Chapter Twelve:
The Monster is Getting Angry
Ashitare slammed open the door to our inn room, Amiboshi and I on his furry heels. Mitsukake, Tamahome and Dee were sitting near each other on the floor, obviously in the middle of a discussion. In the corner was a tied-up Chiriko and a tied-up Nakago.
"Dee-chan! You're all right!"
"Where have you been?" she demanded. "Everyone went nuts and you disappeared!"
"Nakago…" I frowned worriedly. "He told me that something had happened to everybody who drank the wine. What's going on with everybody? Where's Genrou?"
My best friend sweatdropped. "Well…it's kind of a long story…"
xxx
"I'm a bit glad I wasn't here. That probably would've hurt my head," I said after we had all shared stories.
Mitsukake wrote on a piece of paper and handed it to Amiboshi, who read it out loud: "It seems everybody's personalities have been rewritten. That is probably the work of kodoku wine. If I am right, then I'm afraid even I cannot heal it." The four of us stared at Mitsukake in shock. "You WHAT?"
"RAH?"
Mitsukake wrote on a piece of paper again and handed it to Amiboshi. The flutist read through it silently, then, "Hey! This says the same thing!" Mitsukake wrote some more and gave the paper back to Amiboshi. "I was just repeating because you asked what I had written." Amiboshi's face turned blue as he hung his head.
A childish scream echoed from the open doorway. "WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" We all turned to look, the others sweatdropping and I cocking my head in confusion.
"What the hell?" I asked aloud.
"That's Genrou," Amiboshi explained with a smile.
"GENROU?" I ran out to the hallway, nearly colliding with a bling-bling monk who was chasing the sobbing bandit.
"You're not helping me charm the ladies no da!" he cried in frustration. Some women I figured must be Chichiri's "ladies" were giving them both strange looks.
I ignored him and ran over to Genrou, who was on his back, kicking his feet in the air and screaming. "Uh... geez, I'm bad with little kids... er, guchi guchi guu!" I tickled his stomach with my finger, and he began giggling. "Aww…that's a good Gen-chan. Come on, let's go upstairs."
I held out the hand of my uninjured arm, and he took it. This had to look very odd, seeing as how Genrou was about seven inches taller than me.
Genrou put his other hand's thumb in his mouth. His eyes grew large and chibi, and he immediately held out his thumb. There were two little fang-marks of blood trickling down the edges. "WAAAAH! OW! OW! OWWWW!"
"Genrou! What the hell is wrong with you?"
"OWIEEEEE!"
SMACK! I back-handed him without a second thought.
Genrou stepped back a bit, holding his hand to his cheek. I sweatdropped, holding my hand to my open mouth in fear of the baby whine that would escape his throat. "Harii-chan, what the hell did ya do that for?"
"Genrou…" Tears welled up in my eyes.
"Harii-chan!" Genrou crossed his arms over his chest and rolled his eyes. "What's goin' on with you? Girls're so dumb! They slap people, and then they cry about it, regrettin' it!"
"You're back! Genrou!" I threw my good arm around his neck and immediately kissed him on the cheek.
"HARII-CHAN!" He blushed deep crimson, squirming in my hold. "Yer actin' really weird right now!"
"No kidding, she is whack no da!"
Genrou looked towards the monk with a blank look on his face. He blinked a few times, cocking his head curiously at the bling-bling seishi in front of him. "Chichiri, what the hell happened to ya?"
"Nothin', bro, it's Seiryuu's foxy Priestess who's whack no da!" he exclaimed, causing Genrou to face-vault.
A cartoon lightbulb popped up over my head as I got an idea. I turned to look at Chichiri, smiling apologetically. "Sorry."
Then I smacked the pimpmonk hard across the face.
"What the hell are you-?" Genrou started to yell, waving chibi arms. He stopped when he looked over and saw Chichiri staring in confusion at his clothes.
"Um... Why do I have this on no da?"
"Chichiri! You're not weird anymore!" Dee, who had been watching the scene with the others, ran up and hugged Chichiri around the neck. "Huzzah!"
"He's always weird," Genrou muttered.
Chichiri cocked an eyebrow. "Uh, Dee-chan, what are you talking about no da?"
"My Nuriko!" Tamahome ran off in search of his beloved.
"Brother!" Amiboshi ran off in search of his brother.
"Chiriko!" Mitsukake ran off in search of his fellow seishi friend as a painting fell from a wall.
"Um… I guess I should go look for Soi." I sweatdropped. "Genrou, Dee, Chichiri, go back to our room. We're going to have a meeting about all this."
"About all what?" Genrou and Chichiri both wondered.
"You'll see." I ran off for Soi. I found the female seishi asleep in a corner, and slapped her.
She blinked sleepily, than sat up straight. "Nakago! Where's my darling Nakago?" She grabbed me and shook me by the shoulders.
"OW! That really hurts!"
"Oh… sorry." Soi let go of my shoulders. "Where is he?"
"He's in our commons room, which is where we're going right now."
xxx
"Max, has anything, y'know... happened?" Colin asked with a hint of fear in his hickish voice.
