A/N: Ack, I promise I won't have these in every chapter, honestly! I only wanted to pop in to say I find the title horribly punny in it's own little way, and to swear that I didn't do that on purpose: "A New Seven" just HAPPENED to fall under "Episode seven." I'd also like to apologize, because I try to get an episode up every week and this one came a couple days late. Bad Dee! ^_^; And, finally, before I bore you all to death, I'd like to let ya know that this episode sort of ends funny- not really like a definite end- because originally this and Episode eight were gonna be one ep, but when I finished typing it was about 20 pages, so I split it into two chapters at the best spot. Okay, I'm done yacking, you can get t'reading now... of course, most of you prob'ly just skipped over this, so you're reading now... so writing this was actually a waste of-
Tasuki: ::chases me out:: WE GET THE IDEA!

Keisuke, Tetsuya and Yui all jumped about five feet in the air as the telephone rang. Keisuke dashed to the phone, wanting to get back to the book as soon as possible. "Moshi-moshi, Keisuke Yuki speaking."
"Onii-chan?"
Keisuke jumped again. "Miaka! Hi, er, what're you doing calling at this hour, uh..." he looked at the clock- it was only 8:30, "I mean, what's up?"
"Is Yui-chan there? I've been trying to call her house all evening to see if she wanted to stay the night, and then I thought she might be there with Tetsuya."
Keisuke fidgeted with the phone cord. "No, uh, they went out tonight, I think. Sorry, can't help you."
"Oh. All right," Keisuke started to say good-bye, when Miaka asked suddenly, "Is everything okay?"
"Why shouldn't it be?" he asked, trying to sound believable.
"I don't know. I've just felt sorta funny since this evening, like I'm missing something important. Taka said he felt the same way. Weird, huh?"
"Very," Keisuke looked at Yui and Tetsuya, who were motioning for him to hurry. "I wouldn't worry about it, if I were you. Prob'ly just stress 'cause of the upcoming mid-terms."
"Yeah, maybe," Miaka agreed. "Well, I'll see you later, okay Onii-chan?"
"Hai. G'night," Keisuke hung up, glad that his sister hadn't been able to tell he was hiding something. He sat down with a sigh. "Go on, Tetsuya."
"'The next morning, four Konan warriors packed their supplies and said their good-byes, ready to turn back to Konan...'"

"Ah, it's gonna be great havin' you down at the palace," Tasuki remarked, tying his bags onto his horse. "When we ain't fryin' Takkan I can take you on a tour. We're gonna have a blast, doncha think so Red?"
Ritsuka groaned from atop her horse.
"I told you to go easy on the alcohol," Tasuki reminded her.
Ritsuka mumbled something unintelligible and extended her middle finger.
Koji shook his head and laughed. "She'll be fine by t'morrow, but a day of hard ridin'll be tough on her head. I'd hate t'be you right now, Ritsuka."
The middle finger only extended higher.
Houki looked back at the few awake gang members who'd come to see them off. "I truly appreciate your coming with us, Koji, but who will be in charge of the gang until you return?"
"Don't worry, my girl Hareya can handle any-" Koji was cut off as the beautiful bandit came flying out the door to the hideout, hugging the leader tightly.
"Koji-chan, you better come back in one piece or I'll kill you myself, understand?" she cried.
"Oh, hi love, didn't think ya'd be outta bed yet," Koji teased.
"What's a little alcohol to seeing my Koji-chan off?" she countered. "Don't worry about a thing, I'll keep this band of ruffians under control until you get back, and if one thing is out of place you can throw me off the mountain."
"Yer too pretty t'throw all the way off the mountain," Koji told her. "Maybe jus' halfway."
She laughed. "You're such a kind leader, Koji-chan." She planted a kiss on his cheek, causing the gang leader to blush bright red. "Stay safe, and keep that seishi friend of yours out of trouble too."
"Keepin' Genrou outta trouble's like keepin' water from gettin' wet, but I'll do what I can," a blushing Koji promised, wriggling out of the woman's hold. "I'll be back in a few months at the most, love."
She waved as he mounted his horse. "I'll count down the days! One hour past two months and you don't get a welcome back party! Jaa mata, Koji, Gen-tachi!"
Houki waved politely, while Tasuki and Koji blew kisses melodramatically. Ritsuka raised a hand slightly, letting it drop back to her side with a thump.
Tasuki kicked his horse into action, and off the four went, yawning Reikaku bandits still waving as they disappeared over the horizon.

