4/27/04: Hi guys. 'Tis I, your faithful (sort of) author. Here's the
deal. I have two days to write this chapter, since I need to finish it by
a friend's birthday. So it might not be my best.
Which brings me to my next point: This chapter is dedicated to Kerry, for her 16th birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY! You'll see why, you'll see why. . .
Please enjoy chapter 11! WARNING: Bit of a high rating for sexual innuendo.
-----------------------------
After being directed in the right direction, Hikari trotted down a narrow street to find Hotohori and Nuriko. As the seishi had seemed occupied, she had volunteered to go get the couple and help them with their stuff.
Finding the right door, Hikari knocked, but there was no response. Knock again. No answer. Concerned, Hikari pushed open the door slightly. "Um!" she called into the house. "Nuriko? Hotohori?" She heard no voices. About to turn around, figuring they had already left, Hikari heard something drop to the floor. She panicked, but summoned up all her courage to enter the house.
Carefully creaking across the floor, she walked closer to the room where she heard the sound. There was a curtain blocking the door way, so there was no way of peeking in. She heard a muffled sound. Poised and ready to execute a few of her best karate moves, Hikari gritted her teeth and counted.
"One, two. . .THREE!" and ripped the curtain to the side, expecting some knife wielding villains to be holding the two seishi captive. Instead, there the two of them were on a mattress with absolutely no clothes on, doing things Hikari would forever try to block out of her mind.
The startled couple had looked up, frozen. Their eyes widened. Hikari's jaw dropped. She let out a scream that only a young girl who has been terribly disturbed could make. Her cheeks burned, and she pivoted and dashed out the door, running in the direction she had come from.
-----------------------------
Running down the street and wailing at the top of her lungs was how she bumped into a man, knocking him completely over. He spilled the packages he was carrying, and Hikari was once again terribly embarrassed.
"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" she said, and reached to help the man pick up whatever he had spilled.
"Get away! Don't touch anything," the man growled. Hikari stuttered and looked down, noticing that he had spilled several knives and other sharp looking things.
"Oh, but, uh, I was only trying to help, and"
"Just fucking don't! Get away from my stuff!" The man was hastily sweeping his belongings back up, looking around nervously to make sure no one else saw him. He stood up and towered over Hikari. He was unusually tall, with a cold but pretty face. His good looks were ruined, though, with a nasty expression in his eyes. His lip curled. "Don't you tell anyone what you saw." He paused. "Although is doesn't matter now, anyways. Now would be the right time, I suppose."
"Right time for what?" Hikari wondered.
Suddenly, from behind a nearby vendor's stand, there was a large explosion, and smoke was everywhere in an instant. People screamed and ran in all directions, temporarily blinded. Hikari panicked, being knocked over by someone. Not wanted to be trampled, she curled into a ball. She felt a foot immediately slam into her side. She writhed in pain.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" the man's voice boomed. "This city is unsafe! You see now the effects of an incompetent emperor's reign! You cannot and will not find your loved ones. People here today will DIE!"
The man was insane. Her heart racing, Hikari crawled as far as she could in another direction. Trying as hard as she could to hold back her tears, whether they were from the stinging smoke or fear, she shivered. She had no idea what to do in a situation such as this. Standing up, she immediately hit her head on what was probably part of a stand, and fell back down. She started to cry, wishing as hard as she could that someone could aid her in such a helpless situation. She wanted now, more than anything, to see the face of one of her seishi, the only people she knew she could trust.
"Hikari-san!" a voice said urgently, as a hand grasped her arm. It was Chiriko- she had been saved. He pulled her upwards, and she clung to him. "No, Keep doing whatever you were doing!"
"What, this?" she started to sit back down, but he held her upright.
"No, weren't you sending our your chi?"
"My. . .? No."
"But I heard you calling to me! We all did! That's how I could find you."
"But. . ."
"Just run, come on!"
Trying as best as she could to be helpful, Hikari once again wished that more seishi would find her. And they bumped into Chichiri.
"Good job, Hikari-chan! Let's move!"
