Title: Calling on God Author/Pseudonym: Snarf Email address: zyren@wam.umd.edu Rating: R for violence Pairings: J/B pre-slash Status: New, incomplete Date: May 14, 1998 Archive: Yes, if you like Archive author: same Archive email address: same Series/sequel: Part 2 of Calling on God Other website: none yet DISCLAIMER: Nope, nope, none of these characters are mine. The Sentinel belongs to Pet Fly, UPN, and everyone else that owns them. Fushigi Yuugi belongs to Yu Watase, Flower Comics, and everyone else that owns them. Summary: Nakago comes. Many thanks to Owlet for beta'ing for me (and giving me good advice) :) I had to get at least one more part out before I go to a place where I have no internet access (sniff, sniff) :( If you have any questions, more than likely they'll be answered in later chapters. If you have comments, constructive criticisms, etc, please email me! The next chapters will probably be posted in at least two months from now. Sorry! Warnings: uh, none this round. "For most who live, hell is not knowing who they are. The Singer knew and knowing was his torment."- Calvin Miller, "The Singer" "It makes you wonder which side the author likes better." -Nakago CALLING ON GOD Part Two "Densetsu ga ugokidashite" (The legend has begun to move) Yui woke up as the birds twittered outside her window, feeling empty. Feeling nothing. Not even the bright sunshine could drag her from the gloomy depths of her thoughts. She didn't want to leave her bed, just wanted to stay safe and snug within the sheets where nothing could harm her. But that was impossible. /I have to pretend nothing's wrong. I have to get on with my life./ She slowly rose, trudging her way across the room to the closet for her school uniform. /Detective Ellison said he would protect me. He said he would find Nakago. I have to believe in him./ She went through the motions of getting ready for school mechanically; donning her uniform, placing her books in her bag, brushing her hair. As she stared back at herself from the mirror, the flashback of two years ago crept back inside her mind; unwanted. Furiously, she shoved it aside, grabbing her bag. She would pretend nothing was going on. And she would not think about Nakago. Jim and Blair were downstairs; Jim was fixing breakfast, the smell of scrambled eggs and toast calling to her stomach. "Good morning, Detective Ellison and Mr. Sandburg," she said, forcing the corners of her mouth into a smile. /You *will* be cheery, Yui./ Blair grinned at her from his seat with warmth in his eyes. "You can call me 'Blair' if you want to. Everyone does, well, except for Jim." Yui nodded, solemnly sitting at the table, noting there were only three plates set out. "Where is my uncle?" "He said he had to go to Kyoto for a couple of days," Blair told her, "Something about a special performance for the head of a large company. He said you would have known about it." Yui remembered. "Yes, of course. I remember." She fidgeted around in her seat for a while, until Jim placed breakfast down before her. "Something wrong?" he asked. "Are you sure you can catch him?" she asked, stareing at, but not seeing the pile of eggs and toast. "Jim's the best," Blair grinned at her reassuringly. "Believe me, if *he* can't catch him, no one can." "But..." "Don't worry about it," Jim interrupted her. "You just go to school and pretend nothing's wrong. I think your uncle was right, school's too public a place for him to try and get you, *if* you're who he's after." Yui nodded, then started to eat, her sleeves riding up to show two barely visible scars on the insides of her wrists. /She tried to commit suicide,/ Jim thought /This has *got* to stop./ Yui quickly finished, then rushed out the door, not glancing back. When she opened the large gate outside her home, she found Suboshi idly wating for her. He grinned sheepishly as she walked out the gate. "Hi," he said, nervously. "Um, I thought I could walk you to school today. If you want." Yui stared at him for a moment. /No, I can't get him involved in this. He's too nice a person./ "No, thank you," she replied curtly, quickly striding away. Crushed, Suboshi reluctantly followed her, dragging his feet on the pavement. /I thought she liked me. I guess I was wrong./ A shadowy figure watched the spectacle a moment, shaking its head in sorrow. Carefully, it opened a small, white clam shell, allowing a soft vapor to blend with the surrounding air. The clam was then tossed far, deep within the town, the perfect decoy. ***** "He's here again?" Miaka asked, a worried and frightened look on her face. "What more does he want?" "I don't know," Yui stared into her lunch box, fiddleing with the food. It was around noon and since it was such a nice day, most people were eating lunch outside. Yui's eyes strayed to the basketball court, where Suboshi was playing with a group of other classmates. He