Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction ❯ Fushigi Yuugi: The Next Chapter ❯ Episode Ten: A New Seven ( Chapter 9 )

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 moderate language and violence.

Random Comment: This probably won't come up too often (not in this fanfic, anyway), but every time a character decides to say something in English, the word is written in bold to distinguish it from the rest of the sentence. I'll probably also make a comment in the narration about it, but that's just to help you along. Okay, thanks, and enjoy!

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--Episode Ten: A New Seven--

 

Keisuke glanced up at his friends and noticed that Yui had dozed off against Tetsuya's shoulder. The young man cocked an eyebrow. "How can she possibly sleep? This is just getting good."

Tetsuya yawned and snuggled up against his girlfriend. "It's easy. You just close your eyes and drift into dreamland. Hey, if I doze off wake me up when things get interesting, all right?"

"You don't think this is interesting?"

"Well sure, but it isn't exciting, y'know? I want fight scenes and noble sacrifices and heroic deeds of daring," Tetsuya grinned and winked at his friend. "You know, the really good stuff."

Keisuke sighed. "Action flicks have rotted your brain." He ran his finger down the page. "Guess I can't complain too much though, since now I get to read as much as I want. Oh, and here we are! `Like most of the storms in Konan, the summer shower did not last for long. Soon the heavy rains had subsided into a light drizzle, and the four Konan travelers peeked out from their makeshift tent...'"

---

While her friends hopped around, rubbing hands and patting arms for warmth, Houki made way towards the equally unhappy horses and turned to her companions, urging them forward. "Oh, do come along, you three! We have already lost time, and I do not wish to return to the palace one second later than I must."

Ritsuka frowned at the nasty sprinkles of rain still plaguing the earth and any unlucky travelers caught in the storm. She shivered, pulling her thin jacket tightly about her shoulders. "Ah, Houki-sama, I'm sure Chichiri's got everything under control. Besides, this weather is miserable. What if it starts raining again? My clothes are still damp," she put a hand to her mouth, leaning in next to the Empress and hissing in a stage whisper, "and besides that, this jacket barely covers anything. I think Tasuki and Koji have been staring at my chest all evening."

The two bandits turned chibi, jumping up and loudly declaring that the wet, thin white tank top was the last thing on their minds.

"Ach! I'd never do that! I don't even like girls!"

"I got someone back home! Women ain't on my mind!"

Tasuki and Koji both tossed their thicker coats at the redhead to prove their innocence, shouting as one: “Wear this if yer so paranoid!” Ritsuka snuggled into their warm garments. "Ooh, the lining is still dry! How cozy.” The redhead grinned and jogged towards the horses. “Okay, I'm ready to ride now!"

Tasuki sweatdropped. "Oi Koji, d'you get th' feelin' we just been tricked?"

“Nah, ya think?” his friend grumbled back, shivering in his thin shirt. "Dammit, it's cold without that jacket!"

Five minutes later, two very miserable bandits were riding beside their dry female companions. Tasuki yelped as a particularly fat drop of water dripped off a branch and landed on the back of his neck. "Son of a...!” he scowled, turning to the Empress to plead his case. “Houki-sama, can't ya order Red t'give us our jackets back? I ain't gonna be much use in this war if I freeze t'death!"

"I am sorry about your predicament, Tasuki, but you did offer them willingly," Houki reminded him. “It would be almost rude of you to demand them back, do you not agree?”

Ritsuka nodded, grinning like a cat that'd just caught a fat pigeon. "Give it up Tasuki-chan. Just admit it: I outsmarted you. `To the victor go the spoils,' as my old track coach used to say."

"Yeah? Well, I got a saying too," Koji muttered dejectedly.

"Which is?"

"THIS SUCKS!"

---

“Ooooh, aren't they here yet?”

“Calm down Akai, I'm sure they'll be here shortly no da.”

“Chichiri, can't you sense their ki out there?”

“Of course I can no da. And it's just like I told you before: they're very, very close.”

“What if the Takkan soldiers spot them? Do you think...?”

“They're perfectly safe right now, Kiori. From the auras I'm getting from the Takkan camp, I'd say they haven't a clue our Warriors are nearby no da.”

“And what difference would it make anyway? No Takkan soldier could stand up to Tasuki-sama!”

“Da...”

Kiori shaded her eyes against the evening sunlight and stared hard into the west. She, Chichiri, and Akai had agreed to wait at the southern gate since it was the farthest spot from the Takkan soldiers, but their companions had to loop almost entirely around the palace to reach the meeting place. Chichiri said the quartet's life forces were heading from the west, and Kiori believed him when he said they weren't in any danger - she really did - but she'd still rest a lot easier when she could see Ritsuka's smug little smile again. She actually missed that smile, now that she thought about—

“There!” Akai cried, pointing hard towards a spot on the horizon. “They made it back okay, Chichiri-sama!”

The monk sweatdropped. “I've been trying to tell you that all evening no da...”

