Chapter Sixteen
"Anzu?"
As Anzu stumbled out into the darkening world outside, tears still glittering on her lashes, she heard the voice of the bandit's older sister calling her name and she turned, seeing the look of apprehension on Aidou's sharp features. She swallowed hard, biting her lip, and Aidou's breath caught in her throat as she registered what the girl's demeanour meant.
"He's worse, isn't he?" She asked softly. Anzu nodded.
"He was so...not like himself." She choked. "Aidou-san, I'm sorry...I'm sure I made him worse. But he was so...so strange. And Chichiri...Chichiri doesn't know if he's going to die or not. He sent me out here, but I...I can't bear it!"
Aidou bit her lip, then, without a word, she slipped an arm around the younger girl, hugging her tightly. As she did so, Anzu felt the tension in the older woman's body, and knew that despite her apparent composure, Aidou's heart was as wrenched as her own. She gazed up, meeting Aidou's eyes with sad ones of her own.
"I'm sorry. This must hurt you too." She realised. "And I'm acting like I'm the only one who's affected."
"No...you're acting like someone who's afraid to lose a man she loves." Aidou sighed, shaking her head slowly. "I don't understand why you love my brother, Anzu - but I know that you do. And I know...it's painful. Losing someone you care about. Whoever that someone is."
Anzu was silent for a moment. Then she nodded.
"I suppose you do." She agreed softly. "I'm sorry."
Aidou's eyes narrowed, and she gazed at her companion suspiciously.
"What do you mean, you suppose I do?" She asked quietly. "What do you know?"
Anzu flushed, looking embarrassed.
"Your mother told me...about...about the man who died in the war." She admitted. "I didn't mean to..."
"Did you tell Shun'u about that?"
"No. And I wasn't going to mention it to you, either." Anzu swallowed hard. "I'm really sorry, Aidou-san. I didn't mean to stir it up for you, especially now. But my mind is all over the place. I don't...I'm not thinking straight. I just...can't process this. I already lost Karin - and I can't lose Genrou too!"
Aidou was silent for a moment, and with a jolt, Anzu registered the tears that rolled silently down the older woman's cheeks. She opened her mouth to speak, but Aidou shook her head, putting a finger to her young companion's lips.
"I didn't cry, when the news came back from the front." She said softly. "I was angry. Furious with him for abandoning me like he did. I suppose I didn't forgive him for it, really. That I'd believed in him, and he'd let me down. But...I don't think you feel that way, do you? With Shun'u. You...you're not angry with him, even though he was so stupid, darting after his friend like that when Chichiri-san warned him not to. You make me ashamed of myself...because even now, I'm angry with Shun'u for being a fool."
"I..." Anzu faltered, swallowing hard. "I don't know. All I...all I know is that I love him so much, Aidou-san. I knew I cared about him, but now, when Chichiri said he might...not live...I couldn't bear it. I can't...I can't bear the idea that he might not be there any more. Even if he shouts at me, or is tactless, or even if he doesn't love me. He...I...I love him and I want him to be all right."
Aidou frowned. Then,
"Hotohori-sama said that byouma acted on positive and negative emotion." She said slowly. "And that it's Shun'u's doubts and uncertainties that are allowing it to take hold of him so strongly."
Anzu nodded her head miserably.
"Yes." She admitted. "Chichiri said that, too."
"How much do you believe in him, Anzu-chan?" Aidou asked softly. Anzu stared up at the older woman, confusion in her gaze.
"I don't understand?"
"You love him in a way I didn't even know anyone could." Aidou admitted, and a faint smile touched her lips. "My stupid, impulsive brother - but you love him more than anything. I can tell that, now. I wasn't sure, at first - but now I know that you do. Maybe...maybe he needs that, now. Do you think so? If you...if you're sure how you feel...maybe you can help him."
Anzu stared at her companion as if seeing her for the first time, as realisation shot through her. She disentangled herself from the older woman's embrace, turning back towards the house as she hurried to the little sickroom within which she knew Tasuki was fighting for his life.
"Anzu! Anzu, get back here!"
Chichiri's cries fell on deaf ears, as the young circus performer pushed past the monk and into the small chamber proper. As her gaze fell on the patient, her heart clenched in her throat and she swallowed hard, her heart aching to see him in so much distress. His jacket and shirt had been removed in an attempt to prevent them becoming soaked, for sweat still beaded his body, running off his skin as he tossed and turned at intervals against the coarse blanket that had become his makeshift sickbed. Chichiri's kesa had been folded into a pillow, as if somehow, by using something so charmed, the monk could ward against the demon entering Tasuki's thoughts any deeper. As she watched, almost in a daze, Chichiri placed a cool, damp cloth against the bandit's brow, his action gentle and careful but Anzu was aware enough to note the faint tremble of his hands as he tended to one who had become like a brother as well as a friend. Tasuki did not flinch against the sudden touch of cold water, his skin an odd, waxy hue as he lay still deep in the unconscious state he had fallen into during their fight. He seemed entirely unaware that anyone else was even in the room, and it did not need either of the guarding Seishi to tell her that he was weakening. She bit her lip, a fleeting memory of her dying sister crossing her thoughts, as she remembered nursing Karin through several fevers in vain.
"But I'm not going to let you die, Genrou." She whispered, not even realising that she had begun to cry again until her tears began to fall onto the restless, fevered body of the young bandit. She had never seen him so weak before, and the very notion that he could be frightened her so much that for an instant she was almost stifled by the sensation. Then she gathered her wits, remembering what Chichiri had said about the nature of the disease.
"Anzu, you can't...come away from him." Chichiri was at her side, but she shook her head, resolution in her gaze.
"I won't. I won't!" She said firmly. "I'm not going to sit outside when Genrou needs help!"
"Chichiri is right, Anzu." Hotohori said gravely, and as she glanced at the former Emperor, she was suddenly aware of the toll maintaining Chichiri's barrier was having on his half-formed body. She flitted her gaze across to Chichiri, alarm flickering in her heart as she saw the same uncharacteristic tiredness in the monk's dark red gaze, and inwardly she gathered the shards of her courage, making up her mind.
"I'm not leaving him." She said softly. "I've decided. You can't change my mind. I'm not going to go outside...not this time. I'm staying here. Here with Genrou. That's why I came to Kounan...to be with Genrou. And this is where I want to be."
"Anzu, it's dangerous, you know?" Chichiri said gently, as he removed the now-warm cloth from Tasuki's brow. "It's taking a lot of both mine and Hotohori-sama's strength just to keep the byouma under any kind of control. As it is, we can't drive it out of him without his help - if it was to infect you, there'd be nothing we could do. Tasuki's Suzaku power makes him strong, and I can guard against it with my barriers. Hotohori-sama's body is not like ours, so he's probably not susceptible to the disease. But you...I don't want you to get hurt. He wouldn't want it either...you know that."
Anzu frowned, then shook her head.
"Genrou is going to live." She said firmly, and before the monk could stop her, she had reached down to grab the bandit's hot, sticky hand in hers, squeezing the fingers tightly as she hardened her resolve. "And I'm going to stay with him until he's better. I've decided, Chichiri. Whatever happens to me...this is where I'm going to be."
