Chapter 12

"Oooh, I've been waiting for this chance to beat up Yasuaki! Pow, punch! Wap! Just let me at 'im!" Kotengu for one, was enjoying the chance for the gang to confront their powerful Onmyouji comrade.

"Kotengu-chan, please. We're not going to do that to Yasuaki---we just want to talk to him." Shimon's calm voice of reason interrupts the reverie of the little creature.

"Awwww, Shimon, you're such a party pooper! Can I at least take---OW!"

Kotengu lets out a loud cry for such a small body as Inori whacks him soundly and he tumbles to the ground with eyes swirling.

"Shut up, Kotengu." Inori had just about had it with all of this nonsense.

"I'm obliged to you for that." Yorihisa nods his head in approval at Inori's action.

"Ugh, Inori-kun! Kotengu may be annoying but he's still our friend." Shimon rushes back to pick up the fallen critter and cradles him in his arms, trying to rouse him to consciousness. "We're not here to cause anyone pain."

"Kotengu doesn't count as 'anyone'..." Inori mutters under his breath, so that Shimon can't hear him, but Yorihisa does and suppresses a chuckle at the amusing scene.

"Shimon! Inori!" huff huff huff A blonde slender figure races up the side of the mountain, huffing and puffing heavily before stopping before them.

"Zephel! Wh-what are you doing here?!" Inori pats his friend on the back in an attempt to help him regain his breath.

" huff puff I---I ran all the way here. Seems like the Emperor has decided that Eisen's wedding huff huff should be sooner before anything else happens! He's decided it's going to be this afternoon! I knew you wouldn't want to miss it, so I rushed out after you but it's taken me all day to reach you. It's probably going on right now! huff huff Did you find Takamichi? Fuji's in pretty bad shape. Ran's doing her best, but, you know how it is."

Shimon's brows crease in worry. He knew how terrible it would be to be forced to marry someone you didn't love. But he shakes the feeling away quickly. He had a job to do.

"No, not yet. We're just nearing Yasuaki's---"

"We're approaching the top of the mountain. Prepare yourselves." Yorihisa, ever the bushido, readies himself in a warrior mode, interrupting Shimon's sentence.

"Yorihisa-san! Remember what I said earlier. We just want to talk to Yasuaki and see Takamichi-san. That's all. sigh I think it'd be best if you left the talking to me. Okay?" Shimon was now frustrated with the two men with him.

Why is everyone in this time always so ready to draw their swords?

"What is it you wish to discuss?"

From out of nowhere, a low monotone voice emerges from behind the small group, causing the 3 younger members of party to jump back in surprise.

"Yasuaki-san! Where---where did you come from?" Shimon nervously asks the mysterious man.

"This is my mountain. I live here. The question is why are you here? You were not invited. Especially that oni." So precisely matter-of-fact, Yasuaki never minced words and left his glare on the young blonde man who was once their enemy in the group.

Yorihisa and Inori simultaneously slit their eyes at Yasuaki's obvious snub at their presence and Zephel's, whose eyes flash in anger for a split second, but suddenly he controls himself as he looks down to the ground without a word. Shimon looks sympathetically at Zephel but ignores Yasuaki's insult, and simply takes a deep breath and calmly speaks for them all.

"We're sorry to intrude here, Yasuaki-san, but we heard from reliable sources that you had Takamichi-san up here and that he was hurt. We've all been searching for him for weeks now and we came to find out why he disappeared like that and if he's really okay now. Tomomasa and the princess have been very worried about him."

Yasuaki glances at the 'reliable sources' before he answers Shimon's query.

"Ten no Byakko was here, but he's gone now."

Three heads turn curtly at Yasuaki's short sentence. Yasuaki turns to leave, but is stopped short.

"WHAT?!" Two of three voices rose up in sync.

"Yasuaki-dono, has someone taken him? If so, where did they go? I must find Takamichi-dono for Princess Fuji. She has been beside herself with worry at his absence." Yorihisa bows before Yasuaki without hesitation. His duty and loyalty to Fuji were beyond reproach and he would do anything to make her happy and smiling again, even if it meant going against the Emperor's wishes.

Yasuaki's eyebrows raise at this change of heart in the usually stoic and dutiful Yorihisa.

A woman's wiles makes one soft.

"It is of no concern to me. Chi no Byakko arrived here earlier and took him away, presumably back to the palaces to stop the wedding between Eisen and Princess Fuji." Once more, Yasuaki turns to leave.

"What?! But, when did they leave?" Shimon passes Kotengu's passed out body to Zephel and grabs Yasuaki's arm.

Yasuaki merely glances at the hand on his arm, to which Shimon pulls back.

"They left with Chuuguu at noon."

"That was just a couple hours ago!!! Damn!! Why did the Emperor have to rush the wedding?! It would be fine if there was still a few days to sort things out, but if the ceremony is happening right now, they don't have a chance to get there in time to stop it!" Inori's fiery emotions get the better of him finally as he blurts out.

"Lady Chuuguu? She was here?" Yorihisa speaks his part at the surprise of discovering the whereabouts of the missing 'princess.'

"Shimon, it's too late. I left as they were preparing Princess Fuji's wedding robes and setting up the court. It's been too long! They're probably already married by now..." Zephel truly felt badly for the poor little princess. He was really a sweet young man and having been given freely the friendship and welcoming hospitality of the kind princess for the past 5 years, he had wanted to help her in any way he could.

"No, it can't be too late! Not when everything is just coming together!" Shimon refused to accept it. Tomomasa and Takamichi were already on their way----fate couldn't be this cruel!