Kiori followed the girl's finger, though she was just barely able to make out four black splotches against the orange horizon. The brunette's face broke into a relieved smile. “They really are safe. Yokatta.”

“I told you that, no da...”

Akai jumped forward and cupped one hand to the side of her mouth, waving the other wildly above her head. “Oooooi! Tasuki-samaaaa! Ritsuka-samaaaa! Houki-samaaaa! Okaeri-nasaaaaai (Welcome home)!”

A soft silence lay across the plains, but then one of the black splotches raised a hand high, and the horses broke into a canter, and the voices of two redheads came echoing back across the distance. “Ooooi! Akai-chan! Tadaimaaaaa (We're home)!”

Kiori and Chichiri exchanged smiles as Akai hopped up and down, waving one, then the other, and then both arms in the air, watching as the faraway figures drew closer and closer until Kiori could see Ritsuka beaming from atop her horse, just as Kiori had imagined.

Tasuki pulled to a stop before his three companions, somewhat air-dried from the fast ride home, though his clothes still hung a bit damply against his body. He grinned at his seishi friend. "Looks like we finally got the seven together, ne? Told ya I'd get Koji here safely."

"Like I couldn't take care-a myself," the bandit leader remarked with a teasing smirk.

Ritsuka practically fell off her horse and ran up to her friend, grasping her in a bone-crushing hug. "Kiori-chan, it's so great t'see ya! Man, you really missed out on a lot, too - you should've come along!” She pulled away, moving her hands wildly to demonstrate the events of the past two days. “There were two fights” - she mimed stabbing a sword around - “a party” - she chugged an imaginary bottle of liquor - “Houki kicked some ass” - she punched comically at the air, then imitated a bandit begging for mercy - “and Tasuki got outsmarted by me again - big surprise there, right? I'll have to tell you everything later, though I can't remember the party too well if you know what I mean, heheh..." she mimed the bottle of liquor again, winking at her friend.

Kiori smiled, though it was a bit less cheerful than usual. "Sounds like a blast. Hopefully your hangover wasn't too bad?"

Ritsuka seemed oblivious to her friend's distant attitude. "Ah, no worse for the wear! `What doesn't kill you makes you stronger,' as my track coach used to say. He had a lot of sayings, now that I think about it. But hey, before I get into all the crazy details, you gotta meet our new pal Koji—" the redhead glanced towards the bandit, but trailed off. Koji currently had Konan's resident monk in a rather tight headlock, and didn't seem intent on letting him go anytime soon. Ritsuka sweatdropped. "Er, maybe I'll introduce you in a minute."

"How's my favorite monk, ah? What, too busy t'take a trip with Genrou up t'see me? I'm hurt!"

"I had to fill in for the Empress no da," Chichiri explained, forcing a smile as he struggled in the bandit's grasp. "Otherwise I'd have loved to visit the gang. I hate missing those famous `welcome home Genrou' parties no da."

"Ah, ya know I'm just teasin' ya!" Koji assured him, rubbing the monk's head with a fist and tightening his arm around Chichiri's neck. "Ya'll have t'come back when the war's over so y'can meet my girl Hareya! She's really great, I bet ya'll jus' love her, everyone else does y'know, an' her cookin' is top notch!”

"Koji. Ack. Windpipe. No da," Chichiri gasped, turning an unhealthy shade between purple and blue.

"Eh? Whazzat?" Koji released the monk and leaned down to hear him better, but Chichiri promptly slid to the ground, gasping for air.

"Daa..."

"Heh. Oops," Koji sweatdropped, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. "Guess I got caught up in the moment. Ya'll be okay in a couple-a minutes, won't ya?"

Ritsuka seized her chance and dragged Kiori up to the bandit leader. "Koji, I'd like you to meet my friend Kiori. She's one of our fellow Konan Warriors."

Koji grinned, sticking out a hand. "Yoroshiku! If yer anythin' like th' other foreign girls I met, then this oughta be one helluva fun trip."

"I taught him about handshakes," Ritsuka whispered. "Before long we're gonna have this country eating with forks and driving on the wrong side of the road, like a couple of real Yankees."

Kiori offered a small bow as she accepted the hand. "Uh, hi Koji. A pleasure to meet you, I'm sure... but, uh..." she glanced down, eyes widening, "Is Chichiri going to be all right?"

The monk, still panting for breath, attempted to stand again. He didn't get far, though, as he was literally leapt upon by the enthusiastic Akai. She didn't seem to notice that she was standing on the groaning seishi; the girl's eyes were focused completely on the new Konan warrior. "Hajimemashite! You're Tasuki-sama's friend, ne, ne?"

"Yeah, me 'n' Genrou go way back."

"Genrou...?"

"Tasuki's nickname."

"Oh," Akai's grin almost took up her entire face. "That is so cool that you knew Tasuki-sama before he was a famous seishi! I bet you know all sorts of cool things about him! Like how brave and noble he was even before he knew about his super-cool powers! And I bet the two of you had amazing adventures, didn't you, where you helped the weak and defeated the evil, and all those heroic stories! You have to—"

"Daaa..."

