Chu - the Japanese onomatopoeia for the noise a mouse makes (like "squeak").
Fuu - wind or breeze
Ru - to bend
Nuu - to sew
Hopefully that'll save everyone from a lot of confusion. ^_^
--The Last Supper--
"The few memories
Lingering in my heart
Like fragments of a song
Hang onto yesterday.
Seeking for the true future
The lonely traveler wanders"
~Takehito Koyasu; "Tooi Yoake" (Faraway Dawn)~
The beginning of the day of New Year's Eve was like any other for Chichiri; he had slipped so quickly into a morning routine at Reikaku that he could practically perform the tasks blind-folded. Wake up. Search for mask on nightstand and put it on. Climb reluctantly out of blankets - Tasuki made Chichiri sleep on the floor, not that the monk minded - and shiver in the early morning air. Attempt to wake Tasuki; get grumbled at for efforts. Open shutters to let in some light. Attempt to wake Tasuki again; get cursed at for efforts. Slip out of pajamas and into everyday clothes. Successfully wake Tasuki, usually with a quick ki zap to the forehead. Wash face; clean teeth; comb hair. Endure the bandit studying him, then grinning victoriously when he found a silver hair among his blue ones. Get called an "Ojii-chan;" hit Tasuki with staff. Go to breakfast.
Yes, life at Reikaku worked just like clockwork, if not entertaining clockwork.
Typcially, after the morning "ritual" had been completed, Chichiri would go to the main dining hall and listen to Hikaru, Koji and Tasuki talk about a number of things while Shuu sulked and Genji gave puppy-dog eyes to the two bandits. This morning, however, things were somewhat different. Tasuki and Koji met each other with the usual morning jokes and news, but Hikaru seemed unusually distant, and Shuu's impatient glare was focused elsewhere, as if she was thinking about something very important. Genji was nowhere to be seen. It turned out that Koji and Tasuki had assigned him to be the head cook for the New Year's Eve meal, and the young man had really dedicated himself to the task; he was already in the kitchens, getting things lined up for the evening festivities.
The Asatenshi sisters' change in moods hadn't meant much to the monk that morning; looking back, he knew that he should have paid more attention to the little things, but at the time it hadn't seemed like such a big deal. Had he been more concerned about their distracted attitudes, he might have been warier that evening; as it was, the monk would be ignorant of one of the women's intentions until it was too late.
After breakfast was over, the group of bandits went their separate ways; today would be a day off for everyone at the stronghold, so most of them went into the living quarters to relax or back to their rooms to sleep some more. Tasuki and Koji headed out back to get a little fresh air; with no better option, Chichiri decided to follow them.
The monk stepped into the chill mid-morning air just in time to hear Tasuki say, "So, how's it goin' between you 'n' Hikaru-san, eh, Koji?" the redhead elbowed his friend. "She looked kinda distracted this mornin' - didja get her alone last night 'r somethin'?"
Koji leaned against a nearby tree, laughing humorlessly. "Hah! She's too busy usin' her energy on someone else t'even notice me."
"Don't give up no da," Chichiri remarked as he came around the corner, smiling cheerfully at the pair of bandits. "If you give it a little time Hikaru-san will get to know you too, no da."
"Chichiri, whadda ya think yer doin', givin' encouragement t'yer rival? Koji's got th' hots fer Hikaru-san almost as much as she's got 'em fer you." Tasuki snickered. "Don't think I ain't seen her, hangin' around you all the time."
The monk shook his head. "It's not like that no da." He leaned against the wall of the stronghold, looking up at the clear blue sky. "Hikaru-san is my friend, not my lover no da. Trust me, she thinks of me more like a brother than anything else no da. Besides, you know I'm not interested in that kind of relationship no da."
Tasuki raised both eyebrows, looking back towards Koji. "Oh? Well in that case, who d'ya think she's noticin' besides you?"
Koji and Chichiri both looked at the redhead in open-mouthed surprise. "You mean you don't know (na no da)?" A headshake. They stared at him blankly. "You really don't know (na no da)?"
