Author Notes: This is a work of fiction, written by Appaku and Alicia (alithealigator). Fushigi Yuugi belongs to Yuu Watase.

"Tokaki! Subaru!" she smiled and ran forward to them, taking Subaru's hands in her own.

Subaru looked surprised at her, but then warmly smiled back. "It's a pleasure to meet you, too, Miaka. His Highness- or Hotohori, as we did always call him- just finished telling us about you."

Oh, right! I forgot this is supposed to be the first time I'm meeting them. "My, you're certainly young for being Byakko warriors."

Subaru smiled again. "We usually stayed in the Shrine of Byakko, where my spell keeps our bodies preserved. We're here right now to mourn with the rest of the court," she frowned down to Tokaki, who was leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed and a very incensed look on his face.

"I still can't believe this has happened," he said and shook his head. "There was no reason for His Highness to have to die. And before Hotohori had helped his priestess summoned Suzaku, too. It's too cruel."

"I've already been over this with the ministers," the Suzaku warrior replied. "I'll return once Miaka has summoned Suzaku."

"And what about Houki? You'll make her worry more."

"Please don't lecture him while his priestess is here," Subaru scolded him.

"I'll bet you spent a lot of time learning things from them, didn't you, Hotohori?" asked Miaka. I guess that wouldn't make Tokaki Tamahome's master this time.

"That's correct," he replied. "They're the ones that would tell me stories about how they helped the Priestess of Byakko, and encouraged me to leave Sairou in search of you."

Subaru giggled. "Even as a very small child, he would frequently visit us in the shrine to ask us questions. Tokaki and I, because we were guarded the shrine all this time, never had any children of our own, so we quite enjoyed watching him grow up."

"Please, Subaru, you'll embarrass me."

"That's sweet," said Miaka. "Is Tatara still in the shrine, then, protecting the Shinzaho?"

"Tatara?" everyone else in the room look wide-eyed at her. "He hasn't been here for almost ninety years, Miaka."

"What!?"

"When Suzuno, the Priestess of Byakko, summoned the beast god, she asked if she could stay here with Tatara. They were in love, after all," Tokaki explained. "But Byakko would not grant that wish; Suzuno had to return home. Therefore, she used her last wish to bring Tatara to her own world."

Miaka's eyes widened. How… how wonderful for her!

"I imagine they were very happy," added Subaru. "Very recently, though, we felt their presence fade. Not from this world, but from any living world."

"They… they died?"

"Happily, I suppose."

"But how can you know that?"

"It's just because we have celestial bonds to our priestess, and to our fellow warriors, which stretch across the worlds," explained Tokaki. "You're probably familiar with it, even if you aren't aware of it."

"It seems so many people who were important to us are passing away all at once," frowned Subaru. "I suppose that after we finish protecting the shinzaho, it will our time as well."

"Don't say that!" Hotohori raised his voice. "You can still continue to live healthily for many more years."

"Hotohori," they looked to him. He can't see quite how old we really are.

"Right! The shinzaho," said Miaka, "I need to get that from you."

"We would be happy to give it to you," replied Subaru, "but I'm afraid we can't make it that easy. If it was, then anyone could be a priestess. You, Miaka," she used both a kind and warning tone, "have to prove that you're fit to use it before we can give it up."

She nodded. "I'll meet you in the shrine later, then."

Nakago was not pleased. Having to start with no leads and perform the menial task of locating the shinzaho was not what he had in mind for how he'd help Yui summon Seiryuu. Why couldn't she just be an obedient priestess and let the Suzaku warriors do all the work?

"Is something the matter, Nakago?" said priestess asked him earnestly as she set a cup of tea in front of him. "I'm not used to seeing such an incensed expression on you."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. It's troubling to see you stressed," she continued. "Is something going wrong?"

"I am only frustrated. I am a general who manages soldiers and fights. I don't concern myself with wild goose hunts," he said in as delicate a way he knew how to tell Yui he wasn't happy with her decision. "I only wish that you would have voiced a plan like this sooner."

"You didn't even tell me about the shinzaho until recently," she answered. "I don't see why you didn't think of doing it yourself in the first place. Konan never would have meant anything to Kutou in the first place, and we could have just let them summon Suzaku and not have bothered them."

