The Twelve Signs
written by Len-chan
The 12 Signs are based on the Asian Yearly Zodiac (year of
the dog, tiger, rooster, etc.) and the 10 Stems are 
based on the Asian elements (wood, fire, water, etc.). The
characters of this story are property of me.  

Amazon Village (Chi Out For Blood...) 
~~~~~~~~~~~~

	"What does it say?" Chi asked.  She bent down
next to Toshio, who was reading a sign by the 
side of the road.
	"I'm not sure, but I think it's some
sort of a warning." Toshio told her.  
	Hanako was snoring while leaning against
Mitsu's rigid back.  The older girl was paying 
attention to wondering where they were.  
	Clare was still asleep in front of Radien,
breathing lightly. The sun had yet to rise and
the group wanted to travel quickly to the next
city.  Shiho rode in a daze behind Toshio and Chi.
	Eric held his younger companion in front
of him while the youngster slept.  Kira was already
wide awake and was holding the reins to Tyler's
horse while he slept.  Akemi sat on his horse, 
carrying Taro in his arms while the baby slept.  
	"Perhaps we should take another way." 
Kira suggested.
	"Don't be silly.  We want to get to the
nearest city in the quickest possible time," 
Eric told her.  "This is the best way."
	"But is it worth the danger?" Kira asked.
"That is a warning sign."
	"I'm sure we can take care of ourselves,
Kira," Eric told her. "We do have powers you
know."
	"Shut up." Kira grumbled. 
	"Enough," Toshio ordered, annoyed with their
petty arguing. "You're starting to sound like
Akemi and Mitsu."
	"And what's wrong with that?" Mitsu asked.
"It's better than being lip locked twenty-four-
seven like TWO people I know..." Her eyes trailed
away from Chi's annoyed glare.
	"You're not funny." Chi grumbled.  Mitsu
laughed quietly to herself.  
	"Mitsu...you're crazy." Toshio told her.  
The group moved on into a thick forest, dense with
so many trees, the light hardly shone through.  
Mitsu spent half of her time concentrating on
keeping a lightning spark on her hand so the
group could see better.
	"Not to be rude, but why do I have to
create light.  Why not Akemi or Kira?  They're
the guardians that control fire." Mitsu pointed
out.
	"I would, Mitsu-chan," Kira said, "But
don't forget that I'm holding on to Tyler's 
horse."
	"What about Akemi?" Mitsu asked. "Does
'Mister High and Mighty' have an excuse?"
	"Shut up, you little bitch," Akemi 
growled.  "In case your little brain hasn't
grasped this, I'm carrying Taro."
	"Well, excuse me, Akemi," Mitsu hissed
bitterly.  "I'll just leave you to your
duty." *Bastard...*
	Chi rolled her eyes and sighed. "Every-
day it's the same with you two.  Fight and
argue, fight and argue.  Don't you two ever
get tired of doing that?"
	"Chi, I'd stay out this..." Toshio
warned her.  He looked back at the two who
were glaring at each other. He sighed.  *Why
me?*

	They hid in the bushes as they watched
the group on the horses ride through their
forest.  The oldest of the watchers gave a 
scream. 
	The signal was given. 

	"SHIT!" Radien yelled.  "What the hell
is that?!?" 
	"WATCH OUT!" Shiho screamed.  There were
blurs of arrows that rained down on them.
	There was a scream and Chi was knocked off 
her horse.  Clare and Hanako woke up and also
screamed as they saw masked figures running at 
them with spears in their hands. 
	"Chi!" Mitsu yelled.  "Hanako! Come on!"
Hanako nodded and held up her hands.  Her two
batons appeared, one in each hand and she 
threw them.  
	The figures fell with grunts as the batons
hit their targets.  Mitsu was on the forest
floor, helping up a shocked Chi.  Toshio stood
next to them, warding off any of the attackers.
	"I told you we shouldn't have gone this way!"
Kira yelled at Eric, who swung Tyler over his 
shoulder and dismounted. 
	"Kira," Eric told her with a grunt as he
prepared an attack. "Now is not the time!"
	"Akemi, dismount!" Toshio ordered. Akemi
jumped off his horse and held the child close
to him.  He ran like a cloaked blur to his group
and unintentionally gave Taro to Mitsu while he
stood protectively in front of them. 
	It later came to the girls that the four
males, excluding Tyler who was barely waking up,
had formed a protective circle around them.  
	They were preparing to fight back. Toshio,
studied them. "Amazons..." he mumbled.  
	There were about twenty women who stared
at them, holding spears, arrows, and swords. 
	"Who are you!?" asked one of them harshly. 
That women stepped out from the group with a
bright red head dress.  
	"We are the Junishi," Toshio answered. "We
are the guardians of the child Ultimate Ruler
and all we wish is safe passage through your
forest."
	"And why should we let you?" asked the
leader. 
	"Queen Sheeva!" said another amazon
warrior.  
	"What is it, Mika?" asked the leader.
	"That woman they cover, the one with the
violet hair is carrying a child!" murmurs
went through the group of women.  "If she
is the mother, one of these males must be
the father!"
	"Are you sure?" the queen asked.
	"Yes, Queen," said the younger woman. The
queen began to make her way closer to the group.
"Make way for Queen Sheeva!"
	"Allow me to see the child!" the queen
ordered.
	Chi and Clare pulled aside Toshio and Radien
as she approached.  Akemi stood right next to
Mitsu.  The girl held Taro inside her cloak and
shielded him from the queen's view.  
	"Do no resist the queen!" yelled another
amazon.
	"I can resist whoever I want!" Mitsu growled.
	The queen looked at her.  She stopped and
stood back. "What gives you the right to talk 
back to me?"
	"What gives you the right to try to take
the kid?" Mitsu snapped.  The queen looked at her
angrily.
	"How dare you speak to me that way!? You
wretch!  I was not about to take away that cursed
child!" the queen hissed.
	"Uh-oh..." Chi mumbled.  Mitsu's eyes
flashed a sharp anger and she looked at the queen.
	"Akemi, hold Taro," she said as she gave
the red haired man the child.  She walked closer
the queen and stared her down. "Were insulting
Taro?"
	"Yes! I am the queen, I can insult whoever
I want!" the woman said.  Mitsu's lips frowned
and she growled angrily.
	"Take it back." Mitsu hissed.
	"Never, wretch!" the queen answered.
	Mitsu lifted her fist and the Amazon
warriors prepared to take her down.  With a
grunt she sliced a tree in half with lightning
and then looked deadly.  "Take it back."
	The queen stared at the neatly cut
tree behind her.  Then she looked at Mitsu,
whose eyes were still flaring anger from the
insult to the child.
	"Your skill is powerful," the queen
commented.  "So you are the legendary Junishi
who protect the child..." 
	"Who did you think we were?" Akemi asked.
	"Silence, man!" the queen yelled at him.
"In our culture, men are under women and you 
have no right to speak to me that way!" the queen
told them.