"Where are the others, Chichiri?" Hikari asked.
"On the outskirts of the smoke." They ran, a seishi on either side of Hikari, until the smoke started clearing away. About ten feet apart from each other were Tasuki and Mitsukake, both looking very serious. Mitsukake was directing some small children away from the smoke while simultaneously asking a woman if she needed any help. Tasuki was swinging his fan in a non-stop circle, chanting the entire time. The smoke was being dissolved with every burst of flames. If Hikari had had any doubt in her mind about these men, it was cleared now. They were pros at what they did.
"Oi, 'Chiri!" Tasuki said quickly, inbetween his mumblings. "Where're Nuriko an' Hotohori?"
"They're coming," he said patiently. Hikari blushed and immediately felt guilty. Her dirty mind was going to get her into trouble. "I got a response from their chi- they're coming this way."
Hikari noticed a tall figure walking briskly through the smoke, which could have easily been Hotohori. Instead, the malicious man who started the whole thing was coming closer and closer towards the five of them. He had a nasty grin on his face.
"I thought so," he said in a booming voice. "The Suzaku no Miko has arrived. I could tell from the stupid expression on her face. Is that an inherited trait, or are of suzaku's minions doomed to lack intelligence?"
There was furious yelling coming from all the seishi and priestess. Even Mitsukake and Chichiri looked ready to jump this man.
"Who do you think you are!" Hikari shouted, regaining her confidence.
"Haven't you heard? I'm Konan's little 'rebel.' Thanks to you, kitten, my plans are set in stone."
"Don't you call her KITTEN!" Was the cry in unison.
"Where are the others? Or have they died already? Such a pity you die out so quickly."
"Shut yer fuckin' trap," Tasuki spat. 'Fuckin,' Hikari thought, and blushed again. Between the feelings of guilt, embarrassment, and rage, she thought she was going to throw up.
"Oh, so they're alive? Then tell your Tamahome that I challenge him to a duel. To the death, nine days after today." The seishi grew silent, and the man walked closer until he was inches away from Hikari, towering over her.
"TAMAHOME ACCEPTS!" Hikari yelled up at him, and before she thought about what was happening, she quickly kicked her leg up into the spot she knew even the most condescending man could not tolerate pain in. As the man doubled over in pain, looking surprised, Mitsukake clamped his hand over Hikari's mouth, and Tasuki and Chichiri grabbed her arms and pulled her away from the area as fast as they could.
"Hikari-san, I wouldn't have done that!" Chiriko said. "What are we going to do?"
"We can get Otou-san over here! I just know we can!" she shouted desperately, nudging Mitsukake's hand away. The seishi looked sad for a minute.
"What about Hotohori and Nuriko?" Mitsukake asked. Hikari blushed once again, remembering what they saw.
"Oh, they'll come soon."
'If they haven't already,' Hikari thought to herself.
-------------------------------------------------
Hearing a knock at her locked door, Hikari squeaked. "Hai?"
"Hikari-san, weren't you hungry?" Chiriko's voice said at the door.
"Um, not especially!"
"Is anything wrong?" Hikari jumped up to unlock the door, realizing her rudeness.
"Well, I just, um, I'm a little embarrassed."
"About agreeing to the fight?"
"No, but now that you mention it. . ."
"Oh, sorry. I wouldn't worry about the fight, though, Hikari-san."
"Ano ne," she said, switching subjects. "Just Hikari is fine."
"Oh, sorry!" Chiriko apologized once again. Suddenly there was another knock at the slightly ajar door, and it creaked open. Hotohori stepped into the room.
Hikari thought she was a human flame. He came and sat near where Hikari and Chiriko had seated themselves on the ground.
"Hikari, I'm very sorry about earlier," apologized, bowing. "We did not mean to cause you any bad memories."
"Oh, no!" she said, laughing nervously. "I'm very sorry for intruding. I just came to see if I could help you with your bags, but, um."
"No no, don't worry about it." He stood up to leave. An odd expression was starting to penetrate his stoic features.