glanced her way, their eyes met for an instant before Yui yanked hers away. Noticing this, Miaka asked, "You really like him, don't you?" Yui nodded. "That's why I can't tell him about this. It's better this way. If he finds out I'm not a virgin..." "It wasn't your fault, though." Miaka slammed her fist into her hand, an idea coming to her. "I could call Suzaku and wish that that incident never happened! Yeah! All I have to do is..." Yui shook her head. "No, this is my problem. I have to work it out." "But if Nakago's going to bother you again..." "He won't!" Yui gave Miaka a smile, more to comfort herself than her friend. "Mr. Ellison gave me a promise. I'll be fine, really! Nakago will go to jail, and I'll be safe. Everything will be as it was, you'll see. Maybe I'll even date again." Miaka could see the falseness in Yui's face, and even hear it in her tone of voice. /I wish there was *something* I could do for her! But I guess being by her side is the only thing I can do right now./ Miaka noticed Yui wasn't eating her food. "Are you going to eat that?" she asked, eyeing it hungrily and hoping the answer was no. Yui laughed, some of the sparkle back in her eyes. "Here, help yourself." Miaka laughed with her, glad she brought Yui into a better mood. /Now, if I could only set it up so she and Suboshi could get together.../ She grinned in anticipation, scheming, then shoveled the rest of Yui's food into her mouth. ***** "Are you sure you can find him?" Blair asked Jim as they paced the streets of the town, frantically looking for a tall, fair, sinister man. Though the crowds were sparse this time of day, they had found no one fitting Nakago Furusawa's description in two hours of searching. Blair wondered if Jim was over using his heightened senses, burning himself out internally as his eyes shifted back and forth around the various people. "Jim, you're going to wear yourself out like this. Maybe we ought to give it a rest? It's been two hours, and I don't think this Nakago guy is going to just pop out like a jack in the box, just so you can catch him." Jim tuned down his sight, feeling the strain from using them too long in the back of his eyes and the top of his forehead. He slowly massaged his temples, aware that Blair might have been right after all. "Fine, Chief, you win. Let's sit down somewhere." Blair grinned. He had been dying to try out one of the small coffee shops that had lined this part of the town. /And who knows? Maybe some tea will do him good./ "How about in here, man? It looks pretty good." "Fine, fine, whatever." Jim opened his eyes, painfully adjusting to the suddenly brilliant sunlight. He squinted, wondering if he should put on sunglasses, then saw her: an extraordinarily beautiful woman, with slanted eyes and auburn hair that told of a foreign ancestry. He felt he knew her from somewhere, as if they had met before. "Stay here, Chief. I think I see someone." "What?" Blair jerked his attention from the food display to see Jim jogging towards a beautiful woman. He felt an odd pang in his chest, as though his heart had stopped and started thumping faster at the same time. /Who's she? I *know* he couldn't have met her the last time we were here./ He swallowed difficultly. /Fine time for him to go chasing women. Just leaves me here. Alone./ He shook his head. /What the hell am I thinking?/ He tore his eyes away from them, hurrying inside the coffee shop with a fear he couldn't explain. Jim ran up to the woman, shouting at her. She swiveled about, surprise and suspicion in her eyes. "Yes?" she asked. He found he had difficulty reasoning his need to catch up with her. Up close, the woman was a hundred times more alluring, everything about her attracted him; her looks, her voice, even her scent. Quickly, he pulled his mind out of such thoughts, thinking of Yui and her troubles. "Have you seen a blonde man around here, lately?" "A blonde man?" she questioned, eyes fluttering innocently. "Not that I know of. Why do you ask, Mr...?" "Ellison. Dectective James Ellison of the Cascade Police department." He heard her heart escalate, thumping faster as he uttered the words. /She knows something./ "The man I'm looking for is a Mr. Nakago Furusawa." Her heartbeat steadily quickened. "I don't know who you're talking about," a seductive smile growing on her face, "I wish I could help." "I think you *do*." Jim's voice became harder, he leaned towards her threateningly. "Jim!" Blair's voice came at an inopportune time, distracting the detective. He quickly glanced backwards to make sure Blair was okay, then turned back to see the woman making her escape through the crowds of people. /Oh, just great. Perfect timing, Chief./ "Dammit Sandburg!" he growled, sprinting after her. "Wha..?" Blair had no time to question, just ran after Jim, wondering what had gone on between the two. He felt a small satisfaction