The Enemy Inside
A warm wind ruffled through the bandit's red hair as he lazily sauntered though the palace gardens. He had taken a much better outlook on life even since the resolution of the melding mess he had had the misfortune of being sucked into. He now knew no matter how bad things were, they could always be worse. He could still be melded with Chichiri. He started whistling, thinking how damn good it still felt to be alone in his own body, without having to listen to the monk's thoughts or have the other man interfere in his life.

Still in a carefree mood, he called a greeting to the small form curled under a tree nearby. The boy's head whipped around instantly, his wide eyes looking up at the redhead in font of him.

Tasuki stood in shock, staring at the child in front of him. Chiriko's eyes were wide with fear, large streams of tears streaking across the large, bright red mark marring his left cheek.

The bandit approached the boy, dropping to his knees so their eyes were on a level. Trying to contain his anger at whomever had struck the small child, he asked, "Who did this?"

The boy pulled his arm across his eyes, unwilling to let Tasuki see him cry.

"It…it's nothing, Tasuki-san." he choked out, trying to contain his sobs.

"Chiriko," Tasuki placed a reassuring hand on the boy's shoulder, "I'm gonna hafta flame someone fer this. Now who did it?"

Chiriko shook his head. "It was my own fault," he insisted miserably.

"Chiriko," Tasuki said gently, "What could you have done?" Chiriko was the politest child he had ever met, and the boy's only goal often seemed to be befriending everyone. There was nothing he could think of that the boy could have done to annoy someone enough to enrage them.

"I...I don't know," The small seishi shook his head. "I just asked…" there was a pause as the child sniffed, trying to hold back his tears. "…I - I just asked why he hasn't been wearing his mask lately." The tears resumed their rolling across the red mark on the child's cheek.

It took a moment for his words to sink in.

"Chichiri did this to you?" Tasuki burst out, unbelievingly.

Chiriko's tears doubled and Tasuki hastened to assure him, "Oi. Don't worry. I believe ya." he tried to smile at the boy. The more he allowed his mind to ponder Chiriko's words, the more he was sure the boy was telling the truth. He often doubted the boy was even able to lie, and something had been…wrong…with Chichiri lately. He couldn't quite pin it down.

'And now's not the time to try, baka' came the often unwelcome voice from reason in the back of his head.

He wrapped his arms around Chiriko, seeing that the boy's eyes were still leaking tears which he vainly tried to hide from the older seishi.

"It's OK to cry if you have to," he said softly to the younger boy, "Don't worry. Everything will be fine." He continued, hoping he wasn't lying to the child. If Chichiri had struck Chiriko, a boy that both of them considered a younger brother, then something was VERY wrong with the magic using seishi.

Noticing Chiriko had stopped sobbing, he placed his hands on the small seishi's shoulders, forcing himself to smile. "C'mon. Let's get you to the library and find you something to read."

Chiriko perked up at the word 'library,' as Tasuki knew he would. Getting up, he lead the boy to the imperial library, knowing that getting lost in a book would help the child forget the fading red mark on his cheek.

Inside the library, Chiriko pulled a slightly dusty book from one of the lower shelves and settled comfortably on the floor with it. Leaning against the nearby wall, Tasuki began brooding over what had happened.

He generally tried to ignore the mental bond he and Chichiri seemed to share since the escapade where they had been melded near three weeks ago, but seeing Chiriko literally curled up with his book, a reminder of his time melded with Tama-neko, dredged up something that had been eating at the back of Tasuki's mind. During Chichiri's last disappearance, there had been a brief flare of their bond, a feeling that something was wrong, almost a cry for help, which had been quickly cut off.

That was the last impression he'd received from the monk.

"Chiriko," he said abruptly.

Chiriko looked up alertly. If he'd still had cat ears, they would have been standing up and turned towards Tasuki.

'And his tail would have been flicking back and forth in curiosity' Tasuki thought fondly, amused that he could so easily see the boy sitting in front of him as the half-cat Chiriko-neko he had briefly been.

"What is it, Tasuki-san?" The no longer cat-child responded.