"You and Nuriko are a very beautiful couple," said Hikari, trying to break the awkward silence. It obviously was not the smartest choice. Hotohori was now laughing nervously as well.
"Thank you," he said, and shut the door. There was silence again.
"HAH!" Chiriko snorted in a short imitation of the nervous laughter, dropping his usual formality. She looked away, still mortified. "Ah, sorry."
"No, it's fine. You're acting like guys do back home." She smiled. Saying that out loud had comforted her homesickness.
"What could have possibly happened to make you AND Hotohori act like that? You didn't walk in on them ha. . .oh, you did. You did, didn't you. Oh my suzaku." Hikari hugged her knees and rocked slowly. "I'm sure it wasn't that bad, just forget about it. Come on."
"Don't say that word to me."
"What, on?"
"No."
"Come?"
"Shush! Stop it!"
He laughed. "Does that mean something dirty in your world?"
"No, be quiet!"
"No, no, tell me! Why are you so upset?"
"No reason."
"You can tell me."
"I DIDN'T KNOW PEOPLE COULD DO THAT TO EACH OTHER!" With that, Hikari burst into tears and hid her face behind her knees.
"Calm down, calm down," he said, patting her awkwardly on the back. He was trying to suppress his laughter, but it wasn't working. Inbetween her tears, Hikari was laughing as well, in an embarrassed sort of way.
"Is there a way to retrieve Tamahome?" she said, changing the subject.
"No, he is Taka now," he replied.
"Then what will we do?"
"Well, you see. . ."
"You have a plan! Tell me!"
"I'm not the best person to. . ."
"Tell me!"
"Taiitsukun."
------------------------------------------------------------
Bit of, okay well a LOT of sex jokes in there, but I managed to make it interesting AND get a major part of the plot going. Didn't I? DIDN'T I!
Anyways, happy birthday Kerry. To the rest of you, stay tuned! PLEASE review!! All reviewers get. . .um. . .manflesh! Or womanflesh. Reviewers choice. Although Caitlin, I think we need to start those death threats again?
Stay tuned for chapter 12! *cheesy television music*
Which brings me to my next point: This chapter is dedicated to Kerry, for her 16th birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY! You'll see why, you'll see why. . .
Please enjoy chapter 11! WARNING: Bit of a high rating for sexual innuendo.
-----------------------------
After being directed in the right direction, Hikari trotted down a narrow street to find Hotohori and Nuriko. As the seishi had seemed occupied, she had volunteered to go get the couple and help them with their stuff.
Finding the right door, Hikari knocked, but there was no response. Knock again. No answer. Concerned, Hikari pushed open the door slightly. "Um!" she called into the house. "Nuriko? Hotohori?" She heard no voices. About to turn around, figuring they had already left, Hikari heard something drop to the floor. She panicked, but summoned up all her courage to enter the house.
Carefully creaking across the floor, she walked closer to the room where she heard the sound. There was a curtain blocking the door way, so there was no way of peeking in. She heard a muffled sound. Poised and ready to execute a few of her best karate moves, Hikari gritted her teeth and counted.
"One, two. . .THREE!" and ripped the curtain to the side, expecting some knife wielding villains to be holding the two seishi captive. Instead, there the two of them were on a mattress with absolutely no clothes on, doing things Hikari would forever try to block out of her mind.
The startled couple had looked up, frozen. Their eyes widened. Hikari's jaw dropped. She let out a scream that only a young girl who has been terribly disturbed could make. Her cheeks burned, and she pivoted and dashed out the door, running in the direction she had come from.
-----------------------------
Running down the street and wailing at the top of her lungs was how she bumped into a man, knocking him completely over. He spilled the packages he was carrying, and Hikari was once again terribly embarrassed.
"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" she said, and reached to help the man pick up whatever he had spilled.
"Get away! Don't touch anything," the man growled. Hikari stuttered and looked down, noticing that he had spilled several knives and other sharp looking things.
