Messing With Washuu's Inventions Has Advantages
Disclaimer: I wish I owned Tenchi Muyo! or Fushigi Yuugi, but, sadly, all I own are DVDs.
Tsumi: And here is chapter nine! I also caught a mistake on the last chapter, but it was in my author's notes. Please don't hold it against me!!!
And one last thing: The first scene of this chapter is going to go somewhat slow and you all are going to hate me for the second scene, especially you, Sessy-chan.
Chapter Nine: Surprises Before The Day Of The Summoning
Kiyone smiled as she stretched her arms and opened her eyes. No doubt, that had been the most comfortable sleep she ever had. She smiled bitter sweetly. Sure, she loved being a Galaxy Police officer, but when you're on earth, that pay doesn't even cover rent. /Add to that an air-head for a partner and it's no wonder I can't enjoy things like this everyday; I'm too busy paying medical bills./
Laughing quietly to herself, she sat up, stretching her arms again, a somewhat sad look crossing her face. /Eventually, I have to go back to that life, don't I? Ryoko and I, no matter what friends we've made here and how much we like it . . . we have to go back./ Sighing, she thought about how much fun she actually had with the Suzaku Shichiseishi.
It had been two days since her rescue from Kutou, and they've been the best two days of her life. The Suzaku Shichiseishi were as warm and open hearted as Tenchi's grandfather was when he asked her to stay at their home until she and Mihoshi could find a place to live. Each one with their own unique personality, likes and dislikes, and overall, friendliness.
She already knew Tamahome was somewhat of a gentleman, even if he was slightly obsessed with money. She thought that she was developing a schoolgirl crush on the teal-haired youth, but that was dismissed when Miaka had contacted them in Kutou.
Speaking of the miko, she held no grudges against her. She and Tamahome seemed to be pretty much in love, and she was happy for the both of them. Miaka was also quite naive, being younger than herself, that was to be expected. To Kiyone, it felt as if she had a younger sister that she had to take care of and protect.
Hotohori, she mused, was just as Tamahome said: a great, kind ruler, but too much of a narcist for her taste. /Well,/ Kiyone thought. /Better than a stuck up narcist princess. At least Hotohori knows when to be modest./
Kiyone smiled as she thought of Nuriko. The two had become fast friends, easily talking about anything and everything. It was odd, Kiyone had mused, but it was like having an older sister to talk to.
She had to laugh at the thought of Tasuki. He acted very masculine and somewhat like a jerk at times, but she noticed how he seemed to get as shy as a schoolboy when Ryoko talked to him. /Tasuki and Ryoko . . . not a bad pair . . ./ She thought at the time.
She was also grateful to Mitsukake. He had not only healed her, but had also made sure she was alright afterwards. He reminded her of a quieter, taller, and, um, less insane version of Washuu. And as an added bonus, Tama-neko was so cute!
She hadn't caught sight of Chiriko at all in her stay there. She had only caught his voice one time when he was talking to Mitsukake, and thought it sounded familiar from somewhere. She found it odd that he seemed to be avoiding her.
Finally, there was Chichiri. She couldn't begin to explain him and how he had helped her in so many ways. The first night in Konan Palace, she had a nightmare about the blonde shogun and the torture she had been put though. She woke up screaming and in a cold sweat, and had been rocking herself to calm down, when Chichiri had knocked on the door to her room and asked if she was alright. It had taken nearly an hour for her to calm down enough to go back to sleep and Chichiri had stayed with her the whole time, telling her that it would be alright and that nothing was going to happen to her.
Kiyone found herself blushing at the memory. "Stop it." She growled to herself. "You're turning into a fangirl."
Getting up, she got dressed and after brushing her long blue hair, she decided to go to Ryoko's room, if anything, to drag the demon from bed to get some breakfast. Smiling she started walking to said demon's room when she bumped into someone. "Oh! I'm sorry . . ." She trailed off as she got a good look at the boy. Greenish-blonde hair, blue eyes, and a decidedly familiar look. "S-Suboshi?!" She exclaimed.
Amiboshi's eyes widened. Shun had told him about Kiyone and about the fact that he had helped her by making sure her wounds didn't start to fester while she was there. He had also said that he should avoid her because if she saw him, she would blow his cover. He was now in fear for his life; either the Suzaku Shichiseishi were going to kill him or Nakago was going to beat him so badly he would wish to die. He had the idea of knocking Kiyone unconscious with a melody, and was about to do that, when the look on her face caught him by surprise.
She wasn't angry with him, that much he could tell. She looked more surprised than anything, and also a little confused. She sighed and rubbed her temples. "You must be Suboshi's twin, Amiboshi, ne?" He blinked in surprised and tried to form an explanation when she cut him off. "Your twin tried talking to me to keep me conscious, and I remembered him mentioning that he had a twin brother that was also a Seriyuu Shichiseishi." She smiled at him kindly. "Mind telling me why you're here, Amiboshi, and why you're impersonating Chiriko?"
He started as she said this and another wave of fear passed through his system. "Why . . . why do you think I'm impersonating Chiriko?" He asked nervously.
