Disclaimer: I do not own anything.

Author's Note: I RECOMMEND YOU PEOPLE TO LISTEN TO
MAAYA SAKAMOTO! HER SONGS ARE SO BEAUTIFUL
AND GREAT! (dies of happines) I am currently listening to
'Loop' the ending song of Tsubasa Resevoir Chronicles.

December 12 (Month Two) 2:30 p.m.

Chapter 4: Nuriko

It was my turn to see how our precious fang-boy is doing.
Kouji was suppose to come back a week ago but somehow stayed here
in Miaka's world. We never knew what happened to Kouji. All I know is
that I have to check on Tasuki and try to get Kouji. The people in
Miaka's world mentioned someone close as Kouji's description hanging
out with a blonde with a big red bow.

I arrived at the temple only to see Fang-boy fighting against Rei.

"Idiot!" Rei cried. "You only need to water the plants once a day!
Don't drown them!" Her lovely violet eyes glared into his wolf-like
amber eyes.

"Yer Grandfather told me to water them!" Tasuki gritted his teeth.
"Don't blame me! Blame th' old man!"

"Don't you blame this on him!"

I chuckled at the scene in front of me. It looks like Fangboy met his
match. But what's really funny is that they act like they've known each
other for years or like an old married couple. But since they were too
busy arguing to notice that I am here. I decided to sneak behind him.

"OY FANG-BOY HOW'S IT GOING?" I cried.

"You arrogant jerk! Why did I even let you stay at our home you
can't even do simple chores right!" Rei cried totally ignoring me.

"SIMPLE HOUSE CHORES! YA DON'T EVEN DO ANYTHING!"

Tasuki screamed. "YA JUST LET ME DO ALL THE CHORES AND
YA FOLLOW ME AROUND SCREAMIN' LIKE A FUCKIN'
BANSHEE!"

"BANSHEE?" Rei yelled, turning red with fury.

"Do this, do that, do the dishes, clean your side of the room."
Tasuki mocked by pointing at random things. "I can't even relax
woman!"

Okay.

I had enough.

I was losing patience.

"STOP IGNORING ME YOU STUPID FANG-BOY!" I yelled and
punched Tasuki straight at the jaw knocking him out. I glanced at Rei
she had one of the most funniest shocking face, I've seen so far.

"Whoops...I think I overdid it a bit." I said sheepishly.

"You...knocked...him out with just one punch.." Rei said in disbelief.
To be honest, I didn't expect my seishi powers to work here in Miaka's
world. I noticed that Rei tried to pick up Tasuki off the icy ground.

"Nuriko-san, can you help me get Tasuki inside."

"Ha-hai!" I said, picking up fang-boy pretending to struggle. It was odd
to see Rei acting serious when Tasuki was knocked out. I placed him in
Rei's/ Tasuki's room; since the guest room was burned by Tasuki's
tessen.

I glanced at Rei who was at the front of her screen door.

"Nuriko-san. I need to go get medicine can you take care of Tasuki for a
little while?" I nodded. She left leaving me alone with Fang-boy.

"Tasuki... You should be lucky to have a pretty girl taking care of you.."
I whispered to his ears. Tasuki squirmed abit and scrunched his eyebrows.
Rei came in the door with hydroperoxide and a cotton ball in her hands.

"Nuriko-san I'm sorry to bother you again but could you make the tea?"
she asked patting on the wound with the cotton-ball. "I'll stay here until
he wakes up." . I went out the door and wonder.

Where the hell was the kitchen?

As I looked for the kitchen. I thought about Rei. She acted so serious when
Tasuki was knocked out. She was so different than Miaka. Rei is more
mature and smarter than her, she's almost perfect.

I finally found the kitchen that had very weird things. Especially this
'tea kettle' Miaka spoke of once. I held the weird handle and placed
tap water on the 'faucet'. I grabbed a match and placed it on the stove.

I pulled down the chair and waited until my imagination took over.

'What in the world happened?' Tasuki asked, he was shirtless and was
sweating hard. (Tasuki fangirls: KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!)

'Tasuki! You're alive!' Light falling on Rei's violet eyes at the right angle
creating a sparkling effect.'Are you alright? When Nuriko accidently
punched you you were knocked out...' Tears fell down on Rei's cheeks,
making her beautiful.

'Rei...Do not cry for me.' He said dramatically.

'Tasuki...When...You were unconscious...There is something I want to tell you.'
More tears started to fall on Rei's cheeks. 'I...Love...You Tasuki.'

'I love you too Rei.' He held Rei in his arms getting ready to kiss her.

"HOLY SUZAKU THE TEA!" I cried. Ignoring my imagination and turned off
the stove and place the tea packet in the tea kettle. "I wonder why I imagined
that?" I said to myself as I place the tea in the tea cups.

Maybe there was something going on between Fang-boy and Rei. They acted
like an old married couple and she acted very serious when Fang-boy was
knocked out. I was about to open the screen door, when I noticed that Tasuki
was up.

"Tasuki!" Rei exclaimed, pretending to act surprise. "You're alive!"

"Shut th' fuck up woman..." Tasuki groaned. "What th' hell happened?"

"When Nuriko punched you you were knocked out." Rei said as she placed
more band-aids on his jaw.

The conversation sounded oddly familiar.

"But never mind that... There is something I want to tell you Tasuki." Her
eyes were downcast, she looked sad. Rei had Tasuki's full attention, he looked
at her seriously. The conversation was in my imagination! Is she going to
tell her that she loves him? I leaned closer being careful not to be seen.