“Eh?” Akai stared down at the panting face of the fallen monk. Her eyes grew to the size of dinner plates. "Oh! Oh, my goodness! Chichiri-sama, I'm so sorry, I didn't see you laying there." She hopped off his stomach, touching her head to the ground and apologizing every inch of the way.

Chichiri dusted his chibi self off, straightening his robe and flipping his hair out of his eyes. "And I thought Tasuki was the seishi who got beat up no da." He sweatdropped at the Palace Warrior who was still groveling at his feet. “Ano… it's really okay, Akai …” She continued her series of bows and cries of “gomen nasai” nevertheless. The monk shook his head in resignation, then turned and smiled at Koji. "I guess you've met Kiori and Akai, the other warriors no da."

"Akai's the one who calls Genrou 'sama'?" Chichiri nodded and Koji cocked an eyebrow. "Huh, an' Genrou was worried about us fightin' kids when we got one on our team, too?”

Akai's eyes narrowed and she leapt from the ground, whipping her sword out of its sheath in one fluid motion and pointing it straight at Koji's face. The bandit stared down the blade into two enraged violet eyes. "Never call me a kid,” the young warrior warned, her sword tickling at the tip of his nose. “If you think I am one, you've got another thing coming. Young, yes, but I could beat you in a swordfight right now. C'mon, draw your weapon and I'll prove it!"

Koji blinked, then reached up with one hand and pushed the blade away from his face. He grinned, patting Akai on the head. "Yer a tough kid, all right."

She face-vaulted. "What don't you understand about the words `never call me a kid'?"

“Hey, take it easy Akai-chan, I'm sure ya handle that weapon real well and all,” Koji assured her, though he didn't seem to notice the way her entire body stiffened when he used the term “chan.” The bandit glanced back over at Chichiri, continuing his earlier question. “Listen, I understand that desperate times call fer desperate measures an' all, but d'ya really think this is fair? Shouldn't she be in school `r off playin' make-believe with her friends `r somethin'?”

Chichiri rubbed the back of his head, glancing nervously between Akai and Koji. He chose his next words carefully, knowing full well the cost of underestimating his youngest companion. “Well, if it were up to me I wouldn't want any of us fighting, but we were all picked for a reason, and Akai's no novice when it comes to the art of war no da.”

“Okay okay, I believe ya already, but ain't her Ma gonna worry about her while she's away from home?”

“My `Ma' is perfectly happy with my career choice, thank you, and I—”

Koji chuckled. “Oi, Akai-chan, you sure ain't scared-a joinin' in on grown-up conversations, are ya? I like that kinda spunk in a kid - remind me later an' I'll buy ya some sweets when I visit th' market.”

Akai opened her mouth and started to draw her sword again, but Houki intervened before she had a chance to challenge the bandit to another duel. "Perhaps the two of you should visit the training ring tomorrow so you may demonstrate your skills, Akai. However, do you suppose that, for tonight, we could have a quiet meal and read over the scrolls? I am anxious to see what they have to say."

The young warrior's gaze flew from Koji to the Empress. Her demeanor immediately softened, and she offered up a short bow before sheathing her sword. "Of course, Houki-sama. Right behind you." She shot another death glare at Koji. "But tomorrow I'll show you what a palace warrior can do."

"I'm sure you will," Koji said with a wide smile and nod. "I'd never miss fightin' such a strong warrior like yerself, Akai-chan."

"Stop patronizing me, baka,” Akai growled.

"Hey, that's a mighty big word," Koji said, patting her on the head again. "They teachin' you that kinda stuff in grade school already? Boy, you must be at th' top-a yer class, huh?"

Flames rose behind the girl's eyes, but before she could commence the severe butt-whooping that was sure to follow, Houki put an arm around her shoulders and dragged her through the gates. Ritsuka and Kiori followed close behind.

Koji fell into step with Tasuki and Chichiri. He chuckled, nodding towards the fuming girl ahead of them. "Smart kid, but she's way too confident fer her age. She really doesn't know who she's pickin' a fight with, does she?”

Tasuki sweatdropped. "I think the one who doesn't know is you, Koji."

"Eh, whazzat?"

Chichiri sighed. "I'm sure you'll find out tomorrow no da. In the meantime, let's eat. We held off dinner until you got back, and I'm starving no da."

---

“Oi, Sora!” Taiyou's head poked around the doorway to the Elements' rooms, his globe-tipped weapon swinging lazily at his side. “Where's Kaze? I need someone to thrash in training, but I can't find the little brat anywhere.”

Sora didn't even glance up at his words, but instead remained seated at the small table across from Tsuchi, staring hard a game of Mahjong set out before them. “Setsuka-sama sent Kaze on a mission. Didn't you know? She asked your brother to go fetch him.”

