Tim read the book intently, after having returned to his house. He had nearly ripped the book in two when he read the part about Serena using Chichiri as a pillow, but calmed himself down soon afterwards. And then had nearly ripped it in two again when Nakago had showed up to Emily. "This book is gonna give me a heart attack..." he muttered to himself, and continued to read.

Emily leaned against Tasuki, closing her eyes with a yawn. Tasuki looked down at her slightly surprised then smiled watching her. " Ca…can we," Emily yawned, " stop for the night?" Tasuki nodded as did Tomite there liking of this agreement. Joe nodded his head absently then went back to staring at Karasuki.

"That sounds like a good idea, no da." Chichiri agreed, and Serena, who was reading in her book by flashlight, nodded her head, but continued reading. Kokie, in response, just yawned extremely loudly, and Karasuki nodded slightly.

Tasuki and Hikitsu pulled there horses to a stop and Tasuki helped Emily off of her horse before looking around. " Hikitsu, Kokie, 'id you 'o 'ring tents?"

Kokie jumped off her horse, and lifted up a bag from the horse. "Yeah, I brought myself a tent. Only for me, though. If any one wants to share, tough luck." she stated, walking off to go set up the tent.

Hikitsu picked up a similar bag that was slightly bigger. " I brought one but someone can share with me." he looked at Tomite. " Want to share?" Tomite smiled a mischievous smile and nodded. Tasuki set up his tent and Joe set up his. Joe gently took Karasuki's hand and led her into the tent, closing the flap behind them.

Tasuki snickered then looked at Emily. " 'Ould it 'e ok 'ith you if 'Chiri and I shared a tent tonight?" Emily shrugged as if to say, sure, why would I care where you slept?

Chichiri got off his horse, helping Serena off as well, and set up the tent that Serena and Emily were most likely going to share. He smiled at the others, telling them 'goodnight', before proceeding into the tent that Tasuki had set up. Serena returned the 'goodnight', and proceeded into the tent that Chichiri had set up.

Emily crawled into the tent that Chichiri had set up smiling at Serena finally feeling a lot less sleepy. " How are you enjoying this bizarre trip?"

Serena laughed slightly, laying out a blanket, and pillows. "It's interesting... and fun, too, except for the Nakago part, of course... and the part where everyone teased Chichiri and me for things we didn't do..." she replied. "What about you? You enjoying it?"

Emily smiled doing the same as Serena before laying down and staring at the top of the tent. " I'm loving it, even the part about Nakago. Not so much the part about Chichiri teasing Tasuki and me."

Serena, after having laid down, blinked, and looked at Emily with an eyebrow raised. "Oh? What is this? Did that happen when you and Tasuki shared a room?" she inquired.

Emily nodded. " It was while you were gone. I had started going hysteric when my bracelet broke, the one connecting me to you, and Tasuki hugged me trying to calm me down. Chichiri found us like that and jumped to conclusions."

Serena laughed, turning over onto her stomach, and hugging her pillow. "Hahah... so, we've both got plenty of the embarrassment for this trip... hopefully, that'll be it..."

Emily smiled. " We can hope that but I doubt that will be it. I mean Tomite is out to cause everyone trouble."

"Meh... yeah, he's kinda like Talitha that way..." Serena chuckled.

Emily grinned the her face fell. " I miss Talitha and Rachel. Why couldn't they come with us?"

Serena's face fell as well, and she sighed. "I miss them, too... and I don't know... probably because they haven't seen the book yet, and aren't Priestesses... but... then, how do we explain the fact that Joe's here... it'd make more sense for THEM to be here than HIM..."

Emily nodded her agreement then smirked. " Though if he hadn't come we wouldn't be able to tease him about liking Karasuki."

Serena snickered under her breath. "Yeah, that's incredibly fun..."

Emily grinned then rolled on her stomach closing her eyes. " We should try to get some sleep."

Serena closed her eyes, and shrugged. "Suppose so... not really tired, but that's usual... and we need plenty of sleep for riding and such, unless we wanna fall asleep and lean against our riding partners, embarrassingly."

Emily would have grinned but couldn't for she was already asleep.

In Chichiri and Tasuki's tent, Chichiri fluffed up his pillow, then slipped under his blanket, resting his head on his pillow, ready to go to sleep; he was really quite tired. "Sleep well, Tasuki, no da..." he mumbled, with a yawn following it.

Tasuki lay ontop of his blanket his head on his pillow as he started to poke Chichiri.

Chichiri grunted at the first poke, and raised a hand, trying to swat at the bandit. "Tasuki, no da... I'm tired... sto-op it, no da..." he said, a yawn stretching the 'stop' out.

Tasuki grinned continuing to poke. " I know you're tired."

"Then why the poking, no da...?" Chichiri asked, opening his eye ever-so-slightly and glaring at the bandit.

" I 'on't 'ant you 'eeping no da." Tasuki replied.

"... n'..." Chichiri replied, glaring at Tasuki, before turning over onto his other side, hoping that maybe NOW the redhead would leave him alone.

Tasuki shook his head picking up his tessen. His grinned and started poking Chichiri in the back with it.

"Tasuki-kun, no daaaaa..." Chichiri whined, having been woken up, once again, by Tasuki's poking. "I want to be alert tomorrow, na no da... if you keep poking me, I won't be!" he grumbled, pulling his blanket up over his head.

Tasuki sighed knowing Chichiri was right and he snuggled into his covers slowly falling asleep.

Chichiri smiled slightly at the fact that Tasuki had finally given up on his bugging him, and proceeded to try to fall asleep. He laid there for a few moments, before opening his eye again, turning his head around to glare at Tasuki. Great... now I'm wide awake, no da... thank you, so MUCH, Tasuki-kun, na no da... he thought, annoyed, and rolled over again, grumbling to himself under his breath.

Emily slowly woke up and quietly crawled out of the tent so not to wake Serena. She looked around and saw that she was the only awake. She looked toward the sky and saw the sun hadn't even yet started to rise.

Emily sighed closing her eyes and smiling as she felt a breeze whistling through the trees. She picked up a stick, deciding to take a walk. She grabbed her little notebook and pen out of her pocket scribbling a note to Serena, telling her where she had gone. Emily put the Note on her pillow before walking down the road.

A tall silhouette followed after Emily, unnoticed by the Priestess, hidden in the foliage, as silent as death. A low chuckle escaped it, not loud enough to catch her attention.

Emily continued walking, her grip on the stick tightening as she got the sense she was being watched. She glanced to either side of her, quickening her pace.

The shadow continued to slowly follow her, until it purposefully stepped on a twig, alerting the blonde to it's presence. It chuckled lowly again, walking ahead a few paces.

Emily spun around, so fast she almost fell backwards. She stared into the foliage, slowly walking toward it trying to see what… or who is there.

The silhouette laughed once more, this time loud enough for Emily to hear.

Emily stopped short staring at the place she heard the laugh from. "Who's there?"

"Who, indeed." the silhouette replied, in a very familiar, deep voice. "Who do you think, Priestess of Genbu? Certainly not one of your warriors."

Emily smirked walking forward slightly again. " Would it by any chance be a dead guy name Nakago-chan?"

"Hm. Defiant - quite different from Lady Yui and her friend, the Priestess of Suzaku." Nakago remarked, the amusement gone from his voice, as he remained in the shadows.

" I take it that's a yes." Emily stepped forward, standing a few feet from the edge of shadows." So how's hell these days?"

A rustle was heard from the bushes near Emily, and then Nakago slowly stepped out from the shadows, towards her, with a smirk on his face. "You wouldn't be interested." he replied, stepping right up to her, and grabbed her face, turning it one way, then the other. "Hm... you're just as beautiful as Lady Yui was... it's a shame you're the new Priestess of Genbu, instead of Seiryu..."

Emily snarled slightly as he grabbed her face jerking it out of his grasp. "Don't touch me. I don't want to become labled a bio hazard." Emily smirked slightly.

Nakago's smirk dropped somewhat, and he narrowed his eyes, taking a single step back away from her. "Very well, then. Maybe..." he stopped in his sentence, and turned his head in the direction that she had come. "It seems, as before, I am interrupted. I must go. Farewell." he then turned, and walked back into the shadows, disappearing.

Emily growled slightly glaring down the way she had come stomping down the road, annoyed that someone had stopped him again.

Chichiri had also woken up early, shortly after Emily, in fact, and had also decided to take a walk, after having laid in bed for a bit longer. As he started out on the walk, he heard two voices, and quickened his pace to see who was up ahead - it looked like Emily, and someone else, who darted quickly into the trees. "Emily? What are you doing out here so early, no da?"

Emily scowled at Chichiri walking towards him. " I woke up early decided to take a walk. What are you doing here?"

Chichiri blinked in confusion, under his mask, at the scowl she was giving him. "Basically the same as you, no da... Who was that, that I saw you talking to, no da?" he inquired, glancing to the trees.

Emily glanced at the trees, no longer scowling as she wondered if she tell him the truth. " Nakago."

Chichiri's eye widened, and he gasped slightly, jerking his head back to look at Emily. "Nakago? This close to our camp, no da? We're going to have to have someone stay up as a guard from now on... and what were you two doing, talking? Are you alright, no da?"

Emily sighed knowing this was coming. " We were simply talking about something. He was about to tell me more or something when you showed up. Of course if you hadn't showed up I'd probably have a mark on my cheek from his hand…"

Chichiri frowned slightly, and turned around, heading back towards the camp. "Let's get back to camp and wake the others, no da." he said.

Emily sighed slightly following him back to camp. She went into Hikitsu and Tomite's tent waking them up. "Get up." Hikitsu rose instantly and walked out of the tent leaving Emily to shake Tomite awake.

Chichiri went to the tent that Emily and Serena had shared, and walked in, immediately spying Serena half-completely covered, and half-smothered in blankets, hugging her pillow, and mumbling in her sleep. He laughed quietly under his breath, before popping chibi, crawling up to her face, and poking it. "Time to get up, Serena, no da!" he chirped, and she grumbled, batting at him, before turning over onto her other side.

Emily dragged Tomite out of his tent grumbling before walking to the tent Tasuki and Chichiri had shared. She grinned putting her ear next to Tasuki's."WAKE UP!" she yelled causing him to jump awake. She fell over on to her side laughing. He growled and hit her in the arm somewhat playfully. " 'Hanks 'or 'uining my 'fect 'earing!"

