Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction ❯ Fushigi Yuugi: The Next Chapter ❯ Episode Eight: A New Member ( Chapter 7 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: ItsTheDee
Tasuki & Co. have at last reached Mount Reikaku. Can they convince Koji to join them in their war, or will his loyalty to the bandit stronghold hold out?

Preview!
"First, though, I wanna have a little welcome back party fer myself. An' I brought jus’ th’ thing t'get the party started." Tasuki produced a bottle from his jacket, but the way he and Koji smiled down at it made it look like the Holy Grail.

"Is... is that what I think it is?" Koji asked, sparkles shining from his hazel eyes.

Tasuki nodded. "Palace sake, fermented t’perfection an’ made with only the finest rice grains."

Koji grabbed the bottle and practically danced down the hallway. "Oryaa, now this is how we start a welcome back party...!"

(Will Koji join the Konan Warriors? You'll have to read on to find out!)

Anime/Manga: Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Shoujo / Romance / Fantasy / Drama / Comedy / Action | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 03.30.2006 | Pages: 6 | Words: 12.3K | Visits: 301 | Status: Completed

Disclaimer: I still don't own Konan, Suzaku and all characters and seishi pertaining to them. Kiori and Ritsuka are and shall forever be mine, and that holds for all the other “originals” (you'll know `em when they appear, trust me). Obviously the story is mine as well.
Rating:PG-13, for crude humour, moderate language, and violence.
 
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--Episode Eight: A New Member—
 
Keisuke frowned at the book, which now sat once again in Yui's excited hands. “Aren't you two ever going to let me read again?” he demanded, taking another angry sip at his beer.
“That depends,” Tetsuya said with a grin. “Are you ever gonna stop complaining about not being able to read?”
“That depends,” Keisuke shot back. “Are you ever going to let me read so I can stop complaining about not being able to—?”
“Oh for heaven's sake!” Yui cried, throwing the book across the table binder-first at Keisuke and smacking him hard against the forehead. “Just read the stupid thing if it'll keep you two from playing that game any longer!”
Keisuke snatched up Universe Reawakened, skimming until he found the first page of chapter eight. He glanced up over the cover, grinning wolfishly at the girl across from him. “Now that I'm able to read, I promise that I won't complain anymore about you two not letting me read, since you have so kindly stopped my complaining by allowing me to read and thereby ending my complaints about you two not letting me—”
Three, four, five pillows hit the young man in rapid succession, courtesy of the irritated Yui and her equally annoyed boyfriend. “JUST READ ALREADY!”
---
Tasuki, Ritsuka and Houki got an early start the next day, eager to reach Mount Reikaku before sunset. The seishi led the way at a fast walk, growing more excited with every step.
"See here?" he'd say every once in a while. "This is where me 'n' Koji robbed our first rich snob," or, "That stream through th' trees is where we'd fish in th' summer. `Course, we weren't as good as Chichiri, so we didn't catch much," or, "Hey, look! My name's still in that tree! An' Koji's is underneath that! Glad t'see no one's scraped 'em off."
"I feel like I'm on a tour of Tasuki's life," Ritsuka muttered to the Empress. The redhead seemed to have finally gotten the knack of riding her horse, though she couldn't stop from grabbing the animal's neck every time they hit a particularly rough patch on the weatherworn path.
Houki smiled. "It is good to see him so excited. After all that has happened these past few days, a bit of nostalgia may be just the thing to lessen the stress of war."
"If you say so," Ritsuka said with a shrug. After a few ill-aimed kicks to her horse's side (and more than a few choice curses), the redhead managed to break the animal into a slow trot and ride up until she was next to the seishi bandit. She tugged back on the reigns and her horse came to an abrupt stop, nearly flinging Ritsuka from his brown-and-white dappled back.
Tasuki glanced over his shoulder and chuckled at the panting redhead before clucking his tongue once. Ritsuka's horse picked up its pace immediately, sidling up so it was side by side with Tasuki's own black stallion. “Y'all right there, Red?”
“Just fine, thank you!” she replied icily.
He laughed and looked away, pointing out a clearing just visible between two big oak trees. "Th' old leader Hakurou used t'give us fightin' lessons there. Me 'n' Koji got our asses whipped a few times in that meadow, though I did manage t'give Hakurou a run fer his money once `r twice."
Ritsuka rolled her eyes. "Me 'n' Koji, me 'n' Koji. What are you, lovers or something?"
The bandit almost fell off his horse. "N-NANI?"
"Well I know you don't really like girls..."
Tasuki pulled out his fan and hit her across the back of her head. "I don't mean it like that! Girls're annoyin' as hell, an' they're always getting' me inta trouble, but I still `like' `em! Koji `n' I have been through a lot t'gether! He's my pal, like Chichiri!" He made a gagging noise at the thought of Ritsuka's suggestion.