Taiyou flushed with surprise. “She sent out that untrained fool, and didn't even tell me? What in Suzaku's name—!”

“I suspect that she knew you would act like this,” Sora remarked. She held one of the small tokens up in front of Tsuchi before laying it down on the table.

“Oh, that's Chii!” Mizu, sitting between the pair and watching the game with curious eyes, called out needlessly. “Sora gains another... thousand points, right?” Tsuchi groaned and cupped his head in his hands. “Actually,” the young girl added, frowning a bit, “Kaze and Tsuki have been gone for a while, haven't they? I'm surprised they aren't back yet.”

“Knowing that cocky brat,” Taiyou sneered, regaining his composure with surprising ease, “his mouth got him into a fight that his talent couldn't win.” He pushed the door open all the way, sauntering into the room and swinging his weapon up onto his shoulder. “Oh well. We've been doing just fine with six Elements. Once we find Kaji, we'll do just fine with six again.”

“But we haven't found Kaji,” Mizu reminded him. “Her Ladyship hasn't gotten any signs about where he is yet. Besides, Kaze might not always be the easiest person in the world to get along with, but he's still an Element. Shouldn't you be friends with him, Taiyou-san?”

The older boy snorted. “I have no interest in friends, and I certainly have no interest in allies who are weak enough to get killed. If he's dead, then he deserved it.” He chuckled. “Huh, I almost hope he does get what he deserves.”

“Wishing ill on your allies is like asking the gods to punish you,” Sora said. Her tone remained as unfathomable as ever, but her eyes narrowed dangerously. “And if the gods choose to strike, they may choose to strike through me. Watch your mouth, Taiyou. You may be my fellow Element, but Kaze is my friend. And once this war is won, that will not be something I throw away. Don't be so certain that our alliance has the same strength.”

“Aw, Sora-chan, I never knew ya cared.”

The curtain leading to Taiyou and Tsuki's room swung forward, revealing Kaze and Tsuki standing in the frame. Tsuchi sighed in relief and a tiny smile crossed Mizu's face, but both emotions quickly disappeared as Sora, who never even bothered to look back at the newcomers, slid another Mahjong tile into place. “You're late, Kaze. Oh, and Pinfu, by the way.”

“Not another Chanta hand!” Tsuchi moaned, clearing the board for the fifth time that evening. “I don't know how you do it, Sora-senpai...”

The pair turned their gazes back to their game, but Mizu kept her eyes on the new arrivals. “Are you all right, Kaze?” she asked, frowning as the boy collapsed into a nearby chair. “You look a little worn out.”

He shrugged. “Nothin' I couldn't handle, if that's what'cha mean. Ha! I even gave that Konan Warrior a present t'remember me by, an' that's more'n he c'n say!”

“And then you ran into the forest so quickly that you nearly bowled me over,” Tsuki remarked quietly.

“No one asked fer yer opinion!” Kaze snapped. He turned back to the other Elements, trying to hide the blush creeping onto his cheeks. “Yeah, I had t'get outta there kinda quick, but that's just `cause-a Setsuka-sama's orders, y'know. Otherwise, me `n' that flame-boy woulda gone head ta head,” he flashed a victory sign and tossed Mizu a wink, “an' I woulda wiped th' floor with that fire-throwin'moron!”

“You faced a... a Konan Warrior?” Taiyou demanded, hands clenching and unclenching helplessly at his sides.

“Not jus' a Konan Warrior,” Kaze corrected, “a true-blue, real life, legendary Suzaku shichi seishi!” He grinned, putting his arms behind his head. “So what've you been up to recently, hm?”

Taiyou's face flushed purple and his teeth ground together so hard he almost cracked them. The Element's body glowed with golden ki and he looked on the verge of attacking Kaze, but at the last minute seemed to regain control. He forced a smile and patted Kaze a bit too roughly on the shoulder. “Well, at least you were able to get a blow in while you had the chance. Unfortunately, Setsuka-sama picked Tsuki and me for the first encounter. And her Ladyship told you not to fight them, isn't that right?” he clucked his tongue sympathetically. “Hm, I guess she picked you for this little mission to humor you, then.” Kaze's white ki flared angrily, but Taiyou either didn't notice or didn't care. “Well, I guess when you start fighting in actual battles, then we can allow you a few bragging privileges... right, comrade?”

Taiyou whipped past the other Elements, flinging back the curtain to his room and disappearing within the darkness. His brother, emotionless as ever, soon followed. Kaze lay seething in his chair for a moment, then rose with a frustrated shout and stalked out the door, slamming it forcibly in his wake. Mizu stared back and forth, eyes wide and almost frightened. “What... what in the world just happened? I... I thought we were supposed to be allies... but, but all of this...”

“Tsumo,” Sora announced. “I win again.” She glanced up, blinking as she noticed the girl sitting between her and her Mahjong opponent. “Oh, Mizu-chan, are you still here?”

Mizu stared at her in utter disbelief. “Eh? Weren't you paying attention at all?”

