Disclaimer: Saiyuki and all its characters -not mine- so don't sue. Kirriah, Sai, and Kye are mine ask before use. Seiobo is still a bitch so if you need a kami to kill, maim, or destroy feel free to use her…just let me watch evil grin.

Special thanks goes out to Finem without your help and support none of this would be possible. You rule.

Chapter 3: The Way to Cope.

Sharp blue eyes scanned the area before being drawn to the darkening sky as another clap of thunder rang out followed closely by a bolt of lightening as it streaked across the horizon. Sai sighed and focused his attention back on the unconscious form of his little sister, as he reflected on the current situation of his family. It had been nearly four hours since that kami, Seiobo had transported them here; Kirriah hadn't even stirred once, and as if that wasn't bad enough, it was going to rain real soon. The confrontation with the goddess must've taken more out of her than he'd originally thought. Kirriah was always so strong. Even the worst of beatings never knocked her out for this long. Then again she never faced a kami or the pressures of psychological warfare in training before. This morning with Seiobo she'd had to face both at the same time. Under the circumstances, Kirriah had done exceptionally well in his opinion. Sai shifted as to shield Kirriah from view a little better as well as gain a more comfortable position in the grass. She really is so very tiny.

"Kye did ya find that shelter you were lookin' for yet? It's gonna rain real soon and our little sis ain't awake yet."

"Yes. As a matter of fact, I just found a nice cave that would shelter all of us nicely till the storm passes and she wakes. I will be there momentarily to carry her. The last thing Kirri needs right now, is to wake up soaked to the bone. And you need to calm down. Worrying is my job and I don't need any help."

"Whatever. I can't help it so sue me. You better get here soon."

"Just relax. I am almost there."

As he waited for their clan leader to return, Sai reflected on the words Seiobo spoke to his sisters at the mansion earlier that morning. Although he had kept calm and had seemed not to hear anything he had heard every word that was said and made a mental note to go over them with Kirriah after she recovered.

Sai had never seen Kirriah as vulnerable as she had been in that confrontation. If Kirriah hadn't been in such a fragile state at the time, Sai swore he would have attempted to rip the woman's throat out himself for putting his little sister in such a state. Then there was whatever that kami bitch had done to Kye, who never before missed her target. What had put the "Great Kye" in so much agony?

As Sai pondered these things, Kye appeared in front of him and said in a bored tone, "If you are done pondering the workings of the universe put Kirri on my back so we can get to the cave before it rains. We'll have to go a little slower than usual so that she doesn't fall."

"Huh?" Sai said as he snapped out of his reverie. "Oh ...right." Sai gently picked up the unconscious teen and placed her on Kye's back and marveled again at how tiny she looked.

The trip to the cave was made in complete silence as worry about Kirriah's well-being had consumed the thoughts of both tigers and neither one was in the mood to share.

o—o—o—o

Kirriah moaned softly as she slowly opened her eyes one at a time testing to see if the world had decided to stop spinning. After several moments, Kirriah satisfied that it had, tried to sit up only to find that something heavy had her pinned down. Further examination revealed that both Kye and Sai were asleep and that Sai had placed his paw on her stomach to make sure she didn't try to go anywhere while he was taking his nap.

"Hey Bigfoot do you mind moving heavy assed foot off my stomach so I can at least sit up? It ain't like I'm sick ya know!" the teen snapped aggravated.

Overjoyed by the sudden comment (irritated though it may have been) from his little sister Sai swiftly moved his paw so she could sit up. "Be careful. You have been unconscious for nearly 8 hours. Are you sure you're alright?"

"Whaa …that doesn't make any sense I never stay …wait did you just say I was unconscious …unconscious from what?"

Sai knew Kirriah probably wasn't ready for the shock but he'd never had the heart to lie to her. Now was no different even though to do so would spare her from the shock that her whole world would never be the same again. Taking a deep breath Sai replayed the entire morning back for her ending with what Seiobo had said about her having to kill the Monkey King and then disappearing shortly after depositing them in the forest.

Kirriah starred outside at the solid wall of water covering the entrance of the cave created by the heavily falling rain outside. Determined to keep it together long enough to get the answers she required she asked,"'An, I take it you and Kye brought me here to keep me from wakin' up soaked right?"

"Yeah. Seiobo isn't here anymore and you are safe so it's ok to fall apart now. Have yourself a good long cry. Then, you need to eat something and get some sleep. We'll decide what to next in the morning when we all can see things more clearly."

