That Was Her, This is Me

Chapter 10:

Chiaki's mind blanked out. She had no idea how to respond as she stood motionless in Nuriko's grasp. His lips seemed awkward on hers. Maybe it was the alcohol he had consumed... She was frozen. So many people, the noise, the noise! And all the eyes- The sensation of his bangs brushing against the bridge of her nose startled some sense into her and she jerked backwards. "Nur... Nuriko...." Blushing scarlet, she grabbed his arm. "Come on, you've had too much to drink. You're starting to do silly things- let's get you and the others back to the inn." He stumbled silently after her as she rounded up Tasuki, who was getting into a heated argument with a hulking man twice his size in height and weight, and Tamahome, who still writhed on the table, though he was far from standing in his drunken state, singing utter nonsense.

Ignoring their sloppy inquiries, she dragged them back to the inn- which was an aggravating ordeal all on it's own. Tamahome even urinated right in the street. Chiaki groaned, pushing and shoving until they entered the rooms they had booked at the inn. Chichiri, Mitsukake, and the emperor were still awake. Chiriko was asleep, half snoring, on a bed across the room.

"What in Suzaku's name happened?" Hotohori demanded, looking appalled that their drunken state.

Chiaki shook her head, pushing them into a bed apiece. "They just got drunk… Perhaps too drunk," she said with a grimace as Tamahome vomited over the edge of his bed, right at her feet. She sidestepped it, grimacing. Tasuki was groaning pitifully about how the room wouldn't stop spinning and Nuriko had his back to everyone, again unnaturally silent.

Hotohori frowned deeply. "We don't have time to waste lolling about… We must return to Konan at once. But if they're inebriated-"

"I have a remedy for such occasions, your highness," Mitsukake said. "You have nothing to worry about."

Chiaki looked doubtful as Tamahome vomited again. 'Nothing', she thought, 'will cure his hangover tomorrow.'

''''

"Get up, get up, we have to leave."

Chiaki groaned when she awoke to a sharp jabbing feeling and opened an eye. Nuriko stood over her, jabbing her shoulder. "What is it?"

"We. Have. To. Leave."

She glanced at a nearby window. "Ugh… it's not even dawn yet…" she groaned. Then she gave a startled yelp when he grabbed her arm and hauled her straight from the bed onto the cold floor. "Ouch, dammit!" she shouted, effectively waking the remaining sleepers.

Nuriko glanced around. "Well, that saved a lot of time."

Wincing, Chiaki pushed herself to her feet, shoving her messy hair from her eyes and trying to get oriented in the dark. "Cripes Nuriko… how can you even stand? You were utterly smashed last night."

He shrugged. "What can I say? I hold my alcohol well."

She looked up and nearly knocked foreheads with him. She blushed crimson at his nearness, her mind forcing her to recall his unexpected kiss the night before. With a nervous noise in the back of her throat, she stumbled sideways and hastened to pack up her few belongings. He quirked a brow curiously.

"Are you all right, Chiaki-chan?"

"What? Oh I- er- I ... um... yeah! Yes, I'm fine," she said quickly. Belatedly, she forced up a smile.

Nuriko gave her a doubtful look but, before he could say anything, Tamahome assaulted him. Ignoring the death threats for giving him such an awfully strong drink the previous night, Nuriko answered with a shrug, shoving Tamahome aside- and straight through the wall, into the next room- and "What can I say? Some men just can't hold their liquor."

Hotohori sighed, exasperation evident on his face. It seemed that only he, Mitsukake, and Chichiri were ready to leave. "If you please, we must make haste to the palace. We are in danger while we remain in Hokkan."

"The Seiryuu seishi could still be around, no da," Chichiri added.

That last warning set the packing into motion. Within minutes, everyone was awake (sort of) and ready to go, as they were all eager to avoid another confrontation with the enemy. In a sleepy mob, they piled out of the inn and made way for the stable.

"Here." Chichiri held out the shinzaho. "You should wear it, no da. Suzaku should infuse it with your chi to keep it safe."

Chiaki nodded and took the necklace, slipping it carefully over her head and tucking it beneath her coat.

"Are you going to ride with me, Chiaki-chan?" Nuriko asked, trudging in the snow next to her.

Chiaki opened her mouth to say no, she should probably ride with Chichiri, when a sudden force knocked her off her feet and sent her flying into a mountain of snow. Her head cleared a moment or so later to hear the sounds of confusion and growling and to the sight of a huge, hulking beast pinning her to the ground. Her breath caught. It was the same beast-man that had attacked Nuriko back at the mountain! She couldn't make a sound- his weight made drawing any other breath unbearable. Again, she prayed to whoever saved her from the ice the spirits sent her on Mt. Black to please, spare her life again. The beast raised his paw to strike and she cringed, but Nuriko shoved him off just as he struck.

Chiaki sat up, gagging and coughing as she drew in ragged breaths and looked over to see Nuriko, yet again, facing off with the beast-man. Or, Nuriko seemed to be, anyway. The other didn't seem to care about battle in the least at the moment. And moments later, Chiaki understood why. In his paws dangled the shinzaho. She gasped, grasping her neck, as if to affirm what she saw. Her coat was torn in the exact spot the shinzaho had hung moments before.

With a whirl, the beast dashed off.

"No!" Chiaki shrieked, stumbling through the snow after him. "Give it back!"

An arm seized her round her ribcage and hefted her high in the air. She shrieked loudly.

"Ah, quiet down!" said Nuriko's familiar voice. "We're going after it." He settled her sidesaddle on his horse and, with the other seishi, galloped off after the wolf-man's footprints.

Chiaki bit the inside of her lip and tried not to concentrate on the closeness of his body.

