Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction ❯ Altered Realities ❯ Outside Help ( Chapter 4 )

Altered Realities

 

 

V.M.

 

 

Tasuki's A/N: So, ya came back, didja? Well, then get ta readin'!

 

V.M.'s A/N: Thanks so much for your kind comments and boisterous approval. * hugs reviewers * And thanks to my readers who make me grin as my hit counter goes up, up, up! * grins and chucks readers under the chin * Ya sure are great for my ego!

 

Warnings: language, scary people and male egos.

 

Rating for this chapter: 15+ for language

 

Disclaimer: * looks up from her keyboard at strange men in suits standing over her * Uh, guys? I've already paid you to go away! * men frown at her, giving her a look that clearly states “we're-not-going-anywhere-till-you-say-it” * FINE! I don't own it! Are ya happy now?! * men grin and wander away * Feh, mean-asses! Crowding me and making me say such terrible things… *continues to grumble *

 

 

Chapter 4: Outside Help

 

 

The atmosphere was tense. Miaka fiddled with the ends of her hair, Kouji bustled around the kitchen straightening and moving things around at random just to keep his hands busy and Tasuki hadn't moved from his seat next to Miaka but was glaring at his best friend.

 

If he hadn't been so frustrated at having been denied the chance to kiss Miaka, Kouji would have found his friend's behavior hilarious. He was acting like an overprotective wolf whose territory had been trespassed upon.

 

Miaka pushed the food around her plate with her chopsticks, “This is really good, Kouji. Thank you for making such a great meal.” Though her voice was cheerful, her hands betrayed her nervousness. “Where did you learn to cook like this?”

 

Kouji turned to face the table's occupants and grinned. `So, ya like men who c'n cook do ya Miaka-chan? Well, that's one strike against Genrou cause he burns water.' “One a th' girls taught me, said it wasn't a good idea fer a bandit ta not know how ta cook fer himself an' take th' chance at starvin' if ya were out on a long distance raid.”

 

Miaka hid a smile behind her hand. Kouji had told her that Tasuki couldn't cook to save his life and found it amusing that his best friend would rub it in.

 

“No, nothin' like that now!” Kouji leaned over the table and pulled her hand from her mouth. “Can't have ya hidin' that, told ya you had a pretty smile. Ya shouldn't hide it.”

 

Miaka blushed and turned her face away, hiding her flaming cheeks and her grin of amusement when Tasuki growled at his friend's familiarity.

 

“Look what ya did, Kouji! Ya embarrassed `er, lay off!” His arm slid over her shoulders and pulled her in to his side and made a big production of pulling her head to rest against his chest and patting her back. “Sorry `bout him, Mi-chan. Th' lout don't know nothin' `bout women.”

 

He froze when he felt her shoulders shaking, he took a deep breath and tilted her face up to his. Her face was red and she was biting her lip, tears spilling from the corners of her eyes. “Shit, Mi-chan! I didn't mean ta make ya cry! I'm sorry, please quit cryin'!”

 

Miaka's laughter burst out at seeing the worry that was etched in his face. Wrapping her arms around his neck she placed a quick kiss on his cheek and leaned back a bit. “I wasn't crying, Tasuki-kun! I was trying to keep from laughing!” His shocked expression caused more peals of laughter to break out.

 

Kouji grinned but the amusement didn't quite reach his eyes. “Genrou, why don't ya go wake `Chiri? An' when ya get back Miaka-chan c'n fill us in on what she's doin' here.”

 

Miaka disentangled herself from Tasuki and stood, “Just tell me where he is and I can go do it. I want to have a word with him anyway.”

 

Tasuki and Kouji both wore expressions that clearly stated what they thought of the idea but Tasuki spoke up, “He's in th' fourth room down on th' left from mine. Knock before ya go in, he has a tendency ta sleep naked when he's here.”

 

Miaka snorted, “Like I haven't seen a naked man before, jeez! I'm one of only two female bandits back home, trust me, I've seen far too many naked men in my life to worry about one more.” She turned on her heel and strode from the room.

 

Kouji and Tasuki blinked at the doors in disbelief and growing annoyance.

 

Kouji turned to look at his best friend, “Thought ya weren't interested. Looks ta me like yer plenty interested.”