Mizu sat in front of her crystal, watching the Takkan soldiers at Setsuka's demand. Even though the woman had promised Mizu that she wouldn't be needed, she had very quickly gone back on her word so she could see the goings-on in camp.
"Please, check on those soldiers, there," Setsuka commanded. "I would like to see what the general feeling about the recent situation is among the common soldiers."
"Hai, my Lady."
The trio of soldiers Setsuka pointed out were attempting to cook dinner, nursing wounds and complaing about the way things were going.
"Huh, send us out t'fight a couple-a demons," the first grumbled. "Th' whole thing's suicide, I tell ya."
"An' knowing his Lord Hataku, we'll be out fightin' in a day," the second said bitterly. "M'leg ain't feelin' any better'n it did three days ago, but will he care? Pah!"
The third shook his head. "Nah, it ain't Hataku-sama's doin'. Captains' gossip says everythin' he does copmes as a direct order from her Ladyship." He glanced around, then whispered to his friends, "An' word has it she knew those seishi c'd do that."
"She sent us t'die!?" the first cried, shocked.
The third nodded knowingly. "Aye, from what I understan' she an' Hataku-sama ain't gettin' on too well, an' she wanted t'teach him a lesson about obeyin' without question."
"By killin' us!?" the second spat angrily. "It ain't right, I say! We get whipped t'bloody pulps an' what happens t'Hataku!?" The third leanded in and whispered something Mizu and Setsuka couldn't hear, though they knew what he was saying. "Oh, well..." the second muttered. "Maybe he did get his lesson learned, then."
The first took a bige of modly bread. "Well, I ain't got no business in them 'higher matters.' All I know is that th' longer we fight th' less chance we got-a livin'. Those seishi don't take prisoners."
The second snorted. "Fightin'!? Ferget it! If her Ladyship wants Konan so badly she c'n send in some-a her little magical pets! I dunno 'bout you boys, but another attack like that last 'un an' I'm gone! I'll take m'chances with a price on m'head..."
"Mutiny," Mizu said quietly. "Hataku's going to have some trouble."
Setsuka smiled viciously. "Excellent. The more troubles he has, the more he will focus his anger on me. Hatred clouds judement. Remember that, Mizu-chan."
"Do you want Hataku to fail?"
The Lady fingered the silver and white gems about her neck. "Perhaps I do. Never you mind though, Mizu-chan. It's nothing you need to worry yourself over. I will need you tomorrow, but today's work is done."
"Hai, my Lady," Mizu left as fast as her legs could carry her, young mind confused by her Lady's wishes.
'Why does she want her general to hate her? Shouldn't they work together?' Mizu sighed. 'Don't ask questions, Mizu. Trust her Ladyship. Everything she does is for good reasons... I think.'

Hataku lay on his stomach in his camp, while a doctor applied poultices to his whiplashed back. The general, hurt in pride and body, clenched his fists angrily.

~~"Hataku, the seat on my right hand that I promise you has made your ego far too large. I believe your power as a common general is sufficient, don't you agree?"
"My Lady, I-" the prison guard beside her snapped the whip in his hand dangerously. "As you wish."~~

"Damn that woman," Hataku growled. "I've clawed my way up from the lowest of ranks, and for what? A mutinous rabble of bloodthirsty idiots and the name general. The title grants me nothing but blood and sweat. Yet what is my reward for my hard work and victoris?" He gritted his teeth as the doctor poured alcohol on his wounds. "I'm a servant to her Lady and those children! Those children who've done nothing in battle, nothing to prove their worth-"
"My, general, but I didn't realize how fierce that prison guard beat you," a female voice behind him remarked. "Not only is your back an absolute disaster, but you seem to have lost the ability to keep your thoughts to yourself."
Hataku sat up, ignoring the sting in his back as he moved. His eyes went over the Lady Setsuka, as well as the two elements- Kaze and Tsuki- who flanked her. Though the look of hatred was easy to read in his blue spheres, the dominant emotion was fear. "Setsuka-sama."
"You should be honored to be the servant of such noble children as my Elements," Setsuka said with a smile. "Though, I understand your complaint. Perhaps it is time to allow some of them a taste of battle."
"Indeed?"
Setsuka's tone was filled with contempt. "Though you and your men have been too busy worrying about your wounds to post guards, I have been vigilant. A small group of Konan warriors are coming back from a journey. Now, we can't just let them ride by without a hitch, don't you agree?"
"My Lady, my men are tired. If there is a seishi with them-"
"There is," she informed him.
Hataku frowned. "I can't send my men to certain death. It would go against everything I-"
"Perhaps you misunderstood me, General," Setsuka growled dangerously. "This isn't a matter of choice- it's a direct order. You will send out a group of 25 soldiers to deal with these warriors. And the person to lead the operation will be someone I know I can trust."
Kaze stepped forward, giving a toothy smile. Hataku spluttered in speechless anger. "That boy will-" the general stopped; in the back of his mind echoed the crack of a whip. He gritted his teeth angrily. "As you wish, my Lady."
Hataku wrapped his cloak around his body and stormed out of his tent. A few moments later they could hear the sound of the general barking orders to a group of soldiers.
Kaze grinned, clenching a fist in excitement. "About time I get t'see a battle!" He glanced at Tsuki. "Looks like you an' that cocky brother of yours ain't gonna taste first blood, eh?"
"Kaze, calm yourself," Setsuka said somewhat impatiently. "Your orders have been given. You aren't there to fight- only to see the power of a seishi in person. Is that understood?"
Kaze looked at the ground and grumbled something unintelligible.
Setsuka grabbed his shoulders and forced him to face her. "Kaze, my dear boy, my orders will be followed, correct?"
The battle-hungry Element's golden eyes met her sharp silver ones. As soon as the command left her mouth, Kaze knew he'd have no choice but to watch from the sidelines. His rebellious side battled hard with his almost unnatural desire to obey His Lady... but only for a moment. "Hai, my Lady."

