"Come on, Rika!" Aya hurried her friend along. "We haven't been gone but for like…a few hours!"
Rika glared, "Alright, Miss Jock! You can slow down or have me beat you over the head! That ought to slow you down enough!"
Aya shrugged. "I'm tired, too. But I've learned to ignore it. You have to run more laps if you complain."
"Well, the only laps I do are if I'm late; so slow your butt down!"
"Yes, grandmother," Aya hunched over and moved slowly as with a cane. "I'm a comin'!" she wheezed. "Jus' slow your young tail down!"
Rika booted her in the butt watching Aya laugh as she fell over. "We're stopping. And that's final! I'm tired; I'm cranky, and you're making fun of me!" To emphasize her point, she plopped down on the ground.
Aya eyed her dubiously. "Since I doubt a rampaging herd of elephants could move you; I'll rest, too." She plopped on the ground as well. Both girls sat under the shade of a fairly large tree. What exact type it was, neither was sure. But it provided a cool place to rest, and that was good enough for them."
"So," Rika panted. "How exactly are we supposed to find Yuko and Mieri again?"
"It's like this see," Aya leaned forward in a confidential manner, "We'll say that we're all related. Doesn't really matter how. In this day and time everyone is bound to be related some kind of way. Then, we'll simply ask around. Someone's got to have seen them by now! This is the second day we've been here."
"Great plan," Rika rolled her eyes. "Why not just ask if anyone's seen a purple elephant while we're at it?! How are we supposed to explain the clothes?"
"I told you! We'll say we're performers. Of course we can't perform without our other two…sisters! So no one can make us perform!"
"Your random logic manages to amaze and confound me every time."
"Hush! It's a great plan!"
Rika ignored the ditzy blonde and focused on up ahead, "Look! A village!"
"Yes!" Aya jumped up enthusiastically. "Let's go!"
"Do we have to?" Rika groaned.
"Yep! Now get that lazy bum in gear! Hup! Two! Hup! Two!" Aya marched in place.
With a dramatic sigh, Rika hauled herself to her feet. "Very well, let's go."
"It's about time!" Aya laughed and darted down the road a few yards. "Come on!" She waved enthusiastically over her head at Rika. "We're never going to find them like this!"
Catching Aya's spirit, Rika raced after her friend. The two of them laughed and ran until they had reached the town. Once there, they slowed their pace to a much more sedate walk. "Now what?" Rika hissed at Aya after the fifth person who'd stopped and stared.
Aya rolled her eyes. "We ask around." So saying she walked up to a woman who appeared to be a farmer's wife. "Excuse me, but we're looking for our sisters. You haven't seen them by any chance have you?"
The woman stared hard at Rika and Aya. "Sisters you say? You two are related then?"
Aya smiled her most innocent smile, "Yes, ma'am. We're all half-sisters. Our father…got around. He died a few years ago, and we had to take care of ourselves. Now we're looking for our other two sisters. They were supposed to go to a town near our home but never returned."
The woman's face immediately became sympathetic. "You poor dears! I'm sorry, but I haven't seen your sisters at all. There've only been two strangers this way recently. A young boy and young girl. They were about your age," the woman added hopefully.
Rika shook her head, "No, our sisters would never separate. And they don't know many people in the area, so I doubt they'd be traveling with a boy."
The woman nodded, her eyes revealing her pity. "I'm terribly sorry. Would you like to stay for the night? It might help to get a good night's rest."
"No, thank you," Aya shook her head but smiled brightly. "We know they're somewhere close by and really don't want to stop."
"I see," the woman waved as she turned away. "Good luck in finding your sisters! I'll spread the word to be on the lookout for them!"
"Thank you!" Rika called out to her before she disappeared behind a building.
"Good job!" Aya patted Rika forcefully on the back. "Saying they were new to the area was a stroke of brilliance. I always knew you were a pro at lying."
"You," she glared, "have not a shameful bone in your body. I think you could lie to a saint and not feel sorry!"
Aya shrugged, "If the saint deserved or needed it, then no. I wouldn't feel sorry. But if they didn't…I probably still wouldn't feel sorry because I never lie except for in two instances: I want something or I'm in trouble and need to get out of it."
Rika slapped her lightly on the arm. "You're so bad!"
"No, just incredibly cynical."
"Let's just go before I let you have it!" Rika pushed her friend on down the street. The path continued on into what few villagers they'd talked to said was Kutou land. "It was decidedly different from Konan. Almost at once you could see a level of poverty that was just not present in Konan.
"I don't wanna!" Aya playfully whined. "It looks creepy!"
"Your face is going to look creepy after I finish with it if you don't hurry up!" Rika growled back.
"Ooh! Testy!"
"GO!"
Laughing so hard she could barely walk, Aya scrambled down the road and past the once mighty border. "Catch me if you can!"
With a squeal that was half rage, half laughter, Rika followed. They were blissfully unaware that even as they laughed and shouted and played, they were being watched. The most that could be said of knowledge of their unseen watcher was the 'creepy' feeling Aya had alluded to. For in truth, she was truly more than apprehensive of the land and road before them. But Aya had always been very close to nature and had an almost animalistic sense of what was going on around her. For her friend's sake, she put aside these feelings and continued on.
Yet a watcher they did have; once they had gone a far enough distance down the road, Tokaki stepped out from behind the trees. "Yes!" he grinned happily. "They're cute!" He padded after the two girls carefully keeping out of sight. Never beyond earshot, he tried to learn more about the priestesses.
"How can you say that about me?!" Aya demanded. "I would never do something so...so…underhanded!"
