Disclaimer: Kohana, Momo, Piaoliang Feng, Shen Yuan, Naraku, An Hua, Ayame and Ruri are my characters. The personalities and looks of the new seishi are mine.

Red Wings of Fate

Chapter 14: An Unbeatable Force

"Speech"

'Thoughts'

~Conversations between twins~

~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Momo tossed and turned. All the sleeping pills in the world couldn't have helped her. She was out in the middle of nowhere with six of her seishi. They were out to go and train, despite the injuries some of the seishi had from the fight with the Suzaku seishi.  "Damn…I miss Suboshi…"

A shadowy figure passed by her tent, making her jump "Who's there?" Though she tried to sound brave, she could hear her voice shake.

A breathy voice answered her softly. "Momo…"

A chill ran down Momo's spine. The voice seemed familiar. "Wh-who's there?" 

Miboshi was lying on the cot next to her. "Lady Momo, go see who it is if you're so interested…just don't be so loud about it. She turned over and goes back to sleep.

"Momo…it's me…" Again, the faint whisper floated into the tent.

She shivered slightly more violently. "Wh-who's there?" She gathered what little never she had and poked her head out of the tent.

Momo could only see a shadowy figure in the trees, but she could see most of its face. "What? Forgot me already?" She could see a smile on the figure's face.

She slowly crawled out of the tent. "Su-Suboshi?" 'It looks like him if I squint…'

He nodded. "Come on. I have to show you something." He beckoned to her then turned and ran through the tents in camp.

"Hey! Wa-Wait!" She quickly grabbed a robe and ran after him, not thinking about anything but seeing Suboshi again.

Miboshi grumbled at Momo's shouting. "Momo? Momo?!" Much to her dismay, Momo was gone. "Oh shit…" She got up and left the tent.

   Suboshi cast a glance over his shoulder. "Nice clothes!" He chuckled and ran into the forest.

"Shut up! It's the middle of the night! How'd you get out here?" She loved hearing his voice, even if he was teasing her.

"Come on! We're almost there!" His form seemed to disappear and reappear in different places as he ran.

   She followed him obediently. "Where are we going?"

Miboshi continued her pursuit of the younger girl. "Momo!! Where is she...Damn it!!" She caught sight of the two running figures and hissed some more curses.

After a long run, Suboshi stopped in front of a large stature of a woman with outstretched are. "We're here."

"What....what is this place?" She looked at the statue in awe. "Why are we here?"

Suboshi suddenly started to laugh. "An old friend wanted to see you…" He started to fade away.

"What are you talking about? Suboshi, what's going on?" She suddenly had a good idea of what was going on.

Miboshi saw Momo from a rather large distance away. "Oh no! This is bad…" She stopped and looked back at camp. "Shoot…I have to get the others…" She ran back as fast as her legs could carry her.

The figure that was Suboshi melted away and was replaced with a shorter, white haired girl. "Hello again my lady." She smirked.

Momo's eyes widened. "Naraku! No! Get away! You toyed with me before, I won't let you again!" Momo started to make a break for camp.

"Uh uh uh!" A hissing noise filled the air. A fake ryuuseisui came out of nowhere and wrapped itself around her ankles. With a flick of her wrist, the roped hoisted Momo into a tree and all the blood rushed her head. "This time I'm not toying." She held up her black mirror.

Shouting suddenly camp from down in the camp.

"What?!" "She's where?!" "Why'd you leave her?!?!" "I'm sorry!! I couldn't fight on my own!!"

"Oh listen to your little friends cry. Not that they really care about you. You're only important because you're a priestess. Suboshi wouldn't…love…" She spat out the word like acid. "You if you weren't." She laughed evily.

"Shut up! You don't know anything!" She pulled at ryuuseisui, attempting to get free. "Let me go!"

Her tugging only made it tighter. "You have something I want. This won't hurt a bit!" She held the mirror out and chanted. A ghostly white, clawed hand flew out from the surface and sped towards Momo. She screamed in pain when the hand reached into her body.

"Let her go!" Nakago was the first to reach the statue. Her symbol flared and shot the largest blast she could manage.