"Preventing them from having Suzaku's protection is gravely important as well, Lady Yui," he corrected her while not looking up with the map he was studying. "War is eminent. Kutou has been plagued with civil war over unfertile land for many years, but Konan's land is lush. If the people of Kutou are to thrive, they have no choice but to become an empire and get new resources."

Yui started to shiver, and it wasn't because of the cold weather outside. All this time we haven't been asked to summon the gods to protect them from war, but to aid them in it? "Can't you just open trade with them?"

"Kutou has nothing to trade but starving labor. Do you know why Kishuku was kept as part of the army for so long?"

"Because he was a Suzaku warrior and you couldn't afford to let him go to Konan," she sputtered.

"Long before their priestess even arrived, it was because his family was destitute. Being a soldier was the only way he could make sure they were still eating everyday."

She had no idea he even had a family to think off. All these characters were just two dimensional, right? Even if she did summon Seiryuu to aid the Kutou armies in taking Konan's land, it was just a generic army in storybook, right? As if not wanting to let herself think otherwise, she changed the subject. "Have you found anything to lead us to the Genbu shinzaho?"

"There was a monument that one of Miboshi's demons spotted which might tell something of it's location. He and Doukun have gone to take a look at it."

"Just the two of them?" she asked. "Aren't you worried? One of them is just a child, after all."

"Doukun is with him, so he'll be fine."

"That wasn't what I meant… never mind."

Doukun had been keeping a fairly low profile by taking back alleys instead of busy streets so that Miboshi could travel in the shadows. He wasn't concerned for his safety, as Miboshi came with an array of demons he could cast at will. Most of the time, anyway. He seemed like his usual creepy self most of the day, but at one point Doukun slipped on a patch of ice he didn't notice, and Miboshi quickly caught him by the arm. "Are you alright?" he asked softly.

"Yes, thank you," he returned to his footing. "Although I am surprised by your sudden altruism."

"I hate it when that happens," the other Seiryuu warrior squeezed his forehead as if in pain. "It's been more frequent lately."

"The sudden altruism?"

"The personality changes," he removed his hand to look more carefully at it. "I've had to fight more with some children before, but this child's nature just doesn't seem to give it a rest."

"That does sound problematic," he sympathized. "I can't imagine how troubling it must be to have two different personalities. Does that ever make it hard to control the demons you conjure?"

"They are merely attached to the will of whatever body I am using, so they aren't uncontrollable. It does make it more difficult to make them do what I want, though. This problem had better not get to the point that when I come to, I find them picking flowers or asking for alms like some lowly monk."

"What is it you want them to do?"

"I don't want them to hurt anyone," he frowned.

"I'm sorry?" Doukun thought he didn't hear him correctly.

"See, it happened again!" growled back Miboshi. "It just gets worse with every new body, I swear."

"Maybe you're loosing more and more of your original nature each time you have to contend with someone else's nature," offered Doukun.

"Hmph. They're only children; there's not much to contend with."

The other small warrior scrunched his face but held back a comment. "In any case, maybe there's some way to help you so you don't have these continual problems. After we investigate the monument, perhaps I can find a library and research that."

A very genuine smile sprang to Miboshi's face, and even his cheeks turned a little rosier. "That would be very kind of you. Thank you!"

"It's happening again."

"Oh dear," he put a troubled hand to his cheek. "I am sorry. I must try harder not to let this happen."

Miaka and her warriors proceeded to the Shrine of Byakko that afternoon. It was a grand indoor hall which seemed to have an even more inviting glow to it that the sunshine did outside. There was abundant drapery and large gold statue of the beast god. The two surviving Byakko warriors waited proudly next to it.

"Are you ready, Miaka?" Subaru smiled to her, and the priestess nodded. "Then please step forward."

Hotohori cringed slightly and looked away. Tasuki noticed and asked, "What's going to happen?"

"Subaru is going to place a spell on her."

"A spell?" he looked stunned, but then grew a more relaxed face. "Well, it's not anything she can't handle. I'll be the one getting it, after all. What am I in for this time?"

