Miryuu watched the unfolding events in the mirror with a grin of satisfaction . "The simple-minded are SO easily toyed with..." She surveyed her schichiseshi "Obswerve the love of friendshp-so easily broken!" Suboshiko stepped forward, a grimace on her face. "My lady...why are you doing this?" "We have to destroy the miko." "Youre going to make Tasuki kil her?" "No...he's going to DESTROY her." She tapped her finger against her face. "And tell me, Suboshiko, whats theeasiest way to destroy a miko?" Suboshiko's blood ran cold. she raised a clenched fisyt to her chest. "Miryuu-sama! You cant do that!" "And why NOT?" She snorted. "The Shinzaho is our ultimate goal. Ths way we can kill two birds with one stone." "But...its so CRUEL!"Her voice raised to a shout. "ITS INHUMAN, MIRYUU!" Miryuu turned away. "I dont care. Go collect the Shinzaho. " "Miryuu-sama." Amiboshi bowed befroe her. "Ill go instead of Suboshiko..." "NO." Her voice wasa cold. "Its about time she reconfirmed ehr loyalty to me." She turned the full force of her glare on Suboshiko. "And dont even DARE come back here without it." "Yes, Miryuu-sama." ^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~ Harmony-chan productions poudly presents A Fushigi Yuugi Fnfic- Ripples in the Water OVA20:Whats Dormant Inside You ^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~ "Waiiii!" H-chan surveyed the little city. It was just becoming dusk, and the dim ornage light spread over the rooftops. Fireflys darted here and there, excitedly chsed by small children, and the damp summer air filled her throat. She crowed with laughter. "Konan is so BEUTIFUL!" "Hai, hai...onlym a girl would babble on about stuff like THIS!" Tasuki moaned. "Hai, hai....and only a incredibly stupid boy would dare stop her!" she grinned at him, and he burst out laughing. "I give, i give..." He was still trying to figure out why he was so attached to her. Since the voices had receeeded, he had ben left with his true felings torwards her. But instead of disgust, they were ones of comraderie and affection. It was the first time he had eveen spent as much time with a girl and not hated her. Instead of wanting to hurt her, he wanted to make her feel better, and cheer her up. He scratched the back of his head. (%$#@...since when was Gen-chan such a softie?) H-chan tugged his aerm. "Ne, you have any money?" "Sure." He dug in his pocket and deposited two silver coins in her hand. "Go nuts, but hurry up will ya? Im %$#@in STARVIN!" "Hai!" She ran off into a wall of stores. He watched her depart, breaking into a widely fanged grin. "Baka oinu...." (she should be yours...) "Yamane!" he cried. The voice was back. He strguggled with himself. One part of him had instense loyalty to his buddy Chichiri, and knew H-chan loved him...the other part was trying to force him to agree...the more he struggled,the more painfull it got. The more fog rolled in. (she loves you...you can tell...you can see it in her...) "Yamane!" he shouted again, voice redced to a whimper. "Chichiri..." (dont let hjer get away.) "YAMANE!" he screamed. With a final burst of will, he was able to make the fog around him dissapear. He sat on the ground, breathing heavily, sweat dripping through his ornage hair. He ran his hands through it. "The hell is that?" he muttered. he shook his head back and forth. Not a trace of it. H-chan ran up. "Tasuki!" She knelt besdie him. "Daijobu da?" He nodded. "Oy, just tryina rest up a little before you dragged me off to another store. Why do you females shop so much?" H-chan shrugged. "Actually,I wias thinking maybe we should go back..." (what, so you can see Chichiri?) The feirceness of this thought took Tasuki back. He cleared his throat. "Not yet1 You havent even seen the %$$@in NIGHTLIFE!" he pointed over to an inn. "Cmon, ets go have some drinks." "But, iM not reallya drinker.." "Dont worry, Ill teach ya!" ^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~ Chchiri stood by the edge of the river. He fingered the hair ornament, mentally kicking himself. (Why did I go off like that no da...poor Hchan..) He sat down in scilence, watching the birds land on the river. Theygracefully swooped down, caught a fish in their beaks, and took off into the dusking sky. He could see the dim lights of a few stars begin to illuminate the horuizon. He bit his lip. (By the destiny ogf the stars, I have to protect her...) he heard footsteps beside him. "Ne, Chichiri-san." He lookedup to see K-chan. "Konbawa, K-chan no da." he said lifelessly. She sat down, carefulyl spreading her skirt. "Fish biting?" He shook his head. "How should I know no da?" "No reason to be rude," she sighed. "I just came to tel you dinners ready." "Arigatou, but Im not really hungry no da." He looked away. "Youre waiting for H-chan to come back, arent you?" she looked up at him. Her insightfullness took Chichiri back. "Nani no da?" "Im right, arent I? Dont you want to apologize to her?" Chichiri slowly nodded. K-chan broke into a wide girn. "I knew it! I knew you really loved her!" "I-" Chichiri cut himself off. (Yes. Yes I do...I do love her.) He nodded again. "Youre very clever, K-chan no da." She laughed. her blue eyes twinkling. "Not about everything...just stuff like this. Now get goin! Shes somewheree in town...you better go fast, its getting dark." "Hai!" He took off on foot, bluebangs flying behind him. As soon as he wasout of hearing sdistance K-chan wailed. "Masaka! Lucky guess!" She collapsed on he bank. "H-chan, I hope you appreciate this!" ^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~ Meanwhile at the inn, H-chan was sniffing her drink. "What is ths stuff, Tasuki?" "Its called Potzu...very light stuff. Nthing compared to what a pro like I can drink." He laughed. "Go ahead, its not %$#@in POISON or anything..." "Allright." She took a sip and smacked her lips. "Oeshi! Good stuff!" He nodded. "Nothing but the best for Suzaku no Miko, ne?" "Ne!" She slurped up some more. "Hey....what did you buy with that cash?" She lifted up a silver heart on a chain. The symbol "Ai" was carved into it. "Its not for me, tho...its for Chichiri." His heart skipped a beat. "Why?" "Cause...I made him sad. I want him to feel better...I have to apologize." "Fior what?" Tasuki slammed his fists donw on the table. "You didnt DO nothin!" H-chan shrugged. "I know...but...I really dont know what else to do." She sighed, hear in her hands. "I dont know how elese I can be nice to him." Her eyes filled with tears, tounge loosedned by the alchohol. "He dosent even know if he loves me..." Tasuki bit his lip. He didnt need any balck fog to tell him what to do now. "Ill be right back." A few minutes later he retunrned and took her hand. "Come on...you beed a break, ne?" "Huh?" She looked at him confusedly as they staggered up a long wooden staircase to a candlelit room. He led her to the bed, where she laid down. "No more alchohol..."shemuttered. "Tasuki, we have to get back, veryone will be worried..." He shook his head. "Noone will be woried...we can be gone for hours." Something about they way he said that made H-chan's heart skip a beat. "Ummm..." Tasuki stalked over to the window and shuit the blinds. "Noone knows we are here." "Yup." H-0chan looked away. "I really wanna go back now, Tasuki..." He shook his head. "Let you go back to chichiri? He'll only hurt you more." "But..." She struggled to sit up. Tasuki sat down on the bed and embraced her. "Dont be a baka, Haruka!" "...I..." She raised her hand to the necklace Chichiri gave her. it was mixed and woven with the shinzaho into one necklace. "WHAT! STOP THINKNG ABOUT HIM!" Tasuki yanked the necklacess off of her throat and tossed them out the window. "Yada!" H-chan struggeld to get out of Tasuki's grasp. He looked her in the face. "Stop crying...why are you crying?" ^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~ Suboshiko stod outside of the inn. The shinzaho came sailing out off an upper window. She grabbed it. Iwht hte experience of an expert knot-tier, she was able to untangle the necklaces with a minimum of difficulty. She tossed the other one back up. "Yadaa!!" H-chans scream rang through the night. She shook her head. "Miryuu-sama...why?" She thought back to the gentle girl seh used to be friends with, who she played games iwht and borught presetns for...quite a contrast with the girl before her. She shook her head. "Miryuu-sama...where did you go?" Hs ewas startled by footsteps. She quickly putthe shinzaho on and whirled to face Chichiri. "STAY BACK!" She yelled, snapping at him with a ribbon untill he was about 9 yards away. "Suboshiko no da!" "You need to go up there right away." she said, pointing up to the tuop window of the inn. "H-chan's in trouble." "Why are you telling me this no da?" He said, looking at her. H-chans chi, charged with fear, was throbbing the the back of his head. "Its the truth no da!" "NO kidding!" ashe screamed. His eyes went wide. "This shinzaho!" He pointed at her neck. She dashed off into the forest. Chichiri stod for a second, froz4en with indesicion. Then he took off to the front of the inn. ^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~ "Stop crying!" Tasuki insisted, holding her tighter. "I can make you happier than he ever can! So please, dont cry!" "But..." There was a sharp knock on the door. "GET LOST!" Tasuki yelled. The door creaked open to show Chichiri without his mask. He looked at Tasuki in shock. "Tasuki-kun." "Chichiri!" H-chan yelled. Tasuki snorted. "Oh great. Now youre bere. Gonna hurt H-chan again?" "Huh?" "NO %$#@in' CHANCE!" he hollered. He jumped up and kicked Chichiri dwnthe stairs. "Chichiri!" H-chan rushed forward. Tasuki caught her in one arm. He let her look down the stairs. "Look at him there..watch as I make him charcoal!" "No!" H-chan yelled, grabbing his tessen-weilding arm. "Dont! Please, Tasuki! Stop IT!" He glared at her in confusion. "But...all he rever does is hurt you!" "Yes..." Chichiri was slowly starting to climb the stairs. "But....you cant help but hurt the people you love sometimes...you cant help whats doormant insided of you." He shook his head. "Tasuki-kun..this isnt the real you! You never act like this!" He knelt down at the near bottom of the stairs. "Cant you see how much youre huring her?" "Huh?" He looked over at H-chan,. whos cheeks were still dripping with tears. "What? WHY? WHY ARE YOU STILL CRYING!" H0chan bit her lip. "Cause...your hurting Chichiri! I dont even know why you are! I just want yopu to stop hurting him..." "%$#@..." "I love him!" she choked. "I cant HELP it! Please...dont hurt him anymore." Tasuki looked at her, eyes wide open with shock. "Masaka..." "Tasuki-kun!" "MASAKA!!!" he tosed H-chan down the stairs into Chichiri's waiting arms. He took out the tessen andpointed it staright at his chest. "IM NOT GOING TO HURT MY BUDDIES ANYMORE!" "Tasuki!" H-chan screamed, summoning her feathers. A wall of fire sprang up around him. He held still, allowing the fire to burn closer- A smal but surprisingly stron pair of arms scooped him up. He could hfel tears dripping on his chest as he was lifted out of the fire and into the cool night air. "H-chan?" he murmured. "Hai. Geeze,youre heavy..." "Just shut up." he muttered. ^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~**^_~ Amiboshi paced in the front hall."Ni-chan...Ni-chan...where are you..." He felt a sudden flash of chi. He looked at the ground before him. There was the shinzaho, wrapped in a pale lavender ribbon. There was a note on the ribbon- "Sayonara." END CHAP 20!