I do not own FY, blah blah…I do own Karen, tra la la, read on…

Ps. Sorry if I misspell his name…it's just easier for me to write that…and more trouble to go fix it…sides, he will be called Hotohori for much of the fic. Sorry again!

A Sweet Tooth

Tasuki walked around the corner and saw a dressed figure run to Chiriko's room, "Yo! Empress!"

When the figure didn't stop to acknowledge him, he figured something was wrong and headed after it. Chiriko heard the voice and slid into the room, frantic to get the clothes off his body when the door opened quickly.

'Oh no.' Chiriko sighed as Tasuki started laughing hysterically.

"Yer idol is Nuriko!" Tasuki fell against the door frame as Chiriko changed into his own wardrobe.

"Not what it seems, Tasuki." he muttered.

"Sure kid, what'ver!" Tasuki snickered, still having a few chuckles as he headed out the door, "Don't ferg't yer beauty rest."

Chiriko grimaced as Tasuki walked down the hall. "I'll never live this down…but it was for the right thing. Unfortunately."

Back to Hotohori & Houki's Scene

Hotohori didn't want to let her go. He knew he left out with the rest of the seishi the next morning. And he needed his rest. But he also needed his woman in his arms. His wife with him in every breath. His love in his heart and him in hers.

He tightened his grip around her waist, the way he should have so many years prior. She smiled against his ear and pulled him as close as she could. "I will miss you."

Hotohori rubbed one of his hands against her back. The harsh feeling of Chiriko's jacket didn't matter to Houki as she felt the gentleness of her husband. The man she fell in love with. The one she stood by so many times. She was wondering where the magic of their love had disappeared to. Now, she knew. It didn't disappear, just hid a while to test their strength without each other. But they both knew, they were so much stronger together.

"I will do more than miss you, Houki." he promised.

Tasuki walked around the corner and saw Houki in Chiriko's clothes, "Whoa! Yer shaggin' Chiriko! Under Hotohori's nose!"

They broke apart quickly and looked at him strangely, "What?" Houki looked at her garb, "Oh, it's not what it looks like…"

"That's what the kid said! But I all yer wom'n tricks!" he pointed at her, "Bewitch'n!"

Karen walked towards Tasuki and stopped as he was accusing the empress of cheating on her husband. She was getting pissed off. She walked up and before Tasuki could say anything, she shoved him out of Hotohori and Houki's glances.

Hotohori looked to Houki strangely, "I assure you highness, I never have been unfaithful." she was afraid he would question her.

He shook his head, "No, but I think Karen may be stronger than Tasuki. In mind and in brute strength."

"Not to mention grammar." she giggled.

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"What was that fer!" Tasuki neared her.

"Do you have any idea what you could have done!" Karen yelled at him.

Tasuki grabbed her shoulders, "He deserves t' know!"

"She didn't cheat on him!" Karen pushed him away quickly and walked towards him, forcing him to take a few steps away from her female prowess walk. "Their marriage needs reinforcement, not a machete!"

"A wha?"

"Never mind you redneck!" she pointed and sneered, "You are the only guy I have -ever- met that wouldn't understand even just a part of a woman and her heart!"

Tasuki was about to say something as she pushed past him and stomped towards Nuriko and Chichiri and past them as well.

Tasuki looked at them, "Did I miss sumt'n?"

Nuriko sighed and Chichiri just shook his head. "You'll understand someday, Tasuki, you know?"

Tasuki sighed and shook his head in reflection of Chichiri, "Not wom'n."

Nuriko neared him first and pat his shoulder a bit, "We aren't hard to figure out. Just buy a few flowers and a piece of jewelry, and we'll be yours forever."

Chichiri chuckled some, "Not all women are like you Nuriko. It takes heart, not money."

Tasuki picked Nuriko's hand off his shoulder and glared at him, "Yer not even a wom'n, how do ya know what they like?"

Nuriko neared him and whispered, "Tasuki…the more important question is to you. Why do you want to know?" he winked and walked off to his room.

Tasuki looked at Nuriko and then back to Chichiri, "Either gay guys or wom'n, they're too much." he sighed.

Chichiri smirked some behind his mask, "It will come to you one day, Tasuki."

Tasuki watched as Chichiri walked towards his room in the same direction as Nuriko and shook his head again, walking in the direction of Karen's room when he figured out what he was going to do. He almost went to check on her! He frowned and threw his hands in front of him towards her door and walked to his own room and laid down in his bed, 'What a trip this will be.' he sighed and turned in his bed, laying on the right side.

Karen was laying on her bed as she turned the opposite way that Tasuki did in his bed on the opposite side on the left side as if they were both in the same bed, they'd be looking at each other. She frowned, 'What did I get myself into? How will I get home? Oh…Miaka, what will I do?'