	Toshio was about to open his mouth to
resent what the woman had said, but Chi held him
back and nodded no.  She didn't want any friction
between them and the Amazons.
	"They are most powerful, my queen," said one
soldier. "And we are lacking men in our village..."
	"What should we do with them..." the queen
thought to herself out loud.
	"Mother!" said another voice.  A woman
with a beautiful body draped in a white
silk.  "Why can't we bring them to the village?"
	"You are wise, my daughter, so we shall.
Bring them!" she ordered.  The women surrounded
the group and forced them to walk behind the queen
and her daughter down a worn out path.  
	After what seemed like hours to the traveling
group, they stopped in front of a huge gate.  Two
Amazon soldiers opened the gates for the party 
and letting them in.  The village was huge, like
a city of huts and tiny villas all centered around
a square.  
	The women were dressed in silk dresses
which were worn heavily to protect them form the 
cold of the on coming winter.  There were few
men in the village, and where they were, they were
servants of the house hold rather than the heads.
	The queen began lead the group to the square
of the village.  She and her beautiful daughter
stepped upon the podium and soon a crowd of Amazons
crowded around them.  The guardians were forced up
on the podium.
	"Attention, my people!" the queen said.  "I,
your queen mother, Yuuki, have found these wanders
through our forest.  They are the Junishi of legend
and we are instilled to help them.  Take these 
warriors into your homes and serve them as you would
do me for they need to survive if this planet will!"
	The crowd of Amazons yelled and screamed 
in appreciation.  The group stood there, shocked,
yet pleased that they were able to get such a 
warm welcome.
	
~~~~

	"So where are the guys staying?" Kira asked.  She
laid in a tub of water in the bathing hall with her
five female friends.  
	"I think they're in the eastern side of the
village." Shiho answered. 
	"Do you wonder why they're over there and we're
over here?" Clare asked.  "I wonder why they separated
us..."
	"Perhaps because the people who took us in could
only take in so many people." Hanako answered.
	"But still..." Chi said, "They separated us by
gender...what do you make of it, Mitsu?"
	"Huh?" Mitsu was looking out the window on
the ceiling, at the dark blue and purple sky.  The
moonlight illuminated the water they were in and she
turned around.  "Well, in history, we learned about the
Amazon women who were the head of their society, however
since they resented many males and men were rarely 
allowed in their village, the Amazon women needed capture
or seduce men of other villages or men who were traveling,
to help them conceive another generation."
	All the girls stared at her with pale faces filled
with nervousness.  "You mean...those women might have
separated us because they wanted to get with our guys?"
Chi asked. "SICK!"
	"It's their culture, Chi," Mitsu told her.  "They
probably think marrying a man is weird."
	"Mitsu does have a point.  Let's rationalize here,"
Kira added. "Why would they take the guys?  They're 
not really that great looking."
	"Kira," Hanako blushed, "Have you ever really LOOKED
at one of our guys?  I mean, REALLY."
	"She has," Shiho told her. "I saw her watching
Eric a few nights ago in the bushes while he bathed."
	"HEY! I wasn't watching!" Kira flushed as she
nearly jumped out at Shiho. "I was walking past the lake
when I saw him!"
	"Yeah right..." Shiho teased.
	"Anyway, Shiho," Clare said as she closed her eyes
and leaned back against the tub.  "How would YOU know
unless you were watching as well."
	"What!? Um...er...uh..." Shiho then blushed as
the other girls began to laugh. 
	"Well, let's face it, who doesn't want to watch
those guys bathe, anyway?" Kira told them seriously.  
	"Mitsu." the others said at the same time.  Mitsu
stopped laughing and wrinkled her nose.
	"Hey! What was that supposed to mean!?" she asked.
	"It means," Chi said, with a smile still on her
face. "You would rather drown yourself before you'd
admit to watching Akemi bathe."
	"Like hell I would!" Mitsu replied. The girls
began to laugh again.  
	"Excuse me?" a voice asked.  There was a knock
on the bath house door.  "I am Princess Yui of the 
Amazon people.  May I be allowed to bathe as well?"
	"Of course, Princess." Kira answered.  The
door slide open and a beautiful women in a white
robe entered.  Her hair was long and orange which 
faded into golden yellow.  Her eyes were brown.  
	The princess sat in the tub, which was sort
of like a hot tube, in her towel, just as the other
girls were.  
	"We have not been properly introduced, Princess,"
Clare said.  "My name is Hisa Claremont, but everyone
calls me Clare for short."
	"It's a pleasure." the princess said.  She
looked at Kira.  
	"Oh, my name's Leiko Kira." said the girl.  Kira
had unbraided her long bright red hair.  It was silky
and wavy from the constant hair style.
	"I'm Hanako!" said the pink haired girl on
the other side of Mitsu.  
	"I'm Taki Chi, guardian Hitsuji and she's," 
Chi pointed to Mitsu, who said on her other side. "Is
Alamar Mitsu, guardian Tatsu."
	"Oh, yes...guardian dragon.  You power is most
exceptional." said Yui.
	"And I'm Princess Shiho, the crowned princess 
of Lotus," said the last girl. "It's a pleasure to
meet you."
	"Likewise..." said Yui. "Tell me,  how is
it traveling with such wonderful men?"
	"Men?  Oh...well..." Hanako thought. "It depends
who."
	"Well...I was watching them earlier.  They were
battling...except for one," Yui told him.  She
sighed in a way that Mitsu did when she thought about
something she wanted, like candy.  "He had the most 
gorgeous eyes and soft hair.  I'm not sure about 
his age, but he was the one feeding the boy-child." 
	Chi paused for a moment.  Yui had an eye for 
Akemi.
brow raised in question.  "Uh..." Chi asked. "Did
this man...have orange hair and red eyes?" 
	"Yes." Yui told them. 
	"Opps...that's Mitsu's man!" Hanako told her.
	"HE'S NOT MY MAN!!" Mitsu nearly shouted. She
sat back and crossed her arms. Chi sighed, annoyed
with Mitsu always denying it.
	"Oh..." Yui mumbled.  She looked disappointed.
	"Don't let that stop you," Mitsu told the princess.
She turned her head away and looked up at the window
again. "We're not married or anything."
	"Really?" Yui asked.
	"Yeah." Mitsu answered.  Hanako's mouth dropped
in shock.  
	"Because of all the men I've seen," Yui told
them.  "He's the one I want to marry."

~~~~

	"I'm leaving you, Mitsu," Akemi's deep voice
echoed.  "I going to marry Yui.  She's beautiful
and rich.  I love her more than I ever will you."
	"Are you serious?" Mitsu's voice asked.
	"Yes, you were nothing, just some girl who
had a childish crush on me." Akemi told her.
	"But...but...you said you loved me once..."
Mitsu told him.  There were tears in her voice
as a hand reached out for the man. 
	"Once. Thanks for bringing me back from the
dead, Mitsu," Akemi echoed. "If it weren't for you,
I would never have met Yui."
