A/N: I don't own any of the lyrics quotes or the characters except the original characters, which are far and few between. I realise after reading Genbu Kaiden that any of the Genbu Seishi I have appear here will not be consistent with the canon story. This is because I wrote most of this before I ever read that series and it's too late to change anything. Any Genbu character appearing post-chapter 39 for the first time will be more accurate than the others are at this time.

I also advise anyone with a weak stomach not to read this. It's got many graphic parts and it's suited for mature audiences.

I wish for my readers to note that there is now a 4-part prologue, spanning chapters 1-4. Everything else is the same from chapter 5 and onward. I had wrote this prologue as an afterthought because I started to add stuff to the story without justification. This will hopefully explain everything.

Glimpse Into the Past: Part 1

Believe it or not, everyone have things that they hide
Believe it or not, everyone keeps most things inside
Believe it or not, everyone, believe in something above
Believe it or not, everyone, need to feel loved

(Believe It or Not, The Long Road, Nickelback)

She tossed around in her sleep.

She kept seeing his face; the face of a young boy, to whom she had meant the world.

She kept seeing his face; the soft smile as he tried to become her friend.

And yet…she pushed him away. In her wake and in her sleep, her heart was heavy with regret for what she had done. She had lost her best friend to a stupid senseless rivalry and lost another one because she had refused to let him come close to her.

The only moment she didn't regret was the few moments before the summoning in which he held her close, whispering comforting words of reassurance into her ear, telling her that it would be all right and that he would hold her gently until she was no longer shaking and felt better.

It had been the first time she had felt comfortable in a long time and in a warm embrace, but now she had lost it all.

She got back her best friend, but she knew she had to work to prove herself loyal again, despite what her friend kept saying.

Waving her hand in front of her best friend's face, Yuuki Miaka aggressively snapped her fingers at her best friend. "Yui-chan? Yui-chan!" It was obvious her friend was not paying attention.

Shaking her head, Hongou Yui gaze up from her notebook, on which she had been tapping her pen, staring absently at the page, as the friends sat in the school library, preparing for upcoming entrance exams. The first exam was for Jonan Academy and it was in the coming weeks.

"Uh…yes?"

"You're spacing out and you're supposed to be helping me with English!" Miaka plaintively wailed, giving her best simpering gaze, accompanied by shimmering puppy eyes.

Yui winced. She hated it when Miaka did this. She sighed and relented. "Fine… Let's start with present tense verbs."

"Verbs? But I hate verbs! I can't even stand Japanese verbs!" Miaka whined. She hated studying, but she wanted to get into a good school. She wanted to make her mother happy and if it meant studying until she was blue in the face, then so be it.

Growling softly, Yui cast a long deathly gaze at Miaka. "You're the one who wanted my help with English!"

"Well, I do! But I didn't need you to space out."

"I wasn't spacing out! I… I was in deep contemplation."

"Oh yeah? What're you thinking about?" Miaka purred, as she leaned in, knowing that it would be good, since Yui never spaced out.

Cocking a sceptical eyebrow at Miaka, she shrugged and offered something of a monosyllabic grunt.

Poking her friend, Miaka inquired, "you're thinking about Tetsuya-san, aren't you?"

Yui stared at her, appalled. "Miaka! I've only known him a few days! And at that, I'm not sure if I'd want to date him anyway. He's a little too old for me. I mean, he's as old as Keisuke."

"So?" Miaka pressed.

"So? So?" Yui exclaimed shocked.

"So, what difference does five years make? Oniichan is only twenty years old…" Miaka replied, as she inattentively doodled on the page.

Groaning, Yui stood up, closing her books. "I'm not going to discuss this further, and it's getting late. I told Okaasan I'd make supper."

"You're making supper?" Miaka's eyes glazed over dreamily. "Can I come?"

"Don't you have to be home for supper?" Yui asked as she placed her books in her bag.

Miaka moaned softly. "But Oniichan is cooking tonight and I hate it when he cooks!"

Yui smirked. "Because he has the same cooking skills as you?"

Miaka pouted and wordlessly put her books in her school bag.

She followed Yui out of the school.

As they walked along the side walk to the bus stop at the nearest main intersection, Miaka's gaze travelled side ways over to a street lamp that flickered on, as the sun set to the west. She blinked, noticing a figure standing underneath the flickering amber light.

She peered closely. 'What the…?'

