Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction ❯ White Stones in the Moonlight ❯ Enchantment ( Chapter 11 )

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.

Musical selection: Soundtrack from "Princess Mononoke," by Joe Hisaishi, Track 5, "Land of the Impure" and Track 6, "Encounter", copyright Milan Records and BMG, 1999.

Warning: Serious erotica in this chapter - true "R" rated material. Please skip if you are underage or find sexual situations offensive.

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CHAPTE R 10: Enchantment (Miaka, Tasuki)

She walked through the Imperial woods, admiring the beauty of the afternoon sun shining through the leaves, allying itself with the breeze to create dancing dappled spots of light on the path before her. She breathed in the intoxicating scent of the forest, its vibrant essence reminding her of the fragrance of his skin. She knew that he was in here somewhere, knew that in the absence of his beloved mountains, he found comfort in the familiar terrain of trees and ferns, winding paths muffled by fallen leaves, quiet pools reflecting occasional glimpses of sky. She also knew that she had almost no chance of finding him if he did not want to be found - he was a creature of the forest and could escape silently between the trees before she ever registered his presence. It didn't trouble her - she knew that he needed time alone to think. She too needed to think, and the quiet serenity of the forest helped her to gather her thoughts. So she was content to walk the paths that he had walked earlier, gently hoping to encounter him but not feeling any urgency to track him down and capture him.

Miaka smiled at the changes that had occurred in her over the past few days. No longer was she the flighty girl who ran through Konan, crying out "Tamahome, Tamahome!" The earth-shaking events of several days ago had forced her to mature, to think before speaking, before acting. Everyone was easily wounded in this time of turmoil and confusion, and the two men closest to her heart were the two most fragile at this time. The thought of Tamahome made the smile leave her face. She knew that he was probably suffering, and her heart ached to comfort him as she had Tasuki - but he was adamant in his refusal to see her. Nuriko was firm in denying her access to Tamahome, explaining that he was honor-bound to obey Tamahome's wishes if he was to retain the young seishi's trust. Even after yesterday's frolic in the woods, which had helped ease some of the tension between miko and seishi that had been created by Nuriko's constant refusals to Miaka, Nuriko still stood firm against Miaka this morning.

"Please don't make me choose between my friends, Miaka." the young seishi had pleaded. Miaka yielded to the pain in her friend's violet eyes. Her new-found sensitivity made her realize that she could do more harm than good if she forced a confrontation with Tamahome, so she acquiesced gracefully, only asking Nuriko to tell Tamahome that she was worried about him. She felt a little better that at least Tamahome wasn't completely alone in his darkness - he had Nuriko to lean on.

Maybe it was for the best that she not see him right now. What if he looked into her eyes and saw the change in her heart? What if he saw that there was another man occupying her thoughts and her dreams, another man who was becoming more important to her each passing day? Miaka shook her head in confusion. She didn't understand her own feelings - how could she explain them to Tamahome? She knew that she still loved him - she ached at his suffering, and she missed him deeply - but at the same time, her traitorous heart quickened at the thought of her new love. Did falling in love with someone new mean that you were supposed to immediately stop loving or caring about your previous love? She didn't know. If she were to define her emotions, Miaka would say that her love for Tamahome had not diminished, but rather that her heart had grown. But she was sure he wouldn't see it that way. It was an explanation that sounded lame even to her own ears, and she knew that one day, inevitably, she would have to make a choice.

And what would be the deciding factor in that choice? Would she make her choice based on her head and her heart - or would it be driven by feelings more basic, more visceral? Miaka lifted her face to gaze at the branches above her, letting the gentle breeze cool her suddenly flushed cheeks. She blushed at her realization of a part of her nature that she had never given much thought to - the part driven by passion and desire. She knew that she was impulsive, sometimes reckless, and she totally indulged her passionate side when it came to food. But that had been a part of her behavior that had earned as many laughs as admonitions from her friends and family. She doubted that they would be laughing if they knew where her passions were leading her now…