With that Kirriah cried out everything she'd been holding in. She cried for the missed mission and the life as an X-man that she had worked so hard for and now would never have. But most of all Kirriah cried for her parents and twin sister, Katriana who she would never see again and who would never again be able to see her. When she had finished the teen dug out some trail rations she had fixed for the camping trip she and her father had planned to celebrate her birthday and new status as an X-Man. Now instead of greedily eating them with her father she was barely able to force enough of them down to satisfy her body's food needs for the day. Kirriah, despite her long and trying day, still managed to unpack Sai's and Kye's beds and lay them out in their usual places with just enough energy to grab a blanket and curl up next to Sai before she fell asleep.

o—o—o—o

"And for the hundredth time this whole thing is my fault! I was the one who screwed up! Iwasn't prepared enough! I'm the one who lost focus and played right into her hands! ME! No one else. Me!"

"And I say that is was me! It isn't your fault that you faced a situation that you hadn't been allowed to train for. I should have been a better protector to you. I should have tried to attack again. It may have worked if I had tried a second time"

"Right Kye like she wouldn't have done the same thing to you again or worse. You already said that it was like she had taken your own momentum and strength and turned it against you without even lifting a finger! And that it was that power that caused the searing pain you felt! You said so yourself."

Sai's eternal patience had come to its end. Kirriah and Kye had been going back and forth like this for the past two days. This morning from the time she woke up, Kirriah had once again taken up the argument but in the past few hours had started using her voice in the argument as if that would get her point across any better. The fact that it had been raining off and on the whole time didn't help matters any. It wasn't raining now, but the sun wasn't shining either. That meant the rain could start up again at any time. Sai decided to put a stop to this argument once and for all…now.

"ENOUGH!" He roared. "This is no way to cope with our current situation! Kye you are supposed to be the mature, rational one so act like it already! And as for you, Kirriah Jean Logan, what happened yesterday was not your fault! It was that kami bitch Seiobo's fault and no one else's! Have I made myself clear?"

Both teen and tiger nodded as they looked at him in surprise. Sai never yelled or used Kirriah's full name unless it was bad. "You're right. Sorry." they apologized simultaneously.

As if to verify the emotional storm's passage, the sun came out in all its brilliance bringing with it the promise of hope and happiness to the homesick mutant girl's heart and a much missed smile to her face.

Suddenly Kirriah jumped up with all her old enthusiasm and smiled, "I'm going out to scout out the area for a town where I can get some supplies. And before either of you ask, no, I don't need any assistance. However, if you guys would be so kind to hunt us up some dinner that would be a great help."

With that Kirriah put on her image inducer and fastened her sword to her back and left he cave, to find a town where she could get some supplies and if need be a job to earn them.

o—o—o—o

(Three months later in the forest near Chang'An Temple)

Kirriah looked up at the sky and stifled a groan just as the first drops of a fresh storm began to fall.

You've got to be kidding me! Not more rain!

The young feline mutant checked to make sure the tarp covering the packs that housed her sword, image inducer and supplies –especially fire wood on Kye's back was secure against the inevitable downpour. It had been raining for the past three days; ever since she'd left the village where she had spent the last three months as part of the town guard, protecting the villagers from the random youkai attacks that the mayor had reported as becoming more and more frequent during resent months.

She had considered herself fortunate that her shift was late at night and she was left to do her work alone. At least no one asked her how she did her job alone or seemed interested in watching her work. The fact that there never seemed to be a lack of need of her "special skills" was both relief and disturbance to her. For while there was always a way for her to keep supplied, it also meant that she had to keep the image inducer on her at all times whenever she was in or near any town. And even though it hid her cat-shaped eyes ears and tail perfectly, the energy that made the hologram always made her skin crawl.

I don't think they would have been very understanding about my looks taking into account what they go through with these youkai. I know that I'm not one but my looks are pretty similar. Lucky for me, I remembered to bring that mage inducer Uncle Hank made me last year. But no matter how useful it is I still hate the damn thing.

The drizzle turned into a steady downpour.

"Sai how's that search for shelter coming?" Kirriah called out to her big brother.

"Almost done. Gotta finish checking this cave, but it looks promising." the male tiger responded patiently.