"Anzu..." Horror flickered into Chichiri's weary gaze, but Anzu merely tightened her grip, meeting the monk's look of dismay with a sad smile of her own.
"You told me, when we were on Reikaku-zan, that I had to be sure of my own feelings before I tried to make anyone else aware of them." She said quietly. "And you were right. I had doubts then - doubts I kept coming back to, again and again. This evening, I...I aired those doubts, and I made matters worse. I hurt him, even knowing he was weak - it was selfish of me. And when I went outside - when you sent me away, I realised it for the first time. That it doesn't matter how Genrou feels about me. It's how I feel about him, that's all I can focus my energy on right now. And when I did that, I knew that if he died, it would...it would hurt more than anything ever could. Because I love him, and I don't have doubts any more. Not about anything. I love him and if that means I get sick too, then it does. I'm going to stay here, anyway...because I have faith in Genrou, and this is where I need to be."
"Anzu." Hotohori's eyes became wide with surprise at this. "You realise what it might mean? This is no gentle disease...and Chichiri is right. You are not as strong as Tasuki is."
"I don't care." Anzu said firmly. "Besides, I'm here now. I've broken through the barrier and I've touched his hand. If the demon is going to spread into me, it probably already has."
She smiled grimly.
"And it'll find it's met it's match, too." She said resolutely. "Because you said, Chichiri, that this disease fed on negativity and doubt. And if I don't have any doubt, it can't hurt me. Can it? So I'm not scared to face it down. Just because I'm not a warrior of Suzaku doesn't mean I'm useless, you know. You said that those negative things were what dragged him down. His doubts about Miaka-sama and what happened to her - because Genrou's a good, honest man, even as a bandit, and he doesn't like feeling like a villain. Well, I want to make him see that he's not a villain. And that even knowing what happened when he was with Miaka-sama, I still love him with all my heart. If he has doubts, then I'll be strong enough for both of us. I might not have magic like you do - but that doesn't mean I can't fight and it doesn't mean I won't fight - not when it's Genrou's life that's at stake."
Chichiri stared at her for a moment. Then, very slightly, he smiled. He slowly inclined his head, bowing towards her as if accepting her stance, and Anzu felt a flash of relief wash over her.
"If that's how you feel, then I won't try and interfere." He said quietly. "If you're really sure you have no doubt in your heart...or fear, or hesitation. Maybe you can reach him - I don't know. But it's worth a try, anyway. Without his help, we can't beat this. We need him to fight it from within...but confining this thing is tricky, and I can't get him to rouse up. His chi is weakening - he's losing the battle. He needs as much help as he can get...and maybe you're the one to provide it."
Anzu nodded, taking the bandit's other hand in hers and squeezing it tightly between her fingers.
"I understand." She whispered, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks as she gazed down at the man she had travelled so far to find. "Genrou, you oaf, listen to me. I didn't come all the way here from Sairou just so that I could bury you too, you know. You're stronger than this and we both know it. You don't have doubts - not in people, not in anything. And you have a lot of friends who love you. You're being silly and you need to snap out of it. Stop letting your nightmares rule your mind. The demon wants you to think bad thoughts. It wants you to hurt - but you've got nothing to feel bad about. You've done nothing wrong...and we need you. All of us. We need you."
There was no response, and Anzu bit her lip, gently bending to kiss him on the forehead.
"And I love you." She whispered, not caring any longer who was watching and whether or not he heard her voice. "I love you, you great, stupid ape. I won't let you die on me. If it means I have to give you all of my strength to fight this too, then dammit, that's what I'll do. I won't see someone else I love die in front of me - I won't be helpless this time. Between us we can beat this demon, Genrou. I believe it. I believe we can! And you must...you must believe it too. Open your eyes, and help Chichiri and Hotohori-sama to save your life! Otherwise I'll be real mad at you, and so will Kouji and everyone back at the mountain. They'd have a lot to say about a bandit leader who lost a battle with a demon, considering the reputation you have - you're not going to let this beat you, are you?"
For a moment, nothing in the small room moved. Then, as Anzu began to fear the stillness as some kind of ill omen, there was a faint murmur from the patient and a flicker of an eyelid that brought a surge of hope flaring through her heart. She gripped his fingers more tightly, hardly daring to believe that he might have heard her, and that from somewhere deep within Tasuki's consciousness, he was fighting to get out.
"I know you can hear me." She said gently, setting one of his hands down as she lovingly brushed sweat-damp strands of hair out of his face. "And if you're mad at me for saying all of this, I don't care. I don't care about anything except you getting better, that's all. If you hate me, well, it won't stop me loving you. And if you're angry, then you are. But I'll still be happy, so long as you're alive. Because that's what matters most to me right now, Genrou. Your life. Your being in this world. That's all."
At this the bronzeish eyes fluttered open, disorientated and confused as the bandit struggled to bring his surroundings into focus. Hotohori let out an exclamation of surprise, gazing at Chichiri in disbelief, and the monk spread his hands, shrugging his shoulders.
"The power of love." He said quietly. "Haven't we seen it before enough times to know that sometimes, there's nothing quite as strong as someone's true feelings?"
"Genrou." Anzu resisted the urge to hug him, instead resting her finger against his cheek as he gazed up at her uncomprehendingly. "Don't look at me like that, as if you don't know who I am. You need to get a grip on yourself, okay? I'm going to stay with you - I'm going to fight right alongside you, I promise. And Chichiri and Hotohori-sama, they are too. But you have to fight this demon from within, too. Show it that you really are a wolf inside of there - that you don't give in so easily. Okay? You need to battle as hard as you can...if you can do that, we'll drive it out and you'll be okay. I have faith...if you can find the strength, it'll all be okay."
"Anzu?" Tasuki's voice was barely more than a faltering croak, then, "Dammit, are you tryin' to break my fingers, girl?"
"Yes, if it will keep you awake and focused." Anzu said determinedly. "You keep saying you're a man - you're a bandit - whatever. Now it's time you prove it."
"Anzu's right, Tasuki." Chichiri knelt at the bandit's other side. "Listen. You know that there's a byouma lurking inside of you - a demon fever that's hard to shake off. There's only one way I can think of that we can get rid of it, and it's going to hurt...it will probably hurt a lot. We don't have a healer, just your strength and endurance, and whatever Hotohori-sama and I can do to help you. Do you think you're up to it? I don't think we should wait any longer. If you can bear it, we need to fight it now."
"Byouma?" Tasuki wetted his lips, then determination flickered in his gaze, and in her heart, Anzu felt that now things would truly be all right. Chichiri nodded.
"Like...the thing...that killed...Shouka?"
"Yes."
"Shit." Tasuki grimaced weakly, then, "I'll kill Mitsukake when I see him next."
"He's already dead, you know." Chichiri told him absently. "Stop sidetracking and focus, will you? This thing feeds on your negative emotions - wanting to kill your friend isn't exactly a good step in the right direction. We need you to fight against those things - fight them as hard as you can. Can you manage that?"
"Who are you talkin' to, Chichiri? Of course I can." Tasuki's voice sounded a little stronger, and Chichiri smiled, although Anzu could still see the anxiety in his expression.
