"Ni-chan." Migenrou knelt by her brother, whispering angrily. it had been about an hour since Chiriko had left on his short walk, and Migenrou was worried. It wasn't like cChiriko to just leave... "Ni-Chan!" She poked her brother in the head. "Mrph..." He rolled over, arm swinging around and smacking H-chan, who was curled up with Chichri a little less than an arms length away. She bolted straight up. "WA! What the-" "H-chan!" Migenrou whispered. "Chiriko's gone! He left on a walk an hour ago! And my baka Ni-chan won't wake up!" "Damn it!" H-chan growled. (I thought Chiriko was supposed to be SMART!) "Alright, then..." H-chan leaned over and pinched Tasuki's nose shut, putting one hand over his mouth. "Nani-" "shh!" H-chan waited, beads of sweat forming on her forehead. (hope this works...) One second... Two.... "-KAAAHHH!" Tasuki jumped up, sputtering. He punched H-chan in the shoulder. "OINUUU! WHAT THE $#@!-" "Ni-chan!" Migenrou grabbed Tasuki's arm. "Chiriko's gone! I don't know where he is and-" Tasuki's mind raced back to a moment the day before: "You're not goin', Chiriko." "But I'm...I'm a Suzaku seishi!" "Yeah, and theirs ghosts and %$#@ on that mountain. It's not safe. You're not goin', and that's %$#@in final!" He thought back to the expression on chiriko's face. He wouldn't...masaku... "%$#@!!!!" Tasuki yelled, bolting out the door. "Chichiriiiiii!" ^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~ Chiriko stalked along, tracing to the base of the mountain. The snow was falling hard now, and he realized he wouldn't make it far on foot. Maybe it was time to turn around... "Hey!" Two horses, whinnying and shaking snowflakes out of their long lashes, were tied over at a post. Chiriko walked over and inspected the knot on the first. "Awful complicated..." Chiriko took out his dagger, and with a gleaming white slash the knot was in two. He hopped on the horse. (Gomen nasai...whoever owns this horse...) He kicked it smartly in the side, and it began to gallop up the mountain. (But this is important...some thing's waitng for me up there. I'm sure of it.) ^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~ "Iyah!" H-chan squealed. "Those idiots aren't going up the mountain!" "Gomen, H-chan...." Chichiri sighed. "But that's where I feel their chi heading no da." "Oh %$#@! Ni-chan! Chiriko-san!" Migenrou stomped her foot. "Well, I'm not letting them go alone!" "Migenrou! Don't-" H-chan reached out to stop her, but it was too late. She had already thrown on her hood and flown out the door. The galloping of a horse receded into the distance. H-chan sighed, and looked over her slightly sleepy crew of Shichiseishi, awakend by H-chans screams of emergency. She lifted her feather into the air and waved it. The wings descended upon her back with a red flourish. "Minna, get on your horses and go up that mountain!" With a running jump, she was outside and flying, hoping to catch a sight of Chiriko in the snow. ^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~ "That stupid %$#@ing kid..." Tasuki stalked along in the snow, hand over his eyes to act as a visor from the thickening snow. It looked like a blizzard was coming... "I always have to put myself out to save you, always, always $#@!in always!" He crunched along in the snow, icy mush sliding into his boots. "Ni-chan! NI-CHAN!" "Oh, %$#@." Migenrou galloped up behind him, teeth showing in a friendly grin. "Get on. Its a long way up that %$#@in mountain, y'know." " 'Rou-chan! I told you, it's not safe...." He growled as he got on the back of the horse. "You think you'll make it up that mountain alone? Chiriko's probably at the top by now, if he took a horse..." Migenrou shook her iced-over red bangs out of her eyes. "Cant see a %$#@in thing in this snow...." Tasuki just shook his head. "I hope we reach him soon...c'mon, we have to go." He kicked the horse, and they took off up the trail. ^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~ ("Well. So he approaches." "They sent a child for the shinzaho. Pathetic... "How can they expect him to possibly defeat me? Miboshi, the Master of Darkness, and the Bodychanger. It's not a possibility. Such a little child with a pathetic weak body! (I have an eye for these things.) "But..." "After I'm done with him..." "I don't think he'll be needing it anymore.") ^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~ "THATS IT!" Chiriko yanked the reigns, bringing the horse to a stop near the peak of the mountain. There was a snow-covered mound. Nothing particularly impressive, but as he got closer... There were patterns, permanently swept into the gleaming white dome. It was