Alatáriël: Alright! It's my day off, and Chichiri has been whispering tips to me while I've been

cleaning the bathrooms at work (don't ask).

Kate: She's had a few days off before this, but she now has a college class and a Church scedual to

hang onto! She's going to become a monk just like Chichiri!

Alatáriël: -- I'm not going to be a MONK. Girls can't be monks anyhow... or if they can I've never

heard of any. Anyhow, the point is... I'm a busy bee! As a senior I have my whole life to plan, but

don't doubt this story doesn't have a book-mark in it! It's triple-highlighted, I swear.

Kate: She just says that to give you hope that you all won't be 30 by the time she finishes it.

Chichiri: How old would that make us, no da?

Alatáriël & Kate: You'd be at least 50.

Chichiri:...

Kate: Exactly.

Chapter Thirty: Warning! Warning!

Kate eyed the woman in front of her scornfully. Any pain she had been feeling had changed straight

to anger when she saw the defenceless Soi. She had been tied down with enough rope to keep an

two ton truck from moving; she wasn't going anywhere soon.

The woman was physically beautiful, but Kate had ever seen an uglier person in her life. She almost

felt betrayed for the pity she had once felt for the female warrior. If either Chichiri or Josh died she

didn't think she'd hesitate to try and chop this woman's head off.

As Kate thought of her murderious intentions. Soi stirred slightly, making her hair fall gracefully around

her face. She blinked rapidly for a few seconds before closing her eyes again with a groan. Kate

wanted to kick her awake.

Suddenly all of her misdirected anger seemed very logically directed at Soi, and no matter how loud

that little voice screamed, "Hate is bad!" she couldn't locate a different emotion in her heart until she

began to cry. A desire for understanding, a feeling of fairness, and frustration hit her as she walked

over to the warrior.

"Soi, explain it to me! What have I ever done to you? Did I hurt you? Did I try to kill your

best friend?", Kate yelled. When Kate grabbed onto Soi's chin, the other woman's eyes began

blinking up at her rapidly. "Was I mean to you? Did I say something to insult you? Did I?",

she cried, tears streaming down her face.

She barely regestured the ferm hold on her shoulders and the pulling sensation, "Kate! I just heard

the coolest thing! You know that big tower-thingie up on that hill? If someone gets a kiss under it at

sunset the couple are destined to stay together forever! Let's go, and bring Chichiri and Tamahome

with us!" It was Miaka. Her eyes were lit up, and she was practically bouncing with joy. Miaka

hadn't seen what was just happened and had just stopped her from... what... She wasn't sure.

"You want to go to the tower...", Kate said outloud, stalling. She couldn't recall if anything horribly

bad happened there, and since she really didn't feel like saying here... "Yeah, let's go, but I don't

want to bring Chichiri", came her answer. Miaka looked confused, "Did you two get into a fight?"

Kate sighed, "No, I just don't feel up to it at the moment. Did you forget my bestfriend's hurt, or

are you just able to kiss your boyfriend in any situation?" Kate knew the moment she said it she

shouldn't have. Miaka's eyes widened for a split second before she gave off an awkward laugh,

"What can I say; I'm fifteen? Hormones and all that."

Kate rolled her eyes and smiled, 'I'm sixteen and don't seem to have much of a problem...'

"Well", Kate began as she caved in, "I guess we need to help out those hormones, eh? I don't think

any of us want to see you die from spontanious combustion due to a lack of cuddling... The only

problem I see is that the sun set a while ago." Miaka frowned, "Yeah... I was thinking we could just

go and check it out."

Kate stared. Was this girl insain? After all the rape attempts she'd gone threw she still wanted to go

outside late at night, in a strange city, none the less? It seemed so. "Miaka, are you sure you want to

go do this? It could be dangerous", Kate said. "Look, you don't gotta go. I just thought you'd like to

go with me", Miaka replied and Kate saw that even if she said no Miaka was going to go anyway.