Koji watched the sides of the road warily. "I don't like th' feel of this place. Somethin' ain't right."
Houki nodded understandingly. "We are only a few hours away from the palace, which means we must be near the Takkan Army. Your feelings of danger are probably from there."
The bandit shook his head. "Nah, somethin' closer." He fingered a small throwing knife tucked in his shirt uneasily. "Like an ambush'r somethin'."
Ritsuka, no worse for her alcoholic binge the other night, laughed at Koji's paranoya. "We didn't have any trouble with Takkan on the way here, and yesterday's ride was totally peaceful."
"Prob'ly al the enemies were scared off by you groanin' about your hangover," Tasuki remarked with a chuckle.
Koji frowned. "Be serious! C'mon Genrou, yer a seishi and a former bandit. Don't you sense ANY danger?"
Tasuki sniffed. "I kinda sense rain. We should get t'the palace as soon as pos-"
An arrow whizzed by Houki's shoulder. The Emperess threw herself across the animal's back. "Suzaku, where in the world did that come from!?"
Koji grabbed the knife from his shirt and threw it at the woods, rewarded by a gurgling scream. "Stay down yer Highness! I KNEW this was some kinda trap!"
Ritsuka unsheathed her sword. "Hey Celestial Warrior, why didn't you sense this!?"
"I ain't Chichiri, I don't do the life force thing," Tasuki shot back. "Listen you can gimme a hard time later, all right!?" He pointed his tessen at the bushes. "Show yerselves!"
The Takkan soldiers, despite Kaze's orders for them to stay hidden and work as snipers, were heartened by the sight of only four travellers. Convinced that they could make quick work of the group, the warriors leapt from their hiding places and rushed the travellers.
Koji's eyes went over them. "24. No problem. Genrou, take the left, Ritsuka take the center, an' I'll go for the boys on the right."
"Highness, we can't risk you getting hurt," Tasuki said. "Stay behind me, an' stay close." Houki did as the seishi said without question, and the fight began.
Ritsuka found her job to be surprisingly easy. With her sword in her hand, the young woman stayed mounted and literally plowed through a group of soldiers, moving too quickly for them to even scratch her with their weapons. The soldiers left alive scattered in both directions, deciding that their prey was far too difficult to try and kill on foot.
They had a hard time finding an easier enemy, as the ones who took to the left ran straight into a wall of fire. Those who took their chances with the bandit leader, who had dropped off his horse to manuever on the ground, met their deaths at the ends of two merciless daggers.
Koji laughed perilously. "What? Y'thought 'cause I ain't a seishi or from another world that I'd be a pushover? Well how's this fer pushover, eh? Ha, that makes you number eight! Who wants t'be death number nine!? How 'bout you, yer a big enough guy t'count fer two, heheh! What, runnin' away? Too bad, y'already been nominated!"
"Koji is a formidable fighter," Houki remarked to Tasuki.
"REKKA SHIN'EN!" Tasuki shouted, frying another five soldiers. He glanced over his shoulder at the Emperess, winking. "Fearless, tough and dangerous! What else'd you expect from a Reikaku bandit?"
Ritsuka sword took a soldier through the middle. She pulled the blade out, glancing around. "Huh, we finished that lot off quickly."
Tasuki followed her gaze around the clearing- not a soldier standing. His eyes trailed to the pile of burnt corpses near him. The seishi blushed. "Guess we got a little carried away... coulda at least let a few escape'r somethin'..."
Koji wiped his blades on the grass. "Only good enemies 's a dead one, even if they are only some common clumsy foot soldiers. How many'd you get, Genrou?"
"Ten. You?"
"Damn," Koji sheathed his weapons. "Only nine." He grinned. "I'll beat ya next time."
"In yer dreams," Tasuki laughed.
"First one to one hundred startin' with that last group?"
"How 'bout 'till the end of the war? Loser has t'buy the other first-class sake?"
"Deal."
Houki blinked, wide-eyed. "Pardon me for saying, but that is a very twisted competition. Wouldn't you agree, Rits..."
A chibi Ritsuka popped up between the two best friends. "Ha! I got five! AND I'm gonna beat you both!"
"How ya figure?" Koji wanted to know.
"'Cause I get two points everytime I do this!" Ritsuka hit Tasuki over the head with her swordhilt. "And, everytime I call him Tasuki-chan and he says-"
"DON'T CALL ME THAT!"
"-I get another two points. See, that's nine already."
Koji swore. "She's got us there, Genrou." Tasuki muttered something rude under his breath.
Kaze, who had watched the display of power from behind a tree up the hill, decided to make an appearance. He stepped out into plain view, clapping appreciatively. "Nice job, very, very nice."
The four looked up, Tasuki with one hand on his tessen. The figure was hard to see- he was standing amidst the shrubbery with the sun to his back.
They were just able to make out Kaze's smile. "You made short work-a those soldiers. 'Course, they were just yer average rabble-a men, nothin' special. Even so, it was a nice show t'watch."
"Who the hell're you!?" Tasuki demanded.
Kaze fingered a small pellet he'd stuffed in an inner pocket of his cloack. "Hm... well, I guess you could call me yer real enemy. Maybe you've heard of a little group called the Elements?"
"Yer one-a them!?" Koji queried.
Kaze smirked. "Nice deduction. Bet you even know what two plus two is, ne?"
"Listen up, punk, we don't have time t'trade insults!" Tasuki told him. "You gonna fight or wait to die later!?"
"Big words that I'd love t'test." Kaze sighed. "Sorry folks, but I've got my orders. I'll have t'kill you later. In the meantime," he pulled the grey pellet out of his cloak, "here's somethin' t'remember me by!"
The stranger tossed the pellet into the air, pointing his index finger at it. Kaze muttered a spell under his breath; the spell, combined with his ki and the magic of the homemade pellet, caused the round ball to explode in midair. A shower of thick, gassy smoke filled the air, nearly choking the Konan warriors.
"Get back here punk!" Tasuki cried, covering his mouth. He pulled his fan out, aiming for where he assumed the stranger had gone. "REKKA-"
Ritsuka caught his arm just in time. "Baka! There's gas in the air! What do you think happens when you add fire to the mixture?"
Tasuki grimaced at the mental picture of he and the other three blown sky-high, fried cajun-style. "Oh, right."
The girl sighed. Realizing that she was holding onto his arm, Ritsuka blushed and quickly dropped her hold. She coughed. "Besides, you can't see anything through this. By now he's probably already gone, and once the smoke clears we won't have a chance of finding him. Huh, you'd have to be a bloody sprinter to catch him now."
A grin slowly spread across Tasuki's face. "Koji! Keep an eye on the ladies! I got an Element to roast!"
Koji rubbed at a watering eye. "Uh, okay," he sneezed; when he opened his eyes his friend was gone. "Gen... rou..."
Ritsuka blinked. "Phantom Wolf indeed. Where'd he go?"