"Right." He said quietly. "Then brace yourself. And Anzu?"
"Yes?"
"Don't let go of his hand." Chichiri instructed. "I think...he needs your strength now too, as well. As much of it as you can give him - do you understand what I'm asking you to do?"
Anzu nodded her head firmly.
"I understand." She said frankly. "And I won't let go."
"Then let's see if we can't exorcise this demon once and for all." Chichiri said grimly. "Hotohori-sama, are you prepared?"
"I'll do what I have to, Chichiri. You know that." Hotohori nodded. "Ready when you are."
"Tasuki, you too." Chichiri instructed, bringing his fingers up before his face as he tensed his entire body, summoning his spiritual magic to the forefront as he prepared his spell. "We're as reliant on you as each other to do this - don't let me down, all right? Remember, Tamahome beat his demons...now it's your turn."
"Just do it, dammit." Tasuki said hoarsely. "Before this idiot breaks my fingers right off!"
Chichiri nodded, closing his eyes as he cast his spell, and as a flare of red energy engulfed his body, Tasuki let out a yell of agony, his entire body going rigid as Chichiri's pure magic clashed with the taint of the byouma's curse. Anzu's heart constricted again and she gripped his fingers tightly, wishing with all her heart and soul that any of her strength could be transferred to him, in order to bring him safely through.
"I have faith in you." She whispered, the tears continuing to fall. "So have faith in yourself, Genrou...and don't you dare leave me!"
Tasuki's brow creased, his eyes screwed up in concentration as his breath came in ragged, resolute gasps and Anzu could tell, even as another shudder of pain wracked through him, that he was fighting tooth and nail to regain control of his body. As Chichiri redoubled his efforts, a strange glow emanated from around the area of Tasuki's heart, and as the bandit let out a gasp, something began to spill through the surface of his skin, glittering and glowing eerily as it sought to gain some kind of form in the world outside it's host body.
"Anzu, get back! Let go of Tasuki - get back!" Chichiri yelled. "That's the byouma - don't let it touch you!"
"I told you already. It can't hurt me!" Anzu replied stubbornly. "I'm not letting go of him - I'm not letting go!"
Tasuki opened his eyes, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he registered the spectral form that arched above him on the makeshift bed, and as it lunged towards Anzu's body, he cursed, shifting his hand slightly towards his jacket and the silver fan that lay on top of it.
"The tessen." He rasped out. "Give...me...the damn...tessen!"
"Tasuki?" Chichiri looked startled, and Tasuki's expression became one of urgency.
"Now, dammit! Before it...goes into...her!" He exclaimed, and comprehension flooded Chichiri's face, as the monk grabbed up the weapon, passing it into the bandit's sweaty grip.
"Anzu, get down!" Hotohori exclaimed, and Anzu ducked, just in time to miss the sweep of the ghostly byouma as it sought to infiltrate her young form. At this, Tasuki seemed to gain a flicker of new strength, and he narrowed his eyes, focusing his energy on raising the heavy silver weapon.
"You get the hell away from us both, you stinkin' demon!" He spat out. "R...R...Rekka Shin'en!"
Despite the exhaustion in his tones, a blast of flame shot out from the end of the tessen, engulfing the demon in it's blaze as it did so. As ash rained down onto the makeshift sickbed, Tasuki's grip on his weapon loosened, and it fell to the floor with a clatter as he closed his eyes, letting out a heavy sigh of relief.
"Genrou?" Anzu murmured, half-afraid to touch him, in the aftermath of the demon's destruction. "Genrou, are you...are you all right?"
"It's gone." Chichiri held out his hands, then nodded, a faint smile touching his lips. "We did it, you know? We drove it out. Thanks to Tasuki's flames - it's over."
"Genrou!" This was enough to break through Anzu's resolute composure and she flung herself on the startled bandit, crying bitterly as she held him close to her body. "Oh, thank God...thank God!"
"Are you deranged? Anzu, get off me!" Tasuki protested, but Anzu took no notice.
"I was so scared I was going to lose you." She whispered. "Don't do that to me again - not ever, you understand? Even if you do hate me...even if you are in love with Miaka and you never care about me - don't scare me so much again, all right? You can't die. Of all people in this world, Genrou - promise me you won't die."
"You're friggin' crazy! Get the hell off me - do you want to suffocate me yourself?"
"I think he's feeling better already." Hotohori observed dryly, lowering his sword, and Chichiri nodded his head.
"I think so." He agreed, relief clear on his face. "Thankfully."
"Shun'u is...all right?"
An uncertain voice came from the doorway, and Anzu glanced up, seeing Tasuki's sister standing there watching them. There were tears on her cheeks too, and Chichiri got to his feet, nodding his head.
"I think so." He agreed with a smile. "It's all right, Aidou-san. You can come in. The demon's been driven out - It should be safe."
Aidou slipped cautiously into the room, coming to kneel beside her brother's bed. Tasuki eyed her warily, but Aidou offered him a faint smile.
"You're an idiot." She said categorically. "But since you're going to live, I'll spare you the scolding. This time. Just remember next time you do something stupid and rash - I've got to explain to Ma and Pa what you went and did to yourself. Okay?"
"Yeah, yeah. I'm all right. Geez." Tasuki rolled his eyes. "What is with you two, anyway? Tears and acting weird and all? You're creeping me out, the both of you - is this a woman thing I don't get, or what?"
"I might hit you, at this rate." Anzu threatened, but inwardly she knew she would not. The more like himself the bandit sounded, the more she knew that he would truly be all right, and despite herself, she could not be annoyed by anything he said. Meeting Aidou's gaze across the bed, she realised that Tasuki's sister was feeling the same way, and she offered the older woman a conspiratorial smile. Aidou reacted with a startled one of her own, which became more sincere as she understood the unspoken message between them. For the first time, Anzu felt that she and Aidou truly shared a bond.
"We both care what happens to him, even if we do it in different ways." She reflected. "Genrou's mother did say that they agreed for Aidou to come like this, to keep an eye on him. But it's more than that. Aidou's as fond of Genrou as his parents are - even if he doesn't realise it, her fussing and nagging is her way of showing him affection. She's protecting him because she's afraid of what he'll do if she doesn't...and given all of this, she's probably got a point. Being around him is high maintenance - it's a stressful existance. No wonder she's so strong as she is. I hope I can be that strong - if I can make Genrou want me around, I'll have to be."
"Hotohori-sama?"
Chichiri's anxious voice startled her from her reverie at that moment and she turned, casting a glance towards the former Emperor. As she did so, a gasp escaped her lips, and her hand flew to her mouth.
"Hotohori-sama." She whispered. "I can...see through you!"
"He's a ghost." Aidou looked disturbed. "Is...is he?"
Chichiri frowned, holding out his hand to brush the man's shoulder, and at the physical contact, Hotohori offered a smile, shrugging his shoulders.
"I'm tired." he admitted. "I suppose this body has its limitations. It's as you say, Chichiri - not a permanent solution. And I have taxed it to its limits tonight. Perhaps I should withdraw - and rest. I will be of more use to you and Tasuki both while I retain physical form, after all - I had better not destroy this body before we have a chance to find the others."
