A/N: Mature content ahead. Reader discretion is advised. ~Halo

Episode Four

Atsuna hummed an upbeat tune as she walked down the hall of the Mt. Reikaku hideout. Sunshine gleamed into the windows, warming her skin. It was a gorgeous day on the mountain. She thought about taking a walk down into the nearby village to see if there was anything they needed help with. She couldn't help but be in a good mood as the sun glowed in all its glory against a cloudless cerulean sky. It was the perfect time of day.

"Mornin', Miss Atsuna," one of the patrolling bandits said in greeting.

"Good morning to you," she replied, nodding her head slightly in greeting. She walked around the corner, hoping to find one particular bandit to see if he would have the opportunity to join her for a leisurely walk around the mountain.

A hand clapped over her wrist, hurriedly jerking her into a nearby room. With a rushed gasp, Atsuna stumbled inside. Her body twirled around and within seconds found herself shoved against the wall. A hard body slammed against hers, and just as she opened her eyes to catch her assailant, lips crushed hers like a tsunami. A rabid tongue slid into her mouth, tangling with hers in a hurried need to taste her.

Familiar rough hands grabbed at her clothing, yanking the annoying articles from her fidgeting body. As his hands continued their vigorous work in effectively ripping the fabric as if they were made of flimsy paper, his mouth left hers for a moment, finding the shell of her ear.

Atsuna listened to the rasp of his breathing as his tongue flicked against her ear, sending a wave of trembles down her body. Her arms finally came around his back, fingers clawing into the thick material of his coat. She opened her eyes slowly, her vision attacked with tangerine locks of hair that only one person in the world adorned. "Tasuki."

"Ya know, I don't think we've ever made love in this room," the bandit's voice growled. "I think we should fix that right now."

Atsuna felt her cheeks flush, like a flame teasing her skin. Her eyes made a quick pass of the room over Tasuki's shoulder. "This is Koji's room," she informed in a whisper. Brows furrowed. "We can't do that in here. It's improper. Koji could come at any time."

Tasuki's hands slid under her torn shirt, pulling it over her head. "He's on rounds," he replied. He molded a palm over her breast, rousing a moan from between her parted lips. "He won't be comin' back for a bit. An' besides…" He dragged his tongue over his mouth, a grin perched high on his face. "It turns me on that he could come in here while I'm takin' ya."

Atsuna's heart fluttered against her chest at his words. Damn him for turning her into a pile of mush within a matter of seconds. He had a way with words, so much that he quite effectively took away any ability she had to form them. Instead, she watched him fall to his knees before her, fingers curling into the band of her pants, and shimmied them down her curvy hips. "Tasuki."

Said man chuckled as he gently, and somewhat torturously, slid her ankles out of her clothing, leaving her quite naked to his eye. No undergarments? She was testing his control rather readily. He pushed himself back to his feet and shed himself of his jacket, his shirt, his trousers. He left his boots on. His hands found the back of her knees within seconds, jerking her from the floor until her legs wrapped around his waist for stability, her arms snaked around his neck.

"I've heard how comfy Koji's bed is," Tasuki started as he purposefully pressed his body against hers, hot to the touch, hotter than any flame he could possess. "I think we should test it, give it our stamp of approval."

Atsuna felt him walking her towards the other side of the room, to Koji's bed, no doubt. "We can't, Tasuki," she scolded. "It's unacceptable. How would you feel if someone came into our room and made love on our bed?"

Tasuki all but threw her on Koji's bed, following her closely with hands propped up on either side of her head. "None o' these guys even have a woman to worry about doin' that, so ya can't use that as an excuse. An' if yer stupid enough to leave yer door open, then the room's fair game. That's Koji's stupid fault. It just tempts me even more."

A hungry mouth found her neck, pressing suckling kisses along her drumming pulse. "This is wrong," she mumbled as she adjusted her legs so Tasuki could settle himself between them.

"That's why it feels so damn good," Tasuki replied against her skin. His hand dipped between her legs, feeling the dampness on her nether curls. "An' from the feel of things, it doesn't seem like ya really think it's wrong. Ya want me."

Atsuna drew in her bottom lip, the feeling of his fingers teasingly grazing against her aching center almost too much to bear. Yes, she did want him, but no, she didn't wish to defile Koji's bed sheets. But it appeared that she had little choice in the matter. Her control would not allow it, nor would her patience.

The bandit's lips danced their way down her neck, circling her nipples once, twice, before continuing their southern journey down her belly. His tongue swirled inside her belly button before moving down, down, and down further…

Fingers clawed his hair, jerking his head up. Atsuna was staring down at him, cheeks fully heated and colored crimson. "Don't," she hissed.