Chichiri laughed slightly at the antics in the other tent, and, still in chibi form, proceeded to crawl up onto Serena's left side. She grumbled in her sleep about something to do with stupid cats and for someone called 'Simbol' to go away (Simbol being her cat), and he grinned at her, before reached down to her stomach, about ready to tickle it. "Serena, wake up, before I have to resort to tickling, na no da!" At that, Serena's eyes flew open, and she sat straight up, making Chichiri go flying backwards. "Daaa!"

Emily crawled out of the tent, still laughing then realized that Joe and Karasuki were all that was left to be awakened. She walked over to tent and pulled the edges and stuff causing it to collaspe. " Wake up you two love birds!"

"AAAIIE!" Karasuki shrieked as the tent toppled onto herself and Joe, and shot directly up, yelling something along the lines of the roof caving in, before she stopped, and proceeded to try to find her way out of the collapsed tent. "Whoever did that is getting soaked!" she threatened, crawling over Joe because of not being able to see him in the dark. "Oh, sorry Joe..."

Joe grumbled an ok getting up. Emily looked around then shoved Tomite toward the tent as she backed away making it appear like he had pulled down the tent.

Karasuki finally found an exit, lifted up the edge of the tent, and glared out at Tomite, whom she saw first. She then sent an extremely large water sphere at him, and crawled out completely from beneath the tent, dusting herself off. Just as she did so, Kokie whizzed past with her tent rolled up under her arm, knocking her down, back onto Joe. "Oh, oops, sorry again..."

Tomite stood shaking in anger, quickly drying himself off. Joe grinned as Karasuki fell on him again. He stood helping him to her feet. " Are you ok Karasuki?" he asked.

She nodded, brushing herself off once more after standing up with Joe's help. "Yes, I'm fine, thank you, Joe." she replied, smiling brightly at him.

Joe grinned idiotically then blushed as he saw Emily smirking towards him. Emily walked towards Joe whispering in his ear, " Are you and her an item yet?" Joe growled and shoving her away. " That would be none of your business you little brat." Tasuki emerged from his tent just as Joe pushed Emily, causing her to fall over on him.

Karasuki gasped, and hit Joe in the shoulder. "Joe! What did you push your cousin's best friend for? She surely didn't do anything to you!" she scolded, crossing her arms over her chest, glaring at him.

Joe gaped at Karasuki then frowned whispering in her ear what Emily had asked. Tomite smirked as he looked at Emily laying on Tasuki. Tasuki growled shoving her off to which she glared at him. Emily stood brushing herself off, glaring at Hikitsu who was helping Tasuki to his feet.

Karasuki's face turned slightly pink, and she glared slightly at Emily. That's when Serena and Chichiri came out of Emily and Serena's tent, to see quite the strange scene. They both stared at the group for a few minutes, before Serena asked, "Did we miss something?"

Joe and Emily glared at each other before looking at them. "NO!" Tomite and Hikitsu stared at each other trying not to laugh as Tasuki dared to speak. " 'Mily 'sulted Joe 'ausing 'im to push her 'nto 'e. Karasuki 'ot mad and then 'ou came." Tasuki nodded once meaning he was done speaking.

Serena laughed, as Chichiri blinked under his mask, laughing slightly as well. Serena then took her bags that she was carrying over to her and Chichiri's horse, throwing them over. "I see. So that's what the thumping I heard was." she said.

Emily repeated what Serena had said in a mocking voice before looking toward Chichiri. " Well everyone is now awake and here, so shall I tell them what happened?"

Chichiri looked to Emily, and nodded his head. "Yes. Go ahead, no da." he said, as Serena looked at Emily with a confused expression on her face - Karasuki and Kokie also looked at her with a perplexed look.

Tomite and Hikitsu wore similar faces as they looked at her. Joe stared at her curiously as did Tasuki. Emily looked at the ground then back up. " I had another run in with Nakago."

Serena's eyes nearly burst out of her head as she and Karasuki exclaimed, "WHAAAT!" Kokie raised an eyebrow, and looked at Emily strangely. "Who's Nakago?" she asked.

Emily sighed looking at Kokie. " Nakago- Evil bad guy, head Warrior of Seiryuu that is supposed to be dead. Now do you guys want the cropped edition of the encounter or the full detail, word for word basically description?" Emily looked around as Joe just starred at her trying not fall to down. Hikitsu glowered as he heard Emily's answer to Kokie, instantly angry at himself for not being there to protect her. Tomite shared the feeling. Tasuki just looked bemused and stared at her his mouth hanging open.

Chichiri was the one to answer, even though he had already heard it pretty muchly. "How about the full detail, no da." he suggested, and Serena, Kokie, and Karasuki agreed with him.

Emily sighed slightly then nodded. " I woke up early this morning and decided to take a walk. After a little while I heard some noise in the trees next to the road and heard him laughing. I walked over to the trees and.. Well didn't really insult him as much as taunt him. He came out, grabbed my face looking me up and down, looking at it. I had really insulted him..and pissed him off just as Chichiri came." Emily finished looking around.

Serena scowled, walked up to her best friend, and thwacked her hard over the head. "EMILY! What are you thinking, pissing off the big bad guy that can KILL you!" she exclaimed, giving her best friend a scolding look - or, at least, attempting to.

Tomite and Hikitsu twitched, trying not to do as Serena did. Joe plopped down in a chair rubbing his temples. Tasuki twitched and 'REKKA SHINEN' ed a tree before glaring at Emily. Emily scowled at Serena rubbing her head. " But it's so much fun. I mean you should have been there."

Serena's scowl deepened, and she tried to keep herself from hitting Emily over the head again. "Em, just because it's fun to look death in the eye, doesn't mean you should DO it! What if Chichiri hadn't come at that moment!" she exclaimed.

Emily looked at the ground. " He wouldn't have killed me. He need's me..and you. I'm sure of it. I could see in his eyes how hard he had to try not to hurt me as it was…."

Serena, still quite irritated, screamed a closed mouth scream to get rid of the excess anger. She then opened her mouth back up, sighed, and shook her head. "Alright then... if you say so..." she grumbled with a shrug, turning and walking back to Chichiri and her horse.

Emily looked at the ground walking into the tent she and Serena had shared, grabbing her bags. She threw them on her's and Tasuki's horse with a sigh. Tasuki grabbed his bags, taking down his tent putting it away. He threw it and his bags on their horse. Emily climbed onto the horse, Tasuki getting on behind her.

Chichiri took down his tent, put it away, and put it on his horse. He then climbed up onto the horse, and helped Serena climb up in front of him. Kokie got up on her horse, grumbling to herself about the dramatic atmosphere.

Emily sighed as Tasuki and Tomite took off down the road. Joe got his and Karasuki's horse ready to go. Joe Climbed onto his horse reaching his hand down to Karasuki.

The water elemental took Joe's hand and used it to help pull herself up in front of him. Kokie, not liking to wait, kicking her horse lightly, urging it to go, and Chichiri did the same shortly afterwards.

Joe kicked there horse as soon as Karasuki got on. And so the group headed off down the road in a deep silence. Emily stared straight ahead, wondering why she had done what she had.

They traveled for a while in silence, until Kokie decided to shatter the dullness like a window. "Jeez, we're all a bunch a chatterboxes, aren't we? My eardrums are breaking from all this NOISE." she snorted sarcastically.

Hikitsu smirked ans sent some Ice Serpents after her horse. " That lighten the mood?"

She looked back at him, and, at noticing the ice serpents, her eyes widened dramatically, and she let out a high pitched squeal. She spurred her horse to go faster, screaming as she took off way ahead of the rest of them. "EEEEEEIIIIAAAAA!"

Hikitsu almost fell of his horse laughing. He called the serpants back, banishing them to whence they came. Emily snickered uncontrollably and Tomite really did fall of the horse laughing.

Serena burst out laughing at the scene, and Chichiri had to tighten his grip on the reins to keep them both from falling off from Serena's laughing. He laughed slightly under his breath at the scene. Kokie just continued riding as fast as she could away from the ice serpents that weren't there anymore, shrieking at the top of her lungs.

Tasuki tightened his grip on his horse reins galloping off down the road. " 'Okie! they're 'one now." He yelled to her as he and Emily got closer to her. Emily glowered at Tasuki slightly then sighed realizing he was in the right.

Kokie heard his shout over her screaming, and stopped her horse, as well as her screaming. "... Oh. Right." she muttered, bowing her head in embarrassment, her face flushing a pink color. "Heh, heh..."

Tasuki pulled their horse to a stop with a sigh. " I take it you hate snakes Kokie?" Emily asked.

Kokie glanced up at Emily, her eye twitching slightly, and she nodded her head. "Yes, snakes are the worst." she stated.

Emily snickered slightly then gave Hikitsu a thumbs up. Hikitsu grinned speeding his horse up so he and Tomite could catch up with there Priestess.

Kokie noticed Emily snicker and give the thumbs up sign, and growled, "It's not funny!"

Emily looked towards her smiling," Yes it is. Especially since snakes are my mom's greatest fear too…." As Emily said the last part her smile fell and she sighed.

Tomite and Hikitsu looked at the ground sensing the sadness in their Priestess' voice. Tasuki looked at her then at the road, his usual smirk falling from his face. Joe looked over at Emily and bit his lip trying to think of a way to cheer her up.

Serena heard, just as she and Chichiri caught up to the others, Emily say the thing about her mom and snakes, seeing her visibly sadden. She bit her lip, thinking about back home, finding herself also sadden significantly. "I wonder how my parents are doing..." she mumbled to herself.

Joe rested his head on Karasuki's, his own sadness showing up. He sighed softly then looked at Emily and Serena, noting that Tasuki had wrapped a comforting arm around Emily.

Chichiri noticed Serena sigh in a depressed manner, and glanced down at the top of her head, a sympathetic expression on his face. "Serena...? Are you alright, no da...?" he asked quietly, to which Serena answered with a nod. "You sure?" he asked, still concerned, and she nodded her head harder, laughing ever-so-slightly under her breath.

Joe growled slightly when he saw how Tasuki and Chichiri were acting. Emily sighed and smiled softly resting against Tasuki, which brought forth another growl from Joe.

Serena heard Joe's growls, and glanced over at him, with a raised eyebrow. "What's the matter, Joe?" she asked. She glanced around, then looked back at him, with a shrug and a confused expression on her face. "I don't see anything to growl about. Except the heat, of course, but I don't think you'd glare at Chichiri and Tasuki so viciously if it was just the heat." she stated, trying to seem dense.

