Chapter Three
When the group had received the startling news that their schools/colleges were closed for two weeks for renovations, they wondered whether or not Tai itsukun had arranged for it to happen that way.
"Now we can go find Chichiri!" Miaka said, enthusiastically.
"And possibly Tasuki too, if we're lucky. Now let's go." Mamoru said, as he, Keisuke, and Tetsuya went to get their cars ready for the long trip into the mountains.
"Now, did everybody remember to tell their parents where they were going?" Nuriko asked, as they loaded suitcases into the trunks of the three cars.
"Hai!" came the unanimous response.
"Then let's go get Chichiri!" Nuriko shouted, gleefully, as he jumped into a car and sat next to Miaka and Tamahome in the back of Mamoru's car.
"Looks like this has turned into the Suzaku Seat." Hotohori said, with an amused smile, as he looked at Tamahome, Miaka, and Nuriko.
"Yuki-san, what characteristics are we looking for in this Chichiri person?" Mamoru asked, looking into his rearview mirror at the Suzaku no Miko.
"Erm……..Let's see…………..well, he had this scar on his face. But he always kept it covered by a magical mask. He has blue hair. He always put a 'no da' at the end of every sentence when he wasn't being serious." Miaka replied.
"You'd said that he had a scar. What kind of scar was it and where was it located on his face?" Mamoru asked, as he drove.
"The scar was located on his left eye. You see, his left eye was gouged out in a freak accident during a flood." Miaka said, not wishing to disclose to Mamoru all that had happened to Chichiri.
"Poor man. I feel sorry for him. I get the sense that he also had some emotional scars to add to the physical one he had on his face. But I am not going to force you to tell me what happened to him." Mamoru said, as he drove on.
"Thank you, Chiba-sempai." Miaka said, grateful that he wasn't going to push any further for information about Chichiri's painful past. Usagi looked admiringly at Mamoru as he drove. He was so kind hearted and considerate of those he considered his closest friends. Hours passed as they rode in comfortable silence, each one having a sense of belonging with the close knit group.
"Hey Taka-kun, would you mind driving for a while? I need to stop before I fall asleep at the wheel." Mamoru asked, as he pulled over to one side of the road.
"Sure I don't mind. I'll wake you when it's your turn." Taka said, as he climbed out of the car so he could switch with Mamoru.
"Miaka-chan, do you want to sit up front with Sukunami-sempai? I just want to sit back there with Mamo-chan." Usagi said.
"Hai! If you don't mind sitting with Nuriko and Hotohori." Miaka said, as she too got out of the car and switched places.
"I don't mind at all! Now I'm the one that's flanked by handsome men!" Usagi chortled, getting a collective groan out of the three men.
"Very funny, Tsukino-san!" Nuriko said, crossing his arms and giving her an unreadable look.
"Thank you for the compliment, Tsukino-san! I appreciate it!" Hotohori said, getting a groan out of Miaka, Nuriko and Tamahome.
"Don't even think of bringing your old narcissism back, Hotohori-sama!" Nuriko said, irritably.
"Wouldn't dream of it……..while I am in the car, that is." Hotohori replied, putting on a look of innocence. That got a laugh out of the small group of friends as they got back on the road and kept on going.
It was well into the afternoon when they stopped to eat and ask for directions. All those that had been cramped in the three cars were of course happy to get out stretch their legs. They all got strange looks as they entered the restaurant they had chosen. While they were waiting in the gift shop part of the restaurant (think Cracker Barrel, only Japanese style) Mamoru, Tetsuya, and Keisuke picked up some walkie talkies and some batteries, so they could keep in contact with one another while on the road. Of course Miaka and Usagi stuffed their faces with all they could possibly get into their mouths, successfully grossing out their boyfriends while they were at it.
"Hey! Are ya'll twins?" a female voice asked from the table behind them.
"We could be. Why do you ask?" Mamoru asked, amused by the question, as he turned to face the one that had spoken, and as Taka did the same.
"No reason. Just wanted to know. I was just curious, that's all." A young, blond haired waitress said, as she finished bussing that table then walked over to the next one, her short hair hanging in loose strands around her face as she left them without another remark. Mamoru, knowing not to look after the retreating figure, looked back at his plate, not exactly wanting to get slapped by Usagi again. Usagi hadn't even noticed the exchange, since she and Miaka were racing to inhale the last of the dinner/late lunch that had been laid out before them.
"They're almost more passionate about food than they are about their boyfriends!" Minako commented, getting an identical pair of dirty looks from both Usagi and Miaka.
