Fushigi Yuugi 1. Waking

The entire world was bright, too bright for my tired eyes and I was too weak to even attempt to lift my hand over them

All standard disclaimers apply for this fic; I do not own Fushigi Yugi, (grumble grumble) it is property of Pioneer and whatever company happens to own it in Japan. All attempts to sue me will result in nothing but a lot of half- filled notebooks, and well you can't do anything with those now can you?

This story is my explanation of why I think Tasuki and Chiriko get so closes all of the sudden. It's also my explanation, for what the hell happen to the other four Suzaku while they were in the desert trapped in Tomo's illusion. I mean jeez, was I the only one that checked their tape to make sure they bought the right one? …... Yep guess I was….alright then.

WARNING WARNING WARNING. Spoilers up ahead from Ep.1 to about 41. If you don't want to be told please don't continue

Desert Illusion

By SilverKitsune

The entire world is bright, too bright for my tired eyes, and I'm too weak to even attempt to lift my hand over them. Gods I can't even move. Everything is to big to large and to bright, far to bright. The sun tears into my eyes and stings horribly. My heart beats fast, slamming against my chest as if it's trying to escape. 

//To fast.// My mind warns. //Your heart is pumping much to fast.//

I'm so tired, my body so heavy, so tired and I can't move. The rational part of me, the part of me that is still a little functional because of my powers, realize that I'm laying on sand, not the hard wood bench I remember falling asleep on. 

//Break the situation down.// The rational part of me says. //Where are you? What's happened? Where has Sairou gone? You need to remember, you need to get up// But I can't. All I can do is lie here in the sand, the world turning and the bright sun in my eyes.

Tasuki-

My head hurts like hell. No screw just my head my entire body hurts like hell. Not to mention the fact that it's f***ing hot. I moan as I pull my self upwards, feet slipping in the sand, my hair in my eyes. The desert's spinning.

"Awww hell."

It's back to the sand for me.Damn it my blood is thrashing through my veins, even I know blood's not suppose to move that fast. I grit my teeth, unconsciously allowing my fingers to curl into sand. Then I throw up.

Chiriko-

The Characters peel themselves off the parchment I had been reading, and float around my head. They cloud my vision, and flutter by my ear, like small delicate black butterflies. 

How surprised I had been, how excited when Chichiri had shown me what a vast library the inn kept.It had seemed like an eternity since I had studied, it is really the only thing I am good at, studying. I threw my self into those scrolls and books, using them to forget the worry I had for Miaka, my miko, Tamahome, who was with her, and Tasuki who had been a little to excited at the prospect of an unending supply of sake, and the pretty servant girl who served it. 

What had happened, Suzaku above what had happened? Why was the world turning again? Where were the others? Where was I? My head rolls to the side, my eyes still closed, trying to block out the brightness. 

Tasuki-

Tamahome better never find out that I left half of my stomach in the middle of the damn desert. It's bad enough he already knows I can't swim, I don't really need to give my self another reason to flame him…well not yet anyway.

Swim, water, I'd kill for a lake right now. My tongue darts out and I wince as I lick my chapped bleeding lips. Hell.

It takes a little bit, but the nausea passes after a few moments, and despite the screaming protests radiating from my body, I attempt to stand again.The desert spins.

"Oh not f****** this time" I growl forcing my self to stay up.Even with the nausea gone I still feel like shit. Well, at least now I'm upright, and if I ignore the little black spots I'm seeing I can at least pretend like nothing happened. The desert, I'm in the f****** desert.

"What the hell happened to Sairou??" I scream.

No one answers. 

"Chichiri??"

"Mitsukake??"

"Chiriko??"

No one. I shake my head, rubbing my eyes and pulling loss strands of red hair out of my line of vision.

//Oh I promise, I'll never touch another cup of sake again if when I look up I'm back in the room in Sairou, and not the god damn desert.//

No luck. I'm still a little wobbly on my feet, so I sit back down

The horses are to my left, both of them dead, I really didn't want to know for how long. 