	"What?  I gave you life...I know I never
showed you how much I cared, but you can't seriously
say that you never loved me?  Can you?" Mitsu's
voice showed desperation.
	"I can.  Because I never loved you..." Akemi's
voice echoed in her head.  "I never loved you...
I never loved you...never...loved...you..."
	
	Mitsu sat up on the bed.  Her body was
damp and the shirt we wore clung against her shaking
body.  
	To her right, Chi was asleep soundly and to her
left, Hanako was snoring quietly.  She shook herself
out of her strange and disturbing dream.  She never
thought that the thought of Akemi leaving her life
would make her feel as empty at she did at the moment.
	She quietly snuck out of bed and out of the room
she shared with her two friends.  Mitsu tip toed 
down the hallway, past the room where Shiho, Clare, and
Kira slept, and out the door. 
	The village had female night watch men and when
they saw her they bowed respectfully. Mitsu bowed
back, but felt she didn't want to be seen sneaking
towards the eastern division of the village.  
	She held the pajama shirt around herself,
realizing she had stolen it from Akemi's bag as a
trick a few nights ago.  She held it tightly, holding
the warm fabric against her. 
	As she snuck into the eastern division, she hid
from the Amazons. She climbed up a tree and over a short
fence to the hut where the guys were supposed to be in.
The first window she looked through was Toshio and
Radien sprawled on two beds across from each other.
	Through the next window, she saw Tyler curled in
a black blanket and Eric across from him, sleeping like
a stiff log.  She finally moved to the last window
and saw Akemi with his arms wrapped around Taro.  She
smiled quietly, but shivered as the chill night air
slice through her clothes. 
	She ducked down as Akemi's door opened. A dim
yellow light filtered through the room as a slim
figured woman stood at the door way.  Slowly, Akemi's 
eyes opened and grew huge with surprise.  
	Princess Yui stood there in a thin white
night gown.  She approached Akemi, telling him something
Mitsu could not hear. Mitsu watched Akemi say something
back and then push her away gently. 
	Yui looked annoyed and told him something else.
Akemi once again said something and pointed to the door.
Yui told him something else then left.  The man sighed
as he sat back on the bed.  His head jerked up and looked
around the room, then out the window. 
	Mitsu gasped and ducked quickly, then ran around 
the house, over the fence, up the tree, and back to her
bedroom.  She leaned against the door after she closed
it and took a deep breath of relief.
	*So it is true...she does want to marry him...*

~~~~

	"So where's Toshio?" Mitsu asked.   She was laying
down on a hammock.  Chi was standing over her, looking
angry.
	"I don't KNOW!" Chi growled.  "I asked all the guys
and they said he was asked to go help some of the Amazons
gather healing herbs."
	"So, what's the problem?  He just went to help." 
Mitsu told her.
	"Well, we've been here a week and I've only seen him
at dinner.  All the women at this village are hogging him!"
Chi sighed.  She sat down on the edge of the hammock.  Mitsu
moved over so it would balance out and they wouldn't fall.
	"Does Clare see Radien more often?" Mitsu asked.
	"Actually..." Chi thought for a moment.  "Clare 
has the same problem I have.  And Kira and Eric aren't having
much luck, although they're not seeing each other."
	"I guess the only two who are seeing each other are
Tyler and Hanako.  And those two go play with the Amazon
girls." Mitsu admitted. 
	"I know..." Chi sighed deeply.  "I passed by them 
while they were tying Tyler against a tree."
	"Poor guy will never think about women again..." 
the purple haired girl laughed.  Chi punched her shoulder
playfully.
	"How are you and Akemi holding up?" Chi asked, her
tone serious.
	"There is no 'me and Akemi', let me remind you."
Mitsu replied.  She swung her legs down and sat on
the other side of the hammock.
	"You say that.  But I've been worried about you
for a while now.  Since Princess Yui has told us that
she wanted to marry Akemi-kun, I was wondering how
you felt." Chi told her quietly.  Mitsu stared at the
dirt around her boots.
	Her long purple hair, covered her face, hiding
her.  "I don't mind." she stated.  
	Chi put her hand on Mitsu's shoulder comfortingly.
"You don't have to lie to me," Chi told her gently.  
"Loving him is not a crime."
	Mitsu stood up and ran.  Chi watched as she
ran away from her.  *I wish I could help you, Mitsu-chan.*

	Mitsu sat on a rock, jutting out into the small
creek next to the Amazon village.  Her legs hung down,
not long enough to touch the cold, icy water of running
creek.  She looked sadly down at her reflection.
	*Look at me...* she thought to herself.  *I'm
pathetic! My hair's a mess, my eyes are red, my clothes
are all wrinkled...what's wrong with me?  Why am I
tripping over this?* 
	From somewhere, deep inside of her, she heard
a tiny voice telling her exactly why.  *Because you
love Akemi and you can't stand that thought, but you
just love him!* Mitsu wiped her eyes.  They were a
bit baggy from crying.  Everynight since she witnessed
Yui's attempted seduction, she had snuck out of her 
room and went to this rock and cried.  
	Before the night was over, she would sneak back
and go to sleep.  As she finished her cry, a shadow
came over her spot and she turned her head around.	
	"Do you mind watching Taro?" Akemi asked.  He
was actually smiling at her.  When he took a closer
look, his face became concerned.  "What's wrong?
Have you been...crying?"
	"No," Mitsu said.  She held her arms opened
and welcomed the child into her arms.  She rested
him against her shoulder and looked back up at 
Akemi. "I thought you were going to watch him for
the rest of the afternoon?"
	"I was," Akemi began, he smiled and blushed.
"But the Princess has asked me to escort her to 
tonight's Full Moon Festival and I have to go and
get ready."
	"Oh..." The girl's heart twisted and felt it
had been torn from her breast and thrown into the creek.
"That's nice."
	"You and the girls will be going, right?" Akemi
asked. 
	"Huh? Well...this is actually the first time 
I've heard about it...but I guess so." she answered.
	"Great," the young man waved good bye and turned
around.  "See ya."
	"Yeah..." Mitsu replied.  She lifted the child
to look at her and she smiled.  "Hello, darling, 
how are you?"
	"Mommy?" the child asked.  Mitsu nodded. The
child put his arms around the girls neck and held 
on tight as she stood up.  
	"Well, how has Akemi been treating you?" she
asked as she walked back to the village.  As she
entered the area where she and the girls were staying,
she saw Chi angrily slamming her fist against a
punching bag the Amazon's had.  "Chi! What's going
on!?"
	"It's...it's..." Chi was crying when she turned
around.  "Toshio was asked to go with another
woman to the Full Moon Festival...and...and he said
yes!"
	"ALL MEN ARE BASTARDS!!!" Kira screamed suddenly.
The red haired girl ran past them and into the house.
Behind her, Eric was running after her.
	"KIRA! Hey! I said I was sorry!" Eric yelled.
