Summery; Warning; Disclaimer: See First Chapter.
Thank the beta Kyae Sohma, everyone! NOW! Well, here's chapter three with some fluff to start out with, and then lots of fighting with Tasuki! Yea! The story is now complete, but I still want reviews before I'll update! And I'm polishing the last chapters up a bit as well, so there. And if Kiore sometimes seems a little naive or something, remember that she can't see them and has to take what they say at face-value. (Figuratively-speaking, of course.)
Please review if you read. Comments, ideas, suggestions, and helpful criticism welcome. No flames.
"Miaka, why are we by the river?" Kiore asked, hearing the water flowing as they strode along the bank. "Is the hut this way?"
"There he is!" Miaka interrupted, and waved to Chichiri, who was staring out at the river, half-asleep.
"No da!" he cried, falling over in surprise.
"Sorry, Chichiri," Miaka laughed as they reached the surprised monk. "I thought I'd find you here!"
"What for, no da?" he asked suspiciously.
"So Kiore could figure out what you look like!" she replied cheerfully, apparently having forgotten all about his mask. His cat-like features contorted into a frown and he shook his head fervently, but Miaka tugged Kiore down to the bank next to him, ignoring his silent protests. "Oh, come on, Chichiri!" she pleaded. "It'll only take a second – right, Kiore?"
"Well…if he doesn't want to, that's fine," she stammered. "Lots of people don't like it, after all…" Before either could offer another excuse, Miaka grabbed Kiore's hand and placed it on Chichiri's cheek – Chichiri froze in shock and Kiore blinked rapidly in surprise.
"See? That wasn't so hard!" Miaka grinned, backing away from them. Before Chichiri could protest she was gone and his gaze returned to the worried-looking Kiore in front of him.
"I'm sorry," she said, quickly withdrawing her hand and getting to her feet. "I don't know what got into that girl…she certainly has a lot of energy. Is she still here, or…?"
"It's all right, no da," he interrupted her, and she stopped her rambling. "I don't really mind," he shrugged, helping her back to a sitting position so she wouldn't fall into the river.
"You're sure it's okay?" she checked.
"Yep, no da!" he said cheerfully, and she nodded. He closed his eyes, feeling her fingers through his mask as they trailed up his jawbone slowly and to his nose. She frowned a little at the feel, but ignored it until she reached his left ear, where her fingers slipped under the edge of the disguise.
"What on –"
"It's a wound, nothing more!" Chichiri supplied, pulling away from her hand and pressing the mask securely back onto his face. Seeing her blink at the lack of 'no da', he quickly continued. "It's still healing, no da. But don't worry, you didn't hurt it."
"Oh, all right," she nodded, still suspicious but deciding not pursue the subject. Rising to her feet, she looked around futilely, hoping Miaka would reappear and save her from the awkward situation.
"Miaka's long gone – probably eating, no da," he added, getting up as well. Taking her wrist gingerly he started to walk, and was surprised when she didn't argue but merely followed him silently.
"What are you doing back here?" Nuriko asked in surprise, looking up from his mat as Miaka snuck in. "And where's Kiore?" Seeing her grin he peered at her suspiciously and narrowed his eyes. "Miaka…what did you do?"
"I found Chichiri, that's all!" she said breezily, sitting down next to him. "Oh, come on – they make such a cute couple!" she protested, seeing Nuriko's eyebrow raise doubtfully.
"Couple?" he repeated dubiously. "With Chichiri's past, I find it difficult that he's interested in a woman that way – especially one he just met."
"Well…maybe not yet, but all they need is a little push!" Miaka admitted and Nuriko turned over after rolling his eyes.
"Whatever, Miaka. Just don't be surprised when it doesn't work."
"Pessimist," the priestess shot back as she began to get ready for bed, a little annoyed her friend didn't share her enthusiasm in her matchmaking scheme. She looked up several minutes later when Kiore arrived at the hut, and rose to help her to the mat. "Chichiri helped you here?" she asked with a nervous laugh and Kiore rolled her eyes.
