You Can\'t See Me

She was in a field. There was no bump from the landing, nor any pain in her feet; she was just there. She didn\'t know where \'there\' was, but she knew she wasn\'t in Arizona anymore. She looked around, but there were no houses or people around her. She stood on a path which lead to nowhere that she could see from where she was standing. She looked down at herself and found she was wearing traditional Asian clothing. She took a moment to admire the clothing before moving to what was in her hand. It was Chichiri\'s staff. She also noticed she had on his hat, necklace, and mask as well. \'China, then,\' she concluded.

She had no idea where they had come from or why she had them. \'What is my motive?\' she asked herself. Then she heard two voices getting closer to her. She looked around again, this time looking for a place to hide. She could recognize one voice from a song she\'d heard as Chichiri\'s, and she didn\'t know how to explain to him why she was wearing his things just yet. She had to think before meeting up with him. She saw a rock that was the perfect size for her. She was built small, so she hid easily. She was just in time as she saw Chichiri and Nuriko coming into view.

"...I do not know who would do such a thing. No da," Chichiri was saying.

Elizabeth noticed he didn\'t have any of his things with him: his hands were in his pockets, showing he didn\'t have his staff; he wasn\'t wearing his necklace or hat; his scarred eye was showing, so he didn\'t have his mask. Elizabeth slapped her hand to her mouth and she suddenly felt very bad about being here. Her thoughts left her, if only for a moment, as she listened to the rest of the conversation.

"We\'ll find out soon. I fear he\'s very powerful to make your things vanish right off your body like that. You didn\'t feel anyone\'s life force?" Chichiri shook his head at Nuriko\'s question. "No, I feared that. And you say everything of yours is gone and Tasuki just lost his earings?" Chichiri nodded, then he sighed. "Don\'t worry, we\'ll find him and make him give them back. I just hope he doesn\'t find out that they are your sources of power..." Nuriko\'s voice trailed off as they disappeared down the trail away from Elizabeth.

Elizabeth slowly stood from her hiding spot. She felt her ears and, for the first time, realized she had Tasuki\'s earings on too. "What have I done?"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Tasuki was sitting on the wall around the palace when he saw Chichiri and Nuriko walk towards him. He jumped off the wall and met his friends half way. "It\'s \'bout time ya showed, Chichiri," he greeted.

"It is nice to see you too, Tasuki. No da." Tasuki rolled his eyes.

"Have ya found anythin\'?" he asked impatiently. Chichiri looked away, but that was enough answer for Tasuki. "Nah. I didn\' think ya would. Someone powerful enough ta just take stuff without anyone at all noticin\' is very powerful, right?"

Chichiri didn\'t respond. He looked up and towards the path from where they had just come. He wasn\'t really focused on anything, he just really wanted to find his mask, at most. He could live without his beads and staff. His mask was his whole life. No one understood that more than Tasuki. Something made him start walking the direction he was looking.

"Where is he going?" Nuriko asked Tasuki as he watched Chichiri walk away from them. He walked slowly, then sped up. Tasuki just shrugged and followed. Nuriko, sensing the monk was on to something, followed.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Elizabeth was sitting on the rock which had been her hiding spot thinking over what she would say to Chichiri when they finally met. She was going to give him everything back. She even knew his mask was the most important thing she had of his. She\'d looked around her, taking in the surroundings, hoping there was something that would tell her what to do with them. She had a lot of power in her hands (so to speak). She took off the mask out of respect for Chichiri. It wasn\'t hers to wear and hide herself.

She thought about that, too. She wondered if she could get a mask like Chichiri\'s so she could hide her true emotions from everyone. Just as she was pulling the sleeves up to look at the scars she\'d been hiding from her family and friends, she heard hard footsteps racing toward her. \'It must be Chichiri coming for me. He sensed me.\'

She jumped back behind the rock just in time. Chichiri stopped right in front of the rock. "Come out, now! No da!"

