Chapter 17
Through the woods they continued to walk, with Hotohori back into a wakeful state. He led the warriors through, and soon, they came upon their second task.
A hooded figure stood before a bridge. Tomo gave out a groan.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"
"None shall pass!" the figure bellowed. A long white beard curled under his chin. He held a staff in his hand. "None shall pass unless he can defeat me."
Nakago's symbol began to glow, but Chichiri stopped him.
"I'll take care of this," he said. With his staff in his hand, he approached the old figure. The figure stopped him, putting out his staff, growling.
"You shall not pass," the figure said. "In the name of the Lone Wolf Warrior, none shall pass my little bridge here unless you can defeat me, the great Wizard Wolf Warrior!"
"Does everything have to be 'Something Wolf Warrior'?" Mitsukake asked.
"Seems like it," Miboshi answered.
"Alright, Mr. Wizard," Chichiri said. "Your magic against mine." He put up his staff, and found that it did not feel right to him, and that the little hoops did not jingle right when he struck the ground with his staff. And then, he found that he couldn't seem to do anything with his life force. It was as though it had gone away from him.
"I-Impossible!" Chichiri stammered.
"Muh ha ha!" The Wizard Wolf Warrior laughed. "Prepare to die!" A great bolt of lightening streaked across the sky.
"Soi," Nakago said.
"Sauce," Tasuki replied.
Then, the lightening hit all the warriors, pinning them to the ground. The little jets of electricity bound the warriors, and began to squeeze them tightly.
"Chichiri!" Hotohori yelled.
"I'm sorry, your Highness!" Chichiri squeaked. "I'm afraid my powers just aren't working!"
"That's because Tomo has your powers!" Mitsukake yelled. "We didn't say it before, but when you were getting your powers out of the old man back in the castle, we saw your powers switch on each other. You don't have your magic powers anymore, monk! You're an illusionist now!"
"Damn it!" Chichiri cried.
Tomo cringed. "But I don't know how to use his magic powers, no da!"
"Take my staff," Chichiri cried, and tried to hand the staff over. The lightening, though, was holding him fast to the ground. He could not move. He was loosing air. He couldn't breathe. The rings of electricity were getting closer and closer around his waist and neck. It was as though it was going to cut him in two.
"Chichiri!" Hotohori suddenly cried. "Remember . . . you still haven't made that wish that Kristin gave you!"
"That's right!" Chichiri cried. He opened his mouth to yell, but just then, the Wizard grabbed him by his hair, pulling him up.
"Not so fast," the Wizard growled. "I will not live to see the day that someone defeats me and crosses my bridge into the dark forests of the Wolf Mountains. You will have to die now!"
Chichiri felt something cut into his side. He closed his eyes shut, trying to concentrate. Something was burning in his gut, and he found it hard to focus his life force. He could hear the others screaming his name, but the pain was far too intense for him to bear.
And then, suddenly, the lightening stopped. Chichiri opened his eyes to see a look of bewilderment in the Wizard's eyes.
"Tomo, you did it!" Chichiri heard from behind him. He turned to see that Tomo was in prayer mode, and soon, he had his staff in hand.
"Alright, Wizard," Tomo growled. "You want a fight? I'm ready to defeat you now, no da!"
The Wizard dropped Chichiri to his feet.
"Tomo!" Chichiri cried. "You don't know what you're doing!"
Tomo put his life force into the staff, and struck the ground hard. A deep crack in the earth raced for the Wizard, but the Wizard was fast and jumped out of the way. Then the two both rose their staffs in the air, and at the same time, hit the ground with them.
A big spark of light enveloped the two. They were standing still, pouring out all of their strength and life force into their staffs. The light began to flash, creating a seizure effect for those watching at home. Their clothes began to tear. Their hair hung loose, flying about in the wind. Blood was rolling down Tomo's face, as he clenched his teeth, trying to bear it. His crown toppled off his head. (Oh no!)
Chichiri knew that Tomo could not hold on any longer, and that there was only one thing to do, while the Wizard Wolf Warrior was occupied.
"Kai jin!" Chichiri cried. A mini Suzaku appeared before him, bowing his head.
"What is it you wish?" the mini Suzaku squeaked.
"I wish for my powers back," Chichiri said quickly, "I wish that me and Tomo can have our powers back to normal!"
"Then it is done," the mini Suzaku replied. And then, he disappeared.
Chichiri felt his power drain out of him, causing him to fall to his knees in weakness. He panted. He stared up in horror to see Tomo loose his grip due to his own power drainage, and he got the full effect of the Wizard's life force, and was blown back, where he hit Nakago.