"How long has Chichiri been acting strangely?" Tasuki asked. If Chiriko came to the same conclusions he had....

Chiriko blinked at the question, but thought briefly, and replied, "I think since he came back from his last trip about a week ago."

'Shit,' Tasuki thought. "That's what I thought. Something must have happened to him then." he concluded

"What?" Chiriko asked, curiously.

"I don't know." The bandit sighed.

"Then how do you know something happened?"

Tasuki motioned to where Chiriko was laying, and asked pointedly, "Who was I melded with?"

Chiriko blinked, seeming to realize for the first time how he was seated. He nodded. "So," he said sitting upright, "How do we find out what happened?"

"First," Tasuki said, "We have to figure out what's wrong." He shifted position, his face holding a look of thoughtful concentration. "Chichiri hasn't said 'no da' for the entire week since he's been back," Tasuki realized, understanding what had been bugging him every time he talked to the monk. "He hasn't been wearing his mask, hell, he hasn't been wearing most of his magic stuff, come to think of it, he hasn't been using 'oira,' he's been acting more solitary, and I've lost the bond with him." As he mentioned each item, he counted it out on his fingers. "And of course, his temper's been bad." He smiled. "I think we just put that up to my influence… What?"

The last comment was directed at Chiriko, who was giving him a very curious look.

"I don't think I've seen you this focussed on anything but fighting." He commented. "I didn't know you were that observant."

Tasuki could feel his cheeks heating. "Ya don't get to be head of the Mt. Leikaku bandits by bein' an idiot," he mumbled.

Chiriko nodded, still not quite understanding his friend's embarrassment, as Tasuki continued.

"Anyway, he hasn't done anything 'till now to really call attention to himself, so we can figure he didn't want anyone to notice the change. We've just given him space, thinking he needed to be alone. So whatever happened can't be good." He snorted. "'Course its not good. Why else would he be shouting for help?"

"We should tell the others," Chiriko said gravely. Tasuki nodded, pushing open the large library doors and heading for the throne room where he had last seen Hotohori and Mitsukake.

"Hotohori-sama," Chiriko began, but was cut off by a large pop as a large ugly old woman appeared in the center of the room.

"KYAAAAAAAA!" Chiriko screamed, ducking behind Tasuki. The red-haired seishi whipped out his tessen, prepared to defend the former cat-child until he realized who it was.

"What's happened to my apprentice?" the old lady accused in a grated tone.

"What do you mean, Taiitsukun?" Hotohori asked, puzzled.

"Chichiri's ki has been missing for over a week." Taiitsukun explained as if talking to a misbehaving three-year-old

His ki was missing? Tasuki was stunned. If the old fart couldn't sense Chichiri's ki then there was even more to this problem then he had though!

"Why didn't you bring this up before?" Hotohori asked.

The old goddess shrugged. "I figured he had a good reason, but he wouldn't stay hidden this long without telling me. How have you misplaced my apprentice?" She accused the startled emperor

"A-ano, Taiitsukun, Chichiri's here, but…not," Chiriko said, peeking out from behind Tasuki.

Taiitsukun floated over to where the child stood. "What do you mean?" She asked, seaming to glare at the frightened boy.

Chiriko ducked behind Tasuki again, cringing.

"Leave him alone!" Tasuki growled at the old goddess his tessen still in hand.

Taiitsukun looked at the bandit expectantly.

Tasuki quickly ran though their theory.

"This is bad," Taiitsukun said, turning again to the emperor, "The only one I know capable of changing a personality that much and completely hiding ki, is Tenkou."

"Tenkou?!" the seishi exclaimed in unison .

She nodded. "Chichiri will still have his powers, and probably more as well, so you'll have to be careful how you approach him."

"How do we help him?" Mitsukake asked.

For once, 'She who oversees the world' looked frustrated. "I don't know."

They all looked at her aghast.

"However you go about it, though, be careful," she admonished, before disappearing.

They all looked at each other for a moment, eyes full of dread.
"Where's Chichiri?" Tasuki asked, turning for the door.