"Don't worry. Your sister's okay. She kicked Nakago in the balls before he could do anything."
"Good…" Colin let out a sigh of relief.
"But now she has three lesbian lovers."
"WHAT?"
"Just kidding." Max grinned.
"It's not nice to kid like that!" The hobo giggled with a hoarse voice then ran off.
xxx
Soi ran into the main room and threw her arms around Nakago, who we had tied up in the corner. "MY DARLING! What have they done to you?" She started to untie the ropes.
"Don't even think about it, Soi!" exclaimed Amiboshi. "This guy has done some pretty wild things you don't know about."
Tamahome hugged Nuriko tightly, obviously happy to see his lover back in her… his… in Nuriko's regular clothes. "I'll hold you for as long as I live, protect you as long as there's a breath of life in my body... I won't ever, ever, ever let you go, my darling!"
"Um, what if Nuriko has to go to the bathroom?" I asked. Genrou sweatdropped and smacked me on the back of the head with his tessen.
"Hey! She saved you, you know!" yelled Amiboshi. "You shouldn't hurt her!"
"Heh… thanks," I said.
He smiled sweetly. "Of course. I'll always protect you from this scary man."
Genrou snarled. "Hey!"
"Eh…" I sweatdropped.
"It doesn't matter. I would have said it if he hadn't," Dee stated proudly.
I growled and sprouted fangs. "Dee-chan...!"
I raised up my fist, but Chichiri (back in his normal clothes, thankfully) caught it. "Don't you think we should be getting an explanation no da?" Dee was huddled, still bracing herself for the WHAMMO of my fist. "Dee-chan, she's not going to hit you no da."
"Oh..heh…" Dee stood up. "I knew that. Anyway, it all started last night when you guys were drinking…"
xxx
Dee, Tamahome, Amiboshi and I told the story with Ashitare "RAH!" ing and Mitsukake nodding his head. Silence reigned in the room once we had finished, everyone letting the details sink in.
Genrou broke the silence. "You sick BASTARD!" He grabbed Nakago from Soi's hold by the ropes wrapped around his chest. "You made me act like that in front-a Ha… in front-a everyone!"
"You looked so stupid Genrou!" Amiboshi grabbed his side with one hand as he pointed with the other and laughed.
"You better shut up b'fore I make you cry like a baby," growled the bandit.
"Stop that!" Soi pulled Nakago back from the angry redhead. "He does everything for a reason."
"For his own selfish reasons!" exclaimed Tamahome. He gagged and made a face. "AND HE KISSED ME!"
Nakago sweatdropped. "I said I was sorry about that."
"Isn't everyone kind of forgetting the real terrible thing he tried to do today?" Dee remarked irritably.
"I thought you were just playing hard to get," Nakago said.
"Are you KIDDING ME?!"
"Dee's right. What he did is unforgivable." Everyone looked around to find the owner of the weirdly deep voice. They gasped as their eyes landed on a maskless Chichiri. "We'll have to send him back to Hotohori-sama for his actions. He will likely be tried for crimes against the nation."
"Chichiri-san…" Chiriko said quietly, as everyone except Dee saw his scar for the first time.
Dee forgot to be angry and instead focused on helping her seishi friend out. "Oo, hey, hey! Can we each kick him in the balls a couple of times? Y'know, just to teach him a lesson that he wouldn't forget?" she suggested, breaking the awkward moment.
"I've got a better idea. How about we pour honey on him and throw him near a giant ant hill?" I chipped in.
"Why don't I fry him to a crisp?" Genrou said with a vicious grin.
"Hmm…" Nuriko rubbed her… his… their chin. "I think we can do better than that."
xxx
"I do say Nuriko! He is quite a masterpiece!" I exclaimed.
"Oooh… ain't you just cute as a button!" Genrou grabbed the general's blush-covered cheek.
"That really suits him. You have great taste, Nuriko," Tamahome complimented.
Nakago looked down at his new frilly baby doll outfit, complete with bonnet and bloomers (why did they even have Victorian clothes in Ancient China?), holding out the ruffled edges miserably. "Did you have to make it pink?"
"It goes with your eyes!" Nuriko reminded him.
Soi sighed and clutched onto her love. "I think you look very mature and manly no matter what."
Dee sweatdropped, thinking mature and manly were the last words she'd use on Nakago right about now. "Geez, she must REALLY love him."
"No kidding no da," agreed Chichiri.
"From now on, we shall call him…" I pointed a finger in the air. "NAKI-CHAN!"
"NAKI-CHAN!" The rest mimicked (except for Soi, Misukake and Naki-chan, for obvious reasons), throwing a fist in the air.
"NAKI-CHAN!" The hobo came in late, jumping with his fist in the air.
Mitsukake held a paper in the air with "NAKI-CHAN!" written on it.
xxx
"NAKI-CHAN!" said Max and Colin.
xxx
"Heh… Harii-chan…" I looked over and up at Genrou, who smiled awkwardly. "Ya know, when I offered Chiriko some of that wine, I was thinkin about offerin' you some too. I guess it's a good thing I didn't… heh…" He let out a laugh with his right arm behind his head. "We woulda been screwed!"
