Disclaimer: FY isn't mine, or at least I think so. Do you think I'm Yuu Watase? If yes, I own it!! *everyone is confused* ^_^ v Give me the money!! I'm rich!!

Sagara: Alright, hand over my mochi. You've been having too much of it. There's a tonne of sugar in it.

Juufan: Ehehehehehehe.


"Hikitsu?!"

I stared at him in amazement, not believing that one of the legendary Genbu shichiseishi was standing right in front of my eyes. I was looking at one of the shichiseishi, who actually spoke to me! This had to be a dream…but I didn't care. I didn't want to wake up! I was looking one of the most famous people in the land here!

"Hikitsu?" I heard the seishi's name being repeated behind me as Takiko came to stare at him too, her eyes looking slightly confused before she turned to look at me. "Is he one of your friends, Chamka?"

I restrained the urge to hit her on the head, wondering if she actually understood the entire legend of the Genbu no miko that I had related her yesterday- and evidently, she didn't. Sighing, I reluctantly tore my eyes away from Hikitsu, who was now occupied with the task of resetting his eye patch back to its original position as I turned to look at Takiko.

"Don't you remember anything of what I told you yesterday?" I asked her, and she tilted her head to one side, looking more bewildered than ever. "For Genbu's sake, weren't you paying attention to what I was saying?"

She shrugged, not really looking as if she understood what was happening. "Well, that story that you told me was so boring, so I nodded off. I woke up just at the end," she informed me with a slight grin, and I sighed in defeat. This girl could never be taught- by me, at least. I would die before I even got anything into that thick skull of hers- except the part about whacking me on the head, of course.

"That cut looks serious- you should get a doctor to look at it."

I was startled by Hikitsu's deep voice and started, before realizing that it was just him speaking. His eye patch was now firmly in place over the character 'to', or rather, in its real meaning: Dipper, which now emitted a mere dull green glow before fading into the darkness of the night. Reaching up to try to halt the flow of the blood on my neck, I watched as his image doubled and tripled before my very eyes before merging into one once more. My fingers came away from my skin, stained with bright red blood that seemed to shine, reflecting the moon's rays.

I winced, realizing that the wound was much more serious that what I had expected and frowned. The pain wasn't that bad- it was just to question about the matter of time before I passed out completely from the loss of blood. I needed a doctor- but where were we supposed to find one in the middle of nowhere?

"Those guys might wake up any time too," Hikitsu added, shrugging as he began to walk off with the cold night breeze blowing through his long silvery hair. "I'd hate to think of the outcome when they round up their comrades- it won't be a pretty sight. I'd suggest you follow me- there's a village now far from here, unless you'd rather hang around and get yourself killed, of course. I can't argue about that."

Takiko turned to look at me inquisitively, pointing at his slowly disappearing form as he walked into the shadows once again. "Ne, I think we're supposed to follow him, ne?" she asked me, and I merely grabbed the horse's reins and her lower arm before dragging the both of them before I could lose sight of the tall, dignified seishi.

"I know that, damn it!"

-------

It wasn't long before we arrived at a small village that was surrounded and well protected by the forest around it. A fire was burning brightly in the middle, emitting a very comfortable orange-red glow into its surroundings; its warmth able to be felt even before we arrived at their front gates.

Throughout our short trip here, I had a little trouble walking straight- for some weird reason, trees just seemed to appear out of nowhere to restrain my path, making me bang into the thick, hard surface of their trunks. I winced, bringing up a hand to gingerly touch a bruise that was on my left cheek. It seemed as if I would have blue-black marks on my face by tomorrow- I had better be ready with an ice pack if I needed one.

