A Legend Reborn
*FLASHBACK*
"Hey, Miaka! Are you ready yet? Yui and Tetsuya are gonna be here any minute."
"Just a minute!"
The chimes of the doorbell sound throughout the house.
"Tamahome, will you go get that?"
"All right."
Tamahome runs downstairs.
"Hey, Tamahome!"
"Come on in. Miaka will be ready in a minute."
"You mean she's still not ready?"
"Well, you know how she is, Yui," Tamahome says, "She said she wants to make sure she gets everything. Why don't you come on upstairs with me?"
The baby in Yui's arms starts to get fussy. She wrestles against her mother, her nose wrinkles as she lets out small sobs that develop into crying.
"Tetsuya, could you hand me the baby's bottle?"
Tetsuya begins to rummage through the bag on his shoulder. "Let's see.... um.... well... That it?" he says squeaking a toy he just pulled out, "...no... uh.... Where is it?"
"Well I know I packed a couple...."
"Aha!" he cries triumphantly, as though he has just found buried treasure.
"Uh-oh...," Yui says, "Better make that a diaper..."
Disappointed, Tetsuya places the bottle back in the bag with a small grumble and begins to search the bag again. In frustration, he takes the bag and sets it on the floor, taking every item out and laying it on the floor beside him. He is suddenly covered in a white mist as he grabs a bit too hard at the baby powder.
Yui's eyes narrow.
"I can't find them...," he says with a small cough.
Without a word, Yui opens a Velcro pocket on the side of the bag and removes a diaper from it. She takes the fresh diaper, sets her daughter down, and proceeds to change her.
Tetsuya pats the powder off himself, cleaning his sunglasses with his shirttail.
"Why don't you two go on up? I'll join you as soon as I'm through here," she says.
Tamahome begins to lead Tetsuya upstairs and down a hallway.
"Oh... so this is where you've hidden it....," Tetsuya says as they reach the door at the end of the hallway.
Tamahome takes a key out of his pocket and inserts it into the lock on the door. "Miaka had me put the lock in," he says seeing Tetsuya's curious face, "I know it's a bit much, but she insisted on it..."
No sooner does Tamahome get the key into the lock than there comes a voice, somewhat muffled, from just down the hallway.
"Could somebody help me with this stuff?" In front of the nursery at the other end of the hall stands Miaka. She holds with her several bags full of diapers, bottles, and other baby goods, a folded up play pin, a rocking horse, a giant stuffed bear, a high chair, and so many other things it is hard to see the baby girl strapped to her front.
"Miaka.... What are you doing?" Tamahome asks.
"Well... I wanted to be prepared so I made sure to pack plenty of diapers and extra clothes and baby food and toys and one thing led to another and..... I guess I got a little carried away...."
"Let me lighten this load a bit, sweetheart." In a matter of minutes, Tamahome reduces Miaka's load to a baby and a reasonably sized bag.
"Are you sure that's enough, Tamahome?"
"We won't be gone all that long," he says, throwing the strap of the bag over his shoulder, "I'm sure Chisa will be fine."
"Oh... okay..."
"So are we all set?" Yui asks.
"I guess so."
Tamahome twists the key and opens the door. A book lays closed on the top of a trunk inside the small closet.
"Are you sure this is such a good idea?" Yui says, "I mean, what if something goes wrong and we get stuck in there? We won't have any link to this world..."
"You're right...," Tamahome says thoughtfully.
"We can't call Keisuke, can we....," Miaka wonders aloud, "He's visiting his new girlfriend's parents...."
"Really?" Yui says, "What's this one's name?"
"I think her name's Rei... Rei Ayanami..... or something like that.... haven't met her yet," she says. "He says they work in the same building. I just wish he'd settle down already..."
"Well, meeting the parents is a big step...," Yui says. "Maybe this could be 'the one'."
"Every one of them was 'the one' for Keisuke," Miaka laughs.
