Edit.: Yeey chapter three! ^^ I'm glad some of you like it so far ^^ I'm still not sure about the title though, what do you think? Keep reviewing and I'll keep posting chapters!

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"Rekka.. Shinen!!!!"
Is the next thing they hear.

Silence.

Hikari was still too scared too open up her eyes yet, awaiting the powerful blow. But after a few seconds still nothing happened and she notices that Chichiri loosens up his grip around her, she couldn't help to peek what's going on.

"Tasuki!"
She hears Chichiri yelling.

"Am I glad to see you, no da!"

She sees Chichiri standing up, turning his back upon her. And right between his legs she could see a strange and unknown man. She looks at him from tip to top and finally stops at his face. He hasn't noticed her yet, so she studies him a bit more; his fiery wild hair, his amber coloured eyes, his strange teeth and the weird-looking fan he's holding. She finds him strange, not that she's scared or anything, but he seems more mysterious and maybe even attractive to her.

"Well if it ain't Chichiri! Who needed my help once again.. Hip Hooray, I'm tha hero of tha day! But hey I can't blame ya, these woods are dangerous and only someone as strong as I can handle it!"

"Well he may be a little attractive, but he sure is cocky.. which makes him unattractive."
Hikari thinks mocking.

"Uhh but Tasuki.. I've saved your life more, no da."

"Tha- That's not true!"

Tasuki wildly waves his fan to cover up his defeat by Chichiri.

"Whatever you say, no da. But thanks, no da."

"Everything for my buddies."
He grimaced.

Then Tasuki gets a lock on a tiny female laying on the ground looking at him.

"Mi-.. Miaka?"

The girl looks surprised when she notices that he sees her for someone else.

"Is that really.. you.. Miaka?"

Right when Tasuki wants to walk up to her, all startled, Chichiri helps him back into reality.

"I've made that mistake too, no da. This is Hikari."

Tasuki says nothing, he just stares at her and she glares back.

"Oh.."

Chichiri turns back and kneels in front of her. She remarks that his face was back to 'normal', which means he put up another mask in the meantime.

"All will be all right now, no da. This is Tasuki, the one I was talking about. You'll be going with him now, okay?"

Tasuki wakes up from his trance.

"Heh wh-wh-wh-what?! No way.. I'm on a one-man-mission here and I ain't gonna miss money because of.. some girl!"

Hikari's offended and feels the incredible urge of shouting at him and calling him names. But she stuns herself, realising this was in her nature.

"Don't mind him, no da."

"Why do you have your strange face on again?"
She asks out of nowhere.

Chichiri reacts a little bit shocked.

"Listen Hikari.. I'm sorry you had to see.. that.. other face of mine."

"But I liked that other face. This one's funny, the other one I found beautiful. You should wear your true face."

She gives him a sweet smile, a smile so sweet you almost want to choke in. Chichiri feels touched and moved by her sudden, but oh so kind and loving words.

"Hikari.."

But before he could finish his sentence, she collapsed.

"Hey, what's wrong with her?"
Tasuki asks while he rushes to her with a bit of a worried face.

"Don't worry, she just lost her conscience, no da. It was all too much for her."

"Well she can't take much than.. pfew girls.. always a pain in the butt."

"But you were worried about her, no da. So I can put my heart to ease when I let you handle this further, no da."

"I- I did not! What are ya planning to say, that I should play baby-sitter or something?! No way!"

Chichiri takes his time to explain Tasuki everything he knows so far about Hikari and at the same time recovers from the fight, before he takes off and continues his journey.

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"What was he thinking? Dumping a girl with me like that.. Tsskk now I'll miss all that money."

Tasuki had been walking in the direction of his bandit camp for an hour now, carrying the girl known as Hikari on his back. He turns his head an inch so he could take a look at her fine face.

"I don't care what Chichiri said.. There ain't anything special about this girl, what was her name again? All because I saved his hairy butt, maybe I should stop saving asses.. That's what got me into this mess.."

He hears her groaning and sighing in her sleep, which causes her to put her head a little bit deeper into Tasuki's shoulder.

"She does look like Miaka.. Pfew, they almost had me fooled.. But on the other hand she's different.. Whatever, it's a girl."

The groaning becomes more heavily and it's a matter of time before she starts to wake up again.

"Well good morning sleepy-head, you had a nice time sitting there on my back, while I did all the hard work, ey?"

"Wh-wh-what happened?"

"You collapsed, princess, and now I've been carrying you on my back for over an hour."

"Oh.."

She clearly doesn't know how to respond or how to line up against a stranger.
Tasuki rolls with his eyes.

"Tsss not even a thank you.. great. Well better try to make the best out of it."

"So you're.. Hikari, right? I'm Genrou, but call me Tasuki.."

"Where's Chichiri?"

"Ya what?! Hey I'm in the middle of introducing myself!"

"Where's Chichiri?"
She repeats.

"Aahh well.. He's gone, he has left me in charge of your so-called well-being. I'm losing my patience with this irritating girl.."

Saddened about the fact that the first person acting nice to her had left her, she felt like crying. But then she notices an itchy fabric on her skin.

"Where are my other clothes..?.."

Then another realisation appears.. and she doesn't like it.

"You changed my clothing!! You saw me.. Naked! Why?! You.. You..!!!"
She yells in his ears, kicking with her legs.

"Aaah sit still, you're heavy enough when you're not moving!"

"AAAAAH!"

"Shh! Would you keep your voice down.. We're near a village here and I'm not in the mood for any misunderstandings! We had to change your clothes, because that rope belonged to Chichiri, so I gave you my long shirt to put on."

She looks up, to confirm if he's telling the truth and indeed she spots his naked upper body.

"BUT because miss here kept on sleeping, we had to put it on for you! And no worries, we didn't look while doing it and it was hard enough. Are you now happy!?"

A little startled of his reaction, she nods carefully.

"Now good. How are you feeling?"

"Better."

Tasuki loosens his grip around her and let her abruptly fall to the ground.

"Aah.. Itai.. What did you do that for?!"

"Because you're fine now, you said so yourself. So you can walk on your own now, besides you are heavy."

"But.."

"No buts.. Come on! I'm not gonna wait all day!"

"Arghh, I don't like you!"

This was the first time she ever felt anger towards someone. But still she stood up and went after him, they didn't say a word at the rest of their walk, only hateful glares. ____________________________________________________________________