There's something about the look in your eyes.....
Something I noticed when the light was just right.....
It reminded me twice that I was alive.....
And it reminded me you are so worth the fight.....
Your biggest fear will be the rescue of you.....
Strange how it turns out that way, yeah.....
Could you show me, dear.....
Something I'm not seeing....
Something infinately interesting.....
Lyrics: Echo by Incubus
Seika giggled silently as she hid in one of the many flowering bushes on the palace grounds. She peered out through the leaves to see where Tasuki was. She snickered. He was looking around madly, tessen in hand, cursing loudly. "Dumb ass..." she muttered under her breath.
"Baka!" Tasuki yelled in frustration as he flamed a nearby bush. "Come out and fight like the little boy you are Seika!"
Seika fumed and came out of her hiding place. She stormed up to him, fists clenched. Stopping behind him, she swiftly smacked him upside the head. "Can't you learn to be at least a little bit pleasant!? Ugh! For the last time, I *am not* a little boy! You stupid bastard!" By this time she had grabbed Tasuki's tessen from him, punctuating each word by repeatedly smacking him with it. "You. Need. To. Learn. To. Respect. Others! You dirty bandit!!!!"
"Oi! What're ya doin' onna!?" Tasuki spluttered. "Gimmie my tessen back! OW! Stop it! FUCK, THAT HURTS!"
"No kidding asshole, it *is* a metal fan! Wha'd you expect? That it'd tickle?"
Tasuki frowned. "No! Ow! Jus' stop it! Dammit woman!!!!!!"
THWAP!
"Hn. I hope you get a friggin' bruise. Jerk."
"I'M A JERK!? YER TH' ONE THAT'S HITTIN' ME WITH A FRIGGIN' METAL FAN!!!!!" Tasuki protested.
Seika shrugged indifferently. "So? You deserved it." she said handing it back to him. "Just keep this monstrosity away from me, okay?" she said calmly with a smile.
Tasuki's eye began to twitch. "K-keep it away from ya? Is that what ya jus' said? I'LL FLAME YA TO HELL AND BACK ONNA!!!!!!"
By this time Miaka and Chichiri had caught up with them and were just watching the scene. The two were acting like brother and sister.
Seika stuck out her tongue at him and ran behind Chichiri. Only her head was visible from behind him. ^-^v "No ya won't, cause 'Chiri'll protect me!"
"Yeah, run to yer boyfriend, ya coward." Tasuki mumbled.
Seika's face felt hot. She could only imagine how red her face was. "He. Is. Not. My. Boyfriend." she said through clenched teeth.
Chichiri's face had gone rather red too. "....She's *not* my girlfriend, no da. And it's very rude of you to go around saying that, Tasuki, no da!"
Miaka could only stifle her laughter. Seika and Chichiri looked like a pair of tomatoes because of how much they were blushing....Miaka recalled that Seika had told her she had kissed Chichiri....obviously the feelings were there, otherwise they wouldn't be blushing so much.....but speaking of tomatoes....Miaka remembered that she was rather hungry, and it was past when she usually ate her supper..... "Neeeeee, is anyone else hungry???" she asked in her usual genki fashion.
"Ooo! I am!" Seika said, glad to change the subject.
^_^ "Kaaaaay, let's go eat dinner then!" Miaka suggested.
^_^ "Yaaaay!" Seika shouted happily.
"Hai, no da!" Chichiri agreed.
"Whatever...." Tasuki grumbled, as usual.
Seika stuck out her tongue and smaped him while still clinging to one of Chichiri's arms. "You're too grumpy! You need a nap!" she told him.
"Bandits don't take naps, dammit! And you have a real problem with hittin' people! Knock it off already, will ya!?"
Seika pretended to think for a moment. "Hmmmmm....NO!" she said as she broke into a fit of giggles.
Tasuki rolled his eyes. "...Women...." he muttered. "Ne, I thought you two weren't together...." he said glancing at Seika and Chichiri.
The two of them went red again. "WE'RE NOT!" they both yelled at the same time.
Tasuki sweatdropped. "Okay, I believe ya already....."
* * *
Seika sat between Nuriko and Chichiri at dinner, and across from Miaka. Everyone sweatdropped as Miaka and Seika were in constant competition for food.
"Those are MY dumplings Miaka!!!" Seika growled from across the table.
"I'm the miko! I say you should let me have them!"
"You're abusing your power! If I were miko, I wouldn't abuse my power like that!"
"Well, you're not the miko, and I am! A hungry miko, by the way!"
"GRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!" Both of them glared at each other as they growled.
"A-ano....here's an idea...." Chiriko peeped. "Why don't you share the dumplings?"
Miaka and Seika both turned to the youngest, flute playing seishi. "YOU STAY OUT OF THIS!!!!!" they yelled at him.
o.O "Eeep...." Chiriko managed to squeak.
Nuriko sighed. "Seika, how do you ever expect to find a husband when you have manners like THAT?"
Seika stopped arguing with Miaka long enough for her to snatch away the remaining dumplings. "Huh?"
"Husband. As in married? You need to act more lady like."
"What's the rush?" she asked. "I'm not finished being a kid yet...."
"Seika, you're sixteen. You need to find yourself a good man to settle down with sooner or later. Probably shortly after the miko returns to her world."
"No I don't. I'm not getting married." she told him.
Everyone around the table went silent and looked at her for a few moments.
"Why not?" Nuriko asked. "It'd be a waste of such a potentially beautiful bride."
Seika lowered her voice, imitating a man. "'Woman, go fetch me some water. Woman, go to the market. Woman, the children are crying. Woman, feed the animals. Woman, where's dinner? Woman. Woman. Woman.' Sorry, Nuri-chan, that's not how I plan on spending the rest of my life."
Chichiri poked the food on his plate. "Not all men are like that, no da."
Tasuki snickered. "Of course you'd be the one to mention that..." he whispered so only Chichiri could hear him.
