**Soundtrack Feature Alert!** That's right, another song scene! Trust me, this is one you'll wanna get. The song is called "Kimi ga Iru," by Seki Tomokazu. It's BE-AU-TI-FUL! If you already have it, I'm very very proud of you (not many people have even heard of it); but if you haven't you can download it here: https://www.angelfire.com/realm2/chichiri/media/mp3.html <-- It's zipped, so hopefully you've got winzip (if not, you can get it at www.winzip.com, or just i/m me or something and I'll send you the song. My Yahoo s/n is ryoko_space_chick, my AIM name is Tenchiforever13, and my MSN name is Chimera_girl [no, I'm not anime-obsessed at all...]). And ignore the silly talking on the page; it's an under-construction Chichiri shrine I'm working on, and it's still in the early stages... VERY early stages ^^;;

Tetsuya poked Keisuke in the cheek "Keisuke, wake up buddy." He mumbled something that sounded rude and swatted a hand at Tetsuya's finger. His friend was persistent, though; he tried another tactic. "Keisuke... Yui bought a fresh pack of beer..."
Yui giggled. "Let me have a try." She leaned in next to the college boy and shouted. "Keisuke wake up fast Setsuka just killed all the Konan Warriors!"
Keisuke sprang awake with a start, reaching out with a fist and unintentionally punching Tetsuya in the forehead. "Huh!? She did what!? Lemme at her..." he blinked sleepily. "Oh, hi Yui, Tetsuya. What happened to your face, looks like you got hit."
An anger vein popped out on Tetsuya's face. "Baka..." he whapped him over the head with the book. "Here I am, waking you 'cause I think things are about to get interesting, and you beat me up for it!"
"Ittai..." Keisuke looked at the book that had been shoved under his nose. "Did I miss much?"
Yui put her hands behind her head, leaning against the couch. "I'll give you a quick run-through of the details, but then you've gotta start reading. I get a bad feeling from the last lines of Chapter Fourteen, just a feeling in my bones."

Kiori yawned wide, grabbing a hair-tie. She glanced over at Ritsuka, who was struggling with her shirt. "I can't believe it's been almost two weeks since Chichiri and I got back to the palace. Time sure does fly, doesn't it?"
"Mm-hm," Ritsuka agreed. She shot her friend a look out of the corner of her eye. "Two whole weeks, and you've made absolutely no progress with that monk."
"Oh Ritsuka, you aren't going to bring THAT up again, are you!?"
"I can't help it," she said, closing her eyes . "It just totally boggles my mind how a person can be head over heels in love with another person and keep it hidden... or, at least, try to." She opened one eye to peek at her friend. "If you'd let me give you a helping hand..."
"Oh, God help me, not this spiel," Kiori muttered under her breath. She'd heard the words so much that she had them memorized.
"...then you'd have been tripping the light fantastic with your monk a week ago. I know how to get a guy to admit his feelings, and if you'd listened to some of my advice Chichiri would've either been jumping at the chance to say he loved you, or already have told you that little fact. And if he isn't in love with you- which I'm pretty sure he is, but we won't go into that- well, there's a million ways to get a guy to fall for a girl..." Ritsuka stopped, realizing that Kiori was reciting it at the same time.
The redhead frowned at her friend. "Dammit, I'm being serious!"
"Dammit, so am I," Kiori shot back immediately. "Ritsuka, your view of love and romance aren't as accurate as you think they are. Just let me do this my way, all right?"
"Well excuse me," Ritsuka sniffed. She brushed her long red hair out, pulling it back into a tight braid.
Kiori frowned thoughtfully, looking down at the floor. "Truth be told, though, I am getting a little worried." Ritsuka watched her curiously. "It's just... I don't feel like I'm as close to Chichiri as I was those first days when we got back to the palace. Ever since..."
"If I say I'm fine, then I'm fine, dammit!"
"Oh, hell, I dunno. Ignore me, Ritsuka, I'm just being stupid 'cause it's that time of the month."
Ritsuka sweatdropped. "Did NOT wanna know that, but thanks for the information."
The redhead's ears perked up. From outside their door, she thought she heard someone shouting. Ritsuka went over to the door and opened it, just in time to see a servant run by yelling the call for attack.
Kiori glanced at her friend. "You fighting today?"
"May's well," Ritsuka muttered, strapping her swordbelt and scabbard on. She chuckled, saying in a joking manner, "All this fighting gets so monotonous after a while, you almost wish an Element would attack."

Setsuka watched the two girls from one of the seeing-crystals of Mizu's; she had spent the past two weeks with the young girl, gaining back her trust and spying on her enemies at the same time. She smiled viciously at Ritsuka's last line. "Be careful what you wish for, Konan Warrior. Sometimes wishes have nasty ways of coming true."
Mizu shut off the crystal, glancing over her shoulder at her mistress. "Are you thinking about attacking again, my Lady?"
Setsuka waved a hand dismissively. "Perhaps, perhaps. Don't worry about it, Mizu-chan- whatever happens, it won't involve you."
"Or Houjun?"
"Or Houjun," Setsuka lied easily. "Why don't you go back downstairs for a while? Oh, and do you think you could send Kaze up? I wish to speak with him."
"Hai, my Lady."
Setsuka waited as Mizu trotted out of the room. As soon as she was out of sight, the Lady began to pace restlessly. She hadn't spent the last two weeks in vain- every moment of her time had been devoted to thinking up a perfect, flawless, deadly plan against her enemies, and at last she was ready to put it into play.
The Lady of Takkan went over the details one last time, speaking quietly to herself. "How couldn't I have seen it before? When that seishi Chichiri is gone, Konan is helpless. That monk is the very backbone of their Warriors and army; if I manage to kill him, then things become much easier.
"Even so, I can't just try some regular battle against him, he'd easily defeat Kaze or Sora. The only solution is an assassination plot. I'll send Kaze in to do it; with those pellets of his, I'm sure he could sneak in unnoticed by that ki-sensing monk. One swift sword-thrust is all it would take..."
Setsuka frowned slightly. There was still one issue of her plan that she was having trouble with: what to tell Mizu when she found out Chichiri had been killed, and at the hands of an Element?
"Think, Setsuka, think..." the Lady smiled suddenly, a deadly smile that was filled with malice. "Of couse! When- and if- Kaze returns, I'll simply tell Mizu-chan that Kaze had deliberately gone against my orders! That troublesome boy has been thinking about rebelling as it is... hm, I'll have him executed for treason, that's perfect!" she made a swiping motion with her hand, eyes flashing. "Two enemies killed all in one swift movement! Setsuka, my dear, you truly have thought this one through from beginning to end: nothing can possibly go wrong now."

