Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction ❯ White Stones in the Moonlight ❯ Exorcism I - Alliance of Hearts ( Chapter 4 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

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.

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

CHAPTER 4: Exorcism, Part 1 - Alliance of Hearts (Chichiri, Chiriko, Nuriko)

In the twilight, the shrine of Suzaku stood engulfed in shadows, the darkness within interrupted intermittently by thin beams of light shining dimly through the pierced iron grillwork of the oil lamps which hung suspended in the gloom. The tiny beams illuminated very little, revealing a gleam of gold here, a swirl of incense there. The silence lay thick here, filling the confines of the temple with an almost tangible weight, seeming to suppress light as well as sound. Shrouded in the gloom, a figure knelt beside the statue of the phoenix-god, blending with the darkness until he became just another shadow dwelling in the shrine.

Into this sanctuary of shadows burst the figure of the warrior-monk, the magician of Suzaku, shattering the silence as he flung open the doors. He moved swiftly through the shrine, gathering up scrolls, prayer beads, demon wardings, sacred incense - anything that he could find to arm himself for the upcoming battle. The figure kneeling in the gloom watched his activities with interest before deciding to alert the monk to his presence. "Chichiri-san?" he called softly. The monk whirled around in surprise, turning his one good eye toward the statue of Suzaku as one of the shadows detached itself from the base and walked toward him.

"Chiriko! What are you doing here?"

"I couldn't sleep." admitted the youngest seishi. Chichiri groaned inwardly - he didn't need this now, didn't want to be compelled to comfort a sleepless child when he was rushing to engage an unknown enemy in combat.

"No, I'm not here to ask for reassurance." Chiriko said, reading Chichiri's thoughts with uncanny accuracy. "I came here to pray for us all, and now that you're here, I want to offer my help."

Chichiri sighed. "Chiriko, I appreciate your offer, but this is a very serious and complicated situation, and…"

"And you don't need a little boy getting in your way." Chiriko interrupted.

Chichiri paused, suddenly ashamed, remembering how this "child" was a fellow seishi who had just recently saved all of their lives.

"Please listen, Chichiri-san - I'll try not to keep you here for long. But the stars tell me of danger, great danger approaching the Suzaku seishi. A faint cloud hovers in the heavens - it has already eclipsed and dimmed Tasuki's constellation and now swirls around Tamahome's. But the next constellation in its path is yours, Chichiri-san."

Chichiri felt a sudden chill - he too had had premonitions of disaster, had felt disturbances in the ki surrounding the Shichiseishi, but he had been too late to prevent the first casualty.

"Thank you for the warning, Chiriko." he replied. "But I have no other choice except to confront and hopefully defeat this threat."

"Yes, I know that," said Chiriko. "That's why I've decided to give you this." He held out the golden scroll that Taiitsukun had given him, his reward for his efforts as a Shichiseishi and his weapon in the upcoming quest for the Shinzaho.

"But Chiriko, this is yours. It's meant for you to use when we leave on our search for the Shinzaho. And I'm not quite sure…"

"You're not sure what use it could be to you. Well, I've taken a look at the scroll. It holds vast amounts of knowledge, keys to unlock the mysteries of this universe." The young seishi's eyes were shining as he recalled his excitement at the sheer volume of information contained within the scroll. "But there is something else about this scroll - it holds power, great power - perhaps enough power to trap a demon spirit."

Chichiri looked at the boy intently. "If I use this - and if it works - the scroll will most likely need to be destroyed. You may never see it again. Are you truly willing to give up all the knowledge it contains, all the power that it might confer upon you? I do have other methods to battle this demon, it isn't necessary for you…"

Chiriko interrupted again. "But you have grave doubts about your usual weapons being strong enough against this enemy, haven't you?" Chichiri looked away, silently admitting his fears.

"Please take it, Chichiri." Chiriko's voice suddenly sounded older, strong and clear. "I would rather lose this scroll than to have any more harm come to my brother warriors. It's true that we haven't known each other for long, but you all already mean so much to me. My heart breaks for Tasuki," his voice caught in his throat, "and I couldn't bear it if any of the rest of you were to be hurt! So please, Chichiri, take the scroll… and my prayers for your swift victory over this darkness."

