Storms

The winds were picking up dramatically, and the waters of the ocean around them had grown restless. The large ship begun to rock. Lighting could be seen in the distance, coming closer. The Suzaku seishi were all gathered on the deck, trying to figure out what was going on. The weather was sunny and beautiful not ten minutes ago. Tamahome was next to Miaka, and making sure she didn't slip and hurt herself as she had a tendency to do.

" Chichiri! What's going on here?! What's with the sudden storm!!?"

The blue-haired monk frowned, though his usually smiling mask didn't show it.

" I don't know no da! It's not making sense no da! It must be one of the Seiryuu seven!"

" What?! You mean one of them is doing this?!" he growled, looking up at the dark sky, filling with lightning. " I can't believe that! How can they control weather?!"

" I don't know Tamahome-kun no da, but if it is one of the Seiryuu seven, we have to be extra careful!"

" Chichiri-san!" Chichiri turned, to where Chiriko was clinging to the side railing and pointing ahead of them. "Look!" Everyone now turned to see a huge tidal wave headed their way. Tasuki was first to speak.

" Shit! Look at the size of that wave! It's gonna tip the boat over!!" as the red-head began to curse openly, Chichiri ordered everyone to hang on to something. The wave was picking up speed, and everyone grabbed hold of something. As the wave came down hard on the ship, everyone was pushed under the water, as it swept over the deck. When the wave passed, and the ship calmed a bit, Tamahome, who had been swept away only slightly, stood from where he was. He yelled out above the roar of the storm around them.

" Is everyone alright?!" he was relieved when the others answered him. Tasuki then cursed again.

" It's not over yet!!" another wave, smaller, but just as strong, swept over the deck, catching most of them off guard. Little Chiriko lost his grip on the rope he was clinging to, and was being carried towards the edge. As he past everyone, Nuriko, Mitsukake, and Tamahome all dived to try and grab hold of the child, but all failed.

" Chiriko!!" Chiriko screamed, trying frantically to swim against the strong current. Tasuki, who was nearest him now, wasn't about to let his little buddy be swept overboard, and ran, as well as one can on a rocking ship, towards him. "Chiriko!" he dove, and managed to push the small seishi out of the water. Unfortunately the wave then caught him, and slammed him against the railing and over the side. Reacting quickly, mostly cause he didn't want to be swept over, he reached out to grab the railing, but it was wet and slippery and Tasuki couldn't get a hold on it. He let out a curse and fell.

" Tasuki!!"

" Tasuki-san!!" everyone went to the side, and looked over, and saw Tasuki surface from the ocean water. He coughed, frantically trying to keep his head above the water.

" Tasuki-san!!"

" He can't swim, what now!?" Miaka watched in horror as a wave engulfed the fiery seishi and pull him under. She turned to Tamahome.

"Tamahome do something!"

Chichiri made his way to the railing. He put a quick hand on Miaka's shoulder.

" Daijobu Miaka, I'll get Tasuki, you all get inside where it's safe no da!" with that, he jumped up on the rail and over, diving into the roaring ocean below.

He couldn't breathe. Water was all around him and he couldn't tell which way was up. He struggled with everything he had to get himself to the surface, but every time he got there, he was pushed back down by another wave. He was beginning to think it was over for him. Death by water wasn't what he had planned, especially not this early in the game. Just as he was about to give up, strong arms found there way around his waist, and began to pull on him. Tasuki didn't struggle, as he was too tired. Soon he found he could breath, and realized he had broken the surface. He took in deep breaths, and coughed out water. He then decided to stay above the surface and struggled a bit. It surprised him when he heard a familiar voice.

" Calm down Tasuki no da! It's just me no da!"

" Chi-Chichiri?!" he coughed again.

" Hai, no da! Just relax, I'll get us back."

Tasuki let out a breath and did so, allowing his friend to haul him back to the ship.

