Kouji got word that Genrou and Chichiri were making their way up the mountain before they passed the second guard posting. By the time the bandit and monk were walking into sight, Kouji was leaning comfortably against the door frame, waiting for his old lover and Chichiri. Kouji had known when Genrou had left to join up with the Miko, that they would not be together again and it had taken him awhile to get over Genrou, but now watching the two approach and catching small hints in Genrou's behavior towards the monk, he was deeply relieved he was over the red head. It would appear that Genrou and Chichiri were together. He smirked.
"Welcome Back, Genrou. And you too, Chichiri."
Both greeted him with a smile, although Genrou's was closer to a smirk. Kouji caught his friend eye and then asked. "I take it Chichiri won't need a room prepared?"
Chichiri looked surprised, as did Genrou. "What the hell ya talkin' about, Kouji? Of course he's staying."
Kouji chuckled "Hai, I know that, Gen-chan. Just asking if he was sharin' your room or not is all." The two blushed bright red and gaped at him. "An don' ask me how I knew, how long have we been friends, Gen-chan? I might not be able to read Chichiri at all, but you are an open book to me."
The monk was chuckling now, Genrou looked about ready to flame his best friend when he finally looked in Kouji's eyes. The acceptance and love he saw there, the love of a best friend, had him relaxing completely. "Yer just lucky that I'm feelin so nice today, Kouji, or I woulda flamed ya."
The blue haired bandit smiled and waved them in. "Your room is where ya left it, but I think I should warn out of somethin."
The two had entered the bandit hideout and Genrou looked back at the reserved tone in Kouji's voice. "Warn me of what?"
Kouji sighed "There's a girl in the hideout."
"WHAT?"
The bandit nodded "Hai. A few months ago our guys found her collapsed near the first lookout, pretty near death too. Not much we could have done, it was fuckin' pouring rain and we could barely see two feet in front of us. We couldn't take her to the village cause of the rain and the river was flooding, so we brought her here. After she was healed, she insisted that she be allowed to pay off her debt to us. She had no money, so she is now living with us for a year, cooking and cleaning."
Genrou was gaping openly at Kouji when the bandit finished. "Are ya serious?"
Kouji nodded "She is really nice though." The blue haired bandit smiled slightly. "Not much to look at though, which pretty much keeps most of the guys away from her for that reason. The few who did try were pretty much taught their place. I am surprised though, seeing her take out a few of our tougher bandits from touching her that she was ever put into the condition we found her in. But there is something about her, something about her character. Most of us protect her like an older brother. It's crazy."
By this time, the trio had arrived at Genrou's room and after setting their belongings down, Tasuki and Chichiri turned to Kouji. "I wan' to meet her."
Kouji gave a nod. "Hai, she is in the kitchen, makin' supper right now."
He once again led the way, silently.
Kalinta, she was a mystery to him. Sure she wasn't much to look at. Plain features, brown greasy hair that was forever pulled back into a bun, out of her face. On the heavier side, she was properly proportioned, but hid behind plain, shapeless gowns. Her most beautiful feature were her eyes. Sky blue and piercing. The light blue was surrounded with an almost purple blue border. Her eyes were the window to her soul and he had a feeling only he saw that. She was beautiful inside. Her voice and mannerisms kind and gentle. A true lady within, she helped all who needed it, often the first to know someone was injured and already bandaging them when the others were just going for bandages. The size of her heart was greater then her physical ugliness and overroad it in Kouji's eyes. But he knew how the others saw her. They all liked her, and found themselves going into the kitchen to discuss problems with her on occassion, as she was a good listener. But none of them thought twice about her romantically.
They arrived at the kitchen and he gave a swift knock on the wall beside the open door before enterring, Chichiri and Genrou swiftly following him.
Her back was to them and she was stirring something in the pot and slowly adding seasoning. "Hello Kouji."
