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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 4: The Guardians
by Virgo-chan
Ryo, Tasuki and Chichiri waved farewell to the empress and her son, ready to begin on their journey. They still had no idea where the Seiryuu flutist could be found, or how they would even get to the world Miaka and Yui are living. And, if the road ahead so was perilous that Hotohori wanted Ryo to go with the two Seishi. Chances were they also needed other allies. So, it was back to Mt. Leikaku once more.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Meanwhile, back on earth, Tetsuya was talking with Kenshin and Umiiro while Yui and Miaka listened to Taiyo recounting her encounter with Byakko seikun. Tactfully leaving out the part about threatening to bash him with a lamp.
"And so he told me to talk to you two because you've already gone through all this..." The ebony haired girl looked away. "Gomen ne, minna... You probably think I've gone wacko or something. I mean, an animal saying it's a God and about my going to another world. It was probably that chicken fajita I had for lunch. Stupid Spanish food..."
The other two girls exchanged glances. "Ne, Taiyo-chan, you're not crazy."
Taiyo looked up into Miaka's chocolate brown eyes.
"It's true, Yui-chan and I found a book in the library and were transported to a world where we were chosen to be Mikos for two of the four animal Gods..."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
~And let's jump back into the book.~ Just to make sure that no one screwed up the place while both Kouji and Tasuki left, all the bandits got a free vacation for Lord knows how long. After briefing Kouji on the situation (and after his and Tasuki's little 'Happy Dance') the four were on the road again. This time, they would find their next ally in the woods along the side of the mountain.
"So you don't know where to find this Amiboshi guy, eh?" The dark skinned bandit pursed his lips and leaned back in his saddle. He then turned to Chichiri. "Oi, Chichiri-san. Why don't you ask that Obaba?"
The monk sweat dropped. "If you want your chi blasted," he removed his kasa and held it out to Kouji, "be my guest, no da. Taiitsu-kun is busy trying to figure out what the Gods are up to, no da. I don't think she'd be very happy if we interrupted no da. After all it takes a lot of focused chi to open the mirror to another world, no da."
Tasuki blinked. "That would explain why the Nyan-Nyans were hanging about that last town."
Ryo, who remained quiet through most of the journey, suddenly spoke up. "Does anyone get the feeling we're being watched?" Everyone halted their mounts and blinked.
Then came a shrieking cry that sounded suspiciously like 'Genrou no Baka!' and something catapulted itself at the Seishi in question, the two fell to the ground. Everyone else just stood in confusion while a strange lady began throttling Tasuki.
"How dare you leave me behind like that!?!" The woman demanded.
"Ack! Chichiri! HELP!!"
"Ano na no da..."
Kouji blinked. Damn... she looked so familiar, but where did he see her...? Coppery hair, amber eyes, quick temper, sharp, almost musical voice... A light went off in his head. "Hana-chan?"
The lady stopped and smiled brightly at the other bandit. "Ohayo, Kou-chan!"
Tasuki choked in her grasp. "Chiisana bana? Why does that sound familiar? And why are you getting so friendly with him?"
Baaaaaaaaad move.
She looked back him, a raging inferno behind her. "You... you..." With a mighty kick that sent Tasuki into the sky jaw first, she screamed: "Genrou no Baka! How could you forget your own ONEECHAN *!?!"
* Picture for Hanako By Virgo-chan
Ryo and Chichiri looked at each other. "Ne, Chichiri... Tasuki has an oneechan?"
The monk shrugged, he just turned and shielded his eyes, trying to find the air-borne Seishi. The dark haired bandit leapt from his steed and embraced the lady. He turned to the rest of his company.
"Minna, I'm Hanako, Gen-chan's older sister and part-time bandit." She bowed politely to them.
"Hana-chan, this is Chichiri, a monk and fellow Suzaku Seishi like Gen-chan, and Ryo, possibly the greatest swordsman in all four counties."
They bowed in turn. At that moment, Tasuki decided to make an impact. ~I just wonder how many people would be confused with the human shaped crater in the ground.~ Hanako raised and eyebrow at the twitching mass at her feet.
"Well, Genrou no Baka. You got a lot of explaining to do."
He wearily sat up. "Mou ii yo! Ii yo! I have a good excuse, honestly!"
Chichiri tapped Tasuki on the shoulder. "Ano da..."
"Not now, Chichiri."
"Demo, Tasuki-kun-"
"Hold on, this is important!"
"Demo-"
"I said not now!"
Giving up, the monk did the first thing that came to mind that would get the pyro's attention. He whacked Tasuki with his shakujo. "Tasuki-kun no da! Look, no da!" Chichiri grabbed him by the front of his jacket and turned him around to see dark plumes of smoke dispersing in to the sky.