Chichiri went slightly pink, and back handed the loud-mouthed bandit. "Keep your mouth shut when you have no clue what you're talking about, no da." he mumbled.
Nuriko nodded. "Yeah, that'll only happen if you marry Tasuki."
Tasuki and Seika glared resentfully at each other, and Tasuki made a disgusted face at the suggestion. "That will never happen." Seika reassured Nuriko.
"Yeah, who'd wanna marry a shrew like her anyway?" Tasuki growled.
"Aw, don't be mean." Miaka broke in. "Tasuki isn't that bad. And not all men are like that Seika. Take Tamahome for instance. He'd never say all that stuff to any woman."
Seika shrugged. "Maybe, but knowing my luck with guys, I'll probably end up with some real jerk."
"Don't you want to get married and start your own family after this is all over?" Nuriko asked.
Seika hesitated. "...I wan't to return to my own family first. My little sister, Kitsune....I'd rather look after her than start my own family. She's only three years old, you know...."
"Awwwww! Kawaii! I wish I had a younger sister!"
Seika smiled. "I have two. Dosha is five."
Nuriko gave her an 'I know what I'm talking about' look. "Still, you need to get married sooner or later...."
"Later!" Seika cried cheerfully.
Nuriko sweatdropped. "That's not what I meant...."
"Nope, but it is what you said..."
Nuriko sighed. "You are one exasperating young woman."
^-^ "And you are one VERY insistent young crossdresser." she replied.
Nuriko turned and smacked her lightly. "Hush."
"OW! CAN'T YOU REMEMBER THAT YOU'RE STRONGER THAN A NORMAL PERSON!? THAT FRIGGIN' HURTS!!!!!!!"
"Hm. We'll have to work on your temper too...."
"We won't work on anything! I don't need to get married! I don't *want* to!"
"That's what you think."
* * *
Seika sat on a bridge over one of the ponds in the palace ground, once again finding herself staring at the fish. What carefree lives they must live, fish....Just swimming around all day, not worrying about anything except their next meal.... she sighed. Why were human lives so complicated...? Seika jumped as someone cleared their throat behind her. She turned around. "Huh?"
It was Hotohori. He smiled. "Good evening Seika. I came to wish you luck tomorrow. Chichiri and Miaka have gone off to tell Tamahome that you're coming for him."
Seika forced a smile. "Arigato Hotohori..."
"You're still upset about what Nuriko said at supper?" He asked, reading her expression.
"Yeah, a bit." she said, smiling at him. "How could ya tell?"
Hotohori shrugged. He gave her a reassuring smile. "It's strange...we both want the exact opposite. I want to get married, and you want nothing to do with it."
Seika laughed dryly. "A bit ironic, ne...?"
"Don't worry about it too much..." He said, looking out over the palace grounds. "Nuriko may think you *should* get married, but he won't actually force you to go marry someone."
She sighed. "I wish he'd just leave me alone and forget about it. I have bigger problems than getting older. So what if I don't marry."
"He's just trying to be a friend. It's his way of showing he cares. He's worried about you, if you couldn't tell." Hotohori told her.
Seika looked up at him. "Huh? What do you mean...?"
"Seika, most women your age are already married, and if they aren't, they're looking for a husband." Hotohori smiled. "He's concerned, he just wants you to live normally as all other girls do. Perhaps he sees something in you that reminds him of his dead sister, and that's why he's doing it. Whatever the reason, Nuriko won't give up that easily."
Seika smirked. "Great, just what I need, another older brother." Seika looked down to the rippling water. ::Poor guy....:: she thought inwardly. ::So that's what it is, he misses his younger sister.:: She looked back up at Hotohori. "I'm going back to my quarters, sleep well, ne?"
Hotohori nodded. "Hai, I will. Oyasuminasai Seika."
"Oyasuminasai." she replied as she stood up and walked away. "Tommorow's the big day...."
* * *
Yui ran down the hallway from Tamahome's room. He had promised he wouldn't try to escape, but she had just over heard a conversation between him and Miaka. Why was she always the one who got hurt? She attempted to wipe the tears from her eyes, but more replaced the ones she wiped away. Numbly she made her way in the rough direction of Nakago's quarters, not stopping until she blindly ran into something. She looked up, tears staining her perfect cheeks. No, it was someone. Seiryuu no Chuubuko stood there staring at her with an expression of deep concern upon his face.
"Y-Yui-sama...?" he looked at her with those piercing green eyes of his. "Yui-sama, are you alright? What happened?"
Yui looked away from him, her hands were trembling and her voice shook in her throat. "Nothing. I'm fine....you're dismissed." she began to walk away, but he had gotten a tight grip on her wrist.
"That's a lie." he stated, his voice unreadable.
"LET GO OF ME!" Yui yelled at him. "I'm the miko and I gave you an order, now obey me and let go!"
"Tell me what's wrong and I will."
She glared at him. "I can have you killed faster than you can blink."
He looked at her knowingly. "You won't. From what I can tell, you're not that type of person." His eyes softened. "Now please, tell me what's wrong, maybe I can help..."
His eyes were all it took, something about them just compelled her to tell him the truth. Perhaps it was the understanding she saw there....She half-fell into his arms, sobbing, and explained everything that had happened.
While she spoke, he hugged her tightly, trying to comfort her as best he could. "Yui-sama...I know heart-break is tough...but there's other people who love you. Your friends. Your family..." he gently patted her back. "Besides, he's a man. All men are jerks sometimes...as much as I hate to admit it, I am not an exception to that."
"But I love him....It's not fair! Why does Miaka always get her way!?"
"It'll be all right. Things'll be fine, you'll see. I'll make sure nothing else like this happens...I know you feel hurt, but you will get over it. Give it time."
