Gemini: (Looks at Cancer, expecting something from her)
Cancer: (Stares at the wall while she's munching on her popcorns)
Gemini: (Beginning to get annoyed and starts glaring at Cancer)
Cancer: (Still starring at the wall while she's munching on her popcorns louder and louder)
Gemini: THAT'S IT!! I CAN'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE!!!
Cancer: (Looks at Gemini innocently with the bowl of popcorns that never leaves her hands) Yes Gemini?!?! What can I do for you?!?!
Gemini: SAY IT!! AND SAY IT NOW!!!
Cancer: (Blinks at Gemini while she shovels a handful of popcorns into her mouth) Sai wha??? HEY next time, try to get the popcorn with the cheese flavour. I heard it tastes better than the butter ones!!!
Gemini: GRRRRRRRR!!!
Cancer: Oh were you saying something to me earlier?!?! What was that again?!?!
Gemini: (Steams are coming out of her head) THE DISCLAIMER YOU BAKA!!!
Cancer: (Stops eating and thinks for a moment).... Ah, right!! The DISCLAIMERS huh??? KOOL!! Hold on for a minute plz....... Ah, here it is:
Disclaimers: Twin Girls does not own Fushigi Yuugi, it was really created by Yuu Watase and other related companies.
Cancer: There, perfect BABY!!! (Continues to stare at the wall while finishing off the last few pieces of popcorns in the bowl)
Gemini: (Pops down besides Cancer and steals the very very last piece of popcorn from Cancer) What the heck are you starring at anyways?!?!
Cancer: I'm just wondering...........coz an idea just popped up in my mind.............
Gemini: (Sits up straight and her eyes are widen) REALLY?!?! YOU HAVE AN IDEA?!? OK, don't tell me! LET ME GUESS HERE!!!.... Does that idea has something to do with Kayla's identity?? Oh I know, you have an idea of how Tasuki will reveal Kayla's true gender isn't it?!?! Or is it the romance between both of them?!?! Which one is it?!?! TELL ME TELL ME!!!
Cancer: (Blinks at Gemini) What are you talking about?!?! I never said I have an idea for our story.
Gemini: BUT YOU SAID YOU HAVE AN IDEA THOUGH!!!
Cancer: Well.....yea, but not for our story
Gemini: THEN WHAT THE HECK IS IT?!?!
Cancer: (Stares back at the wall) I'm just wondering, I think it's about time for us to re-paint our living-room......do you like light green or lavender?!?! I personally prefer baby blue though, what do you think Gemini???
Gemini: (Sweatdrops)!!!
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Chapter 12: Being Lost
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"State your report" a cold voice stated calmly. However one could not deny the authority and power that the voice contained lying beneath its calm exterior.
It was a simple command yet the assassin shook violently as he kneeled before the blond-haired shogun that made the command. He, himself was a trained assassin, but next to shogun he was only considered as a mere puppy. He knew he had failed the shogun in his mission. If he wasn't careful, he was going to suffer a fate worth than death. Nakago was also known as one of the most powerful Seiryuu Seishi and was not given the reputation of being cold and ruthless for nothing.
"N.... Nakago-sama" he sputtered addressing the shogun before him, trying to maintain his fear but was doing a poor job of it. "Like you had commanded I followed the Suzaku no Miko and her other two Suzaku Seishi in their journey. I... I made an attempt to kill the Miko when she was separated from her Seishi but_"
"But you failed" Nakago stated flatly, finishing the sentence for him.
The assassin winced at the harsh unfeeling tone of his voice. "Forgive me Nakago-sama, I...I will not fail next time."
"Who said there will be next time" the blond-haired shogun lips curled into a malicious grin as he seemed to find the man's fear amusing.
The assassin eyes widen in horror at the meaning behind Nakago's words. "Please it wasn't my fault!" he pleaded in a sorry attempt to save his own skin. "I would have succeeded in killing the Miko if it wasn't for that boy_"
"Boy?" Nakago's tone of voice was the only indication showing that he was interested in this new development of information while his expression continued to reveal nothing.
The assassin nodded vigorously hoping that by giving this new information, it would at least get him out of trouble. "Yes, a boy about the age of 16 or so, with long dark hair. Despite his tiny appearance, he is a strong fighter and turn out to be another one of those Suzaku Seishi. He is the one who stopped me from succeeding in killing the Miko."
Isn't this an interesting change in event? Nakago mused silently as he turned from the pathetic so-called assassin. So the Miko managed to find another Seishi. He wasn't surprise by this, in fact, he already predicted that she would eventually find them all... if of course the journey didn't kill her first. Even if the Miko whom he already met once, had managed to succeed in gathering all of her Seishi, he still had no need to worry.
The Suzaku Seishi, Tamahome was still being detained here in Kutou thanks to Yui-sama's ignorance. The Suzaku Seishi's determination to protect his family from the upcoming war with Kutou was the only thing preventing him from trying to escape. Very noble indeed, but stupid at the same time.
Along with this, another plan was being put into play if everything else failed. He was never once without a plan under all circumstances. All it required was a little patience to form a faultless strategy.
"If there isn't anything else Nakago-sama, I would take my leave now" assassin spoke out bringing Nakago out of his thoughts. He was eager to leave the shogun before he changed his mind in letting him go. The assassin was about the leave, however fate had other plans.
"I never said that you were free to go" Nakago stated simply, stopping the assassin dead in his tracks.
"B...but I_"
"You had made two vital mistakes in your mission" Nakago's voice cut into the assassin's sputtering. "First, you had made an assassination attempt on the Suzaku no Miko when I had ordered no such thing but only for you to follow her. Further more, you failed in killing her because of some boy" his words were cold and harsh. "Second, you had forgotten one important thing. 'Never', ever assume that I will accept any failures in my army."
The assassin whimpered in despair in which Nakago only watched emotionlessly at the cowering form before him. He ordered the guards to take the pathetic excuse of an assassin away, decided to deal with him later. He had more important matters to attend to.
He made his way efficiently out of one of the rooms of the Kutou's palace and towards the room where the Seiyruu no Miko would be. He ignored the startled gasps from the guards as he past by them. It was a reaction that occurred often, and almost about everyone feared of him, just in the way he preferred it.
