Disclaimer: Let me check. Nope still don't own the rights to Fushigi Yuugi.
Dang shame.
Author's Notes: Wheee Action packed.errr action! No, not this chapter, this is all dialogue and some questioning.
A special thanks to all of you who review-
"By Byakko, what have we done to deserve this?" Kage asked as he sat tied to a pole in the largest hut.
"Oh shut up and help me untie this!" Amefuri, who was tied to the same pole as Kage and Kagasuki struggled to untie the ropes before anyone came into the tent to check on them.
"We're doomed.." Kage muttered and Amefuri shot him a glare. There was a muffled cry from the other side of the room where Kira, Yuki, and Tatara were tied to a pole.
"Why are we doomed?" Kira managed to say as she spit out the piece of fabric they had gagged her with.
"We've been taken captive by the Sands Gang." Kagasuki said, being the only informative one out of the bunch.
"Shut up! I can't hear you!" Amefuri almost sang in an attempt to deny reality.
"We're so very doomed." Kage muttered and Amefuri growled at him.
"Just what is so bad about the 'Sands Gang?'" Yuki spat out her gag and blinked at the rather neurotic looking group of men.
"You don't know! How could you not know?" Amefuri yelled back at them in his rather frenzied state.
"Supposedly it's their leader that is the reason for their reputation." Kagasuki said and tried to remember what he could about their leader.
"Tokaki, The Heart of Sand." Kage sighed and began explaining. "She came out of a far off land, some city called Cairo. She just appeared out of nowhere and took command of several bandit gangs. She taught them how to fight, survive in the desert, everything she knew!" Kage leaned forward and sighed. "What's worse is I've heard talk about her having special abilities."
"You mean like that cheetah guy we beat up?" Yuki asked.
"Well, I guess. But that fellow, Toroki wasn't dangerous. Tokaki is." Kage sighed and Amefuri began attempting to chew through the rope.
"Hey." Yuki said as she elbowed Kira. She motioned her head over towards a table just a few feet from them on which were laying all their weapons.
"How do we reach it?" Kira whispered back through her facemask.
"You don't."
Everybody immediately looked over at the woman who had just walked into the tent. She stood at nearly six feet, easily as tall as Kagasuki, her shoulder length dark brown hair laid straight and flat along her dark tan skin. She took a thick leather glove off her arm as she walked between the two bound groups and she set it on the table. She turned around after dropping her glove on the table and looked between the two groups.
".It's...It's." Amefuri stuttered as he stared at her.
"Tokaki." She finished for him and walked over to examine the group of men. She circled around them once and stood facing them for a while. "You look rather harmless. And none of you rich nor handsome enough to gain a wealthy girlfriend." She said and twisted the 'Nu Kwa' choker between her fingers. "Perhaps you. but you're a tad old." She commented rather smoothly as she motioned to Kagasuki.
"My charm!" Kira yelled as she spotted the choker in Tokaki's hands.
"You?" Tokaki turned around and stared at Kira. She took on a surprised and rather amused expression as she examined Kira. "A small boy like you?" She snickered and Kira shot her a look that nearly screamed 'Rambo.' "Well, no matter." Tokaki tossed the choker into the air; it landed on the table near the weapons.
"What do you want with us?" Kira demanded and Tokaki sent her a snide look.
"Ah, first we need to know who you are and just why you were trying to sneak across the desert." Tokaki smiled and everyone looked at each other. "Why not just take the main road and avoid dangerous people like me?"
"We wouldn't tell you even if you tortured us!" Amefuri appeared to have found his backbone in the last few minutes.
"Really?" Tokaki nearly laughed and shot him a look. "It might be interesting to see if you're lying." Amefuri paled as he watched her smile.
"We are traveling to the Palace of the Byakko Emperor." Kira said rather flatly and glared daggers at Tokaki.
"For what purpose?" Tokaki turned to face Kira yet kept her current expression.
"That is none of your concern."
Tokaki frowned and walked up to Kira. She towered over her for a moment and narrowed her eyes. There was a long silence as the two glared at each other. "You do not fear me." Tokaki finally said and broke eye contact with Kira. "I know no guard of the Red Tyrant that can hold my gaze for long. Who are you?" She took a step back and looked down at Kira.
"I am Kurare, the Desert Wind." Kira replied and looked up as she took on a rather intimidating air and became Kurare. "Know my name and behold. For I am the Son of Destiny."
"Kurare, the Desert Wind." Tokaki stared at her and she seemed unfazed by the 'Son of Destiny' add on. "How strange we should meet. For I am known among my own as Tokaki, the Heart of Sand." Tokaki took another step back and smiled a tad less eerily than before.
"I have heard of you, Kurare. You lead a peasant revolt against a faction of the Red Army, and attacked the Emperor's own carriage. Am I leaving anything out?" She turned her back to Kira and seemed to be contemplating something.
"Uh huh! Prince helped beat up these mean people. One of them turned into a big kitty and the other lady yelled from the roof of the barn." Tatara spoke up while all the other men in the group were too intimidated to make a peep.