"You won't be," the prince shook his head back at him. "Age isn't an attack."

"Age?"

Subaru whispered an incantation over Miaka, and even before it seemed that she had finished, Miaka felt the need to sink forward. Something was wrong her body. Her limbs wouldn't move freely, and the world seemed to be fogged around her. Something hurt… a lot of things hurt. "What's… what's happening to me?"

"I'm so sorry to see you like this," Hotohori said, although he wasn't looking at her at all as he closed his eyes tightly and looked away. "How cruel of them to age you like that."

"You just don't want to see Miaka lookin' like your grandma, huh?" Tasuki jabbed at him jokingly, seeing how forcefully he looked away. "Talk about a weak stomach, man."

"I can only hope she doesn't look like Taiitsukun."

Though they sounded faint, Miaka could hear what they were talking about. "Subaru made me old? That must be why I feel so tired… why my knees hurt so much. I need to start drinking more milk, I guess."I'm an old lady? That's just too sudden and overwhelming to really be mad about.

The other warriors were just as stunned about the spell. "Miaka," Tamahome said as the shock escaped his mouth.

"Heh heh," she slowly turned around to look back at him, who still looked youthful as ever. "I bet my teeth are falling out, aren't they, Tamahome? Probably from all those cupcakes."

"You don't look a day older, Miaka," he answered. "This is some kind of trick."

Miaka looked down at her usual, young figure and wrinkle-free skin. "I am still young!"

"I've only aged you on the inside," explained Subaru. "But even so, you are considerably weaker than you've probably ever imagined yourself to be."

"I have the Shinzaho right here," Tokaki stepped before her, and took a cloth off a hand mirror to reveal it to Miaka. She saw her normal, yet tired looking face staring back in the reflection. "As soon as you are able to take it from my hands, it's yours."

Naturally, Miaka reached for it as fast as she could, but not fast enough to catch the item before the warrior teleported a few feet away. The Suzaku warriors grew frustrated. "She obviously can't move fast enough to catch someone who teleports, even as a healthy young girl," argued Chichiri as he grimaced behind the mask. "What is the point of this no da?"

"It's alright, haah, Chichiri," Miaka said between pants as she tried to run after him, however slowly that was. She tried to step forward quickly, but felt herself start to sink. The sinking feeling stopped suddenly, and she felt someone carefully holding her up. "Tamahome," she looked up to him. He got to me so fast.

"Watch out, Miaka," he cautioned her with a smile, "You don't want to fall over and throw out a hip."

So concerned for me, she dazedly gazed at him. Despite feeling so feeble, her heart raced for a moment being so close to him. I wish that it could always be like this, even when I really am old and feeble. Tamahome…

"Can't we do anything to help?" Mitsukake asked and looked to Tokaki, who shook his head.

"Even when she grew old and frail, Suzuno's will was still strong enough that we could feel her in this world. I don't ever expect to meet a priestess as strong as Suzuno was, but she'll at least have to compare."

"Don't you dare try to say that Miaka is only a second-rate priestess!" Tamahome shouted back at him. "She's persistent even to get that from you with her eyes closed! Right?" He turned back to her for reassurance, but her eyes were indeed closed and she was snoring as bit as he held her up. "Miaka, this is no time to be sleeping!"

"Cheeseburgers!" she abruptly snapped back awake as he shook her. "Oh, sorry, I dozed off there. The shinzaho," she looked back over at Tokaki, who stood roughly ten steps away from her. "As soon as I get the shinzaho, everything will be fine, and I can take a nap."

"Miaka!" her warriors shouted.

"I'm not deaf, you know!" she snapped back at Tamahome. "At least not yet! Tokaki," she turned back to him. "If we're going to play like this, then let's take it outside."

"Outside?" he looked at her oddly.

"You'll still be able to teleport out there, right, you little whippersnapper?" she teased him, causing a few of the other warriors, specifically Hotohori, to gawk at her behavior.

"Miaka! You're hardly in any position to be calling anyone names!"

"Yes," Tokaki affirmed and sharpened his glance at her.

"But you'll feel just as old as me. Don't you think that's a little more fair if this is all a test of whose willpower is stronger?"