"He's in the garden meditating," Mitsukake answered, "Why?"

Tasuki looked over his shoulder, flashing his fangs at the healer. "I wanna talk to him."

He discovered Chichiri not far from where he'd had found Chiriko.

"Oi, Chichiri!" he called in a friendly tone.

The mage turned, startled. "Oh. Tasuki-kun. What?"
The monk definitely had a different look to him, Tasuki though. He had the same appearance on the surface, and if Tasuki was only casually looking at him, he might have though nothing was wrong, but the bandit could see a definite difference in his face. He was also stuck by how different he appeared in dress as well. It had been a slow transition, one item one day, another the next, so that no one had really noticed. Even his beads were gone. Tasuki blinked, realizing he had never seen Chichiri with out them.

"I was just thinkin'," he began, forcing himself to act normally, "and y'know, our bond seems ta be gone since ya disappeared last."

Chichiri just looked at him. Tasuki sighed to himself. This was going be like getting Kouji to tell him where he hid the last bottle of sake.

"An' I remembered that while ya were gone, I heard ya callin' fer help." He continued, as if he hadn't noticed the pause. "What happened?"

Chichiri blinked. "I slipped on a rock and it startled me." He explained flatly.

'Sure. And there are no women in my family.' Tasuki thought grimly.

He crossed his arms. Might as well go for the full bottle "Why'd ya hit Chiriko?" he asked, staring intently at the monk.

Chichiri looked at Tasuki for a moment, then muttered something softly to himself, and he brought his fingers to his face. With a start, Tasuki realized he was going to ki-blast him.

Tasuki quickly dodged, feeling the bast hit the tree he had jut been standing in front of. As he turned to run, he saw the glint of metal in the monk's hand. 'Shit!' Tasuki though as the knife embedded itself into a tree just behind him. He put on an extra burst of speed, knowing he was faster then Chichiri, but panicked just the same,

He busted into the throne room, slamming the door behind him. He leaned back against it, panting heavily. That couldn't have been Chichiri, he though, Chichiri would never have done that! And Chichiri never carried a knife!

The other seishi in the room looked at him in surprise. He pushed off the door, and moved toward Hotohori and Mitsukake, breathing deeply.

"We need Nuriko and Tamahome," he said, looking each of them in the eye. "NOW."

"What happened, Tasuki?" Hotohori asked, concerned.

"What happened?" Tasuki's eyes were burning. "The bastard tried to fuckin' kill me. That's what happened." He yelled.

Hotohori blinked, both at the situation described, and at Tasuki's choice of words in describing it.

"Oh," he commented in a shocked voice. He closed his eyes in concentration, contacting Nuriko through his bond, actions copied by Mitsukake in his contacting of Tamahome.

There was a loud crash as the door was blown open, the two halves crushing the guards that stood by it. The dust settled, revealing Chichiri standing in the doorway, in a fighting stance. His face was a hard mask, his eyes nearly glowing with an inner light. A long black staff was in his hands, held in the manner of a sparing staff, topped with a small rounded black crystal that was glowing with an eerie black light. An aura of pale blue light surrounded the monk, shimming like water around him.

"Shit," Chichiri muttered, seeing that it was not just Tasuki in the room. Then he shrugged, "No matter," he said. Lowing the head of staff, he pointed it at the still shocked occupants of the room. The ball on the edge of the staff glowed brighter and emitted a wave of energy as Chichiri swung it in an arc at the four seishi in front of him.

Tasuki grabbed Chiriko and ducked behind the throne as the ki wave ripped through the room, smashing Hotohori and Mitsukake off their feet and into the wall behind them.

"Fuck!" Tasuki muttered, watching the healer and emperor struggle to their feet. Chiriko's eyes went wide as Tasuki silently pulled his tessen out of its sheath.

"Lekka…" he whispered, to give Chichiri as little warning as possible, then shouted, "SHIEN!" as he jumped out from behind his shield.

Instantly, Chichiri whipped a shield of dark-light around himself. Tasuki's eyes widened, as his flames were absorbed by the shield.

