For further warnings, see part 1

Also: We do not own Grandia (though we wish we did!) I'd also like to thank Tolkien, Shakespeare and the creator of Slayers for all their help! (figuratively) We do not own Slayers, Midsummer Night's Dream, or The Hobbit. And have no fear, Fushigi Yugi makers, we will return your pawns to you unscathed.

22. $_$ MIMI

Bastard. Mother I= I_I ( K-ing Bastard.

Not you, this annoying $ |-| ! + head here!

I was being dragged roughly down an alleyway to the CPU square the slave auction was taking place. Myotis and Devi had grabbed me after Blondie bashed Kou-chan over the head with a chair.

Of course I didn’t go without a fight. Myotis was a little banged up and Devi DEFENTLY didn’t get away unscathed! He was lucky he ducked or he would have been eating through a straw for a month.

But they’re bigger then me so I didn’t get much of anywhere…

I hope Kou-chan’s all right.

"Bitch," Myotis muttered, annoyed. He dabbed at some blood flowing from his upper lip(serves him right) ,"She has waaa~y to much of that spirit you were talking about, Devi…"

Devi grinned, "That’s what I admire in her."

"Well other people admire that, too. You won’t be the only one betting, remember?"

Devi radiated smugness, " Don’t worry about that. I’ve got more money than this town has put together. I’ll just keep betting till the competition is scared off. If any idiot tries me…" He let that trail off. We all had a pretty good idea what he was going to do.

And I wanted nothing to do with it. I twisted in Myotis’s grip, taking him by surprise, and bit his arm till he bled.

"YAAA!" He let go of me and I made a mad dash for the nearest exit out of that ally. Those morons didn’t start after me for a good 20 seconds( too busy yelling at each other, I guess.) Good thing for me!

I sprinted (as well as any girl could in that dress…Sheesh!) on to the main street of town occasionally ducking into shadows and such. It was getting dark so that made it a bit easier.

I pushed past a merchant and some servants on my "stroll’ through town. I apologized quickly as the man crashed to the ground in a vegetable covered heap. He yelled some words I was perfectly familiar with and I (of course) ignored him. I needed to get some where safe!

I looked back over my shoulder when I stopped at a corner to catch my breath. Myotis was asking a random pedestrian some thing (probably my whereabouts) and scanning the crowds for me.

Well he wasn’t going to find me. I ducked into the first building I came to.

It turned out to be another tavern…<sigh> I’m getting sick of these places…I didn’t want to draw attention to myself so I played it cool, dusted off my green skirts and patted inside. It was a very nice place. Not seedy and smoky like the joint I had to stay in. Decent-looking people sat at the clean tables instead of drug dealers and pimps at rickety ones.

A young lady with long brown hair walked up to me, smiling sweetly and carrying a tray. "Hi, Sugar. May I help you?"

I smiled sweetly at her, "Yes. In fact you can. I’m in deep shit and I need out of it. There are these guys on my tail and…"

She stopped me right there. "Now listen here, Sugar…" She stated firmly. I had a sinking feeling that I wasn’t going to get help here…

"You shouldn’t be rambling off you problem, like that in front of customers." She reached down and grabbed my hand, "Now come on. Lets get you to one of the back rooms." She turned and led me through the tavern, around tables and such to a door next to the kitchen. She opened it. I peered inside. It was a small office. She probable did paper work here.

I looked back at her as she started talking again. "Now, Sugar, just stay in here and I’ll shoo away anyone who comes lookin’ for ya. Okay? If you need anything just ask Ucchan." She finished gesturing to herself. Ucchan then pushed me into the room and shut the door behind me.

I sighed in relief and leaned against the wall heavily. Careful, Mimi. Don’t drop you guard because of a Good Samaritan. Those bastards could be anywhere.

My thoughts began to drift to…Kou-chan…I hope he was a right…I found myself looking forward to the next moment I saw him. He had this presence…

I was interrupted by a loud CRASH!!

Ten minutes later I found myself standing on the auction block in the middle of the square with an annoying man yelling a mile a minute. Well God Damn….

Myotis had managed to find me, stupid HAMM radio CIA-upgrades remote handheld state-of-the-art homing tracing systems operation! Gets me every time.

But that’s another story. Right now, I was being bet upon. Guys are pigs.

"Two hundred American dollars!" One sleazy-looking bastard held up his white ticket-tag showing his bet.

The auctioneer, Veggie, spoke up, "I’ve got 200, do I hear 230?"

An auburn-haired bastard in back held up his ticket-tag, "300!" Huh? I recognized that voice! That auburn-haired bastard was Kou-chan!

"What are you doing!?" I called at him.

Veggie wrapped a hand around my mouth, "Quiet, we don’t want them to know about that spunk problem of yours."

"Saving you, of course," Kou-chan replied.