as he thought he might have been the cause of her departure. Jim followed her, hunting her down, sniffing her out from the many other smells bombarding his nose. No matter which way she weaved through the crowd, he was on her tail. As he neared the woman, a blonde figure on the opposite side of the street stopped him. Yui. He screeched to a halt, Blair nearly colliding into him. "Now what?" Blair asked. "Hey, is that Yui? What's she doing out of school?" "I don't know," JIm answered. His senses were also confused. He couldn't smell her at all, and she looked fuzzy, even from so near. /I must be too far away./ He hurried across the street, shouting her name. By the time he and Blair had reached the spot where she was supposed to have been, she was gone, no trace of her anywhere, not even a lingering scent. "Something weird is going on around here," he muttered, wondering if he could track down that mysterious woman again. "It's getting late," Blair informed him, checking his watch. "We'd better head back to Hongo's. She may be there already." Jim nodded. There was something he didn't like about this case, and he couldn't shake the feeling that he was a major part of it. ***** Yui and Suboshi were cleaning the classroom again, this time in a desolate silence. Every now and again, Suboshi glanced over at Yui, wondering why she had rebuffed him this morning, noting that she was even more depressed than ever. /There were two foriegners in her home, yesterday. She seemed pretty scared then. Does it have something to do with them? Well, Miaka *said* I should talk to her.../ He looked down at his broom in indecision, wondering how he should do it. Finally, he walked over to her. Yui glanced up at him, wondering what he wanted. /Just go away! You can't get involved in this! Go away!/ "Yui?" he asked, wondering if she would even acknowledge him. He continued, no longer caring. "Listen, I... I know something happened to you a long time ago. It sort of filters through the grapevine. The girls at school are awful gossips..." "What did you hear?" She didn't look up, just stared at her hands buisily cleaning the desk in front of her. Her voice seemed oddly detatched. "Just that something bad happened to you." He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly before speaking again. "Yui, I... I love you." He heard her gasp, saw her stop wiping the desk. He blundered ahead. "I've loved you since I first saw you three months ago. I know it sounds crazy, but that's how I feel right now. "I know you're going through something hard right now. I could tell yesterday, and today. You... you don't have to tell me what it is, if you don't want to. But, no matter what it is, my feelings won't change about you. I'll wait. However long it takes for you, I'll wait." He started to leave, giving her room, and giving himself room to run if he misjudged her actions. /Well, Miaka, you'd better be right./ After a long period of silence, when seconds seemed like years, he heard her call his name. Dreading her answer, he slowly turned about, forcing himself to be brave. Her face was expressionless, but the sorrow and fear in her blue eyes held enough. "You have to stay away from me," she told him evenly. "Old skeletons in the closet are hard to bear, especially if they come back to haunt you. I..." she turned away, unable to look at him any longer. "I can't get you involved in this." "What if I want to get involved?" he asked, fist clenched tightly. "You don't know what you're saying." "I don't care." Suboshi rushed back towards her, moving around the desk to come face to face with her. "I don't care! Yui, if there's someone bothering you, I'll protect you! I swear!" Yui could only stare at him, she had no answers for him, not when he had so much conviction. She had no idea what he could do against Nakago, if anything at all. And yet, she believed him. Perhaps it was the way his eyes looked into her own, with fierce determination. The school clock bell chimed four, the signal of release. "Do you want an escort home?" Suboshi asked, hesitatingly, slowly lowering the intensity in his eyes. Yui conceeded. "Are you sure you won't mind?" "No!" He grinned. "Not a bit!" ***** Jim and Blair arrived at the Hongo residence later than they had expected. There had been no sign of either Nakago or the strange woman Jim had seen earlier. Blair had reasoned that Nakago had given up on Yui and was possibly going to prey on another girl. Deep inside, Jim didn't think that was true. He felt Nakago wanted something more from Yui, something that he himself was also involved in. Two scents lingered near the gate to Hongo's house. Jim smiled as he recognized them. "Looks like that young man's going to be a regular here." "Who, the guy from yesterday?" "Yeah." Jim frowned as he thought of the young man, feeling a strong connection with *him* as well. /What is going on here?