Author: samuraiheart
Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me and are
the property of their respective owners.
Warning: This is shounen-ai (Tasuki/Chichiri) and
it is (admittedly, a rather odd) death fic – so don't read any further
if any of those things offend you.
Notes: I love writing stories that examine the path of
certain characters as they grow older and develop more. This story is mostly
about Chichiri. It takes place several years after the main storyline of the 2nd
OVA. Boushin is now emperor and has children of his own. Chichiri is working as
an advisor to the emperor. This is not a happy story, but it's not really
supposed to be sad either. I guess I'll call it bittersweet. May-Lee is
completely a figment of my imagination, but I think she makes a very cute
little princess. She doesn't have too much of a part, but please don't use her
in any other fics without my permission. And now on to the fic…
The wind whipped through the trees outside the palace and a flicker of lightning flashed in the sky followed by a resounding thunderclap that startled Chichiri as he sat in the small room he used for studying. His hand jerked suddenly at the sound and marred the elegant stroke of the characters he was trying to write on the page before him. He frowned slightly at the crooked line, but finally shook his head and continued his work. He trusted the emperor would not mind a small error if it meant that he would receive the reports sooner than expected. With a few more strokes of his ink brush he reached the end of the page and set his brush aside. He gazed at the characters before him briefly and decided that they would have to do. He raised a shaky hand to his temple and rubbed it gently as he closed his good eye and tried to ward off the dull ache in the back of his head. Candlelight flickered in the small library and shadows danced across the walls as the flame danced randomly about the wick. Chichiri ran his hand through his blue and gray streaked bangs and leaned back slightly in his chair.
A soft rustling of cloth and the sound of footsteps just outside shook the aging monk out of his reverie and a small smile graced his lips as the door slowly creaked open to reveal a young girl peeking in sheepishly. Chichiri turned towards her and gestured for her to come in. The girl looked behind her one last time and then walked inside and closed the door securely behind her. She was nine years old and had long silky black hair that reminded Chichiri of Hotohori. It was pulled back in a tight braid and wrapped with purple ribbons. Beads and other sparkling ornaments adorned her flowing robes and he wondered why she was dressed so formally.
"Good evening, May-Lee-sama. What can I do for you na no da?" Chichiri said warmly with a sparkle in his eye. He reached out to pull another chair beside him and offered his hand to help her climb up into it.
"I hope I'm not bothering you, Chichiri-san. Don't tell anyone I'm here. I'm hiding from Mother." She smiled brightly at the last statement and clasped her hands together in her lap.
Chichiri shook his head and smiled at his companion indulgently. "Okay, it'll be our little secret no da. But why are you hiding from the empress na no da?"
May-Lee frowned and clutched the arms of the chair as she swung her legs back and forth in front of her and stared at her feet. "Mother is making me learn all of this stuff about being a princess and I don't like it. I'd rather play games with my friends or go fishing with you, but noooooooo, I have to learn how to hold my tea cup and stand still while all of my handmaidens wrap ribbons in my hair." She let out an exasperated breath and looked up at Chichiri with sad blue eyes. She was certainly good at being dramatic. After a few moments she smiled again and the sparkle returned to her eyes. "But at least I don't have it as hard as onii-san. He'll have to be EMPEROR someday!"
Chichiri nodded. He couldn't believe how quickly they had both grown up. It seemed like just yesterday that Boushin had introduced him to the woman who would eventually become empress and not too long ago that he had held this young girl in his arms as an infant and whispered prayers of blessing and hope.
"Chichiri-san? Could you tell me a story? Please?" May-Lee looked up at her friend with wide pleading eyes.
Chichiri knew he didn't stand a chance against that look and gave in almost immediately. "Alright, how about the one with the-"
"I wanna hear about Grandfather! Tell me about Grandfather and Father!"
Chichiri pursed his lips and raised his eyebrows for a moment, but shrugged away the doubt quickly. It had been quite a while since he had thought about those two together, but she must have heard about the story already from her father or someone else. He might as well tell her about Hotohori and her father, Boushin.
"Okay, but you have to sit quietly and listen no da and after that I think we should go tell your mother where you are before she gets worried na no da."