I bit Veggie’s hand, "Like THIS?"

"$400!" someone suddenly called out, it was Devi, that bastard, that sexist hog-like alcoholic dick-less pedophile BASTARD!

Kou-chan scowled, "Hey!" he lifted his ticket-tag, "450!"

At this point, the other audience members seemed a bit left out and started betting as well. Those bastards!

"500!" one said.

"550!" Kou-chan shouted back.

"551!" another bastard held up his ticket-tag.

"552!" Kou-chan hissed.

"Is that all?" I asked.

"I’m doing the best I can!" he protested, "I’m using the Queen’s money!"

"675!" one of the richer bastards yelled.

Kou-chan sighed, "800!"

I cheered, "That’s better!"

Kou-chan blushed and flustered, "You’re embarrassing me!"

I winked.

"850!" a short bastard called.

"1000!" another bastard yelled.

"1001!" the idiotic bastard held up his ticket-tag.

"1100!" Kou-chan forced up his ticket-tag, "this is a painful amount of money."

"10,000!" that sexist hog-like alcoholic dick-less pedophile bastard, Devi suddenly yelled.

My jaw dropped. That was it!

The crowd of bastards and Kou-chan hushed. Veggie spoke up, "Whoa! $10,000! Hey, do I hear anymore? Going once, twice, so--*"

"20,000!" Kou-chan suddenly stood up, brandishing his ticket-tag.

"What?" Devi exclaimed, "Why you little…" he let it hang, then sneered, "FIREBOLT!"

A shock a flame ripped from the bastard’s open palm and crashed at my savior, er… my Kou-chan!

"HEY!" Koushirou protested, "FLARE WALL!" a fiery barrier erected itself about the auburn-haired wizard, "That’s playing dirty!"

"30,000!" Devi held up his ticket-tag, then in the same breath, "VOLT ARIA!" a hail of electricity filled the crowd.

And the crowd panicked.

"HEY, YOU NUT!"

"YOU JERK-OFF!"

"MOTHER F*CKER!"

"AW SHIT! THAT HURTS!"

"SOMEONE CALL A DOCTOR!"

"HE’S A WIZARD!"

"REALLY?"

"**GASP!!!**"

"THIS SUCKS! OW!"

"OH MIAKA!"

"TAMAHOME! NOT NOW!"

"LOOK OUT, THE OTHER ONE’S GETTING READY!"

"IT'S THE FRIGGIN' END OF THE WORLD!!!!"

"CAN’T GO TO A SIMPLE AUCTION!"

"I’M NOT BETTING AGAINST HIM!"

That said, the crowd was pretty sparse now.

"50,000!" Kou-chan yelled, "and two can play that game! Earth, submit to my will, Terra FORCE!"

A stream of erupting earth pummeled at Devi. He responded by holding up his ticket-tag, "100,000!"

Kou-chan gasped like he’d been stabbed with a knife, his earth spell suddenly ceased, "Ouch!" the young wizard spat, "too much… too much…" the handsome… er… nice… I mean…(Aww…forget it) cute boy flashed his ticket-tag, "120,000!"

"Still stubborn?" Devi asked, "Flash ARROW!" a red beam of light shot through Kou-chan’s barrier of fire and struck him in the shoulder.

"AAAAAAA!" Kou-chan yelled, clutching his injury.

"150,000!" Devi called.

"Why you!" my wizard held up his ticket tag, "PINK TICKET TAG FLASH!" a burst of piercing pink light filled the friggin’ town and just near blinded everyone. Ow… too bright.

I could barely make out Devi and the rest of the crowd rubbing their eyes. If it hadn’t been that Veggie was standing in front of me at the time…

"500,000!" Kou-chan called.

I think I was blushing, of course that could be the remnants of the pink spell.

"That was low!" Devi coughed.

I rolled my eyes, "You’re not one to talk!"

"Shut up, wench, I’ll get you and break you like a worthless twig just for the fun of it!" the bastard yelled at me like I was some piece of meat. "SERPENT BITE!" a twin beam of black energy sizzled at Kou-chan.

Kou-chan’s eyes widened when he recognized the poison spell, "1,000,000, and ANTIDOTE!" he cast the reverse spell, using the ticket-tag as the focus.

"10,000,000!" Devi yelled, sparks flying.

"WOULD YOU CUT IT OUT!?!?" I screamed, "GIVE IT UP ALREADY!"

Kou-chan winked suddenly, "20,000,000!" then turned to Devi, and raised two fingers and, "SILENCE WAVE" a field of gray energy suddenly swept over Devi.

"…" Devi opened his mouth and yet said nothing…

Kou-chan beamed at me, "Gotta love those Silence spells."

Devi held a gloved hand to his throat and a sparkling white hue glowed from it, "I hate you."

