^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~* A Fushigi Yuugi OVA Ripples in the water OVA8:Suzaku Seishi Chiriko ^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~* "Youre a shichi-seisi?" H-chan asked in mild disbelief as she stared down at the child, still menacing her with an evil glare. The effect of this glare was all but lost with Tasukis subsequent noogie-ing. "Remember how beautiful Suzaku no miko was supposed to be?!" he chckled. "What a %$#@in' CROCK!" "Aho!" H-chan swiped at him. The boy looked up at her, an expression of horror dawning on his face. "Youre...youre Suzaku no miko?" H-chan nodded, trying to hide a smirk that was slowly forming on her face. "Gomen nasai!" The kid bowed. "Im Chiriko!" "I know..." H-chan smiled, slightly confused still. "Umm...so whats a cute little kid like you-" "AAAARRGGHH!!" Chiriko yelled, knocking H-chan down with suprise. "Dont CALL me that!" K-chan wavered out of her drunken stupor enough to look over and giggle. "What a cute lil'-" "AAAHHH!" The child screamed again, turning bright red. Chichiri surveyed the situation. Over a period of time, he had found his place in this small group of misfits:the peace keeper. He looked over the weary seishi, and decided that what everyone probaly needed was a good nights sleep. He superdeformed and walked over to Chiriko. "DA!" "Augh!" Chiriko stared down in suprise at the chibified blue-haired monk. "Who are-" "Im a shichiseishi no da!" He went to his normal size, to Chirikos further astonishment. "Im Chichiri, welcome to the Suzaku Shichiseishi no da!" He pulled out his kasa, and brought out a huge pile of blankets. "Its time for us all to sleep no da. Were going to Konan in the morning no da!" "Konan?" Chirikos eyes gleamed with dreams of the imperial city. What great things he could steal there...He smiled up at the man and got a blanket. "Arigatou gozaimasu!" He curled up underneath and was almost instantly asleep. "Good night, Chiriko...you too, H-chan no da!" "But, Im not sleepy..." she yawned as Chichiri threw a blanket on her. She immediatley fell into a deep sleep. He surveyed the rest of the seishi. Tamahome and K- chan were both slumped onto the ground, passed out. Chiriko was sleeping, and H-chan was also prone on the ground. Tasuki was- "Tasuki?" Chichiri hissed. The bandit jumped down friom a tree branch over head, dark coat making him merge with the darkness. A fang glinted through the shadows, as did a glint of red. "Oy, Chichiri, Id better keep an eye on Chiriko..." Chichiri shook his head. "The blankets will take care of him no da. He'll sleep utill I wake up." Tasuki whistled. "Damn, Chichiri. You thought of everything." "You sure you dont want to sleep down here no da?" He gestured to the pile. "Most of theese arent magic no da..." Tasuki just laughed. "No, I like to stay up. Oyasumi nasai, Chichiri." He sprang back up into the tree. "Oyasumi nasai, Tasuki." He curled up in one of his blankets, and soon an absoulte peace had drifted ofver the tiny camp. One would almost smile at the scene...a fox-faced monk, blue bangs reflecting the moonlight, "da"ing and kicking like a sleeping dog... But if one only knew of his dreams... ^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~* "Houjun!" (oh god, not again, not again...) Chichiri strained to bring himself out of the dream. There it was, Hikou, flailing in the water...that hopeless look on his face...and his cries- "HOU-JUUUUNNNN!" Chichiri strained to hold to his frriend, not let him go, but it was as if he was in mollasses, totally stuck- But as long as he held Hikous hand- *SPATCH* The log, as usual, came out of nowhere. The spike gouged into his eye, cusing an explosion of red and forcing him to let go of Hikous hand. He watched in shock, out of one eye blurred with tears, as Hikou slipped into the water, sill screaming his name. Chichiri slid back onto the bank, staring at his hand. "Hikou..." All of a sudden, he was alone again. Just in the darkness. He reached up to his scar...the mask! Damned mask! He picked it up and cast it aside. "Hikou...HIKOU!" He screamed, holding his face in his hands. "Chichiri! Dont cry, Chichiri..." "Nani?" A par of arms encircled him, holding him tightly. He looked donw to see the top of a brown head of hair...A pair of tearfull brown eyes turned up to him. "I wont let you be sad, Chichiri..." "H-chan!" Chichiri said. "Doushite?" She knelt down beside him and picked up the mask. She stared at its face for a second, then held it out to him. He just stared at it