To everyone, Nakago was an enigma. Mysterious and dangerous all at the same time. Everything about him was cold starting with his rare appearance of his cold blue eyes, light blond hair and the paleness of his skin. He had a rare beauty, which came with the intelligence that surpassed many. He was well known not only of his manipulative strategies but of his ruthlessness as well. He was perfect in almost every way. Perhaps to some, his only flaw was the emotionless expression he would so often displayed to the world or the past that he kept hidden within himself.
Everything is going according to plan he thought with satisfaction. The Suzaku no Miko's friend, Yui-sama was too occupied with her own self-pity and anger that she trusted him completely. She was trapped in his own web of manipulations that she, herself was too blinded to see. Goes to show how far truly the bonds of friendship can go. If he could so easily manipulate a girl to turn against her own best friend, then friendship was a very weak asset that one could do without.
Soon, very soon, his own plans for revenge would go accordingly. Even if the Suzaku no Miko managed to find another Seishi now, from what the assassin had told him, this Seishi may be a good fighter but not a major setback in his plans. Like many, everyone had their own weaknesses including a Seishi.
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"Finally we made it!" Kayla cried in relief as she stood before the village entrance. "See I told you we'll find it." Tasuki spoke in an 'I-told-you-so' sort of manner as he stood beside Kayla, giving her a triumphant grin.
"Yeah after we spent just about two days getting here. You said that it was suppose to take us only 'one' day instead!" Kayla stated sarcastically. "Really, why did I let you lead? We should have brought a map but noooo.... 'You' said we don't need it because you know the mountains like the back of your hand!"
"Hey that damn route was suppose to be a shortcut, I never taken it before, how was I suppose to know that it would turn out to be so f*cking complicated. Besides I got us here didn't I! So stop ya complaining already" Tasuki defended with a smirk folding his arms.
Kayla rolled her eyes. "Just 'barely'" she muttered under her breath. "Come on, let's go find Miaka and the others. That is 'if' they hadn't left already". With that, Kayla headed towards the entrance of the village followed by a slightly annoyed Tasuki. Not that she cared anyway.
The village was small and because it was night time, the streets were empty as if people had retired into the night. However, the village had an empty feeling to it that Kayla couldn't really explain. It felt as if this village had once suffered a crisis and now it was experiencing the aftermath of it. Kayla felt goosebumps on her arms. She couldn't be sure if it was whether because of the uneasy sensation or from the chill in the night. "Are you sure this is the right place Tasuki?" She asked uncertainly.
"Of course I'm sure!" Tasuki confirmed as he looked around the deserted streets as well. Then he spotted a 'Doctor' sign on one of the homes. "Let's just go ask someone here and see if they've seen Miaka and the others before we have to search the whole damn village for them" he instructed before heading towards the house with the sign without waiting for Kayla's response.
Kayla sighed and followed him, not really wanting to argue. The doctor's house was old and a little shabby, but it was a little better than some of the other houses they had seen in the village. They knocked on the door and waited. And waited. And.... waited. Kayla was about to knock again when the door opened and revealed a man who was about in his mid-fifties or so.
"Hello can I help you?" the man asked surprised to see two young men outside his doorsteps. "Umm... hello, are you the doctor?" Kayla asked uncertainly. The man nodded and frowned "What are you two men doing out here so late at night? Are you sick?"
"What?! Are you blind?! Of course we're not sick! We-" Kayla quickly covered Tasuki's mouth to stop him from speaking and gave him a warning glare. If this doctor knew anything about Miaka and the others, it would be best if Tasuki don't open his big mouth and anger him. "Don't mind my friend here, hehe. He's just a little tired from our long journey" Kayla quickly explained to the doctor while still holding Tasuki's mouth much to his annoyance. However, luckily Tasuki finally calmed down after getting the message and Kayla let him go.
The doctor regarded them strangely but decided that they were harmless enough. "Dear, who's at the door?" a women's voice was heard from inside the house. "Just two men passing by" answered the man.
A short, plump gentle-faced woman about in her late-forties appeared in the doorway. "Oh my" the woman (most likely the doctor's wife) exclaimed as she saw the two men. "Can we help you?" she asked wondering why these two men would be out so late in the night.
"Well actually yes" Kayla answered. "We just wanted to ask you some questions concerning the whereabouts of our friends." Then all of a sudden, Kayla sneezed; the cold night air was starting to get to her. The doctor's wife gasped when she heard her sneezed. "Well why don't you two come in first and warm up?" she suggested. "Really Roshi, you should let them in first instead of letting them freeze in this cold night." She scolded her husband. Roshi just chuckled softly.
Kayla gave Tasuki a hesitant look not knowing whether to go in or not. Tasuki just shrugged and went in. She followed him inside and was greeted with a small yet cozy room with a table. There was a strong aroma of medical herbs no doubt belonging to the doctor. "Here" the wife spoke pouring them some tea while they sat by the table. Kayla accepted gratefully, savouring its warmth. She took a glance at Tasuki finding him surveying their surroundings.
"Thank you, by the way my name is Kayla" Kayla spoke with a smile and pointed at Tasuki "And this is-" "Genrou" interrupted Tasuki, giving Kayla a look indicated that he didn't want his identity as a Suzaku Seishi to be revealed just yet. Kayla looked at him a little confused but said nothing.
"It's nice to meet you both, now, you have some questions about some friends of yours?" Roshi asked sitting across from them. His wife also listened as well. "Well yes you see, we were wondering if you had seen them" Kayla explained and gave them a detailed description of Miaka, Nuriko and Hotohori. When she was done, Roshi rubbed his chin in thought. "I do recall a girl with strange clothing along with two other men who fits your descriptions" he said thoughtfully.
Kayla perked up at the possibility while Tasuki listened intently as well. "However, when I saw the girl- Miaka you said that's her name right, has been very sick. Unfortunately, she has caught a disease that was spreading across the village during the time. That was why they came to me, they wanted me to cure her" Roshi explained.