"Nani...? What is that?" Ryo narrowed his eyes. "Are they burning something over there?" They turned to the strangled gasp behind them. Hanako was as ashened, and hand fluttered close to her face. "Ah.. They're burning the village!"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Ne, Hikari... Explain to me why we're doing this again?" The young boy in question turned to his friend.
"It's simple, Makoto, though I dare say stupid." The other nodded in agreement. "The scout master thought that, if selling cookies works for those Brownies, it's gonna work for us Cub Scouts."
That didn't make Makoto feel any better. "I still feel like an idiot."
"I know. I don't feel all that comfortable being a door-to-door salesman, either." He reached up for the doorbell. The metal slab pulled away and the boys put on their best smiles. "Konbawa!" They said.
"Would you be interested in buying-" Makoto stopped when he realized that Hikari was just standing there. "Ne, Hikari? Daijoubu?" He turned to the person in the portal and froze himself. The three just stood there, something in the back of their minds screaming recognition but not connecting it to anything.
A sweet voice called from inside. "Ne, Kenshin-kun? Who's at the door?" Umiiro poked her head from behind the Nuriko look-alike.
"Ah, who are you two?" Makoto tried to find his voice and Hikari just stared. "Ano... W-would you like to buy some" he flushed and looked away, "Boy Scout cookies?" She blinked.
"Nani? Gomen nasai, I couldn't hear you." He dug into Hikari's backpack and brought out several boxes, each labeled 'Boy Scout Cookies'.
"Oi! Hikari, snap out of it!" He then whapped the brown haired youth with his Cub Scout cap.
"Ittai... Makoto..." He whined, rubbing the back of his head.
Umiiro just smiled. "One moment, please. I'll ask the others if they want any cookies."
She thought to herself. She dimly wondered if she would have enough money. "Please, come in."
"Arigato..." Hikari said meekly, the other smiled at the invitation.
"Miaka-chan! Yui-chan! Taiyo-chan! Would any of you like cookies?" At the very mention of food, out came the over-active brunette. She stopped on a dime at the sight of the Cub Scouts. Yui and Taiyo did the same, though at a much slower pace.
"Chi-Chiriko..."
"Kami-sama... Miboshi?"
The latter one - Seiryuu Seishi tugged at the blue sleeve of his friend. "Hikari...?"
"Ne, Makoto...?" 'Chiriko' just sat on the couch, looking from Kenshin to Miaka to Yui and back again. "My head hurts." He leaned against his friend's shoulder.
"A lot of these people look so familiar, but I can't figure out where and it's making my head hurt." Hikari rubbed Makoto's shaven head.
"Mine, too, Makoto...mine hurts, too..."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The pillars of smoke grew from a sparse few to practically every single rooftop. The group would alternate from fighting off the barbarian attackers, helping the villagers evacuate and trying to put out the fires. It was hectic work trying to get all three jobs done at once. Chichiri commanded Tasuki, Kouji and Ryo to keep the invaders at bay. Hanako, a friendly face to those in the village already, directed to inhabitants out into the forest while Chichiri and some of the men in the village dumped bucket after bucket of river water into the blazing flames. In over six hours, either the huts where destroyed by the fire or the fighting, or the roof was a smoldering mess. Not one house was left intact, and now no one had a place to stay. The people thanked the group for spending all their time and effort even if it was in vain in saving them. Tasuki sighed as he walked back to the horses, Kouji next to him.
"Well, we tried. Can't say we didn't. We might as well get going and look for that stupid Seiryuu Seishi."
"I'm not going." They all turned and looked at Hanako.
"Chiisana Hana? What do you mean you're not going?"
She looked away from Kouji's eyes. "Exactly what it means. When I was running from my captors, they hide me. I owe them so much. I'm staying and helping them rebuild their village." She looked up again. "Even if no one else will help."
Chichiri stepped up next to her. "I will help, no da."
"Chichiri!?" Tasuki shrieked. "Demo we gotta get to Miaka's world!"
"People need help here, Tasuki-kun no da. Not only this is my duty to help them, no da. I don't want them to be at the mercy of wild beasts and nature, no da. Remember, winter isn't too far off, no da."
"Chichiri-san..." The young swordsman tugged at the end of the monk's kasa. "I want to stay and help too. It's not fitting of a noble to turn his back on the people that support him to do what's best for them."
The monk smiled at him, a real smile. "Hotohori-sama would be proud to hear you take such responsibility for these people." Ryo smiled slightly as well. The three looked up expectantly to the other two. Correction, the four looked up expectantly to Tasuki.