She couldn't just let the girl go off alone.

"Alright. Let's go", Kate said as she got up. Her eyes were tired from the tears, but as soon as she got

to her feet she was met with renewed energy. Miaka smiled happily and grabbed her hand, leading her

outside. "We gotta be sneaky. They can't know we're gone", Miaka whispered as they jumped over

a guard-rail and headed over to the main wall. Kate nodded in the darkness, feeling the excitement of

it all flow through her veins.

"You first", Kate whispered and cupped her hands together so she could become a human stepping

stool. Miaka felt suprisingly light for a girl who ate so much, and strong too as she helped lift Kate

to the top of the wall. A shadow suddenly passed over a lantern near one of the windows and within

a split second both of the girls hit the dirt road running.

"You think anyone saw us?", Miaka asked as they ran. "I don't know, but I'm not going to wait to

find out!", Kate said with a grin as she grew in speed. Lanterns on the tops of walls luminated the

way as they ran. No one seemed to be on the road this late, but a few house lights were still flickering

from windows.

As they moved on, houses became seperated and with them the lights faded. Miaka and Kate paused

in the darkness to catch their breath and let their eyes adjust. The tower loomed over them in all its

glory, but to Kate it looked more like a haunted house than a lover's lane.

She could have sworn she just saw a bat fly out of the top window. "Err... You wanna go in?", she

asked while glancing behind her, paranoid. Miaka shrugged and pulled a flash-light out of cyber-space,

making Kate jump as the light blinded her suddenly. "Sure!", Miaka said happily and Kate groaned.

She should have known Miaka would have brought her Mikoness Power related toys with her.

As they stepped into the dark building dust shifted with their feet. No one hadn't been here in quite a

while. "Wow! Kate, let's go to the top! I want to see the stars!", Miaka exclaimed happily and dashed

off to the stairs. "Wait! Don't leave me behind!", Kate pleaded and followed the miko.

The tower gave her the creeps. It was like one of those old abandoned houses in horror movies where

the murderer hides all the bodies... or something. Kate could see it now, Nakago would show up

out of the shadows saying, "Long time no see, Priestess of Suzaku." Then his eyes would travel to

Kate and he's smirk, "I see you have company, priestess... but not for long." and then the general

wouldn't even bother killing her with his powers, NO he'd just push her right over the side of the

walkway at the very very top!

Kate shivered dispite herself and let out an involintary moan at the thought of falling from such a hight.

Miaka didn't seem worried, though, as she kept going up and up and up. When they finally reached

the top Kate was out of breath and her eyes kept darting around the shadows, fearful for enemies.

Miaka ran to the side and leaned over, looking up at the stars. "So pretty! Look at this Kate, the stars

are so much prettier than at home", Miaka said with a sigh, "I'll miss them when I return to Japan."

Kate smiled at the younger girl, "Do you miss your family?" Miaka sighed and leaned on the railing,

"Yeah, esspecially my older brother. How about you? Do you miss yours?"

Kate felt a twinge of guilt as she answered, "No, not really. They're better off without me, and I'm

better off without them. Here there is so much more adventure, excitement, and... and."

"Romance?", Miaka added and Kate smiled slightly. "Yeah, that too", she replied softly. "Huh? Hey,

what's that!", Miaka suddenly asked, causing Kate to get whip lash as she turned her head so fast.

Below them traveling down the very road they had traveled up a little a while was now occupied

again. "It looks like a caravan", Kate whispered as if fearing the people below might hear her.

"Wa-- Is that? It can't be! YUI!", Miaka yelled out the other pristesses name at the top of her lungs

and Kate found herself pressing her hand over the Miko's mouth. "What are you doing!", Kate

hissed as Miaka struggled against her. The priestess kept shouting into her hand, and Kate feared if

she let go the girl would hurl herself over the railing in her excitment.

"Calm down Miaka... Hey, I'll make a deal with you. We'll follow them, and you'll see it isn't Yui,

alright? Just be quite!", Kate tried to settle down the other girl. Miaka nodded, and Kate let go.