"I think so." Chichiri eyed him critically. "I wish I could give you some of my life-force, but I don't think I have any more to give right now."
"I'll be all right." Hotohori shook his head. "My spirit is fine...it's just that I am not as physically strong as I was when I was living."
He smiled again, as he got to his feet, moving towards the door.
"My spirit is actually stronger than it has been since I first came to myself." he admitted. "I think the last of my memories returned, while helping to drive out Tasuki's demons. I know who I am entirely now, and it is quite all right. I'll rest, and no doubt I'll regain my strength. Just as you should - just because you have living forms, it doesn't mean you should take that for granted."
With that he was gone, and the remaining travellers exchanged glances.
"Hotohori-sama is right." Aidou reflected. "You must be tired. And hungry. All of you."
Her gaze flitted to Tasuki, then,
"Not that you deserve anyone to wait on you, but even so..."
"I'm not hungry." Tasuki shook his head. "Jus' tired an' thirsty. That's all."
"Then I'll go get you some cold water to drink." Anzu suggested, getting to her feet. "Your fever was pretty high, so no doubt you need fluids to regain your strength. It won't take me long - I'll be right back."
"No, you stay here, Anzu." Chichiri told her with a smile, gesturing to the wooden pail that stood beneath the window. "We have water - it's fresh. And I think, considering you're chief nurse in all of this, you should be the one to stay with the patient...don't you? At least until he falls asleep."
"Chichiri, what the hell are you playin' at?" Tasuki's eyes widened at this, but Anzu's heart leapt as she read the expression in the monk's eyes. She nodded her head.
"I'll do that." She said softly. "Thank you, Chichiri."
"Good." Chichiri's good eye sparkled. "Then Aidou and I will leave you to it. I could use some fresh air after that little battle, you know."
Anzu saw a look pass between the monk and Tasuki's sister, and she felt colour rise in her cheeks as Aidou shot her a comprehending glance.
"I'll come with you, Chichiri-san." She said evenly, offering Anzu a smile as she got to her feet. "I'll trust you to look after Shun'u, Anzu. Don't let me down, huh? And don't let him give you any trouble...if he does, just let me know."
With that, the two were gone, and Anzu found herself left alone with the man she loved.
For a moment, she felt shy, wondering absently how much of what she had said to him he remembered. Her eyes strayed to the neat pile of upper clothing in the corner, and her cheeks flushed slightly as she realised that when she had flung herself on top of him, it had been against his bare skin. In the awkwardness that followed, she registered the fact that he was still so un-attired, and she swallowed, unsure about how to begin a conversation. Silence fell, as she busied herself with fetching him water to drink, setting the mug down beside the bed. For a moment she looked at him, wondering his thoughts. Then, hesitantly, she offered a hand to pull him up.
"I can sit up by myself, you know." Tasuki said bluntly, pushing her hand away, as he struggled to prove himself right. Something in the frankness of his tones seemed to break through Anzu's sudden coyness, and as he managed to succeed, she grinned in self-conscious relief, settling herself down on the floor beside him as he drained the vessel dry.
"There's quite a lot more, if you want it." She said companionably. "I can always fetch another pail."
Tasuki did not answer, merely eying her cautiously. Then he set the mug down, pursing his lips.
"Gimme my shirt, huh? It's cold in here."
Anzu started, then she pinkened again, nodding as she reached over to grab it. She held it out, and Tasuki cast her another wary look as he slipped it over his shoulders, pulling it around his body.
"If it were the other way around, you'd be slappin' me." He said bluntly. "You don't haveta gawk."
Anzu looked stricken, her cheeks flushing red, and despite his obvious tiredness, a faint, wolfish smile touched Tasuki's lips as he registered her loss in composure.
"Well, jus' saying." He said flippantly, as he fastened the fabric, rolling back his right sleeve to gaze down at his arm. As he flexed his fingers, the symbol for 'wings' glittered against his skin, its former strength restored, and he nodded slightly, as if satisfied.
"Goddamn demons." He muttered. "Good thing I know they don't like it if ya burn 'em up."
Anzu did not answer, merely eying him uncertainly, and Tasuki frowned, folding his arms across his chest as he leant up against the wall of the room. Despite his recovery, the toll of fighting the byouma was clear on his usually animated features and Anzu noted with some concern the tiredness in his bronze eyes, half wondering if she should be letting him move so freely so soon after breaking such a turbulent fever.
"What's eatin' you?" The bandit's question broke her reverie, and she started, offering him a smile.
"Nothing." She assured him, shaking her head. "I'm just...sorry I was...in here. You know. When you didn't have your shirt...I didn't think..."
She trailed off, and Tasuki offered her another wolfish smile.
"You could take your clothes off, and then we'd be even." He suggested. Anzu's eyes widened, and Tasuki snorted.
"Yeesh, I was teasin' you." He scolded. "Can't you take a joke?"
"A...joke?" Anzu stared at him blankly, struggling to register the fact that the man who, minutes earlier had been fighting death was now making fun of her. For a moment, she just sat there. Then, as the funny side of it struck her, she grinned back, shrugging her shoulders as she wiped the last of her tears from her lashes.
"Guess not." She said lightly. "Besides, I don't take my clothes off for bandits who scare me half to death almost dying of demon fevers, so you're outta luck this time around."
Tasuki stared at her, as if trying to work out whether or not she was serious, and as she realised his thought process, she chuckled, shaking her head slowly.
Tasuki frowned, eying her quizzically.
"All right. Spit it out." He ordered.
"Huh?" Anzu looked startled.
"Whatever it is that's makin' you act weird on me. It's driving me crazy, an' my head's buzzin' enough without your help."
"What do you mean, weird?" Anzu frowned. "I'm not acting weird. I'm just relieved you're okay...that's all."
"So much so that you try to smother me?" Tasuki's eyebrow arched at this. "An' Chichiri calls you a nurse? More like a flamin' menace!"
Anzu chuckled, unperturbed.
"You can't say anything to upset me tonight." She said firmly. "Really, you can't, so you might as well save your strength."
"An' she says she ain't acting weird." Tasuki muttered. He rubbed his temples, glancing down at the discarded tessen ruefully.
"I really am gonna kill Mitsukake, when I see him." He admitted. "Even if he is already dead, I'm gonna give him somethin' to think about. Infectin' me with that damn thing...what the hell was that about, anyway? What's wrong with this damn world! First his Highness an' my village. Then Mitsukake tries to kill me - I'm goin' to get a complex, if this goes on. I'll be lookin' out for Nuriko droppin' rocks on my head at this rate."
"Do you think you'll go back to Choukou, now?" Anzu asked anxiously, and Tasuki shrugged.
"Ask Chichiri." He said frankly. "Not me. Right now I'm too tired to care, to be honest. That thing really was a demon - it damn well hurt like hell, an' I feel mangled...whatever we do, it can wait till morning."
He sank back against his folded-kesa pillow with a weary sigh, and Anzu frowned, scooping up the spare blanket and drawing it over his body.
"You should rest." She agreed. "Sleep, and regain your strength. You were really brave, Genrou - fighting that thing, even though it was eating away at you. And then using the tessen to protect me - thank you for that. Considering how weak you were..."
