Chapter Twenty Three
For a moment, the inside of the Suzaku Shrine shimmered with red light, as the prayers of the six gathered Seishi flared out around each of their bodies, surging forwards towards the statue that Chichiri's spell glittered around. The monk's concentration had been absolute, and as Tasuki closed his eyes, he focused his thoughts on his missing Seishi companion.
"Tama." He murmured, and in a moment images began to play out in his mind's eye. Beneath the shade of a tall tree, cloaked in the darkness of night, two men had faced one another, blood spilling from the brow of one, and the other cold and clinical, missing the hot red mark of the ogre burning across his brow. It had almost been a fight to the death, and yet, even despite that first, kodoku-induced encounter, Tasuki knew that he had come to respect Tamahome as much as he did any of his bandit brethren.
"When Miaka...when I...you didn't stop believing in me." He mused, aware of the cold wetness of tears beginning to trickle down his cheeks as he reaffirmed his efforts. The memories of the assault on the Miko flooded his brain, but he drove them into their proper place, remembering instead the call of a friend who had sought to save his life.
"This time we're doin' it for you, buddy." He realised. "Else otherwise, somehow, this world is gonna die. An' if it dies, I don't know...maybe you won't be able to exist either. Or...or somethin' might call you back here, an' I swore...like we all did...that we'd do what we could to keep you an' Miaka together. I decided then that my life belonged to you two. Well...well, now, I'm provin' it. I ain't goin' to die for you - that's not what its about, I know that now. I ain't meant to die for Suzaku - I'm meant to live. But if my life already lived - my memories - an' everyone else's - if they make you real in this world again...then that's what I'm gonna focus on. No matter how much of my strength it takes...the pieces of that life will become yours. Jus' like Chichiri said...we're connected."
Chichiri murmured a second incantation at that moment, bringing his hands sharply together and with a sudden burst of red light, something soared above them, the brightness and warmth of the glow making the startled bandit open his eyes. A ghostly form of a bird spread it's wings above them, as if drawn from the statue itself, arcing and wheeling over their heads as little by little, it gained a more substantial form.
"Suzaku." He whispered, for a moment believing that somehow their prayers had managed to summon the beast God itself. Then, as out of the corner of his eye he saw Chichiri's fingers flex again, he drew breath sharply, realising that it was the culmination of his friend's spell, drawn together in the form of the one they had all been born to serve.
"Shit." He murmured.
"Keep your concentration!" Chichiri exclaimed. "Don't falter...If you do, I won't be able to hold it - keep your mind on what you're doing, you know!"
Tasuki started, then obediently closed his eyes once more, returning his focus to the many times he and Tamahome had sparred over trivial things - the spats of brothers in arms - and as he relived them one by one, a smile touched his lips.
"You an' Miaka stay safe in her world." He decided firmly. "We might not get to meet again, but it don't matter...you're still here in this world, Tama. You're still here!"
Almost as if it had heard his thoughts, the ghostly bird stretched its wings full span, hovering above them as it glittered and shimmered, bouncing light off the golden statue which seemed dull and tarnished in comparison to the ethereal glow. As Tasuki cautiously opened one eye to peer at it, he saw the "oni" character weave its way slowly across the bird's chest, shining with a dazzling white light. Then, as the bird arched its neck, opening its beak as if to send out a ghostly call, a flare of energy shot from within it up towards the roof of the shrine, blazing through the timbers and plasters as it zoomed up towards the heavens. With a flick of its wings, the spectral bird followed the path of it's self-made comet, disappearing into the blackness above. From all around the palace, there was the sound of guards shouting and people hurrying around, startled and dismayed by the sudden appearance of the beast god in the sky.
"Shit, we broke the palace roof!" Despite himself, Tasuki's eyes opened wide with alarm. "They're gonna know we're here for sure, now - Chichiri, what kind of aim was that, you idiot? I thought we were keeping a low profile!"
"It doesn't matter now, you know." Chichiri said with a tired grin, slowly lowering his hands as he gazed up towards the hole in the roof. "Look...look above. To the sky. Look."
"Stars." Mitsukake murmured, his eyes flickering with emotion as he nodded his head. "Tamahome is back where he belongs. With all of us - in the sky over Kounan."
"I hope he realises what we do for him and Miaka." Nuriko sighed, tut-tutting as he glanced at his hands. "This is inconvenient...and I was hoping I'd get to hug everyone goodbye this time, too."