Licking his lips, Tasuki's grin couldn't have possibly gotten any wider. Except that it did. "What? Ya know ya like when I do that."

"Exactly," Atsuna snapped. "You know I have a certain lack of control where that's concerned. I don't want the entire hideout drawn over here."

Eyebrows wagged atop his forehead. "So then that means yer gonna give up an' just have our fun?"

Atsuna opened her mouth, prepared to offer him a rebuke, but she knew just as well as he did that she had become a slave to her body's needs. She sighed deeply and relaxed back on the pillow, readying herself for what was to come.

"Yeah. That's more like it," Tasuki said, happy with her submission as he crawled over her body, pulling her leg up towards her chest. His erection grazed her damp opening, rousing a hiss of air through her teeth. Her hips picked up from the mattress, prompting his manhood to rub upwards against her entrance. Even such a straightforward stroke was enough to send ripples down her spine.

And it was enough to send Tasuki's control reeling out the nearby window. No more taunting. No more teasing. He pulled her leg back several inches further and slid himself decadently inside her. He couldn't help but sigh at the instant relief it granted him.

At the moment that Tasuki entered her body, Atsuna no longer cared where they were, no longer cared who heard when she eventually cried out her bandit's name. Such was always the case.

In a quickened waltz, Tasuki thrust to the notes playing in his mind, mirroring the rapid beating of his heart against the expanse of his chest. Her muscles, tight and wet, wrapped around him like a fist, clenching and tensing deliciously. His eyes found hers, already glazed over with need. Her breasts rose and fell with each erratic, deep breath. He could tell she was desperately trying to keep her whimpering, her moans, her screams at bay.

Well, he wouldn't have that.

Bending down and halting his movements in an outward thrust, he cupped his fingers over her chin, angling her face towards his. "Scream fer me," he rasped. "I wanna hear everythin'. I wanna know what I do to ya."

Atsuna wriggled her bottom half against his, urging him to continue his thrusting. "Don't you dare stop, not when you started this," she nearly growled.

A chuckle rumbled through his throat. His mouth found her neck, suckling gently. "Baby, I don't think I could ever stop makin' love to ya. It's the best feelin' in the world, feelin' ya move under me, listenin' to ya pant an' cry fer me. I'd be a dumbass to stop." And with that, he wrapped an arm under her back, spinning them around until she was perfectly seated on his lap, he now on his back and his hands fitted on her hips. "Why don't ya go ahead? I wanna watch ya."

She planted her palms on his chest and danced upon his erection. She bit down on her bottom lip, sliding back and forth, up and down until her reservations snapped and she released a heavy, contented moan.

Watching her, hearing her give in was just too much of an ego booster for the bandit leader. His hands moved around to her behind, holding on and giving her a bit of aid as she continued to move harder, faster, the need for her climax rising within her belly like an oil-fed flame.

Within the next long minutes as she danced over him, rubbing and grinding, Atsuna felt multiple sparks flicker to life inside her and everything seemed to snap like an array of twigs under heavy feet. Craning her head, her neck forming a perfect arch, she cried out the bandit's name, the second syllable drawn out as her body jerked over his, her climax washing over and drowning her world in pleasurable nothingness.

Limbs no longer wishing to heed the call of her brain, Atsuna collapsed over him, despite the fact the bandit had not yet reached his own orgasm. His hands were still fitted firmly over her buttocks, and now that she was immobile with exhaustion, he bucked his hips to meet up with hers, inching himself even further into his own cataclysmic end.

"Don't stop until you get there," Atsuna whispered in his ear, her fingers curling over his shoulders.

The bandit didn't have to be told twice. Recalling the fire in her eyes as she came, feeling her own orgasm still wrapping him in a slick wetness propelled him to the edge. With three more thrusts, he pushed himself over with a long, masculine grunt, spilling himself deep into her womb with violent, trembling jerks meant to rattle her even in her satisfied state.

Damn. He needed that.

Tasuki wrapped his arms around Atsuna's back, keeping her dewed body tight against his as she summoned her breath, his manhood still fitted deep inside her body. "Now, ya can't say I don't have good ideas," he said with a chuckle.

Atsuna giggled, a finger tracing gentle circles on his chest. "You don't need your ego stroked any further, so I choose not to respond to that."