Before the college woman could come back with a smart answer, two young men of about twenty or so stepped out of the woods. They bore a resemblance to the bandits that had attacked the group the day before, though these two seemed a bit more fashion-conscience in their rugged clothing, and there was something about their stance that suggested that they didn't think of themselves as your run-of-the-mill thieves. Nevertheless, Ritsuka kept a wary eye on the pair and on the weapons they carried across their backs.
The one on the right, a brown-haired youth with a bow slung over one shoulder, held out his hands to the travelers. "Hold up!" Tasuki, Ritsuka, and Houki pulled their horses to a stop, waiting to see what the men wanted.
The one on the left, taller and older than his companion, kept his dark hair pulled back in a short red headband and sported a variety of weapons, most noticeably the broadsword sheathed across his back. His striking green eyes looked the trio up and down. "Hm... a couple-a travelers walkin' all alone on a trail like this? I'd say ya must be lost, 'cause there ain't nothin' up this way t'see."
"Not unless yer headed t'Mount Reikaku," Tasuki replied casually. "Which, it just so happens, is our exact destination."
"Oh, ya wouldn't be interested in Mount Reikaku," the younger of the two said, flashing them a meaningful smile. “Ain't nothin' up there but a bandit stronghold, an' that ain't of no interest t'some honest travelers like yerselves.” He nodded cordially to Ritsuka and Houki, and the redhead had a hard time stifling her laughter. If these two were thieves, they certainly didn't act the part.
"Well, yeah, but that's jus' the thing: the person we're lookin' for happens t'be one-a those famous Reikaku bandits. We're on our way up t'talk t'Koji," Tasuki explained. "He's a friend of mine, y'see." The seishi studied the pair, chuckling. "Huh, ya must be new t'the gang. I don't recognize you, and you don't seem t'recognize me either."
The dark-haired man stepped forward, one hand on the hilt of his giant blade. "What d'you want with our boss?" he demanded, baring his teeth at the seishi.
"Woah, down boy,” Tasuki grinned, holding up his hands. “I'm just here for a visit. Like I said, we're friends." The pair of bandits exchanged skeptical looks. Tasuki laughed, "Here, I'll give you some proof that I'm safe." He pulled the crystallized fan from his back, holding it out for the duo to examine. "Now I know yer newbies, but ya must've heard of th' tessen of Mount Reikaku by now."
The older bandit nodded. "Sure, it went with Tasuki—" he stopped and his eyes widened, as he finally realized just whom he was facing. "T-T-Tasuki-san?! The Celestial Warrior who was once a member-a th' Reikaku bandits!?"
The seishi scowled. "Once? Ch, I still am! Now would it be too much trouble fer you t'let us through and up t'the hideout?"
The bandits glared at Tasuki's companions. "We'll take you up," the brown-haired youth said, "but we're gonna have ta blindfold yer friends. No outsiders c'n know where the hideout is, ya know."
Tasuki frowned and thwacked the tessen against his side irritably. "Treatin' my pals like common thugs—"
"That is quite all right," Houki assured him. "Mount Reikaku is not an average bandit stronghold, or so the legends say. I quite understand the need for secrecy."
The seishi scowled and muttered something under his breath, but sheathed his tessen and allowed the two bandits to carry out their demands. Ritsuka grinned as the man with the broadsword tied a blindfold over her eyes. "I'm shocked."
"Why?" Tasuki asked.
"You called me your friend. I'm also touched and a little bit sickened." Ritsuka paused thoughtfully, then her lips curled back in a look of utter repulsion. "Hey... this doesn't mean we're gonna be lovers like you and Koji, does it?"
The redhead was sent careening into a tree with one backwards punch.
---
Houki and Ritsuka had to ride in shadows for a good hour or so, but didn't mind the temporary darkness too much. Though they missed the sights of the land, they managed to hear plenty of Reikaku news as their two bandit guides - Soshu and Tadashi, they called themselves - filled Tasuki in on the recent goings-on of the stronghold.
"So how're things up at th' gang?"
"They've been real good since I got here six months ago,” Soshu, the dark-haired man with the broadsword, explained. “The older guys talk about some bad times after the war, but things've been gradually gettin' better since. Th' merchants are takin' th' old trails again, which means plenty-a loot fer all th' boys, an' with the extra success has come extra members. Reikaku's gained about five bandits in the last month alone, and we even managed t'rope ourselves a sexy little bandit-ess, too."
"One girl in a gang full-a guys? Poor her."
"Poor us, more like it!” Tadashi interjected. “She's th' toughest woman I ever met, better with a sword than half the boys, an' th' only person who c'n beat her in archery is th' boss himself. I tried t'compliment her, ah... `feminine features,' an' she slammed my head inta a table!”
From behind the bandits, Ritsuka grinned. “I like her already.”
“You would,” Tasuki and Houki both murmured, sweatdrops apparent.
“An' t'tell ya th' truth, even if she wasn't a fighter, we still wouldn't mess with her." Tadashi sniggered, and Ritsuka imagined that he was nudging Tasuki knowingly. “Let's jus' say our boss is a li'l protective of her.”