The bandit scowled. "I already told ya I didn't! So who th' hell is it, na? One-a th' other bandits're somethin'? Genji-kun? Ken-kun? C'mon, who is it?" Bandit and monk both pointed at Tasuki. He followed their fingers with his eyes, golden orbs widening when he realized they were aimed at him. "Eh!? You think she's got a thing fer me!?"
"Of course no da."
"It's pretty obvious," Koji growled unhappily. Tasuki looked at him, an unspoken question in his eyes. The bandit, understanding his friend, gave an example. "Th' other night, when it was yer turn t'cook, she couldn't stop goin' about how good yer shrimp was. You coulda written a novel about all the things she said about that meal, an' no offense 'r nothin' Genrou, but it wasn't that great."
"She did?" Tasuki looked up to the sky, scratching his chin in confusion. "I jus' thought she really liked shrimp..."
Koji stared blankly at his bandit companion, then looked away, shaking his head. "An' this is th' guy Hikaru-san's attracted to!? I jus' don't get it..."
Tasuki looked towards Chichiri, obviously confused. "You think Koji's right?" The monk nodded. "Well, it's news t'me." Tasuki paused, then turned back to Koji, grinning. "Hey, at least this way you don't gotta worry about it, pal! I'm about as interested in women as Chichiri is, so Hikaru-san doesn't have any other choice but you!"
"Is that supposed to be make me feel better?"
"Didn't it?"
Koji shook his head in disbelief, blue lines appearing under his eyes. "Of all th' bandits on th' mountain... this guy...?"
Chichiri chuckled. "Don't worry, Koji. I'm sure once she gets a chance to know you, the two of you will hit it off really well no da. And if you're worried about her feelings for Tasuki, I spoke to her the other day and I don't think it's much more than a crush no da. As soon as Hikaru-san finds out what a hot-headed, violent pyromaniac Tasuki-kun is, she'll probably give him up no da."
"Hey, good point!" Koji remarked, brightening up considerably.
Tasuki nodded in agreement. "Yeah, good-" he realized what the monk had said about him. "HEY! I ain't that bad!"
"Sou, sou!" his bandit friend agreed, grinning teasingly. "Yer ten times worse!"
"I forgot to mention ill-tempered no da," a chibi Chichiri said with a smile.
"Who asked you, Ojii-chan!?"
The monk popped his friend over the head for the "grandpa" comment, then rubbed a chibi finger in his ear. "I didn't say he was loud either, did I na no da?"
Koji grabbed his redheaded companion in a friendly headlock. "An' about as dense as swamp mud!"
"Ach! Get offa me!"
"Very impatient no da."
"I can't breathe! Koji, leggo!"
"Whiny, too."
"Kuso!"
"Don't forget foul-mouthed no da."
Tasuki, who was still stuck in Koji's headlock, glared at the pair angrily. "Damn smartasses... my ego just went right down the toilet."
"That's what friends are for no da," Chichiri said with a smile. "To remind you that you really aren't as amazing as all those hero-worshippers tell you no da."
"An' t'remind ya that no matter how famous of a seishi y'are, ya still can't escape from yer best friend's Infamous Headlock of Death!" Koji added. "C'mon, say it, b'fore I really put muscle in it!"
"Hell no! I ain't a kid anymore!"
The tanned bandit tightened his hold. "Say it, Gen-chan!"
"I'm the leader-a th' Reikaku bandits, dammit! I don't gotta take this!" Tasuki's struggles were proving to be fruitless.
"I don't care if yer th' leader of Konan, yer not movin' 'till I hear it!"
"Fine, fine!" Tasuki lowered his head and muttered, "Koji-senpai is my hero."
"What was that?"
"KOJI-SENPAI IS MY HERO! Ya happy now!?"
The dark-haired bandit released his friend, grinning broadly. "See? That wasn't so hard, was it?" He put a hand to his chin. "Ah, brought back a lotta memories too, from when I used t'kick ya around all th' time when we were kids... hah, those were th' days, weren't they...?"
