Chapter Fourteen

"There's still been no news?"

As they mounted the steps of the National Library, Keisuke eyed his companion, a troubled expression crossing his face as he registered the lines of tiredness and worry that creased Taka's brow. "Taka, you do realise how crazy this is, don't you? That Hikari'd go into the book of her own accord…why would she even know about it?"

"She wouldn't." Taka admitted, as he scanned the door of the library for the list of opening hours. "But then nor did Miaka, the first time. Keisuke, I know that's where she is. It sounds insane, but I know. And if I can go in there – if I can get her back – then I will."

"Miaka doesn't want you to." Keisuke chided him, placing his hand against the door and pushing it open, grabbing his companion and pulling him inside. "Come on. Don't attract attention to yourself. You know that the room we're heading for is restricted – if we're caught, explaining might be difficult."

"I know." Taka admitted, allowing his companion to lead him through the already busy foyer and up the flight of stairs to the Important Documents Room where the Shijin-Tenchishou was stored. "And I don't want to upset Miaka, either. But I'm the only one who can go in there, Keisuke. We all know that. Miaka can't. Mayo can't. Not now their roles as Miko have been played out. There's only me who can go looking for Hikari…and she's my daughter. So I have to go. It's the only possible solution."

"This is so unlike the kid, you know." Keisuke reflected, as they reached their destination. "Ack, and it's locked, too. Any bright ideas, Taka-kun? How are we going to get in there without a key?"

"I'm not letting a lock stop us." Taka slid his hand into his pocket, pulling out a length of wire as he began to fiddle with the fastening, and Keisuke stared at him in disbelief.

"Since when could you do that?"

"Since Miaka kept locking us out of the apartment, and leaving the keys in the car." Taka offered him a grim smile. "I came prepared. I knew we'd not just be able to walk in. Stand guard for me, will you? I don't want to have to explain why we're doing this, and telling him my daughter's stuck in one of the books might not go down too well."

"You're telling me." Keisuke obediently did as he was bidden. "If she really is in there, though. And if she is, she must be frightened – it's all totally new to her and I can't imagine she'd choose to do this. No matter what kind of a fight you guys had – Hikari's not the kind of girl to run away."

"She's also not the kind of girl to steal." Taka said darkly. "But here we are."

"Steal?" Keisuke looked dumbstruck. "Hikari-chan? I don't believe you."

"Well, Miaka caught her red-handed." Taka said with a sigh. "Apparently she's got some hair-brained crush on a guy at school and she thinks that getting his attention is the be all and end all of life. God only knows what the kid is like, if he's had this kind of influence on her before they've even begun to spend time together…but even so, it was a shock to us, too. I sometimes wonder what we've missed – where we've gone wrong. I didn't think Hikari was a rebellious kind of child, but I'm starting to doubt that."

He frowned, as the door gave a soft click.

"There we go. We're in. Still, right now, I've gone past being angry at her…I just want to make sure she's safe."

"I'm sure." Keisuke's brows knitted together. "I can't imagine Hikari being the kind to steal, though. You've raised her better than that."

"I thought we had." Taka admitted. "But truth is, Keisuke, Miaka and I've also concealed things from them, too. I don't know…I guess she feels she has things to resent, too. Things we'll need to put straight, so long as I can get her back."

"Well, if you're so sure this is where she is…" Keisuke shrugged, pushing open the door and stepping into the dark, dusty Documents Room with a shrug of his shoulders. His expert eyes scanned the shelves, immediately finding what he was looking for and pulling it down, glancing at it, then up at his friend.

"It's not as dusty as the others. Looks like someone has played with it recently." He observed.

"Hikari. I told you." Taka said flatly. "Open it, Keisuke. See whether or not we can pinpoint what my daughter's got herself involved in."

"Whatever you say." Keisuke flipped open the book, stopping dead as he registered the state of the pages. Anxiety and confusion flooded through him as he flicked through a few chapters, then glanced up at his companion.