Kiyone cocked her head to the side. "You are very obvious, Amiboshi." She said matter-of-factly. "You kept avoiding me and when you were talking to Mitsukake, he called you 'Chiriko'." Amiboshi paled. "It's alright. I'm not going to hurt you, but I would like you to explain why you're here and what you plan to do."
Amiboshi still was frightened, but the way Kiyone was looking at him helped to make his decision. With a small sigh, he grabbed one of Kiyone's hands and dragged her into an unoccupied room. /Shun . . . forgive me . . ./ He thought as he closed the door. Facing Kiyone, he took a deep breath, hoping to calm his nerves and began to tell her what exactly the Seriyuu Shichiseishi were planning . . .
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Tasuki looked around the corner and sighed. Good, she wasn't there. Slinking quietly around said corner and down the corridor, he breathed a breath of relief. Now if he could keep this up until he got to where the others were . . .
"Ne, what are you doing Gen-chan?"
Jumping, Tasuki let out a scream, spinning around and falling backwards onto the floor. Looking up, he mock-glared at the demon who just blinked innocently. "Damnit woman, don't sneak up on me like that!!"
Ryoko smiled and extended her hand to help Tasuki up. "Gomen, gomen . . . I couldn't help it." As Tasuki grabbed her hand, he felt his cheeks flush and let go hastily. He didn't notice that Ryoko seemed to have a similar reaction as him. "So . . . um . . . I see Mitsukake healed you." She stated quietly.
"Yeah . . .I told him I could wait . . . you needed it more than me!" He exclaimed, finally getting the blush under control and looking back up at Ryoko.
She smiled at him. "Don't need to worry about that." He blinked and he cocked his head to the side in question. /God he looks cute like that . . ./ Ryoko thought before mentally kicking herself. /Damnit, don't think about things like that!/ Acting nonchalant, she folded her arms behind her head and, looking out toward the gazebo and pond she said, "Forget that I heal fast?" She looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
He bestowed one of his infamous fanged grins and leaned forward on his elbows on the railing. His smile fell as he looked out at the gazebo. "You never told me." He said quietly.
Ryoko blinked and floated so that she was right in front of him. "Tasuki, you've been acting shy or have been avoiding me since we got back from Kutou! What's going on?"
Tasuki looked at her for a moment, noticing the half angry half pleading expression she wore before sighing and turning his head away. "It's nothing . . ."
Ryoko growled and floated in front of him again. "The hell it's nothing!"
Tasuki looked downwards. "You'd probably hate me if I told you . . ." He muttered.
Ryoko blinked at the usually . . . aggressive seishi. /Something must really be bugging him to be acting like this./ She thought. She sighed. "Tasuki." She waited until he was looking at her again. She gave him a smile and said "Nothing you can say would make me like you less."
As she spoke, Tasuki looked into her eyes and time seemed to have stopped. It was as if she was under some sort of spell, one that left her powerless and weak in the knees. The only things she was aware of was Tasuki's gaze and the rapid pounding of her heart against her rib cage, as if it was trying to break free of it's prison. Tasuki took a step closer to Ryoko and placed his hands on her shoulders, and Ryoko felt herself shiver from the warmth that touch created. He inched even closer, lips almost touching . . .
"Tasuki!" The moment was shattered at Miaka's call. "Ryoko? Where are you guys?!" Blinking and springing apart moments before the miko came around the corner, trying desperately not to look at each other. Miaka smiled broadly as she saw the two. "There you guys are! We've been looking everywhere for you!" Noticing the tension in the air and how red both were, she tilted her head to the side and asked, "Is anything wrong?"
Tasuki's head jerked up and with fake enthusiasm, he said, "Wrong? What could be wrong, Miaka?" He laughed. "So, whatcha need us for?"
Miaka blinked. "Tamahome's come back from Kutou and said he needed to talk to us. Kiyone-san and Hotohori also said that they needed to talk to us too."
Tasuki forced a smile. "Great Miaka, lead the way!" As she gave him an odd stare and turned to leave, Tasuki resisted the deep urge to punch the wall. /Just had to go and f^&% things up, huh, Genrou?/
As Tasuki disappeared around the corridor corner, Ryoko sank to her knees, hugging herself. "Tasuki . . ." She whispered. /What are you doing to me?/
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"WHAT?!?!? WHO THE F^&% DID YOU JUST SAY YOU WERE?!?!?!"
Amiboshi visibly sunk deeper into his chair at the glares he received from both Tasuki and Ryoko. "uh . . . Seriyuu . . . Shichiseishi Amiboshi . . . uh . . ." He said inaudibly. Kiyone laid a hand on his shaking shoulder and gave him a gentle smile. Taking a deep breath, he tried again. "I am Seriyuu Shichiseishi Amiboshi."
Everyone had either a look of shock (Miaka, Hotohori, Nuriko, Chichiri and Mitsukake) or a look of rage (Tasuki, Tamahome and Ryoko), except for Kiyone, who just squeezed his shoulder lightly in reassurance.
