Chapter 5

"Ah, Chichiri. So nice of you to come." Nakago said in the other room as Chichiri walked in the room. Nakago was sitting in a chair all the way across the room. He had a gold cape on and a gold crown on his head.

"You know, that crown just isn't you." Chichiri said smiling.

"You're right." Nakago took off the crown, threw it across the floor, and flipped his hair out of the crown shape. "I thought I looked better this way too."

"Either way, you're still hideous. Now where is Jen?" Chichiri said. Unwantedly, Nakago knew Aoi's nickname.

"Aoi is downstairs resting. She isn't the least worried about you. Although she should be!" Nakago sent a blast of chi at Chichiri and Chichiri went flying into the wall behind him he then fell after he stayed in the wall for a couple of seconds. The wall was about 50 feet from them so that explains how strong Nakago is with even a little of his power.

Chichiri was a little bloody, but still he said, "Is that all you got?"

Nakago was furious but smiled instead of clenching his teeth. He walked all the way across the room to Chichiri. When he got there he lifted his chin and said, "You've got guts, I like that." Nakago spat in his face and then he kicked him half way across the floor. Chichiri just lay there. Nakago just walked over to him. "Oh come on. I thought this would be at least a little of a warm up for me. But you're already on the ground dying. Maybe I should just kill you now. Would that be easier for you?" Nakago was standing right over Chichiri now. He was about to kick him again but Chichiri's hand flew out and grabbed his foot. Nakago was surprised.

"Don't you dare talk about Chichiri like that. He is much stronger than you think." Chichiri looked up and instead of his face, it turned out to be Tasuki's. Nakago gasped.

"Tasuki! What are you doing here?" Nakago asked confused.

"I? I'm buying time."

"Jen? Jen!" Chichiri was in the dungeon looking around all the cells with a torch in hand, but he couldn't find Aoi. He started to hear water and knew he was getting closer. Then he started hearing struggling and a girl crying from pain and frustration. "Jen? Is that you?"

"Chichiri? Chichiri where are you?!" Jen started seeing a bright light of orange. Then she saw Chichiri himself. "Chichiri! You're alive!" She put her hands on the bars keeping her from getting out.

He put his hands against hers. "Don't worry, I'll get you out of here." Chichiri set the torch in a torch holder and concentrated. The lock on the door opened in a few seconds. He pulled the lock off the door and Aoi went running into his arms. She didn't notice before, but she had gold high heels on and she basically tripped into Chichiri's arms, but that was okay. She was there. "Are you okay? Can you walk?" Chichiri asked sweetly.

Aoi looked into his eyes and simply said, "Yes." She pulled the high heels off and she felt the cool stone under her feet. Chichiri stood there watching her.

"We've got to go before Nakago finds us." Chichiri said flashing back to reality.

"That's right! How did you get down here without him knowing?"

"I sort of used a distraction."

Back in the main room of the palace, where Nakago and Tasuki were, Nakago was concentrating on finding Chichiri. Tasuki could barely move and he was trying to get up from off the floor.

"Ah. So he already has the priestess does he? He is trying so hard not to be caught. But to no avail. I will simply have to go greet the real Chichiri now." Nakago disappeared into thin air and all Tasuki could do, was curse the living daylights out of him.

"I think we're safe here Jen. Take a rest real quick." Aoi sat on a rock and instantly felt refreshed. Maybe her powers did come from the earth. She listened real hard. She thought she had heard something. She touched the stone on the ground to do a quick check to see if anyone was there. She found someone. She stood up abruptly.

"Chichiri lets go."

"So you feel it too?"

"Yes, he's coming for us, from that direction." Aoi pointed to the left of her. They started hearing clapping and Nakago stepped out of the shadows.

"I'm very impressed priestess. I expected Chichiri to find me, but you, I didn't think you had that power. To think that you just learned how to sense me is frightening but exciting as well."

"What are you talking about?"

"You couldn't sense me before, but now, in a days worth of being by yourself, you learned a new power. I'm glad."

"What do you want Nakago?" Chichiri said defensively. He stepped in front of Aoi to protect her. She clung to him.

"Me? I want us to settle this like real men. A duel. Whoever wins, gets the priestess."

"No. The only reason you're doing this is because you know you can't have her."

"Oh, that hurts. But frankly, you don't have a choice in the matter." Nakago waved his hand and Chichiri and Nakago started floating in the air. The priestess was still floor bound. "We will finally settle this. We'll be back my love." Nakago said to Aoi and then they both disappeared.

"NNNNNNNOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Aoi cried.

Aoi made it up to the main room and found Chichiri lying on the ground unable to move. She ran to his side. "Chichiri! Oh my God, Chichiri!" She turned over the person lying on the ground and saw that it wasn't Chichiri, it was Tasuki. "Tasuki! Oh my God! What happened to you! How did you get here?" Tasuki just smiled, didn't have enough strength to do anything else. Aoi eventually realized that and she left him. She came back with food and water that one of the maids gave her. She got bandages from another maid. She fed all the food to Tasuki and wrapped him up in bandages. Afterwards he was fully energized. He stood up.

"Where's that damn Nakago?!" Tasuki said.

"I don't know. He took Chichiri with him somewhere and I've got to find them."

"I'll help." Tasuki offered. Aoi shook her head.

"You need to be healed. You may feel better now but your wounds could reopen. Go back to Tai Yi-Jun's place to be healed by Lai Lai." Aoi stood up. She sparkled in the light coming from outside, through the windows. She looked like an angel the way she was glistening. Tasuki starred at her and couldn't take his eyes off her. "Tasuki do you hear me?" She said looking confused.

He snapped out of it, "Yes but what are you going to do?" He said. He thought, 'where did you get that outfit?'

"I've got to stay here. I must find Chichiri and Nakago." She turned. She was wearing the high heels again. She reluctantly put them back on because when Chichiri and her were running she kept running on rocks and it hurt her feet more than wearing the high heels. She started walking into the darkness and she turned one last time to wave to Tasuki. Then she disappeared in the blink of an eye.

TO BE CONTINUED