Chapter Nine: Reliving Memories Part One
Yui walked over to her dressing table and sat down, gazing at her reflection in the mirror. She was still very worried about Miaka and was quite certain that something had happened. As she grabbed a comb to brush her hair an image appeared in the mirror that was not her own, making her drop the comb and stare back in horror.
"Hello Priestess of Seiryuu" Ren sneered, "It's been awhile since I last saw you."
"Ren Shigyou" she gasped, "What are you doing inside my mirror?"
"I'm just making sure you carry out your end of the bargain Priestess, and I can see that you still haven't done it. What's the matter Yui?" Too scared to do it?"
"I'm not scared, it's just."
"It's been two days" he snarled, "My master is not a very patient person. You don't want anything bad to happen to Miaka do you? You forget that I have the power right now."
"I haven't forgotten. You don't have to remind me!" she shouted.
"Apparently I do" he said dangerously, "Now listen, you do as your told or Miaka is the one who will suffer. I hope I've made myself perfectly clear."
"Perfectly" she said through gritted teeth.
"Good night Priestess" he chuckled then disappeared.
Yui clenched her fist.
"I hate him!"
(Next Scene)
Chichiri got ready quietly and snuck out of the building. As he was walking away he bumped into Tasuki who was leaning on one of the buildings with his arms crossed.
"You don't think you're going alone do you?" Tasuki grinned moving away from the wall.
"Tasuki?" Chichiri replied slowly.
"I'm coming with you. You may so no but too bad. Besides" Tasuki said sadly, "What Hikou did to you is exactly what I was going to do to Tama" he paused, "I never saw it coming. I was always one to hate girls. But with Miaka it was different. I'm a man too. I couldn't help myself."
"We all share a little of those same feelings you know?" Chichiri replied placing a hand on Tasuki's head, "No one's wrong or right. Don't look so down on yourself. All right if anyone's coming, Tasuki I'm glad it's you. The two of us will save Miaka."
"Better make that three" Taka said appearing in front of them, "I'm not about to let you two get all the credit for this."
"You'll have to hold your own you know" Chichiri replied with a smile.
"Yea" Tasuki agreed, "We're not going to be saving your ass."
"Okay" Taka grinned, "Let's go."
(Next Scene)
Miaka looked around the area. Hikou had gone out and left her alone.
"I've got to get out of here," she thought, "But how? Maybe there is a way I can pop this bubble. Huh? Wait a minute" she thought as she reached into her pocket, "I grabbed this just in case" she pulled out the object.
(Next Scene)
"What!" Keisuke yelled as he was looking at the page, "She took my Swiss army knife! I'm going to kill her!"
"Oh like that's the real important detail" Tetsuya replied drolly, "Would you keep reading please?"
"All right fine" Keisuke grumbled, "But she is not going to get away with this" he sat back down and read, "While the Priestess of Suzaku struggled to escape, her warriors arrived at the caves where Chichiri was certain they would find her."
(Next Scene)
"Is this the place?" Tasuki asked his fan ready.
"Yea this is it all right" Chichiri replied, "I sense Hikou's presence everywhere."
"Well where is Miaka?" Taka asked.
"She's probably inside the cave you know. Be careful," he added, "They're probably traps everywhere."
(Next Scene)
"Okay" Miaka thought as she looked through the knife, "If I can just find the right tool, I can pop this bubble and get out of here. Here we go" she pulled out the small nail file, "This ought to work. Here goes nothing."
She pushed the nail file into the bubble and it burst.
"All right" she cheered out loud but then stopped, "I just realized I'm twenty feet in the air. Ahh!" she fell down, "Ow. That hurt" she rubbed her back, "That was really stupid of me. Now what do I do? I'll find some way out."
She looked left and she looked right.
"Oh I don't which way to go. Oh. Oh. Okay let's think. Um. Um. I don't know!" she pulled at her hair.
Suddenly she felt water rush around her making the rock she was standing on the only safe ground.
"What is this?" she thought as she stood there.
"You are such a fool" Hikou appeared, "Do you really think I would make it that easy for you to escape."
"Huh? What do you think that you're trying to pull here."
"I'll show you what I do to people who try to escape from me!" he shouted charging towards her.
"Ahh!" she screamed as she covered her face.
Suddenly a big blast of life force filled the room.
"Hikou!" Chichiri appeared with an angry look and his staff in hand, "If you touch one hair on the Priestess, you'll have to deal with me."