Oblivious to Setsuka's new plans, Koji and Tasuki had positioned themselves comfortably on the gatehouse roof for their battle against Takkan. It had very quickly become their favorite sniping location, being too high for the enemy soldiers to hit, but close enough to battle so they could cause damage among the ranks easily.
Tasuki stretched his shoulder, which had only recently come out of it's cast, and gripped his bow in his hand. He notched an arrow to the string and fired. "Ah, got him through th' arm! Little more t'the left an' he wouldn't-a seen sunset."
"Yer outta practice, cripple," Koji squinted down the shaft and sent a quick shot into the soldiers below. "Ha!" He scratched a mark in the grit that covered the gatehouse tiles. "Got another one, skinny buck-toothed guy."
Tasuki swore. "I been after that one all mornin'." He glared at his friend. "An' whadda ya mean, cripple!? My arm's still a little weak, but it certainly ain't crippled! I could prob'ly cripple you with it..."
Koji gripped his friend in a chibi headlock, rubbing a fist in his hair. "Y'think so!? You jus' try it, an' we'll find out if a Genrou c'n fly- straight off this roof!"
"Gah! That hurts, yer cuttin' off my windpipe! Okay, okay, I give, uncle!"
Koji let go of his friend, who rubbed at his neck ruefully. The seishi turned his eyes back to the battle, only to find the thoroughly whipped Takkan soldiers retreating. "Oi, looks like we won another battle, doesn't it Koji?" He yawned, stretching and popping his back. "Gets almost borin', after a while, all this fightin' stuff."
Koji nodded, watching them retreat thoughtfully. "It's funny... you'd-a thought Setsuka woulda sent another Element out by now. Two weeks is a long time. Wonder what she's plannin' in that palace-a hers?"
Tasuki clapped a hand on his friend's back, accidentally sending him toppling off the gatehouse and to the stone rampart below. "Couldn't tell ya, I'm not a psychic! Guess we'll jus' have t'take each fight as it comes, ne Koji?" He blinked, looking down at his friend. "Koji?"
The bandit leader's leg twitched slightly. "Ittai..."
"Oops, sorry 'bout that," Tasuki sweatdropped. "Well, after you almost stranglin' me... we'll call it even."
Tasuki hopped down lightly on his feet, giving Koji a hand up. As they neared Tasuki's room- trading friendly insults and punches the entire way- the seishi had a thought. "Oh, I meant t'ask ya, how many'd you get t'day?"
Koji did a quick count in his head. "Ano... fifteen. You?"
"Only seven," he muttered unhappily. "Makes my total sixty-three. You?"
The bandit leader thought for a moment, turning his eyes skyward. He snapped his fingers after a moment, smiling wryly. "Y'won't b'lieve this. Sixty-three."
"We're tied!?" Tasuki snickered. "I did so crappy t'day, an' we're still tied..."
"You got Element points!" Koji reminded him heatedly. "Technically I'm ahead on th' body count by nine, but since we're gettin' technical an' goin' with points yer winnin'." He flashed an cocky smile. "Not fer long, though. I got experience on my side, an' it'll always win out in the end."
"Experience? Yer only two years older'n me!"
"Two years're plenty o' time t'learn new tricks that certain younger friends might not know," Koji reminded him.
Tasuki looked like he was about to argue the point, but suddenly changed his mind. He shrugged carelessly, putting his hands behind his head. "Whatever you say, Grandpa."
"Grandpa!?" a chibi Koji demanded. "Now wait just a damn minute..." He stopped mid-sentence, listening to the soft patter of feet behind them. "Get ready Genrou, here comes Red," he muttered.
Tasuki smirked slightly, readying himself for the inevitable back-hopping.
"Taaaaaaaaaasuki-cha-" At the last possible second the chibi seishi ducked. "Ah!" Ritsuka cried, flying over her friend's back and slamming straight into the door to Tasuki's room.
"Ittai..." she growled, face firmly implanted in the wood.
The seishi threw back his head and laughed at the plastered Ritsuka. "Aw, c'mon Koji, that's gotta count for some points!"
Koji rubbed his chin and acted like he was studying the college girl from all angles. "Hm... the craftsmenship is excellent... an' so realistic too... a stunning door ornament, Genrou-san!"
The two friends looked at each other and collapsed into helpless fits of laughter.
Ritsuka pulled herself free, whirling to face the duo. "You... you..." she glared at Tasuki, a fire in her blue eyes. "THAT WASN'T VERY NICE TASUKI-CHAN!"
Koji and Tasuki looked up. The seishi burst into chuckles again. "Oh Red, yer face matches yer hair! 'S one giant red mark! Haha, that'll teach you not t'jump on my back without askin'!"
The college girl's eyebrow twitched angrily at her seishi friend. She held up a chibi fist, clenching it tightly. "Tasuki-chan..." Wham! The fist came down hard on his head, creating a lump almost immediately.
The seishi grabbed his skull. "OW! Red!"
"You know you deserved it so don't act like you don't!"
"That so? Well, then you deserve this, too! REKKA SHIN'EN!"
Ritsuka hopped around, beating out the small flames on her jeans. "Tasuki-chan, that's a cheap shot! I don't have any fancy tessens to wave around! Oo, you singed my pants, you little... little...!" she spluttered, trying to choose a word that fit the seishi perfectly and finding herself too angry to think of one. "That's it! Your ass is going in the pond!"
"You'll have to catch me first Red!" Tasuki said with a snicker, dashing off down the walkway.
"COME BACK HERE YOU PYROMANIAC!"
Koji watched the chibi duo dash off in a cloud of dust, smiling slightly. "Their relationship jus' gets weirder 'n' weirder. They fight like demons, but it's so obvious how fond they are of each other. Ah, reminds me-a me 'n' Hareya when we first met. Damn, was she ever a handful... Musta thought th' same about me, come t'think of it..." he turned his eyes skyward, sighing slightly. "Wonder how she's doin', anyway?"
The bandit leader strolled through the palace grounds, on a roundabout way to the gardens. Unlike the other Warriors, who enjoyed their free-time by the pond, Koji found the fruit trees perfect for napping under... and eating from, of course. He chuckled softly. "Huh, deep down, Koji, yer a real homebody, that's what you are. Been gone from Reikaku fer little over a month an' y'miss it already. Still, can't help but hope everyone's doin' all right..."
As he neared the pond, he heard a strangled cry and a splash, followed by a female voice. "Okay, we're even Tasuki-chan!"
"The hell we are! Get back here Red, an' I'll toss you in th' pond an' see how you like it! Dammit, now I'm all wet 'n' this thing takes hours t'dry!"
A couple seconds later their came a pleading shout, and another splash. This time, it was Tasuki's voice that proudly declared. "NOW we're even!"
Koji leaned against a tree and laughed at the quarelling pair, who he could hear perfectly despite being quite a ways away. "Turnabout is fair play, after all."

Sora watched as Kaze came into their room later that afternoon. "What did Setsuka have to say?"
Wordlessly her friend went over to his bed, pulling out the kit he used to make his magical pellets. "I'm goin' out t'Konan t'night."
Sora's eyes widened. "So, you'll finally get your chance at a battle, hm Kaze?"
He shook his head angrily. "Setsuka's screwin' me over again, Sora, jus' like she does t'everyone else. I'm goin' out for an assassination plan. A stupid, cowardly, stab-in-the-back..." he pulled his sword out of its scabbard and slashed at the air. "Dammit, I finally get a mission an' it's THIS!"
"Calm down, Kaze," Sora said quietly. "I'm sure if you prove yourself tonight, a real battle will be just around the corner. You need to learn how to be patient..."
He swiped with his weapon again, clipping the edge off a wall-hanging. "Hai, Sora, you keep bein' patient 'n' calm, 'n' I'll take care of my own business, y'got that?"
Sora recoiled slightly, surprised by the harshness in his voice. "Kaze... what sort of business?"
He sat down on the ground, back towards the warrior girl. The Element pulled a couple of herbs and powders from his kit, swirling them together and putting some of his ki in the mixture. "If I tell you, you gotta promise y'won't go snitchin' t'Mizu-chan or Setsuka. You got that, Sora?"
"You know I wouldn't, Kaze, everything you have ever told me about Setsuka has stayed with me and me alone," she paused slightly. "You're planning something, aren't you?"
He nodded. "Setsuka ain't the only one who's taken the last two weeks t'prepare." He uttered a low spell under his breath as he rolled the mixture into a ball, using more of his ki to harden it in that shape. "I'm gonna go to Konan t'night, like she told me to, but when I get there things're gonna change from the original plan."
He tucked the pellet in his pouch, picking up his sword again and stabbing at an imaginary enemy. "I'm gonna find me a Konan soldier t'battle, prob'ly a wallguard, an' I'm gonna kill 'em in a real fight. If time allows, I'll assassinate that seishi like she told me to..."
"Soshite...?"
"And then..." Kaze's golden eyes flashed dangerously as he whirled to face his friend, swiping at the air once more. "Then, I'm gonna kill Setsuka!"
For the first time in a long while, Sora's eyes showed real fear and surprise: Kaze was serious about this. "You'll... you'll do what!?"
"I'll kill the evil woman who ruined Tsuchi's life an' screwed up ours!" the Element repeated firmly. "Then you an' I'll lead Takkan, better'n she ever could! We'll show those soldiers how a real warrior fights, we'll defeat Konan an' take it for ourselves!"
"Kaze... you can't be serious..."
"Sora, we agreed t'do this 'cause we wanted t'battle, remember? We wanted t'prove ourselves in real battles, fightin' fer what we believed in. We didn't do this t'become puppets an' sit around in a dusty palace, waitin' fer our 'Lady' t'decide when an' where t'use us!"
The warrior girl stared at her friend. "It's suicide. You'll never succeed."
Kaze swung his sword around until the point was at Sora's neck. "Iie, I won't... if you tell someone about this. But you said you wouldn't... you gonna go against that!?"
Sora met his eyes. "You know the answer, comrade. Childhood friends don't suddenly turn on each other, no matter what the will of some woman demands."
"Mm. Of course," he sheathed his sword quickly, feeling guilty for even suspecting her. "Gomen."
Kaze started to walk off, back to his pellet magic, but Sora's voice stopped him. "Kaze... please, think this over again. If you go against her orders when you get there, then there's no turning back. Do you really think you can kill the woman whose fate yours is tied so closely with?"
"I can, an' I will," he said, but his voice held a tremor of doubt in it.
"Suppose you get back from Konan alive, and can't follow through," Sora pressed. "You know what'll happen to you. Do you want to end up like Hataku, or worse: Tsuchi?"
Kaze's back stiffened. "Just shut up, Sora." He gripped his pellet bag in his hand tightly, squeezing his eyes shut and refusing to believe that his plan was doomed to fail. "Just, please, shut up."