Tsuchi flashed the girl a puzzled smile. “Paying attention to what, Mizu-chan?”

The young Element face-vaulted. “How could you not hear them! I thought they were going to kill each other, for a minute there...”

“Oh, that,” Sora shrugged, sliding the Mahjong pieces into her personal carrying case. “Tsuchi-kun and I are rather used to it, I suppose. If you lived down here with us, I imagine you'd feel the same way.”

“You're lucky you have your own room,” Tsuchi told her, helping Sora to clear the table. “Being Setsuka-sama's favorite has a lot of advantages, I bet.”

Mizu blushed and stared at her hands. “I'm not Setsuka-sama's favorite...” she murmured quietly. “She just... uses me more, because of my powers. And I only have my own room because I was the first Element she found, so she feels like she knows me better than you guys. I think she likes Sora-senpai the most, though. You always do exactly what she says without asking any questions, and you learn so quickly, picking up new skills a lot faster than anyone else. I think she really values that.”

“I certainly hope not.” Sora stepped away from the table and glided towards her bed. The dark-haired Element's grace was almost matchless: she barely seemed to touch the floor when she moved like that. “I swore allegiance to Setsuka-sama. That doesn't mean I want us to be friends, though.”

“That's kind of the general attitude around here, isn't it?” Tsuchi remarked with a sad sigh.

“Any other attitude will only hurt us in the end,” Sora said a bit severely. “If we get too close than we become attached. And once that happens, we'll be too worried about protecting each other to perform our duty to the Lady. And once that happens, those ruthless Konan Warriors will pick us off like flies in a spider's web.”

Mizu frowned. “But you and Kaze have known each other since—”

“And we're struggling to put some distance between ourselves, at least for the moment.” Sora lay back on her bed and raised one hand, staring hard at her fingers. A ball of midnight blue light arose in her palm, then gradually melded into the form of a small, blue-tinged knife. Sora held the weapon lightly between her fingers, rolling it back and forth thoughtfully. “Serving your master is the first rule of the warrior, Mizu-chan, and I will snap every tie I possess to this world if it will help me achieve that goal. You'd be wise to do the same.”

“Snap every tie...” Mizu murmured, the face of a blue-haired young man springing to mind. She glanced down. “I... I need to get back to my room. I wanted to study some new kanji - I can't forget about my studies, after all - so... so I'll see the two of you later.”

The young girl turned on her heel and disappeared from the room in a flash, her slippers padding noiselessly on the cold wooden floors.

Tsuchi watched her departure, a sad frown tracing his lips. “That's awfully harsh, don't you think Senpai? I mean, I know I don't care for Taiyou all that much, but Tsuki's never given me any reason to dislike him, and I really do like you and Kaze all right, even if Kaze can get a little scary sometimes... and Mizu-chan, I mean... well, she's such a nice girl, you know...”

“Falling in love already, Tsuchi-kun?” The boy turned a bright crimson and fumbled for a reply, but Sora continued before he had a chance. “It's understandable, I suppose, but I'd suggest that you stay away from thoughts like that. Mizu-chan may be a `nice' girl, but she's also Setsuka-sama's ultimate weapon, for all she says that I'm the favorite. And she's given her life entirely into her Ladyship's hands, as we all have. If Mizu-chan was ordered to kill you, she would do it. All of us would.”

Tsuchi took a step back, struck momentarily dumb by these words. He stared at the dagger in Sora's hand, then at her half-visible face. “Even you, Senpai? Even to Kaze?”

“If her Ladyship ordered it? I'd have no choice.” The dagger vanished in her grasp, and Sora's golden eyes narrowed somewhat sadly. “Our Lady is strong, yes, and she fights against a cruel enemy who deserves death, but that doesn't change our status one little bit. At the end of the day, we're all just weapons in the Lady's hands. And weapons can never ally themselves with anyone besides their owner. Remember that, the next time you decide to label any of us as your `friend,' Tsuchi-kun.”

---

Koji sipped at a glass of palace wine later that evening, watching wide-eyed as Kiori and Ritsuka inhaled plates full of lo mein noodles, piles of dumplings, six bowls of egg drop soup, and almost an entire chicken apiece. He blinked loudly when they finally finished, both leaning back and smiling happily. "Another great meal!" they declared.

"Wow," Koji murmured. "I think I jus' witnessed one-a the Seven Wonders of the World."

Tasuki sweatdropped. "The sad thing is, yer prob'ly right."

Houki smiled at the girls, who were still rubbing their swelled stomachs and beaming like a pair of cats who'd caught a redbird. She set down her teacup and glanced around the small table at her six companions. "Well, now that everyone has finished, I believe it is time to move on to business, would you not agree?"

Everyone did, so Houki slipped her hand into her robes and removed a single scroll from within the folds, bringing up two delicate fingers to unlace the ancient document. Tasuki stared at the yellowed parchment, scratching his head in mild confusion. "Er, only one scroll? Y'made it sound like there was one fer each of us earlier."