//O.K think you red headed idiot. What happened? What's the last thing you remember?……….//

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

//- Hey Chichiri grab a drink, plenty of sake for all!!! 

-Tasuki be serious no da. Mitsukake and I are going to check around Sairou's boarders for Tamahome and Miaka. We need you to stay here in case they show up no da.

-Chichiri look I'm a bird I'm a bird!!!

-See if I try talking to you again. Chiriko is down in the library.We'll be back by tonight.

-Here's some more sake for you sir.///

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

The rest of the night was….a little blurry, though I do remember having a short conversation with the old boss in between my tenth cup of sake. Or had it been my ninth? 

He was pretty pissed that I dumped the whole lead the bandits load on Koji. Spirits, who knows, but back to my original problem. 

For one thing I still hurt like hell, for another Chchiri and Mitsukake could be anywhere. Sairou had been huge, even larger then Konan's capital. They could be anywhere, but Chiriko. Chiriko had been in the library!! Right below me! He had to be somewhere close by. I pushed my self back up.

"Chiriko." I call

"Chiriko can you hear me?"

Oh man I've got to find him, if I'm hurting this much that poor kid must be dying.

Chiriko-

Someone is saying my name, or maybe it's just my imagination again. The words seem far away and thick to my ears. I tried sitting up a little while ago. I couldn't even get my head up, and the nausea was so bad that I haven't attempted it since.

What's that?Something's coming toward me, it's too far away and blurry.It's black, and red. I think I see red. Are there wolves that color in the desert? His highness had a scroll about the different wolf breeds in and around Kuto; I wish I had read it.

Tasuki-

Chiriko's right below the dune, flat on his back, and after I reach him I kneel down next to him. He looks at me, but hell I don't know if he even _sees_ me. 

"Chiriko," I say, lifting him up a little. "Hey Chiriko, wake up." 

The kid mumbles something, and stirs.He blinks a lot, but at least he kinda recognizes me. 

"Tasuki-san," he mumbles,"I'm cold."

Cold? We're in the middle of the damn desert, and the kid is cold? This is bad. This is very very bad.

"It's O.K Chiriko." I pull my jacket off, and cover him with it. Is that the right thing to do? Damn where's Mitsukake when you need him?

"I'm not feeling that great either."

To be continued….


	2. Night

Here's chapter two, many thanks to all that reviewed my story

Here's chapter two, many thanks to all that read and reviewed my story.Muchos Gracias.

Oh, and one quick note anything that is in between these:

//// 

just means that the character is thinking.

= ^ . ^ =

Mitsukake-

We wake up on sand, Chichiri and I. Odd; I thought we had checked into an inn the night before.I stood, if somewhat unsteadily, and helped Chichiri up as well.

"Chichiri, are you all right?"

"I think so." He responds rubbing the back of his head. "I just feel a little-"he stumbles as he attempts towalk. "dizzy no da."

I lift my hand to steady him, and find his skin paper dry, and burned a dull red color. 

"Hold still Chichiri, let me heal you."

The green glow of my power engulfs him, and moments later he stands on his own, the redness gone, but a deep tan remaining.

"The Sun Sickness?" He asks retrieving his staff from the sand. 

I nod.The hooded cloak I had insisted on wearing was the only thing that saved me from becoming as weakened as Chichiri, but even I am not feeling well. It is moments such as these, which make me wish for the ability to heal myself as well as others.

"An illusion no da." Chichiri mumbles. "A powerful one."

He turns his back to me, slowly studying the desert; we see nothing."We have to find the others."

I nod again. The sun sickness had no doubt affected our two companions, and with no water, and nothing to protect them from the sun they will not last long. 

Chiriko-

//You're helpless Doukun.// My mind tells me//Completely helpless.//

It says this so bluntly, as if discussing weather patterns.

//Intelligence, what sort of power is that? What help to Miaka can you ever be?//

As it speaks, the small black characters that still flutter by my ears begin to multiply. I recognize the character for laughter, followed closely by the character for fool as it floats drunkenly by.

