Disclaimer: Fushigi Yuugi is not mine but from its creator Yu Watase. The character Mei is of course 100% mine! ;p
*First of all I want to thank my sister CJ for helping me with this chapter.
Chapter 8
Mei resurfaced and looked for the others. She found Miaka a few feet to her right struggling to stay a float and Tasuki behind her screaming his head off about not being able to swim. Mei was debating who to save first when she saw Tamahome jump off the ship.
When he resurfaced Mei said, "Go save the priestess. I'll take care of Tasuki."
The two swam to their respected victims and grabbed a hold of them. Mei was having a more difficult time since the bandit was in a panic.
"Hold still Tasuki!" Mei yelled over the storm. "We're both gonna drown if you don't stop flailing your arms like that."
The red head settled down and looked at Mei. "You know there's something very wrong with this picture."
"Huh?" said Mei abstractly, wishing she could use her powers and just teleport them all to safety.
"I'm the guy here," Tasuki continued, his tone taking on a whining quality. "I'm suppose to be the one saving your butt. Not the other way around."
Mei's only answer was a small chuckle.
"Stop laughing at me!"
"I'm not laughing at you. I think it's kinda sweet that you want to save me." Mei gave the bandit a sweet smile and watched as he opened his mouth, as if to say something then shut it again before turning away.
'I think he's blushing,' thought Mei and smiled to herself. She glimpsed the rope Nuriko threw overboard and told Tasuki to grab hold. When he hesitated Tamahome insisted that he go on first.
"Thanks man," Tasuki told his fellow seishi. To Mei he said, "Climb on my back and I'll pull us both up."
Mei did not waste any time wrapping her arms around the seishi's shoulder. Unexpectedly another wave hit the side of the ship. Tasuki grunted as he willed himself to not let go of the rope.
"Mei!" he shouted as soon as he could breath.
"I'm fine…still here," returned the girl with cough. "But I think that wave drove Tamahome and Miaka further away from the ship. Oh no! I think Nuriko was also thrown overboard! Hurry up Tasuki we need to go after them."
When the two were safely back on the ship's deck, Tasuki immediately pulled Mei towards the stairs leading below deck.
"No wait!" called out Mei. As she pulled them to a halt. Tasuki looked back and saw her looking at the blue haired monk. "Chichiri. I need to.." she pulled her arm free from the redhead's grasp and ran towards the other seishi.
"Mei, come back here!" Tasuki barely got the words out when water slammed onto him again. The seishi grabbed the mast in time and avoided being thrown back into the sea.
Tasuki blinked the water out of his eyes and frantically looked for Mei. His fear was quickly replaced by a new emotion when he spotted Mei huddled next to Chichiri. The blue-haired seishi had his arms around Mei and the latter had hers around him. Jealousy was not something Tasuki felt often and it was so foreign to him that he was not sure what it was. He averted his eyes and tried not to get irritated at what he just felt.
Unaware of Tasuki's conflicting emotions, Chichiri and Mei slowly rose from their crouched position as soon as it was safe.
The seishi looked down at Mei with concern. "Are you alright? That last wave almost swept you out to sea again, no da."
"I'm fine. Thanks for holding on to me." She took a quick peek over the monk's shoulder and was relieved to see Tasuki still with them. "Quick Chichiri, can you tell which way Miaka and the others went?"
Chichiri turned towards the sea and concentrated. "I can barely sense their chi, no da. The storm is somehow interfering with my spell, no da."
"Maybe I can try something," mused Mei.
"No wait! What if something goes wrong, no da. Err, I mean…remember the pigs. Besides, I thought you said you're not suppose to reveal who you are, no da."
"Okay, okay." Mei thought for a moment. "What if I erect a low-level shield around you. So that way whoever is causing this storm won't interfere with your powers."
"That could work, no da," he said with a nod. "You do know the correct incantation, right?" he added hesitantly.
"Of course, " Mei said confidently. "I'll go hide over there so no one sees what I'm doing."
Once settled in a hidden corner, Mei clasped her hands together, keeping both index fingers pointing upwards, and began her spell. She stopped when she heard Chichiri let out a startled cry.
"Mei," the seishi said threateningly, once electricity stopped cursing through his body.
"Sorry" she called out.
The second try was more successful. And soon Chchiri had the ship heading towards their three companions.
However, as soon as Miaka and the others settled themselves on the priestess' room after the rescue, they again felt an ominous shudder from the ship
"Arrgh," growled Tasuki. "What the freak is it this time?"
"Did we hit something?" Nuriko asked in a panic. "Are we gonna sink?"
"No, I don't think so," Chichiri replied. "But I do sense the presence of an evil chi, no da."
"Miaka wait!" shouted Tamahome, as the brunette ran out of the room.
Everyone made a move to follow the priestess. Mei was almost at the door when Tasuki held her back.
"Where do you think you're going?" The redhead asked with a frown. "You're staying here where it's safe."
"But …"
"No buts," he said, cutting her off. "We already have Miaka to deal with. I don't need to worry about you too up there." With that said, Tasuki ran out the room and locked the door behind him.
Mei vainly yanked at the door before finally sighing in frustration. Her mind made up, the demi-goddess stood back and stared at the door.
"Sorry Taitsukin," she said to the empty room. "But I've got to know what's going on up there." Mei then proceeded to mentally unlock the door with her powers.
"Oh blast it!" She swore when nothing happened. But no sooner had the words left her mouth when the door's lock exploded.
Mei blinked then smiled. "Guess that works too." As she opened the door, Mei saw the sword Hotohori had given Miaka from the corner of her eye. The girl ran to where it leaned against the wall, grabbed the weapon, and rushed out of the room.
When Mei reached the upper deck, she saw that all the Suzaku seishis had been incapacitated by the Seiryuu Seishi and that Miaka was about to be get seriously hurt. Without thinking Mei ran forward and shoved her friend out of the way. She barely got the Holy Sword up to block the attack before lighting struck her.
The green-haired girl closed her eyes at the impact and thought she heard someone yell out her name. Mei slowly opened her eyes and saw that the sword was successfully adsorbing the lighting.
'Yea, way to go sis!' she thought happily as she looked at the gift Taitsukun gave to Hotohori. 'Better end this now before she goes after Miaka again. Hope this works.'
She silently weaved a deflector spell around the sword and prayed that she got it right. Her prayer was answered when the sword began to pulse and in a burst of light reflected all the energy it was absorbing right back at the Seiryuu Seishi.
They watched as the woman stumbled back and painfully gasped, "This isn't over," before fading away.
Tamahome hurried to Miaka's side as soon as he could move. Mei saw the two hug as if they would never let go of each other. She turned to the footsteps behind her only to see Tasuki glaring down at her.
"You idiot!" he yelled. "What the heck were you thinking? I thought I told you to stay below deck!"
"Calm down Tasuki," Chichiri interjected when he saw the girls' crestfallen face. "She did just save Miaka and us, no da."
"Calm down? She almost got herself killed!" The bandit turned back to Mei to yell at her some more, but found his anger slowly disappear when he saw her downcast eyes and trembling hands.
'She's afraid of me,' came his bewildered thoughts. Not knowing what to do, Tasuki walked away as shame slowly crept within his heart.
"Look at that," Mitsukake called out above their heads.
"It's Hokkan!" exclaimed Chiriko as the crumbling rocks revealed their destination.
