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All characters involved in this fanfic with spoilers are the property of Watase Yuu sensei. Please give Virgo-chan comments on how you feel about it and tell her. For any prove read error, tell me.
Part 3: Spirits
by Virgo-chan
Tasuki winced as the fingers that dug painfully in his wrist jerked forward sharply once more, urging him to hurry. One could tell just by looking at the pyro-crazed Seishi that thinking him nervous was a massive understatement. Especially considering what kind of state his companion was in.
Now, the bandit has seen all sorts of sides to his friend. Saw him happy, saw him angry, saw him sad. But never, ever, ever has he seen Chichiri pissed.
"Ch-Chichi... Can you let go of me now...?" He timidly asked.
Chichiri turned to his friend, glaring at him through the mask. "Just what made you say that, no da!?"
*That happened to have been one of the most humiliating and all round worst thing Tasuki has ever thought up. Or rather, didn't think through but did anyway.*
"Well..." He groped for a liable excuse. "You always said to take the initiative..."
"I don't think yelling 'Hayaku ne, baka yarou! Ya ain't gettin' a better deal than this!' to Kouto-kokou's councilors is exactly taking the initiative, no-da-!" The monk then took a deep breath and collected himself, his grip on Tasuki lightened. "Luckily, they still signed the peace treaty after the guards kicked you out, no da."
Dimly, the bandit could feel the foot shaped bruise forming on his butt. "They just had to be wearing steel boots, too." He grumbled.
After the entire ordeal with Suzaku and Seiryuu finally died down, Houki-sama, Konan's empress and Hotohori's wife, had asked Chichiri to be their ambassador and try to persuade the other three countries into signing a peace treaty. And, seeing the monk was so used to the loud-mouthed Tasuki, he asked him to join in on the deal. So once again, Kouji was left in charge of the Mt. Leikaku bandits. But, considering how well Kouji handled them before, Tasuki didn't worry at all.
"So Tasuki-kun, what should we do now, no da?"
The bandit grinned evilly. "Oh, I have an idea..."
The monk sweat-dropped. "N-nani... Tasuki-kun no da? I don't like that look, no daaaa..."
"And you shouldn't, Chichiri."
Chichiri hung his head. "Tonight, no da? Again, na no da? But we have to tell Houki-sama that the signing was a success, no da. Besides, you know what she'll do to us if she found out, no da!"
"Yoshi, Chichi." Tasuki wagged a finger at Chichiri's face. "We'll only go in for an hour this time." And the bandit proceeded to drag the protesting monk into a nearby gambling house.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Miaka was worried. Not only about the entire Suzaku/Seiryuu visiting their Mikos bit. But also because Yui called her earlier saying that Taiyo might be the new Byakko no Miko. She was to come over ASAP, but she had to bring Umiiro because Miaka wasn't familiar with the way to Taiyo's house. The two girls would have waited until either Keisuke or Taka came back from work, but that wouldn't be until late and the news seemed important. So now they were butt lost and three shady guys were following them at that.
"Ne, Umiiro-chan, are you sure this is the right way?"
"Hai. It should be the next alley down, then a right." The whish of a girl replied. They did as said, and turned to face a dead end. "Maybe it was a left..." They looked over their shoulders. No go, another wall. Umiiro 'hmph'ed to herself and mumbled aloud. "Or was it the next alley down...?"
Well, it was too late to try that theory out as the three men swaggered drunkenly down the mouth of the alley.
"Well, well boyz..." One slurred. "Wuzz we got 'ere..?"
"Iz purrdy.." Another chuckled, leaning against a wall as the third giggled in his drunken stupor.
Miaka shrank back in fear. How humiliating. She could recall countless times where she was almost raped from petty thieves to near omnipotent and overly powerful maniacs, but managed to escape at the nick of time for one reason or another. However... it didn't seem like she'd be so lucky this time.
Umiiro looked at the men blankly. "Why do you choose in doing so now?" She frowned slightly as the men blinked at her. "You've been following us for half an hour now. Why pick this time to try to rape us when we're right outside our friend's house?"
They blinked in confusion. They thought they were being slick and unnoticed. Besides, who has friends that live near an alley?
