Fushigi Yuugi: Tsuriawaseru
By: Maeleana & Date Eryne
Disclaimer: I'm sorry I don't speak English, please try down the street.
Author's Note: Hopefully I'm gonna get to what's happening in Hokkan.
Duo Maxwell(looking over the other chapters): Haven't you been planning that for two chapters now?
Mae: Who let you in here?
Duo(pointing): Touma-kun.
Hashiba Touma: What?
Mae: Why did you let him in? And how did you get in anyway?
Touma: He was bored and Shin let me in.
Mae: ...I knew I shouldn't have given him the code.
Touma: Are you going to get on with the story? I'm curious about how you'll portray Nuriko as a female.
Mae: You like Nuriko don't you?
Touma(a little too quickly): Only as a friend.
Duo & Mae: Riiiiiiiight.
Chapter 6: Lost, Shocked and Wet
"Why are we out here in the middle of nowhere?" Tesa shaded her eyes against the sun as she looked around the desert. In every direction as far as the eye could see there was nothing but sand. "It's like being back home." She muttered under her breath.
"What was that Artesa-sama?" Toroki looked up from the map.
Tesa sighed, "I asked why we're out here."
Toroki looked back at the map, "There's supposed to be a village nearby, and I think we'll find at least one of the other Byakko seishi there. I believe we should head East from here."
Tesa folded her arms and smiled, "And which way is East?"
Toroki raised his head and looked around then looked toward the sun, "It's noon."
Tesa nodded.
"Honestly? ...I have no clue." Toroki smiled apologetically to his Miko.
Rolling her eyes Tesa stepped away from the horses, "Allow me."
She spread her arms wide as if preparing to embrace something. Toroki watched confused as a wind began to raise around Artesa. He shielded his eyes against the biting cloud of dust that was surrounding her. Just as suddenly as the wind rose it died leaving the air calm.
Tesa walked back to the horses and mounted up, "Let's go. East is that way." She pointed to his left.
"How did you..? What was that?" Toroki asked as he also mounted up and they started out.
"I'm something like a witch back home. I'm not a witch but that's the closest definition. My powers were awoken by my friend Eve." Tesa had taken the lead as they headed onward.
Toroki was silent a moment, "You miss this 'Eve' don't you?"
Tesa smiled, "Eve is one of my best friends, the other is Tai. We're like the original great trinity. I'm the blonde, Eve is the brunette, and Tai is the red-head. Our personalities, while being almost complete opposites, compliment each other."
"I think that's the most you've said about yourself to me since we met." Toroki raised an eye.
"You never asked." Tesa shrugged, scratching her horse's ears.
Toroki blinked, "Are you saying if I ask you a question you'll answer it?"
"Maybe." Tesa looked at him, "That depends on the question."
Chichiri couldn't help but look west again, he was worried about Eve-san and Tasuki. Something was causing him to worry about their safety. He had no worries about them hurting each other, but had the feeling that some outside threat was approaching them.
"Don't worry." Tai's voice broke his thoughts. "Eve won't kill Tasuki-san, and she can't die."
"What do you mean 'can't', no da?" Chichiri tilted his head. When Tai hesitated he spoke again, "Tailtu-san, what do you mean 'she can't die' no da?"
Tai sighed, "There's something you have to know about the four of us. And it's a long story."
"Well we have a couple hours before we reach our first stop no da." Chichiri prodded gently.
Tai took a breath wondering how to begin, "Going with the guess that Eve, Artesa, Teran, and I are the ones here, it's safe to say that only Teran, Eve and I are even remotely qualified to be Mikos. And only Tera is truly qualified."
Though no one could see it, Chichiri blinked, "How does that work out?"
"Tera is thirteen years old, and the most innocent and normal of the four of us." Tai braced herself for the scrutiny she knew she and her friends were about to face. "Tesa is a sixteen year-old demi-goddess, and very...promiscuous, and almost shameless. Eve...Well Eve is the nearest to being immortal. She's around sixteen years old, at least that's what we think, we don't actually know how old she is. And almost nothing can kill or hurt her, it comes with being a fae." Tai shrugged.
Chichiri's face showed nothing, "What about you?"
Tai half-smiled, "I'm human for the most part, I'm also part elf. Which is how I became the Lady of the Forests. I used to be a fairly normal human until Eve woke my elfin heritage."
"Do you regret that, no da?" Chichiri pondered what his companion said.
Tai shook her head, "For a while I did. I even blamed Eve for making me 'inhuman', but I've come to terms with it. Especially since I wouldn't have met my husband if it hadn't been for Eve."
Silence, even from the horses and surrounding area, as if they too were waiting for some reaction.
"Husband?" Chichiri almost fell off his horse.