Tasuki laughed. "So Koji's got a girlfriend, eh?”
“Well that's th' way it looks, though when ya ask her about it she threatens t'turn ya into a pincushion.”
“Ha! I didn't figure Koji went fer th' rough `n' tough type.” He chuckled mischievously. Ritsuka could almost picture the devilish little smirk on his face. “I'll have t'give him hell about that when I see `em. How's my ol' Aniki doin', anyway?"
"Better'n ever,” Soshu assured him. “With all th' new bandits comin' in an' all the extra loot pilin' up—“
“Not t'mention his lady friend,” Tadashi and Tasuki both added.
“—He's jus' about th' happiest any of us've ever seen him. He talks about you from time t'time t'the new members, `bout how you'd come back t'Reikaku eventually so he c'd retire an' live th' good life as yer noble advisor.” Soshu's voice took on a somewhat concerned note. “Matter-a fact, that's th' only thing that's been botherin' him recently. He said ya shoulda come up fer yer semi-annual visit about a month ago."
Tasuki was probably rubbing the back of his head in minor embarrassment, Ritsuka decided. "Yeah, I guess I came a little late this time around. Oh well, I brought some sake from th' palace t'make up for it."
"No kiddin'?” Tadashi gave a whoop of delight “Hell yeah! We ain't had good sake in months!"
A few minutes later the group came to a stop, and the two bandits took the blindfolds off their fellow travelers' eyes. Ritsuka blinked to accustom herself to the evening light, staring up at the stronghold. The hideout seemed to be made of several buildings stacked here and there throughout the mountains and connected by short bridges and ladders, but the main building, with its sloping maroon-tiled roofs and simplistic but well-made wooden structure was big enough to hold half the occupants of the Konan palace with room to spare.
“So this is what a bandit stronghold looks like,” she murmured. “I'm impressed, Tasuki-chan.”
“Our gang's been around fer centuries,” Tasuki announced, his voice swelling with pride. “An' a lot of people say th' mountain has a kind of holiness to it. It's th' bandits' duty t'protect th' mountain, an' we take that job seriously. We ain't typical bandits, happy t'live in a couple-a shacks an' leech off th' money of innocent travelers.” He glared at the redhead over his shoulder. “An' don't call me that!”
Ritsuka chuckled and turned her eyes to the rest of the mountain, intent on getting a good look at what Tasuki seemed to think was heaven itself. However, before either she or Houki could get their bearings, Tadashi and Soshu lifted them from their horses and rushed them inside the Reikaku stronghold.
“I suppose this is part of your commitment to secrecy?” Houki inquired.
“We're very committed to it, Ojou-san,” Tadashi agreed with a tiny smile. He released the Empress' hand and offered a tiny bow to the trio of travelers. “Soshu will take ya t'the boss' room. Bein' one-a th' newest members, I've got some chores t'take care of.”
As the young bandit slipped through a side door and into a room filled with laughing bandits - “Chores my ass,” Soshu grumbled - their dark-haired companion nodded towards the hallway stretching out before them. The three Konan Warriors followed, Tasuki walking just a step or two behind his female friends.
"Oh, Houki-sama, Red, I should warn you that th' boys in th' gang're great guys fer the most part, but they don't see women too often," Tasuki murmured under his breath. "They'd respect yer wishes, but that doesn't mean they wouldn't test those wishes, so don't wander off too much, all right?"
Houki's eyes widened, but Ritsuka only laughed. "Tasuki-chan, look who you're talking to and then decide if we can take care of ourselves."
Tasuki sweatdropped, rubbing the back of his head and nodding in agreement. "Eh, good point."
Soshu led them down a hall to a pair of closed double doors. He knocked twice. "Boss, it's Soshu. There're some people out here t'see ya."
There was a short pause, a tiny scramble as if the boss had just woken up, and then a familiar voice - at least to Tasuki's ears - held a loud conversation with itself behind the door. "`Eh? Some people?' `Hai, leader, some guests that I thought ya might wanna meet!' `Well that's jus' great, I can't wait t'see who it is!' `Then open th' doors an' I'll bring 'em right in!' `Gotcha, will do.' `A-ri-ga-tou'..."
Ritsuka sweatdropped. Tasuki chuckled. "Well, he ain't changed much."
Slowly the big double doors opened outwards. A tanned face with dark, messy hair poked through, and a pair of big hazel eyes stared at the seishi in surprise. "Genrou?"
"Koji!"
The two linked arms and started dancing around the hallway.
"Genrou, how are ya?"
"Never better, buddy!"
"Where ya been?"
"Makin' some enemies cry, what else? How are ya? Ya look well-fed, haha!"
"No worse'n you, Genrou!"
Ritsuka blinked, watching the old friends with wide eyes. "Who's `Genrou'?"
Soshu pointed at the seishi. "He's Genrou."