"Oh, there is," Houki assured him. "We arrived a bit later than I had expected, you see, and I thought perhaps we could open the individual parchments tomorrow, after a good night of sleep." She smiled at Koji, who couldn't help but return the charming grin. “After all, it would be unfair to ask Koji to join our company without at least one night of true relaxation.”

"Tomorrow?" Kiori said, paling visibly. She glanced down at the table. "I... I don't know if I'll be able to come tomorrow."

"Eh? Why's that?" Tasuki asked.

"I just... I just might need to be alone, is all..."

"Oh! It's that time of the month, isn't it!" Ritsuka blurted out, causing everyone at the table to fall out of their chairs. The redhead didn't seem to notice and continued, earning stranger and stranger looks as she went. "I know how that can be 'cause when I start I get the worst cramps, they turn me into an absolute witch! I never wanna see anybody, and when I do I usually yell at them before they can get three words out of their mouths..." She happened to scan the table, finally noticing that Koji, Tasuki, and Chichiri's eyes were all about to pop out of their heads. Ritsuka blushed. "I mean, er... shutting up."

"I'm sure that, whatever it is, Kiori has a perfectly good reason for it no da," Chichiri said, rescuing a good portion of his companions from an incredibly awkward situation. "Go ahead and open the scroll, Houki-sama."

Houki did as he said, no one noticing the grateful smile Kiori gave Chichiri, nor the chibi victory sign he gave back. The Empress' eyes trailed down the parchment. "Hm. That is strange."

"What's wrong?" Akai asked.

Houki looked back up at her companions, a small, puzzled frown on her lips. "The scroll is written in a very odd fashion. There are no true riddles until the very bottom, thankfully... however..." she spread the parchment out on the table in front of her comrades, careful not to rip the ancient material or smear its already fading words.

The Konan Warriors skimmed the paper, and by the end of their scan they all wore the same expression as their Empress. The scroll was written unusually. The writer had scrawled seven relatively simple kanji symbols across the top right of the paper, all displaying an element of nature. Underneath each element lay a few other symbols. To the left of those were the numbers one through seven, with something written beneath each of them as well, and on the left side of those sat the few short verses that Houki had warned about.

Tasuki sighed and set his chin in his hands. "This sorta stuff really ain't my thing."

"Nah, it ain't so hard," Koji assured him. "I got th' first part figgered out, anyway. The first seven kanji, those've gotta be th' Elements. Tsuki, Taiyou, Kaze, Sora, Tsuchi, Kaji, an' Mizu."

"Moon, sun, wind, sky, soil, fire and water!" Kiori chirped in English. All eyes turned to her, every set except Ritsuka's looking extremely confused. The young woman blushed and rubbed at the back of her head. "Heh, sorry. It's English. I was studying for my exam earlier, and now I wanna translate everything."

Ritsuka sweatdropped. “We're in the middle of a war, and you find time to study? Now that's what I call an over-achiever.” She couldn't help but smile a bit, though - at least Kiori was acting more like her usual self again. "So, under each of the Element's names are a few words. Lessee...” she squinted her eyes to make out the faded kanji and wracked her brain to remember some of the more complex symbols. “`Tsuki: There and Gone. Taiyou...' Um... oh! That one means `unbreakable,' so: `Unbreakable Wall. Kaze: Pill Spells...' hey Tasuki-chan, isn't that the one we met earlier?"

"Yeah, an' the `pill spells' thing sounds like his magic," he agreed, before hastily adding, "and don't CALL me that!"

"Two points," Koji remarked, remembering their conversation from earlier. He picked up where Ritsuka had left off. "`Sora: Sharp and Agile. Tsuchi: Heartfelt Healer. Kaji: Flames on the Wind. Mizu: Master Ki.'"

Akai ran a finger across the scroll. "Okay, and then there're these numbers and more words: `Ichi (One): When the cold night strikes, selfless power is all that can win. Ni (Two): A fiery will can defeat the darkest light.'"

"See? None-a this makes sense!" Tasuki complained.

"It will make sense in time, I am certain," Houki said him a bit impatiently. She glanced back at her other companions. "Please continue."

Kiori picked up the reading. "`San: Tender hearts can freeze a raging river. Shi: The victor is determined by both fighters.'"

"Okay, now I'm confused too," Koji grumbled. "Tender hearts meltin' determined fighters..."

"Maybe it'll be cleared up further down no da," Chichiri suggested. "`Go: A requested death is no easier than one that is unwelcome. Roku: Honor will light up a midnight sky' no da. And finally: `Shichi: When the chill gale blows, courage will be valued over power' no da." The monk stared at the words for a moment, then heaved a tired sigh. "This is going to take a lot of work no da. Near as I can understand, the clues under the names are the Element's powers, and everything under the numbers is advice on how to defeat them. It doesn't seem to be in any order though, no da..."