Tasuki scratched his head and looked around. *Where the hell is she now?* He refused to say that he lost Eve-san, but he didn't know where she was. They'd stopped to make camp and she'd disappeared. Tasuki grumbled, but stopped when he realized that the only ones who could hear him were the horses. Finally he gave in and started to look for the crazy female. They were getting near Mt. Kaou and it made him uneasy.
Remembering what Tai-san had said about Eve-san liking water Tasuki decided to start with the river. He stopped on the other side of the trees and listened, drawing his tessen. He'd never heard anything like this before: it was a female voice. Tasuki almost swore it was a siren or some other type of demon.
Slowly and quietly moving through the tree-line he saw Eve kneeling on the river bank her hand touching the water, and singing.
He waited until she stopped before making his presence known, "What the hell are you doing?" Tasuki swore, throwing his tessen down as he dove into the river after Eve, who had fallen in at his exclamation. The river was deep enough that she could drown but slow enough that she wouldn't be swept too far away. Tasuki managed to grab her arm and drag her back to dry land.
Both of them were coughing up water as Tasuki began yelling, "What the hell is wrong with you?"
Eve stopped coughing and began untying her hair, "Must you be so loud? That is the only reason I fell into the river."
"What?" Tasuki gaped at Eve as she began ringing out her hair. "Are you saying it's my fault you fell in?"
Eve nodded, "I was accustomed to the silence, to have it suddenly shattered was rather frightening."
Glaring and tensing Tasuki growled, "You saying I'm frightening?"
Eve shrugged and got up heading back to the camp.
"Hold it right there!" Tasuki yelled grabbing his tessen and following, "What the hell is your problem? I don't see how Tai-san can be friends with such a cold bitch."
Eve stopped and slowly turned to look at him. She said nothing but just stared at him, her face still betraying no emotion. At that moment Tasuki realized that Eve could be considered pretty. He blinked staring at her, he wasn't attracted to her in the least but he could see how some would think her pretty.
"Tailtu is my friend because it suits her to be so. The same holds true for Artesa and Teran. If I were to die they would miss me, but I think there would be a level of relief among them." Still no emotion showed on her face.
"How can you say they're your friends and say that they'd be relieved if you were dead?" Tasuki wasn't sure what disturbed him more: her indifference, or her opinion of her friends.
Eve shrugged, "It's truth. As for 'what is wrong with me'...I hardly think it matters. I did ask you to not pursue the matter should I not respond."
"The hell with that! You shouldn't wander off what if you get kidnapped by slave traders?" Tasuki was aggravated.
Eve remained perfectly calm, "Were such a thing to happen I think you would pity them."
Blinking Tasuki sheathed his tessen, "Why would I pity some slave traders? Aside from the fact that you're a bitch."
"I think you would pity them for just that reason. There is no torture that could equal the pain I would give them were they to incite my anger." Eve turned away from him and continued to their camp.
Tasuki wondered if perhaps he was in this situation for calling Taiitsukun 'sunakake-baba' one time too many.
"I wonder..." Toroki began out loud as they headed toward the local inn.
Tesa couldn't help herself, "You do, really? Damn, I guess that means you think as well."
Chuckling at his Miko's humor Toroki continued, "What I mean is, if you're here as Byakko no Miko isn't it possible the other Mikos might appear? And if that is so then perhaps your friends are among them. After all you said you could feel their presences, right?"
"Shit." Tesa blinked "You know that might make sense...but aren't there supposed to be four Mikos?"
"Yes, Byakko, Genbu, Seiryuu, and Suzaku." Toroki confirmed.
Tesa frowned, "Well that creates a flaw in your reasoning. There's only three of us; me, Eve and Tai. So who would the fourth be?"
Toroki stopped and blinked, "Good point." After they dismounted he walked over and took her hand, "Have I told you how much I love you Artesa-sama?"
"You're such a pain in the ass." Tesa rolled her eyes and took her hand from him.
His smile grew, "Ah but isn't that why you love me? By the way we'll be sharing a room and letting everyone think we're either lovers or spouses."
"...We what?" Tesa wasn't sure if she'd heard him right.
Author's Note: Another Chapter done.
Duo: You finally explained why Eve and Tai can't be Mikos.
Touma: No she didn't. She explained why Tai can't be, the only reason given for Eve so far is that she isn't really human, but nowhere does it say the Miko has to be human. Merely a girl from another world.
Mae: Damnit! Touma shut up! I was hoping no one would notice!
Duo: He's right, you said that Tesa's a slut, and you've said that Tai is married which means she's been with her husband at least. So why aren't Eve and Tera Miko material?
Touma: You'll have to explain that next chapter.
Mae(whining): But it took me this long to explain Tai!
Duo & Touma: Then get to work!
Mae(looking to readers): Review if you want, if not see you next chapter.