Chapter 4

"How am I supposed to find Jen?" Chichiri was in Qu-Dong looking for Aoi. He was keeping a low profile just in case any of Nakago's droids were after him. "I bet anything that she is in the palace but how am I supposed to get in and how am I supposed to find her? Nakago will surely be expecting me. What am I going to do?" Chichiri was circling the palace in Qu-Dong, trying not to stand out too much. He heard Aoi scream his name and turned to the palace abruptly. He sent her a message mentally.

'Jen.'

"Chichiri?! Where are you?! How can I hear you?!"

'I'm in your mind, ya know? Are you all right? I just heard you scream a while ago and just a second you screamed my name. What's going on?'

"You heard me? Where are you?!"

'I'm outside the Qu-Dong palace.'

"No! Go back Chichiri, please! I don't want you getting hurt!"

'I'm not leaving you Jen. Tell me where you are and I'll come get you!'

"No! Nakago will find you before you even get to me! Please just turn back! Forget about me! I'll be fine!"

'No. Just tell me where you are. I'll be there before you know it.'

"I'm... I'm in some kind of dungeon. I don't know where it is but its pretty cold down here and I can hear water."

'Water?'

"Yes!"

Chichiri looked around and found a river. It ended right near the palace. Chichiri went over and thumped on the ground.

'Can you hear that Jen?'

Aoi listened really hard, "Yes, I can!"

'See. I already found you. I'm right above you. I'm going in and I'll be there in a little while, okay?'

"Be careful! Nakago knows you're coming! He probably already has traps set for you!"

'Don't worry I'll be fine. I'm coming to get you Jen. Wait for me.'

"I will."

Chichiri ran into an alley way and thought out his strategy. In a few seconds after he broke the barrier's shield, he would be in the palace to save Aoi. He was about to disappear into his hat when a creepy hand from nowhere stopped him.

Jen was trying to brake out of her chains again. She wanted to be able to greet Chichiri when he got there. She didn't want to be just hanging around. She pulled and tugged and the only thing she succeeded at was gaining blisters and welts all around her ankles and wrists. She had little strength left so she decided to rest. Had she eaten at all while she was there? She couldn't remember but she probably didn't. She had seen what Nakago was trying to make lady Yui do to Tamahome. He would probably do the same to her.

Her stomach rumbled and she just slid to the floor in a sitting position. She was so hungry. But she had to keep going. She couldn't give up now. Not when Chichiri her love was so close.

"Are you hungry?" Aoi looked up and saw Nakago with some food in his hands. He laid it on the ground and unchained her so she could eat. She didn't touch it although she was so hungry. "Don't worry, I didn't poison it or anything."

"How do I know that?" Aoi exclaimed.

"I'm not going to poison you, I love you."

"And because you love me you could use that deidu stuff without my knowledge to make me yours."

"Good point, but I want you to love me on your own. It would mean nothing to me if I made you love me. If you don't want it, I'll take it back and kill the people who made it."

"No! That's okay! I'll eat it." She didn't sound to happy about it but she was too hungry and she couldn't let innocent people die. So she ate slowly, it didn't taste that bad. Actually it tasted really good!

"I'll leave you alone now. After all, the man you love is coming very soon and I must greet him personally."

"Don't you dare turn him into scrap metal! Leave him alone! Don't touch him!"

"Oh I won't have to touch him. All I have to do is look at him." Nakago disappeared into a wall. Aoi hurried to finish eating her food and then tried to bust out of her cell all together. She tried with all her might but she couldn't do anything. The cell door would not budge.

"Okay. I'm a priestess right? I've got to be able to do something! Now if only I can remember which power I have." She thought about it for a while. "Oh my gosh! I can't remember! What am I going to do?!" Aoi started running around the room. Seconds later she tripped over the dress she had on. She got up, wiped herself off and sat still trying to think and remember.

"Izumi is fire, Emi is water, Usagi is wood, Yume is sky, and so I must be...." She thought for a second and then it hit her, "Earth! I'm earth!" She started doing her happy dance and dancing around the room. Then she remembered something.

"I don't remember how to use my powers! Oh shoot! No no no!" She started panicking again. It lasted for a while.

"Hello can I help you?" A person said at the entrance of the palace.

"Oh no. I'm just looking around." Chichiri said.

"Are you sure? The Lord said that if a person like you showed up then you were to immediately be shown to him. He said you had a very important appointment."

"Oh did he really? Who is your lord?"

"His name is Lord Nakago. Do you wish to speak with him?"

"Actually yes. I would love to."

TO BE CONTINUED