She tapped Yui on the shoulder. "Look over there!" She pointed. "Is it me or…"

"What?" Yui cast a cursory glance to where Miaka was pointing, but as she glanced over, the young man standing there that caught Miaka's attention seemed to vanish into thin air.

"What am I supposed to be seeing?"

"Uh…he was there a minute ago…"

"Seeing Tamahome again?"

"No… It was…it looked like Suboshi."

"But you told me he died."

"I thought so too!"

Rolling her eyes, Yui turned her gaze back ahead, not believing Miaka. But yet, she couldn't shake the feeling. She remembered Miaka's recount of Suboshi's death, so him being alive was not possible. The gods weren't that kind. They were after all, gods, and being gods, they often didn't listen to the smallest and humblest of wishes.

The rode in silence.

Miaka kept gazing around as though looking for someone, but stopped upon confirming that it had been all in her head, and bidding her friend a good evening, she pulled the cord for her stop and stepping off the bus as it ground to a halt at her stop, she pranced down the steps, bumping into her brother.

"Oniichan!"

Yuuki Keisuke smiled. "Staying late and studying?"

"Yeah…"

He nodded and stretched back as the siblings wandered towards their home.

"Oniichan…you mentioned the new guy at the history club?"

"Yeah, the reticent guy who never says a thing."

"You said he knows Shijin Tenchisho…?"

"Yeah, I thought it was odd."

"Because I think, I saw who might've been Suboshi. He had been standing outside of the school, but when I tried to tell Yui-chan, and looked back, he was gone."

Keisuke's brow furrowed. "I can't say for sure. Neither Tetsuya nor I have ever seen the guy. We don't even know his name. The only thing we know about him, besides him being a linguistics major is that he is multi-lingual."

Taking out his key, he inserted it into the keyhole unlocking the door. He let Miaka walk ahead of him.

Taking off her shoes, she peered over at him. "But if he knows so much…"

"Anything is possible Miaka."

Musing to herself for a moment, she turned to him. "Do you know his time table?"

"Miaka, forget about it. The guy is an anti-social bastard, whose favourite pastime is pissing off Tetsuya."

She scowled. She was determined to find out who the new guy was. If it was who she thought it was, maybe she could get him to help pull Yui out of her moody slump.

Walking to the kitchen, Keisuke paused at the door. "Oh and if you speak to Yui tonight, can you tell her Tetsuya wants to talk to her? He's interested in dating her."

Miaka shrugged. She didn't mind her brother's best friend. She just didn't believe that Tetsuya was the right guy for Yui.

She waited until Keisuke had gone into the kitchen to prepare supper, before she slipped into his room and began to rifle through his binder, in search of either his time table or some sort of information regarding the history club. She was not about to give up easily. If it was indeed Suboshi, then there had to be a chance that Tamahome was also around.

'But, he died…so…why?' she wondered as she continued to search.

She paused as she pulled out a page from her brother's binder about Buddhist beliefs and scanning it, gasped, as she read the passage about reincarnation.

It dawned on her suddenly. 'If I'm seeing him, it's not him, but possibly his reincarnation! The book was closed after Nakago died! The others had been sent back! So, it can only mean that they were reincarnated into this world…'

Hastily she replaced the page back into her brother's binder as she heard him calling for supper.

Two young men sat in a room with a dim light. The majority of their light was the deep rich light of the twilight as the sun regressed over the city's horizon.

One of the two sat at the back, his back to the window. The other, sat just to the side.

They were alone, as the third member was absent due to a head cold that had been going around campus and other schools and workplaces in the city.

Absently, Keisuke reached into the small fridge and pulled out a can of domestic beer. He popped the top and placed his on the table. He would've offered one to his companion, but the guy had made it clear he drank only Danish, German and Irish beer.

Passing Tenchisho back, the guy, who had been at the history club for the last few months, offered up something of a monosyllabic grunt, as Keisuke gazed at him curiously, hoping for something of a less than uninformative response.

"If you're going to stay here, the least you could do is tell me your name, guy."

The young man grunted. "I see no point in that."

"You've been here since the start of the semester and you've barely said anything and all you do is grunt!"

"I don't see a problem with that."

"I've given you my name!"

"I know you have Keisuke." The young man replied, a coy smirk tugging playfully at his lips. "Though unlike your sister, you don't know when to give up. You have the manners of bacteria."

