The Secrets that Last
Chapter 11
They stood before the entrance to the zone, a peculiar aura surrounding them all. They seemed confused by its sudden appearance.
"That's not right, no da" Chichiri frowned. "Something seems off." He mumbled, instinctively moving to take his staff.
Tamahome frowned. "That's weird." He commented. "The energy output seems less powerful than before." He cocked his head to the side, cupping his chin thoughtfully.
Miaka sweat-dropped at his words.
Tasuki hit him in the back of the head. "Shut up! Stop pretendin' you know what the hell yur talkin' 'bout!"
Tamahome blanched, crossing his arms indignantly. "I'm not stupid, Tasuki no baka. I happen to be very well aware of what I'm talking about."
"Do you even know what aware means?" Chiriko asked innocently, raising a brow.
Tamahome face faulted. "Well, not really.but I have a pretty good idea!" he grinned, flashing a peace sign.
Miaka and Nuriko shrugged off the stupid man and focused on the zone's entrance.
Hotohori and Ren stepped out, both smiling in welcome. Hotohori's previously slim figure was now significantly altered. He sported a lean, masculine frame with powerful muscles outlined against the thin material of his clothing. His face seemed older. or perhaps wiser was a more appropriate word. His eyes seemed harder. He looked as though he had grown up. That was it. Less feminine and more defined. His new clothing stood out against the forest.
"Minna-chan, who shall be next?" Ren asked shortly. He glanced at Touji and Tasuki who shrugged.
Chiriko stepped forward. "May I?" He asked softly.
Ren gave him a careful look. He nodded slowly.
"I suppose that would do. I have decided the order that shall follow then. Chiriko-chan, you will be next. I will tell you the order following as needed. You have an hour Chiriko-chan, get ready. Bring your scroll and stone. The rest of you, do as you wish."
Hotohori watched Chichiri approach.
"How did it go, no da?" he asked with a grin, looking at both men.
Hotohori shrugged. "As you predicted. Difficult but worthwhile."
Ren smirked at them. "Ne, I suppose I shall leave the two of you alone. Tasuki? Let's take a walk."
Tasuki and Touji followed after him, leaving Chichiri and Hotohori alone.
The atmosphere around them was immediately changed.
Chichiri leveled Hotohori with a deadly stare.
"You know, no da?" he asked simply.
Hotohori nodded. "Hai. And I suppose you are in love with her as well?"
"As well?" Chichiri's eyes narrowed. "I am, no da."
Hotohori smirked.
"And you think that she would choose you over me?" he chuckled harshly. "I warn you my comrade, Usagi-chan is mine. Stay away."
"It is each man for himself, emperor. In the end the decision will be her own, no da. And you have no control over my emotions, no da."
Hotohori's eyes flashed and he shrugged. "Very well. You are correct in that. But I'll tell you now, this instant.Usagi-chan will be mine."
Chichiri glared at him.
*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*An hour later
Tasuki looked at Chichiri and Hotohori exchange near glares. The two looked at each other with an odd sense of challenge. Something between them had changed...
...
They knew who he really was and they wanted her. Chichiri and Hotohori smiled as Ren, Tasuki and Touji approached them.
Ren grinned. "Konichiwa, could you two kindly step aside onegai?" He gestured to the area they occupied, where the door to the zone would be appearing. They both quickly evacuated.
"Arigato." Ren grinned wider. He escorted Chiriko to the site which was already hazy with energy. He went about his spell and the portal swirled to life.
"Ja ne minna-chan!" Ren called, waving to everyone.
"Ja Chiriko-chan!" Everyone shouted.
"Ja minna-chan!" Chiriko grinned as he jumped into the portal with Ren.
Everyone smiled as the portal closed, finally beginning to get used to its popping in and out of their lives.
Tasuki and Touji started toward Tamahome. They sweat-dropped at the blank look he was giving them.
"Ahem, uh.Tasuki?" Touji coughed.
Tasuki chuckled and slapped Tamahome on the back, grinning like an idiot.
"Hey Tama-chaaaannnn, let's go practice ok?" he laughed.
Tamahome looked at them suspiciously but followed the stupidly grinning pair away.
Miaka watched them go curiously but was quickly distracted by the bickering between Hotohori and Chichiri.
"What the.?" she approached them, shocked at the normally pacifist pair's actions. They were whispering fiercely about something.
*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&* In the Zone
Chiriko awoke to something tickling his nose. He felt the sun warm his face and his eyelids felt heavy and lazy. He opened his eyes to find himself at a table with a feather pen tickling his nose. Sitting up, he took in his surroundings with a curious eye. He appeared to be in a library-like room with scrolls lining the walls and stacked all over the room. There was a giant window overlooking a peaceful garden with a soothing waterfall in the center. The peaceful sound of birds' song and gentle sway of the trees in the breeze gave the area a lazy feeling. To Chiriko, it was a studious atmosphere in which concentration was amplified. He grinned and picked up one of the scrolls, scanning its contents anxiously. He was quickly overtaken with a sense of nervousness.