"Well, fine," the bandit replied with a toothy grin. Licking his lips, he gently pulled himself from her body. "But ya know, I think we should leave the bed just like this so when Koji gets back from his rounds, he can figure out fer himself that I had ya right on his bed. I can just imagine all the visuals he'll get. He'll thank me fer it later."

Atsuna slapped her palm against his arm. "That's not funny," she scolded. "We shouldn't have done this here. The last thing I want is for Koji to be scarred when he discovers that we used his bed."

"Heh, he'll be envious that he doesn't have a woman of his own to do things like this with," Tasuki said. He gave her behind a teasing slap, causing her to jump and stare down at him with a vengeance. "An' besides, it's not like ya really had any choice. We were gonna do it whether ya wanted us to or not. But like that will ever happen." He released a boisterous laugh. "Ya can't ever say no to me. It's just too damn good an' ya know it."

Atsuna felt a hot blush creep up on her cheeks. Groaning in slight aggravation, Atsuna wriggled out of his hold, sliding her legs over the side of the bed as she searched for the discarded and rather torn remains of her attire. "I need to strip the bed and wash Koji's sheets," she said, ignoring his deep-throated chuckling from behind. "If I'm lucky, I can have it finished before he comes back. He'll never have to discover what happened here."

"Don't kill yerself tryin' to rush, 'cause I'm tellin' him anyway, babe," Tasuki informed as she stood up, bending over in front of him to retrieve her clothing. His brows rose and his tongue swept unconsciously over his mouth at the sight of her nakedness. "I'll tell him every little thing that happened. I'll tell him exactly how I had ya on his bed an' how much ya liked it."

Atsuna snapped her head over her shoulder, glaring at him as she pulled her pants back over her hips. "Get off the bed before I purify you."

Tasuki pushed himself to the edge of the bed, quickly locking his legs around her waist to prevent her from moving. "Ya can't purify anythin', baby. An' besides, yer not so innocent yerself, not after the way ya scream an' fidget when I'm givin' ya pleasure. Makes a man feel good about himself to see his woman likin' it so much."

"Do you have to be so forward about it?" Atsuna asked with a sigh as she wrenched herself free from his legs. She picked up his clothes and tossed them to him. "Get dressed. I need to get started on cleaning, and you have your own job to do. You can't be expected to be the boss around here when you're always seeking another way to seduce me."

Tasuki slid his shirt back on as he stood up, watching as she scurried around the bed to start pulling Koji's sheets away. "I just thought of another one," he said, wagging his eyebrows.

Atsuna tilted her head to look at him with an arched brow of warning before scuffling with the disheveled sheets. "I can only wish that you would think on a more regular basis," she retorted sarcastically as she rolled the sheets into a ball and gathered them in her arms.

Tasuki jerked his pants over his hips and watched as she walked from the room. As she turned around the doorway, he couldn't help but admire her behind. Another victory for him.

Atsuna wiped the sweat from her brow with the back of her arm. She just finished hanging all of Koji's sheets from the clothesline and could only hope that he would somehow take a little longer to return than usual so she could have them back in an orderly fashion on his bed.

A small breeze passed through, tossing her hair behind her as she walked up the stairs to the front terrace. It was a beautiful day, and while she wished she could have made the time to take a walk, she couldn't consider it wasted in the least. Although she spent some of her morning washing Koji's sheets, she'd also spent some of it making love with her bandit. She didn't think she could ever say no to that.

As she came to the top stair, she heard the familiar angry voice of Tasuki's second-in-command coming from the hallway. She sighed heavily, pressing her palm against her forehead. She obviously didn't make it in time, and Tasuki made good on his promise to share all the unwanted details with the bandit whose room they'd stolen for their liaison.

She rested her hand on the doorknob, preparing herself to interrupt the shouting so she could apologize to him profusely.

Just as she prepared to slide the door open, there was a familiar gentle breeze behind her. She turned over her shoulder, eyes lifted towards the sky and smiled when an even more familiar hat floated down from the clouds.

The brown hat descended to her level and stopped, leaving enough room for her dear friend and comrade Chichiri to phase out of it, staff in hand and usual smiling mask perched over his face. He gave a gentle wave of his hand in greeting. "Hello, Atsuna. Good to see you!"

Atsuna opened her mouth to give him an equally joyful greeting, but a loud clatter from the other side of the door prevented any such opportunity. Instead, she pressed her palm against her face, sighing heavily.

"It serves ya right, ya perverted bastard!" Koji's voice bit through the other side of the door.

"I hope I haven't interrupted something important, you know," Chichiri replied, tilting his head to the side in obvious confusion.