Keisuke glared at him, and the young man smirked.

"If you want me to talk, I'll talk, Keisuke, but it won't be nice. You will hear what I want you to hear and it won't be nice, because, I'll shatter the reality of everything you've ever believed in. After all, your beliefs are worthless. You worship a litany of false gods and are a sinner; unbaptised."

Keisuke bristled. The guy was not only reticent; he was also an incredible asshole!

"Look here! I don't know what you think you are, but you have no right to say that kind of thing about me!"

"I'll say whatever I damn well please. You were always just fifth business; the fourth estate. You never were a true player."

"What the hell does that mean?"

The young man stood up and reached up where the light hung over head.

"I unscrewed this light bulb when I came here. But you're quite persistent. You want to know who I am…so, I'll tell you." He replied icily. "Though it does confirm one thing."

"What?"

"Suzaku no Miko knows how to keep a secret…especially when she gets what she wants."

Chills ran down Keisuke's spine. The voice drilled deeply into his soul.

His eyes shot up as the young man finished screwing in the light bulb.

The light flickered on meekly.

"You wanted to know the truth, well, now you do…and, the consequences are deadly…especially for Tetsuya should he incur my ire."

Keisuke was at a loss for words as he stared in horrified shock at the young man. "Suboshi…"

"Well, see, you know my name, or at least my alias."

"But…but…didn't you…"

"Suicide only works once."

It had been a few days since he had spoken to Keisuke face to face.

It was a bright day out, and he was currently on his work shift at the campus café, when the manager approached him.

"O'Kelly, there's a new guy here. He's starting here today. Help him out." The manager, Souma, said sternly, as he moved in order for the young man to step forward.

Shannon O'Kelly, alias, Suboshi, bristled, his expression darkening as he laid sights on the new guy.

The new guy held out his hand and smiled warmly. "Hi, I'm Sukanami Taka,"

Shannon sceptically regarded Taka (or rather, to him, Tamahome) with a hint of irritation to his expression.

He reluctantly held out his hand. "O'Kelly Shannon." He replied coldly before he picked up the tray and headed out to the front patio.

It wasn't busy at the moment, so placing the order down on the table; he sat adjacent to the young woman who had placed the order.

She leaned forward and smiled. "I didn't even have to remind you!"

Shannon shrugged. "You're a shameless glutton, but at least you're consistent."

Miaka nodded as she shoved food in her mouth.

Smirking, he remarked, as he stared up. "I'd never thought I'd be sitting with a former enemy and on good terms."

She tried to reply but her words were muffled by the food stuffed in her mouth.

He shook his head. "Either eat or talk…" he paused for a moment and leaned forward. "Your brother is a pain in the ass…"

She gazed up. "Oniichan is only concerned…though you did kind of freak him out, Su...—Shannon." Even after all those months, she was still having a hard time remembering his new name. Of course, it didn't help that it was polysyllabic and that it had unfamiliar combinations of characters.

Her expression grew sombre. "And you know he's really concerned about what'd happen if Tetsuya-san ever found you out…"

Shannon arched an eyebrow.

"You see…Tetsuya-san, while he's nice, is very jealous. I know he hated seeing guys looking a certain way at Yui-chan, even before they were dating." Miaka mused softly, as she sipped the tea.

It pained him every time Miaka would mention Yui's name.

Her face flashed before his eyes and his heart felt heavy with remorseful regret. He longed for her. He knew that his memories were delusions and his dreams were more than dreams. He had confirmed this when he met his twin brother for the first time.

He closed his eyes, feeling greatly discomforted at the mention of Yui's name.

To him, she was the embodiment of everything he loved, but, he knew deep within the depths of his soul, she hated him with a passion.

Miaka leaned in. "Shannon, are you ok? You react in the same strange manner every time I mention Yui-chan's name."

He sighed. "Miaka…it's…well… It's not that my feelings for her have changed…it's…it's…" he shook his head, his voice cracking ever slightly. "I… It hurts me deeply every time I hear her name because I have only two good memories of her; the first time I felt fine after Koutoku died and the second at the summoning. Every other time, I felt her seething hatred of me. She was probably happy when I died…"

Miaka glared at him. Pounding her fists on the table, she stood up, leaning forward aggressively. "Stop feeling sorry for yourself! She doesn't hate you, and even if she did, she was never happy about any of her Seishi dying, least of all you!"

