkness, he could just make out the outline of a body. More and more light poured into the hallway until he could tell that Miaka was standing at the end of the corridor, her head hung limply from her neck.
"Miaka!" Tamahome began a race to redeem his love, but as his first step was begun, Miaka raised her head drearily. As she saw Tamahome running toward her, her eyes widened. "Tamahome, no! It's a…"

"Trap!" another voice finished for her as Mitsukake clubbed the unprepared Tamahome to the ground. "Thank you, Miaka. Without your help, I know that even I could not have been a match for Tamahome of the Suzaku Sichiseishi… He was blinded by love, and therefore weak. Arigatou!"

"You will not win! I know my friends! I know Tamahome and he won't be beaten by you!"

"How sweet… now shut up!" Mitsukake grabbed Miaka's hair and thrust her violently to the ground. She fell in an unconscious pile next to Tamahome.

"You're much easier to deal with when you're quiet." Mitsukake heaved Miaka onto his shoulders and began dragging Tamahome behind him by his ankle. "Wonder how Chiriko's doing…."

Oh… why did He send me out after two of them? I'm in this damn little kid's body.. it's not like I can beat them into submission like that idiot Mitsukake most certainly will have done to Tamahome… Well, it seems that I will have to rely on my innate cleverness and this child's own intelligence… as usual.

Chiriko glided gracefully down the obsidian hallway, thinking of a million reasons why it wasn't fair that he should be forced to collect these two by himself.

Sure, I was given this drugged 'boy' as bait, and one of them is only a powerless girl… but Chichiri… despite appearances, he is a very formidable sorcerer. Can't beat him with fists, that's for sure. That's probably why I was sent and not Mitsukake.. but still.. it's the principle of the thing…

Chiriko suddenly stopped as he sensed that their Ki's were now getting extremely close.

Oh damn… there they are! And I haven't even set my little trap… No matter.

"You stay right here, Nuriko.. don't go running away from me, now…." Chiriko chuckled at the thought. The idea that Nuriko could escape it his present state was.. well.. preposterous. There was just as good a chance that a corpse would get up and walk away.. He was drugged with very strong herbs. Only the aroma of a very rare plant, prepared in a very specific manner could awaken him. At this point, he was a zombie. Eyes open, mind closed.

"Shh.. Yui. I think I heard something up ahead, you know… we've gotta be more careful around here…" Chichiri advised his traveling partner nervously.

Somewhere in the darkness, Chiriko opened his mouth… and Nuriko's voice emerged.
"It's only me Chichiri! Come on and help me, I've got Miaka and Tamahome waiting for us further down the hall.. we've gotta hurry if we want to help Aino out!"

"Oh, Yui! It's ok! It's Nuriko, you know… we're all together now!"

Chichiri summoned a light spell to cast the darkness away. Ahead of them was Nuriko, leaning against the wall. Both the travelers ran to their lost comrade.

"Nuriko! I'm so glad we could find you.. now where is Miaka?" Yui asked him when they reached the spot where Nuriko awaited them. He did not answer her question. His eyes did not even shift to meet hers. He was just…. Blank.

"Nuriko! What is it! Answer me! Well? At least look at me…"

"It's no good, Yui. There's something wrong here, you know? I can sense an evil Ki surrounding us….. AAAUUUGGHHH!" Chichiri fell to his knees, clutching his head.

"Chichiri!" Yui screamed, and fell next to the magician, clutching her own head in agony. Nuriko stood above them, statuesque, looking on with his empty eyes.

"Ha haa haa!" Chichiri and Yui heard a child's laughter above them. They looked up to see Chiriko floating down towards them.

"Ch… Chiriko? Why?" Chichiri managed before giving in and collapsing. Yui had long since fell into unconsciousness.

"Hmm… that wasn't so bad. Perhaps I overestimated you a bit, Chichiri? Oh well. Doesn't matter now. Nuriko! Pick these two up and follow me!"

Nuriko scooped up the limp bodies and slowly turned to follow his master.