"They're black." He murmured. "All of them. Like…like that time before. When…"

"When Mayo and Miaka and all of us Seishi almost vanished into oblivion." Taka's face visibly whitened, and he grabbed the book from his friend, running his finger over the page. "Like then? Like the end of the world?"

"Like that." Keisuke agreed soberly, and Taka shook his head, biting his lip as he struggled to digest the implications in the other man's words.

"It can't be." He murmured. "It can't…Hikari's in here. She's in here! But…how can she be…if the book is dead?"

Keisuke did not answer, and Taka swallowed hard.

"I can't even feel anything from it, this time." He added softly. "Nothing to draw me in. Not even as Tamahome. I've felt the oni mark from time to time, lately…but now…"

He faltered, and Keisuke shook his head.

"Hikari can't be in there. That's the only solution." He reflected.

"But I know she is, and so does Miaka." Taka objected. "Keisuke, what's happened to my daughter? What kind of a world has she ended up in – and how the hell are we going to get her out?"

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As the travellers emerged from Chichiri's kasaon the slope leading down to the Eastern Village, there was an unsettled, unspoken feeling of tension and doubt overhanging all of them and, as Hikari cast the Seishi a sidelong glance, she realised better than anyone the fear that flickered against his senses. As he slipped his hat into its travel position, he did not stop to speak or look at any of them, but instead he headed into the village, his gait tense and anxious as he made a bee-line for his home.

Hikari swallowed hard.

"Should we…go too?" She asked hesitantly, and Tasuki frowned, then he nodded.

"He might need back-up, if there's somethin' still hangin' round this place." He said quietly. "Keep on your guard, all of you. We don't know what we might encounter, and I ain't lettin' any of you get hurt on my watch."

Hikari's gaze strayed across the village, pausing as her glance rested on the tiled roofing of the Ri family home.

"But..." She murmured. "But…Tasuki…"

She trailed off, feeling suddenly giddy, and as her legs crumpled beneath her, Jin let out an exclamation, reaching to catch her and steady her on her feet.

"Hikari! Are you okay?"

"You look a funny colour." Shishi peered at her, anxiety in her expression. "Kashira, if something's happened – maybe Hiki shouldn't see it. She's a wimp at the best of times – Jin an' I can stay here with her, if you want to go help Chichiri."

Tasuki's eyes narrowed indecisively for a moment, but he seemed to see the sense in his daughter's words, for he nodded, his fingers closing around his tessen as he hurried in the direction his friend had gone.

For a moment, there was silence, and Hikari drew a deep breath into her lungs, struggling to calm her pounding heart.

"Just like in Makan." She whispered, and Jin shot her a funny look.

"Hikari?"

"I think…I'm all right now." Hikari cast him a rueful glance, disentangling herself from his supportive grip as she did so. "It was just, for a moment…like in Makan…"

She faltered, swallowing hard.

"I think Chichiri and I are connected." She admitted unsteadily. "Since Makan, I think we are. That he called on me, and then in Kahou, I could feel what he was afraid of. And it was like…something overwhelmed me. Something suffocating and stifling…something from that house. Chichiri…"

"Something's happened to the kids, hasn't it?" Jin asked softly, and Hikari bit her lip.

"I think…so." She admitted. "We need to follow Tasuki. I'm all right now, I promise. I'm not going to faint. It was just – it hit me without warning."

She cast the red-haired bandit a glance, biting her lip as she met the look in the girl's bronze eyes.

"I guess I shouldn't have focused so hard last night on trying to find Chichiri, Shishi – I think now I'm finding him even when I don't want to."

"You mean you can read his mind or something?" Shishi eyed her warily, as they made their way slowly down the hill towards the old farmhouse. "Because if you're doin' that to people, you ain't sharin' a room with me any more, I'm tellin' you now. An' stop keepin' us in suspense, dammit! What the hell's happened to Meikyo an' Eiju – or do I have to beat it out of you?"

