Summery; Warning; Disclaimer: See First Chapter.
First thanks this time goes to orvokki for the line "No freakin da." I LOVE that line - I had to use it sometime! As for the bath-to-fight scene, sorry for the abruptness. The fight scene is actually just later that night, for those of you where wondering, sorry. I decided to be nice and update another chapter, even though I've only had three reviews for the last chapter. And thanks to my beta Kyae-Sohma, who's long-suffering and patient with me! I hope you guys like the chapter - I'm not very good at fight scenes, but things get a little more dramatic from now on. If it wasn't already...I dunno...
Please review if you read. Comments, ideas, suggestions, and helpful criticism welcome. No flames.
'The young woman was now traveling with the Warriors of Suzaku and their priestess, reluctantly accepting their aid. To her surprise she came to care for each of them as she had her own Warriors, but nothing could overcome the pain and guilt she carried with her, the memories of her Warriors haunting her dreams. Only by manipulating the gift of Byakko, the wind, was she able to lose herself in the wind and forget her sorrow and the blindness that caused her soul to become crippled. She had no wish to find the Shentso-Pao and gain the power of the god Byakko, but merely desired to return to her own world in hopes she would forget the one she was in now. To her confusion however, she began to think of China as her home, and her spirit became torn into pieces.'
"Who are you?" Kiore demanded from the presence. "Let go of the wind now! You have no right to control it like this!"
"What makes you think you do, little priestess?"
"What?" Kiore's eyes snapped open at the reply, momentarily losing concentration. Soi, hiding herself well in the trees far away, smirked to herself and waved her hand casually. The group of Suzaku froze in shock when a lightening bolt suddenly pierced Kiore's wind pocket, striking her dead-on.
"Kiore!" Miaka shrieked, as the other girl fell to the ground. The wind suddenly receded as the storm died down, the only proof it had ever existed born in the fallen trees around them. "Kiore…please, say something!" she begged, rushing over to the girl and lifting her up slightly.
"Miaka, don't touch her!" Tamahome ordered sharply and she looked up in surprise.
"She could be seriously injured and shouldn't be moved until we make sure, no da," Chichiri added gently, pulling Miaka away from Kiore a little. Crouching beside the unconscious priestess he let his hand hover over her face and frowned slightly.
"Whatsa matter?" Tasuki pressed, as they noticed the Warrior's pause.
"I'm not sure," he admitted, letting his hand fall to his lap. "Something was odd about that storm to begin with – knowing Soi, anything could have been in that lightening bolt, no da."
"She's not dead, is she?" Miaka asked urgently and he shook his head.
"No, she's not, no da," he informed them. "Just badly hurt. But there aren't any burns on her body and I can sense no reason at all she should be like this. If I hadn't had seen the attack myself, I would think nothing was wrong with her at all. She should wake up soon though, no da."
"Oh, good," Miaka sighed.
"Damn bitch is probably long gone by now," Tasuki growled, as Tamahome rose to his feet. "What now?"
"I'm still sensing another Seiryu Warrior," he frowned, and Chichiri nodded.
"Yes – but whoever they are, they're very far away. Perhaps it's Soi, no da," he suggested. Tamahome turned away from the trees, but still looked concerned.
"What now?" he thought. "We can't do anything until Kiore wakes up. Will she?"
"Oh, yeah," Chichiri nodded. "In a bit, no da."
"She's still not conscious?" Tasuki asked in wonderment several hours later. Chichiri glanced up at his friend from the spot beside Kiore he had appointed himself to and shook his head.
"Nope. I'm beginning to grow worried about what spell Soi infused into that bolt," he admitted, but quickly turned to Kiore as she made a slight noise. "She's waking up, no da!"
"I'll go let Miaka and Tamahome know," the other young man said wearily and trudged off into the trees. Her eyes began to open slowly and she moved her head experimentally, moving her hand at the same time. She brushed against Chichiri's fingers and he peered at her when she left it resting lightly on them.
"Kiore?" Chichiri began, and jumped when she shot upright in panic, her hand closing over his so tightly he could feel the bones crack. "Kiore, what's the matter?" he asked urgently, but blinked in confusion when she suddenly released his hand and put her palms over her ears, an expression of horror in her eyes.
"Chi-Chichiri? Anyone – Chichiri?" she called urgently, and he gripped her shoulders in reassurance.
