Disclaimer: Don't knock it till you own Fushigi Yuugi. When you do, please give it a definite end?

This latest chapter brought to you by Chibi Hanyou, who reviewed twice! Extra shout out to you! This is your chapter! Hope you like it. ^-^!

The Adventures of the Priestess of Byakko

Chapter Five-Runaway

"Here we are! Saioru! I told ye I'd get ya here," Tokaki announced with pride.

Suzuno looked up at the city with awe. Before she had only seen small villages and that witch's house, but this was extra special. The architecture was perfectly detailed from the shingled roofs to the intricate carvings at the base of each pillar. A perfect replica of Ancient China. It reminded Suzuno of a play she had once been to with Old Uncle Ei- chan. He loved everything about China and was a professor of linguistics. Of course Suzuno was too young to know what it had meant. The last time she saw him was when she was six.

"Suzuno? Are you all right?" a voice to her right asked.

She turned and saw Tatara beside her, watching her with growing concern. She smiled happily at him and said, "I'm fine! Just remembering something happy from my childhood. Don't worry."

With those words, Tatara turned to face forward, closing his facial emotions away. It pained Suzuno every time he did that. Ever since the dream ball, he stopped being warm toward her. He would protect her, mostly from Tokaki when he tried to spy on her. And he would take care of her, like she was a little sister.

"Or like a wounded animal. He'll just make sure I'm okay, then go back to his own little world," she thought, looking sadly at him. "Was it so wrong of me to kiss him? If he doesn't remember what happened in the dream ball, and it was just a kiss, then why does he have to be so cold toward me? Maybe...maybe it's because he doesn't remember! Maybe that's why he's not himself. Maybe it hurts him because I can remember, but he can't."

"Tatara?" Suzuno asked tentatively.

"Hmm?" Tatara responded without looking at her.

"Are you sure you don't remember what happened in the dream ball?"

Tatara blushed a little at the question and fought to repress the memories. "Yes, Suzuno. I don't remember anything. I'm sorry."

Suzuno kept staring at Tatara. "You don't have to worry about it, Tatara. You didn't do anything bad. There's no reason to feel guilty."

Each of Suzuno's sentences jabbed Tatara like a knife. "Nothing bad?! No reason to feel guilty?!!" Tatara thought angrily. "Suzuno, you should be furious with me!! I took advantage of you in there! You have every right to be angry with me! In fact, I'm angry that you aren't angry! I wish you would yell at me and hit me! Then I wouldn't feel so bad." Tatara sighed.

"Aww. Is da widdu monkey all sad cause he can't remember?" Tokaki teased, patting Tatara's back.

"Suzuno? Will you look over there? Tatara asked politely, pointing behind her head.

"Huh?" Suzuno wondered turning her head. As she did so, she heard a loud bang and turned again. She grimaced at the sight of Tokaki twitching on the ground with a three-tiered goose-egg on his head.

Suzuno sighed. "I wish you two would stop fighting. We're supposed to be friends, not punching bags."

"Yeah. Be my friend, Tatara?" Tokaki asked in a dopey idiot's voice, right in Tatara's face, blood trickling from his forehead.

"Don't you dare bleed on me," Tatara thought, looking horrified at Tokaki. "As soon as you stop calling me monkey."

"But it's a cute nickname," Tokaki insisted.

"That name demeans my position!" Tatara yelled at him.

Suzuno began to glow behind them, rage slowly building up. "Just Stop It!!!!" she cried out. "You two have been going at it for two days now! No one is going to believe that you two are celestial warriors! You're more like children!" Suzuno turned her back on them, still fuming and headed into the city.

Tatara and Tokaki huddled together in terror.

"S-s-scary," Tatara shivered.

"And who's gonna believe that she's the priestess with a face like that?" Tokaki shivered in agreement.

Suddenly Tokaki caught attention of something and looked around.

"Hmm? What is it, Tokaki?" Tatara asked.

"Nothin. Just thought I sensed somethin," Tokaki turned back to follow Suzuno and Tatara.

Behind the main city wall, a cloaked figure watched and followed Suzuno and her warriors.

*---*

Suzuno's eyes gaped wide in utter amazement. It was the most beautiful city she had ever seen. Everywhere around her were new and wonderful sights and smells. Cute little street children played hand-whittled flutes and drums. Crowds of finely dressed people laughed at street clowns balancing planks, fruit, and anything else they could find on their various facial features.

Suzuno felt like she could wander around the city all day, taking in the sights, and eating the delicious food she caught tantalizing whiffs of. She was quickly losing herself in the crowd.