Miaka had felt desire before - how could she not, being in love with someone as handsome and heroic as Tamahome? She had longed for him, craving his kisses and the feel of his body pressed against her…it was not for nothing that Taiitsukun had warned her against their closeness. Yet even then, she had remembered who she was and what role she had to play in this world. These responsibilities, combined with her natural timidity about the novel sensations that Tamahome had aroused in her, had enabled her to maintain control over her desires - a difficult undertaking, but not impossible. But what she felt now for Tasuki was deeper, darker, almost frightening in its intensity…

Miaka paused, looking around at the trees that surrounded her. She had now wandered further into the woods than she had ever gone before. The sounds of the palace activities had died away long ago, left far behind her. Now she heard only birdsong and the sigh of the wind in the boughs above her. The fragrance of the forest grew thicker, more intoxicating, and she breathed deeply, hoping to calm her pounding heart. She looked down to see the intersection of several paths which led in many directions - then deliberately chose the path that led directly away from the palace, deeper into the heart of the forest. Her pace picking up to match the turbulence of her thoughts, Miaka plunged into the unknown.

She had boasted about her self-control to Tasuki - to cover up for her dangerous lack of control around him. Why was she like this? She was raised to know better, to behave better! Why then did his closeness make her forget her upbringing, her responsibilities, her modesty…her very self?! What was it about this fiery bandit that ignited an answering fire in her? This was dangerous - she knew it was dangerous! She would have to put distance between them as she had with Tamahome…and the first thing she had to do was to stop sleeping with Tasuki!

Miaka gave a little snort of laughter at how that sounded. But sleeping was all they did in the bed together. Tasuki did not press her for intimacies, but then again, he was not yet fully recovered from his trauma. Going to sleep together at night was fun, light-hearted - they would argue about who stole the blankets, have impromptu pillow fights, and generally bicker like siblings, ending up falling asleep while calling each other "baka". Late in the night, when he cried out in the throes of his nightmares, she would awaken and soothe him back to sleep. That was not the difficult part. It was the early mornings that tried her, body and soul. She would awaken when the first rays of the sun crept into his room, and blink open sleepy eyes to watch the early light catch the fire of his hair. She would feel his arms around her and his body pressed close, and see his face looking impossibly young and innocent with his features relaxed in sleep. That was when desire would begin to hum within her. She would reach out to touch his sunlit hair, just to prove to herself that it was soft and not crackling with flames as it appeared. He would smile in his sleep, draw her closer, move gently against her, and then…then she would pull away carefully and run to the bathroom to splash cold water on her face, her desire for him having risen from a quiet hum to a demanding scream.

This had to stop! She would tell him tonight…after all, his nightmares were diminishing even as her daydreams were increasing…

Caught up in her thoughts, Miaka had not noticed how deeply she had penetrated into the heart of the forest. Suddenly she found herself at the edge of a large forest pool, the serenity of the surroundings enhanced by the quiet burbling of the little stream that fed into the pond. She marveled at the arching canopy of branches that met above the water, casting most of the pool into shadow, broken here and there to admit individual beams of light. It reminded her of the shaded clearing that they had played in yesterday, but this place was larger, more mysterious... and it was magic! This place was completely magical, and right now, it was hers alone! She laughed softly to herself in delight and bent to dabble her fingers in the water. It was clear as a diamond and just as cold - not surprising since the nights in Konan were growing chilly, and this pool obviously did not get much sunlight during the day. She was a little disappointed that it was far too cold for her to enjoy a swim, but she promised herself that she would come back when the weather was warmer. In the meantime, she could just enjoy the beauty and magic of this spot until it was time for her to return to the palace.

She retreated up the sloping bank, looking around for the most suitable place to sit, when a flash of movement on the opposite bank caught her eye. She stood still and held her breath, hoping to catch a glimpse of a deer or some other wild creature. But as the creature moved silently in the shadows, at times partially breaking through a sunbeam, she gasped in shock. It was a forest spirit! Although human in shape, it moved with unearthly grace and silence. As it stepped delicately into the water, she caught glimpses of the long lean lines of its unclothed body shimmering palely in the greenish forest light. She had learned about spirits while studying Asian mythology in school. However, this creature most resembled beings from a foreign story that she had read last year. It was a story written by an Englishman about a mythical land in which lived a race of magical beings called elves. Although she never finished the books which comprised the story, she had been fascinated by the description of the beautiful, forest-loving elves.

