Verse Two: Datte Koi Shitara
--Because I'm in Love--
"I want to go falling in love with you;
Even a furious brake won't stop this.
No matter who (tries to) stop me now.
Since it gets stronger every time I hit the borders of common sense,
I'll climb over the wall and speed up;
I can't stop lovin' you."
--Tomokazu Seki; "Break Through"--
Koji was awakened roughly from his sleep by somebody knocking on his door. The co-leader opened one hazel eye halfway, surprised to find the sun already shedding light through his window. Strange. He never got up this late...
"Ne, Koji-sama?" the voice from behind the door called. "Rise and shine, Koji-sama!"
The bandit sat up, pushing some of his bangs out of his eyes. "Oi, Genji-kun, y'can come on in. It's yer room too." He always had to tell the young man that, and for some reason it never seemed to sink into his head.
There was a pause, then the door opened with a creak. Genji poked his head around the door, waving one hand cheerfully. "Ohayou, Koji-sama! I'm glad to see you're finally awake, te kanjii!" He frowned, worry creased on his face. "You never sleep in this late. Are you all right? Not sick or anything, are you?"
The co-leader shook his head, still partially asleep. "Nah, nothin' like that. I jus' had trouble sleepin' last night." His heart sunk, remembering the events of the previous evening. "Yeah. I had a lot on my mind."
"That makes sense," Genji agreed, still looking concerned for the older bandit. "Maybe you're thinking too hard about the Akutsuki gang. You should take a break for once, te kanjii." The youth looked over his shoulder, than back at Koji. "Well, breakfast's ready. That's what I came to tell you."
"Oh, that's great. I'm kinda hungry, now that'cha mention it..." Koji sat up completely in his bed, rotating a little to put his feet on the floor, but stopped as a pair of arms gripped his shoulders. He looked up, blinking in surprise as he found Genji's violet eyes staring hard into his own. "Eh, Genji-kun... I gotta get outta bed if I expect t'eat..."
The youth shook his head, leaning in further. "No, no, no, Koji-sama! Staying right here is perfect, I promise you. In fact, it's the best spot for the meal..."
Koji tried to back up further on his bed, finding the situation more than a little uncomfortable, but the young bandit persisted. Finally, the co-leader found himself practically pinned to the wall, Genji leaning over him. "G-Genji-kun, if this is some kind-a joke, you can tell Genrou that I don't find it real fun-"
Without warning, the young bandit dove forward, grabbing Koji's collar and locking lips with the older bandit. Koji, too shocked to react, watched in frozen horror as Genji pulled away, smiling coyly. "You misunderstand, Koji-sama," he whispered, voice a sultry purr. The bandit opened his mouth to argue, but Genji put a finger to his lips and winked. "I - am - your - break - fast... te kanjii..."
"YAH!" Koji punched wildly at the air as he tried to fight his way out of Genji's grasp, but the youth's hold was firm. The co-leader thrashed against the bandit, desperate to pull himself out of the death grip. "Leggo a-me, I ain't like that, dammit!" he cried, wriggling under the fellow bandit until he fell with a thump to the floor. Koji opened his eyes, still feeling something grabbing onto his arms, and found himself staring at his own blankets.
He blinked huge hazel eyes, unwinding the sheets from his arms and breathing a sigh of relief. Just a dream. Thank the gods. He sighed again, though this time for a different reason, and wished the nightly visions weren't so vivid in his mind. The bandit rubbed at his head, sitting up as he did. "Kuso, that was one hell of a nightmare..." he shuddered a little, trying to clear his head of the disturbing images. "Last time I eat salmon b'fore bed, that's fer sure." He sighed, looking upwards as if to ask his own subconscious a question. "You," he accused, "are a twisted, kinky bastard. And really, would it a-been so much trouble fer ya t'make it Hikaru? Hell, just a woman woulda been fine, I'd even settle fer Shuu over a g-"
Knock knock! Knock knock knock knock!
Koji stiffened, wondering who would be banging at his door. No one usually disturbed him, not unless there was some kind of emergency. "Uh, h'lo?"
"Koji-sama?" Genji's voice came through the wood. "Are you finally awake, te kanjii?"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm awake..." the bandit confirmed, starting to get a funny feeling in his stomach. What if Genji really did?... oh, but no, that was ridiculous, it had just been some kind of stupid dream. And anyway, the youth didn't even think of him like that... did he?
The familiar young face poked its way around the door, frowning a little. "Good to see you up, te kanjii! Gen-sama's been looking for you; the two of you are setting up night watches today, right? Isn't that right, Koji-sama?"
"Oh, crap! Yer right!" the co-leader winced, slapping his own forehead. "Stupid me, I fergot all about that." He sighed, stepping out of bed and shivering a little as his feet came in contact with the cold wooden floor. "Genrou's gonna gimme hell about that, 'specially since it was my idea."
Genji frowned. "It's not your fault you've been too worried about the stronghold to sleep, Koji-sama. And I told Gen-sama that too, that sometimes I hear you at night pacing the room 'cause you can't sleep 'cause of those Akutsuki guys, and Gen-sama said he does the same thing, so he won't blame you for sleeping in, te kanjii!" He smiled, trying to cheer his older friend up. "If you're not feeling good, I can tell Gen-sama to meet you in here. And if you want, I can bring you breakfast, and-"
Koji, only half-dressed, practically flew past the young bandit, screaming as he did: "I ain't hungry!"
---
Tasuki scratched his head, watching the mass of bandits that crowded around him, waiting to hear his announcement. Of course, they had been waiting for about ten minutes, and by the murmured voices and shifting feet, they were starting to get a little impatient. Tasuki swore under his breath, glancing over his shoulder for someone who was not there. "Where is that partner a-mine...?" he muttered to himself.
"What's this all about, Ahou?" Shuu grumbled, tossing her half-combed hair out of her face. "I was up late last night. I don't have time to stand around here and listen to you babble."
"This ain't babble, Gaki, this is important!" he snapped back, turning his head just enough so he could stare her in the eyes. "An' as soon as Koji shows up we c'n get it underway, but until then jus' keep yer whinin' mouth shut!"
"You hardly have room to talk!" she retorted, both hands stubbornly placed on her hips. "You get one measly set of chores and you go off on a royal bitching."
Tasuki stepped closer to the sister, until they were nearly nose-to-nose. "You invented the royal bitchin', ya lazyass freeloader."
"Freeloader?! Who do you think made your comatose little friend his breakfast?!"
"Yah, a blind rat coulda done a better job at cookin'!"
"Oh, says the moron who burns steamed rice!"
"I'm a damn fine cook I'll have you know, jus' 'cause Genji-kun does all the work doesn't mean-"
"Oh, for Suzaku's sake, shaddup already, will ya?!" a voice from behind the pair cried. "It's too early in th' mornin' t'be killin' each other." Both brawlers whirled, watching as a bedraggled Koji pushed through a small crowd of bandits, slipping his headband on around his ears and brushing his messy hair away from his face. He stepped in between the pair, shaking his head in resignation. "Can't leave ya alone fer a minute. Yer worse'n a married couple."
