Disclaimer- I no own, I no own, I no own!!
AN- Fine, fine! I'll write a chapter where I don't whine about reviews in the AN! Hmph. Actually, I'm fine with it, because I know I like to criticize work to the point the authors probably think I don't like it or something… Moving on. I figure, since most of the reviewers asked why a character death was even necessary, I'll cut it out. I was planning to rewrite it anyway because I've started to hate my writing style and hope someday to figure out how to write properly. In any case, there were a couple of story elements that needed to be changed. So, on I go!
"Well, that was pretty elaborate!" Nuriko complained, yanking irritably on the robes he'd changed into. "I mean, you drag us into this stupid temple through a clue that make approximately NO sense. Then we find out that you've decided to trick that moronic god by pretending you were going to kill yourself. We might have ended up taking drastic measures, you know!"
Atsuna grinned, clearly enjoying tormenting the violet-haired seishi. "Aww… you know you just loved the experience! And in any case, I needed you guys to be there to properly seal the idiot. And plus, this way you can know what few are privileged to know. I mean, it's essentially illegal to tell mortals apart from myself about the other gods. It's a matter of shame; nobody wants to admit they're related. You see, among the immortals, there are two gods not worth keeping. Kanite, as the only truly evil member, and Misari, as one who is far too easily influenced. Among the daughters of the gods, it is Nayashi of Seiryuu and Sankara of Misari, respectively. None of them are to be trusted."
"It's each woman for herself," Serashi put in helpfully. "We don't really communicate much past the requisite death threats."
Tamahome made a strange face as he tightened his moneybags. (It'd do no good for him to lose them now, would it?) "I had no idea immortals threatened each other with death. Do they like not know that they're immortal?"
"You're so gullible sometimes, Tama," Atsuna muttered, pulling on her necklace. "Stupid thing won't stop glowing nda…"
"Mine's stuck too," Serashi remarked. Sure enough, the sphere, which should have long ago faded to white, was still flashing a silver color, highlighting the wolf in the center that crouched, baring unmistakably sharp teeth. "I suppose it's a hint for us to get moving. Or maybe even a sign that you're off to fulfill your destiny," she added rather dryly.
"Not til Suzaku's called," Atsuna sighed. "Remember? I help Suzaku be called, then there's a wonderful sequence involving me off to sacrifice myself or something along the lines of that. Anyways, we summon Him before I get to die."
"Pleasant thoughts no da," Chichiri said, shaking his head in some weird sort of emotion. Disgust with the statement's morbidity, perhaps.
"But meanwhile I get to exercise all the wonderful powers I got instead!!!" she announced, slamming a tsunami into the wall. The structure, already abused enough, collapsed with a final groan. "Bwahahaha," she added as an afterthought, before waving a hand and sending the thing flying back up.
"Show-off," Serashi muttered disapprovingly.
"Question," Chiriko interrupted from his spot behind a huge pile of books. "Have you any idea exactly where the earth god lies? It is my personal opinion that this information might be of use in destroying him."
"Of course I know where he is I'm Suzaku's daughter aren't I…" There was a long, drawn-out pause in which Atsuna very slowly lifted her hand to her forehead and began to look extremely angry. Another moment passed, and she conjured a small globe of ki and directed it at herself. Somebody up in Godspace pressed the "fast forward" button, and she ki-blasted herself, very purposefully sat up, and then leapt in front of Chichiri, glaring at a random spot on his face all the while. "Chichiri-san… Am I correct in stating that you received your mask from Taikyokuzan…?"
The monk squirmed, rather confused by now. "Hai no da… but I can hardly see what that's gotta do with anything na no da."
"Everything," she answered levelly. "I hope you don't mind if I kinda permanently borrow it and burn it."
"NANI?!"
"You heard me, hand it over." When the monk did so wordlessly, she began whistling a random tune and shooting tiny fireballs at the mask, putting them out with little waterfalls, and basically poking a whole lot of holes in the poor thing. "It's gotta go it's gotta go and away it goes ladeedadeeda…"
"I don't believe this," Tamahome whispered. "Has she lost it?"
"I assure you that I have a perfectly valid reason for everything I do, Tamahome-san," she announced, still poking away. "It just so happens that the earth gods resides under the name of Tai Itsukun, and has infused this pathetic little mask with his ki. It's been used to track me and I've decided, a bit late I'll admit, to get rid of it."
Miaka's wide shoujo eyes widened another fraction. "That hag is the earth god?? No way."
"In which case," Hotohori broke in, "We have solved one problem facing our mission. Now shall we proceed to Taikyokuzan? I believe that in this situation, time is of the utmost value and we must utilize it as best we can."
"Naw, really?" Atsuna grinned. "Then off we go to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of Konan-koku."
I don't believe this! *fume* You people have waited all this time for a chapter, and not only is it short but it's filled with random cultural references that don't exist in Konan and also that are totally inaccurate… not to mention that this chapter is decidedly strange. Whatever, I got it up my part is done now you must all review mwahahaha… *stops before she can scare any more reviewers away*