Tears flowed out of Momo's eyes as the hand searched for her soul. "No! Stop it! Please!"

As Naraku continued to chant the mirror started giving off a dark glow. "It'll be over soon enough!" With one hand, she idly knocked away Nakago's blast. She hand finally found it's goal and pulled something that resembled a crystal out of Momo.

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!" Momo let out a blood-curdling scream before her eyes glazed over to black and closed. The ryuuseisui around her legs disappeared and she fell into a dead heap on the ground.

"Dammit!! No!" She tried to blast Naraku again.

Soi joined in the attempt with his lightning. Again,  It's not working!!

Amiboshi ran over to her and shook her violently. "MOMO! MOMO! WAKE UP!"

Naraku smiled evily and laughed. "You'll never wake her like that. She won't be the only one to fall tonight. Taa taa! Your contribution to the restoration of my power will be duly noted." She laughed even louder and disappeared.

Nakago hurried to Momo's side. "What the hell was that thing?!?"

Amiboshi shook his head with dismay. "She's out cold…she's barely breathing…" 'And I promised Suboshi I'd look after her…'

Miboshi looked like she was going to cry. "That spirit took her soul…"

"What?" Ashitare growled.

"How could something steal a soul?" Tomo looked confused.

Miboshi sighed with a hint of guilt. "That mirror holds the properties of manipulating the human soul…"

Soi raised an eyebrow. "You know this how?"

"I've used it before." Miboshi whispered.

Ashitare barked. "You what?!"

"I…I used it once…to destroy a powerful king…" Her head hung low. "It happened in one of my previous lives."

Ashitare rolled his eyes. "That doesn't really count."

"And why not?" She looked at him questioningly.

"'Cause it's not really you."

"I remember everything from every life I've lived. And it was me so there!" She stuck out her tongue.

Ashitare opened his mouth to say something when Soi gave them both stern looks. "Cut it out.

Miboshi mumbled an apology and Ashitare just grumbled.

Ami picked up Momo's body. "How do we get her soul back?"

"There is a counter chant to the one used to take souls that releases them. I think that spell is lost though…even if it wasn't, only certain people could even use the spell. I don't think there are any sorcerers left that are powerful enough."

"Couldn't we just kill Naraku?" Tomo asked.

Nakago snorted. "We are too weak for that. My attacks couldn't faze her. She's too powerful of a force."

Ashitare snorted back. "Oh woe is us. The great and powerful Nakago found something she can't do herself."

Her symbol flared. "Don't test me, mongrel."

Soi's hand on her shoulder was the only thing keeping her from roasting Ashitare.

Miboshi shuffled nervously. "We have to ask for help…"

"I agree." Amiboshi looked at Miboshi. "We need to go to the Suzaku seishi."

Nakago growled. Ashitare wrinkled his nose. "I hate to admit it but I agree with Nakago. I don't want to work with…them…"

"Look, we can either throw in the towel, let Momo die and be a contributor to Naraku's rise in power or ask for help and maybe save them." Miboshi huffed.

The seishi were silent for moment. Nakago sighed. "Fine…we'll ask for their help. The enemy of my enemy is my friend…"

"We're agreed then? We go to Konan for help?" Miboshi looked at everyone.

Some nodded quickly, others were a little more reluctant.

"But why would they work with us?" Tomo asked.

"Because they'll probably be in the same situation as us…" Nakago thought aloud. "Naraku said Momo wouldn't be the only one to fall tonight…she probably meant she was going after the priestess of Suzaku next…" Everyone else nodded bleakly in agreement. "Amiboshi, we'll need to contact your brother."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Kohana hugged herself tightly in her dark room. The search for the real Chiriko wasn't going well and something else just didn't feel right. 'Something's wrong with Momo…I feel horrible…' She climbed out of bed and left the small inn she was at. What started as a clue to where Chiriko was turned out to be nothing.

The night was completely still. Nothing seemed out of place. Yet, everything being so quiet made it seem like something was about to happen. Kohana sighed and zipped up her coat.