"Kiore, I'm here. What's wrong?" he pressed, frowning into her face.
"I can't hear!" she cried out, her face as pale as her robes and her body beginning to shake. "I can't hear anything! I can't hear anyone! I'm deaf now – I can't hear!"
"Calm down!" he ordered, his mind quickly trying to process what she was saying.
"What's wrong? Why's she acting like that?" Miaka asked, rushing toward them as tears began to fall from Kiore's unseeing eyes.
"She says she can't hear anything," Chichiri told them, his voice somehow remaining calm as his mind raced urgently. "I think Soi put a spell in the bolt making her deaf."
"It can't hurt ta check," Tasuki said, unable to comprehend the thought, and stuck his face next to Kiore's. "Hey, chickie – what the hell are ya tryin' ta pull? I've always thought yer the ugliest thing around, and ya can't ride a horse worth a damn!"
"Tasuki!" Miaka yelled, and he blinked in confusion as Tamahome dragged him away. "Tasuki, how can you think Kiore's faking that?" she demanded, glancing at her fellow priestess. The young woman was obviously in a full-blown panic. "Having lost her hearing must kill her," she added quietly. "It's her only tangible connection to the rest of the world, being able to hear what's around her. It must be like having a second pair of eyes."
"Yeah," Tamahome nodded and strode back over to the pair. "Anything we can do?"
"I don't think so," Chichiri shook his head, his mask off and his face twisted into one of helplessness. "I have no idea what to do."
"Damn."
"Kiore, panicking isn't going to help anyone," Chichiri said quietly, even though he knew it wouldn't help, and pulled her against his chest. She froze at the sudden contact and her fingers trailed up his neck to his face. Finding the scar on his eye she relaxed visibly against him, suddenly feeling drained of energy.
"Chichiri…I can't hear or see," she whispered, her voice shaky. He merely stroked her hair gently, unsure how to comfort someone without speaking a word.
"Now what?" Miaka wondered out-loud. "How do we fix this?"
"I think you should take care of her for now, Chichiri," Tamahome announced, surprising the others. "Don't look so shocked," he added in amusement. "She obviously trusts you enough, right? The rest of us can try to find Tai Yi-Jun in the meantime – if anyone could break a Seiryu Warrior's spell, it'd be that old hag, right, Chichiri?"
"No da," he nodded, as the handicapped girl quieted down and clutched his robes, her body still shuddering from the effects of the shock. "We can stay here for now," he agreed, and glanced around. "I'll put up a barrier in case anything else might happen. Just hurry and get back as soon as possible, no da."
"Sure," Tamahome grinned and turned to the horses. "We'll stay in contact with your powers. Let's not tell the others right now – there's no need for them to get distracted."
"Couldn't Mitsukake heal her?" Miaka asked, as Tamahome pulled her up in front of him on the horse.
"I don't think so, no da," Chichiri shook his head, and Tasuki snorted as he clambered onto his own mount. "This spell is extremely strong, and if Mitsukake could break it, the effort might very well kill him."
"Oh," Miaka sighed, and waved as they began to leave. "Take good care of her!" she called, and the Warrior waved back cheerfully.
"No da!" he replied.
"I wonder if the others got any leads yet?" Nuriko wondered with a groan, and Chiriko looked up from his book.
"I highly doubt they have. The possibility they have found a clue and not informed us as well is almost zero, unless the situation was urgent and required immediate action," he replied. "And if it did, we would feel their presence strongly if they were engaged in battle."
"I don't think we have to worry about them," Mitsukake added, stroking his cat gently. "After all, they have two priestesses with them, don't they?"
"Chichiri? Is it morning?" Kiore asked, feeing the light on her face as the sun broke the horizon. "Oh, sorry," she added despondently, and he rested his hand on her shoulder reassuringly. He hadn't been able to think of a way to communicate with her during the time that had passed but she seemed to be comforted just by his presence, if her clinginess was any hint.
"I should go find something to eat," he thought out-loud and rose to his feet without thinking.
"Chichiri?" she repeated, worry lacing her voice. "Chichiri?" She paused when he placed his fingers on her lips gently, and frowned in thought. "Getting something to eat?" she guessed, and he nodded to himself. Touching her lips once more, he moved away a little, and she shifted tensely. "Please hurry," she said out-loud, not even hearing her own words.