"What are you talking about?" Tasuki looked blank, and Nuriko held his palms up to his companion.
"Can't you see it, you blockhead?" He demanded. "We've restored the stars, but it took our strength. We're spirits again."
"Shit..." Tasuki faltered, and Chichiri tut-tutted, shaking his head.
"Is that all you can say? In front of a child, too?" He teased. "We knew this would happen, though - didn't we? That them being here...it was only temporary. If the stars are back how they should be..."
"Chichiri! Genrou! There are guards outside the shrine!"
Before he could finish his sentence, there was a pounding on the door, and Chichiri frowned, moving forwards to slide it back. Anzu tumbled onto him, anxiety in her dark eyes as she met his gaze.
"They're outside." She said breathlessly. "Tamatama is trying to hold the door, but I don't think he's strong enough. I'm sorry...I know we can't...but I didn't want..."
She faltered, taking in the appearance of Hotohori and the other Seishi, and she bit her lip.
"You're ghosts." She whispered. "You really are...going, aren't you?"
"I can't hold this any longer!" Tamatama's voice came from the outer sanctum, followed by the sound of the door being forced back. Men spilled into the shrine, weapons primed as they cast suspicious, angry gazes around them, a couple of them looking frightened by the strange sign they had seen over Kounan's royal palace.
"What do we do now?" Tasuki's fingers were already twitching towards his tessen, although inwardly he knew that right now he had no strength to use it. "Can't we hat-hop outta here? Chichiri...?"
"No good, you know. I'm spent." Chichiri shook his head. "I used all of my magic to weave that spell, and it wasn't easy, holding so much together. I can't connect a spell to anything right at the moment...we're just going to have to talk our way out of it."
"With four ghosts and a hole in the ceiling?" Tasuki demanded. "How?"
"They might not be able to see us." Hotohori reflected. "If we're ghosts again."
"Anzu could." Tasuki pointed out. "And it's goin' to be hard to explain why we blew a new entrance in the roof."
"Explain yourselves!" The man at the head of the guard's procession pushed Anzu out of the way at that moment, facing Chichiri and Tasuki with his sabre bared. He stopped dead at the sight of the Suzaku warriors, then his gaze hardened.
"Chichiri-sama! Tasuki-sama! You have overstepped the line!"
Chichiri sighed, and Tasuki could see him considering for a moment. Then he nodded, stepping forward and reaching out a hand to lower the guard's weapon.
"Lady Houki granted Tasuki and I free range of this palace, to do Suzaku's work." He said softly. "To save Kounan...isn't that why we're here?"
"Even so, infiltrating the palace and vandalising the holy shrine of the God himself..." The guard said slowly. "Such things are surely in defiance of the God's status - and of the status of this palace and the Prince and Dowager Empress that reside within it! And to so defile the final resting place of Lord Saihitei - I am sure Yotaigo-sama did not give the order for you to come in here and..."
"Stand down."
Hotohori's imperative tones cut through the man's protestations, and despite himself, the guard quaked as the former Emperor stood forward, holding up his hands. Though he had lost his physical form, his body still glittered with the red energy of the beast God, and his character blazed on his neck as he met the eyes of a man who had once served him, the look of the Emperor truly in his gaze.
"Or will you speak against your former Emperor, Saihitei?" He continued softly. "This is Suzaku's work. You have no reason to be here."
"S...S...Saihitei-sama." More than one guard paled, and the men who had grasped a hold of Anzu and Aidou to prevent them escaping loosed their grips, clearly debating whether or not it would be prudent to flee.
Hotohori tilted his head slightly, an imperious expression on his face.
"But you...you...you're dead, Heika. I mean...you can't..."
"To serve Suzaku, the God of rebirth, I can do anything that it takes." Hotohori said gravely. "To protect my widow and my son, I can rise even from the grave. It is my will that this deed be done here tonight. Do you respect that, as a command from the Suzaku warrior Hotohori, once Emperor and protector of this realm? Or does my death render my word and my will irrelevant?"
This was too much for many of the retinue, who turned on their heel and fled, the idea of making an arrest forgotten in the terror of being so reprimanded by the forbidding figure of their former master. Soon only the guard in charge remained, and he dropped to his knees, staring up at Hotohori in uncertain fear.
"S...s...sire..."
Hotohori eyed him for a moment, then smiled, resting a spectral hand on the man's shoulder.
