Chapter 15

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Hello everyone! This is Lana here, thanks and many huggles to those who reviewed! ; I realize that the last couple of chapters have come out very slowly, and I apologize, I'll be speeding it up from now on.

Thatz: Mostly thanks to the fact that she finally got out of school.
Lana: -- Oh shut up you. Anyway, on with the story! And please R&R!
Thatz: Idiot. Lana and Riina don't own FY, by the way.
Lana: What are you talking about? Of course we do.
Thatz: No you don't.
Lana: Yes we do.
Thatz: --##### takes out the Cattle Prod of DOOM NO YOU DON'T!!!!
Lana: Eep! Okay, we don't!
Thatz: Much better. Good girl. Now on with the story!

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The first rays of morning light filtered in through a single window, finding their way to the sleeping face of a tired brunette. Riina yawned, and tried to bury her face in her pillow to block out the sun, but the evil thing seemed bound and determined to wake her.

"Urgh. One day, I will be queen of the Universe, and then the Sun will not be allowed to rise until noon." a voice muttered from her left.

Riina couldn't help but let out a snort of laughter, and reply, "That's a really high goal, Kittling." all the while not bothering to open her eyes. Suddenly a loud snore shattered the tranquillity of the room, and both girls' eyes snapped open.

Riina gave a small 'eep!' and blushed lightly as she discovered her 'pillow' was Chichiri, who happened to still be sleeping soundly. Suddenly she remembered what had happened last night, and looked over the blue-haired seishi in interest.

"Hey, how's our little hatchling doing?" she asked, searching for a glimpse of the little ruby-scaled creature.

Lana coughed suspiciously, sounding like she was trying to cover up a giggle, and replied, "Uh, well.... He'll be fine as soon as I get Tasuki to let go of him."

Riina's eyebrows shot up and she grinned. "Looks like he's gotten attached to his 'son', eh kitten?"

Lana grumbled to herself, trying to get the red-haired bandit to release her baby dragon. "Geez, you ain't kiddin'! I might need a crowbar to separate these two!"

Riina grinned and said innocently, "Which two? He's got a pretty good grip on YOU too."

Lana blinked and looked down at her waist, where an arm was holding her almost possessively tight. Lana coughed and tried to cover up a slight blush on her cheeks. "Yeah, well, good luck letting up anytime soon. You're pretty tangled up yourself." Making Riina suddenly notice that she was using Chichiri's cloak for a blanket, with both of her hands clutching his shirt, and one of his hands gently tangled in her hair.

Both girls looked at each other for a second, before Lana giggled and said, "Man, I wish we had a camera. This is one scene I wouldn't want to forget."

Riina grinned in agreement, and said, "Now if only there was some music playing or sumthin'." Lana giggled back and yawned.

"Maybe we can sleep for just a little while longer?"

Riina sighed, and began trying to untangle herself, "Sorry Lana, we need to get up and find Tama's next memory stone, remember?"

Lana sighed in disappointment, but also started to get up. "Ne, Riina-chan, do you think you can reach Chisuko? I can't get my arms free." Lana sounded amused and annoyed at the same time.

Riina laughed, and carefully reached over Chichiri to pry Tasuki's hands off the small dragon, but... "Er, Kittling? I dun' think the hatchling wants free." Lana looked down at where Chisuko's claws were dug stubbornly into Tasuki's pyjamas, and let loose a soft growl.

"Oh, for Pete's sake. Alright, I'm gonna try to roll over."

"Careful dear. You might...." Riina warned, but it was too late. "...fall. Never mind." Riina sighed, when a tangled heap of red fell with a loud thump to the ground. Tasuki woke up with a grunt and looked down in confusion at the girl beneath him.

"Huh?" he started to say, but was cut off by Chisuko's indignant squeak at being woken up. Lana winced and gasped for breath, whining, "Get off me! You weigh a ton, bandit boy!" Tasuki yelped, and tried to stand, but only succeeded in wrapping the three of them in a cocoon of blankets. Well, at least he was on the bottom now so he was no longer crushing Lana.

Riina couldn't help but give a little snort of laughter, and she jump when a deep voice started chuckling in her ear.

"Things are never boring with those three around, no da." Chichiri joked, getting up with a slight blush on his cheeks, mumbling an apology to Riina.

Riina grinned and winked, saying cheerfully, "No problem dear." She waved her hand reassuringly to Chichiri.

"Riina! Help us out already- ACK! Watch those hands, buster!!!" Lana suddenly yelped, and Tasuki immediately replied with a panicked "I didn't mean to, dang it! ACK, Kittling get yer bloody dragon offa me!"

The two red-heads managed to untangle themselves long enough to set Chisuko on the bed, before one of them feel and they both landed on the floor again.