Where was Ren? Had he disappeared? Or was this some sort of mirage or dream?
The sound of gentle humming soothed his nerves as he searched for the cause of the sound.
"Ren?" he called toward the door, which he had found to be the source of the humming. The gentle sound grew louder with each passing moment until finally, his gaze riveted on the thin door, Chiriko called out again.
"U-Usagi-chan? Is that you?" He spoke carefully. The voice's musical tone was unmistakably familiar. He had spent several nights in the young woman's presence and she had hummed him to sleep; he could never forget the sweet voice in his dreams.
The humming stopped and Usagi's shadow formed behind the screen door.
Chiriko gasped, jumping to his feet as Usagi pushed open the sliding door to reveal her smiling face. She wore a pale silver kimono with a black sash and gold cuffs. Her hair had been drawn into a delicate bun with dainty little braids falling on either side of her face, framing her porcelain features.
Chiriko blinked at her.
"Kon' wa Chiriko-chan," Usagi smiled gently. "I will be your sensei for this year."
Chiriko's eyes widened and his brow furrowed.
"Where is Ren?" he asked after a moment.
Usagi proceeded to explain, as she had before, about the relation.Chiriko was quick to accept it and Usagi was thankful for that. The young boy was intelligent to an extent that surprised even her.
And so this unique training began with Usagi giving Chiriko free reign of his little library of scrolls and spells. He was fast absorbing each word and phrase, memorizing the ancient spell books and literature. His mind, thirsty for knowledge, was filled with the history of different creatures and their weaknesses and such. Usagi sat with him day by day to drink tea and give him small words of advice. As days turned into weeks and weeks into months, Usagi was slightly surprised to realize that in the process of gaining knowledge, Chiriko had rather subtly began to bond with the Wisdom Stone. Before she had realized it, Chiriko had painlessly regained every ounce of his powers, without a single notice.
Beyond this slight oddity of his nature, Chiriko hinted at a near constant that he wished to learn more. He was bored with himself and in the evenings, when the bird song changed to soft cricket hum, he would come to Usagi with eager eyes and ask her, in a voice pure and innocent, "When shall I learn to cast spells that will help us in the great battle with Chaos?"
And Usagi would answer him, without a thought. "In time my dear one, in time."
So Chiriko waited, patience being an important attribute of every great mind. And at last, that patience paid off. A month before he was to return.
Chapter 11
They stood before the entrance to the zone, a peculiar aura surrounding them all. They seemed confused by its sudden appearance.
"That's not right, no da" Chichiri frowned. "Something seems off." He mumbled, instinctively moving to take his staff.
Tamahome frowned. "That's weird." He commented. "The energy output seems less powerful than before." He cocked his head to the side, cupping his chin thoughtfully.
Miaka sweat-dropped at his words.
Tasuki hit him in the back of the head. "Shut up! Stop pretendin' you know what the hell yur talkin' 'bout!"
Tamahome blanched, crossing his arms indignantly. "I'm not stupid, Tasuki no baka. I happen to be very well aware of what I'm talking about."
"Do you even know what aware means?" Chiriko asked innocently, raising a brow.
Tamahome face faulted. "Well, not really.but I have a pretty good idea!" he grinned, flashing a peace sign.
Miaka and Nuriko shrugged off the stupid man and focused on the zone's entrance.
Hotohori and Ren stepped out, both smiling in welcome. Hotohori's previously slim figure was now significantly altered. He sported a lean, masculine frame with powerful muscles outlined against the thin material of his clothing. His face seemed older. or perhaps wiser was a more appropriate word. His eyes seemed harder. He looked as though he had grown up. That was it. Less feminine and more defined. His new clothing stood out against the forest.
"Minna-chan, who shall be next?" Ren asked shortly. He glanced at Touji and Tasuki who shrugged.
Chiriko stepped forward. "May I?" He asked softly.
Ren gave him a careful look. He nodded slowly.
"I suppose that would do. I have decided the order that shall follow then. Chiriko-chan, you will be next. I will tell you the order following as needed. You have an hour Chiriko-chan, get ready. Bring your scroll and stone. The rest of you, do as you wish."
Hotohori watched Chichiri approach.
"How did it go, no da?" he asked with a grin, looking at both men.
Hotohori shrugged. "As you predicted. Difficult but worthwhile."
Ren smirked at them. "Ne, I suppose I shall leave the two of you alone. Tasuki? Let's take a walk."
Tasuki and Touji followed after him, leaving Chichiri and Hotohori alone.
The atmosphere around them was immediately changed.
Chichiri leveled Hotohori with a deadly stare.
"You know, no da?" he asked simply.
Hotohori nodded. "Hai. And I suppose you are in love with her as well?"
"As well?" Chichiri's eyes narrowed. "I am, no da."
Hotohori smirked.
