Disclaimer: I do not own Fushigi Yugi, but I do own this particular storyline, Deirdre, Alicia, Tamara, Faye and Elena. Do not use this story without express permission from me!
Witches Three
Chapter Two: Surprise
12:04 am - The Universe of the Four Gods
Deirdre felt the expression on her face go slack as she watched her friend, Faye. Faye, who had died almost two years ago in a car crash with her parents. Of course, the police hadn't found her body, or any remains to identify her. Deirdre and Alicia had gone through the surrounding forest, searching day after day, and still had never found anything. There had been a pool of blood too deep in the forest for it to be from Faye, she couldn't have been thrown that far from the car, but Deirdre didn't know where it had come from. And after that... The blood had chilled Deirdre, she couldn't bring herself to search the forest any longer, and Alicia had surprisingly understood. She had been angry with Elena and Tamara for refusing, but she had seen how much the blood scared Deirdre. Deirdre knew it had been hard for her, especially because she had seen the blood as a sign that they were close, even though Deirdre had tried to explain it didn't make any sense. It could have been from a wounded animal, but she wouldn't hear reason. So they stopped.
Yet here Faye was, standing before Deirdre whole and beautiful, aged the two years that she had been supposedly dead. Deirdre's mouth was dry as she opened and closed it, searching for words to say to the red-head who had once been one of her closest friends. Faye was taller, 5'7" now, though still slightly lanky instead of curvy. Her cinnamon hair had grown longer and was wavy, curling softly about her shoulders, but it was her eyes that made Deirdre feel cold inside. She remembered them being brown, a warm, rich chocolate, that in the bright sunlight almost appeared to be gold colored, but here, they had little texture, no warmth. Faye's eyes were so dark and bleak they looked dead, in total contrast to the rest of her body.
'How is she alive?' Deirdre asked herself in shock, taking a shakey step towards her friend, her eyes wildly searching for some remnant, some piece of her old friend that she could believe in. She so desperately wanted to believe it was Faye, really Faye.
"Oh, Faye... Is it really you?" Deirdre whispered, reaching out slowly. But as soon as she has said the red-heads name, the girl had stepped back and the dead look to her eyes had vanished. They were now filled with malice and ill-will, two feelings Deirdre had never seen Faye display in her life. She tilted her head to the side and gave Deirdre a coy smile, crossing her arms over her chest. It was then that Deirdre noticed the clothes Faye was wearing. A dark blue Kutou styled dress, with a red stitching of a dragon across the hips. The clothes looked so out of place on Faye's body that Deirdre was almost surprised into laughing, almost. The dragon wasn't a representation of Faye, it was a water symbol, something that belonged to Alicia. Faye had always been firey. Deirdre looked back to Faye's face and then noticed that she was pointing down the path behind her, to where Miaka and the others had gone. Deirdre's face suddenly filled with worry. She had come to help Chichiri, she would need to go along soon.
"Faye, please speak to me. Is it really you? Or am I hallucinating or something? You're supposed to be... Supposed to be-" Deirdre was cut off though, Faye stepped very close, invading Deirdre's personal space, close enough to kiss if they had been that way. Faye gave Deirdre another smile.
" 'Faye, Faye, is it you?' Have you no eyes, Deirdre? How could it not be me? Here I am, standing before you in the flesh and thats all you can say." Faye reached out and cupped Deirdre's cheek, making the slightly shorter woman look up at her face. For a moment, Deirdre chanced a smile, but the minute she did, Faye dug her fingernails into Deirdre's cheek and she couldn't help but wince. Faye's lips thinned into a grimace, but Deirdre beat her to speaking.
"How, Faye? How did you survive? How did you get to be here, we did a spell-" Faye's fingers dug in a little deeper and Deirdre sucked air in between her teeth, her eyes watering, but she couldn't bare to pull away.
"Why the hell do you care, huh? You're supposed to be protecting that precious Priestess of yours, making sure that she's safe, isn't that right? Go do your damn job, Deirdre." Faye used all the force of her arms to push Deirdre away from her and into the bushes. By the time Deirdre had gotten up and the shock had worn off, Faye was gone. Deirdre sucked down some of the cool air, looking around wildly for any sign of Faye, but there were none. After a few more minutes she calmed and turned tail, running to where the schi-seishi and Miaka had gone. Chichiri and Tasuki looked back at Deirdre with concern when she finally appeared. Chichiri gave a small smile, though she could tell he knew something about what had happened. Tasuki stood up though and walked to Deirdre.