Shannon snorted derisively. As sincere as Miaka was, he believed that she was just being a true friend to Yui and covering for her friend's shortcomings.

She reached over and grabbed him by the collar. "Listen to me and listen well – Yui-chan does not hate you! You're the only Seishi she misses! You were a friend to her when I couldn't be! Snap out of it, Suboshi!"

The new waiter, Taka, who was nearby hadn't heard any of the conversation and consequently found the girl's actions not only aggressive but unnecessarily violent. He also found it amusing that Shannon could sit there so calmly taking the girl's abuse.

Standing up, Shannon took Miaka's hands in his and removed them from his collar. "Ok, ok, I get it." He sighed. The girl really needed an antidote to her lack thereof Tamahome in her life…

He smirked as he laid eyes on Taka, who turned away, creep out by the evil mirth dancing in his colleague's eyes. 'The guy doesn't have his memories, but his chi is very clear… He is indeed the reincarnation of Tamahome.'

Miaka folded her arms over her chest. "You know…it would make Yui feel better if…"

"If you could date Tamahome."

She blinked. "Excuse me?"

He leaned on her, a soft amused chuckle escaping him. "Look over there. That guy, Sukanami Taka, my new colleague, is not just any asshole. He is Tamahome. His chi signature is the same as before. There is only one problem…"

"Oh?" Miaka had quickly forgotten about bringing Shannon to meet Yui.

"He doesn't have his memories. He was very friendly when he greeted me, though I'll have to see when we're alone, though, I do believe he does lack the memories because when I looked into his eyes, searching for signs of Tamahome, I found that he wasn't glaring at me with the same familiar contempt…"

"So, he doesn't remember…" she remarked sadly.

Shannon smirked. "I don't think that's such a problem. I'm sure you'd spark something in him that'd make him remember…."

Miaka smiled softly and nodded. She had never thought she'd be friends with a former enemy, especially one that tried to kill her. It was obvious he'd change.

"Oi! O'Kelly! Isn't your break over? Stop getting chummy with your girlfriend." Taka remarked simply, brushed past carrying a tray of dirty dishes in.

Glaring at Taka's back, he retorted, "she isn't my girlfriend! For one thing, she's not my type and secondly, she's a bloody minor!"

Shaking his head, he ruffled Miaka's hair. "I got to go…my new colleague's being anal." He winked. "Don't worry; I'll work him over for you."

"Uh…no brass knuckles please…" Miaka snickered, as she watched him playfully punched his fist into the palm of his other hand.

"I save those for the Protestants."

Miaka laughed uneasily. That was the one thing she didn't feel comfortable with – the fact that Shannon had no problem with taking another human's life over religion. It scared her, but, yet, she didn't feel scared by his presence.

Picking up her bag, she waved as she prepared to leave, but stopped. Placing it down, she ran over, narrowly missing tripping over a loose tile.

"I forgot…"

"Hmn?" he looked up from the dishes he was cleaning.

"Can you help me with English tonight?"

"Doesn't…she help you with it?"

"Yui-chan is ok with English, but you speak it as your first language."

"Uh…actually…"

Miaka blinked at him sweetly. "Yes?"

"My first language is Gaelic."

She blinked perplexedly.

"It's spoken in Ireland."

"Then English is your…"

"Fourth language."

"Fourth?"

"After German and Latin."

"Isn't Latin a dead language?"

He shrugged.

"So that makes Japanese…"

"My fifth language."

She smiled sweetly. "How fluent are you?"

"Very…"

"You're familiar with Kanji?"

"Very. I speak and write Mandarin."

"Then you'll also help me with my Japanese homework? Sensei is going to fail me if I can't learn more Kanji." Miaka wailed.

Shannon laughed evilly. "You're relying on a guy who doesn't speak Japanese as his first language to help you with more than English homework? Fine…just as long as I don't have to help you with science."

"HA! You're lucky, that's my good subject! Even Yui-chan doesn't have to tutor me there! I enjoy it!" Miaka declared gleefully then added, "only because there are labs and its hands on. I hate classes where Sensei just blathers."

Shannon groaned. He had already been tutoring her in math. He didn't need to help her with yet more homework. At this rate he'd never get his own done, or even be able to do any work for his lucrative position in the Interpol (they knew better than to try and put him behind bars – paying him was one way to get his cooperation).

