Well, Sansele-chan, I have a confession to make too. My stories seem better because I'm having someone help me/train me on how to write detail. She's also my editor/beta-er/favorite authoress: Sakata Ri Houjun.

So....yeah...that explains alot. :p I'm getting better, though ^_^

Firey Remembrance

Chapter 5

People ran to the exits of the stadium as three large, bird-like creatures appeared above, casting omnious shadows. Long leathery wings spread from thier sides , kicking up a fearsome wind while searing white light poured from their mouth, blasting away part of the stadium as they swooped down.

"This is bad," Watari gulped, his coral eyes driking in the sight.

"No shit," Sanosuke agreed quietly.

"This ain't no time to stand and gawk! Those spectators are defenseless! You guys go an' help evacuate da stadium!" Kouji commanded before taking a grand leap over the gap between the palyer's ring and the seats, his red jacket flapping behind him.

"And where are you going?" Nasch asked, yelling over the commotion.

The dark-haired man glanced back at his teammates. "I'm a guardian now, remember? Just go, an' hurry!" he shouted as he turned to dash up the stairs toward the top of the stadium.

"You heard him, now move!" Sakata snapped, taking over as second-in-command. Frantically she motioned the rest of the Riptides to follow their captain off the field, making certain that the others went first. She looked up as Sanosuke brushed past her, heading towards the players' exit from the field.

"I've got to get something from the locker room," he explained cooly without waiting for her question. She nodded before leaping to the seats as well and speeding towards the exit to aid her teammates.

Houjun watched the monsterous creature with wide eyes as Hikou led him towards the exit, using his powers to protect his charge.

"Houjun, pay attention!" his friend and guardian shouted. "You have to get out of here with the others. Leave this to me, alright?"

"W-wait a minute," the summoner stammered. "Those monsters are weak against fire, not water."

"I know that, but I can handle them." He pushed his friend into Alexander and ran back towards the field, his weapon appearing in his hand.

"Come on, Houjun," the blonde insisted, gripping his former student's wrist gently. "Hikou's right."

"I-I can't! Hikou will be killed if he tries to fight them by himself! Besides, I have to protect these people too!" With that, he wrenched his wrist free and ran to catch up with his friend. Alexander was about to follow after him when one of the creatures passed overheard, blasting it's deadly attack at a nearby upper section of seats, causing it to crumble. Large, jagged chunks of metal and rock crashed down towards the asile below where the crowd was running in a panicked frenzy.

"Run, you idiots!" Sakata's voice called out as she paractically chased the people off. She stopped near a small child, who had tripped and was sprawled out, crying. She had just managed to pick him up when she finally noticed the debris heading her way. The Blitzball player curled her body protectively around the boy, closing her eyes tightly, waiting for impact. Suddenly a force pushed her backwards mere seconds before a large piece landed where she had been standing. She opened her eyes to find Alexander was holding her, the child pressed safely between them.

"Are you alright?" he asked her, smiling gently. Slowly, she returned the smile and nodded, her heart pounding.

"We have to get him out of here," she said, petting the fightened boy's head. Alexander released her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You go ahead. I have to make sure Houjun gets out of here." A crowd of people rushed past them for the exit and the blonde looked up at them for a moment. "Go with them...and I'll catch up when I'm done here."

Sakata wanted to protest his decsion, but instead smiled and nodded. "I'll see you later then." She took a step back before turning and following the others through the exit. Alexander sighed in relief and hurried in the direction Houjun had gone in, hoping to catch up with him before he got hurt, or worse.

~*~*~*~*~

Houjun hurried down toward the field, climbing over the seats to get through the more congested areas. He came to a stop when he was certain that he could try his idea without hurting anyone. He called his staff to his hand and began twirling it before him, his mind focusing as he drew upon his skill. A magic circle appeared under his feet, spreading outward until it was eight feet in diameter, glowing brightly. He closed his eyes for a moment as he then brought the top of the staff to the ground at the edge of the circle.

Nothing happened.

His eyes snapped open in confusion and he looked down to see that the circle had vanished.

"W-What?" However, he didn't have much time to wonder what could have gone wrong. The ritual had attracted the attention of the largest of the three creatures and it shot an attack at the Houjun. Luckily it missed, blasting the section beside him, the force sending the summoner to the ground. Hikou sensed rather than saw this and looked toward his friend, leaving himself momentarily open for an attack.

"BONSAI!" Kouji cried from above him, landing on the creature the water mage had been fighting. He drew a dagger and drove it into the back of its head. He bucked wildly and flapped its wings twice before it decended towrad the seats. The emerald-eyed man clung on until the wild ride was over before he risked jumping off.