with a slightly stupefied expression. "You dont understand, H-chan, you dont understand what I did to-" He was cut off by her diving torwards him, clutching him in a desperate, tearful embrace. "I dont care! I dont care at ALL!" She sobbed. "I just want you to be happy!" "I can never be-" "Someday..." H-chans voice was trembling, with anger and sadness and something else he couldnt identify. "someday youll lose this mask for good!" ^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~* "Aa!" H-chan woke up with a sudden jolt of adrenaline. she threw the blanket off and stood straight up. "Nani? Nani YO?!?" She rubbed her head, staring at all the sleeping campers. Her tiredness rolled back over her like a wave. "Hmm...I must be going mental..." Her eyes strayed across the grass, where Chichiris mask was laying. "He mustve rolled out of it.." She walked over and knelt to pick it up. "Hikou!" a voice whimpered beside her. "Chichiri-san?" She looked over to see tears pouring out of Chichiris good eye, his mouth moving. He was trembling, and sniffling. "Chichiri-san!" She stood for a second, weighing her options. She could just go back to sleep, she was so tired...but Chichiri-san was in pain! She couldnt sleep if Chichiri-san was in pain...She knelt beside him, wrapping her arms around him. "Chichiri..." she whispered. "Dont cry, Chichiri..." Slumped against him, she soon fell asleep. ^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~* "H-chan...why? Why do you care?" "Because...because I-" "DA!" Chichiri started out of his sleep.He felt a weight on his chest...H-chan was slumped on him, arms loosely wrapped around his sides. "H-chan no da!" (how strange...)Chichiri reached up and gently rolled her on her side. His mask fell out of one limp hand. "H-chan...you must have seen-am I that loud no da?" He laughed. But she was still sound asleep. "That cant be comfortable no da." He sat up, reaaranging her until she was lying flat on her back. He gently laid a blanket over her, then stood up and gathered his fishing rod. (Better she sleep no da...plus, she dosent seem to be too good luck on fishing trips no da!)He rearranged his mask and wrinkled his face. "Ill aske her about this later no da.." "Chichiri-sama?" "Ohayu, Chiriko!" He smiled down at the little boy, who was fidgeting nervously. "What are you doing up so early no da?" "Um, just up. Can I go fishing with you?" "Well, sure no da!" The two retreated torwards the lake. A few seconds later, H-chan rolled over, giving a tree a good solid kick. Tasuki tumbled down. "%$#@!" He stood up, glaing at the sleeping miko. "You stupid OINUUU!!" He looked down, and noticed she was wrapped in Chichiris blankets. Intrigue! "OHAYUUUU!!" He screamed in her ears. "AAHH!" She sat straght up, flailing her arms. "Waaahhh! Tasuki! What the hell-" "What the hells up with you?" Tasuki smirked. I just wanted to congratulate you on sucessfully roping a man." "Nani?" "All wrapped up in the evidence..." Tasuki feigned a look of innocence. "The monk and the miko? Who woulda thought?" "TASUKI!" H-chan turned red. "He was trembling-" "And you had to warm him up?" Tasuki laughed. "Smooth, oinu." "Iyah!" H-chan pulled the blanket up over her head. "Where is Chichiri?" "Your 'Da-Ring' is off fishing with Chiriko. He must like em young!" "AAHHH!" H-chan smacked him across the face, now bright red and swaetdropping. "Im sorry I ever bought you earrings, you stupid JERK! Im going to sleep!" He smirked, rubbing his sore jaw. "Well, I think your friend over there wants to talk to you anyway." He jerked a thumb over to where K-chan and Tamahome were sharing a pitcher of something boiled over a stove. "G-gomen Tasuki." H-chan blushed. "I overreeact sometimes..." "I didnt even %$#@in notice that." Tasuki grwoled as H-chan walked over to K-chan. She sat beside her friend, stared over at her for a second, and poked her in the forehead. "Wahhh..." K-chan fell back. "Never, oh, never again..." H-chan laughed. "Learning the evils of alchohol, ne K- chan?" "Yeah, yeah...ne, Tamahome, can you leave for a second?" Tamahome rolled his eyes. "Girl stuff, huh? Im gone..." he wandered off in the forest. "whicha!" H-cham murmured. "Dont start...anyway, I figured out how you can get Chichiri!" "Oh no...not another one of your stupid plans?" H-chan hissed. "Remeber your plan to get me attention from Robbie James?" "Thats was a long time-" "You wanted me to get his attention-from bargain basement generic face creem!" H-chan was livid at the memory. "My face swelled up like a ba-LOON! It took 2 days for the swellintg to go down!" "But H-chan!" K-chan was practicaly begging.