Ryoko glared hard at Kiyone. "You KNEW!!! You f^&%ing knew! How could you keep this from us?!!"
"Whoa, I only found out this morning!" Kiyone said in her defense.
"THAT SON OF A BITCH COULD HAVE KILLED US A MILLION TIMES ALREADY!!!!" Ryoko screamed in rage.
A tessen, a laser sword and a fist were all pointed at Amiboshi. "Tell us why you're here, you Seriyuu bastard, or you're gonna wish that your father never laid eyes on your mother!" Tasuki said.
"I . . ." Amiboshi began, looking to Kiyone for support. "I was sent by Nakago to foil your attempts at summoning Suzaku . . . and," He gulped. "to kill Suzaku no Miko and her seishi."
"THAT'S IT!" Amiboshi and Kiyone barely had enough time to duck before the lance of fire shot over their heads.
"Tasuki! How could you?!" Miaka yelled.
"You baka!" Nuriko slammed Tasuki down onto the table, not noticing the small crack he made. "It's obvious he's not going to do it if he told us!"
Hotohori looked at Amiboshi. "So, you were sent by Nakago." He stated cooly.
Amiboshi knew it wasn't a question but he nodded anyway. "I . . . Shun and I just wanted to help stop the war between Konan and Kutou. Nakago told us that if you summoned Suzaku that . . ." Amiboshi's voice broke. "We didn't know . . .we didn't really . . ." He let his head drop. "Gomen nasai . . ." He said quietly.
Chichiri smiled at Amiboshi reassuringly. "It's okay, Amiboshi no da, we understand. You were being deceived, that's all." Amiboshi looked up and saw that all the remaining Suzaku Seishi agreed with Chichiri.
Ryoko obviously didn't. "What do you mean?! YOU understand! I DON'T!!! He was going to f^&%ing BUTCHER US!!!" A smack from behind sent Ryoko flying into the table, a la Tasuki style, creating another crack in the table surface.
Nuriko spared her a casual glance. "Don't worry about those two; they seem to be denser than the average person."
"Well, this is all wonderful." Mitsukake said, leaning back in his chair. "But now we're short one Seishi." Hotohori smiled and cleared his throat to get everyone's attention.
"That is the topic of which I wished to discuss." Hotohori looked to the door as it opened and a young boy walked in, seemingly no older than thirteen. "I wish to introduce the seventh Suzaku Seishi."
Everyone looked agape at the boy, who bowed politely and said. "My name is Ou Doukun, but you may know me as Chiriko."
"Demo . . . how?" Kiyone asked.
Hotohori smiled. "Chiriko presented himself earlier this morning."
The true Chiriko smiled. "The stars informed me that the Suzaku no Miko had come and was gathering her seishi."
Nuriko had a bright grin on his face. "This works out just wonderfully! Now we can summon Suzaku tomorrow as planned!"
"No, we can't . . ." Ten pairs of eyes turned to Tamahome. He looked away and placed a bag onto the table, opening it to reveal ashes.
Everyone stood silently for a full minute before Kiyone spoke. "Tamahome . . . please tell me that isn't what I think it is . . ."
Tamahome took a deep breath and swallowed hard. "These are the ashes of the Shi Jin Ten Chi Sho." He took another deep breath and said. "Nakago burned the scroll and gave me back the ashes."
"That son of a BITCH!!!" Tasuki roared. "I'll fry his ass so badly that his mother won't recognize him!!" Similar outbursts were spoken by each other Suzaku Seishi as well as Ryoko and Kiyone. Everyone then became silent as they heard a small, broken sobs. All eyes turned to Miaka who's body shuttered with each breath she took as tears rolled uncontrollably down her cheeks.
"Miaka . . ." Tamahome started.
"I'm so sorry, Tamahome! I'm sorry, minna! I'm so, so sorry!"
"Miaka, this wasn't your fault!" Kiyone said.
Miaka shook her head furiously. "Yes it is! I was the one who lost the Shi Jin Ten Chi Sho in Kutou palace! If I didn't take it with me, then Nakago wouldn't have been able to get it! We'd be summoning Suzaku and everyone would be happy!"
"Miaka . . ." Hotohori said, trying to console her, but she kept crying.
"So many people were hurt! Yui-chan and Shoka-san and Kiyone-san and Tamahome and Hotohori! Nuriko and Tasuki and Mitsukake and Amiboshi and Ryoko! So many people were hurt or killed for my one chance to summon Suzaku . . . and now we can't do it!"
Everyone was silent after the miko's outburst before a voice that sounded like rocks on a cheese grader said "I see you matured some, Suzaku no Miko."
Tasuki, Ryoko and Tamahome screamed. "SUKANAKE BABA!!" They yelled in unison.
Taiitsukun, the great creator of the universe, scowled. On her, the effect was tremendous, making her wrinkles sag even more inward. "Who are you calling an old hag, you idiots?!"
Even Ryoko winced, cowered and began mumbling apologies to Taiitsukun, something Kiyone thought was impossible until it happened. With a snort, Taiitsukun turned back to Miaka.