"Miaka's sick? Did you cure her? Is she okay now?" Kayla asked worriedly. From what the doctor said, Miaka's condition seemed to be very serious. To her disappointment, Roshi shook his head "I wasn't able to help her, the disease is deadly and I didn't have the proper medicine nor enough knowledge about this disease to treat it but-"
"What?! What kind of a damn doctor are you?! You just can't freakin' leave someone who's sick and say you're too stupid to help them!!" Tasuki exploded furiously interrupting the doctor. Kayla abruptly kicked him underneath the table. "Ow! What the hell are you doing?!" Tasuki cried angrily and glared at her.
Kayla glared back. "Stop interrupting and let him finish!" she argued. She turned back to the doctor, ignoring Tasuki's death glare. "I'm sorry for my friend, he's a bit irrational at times." She apologized to him.
"Look who's talking" Tasuki muttered under his breath and was rewarded with another kick under the table. Roshi chuckled lightly again. "It's quite alright, I don't blame your friend for being angry, and this Miaka is your friend after all. However as I was saying, I couldn't cure her of this disease so I directed her and her friends to another doctor named Myojuan, a strange man but a gifted healer from what I've heard"
"Do you know if she's okay now or if they're still here in the village?"
"Hard to say, I never saw them again afterwards but I could safely say that they had already left this place since I don't see them in the village anymore, this is a small place after all. However its strange" the doctor answered thoughtfully.
"What is?" Kayla asked.
"Well shortly after your friends left, the disease that had been plaguing this village started to diminish as well. The disease had been here for awhile and had killed many people here before your friends arrived."
"Any idea where they had went afterwards" Tasuki spoke up for the first time since his last outburst.
"Possibly heading towards south since that's where the next nearest village is"
"Then that's where we're heading" Tasuki confirmed. "Well let's go then" Kayla urged and began to stand up. However before she could, Tasuki stopped her. "Slow down Kayla, it's too freakin' late to travel any further now. We can start again tomorrow morning" Tasuki pointed out.
Kayla was about to protest but stopped herself. She knew that Tasuki had a point as much as she hated to admit it. She guessed when it comes to travelling, he does have more experience than she did, but there was still one more problem. "Where are we going to stay for the night?" she asked voicing her thoughts.
Tasuki paused for a moment. He hadn't really thought about it. "The outdoors I guess, it's not like we haven't done it before" he answered with a shrug.
Kayla groaned tiredly. Look like it was going to be another sleepless night for her.
Genrou noticed Kayla's reaction and frowned. It wasn't like he, himself really enjoyed sleeping outdoors either. For some reason, the weather had been pretty cold especially during these few nights when he and Kayla camped outside. But what else could they do, it was not like there was an inn around here or something in which they could spend the night in anyway.
Then, as if Suzaku, himself had heard their silent prayer, the doctor's wife spoke out. "Nonsense, you two boys can stay here for the night!" she offered while her husband nodded in agreement. Kayla looked at her surprised. "We... we wouldn't want to impose-"
But the wife waved her hand, cutting her off. "It won't be a problem, this is a small house but it's only me and my husband here. Our only daughter had already married and moved away so there is room. Honestly, I'm not about to let a couple of young boys like yourselves freeze outside in the cold night like tonight, especially for a thin and pale boy like yourself," she confirmed shaking her head disapprovingly as she eyed Kayla's small framed appearance. It wasn't really a harsh criticism but more of comment out of maternal instincts of a woman.
Tasuki laughed out loud at the woman's comment to Kayla's frail looks. "Hehe, I know what you mean lady, I mean Kayla is just a runt compared to a strong man like myself" he taunted unable to resist the urge to tease Kayla once more. Kayla gave him a slap on the head, silently daring him to say anymore. Tasuki got the message and quiet down but one could see the smirk playing on his lips. Kayla ignored him and smiled back at the woman gratefully. "Thank you then, it's really kind of you".
Roshi grinned, "My wife may be fussy but she has a good heart" he replied fondly. His wife gave him a smile before turning back to Kayla. "I'll go prepare your room now, I hope you two don't mind sharing a room since we only have two bedrooms. One is for my husband and I and the other one used to belong to our daughter but now we use as a spare room"
Kayla froze. Sh.... share a room? With Tasuki?!?! She thought with warning bells ringing alarmingly in her head. She looked nervously at Tasuki. He didn't seem bothered at the fact in sharing a room with her but then again he still thought that she was a man while she knew otherwise!! Camping out with him outdoors in the night had been okay for there were plenty of spaces between the two of them. However, being confined in a room alone with 'him' was a totally different matter!!
Oh kami-sama, this is going to be so awkward for me!! She thought distressfully unknowingly that Roshi was watching her curiously. "Is there something wrong Kayla-san?" he asked noticing her discomfort. Kayla shook her head immediately refusing to let him see her uneasiness. It would be suspicious and she didn't want to offend the man for his generosity. "It's nothing, don't worry" She assured pasting a smile on her face. She didn't have a choice, she would just have to be more careful and keep her distance from Tasuki. How hard can it be?
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Kayla felt her whole face flushed in embarrassment and was only thankful that no one noticed or specifically, Tasuki didn't noticed.
There was a problem, a very big problem to Kayla. The room that she and Tasuki were staying in was nice enough, tidy and clean. Better than she expected actually. The only problem was.... there was only one bed! There was no way in hell was she going to share a bed with him! She told herself to be careful around Tasuki and she was determined to follow her own advice.
Even 'if' she didn't mind sharing the bed, the bed was still not big enough for the both of them anyways. So now came the dilemma of who actually gets the bed for the night and who would have to sleep on the floor. Neither she nor Tasuki liked the idea of the floor so now they had to argue for the bed.
"I am not sleeping on some freakin' floor on this cold night, you sleep there" Tasuki argued while sitting on the bed refusing to move.
Kayla glared at him; feeling very tempted to just jump on the bed and kicked the ignorant baka to the floor. "Me?! Why can't you sleep on the floor?! You can at least be nice and let me have the bed for the night. It's your fault that I'm so tired in the first place!" she argued back.
Tasuki just smirked never moving from his position on the bed. "Who said I had to be nice to you Kayla? Besides I am older than you, so I should get the bed" he defended.
"That's a stupid reason of why 'you' should get it. Besides, you're only one year older than I am!" Kayla almost shouted out loud angrily but remembered to lower her voice so that the doctor and his wife couldn't hear their argument.