"Of course, since you left me there," she pointed out and rolled onto her side. "I'm pretty tired, Miaka."
"I wish I journey with you, but my country requires my utmost attention at this period," Hotohori told them regretfully, but Miaka merely grinned cheerfully at him.
"It's all right!" she assured him, sitting in front of Tamahome on the horse. The sun was just beginning to rise and the sky was still a grayish-purple. "We're splitting up anyway!"
"Are you sure it's all right to split up like this?" Nuriko wondered, on his own horse. He, Mitsukake, and Chiriko were going south to see if they could discover any clues to the location of the Sacred Flame, while Miaka was going with Tamahome, Tasuki, and Chichiri to the west for the same reason, while Kiore went with Miaka to see if she could find the Tiger's Eye and Hotohori remained in Konan.
"We should be fine – other than Hotohori, we're evenly divided," Chiriko reasoned, sitting in front of Mitsukake on another horse. Tasuki had been forced by Chichiri to ride with Kiore, while the wary monk had his own horse.
"Good point," Tasuki agreed and shifted around impatiently. "So can we get going already? Stop pokin' me!" he ordered, the last part directed at an uncomfortable-looking Kiore.
"I can't help it!" she protested in embarrassment, moving again.
"Ow!"
"I've never ridden a horse before," she informed the aggravated Warrior. Because of her robes Kiore was forced to sit sidesaddle at an angle, causing her elbow to come into direct contact with the long-suffering Tasuki's abdomen numerous times. And they hadn't even left the royal grounds yet.
"I'm sure glad I won't have to listen to those two," Nuriko commented dryly and Tamahome groaned.
"Why'd I have to be stuck with you anyway, you woman-hater!" Kiore complained, ending with a sigh. "You ride worse than I do!"
"Don't ask me!" he argued, glaring at an amused-looking Chichiri. "What's yer problem, anyway? You deal with her!"
"It's much more fun to observe the two of you, no da," Chichiri replied calmly. "Perhaps the two of you can learn to ride a horse properly together, no da?"
"Why…ya…"
"Chichiri's right," Tamahome put in with a snicker. "You guys look ridiculous!"
"Rekka Shien!"
"Ow," Tamahome managed, after Tasuki had toasted his right side. "You little bastard!"
"Come and get me!"
"Now I'm really glad I'm not stuck with them," Nuriko sighed, and Mitsukake and Chiriko nodded in agreement. "Catch you all later!" he called, as they began to move their horses farther away from the group.
"How are we going to stay in contact?" Kiore asked, interrupting Tamahome and Tasuki's argument with a well-placed jab to the fire-wielding Warrior.
"Chichiri's power," Miaka told her and turned to Hotohori. "Bye, Hotohori! See you soon!"
"Have a safe journey!" he called as they strode farther and farther from the emperor.
"Chichiri's powers?" Kiore asked blankly a few minutes later, once they had left the village. "What kind of powers?"
"Oh yeah, you don't know," Miaka realized, and turned around the saddle to face Kiore. "Well, Chichiri – being a monk – has a lot of mystical powers – like shape-shapeshifting and the ability to create barriers. He can also make these portal-things that we can talk to each other."
"I see," Kiore said, not really getting it at all.
"You'll just have to wait and see for your – oh!" Miaka clamped her hand over her mouth, but Kiore shook her head with a small laugh.
"It's all right, Miaka. Figures of speech don't bother me anymore, and I know you didn't do it on purpose," she assured the other girl, who grinned back. Tasuki grumbled to himself as the two girls began to chat between themselves, with Tamahome inserting comments now and then. Chichiri rode off to the side, his thoughts turned inward in musings.
"As a priestess, it's possible Tai Yi-Jun gave her something similar to what she gave Miaka and Yui, to boost her powers," he reasoned. "But I haven't seen any signs that Kiore possesses any such powers. But if she does…I can't allow her to get very close to me, or she'll discover my mask." The monk wasn't sure himself, but something inside him was bothered at the thought of Kiore discovering his mask – which is why he had forced Tasuki to ride with her instead.