"Ha!" Rika choked on her laughter. "That's such a lie! But I guess I can't blame you. I was right behind you all the way."
"See?!" Aya grinned in triumph. "You're just as bad!"
"But still!" Rika argued. "You instigated!"
Tokaki cocked his head to one side in amusement. What fun these two could be! I wonder how mad Subaru would be if I broke my promise just this one time… An image of her in full rage flickered across his mind. No. Better not. The conversation was heating up again between the two priestesses, so he pushed Subaru and her formidable anger out of his mind.
"I think you're wrong!" Aya sniffed. "I'm never perverted."
Rika pretended to cower on the ground. "God, just remember that I am not the one who lied so abominably! Do not cast your great flash of lightning on me, a poor victim of circumstance!"
Aya glared down disdainfully. "I am merely confident of what I want in a man. I won't tolerate being told what to do!"
"Just admit it! You're a domina―"
"DON'T!!" Aya interrupted throwing up her hands. "Say the 'D' word! I hate it when people call me that!"
"Because you don't want your true nature to shine through for the world to see!" Rika laughed.
Tokaki's ears perked up at this. Little frisky, huh? I can help you with that, my dear! He snickered quietly.
"Rika?"
"Hm?"
"Can you stop just one minute? I'll be right back," Aya faded into the woods around her.
Rika sighed. "I hate it when she does that. She always makes me feel…like I'm being watched without realizing it."
Tokaki marveled at this chance to get one of the priestesses alone. Now he could simply walk up and take her. To find out if she was Byakko's priestess of course. Nothing else.
"And who exactly are you?" a voice behind him asked.
Tokaki stiffened and between one breath and the next had teleported behind the stranger. With a quick twist, he had the person in a tight grip. "Who are you?!" he hissed in their ear.
The stranger didn't answer, only tensed in his arms. That's when Tokaki realized that he was holding a girl. A very…developed girl. "If you don't mind, you're going to ensure I'll never breastfeed," the girl wheezed angrily.
Tokaki let go with a flourish and a quick brush across her breasts to console him for Subaru's refusal. SMACK! And this girl's answer was delivered the same way. Now Tokaki was nursing a bruised ego and cheek. "How did you sneak up on me?" he finally asked.
"Hold on," the girl admonished. "Rika! Come here! I've caught a peeping tom!"
The other priestess, Rika, burst through the brush. "Is that why you left so suddenly? Knew it had to be something."
"Ok," the other girl turned to him. "You may explain."
"I…uh…"
Rika cocked her head to the side, "We're waiting."
Tokaki straightened. "I have been sent to look for the Byakko no Miko. We heard the priestesses were in this area."
"What would you do with the priestess once you found her?" Rika asked quickly sensing Aya's growing anger.
"Take her with me, of course, to find the other Byakko seishi," Tokaki smiled charmingly.
But apparently not charmingly enough because Aya was still angry. "Another one?!" she raged. "Another asshole who wants to find and take the 'priestess'?! Which one were you? Byakko? Well, we won't do it!" Aya declared. "We refuse to come!"
Tokaki frowned. "But you can't! We need to find the other warriors and find out why we've all been brought back. Plus, I need to find out if you are our priestess and what power you have. You have to come with me!"
Aya's blue eyes practically emitted sparks. "The hell we do! We are not priestesses. We do not have any damn powers. And we are not coming with you!"
Rika firmly nodded in agreement. "I think we would notice if we had any powers."
Tokaki shook his head. He was beginning to become a little angry himself. "Not if you had no idea how to use them! Pay attention! Has anything unusual happened when you've gotten emotional? Or stressed? Or anything?"
Aya gazed coldly at the boy. "No. No, not really. But I am getting very angry."
Rika's eyes widened a bit and she smiled nervously. "You really should leave us alone. We're tired of all of this. We just want to go home."
Tokaki scowled. "Stupid girl! If you can summon Byakko, you can wish to go home! Don't you know that?"
"Wish?" Rika jabbed Aya in the side with an elbow. "We get wishes?"
Tokaki nodded. "Three to be exact. One would of course be for Sairou to have peace and prosperity."
"But the other two could be whatever we wanted," Aya finished. As was typical of her, she had gotten over her anger with an amazing speed. While her temper was fierce, it usually didn't last for very long. "So we could wish to find Yuko and Mieri."
"And then we could wish to be sent home!" Rika finished. Her eyes were bright with excitement. "That's perfect!"
Aya rounded on Tokaki. "Okay, little man. What is it we have to do?"
Tokaki blanched. "I-I really don't know. I'll have to take you with me to see Subaru and Tatara. They'll probably know what to do." He paused. "But I'm not sure which one of you is Byakko's priestess."
"Oh," Aya looked at Rika. "Well, it'll most likely be her. I don't think I'd be nominated for any religious awards."
Rika glared. "Oh, and like I would?!"
Aya smiled widely. "No, but I don't want to do it."
"That's not fair!"
Tokaki considered each girl carefully. Then, with what some would say instinct and others dumb luck, he waltzed over to Aya. "You're cute. Let's go." Without further ado, he picked up the surprised teen and threw her over his shoulder. Tokaki winked at Rika, "See ya later!"
Rika saw Aya's mouth form a round 'O' and heard the very beginnings of a high pitch squeal before Tokaki was gone, teleported back to his home and Subaru.
Rika stood stock still for a moment. She glanced around at her surroundings; the woods that seemed to close in around her and shut out all light, the flashing of eyes belonging to hidden beasts with who-knew-what intentions. She stared again at the place where Tokaki and Aya had last stood. "Oh, shit…"
