Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Tactics. They are the property of Kinoshita Sakura, got it?
A/N: Warning ahead of time, there will be unanswered questions mainly because I wanted it that way. I leave them up to your imagination. Think. XD
Breathe
Chapter 23: Where Are You Now?
By: LadyYuina
Youko hadn't the slightest clue where she ended up once she went through the huge door. Suzu and Ichi were no longer with her, she was all alone. All around her the fox youkai saw white curtains drawn away from windows as shiny as a sparkly diamond. Right in front of her was a desk with a little fairy-like creature sitting there. She found it funny that she hadn't noticed the creature sooner.
"Hi there, welcome to the afterlife," the little creature greeted. It's long fluttery green lashes moved with quick speed as it looked up and down. Its long, sharp ears wiggled as it spoke again. "Ah, I see, you're Youko. A fox youkai that was the servant of a spiritualist named Kantarou, yada, yada, yada, hmmm . . ."
"Err . . . Excuse me," Youko finally said. She looked down at the creature none too friendly. "Who exactly are you?"
"Oh, excuse me for not introducing myself." The little creature fluttered its long green lashes some more. The blue tunic it was wearing swayed with movement as it jiggled around a bit. "Ahem, my name is Jio and I'm the keeper of the time of the afterlife. Seems to me like you've just arrived here." It thumbed through several pages of a book that was in front of it. The paper looked so brittle and yellow with age that Youko was sure it was going to crumble with every flip of a page. "What category did they put you under . . . I wonder . . ."
"Um, there was this friend of mine . . . Rosary . . . Can you tell me which category and plane she was sent to?"
"Rosary . . . She never came through here, but I can pinpoint her exact location." Jio thumbed through some more pages. He looked up a moment later and smiled. "However, I can't tell you that information, it's confidential."
"Confidential?"
"Yup, you heard me correctly, it's confidential information. Anyhow, enough about her, what I really need to do is to focus on you." Jio looked down at his book once more, completely oblivious to Youko's angry glare. Without looking up he said, "you're in the fox category, plane twelve. Oho, it's not bad! Well, tata!"
"Waaiiiitttttt!" Youko wailed as she felt the ground beneath her give way. She was now falling faster and faster . . .
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"The orb!"
"It's glowing!"
Rustling could be heard in the pitch black room. Faces were illuminated by the glow of the crystalline ball.
"Hurry and bring the other thing."
"It's right here."
"I hope you guys know what you are doing?"
Someone tsked. "Of course it will work, if it's just like what he did I'm sure we can't fail."
"Stop contradicting yourself . . ."
"Enough, everyone! Silence! The orb is about to reach it's limit!"
All became still as twenty-six pairs of eyes watched in awe.
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Monk Nanao and monk Sanji sat atop a hill and quietly watched a flock of birds merrily pick at the short, young grass. They hadn't met up with each other for years, although they were now together they still had many issues that weren't solved yet.
"Today is an absolutely lovely day, don't you agree?" Monk Sanji asked, slowly shielding his poor eyes from the sun's rays as he looked upward towards the sky.
"Indeed it is," monk Nanao commented. "This reminds me of the good old days."
"When you and that child with silver hair used to frolic here?"
"Not playing, more like talking to the dead," Nanao corrected him. "Kantarou had a lot of talent, I could have put him to good use if only he hadn't left me."
"It's a shame." Sanji pulled out a bottle of sake and two sake cups from the brown satchel that he was carrying with him. "How about we drink to our heart's content, then. I know how you feel, monk Nanao, even I've lost someone that could have been a great asset to me. Sadly though, her mother told me she passed away several years ago."
"Do you mean the girl named Dirina?" Sanji sagely nodded. "Ah . . . her . . . She came over to my home before, a very pretty maiden if you ask me. You wouldn't believe it, Sanji," Nanao let out a belly laugh, "she took a fancy to my little Kantarou."
"Oh?"
"Poor Kantarou hadn't the slightest clue that he could do that to girls when he was a child."
"Monk Nanao, I hate your good looks . . . You still look young while I'm ragged and old, I even have white hair down here." He pointed to the indicated spot between his legs. "Your parents must have been gorgeous even when they were well beyond their years."
Nanao smirked. "That was a random outburst"
"I was simply speaking what was on my mind. Anyhow, do you use some kind of herb brew that keeps your wrinkles away?"