As Chichiri swam, he grew worried, as the ship was being blown away from them. And the waves crashing and pushing on him wasn't helping either. "Oh no!"

Tasuki perked up at the comment, and snapped his head to the monk.

" What's 'oh no' suppose at mean!?" Chichiri was growing tired from fighting the large waves. Breathing hard, he responded.

" The ship's being blown away from us by the winds no da! And these waves are just getting bigger and harder to fight no da!"

" Nani?!? You mean we can't get back?! Can't you just transport us back?!"

Chichiri frowned.

" There's some sort of barrier no da. It's blocking my powers so I can't transport back!"

Many emotions swept through Tasuki then, sadness, anger, fear, and panic. Mostly panic. He started to struggle greatly in Chichiri's grasp.

" Shit! No! No! I'm not going to be left behind! Damn it I can't swim! Damn this weather, and damn that bastard Seiryuu seishi who's doing this!!"

Chichiri was trying to hang on the bandit, and swim at the same time, but was pulled down under a wave, and tossed around a bit, before he regained his up and down, and broke the surface with the enraged seishi in tow.

" Tasuki-kun no da! You have to calm down! I can't swim with you struggling like that! You're just going to tire yourself out more! I'll get us to safety no da!"

" Calm down?! You expect me to calm down at a time like this?! We're gonna die! The ship's too far away, and the storm doesn't look like it's gonna let up anytime soon dammit!! And you want me to calm down!?!" Chichiri sighed, tiredly and annoyingly. He decided to just ignore the ramblings of his friend and focus on getting to dry land before they both drowned.

Chichiri had swam for what seemed like hours, before he saw something in the distance. It was a small land mass of rock, and had a cave at the base, just big enough for the two seishi. Chichiri sighed in relief and gathered the rest of his strength into getting them there. Tasuki had finally stopped struggling, and had gone limp, mostly due to Chichiri nearly strangling him when the monk's patients for the bandit wore out. He laid quietly in tow, muttering things to himself, and being cranky in general.

When the two finally reached the base of the cave, and Chichiri hauled himself and Tasuki up on the shore. Once they were safely on the hard ground, Chichiri collapsed, and relaxed for the moment, regaining his strength. Tasuki, who had been resting the whole time, kneeled, and looked around.

" Looks like some kinda cave…wonder if there's any supplies inside." he made his way to his feet, only swaying a bit. He looked around once more, then glanced down to Chichiri, who was still laying collapsed on the ground. His face softened, and he bend down and pulled his exhausted friend, and savior up, wrapping his arm around the monk's waist. Chichiri had saved his life by jumping into the water to get him, and had hauled him all the way over here. Now it was Tasuki's turn to return the favor. He helped Chichiri walk to the cave, and went inside, where the two got out of the rain. Tasuki let Chichiri slid from his grip to the ground, where he sat in a heap, and shivered, as the cold wind blew in. Tasuki shivered too, and started looking around for any sign of something they could use to make a fire. His hopes were answered as he found pieces of wood and straw in the back. He gathered them, and made a pile in front of Chichiri, who looked at it then up at Tasuki.

" Where'd you find that…" Tasuki smirked.

" Found it in the back. We can use it at make a fire." Chichiri nodded, and looked around at their surroundings. Another chilling wind blew into the cave, and both seishi inside shivered again. "Shit! It's so damn cold with that blasted wind blowing in here!" he put the wood and straw in a better pile, then stood, reached back, and pulled out his tessen. He pointed it at the pile. "Rekka! Shinen!" fire burst from the iron fan, and curled around the wood and straw, igniting the pile in a bright orange and yellow flame. Tasuki smiled, as the warmth flooded around them. Chichiri sighed, his shivering slowly coming to a stop.

" Good thing that your tessen wasn't lost in the ocean no da!"

" Really! We'd both freeze without it. Guess someone's watching over us ne?"