Chichiri gazed at the boy with admiration, seeing the wisdom that normally hid behind his wide-eyed innocence. It had been unfair of him to underestimate Chiriko. Although he was still a boy, and played and laughed like a child, he was also a seishi of Suzaku.

Chichiri bowed before his brother warrior. "I accept this gift with gratitude, Suzaku no Chiriko." The eldest Suzaku seishi spoke formally, addressing the youngest seishi as an equal. "And I thank you for your assistance."

Chiriko's face lit up in a delighted grin. "So what are you waiting for? Get out of here!" he laughed, grabbing Chichiri's arm and pulling him toward the door.

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

Chichiri walked swiftly through the deserted passages leading to the furthest cells of the palace prison, the darkness yielding reluctantly to the faint beam of his lantern. The cells stood empty, silent affirmation of the kind and just rule of the young Emperor Saihitei, who refused to fill his prison with peasants unable to pay their taxes, kitchen maids caught stealing a mouthful of food, servants caught pocketing a discarded golden button. That was not to say that Konan was free of crime, but the truly violent criminals were confined in the Imperial City prison, not the palace. Thus, when Tamahome insisted on imprisonment here, there were no guards or prisoners to witness the shocking sight of a Suzaku Shichiseishi being escorted to a cell. Chichiri had no doubt that should there have been such a witness, Kutou spies would have carried the news to Nakago by now. And that was the last thing he needed - the Kutou army arriving on their doorstep while the Suzaku Shichiseishi were in disarray.

So it was due to the fair and kind rule of Hotohori that they were spared that disaster, and it was due to the generosity of young Chiriko that he now carried, he was convinced, a weapon of great power. These were good omens, signs that the pure hearts of the Shichiseishi might yet win over the darkness that had struck in their midst. His thoughts turned to the rest of the seishi and their miko. Mitsukake had been a pillar of strength beside him this morning. Hotohori had radiated calm patience, throwing a blanket of normality over the day to conceal the turmoil within their ranks, while Nuriko had risen unselfishly to the task of guarding and comforting Tamahome, imprisoning himself along with the young seishi. Even Miaka had shown unexpected strength and maturity when faced with the horrifying truth - for the first time that Chichiri could recall, she truly acted the part of the Suzaku no Miko. It was because of that new-found maturity that he could allow her to take over the care of Tasuki in his frighteningly fragile state, something he would never have entrusted to the giddy schoolgirl of yesterday. Tasuki himself, even when caught in his maelstrom of fear and despair, had been careful to give them crucial information to protect themselves and in a way, to exonerate Tamahome. And Tamahome, with almost no memories of the night's horrors, still took the responsibility to seclude himself for the safety of all. All in all, a surprising show of maturity and cohesiveness for a group of young people who had just recently met each other and become friends and comrades.

Chichiri slowed as he approached his destination. Carefully, stealthily, he placed holy objects and demon wards along the corridors, setting traps for the oni in the upcoming battle. He sighed, suddenly feeling weary. Unlike the younger shichiseishi, he did not leap joyfully into battle. Bitter experience had taught him the cost of violence: that there were no guarantees that one would emerge alive or intact, whether or not the cause was just. Although he was capable of wielding weapons and striking blows, skills which had increasingly come into play since he joined up with the Suzaku no Miko, it did not come naturally to him. He preferred the quiet contemplative part of his life as Suzaku's monk. Deep inside, he knew that those peaceful, meditative days were about to be left behind, perhaps forever, as they set out on their quest to find the Shinzaho and summon Suzaku. Dismissing these depressing thoughts with a quick internal shake, Chichiri took a moment to meditate, concentrating and focusing his ki.

He stepped into the hallway outside Tamahome's cell - and stopped. Tamahome lay on the bench in the cell, his head resting on Nuriko's knees, still wearing the demon ward on his forehead. Nuriko's head was bowed over him. Both were asleep, tearstains on their faces, hands gripped together. They looked like two children abandoned in the forest, unfairly punished for crimes they did not commit. Chichiri felt anger building in him at the visible signs of their heartbreak - first Tasuki, now Tamahome and Nuriko - they were children, only recently having crossed the line into young adulthood. He let his rage at the injustice of their suffering feed his adrenaline rush, increasing his heart rate and blood flow and bringing all of his senses to full alert.