	"What did you do to her?" Mitsu asked. Eric
looked a bit embarrassed.
	"I...I teased her in front of the Amazons.  I
didn't mean it, but I didn't know she would take
it seriously!" Eric professed.
	"I see..." the purple haired girl told him. "By
any chance, were you asked to go the Full Moon
Festival with an Amazon?" 
	"Yeah...why?  All the other guys were too. Even
Tyler, but Hanako said that he was her friend and 
they'd be going as buddies." Eric answered.
	"Oh...Well, does Clare know that Radien was?" 
Mitsu asked.  As if on cue, there was a slap that
echoed through the camp.  Clare marched past them
with a proud face, obviously hiding other emotions.
	A second later, Radien came limping after her
with his hand to his cheek. "Clare! C'mon! It's 
nothing! You'll be there, right!? RIGHT!?!"
	"Clare!" Chi ran in after the girls and left
Mitsu standing there with the baby over her shoulder.
The two men looked at her for answers.
	"Let me tell you guys something," Mitsu
told them.  "We will not be attending."   With that,
she turned and walked into the house.
	"Shit." 

	Chi was angrily taking out her frustration
with Toshio by pounding the pillow on her bed. Mitsu
sat on hers, feeding Taro his dinner.  The night
had come and all the girls were in one room,
reflecting on their recent rejection.
	Hanako had gone out with Tyler to the festival
and they were planning to bring back some food for
the girls.  Clare was sitting on the side of Hanako's
bed with Kira braiding her hair, sadly.
	The window was open, and they could hear the
yells and shouts of the merry making outside in the
village center.  They saw the huge flames of the
fire pits and they smelled the scent of food.
	"How can we stand this!" Chi said.  The usually
calm girl was sitting on her bed with her arms crossed.
"How can HE do this to me!?"
	"How can they do this to us, you mean?" Kira
asked.  Her tone was blank as she continued to
braid Clare's hair.
	"He's my fiancee..." Clare mumbled.  "Why didn't
he ask me out?"
	"At least Radien told you.  I heard from the
women at the market that Toshio was taking out one of
their daughters." Chi told them bitterly.
	"Ouch..." Kira gasped.  "But did he eventually
tell you?"
	"I confronted him and all he did was say 'yes',"
Chi told them.  "He wasn't at all sad or embarrassed."
	"Mitsu-chan?" Kira asked.  She noticed how the
girl was sitting, with her eyes staring blankly ahead
of her while the baby drank.  "Mitsu-chan?  Are you
okay?"
	From somewhere deep in her thoughts, Mitsu
hear Kira's voice and looked up with a surprised
face. "Oh...yeah?"
	"Are you okay?  You haven't said anything all
night." Kira told her.
	"I'm fine." the girl replied.  She smiled slightly.
Her friends looked at her with concerned faces.  Chi 
finally told the girls why Mitsu might have been acting
strange.
	"The Princess Yui is being escorted to by Akemi,"
Chi told them.  "Her best friend is being escorted by
Toshio."
	"Oh..." the other two girls echoed.  They looked
at the girl sadly.  
	There was a knock on the door.  "Hey?" Hanako
asked.  The door opened and she and Tyler came in with
four trays of food.  They placed them on the table.  
"Me and Tyler are heading out to the festival again.
Oh yeah, the guys are here to see you." 
	"See you guys later!" Tyler told them.  The
two younger guardians left.  As soon as they left the room,
two men walked in, each carrying flowers. 
	"Radien?  Eric?  What are you two doing here?" 
Kira asked. 
	"Well..." they looked at each other unsure of what
to say.  Radien stepped forward and put a small bouquet
of flowers in front of Clare's face. "I love you."
	"Radien...flowers aren't the cure for everything.
This is serious," Clare told him.  She stood up and
took his hand.  "Let's go to my room.  We'll talk about
this." As they left, she could be heard asking why
he had not asked her to go in the first place.
	Eric stood nervously in front of Kira.  She looked
at him with her arms crossed.  "Well?"
	"Here," He gave her a small bouquet of small
flowers and blushed. "Listen, I didn't mean to not
ask you out...but I didn't know about the festival
until today-"
	"Chi," Mitsu said.  She stood up and held Taro
against her shoulder.  "Why don't we leave these two 
alone to talk about this sort of thing, it's a private
matter." 
	"Okay," Chi smiled and followed Mitsu towards
the door.  Before she exited and closed the door, she
turned to look inside and smiled. "Don't do anything
I wouldn't do!"
	"CHI!" Kira blushed.  Chi smiled and closed the
door.  The blue haired girl followed her friend down the
steps of the house and out the door.  The cold wind
blew around them.
	Mitsu looked at Chi.  "I think I'll go get us
some blankets to wrap around us.  I'll be right back."
Mitsu told her.  She turned and went back inside.
	"Chi!" a voice said.  The girl's blood froze
in her veins as she saw a smiling white haired man
running towards here. "There you are! Where were you?"
	"What are you doing here?" she asked, shrilly.
"Aren't you supposed to be with your escort!?"
	Toshio stopped in front of her and narrowed his
eyes.  "You heard...?" he mumbled.  Chi nodded.  
	"Where is she?" Chi asked him.  Toshio pointed
to the festival.  Chi nodded and began to walk 
there.
	"Wait! Where are you going?" Toshio called.  He
ran and stood in front of her.
	Chi looked at him with anger in her eyes. "To
tare the little slut's head off." 
	Toshio's eyes grew big and he gasped.  He had
never heard Chi sound so angry.  "Chi?" he mumbled. 
A beautiful tall girl with long redish-orange hair that
ended in curls came running towards Toshio.  
	"Toshio!" the girl called.  Her voice was high
pitched.  She wrapped her arm around the young man's
right arm.  "Let's go!"
	"Go? Aiko, I already escorted you." Toshio told
her.
	"Yeah, but the escort thing lasts the whole 
night!" Aiko told him.  She suddenly realized Chi
was standing there.  She acknowledged her with a 
snobbish smile.  "Hello.  I'm Lady Aiko of the 
Amazon tribe."
	"Hi," Chi answered.  She smiled falsely at the
girl while she shot deadly glares at Toshio.  "My
name is Chi."
	"That's nice," Aiko replied.  She then looked
up at Toshio.  "C'mon, dear! Let's go!"
	"Dear!? What are you-hey! Let go of my arm!"
Toshio said.  He was pulled away from Chi while
he threw her apologetic looks.  
	Chi stood there, shaking in anger and jealousy.
Mitsu came back outside, with a black blanket over her
shoulders and over Taro's.  She handed Chi and thick
brown blanket.  
	Chi's shaking hand took the blanket.  In a
jolt of fury, she ripped the thick blanket in two. 
Mitsu's mouth dropped.  "I take it Toshio came?"
	"I'll kill her." Chi warned.  Mitsu held her hand
out.
	"Chi, calm down, this isn't like you!" Mitsu
told her.  "You usually wish something bad to happen
to those you hate, but idle threats aren't your style!"
