I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.

Yey, I got a bunch of review! Thanks so much for reviewing Chichiri's Wanderer, Bishiglomper (Lol. That's cool, at least you can kind of relate to her, which is always good in a story. At least I think so anyways), Lord Pengu, Jurori and Amaya-san.

Chapter 4

Tasuki and Chichiri were in the gazebo within the palace grounds over looking a pond. The bandit leader was sitting on one of the banisters looking over in the direction of the now setting sun while the monk leaned against the adjacent banister looking down into the water.

"Any clue as to what Taiitsukun is telling that girl?" Tasuki asked.

"Keara? Probably about her purpose here no da."

Tasuki nodded, "That's right, her name's Keara. What a strange name."

"It might be common where she's from no da," Chichiri told him.

Silence fell between the two friends as their minds wandered to places only they knew, unless someone could read their mind that is. Things were starting to get rather strange and all anyone could do was follow and hope nothing went too wrong.

The calm silence was broken as Tasuki yelped and fell off the banister into the pond. Chichiri looked over quickly and smiled beneath is mask at the confused form of Keara with her finger outstretched as if to poke someone.

"What'd you scare me like that for?" Tasuki yelled up at a still confused Keara.

Keara put the hand that had once been out behind her head and gave a silent nervous laugh and mouthed, 'Gomen,' though she doubted he could lip read.

"Did you just mouth 'gomen'?" Chichiri asked. Keara looked to him and nodded in surprise. Chichiri's mask curled in a smile, "I got it right no da."

Tasuki jumped out of the pond and landed on the banister in a squatting position, "You should give warning before you touch someone when their mind isn't there!" He shook his head like an animal would to get the water off of them.

Keara cringed slightly as the water hit her. "Tasuki!" Chichiri cried as he jumped back, "We all don't need to get wet no da."

"Ah," Tasuki grumbled uncaringly.

Keara gave the sign for 'bad boy' before pushing him back into the pond. Tasuki let out a surprised cry as he fell in once again and Chichiri laughed aloud as Keara did the same, only silently.

"I really hate women!" Tasuki yelled from the water.

Chichiri's laughter subsided, "I suppose Taiitsukun is done with you no da."

Keara nodded and looked down the path to the palace as someone yelled, "FOOD!" and ran past the gazebo. In the brief moment she had seen the running girl Keara recognized her as the one who had been looking for someone by the name of Tamahome earlier. She guessed the person running after her was that very boy.

Tasuki was back to sitting on the banister by this point, "That's Miaka for ya. It's always about her stomach." When Keara turned to look at him he quickly jumped onto the ground to prevent falling back into the pond.

Keara gave a smile as she saw him quickly move off the banister and turned her attention back to the path. She made a face and cringed when Tasuki hugged her from behind while saying, "You got me soaked, so this is my revenge."

A slightly angered look came to her face before she smiled devilishly. Being that Tasuki was behind her he did not see it, but Chichiri did and put his head to the side in curiosity. He broke out laughing when Keara flipped Tasuki over her shoulder with ease.

Tasuki yelped as he went through the air and groaned as he made a bad landing. "Ow, that hurt. What's with this girl?" Tasuki muttered to himself as he stood up, holding his lower back with one hand.

Keara gave a silent sigh as she rubbed her now soaked shoulder. "Do you have cloths to change into no da?" Chichiri asked.

She was about to shake her head when she realized that she did have one of her gymnastics leotards from when she had used her bag for practice. She did not want to be a burden and ask for cloths so she nodded her head, besides, she didn't mind wearing her leotard since she wore one almost everyday for several hours.

"Tasuki you should change too no da," Chichiri said as he looked over to his friend, "You don't want to get sick no da."

"Ya, whatever," Tasuki walked away, still holding his back lightly.

Chichiri motioned for Keara to follow, "No need to get lost no da. I'll lead you back to your room."

Keara nodded and followed the blue haired monk. She was thankful that he had volunteered to help her since she had no clue where anything was, much less the room she had left a few minutes ago.

It wasn't long before they reached her room, "Here we are no da. You want me to wait for you?"

Keara gave a nod and quickly disappeared into her room. She grabbed her bag, which was still on her bed, and pulled out the black leotard before she sighed. She forgot that it had USA written on it from the world championships the year before. With a shrug she quickly put it on and pulled out the pair of black spandex shorts with the Australian flag she had gotten in a store back in her world. Instead of putting back on her shoes she grabbed her gymnastics slippers (they look like ballet slippers, but the material is a bit thinner and they're white) and slipped them on.

With dry cloths now on she grabbed her sketch book, figuring she'd need it to 'speak', and walked out of the room. Chichiri, who had been leaning up against the wall next to the door patiently, stood up strait. "Ready for su-" He stopped mid sentence as he saw the skin tight outfit she was in.