She faltered, and Tasuki snorted.
"That's the problem with you damn women." He said blurrily, and Anzu realised that he was already on the verge of falling asleep. "You always need someone to damn well protect you..."
With that his eyes closed, and as his breathing became regular and even, Anzu gazed down at him affectionately.
"You don't remember." She mused. "But it doesn't matter. Everything feels so different, now. Now I know my own strength a little more. I helped you - even without Suzaku's power, I was able to make a difference. This time I protected you too, Genrou...maybe I'll finally find a way to prove myself to you, after all."
-----------------
A spell.
Nuriko's eyes snapped open, and he drew a sharp breath, sitting up in bed as he struggled to make out the sharp sensation that had just darted across his senses. It was still late, he realised, and outside the window, the moon hung high in the sky, sending haphazard light down onto the terrain below. But it had not been a stray shard of moonlight that had drawn him from his peaceful sleep.
Pulling the blanket more tightly around his shoulders, he shuffled off the low-slung bed, being careful not to disturb his sleeping companions as he moved to the window. From the far corner, Tamatama let out a snore, but Nuriko was too lost in thought to even smile at the unusual sound. He frowned, touching the thick curtain that divided him from the world outside. Then, hesitantly, he slipped it back, ducking around it so that he would not let the light of the clear night into the room.
"What was that?" He muttered, his gaze drawn up to the sky over his head as he did so. "What did I just...? A spell? But...what? Why did it wake me...what was it?"
He ran his gaze over the constellations, a curse falling from his lips as he registered the absence of Tamahome's stars in the night sky.
"I should have seen that before." He berated himself. "Tama's not there. But...is it that which woke me? Is something going on in Miaka's world...or is it just this one that's messed around?"
"Nuriko?"
A soft voice at his left hand made him jump, swinging around to meet the guarded gaze of the doctor, and he sighed, letting out his breath in a rush.
"I might be dead, but that doesn't mean you can creep up on me and give me a heart attack." He scolded, only just keeping his voice down. "Mitsukake, you made me jump. Give me a little more warning next time, will you?"
"Sorry." Mitsukake looked contrite. "I heard you moving - what are you looking at?"
"Just stars." Nuriko sighed. "And wondering...something woke me, but I don't know what it was. Maybe I'm just restless. I don't know."
"No...no." Mitsukake shook his head, turning his head to glance at the night sky. "Something woke me too. Not you - something else."
"Really?" Nuriko looked startled. "A sort of...spell type thing? Or...something...involving magic?"
The doctor nodded solemnly, and excitement leapt in Nuriko's heart.
"Chichiri." He breathed. "Do you think...could he be...trying to reach us?"
"I have no idea." Mitsukake admitted. "But there is a constellation missing, Nuriko. Tamahome's stars are no longer over us."
"No, I saw that, too." Nuriko admitted. "I hadn't, till now. I was so preoccupied with untangling my mental state that I didn't think to look up."
"Perhaps the two are connected?"
"Perhaps they are." Nuriko frowned, as Tamatama let out another snore, mumuring softly in his sleep. "Look, here isn't a good place to talk. Let's go down there...outside, in the courtyard. Noone's around, and we can talk without waking him...he'll just worry, if he hears us babbling about missing stars and magic spells."
"All right." Mitsukake nodded his head. "I'm right behind you."
"You seem a little more yourself, if you don't mind my saying." Nuriko observed, as he flung his cape around his shoulders, pushing open the door of the chamber and indicating for his well-built friend to follow him. "Less confused. You spotted the stars right away - are you feeling better?"
"I...think I remember more things than I did." Mitsukake nodded. "My body was so tired when I met you and Tamatama-san that I'm not sure what was going through my thoughts. But yes, I feel more together, now."
He sighed, casting a glance at his still bound left hand.
"I am now quite certain I did meet Tasuki, and that it was somewhere near Choukou that it happened." He said slowly. "But I...I am sure that I did something terrible, Nuriko. To a friend who came to offer me his assistance - something quite terrible indeed."
"What sort of terrible?" Nuriko peered around the edge of the corridor, then nodded, grabbing his friend by the arm and pulling him down the back steps towards the courtyard, neatly wrenching the door open and stepping out into the moonlight. "There. Now we can talk without fear of waking anyone up. What do you mean - what kind of thing?"
Mitsukake held up his hand, flexing his fingers as he did so.
"Byouma." He said softly.
"Byouma?" Nuriko faltered, staring at him, and Mitsukake nodded.
"The same disease that took Shouka from me." He agreed gravely. "The demon disease that wracked through my neighbours' families and almost killed my closest childhood friend, also. The disease that my Suzaku power is meant to quell...but my power...everything...I was not myself. Nothing was...was right. Byouma feeds on negativity...and my soul was founded on the same, when I first...when I first had awareness of even existing here in this world again. I fear...instead of being a healer, I have become...an instrument...of a spectral byouma. That through my own doubts and insecurities, I have conveyed the touch of death into one of my friends."
Nuriko paled, as he remembered the encounter in Choukou with the demon-possessed Shouka.
"You're serious?" He whispered. "You think...you gave Tasuki...like Shouka had...?"
Mitsukake nodded.
"And I don't know how to reverse it." He said helplessly, pain in his voice as he made his admission. "If my power is no longer functioning, then I do not know how to cure a byouma. I...I am afraid of what I have done, Nuriko...that is why I want to find him, and try...even if it's hopeless...to prevent worse."
"Oh hell." Nuriko sank down onto a step, biting his lip as he digested this. "And you think...could it kill...him? Tasuki's not exactly prone to negative vibes - couldn't he fight it off? I mean, he's one of us - he's stronger than most people. Do you think...?"
"I don't know." Mitsukake murmured, and at the expression on his face, Nuriko sighed, coming to put a comforting arm around his friend's body.
"Well, we'll just have to track him down and make sure that there is something, won't we?" He said matter-of-factly. "If you're coming back to yourself, Mitsukake, maybe your power is too. I couldn't control my strength at all until everything fell into its proper place. Maybe it's the same with you - you might yet be able to heal him, so we should track him down."
Mitsukake gazed up at the skies, his expression heavy.
"If it's not already too late." He murmured. "You think that it was Chichiri sending us a signal, Nuriko...but..."
"But you think it was...something else?" Nuriko frowned. "Do you think, then, that Chichiri and Tasuki are together, somewhere in this part of Kounan? And that the reason we both woke up with the sense of magic in our heads is because Chichiri's flaring his powers far and wide across the landscape - that he's drawing on as much of it as he can muster...to help Tasuki?"
Mitsukake inclined his head slightly, and Nuriko rested his chin in his hands.
"Is Chichiri strong enough to displace a demon on his own?" He asked doubtfully. "He is strong - no doubt about that. But...even so..."
"If that is what is happening, he will do what he can to help Tasuki, even if it costs him his own life." Mitsukake said, his voice troubled. "If I had never touched Tasuki with my hand...but...it was all such a blur. My mind...until I touched him...I did not know who I was or anything except that the woman I loved was there and that I was the one who had to take her life. I could not think...I could not prevent..."