She closed her eyes and drifted into sleep.

He closed his eyes and drifted into sleep.

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Hotohori and Houki got into bed. Hotohori was a bit afraid to put his arm around Houki again until she took it and rested it around her stomach, laying against his front.

Her hair toppled a bit but not enough to get into his face. He leaned his head into her neck and that's the way they slept the entire night.

Cuddling.

They didn't need anything else. Anyone else. They just needed this moment. Each other.

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Boushin peeked in on the sleeping parents and smiled, 'Karen Ha, you have much to teach us.' he bowed and went to his own room, laying down and drifting into sleep.

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Mitsukake looked out to the stars as Chichiri walked out of his room. "Can't sleep, Chichiri?"

"As much as you." Chichiri looked to Mitsukake who smiled a bit, "Do you feel strange?"

"Rejuvenated more so."

"Yes." Chichiri nodded and looked to the stars as Tama meowed a bit.

"I wonder why our powers seem stronger. Miaka was the true priestess and even so, the priestess can't enhance our powers. Do you think there is something strange about Karen Ha?"

Chichiri shrugged, "If there is, she doesn't know of it. Or at least she seemed not to be aware."

"Strange." Mitsukake sighed, "It may take a while to unleash her true power if it is her."

"She does seem to have a strange aura around her, doesn't she?" Nuriko's voice rang out.

The other two and the cat looked at him. "So you've noticed it as well?" Chichiri asked.

"Of course. Just because I don't have your monk like powers, or anything that has to do with healing, doesn't mean I can't sense a bit of power. I don't know why she was dragged here. But Suzaku wants her here for some reason that would no doubt benefit him and us, right?"

"Understandable…" Mitsukake scratched his chin a bit, "But why don't we know what she is?"

"Because she doesn't even know what she is." Chiriko's voice broke their conversation.

"Do you?" Nuriko asked.

"She seems to be a Yutiri." Chiriko looked at the other's faces and could tell they've never heard of it. "It's an ancient word of the Gods, they say. Yutiri are Godlike beings that know only pure heart, knowledge, and bravery."

"But that means she doesn't fear." Nuriko muttered, "And we know she does. She doesn't know why she's here."

"But perhaps she does not fear it?"

"She was afraid, you could almost feel her fear in the room when we were testing." Chichiri pointed out.

Chiriko frowned, "I'll have to do more research. But that's what fits her best now."

"But wouldn't she know if she was a Yu…whatever." Nuriko shook his hand around.

Mitsukake thought a moment, "Perhaps, but if she was never told, she does have a high chance of not knowing what she is, what she is capable of."

"But we don't know if she's a Yutiri." Chiriko reminded them.

"True." Chichiri frowned, "She is quite a puzzle."

"Perhaps she is not a Yutiri?" Taitsukun appeared before them.

The others looked at her strangely, "Then what could she be Taitsukun?" Nuriko asked.

The old woman smiled, Nyan Nyan flew around, "We don't know but new priestess not a Yutiri!"

Chichiri looked on with bewilderment, "Why not?"

Nyan Nyan smiled, "Because she has hate in her heart. Dwelling!"

The others exchanged shocked faces, "Oh?" Chiriko asked.

Taitsukun nodded, "She despises someone very much, probably in her own world for pain she suffered years ago. She cannot be a Yutiri and possess such a strong feeling."

"Then what could she be?" Nuriko asked.

"Perhaps she is a normal human, perhaps she is more." Taitsukun was being vaguer than vague yet again!

Nuriko sighed, "Can't you at least tell us what happened to her?"

Chichiri shook his head, "It's not her place. It's Karen's job to release her fears and worries to us so we can help her more."

"What if she told Tasuki?" Chiriko asked, "I saw them argue a bit."

Nuriko shook his head, "A girl wouldn't just blab it out like that. At least not a girl like Karen. She'd wait till the last moment that we needed to know."

Mitsukake nodded, "However, maybe she told Tasuki accidently? Unintentionally?"

"Taitsukun? Can't you give us a fancy ball and help us out again?" Nuriko batted his eyes.

The older woman shook her head, "No. Come, Nyan Nyan." they vanished.

"Hmm…that was odd. We need to figure out what's wrong with Karen." Nuriko said.

"Ya know, it's rude t' talk 'bout someone behind their back." They turned to see Tasuki with Karen behind him with eyes of sadness.

"There is nothing wrong with me." she ran off away from them out the palace gates. The guards tried to stop her but she dodged them as she made her way out of the safety of the walls.

Tasuki glared at the others, "Maybe ya guys should discuss it like real men?" he muttered and turned to go after Karen.

The others looked at each other shamefully, "No wonder Taitsukun vanished." Nuriko sighed.

"Should we follow?" Chiriko asked.

