I don't own FY
Woot. I'm a week earlier than normal :)
Thank you for reviewing:
ChirikoFan– Lol. It was cute, but I don't think it was a lot of fluff. Then again I what do I know XP Yey for those endings. Lol
Everqueen– Thank you. Lol. Chichiri's getting sly XD
Dimonah Tralon– I'm glad everyone seemed to like that part :) Thank you and I'll do my best to!
Tsukikage – Lol. Yep, he was awake and wreaked his revenge upon an unsuspecting mute. How mean! Lol. Just kidding of course. Thank you and I'll do my best.
Chichirifan – Thank you. Lol. You do sound somewhat like him. Ack. Don't die! T.T
D.D.Z.– Aw. I hadn't thought I'd get so many gleeful responses from that. Lol. But I'm glad I did. Thank you :)
evilnaraku– Lol. Thank you. Not all those who wreak revenge do it in a bad way :)
Lady of the Cats- cries I get no cookie. Lol. Hmm, what will Soi do?
YueMichiruNaragisawaMiko– YEY CANDY munches happily Lol. Chichiri used his charm. Hope that continues, ne?
Akari kitsune– Thank you. Well, Soi loves Nakago and our poor Keara hurt him. Lol.
Where I Walk Alone – Hehe, he's getting sly isn't he. Yey more candy is about to be a very hyper authoress
KamiKaze no Kage– Perhaps… Ok, there will be. Lol. It is a romance story after all. Lol. Thank you!
Ayshia– Hi. Lol. Aw. They are, aren't they. Thanks and I'll do my best. anime fall Two reviews, hm, not used to that. Lol. Thanks for a double review. And sorry. I try to update somewhere within 3 weeks of the last update, usually on weekends.
Chichiri's Wanderer– Puppy love? Eh? Where's the puppy? looks around Those two are coming back, don't worry. Lol. Ya, I did lose them. I kinda stuck them under a ray like in 'Hunney I Shrunk the Kid' and, hehe, I have to search for them…
Crimson Firefox – Lol. Thank you. I'm glad you like it :)
plutobaby494– eh? Really. Or is it that is seemed to cut off. Because Chichiri quickly gets to his feet without thinking about the position. Hmm. If it wasn't recheck the chapter because it's fully up (just checked). Aw, Thank you :) I was a gymnast from 2nd grade up until the beginning of 7th grade. Lol. So ya, it was some time ago (being a freshman in college now), but I still enjoy watching it on TV when I know it's on.
fushigiyugigirl3– Thank you. I hope you like this chapter as much as the others :)
Chapter 20
Nakago came back to the conscious realm before nightfall the same day. His head was soar due to his injury there, something he had yet to realize, and a headache only added to his discomfort. Placing a hand to his forehead he realized bandages covered it as they wrapped around his head completely.
Curiously he wondered what they were there for. He remembered being thrown back by that dratted girl who hung around with the Suzaku, only to hit something rather hard. The way it happened had been so strange, it had been unlike anything he had ever before seen. He doubted he could begin to explain it to anyone, let alone himself.
"About time you woke up," Soi's ever clear voice came to meet his ears. "You've been out for a full day now."
This news, for whatever reason, did not faze the Seiryuu general in the slightest. In fact he had thought he had been out longer.
Shaking his head slightly he sat up, causing the covers to slide down his bare chest and rest at his waist. After looking over his arms and torso he was slightly amazed to realize that the only damage on him was his head.
"You had a bad head wound," Soi told him as she came to sit at the edge of his bed. "I found you lying on the ground in the clearing yesterday. That brat was the only one standing."
This was yet another thing that did not surprise the blond man. Not with the events that had played out the other day. He deeply wanted to know what had happened, but at the same time he wondered if he really wanted to allow such events to play out on him again to find out.
vvv
Keara sat by the fire, her knees up to her chest and arms wrapped around them, entranced by the flames as they danced and hopped about merrily. Dusk was upon them, but it did not matter to the small band of friends.
They had traveled little in the day to ensure that Keara would not wear herself out, having not been healed and no one knowing what had happened to her during the battle the day before.
This detailed bothered the girl. She did not like the feeling of being a nuisance to the group. She knew they had to catch up to their miko and because of their worry over her they were taking a slower pace then was necessary. It was true she was tired, but that was nothing to cause concern over, it just meant she would go to sleep earlier than normal and would sleep well. She could not get her friends to understand that however and was forced to go at the pace they chose, even though she had disliked it.
A gentle hand on her head brought her attention from the fire to the culprit of her distraction. She found Chichiri standing there, smiling down at her through his mask. Tiredly she smiled back up at him before she slid her arms up to rest atop her knees and placed her chin upon them.
"You should at least stay up to eat supper," he told her as he sat himself down next to her.
A slight nod told him that she had heard him, but he found himself wondering how well. Keara had looked exhausted for most of the day, but had had more than enough energy, it seemed, to walk around and even argue, through writing and body language, that they could continue traveling.
"You've worn yourself out," he found himself commenting aloud.