Kaze was running as hard as he could. He wasn't worried about having the warriors follow him- by the time the smoke cleared, he'd have found a meadow and be long gone. Even so, you never knew what a determind warrior could do, so he decided to use all the power he'd been granted.
Besides his pellet magic, Kaze also had a talent for being unusually quick. He didn't expect anyone on the planet to catch him once he put his powers to use.
There is, however, a difference between quickness and speed. Had Kaze and Tasuki been in a face-to-face battle, Kaze may have had the upper-hand where dodging was involved. But when it came to a dead sprint, there wasn't a runner on any world who could beat the seishi.
Kaze stumbled out of the woods and into a clearing. He was breathing hard, but smiling through it all. "Home free." The Element reached for another pellet in his cloak...
A hand closed around his collar, lifting him partially off the ground. Kaze's breath caught in his throat. "All right, pal, playtime's over. Looks like I win-"
Tasuki turned him around to look at his opponent's face, but stopped short. He found himself looking into the scared yet rebellious golden eyes of a boy, not much older than Akai. "You're- you're just a kid!"
Kaze sneered, trying to act braver than he felt. His hand reached for the pouch of pellet he almost always kept at his belt- if he could get one of the explosives... "That's right, big man, jus' like the rest of the Elements. Pretty tough now, ain't ya?" Inwardly, he swore; since he hadn't expected to do combat, the boy hadn't brought his pouch along. His hand groped wildly, desperately searching for the knife he kept on his belt.
Tasuki's eyes, wide with surprise, stared at the boy in disbelieft. "Ya mean... ya mean we're fightin' kids!?"
"Yeah. Why would you care, y'took care-a them soldiers without a backwards glance. So ya gonna do me in or what?" Kaze demanded roughly. He felt his fingers curl around the knife hilt.
Tasuki released his hold on the boy, shaking his head in something of a daze. "No... I ain't killin' kids. I won't do it."
Kaze laughed. "Some seishi you are. I knew y'were slime but I never knew you was stupid too." He took a step back, going into a fighter's crouch. Kaze chuckled dangerously. "Yer gonna regret that decision, Konan warrior. I promise you that. In the meantime, you can take this as a reminder of yer biggest mistake," Kaze slashed upwards with his weapon, scratching Tasuki below the left eye.
"Shit!" Tasuki swore, putting a hand to the spot he'd been hit and taking a step back.
Kaze backflipped out of sword's distance. "You shoulda killed me when ya had th' chance. Take that cut t'help y'remember th' name Kaze- it'll bring ya a lotta pain in the future." The boy tossed a blue pellet into the air, muttered a spell and vanished.

