Fushigi Yuugi:

Life As It Is

The walk over to Koa's hut was filled with so much tension, nothing could penetrate it. Tasuki remained on guard and just glared at the 'Earth fighter's' back. There was no way he was leaving until he knew what that meant. Or for the other members as well. And especially the mysterious lady who never wanted to return. He felt he was in a horror urban legend and a ghost or ogre was going to pop out soon to bite off his head. Seriously, 'What is up with this chick and her friends?'

As they entered her wooden built hut, Tasuki sighed lightly. He figured at least now, he could calm down. After all, this was Koa's house. Why would she set traps at her own front d--

"AHHHHH!" the said man screamed as he went flying into the air and smacked into the ceiling, "K-K-KO-A!"

"Huh? Oh, so-o-or-ry-y…ha ha ha ha HA! Tasuki, you got trapped? How…how could you not…" she just continued to laugh.

Somehow, Koa was able to avoid the swinging mallot falling from the rim of the door, but our mystery's victim could not. It smashed right into his forehead, just on the line of his eyebrows. He groaned painfully as he tried to circulate the blood in his head.

Okay, maybe he should consider every possible attack from now on. After all, PSYCO TEEN GIRL SQUAD, HERE!

"Hey, this isn't as funny as you're making it seem, you know!" Tasuki said in a Chichiri-like manor. 'Like I needed my headache to get any worse. Too much thinking and now this! Can I say my life is boring now?'

"Okay, okay. (giggle, cough) Here, come sit down. I'll go grab a cool cloth for your headache. Wait over there," she pointed to a mahogany wooden table with four chairs, "take a seat if you wish."

"Wait," the fire user said in a bit of a shocked tone, "how did you know I had a headache?"

"…Is it not obvious?" Koa answered with her own question, "I mean, you spent most of the day trying to figure out the excuse for our village and now, you have a bump the size of Mini Monkey's head."

"Is that seriously his name?"

"The chipmunk? Actually, yes. You try naming every animal in the forest and keeping it dignified. Besides, he is a bit of a handful whenever he is restless. Which is just about every time he finishes eating." She now returned from digging through a small cupboard with a cloth and a already filled bowl of water.

"So, " the mysterious girl began as she kneeled in front of the closet chair to the door, "why do you stand in my doorway? I offered you a seat on a comfortable chair."

"Because I don't know if that thing is alive and is hungry for butts!" he yelled in defense while pointing an accusing finger in the direction of the table.

"…I think that mallot shook up your brain. It will not harm you, it is made of same wood as my house," she sighed as she saw him jump at her statement and begin to glare at the surrounding walls, "Look, I shall prove to you it is harmless. See?"

Koa placed her hand on the smooth surface of the chair and rubbed the area in a circular motion exactly ten times. His eyes stared cautiously at her and the chair, back and forth, until he dropped his shoulders and headed over to the seat and placed himself down.

"Just so you know, I don't trust this place."

"…You are free feel as you wish…"

Koa had just finished soaking the cloth she had found for him and placed it on his forehead, holding for him a few moments until her delicate fingers began to move the cloth in a calming motion. Tasuki was really awe struck by the situation.

"Hey," he spoke rougher than he wished, his eyes looking down at his lap.

"Yes?" she responded as she stared intensely at the fabric she was preoccupied with.

"How come you're sitting on the floor and not on a chair? And why are you rubbing my forehead? It's nothing that—"

"Are you displeased by my actions? Would you like to leave?" she asked in a depressed childish voice. His eyes shot up immediately to look into hers. She tried to make them emotionless, it was obvious as to how hard she was trying, but he could defiantly tell he had hit a nerve.

"N-no. No, I'm not saying that. It's just…with you on the floor and me up here, it's almost like you're a geisha or a common serving girl while I am some prince. 'Which I don't mind one bit, but…' It's not fair for you. Besides, I wouldn't want to act cocky over the Earth guardian, right?" he now gave her a look that stated he wanted that to be explained to him. She only stared at him and sighed.

"All right," she mumbled as she got up, dusted herself off and placed the bowl on the table as she took her seat beside him, "What do you want to know?"