"Hello- Ah! Pardon me! I just came to see how our brave seishi's were doing!" a voice cheerfully greeted from the door. Riina, Tasuki, Lana and Chichiri looked over and saw the Prime Minister standing in the doorway looking at them with a fatherly smile. Suddenly he turned his gaze towards Tasuki, and said with twinkling eyes, "My boy, I understand how a groom likes to be playful with a new bride, but you may want to release your lovely wife so that you all may prepare to breakfast with Lady Houki."

Lana and Tasuki both gaped like fish out of water and Riina snickered, saying, "Don't worry, we'll get them up."

"Good, good. You and your husband might consider getting out of bed yourselves, Riina-san." he replied, and left with a chuckle, having succeeded in completely embarrassing the 'newly-weds'.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Half an hour later all of the seishi and Chisuko were dressed and attending breakfast with Lady Houki.

"I sincerely hope you have a safe journey." she said with a serious expression. "You are very important to Konan. Please be careful."

Lana, Riina, Tasuki and Chichiri all nodded, faces grim. Chisuko was curled around Tasuki's neck, little paws playing with his necklaces distractedly. "Thank you for your hospitality Lady Houki. Take care of Hotohori's kid, all right?" Lana asked with a grin, standing up an hugging the empress.

Later as the four seishi were preparing to leave and getting their horses the Prime Minister came by to bid them farewell.

"Well, good luck on your journey! May Suzaku watch over you!" he told them with care, and while Chichiri and Tasuki were loading saddle bags onto their horses, he handed two packages to Riina and Lana.

"What are these?" Riina asked, looking at her gift in curiosity.

The Prime Minister winked, and said, "Special Kimonos to sleep in, in case you stop at a nice inn somewhere and need some quality time with your spouses. Farewell!"

Lana and Riina stared after him for a second, before Lana asked, "Riina?"

"Yeah?"

"Were we just given a Chinese version of lingerie?"

"Uhhhhh..."

"Hey! We're ready to go, no da!" Chichiri said cheerfully, walking back over to them.

"What are those?" Tasuki asked, staring at the bundles in the two girls' hands. Chisuko cocked his head to the side and chirped at his 'mommy' curiously.

"NOTHING!" Both girls yipped with blushes staining their cheeks. "Let's go!" Lana said and grabbed both of their packages and hurried over the horses to quickly stuff them to the bags. Lana then blinked and turned to look at the horses. "They're so BEAUTIFULL!!" she squealed and dashed to talk with the horses.

"Nooo surprise there." Riina chuckled to Tasuki and Chichiri, who also chuckled. When the men had turned their attention back to their traveling equipments Riina beaconed the Nyan Nyan to come to her.

"Nyan!" the little helper said cheerfully and tilted her head questioningly as she floated in front of the older girl "Can I help you?" she asked.

"Actually..." Riina said and glanced at the others. "There is something you could do." She explained "We'll loose too much time if all of us have to go searching all three seishi. So I want you to go and look out for Mitsukake, could you do that?" Riina said.

"I can try, but... Are you sure that you guys will be okay?" The Nyan Nyan asked.

Riina gave a tiny lopsided smile. "There's two redheaded nut cases, one human torch, one race issued changeling, one shut out mage and one just otherwise mental case. What do you think?" she said dryly "I can almost feel pity for anyone who meets us.... Emphasis on the almost." She then shook her head for her sudden sarcastic moodswing.

"Anyway. I know that you'll find him." Riina assured "He'll be somewhere where the girl he died to save now lives. I know that it's not much but it's all I know. We meet you guys at later in a tavern, exactly a week from now." She said "Hotohori'll stay on the palace for a while, while we pick up Chiriko and meet Hotohori again at Nuriko's place."

"That sounds reasonable." Nyan Nyan pondered, tapping her chin "But why the one week?" she asked as she hoovered a bit higher, ready to leave.

"'Cuz that's when things will get interesting." Riina replied with a grin.

Nyan Nyan just shrugged and nodded with a smile "I'll see what I can do. Finding you four will be the easiest part of the job." She waved as she took off, her green braided pigtails waving as she turned.

"See you in a week." Riina waved her hand for good bye.

"What was that all about, no da?" Chichiri suddenly asked from behind of her, startling the girl.

"Eh... Nyan Nyan just left to see if she could find Mits..." Riina explained with a small sweat drop hanging behind her head "We should find Nuriko and Chiriko easilly enough by ourselves. This way we get it done more faster." She looked at the blue haired seishi standin at arm's reach from her and realized that everybody else were pretty much ignoring them.

"It's not a bad idea, no da." Chichiri said, looking at where Nyan Nyan had disappeared "This a way we'll cover more ground, no da." He said, making Riina to smile in relief "Though I was kind of hoping her for a back up, if we run into a tight spot, no da."

"Na ja... between the four of us and your magic, I think we can pretty much handle what comes across us so that shouldn't be a problem, don't you think?" Riina replied and patted the neck of her horse.

