Disclaimer: I do not own Yuu Watase's creations blah blah blah. I own Reiko and the rest.
Author's Note: Refer to the previous chapter's Notes please. haha. bleh.
Chapter Five: Life, Love.. Why.
Reiko ran. Well, if you can call it running. The pain in her arm got worse the more she ran and she didn't even know where she was heading. She couldn't remember how the heck she even found Tasuki in the first place.
Tasuki, Reiko thought. How could he think I'd delibrately look into his past? And why the heck am I crying? It's not like I'd care what he ever said to me. Back there, I felt different with him. I felt like... I don't know. It was kinda... strange? I didn't mean to See Reirei.
Hmm. Reirei. Our names are so alike. And.. Reiko stopped running. She looked so much like me. Only a little younger. But at first, I did think I was the girl falling. It's so coincidental. And Gen-chan held her when she died. He held her and cried. Reirei loved him. Did he love her too? He couldn't catch her in time. But.. she was happy. She helped Gen-chan get the tessen back. But he didn't catch her. I wonder if he blames himself for it..
"Princess, " Reiko snapped back to reality and found herself looking in horror at a familiar face.
"All alone out here?" He asked. "Where's your darling Suzaku warriors?"
"Satomu!" Reiko put her hand over her mouth. What do I do now? I can't run away from him. She looked around her frantically a spotted a broken tree branch. A tree branch? That can so help me. But it's better than nothing right? Reiko sprinted for it, now the pain got even worse. Her arm felt numb and her chest had a burning pain.
Satomu, quick in reflex, stepped on Reiko's hand just as she reached the branch. "Princess, " Satomu shook his head. "Do you think a pathetic little twig could hurt me?"
Reiko cried out in pain as Satomu crushed her fingers. First my left arm, now my right hand?! Reiko couldn't stop the tears from spilling out.
Satomu lifted his foot. "Reiko, I won't hurt you anymore if you come back to Hokkan with me."
"You can't hurt me 'cos that fat ass Nakuto needs me," Reiko spat. Satomu slapped her. A thin line of blood dripped down the corner of her mouth. Reiko ignored the metallic taste in her mouth and reached out for the branch again. This time, Satumo was caught off guard as Reiko hit him on the stomach.
Reiko made a run for it. Satomu however, ran after her as if he hadn't been hit at all. The princess ran through the trees, not sure where she was going. Then an arm gripped her by the neck. She could feel Satomu breathing down her neck.
"You'll pay for hitting me like that. We both know I can't kill you, but a few whacks won't kill, will it?" With that, Satomu pushed her to the ground. Reiko screamed as her broken arms hit the ground.
Satomu pulled her up by her hair. "You've become such a brat, you know that princess? And I think it's about time I taught you some manners." He slapped her again.
"Genrou! Chichiri!" Reiko screamed.
"You think they can find you in time?" Satomu laughed.
"Is right now in time?" Satomu stopped laughing. The red headed bandit knocked his tessen against his hand.
"Ya know, I do hate women, but treating one like that ain't right."
"I think he should be the one taking lessons on being a gentlman, no da." The masked monk said, holding onto his staff.
"Ah, " Satomu stepped away from Reiko and grinned at Tasuki. "So how did you like my arrows?"
"So yer the bastard who shot at me!" Tasuki charged. "LEKKA SHIN'EN!!" Satomu jumped out of the way, avoiding the fire.
Meanwhile, Chichiri rushed to Reiko. "This is bad, no da." He looked at Reiko's hand. "We better get you to the doctor quickly."
Tasuki kept firing at Satomu. Satomu kept shooting arrows. "And we better get away from here fast, no da." Chichiri added. "Tasuki! Can you handle him? I have to get help quickly for Reiko."
"Sure- thing-" Tasuki panted. "Leave- this- asshole- to me." He gave Satomu a hard kick in the balls. Chichiri and Reiko disappeared behind his cloak. Satomu, realising it wasn't so easy to beat a Suzaku warrior after all, wiped the blood off his face.
