Welcome to Gaia! ::

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::Kigen continued to walk, turning this way and that with no particular destination to be going. The mark upon his forhead faded away and he slowly began to become accostomed to the pull and draw of Seiryuu through these others. He thought to himself::

'Surely they wll also feel the power of Seiryuu from me...this will be to my advantage and dis---'

::His thoughts were interrupted as he caught a tinge of something new. He froze in place. Suzaku...It had to be...he turned his head to face the direction he felt the surge of energy from, though to anyone else...he was simply looking in a shop window. A chill ran down his spine. The enrgy he felt was more concentrated than his own. If she were alone here, then her power would be the same as he knew before..and she was not one to be trifled with even when he was at his best. If this were the case...he would have an exceedingly challenging task on his hands. Decision time. He could go to them..and find out for certain...but in doing so, he would surely be revealed to her, and if she had the full power of Suzaku,...he stopped that line of thinking quickly. what if...hopefull thoughts entered his head, if the same that was happening to him...was also to her? Then she would be on an equal level as he. He had to know now. And due to his lack of final destination as of yet, this also gave him a place to go.::

::The the next problem came to his attention. How would he get there? If he had all his power, he could easily have mown a path straight through the buildings without breaking a sweat...but again..that was not the case. He turned his attention to the cars driving this way and that on the roads. There were people inside each one...and they moved at high enough speeds...one ofthem should suit his purpose. He turned to the neares t car parked ont he side of the road and began to examine it thouroughly. He pulled on the door handle but nothing hapened as it was locked. He continued examining the strange vehicleuntil finally his attentions to the car had been brought to the attention of its owner who stormed out of one of the shops and straight towards him::

HEY! What are you doing to my car?

::Kigen looked at him with a neutral glance::

"I am doing nothing to your car, though if it can travel as I see others like it do, then I am going to need to use it."

::The man came right up next to the car and placed his hand on the top looking at Kigen::

"Afraid not buster...call a cab if you need a ride...either way...you better take a hike before I call the authorities."

::Kigen scowled::

"I don't have time for any of that. Come to think of it..I don't even have time to learn to use your car. You shall take me where I need to go..and in return, I shall spare your life."

::The man took up a fighting position::

"Are you threatining me?"

::Kigen reasoned to himself that these people were very stubborn and ignorant in general, so he would have to force his will upon the man to get what he needed. He paused a moment as if he was pondering the mans question and then with a sinister smile looked straight into his eyes and responded::

"As a matter of fact I am."

::With a blink of an eye time stopped for the man, Kigen walked around behind him and grabbed his arm, wrenching it into an arm lock nearly breaking his am, and then grabbing the back of his neck with his other hand. The other man didn't know what hit him one second the man was right in front of him and now this. One thing Kigen had not taken notice of, nor had he anticipated, was the man's dog. Significantly well trained, the dog darted towards Kigen without much of a sound and bit his leg, latching on. Kiegn lurched down, pulling the man with him at the sensation of pain. The other man encouraged the dog as Kigen struggled to get it off his leg. Finally, through his shakings and swingings with his hadnd previously on the mans neck, he was able to seperate the dog from his leg, which was all he needed. The dog stood still suddenly, frozen in time, similarly to how the man had been. Kigen took only a momnet and righted himself, tightening his grip, and turning the man to face his dog::

"Look to your animal fool, and know see what awaits you if you refuse me again!"

::The man looked up and saw the dog unmoving, silent, and then Kigen brought his hand around slowly, ever so slowly and tediously, a line of sweat forming at his brow, began to form a blue sphere of pure energy at his fingertips. He drew forth just enough energy to completely disintigrate the animal leaving only barely any trace it had been there. The man relaxed into his grip, eyes wide in fear. Kigen threw him agains the car and spoke in a surly tone::

"You will take me where I want to go...NOW!"

::The man hurriedly unlocked the car and got in, letting Kigen in the passenger side. Kigen pointed::

"That way....Quickly"

:;He then set to work bandaging his leg which was bleeding. His countenance was severe and his brow furled angrily. The two drove in the general direction that Kigen felt the power of Suzaku::

As she held the boy's neck, she loosened her grip slightly, her eyes shifted to the right. "Seiryu..." she said, sensing the energy. Apparently, her being so close to this figure who held her power, perhaps he had noticed? Then again, she was not at full power. Of course, the more she sensed him nearing, she knew the Seiryu avatar's powers were diminished as well. Finally, she tightened her grip on the boys neck slightly. "Speak up, boy," she said coldly.

Normally, Eilla would have been able to block such an attack. Yet, her attempt to form a barrier around her stomach failed miserably. For the first time in years, she felt a sharp pain, and gasping chockingly as a small trickle of blood emitted from her mouth. Falling backwards onto the ground, she clutched her stomach for a moment, unable to breath, then finally, with effort, stood. "Leave me be," she said to the crowd of onlookers, sending them a deadly glares. "Or I shall burn you to a cinder." This made most of them run away, and the rest ran when she lighted a small ball of fire in her hand. It seemed she still had that power.

She whiped the bit of blood from her chin with a single finger, then stood waiting for Kigen. Perhaps, though she wished to return to her wars with him, the two would have to join forces in order to stop these power theives. There was no doubt about it, the feeling in her stomach had been implied by her own shielding power. The boy could lie, or maybe he was unaware, but either way, he had retained her powers, and she wanted them back. She wanted them back from everyone else who had stolen them as well, the people she could feel around her. And she was quite sure that Kigen would wish his returned to him as well.