"Married-?!" they both shrieked indignantly. "Of all the-"
Genji and Hikaru materialized out of the group, grabbing Shuu's arms and dragging her quite forcefully back into the general masses. The older Asatenshi sister flashed a pained smile at the bandit leaders; Koji noted that she looked more exhausted than usual, probably from her bout of magic the night before. Nevertheless, she was still as beautiful as ever. "Sorry for the interruption, Tasuki. Please continue."
Tasuki turned, glaring at his friend. "Ch, 's about time you showed up! Never woulda been a fight if we'd started this thing on time!" Koji stared at him for several seconds, then shook his head, sighed, and walked back towards the center of the group. The Reikaku leader followed, holding out his hands in innocence. "What? What? Hey, she started it, y'know."
"Someday," the co-leader shot over his shoulder, a small smile on his face, "I'm really gonna teach you about that delicacy thing, Genrou. Unfortunately now ain't the time, 'cause as you pointed out we've got a meetin' t'start." He turned all the way, bringing his head closer to the leader and talking quietly. "You said anythin' about it yet?"
"Nah, I figgered you oughta start it," Tasuki explained. "Yer better with words 'n' technical details'n I am."
"Liar," Koji shot back. "You jus' don't wanna be on the receivin' end when th' boys find out what we're makin' 'em do." The seishi leader looked away innocently. His friend scowled. "How come I always gotta be the bad guy?"
"It comes naturally?" Tasuki suggested with a grin.
Koji sighed and shoved his friend out of the way, stepping onto a nearby chair and holding up his hands for silence. Funny, he thought, how no matter how old you got you always quieted down at the sight of an outstretched arm. That was one thing their teachers had imbedded into all the bandits' heads, at least. Now if only they'd gotten them to learn how to read or write...
"I'm sure yer all wonderin' what me 'n' Genrou're doin', draggin' ya all in here," the co-leader began, flashing a friendly, though obviously nervous, smile at his comrades. "Well, truth be told, it has t'do with that Akutsuki gang that's been givin' us hell..." Koji paused while several of the bandits boo'd the rival group loudly. "Exactly," he agreed. "So anyway, Genrou 'n' I are still workin' on some plans, but fer th' moment..."
"We gonna go out an' kick some ass, Aniki?" one of the veteran bandits inquired, eyes alight. His comment was greeted with raucous cheers and several expletive calls. It had been a few years since the bandits had fought a real fight, and even longer since they had battled a rival gang. Koji winced, wondering how in the world he could possibly break the much less exciting news to them.
"No, no, sorry guys, nothin' that interestin'," he explained, waving a hand to calm the group down again. "We're still workin' out th' details fer a true attack - hell, we don't even know where their hideout is-"
"Oh, for Suzaku's sake," Shuu snapped from her spot near the front of the group, her emerald eyes glaring daggers at the co-leader. "Quit cringing and beating around the bush and tell us your damn news!"
Koji ignored her, brushing off her words as typical Shuu-ness. She was probably still angry about the previous night. He would have to apologize for that... eventually. For now, however... "We're settin' up night watches!" he announced in one short sentence, continuing even as the unhappy groans filled the room. "So everyone needs t'get their names written down an' we'll do it th' way we always do it." He frowned, noticing many irritated looks. "Hey, c'mon guys, y'think I'm happy with it either? But we gotta do this if we wanna keep the stronghold safe, otherwise, well..."
"Otherwise those Akutsuki bastards'll wipe th' walls with us!" Tasuki interrupted, clapping a supportive hand on his friend's shoulder. "Yeah, sure, watches suck an' we all know it, but this is just temporary, 'till we c'n figure out where those jerks're hidin'! Then we'll march right into their hideout an'..." the Reikaku leader made a strangling motion with his free hand, flashing a cocky grin and earning cheers from the bandits. Once the calls died down, he went on. "But 'till that time comes we gotta stay alert, or they'll think we're chickens 'n' start marchin' onta our land at all hours! Now, are we gonna let 'em do that?"
"IYA!" was the loud reply.
"That's what I like t'hear!" he shouted, clenching a fist. "So let's get this over with an' get on with our day!"
As cheers filled the dining room for the bandit's impromptu speech, Tasuki chuckled and backed down. Koji flashed him a crooked grin, whispering in his ear: "Y'always wind up bein' the hero, doncha?"
"It comes naturally," he repeated with a shrug, walking back to the front of the dining room to begin the simple Reikaku "draw 'n' pick" ceremony.
The bandits scribbled their names down on separate pieces of paper, then one by one tossed them into the cooking pot Genji had supplied for the task. Koji flashed Hikaru a friendly smile as she slipped hers in among the others, hoping to score a watch with the young woman. Shuu glared at him as she threw her own paper into mix, but made no comment. The co-leader suspected that she knew exactly what he wanted to get out of this drawing, and probably didn't approve. Well, what did that matter, he reminded himself. Shuu certainly wasn't the god of his life. Strange, that he would even be thinking about her opinion. Maybe he still felt guilty about the night before - yes, that was probably it.
"Okay, anyone still need t'put theirs in?" Tasuki called above the general murmur of the ground. After a couple of seconds, the leader nodded. "All right, then! Time t'get th' drawin' underway. I'll start pullin' names..." the seishi dove in with one arm, shoving through the papers until he grabbed a couple of random ones. He pulled them up, reading the names out loud: "Tadaji 'n' Soshu, first watch at th' North side." Koji hurriedly scrawled the announcement down. Tasuki reached back in, snatching at another two and barking out the pair of names. "Akira 'n' Daiichi, second watch at th' North side..."
And on down the list the Reikaku leader went, some pairings getting cheers and others muffled groans, but thankfully no complaints were made. The bandits knew the unbiased system was the fairest way to determine watches, and they respected their leaders enough not to argue. Koji stood nearby, tension easy to see as he wrote down all the watches and prayed to be paired with Hikaru. If they were able to spend every evening alone, even if it was only for an hour or so, then surely they'd be able to...
"Koji!" Tasuki called out, causing the co-leader to jerk his head up. He was about to ask what the problem was, but realized that Reikaku's leader was just calling the western side's second watch. He cursed his luck at being stuck with a second watch - those were always the most tedious - and grabbed his pen, waiting to hear the next name. Tasuki winced, shooting his friend a sympathetic look. "Sorry, pal," he mouthed, then said loudly, for all to hear: "Koji 'n' Shuu!"
The co-leader's quill pen snapped against the paper; he looked up, blinking several times and trying to believe what he had just heard. That had to be impossible. There was no way - absolutely no way, that out of all the bandits on the mountain, he had actually been paired up with her...
Shuu melded out of the crowd, arms crossed in their customary position over her chest. "Of all the shitty luck. Thirty-five bandits in this damn hideout, and I get paired with the Lovesick Idiot? Just wonderful."
Koji scowled, coming to his own defense. "I'm not exactly jumpin' fer joy either, y'know, but y'don't gotta make it sound like it's the end-a the world."
"Oi, Koji, you listenin' over there?" Tasuki called over his shoulder. "I jus' said Yachiki 'n' Miki got third watch t'gether."
"Huh? Oh, all right! Sorry Genrou!" the co-leader shouted back, hurriedly scribbling the names down. "Anyone else I miss?"
