Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction ❯ White Stones in the Moonlight ❯ Aftermath ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: The characters from Fushigi Yuugi are the creations and property of Yuu Watase and related enterprises. I do not own them, and do not make any profit from this fiction except for my own enjoyment in spending time with them.

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CHAPTER 1: Aftermath (Tasuki, Tamahome, Chichiri, Mitsukake)

Pain. Such a short simple word for the blazing agony that awakened him. Pain everywhere, within and without his body, consuming him until he had to fight to remember who he was, where he was. His back, throbbing in time to his heartbeats; his legs bruised and weak; something deep inside him feeling broken, bleeding… and his arms, at first numb but now awakening to the screams of torn muscles. He tried to move them but couldn't shift them. Why not? His eyes, lashes stuck together with the salt of dried tears, forced themselves open to focus blearily on his wrists bound together above his head. That brought him fully awake, his body in a complete panic. Oh dear Suzaku, no… Gods, no…it wasn't just a nightmare, it was all true…Gods, it can't be, please, PLEASE!!

He caught his breath on a sob, realizing that he wasn't alone. The morning sun, just beginning to rise, sent a few beams into the room, illuminating the bed on which he lay, his tormentor cuddled up next to him, sleeping on his chest with one arm draped possessively over his waist. That was it. He couldn't take anymore. The oni was going to awaken and then, in the bright light of day, his torture was going to begin all over again, and again, and it was never going to end! His mind fled from this reality, leaving behind only a broken child who whimpered softly in grief and despair, knowing that the monster was coming, and that he wasn't going to be able to hide…

Tamahome awoke slowly, roused by the sound of soft weeping. He didn't want to wake - he felt warm and comfortable where he lay. His body felt strangely satisfied, replete, tempting him back into luxurious sleep... but the weeping wouldn't stop. It sounded like the tears of a child who had woken from a nightmare and couldn't be comforted. Remembering his responsibilities as a big brother, he forced his eyes open, murmuring "Chuei? Yuiren?" But the sight that met his eyes sent his world careening into a full panic, as he skittered backwards in horror from the warm body on which he had been sleeping.

Tasuki lay on his bed, wrists bound above his head, his naked body bruised and broken as he turned his head away, crying harder now that he knew that Tamahome was awake. Tamahome realized with a sick feeling that he was equally as naked, although nowhere near as bruised.

"Tasuki! What the hell happened here?! What are you doing in my room?! What in all the hells?!" Images began to flash briefly before Tamahome's eyes… the fight over Miaka, Tasuki falling… a red veil of rage falling over his vision… Tasuki tied to the bed, his lips swollen and bruised from kisses… NO! He wasn't dealing with this now - he couldn't deal with this now! Tamahome ran to the door - He had to get away from here, had to get help! Tasuki let out a groan of pain as he tried to twist away from his bonds.

"I can't leave him like this. No matter what, I can't just run out on him." Shaking, frightened, Tamahome walked toward Tasuki, who cried out in fear at his approach. "No, shhhh, I'm just going to untie you. I'm just trying to help…" Tasuki's eyes widened in panic and he cried out, "Not again! Please… not again!" Tamahome felt nausea rising in him at the utter terror in his friend's amber eyes, an expression he thought he would never see on Tasuki's face. He reached out, trying to ignore his friend's cries of panic, and untied the shirt that held his wrists captive. As soon as his arms fell to his sides, Tasuki curled away from Tamahome into a fetal position. Tamahome's eyes widened at the huge dark purple bruise that spread across the redhead's lower back. He then noticed the blood trickling sluggishly down the backs of his thighs, matching the blood on the bedsheets. Oh gods, he's broken on the inside, oh gods, oh Suzaku! He then noticed that he, too, had blood on his body… and then he lost it. Running into the adjoining bath chamber, Tamahome vomited into the basin and huddled there, shaking and gasping. Once he had regained some control of himself, he frantically cleaned off the blood, noticing dimly that he did not appear to be wounded in any way.

Finally, he forced himself back into the nightmare of his bedchamber. Tasuki had not moved, still just lay there curled up and crying. Tamahome searched desperately for their clothes and shoved Tasuki's clothes at him. "Tasuki, you have to get dressed! Please…" he pleaded, but the bandit just kept crying "No, no, no…" and didn't move. Frantically, Tamahome dressed himself, then threw a blanket over the huddled form. "I'm going to get help - don't go anywhere, okay?" then cursed himself for his stupid remark. Bursting out of his room, Tamahome ran straight out of the palace, needing to get away, to run away… Running, running, until his breath came in harsh gasps, he reached the lake which bordered the palace and noticed a figure sitting quietly in the dawn light, fishing pole in the water. Thank Suzaku! It was the one person he wanted to find above all others.

"Chichiri!" he gasped. The monk looked up startled, maskless since he thought he was alone. Tamahome's relief was so profound that he burst into tears. He tried to choke out words, but his sobs made him unintelligible. Chichiri jumped up and laid a comforting hand on Tamahome's shoulder. "Easy, easy now, just breathe… and tell me what's wrong," he soothed. "It's Tasuki!" choked Tamahome. "He's hurt bad, real bad...and he's in my room…" At that, he lost it again. Chichiri just grabbed his arm and started running back toward the palace.

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They reached Tamahome's room in record time and pulled open the door - only to find the room apparently empty. The broken furniture and the blood on the bed, however, bore mute testimony to the violence that had occurred in the night. "Where did he go?!" cried Tamahome in desperation. Chichiri held up his hand for silence, closing his eyes and sending out a gentle search for Tasuki's ki. He flinched and jumped back as if struck in the face by what he had found. "Tasuki?" he murmured gently, moving toward the damaged wardrobe which held Tamahome's clothes. Tamahome finally noticed the blanketed bundle which huddled against the wood as if trying to hide. "It's me, Chichiri. Don't be afraid…" He gently pulled at the blanket, revealing a shock of fiery hair, followed by two amber eyes widened in panic. Both of Tasuki's hands were clamped over his mouth, repressing any sounds for fear of discovery. He stared blankly at Chichiri for a moment, then caught sight of Tamahome hovering behind him. At that, he squeezed his eyes shut in despair, as tears leaked out and little sobs escaped from behind the barrier of his hands.