"Details, details, it doesn't matter either way, I'm still older" Tasuki replied nonchalantly obviously enjoying the fact that he was pissing her off again.
"Gah! That's it Tasuki! Get off the bed now!" Kayla exploded, she was tired and she was cranky! All she wanted was to go to sleep, preferably somewhere warm, but that baka just have to be so selfish!
"Tell you what, we're obviously getting nowhere here arguing. Let's just settle this with a match, whoever wins gets the bed, deal?" Tasuki suggested with a smirk as he stood up from the bed. Kayla looked at him suspiciously. "What do you have in mind?" she asked slowly, half-expecting him to suggest something like arm-wrestling or something.
"Something simple, Rock, Paper, Scissors. What you say? Are you up for it?" Tasuki answered folding his arms waiting for her answer.
Kayla blinked "Rock, Paper, Scissors?" It wasn't what she had expected at all, however.... it does seem fair enough I guess she thought before she nodded "Fine, all or nothing. If I win I get the bed, if I lose then I get the floor" she confirmed as she brought out her hand into position.
"Fine then on the count of three" Genrou agreed getting ready as well "1..... 2..... 3..... "
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I knew I 'should' have used scissors! Kayla scolded herself silently as she laid on the ground with a thin blanket provided by the doctor and his wife. Beside her on the bed laid Tasuki most likely asleep by now. It was almost like he had planned this, that he was confident that he would win. But that couldn't be possible, could it?
Kayla glared at Tasuki's lying figure on the bed, which was pointless considering he was asleep and it was dark in the room. The only light was the one provided from the moonlight shining from the window casting a soft glow in the room. Cautiously Kayla propped herself up with her elbows and looked at Tasuki, whose back was facing towards her. "Tasuki, Tasuki? Are you asleep" she whispered softly still feeling somewhat nervous in sleeping in the same room with him.
As if in response, Tasuki let out a soft snore and a slow, even breathing followed after indicating that he was indeed asleep. Kayla sighed and laid back down on the floor. She shivered a little as she felt a slight chill and wrapped the blanket more tightly to herself. Even though they were indoors, it was still a little cold. At least it's better than sleeping outdoors she thought trying to think more positively as she felt her eyes grew heavier. She was growing more tired as the restless traveling and sleepless nights had finally caught up to her.
I wonder if I'll ever find what I'm looking for? She thought half-consciously before she fell asleep. Somewhere near the back of her subconscious mind, an answer was given to her question but then withdrew again from her conscious and was completely forgotten shortly afterwards as if it had never been there.
Maybe.... maybe I had found it already....
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Kayla walked in the darkness; it was so dark, so black. There was nothing... nothing at all. Not even the sound of her footsteps as she walked along. "Hello? Is there anybody here?!" Kayla yelled, an edge of fear in her voice. There was no answer, not even an echo of her own voice. Am I alone again? Please no! I don't want to be alone! Kayla felt herself on the verge of panic. Out! Let me out! I don't want to be here! Let me out! She began to run; she didn't know which direction to go. She just knew she had to get out of this endless void of darkness!
Then a small light appeared out of nowhere. Seeing nowhere else to go, she ran towards it hoping that it would be the exit. The light was closer however it seemed like it was getting further at the same time. It made no sense. Just when she thought that she would never reached the light, she was suddenly there! The darkness was now gone and she was bathe in the light. She realized for the first time that she was once again dressed as a girl, yet for some reason she didn't find the fact odd or anything. Where am I now? She surveyed her surroundings and found herself standing by a cliff. Kayla instantly backed away from the cliff trying to ignore the never-ending depth that it led to.
"Kayla!" Kayla turned again. Who was calling her? "Who are you?" Kayla cried out, the voice seemed so close yet so far away at the same time. Then she saw them. Her parents, both of her mother and father were standing a few feet away looking back at her smiling. However she could still see the sadness in their eyes and they gazed back at her. "Otosan, Okasan" she spoke softly almost afraid to speak out loud for the fear that they would leave her again if she did. She started to walk towards them. Just a little closer and then we can be family again she thought with a slight surge of hope and warmth that she hadn't felt in a long time.
All of sudden, something grabbed her from behind in a strong grip. Kayla gasped and turned. To her horror, she found both of her aunt and her uncle were holding her back and pulling her away. Away from her parents!
"No! Let me go! Otosan, Okasan! Help me!" She cried despairingly trying to reach for her parents and struggling to get free. But her parents only watched her seemingly just as helpless as she was. She struggled harder but only succeeded in having her aunt and uncle's grip on her grew tighter. So tight that it dug deeply into her flesh causing her to cry out in pain.
"No stop! Let me go" she cried as she realized that they were pulling her closer and closer towards the end of the cliff. Slowly her aunt leaned down towards her ear. "Like I said, you are going to pay even if it costs you your life" she hissed venomously and with one forceful push, she pushed Kayla off the cliff. Kayla screamed as she fell down towards the darkness.
Just when she thought that she would fall forever, she felt something or someone caught her hand. She looked up and saw a hand holding onto her in a firm hold. She couldn't make out the owner of the hand from the blinding light in her vision. "Please don't let me go!" she cried as she clung desperately to her saviour's hand. It was the only thing that was holding her from falling into the total darkness.
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Tasuki woke up with a startled and bolted up from the bed, his mind was still a little hazy from his awakening. He realized that it was still dark as his eyes adjusted to the dark. Judging from the sky from the window, there was still a few more hours before dawn arrive.
Why the hell did I wake up? Tasuki thought feeling a little irritated. It had never really happened before, usually he was a heavy sleeper and could practically sleep throughout the whole night without waking up like this time. He was about to lie back down to go back to sleep when he noticed Kayla's sleeping figure on the floor. The boy seemed a little restless as Tasuki watched him squirmed slightly in his sleep. He wanted to ignore it and just go back to sleep but a soft whimper escaped from the boy's lips making him seemed like a helpless child.
Against his better judgment, he got up from the bed and kneeled down on the ground beside Kayla to check on him. He found Kayla was covered with sweat; his head was turning from side to side restlessly. Another whimper came from Kayla and Tasuki found himself wondering what was wrong.