"Nah, but pay attention over there, all right? I wanna get through this fast so we c'n go outside fer a li'l while. It's a pretty nice day y'know." The seishi grinned, grabbing at a couple other names. "You c'n complain about yer rotten luck later, poor guy. Nothin' like havin' the watch from hell with Satan herself."
"Would you like to repeat that, Ahou?!" Shuu snapped, body flaring with emerald power.
Tasuki ignored her and unwrinkled the next two papers. He grinned down at Genji, then called: "Genji 'n' Hikaru, last watch on th' west side!" Several of the bandits glared jealously at the youth, but he didn't seem very pleased. He managed a weak smile at Hikaru, then turned his eyes longingly towards Koji. Thankfully, the co-leader was too busy writing down names to notice the glance.
"Well, you can count yourself lucky there," Shuu, who was still standing near the older bandit, remarked. "Genji-kun's the last person on this mountain who would ever throw a move on my sister. He's way too busy chasing after you."
"Ha, ha," the co-leader drawled sarcastically, though silently he was thanking the gods for that bit of a blessing. Shuu did have a point: Genji was one of the very few Reikaku members who showed almost no interest in the Asatenshi sister. Not that that was because he was interested in male bandits, Koji firmly told himself, trying not to think of his nightmare experiences with the youth...
Tasuki clapped his hands together, jerking the co-leader once more out of his reverie. "Man, am I glad that's over with! Now, how 'bout we all head outside t'the trainin' rings an' have some competitions, eh? A little fresh air 'n' some ass-whoopin's sound like a good way t'spend an afternoon!"
The suggestion was greeted with raucous applause from the other bandits, and the group started to file out of the stronghold. Shuu caught up with her sister and joined her in the march for the door, but Koji held back a little, as did Genji and Tasuki. The Reikaku leader slid up next to his friend, clapping a hand on his shoulder in sympathy. "Tough luck, gettin' stuck with that li'l brat." He winked at the co-leader, flashing a devilish grin. "Y'know, if ya want me t'pull some strings, I c'd prob'ly get you 'n' Genji-kun t'switch watches..."
Koji shook his head, though it took a lot of his will power to do it. "Nah, that's all right Genrou. We invented th' system t'make things fair, an' just 'cause I'm co-leader don't mean I get special privileges. I'll stick with Shuu," he managed a weak grin, "an' who knows? Maybe a couple-a nights with this charmin' guy'll turn her into a real sweetheart."
Tasuki laughed. "I don't think a couple-a nights with Suzaku c'd turn her inta anythin' but what she is: a smartass brat." He turned, noticing that Genji was hovering just behind him. "Ah, Genji-kun, somethin' wrong? Don't tell me yer unhappy with gettin' placed with Hikaru - Koji here'd prob'ly kill ya for it."
The young bandit, fists clenched in front of him, shook his head fiercely. "Oh, no, that's not it at all Gen-sama! Actually I had a question to ask, te kanjii!" He smiled, holding up the cooking pot that had been used for the drawing. "I just wanted to know if maybe you wanted me to make a big something for dinner, or if a soup would be all right, te kanjii!"
The leader frowned, shaking his head. "Ah, no way yer weaselin' outta yer duties, Genji-kun. Yer gonna make th' fanciest meal y'can fer dinner, an' yer gonna hand-feed it t'each an' every one of us." The younger bandit's face fell, and his lower lip quivered with the threat of tears. Tasuki chuckled, ruffling his hair teasingly. "Jus' kiddin', Genji-kun. I know ya wanna go out there an' kick some-a th' older members' asses, an' there ain't no way I'd miss seein' that. Jus' throw a meal t'gether at th' last minute, I bet it'll taste great."
Genji nodded, clenching his fists once again. "H-hai, Gen-sama! Domo arigatou, te kanjii!" The youth practically flew out of the stronghold, crying as he did: "I'll make Gen-sama proud by winning a sword tournament, and I'll make Koji-sama proud by beating everyone in archery, and then I'll make them both proud by making the best meal in the world, te kanjii!"
Koji shook his head once the youth was out of sight, laughing as he did. "I never know about that kid - he'll either make a great leader, or a great housewife."
"Funny. Hakurou used t'say that about you, too," Tasuki remarked with a grin. He jerked his head towards the open doorway. "Whadda ya say we join 'em, na? It's no fun showin' off if ya can't do it in front-a th' leaders."
---
Hikaru gave a shout of surprise as Genji rolled away from Ken's sword swipe, popping up behind the older member and slashing out with his bokken [wooden practice sword]. The older bandit brought his weapon around to block the downward swipe, only to discover that the blade was no longer above him but below him; with a quick twist of his wrist, Genji brought his sword back up and crashed it against Ken's hand. Swearing violently, the man dropped his sword, giving the younger bandit just enough time to twirl his weapon up and place it against Ken's neck. Genji, a completely different person on the battlefield, flashed a dangerous, almost arrogant grin. "Looks like I win again, Ken-san."
The older man held up both arms, smiling his ever-present smile. "Don't suppose we could go for best four out of five, eh?" The remark earned a scattered chuckle through the ring, as well as several cheers for the cook's fighting skills. Koji and Tasuki shouted with the rest, both bragging shamelessly about the youth's improved skills.
"I told ya there was more ta him than just good food!"
"Haha, he gets any better an' I'll have t'retire 'n' let him take over!"
Genji, back to his normal self now that the fight was over, blushed a bright shade of red and tried to wave off the compliments. "Oh, please, Koji-sama, Gen-sama, I'm not all that great! Really, really I'm not, te kanjii! And anyway, the only reason I've been able to win is because of the wonderful teachings the two of you have given me! I learned everything I know from you, and you could beat me easily, te kanjii!"
This remark earned a few catcalls from around the ring, particularly members of the gang encouraging one of the leaders to test their luck on the end of Genji's blade. Koji finally succumbed to the jeers, nodding towards Tasuki as if to say: "I'll take this one." He stepped forward to the sound of much cheering, nodding towards the younger bandit and flashing a cocky smile. "Okay, fair enough: they wanna see a real battle so we may's well give 'em one. What kinda weapons, Genji-kun - long distance, hand-t'-hand, or weapons?"
Genji blushed even brighter, embarrassed at the idea of fighting his rival but also endlessly pleased with the prospect. "I'd never have a chance against you in long-distance, Koji-sama, you know that, plus I'm way too small to compete in hand-to-hand." He leveled his bokken, violet eyes flashing. "So let's make it weapons, dagger versus sword. And no holding back."
"No holdin' back," Koji repeated, voice taking on a more serious tone. "Remember that you said that, so whatever happens after this is yer own fault."
Ken tossed the older bandit a pair of blunted daggers; the co-leader caught them easily, whirling to face his younger comrade. He tightened his jaw; friend or not, he wasn't about to get beaten by the younger Reikaku member. Only Tasuki was allowed to beat him, as far as the bandit pecking order went, and even that was a loss he wouldn't take easily. Koji hated to lose.
With a sharp cry, Genji charged his mentor, sword held back at his ear. Koji had expected that; the youth had been taught swordsmanship by Tasuki, after all, and Tasuki always took the offensive. The co-leader smiled, sidestepping the brash attack and turning to face the youth once again. "Careful," he warned, "I practiced with Genrou most-a my life - I know how t'fight against speed."