"Tasuki's Genrou?"
"Tasuki's Genrou."
"Ah," Ritsuka nodded. She paused, then cocked her head and asked, "How is Tasuki Genrou?"
"Genrou's his nickname," Soshu explained. "`Gen' (Phantom) because of his speed, and `Rou' (Wolf) fer his fangs."
"Oh!" Ritsuka watched the two young men half-chatting, half-scuffling. She frowned. "I feel ignored."
"I do hope that in his excitement Tasuki will not forget why we came out here," Houki remarked. "We really must get back to the palace as soon as possible."
Ritsuka smiled devilishly. "Maybe I should `remind' him."
The two friends, oblivious to the women and the waiting bandit, continued to share news, jokes, and playful punches.
"So Koji, I heard ya got some pretty little bride now," Tasuki said with a snicker. "Is th' bandit leader gonna turn into th' dotin' husband?"
Koji blushed. "Ah well, it ain't like she's my fiancée'r anythin', jus' some girl from Kakou City who wanted t'join th' gang. She's pretty tough, so I went ahead an' let her in..."
"Is she hot?"
"What kinda question is that!"
"Oh, so she makes little kids cry."
"Nah, she ain't like you!" Koji grabbed his friend in a headlock. "So what's a big important seishi like you doin' out here?” His hold tightened on Tasuki's neck. “An' why th' hell didn't ya come at yer usual six-month time, huh? I thought ya'd fin'lly taken on too big an enemy an' gotten yerself killed!"
"Ha! I pity th' idiot who tries t'kill me!" Tasuki laughed and wriggled out of his friend's hold. "Chichiri 'n' I got a little preoccupied, s'all."
Koji shaded his eyes and made as if to search the stronghold. "Say, where is that monk anyway?"
"Back at th' palace. Oh, an' speakin' of th' palace—"
"Taaaaaaasuki-chan!" Ritsuka threw herself onto his back and poked her head over his shoulder. "You gonna ignore me or introduce us?"
Koji grinned at the girl draped across Tasuki's shoulders. "Oi Genrou, why didn't ya tell me ya had a girlfriend?"
Flames sprung up behind the pair of Konan Warriors as they shot death glares at the hapless bandit.
"Tasuki-chan, please let me kill him," Ritsuka growled.
"Death'd be too good fer him after a comment like that," Tasuki said darkly.
Koji held up his hands, sweatdropping. "Okay, okay, I take it back. But, Genrou..." Koji glanced up at Ritsuka, then over at Houki. He sidled up beside his friend and nudged him in the ribs, cupping one hand to his mouth and murmuring in a conspiring whisper, "What's a woman-hater like you doin' runnin' around with two hot babes like these, huh?"
"That `hot babe' over there is th' Empress Houki," Tasuki said dryly. Koji pulled a very comical, surprised expression and bowed low to Houki, who merely smiled and nodded a greeting. "An' the annoyin' brat on my back isn't hot, she's the terror named Ritsuka, but I just call her Red. Speakin' of bein' on my back - GET OFF!"
Ritsuka ignored Tasuki and stuck a hand out to Koji. "Nice t'meet'cha! You must be Koji, I've heard so much about you!" Koji blinked, staring blankly at the outstretched hand. Ritsuka's smile dropped. "Oh, I forgot. You people've probably never heard of a handshake, have you?"
Tasuki jerked to the side suddenly, causing Ritsuka to topple off his back and land somewhat painfully on her head. Koji studied the upside-down college woman, noting her denim pants, white tank top, and sporty, red jacket. "She ain't from around here, is she?"
"Remember Miaka?"
"How could I ferget her?"
"Same world."
Koji folded his arms across his chest and nodded in understanding. "Ah, that explains it then."
"Explains what?" Ritsuka demanded from the floor.
"The eccentricities," Koji explained. Ritsuka sprang from the ground in an instant, fire in her eyes and a sword in her hands. The bandit's eyes widened a bit. "What th' hell're ya—?"
"You're as stupid as your friend!" Ritsuka roared, swinging down with her weapon and neatly clipping off a few strands of Koji's hair. The bandit leader yelped and took off across the room with the redhead in hot pursuit. "Take it back!” she demanded, punctuating each word with another swing of her sword. “I am not eccentric!"
"Then - how - d'you - explain - how yer - actin' - now!?" Koji cried, managing to stay one step ahead of the irate woman.
Tasuki rubbed at his temples. As Ritsuka ran by, he pulled out his tessen and thumped her hard on the head, sending her to the ground with a startled squeak. "Ahou. I thought you were th' one who was s'posed t'keep me on task."
"Speaking of staying on task," Houki said somewhat impatiently, sneaking up on the three brawlers, "do you not think we should explain to Koji why we traveled all this way?”