The redhead rubbed his neck ruefully. "I didn't like 'em that much..."
"Looks to me like those days are still going on no da." Chichiri said, but his voice held a distinct note of sadness. Watching the two friends brought back some of his own nostalgia; how much would he give to be stuck in one of Hikou's infamous headlocks, if only for one brief moment? The monk watched the two friend's scuffle, smiling gently at the pair. "You're true friends no da. And whatever happens with Hikaru-san, I'm sure you won't lose that no da."
Neither bandit appeared to hear Chichiri. Tasuki had Koji's arms pinned tightly behind his head, and was gradually jerking them farther back. "Okay, now it's yer turn t'squeal!"
"I'd rather get my arms pulled off!"
"That c'n be arranged!" Tasuki gave his friend's elbows another good tug.
"Itetete!" Koji grimaced. He gritted his teeth, growling in a barely audible voice: "I'm yer bitch."
"I can't heeeeear you!"
"I'm yer bitch! Now get off b'fore ya kill me! Baka yarou..."
Chichiri put a hand against a nearby tree, supporting himself while he chuckled over the bandit's ritual. The chuckle quickly escalated into a full-fledged laugh; it filled the small clearing, echoing gently through the trees and against the side of the stronghold. The sound was a contagious one; before long, the trio of friends were all laughing - Tasuki and Koji holding sore body parts as they did - realizing how silly they must have looked, and relaxing in the peaceful afternoon.
Had they known it was to be one of their last together, they might have enjoyed it more.
Chichiri had been informed that the evening's festivities would probably go on late into the night, maybe even into the next morning. The monk was used to going to bed soon after the sun went down - you couldn't travel well in the dark, after all - so he knew he wouldn't make it through the party if he didn't get in some extra rest. And, since everyone was having a day of rest anyway, he decided to join them and take a sorely needed midafternoon nap.
The monk slept fitfully: he wasn't used to sleeping in the middle of the day, plus he still had a lot of things on his mind. It was strange, he thought to himself, that he would be thinking so much of Hikou and Kouran these days. For nearly ten years now, ever since he'd settled things with Hikou, he had been much more at peace with that horrible accident; it wasn't that he never thought about it, it was just that he didn't think about it quite this much.
'Before, I couldn't be satisfied because I was always by myself no da. And now, when I finally find a nice place to stay with people I care about, this comes back to me na no da?' he thought sleepily to himself. 'Daa, how strange... it's almost like I won't allow myself to be happy anywhere no da.'
Hm. Maybe that was it, then. Maybe he was subconsciously preventing himself from being content with his lifestyle. Maybe, deep down, he didn't think he deserved it. Did murderers, even unintentional murderers, deserve happiness?
Chichiri closed his single eye. There was no use thinking about it. Nothing would come out of thinking about it; nothing but restless nights, unsure days, and others being worried about him. The last thing he wanted was for his friends to be concerned on his account; they had too many things on their own minds as it was. Just forget about it. Most people didn't find complete satisfaction with their lives. He should consider himself lucky for being as well-off as he was. Still...
A familiar female voice interrupted him out of his reverie, calling him quietly back to earth. "Chichiri-san? Are you awake?"
"Hai no da. Come on in," he said quietly, opening his eye and sitting up. "And you know, you can just call me Chichiri if you want to, Hikaru-san no da."
She blinked in surprise. "Hontou?"
"Sure no da," he agreed, gesturing for her to take a seat on Tasuki's bed. "That's what my friends call me, isn't it na no da? And, since you are one of my friends no da..."
The young woman smiled, walking quickly over to the bandit's bed and having a seat. "Okay, Chichiri! Then, in that case, you can call me Hi-chan! That's what all of my friends back home call me."
"Hi-chan," he said it with a chuckle, "I've never heard Shuu-san call you that."
