A/N: Well it's chapter 12 already and I'm so happy that people actually like my ficcys! I try hard to put out good stories and I love it when people tell me what they think because the more feedback I get the better I can write and that's what I wanna do for a living so this's important to me… but enough rambling on about nothing and onto the chapter. I warn you guys now more fluffiness but not as bad as last chapter. I don't own Fushigi Yuugi but I do own Kyari. Here's the chapter….

It was two days later and Kyari was at the front of the ship quietly looking out over the water. She smiled as she watched a pair of dolphins jump out of the water and disappear just as quickly. She pulled herself up onto the rail, needing to feel her feet dangling below her as the wind softly caressed her hair. A slow blush made its way across her cheeks as she remembered Chichiri doing the same thing the day before as they sat together watching the sunset. His hands are just as soft as this wind… she thought, closing her eyes in memory. She loosened her grip on the rail slightly as she lost herself in her thoughts.

Suddenly, the ship hit a series of choppy waves and the girl gasped as she felt herself sliding forwards.

"Chichiri!" she yelled as she slid off the rail completely.

She managed to grab the rail with one hand and hold onto it as she fell. Her heart beat rapidly in her chest as tears sprang to her eyes. She looked down into the deep ocean below her and shut her eyes firmly to block the view of a thirty-foot drop. "Chichiri!" she cried again, this time her voice smaller, like a frightened child's.

She felt a pair of hands seize her wrist and pull her upwards. Kyari reached upwards with her free hand, blindly trying to find her rescuer's hand to give him a better grip on her. Whoever it was took her hand and pulled her back onto the ship, gently letting her down onto the deck as the girl fell to her knees. Finally opening her eyes, she sat there trying to get her nerves back under control for a minute. Her rescuer put a hand under her chin and lifted her face to his. To Kyari's complete surprise, it wasn't Chichiri but Tasuki who had pulled her up.

"You okay, kid?" the bandit asked in concern.

The peacekeeper opened her mouth to say 'yes' but instead she only managed a small squeak. She looked at him her eyes wide and frightened as tears found their way down her cheeks.

"Aww... C'mon! Don't cry kid! Please?" Tasuki pleaded.

Abandoning her shyness, she threw her arms around Tasuki's neck and sobbed into his shirt, trembling and sobbing in a strange mix of relief and fear. The bandit's eyes widened and her put his arms around her, awkwardly patting her head. "I-it's okay." he told her "You're safe now."

*****

Meanwhile, Chichiri stood a little ways off watching this. He turned away sharply, not wanting to do anything he might regret and feeling like he'd just lost his best friend all over again.

*****

Kyari's sobs gradually lessened and finally stopped and she let go of Tasuki.

"I-I'm sorry," she stammered, wiping tears off her face "It's just that…just that scared the hell outta me! I thought I was gonna fall and then the ship's pull would have dragged me under and…and I never got a chance to tell him and then…" she whimpered again and passed her tunic sleeve over her eyes.

"Shh.... it's alright. I understand." the flame haired seishi told her "Want me to help you find Chiri'?" he offered "He should be the one you hug like that after all, seeing' as you two …well y'know." He gave the girl a playful grin, showing off his fangs.

She laughed a little. "Sure." she replied, returning his smile.

The bandit got to his feet and held out a hand to Kyari. The girl took it and he pulled her up. The two set off to find Chichiri, chatting lightly.

*****

Chichiri walked back to his room, feeling miserable. How could he have been so stupid? Why would anyone love him? After everything he'd done… the way his scar slashed horribly across his eye and made him look like some kind of monster… the very idea was laughable! He went into his room and flopped down on the bed, taking off his mask so he could let his tears fall freely.

*****

Kyari and Tasuki made their way down the hall just as the door to Chichiri's room closed.

"His door just closed." Tasuki observed, "He must be in there. See you later?"

"Yup. Later." Kyari said over her shoulder. "Oh yeah, thanks!" she added, turning around and walking backwards.

Tasuki shook his head in amusement and went back up to the main deck.

The peacekeeper tapped lightly on the door and Chichiri slowly pulled it opened. His eye was red and there were tears shining on his face. He hurriedly dashed them away when he saw it was Kyari and forced a smile.

"Hi. What's wrong? You look like you were crying. " Kyari asked worriedly "Are you okay?"

The monk nodded, his smile fading. "I'm okay." he lied "Just tired, I guess."

The girl looked into his eye. "That's a lie and you know it." she said directly " You can tell me. I won't laugh at you or anything, y'know. Or, at least I hope you know. I mean after everything we went through together…"

"I know. I just don't want to trouble you…" he said quietly.

