Disclaimer: I do not own Fushigi Yuugi nor any of the characters from it.
For the Sake of Bonds
-Chapter 1-
Tasuki woke with a start when he felt the sudden spike in his companion's chi. Turning quickly to his side, thinking a battle had ensued, Tasuki was surprised to find the monk still asleep beside him. Upon closer inspection, Tasuki noticed that Chichiri was covered in sweat, his teeth gritted in pain.
"Oy! Chichiri!" Tasuki said while trying to wake his friend and fellow warrior, "wake up! It's okay! Chichiri!"
Chichiri woke up in a world of darkness.
'Where am I no da?' Chichiri thought to himself.
Suddenly, the calm of the air changed and Chichiri couldn't help but shudder at the chi he suddenly sensed. Lingering in the air all around him, an evil aura slick and thick as mud but vast as space.
Chichiri flinched when something swiped his arm, leaving a small but deep wound. As he focused his attention on stopping the bleeding, another slash on his leg appeared, then his back. The wind picked up and Chichiri found himself stuck in the center of a ferocious vortex slashing at him a hundread, a thousand, ten thousand times. Unable to suppress the pain any longer, Chichiri fell to his knees as he screamed.
Tasuki jumped back in surprise as Chichiri woke up screaming. Upon noticing where he was, Chichiri visibly relaxed but diligently studied his surroundings, looking around for any presence of the terrible chi he had felt in his dream. Satisfied that he and Tasuki were indeed along Chichiri breathed a sigh of relief and turned to face a worried Tasuki.
"Oy Chichiri, ya okay?" Tasuki inquired, handing Chichiri a piece of cloth to wipe off his sweat.
Nodding a thanks as he accepted the cloth Chichiri answered, "yes Tasuki no da. I'm fine now no da."
"That' musta been some crazy dream fer you t' suddenly scream like that," Tasuki stated.
Chichiri removed his mask, deep in thought, eye glued to his hands folded in his lap. After what seemed like an eternity, he turned to Tasuki.
"Tasuki, I think we should head to Mt Reikaku tomorrow no da."
"What? Really Chichiri?" Tasuki joked, "ya finally tired of monk-hood?"
"No Tasuki, I'm going to drop you off no da," Chichiri replied, his eye never leaving his hands.
"WHAT?" Tasuki screamed, "what do ya mean you're gonna 'drop me off' I ain't gonna be 'dropped off'! If ya ain't stayin' then I ain't stayin'! You promised that we'd travel fer a bit…we're t' last ones…going back now's like fergetting t' rest of em…"
"Tasuki...there are some...things I need to take care of no da," Chichiri explained.
"Then take me t' take care of whatever you're takin' care of," Tasuki said, angry his friend would even suggest such a thing.
"No. There are people who need you on Mt. Reikaku no da. We leave tomorrow," Chichiri said with a tone of finality.
"Chichiri. I ain't stupid. Whatcha gettin' yerself into this time? Ya know, ya got people who worry if you suddenly up and disappear too!" Tasuki said, serious for once, "what did ya see in that dream that made ya suddenly need to go off?"
Silence. As if needing time to organize his words. When he spoke, his words were no more than a whisper.
"...something is about to happen, I can feel it. I...need to prepare and gather more information no da," Chichiri said, turning to his companion, "I will return to Mt. Reikaku and get you as soon as I am done no da. Then, we can travel together again no da."
Tasuki, pouting, stared at his friend and thinking about whether to protest some more or not. Realizing that victory was beyond him and not wanting to be suddenly thrown into Chichiri's kesa and returned through teleportation, Tasuki did the only thing he could do: He turned away from his fellow celestial warrior, lay down and muttered a colourful string of profanities until he fell asleep.
~1 month later~
'Chichiri's a jerk,' Tasuki told himself.
It had been a month since the bandit had woken up to find himself asleep in front of the bandit hideout doors. He'd been given a royal welcome by his gang and best friend, Kouji; but he refused to take back the leadership role when Kouji suggested he stay and take what was rightfully his.
"Chichiri says somethin's gonna happen," Tasuki told Kouji, "I'm gonna head out again when Chichiri comes back t' 'pick me up' from his infermation gatherin' or somthin'."
But that had been a month ago, and there had been no sign of anything 'happening' or of the monk himself.
'I'm gonna kill 'im when I see 'im,' Tasuki promised himself.
Deciding that since he could manage to get no sleep, Tasuki opted to leave the bandit hideout and move onto higher grounds. There, north of the hideout was a secluded spring and garden surrounded by rocks. The path there was narrow but the view was good. This was one of their lookout points, giving a clear view of the mountain paths below. When Tasuki reached his destination, he almost did a double take. There, waist deep in the spring and back turned to him, undressed and bathing stood someone that should not be there: a women.