"I think what our emotionally-challenged friend is trying to say is thanks no da," said Chichiri, smiling oh-so-cutely. I noticed Dee's smile directed at him, and figured she must have missed that oh-so-cute smile during the whole kodoku incident.
"You're welcome, but really Dee-chan gave me the idea. She slapped me once when… uh… I went crazy." I blushed a little at the remembrance of that embarrassing scene.
"Twice!" Dee corrected.
"RAH!" Ashitare affectionately nudged my injured arm.
I grimaced in pain. "Ouchies…"
"Be a little more gentle, Ashitare! You are a wolfman, ya know!" Genrou swung his arm around me, as if to show the proper way, but accidentally bumped my hurt arm.
"Ouchies!" I yelped again.
He jumped back and held his hands up. "Whoa… I didn't think ya were that weak."
"She's not weak!" Amiboshi protested as he walked to the side of me. "You guys are just too rough. You have to be gentle with a lady." He grabbed both of my arms slowly, as if demonstrating how to be gentle.
"OUCHIES!"
"Whoa… she is weak!" Amiboshi stepped back, chibi-eyed.
Dee looked about as surprised as they did. She blinked her big, blue eyes curiously. "Wow, Haley-chan. I always knew you were really ticklish, but I never knew you were sensitive about pain too!"
"You idiots! I injured my arm!" I exclaimed.
"See Amiboshi! It wasn't me!" Genrou scowled, facing Amiboshi. Then his eyes popped wide open, and he looked back at me. "Wait… what'd ya say?"
"When I was trying to get away from Nakago, I injured my arm."
"Naki-chan!" Dee corrected.
I sweatdropped. "Right… Naki-chan."
Mitsukake silently walked over and held out his hand, healing my arm.
I smiled up, up... waaay up at the big friendly giant. "Thanks."
"You should have told us sooner no da!" Chichiri said, eyebrows scrunching together oh-so-cutely.
"Tasuki! Give him back!" Soi exclaimed. All of us looked over at Soi, then at the doorway.
Genrou was holding Naki-chan in one arm, laughing insanely. "Be back in a tic! I just gotta go cook this chicken…CHARBROILED!" He laughed insanely again, then ran off.
"For once I'm with you! Let me help ya Genrou!" Amiboshi followed cheerfully.
Soi chased after them, lightning crackling in the air around her. "Leave him alone! You've already done too much!"
"Chichiri-san, I have a feeling Hotohori-sama may be upset with the next report," commented Chiriko with a sweatdrop.
"I think you're right no da. Maybe we should leave out some details no da."
xxx
"Poor Nakago-sama, poor Nakago-sama…" Soi repeated sadly as she stroked his charred arm on the horse they shared.
"We may get some strange looks in town if she keeps that up," Genrou hissed to me.
"Call him Naki-chan!" Dee yelled to Soi from behind Chichiri on their horse.
The monk winced. Wow, he even winced oh-so-cutely. "Ouch no da! That was right in my ear no da!"
"Oh… heh, sorry."
"My fingers are cold," I said out of nowhere.
"What?" Dee queried.
"My fingers are really cold. I'm writing this in a freezing class room!"
xxx
"Why the hell would she put that in the story?" asked Colin.
Max shrugged. "Who knows? She's weird. Trust me, I know. You have no idea how many times I've found her talking to herself."
The hobo peeked his way-too-familiar face around the corner. "Not as weird as me! HAHAHAHA!" With that, he ran off.
xxx
"That kid! He's going to fall!" exclaimed Tamahom, pointing to a youngster riding on a horse. He ran out to catch him.
"Got ya!" Genrou zipped past his fellow seishi and caught the little boy.
"What? But I'm supposed to catch him!" Tamahome complained.
"Wouldn't it make more sense for me t'catch him? My seishi ability is speed after all," the bandit informed the readers and Tamahome, grinning and flashing a victory sign.
"WAAAAAAAAH! A MONSTER!" The little boy screamed and kicked, trying to free himself from Genrou's grip.
The bandit scowled. "Calm down kid! I just saved you."
"WAAAAH!"
"Uh... Guchi guchi guu!" Genrou guu'd as he desperately tried to get the kid to calm down by lifting him in the air and smiling widely. His fangs flashed in the afternoon light.
"WAAAAAH!"
Ashitare took the boy from Genrou's arms and held him in his own, rocking him back and forth just like a good father would.
"Coooo… hehe! Thank you for saving me from the evil monster!" The boy smiled at the wolfman.
"RAH!" Ashitare grinned and the kid giggled.
Everybody face vaulted.
"You mean I'm scarier than him?" Genrou stood up and exclaimed.
"RAH!"
"No offense Ashitare." Genrou held up his hands, sweatdropping.
"I told you he had a scary face!" Amiboshi proudly reminded me.
"I heard that, Amiboshi!" growled Genrou.
