Disclaimer: *walks onto a stage with a room full of people* Hi. I'm Ice- Goddess, and I am a compulsive liar. I own Fushigi Yuugi and Tasuki. Tasuki, in the audience, "Like she said, she's a compulsive liar. She doesn't own Fushigi Yuugi or me. I belong to Yuu Watase." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~

"What do you want?" Tamahome demanded.

"Oh, nothing much. Just to give you an offer."

"For what?" Hotohori demanded.

"Only to save your precious Miko."

Tasuki growled. "What's in it for you?"

"Well," Amiboshi began, standing up, "I cannot get rid of the poison. I can, however, transfer it to another. I do not have a long time, though, so you must decide quickly."

"I will," Chichiri volunteered, but Miaka put his arm down.

"You can't," she said. "You are one of the seishi."

"Then who?" Suki asked. Miaka looked at Amiboshi.

"Me."

"What?!" Tamahome exclaimed. "There is no way that you are going-you don't know what he'll do-"

"But there is no other choice-"

"My patience is trying," Amiboshi said.

"It's settled. I will take the poison."

"But-"

Amiboshi began to play his flute. A purple cloud floated up from Carrie's body and hovered ominously over Miaka before pouring into her system. She closed her eyes and groaned, then fainted.

Tamahome looked up to hurt Amiboshi, but he was nowhere in sight.

Chichiri felt Carrie's forehead. It was warm, but not like a fever. She was still alive. He shook her gently to wake her up as Tasuki and Tamahome placed Miaka on the bed beside her.

Carrie sat up and felt a wave of nausea. After not using her legs for a month, she had a hard time walking, so Chiriko led her out of the room as Miaka was checked. Fever and everything was there.

"We must do what we must," Nuriko said glumly. "The coronation must take place as soon as possible so that Suzaku may heal her."

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"So what's going to happen?"

"Not yet, child. First you must understand your past life entirely. Do you know whom that is?"

Carrie looked down. "I'm afraid not, sensei."

"That is okay. You have met her already. It is Kouran."

"What? Kouran?"

Taiitsu-kun nodded. "Kouran has a few ties with some of the others, most closely to Chichiri, although Mitsukake's family died in the same flood as she. Kouran was betrothed to Houjun, who was Chichiri before he became a seishi." Taiitsu-kun closed her eyes. "It is a sad story. Hikou was Houjun's best friend at that time, but he, too, had fallen in love with Kouran. He figured he'd steal a kiss from her before her wedding. Houjun saw, but said nothing. However, Kouran called off the marriage, feeling impure and unworthy to marry him. He figured it was because she was in love with Hikou instead, and challenged him to a fight to the death. The flooding river nearby swept them up and away, and Houjun realized how much his friend meant. Grabbing him by the hand, he tried to save him, but one of the branches of a nearby tree was swept up by the current and gouged him in the eye, shocking his body and making him let go. He was the sole survivor of the village."

Taiitsu-kun opened her eyes to find tears sliding silently down Carrie's cheeks. "I.I remember.Oh, Taiitsu-kun, I was awful, wasn't I?" Then she burst into quiet yet audible sobs as Taiitsu-kun comforted her.

There was a knock on the wall.

"Is something wrong, no da?"

Carrie suddenly lifted to her feet and ran as far away as she could. Taiitsu-kun looked at the seishi with sadness.

"There is something I must tell you."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A/N: no a/n this chapter.