"Birds of a feather flock together, Mina-chan." Ami said, deciding to get to the idioms before Minako could.
"You know, they do have a point there." Tamahome muttered under his breath, getting a nod of agreement from Mamoru before they both ducked to avoid getting floored by some accurately thrown shoes and other deadly projectiles (forks, knives, etc.).
"Thus ends another interesting meal with these interesting people." Hotohori said, mostly to himself, as the barrage of the two girls continued on the two hapless men.
Evening shadows were long by the time they'd reached the hotel they were going to stay in. It had been an interesting day for all of them. From the time they had left the restaurant to the time they had arrived at the hotel it was one thing and then another. First they had all gotten separated in traffic, then they stopped at a scenic area and took some pictures and called to check in with their parents on some payphones. By the time they had reached the hotel, they were all ready for a good night's sleep.
"Whoa, when the songwriter had said that it had been a hard day's night he wasn't kidding! I don't remember ever having been so tired!" Miaka said, stifling a yawn as she and the rest of the girls were led to their own room.
"I can agree with you on that! Besides, your brother's driving leaves much to be desired, Miaka-chan." Makoto said, as she patted the shorter girl on the head then headed off to the shower.
"I know that all too well, Mako-chan!" Miaka agreed, as she and the other girls set out where they were going to sleep.
"Hey! Miaka! Would you mind if I roomed with you? You know, like old times?" Nuriko asked.
"No Nuriko. I'm sorry! You can't room with me this time." Miaka said, honestly sorry that Nuriko couldn't stay in the same room with them.
"That's all right, Miaka! I'll just find a safe place to hide from the rest of the guys for the night." Nuriko said, cheerily, as he went back into the room that had been designated for the men.
"Poor Nuriko. I'm sorry I had to say no to him." Miaka said, guiltily, before getting whacked over the head with a pillow by Yui.
"Hey! Whatwuzzat for?!" Miaka asked, as she turned to Yui with an accusatory look.
"Just trying to knock some sense into you, that's all, Miaka-chan!" Yui said, as she hit Miaka with the pillow again.
"I'll get you for that, Yui-chan!" Miaka shouted, as she belted Yui one with her pillows. Soon all of the girls were in on the fun and a huge pillow fight ensued. Nuriko sighed as he sat and listened to the laughter coming from across the hall.
"I wish I could be in on the fun! Sounds like they're havin' a blast over there." Nuriko said, wistfully, before getting hit in the head with a pillow.
"Shut up and go to sleep, Nuriko." Mamoru grumbled, as he turned over and put his back to Nuriko.
"That was a good throw, Mamoru-sempai." Keisuke said, from his place on the floor.
"Do you think it could be because he's Tuxedo Kamen?" Hotohori asked, with amusement as Nuriko went off to sulk for a while before going to sleep.
"Perhaps." Mamoru said, before he drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, the group regrouped and thought up a plan for the day. They would separate into two separate groups and search the area for leads on where a one eyed man would be and when they found him, they would persuade him to return with them to the hotel and they would tell him about who he was supposed to be. After trying out their idea, they returned to the hotel empty handed. After they had had lunch, they went out together into the land surrounding the ski resort. The terrain was easily traveled on, especially for those who weren't used to long distance hikes, considering where they were.
"I here some water nearby. We're going to check over that way." Tamahome said over one of the walkie-talkies, as he took his small group (which consisted of him, Miaka, Nuriko, Usagi and Mamoru) closer to where a fairly large stream flowed. Within moments of the group getting closer to the stream, they became aware of some faint, yet very clear, cries for help, coming from the stream bank.
"Hey! Is anybody out there?! Help!" the voice cried again, desperation adding a shrill note to it.
"Hang on! What's wrong? Where are you?!" Mamoru shouted back, letting the owner of the voice know that he had been heard.
"I've slipped on some rocks and fallen part of the way into the stream! My foot's caught and I can't get it loose! I think I may have broken my ankle!" the voice shouted, the note of pain becoming noticeable to the group of rescuers.
"Hold on! We're coming your way! Keep shouting so we can find you!" Tamahome said, as he and his group carefully picked their way onto the rock strewn stream bank towards the desperate voice. With the expertise only Tuxedo Kamen could show off, Mamoru gracefully jumped from rock to rock, balancing himself perfectly so that it seemed a simple matter for him to get to the trapped man first. Finally, after having some near disasters themselves, Tamahome, Nuriko, Miaka and Usagi arrived, not in the least bit surprised that Mamoru had gotten there first and was already trying to get the man's trapped foot loose. The first thing Miaka noticed about the stranger was his blue hair. Then she turned to Tamahome and saw that his ogre symbol was reacting, as was his amulet.
