Sorry, forgot to tag the chapter as citrus, because there is 
(apparently) a 
fair amount of innuendo and one of my friends said it should be rated 
as soft 
porn. :P so, here it is with the proper tags (and from the email I 
should have 
sent it from)



******
Ch. 6
******

Why do I have to be hurt so much?

"This time wasn't a part of the learning process. This time it was 
someone who 
has a history of trying to make Our plans come to naught. Look at 
your brother 
for instance, your birth was supposed to help him as well, but that 
creature 
went and removed his memory of you."

I can't believe it. Genma did that?

"Only in a small way. Even with your new additions, it shouldn't take 
too much 
to get him to remember you. Either that or your friend can help you."

How can Ryouga help with this?

"Now you're just pushing for information. You should find out who on 
your own. 
Anyways, it's time for you to wake up again, one of your friends is 
calling."

******

"Liath!" I feel someone poking me in the side. Not too hard, but more 
than hard 
enough to sting.

"Oww!" I sit up quickly, or at least try to. Opening my eyes shows a 
nice 
bright blur all around me. "Who's there?" I ask, trying to blink the 
blurriness 
out of my eyes.

"Come now, someone with your supposed powers would be able to figure 
something 
as simple as that out," came an old feminine voice. I close my eyes 
again, and 
then open them again, attempting to blink away the skewed vision from 
my eyes.

"Cologne?" I guess, taking a stab in the dark. At the old woman's 
laughing I 
sigh, "Well sorry, I only know Cologne from when I was here before. I 
never 
really talked to the other elders enough to remember their names, let 
alone 
know their voices."

"Ah," the voice muses, "So you continue to claim you are Li-ya. I 
think your 
form shows your words to be lies, for Li-ya was a female, and you are 
very much 
a male."

"If you had some hot water for me I could show you that I am female," 
I reply 
as politely as I can. My eyes are still blurry and they don't seem to 
be 
getting any clearer.

"Ah yes, the mysteries of Jusenkyou. Lin-lin and Ran-ran saw your 
partner 
change to a pig in the rain, but that does not necessarily mean that 
you are 
cursed as well. The winged ones from heaven should be immune to such 
magic, 
yes?" I can just hear the oily smirk in her voice, even though I 
can't see it.

It takes all of my control to keep my voice as polite as I can make 
it, "I 
would think so to, but when we were at Jusenkyou earlier today, the 
guide told 
us that a demon drowned in the pool that I had fallen into just three 
days 
ago."

"Oh ho! Another lie!" cackles the voice, "You say you fell in a 
spring where a 
demon drowned three days ago, yet still you are a feathered one. I 
know not of 
any feathered demons, you see, so I find your story very hard to 
believe."

I sigh, "If I could have some hot water, please? This form grates, 
and I would 
rather not stay in it long at all." I don't really hold much hope 
that she'll 
help; she's being very mean as it is. What is this, an interrogation 
prior to 
being killed? Sweet ghoddess I hope not.

Another voice reaches my ears, "Let him have some hot water, Lilac. 
Even if you 
do not believe, a demonstration of any possible curse might lend some 
truth to 
his story. We already know that Liath's friend Ryouga came here with 
this 
person, so maybe the rest of his story is not false either." 
Cologne's voice is 
music to my ears. Oh. Wait, this IS an interrogation. Oh crud. I can 
feel the 
blood drain from my face as that particular thought wends its way 
through my 
mind.

"Oh, not to worry," another voice crackles from behind me, "If you 
are who you 
say you are, then there isn't much of a problem, really. Well, other 
than 
teaching you again how to relieve your pain before it gets to this 
point again. 
And if you are from the gods, then that also means you have nothing 
to worry 
about. If you are from Phoenix Mountain however, well, we shall see. 
So don't 
worry, you have two chances out of three to get out of this safely." 
Something 
about her voice seems oily to me. Almost tainted. I really truly hope 
that 
she's not the final arbiter to my fate.