"I'll stay here in this world," Tetsuya volunteers, "You three go on ahead."
"But, honey..."
"It's okay. Go on ahead without me."
"I don't want to leave you here all alone by yourself."
"I'll be much better off here knowing that you and Misao have a way to get back here."
"All right... you're sure then...?"
"Yes, go on!"
"I guess we're ready then," Miaka says.
Yui takes the Book of the Universe of the Four gods and starts to read. Within a few seconds, the light envelops the three and transports them inside.
Their surroundings have changed from a closet in Miaka and Tamahome's suburban Japanese house to the wilderness of ancient China.
"Miss Miaka! Mr. Tamahome! Miss Yui!"
"Nyan-nyan!!" They turn to meet the pixie girl as she floats towards them.
"Are those them?" Nyan-nyan asks.
Miaka nods. "This is our daughter, Chisa."
"Wow! She's so tiny... How cute!" Nyan-nyan giggles, "She has Mr. Tamahome's eyes..."
"... and this is my daughter, Misao." Yui says.
"Hi, Misao!" she coos at the infant, "I got to meet them first!"
"Where is everybody?" Tamahome asks.
"Oh, yeah! Miss Taiitsukun sent me to meet you and take you to the palace," she says, "Everybody's waiting so we better hurry." A large carpet appears before them. "Climb on."
They gather upon the magic carpet. It slowly lifts and sails through the air, Taiitsukun's retreat gradually becomes visible through the mist as they near Mt. Taikyaku. Reaching its destination, the carpet slows and settles on the mountain before Taiitsukun's palace.
"This way, please," Nyan-nyan smiles as they crawl off the carpet. Nyan-nyan leads them to the palace where they are met with friendly ghosts.
"Nuriko! Chiriko! Hotohori! Mitsukake! Chichiri! Tasuki!" Miaka squeals. She runs towards the six seishi, prepared to glomp them all, not remembering that four of them are ghosts.
"Miaka, you idiot, NO!!" Nuriko cries.
Tamahome and Yui each latch onto a shoulder to keep her from falling.
"Ooops... Guess I got a little carried away..."
"Same old Miaka, no daa....," Chichiri sighs.
"Miaka, you're still being stupid!"
"Nuriko, you're still being gay!"
Miaka and Nuriko greet each other.
"Lucky kid. She doesn't look a thing like you, Tamahome!"
"Shut the hell up! I don't see you fathering any children! Of course, first, you'd have to find a woman who could stand your smell!"
Tamahome and Tasuki greet each other.
"Do you two always have to fight?" Yui moans.
"Fight? Who's fighting?" Tamahome says.
"Yeah, I'm just saying 'hello' to my buddy, Tamahome...," Tasuki says.
The two begin to pat each other on the back and laugh.
Exasperated, Yui places her hand on her forehead, a sign that she has given up.
"Hello, Tamahome, Miaka, Yui..."
"Taiitsukun!"
"So these are them, eh?" Taiitsukun says, "Your children."
"This is Chisa," Miaka refers to the infant.
"And this is Misao," Yui says.
Taiitsukun's wrinkled face sinks a bit. "They are both... girls... aren't they....?"
"Yes... they are...," Yui replies, not understanding Taiitsukun's worried expression.
"I see..."
"What's the matter, Taiitsukun?" Miaka asks.
"Nothing...," she says, "They are lovely children... They take after their mothers," she smiles.
"Miaka!" Miaka turns to face Nuriko, his eyes aglow, "Can I be the first to hold her, please?!"
"I guess so..."
"Goody!" he cheers, "Nyan-nyan."
"Huh? Oh, yeah!" Nyan-nyan floats toward them. She joins her body with Nuriko's spirit and he becomes opaque.
Nuriko gently lifts the child from Miaka's arms, cradling her carefully in one arm. Yui hands him Misao in the other arm.