"Alright, Chichiri-san."
"Many years ago, before you were born, and your father was just a small child, a girl from another world named Miaka came to visit the palace no da. She was the Suzaku no miko and your grandfather was one of the seven Suzaku seishi who protected her na no da."
"Gomen, Chichiri-san, but weren't you one too?"
"Hai no da. I guess I still am na no da."
"Are you the last one?"
"Hai no da."
"Don't you get sad since you are the only one left?"
"May-Lee-sama, there are some questions that are not polite to ask na no da."
May-Lee bent her head slightly in embarrassment and a faint crimson blush crept over her cheeks. "I'm sorry, Chichiri-san, but Father told me that you were lonely and I was just hoping that I could help."
"That's very sweet of you May-Lee-sama no da." Chichiri answered softly, but there was a flatness to his tone that said there was nothing she could do. An oppressive silence hung over the pair for a few moments as May-Lee stared at the floor and Chichiri blinked back images unbidden before his eyes of long finished adventures and friendships that had faded away along with them. He sat up a little straighter in his seat and shook his head in an effort to clear his thoughts and push back the bittersweet memories.
"Sorry, no da. Let me get back to the story na no da. Back then, an evil spirit was preventing Hotohori-sama, your grandfather, and all of the other seishi from being reborn and we had to find all of Tamahome's memory stones in order to stop the evil spirit from becoming more powerful no da. You know who Tamahome was, ne na no da?" Chichiri paused and looked over at his companion.
The young girl nodded vigorously and her lips curved upward in a satisfied grin.
Chichiri smiled back gently and continued his story. "While visiting the empress, your grandmother, Houki, a demon tried to attack us and your father, Boushin no da. Hotohori used his powers to possess Boushin and defeat the demon with his sword no da. Finally, Boushin was able to see his father and he ran toward him with outstretched arms and a hopeful look on his face na no da. Unfortunately, he passed right through him because Hotohori was a spirit no da. It was a very sad moment for everyone – especially your father and grandfather no da. Then Tamahome offered to let Hotohori use his body and your father finally got to meet his father for real and Hotohori was at last able to hold his son in his arms na no da."
The emperor heard Chichiri's voice before he rounded the corner on his way to the library. He was fairly certain that he would find his daughter there. Bits of conversation drifted to him through the walls and he wondered briefly what Chichiri was talking about. As he neared the door, Boushin could hear the story more clearly. His lips curved up in a gentle smile and he shook his head at the old tale. He barely remembered it, but he had heard it so many times from his mother and from Chichiri and Tasuki that many of the scenes seemed vivid in his mind. He frowned briefly at the memory of the fiery-haired bandit. It had been more than two decades now since his death, but Chichiri had never really seemed to get over the loss of his love. As Tasuki grew more and more ill, the life seemed to fade from the monk as well. He didn't smile nearly as much anymore and sometimes his gaze seemed so sad.
"All of us just stood there staring as Hotohori picked Boushin up and held him close no da. It was a very tender moment and I think even Tasuki was crying by that time na no da." Chichiri's eye widened briefly and he frowned as his voice trailed off. The past seemed so vivid in his mind and it was sometimes so hard to reconcile those images with the reality that surrounded him. The monk turned away from May-Lee for a moment and ran his hands through his bangs a few times without giving the action much thought. His hands shook slightly and the wrinkles around his eyes deepened as he bent his head and frowned even more.
"Chichiri-san? Are you okay?" May-Lee asked hesitantly from her chair. She tilted her head to one side and stared at her friend with concern. He didn't seem to hear her and she was about to tug on his sleeve when she heard a noise just outside in the hallway.
Boushin opened the door to the study and walked inside trying to look as innocent as possible. He didn't want Chichiri to know that he had heard the end of the story, but he also wanted to get his daughter out of the monk's way as quickly as possible to give him some time to himself.
May-Lee's eyes widened and she rushed over to where her father stood. "Father!"
"Good evening, May-Lee-chan. Your mother was wondering where you ran off to. I should have known I'd find you here. I hope you haven't been bothering Chichiri-san too much." Boushin flashed the older man a sympathetic smile and shrugged his shoulders slightly.