Chichiri strolled through the palace grounds at a leisurely pace, enjoying the warm spring weather. He turned his masked face upwards, sighing happly. "What a nice day, ya know."
He stretched his arms- the left one having come out of its cast a day or so ago- wincing almost immediately and rubbing his left side. Though the past two weeks had given him considerable time to heal, a magical wound always tended to hang around a bit longer than others. Chances were Taiyou's hit would make itself known to the monk throughout most of his life.
Chichiri glanced towards the horizon, where the faint glimmer of a red shield was still missing from the picture. This time, he sighed wistfully. 'Ki attacks are such a pain,' he thought, 'This one won't heal up completely for almost another two weeks, and until then it'll keep sapping my energy, ya know. I'll never get a chance to rebuild that barrier, ya know.'
He didn't want to admit that he was actually holding off the task. It was likely that he'd be able to build the force field now, even in his sapped condition, but he'd have to borrow Kiori's ki again to do it. Chichiri had been unusually distant with her the past couple weeks, and felt that asking that would be too big of a favor.
"Oh well," he muttered out loud, "the Takkan soldiers have made so little progress, keeping the shield down a bit longer shouldn't do too much damage, ya know."
The monk glanced around, only now realizing that he'd travelled to the palace gardens. His stomach rumbled slightly. "Ha, while my mind was wandering my stomach was doing the walking, ya know." His single eye roved over the many different plant life, eyes landing on a berry patch not too far away. "Mm, a strawberry* sounds good right about now ya know."

*A/N: It shall be noted that the Author has no idea what sort of fruit does or does not grow in China... Well, this technically isn't China, it's the Universe of the Four Gods, so it doesn't REALLY matter... does it? ^_^;

Obligingly, one came zinging out of the bush and hit him in the side of the head. Chichiri rubbed his head, looking towards the bush. He smiled slightly, sensing the familiar ki. The monk chuckled. "Iie, plumper than that, ya know."
Another one flew through the air, but this time Chichiri was prepared. A chibi monk jumped up and skillfully caught the food in his mouth, grinning happily. "Two points, ya know!" he cried, flashing a victory sign. He nodded towards the bush. "You can come out now, Koji, unless you wanna keep feeding me, ya know."
A pear hit him in the side of the head. "Jus' 'cause yer an invalid doesn't mean I'm playin' nurse! Feed yerself if ya want some, an' ya better hurry 'cause I'm takin' the good ones fer myself!"
Chichiri smiled and stepped gingerly through one of the berry bushes, taking in the glade Koji had found peace in. It was a small clearing wedged nicely between a semi-circle of various fruit bushes and another semi-circle of trees.
Koji sat underneath a pear tree, winking at the monk and biting into one. "They taste a lot better b'fore they hit monk heads." Chichiri flicked a blackberry at the bandit. Koji caught it in his mouth without skipping a beat. "Taste better air-born, too."
The monk took a seat near the bandit, leaning back against a tree bearing some sort of nut. He closed his eye against the bit of sunlight that managed to seep into the cool clearing. "So, is this where you always run off to when you want to be alone, ya know?"
Koji nodded, saying around a bite of fruit. "S'nice place t'go when y'need t'just sit 'n' think. You 'n' the others're always out by th' pond... you should come over here sometime. Better fer yer stomach this way."
Chichiri had to agree, as he tossed up a blackberry and ate it in one quick bite. "Thinking about anything special, ya know?"
"Not really," he remarked with a shrug. "Jus' Reikaku, the gang, Hareya too. I miss her... ano, minna, I mean. Nothin' against the palace 'n' you all, a'course. I'm enjoyin' kickin' some Takkan ketsu, but..."
"As the saying goes, there's no place like home," Chichiri said, almost wistfully. "Must be nice, having a place where you belong."
Koji scratched his head, realizing he didn't really know very much about the monk. "Ano, where's yer home, eh Chichiri?"
The monk considered the question carefully before answering. "I guess I don't really have one, ya know. My village and most of the people in it were destroyed by a flood. I visit Taikyoku-zan sometimes, but really the only things that belong there are the Nyan-Nyans and Taiitsukun. I hang around the palace every once in a while, but what with the atmosphere and everyone calling me 'Chichiri-sama,' it's more like I'm an honored guest than anything. Hai, I'm just a wanderer, ya know."
"Naru hodo," Koji said, feeling a bit sorry for his friend. He threw an arm around the monk's shoulders in an attempt to cheer him up. "Well, yer welcome t'make Mt. Reikaku yer home anytime ya want!"
Chichiri chuckled. "Thanks for the offer, Koji, but I think I'll have to pass, ya know. I like Reikaku, it's just..."
"It ain't yer cup-a sake, ne?"
"Hai, you could say that, ya know. No offense."
"None taken. Th' life of a bandit ain't fer everyone." Koji shrugged, tossing his pear core out onto the path.
"YOWCH!"
Chichiri and Koji looked at each other, than over to the path. The bandit leader raised an eyebrow. "Oi, that sounded like Gen-"
An orange blur dove through the bushes and tackled Koji to the ground, whacking him over the head with the hilt of a tessen. "What's with the pear-tossin'!? I coulda been knocked out, especially after the beatin' Red 'n' I gave to each other! Go on, start explainin', what gives you th' right t'try 'n' kill yer best friend with a fruit core!?"
Koji held a hand up to ward off the light tessen blows, kicking out with both feet and knocking Tasuki off. "'Cause I'm bigger, stronger, better, smarter, older, more experienced, braver, and MUCH handsomer'n you!"
Tasuki rubbed at his stomach, glaring hard at his friend. "Well, you already proved that you ain't smarter than me. 'Handsomer' isn't a word, baka."
The two attempted to stare each other down, but gave it up and sat back against separate trees, chuckling slightly. Tasuki picked a grape off a vine, smiling in pleasure at the taste. "So, what're you two doin' over here?"
"Eating," Koji said, at the same time Chichiri said, "Talking, ya know."
"Both? Musta been tricky," Tasuki said with a snicker.
Chichiri grabbed a blackberry and tossed it at the seishi bandit, smiling as it plunked off his red hair. "Talking, then eating, ya know. What about you?"
The seishi rubbed at the hem of his slightly soggy shirt. "Escapin' the wrath-a Red, what else?" He shook his head. "What an annoyin', stubborn, tempermental... tough, entertainin', brave girl." Tasuki didn't miss the look that passed between monk and bandit. "What?"
"Somewhere between 'annoying' and 'girl,' it sounded like you actually liked her, ya know," Chichiri said.
Tasuki choked on a grape, spluttering in indignation. "NANI!? Me, like Red!? Whatta... whatta..." he gave it up. "Ah, she ain't all that bad, once ya get t'know her." The seishi decided to change the subject. "So, what were you talkin' about?"
"Not much," Koji replied, laying back in the grass. "I was jus' sayin' that I kinda missed Hareya. An' the guys, of course."
Tasuki chuckled. "If the gang only knew what a softie their boss was."
Koji decided to ignore him. He closed his eyes, rubbing at the scar on his cheek thoughtfully. The bandit leader waited a moment to continue. "Oi, Tasuki, Chichiri, what're you plannin' on doin' once we've won this war?"
Tasuki shrugged. "I dunno. We got any plans, 'Chiri?" The monk shook his head. "Why d'you ask?"
"Well, I was kinda wonderin' if th' two of you'd like t'come back t'Reikaku fer a while."
"Sounds like a good idea to me, ya know," Chichiri remarked, sensing that Koji wanted them there for more than just a visit. "Any special reason, ya know?"
"Er..." Koji cleared his throat, not sure how to begin. "Th' truth is, I was kinda plannin' on, uh, sorta, maybe, proposin' t'Hareya when I got home. An', y'see, I was sorta hopin' the two of ya c'd be there fer the weddin' 'n' all."
Tasuki sat up, staring at his friend with a devilish smile on his lips. "You haven't even known her that long. This must be true love, ne?" He chuckled. "Before y'know it, there'll be a couple of little Koji Manatos runnin' all over Reikaku... heh, maybe five if you an' her are really into it..."
A chibi, blushing Koji jumped up and tackled his friend to the ground. "I guy's gotta settle down sometime 'r another, doesn't he!? At least I ain't a virgin-bachelor like you, Genrou!"
"You mean you guys've already-"
"Er, not yet, exactly, but..." Koji grabbed Tasuki's arm and pulled it behind his head. "I say I'm in love 'n' I get teased fer it!? An' after I was gonna make you my best man, too..."
Tasuki stopped struggling, turning his head so he could look at his friend. There was a mixture of disbelief and something resembling honor in his eyes. "Really? Me?"
Koji let go, allowing the seishi to rub his twisted arm. "Well, sure. Yer my best friend, ain't ya?"
"Uh, I guess so," Tasuki agreed. "It's just, I dunno... we don't really see each other that much anymore. Wouldn't ya rather have someone like Dee* or Akio or, y'know, someone you see more?"