"Shuu-chan isn't much of a nickname person. It's just not in her nature, I suppose." Hikaru never talked about her sister's emotions - or her own, come to think of it - for very long periods of time. She swiftly changed the subject. "I came here to ask you a question, if that's not too much trouble."
"Ask away, no da."
Hikaru smoothed out her skirts. She was wearing a periwinkle dress today, with a pale pink sash and trim of the same color; it was a much more elegant than her former clothing. Chichiri assumed she wanted to look good for the party that evening. "Eto, I was just wondering... where do you plan on going, once the New Year's celebrations are over?"
The monk leaned back on his elbows, looking up at the ceiling of his temporary room. "I'm not completely sure no da. I think I'll head to the city at the foot of Reikaku, for starters, and stay there for a little while no da. I want to take a little time to reflect, and to weigh my options. Then, I'll probably settle down in the city, probably near where Shuu-san studies; I'm getting a bit tired of traveling no da."
Hikaru clapped her hands together happily. "Oh, good! I was worried that the two of us might part ways soon, but since I'll be staying with Shuu-chan for a time we can continue to see each other!" She smiled and blushed a little. "I would have hated to say farewell to you so quickly, Chichiri."
"I guess I would have felt the same no da." The monk looked towards his new companion, a small, teasing smile on his lips. "So, do you plan on going back home after your visit with Shuu-san na no da?"
Asatenshi blushed a deep red, looking down at her hands. "That depends on Shuu-chan's reaction to my staying with her... as well as the feelings of somebody else..."
"A certain bandit na no da?"
"Chichiri is perceptive as well as wise." Hikaru's emerald eyes moved back up, until they were meeting his masked ones. She frowned thoughtfully. "Chichiri is also very unusual. I can't tell anything about you, when you wear your mask. Whether you're happy, sad, troubled... your false face turns them all into cheerfulness."
"That's the point no da."
"Is it really that important for you to keep your own feelings a secret?"
The monk touched his mask, frowning slightly. "No, that's not it... I just don't want to worry anyone else, that's all no da."
"But if you don't have anyone to worry about you, then what's the point of living?" Chichiri didn't answer Hikaru's question; he didn't have an answer to give. The young woman continued. "Do you think you could take it off, please? After the other day... I feel like I've been talking to Chichiri the smiling monk all this time, instead of Chichiri the man."
The seishi had never had anyone request for him to remove his mask; he was too surprised to do anything but comply. Chichiri set the piece of material close by, so he could grab it as soon as possible. "Is that better no da?"
"Arigatou, Chichiri! I know that must have sounded silly, but... I think you're a little more open without it. I feel like I know you, but that I don't know you at all, even after all the time we've spent together." Hikaru smiled, blushing slightly. "That doesn't make sense, does it?"
"Sure it does no da," he agreed, resisting the urge to slip the cloth back onto his face; he was so used to wearing it these days that he felt more like himself with it than without it. "I feel the same way about you no da. You've talked about your home, your family, your friends and the people here on Reikaku, but you've never really talked much about yourself no da." Chichiri chuckled. "I guess we're kindred spirits in that sense no da."
Hikaru smiled. "Do I do that? I guess I never realized." She stood, hands clasped politely in front of her. "All right then, Chichiri! From this day forward, I promise to talk more about myself, so you can feel like you know me without not knowing me. Demo [But]..." she winked, "you have to promise to do the same thing for me. Deal?"
The monk returned her friendly smile. "Deal no da." Asatenshi's grin quickly transformed into a concerned frown. "Doshita na no da?"
"Hm, it's nothing..." Hikaru hesitated, then decided to continue. "It's just, when you smile without your mask, you look like something is always bothering you. It's not an unhappy smile, but it's never empty of sadness. Does your past really bother you that much? Twenty-plus years are enough for humans to forget about sorrow... aren't they?"
The monk was startled for the second time that day by the woman's questions; so surprised, in fact, that for one of the first times in twenty years he spoke straight from his heart. "It is, but when you still have questions about that sorrow, questions that can't be answered until you die, then it's hard to be completely happy no da. It's hard not to have at least a few troubles on your mind no da."