When the younger girl turned around Kate could see she had tears in her eyes. "It's Yui. I just know

it, and we'll be best friends again as soon as I talk to her", Miaka said with a smile as she darted down

the stairs.

A sudden BANG BOOM CRASH make Kate jump as she bent over to pick up the flashlight the

miko had abandoned in her rush. Kate rushed over to the stairway and shone the light down.

Kate had expected to see the stairs caved in, but insteed she just got a very unpleasent view of

Miaka's underwear. "Ack! Miaka, did you fall? Are you alright?", Kate asked threw her fingers as

she covered her face in embarssment for the poor girl below her.

"Heh heh, yeah I'm fine... Kate, what's that behind you...?", Miaka's carefree voice faded into one of

caution. "Behind me?", Kate asked and suddenly felt the hairs on her arms stand on edge as warm

air was felt on her neck. As she turned she knew she wouldn't like what she saw. Flashlight in hand,

she turned to see the most horrifying monster she had ever seen... well, it was really the only monster

she had ever seen, but that was beside the point. What was the point was the pointed teeth looking

right at her.

Four huge fangs with saliva accomanied with smaller, but as deadly looking, teeth glared at her in

the darkness. Red eyes stared down at her, and a green slime mold of a body slithered behind

him. As its long s tounge caught a few stray hairs of hers in its mouth she saw them disolve in

a threatening acidy drool.

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

HHHHHHHH!", Kate's scream threatened to take down the whole building. The monster's scream

roared over hers as it was blinded by the light. It rolled back into the darkness for a moment before

screaming again and thrusting its body forward.

"SHHHHHIT!", Kate cursed as she flew down the stairs. Miaka was already was ahead of her and

had just reached the bottom of the second stairway and was screaming, "RUN KATE! RUNNNN!"

"I'm running! I'm running!", Kate screamed back as she dashed around a sharp corner. The monster

trailed behind her wildly, hitting walls and breaking off pieces of the structure as he pursued his

dinner.

"Tamahome!", Miaka screamed despritly as she reached yet another flight of stairs. "Run faster!",

Kate screamed back as she jumped down her flight of stairs and felt her ankles creak in protest.

She staggered slightly before gaining more speed, rushing down the short hallway before reaching

Miaka's stairway.

With this set of stairs they were now facing the door. Miaka grabbed Kate's hand and the two teens

rushed for the door as if it were a finishing line in an olympic race and they were in first place. They

knew they'd make it outside, where more than likely they'd die as the monster finally caught up with

them and sank it's acid lined teeth into their flesh, but the girls ran with a feeling of victory. As if

past that door they could dive and scream, "SAFE!", as if they had been playing hide and seek and

just hit base rather than running for their lives from a very ugly, hungry, and deadly monster.

Suzaku seemed to be on their side, however, as they rushed out of pagoda, the monster close on their

heels. For suddenly the creature jerked painfully as it struggled to get outside the building, but seeing

as it was so long it's body had wrapped itself in knots around the stairs and it was stuck. With a

roar of rage it jerked its body forward, and the arch above it crumbled onto it. Hissing in anger, it

retreated into the darkness as the girls watched.

They held onto eachother in pure horror as they listened to the monster's screams from inside the

building. "Let's get out of here before it desides to break out", Kate said fearfully and the two girls

ran away from the pagoda as if Suzaku himself had given them wings.

"What was all that?", Yui asked as she leaned out of her caravan. "Nothing for you to worry about,

Priestess, I'm sure. We must hurry on to the Byakko shrine", Nakago comforted her from his

horse. When the noise died down Nakago spoke up again, "It must have been some of

the native animals catching their dinner." The smirk on his face said something else, though, as he

looked out into the darkness.