(There was nothing she liked more than trying to hook H-chan up.)"Its fool proof! Please! I PROMISE!" "Alright, fine...so whats your great idea?" ^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~* "What a nice clear day on the lake no da!" Chichiri said happily as he sat, twirling his fishing rod and casting it deep into the water. Chiriko laid beside him, stretched out on the grass. "It is a nice day..." "So, Chiriko, how do you know Tasuki no da?" "I met him in Keitou no college." "Were you, um, the deans son no da?" "I was his tutor..." Chiriko laughed. Chichiri laughed too, a little embarrased. "Youre smarter than me no da!" "I doubt that, Chichiri-sama..." He looked up at him with a look of adulation. "Ah..." Chichiri tired to change the subject. "Why are you trying to be a bandit no da?" "Umm..." Chiriko tosed a rock in the water. "Well, when you superdeform, do people coo and tak about how cute you are?" *splash* "Sometimes no da..." Chichiri began to haul in a huge fish. "well, what if you were superdeformed all the time?" The fish landed on the bank. "I see no da. Most people dont bother to look beyond apperances no da..." He began to recast. "Do they look beyond masks, Chichiri-san?" *splash!* The rod fell into the water. Chichiri had fumbled it into the pond. He scambled to get it. "Da!" "Oh, sorry!" Chiriko leaned over and caught it as it bagfan to float downstream. "I didnt mean-" "Its okay nan no da. (Can a kid be too smart for his own good no da?) "Lets head back, we have to pack no da!" "Hai, Chichiri-sama!" ^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~* "YOU WANT ME TO WHAT?!?" H-chan stared at K-chan in openmouthed derision. She had made some stupid plans, but this...this was about as stupid as it GOT. "All you have to do is kiss Tasuki! As soon as Chichiri sees, he'll freak out and BAM! Hes yours!" H-chan rolled his eyes. "How much are you paying Tasuki?" "20 gold ryou." H-chan sighed. "It just dosent sound like a good idea, K-chan! I mean, your plans ALWAYS screw up! Plus, this isnt high school. Hes a grown man! He isnt going to be roused by some petty-" "Oh, C'mon!" K-chan beggeed. "He knows it dosent mean anything! Worst case scenario, you unruffle Chichiri and get to kiss a good looking bandit." "Good looking? are we talking about the same GUY?!?!" H-chan stuck her tounge out. "Come on...look at him! If it wasnt for Tamahome...hee..." "Thats it, Im gone. Ill do it, just shut up!" H-chan stomped off. In theese battles, K-chan always got the best of her. She just didnt want to get in an argument... ^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~* Tasuki lay on the grass, idly playing with one of the earring on his ear. It was a nice quality earring, a nice present. So, why did she buy it? The girl had guts, he would give her THAT. Smacking him like that, just for makin fun of Chichiri...one would think she would at least have enough sence to be afraid of him...but instead, he was NICE to him? "Its just cause Im a seishi..." he growled. "What is?" He looked up to see H-chan slightly flushed, staring down at him. "Oinu! Hey! Whats up?" "Whats up?" H-chan smirked. "You know whats up. You talked to K-chan?" He sat up. He didnt remember a %$#@in THING about last nights converstaion, besides K-chan eerily giggling. He must have promised her SOMETHING...better to just fake it. "Yeah, we got this whole damned thing set." He gave an uneasy grin. "Good. She sat beside him. "Your face okay?" "Didnt hurt a bit." To the left, there was a rustling in the bushes. Chichir and Chiriko came out, waving and carrying a huge fish. "H-chan no da!" "Showtime." H-chan whispered. "Tasukiiii!" she squealed and glomped onto him. "N-nani! Wha the %$#@!?!" Tasuki yelled. "I thought you said you planned this out!" H-chan hissed through a clenched grin. "We did-" "H-chan no da?" Chichrii sounded puzzled. Time to go. "Good." H-chan hissed again. "TASUKI, youre so SWEET!" She then kissed him on the cheek. H-chan wrinkled her nose.(god, dosent this guy bathe?) Tasuki froze in shock, and Chichiri clamped a hand over Chirikos eyes. "ite!" H-chan stood straight up, bright red. "I...didnt mean a thing...its all...OH, DAMNIT K-CHAN!" She dashed off into the forest, chased by Chichiri. "H-chan no da!" K-chan stepped over the forgotten fish, and tossed a bag of ryou. It bounced off Tasukis chest. "Money..." K-chan smirked. "Money well earned." END CHAPTER 8!