He placed a hand under her chin and tilted it up so she was looking him straight in the eyes. They stared at each other, neither of them saying anything for a minute that seemed an eternity. Then he wrinkled his nose and made a face. "Besides, we both know you could do a lot better than Tamahome!" he said returning to his normal self.
A smile pulled at the corners of Yui's mouth, though she was still crying. "And you say you're not an exception to all men being jerks..." she said, her voice painted with slight amusement. "You're a perfect gentleman..."
He shrugged. "I said sometimes. C'mon," he offered kindly. "I'll escort you to go see Nakago."
* * *
The night passed in what seemed like only a few minutes, and the day was just the same. It was early afternoon by the time everyone had gotten organized. The entire group of Miko, Seishi, and Tsukebito gathered in a fair-sized room in the palace.
Seika looked nervously from Chichiri to Tasuki, to Miaka. She suddenly had a bad feeling about entering the enemy territory, but she didn't want to say anything about it; it would break Miaka's heart.
Nuriko smiled at Seika. "We'll work on training you to act like a lady upon your return." he said cheerily.
Seika rolled her eyes, but sighed, giving into the inevitable. "Fine Nuriko, you can run me through your little training course, but I really do despise being used as a guinea pig."
Chichiri shook his head. Seika was perfect the way she was in his eyes. Why Nuriko would want to change that was beyond him; she was already an angel. So she acted somewhat boyish at times; she was raised with an older brother. He unfastened the kesa and laid it on the ground. "Is everyone ready to go, no da?" he asked.
"HAI!" the other three chorused.
Chichiri nodded. "All right then, everyone step onto the kesa, na no da."
Seika stepped onto the kesa with the others and smiled. "We'll be back soon, safe and sound with Tamahome." she said assuring everyone who was staying behind.
Mitsukake nodded. "Be careful, don't hurt yourselves."
"Try to be in and out of there as soon as possible." Hotohori told them.
Chiriko was silent. He stared at the ground with his flute clutched tightly in his hands. "Good luck." he mumbled.
"Arigato! We'll be careful!" she said as she waved. Seika barely noticed when they began teleporting, in the blink of an eye, the other 4 seishi has disappeared, and Seika found she couldn't quite focus on anything. As soon as it had started, she hid the ground with a thud.
Miaka had of course landed on her face. "I-itaaaaaaiiiii...." she complained from a few feet away.
Seika suddenly became painfully aware of something that was terribly amiss. Her eyebrow twitched furiously as she slowly looked down to face what she had suspected. Tasuki and Chichiri had both landed beside her, somehow both managing to have one hand on each of her breasts.
Tasuki grumbled something unintelligible, and then noticed that the ground his hand was on seemed rather soft.... "What th' hell....?" he muttered, giving it a good squeeze. Suddenly his eyes grew wide with realization. "Oh fuck...."
Seika's eyebrow twitched a bit more, though at this point she was still somewhat catatonic. "A....a....heh heh....a...ano..." she turned to face Chichiri, only to find that not only was the SD monk groping her, his face was nuzzled right up to her breast too.
Had he not been wearing the mask, Chichiri would've been looking straight into her eyes, but he still managed to give her a pleading look.
Seika glanced from one man to the other, then back again. "AIEEEEEEEEEEEE! ECCHI!!!!!!! GET AWAAAAAAAY!!!!!!" she screamed reverting into SD and running as fast as she could (at 1/3 her height).
Tasuki's eye widened. "Be quiet!" he whispered harshly.
SD Chichiri ran around in a mad panic trying to silence the frantic SD Seika. "Shhhhhh! You'll get us all killed no da!!!" he said returning to normal size with a hand clapped over the girl's mouth.
Seika crossed her arms like a stubborn child. She had been violated, she had every right to be angry. "You two are dirty dirty perverts...." she spat icily.
"They didn't mean it...." Miaka tried to comfort her.
Seika sighed. "You're right Miaka...but I'm still not too pleased with them."
"Tamahome asked me to meet him by a tree....a big one, with lots of fragrant flowers around it..." they set off across Kutou's palace grounds in search of the meeting place Miaka and Tamahome had set.
* * *
Tamahome dragged his feet heavily to Yui's quarters. He now knew the truth about why Yui had become the Miko of Seiryuu, it was to get back at Miaka...but he might as well ask her once more to come back to Konan with them, she knew about it anyway, and it would mean alot to his love, Miaka.
He tapped on the door and waited for the voice within to answer.
"Enter." Came Yui's cold voice.
He slid the door open and entered. "I'm returning to Miaka." he stated. "I just thought I'd tell you. I'll ask you once more if you'd like to return to Konan with me."
"How can you suggest that?!" Yui demanded. "How can I go back to the very person who betrayed me! Miaka broke my trust...I will not forgive her so easily!" tears of anger rather than sadness stung her face. "She must suffer the way I did....You aren't going back to her...she has to suffer...."
While she had been speaking, her attendants had brought in what looked like burning incence. They all wore masks, though Tamahome hadn't noticed, while Yui covered her mouth and nose with the sleeve of her robes.
Tamahome turned to leave. "You can't prevent me from returning to the one I love..." he was about to leave when the smoke took effect. Tamahome fell to his knees, paralyzed where he was on the ground.
Yui walked over to him and kneeled in front of him. "I won't let the traitor I used to call my best friend win." She slipped the Kodoku drug into her mouth and slowly leaned forward to kiss Tamahome, forcing the small round object past his lips.
Tamahome's eyes widened in surprise, and suddenly felt his eyelids growing heavier. He tried to fight it, but the drug over came him. Within seconds, he fell, unconsious into Yui's arms.
Nakago stood in the doorway, watching in approval. He said nothing, but contiued to wear the chilling smile he always had.
Seiryuu no Chuubuko walked in carrying a tray, and nearly dropped it upon surveying the entire scene. He didn't question anything, but walked into the room and set the tray down on the nearest table. "Y-Yui-sama, I thought you might be hungry, so I brought you a snack.