"Tamahome? Please get Mitsukake here right away!" Chichiri grabbed Tamahome's arm as he prepared to bolt out of the room once more. "Try to act normal and do NOT let ANY of the guards or servants find out about this - I don't know who we can trust. For that matter, don't let Miaka or any of the other seishi find out yet, either." Tamahome nodded and took a deep breath, glad to escape the hellhole that his room had become. Forcing himself to walk instead of run, he moved quickly towards Mitsukake's quarters, his mind shying away from Tasuki's obvious fear of him. "I'll deal with that...later." he promised himself.

Shortly thereafter, Tamahome returned with Mitsukake to his chamber. The tall doctor was silent on their way there, carrying his medical supplies as unobtrusively as possible. Chichiri was still kneeling by the blanketed Tasuki, talking to him soothingly but getting little response from him. Tamahome stayed outside the door, unwilling to see Tasuki's reaction to him yet again. Mitsukake knelt before the wounded seishi, who tried to hide in his blanket at the sight of the tall man. "Tasuki, I'm going to take a look at you now. Please don't be afraid...I'll try not to hurt you." "No, no, no..." Tasuki moaned. "It's all right, Tasuki, I'm going to stay right here with you," Chichiri promised. Tamahome tilted his head back against the wall and blinked rapidly in an effort to contain his tears.

After a while, Mitsukake came out and beckoned Tamahome back into the room., Tamahome entered reluctantly, edging around the door and trying to stay out of Tasuki's line of sight. He needn't have bothered - the redhead seemed calmer, eyes closed, wrapped in a clean blanket and leaning back against Chichiri's shoulder. "What's wrong with him? Is he going to be all right?" he whispered. "Physically, yes," Mitsukake replied softly. "He has a slight concussion, a cracked rib, strained muscles in both shoulders and arms, a hairline fracture of one vertebrae in his lower back along with some compressed disks, but thank Suzaku, no damage to the spinal cord... and some internal injuries... but these should all heal, given time." "Given time? But why don't you heal him right now?!" Mitsukake merely shook his head, and placed a finger to his lips.

"Tasuki." Chichiri murmured gently. "We need to know what happened here from both you and Tamahome." Tasuki frowned without opening his eyes and tried to shrink away, but Chichiri held his shoulders gently, not letting him escape. "Just answer a few questions. Was it Seiryuu seishi who did this to you?" Tasuki shook his head, keeping his eyes shut. "Kutou assassins?" Again, a negative response. "Then who?"

Slowly Tasuki opened his eyes, looking directly at Tamahome for the first time that day. He raised his hand, pointing at his fellow seishi. "Him," he said simply. "The oni."

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Tamahome reeled back in shock, praying that it wasn't true, and yet knowing, knowing that it was the absolute truth. Mitsukake stared at him in shock and horror, while Chichiri closed his one eye in pain, having guessed the truth from the moment that Tamahome had found him. Mitsukake shook his head in disbelief, and gasped out "Tamahome? Tamahome did this to you?!" Tamahome stood there, offering no defense, miserable and wishing that he could die right then.

"No, not Tamahome." The voice was strong and clear in its denial. They stared down at Tasuki, who sounded sane for the first time that day. "I said it was the oni, not Tamahome. The oni attacked me, Tamahome tried to get me free but the oni took him over again. Tama wouldn't do this to me. He's my fellow warrior... and friend. He wouldn't..." Tasuki's voice dropped, "…rape me." The last two words were uttered very softly, but everyone still heard him.

"Rape?!!!" choked Tamahome. "He was..."

"Yes!" said Mitsukake angrily, still not understanding Tasuki's defense of Tamahome. "Very brutally, too, I might add."

"Oh, gods!!" Tamahome recalled the blood on Tasuki's thighs and on him. He ran from the room and was sick for the second time that morning. He gagged and retched, starting to weep uncontrollably. A few disjointed memories of the attack started to come back to him, causing him to double over in pain and nausea.

Chichiri looked helplessly at Mitsukake. The sounds of Tamahome's sickness and weeping had started Tasuki trembling again. "Tasuki! Listen to me. You have to explain - was Tamahome possessed?"

"Yes!" Tasuki gazed up at Chichiri, hanging on to his sanity desperately in order to give them the information they needed to protect themselves. "The oni sign... here." he touched his forehead. "Not red, from Suzaku. Not blue, from Seiryuu, either. Yellow-green, and his eyes, too! And he was so strong - too strong!" Tasuki gasped, his teeth starting to chatter. "We need more help," he said simply. "before he destroys us all." Tasuki closed his eyes and retreated into his semi-catatonic state once again.

Mitsukake and Chichiri locked glances, panic beginning to show in each of their faces. "We're going to have to bring in the rest of the seishi," Chichiri said. "But we still have to keep this hidden as long as possible from the palace staff - if this gets out, Kutou will attack us immediately in our weakened state! Get Nuriko and Hotohori... and we won't be able to keep this from Chiriko or Miaka, either, I'm afraid."

"But what's going on?!" burst out Mitsukake. "Who's responsible for all this?"

"I have an idea." Chichiri's eye narrowed, and for the first time, the monk appeared as the truly dangerous warrior that he was. "And I intend to find out the truth."

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Author's note: Chuei, Yuiren: The names of Tamahome's younger brother and baby sister