*A/N: Yes, there IS a bandit named Dee! I was watching my FY subbed, and in "A Wolf in the Fortress" (lol, seen the ep so many times I know the name. Sad, ne?) they say something about how "Dee's right." Damn straight I am ^_^

"Why should that matter?" Koji asked. He swung an arm around Tasuki's shoulder. "It don't matter how far away y'are, a best friend is a best friend. We'll always be buds, you know that Genrou." The bandit leader wasn't used to "sharing sessions." He punched his friend playfully in the shoulder, giving him a sideways glance. "Of course, if things keep goin' th' way they are b'tween you 'n' Red, maybe I'll let Chichiri do th' honors an' we c'n have a double weddin'..."
Koji was attacked by a chibi fist and a sharp tessen, Tasuki shouting his defiance to "such a stupid idea" as loudly as possible.
Chichiri chuckled, leaning back against the tree and dropping another strawberry into his mouth. "I'm glad I get left out of this conversation, ya know. Sounds too painful, ya know."
The monk was immediately set upon by two chibi bandits.
"Ah don't lie Chichiri, we all know you got the hots fer Kiori!" Tasuki remarked with a snicker.
Chichiri turned a bright crimson. "WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT YA KNOW!?"
Koji grinned teasingly at his friends. "Oi, maybe we c'n make it a triple weddin', whadda ya say minna?"
"Chichiri, hold Koji down while I punish him fer that!"
"Right away, ya know!"

A crescent-moon stood watch over Konan Palace that night, bathing courtyard and city alike in pale, ghostly shadows. The guards sentenced to the long second-watch nodded their heads sleepily, the warmth of the evening lulling most into a light doze.
Setsuka teleported as near to the southern wall as she could risk, disturbing the peaceful evening with her dark presence. Kaze had been brought along as well; the boy was still blinking as he attempted to get used to the odd feeling of teleportation.
The Lady of Takkan nodded towards the South Wall. "The Konan Palace is not far from here. Scale the wall as quickly as possible, and make sure not to be seen by any of those half-asleep palace guards." She put a hand on the boy's shoulder; for some reason it sent chills down his spine. "I'm counting on you, Kaze. Do not fail me."
"Hai, my Lady," he said automatically, gripping the grappling hook and rope firmly in his hand.
Setsuka could sense that Kaze's thoughts were troubled, but she neither knew nor cared what caused that. As far as she was concerned, the boy was as good as dead. "Ganbare."
She was gone as quickly as she had come. Kaze shook his head, running a hand through his white hair and immediately gaining back his courage. He spat on the ground where she had been a moment before. "Yer th' one who's gonna need th' luck, Setsuka."
The Element turned his thoughts back to the task at hand. He rummaged through his pellet bag until he came up with a single, perfect green ball. He looked at it almost affectionately; it was one of his specialties, and had taken him nearly a year to perfect.
Kaze held the ball between his thumb and forefinger. "My little ki-numbener, you've never failed me b'fore."
The boy tossed the pellet high into the air, pointing at it and uttering a low spell. The pellet exploded in a cloud of white dust; Kaze waved his hand and watched as the powder sailed across the grass and over the Konan Palace. He dropped his hand, allowing the dust to spread out over the city.
"Even Mizu can't sense a life force when I use one-a them," he thought aloud, confidently striding towards the palace. "That monk won't know I'm there 'till it's too late."

Koji had been unable to sleep. He scolded himself for it, but the fact was that he was flat-out homesick. Talking to Chichiri and Tasuki that afternoon about Hareya and the bandits had reminded him of all the memories- some bad, but mostly good- that he'd had over the past years. He missed it all, no matter how much he tried to pretend he didn't.
The bandit leader strolled across the palace grounds; he knew that Aoi had "volunteered" to take second guard, and was heading in the direction of the South Wall. "I really am hopeless. It's the middle of a war an' th' only thing I c'n think about is Mt. Reikaku. Well, I guess y'don't spend part of yer life in one place an' not get attached to it."
He chuckled slightly, tossing his Suzaku-engraved throwing knife- he never left his room without at least one knife and his two daggers- into the air. "Ah well, no use cryin' about somethin' y'got no control over, eh Koji? Yer here t'help with th' war an' keep Genrou 'n' th' others from gettin' killed, an' by Suzaku y'better do it!"
By now, Koji had made it to the southern wallsteps. He took the stairs two at a time, scanning the wall for Aoi. Had he bothered to look down, he would have noticed a single white-haired figure coming his way, but as it was the Konan Warrior was too preoccupied to do so. Spotting the boy a few yards away, he quietly made his way over.
Koji chuckled slightly; Aoi was sitting with his back against the wall, snoring quietly. He prodded him lightly with an elbow, hissing in his ear. "Attack! The Takkans're comin'!"
Aoi sat up with a start, hand on sword. "Huh? Sound alarm, I'll save you Akai..." he trailed off, blinking sleepily.
Koji chuckled. "You'll save Akai, will ya? That's awful chivalrous of ya, but somethin' tells me that's a girl that doesn't need savin'."
Aoi blushed to his eartips, rubbing the back of his head. "Oh, hi Koji-sama. What are you doing up here?"
"I couldn't sleep. Jus' had a lot of things on my mind, an' all," he grinned at his younger friend. "You get stuck with second watch again, ne?"
The boy nodded. "Hai. Since I'm the youngest soldier- who isn't the Palace Warrior, that is- I always get this watch." He smothered a yawn. "Not much fun, y'know. Your head barely hits the pillow before- wham!- first watch is over and you're stuck up here for three hours."
Koji couldn't help but feel sorry for the tired warrior. "Hey, why don't you go back down an' go t'bed, all right? I can't sleep anyway, so I might as well take care-a this watch." He winked. "You gotta get yer rest, after all, so you can save Akai from the Takkans, right?"
Aoi blushed again, scrambling to his feet. "Er, of course, Koji-sama."
Koji ruffled the boy's hair fondly. "I already told ya, don't call me '-sama.' Who's on watch after you, so I know who t'wake?"
"Ano... Durin's after me," he said. Aoi turned to go. As he was halfway down the stairs, he suddenly remembered his manners; the boy turned around and bowed slightly. "Arigatou gozaimasu, Koji-sama... er, -san."
He flashed a thumbs-up. "That's more like it. G'night, Aoi."

Kaze looked up at the tall South wall that stood before him. The boy gripped the grappling hook in one hand, swinging it over his head a couple times and letting it fly. He smiled slightly, as the rewarding clunk told him he'd latched it on. Kaze tugged on the rope a few times, to make sure it was steady, then spit on his hands and headed up as fast as his natural quickness would allow.
"Hai, my Lady. Iie, my Lady. Would you like me to kill myself, my Lady? Right away, my Lady," he chuckled darkly. "No more of that, Setsuka. When I get back, you'll pay fer everythin' you've done. I'll whip ya, like you did t'Hataku. I'll lash yer hands, like you did t'Sora. I'll make you scream in pain, like yer doin' t'poor Tsuchi, an' then I'll fill you fulla arrows like you did t'those trackers..."
It was with these grizzly thoughts that Kaze reached the top of the wall. He vaulted lightly over the ledge, only slightly winded from the long climb. The boy made no attempt to keep hidden, hoping one of the guards would try to stop him. He gripped the hilt of his sword in one hand confidently. He was ready for a battle.

