Fateful Dreams

*(9/9)

By Sakata Ri Houjun

Warning:

We all know what's going to happen here if the last chapter was any 

inclination.

************

"Hey bitch!" Tasuki yelled at Miaka's glowing form.  When she did not 

respond, he swung his tessen.  The flames passed easily through the 

white light to lick lightly along her skin, singing her hair and 

clothes.  She turned to him then, a shocked and hurt look on her 

face.  "Yeah.  I'm talking to you!"

"Tasuki?  What are you doing?" Hotohori asked as he swung again at 

the tendrils of light.  He seemed to be the only one doing any 

damage, though not much.

The bandit ignored him and continued to stalk towards Miaka.  "Surely 

you remember how much I hate girls, don't you?"  Fire still clung to 

the sharp edges of his weapon as he flashed it again.

"But not Miaka."  She smiled sweetly at him even as her eyes widened 

in fear.  "You'd never harm her."

"But you're not Miaka."  He returned her smile and then twirled his 

tessen in his hands with the practice and skill gained form his last 

life.  "What's to stop me from shoving this up your ass?"

Miaka balked, fear showing plainly on her face.  "You wouldn't..."

"Wouldn't I?  I'm no fucking gentleman."

"Tasuki, quit fooling around!" Nuriko shouted before he was snagged 

around the neck by the light.

Tamahome spun and faced Tasuki, his anger now directed towards the 

bandit.  "Don't hurt her!"

"It's not Miaka, not anymore.  It's just her shell controlled by a 

ghost."  A look of sadness crossed his face and he shook his 

head.  "I know the truth.  I'm not going to let her wipe out 

existence.  I'm willing to do anything to stop her."

Before anyone could do anything, the sensation of one of their own 

dying passed through the seishi, freezing them  in place.  A silence 

filled the air as Chichiri's body hit the floor with a dull thud.  

Tasuki squeezed his eyes shut, trying to forget that sound and what 

it meant as he grinned.

He took a step forward, ignoring the confused glances of the others, 

ignoring the breaking of his heart, ignoring the tears falling from 

his eyes.  "You think you had it all planned out?  You think you've 

got us at a stalemate?"  He opened his eyes and smiled fiercely even 

as the tears continued to fall.  "Too bad you underestimated us!"

At that, a red light replaced the blackness of the void, overwhelming 

the white light surrounding Miaka.  She looked about her in confusion 

as it encased her, trapping her inside.  The seishi stared in awe at 

the light, realizing it was the full force of Chichiri's ki 

released.  Inside Tasuki's mind, he could hear his lover chanting and 

began to repeat the words he heard.  The others soon echoed his 

words, each of their symbols flaring and adding their strength to 

Chichiri's spell.

The light pulsed and throbbed like a living heartbeat, filling the 

seishi with its warmth and love.  But Tasuki could feel so much more 

than the others could.  He could feel Chichiri's breath upon his 

face, his hands touching his body, his lips caressing his own.  More 

tears fell down his cheeks as he absently reached out his hand towards 

the light, not wanting to let go of these sensations.

Around him, the seishi slowly transformed back to their current 

forms.  The tessen disappeared from Tasuki's grasp, but he didn't 

care.  His fingers passed through the red light, its warmth just as 

solid as his lover's touch.

The whit light was slowly extracted from Miaka's body, flowing like 

liquid from her eyes and mouth.  Then the Miko fell to the floor, 

coughing and sputtering as if she had been drowning.  Tamahome ran to 

her and cradled her shaking form even as they both watched the red 

light.

"Chichiri...," she murmured sadly.

The red light compressed the white glow into a ball.  Gradually, it 

was suppressed smaller and smaller as Chichiri's ki pulsed even 

stronger, fueled by the other seishi.  Tasuki fell to his knees as 

his legs gave out from beneath him.  Despite everything he had said, 

the brave front he had put up, he couldn't stand it.  He felt a part 

of his soul leaving him.

"Chichiri...," he whispered.  "Please...I love you..."

Slowly, the red light began to fade, taking the white with it.  

Chichiri was leaving and the spirit of whomever it was that had 

possessed Miaka would be sealed away.  Tasuki didn't want to watch, 

didn't want to believe what was happening.  However, he couldn't 

take his eyes off of his lover's ki.

In the moment before it disappeared entirely, Tasuki could feel 

Chichiri's voice inside his head, gently caressing his mind and 

filling him with strength.

"Live...Be strong...We'll be together again...I love you..."

"For eternity?" Tasuki asked, but Chichiri was gone.  He pressed his 

forehead against the cool tiles of the kitchen floor as fresh tears 

came.

The others silently gathered around Tasuki, uncertain of what to 

say.  The former bandit looked up at them, hopeless and lone, before 

turning and crawling across the floor to gather his lover's body in 

his arms.  The perfectly whole face, framed by dark hair, looked 

peaceful and content, but Tasuki could not reflect those emotions.  

He buried his face in the sweet scent of Chichiri's hair and wept.