"Houki-sama doesn't need to know that I was here." He said softly. "For her sake, and for my son's - they don't need to worry about me. I have done the duty Suzaku created me to do. Kounan is safe. You won't see me again. Go, follow your men and tell them that tonight's events were the result of a stray bolt of lightning across the southern sky."
The man swallowed hard, nodding his head slowly. Then, his nerve gave out, and he scrambled to his feet, his weapon abandoned as he fled in the direction his men had gone. Hotohori sighed, rubbing his temples.
"Such a nusiance." He said, his voice pained. "Even though I have given him such instruction, I'm sure that Houki will come to know...that I was here."
"Then she'll know you came to save Kounan." Chichiri said softly. "Just as you said."
"Hotohori-sama." Anzu breathed, staring up at the spectral form of the Emperor as she did so. "You were...you must've been...such a strong Emperor. When you...when you were ruler of Kounan."
"I don't know." Hotohori admitted. "But...that's secondary to my role as Hotohori, now. Saihitei is buried here, beneath the statue. And Hotohori will go to be reborn...at least, I...assume so. We...are still here."
"You are. But not for long."
A fresh voice interrupted them and as one they turned, warriors and companions alike to meet the grave gaze of an elderly woman, robed in the finest fabrics as she eyed each of them with a beady, searching stare.
"Taiitsukun!" Nuriko exclaimed.
"Shit, don't scare us like that! Give us some warning - I thought you were history!" Tasuki leapt backwards, almost knocking his sister flying as he did so.
"Taii...tsu...kun?" Anzu looked blank. "What...this old woman is..."
"The Emperor of the Heavens, you know. The Controller of our world. Which means...we did it. We were right." Chichiri said with a smile, even as a small, teal-haired girl flickered into view at his side, leaping and jumping around him as she examined him for injuries. "And Nyan Nyan - you too. I'm glad to see you - does that mean Taikyoku-zan is restored, too?"
"All better, all better!" Nyan Nyan nodded her head, pigtails bobbing. "Heal you now...heal you!"
"My warriors of Suzaku. Men of the south." Taiitsukun hesitated for a moment, then she smiled, giving a rather sinister, grotesque effect. "I'm proud of you. All of you. Without guidance from me or the presence of the Miko - you've learnt your own significance in this world, and helped to protect it from the greatest danger. Nothing can exist without faith, after all."
"Well, you could have given us some warning that Tama going to Miaka's world was going to screw with ours." Tasuki said flatly. "We've been chasing all over the place - a hint woulda been nice, before you dropped us back in Kounan."
"Sometimes things happen that surprise all of us." Taiitsukun admitted. "But you...your strength and belief in each other and in absent friends - has proved to be enough. You've learnt the lessons of your past battles, and I'm glad of it. All of you, in death or in life, are beyond the men you started out as - I'm sure you all know that."
"Taiitsukun - the North country?" Mitsukake asked anxiously, and Taiituskun smiled.
"The storms have receded, and the bad weather is at an end." She said softly. "And the town of Choukou no longer resides under a demon's curse. I know you worry about the river too, Mitsukake - you and Chichiri both. But you have my word - the people are safe, thanks to you."
She gestured upwards.
"The sky is complete." She added. "You have all done well."
"So what happens now?" Nuriko asked hesitantly. "Do we...are we...leaving?"
"Tasuki and Chichiri must stay here." Taiitsukun said quietly. "Their work as Suzaku's warriors is, for the time being, at an end. They have lives to lead in this world, and now, they must learn to lead them - whatever path that takes them down. Nyan Nyan has healed you, both of you - your strength has returned to you."
"Does this mean we'll stop being Tasuki and Chichiri, and just be Genrou and Hou Jun now, then?" Tasuki asked, and Taiitsukun smiled, shaking her head.
"Look at your arm." She said softly, and Tasuki did so, pulling back his jacket sleeve as he eyed the blazing character on his skin.
"You will always have that, to remind you of who you truly are." She continued. "Chichiri, you also. Your celestial selves are part of who you are - a fundamental part of your characters and your personalities. You can't shed them any more than you can shed your memories or your other ties. But you will be able to return to the worlds you left, before Miaka came to Kounan. This is your destiny - to return to life, and live it."
Her eyes twinkled strangely, and Tasuki felt slightly queasy at the effect.
"After all, not all warriors are destined to die for the Miko." She added. "Some are meant to live, guiding that Miko - and to take a place in the world she came to save."