Houki picked up the scroll. "Wait, we have almost forgotten the lines at the end. They are written in our favorite riddle form,” the seishi and the girls all groaned, “however, these may prove to be the most useful:

A golden eye for each
If Konan is to be saved.
But beware of repercussions
Or both fighters may share a grave."

Everyone shivered at the last cryptic line. Houki turned her eyes upwards, glancing around at the confused faces of her comrades. "That is all."

Koji frowned. "I can't make sense of any of it. Huh, `a golden eye fer each,' at least I get that much. We'll each be gettin' a chance at one-a them Elements, an' they all got golden eyes." He chuckled. "Well that ain't too common, right? Shouldn't be too hard t'keep a look out fer that."

Ritsuka put a hand to her forehead, pretending to scan the room for Elements. She looked at Tasuki and screamed, hiding behind Kiori and pointing wildly. "AH! Golden eyes! Golden eyes! Save me from the eeee-vil!"

Tasuki scowled. "Haha, very funny Red. My eyes ain't even really pure gold..."

"Hai, they're more of an amber," Chichiri agreed, then chuckled and added, “Though they are a little scary no da.”

A ripple of laughter swept through the room, though Tasuki didn't seem to find it very amusing. "At least I don't look like cat!" he countered, glaring at the monk with a devilish grin.

Chichiri frowned. "Hey now, that isn't true no da."

Ritsuka grabbed the sleeping Tama from the table and held him next to Chichiri. She peered hard at the two faces, managing a solemn nod before bursting into laughter. "Ha! I see the resemblance. Now all we gotta do is teach Tama-neko to say `no da,' and it'll be like two Chichiris!"

"Nya," Tama mewed sleepily, as if he was trying to comply with Ritsuka's request.

Koji and Tasuki cackled at Chichiri's indignant look, Akai almost choked on her tea, and Houki chuckled quietly into her sleeve. Even Kiori managed a tired giggle. The Empress rolled the scroll back up and tucked it under her arm. "I should say we have withstood enough `hard work' for one evening. It is growing late - I suppose I shall see you all again at breakfast to read the other scrolls. Oh, Chichiri, please stay for a moment. I would like to hear a report on what occurred while I was away."

The other five took this as a sign to leave and slowly stood from the table, moving towards the door in a lump of laughter and friendship. Tasuki swung an arm around Koji's shoulders, leading him out ahead of the others. "I'll get ya fixed up with the nicest room ya ever saw! Ever slept in a palace bed? It's like snoozin' on a cloud."

Koji laughed. "Can't say I've ever tried snoozin' on a cloud, but I get the feelin' I'd enjoy it. Lead th' way Genrou!"

Chichiri watched the exiting figures of his allies, waiting until everyone had disappeared through the doorway before turning back to Houki. "Everything went fine while you were gone. Takkan seems to have had enough for now no da."

"That is good to know. Try as I might, I could not seem to relax on my journey. I worry about Boshin-chan and his future so much these days... I suppose it is maternal instinct. Perhaps this caged bird should not leave her home anymore." Houki smiled sadly. "And I am glad to hear that you did not receive any trouble from our enemy. Still, such a peace will be short-lived, do you not agree? I suppose your key words were `for now.' They will not give up quite so easily, I fear. Perhaps the Lady Setsuka is devising a new, deadlier plan, even as we speak."

"Perhaps," Chichiri agreed. "And I get the feeling the next time we'll have a bit more to deal with than some well-armed soldiers no da." Houki nodded unhappily, and Chichiri mirrored her frown with a concerned one of his own. "Daaa... Sorry, Houki-sama. I didn't mean to upset you no da. You really don't need to worry so much about it, all right? I'm sure everything will work out all right in the end."

"Oh Chichiri, do you really believe that? I would like to think so, only there is so much that could happen." Houki sighed somewhat wistfully, turning her back on the monk and moving towards a nearby window. She set her elbows on the ledge, staring out across the darkness of her palace at the faintly winking lights of the servants' quarters, and staring past that, even, to the towns and cities beyond the capital's walls. "The servants, the civilians... Boshin-chan... So much depends on winning this horrid war. I want my son to grow up in a peaceful country as the beloved leader, not in a war-torn world where he is scorned as the fallen heir of a once-great nation..."

The Empress trailed off, sliding past the window and towards the beautiful tapestry hanging across the eastern wall. The wall-hanging depicted the great god Suzaku, wings outstretched as if to shelter Konan from all danger, with the seven seishi's symbols interwoven into the bird's feathers. Houki rubbed her thumb against the kanji for Hotohori, her voice catching in her throat as she whispered to the gold-embroidered symbol, "If only you were still here, Highness... I should have no reason - no reason at all - to worry about our son or this nation..."

"Houki-sama."

The Empress, the tiniest hint of a tear dotting each eye, glanced back to see Chichiri, mask off, gazing at her with more determination and strength then she had ever seen from the cheerful monk. She watched him carefully, too surprised - and a bit entranced - by the sudden change in his character to speak.