A cat suddenly meowed. Kohana jumped, not completely sure of what it was. She could see a small cat in the dark.

"Hime? Hime, I told you to stay with An Hua at the palace. Don't you ever listen?" She started to walk towards the cat.

The cat meowed again and started to walk off.

"Hey! Hime! Don't walk away from me. You have gotten me into so much trouble, I really wonder about you sometimes." She started to run after the cat.

Tasuki mumbled some swears as Kohana's yelling woke her up. "Kohana! If you don't mind, some of us are trying to sleep!" She stuck her head out the window. "Hey! Kohana! Where are you going?!" She jumped out of the window and ran after her.

The cat ran right out of the village into the surrounding woods. "Hime! If you don't get back here right now, you are so getting locked in the Kitty Carrier!"

The cat paid no attention to her and kept running. Kohana chased it until they reached a large statue of a woman with out stretched arms.

"Hime, what are we doing out here?" She stared up at the statue.

"Kohana! Kohana, get back here!" Tasuki reached the edge of the clearing as Kohana bent down to get the cat. It began to fade away. "Oh shit…I gotta get the others." She ran back to the village, using every bit of her god-granted speed.

Kohana backed away from the fading cat. "What the hell?!" She tried to run for the village.

"I don't think so, my lady." Naraku laughed and halted Kohana in her tracks.

Kohana glared at her. "You! You've got some nerve coming around here! My friends will be here to help me!"

"Me? I have nerve? Oh that is funny little priestess. This isn't your world. You can't tell me where I should and shouldn't be. And your friends can't help you no matter how hard they try. I'm too strong."

"Piao and Shen can beat you!" She spat.

"Those two? Ha! That's a good one! They may have the inherent ability for powerful magic, but the magic my sister and I practiced is long gone. They could never hope to achieve anything against me!" She laughed again. "You priestesses are so easily fooled. Shame you're given so much power. It's such a waste."

"Priestesses? What did you do to Momo?!" By now the other Suzaku seishi and Suboshi had found them. "What did you do?!" Suboshi sent the ryuuseisui flying at Naraku.

She halted it with her hand and made it drop to the ground. "Oh look. We have an audience. Mustn't let them interfere with the performance though!" Her hand made a pattern in the air and a dark wall separated her and Kohana from the seishi.

Kohana gave them a helpless, fearful look. A similar look passed over their faces.

"Now hold still and don't scream as much as the other one." She changed the spell on Kohana and pinned her to a tree. Then she looked at Suboshi. "If you have any messages for your little girlfriend, she can deliver them. The priestesses will be reuniting soon enough. She held up her dark mirror and began to chant.

"No! You evil bitch! Stop it!" Piao screamed and pounded at the wall.

After Naraku finished her chant, the same white, clawed hand that attacked Momo went after Kohana. She looked at Piao. "Oh my dear little niece, flattery won't stop me. It's a nice try though."

Kohana screamed when it reached into her chest. "NO! STOP IT! STOP IT!" She writhed in pain and cried.

"Naraku! Stop! Leave her alone!" Hotohori screamed at her.

"You aren't my emperor. I don't have to listen to you." The hand pulled a crystalline object out of Kohana and went back into the mirror. "Perfect. Now don't the rest of you worry. Once I get my powers back, you'll all be together again, dead." She disappeared. Her laugh echoed into the night. Kohana fell from the tree, like she was dead.

Hotohori got to her first. "Kohana! Kohana!" He looked at her eyes. He caught a glimpse of dull black before her head rolled to one side, eyes closed.

Piao clutched at her chest and began to cry. "Suzaku no…"

"What? What's wrong?" Chichiri tried to comfort her.

"Naraku took her soul! That mirror…there are hundreds of souls trapped in there…Kohana and the priestess of Seiryuu are just two of them…"

"How do we get them back?" Tamahome demanded.

"I don't know! I don't even know why I know what that thing is!"

Suboshi stood distanced from the other seishi. 'Momo…you're gone, aren't you? Naraku went for you first…Seiryuu why?' Suddenly his arm twitched. "Ow…"

"What's wrong Suboshi?" Mitsukake approached him.