"They're so cute!" he says, "Not as cute as me when I was their age, but they have potential...." Nuriko's head suddenly jerks sideways as Chisa's chubby little hand tugs at a lock of his purple hair. Misao begins to giggle at this. "Owww.... Get your kid offa me, Miaka, before she rips my hair out!!"
Miaka takes hold of her, carefully prying open the tiny fist Chisa has made around Nuriko's hair.
"You next, Hotohori?" Yui asks.
"Allow me one second," he says. He quickly ties his hair back.
Miaka frowns at him.
"What....?" he asks.
Nyan-nyan does the same to Hotohori. He takes hold of Misao, but Miaka is reluctant to hand over Chisa.
"Miaka, I assure you I meant no insult to you or your child," Hotohori says, "Please do not be angry with me."
"Oh... All right then....," Miaka pouts.
Hotohori gives back Misao and takes Chisa.
They continue like this, each of the seishi gets a turn to hold the babies. Mitsukake bottle-feeds little Misao, who is passed to Chichiri only to spit up on him. Chichiri quickly hands her back to her mother while he goes to change out of his soiled clothes. Yui apologizes repeatedly to the monk as she cleans Misao's face and clothes.
"Here, Tasuki," Miaka says, "Take Chisa."
"No... that's okay, really...," he insists, "I don't think I should.... I'm not good with kids...."
Miaka smiles. "Oh, go on! I'm sure you'll do just fine!"
Tasuki holds the infant by her armpits, her stubby legs dangling in the air. Chisa's face scrunches up slowly and she begins to wail.
"I didn't do anything! I swear!"
Tamahome looks down at his watch. "She's probably hungry." He takes a bottle out of the diaper bag.
"I told you I'm no good with kids... You take her!"
"She's not upset because she doesn't like you," Miaka explains, "She's just hungry and she probably doesn't like the way you're holding her. Here..." She corrects the position of Chisa in Tasuki's arms and the baby begins to settle. "See? Now feed her."
"How the hell am I supposed to do that?! I'm a guy!"
"You use this, stupid! It's called a bottle."
Tasuki takes the bottle and eyes it, not quite understanding. "Isn't it kinda hard for you to get that stuff in there, Miaka...?"
"What kind of sick question is that?" Tamahome says.
After spending a few minutes figuring out the odd piece of technology, Tasuki places the nipple in front of the baby's mouth. Chisa takes the nipple of the bottle into her mouth and begins to contentedly slurp away.
A fanged smile begins to grow on Tasuki's lips.
"What the hell are you lookin' at?" Tasuki's smile turns to a sneer as he sees Tamahome's menacing grin.
"You'll make a great mother someday, Tasuki...," he teases.
"YOU BETTER BE GLAD I'M HOLDING THIS KID RIGHT NOW OR I'D KICK YOUR FRICKIN' ASS!!" Tasuki snaps.
"I'd like to see you try!" The guys are now forehead-to-forehead, fierce sparks crackle between their eyes.
Miaka reaches in and retrieves her child before a fight ensues between the two.
"Miaka...?" a small voice comes from behind her.
"Yes, Chiriko?"
"Well... uh... um... can I...?" the young seishi stutters.
"Of course you can, Chiriko," Miaka smiles.
Nyan-nyan takes her place and Miaka places the child in Chiriko's small arms. "Be careful, now..."
"I always did want a younger brother or sister," he says, "but my parents were so old when they had me...."
"Any kid would've been lucky to have you as a brother," Miaka says.
Chiriko switches Chisa for Misao.
"I shall take them now." Taiitsukun says.
Yui and Miaka carry the babies to the elderly creator. Taiitsukun takes Chisa first. Head bowed and eyes closed, Taiitsukun recites a short incantation over Chisa. The others follow her lead, seated before her, head bowed, eyes closed. She replaces Chisa with her mother and does the same with little Misao, each of the children receiving a different prayer from the wrinkled creator.