“Houki-sama," he said again, “I swear that as long as there's a breath of life in my body, Konan will not be taken. For as long as Suzaku allows, I'll keep Boshin-chan safe." He looked down. “I owe the other seishi that, at least.” His eye flicked back up to meet hers, jaw set resolutely. "No matter what happens, I'll protect you - all of the Warriors - all of Konan, if that's what it takes. As long as I'm alive, you'll never have to worry about Boshin-chan being harmed. You have my word on that no da."

Houki smiled, nodding through tear-filled eyes. Suddenly, it seemed as if the monk was right, and everything really would work out for the best. She bowed her head a little, dabbing at her eyes with the corner of her sleeve. "Arigatou gozaimasu. Thank you... thank you so very much, Chichiri. You truly are wonderful person... all the Konan warriors are... how could I have ever doubted our success?"

---

Setsuka sat up in bed, staring straight ahead. She had been awakened from a nightmarish dream, though now she could remember almost nothing from it. Just a pair of blood-red eyes, gazing at her from the darkness, and that voice that she knew so well, the one that had called out to her for almost five years, ever since she had been named the Lady of Takkan. Then a flash of fire and a single name, but it was the most important name Setsuka could have learned, and the last name that she needed.

A hopeful smile touched her face. “Was it all real?” she asked the darkness. “There is only one way to know.”

Setsuka crept from her bedchamber and down the long hallway, tiptoeing so as not to awaken her sleeping handmaids, and swung open the doors to her throne room. She stepped around the large pavilion at the center of the room, throwing back the curtains behind it to reveal a single wooden wall with harsh designs and symbols burned into the wood. It was a forgotten language, but one that her mother had taught her well, before she had died. Setsuka had never found a use for the old speech until now, until she had been chosen for this glorious task, but now she knew that all her lessons had led up to this precise moment, to the moment when her conquest was finally within her grasp.

Her eyes trailed across the unusual symbols, falling on a line at the bottom that she knew hadn't been there before. Her dream had not lied, then. The Lady smiled dangerously, touching the red gem on her necklace. "There you are, Kaji. The decision will be yours, tomorrow."

 

“`Quiet as a mouse, the Lady of Takkan stole back to her chamber, chuckling quietly to herself. The final Element was just a stone's throw away, and she would gain his allegiance before the next sunset - and, if that proved impossible, then she would have to ensure his death.'” Keisuke blinked. “That's it? Aw, man... End Chapter Ten.”

---

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Ye Olde Author Freechat: November 12, 2005; 7:12 PM

Ni-hao, ya'll! (Am I a Chinese cowboy now?)

Well, I split another chapter, though now I'm wondering if I shouldn't have done that... the chapter seems almost too short, now! Ah well, it'll work out in the end (the “first half” of FY:NC will finish at Episode 13, like a real anime now!). I know the ending is a little bit jarring, so I apologize for that, but “Episode Ten” was really getting too long to keep as one, and that was the best place to finish it off. The next episode will have a more conclusive ending, I promise!

Character Profile(s) - Chichiri & Tasuki

(Okay, so this isn't really necessary, but since a few years have passed I figured I'd catch everyone up to speed. I split up their information with a pretty “&” symbol... oh, and since Watase-san never gave the readers Chichiri's blood type or birthplace, I took the liberty of making them up. Hooray for making things up!)

Age: 27 & 20 (three years have passed since the original seishi travels)

Height: 5'8” & 5'10”

Birthplace: Kyokujitsu Village & Tai-tou Village

Birthday: May 21st (Gemini) & April 18th (Aries)

Blood Type: A & B

Likes: Fishing & Fighting

Dislikes: Fighting & Fishing (teehee... that was fun)

Favorite Food: Szechwan noodles & Sake (Heh, but seriously... chicken-stuffed dumplings)

Least Favorite Food: Pork-fried rice & Cashews

Probably the trickiest part about writing a good fanfic is keeping your unoriginal characters in-character while at the same time expanding their personalities in a believable and exciting fashion. That having been said, Chichiri and Tasuki are the easiest people in the world to keep in-character, and I have absolutely no idea why. I've taken these two to some pretty extreme limits in my fics (most notably in “Rhapsody”) and I've never had any complaints about how “that's not something they'd do at all!” which, I figure, is the best compliment a fic author can get. I just love writing stories about these two - there's so much you can do with their personalities, and they're such a fun team! I hope I can move the both of them into some fun new directions in future episodes, and I hope that all of you enjoy reading about it as much as I enjoy writing it!

Thanks to boyarina and Miko Mistress for commenting. If you hadn't, I probably would have forgotten to post this chapter for another three months or so. ^^;;; Again and as always, I'm sorry about that, but I just forget that I have a MediaMiner account if someone doesn't comment to remind me! So that's a helpful hint for all you readers out there… (nudge nudge, wink wink)

Well, until next time, which'll hopefully be within a couple of weeks or so!

Your Authoress—Dee