Hikari no Miko
Chapter 4: Back to the Green Hell
Mirei watched the lurid face of Kiku-hime with worried eyes. She wished there was another way to save the girl. She did not wish to go back to the Green Hell that was Midori Estate. She would rather throw her body into a pool of hungry sharks than relive the horrors she had fled.
A soft tap sounded on the screen door twice. Mirei switched her attention to the door. Is it time already? she thought. She wanted to prolong the placid moment of sitting near the sick girl for as long as she could. It isn't too late to back out now, she pondered. The miko shook her pretty head and shut that thought out of her mind. She had to help the ninjas; she wanted to save Gohda's daughter. While she brooded, she didn't even notice the vociferous taps on the door or Kiku staring at her.
"Mirei-san, someone's knocking on the door," said Kiku. The hime suddenly began to cough violently sending flecks of blood on her sheets.
Mirei's face was expressionless as she watched the girl cough. She had seen this before, it didn't disgust her but it did worry her.
"Kiku-chan, please continue to drink the tea I made for you," said Mirei. Kiku nodded while the miko rose and answered the door. It was a very angry looking Ayame, and behind her was the silent Rikimaru.
"Are you deaf?!" exclaimed Ayame,"I've been knocking on this door for a while now."
Mirei gave her a pleasant smile. "Oh, well I was just making sure Kiku-chan was all right."
Ayame ignored Mirei and grinned at Kiku. Kiku seemed to be very happy to see her.
Rikimaru pulled the women away from the door. "Let's go."
**************************************************************************************************************
"Why must you wear such bright colors?!" Ayame asked the miko. Mirei glowered at the ninja. "I am a miko. So I must wear white and red."
Ayame knew that of course. But it was unnecessary to wear miko robes when trying to do something stealthy. Mirei had her values, and wearing miko robes was one of them. Ayame and Rikimaru were better prepared because they wore clothes that were dark colors such as black, gray, and brown.
They had scrambled over the tall walls surrounding the Midori Estate. Mirei wasn't as agile as the ninjas so overcoming the wall took some time. The miko insisted that they use the front gate but the ninjas looked at her like she was demented. Two enemy ninjas guarded the front gate, which Mirei did not know because she didn't have a keen sense of sight like the Azuma Ninjas.
Ayame gazed about her for any enemies. Through her scrutiny, she saw that the place was once again enemy infested. She also sensed a ninja above her on the rooftop. She leaned against the cool wood of the building in front of her and looked around at her accomplices. Then she shut her pretty eyes and sighed.
"We should use the buildings," she said.
"But..." whispered Mirei.
"But what?!" snapped Ayame. She opened her eyes to glare at the miko.
"I'm...afraid of heights," stammered Mirei.
"Then you shouldn't be here. You should have just stayed at Gohda-sama's castle," Ayame said callously.
Rikimaru was more sympathetic. "Then we must take the dangerous way. We shall get to the herbs by going through this maze."
Ayame did not really care. She was up for the challenge.
Mirei grinned uneasily. "All right. Follow me."
**************************************************************************************************************
Mirei certainly knew her way around the estate. She remembered all the buildings and what was contained in them. She said that the estate was even more heavily guarded than before. When she had lived there long ago, there weren't as many ninjas.
Ayame and Rikimaru took turns killing the numerous guards they came across. Ayame's kills were more glamorous than Rikimaru's because it seemed Rikimaru just wanted to get this mission over with.
Before Mirei could turn the corner, Rikimaru stopped her and peered at the enemies standing near the fire in the clearing. There were two female ninjas and three male ninjas. They all wore the pale green colors of the Midori Ninjas; but they didn't have the same outfits. Rikimaru looked at Ayame and touched his cloth covered lips. She shook her head at him telling him that all her blow gun shots were spent. So he looked back at the enemies and brooded for a bit. Even if they killed one stealthily, the other ninjas would spot them and then it would be the end. Their main priority was to protect Mirei, and he knew mikos couldn't fight professional ninjas.
"We will have to walk on the roof instead of going that way," said Rikimaru. Mirei gulped nervously and nodded while Ayame got her grappling hook ready.