"You failed, Suzaku no Miko. Suzaku's Shi Jin Ten Chi Sho has been destroyed. It can no longer be used to summon Suzaku."
"Then . . . then everyone's sacrifices were in vain . . ." Miaka whispered dejectedly, more tears building up in her eyes.
Tamahome growled. "Sukanake baba, don't be so hard on her! Miaka did her best!"
"YOU CERTAINLY HAVE NERVE, SUZAKU SHICHISEISHI TAMAHOME!!!!" Tamahome cowered, mumbling many apologies as Tasuki and Ryoko snickered. "I didn't say that there wasn't other ways of summoning the beast god." Taiitsukun said off-handedly. Miaka's head snapped up.
"But . . . you said . . ."
"I said that the Shi Jin Ten Chi Sho could no longer be used to summon Suzaku. I didn't say that there weren't other ways."
Miaka's mouth moved but no sound came out. Tamahome looked at Taiitsukun in disbelief. "Why didn't you say so from the beginning, sukanake baba?"
"WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME!?!?!?!?" Tamahome hid behind Mitsukake. She turned back to Miaka. "Suzaku no Miko, there is another way to summon the beast god. However, it will be ten times harder than anything you've been through before, and will require the utmost dedication from the miko, her seishi and friends." She shot a glance at Ryoko and Kiyone. "Do you accept this?"
"Hai . . . anything for another chance at summoning Suzaku." Miaka's eyes had steeled in resolve.
"Very well. To summon Suzaku, you must travel to Hokkan and retrieve the Genbu Shinzaho."
"The Genbu Shinzaho." Miaka said out loud.
Taiitsukun then turned to the seven Suzaku Seishi and began chanting. Six bulbs of light appeared and the seishi found themselves with new gifts and chi.
Tamahome's eyes widened at the sight of his allies admiring their gifts. "Taiitsukun, me next!" He said.
"You don't get anything, Tamahome, since gifts from an old hag wouldn't possibly satisfy the likes of you." Tamahome's face lost all color and he fainted to the ground.
Taiitsukun then turned back to the three girls. "Suzaku no Miko, I must speak to you and the other two girls . . . privately."
With a few nods and murmurs, the boys all left and Taiitsukun motioned for the three to have a seat. "What I have to say is most important, especially to you, Suzaku no Miko." the girls looked intently at Taiitsukun who coughed and said, "You must realize that there is a fine line between Seishi and Miko . . . if you cross it, you'll lose the chance of summoning Suzaku. He will only accept the body of a virgin."
Miaka's eyes began to water. "Then . . . I have to break up with Tamahome?"
Kiyone rubbed her back. "That isn't what Taiitsukun said, Miaka." Miaka looked up at Kiyone and Ryoko. "She said that you have to remain a virgin before summoning Suzaku."
Ryoko smiled. "In other words, Miaka, don't do dis and dat with Tamahome."
"Ryoko!"
"I'm just telling her what my mother told me!"
Taiitsukun coughed to get their attention again. "That rule also applies to you two. Break it and you lose your chance of going back home." Both Kiyone and Ryoko nodded. "Now the last thing I have to tell you is for Ryoko only." Kiyone and Miaka blinked before nodding and leaving the room. Taiitsukun looked at Ryoko sternly for a moment before her face took a slightly sad look. "Washuu was able to contact me." Ryoko blinked and looked at the great creator as she continued. "She told me something that I have to relate to you. Ryoko, this is going to be the hardest thing you are ever going to hear."
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"What the hell is takin' them so long?" Tasuki grumbled, leaning against the railing and folding his arms across his chest. It had been a good ten minutes since Miaka and Kiyone came out of the room, leaving only Ryoko inside. The other seishi had been talking to Chiriko, trying to find out as much as they could about him. Chiriko, for his part, was answering the questions as politely as he could, but was definitely uncomfortable around all of the others. That was until Kiyone came out and helped him relax a little. Chichiri had remarked how good Kiyone was with children, to which Kiyone blushed lightly, mumbling about that she wasn't that good, and endured teasing from the other seishi. Tasuki had tuned out of the conversation some time ago and was currently trying to find anything that would keep his mind off what happened just two short hours ago.
As Tasuki was lost in his thoughts, the door opened and Ryoko slowly walked out, head hung low and bangs shading her eyes. Kiyone became concerned as she looked up from talking with Nuriko and tilted her head slightly. "Ryoko?"
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Longest chapter yet! And don't worry, chapter 10 will be out on Saturday, if not sooner. ^_~
SessyRyo: Er . . . okay, I won't ask. For some reason, I really did not like the last chapter -- I didn't think it was that good! *sweatdrop*
Burnedshadow: *whistles* Damn you are L-U-C-K-Y!!!! I'd give anything to meet Yu Watase-sama! *giggles* Maybe I should have Tasuki call Ryoko 'Ryo-chan'? Ne, what do you think?
Jenishi/Kumiko: Adorable? That's one no one thought up! Thank you for reading!
XellossShoujo and AzureNeko: Oooh! You have to show me the doujinshi when you're done, Neko-chan! And I like that term, Xelloss-chan; ChiKi . . . *giggles*
Disclaimer: I wish I owned Tenchi Muyo! or Fushigi Yuugi, but, sadly, all I own are DVDs.