"Hmph," she said, hoisting her head up higher slightly, as if looking down on him. She did not smile, nor did her brows furrow. Her expression was the same, as always. "So, Kigen. You're powers are diminished as well?" she asked. "I would have liked to have continued our battles, but it seems it will be postponed once more. Both of us lack power, and surely you do not wish to continue our fight in the state we are in now?" It is now that she looks at the people around her. Hmph, just the same as back home, she thinks. All weaklings. It will make no difference if we destroy them as we destroyed everyone in our own home. "I will join forces with you, perhaps, make a pact. If you are willing to strike such a deal, that is."

She watched him, almost wanting to attack him then. This was the type of thing that bothered her so much. "A treaty of sorts," she finally said, when he returned to a spot near her and had spoken himself. "Rather, that the two of us shall withhold all arguement until we have both achieved all of our powers. I would like to defeat you, as Suzaku would wish to defeat Seiryu within me, and therefore I must say that it is only just that I should defeat when we are both at our strongest. How to return our powers is beyond me, though."

From the shards of tattered dreams, Charles woke. Haunted by vague memories of a set of friends long since lost, he holds his hand to his head, fighting to keep the room from spinning. More than anything else, he feels sorrow- sorrow for the loss of so many that meant something to him. Every time he tries to move past it, a young girl's voice cries against his sensibilities . . . . "Chichiri!!!"

Having plopped on his bed without even undressing, Charles rose and decided to get some air. Walking outside, he tries to reconsile the events of the day. A beautiful young woman actually assaulted him. Holding him at bay with her hand on his throat. Brazen, firey, demanding her 'power' back. Calling him a sorcerer . . . none of this made sense. Charles remembered vividly the burning of his knee, and the glow through his pants. Curious at what may be on his leg, but wanting privacy, he moves away from his home.

At the first public toilet, Charles went into a stall. Thankfully the room was completely empty. Small favours granted by the gods. That phrase caused him to smile slightly as he pulls his pants down after entering a stall. On his right knee . . . holy . . . it wasn't his imagination! The image there is not illusory, but it does not glow any further. Two sets of lines crossing, making a pound sign on his leg. Tentatively, Charles reaches out and touches the insignia . . .

All at once, a lifetime of memories come screaming into his head. Screwing his face in pain, the boy's voice fails. Trying to scream in horror and violation, only the faintest of whispers escapes. Hotohori, Tauski, Mitsukake, Nuriko, Chiriko, Tamahome, Chichiri. Those phantom names from his disjointed dream assault his mind with faces, power, friendships, and death. In mere moments, the lifetime of a man betrayed by his best friend and fiancee, the memories of a sorcerer under an old floating woman, the experiences of a Star of Suzaku race through his mind. All the joy at finding the Seishi, the good times, laughing, and celebrations mix inexplicably with the horror of his home destroyed, failing, and watching his friends all die.

When he comes to some sembalance of sanity again, the emblem on his knee is again glowing brightly. This time, however, he knows what it means. The pull of fate, the need for his fellow seishi and the priestess. Miaka!!! Charles again places a hand over his face, where in a previous incarnation a scar had ruined his eye. In both a hope and distress, he hopes that this time around Miaka would be different. Perhaps not so much of a glutton.

Finally in control of his faculties, Charles walks out as if nothing had changed, just business as usual. Only a set of 7 in this world right now could ever understand that 16yo Charles Takena went in . . . Chichiri reborn exited.

Looking to the southern skies, he wonders aloud. "Who was that today demanding I had her powers? She knew even when I did not that I was a sorcerer . . . or at least I used to be. Could that have been Miaka? Maybe I should hope her passion is still only for food, after all!" Walking on his way, much of the day was wasted by his nap. Now refreshed and more confused about his role in the world than ever, Charles wanders aimlessly, letting the pull draw him where he needs to be.

Jun'ko ran up to her room and fell face-first onto her cool pillow. The glowing and pain in her stomach had stopped long ago.
Her room was very dark except for the many electronic mechanisms filling her room. A few of them featured static electricity and some had it rebounding against it's glass cage. Jun'ko had always thought they were comforting and beautiful. Her mother was forever afriad that a fire would break out in her room becuase of this particular hobby. The slight pulsing of the electricity was never a more comforting sight for Jun'ko than now. She took a deep sigh and sat up. She felt her stomach making flip-flops as she got to her feet.
"Jun'ko you are one messed up chick." She said quietly to herself as she made her way across the room and laid her hand on one giant glass orb holding beautiful white, blue and red electronic pulses. Almost straight away her troubles melted and she felt as if she could take on the world. She laid her head and torso on the orb and looked down. The flickering lights seemed to give her mind tricks as a great amount of the blue light looked as if it was coming from her knee. Keeping her hand on the orb, Jun'ko stopped leaning on the sphere and lifted her skirt.
She felt her heart skip a beat. There it was again, on her left thigh. It did not seem to glow brightly at all now however. Jun'ko lifted her hand from the sphere and the symbol faded to her normal skin color. Jun'ko blinked slowly and walked back over to her bed where she fell onto the mattress.
"Yup," She said to herself. "No school for me today. I am definately, very sick."