Keara raised a brow since she did not get why he had stopped speaking. Had Chichiri not had his mask on she would have seen him gawking at her, but he did have his mask in place, which he was thankful for.

Chichiri cleared his throat, "Right, off to supper." He turned on his heels and walked in the direction of the dinning area.

With a slight quicken in her pace Keara was walking at Chichiri's side. Feeling a bit awkward Chichiri asked, "How long have you been mute? I mean has it been your whole life, or just part of it?"

Keara raised one finger. Chichiri was confused for a moment before realizing what she meant, "It must be hard not ever being able to speak, not ever knowing what your voice is like."

With a shrug of her shoulders Keara showed that it did not bother her as much as he thought it did. A sudden thought struck her mind, 'He hasn't said 'no da' since I came out of my room… strange.'

"Something the matter no da?" Chichiri asked.

Keara gave a silent laugh through her nose before shaking her head, 'So much for that idea.'

"Here we are no da," Chichiri said happily as the entered a room with a long wooden table, lots of food and seven people sitting around the table.

"Where have you been Chichiri! I'm starving!" Miaka cried before he bottom lip began to tremble.

"Gomen Miaka no da," Chichiri said as he brought Keara to a chair next to someone she had never met before. He sat on the other side of her.

"Hi there, I'm Nuriko," the person next to her said. Nuriko has long violet hair that was braided and even lighter colored eyes that glistened in the light. He wore a white tunic with blue running down the middle, a yellow sash around his waist, pink pants and black slipper like shoes.

"You must be the girl Tasuki's been talking about," Nuriko said with a smile, "Was it you who got him all wet?"

Keara gave a silent laugh as she nodded. Tasuki was not so gleeful, "How'd you know I was wet!"

"Tasuki your hair is still dripping," a young boy with pink hair in a high pony tail and green eyes said, "Plus we saw you going to your room to change." He wore a green and yellow tunic with a red sash around his waist and purple slippers. He seemed the youngest of the group.

Tasuki growled, "Thanks Chiriko!"

"There's no need to yell about it Tasuki," Tamahome said with a shrug, "So a girl beat you up, get over it."

"She didn't beat me up! She shoved me into the pond!" Tasuki yelled in defense.

"Actually the first time you fell off after she just touched your shoulder no da," Chichiri said.

"Chichiri!" Tasuki yelled. The monk laughed nervously.

"Can we eat now?" Miaka asked.

There was a laugh from the end of the table, "Of course Miaka." Keara looked down the table and found a rather handsome man dressed in royal robes and a strange hat upon his head. His long black hair was tucked up under the hat and his light brown eyes shown with happiness. His attention turned to Keara, "My name is Hotohori. What is yours?"

"She can't speak Hotohori-sama," Chichiri said.

"And she has a really weird name," Tasuki said before shoving a dumpling into his mouth.

"Weird name?" Hotohori questioned.

"Why can't she speak?" Miaka asked with her mouth full, causing Keara to make a face.

"She's mute no da," Chichiri said.

"Mute?" Miaka said and looked to Keara. Her eyes widened with surprise and she swallowed hard at noticed the writing on what she thought was her shirt, "Are you American!"

Keara nodded slowly, not sure where the discussion was going. "That's so cool!" Miaka cried. "Do you think you can help me with the language?"

Keara gave her a nervous look and moved one of her hands in a motion that you would use when someone is talking too much before she shook her head. This was to remind the gleeful girl that she was unable to speak.

"Oh, right. I forgot," Miaka said in embarrassment.

"Forgot?" Tamahome questioned, "Chichiri just told you a minute ago!"

"I got all excided," Miaka said with a pout.

Chichiri nudged Keara, "You should eat no da."

Keara nodded and began to eat neatly. Miaka laughed, "She can even use chopsticks."

"What do you mean by that?" Chiriko asked.

"Where she's from they don't use them," Miaka explained, "They use other utensils." She thought a moment, "Wait a second, you understand Japanese too?"

Keara rolled her eyes and nodded. 'Duh, how do you think I could answer you before,' Keara thought with a slight laugh.

"Why is it that you are here?" Hotohori asked, "Tasuki said something about Taiitsukun."

Chichiri looked to her since he was curious himself. Taiitsukun had given him very few details, but strict orders, before. Keara was visibly nervous at the question as she was used to being around at least one person who knew sign language, but now that no one around knew it she was slightly lost. She remembered that she had brought her sketchbook with her though and reached under the seat for it. She opened to the page she had used to write on before, which happened to have the picture of chibi Chichiri on it, and started writing something down.

Nuriko looked down and the book and laughed, "Cute drawing." Keara looked up and gave a thankful smile before returning to writing her message.