This enchanting creature had to be an elf - it fit the description perfectly! Tall, graceful, mysterious... in the Universe of the Four Gods, it was not impossible to encounter mythical beings. As she watched it move through another sunbeam, she caught her breath at its golden beauty. She also noticed that it was unmistakably male, but she didn't blush, instead admiring him as she would a wild stag.

He scooped water into his cupped hands and poured it over his body, not flinching at the frigid temperature of the water. Miaka could only catch glimpses of him, since he stayed shyly in the shallow water at the shadowed far edge of the pool, probably ready to flee into the forest at the slightest disturbance. But he suddenly grew bolder, venturing hesitantly yet gracefully deeper into the pool, stopping when the water reached his waist. Here he splashed himself with a little more vigor, sending droplets of water flying through the beams of light like diamonds. Enchanted by the dreamlike quality of the scene, Miaka moved forward to get a better look at him - then accidentally slipped down the bank, crashing loudly into view. The creature whirled around at the sound, his features breaking into a beam of sunlight at his sudden movement. Miaka had a brief impression of sharp elven features, slanted golden eyes, and wild golden hair before he vanished from her sight with a splash. Disappointed, Miaka stared at the spot where he had been, saddened by the abrupt ending to the magical interlude.

Suddenly, the water exploded as her elf reappeared next to the spot where she had last seen him, flailing wildly in the deep drop-off. "SHIT!!!" he screamed. "GodDAMMIT!!!" before disappearing beneath the surface once again.

Miaka stood frozen in shock for a few more seconds until her brain kicked in, and she realized that he wasn't reappearing on his own. Kicking off her shoes, she dove into the pool and swam frantically toward the area where she had last seen him. Diving under the surface, she felt around in panic, cursing the darkness of the shadowed waters. Luckily, she brushed against soft strands of hair waving in the water. Seizing his hair, she dragged him to the surface, then pulled him up onto the grassy bank of the far shore. Placing him in a beam of sunlight so that she could see him clearly, she rolled him over onto his back and pressed on his chest. He immediately coughed up a huge quantity of pond water and began gasping for air. He stared up at her, the concentrated light of the sunbeam turning his eyes and skin to gold and accentuating the golden highlights in his fiery hair.

"Without a doubt," he gasped, "this has got to be the worst fucking week of my LIFE!!!"

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Mi aka knelt beside him, panting from her exertions, her heart hammering from the close call they had had. Meanwhile, he continued to rant. "First, I get turned into the boy-toy of some hentai mononoke, who decides to use the body of one of my best friends to do the deed! That's sure to make all social interactions a real treat from now on. Next I learn about all kinds of fun after-effects I'll have to deal with, probably for life! Then, when I'm in the middle of the woods thinking I'm completely alone, the woman I love decides to jump out at me, damn near giving me a heart attack and scaring me into a deep hole in the water, where I damn near DROWN!! What the FUCK?!! Is it "Kick Tasuki" week in the great celestial calendar, or WHAT?!!!"

Miaka continued to stare at him, trying to reconcile in her mind the transformation of the silent magical creature of a few minutes ago into the infuriated cursing bandit she loved. Did he perhaps have other seishi powers he never told her about? Could he transform himself at will? No, she was being ridiculous, her brain short-circuiting due to the successive shocks in the last few minutes.

Tasuki was getting unnerved by her blank stare. "What?! What's goin' on?! What were you doin' spyin' on me?"

Miaka finally shook herself out of her trance. "I wasn't spying on you, Tasuki. I didn't realize it was you."

He glared at her. "So you make a habit of peeping on strange men bathing in the forest. Real nice, Miaka..."

"No, no, Tasuki. I didn't even recognize you as human..."

His eyes widened. "Well, thanks a lot! Thanks one whole HELL of a lot for that one, Miaka! Good uppercut to the self-esteem there... mmmph!"

Miaka had grabbed him by his ears and planted a kiss on his lips. She stayed there until she felt him tentatively return the kiss, at which point she released him.