Tokaki growled with only his facial expression and no sound, but Subaru smiled to him. "She's a perceptive one."

"I wouldn't have guessed that," he replied. "When you put it that way, fine." He then vanished, and Tamahome started helping Miaka towards the door as she complained about her hips.

"Willpower," Chichiri observed curiously. "So that's what this was about all along?"

"If that's the case, then I'm not worried," Nuriko joined him. "Remember back when we met Nakago in the shrine of Seiryuu? Miaka was pretty amazing then."

The warriors all reassembled immediately outside the shrine and watched as Tokaki faced Miaka. He stood freely on his own, but very still, whereas Miaka was still leaning on Tamahome for support. "This reminds me a little of my mom," she said to him only loud enough for the two of them to hear. "She says that she doesn't know when she got so old. That it just happened. Sure, she's not that old, but I kind of know what she means now. Even if it was a shock to her, though, she never seemed so old to me."

"What are you getting at, Miaka?"

"I don't know. I think I'm just babbling. That's what us old folks do, after all."

"Miaka," he groaned at her joke.

"Go ahead and leave me here, Tamahome. I'll use my own two feet." He asked if she was sure, she nodded, and he silently and slowly back away from her. Miaka wobbled, but made an effort to stand more erect to match Tokaki's posture. "Now the only thing making us different is that you can teleport, and that you're holding what I need," she said to him. As she started approaching, she continued, "So why don't you make this easy on us both and just hand it over before one of us gets hurt!" She then yelled as aggressively as she could muster and sprinted as fast as her muscles would take her.

Granted, that wasn't very fast at all, and gave Tokaki plenty of time to look over to Subaru, who stood with the other warriors. He had a very serious expression, and she understandingly sent him a sad smile and a nod. As Miaka drew closer to him, he teleported and she stumbled to a stop. Panting heavily, Miaka looked to her right, and then her left to see him a few more steps away. She charged again, although not as energetically, and he moved away again, this time to a veranda on the side of the shrine. Miaka tracked him with her tired eyes, and then noticed the flight of stairs leading up to him. I know as soon as I get there he's just going to get away again, but I can't just wait for him. Thus, she fumbled over and clung tightly to the banister as she inched her way up. All this time I've taken stairs for granted… no, I've taken elevators for granted! she thought as she pulled herself up to the second step. If only I just had a little more energy, it wouldn't matter how much my joints hurt…

As if to answer a silent request, Kaika began to play his flute. Miaka,he thought, I'm not about to just sit back and watch you go through this. This won't be able to do much, but as long as it can help you a little.

Kaika,she smiled as she listened. It had a truly uplifting effect, and she felt a little bit stronger as she made her way up the stairs a little bit faster. By the stunned look on Tokaki's face, she knew she was doing well. Aching joints would do nothing to stop her as she saw her face in the hand mirror when she got closer. Through choked breaths, she announced the obvious to him, "I'm here for the shinzaho!"

"But that other warrior must have he--" he said, but then abruptly started coughing. Miaka was surprised and stopped advancing; Subaru and Hotohori quickly reacted by saying his name and running towards him, but no sooner than they had taken a step did Tokaki's coughing fit cause him to lose hold of the hand mirror over the side of the banister he was sitting against. Miaka reached for it to save it from falling, but her reflexes were not even fast enough to get close to touching it.

Almost as quickly as he had dropped it, Tokaki disappeared and reappeared on the ground and caught it safely in his hands. As he recovered it, he sunk to his knees and leaned against the side of the shrine for support as he coughed a bit more. Hotohori was quickly at his side to hold his shoulders to keep him upright. "Tokaki! Tokaki, are you alright?"

"I'm just old, that's all," he replied gruffly. Subaru's breathing was heavy as she caught up to his side and kneeled beside him. He gave her a questioning look which Hotohori could not understand, as a couple of warriors like Tokaki and Subaru had been around each other long enough not to need words. With a pained, but dignified expression, she gave him another nod.

"What is going on?" the prince between them looked to both of them as they exchanged expressions. The other Suzaku warriors gathered around them to see what was happening, and Chichiri had gathered Miaka on the stairs and was carrying her in his arms so she could look down at them. A wave of realization flashed over her.