"Whew," Mitsukake said. "Good thing you were standing there Nakago. He would have died if he had hit a tree. You're too soft for him to die upon."
Mitsukake found himself with a black eye.
Chichiri jumped to his feet, and grabbed his fallen staff. His mask had fallen off. His face was stern and serious.
"All right, old man," Chichiri growled, "Why don't you just try that trick again?"
The Wizard cringed. He had taken out much of his life force simply to tackle Tomo down. He was weak now. A frown came on his face.
"I know I'm too weak," he said, the straightened up. "But I can't let you pass unless you defeat me . . . with death."
Chichiri plunged his staff into the ground, and blasted the Wizard away. The Wizard landed back on his bridge, trembling. He put up his staff, and blocked Chichiri's second blast.
But it was quite clear that he could not defeat him. Through clenched teeth, Chichiri growled, "You just . . . can't . . . win!" and the Wizard was thrown back, where he toppled off the side of the bridge, and fell down the mountain side. Chichiri watched his body fall down the mountain side, and then, he could no longer see him.
The bridge before him was long and narrow, made of rickety wooden boards and ropes. It led right into some fog, where it disappeared before it reached the other mountain it was connecting to.
"Come on," he said. "We have to go."
Mitsukake took up Tomo, and the Warriors moved on.
The Lone Wolf Warrior stared in disbelief.
"Inconcievable!" he cried. "How can it be?! They have defeated the great Wizard Wolf Warrior! That's impossible!"
The Lone Wolf Warrior flopped back, turning away from his crystal ball. He frowned, and rubbed his chin with a finger, showing the audience that he was plotting again.
"I must make sure that the next obstacle is so hard that they will surly die from trying to conquer it!" The Lone Wolf Warrior smiled. "You may have won this battle," he said into the crystal ball. "But you haven't won the war. Just wait, Celestial Warriors. I have plenty more to do to you. You can not win. You musn't win! Realize that now you are entering the Forests of Doom! Just you wait what's lying for you in there . . . MUH HA HA HA HA HA!!!"
DUN DUN DUN!!
So what's going to happen to the Warriors? What could the next obstacle possibly be? And will the Warriors ever make it to their dear precious Damsels?! Tune in next time, folks, and don't miss the grand and fun adventures of . . .
DAMSELS IN DISTRESS!!!
Through the woods they continued to walk, with Hotohori back into a wakeful state. He led the warriors through, and soon, they came upon their second task.
A hooded figure stood before a bridge. Tomo gave out a groan.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"
"None shall pass!" the figure bellowed. A long white beard curled under his chin. He held a staff in his hand. "None shall pass unless he can defeat me."
Nakago's symbol began to glow, but Chichiri stopped him.
"I'll take care of this," he said. With his staff in his hand, he approached the old figure. The figure stopped him, putting out his staff, growling.
"You shall not pass," the figure said. "In the name of the Lone Wolf Warrior, none shall pass my little bridge here unless you can defeat me, the great Wizard Wolf Warrior!"
"Does everything have to be 'Something Wolf Warrior'?" Mitsukake asked.
"Seems like it," Miboshi answered.
"Alright, Mr. Wizard," Chichiri said. "Your magic against mine." He put up his staff, and found that it did not feel right to him, and that the little hoops did not jingle right when he struck the ground with his staff. And then, he found that he couldn't seem to do anything with his life force. It was as though it had gone away from him.
"I-Impossible!" Chichiri stammered.
"Muh ha ha!" The Wizard Wolf Warrior laughed. "Prepare to die!" A great bolt of lightening streaked across the sky.
"Soi," Nakago said.
"Sauce," Tasuki replied.
Then, the lightening hit all the warriors, pinning them to the ground. The little jets of electricity bound the warriors, and began to squeeze them tightly.
"Chichiri!" Hotohori yelled.
"I'm sorry, your Highness!" Chichiri squeaked. "I'm afraid my powers just aren't working!"
"That's because Tomo has your powers!" Mitsukake yelled. "We didn't say it before, but when you were getting your powers out of the old man back in the castle, we saw your powers switch on each other. You don't have your magic powers anymore, monk! You're an illusionist now!"
"Damn it!" Chichiri cried.
Tomo cringed. "But I don't know how to use his magic powers, no da!"
"Take my staff," Chichiri cried, and tried to hand the staff over. The lightening, though, was holding him fast to the ground. He could not move. He was loosing air. He couldn't breathe. The rings of electricity were getting closer and closer around his waist and neck. It was as though it was going to cut him in two.
"Chichiri!" Hotohori suddenly cried. "Remember . . . you still haven't made that wish that Kristin gave you!"