"Do you know that that boy acted just like you did when you were on that kodoku wine?" Amiboh laughed, pointing at the bandit.
"You're digging yer own grave, boy!"
"Why are you calling him boy? He's only a couple years younger than you," I pointed out. "It just makes you sound like a grizzled old mountain man."
Genrou whirled on me. "Who's side are you on?"
"Nobody's!" I protested, waving my chibi hands.
The little boy squealed. "The monster is getting angry!" He pointed towards the bandit with one hand and covered his eyes with the other.
"Eh…" Genrou's hand and eyebrow twitched as he closed his eyes, an anger-vein popping out on his chibi forehead.
"You saved my son's life!" A man with a dark mustache ran towards Ashitare and took the child from him, holding him close. He broke the hug and looked up. "You are an...interesting group…" He glanced at Ashitare, Soi still cuddling Baby Doll Nakago-
"Naki-chan!" Dee corrected.
Right... Soi cuddling Naki-chan, Dee and I in our odd clothing, and then at the masked monk. He probably would have looked at Mistukake if he had heard his voice. "But you did save Chui-chan. Is there anything you need?"
"Well…" Chichiri smiled shyly. "We need a place to stay for the night no da."
"Of course. My wife cooks some of the best dinners in Sairou." He waved us forward. "Follow me."
xxx
"A dinner for eleven people plus the three of us?" exclaimed the woman of the house. She glared at her husband, brandishing a wooden spoon. "I'm not your bitch."
The man sweatdropped and forced a tight smile. "I'm sorry, dearest, but they saved our son. I told them we could provide them dinner and a place to stay for the night. Don't you think that's a small price for Chui-chan's life?"
"You didn't even consult me about this! And all of them saved him, or just one?"
"Eh… all of them," he lied.
"Then you're cooking." She shoved a pan and the spoon into his hands.
"Eh… right." The man sweatdropped, forcing a small smile.
The wife whirled on us. "I'll show you where you can sleep. I'm sorry, but we only have two spare rooms."
Chichiri smiled, not wanting to get the woman angry again. "That's fine no da."
"I'm with Nakago!" Soi still clutched onto the drag-general.
"It's Naki-chan!" corrected Dee.
Chui's mother glared accusingly at Soi. "This is a pure house, missie. I don't want any funny business."
"Don't worry, we'll keep an eye on them," assured Snoop Dogu.
The woman halted, and turned around, raising her eyebrow. "Hmm...?"
"Not like that!" He waved his chibi arms in protest. "I meant so they wouldn't do anything!"
"Uh-huh. Sure you did." She turned around and continued leading the way. Finally she reached the two conjoined-
"CONJOINED, HALEY-CHAN? Don't you mean adjoined?" Dee burst out laughing. "Man, that's just like that time you combined those animé pictures and called it a MIRAGE instead of a collage! Hahaha, that was great!"
Aha... ha... ha... Just shut up and just do the damn editing!
Finally, she reached the two adjoined rooms. "This is it. Have fun. We'll call you for dinner." We were silent for a moment, looking at her expectantly. She put her hands on her hips and glared at us. "What now?"
"Usually this is the part where you say you want to hear about our travels," Chiriko told her.
"I don't give a rat's ass." The woman walked off.
"Charming, isn't she?" Nuriko said sarcastically.
xxx
"You don't see such a large travel group so often," Chui's father said at dinner, trying to break the silence.
"We're the Suzaku and Seiryuu seishi no da," explained Chichiri - quite openly, may I add. "We're in search of the shinzaho no da."
"THE SUZAKU AND SEIRYUU SEISHI?" the woman shrieked. She bowed so fast that she smacked her head against the floor. "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry…"
Everyone sweatdropped.
"It's all right," I said, trying to comfort her. "You don't have to be sorry about anything. I know it must've been annoying to hear you had to cook for so many extra people. Believe me, my brother made me cook huge breakfasts for him and his friends."
"I'll have to make it up to you!" She ran off.
"I'm scared to see what she has in mind," her husband muttered.
Chui, the little boy, frowned and hung his head. "Mama was supposed to read to me a story tonight. She won't have time now."
"I'll read you a story," I offered, smiling.
"Really?" Chui looked up.
"Really really."
"Yay! Let's go!" The little boy ran up to me, grabbed my hand, and ran down the hall to a room that I figured was his. He let go of my hand, walked to a table and chose a book out of a pile of three. He held the book up, smiling almost as oh-so-cutely as Chichiri. Almost. "This is my favorite!"
I saw the Chinese characters on the front. "Eh… it's your favorite story?"
He nodded.
"Well then, you've probably heard it a million times, right? Wouldn't you like to hear a different story? One from my world?"
"Your world?" His little-boy eyes widened excitedly. "So you're a priestess!" I nodded, happy that he seemed interested. He shook his head. "No, I don't want to hear it."
I face-vaulted, then stood up quickly and faked a smile. "Are you sure?"
"Positive."