He smiled at her back and then glanced to Genrou and Chichiri, who were studying her back. She finished what she was doing and turned back to them, her eyes landing first on Kouji and then on Genrou and finally Chichiri. Blue eyes widened ever so slightly at the sight of the monk and something akin to panic drifted into her eyes for a second. Her face showed nothing that her eyes gave away and he was sure both Genrou and Chichiri hadn't noticed it.
"This here's Genrou and Chichiri, the last two remaining Suzaku Seishi." The woman smiled slightly, and gave a proper bow to them. "Ah, then it is a pleasure to meet you. Everyone here has such great tales of you two." Her smile was genuine and Genrou relaxed. This woman wasn't overly feminine and very respectful. He guessed he could handle her in the hideout. He glanced at Chichiri, about to ask if he was ready to go unpack when the look on the monk's face stopped him. The monk was watching the young woman still, a slight frown marring the mask. "Chichiri?"
By now she had returned to her cooking and Kouji glanced at his two friends and then the woman again before shaking his head. "Hai, no da."
"Ya ok?"
The monk gave a nod and within moments they bid Kalinta good bye and Kouji went his way to check on a loud crash from the great room and the two returned to their room. They were unpacking silently and Genrou stood and stretched. "Man, it's great to be back here. I think I'm going to go check on what the guys are doin, an what that crash was." He looked at Chichiri "Ya goin' to meditate?"
The monk gave a distracted nod and then looked up. "Hai, I'll join you a bit later."
Tasuki nodded and kissed the monk softly, Chichiri's lips eagerly returning the kiss. They broke apart with a smile and a look of promise in their eyes.
Tasuki left to join Kouji and Chichiri settled to do his nightly meditation, but couldn't get his mind to settle. He had to confirm his suspicions. He had seen the woman's reaction to him and had been greatly surprised about it till he had seen her eyes. Only one woman he knew had eyes like that. So deep and expressive.
He made his way back to the kitchen and thankfully she was alone again, preparing supper still. He stood silently in the doorway and watched her. He opened his mouth to talk when her low voice came to him. "Hello, my lovely."
A quick smile smirked across his lips at the familiar greeting as she turned and looked at the monk. "So, this is where you have been, no da." She shrugged a bit. "Sort of."
He narrowed his eyes and removed his mask. "Taiitsukun and I thought you had returned to Norrath, no da." She gave a nod "Yes, I did return at first. But within days of my return, I was summoned to Tunare's side. When I arrived, she informed me that my work was not yet complete in this world and that she was sending me back here. She told me that I would be here for awhile yet and so I was returned." She sighed and looked at her hands. "When I returned, I was not in Taiitsukun's place and you know as well as I how helpless I am when I enter this world at first. My mana resources are depleated, all spells are wiped from my memory. I can barely summon my sword."
Chichiri gave a nod, having seen this for himself a few times upon her return from her world. "What happened?"
"I was dropped a few towns over, into an alley. Obviously I was not in this form." He gave a nod. "I was quickly subdued by a small group of men within about 5 minutes of my arrival and was gagged and bound for close to a week."
"What did they do to you?" His no da's were absent as he gazed at a woman he considered one of his closest friends. Her face paled and she looked away "What do you think evil men do to a beautiful woman when they capture her?"
Chichiri shut his eyes and looked away, anger sweeping through him at the thought. Her voice cut through his anger and he looked at her, she still studied her hands. "They made a mistake in taking off my gag while my hands were free and that is all I needed. I summoned my sword and my book, quickly memorized my invisibility spell and cast it. I was free. But we both know my spell doesn't last long and is unpredictable, even more so in this world then my own. I had just gotten out of the house when it dropped and I had to recast it. The second time it dropped there were men everywhere looking for me and so I used the spell Taiitsukun taught us, to change our appearance. This is what I chose, something so unflattering that men would not look twice at me. I covered the bruises and cuts first but my magic was not up to the strain of holding that good of a cover and I reduced it to show my injuries after leaving the town and made it as far as the start of the mountain pass when I collapsed. Only Tunare knows how I managed to keep the illusion up after I passed out, but apparently I did."