"Whoz yer friend? Maybe she's purrdy, too!" The third cried. The other two agreed.
Miaka blinked. No... it couldn't be... Well, she decided to try and fake it anyway. "Nuriko-kun! Ohayo!"
Everyone turned to look at the figure standing behind the drunks. He was tall, confident smirk on his face as he soaked up the scene; loose-cannon air hanging about him and lazy violet eyes, the wind ruffled through his plum colored hair.
"And what are you three doing to my friends?" He asked. Even though his face and voice were still feminine, 'Nuriko's' attire was a male. The drunkards shrank back.
"Matte..." One drawled out. "Iz three 'gainst one! We can take'em!"
"Charge!"
Perhaps it was the fact that 'Nuriko' still retained some of his super human strength, or because the drunks were indeed drunk, but he quickly won the fight, despite the odds and the fact he still had no formal training in self-defence.
Umiiro bowed politly. "Doumo arigato gozaimasu."
"Ne, no problem." He waved them off, he then looked at Miaka strangly. They starred at each other for a while, and he scratched the back of his head. "Eh, do you get the feeling that we've met before?"
Miaka knelt and brushed off the Cal. St. Warriors cap that fell on the ground. She handed it back to 'Nuriko'. "Well, you remind me of a friend of mine named Nuriko. If that's what you're asking. Is that your name?"
He shook his head. "Iie. It's Kenshin."
"Miaka desu."
"Umiiro desu. Tell me, can you help us?"
"Hai. What's the problem?"
"We don't seem to find Shinkaze Apartments..." Miaka then face faulted.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ryo smiled as he seated his daisho and place both blades on the ground to either side of him. He sat in a full-lotus position and mentally pictured the grounds around him, and his captive audience of one.
Then, in the blink of an eye, he shot up into the sky, his wakizashi in hand. A tree branch, 18 inches in diameter fell six feet down in three equal pieces. Ryo landed soundlessly after it, the shorter blade already back in its sheath. The courtyard was filled with small hands clapping.
"Wai! Ryo-kun sugoi!" the child-emporor cried gleefully.
"Arigato, Boshin-sama." The swordsman bowed respectivly to the five year old.
The younger tugged at the 19 year old's arm. "Hayaku ne, Ryo-kun! You're going to have dinner with Okaasan and me, ne?"
"Ne, Boshin-sama. Demo.. I have to finish my katas first." The child pouted. "Don't worry, one day, I'll teach you how to wield a sword. Okay?"
The child's complexion brightened. "Hai!" Houki's voice rang through the palace. "I have to go take my bath now." The child-emperor ran off and half turned to Ryo. "Remember, you promised!"
"Hai, I will!" The youth sighed and picked up his katana, kicking the heavy oak branches away from his training area. For eight years he had been gone, and during that time, a war ravaged the country and he couldn't save his sensei from death. He hurriedly shoved the melancholy feeling into the back of his mind, focusing on his katas. He felt something behind him.
"Ohayo, Chichiri-san, Tasuki-san. Eventful trip?" Ryo greeted without pausing or faltering.
"I'll say! I'm 18000 gold poorer!"
"I told you not to put so much into the pot, Tasuki-kun no daaa."
"I know, stop telling me that!"
Ryo stopped and chuckled. "You went gambling again, Tasuki-san? You know what Houki-sama would do if she found out."
The bandit crossed his arms in defiance. "I know, that's why I did it in Kouto-kokou and not here."
Chichiri just sweat-dropped. "So how is Hotohori's best pupil doing these days, no da?"
"Daijoubo, Chichiri-san. So how did the talks at Kouto-kokou go? Did Tasuki-san make an ass out of himself again?"
"Oi! I heard that!"
"Hai, if the other diplomats weren't so used to his loud mouth by now, I was afraid that they'd declare another war on us, no da."
Tasuki threw his hands up in the air. "Sheesh! Make one mistake and you're branded for life! I was just making a joke the first time!" He shoved his hands in his pockets. "Besides, it wasn't much of a war, more like a chicken fight...."
The other two ignored him. "And the emperor's prodigy is fine, no da?"
"Hai, so is his wife."
"Speaking of which, have they started to find Boshin an inaazuke yet, no da?"
