Wah! T-T you must forgive me for being so late with the update! But in my defense I've been terribly busy with exams. And then of course we went on vacation…Florida rocks by the way! But I have spent every spare moment away from the beach working on this. It's about Aya this time and will continue to be for at least another chapter or two. Heh…Aya's always fun to write about because she and Yuko are the ones likeliest to get into trouble. Followed closely by Rika and then poor Mieri. Not to say that other people around them don't get them in some scraps…(glares at Zuri-chan and Tasuki) They have their fair share. (rubs hands together) Now! On to the R&R's!
Silver: Hello! I mean! It's OBVIOUSLY a monkey! Who WOULDN'T guess that! (laughs) But yes…it's a monkey…And I shall look forward to the rabid squirrels! I really do feel sorry for Urumiya…but it's a story! What can I say? shrugs Anyway…hurry and update your story too! T-T
YG/Mint: You changed your name…? I was so confused at first! Bad girl! (slaps her hand) Don't scare me like that! You seriously live with a monkey! o.O Kick ASS! You go girl! And I shall be a sugar rush freak with you! (strikes heroic pose) And Hell rules! T-T I shall be the conqueror of Hell and you shall be stuck playing with your boring little sprites! So there!
ET: Urumiya and Rika…? 3 Maaaaybeeee….but you'll just have to read to find out. And btw…ANYONE would get upset if they got thrown over for a monkey. I would. Hee! Yes…Rika seems rather popular these days…BUT WHAT ABOUT AYA! She's way cooler! TT Oh, well. And thanks for being so understanding!
Leoanda Taylor: Can't remember if I shortened your name…so from now on you'll be LT, kay? Thank you so much! It's a really big honor to have someone say they understand the anime better (or at least a little) because of my story. It means I'm doing my job and sticking to the storyline as best I can. Which is a big thing for me cuz I'm a perfectionist when it comes to my stories as Silver can tell you! - It's really important for me to get their personalities just right and remember the names of all the towns and stuff. That's what's giving me a headache right now! Well, have fun with it and thanks again!
Aya sighed heavily as the connection on the tree snapped off. "Damn…well, at least I know she's okay…"
"Yes!" Tokaki piped up from behind her.
Turning around, Aya glared, "That's one out of how many friends? Three? It could be two out of three, but no! Some idiot seishi had to just leave a certain someone behind! It wouldn't occur to them that the forest around here is dark and cold and — I don't know — DANGEROUS!"
Tokaki winced. "I'm sorry! Gods! Shall I be berated for this forever!"
"Yes!" Aya glared at him again but with less anger and more amusement. "I shall have to conspire with Subaru to determine the exact torture you have earned for punishment."
Subaru's eyes sparkled. "I think I have a good idea."
Tokaki's face fell until he caught the teasing light in both girls' eyes. "You two are so alike it's scary."
Tatara shook his head as he smiled serenely. "No. They are only alike when it comes to you, I'm afraid, Tokaki. The rest is only your hopeful imagination."
Aya cocked her head to one side but didn't ask. "Okay. So what are we going to do now?"
"We must find the rest of the Byakko seishi," Tatara answered.
"Well, I knew that!" Aya sighed. "But where do we start? There must be thousands of people in Sairou! We'll never find them!"
"That's not true, Aya!" Subaru patted her shoulder comfortingly. "The seishi and the priestess are drawn to one another. If we just start out, I'm sure our paths will meet."
Aya looked around at her three warriors. "Alright, then! What are we waiting for?" She flashed them a smile. "Let's get going!"
Tatara appeared to be deep in thought. "We should head for a big city. It would be a likely place to start."
"What?" Tokaki feigned amazement. "The great mystic has run out of ready-made answers for us? I suppose you'll be left to bumble around like the rest of us mere mortals from now on." He cackled wickedly.
Aya popped him over the head absently. "Don't be so mean. So where is the nearest city from here?"
"Being a desert country, Sairou has few extremely large cities. Mostly, the cities are located where large water sources can be found. Since we are only barely on the edge of the border between Konan and Kutou, it would mean that we are far away from any city."
"And where is the closest one?" Aya looked at Tatara.
"There is a city near the Tsulari River," he mused. "It's nearer to Central Sairou. It's probably two or three week's journey from here."
"Well, that won't do at all!" Subaru exclaimed. "We've got to find the other warriors as soon as possible! We can't afford to take that long."
"Of course," Aya shot an amused glance at Tokaki, "There's a chance we won't have to…"
"Ah…" Tatara smiled a laughed softly. "You are a clever little priestess, aren't you?"
"Oh!" Subaru giggled. "And more than willing to use her seishi to the utmost, I see."
Tokaki had finally gotten the gist of where the conversation was going. "Yeah, yeah. I'd say she's rather manipulative."
"Now, Tokaki!" Aya admonished with a playful gleam in her eye. "That's not very nice at all!" She waltzed towards him and grabbed tightly to one arm. Subaru took the other, and Tatara was left with just placing a hand on his shoulder. "However," Aya's voice lost all hint of playing as she squeezed his arm hard and closed her eyes. "If you drop me or lose me anywhere along the way…" She left the threat hanging in the air.
"Ah, don't worry so much!" Tokaki winked and placed his arms around the girls. "This ride should prove to be rather interesting!" As he spoke, both hands dipped dangerously low; and the smack of hands on flesh could be heard even after the foursome disappeared.
"Ow!" the young man with white hair let go abruptly of the two pretty girls at his side to grab both cheeks. "That hurt dammit!"
"It was supposed to!" the blonde on his left answered pertly. "You sexist pig!"
The equally white haired girl on the right put both hands on her hips and just glared. "You'd think that after more than a century, you'd learn to stop with your tricks!"