"I said quiet down, but I didn't mean to go silent!"

She looked up at Nuriko in surprise and he grinned back. "Er.. yes.. sorry…"

Nuriko arched a slim brow. "Well, you're acting awfully strange. What's the matter?"

"Oh! Um…" Her face burned scarlet and she looked ahead so he wouldn't notice. "Yes… well… I just feel bad that… I lost the shinzaho like that…" Which was true… she did feel terrible about it.

"If you say so."

"I don't understand…" Chichiri was saying a bit beside them.

"What is that, Chichiri?" Hotohori asked.

The monk shook his head a bit. "If she was wearing the shinzaho, no da, Suzaku should have provided it with divine protec-"

There was a sudden apparition on the road before them and the horses screamed in fright, nearly throwing their riders. Moments later, Tamahome screamed in fright too- "A monster!" he bellowed.

"NONSENSE!" the 'monster' barked. "How could you call me a monster!?"

"Taitsukun!" the other seishi exclaimed.

"Exactly. Tamahome, stop cowering this instant!" Taitskun bellowed. Then she turned to the others. "So, I see you have lost the shinzaho," she said gravely.

"We didn't lose it- it was stolen from us!" Chiaki protested.

"Then there isn't time to waste."

"What do you mean?"

"There is a second shinzaho."

"A second one?!"

"Yes. Both shinzahos are needed to summon Suzaku. If you move now, you can get to it before those of Seiryuu do. If you are in strong possession of it, you will be at a draw- for they too would need the second shinzaho. You can worry about regaining the first one later."

Chiriko urged his horse forward. "I have an idea. We could split up. One group can retrieve the stolen shinzaho, and the other will locate the new one."

"Yes, that would make the most use out of our resources." Hotohori agreed.

Taitskun nodded solemnly. "That would be wise."

"But how are we going to split up?" Chiaki wondered aloud.

"Here's my suggestion. As this girl is endowed with the force of Suzaku, have her go to retrieve the stolen shinzaho. Suzaku should protect her if the enemy tries to retaliate. Chichiri can travel with her. The rest of you, continue onward. It could take you a bit of time to locate the shinzaho and you might encounter resistance from your enemy. This will give Chichiri and Chiaki time to get to you so she can obtain the second shinzaho."

The seishi nodded solemnly. All except Nuriko, who was grinning devilishly. "Good idea, but I go wherever Chiaki-chan goes." He pulled her close under one arm. "After all, she has a penchant for attracting trouble."

Chiaki blushed and looked away.

Taitskun rolled her eyes. "Fine. But this is my proposal. Whether you choose to follow it, I leave to you." And she disappeared.

Hotohori stepped forward into the spot where Taitskun had been hovering. "I believe that Taitskun's idea was best so we should follow through."

"I agree with his majesty, no da. You shouldn't encounter too much trouble from the Seiryuu seishi as I don't believe they have made off for the second shinzaho, no da," Chichiri added.

"Then let's go," Nuriko said, slightly impatient. "The longer we wait, the more likely they'll get away!" He extended a hand to Chiaki.

"Er… I think I'll um, ride with Chichiri." She scooted away from him, trying to ignore Nuriko's puzzled look as Chichiri pulled her into the saddle.

"Hyah!" shouted Hotohori and the two groups separated, riding off in separate directions.

"Chiaki-chan," Nuriko began.

"Where do you think we're supposed to find those Seiryuu guys?" she said quickly, staring straight ahead.

"It shouldn't be hard, no da. The wolf left a mess of footprints and broken snow in his wake, no da." Chichiri pointed along their trail.

Chiaki looked over the side of the horse and her eyes followed the snow towards the horizon. "Okay… Do you think we might even catch him on the trail?"

The monk shook his head. "I doubt it, no da. Wolves are fast runners and he got a fair head start on us, no da."

She frowned in disappointment. She really hadn't wanted an encounter with Nakago and the deadly company he kept. Perhaps there was a way to avoid a fight? "Could we sneak in during the middle of the night to get it?"

"It's possible, no da, but probably more dangerous. I doubt Nakago would leave the camp unprotected, no da. His chi will likely be infused in all his surroundings, no da. The quicker we get there, no da, the less likely he'll have all the surrounding land under his influence and therefore rise up against us, no da."

"Oh…"

"Besides, they had the guts to steal it straight from our hands," Nuriko said with a grin. "It's only fitting that we do the same."

Chiaki flushed and looked away. Apart from the embarrassment of the drunken kiss, she also now recalled the fact that the shinzaho had been snatched straight from her hands. Then she gritted her teeth. She couldn't blame herself. What happened, happened. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's kick Seiryuu ass!"

They arrived at the enemy's campsite well before Chiaki had expected. Only one tent loomed in the near distance. She bit her lip. Something was wrong. One tent? Surely, they would need more than one tent. She almost voiced her concerns, but they were already moving forward. She shook her head. No. They needed the shinzaho no matter what! She told herself this over and over.

"We'll leave the horses here, no da," Chichiri said and they dismounted.

Nuriko started out first, motioning for the others to follow him. Quietly, they crept towards the tent. Chiaki gripped Chichiri's sleeve tightly, nervously. They'd be okay… right? Right?

It was seconds before they reached the tent. There was the sound of movement from within and out stepped Nakago. Chiaki gasped. A faint smirk crossed his lips.

"Why hello, what a pleasant surprise," he said dryly.

Suddenly, Chichiri and Nuriko froze.

"What's wrong?" Chiaki said anxiously.

"Our powers… just like last time…" Nuriko said quietly.

Nakago smirked again. "Yes. You are powerless." Burning white chi sparkled in his palm. "Fight back if you dare."