Atsuna waved her hand dismissively at him. "Not at all. I couldn't be happier for you to come at this exact moment. It would be rather awkward otherwise. Besides, this is really nothing new. Koji and Tasuki are always going at it. Tasuki tends to find new ways to annoy Koji."

Chuckling, Chichiri walked up next to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Well, you certainly have your hands full then, don't you?"

Atsuna gave him a weak smile. "I do. So tell me, why are you here, Chichiri?"

The smile faded from the monk's face, mask or not. "I've felt some troubling disturbances, you know. Have you?"

Frowning, Atsuna folded her arms over her chest. "There is darkness prickling inside of me almost every day. But lately…it has been a great deal worse. Most of it I have been able to handle from here, dispelling it far away so it wouldn't affect anyone, but I'm afraid of it strengthening. Something is certainly amiss."

Chichiri nodded his head in agreement. "Yes, there are more monsters and demons scouring the countryside, you know. More than I have ever seen before. I was hoping you and Tasuki would be able to aid me in disposing of them before more can be born from them. It seems the easiest way to handle the situation and put it back under control, you know. For the moment, they haven't targeted villagers, but their numbers are increasing. It is bound to happen sooner or later, you know."

"Of course. Tasuki and I would happily join you," Atsuna replied. "And besides, I think Tasuki's getting antsy without any action. I'm sure he would insist on taking care of it all himself anyway. And from the sounds of it in there, Tasuki and Koji are going to be needing some distance from one another. I'm afraid Koji may try killing him at this rate."

Using that as her cue, Atsuna slid the front door open, not surprised when her eyes fell to the fallen orange-haired bandit, his eyes glazed over. Koji was standing over him, bent over and thrusting an incriminating finger in his face. "I sure hope you're finished badgering Koji, because you and I have to leave again. Chichiri needs our help on the countryside to fight some demons."

Tasuki could only flash her a thumbs up in confirmation.

Atsuna turned her head to Koji, who stood to a full attention after she'd made her announcement. A brow arched over his face. She blushed and bowed her head. "Sorry for this, Koji," she said quickly. "Your sheets are drying on the line outside. They should be done soon." Lifting her head, she turned over her shoulder at the waiting monk. "Should we leave immediately then, Chichiri?"

Chichiri nodded. "It would be best for us to get started right away, you know."

"That's fine. Give Tasuki and I a couple minutes to pack some necessities and we'll be on our way." She turned to Tasuki again, resting her hands on her waist. "Come on, Tasuki. We have some searching to do."

Tasuki groaned in response, not because he dreaded the thought of leaving, but because his brains were still far too rattled to form a coherent response after Koji's pummeling. It would be quite a day.

Miaka didn't think she would be looking upon the familiar foliage of Konan again. But she was. The trees were greener than any emerald, the sky a piercing blue. It was lovely.

"Where are we?"

Miaka turned around, flashing a comforting smile at the confused stare of the man she loved. "Taka, this is the world where we first met. It's a beautiful place, isn't it?"

Taka scratched his head, ruffling the dark locks of hair. "It does seem familiar to me somehow." He turned around, pointing his finger outwards. "But the people here - they're kinda ugly, aren't they?"

Miaka's eyes followed his finger in curiosity and eyes widened when a tall, black demon stepped towards them, fangs glistening in the sun's rays and saliva dripping from its open mouth like venom. "Run for it!" she shouted.

Just as Miaka moved to grab his hand and rush off in a random direction, a barrel of hot fire swirled around the demon, engulfing it until there was nothing else left but ash.

When Miaka opened her eyes, the flames still warm after passing her body, she discovered that not only did Taka unfortunately get caught up in the fire attack but that such an attack could come from one person and one person only.

"The world's become a dangerous place, ya know," a familiar gruff voice said, a smile no doubt plastered against his face. "There are more monsters roamin' around Konan than usual. Gotta be careful nowadays."

Miaka's eyes widened as one of her very own warriors stood before her, no longer clad in the usual black and blue jacket he'd adorned during their earlier adventures. No, he was now fit with white slacks, a white long-sleeved shirt, a pink vested overcoat, and two criss-crossing, forest-green belts covering his chest. He was holding the famous tessen, which continued to spit flames. "Tasuki! It's you!"

Grinning goofily, he rested his tessen on his shoulder after the flames dissipated completely. "Well, whaddaya know? It's Miaka an' Tamahome! Yer lookin' a little scorched there, Tama."