I forced a smile, and said cheezily (I'm aware this isn't a word): "Listen little youngster, I can't read this crazy Chinese writing you have, or any Chinese writing in that case. So, I'll just tell you a story from your world, and you're gonna enjoy it!" I cocked my head hard, teeth gritting together so hard they made noise. "Okay?"
"Oh…" The boy looked disappointed, but then smiled. "Okay! Tell me a story from your world then." He jumped on his bed, and buried himself under the covers.
I sat in a chair that was placed near the side of his bed. Titles of stories ran through my mind, and finally I decided on one that was familiar. "Once upon a time there was a mermaid princess who lived far below the sea."
"What's a mermaid?"
"It's a person who has fins instead of legs. They can swim underwater but look like people."
Chui ducked his head under the blankets. "That's scary."
"Heh…" I sweatdropped. "It's not all that bad if you see a picture. Anyway, she was always finding odd treasures, and she loved collecting them…"
The door burst open.
"Harii-chan! You won't believe it!"
"THE MONSTER! WAAAAAH!" Chui jumped up and hugged me.
"Ah…" Blue lines appeared under Genrou's eyes. "I'll tell ya later, okay?" He hung his head and began walking out.
"No, wait Genrou." I made sure Genrou had stopped, and then looked down at Chui. "Chui-chan, calm down. He's not a monster, he's my friend. Watch." I set him down on the bed and walked over to Genrou, hugging him around the middle while facing Chui. "See? He's huggable!"
"Yer always finding excuses to hug me." Genrou growled, sweatdropping and not hugging back.
Chui wasn't crying anymore, but looked at us with a blank expression.
"Hug me back," I whispered.
"What the hell for?" he hissed back, with more than a hint of anger in his voice.
"He's gotta see you're not dangerous."
Genrou sighed, then awkwardly hugged me back. I had half-expected him to refuse and found myself blushing happily.
"Huggable?" Chui sniffed.
"Huggable!" I squeezed Genrou more.
Genrou winced. "I'm not gonna be able to breath Harii-chan!"
"HUGGABLE!" Chui ran to Genrou and grabbed him around the leg. I looked up to see Genrou's staring blankly at the kid.
A sweatdrop formed on his head. "I'm glad the guys back at Mt. Reikaku aren't here to see this."
"HUGGABLE!" I squeezed Genrou more.
"HUGGABLE!" chimed Chui, squeezing Genrou more.
The bandit squirmed. "OW!"
xxx
"My sister's an idiot. And I didn't ask her to cook… much," said Max.
"I think it's kinda cute."
"CUTE?" Max roared. "Did you just say the word cute?" He raised a fist threateningly.
"Uh, uh, uh, no! I said lame!" Colin exclaimed, shuffling back with his hands up. "That's really, really lame."
"That's what I thought," the older boy relaxed.
xxx
Chui ran back to the bed, covering himself with the blankets. "Harii-san, tell me the story now."
"Wait, what were you going to tell me?" I asked Genrou, releasing the bone-crushing hug.
The bandit rubbed his aching rib cage, walking towards the door. "Nevermind, I'll just show you after you tell Chui-chan the story." He practically sprinted out, probably
I shrugged, then walked over to the chair, sat down, and began the story.
xxx
"...And the former princess mermaid married the prince, living happily ever after."
Chui looked up at me, frowning slightly. "The stories in your world are lame."
I sweatdropped. "Heh… yeah, I guess they are kinda dumb."
Chui yawned and closed his eyes.
"Good night Chui-chan."
"Good night Harii-san, and tell Mr. Scary Face I said good night too."
I laughed. "I will." I quietly closed the door behind me as I left the room, and walked to the rooms we were shown earlier. I gasped at the sight before me. There were six doors where there were two before! I walked into the first room. The others were all there, chatting.
Amiboshi walked up to me. "Isn't this amazing? The woman built all these rooms when she left! We all swear she's some sort of former seishi."
"Now that you're here Harii-chan, we need to figure out room assignments no da," explained Chichiri.
"I'll still go with Nakago-sama." Soi held onto his arm even tighter.
"Naki-chan!" corrected Dee.
"Please… please keep me away from this woman," he begged, narrow blue eyes trying to get as cute and puppy-doggish as possible.
Tamahome smiled devilishly. "I think they should room together."
"NO! PLEASE...!" Soi dragged him off before he could finish.
"I'll go with Nuriko," said Tamahome.
Chiriko sweatdropped. "We kind of figured."
"I'm rooming with Harii-chan!" Amiboshi swung his arm around me.
"Eh…"
"I don't think so!" yelled Genrou. "Who knows what you'll try and do, ya creep!"
"Dee-chan and Harii-chan will room together no da," Chichiri said quickly, hoping to keep a fight apart.
I grinned winningly. "I think Dee-chan should room with you, Chichiri."
"What (no da)?" Dee and Chichiri both exclaimed.
"And I'll room with Ashitare." I hugged the wolfman around the neck.
"RAH!"
"And I'll room with the two of you!" said Amiboshi. Genrou glared at him, so the seishi supplied, "Well, there has to be a group of three."