"Really?" Tokaki turned around and looked down at Tatara. She took a step past the glaring Kira and kneeled down beside the small boy. She smiled and put her head in her hands. "Did the big kitty have spots and look really skinny?"
"Uh huh. He got caught in her whip and the other lady yelled at him." Tatara nodded and made a motion towards Yuki.
"Really, you all defeated Toroki and Umiyame." Tokaki stood up and looked at the group. "I'm mildly impressed. "But what impresses me more is you have another member who's not frightened by me."
"Why should we be scared? You're just tall. and you got a bad sun burn." Tatara looked up at her and blinked.
"Well, a bit more than that little one." Tokaki smiled at Tatara and walked back over towards the table. "I'm positive none of you know why I am called the Heart of Sand. I believe I will enlighten you." She looked over at the glaring Kira and the overly cheerful Tatara.
"You see, my name used to be Abana Sutiyja, I was a high ranking member of the Army. However my country didn't know how to run an army, I was appalled by their constant blunders and defected." Tokaki glanced at all of them as she spoke.
"What's defmecmed?" Tatara asked and stumbled with the words.
"It means I left." Tokaki paused in her story to answer his question then started up again. "My superior challenged me to a fight, claiming I was a coward. During the fight I was burned, though I defeated him I still have a scar. When I came here a man saw and recognized the scar on my side." Tokaki paused and pushed down a thick leather belt she had wrapped around her waist displaying a dark colored scar perfectly shaped in the form of Chinese symbols. "Tokaki he said it meant I was chosen, though he told me not for what."
"Hey, I've got one of those too!" Tatara interrupted her yet again and she raised an eyebrow at him. "That's how they named me too, see?" Tatara held up his bare right foot and surely enough on its underside was a black symbol.
"Strange." Tokaki stared at the boy's foot for a moment and fell silent. She then laughed, startling everyone and nearly giving poor Amefuri a heart attack. "It seems we have captured the wrong people. No members of the Red Army nor Guard would take such care of such an adorable child." Tokaki whistled rather loudly and a pair of bandits came though the doors.
"Untie them. They are our friends for now." She ordered and the guards did so.
Author's Notes (Part 2): New allies! For now. The next couple chapters should be very interesting! The actual quest might be starting soon!
"So, just how many of you were planning on reading the chapter and just leaving without reviewing?" Tokaki appeared magically behind author with Tatara and Kira. There was a long pause while the characters waited for the reader to answer.
"Right, sure you were going to review." Kira blinked and grumbled.
"Right, review!" Tatara cheered and missed all the sarcasm.
Author's Notes: Wheee Action packed.errr action! No, not this chapter, this is all dialogue and some questioning.
A special thanks to all of you who review-
"By Byakko, what have we done to deserve this?" Kage asked as he sat tied to a pole in the largest hut.
"Oh shut up and help me untie this!" Amefuri, who was tied to the same pole as Kage and Kagasuki struggled to untie the ropes before anyone came into the tent to check on them.
"We're doomed.." Kage muttered and Amefuri shot him a glare. There was a muffled cry from the other side of the room where Kira, Yuki, and Tatara were tied to a pole.
"Why are we doomed?" Kira managed to say as she spit out the piece of fabric they had gagged her with.
"We've been taken captive by the Sands Gang." Kagasuki said, being the only informative one out of the bunch.
"Shut up! I can't hear you!" Amefuri almost sang in an attempt to deny reality.
"We're so very doomed." Kage muttered and Amefuri growled at him.
"Just what is so bad about the 'Sands Gang?'" Yuki spat out her gag and blinked at the rather neurotic looking group of men.
"You don't know! How could you not know?" Amefuri yelled back at them in his rather frenzied state.
"Supposedly it's their leader that is the reason for their reputation." Kagasuki said and tried to remember what he could about their leader.
"Tokaki, The Heart of Sand." Kage sighed and began explaining. "She came out of a far off land, some city called Cairo. She just appeared out of nowhere and took command of several bandit gangs. She taught them how to fight, survive in the desert, everything she knew!" Kage leaned forward and sighed. "What's worse is I've heard talk about her having special abilities."
"You mean like that cheetah guy we beat up?" Yuki asked.
"Well, I guess. But that fellow, Toroki wasn't dangerous. Tokaki is." Kage sighed and Amefuri began attempting to chew through the rope.
"Hey." Yuki said as she elbowed Kira. She motioned her head over towards a table just a few feet from them on which were laying all their weapons.
"How do we reach it?" Kira whispered back through her facemask.
"You don't."
Everybody immediately looked over at the woman who had just walked into the tent. She stood at nearly six feet, easily as tall as Kagasuki, her shoulder length dark brown hair laid straight and flat along her dark tan skin. She took a thick leather glove off her arm as she walked between the two bound groups and she set it on the table. She turned around after dropping her glove on the table and looked between the two groups.
".It's...It's." Amefuri stuttered as he stared at her.