"Is that the best you can do?" Chichiri asked, grinning sadistically at Tasuki's stunned expression, as he brought his staff up to blast the bandit.

Tasuki recovered and ducked just as the blast shattered the wall behind him. Grabbing Chiriko, he dashed out of the room, hoping Hotohori and Mitsukake would so the same. He was sure Chichiri would follow him, rather then finish the other two seishi off. Tasuki at attacked him, the others hadn't. Tasuki smiled grimly hearing the faint sounds of someone behind him, knowing he was faster. He would leave the monk of a merry chase to give the others time to recover and contact Nuriko and Tamahome.

Ducking into a darkened room, he carefully placed Chiriko on the ground. "Keep, running," he whispered to the small seishi. "He can find you by your ki, so you have to keep moving," Chiriko nodded, and rushed off. Pausing one moment more to get a good breath, Tasuki continued running.
With a sudden cold shock, Tasuki realized he was lost. Panic flooded through him as he stood at the end of the hallway. He had no idea where he was, or where to go. "SHIT!" he yelled as a ki blast smashed into the wall next to him. Driving into the nearest room, Tasuki slammed the door shut and quickly barricaded it with furniture. Spotting a window, Tasuki gave a quick prayer to Suzaku and hurled himself through it , just as another blast shattered the door open.

Hearing Chichiri cursing behind him, he smiled grimly. He slowed himself down, wanting to make sure the monk was following. Hearing an explosion, he looked behind him. Chichiri had blasted away the wall, and was already out of the building. Putting on an extra burst of speed, Tasuki zipped into the wooded area, dodging another blast.

After a while, he doubled back to the throne room. He was running out a breath and hoped Tamahome and Nuriko would be there to back him up. Entering the decimated room, he gave a heavy sigh. The room was empty. Tasuki walked over to the throne, noticing Hotohori's imperial hat was laying on the group near by. Tasuki hoped he and Mitsukake had gotten away unharmed. Sighing, he hid in the next room, knowing it was only a matter of time before Chichiri found him.

"Don't scream," came a gnarled voice from behind him.

Tasuki nearly jumped a foot, whipping around, tessen in hand. With a large sigh of relief, he realized it was Taiitsukun.

"Something has to be done to stop him." The old goddess declared. Lifting her hand, she lightly tossed a small bubble of light in Tasuki's direction. It entered the tessen and winked out. "Use it wisely." she instructed.

"Why are you giving this to me?" Tasuki asked, looking down at his tessen, noting it's increased shine

"I trained Chichiri, I know what he can do." Taiitsukun replied gravely. "And I also know Tenkou. Good luck." The old woman faded from sight.

Hearing footsteps in the throne room, Tasuki whipped around. Edging over to the door of the room, he peered out, tessen ready. Nuriko and Tamahome had arrived, and were looking around at the decimated room in horror. Tasuki was about to call out to them when he noticed shadow falling across the threshold of the room.

'Shit!' he thought, seeing the shadow of Chichiri's black staff. "LEKKA SHIEN!" He yelled as he jumped into the room.

Nuriko and Tamahome turned in surprise as a steam of white flame barreled out and slammed into Chichiri, who stumbled backwards, giving a sharp intake of breath.

"RUN BAKA!" Tasuki yelled at the other two stunned seishi as he sped off. Tasuki panted heavily as he resumed his flight, 'No!' He cried mentally, feeling himself slowing down. Chichiri would catch up to him if he couldn't keep going!

Suddenly, a pair of strong arms encircled his waist and pick him up. He glared up at Nuriko.

"I'm not a fucking baby!" he exclaimed in between breaths.

"No, but if I could catch up to you, then you need the break." Nuriko responded.

He couldn't argue with that. A sudden fear caught him. "Where's Miaka?" He asked.

"In town with my family," Tamahome replied. "Mitsukake said to make sure she stayed behind."

"So, why did you just flame Chichiri, and why did Hotohori-sama tell us to avoid him?" Nuriko asked.