"Yeah, yeah, everythin' in good time, Majesty," Tasuki agreed with a wave of his hand. He dug around in his maroon jacket. "First, though, I wanna have a little welcome back party fer myself. An' I brought jus' th' thing t'get the party started." He produced a bottle from his jacket, but the way he and Koji smiled down at it made it look like the Holy Grail.
"Is... is that what I think it is?" Koji asked, sparkles shining from his hazel eyes.
Tasuki nodded. "Palace sake, fermented t'perfection an' made with only the finest rice grains."
Koji grabbed the bottle and practically danced down the hallway. "Oryaa, now this is how we start a welcome back party! Genrou, I c'n almost forgive ya fer bein' late this year."
The women followed the pair of bandits down the hallway, through another pair of double doors, and into Reikaku's spacious “wining and dining” room, as Koji called it. Ritsuka immediately set about greeting the other bandits and tasting the wide variety of alcohol spread out across the tables, but Houki stayed close to her seishi friend, one eyebrow twitching slightly. "Tasuki," she murmured with a tiny hint of annoyance in her serene voice. "A party is all well and good, but what about the legend? Koji will not be of much use to us if he is inebriated."
Tasuki grinned down at his Empress and whispered right back, "Don't worry so much, Houki-sama. I don't plan on gettin' him drunk - jus' a li'l tipsy. Legend `r no legend, leavin' the gang won't be a simple decision fer Koji to make. He's a lot like me in that sense, y'know. It'll be easier t'persuade him if he's, uh, `relaxed'."
Houki sighed. "I hope you are right. But we do not have a moment to spare, so please relax him quickly."
“So, Yer Majesty, where would'ja like t'sit?” Koji asked, glancing over his shoulder at the two conspirators. “Seein' as how yer the most high-profile guest we've had in a while, I figured I'd give ya th' choice.”
“Sit?” Houki scanned the room for a moment, noticing for the first time the somewhat haphazard design of Reikaku's Main Hall. A set of long tables sat to the right side of the room, though none of the bandits were sitting at the giant structures; one of the tables was covered with bottles of sake, tea, and water, while the other was cleared off as if awaiting the arrival of dinner dishes. The actual members of Reikaku sat spread out across the rest of the hall, either at small square tables or seated on the floor atop weatherworn silken pillows (Houki somehow doubted the pillows had been “honestly purchased”). The Empress frowned. “I could not begin to choose a location. Where is the customary seat for the leader, Koji?”
The bandit leader chuckled. “Oh, sorry yer Highness, I fergot that yer used to a much more, ah, refined sense-a dinin'.” He waved an arm around the comfortable but utterly disorganized room. “Parties on Reikaku ain't like that, y'see. There's no startin' time, eatin' time, or organized time of pretty much anythin'. We eat when we want, drink what we want, sit anywhere that looks comfy, and pass out at whatever time seems appropriate.”
“That's th' Reikaku Way!” he and Tasuki cried together, as if it were some kind of bandit slogan.
The Empress hid a smile behind her sleeve. “Very well, then.” She nodded towards a relatively quiet corner scattered with pillows and a few empty bottles. “That spot does not seem taken.”
“Excellent choice Yer Majesty!” Koji said, leading the way to the chosen spot. “That's my favorite place t'pass out, too!”
Houki followed the bandit leader to his corner. She was very quickly joined by Tasuki, who somehow managed to pry Ritsuka away from her three new friends - a pair of bandits who seemed ecstatic about the sight of another woman in the stronghold, and a very large bottle of imported Sairou wine - and back towards their corner. Koji beckoned Soshu and Tadashi over as well, and the small party soon made itself comfortable in its private drinking circle.
“You happen t'be two very privileged bandits, meetin' my pal Genrou t'night,” Koji explained to the pair, pouring the palace sake into six small ceramic cups. “This stuff is too good t'share with everyone, we'd all barely get a taste of it, so I'm thinkin' we'll keep it a secret between th' six of us, na?”
“Here, here!” Ritsuka and the bandits agreed, clinking their cups together regally.
"So, Koji, what's on the menu fer t'night?" Tadashi wondered, downing his sake in one quick gulp. The young bandit had gotten a head start on the rest of the group; already his cheeks were turning a slight pinkish color, and he kept leaning into Ritsuka's shoulder, no matter how many times she tried to push him off. “I'm hopin' fer some-a those pot stickers, that Kakou City recipe is heaven!”
Koji shrugged. "I s'pose we'll get whatever the cooks feel like servin' up."
Soshu chuckled. "Well, if Hareya is in charge of th' food, I'm sure it'll be another masterpiece."
"Hareya?" Tasuki frowned. "Hm, I don't remember that name..." Out of the corner of his eye he saw Koji's cheeks redden, ever-so-slightly. The seishi clapped his fist into his open palm, grinning wide. "Oh! So that's th' name of yer woman!"