Koji leaned against the South wall, thinking over everything that had happened since he'd gotten to Konan. It had certainly been a trip, that was for sure. He chuckled, fingering the medallion Houki had given him- he kept it tucked into his shirt almost all the time, these days.
"He disobeys orders, dives into dangerous missions head-first, swears like a sailor... and yet, he has shown himself to be a tough, courageous fighter and a valuable ally in the short time he has been here. I do not think I could wish anything more of this man."
Koji chuckled at the memory of Houki's words. "Well, if that's how I'm t'be remembered, I don't think it's sucha bad way t'go down in history."
The bandit leader mentally put all the details of the past month in order, preparing the tale for when he'd tell Hareya about it... gods, he really did miss her...
And that was when he saw the boy neatly climb over the ramparts, several yards to his left. Koji watched him carefully, knowing he had to be an enemy. He looked a bit familiar, too, but it was hard for the bandit leader to place him. The stranger glanced around, putting a hand to his sword hilt. Then, he fearlessly made his way down the wallsteps, not even trying to keep out of sight.
"Stupid or crazy?" Koji muttered to himself. The bandit leader carefully made his way along the wall and down the same steps, keeping the kid in sight at all times. Experience had taught him that you couldn't just go running up to a stranger waving your weapons- first, he'd wait to see where this boy was going, then decide if he was a threat or not.
Koji had tailed Kaze without him knowing he was there, until they made it to the palace's courtyard. The Element glanced around again, the moon making his every feature perfectly visible. Kaze turned his eyes towards Koji's hiding place, going right across the bandit...
Koji saw the flash of gold, and was immediately on the alert.
'Element,' he thought to himself. 'That's why he looks so familiar- it's that brat, Kaze, th' one who left that scar on Genrou's cheek.' The bandit gripped the hilts of his daggers tightly. 'No more time fer spyin', Koji. It's fight or flight, an' it sure as hell ain't flight.'
Kaze turned his back on Koji, muttering aloud to himself. "Dammit, where to now? I didn't know this palace would be a friggin' maze..."
Koji strolled calmly out of his hiding place. "Well, now, that all depends on who an' what yer lookin' for." Kaze whirled around, facing the bandit. Koji smiled cooly. "Element, right? Kaze, if my memory serves me."
The Element put a hand to his swordhilt, but didn't draw it quite yet. He recognized this rugged man from somewhere, but... That was it! "You're that Konan Warrior. The bandit from th' woods, aren't ya?"
"Oi, so y'remember me too," Koji said, keeping up his devil-may-care attitude, though in reality every muscle in his body was tensed for a fight. "Now, I don't exactly know what yer doin' here on enemy territory, but seein' as how you are who you are, I'd say yer reasons can't be good."
"Hm, yer smarter'n ya look," Kaze said, never once letting his guard down. "Since you won't live t'tell them, I may as well let you in on a little secret: I'm here to assassinate one of yer seishi allies."
"Oh? That's too bad," Koji remarked. He drew his twin daggers dangerously, moving into a fighting stance. His hazel eyes flashed dangerously in the moonlight. "'Cause that's somethin' I jus' can't let happen. Nothin' personal, of course, I jus' got this thing about people killin' my friends."
"Understood. I was lookin' fer a good battle- never thought I'd find a Konan Warrior, but hey, all the better." Kaze unsheathed his sword, holding it expertly. "Not only will it be fun to kill you, it'll also be an honor."
Koji didn't bother answering. His hazel eyes roved up the atheletic boy carefully, sizing him up in one quick glance. He looked to be in good shape, like he worked daily. Chances were he'd been handling that sword of his since he was ten- the legal age to begin warrior training- and knew how to use it, too.
The bandit leader decided to treat the Element with the respect he deserved, but was still confident of a victory. He had at least five years of experience on his side, and had learned some nice tricks on Reikaku.
Kaze didn't know much about his enemy, other than the fact that he was a Konan Warrior and a bandit. He wasn't a seishi, and he didn't have the Holy Sword like that girl did. The Element smiled slightly, certain that this would be a quick fight with a worthy- but easy- opponent.
The Element charged, using his quickness in hopes to catch the bandit off-guard. Koji kept the same devil-may-care smile on his lips as he tensed expectantly, bringing his daggers up and blocking the attack easily. Two years of training with Tasuki had taught him how to deal with fast enemies; if Kaze expected to win with that skill alone, he was out of luck.
Kaze tried a couple of other minor tricks, being blocked at every turn. Koji parried the simple attacks without batting an eyelid. The Element backed off slightly, watching the Warrior with new respect. "Hm. Not bad. Yer a lot better'n I thought you'd be."
"You should never underestimate yer opponent," Koji told him. "That's Battle Tactic Number Four, in case you were wonderin'."
"I see," Kaze replied, panting only slightly. "Take care that you remember yer own words, Konan Warrior."
Bandit and Element met again, this time with Koji taking the offensive. Kaze blocked the attacks expertly, searching for an opening that never showed itself. The boy backed away slightly, feeling a jar of pain run up his hands as one of the daggers clanged heavily against his sword. Koji had dropped his careless smile by now, though the same perilous look was shining brightly in his eyes.
Kaze was getting worried, but tried not to show it. He dodged a dagger point and struck out with his own sword, putting Koji on defense. His mind raced as he tried to think of all the tricks and attacks he knew, wondering how in the world he could beat the bandit with the fearless eyes.
Steel crashed against steel, dagger against sword, as the two continued their deadly battle, oblivious to all else. Both were breathing heavily, and Koji knew he couldn't keep up this fast pace much longer. Kaze was as tired as he was, but he still had his Elemental quickness to fall back on. The bandit decided to take a risky gamble, one that would leave him open for an attack but, if it worked, could spell a quick victory.
Koji dropped his arms to his sides, allowing Kaze an easy opening. The Element couldn't believe his luck- he took the bait, slicing upwards and aiming for his opponent's chest.
Now Koji did smile, just slightly. Quick as a flash, Koji brought his arms back up, locking the sword between both daggers. Kaze's eyes widened, realizing he'd fallen into some sort of trap. He struggled to get his weapon out from between the blades, but knew the bandit was too strong for him.
Koji twisted his daggers expertly, wrenching the sword of Kaze's hands and sending it skidding across the ground, coming to a stop just out of the Element's reach. The boy made a grab for the sword, but found a dagger at his throat. "I wouldn't try that, if I were you."
Kaze's eyes met those of his enemy's. He fumbled along his belt with one hand, the tips of his fingers coming to rest on his pellet pouch. Inwardly, he smiled; he wasn't beat just yet. "So, you gonna kill me?"
The bandit shook his head. "I'm not into killin' kids. If y'come quietly, I c'n almost guarantee ya that you'll live. Hai, an' prob'ly be freed once th' war's over."
Kaze smirked, immediately putting the bandit on the alert. "Gomen, Konan Warrior. I have a terrible fear of prison!" He pulled a greyish pellet from his bag, uttering a quick chant and tossing it at his enemy's face.
A choking, black smoke engulfed the bandit, temporarily blinding him. Koji put a hand to his face, trying to clear his eyes. The pill was only meant to last a few seconds; it was all the time Kaze needed.
The Element grabbed his sword off the ground, turning back to his enemy. With a shout of triumph, he held the blade out and plunged it into the Warrior's heart.
Koji's eyes widened as he felt the weapon pierce straight through him; the sword buried up to its hilt in his chest. The bandit coughed blood, feeling a searing lance of pain tear its way through his body. A soft gasp of surprise escaped his lips. "That was a cheap shot," he managed to whisper through the growing numbness.
"Sometimes you can't play fair to win," Kaze muttered in his ear.
The Element dislodged the weapon from the bandit leader's chest, moving back in case he tried one last attack. Koji put a hand over the bleeding hole on his chest- though it did little good to staunch the flow coming from both front and back- blinking hard in a fight to keep his eyes open. His feet took a tired, almost automatic step forward... then he collapsed.
Kaze shook his head- it was almost sad to see such a brave fighter go. He turned his back on Koji, kneeling down in the soft spring grass to wipe the blood off his sword. "You were a true warrior, but a fool nonetheless. A fool will never survive, in the end. Take that with you, Konan Warrior."
Koji wasn't dead just yet; his hand groped wildly for the now blood-drenched, Suzaku-engraved throwing knife he kept tucked in his shirt. He pulled it out, holding the weapon up shakily. He squinted through a growing haze, aiming for a point between the Element's shoulderblades.
His hand wavered, entire body threatening to collapse at any moment. He felt his pierced heart sink in utter failure. 'I'm not strong enough...' he thought, desperately trying to keep his eyes focused. 'Genrou... Chichiri... I can't...'
A delicate hand gripped his wrist. Koji's hazel eyes flicked up slightly, looking at the nearly transparent person in confusion. Houki? No, not her, that other one... the seishi... Nuriko, right? But how...
She- no, that was wrong, he- nodded confidently. An almost unnatural amount of strength coursed through the dying warrior's body. The bandit leader turned his eyes back to the Element, not completely understanding what was going on, but knowing what he had to do.
Koji closed one eye, sighted his target, and fired. The bandit had practiced with the knives for too long to miss a standing target.
Kaze wiped the last bit of blood off his weapon. "It's too bad I had t'kill you, you were a good fighter. That's how things go, I guess." He stood, sheathing his weapon and preparing to enter the palace. "Never underestimate yer opponent. You should know to listen to yer own advice, Konan-"
Thump! The words died on the Element's lips. Kaze toppled over without a sound, a throwing knife driven up to its hilt between his shoulderblades.
"An' you should know never t'turn yer back on an enemy 'till y'know he's dead. But I guess y'won't have time t'learn that... will ya...?"
Koji felt what little energy he'd had left desert him; his arms dropped heavily to the blood-stained grass- his blood, he realized vaguely- head coming to rest within the folds of his sleeves.
"Nice shot."
He looked up at the ghostly seishi through half-open eyes, smiling slightly. "Seventy-three," he said, weakly but triumphantly. "Genrou's gonna owe me the biggest damn bottle-a sake..."
Nuriko smiled sadly as Koji's lips moved, forming incoherent words. He stood vigil as the bandit's eyes slowly glazed over and closed for the last time, the only witness to the deadly battle between Konan Warrior and Element.

Three people in three very different locations sprung awake almost simultaneously.
In the Takkan palace, Setsuka screamed in surprise as the white gem on her neck shattered into several pieces. "Kaze failed," she murmured quietly. "I only hope he completed his task."
Tasuki jerked awake suddenly, lashing out with a fist. "Ko-" he looked around, breathing heavily and wondering what had caused him to wake up suddenly. The seishi bandit rubbed his sore shoulder slightly, sensing that something wasn't right. "What...?"
Faintly, he could hear the sounds of Chichiri's snores as they penetrated the thin wall between their rooms. Tasuki chuckled slightly- if the monk was still sleeping, then there couldn't be anything to worry about. The seishi flopped back onto his bed, blissfully unaware of what had just occured.
In the bandit stronghold of Mt. Reikaku, the temporary leader Hareya sat up in bed with a start. A tear trailed its way down the side of her cheek and into her lap. Hareya put a hand to her heart, uttering a single word: "Koji."