/ He schooled his face back to an impassive mask, not ready to reveal all this new information to Blair just yet. "Welcome back!" Yui raced to meet them as they entered, hope in her eyes. "Did you find him?" Jim shook his head, stepping up into the house, glancing at Suboshi. The young man quickly turned about, trying to look like he wasn't eavesdropping. "No, He may just have left again. Or it could have been a rumor." "I see. Well, do you want some tea or something?" "Sure, that'd be great." "I'll help you." Blair joined her in the kitchen as Jim entered the living room. /Boy, he's tall!/ Suboshi unconsiously shrank into the pillows of the couch, edging away from Jim. /What's he doing here, anyway?/ Jim held out a friendly hand. "Jim Ellison." "Uh, Suboshi Kitani," Suboshi returned, noting the extra squeeze Jim gave his hand. He watched as Jim relaxed into the cushions of the couch opposite him, languidly watching him like a patient cat. Suboshi was boiling over with curiousity, but reluctant to push his way in. Yui had opened a crack of the door to her heart to him, he didn't want her to slam it shut. He fidgeted in indecision. /He's still looking at me! Well, two can play at that game./ Suboshi leaned forward, glaring at Jim straight in the eyes. Jim's mouth stretched into a predatory half-smile, never releasing his eyes from Suboshi's. Hearing nothing but silence after the introductions, Blair peeked into the living room to see what was going on. He stifled a chuckle. /The kid looks so serious! And Jim,... Jim looks like he's waiting for the kid to make a wrong move. If only I had a camera!/ "Is anything wrong?" Yui asked over her shoulder. "No, but you've got to see this." Blair motioned for her to come over. When she saw, she started to chuckle as well. "I wonder how long they can stay like that," Blair murmured. "Not long," Yui said, picking up the tray of tea. "Come on. I'm sure Detective Ellison is hungry." The evening was spent playing Rummy, which Jim taught them how to do. Suboshi ended up on the losing end most often, and his candid reactions were the cause of most of Yui's laughter. Her eyes were shining, a sure sign she could be on the road to recovery. As the clock struck eight, Jim heard the sound of two people approaching the house, their voices low. One sounded like the woman he had met earlier, the other, a man's voice. Not wanting to alarm anyone, Jim slowly got up, stretching as he did so. "I need some air. Be back in a second." Casually, he walked towards the back door, drawing his gun as he passed through the door to outside. The evening air was chill, the moon's pale light unable to penetrate the shadows lurking in the backyard garden. Turning up the dials, Jim quietly stalked through the protection of darkness, searching with every sense for the intruders. Nothing disturbed the silence of the evening, even with his hearing turned up. /Come on, you, where the hell are you?/ Inside, Yui had excused herself to go to the bathroom, smileing as she went upstairs. "How can I only have twenty four points?" Suboshi asked, his voice on the verge of whining. "Hey, it's not my fault man. Look here, you lost two hundred in this hand... you gained thirty... then you..." Blair was cut off by Yui's scream. "No! Go away!" "Yui!" Both Blair and Suboshi were on their feet and heading for the staircase in a second's time. Yui ran down the staircase in a panic born by fear. She half collapsed into Suboshi's arms, clutching him as if he were a lifeline. "It's Nakago!" she rasped, looking behind her to confirm the nightmare. At the top of the stairs was a man who could only be described as evil. "She is coming with me," he rumbled, slowly decending the staircase. "Stay back!" Suboshi yelled, pushing Yui behind him, taking on a fighting stance. "Don't you dare touch her!" Nakago pressed on, taking a step at a time, a mocking smile on his face. "See if you can stop me." A gun fired, the bullet brushing by Nakago's head. He turned slowly to see Jim, deadly serious. "Stay there!" he ordered, "Sandburg, Kitani, get her out of here." Blair ushered Yui out, Suboshi, however, remained where he was, reaching into his pocket. "Kitani, out! Now!" Suboshi glanced at Jim, making no effort to obey him. "That's an order, Kitani!" Jim glowered back as best he could, keeping an eye on Nakago at the same time. Reluctantly, Suboshi headed out, pausing for a last backward glance before running through the doorway. Nakago stepped down to feel another bullet whiz by his head. "I said stay back!" Jim barked again. "Oh?" Two sets of blue eyes met as Nakago turned to measure his competition. Jim gasped as he saw a glowing blue symbol imprinted on Nakago's forehead, different in form to his, but it held the same meaning. "Ashitare," Nakago said, wonder in his eyes. Jim vaguely wondered why the Babel fish didn't translate that, then wondered why the name sounded so familiar to him. He quickly brought himself back to the present, pointing the gun directly at Nakago's head. "You have the right...." the rest of the words were knocked out of him as an invisible wall slammed into his body, hurling him towards the other side of the room, casting him into unconsiousness. "Idiot," Nakago murmured, sinking down the rest of the stairs to the commotion outside. ***** Blair growled in frustration as he shook the large gates that lead to the outside of Hongo's mansion. He had heard a second gunshot as they had exited, then silence, oppressive and wanting. