"Tasuki-kun, would you please get up, no da! We still have a long way to go, no da!" Exclaimed Chichiri.
    "Fuck no, Chichiri!" Tasuki replied. "I’m too damn tired!!" Chichiri sighed and looked at the rapidly setting sun. Taking his mask off, he turned back to Tasuki and gave him a disapproving look. "It looks like we’re camping here tonight, Tasuki-kun. The sun is setting too fast to continue." Replacing his mask, he walked off the path and into the adjoining forest. Tasuki immediately hopped on his feet, and started following Chichiri through the woods.
 
    "Oi, Chichiri! That was a damn good meal!"
    "Tauski-kun, you really need to restrain your cussing, no da!"
    "Why do you say that?" Tasuki asked, his voice quieting while his face adopted a thoughtful expression.
    "Nani?"
    "No da!" Tasuki clarified. "Why the fuck do you always say ‘no da’? Were you born with it or somethin’?" Chichiri appeared to ignore him as he looked at the stars. He was waiting for the first star, which happened to be a bright, golden color.
    "Tasuki-kun, did you know that when a Nyan Nyan dies it becomes a star?" He pointed to the golden star, its color making it stand out. "That was Asha." Chichiri’s voice constricted slightly at the name ‘Asha’, startling Tasuki.
    "What in hell does a damn Nyan Nyan hafta do with saying ‘no da’?"
    "A lot, Tauski. A lot."

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    "I’ve gotta make it to the next village…I gotta," panted a young man. He was using a long walking stick to struggle along the path, and was obviously on the verge of collapse. He was so intent on taking step after step; he failed to notice the small shadow trailing him.

    Without warning, he sank to his knees, his stick clattering to the ground. The small shadow leapt to his side even as he was collapsing, and caught him two inches before his face hit the ground. With surprising strength, it lifted up the young man and carried him to a mountain that started shimmering into view.

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

    The young man woke up with a start, dimly noticing the cool, damp cloth that slipped of his forehead. "Ah, Suzaku Siciseishi-sei Chichiri, you’re awake," a raspy voice commented. He turned toward the source of the voice…and encountered the ugliest face he had ever seen! Screaming bloody murder, he jumped out of the bed in which he had awaken, and backed up to the far wall of the room. The creature didn’t seem happy with his reaction and glared at him. However, childish laughter brought their attention toward the group of girls behind the creature. They all looked alike with their sea green hair and blue eyes; however, there was one that stood out from all the rest. While she had the clear blue eyes all the other girls possessed, she had shining, golden hair in sharp contrast to the other’s sea green. Also, she wasn’t laughing.
    "See, Taiitsukun," she stated to the creature in front of her. "It’s not only the Nyan Nyans that think your face needs to be fixed."
    "Now, now," Taiitsukun admonished, "don’t go making rude comments around our guest."
    "She really needs her face fixed!" Piped up one of the Nyan Nyans.
    "Get out! All of you! Not you," Taiitsukun stated, glancing at Asha, "he is your guest after all." All the Nyan Nyans bounded out of the door, most of them still giggling.
    "Nani?" Chichiri asked, puzzled. "What’s going on?"
    "Chichiri-san, Asha here has brought you to my home after you collapsed just outside. You are here at Taikyoku Mountain," Taiitsukun explained. She glanced back at Asha. "Asha will be your guide around the mountain and will answer any questions you have." During this Asha’s expression subtly changed to mirror the expression the Nyan Nyans had worn earlier. "Or not." Asha skipped up to Chichiri.
    "Me heal scar?" She asked. Chichiri put one finger on his scar and shook his head.
    "Iie, Asha-san. This is a reminder for me." Asha shook her head and placed one of her small hands over his heart.
    "Scar on inside, not scar on face," she explained. Chichiri gave her a small, sad smile.
    "I’m afraid you can’t heal that, little one. Thanks for the offer though." Asha pouted and removed her hand, but her eyes clearly showed that she understood.
    "Go play with the other Nyan Nyans, Asha," Taiitsukun commanded.
    "Hai!" She exclaimed happily, skipping out the door, a wide grin plastered on her face.
    "Ano…" now Chichiri was really confused, "wasn’t she supposed to help me? And why did she suddenly change?"
    "She went normal," Taiitsukun replied. At his confused face she sighed. "There is a legend among the Nyan Nyan. Every 2,000 years, a special Nyan Nyan will be born, recognizable as different by their golden hair color. They call them the ‘Saiokodomo’ or ‘Gift Child’. The Sainokodomo possess attack magic along with the healing ability all Nyan Nyans possess. Their temperament and attitudes also contrast, making them more like us. However, there are certain times when they have a ‘normal period’, which is when they act like all normal Nyan Nyan. These periods last less and come at longer intervals as time goes by, stopping at the age of 100."
    "So, she’ll stop when she turns 100?"
    "IF," Taiitsukun clarified, "IF she turns 100. Out of the six Sainokodomo, not including her, only one has managed to reach the age of 100, and even then, he was killed at the age of 105. Short, when you consider the 400-year lifespan of a normal Nyan Nyan, however, each Sainokodomo was able to accomplish their special goal in life, even if they’ve all died in doing so. But I have been babbling too much. Come, I will – " However, she was interrupted as the door burst open, allowing Asha to enter.
    "Asha remembers!" She exclaimed. "I supposed to show ‘Chiri-san around!" She skipped over and grabbed Chichiri’s hand. "Come! Come! Come!" She punctuated each word with an excited tug on his arm. It wasn’t very strong, but Chichiri found himself smiling at her antics.
    "Okay little one. I’m coming," he replied. Still smiling, he allowed her to pull him out the door.