"Where th' hell were ya, huh? We thought we'd have ta go back and rescuse ya or somethin'." Deirdre gave him a small smile and shrugged, not really wanting to talk about what had happened.
"I just got a little turned around is all. Then I thought I heard someone coming, so I dove into some bushes and hid. Sorry, it won't happen again." Miaka, who was worried because Tamahome hadn't appeared yet, gave Deirdre a small smile, trying to comfort her even though she was in apparent distress.
"Don't worry about it, Deirdre. Nothing happened, so we're alright. Tamahome should be here any time now. Any time." And with that, the young girl turned and looked off into the surrounding gardens. Mitsukake's cat had curled about one of the large pom-pom flowers, batting at the leaves, oblivious to the worries of the humans around him. Because nothing exciting seemed to be happening yet, Deirdre let herself sit down on the grass next to the cat, closing her eyes and letting out a soft breath. She brought her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, closing her eyes, even when she felt either Tasuki or Chichiri settle down next to her. After a moment of silence she heard Miaka and Tasuki chattering softly and then Chichiri spoke.
"May I ask who it was that you were talking with? I saw the girl, you know." Deirdre turned and shivered, looking up at Chichiri from where her head was now resting on her knees. For a moment she considered, but the monk was a kind man and if anything, could help more than hurt her.
"Her name is F... Faye. She's from our world, Miaka's world. She's... She was one of our best friends. Alicia, Tamara and I. There were five of us, we grew up together, discovered our magic together, became who we are together... But, two years ago..." Deirdre trailed off, she could see everything in her mind. Elena had called, saying something about Faye, but Deirdre hadn't really heard. She had rushed out of her house, worried beyond belief, her mothers shouts following her, asking what had happened. She had only been fifteen then and didn't drive, so she had run. That memory had always been so vivid in her mind. Running, endless running, neighbors calling out after her, seeing the fear on her face, but no one had stopped her. No one had come and helped either. By the time she got to Faye's house Elena and Tamara were outside, holding a weeping Alicia. Faye's older brother, Frey, was standing in the doorway, still in shock. The world had whirled about after that, she only had vague memories of the following hours. She didn't cry, she couldn't, because she agreed with Alicia, Faye wasn't dead, the police hadn't found her. She could still see the flashing red and blue lights on Faye's house, hears the neighbors exclaiming things, some of them crying. And after Tamara and Elena had gone home... That was when her search with Alicia began.
"Two years ago there was an.. An accident." Deirdre's mouth was open to finish the rest, but Miaka had begun wailing to Tasuki about the time and then a man's voice had come from out of the darkness.
"You fools! Why hide your lifeforce when the noise you make gives away your location?" Deirdre's head shot up and she couldn't help but gasp. Nakago had been a looker in the anime, but here, in person where somehow everything had become life like... He was astonishing in his beauty. It was a Nordic beauty, cold as ice, cold enough to kill, but so beautiful you would simply stare at them while they murdered you. Nakago looked over the rag-tag group and when his eyes stopped upon Deirdre, she couldn't help but shiver. He scared her all the more because of his looks, like a carnivorous flower, beautiful, but deadly.
"Long time no see, Miaka. You look well." Yui spoke from Nakago's side. Deirdre forced herself to look away from Nakago and blinked slowly as she looked at Yui. Yui was pretty, but now she understood why Tamahome had chosen Miaka over Yui. Yui may have been pretty, but it was a dull beauty, with no feeling behind the smile. Miaka put her feelings into every move she made, no wonder the schi-seishi were so attracted to her.
"So I assume this is the girl you warned me about, Elena." Deirdre whipped her head back to Nakago and the small blonde girl standing beside him. She was shorter than Yui, standing at 5'3", with pale blue eyes and long, straight blonde hair. Standing next to Nakago and Yui, they looked like strange triplets, being pobably the only three in the whole country with blonde hair and blue eyes. Deirdre's heart was pounding so hard she didn't think she would be able to take anymore surprises, not tonight, without having a heart attack. She couldn't help it, this time, her eyes filled with tears, but none spilled over as she stared at the young woman.
"Elena! My god, what is happening? How did we get here? Did you see Faye? She's alive, she's alive! And Elena, it's been so long-" Elena waved her hand about, and gave a tinkling laugh that sounded like bells. It was the same Elena, save for the eyes, just like when Deirdre had seen Faye. Elena's eyes were dull and glazed, as if she was supposed to be laying on a coroner's table, not alive and well.