"And us?" Hotohori asked. "This will be the last time we fight in these forms, won't it?"
"You will come with me, back to Taikyoku-zan." Taiitsukun nodded her head. "And this time, you truly will be reborn. As befits the men who gave their lives in service to this country."
"I guess then it's time we said our goodbyes too, Tasuki." Chichiri said evenly. "Who knows if or when the Suzaku Shichi Seishi will cross paths again? Tamahome probably won't return to this world fully until Sukunami Taka dies, after all. Nuriko, Mitsukake, Chiriko, Hotohori-sama will all have new identities, memories and lives. This is pretty much the end of the story, as it were...so if you want to say anything to anyone, say it now."
Tasuki glanced at each of the spectral Seishi in turn, a lump rising in his throat once more as he took in each of them and what they had meant to him over the course of the past few years. Nuriko, with his quirky sense of mischief and his light, teasing humour. Chiriko's quiet intelligence and fraternal friendship. Mitsukake's gentle spirit and soft, unjudgemental demeanour. And Hotohori, Emperor of Kounan, who had fought alongside him as an equal and who had borne the burdens of Kounan's war on his own shoulders.
"I guess there ain't nothing much to say." He said at length. "I'm not good at speeches, anyway. Jus'...good luck, I s'pose. And...and I'm glad I...I was Tasuki, in the end. An' that I...I knew you all."
"Tasuki's right." Chichiri said gravely. "I think we've gone beyond words, really. We all know what we're all thinking and feeling. But that your next lives are happy and successful - one day we'll all be a team again, even if it is several lives in the future. Knowing that makes me realise that life is a strong thing, you know - and so...so take care of yourselves. All of you. Till that day comes."
"Chichiri..." Mitsukake's lips flickered into a faint smile, then he nodded.
"It's as you say." He reflected. "Life moves on, constantly. And so do we."
"Then this is it." Nuriko murmured, even as Taiitsukun began her spell to transport them to the mystical mountain top. "Let's hope that the rebirth goes better this time around, huh? Live well, both of you - Tasuki, try and learn a little tact before you die, huh? And Chichiri...do something for yourself too, from time to time. Don't let him make you run round fixing his messes!"
"Nuriko!" Tasuki glared at his friend, but Nuriko merely winked at him, raising his hand in a casual, carefree wave. Then, with a flare of light they were gone, and the shrine was once more silent.
For a moment, noone spoke. Then Tasuki sank to the floor, closing his eyes as his emotions overwhelmed him. Unashamedly he wept for the friends he knew now he would likely not see again as Genrou, and as he did so, he felt gentle arms slip themselves around his body, holding him tightly. His eyes snapped open as he gazed up at Anzu in disbelief, but she merely offered him a shy smile, shaking her head.
"It's hard to say goodbye." She whispered. "But you're not alone, Genrou. I promise. None of us are. Not any more."
Tasuki faltered, then he sighed, the impulse to push her away fading as he digested both her words and the tender understanding in her tones.
"I guess...I know that." He murmured, realising as he did so that instead of putting him on edge, her touch this time had brought him comfort. "And I have a mountain to get back to...it's just...like you said. Hard. That's all. To let 'em all jus' vanish an' be stuck here, knowin' we won't see them again."
"On the subject of where we are, we should probably get going too, you know." Chichiri reflected levelly, although there was emotion glittering in his own ruby eye. "I want to go north and see that the river really is all right - and this isn't the best place to be, considering the guards may come back after they get over their fright. Nyan Nyan has healed my magic enough for us to shift through my kasa- and Tamatama-san, I did promise to take you home."
"No...it's all right." Tamatama shook his head, getting to his feet. "I...I'm going to stay in Eiyou. At least for now. I have someone to find, and I did want to visit Kourin's family - even if I can't tell them about any of this. I feel even more strongly now that I should go, if just to know the people who gave her life...she was an important friend to me, in the end. It seems the right thing to do."
"Aidou? Anzu? What about you? And Tasuki - are you coming north?" Chichiri asked the bandit quizzically. "Or is this where we part ways, too?"
"I'll come north." Tasuki shook his head. "I jus' lost four of my best friends in one sweep, Chichiri - you ain't gettin' away that easily."
"All right." Chichiri nodded his head, relief flickering in his good eye. "I rather hoped that'd be the case, you know...I don't feel like being on my own either, just yet. So we'll both go back to the farmhouse...and get some rest. It's late...and after today, we probably all need it."
