"hmmph. pathetic." Tomo glared at the girl. The only escapee of Suboshiko's ribbons, standing there trying to look tough-with a sword made out of a FEATHER! And if it wasn't for Chichiri...damn that Chichiri... Tomo strode over to where Chichiri was entwined in the ribbons. Instead of choking and struggling, like his companions, he just sat there. He stared up at Tomo. "Will killing K-chan really help you no da?" "Uresi, monk." Tomo glared down at him, hatred smoldering in his gaze. "Killing her...killing any of us..." Chichiri's mask fluttered to the floor, to reveal his oddly calm face. "It wont make a difference. Suzaku-" "URESI!" Tomo shoved his boot into Chichiri's chin. There was a sharp crack, and a small, animal whine. H-chan started, shuddering about what pain Chichiri must have felt. "LEAVE HIM BE!" she yelled. "I'm the one you want! Don't hurt-eh!" H-chan was cut off by K-chan, who stepped before them. She held her sword at Tomo's neck. Her eyes were cold. "If you hurt them, Ill hurt you." Miryuu's eyes went wide with shock, then she regained herself. "Baka. Little girlie BAKA." She raised her hand in the air, lightning sparking- "K-CHAN!" H-chan yelled. The sword began to glow brightly. "GET DOWN!" "YAH!" Miryuu sent the crackling bolt at K-chan. "IYAH!" K-chan ducked to the ground, holding out the sword. The sky was illuminated. A brilliant white flash filed the air. Everyone stared in shock at the feather sword, which was shining a brilliant red as it actually absorbed the electricity. The lightning converged, crackling, in long white spirals around the sword. "YA-TAH!" K-chan yelled. She then became aware of H-chan behind her, tangled in the ribbons. She was grimacing, beads of sweat dripping down her forehead. "K-chan...I can't keep this up..." She convulsed. Chichiri waved his hand through the ribbon and held her by the chin. "Keep still, H-chan!" He looked up at K-chan. "Onegai! Release the lightning!" "Release the-" Miryuu hissed. Her eyes shone a bright blue. "URESI! YOU, YOU-" She was cut off by K-chan, who raised the sword high in the air. "My first battle...." she murmured. She held the sword out, the lightning coming to a single glowing point in the air. "My best friend...I don't want to lose...." She released her will into the sword, commanding the energy out. "I ABSOLUTELY WON'T LOSE!" "ACK!" The lightning crackled around them. It burned away the ribbons of Suboshiko and knocked them all away. The Seriyuus' ended up in the water. Tomo opened his shin clam. "Don't believe this is the end, Suzaku Shichiseishi. There's no way on this earth you're getting the shinzaho!" In a flash, they all disappeared. K-chan stared after them in with shock. "My first fight...and I won! I won!" She turned to face her friends. "AM I COOL OR WHAT?!?!" "Very cool, my darling." Tamahome gave her a hug. "You saved us all!" "H-chan no da!" Chichiri hugged her to his chest. She was coughing spazmically. "Daijobu nan no da?" "Hai...Daijobu, Chichiri..." She turned to K-chan, who was watching her friend with a worried expression of shock. "Way to go, K-chan!" she gave her friend a weak smile. "I'll make you a real sword with another feather...that way it won't take as much of my energy to maintain, ne?" "H-chan!" She threw her arms around her friend, grinning. "Honto desca!" "Hai, hai!" H-chan stood up, a bit wobbily. "How many times does that damned Miryuu have to shock me 'till she's satisfied?" Chichiri picked up his staff and brought it down hard on the ground. *SMACK* Thus getting everyone's attention, he slipped his mask back on. "Minna, we have to move quickly no da. Tomo must have told Miryuu about the Shinzaho, and now they know where we are no da!" "So what can we do, Chichiri?" Tamahome stood up beside him. "The only thing I can see is get to the shinzaho before they do no da!" Chichiri gestured with his staff into the distance, where they could see a small town. "That's Hokkan...where we can find the Shinzaho we need no