"I can't read his mind so I don't know." Hikari snapped, then she sighed. "It's not like that. I can't tell what he's thinking, as such."

"Then how do you know the brats are in trouble? Idiot."

"I just do." Hikari looked frustrated. "It's difficult to explain it. It's just…it's not that I know what he's thinking. I just…I know what makes him most afraid, that's all. When I first came here, when he heard what I said about the world I saw, I know it hurt him. And he admitted to me that of all things, it made him afraid…to lose his family again, like he lost those people in the flood. So when he's scared, I guess…its what I think of. Him telling me that his family are everything to him. And that losing them…losing them…"

She trailed off, tears glittering in her dark eyes as she fought to control her composure.

"That's why I stayed." She whispered. "Because of that. Because his family were so good to me when I didn't have anyone else to rely on. I want to protect them, somehow…and now, if something's happened…"

"Well, we won't know unless we go down there." Jin said gravely. "It's all right, Hikari. It's not your fault, whatever's happened."

"I bet it is that bastard assassin." Shishi clenched her fists. "I don't know how, but somehow. I bet it is."

"How would he travel so far in one night?" Jin asked her, and Shishi shrugged.

"He's abnormal." She said bluntly. "I don't know. Maybe he doesn't sleep. Maybe it's some magic assassin power that we don't know about. But I bet it is him…no matter how he pulled it off."

"Do you think he's still here?" Hikari asked tentatively.

Shishi snorted.

"You tell us. You're the one who senses stuff." She returned, and Hikari shook her head.

"Only Chichiri." She admitted. "And even he couldn't tell when the guy was there. It was like he vanished off the radar – like he was completely invisible to Chichiri's magic. So if he couldn't do it, there's no way I could."

"He was invisible?" Jin looked startled. "How the hell is that possible?"

"It ain't, unless he's some kind of sorcerer too." Shishi said pragmatically. "He's an assassin – he used weapons, not spells. It must've been an illusion - he was dressed all in black, so I guess he hid in the shadows."

"That doesn't explain why Chichiri couldn't sense him any more, when he was right there." Hikari shivered. "Does it?"

At that moment they reached the house, and Hikari hesitated, unwilling to go any further as she remembered the vision of the sleeping skeletal children that had haunted her since her arrival in this world. Jin, seeing the look on her face strode forward, placing his hand on the door, and then, with a momentary pause, he pushed it back.

Something red had dripped along the hallway and into the main chamber and, as the three entered, Hikari drew breath sharply, registering the hunched form of Chichiri cradling something protectively in his arms. From the glimpse of dark fabric and red hair, Hikari realised with a jolt that the fallen form was Aidou, and for an instant, fear coursed her heart.

"Aidou-obasama!" Shishi hurried forwards, dropping down at Chichiri's side, and Hikari took a tentative step or two towards them, unsure as to what she should do. As she did so, however, she registered the slight stirring of the woman's still body and relief flooded her young heart.

So she was still alive.

"Shishi-chan." Chichiri's voice was low and controlled, and he sounded like a stranger to the frightened school-girl's ears. "Will you run to the stream and get fresh water? You know the mountain better than anyone – can you do that for me?"

"For sure." Shishi was up on her feet in an instant, haring out of the door and almost knocking Jin flying in her haste to carry out the errand. As he helped his dazed wife into a more upright position, Chichiri seemed to notice Hikari for the first time, and an unspoken message seemed to pass between them as Hikari registered the anguish in his ruby gaze.

"Is there something I can do, Chichiri?" She asked softly. "Is…is Aidou-san…all right?"

"Just stunned, I think." Chichiri brushed stray wisps of hair from his wife's face and Hikari bit her lip, registering the bruising and caked blood that stained her brow. "Thank you, Hikari, but I don't think there is…anything."

"And…and the children?" Hikari's voice was little more than a whisper. As soon as she'd asked the question, she wished that she could take it back, for Chichiri's expression became even more troubled.