Joe glared coldly at Serena. " My dear sweet cousin, do not push it. Also from now on I think you and Emily need new riding partners." he nodded and continued riding

Serena glared back at him, but turned her head forward, giving a slight 'hmph' under her breath. "Chichiri and Tasuki are not like that, my loving cousin Josiah. They would never do anything like that to us - they're just comforting us." she hissed at him after a few minutes.

Joe smirked. " Of course they wouldn't. Bah Humbug! And the name is Joe, not Josiah." Emily looked between the two cousins sighing softly and shaking her head.

Serena made a irritated noise, and rolled her eyes. "Uh huh. Well, I don't really like fighting, so I'm just going to ignore you now." she said, closing her eyes, and resting her head forward against her chest.

Joe repeated what she said in a mocking voice then smirked. Emily glared at him to which he stuck his tongue out at her. Tomite and Hikitsu rode next Joe and Karasuki so Tomite could reach over and thawck Joe on the head.

Serena would have replied to his mocking version of what she had said, but because she hadn't gotten to sleep until quite late that night, was drifting off to sleep. She yawned, then her body began to sag off to the side, and would have fallen off, if Chichiri hadn't wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her back up onto the saddle, to lean against him.

Emily smiled softly and leaned against Tasuki trying to get comfortable. Joe simply growled and glowered as they did this rubbing his head where Tomite had thwacked him.

Karasuki rolled her eyes, and muttered to Joe, "Joe. Chichiri and Serena, and Tasuki and Emily are doing less than us. There's not even that much pointing out that any of them like each other... well, there is, but we don't know that they'll ever do anything, now do we?"

Joe sighed. " I suppose you're right. It's just I feel like there older brother and I don't want them to get hurt. Serena is my cousin, she and Emily are always around my family's house. It's hard to explain."

Karasuki nodded, with a smile. "I understand. I felt the same with my younger siblings, relatives, and their friends. But, even though I was still protective, I still let them be around those of the opposite gender."

Joe sighed. " Maybe I'm being just a tad bit protective?" Emily nodded. " I'd say so."

Kokie, who had not said a single word (A/n: Malinconia: WOW! Amazing!) for at least fifteen minutes, snorted loudly at Joe, and shouted to him, "A TAD bit? From what I can hear from here, sounds like you're being quite a bit more than just a TAD BIT. Sounds like my older brother!"

Joe glared at her then sighed. " You're right. Emily, Tasuki, Serena, and Chichiri… I'm…I'm sorry." After he spoke Joe spit and wiped his mouth. " I spoke the forbidden phrase!"

Chichiri glanced over at Joe, and smiled at him through the mask. "Apology accepted, Joe, no da. And, I'm sure, if Serena were awake, she would say the same, na no da." he said.

Emily looked at Tasuki and at the same time said. " Apology accepted." Tasuki then smiled and kicked the horse causing him to gallop.

Karasuki was about to praise Joe on his newfound speech abilities, when she heard something from the trees they had just exited. "Stop." she whispered, and closed her eyes, to concentrate on the noise she had heard. "Did you hear it? There's something in the trees behind us..."

Tasuki pulled his and Emily's horse to stop as did Hikitsu his and Tomite's. " What is it?" Hikitsu asked softly watching Karasuki. Tomite silently drew an arrow and strung it into his bow pointing it towards the tree. Tasuki grabbed his tessen waiting for the thing to show its self.

Kokie grabbed her knives from inside her cloak, ready to fight if need be. Chichiri held his staff out in front of him, ready to cast a barrier, or do anything else necessary. Karasuki once more heard a noise come from the trees, and from the sounds she was hearing, was pretty sure it wasn't human. "I'm not sure, but I think it's not human, and it's large." she replied quietly to Hikitsu's question.

Hikitsu nodded and sent an ice serpent towards the trees to investigate. Emily hid her eyes when she saw it come back. It was no longer an ice serpent, but more….. A wisp of water to say the least.

Kokie frowned at the ice-snake-turned-water-wisp, and glared into the trees. "That can't be good." she stated, quite plainly, as another noise rumbled from the trees, this time loud enough for them all to hear. It sounded like a mix between a enormous fire roaring, and a tiger growling. "Uh... that really can't be good."

Emily hid behind Tasuki shivering slightly trying to see what it was. Tomite and Hikitsu backed away in slight fear. " It…it…oh this sucks." Was all Tomite could manage to say. Tomite and Hikitsu slowly moved closer to there Priestess. Joe led his and Karasuki's horse over closer to Serena and Chichiri's horse.

Kokie also moved her horse closer to Serena and Chichiri's horse, to protect her Priestess. Just as she did so, the trees began to rustle, and then bent to the side, a tiger darting out. The tiger was gigantic; on it's four paws, it stood at about seven and a half feet tall; all around the tiger's body licked flames, that never caught on any of it's surroundings. Everyone of them stared at it in silence, before Kokie broke it. "Shit. That is one mean looking kitty."

Hikitsu and Tomite backed there horse away from the flaming tiger, Tomite lowering his bow and arrow. " Uh..Tas..Tasuki. Do you think you can take care of Emily? Thanks." Tomite said as he hopped off the horse and ran. Hikitsu started to do the same but didn't. "Damn my heroicness."

Karasuki slipped off of her and Joe's horse, knowing that fighting is better done on foot rather than horseback, and began forming a huge aqua sphere in her right hand, the left hand guiding the shape of the water. After a few seconds, the sphere was as wide as the tiger itself, and she brought her arm back slowly, then brought both of them forward quickly, the orb of water flying from her hands and hitting the tiger at full speed. When it hit the feline monster, the animal cried out momentarily, from the surprise, but soon after the water had engulfed it, the water sizzled, and disappeared into nothing more than vapor.

Tomite was hiding behind a tree fitting 4 arrows into his bow, before pulling back and firing them at the tiger. He repeated this process many times before pausing to make more arrows. Tasuki dared not use his tessen, afraid it would strengthen the beast. He hopped off his and Emily's horse running around the beast as fast as he could to bring up a wind around it, hoping to put out the flames.

The tiger snarled in anger, and in pain, as Tomite's arrows hit it and Tasuki ran around it. It ducked it's head low, watching the red headed bandit circle it, until it swung a paw out as he passed in front of it, hitting him back away from it. It then hissed, and from the blaze around it shot two darts of flame in the general direction of Tomite, hitting the tree he was behind. The tree immediately went up in flames.

Tasuki crashed into the trees laying there momentarily in pain before slowly rising to his feet trying to decide what to do next. Tomite quickly got away from the fire and ran closer to his Priestess. " Joe! Take Emily and Serena to a safer location!" He yelled at Joe as he handed Joe the reins to Emily and Tasuki's horse before offering a hand to Serena to help her over to Emily and Tasuki's horse.

Serena (now awake, of course) took the offered hand, and let Tomite help her to the Emily and Tasuki's horse. Chichiri, now that Serena was with someone else, jumped off of their horse, and began muttering a spell under his breath, aiming towards the tiger. The monster looked around the group, it's eyes landing on the retreating Priestesses. Kokie snarled at the beast as it began advancing towards them, and threw one of her knives at it, the knife embedding itself in the creature's right front leg.

Joe led took the reins of the horse that Emily and Serena were on and took of down the road towards a river that they'd cross in hopes of being safer. Tasuki leapt up and got closer to the beast stabbing it with his tessen. Hikitsu drew a sword from the side of his horse, his new ice sword, and made a slashing movement toward the tiger, causing a giant, sharp, icicle to hit the tiger.

As the others hurt the tiger, Chichiri finally finished the spell, and a red chi ball exploded underneath the tiger, sending it flying ten feet into the air, then it fell back to the ground, completely disoriented. It just lay there for a few minutes, bleeding from it's several wounds, with a dazed look on it's feline features.

Tomite finished making the arrows and fired at the fallen beast as Hikitsu repeated the slashing movement twice more upon the beast. Tasuki backed away after stabbing it twice more, watching as the others slowly killed it.

The tiger let out one last, low snarl, before the flame around it died, and it's eyelids slid close, indicating it's passing. Kokie, just in case, threw her other knife at it, and knew immediately that the beast was dead, for the knife embedded itself in the tiger's forehead. "Yes! We did it, it's dead! Are the Priestesses okay?" she asked, pulling her now bloody daggers from the forehead and foreleg of the animal.

Joe and the Priestesses joined the others as soon as it died. " We're okay. Are all of you ok?" Emily asked as she hopped off the horse and walked over to the warriors. Hikitsu replaced his sword in it's hilt before nodding. "We're fine." Hikitsu replied speaking for both himself and Tomite.

Kokie turned to Emily, grinned widely, and struck a pose. "I'm fine, of course! I am the great Byakko warrior, Kokie! No stupid pussy cat can hurt me!" at this, mostly everyone sweatdropped. Karasuki nodded after Kokie stopped her strange posing.

"I'm fine as well." she said, as she hopped up onto her and Joe's horse, smiling slightly. Chichiri also nodded, confirming to the others that he was alright, then proceeded to walk over to his and Serena's horse; but, as he did so, he stumbled, using his staff to keep himself upright.

Emily chuckled softly at Kokie's actions then looked over at Tasuki. " Are you okay? That tiger hit you pretty hard." Tasuki grinned and walked over to her. " I'm fine. 'Ike a flame 'at 'ould hurt 'e." Emily smiled softly in relief before quickly hugging him. " Good." Emily smiled as looked at Joe who was glowering slightly.

Serena slid off the horse, and walked slowly over to where Chichiri and the horse were, a ever-so-slightly worried look on her face. "You sure you're okay, Chichiri? You stumbled, and it didn't look like you stumbled on some that was in the road..." she said, and Chichiri shook his head at her, the mask smiling brightly.

"Oh, I'm fine, no da! I just stumbled because that spell I used to blast the tiger into the air takes a lot of energy, so I'm kind of tired now, no da." he said, climbing up onto the horse, then helping her get up on it in front of him.

Tasuki climbed onto his and Emily's horse offering her his hand. Emily took it as he pulled her up onto the horse in front of him. " I suggest we go to a safer location, and then make camp. After that battle we definitely shouldn't ride for much longer. Plus when you add in the variable of this heat…" Emily said.