My vision finally starts clearing, sort of. Instead of everything 
seeming 
blurry and fuzzy, I can now make out indistinct outlines around me, 
almost as 
if I were peering through fog. I push my hand out, and encounter a 
wall of some 
kind. I can't feel it, really, I can only tell it is there. My hand 
won't go 
past the point of the wall, even when I start pushing for real. I 
can, however, 
tell that the wall is curved in both directions...oh. A circle. The 
wall forms 
a circle around me, apparently. I look down, and I can see the floor 
clearly, 
at least. I can also see what looks to be like shining blue and red 
lines 
intertwined in an intricate pattern that tugs at an old memory 
from...

"A circle of holding," I whisper in awe. I've only seen one before in 
an old 
spell book, and that was years ago, long before I came here the first 
time. I 
can tell that there are things different from this circle compared to 
the one 
in the book from before, but I can't tell what things are different, 
exactly.

"Yes, it is." Cologne says from in front of me. I can almost make out 
the 
outline of her body through the misty shroud separating her from me, 
"Well, I 
doubt you would be Liath, from that response. We never taught her how 
to do any 
of the sacred circles while she was here. So, who, or what are you?"

I smile, "My name is Liath. Always has been. And no, you didn't show 
me the 
circles, I read of one, a long time before I ever met you or came 
here. And 
this is different from the one I did read about, so it's only through 
its 
application that I actually recognized it."

"And Liath never learned much mandarin, and here you are speaking it 
fluently." 
Cologne's voice has gained a harsh edge to it, and I gulp silently in 
reaction.

"Umm, well, that's news to me, because it seems to me as if 
everyone's speaking 
English. My guess would be this form understands languages even 
though I 
don't?" I'm feeling scared now. Worse, I know my voice is showing how 
scared I 
am. This isn't going to be pretty, no matter how it turns out.

"Oh, really?" Sarcasm drips heavily off of Cologne's voice, "So you 
say it is 
the form you received most recently from the springs, and that it is 
this 
form's fault that you speak our language fluently. Tell me, is there 
anything 
you are willing to admit to, rather than blame on magic?"

I wrack my memories for a minute, then blink, "How about news of 
Shampoo?"

"You could be lying about this knowledge. And we would have no way to 
confirm 
or disprove your information without sending someone to verify it. 
Tell me, how 
does this help your situation?"

I smile, "Well, I was going to ask if someone could help me anyways, 
and the 
place where Shampoo is, is where I need this assistance." Oh please 
let this 
work.

"You could be trying to trap us, you know. We hold not the bird-men 
in great 
trust, and you look much like them right now." Sarcasm has shifted to 
outright 
hatred. I am going to be in so much trouble if someone doesn't come 
by with 
some hot water soon.

"Can I get some hot water please?" I ask. Tears drip from my eyes in 
frustration. "There's nothing I can say that will change your minds, 
and only 
that will show you that I'm not lying when I say I'm not one of those 
bird 
people."

I look around me through the mist, and then I see someone larger than 
the 
others standing up, and reaching forward with something in their 
hand. As the 
hand passes through the barrier, so does the kettle in her hand. 
Steam rises 
from the gleaming polished copper. "Move under the kettle," A woman's 
voice 
tells me. I slip as close as I can to the wall, and position as much 
of my body 
as possible under the kettle. I mentally cringe as I see the kettle 
turning, 
hoping that the water isn't TOO hot.

Water washes over my body, and I feel the change take effect. I 
notice the 
temperature of the water. Not too hot, not scalding either, but 
definitely on 
the warm side. I reach up and smooth my hair down as the hand and 
kettle 
retreats. Oh, there are my horns. Can't see them from this angle, but 
I hope 
they look cute.  A series of gasps can be heard outside of the circle 
as my 
movements reveal them to everyone else.

"See?" I grin, looking out through the mists, "I told you that I had 
a 
Jusenkyou curse.  Think you can recognize me now, Cologne?"