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong with his partner, but in this kind of situation, there was little he could do. "What's the combination?" he asked Yui, forcing all his weight onto the iron bars. "We never lock it!" Yui explained, shaking the iron bars that seemed welded together. "That would be useless," a deep, foreboding voice rang out from the porch. Yui gave out a strangled shriek as she saw who it was. Blair could see a blue aura eminating from around Nakago, like a mist wrapped around his body. In the middle of his forehead, there was something blue glowing. Blair had no idea what it was, but if it involved Jim.... "What do you want?" "I would have thought that clear," Nakago gave them a quirk of a smile, a cold gesture that seemed unfitting on his face. "Yui will come with me." "Over my dead body!" Suboshi glared at Nakago, pulling out some sort of rope from within his coat pocket with balls on the ends. They glinted in the moonlight as he held them aloft. As Nakago laughed, Blair did his very best to keep back comments like /What's a jump rope going to do to him?/ "Suboshi, no!" Yui grabbed onto his arm. "You don't have to do this!" "I told you I'd protect you, didn't I?" He gently pushed her back. "Now, stay back." "What can a toy do against me?" Nakago asked. A gleam of excitement sparkled in Suboshi's eyes as the rope in his hands swirled around his body of its own accord. Furiously, one of the balls zoomed towards Nakago, with more force than humanly possible. As that one neared its mark, the other ball followed suit, whirling like a deadly fan with blades splayed. The first ball hit a blue shield which blossomed from Nakago in the nick of time. The second found its mark, thunking into Nakago's shoulder, followed by a sprout of blood. "Toys, eh?" Suboshi evilly smirked, the rope writhing inches away from his arms, like a snake. Nakago did not wince as Suboshi yanked the razor-edged ball from his shoulder, the blood oozing down his chest. In an instant, Suboshi flicked his wrists, sending both balls at Nakago again, with even more force than before. The balls stopped short, then fell lifeless at Nakago's feet. Bewildered, Suboshi saw the scenery moving quickly away from him before he felt the hard concrete of the wall behind him crush into his back, breaking ribs, stealing his cry of pain away. "You are a fool," Nakago told him, as Suboshi's own weapons rose from the ground like cobras, then struck him in his left shoulder. Suboshi gasped as the ripped cloth fell away, revealing a glowing blue symbol. Nakago grinned in satisfaction. "Suboshi as well. The gods seem to be with me." ***** Amiboshi gently packed his flute away, clicking the latches shut. The others were filtering out, chattering about various pieces they would like to play soon. "You have an amazing talent," his instructor told him when the room was empty. "You really know how to pull the emotions out of the piece. Have you ever thought of going to the Music Academy?" Amiboshi shook his head. "No, sir. I don't think I could compete with all the people there." "I can tell you right now you could. I would consider it if I were you. If you need a sponsor, you can come to me." "Thank you, sir. I will think about it." He bowed politely, then walked out the door. When he was alone in the hallway, he unrolled his sleeve to check on his little brother. He laughed at the answer he recieved. /You were always a sore loser, Suboshi./ He walked out of the night school, heading in the direction of the Hongo residence, hating to disturb his brother on a second "date". /But, little brother, if you're ever going to pass the college entrance exams, you need to study./ After a few minutes, he stopped, pain sparking through his back along with a feeling of dread. /Oh, no! Suboshi!/ He sprinted down the streets, heedless of the people walking them. /Please, please hang on! I'm coming!