The sun had barely poked its way above the Konan wall when a loud banging on her door woke the Emperess from her sleep.
"Houki-sama! Houki-sama! Hayaku, hayaku kudasai!" Akai's voice cried from outside.
The Emperess rubbed sleep from her tired eyes, flipping a loose strand of hair out of her face. Blinking tiredly, she slid open the door to her room. "Hm, yes?"
Her eyes snapped open in surprise as the warrior girl threw herself into Houki's arms, sobbing uncontrollably. "Majesty, Majesty..."
Houki forced herself to push the obviously distraught teenager away, brushing at the girl's eyes with a sleeve. "Akai, calm down. What in the world happened? Is everyone all right?"
The warrior girl shook her head fiercely, not even attempting to stop the steady flow of tears. "Iie, Houki-sama. An Element attacked last night. It's- it's... Suzaku..." she gulped air, sniffing hard and forcing herself to speak. "It's Koji, Majesty. He... he's... gomen ne but I just can't say it!"
Houki's eyes widened slightly. She put a hand on the doorframe to steady herself as Akai hugged her again. "Sonna. K- Koji's...?"
Akai tugged on the Emperess' sleeve. "I was making my morning rounds, and I heard some of the servants talking... about how someone found two bodies... courtyard..." she pulled Houki somewhat forcefully in the direction of the main living area. "Didn't want to believe it... dakedo... Oh, Suzaku, it's just horrible!"
The warrior girl slid the door to the room open, somehow remembering her manners and waiting for Houki to enter first. The Emperess, half-asleep and in something nearing shock, hadn't really believed Akai's words until... "Suzaku."
Two bodies had been laid out on a pair of sheets. One of the sheets held a strange boy with almost pure white hair... but it was the other that caused the Emperess' heart wrench. The mat of messy dark hair, the partially opened shirt now stained with blood. The servants had done what they could to clean the bandit leader up some, but his fatal injury was plain to see, and he was too pale to be alive.
Houki's legs crumpled under her as she knelt next to the body, touching a lifeless hand in disbelief. Akai stood behind her, tears streaming from both eyes. She had to look away; it was just too unnerving a sight to see. "M-majesty... what should I...?"
"Get Chichiri," Houki said, almost automatically. She felt tears springing to her eyes; hurriedly she brushed them away. Now was the time when she needed to be strong; she could cry later. "And the others." Akai paused slightly. "Tasuki, too?"
"...No," Houki said after a moment. "Let him sleep. I don't want him to see this... not yet, not like this."

The sun rose gradually higher in the sky as the Konan Warriors and Aoi gathered together, proclaiming the day to be a sad one, but beautiful nonetheless. The six grief-stricken friends, having been unable to stand the chilling living area that their friend had been placed in, had retreated to the dining area.
Houki, attempting to take charge- Chichiri, the usual leader, seemed too numbed by the current events to do much of anything but silently shed tears for the fallen bandit- had suggested they try to eat something and wait for Tasuki. No one was hungry, but it seemed like the best place to quietly think over everything that had happened, and prepare what they would tell their still-sleeping friend- a task all were dreading.
Tasuki had slept in that day, as was typical for the seishi bandit. He strolled down the walkway to the dining room, whistling "Other Side of the Moon," carelessly. His stomach rumbled slightly; he hoped the others had left him something for breakfast.
The seishi slid open the dining room door, grinning as he rubbed his stomach. "Man, I'm so hungry I could eat a horse. All right Koji, you better not've stolen all the good stuff fer yerself..."
Tasuki trailed off. He glanced around the room at the other Konan Warriors and Aoi, smile dropping immediately. Akai was sobbing into Aoi's sleeve- the boy looked about to start crying himself; Kiori and Ritsuka were trying valiantly to blink back tears, but were ultimately failing; Houki had managed to keep her eyes dry, but her facial expression told the same tale of sorrow. It was Chichiri that scared Tasuki the most, though: the monk was maskless, tears glistening along both cheeks as he cried openly.
"Oi... oi, minna, what's wrong?"
Everyone looked up; Ritsuka put a hand to her mouth, turning her head away. "Oh, God..."
Tasuki took a step towards them cautiously, eyes curious and concerned. "Why's everyone look like the sky's fallin'? An'..." his heart skipped a beat as he realized the one person who WASN'T there. "Where's Koji? He... he sleep in 'r somethin'? Hai, that must be it... I should go get him, right...?"
"Chotto, Tasuki." Houki met the seishi's eyes sadly. She walked slowly towards him, holding something in her hand. "Koji is not... he is not..."
"Nande...?"
"There was an attack last night, Tasuki. The Element Kaze. Koji..."
"I-iie..." Tasuki shook his head hard, fear welling up in his chest at the words he knew Houki would say. "Sonna usu yo, Houki-sama!"
Houki held out the item in her hand. It was the Suzaku-engraved throwing knife- and, ironically enough, the same knife Koji had pledged his life on back on Mt. Reikaku, all those weeks ago. She pressed the knife into his hand, thinking that he might want it as a token of his friend. "...Koji is dead, Tasuki."
The seishi stared at the throwing knife, face a picture of horrified disbelief. He took several steps backward, unable to believe... no, refusing to believe her. Not Koji, his best friend, the friendly bandit leader with the fearless eyes. Not Koji...
"IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

"Chichiri, I'm really starting to worry about Tasuki."
The monk's maskless eye flicked up tiredly to look at Kiori. He, the other Konan Warriors, and Aoi had taken refuge in Houki's large, private study, attempting to comfort each other and avoid the many unpleasant questions about funeral arrangements for their fallen friend. All the Konan Warriors, that is, except for Tasuki. The seishi had closed himself up in his room for the past three days, and was refusing to come out.
Chichiri, who had unwillingly become the shoulder that all of Konan seemed to be leaning on, glanced at the tray of food in Kiori's hands. "Still not eating?" A headshake. He rubbed at his temples; the monk was probably in the worst condition, next to Tasuki, and having his closest friend so close to tumbling off the edge of sanity wasn't making this sad time any easier. "Gods..."
The college girl set the tray down, rubbing at her arm unhappily. "What do you think we should do? He won't eat, he barely talks, and if you try to go into his room you get a pillow and a couple of choice words thrown at you."
Akai sighed heavily, picking at her own meal half-heartedly. "What else can you expect? Koji-san..." she paused, swallowing a sob. "They were best friends." The warrior girl blinked back tears- she had grown immensely fond of the bandit leader for the short time she'd known him, and to have this happen... well, it was unthinkable.
Ritsuka gritted her teeth in helpless anger. "Damn that scummy Element, or better yet: the Lady he served. Damn her... damn her..." the redhead clenched her fists tightly. "It's HER fault Tasuki-chan's like this, and Koji's... well, he's..." she just couldn't get the words out. "Even I can't reach him! He won't listen to anybody! Not me, not Kiori or Akai... Damn that Setsuka!"
Kiori watched Chichiri carefully; the monk was running a finger along the edge of the smooth scar, something he sometimes did when he was thinking hard about something. The college girl's heart went out to both he and Tasuki, who had known the bandit leader the best. "Chichiri, what do you think we should do?"
The monk paused, and for a moment Kiori thought he'd decided to ignore the question. The seishi stood, quickly and quietly. He dusted off his kesa with a tired hand, heading towards the door. "I'm going to go talk to Tasuki."
Ritsuka followed him with her eyes, across the room and to the door. "Ganbare."
Chichiri sighed heavily as he slid open the door. He had been holding off the unpleasant task for nearly three days, reluctant to discuss with his friend the painful events that had happened. He had hoped that maybe Tasuki would move on without any outside aid, or that Ritsuka might be able to reach him. This hadn't been the case, though, and Chichiri knew that if he couldn't help his friend come to terms with Koji's death, than nobody could. And if nobody could... then what hope for Tasuki and his sanity was there? "Arigatou. I'm going to need it."
Houki frowned as the door slid shut behind the monk. "Oh, dear. I knew Tasuki would not take this well, but to shut himself in his room like this?"
Kiori nodded sadly. "You're lucky you've never tried to see him- he's a wreck, Houki-sama, plain and simple. From what he's mumbled to me, it sounds like somehow the poor guy's got it twisted around in his head that it's his fault Koji's dead. I don't know if even Chichiri will be able to get through to him."
"Let's hope he does, for Tasuki-sama's sake and all of Konan's," Akai said quietly. "If Chichiri-sama's the backbone of our team, than Tasuki-sama's the heart. I can't imagine going on with this war without him and Koji-san..."
Ritsuka bit her lip so hard she drew blood; it was just too much to think about. "Who would want to?"