"After the last few days." Anzu got to her feet, pulling Tasuki to his and then turning to cast Chichiri a smile. "I go wherever Genrou does, though. That's decided, now...I'm coming too."
"Aidou?" Chichiri shot Tasuki's sister a questioning look, and Aidou started as if from a reverie. She stared at him for a moment, then smiled.
"I promised I'd keep an eye on Shun'u until he got back to the mountain." She said lightly. "So that's what I'll do. If you're going back to the river, I suppose I am too."
"Then everyone brace themselves." Chichiri lifted his kasa, gripping his shakujou tightly as he prepared his spell. "Let's go."
--------
Daybreak.
Above the banks of the Shouryuu the sun was already climbing high in the sky as Anzu made her way carefully down the uneven landscape towards the water's edge, pausing at the riverside as she gazed thoughtfully down on the glittering surface.
"The water brings life and death. The river helps people survive and takes their lives, too." She murmured. "There were so many things, in the past few days, that seemed impossible to get through. But we did...we did. And now it's over - it almost seems a shame. I'm going to miss travelling with Chichiri and Aidou. And...and Hotohori-sama."
She frowned, raising her gaze to the sky at this. The stars were no longer visible, but she knew that somewhere beyond the blue, the constellation of the sea serpent glittered among it's fellows, and a faint smile touched her lips.
"Good luck in your new life, and thank you for helping me in mine." She whispered. "Seishuku-san."
"Well, Taiitsukun was right."
A voice came from behind her and she turned, seeing the bandit standing behind her, his arms folded across his chest as he cast her a grin. He was not wearing his jacket, and from the edges of his shirt sleeves Anzu could make out the faint glittering of the 'wings' symbol. At the sight of it, she returned his smile, nodding her head.
"The river didn't flood and noone died." She said frankly. "I'm glad. Especially for Chichiri - I know it must have made him think of his own family."
"It ain't so bad, if it does. Memories ain't somethin' to be ashamed of." Tasuki reflected, reaching down to haul her to her feet. "Don't sit so close, you moron. You'll fall in an' then you'll be in trouble."
"You wouldn't help me?" Anzu eyed him in hurt surprise, and Tasuki snorted.
"Yeah, as much as a boulder would." He said frankly. "I'm a mountain man. I don't swim."
"You...don't..."
"No, I don't." Tasuki shook his head. "So do as I say and stop being silly. Just because it looks safe..."
"I know. Don't trust in things so easily. People, too." Anzu sighed, brushing the dust off her skirt as she nodded her head. "Kouji said that, after Bouka tried to rape me. That I trust too easily. But...but I'm working on it. I mean, I don't want to be too jaded, either. That would be wrong...because there are people I can trust. Like...like you."
"Bouka, huh?" Tasuki's eyes narrowed, and Anzu was aware that the symbol on his arm had begun to glitter with renewed strength. She sighed, shaking her head.
"I don't want you to do anything to him." She said softly. "Kouji dealt with it, and besides...besides, I don't want to make trouble for you. But...I do want to come back to the mountain. And noone will respect me there, as any kind of a bandit, if I'm always running to you or Kouji to be saved. So...so it's all right. Don't hurt Bouka on my account...I don't think he'll get a second chance to hurt me."
She smiled faintly.
"People do make mistakes, after all." She added. "Maybe he'll learn from it."
"Doubtful." Tasuki's lip curled. "Some men are just scum from the start. I should blast him good and hard with the tessen...Hakurou would've never stood for it and nor will I."
"Hakurou was important to you, wasn't he?" Anzu reflected, and Tasuki nodded.
"I still intend to be like him. One day." He admitted. "If I can...that was what I wanted to do, when I came to the mountain. Be the kind of man he was. I jus' expected him to live longer...an' Suzaku's work complicated things. He always knew what I was - that I had this, on my arm. But he still gave me the tessen anyway...he still believed in me. So I gotta repay that belief...and go back to Reikaku-zan an' be Kashira like he was. Or better. If I can. He's a pretty big shadow to live up to - jus' ask Kouji. All the men who remember him - they all speak well of Hakurou."
"He might have been." Anzu pursed her lips, considering this. "But I don't think you need to...to be like him, Genrou. You're your own kind of man. Your own kind of Kashira. And you...you've nothing to worry about. You've more than proved what you're capable of...that's why he gave you the tessen, wasn't it? I've heard Kouji talk enough about you and about the things you've done, in the past. I don't think Hakurou had any doubts about the kind of leader you'd be...and that's who you have to be now. Reikaku-zan's Genrou, rather than Suzaku's Tasuki."