Serena nodded in agreement as Kokie got up on her horse, and then galloped forward a ways. "I agree with Em." she stated, brushing a lock of her hair out of her face.

Tomite and Hikitsu climbed onto there horse riding after Kokie. Joe kissed Karasuki softly on the top of the head before riding down the road. Tasuki smiled as did Emily as they rode down the road after them.

Chichiri and Serena followed after the others, and Karasuki smiled brightly at the kiss that Joe had planted on her head. They rode for a while, but still had not come across a good place to stop for camp.

No one but Kokie noticed, as a small burnt orange colored bird flew up, and landed on her shoulder. She gasped quietly, and stared at it with wide eyes, before it flew back up, dropped a small, crumbled up paper on her lap, then flew off, back the way it came.

Emily watched the strange bird as it flew off before looking at Kokie. " Is that your pet?" Joe rested his head on Karasuki's not noticing what was going on with the bird. Tasuki looked and Kokie as he pulled there horse up next to hers.

Kokie jumped slightly, looking around to Emily and Tasuki as if they were accusing her of something. She blinked a couple of times, before laughing quietly, her face relaxing. "Oh! O-oh, that bird? Yeah, my pet... right... that's my pet alright! My pet... Li, my bird..." she stuttered, not realizing how suspicious it sounded.

Emily raised an eyebrow as she continued to look at Kokie. " Suuurree. Truth please Kokie of the Byakko Seishi." Tasuki nodded as Tomite and Hikitsu pulled their horse up to the other side of Kokie's horse.

Kokie shook her head, looking away from Emily and Tasuki, avoiding everyone's gazes, as Chichiri and Serena rode up close as well. "Truth? That is the truth! That's my pet bird! It is! Yeah..." she said, bringing her hood up over her head, to shadow her face.

Tasuki smirked as did Tomite. " Right, sure whatever you say." Tomite said. Emily watched the Byakko Seishi in curiosity, frowning slightly.

As Joe and Karasuki got closer to the others, Karasuki frowned somewhat, wondering what the commotion was about, having not seen the tiny bird. "What's wrong? Why is Kokie hiding her face?" she questioned, and in response, Kokie cringed.

Emily looked at Karasuki. " A small burnt orange bird landed on her shoulder then flew off. When we asked her if the bird was her pet, she said yes but in a very unconvincing way. So when we asked her to tell us the truth she did this." Emily ended by pointing at Kokie.

Karasuki blinked slowly, before turning her head to Kokie, to see her trying to bury her head down into her shoulders. Karasuki slowly began to smile, the smile turning into an evil smirk. "Heh, heh, heh. Oh, it's her pet, all right. No need to worry about her lying about that." she snickered.

Emily looked between the two of them before scowling. " Mind cluing us in on the little secret of the bird?"

Karasuki began to say something, but before she could get the 'sure' all the way out, Kokie shouted, "No!"

Tasuki and Emily both jumped slightly in surprise at her shout. Tasuki smirked, " Awww why not Kokie? Have something to do with your…boyfriend?" Emily looked from Tasuki to Kokie to Karasuki and back again.

Karasuki placed a hand over her mouth to hide her snickers, and gazed at Kokie, to see her reaction. She was hunched over, shaking ever so slightly, before turning her head slowly, menacingly (the hood adding to the effect) towards the red headed bandit. "What did you say?" she asked, quietly.

Tasuki backed up slightly sweat dropping. " I 'sked if the 'ittle bird 'ad anything to do 'ith your boyfriend…"

As soon as the words have escaped his mouth, a dagger whizzed past his head, embedding itself in a tree behind him. "It doesn't! I don't have a boyfriend, Toroki is not my boyfriend!" she snapped, before hopping off her horse, storming over to the tree the dagger was in, pulling it roughly out, and then stomping back over to her horse.

Tasuki sat frozen, his breathing fast in fear at how close that dagger had come. Emily looked at Kokie. " So do you and Toroki was it? Use that bird to pass messages when you two are apart?"

Kokie's vicious glare snapped to the Genbu no Miko, and a low growl echoed from under the hood. Before Kokie could "reply", Karasuki intervened with a snicker. "That's not exactly what the bird is for, but you're pretty close." she stated.

Emily cowered away from Kokie using Tasuki as a shield. Tomite and Hikitsu growled softly in warning to Kokie. Emily looked at Karasuki. " Does it mean he's close?"

Karasuki nodded in reply, a grin on her face. "Oh yeah, probably closer than you think, even."

Joe spoke up for the first time. " He's the stupid bird isn't he?"

"Stupid bird! STUPID bird!" Kokie exclaimed, flinging the hood back away from her face, letting everyone see her bright red (previously bright red from embarrassment, now from anger) face, and narrowed eyes. She swiped both her daggers from her cloak, and flung them at him at the same time, both narrowly missing his head, one on each side.

Joe froze in fear then fell off the horse briefly passing out. Emily glanced at Joe then at the daggers then at Kokie. " I take it that his assumption of Toroki being the bird is more correct than incorrect?"

Karasuki smiled brightly, walking over to restrain Kokie from attacking the unconscious Joe, and answered Emily, "Yep! Toroki's seishi power is transformation."

Emily sighed softly as she slid off her horse, walking over and kneeling next to Joe, "patting" Joe on the cheeks until he woke up. Joe wimpered when he opened his eyes and cowered behind Emily. Emily scowled and stood up pulling Joe to his feet. " Get up scardy cat. The worst is past." As Emily was doing this, Tomite and Tasuki were smirking while calling into the trees. " Toroki! Oh little feathery orange Toroki!"

A very loud "ka-THUMP" was heard from the trees, the ground shaking ever-so-slightly. After a few seconds, there were more thumping sounds, sounding like something large running, and soon a large, burnt orange elephant burst out of the trees, charging right at Tomite and Tasuki.

Tomite and Tasuki both popped chibi, their eyes wide, as they screamed. Tasuki quickly put his seishi power to good use leaping off his horse, grabbing Tomite, and running off down the road. Emily looked from the two chibi warriors running away to the burnt orange elephant before bursting into laughter, leaning against Joe so as to not fall down.

The elephant chased the chibis for a little while, before it suddenly morphed into an eagle, stumbled along the ground for a minute before taking off into the air, now chasing the chibi warriors from the air, catching up to them very easily. He decended down at them, and grabbed the top of Tomite's head with his talons.

Tomite instantly started struggling and screaming as Tasuki clinged to him, semi shielding his own head. As Emily watched this battle of the warriors she fell on the ground gasping for breath she was laughing so hard. " He…He was an orange elephant! Now he's an orange eagle." She gasped out before bursting into laughter again.

Toroki-the-eagle continued trying to pull Tomite off of Tasuki, before he suddenly just let go, flew to the ground, and morphed into a human. As a human, he had plum colored eyes, short, spiky burnt orange hair, light freckles, and a smirk. "That'll teach you to make fun of my seishi power." he stated.

As he morphed into a human Emily slowly quited her laughter enough so she could breath and stand up. Tomite and Tasuki looked at each other then at Toroki before both glaring at Emily. " He attacked you two…and almost won.. Even though he was a measily orange eagle!" As Emily gasped out the last word she burst into laughter again.

Toroki looked to Emily and raised an eyebrow. "'Measily orange eagle'? I'll have you know, I was a handsome, majestic, tough eagle!" he stated, with a sarcastic smirk, and a pose.

Emily bit her tongue to stifle her laughter, changing it from a laugh to a hiss. Tomite and Tasuki glowered at her, Tomite flicking her ear as Tasuki thwacked her hard over the head. " Shut- Up!" They said at the same time.

Toroki continued to smirk, and walked over to Emily, cocking his head to the side. "Who are you?" he asked, raising his eyebrow again.

Emily looked at him as she rubbed the back of her head. " I am Emily, Priestess of Genbu. You're Toroki of the Byakko Seven."

Toroki nodded, and crossed his arms over his chest. "Yeah, that's me. So, the Priestess of Genbu? Not Byakko? So where's the Byakko Priestess?" he asked.

Emily raised one arm and hand and pointed at Serena who had remained quiet all this time. " The frizzy red head behind her lover Chichiri."

Serena's eyes narrowed, and she slowly began to walk towards Emily, crossing her arms. "Emily, we've gone over this before. Chichiri and I just barely met, we don't feel that way about each other. Plus, he's a monk. Even if we had met quite a while ago, we would not feel anything for each other." she stated, surprisingly calmly.

Emily's eyes widened slightly as she slowly backed away into the edge of the trees. Then for some unknown reason Emily slowly turned her head and looked at the ground next to her feet. " ANTS!" she screamed before running at Tasuki speed away from where she had been standing.

Serena sweatdropped, looking to where Emily had been standing, to see a giant ant hill. She then looked in the direction that her friend had taken off in, to see a blue and blonde blur in the distance. She rolled her eyes, before laughing, the others staring either at Emily-the-blur or Serena strangely. "Uh... what just happened? I didn't know it was humanly possible to run that fast... unless you were a seishi." Karasuki said, stating the question on everyone's mind.

After a little while the blue and blonde blur took the shape of Emily as she came back to the group staying far away from the ant hill, rocking slightly on her feet, her eyes wide in fear. " Ants…I hate ants…It's the evil ants..I hate ants..I hate ants..I hate ants.."

Kokie snorted, and then burst out laughing. "Ants? You're afraid of... ANTS? I suppose I can somewhat understand it, but still! Hahah..." she doubled over, holding her stomach, laughing so hard her laughs were becoming silent.

Emily slowly turned her head toward the laughing Kokie, her fear dissipating into anger. Emily slowly, menacingly, stalked over toward Kokie. " Do. Not. Tease. Me. About. Being. Scared. Of. Ants." Emily spoke slowly before attacking Kokie.

"AHH!" Kokie shrieked, and quickly backed away from the angry Genbu no Miko, pulling her daggers from her cloak and holding them in front of her for protection. "Calm down, calm down! I'm sorry, I was just joking!" she exclaimed, her eyes wide.

Emily grinned insanely quickly "borrowing" Tasuki's tessen to use against the daggers. Tasuki growled and went to grab his tessen back but Joe held him back. " Heh..Heh..Heh." Emily chuckled out before leaping at Kokie.

Kokie's eyes widened more, and she screeched loudly, turning around and climbing up a tree as fast as she could. As soon as she got to a high branch, she peered down at Emily, turned SD, and stuck out her tongue. "Nyeh-nyeh! You can't get me!" she taunted.

