Gone
By:
Night~Mare
For: 
The Legendary Laurelgand
---
This is the sequel to Chance Encounters. If you
haven't read itÉdon't worry. You don't have to read it
to understand what's going on here. 
Spoilers for Mits' Past
---

Juan ducked inside the hut out of the pouring rain. He
distractedly ran a hand through his long, wet hair.
Then he collapsed on his bed, smiling happily at the
ceiling. He had just visited Shouka. ShoukaÉwhat a
beautiful nameÉbut thenÉshe was a beautiful woman.
He hadn't believed it at first when she'd said she'd
loved him, he still could hardly believe it. She
seemed above him. Her eyes outshone the stars and her
smile could melt the winder snow.  He closed his eyes
and sighed deeply.  The rain fell gently outside,
tapping against the house.  A tree branch scraped
against the window frantically, as if trying to get
in. He smiled, nothing could get to him.  He was
floating in hair. The branch scraped again and let out
an angry yowl. 
        Juan's eyes snapped open. He rolled out of bed and
opened the window.  He smiled sheepishly at the
bedraggled cat, standing on the windowsill. 
        " I left you at Shouka's didn't I? I'm sorry," he
said. 
        " Mrr," Tama-neko said angrily and stepped inside. 
Juan shut the window and stepped away from the cat as
he shook out his fur.  After making sure he had gotten
all the water off, Tama licked his fur back in place
and bounded to the empty fireplace. He glared at Juan.

        Juan lit a fire for him, then began chopping a fish
to make their small supper. It had been a few years
since he'd met Tama and brought this little run down
house at the edge of the village. He made his living
as a doctor, tending to the fevers and scrapes of the
of the village. Sometimes Shouka would even let him
assist with a birth. So far he'd been able to save
everyone who came to him or needed his help. He'd even
managed to heal the most severe cases. All *without*
help.
        The heavy thud of a knife rang through the house.
Tama looked back at him and mewed questioningly. Juan
yanked the knife from the wood and set it up.  He
looked at his left hand and his face darkened.  The
wind suddenly shifted and the rain beat savagely. 
Juan's throat tightened. It felt like something was
going to happen, something evil. Tama came up to him
and rubbed against his leg.  Juan picked him up and
stroked his soft fur, wondering why it was bristling a
little. 
        The feeling receded to the back of his mind and he
shook his head. It was probably nothing.
        " Let's eat Tama."
        " Mrow," the cat agreed.  Juan smiled a little. There
seemed to be reluctance in Tama's voice.  That cat was
almost human.  The night grew on and the two sat down
to eat a quiet dinner.
~~~
        Shouka sat in a sun splashed field. A basket rested
beside her filled with herbs.  Her slim fingers weaved
through the flowers, trying to find the elusive plant.
 A chilly wind swept though the field and she hugged
herself. She looked around the field confused.
        " Where did my shawl go?" she asked herself. 
Suddenly a blanket was thrown over her. She blinked
for a moment in the dark.  Then she realized it wasn't
a blanket; it was a coat.  A very *large* coat. She
couldn't help but smile.  She wiped the grin from her
face and pulled the coat off of her head.
        " Juan, don't do that! You'll mess up my haiÉ" she
trailed off as she looked up at him. He had her soft
pink shawl wrapped around his shoulders. The cat was
tucking a flower behind his ear.
        " I'm not laughing," Shouka said, trying to keep a
straight face.  " Give it back," she said, standing up
and holding out her hand.  Juan bit his lip and shot
her a worried look.
        " Do I look fat in this?" he asked in a high pitched
voice.  Shouka laughed and swatted his arm.  He smiled
and draped the shawl around her shoulders.  He leaned
down and kissed her temple, then pulled the flower
from his ear and presented it to her. 
        " For you."
        " Arigatou," she said with a smile, taking the
flower.  She sat back to her work and pulled Juan with
her. " Here, you can pluck these," she said, placing
the basket in his lap. He began to pull the leaves
from the stems.  Shouka watched him for a minute, then
searched for more. 