"What's that?" he wondered, feeling a sudden twinge in his barrier. Glancing at the girl behind him he paused, but looked away as he felt a stronger breach in it. "No freaking da," he grumbled, and decided it would be for the better if he quickly left to check on the source of the disturbance instead of waiting any longer. Taking one more look at the silent and worried-looking girl he straightened his shoulders and plunged into the brush, a sudden feeling of protectiveness filling him.
"Chichiri?" she checked, jumping when she suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder. Tilting her head back, she relaxed when she felt the reassuring scar on his face and double-checked for his mohawk as well before letting her hand drop back into her lap. "I was scared you had left," she sighed, and blinked when she was pulled to her feet. "Chichiri? Is something the matter?" she asked uselessly, as he began to lead her away from the place they had been camping out. "All right," she nodded, trusting the Warrior completely.
Chichiri uncharacteristically smirked as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, while his other hand took her fingers in his own reassuringly.
"Suboshi?" Chichiri managed, staring in shock at the Seiryu Warrior. "I didn't expect you here."
"Haven't you forgotten something?" the young man pointed out, and Chichiri's hand flew to his face as he realized he had left his mask off. "Not that, you dumb monk," Suboshi laughed mockingly. "Although Tomo welcomed the opportunity to study your features more closely. No, I mean the priestess of Byakko. I understand Soi rendered her deaf as well as blind? It must be a burden for her."
"Kiore!"
"That's right," the Seiryu Warrior nodded, seeing understanding dawn on Chichiri. "I lured you out here away from the girl, so Tomo could go and fetch her for Nakago. He's had so much time to practice, he should have you down-pat by now. To that poor girl, it'll seem as if her dear Chichiri is leading her somewhere. And when that same man suddenly stabs her…" Suboshi trailed off with a chuckle, and caught Chichiri's look. "Oh, don't worry. He won't kill her – but can you imagine what she would think of you then? She wouldn't trust any of Suzaku's chosen then!"
"I won't let you!" Chichiri shouted, turning around to head back to Kiore.
"I'm afraid Tomo needs a little more time than that," Suboshi admonished the monk, his whips wrapping around Chichiri's ankles. "Be a good Suzaku pet and stay still, will you? I'm not here to kill you – yet."
"Kiore…" Chichiri groaned, trying to use his power to escape.
"Do you think we can find Tai Yi-Jun?" Miaka worried, and Tamahome shrugged.
"I'm not sure. It's the only thing I could think of to do," he admitted. "And if we're lucky, she might tell us something about the Shentso-Pao while we're at it."
"How can you think about that now?" she demanded, and Tasuki grunted as he moved alongside them.
"Miaka, we're yer Warriors, not hers," he reminded her. "She may be an ally, but our first concern is for ya and that damn Shentso-Pao. 'Sides, Chichiri's there, so she'll be fine for a while longer."
"I guess…" Miaka trailed off, unable to argue with Tasuki's cool logic – and a little worried that cool logic was coming from the hot-headed, swearing, drinking Warrior.
"Chichiri, what's wrong?" Kiore pressed uselessly, allowing herself to be led by Tomo into the trees. "Chichiri?"
"That's far enough, I believe," Tomo chuckled to himself and a dagger flashed in his hands before he slipped it into Kiore's side. She gasped at the pain, and slid to the ground as the blood soaked her robes.
"Chi….Chichiri, why…what did I do?" she pleaded, before fading into unconsciousness once more.
"That went easier than expected – I didn't think Suboshi could handle that monk on his own," Tomo grinned, hefting the priestess to his shoulder. "I guess I guess I have to give him credit for that." Pausing briefly as he transformed into a giant bird, he gripped Kiore in his talons before flying into the sky, making sure to soar over Suboshi and Chichiri briefly before heading off toward the mountains.
"I see Tomo finally got a move on," Suboshi grinned in relief, secretly wondering if he could have held the enraged monk for much longer. "Catch you later, Suzaku!"
"Damn it!" Chichiri swore before he realized it, and slammed his fist into the ground in frustration. He took a deep breath to steady himself before he sat Indian-style on the ground, pressing his index fingers together in his customary stance as he reached out to his companions.