da!" "Yo-SHA!" Tasuki pumped his fist in the air. "Let's go to Hokkan!" "Tasuki-san!" Chiriko giggled. "You look absolutely thrilled!" "%$#@ YEAH!" Tasuki grinned, teeth jutting out in glee. "I haven't had a decent cup of sake in WEEKS!" ^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~ Miryuu sat, fuming, in the emperor's crown room. She had chased the imbecile off for the day, giving her time to think. Suboshiko came in, with a hand placed gingerly on her stomach. "Goddamn that Chichiri." Miryuu closed her eyes in resignation. "It was only blind luck that K-chan's sword absorbed my lightning." "The sword didn't absorb the lightning..."Tomo came it, with two goblets of wine on a tray. Miryuu took one and sipped it gingerly. Tomo growled. "H-chan absorbed the brunt energy of the lightning, through the sword. How can a mere mortal girl absorb that much electricity and not die?" Miryuu tapped her fingers on the leather of the throne, thinking. "I don't think she absorbed all of it..remember when Chichiri grabbed her head? She immediately calmed down. I think Chichiri absorbed alot of the pain she was feeling...what a selfless sacrifice!" Miryuu gave a small, butter laugh. Tomo sighed. "You act just like your mother, Miryuu...." "Do I?" MIryuu stared off into space. "Do I act like she did before or after she married Nakago? Do I act like her before or after they entered the army together? And most importantly...." she growled in anger. "Do I act like she did before or after they were captured and executed by the emperor of Kutou?" "Miryuu!" Suboshiko looked at her in shock. "If the emperor hears..." "What can he do If he does?" Miryuu gave a high pitched, psychotic laugh. "I'm two seishi in one! After all....although I work for the emperor of Kutou...." Miryuu turned away, a glint of a grin showing through the shadows on her face. "but allas fair in love and war...."she whispered. A chill went up Suboshiko's spine. She hated it when Miryuu got this way...she swalloed heavily. "Miryuu-sama, do you want me to send for one of the remaining seishi?" "Yes...find the one who's closest to Hokkan, and tell them to go fetch." "Hai, Miryuu-sama." ^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~ "Da..." Chichiri winced slightly. They had been wandering around the little town for about and hour. While H-chan had let him lean on her,. he had been mostly using his staff ad support. (I need to watch it no da...) "Chichiri-san, what's wrong?" H-chan was limping along, still feeling the effects of the electricity as well, and looking at Chichiri with extreme concern. "Well, whatever it is, get the %$#@ over it!" Tasuki snorted, and was rewarded with a smack in the head from Chiriko. "Hush, Tasuki-san! Chichiri-sans just tired!" "I could carry him? " Nuriko walked over to Chichiri, cracking his knuckles. "That's okay nan no da!" (She isn't very delicate for a palace lady nan no da...) "Hey, Chichiri! Look!" K-chan, perched n Tamahome's shoulders, was waving frantically. "There's a temple!" She pointed over to a large green temple, with priest's milling about the outside. "Ill bet they know where the shinzaho ended up!" "Yo-SHA!" Tasuki ran over, nearly dropping Chiriko. He grabbed one of the priest's by the collar. "Where the %$#@ is the shinzaho?" "Ah...eh..."The priest sputtered. "C'mon, %$#@ it! Where-irk!" Tasuki was kicked in the head by Chiriko, who hopped down off his shoulders and bowed deeeply to the priest. "Were the Suzaku Sichiseishi-" "And I'm Suzaku no Miko!" H-chan, who had called out her wings for the occasion, fluttered in front of Chiriko. "See the wings?" The priest stifled a laugh. "I see. I suppose you're here about the shinzaho?" "Hai!" H-chan bowed. "We have to get it before the seiryuu's do!" Chichiri walked up behind them, smiling broadly. "I'm Chichiri , the miko's main guardian nan no da. Do you know where it is?" "Of course, everyone does." The priest pointed up to a tall, glinting white mountain. "There, at the peak of Genbu