"When did you turn into Chichiri? Are you Chichiri, pullin' a spell on me?" Tasuki blinked at her, and Anzu laughed, shaking her head.
"I'm not, silly. I've just been thinking." She said, amused. "I promise. That's all. This trip's taught me a lot of things too. And I think maybe I've got to know you better than I thought I did, when I came here from Sairou. Even after what happened two years ago, well, a lot can happen in that space of time apart. And I don't suppose, when I was a fifteen year old brat...I really stopped and thought about things as much as I do now. Nursing Karin, surviving on what we did - I guess it made me grow up more quickly than I had done before. And since I came here, that's carried on. That night with the byouma...will stay with me for a long time. I suppose it was then I realised I'd become stronger somehow."
"Hrm." Tasuki frowned, and for a moment he didn't speak, turning to gaze out across the river. Silence fell between them, and Anzu bit her lip, sending him a sidelong glance as she tried to work out what was going through his mind.
"You...are going to take me back to Reikaku-zan with you, aren't you?" She asked hesitantly after a while, toying absently with her fingers as she gauged his expression. "Genrou? Now that everything is...finished...are you going to let me stay?"
"You really want to be a bandit, huh?" Tasuki pursed his lips, sending her a keen glance. "That much? Even though one of the guys there tried to rape you already - you really want to go back?"
"Yes." Anzu nodded her head resolutely. "I 'll learn to take care of myself - I believe that more than ever, now. Thanks to Hotohori-sama, I can hold a blade and I'll keep practicing - I'll believe in myself. And I won't be silly enough to get into positions like that again. It's what I want, Genrou. Will you let me come?"
"Guess there's nothing else for it, then." Tasuki shugged. "If that's how you feel. After all, I guess...on some levels, I owe you my life. So I can't really say no, can I? Considerin' that."
Anzu's eyes lit up, and she grinned.
"Thank you, Kashira-sama." She said sincerely. "I promise you won't regret it."
Tasuki eyed her for a moment, then a wolfish grin crossed his face.
"I've been thinkin' too." He hazarded. "Maybe I do need to reconsider this whole, you know, hatin' women thing."
"You think so?" Anzu returned the smile with a mischievous one of her own. "Any reason why?"
Tasuki glanced at her, then he spread his hands.
"I'm a man. After a while, it's hard to ignore." He said frankly. "I can hate 'em all I want, but thing is though, I can't help but notice them, these days. You're no soft touch, Anzu...you have got stronger an' I know you'll survive Reikaku-zan, if it's what you put you mind to doin'. But dammit, you're still a girl. An' that's hard to forget. Even when you tie your hair back an' dress in bandit's clothin'. You still got things that men notice...if you know what I mean."
Anzu laughed at his blunt assessment, nodding her head.
"I don't try and hide them." She admitted. "I wanted you to accept me as a bandit, Genrou. But as a woman, too. I'm not afraid of loving you, if you don't love me back. I can live with that - it doesn't matter to me, now. But I don't want you to look at me and think I'm one of the guys. I never have. So it's all part of the master plan...I am a woman. And I'm glad you know that...that you, well, you like having me around, even knowing that."
Tasuki's eyes narrowed.
"This is another girl manipulation game, ain't it." He said softly. "That's somethin' you girls always do - trick an' play around, foolin' a guy into thinkin' one thing an' really tryin' to achieve another. Is that what this is? Are you plottin' something I should know about, before I take you back to my mountain?"
"Only to make you notice me more and more." Anzu said coquettishly. "As a woman and as a bandit. I'm going to try my hardest to be the best I can at both things. Because I don't see why you can't have a girl bandit in your team. And more, I want to be Kashira's woman. I'm not, at the moment. But it gives me something to aspire to. Girls don't let go so easy as guys, after all. And I promised Reirei and Karin that I'd not give up on you. So that's the way it is. If you think that's me being sneaky, well, that's what I am. But girls will do almost anything for a guy they love. That;s the truth."
"Even shed tears over him." Tasuki murmured, and Anzu stared at him in surprise. Slowly she nodded, and Tasuki grinned, eying her sheepishly.