"My brother…" He looked at his arm. "Wait…this isn't his writing…"

~Suboshi?~

~Who is this?~

~Nakago.~ They all stared at each other.

~What do you want?~

~What's the priestess of Suzaku's condition? Is she safe?~

Suboshi stared at his arm. He couldn't bring himself to write what happened. There was a dead silence in the field.

~I take it she isn't…Naraku got her, didn't she?~

~How did you know?~

~Momo is in the same condition. Naraku lured her out alone and we reached her too late…~

Suboshi's arms fell limply to his sides. His fears confirmed, he let himself fall to the ground.

~Suboshi, are you with the Suzaku seishi?~

He didn't have the energy or will to answer. Hotohori continued with the conversation.

~He is.~

~Who am I speaking with?~

~Hotohori.~

~The emperor. Good. I have a proposition for you.~

~I'm listening.~

~Naraku has put us in the same position. Miboshi has provided us with means of saving the priestesses, but we have no means of executing it. Perhaps together, we can save our entire world from that thing.~

~That's an awfully large noble task you're proposing.~

~But there is a chance it could work, am I right?~

~Yes. You are…~

~Then we have an alliance?~ Hotohori looked at the others. "What are we to say?"

"We don't have the greatest of positions." Chichiri sighed. "We're missing one seishi and obviously they know more than we do."

"But they don't have Shen and me. So far we're the only ones who have been able to stand the slightest chance against her." Piao bit her lower lip.

"That's true. Just don't let them know that. We have something they don't and we should keep it that way until we find out if we can really trust them." Tasuki crossed her arms.

"I think it'll be okay…I think…Nakago is never this forward. I don't think she's lying…" Suboshi offered.

Hotohori nodded. ~You have us at a disadvantage. Once reunited with Suboshi, you'll have all your seishi. We won't.~

~I don't see what difference it makes, but if it's that important to you, there will be a guide waiting for in the morning to take you to Chiriko.~

~Should we trust you?~

~Do you want to walk around in circles looking for him?~

Hotohori frowned. ~Very well. We have an alliance. Where will we meet?~

~We'll come to you. You'd probably be killed if you came into Kutou.~

~What a wonderful thought.~

~We will speak again soon.~

The writing faded from Suboshi's arm. The seishi stared at each other, hoping they weren't making a mistake by trusting so much in the Seiryuu seishi.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Nakago stared at Amiboshi's arm a little longer then left to head back to camp. A few moments later the other seishi followed her in silence.

Nakago stepped into her tent and sat on her bedroll. She pulled her knees up to her chest and sighed.

"Nakago? Are you okay?" Soi stood at the opening of her tent.

She was quiet for a moment. "Is this the right thing?" She stared up at him, crystal eyes shinning in the darkness.

"You have doubts?" He entered her tent.

"Of course…Konan and Kutou have always fought. There's hardly been a moment's peace between the countries and even when there was, it was uneasy. Now we both stand against the same ancient evil. Naraku backed us into a corner." She stared out of her tent to the tent Momo was lying in.

"We will fight back and win. Naraku was beaten once before."

"By people who are dead now. That was 400 years ago. Miboshi's probably right. There most likely aren't any people left that could use the spell even if it weren't lost."

Soi sat with her. "We should have faith that this will work. Power is nothing without faith."

Nakago blew a strand of hair out of her face. "I suppose that makes sense."

"We'll be okay. And the peace will be good for the country. The people will be relieved that they don't have to worry about war."

She rested her forehead on his shoulder. "Yes…perhaps this is for the best then…"

"And considering that…"

"Enough. Shut up and hold me Soi." She shifted into his arms. She needed to feel his arms around her. Though surprised, Soi happily obliged. He held her close in the darkness. She listened to his heartbeat, strong and steady.

 At times she hated to admit it, but Soi was quickly filling the gaping void in her. In some way he had given her life more meaning and purpose. Perhaps someday she would admit she was learning to love again.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Morning took forever to arrive. But when it did, Nakago made true on her promise and a man dressed in black robes from head to toe was waiting for them.

