Hello again, I'm back!

First of all I'd like to thank the two reviewers Miaka and memoriesofkagome. Thanks for your words of encouragement! Also, thank you for the alerts on the story memoriesofkagome and Emione147.

Thanks to all of you who have taken the time to read the first chapter.

Now, like I said, I am still working on the ideas of the story, although I already have the outline. This, because I kind of made the impulsive decision of posting this as soon as the idea came to me.

I am still unsure if I will add a Prologue or not.

This chapter was meant to have more content, not just this, but I feared it would be too long and since it has been a while since I've posted the first chapter, I wanted to put something out there. Thus, I decided to part it in two, maybe even three.

Anyway, I'll shut up now.

On to the chapter. Please forgive any mistakes you find, and point them out if you will.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fushigi Yûgi or any of its original characters and plot, Watase Yuu does. I am not making any profit out of this story, I write it purely for entertainment.

Good eading!

CHAPTER 2: Chinese acrobats don't have sharp swords

"...iko..."

"...chan..."

Voices echoed her name; or so she supposed.

Her senses were stirring awake, but everything sounded like nonsensical mumbles. Her muscles ached and something was digging into her skin. Her eyelids felt weight down, as though Miaka were sitting on them. A dull, throbbing pain crippled her head. Akiko was certain it would become a vicious headache later on.

She forced herself to emerge from the heavy daze.

"Kiko-chan please wake up!" Miaka's all too familiar loud voice pleaded, as a shake rippled through Akiko's body.

Akiko blinked her eyes open, but squeezed them tight a beat later when hot light greeted her with a blinding glare.

What had happened to the dim glow that used to illuminate the Restricted Section?

Trying a second time, Akiko's blurred eyesight steadied and adjusted to the brightness. In place of the library ceiling, a clear blue sky smiled down at her.

Two distorted shapes hovering over her, morphed into the distinct forms of Yui and Miaka.

"You're awake!" Yui's face beamed down at her. "We were scared for you."

"Do you feel okay?" Miaka poked Akiko's cheek.

Akiko nodded, as the other girls heaved her into a standing position. Her stiff legs buckled, so she clung to the younger girls for support.

Hanging her head, her blue eyes spotted her backpack abandoned on the dirt. Her purse still dangled from across her shoulders, resting against her hip, though she couldn't see her school folder anywhere.

Reaching for her bag, the memory knocked on the door of her mind. That's right; I dropped the school bag near the shelf. Wait. When did we get outside?

"I had the oddest dream," the older girl's features welcomed a crease on her forehead and a downturn of her lips. "We were in the library and there was this book tha—"

Yui's hands closed around her shoulders and spun the much shorter girl around, making her face the landscape.

Akiko's jaw slackened and her eyes bugged out of their sockets.

They were no longer in the National Library.

"Where are we...?" Yui asked the million dollar question.

Miaka clutched to Yui's arm for dear life. "Yui..." her frightened voice seemed to beg for the blonde girl to solve this, whatever the problem was.

Akiko canvassed the vast field ahead of them.

Rocky land covered miles of bumpy-looking ground, as far as the eye could see. There were very few trees, some bushes, but no people around.

Akiko felt, for the first time, the dryness of the air expanding in her lungs, and how her clothes glued to her skin. Raising her fingers, she brushed them along her neck. Sticky… sweaty…

Summer weather!

Impossible, we're in Spring!

What was going on? Where were they? Was she dreaming? It doesn't feel like a dream. It's too vivid.

Maybe... they had been kidnapped!

And... perhaps they were no longer in Japan...?

No! That was unthinkable. Had she hit her head somewhere? How could have anyone taken them unseen?

An itchy feeling tickled the pit of her stomach, but she scratched it away.

Don't panic. If you can't stay calm, you won't be able to think.

No doubt three unconscious young girls being carried away would have called someone's attention.

And if not... where were their kidnappers?

Would someone be coming for them?

Fear crept up on her, as panic persisted in showing its ugly head. Her rational senses were working at the speed of light to find some explanation. And coming up with nothing.

None of this made sense. Something was wrong.

But what —

A pained grunt resounded to her side, where Yui's elbow was unceremoniously shoved into Miaka's head.

Yui was checking the other girl's reaction, a pensive expression on her face. "Does it hurt?"

Miaka fumed and punched Yui. "Of course it hurts!" Miaka shouted, face red like a lobster.

"Ow, ow, ow, it does hurt, too much to be a dream," Yui agreed, massaging her aching arm.