"I think Tasuki has it under control." Chichiri pointed as Tasuki made a dust path as he ran after Karen.

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Karen ran through the streets, dark and deserted. She wondered where everyone was. It wasn't even midnight! Her town would still be hopping. But she wasn't home, she didn't even know how to pinpoint her exact location on a map unless she saw the palace on it and was actually there.

A few men grabbed at her arms and pulled her into the alley. She screamed before they muffled her with a rag.

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Tasuki heard the scream and knew it was her. His feet fell more swifter and gracefully upon the ground, not making a sound except for wind off a "wing."

He skidded around and hopped on top of the wall as they were having a bit of trouble keeping Karen at bay.

She kicked at them and punched at them. Muffled screams and tears were unnoticed by everyone but Tasuki.

He jumped down and crashed down on the gang, missing Karen by a few hairs.

She froze and fell into the wall as he instantly fought them off and tore the rag away from her mouth, holding his fan out he glared, a few flames lit up to show his face. "If you touch her again, I will kill you." he promised.

The men paled and ran for the hills. Karen fell on the ground, bringing her knees up to her chest and hiding her face in them.

He looked down at her, kneeling down beside her, the flicker of flames still lit to show him what they did to her. She looked up at him strangely as he tilted her head up with his hand way too gently for any bandit. He saw a bit of blood from her lip and her eye was starting to swell a bit.

He sighed and stood up. Holding his free hand out to her, "Come on, let's get you cleaned up." he muttered. As they walked towards the palace, Karen looked at Tasuki a few times and then he broke the silence, "What?"

She looked down some, "Thank you."

Tasuki was confused as he smirked, "No prob."

"Tasuki?"

He looked down to her, "Yea kid?"

She looked at him, "You can speak proper, why do you not do it all the time?"

Tasuki smirked, "I'm leader of the bandits. I can't let anyone know I can actually read." he glared at her playfully, "So don't let them know, aight?"

She grinned at his slang and nodded, "Alright. Promise." she looked towards the palace and then stopped, "I don't want to go back." she looked down.

He paused mistep and looked at her, "Why not?"

"They don't trust me."

Tasuki felt for her, he wouldn't admit it. But he did. After what she had overheard, he didn't blame her for not trusting the others for not trusting her. "Where would you like to go?"

"Home." she sighed, "But I don't know how."

Tasuki smirked, "Well that's easy. We can summon Suzaku after we go on the little journey and then you'll be shipped back as fast as ya came!"

She looked at him and smiled some, "Thanks. I feel a bit better. But I don't want to go with them." she indicated to the four seishi standing at the palace entrance.

Tasuki cracked his neck and touched Karen's shoulder in a brother like manner of his bandits, "Let me get a few things, and I'll take you out to eat or something."

"You mean there are places here open now?" she asked, surprised.

Tasuki smirked, "There are if you're me." he walked towards the palace.

"Tasuki, don't do that." she whispered and he turned back to her. She looked at him, "I don't want to ruin anyone's night."

Tasuki walked back to her and shook his head, "Fine, even though yours was, we'll find someplace that is still open. I know of a few places but they aren't where a real lady should be." he muttered.

Karen smiled, "That's alright. Thanks for the concern though." she watched him turn away, muttering about how stupid women were as he walked back to the palace, talked to the others a bit and walked past them.

The others watched her, making sure no one was messing with her again. Karen felt a bit better and then a bit watched.

She looked down and smiled again, 'Tasuki sure is going out of his way to help me. Perhaps he's not all that bad anyway…and I treated him so badly early.' she sighed as he walked up with a sack on his shoulder.

"What's that for?" she asked as he led her around town.

"Extra clothes for us and some money." he smirked and strutted down the alleys with her close to his side in fear someone would mess with them.

"How long do you think we'll be out?" she asked.

"I don't know." he muttered and looked at the old bar and hotel that was still open all night for travelers. "But if you don't feel like going back, you're going to need a change of clothes for the night and tomorrow."

"Tasuki?" she made him look at her with her voice.

He looked to her, "Yea?"

"Thanks." she smiled.

"No prob." he repeated like it was de ja vu.

She looked at him strangely, "And Tasuki?"

"Yea?" he looked over to the door and went to open it for her.

"Did you bring me another bra?"

"A what?" he looked at her strangely.

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Woohoo, ok…that chap is done…sorry, tryin to keep a few stories goin at once…it's a pain in the ass…

Yep, Tasuki can have good grammar…(cuz my word processor is hating me and has all these lil red scribblies all the time haha and it's easier for me to type)…-not to mention it's been a while, I'm sure he's picked up a bit of good talking techniques over the course of Miaka and Mayo and the years after. And Karen is about 25ish…yea. Young still but hey, this is Tasuki:-P he's still a kid at heart.

What do you think? Reviews please!

kage1586