"What was that for?" he panted.

"To shut you up so that I could get a word in edgewise! Gee, Tasuki, usually you don't get on my nerves, but right now you could drive a miko to drink!" She regretted her words when he pulled away from her and hung his head. "I'm sorry, Tasuki, I know that I'm not explaining myself clearly, but I've just had a sudden dunk in cold water, too. I'm hoping that you'll give me a break about startling you, because I did save your life after all." Miaka frowned, only now thinking about what happened. "By the way, why didn't you save yourself?"

He was completely turned away from her, his back to her, knees up to his chin. She heard him mumble something into his knees.

"What was that? I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you, Tasuki."

He looked over his shoulder at her. "I said that I can't swim. So go ahead and laugh at me now..."

"Why would I laugh at you? In my world, there are plenty of people that don't know how to swim. But they generally avoid water. If you can't swim, why were you in this pond?"

He blushed and turned back again. "I just felt like it - felt like I needed to get clean. Mitsukake said that I would get these weird urges to do stuff like that, and that I should just do what I felt like doing as long as it didn't hurt anybody..." he trailed off.

Miaka felt the now familiar pain in her heart that appeared each time she watched him struggle to recover from his trauma. There was silence between them for a minute, then she remembered what she had been going to say.

"Tasuki, when I said that I didn't recognize you before, it was the truth. This place is so magical that I thought that I had stumbled into a dream! And then I caught a glimpse of you from across the pool. You looked too beautiful to be real! You were all golden in the sunbeams, moving so gracefully and silently, that I thought you were a mythical creature called an elf..."

She smiled as she saw the tension leave his shoulders and his posture straighten. He was endearingly susceptible to compliments, probably because he so rarely received any.

"A... neff?" he asked, stumbling over the strange foreign word.

"No, an elf. Elves are mythical creatures which love forests and are known for their grace and beauty. That's what I mistook you for..."

He grinned at her over his shoulder, showing his fangs. "If you keep calling me beautiful, I'm gonna think you liiiiiike me!" he teased.

Suddenly, she felt something deep inside her turn over at the sight of his smile... and his body. Yes, she had seen him like this a few nights ago, but he had been badly hurt. Even then she had been unable to resist him. Now he was healed and perfect and... right in front of her. Miaka felt the fire ignite in her once again, a passion beyond any she had ever felt before, burning up any inhibitions that she had, burning up any thought of Suzaku, Konan, the Shinzaho... Gone were all thoughts of distance, separation, self-control - all burnt to ashes in the blazing inferno of her desire. This passion was elemental, primal. She no longer felt desire - she was Desire itself. All she knew was that she had to have him now!

Tasuki stopped smiling when he saw the smile leave her face and the strangest expression enter her eyes. It was the same sort of expression the bandits wore when they were about to embark on a very dangerous raid, a sort of "burning one's bridges" attitude.

Slowly, she untied her dripping necktie, then removed her jacket. As she began to unbutton her blouse, Tasuki felt he had to say something. "Miaka?"

"My clothes are soaking wet." she said huskily, shaking her dripping hair out of its bonds. "They're making me cold..."

He felt guilty, remembering that she had jumped into the pond to save him. "Wait here, Miaka, I'll get my shirt for you..."

"No." she interrupted, kicking off her skirt, and walking over to him. "I don't want your shirt - I want you!"

He just sat there, stunned at her boldness. Swiftly, she stooped to kiss him, pulling off the last of her undergarments. Then she climbed into his lap, still kissing him, running her fingers through his damp hair. Tasuki couldn't help himself, pulling her even closer with a wolfish growl. She was everything he had ever wanted, and she was right here, wanting him! He caressed her curves and nipped at her neck with his fangs, as she moaned and rubbed against him. He reveled in the feeling of her skin brushing against his... she was so soft, velvet and satin whispering against him, teasing him, tempting him...

He felt himself pushing towards her, not caring anymore, not caring about anyone else - not Konan, not Suzaku, not his friends... His friends... his fellow seishi... his brothers... Suddenly he stopped, lifting her away from him. She gazed at him in surprise, her emerald eyes still clouded with passion.