indeed not snow, but ice that coated it in a thick layer. He squinted closer to read: "This is the gate of the Byakko Den. Inside is the shinzaho, and the power to call the god. If you want entrance, you must use your powers to break the dome and prove you are a emissary of your cause." He reached out to run his finger along the icy message, but it melted back when he tried to touch it. "Masaka..." Chiriko growled. "Great. Just great. I don't HAVE any powers..." Chiriko began to rummage in his pouch for his dagger, hoping to chip away at the ice until everyone else inevitably arrived. He smirked to himself, thinking of how mad Tasuki would be.... "Oh yeah!" He got out his flute. "I hope this works..." He lifted the flute to his lips, and the piercing melody filled the air. He felt a slight burning on his foot, and saw the ki running to cover the dome. Red cracks appeared in it, and it began to shatter. "That's good enough." "N-nani?" Chiriko turned around, heart in his throat. It was a little man with the eyes of a serpent, hovering in mid-air. He was holding a madly spinning prayer wheel. "I don't want you to waste that weak body's energy." he hissed, tounge darting out of his mouth. "I'll need it soon." "What?" He lifted out his dagger. "Who are you?" "Does it matter?" He hissed in a calm little voice. "All that matters is..." He hissed again, and the prayer wheel spun. Blue energy surrounded him. "THAT BODY IS MINE!" "IYYYAAH!" Chiriko was surrounded, slammed in by the blue energy. He fell to the ground, a cloud of snow flying up around him. Miboshi hovered overhead. "Peeeeerrrrfect." He slowly began to leave his body. Entering Chirikos. There was no resistance, the child was unmoving. As he made his final entry, he opened his-Chirikos-eyes. Merged. He began to laugh a high, sinister laugh. "This body is mine. Now, I can fool the Suzaku seishi, and go with them to retrieve the shinzaho..." He was startled by the screaming of a young girl. "Ne, CHIRIKO!!" It cried. Suddenly, he felt resistance. It couldn't be...He couldn't have heard... "Iyah." the child murmured. "Nani?" He hissed. ^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~ "Ahhhhhhhhh!" H-chan flew as quickly as she could, the snow and winds battering her across the sky. Chiriko was in trouble, he had to be... "Yah!" She felt a deep pain in her foot. She paused in midair and looked down. It was Chiriko's sign, burning a hole through her shoe! It was flickering wildly... "H-chan!" Tasukis voice called from underneath her her. "Can you see Chiriko? Is he okay?" She just shook her head and flew on. "I don't know..." she called, then sped up. "Shit." Tasuki snapped the reigns on the horse. "You little aho...you had better be okay." "N-nani?" H-chan floated to a stop. "There he is...but he looks fine? He's floating? How is he doing that?" A feeling of dread filled her. "That can't be right..." "NE, CHIRIKOOOO!" she called. ^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~ ("What is this? What's happening? "My body...I was unconsious, and now my body... "My mind! He's using my mind! He wants to kill them...kill everyone I love! "Migenrou... "H-chan... "Tasuki-san... "Minna... "I will not fail you. I'm not strong enough to push him out... but he's not strong enough to leave.") ^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~ "Hahahaaa..." Miboshi levitated Chiriko's body into the air. He laughed, pushing the struggling child farther and farther outside of the body. "Now, it is only to wait...." "NE, CHIRIKOOOOOO!" The call sounded again, sent a twinge through him. He could feel Chiriko, struggling, fighting to get back. "No! No child wins against me!" he lifted Chiriko's hands into the air, summoning deep clouds of whirling snow. "I'll take her out!" "IYAHHH!" Chiriko took every ounce of his strength and pushed his will out... Out into the dagger... *STAB* The glowing red dagger began to drip. Miboshi hissed, searing pain seizing him. "You...You can't..." Chiriko summoned his will into his hands, pushing the dagger deeper into his arm. He winced, tears mixing with the blood in the snow. "I can. I won't...Let you win...." "NO! YOU'RE JUST A KID!" Miboshi hissed, feeling himself cofined. Now he was being pushed...It couldn't be! No child can win! "I'm am not...Just...A kid!" Chiriko gasped. His eyes went back to normal. His tears flowed. He could feel H-chan flying faster, hear her screaming. "I'm a..." He lifted the dagger high over himself and brought it down in a silver arch. "SUZAKU SHICHISEISHIIIIII!!!" He thrust the dagger deep into his stomach, feeling the cold metal pierce his skin. His blood splattered