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Part 5
Lelahn felt Tasuki slam into her and she went down under his weight. Then the world collapsed around her with a roar and she felt a sharp pain in her leg that made her grey out for a moment. When her head cleared, Tasuki was on his hands and knees, straddling her, his eyes squeezed shut and forehead creased with effort. He was holding the entire building off of her with his own body, and they were buried in rubble. She could feel blood welling up from the wound in her thigh and running down her leg. "T-Tasuki!" she cried. "What are you doing?" "I'm fucking saving your life," he gritted between clenched teeth. His arms were trembling with effort. "You baka," she whispered. "Now you're just going to die, too." He opened his eyes, the amber orbs meeting hers. "That's ok, so long as I save you." She shook her head wildly, tears welling up in her eyes. "No! You can't die, not for me." "Don't cry, Lelahn," he said. "Goddamn women, always crying and carrying on, and making men love them and have to protect them." This whole statement was said gently, lovingly. She forced a small smile to her face. "Yeah, we women are a pain in the ass, eh?" "Damn right you are," he replied. The trembling in his arms increased. "Shit," he remarked. "I can't hold it much longer." "Tasuki..." Sweat dropped off his face onto hers, along with drops of blood as one fang pierced through his bottom lip. Slowly, ever so slowly, the weight became too much for the bandit, and his arms began to fail him as he sank lower, and lower, their faces almost touching. Lelahn lay beneath him, feeling utterly helpless, and wishing she remembered how to pray.
"Lelahn!!" Hotohori cried out in agony as the building collapsed in with a roar on top of Tasuki and the Suzaku no Miko. He and Tamahome looked around quickly for aid, but all of the men had been rendered unconscious. The two Seishi ran to the pile of rubble and began moving chunks of marble and rock, shouting Lelahn and Tasuki's names. Suddenly, a throaty feminine voice sounded from behind them. "Perhaps you can stand aside and let me take care of this," she said. Tamahome and Hotohori turned in shock to see a richly-dressed princess, her purple hair caught in a braid that hung most of the way down her back. She waved her hand. "Stand aside, please." As the two Seishi watched in shock, the delicate-looking woman easily lifted a huge piece of masonry with one hand, tossing it aside and forcing the gathered advisors to scramble out of the way. She dug through the rubble, tossing aside large pieces of rock, until she moved the last column to reveal Lelahn and Tasuki. "Ara!" the woman exclaimed. "They're alive. They must have the devil's own luck." Tamahome helped Tasuki to his feet and led him over to a nearby bench to sit down and have his numerous cuts and bruises attended to while Hotohori wrapped the dazed Lelahn in a grateful hug. "Lelahn," he said in a choked voice. "I'm so glad you're all right. Never do that again," he entreated her. Tamahome squatted beside her and cuffed her gently on the cheek. "Wow, neechan, you sure gave us a scare. Thank Suzaku for Tasuki." "You'd better believe it's 'thank Suzaku for Tasuki'," the bandit yelled, then started hissing and complaining as the healer dabbed at a cut on his back with a wet cloth. Lelahn smiled wanly and extricated herself gently from Hotohori's grasp. "Sorry, everyone. That was pretty stupid of me. But I'm all right, thanks to Tasuki." Tamahome helped her to her feet and she limped over to the bench to have her leg looked at, holding her bodice closed with one hand. Hotohori stood and glanced around, quickly locating the princess who had helped them. He approached her, bowing gravely. "Thank you so much for your help..." He trailed off as he realized that, though this woman looked vaguely familiar, he didn't know her name. Then his attention was attracted by a flash of red on her collarbone. He reached out and moved a few steps towards her without thinking and she drew back sharply, bringing her hands up to her chest. "What are you doing?" she demanded. Discomfited, Hotohori gestured to his own chest. "No, uh, it's... you have something..." The woman smiled. "Oh, this?" She drew her collar aside slightly to reveal the symbol of a willow just below her collarbone. "My name is Chou Kourin, I am a princess of the realm. My Shichiseishi name is Nuriko." Hearing, Lelahn bolted to her feet - eliciting protests from at least three people - and limped towards Nuriko. "Thank you for saving us, Nuriko!" she said brightly. "I'm Lelahn, the Suzaku no Miko, and I was *just* looking for Seishi-" "I did not do that for you," Nuriko said dismissively. She swept past the girl and approached Tasuki and Tamahome. "I did it for this man." She leaned down unceremoniously and kissed the shocked Tasuki on the mouth. To his credit, when Tasuki recovered, he stood up abruptly and shoved Nuriko off of him. "What the fuck are you doing, woman?!" he cried. Nuriko smiled and placed her arms around the bandit. "What does it look like, Tasuki-chan!" she said gaily. "Come on!" She grabbed him in an iron grip and dragged him away, kicking and cursing. Lelahn and the two other Seishi stared after them in shock. Then the Miko looked around, shaking her head. "Did I miss something there?"