"No, of course not! It's all natural!" Monk Nanao reached for a sake cup and examined it. It's jade green color was pleasing to his eyes. "This sake cup looks beautiful, it reminds me of a fresh new start, evergreens, life . . ." He tilted the cup to let the cold liquid travel down his throat. "Even the sake tastes new."
"Hahahaha, it was brewed last week," Sanji informed him, "I got this from an old woman back up in the mountains."
"About the mountains, I've always wondered why you went up there?"
"Dirina was getting too dependent on me so I decided to leave for a while. It never crossed my mind that I would have actually spent over ten years up there. Dirina's mother told me she changed drastically once I left, having so much impact on a child can be scary, no?" Monk Nanao bobbed his head up and down in agreement. "Hahaha, I'm sure you must have left some impact on that boy of yours as well."
"I did," monk Nanao replied quietly, "although it wasn't a great enough of an impact to make him wish to stay with me."
"Mind telling me why he left?"
"I would like to but I'm running short on time. Perhaps we can do this again in the near future. Just don't go dieing on me you old geezer," Nanao joked. "Remember that our little conversation isn't over yet."
Monk Sanji watched Nanao walk away, during the whole time that they were talking he couldn't help but feel uneasy around him. Why did monk Nanao look the same age as he did back then? Sanji had known him ever since they were twenty-nine, Nanao didn't look much older than thirty-five while he looked well into his late forties, early fifties. There wasn't even a wrinkle on Nanao's face either, when he is supposedly forty-seven himself much like Sanji was.
"Nanao, you have been keeping something from me for far too long," Sanji said to himself.
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"Kantarou . . . I can't believe I'd see you again." He was dimly aware that someone was brushing the top of his head. "Kantarou . . . you've . . . you've grown so much, but you still have that adorable quality to you."
"Your voice," he said quietly. Where he was he couldn't see the woman's face other than her clothing and long, flowing black hair. "I almost remember."
"What did they do to you?" she asked.
"I don't know . . ."
Without warning Kantarou was roughly slammed against a cemented wall. He sputtered out in pain. Sharp, brown eyes looked at him angrily, "that bitch, what did she say to you? You better tell me before I rip your guts out of your stomach!"
"What are you talking about?" Kantarou grimaced when Dirina tightened her hold on his arm.
"Don't play stupid with me, I know she did talk to you. Now, tell me what she said."
"I don't know!" Kantarou raised the arm with the bracelet on it, Dirina instantly recoiled and hissed. As angry as he was himself, he didn't realize that the thirteen bells started to glow an eerie blue, Dirina watched, astonished. "I've had enough of you! You're no Dirina, you're just a carcass that stole her identity, I'm sure of it!"
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"Now!"
"He's activated them, hurry everyone before it's too late!"
"Don't lose your way when you go through!"
"You ready, Suzu?"
"Yeah . . ."
"Don't disappoint us."
"I-I won't."
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"What-what's happening!"
Rekkugen appeared on the scene to see Kantarou's stretched out left arm. From each bell on his bracelet he saw spirits flying out from each one of them. Standing side by side they each started to chant in procession with a large orb floating above them.
"Don't hurt Kantarou!" Suzu shouted at the top of her lungs through all the noise.
"You bastards!" Dirina screeched.
"Kantarou!" Suzu shouted again.
A white light filled the entire room, during this moment Dirina was sucked into the orb and sealed forever. Dasarani snatched the floating orb and guarded it with her body. From Suzu's line of vision she could still see Kantarou silently screaming in pain, it seemed like his life force was being drained in order to hold the thirteen spirits in the world of the living.
"Stop this, Dasarani, we're finished. Let's go now," Suzu pleaded. Her eyes looked from the spirit to Kantarou, worry was clearly etched on her features.
"Not quite, Suzu, we still have him to deal with." Dasarani pointed to the snarling figure standing by the doorway. "Even without her he can still wreck havoc on the world. It's too dangerous to let him remain where he is now."
"Can't you see Kantarou is dying!" Suzu sounded desperate.
"One sacrifice to save the entire fate of Japan is well worth it. Let him be," Zaitsu replied.
"He's dying, dammit! I . . . I can't let that happen!" Snatching the orb from Dasarani, Suzu smashed it on the ground. A million little shards flew about all over the floor. The other twelve spirits watched in horror at what Suzu had just done. She released Dirina from her encasement. "I'm going back! You'll be sucked in with me!"