"Everything about you. From beginning to finish in a way I can understand. Then, fill me in on this village."

"…O-okay," she responded, sounding mesmerized, "but I am only at liberty to tell you certain things."

"That's CRAP!" Tasuki shouted in anger, "How can you drag me into this and not fill me in on everything I need to know?"

"If I may say, you brought yourself into this of your own accord and you will be told everything to the fullest extent of what I am allowed to say. Now, if you would be so kind as to sit and pay attention…" she let that hang in the air.

He only grumbled and plopped down onto his seat with his arms crossed.

"Now, where shall I begin?"

"Wherever you think I'll understand best from."

"…Hmm, it seems this will proceed difficulty," Koa admitted as she ran a hand through her hair and tightened the bow holding her braid together.

"Well, this village has been here for almost ten years now."

"Why though? That's the root of my problem with you guys."

"…I can't tell you…until I can trust you."

"Wha…?"

"You can start proving you are trustworthy by believing everything I say and not asking any questions similar to what you just asked now."

"So, I'm not allowed to ask 'why'? This is just going around in a circle. Oh, I can already see stars."

"Do you wish to know or can I just permit you to leave now?"

"Alright, I'm all ears!"

"As I said, the five of us created this village just about ten years ago."

"How old were you then?"

"I think six years old."

"Whoa, six years. That must have been tough on all of you."

"Especially Jem and…the misguided one," Koa sighed, "I know I will be punished for telling you this, but the crazy child I mentioned to you earlier is known as Enzeru Faita-Kaji."

"A Fire fighter?" (A/N: no pun is here, in case u think it is. Tasuki is just a trend setter. Example: when he called Tamahome "homie".)

"Yes. Jem and Enzeru had to raise Arashi and I. Mikomi was my responsibility."

"Wait, I thought you were the oldest."

"No, Arashi is exactly one year younger than Jem. Enzeru is almost a week older than Jem. And my birth falls three months behind Arashi. Mikomi is twelve years old. She is mine to nurture."

"…But she isn't your own child?"

"I treat her as one, but no."

"Okay, phew! Continue your story now. I'm listening."

"So we created this village with the help of…our strengths and trained vigorously to enhance our skills. We realized no one could find who or where we lived, so I asked the animals within our district to help us remain a secret. They were all so kind to agree and have all become good friends of mine."

'It's still confusing though,' Tasuki thought, 'I mean, I can kinda get why Koa is so protective of her village and friends. But I really gotta know why.'

"I am sorry that is all you can know at this point in time."

'Damn. It's almost as if she can read my mind. I guess all I can do is ask more questions. Like…'

"But what I really find strange is this," Tasuki lifted his left arm and rolled back his sleeve enough to see the mark she had inflicted on his wrist, "No offense, but is this a freaky tradition of your 'clan' or…"

"It's a blood oath." Koa stated rather roughly.

"…Blood oath? What for?"

"You have to understand, if I can't tell you our explanation of existence, how could I let you in without a seal of promise."

"So blood is the way to flow?"

"Well, it is a sealed deal when your deoxyribonucleic acid fuses with another."

"…Your what?"

"Your genetic information."

"Oh, okay. 'The normal people I know call it just genetics or d.n.a.. But then again, none of those people ask me to slit my wrist to make sure I don't tell anyone they're going bald. But those people also aren't as interesting as Koa. Hmm…something to consider.' "

"This is also an act used amongst our 'clan', as you call it, to keep us in the same bloodline and so we can stay connected at all times. I had to do that with you because we need help and that was the only way my friends would permit you to step one foot near their door."

"Wait, wait, wait! Does that mean…?"

"Yes. You, Tasuki, and I, Koa Faita-Chi, are connected. The same blood that pumps through me mingled with and now pumps through yours."

"I wish you woulda told me about that before slicing me open! 'I most likely would have said forget it!'"

"Well, your option was to seal your promise of keeping your loud mouth shut or I would have had to knock you out and tie you to a tree in the middle of the forest and make you forget everything you saw of me with a nice fist size bump on your head!" Koa growled, sounding very displeased with him.

"…C-calm down, Cocoa."

"The name is Koa. And you would do well to pronounce it properly and respectfully, cretin."