"I don't need to waste my time with you. You're not who I'm after." with a cackle, that sounded more like a sick rhino, he ran into the trees.
"COWARD!!" Tasuki ran after him. "WHERE ARE YOU! ARE YOU A MAN OR WHAT!" But he only the hooting of an owl answered him.
The sun beams shone through the curtains and unto Reiko's face. Tasuki just looked at her, sitting at the foot of her bed. Her left arm was still wrapped up in bandages. Now her right hand too was covered in bandages.
I shouldn't have blown up on her like that. He sighed. I didn't expect her to bring up Reirei like that. I didn't want her to know. She knows so much already. About Chiriko and the rest. How did she know? She probably Saw it too. I don't want her to know about Reirei. And that i didn't catch her in time. I tried to save Reirei. but I couldn't. It was my fault, wasn't it? If only I pushed forward a little more. I could have saved Rei- Reiko stirred in her sleep. But that was the past. I can't change it. Right now, I can make up for it, right? I'll protect Reiko. I'd help her even if it meant my life. She needs me. Just like how Reirei needed me, but i was too late.. I CAN make up for it.
(Author: ok.. here's a little something to get you in the mood. hahaha. i think it fits perfectly into this scene, don't it?)
Life and love and why
Child, adult, then die
All of your hoping
And all of your searching
For what?
Ask me for what am I living
Or what gives me strength
That I'm willing to die for
Take away from me
This monstrosity
'Cause my futile thinking's
Not gonna solve nothing tonight
Ask me for what am I living
Or what gives me strength
That I'm willing to die for
Could it be this
Could this be bliss
Could it be all that
I ever had missed
Could it be true
Can life be new
And can I be used
Can I be used
Give me a reason
For life and for death
A reason for drowning
While I hold my breath
Something to laugh at
A reason to cry
With everyone hopeless
And hoping for something
To hope for
Yeah, with something to hope for
Could it be true
Can life be new
Could it be all that I am
Is in You
Could it be this
Could it be bliss
Can it be You
Can it be You
(Author: This song is titled Life and Love and Why by Swtichfoot.)
Tasuki sat, waiting for her to wake. His mind still running wild with thoughts and questions. It was already noon by the time Reiko woke up. Tasuki waited for her the whole morning without breakfast and his stomach started to growl. Reiko rubbed her eyes.
"How ya feeling kid?" Tasuki asked.
Reiko bit her lip. She hadn't forgotten what had happened.
"Look," Tasuki scratched his head. "I'm really sorry for shouting at you last night. I just didn't expect to hear about Reirei again."
"I'm sorry for Seeing it.." Reiko hung her head.
"No need to apologize to me. Like you said, you can't control 'em can ya? So it's not your fault. I shouldn't have made you run off on your own like that. It was my fault you got attacked again." Reiko looked up at him.
"Gen-chan... Thank you. For finding me again. And fighting Satomu. I really owe you..."
"Owe me?" Tasuki smiled. "It's alright kid. Just doing what I do best, right? I'm a Suzaku Seishi after all."
"But I'm not the Miko." Reiko pointed out. "So I DO owe you for saving me. Any idiot would know that."
"So now I'm worse than an idiot?" Tasuki crossed his arms.
Reiko laughed. "That didn't come out from my own mouth." They sat there, just looking at each other for a while. Realising that, both of them blushed.
"Well," Tasuki broke the silence. "If you really think you owe me, then you can pay me back by... " He broke his sentence off, thinking hard of what to say. "Going to the Stargazing Festival with me. It's tonight. And it's been ages since i last went to the festival.. the last time I went was with Nuriko and Miaka..." He didn't realise what he was saying until he finished. Painful memories returned to him. "But that's ok. We can go together, right?"
Reiko knew he still hurt, losing his friends. "Yeah, we can." She smiled at him.