Taiitsukun then envelopes each of the girls into a small pastel bubble hovering in the air.
The seishi, minus Tamahome, of course, understand and rise to their feet.
"The seishi would like to present the children with gifts," Nyan-nyan says.
Mitsukake steps forward. "I give them health and happiness throughout the many days of their lives. I pray they are surrounded by the people they love always."
Chiriko is next, "Wisdom and musical and artistic abilities. I wish them luck in all their studies in the future."
Hotohori comes, "To these infants so young, I give power in spirit and elegance."
Nuriko takes his turn, "I give these precious children physical strength as well as beauty to capture the hearts of the men they desire." He winks.
"M-men...?!" Nuriko has struck a nerve in Tamahome's fatherly instinct, "Chisa's not dating until she's thirty-five!"
"Settle down, dear," Miaka says, "I don't think we'll have to worry about our little girl dating for a while...."
Ignoring Tamahome as much as possible, Tasuki begins, "I give them the fire of passion and determination, that they will put the utmost emotion into anything and everything they put their minds to."
Chichiri is the last, "I give them power in everything else, no daa! I give them powers in friendship, love, and uniqueness no daa. May they keep the curious spirit of a child, no daa."
With Chichiri's final words, the girls float safely down to the arms of their mothers, the bubbles slowly dissolving.
"Thank you all for such wonderful gifts," Yui says, the three parents bow.
"I have a small gift of my own, for both mother and child." Taiitsukun says. With a few waves of her hands, more bubbles appear. These, however, are much smaller.
Hands outstretched, Yui and Miaka accept the bubbles, which dissolve into silver jewelry. Each of the bubbles contains two silver necklaces.
Yui looks at the jewel charm on the chain. "This isn't... Seiryuu... is it, Taiitsukun....?"
"As a matter of fact, it is, Yui," she says, "And yours, Miaka, are Suzaku."
"But we're not priestesses anymore," Miaka says, "We're just normal women.... normal mothers... We've got children to look after and jobs to attend... You can't possibly want us to-..."
"Do not worry, Miaka. I am not summoning you to be mikos again," she says, "These are merely... special amulets... to protect you... good luck charms, if you will...," the old woman's word are uncertain, "I have one for each of you and your daughters. You are to wear yours from the moment you return to your world on. Do not take them off. The other you are to give to your daughter on her sixteenth birthday."
"I hope we don't sound ungrateful, Taiitsukun, but we have one favor to ask of you before we leave this world," Yui says.
"After much thinking and discussing...," Tamahome says, "we have decided it would be best if you could place a barrier on the book. We want the connection between this world and our world sealed."
"We have the book locked up in our house, but we just don't think that's enough of a precaution," Miaka says, "We don't want Chisa and Misao coming into this world... ever again... by accident or any other means... after we go home."
"You mean you don't want to ever come back, no daa?" Chichiri says.
"If that's what it means...., yes...," Yui says, "We aren't necessarily worried about ourselves being stuck inside..."
"...We just want to protect our girls....," Miaka finishes, "We'd actually like to be able to come and visit here sometimes..."
"I knew that you would ask for something like this," Taiitsukun sighs, "...and I am prepared to give it to you."
"Really? Thank you Taiitsukun!"
"I will need your assistance, Chichiri."
"Yes, Taiitsukun, no daa."
"After you have left this world, your visits to this world will be limited.... the spell I must cast may have some unknown effect on this entire world as well....," the creator says, "You understand this, don't you?"
They nod.
The seishi all say quick good-byes.
"It is time...," Taiitsukun says, beginning the process that will enable them to leave. The seishi, living and ghost, seat themselves in a circle around the three adults.
It takes much concentration on all parts, but within a matter of minutes, they are transported back to the closet in their suburban home, back to civilization and all things familiar.
The book is placed inside a locked trunk, inside a locked closet, put out of sight, but never out of their minds.