Kou-chan glared at him, waved his ticket-tag and slowly stated, "30,000,000…"

"THAT’S IT! I’m sick of playing around with a little wizard like you! 50,000,000!" Devi stuck the ticket-tag used for betting out in front of him and began to chant, "Power from beyond the grave, sickle of life whose slice will end…"

"What?" I started, not recognizing the spell.

"Bring your unholy energies here! Golden thread cut short by divine revolution! DEATH RIBBON!" Devi shouted, the ticket-tag glowing black with magic, the power shot out in tendril-like ribbons that arched directly toward Kou-chan.

Kou-chan gasped, "Mirror of future hopes whose life force each and every holds, protect my family, protect my friends, and reverse the power I face now! MIRROR OF DREAMS!" he spouted in one hurried, panicked breath

Definitely a protection spell, a golden aura shimmered into existance just in front of Kou-chan and reflected the black ribbons lacing back to Devi.

"100,000,000!" the dark man shrieked before falling victim to his own spell.

Veggie watched as Devi’s lifeless form fell to the ground, "100,000,000! Do I hear 100,000,001?"

I sweatdropped.

"No?" the auctioneer squeaked, shocked by the recent events, "Going once… twice… aw hell, she’s yours… To the only man left standing, SOLD! For 100 Million!"

I rushed over to Kou-chan, finally free, I hugged his midsection, "Oh, thank you so much, I never thought you’d pay 100 Million for me!"

Kou-chan fainted, "The Queen’s gonna kill me."

23. -_-* TAICHI

I sighed, however WAS I going to get this tacky blue ribbon out of my hair? But, then again, maybe it’ll look good there. When I asked young Takeru his opinion he seemed so thrilled with the idea that he threw up his hands in praise and rolled his eyes upwards at the sky in blessing.

Captain Yamato forged us onward for about an hour after our cheery visit with the faeries. We had managed to lose our steeds and Sir Yamato seemed distraught at the loss of his strangely lupine horse, Garuru.

It was then my stomach made a large, unusual rumbling sound. The rumble appeared to be centered at my midsection and churn in my stomach. This was an unpleasant sensation that I was unfamiliar with, it also seemed loud enough to disturb Takeru and Sir Yamato.

"He’s hungry…" I heard Takeru say.

"Hungry? What exactly is a hungry?" I asked, wanting to be an informed person.

Yamato suddenly tripped and Takeru hung his head at an odd angle, "He doesn’t know what hungry means…"

"You tell him!" Takeru insisted at his elder.

"No, I’ll kill him first, you tell him!" Yamato argued.

"Well, I know, I’ll tell him!" I offered, trying to be helpful.

Takeru sighed for some odd reason, what a strange child, he’s always sighing, maybe he’s depressed about something. I think I’ll make a note to chat with him about it later so he can open up to me and feel better about himself. I’m positive my guidance will make him feel better. Besides, I think he enjoys spending time with me.

The young page explained, "It means we need to go hunting, your grace."

"Hunting? Isn’t that where ghosts stay and spook people?" I asked.

"That’s HAUNTING!" Takeru calmly explained with a rather loud voice, "Hunting is where we shoot stupid animals for food," he pulled out his bow and arrow and demonstrated by aiming carefully at something just behind my eyes.

"TAKERU! NO!" Sir Yamato called.

Takeru blinked, "No? No what? I thought YOU wanted him dead?"

Yamato cleared his throat, "No, I wanted to kill him MYSELF…."

The page-boy sighed. There he goes with that sighing problem again.

"We need to pitch camp soon," Yamato said.

"Yes," I explained, "I’m certain that my idea of camping soon will lead to a better rest for tomorrow’s quest of finding the magic tree to save SORA-CHAN!"

The two brothers spoke in unison, "Yes, your grace…" they didn’t sound very enthusiastic, so I decided to give both of them some of my inspiring moral support chats later.

When I told them this, that alone seemed enough to get them very excited and screaming with joy.

I searched for a reasonable amount of time to find the absolutely most perfect spot ever to pitch camp. I figured right next to the fertile swamp ground would be perfect for the always present danger that butterflies may attack. The two brothers grunted with my favorite choice after 12 hours of searching. I made sure to perfectly oversee the construction of the entire camp.

I continued leaning in the lawn chair I had brought to supervise the set up of the camp and sipped a pink lemonade. Yamato and Takeru happily dragged themselves towards me with their building tools after finishing their chores. "Ah, good work, my friends, can you get me another pink lemonade, supervising is such hard work."

The two men twitched and dropped their tools opting to reach out to hug me in such delight.

I yawned, "No time to hug right now, my friends. We’re going to need lots of sleep, so let’s hit the hay!" I stated chipperly to raise their spirits.