Miaka smiled brightly. "Great! I'll be at your loft at the usual time tonight!"

He nodded and feebly waved.

Turning, he crashed right into Taka, who smirked at him and sneered, "study session? Let's be realistic – two of you alone in your apartment spells steamy passion and you can't deny it!"

Growling softly, Shannon seethed, "Sukanami, she isn't my girlfriend! I have no interest in girls!"

"Flaming homosexual, eh…"

"No interest in guys either."

"Aw, I don't turn you on even the slightest..." Taka remarked with biting sarcasm.

'Must resist the urge…must resist the urge…' the vein in his forehead pulsated as he suppressed the urge he was feeling to deck Taka.

Placing down the tray of dishes he had just cleaned, he rested an arm on Shannon's shoulder. "Level with me, O'Kelly, do you honestly have no feelings for her? There was a kind of passion between you two."

"No I don't." Shannon replied icily. "And even if I had any, they'd be brotherly. She's a kid still. Granted she has a nice body, but she's a kid, Sukanami!"

"C'mon, you can't be more than sixteen, seventeen…"

"I'm twenty."

"She is…"

"Fifteen last I checked."

"It's not that big of a difference and the way she was looking at you…"

"Sukanami, she was never looking at me. She was looking at someone else."

Taka arched an eyebrow.

"She was looking at you."

Taka blinked and laughed uproariously. "That's rich! Then again…I do have it working for me." He boosted arrogantly.

Shannon groaned. 'What the hell did Miaka ever see in this asshole?'

Smugly, Taka added, "and even if she is, why would I be interested in her. She's an underdeveloped squealing schoolgirl. She's not my type and that dumpling hairstyle is so unoriginal.

"The next time you see her; tell her not to look at me. I'm not interested in her."

Shannon bristled; anger pumping through his blood. 'If I wasn't so intent in repenting for my previous actions and feeling regret and remorse for killing your family in cold blood, I'd murder you right now! I can't believe I was prepared to offer you peace! You may not have your memories, but now I have not only this but the past as well…'

He didn't know if he could stand being around Taka and slipped out the back after faking a headache to the manager.

His body shook with seething anger. He couldn't shake Taka's words from his head. They bored into the depths of his soul. He felt close to Miaka, and was thankful she hadn't heard an iota of those cold words. But, he felt badly for her nonetheless.

'How can he be such an asshole? That is not the guy Miaka longs for! I'm a better guy that Taka and I'm royally fucked up beyond repair!' He thought bitterly, as he gazed up, realising that he was standing in front of the history club room.

He peered in and blinked. Opening the door, he walked over and picked up Shijin Tenchisho, but dropped it right away. It burnt his hand.

'What the…' He wondered, gazing at the glowing book.

The red light that had been emitting from it broke sudden, the symbols of the seven Suzaku Seishi shattering in thin air.

He thought he was hearing a faint deep voice reciting something of a deep incantation.

He again reached for it, but a green light glowed and he watched as the process repeated itself and then again for a white light.

He reached but then paused. No light was shining through.

Hesitantly he picked it up and a blue light burst from it, but he didn't feel compelled to drop it. He could clearly hear the voice of the magician.

'This person is trying to destroy the four pillars; the gates of the four gods! It's going to destroy Seiryuu! It's going to hurt the priestesses! I can't let it take the last one! God! Don't let evil do what Nakago and Miboshi failed to do! Give me the power to stop this!'

He opened it up, the blue light jumping out.

The light then floated in front of him and materialised in the form of a rosary. The beads were a deep rich velvet blue. The tassel on the end was a soft gold and the cross was silver. The rosary then landed in his hand.

The rosary ceased glowing and the light retreated into the book and it closed itself.

Staring at the rosary, he moved it through his fingers before placing it into his pocket.

He then picked up the book and flipped through the pages. The text was blacked out; all parts of it, except that which pertained to Seiryuu.

'Something is trying to destroy the whole world, but they're failing and only now Seiryuu remains…' He pulled the rosary out of his pocket. 'Could it be? Could it be that they've finally started to get their act together?'

He twisted it in his hands. 'But that means that if the other three are down; the others have their power, but are weakened! They won't be able to fight; leaving only the Seiryuu Seishi as the only potential fighters. And only…and only…'

He winced. 'Yui would be able to summon the god to undo this…'