"Houjun's in trouble," Hikou called out as he ran passed him. He could see his friend on the other side of the field and prayed to the gods that he would make it.

"Look out!" Kouji cried, slamming into the water mage and knocking him to the ground. The third creature swooped over them, narrowly missing. It cried out in fury and circled around, firing a blast at them. The two guardians got to their knees in time for Hikou to block the attack momentarily with one of his own.

"Hold on!" Alexander called out to them, practically leaping down the starirs three at a time to reach the pair of gaurdians. He stopped behind them and cast a quick spell, his eyes flashing. A violet-tinted barrier formed around the trio, protecting them from the creature's next attack.

"Yeah, but how do we stop it?" Hikou asked, clambering to his feet.

But before his question could be answered, the creature suddenly cried out again, this time in pain as it was cleaved in half. All eyes fell on Sanosuke, who had come up behind the monster. In his hands, he held an immense sword, the blade partially embedded in the alise. With a grunt, he easily hefted the weapon that was nearly twice his height and rested it casually on one shoulder.

"Thanks Sano!" Kouji called to his teammate. Alexander let the barrier vanish and they hurried towards Houjun again, Sanosuke in tow.

~*~*~*~*~

Houjun looked up at the massive creature as it landed near him. He tried to get to his feet, but found that his arm was pinned between a seat and a large peice of stone. He tugged at his hand, panicking as it came closer to him. In desperation, he reached for his staff, but it hand landed just out of his reach, his fingers ust barely able to brush against the polished wood.

'No...' he thought, squeezing his eyes shut as he strained to reach his weapon. 'Please...not like this...I can't die like this...'

"Rekka Shinen!"

The summoner felt a searing heat rushing past him and opened his eyes. As the creature writhed in pain, flapping its massive wings and trying to take off and all he could do was stare in utter disbelief. He gazed up as someone came to stand before him, amber eyes looking him over carefully.

"You ok?" Tasuki asked calmly, crouching down. "You ain't hurt are ya?"

Houjun opened his mouth to speak, but couldn't think of anything to say. The red head smiled at him and looked up at the creature as it howled in fury, preparing to fire a blast at them.

"I'll take care a' this guy," he muttered before reaching back and withdrawing his metal fan out of its holster. "Rekka Shinen!" Tasuki cried out fiercely, swinging his weapon before him, a wave of fire erupting from the end and engulfing the creature. It choked back on its attack, doing more damage to itself as it shrieked out in pain. It fell back, crashing into the seats and destroying yet another section of the stadium.

Houjun watched as the creature stopped moving, amazed that it only took two fire attacks to kill it.

'He must be a master fire mage,' he thought, his eyes returning to Tasuki. The miraculous fan had returned to its place on his back and he was moving the stone that had the summoner's arm pinned. Once he had pushed it aside, he flashed a smiled at Houjun and offered his hand to him.

"I-I... Thank you, Tasuki..." he managed to force out, stuttering in embarassment as he placed his hand in his savior's. "You saved my life."

"Don't worry about it," he replied, gently helping him to his feet. The redhead took the summoner's other hand in his own, examining it carefully. "Nothin' seems broken... Are you gonna be alirght?"

Houjun tried to answer him again, still finding it hard to speak. He blushed a bit and looked to the ground, attempting to regain his composure.

"Houjun!" Hikou called to him. The cerulean-haired man looked up to see his two guardians, teacher, and the Riptides' goalie as they reached them. Kouji halted first to gaze at the charred carcas of the creature that had attacked the summoner and let out a low whistle.

"Damn, you really nailed 'im," he said, looking at Tasuki. Alexander glanced at it as well, but was more concerned about his student at the moment.

"Are you hurt?" he asked, looking at the injured hand over Genrou's shoulder.

"Idiot, I told you to leave," Hikou snapped as he picked up his friend's staff, the rings chiming softly. He was seriously tempted to hit his friend on the head with it in hopes of knocking some sense into him. "What the hell did you think you were doing?!"

"I...I was trying to summon Ifrit..." Houjun admitted, lowering his gaze. "Because...I didn't want you to get hurt, but...he didn't come."

Tasuki shifted abit and bit his lip. Alexander sighed and gently went to younger man's side.

"It's not your fault, Houjun," he reassured him. "Maybe he was summoned by someone else. He can't be in two places at once."

"I know...I just..." he shook his head and sighed. "Nevermind, that's not important right now, is it?" He looked up and smiled at his friends. "We should go and help out the injured first."

"First, though," Sanosuke began as he walked past the others, heading toward the exit. "I think red's gonna have ta let go of your hands."

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R and R as usual, no da ^_^ More chapters for more reveiws.