He nodded "Good thing too, the men here, while nice, are still men and would have tried to have their way with you." She sighed and began to pour the soup into a large pot, one that wasn't hot. "A few did, I quickly took care of them."
Chichiri nodded "Well, Taiitsukun had said she felt your presence, no da. I had wondered when you didn't show back up on Mount Taikoku."
"So, I take it you are not Alisande in this form?" She shook her head "No, call me Kalinta." Chichiri gave a nod. "Do they know you are a mage, na no da?"
She gave him a playful frown. Most of her magic was druid in nature, but she knew mage spells and the two could rival each other in power, him being a Suzaku Seishi and her a child of Tunare. Thankfully their magic also complimented each other when used together, which they had done plenty of times. "No, they know nothing about that. I plan not to tell them. Just serve my year for payment and leave."
Chichiri gave a nod, but he had a feeling that she would not be able to hide her true self much longer.
The next few days Chichiri watched her silently and began to realize something. She was falling for Kouji. She was never improper and he was sure the bandit had no idea. But he knew Ali very well and she was not a normally shy person and her behavior towards the bandit was definately more reserved then towards other. It was their third night back that Tasuki spoke as they cuddled in bed. "I think that Kouji likes the girl."
Chichiri lifted his head from Tasuki's bare chest and blinked. "You do, no da?" Genrou nodded "Yes, I have known him a long time. Just a feeling I get. I wonder what she thinks of him." He frowned, wondering how Kouji could fall for someone that looked like that. Genrou liked her, hell for a woman she was alright, but she really wasn't much to look at. He noticed that Chichiri was uncommonly quiet and glanced to his love. The monk looked deep in thought, mask off. "Ya ok?"
"Hai, no da. Just thinking."
"Anythin ya care to share?"
Chichiri shook his head "Not yet, no da." Tasuki nodded and soon the two drifted off to sleep.
A few hours later, the lovers were awoken by shouts in the hallway. They jumped out of bed and dressed and quickly dressed, rushing into the hall pulling shirts on their heads. Kouji stopped as Genrou and Chichiri came out. "The village is under attack by bandits." Genrou frowned "The village under our protection?"
Kouji nodded "The villagers escaped here, and the bandits followed them. They are almost on our door step." That's when Tasuki and Chichiri heard the cries of women and children over the racket. He frowned and Kouji pulled him along, Chichiri following them. "Kalinta is caring for them." They both nodded, feeling (one more certainly then most) that the villagers were in good hands.
The trio broke out into a run as they exitted the door and plunged together into the skirmage outside their door.
Alisande tried to keep her illusion going, not the physical one, but the persona. However, some of the wounds were so horrible that if she didn't use her powers and heal them, they would be dead. By the fourth one, she had stopped trying to hide her chanting and was just healing as she went. She cared not that a few bandits had stopped helping the minorly wounded and were watching her move amongst the people, going to the worst off and healing them almost completely with a chant and hand movement.
When all the villagers were relatively safe, health wise, she caught a bandit's arm. "Watch them. They shouldn't leave the room until it is safe." With that, she lifted her skirts and bolted from the room, running outside and sliding to a stop, staring in shock at the battle. She quickly glanced up and around and then darted back into the door, turned and hit the stairs that led to the roof.
She stood upon the roofs edge, quickly casting Spirit of Eagle upon herself and began to heal her friends. However a flash of blue hair caught her attention and she kept returning her gaze to Kouji, Chichiri and Genrou. She frowned and saw a bandit sneaking up behind Kouji and quickly cast a root spell on him, binding him to the ground. "BEHIND YOU KOUJI"
The bandit didn't glance in her direction and turned and attacked the man she had rooted. Chichiri glanced her way and smiled though, before continuing to fight.
She saw it before he did, the attacker moving towards Kouji. Genrou turned and looked up as well as Chichiri right as the sword slipped into Kouji's belly.