"Lemme catch my breath." Tasuki panted, concentrating on taking deep breaths of air to refill his aching lungs.

"Do it quickly." The strong seishi advised.

Tamahome nudged Nuriko, and the two ducked into Suzaku's shrine. "Suzaku protect us." Tasuki prayed softly.

Nuriko dumped Tasuki at the base of Suzaku's statue. "Why were we told not to bring Miaka back with us and not to contact the others?" he asked the still panting bandit.

"And what's wrong with Chichiri?" Tamahome added.

Gulping air, Tasuki brought them up to date on what had been happening since they had gone to bring Tamahome's family to the capital. It was obvious from their expressions that they didn't believe him.

"Shit," he said, shaking his head, "You just watch. When he catches up, he's gonna attack."

Gathering his tessen, he stalked out of the shrine and headed back to the throne room.

Hotohori, Mitsukake and Chiriko were waiting for him.

"Tasuki-san, can you contact Chichiri through your bond?" Chiriko asked as Nuriko and Tamahome caught up.

"Dunno, and I don't have time to check. He's after me the most." Tasuki replied.

"We'll defend you, Tasuki," Hotohori said, raising his sword with a glimmer in his eyes. "If you can attack him from inside his head, it will make it easier for us to defeat him."

Tasuki frowned. "I'll try." He sighed. Suddenly he looked up. "Shit, he's here!" he exclaimed as Chichiri stepped into the room.

Hotohori's grip on his sword tightened, but Tasuki shook his head, placing a hand in front of the emperor.

Nodding in Nuriko and Tamahome's direction he muttered "They didn't believe it. Let him attack first."

Chichiri smirked, leveling his staff. Tasuki saw the crystal glow, and ducked as a ki blast barreled his direction.

"Shit!" Tamahome swore, as Hotohori and Mitsukake began attacking the glowing seishi.

Another blast was flung out from the staff, shoving the two attackers back into the wall.

"Becoming a coward, Tasuki-kun?" Chichiri mocked, sending a ki-blast toward the redhead.

"LEKKA SHIEN!" Tasuki screamed, bringing his tessen down.

White flame met blue ki, and exploded.

"Shit," Chichiri said in admiration, an impressed look upon his face.

Shouting his incantation once more, Tasuki whipped his tessen around himself, creating a barrier of white flame. Holding his tessen out in front of him, he closed his eyes. Concentrating his ki he mentally reached out to Chichiri, praying to Suzaku that the bond was still there.
Suddenly, Chichiri turned, his mouth set in a wicked smile. Miaka stood in the doorway, her eyes wide, her hand covering her mouth. "Ah, Miaka-chan," the mage smiled, the gem at the edge of his staff beginning to glow. "How nice of you to show up."

"MIAKA! RUN!" Tamahome yelled, as he began barreling towards the back of the grinning seishi.

"TAMAHOME!" Miaka cried as the aqua haired seishi hit the mage's shield and was repelled.

"RUN, BAKA!" Nuriko screamed at the stunned Miko.

Chichiri swiftly brought the glowing end of the staff to bear on the immobilized girl. "Shi'ne, Suzaku no Miko." The mage stated, as the ki blast left the staff.

Miaka screamed as the bast hit her, propelling her out into the courtyard.
Tasuki's head snapped up, his concentration broken.

"Tasuki-san! Keep trying!" Chiriko exclaimed, seeing the redhead's expression. "You have to get through to him!"

The bandit nodded, clenching his eyes shut and gripping his tessen as if to pull every last bit of energy from it.
"MIAKA!" Tamahome screamed, his face horror stricken as the mage turned his back to the fallen girl.

"I appear to have killed your Miko." The blue-haired man smirked.

The seishi could only stare at the mage in horror.

"You son of a BITCH!" Tamahome roared, the symbol on his forehead flaring its script form, as his face distorted in anger.
Mitsukake slowly began backing into the corridor. If he could get to Miaka in time, there still might be a chance she was alive.
Hotohori gripped his sword, the symbol on his neck glowing with the same intensity Tamahome's was. "Shi'ne." he growled.