"You are the guide?" Hotohori stared at him suspiciously.

"Yes." A short answer, but it was all that was needed.

"How did Nakago know where Chiriko was before we did?" Tamahome demanded.

"The General has her ways. Don't question, just follow me if you want your last companion." He turned around.

"Chichiri, take Kohana back to the palace. Stay with her and explain the situation to Shen and the rest of the palace." Chichiri nodded at the emperor's orders. "Come back tonight. We will hopefully have Chiriko by then."

"I'll go too." Piao quickly added. "I'll watch Kohana."

The others nodded and the three girls disappeared.

The guide looked impatient. "Finished?"

"Yes we are." Tasuki snapped back.

"Then try and keep up." The guide took off east. Tasuki followed the closest on foot while the others rode horses.

Within a couple hours, they came to another small village. The guide stopped out side of the gates. "This is as far as I go. I have also been told to inform you that the Seiryuu seishi will come to your palace within 7 days. Be prepared." And before any more questions could be asked or a 'thank you' uttered, the man in black was gone.

"Do you really think this is the place?" Nuriko scanned the town. "Or another dead end?"

"I can't believe we have to trust the Seiryuu seishi…" Tamahome scoffed as they entered the village.

"The scroll wasn't helping anyway. It was leading us in dead ends as well." Mitsukake sighed.

They headed to a small stable to rest their horses. A kind old man was happy to take the horses for the day.

"You folks look like yer from the big cities. What could possibly interest y'all out 'ere?" He unsaddled the horsed and let them feed.

"We're looking for someone named Chiriko. Could you perhaps help us?" Hotohori asked kindly.

The old man looked at them again. "Y'all aren't the Suzaku seishi, are ya?"

"We are." Tasuki nodded.

He immediately bowed to Hotohori. "Your highness…I'm sorry…I…I didn't know it was you…"

"It's alright. I'm not traveling as an emperor. We just need to know if Chiriko is here."

"If she is around today, she'd be at the village shrine. Otherwise you'll have to wait till tonight to see if she comes home."

"Thanks mister." Tasuki smiled and was the first one out of the stable.

The village shrine was a nice building. There were birds of every kind sitting on the roof. Some one on the other side of the roof, out of view, was whistling.

"Hey! Who's up there?" Tasuki called.

The whistling stopped and a girl's face appeared over the top of the roof. "Yeah. So?"

"You Chiriko?"

"Who's asking?" The girl stood up and walked to the edge of the roof. She had very short light blonde hair and green eyes.

"Tasuki."

"Oh hi! I was wondering when you people would come around." She climbed down a ladder on the side of the building.

"So you are Chiriko then?"

"In the flesh."

"Come on. I'll go introduce you to the guys."

"Is the priestess here too?"

Tasuki visibly flinched. "We'll explain later…"

By now, the guys had arrived at the shrine. Tamahome looked her over. "Is she Chiriko?"

Chiriko nodded. "That's me."

"Are you sure she's the real one?" Tamahome snorted and cast an almost unnoticeable glare at Suboshi.

Suboshi snorted. Chiriko looked at him funny. "What do you mean 'the real one'? Of course I am." She took off her shoe and showed him the symbol on her foot. "Satisfied?"

"Oh don't worry about him, Chiriko. We had some problems finding you before." Nuriko smirked. "Plus, he's partially insane so it's not really his fault."

The other seishi smiled. Tamahome grunted in annoyance.

"So what are we going to do now?" Chiriko asked.

"One of our seishi will be here tonight to take us back to the palace." \

"Chichiri?"

"How'd you know?" Suboshi asked.

"Over powered brain. Real useful power for a seishi huh? Not that I don't mind being smarter than the whole capital city combined, but it really doesn't help much if I'm trying to defend myself now does it? Not unless I can stupefy them into submission." She rolled her eyes. Then she started to look at Suboshi carefully.

"What?" He asked cautiously.

"You're…a Seiryuu seishi…why are you…?"