*FLASHBACK*
"Hey, Miaka! Are you ready yet? Yui and Tetsuya are gonna be here any minute."
"Just a minute!"
The chimes of the doorbell sound throughout the house.
"Tamahome, will you go get that?"
"All right."
Tamahome runs downstairs.
"Hey, Tamahome!"
"Come on in. Miaka will be ready in a minute."
"You mean she's still not ready?"
"Well, you know how she is, Yui," Tamahome says, "She said she wants to make sure she gets everything. Why don't you come on upstairs with me?"
The baby in Yui's arms starts to get fussy. She wrestles against her mother, her nose wrinkles as she lets out small sobs that develop into crying.
"Tetsuya, could you hand me the baby's bottle?"
Tetsuya begins to rummage through the bag on his shoulder. "Let's see.... um.... well... That it?" he says squeaking a toy he just pulled out, "...no... uh.... Where is it?"
"Well I know I packed a couple...."
"Aha!" he cries triumphantly, as though he has just found buried treasure.
"Uh-oh...," Yui says, "Better make that a diaper..."
Disappointed, Tetsuya places the bottle back in the bag with a small grumble and begins to search the bag again. In frustration, he takes the bag and sets it on the floor, taking every item out and laying it on the floor beside him. He is suddenly covered in a white mist as he grabs a bit too hard at the baby powder.
Yui's eyes narrow.
"I can't find them...," he says with a small cough.
Without a word, Yui opens a Velcro pocket on the side of the bag and removes a diaper from it. She takes the fresh diaper, sets her daughter down, and proceeds to change her.
Tetsuya pats the powder off himself, cleaning his sunglasses with his shirttail.
"Why don't you two go on up? I'll join you as soon as I'm through here," she says.
Tamahome begins to lead Tetsuya upstairs and down a hallway.
"Oh... so this is where you've hidden it....," Tetsuya says as they reach the door at the end of the hallway.
Tamahome takes a key out of his pocket and inserts it into the lock on the door. "Miaka had me put the lock in," he says seeing Tetsuya's curious face, "I know it's a bit much, but she insisted on it..."
No sooner does Tamahome get the key into the lock than there comes a voice, somewhat muffled, from just down the hallway.
"Could somebody help me with this stuff?" In front of the nursery at the other end of the hall stands Miaka. She holds with her several bags full of diapers, bottles, and other baby goods, a folded up play pin, a rocking horse, a giant stuffed bear, a high chair, and so many other things it is hard to see the baby girl strapped to her front.
"Miaka.... What are you doing?" Tamahome asks.
"Well... I wanted to be prepared so I made sure to pack plenty of diapers and extra clothes and baby food and toys and one thing led to another and..... I guess I got a little carried away...."
"Let me lighten this load a bit, sweetheart." In a matter of minutes, Tamahome reduces Miaka's load to a baby and a reasonably sized bag.
"Are you sure that's enough, Tamahome?"
"We won't be gone all that long," he says, throwing the strap of the bag over his shoulder, "I'm sure Chisa will be fine."
"Oh... okay..."
"So are we all set?" Yui asks.
"I guess so."
Tamahome twists the key and opens the door. A book lays closed on the top of a trunk inside the small closet.
"Are you sure this is such a good idea?" Yui says, "I mean, what if something goes wrong and we get stuck in there? We won't have any link to this world..."
"You're right...," Tamahome says thoughtfully.
"We can't call Keisuke, can we....," Miaka wonders aloud, "He's visiting his new girlfriend's parents...."
"Really?" Yui says, "What's this one's name?"
"I think her name's Rei... Rei Ayanami..... or something like that.... haven't met her yet," she says. "He says they work in the same building. I just wish he'd settle down already..."
"Well, meeting the parents is a big step...," Yui says. "Maybe this could be 'the one'."
"Every one of them was 'the one' for Keisuke," Miaka laughs.