Genji pulled back this time, leveling his sword so the hilt was at his pelvis, pointed upwards. He was waiting for Koji to make the next move, the co-leader realized. That was smart, and a bit unexpected - Tasuki probably would have attacked again. Koji dove forward with one dagger, allowing Genji to block the seeking blade while his other made a rough uppercut. The youth brought his sword forward just in time, taking a step back at the ferocity of the attack. He recovered quickly, lashing out with his own blade and forcing Koji to jump backwards. A ripple went through the crowd: their co-leader had lost ground against Genji!
The older bandit ignored the sounds of the group; backing up never, ever meant you were losing. He put on a quick burst of speed, lunging out with his left dagger at the side of the youth's head at the same time he brought the other blade up towards his heart. Genji ducked the left blade and blocked the right, crouching and reaching out in an attempt to kick Koji's feet out from under him. The co-leader hopped backwards, but before Genji could regain his footing he was on him again, this time striking with his right blade alone. The young bandit ducked the blow. Perfect.
Koji, anticipating the dodge, rotated sharply on his right foot, catching Genji's sword hand with one of his daggers. The youth winced, taking several steps back in an attempt to regroup, but the co-leader was not about to give him that opportunity. He dropped his right dagger and, grabbing the younger bandit's wrist in his hand, gave it a sharp twist. Genji yelped in pain, still holding his sword but unable to stop the second dagger from flying forward, stopping just a hairsbreadth from a point between his eyes.
The ring was silent for several long seconds as the two bandits stood, locked in their final position, breathing heavily. After a moment, Koji grinned, stepping back and dropping his younger friend's wrist. "Nicely done, Genji-kun." Cocking his remaining dagger so it faced down and placing his arms by his sides, the co-leader gave a formal bow to his opponent, going a bit deeper than custom demanded. The bandits, who had not missed the gesture, burst into applause at the silent compliment their youngest had received.
Koji glanced up through his bangs, biting back a laugh at the look of euphoria on the blushing bandit's face. Yes, Genji definitely reminded him of a younger, bubblier him. The youth returned the bow, though much deeper and much clumsier, babbling a few incoherent words before finally managing to spit out a simple: "Arigatou, Koji-sama! Arigatou!"
The co-leader straightened, smiling at the youth with mixed feelings of pride for his own performance and pride for his young friend. It had been a tough fight on both sides, and the older bandit was pleased with his decisive, if not hard-fought, victory. Nevertheless, he felt that the youth had really won the battle: he had known him to be talented, but Genji had shown more ability than Koji could remember ever seeing from a kid of nineteen, including himself.
Tasuki came over, clapping Genji across the back and congratulating him on the lost battle. "Hot damn!" he declared, grinning proudly at his young protégé. "If th' rest of ya are half as talented as this guy, those Akutsuki bastards don't stand a snowball's chance in hell-a beatin' us!" This remark drew further cheers from the bandits crowding around the ring.
Koji smiled, wondering when he had last seen them as a whole so happy. New Year's Eve, maybe, but the festivities had been cut so short it was hard to count that. The bandit's eyes trailed across the group, pleased to see so many smiling, happy faces. Reikaku had been through some hard times recently, and it was good to see the bandits enjoying themselves for once. Hikaru cheered just as loudly as the rest, the co-leader noticed with a flare of joy. Even Shuu had a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth, though she looked to be fighting hard with the emotion. Well, good. Maybe she was finally starting to see that Reikaku wasn't so disgusting after all.
"Okay, so who's up?" Tasuki asked, glancing around to see which bandits would step forward for the next competition. "I know it'll be hard t'top that last match, but I bet there's someone willin' to try. C'mon, any takers?"
"What about having you and Koji-san fight?" Ken asked from the sidelines, an amused smile playing on his cheerful lips. "I'm sure that would be a battle to top all battles, don't you agree, Leader?"
Tasuki blinked at the remark. "Uh, actually, Ken, Koji 'n' I ain't big inta challengin' each other. Yer new here, so you wouldn't know about that, but we don't really wanna hog the spotlight, y'see."
"Ah, come on, Leader," Ken insisted, putting an arm around the taller bandit's shoulder. "The boys are finally starting to enjoy themselves - you wouldn't deprive us of a small match between our great leaders, would you?" He nodded towards Genji, who had retreated to the sidelines to receive praise from the other bandits. "Ne, Genji-kun, how would you like to see these two battle? That'd be something, wouldn't it?"
The youth looked up, looking at first Tasuki, then at Koji. He smiled apologetically at the pair, nodding in agreement. "Ano, that would be really really really great, Ken-san. But if they don't want to do it then I guess that's okay too, te kanjii!"
"Would you deny the young cook a chance at seeing his mentors battle?" Ken asked, putting on a mournful face. "Especially after he was so impressive, whipping me and holding his own against Koji-san."
"It's nothin' personal," Tasuki explained, still trying to fight off the persuading tone in the young man's voice. It was surprisingly hard to say "no" to that voice. "Koji 'n' I jus' decided it a while ago, back when Hakurou made me th' leader, that we wouldn't get inta any-a those 'anythin' you can do, I can do better' phases. Its better fer th' stronghold an' our prides if we work t'gether instead-a tryin' to beat each other."
Koji opened his mouth, about to agree with his bandit friend, when a strangely compelling voice - presumably one of the bandits - asked: Why not?
"Yeah, why not?" he echoed aloud, hardly aware that the words had exited his mouth.
The Reikaku leader's head jerked up, whirling in Koji's direction with a mixed look of surprise and disbelief in his amber orbs. "Eh? Koji, did I hear you right? Didja jus' say..."
"Sure I did. After all, the bandits deserve t'see a match between their leaders, 'specially with all the things that've been goin' on recently," Koji justified, while at the same time questioning his own motives. What the hell had possessed him to immediately agree with them, whoever "they" were? "Besides, with this Akutsuki gang always hoverin' nearby, we need t'be ready t'face anythin', an' the only person I know who c'd really get me prepared for a hard fight is you."
'And,' a small, guilty part of him added, 'if I win, it'll prove that Genrou ain't so hot, an' maybe Hikaru'll start lookin' at me instead-a at him all the time.'
Tasuki shifted feet, uncomfortable with the idea of battling his best friend. The two of them were insanely competitive, and hated losing above just about everything else. They had decided a long time ago that if they continued to fight each other, neither would ever be satisfied and they'd wind up hurting the stronghold and their fellow bandits in the process. It was better this way. "Well, yeah, but..."
Scared?
"Scared, Genrou?" Koji asked with a teasing grin. "Worried that ya might actually get shown up?" He laughed, tossing his hair melodramatically out of his face. "I know it's kinda frightenin', havin' t'go up against a stud like me, but I'm sure ya'll be able to handle it."
The Reikaku leader scowled, a spark of competitive fire lighting in his eyes. "Scared? Ch, I ain't scared-a nothin', I jus' figgered ya didn't wanna get yer ass kicked, s'all." He stepped into the challenger's ring, much to the glee of the other bandits. Finally, their two leaders would have a real battle! Tasuki nodded towards the practice swords lined up against the wall of the hideout, asking the question even though he already knew the answer. "Should we waste our time lettin' you beat me in long distance an' me beat you in hand-t'-hand, or just skip right t'weapons?"