"Oh, my darling Deirdre, have you developed Alicia's sense of humor? You were never this funny back home. Of course Faye is here, but there is no way she or I are alive. I'm sure you can tell that of course. And what is happening? My, my, you used to be the one with all the answers, didn't you? It's a hard feeling, not knowing what is going on around you, having to ask someone else for guidance. I never liked it much either." Elena took a step away from Nakago, a pretty little smile gracing her face, though it never reached her eyes. Tasuki and Chichiri were looking back and forth between Deirdre and Miaka, unsure of what to do.
"But we're going to be a family again, Deirdre, aren't you excited? You can join us you know, right now, it would be so easy-" Deirdre, unable to believe what was happening, interrupted the blonde, her eyes impossibly wide, close to panicking.
"What are you talking about? Not alive?! But you just moved away, we never-" Nakago laughed, looking down at Yui, as if agreeing with her and Deirdre realized that she had been so caught up with what was happening to herself, than she didn't know what was going on around her in the Fushigi Yugi universe anymore. The guards advanced, but with a look of determination, Miaka dove into them.
"Chichiri, get Tasuki and Deirdre away from here!" She screamed as one of the guards dug his fingers into her shoulders. Deirdre, acting on instinct, dodged out of Chichiri's grasp and kicked her leg out into a guards stomach that was reaching for Miaka. A strange noise behind her let Deirdre know that the schi-seishi had gotten away.
"No! Search the palace grounds, they can't have gone far!" Nakago shouted orders to some of the troops, who immediatley went off in different directions. The remaining guards were trying to get their hands on Deirdre, but for once, she had remembered the self-defense she had been taught in high school. They hadn't been expecting her to fight back, so she also had the element of surprise. The heel of her hand connected with the chin of one man and his head snapped back as he dropped his spear. Deirdre ducked down to grab it, reaching out her hand and then felt the breath leave her lungs. Nakago tangled his hand in her long light brown hair, his knee still firmly placed into her stomach and jerked her head back, looking down at her with what amounted to surprise on his calm face.
"You were right Elena, we will have to watch this one." He said calmly, jerking her up by her hair and turning her towards Elena and Yui. Yui looked shocked, and Deirdre now realized that Miaka was nowhere in sight. Yui must have been thinking about Miaka's shouts about Tamahome, but Deirdre could tell some of the surprise on her face was due to Nakago's cruel treatment of her. Deirdre grunted, trying to get air back into her body, holding herself with the effort. Elena looked slightly bored.
"Yes, I did warn you. She isn't a big fighter, she never has been, but when prompted to defend her friends you will have to watch out." Elena smiled and then hooked her arm through Yui's and for some reason, this hurt Deirdre more than the knee to her stomach.
"You... You were always a... haughty girl, Elena. Did you only... Turn into a haughty... haughty bitch after you died?" Deirdre growled out, still holding her stomach. A look of pure evil flashed acorss Elena's face, but she whirled about, pulling Yui along with her. Nakago jerked on her hair again and pushed her into the arms of the waiting guards. As they dragged her away Deirdre let out a dry sob, shaking softly. With Faye, at least beneath the surface, it seemed as if she was still there somewhere, but with Elena... Whatever was animating Elena, wasn't Elena anymore.
12:05 am - The Universe of the Four Gods, Konan
"I truly wonder what is taking them so long. I believe they would have been back by now." Hotohori murmured softly, sharing a small glance with Tamara. Nuriko was standing next to the window, twirling his dark hair about in his hands, his displeasure evident to everyone. Alicia watched the scene quietly, not knowing what to say to comfort the schi-seishi and knowing that was exactly what they needed right now.
"They're late!" Nuriko exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air and sighing. Alicia looked over at Tamara and met her eyes, both of them sharing a knowing look. The two girls knew exactly what was happening in Kutou at that moment, but telling the Celestial warriors would do nothing but worry and aggravate them. They couldn't prepare them in any way for it. Alicia stood up, sighing and walked over to the window, looking at the darkness outside. Something inside her said that it hadn't been wise to send Deirdre alone, but what would Deirdre do? She had seen the anime, knew it better than any of them, she knew exactly what would happen and why, what could happen to her?