Tsumi: And here is chapter nine! I also caught a mistake on the last chapter, but it was in my author's notes. Please don't hold it against me!!!
And one last thing: The first scene of this chapter is going to go somewhat slow and you all are going to hate me for the second scene, especially you, Sessy-chan.
Chapter Nine: Surprises Before The Day Of The Summoning
Kiyone smiled as she stretched her arms and opened her eyes. No doubt, that had been the most comfortable sleep she ever had. She smiled bitter sweetly. Sure, she loved being a Galaxy Police officer, but when you're on earth, that pay doesn't even cover rent. /Add to that an air-head for a partner and it's no wonder I can't enjoy things like this everyday; I'm too busy paying medical bills./
Laughing quietly to herself, she sat up, stretching her arms again, a somewhat sad look crossing her face. /Eventually, I have to go back to that life, don't I? Ryoko and I, no matter what friends we've made here and how much we like it . . . we have to go back./ Sighing, she thought about how much fun she actually had with the Suzaku Shichiseishi.
It had been two days since her rescue from Kutou, and they've been the best two days of her life. The Suzaku Shichiseishi were as warm and open hearted as Tenchi's grandfather was when he asked her to stay at their home until she and Mihoshi could find a place to live. Each one with their own unique personality, likes and dislikes, and overall, friendliness.
She already knew Tamahome was somewhat of a gentleman, even if he was slightly obsessed with money. She thought that she was developing a schoolgirl crush on the teal-haired youth, but that was dismissed when Miaka had contacted them in Kutou.
Speaking of the miko, she held no grudges against her. She and Tamahome seemed to be pretty much in love, and she was happy for the both of them. Miaka was also quite naive, being younger than herself, that was to be expected. To Kiyone, it felt as if she had a younger sister that she had to take care of and protect.
Hotohori, she mused, was just as Tamahome said: a great, kind ruler, but too much of a narcist for her taste. /Well,/ Kiyone thought. /Better than a stuck up narcist princess. At least Hotohori knows when to be modest./
Kiyone smiled as she thought of Nuriko. The two had become fast friends, easily talking about anything and everything. It was odd, Kiyone had mused, but it was like having an older sister to talk to.
She had to laugh at the thought of Tasuki. He acted very masculine and somewhat like a jerk at times, but she noticed how he seemed to get as shy as a schoolboy when Ryoko talked to him. /Tasuki and Ryoko . . . not a bad pair . . ./ She thought at the time.
She was also grateful to Mitsukake. He had not only healed her, but had also made sure she was alright afterwards. He reminded her of a quieter, taller, and, um, less insane version of Washuu. And as an added bonus, Tama-neko was so cute!
She hadn't caught sight of Chiriko at all in her stay there. She had only caught his voice one time when he was talking to Mitsukake, and thought it sounded familiar from somewhere. She found it odd that he seemed to be avoiding her.
Finally, there was Chichiri. She couldn't begin to explain him and how he had helped her in so many ways. The first night in Konan Palace, she had a nightmare about the blonde shogun and the torture she had been put though. She woke up screaming and in a cold sweat, and had been rocking herself to calm down, when Chichiri had knocked on the door to her room and asked if she was alright. It had taken nearly an hour for her to calm down enough to go back to sleep and Chichiri had stayed with her the whole time, telling her that it would be alright and that nothing was going to happen to her.
Kiyone found herself blushing at the memory. "Stop it." She growled to herself. "You're turning into a fangirl."
Getting up, she got dressed and after brushing her long blue hair, she decided to go to Ryoko's room, if anything, to drag the demon from bed to get some breakfast. Smiling she started walking to said demon's room when she bumped into someone. "Oh! I'm sorry . . ." She trailed off as she got a good look at the boy. Greenish-blonde hair, blue eyes, and a decidedly familiar look. "S-Suboshi?!" She exclaimed.
Amiboshi's eyes widened. Shun had told him about Kiyone and about the fact that he had helped her by making sure her wounds didn't start to fester while she was there. He had also said that he should avoid her because if she saw him, she would blow his cover. He was now in fear for his life; either the Suzaku Shichiseishi were going to kill him or Nakago was going to beat him so badly he would wish to die. He had the idea of knocking Kiyone unconscious with a melody, and was about to do that, when the look on her face caught him by surprise.
She wasn't angry with him, that much he could tell. She looked more surprised than anything, and also a little confused. She sighed and rubbed her temples. "You must be Suboshi's twin, Amiboshi, ne?" He blinked in surprised and tried to form an explanation when she cut him off. "Your twin tried talking to me to keep me conscious, and I remembered him mentioning that he had a twin brother that was also a Seriyuu Shichiseishi." She smiled at him kindly. "Mind telling me why you're here, Amiboshi, and why you're impersonating Chiriko?"
He started as she said this and another wave of fear passed through his system. "Why . . . why do you think I'm impersonating Chiriko?" He asked nervously.