"Right t'weapons sounds good t'me," Koji agreed, still holding the twin practice daggers that had defeated Genji.
Tasuki walked quickly over to the wall, pulling off a long, smooth bokken. He hefted the weight between his hands, then nodded, gripping the hilt and turning to face his friend. Both bandits stood in relaxed positions, smiling good-naturedly at the thought of once again battling their long-time companions, but there was a fire in both sets of eyes. This would not be a friendly match by any means.
Hikaru smiled, cupping her hands around her mouth and calling out to the pair. "Ganbare yo [Good luck], Tasuki, Koji-san!" She turned to Shuu, remarking as she did, "It really doesn't matter who wins, you know. This will certainly be a fantastic battle, regardless of what happens."
"You're right, it doesn't matter," her sister agreed, tone unreadable. Her eyes held a strange gleam in them - anticipation, or dread? The bandits' cheering drowned the woman's voice out, so even the other Asatenshi could barely hear her. "If Ahou wins, that bandit will just be further provoked. And if he wins, it'll make him even more certain of his superiority over his friend. Either way, that Souleater gains ground."
The elder sister frowned at her sibling. "Oh Nee-san, must everything somehow affect our war? Can't anything just be enjoyed?"
Shuu matched her scowl for scowl, though she never met her eyes as she replied: "If you can afford to think that, then you've already lost 'our war.'"
Hikaru did not have a chance to answer, for at that moment a hail of arrows sailed over the barrier wall that surrounded the training ring, raining shafts of death upon the unprepared group. Shuu threw up a shield, saving her, Hikaru and a handful of nearby bandits from the peppering, but the others were forced to duck for cover or be struck where they stood. Koji and Tasuki flung themselves to the ground, rolling out of the way of the main force of the blast. The seishi leader jumped up, plucking an arrow from his sleeve. "Dammit!" he swore, snapping the shaft contemptuously. "Can't those bastards leave us alone for one damn day?!"
"Na, Genrou!" Koji cried, springing to his feet and jerking his head towards the nearest exit. "Get yer tessen ready. Maybe we c'n still catch 'em!" The co-leader pulled a pair of throwing knives from his jacket, holding them lightly in his hands and sprinting for the door. Tasuki followed shortly, and within seconds the pair was out of the stronghold and racing across the Reikaku grounds.
The seishi bandit looked forward, scowling at the landscape completely empty of life. He slid to a halt after a moment, Koji following a few meters behind the exceptional sprinter. "Kuso," he swore. "How th' hell'd they get outta here so fast? We shoulda been able t'catch 'em, 'specially me with my speed..."
"Magic," a voice said behind them. Both bandits whirled, turning to face a worried Hikaru. The pretty young woman was peering deep into the surrounding trees, as if searching for something neither bandit could see. She bit her lip, anxiety shining in her emerald eyes. "There must be a shugenja [magic-wielder] among their ranks... that's the only way they could have possibly gotten past my barrier without anyone noticing... and the only way they could have escaped so quickly. Some kind of portal... there!"
She stalked hurriedly across the grass, touching at the hollow of a tree. The Asatenshi sister laid a hand against the indented wood, whispering a quick incantation. The spot flared green for a brief moment, then a bright, shimmering crimson, before disappearing entirely. Hikaru nodded, taking a step back from the tree. "Yappari [As I thought]," she murmured quietly. "There's some powerful black magic at work. Those Akutsuki [Demon-Moon] members truly live up to their name."
"No kiddin'," Tasuki grumbled, walking up to the sister and touching the tree hollow. He shivered, still feeling the traces of dark magic coursing through the wood. "Any way we c'n seal this particular spot up?"
"No reason to," Koji interrupted, still standing back from the pair and looking off into the forest, apparently deep in thought. "I dunno much about magic, but I do know a thing'r two about battle tactics. An' they won't attack from th' same place twice. They're too smart fer that." He paused, narrowing his eyes a little. "Too smart fer some half-assed watches t'stop 'em, either," he whispered. The co-leader looked back up at his friend, hazel orbs hard with determination. "Looks like we're gonna have t'hold that battle of ours off fer a while, Genrou. We've got a lotta work t'do."
---
Five wounded. Five. Sure, none had been killed, but who was to say they'd be so lucky next time? Five wounded, and one severely – without Hikaru's magic it was unlikely that he would have survived – with the others out of action for at least a few days. Five of his bandits, his people, his community, all hurt because of his decisions. He knew he should have done more than just post night watches, but Koji had been cautious, and Tasuki had gone against his instincts. Why hadn't he listened to that gut feeling?!
Next time it would be different. Yes. Next time he'd be ready, they'd be ready. The only way he was going to have any more bandits injured was in real combat, fighting a real enemy. No more of those sneak attacks. He was so damn sick of those sneak attacks.
The first thing to do, Tasuki decided as he paced his room, was to find out just where these Akutsuki bandits lived. That way Reikaku could hit them on their turf, instead of the other way around. And then...
Five wounded...
The bandit leader shook his head and focused on the current problem. Right. Go on a scouting mission of sorts. Reconnaissance. Find the Akutsuki hideout from there...
...His bandits hurt in a surprise attack...
...From there they could start learning more about their new rivals. Know your enemy even better than yourself. Hakurou had said that. Tasuki knew he needed to live by it.
...Hakurou never would've let this happen...
Tasuki kicked at his bed in frustration, swearing violently. It was no good. He just couldn't plan with the weight of the recent incidents on his mind. Reikaku was his home, his life, his soul, and everything that happened to its residents he took not only as a personal insult on him, but also on his leadership abilities. More than anything, it made him question his right to even hold the title of "leader." It shouldn't have, he knew that. He always told himself that. So did Koji. But it never helped. It never knocked aside that tiny speck of doubt lurking in the back of his mind – because of course, how could he properly lead a gang when he couldn't even control...
No. Stop. None of that. There was no time for that. He had to focus. On the here and now. Not on the past, not on those questions. The Akutsuki gang was his top concern. He didn't have time for doubts.
But...
Tasuki sighed. Still no good. He needed someone to talk to, he realized, someone he could rant to so he could get some of this uncertainty off his chest. He wished it could be Koji, but that never worked in these situations. Koji was always so precise, so matter of fact. "Okay, here's the problem, now here's how we fix it." Normally Tasuki loved that quality about his friend, but that wasn't what he needed right now. He needed someone who would sit back and listen to him complain, curse and worry, then tell him what he needed to hear. Not necessarily an answer or solution, but the honest truth.
What he needed, he thought, glancing down at the comatose monk, was a Chichiri.
Knock knock!
The bandit jumped, startled out of his reverie by the sound of someone tapping at his door. Tasuki frowned, hardly in the mood for company, but worried that the stronghold was in trouble. Professional needs over personal, he reminded himself with a silent curse. "Uh, who is it?"
The door opened a crack, and a slightly bedraggled head of raven-blue hair poked its way around the door. "Tasuki? Sorry to bother you, but is it all right if I come in?"
Glancing from Hikaru's face to her hands, which held a bowl of steaming broth, Tasuki understood her purpose and nodded. "Yeah, go ahead," he consented, waving a hand towards Chichiri. "Jus' try t'hurry up if y'can. I ain't really in the mood fer company."