//Helpless helpless helpless// my mind repeats in the same dull tone.

The elegant black character of coward lands on my nose and fans it's wings.

"No." I cry out swatting at it. The characters for fear and pity soon join it.

"No." I shout again struggling to remove them from my face. "NO NO NO.."

Tasuki-

"Chiriko STOP!!" I cry grabbing his hands, and pulling them away from his face.

"Chiriko there's nothing there stop!"

He's struggling hard, trying to claw away at whatever he's seeing. Damn this kid is stronger then he looks.

"Jeez kid, what the hell? It's Tasuki, Tasuki!"

His whole body shudders, and with a whimper he gives up.

"It's just me Chiriko." I say letting go of his hands and lowing them back to the ground. "Just me."

I watch him for a minute to make sure he won't try again, than go back to what I was originally doing. Trying to build a fire. For some crazy reason there were actually a few pieces of wood lying around, don't ask me how I don't care how. They're here and that is fine with me. I've also got a flint on me somewhere, good thing because where my tessan is, is question I'm going to have to answer later. With any luck it will be a later that involves a gallon of some nice strong sake. But hey, I _do _know how to build fires.Now if I could only find the damn flint. 

When the fire finally gets going I pull Chiriko closer to it, and flop down next to him. I think he's sleeping, I hope he's sleeping. 

This is going to be a shitty night.

Mitsukake-

Chichiri leads the way as we tracked across the desert; the two of us following a firm fix on Tasuki and Chiriko's ki. 

"Weak," He said after finding them. "Especially Chiriko's, but they're alive no da."

We had to find them. I will not be to late to help them. Not the way I was too late to save Nuriko, to save my poor Shoka. I will not allow it. 

I raise my hand up to scratch Tama's ears, only to remember that the little cat stayed behind to look out for Miaka. 

Tasuki-

//What if he dies.//

"He's not going to die."

//You sure? He looks a little green to me.//

"Go the hell away."

//But what if he dies?//

"I won't let him die, he's just a kid."

//Nuriko was barely 18 and he-//

"Shut up."

//He's going to die.//

"Shut up!"

//You'll never find Mitsukake, he and Chichiri might already be dead.//

"I won't let him die, get the hell away from me!"

//You don't even know what really happened to Siarou.//

"I said leave."

//You do realize that you're talking to yourself? You must be sicker than you thought//

Chichiri-

We're closer. We haven't stopped this entire night except for small rests, and even then we could barely sit five minutes without fidgeting. I wish I could teleport the both of us there, but without a clear destination in my head the spell could backfire and throw us anywhere.

So we walk.

But there's something else, poking and whispering at me from the back of my mind. Someone else is here with us, closer than Tasuki and Chiriko, but too far away for me to get a definite fix on their life force. It flashes up for only a moment, and then it's gone.I think he, who ever he is, may be teasing us.

"Is something wrong Chichiri?" Mitsukake asks the third time I stop suddenly and twist around, trying to catch a glimpse of whatever I had felt. 

"Yes. I think there may be someone following us no da." 

"Seiryuu?" he asks

"I'm not sure, every time I get a hold on it's ki it disappears no da."

Mitsukake nods, and follows my gaze as I survey the desert.

"The sun is setting," He comments.

"Then we're going to have to be very careful tonight," I respond.

Tasuki-

Stupid desert, cold one minute hot then next. Why can't it make up its damn mind?

The sun went down a few hours ago, and I've never been so happy for a fire before. Chiriko keeps waking up, then falling back asleep. He's been mumbling a lot, but hasn't tried to scratch his eyes out again or anything like that.

I can't sit still. If I sit I'll start thinking again.Tried sleeping, but that didn't work and besides I need to stay up and watch the fire. 

My tessan, it feels weird to be without my weapon. I should go look for it, and looking for it will pass the time until…until something. 

I struggle to stand again, my body furiously complaining. I get a few feet away from the fire then look back. Chiriko's still sleeping and I won't go far, I just need to find my tessan.