"What?" Tamahome gasped, earning strange looks from the other two. "Chichiri, you can't be serious!" he argued out-loud, and they realized he was communicating with Chichiri. The connection was apparently cut off a minute later when Tamahome reined the horse in, whirling it around in the path.
"What's wrong?" Miaka asked, as a surprised Tasuki struggled to catch up to them.
"Kiore's been kidnapped by Seiryu Warriors – Tomo and Suboshi," he told her grimly. "They managed to trick Chichiri and Kiore both, and she's gone. Chichiri's contacting the others now."
"What happened to the Shentso-Pao being so important?" Miaka pressed, and Tamahome thought for a moment before replying.
"If Nakago gets a hold of Kiore and uses her powers, he could tap into the power of the god Byakko and use it himself," he said. "It'd be the end of us, since we can't summon Suzaku yet. Nakago might already have the Tiger's Eye, which is why he made his move now, and it's a waste of time to try to find the Sacred Flame instead of rescuing Kiore."
"A rescue is certainly easier," Tasuki added, falling into pace behind them.
"You're kidding!" Nuriko groaned, having received the mental communication from Chichiri. "How the hell are we supposed to get there so quick? Oh." He blinked in surprise when Chichiri used his powers to teleport in front of them, and noticed his mask off. "He must mean business," he thought, dismounting.
"The situation is indeed a dire one, requiring immediate rectification," Chiriko agreed, once Chichiri had explained the circumstances to him and Mitsukake. "It's fortunate you can not only teleport us directly to the others, but that your powers allow you to sense her presence."
"We should hurry," Mitsukake interrupted calmly, his cat sitting serenely on his head.
"Yes," Chichiri nodded his agreement, arranging his robe to accommodate the other three Warriors. In a few seconds they had returned to the forest where Miaka and the others were waiting – and as Miaka had requested once before, he had improved his arrival point so that everyone didn't end up on top of each other.
"So, what's our plan of attack?" Chiriko asked, once they had straightened themselves out and Mitsukake had gotten himself out of a tree.
"I can sense Kiore's presence, but it's growing fainter as time passes," Chichiri told them.
"I think a head-on attack will be most effective," Tamahome told them. "Hopefully they won't expect us to act so quickly, right, Chiriko?"
"It sounds plausible," he nodded thoughtfully. "But how are we to get there, once Chichiri locates their current base of operations? I doubt even his power can teleport all of us there, even in small groups – and there's a greater chance of discovery if we all go anyway. I believe it would be best if several of us remain behind and travel by horse, while a small contingent goes with Chichiri on a direct rescue attempt."
"Good idea," Chichiri agreed, and glanced at the others. "So, who stays?"
"Miaka will stay with Tamahome and myself," Chiriko replied calmly, ignoring Tamahome's protests. "We can't risk the chance of Nakago encountering Tamahome – he isn't prepared for the battle, and it would be an unnecessary risk. I suspect Nuriko's strength will be a necessity, as will Mitsukake's healing powers. And Tasuki's ability to wield fire is sure to come in handy. Miaka and myself will be, I fear, only an impediment to the mission."
"So, it's settled?" Tasuki asked impatiently, as the others remained silent. "Are we goin' or what?" he pressed, and Chichiri nodded abruptly.
"Yes."
"We shall follow your lead on horseback," Chiriko nodded, as Miaka tried to calm down an enraged Tamahome, who had the impression Chiriko had said he was incompetent and weak.
"Good," Mitsukake agreed, and glanced at Chichiri, who had closed his eyes in concentration.
"I have her," the monk said suddenly, a few moments later. "They appear to have stopped moving, at least momentarily. I'll go myself for a moment to inspect it, and return in a minute. Just wait." With that, he had disappeared before anyone could protest.
"Did he lose focus?" Tasuki wondered and Chiriko shook his head in pity.
"Stop being so thick, Tasuki," Nuriko ordered. "I guess Miaka was right – Chichiri seems to have developed feelings for Kiore. I guess that's helping him focus more –"
"I'm back!" Chichiri interrupted, popping back in. "It seems they're in a temporary camp for now. I don't think all the Seiryu Warriors are there, but I could be mistaken."
"Let's go then!" Tasuki grinned, cracking his knuckles in anticipation.
Drama? I have no idea, but I hope you liked it! I'm working on a Tasuki/OC story now as well, so be prepared for that soon! Please review!