/ ***** Yui had ran to Suboshi's side, laying a protective hand on his other shoulder. "What do you want?" she screamed in frustration. "Just leave me alone!" "Run," Suboshi coughed, choking the words out as he painfully tried to draw breath into his lungs. "I'll hold him off." "Stay back you!" Blair had grabbed a large tree branch, the only weapon he could find, and was standing over the two, fierce determination in his eyes. Nakago raised an eyebrow and Blair felt a sharp pain stab him in the wrist, enough to make him drop the makeshift weapon. "You just won't learn, will you?" Nakago asked. Inside, Jim was coming to, knowing his Guide and Yui were in danger. He heard Blair's gasp of pain from outside, rage filling inside him. /Blair!/ He thought about the gun, then dismissed it, creeping towards the front door. Nakago was standing on the front porch, just a foot away. /I used a gun before, and that was useless. So, here goes nothing!/ With the roar of the panther, he leaped towards Nakago, driving him to the ground. Both tumbled on the hard concrete, locked in a battle of strength. Jim pounded on Nakago's back, shoving the blonde man's face into the sidewalk. Seconds later, he flew into the air, joining the inert Suboshi on the wall. Nakago wiped blood away from his mouth, his nose broken in two places, yet he pressed on. "You'll pay for that," he growled, ignoring the severe bruises Jim had given him. A blue glow surrounded his body, and he looked dangerously at Blair, who had the sudden sinking feeling he was dispensible. A chime cut through the air, muting the energy Nakago was gathering. Five eyes looked up to the top of the wall, where the sillhoete of a man wearing a wide conical hat and holding a staff mingled with the blackness of the wall. "Stop!" he cried out, banging his staff on the brick of the wall below him. The chime rang out again as the rings on top clashed with each other. "You won't be taking anyone anywhere!" "He's right!" another figure vaulted on top of the fence, with rougish blue hair and a glowing red symbol on his forehead. "Yui!" the cry rang out from beyond the fence, a girl's voice. "Miaka!" Yui answered, hope rising in her heart and glowing in her eyes. "Tamahome! Chichiri!" The sound of thunder crackled through the clear sky and a bolt of lightning slashed towards the two intruders. They leaped clear as the bolt struck, blasting chunks of the wall away. Jim rose, shaking the pain of his recent bruises away as he focused on Nakago. Whoever the two were, if they were here to help, they were welcome. Nakago studied his opponents, the three of them starting to surround him. He then noticed the mouse-haired girl on the other side of the gate, furiously trying to enter. His new target picked, he built up energy again, nodding to his female companion who their new prey was. Yui saw all this, and ran to Nakago, shoving Jim aside. "No!" she pleaded, "I'll do anything you want! Just please, don't touch her!" Almost lovingly Nakago carressed Yui's young face, an act which made her shudder. "As you wish. However, you are not the only one I want, now." He eyed Jim and Suboshi, and in a blinding flash of blue light, he was gone, along with Yui, Jim and Suboshi. "Yui!" Miaka screamed as a panting Amiboshi arrived seconds too late. "Yui! YUUUUIIIIIIII!" She rattled the gates with all her strength and they suddenly gave way, swinging open to an empty courtyard. As Miaka frantically raced inside, Amiboshi just stared disbelievingly at the dissipating blue mist, clutching his flute case. Blair stared at the spot which Jim had previously occupied. "Jim," he whispered, not believing that his Sentinel, the one who was sworn to protect him and be by his side, was gone. The monk took off his hat, his sky-blue bangs shooting up like a bamboo shoot. "He's become more powerful." The symbol on his forehead now gone, the blue haired man pounded his fist into his hand in frustration. "We were too late!" was all he could say. "Shit!" Blair continued to stare at the swirling mist, as if it held the answers he wanted. /This has got to be a nightmare of some kind! Jim? Gone? God, and I don't even know how to get him *back*!/ "Are you all right?" the monk asked him, gently touching his shoulder. "What?" Blair shook himself back to face the monk, whose fox-like face seemed frozen in a plastic smile. /He was able to tone down Nakago's power, wasn't he? Maybe I ought to stay with them for a while. They'd be able to help me find Jim./ "Can't you get them back?" Miaka cried out, pulling on the monk's shirt, tears flowing down her cheeks. "You can follow them with your magic, can't you, Chichiri? Can't you?!" Her grip became even tighter as Chichiri remained silent, turning his face away from her. "Miaka," the other young man gently detatched her from the monk. "Don't you understand?" Miaka half-screamed at him. "Yui's *gone*! And it's all my fault! If only I had..." "Gone?" Amiboshi piped up, hurrying inside the gates and struggling to hide his fear. "Gone where?" Chichiri shrugged. "I don't know. I can't follow him with my magic; he's too powerful. He's blocking me." "Blocking you?" Blair rejoined in the conversation