"Tasuki...I.."

"What is it? Spit it out." I noticed his cheeks turning slightly red.

"I need you to clean the basement." Rei pulled out a pink apron and featherduster.

"WHAAAT!" I screamed and my left eye twitched. Both Tasuki and Rei turned to
me in surprise. I blushed in embarassment. "I thought that..."

"Thought what?" Rei asked innocently. "What were you thinking Nuriko-san?"

"I thought you--you." I stuttered. "Well, when fang-boy was knocked out you
acted so serious and all..."

"Well I didn't want him to be sick after being knocked out in the snow." Rei explained
placing the pink apron and featherduster to Tasuki. "I needed him to clean the
basement." I can see Tasuki's face grow dark and had a scary aura surround him.

"AM I JUST YER GODDAMN SLAVE!" He screamed. "JUST SOMEONE YA
CAN PUSH AROUND!"

"Tasuki..." I see Rei's face sadden just a little bit.

"WELL? Answer me Rei." He snorted, and turned around facing the wall. He
I think was offended the way Rei answered. I looked over to Rei to see how she
reacted. She had a calm face, as if she was unfazed at what Tasuki said.

"Tasuki I don't think of you as a slave.." Rei said. "I think of you as a kindred spirit."

Tasuki had a confused look on his face. Rei showed a painfully sad smile as if she
was reminiscing about something that happened to her life. "Kindred spirit?" He
says, saying the foreign word with his thick bandit accent.

"You and I have the same goals."

Both Rei and I sweatdropped as Tasuki still had the same stupid look on his face.
It was pretty obvious he still didn't get it. But I wonder, does Rei know about
Tasuki's life back at the Reikaku mountains? Dedicating his life protecting the
Suzaku no Miko?

"Right now before the next four months." Rei smiled beautifully. "You have
dedicated your life making the Hikawa Shrine thrive..."

"Rei..."

"I have to go get Phobos and Deimos, Nuriko-san can you come with me." Rei
beckoned me, leaving the bandit behind. I closed the door behind us and looked
over to Rei. Her two faithful crows came to Rei each of them resting at each
shoulder.

"Rei what do you mean by making the Hikawa Shrine thrive?" I asked.

"Before Tasuki came along our business is getting slow and we were almost
broke." Her eyes became glazed thinking about something that happened to her
a long time ago. "I almost had to ask my father to help me..."

"Your father? I heard from Miaka that your father is a politician..." I said. I was
still unsure what a politician was. But Miaka says that Rei's father helped
changed Tokyo alot. "I heard he's a great man..." I said nonchalantly,

Rei's hands turned into a fist.

"He is... Phobos, Deimos!" cried Rei as the two crows began to circle Rei
and sat at the roof at the temple. "No! You stupid crows do you want to get
cold?"

"Fang-boy's stupidity must be getting to them..." I joked. Rei grinned and
turned to me. "What is it?" I asked. I couldn't help but blush as she stared at
me. Rei is very beautiful, especially the way the her hair waves as the wind blows,
her pale cheeks turn pink from the winter cold, and her beautiful violet eyes.

I hate to admit this she is prettier than Hotohori.

"I'm sorry we had to meet under this circumstances." Rei bowed. "If only Tasuki
wasn't stupid..."

"But where's the fun of that? If he suddenly became a genius?"

Rei giggled. It's hard to imagine Tasuki smart as Chiriko.

"It's getting late Nuriko-san, you should go visit another time...Maybe on
Christmas eve.." Rei says. Christmas Eve...Was that on the twenty-fifth of
December? Rei turned back to the shrine. There was so many questions I
wanted to ask about her relationship with Tasuki.

"Oi Rei!" I called, Rei stopped. "Rei... Do you think of Tasuki only as a
kindred spirit?"

She slowly turned to me. Her face was blank and her body stood still its as
if she was a statue.

"Or is there something more?" I asked.

Silence.

A slight smile appeared on Rei's lovely face.

"Who knows..." she whispered.

Hmm...Everytime I keep reading and re-writing this chapter I feel that it isn't
enough. Something's missing. Oh well it shows a little Tasuki/ Rei to the people.

(Minako and Kouji walks in.)

Minako: You see if we place them there my friends will get suspiscous and check it out.

Kouji: Well, what d'ya suggest then?

Minako: I liked your idea earlier but if you place them at a different time--

Kouji: Oh! I git it! Oh shit Minako look behind you! (pointing at the readers.)

Minako: What? It's not like fanfiction readers are actually reading this part. They usually skip this part and review the story. (snort) Oh look a Makoto is working part-time at a bakery shop!

Kouji: I wonder if we'll get free food...

Minako: HELL YEAH! This is Makoto we are talkin' about! Let's go! (Goes into bakery shop and drags Kouji there)

chibimars098524: (Pops in) Sorry I'm late Minako and Kouji I had...(looks around)...GODAMMIT! Now I gotta do this myself! (turns to the readers) Okay readers, I am going to add Hotaru's short story featuring Tasuki and Rei! The next two chapters will be focusing on Hotaru's story. What it's gonna be about? I'm not going to tell ya! Nya Nya! You have to read it yourself next week!

TUNE IN NEXT TIME FOR 'KINDRED SPIRITS'!

Read and Review please.

NEXT CHAPTER!

Mini-love story#1: HOTARU TOMOE!