"They have all been collected. Good. I will have my vengeance on them and then we can be together in silence. They have been a stain on my re-awakening; it is time to cleanse myself! Yui, I will especially savor the taste of your blood…" Aino whispered to herself with a dark smile. "Because I am the Dark Savior. His Messiah."

Miaka awoke to see herself once again imprisoned within black walls, but at least this time her friends were with her. She tried to call out to them, but discovered with much displeasure that she had been gagged very tightly. As she watched, Tamahome began to stir, slowly coming back from unconsciousness. Movement from another corner of the room attracted her eye and she turned to see that Yui and Chichiri had already revived themselves. They were bound together, back to back and gagged just as well as Miaka herself was. Miaka turned her attention back to Tamahome to see that he had fully awakened. He looked at her helplessly as if to say sorry, then looked away shamefully. Miaka bowed her head to pray to Suzaku.. and to await what was sure to come…..

Alright, everyone's awake now… but both Miaka and Tamahome look as if they have already given up! Damn them! Why does this have to fall on me alone, Nakago… what do I have to with Aino?

Chichiri noticed the defeated looks of both Tamahome and Miaka as well as Yui had.. and they enraged him even more. Damn you, Tamahome! I can't believe you're giving up like this! What's happened to you, that you wouldn't try to protect Miaka! Great. I can't do anything in here… there is a barrier cast on this room… I can't throw my Ki at all! Chichiri began to test the strength of the knots in the ropes that bound him, but to no avail, they were all tied very skillfully.. and may have been reinforced with a bit of magic. It was hard for him to tell….

It's no good.. my hands are too large to do anything….. but! At that moment, he realized that his hands and Yui's hands were bound together…. Must have run out of rope… It wasn't smart to do that, makes it easier for us to get free!

As Chichiri took Yui's hand in his, she awoke suddenly from her thoughts. What is it, Chichiri, what do you want me to do?

Yui.. you have to try to get free, you know? Try to wriggle your hands free!

Chichiri? What? I.. don't know what it is! Suddenly, Yui knew what he wanted, as clearly as if he had told her what to do.. in fact, it seemed that she might even have heard his voice telling her to get free. Alright, Chichiri.. I'll see what I can do! Yui began to move her hands, slowly at first, and then when she actually felt the ropes giving way to her small hands, she began to move more quickly, frantically…

Almost there… just a little more ….. YES!

Yui's hands were free from bondage, and even through their gags, you could see that both Chichiri and Yui were grinning at their triumph..

Maybe I won't have to die here after all, you know?

At that moment, all in the room heard a low laughter… and then "Uh uh uh! Not so fast, you two. We haven't even begun our fun. Why, I still have a surprise for you!" It was clearly Tasuki's voice. Chichiri looked up with shock… Such evil in that voice, he never would have thought it possible… He felt Yui jerk violently behind him. It took him a few moments to realize why, but when he did, a look of hopelessness that even his mask couldn't hide crossed his face. The ropes were indeed enchanted, they had snatched Yui's hands back the instant they were free.. and had bound them even tighter than before.

Ah, well… even the bravest of men die somewhere, you know?

Chichiri's head fell limply to his breast, his mask falling gently to the ground. Anyone who cared to look could tell that he had lost all hope of escaping. What was left of the Suzaku Seven sat in the dark room and patiently waited for their fate to come to them.

"It is time! I have grown weary of these games. I must destroy the Suzaku Sichiseishi and summon Seishi! Go… bring them here!"

"As you wish, my love.. You heard Aino-Sama. Mitsukake, Chiriko! Go gather our guests, and bring Nuriko along with you.. just in case that Tamahome boy decides to fight back. The memories of this Tasuki show me that he is a more than formidable opponent. Now.. Haiyaku!"

As the threesome left the room, the demon turned to Aino.

"Now, Shi no Miko, we will begin our reign together. Starting with this bunch of pitiful 'warriors'. They have come to save you, you know? Do you really wish to be saved..?"

"Saved?" Aino said with disgust "From what? I don't need saving!"

"Excellent. I need for you to do one thing for me, then…."