Emily pouted and sat down. " You can't stay up there forever. You'll have to come down sometime..and then..YOU'RE MINE!" Tasuki finally got away from Joe and stalked over to Emily, grabbing his tessen and tapping her on the head with it.

Kokie grinned down at the two, and exclaimed, "Ha! Not so tough anymore since your boyfriend took his fan away, huh?"

Emily slowly rose to her feet twitching, before turning to look up at Kokie. " Tasuki-chan…Is..Not..My..BOYFRIEND!" Emily shouted up at Kokie as Tasuki snickered and twitched at the same time before 'REKKA SHINEN'ing the tree.

"FIRE! FIRE! HOT, HOT, HOT! EEEEEEK!" Kokie's panicked squawk was heard from the upper branches of the trees, before a branch was heard cracking. "AAAH!" her screaming was heard, and she began to fall towards the ground, but before she landed she caught one of the lower branches. "Phew..." she sighed, before dropping safely to the ground, relief washing over her features.

Emily acted like she was going to go attack Kokie before running over and hugging her tightly. " I was just messin' with ya' Kokie!" Emily grinned continuing to hug her tightly.

Kokie stared at the top of Emily's head with large eyes, before smiling in relief, and slumping slightly. "Oh good. Not that I couldn't have handled everything you threw at me since I'm a seishi, but I wouldn't want to be on the Byakko Priestess's best friend's bad list..." she stated.

Emily grinned and backed away from Kokie. " Well then. Do we want to make camp here or farther down the road?"

They glanced around the area, to see that it was a pretty good place to camp. Serena smiled, and nodded her head at Emily. "This place looks pretty good to me." she stated, and Kokie, Karasuki, and Toroki agreed with her. Chichiri thought for a moment, but then shrugged, agreeing silently.

Emily smiled then looked at Toroki. " Do you have a tent with you?"

Toroki glanced at her, and nodded his head. "Yeah, of course I have a tent with me." he stated.

Emily nodded then looked at with Kokie with a slight smirk. " To bad for you eh?"

Kokie glared at Emily, turned away, and muttered under her breath in a mocking tone, "'Too bad for you, eh'... Pleh." she then proceeded into a long string of grumbles, as she set up her own tent.

Tasuki rolled his eyes and set up the tent he had as Hikitsu set up his and Tomite's. Emily walked over to Serena. " So, it would seem another couple has been united." Emily smirked slightly.

Serena nodded her head with a smile, watching Toroki offer Kokie help with setting up her tent, then switching her gaze to Joe and Karasuki setting up their tent. "Yep. That's two, now." she laughed lightly, and shook her head. "I guess this is the place to go to experience a real life romance movie."

Emily grinned. " Yeah, now we just need to find our Prince Charmings…" Emily dropped off into a laugh as Tasuki and Tomite got into a small fire versus ice war.

Serena watched the "war" for a minute, also laughing, before turning to Emily and asking, "So... we gonna have the same sleeping arrangements as last night?"

Emily thought for a minute before nodding, a sly smile on her face. " Yeah I think that sounds good."

Serena narrowed an eye at her best friend, in a suspicious gesture. "What's that look for?" she asked, crossing her arms.

Emily smiled "angelically". " Oh no reason Serap. Just being my good ol' self."

Serena didn't buy it, but instead of continuing with trying to figure out what the look was for, she just shook her head with a sigh, and walked over to were their tent had been set up. "Whatever you say, Em..."

Emily grinned and half walked half hopped behind Serena. Tasuki looked at the two girls shaking his head.

Serena pulled back the tent flap, and stepped into the tent, to see that the covers and pillows were already set out. She smiled widely, walked towards the blanket/pillow combination to the left, fell to her knees onto the blanket, and then fell forward, smashing her face into her pillow. "Mmm... pillow..." she mumbled.

Emily walked in behind Serena, laying down on the blanket/pillow combination to the right. " No sleeping Chichiri-shoujo." Emily said poking Serena.

Serena grunted into the pillow, picked up her head, and gave Emily a confused look. "And why not?" she asked, crossing her arms underneath her pillow, and resting her head back down on it, staring at her friend.

Emily smiled and rested her elbow on the pillow, her head in her hand. " Because it's to early to sleep, and we need to play truth or dare."

The red head blinked, and laughed slightly, shaking her head. "Of course."

The blonde grinned widely at her friend. " Truth or Dare?"

"Truth." Serena answered.

Emily bit her lip thinking for a moment. " Who's cuter… Toroki or Chichiri?"

Serena hesitated for a moment, then laughed embarrassedly, her face turning an almost unnoticeable shade of pink. "Uh... Chichiri. Truth or dare?"

Emily rolled her eyes slightly. " Which do you think Serena dear? Dare."

Serena nodded her head, rolling over onto her back, and resting her arms on her stomach. "Yeah, I figure that. It's just, every once and a while you say truth instead. Anyway... uh... I dare you to... hm... the next time you see Tasuki, tell him you find him very good looking."

Emily scowled and threw her pillow at Serena. " You're evil Serena..really evil." Emily muttered before smiling. " Truth or Dare?"

Serena caught the pillow, using her face (a.k.a. she didn't really catch it, it hit her), and laughed, before taking the pillow and throwing it right back. "I know, I know, but it was all I could think of! Um... dare, I suppose."

Emily grinned evilly. " The next time you see Toroki..." Emily paused for a minute snickering. " I dare you to kiss him."

Serena completely stopped all motion, and slowly turned her head to look at her best friend, her eyes wide. "Kiss? That's worse than the dare I gave you... I mean, he is very good looking, I admit, but still... aw, man, Em, you're definitely the meanier-sama... Truth or dare..."

Emily grinned and laughed evilly. " Yes I am Serap, yes I am. And I'm about to get meaner. Truth."

Serena cried out in sarcastic fear, clawing at her face. "Noooo! Gah..." she grumbled, throwing a mock-glare in her friend's direction. "Um... hm... who do you find better looking: Tomite or Tasuki?"

Emily bit her lip in thought. " Tasuki…I guess. Tomite looks way to much like Joe. If I said Tomite was cuter, it'd be like saying Joe is cute which is just wrong. Truth or Dare?"

"Dare, I suppose..." Serena said, cringing after she did so, knowing that it was probably a bad idea.

Emily snickered and frowned thinking for a moment before grinning. " I dare you to go bring in, any one of your warriors, or Chichiri, and anyone of my warriors, or Tasuki."

Serena sat up, and looked at Emily with a raised eyebrow. "Okay... that's an interesting dare... I'll go to the first tent I come to and ask whoever's in there..." she said, standing up slowly, and then walking out of the tent, to the first tent that she came to. She peered in, and she mentally groaned at who she saw in there. "Chichiri, Tasuki. Wanna play a game with Em and me?"

Tasuki looked up at Serena from his position on the floor. " 'Ou 'ant to 'Chiri?"

Chichiri also looked up, with a large smile planted firmly on the mask, as usual. "Hm. I suppose so, no da." he said, glancing to Tasuki, before standing up, walking towards the flap of the tent where Serena stood.

Tasuki stood and walked behind Chichiri and Serena, walking into the tent Serena and Emily shared. " 'What're 'ou 'wo playing anyway?" Tasuki asked as he sat down at the back of the tent, stealing Emily's pillow at the same time.

Serena flopped onto her blanket/pillow pile again, but this time sat up straight, and crossed her legs pretzal-style. Chichiri sat down at the front of the tent, also pretzal-style, while Serena answered Tasuki, "It's called truth or dare. I'll let Em explain what it is and how to play it."

Emily glared at Tasuki and grabbed her pillow back before sitting up hugging it. " My pillow Tasuki. Okay Tasuki, Chichiri, here are the rules of truth or dare. You ask someone truth or dare and they pick truth, or they pick dare. If they pick truth, you ask them a question to which they must answer truthfully. If they pick dare, you dare them to do something that they must do. Understand?" Emily said looking around.

Tasuki shook his head. " No questions 'ere sun head."

Chichiri nodded his head, verifying that he understood. "All right, I think I understand, no da..."

Serena smiled slightly, and said, "Well... it should be my turn, since whoever got 'truth or dared' last automatically goes next... so... Tasuki. Truth or dare?"

The fanged bandit thought for a moment, "Dare, dear."

Serena raised an eyebrow at him for a minute, before frowning at him, grabbing her pillow, and chucking it as hard as hard she could at the flame haired bandit, hitting him in the face with it. "Don't call me dear. Please. Okay, dare, huh? Hm... I dare you to kiss Kokie, in the morning."

"I hate you." Tasuki replied with a scowl. "Truth or dare, 'Chiri?"

"Hm... dare, I suppose, no da." Chichiri retorted.

Tasuki smirked. "I dare you to kiss Karasuki."

Chichiri's mask's smile dropped, making it look completely blank. "Kiss... Karasuki, no da...? Alright, then, no da... Emily, no da. Truth or dare?"

Emily kind of bit her lip, looked around the group, before speaking. "So Serena's dead, Tasuki's dead, and Chichiri's dead... I might as well die too. That means dare, fox-man."

Chichiri nodded his head, and 'hm'ed in thought. "Anou... I dare you to... kiss... Hikitsu, na no da."

"Hi... hi... Hikitsu?" Emily choked, "Serena... truth or dare?"

"Dare." Serena replied, grimacing afterwards, realizing that it was probably a bad idea.

Emily laughed evilly. "Dear Serap, you're my best friend, and you always will be, so you mustn't hate me for this dare. I dare you to kiss Tasuki."

"WHAAAT?" Serena exclaimed, her eyes widening to an abnormal size. "Kiss him?" she squeaked, looking to Tasuki with a twitching eye.

"Yes, him." Emily replied with a smirk.

Serena groaned, and asked in a nervous voice, "Now?"

Emily rolled her eyes. " No next year, yes now!"

Serena made a noise that was a mix between a whimper and a growl, and moved over to Tasuki with an apologetic look on her face. She then quickly pecked him on the lips, and crawled back over to her spot, with an irritated look on her face. "Tasuki. Truth or dare." she asked.

Tasuki sat frozen, before turning his head slowly to glare at Emily. "You'll pay for that. Dare Serena."

Serena seemed to slowly smirk. "Yes she will, Tasuki... yes, she will... Tasuki, I dare you to kiss Emily."