Nuriko rested a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"Chichiri and Tasuki are strong enough to deal with this, I'm sure." He said firmly, although a lingering doubt flickered in the back of his mind. "They aren't going to join our dead-guy club just yet...I'm pretty confident that it takes a lot to kill someone like Tasuki, anyway. And Chichiri's got more and more powerful since we began fighting for Suzaku. If he is with Tasuki - I'm sure he's thought of something."
He frowned, thinking things over.
"Your encounter with Tasuki woke you up to yourself." He mused. "I wonder if that's important."
"Not if it results in his death, Nuriko." Mitsukake shook his head. "I cannot be responsible for the passing of someone else I care about."
"You're not going to be." Nuriko said firmly. "So stop it with this, all right? Being depressed and self-criticising isn't going to help anything. Believe me, I've already been through that step...and if you want to be of use to Tasuki or anyone, you need to focus yourself. Be the doctor I know you are - the guy who was so convinced of his power to heal that he sacrificed his own life to help the war wounded. That's the Mitsukake I need right now."
"I'm sorry." Mitsukake looked contrite. "You're right. The only thing I can do now is find Tasuki and try and undo any damage I have done."
"And tomorrow, that's what we'll do. If Chichiri and Tasuki are nearby, we'll find them." Nuriko said grimly. "Enough pleasure-jaunting in northern cities. This is obviously a lot more serious than a simple anomaly, and I need to stop being flippant. First thing, we're going to hunt down our fellow Seishi. I'm not as good at sensing chi as Chichiri and nor are you - but between us, we might be able to get a fix on him. Especially if he's pitching his signals so far and wide."
Mitsukake hesitated for a moment, then he nodded his head.
"Tomorrow." He agreed. "No matter what."
-------------------
"That was a...a close call, you know."
As Aidou closed the door of the would-be sick room softly behind her, her companion stumbled, raising a hand to his head as a wave of dizzy exhaustion washed over him. He reached out for the wall to steady himself, and Aidou let out an exclamation, hurrying to help him stand more upright.
"Chichiri-san!" She murmured. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine. Just tired." Chichiri turned, offering her a rueful smile. "It took a lot of energy, but I'm okay."
Aidou frowned, comprehension flickering in her expression.
"You gave my brother everything you had to help him, didn't you?" She reflected. "All of your strength, to drive that demon out. Didn't you?"
Chichiri shrugged.
"It's sort of instinctive, you know." He admitted. "Besides, Tasuki's like a younger brother to me, too. And I don't want to be the last one again, that's all. I just did what I had to do – my powers are there to protect and defend my friends…so a wise doctor once told me. And he was right. So I just did what was natural. That's all."
"Shun'u…will definitely be all right now?"
"I think so." Chichiri nodded. "Now the demon's gone, and he can rest. He was silly, rushing in like that – but I don't think he's taken any permanent harm from it. I'm not a doctor, and my knowledge is limited – but I'm pretty sure he'll be okay. I can't sense the byouma any more - I really think that his tessen destroyed it."
He pushed open the outer door, stepping out into the moonlight and sinking down onto the stone wall as he gazed up at the starry sky. After a moment of hesitation, Aidou followed suit.
"What did you mean, you don't want to be the last one?" She asked curiously. "I don't understand."
"I've lost a lot of friends, fighting for Suzaku." Chichiri reflected. "I'm not afraid to admit that it's hurt, each time one of them stopped. Even as spirits, or reconstituted beings – they're not here in the same way as they were before. Hotohori-sama and the others should already have been reborn, and I have a feeling that if we succeed in righting everything, that will be the end result. We will be saying a final goodbye, you know? So I didn't want to lose Tasuki, too. It may sound strange, for a monk who travels in his own company and never minds solitude – but I didn't want to be the last Suzaku warrior left, that's all."
He shrugged.
"But Tasuki's life force has always blazed from him like the fire he wields from his tessen." He added. "I think it would take a lot to kill him – so I'm not worried, now."
"There's a difference between being alone and being lonely." Aidou reflected, and Chichiri sent her a startled look.
"Exactly." He agreed. "Though you sound like you speak from experience."
"Perhaps I do." Aidou shrugged her shoulders. She eyed him keenly, and Chichiri frowned, his finger going absently to his scarred eye.
"I should wear my mask more. I'm sorry." He reflected. "It's easy to forget, these days, when I'm travelling as Chichiri."
"You don't have to do that on my account." Aidou assured him. "I'm not troubled by your appearance, and I think it's stupid you should have to hide it. If people don't bother to look beyond it, they're not worth knowing…that's what my mother would say, and I know that it's true. You've been good to my brother, and he trusts you – maybe more than he does any of his family. Your scar is just something that's there. It doesn't define who you are."
"I'm not sure." Chichiri's lips twitched into a slight smile. "To be honest, I have the power to heal it. When we parted – the last time Mitsukake was truly himself – he gave me his holy water, in order for me to mend my damaged face. But to be truthful, it's almost become a part of me now. To erase it would be to erase a memory – so I've not done it, yet. I left it behind at Reikaku-zan, which was careless of me… I've been careless a lot recently, with hindsight - I wonder if this world's strange atmosphere has had a greater effect on me than I thought. Had I had it with me, I might have been able to help Tasuki sooner...and I could have given it to you or Tasuki to help heal your father's leg, now I think of it. It's foolish, but I really didn't think of it, with this weighing on my mind."
He shrugged.
"When we get back, I will rectify that." He promised. "Either way, I haven't sought to use it at all yet - not where my eye is concerned. I'm not certain if it will even have the same effect, coming from me and not from Mitsukake himself. Maybe one day I'll feel differently about it – but for now, the scar and I, we seem to belong."
"That's a funny thing to say." Aidou looked confused. "If you could heal it – why wouldn't you? Surely it's no good for your sight, for one thing – having one eye missing like that."
"Yes, true, but my right eye and my spiritual senses have compensated." Chichiri responded. "It's just that this…is a personal memory. That's all. A way of keeping with me a friend who I lost a long time ago."
He smiled sadly.
"My village was destroyed too, so I understand how it must have felt to see yours engulfed in flame." He added. "In my case, it was a flooding river."
He gestured across towards where the Shouryuu river glittered and flowed in the bright moonlight.
"That river." He added. "When this farm flooded was the same time my family and Mitsukake's also were wiped out by it's raging tides. I have a bittersweet connection to this river, I suppose...in that particular flood I was the only survivor from my area. My parents, my sister, my fiancée and my closest friend all perished that day. I was the only one who did not."
"I didn't know." Aidou's expression softened, and Chichiri shrugged.
"It was a long time ago, now." He reflected. "I was a little younger than Tasuki is, when it all happened. It was a hard time – not understanding why I'd lived and so many had died. And I carried the guilt with me, too – for my friend."
He pursed his lips.