Just as I say that, I notice a faint swirling around my head. I blink 
in 
confusion, watching what appears to be tiny blue and green strands 
float away 
from my face. I reach out, touching one of them, just before it 
disappears 
before my eyes.  A sharp bark in mandarin catches my attention, and I 
look up 
in the direction of the voice, "What was that?" I ask as politely as 
I can.

Utter silence greets my ears for almost a minute, and then I hear 
Cologne 
asking me, in slower Mandarin, "Why did you stop speaking Mandarin?"

I blink, and reply in that same tongue, "I no know. I just talking, 
then 
something move, now I no understand what you saying anymore."

Cologne's voice is still suspicious when she asks again, "Can you 
prove that 
you are Liath? You look more like her now, but that doesn't prove 
anything,"

I just stare in the direction that the voice came from for what feels 
like an 
hour, before something occurs to me and I grin, "I think I have way 
to show 
proof. You no get mad, yes?"

A generally muttered, "We'll see," greets my ears, and I then 
position myself 
in the center of the circle.

"Breath of life,
Life of flame,
Come and form,
In my hand,
Come and we,
Shall scorch them all,
Fireball!" The words that slip from my tongue are in English, but I 
already 
know Cologne understands that language more than she lets on.  And my 
grin 
becomes even more mischevious, as I hear a startled, "No!" from 
outside of the 
circle as I finish the spell.  With effects completely different from 
what 
everyone who understood my words could expect.

"Is poof good, yes?" I grin from my sitting position, nearly three 
feet above 
the floor with only a faint layer of magic holding me up.

Cologne's voice isn't suspicious anymore, but I can clearly hear her 
growling 
through the words, "What did I tell you about doing that?" Either 
this is 
another test, or it's an honest reaction. Either way it's not good to 
hide the 
truth.

I settle back down in the circle. It's not like I can fly anywhere 
anyways. I 
reply as modestly as I can, "But I no sporting."

"Try to be," Cologne growls back at me. My giggles are apparently all 
that 
remains to prove who I am, for the mist seems to disappear from my 
eyes as the 
circle disappears from around me.

Several elders surround me, all of them in kneeling positions. I can 
see them 
clearly now, where before I could only see mist shrouded shapes. I 
spy Cologne 
sitting nearest the door, and her position surprises me a little.

Cologne is sitting in lotus position, with her staff across from her 
knees. As 
she looks at me, I can almost see the question hiding behind her 
eyes, but it 
isn't polite to answer before the question is asked. I had to learn 
that at a 
very early age. "Where is my errant great grand daughter?" she 
finally asks me, 
staring into my eyes.

My smile fades as I reply, "Shampoo in Japan, chasing my brother." 
Even 
mentioning my brother in passing causes enough emotional pain to make 
me wince.

Apparently Cologne noticed my reaction, "What is the problem there?" 
her words 
are still gravelly, but they carry an overtone of concern that I 
don't hear 
very often.

"It's...my brother. He doesn't remember me.  I talked to someone on 
the way 
back here and they think that it might be our Father's fault. But 
without proof 
I can't really say one way or the other." I slip back into English, 
my Mandarin 
not being extensive enough to get across the information that I need 
to relay.

Cologne's staff is as fast as always as it raps, softly, against my 
head. 
"Speak a civilized language, child." She's smiling as she says so, 
and it's not 
the first time she's said that either. I don't think it will be the 
last time, 
though.

"Parlez vous francais?" I can't help but grin again as I reply in yet 
another 
language.  Cologne laughs softly as her staff taps my forehead again.

Just as Cologne's staff touches my head, I feel a burning sensation 
in my 
stomach. You know the kind, when it feels like you haven't eaten for 
way too 
long, and your stomach is informing you that it is quite willing to 
eat its way 
through your spine if you don't feed it NOW.  Although the sensation 
is a 
little lower than I am used to, I'm very much familiar with it.

"What's wrong, Liath?" Cologne asks in worry as I curl up in a ball 
at her 
feet.