no Mountain, is where the Genbu shichiseishi guard their shinzaho." "But..." Chcihri sweatdropped. The rest of the group, having joined in the middle of the conversation, looked confused. "But, wasn't Genbu called at least a hundred years ago no da? How can they still be-" "Their vengeful spirits guard the mountain." The priests face grew solemn. "You'll have to prove she's the true miko if you want their shinzaho..." "Yatta!" Tasuki laughed. "Those Seiryuu %$#@s don't even HAVE a miko!" ""Well, lets get goin!" Nuriko laughed. "Its a long way, even on horse back!" "No %$#@in WAY!" Tasuki shook his head. "We found the shinzaho! Its practically ours! All we have to do is go get it! So lets have a %$#@ing party!" "A party nan no da?" Chichiri looked confused. "But we didn't actually do-" "Were going to!" Tasuki clapped Chichrii on the back. "Its a %$#@ing precelabration! Ill go get some sake!" Tasuki bounded off into town. "Typical..." Chiriko ran off after them, followed closely by H-chan. "Chichri! Go find us a place to stay, onegai? I'm ganna make sure Tasuki doesn't get us kicked out of Hokkan!" she called over her shoulder as she flew away. "Wait, H-chan no da..." Chichiri sighed. "Why dosetn she want to spend time with me no da?" Nuriko laughed. "Baka Chichiri...shes a professional. She loves you...but s he loves her friends! Her attentions are pulled so many ways...being a miko is stressful work." "Hai no da." The remaining seishi trooped off into town, searching for food and a place to spend the night. The priest watched after them, then sighed. "Sieshi don't change, I guess...now, finally, the shinzaho will have a home. Then, perhaps, the Genbu sichiseishi will rest-" "Oh, they will rest. I promise you that." A voice, high pitched and sinister, came from behind him. "What?" He turned to see a small abbot hovering in mid-air, brandishing a pointed prayer wheel. "Abbot-sama?" "No." He hissed, and a blast of blue energy knocked him to the ground. "I'm just borrowing his body." "but...but..."the priest coughed, then lay still. "My real name...is Seiryuu seishi Miboshi." ^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~ "Ne, Haruka-san?" H-chan and Chiriko sat outside the bar, where Tasuki was loading up on sake. H-chan sighed, realizing shed have to deal with a drunken Tasuki later on... "Hai, Chiriko-san?" "How is it...why do you worry over Chichiri ? "What do you mean, Chiriko?" "Well..." Chiriko shrugged. "I don't know....It seems hopeless, for you. You're just a kid, trying to fight a dead girl for his affections...and its not like you even have a reason!" H-chan looked down at Chiriko, kind of shocked. "I have plenty of REASONS, Chiriko...not logical ones like you'd understand, but they are reasons..." "Like what?" Chiriko looked up with a patent analytical gaze. "Well..." H-chan blushed a little bit, looking down at her hands. "For instance, I shoot my mouth off a lot. I say things and do things without thinking, and it usually gets me into trouble....I was talking to Chichri about it, y'know, cause he has so much control over what HE says...and you know what he said?" "What?" "He said: 'Its nothing to worry about no da. Its one of the things that make you beautiful no da...'-"H-chan smiled a bit at the memory. "'-and who wants to spend time around a boring person anyway nan no da?'" H-chan stared down at Chiriko, half grinning. "He's a`lot like you, Chiriko-san. He can find beauty in anything, and anyone..." H-chan rolled her eyes. "Even that baka Tasuki." Chiriko giggled. "Impressive. Chichiri-san is so cool!" "Hai!" H-chan laughed, then turned to Chiriko. "Ne Chiriko....I don't mean to open up an old wound, and you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, but-" "How did I join up with Tasuki instead of my parents?" Chiriko sighed, a shadow falling over his eyes. "My parents...about a year after I was born, or so I'm told, were killed in the Hin race genocide..." "Chiriko..." H-chan gave him a hug. "I'm