"We had fought over the woman I hoped to make my wife." He admitted. "When the flood waters came, he was swept away into the depths. I tried to reach him – I tried to hold on. But I lost my grip and he was taken and drowned. That was the day I lost my eye – almost as if it was punishing me, the river sent a log up into my face and it gouged the eye out. I probably shouldn't have survived that wound, either, since it was a hefty blow. My immediate memories of the aftermath of the flood are hazy, and I don't remember clearly everything that happened, but I know that it was Suzaku's power that saved my life. It was Mitsukake...though at the time I couldn't even register it, or who he was, or be grateful for it...I was even angry that he'd helped me to live. Yet now I know that I was saved so that I could do Suzaku's work when the time was right…that it wasn't time for me to die, no matter how much I wanted to. And yet..."
He trailed off, touching his left eye once more.
"This is my memory of failing to rescue Hikou." He concluded. "Even though it no longer tortures me the way it did. I accept that I can't change it…but because of that fact, I don't feel I can change myself, either. This is the legacy of that day – of doubting in a friend, and in broken trust and betrayal. I won't make those mistakes with my Seishi companions…and so long as I have this, I can always remember."
"That's silly, if you don't mind my saying." Aidou said pragmatically, and Chichiri stared at her.
"I'm sorry?"
"That you think you let your friend die…that you should be punished." Aidou folded her hands in her lap, eying him evenly. "You're a logical man, Chichiri-san. You're smart and you think things through. But you can't see that your injury isn't a sign you let someone die. It's a sign you tried to help him live."
"I don't…?"
"If you'd really saved your own life over his – if you'd really been selfish enough to let him drown just to save your own skin, you might be considered a coward, but only human at the end of it." Aidou said calmly. "But that scar proves you didn't do anything of the sort. You're not a coward, you've showed me that tonight - do you think I'm naive enough not to realise that this demon that almost killed my brother would have done the same to you if you'd let your guard down even for a moment? Yet you still put yourself on the line to help him, regardless of that. And this is no different from that time then, if you ask me. You wouldn't have gotten hurt if you had not tried, honestly and sincerely, to save the man you called friend. Even though you had fought – you still tried your best to save him, just like you did Shun'u tonight. Didn't you? You're too hard on yourself. If you must wear your scar as anything, it should be as a badge that you wanted to save your friend, not as a punishment for failin'."
Chichiri gaped, for once completely lost for words, and Aidou grinned, shrugging her shoulders.
"Besides, past is past." She added. "You said already that it can't be changed. You shouldn't wear a mask, Chichiri-san. Don't shield people who are ignorant…it ain't your problem, it's theirs."
She frowned, dropping her gaze.
"I have to admit, the first time I saw it, it did…repel me. It was…a shock, because I realised you'd lost the eye completely." She confessed. "It reminded me of the war – I wondered if that was how it had happened, in battle. But I'm ashamed of it, now – of letting it cloud my judgement. You helped save Shun'u's life, even if it'd cost you your own. I've seen the man beyond the scar on this trip, once and for all."
Chichiri laughed.
"You sound so solemn, but it's all right." He assured her. "I'm not worried by people who don't like how I look. Perhaps I do it to save them the distress, rather than to hide myself…I don't know. The nature of my magic makes me someone who prefers the shadows – hiding behind a mask can be kind of fun, you know?"
Mischief flickered in his tired eye, and Aidou returned the smile.
"How do you manage, stayin' so upbeat and full of jokes and laughter, when you lost everyone you were ever close to?" She asked softly. "I can't imagine being able to do that. Losing the village – the farm – that was bad enough. And…there was someone I had, once, who was lost in the war – losing him was about as much as I could bear to face. I couldn't imagine…all my sisters, Shun'u, my family…everything. How are you able to smile, Chichiri-san?"
"For a long time, I didn't." Chichiri admitted. "In fact, for a long time I wished the river had taken me too – or instead. But…the truth is, meeting Miaka and becoming Chichiri…it made me understand that the past can't be changed but the future could. I saw then that I had a purpose. Also, though, I made some very strong bonds and found some true friends, when I took up my post for Suzaku. Tasuki's one of those friends. And so it's as you said. I can still be alone – but these days I'm very rarely lonely. And you can't be unhappy, when there's so much to be grateful for…you know?"
Aidou frowned, digesting this for a moment. Then she nodded.
"I think I see." She admitted. "That's what makes you and Shun'u different. You appreciate what you have – I don't think he has a blind clue."
"Really?" Chichiri looked pensive. "I don't agree. Of all of us, Tasuki's probably the one who's taken it hardest, each time we've lost someone. I think he carries the concept of friendship far more than anyone I've ever met – he's tactless and reckless at times, but he believes in people. And in placing his whole trust in those people, too. He's never concealed any part of himself from us – good or bad. The rest of us…I don't think we can say the same. We've all had secrets – things we wanted to keep back until we were sure. Tasuki was always sure – we were his friends, and that was enough."
"You think so?" Aidou was surprised. Chichiri nodded.
"I've learnt things from him just as sure as he's learnt from me." He agreed. "That's part of being a Seishi, at the end of the day. We are connected to one another even beyond death and separation – you know?"
"No…but I'm starting to." Aidou admitted.
She paused, then cast him a glance.
"You have another name, don't you?" She hazarded, and Chichiri looked surprised.
"Another name?"
"Like Shun'u…he has so many names." Aidou spread her hands. "You call him Tasuki. Anzu and the bandits call him Genrou. And to me he's just my stupid brother Shun'u, nothin' else. But everyone calls you Chichiri – you must have another name. Don't you? Before you were one of the Suzaku Shichi Seishi? Who were you, in your old life – when you lived in your village? That is, if it's not too painful for you to tell me."
"I don't mind." Chichiri grinned. "Ri Hou Jun. That's my real name. Though you're right – there are very few people who use it, these days. When I went after Miaka, I took up the identity the stars had given me full time. Ri Hou Jun took a step into the shadows. When this is all over, though, I expect I'll be him again. When there's no longer a need to be Chichiri."
"Then would you mind if I called you Hou Jun?" Aidou pinkened slightly, awkwardness in her expression. "It's nothing funny. I mean, it's just…I feel on safer ground with people, knowing them as they really are. All this Beast God business has…always been hard for my family. Shun'u's my brother, not some God's tool to throw around…and now I think you and I are friends. So I don't want to think of you that way, either. I'd like to think of you as a real person, not just a constellation of Suzaku. It's just better that way."
She smiled.
"After all, if you consider Shun'u like a younger brother, that would almost make us family, wouldn't it?" She added.
"All right." Chichiri chuckled. "If you want, I don't mind."
"And you must call me Aidou." Aidou added. "Not Aidou-san. You're not so formal with Anzu – I'd rather you extended the same to me."
"If that's how you'd rather." Chichiri nodded. "I suppose, since we're family."
He winked, the gesture seeming odd on his lopsided, scar-marked face, and despite herself, Aidou grinned.
"You're a strange person, you know." She said thoughtfully. "I just think I have your measure and you surprise me again."
She cocked her head on one side, sending him a keen glance.
"You're older than Shun'u, I know that." She added. "How old are you, Hou Jun? Shun'u behaves so much like a baby sometimes that it's hard to tell for sure, but sometimes you seem, well, a lot older."
"I'm almost twenty seven." Chichiri responded with a wry smile. "Why do you ask?"
"You don't ever worry, then, about being too old to, well, settle and have a family? That those things have passed you by?"