Tokaki looked around in mild amusement. He hadn't been to the capital for a while and was grateful to be back and free to look around. But he shook his head and mentally reminded himself of why he was there. He quickly grabbed Tatara's sleeve.

"I know this must be a bit overwhelming to your innocent eyes, but we gotta stay focused. We're not here to sightsee. We're here to see the Emperor," Tokaki told Tatara in a low and cautious voice.

Tatara's pride twinged at Tokaki's "innocent" comment. "Well since you know sooo very much about this city, why don't you lead the way? And I'm sure that someone of your exalted position would know just how to get the Emperor to grant us an audience?" Tatara said with a slyness in his voice.

Normally, such button pushing would have Tokaki viciously defending himself. But his attention was pulled away when he noticed Suzuno's absence. Ignoring the monk's latest jab, he earnestly searched the crowd for any sign of the missing priestess. Nothing.

"Tatara? Did you see where Suzuno went? I can't see her in the crowd!" Tokaki stated urgently.

Tatara at once forgot his duel of words and scanned the bustling herd of people. "I have no idea. But you weren't watching her?!" Tatara asked accusingly.

"Neither were you!" Tokaki shot back, his voice rising in anger. His brow knitted in frustration, he sighed. "Arguing won't help us find her any faster. Let's forget what we said and search for her. Okay?"

Tatara nodded, his face set in grim resolve.

*---*

Meanwhile, Suzuno had become lost in the crowd and without realizing it, had wandered far away from the company of her friends and warriors. While taking in the sights around her, Suzuno's mind was suddenly distracted by a distant memory. Like a half-forgotten dream, the past came to Suzuno at once with such clarity and emotion.

Takiko. Her smiling face, her outstretched arms waiting to catch young Suzuno in a warm embrace. Takiko was like the older sister Suzuno had dreamed of. Takiko was her idol. Her kind and gentle eyes crinkled in happiness. And her beautiful glossy black hair that shined like obsidian. Suzuno envied Takiko's prettiness, wanting to become like her when she grew up. While Suzuno's papa and Uncle Ei-chan talked, Takiko watched over and played with Suzuno. Such happy times they had.

"But it's so strange," Suzuno thought. "Why am I thinking of this now? Maybe it's because Uncle Ei-chan loved to read about and research ancient China. And. of course!" Suzuno mentally whacked herself. "Takiko used to tell me stories! Ancient Chinese Fairy Tales. She would tell me stories to put me to sleep. I remember her telling me about Nu Kua, the goddess who created man for the world. I always thought that Nu Kua would look as pretty as Takiko. And I remember another story she used to tell me about the gods. I forget what it was-"

BANG!! Suzuno's thoughts were interrupted by a body slamming into her and knocking her over. They barreled her over with such force that Suzuno tumbled over a few times before she managed to come to a stop, coughing and covered in dust.

"KHAK! CAUK! What was that?" Suzuno sputtered and coughed.

"Owwww! Why don't you look where you're going, dummy?!" a young girl's voice moaned indignantly. "You almost broke my arm! But lucky for you, I'm too busy to deal with you. You're getting off light for now!"

The source of the voice was covered with a long shawl which came down as she rose and dusted herself off. Suzuno also got up and her jaw almost dropped when she saw her assailant.

The girl in front of Suzuno was only a couple of years younger than Suzuno and a little shorter, but she was very pretty. The most noticeable thing about her was her brilliant, flaming red hair, the same hue as the bright red maple leaves of Suzuno's home world. Her hair seemed to match her fiery temperament.

The girl tapped her foot and frowned. "What are you looking at?!"

Suzuno shook her head slightly, realizing that she was staring. "Oh! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to stare. I've just never seen hair like yours before."

The girl relaxed a little and gave a smug smile. With a proud toss of her hair and head, she stated, "Of course you haven't! Nobody has hair like mine except for my mother-" Suddenly the proud look drained away from her face and was replaced by a pale shadow. Suzuno thought that the girl was about to cry.

"Are you all right?" Suzuno asked in a quiet whisper, her hands reaching for the girl in comfort.

The girl lost her pale look as her face hardened into a frown. "What do you care?!" the girl yelled back, her eyes tearing, pushing Suzuno's hands away.

"I was only trying to help," Suzuno said gently. "You shouldn't push someone away who tries to help you. Can't I do anything to help you?" Suzuno put her hands on the girls shaking shoulders.

The girl looked Suzuno up and down with a critical look in her eyes. "Why would you want to help me, weird looking girl? You must be a foreigner the way you dress." Then the girl lightly touched one of Suzuno's plaits, a faint look of envy showing in her eyes. "I've never seen yellow hair before," she gently mused.