He reached out to Nuriko's ki to gently wake him, another surge of anger flowing through him when he touched Nuriko's grief and pain. Nuriko opened his eyes slowly, his last two tears trickling down his face. Chichiri beckoned to him silently. Gently, Nuriko shifted Tamahome's head from his lap to the bench. Tamahome stirred and sobbed once, then was again quiet. The young seishi followed Chichiri to the corridor arrayed with holy objects, arranged to prevent them from being overheard by the oni.

"Are you all right?" Chichiri asked. Nuriko nodded, his answer belied by the tears that continued to fall from his eyes. Chichiri placed his hand gently on Nuriko's head, trying to soothe some of the turbulence in the young seishi's ki. In less than a minute, Nuriko had gained control of himself.

"I'm sorry, Chichiri, it's just that the last hour was a literal hell. Poor Tasuki…poor Tamahome…" he caught his breath on a sob.

"Nuriko, I wish that we had time to grieve, but we don't. Now is the time for retribution. I need your help - and the first thing that I need you to do is to recount for me everything that you witnessed, from the manifestation of the oni in Tamahome to every word he said, as accurately as possible."

Nuriko paled at the last request. Chichiri took a deep breath. "Believe me, Nuriko, I wouldn't put you through this if it weren't absolutely essential. I need to understand what it is that I will be fighting in a few minutes - will you help me, Suzaku no Nuriko?"

At that formality, Nuriko straightened up and lifted his chin. "Of course, Suzaku no Chichiri." In an instant, Nuriko had transformed his appearance to that of an unmistakably masculine young man. Chichiri smiled at the magic that Nuriko performed seemingly without effort - changing his appearance from an attractive androgynous youth to that of a beautiful woman or a handsome young man. Yet no matter what facet of himself he chose to present to the outside world, Nuriko still remained... Nuriko.

While Tamahome continued to sleep uneasily, Nuriko repeated the oni's tale, at times choking over the descriptions but forcing himself to accurately recount the details. To his relief, Chichiri interrupted with frequent questions, which helped to dissipate the atmosphere of dread and horror induced by the story. Finally, Chichiri seemed satisfied. He looked up to see Nuriko trembling and remembered that Nuriko was very close to Tamahome and had also recently forged strong bonds of friendship with Tasuki: he, Tasuki, and Miaka forming a triumvirate within the Suzaku group - the three most likely to be found pulling pranks and having fun. "I'm sorry, Nuriko. I'm sorry that you have to bear so much of the burden of this tragedy."

Nuriko raised his violet eyes to Chichiri. "Me? I'm not the one bearing the burden." He caught his breath, then asked hesitantly, "Can you tell me anything about Tasuki, Chichiri? Is he going to be all right?"

Chichiri frowned, unable to keep the pain and anxiety out of his face. "I'd like to lie to you and say that he's going to be fine, but it's just too early to tell. He's hanging onto his sanity by a thread, and I don't know which way it'll go - whether he'll make a full mental recovery, or…

"Or whether he'll try to kill himself." Nuriko interrupted, then burst into tears. "Oh, gods, oh, Suzaku, it was just last night that the three of us were at the Star-Gazing Festival together! He was laughing and teasing me and Miaka… Even after she ran off, we were still goofing around, entering contests and playing games. When we returned here, we found Miaka brooding, and so we went to cheer her up - but I got too cold, so I went in, leaving them alone together. Oh, gods, I should never have left them! I left them - and he ended up getting huuuurrrtt!" wailed Nuriko.

Chichiri grasped Nuriko's shoulders, trying to calm him. "Nuriko, stop this! You know better than to blame yourself! If assigning blame ever actually accomplished anything, then I should take on the responsibility for sensing danger approaching us and yet failing to prevent this disaster."

Nuriko looked up into Chichiri's face, sniffling and wiping at his eyes. "That's ridiculous, Chichiri. How could you know what was going to happen?"