Tamahome swiftly packed a small bag of his money and some clothing and slung it over his shoulder, exiting his room without looking back. He was grateful to Hotohori for providing the luxurious rooms and everything else for him and the others, and he truly enjoyed staying at the palace. He enjoyed competing with Tasuki. And he enjoyed being with Lelahn, his neechan. But the simple fact was that he couldn't make any money at the palace, and he was restless and worried when he wasn't making money. He would go into the city, or even further afield, for a few days, and be back before anyone even noticed. By the time he returned, he was sure that the situation with Nuriko would be straightened out and they would be ready to start searching for the other three Seishi, so he would make sure to be back soon. In the mean time, he had to leave. He caught sight of Lelahn as he headed for the main gate. She was in her room, sitting at the window with a distracted look on her face. He raised a hand and waved at her and she seemed to start before waving back. :I wonder what's up with her?: Tamahome thought. :She's been quiet ever since this afternoon. I wonder if it has something to do with Nuriko.: He shrugged mentally. She didn't seem upset, just thoughtful, so though he felt a twinge at leaving without asking her what was wrong, he was sure Tasuki or Hotohori could deal with it. As he passed out of the main gates, he grinned cheerily at the guards there. "Would you tell Hotohori-sama that I'll be gone for a few days? I'm going to work a little and make some money." "Hai, Tamahome-sama," the guard said obediently. "Thanks." He walked out and lost himself in the crowd. :Now, what sort of work should I do? Bodyguarding? Sales?:
Lelahn noticed Tamahome trying to attract her attention and waved back, then went back to her thoughts without registering much beyond that. :What the hell is wrong with this Nuriko anyway?: she thought for the fifth time in ten minutes. :First she ignores me, and then she goes after Tasuki. Do they know each other? What is going on?: She stood, ignoring the twinge her injured leg gave her, her face set with determination, and headed for the room Nuriko had been given earlier that day, just down the hall from Lelahn's. She stood in front of the door and knocked politely. "Enter, please," came Nuriko's throaty voice, muffled by the door. Lelahn opened the door and came upon an incredible scene. Tasuki, bound by layers and layers of rope - and gagged - lay full-length on the floor. Nuriko sat perched primly upon him, powdering her nose. Lelahn glanced from Tasuki's red face to Nuriko's unconcerned one and back, attempting to comprehend this. "W-What the hell is going on?" she blurted, her carefully-planned speech flying from her mind. "Why, what do you mean?" Nuriko asked. She looked down at the bandit fondly. "Tasuki-chan is just afraid to be alone with me, that's all, aren't you?" She clutched the struggling man in her arms and looked at Lelahn with unconcealed contempt. "And what business is it of yours, anyway? What have you come to talk to me about?" Lelahn firmly wrenched her thoughts back onto the right track. She would deal with the Tasuki issue later. "I came to talk to you about what happened earlier today. I understand that you do not accept your position as a Suzaku Seishi." Nuriko sniffed and turned away, examining her fingernails. "That is correct. I am a princess and I have no interest in being the Seishi of a selfish girl like you." Lelahn reddened. "In what way am I selfish?" Tasuki had renewed his struggling, but couldn't extricate himself from the grip of the incredibly strong woman. His amber eyes blazed. "You are a selfish, self-centred girl. Everyone around you puffs you up." "I see," Lelahn said quietly. "And exactly what does my selfishness have to do with your being a Seishi." Lelahn's eyes narrowed dangerously. "I was under the impression, from what Hotohori told me, that being a Seishi was a sacred duty to protect ones country in its time of need. Surely you do not wish your country to be destroyed because you happen to dislike your Miko?" Nuriko flinched then reddened. She leapt to her feet and flew at Lelahn in a rage. "How *dare* you lecture me on being a Suzaku Seishi! Get out of here! Go back to your beloved 'Hotohori'!" This last was said with a sob as Lelahn scrambled to get out of the way of the enraged woman. The door slammed in her face so hard it rattled and cracked the frame. Lelahn glared impotently at the door before turning away. "Bitch."