"Hungry," I manage, as tears fall from my eyes. There is another 
sensation 
along with the hunger, but I can ignore it, for now.  Hopefully I can 
wait for 
that until I have some privacy.  Electric tingles ripple from my 
knees to my 
neck and touching everything in between. When Cologne's hand rests 
for a second 
against my skin I fan feel the ripples of sensation focussing against 
her hand, 
pushing back, even though she's only barely touching me.

I can't help but whimper as Cologne's hand pulls away from my skin.  
Another 
pair of hands lifts me from the ground and I curl up into the 
person's embrace. 
Her embrace. It is a female who is holding me, and from her size I 
think she 
isn't an Elder. She may be an adult, but I wouldn't be able to tell. 
She is 
bigger than me, however, as I am cradled in her arms easily.

Hunger is all that fills my mind as people talk around me. Hunger of 
two 
different kinds. The voice of the person holding me sounds sweet, 
sensual�a 
shiver runs down my spine as I listen to her voice. Words don't seem 
to mean 
anything to me right now. Just tone matters.

I'm fooling myself, I know. Thinking I can ignore something which my 
body 
desires so painfully. I try to concentrate on my hunger, but that 
only brings 
into sharp relief the other kind of hunger I feel.

Wind ripples across my back, across my skin, as the person takes me 
somewhere. 
I open my eyes slightly. Colours move swaying in my sight. Red and 
green, back 
and forth. I reach towards the red�and then it vanishes, pulled up 
and away 
from me.  I move my head, following the red in its movement upwards. 
A young 
face greets my sight. She is maybe in her mid to late teens, or maybe 

(doubtfully) in her early twenties.  Eyes of emerald fire radiate 
concern, as a 
sharp command filters through my ears.  She must have understood my 
confusion, 
for her hands hold me tighter for a second as something covers my 
eyes.

Time ceases to mean anything. We are moving, and fast, but for how 
long I do 
not know. A second, a minute, an hour, a day, a lifetime for all I 
care. The 
motion slowly stops, and I can feel THAT hunger lessening, slightly.

Something caresses my lips, and a feeling of wetness can be felt. My 
mouth 
opens, almost of its own accord, and an almost sweetness caresses my 
tongue. 
Sweet, yet not, but definitely wet. I swallow the liquid as if I am 
parched, 
and the flavour ripples across my tongue. An almost flavour, as 
though it were 
filtered through things that left behind their own taste mark. 
'Water' whispers 
my mind, and the almost taste matches my memories clearly. I swallow 
all that 
is placed in my mouth, and then it is pulled away. Somehow, even 
though I was 
drinking blind, and most likely sloppily, I know I managed to not 
spill a 
single drop.

Another something brushes against my lips, and again my mouth opens. 
My tongue 
darts along this soft intruder, and I can taste another kind of 
sweetness, with 
a hint of bitter here and there. Softness, yet ridged and slightly 
rough at the 
same time. My teeth close around this intruder, and I bite off a 
piece of this 
thing.  I chew, and sweetness pervades my mouth, yet here, and here, 
are little 
hard bits of that same bitterness. Heavier than the sweetness 
surrounding, and 
harder, but the flavour doesn't displease as it rolls across my 
palette.

Even as I swallow, I feel wetness across my lips again, and again I 
drink of 
this water.  A hand brushes softly across my face, and that which was 
blinding 
me is removed. My eyes open slowly, to darkness.

Darkness not of the pitch of night, but of an enclosed house, for 
some light 
can be seen through slatted windows.  Cloth whispers, voices waft 
across my 
ears, and I can barely make some sense of the words now.

"Will she survive, Fa Shen?" One voice asks. The voice seems familiar 
somehow, 
but not enough to be important.

"She will be fine, Ku Lon," A second voice replies. This voice is 
new, and 
still not important to me, "She might, however, need to bond.  She 
used magic 
that is new to her, yet familiar to her new form. To put it bluntly, 
she used 
too much. Casting three separate spells like that is bound to drain 
almost 
anyone, yet she did so with magic completely different from what she 
was used 
to. I recognize the signs, however rare they might be. A drain like 
that which 
she put herself through, she would need to recharge in the way her 
body is 
designed for. She is the one that was here for two months, yes? The 
one who 
was�.hurt?"