	"You're right..." Chi sighed.  She put the remaining
blanket over her shoulder and wrapped it around her. "What
should I do.  That girl is trying to take Toshio away from
me.  And he's such a gentleman, he doesn't even realize
it, that idiot."
	Mitsu laughed quietly.  "Chi, we are from the a
society which does not revolve around violence," Mitsu
told Chi solemnly.  "Don't get mad, get EVEN." 
	Chi looked at Mitsu's funny face and smiled.  "Mitsu,
you are so stupid," Chi replied.  She linked arms with
her friend and turned towards the festival.  "Well,
let's go!"
	"Right behind you." Mitsu smiled back.  The two
girls walked towards the festival area.  The Queen of
the Amazons sat on a well decorated chair on the
stage area.  In front of here were smaller chairs for
her daughter and her daughter's court.  
	The two girls caught sight of Hanako and Tyler
eating by the table.  The fire illuminated the dark
area of the grounds and the music sounded all over
the place.  It was barely snowing, but all the people
provided enough heat.  
	"Mitsu, look!" Chi gasped.  Mitsu, who was
tapping her foot to the rhythmic beat, turned.  Her
purple eyes grew large. 
	Akemi was trying his hardest to not look bored
while the Princess dancing with him.  She kept talking
and talking and Akemi just nodded.  Once in a while
he would roll his eyes. 
	"Hmmm...I'm glad he's having fun." Mitsu said
sarcastically.  She maneuvered her way over to Tyler
and Hanako.  "Hey, you two, can you watch Taro for a
moment?"
	"Sure, what are you going to do?" Tyler asked.
He fought over the child.  Hanako sighed and let him
take Taro. 
	"Show off," Mitsu said. She turned and walked
back. "CHI!"
	"Yeah?" asked the girl, standing alone in the
corner, glaring at Toshio, who was enjoying himself.
	"Do you remember that time we and some of our
friends co-ordinate that dance?" Mitsu asked.
	Chi blushed and nodded. "That was fun! I still
remember all the steps," Mitsu smiled. Chi's mouth
dropped. "No.  You're not planning to...are you?"
	"If the guys are enjoying themselves, why don't
we!?" Mitsu asked as she crossed her arms.  Chi looked
at Toshio and Akemi, then back to Mitsu.
	"Hey! Can you play a really fast paced song!?"
Chi yelled.  The band nodded.  The girl looked at
Mitsu, who tied her long purple hair back in a pony
tail, exposing for the first time, her right eye, which
had always been covered by bangs when she stood up.
"You think you can still remember how to move?"
	"I took hula! I can do this." Mitsu said. The
music began. And Mitsu laughed because it reminded
of the theme song to 'Mortal Kombat'. "One...Two...
Three!" 	
	The girls clapped their hands loudly and 
did two cartwheels to the center.  They stood side
by side and sang the song which went with their dance.
With arms flaring and legs moving, the girls sang.
Soon, everyone had gathered around to watch them. 
Thanks to their old friend's choreography, the girls
were great dancers.  Chi had fluid movements and
was well accompanied by Mitsu's sharp pauses and
postures.  
	Chi stepped forward and sang her solo while 
Mitsu's body created a waving, liquid motion, as
if she was a standing snake.  Chi's hand lifted in
the air and she turned it as she brang it down. 
	There were many claps as the song died down
and the two girls bowed.  Hanako and Tyler
shouted at them hysterically.  Half of the older
women in the village were in shock at the rather
'graphic' way the two girls could dance.  
	Chi and Mitsu walked away giggling hysterically.
"Man! I can't believe we just did that!" Chi gasped.
	"Neither can I! Did you see those people's
faces!" Mitsu laughed.  
	"Hey!" a high voice yelled.  Hanako and Tyler
came running up to them, with Taro reaching out for
Mitsu.  The girl took the child back.
	"That was amazing! You guys were great!" Tyler
told them.
	"Thanks." said the two at the same time.
	"Hey, Mitsu, how do you shake your butt like
that?" Hanako asked.  Mitsu stopped laughing and
blushed. 
	"I...took...hula...?" Mitsu asked.  Hanako
seemed to take that as an answer and nodded.  
	"Will you teach me to dance like that!?" Hanako
asked. 
	"Sure-oh...hey...look whose coming..." Mitsu
trailed off.  She took the younger guardians and 
Taro and left Chi standing there.
	"Mitsu!" Chi yelled.  But the door closed.  
	"Chi!" another voice yelled. Toshio ran
up to her with a huge smile on his face. "Your
dancing was...incredible!" He put his arms around
her in a huge and squeezed her. "I LOVED it!!"
	"Really?" Chi asked. Toshio looked down
into her large blue eyes and nodded.  
	"Yes." he whispered.  He smiled more and leaned
down to kiss her.  Suddenly, he was torn away harshly
from Chi.  Chi's eyes opened and flared with anger
as Lady Aiko began to drag Toshio away.
	"Where do you think you're taking him!?" Chi
growled.  "That's MY boyfriend!"
	Aiko turned to look at her with snobbish 
gray eyes.  "Who do you think he'll pick?" she
asked her.  "Me, a beautiful lady of the court, or
you, a strange blue haired vagabond?" 
	"That's simple," Toshio told her.  Aiko
smiled triumphantly.  Toshio gently pushed her away
and took her hand off his arm. "I'm going to pick
the strange and beautiful blue haired vagabond." 
	"WHAT!?" Aiko's face grew dim as Toshio
walked back to Chi and kissed her head.  "How...
how can you pick her over me?"
	"Three words," Toshio told her, "I love 
Chi." Chi stuck her tongue out immaturely, but
smiled as Aiko stormed away.  
	"I'm still going to get her back you know." 
Chi told him. Toshio nodded.
	"Yeah...I know." 

	Taro was fast asleep in his cradle next to 
Mitsu's bed.  The girl yawned and sat up.  She 
looked out the window, and realized it was still
night time.  To her right, Chi's bed was abandoned.
	The bed looked untouched.  Mitsu thought
back to when she left Chi in front of the house.  
She remembered looking out the window to see the
two kissing each other underneath the massive,
leaf-less oak. 
	The purple haired girl waited for Hanako
to go to bed before she herself turned in for the
night. However, her body had been sleeping, yet
her mind and soul forced her to wake up.  She 
stood up, slipping into a pair of boots.  She
wrapped Akemi's jacket, which she still had,
around her and left the room. 
	She had made sure both Hanako and Taro
were sleeping peacefully before leaving.  Once
outside, she decided to look for Chi.  Her
search lead her to the room where Toshio slept.
By peaking through the window, she smiled
as she saw her best friend fast asleep in the 
arms of Toshio.  They were on a huge thick
chair, wearing their street clothes, and wrapped
in a huge blanket.
	Mitsu smiled more and turned away.  She
walked along the outer edge of the village,
shivering lightly, but over all warm.  Her eyes
were beginning to tire and she began to wish she
had stayed in bed.  But she continued through the
two inches of snow to the house where she was
staying. 