Tasuki's head snapped toward Serena. " What! Why're you punishing me for her dare!" Tasuki continued to grumble as he crawled over to Emily who was shying away from him. " No kissy…no ki.." but Emily couldn't finish what she was saying as Tasuki quickly kissed her before retreating back to his spot while spitting.

Serena smiled brightly, replying, "Sorry, Tasuki! But, it's the only way I could think of to punish her."

Tasuki and Emily muttered something at the same time before sticking there tongues out at each other. " Chichiri…truth or dare." Tasuki mumbled.

Chichiri, who had been completely silent, watching the other three, looked to Tasuki. "Um... dare, no da...?"

Tasuki smirked evilly, crawling over and whispering in Chichiri's ear. " I dare you to pin Serena on the floor and kiss her."

Chichiri's eye widened an extra large amount under the mask, and he squeaked out, quietly, "What did you say, Tasuki-kun, no da?"

Tasuki smirked as he retreated to his normal sitting spot. " I know you heard me Chichiri. Now hurry up before my clothes are out of style."

Chichiri continued to sputter, motioning to Serena and himself. "B-b-b-bu-but Tasuki-kun, that... Daaa!" he whimpered, looking over to the very confused copper haired nineteen year old. He breathed in deeply, building up his courage, and slowly crawled over towards her. When he was in front of her, he stopped and looked over at Tasuki with a pleading look on his face, that was reflected through his mask.

Tasuki sighed. " It's either her or Emily, take your pick which to do the dare with."

Chichiri sighed, and looked back to the now even more confused Serena. He muttered 'sorry' under his breath, before reaching forward, pushing her onto her back, crawling up on top of her, and placing his lips on her's. Her eyes nearly popped out of her head in shock, as her face heated up. After a few seconds, Chichiri pulled away, got off of her, and quickly crawled over to where he had been before.

Emily started at what had just happened then glanced from Serena to Chichiri, and back again before glaring at Tasuki. Tasuki simply smirked his trademark smirk.

Chichiri was very glad for the mask at that moment, or else the others would see the blush on his face. "Emily, truth or dare, no da." he mumbled, glancing to Serena, who was still laying there, staring up at the ceiling of the tent with wide eyes.

Emily bit her lip, slightly in fear of Chichiri getting revenge on Tasuki by using her. " Ano..d..da..dare?"

Chichiri smiled, and said, "I dare you to sit in Tasuki-kun's lap until the end of the game, no da."

Emily growled but slowly moved over and sat on Tasuki's lap. Tasuki and Emily wore similar expressions as they glared at Chichiri. " TorD Serena."

"Uh... since you'd probably get even with Chichiri using me, truth..." Serena said, having finally gathered her wits, and sat up.

Emily frowned, not because she'd wanted to get revenge, but because she couldn't think of anything to ask that she didn't already know. After a few seconds, Emily smirked evilly. " Oh but I can still get revenge Serena. Who did you enjoy kissing, or them kissing you, more, Chichiri or Tasuki?"

Serena looked at her friend in startlement, her mouth dropping open, and she tried to say something, ending up just looking like a fish out of water. "Wha-what? You-! Argh… Um… Well… er… Chichiri, I suppose…" she mumbled, barely audible.

" What was that Serena, I couldn't hear you and I doubt if they did. Did you hear her Tasuki?" Emily asked looking at him. Tasuki smirked and shook his head no.

Serena narrowed her eyes and glared at them both. "Okay… Chichiri…" she mumbled, just a little bit louder.

Emily, having heard her that time, grinned widely and grabbed her pillow, laughing into it loudly. After a few minutes she put the pillow down. " If you two didn't hear her, she said she enjoyed being kissed by Chichiri."

Chichiri looked to Serena, shocked that she had enjoyed it. "What, no da?" he asked, and Serena looked to him, with a slight blush.

"Uh… yeah. Er… I enjoyed it more than kissing Tasuki, at least. Not because I like you like that or anything, don't worry… uh… don't worry!" she said, waving her hands in front of her face in a defensive gesture.

Emily smirked and broke into a fit of coughs, the word 'liar' being heard admist the "coughs".

Emily's coughing fit was replied to, instead of with an 'excuse you', a pillow getting thrown very hard into her face. "It's true, meanier-sama! Shut up!" Serena snapped, glaring at her best friend.

Emily quickly raised her hand to block the pillow, accidently hitting Tasuki on the way. She apologized to Tasuki before throwing Serena's pillow back. " Suure it is. Sure it is. So you gonna ask someone or what?"

Serena caught her pillow, continuing to glare at her friend. "Yeah, yeah. Tasuki, truth or dare?"

Tasuki rubbed his cheek where Emily had hit him. " Um..uh..D..Da..Dare…" Tasuki said slowly, whimpering softly after he said it.

Serena smiled slightly, thinking of what to dare him. "Hm. Let's add to the lap thing. Tasuki, I dare you to keep your arms around Emily's waist, while she's sitting on you."

Tasuki and Emily at almost the same time groaned, and started to complain but after a few seconds, Tasuki slowly wrapped his arms around Emily's waist, and Emily leaned against him to make it more comfortable for both of them. " 'Ruth or 'Are Chichiri?"

Chichiri looked nervous, even through the mask, as he answered, "Um… dare, I guess, no da…"

Tasuki grinned evilly and whispered something to Emily to which she whispered something back. Tasuki nodded his head looking at Chichiri. " I dare you, Chichiri, to kiss Emily." Emily's eyes widened. " You didn't ask if I liked that!"

Chichiri stared at Tasuki and Emily for a moment, before sighing, crawling over towards them, and quickly kissed Emily.

As quick as the kiss was, it wasn't quick enough. Just as Chichiri kissed Emily, Joe burst into the tent. " Will you guuuys." Joe's jaw dropped as he stuttered on 'guy', his sentence forgotten. Joe stood still for minute, watching as Chichiri quickly backed away, and Tasuki let go of Emily and Emily crawled away from Tasuki. " EVERYONE OUT OF THE TENT! " Joe screamed, stepping to the side to let them out. Tasuki and Emily quickly ran out of the tent, shivering outside as the other members of their group started waking up.

Serena and Chichiri also scrambled quickly out of the tent, in fear of what Joe would do if they didn't. Karasuki left her and Joe's tent, with a confused look on her face. "What's going on?"

Tomite and Hikitsu stumbled out of their tent. " We want to get some sleep tonight Joe." Hikitsu said before looking at Tasuki, Chichiri, Emily, and Serena as they huddled together, guilt and embarrassment showing on there faces. Joe ignored Karasuki and the other warriors as he walked towards the cowering figures. "What were you guys doing…HMM!" Joe snapped lunging forward slightly, Tasuki and Chichiri falling backwards in fear.

Serena answered, since she was the only one not seen doing something, "It wasn't what it looked like, Joe! Don't kill anyone! It was just an innocent game of truth or dare! No one WANTED to do that stuff!"

Joe started shaking in rage. " INNOCENT..INNOCENT! That was anything but innocent!" Tomite looked from the four fear ridden figures to Joe. " Hikitsu…Looks like the shows about to start!" Tomite grinned and sat down, pulling Hikitsu down next to him.

Kokie and Toroki came out of their tent, both with very, very irritated looks on their faces. "What the heck is going ON out here?" Kokie growled angrily, glaring at everyone there. "I was trying to sleep!"

Tomite looked up at Kokie and Toroki. " Suuure you were." Tomite winked before speaking again. "Anyway Joe's about to kill the Priestesses and the Suzaku warriors, it should be very interesting."

Kokie and Toroki looked from the Genbu warriors, to Joe, Emily, Tasuki, Chichiri, and Serena. Kokie grinned slightly, and rubbed her hands together. "Oooo... It's been a while since I've been witness to a good over-protective-big-brother-figure-against-little-sister-figure fight! You're right, Tomite, this should be very interesting!" she exclaimed, sitting down on a stump.

Emily hid Tasuki behind her as Joe walked closer. " Joe, It wasn't what it looked liked. Serena was just getting revenge on me and Tasuki, that's why we were sitting the way we were. Then Tasuki was getting revenge on Chichiri by making him kiss me. If you want to punish someone, punish me because I was the one who suggested we even play truth or dare…" Emily gasped slightly for breath when she finished.

Joe continued to shake in rage as he got closer, stopping inches from Emily's face. " Is that so… I'm still going to kill Tasuki and Chichiri. And you for letting them do that!" Emily growled and mumbled, " It isn't as bad as what happened to Serena… oops." Emily said as Joe turned his head slowly toward Serena. " Oh, what happened to her now?"

Serena glared over at Emily briefly, before stepping closer to Joe, getting slightly angry herself. "Nothing happened. Even if it did, it means nothing. N-o-t-h-i-n-g, Joe. Truth or dare wouldn't be truth or dare if people were dared to do stuff they wanted to do. Does that tell you anything? And plus, Joe, it's not like we could do anything worse than what you saw anyway (not that we'd want to), Emily and I are Priestesses, and Priestesses have to be pure, you know!" she snapped, and just as she realized what she had said at the last, she gasped and covered her mouth, eyes widening.

Chichiri looked to Serena in confusion at what she had said at the last. "How do you know about that, no da? I'm pretty sure Taiitsukun hasn't contacted you two, no da..." he said.

Emily growled before speaking softly to Serena so no one else could hear. " Serena..we aren't supposed to know that…" Emily then turned and smiled at Chichiri. " Actually, Chichiri, she did contact us.. Through our dreams yeah that's it. We didn't tell you because we uh..didn't think it was real yeah that sounds good." Emily concluded lamely, and quite unbelievably.

Chichiri, Kokie, Karasuki, and Toroki all just raised an eyebrow at her. Serena, who was still mentally chiding herself for having given away the fact that they knew that they had to be pure, walked over beside Emily, and shook her head. "No, that's not how we know, remember, Em? One of the palace servants told you, and then you told me. Remember?" she said.

Emily bit her lip for a moment, pretending to think as Tomite, Hikitsu, Tasuki and Joe stared, Tasuki's eyebrow raised. " Oh yeah..now I remember. Stupid hair." Emily said blushing as she pulled on her blonde hair. Joe looked between her and Serena before moving close to them and saying just loud enough for the two girls to hear. "…They don't know they're from a show do they?"