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

    " ‘Nii-chan!" That was the only warning Chichiri got as he felt something glomp on his legs. Looking down, he saw Asha looking up at him, a big, happy smile on her childlike face. With a matching grin, he bent down (which is hard to do with someone glomping your legs) and picked her up. She removed his mask almost immediately after being picked up. "I like ‘Nii-chan’s face better without mask with fake smile," she explained. Chichiri lifted her up and placed her on his shoulders. As he resumed his walk, he remembered how the two of them had bonded the first week. Asha had even declared him her older brother after the third day. Yet somehow, Chichiri got the feeling she was older than him. He ducked down when they approached the doorway, making sure that she didn’t hit her head. One of their favorite pastimes was stargazing. Either or both of them could be seen stargazing at some point each night. More often than not, they could be found sleeping outside during the summer months. " ‘Nii-chan, did you know that when a Nyan Nyan dies it becomes a star?"
    "No, I didn’t," Chichiri stated quietly.
    "Well, all the stars except for the twenty-eight constellations are all dead Nyan Nyans. Do you think I’ll become a star, ‘Nii-chan?"
    "Of course you will," answered Chichiri.

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

    " ‘Nii-chan!" A voice exclaimed. Chichiri turned around to see Asha bound up to him.
    "Asha-chan, why don’t you go play with the other Nyan Nyans today? I have training to do with Taiitsukun."
    "I can’t play with the others, they won’t let me." She pouted. Chichiri kneeled down to face Asha at eye level.
    "What do you mean by that?"
    "I’m not acting like a normal Nyan Nyan; I’m different so they’re afraid of me," she exclaimed, a tear running down her cheek. Chichiri sighed in defeat.
    "Okay, you can come. I’m sure Taiitsukun won’t mind."
    "Arigatou ‘Nii…Aniki."

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

    "Fire Star!!" A large, star shaped wave of fire came barreling toward Chichiri. With a flurry of hand gestures, he commanded a wall of water to rise, causing the two attacks to cancel each other out.
    "You have to be faster than that, Asha-chan!" He exclaimed.
    "Hey, Aniki, did you know that I’m turning 100 in two days?" The revelation startled Chichiri, throwing him completely off guard. "Mizu spear!" Water appeared in Asha’s hand and formed a long spear. She threw it at Chichiri, and it hit him in the shoulder, hurling him into the wall.
    "Ite! I’m just glad those don’t puncture!" Chichiri exclaimed, rubbing his sore shoulder. "I give! I give!" He exclaimed when he noticed the icy mists forming around her hands. "You win this time, Asha."
    "I’ve done a lot of practicing, Aniki." She walked over and sat beside him against the wall. "Aniki, why do you prefer to use hand motions instead of the attack words?"
    "Well, I view it as an advantage. Inexperienced people would believe you are doing something like praying; however, attacks that use words show to everyone that you are going to attack.
    "Oh," Asha replied, a frown on her face as she mulled over the answer. When she looked back up, she was smiling. "Taiitsukun says that I’ll be able to use the attacks without the words pretty soon."
    "Well then, isn’t that an advantage!" Chichiri exclaimed, feigning awe.
    "Hai!" Asha exclaimed.