"I'm whose woman?" a voice behind them demanded. Tasuki and company turned to find a rather well-endowed beauty standing behind them. She was younger than Tasuki had expected - probably about his age, if not a tiny bit older - with sparkling brown eyes and long teal hair held back by a red bandana. She dressed in the style of most bandits: a long, loose-fitting white shirt belted around the waist, complemented by a small navy blue vest and a pair of similarly colored pants. Yet despite her masculine attire there was absolutely nothing masculine about her: everything from her delicate nose to her ample chest and slim, well-muscled legs spoke of a true, well-bred woman, perhaps even someone you might consider a “young lady.”
Tasuki's mouth almost fell to the floor, and even Ritsuka and Houki had to stare wonderingly at the tall, graceful, dangerous woman standing before them. The college student voiced all their thoughts, though only in a whisper. “This is the tomboy bandit-ess we've heard about...?”
Hareya either didn't notice or didn't care about their stares. She placed both hands on her hips and glared down at the seishi, tapping out a dangerous rhythm against the floor with one slipper-covered foot. "Now, newbie, whose woman am I?" Tasuki somehow managed to point at Koji. She glanced towards the bandit leader and smiled a bit, her hard exterior melting into a look of trust and kindness. "Oh. Well, I guess I can let you get away with it this time, since you are new around here. So what's your name, kid?"
"Uh, Hareya, love, this is Genrou, th' friend I told ya 'bout," Koji explained, returning her smile with a blissful grin of his own. "Th' two women're his friends. Ritsuka, an'..." he hesitated, unsure of how to address the Empress.
"Just call me Houki," she supplied.
Hareya fluffed out a pillow and sat down between Houki and Ritsuka, bowing from her waist to the visitors. "Pleased to meet you.” Her eyes flashed up towards Tasuki and she winced a bit. “Sorry about that `kid' comment, but you're a lot younger than I expected.”
“Uh-huh,” Tasuki murmured, mouth still agape. Ritsuka glared at him and popped him across the chin, snapping his jaw shut and knocking him out of his trance in the process. “Ah, it's great t'meet ya too, Hareya! Koji's already told me a lot about ya.”
The female bandit chuckled. “That's something we have in common, then, because I can't seem to stop hearing stories about you either, Genrou." She sighed as the sound of crashing dishes and muffled curses reached them from the neighboring room. "Ugh... The so-called cooks around here are absolutely hopeless without me.”
Her eyes swept over the guests again and she stood, smoothing back her long teal hair. “I'm sorry to rush out like this, but I'll be back once dinner's been taken care of. Save me a spot, Koji-chan," he blushed at the suffix and nodded fiercely. Another crash echoed through the thin panels. Hareya winced. "Before I go, though, I'm definitely gonna need some of this.” She poured herself a cup of sake and chugged it down in one swift gulp. The young woman glanced up a moment later, handing the cup to Ritsuka and grinning. "Ah! Much better. Jaa, Koji-chan."
Koji watched her depart, a longing look in his hazel eyes. Tasuki followed his friend's gaze, an absolutely mystified look in his eyes. "Body of a goddess, drinks as well as a man, cooks like a real housewife, tough enough t'live in a gang... an' I get stuck with the redheaded brat?”
Ritsuka's fist sent him straight through a window. She turned back to the bandit leader, smiling sweetly as if nothing had happened. “I thought I'd like her. Now I know I do. She seems pretty smitten with you, too.” Koji's smile almost swallowed his entire face. Ritsuka finished off her second glass of palace sake and grinned at the bandit leader. “I take back what I said earlier, Koji. If someone like her could fall for you, then you definitely aren't as stupid as Tasuki-chan over there.” She jerked a thumb at the nearby broken window, where Tasuki was currently trying to pull himself back over the ledge. “Let's be friends, okay Ko-kun?”
“We c'n be friends so long's ya never call me Ko-kun ever again.”
“Deal!”
Ritsuka stuck out her hand again, and this time Koji shook it, sealing the pact. The redhead snatched up her third cup of sake. “So how'd you wind up with Hareya, anyway?”
"Dumb luck, really," he replied with a chuckle. By now Tasuki had resumed his seat beside the bandit, though he was still picking out bits of leaf and wood from his hair. “You all right, Genrou?”
“You could've helped me.”
Koji shrugged. “I figgered you deserved it.”
“Are you sure we're friends?”
“Now who ever told ya a filthy lie like that?” Koji grinned at his comrade, who shoved him playfully and returned to picking twigs from his mane of red hair. The bandit leader chuckled and sipped at his glass of sake, eyes trailing across the small circle of drinking partners. Ritsuka had apparently decided that Tadashi and Soshu were her new friends too, and the three were swapping “dates from hell” stories. Houki sat nearby, listening wide-eyed as she sipped lightly at her own sake. Koji's gaze came back to Tasuki and his glass; the seishi had barely touched his beloved liquid. "Oi, you gonna let it go bad'r somethin'?" he asked, gesturing towards the cup.