"I'll stay here in this world," Tetsuya volunteers, "You three go on ahead."
"But, honey..."
"It's okay. Go on ahead without me."
"I don't want to leave you here all alone by yourself."
"I'll be much better off here knowing that you and Misao have a way to get back here."
"All right... you're sure then...?"
"Yes, go on!"
"I guess we're ready then," Miaka says.
Yui takes the Book of the Universe of the Four gods and starts to read. Within a few seconds, the light envelops the three and transports them inside.
Their surroundings have changed from a closet in Miaka and Tamahome's suburban Japanese house to the wilderness of ancient China.
"Miss Miaka! Mr. Tamahome! Miss Yui!"
"Nyan-nyan!!" They turn to meet the pixie girl as she floats towards them.
"Are those them?" Nyan-nyan asks.
Miaka nods. "This is our daughter, Chisa."
"Wow! She's so tiny... How cute!" Nyan-nyan giggles, "She has Mr. Tamahome's eyes..."
"... and this is my daughter, Misao." Yui says.
"Hi, Misao!" she coos at the infant, "I got to meet them first!"
"Where is everybody?" Tamahome asks.
"Oh, yeah! Miss Taiitsukun sent me to meet you and take you to the palace," she says, "Everybody's waiting so we better hurry." A large carpet appears before them. "Climb on."
They gather upon the magic carpet. It slowly lifts and sails through the air, Taiitsukun's retreat gradually becomes visible through the mist as they near Mt. Taikyaku. Reaching its destination, the carpet slows and settles on the mountain before Taiitsukun's palace.
"This way, please," Nyan-nyan smiles as they crawl off the carpet. Nyan-nyan leads them to the palace where they are met with friendly ghosts.
"Nuriko! Chiriko! Hotohori! Mitsukake! Chichiri! Tasuki!" Miaka squeals. She runs towards the six seishi, prepared to glomp them all, not remembering that four of them are ghosts.
"Miaka, you idiot, NO!!" Nuriko cries.
Tamahome and Yui each latch onto a shoulder to keep her from falling.
"Ooops... Guess I got a little carried away..."
"Same old Miaka, no daa....," Chichiri sighs.
"Miaka, you're still being stupid!"
"Nuriko, you're still being gay!"
Miaka and Nuriko greet each other.
"Lucky kid. She doesn't look a thing like you, Tamahome!"
"Shut the hell up! I don't see you fathering any children! Of course, first, you'd have to find a woman who could stand your smell!"
Tamahome and Tasuki greet each other.
"Do you two always have to fight?" Yui moans.
"Fight? Who's fighting?" Tamahome says.
"Yeah, I'm just saying 'hello' to my buddy, Tamahome...," Tasuki says.
The two begin to pat each other on the back and laugh.
Exasperated, Yui places her hand on her forehead, a sign that she has given up.
"Hello, Tamahome, Miaka, Yui..."
"Taiitsukun!"
"So these are them, eh?" Taiitsukun says, "Your children."
"This is Chisa," Miaka refers to the infant.
"And this is Misao," Yui says.
Taiitsukun's wrinkled face sinks a bit. "They are both... girls... aren't they....?"
"Yes... they are...," Yui replies, not understanding Taiitsukun's worried expression.
"I see..."
"What's the matter, Taiitsukun?" Miaka asks.
"Nothing...," she says, "They are lovely children... They take after their mothers," she smiles.
"Miaka!" Miaka turns to face Nuriko, his eyes aglow, "Can I be the first to hold her, please?!"
"I guess so..."
"Goody!" he cheers, "Nyan-nyan."
"Huh? Oh, yeah!" Nyan-nyan floats toward them. She joins her body with Nuriko's spirit and he becomes opaque.
Nuriko gently lifts the child from Miaka's arms, cradling her carefully in one arm. Yui hands him Misao in the other arm.