"Don't try and change it, Deirdre, you'll get hurt." Alicia whispered, clenching her hands tightly. From out of the corner of her eye Alicia noticed someone looking at her and turned her head to meet "Chiriko's" gaze. She blinked, surprised and then felt her lips part in astonishment when he blushed, looking away shyly, then looking back. He gave Alicia a small smile, fiddling with his flute. For a moment Alicia had just stared, but slowly a smile spread across her features and she winked at the young schi-seishi. When he blushed again she almost laughed, it was obvious that he hadn't had much experience with girls. She jumped when Tamara came to stand beside her, raising her eyebrows, having seen the exchange between Alicia and the fake Suzaku warrior.
"At this moment, I don't think Deirdre needs to worry about changing things." Tamara whispered. Alicia stepped back, as if she had been slapped, opening her mouth to protest, but Tamara kept talking. "Crushes and flings would probably change this place more than anything Deirdre would ever do. I'm not saying you can't try it out, Ally, but know something. We aren't meant to be here." Alicia was frowning when she answered Tamara, and Tamara knew that it didn't matter what she said anymore, Alicia would do as she pleased.
"Whoever said anything about crushes? I smiled at him, is that a crime? You don't have to worry, I won't do anything." And with that Alicia stormed out of the room. Tamara watched her go, a sick feeling entering her heart. She loved Alicia, but they had always butted heads when together by themselves. They were alike in temperment, but morals?
'You probably won't,' Tamara thought, her eyes moving back to Amiboshi in his disguise. His blue eyes had followed Alicia out of the room, and after a moment he stood up, pausing for a moment to see if he would be missed. When no one moved or turned to him, he squared his shoulders and then hurried out after Alicia. 'But I have the feeling anything you don't do, he will.' Tamara looked out the window, seeing Amiboshi catch up with Alicia and tap her on the shoulder. She turned, a beautific smile on her face and the young schi-seishi postively beamed under her attention. Alicia had always been charismatic with men, being here hadn't changed her.
"She worships the love Goddess, for she is her daughter." Tamara ran a hand through her hair and shook her head, her lips thinning. "That's exactly what I'm afraid of." She turned her eyes up to the sky, wondering what was happening with Deirdre. "Get back safe, Dee. She can't be left alone for very long."
12:05 am - The Universe of the Four Gods, Kutou
When the guards had thrown Deirdre into the cell with Miaka, they hadn't been gentle. Anime characteristics had been wearing away the longer Deirdre and her friends had been here, until all that was left was a real-life version of Fushigi Yugi. When Miaka had been thrown into the cell, Deirdre had the feeling she hadn't gotten up and started screaming into a loud-speaker, and Mitsukake's cat, Tama-neko, hadn't helped Miaka come up with a plan to get out of the cell. Deirdre rubbed her arms, cold and watched the young Priestess for a few minutes.
"Are you alright, Miaka?" Deirdre said softly, so the guard standing by their cell wouldn't over hear. Miaka blinked and turned to Deirdre, giving her a small smile as if she had been taken out of deep thought.
"Sorry, Deirdre, what did you say?" Miaka's smile didn't waver as Deirdre crawled over to the girl and sat next to her.
"I asked if you were okay." Deirdre patted Miaka's shoulder, trying to comfort her. Miaka was only a year older than Deirdre's little brother and without trying too hard, Deirdre knew that she would come to think of Miaka as a little sister. The girl was so clumsy and loveable it wasn't too hard.
"I, well I suppose." Miaka shivered a little and leaned on Deirdre for warmth. For a few minutes the two young women were quiet, but suddenly Miaka sat up straighter and turned to Deirdre with a plan in mind. Deirdre laughed softly and let Miaka rumple her clothes and take down her hair to entice the guard, while she grabbed part of a wooden beam that looked like it had rotted off the ceiling. It was still hard enough to knock someone out though, if used the right way. Deirdre hoped she would be able to knock the guard out instead of just breaking his nose. The scene played out beautifully and with some piece of luck, Deirdre did knock out the guard, with not so much as scream. At least they would have a little longer before someone found out they escaped.
"Alright Miaka, stick with me, please!" Deirdre asked the young Priestess. Miaka gave a sheepish smile, but Deirdre figured she would do as she said, or try to anyway. The two young women snuck around the palace, dodging soldiers, but as they did, Miaka questioned Deirdre.