The young woman, polite as ever, bobbed a short bow and flashed a tired smile at the leader. "Right, I understand. After a day like this I'm sure you just want to collapse into bed and sleep. I won't take long."
"That ain't exactly my reason fer wantin' t'be alone..." Tasuki muttered, biting his lip as soon as the words came out. He hadn't wanted to involve Hikaru in his problems, and now she was sure to know something was wrong.
"Mm? Something else you need to sort out?" she queried, glancing up through her bangs to gaze with concern at the seishi bandit. "Anything I can do to help?"
"Nah, it's not... well..." he looked away, silently debating his next move. Hikaru had offered her help numerous times, and always seemed willing to do anything she could for the bandit. She had a good, sensible head on her shoulders, a lot like Koji, but she also had a thoughtful, contemplative side that relied more on emotions, a lot like Chichiri. Besides, she was a woman. Women had to understand problems of the heart. "Look," he finally said, scowling to mask his gratefulness at finding a helpful, listening ear. "If I tell ya, ya won't go blabbin' t'everyone, will ya? I got enough problems as it is."
The Asatenshi woman's eyes lit up. She shook her head, smiling wide. "Of course not, Tasuki, whatever you say in this room will always stay in this room!"
"Why're you smilin' so big, huh?" he asked, unable to keep suspicion out of his voice. It would be just like a woman, a small part of him growled, to laugh about a guy bearing their soul. Already he was wondering if this was really such a good idea.
The smile didn't disappear; if anything, it grew a little. "Because," she explained, blushing a tiny bit, "because I always hoped that you'd talk to me when you had troubles, and now you finally have, and I'm very happy that you trust me enough to do that. And because of that, I also promise to help you as best as I possibly can." She grinned, poking his nose teasingly. "You're a lot cuter when you smile, after all."
The bandit jerked back, surprised by the unexpected touch. "I didn't ask fer ya t'flirt with me," he grumbled, but was surprised to find a tiny grin twitching at the corner of his mouth. Stranger still was the growing sense of... of something, something unusual but hauntingly familiar, something that made him feel both utterly confused and completely sure of himself... something both happy and troublesome rising up in his chest. He couldn't explain it just yet, couldn't understand what it implied or what difficulties it might bring, but suddenly the thought of telling Hikaru his problems didn't seem like such a risky one after all. In fact, it seemed almost... almost natural. Almost right.
"Okay," he said, laying back on his bed and allowing the young woman to take a seat beside him. "Here's the deal..."
---
Koji was exhausted. He couldn't remember the last time he had been this tired. The bandit had spent the better part of the afternoon aiding Tasuki, Hikaru, Shuu and a handful of Reikaku members with the injured bandits from the afternoon's attack; and when running supplies to and fro was the limit of your medical knowledge, you quickly found out just how fast you could move halfway across the stronghold with a bundle of bandages in your arms. Consequently, you also found out just what sort of shape you were in, and how long it took you to deliver salve until you collapsed.
The co-leader would have liked nothing better than to flop into his bed and mentally prepare for the next day – no doubt Tasuki would have some kind of battle plan ready – but there were other tasks at hand. Namely, apologizing to Shuu for the previous night, a job Koji had been dreading all day.
As he trudged his way down the hall towards the Asatenshi woman's room, the bandit tried to remind himself exactly why he was wasting his time trying to make up with the disagreeable sister. There were two reasons, really, and he had already decided that only one of them really made any sense. Since he and Shuu were on watch together, it would be best for them to get along. It would do the stronghold no good if its defense team tried to kill each other, he reminded himself as he neared Shuu's room.
That was logic, and Koji could handle the idea of apologizing as long as it depended on logic. But his main reason, and the one he really didn't want to think about, was the one that relied a lot less on logic and more on emotion, something he had been following more and more recently, and something that never failed to get him into trouble.
The truth was, he probably would have apologized to Shuu about his rebuttal even if she hadn't become his watch partner. The co-leader preferred to avoid gaining enemies at all costs, and for some reason he was even more loathe having Shuu as that enemy. There was something about the sister, although he hated to admit it, which appealed to him enormously. Something about her attitude, her position, and that intriguing parable she had told him, so long ago, that reminded the bandit of... well, it reminded him of himself. Koji sensed a kindred spirit somewhere in the Asatenshi sister, and he knew that if he could just get on decent terms with her she'd see the similarity too, see how they were both living in the shadows of their counterparts, and then maybe, by some miracle of fate, he could get her to stop acting like such a hateful woman all the time.
If nothing else, it would make his tumultuous life a lot easier, and certainly it would do Shuu good to drop that sarcastic mask of hers once in a while.
Koji frowned as he reached the Asatenshi sister's door, glancing down at the rolled up picture in his hand. It was the drawing Shuu had dropped almost a month ago, the one he had kept out of respect for the artwork but hadn't returned out of fear of Shuu's wrath. "Maybe I oughta jus' leave that fer another time..." he murmured, but quickly shook his head. "No, Koji," he argued with himself, as he was prone to do, "you've been holdin' onta it fer too long, an' it's time t'get rid of th' damn thing b'fore Shuu starts thinkin' ya been holdin' onta it 'cause ya like her or somethin'." He chuckled at the thought. "Yeah, I don't see her thinkin' that, neither, but ya never really know."
He hesitated for a moment, then, gathering all of his courage and - what he would need most - patience, rapped sharply on the door. "Knock knock! Who's there? Oh, it's Koji, wantin' t'talk t'Shuu about a couple a-things. Is it all right if I come in?" He paused; normally this was where he would end his bit by asking "Koji" to come right in, but with Shuu it was probably best to wait for a real answer. "So," he finished, "is that okay?"
The bandit waited several seconds for some kind of reply, but received none. She wasn't talking. Just great. He shifted feet nervously, glancing down at the paper in his hand. Was it really worth the trouble? He could always come back later, right? It wasn't like the sister was going anywhere, after all, and... Koji shook his head. No, he'd been holding this off for way too long. If he kept holding it off, then he'd never get it finished, the sister would never get her drawing back, and he'd never be able to smooth things over with her. Besides, if he didn't make peace with the Asatenshi sister now, it was likely that his watch that evening would become very unpleasant, very fast. The co-leader took a breath and opened the door.
The Asatenshi sister was standing at the far end of the room with her back to the bandit. It was impossible to tell what she was doing, but she looked like she was concentrating very hard. Koji paused, unsure if he should interrupt her, but decided that, if she wanted him to leave, she would most definitely tell him. That was her way. He cleared his throat timidly. "Eh, Shuu-san? I ain't interruptin' anythin' too important, am I?"
Shuu jumped - he had taken her by surprise - dropping whatever she was holding in her palms and whirling to face the bandit co-leader. She scowled, stepping quickly between him and the fallen object. "Can't you knock or something?!" she snapped, crossing her arms protectively over her chest. "Give a girl a little warning before you barge in! I could've been naked!"
"Fer both our sakes, I'm glad ya wasn't. An' anyway, I did knock, but you were so busy that ya didn't answer," he justified. Koji glanced past her, towards the mysterious item on the ground. "What were ya doin', anyway? Ya looked kinda busy; I wasn't sure if I oughta interrupt 'r not..."