 

Tasuki frowned, “I'm not! I just happen ta know that she's got `er self a guy back home and when we get `er back ta him I don't want it breakin' yer heart. `Sides, ya got Aidou dontcha?”

 

Kouji's brow lifted, “Me an' yer sister broke it off months ago `cause she kept throwin' logs at me when I'd be gone for more than a few days. So you just lemme worry `bout myself.” Kouji's tone dropped to a menacing growl; “Ya ain't interested so just back off!”

 

Tasuki's eyes widened in surprise, “Ya know she's got a guy back home, so why are ya tryin' ta get with `er anyway? She's gonna hafta go back, why take th' chance a getting' hurt?”

 

Kouji smirked, “Ya weren't listenin' ta what she said last night were ya? She said that `er guy went back ta his world and forgot `bout `er, that makes her fair game.”

 

Ooooooooooooooooooo

 

She stood on the outside of his door, debating on whether to knock or just barge in. In the past she wouldn't have thought twice and just walked in but this wasn't her world, and the man behind the door wasn't the Chichiri she knew.

 

With a shake of her head she lifted her hand and knocked softly, hoping that this Chichiri wasn't as deep a sleeper as his counterpart.

 

A sleepy “Hai, no da?” met her knock.

 

“Chichiri, its Miaka. Tasuki, Kouji and I need you in the kitchen to talk about things. May I come in?” A few loud thumps and a soft curse drifted through the closed door, she grinned and slid the door open.

 

“DAA!” Chichiri yelped as he pulled his shirt down over his head and attempted to use the bottom edge as a shield to hide his under-shorts. “MIAKA! I'm naked, no da!”

 

“Fine,” she turned to face the door. “Sorry I just barged in but I really felt like an aho standing out there talking through the door. Besides, I need to talk to you about a few things.”

 

She heard him sigh and the faint rustling of cloth told her that he had gotten his clothes on. “What was so important that you couldn't wait for me to get dressed, no da?” He sounded annoyed. She dropped her chin to her chest and mumbled something he couldn't quite catch. “What was that, no da?”

 

She turned to face him, “I said, `Tenkou is the one who has my tessen'.”

 

Chichiri stared at her, his painted eyebrows twitching into a slight frown. “How do you know his name is Tenkou, no da?”

 

“Because she told me last night when she butted in on my stress relief kata.”

 

His hand came up and pulled off the enchanted paper face. “He was here, no da? But there's a ward on the mountain that keeps demons out! How did he get here, no da?”

 

The savage scar that slashed across his left eye startled her. “Uh, maybe it's because she's from a different world. I don't know much about demon wards and I've never heard of this kind of situation before so I really can't think of any other reason she could get through it.”

 

He replaced his mask before grabbing his shakajou and kesa, “Let's go, we need to figure out what we're going to do, no da. I don't like that our magic isn't keeping him out.”

 

Miaka gave a small grin, “Erm, Chichiri? Tenkou is a woman.”

 

His mouth dropped open but no sound came out. He tried again to speak but his mouth just opened and closed comically. Miaka grasped his arm and dragged him along with her to the kitchen.

 

Sounds of grunts and groans followed by shattering glass and crockery greeted the two as they turned down the hall towards the kitchen. Chichiri finally snapped out of his daze, grabbed Miaka's hand and raced to the kitchen sure that his friends were in trouble.

 

When he burst on to the scene he was relieved to see that the two bandits were just scrapping amongst themselves but the curses and growled invectives caught his attention.

 

“Ya can't have `er!”

 

“I c'n go for `er if'n I wanna!”

 

“NO! She's got someone, ya can't go getting' between `em!”

 

“He left `er! I'm free ta go fer `er if she'll have me!”

 

“Ya can't `cause she was mine first!”

 

“THAT'S ENOUGH YOU TWO!” Chichiri's voice boomed over the grappling bandits causing the men to freeze in place like naughty children caught stealing cookies.

 

Kouji shoved Tasuki off of him, “Che! I knew ya wanted `er! Ya could've just said so!”

 

Chichiri frowned at the elder of the two bandits, “Kouji, that's enough. This isn't what we need to focus on right now, no da. We need to find out what's going on. Personal issues can be resolved later, no da!"”