"So, Deirdre, who was that girl with Yui and Nakago?" Deirdre froze where she was standing and then spared Miaka a small glance, trying not to think too hard about what was happening.
"Her name is Elena." Deirdre said softly, pulling Miaka along behind her when she saw that the coast was clear. They stopped by a pillar and just as Deirdre was about to shoot off, Miaka grabbed onto her tunic sleeve.
"She didn't seem... At first you acted like you were friends, but the way she treated you is worse than what Yui has said to me." Miaka said softly. Deirdre sighed and nodded her head, tucking her hair behind her ears and then looking around again to make sure they were still alone.
"I don't know what has happened here, Miaka. Elena moved far away from Tamara, Alicia and I, we haven't heard from her since and she wasn't around when we performed the spell. She shouldn't have been brought along with us... But she was. And however she was and whatever happened to her after she moved... Elena isn't the same. Maybe it's like what has happened with Yui, I don't know..." Deirdre turned to give Miaka a smile, but Miaka was gone. For a moment Deirdre was confused, but then she slapped her forehead, frowning. She didn't smell any food cooking, but of course, Deirdre wasn't a food hound like Miaka was. She decided that she had better search for Chichiri and Tasuki, because otherwise they might find Miaka and leave without her. It was slow going, hiding from guards and servants alike and Deirdre was grateful that she had never had to do this back home.
'But then, back home the only thing I needed to worry about was school.' But the mystery of Faye's death had always haunted Deirdre and why Elena had never contacted them once she moved. Alicia and Tamara said that they hadn't gotten any contact from her either. No phone calls, letters or even e-mails. A hand across Deirdre's mouth made her scream into it and when she turned to see Nakago, she almost fainted. But a smile suddenly graced his face and with a small poof of smoke, he was suddenly Chichiri. Deirdre took a deep breath once Chichiri let go of her and smiled softly, shaking her head.
"Chichiri! You can't do that to people! You'll make them faint!" Deirdre laughed as the monk turned her around, checking her over for injuries. His mask smiled back, but she could tell that he was worried.
"Where did Miaka get to?" He asked seriously. Deirdre sighed and shook her head.
"I was talking to her one moment and then she was gone the next. I know she went off by herself though, so I don't think she's captured." Deirdre shook her head, following behind Chichiri. The monk sighed, frowning a bit.
"She should have known better, no da. I'll take you to Tasuki and then I'll go back and search for Miaka." Deirdre nodded, looking back behind her at the empty hall. The blue of the walls cast strange shadows around the palace and it made Deirdre shiver. The whole place in general was spooky and gave her a strange feeling. Deirdre wondered if it was because of the Seiryu schi-seishi or the memories or... Or Faye and Elena. The young woman cringed, wondering what Alicia and Tamara would think and then felt her heart swell in her chest with fear. Could she even tell her friends? Alicia would be overjoyed, because Faye had been her best friend, but after the way Faye had reacted to seeing her... Deirdre didn't think she could say anything about it.
'Please, Gods, don't let Tamara and Alicia see our friends like this. It would hurt them so much.' Deirdre squeaked as Chichiri moved her against the beam that Tasuki was tied up to and strung her up as well. He gave Deirdre a small smile and shrugged.
"I apologize, no da, but this is easier than having Tasuki complain and ruin my plan. And I think he'll do much better with company, no da." Chichiri secured a gag in Deirdre's mouth and then gave her a small salute, changing back into the Kutou Shogun. Deirdre watched him walk away, not too worried, knowing that he would come back to un tie them, along with Miaka. But by then, Miaka would have seen Tamahome... Footsteps getting closer made Deirdre look up again, had Chichiri found her that fast? But it wasn't Chichiri's smile that she was greeted with, it was Faye's cold grin. Tasuki struggled against his bonds, trying to alert Deirdre that someone was coming, but Deirdre stayed still, wary about her former friends actions.
"Well Deirdre, I think this is perfect. You being here all tied up is perfect for us to talk, isn't it?" Faye laughed, but the laugh was void of emotion. The red head tossed her hair over her shoulder, looking Deirdre up and down and then moved back so she could examine Tasuki. A slow smile curved her lips as she looked the bandit up and down, a smile that for some reason, made Deirdre completely jealous.
"Mm, he's a cutie, isn't he? But we can chat about boys later I expect. Right now, I think we need to cover that you're a little traitor." Faye put her hands on either side of Deirdre's head, leaning in close to her face and giving her another cruel smile.