        " It's going to be busy this week. The Pai'en
children all have fevers. Old Zhu has broken his wrist
and Kai-san is pregnantÉagain."
        " I want children," Juan said. Shouka smiled.
        " Really? How many?" she asked. When he didn't answer
she looked over at him. He was staring intently at his
work and a faint blush stained his cheeks.
        " How many?" she asked again, resting her head
against his shoulder. His blush deepened.
        " I'd better stop Tama from eating the butterflies."
        " No," Shouka said, wrapping her arms around his. "
Tell me Juan. What are you so embarrassed about?"
        " I'm not," he said quietly. Shouka watched him twist
the life out of a stem.
        " I want a whole houseful," Shouka said. Juan smiled.

        " Of course. We'll have a houseful after we get
married."
        " After? That *almost* sounded like a proposal Juan,"
she said teasingly. 
        " It was." Shouka's heart began to beat a little
faster.
        " JÉJuan," was all she could think of to say. He took
her hand in his, his light blue eyes stared into hers
and her heart stilled in anticipation.
        " ShoukaÉwill you marry me?" She was about to answer
when she noticed his left hand was bound in cloth.
        " Juan," she said in an admonishing tone.
        " What?"
        " You know what," she said, unwinding the cloth. He
began to tug his hand away.  She glared at him and he
stopped.
        " I don't see why you're not proud of it. I am."
        " It's not that. I just don't want to be a Suzaku
seishi."
        " It's an honor Juan."
        " It's an honor I don't want. I didn't ask for it."
        " Among people, there's only one person.  There's
something that the one person can do that nobody else
can.  It's something that person has at birth. That
person's *you* Juan and you know it.  No one else can
heal like you do," Shouka said gently.  She laid the
cloth down and traced the invisible symbol on his
hand.
        " I don't want to leave you. I don't want to go with
them. You're my only family and I love you." Her took
her hand again and brushed his lips against it. 
        " I'm sure you'll grow to like them. Who knows? They
could be a second family."
        " I don't think so."
        " Trust me."   He met her eyes again.
        " So will you marry me?" 
        Shouka giggled. " I will if you stop wearing my
clothes!" He chuckled. Shouka leaned up and kissed
him.  He slipped an arm around her waist and pulled
her closer.  She sighed happily, she loved him so
much. 
~~~
        It was right in front of his eyes. Daring to flash
its brilliant colors in mocking triumph. He would show
*it* who was triumphant! He wiggled his hindquarters,
flicked his tail and pounced.  The butterfly flitted
out of reach of his paws. 
        Tama landed gracefully and bounded again, swatting at
the multicolored intruder.  It continued to fly as if
it didn't know it was being hunted.  Finally he
managed to clap it underneath his front paws. He
hunched down and opened his paws a bit to leer
victoriously at his lunch. It flew up and smacked him
in the face.  That littleÉ
        He was about to chase it again when a feeling made
the fur ruse on his back. It was the same feeling he'd
had last night. He sat still and felt the world around
him. He heard a faint sound at the bottom of the hill.
His senses told him that it was coming from his house.
 He ran down the hillÉwondering what the gods had in
store for him this time.
        A male human-kitten was banging at the door of his
house and crying.
        " Please Myo-san! Are you home? My brother's really
sick!"
        Tama approached him, but the smell around the kitten
made his back arch.  This was something the tall one
needed to see.  Tama tore back up as fast as he could.

        The tall one was sitting in the grass with Shouka,
kissing her.  Baka humans! This was not the time to
try and make kittens!
        " Niao!" he said sharply in human tongue. They didn't
pay attention to him.  Tama gave them his best glare,
*that* would get them moving. A few minutes later the
cat was beginning to wonder how they were able to
breathe. He was becoming annoyed.  Humans, he decided,
were a hassle to take care of. He stalked up between
them, tail lashing angrily.  He squeezed between them
and meowed loudly again. They broke apart.