Tasuki looked up and laughed. "Have I ever let good booze sit?" He set the cup to his lips and pretended to drink at least half of it. In truth, not a drop went into his mouth. As soon as Koji looked the other way to shout at a fellow gang member, all the sake went into Soshu's now-empty cup. Houki noticed the gesture and raised a questioning eyebrow at the seishi. Tasuki leaned across his pillow towards the Empress, explaining in a whispered hiss: “I gotta stay sober if we expect t'convince Koji t'come back t'Konan with us.” He winked and tapped the side of his head. “Still, there's no reason fer him t'know that. Then he might get suspicious an' not relax properly, an' we don't want that either, right yer Majesty?”
Convinced that he'd pulled off his trick perfectly, Tasuki immediately dove into the group's drunken conversation. He didn't realize that Koji had seen the entire act out of the corner of his eye. 'What's Genrou up to?' he wondered. The bandit leader felt a tiny smirk flash across his features. 'Well, two c'n play at any game, pal.'
Koji allowed a few drops of the rice wine to hit his tongue; he sighed wistfully, desperate for a more fulfilling taste, but steeled his willpower and slid the rest of the sake into the cup Hareya had left behind. He slammed his cup down against the floor and raised a fist high into the air. "Ha, now this is th' stuff t'make any party great! Who's up fer another round?"
Ritsuka and the young bandits, oblivious to the trio of teetotaler's plans, held out their glasses for their second, third, and - in Ritsuka's case - fourth round.
"I've never had a whole lot of this stuff, y'know," Ritsuka remarked as Koji filled her cup to the brim. "Just a couple-a beers once in a while, of course, but hardly any strong liquor. My parents always said that too much alcohol was bad for a young lady." She snickered. "Well, what they don't know won't hurt 'em. Cheers, minna!"
---
Alcohol, good food and sleep are a combination that seems to go hand-in-hand. Several hours after the party had begun, Ritsuka and all the gang members - excluding Koji - lay scattered about the room, sleeping peacefully.
Koji chuckled and lifted Hareya's head off his lap and down onto one of the softer pillows, stroking her teal hair with a gentle - though drunkenly clumsy - hand. Ritsuka lay draped across Hareya's legs, her face flushed even in sleep as she snored uproariously. Tasuki and Houki covered the young redhead with a blanket, sighing at the overenthusiastic drinker.
“Out like a light,” Houki remarked with a chuckle.
“An' no wonder,” Tasuki grumbled. “She musta cleaned out half our liquor supply, an' I wouldn't exactly call her an experienced drinker. I think she jus' did it t'prove she could...”
“Oi, don't be so hard on her, Genrou!” Koji objected, leaning back against the nearby wall. The bandit leader's gaze wavered between the Empress and the seishi; he looked on the verge of passing out himself. “Ritsuka was a huge hit with th' bandits t'night, `specially with my Hareya. Did'ja hear her, tellin' Ritsuka she was an Honorary Reikaku bandit, an' that she'd fight anyone who said otherwise? I agree with her, too. Anyone who c'n hold that much alcohol without losin' it in th' same night is worthy of bein' a part of this gang, I figure.”
“I refuse t'let a terror like her inta this gang!” Tasuki declared, tucking the blanket up against the young woman's chin.
Koji waved a dismissive hand, nearly spilling the half-full cup in his hand. “Ah, don' be silly. Ritsuka ain't a terror - she was th' life-a th' party t'night, wasn't she? Bright `n' cheerful! She even taught us all that new song by uh, what was their name again? Rarken-somethin'-or-other...”
"Sure, but you ain't seen her on an everyday basis,” the seishi argued. “Jus' wait until t'morrow, when th' hangover from hell attacks. That'll make her even grumpier'n usual, and somehow I get the feelin' that anger'll be taken out on me.” He pointed a triumphant finger at the bandit leader. “Then you'll see her true colors, mark my words on that!"
Houki chuckled at the bandit's comment. She glanced around the room, noting the snoring crowd of men, then frowned at her seishi comrade. "Tasuki, it seems that everyone else has fallen asleep. Do you suppose that now is the right time to discuss our plans with Koji?"
The bandit leader's eyes sharpened, the slur in his voice disappeared, and he set his sake cup down with an unusually steady hand. "Jus' what I was about t'ask, yer Highness."
For the second time that evening, Tasuki's mouth almost fell to the floor. "Why you... you little cheater! Ya didn't have a drop-a sake, did ya?"
Koji winked, waving a finger at his friend. "Two can play any game, Gen-chan. Jus' remember that ya ain't as sneaky as ya think ya are.” He set his chin in his hands and looked back and forth between Houki and Tasuki. “So tell me, what're ya really doin' up here with th' Empress an' a girl from another world? An' more importantly, what've I got t'do with th' whole mess?"
“Well, it's kind of a long story...”
Tasuki and Houki took turns explaining the legend and war to Koji, doing their best to move quickly without forgetting any details. The bandit leader sat through the long tale without interrupting, nodding every once in a while to show he was still listening.