Nuriko placed a hand on Hotohori's shoulder. "I will lend you my ki," he said softly. Stepping back, the purple-haired seishi closed his eyes and concentrated, sending his energy to the seishi he had been linked with.
Chichiri gave a chuckle, his staff glowing, ready to blast the first seishi who attacked him.
Chiriko looked over where Tasuki was now kneeling, his face a mask of concentration, wishing he could do something to help. Closing his eyes, the boy began praying to Suzaku for help and protection.
With a roar, Tamahome launched himself at the grinning seishi, his eyes glowing. Chichiri sent a blast at the enraged seishi, knocking him back slightly. The mage's eye widened in amazement as the super-onied seishi recovered back immediately, oblivious to the pain he felt.

Hotohori, feeling the presence of Nuriko in his mind, brought his sword to bear on the staff-wielding man in front of him. Then pulling is back slightly, the seishi brought the sword down.

The mage before him vanished before the sword could connect. Nuriko and Hotohori's pain-filled screams echoed in unison as the ki blast hit the emperor in the back. He fell over, eyes glazed in pain.
Tasuki felt something give way in the mind he was probing, as a sobbing sound filled his mind.

~Chichiri?~ The bandit asked.

The sobbing increased in volume.

~Chichiri! Talk to me!~ The bandit exclaimed mentally.

~I couldn't stop him,~ The monk wailed. ~I COULDN'T STOP HIM!~

Him? Tasuki though in shock. ~Chichiri! Ya have to fight! Ya have to get control back!~

~I can't!~ The monk cried, completely broken. ~I tried, but I couldn't stop him!~

~Damn it, Chichiri!~ Tasuki swore. ~You have to keep fighting!~ The bandit began pouring his energy to the sobbing monk, drawing extra power from both his tessen and the barrier he had erected.
Tamahome again rushed the mage as his staff recharged. Hitting the shield of darkness, The man's face twisted in pain, but he was not repelled. "You.... bastard.." he growled, pushing himself against the shield.

The mage gave a half smile, bringing his staff to bear on the enraged man before him.
"Tamahome-san!" Chiriko cried, realizing the mage's intentions. The aqua haired seishi didn't hear him, his attention centered on the mage before him.

Chiriko turned to where Hotohori and Nuriko lay sprawled out on the floor, unconscious, there was no way he could wake them. He couldn't interrupt Tasuki and Mitsukake was gone. Bracing himself, Chiriko began running towards the monk.
~Chiriko!~ Chichiri cried, pounding on the clear wall in front of him. ~No!~
Grabbing his scroll from the pouch he carried it in, Chiriko continued running, praying to Suzaku that he would succeed. Giving a yell, he jumped at the mage, flinging the scroll before him with all his might.

The scroll hit the black shield with a flare of red light, causing it to falter for the moment Chiriko needed to barrel through.

The mage looked down at the small boy in shock, as Chiriko grabbed hold of the black staff in the monk's hands. The boy hissed in pain as the cold of the staff burned him, but would not let go, wrenching at it as the ki-blast was released.

The edge of the ki wave hit into Tamahome, knocking him back across the room.

Praying the man was all right, the small seishi looked into the unscarred eye of the monk. "Chichiri-san!" He yelled. "Fight him!" He yanked and twisted the staff, trying to force it away from the blue-haired man.

The mage paused, blinking at the boy, who smiled up at him hopefully. "Fool." The monk muttered. Ripping the staff from the boys hands, Chichiri smashed it into Chiriko's body, propelling him across the room.

The boy hit wall, and fell forward. Fighting back his pain, he struggled to his feet. "Chichiri-san," he moaned. "Please..."

The monk raised his staff aiming it at the small boy. "Shi'ne." He muttered darkly as the crystal on his staff began to glow.

"NO!" Came a cry, echoed inside his mind. The mage whirled, turning his staff. The ki-blast slammed into the red-haired man who had yelled. The seishi was thrown back as the blue-haired man again turned his attention to the child before him.

"Chichiri-san," the boy whispered again, looking up at the hard face before him.