"They're so cute!" he says, "Not as cute as me when I was their age, but they have potential...." Nuriko's head suddenly jerks sideways as Chisa's chubby little hand tugs at a lock of his purple hair. Misao begins to giggle at this. "Owww.... Get your kid offa me, Miaka, before she rips my hair out!!"
Miaka takes hold of her, carefully prying open the tiny fist Chisa has made around Nuriko's hair.
"You next, Hotohori?" Yui asks.
"Allow me one second," he says. He quickly ties his hair back.
Miaka frowns at him.
"What....?" he asks.
Nyan-nyan does the same to Hotohori. He takes hold of Misao, but Miaka is reluctant to hand over Chisa.
"Miaka, I assure you I meant no insult to you or your child," Hotohori says, "Please do not be angry with me."
"Oh... All right then....," Miaka pouts.
Hotohori gives back Misao and takes Chisa.
They continue like this, each of the seishi gets a turn to hold the babies. Mitsukake bottle-feeds little Misao, who is passed to Chichiri only to spit up on him. Chichiri quickly hands her back to her mother while he goes to change out of his soiled clothes. Yui apologizes repeatedly to the monk as she cleans Misao's face and clothes.
"Here, Tasuki," Miaka says, "Take Chisa."
"No... that's okay, really...," he insists, "I don't think I should.... I'm not good with kids...."
Miaka smiles. "Oh, go on! I'm sure you'll do just fine!"
Tasuki holds the infant by her armpits, her stubby legs dangling in the air. Chisa's face scrunches up slowly and she begins to wail.
"I didn't do anything! I swear!"
Tamahome looks down at his watch. "She's probably hungry." He takes a bottle out of the diaper bag.
"I told you I'm no good with kids... You take her!"
"She's not upset because she doesn't like you," Miaka explains, "She's just hungry and she probably doesn't like the way you're holding her. Here..." She corrects the position of Chisa in Tasuki's arms and the baby begins to settle. "See? Now feed her."
"How the hell am I supposed to do that?! I'm a guy!"
"You use this, stupid! It's called a bottle."
Tasuki takes the bottle and eyes it, not quite understanding. "Isn't it kinda hard for you to get that stuff in there, Miaka...?"
"What kind of sick question is that?" Tamahome says.
After spending a few minutes figuring out the odd piece of technology, Tasuki places the nipple in front of the baby's mouth. Chisa takes the nipple of the bottle into her mouth and begins to contentedly slurp away.
A fanged smile begins to grow on Tasuki's lips.
"What the hell are you lookin' at?" Tasuki's smile turns to a sneer as he sees Tamahome's menacing grin.
"You'll make a great mother someday, Tasuki...," he teases.
"YOU BETTER BE GLAD I'M HOLDING THIS KID RIGHT NOW OR I'D KICK YOUR FRICKIN' ASS!!" Tasuki snaps.
"I'd like to see you try!" The guys are now forehead-to-forehead, fierce sparks crackle between their eyes.
Miaka reaches in and retrieves her child before a fight ensues between the two.
"Miaka...?" a small voice comes from behind her.
"Yes, Chiriko?"
"Well... uh... um... can I...?" the young seishi stutters.
"Of course you can, Chiriko," Miaka smiles.
Nyan-nyan takes her place and Miaka places the child in Chiriko's small arms. "Be careful, now..."
"I always did want a younger brother or sister," he says, "but my parents were so old when they had me...."
"Any kid would've been lucky to have you as a brother," Miaka says.
Chiriko switches Chisa for Misao.
"I shall take them now." Taiitsukun says.
Yui and Miaka carry the babies to the elderly creator. Taiitsukun takes Chisa first. Head bowed and eyes closed, Taiitsukun recites a short incantation over Chisa. The others follow her lead, seated before her, head bowed, eyes closed. She replaces Chisa with her mother and does the same with little Misao, each of the children receiving a different prayer from the wrinkled creator.