"No da?" he blinked, hearing someone call his voice repeatedly.
"I said, can we take turns with this chick here?" Tasuki repeated in aggravation, and Kiore shot Tasuki a dirty look.
"Thanks a lot."
"My pleasure," he growled, and yelped when she elbowed him again.
"Oops."
"That was on purpose!" he yelled and she shrugged.
"Sorry," she said unconvincingly.
"Well?" Tasuki growled, glaring once more at Chichiri, who merely shrugged with an innocent smile on his mask.
"No da?"
"Ya do too know what I'm sayin'! I want ya ta get her away from me!" he shouted, and Chichiri abruptly shifted to SD mode and looked mockingly terrified.
"No da! Tasuki's scary – no da! No da!" he cried, gripping the reins and making a sad face at the others.
"Oh, cut it out!" Tasuki ordered, but Chichiri ignored him and remained in SD mode.
"Umm…what's going on?" Kiore asked in confusion. "Chichiri sounds…weird."
"It's complicated," Tamahome said, cutting off Miaka knowing she would only confuse the blind girl. "Chichiri can shape-shift, remember?"
"Oh," she nodded understandingly and Miaka laughed.
"Like a chibi – you know those, right?" she checked, and Kiore paused in thought before shaking her head uncertainly.
"I'm not sure," she admitted. "I can't watch television, and Braille isn't the best thing to read manga or books with."
"Oh…" Miaka tried to think how to describe chibi, but Tamahome gently poked her on the head.
"Just leave it," he said quietly and she nodded, with a final glance at Kiore. Chichiri had returned to his usual self during the exchange and Tasuki had quieted down for another period of grumbling.
"It's still light out, right?" Kiore asked a few hours later and Tasuki glanced down at her, realizing she had tilted her head up to address him.
"What're ya askin' me for?" he demanded. She blinked, and then moved her head to ask someone else. Feeling a little guilty he groaned and she looked back up at him.
"I was asking because suddenly I don't feel any heat on my eyes, but we started out so early it can't be dark already," she informed him.
"We're in some trees now – it must the shade," he told her, and she nodded before staring unseeingly straight ahead.
"I was just wondering," she said neutrally a few moments later and he eyed her, trying to figure out what she was up to. "I'm sorry for poking you earlier," she said finally, and his jaw actually dropped in surprise before he regained his composure.
"Well…uh…yer still pokin' me!" he accused, and she giggled.
"Well, yeah," she admitted. Chichiri glanced over his shoulder to observe the pair, since they had been stuck in last place as the trio of horses strode through a narrow path.
"What're ya lookin' at?" Tasuki demanded, noticing Chichiri's gaze and feeling a bit embarrassed.
"Nothing much," he replied calmly and resumed his normal position.
"What was that?"
"Nothin'," Tasuki informed her. "We're comin' ta a river now – see, no more shade," he pointed out and she nodded happily as she felt the warmth on her face once more.
"We're crossing – Chichiri, keep an eye on those two!" Tamahome called, as he and Miaka ventured into the water. The river wasn't very deep, but the current was quick and potentially dangerous for a swimmer – and deadly for Tasuki and Kiore, neither who could swim worth a yen.
"No da," Chichiri nodded, and moved his horse aside. "You two go ahead, and I'll stay close behind."
"Sure," Tasuki nodded in agreement and waited until Tamahome and Miaka were safely on the opposite bank before guiding the horse into the cold water. They were halfway across before the horse slipped on a rock, and Kiore lost her seating. "Shit!" Tasuki swore, and instinctively tightened his arms together to keep her between them. She gripped his arm tightly, and her other arm found its way around his neck.
"Are we almost there?" she asked, laughing nervously. He took a moment to recover from the shock before kicking the horse in its side and creating a new record in China for crossing a river on horseback. Chichiri was close behind, relieved nothing had happened to the two ahead of him.
"Are ya stupid or somethin'?" Tasuki demanded, as they continued the ride. "I coulda drowned back there!"