"Ok. Just let me know when you're sure, O, brother mine. By the way, the rain's started up again so please hurry." whined the now wet teen.

"Consider it done, little sister." came her brother's cheerful reply.

Kirriah looked around for a moment and saw a group of trees that were so close together that the ground beneath was merely wet verses the waterlogged state of the current area where she stood.

"Kye, let's wait under those trees over there. No use standing full out in this mess."

Placing her hand on her big sister's shoulder, Kirriah urged Kye forward toward the temporary shelter. Just as the rain became a heavy downpour they reached the trees.

Has it really been nine years since I first met Kye and...?

Kye! Kirri! Sai's excited masculinevoice cut into her thoughts. "I've found a cave with plenty of legroom…big enough to live in! No residents…human or otherwise!"

"Great! Where?" Kirriah and Kai replied simultaneously.

"Just stay there and I'll come guide you lovely ladies to your new home." he replied with a mental chuckle.

"Ok, ok just hurry." they replied, as they sent him an image of where they were.

o—o—o—o

Hmm… Kirriah thought as she surveyed Sai's cave a few hours later as she waited for her to dry on the make-shift clothesline she'd set up so that she could cook her rabbits and the vegetables she had set aside for her dinner. This does seem as good a place as any to call home. There was a cubby in the large front area that was the perfect spot Kye's bed –high and centered with a clear view of the "doorway". Deeper into the cave, equal distance to either side of Kye's "room", were two more areas, only slightly smaller than the living/dining room and kitchen area. The area on the left side was raised up about to the same height as Kye's room, and had a raised cubby – a perfect spot for Sai's bed so the teen decided that that would be their room. After placing the beds in their proper places, Kirriah piled all the rest of the stuff in the other room deciding that it would be the storage area and that the rest of the unpacking and organizing could wait till morning.

o—o—o—o

Several hours later, Kirriah looked out at the rain streaked night sky as she was eating her dinner. Sai and Kye had finished and retired for the night an hour ago leavingtheyoung mutantalone with her thoughts. This is my home now, and all that is left of my family is right here. I'll be damned if I live in some city where they won't be able to live too. City life is so overrated anyway. I belong here with Sai and Kye, in the wild where we can allbe free. Tomorrow I'll set the place up to be a bit more homelike.

After a quiet meal, she watched the night rain fall as she cleaned and prepared the hides for drying during the next sunny week.

I wonder how long this rain going to last...not that I mind the rain too much. But, it's gotta get dry and sunny again before I'll be able to set out the firs and skins for drying.

o—o—o—o

The next day as Kirriah unpacked and put away the supplies in the store room, she noticed that the walls were lined with numerous ledges and cubbies forming a series of natural shelves and cabinets. The teen couldn't help but think that all this was too good to be true. After all what were the odds of finding a cave this big with all the natural formations they needed to make it a home.

Kirriah shook off the thought as her being paranoid and busied herself with the process of settling into her new home humming the song her mother used when she sang her back to sleep whenever she woke from nightmares. After all she'd been through she deserved at least a small break right?

o—o—o—o

-Tenki

Kanzeon Bosastu had watched Kirriah ever since Seiobo had showed up with her. the Goddess ofMercy knew the younger goddess's purposefor bringing the girl. Today however, the goddess marveled at the similarities between this strange human girl and Goku –age and height being the most obvious. The most remarkable thing was that with the exception of the bright teal edges her eyes were the exactly the same as his.

Kanzeon Bosastu watched with great interest, as over the past three months, the teen went out of her way to help and protect people that she knew would have killed her if they knew her true appearance –another similarity. Kirriah knew full well that if she were to be discovered, the townspeople would assume that she was a youki and kill her without giving the matter a second thought. Despite the personal risk she took the job and even requested the most dangerous part of the night shift. The girl had been told that she could stay in the inn for free and eat as much as she wanted as part of her wages. Kirriah had responded excitedly that the free food was great and then asked that if instead of lodgings she could work for supplies of equal value, stating that she needed the supplies more.

Based on her actions, despite the girl's exceptional fighting skills, the goddess of mercy concluded that the teen was not in any way a threat to her nephew or his pet. She was if nothing else an innocent and protected other innocent lives with so much passion that one would think the world would end if she failed. So, as a reward, she had set up the cave the teen was now fixing up to be home to her little family.

o—o—o—o

(End of chapter 3)

(We're pickin' up speed so hang on tight.)