Kiyone cocked her head to the side. "You are very obvious, Amiboshi." She said matter-of-factly. "You kept avoiding me and when you were talking to Mitsukake, he called you 'Chiriko'." Amiboshi paled. "It's alright. I'm not going to hurt you, but I would like you to explain why you're here and what you plan to do."
Amiboshi still was frightened, but the way Kiyone was looking at him helped to make his decision. With a small sigh, he grabbed one of Kiyone's hands and dragged her into an unoccupied room. /Shun . . . forgive me . . ./ He thought as he closed the door. Facing Kiyone, he took a deep breath, hoping to calm his nerves and began to tell her what exactly the Seriyuu Shichiseishi were planning . . .
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Tasuki looked around the corner and sighed. Good, she wasn't there. Slinking quietly around said corner and down the corridor, he breathed a breath of relief. Now if he could keep this up until he got to where the others were . . .
"Ne, what are you doing Gen-chan?"
Jumping, Tasuki let out a scream, spinning around and falling backwards onto the floor. Looking up, he mock-glared at the demon who just blinked innocently. "Damnit woman, don't sneak up on me like that!!"
Ryoko smiled and extended her hand to help Tasuki up. "Gomen, gomen . . . I couldn't help it." As Tasuki grabbed her hand, he felt his cheeks flush and let go hastily. He didn't notice that Ryoko seemed to have a similar reaction as him. "So . . . um . . . I see Mitsukake healed you." She stated quietly.
"Yeah . . .I told him I could wait . . . you needed it more than me!" He exclaimed, finally getting the blush under control and looking back up at Ryoko.
She smiled at him. "Don't need to worry about that." He blinked and he cocked his head to the side in question. /God he looks cute like that . . ./ Ryoko thought before mentally kicking herself. /Damnit, don't think about things like that!/ Acting nonchalant, she folded her arms behind her head and, looking out toward the gazebo and pond she said, "Forget that I heal fast?" She looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
He bestowed one of his infamous fanged grins and leaned forward on his elbows on the railing. His smile fell as he looked out at the gazebo. "You never told me." He said quietly.
Ryoko blinked and floated so that she was right in front of him. "Tasuki, you've been acting shy or have been avoiding me since we got back from Kutou! What's going on?"
Tasuki looked at her for a moment, noticing the half angry half pleading expression she wore before sighing and turning his head away. "It's nothing . . ."
Ryoko growled and floated in front of him again. "The hell it's nothing!"
Tasuki looked downwards. "You'd probably hate me if I told you . . ." He muttered.
Ryoko blinked at the usually . . . aggressive seishi. /Something must really be bugging him to be acting like this./ She thought. She sighed. "Tasuki." She waited until he was looking at her again. She gave him a smile and said "Nothing you can say would make me like you less."
As she spoke, Tasuki looked into her eyes and time seemed to have stopped. It was as if she was under some sort of spell, one that left her powerless and weak in the knees. The only things she was aware of was Tasuki's gaze and the rapid pounding of her heart against her rib cage, as if it was trying to break free of it's prison. Tasuki took a step closer to Ryoko and placed his hands on her shoulders, and Ryoko felt herself shiver from the warmth that touch created. He inched even closer, lips almost touching . . .
"Tasuki!" The moment was shattered at Miaka's call. "Ryoko? Where are you guys?!" Blinking and springing apart moments before the miko came around the corner, trying desperately not to look at each other. Miaka smiled broadly as she saw the two. "There you guys are! We've been looking everywhere for you!" Noticing the tension in the air and how red both were, she tilted her head to the side and asked, "Is anything wrong?"
Tasuki's head jerked up and with fake enthusiasm, he said, "Wrong? What could be wrong, Miaka?" He laughed. "So, whatcha need us for?"
Miaka blinked. "Tamahome's come back from Kutou and said he needed to talk to us. Kiyone-san and Hotohori also said that they needed to talk to us too."
Tasuki forced a smile. "Great Miaka, lead the way!" As she gave him an odd stare and turned to leave, Tasuki resisted the deep urge to punch the wall. /Just had to go and f^&% things up, huh, Genrou?/
As Tasuki disappeared around the corridor corner, Ryoko sank to her knees, hugging herself. "Tasuki . . ." She whispered. /What are you doing to me?/
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"WHAT?!?!? WHO THE F^&% DID YOU JUST SAY YOU WERE?!?!?!"
Amiboshi visibly sunk deeper into his chair at the glares he received from both Tasuki and Ryoko. "uh . . . Seriyuu . . . Shichiseishi Amiboshi . . . uh . . ." He said inaudibly. Kiyone laid a hand on his shaking shoulder and gave him a gentle smile. Taking a deep breath, he tried again. "I am Seriyuu Shichiseishi Amiboshi."
Everyone had either a look of shock (Miaka, Hotohori, Nuriko, Chichiri and Mitsukake) or a look of rage (Tasuki, Tamahome and Ryoko), except for Kiyone, who just squeezed his shoulder lightly in reassurance.
Ryoko glared hard at Kiyone. "You KNEW!!! You f^&%ing knew! How could you keep this from us?!!"