Tasuki, perfectly aware of the worry he was causing his friends and not caring one bit, stared up at the ceiling of his room blankly and fingered Koji's throwing knife in one hand. His mind kept turning over what had happened three days ago: remembering how fiercely he'd denied Houki's words, remembering how Chichiri had given up on convincing him and led him to the room where Koji lay... remembering the helpless grief and guilt that welled up in his chest as he collapsed next to the body of his best friend, the lifeless body that had died at the hands of an Element...
Tasuki had spent the past two days trying to pretend that what had happened wasn't real, but a person couldn't deny the truth forever. As the painful reality finally sunk its way into the seishi's skull, he found himself slipping deeper into his own depressed world.
The seishi rubbed at the thin, barely noticable scar just below his eye, the one he'd earned for being sympathetic to an enemy...

~~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."~~

Tasuki rolled over, burying his head in his pillow and letting out a long, shuddering sigh. 'How right he was... dammit all... Koji...'
Someone rapped on his door a couple times, softly at first. The seishi bandit decided to ignore the knock, hoping whoever it was would go away. The knocking persisted, though, followed by a gentle, "Tasuki?"
"Go away," he muttered through his pillow, just loud enough so that Chichiri- he recognized his voice easily- could hear.
The door slid open, squeaking slightly against the ground. The monk stood in the doorway, glancing around at the darkened room. Wordlessly he went over and lit a small candle near Tasuki's bedside, then closed the door again behind him.
It was obvious to Tasuki that the monk didn't plan on leaving anytime soon. "What part of 'Go away' doesn't make sense to you?" he asked angrily, clenching the pillow angrily in his fists. "Can't you 'n' the others jus' leave me alone?"
"Actually, we can't," Chichiri told him, voice irritatingly calm. "You're our friend, Tasuki, and we can't just sit back while you're in so much pain." Tasuki said nothing; the monk cleared his throat slightly. "Do you... is there anything you wanna talk about?"
"What's there t'talk about?" Tasuki asked. He gave up on trying to tune out the monk and rolled over, eyes concentrating on a single spot on the ceiling. He rubbed at the scar on his cheek again. When he finally did say something, he spoke so quietly that Chichiri had to strain his ears to catch all the words. "We're alike, you 'n' I."
Chichiri raised an eyebrow slightly. "Mm? How's that...?"
Tasuki sighed heavily, closing his eyes and wishing there was someway to just make this all a dream. "We both killed our best friends, an' we got scars t'help us remember it." Chichiri's eye widened at the absurd remark. "Koji's dead, an' it's my fault. You know that, doncha?"
"Your fault? Tasuki, what are you talking about?" Chichiri asked, not liking the tone of utter hopelessness in the seishi's voice. "Kaze..."
Tasuki sat up, throwing Koji's knife in an attempt to take out some of the anger that was building up inside of him. The weapon thudded into the wood near the doorframe, buried almost up to its hilt. "Dammit Chichiri, I know who killed him! A person doesn't have t'physically KILL somebody fer it t'be their fault! You of all people should know that!"
Chichiri looked down, unable to stop the nostalgic pain from showing on his face. Oh, where was that mask when you needed it? "Point taken... ya know."
Tasuki's voice softened slightly. "Gomen, 'Chiri. I just..." he clenched his fist. "I had a chance t'kill that brat! Back when we were comin' from Reikaku... I HAD him, an' you know what I did? I let th' fact that he was a kid cloud my judgement, an' I let him go! Dammit, I coulda stopped it right there..."
The monk frowned slightly. "Tasuki, you acted on impulse. I told you before, I would have done the same thing. How could you have known that he'd..."
"That doesn't make any difference!" he snapped. "Th' fact of the matter is: Koji's dead, an' I coulda prevented it."
Chichiri sat down on the bed next to his friend with a sigh. "Maybe you could have... but then again, maybe you couldn't have."
Tasuki glanced over, watching the monk carefully. It wasn't often that he got a chance to see the real Chichiri, and in spite of everything he didn't want to miss the opportunity. "I've had nine long years to think about what happened, that night by the river. There's no doubt in my mind that what occured could have and should have been prevented... but, the truth is, had we been in the village, the flood probably would have killed Hikou anyway."
"So yer sayin' that what happened was fate?" Tasuki asked, bottled up rage caught in his throat. "That even if I had killed Kaze, some other Element woulda done Koji in no matter what?"
"Maybe so, maybe not. I guess we'll never know, now." Chichiri turned his eye upwards, to the heavens. "And, unfortunately, a person can't alter what's already been done. So there's really no reason to beat yourself up about it." Chichiri ruffled his friend's hair fondly, an awkward gesture considering that the bandit was taller that the monk. "Ces sera sera: whatever will be, will be. "
Tasuki didn't want to hear rationalized thinking: he wanted Chichiri to agree with him, to tell him how horrible he was for aiding in the death of his best friend. Why did that monk always have to be such an understanding person!? "I hate you," Tasuki muttered under his breath. "For bein' so damn calm, so damn... right all the time."
"I know you don't really mean that," Chichiri said, though the comment stung nonetheless.
"...Iie. Guess not." Tasuki curled his legs up to his chest. With a heavy sigh, he buried his face in between his knees. "I don't know what th' hell I'm sayin' half the time anymore. I'm two steps from the edge, 'Chiri. An' the worst part..." he choked on his own words, fighting back another wave of tears.
Chichiri watched his friend, waiting for him to get his emotions under control and continue.
"The worst part... the worst part..." the seishi's fingernails dug into his pant legs unhappily, "is that I can't blame that Element! I can't make myself blame him fer what he did! I try my damndest, but in th' end I just keep thinkin' that he was jus' a kid, jus' some puppet used by that, that woman..."
Chichiri scooted away from his friend slightly, watching as his ki flared brightly around his body. "Tasuki, daijoubu ka?"
"I hate her," Tasuki said after a moment. "I hate her almost as much as I hate myself right now..." The ki around his body disappeared suddenly, as he slumped down dejectedly. "Kuso, I miss him so much."
The monk nodded sadly. "So do I." He paused for a moment to gather his thoughts. "Ritsuka-tachi and I are really worried about you, you know. You haven't been eating, you won't talk to anybody, you stay shut in this dark room all day..."
"I know," he agreed. "But I can't bring myself to face life right now. How the hell am I s'posed to jus' move on when Koji'll never see another sunset, never beat me in another archery competition, never laugh that cocky laugh of his..." He glanced up, golden eyes alight with pain. "You expect me t'just move on, just like that?"
"Of course not," Chichiri told him with a shake of his head. "I know what it's like, losing a best friend. You don't just hop up and dust yourself off from something like that- it's going to take time." The monk stood up, heading for the door. He turned as he got to the frame, looking back at his friend with concern. "And Tasuki, you can take as much time as you need. Whether it's a day, a week, a month or a year, you can grieve for Koji for as long as you want. As far as I'm concerned, you don't have to fight another battle in this war, or in the rest of your life if you don't think you're up to it. Daijoubu, I understand that."
Tasuki watched his friend, surprised to find a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. The monk could be annoyingly rational at times, but when you got right down to it he understood his friends so well. "Chichiri..."
"Just promise me something, all right?" he practically demanded, and now his eye was filled with something nearing desperation. "Promise me that, no matter how much it hurts, no matter how bad you want to turn your back on everything... promise me that you won't give up on life, Tasuki. Promise me that you won't do anything stupid, anything... anything like I almost did, all right? Can you do that for me, for Ritsuka-tachi? Please?"
Tasuki couldn't believe it, but he actually managed a hint of his old arrogant smile. "Hai, Chichiri. I promise."
The monk had already known what the seishi's reply would be, but actually hearing it still made him feel a good deal better. "In that case, I'm going to go tell Ritsuka to get you a dinner tray. You need to eat sometime, after all."
Chichiri turned his back on his friend. As his hand touched the door, he stopped suddenly. The seishi monk didn't bother turning around as he said: "Koji's funeral is tomorrow, at midday. You don't have to come if you don't want to, I just thought I'd let you know."
Tasuki made no response. He watched wordlessly as the door slid open, then shut behind his friend. He flopped back down onto his bed drearily, closing his eyes and sighing heavily. "Koji. What am I gonna do?"

^^^ Start Playing "Kimi ga Iru," NOW! (You know the drill folks- crank that volume!)