Kate and Miaka leaned against eachother for support as they reached the wall that they had climed

over just two hours ago. "Do you think they noticed we're gone?", Miaka asked. Kate didn't have to

answer, as Tamahome's voice answered for her. "MIAKA!... MIAKA!", his voice screamed in

panic from over the wall. "Crap... Here, you go first!", Kate said as she hoisted Miaka up over the

wall, "Go! I'll be over in just a second."

Miaka nodded and jumped down, running to her lover. Kate leaned against the wall, closing her

eyes. She was so screwed. She'd rather face that monster again than the Suzaku warriors. How

could she forget about the monster? How could she forget about Yui?... Well, it was true when

Miaka had seen Yui in the book it had been in the day, and the monster had attacked Tamahome

after Miaka was long gone...but still.

Shaking her head, she gripped onto the stones in the wall and found her footing. She tried to climb

up, but slipped. Bending down to take off her shoes, she heard a voice above her as a shadow

came over her. "I really should let you climb up on your own", Tasuki's voice scolded her. She

cringed slightly, "I wouldn't blaim you if you did."

Looking up, she was greeted by Tasuki's frowning face as he folded his arms over his chest. A small

breeze teased his hair and caused his earings to glimer in the darkness, but no matter how glorious

he looked sitting there with his eyes glaring into hers she couldn't help but feel nothing but shame.

"Women, nothing but trouble. I knew it was bad luck bringing you along. You'll end up being the

death of us... You're lucky a few of us like ya", Tasuki complained but as Kate looked up her nose

almost connected with his outstreached hand. She stared.

"Come on, woman, I'm not going to wait all night", he said and she nodded. "Sorry", was all she

managed to say before she was lifted up onto the wall next to Tasuki. Kate felt her face heat up in

shame as she slid down the wall and onto the ground. The bandit landing just a split second later

behind her.

Tamahome and Miaka were talking heatedly just ahead of them. "Look, Tamahome! I'm quite

capable of taking care of myself", Miaka was yelling. "Miaka, that's not what I see. You come

up to me telling me of a monster and Nakago, and you say you're safe! Don't make me laugh.

You are to go no where without an escort and by escort I mean a Suzaku warrior not a--",

Tamahome stood with his finger pointed at Kate. His face was red and angry with yelling.

"A what!", it was Miaka's voice that suprisingly came forward. She sounded insulted as if she'd

just been addressed to. Kate herself wasn't all that angry, just stunned. Dispite having grown up

in a home where yelling was an everyday practice she wasn't really used to being on the recieving

end. The few times it had been directed at her flooded back to her as she looked into her eyes and

her heart got caught in her throat."What's going on out here?", came a small voice from the porch as

Chiriko emerged from a lighted room.

Everyone just looked at eachother for a moment before Tamahome turned heel and walked away.

You could have cut the tention with a butter knife. Miaka followed his example, but walked in the

opposite direction, angry tears in her eyes. Tasuki sighed and ruffled his hair behind her, "What's

with this place and all it's drama?"

"You know what they say. You can't have light without dark or pleasure without pain", came Kate's

reply. "Who's they?", Tasuki asked. Kate gave him a weak smile, and shrugged. Chiriko rushed

over to the pair, "Where did you two go? We've all been really worried. Mitsukake and Chichiri

even went to look for you all with Miss Subaru."

"WHAT? Chichiri left? After that injury! Where did they go?", Kate asked frantically. "His detriment

wasn't as bad as previously thought. When Subaru saw you jump over the fence..." Kate groaned

and craddled her forehead in the palm of her hand. So she had been seen... "They just left a few

minutes ago. Tamahome was going to join them but--", here the young Warrior paused looking like

he just told a three year old Santa wasn't real.

"But what?", Kate asked, suspisious. "But", Chiriko gave a repressed sigh, "I guess you'll find out

soon anyway... Tamahome plans to break up with Miaka." Kate's eyes widened in suprise, "Why?

It's not because she went missing, is it?"