Chichiri sat up in the palace, putting a hand to his left cheek. He grunted in surprise, transforming back into his normal self.
Akai, who'd been keeping him company, looked up anxiously. "What's wrong Chichiri-sama?"
The monk frowned. "Tasuki's hurt, ya know."
"Bad?"
"No, but... something else is bothering him too, ya know." The seishi touched two fingers to his Suzaku symbol. "I better see what's up, ya know."
"You can do that?" Akai asked.
He nodded. "Tasuki and I are pretty much directly connected, ya know. Even more so then we were when there were seven seishi, because the power's more concentrated. I figured out how we could do this a few months ago, ya know. It really comes in handy."*

A/N: *Glares* Yes, they CAN do that in my world, and if you disagree you can kiss my pasty white... loaf of bread *Extends loaf of bread for you to kiss* What, you were expecting something else?

"I see. So you can speak to each other by using your symbols like a medium?" Chichiri nodded. Akai clasped her hands under her chin and cooed, "Wow Chichiri-sama... that is so cool!"
The monk hushed her, concentrating hard as his symbol glowed red.

Ritsuka, Koji and Houki rode through the forest, following Tasuki's obvious trail. "I never knew he was so fast," the redheaded girl remarked.
"Well, it is his seishi power," Koji remarked.
"It is? I thought the whole Rekka Shin'en thing was his power."
"Nah, that's just a Reikaku treasure. I mean, he wouldn't be able t'use it if he didn't have leadership skills, but speed is Suzaku's gift." Ritsuka nodded, then started giggling. Koji raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"You mean to tell me Chichiri can change his appearance, build force fields, do that cool ki blast thing, teleport, and Tasuki can... run really fast?"
"Well, yeah."
Ritsuka leaned against her horse and laughed. "Oh MAN he got screwed over!" Koji and Houki sweatdropped. The college girl sat up fast, a thought forming in her mind. "But wait, if the tessen isn't a Suzaku thing..."
"Anyone can use it, providin' they're good leaders," Koji explained. "I know how, an' so did every gang leader b'fore me, or at least as far back as anyone can remember."
Ritsuka face was immediately in his, eyes sparkling. "So you mean I could use it to fry him!? And all I gotta do is grab the fan and say 'Rekka Shin'en'?"
Koji grinned nervously, backing as far away from the eager face as he could without falling off his horse. "Well, the spell's a bit longer'n that, but yeah, I guess you c'd use it..."
"There is Tasuki," Houki said, interrupting the conversation between the two younger warriors. She nodded towards a clearing, where the seishi was standing, stone still. "It appears he did not catch the Element in time."
The trio rode up to Tasuki, guiding his horse along and shouting greetings.
"Hey, Genrou!"
"Tasuki, I am glad to see that you are all right."
"Tasuki-chan, you lose the race or something?"
The seishi looked up, blinking a couple of times. He shook his head to clear it, rubbing blood off his face. "Nah, I caught him..."
"Then where is he?" Ritsuka asked. She noticed the fairly deep cut on his cheek. "Oh, ouch. Guess you lost the fight, huh? Oh well, win some lose some. I think I got some bandages in here somewhere-"
"I let him go," Tasuki murmured. "I let him get away."
The news was greeted by shouts of confusion and anger.
"You what!? Boy you can bandage your own cut!"
"Tasuki, that was not a wise choice."
"You crazy're somethin'!? He's one-a the big enemies, not jus' some dinky soldier! What were you-"
"He was just a kid," Tasuki told them. "Not much older than Akai. Fifteen, sixteen at the most. I ain't killin' kids. I don't think I can-" the seishi's head jerked up, hearing a voice none of the others could.
"What is the matter?" Houki asked.
"Chichiri's tryin' to talk to me," Tasuki explained. He put two fingers to his wrist, closing his eyes. 'Chichiri?'
'Tasuki, what happened ya know!?'
'I caught one-a the Elements.'
'You did!? Great job ya know!'
'I let him go.'
'NANI!?'
'He's a kid, Chichiri. All the Elements are. I couldn't do it... kill him I mean. How can I... how can any of us fight kids?'
There was a thoughful pause. 'Kids?'
'Hai. Like fifteen, sixteen or so.'
'Suzaku... what ARE we gonna do, ya know?'
'I don't even wanna worry about it right now. Huh, matter-a fact I wouldn't mind gettin' my hands on the little brat at the moment. Got me with a knife, and after I went and let him go, too.'