"You'll room with Snoop Dogu," Chichiri said quickly, still trying to keep the inevitable fight from erupting. "And Tasuki, you'll room with Mitsukake and Chiriko."
xxx
"I don't completely understand Harii-chan no da."
Dee sweatdropped and sat down on one of the two beds. "I'm her best friend, and even I don't understand her sometimes."
"I guess that's what makes life interesting no da." Chichiri sat up suddenly, clapping a fist into his open palm. "Oh! We should give Hotohori-sama a report no da!"
Dee turned blue and ran to a corner. She huddled down in a little ball, stroking the floor with her index finger.
"Eh, Dee-chan no da…?" Chichiri put a hand on her shoulder.
She turned back and pawed the air, extending her fingers and hissing like an angry cat. "Kheeh!"
"WHOA NO DA!" He jumped back, confused. "Don't you want to give a report to Hotohori-sama no da?" The color around her changed to a darker shade of blue and she huddled down even further, shuddering. He frowned oh-so-cutely. "You couldn't help that you didn't return his feelings no da."
Silence filled the room for a moment. Finally, Dee spoke. "I feel so bad about it. He really was serious about marrying me and I told him 'no.' That must've really hurt."
Chichiri sighed and took off his mask. "You did the right thing no da." Dee jumped at the seriousness of his lower voice. "How do you think he would feel if you said 'yes' when you really didn't love him no da? He would have figured it out eventually. Part of loving a person is wanting them to be happy no da. Hotohori-sama is a very understanding person. He knows you didn't want to hurt him." The monk put his hand on Dee's shoulder again, and she looked back.
The Priestess smiled, eyes curling upwards. "Thanks, Chichiri."
He nodded.
"But, um…" Dee poked her index fingers together, going chibi. "Do you think you could just talk to him and tell him I'm busy? I don't think I can face him just yet."
"Sure no da."
xxx
"OH NAKAGO! I LOVE YOU!"
"Get away from me Soi!"
"You mean, you don't love me?" Soi looked at him, chibi tears forming on her chibi face.
"You haven't figured that out yet?"
Soi smiled. "You silly joker! Always the kidder, that's my Nakago-sama."
"Naki-chan!" Dee's voice corrected from nowhere.
Soi ignored the outburst. She clutched onto him and puckered up her lips. "Kissy...!"
"AAAAAH!"
xxx
"I don't trust him, I don't trust him, I don't trust him… OW!" Mitsukake slapped a piece of paper onto Genrou's face. The bandit peeled it off of himself and looked at it confusingly. "Let it go, dammit." He blinked. "LET IT GO? What if Amiboshi tried somethin' terrible an' horrible!"
"But Harii-san has Ashitare-san to protect her," said Chiriko.
"What if he did something to the both of them? What if Ashitare tries something? Maybe this cutesy dog thing is just an act," Genrou argued. "I better go check on her!"
He stood up, but Mitsukake dragged him back to the bed and forced him to sit down, slapping another paper across his face. "She'll be fine, don't worry about her." He looked up from the paper. "Why shouldn't I?"
"Tasuki-san, this is getting a little ridiculous. Your mind is so clouded with your desire to protect Harii-san that you invent things to protect her from."
"What?" Genrou looked over at Chiriko with that blank expression that so often pasted his face.
"You care about Harii-san, and you want to feel like you've done something for her. Protecting her from a guy who tries to take advantage of her is a way to do that. You've already helped her in a lot of ways, but you're always looking for more ways to help her."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Genrou scowled, folding his arms across his chest. "Why would I want to help a girl? They're always gettin' me in trouble."
xxx
Amiboshi twisted his hands, looking up at his twin. "Brother, forgive me if it seems I haven't been wanting to be around you lately. It's just, I want to spend time with Harii. I want to show her what it would be like to stay in this world with me."
"I understand." Snoop Dogu sighed. "But don't get your hopes up, Amiboshi. I don't want you to get hurt."
"I won't get hurt. And tonight, I need to tell Harii exactly how I feel." He walked out of the room.
"Good luck brother."
xxx
"I see. You have been busy," stated Hotohori after Chichiri's report. "Although I don't understand how what you did to Nakago is a punishment. It's nice to feel pretty every now and then."
"Daaaa…" The monk sweatdropped. "How are things at the palace no da?"
"Wonderful. There's a new empress."
"A NEW EMPRESS?" Dee jumped up from her blue corner and ran over to the mirror.
Hotohori's eyes widened. "Dee… I thought you were taking a bath."
"Oh, I, uh, just came in." She quickly changed the subject. "So you found an empress?"
"Yes, her name is Houki. We married yesterday."
"That was fast…" muttered Dee.
"And she's pregnant."
Dee fell over.
Hotohori looked through the mirror, glancing around concern. "Uh… where'd Dee go?"
"Uh..." Chichiri looked down at the face-planted priestess. "She's still here." He looked up again, bowing his head apologetically. "Sorry, I can't hold the spell any longer! Goodbye no da!"
"Farewell, Chichiri, and good luck to everyone." The picture in the mirror faded, and Chichiri set it down. "Dee-chan? Um… Dee-chan?"