"Chichiri!" Miaka shouted.
"Houjun" Hikou smiled, "It's about time you got here."
"Release Miaka" Chichiri replied, "This is between you and me. It is not right to get her and my friends involved."
"You're right. But that is how I operate."
"You heard what he said" Taka appeared, "Let her go!"
"What he said," Tasuki added.
"Taka! Tasuki!"
"One second Miaka" Tasuki said, "We'll wipe the floor with this bastard and then we'll come to save you. I got to get this guy back for what he did to me anyway."
"What's the matter Tasuki?" Hikou grinned, "Didn't like the way I handled your feelings?"
"You creep. I'm gonna kill you!" he pulled out his fan.
Chichiri stood in front of his friend holding out his staff.
"No Tasuki" he shook his head, "He's mine."
"Uh okay" Tasuki nodded.
"Hikou" Chichiri replied, "For too long have we held grudges against one another. It's time we settle this once and for all. That is if you're willing to fight me man to man?"
"I'm willing. And you're the one who is going to end up dead Houjun."
"We'll just see about that."
Hikou's wings began to glow and the image he had shown before appeared. Water surrounded Miaka, blocking her from the others. Chichiri gazed at the picture with determination.
"You remember this don't you Houjun? The day that you murdered me."
"I don't seem to remember it that way" Chichiri said angrily.
"Then maybe I should give you something to remind you!" Hikou shouted as he sent a blast of water towards Chichiri who blocked it with his staff.
"Is that all you got Hikou? Some power. You're going to have to do better than that."
"Very well, Chichiri of the Suzaku seven" he replied, "How about I strike at the thing that is most important to you right now" he aimed his power towards Miaka.
"No Miaka!" Taka shouted.
"Ahh!" Miaka screamed.
"Hikou stop!" Chichiri replied, "Your fight is with me remember?"
"Yes that's true. But I also have a duty to Master Tenkou. I am to keep the Priestess of Suzaku and Tamahome apart. What better way then by killing her?" he smiled.
Taka and Tasuki clenched their hands together.
"Well that ain't gonna happen buddy boy" a voice spoke up from behind him.
(Next Scene)
Hikou looked back and saw Nuriko holding Miaka and looking very smug.
"How can you when the Priestess is back in our hands?"
"Nuriko?" Taka said in surprise.
"What are you doing here?" Tasuki added.
"You jerks! How dare you go to a fight without me? I'm the strongest one here."
"This was something I had to do on my own Nuriko" Chichiri replied.
"There's no I in team Chichiri" Nuriko said, "Aren't you the one who's always telling us that?"
"That's right" Chiriko appeared behind Taka and Tasuki.
"Chiriko?" Tasuki replied.
"You need all of us by your side right now Chichiri" Mitsukake said standing next to the boy.
"Mitsukake?" Chichiri replied slowly.
"Enough with the role call already" Hikou grumbled, "I get it. The Suzaku seven are inseparable right? I suppose Ren Shigyou was right about all of you."
"Ren Shigyou?" Taka said, "Is he the one who put you up to all of this?"
"He is. But the order came from Master Tenkou himself. I can see that you eight are going to be quite troublesome as a team. But I assure you; my fellow demon leaders and I will not stand for it. Until we meet again Suzaku seven."
"Wait Hikou!" Chichiri shouted, "What was the point of all this? Why go through all this trouble and then give up?"
"Give up? I'm not giving up. We'll see each other again Houjun. I just realized I couldn't do this on my own. And I'm not required to, not yet anyway. You've seen my skills and you know what you're up against. I gave you the courtesy of that. When the four demon rulers come together you will see what true power we have. Until then. Houjun. I will wait for you. No one will take your life but me. I swear it," he said as he disappeared.
"He's gone" Tasuki replied, "Where did he go? What was the point of all that?"
"He was just trying to scare us" Chichiri said, "That wasn't the final battle he was waiting for you know."
"Chichiri" Nuriko replied, "Should we not have shown up?"
"No I'm glad that you showed up Nuriko" Chichiri said with a smile, "I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't."
"Miaka" Taka embraced her tightly.
"Oh Taka I was so scared" she said.
"It's okay. We're all together now."
"Yea man. But what a waste of time" Tasuki replied, "I really wanted to kick his ass."
(Till Next Time)
Authors Note: Another Two-parter!
Next Part: Yui makes her decision. Will she comply or won't she?