"We can't do this, Miaka, you know we can't!"

She lowered her eyes, flushing with shame. "I'm sorry, Tasuki, I don't know what came over me. I just knew that I couldn't resist you any more..." Her voice broke, and she caught her breath.

He could have wept with frustration and knew that she felt the same, judging by her clenched fists and the tears in her eyes. He couldn't imagine a more aggravating situation, both of them needing each other so much! He couldn't imagine... Suddenly he heard an echo of Mitsukake's voice in his head '...you must have some imaginative capabilities...'

He turned to Miaka, smiling seductively. He reached out a hand and wiped away her tears. "Don't cry, Miaka. We've only just started."

"But you know that we can't do that!" she whimpered.

"That's right, we can't do that. But we can do this..." he purred, pushing her back onto the warm, sunlit grass.

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"Tasuki!" Her voice was urgent, passionate, breathless. He smiled for a moment then continued, feeling her fingers tighten in his hair. "Genrou!" she gasped. "Yes," he thought, "Almost there..." "Ohhhhh GODS!! SHUN'U!!" she cried out, her body convulsing, her thighs tightening around him. He held her, held her... feeling her tremble in his grasp, letting her sweetness fill all of his senses until he breathed her into himself. He released her gently, then shifted upward to wrap his arms around her waist, the crimson glow of his "wing" symbol reflecting softly on her skin. He could feel her shivers gradually diminish, and was content to wait for her to return to him.

She felt as if she had been swept up in a giant tidal wave which tumbled her over and over in a sea of pleasure, finally crashing down to leave her stranded on a golden shore with her lover still wrapped around her. Slowly, she felt the waters recede, felt her breath return. The images were so clear in her mind that she was surprised upon opening her eyes to see green leaves above her instead of blue ocean sky. Her hands were still tangled in her lover's hair, so she began to caress the fiery locks, loving the feeling of his head resting on her belly. Feeling a strange vibration against her skin, she recognized the familiar tune of a Konan love song and realized that he was humming to himself.

"What are you doing?" she asked, amused.

"Oh, you're back already." He smiled up at her. "I'm just thinking..."

"Thinking what?"

"Thinking that I'm the luckiest man in the whole universe!"

"Oh, so you think you're lucky, huh. I suppose you think that you couldn't be happier than you are right now?"

"Yep!" he grinned smugly.

"Well, let me show you how wrong you are, Shun'u." Her eyes were smoldering with passion. "How very wrong..." she murmured, pulling out of his embrace and pushing him gently onto his back.

A short while later...

He gasped desperately for air, tears starting in his eyes, his heart hammering in his chest, his body shaking violently. "I can't believe it!" he raged silently to himself. "Not now, not NOW!!"

"Shhh, Tasuki, it's alright. Just cup your hands over your nose and mouth... Okay, now breathe in, out - slower - breathe now..."

Gradually he felt his pulse and breathing slow, his trembling cease - but the tears of frustration wouldn't stop. "When is this humiliation ever going to end?!" he cried out in despair. "When will I ever stop getting these... these..."

"Panic attacks." Miaka said calmly, pulling him close and rubbing his back. "It's only been a few days, Tasuki - you can't really expect to be fully recovered by now."

"Why not?" he grumbled. "Here I am in the middle of the woods with a beautiful woman who wants me, and I can't even be a man!"

"Hush, Tasuki, it was my fault... I moved too quickly, grabbed you too suddenly..."

"I liked it." he protested. "But then I had to go and ruin it all..."

"Not true." She tilted his chin up and smiled into his eyes. "It could only be ruined if I decided to give up... and I haven't."

He felt his heart rate pick up... then closed his eyes in despair as the trembling began again.

"Now listen, Tasuki... listen carefully. You are in control here. Nothing happens unless you say so. If you say go, I go... and if you say stop, I stop immediately. We'll go ahead and practice stopping and going, and I'll move very slowly, very gently. It will be different, I promise you..."

"Which one of us is supposed to be the virgin here, anyway?" he grumbled.

"We both are - now, after all that's happened to us, after passing through the flames, we, like Suzaku, are reborn. So let's discover each other... slowly."