"Since I lost Koran, I've not given it a thought." Chichiri admitted. "I'm an itinerant monk, and that's the life I've adopted…at least, at the moment. It's not a concern I have…after all, I don't suppose I'll ever find another Koran."
He smiled.
"You must feel the same, though. If you lost someone in the war."
"Yes." Aidou looked pensive. "But it's more difficult for a woman. I mean, to be on your own. I could stay at home and keep house for my family, but I also feel that now with the farm gone I'll be a burden. So I'm not sure, really, what options are left open to me. I'm almost twenty four – I was the oldest of my sisters, and they're all settled before me. It leaves me…a little empty inside."
She spread her hands.
"Shun'u doesn't know about that, by the way. That I lost someone." She added. "I'd rather he didn't. He's a tactless oaf and he'd say somethin' – the memory isn't something I'm happy discussin' with him yet. Two years may seem a long time, but it ain't really. I mean, not completely. Not to heal entirely."
"I understand, and I shan't say anything to him." Chichiri promised. "It was three years before I even began to see light again, after Koran died. I know how it is for you, Aidou – you can trust in my discretion, you know?"
"I thought I could. That's why I told you." Aidou smoothed out her skirts. "You're easy to talk to. And it's nice to talk to a man who I don't have to knock sense into every few minutes, too."
She looked rueful.
"I suppose I feel about men the way Shun'u does about women." She acknowledged sheepishly. "My father is a ghost of a man, who never seems to make his voice heard...he's always been that way, and I expect he always will. Shun'u is a hot-headed, loud mouthed clot hell-bent on gettin' himself killed. The one man I put faith in fell fighting for Kounan against Kutou...I'd pretty much given up on them as a whole. But you're changing my mind a little. It's nice to be able to just talk to a man without bein' afraid he's going to rape me, or say something stupid, or let me down. I feel I can trust you, and that being in your company is safe. It makes a change."
"Your view of men is a bit jaded, if you don't mind my saying so." Chichiri said lightly. "You surely don't think that all men are lurking waiting to rape unsuspecting women?"
"No, and I'd give them a broken nose and something else to remember me by, if they ever tried it on me." Aidou said pragmatically. "But it does happen. Men drink, they brag, they swear, and they look at women like they're just objects they can play with."
She hesitated, then,
"It's not been unknown for strangers to come after our family, from time to time." She added. "Because there were so many girls, and Shun'u was unreliable in terms of his presence at home. Dad was useless...he always has been, in defending his family from harm. One of my younger sisters was almost raped once on our own land by one of those evil Kutou spies lurking around the farm. I've never forgotten it - I suppose it marked out for me how far some men will go to get what they want. That's all."
"Your sister was all right, I trust?" Chichiri's expression became grave. "Kutou's regime was...at that time...capable of a lot of evil things."
"She was." Aidou nodded. "Fortunately, Shun'u was actually around when it happened, and he took the stranger on, if I remember right, in a heated pitched battle in the family's barn. Then he left us with the aftermath to deal with, which was kind of him...but still, at least he happened to be around."
She looked rueful.
"He was a bandit, after all." She said evenly. "And we couldn't count on seeing him two months together. Still true, by the way. Although if anything, with Suzaku's calling, it's even less now than it was then."
She sighed.
"But men can be devils. Real devils." She concluded. "Present company excepted, of course. That's why I hate those bandits of Shun'u's. They're just like that - rogues and thieves and God knows what else."
"But you don't believe Tasuki's that way, do you?" Chichiri reminded her gently. "You just told me that he defended your sister's honour and I can't imagine him doing anything else, can you? And the Reikaku-zan bandits may be thieves and rogues - but they're not all ill-natured. They did put out the fire in the village - perhaps you're being too hard on them."
"Perhaps I am." Aidou acknowledged, letting out a weary sigh. "And you're right, I couldn't think of Shun'u acting that way. Idiot as he is, I don't think he'd hurt a woman. At least, not in that way. He's spent too much time with women - I don't think he'd dare."
Chichiri was silent for a while, considering this.
"I think that way too." He agreed after a moment of thought. "Which is why I have no qualms about leaving him and Anzu alone together. He's not going to do anything to hurt her, and truly, after the night they've both had, it won't hurt for them to have some time to regroup."
Aidou cast a glance back towards the small house, then,
"You think so? I'm thinking that maybe leaving them alone so long wasn't such a good idea. Anzu was very emotional – and Shun'u doesn't deal with those things very well. He might say something he shouldn't."
"I think they need it." Chichiri said wisely. "She did as much as me, if not more, to bring him out of this. They need some time, now."
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say that you were trying to ensure my brother and this girl formed an attachment." Aidou shot him a suspicious look, and Chichiri laughed.
"I don't interfere in that stuff, you know?" He said innocently. "I just let nature take its course. But the strength of her emotion – that's a powerful thing. Her love helped bring him back…and in that respect, it seems only fair to give her a chance to explain that to him – if she can."
"You think that it was all one way?" Aidou looked surprised, then she shook her head. "I'm not so sure. Though I've never really seen my brother with a woman before – I suppose, at the end of the day, he is a man. And Anzu – she's a pretty girl with a lot of good qualities. Even he can't be so blind as to ignore it."
"I'm rather banking on that fact." Chichiri mused, rubbing his chin. "Tasuki's got to learn that hating women isn't his natural instinct. And Anzu is determined. I'm not sure, yet, how he feels. Though I tease him, I've noticed he's been consciously holding back from her – as if he's afraid of what might happen if he lets himself too close. So it might be better that we're not around to play chaperone with them. They're young – let them learn together, you know?"
"You sound like someone's old grandpa, talking like that."
"I'll settle for oniichan." Chichiri laughed. "Just because I'm happy drifting and spending time by myself – I don't think Tasuki will be, you know? And if this the end for the Suzaku campaign, well, I'd like to know someone was there to look out for him, even if I'm not always on Reikaku-zan."
He got to his feet, stretching and stifling a yawn.
"For now, though, I think I'll settle for dinner and bed." He admitted. "It was really a close thing this evening, Aidou. I don't think I could have given him any more of my strength, even if I'd destroyed myself doing it. I'm glad Anzu could. It just goes to show that everyone is powerful in their own way, doesn't it?"
"I suppose it does." Aidou smiled. "I'll have to remember that."
Chichiri grinned at her, nodding his head.
"Then let's go back." He suggested. "Get some rest. Tomorrow, there's a lot of things to decide...but for now, we should take advantage of a moment's respite. Both Tasuki and I will be much better after a night's sleep, I'm sure, and then we can look at the next move. Kounan still needs us, after all...so we'd better all be ready for what the morning brings."
Random Babble:
Mitsukake is the one who saves Chichiri's life after the flood, if you believe Oumei Den. At least, Chichiri is found and Mitsukake heals his wounds as best he can...until Chichiri pushes him away and leaves. I think it's pretty impossible that Mitsukake at least didn't make the connection when they next met up - after all, the eye wound is pretty distinctive - and the flood isn't something either of them would forget. Whether Chichiri was in any state to remember or whether they discussed it or not, noone knows...but Mitsukake and Chichiri do seem to share a bond and I'm sure that it must have come up in conversation sooner or later...