All at once, everything seemed to blur, and I shook my head, trying to clear it. What was wrong with me? Takiko's face seemed to go out of focus for a minute, and so did all of the houses as they twisted into all different types of shapes, from a weird ellipse to a stretched, wider version of everything. I clenched my fists, trying my best not to pass out. I still had to put the things down and find a place for the house…I couldn't collapse now! Had to stand this…

Despite my inner protests though, my consciousness won out in the end, and everything became a swirling spiral of darkness where the last pinpricks of lights slowly vanished into the small dot in the distance. The last thing I remembered was the sound of a girl's shrill scream, which sounded vaguely like Takiko calling my name, and everything slowly became eerily silent.

-------

The first thing I felt just as the entire horizon in my head started to brighten was the dull pain that surrounded the spot above my shoulders. It throbbed as if it was alive, giving me the urge to stab it with something to stop that irritating pulse.

"Chamka? How are you feeling?"

Cracking my right open by just a slit, I was greeted by a horrible sight of a close up of someone's face as he or she, what ever it was loomed over me.

"GYYYYYYYAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!"

Jumping back to hit my face on the headboard, I rubbed the bump, still staring at the big face, which had now revealed itself to be Takiko who, too, had jumped back in surprise. She blinked, glaring at me as if I had suddenly gone insane as I stared at her, breathing hard. WHAT THE HELL DID SHE THINK SHE WAS DOING, SCARING ME LIKE THAT?!

Likewise, I yelled at her exactly what I was thinking at that moment. "What the hell do you think you were doing, you damn onna?!"

She frowned, not looking very pleased at the greeting that I had just given her as she threw the cloth that she was holding at my face. I winced as the damp cloth landed on my face as peeled it off without a second thought as I continued to glare daggers at her. "And what the hell was that for?!"

"That's for some ill-mannered, conceited otoko who doesn't know how to be grateful to someone who just saved his life!" she shot back hotly, not giving up as the both of us started to engage in the loudest verbal argument that the Four Gods had ever seen in the last century.

Pillows had just started to fly when someone walked into the room, missing a pillow by just a hair. I looked up, slightly surprised at someone else's presence just as a fluffy pillow hit me point-blank on the face. I glared at Takiko and held up a pillow warningly just as the newcomer sweatdropped and held up a hand as a sign of a truce.

My eyes followed the soft, liquid movements of the girl that demurely laid the tray which was filled with a delicious looking breakfast which bore such delicious smells that wafted around the room. Although my other four senses were taken with the food, my eyes never left the girl- I had had never seen a more beautiful girl in my life. I wondered if she would go out with me…?

Apparently, Takiko must have spotted the look on my face as she stood in front of me and whacked me again, this time without a pillow to cushion the effect. I winced, glaring at her just as the other girl made a hasty exit.

"For Genbu's sake, can't you just not whack me for one day?!"

"Well, that's what you get if you're going to be such a hentai! Going after girls that are already married too!"

Married? I blinked at the new fact and looked pointedly at the green eyed girl, raising an eyebrow in disbelief. "She's married? A girl as pretty as that? I don't buy it."

"I'm grateful to find that you find my wife quite…appealing, Tomite. Still, I would request that you keep your attention to other girls who are single and more fitting for your attention," came a wry voice from the door. I turned to see…Hikitsu?!

I blinked once again stupidly, my forehead wrinkling as I realized what he had said. That girl was his wife?! I groaned, burying my head in my hands. I had almost made a pass at a Genbu seishi's wife! I was going to die a horrible death! He would use that mysterious power of his to slit me open and then kill me before frying me and feeding to the hungry wolves that howled during the full moon! Or he would slice my head off before I could blink and stick it up on a stake in the grass outside his house! I was dead!!

Takiko was rolling her eyes as she watched me. "Don't mind him, Hikitsu-san, he's often that stupid. Oh yes, I forgot to thank you in the first place! Ari-"

She was cut off as Hikitsu suddenly bowed in front of her, leaving her speechless. His eyes closed, he glanced at me for a short while before turning his attention back to the bewildered girl.

"There is no need to thank me, miko-sama. I, as a Genbu seishi, am willing to protect you until the summoning of our god."