to the snow below. Miboshi's influence dissapered, and he began to fall... Into H-chan's arms. They fell as one into the deep snowdrifts below, Chiriko shuddering and H-chan whimpering. "CHIRIKOOOOO! "she cried, holding him safe from the whirling winds in her arms. "Chiriko, Chiriko..." H-chan sniffled. "Why...." She knelt, cradling Chiriko's bleeding body. He shuddered, and she hugged him closer. He tried to turn to face her. "Don't move..." She laid him carefully in the snow, trying to look away from the blood that was spreading around him like a red lake. Her heart was tearing apart inside of her. Chiriko...Her little friend, the smart one, her tutor and companion...just because of one mad seishi! "If only..." H-chan clenched her teeth, and began to sob. "I had-I had been here to fight!" "H-chan..."`Chiriko weakly raised one of his red arms to wipe a tear from her cheek, leaving a small smudge of blood under her eye. It made her cry all the harder. "It's not your fault...H-chan. I was...An idi-"HE was cut off by another wild spasm. He hacked blood out onto the snow. H-chan winced, feeling Chiriko's chi fade from her foot. "Chiriko, why? I know!" She gasped. "I can heal you!" She grabbed for Mitsukakes feather desperately. "No..." Chiriko coughed. "If I live, he will live too..." "CHIRIKO!!!" Tasuki raced up and knocked H-chan out of the way, actually physically knocking her a few feet away into the snow. She fell nback in the snowbank, but scuttled back. Tasuki grabbed Chiriko around the shoulder, screaming in rage. "CHIRIKO! WHY! WHY THE $%#@ DID YOU DO THIS?" "Ni-chan..." Chiriko smiled, then coughed. "Don't yell..." "Chiriko...You're no %$#@in baby." Tasuki's tears fell on Chiriko's face, streaking the red. "You're a %$#@in strong guy, Chiriko..." he strangled his last words. "Never seen such a cool guy." "My ni-chan..."Chiriko whispered. "Is Migenrou-" "She's out by the horse. I won't...Let her watch..." Tasuki choked, then grabbed Chirikos hand. "I can't..." "So...Protective..." Chiriko was now sobbing, tears and blood both falling like somber rain and melting the snow. "I..." "Chiriko..." H-chan slowly sat up. Chiriko's life, she felt, was nearing it's end. "Are you sure? I could give you Chichiri's feather..." "No..." Chiriko smiled. It's alright...To go like this...To go like a warrior. It's alright." "Chiriko!" Tasuki screamed. "Don't %$#@in SAY that!" "Arigatou..." Chiriko began to spasm. "NI-CHAN! ARIGATOU!" he screamed, spasmed, coughing and gasping, then finally laid still. Tasuki shuddered. "CHIRIKO!" ^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~ "Migenrou no da?" Chichiri hopped off his horse and went over to where Migenrou was waiting, biting her lip, the leed rope of the horse in her hand. "Tasuki wouldn't let me go with him, the %$#@in A-HO!" Migenrou whimpered. The rest of the seishi, who were behind Chichiri, dismounted and followed Chichiri. "I can feel their chi no da, Tasuki's and H-chan's and-" Chichiri froze, then ran. There, the horrible scene. H-chan, lying in the snow. Tasuki, knelt over Chiriko, who was pale and still and nearly swimming in a pool of his own blood... Chichiri looked back at Migenrou, who's eyes were filling with shock. Her eyes glazed over, then she ran over to Chiriko. The rest of them slowly followed behind. "Ne, Chiriko, get up!" "Nani..." Tasuki looked up at his sister. She was laughing, tears running down her cheeks. "This isn't funny, Chiriko! Get up! You made us all worry, now the joke is over!" Megenrou laughed again, a high pitched maniacle sound. "Get up, Chiriko..." she whispered. Mitsukake came over and put a hand on her quaking shoulder. "Chiriko isn't getting up, Migenrou." "YOU!" Migenrou latched onto him, eyes wild with pleading, "YOU'RE THE MEDICINE MAN! YOU CAN HEAL HIM!" Mitsukake shook his head. "CHICHIRI!" She screamed looking over to him. "Monk, pray him back!" She giggled again, then gave a long, strangled sob. Chichiri went over to H-chan, propping her up. He looked at Migenrou with a mixture of pity and regret, and took off his mask. "Migenrou..." he whispered. "I wish...I wish you could have all the time to grieve you need. Chiriko...we will all miss him." A tear fell from Chichiri's scarred eye. "He was...Chiriko." "Chiriko...He WAS Chiriko...." Migenrou collapsed into the snow, her hands in her face. Loud sobs racked her body. Tasuki slowly stood up. "Tasuki-san..." H-chan whispered. He walked off, slightly stumbling, into the whirling snow. "Chichiri." Nuriko scooped up Chiriko's body. "I'm going to bury Chiriko. Go, try to get Tasuki." "But, shouldn't I stay with-" "Go." K-chan said, walking