“...So Chichiri told me what I already knew, an' here we are,” Tasuki finished.
“And we eagerly await your decision,” Houki added with a small, hopeful smile.
Koji sat in silence for a long moment, staring hard at the ceiling, his mind lost in some unknown thought. After a moment, he leaned back against the wall again, chuckling and talking out loud to himself. "`You hearin' this Koji?' `I sure am, but I ain't believin' it.' `You think they're tryin' t'pull yer leg?' `Nah, they're tellin' th' truth, it jus' don't make a whole lotta sense.' `It's unbelievable, is what it is. You, part of some Konan seven?' `I know, that's what I'm thinkin'. Completely unbelievable'."
"Perhaps, but it is also very true," Houki said. "My… no, our country is in dire peril, and I do not believe we can succeed without all of the Konan Warriors."
"Includin' me?"
"Including you."
Koji closed his eyes, putting his hands behind his head and laughing quietly. "Well, I dunno much about legends. Hell, I barely believed in th' seishi `till Genrou showed up at the stronghold. An' you really expect me t'drop everythin' an' run to Konan? I got a gang t'lead, y'know."
Tasuki's heart sunk in his chest. "Koji...”
"Nah, I dunno too much about legends," he repeated. "An' I don't know what idiot thought I'd be of any use an' put me in th' damn thing, either. I ain't a trained warrior like this Akai. I ain't a seishi, 'r someone from another world, an' I sure as hell ain't an Empress. I don't know a thing about politics or magic or pretty much anythin' beyond runnin' a stronghold an' fightin' like hell. What I'd be able t'do against some powerful Element, 'r whatever they're called? Huh, it's beyond me."
Koji opened one eye, grinning. "But I do know that Konan's in trouble, an' that my pal Genrou an' his buddies're dependin' on me t'join th' fight. Now, what kinda friend would I be if I turned my back on him an' the whole country? Not much of one, I figure."
Tasuki's frown quickly turned into a grin, fangs flashing in the candlelight. "I knew ya wouldn't let me down!"
The bandit leader pulled a dagger from his belt, placing it on the floor in front of the Empress. "If th' empire needs someone who c'n run a stronghold an' fight like hell, then I'll be there t'do jus' that. I'm with ya 'till th' end, Majesty, even if I gotta die t'get there."
Houki smiled, and for the first time that evening she truly looked her young age, as if a thousand worries had slipped from her shoulders at the new warrior's simple gesture. "Let us hope it never comes to that, Koji, though such loyalty is indeed treasured."
 
“'...The Emperess touched the hilt of the dagger respectfully, handing it back to the bandit leader. The seventh and final Konan Warrior had been found,'” Keisuke smiled over at his friends and flipped to the next page, holding the book in a near death-lock. "End Chapter Eight."
---
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Ye Olde Free-Chat: March 30, 2006; 12:41PM
Ni-hao, minna-san!
Yay, Koji's finally arrived! This story really made me fall in love with Koji, so it's fun to edit his early episodes again. I might add even more scenes with him as the edit continues... but we'll see where my muse takes me. Oh, and by the way, when Koji's talking about the song Ritsuka was teaching them, he's trying to say the band name L'Arc~en~Ciel. And if you don't know who they are, you should go buy their CD “Smile” and find out for yourself. Do it now! The Otaku of L'arc demands it!
Hm... I feel like doing Character Profiles. And since this is my free-chat, I think I'll do just that (heh, I made a rhyme)!
Character Profile -Sakamoto Kiori
Age: 21
Height: 5'5”
Weight: 125 lbs
Birthplace: Kyoto, Japan
Birthday: September 8 (Virgo)
Blood Type: A
Hair: Brown, shoulder-length, with chin-length bangs that frame her face
Eyes: Green
Likes: Cats, reading, writing
Dislikes: Heights, math, cooking
Favorite Food: Sukiyaki, any Italian food
Least Favorite Food: Hamburgers
 
Kiori's what I consider one of my few “real characters” in the fact that she behaves very much like a person in our world would behave. I wanted her to be someone you might meet on the street in your hometown; someone people could really relate to - she's not a warrior or a bandit or even a genius student, but at the same time she wants to be something special, and that's where a lot of her conflicts come from. I wanted to set her apart from the crowd a bit though, so I gave her a troubled past (though even that is somewhat realistic) and added some self-esteem problems just for good measure. In a lot of ways I shaped her personality so it would reflect Chichiri's, because I like to think of them as “twin stars” in some senses... but they're very different in a lot of ways, too. Though she isn't my favorite character, I really like Kiori. She's probably the character most like me in this story, and I love the way she grows as the plot progresses... but you'll just have to wait to see how that all turns out (smile)!
 
Guess that's all for now. Thanks to everyone who's been reading over this li'l beauty, and I hope you stick around for the next chapter! We many be eight episodes into it, but “FY:NC” is really just getting started!
See you in the next installment!
Your Authoress—Dee