Miaka stepped forward as she whined, "whether it's a dream or not... there are no cheeseburgers... and no nut raisin topped ice creeeeeam!"

"Is that the only thing you worry about?!" Yui screeched and Akiko face-palmed, shaking her head.

"No Omuraan's on 2nd Street!" the redhead distressed once more.

The strawberry-blonde girl glanced at Yui from the corner of her eyes, only to find her restrained by a tall man.

Before she could react, a monstrous arm encased itself around her neck, keeping her trapped.

Adrenaline pumped through her veins, her brain going into overdrive. We were kidnapped after all. And now they had come to hurt them.

Acting on a reflex, Akiko tried writhing herself from the man's iron grip, but to no avail.

Whoever was the owner of the foul smell assaulting her nostrils possessed the double of her strength and height.

She yelled, but obviously no sound came, resulting in a scrappy throat.

For the first time in years, her lack of capacity to produce even the smallest sound had her feeling helpless.

And she hated feeling helpless.

When her blue eyes fell on the huge, sharp sword resting on his left shoulder, her breath joined the rampant speed of her heart.

Akiko squinted at the weapon and the way the brute held it. With great dismay, she suspected it was a very real sword.

Why in the world does he have a sword?! She mentally cried out in hysteria, struggling against the man's grip once again.

Miaka chose that moment to come back to reality, from her food induced distress.

"What will we do?" Miaka wailed. She chose that moment to come back to reality, from her food induced distress and spun on her heel, to face them.

A loud gasp escaped her lips, as her eyes absorbed the scene

"Yui-chan! Kiko-chan!" she cried, the fear Akiko felt, reflected on her face.

"These ones are real prizes!" The armed man cheered, bringing his head – and thus his stench – closer to Akiko's nose. "We should get a good price when we sell them," both men howled with laughter.

Sell us?! So they are human traffickers. Fantastic, just fantastic!

Her brain scrambled for a solution, her eyes darting everywhere, in search of an escape route.

It didn't help that the throbbing in her head had grown into a painful stabbing against her skull. She wanted to yell at Miaka to run and get help, instead of standing dumbly on the spot.

"Who are these guys?" the redhead mumbled. She seemed confused for a couple of moments before her lips formed an 'o' shape. "Are you Chinese Acrobats?" Miaka deadpanned.

And in a moment of exasperation, Akiko rather take the man's sword and jab herself over and over, than having to witness Yūki's ignorance.

Chinese acrobats don't have sharp swords!

"You moron! We're slave traders!" the one holding her barked.

"What?!" Miaka squawked, clapping her hands against her mouth.

Slave. Traders.

Things made less and less sense in her mind. Unfortunately, right now was not the time to piece the puzzle together.

"Well? Surprised, aren't you –" Yui's captor began, but he's smug expression was wiped off by Miaka's battle cry, as she tackled him.

Realising the chaos that no doubt was about to commence, Akiko seized the chance. She thrashed about, managing to head butt her captor and free herself.

"You little — I'll teach you a lesson," he snarled from behind her.

Akiko whirled around to defend herself, only for her face to meet the back of his ringed hand, in full force. Her head snapped to one side, stumbling back. She tripped and fell sprawled on the dirt.

Black spots danced in front of her vision and her right cheek stung. She felt something warm and wet sliding its way down.

Fighting through the momentary fog, the girl sat up as a sword was brandished over her.

Not being fast enough to dodge, Akiko scrunched her eyes shut and wrapped her arms over her head, in a useless shield.

Yet, no blow came.

"Stop it," a grim voice cut over the disarray, bringing with it complete silence.

Peering through her arms, which she held in front of her face, Akiko gasped, bewildered.

The bandit was held back, arm twisted behind his back, and his sword dumped a few inches away from him.

And keeping him in place was a tall handsome boy, who couldn't be older than eighteen.

His face was as serious as his voice. However, his casual posture resembled someone who had interrupted a conversation about the weather and nothing more.

Over the momentary relief and surprise, her brain finally caught up with the picture in front of her.

Good heavens, what are they wearing?!

"Ow! Why you…!" Chinese acrobat number one gritted his teeth in pain.

Movement caught her attention and then, everything happened too fast.

Chinese acrobat number two lurched for the boy, who buried his elbow into the man's face.

Kicking, punching and dodging them with graceful easiness, the boy resembled a dancer. A dancer beating the living daylights out of the thugs.