Yui smiled at him gratefully. "Arigato."
He smiled back, still not certain of what was going on.
Nakago looked at Yui. "The welcoming comittee has been prepared. Our guests await..."
Yui looked back to her tsukebito. "I'm sorry, I'll have to eat this later. I have business to attend to. Be ready if I call you, I may need your assitance. Ja."
He stared after her as she exited the room. "Ja...." he replied.
He looked from Tamahome on the floor, to Nakago's icy blue eyes. "Go prepare your bow and arrows, you may need them." he ordered, rather than suggested. Seiryuu no Chubuuko exited the room as fast as he could, grateful Nakago had given him an excuse to leave. The aura around that man was so unpleasent, he didn't think he would have been able to stand him a moment longer....
* * *
Miaka rushed up to the tallest tree on the grounds. "This must be it!" she giggled happily. "This has to be the place Tamahome ment! He should be here very soon now!"
Seika panted as she came over the crest of the hill leading up to the tree. "It'd better damn well be, or I'll kick that fucker's ass...." she muttered to herself. "Oi, Miaka, here's a little tip. Next time we go somewhere, and you have three companions, SLOW DOWN!"
Miaka sweatdropped. "Gomen ne, Seika-chan....I got really excited..."
"No kiddin'....." Tasuki grumbled as he and Chichiri caught up with the girls.
Seika suddenly went ridgid and turned to face the bushes behind her. She scanned the area while her compainions stared at her. "Don't move." she said to them. She called into the bushes. "Who's there!?"
Yui emerged, and soldiers closed in on them from all around. "Welcome to Kutou. Such a pleasure to see you Miaka." she said with a twisted grin on her face.
Seika frowned. "Who are you?" she inquired of the girl with sandy blond hair. She was clad in the same uniform as Miaka was, she noticed.
Yui chuckled. "Who am I? I am Hongo Yui, Seiryuu no Miko. Pity Miaka hasn't told you about me...exactly who are you?" she said with a hint of amusement. She turned to Miaka. "Have you replaced me so soon, you pathetic traitor?"
Miaka silently shook her head with a hurt look pasted upon her face.
"Taasu Seika." Seika growled. "Suzaku no Chuubuko. I'm no one's replacement, I'm simply here to do my duty to the Miko and go home."
"How quaint. A girl. Seiryuu no Chuubuko is a boy, twice as strong as I suppose you are. I hope you don't have to fight him, it wouldn't be much of a fight."
Seika flashed Yui a resentful look. "Don't underestimate your enemies Miko."
Miaka watched as her tsukebito tried to defend the side of Suzaku against her best friend. She made up her mind. She ran to Yui. "Yui-chan! Please stop this!" She threw her arms around her former best friend. Once again Miaka found herself crying.
Yui stumbled backwards abit, caught off gaurd by this. Eyes wide, she looked down at the sobbing mess that was Miaka. She quickly regained her composure and threw the other girl to the ground, smirking. "You still don't get it, do you? You can't just expect things to go smoothly every time you want them to. I can't forgive you for what you did to me, Yuuki Miaka. Gaurds, grab her." She said, turning her back.
"Yui...." Miaka began through her tears.
Seika and Tasuki had been lunging forward to help Miaka, when Chichiri grabbed them and transported them to another area of the courtyard.
"WHAT'RE YA DOING!?" Tasuki screamed at him. "MIAKA WAS JUS' CAPTURED BY TH' ENEMY!!!!"
"We can do more for her like this than we can behind bars, no da." Chichiri explained.
"I feel like such a coward...." Seika lamented. She looked up at them. "You two go that way, I'll go this way. That way if I get caught, you two are still able to help, and vica verca." She got up and walked away.
"Seika.....!" Chichiri called after her. "Seika, it's too dangerous, come back!!!" He realized there was no point because she wasn't listening and was almost out of hearing range anyway. She moved surprisingly fast.
"Aw, stop worryin'. Seika's a tough kid...too tough if ya ask me, but hey, she ain't my problem...." Tasuki said in an attempt to comfort his friend. He'd decided to refrain from the boyfriend/girlfriend jokes for the moment. Tasuki paused a second as he walked in the direction Seika had told them to go. "Oi, d'ya have any idea of where we're goin' Chiri?"
Chichiri sweatdropped. "Ano......"
* * *
Seika moved carefully thoughout the palace grounds. She wasn't quite sure where she was going, but she had a feeling she was moving in the direction Miaka was in. Without warning, she became aware of the feeling that she wasn't alone.
Her breathing became heavier as she wildly looked around. "Who's there!?" she demanded. "What do you want?"
A chuckle came from within the shadows. "And who, may I ask, want's to know? I was aware of you're presence, but I couldn't see you. I must thank you for giving your position away."
"I'm Suzaku no Chuubuko. Come out and show me yer face, ya coward." she put a hand on the sword she'd taken from the palace in Konan.
"Well, what a pleasure to meet you. I am Seiryuu no Chuubuko. I will come out of the shadows on the condition that you will too. Deal?" he said, amusment painting his vioce.
"Fine." She snarled.
"Alright. We will emerge from the shadows.....now."
They both stepped into the light. The boy had his arrow aimed for a clean shot to her chest, but stopped and lowered it. He looked at her as if he couldn't believe his eyes. "S...Seika....?"
Seika blinked, in shock. "Yoshiomo....." she stared blankly at him, not being able to do much else.
Finding my way back to sanity again....
Dont wanna really know what I'm gonna do when I get there...
Take a breath and hold on tight.....
Spin 'round one more time.....
And gracefully fall back to the arms of grace....
'Cause I am hanging on every word you say....
And even if you dont wanna speak tonight, that's all right, all right with me....
'Cause I want nothing more than to sit outside heavens door....
And listen to you breathing, that's where I wanna be...yeah.....
Where I wanna be......