Alisande gave a strangled cry and launched herself off the roof. Kouji was out of range to cast a heal on him. Running in midair, slowly decending, the bandits and attackers that saw her froze in awe at the sight. She held out her right hand, a scimitar appearing there, magical leaves floating around the sword as she hit the fray. She might not be the best fighter in Norrath, but against the simple attackers here in Konan, she was damn good. She fought her way to Kouji's side, reserving her depleating mana and not casting.
Chichiri saw that she was approaching and knew that she could heal their friend. He moved from Genrou and Kouji, his lover supporting his friend, after casting a quick barrier around them and moved to help her clear a path.
The two spellcasters met and she gripped his arm as they fought side by side, although only for a second. "Please, tell me he is still alive."
The monk gave a nod "Hai, he is still alive. But not for long, hurry to him." She nodded and he covered her back as she ran through the crowd, taking down a few more attackers as she went, Chichiri right behind her. The attackers, by this point were breaking up, some retreating in confusion as the bandits held their own. They had not expected two magic users.
As she approached the barrier, Chichiri dropped it and she was instantly at Kouji's side. Both were looking at her and she could tell Kouji was fading fast. She held a hand over his wound, knowing that her healing would be more direct if it was focussed and she began to chant in her native elvish. The words of the spell flew from her lips in a dialect none on the scene, other then herself and Chichiri, had heard before. Light glowed from her hand before expanding and flying at Kouji, his wound swiftly mending.
Kouji sat up, with help from Genrou, to stare in shock at the woman beside him. She suddenly hit her knees and cried, as she curled into herself, her form flickering softly before settling once again. Chichiri dropped to his knees beside her. "Alisande? Are you injured, no da?"
She shook her head "My mana is depleated. My illusion is dropping." She raised eyes to Chichiri who nodded and gathered her into his arms. "Come on." He spoke to his lover and the bandit as he swiftly ran towards the hideout, Tasuki and Kouji on his heels.
He slipped into his and Tasuki's room, laid her on the bed and used his hand to shut the door behind the two bandits. "Drop it, Ali. You have kept it up long enough."
Terrified eyes met Chichiri's face and he smiled down at her, removing his mask. He saw the strain that was being done to her to keep her spell up and he smoothed her hair, which had come loose from her bun. "It's ok, it's time. I won't let anyone harm you."
These words from someone she considered a brother calmed her and she let out a sharp breath of air and her body shimmered. She cried out at the loss of her illusion, although it didn't hurt, more of a let down and almost instantly, the person Chichiri knew as Alisande laid on the bed, chest heaving.
As she sat up, Chichiri looked away, at a very shocked Tasuki and Kouji.
She rose and held the extremely large dress around her thin form. Her eyes flew to Chichiri, who was looking at her, to Genrou and then Kouji's startled face.
Kouji couldn't believe what he was seeing. Not only had she healed him with a quick spell, now she had dropped some illusion and was sitting on the bed in a different form. For a moment, he thought it wasn't her, there was some mistake, but then he saw her eyes as she gazed at him.
Bright red hair hung around her face, short and wild. Her features were very pixish, that being the only word to really describe them and he was amazed to see her ears were pointed.
She stood from the bed and pulled the bodice of her neck forward and looked down. She nodded and then let the bodice go and the dress slid downward, completely off her frame. "What the hell are ya wearing?"
All turned to Genrou as he pointed at her partially clad body and yelped. She blushed bright red. "My armor."
Her voice had even changed, the words soft and delicate, melodious even. Her body was thin and toned. She wore a simple yellow halter over her breasts that ended in patterened leather that hung over her middrif. A simple belt of leather, with stips of leather hanging down to cover her bottom, partially covered the yellow panties she wore. Leather leggings started at mid thigh and were tucked into boots. A green band glowed softly on one arm, a silver one on the other, also glowing.