sorry..." Chiriko put a hand on her shoulder. "Its alright, H-chan. I don't even remember my parents...except, for this song my mother used to sing to me. Isn't it weird what you remember?" Chiriko gave a small, nervous laugh. "It was a patriotic song, one about how Suzaku no Miko and the Shichiseishi were going to save the world." "We ARE supposed to save the world, aren't we?" H-chan sighed. "I'm so afraid..." "Don't be!" Chiriko, with a flourish, waved his little bandit dagger. "As soon as we get the shinzaho, we can call Suzaku, seal Seiryuu, and you'll have all those wishes! Id love to have a wish..." "What would you wish for, Chiriko?" Without a pause, Chiriko burst out: "To be a grown up full fledged bandit in the Keitou no college!" "Wow..." H-chan grinned. "well, as soon as I call Suzaku, your wish will be granted." "H-chan!" Chiriko raised his eyebrows. "You, um, your wishes!" "Oh, its alright." H-chan smiled. "Ill just lump your wish onto Nuriko's." "Nuriko has a-" (Shimatta! Subject change!) H-chan giggled nervously. "That song...Is that the song you were playing on the flute when me and Tasuki-" "Hai." Chiriko kind of smiled. "I always can concentrate my chi best when I play that song." "Will you play it for me?" H-chan looked down at him pleadingly. "I wouldn't ask, but it was so pretty..." "Gomen, H-chan, I left my flute back in my pack...and I couldn't even if I had it here. It would release chi like a bleeding wound." "Eew. What an image!" "Gomen, H-chan..." Chriko laughed. Tasuki came out, carrying an armful of skae. "BWAHAHAA! ARE WE GONNA HAVE FUN TONIGHT!" "And tomorrow, we go get the shinzaho!" Chiriko yelled. Tasuki paused, and looked down at Chiriko. "You're not coming, Chiriko." he growled. "What?" Chiriko looked shocked. "But, I'm a Suzaku sichiseshi!" "You're also just a kid." Tasuki glared at him. "There's ghosts and %$#@ on that mountain! You're stayin' back with Migenrou, and that's %$#@in FINAL!" Chiriko turned away growling. (We'll see about that, Tasuki-san.) ^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~ The party was a sucsess. The seishi were able to find a place to stay with relative ease, and had set up camp in a small inn. The evening was peppered with memorable moments, such as: -Nuriko putting K-chan's hair into odango ("Cool! I look like Sailor moon!" "See-ra WHO?") -The formation of a singing trio with Tamahome, Tasuki, K-chan, and her choir music. ("One, singular sensation!" "This song %$#!ing sucks!" "Okay, how about this one?" "Carol of the %$#@in BELLS? Try another one!") -Migenrou's forcing Chirko into a dance("Ite...my feet..." "Gomen, Chiriko!") -Tamahome and Mitsukake's staring contest ("This isn't fair! He never blinks!" "He's like a %$#@in STATUE or someth-ow!" "meow!" "%$#!in loyal cat!" "Good boy, Tama.") -H-chan's candid photofest with a Polaroid camera from K-chan's bag ("H-chan, that film was supposed to be for the school yearbook! How am I gonna explain THIS?" "K-chan, you're gonna have a hell of a lot harder time dealing with me and not using that film then dealing with the yearbook editor if you do." "*gulp* Understood...") -Chichiri's impressions of the Seiryuu shichiseishi, complete with disguises: ("Who am I no da? 'Kakakakakaaa nan no da!'" "TOMO!") Eventually, they had all drifted off to sleep in various parts of the room. At least, it seemed that way... Chiriko sat up carefully, trying not to disturb anyone around him. He ruffled around in his pack until he found his robbers hood. Quietly he crept towards the door. "Chiriko?" a whisper stopped him cold. It was Migenrou, staring at him with concern. "Where are you going?" "Oh, just for a walk, nothing to worry about!" Chiriko smiled. "Ill be back in a while. Go back to sleep." "Alright." *THUMP* Migenrou fell back into bed and was snoring within moments. Chiriko crept into the cold night air. A few solitary snowflakes drifted past his face as he crept into the night. (Just a kid, We'll see about THAT.) END CHAPTER 16!