The evening was deepening into night as Lelahn stood in one of the pavilions and stared up at the stars. Her leg pained her and she could see that blood was soaking through the bandages, but she was too preoccupied to pay it any mind. She had thought and thought all evening, and was pretty sure what the problem was, but she couldn't think of a solution to the problem with Nuriko. She knew she had to do something, though. If Nuriko refused to be her Seishi, they couldn't call Suzaku, and Konan would be in trouble. Hotohori passed nearby with the ever-present group of advisors and she waved at him cheerfully. She was still a little nervous over his obvious interest in her, but given the current situation with Nuriko, Lelahn was more determined than ever to get along with the Emperor. When he saw her, he changed course and walked towards her, a smile on his beautiful face. "What are you doing out here so late, Lelahn?" he asked, gesturing to his advisors to stay back. Lelahn summoned a smile. "I'm trying to figure out what to do with Nuriko. That woman just won't listen to me." Hotohori nodded sharply, seeming to come to a decision. "I will order her to get along with you, then. No one ignores the orders of the Emperor." Lelahn chuckled, shaking her head. "You just don't get it, do you, Hotohori?" she said ironically, but with more than a hint of fondness. "Get what?" Hotohori asked. "You can't order someone's feelings. That's something you don't have jurisdiction over, Heikka-sama." She shook her head, smiling. "Don't do anything like that, please. I want to get along with her myself, or it's not worth anything." Hotohori's eyebrows raised and he nodded pensively. "I... I never thought about it like that, Lelahn. Arigatou." He gazed at her meltingly and she worked hard not to let the smile falter. Her heat fluttered in her chest. :God, he really is gorgeous, if painfully, painfully naive.: "You have given me something to think about, Lelahn. But I must go now and finish my business. Don't stay up too late." "See you later, Hotohori," she acknowledged, then returned to watching the sky, listening to the patter of feet resume and then recede as they walked away. An unproductive halfhour later, Lelahn's attention was attracted by a strange sound. The sound was a rhythmic sliding sound, as of something scraping softly against the floor. It was accompanied by a litany of muffled grunts and curses. She turned to see Tasuki worming his way towards her, still bound and gagged, trying to move as quickly as possible while still tied up. She gasped and ran over to him. "Tasuki!" She tore off the gag and he gasped gratefully for air. "Thank Suzaku it's you, Lelahn! Get these fuckin' ropes offa me!" "What the hell are you doing crawling around on the floor instead of with Nuriko?" she asked as she worked on the knot with her slender fingers. The knot was tight, but she managed to work it out as Tasuki answered. "I escaped while she wasn't looking. Fuckin' women, man. You can't imagine what that was like! It was torture!" Lelahn chuckled. "She's quite... zealous. Do you know her from somewhere?" "What do I look like? Of course I don't know her! She just fucking came up and kissed me!" The knot finally came loose and she helped Tasuki to unwind the rope from around himself and sit up. "Come on," she said jokingly. "I'll bet you loved every minute of it, a beautiful woman like that?" Tasuki caught and held her gaze with his beautiful amber eyes. "She ain't half as beautiful as you." Lelahn reddened and dropped her gaze to her hands, which were nervously twisting the rope between them. :I don't need this from him, too,: part of her remarked sourly. "Ne, Lelahn, I haven't seen ya since earlier. How's your leg?" Lelahn shrugged. "It hurts. I think I need to change the bandages." Tasuki gasped in mock horror. "Holy shit, if Lelahn says it hurts, it must *really* hurt! Lemme take a look at it." She smiled gratefully and allowed him to fuss over her, unwinding the bandage carefully and replacing it with a fresh one. There was something soothing about being cared for, something that Lelahn had never experienced since she'd been a child, which she scarcely remembered. And Tasuki made such a strange picture while fussing over her. His fingers brushed against the skin of her leg as he wound the bandage and sent shivers down her spine. To distract herself, she broke the silence. "Ne, Tasuki, I was thinking. I don't think she's doing this because of you, or because of me. I think she likes Hotohori. It's the only thing that really makes sense, unless she *really* dislikes me." "I think you're right," Tasuki replied. "She's acting too crazy over me to be serious, ya know? And the way she reacted every time ya