"Miaka said that to me." He admitted. "I never understood what the hell she really meant till now...well, I thought it was some stupid girl thing, and it didn't make sense. None of it made sense. But when I had that fever...when the demon was in me, you...you cried a lot. I remember that. You cried...a hell of a lot, because of me. Miaka said that girls cry when they're happy and when they're sad - and for the ones they love most. That true by you? Was she right - was that why you were cryin' so hard that night? Because I was sick, even though I was so harsh towards you?"
"Yes." Anzu agreed slowly. She bit her lip, then, "Genrou, do you...are you still thinking about Miaka-sama?"
"I think about her an' Tama all the time." Tasuki said evenly, and Anzu dropped her gaze.
"I see."
"Not like that!" Tasuki's eyes opened wide as he realised what he'd said. "Anzu, don't give me that look! I didn't mean...aw, hell, why do women always read six things into one basic sentence? I think about Miaka an' Tama because they're my friends and even if I never see 'em again, that's what they'll always be. Like Nuriko. Like Chiriko. Like his Highness an' Mitsukake. They're gone but they're still buddies...you understand? Allies. And I ain't gonna forget them so easily, just because they're not here now. That's all I meant. Don't start cryin' on me, all right?"
Anzu stared at him, then she smiled, dashing away the sprinkling of tears that had dampened her lashes for a moment. She nodded.
"I won't." She agreed. "And I'm sorry I jumped to conclusions. Maybe sometimes I feel I can't compare to Suzaku no Miko. That's all."
"Miaka is Tama's girl an' always was." Tasuki said frankly. "She was like my kid sister, but...that's all it was. An' I was intoxicated, when things happened. I don't know - I told you, I'm a man an' it jus' opened my eyes to why Kouji an' the rest are always so crazy about girls an' all of that shit. It...broke down my defences, but it wasn't really me. Sure, I love Miaka. I won't pretend I don't. But that's because she's Suzaku no Miko. An' because she's a damn good friend."
He sent her a crooked smile.
"She was a weird girl. But a good friend." He added. "She believed in people strong as any guy I've ever met, an' I promised her too that I'd stop sayin' I hated women. Guess I lied about that, huh...?"
"You don't hate women." Anzu told him firmly. "You just don't know how to handle us. That's all."
"If girls were less sneaky an' more direct, I'd have a better time with them." Tasuki admitted. Anzu nodded.
"Well, I promise that I'll try and be direct, if that will help." She said softly. "Kashira."
Tasuki pursed his lips, looking all the more lupine as he surveyed her thoughtfully. Then he shook his head.
"I don't want to hear that from you." He said bluntly.
"What do you mean?" Anzu looked startled. "What don't you want to hear from me - I don't understand?"
"Kashira." Tasuki responded.
"But you said I could be a bandit. Didn't you?" Anzu was confused now, and Tasuki nodded.
"You can, an' you will. You are." He agreed. "But you've never called me it, an' I don't want you to start now. You call me Genrou, and stick with that. Okay? After all, it'd seem weird, otherwise."
"Oh. Okay." Anzu's cheeks pinkened at this, and she nodded her head. "Then I'll do that. If that's what you want. You are the boss."
"Chichiri says people can't belong to people." Tasuki looked uncharacteristically thoughtful, as he cast a glance across the landscape. "And that noone's perfect, so noone can be on their own. He talks a lot of crap, sometimes. I don't always get where he's comin' from. But on this one, I do. Hatin' women isn't easy when you realise you like 'em, an' behavin' like a lecherous ape ain't my style, so I suppose I've been afraid of myself a little, for a while. Likin' women - that ain't natural for me. But...damn, Anzu, two years is a long time. You were such a kid then..."
He faltered, falling silent, and Anzu hesitated, then stepped up beside him, slipping her arm through his as he sent her a surprised look.
"I was a girl." She said softly. "Now I'm a woman. I'm almost eighteen, Genrou. I'm not a child any more."
Tasuki nodded his head.
"You don't need to tell me." He said baldly. "I can see it for myself."
Anzu laughed.
"I'm glad you can." She teased. "It proves all my hard work has paid off a little, at the very least."
Tasuki flexed his fingers thoughtfully, glancing at the flickering red mark that glittered on his forearm.
"This damn thing has got me into and out of a lot of trouble." He murmured. "But Suzaku didn't give any guidelines on how to deal with circus girls who infiltrate bandit camps."
"You're not Suzaku's, now. You're Reikaku-zan's." Anzu reminded him, and Tasuki grinned.