She responded with a twitch. Chichiri pulled her up. Dee rubbed the back of her head, blushing a little. "Heh… thanks. It's just, Hotohori-sama moves fast, doesn't he?"
"Perhaps he's known her for a while no da."
"Maybe. I'm relieved he's found somebody though." Dee sighed, as if to prove her point. She turned to unpack her bag.
"Well, I'm tired no da." Chichiri yawned, also to prove his point. He walked over to his bag in the corner, set down his staff, and pulled off his cloak and shirt.
Dee looked up from her bag, turning around slightly. "Hey Chichiri, where do you keep the - WHOOOOOOOOA!" Dee's jaw dropped as chibi eyes almost popped out of her head. She had always assumed he was in decent shape from walking everywhere, but his slightly-loose shirt and kesa never revealed just how, well, ripped he was. "Daaaaaamn..."
"Uh?" Chichiri looked up and turned bright red. "I must be so tired I forgot I was rooming with you no da! Gomen no da!" He quickly threw on another off-white shirt.
"Chichiri… I'm sorry!" Dee turned around with a squiggly chibi mouth. "I shouldn't have stared like that."
"It's okay no da. You were just shocked that I'd do that. I understand no da."
Dee giggled nervously, nodding fast and muttering under her breath. "Yeah… I was just shocked that you'd do that. I hope you really think that, and not that I just was shocked at seeing your hot sexy bod."
"What? I conveniently didn't here you no da."
"Uh, nothing! Nevermind! G'night!"
"Good night, no da...?"
xxx
I answered the knock at my door. Amiboshi's smile greeted me. "Harii. May I come in?"
"I guess."
I closed the door behind him. "Ashitare, can Harii and I talk alone?"
"RaaaAaaah." Ashitare raised his eyebrow at the boy.
"I just need to talk to her!"
"RAH!" Ashitare stood up on his hind legs. It shocked me a bit, because he didn't do it often and I always seemed to forget how tall he was. He gently pushed Amiboshi face forward to a wall and padded him down much like a policeman would. Then he turned him around and stared him in the face, as if trying to see into his mind. "Rah." He approved by a nod of the head and walked out.
"He's weird," Amiboshi said.
I smiled. "But he's a good friend." Amiboshi turned around to face me and quickly held my hands in his own. "Uh...?"
"Harii, I shouldn't hold this off any longer. I may not get another chance to tell you." He looked down and grimaced. "With Genrou always getting in the way…" He looked up and smiled. "But that doesn't matter. I've got to tell you this while I can."
"Amiboshi…" I had a strange feeling that I knew what he was going to say.
He slipped his arms around my waist, leaving my hands on his upper arms. "Harii, I... I love you." He touched his lips to mine and held them there.
xxx
"GROSS!"
Colin rolled his eyes. "Get over it Max, you knew that someday somebody might say that to your sis."
xxx
I pushed him back and looked down. "I'm sorry, but…" I wasn't sure how to end that sentence, though. I didn't want to hurt his feelings.
"No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that."
"No, it's not that." I looked up at him. I had to tell him. "I don't feel the same way."
"Oh…"
"YOU GOT TURRRRRNED DOWN!" The toothless hobo flashed a grin.
"Get out of here!" Amiboshi yelled.
"AH!" The hobo scurried out of a nearby window, then poked his head back in. "The Priestess does have feelings of love though!" He disappeared, cackling as he went.
"Huh?" We both looked towards the window, then back at each other. I was definitely more confused than Amiboshi.
The Seiryuu seishi laughed. "You don't have to be scared about your feelings for me. I won't hurt you, I promise."
He embraced me in a hug. I had to admit, it felt nice. Something was holding me back from accepting it though. "Amiboshi… this isn't right."
"What?" He pushed back. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, I don't love you. I would know if I did, wouldn't I?"
"Then who do you love?"
"I don't know." I thought through everyone in the world, and in the other world. A face popped up in my head. "Actually... I do know."
He smiled. "Good. I'm glad you see now you're true feelings."
"It's still not you."
He fell over. "Wha…?"
I threw open the door, ran out and grabbed the hand of the fang-toothed man, bringing him into the room. "I know who I love now. And it's you… Ashitare!" I grabbed the wolfman in a tight hug.
xxx
My brother's mouth hit the floor. "WHAT THE HELL?"
"Your sister is whack no da!"
"Quit acting like the characters!" Max hit Colin over the head with a book.
"Sorry… but that sister of yours is really weird. I knew she was crazy, but… whoa."
xxx
"Rah?" Ashitare looked down with a question mark floating above his head.
I kept my grip on Ashitare as I turned to face the flutist. "You're not mad, are you?"
His face was bright red, fists clenched, and I could hear his teeth gritting together. "No… not at all…"
"GOOD!" I hugged Ashitare tigher. "Then all's well!"
"RAH!" Ashitare squirmed in my hold. Suddenly, a light bulb appeared over Ashitare's head. He pushed me back and slapped me hard across the face, careful not to let his claws scratch me.