"Whoa, I only found out this morning!" Kiyone said in her defense.
"THAT SON OF A BITCH COULD HAVE KILLED US A MILLION TIMES ALREADY!!!!" Ryoko screamed in rage.
A tessen, a laser sword and a fist were all pointed at Amiboshi. "Tell us why you're here, you Seriyuu bastard, or you're gonna wish that your father never laid eyes on your mother!" Tasuki said.
"I . . ." Amiboshi began, looking to Kiyone for support. "I was sent by Nakago to foil your attempts at summoning Suzaku . . . and," He gulped. "to kill Suzaku no Miko and her seishi."
"THAT'S IT!" Amiboshi and Kiyone barely had enough time to duck before the lance of fire shot over their heads.
"Tasuki! How could you?!" Miaka yelled.
"You baka!" Nuriko slammed Tasuki down onto the table, not noticing the small crack he made. "It's obvious he's not going to do it if he told us!"
Hotohori looked at Amiboshi. "So, you were sent by Nakago." He stated cooly.
Amiboshi knew it wasn't a question but he nodded anyway. "I . . . Shun and I just wanted to help stop the war between Konan and Kutou. Nakago told us that if you summoned Suzaku that . . ." Amiboshi's voice broke. "We didn't know . . .we didn't really . . ." He let his head drop. "Gomen nasai . . ." He said quietly.
Chichiri smiled at Amiboshi reassuringly. "It's okay, Amiboshi no da, we understand. You were being deceived, that's all." Amiboshi looked up and saw that all the remaining Suzaku Seishi agreed with Chichiri.
Ryoko obviously didn't. "What do you mean?! YOU understand! I DON'T!!! He was going to f^&%ing BUTCHER US!!!" A smack from behind sent Ryoko flying into the table, a la Tasuki style, creating another crack in the table surface.
Nuriko spared her a casual glance. "Don't worry about those two; they seem to be denser than the average person."
"Well, this is all wonderful." Mitsukake said, leaning back in his chair. "But now we're short one Seishi." Hotohori smiled and cleared his throat to get everyone's attention.
"That is the topic of which I wished to discuss." Hotohori looked to the door as it opened and a young boy walked in, seemingly no older than thirteen. "I wish to introduce the seventh Suzaku Seishi."
Everyone looked agape at the boy, who bowed politely and said. "My name is Ou Doukun, but you may know me as Chiriko."
"Demo . . . how?" Kiyone asked.
Hotohori smiled. "Chiriko presented himself earlier this morning."
The true Chiriko smiled. "The stars informed me that the Suzaku no Miko had come and was gathering her seishi."
Nuriko had a bright grin on his face. "This works out just wonderfully! Now we can summon Suzaku tomorrow as planned!"
"No, we can't . . ." Ten pairs of eyes turned to Tamahome. He looked away and placed a bag onto the table, opening it to reveal ashes.
Everyone stood silently for a full minute before Kiyone spoke. "Tamahome . . . please tell me that isn't what I think it is . . ."
Tamahome took a deep breath and swallowed hard. "These are the ashes of the Shi Jin Ten Chi Sho." He took another deep breath and said. "Nakago burned the scroll and gave me back the ashes."
"That son of a BITCH!!!" Tasuki roared. "I'll fry his ass so badly that his mother won't recognize him!!" Similar outbursts were spoken by each other Suzaku Seishi as well as Ryoko and Kiyone. Everyone then became silent as they heard a small, broken sobs. All eyes turned to Miaka who's body shuttered with each breath she took as tears rolled uncontrollably down her cheeks.
"Miaka . . ." Tamahome started.
"I'm so sorry, Tamahome! I'm sorry, minna! I'm so, so sorry!"
"Miaka, this wasn't your fault!" Kiyone said.
Miaka shook her head furiously. "Yes it is! I was the one who lost the Shi Jin Ten Chi Sho in Kutou palace! If I didn't take it with me, then Nakago wouldn't have been able to get it! We'd be summoning Suzaku and everyone would be happy!"
"Miaka . . ." Hotohori said, trying to console her, but she kept crying.
"So many people were hurt! Yui-chan and Shoka-san and Kiyone-san and Tamahome and Hotohori! Nuriko and Tasuki and Mitsukake and Amiboshi and Ryoko! So many people were hurt or killed for my one chance to summon Suzaku . . . and now we can't do it!"
Everyone was silent after the miko's outburst before a voice that sounded like rocks on a cheese grader said "I see you matured some, Suzaku no Miko."
Tasuki, Ryoko and Tamahome screamed. "SUKANAKE BABA!!" They yelled in unison.
Taiitsukun, the great creator of the universe, scowled. On her, the effect was tremendous, making her wrinkles sag even more inward. "Who are you calling an old hag, you idiots?!"
Even Ryoko winced, cowered and began mumbling apologies to Taiitsukun, something Kiyone thought was impossible until it happened. With a snort, Taiitsukun turned back to Miaka.
"You failed, Suzaku no Miko. Suzaku's Shi Jin Ten Chi Sho has been destroyed. It can no longer be used to summon Suzaku."