Chichiri managed a tired smile. Tasuki sat, and began to undo his coat strap. "We should get out of these wet clothes, so we can get warmer." Chichiri nodded, from where he was looking at the ground. He pulled his kesa off of him, and laid it aside, then went to undo his shirt.

Once they were both stripped, only thin pants covering their legs, they got as close to the fire as possible. Tasuki, after a while, glanced over to Chichiri. He bandit was getting worried, for Chichiri was still shivering, and he looked a bit pale. Tasuki scooted closer to his friend.

" Hey, you ok? You look kinda pale…"

Chichiri's head snapped up, and he looked to Tasuki, as if he was surprised.

" Oh! Tasuki-kun…no…I'm ok. Still a bit chilled. Don't worry about me…" Tasuki frowned, as he noticed the 'no da's were gone from the monk's speech pattern, as well as a deeper tone of voice. Tasuki knew something was wrong. He stood, and started looking around for something to warm his friend. He found a strange chest in the corner of the cave. Tasuki raised an eyebrow. Where did that come from? That wasn't there before… he pushed that thought away, and walked over to the old chest, and looked for the opening. He found it, and opened the chest. Inside, laid a large woolen blanket, some bottles, and some salted goods, half of them rotten. Tasuki curled his lip at that, but noticed that some of the salted fish looked in good shape. He took the fish out, along with the blanket and a few bottles. He walked back over to the fire, and set the things down. Chichiri raised an eyebrow at the items and glanced up at the bandit.

" Where-" Tasuki picked the blanket up, and unfolded it, it's length falling to the ground.

" In this old chest in the corner…guess I over-looked it before." he shook out the blanket, and moved over to Chichiri. He wrapped the think cloth over his friend's shoulders, and tucked it around him. Chichiri jumped, and gasped.

" Tasuki, what are you doing-what about you…?" Tasuki smiled.

" I saw you shiverin. You need this more than me." Chichiri decided not to argue. When Tasuki made up his mind, that was that. Chichiri sighed, and relaxed. Tasuki sat back down by Chichiri when he was done, and picked up one of the bottles. Opening one, he sniffed the top, and coughed, holding the bottle away from him. "Whoa! It's strong!" he coughed a few more times. Chichiri sweat dropped. It was probably alcohol. " Here Chiri-here's yers…" he handed the monk the other bottle. Chichiri took it, looking at it as if it were a foreign body. "What's the matter?"

" It's probably alcohol Tasuki, and I don't drink…" he put the bottle down, not giving it a second glance. Tasuki looked at the bottle and then his own.

" I guess so…" but he was really thirsty, and he guessed Chichiri must be too. He paused, thinking. Then he looked out at the rain. Aha! He stood, and took both his, and Chichiri's discarded one. He went to the edge of the cave, and emptied the contents of the bottles. Then, turned them up to catch the rain water. Chichiri watched with interest. Since when did Tasuki know this?!

Once the two bottles were full, Tasuki returned to the fire, and handed Chichiri the bottle again.

" There, I filled it with fresh ran water. You should be able to drink that now…" Chichiri stared at his for a moment then at Tasuki. Tasuki was just about to drink his, when he saw Chichiri staring at him. "What…?" Chichiri smiled, and shook his head, turning back to his bottle.

" Thank you…I don't think we'd be warm with out you…" Tasuki smiled, shrugging.

" Well, I wouldn't be alive without you! You saved my sorry ass back there…you didn't have to jump into the water fer me."

" I couldn't just let you drown. I'm not going to let anyone else die like that again. Besides, we're dry and safe now ne?"

" I guess…" but Tasuki wondered what the monk meant by 'again'. He decided t ask. "What do you mean 'again' Chiri?" Chichiri stiffened a bit at that.

Drat, why'd I have to say that, now he wants to know-… Chichiri sighed, putting on a smile.

"N-nothing Tasuki-kun…forget I said it no da…" Tasuki was not going to let this go. Not this time.