"No... Haven't you heard? Once Miaka summons Suzaku she'll return to her world." Of course she

had heard, but now wasn't the time to think about that. "I'm going to go look for Chichiri and

Mitsukake", Kate stated and began heading toward the main gate.

"I'm coming too. Chiriko, stay here and tell the others where we've gone", Tasuki instructed. If either

one of them were to have looked back they would have seen it. Chiriko's worried eyes were now

downcast in sadness and as he ran to tell the others only the wind could hear him say, "I'm always

left behind..."

They hadn't been running long when Tasuki noticed shadows pass around a corner in an alleyway.

"This way!", Tasuki shouted and sped down the alley and out of sight. Kate grunted slightly in

agravation as to how fast the warrior was as he raced effortlessly threw the streets.

She had lost him, but she could still hear his voice call out to her or someone in the distance. She

couldn't tell in what direction he went by hearing his foot steps. They seemed to be coming from

all around her as they echoed off the walls. When she felt a hand gentally tap her shoulder she had

to bite her tounge to stop herself from screaming, but her body did convulse quite violently as she

jumped.

She spun on her heel and came face to chest with Mitsukake. "Are you alright?", the docter asked

her as she looked at him. He acually looked a little intimidating in the dark like that and she'd never

noticed how tall he really was. "Eh heh? No, I'm fine. Oh, where's Chichiri!", Kate asked.

"He wanted to search the outer regions of the city. Is Miaka nearby?", Mitsukake asked as he looked

over Kate and into the shadows. "We left her at the house", Kate replied. "We?", the docter said.

"Tasuki and I. He's here too... somewhere. I lost track of him."

Mitsukake nodded, "He'll find Chichiri. Let's return to the house. We all need to stick as close together

as we can." Kate nodded and they set off. "By the way, I saw Yui and Nakago on the way back into

the city." Mitsukake glanced at her repeadly for a few moments before he spoke, "Were you followed?

Did he see you?"

"No, I don't think so. It was dark and we were high up. I still don't get how Miaka saw them..." He

didn't reply and they spend the rest of the trip in silence. Kate looked anxiously into the shadows,

seeing imaginary monsters or people.

When they returned they were only met with a nervous Chiriko. "Where are Chichiri and Tasuki?",

the youngest warrior asked as he glanced behind them into the ever growing shadows as clouds

drifted across the sky. "Tasuki is still looking for Chichiri. Mitsukake found me. How is Josh?",

Kate asked.

"I haven't heard anything yet. Maybe we should go check while we wait for the others to return?",

Chiriko suggested. Kate nodded solomly and together she and the younger warrior walked into the

building. Mitsukake said he'd stay and wait for the others to return.

As Chiriko and Kate entered the room where Josh was being tended to they came upon Xi-Fang,

who was just rewetting a strip of cloth and placing it on Josh's forehead. "How is he?", Kate asked.

"Well, he keeps mummbling strange things", Xi-Fang answered, and frowned slightly, "I really don't

understand it... Something about Quizzic? Who's Quizzic?"

Kate shook her head, "I'm not sure." She and Chiriko sat on a small flat bench next to the bed.

Chiriko swung his feet back and forth as he sat, staring at his feet. Xi- Fang brushed Josh's hair

away from the wash rag, and Kate stared at the floor.

THUNK THUNK THUNK.

The door then burst open and all hell broke loose.

Alatáriël: Sorry I'm so late. Life has been a little rough recently and I have a er... writer's block

problem.

Kate: Not only that she has been accepted into a college... and now has money issues!

Alatáriël: Shut it!

Chichiri: Don't worry Alatáriël-san! You don't need schooling because you make money with

this story, no da!

Alatáriël: Chiri! Don't say stuff like that... You'll get me sued and I'll be even more in the hole. --

BTW: I'm trying to fix the format of this chapter and any other that needs it. Please help out and

report a chapter to me or tell me if it's looking ok to you all. The ideas are just overflowing! I'll be

up-dating again soon, I'm sure.