AN: Chapter 3 is now up! ^-^

Same disclaimers apply, I do not own Fushigi Yugi.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Miaka yawned. She had been awake for a while now, but decided instead of getting up, to just lay on her back. Not very fun. She rolled over on her stomach and rested her chin on her arms as she watched Tasuki and Chichiri sleep. Chichiri was wrapped in blankets on the floor, his staff protectively next to him. Tasuki, who had offered Miaka the bed but was refused, slept on the bed, one arm and one leg hanging off the side. Miaka giggled and turned back over to lay on her back. She had missed both her seishi so much. Of course she missed Nuriko and the others, but she couldn't do anything about that. She glanced at the watch she had on her wrist. 7:30. Was the time in her world the same as here? She didn't know (AN: That's just my excuse because I don't know ^-^, I mean, I know time travels different but I don't think it's the same....I'll shut up now) Chichiri had said they had to leave early, so she slowly crawled out of her bed.

"Chichiri." She whispered as she approached the monk.

"Daaaa...." Miaka sweat-dropped as he rolled on his side, facing away from her.

"Chichiri! Wake up!" She hissed. An idea formed in her mind and she snuck over to Tasuki's discarded coat. She smiled as she pulled out his tessen. Lifting it above her head, she chanted the two words that seemed to be a daily routine in the bandit's life.

"Rekka Shinen!" Fire poured out and engulfed not only the sleeping monk, but Tasuki as well. She smirked. Two seishi with one stone. Two angry cries shook her out of her thoughts.

"Miaka!?" Tasuki hissed. Miaka held back her laughter as a charred red-headed seishi stepped forward, followed by a disturbed monk.

"Miaka-chan, why did you do that? Itai, no da!" He whined. Chichiri had let her off easy. Although it didn't look like Tasuki was about to do the same.

"Tasuki? Nani? It was just a joke! You see, I had to wake you guys up and..." She trailed off as he sprinted after her. She shrieked and hid behind Chichiri.

"Save me, Chichiri!" She laughed as Tasuki stalked forward. Chichiri simply stepped aside, Leaving Miaka out in the open.

"Chichiri!!!" She screamed as Tasuki pounced on her. They fell to the floor, Tasuki on top. He had both legs on either side of her body. One hand pinned her arms to the floor while the other tickled her stomach.

"T-T-Tasukiiii!!!" She wailed, trying to kick herself out form under him. He chuckled and continues with his assault.

"Onegai! S-s-stop!" Tears formed in the corner of her eyes from laughing so hard. Chichiri watched on in merry amusement.

"Why should I? It's only fair!" Tasuki protested.

"Gomen! Gomen!" Miaka pleaded. She let out a huge sigh of relief when she felt him stop. Panting, she looked up at him.

"That was mean." She whispered, pretending to pout. He chuckled as he studied her face. It was flushed, surrounded by a halo of hair which spread out around the two of them. Her chest rose and fell with each breath and Tasuki had to struggle not to stare.

"Umm...Tasuki, can you get off. It's a little uncomfortable." Miaka admitted shyly from her position underneath him. He fought down a blush and nodded, quickly scrambling to his feet.

All the while, Chichiri watched them with a knowing smile.

Tasuki held out a hand and helped Miaka up, who blushed and accepted it. She quickly pulled up the low-cut dress Houki had given to her before turning to face Chichiri and Tasuki.

"Should we get going?" She asked, brushing the dirt off her dress. Chichiri nodded.

"It would be wise to leave as soon as possible, no da." Chichiri advised.

"So all we have to do is get the shinzaho back from that guy in Kuto, right?" Tasuki asked, not too concerned.

"Tasuki! We shouldn't be underestimating anybody." Miaka scolded as the trio headed out the door.

"Oi,, Chiri. Can't we just teleport over to Kuto?" Tasuki asked, looking over at the other seishi. He shook his head.

"Too risky, no da. There is a better chance the enemy will sense our chi and then we'll really be in trouble. Then Miaka might be hurt, no da." Chichiri explained. Tasuki nodded. He had a point. And if anything happened to Miaka because of a careless mistake, he would never forgive himself.

So with that, the group continued on their trip to Kuto to retrieve the stolen Shinzaho.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A young child with blonde hair and foggy green eyes watched the two seishi and their miko from a small crystal ball. He smirked.

'So, they're coming to Kuto. How amusing. Do they really think they can get past me?'

He turned his attention to a picture sitting on the table next to him. A picture of a woman and a man. A tall man with blonde hair and blue eyes, and a slightly shorter woman with purple hair and green eyes.

"I swear I will avenge your deaths, mother, father." He hissed, clenching his fists into a ball.

"Lord Hitoshi." (AN: God, what a name ^-^;; I'm on a name blank) A figure bowed down to the boy.

"What do you want?" Hitoshi barked out, tearing his gaze away from the picture on the table. The man looked up, fear evident in his eyes. He knew what the child could do. He had seen it. And it scared him. He gulped.

"Lady Yumi wishes to speak with you." He bowed his head down again. The boy rose and walked past the servant without another thought. He approached a room where a young girl, a year younger than him sat on a bed.

"What is it, Yumi?" He asked, his tone flat and even. Yumi looked up and smiled slightly.

"Will you really have to go away to fight, Hitoshi-sama?" She sniffled, rubbing away the tears. Her cheeks were already damp, evidence that she had been crying beforehand. Her dark maroon hair, which reached the young girls' mid back, reminded Hitoshi of his mother. She had piercing brown eyes which stared pleadingly back at Hitoshi.

"You know I have to, Yumi. I must go welcome some...visitors." He explained. Yumi shook her head slightly, then latched onto the boys' cloak.

"Onegai! Don't leave me again!" She sobbed, her tears soaking her already wet cheeks. Hitoshi calmly removed the girl from him and laid her down on the bed.

"I'll be back soon, Yumi." He murmured, kissing the girl on the forehead. She abruptly fell asleep, as if Hitoshi's kiss were magic. He tucked her in and left the room, going to prepare for the battle that laid ahead of him.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

AN: Ne, what do you think? Who is Hitoshi? How did his parents die? What's with that all high-and-mighty attitude he has? What's his relationship with Yumi? Where did I get these whacked out names? ^-^;;

I'll try to get the next chapter up ASAP. Maybe even later today or tomorrow if I'm up too it. ^-^

~*Neoshipper*~