"Tasuki has Eiju." He murmured. "Aidou managed to hide him in a cupboard, and he escaped – but he's confused and Tasuki's trying to get sense from him – trying to find out what happened. Mei-chan…is…not here."

"Mei-chan!" Hikari's eyes opened wide with dismay, and Chichiri nodded, a slow, jerky movement as if his mind was miles away from their conversation.

"H…Hou Jun?" At this juncture, Aidou's eyes fluttered open, and Chichiri gazed down at her, touching her cheek gently as he slowly shook his head.

"Don't try to get up. Something hit you pretty hard." He said gently. "It's all right. I'm home now. It'll all be okay."

"Where are…Eiju and…Meikyo?" Aidou asked faintly, and Chichiri bit his lip.

"Eiju is fine." He said at length. "And Mei-chan…I'll see to Mei-chan. I told you. Don't worry. It will be all right."

"What happened, Aidou-san?" Hikari dropped down onto her knees at the woman's side. "Someone attacked you – did they say why?"

"I didn't even see them." Aidou confessed. "I heard the children screaming…but I didn't see anyone. I grabbed Eiju and got him to safety – but I couldn't…I couldn't see Meikyo. I…she was shrieking for me, Hou Jun. She was crying and screaming but I…I couldn't find her. I tried, but then something hit me…and…and I don't remember anything else."

"Someone took her." At that moment Tasuki re-entered the room, a grim look on his face as he ushered a white-faced, frightened Eiju before him. "Eiju said he didn't see anyone, but it was like something grabbed her and hauled her away before he could even react. He wanted to protect her, but he didn't know how to, and when Aidou told him to hide, he did as he was bidden. He didn't see anyone attack her – but it seems pretty clear what happened, from everything he's said."

"You did the right thing, Eiju-kun." Chichiri said softly, holding out his hand to his son as the young boy came slowly and falteringly to his father's side. "Don't look so guilty – it's not your fault. I should have been here to protect you all – it's my fault, not yours. You were right to hide…and I'm glad you're safe."

"But what about Mei-chan, Papa?" Eiju asked, his attempts at being grown up thwarted in an instant by the tears that glimmered in his ruby eyes. "What about Mei-chan?"

"There's a message scrawled on the wall of the outhouse." Tasuki said quietly. "It's pretty to the point, Chichiri. Whoever's got the kid wants to make a trade – no prizes for guessing what it is they want."

Chichiri's expression darkened and he slipped his hand into the folds of his clothing, pulling out the small black casket and glancing at it.

"The Shinzahou." He murmured.

"Then it was that Miramu guy." Jin realised. "Shishi was right – somehow, he did get here before us."

"M...Miramu?" Aidou stared at her husband, who slowly shook his head.

"Someone who's crossed a line too many." He said darkly. "Don't worry, Aidou. I'll go and get Meikyo back. If he's got her as tribute – as a hostage to tempt a trade, he won't have hurt her. So I'll go find her. Even if I can't track him down, I can most definitely track her."

He glanced at the black box, then held it out to Tasuki, who took it, a question in his eyes.

"You ain't takin' this?"

"I'm not making any kind of trade with a man like that." Chichiri said flatly. "I'm going to get my daughter back, and that's all. Tasuki, will you stay here and look after Aidou and Eiju while I do? Hikari and the others should stay here too, when Shishi returns from the stream. I don't think Aidou's hurt badly – just stunned – and it doesn't look like Eiju's injured at all. But I don't want to open them up to another potential attack."

"You don't even have to ask." Tasuki said frankly. "I'm not going anywhere…and if he or anyone tries any kind of trouble, I'll make them wish they'd chosen another family to harass."

"I appreciate it." Chichiri's good eye flickered with faint gratitude for a moment. Then, he got to his feet, gripping his shakujou tightly as he pulled his kasa from his back.

"I'll bring her back." He said softly. "Don't worry about that."

Then, with a flash of magic, he was gone.