Yes, more. Just FYI, and the people asking me to finish this fic, it was finished when I first posted =P Seriously. I wrote this whole thing out in a notebook during school days over a period of a month, came home, typed it out in about 2-3 days, and posted the first part. Thanks to everyone for their great reviews so far! And Otaku Pitcher, I just really want to say THANK YOU SO MUCH! I love the reviews you've given my fics ^_^ Same shout-out to Amy (dragonflame_22). It's reviews like yours that really make my day ^^ And make me want to continue my fics.

Warning: this is where things get a tad romantic (were it not for my cursed inability to do romance. You'll see what I mean)

~That night…~

"I still can't believe you planned this without telling me…"

"We got Houki's permission though."

"Does she even know what a party is?"

"Not sure…" Nikki and Tsurai stood outside the throne room in the main doorway. The throne room was decorated for a birthday dance party, cake and all. Tsunoiya was going to be the DJ.

"I sense a major culture shock on the way…" Nikki said, picking up a CD.

"Why?" Nikki flashed the CD at Tsurai.

"The Baha Men?"

"That was one of Tsunoiya's…but I see your point. Consider it as they're about to be musically…what's the word…?"

"Corrupted?"

"That wasn't the word."

Nikki shook her head and sighed

"I hope you realize what you're doing here. I think I'll skip this tonight, if you don't mind."

"Party pooper."

"Whatever you say. Oh, and…best of luck with Tasuki."

"Thanks," Tsurai smiled. Nikki grinned and headed out the door.

About an hour later…

"Where's Nik?" Nimue asked, looking around. "I haven't seen her the whole time."

"She said she was gonna 'skip tonight' whatever that meant. She's probably back in her room writing again." Tsunoiya, half-drunk, sniffed the air.

"She's outside, by the lake."

"How can you tell Tsunoiya?" Kai-chi asked.

"Tigers smell good."
"Well you sure don't," Nimue joked.

"Not funny…"

The next song Tsunoiya put in was a slow one. Tsurai bit her lip.

"I'll…be right back…"

Kai-chi, Nimue, and Tsunoiya grinned as Tsurai walked towards Tasuki. None of them saw Nikki climb up onto a windowsill leading into the throne room from above and outside.

"And our fisher gets ready to cast…" Nimue said with a smirk. Tsurai started talking to Tasuki.

"Looks like she's going for the big one today."

"I'd be guessin' she's casting…"

Tasuki looked thoughtful for a second then nodded. They headed onto the dance floor where a group of servants and serving maids were dancing already.

"Sweet saké looks like she's 'ooked the big one…" Tsunoiya said with an accent, albeit a bad one.

"But the question is, can she reel him in?"

All four girls watched them dance to the mellow song. Tsurai pulled herself closer to Tasuki.

"Is it just me or is he weakening Nimue?"

"It appears like he's losing this battle Kai-chi."

The song was almost over. Tsurai looked up into Tasuki's eyes.

"C'mon…" Nikki whispered from her spot up above. She still hadn't been spotted by the others.

"I'd say our girl is winning this battle," Tsunoiya said.

"She's reeling him in…" Nimue said as the dancers' faces inched closer. Tsunoiya handed both girls a wine glass with saké and vodka mixed together, grinning from ear to ear.

"Five, four, three, two, one…" Kai-chi counted down. The two dancers kissed.

"We have lift-off!"

"She finally bagged the big one!"

"Happy hic new year…" Tsunoiya stuttered before hitting the floor, empty wine glass flying out of her hand. Nimue and Kai-chi followed suit.

"Good hic drink…" Nimue muttered before passing out. From above, Nikki sighed, smiling and shaking her head.

"Way to go Tsurai…" she whispered before hopping out the window and onto the roof, heading towards the lake. Chichiri, who had been watching the girls and Tasuki from his seat, saw a glimpse of something moving in the window.

"Not again no da…" he whispered before heading out of the room.

With one last leap, Nikki made it from the roof to the ground. As she landed, she felt someone walking up behind her, quietly. Quickly she whirled around, bringing her hands together and forming a ball of fire in them.

"Daa!"

"Yai!"