Taka growled, stumbled to his feet, and rushed over to the tangerine-haired man. His hands fisted into the white collar of his shirt. "Hey, what's the big idea, hothead? I nearly burned to death!"

Tasuki arched a brow at him, tilting his head to look over his shoulder at the still-smiling Miaka. "What's wrong with him? Did he forget to take his medication this mornin' or somethin'? Or did those blows to the head finally get to him?"

Miaka lowered her head, her smile widening. "No, it isn't that."

Tasuki peered over at his former comrade, watching the flames in his eyes continue to burn with ferocity. "Well, what it is, then? The guy looks like he wants to kill me or somethin'."

When Miaka lifted her head, prepared to give a lengthy explanation as to why Taka didn't remember him, another demon surfaced from out of nowhere, its claws whistling through the air as they swiped through the trees. It let out a loud growl that rumbled the ground, causing surrounding birds to vacate their nests and fly into the clouds.

Tasuki brushed Taka's hold on his collar, positioning his tessen for another attack, but before he could even open his mouth to call the spell, chains of blinding light wrapped around the demon's neck and wrists, pulling it down to the ground with a quake meant to shatter the earth beneath their feet.

Miaka rushed up to Tasuki's side as he attached his tessen to his back, his grin wide as the horizon. "Yer always tryin' to give me a run fer my money, babe."

A figure jumped from the trees, hands gripping the chains tightly. Miaka's eyes lit up at the familiar indigo locks that whipped in the air behind the woman's back, fixating on the same lavender-hued eyes that had enticed her from the moment she stepped into the world of the book. "Atsuna! You're here!"

Atsuna knelt against the back of the demon, who continued to writhe under her insistent hold. She jerked on the chains, and her eyes suddenly took a white glow before a tornado of glittering light swirled around her and the fallen demon. And when the light dissipated to nothing, the chains and the demon were both gone.

Atsuna flicked a stray lock of hair behind her shoulder. "You shouldn't be so cocky," Atsuna finally spoke up. "Otherwise, you would have noticed that the demon had a twin." She strolled over to the bandit as a bewildered Miaka stood silent next to him, the pale yellow skirts over her white pants flapping in the gentle breeze behind her.

Tasuki shrugged. "Maybe I was just givin' ya a chance to show me yer stuff. Ya know I like it."

Atsuna came to a stop before them, a smile playing the corner of her lips. "Maybe you're just losing your touch." Before the bandit could offer her a retort, Atsuna turned her attention to the chocolate-haired priestess. She pressed her palm against the base of her neck. "Miaka. It's so good to see you doing well."

Tears beading in her eyes, Miaka thrust herself into the older woman's arms, succumbing to happy sobs. "I'm so happy to see you both!" she said, shaking her head against the matching midriff top hugging the light bearer's upper body. She pulled her face away, smiling. "Have - have you two been together since I left last?"

Chuckling, Atsuna nodded. "I wouldn't be able to get rid of him even if I tried."

Tasuki winked, thumbing himself in the chest. "I ain't goin' anywhere."

Atsuna shifted her attention to Taka, who was still silent and looking as bewildered as ever. A warm smile spread against her lips. He looked a little different to her, but sifting through her emotions and sensing his life force, she knew she was looking at her twin brother. "I'm so relieved to see you alive and well. You seem to be happy. I'm glad."

Taka merely tilted his head to the side, eyes unblinking, and said nothing in response.

"I should probably tell you two what's going on," Miaka interrupting, noticing the brightness of Atsuna's smile fading when her brother hadn't responded to her. "I'm afraid a lot has happened since we were here last, and you should know about all of it."

Tasuki sat perched on a rock, Atsuna seated rather comfortably with her legs pulled under her bottom, as they sought protection from the hot midday sun under a large tree. Miaka and Taka sat close by, hand in hand.

"So, you two finally met up in the other world, but now Tama doesn't remember anythin'. He doesn't remember any of us," Tasuki said, his shoulders drooping. His eyes fell upon the top of Atsuna's head. "He doesn't even remember his own sister."

"It doesn't feel like this is the first time we've met," Taka spoke up admittedly. "But no matter how hard I try…"

Tasuki snickered, a grin widening across his face. "Does that mean you don't remember what you an' Miaka did back then? How ya got all hot an' heavy for her an' ya groped her? An' then ya even came on to me!"

Taka snapped his head at him in utter shock. "What?"

Atsuna turned around and jerked a hand against his arm. "Don't do that!" she scolded. "It's bad enough he doesn't remember anything!"

"I really did that?" Taka asked, looking over at Miaka.