" Come on Chiri…tell me what's wrong. You looked so sad just now…"

" I'm alright Tasuki, really, just drop it."

" I don't like seein ya sad. Come on, talk at me."

Chichiri frowned a bit, grateful the mask was covering it.

" Please Tasuki…it was nothing…just a slip of the tongue…"

" What happened to the 'no da's?"

" No da!" Chichiri spat out, a bit harsher than he wanted. Tasuki's eyebrows shot up in surprise. Had he said something to make the seishi mad? All he wanted to do was help-

Chichiri sighed, and turned his head away from the red-head. It was obvious he was upset. Tasuki looked down at the ground. He should have just kept his big mouth shut.

" Gomen ne Chichiri." he looked up to his friend, hoping to get a reply, and for a while he thought he wasn't going to get one, then Chichiri took a deep breath and spoke.

" Daijobu Tasuki. I shouldn't have exploded like that."

" I don't really blame ya…I prolly woulda too…I can be an ass sometimes I guess…" Chichiri turned his head. He wasn't about to let Tasuki put himself down.

" No Tasuki…you're not…you're just curious ne?"

" More like worried. I've never seen such a sad look cross your face Chiri. I-wanted to know what was up, n' maybe I could help…" he was fidgeting. Chichiri had to smile. Tasuki might seem to be a rock hard, rough bandit, but deep inside, he was harmless and very sensitive and caring. He turned to his friend.

" Gomen na Tasuki-kun…It's just…I've never really…talked about it a lot."

" Talked about what?" Chichiri went quiet for another small moment, then reached up and slipped a finger under his mask, and pulled it off. Tasuki only took in a deep breath. His friend's rich mahogany eye was full of emotion. But Tasuki was only seeing him from that side. When Chichiri turned his head fully towards his friend, Tasuki's eyes widened, and his eyebrows raised. A long jagged scar ran across the left eye of Chichiri's face, fusing it shut. Chichiri saw his friend's reaction and frowned, turning his head back, hiding the scar again. Tasuki blinked, wondering why he did that.

" Gomen Tasuki, maybe I shouldn't have shown you…" Tasuki moved to his friend's side.

" Nah, Chiri. Why'd ya hide yer face?" That rich mahogany eye turned to him.

" The look on your face…I didn't want to scare you-"

" Scare me?! No. A bit shocked, but not scared. What happed to give you that scar? Looks painful." Chichiri blinked, and turned back to Tasuki, who only had sympathy for his friend. The bandit never knew the monk hid such pain. " Wanna talk about it?"

" I'm not sure…"

" What are you afraid of."

" …mostly rejection."

" Rejection?" how much pain his friend must have been through to have to say that. " Chiri…whatever you tell me won't ever change anything between us…" Chichiri nodded, seeming to be more comfortable now.

" I'll tell you then…" Tasuki didn't rush the older seishi, he sat patiently. " It all happened seven years ago…I was engaged at the time, to a woman named Kouran. We were to be married that day, and I went out early to get her something special. When I got back to give it to her, I saw her and my best friend Hikou kissing. Later, she told me she couldn't marry me. I thought she was in love with Hikou, and I got enraged, furious with betrayal. I wanted revenge. So, that evening, I went out in search of Hikou, with a knife. I found him by the river. The weather was much like this, rain, thunder. There was a flood coming, and everyone was to seek shelter, but I still wanted revenge. I went after Hikou and tried to stab him, but missed. But Hikou was knocked back to the edge of the river. I was about to go after him again, when his foot slipped and he started falling back into the raging river. I forgot my anger, and jumped forward and caught him by the hand. I had to use all of my strength just to keep hold on his hand. Just as I was pulling him out, something caught the corner of my eye. I turned to see what it was just in time to have a log hit me across the face. I was in great pain, and Hikou slipped out of my grasp, and was swept away down the river…the flood came not to soon after, and my whole village was destroyed, with no survivors except me…I lost everything in one day…