The sun, almost as if in active defiance of the sad feelings in the Konan Palace, had shone brightly during the past three days and continued to do so on the day of Koji's quiet funeral. The others hadn't bothered with any large ordeal- something told them the bandit leader wouldn't have liked that- so it was just the five Konan Warriors and Aoi that stood by before their friend was laid to rest.
Koji had been cleaned up by several servants, and changed into his regular day-to-day clothes at Chichiri's request- dressing him up, as custom typically demanded, just didn't seem quite right. The bandit leader's headband, medal and twin daggers lay in the coffin, to be buried along with him. Had it not been for the obvious paleness of his normally tan skin, a person would have thought he was only sleeping.
Ritsuka sniffed loudly, trying to be strong and keep her tears in. "Y'know... he looks... almost happy. I never realized it before. He died smiling. Koji... Koji would've wanted to go like this, wouldn't he?"
"I never knew him that well, honestly... I wish I'd had a chance to really talk to him..." Kiori said quietly. "But I think you're right, Ritsuka."
Akai cried freely, gripping on tightly to Aoi's arm. "Maybe so, but why... why did he have to be taken from us? Koji-san... darn it, Koji-san, it's not fair..." she ran a hand across her eyes, sniffing hard and attempting to be tough like her older friends. "... I never really minded it, when he treated me like a kid. I hope he knew that..."
Aoi shifted awkwardly, wishing he could say something to make Akai feel better. Truth be told, he was barely keeping back tears himself- if he spoke, he was afraid he'd break down like his friend. "Akai... I..." he swallowed hard, closing his eyes.
Houki made up for the silence that followed. Though her voice was filled with emotion, she managed to keep it from breaking. "Chichiri, shall we begin?" She noticed that he was glancing over his shoulder. "Oh, are you waiting for something?"
The monk frowned- the redheaded seishi was nowhere in sight. It looked like Tasuki wasn't going to show up. Chichiri wasn't completely surprised, just disappointed. "I was... it's nothing. Go ahead, Houki-sama."
Houki lit a small stick of insence and set it at the foot of the coffin, bowing her head along with the others. Though formalities seemed somewhat silly at a time like this, the Emperess decided to do it the right way- after all, they'd skirted almost all the other traditions thus far.
"We are here to say our final good-byes to Koji Manato, a brave fighter and a good friend. Though he was the last to arrive at the palace, in the limited amount of time we knew him he became a close companion to all. Rarely did I ever see him without a smirk on his face, always ready with a few cheerful words that never failed to make us smile."
Houki didn't think she could continue for much longer; she decided to shorten her speech down and finish quickly. "Despite his careless attitude, he was indeed a brave, strong fighter, one who never gave up, never stopped fighting to help the people he cared for... a true hero, and a true friend. What more..." Houki blinked her eyes several times; she knew she should've gotten someone else to do this. "What more could one ask... of a person? Koji, you will be sorely missed, but... but we will never forget you, what you have done, and what... what a wonderful, courageous person you were. Sayonara, Koji."
"Sayonara," the others repeated in halting tones, many rubbing at eyes.
Houki looked up, trying to keep her composure. "Does anyone else have anything to say before we seal the coffin?"
Chichiri's held up a hand as he sensed a familiar ki nearby. "Chotto, Houki-sama."
The others kept their eyes turned down respectfully, not sure why Chichiri had ordered the Emperess to wait. A few moments later, they heard the soft crunch of twigs and grass beneath someone's feet. The six looked up, watching as Tasuki walked slowly, deliberately towards them.
Silence reigned on the clearing as the seishi, dry-eyed, stood next to the coffin for a long moment, as if in deep thought. After a long moment, he withdrew a scabbarded throwing knife from his shirt- Koji's- and lay it next to the bandit leader. Tasuki picked Koji's headband out of the small pile of possessions to be buried with him, looping it around his own forehead quietly. His fingers brushed his friend's cold cheek just slightly; he took a deep breath and stepped away from the coffin, bowing his head along with the others.
Though the entire thing had been done without a word, it said more than a thousand speeches ever could. Chichiri caught Tasuki's eye; gold eyes met single mahogany one, and without speaking the two met on yet another, deeper level of understanding. Chichiri nodded his approval just slightly. The seishi bandit closed his eyes, managing the barest flicker of a smile as a tear coursed its way quietly down his face.

It was the evening of the same day. The Konan Warriors and Aoi had retreated to their own rooms after Koji's funeral, each with his or her own private thoughts. As the sun sunk beneath the Konan Wall, washing the final rays of light over the grave of Koji Manato- seated high on a hill, a sign of good luck- a lone figure took a seat quietly by the tombstone, a bottle of he and Koji's favorite beverage in hand.
"Seventy-three," he said quietly. "You beat me, in the end, jus' like you said you would. I should've known I didn't have a chance- you always do everythin' y'set out t'do, doncha? The sake'll have t'wait a while, sorry 'bout that. The next time we meet, though, I'll be sure to bring the best drink Konan ever had. How's that fer a present, hm?"
Tasuki sighed heavily, sipping reflectively from the bottle. "It's funny, even when I was travellin' with Chichiri, I never really thought much about never seein' you again. It was like, I always figured whenever I got tired-a bein' a wanderer, I c'd always jus' settle back on Reikaku with you, an' it'd be like old times. Only it didn't work out that way, did it?"
He gripped the bottle tightly in his hand. "I'm sorry, that I couldn't save you when you needed it th' most. Maybe Chichiri's right, an' there's nothin' any of us coulda done, but still... a person can't help but wonder, can they?" he took an angry swig. "I know there's nothin' I can do about what happened, but I wanna tell you somethin', Koji. I'll get revenge on the person who did this to ya- not that Kaze kid, but his master, that woman Setsuka. I'll never fergive her fer what she's done t'you, an' to a lot of us as well. I swear that someday I'll kill her. That's a promise, Koji."
Tasuki fingered Koji's headband, now wrapped firmly around his own head, reminiscently. "I hope y'don't mind me takin' this. I know there's no way I c'd ever ferget you, or everythin' we been through t'gether. But this," he wrapped a finger around it, "will help me t'always keep you in my mind, and help me t'remember th' promise I jus' made. An' you can rest assured that I will take my revenge on Setsuka- I'm like you in th' sense that I always finish what I say I will.
"I guess... I guess there's nothin' much else t'say. I miss you, Koji, I won't try t'pretend it's not true. But I know that, wherever you are, chances are yer makin' yerself at home right at this very minute. Huh, I hope Nuriko-tachi throw you a nice welcomin' party, an' if they don't, y'have my permission t'kick some ass." Tasuki actually managed a small chuckle. He finished the bottle off in one quick gulp, blinking hastily at tears and whispering quietly. "Oh, an' Koji... say 'hi' t'Reirei an' Hakurou fer me, all right?"
The seishi didn't bother turning his head as he felt more than heard Chichiri walk up behind him.
"Hey Tasuki."
"Hey 'Chiri."
The monk, mask placed on his face once again, took a seat next to his friend, watching the sun as it slipped its way below the Konan Wall. "It was good to see you at the funeral today, ya know."
"I have you to thank for that," Tasuki admitted. "I needed someone to listen to me feel sorry for myself, then tell me the truth, even if the truth wasn't what I wanted to hear. You pulled me out of that hole I was in. Arigatou."
"Always happy to help a friend, ya know."
"I'll be sure to return the favor someday," Tasuki paused, torn between asking the question that had been nagging at him since Koji's death, and keeping himself from saying the words. Curiousity won over, in the end. "Chichiri... how did... how exactly did Koji die? I never knew..."
The monk looked upwards, closing his eye halfway. "Like a hero, Tasuki. Like a true hero, ya know. As far as we can tell, it looks like Kaze had him mortally wounded, and was starting to leave, but Koji..." he smiled slightly. "He got Kaze between the shoulderblades, with his lucky throwing knife. Koji never knew when to say 'die', did he?"
Tasuki closed his eyes, shaking his head slightly. "No, he didn't." It was the sort of death the bandit leader probably would have chosen, had he been able to pick his fate.
The seishi stared hard at Koji's tombstone. 'Maybe, in the end, you were happy with the way things turned out. Still... it's hard, losin' a great friend like you...'
A whispered voice from just a few days before seemed to drift back to him on the breeze:
"It don't matter how far away y'are, a best friend is a best friend. We'll always be buds, you know that Genrou."
Tasuki actually managed a small smile, eyes flicking upwards to the heavens. 'Hm. We will, won't we, Koji?'
Chichiri clapped a hand on his friend's shoulder. "C'mon. Dinner's getting cold, ya know."
Tasuki nodded. "Hai. Let's go, 'Chiri."

"'The seishi bandit followed his friend out of the Konan cemetary and down to the palace. At the last second, he turned around, eyes on the grave of his best friend once again. Then, with a heavy sigh, he turned his back on the final resting place of Koji Manato, Konan Warrior, bandit leader, and treasured friend.'" Keisuke rubbed hard at his eyes with his sleeve, an action that his two companions were doing as well. "End Chapter Fifteen." He looked down, taking a breath of air and attempting to get his emotions under control. "Sayonara, Koji."

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Aoi: With every important action there comes the aftermath, be it better or worse. As Tasuki-sama continues to struggle with his own anger and sadness, he discovers help from an unexpected source, as well as the beginnings to an unexpected relationship.
Meanwhile, a familiar face turns up at the palace and... chotto mattegure! You're on our side now!?
The Next Episode of Fushigi Yuugi: The Next Chapter: "Overlapping Destinies? The Return of the Forgotten!"
Who ever would've thought...?
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