Chichiri looked up at the emperor and shook his head. His eye shone a little too brightly in the dim light of the room, but he quickly blinked back any tears that might have been there and laughed. "Not at all. She was a very good girl, your majesty – even if she doesn't want to be a princess, no da."
Boushin ruffled her hair and laughed softly to himself. "That's okay, May-Lee-chan. It takes some getting used to, but I'm sure someday you will grow to love the people of Konan just as I do and as your grandfather did."
May-Lee nodded and smiled at her father as the empress rounded the corner at end of hallway. She shot her daughter a stern look, but it didn't last long and it had turned into a wide grin by the time May-Lee started running towards her.
Boushin turned back towards Chichiri and took a few steps in his direction. He placed a comforting hand on the older man's shoulder and tried to come up with something he could say that could ease the pain evident on the other man's face. Before he could say anything Chichiri waved his hand and shook his head as if to brush away the subject.
"Don't worry about me, your highness no da. I'm fine and I'll have those reports to you by tomorrow evening at the latest na no da." Chichiri bowed his head slightly and turned back to his work.
Boushin winced slightly at the formality of Chichiri's tone. He had always seen Chichiri as a member of the family and not just another advisor. He knew that Chichiri's professionalism was a façade meant to cover the sadness that had set in after Tasuki's death and the loneliness that no doubt came from being one of the last of his generation in the palace, but it was still difficult to handle. He would give almost anything to see that spark in the monk's gaze that he remembered from when he was young or see him smile sincerely once again.
The emperor hesitated for a moment in the doorway. He watched the candlelight reflect a warm circle of light across Chichiri's paper and brushes and marveled at the skill with which the seishi painted strokes and formed characters on the page.
"Chichiri-san, if you ever need anything-"
Chichiri glanced up at Boushin and his determined gaze softened for a moment into a look of tender understanding. "I appreciate the offer, your highness no da." Boushin tipped his head in the monk's direction and closed the door behind him as he headed off to catch up with his wife and daughter.
Chichiri worked on a few more pages of information about yearly rituals and festivals before setting aside his brush and leaning back in his chair. His eyelid felt heavy and he unsuccessfully tried to hold back a yawn. He rubbed his eye for a moment and tried to blink away the weariness that made it difficult for him to concentrate on the work before him. He leaned his head back a little and closed his eye in the hopes of returning to his work in only a few minutes.
<begin dream sequence>
Chichiri blinked in surprise at his surroundings. He was
sitting at the edge of a small pond similar to the one near the palace, but it
seemed different somehow. He couldn't see anything past a few feet away. It
seemed foggy and almost unreal. Chichiri looked down at the fishing pole he
held in his hand and followed the end of it with his eye until a small thin
piece of string fell from the end and dropped into the water in front of him.
The water shimmered and ripples radiated from the spot where his string met the
water. His hands were frail and wrinkled as he clutched the wooden pole, but he
noticed with growing wonder and astonishment that his reflection in the
glimmering pool was very different. A much younger version of himself stared
back at him from the surface of the pond. It didn't make sense. Chichiri sat
back on his knees and just before he had a chance to wonder why he was there he
felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned quickly to see who else was there and
was greeted by the smiling face of his best friend and love. Tasuki smiled back
at him with all of the affection and innocence of his youth. He didn't seem to
have aged a day since Miaka left for the last time and the two remaining seishi
had finally found one another. Chichiri opened his mouth to protest such a
strange occurrence. He knew there was some reason why Tasuki shouldn't be here,
but he couldn't quite put a finger on it.
"There are no fish here, Chiri-chan." Tasuki
said matter of factly and grinned at his friend with his sharp fangs poking
just barely over his lower lip.
Chichiri stared back at the bandit in confusion. He
wasn't really sure what Tasuki was talking about.
"Come on, let's go home. I've missed you!"
Tasuki's eyes lit up with amusement and he tugged at the monk's sleeve.