"She is," the first voice replies, "In her own way, she is a 
survivor, but she 
does not like males in that way. She does look at the girls with some 
desire, 
but outside of training or challenges, she never touches anyone 
else."

"That will probably soon change," the second voice sounds wry, "For 
her body 
will desire sex, and take her along for the ride.  I hope that 
whomever she 
links to does not hurt her like the one, or ones, who scarred her so 
deeply 
before." The words mean something, yet don't mean anything to me 
right now, 
their content seeming to mean nothing to my mind.

"Matriarch," that Voice, the one of she who carried me.  Just the 
sound of her 
voice sends ripples across my skin, and I move my eyes, looking, 
searching for, 
"I think she may have already found someone to bond to." Her.  
Cascades of fire 
seem to roll over her shoulders, and those emerald eyes, flashing 
even in this 
half-light, look towards the owner of the first voice, then glancing 
towards 
me.  My heart feels as though it flutters in my chest, and a touch of 
wetness 
slides towards the ground from my eyes.

"I see," The first voice gains an almost imperceptible edge, "Well, 
Lai Lac, 
who is it you think she has bonded to?" The edge is almost of 
warning, that the 
answer must be correct.

"I won't hurt her," the Voice replies. Her words grow softer, "She 
reminds me 
of someone before, and she needs one to protect her. Is that not the 
way, 
between those of Magic and those who fight? One protects the other, 
and they 
help each other when needed?" A smile graces Her lips, and I can't 
help but 
smile in return. "Besides, I think it interesting that a soul so 
scarred, yet 
innocent in its way, resides in a body such as that."

The first voice replies with faint mirth, "It would be an admirable 
challenge 
for a warrior of your calibre to assist this one without harming what 
innocence 
she has remaining." The edge returns to her voice, "And what of your 
preferences? Will you force your ways on her?"

"No, I will not force," Her voice is but a whisper, I try to reach 
over to 
touch her, but my hands are held. She continues, a little louder, 
"She is much 
like my lover from before. A heart of both steel and glass. A paradox 
in 
herself.  I will not ever force her, for I think that she will follow 
the same 
path without coercion. To El persuaded me to follow her path, not I 
convincing 
her. Li ya has that same way about her, I think." Her hand lifts up, 
and She 
holds a long brown thing against my mouth.

I see the bite marks in it, and I realize that this is what I was 
chewing 
before.  'Sweetbread' memories whisper to me as I take another bite 
of the 
softness. The Hunger in my middle eases as I swallow. She holds up 
another 
brown thing to my mouth, with one end soft, and the end against my 
mouth 
harder. Water flows from this thing to my mouth, and I drink it until 
she pulls 
it away again.

Sense seems to return, or maybe it is my mind coming back from 
wherever it was. 
I can move my arm a little now, and I do so, reaching up to caress at 
Her hand 
when it moves in my vision again. I pull gently at it, until it rests 
against 
my cheek. My eyes close again.

"She has chosen you, granddaughter." The second voice says quietly, 
"Do you 
accept this of your own free will?"

"Yes," She whispers.

Sounds fade from my awareness as I fall asleep.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hi there, if you are reading this (and liked or hated it) please 
comment ^^

I'm currently a fair bit into chapter 7 (yes I know, I'm still 
glacially slow compared to some of the better authors out there) and 
if things go to schedule, chapter 7 should be arriving within a week 
or two.

Yes, I know, I'm bouncing between one extreme and another, but as a 
lot of people say, 'creation mirrors life'. and who am I to argue?

I await the flames!

Shadow Dancer
<time is, time was, time ever shall be>

Wings of Hope:
God gave you wings,
And a voice to sing,
Although you don't know why;
Powers so fair,
Suddenly not there,
Find your own reason to fly...
(c) October 22, 1998, Liath Hidson


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