mentioned Hotohori. It's too weird." Having had her suspicions confirmed, Lelahn finally came to a decision. Tasuki had finished and tied off the bandage, so she stood and turned resolutely towards Nuriko's room. Tasuki jumped to his feet and followed her. "What're you gonna do?" "Don't come with me, Tasuki. She'll just latch onto you as an excuse to ignore me." "I ain't leavin' you alone with her!" he protested firmly. Lelahn smiled at him. "All right, fine, but don't let her know you're here, okay?" "Got it." He hung back as Lelahn knocked on Nuriko's door, much more firmly than earlier, but just as politely. "Enter, please," came the response from inside. Lelahn opened the door and stepped into the room. "Nuriko, we have to talk." "Ara," Nuriko turned from her vanity table and said without much interest. "And what do *you* have to talk to me about?" Lelahn wanted to yell at her for imprisoning Tasuki. She really really wanted to. Something like that spoke to her at the level at which all of her pain and anguish from her experiences resided, and that was a deep and emotionally charged level indeed. Still, she forced her rage and indignation down and focussed on the larger picture. :Tasuki is all right. He's not traumatized or hurt, and if I find out he is, I'll beat this woman soundly. After I have her promise to be my Seishi,: she told herself sharply. Nuriko was still looking at her with that contemptuous, heavy-lidded gaze. Lelahn took a breath. "You know, Hotohori proposed to me this morning," she said simply. Nuriko's eyes widened and she opened her mouth, but Lelahn spoke before she could be ordered angrily out of the room. "I turned him down. I wanted you to know that. There is nothing between Hotohori and I." Nuriko's violet eyes were large and solemn. Then she seemed to remember what role she was playing and they narrowed again. "What makes you think I'm interested in *that*? I have my Tasuki-chan. Where is he, by the way?" Lelahn heard a choked sound from the hallway and ignored the question. "You are in love with Hotohori, aren't you?" Lelahn asked casually, as though it were common knowledge. Nuriko's eyes dropped, then she clenched her fists in anger and rose to her feet. "I love Tasuki-chan!" she declared. "You have no right to be saying these things to me-" Nuriko was cut off abruptly by a resounding slap across the face. She stared at Lelahn, shocked into silence. "Now you listen to me," Lelahn shouted. "I'm not going to take this shit from you anymore! Anyone with half a brain can see that you're just doing this ridiculous thing because you're jealous of me with Hotohori, so stop acting like a baby and admit it!" She took a breath and continued more calmly. "Despite how rude and hateful you've been to me since the beginning, I am here offering nothing more than to help you get Hotohori. You can have him, with my blessing. *If* you agree to be my Seishi." "You... you'll help me get Hotohori-sama?" Nuriko choked out in a subdued voice. "Do you agree to be my Seishi?" Lelahn asked, not letting up with her glare. Nuriko's face crumpled and she sank to the floor, crying piteously. "Why are you being like this?" she wailed. Lelahn shook her head. :Well, if she wants it that way...: The slender girl put her arms around the princess and stroked her long hair soothingly. "It's okay. Just stop crying, Nuriko. There's no harm done." "I've been here for a year now and he's never even *looked* at me, Lelahn. And you get to be beside him all the time. It's not fair." Lelahn sat on the floor beside Nuriko and took her chin in her hand, bringing the other woman's head up to look at her. "Well, now you're a Seishi, so he *has* to notice you. I've already rejected him, so now's your chance, Nuriko." She smiled, eliciting an answering one from Nuriko. "I'll drop hints for you and help, all right?" She nodded, then abruptly stood, brushing Lelahn away imperiously. "All right, fine, I agree to protect you," she said offhandedly. "Now go away. I need my beauty sleep, you've made me cry and I'm all red and blotchy." "Good night, Nuriko," Lelahn replied, already heading for the door. With every word the woman said, Lelahn felt she understood her better. Though she would never react that way under similar circumstances, at least Lelahn knew it had all been an act, and that it was probably over. God willing. Tasuki was pacing outside the door when she emerged. "What the fuck was all that about?" he demanded. Lelahn shook her head. "She's a very strong-willed, very infatuated young woman. But she's now my Seishi, and that's all I care about at the moment. I'm going to bed." She turned away and headed for her room, leaving Tasuki to stare bemusedly after her before heading for his own room.