"I remember the night we became blood sisters, the only ritual we ever did where blood was involved. I understand why, because blood is much too powerful to be used in everyday things. But it bound us all together that night, so tightly that I was dragged here because of the destiny that awaits Tamara, Alicia and you. A destiny neither Elena or myself had a part in, so they were forced to make a part for us. And look what it did!" Faye screamed suddenly into Deirdre's face, pounding one of her hands into the blue support beam. When she pulled her hand away it was broken and bloody and a strange look crossed Faye's face. With a crackle of purple energy, Faye's hand rebuilt itself, but then the purple energy intensified and snapped Faye's head back, bowing her spine. Deirdre watched with wide eyes, wanting to help Faye, who looked to be in an immense amount of pain. When the energy faded away, Faye was kneeling on the ground, her head leaning on Deirdre's tied up legs, shaking.
"You pulled us out of death to be in this insane place with these cruel people. I don't know how the hell you did it, but all you three succeeded in doing was causing us more pain! That man with the dragon necklace was right." Faye stood up, perfectly fine again and looked over Deirdre.
"You don't deserve the destiny they have in store for you, little murderess!" Faye hissed, turned on her heel and then walked back the way she came. Tasuki had gotten very quiet when Faye had been there, but Deirdre knew that he had heard everything she had said. Deirdre sagged against the ropes, trying not to cry, hoping Chichiri and Miaka would be back soon. The ten minutes that she had to wait seemed to take forever and she could tell that Chichiri noticed something was wrong with her, even as he played at being Nakago with Miaka. When he finally untied them, Tasuki immediatley turned to Deirdre, watching her with a solemn expression on his face, as if asking her if he could speak about it. Deirdre gave him a sad smile and shook her head, hoping he would be quiet. He nodded once and then turned to Miaka.
"Ignore tha guy, Miaka! Now whats wrong with yer arm?" He asked, leaning down and touching the bloodied material of her jacket. Miaka let out a small screech and jerked away, causing both the schi-seishi and even Deirdre to reach out to the Priestess in distress. "Yer arm is crushed!" Tasuki exclaimed, his almond shaped gold eyes wide. Chichiri was horrified, holding onto his Priestess' shoulders.
"Miaka! What happened to you?" He asked, seriously, frowning at her. Deirdre sighed, kneeling next to the girl and holding her good hand.
"Oh, it's nothing! I just, just fell when I got split up from Deirdre is all! You know I'm clumsy." Miaka let out a fake laugh, smiling at the three of them. Deirdre could tell that the schi-seishi didn't believe her and she wouldn't have either, even if she hadn't known what had happened.
"Maybe we should head back to Konan and look for Tamahome another time." Deirdre told the monk, but Miaka let out a loud no, which made the others sigh. Chichiri stood up, transforming back into Nakago, a frown on the fake shogun's face.
"Alright, no da. Deirdre and Tasuki will bandage it for you while I look for Tamahome one last time. But if I don't find him, we need to get out of here, no da." Chichiri shook his head and walked away from the group as Miaka pulled a handkerchief out of her pocket. Deirdre watched Tasuki tie up Miaka's arm, a small plan forming in her head. She might not be able to change much, but she could delay things.
"I'll be right back, okay? Call of nature and all that." Deirdre told them, vaulting the railing and walking back towards the garden. Since neither Tasuki or Miaka had followed her, she figured she would be able to get to the tree before Miaka did. When she did reach the tree Deirdre looked around and spotted some large bushes she could crawl under and not be seen. She worked her way beneath them, complaining softly to herself, just as she heard Miaka's soft voice calling out Tamahome's name. She was silent, and though Deirdre tried to focus on what was happening around her, the shock that had assaulted her when she first saw Faye was intensifying. When she got back to Alicia and Tamara she would be good for nothing except sleeping and trying not to go crazy. Faye and Elena were alive, somehow, but something had gone terribly wrong.
'A man with a dragon necklace?' Deirdre wondered, sifting through her memories. Faye had said it so forcefully it made Deirdre feel as if she had seen him too. Curling in upon herself Deirdre pushed her thoughts back to the night Faye died, back, back, back... And then her eyes shot open. The policeman that had told Frey, Deirdre and her friends that Faye's body hadn't been found, had been wearing a dragon necklace. It had been an accident that they had even seen it. Deirdre had took off her thumb ring, a thumb ring which held the cheap birthstone jewelry for each of her friends and herself. When the policeman had said that they couldn't find Faye's body, she had looked up at Alicia and dropped the ring. The man had leaned down to pick it up and from out of his uniform, a dragon necklace had spilled out.