Taiitsukun then envelopes each of the girls into a small pastel bubble hovering in the air.
The seishi, minus Tamahome, of course, understand and rise to their feet.
"The seishi would like to present the children with gifts," Nyan-nyan says.
Mitsukake steps forward. "I give them health and happiness throughout the many days of their lives. I pray they are surrounded by the people they love always."
Chiriko is next, "Wisdom and musical and artistic abilities. I wish them luck in all their studies in the future."
Hotohori comes, "To these infants so young, I give power in spirit and elegance."
Nuriko takes his turn, "I give these precious children physical strength as well as beauty to capture the hearts of the men they desire." He winks.
"M-men...?!" Nuriko has struck a nerve in Tamahome's fatherly instinct, "Chisa's not dating until she's thirty-five!"
"Settle down, dear," Miaka says, "I don't think we'll have to worry about our little girl dating for a while...."
Ignoring Tamahome as much as possible, Tasuki begins, "I give them the fire of passion and determination, that they will put the utmost emotion into anything and everything they put their minds to."
Chichiri is the last, "I give them power in everything else, no daa! I give them powers in friendship, love, and uniqueness no daa. May they keep the curious spirit of a child, no daa."
With Chichiri's final words, the girls float safely down to the arms of their mothers, the bubbles slowly dissolving.
"Thank you all for such wonderful gifts," Yui says, the three parents bow.
"I have a small gift of my own, for both mother and child." Taiitsukun says. With a few waves of her hands, more bubbles appear. These, however, are much smaller.
Hands outstretched, Yui and Miaka accept the bubbles, which dissolve into silver jewelry. Each of the bubbles contains two silver necklaces.
Yui looks at the jewel charm on the chain. "This isn't... Seiryuu... is it, Taiitsukun....?"
"As a matter of fact, it is, Yui," she says, "And yours, Miaka, are Suzaku."
"But we're not priestesses anymore," Miaka says, "We're just normal women.... normal mothers... We've got children to look after and jobs to attend... You can't possibly want us to-..."
"Do not worry, Miaka. I am not summoning you to be mikos again," she says, "These are merely... special amulets... to protect you... good luck charms, if you will...," the old woman's word are uncertain, "I have one for each of you and your daughters. You are to wear yours from the moment you return to your world on. Do not take them off. The other you are to give to your daughter on her sixteenth birthday."
"I hope we don't sound ungrateful, Taiitsukun, but we have one favor to ask of you before we leave this world," Yui says.
"After much thinking and discussing...," Tamahome says, "we have decided it would be best if you could place a barrier on the book. We want the connection between this world and our world sealed."
"We have the book locked up in our house, but we just don't think that's enough of a precaution," Miaka says, "We don't want Chisa and Misao coming into this world... ever again... by accident or any other means... after we go home."
"You mean you don't want to ever come back, no daa?" Chichiri says.
"If that's what it means...., yes...," Yui says, "We aren't necessarily worried about ourselves being stuck inside..."
"...We just want to protect our girls....," Miaka finishes, "We'd actually like to be able to come and visit here sometimes..."
"I knew that you would ask for something like this," Taiitsukun sighs, "...and I am prepared to give it to you."
"Really? Thank you Taiitsukun!"
"I will need your assistance, Chichiri."
"Yes, Taiitsukun, no daa."
"After you have left this world, your visits to this world will be limited.... the spell I must cast may have some unknown effect on this entire world as well....," the creator says, "You understand this, don't you?"
They nod.
The seishi all say quick good-byes.
"It is time...," Taiitsukun says, beginning the process that will enable them to leave. The seishi, living and ghost, seat themselves in a circle around the three adults.
It takes much concentration on all parts, but within a matter of minutes, they are transported back to the closet in their suburban home, back to civilization and all things familiar.
The book is placed inside a locked trunk, inside a locked closet, put out of sight, but never out of their minds.