	The purple haired girl stood several meters
from the creek, beneath the dark shadows of the
surrounding trees.  She must've been extremely
tired, for she did not hear or sense the person
behind her.
	Two hands grabbed her shoulders and her
mouth before she could scream.  She was turned around
harshly and stared into red eyes.
	"Hey," Akemi whispered.  His eyes were laughing
at her.  He seemed to smile at her, as if glad to see
her. "What are you doing out?" he asked.  "It's freezing
cold, you moron.  You'll get sick!"
	"What do you care?" Mitsu hissed. 
	Akemi frowned. "I happen to care a lot okay.  
So excuse me!" He put his hand around hers and frowned
more.  "Your hands are freezing." 
	"No kidding...I was out looking for Chi.  But
I found her and she's safe. So I'm heading back now."
Mitsu told him.  Akemi nodded and put his arm around
her, leading her gently to the house. 
	"You don't have to escort me," Mitsu told him,
hiding her bitterness.  "You already did enough of
that with the Princess."
	"Jealous?" Akemi asked. 
	"No."
	"Then why are you saying that?" he asked.  Mitsu
shrugged and began to speed up her walking pace. "Why
are you walking so fast?"
	"I'm cold. I just need to warm up." Mitsu told
him. It was only partially true.
	"Oh," Akemi caught up with her and held her tightly.
"Here, I'll help you."
	"You REALLY don't have to." Mitsu told him.  She
shrugged off his arm.
	"What's wrong with you?  I'm must trying to take
care of you.  Are you upset because I escorted the Princess
Yui?" Akemi asked.
	*YAH THINK?* Mitsu thought to herself.  But instead
answered, "No, of course not.  It's over between us and I
don't want your arms around me."
	"Suit it yourself," Akemi took his arms off her
shoulders.  A rush of relief and sadness coursed through 
her veins.  "We're here." 
	"Thanks." she murmured.  She opened the door and
stepped inside.  As she closed it on Akemi's face, she
heard a voice.  Through the peep hole, she looked outside
at the beautiful Princess talking to Akemi. 
	He seemed a bit flustered and tried to back away.
The princess was very persistent and made some shouts.  
Suddenly, several muscular women jumped down from the
trees and grabbed on to Akemi's shoulders.  
	Mitsu's eyes grew large as she saw Akemi straighten
and struggled.  She opened the door a tiny bit and heard 
the girl telling Akemi was going to happen.
	"Well, you see, Aiko and I are best friends.  Blood
sisters to be exact.  When I mate, she must mate.  She
has found the one she wanted.  The one named Toshio,"
Yui told him.  Mitsu gasped.  "But I want you."
	"Hey, listen! I don't have time for this! I'm a
guardian and I am bonded to Taro!" Akemi told her. 
	"You won't be gone for long.  It takes just
a night...or more..." Yui smirked.  Mitsu's hand
tightened into a fist around the door knob. 
	"Hey! Hey! Let me go!" Akemi growled.  His
face was red and he tried his hardest to get away.
"Listen! I don't love you!"
	"I'm not doing this for love, I'm doing this
for the sake of the Amazon people." Yui told him.
	"AHHH!!!" Akemi said.  "LET ME GO!"
	"Let him go." 
	Yui turned around, looking angry as ever.  "Oh...
it's you..." she smiled sinisterly at Mitsu.  The
purple haired girl leaned against the doorway.  
	"He doesn't want to do it, so just leave him
alone." Mitsu told her.
	"NO," Yui hissed back. "He is the perfect
man! With him as the father, the children I will
bare will be strong and handsome!"
	Mitsu winced.  "Oh, man, you're a icky one.
How can you rape him like that?"
	"Easily.  I am the Princess, it is my sworn
duty to produce more Amazons." Yui told her.
	Mitsu raised her eyebrow.  Akemi's arms
were twisted behind him and was being tied up.
"Mitsu duck!" a voice yelled.  The girl squatted
just as a gold star sliced past her and cut apart
the ropes that bound Akemi.
	"What's going on here?" Radien asked. He
pushed away the Amazon soldiers who held Akemi 
and pulled his friend aside.
	"Out of our way!  This does not concern you!"
Yui whined.  
	"COME BACK HERE!!!" another voice yelled.
A red haired girl clung on to Yui, breathing harshly
as a angry Chi and Toshio reached them.
	"Princess Yui!!! These people tired to
kill me!" the red head told the Princess.
	"Aiko?!" Yui gasped.  She helped her friend up.
"Isn't that your mate?"
	"He's not her mate!" Chi growled.  Mitsu
held her back from jumping in the air and killing
the Lady Aiko.  "How dare you sneak into his room
and try to POISON ME!?!?"
	"POISON!" the guardians gasped.  They all
took on looks of anger.  Toshio glared dangerously
at her.  
	"It was only because with you out of the way,
I could have Toshio all to myself!" Aiko hissed.
	"You are sick." Clare told her. 
	"You dare talk to my that way!?" Aiko hissed.
She lunged at Clare.  Chi wiggled out of Mitsu's grasp
and grabbed the girl's hair.  Aiko fell back and 
looked up at Chi.  "What now?  YOU LITTLE BITCH!"
	Mitsu and Toshio stepped forward.  Chi waved
her hand to make them go back.  "I'll handle this,"
Chi told him.  She lifted Aiko to her feet.  With
a harsh, unpracticed movement, she slapped Aiko
hard on her left cheek.  "Take that!"
	"Oh!!!" Mitsu gasped. She laughed and pointed
to Aiko, who was holding her cheek gingerly.  "You
must've made Chi really mad!"
	"How dare you strike a lady of my court!"
Yui gasped.  She confronted Chi.  "I will regain the
honor of the Amazon tribe by fighting you! Winner
takes all the men!" 
	"What?" Chi gasped.  She smiled the way
Mitsu did when Mitsu was about to fight.  "Sure."
	"WHAT!?" Mitsu and Toshio gasped. "NO!"
	"See, even your friends don't think you can
win," Yui told her.  "I am the Princess of the Amazon
women!  I am the best warrior here, and I will 
surely beat you!"
	"Do you guys think I can do this?" Chi asked
them.  
	Mitsu up her hand on Chi's shoulder. "Kick Ass,
girl." Mitsu made a thumbs up sign and Chi smiled
and looked at the Princess.
	"Let's see how good you are."

~~

	The sun was barely rising and the ring at the
village center was ready.  At one corner was 
Chi, in the other was Yui.  Behind them were their
respective groups.  
	"Here are the rules!" the queen said. "This
is a fight.  First person out of the ring or
the first on to admit defeat loses.  Each person
is allowed one weapon.  If one opponent needs a rest,
their back up will fight.  Back ups are allowed only once
so use them well.  Those are the rules."
	The announcer, another female Amazon stepped
into the center of the ring.  "On this corner,
representing the Amazon tribe, Princess Yui!"