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

    Chichiri hummed quietly to himself. It was the day before Asha’s 100^th birthday, and he still hadn’t gotten her a gift. A rumble to the side brought him to a stop, and he glanced at the wall, a confused look on his face. "Aniki! Watch out!!" He looked down the left of the corridor, only to see Asha rushing toward him, a terrified look on her face.

    Without warning the wall burst open, revealing the most hideous creature Chichiri had ever seen. It was ten feet of solid of misty gray muscle with red, pupiless eyes. It had two giant sabertooth cat-like fangs that pointed upward and were stained with blood. It also had sharp, curved talons on both hands and feet; each talon was at least three feet thick. Its wings, blood red on the inside and a sleek black on the outside, were about twelve feet long and sprouted from just under its massive shoulder blades. It lunged at Chichiri, gnashing it fangs in anticipation. Stunned by its sudden appearance, Chichiri was unable to dodge. A sharp shove to his side sent him sprawling away from the demon. However, his rescuer was not so lucky. A sharp, female scream of pain brought Chichiri out of his daze. Looking up, he saw Asha.

    Asha was pinned against the wall; one of the demon’s clawed hands jammed in her abdomen. Her left hand hung limply at her side. "Ssssainokodomo," it hissed, its voice a shrill screech that could shatter glass within a six-foot radius, "you must die!"
    "Lightning strike!" A thin bolt of lightning erupted from Asha’s uninjured hand, knocking the demon into the opposite wall. Asha slid slowly down the wall, leaving a blood streak about five inches wide down the wall. The two heard footsteps as Taiitsukun hurried down the right side of the hallway and glanced at the demon.
    "A NoDa demon!" She exclaimed.
    "Yessss, old hag. And my massssster, Tenkou, wantsssss the death of the sssichissseissshi Chichiri." It narrowed its pupiless eyes at Taiitsukun and Chichiri. "You two are sssssorcerersssss. I sssshall give you each a little…pressssent." It waved its hand at the two, but while Taiitsukun was thrown into the wall and paralyzed, nothing seemed to happen to Chichiri.
    "No da!" Chichiri exclaimed, throwing everyone except the demon into shock. "No da no da no da!!!!!!" The demon chuckled.
    "Now you won’t be able to chant your ssspellsss. DIE!!" The demon charged at Chichiri, eager for the kill. However, it was denied as a wave of flame threw it into the wall once more. Asha gave them a weak smile, then doubled over in pain.
    "She’s refusing to change!" Taiitsukun exclaimed, showing that her mouth was still working.
    "No da?" Chichiri asked.
    "The transformation to turn her normal has started to take effect, but she is refusing. It’s killing her!!"
    "Ahhh, you will pay for that Sssainokodomo," the demon hissed in pain.
    "Never…" she whispered weakly, her knees shaking as she feebly stood up to glare defiantly at the demon. "You will never kill Aniki!!!" She raised her hand. "Mizu spear!" The water spear appeared in her hand and she hurled it at the demon. "Harden!!" At her command, the spear became as solid as ice, striking the demon in the chest and causing it to hiss in pain.
    "That hurt, Ssssainokodomo. For that, I’ll sssend you to HELL, little one!!" It charged again in a fit of blind rage. Asha attempted to dodge, but her injuries prevented her from doing so, and she was struck in the ribcage, right through the heart. Once again, she found herself flattened against the wall. "Die!" It hissed, driving its claws deeper into her chest. Bearing the pain as best as she could, she placed her good arm on one of the demon’s wrists and concentrated. A white mist started to form around both hands.
    "Ice mist hurricane!" She exclaimed, and the mists grew larger to encircle the demon in an icy hurricane. The hurricane was the strongest she had ever cast, and it completely dismembered the demon within seconds.
    "No daaaa!" Chichiri exclaimed, catching her as she fell.
    "Aniki…" she whispered, giving him a soft, pain-filled smile. "I need to help you, Aniki." She brought up her right hand to rest lightly against his cheek, and concentrated. They were covered in a golden glow for a few minutes before it violently flickered out.
    "Asha-chan, you should rest, no da."
    "Gomen…nasai…Aniki," she gasped out as her breathing became more and more labored. "I wasn’t…able…to heal you all the way." She squinted her eyes in pain, and her body jerked violently. "Sayonara…Aniki…" she gasped out, her breathing stopping and her body going limp.
    "Asha-chan, no da? Asha-chan! ASHA-CHAN, NO DA!!!!"