She smiled, waving her hands at him. "You didn't!" She sighed, lowering her hands back into her lap. "If only Chichiri was here. We would all be together again."

No sooner did the words leave her mouth, the monk's smiling face popped out from behind the tree, Mitsukake's beloved cat Tama peeking out from inside his robes.

"I was wondering when you were going to reveal yourself," Atsuna said with a smile. "Miaka has informed us on a great deal."

"Chichiri! Tama!" Miaka exclaimed, clapping her hands together excitedly.

Taka winced. "Oh, great. Another weirdo."

Chichiri waved at his priestess as he walked over to Tasuki's side, kneeling down before the bandit. His hands delved forward, reaching into the orange-haired man's coat. "Get it out, you know," Chichiri said, his hands roving around freely within the confines of his friend's clothing.

"Hey! Watch what yer grabbin' there!" Tasuki exclaimed. "There's only one person I want goin' through my clothes, an' it ain't you, monk!"

"What are you doing, Chichiri?" Miaka asked, tilting her head to the side in confusion.

"Here it is!" the monk announced, pulling his hand out of Tasuki's coat. In his palm was a small blue orb. "I was looking for this, you know."

"Oh, that!" Tasuki knocked his knuckles against the side of his head. "Now I remember!"

"What's that stone?" Miaka inquired, her confusion swimming around her.

Chichiri didn't answer her. Instead, he pushed himself from his knees and walked over to the seated twosome, holding his palm out towards Taka. "Here. Put this in your hand, Tamahome."

"What are ya doin', moron? He's talkin' to ya," Tasuki said, brows arched and furrowed as Taka snapped his head towards them, obviously unaware that they were talking to him.

Taka blinked, shifting his gaze between the two Suzaku warriors. "Who, me?"

"Chichiri, he's not Tamahome anymore," Miaka informed. "His name is Taka. Taka Sukunami."

"So what? Taka, Tamahome. They're still the same, ya know," Tasuki said, waving his hand dismissively at her. His eyes narrowed towards Atsuna, who continued to remain quiet. Her own eyes were settled on the reincarnation of her twin brother as Chichiri held his palm patiently out towards him. Taka only stared down at the small orb in confusion.

Tasuki could almost feel the conflicted emotions churning within her as she stared at him. She was relieved to see that he had found Miaka in her world. But at the same time, he had forgotten everything about his life as Tamahome, as her twin brother. He didn't remember anything about her, as if looking at her was no better than looking into the darkness. Nothing was there. There was no connection.

Atsuna sighed as Taka finally took the orb into his hand, his eyes settling down on the small object in question. As soon as it made contact with his palm, the orb pulsed and exploded into small shards, dissipating into his body.

Taka's eyes widened as something triggered within his mind, memories surfacing that he didn't know he had. Tasuki was there, protecting Miaka as one of her warriors, protecting her against him while formerly under the influence of kodoku. He had attacked her at the Kutou Palace, but Tasuki had risen to her aid. He remembered having heated arguments with the bandit, all forming into warm, collective nuggets deep within the recesses of his mind.

Eyes closed, the red symbol of the ogre glowed on his forehead. "I…I remember." He opened his eyes, and within seconds, was on his feet and his hands were curled in the collar of the bandit's coat. "Hey, what's the big idea telling me about groping Miaka? I almost believed you! I should take your head off!"

Tasuki frowned and slid his hands away from him. "Oh, some big, moving reunion this is! You better back off, Mr. Big Guy! I did it all on purpose!"

Atsuna sighed and turned to Chichiri and Miaka, who were now standing next to her as the two boisterous men revitalized their love-hate friendship.

"Chichiri, what was that stone?" Miaka asked.

"It was Tamahome's Jewel of Memory," Chichiri started, turning his attention towards the bewildered priestess. "After you and Yui left, in order for Tamahome to be granted passage to your world, we sealed his memories into a bunch of different stones. That was one of them, you know." A smile broke through his mask. "Leave it to Tasuki to forget what to do."

"Taiitsukun said that there was no way he would be able to live in a world with you if he remembered everything that happened here while he was still Tamahome," Atsuna continued. "We all pushed for him to do it, although I don't think it was really necessary. He was willing to give up everything for a small chance to be reunited with you, even if he didn't remember who you were. It seems as if Suzaku was smiling down upon the both of you after all."

Miaka smiled, turning her attention back to the quarreling men.

"That happened two years ago! Who wouldn't forget about it?" Tasuki shouted.