The crowd cheered hysterically.  The Princess
wore white tights and her hair tied up.  Chi wore
blue tights.  Yui's weapon was a chain.  Chi's 
weapon was her whip.  "In the other corner,
Guardian Hitsuji of the Junishi!  Taki Chi!"
	As the Amazons booed, Mitsu jumped up
on a table and waved a huge banner with the
words, "KICK HER ASS, CHI-CHAN!!!"  Tyler
and Hanako held the banner while Mitsu screamed 
"TAKE BLOOD, CHI! TAKE BLOOD!!!" 
	Below them, Toshio sweatdropped. The other
guardians jumped up and down screaming Chi's name.
Even Taro was yelling 'Auntie-Chi!'.
	"Thanks guys! I'll need it!" Chi told them.
The bell rang.  The Princess sighed and sent in her
back up, the Lady Aiko. "YOU!" Chi growled.
	"Now, now, once this is over with, Toshio
is all mine." Aiko hissed.
	Chi's anger flared.  With a scream, she coiled
her whip around Aiko's baton.  Aiko laughed and pulled
her forward.  Chi stumbled and fell. 
	"Chi!" her friends cried.
	"I'm fine," Chi whispered. Aiko was laughing, as
were the rest of the Amazons.  While the girl had her
head turned, Chi lifted her leg and kicked her side.
Aiko gasped and fell back.  Chi then snapped her whip
against Aiko's hand, so the girl's baton fell.  "I'm
not baby! I won't loose!"
	"Grrr..." Aiko hissed.  She threw her baton into
the air, catching it quickly as she jumped after it.  She
landed behind Chi.  Before the blue haired girl turned,
she kicked Chi back and hit her behind the back with her
batons. "Wanna bet!?" 
	"Chi!" Toshio yelled.  "Watch out! I LOVE YOU!" 
	Chi blushed and rolled over on her back.  Aiko
was coming down at her with the batons.  Right as she
was about to make contact with Chi, the girl's legs
caught her and threw her back against the poll.  Aiko
gasped and shook her head, just as she saw Chi stand back
up.  She wiped her lip with her sleeve. 
	"Bleeding?" Aiko hissed with a smile.
	"I bit my lip." Chi mumbled back.  Aiko jumped into
the air and came down to kick Chi's head. The girl
crossed her arms and pushed Aiko's leg back.  Aiko
threw her batons, as Hanako did.  It came swirling towards
Chi's head.  The girl screamed as the batons sliced her
clothes. 
	Aiko laughed harshly.  "Do you think you can actually
win?  I've been training since I was a child and I will 
destroy you! I'm not doing this for Toshio.  He isn't much,
I don't love him.  I just want to take him from you."
	Chi's eyes narrowed and her veins pumped with anger.
"What did you say?" Chi hissed as she straightened her body.
	Aiko laughed once more.  "And that stupid purple haired
friend of yours?  What does she know! She's nothing but a 
whiny little bitch!" 
	Chi screamed. "DON'T MAKE FUN OF MY FRIENDS!" Her body
glowed with her blue aura.  It the first time she had ever
take in such anger and she felt the power bursting through her.
Now she knew how Mitsu felt.  Her caring friend hated it when
people messed with them and that would be the cause of her anger,
no matter how dangerous it was to her health.  "Hitsuji Blue 
Energy Blast!!"
	"What the...!?" Aiko gasped.  She screamed as the blue
energy surrounding Chi's body burst up and formed a huge wave
of water.  It roared as it crashed down on her, throwing her
unconsciously out of the ring.  
	"Lady Aiko!" the people gasped. The Amazons surrounded
her and Yui looked from her friend to Chi.  She jumped into the
ring and held out her chain.
	Chi's body shook from the lack of energy and fell. 
"Chi!" Toshio gasped. He jumped into the ring and picked up
her body.
	"Oh no..." Eric told them.  He touched her forehead and
check her pulse. "She just lost most of her energy...she can't
fight." 
	"Oh..." Chi mumbled.  Toshio laid her against the table. 
"I...I have to fight..." 
	"No, you're not going any where," Clare told her sternly,
she looked at Radien.  "Go get some blankets.  Hurry!"
	"Right." Radien ran.  
	"Well?" a shrill voice asked. "Is she going to fight or
what?"
	"She can't fight!" Akemi told her.  "She's energyless!"
	"Then I guess I win." Yui sighed. 
	"No..." Chi whispered.  
	"Save your strength," Mitsu whispered.  She took Chi's
hand. "I'll do it."
	"Mi..." Chi passed out.  Toshio took her hand.  Tyler
ran up and handed Mitsu her weapon of choice, a beautiful,
hard, brown staff.  
	"Do I win or what?" Yui asked impatiently.  Mitsu
growled. She jumped and landed in the ring behind Yui.
	"At least not yet." Mitsu told her. 
	"Well, well, well..." Yui said.  "I see now I have
to fight you."
	"How could you let your friend get hurt like that and
not even be by her side?" Mitsu hissed.
	"I am a Princess, causalities of those who serve me
is none of my concern." Yui told her.  
	"Don't you have any compassion?" Mitsu asked.
	"Having no compassion gives me an edge." Yui answered.
They stood back in their corners.  The bell ran.  Yui 
jumped up, preparing to get her with one final blow of her
her chain. 
	Mitsu twirled her staff in front of her, coiling the
chain around it.  She gave a strong tug and Yui was pulled
closer. "Not against me." she whispered. 
	Yui squatted and swept Mitsu off her feet.  The girl 
fell back, but did a back flip, landing a little way
from Yui.  Yui snapped her chain at Mitsu over and over, 
maneuvering the girl around the ring.  When she saw a chance,
she pulled out another chain.  As she threw one at Mitsu,
she snapped the other one at Mitsu's face.  
	Hanako screamed as Mitsu's right cheek was bruised
by the chain.  Yui laughed and snapped the other whip 
around Mitsu's ankles, pulling her down on the ring. 
	"Mitsu!" Hanako cried. "Get up!" 
	Yui coiled her chain into three loops and began
to beat Mitsu's body.  
	"That's a foul, it's got to be!" Kira ordered
the judge.  
	"Nope, it's legal." said the judge.  Kira narrowed
her eyes. 
	"I'll kill you," Yui hissed, "And when I do, Akemi
will be mine...And I'll have them destroy your
boy-child, Taro." 
	"Bitch..." Mitsu mumbled.  She rolled over, grabbed,
her staff and with a swift movement, knocked
Yui off from above her.  She took out the chains that
bound her leg and stood up.  Her body was aching with the
bruises the chains had caused.  
	"Want more, huh?" Yui asked.  She gave a chilling
scream and threw both whips around in different directions
at the same time. One directed at her knees, the other at
her neck.  