"W…what?" Takiko's eyes clouded over with confusion once again, and I barely constrained myself to hit her on the head with my pillow at that moment. She obviously didn't remember the legend of the Genbu no miko…

Hikitsu looked up, his face looking a little confused as he shot a look at me. "Demo, aren't you the Genbu no miko, the one fated to bring safety and peace to all of Hokkan? That's Tomite, isn't it? I sensed his presence since yesterday- and I knew that he was around this area with the miko."

"You're confused," I cut in, still wondering why people still thought of me as the Genbu no shichiseishi Tomite, despite the fact that I definitely wasn't him. "She's the Genbu no miko, there's no doubt about that. We're just going to the capital to meet with the emperor. One other thing, I'm not Tomite- I just found her and was going to escort her to the city."

Takiko folded her arms as she frowned at me yet again. "You'll have to get it into that thick head of his that he is that Tomite person, whoever that is, Hikitsu-san," she spoke, glaring clearly at me. "I saw that green symbol saying 'emptiness', or something like that, and he wouldn't believe me. This baka's just too stubborn, if you ask me."

"Hey!" I protested, and the seishi raised an eyebrow, looking straight at me, and most probably studying me. "I am not Tomite; that seishi has way more abilities than me, damn it! Gods, why don't you people listen?"

Just before I finished that sentence, Takiko had already lifted up half of my shirt before I could even squawk in protest and showed something on my back to Hikitsu, who silently nodded. I frowned, not feeling very amused with that girl's tricks. Why'd she have to drag a seishi into this, of all things to do?

The tall seishi drew back, and gazed straight at my face before raising an eyebrow. "Well, no matter if he doesn't believe it. It doesn't matter anyway."

"N…nani?!" Takiko's eyes seemed to bulge out of their sockets as she stared unbelievingly at him. "Demo, you said…you saw…!"

"See, I told you that I wasn't a seishi!" I smirked, feeling quite relieved as I pulled my shirt down. The head-hitting onna had some pluck pulling up my shirt like that…! "Now, will you stop bugging me about that?"

She glared at me once again and looked pleadingly at Hikitsu once more. "Demo, Hikitsu-san…"

"I'm not finished yet," the silver haired seishi interrupted, his eyes gleaming slightly at my direction…or was that merely my imagination? I shrugged it off, dismissing it as something to do with his genes.

"It doesn't matter if he doesn't accept the fact that he is a seishi, but since he is one, he'll have to come along with us all the same. After all, one of a seishi's jobs are to protect the miko no matter where they are."

It was my turn to gape like a fish out of water as I stared unbelievingly at him now. Why, or all people and of all times, was he taking her side? Oh…wait a minute. He was a seishi. Of course he'd listen to her. She was his miko, ne?

"Listen, the both of you," I sighed, sitting up to reach for my things. "You guys can keep on looking for the rest of the seishi, but I'm going home. Since you," I looked at Hikitsu pointedly, "Can protect her, I take it she'll be safe with you. Now, where are my shoes?"

WHACK!

I winced, bringing my hand up to rub and ease the pain from the bump on my head as I turned to glare at her. She was brushing her hands again, looking very proud at herself as I erupted heatedly, watching in satisfaction as her hair was blown back from the force of my voice.

"Damn it, you freaking onna! I've taken care and tolerated you for long enough, but do I get anything good back from you? Nooo, you just have to hit me some more on the head as if it was nobody's business! Now, for the second and last time, where are my shoes?!"

I was then picked up roughly from the scruff of my neck, and found myself facing Hikitsu's face, which, for some reason I didn't want to find out, seemed both black and red with rage. I was thrown roughly onto the bed once again, and skidded back to hit the headboard with enough force to stop an elephant in its tracks.

"Never, ever speak to the miko-sama in that tone again," he pronounced each word with such emphasis, his voice dangerously calm, but I saw his eyes burn a fire that was hot enough to char me even from where I was sitting, stunned. "If you do so, I shall not hesitate to take any serious action on you. Is that understood?"