Tasuki gasped, instinctively diving behind one of the large boulders. A women. A WOMEN had broken into their mountain area without being noticed. What was even more worrisome, was that to gain access to this place, she had to have gone through the bandit hideout and out the back.
'How had t' others missed her?' Tasuki thought.
Tasuki was then dragged back to reality when he heard the water shift. Daring a look to see if he knew the cerulean haired women, Tasuki was once again surprised when she was gone.
"It's not nice to peek no da," A familiar voice spoke from behind him.
Jumping a meter in the air and quickly skittering away, Tasuki found that the women from earlier was now behind him, fully dressed.
"Wait…no da?" Tasuki stood up, putting two and two together, "CHICHIRI! What t' hell are ya doin' dressed as a GIRL!"
"Shush Tasuki no da. Not so loud, you'll wake the whole mountain no da," Chichiri said, reaching a hand to massage his ringing ears.
Toning his volume down a notch, Tasuki continued,
"Well? What t' hell happened Chichiri? Why're ya a girl? And why didn't ya come find me if yer here?"
"Before I explain that Tasuki, I have a question for you no da," Chichiri said.
"Huh? Uh..well sure." Tasuki answered, caught off guard.
"Have you felt any strange chi's in the area lately? Or maybe just feel anything strange in general?" Chichiri asked.
"Strange feelin'? Nopes, normal as normal can be 'ere!" Tasuki grinned
Chichiri looked up into the night sky as he continued.
"I've been feeling someone watching and tracking my every move lately no da. It took me a few days to lose them and I decided to head here first chance I got to see if you'd been feeling the same no da," Chichiri explained, "I was careful not to alert the presence that I was headed your way no da, but as soon as I reached Mt. Reikaku, the presence returned. I managed to make it look like I left Mt. Reikaku upon sensing the chi though, so we should be safe for now no da. Whoever is watching me, knows that you and I are Celestial warriors and knows that I would find you when I no longer felt his eyes on me no da."
"So watcha sayin' is that whatever's been watchin' ya's probably been watchin' me too?" Tasuki asked.
"Most likely… but if you didn't feel it then it's most likely that your hideout's been marked no da. Sorry Tasuki, but I didn't go find you first thing because I had to double check your chi no da. I had to make sure you weren't marked no da," Chichiri said apologetically.
"Whada ya mean you have ta check ta see if I was 'marked'?" Tasuki asked, hurt, "don'tcha trust me?"
"Tasuki, I trust you no da. And that is exactly why you are the most likely that will be used against me no da," Chichiri explained, "the first one I checked was myself no da."
"Well, whatever! But still! Why're ya dressed as a girl?" Tasuki pressed.
Scratching his head in embarrassment Chichiri answered, "you see…I figured that it would be harder for the other bandits to recognize me in case they saw me no da. Speaking of which, I need to find out who has been marked by this strange chi I've been feeling no da. Tasuki, if you would be so kind, could you put me up for a night?"
"Well, sure. But not as a girl," Tasuki said.
"But Tasuki…." Chichiri began.
"No! There's no room anywhere else except in my room and there's no way yer gonna bunk up in my room if you're gonna be disguised as a GIRL!" Tasuki stressed.
"Moh~ What else can I do no da? I finally tricked the presence into thinking that I left no da. If I change back now without knowing who's been marked, then it'll have all gone to waste no da," Chichiri explained.
"Nononononononononono!" Tasuki whined, "if I'm seen roomin' with a GIRL in the hide out I'll lose all t' guys' respect! How 'bout I let Kouji in t' loop! He'll thinka something!"
"Tasuki no da! I just finished explaining why we can't let anyone else know no da," Chichiri sighed, "how about I just teleport to your room no da? I can only teleport short distances without being found, and you have to make sure the room's empty no da."
Thinking it over in his head, Tasuki decided to secede, "fine…but wait fer my signal before ya teleport in got it?"
"Of course no da!" Chichiri said.
"Well, I suppose ya just gotta follow me ta the hideout. Keep outta sight!" Tasuki said, putting distance between himself and Chichiri.
Chichiri nodded, following at a safe distance. But as they trekked closer and closer to the hideout, Chichiri felt the choking sensation of the chi he had felt in his dream a month ago. Concentrating to suppress his chi so the enemy wouldn't be able to detect him, Chichiri carefully advanced towards Mt. Reikaku's bandit hideout.
~TBC~