	Mitsu held her staff vertically in front of her and
the chains wrapped around it instead of her.  "Don't,"
she gasped, as she pulled the chains towards her, Yui
getting dragged along, "Fuck," Mitsu kicked Yui's side
"With," While Yui held in her pain, Mitsu slammed her elbow
against Yui's shoulder, dislocating her arm. "ME." 
	"I'll get you..." Yui hissed.  She popped her shoulder
back in.  She pulled out another chain, wrapping it around her
fist, and threw it into Mitsu's stomach.  The girl gasped
with pain and fell to her knees.
	"MITSU!" Hanako and Tyler yelled.  Clare covered
Taro's eyes and averted her own.  There was a gagging sound
and Mitsu coughed up her own blood. 
	"Hmm...looks like I'm the one getting blood..." 
Yui said.  
	"Mitsu!" Akemi yelled.  He clung against the sides of
the ring, looking at her with desperation.  "Don't DIE!"
	*Great, Toshio says he loves Chi and Akemi asks
me not to die...it's better than nothing.* Mitsu thought.  
	"Chi!" she heard a voice yell.  "Come on, don't pass
out again!" It was Eric and Toshio, yelling frantically
as they tired to help Chi come back. 
	Behind them, she heard Radien and Kira arguing with
the queen about the fairness of the fight.  "You know,"
Yui said while she kicked Mitsu's legs, "All is fair in
love and war."
	"You might now war," Mitsu mumbled.  She raised
her leg, blocked Yui's kick and swung her other leg,
sending Yui down next to her.  "But you don't know
shit about Love." 
	She jumped up and tore off the scarf around her
neck. She wiped her bloody mouth with it and threw it out of the
ring.  Her Tatsu symbol glowed with purple.  Yui
jumped back up.  "You don't have a chance against me,
you're too badly injured.  Just admit defeat and I
won't kill you."
	"Killing me is one thing," Mitsu said. She held her
staff out, "But hurting my friends is another."
	"Whatever." Yui snapped her chains against Mitsu's
staff.  With a sinister smile, Mitsu sent bolts of
electricity through her body, through the staff, and into
Yui's chains.  
	The Princess screamed with pain as the electricity
coursed through her body.  Mitsu was not effected, but
just smiled.  Yui fell to her knees, the finally on the
ground. 
	"I'm not going to kill you," Mitsu said.  She twisted
the girl's arm and lifted her with both arms.  She went to
the edge of the ring and THREW Yui's fried body into the
crowd of Amazons.  "I'm just going to win." 
	The crowd screamed and parted as Yui's body landed 
with a thud against dirt ground.  The queen stood up and
looked at Mitsu.  Mitsu held her stomach painfully. She
coughed again and more blood came out. 
	"Mitsu!" Kira, Eric, and Akemi ran towards her.
Kira put her arm around Mitsu's.  "Mitsu!? Mitsu!?"
	Then...it all went black.

~~~
	
	"Hi, my name is Chi, what's yours?"
	"My name is Mitsu.  I just came here from 
California."
	"Oh, do you have any friends yet?"
	"No, no one likes me...I think..."
	"That's not true.  I'll be your friend!
C'mon, I'll introduce you to some of my other
friends!"

	"All you have to do is hold the birdie like
this then hit it with the racket."
	"Is that all, Mitsu-chan?" 
	"Yup, just follow the procedures I showed
you and you'll kick butt in no time."
	"Thanks!"
	"Thanks for joining the badminton team,
Chi-chan! Now we can be partners!"

	"A field trip to the city library?" 
	"Yeah, c'mon, we both like to read! It'll
be fun and we get out of class."
	"Mitsu, all you want to do is get out
of class."
	"Chi...are you coming or not?"
	"I never said no! C'mon! Maybe we'll
find a good book there."
	"About what?"
	"You know, princesses and princes, 
good against evil, guardians, knights, all
that sort of stuff."
	"Chi, you've been watching too much anime."

	Scenes ran through Mitsu's mind.  Mostly
of her and Chi talking.  Her best friend
was Chi.  Chi.
	"CHI!" Mitsu sat up in bed and clutched her
stomach as she fell back.  	
	"Shh..." a voice said, "She's asleep..."  A
warm hand caressed her forehead. She sighed deeply
and lightly opened her eyes.  
	Her mouth opened, but annoying scream or
swear words came out as she saw Akemi above her.
Akemi lifted his arm and pointed to Taro, who was
sleeping.  She closed her mouth and sighed.
	"Where is everyone?" she whispered. 
	"Chi is asleep and Toshio is sitting, asleep,
next to her.  Tyler, Hanako, Radien, Clare, Eric,
and Kira are in Clare and Kira's larger room." Akemi
told her.	
	"Did I beat her?" Mitsu whispered.
	"Yes, you did." Akemi told her.  "Chi fell
asleep a few hours ago.  She kept saying how great
it was to have you as a friend.  And Toshio and the
other guys thank you.  If you hadn't beaten Yui..."
	"Are you happy I beat her?" she whispered 
again.  She winced and touched her stomach.  Akemi
also touched her stomach, unaware that he meant to.
	"Does it hurt?  Should I get Eric?" Akemi
asked sincerely.  Mitsu blushed and nodded no.
	"It'll get better...I didn't throw up any more
blood after I passed out did I?" she asked. Akemi
nodded no.  "So...?"
	"So?" 
	"Were you happy I beat Yui?" she persisted.
	Akemi averted his eyes and shrugged.  He
didn't answer.  Mitsu touched his hand.  She would've
hit him if she had enough strength.  "Yes," he sighed.
"I'm happy."
	"Good, because if I hurt myself for nothing..."
Mitsu warned.  He smiled.  
	"Just get well soon because we have to move on
any time now." Akemi told her.
	"Akemi," Mitsu mumbled. "I can't move.  My stomach
is twisted in pain.  Give me a few weeks, okay?"
	"Fine.  I just don't want to hear you bitching
about how your stomach hurts while we travel." Akemi told
her.
	"Oh, you care SO much," Mitsu snapped.  "You big
jerk."
	"So you ARE feeling better."
	"What's that supposed to mean?"
	"It means you're a pain a butt, that is what."
	"So," Clare asked as Radien listened through the door
of Chi and Mitsu's room. "Are they awake?"
	"Only Mitsu and Akemi," Radien suddenly winced. "I
think she just threw something at him."
	"Great!" Clare gasped.  "She's getting BETTER!"
	"OW, THAT HURT!!!" Akemi ran out of the room screaming.
	"I'd throw the chair, but I won't leave my bed!"
they hear Mitsu scream.
	"Oh, God," Radien mumbled.  "They're going to kill
each other."


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author's Note

See how good friend Chi and Mitsu are?  That's tightness
for you.  Well, Chi will fully recover and Mitsu will
eventually heal up her internal bleeding.  ^_^
Next Time:

University of the Smart ~> Last Female Sign Found
Meet guardian Saru, (monkey).  She's a nerdy 
historain who the group saves from her rival school's
thugs.  

Buh-bai!
~Len-chan