Tasuki had been sitting quietly, listening to Chichiri's tale. He never knew Chichiri was engaged, or even had lived in a village. But what really shocked him, was the fact that this usually calm and gentle seishi tried to kill,-and his best friend at that. But Tasuki couldn't blame him. He had stolen Chichiri's fiancée. Tasuki was about to speak, when he saw something. Chichiri. He was looking down at the ground, his usually arching bangs hanging limply from his forehead. He was a bit hunched over, and…a few tears were escaping from his remaining eye. Tasuki felt his heart tighten. This man had gone through so much, yet, in spite of everything that'd happened to him, he was still a caring, and gentle person. Tasuki felt his respect for the older seishi increase. He reached out a hand to put on the distraught looking man's shoulder, but paused halfway. Chichiri looked to him through the corner of his eye.

" Tasuki…gomen…"

" Why are you-…sorry…?" Chichiri didn't reply, and closed his eye, his head hanging a bit more. Tasuki couldn't take it anymore. He rocked up onto his knees, and wrapped his arms around his friend's body, embracing the seishi tightly. Chichiri didn't stiffen, or push Tasuki away. He was, for one, too tired to do so, and was grateful someone cared. He pulled the blanket closer to him, and let Tasuki's warmth surround him. The fiery seishi reached up and put his hand on Chichiri's head, and brought it to rest on his neck ridge. " Chichiri…it's ok…you don't have to hold it in…if you need to cry…just cry…" Chichiri shook his head, trying to convince himself he didn't need to, but in the next instant he broke into sobs. Tasuki just wrapped his arms more securely around the seishi and rocked him tenderly, whispering comforts in his ear. " Shh…Chiri…'s'ok…that's it…just let it all out…" he rubbed Chichiri's silvery blue hair, and wrapped the large blanket around the distraught seishi. All he could do was be there for his friend at a time of need.

When Chichiri's tears were extinguished, he was exhausted, and made himself pull away from Tasuki's embrace. Tasuki looked down at him. "Chiri?"

" Arigatou Tasuki-kun…" he looked up at Tasuki. His eye calm, and thankful. Tasuki smiled, sitting upright.

" No problem buddy-I'm glad I could help…you feeling better?"

" Hai, I am. I needed to get it out. Arigatou…"

" Stop thankin me…you'd do the same fer me.."

" Hai, of course…I can't thank you enough-"

" You'd better stop, er I'm gonna start blushin!" Chichiri smiled, and closed his eyes. He really did feel a lot better. He turned to Tasuki, sighing.

" We should try to sleep…" he got up and looked at the fire, which had died. "Tasuki, what are we going to do about that?"

" Eh?" Tasuki glanced at the fire. "I'll get it going again…" after doing so, he sat back down, and started to get himself comfortable. Chichiri sighed, looking out at the rain. It hadn't let up. Tasuki frowned. "Think they'll ever find us?" Chichiri nodded.

" Hai, they will. They must have had to find shelter from the storm…" Tasuki nodded.

" Yeah, I guess." he shifted, and laid down on his side. Chichiri soon followed, then remembered he still had the blanket. He sat back up.

" Tasuki…do you need this? Are you cold at all?"

" Nah, Chiri, you use it. I'm from the mountains-I'm fine." Chichiri frowned.

" Tasuki. No one's immune to cold-"

" Really Chiri, you exhausted yerself in draggin me here." Chichiri wasn't sure, but decided to trust him.

" Well, if you're sure…" a nod from the bandit, and the monk laid back down and fell asleep.

---Ok, what do you think so far? I decided to do a "what if" fic…since I haven't done any of them yet…I'll get the next chapter up in a few days…there is more to come…Chichiri and Tasuki will soon find out there is more hell to come! (enter evil laugh) ok…please review!! I want to know if the fic is good enough! Arigatou minna and sayonara until next time!---