Time passed.

"Miaka!" he cried out, urgently.

She stopped immediately, looking up into his eyes. "Stop?" she asked.

"No!" he gasped. "I mean yes!... no!... I mean... I'm close!!"

"Good."

"Wait!" he groaned. "You don't understand..."

"Yes, I do. You're the one who doesn't understand... I want you." she breathed huskily. "All of you."

At that, he felt the last of his control desert him, his seishi symbol blazing with the crimson light of passion. As she continued to weave her magical web of sensation around his body, he felt a powerful rush lift him up. "Miaka... Miaka, I love you..." he breathed, his words a prayer to his priestess. Some small part of his consciousness tried to pull him away from her, but she grasped his hips, refusing to release him.

"Miaka... OH!!" he cried out in ecstasy, releasing, exploding, falling through the sparkling darkness... feeling himself scattered between the stars. Yet he remained aware of his lover staying with him, part of him, until finally she released him and pulled herself up to his chest. To his complete surprise, she joined him in his heaven, trembling and sighing, her hips rocking gently against his. He wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her fragrant hair, and they remained like that, two lovers entwined, until the sun began to descend behind the trees, covering them in shadow.

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Author's Note: (1-31-03) ......Wellllll..... ahem... Let's just leave the lovers alone for now, shall we?

First, I would like to reply to you kind reviewers (my first reviews on this website!!) who would like to read the inspiration for "White Stones," a traumatic short story by Jade called "Show me the meaning of love...." Unfortunately, that story is no longer available on FF.net nor any other website to my knowledge. You see, when Jade first posted the story (under a NC-17 rating), she received some very nasty flames about her subject matter - something I don't understand, since she did rate it correctly and furthermore, placed a warning about the subject material in the author notes preceding the chapter. These flames caused Jade to lose faith in the storyline, and she first announced her intention of abandoning it (at which point, she kindly gave me permission to pick it up). She later rewrote "Show me..." significantly altering and softening the events, then finally removed the fic altogether. It was an embittering experience for her, which I truly regret. Although it was obvious that English was her second language, she showed considerable budding talent in depicting strong emotions and vivid imagery, and I consider her subsequent abandonment of fanfic writing to be a loss to the fanfic world. So I'm sorry, but that story is no longer available anywhere - except for a few quotes which I will use in my final author notes at the end of this fic.

On a lighter note, I would like to explain Miaka's mistaken impression of Tasuki when she first sees him in the forest pool. No, it's not based on Legolas from the Lord of the Rings - at least not directly. I had read LotR many, many,... ummm, all right, quite a few years ago, LONG before there was any thought of turning it into a non-cartoon movie. The descriptions of the elves stuck in my head (as they probably do in everyone else's head). When my sister gave the FY anime series to my mom a little over 2 years ago, I didn't have a clear idea of what the series was about, except that she said it was about two girls who get drawn into an alternate universe of Ancient China. My mom had been watching the series for a few weeks, but I hadn't seen it yet. I walked into Mom's house one evening, and the episode of FY that was on the television was the one where Tasuki rescues Miaka and company from the zombies in Choko. All I saw at first were the zombies (Ewww, gross! I said) then all these flames, then.... HIM!! Whoa, I thought, checking out the wild red hair, the slanted eyes and the very elven pointed face, not to mention all the cool jewelry... "Who's he?!" I asked excitedly. "Is he an elf, or something?", thinking that he looked like something out of Tolkien. My mother fixed me with an inscrutable Japanese look. "No." she said. "Is he magic, like a magician?" "No." replied Mom. That's Mom, succinct as always. I knew that I was going to have to watch the series to get any answers about that two-dimensional celluloid babe, so that's how I got hooked on Fushigi Yuugi - it was Tasuki, right from the start, love at first sight.

And one last thing - there are two epilogues to this chapter, but when I calculated the size of this chapter with the epilogues, it had expanded to more than 8300 words. So I decided to post only Chapter 10 today, and I'll post the epilogues at the end of next week. Okey-dokey? Anyway, the epilogues are in a somewhat different mood from Chapter 10 - but not entirely. ^ ~

Ja ne!

Roku