"Tasuki? What are you doing here?" Chichiri
suddenly knew for a fact that this couldn't possibly be happening. He still
wasn't sure why, but he was certain that Tasuki had left him long ago. He
couldn't escape the overwhelming sadness that washed over him at this sudden
realization and the bittersweet pang in his heart as he looked up at the
smiling face of the man beside him.
Tasuki waved off Chichiri's confusion and pressed a soft
kiss on his cheek as he grabbed Chichiri's hand and started to pull him up to a
standing position.
<end dream sequence>
Chichiri woke up with a start and it took him a few moments to realize where he was. The candle on his desk had long since burned down and he could hear the sound of rain pouring against the rooftops and palace walls. He must have fallen asleep. He frowned at his own ineptitude and quickly stacked the pages of his report into a neat stack and placed them in a safe place. He would have to finish them tomorrow.
He slowly made his way down the dark deserted hallways of the palace and back to his room. He leaned heavily on his staff for support and crept as quietly as possible along the corridors. Only the soft patter of his footsteps and the sound of metal rings clanging against one another on his staff interrupted the drumming of raindrops outside and the occasional clap of thunder in the night.
Later the next day, Chichiri finished the last of his reports and set his brush and ink aside. He looked over his work with satisfaction and stretched his tired limbs as he stood to gather his things and deliver the message to the emperor. He turned toward the door at the sound of hurried footsteps and left his work on the table to meet whoever might be waiting for him on the other side of the door. He opened the door to find the emperor standing before him with an entourage of guards and servants following closely behind him. The empress stood at his side and all of them were soaked from the rain still falling outside. The empress's face was lined with worry and concern and her eyes shone with desperation. The emperor didn't look much better and his breathing was unsteady and ragged as if he had run a long distance just to get here. He clutched Chichiri's shoulder and leaned closer to the older man as he spoke.
"Chichiri, it's May-Lee. We can't find her anywhere… The river… there's so much flooding… Oh gods, Chichiri, I don't know what to do!" The emperor looked up at the older man with pleading eyes and Chichiri took a deep breath. His heart beat faster at the prospect of losing May-Lee to the rising water. It was a fate he would never wish on another person and the young princess was especially dear to him as of late.
"Let's go no da." Chichiri stated resolutely and pushed his way through the small crowd and led them towards the river. He stood on the banks and gazed into the rushing water and then raised his hands and clasped them together before him to begin a spell. He chanted just above a whisper and opened his eye suddenly at the conclusion. "She's alright, but we need to find her quickly no da. She's near here na no da." He said firmly turning towards the emperor.
Boushin sighed in relief and raised his hand to gesture at the servants surrounding him. "Let's split up. We can find her faster."
The group quickly dispersed leaving Chichiri standing alone on the bank of the river. He looked up at the sound of a child's voice in the distance. He raised his eyebrows and glanced from side to side, but couldn't see beyond the thick fog that surrounded him and made visibility difficult. The monk clutched his staff tightly and listened for the sound again. He chanted a spell once more and winced slightly as the power of the spell washed over him and then a shimmering light shone in front of him.
For a moment he saw an image of May-Lee and a young boy clutching desperately to a group of rocks and branches near the edge of the river. Water rushed past them and it was clear they would not be able to last much longer. May-Lee might be able to make it if she let go of the boy, but she seemed determined to save them both or be swallowed up herself with the effort.
Chichiri closed his eyes and fought to stay focused as the magic drained the little energy he had left. He found it difficult to keep a hold of his heavy staff and the world before him wavered briefly with the effort. He shook away the dizziness and tried to push on. He had to find May-Lee quickly and there wasn't much time. He looked deep within himself and tried to follow the direction he had seen in the projection. The river branched many times and twisted and turned among trees and other foliage. It was a treacherous landscape made even more dangerous by the long rain and subsequent flooding.
Chichiri took in a sharp breath as he narrowly missed falling into the river himself when a large chunk of the river bank fell into the fast moving water and carried it further downstream. Chichiri pushed on and thought he heard the sound of a young girl's voice once more.