Mind spinning, she shortly caught Miaka and Yui's forms gawking at the spectacle.

Akiko almost choked on her own breath, as her eyes landed on the glowing crimson character… in the middle of the boy's forehead.

"Ooow, my arm, my arm!" acrobat number one moaned, cradling his likely broken arm.

"Boss!" pathetic acrobat number two whimpered, struggling to pick himself up.

In no time, the bandits understood they were fighting a losing battle and skedaddled.

"Run for it!" she heard a faint yell, as the shapes of the thugs disappeared from her sight.

Facing her, the boy's lips pulled into a kind smile, and his tall legs shortened the distance between them. He sank to his haunches, his hand reaching for her bruised cheek, without touching it.

"Are you all right?" he asked, the smile never faltering. "You should get that cleaned up"

Akiko was sure she looked as amazed as she felt, barely managing a nod.

"Kiko-chan!" Miaka called out, hurrying over with Yui in toe.

Confirming she was all right, the stranger made sure her friends were okay too.

"Thank you so much!" Yui breathed.

If the look on their faces said anything, the other girls were every bit stunned as Akiko was. He had displayed an incredible skill in martial arts, with seemingly no amount of struggle at all.

They were complete strangers and he had risked himself to save their lives.

Her life.

He held out his hand between them. "If you're thankful, you should give me some money," the boy suggested, his smile morphing into an audacious one.

Aaaand he hadn't saved them out of the goodness of his heart.

"Huh?!" Akiko heard from her left.

"By 'huh', I take it you girls don't have any money," he accused, looking a little annoyed. "Ladies, money makes the world go round."

Scolding them, he rose to his feet. "Why'd I waste my time saving girls who don't have any money?" the boy wondered, now sounding like he was admonishing himself.

Turning on his heel, he walked away, without another glance back.

Leaping up, Yui bristled and stomped after him. "No one asked you to save us!" she huffed.

"I may have a little..." Miaka offered, as one of her hands disappeared inside her uniform pocket, fishing for something.

Scrambling to her feet, Akiko kind of stumbled towards Yui.

"I hate poor people! Bye!" the boy waved.

Why, that little greedy —

"Hey, wait! Where are we?!" Yui demanded, preventing Akiko from diving into an affronted mental rant.

Akiko halted half way and her heart froze when a bright red light — the same light from before —, engulfed Yui.

The blonde girl swirled round, face crumpled with panic, her eyes locking with the older girl's.

"Akiko!" Yui's voice sounded far away, and like that, she completely vanished, leaving a static Akiko in her wake.

She blinked twice.

What has happened?

Yui had evaporated into thin air, which was impossible!

Perhaps this was a dream, and she was back in the library, in some sort of coma.

Good heavens, what if she was dead?! She recalled thinking it when she was falling through the stars… that warm blue light… she had never felt so safe before. But that seemed so far away… like a long lost dream.

Logically, the soreness and sharp pain stretching along her body, were too lucid to be a product of her subconscious.

But logic also prevented her from consider any other ludicrous option.

Her body frozen, she squeezed her eyes tight, willing herself awake.

Snap out of it, come on! Wake up! For added effect, her stiff hand pinched her own thigh.

When her eyes fluttered open, she was rooted to the same place, Yui still gone.

Not only did she have a sore cheek, she had now gained a bruised thigh to go with it.

"Okay!" Miaka's cheerful tone was restored. "This should cover —" she paused. "Kiko-chan? Where's Yui?" Miaka wondered, noticing her other friend's sudden disappearance.

Footsteps indicated Miaka was up and walking. Her body materialised in front of Akiko, a couple of seconds later. Miaka grabbed her shoulders and gave the shorter girl a fierce shake.

She kept asking her a bunch of discernible questions. Akiko stared wide-eyed at her friend, without any sign of acknowledgement.

It wasn't feasible in her busy brain.

The men had claimed to be slave traders.

They, along with the boy, had been wearing very strange clothes.

The boy's forehead had lit up with a Chinese character.

And now, Yui was gone, faded after the same strange red light from the library emerged again.

Very deep in her mind, what Akiko would call a preposterous theory, began forming against all the scepticism she possessed.

No… it could not be possible…

We can't be inside that book!

Could they?

So there it is! Akiko is very sceptical and this event will definitely give her something to maul over.

I hope you liked it!

Leave me your comments, opinions, suggestions, concerns; feel free to contact me.

See you next time.

- Hallee xoxo