Suzuno giggled a little and started to wipe the dust from the girl's face. "Well, I can help a little by cleaning you up." Suzuno smiled again, remembering that Takiko had done the same for Suzuno when she was younger.

The girl frowned and yanked her face away. "I'm not a baby!" she insisted. "I can clean my own face." She started to viciously rub her face, smearing the dirt.

Suzuno took a hand mirror from her pocket. "Here," she said, offering the hand mirror to the girl. "You can use this."

The girl looked from Suzuno to the mirror, wondering if she should take it. She decided when she yanked the mirror a little out of Suzuno's hand and used it to wipe her face clean.

"There," Suzuno smiled. "You look much better."

"Thanks for the mirror, sucker!" The girl called back at Suzuno as she took off down the street. "I can get a good meal out of this!"

"HEY!!" Suzuno yelled, running after her. "Come back here, you little thief!"

"Hey Suzuno! There you are! What are you doing here?" Tokaki cried out with a wave of his hand, attracting Suzuno's attention.

"Ah! Tokaki! Can you stop that girl?" Suzuno asked, pointing to the red- haired moppet. "She stole my hand mirror."

In a second, Tokaki appeared in front of the girl, blocking her escape. He picked her up with one hand and carried her back to Suzuno.

"OWW! Put me down, you bully! Ouch! Let me go!" the girl cried out, kicking and punching at Tokaki.

"Shut up, you little brat! And give Suzuno back her mirror," Tokaki growled at the girl, giving her a fierce shake.

"I don't have a mirror! And I'm not a brat!" the girl whined, trying to bite Tokaki's hand.

"Funny. You could have fooled me," Tokaki mused with a raised eyebrow. "Though now that I think about it, you're more like a little dog. Do you do tricks?" Tokaki asked with a sly smile.

The girl blushed in anger. "You pervert!! Put me down!"

"That's enough, Tokaki," Suzuno insisted. She looked at the girl, "Please just give me my mirror back? If you do, we'll treat you to dinner, okay?" Suzuno again smiled at the girl.

The girl shoved the mirror at Suzuno. "Here take it! I doubt I could have gotten even a dirty bread bun for that piece of junk."

Tokaki shook the girl again, "You better watch your mouth, kid! I don't care if you are a girl." And with one swift motion, Tokaki had laid the girl across his lap, his hand poised to strike. "If you don't apologize to Suzuno, I'm gonna spank you till you can't sit!"

The girl frowned in disbelief, "Y-you wouldn't dare hit an innocent girl like me!" she declared, a slight tremor of fear in her voice.

"You asked for it!" Tokaki announced. And with that, Tokaki commenced in giving the girl the swatting of her life.

"WAAAAAAIIGGH!!! OW! OW! OW! STOP IT!! STOP IT!! WOOOOW!! OOOOOOWWW!!!" the girl cried out in great pain as Tokaki continued to dish out her punishment. "WAAAAGH!! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Please stop!!"

Suzuno had been flinching away, but could no longer stand by. She grabbed Tokaki's arm to stop him. "Stop! Stop! Tokaki, she apologized! That's enough! Now stop!"

Tokaki still frowning, but relaxed, did as Suzuno requested. With some reluctance, he helped the girl to her feet.

"Aaaaah!" the girl weeped, rubbing her eyes filled with tears. "I'm sorry. I really am. Please don't hurt me anymore!"

Suzuno gently wrapped her arms around the young girl, giving her some comfort. And this time, the girl didn't push her away.

*---*

!!GRAMPH CHOMP SCARFF EAT!! "Mmm-my nam" !!STUFF GORGE CONSUME!! "I'm- Là Tián! Tha's wha you c'n call me," the red haired girl managed to spray out as she tried to talk between giant mouthfuls of food.

Tatara, Tokaki, and Suzuno sweatdropped nervously, watching their food get eaten up by this strange girl.

"Poor girl. She must be starving," Tatara thought, absently fingering his tea cup.

-GROOOWWLL- went Tokaki's stomach. "Damn this kid!" he thought bitterly. "She's eatin MY dinner too! Selfish!"

Suzuno patted the girl lightly on the back, trying to stay smiling. "I sure hope we can eat later. I want to help her, but I'm kinda hungry myself."

Earlier, Suzuno and Tokaki, with Là Tián in tow, had found their way over to Tatara. They had agreed to take the girl to a reasonably priced restaurant. But the way she was eating, they would soon have an unreasonable bill.

As Là Tián paused to catch her breath, the others gathered what remains they could find of their meal and tried to eat.