"Not yet. Houki-sama wants Boshin to pick his own inaazuke."
Tasuki leapt into the conversation. "As he should! No one should be tied down that early in life! He hasn't even hit puberty yet!"
"By the way, are you two staying for dinner tonight?"
The traveling diplomats looked at each other, then at Ryo. "Is Hoshino cooking?"
"Iie. He's sick so Shinzo is."
Chichiri and Tasuki slapped each other a high five.
"A'ight! We're eat'n in style tonight!"
"Daaa!"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Yui reached the door at the bell's second ring. "Well Miaka, it's about-" She began, but stopped when she saw Kenshin and Umiiro there as well.
Miaka tugged at her friend's arm. "Yui-chan, I need to talk to you."
"What's going on, Miaka? I mean, what is.... what's her face, Nukiko or whatever, doing here?"
She sweat-dropped. "His name was Nuriko. Now he's called Kenshin." Miaka looked to Taiyo, who was wrapped up in a blanket, starring blankly into a cup of tea. "How's Taiyo-chan doing?"
Yui turned to her cousin as well. "She's feeling better now. Before she just keept on babbling on and on about some wierd things, but now I think she's just in shock. She should be coming out of it soon."
"Yui-chan?"
"Hai?"
"I think something big is going to happen. I mean, it can't be some strange coincidence that Suboshi and Nuriko were reborn, so our other Seishi must have been, too. And then Seiryuu and Suzaku visited us and now Byakko have chosen a new Miko, so that must mean that Genbu would is finding another, also..."
The blonde shook her head. "I don't know what they're planning. Demo.. I think I saw that one Byakko Seishi.... what's her name.... You know, the one with the long greenish hair?"
"Subaru?"
"Hai, that's it."
"Where was she?"
"She was a waitress at the cafe I was at when Taiyo-chan paged me. I think she said her name was Kasumi."
"Okay, we'll take Taiyo-chan there and see if she can recognize her."
"Meanwhile, why is Umiiro here?"
"Errr..." Miaka flushed a little. "I thought she knew the way over here and then..."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
It was an hour after the group had eaten and Chichiri had vanished, saying he had some business to finish. Boshin was already sent to bed, and Tasuki was grumbling about a 'damned monk always ditching' him.
Just a few hours until midnight, he finally came back with some important news. He just made the sad mistake of trying to wake Tasuki up.
*POW!*
"Ittai no da!"
The bandit just rolled over in his bed and snored as Chichiri rubbed his throbbing nose.
"Tasuk-kun no da! Wake up no daaa~!" He ducked another wild swing. "Tasuki-kun! I'm not joking no da!" Finally fed up, Chichiri took Tasuki's foot and literally dragged him about the palace as he went to get Ryo and Houki up.
When all three were awake, Chichiri took off his kasa. "Gomen ne, minasan, demo.. I have something to tell you, no da."
"Oi, Chichi... This better be good." Tasuki growled sleepily.
"Oh, it's very important, no da. It's Seishi business, no da."
"Then why are we here, Chichiri-san?" Asked Ryo.
"Because Hotohori-sama asked me to bring you two, no da."
Everyone blinked.
"Hotohori...?" Tasuki asked.
Houki glared at the monk. "This had better not be some sort of cruel joke, Chichiri."
He laughed nervously. "Iie, iie. Of course not, no da! What would I have to gain from it, no da? All I need you to do is step inside my kasa, no da."
Ryo and Houki looked kind of weary but did as he said. Tasuki gave Chichiri a last questioning look before he did the same and the monk stepped in after him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The quartet found themselves in a large open room. Pillars arched from the walls, forming a star in the center of the dome shaped ceiling. Statues decorated the ledge the jutted in from where the straight-lined walls curved in, the walls themselves were elaborately carved with pictures detailed to perfection. But the most surprising was the larger statues that half circled around a burning fire pit.
On one side, there was Chiriko, Hotohori and Nuriko, on the other was Mitsukake with Tama-neko on his shoulder, Chichiri and Tasuki, all six standing tall and proud, each bearing Taiitsu-kun's gifts with them. Between Nuriko and Tasuki was the fiery phinox itself, wings partially wrapped around the embracing Miaka in her Miko garb, and Tamahome, Seishi symbol carved upon his brow.