"Then . . . then everyone's sacrifices were in vain . . ." Miaka whispered dejectedly, more tears building up in her eyes.
Tamahome growled. "Sukanake baba, don't be so hard on her! Miaka did her best!"
"YOU CERTAINLY HAVE NERVE, SUZAKU SHICHISEISHI TAMAHOME!!!!" Tamahome cowered, mumbling many apologies as Tasuki and Ryoko snickered. "I didn't say that there wasn't other ways of summoning the beast god." Taiitsukun said off-handedly. Miaka's head snapped up.
"But . . . you said . . ."
"I said that the Shi Jin Ten Chi Sho could no longer be used to summon Suzaku. I didn't say that there weren't other ways."
Miaka's mouth moved but no sound came out. Tamahome looked at Taiitsukun in disbelief. "Why didn't you say so from the beginning, sukanake baba?"
"WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME!?!?!?!?" Tamahome hid behind Mitsukake. She turned back to Miaka. "Suzaku no Miko, there is another way to summon the beast god. However, it will be ten times harder than anything you've been through before, and will require the utmost dedication from the miko, her seishi and friends." She shot a glance at Ryoko and Kiyone. "Do you accept this?"
"Hai . . . anything for another chance at summoning Suzaku." Miaka's eyes had steeled in resolve.
"Very well. To summon Suzaku, you must travel to Hokkan and retrieve the Genbu Shinzaho."
"The Genbu Shinzaho." Miaka said out loud.
Taiitsukun then turned to the seven Suzaku Seishi and began chanting. Six bulbs of light appeared and the seishi found themselves with new gifts and chi.
Tamahome's eyes widened at the sight of his allies admiring their gifts. "Taiitsukun, me next!" He said.
"You don't get anything, Tamahome, since gifts from an old hag wouldn't possibly satisfy the likes of you." Tamahome's face lost all color and he fainted to the ground.
Taiitsukun then turned back to the three girls. "Suzaku no Miko, I must speak to you and the other two girls . . . privately."
With a few nods and murmurs, the boys all left and Taiitsukun motioned for the three to have a seat. "What I have to say is most important, especially to you, Suzaku no Miko." the girls looked intently at Taiitsukun who coughed and said, "You must realize that there is a fine line between Seishi and Miko . . . if you cross it, you'll lose the chance of summoning Suzaku. He will only accept the body of a virgin."
Miaka's eyes began to water. "Then . . . I have to break up with Tamahome?"
Kiyone rubbed her back. "That isn't what Taiitsukun said, Miaka." Miaka looked up at Kiyone and Ryoko. "She said that you have to remain a virgin before summoning Suzaku."
Ryoko smiled. "In other words, Miaka, don't do dis and dat with Tamahome."
"Ryoko!"
"I'm just telling her what my mother told me!"
Taiitsukun coughed to get their attention again. "That rule also applies to you two. Break it and you lose your chance of going back home." Both Kiyone and Ryoko nodded. "Now the last thing I have to tell you is for Ryoko only." Kiyone and Miaka blinked before nodding and leaving the room. Taiitsukun looked at Ryoko sternly for a moment before her face took a slightly sad look. "Washuu was able to contact me." Ryoko blinked and looked at the great creator as she continued. "She told me something that I have to relate to you. Ryoko, this is going to be the hardest thing you are ever going to hear."
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"What the hell is takin' them so long?" Tasuki grumbled, leaning against the railing and folding his arms across his chest. It had been a good ten minutes since Miaka and Kiyone came out of the room, leaving only Ryoko inside. The other seishi had been talking to Chiriko, trying to find out as much as they could about him. Chiriko, for his part, was answering the questions as politely as he could, but was definitely uncomfortable around all of the others. That was until Kiyone came out and helped him relax a little. Chichiri had remarked how good Kiyone was with children, to which Kiyone blushed lightly, mumbling about that she wasn't that good, and endured teasing from the other seishi. Tasuki had tuned out of the conversation some time ago and was currently trying to find anything that would keep his mind off what happened just two short hours ago.
As Tasuki was lost in his thoughts, the door opened and Ryoko slowly walked out, head hung low and bangs shading her eyes. Kiyone became concerned as she looked up from talking with Nuriko and tilted her head slightly. "Ryoko?"
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Longest chapter yet! And don't worry, chapter 10 will be out on Saturday, if not sooner. ^_~
SessyRyo: Er . . . okay, I won't ask. For some reason, I really did not like the last chapter -- I didn't think it was that good! *sweatdrop*
Burnedshadow: *whistles* Damn you are L-U-C-K-Y!!!! I'd give anything to meet Yu Watase-sama! *giggles* Maybe I should have Tasuki call Ryoko 'Ryo-chan'? Ne, what do you think?
Jenishi/Kumiko: Adorable? That's one no one thought up! Thank you for reading!
XellossShoujo and AzureNeko: Oooh! You have to show me the doujinshi when you're done, Neko-chan! And I like that term, Xelloss-chan; ChiKi . . . *giggles*
