Summery; Warning; Disclaimer: See First Chapter.

Well, here's another chapter for all of you! Be sure to give me any ideas you'd want to see in the story or whatever, because I'm becoming a little dry for filler stuff, and I love getting ideas from you guys! So feel free to leave them in a review or message, if ya have one.

Anyway, thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far! I won't say anything and let you guys find out for yourselves.

Please review if you read. Comments, ideas, suggestions, and helpful criticism welcome.

"I can…do this!" Kae thought, gritting her teeth as the pain coursed through her body. The strong arms of the god seemed to melt away from her and she became aware only of the pain enveloping her body. A blackness appeared, but seemed to be blocked by the red light as the young woman continued her travel through dimensions.

"You can bear this pain," Suzaku encouraged her. "I have faith in you."

Kae only squeezed her eyes and concentrated on the images of the two Warriors in her mind, willing the pain to disappear and her body to survive the trip.

"There's no way we can beat this thing!" Tasuki panted, both he and Chichiri bleeding heavily from the last attack. He glared up at their enemy, barely hanging onto his harisen. Chichiri was likewise injured, using his staff more as a brace as anything else.

"I don't think so," Chichiri admitted, shaking his head. "But we still can't give up. Suzaku may save us."

"Screw that," the bandit snorted. "If he was gonna do anything, he'd have done it – urp!" He was cut off when a thin red beam broke through the thick dark clouds and shone before them. The creature shied away from it with a cry of pain, and the two Warriors looked up in amazement when Suzaku floated down majestically, his wings spread wide and his arms holding something against his chest.

"What the…" the monk managed, blinking in shock. "Is that…Suzaku?"

"I have brought her back to you," the god told them solemnly, as the creature of Keung Xi-Wang retreated from the holy light. Before the two Warriors could react, the god disappeared in a flash of light, and Kae dropped from the sky like a ton of bricks.

"Oomph!" Tasuki grunted, sliding on his back and having her land directly on his stomach. "Damn," he grumbled, but his anxious look belied his complaining. "She's hurt!" he informed Chichiri, who had quickly rushed over.

"Daa," he nodded. "It looks like the wounds we've both received…look out!"

"Shit!" Tasuki yelled, jumping away as another burst of dark light shot toward them, the creature fully recovered. "Now what?" he demanded, and Chichiri glanced at the unconscious Kae in concern.

"I don't…Kae?" he asked in amazement, when she shifted against Tasuki and opened her eyes wearily.

"Chi-Chichiri?" she managed, and glanced over at the evil creature. "So this…this is what it was," she laughed weakly, and they saw her kanji glowing through her sleeve again.

"It's 'An' – peace," Chichiri realized, and stepped back when a burst of white light burst from the kanji and surrounded the Warriors, heading toward the creature faster than even Tasuki was able to run.

"Whew," Tasuki whistled in amazement, as the creature was disintegrated by the light. He glanced down and saw Kae was once again limp, bleeding heavily from the wounds she had received through their connection.

"She's lost a lot of blood," Chichiri thought, taking her from Tasuki's arms to inspect her. Tasuki got to his feet and looked around curiously, walking away a few steps to loosen his muscles and crouched down to peer suspiciously at the monk.

"She's gonna die if we don't do somethin'!" he urged, and Chichiri closed his eyes in concentration.

"You're right," he said, and promptly handed Kae back over to a surprised Tasuki.

"Wha – this ain' no time ta be messin' around!" the bandit said indignantly. "We gotta get somewhere to be fixed up!"

"Sure thing, no da," he nodded in agreement, and gestured with his hands as his cloak flew over them suddenly in a rush of wind.

"Whaa - ?" Tasuki managed, before the cloak enveloped them and they were teleported away from the mountain.

"Wh-where the hell are we?" Tasuki managed, looking around in confusion. He still held Kae in his arms, gripping her tightly to his chest in surprise, and Chichiri stood beside in satisfaction.

"We're at your house, no da!" he replied cheerfully, enjoying Tasuki's look of horror.

"What?"

"Shun-Yu!"