"Hey! What the hell are you doing?" Amiboshi ran to me and grabbed my hands, pulling them back to examine my face. "You're lucky he didn't really hurt you." He immediately grabbed me, holding me away from Ashitare. He glared at the wolfman. "Are you asking us to punish you the way we did Naki-chan?"
"THANK YOU ASHITARE!" I scrambled out of Amiboshi's hold and hugged Ashitare. "I see now. I'm sorry, I was acting like a total idiot."
"Uh…" The flute player stared at me with chibi eyes. "Er… I think I'm confused."
"I don't really love Ashitare."
Amiboshi's eyes go even bigger, if that was possible. "But… you just… hobo… what?"
"RAH!"
Amiboshi clenched his teeth as a vein popped out. "I don't understand your wolfman jibberish!"
"Rah…" The wolfman hung his head.
I faced Amiboshi with a sweatdrop. "What he was trying to say was that my judgment was clouded because I've been thinking with my head and not my heart, and because I'm afraid of commitment!"
"All of that in one 'rah'?" Amiboshi muttered to himself. His face brightened, a ray of hope in his eyes. "Wait… so you could love me?"
I blushed. "I have no idea! I think that crazy old hobo was just saying things to confuse me! The sad part is, he did a good job…" I muttered at the end. There was a moment of awkward silence. I looked up expectantly. "Um… Amiboshi, this is the part where you leave."
"Rah!"
"Oh… um, well then oyasumi!"
"Oyasumi, Amiboshi."
Ashitare waited until Amiboshi had left before turning back to me. "Rah, rah rah!"
"Oh, you're going to go get a drink of water?" Even I wasn't quite sure how I figured that out from RAH!
"RAH!"
"Okay."
Ashitare walked out of the door as well, leaving me alone.
"Hehe, you are one confused little blondie!" The hobo sat on the window ledge, his eyes closed with a smile.
"YOU!" I grabbed him by his already-torn collar. "Gotcha now, so you better get to explaining!"
"Uh-oh…" The dirty old man sweatdropped. "Hobo-san hasn't been caught yet. Hobo-san is in quite the predicament."
"Since when has a hobo used such a big word?" I asked.
"Hobos can be smart!" he reminded me.
I shook my head. "Nevermind that, just tell me what the hell you've been doing running around here. And wait… didn't Dee and I see you in the library?" I inspected him closer. "It is you! How is that possible for you to travel to the book with us?"
The hobo relaxed. "I guess it's about time I told you." That voice... it was familiar, but I hadn't heard it in this world before...
Poof! The hobo turned into a cloud, and I moved back startled as he disappeared. "That bastard! He's some sort of sorcerer."
"I'm a bit more than that."
I jumped, looking around wildly. "What… who…?"
"Look down."
I looked down and jumped again. "It's… it's you!"
"No, it's YO MAMA!" The freaky cat thing who had gotten us sucked into this world stood in front of me, balancing his hind legs with his front paws on his hips.
I sweatdropped. "Geez..." A scene flashed in my mind: Genrou flailing his arms in the water, and the hobo running off. I immediately grabbed the cat by the scruff of the neck and shook him a couple times. "You were the one who tripped Genrou! You must have known he couldn't swim! Why would you do that?"
The cat stared back coolly. "You and your friend had it too easy! The plan was that you would have to be some sort of enemies. But noooo!" His voice raised to a mocking soprano. "You had to be besties!" He changed his voice back to its regular form. "I had to create some kind of danger for you. Besides, I'm a Canadian. I couldn't let you get off easily after you insulted my people."
I turned chibi, blue lines appearing under my eyes. "Man, you really overreacted. You know, if I told Genrou what you did and who you are, he would turn you into fried cat on a stick!"
The animal smirked. "Funny, I haven't talked to you for very long, but you've mentioned Genrou twice in our conversation, and once of those times you were worried about him."
I blushed. "What the hell are you smirking for? He comes into our conversation, so what?"
"I think you should think about it, but not using your head. Ciao…" With that, the cat vanished in a puff of purple smoke.
'What the hell did he mean by that?' I shook my head. 'He's just trying to confuse me, I guess...'
xxx
"I knew that hobo was somebody!" exclaimed Max.
Colin sighed, rolling his eyes. "So did I, you're no hero."
Next Episode Preview...
FREAKY CAT THING: *Sigh* Another wasted chapter. Well, at least you two morons managed to stick in some romance, and I got a bit of screentime.
DEE: Speaking of romance, I feel a little gypped. How come Haley-chan has one guy admit his love for her and another practically admit his love for her? What do I get, huh?
HALEY: A shirtless Chichiri?
DEE: Oh yeeeeeeah... on second thought, never mind, that's a fair trade-off.
FREAKY CAT THING: Could we please just get this over with? Hurry up and meet the Byakko seishi and summon your damn gods already!
DEE: 'Damn gods'? Aw snap, Suzaku's gonna have your ass for that one!
HALEY: Ah-heh... stick around for the next riveting chapter: "The Priestess' Panties of Pleasure!"