"Well, gee, next time I'll have the horse warn me before it slips," she replied sarcastically, resisting the urge to painfully prod him in the ribs. "Is that acceptable?"
"Just don't do that again!" he ordered, his features settling into a sulky look. "I hate the water – and I hate women!" he added fervently, seeing Miaka laughing at them ahead.
"You gave us quite a scare, no da," Chichiri added teasingly, riding alongside them. "We can't have a Celestial Warrior of Suzaku drowning and taking the priestess of the Byakko with him, can we?"
"I wasn't the one who slipped!" Tasuki protested, and Kiore rolled her eyes.
"Sure – blame the poor horse," she huffed, stroking the animal's neck as it snorted in protest.
"I was talkin' about you!" he gritted his teeth, knowing it was a battle he couldn't win.
"Don't you ever lose your voice from all that yelling?" Tamahome asked calmly, taking his fingers out of his ears while Miaka held the reins. "Hey – if he loses his voice, Mitsukake isn't here to cure him! Feel free to yell all you want, Tasuki," the warrior said loftily, waving his hand at Tasuki, who would have retorted with something much worse if Kiore hadn't had suddenly clamped her hand over his mouth.
"Deal with it," she said firmly, and it seemed to them that she could almost see Tasuki by the way she was looking at him.
"Can ya…could ya…?"
"See you?" she finished Tasuki's stammers calmly, and shook her head. "No. But being in such close proximity to you, I can't help but figure out where your face –and mouth – is. Duh." Tasuki made a face at her, and tried to ignore Tamahome's incessant snickering and Chichiri's calm gaze.
"I think we've had enough excitement for today," Tamahome yawned, as the sun began to drop lower in the sky. "I'm for finding a place to spend the night."
"I could use something to eat," Miaka agreed, and he rolled his eyes.
"Of course you could."
"Anythin' ta get off this damn horse," Tasuki muttered and Kiore nodded in agreement. Chichiri sighed noncommittally and Tamahome nodded.
"All right then, let's see what we can find," he suggested, and led the way through the forest.
"I wonder if they've killed each other or not," Nuriko wondered, as the three Warriors traveled in their own direction.
"Who? Tasuki and Kiore? I highly doubt it," Chiriko said. "Logically, they can't – and the others won't allow it anyway."
"Never mind," Nuriko shook his head, and glanced around. "Hey, what kind of clues are we supposed to be looking for, exactly?" Mitsukake remained silent and Chiriko piped up obligingly.
"Well, with an object such as the Sacred Flame of Suzaku, there are bound to be numerous rumors of it's presence in the nearby villages," he began. "While many of them will be fictitious, there may be one or two that will lead us on the right path to discover it's correct location."
"I see…" Nuriko sighed, and stretched as they paused the horses for a moment. "I'm beat."
"Hey, it's a cave!" Miaka pointed out, as they reached a tiny clearing that led to a cave entrance.
"Interesting…" Chichiri said thoughtfully as they inspected it. There was a low ceiling inside it – barely high enough for Kiore to stand upright – but the room was large enough for all of them to rest in. "What luck, no da!"
"So, here it is," Tamahome nodded firmly. They whirled around as they heard a yelp and saw Kiore trying to dismount on her own. "Tasuki!"
"What?" he asked, standing next to Miaka.
"A little help, please?" Kiore pleaded, having caught her foot in the stirrup and clinging to the saddle horn so as not to fall off. Chichiri stepped forward and untangled her from the reins, setting her on her feet gently. "Thanks…"
"No da."
"Chichiri," she finished, and moved her head a little. "Where are we now? Miaka said something about a cave…"
"There's a small cave here," Miaka told her, grabbing her arm. "We can spend the night here – watch your head!"
"Too late," Kiore grumbled, rubbing her now-sore head.
"Tasuki, why don't you see what you find around here?" Tamahome suggested. "Chichiri and I can take care of the horses."
"Whatever," Tasuki muttered, and stalked off into the trees.
It is really fun writing Tasuki. I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again. I love 'em! I hope this chapter was good! Please review!