~Author's Note~
Today's story is about how friends stand up for each other. And stuff.
~Shou's Bad Day~
"Oh, no… Where is it, where is it?! Oh, where could it be?!" Shou was digging frantically through the hedges and flower beds around the Myouren Temple. "I know I left it here somewhere! We only have so much garden…"
"Are you getting anywhere?" Nazrin called out as she ran over, her dress stained with mud.
"No." Shou miserably shook her head.
"I'll try the wine cellar, then. I'm sure we'll find it sooner or later," said Nazrin. She gave Shou an encouraging smile, took off her shoes and jogged inside the temple.
"Yeah… I'm sure we will." Shou sighed heavily, shuffled sideways a couple of feet and started ransacking the begonias.
The hours went by with nothing in sight. Shou was done with the garden and halfway through the compost heap when she heard smug laughter from the road.
"Now, isn't that a sorry sight?" giggled Miko. "A scrawny little tiger grovelling for scraps in the mud! What's the matter, Shou? Lost your pagoda again?!"
"Wh-wha…?" Shou looked around until she found the small crowd of Taoists. "Um, no… I'm looking for Nazrin's handkerchief, actually."
"A likely story," sneered Seiga.
"Two'll get you ten she forgot to put a bra on!" Tojiko snorted.
"I'm hungry…" moaned Yoshika.
Shou rose angrily to her feet, sloughing off a small shower of soft brown loam and food scraps. "I did NOT forget my bra OR my pagoda! Look, I've got it right, um…" Shou's face whitened as she patted her empty pockets.
Shou laughed nervously. She took a step back. Then another. Then she plummeted off the compost heap and landed flat on her back. Four unfriendly faces loomed over her.
"Aw, is it time for a cat nap?" simpered Tojiko.
"No, no, she's showing us her tummy! That means she wants us to give her a pat!" said Miko insistently.
"Or an appendectomy!" giggled Seiga.
"Can I eat her?" said Yoshika hopefully.
"What?! No! I'm too young to be eaten!" wailed Shou.
"Poor little kitty…" said Tojiko, pouting with fake sympathy. She bent down and rubbed Shou's tummy. "Does-a poor wittle kitsy-witsy-woo want a saucer of milky-wilk?"
"Well, too bad! I lactate for no-one!" Miko howled with laughter.
Shou's face reddened. "Stop it! Stop it, you bunch of meanies! I'm warning you, I- I can remove a woman's head with just one hand…"
"Don't move!" grinned Miko, balancing her sword on Shou's nose.
"She'll move," giggled Seiga, slipping off Shou's shoe. "You're not ticklish, are you, kitty?"
"Aaaaauuugh!" screamed Shou, and she burst into tears. The sword somehow stayed upright.
Tojiko snorted. "Some Avatar of Bishamonten!"
"Let's see now…" Her tongue poking out from concentration, Miko lined her shaku up with her sword and balanced it on the hilt. "There we go! Perfect!"
"Please…" whimpered Shou. "Just leave me alone! What did I ever do to deserve this?!"
"Nothing much," said Seiga, tossing Shou's socks into a bush.
Yoshika gave her a dirty look. "She tore my arms off last week! Took me hours to sew them back on with the needle clamped between my lips."
"Well, then…" Seiga grabbed a feather and tickled Shou's left foot.
Shou let out a piercing scream. Caught between mirth and anguish, she laughed out loud and begged for mercy with tears streaming down from her eyes. The sword and baton fell down with a clatter.
Tojiko caught Miko's eye and grinned. "This is the life, isn't it?"
"You bet! She's such a pushover!" laughed Miko.
"Maybe I'll tickle under her arms, too," giggled Seiga. "Just got to get those sleeves off- OW!" Seiga felt a sharp bite on her ankle. Her face screwed up in agony.
Miko and Tojiko were instantly on the alert, eyes swiveling and spell-cards readied. Yoshika just stood there and dreamed of roast dinners.
"Get off! Get off!" shrieked Seiga, desperately shaking her leg. With blood running over her teeth and the ground repeatedly smacking against her, Nazrin hung on for dear life.
"The mouse?!" gasped Tojiko.
"She's no big deal. Get her!" yelled Miko, lunging at Nazrin.
Nazrin disengaged her teeth and ducked behind Seiga. Miko ploughed into her legs. Seiga sprawled on top of Miko, flattening her against the ground.
"Nazrin…!" breathed Shou. "Oh, Nazrin, you came for me!"
"Shou, what have they done to you?!" cried Nazrin.
"They balanced swords on my nose and tickled me! Oh, it was horrible…" Shou sniffled. "I never found that handkerchief. Nazrin, I'm so sorry!"
"Oh, Shou…" A lump rose in Nazrin's throat. "You mean more to me than a hundred handkerchiefs. You're my sister, Shou! I love you!" She turned her blazing eyes upon Tojiko and unsheathed her dowsing rods. "Do you hear me, you mean old Taoist?! Nobody hurts Shou! Begone, or face my wrath!"
Tojiko zapped Nazrin with lightning until she passed out.