"Until you die..." Hikaru frowned, a look that seemed both troubled and - for some reason - confused. She smiled quickly, but Chichiri was surprised to see the faint hint of tears in her eyes. "I have decided," Asatenshi said quietly. "That I'm going to figure it out."
"Figure out what no da?"
"How to erase it," she explained. "I'm going to learn how to erase all that pain, and help you be completely, one-hundred percent happy again! Because, someday... I'd like to see you really smile, if only once." The young woman leaned down next to her friend, winking and flashing a victory sign. "That, Chichiri, is a promise from Asatenshi Hikaru, and I never break my promises."
The monk blinked, bewildered by her sudden statement. No one had ever, not in his entire life, offered to do something like that for him. Chichiri doubted that the task could be completed, but looking into Hikaru's emerald eyes, he couldn't help but wonder if maybe she would find some way to do what she said. Slowly, a gentle smile touched his unmasked face. Chichiri was touched, and he told her just that. "I don't know what to say no da. Arigatou."
Asatenshi curled her eyes upwards in a Chichiri-smile. "Well, that's what friends are for, deshou?" The woman pulled away, pointed her noise to the air, and sniffed. "Mm, can you smell that? I think Genji-kun's 'Amazing Reikaku Feast' must be just about ready! We should head down to the party."
Chichiri stood quickly, putting his mask back onto his face. "Good idea no da. I wasn't hungry until I smelled that, but now my nose is telling my stomach that it's starving no da."
Hikaru giggled. The monk started towards the door, with the Asatenshi woman close behind. He turned the corner to head towards the dining hall, only to run slap-bang into Shuu. "Daa!"
Shuu stumbled back a couple of steps, a pale white crystal falling out of her hand and onto the floor. "Hey! Watch where you're going, will you? You're the ki-senser around here, after all."
Chichiri chuckled. "I must have gotten careless for a moment no da." He noticed the crystal that Shuu had dropped; the monk knelt down to pick it up. "Here you dropped this no-" as his hand touched it, he recoiled slightly; the gem was filled to the brim with unusual magic. It's power was a strange paradox, both gentle and terrible; he couldn't decide whether the feel of all that alien strength comforted him or scared him.
The younger Asatenshi snatched the white crystal up quickly, bringing her hand back to hide it in her sleeve. "Thanks anyway, but I can get it myself."
Chichiri looked up at her, his eyebrows furrowed together thoughtfully. "That stone... it was full of magic no da. What was that...?"
Shuu glared at him, crossing her arms defiantly across her chest. "Stay out of my business, monk," she snapped, turning hurriedly away from the duo and towards the dining hall, "and I will stay out of yours."
The monk watched her go, confusion written clearly on his masked face. "Nani o...?"
Hikaru sighed, putting a hand to her cheek. "Shuu-chan, what am I going to do with you? She's so secretive. I apologize." She turned on her heel, heading down the hall the way her sister had gone. "Well, come on, let's not let that interrupt the evening! Tasuki-san said tonight is going to be amazing, and I don't doubt his words! Hayaku [Hurry], Chichiri! Shuu-chan's sour mood isn't going to ruin my festive spirit, I assure you of that!"
The Asatenshi woman caught up quickly with her sister. The two exchanged looks that neither could read; looks of danger and foreboding.
"I won't allow you to harm him."
"You don't have any say in the matter, Nee-san."
"We'll see about that. I'm preparing myself for the worst. It will happen soon," one assumed quietly.
The other's glare and voice did not waver. "You had better prepare quickly, then. It will happen tonight."
The evening was only a few hours old, but already it lived up to Tasuki's expectations; the food was spectacular, the drinks were great, and spirits were at their highest. Chichiri couldn't count the number of times he'd toasted to someone's health - he suspected that if all the toasts came true, every bandit in the stronghold would probably live until they were a hundred - or the number of delicious foods he'd tasted.