 

Miaka stared confused, wondering whom the men were arguing over. It had to be a woman; nothing could get between two men better than a woman could. “Just ask her.”

 

Kouji and Tasuki looked up at her; Kouji was the first to speak. “N-nani?”

 

“The woman that you two are fighting over, ask her to choose between you. It'll be better than scrapping over her.”

 

Both bandits blushed and got to their feet. “Sure Mi-chan, we'll do that.”

 

Miaka nodded at Tasuki and turned to Chichiri, “So how do we go about getting my tessen away from the demon bitch?”

 

Chichiri blew out a breath; “We need to go talk to Taiitsukun. We'll let her know what's going on and see if she can offer advice, no da. Kouji, Tasuki, are you willing to go along and help out, no da?”

 

The two younger men glanced at each other then nodded.

 

“Good.” Chichiri spread his kesa on the floor, “Step on and we'll go, no da.”

 

Miaka quirked a brow at him. “How is standing on your cloak going to get us anywhere?”

 

Tasuki grabbed her arm and dragged her over to the kesa. “It's a traslocation spell, saves a helluva lot a walkin' time.”

 

She looked dubiously at him, “Sure.”

 

As soon as all the passengers were on board Chichiri began the chant that would take them to see the Creator. The kesa glowed brightly for a moment before they started sinking through it. Miaka squeaked and latched on to Tasuki's arm, squeezing her eyes shut.

 

Tasuki shot a triumphant grin over her head at Kouji who just glared back.

 

Ooooooooooooooo

 

It seemed that only moments passed before solid earth appeared again beneath her feet. Daring a peek, she cracked open an eye and was astounded at the sheer beauty of the mountainous region she had found herself in.

 

“Chichiri? Why are there pink bubbles everywhere and just where the hell are we?” she asked as she released Tasuki's arm and stepped to the side to gaze down at the blue-green waters of a small pond admiring the multicolored koi that swam leisurely too and fro.

 

“Mt. Taikyoku, no da. This is where Taiitsukun lives.” The masked monk replied casting a glance at the female seishi. 'Let's just hope she isn't easily startled, no da. It could be bad if she screams when she first sees Taiitsukun. She's a seishi, surely she'll be able to keep herself from screaming, no da.'

 

Miaka breathed a pleasured sigh; “Anyone who lived surrounded by such beauty can only be beautiful themselves. Hopefully this `Creator' of yours isn't one of those snooty-bitch type pretty women.”

 

Tasuki and Chichiri shared a knowing smile, “Yep, it's just like that Mi-chan! You'll love Gran- er… Taiitsukun.”

 

Kouji raised a brow at his best friend's remark but kept silent when Tasuki gave him a subtle wink.

 

“Suzaku no Shichiseishi Chichiri, what brings you here?” an aged voice boomed, not two feet away from Miaka.

 

`Well, we're about to find out, no da.'

 

“SUNAKAKE BABAAAAAAAAAA!” Miaka screamed and leapt on the person closest to her, which just happened to be Kouji. She latched on to him, wrapped her legs around his chest, her arms around his head and buried her face in his hair, shivering in abject terror.

 

`Just as I thought, no da.'

 

Kouji stood in shock; both at having seen the Creator and at having Miaka pressed so close to him even if it was because she was frightened. When his brain registered exactly how she had latched on, his face flushed but the breasts that were pressed so tightly against his face hid it.

 

Tasuki growled and stalked over to the pair, snatching Miaka from Kouji's grasp and holding her close. “Miaka, shh. It's Taiitsukun; she's just really ugly. Ya don't gotta be afraid a her.” He patted her back and combed his fingers through her short auburn hair.

 

“Miaka! What is the meaning of this! How dare you molest Kouji before me?!” Taiitsukun bellowed.

 

Miaka peeked at the astoundingly ugly woman from beneath Tasuki's chin, “S-sorry, I d-d-didn't know it w-w-was your t-t-turn!”

 

Tasuki roared with laughter.

 

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooo

 

 

So, there's chapter 4. Hope you laughed… er liked it as much as I did!

 

LOVE!