He let out an aggravated breath. "Yo---shi-! But if the world's not there by the time we finally arrive, don't say I didn't tell you so!"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Four symbols flared back into existence once more, hanging in the void that barred the dementia from one another.
BYAKKO SEIKUN, are you sure? For independence too...Will she not be? You have chosen a very strong willed Miko,' a deep slow voice aged and wise asked.
Suzaku Seikun snapped back. 'SHOULDN'T it be you Genbu seikun? You are worried about finding your new Miko...'
The giant tortoise simply clucked his tongue at the fiery phoenix and a dragon came from their perch around his shoulders.
Seiryuu Seikun asked. 'What if something dangerous happens before they regained their memories?'
Suzaku Seikun 'nodded' in his own agreement. The eldest of the Gods slowly 'shook' his great head.
'IIE, Our only way for all of our twenty eight seishi in their world is to unlocked their subconsciousness and they could remember their previous lives in here.'
The white tiger 'turned' to the others. Seiryuu Seikun, keeper of the mentality magic, 'looked' into the book. He and Suzaku 'glared' at each other. Genbu ordered. Byakko said He 'looked' at the younger Gods.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Chichiri cursed silently to himself. All these people are hurt and there was only such a small amount of medical supplies. He looked around him once more. It seemed that practically everyone in the town was in need of assistance. Then again, that's what happens when you're in a battle. Tears welled up in his eyes once more. Just like when Mitsukake died, so long ago. Of all the things that happened to him, of all the deaths he had witnessed, Chichiri could never let that one go. He knew how hard it was to lose a close friend, but then... The monk rocked back on his heels, and then he lost another one, who sacrificed his life to save those wounded and dying people in the last war. Chichiri jerked back to reality when he felt a hand placed on his shoulder. He turned to see Tasuki behind him, the bandit starring back with those intense, amber eyes.,br>
"You're thinking about him again, aren't you, Chichi?" He asked. Slowly, he ran a hand along the bottom of Chichiri's jaw, flicking the moister that dripped from beneath his mask. The monk took the covering off his face, tears slowly trickling down from his right eye.
"Gomen ne, Tasuki-kun. I should be able to let it go now... demo..." He stopped when Tasuki threw his arms around him.
"Yamatte, Chichiri..." The bandit whispered. "Cry all you want. It's about time you got it out of your system. Don't try to be strong for the both of us when you're trying to deny how much you're hurting inside."
After a second, Chichiri placed his head on Tasuki's shoulder, just laying it there gently, the smell of sweat and pine in his senses. Then tears started to fall faster and faster, followed by slight sniffles and gasps that led to a full fledge cry. A few minutes later, the bandit just held Chichiri in his arms, still trembling.
"Daijoubo, Chichi? Do you feel better?"
"Hai, Tasuki-kun... Arigato gozaimasu." He pulled away, drying his face before sliding the mask back on. "C'mon, Tasuki-kun no da. We have to help the people rebuild, no da." Without looking back, Chichiri turned and walked off. Tasuki was about to follow him when he ran into someone, literally.
"Ittai! Watch it, aho! The street don't belong to you, do... it...?" Tasuki blinked as he looked at the young man at his feet. "Ah... gomen. I should have watched were I was going." The young man rubbed the back of his neck. "Chi...Chi...Chichi...CHICHIRI!!! I'VE FOUND AMIBOSHI!!! HURRY UP AND GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE!!"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Taiitsu-kun jolted from her meditative state. Something wasn't right... A large and powerful energy source suddenly flares at the very fabric of reality and disappears? That can't be possible! Especially since the specific chi residue that was left behind could only be found in the plane between the fourth dimension and the reality consisting of pure anti-matter. She had been there before, and it was not a pleasant experience. She looked into the large mirror. What could create such a signature? The Gods had most likely sent it here for some purpose, but for what? And where was it headed? She narrowed her eyes. The Four Guardians... Whoever they were afterall are as good as dead at that very moment. Now, what is their target? Taiitsu-kun had the mirror zoom out and spotted a smoldering village. She got a close up of what was happening inside of it. She sighed. "Baka pupil of mine." She cursed. "Chichiri, what have you gotten yourself into now?" She made up her mind. The only reason the gods would send their guardians some where is because they fear that their lives or goals are in jeopardy. Seishis wouldn't get in the way of their gods unless they were doing something evil and totally unmoral (unless this is Nakago we're talking about. Then he'd probably ask to join them). So that must mean... "Chichiri... Ganbatte ne... we'll need it..."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Indecision Okay, I'm kinda back on track now. I'm this close to getting back online, so it shouldn't take me so long to get these posted. Hopefully I'll have the first book done within...say...three months...? *sweat drop * Maybe I'll be able to cut that time down a bit. Any C&C, send to ME