"Whoa, where'd the peace go?"

"It disintigrated when you started to insult me and my friends."

"…B-but, I didn't! I swear! I—AHHHHH!" Tasuki fell forward and clutched his stomach. Something, just then, squeezed tightly in his gut. He had no idea what it was. Maybe Koa poisoned the water on the cloth and the particles soaked into his skin to harm him.

He heard Koa tsk, and he looked up at her while clenching his teeth. She sat with her legs crossed over one another and leaned against the table.

"…Grr…aren't you gonna…help…me?"

"Did you know lying is one of the greatest burdens you can put on your own soul?"

"What…are you…talking about?"

"When you lie to me, you only injury yourself. The same would go for me. If I lie to you, I would feel the same pain. Each time one of us lies to one another, it will intensify until it becomes unbearable. And this isn't something your 'Mitsukake' can fix."

"B-but…I wasn't…huh?"

"Did you figure it out just now?"

"…You mean…you can read my mind?"

"Precisely."

"So…you heard me?" Tasuki mumbled out as the pain started to let up. He was able to take his seat again.

"Yes. Every word." She sent him a hateful glare, "But it's okay. I am used to it. You pathetic humans are all the same."

"Hey, we…I mean, I'm not pathetic!"

"Yes you are. You are just like them. You are just another sinful suicidal lost soul who does not know how to do anything else but clear your own path to hell."

"What the hell…on earth are you talking about?"

"Nothing. Forget it," Koa looked at her door, almost in a glazed hurt look.

"Koa…Look, I'm sorry for what I…thought. It's just…this is kinda going a little too fast for me, you know? I mean, one minute, I'm so bored I can't see straight. Then I kicking a bear's butt. Then the bear is swatting at my butt. Now, I'm in a village no one knows about and I only got here because I allowed you to bleed my wrist! You gotta understand, I'm just a little freaked out by all of this!"

"…I see. I guess allowing you to come only stressed you out in the end. I am sorry to have brought you here selfishly."

"No, it wasn't…"

"Normally, the ritual I performed with you is a sacred tradition by our original clan guardians. To perform such a thing with an outsider with you, well, I'm surprised you survived. My blood contains many chemicals that come with my skill. I have the…genetics of my power flowing through every vein in my body. Any one to inherit such a cell through anything other than birth would apparently dis. How is it you…?"

"I guess my 'celestial' blood was able to par with your genetics." Tasuki guessed.

"I suppose you are correct. But still, this is unnatural. And I assure you, if this had happened while I was back with the main chain of our clan, we would both be beheaded."

"…That's nice to know."

"Well, I think I've told you everything I know. Anything else you have to question?"

"Only one. How come you can read my mind, but I can't read yours?"

"Because I have been living in this sort of manor and have been intune with others like this longer than you have. At first, all of us were scared when we heard each other's voices in our heads from time to time. You will be able to hear me when I try to communicate with you telepathically, but I suggest you do not even try to respond. You won't be able to harnest that power until your mind becomes connected to mine and used to the ability you have just received. If you try, you will immediately be drained. Please, do not risk your health just to answer to my call. I will communicate you tomorrow once you have awakened. But for now, you must head home before it becomes too dark out. I shall see you out."

They both stood up at the same time and headed toward the door. They walked almost sluggish, as if they did not want him to leave. But as Koa reached out for the knob for Tasuki, they knew nothing could be done. They whispered good-bye to each other and he exited rather smoothly. Koa closed the door, placed her back against it and fell to the ground.

"What have I done? Please, do not let anyone know Tasuki. I don't want to be hurt again. And I really don't want to risk your safety because of my needs. Be careful and guard my life with your own. For that is what it will take in order for me to survive."

Meanwhile, Tasuki strolled through the village with his head facing down. He was so stunned by his discovery, he didn't know what to think. And because his mind was preoccupied, he didn't notice the show coming at his head.

"Oww!" he grumbled, "Hey, who threw…"

"If you hurt her," he thought he heard Jemu call, "No one will be able to save you."

Tasuki just looked around cautiously for the source. After two minutes, he dropped his tense posture and sighed, "Why do they think I need to be beaten in order to give them my attention?"