Chichiri stood behind her, caught by surprise.

"Ch…Chichiri, it's just you…you nearly gave me a heart attack…"

"Same to you no da. What were you doing up there no da?"

"Huh?" Nikki extinguished the fire in her hands. "Oh." She looked up towards the window she had just come from. "I, had a feeling that I should make a private appearance…"

"O…kay no da…where were you this whole time?"

"Out by the lake. Um…it's…nice out tonight…um…do you wanna come? Just for a minute?" Nikki thanked Suzaku it was dark outside. Her face was turning bright red.

"Sure no da. It's a nice night for star-gazing no da."

Nikki flushed a deeper red. As she turned to head towards the lake, Chichiri pulled her behind a bush.

"Someone's coming no da…"

"You sure no one saw us?" Tsurai's voice came from the walkway.

"Positive. It'll be fine…" Tasuki's voice replied. Nikki glanced over and saw the two of them disappear into a room and heard the door close.

"That's his room no da…"

"Whoa…" Nikki stared, wide-eyed. "And to think I was impressed with them kissing…"

"Na no da…"

~At the lake…~

Nikki sat down on the shores of the lake. It wasn't the same one from earlier, but a larger, more public one on the palace grounds. The full moon shattered to pieces in the lake, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky.

"Why weren't you at the party no da?" Chichiri asked, sitting beside her. Nikki looked out over the water.

"I felt kinda nervous, like Kutou spies and assassins would be drawn to the noise."

"So you'd rather sit out here alone than with a group no da?"

"Rather silly, isn't it? But it's easier for me to relax here than at a loud drunken party."

"Still shook up from last night?"

Nikki nodded, pulling her legs up and resting her head on her knees.

"You handled it pretty well though no da."

"It still worries me."

Chichiri smirked.

"You are an odd one no da…"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Nikki glanced over at him.

"Nothing…Suzaku's little angel no da."

"Suzaku's little angel?"

"If the kasa fits no da," Chichiri laughed.

"Wear it," Nikki finished, grinning. She leaned back on the shore, looking up at the sky. "It's weird…we have two worlds…but the same sky. I see the same constellations I know from back home…"

"What ones do you know no da?"

"Well…" Nikki points at one small star cluster. "You see that group of stars, the one that has no other stars within a good area of it?"
"Which one no da? I can't see it very well no da."

"Perhaps you'd see it better without your mask," Nikki suggested. Chichiri hesitated, then removed it, placing it beside him. "Now, where was it?" Nikki pointed again.

"The six stars over there, the ones without any other stars in the area. Do you see it now?"

"Um…yeah, I see it."

"We call that the Little Bear. The star at the end of it, what would be the head on the bear, that's the north star. They say that if you follow the north star, you'll always…find…" Nikki sat up slowly.

"Nikki?" The girl was silent. "What's wrong?"

She didn't answer for a moment, then she whispered to herself, "Are we ever going to see our homes again?"

Chichiri understood what she meant.

"You're scared…" Nikki nodded.

"We all know about the others…Nuriko, Hotohori, Mitsukake, Chiriko, Tamahome. We know what happened to them…Chichiri, what if Seiryuu brought back his seishi? What if we…" she struggled for the word, "…die…too?"

Chichiri hesitated, then put an arm around her.

"Nikki, Suzaku will do his best to protect us all, especially you and your friends." He smiled at her. "Besides, he wouldn't have chosen you if he knew you couldn't succeed."

Nikki shook her head, looking away.

"Sometimes I think Tsurai should have been chosen to lead the group, or Nimue. Or even you or Tasuki. The both of you have been through this before."

"You're not getting what I'm saying. He chose you because he knows you can lead us to success. And I believe you can do it too." Nikki showed no reaction, still looking away. Chichiri put a finger under her chin and raised her head so he was looking into her eyes. "And I want to be with you as long as you're here." He leaned down and kissed her lips.

"Saké!" Tsunoiya shot out of the tall grass and latched onto Chichiri. "Extra large saké bottle." She banged on his head. "But how do ya open it?"

"Daa…."

"Tsu…Tsunoiya…"

The drunk tiger girl looked up at her.