When I asked him to come outside the shrine, that wasn't just making him feel older and weaker… it was making him older and weaker! "Tokaki! I'm… sorry."

"Don't be," he didn't look to her as he was resting in Hotohori's gentle arms. "Sex is no fun when you're old even if you do act young."

Most everyone was caught off guard by a seemingly unrelated comment. "Is he senile?" Tasuki whispered to Kaika, who shrugged.

"I resent that," Subaru shot him a quick glare, but then looked back up to Miaka, kindly although sadly. She could tell that Miaka was the only one who understood what was going on: the remaining Byakko warriors were indeed expiring. "I've removed the spell. You did very well, Miaka. We're going to trust you to take care of Suzuno's shinzaho."

"If you don't use it properly, we'll make you pay for it," Tokaki shot a glance back in her direction as Chichiri let her down and she eagerly knelt next to them. The old warrior sighed deeply as he slowly loosened his grip on the mirror and handed it to her. She received it carefully, and he relaxed against Hotohori again.

"Do you need anything?" the warrior asked eagerly. "You seem tired. Let's take you back inside."

"Don't bother," he replied with a sharp tone and used his now empty hands to grab for Subaru's. Their hands both shook a bit. "Hotohori, make sure you take care of your priestess as much as she'll take care of the shinzaho."

"Of course. Of course!" he replied quickly with due respect, but then hung his head. "You don't have to say these things any more."

"Take care of Houki. She's hurting, too," he said with a firmer tone.

"Of course I will. Please, you need to rest."

"She'll help with your hurting, too."

The onlookers didn't dare make any noise as they listened to their normally poised warrior make small sounds as if he was choking. They too were slowly realizing that this was a good-bye.

"Hotohori," Subaru quickly gave him a firm look. "No, Prince Saihitei. We are entrusting Sairou to you. Please make sure it stays just as peaceful for the rest of your life as it was for ours."

"I know."

"Hotohori," Tokaki said, although he did not bother opening his eyes, "Promise me you'll keep this peace in Sairou that we have worked so hard for. Don't ever let anyone forget what Suzuno did for them, how Tatara and the other warriors lived. This is your country now."

In a clear voice, although accented with quick breaths, Hotohori answered, "I will lead Sairou with your examples. It will always be a thriving country. I promise."

Tokaki seemed to smile faintly as he breathed out deeply, and then breathed no more. The prince's shoulders shook and his hands on the man started to slip off. Subaru picked his frame up by the shoulders and held his head against her shoulders while she embraced him tenderly, leaving Hotohori's arms empty. She had a very weak expression as her eyes glittered with forming tears, and her mouth resembled a small smile. Though she wasn't looking at anything or anyone in particular, she spoke directly to Hotohori. "I'll probably join them by later tonight. Ours were long lives, but this is a wonderful way for them to end. We're able to entrust Suzuno's shinzaho to a new priestess, we're able to entrust our country to a boy we loved, and we're on our way to see Tatara and all our friends again."

The spot where Tokaki had been in the nest of his arms felt hollow, and Hotohori didn't bother moving them even to wipe his tears. Though they couldn't feel his loss, the others were pained for him.

Subaru died quietly a few hours later, having exhausted her strength. Hotohori had secluded himself in his quarters to mourn yet again. The previous night he had put up enough of a front to have Nuriko's company and pretend he was fine, but two shows in a row can make even the best actor tired. There was, however, one person who felt the need to intrude on his grief.

"Houki," he was startled to see the frame in his doorway.

She met him first with a dignified manner, and but immediately let her face sink as her eyes welled with tears. "Your Highness."

As much as they wanted to give him more time to grieve, Hotohori insisted the next day that he was doing well enough to leave the country and tend to Konan's safety, smiling as dashingly as ever, as much as everyone knew he didn't want to leave at all. They appreciated his efforts, and had a silent agreement not to dwell on it and simply move forward.

"To Hokkan!" Miaka cheered from atop a horse with Tamahome.

"Hokkan sucks," Yui groaned after a loud sneeze. "I'm ready to get this shinzaho and get out of this frozen dump."