Lyrics: Breathing by Lifehouse
Something I noticed when the light was just right.....
It reminded me twice that I was alive.....
And it reminded me you are so worth the fight.....
Your biggest fear will be the rescue of you.....
Strange how it turns out that way, yeah.....
Could you show me, dear.....
Something I'm not seeing....
Something infinately interesting.....
Lyrics: Echo by Incubus
Seika giggled silently as she hid in one of the many flowering bushes on the palace grounds. She peered out through the leaves to see where Tasuki was. She snickered. He was looking around madly, tessen in hand, cursing loudly. "Dumb ass..." she muttered under her breath.
"Baka!" Tasuki yelled in frustration as he flamed a nearby bush. "Come out and fight like the little boy you are Seika!"
Seika fumed and came out of her hiding place. She stormed up to him, fists clenched. Stopping behind him, she swiftly smacked him upside the head. "Can't you learn to be at least a little bit pleasant!? Ugh! For the last time, I *am not* a little boy! You stupid bastard!" By this time she had grabbed Tasuki's tessen from him, punctuating each word by repeatedly smacking him with it. "You. Need. To. Learn. To. Respect. Others! You dirty bandit!!!!"
"Oi! What're ya doin' onna!?" Tasuki spluttered. "Gimmie my tessen back! OW! Stop it! FUCK, THAT HURTS!"
"No kidding asshole, it *is* a metal fan! Wha'd you expect? That it'd tickle?"
Tasuki frowned. "No! Ow! Jus' stop it! Dammit woman!!!!!!"
THWAP!
"Hn. I hope you get a friggin' bruise. Jerk."
"I'M A JERK!? YER TH' ONE THAT'S HITTIN' ME WITH A FRIGGIN' METAL FAN!!!!!" Tasuki protested.
Seika shrugged indifferently. "So? You deserved it." she said handing it back to him. "Just keep this monstrosity away from me, okay?" she said calmly with a smile.
Tasuki's eye began to twitch. "K-keep it away from ya? Is that what ya jus' said? I'LL FLAME YA TO HELL AND BACK ONNA!!!!!!"
By this time Miaka and Chichiri had caught up with them and were just watching the scene. The two were acting like brother and sister.
Seika stuck out her tongue at him and ran behind Chichiri. Only her head was visible from behind him. ^-^v "No ya won't, cause 'Chiri'll protect me!"
"Yeah, run to yer boyfriend, ya coward." Tasuki mumbled.
Seika's face felt hot. She could only imagine how red her face was. "He. Is. Not. My. Boyfriend." she said through clenched teeth.
Chichiri's face had gone rather red too. "....She's *not* my girlfriend, no da. And it's very rude of you to go around saying that, Tasuki, no da!"
Miaka could only stifle her laughter. Seika and Chichiri looked like a pair of tomatoes because of how much they were blushing....Miaka recalled that Seika had told her she had kissed Chichiri....obviously the feelings were there, otherwise they wouldn't be blushing so much.....but speaking of tomatoes....Miaka remembered that she was rather hungry, and it was past when she usually ate her supper..... "Neeeeee, is anyone else hungry???" she asked in her usual genki fashion.
"Ooo! I am!" Seika said, glad to change the subject.
^_^ "Kaaaaay, let's go eat dinner then!" Miaka suggested.
^_^ "Yaaaay!" Seika shouted happily.
"Hai, no da!" Chichiri agreed.
"Whatever...." Tasuki grumbled, as usual.
Seika stuck out her tongue and smaped him while still clinging to one of Chichiri's arms. "You're too grumpy! You need a nap!" she told him.
"Bandits don't take naps, dammit! And you have a real problem with hittin' people! Knock it off already, will ya!?"
Seika pretended to think for a moment. "Hmmmmm....NO!" she said as she broke into a fit of giggles.
Tasuki rolled his eyes. "...Women...." he muttered. "Ne, I thought you two weren't together...." he said glancing at Seika and Chichiri.
The two of them went red again. "WE'RE NOT!" they both yelled at the same time.
Tasuki sweatdropped. "Okay, I believe ya already....."
* * *
Seika sat between Nuriko and Chichiri at dinner, and across from Miaka. Everyone sweatdropped as Miaka and Seika were in constant competition for food.
"Those are MY dumplings Miaka!!!" Seika growled from across the table.
"I'm the miko! I say you should let me have them!"
"You're abusing your power! If I were miko, I wouldn't abuse my power like that!"
"Well, you're not the miko, and I am! A hungry miko, by the way!"
"GRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!" Both of them glared at each other as they growled.
"A-ano....here's an idea...." Chiriko peeped. "Why don't you share the dumplings?"
Miaka and Seika both turned to the youngest, flute playing seishi. "YOU STAY OUT OF THIS!!!!!" they yelled at him.
o.O "Eeep...." Chiriko managed to squeak.
Nuriko sighed. "Seika, how do you ever expect to find a husband when you have manners like THAT?"
Seika stopped arguing with Miaka long enough for her to snatch away the remaining dumplings. "Huh?"
"Husband. As in married? You need to act more lady like."
"What's the rush?" she asked. "I'm not finished being a kid yet...."
"Seika, you're sixteen. You need to find yourself a good man to settle down with sooner or later. Probably shortly after the miko returns to her world."
"No I don't. I'm not getting married." she told him.
Everyone around the table went silent and looked at her for a few moments.
"Why not?" Nuriko asked. "It'd be a waste of such a potentially beautiful bride."
Seika lowered her voice, imitating a man. "'Woman, go fetch me some water. Woman, go to the market. Woman, the children are crying. Woman, feed the animals. Woman, where's dinner? Woman. Woman. Woman.' Sorry, Nuri-chan, that's not how I plan on spending the rest of my life."
Chichiri poked the food on his plate. "Not all men are like that, no da."
Tasuki snickered. "Of course you'd be the one to mention that..." he whispered so only Chichiri could hear him.