as Miaka was comforted by the blue-haired man, her frantic sobs gradually slowing. "He can do that? You have magic?" "Of a sort, but not near as powerful as Nakago himself," Chichiri answered. "My powers are very different from his." "Then, we can't get my brother back?" Amiboshi asked, dreading the answer. Chichiri remained quiet for a time, then said, "We may be able to, but not now, and not here. We'll have to wait. In the meantime,...." Chichiri quirked his head questioningly towards Amiboshi. "I am Amiboshi Kitani," Amiboshi bowed politely. "Suboshi is my younger brother." "I am called Chichiri," the monk answered, placing two friendly hands on Blair's and Amiboshi's shoulders. "That over there is Tamahome"-the young man- "and Miaka." Tamahome nodded at them, his hands reassuringly around the now calm Miaka. Miaka wiped tears away to give them a small smile. "I'm Blair," Blair said, running fingers through his mass of curls. "Look, could you at least explain what's happening here? I mean, Jim and Suboshi had some glowing blue symbols, like that red one on Tamahome." "I know." Chichiri said. "But here isn't a good place to discuss this, he could come back. We better go to a safe place, somewhere close." "Nuriko and Tasuki live close to here," Tamahome offered. "We could crash at their place." Chichiri nodded, then donned his hat again. "Come on. We'd better walk, he could trace any magic I use." He walked out of the courtyard, with the others following close behind. As Blair walked, he was determined to find out what exactly had happened to Jim, and what exactly Nakago wanted with Jim. And, why those symbols seemed to be appearing on their bodies. end part 2 "You mean, we can't get them back?" Suboshi's twin asked, his face mirroring Blair's. They all shook their heads. Blair took deep breaths, trying to register everything that just happened. "I'm sorry, man," he mumbled to the monk. "It's just that, after everything, I guess..." "I am called Chichiri," the monk said, placing a friendly hand on Blair's shoulder. "Tamahome," the blue haired fighter smiled congeinially at him. "Amiboshi," Suboshi's twin interjected, hoping they wouldn't leave him out. "I'm Miaka, Yui's best friend," the girl said. "And I want Yui back as much as you want your friend back. We'll get them back." She looked meaningfully at Tamahome and Chichiri. "But, not alone." Blair reluctantly followed all of them. /And I thought I was the one who was usually kidnapped. Man, I hope Jim's okay. And what does that Nakago want with him anyway?/ end of part 2 Their eyes locked in a showdown, each weighing the other man's powers. As Jim continued to stare into Nakago's eyes, he felt himself being drowned deeper into pools of blue, then slowly merging into inky black, sinking deeper still until swirls of red and white objects surrounded him in a swift current, dragging him involuntarily with them. Nakago chuckled, breaking contact with the now zoning Sentinel, who continued to stare into depths no human eye could go. "Fool," he murmured, swiftly gliding down the remaining stairs to the party outside. ***** Blair yanked on the gates at the entrance to the Hongo residence only to find them securely locked, as if welded together. "Shit!" he spat out, dragging Yui over to the gate. He had heard a second gunshot, then silence, oppresive and wanting. Blair couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong with Jim, but his first priority was getting Yui out of the yard. "What happened to Jim?" Blair asked, not really expecting the answer, just trying to buy them time. "That can be arranged, boy," Nakago raised an amused eyebrow. "Such toys can not hurt me." Suboshi smirked, wickedly. "Stop!" Yui cried out, tears streaming from her face, breaking away from Blair's protective grip on her. "Stop it! I'll do whatever you want! Just stop!" "No!" Blair grabbed her arm, hoping to steer her clear of this hell's angel unleashed. A flash of pain shot through his forearm, as the razor sharp ball cut deeply into his own skin. He fought against it, keeping his grip on Yui, mentally forcing the pain away. /What am I going to do? Jim, man, where are you? We need you bad!