"No! Let me go! Otosan, Okasan help me!" Kayla cried out softly in his sleep. Tasuki eyes widened in realization He's dreaming about his parents he continued to watch Kayla's expression marred with a look of pure agony. Unable to hold himself back any longer, Tasuki reached down and shook Kayla on the shoulders, attempting to wake him up from his nightmare. However Kayla didn't wake up. In fact, Kayla began squirming harder and more violently, his breathing was becoming more uneven. Then all of a sudden, Kayla's hand caught the hand that Tasuki was using to wake him up in a firm hold. It caught Tasuki off guard but couldn't get Kayla to let go of his hand. For some reason, he felt as if he didn't want him to let go either.
"Please.... don't let me.... go" Kayla spoke out again in between short and uneven gasps of breath. His voice was urgent and desperate. Watching Kayla's mental pain was causing another twist in Tasuki's heart yet he couldn't understand why. Kayla began struggling even more violently, his hold on his hand tightened in a desperate grip.
The baka is going to hurt himself if he doesn't wake up! Tasuki felt a hint of panic as he watched the boy. No longer bothering to be gentle, Tasuki used his other hand and took Kayla by the shoulders and started shaking him senselessly. "Kayla wake up!! Damn it, wake up!! You're dreaming!!" He ordered, suppressing the urgency he felt surging within him.
Kayla's eyes snapped open and bolted up, she found herself breathing unevenly. She was drenched in sweat and her heart beating furiously. What.... what happened? For the moment, she had forgotten where she was, not even aware of the presence kneeling beside her. Therefore she was startled when the person beside her spoke.
"Kuso! Kayla what the hell were you dreaming about? You sounded like you were about to die or something!" Her eyes startled eyes looked up to meet Tasuki's amber gaze, his eyes were intense with agitation, fear and.... worry? She couldn't think properly, her mind was still trying to process where she was, who this man beside her was and what he had said to her.
A..... a dream? It as all a dream she realized as the memories of her dreams came flooding back to her. All the running,... my parents.... my aunt's words........ and....... the falling...... the hands holding me.... I was falling and I was alone. Oh Suzaku! I don't think I can take any more of this! She clasped her necklace tightly like before and began trembling uncontrollably. She hadn't had a dream like that for a long time, but now that it came back unexpectedly, it shook her more than ever to the very core of her soul. She didn't even bother to hide her vulnerability from the man beside her. She was too immersed with her own emotions to acknowledge it.
Tasuki was completely lost and confused as he watched Kayla trembling before him. Never had he had seen the boy so distressed and so shaken up. And all because of some dream?! He looked down and realized that Kayla was still holding onto his hand tightly and by the looks of it he didn't seem to be letting go of it anytime soon.
Damn! What do I do now? He's just sitting there shaking like a leaf while I just sit here! I should be getting some freaking sleep now! Not here to comfort some boy from a nightmare! But this wasn't just some boy; this was Kayla and for some reason that made all the difference. He knew that as much as he wanted to leave the boy to his own problems, he knew that in his heart that he could never actually do it. Kuso! I 'am' getting soft
Awkwardly, he brought his other hand up and began patting Kayla on the back attempting to comfort him. It was the only way he knew how.
Kayla was surprised, when she felt a hand patting her back, but calmed down when she realized that it was just Tasuki. She made no protest but instead, unexpectedly she was actually grateful that he was just there with her. She didn't want to be alone.
They remained like that for a long time, neither one of them was saying anything. Kayla felt herself slowly calmed down as she felt her trembling subsided. Then she gasped. She had been so immersed in her own thoughts that she hadn't acknowledge the fact that she had been holding Tasuki's hand the whole time! She instantly let go of his hand and mentally kicked herself for losing control. I must have looked like a baka to him! She thought fearfully as she fought the unwanted blush on her face.
"I.... I'm sorry," she stammered. "I must look so stupid now, it was just a stupid dream and... and I just snapped, I'm sorry I woke you up I....." she didn't know what else to say and turned so that her back was facing him. She was ashamed of her display for being so vulnerable and for being so transparent. She waited for Tasuki's crude comment to come, which she had been expecting it. However, it never came. She felt his hand on her shoulder and flinched a little.
"What was the dream about?" Kayla's head snapped back at what he said and turned to face him. Her eyes widened in shock. "Nani?" she uttered totally taken back by the question Tasuki had asked her.
At the same time, Tasuki was mentally whacking himself repeatedly in the head. Baka, Baka, Baka.... Why the hell did I ask him that?! Kayla obviously is not going to tell me! Now he's going to get angry with me for sticking my damn nose into his business! He involuntarily shuddered; he really didn't feel like getting yelled at right now as he watched Kayla's blanked expression. "Forget it, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to. It's none of my business and I promised I wouldn't pry" he quickly spoke before Kayla could say another word and abruptly stood up and headed towards the bed.
Kayla was lost as Tasuki stood up. She had been taken off guard by Tasuki's question therefore she didn't reacted immediately. But now as she watched Tasuki headed back towards his bed, she just reacted out of impulse.
"I was running" she blurted out and instantly stopped.
What am I doing?! She didn't know why she felt like speaking out now, but the fact that Tasuki had been there for her when she was in so much despair made her felt like she could trust him to not laugh at her when she tell him. She wasn't going to tell him everything of course, but just enough to let him to know the basics.
Tasuki stopped and was now looking back at her. He was surprised as well, yet made no attempt to interrupt her and sat back down beside her waiting expectantly.
Kayla took a deep breath and quietly prayed to Suzaku that she was not making a mistake. "It was dark, I couldn't see and I was alone... so I ran. I kept running until I saw this light and suddenly I was by a cliff and I...." She felt her voice began to choke as her emotion surged through her. Kami-sama, this is so difficult... demo, I have to finish this....
"You what?" Tasuki asked gently, silently encouraging her to go on.
"I saw my parents. I tried to go to them but then my aunt and uncle were holding me back. I couldn't escape, they were too overwhelming and they threw me off the cliff. However, a hand caught me and I was holding onto it. I didn't want to fall, I.... I..."