This was the first time the monk had seen all of the bandits together at once, and it gave him an idea of just how hard it must have been for Tasuki and Koji to keep everyone in order. Chichiri knew that he'd never be able to remember them all by their names, but he decided to do his best to remember them by their faces. After all, if he planned to live close by, he should at least get to know the locals. The table he now sat at was occupied by Koji, Tasuki, Hikaru and Shuu, as well as Genji and the most recently accepted gang members Ryo and Ken.
The new bandit Ryo was a short, broad-shouldered young man somewhere around the age of twenty-five. He had a layer of rough stubble on his cheeks, a head of short black hair, and eyes the color of rain-filled clouds. He was well-mannered, but somber and extremely quiet.
His friend and fellow newcomer, Ken, was a completely different story. He was short like his companion, but with a much leaner build. He was clean-shaven, wore his long, dark purple hair back in a ponytail, and had eyes that reminded the monk of a cloudless summer sky. The young man, also in his mid-twenties, was extremely friendly and charming; he almost always had a small smile on his face or a joke on his lips. Nevertheless, Chichiri wasn't sure if he liked either of them.
To Genji's extreme pleasure, Tasuki and Koji had declared him the greatest cook the mountain had ever seen, as well as the official head chef of the Reikaku bandits. Genji could hardly contain his excitement, and he spent a good portion of the evening blushing happily and babbling about how great of an honor it all was.
Shuu was silent for most of the meal, as usual, hard green eyes constantly darting around the table, almost as if she were too shy - or too ashamed - to look at any of them for a very long time.
Hikaru got along well with everyone, once more as usual, even Tasuki; once she had finished an entertaining tale about her childhood, she had asked him to tell her a few things about himself and the gang. Surprised that the talkative woman had requested that he "take the floor," Tasuki dazedly told her the story of how he became Reikaku's leader. Hikaru paid rapt attention, practically hanging on his every word. Though he'd never admit it, the bandit was starting to like her, or at least tolerate her.
"So that's how it happened? Tasuki-san, no wonder you're the leader! To do something that brave and daring...! It's all very admirable."
Tasuki rubbed the back of his head. "Nah, it wasn't nothin', really..." remembering Koji's attraction to Hikaru, the bandit decided to help his friend out. "An' I had a lotta help from Koji here; there's no way I woulda survived if it hadn't been fer him. In fact, I bet he's got a lotta stories he c'd tell too..."
"Of course," she said quickly, brushing away his suggestion. "So, Tasuki-san, you and Chichiri-san traveled together with the other seishi, deshou? I bet you have plenty of adventures during those journeys! And I'm sure you were just as brave-"
Snap!
Everyone jumped at the unusual noise, then looked over at Koji to see that his chopsticks had cracked in his hand.
Genji didn't miss the look on the older bandit's face, though he couldn't quite place what emotions that look expressed. "Koji-sama, daijoubu ka?" the youth asked with concern.
The dark-haired man blinked in surprise, looking down at his splintered chopsticks. "Ano..." he looked up. "I'm fine, Genji-kun," he said with a forced smile. He did his best to get his emotions under control. He couldn't let the others know that Hikaru's blow-off had been like a knife to the heart, or that her extreme interest in his best friend was only driving the blade deeper. He wasn't the kind of person who got angry over that kind of thing... was he? "Shuu-san, could you pass me another pair of chopsticks, please?"
The younger Asatenshi woman did as she was told. She drummed her fingers lightly on the table, glaring at her older sister impatiently. "I bet Koji-san's tired of this conversation. It isn't like he hasn't heard Ahou's stories a million times."
Hikaru frowned. "Well, I've never heard them, and I'm sure Ryo-san and Ken-san haven't either."
A small chuckle spilled from Ken's ever-smiling lips. It was a strange sound, one that seemed to contradict itself, being both friendly and dangerous all at once. "You'd be surprised how many times the two of us have heard them. There's very little to do during the winter, so we get to hear the famous Reikaku stories more often than is probably healthy. Wouldn't you agree, Ryo?"