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

    "Are you sure you want to leave so soon?" A voice asked.
    "Hai, no da," came the reply. "Everything here reminds me of her, no da."
    "As you wish," Taiitsukun replied, floating to the doorway. Because of the fight earlier that evening, Taiitsukun lost the use of her legs, and she had to find other means of transport. She stopped at the doorway. "However, you are welcome back anytime you wish." There was no answering reply as Taiitsukun left to her room.

    Chichiri shouldered his backpack and started to leave…then stopped. There, sitting on the desk, was his mask. ‘I like ‘Nii-chan’s face better without mask with fake smile.’ Sighing, Chichiri picked up the mask and contemplated it for a few minutes. "Gomen ne, Asha-chan, no da," he whispered, placing the mask on.

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

    Chichiri walked away from Mt. Taikyoku in search of Suzaku no miko. He had felt her enter this world a few days before he left. Unlike when he arrived, everything had been still and quiet when he left. Even the Nyan Nyans were uncharacteristically quiet, sorrow masking the childlike happiness they always divulged in. However, Chichiri had been hit the hardest. Asha had been like a younger sister to him, and he failed her. If he hadn’t hesitated, if he had only taken action, she would be alive right now. He knew he shouldn’t really blame himself, but he seriously felt like it was his fault. Moreso because the demon had only come to the mountain to kill him; if he hadn’t been there, Asha wouldn’t have fought to protect him, and she wouldn’t have died. Sighing again, he trudged on, wandering like before he had ever met her.

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

    The next night found him a few miles away from one of the many small, nameless villages in Konan-koku. Sighing, he turned to his favorite pastime, stargazing. With an expert eye, he quickly found the seven constellations of the Suzaku sei, but when he located his, Chichiriboshi, he received the shock of his life. Right beside Chichiriboshi was a star that hadn’t been there previously. A star that stood out because of its bright, golden color. ‘ ‘Nii-chan, did you know that when a Nyan Nyan dies it becomes a star?…Do you think I’ll become a star, ‘Nii-chan?’ Chichiri smiled up at the star and took off his mask.
    "Happy Birthday, Asha-chan," he whispered, and the star seemed to twinkle in response. Replacing his mask, he rushed into the forest, his senses telling him that Suzaku no miko was in trouble.
    ‘Wo a ni, Aniki,’ the wind whispered once he was gone. ‘Wo a ni.’

Author’s Notes – That was a bit sad, though the ending seemed to hint a sequel. Hmmmmm…
Before I forget, no, I don’t think this is how or why Chichiri says ‘no da’, but it’s an interesting theory, ne?
I would like to point something out. Some of my pre-readers pointed out that I had Chichiri act OCC when he first met Taiitsukun. Not true, if you remember, Chichiri told Tamahome in ep. 15? 16? Somewhere around there, that the only reason he (Chichiri) wasn’t scared was because he was USED to her. The scene I wrote is when he met her for the first time. It’s a wonder Taiitsukun didn’t mallet him. =P

~ Lady Shinnite

B.T.W. – I don’t own FY. I’m not Watase Yuu.