"My business and no one else's," she replied, eyes sparking with a warning fire. Whatever he had said, it hadn't been right; already Koji was treading on thin ice with the sister. She noticed the silent hesitation in his hazel orbs and sighed, relaxing her posture a bit. "Well, what do you want?"
"Eh? Oh, I, uh, I jus' wanted t'apologize fer last night," the co-leader explained without preamble. "I didn't have any real reason t'be sucha jerk, so, so I'm sorry."
Shuu shrugged, turning her back on the bandit once again. "I've been treated worse," she assured him, kneeling to the floor to pick up whatever she had dropped. "And anyway, I wasn't all that mad at you." She turned back to look at him, the retrieved item cupped in her palms, and flashed the co-leader a small smirk. "In fact, I was more surprised than anything: you never looked like you had the balls to stand up to Genji-kun, much less me."
The bandit felt one of his eyebrows begin to twitch, but forced himself not to get irritated. In a way, the Asatenshi woman was almost paying him a compliment. Almost. "Well, since we've got watch t'gether, I jus' figgered we oughta be on decent terms, s'all. Wanted t'make sure we weren't gonna be killin' each other when we were s'posed t'be on guard duty."
"Please," she snorted. "You're not worth the effort to kill." The sister placed her token - Koji now realized that it was a white gem, though it looked completely useless to his eyes - on the table beside her bed. She lifted her nose contemptuously, taking a seat on her bed as if to tell the co-leader how little this conversation meant to her. "Don't get me wrong of course. I don't have any real problem with you, you know, but your overall personality disgusts me. That's why I can't stand you."
"Is that so?" Koji grumbled, trying very, very hard to keep his temper. He was usually pretty easy-going, especially with women, but Shuu knew all the right buttons to push and she was pushing them with all her might. Someday the co-leader would have to ask her when she had become so good at being so difficult. Though, when he thought about it, she'd probably just answer him with her usual amount of sarcasm and anger. Maybe he'd never get a straight answer out of the Asatenshi sister.
He was about to turn and leave, but remembered his other reason for coming. "Ah, Shuu-san, there was one other reason why I wanted t'see ya," he explained, managing to keep the edge out of his voice. The bandit reached into his belt, pulling out the rolled-up parchment from so long ago. He extended his hand to the sister, offering her the paper. Her eyes widened almost immediately, face paling. "I found this a while ago, an' I meant t'give it back to ya, but-"
She leapt from her bed, bumping the nightstand and causing her white gem to crash to the floor again. The Asatenshi woman didn't seem to notice; all her attention was focused on the parchment in Koji's grasp. "Give me that!" she snapped, snatching the paper out of his hand. She unrolled it quickly, though she already knew what it contained. The young woman glanced over it quickly, then looked up at the co-leader, green eyes blazing. "Where the hell did you find this?! Did you look at it?! I thought I lost it weeks ago!"
Koji blanched a little; it was hard to face the full brunt of Shuu's stares. "You... ya dropped it a while back. I thought t'return it to ya, but I never knew quite how t'do it, plus with everythin' goin' on it kept slippin' my mind. An' yeah, I wasn't gonna look at it, but it rolled open an' I couldn't help but see it." The bandit frowned a little, curiousity evident in his tone. "But... but whose it supposed t'be a picture of? Is that s'posed t'be you... or Hikaru? An' why-?"
"What gives you the right to ask about my personal business?!" By now the Asatenshi sister had turned a light shade of pink, and was growing steadily darker by the moment. Koji didn't think he had ever seen her so angry... or so embarrassed. "I don't have to tell you anything, it has nothing to do with you - I don't even know why you kept it anyway, it's just some stupid doodle, unless it was..." she stopped, and her eyes narrowed knowingly. "Of course. You're probably getting a big kick out of this, watching the little Shuu brat go ballistic over some crappy picture, aren't you? You're so disgusting."
"Shuu-san, that isn't-"
Shuu scowled, shoving past the older man and moving towards the door of her room. "I've got better things to do than be the butt of your brainless joke. And I'm sure as hell not gonna stand around and listen to some pathetic doodle of mine get ridiculed. You are so-"
The co-leader's patience deserted him. He turned, jerking out a hand and grabbing the sister's wrist. She made as if to slip away, but the bandit's hold was tight; he pulled her closer, never once loosening his grip. "Dammit, Shuu," he nearly shouted, "would you stop being so damn paranoid and let me speak?!"
The young woman glared at him, violence shining in her eyes. "Hanashite [Let go of me]!" she ordered, emerald magic crackling around her thin frame. "Let go of me or I'll-!"
"Not until I get t'explain somethin'," he told her, and there was so much force in his voice that the Asatenshi sister went momentarily mute. It was just enough time for the bandit to speak. "I didn't come here t'piss ya off, though I seem t'be pretty good at that fer some reason. I jus' wanted t'apologize, an' t'give back th' picture. I'd-a given it back sooner 'cept that I was afraid of a scene like this - an' with good reason - an' th' only reason I didn't toss the thing a long time ago is 'cause... well, it's 'cause... 'cause it's a really good drawin', an' I didn't wanna see somethin' like that thrown away."
The bandit managed a small, crooked smile. "So see, I didn't go outta my way t'piss ya off. I didn't figger you fer th' kind who got embarrassed. An' I don't hate ya, no matter what'cha might think. I've never hated anyone in my life - don't think I've got th' stamina fer it." His tone softened considerably. "If anythin', I'm worried about ya, Shuu-san. It can't possibly be healthy fer ya, goin' around actin' so cold 'n' harsh 'n' secretive all th' time. I guess that's th' real reason I came here. 'Cause I thought maybe we c'd start over, an' at least try t'get along. We've got more in common than ya prob'ly think, an' if you'd stop distancin' yerself from all of us, you'd see that."
For several long seconds all that could be heard was the rapid breathing of the Asatenshi sister. Her eyes were locked with his, as if she didn't know how to look away, and for the barest hint of a second they seemed to be filled with a thousand emotions, all of them unfamiliar to the bitter Asatenshi sister. Koji noticed with some surprise that Shuu's hand, beneath his grip, was trembling violently. She looked completely vulnerable, absolutely and utterly vulnerable, just like she had that day after she'd arrived, and for a brief moment Koji thought she might break down.
But then the sister regained control, remembered her job and this bandit's role in that job, and all those new emotions vanished until all that was left was a cold fury. Unbelievable! Twice... twice he had almost bridged that gap, that gap that she could never, ever allow to be bridged! How dare he, this bandit that was so weak, so pathetic that he couldn't even fight off a...!?
Whap!
Koji had been focusing so hard on those expressive emerald eyes that he didn't see the sister's free hand until it struck him across the face. He took a step backwards, releasing the Asatenshi woman's wrist and allowing her to move towards the doorway. Surprise etched in every aspect of his visage, the co-leader opened his mouth to question her actions, to question the sudden mood change and equally sudden blow.
"Liar," she snarled, bringing one hand up and pointing an accusing finger at the bandit's chest. "I know your type well enough; I know the kind of fool you are. You don't give a damn what happens to me, you're only playing the nice guy so you can get closer to Hikaru. That's the only person you really care about." She took another step back, curling her lip in a look of utter disgust. "How sickening. You're just like every other human..." The sister whirled on her heel, swinging her room door open and flying out before the bandit had a chance to utter a word.