"That's right!" Chichiri cried. He opened his mouth to yell, but just then, the Wizard grabbed him by his hair, pulling him up.
"Not so fast," the Wizard growled. "I will not live to see the day that someone defeats me and crosses my bridge into the dark forests of the Wolf Mountains. You will have to die now!"
Chichiri felt something cut into his side. He closed his eyes shut, trying to concentrate. Something was burning in his gut, and he found it hard to focus his life force. He could hear the others screaming his name, but the pain was far too intense for him to bear.
And then, suddenly, the lightening stopped. Chichiri opened his eyes to see a look of bewilderment in the Wizard's eyes.
"Tomo, you did it!" Chichiri heard from behind him. He turned to see that Tomo was in prayer mode, and soon, he had his staff in hand.
"Alright, Wizard," Tomo growled. "You want a fight? I'm ready to defeat you now, no da!"
The Wizard dropped Chichiri to his feet.
"Tomo!" Chichiri cried. "You don't know what you're doing!"
Tomo put his life force into the staff, and struck the ground hard. A deep crack in the earth raced for the Wizard, but the Wizard was fast and jumped out of the way. Then the two both rose their staffs in the air, and at the same time, hit the ground with them.
A big spark of light enveloped the two. They were standing still, pouring out all of their strength and life force into their staffs. The light began to flash, creating a seizure effect for those watching at home. Their clothes began to tear. Their hair hung loose, flying about in the wind. Blood was rolling down Tomo's face, as he clenched his teeth, trying to bear it. His crown toppled off his head. (Oh no!)
Chichiri knew that Tomo could not hold on any longer, and that there was only one thing to do, while the Wizard Wolf Warrior was occupied.
"Kai jin!" Chichiri cried. A mini Suzaku appeared before him, bowing his head.
"What is it you wish?" the mini Suzaku squeaked.
"I wish for my powers back," Chichiri said quickly, "I wish that me and Tomo can have our powers back to normal!"
"Then it is done," the mini Suzaku replied. And then, he disappeared.
Chichiri felt his power drain out of him, causing him to fall to his knees in weakness. He panted. He stared up in horror to see Tomo loose his grip due to his own power drainage, and he got the full effect of the Wizard's life force, and was blown back, where he hit Nakago.
"Whew," Mitsukake said. "Good thing you were standing there Nakago. He would have died if he had hit a tree. You're too soft for him to die upon."
Mitsukake found himself with a black eye.
Chichiri jumped to his feet, and grabbed his fallen staff. His mask had fallen off. His face was stern and serious.
"All right, old man," Chichiri growled, "Why don't you just try that trick again?"
The Wizard cringed. He had taken out much of his life force simply to tackle Tomo down. He was weak now. A frown came on his face.
"I know I'm too weak," he said, the straightened up. "But I can't let you pass unless you defeat me . . . with death."
Chichiri plunged his staff into the ground, and blasted the Wizard away. The Wizard landed back on his bridge, trembling. He put up his staff, and blocked Chichiri's second blast.
But it was quite clear that he could not defeat him. Through clenched teeth, Chichiri growled, "You just . . . can't . . . win!" and the Wizard was thrown back, where he toppled off the side of the bridge, and fell down the mountain side. Chichiri watched his body fall down the mountain side, and then, he could no longer see him.
The bridge before him was long and narrow, made of rickety wooden boards and ropes. It led right into some fog, where it disappeared before it reached the other mountain it was connecting to.
"Come on," he said. "We have to go."
Mitsukake took up Tomo, and the Warriors moved on.
The Lone Wolf Warrior stared in disbelief.
"Inconcievable!" he cried. "How can it be?! They have defeated the great Wizard Wolf Warrior! That's impossible!"
The Lone Wolf Warrior flopped back, turning away from his crystal ball. He frowned, and rubbed his chin with a finger, showing the audience that he was plotting again.
"I must make sure that the next obstacle is so hard that they will surly die from trying to conquer it!" The Lone Wolf Warrior smiled. "You may have won this battle," he said into the crystal ball. "But you haven't won the war. Just wait, Celestial Warriors. I have plenty more to do to you. You can not win. You musn't win! Realize that now you are entering the Forests of Doom! Just you wait what's lying for you in there . . . MUH HA HA HA HA HA!!!"
DUN DUN DUN!!
So what's going to happen to the Warriors? What could the next obstacle possibly be? And will the Warriors ever make it to their dear precious Damsels?! Tune in next time, folks, and don't miss the grand and fun adventures of . . .
DAMSELS IN DISTRESS!!!