/ ******keep for when Miboshi forces Jim to go into a zone out (since he can't possess him) when they call Seiryuu. During the final battle between the Suzaku seishi and the Seiryuu seishi****** Inside, Jim felt pain, anger, frustration. The danger was about him, dancing around him like a taunting child, with him helpless to do anything about it. A hand blocked his view, another spirit leading him back to his body until he had escaped the torrents of cells sweeping about him. He blinked back into reality, hearing Yui's scream from outside. Seeing Nakago's back framing the front door, he ran and tackled him. Nakago furiously grabbed at Jim, locking onto his jeans, then vaulting him towards the crumpled figure of Suboshi, ripping the fabric off. Then, he stopped, stareing at the inert figures. On Suboshi's right shoulder, where the ryuuseihui had ripped the shirt, was a glowing blue kanji symbol, reading "angle". On the American detective was one, reading "tail". "Suboshi, Ashitare," he whispered at them. "It is you." "What... what are you talking about?" Jim asked, feeling himself being picked up by his Guide through a haze of pain. "Who's Ashitare?" "Ashitare?" Blair repeated, leaning Jim on the wall. "You are all coming with me." Nakago replied. "Except you." He pointed towards Blair, energy surrounding his body. "No!" Yui cried out, racing towards Nakago. **Soi stops them with lightning, throwing it at the wall. Nakago shoves Blair mentally from Jim, determined to kill the Suzaku seishi. He sees Miaka, then tries to direct his attack towards her when Yui finally agrees to go with him. He then leaves, teleporting them all. Amiboshi arrives too late, end part: all go to see Nuriko & Tasuki.** Nakago snorted. "Stop me if you can." He sent a wave of energy towards the two standing on the wall, almost knocking them off. Then, he glanced towards the group within. "We will do this another time!" he called out, as he, Yui, Suboshi, and Jim suddenly disappeared into the night. "Jim!" Blair cried out, grasping at whisps of air at Jim's dissipating body. "Stop him!" he cried to the two on the wall, feeling that somehow they had the power to do so. "Who are you people?" Blair shouted angrily. "What the hell are you doing here? What happened to Jim?" "And my brother?" A carbon-copy of Suboshi swung open the gates, gripping a flute. "I felt something go wrong." The monk sighed, his fox-like face carrying a worried expression. "I am Chichiri, a wandering monk, and that over there is Tamahome"-pointing to the young man- "and Miaka"- the brown- haired girl. "I didn't think he'd actually do it, but..." *****keep this for at Nuriko & Tasuki's*************** "Do what?!" Blair shouted at him. "Look, I saw some stuff going on here that usually only happens on shows like 'Hercules' or something like that, and a guy that could make the devil himself run for his money. Not only that, my partner and two kids have just been kidnapped by this guy and I've been kept in the dark about almost everything! I don't need any more ambiguous answers, even if you are a priest!" Chichiri listened to his rant silently, the expression on his face never changing. Resignedly, Blair sighed. "I'm sorry about that. It's just..." Chichiri nodded, then looked questioningly at the newly-arrived young man. "I'm Amiboshi Kitani," he offered, bowing politely. "My brother was one of the ones kidnapped." "I'm Blair Sandburg," Blair said, realizing he hadn't told them his name yet. ****Chiriko's death***** He didn't need his psychic powers to know the assasin was following him, the dread feeling in the pit of his stomach was enough. He glanced back, only to see a shadow running along the fence, keeping its speed. Chiriko kept running, though his heart was straining against the exercise it was so unused to. But it was run, or be killed. And the hunter was not going to relent. He saw a crowded street ahead, straining to make it within hearing distance. The assasin was coming closer, he could almost feel his, or her, presence. Chiriko opened his mouth to scream when something hit his back, hard. He watched as a blood-red object catapulted from out of his chest, a stream of red following in its wake. The pain came suddenly, but he knew it was only momentary. "I'm sorry, Miaka," he whispered, his legs giving out. Chiriko collapsed on the pavement, a pool of blood swirling about him. His hands twitched for a few seconds before they stopped. A wind blew through the alley, the only movement, stirring the hairs of a dead child. He walked over to her again, held out a hand hesitatingly to touch her, then took her in his arms and holding her tightly to him. When she didn't resist, he laid his cheek sofly against the back of her head. "I don't care if the devil himself is haunting you," he whispered. "I'll protect you from it, even if it means my own life. I swear." Yui closed her eyes, feeling safe in his arms, as though she were within her uncle's embrace. Memories of Nakago, which had struck like lightning with every other person she had tried to date, slowly washed away, vanishing like her fears. She leaned back into him, allowing him to support her. "Are you sure you want to do this?" she whispered, placing one of her hands over his. "As sure as anything." They stood still for a minute, content just to be within that moment. The bell chimed three outside, calling for them to return home. "Do you need an escort home?" he asked, hoping she wouldn't refuse. She smiled. "Are you sure you don't mind?" He grinned, holding her closer. "Not a bit."