And once again silence filled the room. Koji watched the doorway where the Asatenshi sister had been only moments before, trying to figure out what in the world had just happened. He had just told her the truth, the honest to gods truth, and she had looked at him like maybe he'd actually reached her, like maybe she was going to show him what was under that icy mask, and then...
Then she'd slapped him.
Something about that just didn't add up.
"Well, this has been one hell of a great day," the co-leader grumbled, rubbing hard at his stinging cheek. "How is it that when I deserve t'get smacked, like last night, nothin' happens, but when I try t'do somethin' nice..." he shook his head, scowling harder. "Well, that's th' last time ya try t'help her out, Koji, if yer jus' gonna get slapped an' accused fer yer trouble..."
The co-leader turned to leave the room, but stopped as a familiar white glimmer caught the corner of his eye. He looked over his shoulder, noticing the crystal gem that Shuu had been messing with when he'd first arrived. The stone was still lying on the ground, forgotten by the angry sister, pulsing faintly with some sort of inner light.
"Wonder what that thing is?" he asked aloud, unable to stop his curiosity. "Looks like it might have magic... well, I shouldn' mess with anythin'-a hers, otherwise I'll just get smacked again." He paused, eyes still fixed on the glowing crystal. "Still, it is my fault it got knocked over. Guess I might as well put it back on th' nightstand."
Koji stepped lightly across the wooden floor, kneeling next to the unusual object and reaching out with his left hand. "Dunno why I'm helpin' her out anyway, but at least this way she can't accuse me-a-"
But he never finished his sentence, for as soon as he touched the gem an amazing variety of emotions assailed him, all contradicting themselves with such violent passion that the bandit nearly cried out in alarm. A barrage of images came full blast upon him, too fast to make out, though for a brief instant he saw a clear picture, the perfect image of the frowning face of a blue-haired young man-
Then there was a flash of emotion from the crystal, a powerful charge full of fear and indignation and disgust. 'Akuma!' he could have sworn it screamed, right before a shot of emerald fire raced up his arm, scalding his hand and forcing him to pull away.
The co-leader scrabbled hastily to his feet, holding his singed palm and nearly sprinting out of the room. He stood on the other side of the door for a moment, trying to deny what he knew he had seen. It was Chichiri, younger and without the scar, but the similarities were too strong for it to have been anyone else. Yes, it had to have been Chichiri. And if that was the case, then that meant Shuu could see him, watch him, perhaps she could even talk to him! Shuu knew, Shuu knew where he was, and maybe she knew how to reach him. But maybe she didn't, he reasoned, frantically searching for some kind of alternate solution, though even he wasn't sure why he should be protecting the young Asatenshi woman. Maybe she was working like Hikaru, trying to somehow bring him back. It was possible. There was no reason to raise further suspicions about the sister to Tasuki, not when the bandit already distrusted her and had so much on his mind already.
But Koji couldn't stop himself from casting one last look at the Asatenshi sister's room, and at the glowing crystal, so full of magic, shimmering on her floor; couldn't help himself from asking the question he had been asking since the arrival of the mysterious, harsh, vulnerable woman. Who was this Asatenshi Shuu, anyway... and why, why was she...?
---
---
Author's Mundane Ramblings: Aug. 15, 2004; 10:55 P.M
Hao, minna-san!
Ah, well, another day, another Character Development Chapter. Gotta love 'em, right? Actually, this Movement is a good deal more fast-paced than the last one – there are even a few battle scenes! Oo, intensity! – but I have to set the stage first, y'know? Expect something a bit on the swifter side in upcoming Verses. And, as always, apologies on the lateness. This chapter has been done since about six months ago, but I've been busy writing (or at least trying to write) new Verses and haven't had a chance to give this one its final edit job and post it up. Better late than never though, right? (Sigh)
Random Chapter Comments In other news, I'm now addicted to .hack music and the Excel Saga anime – but that's beside the point! Chapter comments, chapter comments... oh, right! As much as I'd like to say that highly disturbing opening "dream sequence" came out of my own twisted brain, the truth is I swiped the original idea from "Saber Marionette J," including the infamous "I am your breakfast" line. So, yeah, I can't claim to be creative. Sorry folks.
Oh, yes, and this isn't a chapter comment, but I would like to encourage people who were pissed at this ridiculous new rule that bans "script/chatroom fanfics" to write very forceful and angry letters to and let them know how angry you are! Some damn good stories were wiped off the face of because of this, such as Roku Kyu's "Casting Stones," and we shouldn't take this lying down. Because you know what the next thing to go is gonna be? That's right people: self-insertions and R-Rated works. And I'm not gonna let "Bridge over the Abyss," "White Stones in the Moonlight," and "Fushigiggles" kick the bucket without a long, hard fight! Grr...
So, to summarize: Angry letters may not change anything, but at least they make you feel better! Damn Fanfiction Nazis...
Answering Reviews Welcome welcome Mie-chan, it's always great to have another member of the family! Here, have a welcoming gift (holds out a cyber car). I know that won't do you much good in the real world, but it's the thought that counts, right? (Sweatdrop)
To Fire Pendant-san, on the Weaver's Emotions – That's a tricky question, and one I really don't know how to answer because (a) I don't want to reveal too much, and (b) it's too hard to explain in a simple Q & A section. Let's just say that one of our characters will eventually have the chance to ask this question somewhere during the Third Movement, and things will (more or less) be explained there. However, I would at this point in time encourage you – and this means everyone – to look at the things from the Weaver's point of view, and draw your own conclusions (yeah, I like to make my readers work – I'm so evil).
To Mie-san, on Koji and Genji – Well, every time I can convert another FY fan to the Koji-centric light, I feel pretty proud of myself. And as for Genji-kun's haircut... well, it's a bit hard to explain. I guess its something of a mixture between Koji and Tamahome, if that makes any sense. I posted a (very old and very bad) picture of him up on my little homepage link, and if you'd like I'd also be happy to e-mail you a page of Genji-kun sketches that my online pal Threshie drew.
To Everyone, but related to what Mie-san said – I feel absolutely honored when people do fan art of my stories, so if any of you feel the urge to doodle a sketch of any of the characters please don't be bashful about sending them to me! I'll cherish 'em almost as much as your dee-lightful reviews!
To Shinju-san – Thank you for getting Mie-san addicted to my work! The more victi – ah, I mean, the more readers, the merrier, I figure! Ah-heh-heh-heh...
Quote of the Week: "Kill Bill Vol. 2" came out on Wednesday, and in celebration my friends and I had a "Tarantino Tuesday" movie marathon. Which would explain this week's quote...
"What does punctuality have to do with love?!"
--From "Four Rooms: The Man from Hollywood" (for those of you wondering, "Four Rooms" is a movie comprised of four connected stories. Quentin Tarantino, God bless him, wrote, directed, and starred in "The Man from Hollywood," which is genius)
I'm also partial to: "It's f-ckin' Cristal! Everything else is piss!" but that seemed a bit vulgar for a PG-13 fanfic (though, I have to wonder how long it's going to keep that rating, considering where this story is going... but we'll get to that when we get to it, won't we? (Grin) )
That's all for now! See you in the next installment!
Dee ;)