"The Chichiri you knew is dead." The monk informed the child in a dark tone. "As you soon will be."

"LEKKAAAAAA SHIEN!" Came a horse cry. Pain wracked the mage's body, causing him to bend with pain. Damn it! Why wasn't that fool DEAD! Fighting off the pain that his body felt, the monk concentrated on building his ki for the blast. The glow in the crystal flicked and faded. Damn it! He cried out as another blast of flame wracked his body in agony. Had.. to.. concentrate. The person in the back of his head was fighting him again as well. 'Tenkou, give me strength', the man prayed. The crystal began to glow steadily, as the mage straightened up.
~NO!~ Chichiri screamed, his fists bloodied from pounding. ~Yameru!~ He cried as the staff was shakily brought to bear on Chiriko.
Tasuki stepped in front of the small seishi, tessen in his charred hands.

The mage chuckled. "You wouldn't kill me." he smiled.

As a response Tasuki raised his tessen. "LEKKAA SHINEN!"

The dark shield around the monk faltered, buckling under the flame. Chichiri cried out as the flame hit him, falling to his knees.

"You... wouldn't... kill your... friend, would... you... Tasuki?" The monk asked, as he rose to his feet shakily.

"You're not Chichiri." Tasuki replied grimly, raising his tessen once more. "LEKKKAAAA---"
~Yameru!~ Chichiri continued pounding, tears mingling with the blood from his fists. Hairline cracks began snaking along the wall in front of him
"SHINEN!!"

Flame again slammed into the mage's body, causing him to fold in pain. "I.... will... KILL... you..." he hissed in pain.
~YA---~

The cracks deepened as Chichiri's fist again pounded the wall in agony.
The man shakily lifted his staff at the redhead in front of him, the crystal glowing with an unsteady light.
Tasuki held his tessen in front of him. If he flamed the monks body again, there was little chance he would survive. 'Common Chichiri!' he though, his face set in a grim expression.
~--ME--~

Glass splintered, sending shards in every direction as Chichiri raised his fist again for the final blow.
Chiriko shakily rose to his feet. The black shield around the monk was flickering as tears streamed from his eye, his hands holding the shaking staff in a death grip. His expression was a twist of hatred and sorrow, and Chiriko could almost see the struggle behind it.
~-RU!!!!~ Chichiri screamed as the glass in his mind shattered.
A look of pure shock covered the mage's face as the crystal on the top of his staff shattered in a brilliant flare of light. Dropping the staff, he staggered a moment as the black shield around him vanished. Suddenly, his face softened, and his rage disappeared. His mouth opened as his unscarred eye blinked. "Tasuki---kun," he whispered, as he fell backwards to the ground.

"Chichiri!" The bandit cried, rushing to the fallen monk's side.

"He's still breathing," Chiriko observed in a tired voice, leaning on the red-haired seishi.

"Where's Mitsukake!" Tasuki cried, staring at Chichiri, his eyes wide and paniced.

As if summoned, the healer walked through the doorway supporting a weak, but alive Miaka.

"Miaka-san!" Chiriko exclaimed. "You're alive!"

"Miaka...." came a weak voice from behind the group.

"Tamahome!" the miko cried, momentarily forgetting her pain as she rushed to her lover's side.

Mitsukake kneeled by the unconscious monk and placed his hand over him, his symbol glowing.

Chichiri stirred. His unscarred eye opened slowly and focused on the seishi in front of him.

"She's alive, Chichiri," The healer smiled at the bruised monk. "You didn't kill her. You didn't kill anybody."

The monk gave a weak nod, then closed his eye again.

"Is he--?" Tasuki exclaimed, alarmed.

"He's sleeping. He needs the rest." Mitsukake rose to his feet and walked over to where Nuriko was fretting over Hotohori.

Tasuki looked over to Chiriko, who was leaning against his side. "You all right?" He asked, concerned.

The boy nodded. "The only question is, will he be?" he nodded to the sleeping monk.

Tasuki sighed, wrapping an arm around the boy. "I hope so."