The last word was emphasized so strongly that Takiko herself jumped and swallowed in fright, her fingers fumbling with the hem of her skirt while I was simply staring dumbly at the seishi who had been so calm and collected in front of me just minutes ago. What…whatever happened to him?!

"H…hai," I finally sputtered out, and suddenly, his face regained its normal composure once more. Turning to look at me before exiting the room, I trembled slightly under the fierce look that he was giving me.

"I'd suggest you get ready- we're setting off tomorrow to the capital. And one more thing- you're following us, so don't try sneaking away."

As he exited the room, both Takiko and I sat there in stunned silence as we looked each other. His anger had been frightening- as if he was Genbu himself and had ultimate power over us.

"That was…scary, wasn't it?" Takiko spoke up in a very small voice and I nodded. In fact, I couldn't agree more with her at that time. Hikitsu was definitely one guy that I didn't want to mess with. I'd face a furious Takiko who was armed with fists and pillows anytime than cross him when he was in a bad temper…


Author's Notes: Hmm…not much development in this chapter. They get to know Hikitsu even closer…where he turns out to have a hell of a temper. I don't know where the temper part came from, I swear! I just typed and suddenly, BOOM! It appeared on the screen! I didn't realize its existence before this, I promise! ^_^;;

Pillow fight scene…well, I was almost going to have a full-fledged fight (despite never having an experience in one -_-;;), but decided against it. It would've been fun, though! *files away thought for a further reference in the future if this type of scene ever comes up again*

Let's see, what else? Oh yes! First mention of Hikitsu's family (as stated in the prologue earlier that he did have a family) in this chapter! My theory is like this: as a seishi (whom I shall hopefully reveal his history if I ever get around to doing it…), he would get a good wife, who naturally, would be one that is pretty and hardworking besides being dedicated to him! Not that I'm dissing women, I'm an onna too, you know! It's just that…uh… *scratches head* Fine! I'll write the story!! *sighs* Demo…I don't have time, no da…

Well, Hikitsu's clan (and family) are nomads, so I've designed this chapter based on that. They settle down to let their goats to graze, and when the grass is gone, they move on. So that's why they live in a house and not in a caravan a la gypsy style. *nod nod*

Tomite is still denying that he is a seishi (it is hard to see a symbol on your back after all), but he'll come to accept it! After all, he's being forced to follow Takiko and Hikitsu, ne? *smiles at Hikitsu who shakes his head humbly*

Hikitsu: It was nothing, Juufan. A little seishi duty for him will do him good, anyway. He needs to get a little discipline.

*sweatdrops* Ah…hai. Anyways, thanks for the reviews people! Don't worry, I won't forget this story! Unlike my other fic (Sakura in Hogwarts)… ^_^;; Poor Juufan has a short attention span…

Okay, until next time, ja ne ~!

(Author's Notes 2: What Really Happened During The Beta-Reading Of This Fic, by Sagara Sanosuke)

Sagara: -ss. What the?! Why'd you cut me off last time?!

Juufan: 'Cause the author's notes were getting too long.

Sagara: Admit it. You're allergic to sap.

Juufan: I am not.

Sagara: You are. Anyway…*changes subject* Hiccup and Tomato!! ^_^

Juufan: …Hikitsu and Tomite.

Sagara: Hiccup and Tomato!

Juufan: No…I do not want to go through this again…

Sagara: *changes everything to Hiccup and Tomato*

Juufan: Change it back!

Sagara: *sticks tongue out* I hold the mighty keyboard. So there.

Juufan: …I hold the rights to this fic. I can prevent you from even touching it.

Sagara: But you won't. Mwahaha.

~tsuzuku (to be continued…^^)

P.S: Informal poll time! Who is your favourite character? The main characters (Tomato-Sagara, change that back!-Tomite, Hikitsu [Sagara: *hiccups*], Takiko) or the minor characters (the bandit that threatened and almost slit Tomato's neck…Sagara…)? Tell us in your reviews!