The top of the dune will be a good place to start, I guess.It's where I woke up, and I think I remember throwing my tessan aside when we got to the inn so it could be anywhere, but like I said it's a place to start.

I start to search, bending down, and digging in some spots, just aimlessly moving around. When did moving become such a problem?I give up after a few minutes and head back to the fire. It's to dark to find it now, don't even know why I came up with this stupid idea. 

I'm half way down the dune when I see a long shadow with odd hair, kneeling down beside our fire. Chichiri?

I run down the rest of the dune, and skid to a stop right behind a still sleeping Chiriko. Who ever this is, he's not Chichiri; Chichiri could never pull off the feathered, face painted look.

"Good evening Suzaku. Are you feeling better after your time in the sun?"

"Who are you?"

"But I see that your companion is not feeling as well as you.This makes my job that much easier."He smiles, then opens his hand up to show off a small painted clam.

"Seriyu." I hiss. "Well if you think you're gunna scare me with a clam, then you're even stupider then that blond haired idiot you call a leader."

The freak's eyes narrow as he stands, and the feathers on top of the headdress begin to sway.

"Aww I'm sorry, did I hit a nerve?" I scoff. I hope I look more intimidating than I feel.

"As much as I would enjoy watching you and the boy die slowly." The freak says rubbing the clam slightly. "There are limits to even my powers, and I have a rather important meeting with your Miko to attend."

Then he began to split.Circling us with a dozen pissed off doubles.

"So I'll simply have to change my tactics and kill you now." 

I've got no weapon, I feel like a cart just ran over my body and this painted freak has just multiplied himself into a dozen more painted freaks.So, being the clever guy I am, I take the only opportunity open in a situation like this. I reach down, scoop Chiriko up, and run. 

Tamahome better never find out about this.


	3. The Fight

Chichiri-

Chapter three. Yeah I've got it done!!And once again I don't own Fushigi Yugi.

Not yet anyway.= ^ . ^ =

Chichiri-

"Ow ow ow owww no da!!!"

The sound of my foot connecting with a large unknown object, brings up the only words that have been shared between Mitsukake and I since the sun went down.

"It sounds as though you may have broken toe Chichiri." Mitsukake comments as I grab my injured foot, scowling under my mask.

//This is ridiculous// I think //We march half way across the desert without finding anything, and I have the bad luck to trip over this..//

"Tessan?" I say, pulling the cause of my pain out from the sand. "Tasuki's tessan?"

"If Tasuki's tessan is here, then he can't be far away." Mitsukake says

"I should feel them though. I should feel their ki's if there that close."

A sickening thought enters my head, and I slowly pull off my mask before facing Mitsukake.

"Unless they've weakened so much that their ki's are almost unreadable."

Tasuki-

The painted freak's getting closer. I made it across the dune I'd just come down from, and tried sprinting west. Not that I really have any idea where I'm going, damn desert all looks alike to me, but one of his doubles cut me off before I got far.

Remember when I said this freak's clam couldn't scare me? Well I wasn't lying; his clam's about as scary as Koji, his headdress feathers just happen to be terrifying the hell out of me.

Four of them twist around me, shooting past and blocking my way, one of them smacks across my face, drawing blood and throwing me down.

"Shit!" I growl hitting the sand, back peddling away from the feathers.

"You are making this rather interesting for me." A dozen Seriyuus say, all talking at once. "But couldn't you run faster without him?" One of the headdress feathers weaves closer to Chiriko. 

I growl and push the kid behind me. He's conscious, I think, but still sick as hell. 

"Seriyuu trash!!"

"Name calling." He scoffs smiling. "How childish and yet completely expected from you."

The feathers regroup, and sail towards me. I throw myself left, dragging Chiriko with me.

Chiriko- 

I spit out a mouth full of sand, and try pushing my upper body up to get a better view of what's happening.

"Gods damn it!!" I hear Tasuki yell.

//Helpless Doukun// The voice comments, and the small black characters that followed me begin to swirl together blackening my vision.