The priestess' smile faded. "Two years?" Her eyes fell to her feet, her toes curling inside her shoes. "Has it really been two years since I was here last?"

Chichiri's hand fell on her shoulder, causing the saddened woman to gaze up at him. "Don't worry, you know. I have my jewel, as well." His other hand reached up for his hat, and as he pulled it from his head, it glowed a bright red, swirling around the five former comrades.

Tasuki and Taka halted their arguing as soon as they felt a grand warmth encircle them, and the surrounding nature disappeared behind the familiar, red light of Suzaku's holy power.

The only thing going through Tasuki's mind was "Oh, crap, not this again" and how he wanted to yell at Chichiri for his continuing lack of warning. Before he could plan out the monk's punishment, a warm breeze pushed the light away from him, and upon opening his eyes, found his friends standing around him, staring up at the mountains surrounding them like protective towers.

"It's Mt. Taikyoku!" Miaka exclaimed, clapping her hands together excitedly.

"So this is the place," Tasuki said to no one in particular, although he did toss a glance at Atsuna, who was, in turn, gazing back at him. "I've never been here before."

"Then you're in for a treat," she answered with a wide smile. She turned towards Taka, noticing the annoyed wrinkles in his forehead. She placed her hand on his shoulder, gentle fingers curling over him. He snapped his head in her direction. "Are you all right?"

He bit back a groan. "There's no use. I can't remember any of this."

"Have you forgotten me, as well, Tamahome?"

Everyone turned around, finding the spirits of their deceased comrades standing in a line, smiles spread across their faces. Miaka couldn't help but allow the smile to spread further across her own face upon hearing the question leave the former emperor's mouth.

Nuriko was shaking his head, a hand pressed against his cheek. "That's so cold," he added, although the smile on his face somehow told Miaka that everything would be fine.

"Hi, Tasuki!" the youngest Suzaku warrior exclaimed. "It's been a long time."

"Indeed it has," Mitsukake agreed with a firm nod, his voice ever deep. "Have you all been doing well?"

Miaka felt tears bead in her eyes. If she thought her warriors were all figments of her imagination, hearing all of them speak as if not a single moment passed since they last saw one another changed every doubt she ever had. "Hotohori. Nuriko. Chiriko. Mitsukake. You guys!" She ran forward, arms extended, as she prepared to give Nuriko the strongest hug she could ever manage to give.

But she hugged air, finding herself meeting the ground in which her warriors' feet occupied. All four warriors stared down at her, Nuriko biting back a chuckle. "What's the matter, Miaka? Did you forget we're all dead?"

"She'll never change," Chiriko said under his breath, finding it harder to keep his own chuckle at bay as he watched his priestess struggle to her feet, a palm rubbing against the center of her forehead.

"You're not hurt, are you?" Mitsukake asked, lending her a hand as she pushed herself back to her feet.

Miaka opened her mouth to answer, to assure the healer that she was indeed fine, but a strangled scream spread through the air. "Sand Witch!"

Nuriko sighed. "He hasn't changed, either." His eyes traveled over to Taiitsukun, who was now hovering over Atsuna, Chichiri and Tasuki while Taka held on to the bandit for dear life.

"Who do you think you're calling a Sand Witch?" Taiitsukun asked, her eyes narrowing.

Tasuki released a rumble of laughter. "It's too bad ya lost yer memories! Yer gonna hafta get used to the sight of her all over again!" he said, slapping a hand over his old friend's shoulder.

Taiitsukun ignored the bandit's stab at her and turned towards the revisiting priestess, who seemed just as shocked to see her as she did her own warriors. "I see you and Tamahome did indeed meet in your own world. That's reassuring to know, Miaka." Her eyes shifted towards Chichiri and Atsuna, nodding once in their direction. "It's time."

The monk was the first to step towards Tasuki and Taka. His hand fished into his tunic, pulling out a lavender orb. Instinctively, Taka held his palm out, and Chichiri placed the small sphere in his hand with care. And just as it happened with Tasuki's jewel, memories unlocked from deep within the former warrior's mind, recalling the first fight he ever had with Nakago in the Palace of Kutou.

He remembered. He'd gone to save Miaka and Yui, and in order to save his priestess, the woman he loved, he'd gotten severely wounded. Chichiri provided backup, helping them to escape back to their own palace before further harm. "How could I have forgotten that?" He shook his head in shame before staring at Miaka, downtrodden.

"None of us hold it against you for forgetting anything," Atsuna spoke up as she took soft steps towards the reincarnation of her twin brother. She grabbed his hand, squeezing it tight. "I don't hold it against you for forgetting about me, Kishuku. It was your choice. I wanted you to do anything you could to get back to Miaka. I always understood that. All I ever wanted was for you to be happy."

