Make sure you join the Drooling Tasuki Fan Club if you're a fan of Tasuki. It really exists!

9) In Which Miaka Takes Advice From a "cat"

Miaka walked along the path, replaying the events at the Mad Hatters' place in her head. "Why did Megan get so upset with what I said about Tasuki? Just because they're your favorite characters doesn't mean you defend them like that unless..." she gasped, "unless she's in the Drooling Tasuki Fan Club!"

Miaka stumbled on a rock and fell, skinning her knee. Unfortunately, she figured it was just her own carelessness that had caused her to fall, not the author warning her to shut her mouth.

"I mean, does she like him or something? She's so possessive!"

Keep talking if you want to have third degree burns a voice in her head whispered.

"EEEPPP! She can read minds, too!"

Miaka pasted a fake smile on her face and walked forward. "Think happy thoughts," she thought to herself, "think happy thoughts."

"So you pissed off the author, no da," a voice in front of her said.

"Who's that?" Miaka spun around in a circle, looking for the speaker, half afraid that it was Megan in disguise.

"It' s me, Chichiri, no da."

In the path in front of her stood the blue haired man, grinning. This time, however, he was his normal size and not in SD mode or in cat form.

"But I didn't mean to make her mad!" Miaka said. "I only said what I said because--" she stopped in mid-sentence, remembering Megan's threat.

"Because..." Chichiri prompted.

"Because, uhhh...*hehe,* well, um...it doesn't really matter now, does it?" Miaka laughed nervously, hoping an anvil or some other heavy object wouldn't fall on her head.

"I guess not, no da, " Chichiri replied, still smiling. "If I were you, though, I'd be careful, no da."

"How come?"

"I've talked to the author and she's not happy. If you continue the way you're going... well, lets just say the story ending is not going to be happy, no da."

" Are you one of Megan's favorite characters?" Miaka asked suspiciously. Chichiri nodded and grinned.

Miaka looked at him. "He seems nice, " she thought. "I wonder what he means by 'the story ending not being happy.'"

"I'm saying, if you walk down this path trying to find Tamahome or a way out of here, it will only bring you to Him, no da. And I'm fairly sure you don't want to meet him, no da," Chichiri replied, as if he could read her mind.

Miaka looked at the path she was on. A chilling breeze passed, and she shivered. The path then became very dark, shadowy, and ominous. A wolf howling in the distance was heard.

"So what do I do?" Miaka asked.

"Well, I can transport you out to-- " he paused and closed his eyes. He was silent for several minutes. Finally he nodded and looked at Miaka.

"What?"

"Nevermind, " he said, smiling again, "Megan says that it would ruin the story if I transported you out of here, and I have to agree, no da."

Miaka stood silent, stunned at the sudden turn of events. Chichiri went into SD mode and raised his hat above him.

"Be careful, no da." he warned. Then he lowered the hat and disappeared into it.

"Now what do I do?" Miaka asked herself. "I don't want to go down this path anymore, but it's the only path I see."

She sighed, then walked forward into the dark part of the path, forcing herself not to scream and run away.

******

From her computer, Megan smiled. "She has a lot of courage to walk down that path after what Chichiri said. Either that, or she's really dumb." Megan chuckled to herself, and rubbed her hands together. The next few chapters were going to be fun to write.

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