Serena looked to her cousin, and shook her head in response to his query. "No, they don't. And we need to keep it that way (not that my mouth agrees with that), because, who knows how they'd react. I mean, thinking about Tamahome's reaction when he found out they were just book characters... imagine if they find out that they're just characters in a book, in an anime! And... hey, wait a minute." Serena frowned, and placed her hands on her hips, giving Joe an inquiring look. "I thought we were mad at each other."

Joe smirked. " We are mad at each other, but I do not want to hurt anyone emotionally, like they'd be if we told them they were just characters in a book. Besides," Joe pushed Serena lightly, " I have to save my big brother protectiveness for my own sisters, because you know, Talitha did just get a new BF."

Serena nodded her head, with a large yawn. "Yeah, you better save up plenty of your protectiveness for her. So, you better not waste anymore on me and Em. Now, since, for once, I am actually tired, I am going to go to bed now, okay?" she said, with a smile to Joe and Emily. She then walked past them, over in the direction of her and Em's tent, shouting over her shoulder, "Nos da - again!" Then, she disappeared into the tent.

Emily nodded her head, giving Joe a one armed hug. " Goodnight Joe. Goodnight everybody." Emily smiled and waved goodnight, walking into hers and Serena's tent. As soon as she entered the tent she fell down on her pillow and bedroll. " Goodnight Serena."

Tasuki looked at Joe. " 'Ood 'ight Joe!" He squeaked, quickly running into his and Chichiri's tent. Joe rolled his eyes and slowly climbed back into his and Karasuki's tent, " Well, I guess that means the shows over." Tomite sighed and stood up, slouching and walking over to his and Hikitsu's tent. Hikitsu remained outside, moving to sit next to the fire. " I'll stay up and take the first watch."

Kokie told everyone goodnight, before shuffling to her tent, and climbing in. Toroki watched her, before also saying 'Oyasumi' to everyone, and heading in to his tent. Karasuki went to her and Joe's tent, ready to give him a bit of a scolding in the morning. Chichiri said goodnight to Hikitsu, and proceeded to his and Tasuki's tent, pondering what 'Nos da' could possibly mean.

Hikitsu fed the fire before moving into a more comfortable position. " This is going to be a long night." He muttered resting his head in his hands before slowly removing his eye patch. His green kanji, "lo" was pale on his eye. Tomite lay alone in his and Hikitsu's tent, trying to fall asleep.

Serena yawned, and rolled over in her blankets, to fall back to sleep, mumbling under her breath about stupid mornings. She lay there for a few minutes, trying in vain to fall back to sleep. "Stupid sunlight..." she hissed, pulling the blanket up over her head.

Emily groaned as she sat up rubbing her stiff neck. " Ow. Stupid sunlight. Serena ish still curse. I want pocky." Emily glared as she said this, shaking Serena awake. Tasuki had been awake for awhile, but had remained in his tent. He smirked and grabbed his tessen, poking Chichiri with it.

Serena pulled the blanket down from her face, to glare up at her best friend. "I'm not asleep. There's pocky in one of my bags I brought. And yes, I am always a curse, now let me pretend to sleep until I am awake." she said, pulling the blanket back up over her head.

In Tasuki and Chichiri's tent, at Tasuki's poking, Chichiri (who was, amazingly, still asleep) grunted at the poking, and brought a hand up out of the blanket, waving it around a bit above his head. "I'm awake now, Tasuki-kun, no da... st'p poking me..." he mumbled into his pillow.

Emily grinned widely quickly searching and finding the pocky. " I'll let you sleep Serena." Emily smiled and slipped out of the tent holding the pocky close.

Tasuki smirked continuing to poke Chichiri. " If I 'top 'oking now, You'll fall asleep again!"

Chichiri frowned, and brought his hand back down into his blanket, then flipped the blanket off, sitting up on his elbows so he could look, sleepily, around to the flame haired bandit. "No I won't. Now, please stop poking me now, no da." he asked.

Tasuki sighed and stopped poking, walking out of the tent, before popping his head back in. " Whatever you say Byakko no Miko lover." With that Tasuki slipped out from tent, scratching his bare back as he walked over to the camp fire.

Chichiri frowned, once again, and started to shout after Tasuki something about not liking Serena like that, but stopped just short, knowing that he wouldn't be heard by the bandit. And, even if he was, it wouldn't make a difference. Everyone was convinced that he and the Byakko no Miko had something for each other. He sighed, and proceeded to get up out of the blankets.

Hikitsu slowly sat up opening his eyes, stretching in away that every joint in his body popped. Emily looked at him, then at Tasuki as she ate some of the pocky. Hikitsu saw her looking at the bandit, but decided to say nothing, for the moment at least. Just as Emily looked away, Tomite crawled out of his and Hikitsu's tent. " G' morning' ye who 'ever sleep." He said or rather mumbled.

Chichiri left his and Tasuki's tent, looking as perky as ever with his mask on. "Good morning, everyone, no da!" he said, cheerfully, and no one could've ever guessed he was grumbling inwardly about not enough sleep.

Emily looked at Chichiri. " Good morning cheery Chichiri. How'd you sleep?" Emily asked as Tomite sat down next to her.

Chichiri glanced to her, and nodded to her. "I slept quite well, no da. What about you?" he asked, as he sat down on a log.

" Quite well actually." Emily replied, glaring slightly as Tomite passed out, his head landing on her shoulder. Emily quickly shoved him away, causing him to fall to the ground and wake up again.

Chichiri laughed lightly as Tomite glared up at Emily, saying, "That's good, no da." He glanced around the small area around the campfire, and then back to Emily. "I take it Serena, Joe, Karasuki, Kokie, and Toroki are still asleep, na no da?"

" Well of course the beautiful couples of Joe/Karasuki and Kokie/Toroki are still "sleeping". Serena is slowly waking up though. She isn't really a morning perSON!" Emily replied, yelling out the last part of 'person' as Tomite tackled her and started tickling her. Hikitsu raised and eyebrow as he watched his priestess laughing as she struggled away from her warrior. Tasuki grinned evilly and grabbed Emily, pinning her arms behind her back so she couldn't struggle as Tomite tickled her.

Chichiri stared at the strange sight, with an eyebrow raised, until he head a tent flip open, and turned to see Serena now standing a few feet away from Emily, Tasuki, and Tomite, looking down at them with a laughing expression on her face. "Ah, so this is why I couldn't fall back to sleep. What did you do to them this time, Em?" she asked, before walking over to a log and sitting down.

Emily gasped for breath before kicking Tomite in the stomach and flipping Tasuki over her, causing him to land on Tomite. Emily looked over at her friend as she grabbed Tasuki's tessen. " All I did was wake up Tomite."

Serena nodded, her mouth forming an 'o' shape. "Aha. If Tomite's anything like me when woken up, than that explains everything." she said with a laugh.

Emily mocked Serena before sitting down, tossing Tasuki's tessen over to him.

Serena looked around, with a raised eyebrow. "I see the couples are still asleep..." she pointed out the obvious, as she had a bad habit of doing.

Emily smirked, muttering under her breath, " Well I count one couple that's awake."

Serena hadn't quite heard what Emily had said, but had caught some of it, so she raised an eyebrow and asked, "What?"

Emily snapped her head toward Serena. " Oh nothing, nothing at all."

The red head shook her head, narrowing her eyes at her best friend. "Right. If you say so, but I'm pretty sure I heard something about a couple..." she said, suspicion lacing her voice, as she crossed her arms.

Emily looked shocked and aghast. " Me, oh I would never say something like that."

Serena shook her head, still with a disbelieving look on her face. "Okay, then, if you say so." she turned to face Kokie and Toroki's tent, as she heard them leaving it, seeming to be in an argument. "Good morning, Kokie, Toroki!" she shouted to them, before adding, "Well, that's one couple up, one to go."

Shortly after the lovely Byakko couple awoke, Joe came stumbling out of tent, his eyes half closed.

Serena laughed at the expression on her cousin's face, and said, "Make that one and a half up, half to go." But, just as she was saying it, Karasuki, looking much more awake than Joe, walked out of the tent after him. "Okay, never mind..."

Emily grins as Joe glares at everyone, collapsing in a heap on a ground in front of Emily, pulling Karasuki down next to him.

Kokie and Toroki sat down on the same log as Serena, and Kokie glanced around, a confused look on her face. "So... what's for breakfast? I see no food prepared..." she stated, without saying good morning to any one.

Emily looked around, holding her pocky close. "I've had my breakfast..or rather am having it.. You peoples find your own!"

Serena gave Emily another suspicious glance, and placed her hands on her hips. "That better not be all the pocky I brought." she said, before looking to Hikitsu, then to Tomite, then her warriors, then to Tasuki, and lastly to Chichiri. "Well, if we don't have anything planned, I have cold cereal... but I don't know if you guys would want to try that, since it's from my world."

" It isn't all the pocky, there's still 2 or 3 pieces left." Emily replied with a grin while her warriors and Tasuki looked at Serena oddly. " What's cereal?" Tomite asked for all of them.

Serena stared at Emily with wide, startled eyes. "Two or three… PIECES? Pieces, not boxes? I brought five boxes!" she exclaimed loudly, ignoring the cereal question.

Emily ate another piece of pocky, staring at Serena. " Well, I grabbed all five boxes, ate 2 boxes, dropped 2 boxes in the fire, and ate what was left of the third till there was three left, wait no make that two left."

"Wha…" Serena gasped out, staring at Emily with a half shocked, half angry look on her face. "Two in the WHAT! I would've preferred they weren't WASTED! Be lucky I'm not violent!" she growled, picking up a stick and holding it over Emily's head.

" They weren't wasted! I tripped and they fell in! And who said you weren't violent? You are always violent!" Emily retorted grabbing Chichiri's staff from him to use in self defense incase Serena used the stick she held….aggressively.

Chichiri grabbed for his staff as Emily grabbed it. "Hey, no da!" he yelped, grabbing the staff, before lightly hitting Emily and Serena on the heads with it. "No more fighting, Priestesses, no da!" he chided, giving them a glare through the mask.

Emily made a sound mixed between disbelief and irritation. " That hurt Chichiri! Anyways, me and her always fight. Even when we have no need to!"

Serena rubbed the slight bump that was forming on her head, glaring at the blue haired monk. "Yeah. Well, most of the time anyway. And why'd you hit me? She was the one that took your staff!" she said jokingly, placing her hands on her hips.

Tasuki laughed at the happening around him. Emily turned her head slowly to glare at him, her arms crossing in front of her chest. " What're you laughing about firehead?"