Tasuki patted her on the shoulder. "Don't worry. He don't mean any harm. Crazy kid saved my life. Just one of the many things we have to explain to you. If we're lucky, we'll get though it by the time Chichiri comes to get us. Gotta quiet place we can talk?"

"We can go to my house. My parents will be out all day." Chiriko started walking. The others followed her.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Kohana!"

"Huh?"

"Kohana!"

"My head hurts…"

"Kohana! It's me!

"Momo?" Kohana groaned and opened her eyes. She was lying on the cold floor of a place she'd never seen before. Well, what she thought was the floor anyway. There were people above and below her, just wandering aimlessly. She struggled to regain her senses.

"Oh Kohana. Naraku got you too?" Momo was kneeling over her.

"Oh…I think so…where are we?"

"Near as I can figure, Hell." Momo sighed.

"What did Naraku do to us?"

"Tricked us into going off on our own took our souls. Or something like that."

"So…we're in that creepy mirror of hers?"

"I think so…"

"Are all these people here other souls she's taken?"

"Yeah…some of them are a couple hundred years old. They've forgotten who they are, where they come from, what god they worshiped, everything. They only know that Naraku destroyed them."

"Then we're stuck here like them…"

"Yeah. Not looking real great is it?"

Kohana was quiet. "There could be one hope…"

"What's that?"

"Piaoliang and Shen…"

"Who are they?"

"A couple of my friends at the palace…they're both descended from the two that defeated Naraku 400 years ago."

"Are you serious?" Momo shook Kohana's shoulders.

"Yes! Now let go of me! Jeez!" She pulled Momo's hands off her. "I'm not saying it'll work for sure. Piao and Shen aren't really that experienced in fighting evil spirits, you know?"

"Well, some hope is better than none."

"That's true."

They sat there in silence. Lost souls passed by them, ignoring the new comers. Kohana and Momo wondered how many of them were still remembered by family and friends. How many had just been given up on?

"Hey Kohana?"

"Yeah?"

"If we get outta here, I swear I'll never be mean to you again…"

Kohana smiled. "You could be mean to me all you wanted if we got outta here. It keeps things interesting."

"Well, at the very least, eternity will entertaining with you around."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Wow…I've missed the good stuff." Chiriko rested her chin in her hands.

"I'm sure there's plenty more to come." Tasuki smirked.

Someone knocked on the door and Chiriko got up to get it. Chichiri entered the house.

"Are you guys ready?"

Hotohori nodded. "Yes. Chichiri, this is Chiriko."

"Did Shen say anything?" Nuriko asked.

"He's…well…we'll say very unhappy about the thought of working with the Seiryuu seishi, but he understands it has to be done." Chichiri ran her fingers through her hair. "And I'm trying to keep An Hua under the understanding that Kohana is sick. I don't think she'd understand what really happened."

"We heading back then?" Tasuki got up from the table.

"Unless there's anything Chiriko has to do, yes."

"No, I'm fine. I've got everything I need."

"Then we'll go back." Chichiri cast the spell and made all the seishi transport back to the throne room.

Chiriko looked around her new surroundings. "That was…unnatural…"

"That was Chichiri." Nuriko chuckled.

Chichiri cleared her throat loudly and glared at him.

"Ni-chan!" An suddenly came running into the room to her brother.

"Why aren't you in bed?" Nuriko picked up his sister and started to take her back to her room.

"I was waitin' for you. Chichiri said you'd come back soon. I missed you Ni-chan." She hugged her brother.

"I missed you too, An." He smiled.

"Is Kohana-ne-chan gonna be okay?" She looked at him with wide eyes.

"…Yeah. She'll be okay." 'I hope…'

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Nakago was true to her word and the Seiryuu seishi appeared at the Konan palace within a few days. Momo was put in the same room as Kohana and the room was heavily guarded by Konan and Kutou soldiers. The fourteen seishi found themselves together in the throne room, all staring each other up and down.

"Are we going to get down to business?" Nakago looked at Hotohori.

"I thought you'd like to rest after traveling."