"My point exactly." he retorted. Nuriko managed to summon up a watery smile.

"I wish that I could tell you that your part in this is finished, Nuriko, but I need your help yet again." Chichiri looked intently into Nuriko's eyes. "I am about to call upon your strength in more ways than one, and I'm afraid that I may require more from you than has ever been asked of you before."

"I am at your disposal, Chichiri." Nuriko replied, his voice low and husky.

Chichiri stepped away from Nuriko and began to pace, rechecking the positions of the demon wards and lighting the sacred incense. "I can't predict exactly how this battle will go. But I know what I hope to achieve and for that, I need a distraction. So I need you to be ready for a signal from me, at which point I need you to overpower Tamahome. You must be swift as well as strong so that you can take him by surprise. I don't want you to injure Tamahome, but it's essential that you immobilize the oni for me."

"Doesn't sound that difficult to me, I've done it once today already." said Nuriko.

"No, Nuriko, the difficult part is yet to come. From what you told me, you lost control and jumped the oni, but that must not happen now. Whatever you see, whatever you hear, you MUST NOT react nor draw attention to yourself. Do you understand how difficult that will be? You may see something that will horrify you, but you must control yourself until I give you the signal. Do you think you can do that?"

Nuriko had paled again, but he nodded resolutely.

"Now for the part where you must truly show your strength. I hope that this will be totally unnecessary, but I need to prepare for every possible outcome. Listen carefully, Nuriko… in an exorcism, there is always a chance that things will go very wrong, and that the mononoke or demon will take over the body of the exorcist. If that happens... if I get taken over... you must promise me that you will immediately kill me."

Nuriko fell back and covered his mouth with his hands. "Gods, no, no, you can't ask that of me, Chichiri!" His voice was a high-pitched scream. "There's no way that I can ever do that!"

"Listen, Nuriko, this oni is obviously able to access the thoughts and memories of the body he possesses. It is not my intention to brag about my learning, but I have far too much knowledge of this universe and how to use powers untapped by most magicians. If the oni gets hold of this information, he will be invincible, and not even Suzaku will be able to save us then. Do you understand?!"

Nuriko just shook his head in denial and horror, his tears flowing again.

Chichiri grasped his arm and shook him. "Then think about this, Nuriko. The first place that this demon will go, hidden in my body, will be to pay another visit to Tasuki. Is that what you want?!"

He didn't think that Nuriko could get any whiter, but he was wrong. However, Nuriko had stopped trembling and now stood resolute. "I'll see him in Hell first!" he hissed, violet fire flashing from his eyes.

"That's the spirit, Nuriko!" Chichiri sighed in relief. "Now, mind you, I have no intention of letting myself get taken over - this is just a back-up precaution."

"But how am I supposed to know if you're you after it's over? This oni seems clever - what if he deceives me?"

"Good question, Nuriko. We need to arrange a signal between us - both for your distraction attack, and after everything's over, to let you know that I'm still me. We need something that the oni won't be familiar with, something we've only come up with recently…"

Nuriko raised his right hand, the first two fingers in the shape of a "V". "How about this?" he asked.

"That's good! It's simple, yet obvious. How did you think of that?"

"Actually, it's something that Miaka taught me. She said that it stands for victory."

Chichiri laughed, his heart suddenly lighter. "Perfect! Good omens all around, no da! As long as we have one another, how can we lose?!"

Nuriko began to smile at Chichiri's sudden show of confidence and at the return of his 'no da's. "Are we ready, then?"

Chichiri smiled back. "Let's go, Nuriko."

Together, they stepped out of the protected corridor, toward the darkness that awaited them.

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

Glossary:

Demon wards, or wardings - pieces of paper with prayers or spells written on them, which are effective in restraining or confining demons.

Prayer beads - necklace of beads which have either been blessed, or have a spell cast upon them, that if placed around the demon's neck are also effective in controlling it. (See Inuyasha…Osuwari!)

Author's notes: This chapter is dedicated to my sister, who loves Chichiri - I hope that I did him justice, CG! I told you that he intimidates me! Next time - The Exorcism.

Ja ne!

Roku