Chapter 6

"Does everyone understand what they're doing?" Usagi asked. Everyone looked square at the red-haired Tasuki. He had a blank expression plastered on his face.

"What are we doing again?" He asked. Everyone fell off of his or her horses comically.

"Oh my freaking gosh! How can you not understand by now?!?!?!?! We all explained it to you 3 times! Separately!!!!!!!!!" Izumi exclaimed.

"I'm a little slow if you haven't noticed."

"A little?" Aoi asked.

"Yep, I definitely noticed..." Usagi added.

"Okay! Well the more time we waist the less time we have if anytime to save our friends! So off we go!" Izumi turned her horse around and rode off in the direction of Lige-san Mountain.

"She's right. If you can't understand this then you should stay here and help with the patients." Mitsukake offered. He and Taka walked back into the palace.

"Well if you'd just explain one more time!"

"Tasuki, go help them, I'll take your place." Tamahome said.

"Huh? But don't you want to stay here for Emi?" He asked getting off the horse.

Tamahome looked at the palace and a bunch of moments he spent with Emi came flooding back to him. A sad smile rose to his face.

"No. I want to help her in some way. I can't do anything just sitting around here. I'm going to go find the new Mitsukake for her." Tamahome mounted his horse and looked down at Tasuki. "Look after her for me." He said before he rode off in the direction of Changhung.

"Aw.... Emi would be so touched right now..." Usagi thought for a second and then slapped herself. "No time to be mushy! I got to start looking! There might be a celestial warrior still in this palace!" Usagi dismounted her horse and was running up the steps when Tasuki called to her.

"Can I join you? There should be two constellations in this place right?" He asked.

"Sure why not? This palace is pretty huge..."

"I can help as well." Boushin added.

"But who will take your place Usagi?" Hotohori asked her.

"Ahem." A voice said behind Usagi. Houki II had appeared in an outfit much like the girl's school uniforms but more as a kimono mixed with a Chinese dress. Brilliant colors of red, gold and silver embroidered her outfit.

"Houki?"

"At your service. I'm ready to help!" Houki jumped on the horse and started to leave. "I'll be heading towards the biggest library in Hong-Nan!"

"Well we're going to go find Yume, alright?" Hotohori and Nuriko said leaving on one horse.

"Well, I guess its time to find myself huh?" Chichiri grabbed Aoi and they rode horse back to Daichi-San.

"Heh heh..." a person in a tree glanced on. "This is interesting; they're off to find their warriors are they? Hm..." The figure in the tree moved like a shadow and disappeared.

"Lord Nakago!" Chestnut-haired Nakago looked at his green-haired spy. He was kneeling on the ground head lowered.

"What do you bring me."

"News that will surely change the eminence's mind and perspectives."

Nakago cocked his head to one side and stared at his spy, which was also one of the celestial warriors for Seriyu.

"What is this news, Tomo?"

"The new priestess of Suzaku has sent out a search for her celestial warriors and I know where each one is going." He finally lifted his head with an evil smile sending bad vibes through the room.

"Man, this place really gives me the creeps..." Izumi whispered to herself. She was walking along a path to the thieves' mountain. While she walked by, she didn't have much to look at. A barren wasteland that had swamps and molding trees. The smell of rotting tree trunks was overwhelming but couldn't possibly beat the eerie sudden darkness and quietness the place had. The silence was almost deafening. Every once in a while, she would jump from a noise being made by an animal.

'Why don't I remember this place? I think I would remember a place as creepy as this wouldn't I?' She asked herself. A second later, a noise caught her be surprise. She looked around for the animal to come out somewhere but there were no other sounds, just three pairs of glowing eyes staring at her.

"Uh, hello?" She said with a shaky voice. A little stronger she said. "Come out! I know you're there! This isn't funny!" Rustling came from a bush behind her. The only noise in wasteland was the constant snarling, growling, and ripping of flesh.