Taka opened his mouth to respond but felt yet another jewel slide into his palm. He caught a quick glimpse at the white orb before it combusted into a series of memories, embedding themselves once more in his mind.

A childhood of laughter, a childhood of tears. Being reunited after four years of thinking she was dead. Being split apart. Realizing just what happened to her during their years apart. Watching her fall in love with his comrade and he with her. Everything came flooding back to him like a warm ocean wave, inviting and comforting. Everything dark seemed overshadowed as he stared into her light purple eyes, glimmering as he saw his own self inside her.

A smile stretched slowly across his face and he closed his eyes, making a content hum deep in his throat. "Kana."

Atsuna's heart skipped a beat against her chest. She didn't think she would ever hear his voice say her name again. But as his arms came around her back, pulling her against him, she knew that the single tear trickling down her cheek was a happy one. "I'm so glad to see you again, Kishuku," she whispered.

"I shouldn't have forgotten about you," Taka murmured. "And really, I don't think I ever did. Every time I felt like I needed guidance, I had a push I could never see." He pulled away from her, watching several more tears fall in a dance down her cheeks. His thumbs came across her heated face, brushing them away. "I think it was always you. It feels right. Even when I forgot you and who I was before, you were still there, living inside me and helping me find my way."

Atsuna swallowed back her cries. "Nothing will prevent such a connection between us. Just as you hear my voice, helping you find your path, I hear yours. I have never considered myself alone without you because you have always been a part of me. You always will be."

Taka seemed content - and rather relieved - to hear that. He hugged her against him again, relishing in the feel of her body against his, just like he used to hug her when they were children.

Miaka shrugged off her own onset of tears as she spun around to her other friends. "Now you can all give Taka those jewels and he'll get his memories back!"

Nuriko was the first one to break the ice, his eyes falling towards his feet. "We don't have the other jewels, Miaka."

"I'll explain," Taiitsukun spoke up, noticing the question on the priestess' face. "It's problematic. The others are unable to be reborn into the forms they desire."

Miaka's eyes widened, hugging her hands at her chest. "What? Why can't they?"

"An evil force is interrupting the process. It is something buried within people's hearts. People awaken it and it grows," Taiitsukun continued.

"And before long, it leads to conflict," Chichiri added somberly, his knuckles tightening over his staff.

"The evil force makes people believe that they will be happy if they follow it. Suzaku wants your help and support. You must once against join together. Another battle awaits you," Taiitsukun said.

In the midst of her own happy reunion, Atsuna felt a sick darkness spark to life in the middle of her body. She tore herself from Taka's body, eyes shifting back and forth. "I sense a very dark presence," she whispered. Her eyes fluttered and her hand came up to her head. "So dark. Evil." She lost her balance as the earth beneath their feet began to quake, and just as she was about to succumb to her lack of steadiness, Tasuki's hands came around her waist, pulling her close to him.

Bursts of purple light rose from the earth, exploding and sending shrapnel from the mountain in all directions. "Is it an earthquake?" Chiriko asked, grabbing Mitsukake's leg to steady himself.

"Taiitsukun? What's happening?!" Nuriko yelled over the explosions. The mountains around them began to fall to rubble.

"How can this be? Mt. Taikyoku is—" Hotohori started, his sentence interrupted by another loud boom.

Tasuki's eyes fell on Atsuna, who continued to falter against him. He hugged her against him tightly, silently letting her know that he was right there with her. His eyes snapped towards the floating woman. "Hey, Grandma! What's goin' on?"

"He has grown quite strong to have gathered this much power already," she answered nonchalantly. And then there was another explosion right behind her, engulfing her in light and debris.

Miaka's eyes widened and she started forward, crying out her name. But she could feel the heat under her feet as another burst of energy sent her staggering backwards, screaming out and crossing her arms before her head to protect herself. She heard Taka call out her name somewhere behind her, but the light was blinding. The energy was hot. All she could wonder was what was going to happen to all of them.

Tasuki watched Miaka's body disappear like Taiitsukun's did, and before he knew what he was doing, his hands released Atsuna and he pushed himself forward, his hand reaching into the bursting hot light. The only thing on his mind was to retrieve his priestess, do his rightly duty, and protect her with his life, no matter what the cost was.

But he didn't realize what exactly he would be risking as he reached his hand forward for the otherworldly girl that had popped into Konan over two years earlier.