Kayla couldn't let go of that impending fear she had felt when she was woken up from that horrible dream. She shut her eyes to block off the pain. It's just a dream, it's over, and they're gone. It's just a dream, it's just a dream.... she continued to chant to herself as a way to maintain her sanity.
Tasuki didn't interrupt her, allowing her to gather enough strength to continue her story. "My mother died when I was very young and my father died after when I was only 11. I had to live with my only living relatives, my aunt and uncle along with my two older cousins. For five years, I had lived with them; I was forced into hard chores. They were all cruel to me, I never had enough to eat and my aunt and uncle would beat me. I couldn't take it anymore, I 'had' to run away and I had been hiding ever since" Kayla paused as she stared at her own hands as if she suddenly found something very interesting about it. She was afraid to look at him since she started talking about her past. She didn't know what he would think. She didn't want to see his reaction just yet.
She continued. "Every moment in those five years had been one terrible endless nightmare that still haunts me now. That.... that dream had been too much for me and I just snapped because I found myself being trapped again and I was falling" She fought back the tears she felt that were on the verge of falling. She had to remain strong, and she would NOT let them to fall, not in front of him, not now.
As she spoke, Tasuki listened with barely contained rage. He didn't know why he felt so overprotective for Kayla all of a sudden. He just knew that he found it disgusting and cowardly for those people to pick on the boy for so long. For five f*cking years! He thought angrily. No wonder Kayla had been so closed off like that especially when he first met him. Then a thought occurred to him and Tasuki gingerly took one of Kayla's arms and pulled up the boy's sleeve.
Kayla was startled when he did that. "What...?!"
"The scars" Tasuki interrupted Kayla's protest as he held his arm up to the pale moonlight showing the faint scars on Kayla's arm. "Were they caused by them?" all the usual sarcastic and humorous tone was gone.
Kayla's eyes widened in surprised and pulled back her arm immediately. She pulled back down her sleeve to hide her scars from him. It was an initial reaction, and he surprised her from that unexpected question. However she nodded slowly confirming his suspicions.
Tasuki swore softly. "Kuso! Kayla you should have ran away sooner, just look at what they have done to you!" he exclaimed raising his voice louder than he intended.
"Do you actually think that I haven't tried to run away from them before?!" Kayla retorted defensively. "It took me on the third try to actually succeed!" She wasn't really angry with him; she was just feeling a little edgy. Yet amazingly, her anxiety and despair wasn't as strong as before. The pain was still there, but the feeling was like a distance numbness she could put to the back of her mind instead of having it overwhelming her like before.
She regarded Tasuki carefully, who grew quiet for a moment. She caught the angry tightening of his fists. Why is he being so angry about all this? Kayla was confused. The only explanation she could come up with for his behaviour was because he cared for her well-beings as a friend should. Could he actually care for me that much? Or maybe even more? No, that's just silly, he views me as a friend... nothing more, nothing less...
"I can't believe they f*cking did that to you, are you sure you are actually related to those bastards!" his voice brought her back to reality preventing her thoughts from going any further.
"I don't care if they were really related to me or not and it doesn't matter now. They are out of my life now and I am out of theirs. Whether they had any blood ties with me or not they had never treated me as if I was one of their own anyway" Kayla said with a hint of bitterness.
"Still, if I ever cross paths with any of them, they'll be in one hell of a beating" Tasuki replied, his eyes flashed dangerously.
However Kayla shook her head in a disagreement. "Forget it, that would mean I would have to cross path with them again and that is something I would much rather avoid" Kayla stated calmly. Tasuki looked at her a little confused "I don't see how you can be so f*cking calm seeing that you just about had a nervous breakdown dreaming about them a moment ago." he muttered.
Kayla looked at him in the eyes. She knew she was sounding unnaturally calm, but she reasoned with herself that she had to remain strong. She couldn't allow herself to be held back because of some dream.... no matter how much it hurt her or how much it reminded her of her painful memories. Besides.... whether he was aware of it or not, Tasuki had helped her with the pain, making it more bearable for her. "I had a little help... Thank you Tasuki... for everything" Kayla smiled, her very first since she had woken up.
Tasuki shifted uncomfortably trying to ignore the warmth he felt on his face when Kayla smiled at him. Why the hell am I blushing?! He hid his uneasiness with a cough. "Yeah well.... somebody had to calm you down or else you would have kept me up all night with your nightmares anyway. Frankly, I would rather like to get some sleep tonight." He stated simply sounding casual as if it was no big deal. "Well.... since you're okay now, I'm going back to sleep, so goodnight." With that said, he abruptly went back to his bed and laid down with his back facing Kayla. He covered himself with the blanket although he was still feeling a little warmth from before.
Kayla blinked curiously at Tasuki's cold behaviour. Did I.... say something wrong? She thought confusedly. All she had done was thanked him for listening. She sighed. He was certainly one strange guy to understand or maybe it was a guy thing. How was she supposed to know? She may dress like a guy but that didn't mean she would think like them too.
She slowly laid back down on her makeshift bed on the floor. She meant it when she thanked him. She was grateful that he was there to listen to her (which still surprised her considering that this was Tasuki she was talking about). It was a burden off her shoulders and she was kind of relieved that she no longer had to hide 'all' of her secrets except for a few more which she still preferred to keep to herself. However the tension she felt between them had lessened more and she was gradually getting along better with him. They would still argue and fight as always, but it would be okay.
She silently thanked him again and slowly drifted off into a dreamless sleep.
Tasuki turned around and watched Kayla's form breathing in perfect rhythm indicating that he was fast asleep. His thoughts drifted back to what Kayla revealed about himself and that protective feeling surged through him once again. The reason he could come up with for this unexpected feeling was that he had came to view Kayla as a close friend, maybe even as a brother he never had. But he would be damned if he let anyone know especially Kouji. He would never give him a moment of peace that's for sure.
He thought back on how Kayla had unconsciously clutched his hand while dreaming, begging him not to let go. He shook the thought out of his head and proceeded to get some more sleep before the morning would come.
I'll never let go his heart silently vowed, but his mind never acknowledged this vow as he drifted to back to sleep.
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"25 bottles of sake on the wall, 25 bottles of sake,
I take one down and drank it up,
24 bottles of sake on the wall.
24 bottles of sake on the wall, 24 bottles......"
