Chapter Three: Illusion's Embrace

Grr… I can't get my computer to post any of my stupid added notes to this chapter. Anyway, it was supposed to say, Tasuki steps forward, leash around neck. He clears his throat and says, "Disclaimer. Fushigi Yûgi does not belong to the authoress, Taryn Eithne. She is but a mere poor girl who admires Miss Watase and the guy who got to draw the ever sexy—Taryn! Y'always said I was yer favorite! Why does Hotohori get ta be th'sexy one!?" He spots a very unhappy Taryn at the end of his leash, gulps, and flees the stage.

Curtains open for Chapter Three: Illusion's Embrace, but neh… Grr…

"Where are we going!?" Kori asked as Kouji pulled her along. She stumbled as she struggled to follow him, but managed to stay relatively close behind him.

"Ta Genrou's hideout. I know where it is an' we're gonna meet 'im there!' Kouji explained. He let go of Kori, who continued to follow him. She followed him off of the bandit's ground and through some woods. They soon approached a small building hidden in the woods.

"Who's that!?" the heard inside. Both of them recognized it as Genrou.

"Knock, knock!" Kouji began. "Who's there? It's Kouji, a friend of Genrou, and Kori, a talented bandit." Kori smiled. "It's-Kouji-a-friend-of-Genrou-and-Kori-a-talented-bandit who?" Kouji opened the door. "Genrou... long time, no see, ole buddy!" Kouji cried. Genrou looked at him in disbelief.

"Kouji..." Genrou stated, standing up. "Kouji, it's been years!" Genrou cried, taking Kouji's arm and the two did a very strange dance.

"Ya just saw me, y'fool!" Kouji cried back during the dance. They pulled away and Genrou glanced at Kori. She smiled lightly, but Genrou recognized her quickly.

"Hey!' he cried angrily. "You're that kid from months ago who stole my horse!" Kori and Kouji both frowned.

"It's in the bandit stable, Genrou, sir," Kori stated, getting on her knees and hoping he accepted it as an apology. He merely frowned more.

"He's right, Genrou. We picked 'im up about three months ago and kept tha horse," Kouji stated, stepping towards him. Genrou kept frowning.

"It had better be. If not, yer in fer a heap o' trouble," he stated. He smiled and extended his hand. Kori took it gratefully and stood.

"Can somebody explain, please?" Miaka asked. Kouji began the tale.

***

"So you were supposed to be the leader of the bandits?" Miaka asked after many explanations. She and the three bandits were 

"Yeah," Genrou huffed. Kori smiled.

"When th' real boss died five months ago, an' you were still away, Eiken took th' chance ta steal th' position!" Kouji explained. "Th' old boss was talkin' about you till the second he died," he added. Kori frowned and placed a hand on his shoulder sympathetically. He smiled and sat up.

"I thought I could find an herb ta cure him, but he died before I could get down th' mountain," Genrou looked down. "Then on my way back up, I lost my horse ta this l'il thief!" Genrou pointed to Kori, who frowned.

"I didn't mean to keep you—"

"Okay!" Miaka cried suddenly. "I wanna help!"

"What!?" Kori, Kouji, and Genrou asked at the same time.

"Of course I will!" Miaka smiled vivaciously. "You have to get the leadership back!! Besides, I gotta help Hotohori and Nuriko anyway!"

"B-But..." Genrou began.

"Oh, there's no need to thank me. You can help me find Tasuki after, okay? It's unanimous! Let's go!" Both Kouji and Genrou sweat-dropped and Kori stood up with Miaka enthusiastically.

"Come on guys! We can do this!" she shouted. Kouji stood, too.

"This's yer chance ta reclaim leadership, buddy," he stated earnestly.

"I guess," Genrou agreed, standing, too.

***

"Wow!" Miaka whistled as she glanced down at the large collection of gathering bandits. "They're the enemy!?"

"All hundred and one," Kori stated grimly.

"Tsk... Bunch of brown noses!" Genrou snarled.

"Only a few o' the guys are with him. The rest o' us are jes scared of th'old boss's souvenir," Kouji explained.

"The boss's what??" Miaka asked.

"It's a tessen," Kori added.

"This one's made of iron! If y' chant, it spits fire an' turns anything ya aim at t'ash! We gotta get it back," Genrou stated. He pulled out some spell cards and Miaka and he got into an argument about them.

"Um, guys...?" Kori asked, sensing danger in the bushes. Genrou and Miaka ignored her and kept fighting. Kori tried again, pulling gently on Genrou's shoulder. Genrou turned just in time to find himself neck-to-blade with a sword. He screamed.

"There you are, cretin!" Hotohori shouted angrily. "How dare you touch Miaka!?" he continued. Miaka smiled and took Hotohori's arm.

"Hotohori!" she squealed happily and he gave her a confused look.

"Miaka?" he asked as Nuriko appeared.

"I'm so glad you're both okay!" Miaka squealed again.

Later, all six were gathered in the bandits' hideout.

"I understand your reasons..." Hotohori was saying, "However, cooperating with these...?" Kori glared at him while Kouji and Genrou scanned the area.

"We're not all bad, your Majesty," Kori stated sharply. Nuriko smiled and Hotohori looked shocked. Miaka laughed.

"Yeah, Hotohori, they can help us find Tasuki! But this is important to me, too!" she stated nobly. Hotohori sighed.

"That is one of the things I love about you, I suppose," he admitted.