"Nazrin! NO!" screamed Shou. The sight of her little mousie friend smouldering on the ground filled her with white-hot anger. She sprang towards Tojiko, snarling like a wild beast.
Shou struck Tojiko with a force that knocked the wind out of her and slammed her into the earth. Shou drew back a clenched fist, roared again and punched Tojiko in the face, bloodying her nose. She bared her teeth and lunged at Tojiko's throat. Her jaws snapped shut on thin air as Tojiko drifted straight through her.
Shou whirled around just in time to take a bolt of lightning in the face. She fell on her bottom with a plaintive yelp.
"Is your nose all right?" asked Miko, her face full of concern.
"I'll live." Tojiko wiped away some blood with her sleeve.
"In a manner of speaking!" Miko winked and picked up her sword. "Right then, time to put the cat out for the night."
"Come on, Yoshika! Show them what a jiang shi can do!" said Seiga brightly.
Yoshika sighed. "If I absolutely have to…"
Shou's heart was pounding. She knew four enemies was more than she could manage, but she was at least going to avenge Nazrin. She clenched her fists and tried to keep her knees from knocking while she stared down the Taoists.
Without another word, Miko charged. She had not gone far when Byakuren's foot smacked into her earmuff.
Miko screamed as she hit the compost heap in a shower of nutritious soil. Byakuren somersaulted overhead and landed heavily in front of Shou. Minamitsu and Kyouko touched down either side of them, with anchor and broom at the ready.
"You?!" Miko's eyes widened. "It's too late for you, Byakuren! Nazrin is already dead!"
"No I'm not!" declared Nazrin. "Wish I was, though. That lightning really stings."
"Oh." Miko blushed.
Byakuren reached inside her pocket and pulled out a glowing orb with a pointy golden roof. Shou's heart leapt at the sight of her sacred pagoda.
"I found this on your bedside table. It wasn't anything important, was it?" Byakuren smiled and tossed the pagoda over to Shou.
"Oh, Byakuren, thank you!" cried Shou, catching the pagoda. Her face lit up as the golden light warmed her hands. All of a sudden there was no fear or doubt, just the light of Bishamonten throughout her body. In that moment, Shou seemed to grow a foot taller.
Tojiko and Seiga shrank back as they saw the gleam in Shou's eyes, but Miko held her ground. Yoshika wasn't quite sure what was going on, so she blew her nose on her hat.
"Ms Toyosatomimi," said Byakuren severely, "I'm not going to bother with the 'we can choose not to fight' speech, because you've never listened before and I don't think this time is going to be any different. And honestly, after what you did Nazrin-"
"That was Tojiko!"
"First of all, Tojiko is under your command and therefore your responsibility. Second of all, you were about to attack my closest partner and I'm going to make you eat those earmuffs." Byakuren took a deep breath. "Budhhists, advance!"
"Taoists, charge!"
The groups clashed in a frenzy of flailing fists and lightning-fast kicks. Miko's sword flashed through the air, tearing through cloth and skin without mercy. Tojiko hurled lightning far and wide. Byakuren fought with the strength of ten women, turning Miko's steel aside with her bare hands, and Shou managed to throw Seiga clean over the temple.
"Oh, no! Master!" Yoshika stopped chewing on Kyouko's ears and ran to retrieve her. With two warriors down, Miko and Tojiko soon felt the bitter taste of defeat. The bitter taste of well-worn earmuffs came shortly afterwards for Miko, who was going to have a very disturbed night.
Shou's stomach was fine thanks to a large bowl of rice and some steamed vegetables, but she still couldn't get to sleep.
"Byakuren?"
"Hmm?" Byakuren rolled over and propped her head up on one hand.
"I shouldn't have let them get the better of me." Shou sighed deeply and stared up at the ceiling. "Lord Bishamonten wouldn't have waited until he was flat on his back with a sword on his nose and a twin-tailed ghost tickling his feet…"
Byakuren ruminated on that for a moment, then she snorted loudly and embarked on a fit of the giggles.
"Is… Is it that funny? Really?"
"N-no! Of course not…!" Byakuren struggled to keep her face straight.
"I mean, I should've just kicked Miko in the face and gone for help! Instead, Nazrin got hurt and you all had to come and rescue us. I was weak, Byakuren," said Shou miserably. "I let you all down."
"Don't say that!" Byakuren seemed momentarily angry. "Yes, we went out of our way for you, but I know you'd do the same for any of us. And I know you wouldn't ask for anything in return, so don't worry about 'making it up to me' either."
"I would, but… I just feel like…" Shou sighed. "Some avatar of Bishamonten, aren't I?"
"Shou. Listen to me. You can train harder and learn how to cope with stressful situations, but there is NOTHING wrong with who you are right now. Come on, you're brave and strong and kind and gentle, and a hard worker to boot, and all the villagers and the juniour priests look up to you!" Byakuren's face softened. "Shou, don't ever start thinking you're a burden. All of us are so much better with you here."
"You… You are? Everyone in the temple?"
"Mm-hmm."
"Wow…" Shou's lips curved upwards in a faint smile. "Thanks, Byakuren."
Byakuren said nothing. She just leaned over, draped her arm over Shou and hugged her until the morning came.