Lelahn lay awake in bed and watched the moon travel slowly across the sky. Despite what she had said to Tasuki, she wasn't tired at all. She felt a strange emptiness and she had a feeling she knew what its source was. Despite the events of the day, she felt restless and, above all, lonely. :I'm going to do it. I'm ready,: she said firmly to herself. :If I don't do this soon, I'll be driven to distraction. It's just better if I get it over with now before we go traveling to look for Seishi.: She rose from the bed, wrapping a robe around her scantily-clad body. She opened the door silently and slipped out. The night air seemed to slip into every crack in the robe, and she shivered with chill. Luckily, she didn't have far to go. When she came to the door that was her objective, she softly opened it and went into the room, closing the door behind her. She needn't have worried about making noise. The occupant of the room was snoring loudly, looking for all the world like nothing would wake him short of a firecracker between his ears. He lay half-under the covers, one leg uncovered, one arm flung over his face, and the blankets trailing on the floor. Lelahn couldn't repress a giggle at the sight. :He's so adorable,: she thought happily, feeling much more at ease. She slipped off the robe and hung it carefully over a chair, then crossed the room to stand beside Tasuki's bed. She was dressed only in a pale blue silk nightgown. It did almost nothing to cut the chill in the room, and just as much to conceal her, she knew. "Tasuki," she called softly. He stirred, the rhythms of his breathing disrupted, but didn't awaken. "Tasuki," she called again, more insistently. This time he shifted more firmly, groaning in sleepy irritation. He seemed to register her presence, though he didn't open his eyes. "Lelahn?" he asked sleepily. "Yes, it's me." He cracked open an eye, then put down his arm and opened both widely. "L-Lelahn?" he asked again. "What is it?" She smiled reassuringly. "Nothing. I just wondered if I could stay with you tonight." He blushed deeply scarlet. "Uh, sure." He looked around ruefully. "The bed's more than big enough for both of us, I guess." "Thanks Tasuki." He moved over, squashing himself into the wall in an attempt to create as much space as possible on the bed so she could lie down without touching him. She readjusted the blankets, then climbed into bed, rolling over and curling up next to the bandit. He gave a surprised yelp, then seemed to get the picture as he moved to make himself a little more comfortable, and snaked his arm underneath her to hold her against him. She pillowed her head on his chest and sighed contentedly. "Uh, g'nite, Lelahn," he said uncertainly. She looked up, a look of mischief in her emerald eyes. "Going to sleep so soon, Tasuki?" She pushed herself up slightly and caressed him on the cheek. He smiled tentatively and she felt his fingers shift, sliding the silk deliciously around her back. "Oi, Lelahn, what're you-" She reached up and kissed him softly on the lips, savouring their velvet texture and flavour. The arm that encircled her tightened and he deepened the kiss, parting her lips with his tongue to probe her mouth gently. She thought for a moment she should be frightened, but it just felt too good. She pulled away and looked into his wide, shocked eyes. "That was wonderful, Tasuki. Now, don't you have something you want to say to me?" Tasuki blinked, then flushed. He dropped his eyes momentarily, then looked back into hers. "I love you, Lelahn," he said softly. She smiled, feeling a rush of pleasure spread through her entire body. She had gambled, and won resoundingly. :Nothing will ever hurt me again,: she thought with conviction. :Not with Tasuki to protect me.: "I love you, too, Tasuki." With a cry of joy, the red-haired bandit wrapped both his arms around her and hugged her tightly. "I'll always protect ya, Lelahn. I don't ever want ta be apart from ya again!" he said, his voice rough with a stronger accent, and with suppressed tears. Lelahn felt tears well up in her own eyes as she hugged him back. "I don't ever want to be apart from you, either, Tasuki." After a while, they settled back onto the pillow, Tasuki's arms still wrapped lovingly and protectingly around his Miko. They drifted to sleep in that position, Lelahn curled up beside Tasuki with her head in the crook of his shoulder. For the first time she could remember, Lelahn had no dreams. |