"I'm Suzaku's and Reikaku-zan's." He corrected her. "So long as I have this on my arm, I'm still a Seishi. And so long as I remember the others, we're still a team. But you're right. Goin' back to the mountain is the thing to do, now."
Anzu nodded. She bit her lip for a moment, then turned to face him, meeting his gaze with a serious one of her own.
"I'm sorry I kissed you, last time we were here by the river." She said softly. "It was wrong of me to do. I shouldn't have...not without knowing if you wanted me to or not. That's no better, really, than what Bouka wanted to do to me."
"Funny." Tasuki's lips twitched into a wicked, wolfish grin. "I was just thinking about that."
At the intent in his voice, Anzu's cheeks reddened further, and she dropped her gaze, but Tasuki slipped a finger beneath her chin, raising her face to his once more.
"Don't get shy. It don't suit you." He said softly. "I don't like girls who don't have a little faith in their convictions."
"Genrou?" Anzu stared at him uncertainly, and Tasuki shrugged.
"I'm guessing you owe me." He said lightly. "For then, you owe me good. And I'm a bandit. So I'm gonna collect."
Before she knew what was happening, he had bent his head to hers, kissing her firmly and decidedly on the lips. Stunned, Anzu did not fight against it, as her heart pounded in her ears and she slid her arms around his body, her mind in a whirling haze. As they separated, she stared at him in disbelief, and Tasuki eyed her ruefully, touching his lips for a moment, then shrugging his shoulders.
"We're even." He said casually. "Shall we go?"
"Genrou..." Tears glittered once more on Anzu's cheeks, and she flung her arms around him properly, burying her head against his chest as he stared at her in bewildered consternation.
"Hey, what's with you? You're crying!? Anzu...?"
"It's all right. It's okay." Anzu raised her eyes to his, offering him an affectionate smile as she did so. "It's what Miaka-sama told you. We cry over the ones we love most...and we cry when we're happy. I'm happy, Genrou. Even if you never do that again, I'm happy. You needn't look so alarmed. It's all all right."
"Dammit, how the hell am I meant to know the difference?" Tasuki demanded, and despite herself, Anzu laughed.
"I'll teach you." She suggested playfully. "When we get back to Reikaku-zan. I'll teach you everything you ever need to know about women - if you'll let me."
"I might be better off not knowin'." Tasuki muttered, but there was a flicker of something in his gaze that made Anzu's heart swell with warmth.
"I guess we'll see. We've plenty of time to find out." She said comfortably.
"This is cosy." Chichiri's voice from behind them startled the two apart, and Tasuki sent the monk a dark look, folding his arms across his chest.
"You've been waitin' there for a while, haven't you?" He demanded. "You're as sneaky as any woman, Chichiri - you could'a told us you were there sooner!"
"I didn't want to spoil the moment." Chichiri said innocently. "Although I'm ashamed of you, Tasuki-kun - you should have sensed me, you know."
"I had other things on my mind!"
"Yes, so I saw." Chichiri's dark red eye glittered with humour. "Sorry to interrupt."
"Like hell you are." Tasuki muttered, and the monk laughed.
"Aidou's waiting, and she's impatient to get back to your family and see how your father's doing." He said lightly. "If you want me to take you back to Reikaku-zan the quick way, we're ready to go now, you know?"
"Then I guess we're going." Anzu squeezed Tasuki's hand tightly, then loosed it, nodding her head. "Are you coming back with us, Chichiri? I mean, will you be staying at Reikaku-zan again this time?"
"For a day or two, maybe, but not forever. Three's a crowd, so they say, and the mountain has enough potential gooseberries without my interference." Chichiri laughed, and Tasuki shot him a murderous look.
"One more word and it'll be sauteed monk on the mountain menu tonight." He said bluntly, reaching up to tap the end of his tessen with his finger. "You've been warned."
"Save your fire to defend Anzu's honour." Chichiri's good eye sparkled as he glanced between the two. "She's the kind of girl who's going to attract attention...even if she can take care of herself, you're gonna have to make sure your men know that she's off limits, if she's really going to stay on the mountain."
"They'll know." Tasuki said evenly. "If they don't already...they will. You needn't worry about that."
"Then we should go." Chichiri offered Anzu a conspiratorial wink, and she returned it with a shy smile. "Back to Reikaku-zan, and normality - whatever that is for a Suzaku warrior!"