Ayame grappled up on the roof easily. When on top of the roof, she swiftly killed the ninja guarding it. Then she held out a hand for Mirei since two people can't use a grappling hook simultaneously. Mirei jumped a little and gripped Ayame's hand which almost sent the Azuma Ninja flying of the roof. With the support of Rikimaru, Ayame helped Mirei on the roof. Then Rikimaru grappled onto the roof.
The L-shaped building had a really senile roof that was bumpy and hard to walk on. They knew if they tumbled off of the roof, they would probably smash into an enemy ninja or break their necks. They moved on stoically across the building, Mirei said that the building holding the medicinal herbs was near the one they stood on.
While walking on the flimsy roof, Mirei detected that the nauseating reek of blood was stronger. Rikimaru had his Izayoi sheathed and Ayame had her blades in her hands. Mirei saw that Ayame's blades were covered in blood. She wished she weren't so close to those wretched blades because the smell really bothered her.
When Mirei could not stand the smell, she ran down the roof in a clumsy fashion. When she got to the edge, she vomitted. Pale and lumpy orange liquid splashed onto an enemy ninja. They yelled and alerted their companions. The other ninjas looked up at the roof and yelled too.
"DAMN YOU!" Ayame screamed at the miko. Her pale face was livid and she looked as if she would kill Mirei. But to her surprise, the miko slowly toppled off of the roof falling on an unwary ninja. The ninja fell to the ground with Mirei on top of them.
Rikimaru leaped off of the building to rescue Mirei. Ayame followed him to help.
There were even more enemy ninjas now. The vomit-stained ninja lunged at Rikimaru with a short sword. The Azuma Ninja kicked him down and sliced his throat. Meanwhile, Ayame was fighting several female ninjas that had encircled Mirei.
Ayame slashed at one ninja and cut her torso. Blood sprayed out of the green outfit which sent the ninja reeling to the ground. Suddenly, a blade pierced deep into Ayame's back. She screamed in pain and dropped both of her blades. They clanged to the ground worthlessly. Ayame fell to the grassy ground and heard someone yell. It sounded like Rikimaru. Then everything went as black and as silent as death.
(Author's Note: Gee. I wonder if anyone else is reading this fanfic other than YOU, Lynn. Thanks anyways.)
Chapter 4: Back to the Green Hell
Mirei watched the lurid face of Kiku-hime with worried eyes. She wished there was another way to save the girl. She did not wish to go back to the Green Hell that was Midori Estate. She would rather throw her body into a pool of hungry sharks than relive the horrors she had fled.
A soft tap sounded on the screen door twice. Mirei switched her attention to the door. Is it time already? she thought. She wanted to prolong the placid moment of sitting near the sick girl for as long as she could. It isn't too late to back out now, she pondered. The miko shook her pretty head and shut that thought out of her mind. She had to help the ninjas; she wanted to save Gohda's daughter. While she brooded, she didn't even notice the vociferous taps on the door or Kiku staring at her.
"Mirei-san, someone's knocking on the door," said Kiku. The hime suddenly began to cough violently sending flecks of blood on her sheets.
Mirei's face was expressionless as she watched the girl cough. She had seen this before, it didn't disgust her but it did worry her.
"Kiku-chan, please continue to drink the tea I made for you," said Mirei. Kiku nodded while the miko rose and answered the door. It was a very angry looking Ayame, and behind her was the silent Rikimaru.
"Are you deaf?!" exclaimed Ayame,"I've been knocking on this door for a while now."
Mirei gave her a pleasant smile. "Oh, well I was just making sure Kiku-chan was all right."
Ayame ignored Mirei and grinned at Kiku. Kiku seemed to be very happy to see her.
Rikimaru pulled the women away from the door. "Let's go."
**************************************************************************************************************
"Why must you wear such bright colors?!" Ayame asked the miko. Mirei glowered at the ninja. "I am a miko. So I must wear white and red."
Ayame knew that of course. But it was unnecessary to wear miko robes when trying to do something stealthy. Mirei had her values, and wearing miko robes was one of them. Ayame and Rikimaru were better prepared because they wore clothes that were dark colors such as black, gray, and brown.
They had scrambled over the tall walls surrounding the Midori Estate. Mirei wasn't as agile as the ninjas so overcoming the wall took some time. The miko insisted that they use the front gate but the ninjas looked at her like she was demented. Two enemy ninjas guarded the front gate, which Mirei did not know because she didn't have a keen sense of sight like the Azuma Ninjas.