"Hey!" Kori, who was in the back, whirled around to face two bandits she was never very fond of. Hataku, a dopey looking guy, and his friend, Yusi, were standing right behind them.

"Oh, boy!" Hataku cried happily. "Isn't that Genrou!?"

"It's Genrou!" Yusi added. "Genrou's over here!"

"No!" Kouji shouted, backing against the wall habitually.

"Don't worry yer head!" Genrou replied cockily, pulling out the spell cards. He chucked some, shouting, "Sic 'em, wolves!" He was terribly surprised when a piece of quiche came flying out. All six stared disbelievingly (there's Taryn's word again ^.^;).

"Not good..." Kori whispered, exasperated.

"Urk... Try that again!" Genrou shouted, throwing out more cards. He was now surrounded by many different Japanese dishes.

"What the hell!?" Genrou shouted, looking at all his cards, which had food all over them.

"You attack with magical food?" Hotohori asked incredulously.

"Miaka..." Nuriko stated, looking back at the guilty Priestess.

"You could have at least used Mickey D's or something," Kori muttered. Miaka gave her a confused glance, but thought nothing of it and turned to the two angry seishis and the two pissed bandits.

"That was your writing on the cards, right!?" Kouji asked her.

"Oops..." Miaka smiled. "It was an accident..."

Genrou was getting ready to attack her, but Kori heard something she didn't like.

"Genrou! Kouji!" she shouted, running to get them out of the way, but stumbling and thus throwing all three of them out of the path of a large flame that had erupted.

"Take cover!" Hotohori shouted across from the fire, pulling Miaka and Nuriko out of the way.

"Nice t' see ya, Genrou!" Eiken cackled. "Where're yer famous wolves?"

"This is so hopeless, I don't know whether to laugh or cry," Nuriko stated. Miaka chuckled nervously and Genrou turned to her angrily. He then paused, remembering that Kori had just saved his life. He was going to thank her, but suddenly Miaka broke into a run straight towards Eiken. Kori was right behind her in a flash, but not in time to stop her from diving at Eiken and trying to take the tessen.

"Give me that tessen!" Miaka cried, reaching for the tessen. "It belongs to Genrou! Give it back to him!" she continued. Eiken began struggling to get her off. Kori leapt up onto his back as he turned over and over again. He didn't even feel her.

"Miaka, no!" Hotohori cried helplessly from the many, many feet away. Eiken finally got hold of Miaka and put his hand to her throat.

"One move and I'll strangle 'er," Eiken threatened.

"I'll be fine!" Miaka insisted. "But you guys!! Why are you following this guy's orders!? Do your old boss would've wanted this!?" All the bandits shuffled uneasily. Miaka continued. "You're going to kill a trusted friend just because of a stupid tessen!? What a bunch of cowards!!"

"Shaddup!" Eiken cried.

"Why don't you?" Kori asked cockily. She had the tessen in her hand and had it aimed at his head. "Shame the only bandit who could get this tessen outta your hands was one of the ones who wasn't a coward!"

"You can't use it..." Eiken stated. "It only works with leaders!"

"Is that so? Let's try..." she grinned devilishly. "Rekka," she whispered in his ear and Eiken shook with fear. "Shi... Tas--I mean, Genrou!" she shouted, throwing Genrou the tessen. He caught it and smiled, kicking down a nearby bandit. Kori tumbled off of Eiken, who had let Miaka go. Kori dragged her to the safety of Hotohori and Nuriko, then began fighting bandits herself.

"We're with you, Kori, Kouji!" Kori heard Tessou shout. She and Kouji turned to him and smiled. Tessou, too, began to fight bandits. Soon, the teams were about half-and-half.

"Eiken!" Genrou finally shouted. He had reached the obese man. "Call off yer troops! Kori might not use this thing against ya, but I sure as hell will," Eiken nodded fearfully and followed the order. Soon, all fighting had ceased.

"Yer all under my leadership now," Genrou announced and all the bandits got on their knees.

"W-We're so sorry, sir!" Tessou stated, touching his head to the floor quickly. Genrou smiled.

"S'okay," Genrou stated. "Jes don't let it happen again!"

"Thank you," Aoi stated, also touching his head to the floor.

Genrou sighed. "If anything, ya should be thanking Kori and the Priestess here," he mumbled, hitting Kori on the head lightly. The men bowed deeply to the two, who both blushed.

"T'was nothing!" Kori mumbled.

"Actually, I just want to know if Tasuki's here!" Miaka said happily. "Eiken told me earlier he knew where he was!"

"I lied!" Eiken stated, bowing deeply in his ropes. "I don't know!"

"I do," Genrou stated. Kouji and Kori both blinked at him. "Tasuki was th'old boss. He's dead." Miaka blinked disbelievingly (oops… there it is again).

"Tasuki... Tasuki is dead!?"

And then I give you my three asterixii and sign my name and say a bunch of junk like such: Whoo-hoo, we're actually in plot-line now!! Cliffhanger… unless you've seen the series, of course… then you know what's going on… but what effect will Kori have on the story?? You'll have to read and find out, won't you? *laughs evilly* And hey! I actually read through this chapter and edited BEFORE I posted it! Be proud of me *thumps chest proudly* And Kori and the bandits posing does seem awkward, doesn't it? Hmm…

Well… stay tuned for next chapter, which'll probably be up in about a day or two, titled, Changing Minds!!!

Here's the teaser line for Chapter Four: "I hate to admit it, but I think Kouji's right, Tasuki."

Yeah… stupid comp screwed it up *sniffles*

~Taryn Eithne