Kyari gave him a look. "You will never, ever be a bother to me." she told him seriously "Now spit it out already!"

"I lost something very precious to me." he whispered, dropping his eyes to look at the floor.

"What did you lose?" the girl asked "I'm sure we can find it if we both look."

The monk shook his head sadly. "I'll never get it back." he said flatly, tears starting to fall from his eye again. "It's gone forever."

"Isn't there something you could do? Anything?" Kyari asked desperately "I hate seeing you hurt so much…"

She tried to look the mage in the eye, but he refused to meet her gaze. A tear of frustration fell down her face and she did the only thing she could think of: she pulled Chichiri into a hug and rubbed his back soothingly. "It's alright." she told him gently "It'll all be right again soon… please don't cry."

The peacekeeper tightened her hold on the monk as a tear fell from his cheek onto hers. "I love you too much to see you in so much pain…please." she begged softly "Please?"

Chichiri pushed himself away from Kyari, holding her shoulders so he could look her in the eyes. "W-what did you say?" he asked shakily "What did you say just now?"

"I said I love you and I don't want to see you cry because I can't stand to see you suffer." she repeated in confusion, brushing away a tear. "W-why? What's going on? I don't understand…"

The magician's face brightened and he felt his heart skip a beat as hope shone from his eye. "Do you mean that?" he asked anxiously.

"With all my heart." the girl said earnestly "What made you think I didn't love you?" she asked totally bewildered.

Chichiri blushed and gave her a sheepish look. "Well… when you called out to me before I arrived in time to see Tasuki pull you back up. I was about to come and see if you were alright, when he knelt down next to you and then you hugged him so tightly… and he hugged you back I thought that…I- I thought I'd lost you." he finished heavily.

Kyari smiled and gave a small laugh as more tears fell down her face. "Baka." she said affectionately "You'll never lose me! You're my sweet, sensitive, beautiful little monk. I could never do that to you! Besides," she added, mischief dancing in her eyes "Fang-boy's got nothing on you! You're twice as cute and three times sweeter. Plus, you can do magic. How many guys do you meet that can do that and still be as amazing as you? Not many I can tell ya!" she reached up and kissed him lightly on each cheek, then soundly on the lips. "And I betcha' he doesn't taste of mint leaves either." she whispered in his ear, as she lowered herself back to the floor.

The monk blushed furiously and looked down at her fondly. "I'm sorry I doubted you, no da. Forgive me?" he asked putting on a lost-puppy face.

"Always." she said, giving him her best smile and taking his hand. "C'mon. If we hurry we can catch the sunset from beginning to end." she said invitingly.

"Sure, na no da." he accepted "I have something I want to show you anyways, no da."

"What is it?" Kyari asked as they made their way to the back of the ship.

"You'll see, no da." the mage said mysteriously.

The sunset turned out spectacularly, sending waves of red, gold, and pink dancing over the water and turning it multicolored, making the waves sparkle and shimmer as they rolled across the ocean.

Kyari sighed, nuzzling closer to Chichiri and putting her head on his shoulder. "I don't know about you Chiri', but I don't think I've ever been happier than I am right now." she told him, linking her arm through his.

"I'll bet I can make you happier, no da." Chichiri challenged playfully.

"How?" the girl asked curiously, lifting her head off the monk's shoulder.

"Watch." the monk instructed, unlinking his arm from the peacekeeper's. He started tracing some kind of strange pattern in the air in front of them. When he'd finished whatever it was he'd been drawing, he picked up Kyari's hand and kissed it lovingly. He kissed his own hand then blew a kiss out towards the ocean where he'd just traced the symbols in the air. At first nothing seemed to happen, then suddenly words started to appear, written in tiny stars of purple and blue, lighting up the gathering darkness.

Kyari gasped and put her hands up to her mouth. "It's beautiful …" she breathed in awe.

"Can you read what it says?" asked Chichiri.

"I think so…Wo…Ai... N-" she stopped mid-sentence and gave Chichiri an unbelieving look "It says I love you in Chinese, right?"

He nodded. "Like it?" he asked, hopefully.

"More than anything!" she cried throwing her arms around the young man. She paused a second. "Well, not more than you, but more than anything else." she corrected herself, getting as close to him as she could. The peacekeeper put her head down on his chest and smiled sleepily as the sun found its way to bed and the last of the stars danced in front of her. This was definitely a good day she thought as her eyes closed and she fell asleep.

******************** So that was chapter 12 for you! It was fluffy and strange but I promise real action soon. Now for the glossary of funny words I used:

Wo Ai Ni means I love you in Chinese

Baka means stupid or foolish in Japanese.

So that's it then. See you next chapter!

~Tenshi Kitsune~ *******************************