Chapter 4
Slowly, she opened her eyes, half expecting a worried brother to be starting at her wondering why she came back from school so early. She was half expecting an irate mother to be standing over her. As she opened her eyes, sunlight greeted her like a warm blanket as it lit up the entire room. She looked around rather surprised. This look like the room at Taiitsukun's palace that she stayed at a couple of times. Did she really make it here? If so, where was Chichiri? This wasn't her room, she knew that, but was she really at Taiitsukun's?
"GOOD MORNING!!!"
Miaka nearly fell out of the bed at the sound of the shrill, excited squeals. She looked up only to be greeted by two hyper, floating Nyan-Nyans. Her expression sank as she recognized the girls, 'Yep, I'm at Taiitsukun's.' She was about to roll over and try to ignore the girls when she heard familiar footsteps coming towards the room. Full of anticipation, she stared at the doorway, hoping it was who she thought it was. The first thing she saw was blue hair coming around the corner and that was all she needed to see. She jumped out of bed and tackled him before he could even get into the doorway.
"Chichiri!!!!" She threw her arms around him and almost knocked him off his feet.
When Chichiri had caught his balance again, he returned the hug, more than a little startled. He was expecting her to still be asleep.
"Morning, Miaka, it's good to see you again, no da." He said into her hair, she simply refused to release the hug and he wasn't going to force her. So he just waited for her satisfy herself. What she whispered caught him completely by surprise.
"Morning, Chichiri, it's good to know you're still alive."
Chichiri's eyes went wide in confusion. Did she think he was dead? Was that why she was here? Deciding to ask her that later, he made it look like he didn't catch the seriousness behind that last comment.
He pulled her out of the embrace so he could get a good look at her. She had a happy and relieved expression on her face, but at the same time, he could tell she was worried and upset about something.
Miaka was happy to see him, safe and sound. She studied his face. At the moment, it looked more beautiful than she had remembered it being. Maybe it was because the last time she had seen it, it wasn't a face anymore. The memory of that dream she had made her shudder.
The movement did not go unnoticed by the monk. A look of concern spread across his face. He was not wearing his mask, so Miaka clearly saw his emotions play out in his good eye. As she stared into his eye, the image of that beast came back into her mind. She closed her eyes and tied to shake the image out of her head. She could feel Chichiri's grip tighten on her shoulders. She looked away, not wanting to see that beast again.
Chichiri brought Miaka out of the hallway and sat her back onto the bed. Miaka noted that the Nyan-Nyans were gone now and she was glad for it. She felt fingers gently cup her chin and was turned to look him in the eye.
Chichiri was beyond concerned now, he studied her intently for a moment before speaking. "Miaka, what's bothering you?" His voice was gentle and loving, as she had always remembered it being. Tears started to well in her eyes. She tried not to let them, but she just couldn't stop them. She whispered his name as a tear started to roll down her cheek. How could she tell him? What would she tell him? 'You know, Chichiri, I saw a creature tear you apart yesterday, isn't that just funny...' That just didn't sit too well with her. She felt him sit beside her and before she could react, she found herself against his chest, surrounded by his arms. Chichiri held her so tight, she just felt so safe in his arms. She couldn't resist her urge to cry anymore and her tears flowed freely. She sobbed against his chest, making his shirt damp. But he didn't seem to notice, he just held her close.
Thoughts seemed to race in his mind as he held her trembling body. Something had really upset her, and he knew now that it had to do with him. Did she see something? Did she see his death? He knew that had to be it, she had to have seen his death, or why was she acting like this. He wondered if it had to do with that demon creature. That thought sent an involuntary chill down his back. What a horrible way to die. Torn apart or burned like those villagers. He wasn't sure his powers were going to be strong enough to fight the thing off, and Miaka's behavior didn't reassure him any.
"Miaka," he whispered, "you know about the demon, don't you."
She thought about his question. It kind of startled her actually. 'The thing is real?' She sobbed harder and slowly nodded her head. The motion sent streaks of tears down his shirt. "I saw it," she managed between sobs.
His heart sank. 'That was it. Great. Chichiri, old boy, your days are numbered... Wait a second, did she say she saw it?' He had to know... "Miaka, tell me what it looked like."
She shuddered. She didn't want to think about what it looked like. But it sounded like it was important to Chichiri. She forced herself to see it again. The horrible thing took shape in her mind. It was more detailed than she had wanted it to be. It had that same sadistic grin on its face. She shuddered again. She felt Chichiri's arms tighten around her and she forced herself to describe it.
"It looks like a giant black monster. It stood about 8 feet tall, two arms, two legs and wings that looked like they were made of leather. It had a human-like face with black, lifeless eyes. And that evil grin..." She shudder again, "that grin showed off it's huge fangs. And it had claws on its hands and feet that looked like they were over six inches long." She squirmed as the image of that beast reaching for her came back into her mind.
"That's enough Miaka, thank you. That's all I needed to know." He hugged her tightly until she relaxed. She wasn't crying as much now, but her trembling became more violent. That worried Chichiri. His mind raced again. 'Black? It looked red in the recordings. But she said it had wings, it had to be the same beast. I wonder if she saw how fast that thing moved?'
"Like lightening," Miaka whispered, as if she was thinking the same thing as him. "I've never seen anything move so fast"
Chichiri frowned. This was not good. They had a serious problem on their hands and he didn't have the foggiest clue as to how to deal with it. And neither did Taiitsukun, for that matter. 'Now what?' He thought desperately. 'Tasuki. Fire against fire. Two against one was better odds, right? Tasuki's fire wouldn't hurt, and I'm sure he would like to see Miaka again.' With that decided. He waited till Miaka calmed down and then he went to bring his suggestion to Taiitsukun.