"Taka-kun, Ryuen-kun, help me over here. Ryuen-kun, you think you could uproot these rocks here?" Mamoru asked.
"No problem!" Nuriko said, confidently, as he carefully pried the two rocks apart and the man's foot drifted free.
"Itai…….." the man said, with a wince, as he held his foot with both hands.
"Now, Taka-kun, could you help me get him back to shore?" Mamoru asked again, not wanting Nuriko to reveal his true strength and startle the other man.
"Hai." Tamahome said, as he helped Mamoru get the other man into a stand of sorts, then helped him limp back onto solid ground.
"Tamahome and Nuriko's symbols are reacting. As are their amulets and those that Usa-ko, Yuki-san and I are wearing. Could this possibly be Chichiri?" Mamoru wondered, as they carefully set the man down on the ground and Mamoru (being the medical student that he was) started examining the ankle of the man they had rescued.
"Is it broken?" the man asked, from between chattering teeth (he had also gotten a little wet in his mishap as well).
"No. Not from what I could tell, anyway. I'd say that it is just pretty badly sprained. I don't feel a fracture in here. I'd say that you came out of this very lucky, indeed." Mamoru said, noticing the look of relief on the other man's face and also the scar that stretched from his left eye across the bridge of his nose.
"Thank you for coming when you did. Who knows how long I would have been trapped there if you hadn't come along." The man said, gratefully.
"Well, actually, we've been looking for you……" Nuriko said, then yelped when Tamahome stepped on his foot.
"You mean that my neighbors have already started searching for me? Daaaa. Oops! Sorry about that! I have an odd habit of saying 'no da' every now and again. Just ignore me when I start doing that." The man said, embarrassed by his slip of the tongue.
"That's all right! We're used to that! Say it as much as you want!" Miaka said, cheerily, finally realizing whom they might have found.
"Excuse me, but why does your forehead have a glowing red marking on it?" the man asked, observant despite the pain he was in. Tamahome glanced at his friends and lover, got the okay from them, then proceeded to explain, while Mamoru called the rest of their large group together.
"So I am Chichiri, the Suzakusichisei. It's such an odd story, yet I believe you. I've never really felt that I belonged here, yet I felt that there was a reason for my being alive. Maybe this is the reason." Houjun (this man's name, coincidentally) said, reflectively, as he ran a hand over his scarred face.
"It's so strange. This time the situation's switched. I'm trying to help you regain your memories of us." Tamahome said, with a wistful smile.
"And, since we have found four of the seven, that only leaves Tasuki, Chiriko and Mitsukake!" Nuriko said, with a smile.
"But Chichiri hasn't regained all of his memories yet." Miaka said, not noticing when Mamoru handed a phoenix amulet to Houjun. The moment Houjun's fingers came in contact with the amulet, a brilliant red flash lit up the room, and within seconds, the Chichiri they knew had awakened.
"Welcome back, Chichiri." Hotohori said, as a smile took over the blue-haired seishi's face.
"Now, where do we find Tasuki?" Mamoru asked.
"Good question, no da. Where did you find him the first time, Miaka?" Chichiri asked.
"Hotohori, Tamahome, Nuriko and I found him near Mt. Reikaku the first time. I don't know where to look this time." Miaka replied, quietly.
"I think I might know where to look." Rei said, speaking up for the first time that day.
"You do, Rei-chan? Where?" Yui asked.
"Shuichirou, a guy who works for my grandfather at the Hikawa Shrine, often goes to apply for work at a taxi service. He told me that the last time he was there, there was a really loud, obnoxious redhead down there who called himself Genrou. Maybe that's the man we should look for." Rei suggested.
"That's a thought. But now we're going to have to drive all the way back to Tokyo and find the man." Mamoru said, already dreading the drive back.
"Well, no one had said this was going to be easy, Mamoru-sempai." Ami said, as they all started to make their way back to the hotel.
"I hope you don't mind if I carry you, Chichiri." Nuriko said, as he easily lifted Chichiri up from the ground and carried him like a child.
"I don't mind, no da. It's keeping the weight off of my ankle, at least." Chichiri said, keeping a tight grip on the staff that had reappeared in his hands when he'd reawakened.
