A/N:  Well here it is folks! Ch 7! As usual I don't own Fushigi Yuugi but do own Rosie. And on to the chappy…

Rosie slowly opened her eyes and found herself surrounded by darkness. Her eyes widened in fear and she hid her head under the covers, trembling.

"Gen-chan?" she called softly "Where are you? It's dark in here."

When no one answered the tiny angel drew her knees to her chest and squeezed her eyes shut. She whimpered and pulled the covers closer around herself, tears starting to gather in her blue eyes.

After a few minutes she heard footsteps outside her door followed by a familiar voice saying, "Well, if you see them, tell them to come find me, no da. I want to see how Tasuki's holding up."

"Will do, Chichiri." answered a second voice that Rosie didn't recognize.

 An idea struck the girl and she gathered all her courage. Rosie threw off the covers and made a dash for the door yelling "Wait! Don't disappear mister!"

Halfway to the door she tripped over a chair and went skidding across the floor for a good six inches. "Oww!! Damnit!" she cried, starting to panic. "Wait!"

The door opened and Chichiri stuck his head inside. "Someone call me, no da?" he asked in confusion.

"Yeah, me!" Rosie said, hurriedly picking herself up and running to Chichiri "Don't go away! Please!" she pleaded wrapping her arms around his legs "It's dark in there!"  She pressed her face into his knees, whimpering softly.

The monk looked down at the tiny angel clinging to his knees, totally bewildered.

"Don't worry, no da. I'm not going anywhere." he reassured her "What happened, no da?"

"I nunonifigamint." Rosie said, her voice muffled by Chichiri's pants.

"Wait a second, no da. I didn't understand a thing you said, no da." Chichiri said, picking her up and holding her so that her mouth wasn't covered anymore "Now what happened?"

"I dunno." the girl stammered as the tears began to fall "I just felled asleep an' then when I waked up again I was in the dark!" She flung her arms around the magician's neck and sobbed into his kesa. "I don't like the dark!" she wailed tightening her hold on the monk.

"It's alright no da." Chichiri said soothingly, gently rubbing the angel's back. "Nothing's going to hurt you. Shhh…it's okay."

The girl clung to the monk crying softly as he comforted her. Finally she stopped crying and Chichiri set her down.

"Better?" he asked kindly.

Rosie nodded. "Arigato, mister Kitsune." she said, giving him her best little girl smile.

"Mister Kitsune no da?" Chichiri laughed.

"Yeah. On account of you look like a kitsune!" Rosie cried.

" Thanks… I think." the magician said a little confusedly " Call me Chichiri no da. It's easier to pronounce."

 "You're cool." Rosie giggled. "Cool and real nice."

Chichiri smiled at the girl. "D'you want to help me find Tasuki no da?" he asked.

"Yeah! Let's go find Gen-chan!" Rosie exclaimed, jumping up and down with excitement. "This way!" With that the girl took off, rounding a corner fast as lightning. 

"Wait up, no da!" Chichiri called after her.

"You hurry up!" Rosie replied, her voice full of mischief.

Chichiri ran after her and caught the angel by the backs of her wings as gently as he could.

"Hey! No fair!" the girl pouted, trying to wriggle away from Chichiri "Leggo my wings!"

"I'm sorry I had to do this Rosie." the monk apologized " But if I lost you, I could never forgive myself no da."

The tiny angel stopped struggling, suddenly serious, and Chichiri loosened his grip on her feathery wings. "Wow. Nobody ever said that to me before…" She did her best to try and face the monk but his hold on her wings made it nearly impossible.

"It's okay." She told the other " I won't run. You can let go now."

"Okay… but if you run off again I warn you that I might have to freeze you, no da." Chichiri warned releasing her wings.

"I won't run." the angel repeated, turning to face Chichiri. Her small face was serious and completely open. She looked up at him for a second, blue eyes wide and searching. Her brow creased in confusion and she tugged on his kesa, signaling that the monk kneel down. The mage knelt down in front of her and gave Rosie a questioning look. The girl made no move to explain herself, reaching a tiny hand towards Chichiri's face. Carefully, the angel passed her hand over the young man's cheek. Her brow furrowed even more and she reached out her other hand, passed her hand over his other cheek, and took off his mask. Chichiri gasped and quickly turned so that his left profile was hidden.

"No. Don't do that." Rosie said softly, finally speaking. She gently turned the monk's face so that she could see both eyes. Chichiri's eye widened in surprise, he definitely hadn't been expecting this little development.

"You're beautiful." she breathed, passing her hand over the magician's scarred left eye.

"Y-you don't think I'm scary?" he asked tentatively.

 Rosie shook her head. "Nuh-uh. You could never be scary."

The angel held out his mask. "This's yours." she said simply.

The mage looked disbelievingly at the tiny girl in front of him. He understood that Rosie was only five and didn't know any better, but he couldn't help but feel a little upset that she'd just taken his mask off like that. He couldn't believe that the girl didn't seem to be bothered in the least by his disfigured face, what was more she'd actually seen his mask! Nobody ever saw his mask! It was enchanted to look like it was his real face!

"It's alright." Rosie assured him "I just had to see something. You can have your face back now." The girl held out his mask again and Chichiri took it from her and put it back on.

"How did you know?" he asked in amazement " This is the first time in a long time someone has realized I wear a mask."

"I couldn't see your eyes." explained Rosie " I needed to see if you were lying or not."

"Why would I lie to you?"  the young man asked gently.

"I dunno… I guess I'm just not used to people bein' nice to me so I always get suspicious." the girl shrugged, looking down and tracing a design on the wooden floor with her foot.

"Well you won't have to worry around here, no da." Chichiri reassured her. He gave the girl an encouraging smile and pulled her into his arms. "Around here, people are honest and I can almost guarantee that there's no one within twenty-five leagues of here who would ever try and hurt you deliberately."

"Really?" the angel asked hopefully "You mean it?"

Chichiri nodded. "I promise."

Rosie gave the monk her best smile and took his hand. "So where to?" she asked, eyes full of trust and respect.

The other stared for a second then shook his head and got to his feet. "Towards the forest, no da." he answered "I can feel Tasuki's ki coming from that direction, no da."

*******************A/N: well there it is guys chapter seven at last! Sorry it took so long but I'm having a sever case of writer's block. Anyways here's the usual glossary of foreign languages:

Kitsune means fox.

Arigato means 'thank you' and that's it.

See you next chapter.

            ~Tenshi Kitsune~      *****************************