The empress finally found her voice. "Wh-what is this place...?"
Chichiri slipped off his mask, running a finger over the name engraved upon a golden plaque under Suzaku's wings. "This is Suzaku's shrine, where all the Seishi are buried after they die."
Tasuki looked at his fellow Seishi in puzzlement. "Demo we buried Nuriko up in the mountains, and we were with Hotohori after he died. How did they get over here? How long have you known about this and not told me!?"
The monk put the mask back on and went SD. "Calm down, Tasuki-kun no daaaa! I found out about this tonight, no da. Taiitsu-kun told me she wanted to tell me something of the utmost importance no da, and this was it, no da. She told me about this shrine and that she came and got each of the Seishi's bodies and brought them over here, no da. Then she told me that Hotohori-sama wanted me to bring you, Ryo and Houki-sama here, no da."
The empress's eyes widened. "So my husband is here? Where is he? Can I speak to him?"
"I am right here, my beloved."
Everyone turned and saw Konan-kokou's deceased emperor, standing by his statue, demi-sword in hand. Houki starred at him, a hand fluttered to her mouth as she let out a strangled gasp. There he was, in all his proud and beautiful glory, the noble air that hung about him, as it would any Seishi, increased as he stepped to the group, the same brilliant eyes and radiant smile that turned the blackest of nights into day. His body shimmered lightly, and waved translucently. He reached to his wife, the ghostly hand passing through her cheek as Houki began to weep softly.
"Houki... don't cry..." Hotohori's eyes began to water as well. "Oh, what I wouldn't give just to touch you one last time..."
She smiled weakly. "Heika sama... I would give my life for you to live again, so you can see your son the first time. He's grown so big and so handsome, just like you. Under Chichiri's tutelage, he's become so wise and Tasuki and Ryo have helped him be strong."
The emperor looked to the other three. "I thank each and everyone of you, from the bottom of my heart. I hope he wasn't any trouble for you?"
"Of course not, Hotohori-sama, no da. He is a kind and sweet child, never gets into any trouble, no da."
"Daijoubo, Hotohori. The kid's no problem at all! I could watch him with my eyes closed."
Ryo nodded. "Hai, Heika-sama. I take care of Boshin as I would do to my own brother."
Hotohori smiled, but it soon faded. "I wish we had more time for the reunion, but we have dire things to discuss."
"Oi, Hotohori, where's the others? Mitsukake, Nuriko and Chiriko? Why aren't they here?" Tasuki asked.
"That's why I wanted you all here." He turned to the Suzaku statue. "The Four Gods are up to something important. They're either drawing a lot of power, or need a large amount of it, either way, the excess amount of energy is causing all the Seishi, including Genbu, Byakko and Seiryuu, to be reborn on earth. I don't know what they have planned, but something big is going to happen to Miaka and Yui's world. You have to find a way to unseal the passage to their world quickly. And you must bring the last Seiryuu Seishi with you. All twenty-eight Seishi must be there to help protect earth if it comes down to it."
Chichiri and Tasuki blinked. "Ano... Seiryuu Seishi no da?"
"There's one left?"
The emperor looked back at the two, a mini sweatdrop on the back of his head. "Hai, don't you remember? No one killed Amiboshi, or even heard from him after Suboshi took him."
"Aaaaah." It finally dawned.
"Yoshi, no da. We'll bring him with us, no da."
"Hai, demo..."
Everyone looked at Tasuki. "Hai, Tasuki?"
"Where are we going to find him?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Hey everyone! Thanks for being so patient! The reason it took so long is because my comp kinda gave out on me, so I couldn't write for the longest time, and now I can't go on line so I'm sending these from school. *sweatdrop* I hope I don't get suspended for this, or my e-mail lisence revoked. Anyways, as a way to say I'm sorry, I'm giving you guys two for the time of one, hope you enjoy! And send me e-mail! I love it when people send me e-mail!
~Virgo-chan
Hi, this is Mit-chan speaking...I'm sorry that I've test going on that my editting is slow.......sorry....^^;
Hope u enjoy every time!