Chichiri went slightly pink, and back handed the loud-mouthed bandit. "Keep your mouth shut when you have no clue what you're talking about, no da." he mumbled.
Nuriko nodded. "Yeah, that'll only happen if you marry Tasuki."
Tasuki and Seika glared resentfully at each other, and Tasuki made a disgusted face at the suggestion. "That will never happen." Seika reassured Nuriko.
"Yeah, who'd wanna marry a shrew like her anyway?" Tasuki growled.
"Aw, don't be mean." Miaka broke in. "Tasuki isn't that bad. And not all men are like that Seika. Take Tamahome for instance. He'd never say all that stuff to any woman."
Seika shrugged. "Maybe, but knowing my luck with guys, I'll probably end up with some real jerk."
"Don't you want to get married and start your own family after this is all over?" Nuriko asked.
Seika hesitated. "...I wan't to return to my own family first. My little sister, Kitsune....I'd rather look after her than start my own family. She's only three years old, you know...."
"Awwwww! Kawaii! I wish I had a younger sister!"
Seika smiled. "I have two. Dosha is five."
Nuriko gave her an 'I know what I'm talking about' look. "Still, you need to get married sooner or later...."
"Later!" Seika cried cheerfully.
Nuriko sweatdropped. "That's not what I meant...."
"Nope, but it is what you said..."
Nuriko sighed. "You are one exasperating young woman."
^-^ "And you are one VERY insistent young crossdresser." she replied.
Nuriko turned and smacked her lightly. "Hush."
"OW! CAN'T YOU REMEMBER THAT YOU'RE STRONGER THAN A NORMAL PERSON!? THAT FRIGGIN' HURTS!!!!!!!"
"Hm. We'll have to work on your temper too...."
"We won't work on anything! I don't need to get married! I don't *want* to!"
"That's what you think."
* * *
Seika sat on a bridge over one of the ponds in the palace ground, once again finding herself staring at the fish. What carefree lives they must live, fish....Just swimming around all day, not worrying about anything except their next meal.... she sighed. Why were human lives so complicated...? Seika jumped as someone cleared their throat behind her. She turned around. "Huh?"
It was Hotohori. He smiled. "Good evening Seika. I came to wish you luck tomorrow. Chichiri and Miaka have gone off to tell Tamahome that you're coming for him."
Seika forced a smile. "Arigato Hotohori..."
"You're still upset about what Nuriko said at supper?" He asked, reading her expression.
"Yeah, a bit." she said, smiling at him. "How could ya tell?"
Hotohori shrugged. He gave her a reassuring smile. "It's strange...we both want the exact opposite. I want to get married, and you want nothing to do with it."
Seika laughed dryly. "A bit ironic, ne...?"
"Don't worry about it too much..." He said, looking out over the palace grounds. "Nuriko may think you *should* get married, but he won't actually force you to go marry someone."
She sighed. "I wish he'd just leave me alone and forget about it. I have bigger problems than getting older. So what if I don't marry."
"He's just trying to be a friend. It's his way of showing he cares. He's worried about you, if you couldn't tell." Hotohori told her.
Seika looked up at him. "Huh? What do you mean...?"
"Seika, most women your age are already married, and if they aren't, they're looking for a husband." Hotohori smiled. "He's concerned, he just wants you to live normally as all other girls do. Perhaps he sees something in you that reminds him of his dead sister, and that's why he's doing it. Whatever the reason, Nuriko won't give up that easily."
Seika smirked. "Great, just what I need, another older brother." Seika looked down to the rippling water. ::Poor guy....:: she thought inwardly. ::So that's what it is, he misses his younger sister.:: She looked back up at Hotohori. "I'm going back to my quarters, sleep well, ne?"
Hotohori nodded. "Hai, I will. Oyasuminasai Seika."
"Oyasuminasai." she replied as she stood up and walked away. "Tommorow's the big day...."
* * *
Yui ran down the hallway from Tamahome's room. He had promised he wouldn't try to escape, but she had just over heard a conversation between him and Miaka. Why was she always the one who got hurt? She attempted to wipe the tears from her eyes, but more replaced the ones she wiped away. Numbly she made her way in the rough direction of Nakago's quarters, not stopping until she blindly ran into something. She looked up, tears staining her perfect cheeks. No, it was someone. Seiryuu no Chuubuko stood there staring at her with an expression of deep concern upon his face.
"Y-Yui-sama...?" he looked at her with those piercing green eyes of his. "Yui-sama, are you alright? What happened?"
Yui looked away from him, her hands were trembling and her voice shook in her throat. "Nothing. I'm fine....you're dismissed." she began to walk away, but he had gotten a tight grip on her wrist.
"That's a lie." he stated, his voice unreadable.
"LET GO OF ME!" Yui yelled at him. "I'm the miko and I gave you an order, now obey me and let go!"
"Tell me what's wrong and I will."
She glared at him. "I can have you killed faster than you can blink."
He looked at her knowingly. "You won't. From what I can tell, you're not that type of person." His eyes softened. "Now please, tell me what's wrong, maybe I can help..."
His eyes were all it took, something about them just compelled her to tell him the truth. Perhaps it was the understanding she saw there....She half-fell into his arms, sobbing, and explained everything that had happened.
While she spoke, he hugged her tightly, trying to comfort her as best he could. "Yui-sama...I know heart-break is tough...but there's other people who love you. Your friends. Your family..." he gently patted her back. "Besides, he's a man. All men are jerks sometimes...as much as I hate to admit it, I am not an exception to that."
"But I love him....It's not fair! Why does Miaka always get her way!?"
"It'll be all right. Things'll be fine, you'll see. I'll make sure nothing else like this happens...I know you feel hurt, but you will get over it. Give it time."