'That man? Him?!' Deirdre wondered and then jumped when she saw feet walk right by her face. She looked up the legs and to the face, blinking when she saw who could only be Tamahome. In a real life form he was boyishly handsome, very much the dashing hero, but the way he would treat Miaka only made Deirdre cringe inside when she saw him. After she saw him walk around the tree and heard Miaka's happy cry of his name, Deirdre slowly crawled out from beneath the bushes, listening.
"You wrote this Tamahome, remember? 'Wo ai ni!' I love you." Deirdre took slow, hesitant steps forward, looking around the tree to see the star-crossed couple. Tamahome was holding the note, staring at it with astonishment and for a brief moment, Deirdre too thought she saw a flicker of the man Tamahome could be.
"I wrote this? Wo ai ni?" He said aloud, disbelief evident in his voice. After a moment or so, he laughed and then ripped the note in half.
"Never heard of it." He said as he tore the note to shreds. Deirdre prepared herself, realizing that whatever she did, she would probably get herself injured. Deirdre saw Tamahome raise the weapon and acted. With a burst of speed she shot out towards Miaka, causing Tamahome to turn towards Deirdre, swinging the nun-chaku. Deirdre waited for the blow, even as she ran, but a strong arm around Deirdre's waist made her gasp. She looked up when they stopped moving, surprised to be in Tasuki's arms. She turned her head and saw that Chichiri was holding Miaka away from the edge of battle.
"It was you, wasn't it? It was you tha hurt Miaka's arm! Not jus' her arm, but her hopes as well! You ground her soul inta dust!" Tasuki stood up, brandishing his tessen and pulling Deirdre along with him. Tamahome laughed, standing up straight and look the bandit over.
"Yeah, and what are you going to do about it?" Tamahome smirked, crossing his arms over his chest. Tasuki pushed Deirdre in the small of her back towards Chichiri and Miaka. He gave her a hard look, very serious.
"Take care o' Miaka and 'Chiri. I know ya can do it." He told her and then turned his eyes back to Tamahome. "Do? I'm gon' tear ya ta pieces!" Tasuki growled. "Rekka Shinen!!" He shouted and the blaze of fire that shot off towards Tamahome made Deirdre gape. She had seen Tasuki use the tessen in the anime, but seeing it in a cartoon and seeing it in real life were two different things. Deirdre had started on her way back to the Priestess and monk, but Tamahome seemed to have realized that she was helpless against physical attacks. It didn't matter that Deirdre had been brave earlier, fighting against the guards. The guards were minor characters and minor character couldn't hurt major ones, but Tamahome... Deirdre jumped when she saw that Tamahome's weapon had gone flying, so she wasn't ready when the brainwashed schi-seishi tackled her to the ground and came up, his arm tight around her neck.
"Tear me to pieces, huh? Will you do that to your little friend as well?" Tamahome asked Tasuki, tightening his arm around Deirdre's neck. Deirdre panicked, feeling her feet leave the ground. Tasuki seemed to have frozen in shock and Deirdre knew that Chichiri was taking care of Miaka, she literally had no help.
"Lets make a deal, you let me kill you and the girl gets to live. She's a pretty thing, and rather exotic for these parts, I think the Kutou Emperor would enjoy her in his harem, wouldn't you?" Tamahome laughed, shaking his head as if he had made a great joke. Deirdre's fear increased ten fold, knowing what the Kutou emperor had done to Nakago. She had no desire to be at that mans mercies. Deirdre tucked her chin into the crook of Tamahome's arm, sucking in air and raised her leg up, kicking down at an angle designed to bust a kneecap. She missed by a hairs breadth, but it had been close enough that Tamahome let go of her. Deirdre rolled away from Tamahome, rubbing her throat and glaring at the schi-seishi.
"There is no way on earth you will ever give me to that sadistic man!" Deirdre shouted at him, shaking with anger. Tasuki laughed softly and pointed the tessen back at Tamahome.
"Th' girl can take care o' herself, didn't ya know? But I, on th' other hand, will take care o' you!" Chichiri had pulled Deirdre back this time, so she was out of the line of fire. The adrenaline was pumping through Deirdre's veins now though and what Deirdre swore was magic buzzed along her skin. Chichiri looked at her out of the corner of his eye.