"Tasuki!!!" Kayla spoke, her expression looked ready as if she was ready to kill the flame-haired baka beside her as they walked.
"Yeah?" Tasuki stopped his singing and smirked at her, obviously enjoying his torture game he was playing on her.
Kayla scowled at him "SHUT UP!! Stop singing that damn annoying song!"
Tasuki pretended to look offended, "What's wrong with my singing? I thought it was a very good song to sing, I always sing it with my drinking buddies." he replied innocently (or as innocent as a fiery-haired bandit could get).
"Well 'I' am NOT your drinking buddy, you have been singing since the '100th bottle'!! So stop your singing now!!" Kayla hissed dangerously, however Tasuki didn't even flinch at her warning.
"Awww.... too bad Kayla, that's what you get for restricting me from sake" he taunted with unhidden glee.
Kayla was on the verge of exploding. They had been walking for almost a full day now since they left the village. It was an uneventful journey until Tasuki decided to play the 'How-far-can-you-push-Kayla-before-he-explodes' game. Whatever nice guy Tasuki had been last night was certainly gone now. Now it was the same irritating Tasuki that constantly caused her blood to boil. Maybe it was a dream last night; maybe that nice and somewhat considerate Tasuki was just a creation from her mind. Kayla couldn't deny the possibility as she continued to shoot Tasuki with her glares and death threats. He was obviously doing this to her because he was bored but that didn't mean he had to irritate her for the fun of it!
She was about to teach the baka a painful lesson with a heavy branch that she had conveniently found on the ground when Tasuki stopped walking almost causing her to bump into him. "Tasuki, why the hell did you stop like that" she cried feeling irritated.
"What do you think? We're here!" Tasuki answered simply, as if it was obvious and that she should have known. He pointed off into the distance.
Kayla blinked "What....?" she looked at the direction that Tasuki was pointing at. Surely not too far ahead stood a village, bigger than the one they were at before. "Oh...." Kayla stood there a little stunned before she realized something. "You mean we actually 'didn't' get lost!" She exclaimed momentarily forgetting their argument from before.
Tasuki snorted. "Of course! I did travel quite a lot before so I'm not that hopeless in directions" with that said, he headed towards the direction that led to the village up ahead.
Kayla snapped out her stupor and followed him silently relieved that they found the place earlier than expected.
The busy streets greeted them when they entered the village. Unlike the last village, this village was filled with people everywhere doing chores, selling merchandises, buying clothes, foods and many more. It was certainly livelier and busy than they both expected.
Kayla weaved herself in and out of the huge crowd while at the same time trying not to lose sight of Tasuki, which wasn't too hard since his fiery hair stood out in the crowd. However, it was hard to keep up to his pace as other people constantly bumped into her causing her to fall behind. "Hey Tasuki!" She called to him, hoping he would slow down. "Wait_"
"Watch out!" a voice from out of nowhere cried out. Kayla turned and instantly something collided into her knocking her to the ground. She looked up just in time to see a man who knocked her down ran by carrying some boxes obviously in a hurry to get to wherever he was going.
He could at least apologize for knocking me down! She thought annoyingly as she stood back up brushing the dust off herself. She looked around for Tasuki but found that he was nowhere to be seen. She groaned. This is NOT good. How in the world can you lose a nearly six foot tall fiery-haired man in a crowd like this?!
Okay Kayla don't panic, Tasuki probably notice that you're not with him right now so he's probably looking for you she thought trying to control her fear. She stood by one of the stands away from the trampling crowd hoping that Tasuki would come to find her soon. She didn't want to get lost in a foreign place like this. It was probably better to stay where she was. She waited, watching the people passed by one by one, but still no Tasuki.
Where is he? She thought frustratingly. He shouldn't be taking this long. Then a thought came to her. He couldn't be in trouble could he? But she quickly banished that thought. Tasuki could be a baka most of the time but he was capable of taking care of himself. However despite her own reasoning, she couldn't help but to worry.
Kayla's whole body tensed up as an uneasy feeling washed over her. It was that feeling one would get when they sensed that they were being watched. Kayla looked around but couldn't find anything suspicious. She mentally scolded herself, she had to stop feeling so paranoid, but still....
All of sudden, something grabbed one of her shoulders. Kayla cried out in surprise and out of impulse, she elbowed her attacker in the gut hearing a satisfying grunt in pain. She turned to her attacker ready to defend herself or possibly run away if needed. She was met with a sight of a very pissed off Tasuki.... correction, a very pissed off and 'in pain' Tasuki who was holding his side where she had elbowed him.
Oops "Tasuki?" She asked surprised and a little embarrassed that she thought he was attacking her. However those feelings quickly shifted to annoyance. "What the hell were you doing scaring me like that!! I practically jumped three feet in the air thanks to you!"
"What the hell am I doing?! What the hell were 'you' doing?!" Tasuki countered annoyingly. He had been looking for Kayla when he discovered that he was no longer with him. When he did find Kayla, he got elbowed in the gut! Talk about being ungrateful he thought indignantly.
Kayla calmed herself down. She knew that she was wrong no matter what her excuse may be. "I'm so sorry Tasuki, I thought you were some attacker"
"Well you obviously thought wrong" Tasuki grunted.
"I'm sorry" Kayla apologized again, resisting the urge to smile. Despite her guilt, she was very relieved that he found her. Watching him bending over in pain, she frowned "Are you alright? I didn't hurt you 'that' bad, did I?"
Tasuki quickly stood straight up again as if the pain had miraculously disappeared or as if it had never happened. "Of course not, takes more than a mere elbow in the gut to hurt me" he replied gruffly.
"Uh huh" Kayla answered amusedly, and she guessed she didn't hurt him that seriously. Maybe she wounded more of his pride instead. "Where were you?" she asked
"Looking for you, what did you think? I was going to find some inn where we could stay in for the night. But when I turned around, you were gone" he answered, a hint of annoyance still evident in his voice. He deliberately left out the details in how worried he was when he found Kayla missing and the relief that he felt when he found him. There was no way in hell he was going to reveal all that to him. What was the point in that?
Kayla smirked at his answer. "Awww.... Tasuki, I didn't know that you would care!" she replied teasingly, unable to help herself.