"Gettin' tired of 'em," he replied shortly.
"I never get tired of them, te kanjii!" Genji spoke up with a smile.
"Well, I've only heard one and I'm already sick of it. How about we tell them in moderation, if we have to tell them at all?" Shuu snapped impatiently. "It'll save Koji-san-tachi a lot of boredom."
Hikaru sniffed and turned away. "Oh, all right." She smiled winningly at Tasuki. "Later tonight, then, shall you tell me another? I have so much to learn about the gods, and about their servants that I never thought existed."
"Ah, I guess so... but, really, Koji's got some great ones too, y'know..."
Genji frowned unhappily at Shuu. "Oi, Nee-san, you spoiled the fun. Maybe you don't like Tasuki-sama's stories, but I do, te kanjii!"
"Listen up Brown-Noser," the sister growled across the table. "I'm not your 'Nee-san,' you got that? If you're gonna talk to me at all, then call me by my name."
"But I never learned your name..."
"Then you ought to ask. It's Shuu."
Genji cocked his head. "Chu?" He held up a mouse to make his point.
"No, moron! Shuu!"
The young bandit fanned Ryo, producing a breeze. "Fuu?"
"Shuu! Shuu!"
He looked at her blankly, bending at the waist. "Ru?"
The young Asatenshi woman gritted her teeth, trying to hold back her impatience. Green power licked around her fingers. "What part of 'Shuu' could you possibly not understand, baka!?"
Hikaru jumped up, grabbing her little sister by the shoulders. "Shuu-chan, calm down, calm down! He just misunderstood you, that's all!"
Genji thumped his fist into his open palm, nodding in sudden understanding. "Ah! I finally figured it out! Hah, I feel really stupid now, te kanjii!"
Shuu relaxed visibly, but her glare on the young bandit didn't lesson. "Oh, did you, Genji-kun?"
He nodded knowingly, crossing his arms over his chest. "Yes ma'am! Geez, I don't know how I could have heard wrong!" He produced a needle and thread from thin air. "It's Nuu, isn't it?"
Everyone present at the table face-vaulted.
Chichiri sat up, taking a sip of sake - he wasn't much of a drinker, but it was the New Year after all - and chuckling. "We'll write it out for you later, Genji-kun no da." The monk glanced towards Tasuki. "Oi Tasuki-kun, it's almost midnight, isn't it na no da?"
The bandit leader looked out the window of the hideout, checking the height of the moon. The glowing orb had nearly reached its zenith; the New Year had almost arrived. "Hey, yer right! Okay, c'mon, everyone get a glass-a sake, it's bad luck not t'have a shot at midnight. You too, Hikaru-san, Gaki."
Shuu turned her glare on him. "What'd I tell you about calling me that, Ahou?"
Tasuki ignored her. "Oi, Koji, hand me that bottle, will ya? Thanks. Okay, 'Chiri, yer turn, fill it right up t'the top... there ya go! Haha, now this is a celebration!" He noticed Genji messing with something. "Oi, Genji-kun, what are those, na?"
The young man held up a couple of red sticks, grinning widely. "Hanabi [fireworks], Gen-sama! I swiped them from a stand in the city! What do you think, pretty nice way to bring in the New Year, isn't it?"
"Sure, sure, but ya gotta take 'em outside if ya wanna light 'em!"
Genji hopped towards the door, cuddling the pair of rockets to his chest and smiling. "I named them 'Koji-sama' and 'Gen-sama'! Big blasts and high bursts are a sign of good luck, you know! Aaaaah, my beloved hanabi will soar just like their beloved namesakes, te kanjii! May their paths be true and their colors outshining even the very stars around them, te kanjiiii!"
Tasuki and Koji both sweatdropped. "He's a good kid, but we're gonna have t'talk t'him about comments like that," the dark-haired bandit remarked.