He placed a hand under her chin and tilted it up so she was looking him straight in the eyes. They stared at each other, neither of them saying anything for a minute that seemed an eternity. Then he wrinkled his nose and made a face. "Besides, we both know you could do a lot better than Tamahome!" he said returning to his normal self.
A smile pulled at the corners of Yui's mouth, though she was still crying. "And you say you're not an exception to all men being jerks..." she said, her voice painted with slight amusement. "You're a perfect gentleman..."
He shrugged. "I said sometimes. C'mon," he offered kindly. "I'll escort you to go see Nakago."
* * *
The night passed in what seemed like only a few minutes, and the day was just the same. It was early afternoon by the time everyone had gotten organized. The entire group of Miko, Seishi, and Tsukebito gathered in a fair-sized room in the palace.
Seika looked nervously from Chichiri to Tasuki, to Miaka. She suddenly had a bad feeling about entering the enemy territory, but she didn't want to say anything about it; it would break Miaka's heart.
Nuriko smiled at Seika. "We'll work on training you to act like a lady upon your return." he said cheerily.
Seika rolled her eyes, but sighed, giving into the inevitable. "Fine Nuriko, you can run me through your little training course, but I really do despise being used as a guinea pig."
Chichiri shook his head. Seika was perfect the way she was in his eyes. Why Nuriko would want to change that was beyond him; she was already an angel. So she acted somewhat boyish at times; she was raised with an older brother. He unfastened the kesa and laid it on the ground. "Is everyone ready to go, no da?" he asked.
"HAI!" the other three chorused.
Chichiri nodded. "All right then, everyone step onto the kesa, na no da."
Seika stepped onto the kesa with the others and smiled. "We'll be back soon, safe and sound with Tamahome." she said assuring everyone who was staying behind.
Mitsukake nodded. "Be careful, don't hurt yourselves."
"Try to be in and out of there as soon as possible." Hotohori told them.
Chiriko was silent. He stared at the ground with his flute clutched tightly in his hands. "Good luck." he mumbled.
"Arigato! We'll be careful!" she said as she waved. Seika barely noticed when they began teleporting, in the blink of an eye, the other 4 seishi has disappeared, and Seika found she couldn't quite focus on anything. As soon as it had started, she hid the ground with a thud.
Miaka had of course landed on her face. "I-itaaaaaaiiiii...." she complained from a few feet away.
Seika suddenly became painfully aware of something that was terribly amiss. Her eyebrow twitched furiously as she slowly looked down to face what she had suspected. Tasuki and Chichiri had both landed beside her, somehow both managing to have one hand on each of her breasts.
Tasuki grumbled something unintelligible, and then noticed that the ground his hand was on seemed rather soft.... "What th' hell....?" he muttered, giving it a good squeeze. Suddenly his eyes grew wide with realization. "Oh fuck...."
Seika's eyebrow twitched a bit more, though at this point she was still somewhat catatonic. "A....a....heh heh....a...ano..." she turned to face Chichiri, only to find that not only was the SD monk groping her, his face was nuzzled right up to her breast too.
Had he not been wearing the mask, Chichiri would've been looking straight into her eyes, but he still managed to give her a pleading look.
Seika glanced from one man to the other, then back again. "AIEEEEEEEEEEEE! ECCHI!!!!!!! GET AWAAAAAAAY!!!!!!" she screamed reverting into SD and running as fast as she could (at 1/3 her height).
Tasuki's eye widened. "Be quiet!" he whispered harshly.
SD Chichiri ran around in a mad panic trying to silence the frantic SD Seika. "Shhhhhh! You'll get us all killed no da!!!" he said returning to normal size with a hand clapped over the girl's mouth.
Seika crossed her arms like a stubborn child. She had been violated, she had every right to be angry. "You two are dirty dirty perverts...." she spat icily.
"They didn't mean it...." Miaka tried to comfort her.
Seika sighed. "You're right Miaka...but I'm still not too pleased with them."
"Tamahome asked me to meet him by a tree....a big one, with lots of fragrant flowers around it..." they set off across Kutou's palace grounds in search of the meeting place Miaka and Tamahome had set.
* * *
Tamahome dragged his feet heavily to Yui's quarters. He now knew the truth about why Yui had become the Miko of Seiryuu, it was to get back at Miaka...but he might as well ask her once more to come back to Konan with them, she knew about it anyway, and it would mean alot to his love, Miaka.
He tapped on the door and waited for the voice within to answer.
"Enter." Came Yui's cold voice.
He slid the door open and entered. "I'm returning to Miaka." he stated. "I just thought I'd tell you. I'll ask you once more if you'd like to return to Konan with me."
"How can you suggest that?!" Yui demanded. "How can I go back to the very person who betrayed me! Miaka broke my trust...I will not forgive her so easily!" tears of anger rather than sadness stung her face. "She must suffer the way I did....You aren't going back to her...she has to suffer...."
While she had been speaking, her attendants had brought in what looked like burning incence. They all wore masks, though Tamahome hadn't noticed, while Yui covered her mouth and nose with the sleeve of her robes.
Tamahome turned to leave. "You can't prevent me from returning to the one I love..." he was about to leave when the smoke took effect. Tamahome fell to his knees, paralyzed where he was on the ground.
Yui walked over to him and kneeled in front of him. "I won't let the traitor I used to call my best friend win." She slipped the Kodoku drug into her mouth and slowly leaned forward to kiss Tamahome, forcing the small round object past his lips.
Tamahome's eyes widened in surprise, and suddenly felt his eyelids growing heavier. He tried to fight it, but the drug over came him. Within seconds, he fell, unconsious into Yui's arms.
Nakago stood in the doorway, watching in approval. He said nothing, but contiued to wear the chilling smile he always had.
Seiryuu no Chuubuko walked in carrying a tray, and nearly dropped it upon surveying the entire scene. He didn't question anything, but walked into the room and set the tray down on the nearest table. "Y-Yui-sama, I thought you might be hungry, so I brought you a snack.