"Oh, but, uh, I was only trying to help, and"
"Just fucking don't! Get away from my stuff!" The man was hastily sweeping his belongings back up, looking around nervously to make sure no one else saw him. He stood up and towered over Hikari. He was unusually tall, with a cold but pretty face. His good looks were ruined, though, with a nasty expression in his eyes. His lip curled. "Don't you tell anyone what you saw." He paused. "Although is doesn't matter now, anyways. Now would be the right time, I suppose."
"Right time for what?" Hikari wondered.
Suddenly, from behind a nearby vendor's stand, there was a large explosion, and smoke was everywhere in an instant. People screamed and ran in all directions, temporarily blinded. Hikari panicked, being knocked over by someone. Not wanted to be trampled, she curled into a ball. She felt a foot immediately slam into her side. She writhed in pain.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" the man's voice boomed. "This city is unsafe! You see now the effects of an incompetent emperor's reign! You cannot and will not find your loved ones. People here today will DIE!"
The man was insane. Her heart racing, Hikari crawled as far as she could in another direction. Trying as hard as she could to hold back her tears, whether they were from the stinging smoke or fear, she shivered. She had no idea what to do in a situation such as this. Standing up, she immediately hit her head on what was probably part of a stand, and fell back down. She started to cry, wishing as hard as she could that someone could aid her in such a helpless situation. She wanted now, more than anything, to see the face of one of her seishi, the only people she knew she could trust.
"Hikari-san!" a voice said urgently, as a hand grasped her arm. It was Chiriko- she had been saved. He pulled her upwards, and she clung to him. "No, Keep doing whatever you were doing!"
"What, this?" she started to sit back down, but he held her upright.
"No, weren't you sending our your chi?"
"My. . .? No."
"But I heard you calling to me! We all did! That's how I could find you."
"But. . ."
"Just run, come on!"
Trying as best as she could to be helpful, Hikari once again wished that more seishi would find her. And they bumped into Chichiri.
"Good job, Hikari-chan! Let's move!"
"Where are the others, Chichiri?" Hikari asked.
"On the outskirts of the smoke." They ran, a seishi on either side of Hikari, until the smoke started clearing away. About ten feet apart from each other were Tasuki and Mitsukake, both looking very serious. Mitsukake was directing some small children away from the smoke while simultaneously asking a woman if she needed any help. Tasuki was swinging his fan in a non-stop circle, chanting the entire time. The smoke was being dissolved with every burst of flames. If Hikari had had any doubt in her mind about these men, it was cleared now. They were pros at what they did.
"Oi, 'Chiri!" Tasuki said quickly, inbetween his mumblings. "Where're Nuriko an' Hotohori?"
"They're coming," he said patiently. Hikari blushed and immediately felt guilty. Her dirty mind was going to get her into trouble. "I got a response from their chi- they're coming this way."
Hikari noticed a tall figure walking briskly through the smoke, which could have easily been Hotohori. Instead, the malicious man who started the whole thing was coming closer and closer towards the five of them. He had a nasty grin on his face.
"I thought so," he said in a booming voice. "The Suzaku no Miko has arrived. I could tell from the stupid expression on her face. Is that an inherited trait, or are of suzaku's minions doomed to lack intelligence?"
There was furious yelling coming from all the seishi and priestess. Even Mitsukake and Chichiri looked ready to jump this man.
"Who do you think you are!" Hikari shouted, regaining her confidence.
"Haven't you heard? I'm Konan's little 'rebel.' Thanks to you, kitten, my plans are set in stone."
"Don't you call her KITTEN!" Was the cry in unison.
"Where are the others? Or have they died already? Such a pity you die out so quickly."
"Shut yer fuckin' trap," Tasuki spat. 'Fuckin,' Hikari thought, and blushed again. Between the feelings of guilt, embarrassment, and rage, she thought she was going to throw up.
"Oh, so they're alive? Then tell your Tamahome that I challenge him to a duel. To the death, nine days after today." The seishi grew silent, and the man walked closer until he was inches away from Hikari, towering over her.