The rain was falling in sheets now and he found it difficult to gauge which direction he was headed. He had walked for quite a while and was pretty sure he was quite far from the palace at this point. He wondered if any of the others in the search party had had any luck and began to doubt his own ability to make it any further. Water streamed down his face and soaked his clothing. His hands were slick against the cold metal of his staff, but he held on to it as closely as possible. He needed it for support and guidance as he made his way over the unsteady landscape. He shivered as a gust of cold wind blew in his direction, but he persisted.
After several more moments he caught a glimpse of violet cloth amongst the rushing water and focused on the movement in front of him. After a few more steps the image became clearer and he could hear May-Lee calling out for help.
"Is anybody there? Please, help us!" May-Lee cried out as she clung to the bank of the river desperately. She was starting to lose hope and wonder if she was ever going to get out of this. She hadn't meant for this to happen. She was simply playing with some of her friends near the river when she heard this boy screaming for help. He had fallen in and he was about to drown. She couldn't stand by and let that happen so she had reached out to him and almost pulled him to the shore, but the water was too strong and the boy was not strong enough to pull himself out. She had tried to get closer, but the water had pulled her in and now she was in the same situation he had been. She knew they would have to get out of the water soon because they couldn't take much more and she wasn't sure how much longer she could wait. She thought of her parents and her brother and Chichiri and hoped that they would be okay without her. Tears welled up in her eyes at the thought, but she forced them back and fought to keep a hold of the branches as she screamed as loudly as she could in the hopes that someone would hear her.
Chichiri cursed the fact that his magic was not as strong as it used to be as he saw the two children clinging to the opposite bank of the river. Without hesitation, he eased himself into the rushing water and clung to the river bank as he held out his staff and called to the two children. "May-Lee-sama! Grab the staff!"
May-Lee's eyes widened at the sight before her. Chichiri was just a few feet away and she could see his staff glimmering just within reach. She pulled the younger boy closer to her and he looked up at her in confusion. "Don't worry. It'll be alright now." She said to him and reached out with one arm to grab the staff. Her shoulders sagged and she looked over at Chichiri in disappointment when she could not reach it. Chichiri bit his lip and nodded in determination.
"Hang on!" He yelled to May-Lee and concentrated on the last little bit of magic power he had left. It took a lot out of him, but with a wave of his hand and a few chanted syllables he stopped the water long enough to ensure that he could make it to the other side. It was a close call and he ended up clinging desperately to the river bank a little more than a foot downstream from where May-Lee and the young boy were still holding on. Chichiri's breath came in short gasps as he pulled himself along the bank. He finally reached May-Lee and the boy and grabbed them with one arm. He hugged them tightly to himself and used his staff to get a better grip on the sturdy ground just a few feet away. He lifted the boy and then May-Lee up to the shore and held on as tight as he could until he could be sure that they were safe.
As the water rushed past him he thought for a moment that he saw another hand reaching out for the two children. He hoped that it was some guard or the emperor himself so that he would know he was leaving them in safe hands. After they had both climbed to safety, he concentrated on getting himself there as well. He could see May-Lee's face peering at him through the fog and he tried his best to give her a reassuring smile. She looked uncertain for a moment, but seemed to accept it after the silhouette beside her patted her on the back and offered some words of comfort.
Chichiri gazed up at the mysterious figure in confusion. He felt a desperate need to know who that person was, but a warmth within his own heart told him that he had nothing to worry about. He gasped as the branch he was hanging on to broke and plunged him deeper into the water. He reached out for something else to grab onto, but found nothing within reach. A strange peacefulness came over him as the water began to rush over him and he could no longer see the banks. He couldn't breathe, but it didn't really seem to concern him very much. He was very tired and somehow knew that if he slept now he would have beautiful dreams. The water around him seemed to shimmer for a moment as he closed his eye for the last time and fell into a sensation that he could not describe, but knew he had never felt before.
Minutes later, Boushin found the young boy and his daughter sitting a few feet away from the river and looking sadly at the rushing water before them. The boy's father came forward and claimed his son graciously and the emperor knelt closer to May-Lee. He scooped her up in his arms and hugged her tightly to him. "May-Lee-chan, I'm so glad you're okay! Let's get you back to the palace where it's warm."