"No." I mumble, swatting them away. 

There are so many of him, this man. Am I seeing things? I fight to keep my head up, and weakly swat the characters back again.

Why would there be so many of him?

"I am Tomo." 

He's talking.

"Tomo of the Seriyuu Seishi."

Wait, what's that? I rub my eyes and fighting to keep them open. The double, the double directly across from me.

"Did you enjoy my illusion?"

Something's different about it.

"It was one of my greatest masterpieces."

The painted double across from me smiles with the rest of them, it's face painted in blue, indigo and gold just like the rest of them, his eyes cold just like the rest of them.

//Helpless// 

"I'm not." I say the words tripping over one another and running together. 

Think Doukun, think you've got to- no, wait. I'm not Doukun, not here. I'm Chiriko.

Something in its hand, something small, white. 

"T-The clam." I stutter out "Tasuki-san, the one-, the clam- you have too."

//So weak// 

Something shoots by my face, turns and starts to come back.

"The CLAM!!"

Tasuki-

"What!?"

I grab the kid and push him down, narrowly missing the feathers as they come back for another attack. 

"Chiriko, Chiriko what are you talking about?" I ask shaking him, trying to make him stay awake. "Chiriko!"

His hand moves away from me, pointing at one of the freaks.

"That one." He murmurs. "He's got a clam, it's the clam."

I look over to the double across from us, dodging the feathers again as they sail by. The one he points to is holding something. Kind'a looks like a sake cup from here. 

"Tasuki-san you have- break -he's the first.' Chiriko stutters out again.

This freak's the only one with a clam. That's the original freak? 

The feathers stay a safe distance away, waiting. I have to break the clam, but I can't leave the kid.

The freak's head leans back, jerk doesn't deserve to be named, and he laughs, ready to try and run the two of us through.

OK Tasuki, you better do something _now_.

I grab a hand full of sand, and pitch it straight into his eyes. The wussy shrieks, and jerks to the side just as I rush toward him.

Maybe I'll get lucky, and only one of us will end up dead.

Mitsukake-

"Chichiri, I see them."

Tasuki-

I miss the shell, but manage to slam my fist right into his face, hey got to take what you can get.The impact pulls me right over him, and onto the ground. 

"You fool." I hear his snarl. 

"Damn right." I reply, still on the ground, but smiling at my handy work. "Looks like you've got a nice smashed in nose to add to your f***ed up face job."

The punch to the face must have broken his concentration or something, because the painted freak circus now only has one member.

"For someone that just had the upper hand, you sure turned out to be a pathetic opponent you loser."

His hand rises to his nose, gingerly touching the wound, his fingers coming away with blood.

The feathers whirl, swishing back and forth dangerously before coming to a stop on either side of him, he's pissed

"A very grave mistake Suzaku." He growls the feathers snapping tight, pointing at me like a pair of fangs.

Well I can see a bright side to this. At least I'm not going to die by drowning.

I brace myself for the hit, and watch as they real back, twist, and head straight for Chiriko.

Chichiri-

One day, when this is all over, I think I may make a visit to Mt.Taikyoku, and apologize to Taiitsukun for every time I ever complained about practicing my shielding spell. 

I was a stone throws reach from them when I saw Tasuki charge at the man that's must be the unknown ki I've been feeling. Got closer as he scoffed and yell insults, then heard him cry out as the figure turned to attack Chiriko.

I can honestly say I've never teleported so fast, no da.

Mitsukake-

Chichiri disappears from in front of me, the red light of his shield spell telling me where. I in turn run to Tasuki.

My ed haired companion is panicking. Slipping in the sand as he fights to regain his bearings, swearing through all of it. I run to his side pulling him up, and then holding him back as he makes every effort to push me away.

"Damn it Mitsukake let go of me." He bellows. "Chiriko-."

"Chichiri's shielding him." I say. "Let me heal you."

"No." He snaps finally succeeding in pulling away from me, and almost falling in the process. "You can't heal me till you heal Chiriko."

"Tasuki, you're body is hurting badly from the sun, you need to be helped."