Takeru laughed, "Yes… yes, sleep, lots of sleep… permanently, sir! I mean, right away sir!"

Sir Yamato nodded fervently, "Hai, let’s get LOTS of sleep."

I smiled at their eagerness and proceeded first into the tent for some rest. I’m so glad that my friends are around to keep me safe from the butterflies just in case.

24. ~_~ YAMATO

It was my watch. I was the first of the night. Takeru and I decided that we would take turns instead of breaking the night into 3rds. We most certainly didn’t trust the Duke with the camp, let alone our lives.

So I sat in front of the blazing fire and quietly contemplated the flames, poking at it every now and then to keep it burning. The moron and my brother/page had gone to bed a while ago and it was almost time for me to wake Takeru for his watch.

I sighed…maybe I should let him sleep. We’ve had a big day with the party and all…and putting up the Duke…Gods, we should get medals for not killing him.

How long had it been…six years? Seven? I think Father would be proud of Takeru, not only for his self-control, but he strength, bravery and the person he has become. Despite what I tell myself, the kid can really hold his own. He’s growing up so fast…its beginning to scare me. He’s starting to treat me more and more like his superior and best friend than his older brother and protector… I’m probably just not ready for the fact that soon he’ll become a man and Knight himself…

Yes, I do believe, that, if they were still here to see it, Father and Mother would be proud of him. Just like I am…

I sighed. I’ll get over it sooner or later. Enough brooding for right now. I need to…hmmm?

My head snapped up.

What was that?

Standing up, I pricked my ears and strained to hear. It was coming from the swamp. What could it be?

Drawing my sword, I carefully crept towards the line of tall black twisted trees that made up the woods in this area. (The Duke picked such a …wonderful…spot.) I left the circle of light and darkness enveloped me. The only thing illuminating my path was the moonlight filtering through the gnarled limbs above me.

I heard the sound again. A little to my right. Getting louder.

I creeped up behind some bushes, avoiding the water’s edge, and peered into a clearing. Moonlight lit a small area of ground completely untouched by the swamp and underbrush. Sitting in the center was a large lush tree (completely different from the bare twisted ones around me) roots and limbs jutted up from the ground and trunk in dazzling patterns but what drew my attention was the source of the noise that attracted me here.

A little girl sat crying underneath the expansive tree.

I felt my heart soften. A little girl… what was she doing out here? She seemed to remind me of Takeru when he was little…

Before I could think twice about it, I stepped into the clearing, sheathed my blade and approached the sobbing child.

"Hi," I said softly, kneeling in front of her, getting down to her level. "Are you okay? What’s wrong?"

She didn’t answer for a while. I reached out and stroked her short green hair gently, "Shhhh…It’s okay. I’m not going to hurt you." I cooed, trying to comport her the way I used to do for my brother. " Just tell me what’s wrong, maybe I can help…" There was a sudden chilling sensation rippling across my skin. I blamed it on the wind.

She slowly stopped her frantic sobs and muttered in a watery voice, "I’m hungry…"

The poor girl. I felt a pang of sympathy. I slipped back into my ‘talking-to-little-kids’ voice, "I have some food back at camp a short walk from here, I could take you there and give you some food and place to stay for the night if you wish…" she shook her head vehemently. She hadn’t looked up at me once, always keeping her face buried in her arms resting on her knees.

I though for a moment, "Well…if you don’t wanna leave I’ll go and fetch…" I began starting to get up, she reached out and grabbed my arm in a shockingly strong grip.

"No!" She shrieked in fright, pulling me back ,"Don’t go! I’m hungry! Please stay!"

I fell to my knees in front of her again, her small hands still clutched around my forearm. "Okay! I’ll stay…but…I don’t…" I trailed off as the chilling, prickling sensation shot up my spin and washed over my skin…Magic? But what…?

The girls head snapped back reviling her face… her eyes where completely blank. No pupil, no iris, nothing…

Oh…Shit…

The girl muttered something quietly and disappeared. "Huh?" Roots erupted from the ground around me.

"What the!" I drew my sword but it was useless. I only managed to swing once(not even connecting with my target) before one of the offending appendages snapped at my wrist, wrapping around it tightly and holding it immobile. "Let go!" I growled, and struggled furiously as more roots shot from the ground and coiled up my legs. With my free hand I snatched up a hunting knife I kept on my hip, and jammed it in to the root restraining sword arm.

It recoiled and let me go. Go me.

SNAP!

Something whipped across the side of my face, I was knocked off balance, and stunned but for only a moment.

That was all it took. They were all over me and held fast.

Shit. I was going to die. There was a sickening ‘thud’ as something sharp jabbed through my armor and into my back. It was followed by several others.

I wasn’t just going to die. There probably won’t even be a body. This tree, this Siren, I realized, was going to absorb me!

So I did the only thing I could do…

I screamed.