The only response he got was three letters spelled out in the language she spoke with her hands, whatever it was called. He gazed curiously at her wondering if she would somehow tell him what the gestures had meant. Finally he decided to ask, as it seemed she was not about to elaborate, "And what exactly was that supposed to mean?"
When she made no move to explain or any movement at all he gently placed a hand on her shoulder. He found himself blushing as she gently came to lean against him, one hand falling from her knee to land on his leg. She had fallen asleep before he had asked the question and her body was apparently too exhausted to take heed of the noise his voice had made.
Shaking his head he found that he was once again glad that his mask was in place. His three seshi friends all sat around the fire as well, waiting for the fish to cook, and had smiles upon their faces upon seeing the spectacle. A blush seen upon his face would have made those looks change into grins rather quickly.
For several moments he was not sure of what to do. He did not want to move her in fear of waking her from her peaceful slumber, but he knew he could not just have her rest upon him as she was.
Sighing he managed to gently lye her on the ground without awakening her, though it had taken several moments to do so. Taking off his kesa he placed it over her and silently bade her goodnight.
vvv
"What do you plan to do Nakago?" Yui found herself asking the general that same night. She had heard little of the previous day's events, but she knew the man would not let an injury come to him without some sort of revenge being dealt.
The general did not answer right away, but when he did answer it was a typical response, "Plans are still as they were - capture the Suzaku no miko and that girl from the same world."
"Her name's Keara," Yui corrected. "Which would be better to go after now?" Detailed events were not needed for the miko to know that going after Keara might not be the wisest of choices at the moment.
"Both," Nakago smirked. "The Suzaku no miko must be wondering what has happened to us and we cannot either band become too relaxed now can we?"
Yui bit her lip, "I guess."
vvv
The next day came quickly enough. Everyone was well rested; even Keara was back to her normal self, or as normal as one can be in the morning.
Sitting up she rubbed the sleep from her eyes before stretching out her limbs. Upon opening her eyes she realized that Chichiri's kesa had somehow found its way on her again. The matter of how it had gotten there confused her for a few moments, until she remembered falling asleep with Chichiri next to her.
'How many times have I had this now?' she asked herself, but was unable to find an answer.
She found Chichiri sitting with Chiriko. They appeared to be looking over a map, probably discussing the fastest and safest way to Sairou, a city with in Byakko's territory and the location of the final shinzaho.
She found her mind lingering back to the day before when Chichiri had kissed her hand. The mere thought causing a faint blush to creep onto her cheeks. It seemed that a little game had picked up between them. She would do something and he would reply to it, even if it was several hours later. With a smile she picking herself up and carried the cape over, why stop the game when it had only just begun.
Thinking herself clever Keara quietly moved toward Chichiri's back. With a grin she dropped the kesa over his head, blocking out his sight entirely. The moment it was over his head the monks form changed into his 'super deformed' self and started thrashing about underneath the kesa as he mimicked being frightened. "Who turned out the lights?" he cried, sounding much like a child afraid of the dark, which followed by a crying like noise as he continued to struggle with the cape.
Smiling to herself and shaking her head she took the material off of him. It was barely over his head when she felt something latch to her leg. "Save me!" was the cry heard not a second later, "The dark is scarwy."
Keara laughed silently at the monks childish voice. Brining one hand to the side of her face she left her thumb and pinky (which was closest to the viewer) pointing towards the sky while the others curled towards her palm, but did not touch. From there she twisted her wrist so what was seen of her palm was shown to the one she was speaking to and untwisted it back to the original position. This was done twice. Right after that she brought her hand to the side of her forehead at a slight angle so her palm could be seen, her thumb touching her index finger, before bringing her hand out slighting and pulling her thumb away from her other finger.
Detaching himself from her leg Chichiri changed back into his normal form. "What does that mean?"
Unlike the night before Keara did elaborate on the meaning. She sat down next to the monk and, with the use of a stray twig, wrote out 'silly boy.'
Chichiri smiled and mimicked the hand movements she had done before. A nod from Keara told him he had done it right. "How would you say 'girl'?" he found himself asking.
Circling her fingers to her palm she left her thumb sticking up. Her thumb was then brought to the top of her jaw, where upon she slid it down to her chin.
"Silly girl," Chichiri said as he made the gestures for both words.
Keara smiled and shrugged, as if to say 'Ya, I guess.'
"So, um," Chichiri seemed to be looking for the right words. "How do you say 'like' or 'love' - as in I love fishing," the latter part seemed hastened for some reason.
vvvv
"I'll go after the brat," Soi told Nakago flatly upon hearing plan. "I have a score to settle with her anyway."
The Seiryuu general did not argue, "As you wish. Suboshi will be accompanying you however." He left no room for argument from either seshi. He knew that in order to capture the girl more than one person had to be involved and with himself going after Tamahome and the Suzaku no miko, taking Tomo with him, Suboshi was the only other seshi left.
"Do not fail me," was the last thing Nakago uttered before turning his back and walking away.
Uh oh. A plan has been set in motion by the Seiryuu and Soi is definitely going after Keara now. Yikes! And, hey, what exactly did Chichiri mean by asking Keara that? Hmm.
Please Review
Thanks!