Ayame gazed about her for any enemies. Through her scrutiny, she saw that the place was once again enemy infested. She also sensed a ninja above her on the rooftop. She leaned against the cool wood of the building in front of her and looked around at her accomplices. Then she shut her pretty eyes and sighed.
"We should use the buildings," she said.
"But..." whispered Mirei.
"But what?!" snapped Ayame. She opened her eyes to glare at the miko.
"I'm...afraid of heights," stammered Mirei.
"Then you shouldn't be here. You should have just stayed at Gohda-sama's castle," Ayame said callously.
Rikimaru was more sympathetic. "Then we must take the dangerous way. We shall get to the herbs by going through this maze."
Ayame did not really care. She was up for the challenge.
Mirei grinned uneasily. "All right. Follow me."
**************************************************************************************************************
Mirei certainly knew her way around the estate. She remembered all the buildings and what was contained in them. She said that the estate was even more heavily guarded than before. When she had lived there long ago, there weren't as many ninjas.
Ayame and Rikimaru took turns killing the numerous guards they came across. Ayame's kills were more glamorous than Rikimaru's because it seemed Rikimaru just wanted to get this mission over with.
Before Mirei could turn the corner, Rikimaru stopped her and peered at the enemies standing near the fire in the clearing. There were two female ninjas and three male ninjas. They all wore the pale green colors of the Midori Ninjas; but they didn't have the same outfits. Rikimaru looked at Ayame and touched his cloth covered lips. She shook her head at him telling him that all her blow gun shots were spent. So he looked back at the enemies and brooded for a bit. Even if they killed one stealthily, the other ninjas would spot them and then it would be the end. Their main priority was to protect Mirei, and he knew mikos couldn't fight professional ninjas.
"We will have to walk on the roof instead of going that way," said Rikimaru. Mirei gulped nervously and nodded while Ayame got her grappling hook ready.
Ayame grappled up on the roof easily. When on top of the roof, she swiftly killed the ninja guarding it. Then she held out a hand for Mirei since two people can't use a grappling hook simultaneously. Mirei jumped a little and gripped Ayame's hand which almost sent the Azuma Ninja flying of the roof. With the support of Rikimaru, Ayame helped Mirei on the roof. Then Rikimaru grappled onto the roof.
The L-shaped building had a really senile roof that was bumpy and hard to walk on. They knew if they tumbled off of the roof, they would probably smash into an enemy ninja or break their necks. They moved on stoically across the building, Mirei said that the building holding the medicinal herbs was near the one they stood on.
While walking on the flimsy roof, Mirei detected that the nauseating reek of blood was stronger. Rikimaru had his Izayoi sheathed and Ayame had her blades in her hands. Mirei saw that Ayame's blades were covered in blood. She wished she weren't so close to those wretched blades because the smell really bothered her.
When Mirei could not stand the smell, she ran down the roof in a clumsy fashion. When she got to the edge, she vomitted. Pale and lumpy orange liquid splashed onto an enemy ninja. They yelled and alerted their companions. The other ninjas looked up at the roof and yelled too.
"DAMN YOU!" Ayame screamed at the miko. Her pale face was livid and she looked as if she would kill Mirei. But to her surprise, the miko slowly toppled off of the roof falling on an unwary ninja. The ninja fell to the ground with Mirei on top of them.
Rikimaru leaped off of the building to rescue Mirei. Ayame followed him to help.
There were even more enemy ninjas now. The vomit-stained ninja lunged at Rikimaru with a short sword. The Azuma Ninja kicked him down and sliced his throat. Meanwhile, Ayame was fighting several female ninjas that had encircled Mirei.
Ayame slashed at one ninja and cut her torso. Blood sprayed out of the green outfit which sent the ninja reeling to the ground. Suddenly, a blade pierced deep into Ayame's back. She screamed in pain and dropped both of her blades. They clanged to the ground worthlessly. Ayame fell to the grassy ground and heard someone yell. It sounded like Rikimaru. Then everything went as black and as silent as death.
(Author's Note: Gee. I wonder if anyone else is reading this fanfic other than YOU, Lynn. Thanks anyways.)