Threshie: ^^;; 'Ello again--this story's getting bigger and bigger, and I still have ideas for it, too! ^^ I love inspiration!

Rufus: I take it you don't often come by it.

Threshie: ^^;; Iie, Rufie. Actually, I've had tons of inspiration in the past--but I haven't had any inspiration for about the last two weeks or so, and for me that's forever! So what I'm saying is, I'm happy to have my inspiration back!

Rufus: *Nods* I get the concept. Better let the readers (if there are any) read the fic already--you left them with a cliffhanger last time, remember?

Threshie: ^^;; Oh, yeah… I'm not the best at cliffhangers…gomen for this one, but the chapter was getting too big, and it seemed like a nice place to cut things off. Btw, marian, thanks for pointing out that it's supposed to be 'kirei' instead of 'kirai'! ^^;; I went and fixed that. I'm not that good with my Japanese yet--please bear with me, hai?

Rufus: I don't know about bearing it, but I know I have to suffer through it…

Threshie: ^^;; Uhh…damare, Rufie! I say that way too much… Rufie's being annoying, but he's right about the cliffhanger--if you've read this far, you probably want to know what happened to poor Kouji-chan! Read on!

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Chibified Escapades: Beware The Box and UFO Monks 9/2/2002

Mallory York/Threshie

"Chichiri-chan? K-konichi wa? Chichiri-chan!" There was a small silence. "…Chichiri-chan? A-are you still out there?"

"I'm still here, no da," the chibi monk answered softly, if only to quiet the tiny bandit so that he didn't wake Tomo--it was a wonder that the crash of the chest's lid hadn't already!

"Then why haven't you let me out?" Chibi Kouji demanded, sounding irritated.

"Da…" Chibi Chichiri sweatdropped. "It's locked, no da," he said in a small voice (Threshie: Smaller than it already is! ^~;; Rufus: Let them read the fic, not our commentary…).

"…Locked?" Chibi Kouji's voice had acquired a slight waver, "As in, will not open without bandit/lock pick assistance or a key?"

"Uhh…hai," the tiny monk answered, sweatdropping. A whimper was heard from inside the chest.

"Tasukete!"

"I'm trying, no da," chibi Chichiri reassured, frowning and glancing around, "I don't suppose you can tell me how to pick a lock without showing me, no da? Or tell me where a lock pick is handily stored in a Seiryuu Seishi's room, since Headband-sama's in there with you, no da?"

Chibi Kouji sighed, "I-iie… Chichiri-chan… ore wa kowai!"

"Don't worry--I found the key, no da!"

"Really?" Chibi Kouji's voice had brightened considerably, "Unlock it, then, onegai!" Chibi Chichiri sweatdropped and sighed.

"Just because I know where it is doesn't mean I can reach it, no da," he replied, frowning slightly. There was a pause.

"Doko da?" Chibi Kouji asked hesitantly.

"Around Tomo's neck on a chain," chibi Chichiri answered despondently. There was another short pause, then the sound of sniffling.

"Either die in here, in the dark, alone…or die a horrible death by The Cackle…or maybe both! It's a lose/lose/lose situation! Waaah!"

"Maa, maa," chibi Chichiri whispered, sighing, "I wouldn't leave you there--I got you into this in the first place, no da. I'm going to try and get the key, no da."

"I-iie!" Chibi Kouji whispered, "What about The Cackle?"

"Maybe he won't wake up, no da," chibi Chichiri reasoned, "He slept through the chest lid falling. Maybe he's a heavy sleeper, no da."

"Sure…" Came the sighed response from inside the chest, "Hurry if you're going to, hai?"

"Hai, no da," the chibi monk responded, "Chotto, don't talk--I don't want him waking up, no da." There was an agreeable silence from the chest, and chibi Chichiri inched over to the side of the dresser that faced the bed, summing up his courage. I have to rescue Kouji-chan, no da, he thought, bravely climbing down onto the bed and inching closer to the sleeping Tomo. He paused, frowning. Close-up, Tomo without his makeup was even more beautiful, and chibi Chichiri couldn't help the mental image of a chibified Hotohori floodcrying at the observation.

Inching closer, he reached out, chubby little fingers almost able to touch the chain that held the precious key. Behind him, a tiny whimper was heard from the chest. Chibi Chichiri sighed. The chibi bandit whom was imprisoned inside of the makeup box no doubt thought that things were taking too long, and that he had just upped and left. I wouldn't do that, no da, the chibi monk thought, unhappy at the fact that he couldn't speak up to say he was still there unless he wanted to wake Tomo--which he most certainly did not. Thinking of The Cackle, he shuddered and peered down at the Seiryuu Seishi nervously. Tomo, fast asleep, was completely oblivious to his presence.

Sighing very softly, chibi Chichiri crawled on hands and knees just a little bit closer, reaching out for the key. His tiny fingertips just barely brushed the chain when he froze at the sound of a knock on the door. Single eye widening, the chibi monk immediately dove off of the bed, not wanting to be spotted by whoever it was. There was another knock on the door, as chibi Chichiri hid in the only place he could think of--under the bed.

He suppressed the incredible urge to sneeze at the community of dust bunnies that occupied the space, somehow miraculously managing to stay quiet as the Cackling One on the bed above him awoke to the sound of knocking on his door. Chibi Chichiri heard rustling, then saw Tomo's bare foot step onto the floor, followed by the other foot. The Seiryuu Seishi walked across the room to the door, but then turned around and faced the chibi monk's--and the bed's--direction.

"Yes?" He asked softly. The door opened, and, much to chibi Chichiri's dismay, Tomo gazed at the floor near the edge of the bed--and looked unnervingly like he was looking at the chibi monk instead. His golden eyes held no surprise, though, and chibi Chichiri decided that he must be idly staring off into empty space--empty space which just happened to be in his direction.

"I know it's late," the tiny but eerie voice sent chills up chibi Chichiri's spine, and he immediately recognized it as Miboshi's, "But I was wondering if you could return that book you borrowed before? It has a spell diagram in it that I require for some casting for Nakago. Could you…?"

"Of course," Tomo replied without turning around. Immediately the floating Seiryuu monk closed the door, and Tomo went to move several items, including his makeup box, off of the dresser, picking up a weathered book and heading back toward the door. Chibi Chichiri watched with interest as the Seiryuu Seishi placed the book carefully on the floor in front of the door, turned his back again and said, "Here you are." The door opened, and Miboshi drifted close enough to the floor to snatch the book up, wrapping both small arms around it.

"Thank you. I must go--spells to cast and all."

Tomo nodded, still looking suspiciously like he was watching chibi Chichiri's every move, and answered, "Very well. Good night, Miboshi." Without another word, the floating monk closed the door firmly, and the strange sound of his floating spell could be heard drifting further away down the hall. Chibi Chichiri sighed with relief that he was gone, but wondered anxiously if Tomo would leave, too--with the key to the makeup chest. The Seiryuu Seishi didn't leave, though--in fact, he came right over to the side of the bed, knelt and peered underneath it--right at chibi Chichiri!