"Oh, Suzaku…" he groaned, and shot a glare at Chichiri as he clumsily scrambled to his feet. "I'll get you."

"Daa!"

"Shun-Yu!" Ai-Tong called cheerfully, stalking up to him. "Where've ya been?" she demanded, pressing her fists on her hips and glaring at him, before noticing a limp Kae and a grinning – and masked – Chichiri. "Oh, guests!" she blinked, and smiled brightly at them. "I'm Ai-Tong, Shun-Yu's older sister."

"Ya've met Chichiri," Tasuki grumbled, and shrugged with Kae. "This is Kae – a girl from the other girl."

"Another one?" she asked, and eyed him skeptically. "What've ya been up ta?"

"I ain't been up ta nothin'!" he protested, and Chichiri calmly broke into their argument.

"Excuse me, but she needs immediate treatment – and we're not doing too well ourselves," he added, and Ai-Tong took another critical look at them before gasping.

"I'll say! C'mon – mother 'n I'll get ya fixed right up!" she ordered, dragging a wincing Tasuki by the ear as Chichiri followed casually behind them.

"Oh dear – is this how ya treat all yer young lady friends?" his mother demanded, and Tasuki stared at her in amazement.

"No! It wasn't me!" he yelled, and received a smack upside the head. "Ow!"

"Stop yer yelling – she needs rest!" Ai-Tong informed him grimly, bandaging up an amused Chichiri. "I do think it's strange, though – she has the same injuries you both do," she added thoughtfully, and the two Warriors exchanged worried glances.

"Why'd ya have ta bring us here?" Tasuki grumbled, as the two women left the room once they were finished bandaging the two young men. Chichiri shrugged, pulling his shirt back on, and glanced over at a sleeping Kae.

"It was the first thing I thought of, no da," he said. "I placed barriers around the area when we first arrived, so we don't have to worry about monsters attacking for a while. But this is so far from Ligé-San Mountain, I didn't think Keung X-Wang would look for us here right away, no da."

"Yeah – but here?" he whined pathetically, and heaved a sigh before turning back to Kae. "So, Suzaku brought her back," he said finally, and Chichiri nodded.

"Daa. I wonder why she received the same wounds we did?" he thought, and peered at Tasuki. "Going to apologize when she wakes up?"

"I ain't got nothin' ta apologize fer," he grumbled in embarrassment, turning red from his friend's scrutiny. "So stop lookin' at me like that," he ordered, getting stiffly to his feet and grabbing his shirt. "I'm gonna get somethin' ta eat." Chichiri gazed calmly after Tasuki as the bandit stalked from the room, and he turned to look at Kae when she shifted in her sleep uneasily.

"This isn't getting us anywhere, no da," he sighed, and shrugged at Tama, as the cat remained staring at him accusingly. "What?"

"I'm going to meditate, no da," Chichiri informed his friend coolly that night, and Tasuki looked up at him in surprise.

"Eh?"

"Meditate. It's something priests do," he explained patiently, and Tasuki made a face at him.

"Very funny – where're ya goin'?" he asked suspiciously, and Chichiri shrugged.

"I dunno – somewhere where it's actually quiet, no da. You keep watch over Kae, and let me know if she wakes up."

"Hey, wait a sec!" Tasuki protested, and snorted when his friend disappeared from the room. "Damn Chichiri," he grumbled, rising stiffly to his feet. He wore his boots over his usual pants, and a loose white shirt tucked into the belt, since his other clothes were caked with blood and dirt. "Leavin' me ta do all the work," he continued, and tiptoed into Kae's room, not wanting his mother or sister to find him sneaking into a girl's room, knowing they wouldn't care what excuse he gave them.

"Meow," Tama meowed, scaring the bandit as he slid the door open and causing him to fall flat on his face.