Tasuki choked a little but quickly covered it with a cough. "Just what were you doing? You looked so damn tense before that you didn't even hear me calling your name!" he asked wanting to change the topic.
Kayla's smirk vanished as she thought back to that feeling of how she was being watched or that she 'thought' she was being watched. Should she tell him? It was very possible that she was just being overly sensitive. "I thought....." she paused as she looked at Tasuki who was still waiting for her response. "It's nothing" she finished. She didn't want to make a big deal out of nothing.
"Are you sure?" Tasuki asked uncertainly. He didn't know how but he had a feeling that something was bothering the boy. Yet Kayla seemed determined to hide it from him again.
"Yes" Kayla confirmed. "So where are we staying for the night?" she asked quickly (maybe a little too quickly).
Tasuki frowned a little but it was quickly covered with a smirk. "I found just the place, let's go already before the sun sets"
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At least we got two beds this time Kayla thought as she surveyed the room she would be sharing with Tasuki. She would have preferred having separate rooms with him but having a room with two beds was cheaper in the inn than to have two separate rooms. It was something that they couldn't ignore with their limited budget and all. She still felt a little uncomfortable sharing a room with him, although the feeling wasn't as strong as before.
I guess having Tasuki, as a roommate wouldn't be so bad she reasoned with herself as she remembered the previous night. She had to admit if it weren't for him, she would possibly still be suffering from a mental breakdown. It really helped when he was there while she needed someone most. He never complained nor teased her about it. In fact, he acted as if it never had happened which was for the best.
Kayla felt her face grew a little warmer as she remembered how she clutched onto his hand the whole time. Kami-sama, I shouldn't have done that she thought uneasily. I can only be thankful he didn't tease me about that either or else I wouldn't know how to explain it. She made her way to one of the beds and sat down. She looked around the room. The room was bare except for the required necessities like the beds, a table with two chairs, a wash cloth with a basin, a pitcher of water, etc, etc.
"I wonder what's taking Tasuki so long?" she thought out loud. He left her in the room saying he was going to get them some food from the inn's dining hall. However that had been a while ago and she was getting tired of waiting. Deciding it would be better to go and look for him and see what was holding him up instead, she stood up from the bed and headed out of the room. She walked down the hallway towards the wooden stairs that would lead to the main floor where the dining hall would be.
It's most likely that he's taking the opportunity in getting himself drunk while I'm not there to stop him Kayla thought amusedly as she headed down the hallway. Up till now from what she seen, Tasuki hadn't broke his promise... yet. Since this was Tasuki and sake she was talking about, one could never be too certain in how long he could hold out.
She absently made a turn in the hallway....
Out of nowhere, a hand holding a cloth covered her mouth muffling her startled scream. What..... what's happening?! Her mind screamed in protest. Kayla struggled as she felt herself being dragged away. A sickening sweet aroma engulfed her senses slowly causing her mind to become hazy.
"Finally we found you, you're just one sneaky little runt aren't you?" a voice hissed out of the corner seemingly out of the darkness.
Kayla's eyes widened in horror. She knew that voice anywhere! She struggled harder as the impending feeling of dread overwhelmed her. No it can't be! She twisted in her attacker's hold and turned to direction of the voice. Only to find that unmistakably in front of her along with a few other strangers stood her uncle giving her that malicious grin she only knew too well of.
She wanted to scream for help but the strong hand with the cloth on her face prevented her from doing so. That smell.... the cloth.... it's been drugged! Kayla realized too late as she felt herself grew more tired and weaker. She tried to break free, but found it useless. She was losing strength and she was losing fast. With her last burst of energy, her hand went the chain around her neck and pulled hard, hearing a satisfying snap. It was her only hope left and could only prayed that her uncle had not caught what she had last done.
Must not... sleep she thought despairingly, but knew she was only preventing the inevitable as she felt her eyes were growing heavier. Dimly, she was aware that she was being carried away, but she no longer had the power to stop it. She was being taken away from the freedom she had only experienced for a short amount of time. Away from the life that she had wanted so badly. Away from all of her newfound friends.... and away from him. Tasuki her last thought faded as she fell into unconsciousness against her will.
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Author's Notes:
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Gemini: Where is Cancer (looks around outside for Cancer since she couldn't find her anywhere inside the house) I swear that girl is never here when I need her.
Cancer: Help!!
Gemini: What? (looks around and found Cancer dangling by the side of a very deep cliff) Cancer what the hell are you doing down there?!
Cancer: (glares Gemini as she continued to hang on to a very unstable tree branch by the cliff) It's all you fault!!! You're the one who decided to leave this story in a CLIFFHANGER!!!
Gemini: (sweatdrops) I never meant it!!! The chapter was getting to be unbelievable long, so I had to end it somewhere!! Honestly, I swear you take things TOO LITERARY sometimes.
Cancer: I don't care!!! Just get me out of the mess!!
Gemini: (thinks for awhile) I don't know......
Cancer: WHAT?! What do you mean you don't know?!?!?!?!
Gemini: Well.... seeing how much I had suffered from the last chapter (read the last chapter's author's notes and disclaimer if you didn't know what Gemini was talking about) I think it would be very good to leave you there for a while HEHEHEHE!!!!
Cancer: Haha very funny Gemini, now stop joking.... Gemini?..... Gemini?!?!?! (starts to panic as
Gemini walks away) CRACK!! .... Uh oh......
Gemini: Anyway, unlike Cancer, I will try not to leave the rest of you readers hanging for too long. Just remember to review and tell me what you think about this chapter. Likes and dislikes, it doesn't matter, just tell me what you think. {^.~}
For those of you who didn't recognize the song Tasuki was singing to irritate Kayla; it was that beer song that usually annoys so many people. We just modify it a little to suit Tasuki's taste LOL
The original song goes like this:
100 bottles of beer on the wall, 100 bottles of beer
If one of those bottles should happen to fall
99 bottles of beer on the wall
99 bottles of beer on the wall, etc, etc......
We also hope that Nakago didn't seemed too out of character. It was actually very difficult to get his character right exactly, but we'll work on it. Thanx for all your support and like Gemini said. Don't forget to review. We luv them all!!