"Oi, minna-san," Ken said with a smile as he poked his head out the window. "The moon has reached it's peak! May the ceremonies continue as planned?"
"Oryaa!" half the bandits cried, raising their glasses. "Happy New Year, minna!"
Chichiri stood and raised his sake cup with the rest of them, smiling happily and thinking that there was no better way to end a year and enter a new one...
"And so, the time has come."
The voice came within the monk's head, and it froze every muscle in his body. The room dimmed and faded, leaving nothing but himself and a woman across from him. The woman glowed with dazzling emerald power; all Chichiri could see clearly were a pair of green eyes and a head of raven-blue hair. "Asatenshi-!?"
"I apologize for the intrusion upon your evening, but my Master has requested it."
Chichiri was frozen in place; even if he had wanted to move, he didn't know where he could move in this world of blackness. "Requested it? Requested what na no da?"
"Your extermination," the woman said simply, her thin lips set in a grim line. She closed her eyes tightly, and began to chant a curious spell.
"Seven Holy Oaths of Strength and I choose number threeMemories lie within and nostalgia is the key.
Angels above, Demons below, and They That Lie Between
Lend me all your strength and take him to his dream."
Her eyes opened suddenly, and green power flared around her slim hands. "Vanish, all that is reality! Vanish, all that is magic! Eradicate yourselves from this world, and from this man! Disappear, Ri Houjun!"
The emerald power traversed the space between the two before Chichiri could react; it shot towards him like an arrow, wrapped around his body, then spun straight through his disfigured eye. Pain flared across his scar, coloring it a brilliant red; he gritted his teeth against it, but was unable to fight back or call for help. The pain rose in volume, crescendoed to a pitch, then disappeared in a flash of crimson blood and emerald power.
And then Chichiri heard nothing, saw nothing, was nothing; and his entire world vanished into darkness.
*****
Author's Mundane Ramblings: July 21, 2003, 12:42 AM (yes, yes, I never sleep)
Hao, minna-san!
Well, this verse was a little late in coming, as warned: I didn't get back from Colorado 'till late Saturday night, and I didn't have time to edit and post 'till now. But hey, on the bright side, Verse Five will be out on Friday, so ya won't have as long to wait! ^_^
Random Chapter Comments "Aaaaaah!" you all screamed. Yes, it's true, I've unleashed the plot on you, left you with a cliffhanger, and I'm afraid that all I can say is: "Mwahahaha...!"
Honestly, why must I be this evil?
Japanese 101 I'm a bit braindead, so we'll just go with a few particles today, all right?
--"ka" indicates a question. For example: "Chichiri ga kawaii desu ka?" (Is Chichiri a cutie? Why yes. Yes he is. ^_^)
--"yo" and "da" add emphasis to a word or sentence. Example: "Chichiri, daisuki da yo" (Chichiri, I love you!! Which I do...)
--"no" is a possessive particle that can be read as "'s" or "of." Example: "Tasuki no tessen" can be read as both "Tasuki's tessen" and "the tessen of Tasuki." Got it? Yeah, that one's pretty simple.
--"ni" is kind of tricky. It indicates location, and translates to any of these: "in, on, to, at."
That's all my brain can handle today. I think I'm going to drop this section, 'cause I seriously doubt that anyone is very interested with it... unless, of course, someone begs me to continue, then I guess I will... but otherwise, this is the last session of Dee-chan Japanese.
Question of the Week: After Suzaku was sealed, Chichiri still wore his mask. But wasn't the cloth enchanted? Wouldn't it have fallen off?
Verse Preview? Well, the New Year's party has been ruined, to say the least. (Okay, but what about Chichiri?) I'm also going to delve into Tasuki's psyche for the first, but certainly not last, time. (Okay, but what about Chichiri!?) And which of the sisters cast the spell? Which didn't? Will those answers even begin to be revealed? Probably not. (Okay, what about-!?) But you will at least find out what happened to Chichiri. (THANK YOU!)
A Maniacal Author, and Proud of It,
Dee ~_^