"Suzu, you mustn't!"
"Stop, Suzu!"
"Don't let her reach the bell!"
It was too late. Suzu dived in, causing the others to follow suit even though they refused to. As soon as they all left Kantarou blackened out instantly, head lulled to the side with beads of sweat covering his brow.
"Those . . ." Dirina started breathing hard as she fell to her hands and knees. ". . .they actually sealed me."
"Dirina," Rekkugen said, "haul Kantarou to the bed and watch over him. Perhaps we can use him somehow, one of the thirteen spirits seems to be attached to him. She must have known him when she was alive." He brushed a hand through his night colored hair. "Heh, they went so far as recruiting a child as the replacement for him, eh? How ironic."
Dirina sat by Kantarou as he was resting on the uncomfortable bed. She scowled at him as she waged war with her inner being.
Let me see him.
Shut the hell up!
Let me see Kantarou!
I've dominated over you and her so shut the hell up! You can't tell me what to do, this is my body now!
If only you never existed . . .
You created me so blame that on yourself.
One day . . . I'll surely break away from you and her. Just you watch . . .
Empty threats mean nothing to me, you stupid bitch. Leave me alone now before I kill this irritating man.
You can't
Oh?
Because I won't let you. And you know it, too.
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"She ruined our plan! That impudent child! Why was she chosen to be one of us anyway?" Tou argued. He was clearly angry that Dirina was allowed to escape all because of a stupid child spirit.
Amid all the arguing of spirits Suzu was subjected to their wrath by being seated in a chair in a center of a circle. She knew what she did was unacceptable, now all she had to do was await for the consequences for her actions. In the vast sea of noise the only thing that penetrated through her were Kantarou's screams, she could still hear them as if they were happening at this exact moment. Eyes burning with anger she didn't care what she had to go through as long as Kantarou was all right.
A spirit by the name of Hikei leaned towards Dasarani, whispering, "since Suzu released Dirina what do you suspect we do to her? She could literally be subjugated to anything we have due to the heaviness of her immature feelings for that man." He sighed and backed away a little when Dasarani turned to him. "Although she is only a child she is dead, her mind and heart should have aged if not her body."
"Then put her in sector 13. She can stay in there for the rest of eternity for all I care."
"If that's what you'd like but we can't bring forth that order until we have consent of the ten other spirits."
"I know that," Dasarani smirked coolly, "however, by the look on everyone's faces I'm sure they'll happily agree."
Suzu overheard everything all the spirits were saying, from everything that she overheard she had to admit that she was scared. Being tortured or isolated for the rest of eternity was not something that she was looking forward to - if they ever gave her another chance she'd surely let Kantarou die if they attempted such a feat again.
Perhaps it wouldn't so bad if Kantarou passed away. . .
"In conclusion, everyone," Dasarani spoke for the rest, "Hikei and I have decided on placing her in sector 13. Do you all agree?" Murmurs could be heard. "If you agree, raise your hand."
Everyone raised their hands except Ina, Zaitsu, and Rouna. All the other spirits' attention were now aimed at them. They calmly stared at each one of them, studying their expressions carefully - some looked mad, some looked apprehensive, while others looked somewhat regretful.
"It seems," Ina started, tugging at her shirt's sleeve nonchalantly, "everyone has mixed feelings about this."
Dasarani swiveled around to stare at the others, they all squirmed under her gaze. Suzu watched the whole ordeal while sadly shaking her head. Standing up on her own accord she spoke up for herself.
"Just send me to sector 13. I don't mind," Suzu bluffed. In actuality she was so afraid that she had to struggle to stop her legs from shaking. Dasarani looked smug while the other three spirits that tried to defend her looked apologetic. Turning to face them each, Suzu, said, "Zaitsu, Ina, and Rouna, there is nothing to look sorry for. I brought this upon myself so I'll face the consequences."
"But, Suzu . . ."Rouna gave her a wide-eyed stared, she was by far the second youngest spirit next to Suzu.
"Quiet down Rouna, she's made her decision so let her be," Dasarani intervened.
I guess this is the end for me. An eternity of suffering doesn't sound so bad . . .
. . . Does it? . . .
Chapter 23: END