A tall, quiet looking man behind the first with long brown hair sighed. "What is it about you that you must antagonize them so, Tokaki?"
Tokaki grinned. "I can't help it! The ladies just keep getting prettier and prettier."
The few passersby may have wondered at the sudden appearance of the four young people from an alley that they had previously thought empty. But if they did, they made no comment, and continued on their way as usual.
"So what now?" Aya asked. Then she scowled. "I'm so tired of saying that. I feel like a broken record!"
"What's a record?" Subaru asked with interest.
"It's a device that repeats what is put onto it. A broken one would repeat the same thing over and over and over."
"Ah," Subaru nodded, obviously not understanding at all.
"We really should find you some clothes to wear, Aya," Tatara pointed out. "Though they seem to be quite adequate for this climate, they do tend to stick out."
Aya sighed as she looked down at her spaghetti string shirt and cheerleading shorts. "Yeah, I guess you're right. So where can I find some decent clothes?"
Subaru pointed to the growing crowd of people in the streets. They seemed to be setting something up all along the road. "Have you noticed that there are a lot of people up for it being not too far past dawn?" she asked.
Tokaki lifted his head and looked, "Hmm. You're right. Market day?"
"Market day," Subaru affirmed with a nod.
"So all we have to do is buy some clothes from them!" Aya smiled. "Oh, I don't have any of the currency."
"We do," Tatara reminded her.
Aya frowned, "I don't like using other people's money."
"But it isn't other people. It's your seishi," Subaru hastened to add. "We are sent by Byakko to protect you. We can't do that as well if you stick out like a sore thumb."
"But…" Aya still hesitated. In her mind, owing others favors was just another way for them to gain power over her. Even if it was a friend, Aya would still have an obligation in her own mind that she couldn't just turn her back on. "I'm not sure. But it doesn't look like I have much choice," she finally admitted. "I'm getting tired of being stared at."
"So you boys stay right here, and we'll find something decent for you to wear," Subaru bustled off with Aya in tow.
Ten minutes later they came back. Only this time, Aya was in front; and she looked mad. "Is this what you people call decent!" Aya demanded as soon as she was within earshot of the guys. "I feel almost as naked as when I was wearing that stupid harem girl's outfit!"
"Aya, it's a desert country!" Subaru struggled to keep up with Aya's longer strides. "They're not going to have much in the way of covering!"
"SO!" Aya came to a sudden halt in front of an admiring Tokaki and amused Tatara.
The clothes she now had on where mostly sheer. The soft blue material flowed over her arms and legs, only becoming opaque over her breasts and covering the least amount possible below that. This, of course, meant that her belly ring was showing causing her to look even more the part of an errant gypsy.
"I think it becomes you," Tokaki said with a snicker as he sneaked yet another peek at Aya's overflowing bosom. "Very nice."
Subaru cast him a frustrated glare, but it was Tatara who saved the situation. "Suzuno was the same way when she first donned the clothing of our country," he said with bowed head and a sad smile. "She said she was shocked that the women of this country would allow themselves to be garbed this way." He looked up, "But it is only the wealthy and noble women who are allowed to dress as you and Suzuno dressed. In this way, we might be able to find information easier than if they thought us mere commoners."
"Oh," Aya shifted uncomfortably. It seemed so childish and petty to protest now. She gazed up at Tatara with newfound respect. That's probably exactly how he wanted her to feel. "Then, I suppose I have little choice. Any other suggestions?"
"I believe we should find an inn in which to lodge," Tatara said with his usual logic.
"Sounds good to me!" Aya stretched and yawned. "I'm kinda tired, too. I didn't get very much sleep last night trying to search for Rika."
"And that's our fault, how?" Tokaki muttered.
"I heard that," Aya quipped as she strolled down the street. "Now where could we find an inn?"
"How about that building right there with the sign that says 'Inn'?" Tokaki asked with a wide grin.
Aya looked up and sure enough there above her head was a sign reading 'Inn'. With a mock glare in Tokaki's direction, she turned and went inside. It was much as she had expected an Ancient Chinese inn to be. Bare of all the fun stuff in life. "Wah!" she wailed upon witnessing the crude tables and benches in the room. "This is no fair! I'll die of boredom! There's no Playstation, no internet! There's not even a TV!"
Her seishi were confused as to her dilemma, but they tried to cheer her up. "We could perhaps interest you in a game?" Tatara asked gently.
Aya sniffed, enjoying herself immensely. "Well…I suppose…What kind of game?" she asked, eyes shining.
"Well, there are several games we could play," Tokaki nodded with the air of one in his area of expertise. "There are the regular games and the gambling games —"
"Gambling," Aya cut in without a moment's hesitation.
"— Okay…gambling it is," Tokaki grinned while Subaru just shook her head. Tatara seemed only amused. "Now the easiest games are the dice games."
Aya shrugged. "Sure. I don't know anything about it anyway."
"So…there is one where the one to roll the highest number wins."
"Too boring."
It was Tokaki's turn to shrug, "Then there is the game where you try to guess whether the total will be odd or even."
A huge sigh burst forth from Aya's lips. "Ya'll need to reassess what's fun around here! Those games are rather dull. They take no skill at all!" A thought occurred to her that brought a sly smile to her face. "But then again…there is one way to spice up even the most boring of games…"
"What is it?" Tokaki asked, interested.
But Aya was thinking to herself and paying him no attention. "Yes! This is it! I mean, it even spiced up Go Fish. If it can spice up that game, we're in good shape."
"What is it you're planning, Aya?" Subaru asked coming closer despite herself.
Aya rubbed her hands together. "I suppose it's useless to ask if you've ever heard of strip poker?"
4