All were silent until a small voice pops up, shocking everyone with words of wisdom and empathy.

"Yasuaki, why don't you do something? You're the best onmyouji out there and I believe in you. Help the princess and her love. Only you can do it. I came here to get revenge on you, but I don't want to now. I just want to help Fuji! If you need my energy---take it! Yasuaki, my friend, lend us your strength!"

Kotengu's small quiet voice pervades the entire mountain. The soft, gentle tones, which were entirely foreign to him, rang deep in Yasuaki's ears.

"Tengu."

Yasuaki kneels down in front of Zephel who was holding the little Kotengu, to become eye level with the tiny creature.

"I will do this--for you."

Suddenly, he closes his eyes and in staccato tones, chants out a spell which releases Kotengu once more from his seal.

In a split second, huge wings flap open gracefully, encompassing them all as a red-haired giant cackles haughtily and happily.

"Yasuaki...you fool! You trusted me! Ha ha ha! Now, feel my power!" Tengu, now at his full power and strength lurches forward towards Yasuaki threatening, but the onmyouji doesn't flinch.

"Yasuaki-san!!!!"
"Get out of the way!"
"Yasuaki-dono!"
"Watch out!!!"

Four voices scream out for Yasuaki's safety but instead of what they expected, the next thing they knew, all five were in Tengu's strong grasp, speeding through the air, back towards the palaces in Kyou.

"Kotengu-chan! Wha---?!" Shimon was in shock. He had thought that Kotengu was going to disembowel Yasuaki but instead, he had scooped them all up in two hands and they were all flying at full speed, safe and secure.

"Shimon, didn't you trust me? Ha ha! I love being able to scare the wits out of people!!! YES!!!!!! Ha ha ha!"

"Kotengu-chan..." Shimon pouts at the red headed giant holding him in his palm. Inori and Zephel were too overcome to even speak but soon they were screaming back at Tengu's practical joke.

Tengu lifts Zephel towards his back, letting him climb out onto him, holding onto his hair for steadiness, but for Inori, he had other plans.

"Why you little---!"

"Grrrrrrrrrrrr!!!"

"Ha ha, Big Forehead! Can't call me 'little' anymore, can you?! Ha hahaha! I've got the last laugh after all!!!!" Tengu's loud, but melodic voice rings out in laughter for miles.

"So, let's see how you like to be treated by a 'big bully' like you did to me! Ha ha ha ha!!!" And he dangles poor Inori, until he lets him drop.

"AHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

Shimon and Zephel gasp in horror, but suddenly, Tengu swoops down and lets Inori grab onto the edge of his sandal, swinging through the air as they sped forward.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Did I scare you, Big Forehead?! HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!"

"DAMN YOU, KOTENGU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! When I get my hands on you!!!!!" Inori screams out as he alone is left to hang on for dear life to Tengu's sandal, legs swinging back and forth.

"Inori-kun! Hang in there!"
"Inori! Don't let go!"

Concerned voices could be heard cheering Inori on as Tengu's maniacal laugh echoes throughout the skies.

Amidst the chaos, two calm voices could be heard if one listened carefully.

"Yasuaki-dono, how did you know that Kotengu wasn't---"

"Yorihisa. It would seem that even I know more of the heart than you do."

Yorihisa's eyes widen at this revelation. He was not entirely pleased at the thought of the cold, unfeeling onmyouji having a greater grasp on such a topic. He nodded to himself with grim determination that he would master that now, too.

"Kotengu!! I see them! Takamichi, Tomomasa and a purple hair woman are just up ahead!" Zephel's keen sight spots the trio on horseback as Tengu swoops down to catch his final passengers on the way back to crash a wedding.

"What on earth?!"

"Tengu?!"

"AHHHHH!!!"

The three newest riders were quite astonished to find themselves no longer on horseback, but in the firm hold of a mystical creature of the forest, who they once knew as 'Kotengu.' Tengu plops the two Byakko on his back, but keeps Chuuguu in his hand.

"You'd better hold on tight, if you don't want to fall! It's a long way down! Ha ha ha ha!"

"Hmmmm, it's about time we got some help. What took you so long?" Tomomasa was never one to be surprised for very long. His smarmy smirk widens as he folds his arms and leans back into Tengu's hair. He glances at Takamichi, who says nothing but merely looks straight ahead, grasping onto Tengu's locks firmly, towards Kyou with a look of complete determination on his features.

"Lady Chuuguu!!! Don't be frightened. I will protect you!" In the massive palm beside her, Yorihisa immediately calls out to Chuuguu, feeling it his duty to protect Fuji's sister and 'daughter' of the Emperor.

"Yo-yorihisa?"

"Yes, do not worry, Lady Chuuguu."

Tengu though, could not help but take this chance. After all, he was still Tengu.

"Ha ha! Oh, yes, woman! Don't you worry. I would NEVER drop you!" And he starts to loosen his grip on the girl clinging to his big thumb.

"Ah-ahhhhhh!!!" Chuuguu shrieks out in terror as she feels herself being slowly let go...

"Tengu!"

"Aww, I was just having a little fun with the girl...Geez, you guys are all such sticks-in-the-mud! Am I saving your butts or what?! Give me a little respect here!" Tengu's masculine voice pouts a bit but beneath the surface tones was one of depth towards these humans he had come to befriend.

Tomomasa shakes his head at this unlikely turn of events but is grateful for the fact that once more, with the help of his fellow Hachiyou, he may yet be able to save the woman most important in his life----

His only daughter.