"This is pretty serious huh? I mean you can barely use your powers... but why do you still have them at all?" Aoi asked.

"Years and Years of practice."

"Yeah, but if that was in the past then how do you still have your powers? That was in your other life..." Aoi quieted down.

"Why are you quiet all of a sudden?" Chichiri asked worried.

"I was just thinking-"

"That I'm not the same Chichiri?" Chichiri stopped their horse and looked back at Aoi.

"Well, uh, yeah..."

Chichiri smiled. "I assure you I am the same I have always been. I'll always be me, for you and you alone." Chichiri drew her near and they kissed lightly but only for a second.

Aoi blushed lightly. "I'll never doubt it again." The horse went riding off and Aoi held tight to her protector.

'I love this man. I will never love another. He will always be my only one.'

"Your grace, may I come in?" Amiboshi asked.

"Yes, you may enter." Yume looked towards the door where a silhouette stood.

"I have news that might make you upset but I thought you ought to know."

Yume braced herself. "Oh?"

"We had a spy watch over the Hong-Nan Empire for a while and now that he has come back, he tells us that they are currently looking for their celestial warriors."

"Do you know who is the new priestess?"

"She goes by Usagi."

Yume's eyes widened immensely. "Usagi?!" She cried jumping from her bed. "You must be mistaken! It cannot be Usagi! No! I won't let it be Usagi!" Yume thought things over in her head. 'If Usagi is the new priestess then she automatically gets Tasuki! I can't let that happen! I won't!' Another side of her rationalized.

'Okay, think about this Yume. She wouldn't go behind your back when she knows that you like him, right? That's what friends do! I know she wouldn't go behind my back.'

"Oh, there is one more thing priestess, it seems that she has a weakness. It happens to be a boy..."

Yume snapped out of her war of her mind. "A boy?"

"Yes, he seems to be very close to the girl from what our spy could tell us."

"What do we know about this boy?" Yume held her breath.

"His name appears to be Tasuki, he has red hair and is taller than her." Yume held up her hand, lowering her head.

"I've heard enough."

'Its happening. My dream is coming true... She's stealing him away...'

Yume lifted her head to make eye contact. "Well, we haven't introduced ourselves to any of them yet. Send Tomo and the other warriors to formerly introduce themselves. It is quite rude not to know your opponent."

"And the priestess?"

"If it is alright with you, I think we should go properly introduce ourselves in person."

"As you wish your highness."

'Usagi, you will not get away with this. Watch out, here I come...'

'Huh?' Usagi turned around to look down the hall. No one.

"What's up Usagi?" Tasuki asked.

"I just, uh, I'm just cold." She said rubbing her hands up and down her arms. Tasuki glanced at her with doubt. "Lets keep going. We have to find Mitukake's soul and the rest of the celestial warriors." Usagi started walking again. Tasuki reached out to her and wrapped her in a warm embrace.

"You liar. I can tell when you are lying, you should know that. What is really on your mind?" He asked. Usagi blushed.

"Hey, uh, g-get off me..." She tried to break free of his grasp but failed.

"Tell me what's really wrong first." He pursued.

"I'm fine. I have no clue what you're talking about!" She ripped away from him, showing him her bright red face. "Lets keep going. This is no time to be in the middle of a hallway all alone." Immediately, Usagi wanted to take those words back but she forced herself to stay strong.

"What idiotic ideas are you getting in your head now? I never said I had feelings for you! I..." Tasuki blushed slightly. "Hmph. Well it doesn't matter what I say huh?" He trudged forward past Usagi. Usagi let out a sigh, her head lowered to the floor. Suddenly the cold room felt warm and it wasn't until she lifted her head did she notice that Tasuki had given her his cape-jacket.

"Tas-"

"Come on... We got some warriors to find."

"Mm hm." Usagi agreed. 'Tasuki, you really are so kind...' The scene faded to just her and Tasuki. 'But there is one thing I will never be able to tell you, because of Yume, I can never love you.

TO BE CONTINUED