"Tokaki." She finished for him and walked over to examine the group of men. She circled around them once and stood facing them for a while. "You look rather harmless. And none of you rich nor handsome enough to gain a wealthy girlfriend." She said and twisted the 'Nu Kwa' choker between her fingers. "Perhaps you. but you're a tad old." She commented rather smoothly as she motioned to Kagasuki.
"My charm!" Kira yelled as she spotted the choker in Tokaki's hands.
"You?" Tokaki turned around and stared at Kira. She took on a surprised and rather amused expression as she examined Kira. "A small boy like you?" She snickered and Kira shot her a look that nearly screamed 'Rambo.' "Well, no matter." Tokaki tossed the choker into the air; it landed on the table near the weapons.
"What do you want with us?" Kira demanded and Tokaki sent her a snide look.
"Ah, first we need to know who you are and just why you were trying to sneak across the desert." Tokaki smiled and everyone looked at each other. "Why not just take the main road and avoid dangerous people like me?"
"We wouldn't tell you even if you tortured us!" Amefuri appeared to have found his backbone in the last few minutes.
"Really?" Tokaki nearly laughed and shot him a look. "It might be interesting to see if you're lying." Amefuri paled as he watched her smile.
"We are traveling to the Palace of the Byakko Emperor." Kira said rather flatly and glared daggers at Tokaki.
"For what purpose?" Tokaki turned to face Kira yet kept her current expression.
"That is none of your concern."
Tokaki frowned and walked up to Kira. She towered over her for a moment and narrowed her eyes. There was a long silence as the two glared at each other. "You do not fear me." Tokaki finally said and broke eye contact with Kira. "I know no guard of the Red Tyrant that can hold my gaze for long. Who are you?" She took a step back and looked down at Kira.
"I am Kurare, the Desert Wind." Kira replied and looked up as she took on a rather intimidating air and became Kurare. "Know my name and behold. For I am the Son of Destiny."
"Kurare, the Desert Wind." Tokaki stared at her and she seemed unfazed by the 'Son of Destiny' add on. "How strange we should meet. For I am known among my own as Tokaki, the Heart of Sand." Tokaki took another step back and smiled a tad less eerily than before.
"I have heard of you, Kurare. You lead a peasant revolt against a faction of the Red Army, and attacked the Emperor's own carriage. Am I leaving anything out?" She turned her back to Kira and seemed to be contemplating something.
"Uh huh! Prince helped beat up these mean people. One of them turned into a big kitty and the other lady yelled from the roof of the barn." Tatara spoke up while all the other men in the group were too intimidated to make a peep.
"Really?" Tokaki turned around and looked down at Tatara. She took a step past the glaring Kira and kneeled down beside the small boy. She smiled and put her head in her hands. "Did the big kitty have spots and look really skinny?"
"Uh huh. He got caught in her whip and the other lady yelled at him." Tatara nodded and made a motion towards Yuki.
"Really, you all defeated Toroki and Umiyame." Tokaki stood up and looked at the group. "I'm mildly impressed. "But what impresses me more is you have another member who's not frightened by me."
"Why should we be scared? You're just tall. and you got a bad sun burn." Tatara looked up at her and blinked.
"Well, a bit more than that little one." Tokaki smiled at Tatara and walked back over towards the table. "I'm positive none of you know why I am called the Heart of Sand. I believe I will enlighten you." She looked over at the glaring Kira and the overly cheerful Tatara.
"You see, my name used to be Abana Sutiyja, I was a high ranking member of the Army. However my country didn't know how to run an army, I was appalled by their constant blunders and defected." Tokaki glanced at all of them as she spoke.
"What's defmecmed?" Tatara asked and stumbled with the words.
"It means I left." Tokaki paused in her story to answer his question then started up again. "My superior challenged me to a fight, claiming I was a coward. During the fight I was burned, though I defeated him I still have a scar. When I came here a man saw and recognized the scar on my side." Tokaki paused and pushed down a thick leather belt she had wrapped around her waist displaying a dark colored scar perfectly shaped in the form of Chinese symbols. "Tokaki he said it meant I was chosen, though he told me not for what."
"Hey, I've got one of those too!" Tatara interrupted her yet again and she raised an eyebrow at him. "That's how they named me too, see?" Tatara held up his bare right foot and surely enough on its underside was a black symbol.
"Strange." Tokaki stared at the boy's foot for a moment and fell silent. She then laughed, startling everyone and nearly giving poor Amefuri a heart attack. "It seems we have captured the wrong people. No members of the Red Army nor Guard would take such care of such an adorable child." Tokaki whistled rather loudly and a pair of bandits came though the doors.
"Untie them. They are our friends for now." She ordered and the guards did so.
Author's Notes (Part 2): New allies! For now. The next couple chapters should be very interesting! The actual quest might be starting soon!
"So, just how many of you were planning on reading the chapter and just leaving without reviewing?" Tokaki appeared magically behind author with Tatara and Kira. There was a long pause while the characters waited for the reader to answer.
"Right, sure you were going to review." Kira blinked and grumbled.
"Right, review!" Tatara cheered and missed all the sarcasm.