"That kid's a hell of a lot sicker then I am."

He manages to regain his footing, standing on his own.

"Now just tell me that one of you has my tessan."

Chichiri-

The Seriyuu attacks my shield, calling up everything from vines to the very desert around us in his attempts to break through.

We have to move, his attacks are very powerful, and I don't know if the spell can take much more. 

"REKKA SHIEN!!" Fire shoots past him, slamming into my shield but drawing away the Seriyuu's attack.

"Tasuki, watch where you're aiming no da!"

He ignores me, stumbling forward, his hand wrapped securely around his tessan.

"Going after the kid." He growls out. "Was a very bad idea, you sick psycho."

"Rekkkaaaaaaaaa-"

I turn away from him, bending down, and lifting Chiriko up.His skin is hot to the touch, and he mumbles nonsense as I carry him over to Mitsuakke. 

I hope that young hot head can hold off the enemy for a little longer.

Tasuki-

The kid. Damn it, he went after the kid!!Bastard, I'll burn him to cinders.

"Four against one I see," Tomo says. Smiling, still Gods damn smiling at us. "I thought the Suzaku were suppose to be known for their fairness."

I'm _really_ glad I broke his nose.

"Not that it matters." He continues, rubbing the clam."You see as I've said, I have a rather important meeting with Suzako no Miko and her lover. I don't have time to be playing these games."

"You mean you're backing out because you're losing." I yell. Aww hell, please tell me the desert isn't spinning again.

"I must be going now." He says smirking. "I do hope to see you again, pretty red head."

"PRETTY WHAT!!"

Chiriko-

It's warm, but not the way the sun was, burning my skin and hurting my eyes. No, this warmth is comforting, purging the weakness from inside of me. 

//You really think your weakness can be destroyed that easily Doukun?// The voice asks, still dull, still toneless.

But Doukun isn't here, and Chiriko will not listen.

Mitsukake-

The Seriyuu is gone, vanished completely from the desert. I can only hope he will stay gone.

With the enemy gone, Tasuki, come scrambling back, slipping and practically crawling as he makes his way back to us.

"Chiriko." He stumbles out. "Chiriko, is he ok? Did you heal him?

"He's fine Tasuki. Now sit." I order pulling the bandit down.

"But he's, he's not-"

"He's resting, the same thing you should be doing no da."

"But what-" He struggles to stand again.

"Tonight you sleep." I say forcefully pushing him back down. "Tomorrow I heal you." 

"But Miaka and Tama-."

"Tomorrow no da." Chichiri says. "Tomorrow we find Miaka ki, and then find them. 

Smiling good-naturedly, Chichiri shifts Chiriko over to me before reclaiming his staff.

"Don't forget, she has Tamahome with her too no da."

"Great." Tasuki grumbles. "Just great, we're leaving the fate of the entire county to Tama. We're all screwed."

"I'll teleport us out of the desert no da. We should be able to find an inn around the border." Chichiri's power spreads out as he speaks, the red light sliding around each of our bodies. 

"Hey Chichiri." I hear Tasuki say, a grin spreading over his face, as I feel the desert leaving from under my feet. "You should have seen the look on that freaks face when I broke his nose. Nuriko would a loved it.

A/N.

I just want to give a thank you to: Kyra [apalmer1@mctcnet.net][1], Ruyen, Meg, Mew01803 [mew_the_magical_pokemon@post.com][2], and Samuraiheart for reading and reviewing my fic. Oh, and one quick thing. The first person who ever reviewed this story pointed out that I had made two spelling errors, which I thought were kind of important to the story. The problem was that I was so new and nervous about how to use my account, that I couldn't figure out how to edit, and just removed the story instead re-posting it later. Unfortunately that removed that review, and I couldn't remember the reviewer's pen name. So what I'm getting to here, is just a thank you to that person as well.

   [1]: mailto:apalmer1@mctcnet.net
   [2]: mailto:mew_the_magical_pokemon@post.com



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Fushigi Yuugi