She sighed and looked at Chichiri, who was giving her a large smile. "It's good to see you again, Alisande."
She gave him a thankful nod, nowing he meant it was good to see her true form. "Hai, it's good to be back, Chiri-chan."
"Wait, ya two know each other?"
Kouji looked at Genrou at this, still silent and in shock. Ali was purposely avoiding looking at the blue haired bandit.
"Hai, no da. She is a student of Taiitsukun, no da."
"Well, kind of." They looked at her. "My goddess sent me to learn from Taiitsukun when I had learned all she could teach me and there was still much potential in me to learn more."
She sighed and finally looked at Kouji, who was staring at her, still in shock.
Chichiri caught the look that passed between the two. "Come on, Tasuki, let's go check on the others."
Tasuki gave a bemused nod and allowed his lover to pull him from the room, closing the door behind them. Alisande was looking at her hands, the floor, the wall. Anywhere but at Kouji.
"You lied to us." She shrank away from the anger in his voice and then from him when he came up to her and grabbed her shoulders. Memories of what she had suffered flashed through her head and she gave out a small cry, jerking back. Kouji blinked, and then he remembered how she had looked when they found her. He released her and she stumbled away from him, retreating to the far wall. "This is what you looked like when they caught you."
He had doubted her words at first, that she had been attacked by men. Her other form had been very unattractive and it was only him getting to know her that led to him liking her more then he should have. He studied the beautiful creature across the room, fear was in her eyes and she was regarding him with the look of a scared doe. She had fought so bravely outside and then healed him without flinching at the sight of his wound. Even now, he saw the magic still present. For one, her feet didn't touch the ground.
"I want the truth, all of it." She gave a nod and looked at her hands and began to talk. She told him of her world and what she was there, how she had originally come to this world, the state she was in when she arrived. How she knew Chichiri as well. She told him of her last visit to her world and what her goddess had said and how she had ended up not far from here instead of in a safe spot. She told of how she had been gagged and bound for most of the week she was captured. That she had used the illusion to escape. She explained that, while it should have dropped when she passed out the night she had been discovered, that it hadn't and she had kept it up because it was easier.
Finally her voice broke off and she looked up at him. "I just wanted to pay my debt to you and leave. It was not my intention to trick you or hide my true person from you. I truthfully was to scared to drop my illusion. Your men are decent, but even there are bad apples here and I couldn't handle another attack like that." He knew what she meant, her attackers had raped her.
He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I am going to check on the men. Can you put your illusion back up now?"
She blinked and nodded. "Hai, I have enough mana now to put it up and hold it." He gave a nod "Then do so and go to your room and stay there till I come to you." His voice had turned cold on this last comment and she eeped and darted for her dress. She held it to her form and watched as he gave her an unreadable look and then left the room. She put the dress over her head, holding it and then cast her spell. The dress filled out and she sighed, pulling her hair back into a bun before she left the room.
She moved quickly towards her room and sat on the bed. The illusion dropped and she slipped out of the dress once more. Almost instantly a bag was in her hands and she reached into it and pulled out a blue robe. She slipped it on, and sighed, moving towards the window to stare out into the night. She knew she should rest, resting would help her regain her mana faster. But she was restless.
Ali didn't know when it had happened, but she had fallen in love with Kouji. His warmth and kindness, fairness and strength. They drew her to him like a moth to a flame. Thin arms wrapped around herself and her eyes closed as she swayed slightly. The hurt within her being rose and she thought momentarily about fleeing. She knew that they wouldn't be able to catch her if she did, but she chose to stay. She never had run from anything in her life and she wasn't going to start now. She would confront her feelings for Kouji head on and if he rejected her true form, her true being, then so be it.
She trembled again and suddenly the room began to spin. She pressed her hand to the wall, her eyes closed and she started to concentrate on her breathing, trying to get her fatigue under control enough to make it to the bed. She did not hear the door open.