May-Lee clung to her father's robes and wrapped her arms around his neck as he carried her home. "Chichiri-san saved me." She said softly in his ear.
The emperor paused for a moment and pulled away from his daughter to look into her eyes. "What do you mean, May-Lee-chan?"
The young princess yawned and blinked sleepily at her father. "Chichiri-san pulled us out of the river. He saved us."
Boushin's eyes widened as he looked around searching for the monk within his party. "Where is Chichiri now, May-Lee-chan?"
"He's still in the river, but don't worry, the nice man with orange hair told me he would take care of him."
Boushin felt a surge of panic. He couldn't believe that what his daughter was telling him was true. He didn't want to imagine that Chichiri was lost somewhere out here amongst the flooding river. He hoped that the young girl had imagined it, but he couldn't let the possibility go unnoticed. With a nod of his head and a few quick commands he summoned a few of his guards and asked them to go search for the monk.
"What did the man look like, May-Lee-chan?"
"He had on long dangly earrings and his teeth looked like fangs when he smiled, but he seemed nice."
Back at the palace, the two children were bathed and cleaned up. The palace physician looked them over for any signs of injury and determined that they would be alright if they stayed warm. The emperor and empress kissed their daughter goodnight and tucked her into bed.
The empress went to bed soon afterwards, but Boushin sat in his study for a long while afterwards thinking about the events of the day and how much he had almost lost. His heart ached at the thought of losing Chichiri as well, but he had not yet given up hope that the monk would be found and he would be safe. He didn't want to think about the prospect of losing the one person who had been there when he needed him as a friend and as a father figure since he was very young. Chichiri was irreplaceable and Boushin didn't know what he would ever do without him.
Boushin looked up at a knock at his door and called for the visitor to come in. Two guards filed into the small room solemnly. They were both dripping wet and their expressions were a mix between apprehension and sadness. "Your majesty, I'm sorry, but-" The other guard stepped forward and interrupted the first as he held out an object in his hands. "We found this." The emperor opened his mouth to say something, but couldn't find the words as he recognized the item before him. He leaned closer to the two guards and finally stood to walk toward them. His eyes welled up with tears and his hands shook as he reached out to hold Chichiri's staff in his own hands. The metal was cold to the touch and glistened with rainwater that still clung to it in droplets.
"Does this mean…" The emperor couldn't finish the sentence. His voice wavered uncertainly and he looked up at the guards in disbelief.
"I'm sorry, your majesty, but we couldn't find any sign of him. This was washed up on the shore quite a ways away from the spot where we found your daughter."
The emperor nodded at the statement, but the guards' voices seemed very far away to him. He turned back towards his desk and walked slowly over to it. He clung to the back of his chair with one hand and set the staff on top of the desk with the other. He closed his eyes and two glistening teardrops fell from his eyes and traced there way down his cheeks. "Thank you. He will be greatly missed." His voice sounded broken and sad even to his own ears as the two guards left the emperor to himself to grieve and closed the door on their way out.
The emperor sat down weakly on the small wooden chair and brought his hands up to his face as more tears streamed down his face and his shoulders shook with quiet sobs. He knew that eventually the sadness would fade away and that if what May-Lee had said was true Chichiri would surely be happy wherever he was now, but even that realization was a small comfort to his own loss of a dear friend and role model. It would be a long time before he would be able to see Chichiri's passing as a blessing for the monk and he would never be forgotten.
Chichiri stood beside the emperor in the small room and reached out a hand to place a comforting pat on the younger man's shoulder, but his hand passed right through Boushin and the chair itself. He was no longer of the same realm. Chichiri shook his head and wiped away tears of his own. Beside him his fiery-haired companion squeezed Chichiri's hand and hugged him close as the monk tried to reconcile his newfound happiness with the sadness that still came of his sudden loss. Tasuki ran a hand through Chichiri's bright blue bangs and clung to his love as they faded from their place in that world and moved onto another full of possibilities and new hope for the future. They would never have to be alone again.
"I love you, Chichiri."
"I love you too, Tasuki no da. I've missed you so much na no da."
"Let's go home."
~Owari~
Thanks for reading and comments are very much appreciated!