"Houston, we have a problem!!" Lana suddenly piped in, popping in between of the two, dragging Tasuki behind of her. "The horses have heard of the redhead here and his fabulous relations to horses and won't want to let him ride." Lana said with wide eyes. Riina and Chichiri looked at Lana and each others for a second before staring at Tasuki.

"Well, why don't you just convince them that he's not the same man than the one couple of years ago?" Riina asked.

"I did, and that's not the problem. It's the infamous non-existent ridingskills of his that we can't cover up!" Lana exploded.

Riina and Chichiri looked at each others for a moment "Now THAT..." Riina said "could be a serious problem."

Chichiri just covered his face with his hand "-siiigh- no da." And the morning had begun so promisingly...

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Hello again. Long time no see! –eh heh- The both of us are truly sorry of the lateness of the new chapter, but we ran inta few un-expected RL issues. But anyways. I hope that this chappy cheered you guys up at least a little bit. Don't worry, new material is on their way.
And then to the long waited feedback. –stares- Wow... Perhaps I should keep another three, four months pause on the update to get this many reviews... ;p Glad to see so many old and new faces! –gives all reviewers candies and plushies- It seems that our little Chisuko has his own fans already

Neokosazume - -grins- Density can be such a fun thing to toy with, don't you think? And yes, wouldn't your own petite dragon be every girls favourite pet? XP You can say a big thanks of that to Lana and give her a big glomp. –winks-

Neko-ane - -bows to all dirrections- Thank you, thank you... And no, I don't listen to Evanessence, though it has some good songs, but Lana likes of that band. Me? I love Nightwish!! –flashes a peace sign- Nightwish rulez!! And have hooked Lana into it too!! –evil laughter- Damn I'm good....

otaku-no-miko - Hello there! Long time no see! And dun worry about it... happends to all of us.... Which reminds of me of my own pile of new chapters to read and review. –sweatdrops- I'm glad that you liked of our new add to our little group. I'll be sure to mention of it for Lana too. Speaking of the dragon, join the club. I dunno if I should laugh or feel symphaty for both Tasuki and the lil' drage...

Kageri Tsukiakari – -heh heh- Thank you dearie. Have you ever tried of band called Nightwish? I do recommend their latest album, Once. Anywho. I'm glad that you liked of the chapter, but unfortunately I can't promise how soon the next update will be, except that it is coming. Until then...

chiri26 – Hello again! Nice to see that you're still keeping up with us. True. It's fun to play around with Tasuki 'cuz of his hot temperament. Lessee... three months and some... Not exactly soon, but I hope that it'll do. –winks- Don't give up on hope. We still keep on working with this fic.

Atomic-Witch – Holiday? What's a holiday? Never heard.... But I'm glad that you love Lana's new pet ankle gnawer and poket lighter AKA. da lizard... -grins and dodges the flying boots from Lana's direction- See you around on the next chapter! –winks-

L – Thank you dearie. We try to do our worst. –grins- I dunno of soon, but we'll update as fast as we can, how's about that? See you on the next chappy!

Libitina De Averna – Wow... talk about short and sweet. –looks at Lana- They people wants romance, what say thee, my sis? –listens and grins wickedly- Thou asked, thou will get... See ya!!

hana-dragon - -stares- .... –stares some more-... -tries to patch up poor Chisuko and draws a mark to the wall- That's three, I think... ANYWHO!! I'm glad that you decided to follow up the fic. And no, I'm not writing a new or my version of this fic. This is the same as the one Lana started, but since her –cough- updating enthusiasm sometimes is somewhere once in a year, we agreed that I took the fic under my wings. –looks some more- silent... stalker?!... Ooo-kay. –shouts- LANA!! I think your ole buddy's back! And where did ya but that mallet of yours?! (just kidding)

paws-bells – She's back! Nnooooooo!! –starts clawing her way through the window- -heh- Just kidding. I'm glad to see you back and I promise to read your updates in The Girl Who- soon! And then to your guestions. I have pondered the dragon my self and came to these conclusions. For one. The dragon is a red one with golden eyes and breaths fire. All of these are Suzaku's symbols and dragons are considered to bring luck in China. Two. In this situation all four gods (and Tai Itsukun) are forced to combine their resources and act all together, so Seiryuu gave his helpful paw in this case. Three. Lana simply wanted it to be a dragon and argued with ole' Suzie here, making his ears ring and he had to give in or Lana would have had bone to pick with him... feather by feather. And I did mention to Lana of the name and she was all 'oh damn'... whelp... can't be helped anymore, plus, it is a funny coinsidence. –grins at the mentioning of relationships- ever heard of saying 'calm before the storm'?

Rhapsody: Daughter of the Sky – Hello there! Too bad that your school is starting again. But nice to hear that you got your comp back just in time for a new chapter! –grins and winks- Was that fast enough? Just... it might take another three, four months before the next one, so sit back and relax. Dun worry, we're not giving up on this fic.