"Damn it!" he growled, swiping at the cat and not even coming close to hitting him. His left arm was bandaged and in a sling, and he closed the door after throwing Tama out and moving to a sitting position. "Why do I hafta watch her?" he muttered, giving the young woman a suspicious glare. "No one told her to go runnin' off," he said to himself, aware he was feeling guilty for her current condition. Leaning over her curiously, he inspected her face critically and noticed a long thin gash tracing down her hairline, identical to the wound Chichiri was stuck with. "Hm," he grunted, and flopped backward onto his heels, all too aware of her own injured left arm.

"N-no…" she murmured, and the bandit jumped, all-too tense about the whole situation.

"N-no…don't do it!" she pleaded, finding herself in the pitch blackness she had been in before. Keung Xi-Wang was before her, and images of the two Warriors were held in his palm.

"What will you do if I kill them?" he asked calmly, enjoying her fright. "Will you avenge them?"

Kae was at a loss for words, and tried to rush forward when Keung Xi-Wang crushed the image of Chichiri, the particles that were left scattering into space. "No!" she cried, and he smiled calmly at her.

"Just dreamin'," he realized with a sigh, and frowned when she began to whimper as if in pain. "Hey, hey, wake up!" he said softly, placing his hand on her good shoulder in concern. "It's just a dream," he informed her, but she remained unresponsive and only grabbed a piece of his shirt in near-panic. "Damn, must be a nightmare or somethin'," he sighed, edging into the bed with her when she refused to let go of his shirt. Wincing as he shifted his bad arm, he rested his head on the left elbow and moved his left hand underneath Kae's head, while his right arm rested on his side tensely. She didn't react at all, but a shudder ran through her body.

"Please…go away…" she begged softly, and Tasuki looked sympathetically down at her scared face. Even with her eyes closed, he could tell something wasn't right in her mind, but stiffened when she abruptly turned around and wrapped her arm around his waist tightly as if seeking protection, her other arm going around his neck.

"What the…" he managed in confusion, but suddenly yawned and realized how tired he was as well. "Damn…whadda day," he grumbled, shifting awkwardly as he tried to get into a more comfortable position. Kae refused to let go, and as the bandit drifted into a sleep of his own, his right arm slipped off his side and wrapped itself around her torso, holding her to him protectively. Kae sighed softly in her sleep and relaxed, feeling something warming her.

"Wh-what?" Kae wondered, looking around in amazement as a blaze of fire suddenly appeared around her, stopping the advancing Keung Xi-Wang from coming any closer to her.

"Damn it!" he swore, shielding his eyes from the bright light. "That damn Warrior Tasuki – how could this have happened?" he growled, retreating back into the darkness. Kae sat down from shock, unable to understand what was going on.

"Shun-Yu!"

"Augh!" Tasuki wakened with a start thanks to his sister's hissed yell, and turned bright red when he realized what kind of impression he was giving. Being in Kae's bed was bad enough, but his shirt had opened in the night to his waist, and she had pressed her face into the crook of his neck and was sleeping peacefully against him.

"Get – out – now!" she ordered, dragging him from the room by his ear.

"Owowowowowowow!" he yelped, and rubbed his ear as Ai-Tong shut the door firmly behind her. The two siblings glared at each other for a moment before she crossed her arms and gave him a look he knew so well. "Wait – hey, lemme explain!" he protested, and his eyes widened when he realized his mother was beside him as well. "Oh damn," he managed weakly, backing up against the wall.

"What kind of son have I raised?" his mother demanded loudly. "Ta think we'd find ya in bed with an injured young lady! Of all things!"

"It wasn't like that!" he yelled back, praying Chichiri would arrive and intervene. "She was havin' a nightmare, that's all! She wouldn't let me go!"

"Oh, so yer sayin' an unconscious girl assaulted ya?" Ai-Tong replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes in disbelief. "I don't think so!"

"But – " Tasuki was cut off when a scream reached their ears, and he was the first one into Kae's room, shoving his mother and sister aside to get there. "Kae!" he called, lifting her to a sitting position and shaking her shoulders firmly. "Wake up!" he ordered, realizing she was still asleep. Her eyes shot open, and she realized she was covered in a cold sweat and panting as if she had just run a marathon.