'Are you hurt bad, ya know?'
'Nah. Just kinda bothered by the whole thing. A little pissed off at myself fer bein' soft on him, too. He's a kid, but he's still an enemy after all.'
'Don't beat yourself up about it, ya know. I would have done the same thing. Proves that we're human, ya know.'
'Guess so.' A raindrop hit Tasuki's face. 'Ah dammit, it's startin' to rain. Just what I didn't need. We're just a few hours from the palace, but if the rain gets bad we might stop. Y'know how much I hate gettin' wet...' Thunder rolled in the distance as the raindrops began belting Tasuki and his companions in every spot possible. 'Ah Suzaku, we're takin' a break Chichiri! Geez, cold, ah down my back! Gotta set camp- oo that's chilly! Jaa!'
Chichiri could almost picture his friend jumping about in the cold rain, trying to keep dry under a treebranch and failing miserably. He chuckled at the mental image. 'Jaa, ya kn-'
Tasuki snapped the connection, pulling his fingers away from his arm and making a bolt for the trees.
"C'mon you three, let's get a tent of some kind set up! I hate gettin' wet an' I'm already practically soaked! Yeek, wet drop right in the eye! Move it already!"

By the time the four travellers had a makeshift tent set up- it was really just an animal hide looped over a treebranch- the rain was pounding down even harder and all were completely soaked.
Ritsuka rung out her long hair, soaking Tasuki in the process. Koji and Tasuki both tried to move wet bangs out of their eyes unsuccessfully. Houki, somehow, seemed as drenched as the others yet in perfect condition, as usual.
Tasuki took of his jacket, wringing out the water and ignoring Ritsuka's droll comment about how this was no time for a striptease. "Damn, two hours from Konan an' we get caught in this. Well, we been makin' such good time I shoulda expected it."
Koji shivered, tossing his wet hair out of his face and accidentally splashing Ritsuka. "Hey Genrou, get a fire started will ya? I'm wet 'n' cold an' that's th' worst combination."
Tasuki pulled out his fan and whispered a Rekka Shin'en. As the small flames were conjured into life, Ritsuka remembered something she'd been meaning to ask the seishi.
The college girl grabbed Tasuki's arm. "Tasuki-chan, teach me how to use your tessen!"
The enthusiastic question caught the seishi off-guard- he jumped, nearly dropping his fan. "Wha!?"
"Koji said almost anyone can use it if they know how, and I really wanna know how! Onegai!?"
"No," Tasuki said flatly. "I can't just teach it to anyone..."
"Well I'm not just anyone, I'm Ritsuka, your kawaii Konan ally, and the girl who can whip your ketsu." She grabbed his arm, rubbing her face against his shoulder like a cat. "Onegai shimasu!"
"No way! If you knew it you'd just use it to torture me!" Ritsuka tried to wrestle the tessen out of his hand. "Red! Give it up will ya!?"
A chibi Ritsuka hung on to the fan with her teeth, pointing accusingly at him. "Shtop beink difficulk an' teash me alreadgy Tashuki-chan."
Tasuki whacked her over the head. "Iie iie iie! Leggo baka!"
A hand connected solidly with the back of Tasuki's head. Koji stood behind him, frowning. "Ya don't hit girls!"
"But she-"
"No excuses."
"She started it," Tasuki grumbled dejectedly.
Houki smothered a laugh. Ritsuka sulked quietly as Koji took a seat next to her. Slowly an idea started forming in the college girl's head. She leaned over next to Koji, making little circles on his arm with her index finger. "Koji-chan..."
The bandit leader blushed, watching her with wide eyes. "Uh..."
"Koji-chan," Ritsuka repeated sweetly. "Do you suppose a big, strong bandit like you can teach a little girl like me how to use the scary metal fan?"
Koji blushed brighter, poking his index fingers together. "Well, er, I really ain't supposed ta..."
"Oh pleeeeeease Koji-chan? Tasuki's such a meanie, but you're a lot nicer and cuter. Onegai Koji-chan?"
Koji grinned, embarassed at the showering of compliments. "Aw, what th' hell, I s'pose it wouldn't hurt..."
Tasuki hit his friend over the head. "Ya don't let girls seduce ya! She ain't even that cute."
"But she-"
"No excuses."
"I'm only human," Koji muttered unhappily, rubbing the back of his head where a lump was quickly forming.
Houki attempted not to laugh, but this time she failed. "Oh, my, I honestly cannot imagine a more entertaining group of people to fight a war with!"