"I don't know if Chichiri should head for the hills or take that as a complement," Tasuki said, playing on Nuriko's comment of the drawing as he knew what he had been complementing.

Chichiri turned chibi and started running around the room while screaming 'daa!'

"I didn't mean it like that!" Nuriko yelled.

Keara laughed silently when Chichiri was running around, but upon hearing Nuriko's remark he stopped yelling and sat back in his chair before turning back to normal.

Keara pocked Chichiri's arm with the eraser before touching it to the corner of the paper where a small message was written. He read it and laughed; it had said, 'You're a goofball.'

With a ripping noise the piece of paper was torn from the sketch book and she motioned for Chichiri to pass it to Hotohori. "Thank you," the emperor said as he took the paper.

"What's it say?" Tamahome asked.

Hotohori was quiet for a moment, "She said that Taiitsukun told her she is to help us summon Suzaku."

"How?" Nuriko asked, "I thought that only the miko's can summon the beast gods with the help of their seishi's."

"Perhaps she's not supposed to help with the summoning of Suzaku," Mitsukake said from opposite Keara, "Perhaps she's supposed to help us get to that point."

"But what can she do?" Tamahome asked, "I don't mean offense Keara, but you don't have a power like us."

Keara shrugged her shoulders. Nuriko turned to her, "Say, we never got your name because Miaka asked a question. What is it?"

"It's Keara no da," Chichiri answered for her.

"That is a strange name," Nuriko said to himself.

Once again Keara shrugged her shoulders. What more could she expect from people living in an ancient Chinese civilization.

Nuriko put his hand over his mouth, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you!" Keara waved the apology off to show that she didn't care. Nuriko smiled, "But hey, I like your cloths. Wish I had something like that."

Keara looked at him oddly and leaning a bit away from him, which happened to put her closer to Chichiri, who laughed at her. "Don't worry, Nuriko's gay no da."

Nuriko laughed lightly, "It's true, but I do like those cloths."

With a nervous nod Keara sat up strait. She opened to a fresh page in her sketchbook and wrote, 'These aren't really cloths one should wear around,' before showing Nuriko.

"Really?" Nuriko asked, "Is it because they're form fitting?"

Keara shook her head and wrote, 'It's a leotard used for gymnastics.'

"Leotard? Gymnastics?" Nuriko questioned.

"What is this 'gymnastics' no da?" Chichiri asked since he had been reading the message as well.

"You do gymnastics?" Miaka asked. When Keara nodded Miaka said, "That's cool. I don't think I could ever do all those crazy things you guys do."

"Crazy things?" Tasuki asked as his interest was caught.

Keara gave a silent chuckled before opening to a drawing of a girl, who happened to be her, in the air after doing a release on the high bar. Nuriko's eyes widened, "You can do those things!"

With a nod Keara went to a blank page and wrote, 'It's not all that difficult for me.'

"Not difficult!" Nuriko cried, "I think I'd even hurt myself!"

Keara save a small smiled and wrote, 'Gymnastics isn't for everyone.'

"I guess so," Nuriko said.

"Can I see that again no da?" Chichiri asked. Keara nodded and turned to the page before handing it to him.

"Let me see what's got Nuriko acting weirder than normal," Tasuki said. Nuriko growled, but kept himself from throwing a bottle of sake at his head.

Chichiri tuned the book so that Tasuki could see it, "You draw real well no da." Keara gave a thankful smile.

"Damn!" Tasuki yelled, "You do those kind of things!" Keara nodded, "You're joking!" With a shake of her head he knew it was no joke.

Chichiri flipped the page and saw a picture of a girl, Sara, doing a flip on the balance beam, her head close to the beam as it always is when pulling that particular stunt. When he showed it to Tasuki he acted no better than before, if anything it was worse.

Mitsukake smiled, "Perhaps this is one of the reasons she was brought here."

"To pull crazy stunts!" Tasuki cried.

"No," Mitsukake said, "You have to be courageous to pull off maneuvers such as those, especially when you know the risk of getting hurt is likely to be high. That courage will come in handy in the near future."

Keara blushed. Never had she been called courageous for pulling off her routines; crazy, idiotic and determined, yes, but not courageous.

Perhaps Taiitsukun and Suzaku were right to think that she could help.

Then again, they could have made a huge mistake.

Miaka is certainly her regular ditsy self. Don't get me wrong, I like Miaka, but she sometimes annoys me (mainly with the cries of "Tamahome!" and in return he yells "Miaka!" XP ), but she's a funny character to watch and I can relate to her in some ways.

Oh and I know Tasuki can't swim, but I didn't know how deep the pond was -;; so lets just say it wasn't deepenough for him to drown in. Lol.

So what are the up coming events?

Find out some in the next chapter.

Please review.

Thanks you!