Kouji left her in a fury. He didn't know what he was really angry at. Maybe he was using his anger to hide his other emotions. He stopped when he saw Chichiri and Tasuki standing in the hall. He gestured for them to go to his chambers and they followed him. Once alone there, he rounded on them. "She's not even from this world?"
Chichiri nodded "Don't hold it against her, Kouji. She kept the illusion to protect herself. You saw her. She wouldn't have been safe here in that form, no da."
Kouji turned from the monk and his best friend and stalked to the window. He gazed out into the darkness a long time, letting his anger abate and pain filled his heart. "I'd fallen in love with her."
There was silence behind him and he glanced over his shoulder and saw the understanding looks in their eyes. Chichiri nodded "With her kindness and quiet strength, no da. Her inner beauty."
Kouji nodded "Yes, now I wonder if it was all an illusion too." Chichiri shook his head "I have known her for years, the person she presented was not physically herself, but her actions were. Alisande is in a class of her own. She knows of her beauty, knows what her looks do to men and she usually doesn't care. In her world, people are more adapt at controlling themselves. The outfit she wore is one that she constantly wears. She is comfortable with who she is, and it shows. However, her heart is pure. She only wants to care for others. That is why she is what she is, no da."
"What is she?"
"A druid."
Kouji looked at his hands. "I feel like a fool, I was on the verge of trying to court her. Now I look at her and wonder what the hell she could want with someone that looks like me. She could have anyone, what would she want with a rough, scarred bandit?"
"You should tell her this, no da."
Kouji and Genrou gaped at Chichiri. "NANI?"
The monk nodded "I know her fairly well. It has been on my mind for a few days now, I think she shares your feelings."
Kouji frowned "Ya knew who she was?" Chichiri nodded "Her eyes gave her away."
Kouji spun back to the window and was silent for so long. Part of him wanted to stay and forget, to tell her to leave and never come back. But another part, the stronger part, wanted to go to her, confess his love and heal her wounds. Her emotional wounds. That part won.
He turned and left the room, moving towards Genrou's door. When he opened it, he saw it was empty and fear churned in his heart. She was a druid and a mage, she could easily leave and they wouldn't know where she was. Well, possibly Chichiri would, but that was beside the point.
He approached her door with great trepidition and opened it slowly. She was standing at the window, red hair still wildly around her face and a blue robe on her form, the hem puddled at her feet. One hand was bracing the wall, the other wrapped around herself and he moved towards her.
"Kalinta?"
She froze at the name and turned her head slowly to look at him. He noticed her eyes were slightly unfocused and she was very pale. She looked about to collapse, so he gently took her hand and led her to the bed. She sank onto the softness of it gratefully and closed her eyes for a moment. "You are exhausted."
She gave a nod and then opened her eyes. "What do you want from me Kouji?"
He sighed and moved to the window that she had been looking out of. "Look, Kalinta..."
"My name is Alisande. Please, call me that. Or Ali." He turned and looked at her. "Alright."
She glanced down at her hands and he spoke again. "Ya know, your other form didn't bother me all that much."
She glanced at him "Yeah, right." Her voice held disbelief and he turned to smile. "I'm serious, there is more to a woman then a great body. Sure it's pleasing to look at, but it will get old in time." He smiled softly at her open mouthed expression and he walked to her, kneeling before her and taking her hands in his.
"The last few days I have wanted to ask if I could court you, as Kalinta. I think I've fallen in love with you."
She stared at him in shock and then realized he was looking nowhere but her eyes. He wasn't even studying her face, just gazing into her eyes. "You're serious?"
He nodded "I know I'm not much and now I see ya can have any guy ya want, but.." he broke off and looked away feeling foolish. "I felt hurt, betrayed. Like the person I fell in love with was false. Chichiri told me that the only thing you changed was your appearance and looking into your eyes" he looks back into her eyes "I can see he was correct. Your eyes are the windows to your soul, did ya know that?"
