Monk*(4/8)By Sakata Ri Houjun Warning: contains descriptions of rape and incest. ******************* I never thought that I would hurry so fast to return to Souun City. I hate having to use my power needlessly, but this certainly was important. I could feel something clutching at my chest as I neared Nanami's house. I knew that it was my guilt for ignoring her when she needed me most. I had to find her and explain how important it was that she tell someone else. When she swore me to silence, I knew it really wasn't out of fear of her father. That was only part of it. She was mostly afraid of being rejected in shame. She wore her false smile to lead others to believe that she was a contented child while deep inside she tortured herself. That was why I was connected to her, why I had to help her. I braced myself for the sensation that engulfed me the last time I had entered her home. When her mother answered the door and I felt nothing, I let out a sigh of relief. I couldn't sense her father anywhere in the house. "Where's Nanami, no da?" I asked. "I came to see if she's feeling any better." "Nanami's in her room resting now, Chichiri-sama. Since you've taken care of her, she seems to have gotten a lot better. Should I go and get her? I'm certain she'd be happy to see you." I shook my head. "No thank you. She needs her sleep. Just let her know that I'm looking out for her, no da." I started to leave, but her mother stopped me. "Chichiri-sama, you don't have to go out of your way to help my child." "I know. I'll come by again tomorrow, no da." As soon as I left, I headed straight to an alley and pulled my mask off. Gods, how much I had wanted to tell her what was happening. I want to scream it out everything, but that wouldn't help Nanami. I looked up into the sky in frustration. It was late and the sun had already begun to set. Suzaku, I thought, please help me. I put my mask back on and left the alley. I had no place in particular to go, just turning down one street and then another. All the while, I kept asking for a sign, anything, to help me understand what to do. A drunken man roughly bumped against me. I caught a hold of him before he fell to the ground. Immediately, I was wrapped in a cold, slimy feeling. I then peered at his face and realized that this man was Nanami's father. "Hey, I know you," he slurred. "You're that monk who helped my daughter. Come on, I'll buy you a drink." He grabbed a hold of my kesa and started to drag me towards the tavern he had just exited. I was tempted to jerk myself free of his grasp, but I took advantage of his confusion and steered him towards the wall. I whispered a soft thanks to Suzaku for giving me this opportunity before confronting this perverse man in front of me. "You need to stop." I knew my voice sounded tense. "Huh?" He was trying to focus on my face. If he wanted to see it so badly... I pulled the mask off once more to reveal not just the scar, but also my true face, one of anger and loathing. I normally don't give in to such emotions, but what he was doing was deplorable and needed to stop before it got worse. In the dim light, this sight sobered the man up and he jumped back in fright. "What are you?" he asked. I ignored the question. "You need to stop." "Stop what?" "Stop hurting your daughter." I was almost yelling. His eyes narrowed. "What's it to you? She's my property to do with as I please." I felt my anger flare. I wanted to his this man, to let loose all this pent up emotions at him. "She's having these fits because of what you're doing to her. Please stop." He didn't answer, but shoved me roughly aside. As he began to leave, I grabbed his sleeve. He turned and glared at me. "Mind your own damn business. I don't care who or what you are, but if you touch me again, I'll kill her." He sneered at me when I let go before tottering off into the street. Suzaku, what have I done? I wanted to kill this man, to make his suffer as he made Nanami suffer. But the last time I gave into such anger was the day Hikou died. I had spent years learning to control these powerful emotions and now... I had the opportunity to set things right, but I only managed to make the situation worse. This man treated his daughter as an object instead of loving her a father should. I leaned against the wall and closed my eye. Within my mind, I heard Tasuki's voice. Shaking my head, I knew I had no right to think about my lover until this was over with, but I was nowhere nearer to a solution. If anything, I was further than when I started out. I started walking again, but the sound of traveling couldn't help my heavy heart. I was at a complete loss for the first time. My faith, my powers...useless. I would trade them all if I simply knew what to do. Tasuki's voice came again, clearer this time. "Ch'. The way I see it you got two choices. You can either take the cup of poison and drink My head snapped up. I was standing in front of a beautiful temple erected by Ougi-sama, Hotohori's half-brother, in honor of the dead Suzaku Shichiseishi. Tasuki's words came again. I felt the tension ease with fatigue and understanding. Yes, I would pray to Suzaku...Pray for Nanami... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Nanami had just finished hanging up the laundry to dry. Her mother would be proud of her when she got back. Yet, all the while, her thoughts kept returning to Chichiri. Her mother had mentioned that he paid a visit earlier when she was asleep. It was odd, but he had been in her dreams and thoughts lately, only he looked different, younger. And who was Houjun? Suddenly, a pair of strong arms embraced her possessively. She stiffened for only a moment before letting her body relax. It helped that she didn't resist. Her father would hurt her is she did. Never in the face or the arms and legs, the bruises tended to show. "Your mother won't be home for some time," he purred drunkenly in her ear. "Be an obedient daughter and come with me..." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I entered the elaborate temple. The only sound was my soft footfalls and the echo of the crackling fire. I had left my shakujo outside. It was late and I knew no one would disturb me tonight... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "No one will disturb us, my daughter," he said as he leaned Nanami down to the bed. With adept fingers, he untied her clothing and began his roving upon her young bare skin. So young and pretty, he thought. His wife used to look like this until she became pregnant. No matter, he had Nanami now to fulfill his needs. Who cared what that damn monk knew. He had no right telling him what he couldn't do. It was his right to do as he pleased with his daughter because she belonged to him... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Suzaku," I began while pacing before the altar’s fire. "I have belonged to you from the beginning. Never have I questioned your will, even when my life fell apart. I never blamed you for the deaths of others because it has always been your will. "Yet you're allowing an innocent child to suffer such atrocities. I hate having to sit back and do nothing. I can't believe that this is your will. It's not supposed to happen like this." I felt the anger rise again. "Do something, damnmit! Don't just sit there and be silent!" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Why are you so silent, Satsuki?" The woman looked up at the sound of her name and shook her head to clear it. "I don't know. A chill just went up my spine." "Is everything okay?" "Yeah, I guess I'm just worried about my daughter." "Then you'd better go home then," another woman added. "If she's having trouble like you said, then you may need to make certain she's okay." "Yes," the fist lady chimed in with a smile. "It is getting late." "If it's no problem..." "Go right ahead. We'll finish this another day..." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I held true to my word to Tasuki to return to him. I hold true to my word to Nanami not to ell any one what she has said. I can't go against years of training and doctrine...I have tried to help directly, but I managed to make the situation worse..." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The feeling got worse as Satsuki neared her home. She hoped that her daughter was all right... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Just let her be safe. If your Miko were here, I know she would set Nanami up as an example. She'd say that this child was all of humanity suffering and that you wouldn't allow it." I fell on my knees. "But do you even know what suffering is? Do you comprehend what this child is going through? Are you going to even answer me?" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Nanami? Answer me!" Only silence... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I was met with silence. I squeezed my eye shut and let the tears fall. I was exhausted and my head hurt. "Suzaku, help this child. It's all I will ever ask of you." I opened my eye... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Satsuki opened the door and couldn't believe what she was seeing. Her face was frozen in shock. She ran into the room and pulled her husband off her daughter. "What are you doing, you filthy beast?!" she screamed at him. He stumbled as he attempted to pull his pants up. Nanami lay in fear on the bed, her clothes undone. Satsuki took the opportunity and grabbed a hold of her daughter's hand. Satsuki fled the room, pushing her daughter ahead of her. "Wait!" came her husband's drunken cry as he gave chase through the house. Satsuki shoved her daughter into the kitchen and then turned to bar her husband from entering. He roughly shoved her aside. Tears were streaming sown her cheeks... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I watched the tears pooling at my knees. I had prayed, ranted, but ultimately my cries had seemed to fall on deaf ears. I felt so empty... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Satsuki could feel her daughter staring at her. So that was why she had been having fits, why her eyes seemed so empty. Satsuki looked down at the counter she had been shoved against and noticed a long knife by her hand. She turned around and pointed it at the man she had married, the man she had promised to love forever, the man who was nothing more than a disgusting animal. "Get out, you monster!" she cried as he started to back away. "Don't get any ideas with that thing." "IF you show your face anywhere near here again, I'll castrate you, you bastard!" He was outside now and Satsuki slammed the door. "Get out!" she screamed before giving away to great racking sobs as she slid to the floor. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I was curled up on the floor. It's coolness felt good against my hot cheek. I was tired...so tired... "Nanami..." I whispered hoarsely... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Mother..." Nanami whispered. Satsuki looked up at her daughter entering the room. She dropped the knife she had been clutching in her hand and ran up to wrap her daughter tightly. "I'm so, so sorry..." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Forgive me..." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I didn't know..." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I couldn't help you..." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I'm so stupid..." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I was weak..." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Nanami looked down at her mother. She doesn't hate me, she thought. She still loves me and actually protected me ever after... She closed her eye and began to cry in relief when she saw Chichiri again. He was crying too, crying tears and blood as floodwaters were receding. Houjun... she thought sadly... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I couldn't stand it. My anger had been vented, but I felt like the life had been drained form me. I begged Suzaku on my knees for his help but... Exhaustion finally won over my being and I closed my eye. I could see in the darkness of my mind a pair of gray eyes looking upon me in pity...