"It makes no different to me. The sooner the better though." She looked around the room. "Too much red…" She muttered to herself.

"I've gotten comfortable around it." Suboshi muttered.

"Well, since you're offering rest, I'll take it. My feet are killing me." Ashitare stretched a bit, shifted into his wolf form and started walking out of the room.

Nuriko grabbed Ashitare by the scruff of his neck as he walked passed. "Don't make a mess, mutt." Nuriko didn't want to let the wolf out of his sight. He wouldn't soon forget fighting with Ashitare and almost loosing his arm to his fangs.

Ashitare looked up at Nuriko and yawned, obviously not caring and shook himself out of Nuriko's grip. He pushed open the door with his nose and walked out. He needed a nice quiet place to sleep for the rest of the day.

The gardens seemed like a rather nice place. He walked around in a circle a couple of times and lay down to sleep.

A few minutes later, An Hua came walking through the grass though Ashitare didn't hear. He was too busy dreaming. An Hua saw Ashitare and smiled. "Puppy!"

Ashitare's ears twitched, but he didn't wake up.

An sat down in front of him. "Hi Puppy!"

Ashitare woke up to a small girl with a doll in her arms staring at him eyes to eye. He was more than a little startled and growled at her. He shifted so he faced away from her and closed his eyes again.

"Awww, come on Puppy." She put down her doll and crawled in front of him. "Wanna play?"

Ashitare looked up at her with a 'Leave me alone or I'll bite." look on his face.

"Please Puppy? I'm bored. I wanna play!" She poked him.

What started as a growl changed to an exasperated moan as Ashitare became human again. "For the love of Seiryuu, my name's not Puppy! Haven't you ever heard the expression 'Let sleeping dogs lie'?"

An looked at the man sitting in front of her with wide eyes.

"Oh great. You're freaked out now, aren't you? You're gonna run away and call me a monster. Whatever, go ahead." He snorted.

"Cool!" She gave him a big smile."

"See, I knew it. You…what did you just say?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Cool! Show me how! Show me how! I wanna see!" She started jumping up and down.

"Show you how?"

"Yeah! I wanna do that too!"

"You…you can't. I'm a seishi. You're not, right?"

"No…but my brother is."

"Your brother?"

"Nuriko-ni-chan."

"Oh, for the love of…your brother is Nuriko?"

"Uh huh!" She nodded. "So can you show me how to change?"

"No. Only I can do it." He crossed his arms.

An began to sniffle. "Why you bein' so mean to me? I didn't do nothing…"

"I'm not being mean. You're being unreasonable." He stood up to go find a quieter place to sit.

"I am not!" She kicked him in the shin as hard she could.

Ashitare clamped one hand over his mouth to stop a stream of words that would have made Tasuki blush. "What the hell did you do that for?! Ah Seiryuu…that's gonna bruise…" He bent over and rubbed his shin.

"You were bein' mean!"

"Was not!

"Were too!"

"Was not!"

"Were too!"

"Don't you have someone better to bug, kid?" He snapped.

"No. Kohana-ne-chan's sick and everyone's talkin' 'bout her so I got nothin' to do. I can't help." She started to sniffle again.

"Oh jeez…you're not gonna cry are you? I hate it when kids cry."

"If you play with me, I won't."

"Will you let me sleep later?"

"Okay."

"Fine…" He let out and exasperated sigh. "We'll play…"

"Yay! Thanks Mr. umm…."

"Ashitare…just Ashitare." He shifted back to canine.

"Okay, Ashitare. My name's An Hua. Let's go!" She picked up her doll and ran off.

Ashitare wasn't sure what An had in mind, but he knew if he didn't go along with her, he'd never have a moment's peace while he was there.

'Dear Seiryuu…I've just become a child's pet, haven't I? I've never been so humiliated in my whole life…'

"Come on Ashitare! You're too slow! We've gotta hurry if we're gonna play 'Mess with the cooks before dinner'!" She hurried him along.

'Mess with the cooks huh? Well, maybe this won't be so bad.' He picked up his pace and went after An Hua.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

~*~Shadow Hawk~*~