"My saké bottle!"

"Tsunoiya, that's Chichiri, not a sake bottle. Let him go…"

"But…my saké…."

Nikki sighed, then glanced over at some reeds across the lake.

"Tsunoiya, there's…um…a bottle opener, right over there."

"Where?!" Nikki pointed to the reeds. Tsunoiya jumped up and ran at the lake, tripped over her own feet and fell face first into the mud beside the lake.

"Sometimes I wonder if Suzaku only picked her to come along for the ride…" Chichiri muttered.

"Forget about it," Nikki said. "I'm sure she has a reason for being here."

"Let's forget about that for now." Chichiri pulled Nikki closer to him.

"Awwww," Tsunoiya cooed. Nikki sighed.

"Conscious already?"

"Yep!" Tsunoiya's face was covered with mud. "Don't mind me, continue."

"Tsunoiya, why don't you–" Nikki was cut off as Chichiri took up Tsunoiya' offer.

~The next morning…~

"Ow…hangover…pain…" Nimue groaned.

"Nimue, Nikki's not in her room," Kai-chi said, walking in. "Neither is Tsurai."

"It's too early for either of them to be up…" Nimue mumbled, holding her head.

"Who?" Tsunoiya poked her head in.

"Nikki and Tsurai."

Tsunoiya smirked.

"Nikki's down by the lake, sleepin' like a baby, the peacock banged one beside her."

"You're kidding!" Kai-chi and Nimue gaped.

"Nope. Regained consciousness, they were making out, lost consciousness, regained consciousness, they were asleep, stumbled to room, lost consciousness."

"Well what about Tsurai?"

Nikki walked in and leaned against the door.

"Don't even ask…"

Nimue grinned.

"Have fun last night?"

"Not as much as Tsu and Tasuki most likely."

The other three facefaulted.

"You mean…?"

"Right after the dance."

Kai-chi giggled.

"So, Nikki…is he really as good looking without the mask? We were too drunk to remember when Tsunoiya tore it."

"That was fun!" Tsunoiya said gleefully.

"That's for me to know and you to keep your hands off of."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Nimue smirked.

"Good girl." With that, Nikki headed back towards her room, grinning.

~Meanwhile, in a palace area in Kutou…~

A teenaged boy, about the age of the Suzaku girls, slammed his fist into the wall.

"I can't believe they killed them all!" he shouted, infuriated by the messenger's report. "All nine of them?"

"Yes, m'lord. Gored by a tiger or flamed by fire as their corpses showed, before they were buried that is. However, I was able to discover the names of the seven seishi of Suzaku."

"Well spill it!"

"Are they hot?" another boy popped up behind the first, followed by a larger girl. The girl had black hair, tipped with red, that hung to her shoulders and green eyes, and her clothes were all black and skintight.

"Shut up you…" she muttered, whacking the second boy upside the head. He whimpered.

"I…do not quite understand your question, sir…"

"Ignore him. What are their names?" the girl asked.

"The two remaining seishi are the men known as Chichiri and Tasuki. The other five are girls, all around the ages of yourselves, by the names of Nikki, Nimue, Tsunoiya, Tsurai, and Kai-chi…"

All three teens froze.

"Repeat those names again…" the first boy ordered.

"Nikki, Nimue, Tsunoiya–"

"Enough!" the girl shouted. "You are dismissed."

"As you wish." The soldier readily left.

'So…it looks like we're up against some old…friends…" the first boy said.

"It does look that way. Our assassins are no match against them though. Maybe if I could get a date with Tsunoiya…" The girl smacked him again.

"Stop thinking about the opposite sex Garme! And the same sex as well, you sick minded freak…"

"That hurt Tyche…" Garme whimpered.

"It was supposed to!"

"Aw shut up ya two cent whore. We're going to destroy Konan in a way that no one in that pathetic group will be able to stop."

"How Bob?" Tyche asked.

Bob looked over the city of Kutou.

"Garme, get the archers assembled. Those seven may be able to fight against humans, but not the elements. They survived last night, but they won't be so lucky this time. Give the archers this order. In three days, let Konan burn…"