Elizabeth didn\'t know what to do. She was saved when Tasuki and Nuriko stood panting by his side. "Man, there\'s no one there," Tasuki said, looking at the rock Chichiri was standing in front of. Elizabeth held her breath as he looked over the rock and right at her. "Nope. Ya talking ta yourself, Chiri." He walked back over to the monk, patted him on the shoulder, then turned to leave. Nuriko followed close beind. He didn\'t want to be left with Chichiri this angry, even if he wasn\'t as powerful without his staff and beads.

Chichiri, though, still stood staring at the rock like it was the one defying him. He then watched his friends leave until they were gone. He may not have been powerful, but he could still use his magic. He told himself he was protecting himself so his magic would have some power to it. He didn\'t care if he had to blow the rock up to get answers, but he was going to do what ever he had to. He started chanting. Elizabeth gasped and the chanting stopped. "I knew it. No da," Chichiri whispered. "Your life force is not very strong, little one. You can come out. No da. I promise not to hurt you if you come out now. No da." He addressed Elizabeth like she was a child.

Elizabeth, still not knowing how to explain herself to the monk, put the mask back into place and stood. Chichiri gasped this time. She figured she\'d just tell him what she knew. "Please, don\'t be afraid of me. My name is Elizabeth. I don\'t know how I got these, but I know there was some purpose to me having them. I will return them, but I must stay with you until I know why I\'m here," Elizabeth said, like it was a practiced speach.

Chichiri nodded and Elizabeth stepped toward him. First she placed the staff into his hands; next were the beads, which she put around his neck; then the hat, which she placed behind his head like she remembered from the second book in the series; last was the mask. She took the longest giving it back to him, though she didn\'t know why. She summed it up to jealousy; she still wanted to have the mask for herself. She took the earings off and handed them to the monk. "Tasuki could not see me. It is up to you to take them back to him for me," she explained when he looked puzzled. He nodded. "Shall we?" Elizabeth asked in a strained happy tone. The monk put the mask in place, also showing a fake smile, and they walked peacefuly back to the palace.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Tasuki was sitting alone when Chichiri got back. He looked at his monk friend and was shocked to see he had everything back. He stood up and walked to the tree Chichiri had stopped under. He held out his fist and Tasuki held out his open hand. Chichiri opened his hand and the earings fell into Tasuki\'s. He couldn\'t speak. His hand slowly curled around the earings and Chichiri was suddenly in a tight hug.

Elizabeth watched from afar, but not too far. She sighed. \'They are just so cute together,\' she thought. Before she could truely get used to the sight, though, Chichiri was walking away. He was angry, and Tasuki looked hurt. \'What did he do now?\' She ran to the monk to ask what had happened, but he acted like she wasn\'t there. She ended up face first into a door as he slammed it. \'Guess I\'ll have to find out from Tasuki.\' She sighed again, this time from frustration.

She walked to where she remembered Tasuki being left and wasn\'t surprised to find him not there. She followed the path again and found him sitting on the rock. Yes, the same rock from before. He was sitting with Hotohori this time.

"...You know I have nothing against it." Hotohori said.

"Against what?! I just did that to show him I was happy he found \'em!" Tasuki yelled.

"Did you tell him that?" Tasuki shook his head. Hotohori sighed. "Look, you know he has nothing against it either." Tasuki glared at him. "Well, if you did not you do now. I know he may not have shown it, but it\'s in his blood. He does love you like he loves the rest of his friends, and he would do anything to keep you out of harm. I do not know why he shoved you away and slapped you; it is not like him to do that. Why not let him cool off for a bit, then try talking to him."

Tasuki nodded, and Hotohori disappeared. Tasuki was alone to think about how to aproach Chichiri. Elizabeth left him, too. Maybe she could talk to Chichiri and get an answer.

~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: OK, so I didn\'t update the next day like I promised, but I didn\'t get any feedback. *glares* This chapter is a bit longer so I expect something.