She shook his head and he nodded, continuing. "Yes, they have always conveyed everything. They show your warmth and kindness, your inner beauty."
She smiled at him, tears pooling in her eyes. "Kouji..." He put a finger on her lips and smiled softly "Will you? Will you stay with me?"
Suddenly with swift surety, Alisande knew that this is what Tunare had sent her back for. Her soul mate was here. But she had to tell him.
"Kouji." She looked away, this would be hard. "I'm not human."
He blinked at her. "I'm an elf. You will grow old, and eventually die and I will pretty much remain the same in appearance 100 years from now." Her voice was soft, saddened. He caught her chin in his hand and forced her to look back at him. "Well, that just means that I will never leave ya for someone new when ya get older." She burst out laughing
"will you stay, Alisande?"
She gave a small nod and he felt the tightness leave his chest and he, still gripping her chin, pressed his lips to hers.
A few days later, the home of the bandits was once again empty of villagers. A few homes had to be repaired, but that had taken very little time and the halls were relatively empty and quiet. Well, as quiet as they could be. Kouji had noticed that in the last few days, the strain it was putting on Alisande to keep her illusion up and he decided as soon as the villagers were gone, he would have to tell the bandits about her.
They were all seated before him, Genrou and Chichiri. Alisande was sitting behind him, against the wall a blue robe covered her form. She was also floating about 3 feet off the ground, which was making it difficult to get the attention of his bandits, they were all looking at her.
"Quiet." Dead silence and the bandits looked to their leader. "During the fight, I think you all noticed or have heard that Kalinta did some strange things. Well, the person you see before you is not really Kalinta, it's an assumed name. And an assumed look. One she took to protect herself. Every one of you remembers how she looked when she first came to us." He looked back and caught her frightened look and then held his hand to her. "Come here."
She rose and moved to his side, slipping her hand through his. "Kalinta is an elf named Alisande. She is not from this world, nor the Miko's world and has actually been a pupil of the Creator, Taiitsukun, with Chichiri-sama. Now, she is going to stay and continue working off her debt to us, but she will no longer be hiding her true form. I will say this once and only once. Anyone caught treating her without proper respect will not like what I do to you." The group nodded and gulped and Alisande felt their eyes turn to her. She closed her eyes, gathered her willpower and dropped her illusion. The room was silent and she opened her eyes to stare at the stunned faces of the bandit.
She glanced at Kouji who gave her a smile. "I am very sorry for not revealing my true form to you earlier." The bandits, as one, smiled at her and Kouji growled and pulled her to his side, causing Genrou and Chichiri to chuckle softly at the shocked looks on the bandits faces and the red face of Alisande.
A few years later, Kouji and Genrou went off into the woods. Their mission? To find a couple magic users. They stopped as they came upon Chichiri and Alisande sitting side by side, fishing poles in their hands. The two mages were talking softly and then both turned to smile in delight at their lovers.
Kouji grinned as he and Genrou made their way over. "Did ya catch anything?"
Ali nodded "Hai, we caught quite a bit." She pulled a bag from nowhere, an action that no longer suprised them and opened it. It was full of fresh fish. Those bags of her were almost endless. "I think we have enough for all the bandits now, no da."
Chichiri stood and brought his line in, as Alisande struggled to her feet. Kouji gently helped her up, her balance off due to her pregnancy. He smiled at the woman in his arms and kissed her nose when she looked up at him. "Are you laughing at me?"
The other two chuckled as Kouji shook his head "No dear, just thinking about how beautiful you are." She gave him a dubious look before glancing at her ripening body and then sighed as she produced another bag and stuck the fishing pole in it. "Sure"
The small group made their way slowly back towards the hideout, walking slow for Ali's sake as Kouji helped her along the path. "You know, Kouji. I can just SoE myself and be fine right?"
Kouji nodded and looked up the path to where Genrou and Chichiri had walked on ahead. "Hai, I know. But I like helpin ya, so just let me, ok?"
She nodded and the two made their way home.