Chichiri glanced out the window of the Emperess' quarters, watching as the heavy rain continued to pour down on Konan and the surrounding area. "Tasuki and the others are going to be a while, ya know. Once the rain clears up you, Kiori and I should get the south gate opened..." his mind turned elsewhere. "Hey, where is Kiori ya know? I haven't seen her in a while."
Akai shrugged, joining him at the window. "I don't know. She's been sorta distant these past couple days. Do you suppose something's wrong?"
"I'm not sure, but I know what you mean, ya know. She has been unusually quiet recently, ya know." Chichiri closed his eye, searching for Kiori's ki. He found it near the pond, under the same tree Akai sat for her flower ritual. He opened his eye. "She's outside, ya know."
"In this mess?" Akai opened the door to the room, catching some rain on her hand. "She's either soaked through or she will be before long. Even if she found some shelter under a tree, leaves can't hold off this much water." Akai paused. "Chichiri-sama, you should go get her."
"Huh?" A chibi monk asked. He turned to look at the steady rain. It was coming down so hard the drops were plinging off the wooden walkway a few centimeters into the air. "Daaa..."*

A/N: I know, "Daaa" is a very Japanese Chichiri sound, so I probably shouldn't use it since Chichiri is saying "ya know," but sometimes it's just the best noise to describe how the kawaii guy feels ^_^

"Well, Chichiri-sama, your kasa will keep you dry," Akai reasoned. "And you know where she is. I'd be walking around for ages trying to find Kiori."
"I guess that's true, ya know."
A few minutes late Chichiri was splashing through the quickly forming puddles, trying to peer through the sheet of rain and drops that fell off the edge of his hat. He shivered despite the warmth of his robe, jumping as a particularly large drop dripped off the back of his kasa and into his shirt. "Eep!" Chichiri sighed, flicking the bottom of the headgear and sending water flying. "This job's all wet, ya know."
It didn't take him long to find Kiori, who seemed to be relatively dry. She had her knees curled up to her chest, watching as the rain made ripples in the clear pond. For a moment Chichiri wondered if the water on her cheek was a tear or just rain, and almost turned around to leave the girl to her thoughts.
His curious, caring side overruled the part of him that said privacy was sometimes best. "What're you doing out here, ya know?"
Kiori jumped a little, rubbing hurriedly at her eyes. She turned, smiling that sad, cheerful smile. "Oh, hi Chichiri. I was just, um... you get sent on Kiori-fetching missions a lot, don't you?"
He laughed and nodded. Chichiri motioned to the obvious rain. "You're going to catch a cold, ya know."
Kiori babbled as he sat next to her, obviously trying to cover some other emotion. "Actually, being out in the rain isn't what makes you sick. My science teacher used to say it just lowered your immunity to germs and, um... well..."
He smiled, almost as sadly as she did. "You sound like a friend I had. He was a genius, and never minded letting us in on some of the new information, ya know."
"Had?" Kiori asked. "One of the seishi, right?" A slow nod. "You miss them a lot, don't you?"
Chichiri thought he caught a note of understanding, not so much pity, in her voice. "How couldn't I, ya know? They were like family- closer even then that, ya know."
"Like family," she repeated quietly. "Chichiri," she said suddenly. "Have you ever, you know, blamed yourself for their deaths? I don't mean to pry, but..." she left her sentence unfinished.
"Blamed myself for the seishi's deaths?" Chichiri's mask covered the sad frown and unexpected tears that had snuck into the corner of his eye. He was silent for a long moment. "No, not for their deaths. I... I guess for a while I wondered what I could have done differently to save them, but I never blamed myself. Why do you ask. Ya know?" The "ya know" came almost like an afterthought.
Kiori pasted on a fake smile. "No reason I guess." A fat drop of water slid off one of the overhanging leaves and hit Kiori in the eye. She frowned, blinking unhappily.
"Something bothering you, ya know?" Chichiri asked, handing her his kesa to wear. "If you want to talk about it..."
Kiori put the hat on her head, sighing. 'If there's anyone here I can talk to- and I should talk to someone- it's Chichiri' one side of her argued. She opened her mouth to speak. 'Do you want to see that mahogany eye of his look at you in sympathy for the rest of your time here?' another part chided. 'Spare him the sob story, it'll just hurt you more to talk about the whole ordeal.'
The girl shook her head. "No, I don't really want to talk."
She expected him to keep at it, but the monk only shrugged. "If that's the way you feel, that's all right ya know."
Kiori gave an unexpected, warm smile. "That's one thing I love about you, Chichiri, you understand the need for privacy." She stood up. "I like Ritsuka and all, but she wouldn't know the meaning of the word secrecy if it hit her in the face."
Chichiri stood as well, nearly slipping on the wet ground. He rubbed the back of his head. "Tasuki's a little like that too, ya know. If you ever do want someone to talk to..."
"Let's go inside." Kiori started to take off the kesa. "You'll need this back unless you wanna get soaked-"
"You hang onto it, ya know," he said with a smile. "Wouldn't want to lower your immunity, ne?"
Kiori giggled, realizing how silly she had sounded when she said that earlier. "Right!"