"You're radiating a lifeforce with immense power, no da. You could help me try and breach the barrier." Deirdre stared at the monk and then nodded her head. If she could help, she would do anything.
12:06 am - The Universe of the Four Gods, Konan
"Mitsukake! Your cat is floating in the air!" Hotohori shouted, pointing at Tama-neko. A brilliant red aura surrounded the cat, so both Tamara and Alicia just about knew what it was, but everyone gathered around anyway. After a second, a voice came out of the aura, though it appeared to be coming from the cat.
"Your majesty!" Chichiri's voice filled the room. Everyone jumped, even more surprised than they already were.
"He speaks as well!" Amiboshi said in amazement. Mitsukake's eyes widened.
"I never knew!" He reached out, as if to touch the cat, but Hotohori shushed them.
"No, this is Chichiri's voice!" He told them, waiting intently for Chichiri to speak again.
"Your Majesty! I'm using the cat to breach the barriers, we-" Chichiri was cut off as Miaka screamed and an explosion followed. Suddenly both Tamara and Alicia sat up straighter, hearing Deirdre's voice in the background.
"Get the hell away from me!" She said to someone, anger filling her voice. All of the schi-seishi looked horrified, not knowing what to do. After a moment, Hotohori spotted Amiboshi and pointed at his flute.
"Chiriko! You must break the barried with your flute, do it, please!" Hotohori asked urgently. Alicia whirled to the fake Suzaku warrior, clutching at his shoulders.
"Please! My friend is in danger!!" In the back of Tamara's head, she felt guilty. Alicia could ask the boy for just about anything now and he would do it, she had no doubt about it. After a moment the young man nodded, raising the flute to his lips. Before he began to play he turned and looked at everyone in the room, determination filling his face.
"Everyone, concentrate on the sound of my flute!" He said seriously and then began to play. Everyone bent their heads as if going to pray, even Tamara and Alicia, though neither of them knew what it would do.
12:06 am - The Universe of the Four Gods, Kutou
Deirdre panted, standing and holding her left arm. The ki blast that Nakago had shot at them with had barely missed her, barely so that her left arm had recieved a nice burn. The pain was fresh and sharp, but she couldn't relax until... She turned to see that the chain of the nun-chaku that had been choking Tasuki had been broken and he was surrounded by a red bubble, much like the one that had lifted herself and Alicia out of the lake. She jumped badly when another red bubble surrounded her, bringing her back to Chichiri and Miaka. They were going back to Konan. She turned her head to watch Tamahome, Nakago and Faye, shaking softly. Faye only had eyes for her and the anger in them was hot enough to touch. Deirdre looked away and closed her eyes, trying to ignore the feelings inside of her. Faye and Elena were alive.
As the Suzaku schi-seishi, Priestess and Deirdre faded away, Nakago turned to Faye, his eyebrows drawn together.
"That girl would never willingly do anything for you. What about the other girls?" He asked. Faye spared the general an icy glare, but looked back to where they had vanished.
"She's just being difficult, but the other girls will be much easier to corrupt." Faye moved aside when Yui ran up, checking Tamahome over for injuries, she stopped though, when she spotted his tears.
"Tamahome?" Yui whispered. The schi-seishi blinked and wiped the tears away. Faye hid her grin, turning away from Nakago and walking back towards the blue palace. It seemed as if the Shogun's plans didn't always go accordingly.
12:06 am - The Universe of the Four Gods, Konan
Mitsukake was quickly looking over Deirdre, putting a small salveon her burned arm and then moving on to the more injured Tasuki. Alicia and Tamara were crowded around the young woman, watching her expectantly, but when Deirdre smiled to try and reassure them, it didn't reach her eyes. Tamara reached out and hugged her friend, while Alicia held Deirdre's right hand.
"What's wrong?" Tamara asked, sitting back on her heels. Deirdre shook her head, giving them another fake smile.
"It's... It's nothing. Just the violence. The violence is real here guys. The blood and pain... We could die here." She whispered, looking off into space. Tamara and Alicia shared a glance, wondering what was wrong with Deirdre, though neither asked. 'The real problem, is our dead friend isn't dead anymore, and one we believed to be alive has been dead for a while now. The problem is, they've changed and they blame us for the pain of their death.'
A/N: Okay, second chapter majorly re-vised! Hope everyone likes the re-vised versions of them.