"Wh…what…?" she managed shakily, and looked past Tasuki in panic. "Where's Chichiri?" she demanded shrilly, and Ai-Tong shoved a stunned Tasuki over calmly, taking the other girl's hand in her hers.

"He went out to meditate," she told her soothingly. "He'll be back when he's done. It was just a drea–"

"No! No, it wasn't!" Kae protested, struggling to break from Ai-Tong's grip and get to her feet. "It wasn't – where is he?"

"Daa?"

"Chichiri!" Kae cried in relief, and flew out of Ai-Tong's useless grasp to embrace the surprised monk around the waist, clinging to him tightly. "You're not dead!" she said quietly, shaking as the panic ebbed away.

"Why would I be, no da?" he asked in confusion, looking at the others with a puzzled expression. Tasuki grunted and looked away grumpily, and Ai-Tong could only shrug. Chichiri looked down at Kae and realized how scared she had been for whatever reason, and patted her on the back awkwardly. "I'm not dead, see? I was just meditating, no da," he reassured her, and noticed her left arm was hanging by her side limply. "Come on, you're still hurt – you're in no condition to go around hugging people like this, no da," he added teasingly, gently pulling her off of him and leading her back to the bed.

"I thought…I knew…"

"I promise I won't leave again, no da?" he asked, crouching down beside Kae as she tried to articulate her fears. "Is that fine? Now, let's get some breakfast – I'm hungry, no da."

"Of course!" Tasuki's mother nodded, and rushed out of the room briskly.

"Ya two get out – I'll help Kae get dressed," Ai-Tong ordered, trying to shoo them out of the room. She blinked when Tasuki gripped her wrist and she looked at him in surprise. "Shun-Yu, what do ya think yer–"

"I'll be out in a second," he said firmly, and Chichiri quietly retreated from the room. Ai-Tong looked at her younger brother in shock, since he had never acted like this to her, but glared at him and stalked out of the room, slamming the door behind her to make a point.

"What was that all about?" Tasuki asked, moving closer to a now-calmed down Kae. She stared at her lap, her right fingers nervously plucking at the blanket. "Well?" he demanded, sitting on the bed and looking into her eyes. "That wasn't a normal nightmare, was it?" he guessed, but she only shrugged.

"Ah, this isn't gettin' us anywhere," he grumbled, and got to his feet in annoyance. "Damn women – I got a question ta ask ya," he added suddenly, and she looked at him in surprise.

"What?"

"Do ya still hate me?" he asked, and she blinked in surprise. "I mean, I don't blame ya if ya still do," he said hastily, now staring at the floor.

"I…I don't know," she said slowly, also looking at the floor in embarrassment.

"I see," he managed, and turned toward the door. When he was about to open it, another thought struck him, and he remained with his back to her as he asked another question. "Are ya in love with Chichiri?"

"What? No!" she replied in amazement, staring at him in confusion. Tasuki left without another word, leaving Kae in utter confusion and unable to argue with Ai-Tong as the young woman rushed in and began to help dress her.

"Could you do me a favor?" Kae asked abruptly, as Ai-Tong began to fix her hair.

"Yeah? What?"

"Do you have something sharp nearby?" she prodded, and the other young woman blinked.

"What fer?" she asked suspiciously, and Kae fingered her hair, which had now grown past her waist.

"I want to cut it," she told her. "It's too long."

"I don't think so, but its yer hair," Ai-Tong shrugged, and retrieved a sharp knife from the kitchen. Returning in a moment, she eyed Kae critically while holding her hair at arm's length. "How short?"

"Down to the middle of my back," Kae ordered. "That'll be long enough." With a clean swipe, Ai-Tong cut the length of hair and was left holding the cut hair.

"Whaddya want me ta do with this?"

"You can get rid of it," Kae shrugged. "I'm not that attached to it. I just haven't had a chance to cut it yet, that's all."

"Whatever," Ai-Tong agreed, and left once more to dispose of the knife and hair before returning to help Kae finish dressing.

Well, how's that? I've been wanting to have them go to Tasuki's family for chapters now! But I had to wait...ah well. Please review!