"TAMAHOME ACCEPTS!" Hikari yelled up at him, and before she thought about what was happening, she quickly kicked her leg up into the spot she knew even the most condescending man could not tolerate pain in. As the man doubled over in pain, looking surprised, Mitsukake clamped his hand over Hikari's mouth, and Tasuki and Chichiri grabbed her arms and pulled her away from the area as fast as they could.
"Hikari-san, I wouldn't have done that!" Chiriko said. "What are we going to do?"
"We can get Otou-san over here! I just know we can!" she shouted desperately, nudging Mitsukake's hand away. The seishi looked sad for a minute.
"What about Hotohori and Nuriko?" Mitsukake asked. Hikari blushed once again, remembering what they saw.
"Oh, they'll come soon."
'If they haven't already,' Hikari thought to herself.
-------------------------------------------------
Hearing a knock at her locked door, Hikari squeaked. "Hai?"
"Hikari-san, weren't you hungry?" Chiriko's voice said at the door.
"Um, not especially!"
"Is anything wrong?" Hikari jumped up to unlock the door, realizing her rudeness.
"Well, I just, um, I'm a little embarrassed."
"About agreeing to the fight?"
"No, but now that you mention it. . ."
"Oh, sorry. I wouldn't worry about the fight, though, Hikari-san."
"Ano ne," she said, switching subjects. "Just Hikari is fine."
"Oh, sorry!" Chiriko apologized once again. Suddenly there was another knock at the slightly ajar door, and it creaked open. Hotohori stepped into the room.
Hikari thought she was a human flame. He came and sat near where Hikari and Chiriko had seated themselves on the ground.
"Hikari, I'm very sorry about earlier," apologized, bowing. "We did not mean to cause you any bad memories."
"Oh, no!" she said, laughing nervously. "I'm very sorry for intruding. I just came to see if I could help you with your bags, but, um."
"No no, don't worry about it." He stood up to leave. An odd expression was starting to penetrate his stoic features.
"You and Nuriko are a very beautiful couple," said Hikari, trying to break the awkward silence. It obviously was not the smartest choice. Hotohori was now laughing nervously as well.
"Thank you," he said, and shut the door. There was silence again.
"HAH!" Chiriko snorted in a short imitation of the nervous laughter, dropping his usual formality. She looked away, still mortified. "Ah, sorry."
"No, it's fine. You're acting like guys do back home." She smiled. Saying that out loud had comforted her homesickness.
"What could have possibly happened to make you AND Hotohori act like that? You didn't walk in on them ha. . .oh, you did. You did, didn't you. Oh my suzaku." Hikari hugged her knees and rocked slowly. "I'm sure it wasn't that bad, just forget about it. Come on."
"Don't say that word to me."
"What, on?"
"No."
"Come?"
"Shush! Stop it!"
He laughed. "Does that mean something dirty in your world?"
"No, be quiet!"
"No, no, tell me! Why are you so upset?"
"No reason."
"You can tell me."
"I DIDN'T KNOW PEOPLE COULD DO THAT TO EACH OTHER!" With that, Hikari burst into tears and hid her face behind her knees.
"Calm down, calm down," he said, patting her awkwardly on the back. He was trying to suppress his laughter, but it wasn't working. Inbetween her tears, Hikari was laughing as well, in an embarrassed sort of way.
"Is there a way to retrieve Tamahome?" she said, changing the subject.
"No, he is Taka now," he replied.
"Then what will we do?"
"Well, you see. . ."
"You have a plan! Tell me!"
"I'm not the best person to. . ."
"Tell me!"
"Taiitsukun."
------------------------------------------------------------
Bit of, okay well a LOT of sex jokes in there, but I managed to make it interesting AND get a major part of the plot going. Didn't I? DIDN'T I!
Anyways, happy birthday Kerry. To the rest of you, stay tuned! PLEASE review!! All reviewers get. . .um. . .manflesh! Or womanflesh. Reviewers choice. Although Caitlin, I think we need to start those death threats again?
Stay tuned for chapter 12! *cheesy television music*