Hataku sat at the front of his tent, sipping a small glass of alcohol and watching the rain create a curtain of water across the tent's entrance flap. His back ached dully, but he barely noticed the pain. His thoughts were hate-filled, and all directed at the Lady.
"25 more dead," he muttered. "The men think I'm acting like a fool, they don't understand that this was her doing. Why would they care anyway? Rabble of idiots..." He set his cup down, eyes burning with a deep, inner disgust. "Everything she does, all to hurt me. She sees me as a threat, she must. I'm not some uneducated soldiers, nor an easily manipulated child."
He actually smiled grimly. "Well, my Lady, if you want a battle you'll get one. And I've won far too many to be taken lightly. I swear on my sword and this once-proud nation that I'll find my way to that seat at your right side, or perhaps, someday... you'll be the one bowing to me." He chuckled darkly at the idea.
"Um, Hataku-sama?" a child's voice said tentatively behind him.
Hataku whirled, seeing the Element girl Mizu standing with a bag looped over one shoulder. "What in the- I suppose that boy Tsuki brought you here?"
She shook her head, "No, I came here myself. Tsuki isn't the only one who knows that easy trick!"
"Come to torture more of my men?" he growled unhappily, wondering how someone could consider teleporting an "easy trick."
"Iie," she smiled sweetly- and somewhat sympathetically, holding up the bag. "Tsuchi made a special salve that can be used on cuts. He thought you might need some, so I came to deliver it."
Hataku's eyes widened slightly- he had yet to see an Element show any kindness towards him, yet here were the two youngest offering him much-welcomed medicine. He grunted, suspecting a trap of some sort. "You can leave it on the table, if you'd like."
Mizu did as he said. "I'm sorry about what happened. With your soldiers and all. Setsuka-sama should have warned you."
Hataku turned his back to her. As genuine as she seemed to be, he didn't trust any of the childen who worked so closely and so obediently for her Ladyship. "Lotta good that does me now."
"You're drunk and hurt, so I know you don't mean to be grumpy," Mizu said with a slight smile. "I hope the salve helps you feel better- Tsuchi said it's one of his specialties."
"...Arigatou," he muttered, somewhat grudgingly.
"Doo itashimashite," Mizu replied. "And please don't worry, Hataku-sama. You just have to trust in her Ladyship. Everything she does is for the good of Takkan and all the things true and just in the world. I know it."
One of the green crystals that always seemed to follow Mizu around started glowing. In a few seconds she disappeared with a smile and a wave.
"'Hataku watched the rain continue to come down, just as hard as it had been a few minutes ago. He smiled humorlessly. "Everything she does is for the good of Takkan," he repeated. He let out one horse laugh. "The fool."'" Tetsuya looked at Yui, who was dozing on his shoulder, and handed the book to Keisuke. "End Chapter Seven."