Là Tián bowed her head low before the trio of friends. "Thank you so very much for the food. I haven't eaten so well since the night before last-" Again her cheery face paused and made a quicksilver change to pale and frightened.

Suzuno was getting accustomed to Là Tián's sudden mood changes and took the opportunity to put her arm around the girl's shoulder, "What happened, Là Tián? Does it have to do with your mother?"

The fire-haired girl looked up at Suzuno with eyes to burn. "It's none of your business! You can't help me anyway!"

"What'd you say, kid?!" Tokaki leapt to his feet in sudden anger. "Don't you dare talk to us like that!! We bought you food and you eat ours too! So I think you owe us some important info! Get to talkin! Unless you want another serving of my red backside dinner special?!" Tokaki cracked his knuckles at the girl.

Là Tián shied away from Tokaki and started to hiccup with fear. "Okay! Okay! I'll tell you! I'm still sore, ya know?" Là Tián grimaced at the memory.

Tatara pulled Tokaki back down to sit. "Calm down, Tokaki. Let us allow the girl to speak at her own pace. Apparently whatever has happened must be difficult for her to speak of."

Suzuno smiled at Tatara's sensitive words. "That's right. She needs our kindness, not threats. Thank you, Tatara." And Suzuno gave Tatara a warm smile.

Tatara bowed his head in modesty, not wanting anyone to see the slight blush creeping over his cheeks at Suzuno's sweet words.

"Well, we can't be TOO kind," Tokaki insisted solemnly, then leaned on Tatara's shoulder. "After all, we can't have anyone take ADVANTAGE of us, now can we? I think there's been enough of that lately-EEK!"

Tokaki had no chance to finish as Tatara began to stretch his cheek, slightly irked by the comment. "We should refrain from such talk, shouldn't we?" Tatara grimaced through his teeth.

Soon they were both tugging at each other's faces. Suzuno and Là Tián sweated beside each other.

"A-are they fighting? I can't really tell," Là Tián asked Suzuno, nervously.

"No. That's just the way they are. I think it's some kind of guy thing," Suzuno replied in a low voice.

But soon Là Tián and Suzuno were laughing at the funny faces Tatara and Tokaki were making at each other. Là Tián smiled warmly at her new companions as Suzuno tugged at Tatara's sleeve, insisting that they should stop.

"Can you guys just forget about that?" Suzuno asked in a plaintive voice. "If you can't stop fighting, then we'll never get to see the emp-"

"I ran away from home," Là Tián's voice spoke out.

At once, everyone at the table paused and stared at Là Tián, her head hung down in shame.

"My father is very sick. Something is wrong with him. I-I don't know why," Là Tián sniffled. "but my mother has gone missing. I think.something's wrong with her too!" Là Tián buried her head in her folded arms and cried into the table. Suzuno came around the table to comfort Là Tián while Tatara and Tokaki watched with empathetic faces.

"I need to find someone who can help me! I've prayed day and night to Byakko for the answer, but he hasn't answered me! I've been so scared worrying about my parents! I don't know what else to do!" Là Tián weeped and sobbed.

"Then I think Byakko has sent you in the right direction, Là Tián," came Suzuno's gentle voice.

Là Tián snuffled and looked up at Suzuno, her eyes stained with tears and confusion. "H-Huh?"

Suzuno smiled, her eyes crinkling with emotion. "I'm the Priestess of Byakko."

"And I am, Tatara. A celestial warrior of Byakko," Tatara stated humbly, yet happily.

"And so am I! Another celestial warrior of Byakko, Tokaki!" Tokaki grinned, proudly pointing to himself.

"And I have finally found all of you here together!! How very convenient for me!" a feminine voice, filled with smugly evil triumph stated close by. The voice belonged to a cloaked figure, who had been following them for quite a while and had finally caught up with them.

-To Be Continued in Chapter 6!

(GASP!! Who is this mysterious female menace? What does she want with our brave warriors and pretty priestess? What is the secret behind Là Tián? Is she friend or foe? And will our heroes ever manage to meet with the emperor?! Tune in next time to find out!)

(Author's Note: Okay, I've got a proposition to make. Give me a review and I'll update with a chapter. How about that? Sound good? Cause I've been quite busy with other projects, but every time I get a review, I am inspired to write more. So for Byakko's sake, IF YOU WANT ME TO KEEP WRITING THIS, REVIEW!!! DAMN IT, REVIEW! Tell me what you think and I'll keep writing! I haven't written this in so long because nobody writes to me! (sigh) Sorry. You just can't expect much from me if you don't give me any input. That is essential. Okay! I'm done raving. Now back to work. Oh! And thank you for reading. Almost forgot. ^-^!)