over to her friend. H-chan stared in shock down at her robe, which was soaked with Chiriko's blood. Her tears still flowed freely, her mouth was slightly open in shock. K-chan came over and leaned against her. "What good is a friend that can't comfort a friend?" K-chan said. Chichiri, catching the hidden meaning of the words, wandered off in Tasuki's direction. He found Tasuki sitting a little ways off, toying with Chiriko's bloodstained dagger. (How did he get that?) Chichiri went and sat beside him. "It's all my fault, you know." Tasuki whispered. "Nani?" Chichiri looked over at Tasuki, who's face was sill brimming with tears. "I called him a baby...told him he couldn't come...What could I expect from that baka?" He sniffled. Chichiri put his arms around Tasuki, trying comfort him. He knew there was little comfort to be had when you feel like you've killed someone. His heart ripped in two for Tasuki, for Chiriko. It was a situation that no one deserved. "Tasuki-san...Its not your fault. You know, you didn't control him or what he did." "He did it to save us all..."Tasuki growled. "I wish-I wish he hadn't come here at all! He was so good-hearted, and all I did was put him down for it! Did you know-" Tasuki broke off, collapsing into the monk and starting to sob again. "He never kept a thing he stole? He always brought it back to the family, along with a good portion of what I stole. He tried to hide it, but I knew..." "I know, I know..." Chichiri whispered. "Tasuki, I wish you could grieve. I wish you could have all the time in the world to cry, and sob, and ask why. But it can't be done. You know, Chiriko did this to save us all so we could live on. He did it to save us all. If we let the Seiryuu win, it would be disrespectful...plus, it would disappoint him." "I know." Tasuki, still sniffling, pulled away from Chichiri. "Is Nuriko..." "Yes. Can you see it now, or do you not want to-" Tasuki stood up, straightening out his jacket. He wiped his tears away. "I want to see the grave, I want to say goodbye...and go on." ^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~*^_~ They were all gathered around the grave. It was a simple one, a small one, with Chirikos flute placed over the top. H-chan stood, leaning to K-chan, who had a worried look on her face. Migenrou was still curled up in the snow. Tasuki walked over and scooped her up, holding her like a baby and carrying her to the grave. "No! I don't wanna-" "'Rou-chan, this isn't your choice. We have to say goodbye." They were gathered in a circle around the grave. Chichiri stood at the head, praying. Nuriko, hands stained with dirt and blood, was still wincing at the task. Mitsukake sat, shaking his head, and Tama was curled up mewling sadly. Tamahome stood, looking slightly pale, and Tasuki stood with his sister in his arms at the end. "Does anyone..." Chichiri said. "Want to say anything?" Migenrou raised her hand nervously. "Baka...Chiriko, you baka...I'll miss you so much. I remember when we were little..." she stared off into the sun, a brilliant white point in the sky. "I remember, how we were gonna get married? How we always used to hide Ni-chans stuff and bring it back to those poor people?" She sniffled, and giggled a bit. "I'll miss you, Chiriko-san..." Tasuki spoke up in a gruff voice. "Chiriko was the toughest, coolest, most %$#@in brave bandit EVER." Nuriko laughed. "He was brave, wasn't he? And so nice..." H-chan spoke up. "He was so kawaii...And smarter than me! He always, always had the answer...And he gave good advice..." H-chan sniffed. "He was so cool...And he idolized you, Chichiri." Chichiri thought of something that Chiriko had said way back on their first fishing trip. 'Can people see through masks, Chichiri-sama?' "He could." Chichiri whispered. "He could what?" "Nothing..." Chichiri shook his head. "I'll miss him. He was a great comrade, a great seishi...but now, we have to move on." He gestured towards the ice dome, still glowing with red cracks. "Tasuki-san, can you-" "REKKA SHIEN!" A sheet of falmes flew at the dome, exploding it. It revealed an ornate white doorway with the sign of Genbu carved into it. "Well, let's go." Chichiri turned away from the grave, as did the others, and began to go towards the door. When he placed his hand on it, it opened easily. H-chan paused, just once to stare at Chiriko's grave. It was now a glistening white mound. The flute, however, was still a pulsating red. She was stunned when it began to play, a somber song that she recognized all too well. 'Will you play that song for me? I wouldn't ask...But it was so pretty!' H-chan smiled. (Sayonara, Chiriko.) END CHAP 17!