"And you think that she would choose you over me?" he chuckled harshly. "I warn you my comrade, Usagi-chan is mine. Stay away."
"It is each man for himself, emperor. In the end the decision will be her own, no da. And you have no control over my emotions, no da."
Hotohori's eyes flashed and he shrugged. "Very well. You are correct in that. But I'll tell you now, this instant.Usagi-chan will be mine."
Chichiri glared at him.
*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*An hour later
Tasuki looked at Chichiri and Hotohori exchange near glares. The two looked at each other with an odd sense of challenge. Something between them had changed...
...
They knew who he really was and they wanted her. Chichiri and Hotohori smiled as Ren, Tasuki and Touji approached them.
Ren grinned. "Konichiwa, could you two kindly step aside onegai?" He gestured to the area they occupied, where the door to the zone would be appearing. They both quickly evacuated.
"Arigato." Ren grinned wider. He escorted Chiriko to the site which was already hazy with energy. He went about his spell and the portal swirled to life.
"Ja ne minna-chan!" Ren called, waving to everyone.
"Ja Chiriko-chan!" Everyone shouted.
"Ja minna-chan!" Chiriko grinned as he jumped into the portal with Ren.
Everyone smiled as the portal closed, finally beginning to get used to its popping in and out of their lives.
Tasuki and Touji started toward Tamahome. They sweat-dropped at the blank look he was giving them.
"Ahem, uh.Tasuki?" Touji coughed.
Tasuki chuckled and slapped Tamahome on the back, grinning like an idiot.
"Hey Tama-chaaaannnn, let's go practice ok?" he laughed.
Tamahome looked at them suspiciously but followed the stupidly grinning pair away.
Miaka watched them go curiously but was quickly distracted by the bickering between Hotohori and Chichiri.
"What the.?" she approached them, shocked at the normally pacifist pair's actions. They were whispering fiercely about something.
*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&* In the Zone
Chiriko awoke to something tickling his nose. He felt the sun warm his face and his eyelids felt heavy and lazy. He opened his eyes to find himself at a table with a feather pen tickling his nose. Sitting up, he took in his surroundings with a curious eye. He appeared to be in a library-like room with scrolls lining the walls and stacked all over the room. There was a giant window overlooking a peaceful garden with a soothing waterfall in the center. The peaceful sound of birds' song and gentle sway of the trees in the breeze gave the area a lazy feeling. To Chiriko, it was a studious atmosphere in which concentration was amplified. He grinned and picked up one of the scrolls, scanning its contents anxiously. He was quickly overtaken with a sense of nervousness.
Where was Ren? Had he disappeared? Or was this some sort of mirage or dream?
The sound of gentle humming soothed his nerves as he searched for the cause of the sound.
"Ren?" he called toward the door, which he had found to be the source of the humming. The gentle sound grew louder with each passing moment until finally, his gaze riveted on the thin door, Chiriko called out again.
"U-Usagi-chan? Is that you?" He spoke carefully. The voice's musical tone was unmistakably familiar. He had spent several nights in the young woman's presence and she had hummed him to sleep; he could never forget the sweet voice in his dreams.
The humming stopped and Usagi's shadow formed behind the screen door.
Chiriko gasped, jumping to his feet as Usagi pushed open the sliding door to reveal her smiling face. She wore a pale silver kimono with a black sash and gold cuffs. Her hair had been drawn into a delicate bun with dainty little braids falling on either side of her face, framing her porcelain features.
Chiriko blinked at her.
"Kon' wa Chiriko-chan," Usagi smiled gently. "I will be your sensei for this year."
Chiriko's eyes widened and his brow furrowed.
"Where is Ren?" he asked after a moment.
Usagi proceeded to explain, as she had before, about the relation.Chiriko was quick to accept it and Usagi was thankful for that. The young boy was intelligent to an extent that surprised even her.
And so this unique training began with Usagi giving Chiriko free reign of his little library of scrolls and spells. He was fast absorbing each word and phrase, memorizing the ancient spell books and literature. His mind, thirsty for knowledge, was filled with the history of different creatures and their weaknesses and such. Usagi sat with him day by day to drink tea and give him small words of advice. As days turned into weeks and weeks into months, Usagi was slightly surprised to realize that in the process of gaining knowledge, Chiriko had rather subtly began to bond with the Wisdom Stone. Before she had realized it, Chiriko had painlessly regained every ounce of his powers, without a single notice.
Beyond this slight oddity of his nature, Chiriko hinted at a near constant that he wished to learn more. He was bored with himself and in the evenings, when the bird song changed to soft cricket hum, he would come to Usagi with eager eyes and ask her, in a voice pure and innocent, "When shall I learn to cast spells that will help us in the great battle with Chaos?"
And Usagi would answer him, without a thought. "In time my dear one, in time."
So Chiriko waited, patience being an important attribute of every great mind. And at last, that patience paid off. A month before he was to return.