        " JuanÉyour cat," Shouka said.
        " Tama, you are a nuisance," the tall one said,
reaching for him. Tama hissed and swiped at him. 
        " What's gotten into you?"
        Tama changed into the young male and waved his paws
back down at the house.
        " What's wrong with him?" Shouka asked.
        " Maybe he's hungry."
        Tama sweatdropped. What did he have to do to get
through to them? He trotted awayÉmaybe he if he gave
the right signals they would follow him.  Instead they
continued to stare at him blankly. Tama nearly
facefaulted. What would it take for them to get it?
Divine intervention?
        For the third time the urgent feeling came over the
cat. The tall one must have felt it too.
        " I'll be back," he said distractedly, getting to his
feet. Tama tried to jump to the tall one's shoulder
and smacked into his arm. He fell to the ground.
Shouka picked him up in her soft hands and followed
the tall one down the hill.
~~~
        Juan approached the boy who was standing outside his
house. He recognized him as one of the Pai'en boys. 
        " Is there something wrong?"  The boy whirled around,
tears streaking down his face.
        " Myo-san! My brother's really sick and the doctors
in the village said the couldn't heal him but they
said you could," the boy said quickly.
        " *I* can?" Juan asked.  Shouka touched his hand and
her eyes bored into his.  Juan looked to the boy who
was staring at him hopefully.  He sighed.
        " I'll help."
~~~
        The disease spread, but even through the sickness and
the total exhaustion, he was happy.  He could heal
everyone with his power and they returned to their
normal state.  That was what he always wanted, to heal
like that. He was proud of his abilityÉand Shouka was
proud of him.
        Sometimes he had to leave for other villages. When he
was away, Shouka took care of the ones that were ill
until he could return.
~~~
        Juan gazed fondly at Shouka's sleeping form.  He had
to leave today for a village high in the mountains. 
He hated to leave her. Normally he wasn't concerned,
but he was going so far away.
        He had told her his concerns last night. She'd
laughed and told him not to worry.  She'd said she
knew he would be back in time to save her if she got
sick.  Then she had given him thisÉ
        He fingered the dark red bandanna and smiled.  When
he came back, plague or no, he would marry her.  He
kissed her cheek for luck and stroked Tama who was
beside her. Then he shouldered his pack and stepped
into the morning.
~~~
        The village received him like a king and he got to
work.  It tired him, but he loved seeing the relief in
their faces when the pain dissipated. Still, he
couldn't wait to get home to marry his beloved.
~~~
        Juan tossed in his bed. He couldnÕt rest for some
reason. Something was wrong, but he wasn't sure what.
He sat up and stared into the darkness of the room. 
He should really get some sleep; there was a lot to do
tomorrow. 
        There came a frantic knocking on his door.  He was
glad for an excuse to get up. He threw on his shirt
and opened the door.  Pai'en was standing there with a
pale face.  A bad feeling was beginning to take hold
of Juan's heart. Pai'en had obviously been running for
a long while and traveling even longer. 
        " What's wrong?" he asked.  The boy collapsed to his
knees, panting for breath.
        " SÉShouka-san."   Juan didn't askÉhe knew. His whole
world shifted to one focal point. Shouka.
        He ran from the house at full speed, not caring that
it was an absurdly long distance to run.  He had to
save her. The one person he loved most in the world.
The only one he had left.
        It felt like he ran forever.  He stopped only when he
needed to regain the strength to run again.  Love and
desperation drove him forwardÉmaybe if he went fast
enoughÉhe could be just in time.  Finally he reached
her house and slammed open the door.  He saw Shouka
lying pale on the bed.  She gave a long, rattling sigh
and was gone.
---
C&C Welcome

Disclaimer: Don't own 'em, ain't making any money.

Wo Ai Ni, No Da

Night~Mare