Yui smiled at him gratefully. "Arigato."
He smiled back, still not certain of what was going on.
Nakago looked at Yui. "The welcoming comittee has been prepared. Our guests await..."
Yui looked back to her tsukebito. "I'm sorry, I'll have to eat this later. I have business to attend to. Be ready if I call you, I may need your assitance. Ja."
He stared after her as she exited the room. "Ja...." he replied.
He looked from Tamahome on the floor, to Nakago's icy blue eyes. "Go prepare your bow and arrows, you may need them." he ordered, rather than suggested. Seiryuu no Chubuuko exited the room as fast as he could, grateful Nakago had given him an excuse to leave. The aura around that man was so unpleasent, he didn't think he would have been able to stand him a moment longer....
* * *
Miaka rushed up to the tallest tree on the grounds. "This must be it!" she giggled happily. "This has to be the place Tamahome ment! He should be here very soon now!"
Seika panted as she came over the crest of the hill leading up to the tree. "It'd better damn well be, or I'll kick that fucker's ass...." she muttered to herself. "Oi, Miaka, here's a little tip. Next time we go somewhere, and you have three companions, SLOW DOWN!"
Miaka sweatdropped. "Gomen ne, Seika-chan....I got really excited..."
"No kiddin'....." Tasuki grumbled as he and Chichiri caught up with the girls.
Seika suddenly went ridgid and turned to face the bushes behind her. She scanned the area while her compainions stared at her. "Don't move." she said to them. She called into the bushes. "Who's there!?"
Yui emerged, and soldiers closed in on them from all around. "Welcome to Kutou. Such a pleasure to see you Miaka." she said with a twisted grin on her face.
Seika frowned. "Who are you?" she inquired of the girl with sandy blond hair. She was clad in the same uniform as Miaka was, she noticed.
Yui chuckled. "Who am I? I am Hongo Yui, Seiryuu no Miko. Pity Miaka hasn't told you about me...exactly who are you?" she said with a hint of amusement. She turned to Miaka. "Have you replaced me so soon, you pathetic traitor?"
Miaka silently shook her head with a hurt look pasted upon her face.
"Taasu Seika." Seika growled. "Suzaku no Chuubuko. I'm no one's replacement, I'm simply here to do my duty to the Miko and go home."
"How quaint. A girl. Seiryuu no Chuubuko is a boy, twice as strong as I suppose you are. I hope you don't have to fight him, it wouldn't be much of a fight."
Seika flashed Yui a resentful look. "Don't underestimate your enemies Miko."
Miaka watched as her tsukebito tried to defend the side of Suzaku against her best friend. She made up her mind. She ran to Yui. "Yui-chan! Please stop this!" She threw her arms around her former best friend. Once again Miaka found herself crying.
Yui stumbled backwards abit, caught off gaurd by this. Eyes wide, she looked down at the sobbing mess that was Miaka. She quickly regained her composure and threw the other girl to the ground, smirking. "You still don't get it, do you? You can't just expect things to go smoothly every time you want them to. I can't forgive you for what you did to me, Yuuki Miaka. Gaurds, grab her." She said, turning her back.
"Yui...." Miaka began through her tears.
Seika and Tasuki had been lunging forward to help Miaka, when Chichiri grabbed them and transported them to another area of the courtyard.
"WHAT'RE YA DOING!?" Tasuki screamed at him. "MIAKA WAS JUS' CAPTURED BY TH' ENEMY!!!!"
"We can do more for her like this than we can behind bars, no da." Chichiri explained.
"I feel like such a coward...." Seika lamented. She looked up at them. "You two go that way, I'll go this way. That way if I get caught, you two are still able to help, and vica verca." She got up and walked away.
"Seika.....!" Chichiri called after her. "Seika, it's too dangerous, come back!!!" He realized there was no point because she wasn't listening and was almost out of hearing range anyway. She moved surprisingly fast.
"Aw, stop worryin'. Seika's a tough kid...too tough if ya ask me, but hey, she ain't my problem...." Tasuki said in an attempt to comfort his friend. He'd decided to refrain from the boyfriend/girlfriend jokes for the moment. Tasuki paused a second as he walked in the direction Seika had told them to go. "Oi, d'ya have any idea of where we're goin' Chiri?"
Chichiri sweatdropped. "Ano......"
* * *
Seika moved carefully thoughout the palace grounds. She wasn't quite sure where she was going, but she had a feeling she was moving in the direction Miaka was in. Without warning, she became aware of the feeling that she wasn't alone.
Her breathing became heavier as she wildly looked around. "Who's there!?" she demanded. "What do you want?"
A chuckle came from within the shadows. "And who, may I ask, want's to know? I was aware of you're presence, but I couldn't see you. I must thank you for giving your position away."
"I'm Suzaku no Chuubuko. Come out and show me yer face, ya coward." she put a hand on the sword she'd taken from the palace in Konan.
"Well, what a pleasure to meet you. I am Seiryuu no Chuubuko. I will come out of the shadows on the condition that you will too. Deal?" he said, amusment painting his vioce.
"Fine." She snarled.
"Alright. We will emerge from the shadows.....now."
They both stepped into the light. The boy had his arrow aimed for a clean shot to her chest, but stopped and lowered it. He looked at her as if he couldn't believe his eyes. "S...Seika....?"
Seika blinked, in shock. "Yoshiomo....." she stared blankly at him, not being able to do much else.
Finding my way back to sanity again....
Dont wanna really know what I'm gonna do when I get there...
Take a breath and hold on tight.....
Spin 'round one more time.....
And gracefully fall back to the arms of grace....
'Cause I am hanging on every word you say....
And even if you dont wanna speak tonight, that's all right, all right with me....
'Cause I want nothing more than to sit outside heavens door....
And listen to you breathing, that's where I wanna be...yeah.....
Where I wanna be......
Lyrics: Breathing by Lifehouse