Slowly, she opened her eyes, half expecting a worried brother to be starting at her wondering why she came back from school so early. She was half expecting an irate mother to be standing over her. As she opened her eyes, sunlight greeted her like a warm blanket as it lit up the entire room. She looked around rather surprised. This look like the room at Taiitsukun's palace that she stayed at a couple of times. Did she really make it here? If so, where was Chichiri? This wasn't her room, she knew that, but was she really at Taiitsukun's?
"GOOD MORNING!!!"
Miaka nearly fell out of the bed at the sound of the shrill, excited squeals. She looked up only to be greeted by two hyper, floating Nyan-Nyans. Her expression sank as she recognized the girls, 'Yep, I'm at Taiitsukun's.' She was about to roll over and try to ignore the girls when she heard familiar footsteps coming towards the room. Full of anticipation, she stared at the doorway, hoping it was who she thought it was. The first thing she saw was blue hair coming around the corner and that was all she needed to see. She jumped out of bed and tackled him before he could even get into the doorway.
"Chichiri!!!!" She threw her arms around him and almost knocked him off his feet.
When Chichiri had caught his balance again, he returned the hug, more than a little startled. He was expecting her to still be asleep.
"Morning, Miaka, it's good to see you again, no da." He said into her hair, she simply refused to release the hug and he wasn't going to force her. So he just waited for her satisfy herself. What she whispered caught him completely by surprise.
"Morning, Chichiri, it's good to know you're still alive."
Chichiri's eyes went wide in confusion. Did she think he was dead? Was that why she was here? Deciding to ask her that later, he made it look like he didn't catch the seriousness behind that last comment.
He pulled her out of the embrace so he could get a good look at her. She had a happy and relieved expression on her face, but at the same time, he could tell she was worried and upset about something.
Miaka was happy to see him, safe and sound. She studied his face. At the moment, it looked more beautiful than she had remembered it being. Maybe it was because the last time she had seen it, it wasn't a face anymore. The memory of that dream she had made her shudder.
The movement did not go unnoticed by the monk. A look of concern spread across his face. He was not wearing his mask, so Miaka clearly saw his emotions play out in his good eye. As she stared into his eye, the image of that beast came back into her mind. She closed her eyes and tied to shake the image out of her head. She could feel Chichiri's grip tighten on her shoulders. She looked away, not wanting to see that beast again.
Chichiri brought Miaka out of the hallway and sat her back onto the bed. Miaka noted that the Nyan-Nyans were gone now and she was glad for it. She felt fingers gently cup her chin and was turned to look him in the eye.
Chichiri was beyond concerned now, he studied her intently for a moment before speaking. "Miaka, what's bothering you?" His voice was gentle and loving, as she had always remembered it being. Tears started to well in her eyes. She tried not to let them, but she just couldn't stop them. She whispered his name as a tear started to roll down her cheek. How could she tell him? What would she tell him? 'You know, Chichiri, I saw a creature tear you apart yesterday, isn't that just funny...' That just didn't sit too well with her. She felt him sit beside her and before she could react, she found herself against his chest, surrounded by his arms. Chichiri held her so tight, she just felt so safe in his arms. She couldn't resist her urge to cry anymore and her tears flowed freely. She sobbed against his chest, making his shirt damp. But he didn't seem to notice, he just held her close.
Thoughts seemed to race in his mind as he held her trembling body. Something had really upset her, and he knew now that it had to do with him. Did she see something? Did she see his death? He knew that had to be it, she had to have seen his death, or why was she acting like this. He wondered if it had to do with that demon creature. That thought sent an involuntary chill down his back. What a horrible way to die. Torn apart or burned like those villagers. He wasn't sure his powers were going to be strong enough to fight the thing off, and Miaka's behavior didn't reassure him any.
"Miaka," he whispered, "you know about the demon, don't you."
She thought about his question. It kind of startled her actually. 'The thing is real?' She sobbed harder and slowly nodded her head. The motion sent streaks of tears down his shirt. "I saw it," she managed between sobs.
His heart sank. 'That was it. Great. Chichiri, old boy, your days are numbered... Wait a second, did she say she saw it?' He had to know... "Miaka, tell me what it looked like."
She shuddered. She didn't want to think about what it looked like. But it sounded like it was important to Chichiri. She forced herself to see it again. The horrible thing took shape in her mind. It was more detailed than she had wanted it to be. It had that same sadistic grin on its face. She shuddered again. She felt Chichiri's arms tighten around her and she forced herself to describe it.
"It looks like a giant black monster. It stood about 8 feet tall, two arms, two legs and wings that looked like they were made of leather. It had a human-like face with black, lifeless eyes. And that evil grin..." She shudder again, "that grin showed off it's huge fangs. And it had claws on its hands and feet that looked like they were over six inches long." She squirmed as the image of that beast reaching for her came back into her mind.
"That's enough Miaka, thank you. That's all I needed to know." He hugged her tightly until she relaxed. She wasn't crying as much now, but her trembling became more violent. That worried Chichiri. His mind raced again. 'Black? It looked red in the recordings. But she said it had wings, it had to be the same beast. I wonder if she saw how fast that thing moved?'
"Like lightening," Miaka whispered, as if she was thinking the same thing as him. "I've never seen anything move so fast"
Chichiri frowned. This was not good. They had a serious problem on their hands and he didn't have the foggiest clue as to how to deal with it. And neither did Taiitsukun, for that matter. 'Now what?' He thought desperately. 'Tasuki. Fire against fire. Two against one was better odds, right? Tasuki's fire wouldn't hurt, and I'm sure he would like to see Miaka again.' With that decided. He waited till Miaka calmed down and then he went to bring his suggestion to Taiitsukun.