Tasuki smirked. " Well sunhead, I'm laughing at your stupidity, a.k.a Nakago look." Tasuki bit his tongue only after he'd spoke.

Emily hissed slowly, her eyes on fire. " WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY!" Emily screeched, slowly and menacingly walking towards Tasuki. Tasuki backed away in fear. " Chichiri… If you do not hand me your staff in three seconds, you and Tasuki are both dead." Emily said calmly as stretched her hand out behind her toward Chichiri.

Chichiri placed his staff in Emily's hand with a sigh, shaking his head. "It seems that don't really have a choice in the matter, no da... You can borrow it for a moment, na no da." he told her.

Emily gripped the staff with a maniacal grin as she lifted it forward and up over her head as she leaped at Tasuki hitting him repeatedly with the staff. Tasuki tried to stop, but even his seishi influenced speed couldn't protect him. After a few minutes Emily backs off and hands Chichiri's staff back to him. " Thank-you Chichiri."

Tomite looked over at the heap of a body and clothes known as Tasuki. "Ouch." Tasuki sits up dazed, slowly rising to his feet before falling back down.

Chichiri took the staff back, still shaking his head. "You're welcome, Emily, no da... I'm going to go pack up Tasuki and my tent, no da..." he said, walking off in the direction of the afore mentioned tent.

Serena laughed at the dazed look on Tasuki's face, before smiling at the others, and saying, "Before we take off, I think I want to go change clothes. I've been in these for too long now, not to mention, they're way too hot for Sairo..." With that, she turned, and walked to her and Emily's tent.

Tomite helped Tasuki to his feet again. " Easy flame boy, easy." Tomite said softly helping Tasuki over to a stump. Emily watched as Serap disappeared into their tent. " I think I'll change after her." Emily said then nodded, thinking evil thoughts about how to embarrass Serena.

Kokie glared at Hikitsu, her arms crossing almost automatically. "You! You seem to be the one that's basically in charge of the fire, why is there no breakfast prepared!" she exclaimed, seeming to have completely ignored all of the other happenings, focusing only on her loudly protesting stomach. Toroki sweatdropped at his girlfriend's rudeness, and proceeded to try to get her to calm down.

As Toroki continued to try to get Kokie to stop complaining about her hunger ("Urusai ((A/n: Shut up)), Toroki! I'm not gonna calm down until there's something in my stomach! Got it!"), Serena walked out of the tent. She was wearing a black t-shirt with really short sleeves, a black skort (shorts disguised as a skirt) with a tan and white paisley print that came about an inch and a half above her knees, and black and white sandals. She also had in hand a rectangular box, and a small stack of bowls and strange metal things the seishi had never seen before (spoons).

Emily looked over at Serena. " Hey Serap, let's do those dares now," Emily then looked over at Chichiri's tent before yelling, " Chichiri get out here!" Tasuki looked over at Emily then Kokie with a groan.

Serena frowned, and grunted in an irritated manner, before turning to Toroki, trudging over to him, and quickly pecking him. Just as she did so, Chichiri had come out of the tent, in time to see her pull away. He stared at Serena for a minute, before looking to Toroki and the enraged Kokie, and then back to Serena, clearing his throat. "Uh... okay, no da... why did you call me out here, Emily, no da?"

Emily grinned evilly, " We're completing the dares." As she finished speaking Emily walked over to Hikitsu and gave him a short kiss, but longer than a peck. She then pulled away and looked at Hikitsu blushing. Hikitsu simply stared at her.

Chichiri blinked under his mask, before closing his eye, and sighing. "Okay, no da..." he said, walking over to Karasuki and Joe, quickly saying to Joe, "I don't want to do this, do not worry, na no da. I was dared to." And then he leaned forward, and kissed Karasuki, quickly.

Joe stared in anger, slowly beginning to shake about to attack Chichiri but Hikitsu and Tomite held him back. Tasuki heaved a deep sigh, walking over to Toroki and Kokie. " Toroki..'hat 'Chiri just told Joe..'ell same to you," and with that Tasuki leaned forward and quickly kissed Kokie.

"GAAH! Kill me now!" Kokie cried out, pushing Tasuki away from her as speedily as her reflexes would allow her, and wiped at her mouth violently. "Yuck, yuck, yuck, I think I'm poisoned! Help! Help! Karasuki, I need water, NOW! Quickly!" she screeched, jumping up, running right over Tasuki, to Karasuki.

Tasuki lay on the ground in a heap. Joe finally broke free of the Genbu seishi and attacked Chichiri. "DON'T YOU EVER EVER EVER KISS HER AGAIN!" Joe screamed. Emily walked over to Joe, and in one movement got him off of Chichiri. Joe wimpered in pain as Emily held his ear in the painful torture position.

Chichiri, glad to be free of a beating, 'da!'ed, popped chibi, and ran over to hide behind Serena's legs. He peered out from behind them, and gave Joe a small glare. "I told you I didn't want to, no da! It's not my fault, no da!" he said.

Emily realeased Joe's ear after he was far enough away from Chichiri. Joe looked at Chichiri, his face in a set glare. " Who dared you to kiss Karasuki?"

Chichiri's mask twisted in a slight thoughtful look, before he answered, "I believe it was Tasuki-kun, no da."

Joe laughed softly and evilly, turning to look at Tasuki, who had stood up and was standing a few feet away drinking water. Joe lunged for Tasuki but stopped as Emily popped up between them. " Do. Not. Hurt. Him. Or. The. Other. Suzaku. Seishi," Emily said slowly and clearly glaring at Joe.

Serena, who had been just watching the whole thing after having kissed Toroki - who was still stunned at her kissing him, and Tasuki kissing his girlfriend - now decided that since they had all done their dares and still, none of them had had breakfast, she would butt in. "Uh, does anyone want cereal? It's a breakfast food from Em and my world..."

Joe and Tasuki gave Emily an odd look. After a little bit Joe looked over at Serena. " I'll have some. Cereal sounds good." Tomite and Hikitsu walked over, muttering something about trying it.

Toroki finally snapped out of the confused state he was in, and then stood, walking over to Serena to try some of the other worldly food. Kokie and Karasuki - who had nearly drowned Kokie when she had asked for water - also walked over to the Byakko Priestess. "I'll try some, I suppose. Not much, just some." Karasuki said.

Serena smiled at the others, handed them each a bowl and spoon, and then proceeded to pour cereal into the bowls that were held out to her. She then sweatdropped. "Eh... I don't suppose we have cold milk, do we." she said.

Emily sighed. " I'm guessing not but that's not what I'm worried about… they've never used spoons." Emily looked around the seishi then back at Serena.

Serena stared at her best friend for a minute, before sweatdropping again, and glancing around at the seishi. "Yeah... shoot... well, since we have no milk, and the seishi don't know how to use spoons, how about we all just get bowl fulls of dry cereal and eat it with our hands...?" she suggested.

Emily and Joe nodded. " That sounds like a very good idea. Less mess and… well…. It's safer." Emily said with nod, taking her bowl and walking off.

After getting their bowls of cereal, Kokie and Toroki walked back over to their log and sat down, examining the contents of the bowls, and the bowls themselves, which were plastic bowls. Kokie reached into her bowl, picking out a couple of pieces, then stuck it in her mouth, crunching it up and swallowing. She frowned in thought, before grinning, digging in. "This other world food is really good!"

Tasuki, Tomite and Hikitsu got their cereal also, sitting down next to each other. Tasuki poked at the cereal, before grabbing a little bit and tasting it. Tomite and Hikitsu watched Tasuki for his reaction. He ate it, then ate more and more until his bowl was empty. " You 'll 'ike 't." Tasuki said through a full mouth.

Serena got a bowl full of cereal for herself, as did Chichiri, and the Byakko no Miko took a seat on the log she had been sitting at before, next to Kokie. Chichiri sat down at the place he had been before, and hesitantly tasted the cereal. After tasting it, he looked up to Serena and smiled (under the mask), "This 'cereal' is very good, no da."

Tomite and Hikitsu looked at each other and shrugged each taking a bite. Tomite's eyes bugged out and then he couldn't stop eating it. Hikitsu had a little bit more control. "This is great!" Tomite gasped in between bowls.

Serena laughed at all the seishi's reactions, watching them all digging in. "Well... I'm glad I brought several boxes, then..." she chuckled, taking small bites of her own cereal.

Emily watched the seishi, quickly finishing her cereal and setting down the bowl. " I'm going to go change." Emily said standing and walking into her's and Serena's tent to change.

Kokie quickly finished her cereal, and when she was finished, scowled into the bowl as if her glare alone would refill it. She glanced up to Serena, and shoved the bowl under her nose. "Cereal. Now." she said, making the Priestess jump, and look up at her seishi in surprise, blinking rapidly.

"Uh... okay. Here." Serena said, taking the box and pouring more of the sweet breakfast food into the bowl held out to her. She stopped pouring, and set the box down beside her, as Kokie pulled the bowl back to her, smiling brightly.

Tasuki watched Emily leave before shoving his bowl in Serena's face. "My 'ereal now."

Emily came out a short while later, clad in red t-shirt with 'Boys prefer blondes' written on it in yellow. Over that she was wearing an unbuttoned deep green mens long sleeve shirt. She also had on blue jeans and overly worn tennis shoes.

After pouring Tasuki his cereal, Serena looked around the rest of the group, asking, "Does anyone else want more?"

Tomite, Hikitsu and Joe were instantly at her side, there bowls stretched out as if they were beggars.

Serena jumped at the quickness of the three, and stared at them for a moment, before refilling their bowls, shaking her head. "There you go. Anyone else?" she asked, and got head shakes from Chichiri, Toroki, and Karasuki.

Emily shook her head and sat down between her two warriors, the side closest to Hikitsu stiff, careful to not touch him. " Sorry about that kiss Hikitsu..It was just a dare." Emily looked over at him as he finished his second bowl of cereal before wrapping an arm around her neck and ruffling her hair. " It's okay Preistess." He spoke before adding in a lower voice, " Wasn't all that bad anyway."

Serena picked up the cereal box again after watching Emily and Hikitsu, and glanced inside, not surprised to see it empty. She laughed to herself, before standing up, heading back to the tent to get her glasses, that she just realized she had, for some reason, been forgetting to wear recently. After putting the empty cereal box back in her bag and putting her glasses on, she walked back out, and asked the others, "So... should we get going?"